𝒂 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 ѕтαιηє ˣ вυηηу ᶰᶳᶠʷ

[Staine]

⊰ Milo ⊱ 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. ​

Being a demi-human was a miserable life. Even others like you knew that you were less than humans, that in the grand scheme of things your life didn't matter. There were not many paths through life for one like Milo. There were two kinds of Demi-human in the world, there were those who were servants, either sold or born into captivity, kept in facilities and mistreated but at least fed with a roof over their heads until some human bought them. Usually for pleasure, or for labour. Why pay a gardener or a maid every week when you could buy a demi-human, a larger upfront cost but they had no rights so you didn't need to pay them and over time you'd more than save your money, especially since one could do several tasks. The same one who tended your garden could cook your meals, clean your home, care for the animals that were ironically often treated better than the part-human part-animal demi-humans themselves. They could be sent to the fighting rings, both legal and underground where demi-humans of all breeds fought brutal battles with one another for the entertainment of their superiors, even to the death in the more illegal arenas. Then there was the most common, sold as sex slaves. Usually the females of their species they were exotic, different from humans and since they had no rights they were often sold for just this purpose, dressed up in skimpy outfits as they served their masters. A human woman could withdraw consent, say no at any time, a demi-human would be laughed at and punished for even trying. If they were lucky they would be the personal slave of somebody who wasn't too bad, an aristocrat with low stamina, a quick pump and then back to working as a maid...the unlucky ones were bought by owners of brothels, they worked all day and night save for when they slept and were beaten for daring not to smile. The other path through life was destitution. Scavenging in the slums, the only thing they owned was freedom until somebody decided to come and claim them for themselves. Even there it was the poverty-stricken humans that got to live freely, demi-humans had to stay hidden because they never knew when a slave trader would come to find new stock and when all you had was freedom you were usually desperate to keep it. That was how Milo had lived his life. His parents were both demi-humans, a feline type and a canine type, and he'd been born a canine. They never had enough to eat, they'd lived life on the edge of starvation but they had managed to find abandoned buildings to sleep in some nights, and had made shelter in caves on the outskirts of towns on others, where the most desperate of their kind went to avoid capture and imprisonment. He'd been young when they had died...it was common for demi-humans not in captivity to die young from starvation or disease, but Milo had survived at the age of only 14. The next ten years had passed and he'd used the skills they taught him to survive but that was all he'd managed to do, that and evade capture, fleeing when the slavers came to raid their homes, at least up until last year. He wasn't sick or injured, he could have ran but what was the point? He lived a lonely life, moving from empty building to cave to empty building, he didn't have friends, he'd never had a partner to share it with like his parents, who had at least had each other, and then him. He survived on scraps of food and what clean water he could get during the rainfall, and come winter he spent every night shivering, too scared to wish for death and too miserable to hope to live, caught in a terrible limbo. So this time when they came, he had walked over to them voluntarily. He knew he would be a servant, he'd never have his freedom again but at least he would have food and warmth and though they looked down on him he would have people to talk to. Maybe if his parents had done this they would still be alive, serving some rich asshole somewhere and separated but alive. Even when he'd handed himself over they had cuffed him in their van, put the shock collar on him in case he fought them, they took no chances as they took him to the facility. That had been a year ago, give or take, and life wasn't much better than it had been but it was something. He got those meals he had wanted, he had that shelter he had needed, and he got yelled at often enough to count as conversation in some small way. Sometimes he got beaten...but as a male he at least didn't get raped. Some did, the younger men, as soon as one turned sixteen they were considered fair game, the ones that put up more of a fight were the ones most likely to be abused but Milo was twenty five now, and he had lost the fight long before he turned himself in. He was the quiet one, he obeyed orders, he did as he was told and his reward? He was put in a cage near the front of the facility, on display when the wealthy came to buy. If he smiled, he even got rewarded with a little extra food and an extra blanket, so he smiled when they came, and when told to stand so they could inspect him he obeyed without a word. It was...more comfortable than life on the streets had been, but still just as lonely. Nobody seemed to want him, maybe because it was hard to hide the sadness in his smile, maybe he just wasn't handsome enough, or didn't look strong enough. Maybe it was because he was too old or untrained...the facility had decided not to train him at all, he'd never put up a fight anyway and they'd had other priorities than to train him personally when he would likely be easy enough for anybody that bought him. With all that, it was a surprise to him when his cage was approached that morning by one of the heads of staff, a man he rarely got to see. They'd spoken very few words, just given him instructions, put his wrists behind his back, open his mouth...he'd been cuffed, and gagged. His clothes had been taken from him, he'd been taken to the shower even though he'd had his weekly shower just a couple of days ago and he'd been forcibly scrubbed. He'd been blindfolded and taken to a smaller cage where he was forced to kneel and a new shock collar had been locked around his throat. On his knees he had a bar placed over the backs of his legs and locked to the bottom of the cage so he couldn't even stand until it was removed, his cuffs had been connected to the same bar to keep him upright and as an extra layer of restraint. He'd felt the cage being wheeled out and then lifted into a van, and he knew what was happening. He was being sold...and as the van started driving he could only hope that it wasn't to the fighting pits. The drive took a few hours, his thighs ached from the position he was in by the time the vehicle came to a stop, not that anybody would care, and he heard voices as the delivery men set up the ramp and then wheeled him and his cage out of the van. Because he couldn't see he wasn't to know that the cage was completely covered with a large, black velvet sheet and above the door was his name on a plaque. Milo. He couldn't see that he'd been wheeled into the front room of a large mansion, and he couldn't see if anybody was there to greet him. There were strange smells, that was all he had to go on, perfume and cleanser, so unlike where he'd grown up or the stink of the facility, but all he could do was wait. ​

