A Rain of Blood-red Petals

It is the Harvest Festival, a time of revelry, happiness, and prosperity. Jiro Taijo, the 2nd prince, is bored living his entire life in the palace. He sneaks out and disguises himself as a commoner. As he wanders among the booths and temporary stalls being put up for the festival market on the last day, he catches a glimpse of an exotic beauty.

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Jiro Taijo
Race: Human
Age: 20 (doesn’t always act that mature, though)
Appearance: Medium height, regal, perfect posture, night-black hair, sharp blue eyes, lean but sturdy frame
Background: Growing up in the palace, Jiro never really had an urge to see anything of the outside world. Being the middle child of three, he never felt the pressure of having to rule one day, and he isn’t under his parent’s protective eye. One day, however, he happened to look out of his window and saw the people of the kingdom in full celebration. The palace never had such revelry, even though they lived so well. Naturally, he wanted what he couldn’t have, and so he snuck out, just for the day. Or at least...he only planned to be gone a day; until he realized the festival lasted for three days.
Personality: selfish, demanding, childish, bossy, needy, protective
Likes: fruit, fish, sweets, rich kimono, colourful things, small wild animals
Dislikes: dirt, not getting something he wants, people not listening to him, physical labour, bitter vegetables, large wild animals
Picture:
In the palace.

On the street.

Adonis
Race: Human
Age: 16, 17-ish
Appearance: Shorter than average, slender but toned, pale golden skin, wavy black hair to the knees (when down), green-blue eyes.
Background: Adonis was taken care of by an aunt when little. His mother died after giving birth to him, and no one knows who is father is. His aunt taught him to dance and sing on the streets in order to make money, since they were very poor. With his looks, sweet voice, and feminine way of dancing, Aunt thought girls clothes suited him better. So he'll wear girls clothes when he's performing, but not otherwise. At around age 14 or 15, he got cornered by slave dealers and they brought him to a foreign place. The slave dealers thought he was a girl at first, but they didn't think that they're mistake mattered all that much since he is pretty.
Personality: feisty, determined, can't really hide his emotions, neat freak, somewhat mischievous, playful
Likes: sweets, flowers, meat (cuz meat is expensive, doesn't eat it very often), food in general
Dislikes: mud, pervs (except for his sweetheart, lol), brainless girls, disorganized people
Picture:

((Why don't you go ahead and post the profiles too since you have both? As for a title...anything will do, really. I usually like making stuff up, sometimes a quote that sounds like my character might say it. Other than that just put [sunrainXImoto] at the end so it's easy to find.))

((I should have asked you what length post you like. Just let me know more or less.))

"Onii-san," Jiro said, looking over at his older brother on the other side of the room, the brush in his hand flowing preciously across the paper, "I need to go mind my studies now. Please tell itoto-san if he looks for me not to disturb me." By his brother's cold silence and unmoving expression, Jiro could tell that he understood, but didn't care. Standing up from his seat on the floor, Jiro left the room carefully, being sure not to rush and to open and close the door with care, lest he damage it at all. As he walked through the halls he passed one or two of his family's workers, but they simply moved to one side of the hall and bowed until he passed, just as everyone else did when he was in his robes and in the palace.

Finally making it to his own room, Jiro changed into the clothes he had gotten from one of the servant boys so that he could walk amongst the commoners without being noticed. Once he was disguised properly, he snuck his way down to the bottom floor and found an untended window that he could escape through. Jumping out into the garden, Jiro managed to make it to the wall and through a gap that had yet to be repaired.

Making it out into the crowd, Jiro knew exactly what he wanted to do. The two previous days of festivities he had gotten the chance to see one of the most beautiful dancers in the world. She didn't have anything going on in the chest area, but she had a way of moving that Jiro had never seen before. However, it seemed that a bunch of merchants had set up booths everywhere and that this day was specifically for selling and buying things.

Just as he'd almost given up, Jiro caught sight of a flash of skirt between the crowds out of the corner of his eye. Turning back around, he found a large wooden stage where slaves were being auctioned off to bidders in the audience. Most of the people at the forefront were well-dressed, and Jiro could recognize most of them as wealthy and important people; probably the only ones who could afford slaves. When he finally looked up at the slave on the block, he was amazed to see the girl he'd been aching for standing next to the auctioneer, her hands bound with rope in front of her as the man yelled out prices and bids to and from the crowd.

((It doesn't particularly matter to me how long the posts are. I'm not sure how this affects things yet, since I'm new to this. Obviously extremely short posts don't give other people as much to respond to. Do you have a post length you think is good? Oh, and are people wearing traditional Japanese clothes or... like the style in the palace pic? Then again, Japanese-style does not currently apply to Adonis's attire.... How long is Jiro's hair?))

Adonis was frustrated. What was with these people? They didn't even care if their charges were wallowing around in the mud. You would think that slave dealers would make some sort of effort to clean everyone up before a sale. Well, ok, they did make the slaves scrub themselves last night, but it was barely a dip in and out of the water. They could have simply avoided the issue by taking care of the slaves in the first place. There would be less to clean up at the end. He still felt dirty from the mud he had plodded through on the way to this godforsaken market. And he hated mud. Period.

Then again, he was cleaner than most. The slave dealers made him dance the last two days of the festival and earlier in the morning to attract people's attention to the slave market, so that had gotten him another dip in the water the night before the festival started.

Sighing, he thought about the attention he attracted. The people here were different from the people in his home town. They wore straight robes with some sort of sash often tied off in an elaborate manner. The more civilized members of society seemed incredibly polite to each other, always bowing and nodding. And the only words he could vaguely understand were things he had picked up from the slave dealers. They didn't sound very nice.

Suddenly, a hand seized his elbow and hauled him up the stage towards the auctioneer. Turquoise skirts billowing, he stumbled slightly as the man holding him stopped abruptly in the center of the stage. The noise escalated as bids flew, and catcalls could be heard towards the back of the crowd. Adonis took in the mass of well-dressed people at the front, and dread started to kick in. He was going to be sold to one of these people, in a place he did not know.

