ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

iamthefirechild:

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

Send “Auction” for your muse buying mine as their slave

Derek snarled lowly but kept his head down as he was transferred to the person that bought him, seeing a small female form before him now.

When she came back, sans tablet, one eyebrow again ticked up briefly at his lack of shirt, but she didn’t comment on it. “Are you ready, then?” Summer asked instead. “You taste much better than last night, at any rate. Good.” Picking up the tray, she gestured to the door with her head and went out the door, simply assuming he would follow.

Back out through the locked door at the head of the hallway, she turned in the opposite direction from the kitchen area and into a small examining room. “He doesn’t trust us at all,” she said quietly.

“If we can just coax him to stay for a few days, I think he’ll be able to be on his own. Physically, at least,” Spring replied.

“We’ll see what happens when I — ” Summer cut off.

“Taste? What do you mean taste?” he asked as he slid off the bed. 

He followed behind her tentatively, looking around more now that he was alert. He heard her whispering before he walked into the room. He stopped at the doorway, just a step inside, eyebrows raised. “You expect trust when you whisper about my trust issues when you think I can’t hear? What were you about to say?” he asked, more bold than he’d been before, still expecting some punishment, some backlash, anything for his showing out. 

Both women turned to him, faintly amused. “So providing for you doesn’t gain us anything?” Summer inquired. Then she waved her hand. “No, never mind that, because clearly it didn’t and doesn’t. I was going to wait a few days for this, but now’s as good a time as any, really.” She gave Spring a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

Spring, as unruffled as ever, gazed after the departing redhead with cool green eyes, then gestured at the examining table. “How have you been eating? Are you in any physical pain? Any cuts or marks you didn’t show me yesterday?”

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

iamthefirechild:

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

Send “Auction” for your muse buying mine as their slave

Derek snarled lowly but kept his head down as he was transferred to the person that bought him, seeing a small female form before him now.

She paused on her way out the door, glancing over her shoulder with a lifted eyebrow. “You have enough spirit to growl at me. I honestly expected you to run away at the first opportunity.”

Then she was gone.

Derek’s eyes trailed back up to catch a flash of red hair as she left the room. He sat for a moment, thinking over her words, and then he slowly slid to the end of the bed, reaching for the tray and bringing it onto the bed with him.

He ate as much as he could, which was a little bit more than the night before but not by much, and then he went to shower. The hot water felt like heaven and his muscles finally began to relax a little bit. After the shower, he toweled off and tugged on a pair of the pants that were in the room, then sat on his bed.

When she came back, sans tablet, one eyebrow again ticked up briefly at his lack of shirt, but she didn’t comment on it. “Are you ready, then?” Summer asked instead. “You taste much better than last night, at any rate. Good.” Picking up the tray, she gestured to the door with her head and went out the door, simply assuming he would follow.

Back out through the locked door at the head of the hallway, she turned in the opposite direction from the kitchen area and into a small examining room. “He doesn’t trust us at all,” she said quietly.

“If we can just coax him to stay for a few days, I think he’ll be able to be on his own. Physically, at least,” Spring replied.

“We’ll see what happened when I — ” Summer cut off.

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

iamthefirechild:

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

Send “Auction” for your muse buying mine as their slave

Derek snarled lowly but kept his head down as he was transferred to the person that bought him, seeing a small female form before him now.

“You just really don’t feel comfortable with deciding what to do for yourself yet, do you?” It could sound condescending, but she kept her voice grave and gentle, eyes calm and expression kind. “First, I want you to eat.” She tapped the edge of the tablet against the tray in emphasis. “Then, I want you to take a shower. Don’t worry about using up all the hot water. I’ll come back in half an hour or so to check on you. Is that okay with you?”

“Freewill got your back butterflied like a steak in the market, what do you expect from that kind of conditioning,” he shot back, glaring and growling at her lowly in defense, no matter the tone she used with him. He wasn’t an animal, he’d just been treated like one most of his life. 