 

[Bunny]

⊰ Adaline ⊱ 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒. ​

Being wealthy didn’t amount to much in life when there was no one to share it with. Oh, people wanted to be her friend or more, but it was often based on what she could provide them or do for them. With both her parents having died when she was young and her grandparents too old and too self absorbed to wish to care for a child, Adline had grown up in boarding schools. Harry Potter made it seem glamorous and maybe it would have been, if there had been magic. The world, though, lacked such wonder. It was cruel, dark and more often than not, depraved. By virtue of her birth, Adline was ahead of the game, even if she’d been born poor. She was human, at least.. Sort of. Adline had been born to vampires and was a vampire herself. Luckily for her and her kind, no one had ever thought to enslave them as they did demi-humans. Not that they could have, for Addie couldn’t think of a single one of her kind who would willingly allow themselves to be a slave to another. They were not prey, but predators. It was their nature, plain and simple. While some demi-humans could be from predator species, they were easy enough to tame. It was why they were looked down on as they were. Upon turning eighteen, the wealth of her parents and now deceased grandparents was hers as was the mansion her mother and father had owned along with a litany of other properties. She’d lasted exactly three months before deciding that the big, empty house needed someone other than her to inhabit it. It was almost as if it was haunted, though not by ghosts, but by loneliness. Rather than find some boy or girl to share her bed and prey on her isolation and loneliness, Adee had decided to buy herself a demi-human. At least she knew what she’d be getting herself into. They would require food, clothing and a room. Like a pet would, but they wouldn’t take advantage of her. They couldn’t. It had taken her another month to decide on exactly who she’d bring into her home. She’d never visited the facility, but had browsed online, looking at live feeds of the many demi-humans that were available. Women and men both, all beautiful and exotic. When she’d come across Milo though, with his sad eyes and gentle demeanor, she’d fallen for him. Not in love, no, but she’d seen something in him that was mirrored in her. There was the problem as to what he’d do.. Most bought them to be servants; cleaning, cooking and fucking. It wasn’t her brightest moment, but Adee knew she’d likely want him for all three. Though, she’d never force anyone into the latter.. It just wasn’t in her nature. The cage had been brought in and set in her living room. It was massive and within it was Milo. Covered in soft velvet, like a present just for her to unwrap. She felt nervous, which was silly, wasn’t it? Her fingers pulled at the long black sleeves of her crop top, fingers worrying the fabric. The short black pleated skirt brushed her thighs as she paced in a small circle, trying to build up courage. Her stocking feet made no sound on the polished wood.. Exhaling she reached for the cloth, the fabric bunching in her hand before she pulled. It slithered over the bars like water and fell in a pool at her feet. Inside, Milo was bound and she gave a small gasp. “Oh!” Worry filled her eyes and she fumbled for the cage’s lock. “That looks really uncomfortable,” her voice was sweet and soft as she slipped the key into the lock. The mechanism popped and the heavy lock clattered to the floor. Pulling the door open, she bent and made quick work of the restraints before pulling back, not wanting to crowd him or scare him. “You can come out, it’s okay.” The way Adee spoke,was as if he were a scared animal. Low, soothing and a touch coaxing. “It is okay, Milo.” She smiled, a shy curl of lips and stepped back. “You are home.” #b84dab ​