((I think we've got good length going here. Some posts will be shorter, some longer, but I think we've got a good pace started. Yeah, let's go with traditional outfitting for everyone. I just used that pic because it was regal and looked like him. He would probably be wearing traditional royalty robes. His hair is long like in the first picture, but he tucks it into the back of his peasant's yukata when he's out on the streets to try and hide it. I think it's cute that you made Adonis a foreigner. <3))

At first all Jiro could do was watch as people shouted and the man on stage shouted back, numbers piling up and flying through the air at break-neck pace. However, once he got a good idea of how things worked in this trade, Jiro took his money pouch out of his obi and checked the coins within. He had plenty on him, thanks to his generous allowance, and knew that he would be able to buy the girl easily. Taking another look at her, Jiro noticed that she didn't look completely healthy and was a bit dirty, not to mention a foreigner. However, the final fact only made her rarer and more exotic, so Jiro wanted to have her for his own.

"200,000 yen!" Jiro called out, holding his hand up to be sure the auctioneer saw him. Some of the people in the crowd went silent and stared, and some others began whispering amongst themselves. The bid was twice as much as the last man had offered, but Jiro felt he was just making sure that no one else would be able to outbid him. He could, of course, always fight it out with the other bidders, but he didn't like having to do that much work.

After a few more seconds of asking the audience for other bids, the auctioneer pronounced Jiro the winner, and the girl was led down to him via a set of stairs to one side of the platform. Taking the rope connected to her wrists, Jiro led her away from the crowd without saying anything at first. Once they were a good bit away, though, her turned around to her and said, "You're mine now. So behave! Let's go back now, I have to figure out how to explain you to my parents." As they walked away, Jiro didn't even think that his new slave might not speak Japanese, seeing as she was a foreigner; he wasn't the type to think so much into things.

((Ok, I was wondering since the hair length was different. And Adonis's name is clearly not Japanese, it's Middle Eastern, so I thought it would be more appropriate to make him a foreigner.))

At the sudden silence, Adonis looked up. The auctioneer and the crowd were looking slightly stunned, looking at a young man dressed simpler than the rich folks in the front. Whispers and muttering were heard as the auctioneer clearly asked for any last bids. But it was just as clear to Adonis that the man had just won. He wondered how much money he was bought for.

Adonis was hauled off the stage and passed into the man's hands. After the money was exchanged, and quite a bit of it, the man led him away.

When is he going to undo this dratted rope? he thought, as the man led him in silence. The bindings were tight and were cutting off his circulation. Then the man finally spoke.

Listening to the clipped, quick syllables, Adonis had no idea what they meant. But they had an interesting rhythm. Still, the language was nothing like his own melodious tongue, which was more like singing. Adonis felt homesick as he wandered behind his new... master?

Dear lord, he was supposed to take orders from this person. He had lived most of his life on the streets, doing as he pleased. A sour taste developed in the back of his mouth as he thought of having to work for someone else. But the man hadn't stopped talking.

Sensing some frustration in the other's tone, Adonis snapped his gaze back towards the man with some wariness and apprehension as the other turned and looked back at him.

Finally reaching the wall of the palace, Jiro managed to guide his new slave through and got her into the building with little difficulty, seeing that she was so light and small. "You've got a real flat chest, you know that?" Jiro said to her over his shoulder, although it wasn't really meant as an insult. "You kind of remind me of my cousin. Maybe you'll meet her some day." Sneaking carefully through the halls to avoid anyone seeing them, Jiro and his new slave came face-to-face with a rather annoyed looking female servant just a year or two older than the prince himself.

"You idiot, what are you doing wandering around in those rags for?" Turning her eyes on the slave, she added, "And what's with the new meat?"

Pouting at the woman, Jiro replied, "I bought a new slave. Actually, this is perfect timing. Take her to my parents and explain that I sent you out to buy me a companion so that I can have her around the house without anyone asking questions. Then bring her by my room so I can have her cleaned up." Handing the reins over to the servant, Jiro walked away, back to his room so that he could change into his proper robes again.

Sighing and shaking her head, the woman looked the slave up and down before giving the rope a sharp tug and saying, "Get your feet moving, bitch." Although she had no particular romantic interest for the prince or either of his brothers, it annoyed her to no end when they brought females into the house who were prettier than she was. her chest was enormous compared to other women of the culture, D cups in fact, yet her face was average and she was too tall for her own good at 5' 9".

Leading the new slave to the emperor and empress to explain what had happened according to what Jiro had told her, she was dismissed and dragged the slave back through the halls to the prince. "You should know that the prince is a real priss, and prick too. He'll be nothing but trouble for you, I'm sure. So just do what he says and don't get any ideas," she said, acting totally out of character for a Japanese woman of her age.

When they arrived at the prince's quarters, she said, "Here's your new play-thing, your majesty," and pushed the girl roughly through the doorway so that she fell on her hands and knees.

"Kaida, why do you always have to be so rough with people? You'll hurt my new servant!" Jiro yelled, always hating how Kaida always acted so much more like a man than a lady.

"Shut it, you snot!" the woman yelled back, obviously ticked off. "Have fun with your new whore!" Shutting the door with force, she stormed off, tears trickling out of her eyes and down her red cheeks as she sniffled and wiped her face with the sleeve of her kimono.

((Wow, that's probably the best thing I've written in a while. O.o))

This person really liked to talk. But that became the least of Adonis's concerns as he saw the building in front of him. The walls at the perimeter were impressive in and of themselves. The tops of trees and long, woody stalks could be seen. Then there was the building itself, a sort of fairy house with roofs that curved at the corners and colorful tiles along the edges. Adonis had never seen such buildings before. He couldn't help looking around in all directions to try and see as much as possible.

The inside was just as interesting as the outside. Elaborate flower arrangements, rock gardens arranged in linear but pleasing patterns, and the wonderful cleanliness were just a few things Adonis registered as they moved through the halls. Adonis sighed in pleasure, forgetting the numbness in his wrists, and focused his attention back on the man in front of him.

For some reason, his new master was acting strangely, almost secretively. Come to think of it, we haven't passed another person yet, he thought. What's up with his behavior? And then a women pops out of nowhere.

The woman is dressed simply, but better than the man leading him. Her voice is incredible, and Adonis winces at the tone. She doesn't seem very happy, and he notes the look of distaste as she glances at him. Adonis frowns a bit. What's her problem? Somehow it doesn't look like they will get along.