“Sounds fine,” he grunted out, no longer even looking at her, choosing to examine his own knees.

She paused on her way out the door, glancing over her shoulder with a lifted eyebrow. “You have enough spirit to growl at me. I honestly expected you to run away at the first opportunity.”

Then she was gone.

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

iamthefirechild:

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

Send “Auction” for your muse buying mine as their slave

Derek snarled lowly but kept his head down as he was transferred to the person that bought him, seeing a small female form before him now.

Summer’s mouth twitched a little, as if she was concealing a smile. “You have a very good point,” she said gravely, instead. “I will bear that in mind. Will you come with me now to see Spring, or would you rather eat and sleep some more?”

“I don’t think I need to sleep more just yet,” he murmured. He’d caught sight of a clock. It’d been almost 12 hours that he was asleep. He didn’t know how long she’d been sitting in his room. 

“You just really don’t feel comfortable with deciding what to do for yourself yet, do you?” It could sound condescending, but she kept her voice grave and gentle, eyes calm and expression kind. “First, I want you to eat.” She tapped the edge of the tablet against the tray in emphasis. “Then, I want you to take a shower. Don’t worry about using up all the hot water. I’ll come back in half an hour or so to check on you. Is that okay with you?”

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

iamthefirechild:

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

Send “Auction” for your muse buying mine as their slave

Derek snarled lowly but kept his head down as he was transferred to the person that bought him, seeing a small female form before him now.

Her gaze softened under his stare. “You can do as you like here,” Summer said gently. “We would prefer it if you took care of yourself, slept and ate and bathed and exercised and so forth. The only thing you can’t do right now is leave the compound.” Putting the tablet down, she sat on the edge of the bed, resting her hand on his leg. “Please try to trust us, a little.”

Derek had weariness and discomfort rolling off of him as she sat and placed a small hand on his leg, the appendage shifting out from under her. “I haven’t bitten any of you yet, is that not a good enough start,” he said, not really meaning to be amusing. It was true, he’d thought about it, but they hadn’t harmed him. 

Summer’s mouth twitched a little, as if she was concealing a smile. “You have a very good point,” she said gravely, instead. “I will bear that in mind. Will you come with me now to see Spring, or would you rather eat and sleep some more?”

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

iamthefirechild:

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

Send “Auction” for your muse buying mine as their slave

Derek snarled lowly but kept his head down as he was transferred to the person that bought him, seeing a small female form before him now.

She considered him for a moment, head to one side, and folded both hands over the tablet screen. “If you’re up to it, I’d like our doctor to take a look at you. She won’t be able to do anything about those emotional scars, but we can at least help make sure your wrists don’t scar.”

After a moment of silence, she stood up. “My name is Summer, in case I forgot to tell you that. I’m an empath. You’ve met my cousin Spring, who heals, and my twin Winter, who is a mundane but very important to us all the same. You probably won’t meet Autumn unless you decide to go outside, and we don’t have any other guests at the moment.”

“Fine,” Derek murmured again when addressed about the doctor. It was odd, the way she spoke to him and treated him. All of them. Like his opinion mattered. Which he supposed it did, considering he was a live being. But all the same, he’d never been treated that way before. He just stared at her after that, unsure what he was supposed to do, sitting up against the headboard of the bed.

Her gaze softened under his stare. “You can do as you like here,” Summer said gently. “We would prefer it if you took care of yourself, slept and ate and bathed and exercised and so forth. The only thing you can’t do right now is leave the compound.” Putting the tablet down, she sat on the edge of the bed, resting her hand on his leg. “Please try to trust us, a little.”

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

iamthefirechild:

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

Send “Auction” for your muse buying mine as their slave

Derek snarled lowly but kept his head down as he was transferred to the person that bought him, seeing a small female form before him now.

When he woke up again, Summer sat in his little chair, one leg neatly crossed over the other. Her head was bent over a tablet, red hair pulled back smoothly in a bun. A tray with a bowl and cup sat on the table. She reached out absently and touched the edge of the tray, and steam rose from the bowl and cup.