 

[Staine]

⊰ Milo ⊱ 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. ​

Scent was all he had, so Milo used it to try and figure out his surroundings as he knelt in the cage. It was impossible to tell where they'd been driving through the acrid stench of gasoline and motor oil but he'd been able to recognise the scents of the two men delivering him as ones he frequently could smell back at the facility. It made sense, delivery was rare, there were no more than one or two per month so they didn't have dedicated delivery men and instead just two of the men working at the facility had taken it amongst themselves to take him to wherever he was going. Once they were at the location, new scents had filled the air, the cleanser, bleach, and then something else entirely. It was something feminine, he knew that even before he heard a voice as he breathed in the vanilla notes, the scent of a fruit he couldn't name, he'd never tasted but he'd seen once when he was starving and never forgotten how it had smelled. That and something clean, peppery with a touch of a woodsy scent. It was pleasant and he breathed it in, a welcome change from what he was used to. He couldn't hear anything for several minutes, then he heard a gasp and a feminine voice. He blushed immediately, he couldn't help himself...he knew he was naked and never in his life had a woman seen him like this...even at the facility, where he'd often been stripped to be cleaned before they had trusted him to do the job himself after months of no resistance they had all been men. The very few women that worked in that place never came down to where the slaves were kept, though he didn't know if that was because they found it distasteful or because none of them had any purpose down there. He would have answered if he could, he mumbled into the gag when whomever it was said he looked uncomfortable but it wasn't very easy to tell what he was saying, and he was only agreeing with them anyway, then he heard the sound of a metal clinking on metal, the sound of a lock turning and the door opening, squeaking only slightly. He felt a tug on his arms and after a few seconds his wrists were free, then the bar locking his legs into place let up in pressure and he knew that too had been unlocked. The shock collar still remained, and the gag, the blindfold...but he could move his arms now. It was risky because he didn't know if he had permission, but the rest of his restraints had been removed so Milo took a gamble and before climbing out of the cage he reached up and pulled off his blindfold, having to close his eyes as they adjusted to the sudden assault of bright light on his eyes, then he reached for the gag. Luckily for him it hadn't been locked into place, not like the collar had, and fumbling with the clasp for a few seconds was all it took to figure it out and start to remove it. A few seconds later and he pulled it free of his jaw. It came away with a small string of drool which he wiped with the back of his hand before he climbed out of the cage, an act made more difficult by having to hide his manhood. He didn't want her to see him...he'd rarely been around females, the few he had he'd been very shy around, nervous...like they were a different species entirely, because to him they were. None had ever shown an interest in him, he had never in his life really been in a place to date, the few he'd met that he knew were single didn't seem interested and he'd never been bold enough to ask them. His parents had never taught him about women, the talks all humans expected to give or receive at some point in their lives and he had never asked anybody because it felt shameful not to know. To him, his knowledge of sex was that it was something that happened to demi-humans, usually inflicted by humans but sometimes other, stronger demi-humans. Consensual sex was a rarity, he himself was a rarity, a demi-human born to two of their kind outside captivity and not bred like common dogs. When he rose to his feet both his hands were in front of him, covering himself and he could feel his body heat from embarrassment, the flush of his cheeks and he looked towards where the voice was. She was beautiful...she was younger than he was, he could tell, she was well bred too, the way she spoke was soft and gentle and the way she moved was graceful and poised, it was no wonder he'd heard no sound. She was wearing clothes, long black socks, a black skirt that was pleated and ended just above her knees and a top that didn't cover her midriff, he could see the pale flesh at the tops of her thighs, at her stomach and his eyes roved higher up to see her face. She was pale there too, her lips a deeper red than most people he'd seen, her eyes golden, beautiful, he felt he could get lost in them as the silver of his own met them for just a few seconds before he looked down, his blush deepening. "H-home?" It had a nice sound to it, but he knew better than to hope. Milo knew the simple truth, his kind were bought to be used, as servants, as slaves. She looked beautiful and in that he felt he saw kindness but he'd seen beauty before, he'd watched in the streets as beautiful human women had kicked and laughed at men like him, led around on leashes and his eyes flicked to the remote on top of the cage he'd just left. Even not fighting hadn't spared him from the shocks when the men at the facility had felt he wasn't moving fast enough, wasn't smiling enough in his display cage, and sometimes just because a visitor wanted to test the collars he'd felt the sting in his neck. As kind as she sounded, Milo knew better than to hope so he stuck to what he knew, speaking with respect and not meeting their eyes any more than he had to, and he'd already done enough of that to earn a shocking. "Y-You're my new owner...so I suppose this is home. You have a very nice home, Ma'am, it will be an honour to serve you, w-what duties do you require of me?" ​