The two finish their conversation, though it seemed more like bickering to Adonis, and the man walks off. Adonis begins to follow but the women stops him with a look and takes the rope. She's tall, taller than he is, and taller than most of the women he has seen in this new land. She glares at him again and barks something before dragging him off again. That glare could scalp a monkey, and that tongue of hers could probably probably do the same job even better. He remembers his wrists and lets out a small gasp as the woman tugs the rope suddenly. Clearly she has something against me, he thinks as he glares at her back in response.

They come to a room more magnificent than anything Adonis has seen yet. It was richly decorated, but still managed to keep a harmonious, elegant, and simple appearance. The colors themselves were perfect in coordination. A regal looking couple stood before them, looking as though they had just been conversing between themselves a moment before. The woman holding his rope dropped to her knees and bowed, and after a sharp tug on the rope, Adonis tried to copy her as best as he could. Clearly she was displeased with his performance, however, and pursed her lips in annoyance before addressing the couple.

After a brief discussion, Adonis was whisked out of the room and back down the hall. When he had tried to raise his head during the conversation, the woman had placed her hand on top of his head to keep it down. She wasn't exactly gentle about it either. Adonis was growing more and more annoyed with this woman, but there wasn't much he could do except glare silently at her back. She probably felt it too, for she increased her pace and yanked the rope a number of times. Finally she flung open a sliding door and shoved him inside before he had a chance to react. Then she made a malicious-sounding comment before slamming the door back shut.

The breath was knocked out of him as Adonis hit the floor. He registered more yelling and then a pause before the person in the room sighed. Looking up, the first thing he saw was a set of gorgeous robes made from a simple but fine fabric. The material looked soft and clean, and Adonis found himself staring at the clothes. The man cleared his throat, and Adonis registered the fact that this was the same man who had bought him. But he looked more impressive now, with long hair caught up in a ponytail. Adonis realized that this princely air had even been about the man in the market. Lost in his thoughts, he started as the man drew closer and picked him up.

"Ah!" The noise escaped Adonis's lips in protest as he was carried like a girl towards the other end of the room. There was a small enclosed garden with a steaming pool fed by a waterfall and stream. The man set him down and began talking again. Adonis watched him as he talked, hoping he was going to be able to bathe. Then their gazes locked, and Adonis felt his throat growing tight. He swallowed nervously as the man drew closer, hands on either side of Adonis's hips. The man murmured something softly, and the spell broke. Adonis wrenched his eyes away and raised his hands, wincing at the pain in his bound wrists. But his heart was thumping loudly and rapidly in his chest as he thought about those eyes. Sapphire eyes, like the deep waters. Beautiful, but easy to drown in.

((Ahahaha, we have a fun scene coming up with the bath, yes? And with Kaida too, in future? Lol, wall of text. Figured I should contribute a bit to the direction of the story. Mweeheehee, Adonis is showing his cute, shy side. XD He really needs to learn people's names, though. It's beginning to get annoying using pronouns all the time. Dunno how long that will take though, seeing how Jiro doesn't always think of these basic things, like Adonis's wrists. Must hurt, lol. XDD

How am I doing so far, for a n00b?))

((For a newb, you are actually doing better than most veterans I have met. XD Had you not acted so oddly about starting all this I would have assumed you were a practiced RPer with years of experience and maybe a book published or something. Perhaps a bit of hyperbole, but not much. <3 Yes, Kaida will be immense fun. Jiro is a bit dense, though, and when you don't know a language it's nearly impossible to distinguish names from words, trust me. The only thing I would say is that it's unusual and sometimes rude to direct another's character, but you're doing it marvelously, so don't worry too much about that.))

Picking up his new slave in his arms, Jiro walked back to his private bath and set the girl down on the stone bench that only he had ever used. "Since you look like you've been kept in a stable your whole life, I think a bath will be the first thing for you. Then probably some new clothes, maybe getting your hair done. After all, you aren't just some wench like Kaida; you're going to be my companion from now on. Which means that you need to look the part," he added, checking the water to make sure that it was still hot. While Kaida had been out, Jiro had ordered another slave to fill the bath with hot water, knowing that he would want to bathe this girl before he did anything else. After all, cleanliness was one of the most important parts of life.

Putting his hands on the girl's hips gently, Jiro liked the soft curves and smiled nicely at her. "Don't worry at all. I'm a kind and fair master, and I'll keep you clean and well fed and pretty, so there's nothing you could ever want for. All you have to do is obey me. I'm sure that won't be hard will it?" he asked, still not realizing that the girl hadn't said a word since he'd bought her. "First, get undressed," he said, wondering if she had ever had a proper bath before in her life. However, as Jiro began taking off her skirts, he saw something that he hadn't expected. Staring for a moment, he looked away, thinking that it was just a figment of his imagination and that it would disappear if he cleared his thoughts. However, when he looked again, it was still there, staring right back at him.

"How is that possible!?" he yelled, dropping the edges of the skirt he'd been gripping and jumping back about half a foot. "How is that even possible!?" Clutching his head in his hands, Jiro didn't know what to think. The slave he had bought for her elegance and beauty, the most luscious dancer he'd ever seen in his life, was a man! Not wanting to have to look at it again, Jiro said weakly, "Just get into the bath," and pointed to the water before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him. Not knowing what to do, he left his room and frantically began searching for Kaida, the only one he could tell about this.

Oh course, as soon as she heard the prince's story, she had to burst out laughing! "Hahahahaha!!! Serves you right, you little brat! How do you like that?" Unable to control her laughter, Kaida loved the bitter sweet taste of karma, although in reality she didn't know what the prince was getting so upset over. "You know, now that I think of it, you've never even seen a woman naked, have you?" she asked, although she already knew the answer. "Well, I guess the only thing you can do is to make the best of it. I mean, you can't really return him, now can you? You're stuck with that boy, and more than that, you've got to take care of him now. Good luck," she said, although she felt a bit bad about leaving another human in the callous hands of the prince.

On his way back to his room, Jiro tired to think of what to do from there. He'd bought a slave he'd thought was a girl who turned out to be the most beautiful boy he'd ever seen in his life, and now...what? It wasn't as though it was unheard of for a man to have another man as a partner, but at the same time, Jiro couldn't wrap his mind around it. However, Kaida had been right about one thing; he couldn't return the boy he'd bought, even if he wanted to. Finally returning to his room, he sat on his knees politely outside of the bathing room and asked, "Are you still in there?" wanting to apologize for the way he'd reacted earlier. It wasn't like the prince to apologize, but he didn't have anything to prove to this slave in particular, so...it didn't feel so demeaning.