After a moment, her green eyes flicked up to meet his. “Did you sleep well?”

Derek was extremely disoriented when he woke up, the smell of someone in his room rousing him more than anything. He couldn’t tell how long he’d been asleep, only that it’d felt like years. He crouched away from the voice, pulling himself up toward the headboard of the bed. When he finally blinked his eyes open, he saw Summer once again and his nose picked up the smell of what was on the tray.

“Fine,” was the reply, his voice thick and low with sleep, rough from the rest he hadn’t had in a long time.

She considered him for a moment, head to one side, and folded both hands over the tablet screen. “If you’re up to it, I’d like our doctor to take a look at you. She won’t be able to do anything about those emotional scars, but we can at least help make sure your wrists don’t scar.”

After a moment of silence, she stood up. “My name is Summer, in case I forgot to tell you that. I’m an empath. You’ve met my cousin Spring, who heals, and my twin Winter, who is a mundane but very important to us all the same. You probably won’t meet Autumn unless you decide to go outside, and we don’t have any other guests at the moment.”

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

iamthefirechild:

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

Send “Auction” for your muse buying mine as their slave

Derek snarled lowly but kept his head down as he was transferred to the person that bought him, seeing a small female form before him now.

“Please tell one of us if there’s something you need or the things in here don’t suit you or fit.” Winter paused in the doorway for a moment, eyes and smile soft. “Sleep now, Derek. You’re safe here.”

The door stayed open when she left. If he were to close it, he would notice a lock he could throw, on the inside. There were clothes, plain but close to his size, in the drawers of the dresser, and in the closet next to the bathroom. A hairbrush, toothbrush, and toothpaste waited on the counter, and a small first aid kit in the mirrored cabinet.

There was no razor, though.

Derek just stared at the space left when Winter walked out of the room. Safe? Could there even be such a thing anymore? He couldn’t even muster up the strength to explore the bathroom, it would be there tomorrow. He just gently pushed the door to mostly closed, leaving it about half a foot open, shucked his pants, and crawled into the bed.

After the auction, sleeping in cages or piled on top of others, or under them, the bed was extraordinary. A groan left his lips as he laid down on his stomach, asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

When he woke up again, Summer sat in his little chair, one leg neatly crossed over the other. Her head was bent over a tablet, red hair pulled back smoothly in a bun. A tray with a bowl and cup sat on the table. She reached out absently and touched the edge of the tray, and steam rose from the bowl and cup.

After a moment, her green eyes flicked up to meet his. “Did you sleep well?”

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

iamthefirechild:

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

Send “Auction” for your muse buying mine as their slave

Derek snarled lowly but kept his head down as he was transferred to the person that bought him, seeing a small female form before him now.

Summer watched Derek, discreetly, through slots in the carven screens separating the kitchen from the hallways leading deeper into the house. One eyebrow ticked up when he thanked Spring, but her mouth pinched when she saw how much food he’d left behind. Her twin came and stood by her shoulder for a moment.

“Do you think he’s salvagable?”

“Oh, yes. But it’s going to take a long time. He’s very broken.”

“Have we got it?”

“We need this one. He’s the first Hale I’ve been able to track down.”

Winter, dark-haired and looking remarkably like Summer, emerged into the kitchen. She righted the bell wordlessly, and put the soup and sandwich remains on a tray. “You won’t be taking up your assigned duties for several days,” she said, voice a higher alto than her sister’s.

Carrying the tray balanced on one hand, she took his elbow and guided him through a locked door into a long hallway. One door stood open, revealing a little bed/living space, with a bathroom off one side. She put the tray on the low table, and reached for his wrists.

Then the cuffs fell away. “This is yours.”

Derek felt bad when she put the bell right side up again but he didn’t say a word. He took note that all of them looked the same and had season names. There must be something special about that. He couldn’t honestly find it in himself to care at that moment, a deep, bone deep tired seeping through him after the reality of being out of the market sank in. 