 

[Bunny]

⊰ Adaline ⊱ 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒. ​

It hadn’t occurred to her when she’d rushed to free him that he was naked. Some part of her brain had processed it, of course, but it wasn’t until he awkwardly climbed from the cage, trying to cover himself that it seemed to dawn on her. Pale cheeks flushed a deep crimson and she averted her eyes from his face. Rather that letting her eyes roam his body, as surely some would, her eyes were resolutely on the far wall. “Um, you can cover yourself, with the um.. Cloth that was over your cage.” That sweet voice held clear embarrassment. “I have.. Some simple clothing up in your room..” The words came and she turned on her heel. “Wait here, I will go get you something to wear. That way you don’t have to try and walk up stairs with that silly long cloth.” She left him there, quickly slipping through the doorway on their right. He’d be able to hear her start to climb the stairs and after a few moments, her return was proceeded with the same soft creaking of the wooden slats. In her hands she held a pair of boxers, some loose slacks, meant for lounging and a simple t-shirt. The coloring of all three were greens and grays. Adee hadn't gotten him a lot of clothing, wanting to give him the freedom to pick what he’d like. Her eyes closed as she offered the clothing to him. “I didn’t know what you would like to wear, but I thought these looked comfy.” The pants were soft cashmere and the shirt was of similar make. While they were simple, she’d clearly put thought into his comfort. Only after she heard the rustling of cloth stop did she peek at his face. “Yes, this is now your home, Milo. Well, our home.” A shy smile curled on her lips. “I am Adaline.” He’d called her ma’am without a better title and while she’d hated it, she’d understood. “You can call me Adee, if you like?” Now came the other part of his question. She toyed with the sleeves of her shirt again, a clearly nervous gesture. “If you wouldn’t mind. I would like you to clean and cook.. But more than that, I bought you for companionship.” It dawned on her how it sounded and she lifted her hands before her and shook her head quickly side to side, her silky chestnut hair sliding along her shoulders. “Not.. sex..” Her face bunched and she sighed. “But friendship?” Not that she wouldn’t sleep with him, but that would be his choice.. Shifting her weight she looked to the shock collar, one hand lifting to her lips, her thumb and index finger curling against the softness of them. “I would take the collar off, but I was told not to.” There was more to it than that, but Adee didn’t know how to broach the subject. While she had been advised by her solicitor and the company shed bought him from not to remove the collar, that much was true, there was a sexual aspect to it as well. She was a virgin, but she knew a few things about herself. Yet, she’d just told him that she didn’t intend to sleep with him so telling him that the collar was there to shock him because she’d find pleasure? No, it was too complex and awkward for a first meeting. “Would you.. Like to see your room? Or would you like a tour of the house?” Bending she picked up the velvet cover and began to fold it, if for no other reason than something to do. A mental note was added that the cage would need to be removed. The cloth was set on top of the cage and she turned back to him. “Or if you’d like to explore on your own.. I could leave you?” one little fang shown as she bit her lower lip. “I just ask you not leave the grounds.” It was the only restriction she planned on placing on him. #b84dab ​

 

[Staine]