((omfg, wall of text indeed. '>.>))

The man's movements startled Adonis, and his eyes widened as his skirts were lifted. But the other's hands stopped, and yelling in disbelief, the man jumped a full three feet into the air and fled the room. Adonis stared after him even after the door closed, dumbfounded. What's with him?

He shrugged and turned back to the water. Well, clearly he could take a bath. The man had pointed at the water before leaving. "But what am I going to do about this stupid rope?" he wondered aloud. He decided to try and undress anyway. The skirts would be the easy part. Leaning back, he caught the waist of the skirt and began to tug it down, moving in a circle around his body. After getting the skirt off, he proceeded to unlace the bodice around his torso. The garment fell open but he couldn't get it completely off with his hands bound. This left the shift worn as an undergarment. "Now the hard part," he panted as he reached down and tried to lift the material over his arms. But this had been tricky enough on his own back home with both hands free, and his wrists were hurting from the rubbing of the rope. He had also forgotten about the loose lacing that was tied just below the shoulder blades and around the waist.

Somehow managing to tangle himself in the mass of material, the bodice, the lacings and the rope, Adonis was stuck with his head under the fabric. The door opened at that moment, and Adonis heard someone walk towards him. The voice of his master came through the cloth, but Adonis still didn't understand anything. Blushing with embarrassment, he called out, "C-can I get a hand, please?"

((He talks. Yay. And that pose has GOT to be provocative. XDDDDD))

At first, Jiro could do little more than stare in confusion and bewilderment at his new slave. However, he soon sighed and reached down to help him get his clothes off. After they'd managed to get everything off, Jiro finally noticed that his hands were still tied. "Well that won't do..." he muttered, and went back into his room to get a knife. Returning and sawing through the ropes carefully, Jiro finally freed the boy's hands and, at the same time, noticed the terrible red marks they had left. "Those fools," he said, gently taking the boy's hands and looking carefully at his wrists. "They've damaged you. I hope it fades soon enough, it won't do to have you looking like that. Now, get in the water," he said, leading the younger man to the bath and helping him in. The water was still steaming and, even if it stung at first, it had to feel good.

Part of Jiro wanted to join in the bath, having not had one since the previous night and wishing for the relaxing hands of the hot water, but he wasn't sure if he was comfortable not only being naked in front of this new slave, but also being in a bath with him, which had so many implications. However, he caught his second wind and, deciding that it would be the best way to break the pressure between them, went back into his room to disrobe before returning. Stepping into the tub as well, Jiro did his best to stay on the opposite side from the slave, not wanting to confuse or frighten him, especially since he was so much smaller.

After staring intently at the boy with a furrowed brow for several minutes, Jiro finally said, "You don't speak Japanese, do you?" He had noticed earlier when he'd found the boy all tangled up in his own clothing, that he had said something in a language the prince couldn't understand. Also, he didn't respond to anything anyone said in Japanese, which was both rude and curious. "Hmm...I guess names will be the only thing you'll understand, then," Jiro decided, thinking about what would be important and easy to explain. "Jiro," he said, pointing to himself, "but you should call me 'ouji-sama*," he added with a cocky smirk, even though the boy wouldn't understand the last part.

((*ouji-sama = prince))

Adonis couldn't help but squirm a little as the man helped him out of his clothes. Being self-conscious and exposed made him more sensitive to the feel of the other's hands and body whenever they happened to touch.

After the clothes were off, the man took his hands, muttered to himself, and went back into the room. He came back with a knife, cutting the rope at Adonis's wrists. Adonis gasped as his blood began circulating again. He rubbed at the welts gingerly, and the stinging increased as the blood rushed back. It didn't help that his hands and wrists felt as though they were being pricked by thousands of pins and needles. The other man took his hands again and examined the red marks. He looked angry, and muttered something under his breath. Adonis didn't think the anger had anything to do with himself, though, so he didn't move.

The man guided him to the water, and Adonis sank in with relief. It was nice to have a hot bath. Even back at home, they didn't often have hot baths. It took a lot of effort and wood to heat the water. His wrists did sting at first, but the pain faded as he sat there, closing his eyes and relaxing for a moment.

A splash at the other end of the tub made Adonis open his eyes. His master had gotten in as well. Adonis noticed that the man was rather larger than he was, and built quite nicely. His master's hair fell in a dark wave around his shoulders, accentuating high cheekbones. Adonis remembered he was naked and brought his own much longer hair over his shoulder to help obscure his front, blushing slightly. His master was staring at him with a slight frown, and Adonis could feel his cheeks heating more at the attention.

When his master began talking, all Adonis could really do was look at him, uncomprehending. Then he pointed to himself saying "Jiro" and paused before saying something else and smirking.

Nothing else to do but try and get names, then Adonis decided. He pointed at himself saying, "Adonis." He pointed back at his master. "Jiro?" Then he started combing his fingers through his hair to prepare it for washing, not realizing that the fluidity of his movements could be incredibly distracting.

((C'mon Jiro, get your hands on him in the bath, you know you want to. XDDDDDDD But yeah, no pressure to actually write that.))

((That would be inappropriate. XP))

Looking the boy over, Jiro pointed to him and asked, "So your name is Adonis?" wanting to make sure that he'd gotten it correct. Names were extremely important and, even though he was only a slave and Jiro could rename him if he really wanted to, he wanted to be polite and accepting; so long as it was convenient to him. if he kept the boy's original name, it would sound more exotic and impressive if he ever introduced him to someone important. Even though he was a prince already, Jiro had the constant urge to show off and prove himself better.

"Other than names, I don't think there's really much we can talk about, huh?" Jiro asked Adonis, trying to figure out some way for them to communicate with each other. "Hmm...well, now that mother and father know about you, I suppose that I could just get someone to teach you proper Japanese. You know, you're turning out to be a lot more expensive than just you purchase price. But that's fine," he added, leaning back against the side of the tub. "It will be fun. You know? Taking care of you. Like a pet or a doll or something," he said, probably lucky that his new servant couldn't understand what he was saying about him.