He followed her and nodded at what she said, though he didn’t register much, his eyes already drooping. When shown to the room, he was practically dead on his feet. He looked down in amazement as the cuffs fell off, murmuring another thank you as he looked at his still red and scarred looking wrists. They’d be like that for some time, but they were already more healed than they’d been in years and if he hadn’t been so tired, he’d have been amazed and tried to say more than the half mumbled thanks. 

Be that as it was, he nodded, understanding this is where he was assigned to stay and that he would do so. He dragged himself into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting to be locked in.

“Please tell one of us if there’s something you need or the things in here don’t suit you or fit.” Winter paused in the doorway for a moment, eyes and smile soft. “Sleep now, Derek. You’re safe here.”

The door stayed open when she left. If he were to close it, he would notice a lock he could throw, on the inside. There were clothes, plain but close to his size, in the drawers of the dresser, and in the closet next to the bathroom. A hairbrush, toothbrush, and toothpaste waited on the counter, and a small first aid kit in the mirrored cabinet.

There was no razor, though.

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

iamthefirechild:

ripyourthroatoutwithmyteeth:

Send “Auction” for your muse buying mine as their slave

Derek snarled lowly but kept his head down as he was transferred to the person that bought him, seeing a small female form before him now.

She sighed and shook her head. “I can’t help you if you aren’t willing to /be/ helped,” she said, and let the driver assist her out of the car without another look. Someone else — a different woman, taller and brightly blonde — came and pulled Derek out, guiding him around the outside of the huge house to an entrance at the back, through a garden just coming into bloom.

Still in silence, the blonde gestured him to sit on one of the plain benches lining what appeared to be a mud room, and fetched a first aid kit. Though she didn’t remove the cuffs, she sponged away all the dirt and dried blood, and did — something — that boosted his healing momentarily. From there, she took him into a big kitchen and brought him a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, humming quietly to herself as she made the sandwich.

“My name is Spring,” she said, quietly, before leaving. “When you’re finished here, ring the bell and Winter will come show you where you’ll be staying.”

Derek scowled hard at that again. How could he be helped? No one ever wanted to help him. She still didn’t want his help, she wanted his protection. So he just bit back that retort and watched her slide out of the car. 

When he was guided out he went and did as directed throughout the whole process. He was on auto right now, just doing, not thinking. He had other things on his mind. He did examine his wrists after she cleaned them. He didn’t flinch or growl while she cleaned them, though it hurt. He was too used to that form of mundane pain. He felt his healing surge and raised an eyebrow, his only reaction to the woman so far. 

He ate as directed, though he couldn’t eat much of it. He hadn’t been living off of much before so there was maybe one bite out of the now rich seeming grilled cheese and a few sips of the soup. He nodded to her instruction and before this Spring could slip away he murmured a small ‘thank you’ and that was all.

He did eventually ring the bell. He had nothing else he could really do, though exploring on his own was tempting. He just gave it one jingle and let it fall over, sneering at it. Who was he to summon someone with a bell? It seemed more than demeaning.

Summer watched Derek, discreetly, through slots in the carven screens separating the kitchen from the hallways leading deeper into the house. One eyebrow ticked up when he thanked Spring, but her mouth pinched when she saw how much food he’d left behind. Her twin came and stood by her shoulder for a moment.

“Do you think he’s salvagable?”

“Oh, yes. But it’s going to take a long time. He’s very broken.”

“Have we got it?”

“We need this one. He’s the first Hale I’ve been able to track down.”

Winter, dark-haired and looking remarkably like Summer, emerged into the kitchen. She righted the bell wordlessly, and put the soup and sandwich remains on a tray. “You won’t be taking up your assigned duties for several days,” she said, voice a higher alto than her sister’s.

Carrying the tray balanced on one hand, she took his elbow and guided him through a locked door into a long hallway. One door stood open, revealing a little bed/living space, with a bathroom off one side. She put the tray on the low table, and reached for his wrists.

Then the cuffs fell away. “This is yours.”