⊰ Milo ⊱ 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. ​

Milo was genuinely lost, he didn't know what to expect. He'd heard rumours, he'd heard them all his life about how humans used and treated his kind and he'd seen plenty of examples on the streets. Their cruelty wasn't just limited to their homes when they had no laws to protect demi-humans, and from his hiding places he'd seen what happened to those that ran or disobeyed or simply committed the crime of not being fast enough to follow orders. Of dropping something or lagging behind their owners while shopping and carrying everything by themselves. He'd seen the fear in demi-humans who knew they were about to be punished, seen the shock collars used again and again till they were begging for it to stop, seen them being kicked and told to get up. That was what he assumed was his fate for being weak, for giving in when they had come for him and allowing himself to be taken in and sold. He'd had a year of relative peace, a few shockings, a few beatings but he'd been fed. Now he had been bought, all bets were off and he expected the worst. So when the first thing she did was tell him he could cover himself, his brows furrowed in confusion and he looked to the cloth still on top of the cage. With one hand he reached for it and pulled it to himself, wrapping it around his waist. "T-Thank you, Ma'am." He'd quickly learned that showing respect meant less abuse once he'd been taken in and when women had come in to look at the slaves they'd been called Ma'am by the workers there so he'd immediately defaulted to that name when he saw he'd been bought by a woman. She continued talking and he watched her disappear, to get him clothes? This wasn't what he'd expected...she'd looked away to protect his modesty, now she was clothing him like she cared. It was confusing, and strange. She probably just didn't like the look of him, that was what he reasoned. He didn't like looking at other men naked, he couldn't believe she would enjoy it either. That had to be it, and when she returned he did his best to stay hidden beneath the cloth, taking the clothes without a word and slipping them on. Once he had the boxers on he could drop the cloth, so he did, pulling on the slacks and then the t-shirt. Both were finer than anything he had ever worn, the comfort level was something he didn't know was even possible. They felt...clean. Warm, soft against his skin and when she spoke she said she didn't know what he would like to wear...like she'd thought about his comfort more than a uniform, which these clearly weren't. Another anomaly. He wasn't going to fall for the trap of calling her by such a casual name, he'd seen what happened when his kind didn't show respect. When he spoke, his tone was formal, he wasn't good at it but it was one of the few things he'd actually been trained in, speaking with respect to his betters. "Miss Adaline...thank you for the clothes, they feel...nice, I..." she continued speaking and he fell silent, knowing better than to talk over her but the things she said, they didn't make sense. Nothing was making sense. He'd been bracing himself for what he'd find once they'd arrived here from the moment he'd been put in the cage, he had known it would be awful, he would be lucky if they'd ignored him and put him to work, some kind of hard labour but this wasn't that at all. Was she trying to trick him? "W-What do you mean? Companionship? Friendship? I...I'm your slave...you bought me...it doesn't...it doesn't make sense." His fingers came to the collar as she mentioned it, still there, still locked. He hadn't expected it to be released anyway, it was there to remind him of his place, and as a deterrent against bad behaviour. Adaline continued to speak, offering him a tour or to explore on his own and asking, not telling him, asking him not to leave the grounds. He gave her a smile that didn't quite eliminate the sadness in his eyes and he shook his head. "I...will take the tour, Miss Adaline. May I ask you something?" He knew he shouldn't, that he was heading for trouble and shouldn't be questioning what was clearly a trick, to enjoy it while it lasted but he didn't like feeling that he was missing something. He might not have been a fighter, he might have been more inclined to just get by with his head down and hope not to be noticed but he couldn't just ignore this weird feeling. "Why are you being so nice to me?" He stepped closer, to follow her on her tour and if she started to move he would do just that, staying a few paces behind her respectfully, of course. "Is it a trick? I've seen others, I've heard stories...I know that I'm your slave, your property...you didn't have to give me such fine clothing, and you asked if I wouldn't mind when you explained my duties...as if I had a choice." He tilted his head a little, curiously. "I'm not complaining...of course...but I don't understand..." ​

 

[Bunny]