Staring intently at Adonis again, Jiro grasped for something to talk about before realizing once again that they didn't speak the same language. "This is already getting annoying," he complained, furrowing his brow a bit and trying to think of something to ease the pain of speaking in the mean time. "I mean, how am I supposed to give you orders if you don't even know what I'm saying? You really are useless at the moment, aren't you? It will take some work...but I'm going to turn you into something fabulous," he said, smiling at the thought and leaning his head back.

((I know that. It's just amusing, having them in the tub together.))

So, his master's name is Jiro. Adonis listened as Jiro talked, and nodded when Jiro pointed at him and repeated his name. He finished combing out his hair as Jiro continued, thinking he must like the sound of his own voice, or something. But the man seemed reasonable enough. His expressions shifted constantly, making for an interesting show. Jiro seemed annoyed when he looked like he wanted to say something to Adonis. Adonis had to agree that it was frustrating to try and talk when the other person probably wouldn't understand you. But there was more than one way to communicate. They could always resort to pantomiming.

Okay, enough sitting around. Time to get clean! Ducking his head under the water, Adonis started scrubbing his scalp. The slight pressure of his fingers felt good. The water was really hot, though, and Adonis felt himself feeling a little fuzzy in the head. Hmm, better hurry up, he thought. Scrubbing himself down with his hands, Adonis started feeling even woozier. He vaguely heard Jiro say something as he scrubbed. Turning to his master, Adonis splashed a little water at him to get him to shut up and start cleaning himself. Grinning, he ducked himself under the water for a rinse.

He felt light-headed and his his cheeks felt hot as he resurfaced, but grinned anyway. It was probably just the temperature of the water that made his skin feel so warm. Adonis laughed a little, glad to have the dirt off of him. He felt like splashing more water at Jiro, but his arms seemed unusually heavy. Getting sleepy? he wondered. Leaning against the side of the tub, he closed his eyes. Should I check for any more dirt? But his mind was getting sleepier, and he couldn't think very clearly. The next moment, Adonis had passed out.

((Can't blame him. He's used to cold water, and Japanese baths are really hot.))

Annoyed that his brand-new slave had splashed him with water, even though it wasn't much, Jiro waited until he'd stopped fidgeting so much and then grabbed him by the arm. Pulling the boy over to his side of the bath, Jiro realized that he was very light, although he still felt heavy in the water. Pulling the boy up with his back against Jiro's chest, the prince realized that his new slave had passed out from the heat of the bath. Sighing, Jiro held him like that for a few more minutes, not wanting to get out of the water just yet. After all, it was a lot of effort to get it to such a nice temperature; it would be a waste to let the water cool without anyone in it.

After about another ten minutes like that, Jiro finally decided that he was finished and went to get up. However, it was only then that he realized he had to do something about Adonis as well. Picking the boy up and taking him out of the water, Jiro placed him on the stone bench and, not wanting to let him get too cold, dried himself off quickly before heading into the hall and calling for a servant. A young woman who was only half-Japanese came to his side and bowed deeply, asking him what he needed with a thick accent. "Come help me with this," he said, not actually explaining. Walking back into the bath, he showed her Adonis, fully sprawled out on the bench, still unconscious. Nodding extensively, the girl helped Jiro to dry the boy off and asked whether or not they should put him back in the clothes he'd been wearing.

Thinking about the suggestion for a moment, Jiro said, "No, that won't do. Those are filthy; they aren't even fit for dancing in any longer. Go get one of itoto-san's more comfortable silk kimonos and bring it back to me, obi and all. Plus, a pair of socks." As the girl bowed again and ran off to fetch what he had asked for, Jiro wondered how he should go about getting a teacher and translator for Adonis. Thinking more deeply about his new slave, Jiro also realized that he would have to have clothing made for him, and probably have someone instruct him in dancing, since self-taught arts were usually of a lower grade than the taught. And Jiro wanted the best.

When the girl finally returned with a kimono, Jiro made sure to inspect it thoroughly. It certain was one meant only for sitting around in one's room alone or with a partner. It was a lovely shade of emerald green, which look nice on Adonis with his light hair colour. The obi was an equally enjoyable shade of brown, although not too dark. Having the girl help him, Jiro managed to get Adonis into the kimono properly and ordered the girl to take his old clothes and have them cleaned so that they might be stripped for their fabrics later. Taking the boy into his room, Jiro laid him down on his futon, on top of the covers, and sat around for a minute wondering what to do, hoping that Adonis would wake up soon so that they could interact more. Even when it got a bit annoying, it was still rather entertaining for Jiro.

((Whoops, Adonis's hair is black as well. The picture is misleading since it's a sketch I found on deviantArt. Luckily, emerald green still works well with his coloring. Hmm, going to edit Adonis's personality on the profile. I have a couple of things to add. He's starting to act like a kid.))

The first thing Adonis was aware of was the quietness. It was warm and comfortable, and he just wanted to keep sleeping. Drowsily, he turned onto his side and breathed in the scent of...

Adonis's eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright. Looking around, he spotted his master sitting on the end of the bed. Jiro had turned at the rustling of the cloth, looking as though he wanted to say something as usual. But before he had the chance, Adonis flipped the covers over Jiro's head, giggling mischievously. Darting around Jiro, Adonis pushed him over onto the bed and proceeded to jump onto his master. Reaching among the blankets and flailing limbs, Adonis attempted to tickle his master's armpits.

He didn't really know why he was doing all this, but Adonis felt safe here. Maybe part of it had to do with the fact that Jiro wasn't that much older than himself. Being raised by a poor aunt and living on the streets hadn't allowed Adonis to just play around, carefree. But being with Jiro, he couldn't explain the desire to feel like a child, to play silly tricks and just enjoy himself.

((Adonis active enough for you? Haha, he's having too much fun acting like a little imp.))

((lol. I don't think he knows how to handle Jiro properly yet. I'm sure once he learns a little of the language he'll be better. <3))

"Hey ouji-kun, what did you have Kanoko running around like a chicken for?" Kaida asked, opening the door to see if the prince needed any help with the new slave. Seeing the odd thrashing around of limbs and the two boys piled onto the bed, she simply gave the slave a weird look and said, "Yeah, I think you've got things under control," and then shut the door behind her without saying another word.

"Hmmmph!" Struggling wildly from under the covers of the futon, Jiro finally managed to get his arms free and pushed Adonis to the side. Throwing the covers off of his head, he glared at the boy with red cheeks and yelled, "How dare you! What were you thinking!?" Standing up indignantly, Jiro walked over to a chest of drawers on the other side of the room and took out a comb made of bone. Brushing his hair in silence with his back turned to the boy, Jiro wondered if it had been a mistake to buy him. After all, it was turning out to be much more expensive than he'd originally planned, and he certainly seemed to be a lot of trouble.

Once his hair and robes were finally in proper order once more, Jiro turned back around to Adonis angrily and walked over to him. Glaring down at him, Jiro asked, "And just how are you going to make this up to your prince?You can't just do something like that!" Although he knew that Adonis couldn't understand the language, he somehow still expected him to catch the meaning. Huffing in annoyance, he left the room, slamming the door behind him, before returning a minute later with Kaida.

Pointing to Adonis, he said, "Make him do something difficult!"

Staring blankly back at the prince, Kaida finally asked, "What do you expect me to do? He's not a working servant, he probably doesn't even know how to clean a floor. Why don't you have him dance for you?" she suggested, "Isn't that what you bought him for?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Jiro insisted, "I'm not in the mood for something like that! He dared to handle me roughly!"

"But prince, you're almost twice that kid's size. I doubt he's a threat to you. Why don't you just, you know," she said, putting a finger to her hand and posing coyly, "make him pay like a man?"

"It sounds so disgusting when you say it," the prince replied, which rewarded him with a smack on the head.

"Fine then! You figure it out yourself!" Kaida yelled, storming out of the room and leaving Jiro alone with his slave once more, still angry and now with a headache.

Looking back at Adonis, Jiro ordered, "Do something useful," in a pouty voice, expecting his slave to obey him immediately despite the language barrier.

((Poor thing doesn't even really realize his mistake, lol. I'm sure you're right. Goodness, longer posts with more to respond to are so much easier to reply to. You don't have to make up as much stuff, haha.))

The click of the door opening and Kaida's appearance made Adonis look up from his fun. However, the laughter died away as he saw the look Kaida gave him and Jiro dumped him on the floor.

He winced as Jiro yelled at him. What was wrong with a little horseplay? Feeling like he was about to cry, Adonis stared down at the floor, dimly noting the fine, emerald robe he was wearing. Maybe Jiro was mad because he was caught by Kaida in an embarrassing situation? Or perhaps Jiro was angry that Adonis had not treated him with proper respect? He still couldn't fully understand his actions himself. He didn't play around like that normally. But he had still given in to the impulse, and now Jiro was furious with him.

Jiro looked around at him, tidy once more. Adonis felt tears coming to his eyes, and he quickly looked down again. After addressing Adonis briefly, Jiro swept past and out of the room.

He's not getting rid of me, is he? The thought was more than he could handle, and the tears began rolling down his cheeks. He didn't want to go back to the slave market. It was a miserable place, the slaves wailing, or silent in their desolation. Many wanted the drugs used to keep them quiet just to escape their own despair. Adonis was one of the few who toughed it out, believing with desperation in his heart that whoever bought him would be a good, kind master. A sob escaped his throat at that. He had managed to make his master angry at him so quickly after being bought.

The door opened again and Jiro jabbed his finger at him while ordering Kaida to do something. He IS getting rid of me! he thought wildly. But Kaida didn't seem willing to do whatever it was Jiro wanted her to do.

Adonis watched as the pair bickered back and forth, wanting to laugh, but unable to. He sniffled a little and wiped his eyes on his sleeve as discreetly as he could.

Kaida left the room again in high temper. Adonis still sat on the floor, head bowed and playing with the hem of his robe. He didn't want to see the expression on his master's face. Jiro gave him an order, clearly sulky, but Adonis still couldn't tell what he wanted. Feeling he should move and leave his master alone, Adonis got to his feet shakily and backed away towards the bath. He sat down on the stone bench, raised his legs, and rested his forehead on his knees. Hugging his legs tightly, he couldn't help crying some more.

When he couldn't really cry anymore, Adonis raised his tearstained face to the sky. It was dark and cloudy now, but earlier it had been bright blue. Adonis couldn't help feeling that the sky reflected his feelings. A breeze picked up strands of his hair. From somewhere, blood-red petals began to dance and swirl as the wind increased. "Anemone petals? But I thought they only grew back home!" he murmured. More tears fell as he thought of the sparse beauty that was his desert home. Without fail, the anemone flowers blossomed in the spring to create fields that looked like they were drowning in blood. A morbid beauty, but one that suited the image of the harsh desert plains and hills.

Here, this sky was raining the bloody petals of home. It rained through the trees and the tall green stalks, over the walls and this fairy building. Some gathered in the surface of the cold water that remained in the tub. Adonis rose and went to kneel by the water. Dipping a hand among the petals, he scooped a handful and let it flow through his fingers. A single flower remained in his hand. He looked at it, remembering the times he had run through the crimson fields. And it triggered another impulse in him. Straightening up, Adonis spread his arms to the wind and the falling petals. He closed his eyes, feeling the gentle, comforting caress of the flower that symbolized home.

And he sang. He hadn't sung for the past three years he had been away from home. He sang the Bloody Dawn, a terrible ballad about the wars and kings of old. How the people suffered from the affliction that was losing homes and loved ones, forever destined to wander the deserts, exiled from the fertile lands. Men fighting brothers, sons, and fathers. He sang of the birds feasting on the bodies of those who had died in battle, feasting on those who perished in the desert, and those who perished in despair. He sang of the small band who survived after all the fighting was done, who walked into the desert and turned their backs on the fields and rivers of blood. And at the end of it all, the flower that bloomed every spring from that point on. The flower that caused the rain of blood-red petals.

Watching as Adonis retreated to the bathing room, Jiro sighed, annoyed that his new slave couldn't understand him and annoyed that there was nothing he could do at the moment to change that. For once in his life, Jiro felt helpless in his own home, and in his own room no less. Sitting down on a cushion near his chest of drawers, Jiro took out the bone comb again and continued to perfect his hair. Although it was already free of knots, Jiro needed something to do while he thought about Adonis. Jiro knew he had been right in getting mad at the boy for being so disrespectful, but at the same time, how could he be sure that anyone had ever actually taught the boy proper manners at all? It seemed that until they had a bridge in their languages, there would be little way to fix such misunderstandings, and the learning would most likely be rough.