⊰ Adaline ⊱ 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒. ​

Fear from him wasn’t something she’d expected. Perhaps she should have. Her interactions with his kind had been rather limited. They had been servants at school but she had been one of those weird people who thanked them when they did something for her. She didn’t treat them like objects. So his stuttering shyness was seen just as him being shy and nervous in his new home. Miss Adaline. It made the corner of her mouth quirk to one side slightly though he fell silent as she kept talking. She wouldn’t have minded if he’d kept going, she could have easily paused. The confusion though, that was understandable. “Well, yes. I do own you. But.. I didn’t buy you for the same reasons I guess most do?” She paused considering what all they were used for. Manual labor, servants, sex, fighting. While she could use some of those aspects from him, forcing him to do such seemed.. Wrong. Adee just didn’t see them the same way so many others did. Almost as if they were less than the animals that they shared traits with. They were not so different from her. Her head tilted curiously as he asked if he could ask her something. “You just did.” The answer was soft, playful, “But you may ask me something else too.” Her eyes widened and she bit her lower lip. “I am nice to you because.. You deserve it.” She seemed to take a moment before lifting a finger to her fang, her mouth opening. “See this?” She tapped her fang. “I am not exactly human either. Difference is vampires never allowed themselves to be where demi-humans are.” Her hand fell away and Adee continued. “Too many of your kind are based on prey animals. You have no way to defend yourselves. It is likely why demi-humans have never been able to shake their chains.” It was a mused thought more than fact. “Humanity can be kind, but many will be cruel if allowed.” Owning someone, abusing someone, using someone. It seemed to be a vice for humanity. If someone was lower than you, you were doing good. “As to if this is a trick, no. Though, if I was tricking you, would I tell you?” It wasn’t meant to scare him, just more to point out the futility of the question he’d asked. “And I didn't, no. But I have the money to buy you nice things, so why not spoil you? I don’t imagine you have had many nice things..” Her voice trailed off and she smiled shyly. “Well, that is because you do. I mean, you can’t leave.. And I would like to be friends. In that I didn’t leave much wiggle room. But if you don’t like to clean or cook, I can hie others to do that for me..” Her shoulder lifted and fell in a small shrug. Moving closer Adee took his hand. “Now let me show you your home!” She seemed to want to focus on brighter things that such heavy subjects, though she’d continue to answer his questions. They tour was simple, but she showed him each and every room. Living room, formal dining, dining, kitchen, breakfast nook, library, study.. The list went on and on. When it came to their rooms, they were on opposite ends of the second story. She’d put his room further away for his comfort. The bedroom had been done up in dark rich woods and black with cream accents. It was a touch gothic with the wood accents and the heavy framed bed. She stood in the doorway, stepping aside for him to enter. “This is your room. I wanted to make it nice, but if you hate it we can re-do it!” She offered, her fingers curling around the doorknob nervously as she leaned against it. “There is a private bath and a walk-in closet too. If you need more space, we can always have a door added and you could have a second room too. For hobbies or something?” #b84dab ​

 

[Staine]

⊰ Milo ⊱ 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. ​

Milo listened as he followed her, keeping a respectful distance and his eyes lowered to the ground where possible. He still didn't trust her, not completely, he was worried that this was just some weird game being played for her amusement, but...he wanted to believe her. The only proof he had that something was wrong here was that she was human, and he was demi-human, which was enough to stay suspicious. The worse part of this was how much he wanted to believe her. She said she wanted companionship, a friend...that was something that Milo ached for, he'd never had a friend, never had somebody he could trust, could rely on, not since his parents had died. The men at the facility hadn't been friendly or kind to him, the other demi-humans had their own problems and worries and they weren't allowed to mingle too often anyway, because if they were allowed to gather then they might form a large enough group to cause problems. Despite being considered less than human, the fact was that many demi-humans had gifts. He himself had sharper canine teeth, a powerful bite and an outstanding sense of smell and there were species that had far more. There were demi-humans that were several times stronger than humans, those that were faster, true predator species and still treated like this...because they didn't have numbers, didn't have organization. They were kept apart and Milo wasn't the only one that had very few to no friends. "No, you said you bought me for companionship, Miss Adaline?" Curiosity was getting the better of him...he knew better than to trust a human but so long as she was letting him speak, he wanted to know, he wanted answers. Wanted to hear what she'd say. "But you're a pretty, rich woman...I'm sure you could find a companion easy, you don't need to buy one..." He thought his answer made sense, and he continued to follow her up the stairs, eyes lowered, until she told him to look at something. He looked up and his eyes widened to see her teeth...elongated canines, like his, though hers looked far sharper. His brow furrowed again...her scent wasn't so different from any other humans he'd met, what did she say she was again? "Are you...a demi-human too?" He was clearly confused. "What's a vampire?" The way she was speaking, no, she wasn't like him, but she was talking like she wasn't human either. Maybe that was why she was acting so strange. She was right when she said humanity could be cruel, he wasn't so sure about kind, yet. She was also right that if she was tricking him, she wasn't going to tell him. He followed her into room after room, looking around at the clearly opulent wealth...he'd have been content with just one of these rooms, his entire famlily would have been happy to live in one, hell several families could have made their home in a single room here and she owned them all. She told him again that he did have a choice, he just couldn't leave. He frowned again, this just wasn't what he had expected, what he'd braced himself for. "I've never cooked...or cleaned. I've never really had anything to cook or clean...I've never had a home, I lived on what I could scavenge, either already cooked and thrown away, or stale. Bread...I like bread, when it's not moldy." It was just the truth, though he found he didn't like saying it, didn't like the answer he had to give. He wanted to change it, for some reason he wanted to offer her something for her kindness. "But I...I could learn. I-If that's what you'd ask of me...I could learn, Miss Adaline." She'd taken his hand then, he'd flinched at the touch, expecting something else, he'd never been touched gently before, when he hadn't been hit or beaten he'd been dragged around, impatiently forced to stand where he was told, out of the way, or like when he'd been put in his cage, undressed, positioned, restrained. So he'd flinched, but he didn't fight it, let her guide him. He wanted to see what she meant by home. And then he did. The room was huge, as opulent as all the rest, it looked comfortable, spacious, with fine black sheets and a bed, an actual bed. He stepped inside in wonder, looking around...he breathed in the scent...it smelled a little like her but mostly just clean, empty. It was beautiful and...she said it was his? His room? "This...is mine?" He thought back to what she'd said about the clothes too, that she didn't imagine he had very many nice things, and even now the way she spoke, saying they could even change it if he liked but it was so perfect...he felt his eyes water. Why...why was he falling for this, why was he not fighting...she'd gotten under his skin so easily and quickly and he didn't understand how but it was too late. He ran his fingers over the bedframe, over the chest at the foot of the bed even though he had nothing to put in it. He'd never owned anything before in his life, only the ragged, dirty clothes on his back and she wanted to give him this whole room? For what? And she was still talking, offered him a second room. He couldn't take it anymore and he rounded on her, his eyes tearing up. "W-Why? I don't understand why...why you're being so kind, is it just a cruel game? Do you want to make me want something just to take it away?" He'd heard humans liked such cruelty sometimes, liked to hurt and tease just to get a few laughs. "I've never....never owned anything at all, not a home, not anything...and now you want to give me this? This room, it's more comfortable than anywhere I've ever slept and you're saying it's for me?" He sobbed...he couldn't stop it, couldn't hold back the tears, he brought his hands up to try and hide them, to wipe them away, careful to lift up the sleeve of the fine new t-shirt, he didn't want to stain it. "I-I already belong to you Miss Adaline, you d-don't need to tease me or teach me a lesson...I will be good, I'll learn to cook and clean, I'll do whatever you ask of me and I won't r-run, but please...please don't torment me with things I can't have..." ​