Hearing singing, Jiro walked over to the door of the bathing room and listened without actually opening the door. It must have been Adonis, as he was the only one in there, but his voice was absolutely beautiful. Jiro couldn't understand the words, of course, but he could feel the sadness in the tone. It wasn't the type of sadness that Jiro had ever known, but he could certainly sympathize with it, which was odd for him. Finally opening the door once the song was over, Jiro stood in the doorway and stared at Adonis blankly. Walking in, Jiro took Adonis by the hand and led him back out into his bedroom. Taking a brush out of his chest of drawers on their way past it, Jiro sat down in the middle of the futon and had Adonis sit on the edge in front of him with his back to his master.

Brushing the boy's hair gently, Jiro was silent for a few minutes. It was awkward for him to admit that he'd done something bad, even if he had been justified in doing so, and there were no words between them that he could say to express that. So instead, he tried his best to convey it in the way he cared for his new slave. "Once we get you a teacher," he said quietly, even though Adonis couldn't understand him, "I'll be able to teach you things like what's right and what's wrong. You're a foreigner, so...maybe things are different where you're from. But they always say that ignorance of the law is no excuse. So until then, be careful, okay?" It was unusual for Jiro to be so kind and understanding to someone, but when he remembered that he was preparing Adonis to be his companion anyway, it made a bit more sense to him.

As he was brushing Adonis's hair, Kaida came back in and said, "Hey prince, I asked that weirdo who works in the library if he knows how to speak any foreign languages, and he said he does. Want me to bring him up here to see if he can talk to your pet?"

Blushing lightly with embarrassment at the fact that Kaida had to see him taking care of Adonis like that, Jiro replied nonetheless, "Sure, send him up. It's getting impossible to enjoy my new slave's company when I can't understand what he's saying and he can't understand anything I'm ordering." With that Kaida left, off to summon. the royal scholar.

Adonis continued to stand there after the song, face lifted to the sky. His eyes were dry, and he knew he wouldn't cry like that again. Singing always made him feel stronger, somehow.

The door opened, and Jiro stood in the doorway, simply staring at him. Adonis suddenly thought about how messy his face must be and started wiping at it with hands. But Jiro just silently took one of his hands and led him back into the room.

From there, his master picked up a brush and sat them both on the bed. His hands were gentle as he tamed the windswept mass. Adonis thought ruefully about how long this would take, knowing his hair reached somewhere around his knees. This time, the silence between them was comforting. It was as though his master was trying to apologize for yelling at him earlier. I guess I still shouldn't have jumped on him. He is my new master, after all. Funny how common sense had fled his mind before. Common sense was what had kept him safe for so long.

Jiro spoke again, his voice as gentle as his hands, but sounding a little concerned. Even though Adonis didn't really understand the words, the tone was of a person patiently trying to explain something to a troublesome child. Adonis had to smile a little at that. He admitted to behaving like a silly child earlier.

Kaida walked back in. She's really not as bad as I first thought. She's more like a big sister, though I never had one. Her tone when she addressed the prince was like that of an older sister. His master seemed a little embarrassed to be caught brushing Adonis's hair, but he was much calmer this time. The woman left again and came back with a thin, taller man carrying scrolls and books in his arms. Jiro still hadn't finished brushing his hair. The man bowed to his master, said something briefly, then turned to Adonis.

The man seemed to go through a series of garbled sentences, things that didn't sound like the language he spoke to Jiro. Catching on that the man was trying to figure out Adonis's language, he asked, "Can you understand me?"

As he waited for Kaida to return with the scholar, Jiro found himself actually enjoying the time he had alone with Adonis. It was natural of course; Adonis was so pretty, and Jiro was always such a high-strung person, just with the way his personality was. Being able to just sit down and brush the boy's hair was somehow therapeutic for the prince.

When Kaida finally returned with the scholar, Jiro paid them little mind and continued combing Adonis's hair, not quite finished with it yet. Listening to the scholar try to guess Adonis's language got more and more annoying, but the prince held his tongue, still hoping that they would be able to communicate.

Finally hearing the boy speak, the scholar smiled from behind his small glasses and nodded, saying, "Yes, yes, I understand you perfectly," in the boy's tongue. Switching back to Japanese, he told the prince and Kaida, "That's quite a relief, now that I finally know what language it is that he speaks. If you would like for me to teach him Japanese, I would gladly take some time out of my daily routine for him."

Looking over at the man out of the corner of his eye, Jiro said, "Fine, fine. Just for now, give him the details about his situation. Who I am, where he is, what the proper rules are, and so on." Watching as the scholar took in a breath and began to explain everything to Adonis in his native tongue, Jiro actually felt a little jealous that this man could speak to his slave perfectly when he could not. Of course, once Adonis had learned Japanese, there would be no need for him to have lessons with the scholar ever again, and Jiro would once again have all of the boy's attention to himself, which was just what he wanted.

((Sorry, got to cut it short. Have to go to the eye doctor's. Be back soon, though!))

Lol, it's ok. I can pick it up from here. We need to get some food into these silly boys! Though our scholar might need a name since we'll be seeing him around for a while. Why am I lol-ing about your eye appointment? Maybe because I got my new glasses 3 weeks ago, lol.

Adonis felt ecstatic. There was someone he could actually talk to! He couldn't help beaming at the man in front of him, he was so happy. He had not been able to hear or speak in his mother tongue freely for so long.

But he controlled himself and listened as the man explained the situation to him. First, he learned that Jiro is the second prince in the imperial court of Japan, and the prince had bought Adonis to be his companion. Well, that certainly explained the brattier aspects of his master's behavior and why he got so mad earlier. Adonis had not even heard of Japan before, but he kept quiet as the man continued.

There were a ton of rules. Adonis was a quite overwhelmed by it all. Etiquette was especially important in this country, and even more so in the imperial palace. He would have to learn the proper ways to greet people of various ranks, speak politely, use all of the correct honorifics for every occasion, dress correctly, and so many other things. This scholar in front of him would teach him Japanese, and at least most of the aspects of etiquette. On top of simply learning the language, Adonis started to worry if he could ever properly learn everything he needed to know. But it was all expected of him, as the prince's companion. Truthfully, he did not exactly understand what it meant to be the companion of a prince or what it fully entailed, but he figured he would be given some time to figure it all out. If he could figure it all out.

Adonis turned to his head so that he could see Jiro. Somewhere along the way, his master had finished brushing his hair and was running his fingers through Adonis's hair. Adonis touched his arm. "I'm sorry for upsetting you earlier, " he said softly. He looked into the deep sapphire eyes of his master, feeling like he was drowning.

The solemnity of the moment was broken by a loud gurgling from his stomach.

Not understanding what Adonis was saying as he touched his arm and looked into his eyes with great importance, Jiro and the other two could not help but laugh when the heard the growl of the boy's stomach. "That's actually a good idea," Jiro said through his chuckles. "I'm getting a bit hungry myself. Kaida, go down and let the cook know that Adonis-kun and I are coming for a bite. Not too heavy, though, I still want to be able to eat dinner when the time comes." Once Kaida had left, Jiro turned to the scholar instead and said, "Yamamoto-san, you are dismissed. Starting tomorrow you shall take two hours a day to teach Adonis Japanese and manners. I don't care how much time your spend on each, just be sure to cover what's important."

After the scholar had left as well, Jiro realized, once more, that he had been left alone with Adonis and no way to communicate properly. However, now that his slave knew what the situation was, Jiro was more certain that he would behave himself. "We should give the cook a few minutes to prepare," Jiro said, not even thinking about how odd their food might be to a foreigner such as Adonis. "Now that you're going to be learning Japanese," he said with a smile, glad to finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, "we'll be able to speak to each other directly soon enough, which will be very important considering that you'll be my companion. Hopefully forever," he added, even though he was certain that the boy could not understand him.

Finally standing, he put the brush back into the proper drawer and said, "I think that's enough waiting. Let's go eat," and motioned for Adonis to follow him out of the room. As they were walking down the halls, any servant they passed paused to bow and move out of the prince's way, not moving again until he had passed. It seemed that Kaida was the only one who never did that. When they finally arrived in the kitchen, there were a few plates on the table with onigiri and sushi waiting for them, along with two cups full of tea and a waiting female servant to refill their cups when necessary. Motioning for Adonis to sit, Jiro said, "You have to tell me how you like it," before picking up a pair of chopsticks and taking a piece of tuna sushi for himself.

Adonis grinned sheepishly at the sound of his stomach. He had completely forgotten about food during all the excitement of the day. Giggling a little as the others laughed, Adonis felt more at ease. It was definitely comforting to know there was someone who could understand and talk to you.

Jiro seemed to be in a much better mood as well, as he gave his orders to Kaida and Yamamoto. After the other two left, Adonis continued to sit on the bed and Jiro talked at him some more. Luckily we will be able to start actually talking with each other soon, he thought.

His master got up and put the brush away, then motioned for Adonis to follow him. When they passed servants in the halls, they all bowed as the prince passed and maintained the position for the couple of seconds it took for Jiro to pass them. Will I be expected to do something similar? he wondered. Adonis snickered a little as he thought about Kaida, and how she didn't act like these servants. Her belligerent personality certainly made her more interesting.

They entered what proved to be the kitchen. He needed no more prompting when Jiro motioned for him to sit. The plates of food made his mouth water, even though he had never seen such food before. Balls of rice and what looked like slices of raw fish were arranged artistically on the elegant platters.

But Adonis couldn't figure out how it was eaten. Did they use their hands, or something? Looking at Jiro, Adonis watched the way his master maneuvered a piece of fish with a pair of sticks. Taking up a pair of sticks by his own seat, he tried to arrange the sticks the way Jiro was holding them. He promptly dropped the sticks as he attempted to pick up some fish. Adonis frowned a little, then set about trying again. Maybe a rice ball would be easier? He managed to scoop it up, but his wrist was unstable and sore and the rice ball dropped back into the plate. Wincing a little, he recalled that they hadn't been bandaged. Had the rope been so tight that it affected his wrist this much?

Frustrated, he glanced at Jiro. How was he supposed to eat properly when he couldn't use the sticks correctly? Even if he could manage to hold onto the food with the sticks, apparently his wrists were too delicate to maintain the position required to eat. He thought it would be impolite to use his hands to eat, so he opted for the tea, cradling it with both hands while he glared at the sticks balefully. He did not want to make Jiro mad at him for being rude again. A simple pair of sticks and some stupid rope were turning out to cause him the most trouble so far.

As he was eating, Jiro watched with mild amusement at Adonis try and fail to use chopsticks properly and realized that where he had come from, they probably didn't use chopsticks. Watching as he instead went for the tea, Jiro smiled. Picking up another piece of tuna sushi with his chopsticks and holding another hand beneath it, he moved it over to Adonis's mouth and said, "Why don't I just feed you instead? Yamamoto-sensei can teach you how to use chopsticks the proper way, I'm sure. Until then, just let me baby you," he insisted, waiting until the boy opened his mouth and putting the sushi in carefully, not wanting to injure him any further.

Waiting to see what the slave thought of the food there, Jiro said, "I doubt it's much like what you had back in your old country, but the food here is so good, you'll never want to go back. Not that you could," he said with a bit of thought, knowing that he would never let Adonis go so long as he was an obedient slave. "Oh, and the onigiri you can just eat with your hands," he said, picking up a rice ball and taking a bite himself. "Technically you can do that with sushi too, but once you learn to use chopsticks properly you really shouldn't handle food unless you have to. It's unsanitary and you can get weird flavors all over the food if you aren't careful. You seem like a clean person, though," Jiro added, looking Adonis over and admiring his smooth skin.

"Once you've learned proper manners and have had some teaching for your singing and dancing, I'm going to show you off to all of the other rich families, just like a geisha. That will be nice, won't it? You being my geisha," Jiro said, only partially teasing. He really did want to be able to show Adonis off to the other rich families that his parents sometimes had them meet with. People had geisha attend such events all the time, but Jiro was never interested in any of them. His Adonis would be able to outshine them all with just a little bit of practice and direction from a teacher. Jiro knew exactly what to do. After all, even though Adonis was being kept as a companion rather than a working slave, there was still a lot of effort that had to go into training him, perhaps even more so than with a regular worker.