 

[Bunny]

⊰ Adaline ⊱ 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒. ​

When he flinched, Adee considered dropping his hand. She’d not wanted to scare him, but it was the sort of response that an abused animal would have. Milo may have known a kind touch once, but now? How long had it been since someone had really shown him kindness? It made her heart hurt for him. Adaline had never been abused, but she understood being touch starved. That was likely true of Milo. His reasoning as sound as he questioned why she needed to buy him. “Yes, but I know what you will want and need from me. I have had.. Experiences that have not been the best. Even wealthy people can be used.” She left it at that. Rehashing her own pain wouldn’t benefit either of them. Lips quirked some.. “Vampires are people who drink blood. I eat too, but blood is needed to sustain myself. Think of it like water for yourself.” Her smile grew and she lifted a hand, to stop any question about if she’d be feeding on him. “And I will not drink your blood unless we agree on it. I can feed myself easily enough. So it isn’t required of you.” She’d been honest. All she sought from home as companionship. Did she one day hope for more? Of course. It would take time though and Adee was not willing to take anything from him without his consent. “You can learn if you want. You don’t need to cook or clean. Though, I will not be able to cook for you. I am absolutely terrible at it.” Her nose wrinkled and she gave a shake of her head. “No moldy bread here, though I can order you some tasty ones.” She smiled, making a mental note to do just that. She liked bread too and already knew what kinds she’d like to share with him. All bread was amazing and it was as varied as anything else. “Learn if you want to,” Adee stressed. “I can get cooks, maids.. If you don’t want to or find you don’t like it.” She insisted. Nodding, she smiled. “Well, yeah, you need a bedroom.” Adee watched as he walked deeper into the room, fingertips brushing over surfaces before he turned back to her, his silver eyes glassy. “Milo?” her voice held concern. Her eyes widened as he spoke and the horror was plain on her face. “No! I am not taking anything away. This room is yours!” She didn't correct him that the house was hers. He would live here with her. When his hands lifted to his face and the heartbreaking sob left him she moved away from the door. She gently gripped his wrists, pulling them away from his face. “I will only say this once more. I am not playing a game, Milo.” Though the wording seemed strict, her voice was soft, comforting. “This room is yours. We will get you more things. Things you like. I didn’t know you when I decorated. I just wanted you to have a nice place to call your own.” She pulled his hands down a little lower. Her hands slipped into his, holding them. “No need for tears or fears.” Still that gentle, sweet voice and she smiled at him. “You can learn to cook or clean, if you like. If you want to learn to play an instrument or want a gaming system or if you want to collect something, you can. I will help you.” Exhaling, Adde looked sad. “I do own you. That will not change. I want to be friends, but if that isn't in the cards, that is okay. You can still stay here. I will not take any of this back.” She’d need to try again, if he didn’t want to be her friend, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. #b84dab ​

 

[Staine]

⊰ Milo ⊱ 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. ​

"Even wealthy people can be used..." He repeated what she'd said, pondering it. It seemed like a strange thing to say, he knew that he didn't believe it immediately, just another trick, though why? The more they walked and talked the more he became confused, Milo just couldn't understand. This was a lot of effort to go through just to trick him, and why would she do that? She no doubt had the controller to his collar, she had ways to hurt him that weren't nearly so elaborate and time consuming so why was Adaline bothering to go through this charade? He continued his walk with her, his eyes widening when she explained to him exactly what a vampire was. "You...d-drink blood?" He froze as she'd said it...was that what she wanted him for? She wasted no time in telling him that wasn't the case, but that didn't make sense to him. He'd seen nobody else around. "How...how do you feed yourself...if not from me?" An honest question, the more he learned the more he could be prepared. He was still thinking about it when they continued, giving a sad smile when she said she couldn't cook for him. "I'd never expect a woman of your station to cook for me, Miss Adaline...I...I..." He was going to continue but he'd seen the wrinkle of her nose when he'd mentioned what he was used to eating. Of course she'd never had to eat anything like that, he had no doubt the food she ate was the finest of everything...he'd smelled it before, mouth-wateringly delicious scents, dangerous scents that could have drawn him in if he wasn't careful, led him to being captured when he was younger. "I-I'll learn." If he learned, maybe he would be treated well. That was a lesson he'd already learned in the facility...he hadn't been treated well, of course, but he'd been treated better than most, than the ones who fought back, who bit and earned beatings and pain. The one's he'd seen being locked up far away from the eyes of potential customers...so Milo knew already that it was easier to just give in. If he did what he was told to do, he could live more comfortably. He'd been wary but relatively calm until they'd reached the bedroom, then it had all finally overwhelmed him. He tried to fight it, he didn't want to give her a reason to hurt him, even if it was just a game to her, playing it was giving him some respite but he couldn't stop the tears, he was afraid he was being lulled into feeling like things might be okay and that to have it taken would be worse than the usual cruelty. When she gripped his wrists and pulled them away from his face he shook, made a soft whimpering sound. He was sure the penny was about to drop, she was about to laugh, she'd gotten what she wanted from him. But she didn't laugh. She looked genuinely sad and horrified, like what he'd said had been hurtful to her and shocking. She said it again, the room was his, he could do what he wanted, learn what he wanted. Her tone was more strict, but still soft, still gentle in it's own way. He didn't know what the things she mentioned were, an instrument, a gaming system...Milo had a very limited education, learning only what he needed to survive, these sounded like human things, luxuries. He'd barely begun learning to read and only then because of the signs in the facility. He could read his own name. None of those things mattered anyway though, because of the sad look she gave him when she said she'd still own him. It hurt...in his chest, it ached...why, he didn't quite know or understand but seeing the pain on her face caused it in his heart. All of the hope he was afraid of being taken away, the suspicion, the fear and that was what got to him the most. She'd looked happy, maybe nervous until now, he'd assumed it was fake, acting, but the sadness he could see in her eyes bothered him. It felt real...god help him he believed her. He sniffled and looked down. If she was playing him for a fool it was going to hurt more than anything he'd ever experienced but if she wasn't...if she was being honest, if she genuinely wanted him to be happy, wanted to be his friend...then wasn't he hurting her? By not believing her, by accusing her of terrible things, by assuming the worst of her he was the one causing the pain right then and that understanding made him sob again, then he lunged. He couldn't take it anymore, his arms were around her neck, he pulled her to him...it was the first embrace he'd felt in over ten years since his parents had died and he was trembling, hoping he wasn't wrong. He didn't want to hurt her anymore. "M-Miss Adaline I...I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean to upset you I...I...you've been so kind to me, I don't understand, I still don't understand b-but I could...I could be...your friend. If...if you still want me to be..." There was sadness and hope in his voice, he was hiding his face on her shoulder, something no human would allow from one of his kind yet he was doing it anyway because he trusted her. "I'll learn to c-cook, and clean, I'll do whatever you n-need or want from me, p-please don't be sad..." ​