For RippedNose only~

Chitose trembled in the back of the carriage, very aware of the watchful eyes of his new master. He hugged his body close as if he was trying to prevent himself from falling apart. He stared straight ahead of him, seeing nothing but the thoughts that ran through his mind loudly. He was torn between believing the reality of the situation and enjoying it, and wondering if this was better or real at all. Chitose knew nothing of this person, and this, having been one of few visits outside since the long imprisonment of the torturing place he refused to know as his only home. This new place, he wondered, what would it be like? He hadn't the slightest idea of why he was bought again, why him, of all the people there, had been chosen. Not only was he missing an eye, thanks to the unforgiving, demented people back in that tortuous place, but he had come to believe he was as disfigured and disgusting as he had been told. Multiple cuts and bruises marked his body, new and old, along with the silver scars that trailed across his pale skin. He'd been given a quick, cold rinse before being sold, though even with that he didn't feel clean, and he'd been put in shabby rags that didn't even deserve to be called rags. He didn't even know how old he was, since he'd been held prisoner for so long, uninformed, unexposed to how the world had changed from the little amount of childhood he'd experienced.

"I'm not sure what it was like back from where I bought you from," the man whom would have to be addressed as Master now spoke to him. "But I must assure you that whatever I set you do to in my home will not be as....cruel...as what you've been put through."

A single grey eye flicked to the direction of the man. The man, Chitose took notice of, was about the age of what most of his tormentors had been. Not really that old, but not young either. Not quite middle aged as well, as he had seen what those kind of men looked like too.

"You will require medical treatment when we get to my home, and when you are well enough you will be trained by another servant," the man continued. "You will address me as Master in the future, or if you like, you could say My Lord, but just in case, my name to you will be Zelphyr. Mister. Zelphyr."

Chitose didn't answer him, but gave a small indication that he heard and understood directions. He didn't know what he could have said anyway. He almost didn't trust himself to speak quite yet. His voice had only been used for begging and screaming, not speaking as almost-equals.

"Sir, we are almost there," came the voice from up top, where the driver of the coach was. The two horses in front sped up slightly under the command of the whip from the man. Chitose flinched when he heard the familiar crack of the whip hit them and the cry they gave. He hugged himself tighter as he looked at an old whip scar on his arm.

Looking past the man and into the window behind him, he could see where they were headed. A large building stood out amongst a vast, well taken care of field. A garden containing more flowers than he knew existed surrounded the brilliant house. Or rather, mansion, he corrected himself.

They were there. His new home, he could call it now. When the coach stopped and the door was opened for the master and new servant, Chitose pushed himself into the corner of the seat, cowering from the hand held out to him to help him out.

Aizel was sitting on his small bed in the shabby room, running a hand through his dark hair. He had a short break in his work, which was nice. He had been informed that he would be training a new servant today, which was fine with him. His room wasn't exactly his only, he was supposed to be sharing with the new arrival. He had only been with his new master for a few months, and already he was trusted with this job. He had been doing this for as long as he chose to remember, so he was completely competent with most things that he was asked to do. If anything, he loved his job for the most part. He had never done anything else, so he didn't know what he was missing. He had heard something about not starting his training job right away, and he figured it was just so he would get used to living there. He had no idea the real reason.

He was just getting up to start working again, walking down a brightly lit hallway. He passed one of the large windows and saw his master getting out of a carriage. He smiled and walked down to the entrance, figuring he would introduce himself to his new apprentice. He knew he wasn't supposed to make friends or anything with the other servants, but he was allowed to be nice. He walked outside the mansion in the bright sunlight, out to the carriage. He couldn't see anybody else, so he figured that the new arrival was still inside the carriage, and he wondered why. Was he scared? There wasn't really much to be scared of.

((I hope you didn't mind the random name I came up with for the master...))

Chitose crept forward when reassured that he wasn't going to be hurt, and even though he'd learned at the young age not to believe people when they said that, he had to listen because this was his new master. The bright sunlight had touched him a couple times already, but he was never prepared for it every time it hit him. He shielded his eye when the brightness seared his eye, and stood in the light, shaking and feeling extremely vulnerable. He hadn't ever been able to experience this kind of thing, standing out in the open, technically free (ignoring the fact that he was part of Zelphyr's management now) and being able to breathe. He wasn't being tortured at all, which was almost as scary as actually hurting. It was new to him not to be hit. When his eyes were adjusted enough to see without squinting, he looked closer at his surroundings. There was the master, the horse carriage and its driver and horses, and another younger male. He was curious as to how he'd be living, who he'd be living with, and what he'd be doing. All he knew was that this was a new beginning to something big for him.

Aizel tilted his head to the side when somebody crept forewards and out into the sunlight. He had to wince at the sight of him. He looked really beaten up. He didn't react too much though, as he was sure he got enough of that from other people, and he was pretty sure that anybody would be self-concious of that. He could tell that underneath all the cuts and bruises and missing eye, he would look pretty nice. He could see now why he wasn't starting work right away. He needed time to heal. He stepped forewards, but not too close, not wanting to scare him or something. "Hello. My name is Aizel. You'll be sharing a room with me once you're up for it, and I'll be showing you how tings work around here" he said with a smile, hands behind his back. It would be nice to be sharing a room with somebody, as most of the servants did, even if he wasn't supposed to form any kind of relationship with somebody. It would still be nice to have some kind of company.

((nope, I don't mimnd ^.^))

Flinching visibly, Chitose fought the rising urge to bolt on the spot, though he didn't think the master would appreciate that. He didn't think he'd get very far anyways, since his muscles weren't up for much at the moment. He didn't have much energy to spare as it was. The male who had introduced himself as Aizel seemed harmless, but then, anyone could appear such. This one was another servant so Chitose had to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Chitose took a timid step forward, even if it was reluctant, it was still him putting his fifty percent half way. Zelphyr watched the two carefully before approaching his veteran servant Aizel.

He whispered in his ear quietly, "Careful with him. He's been broken already. Don't let him break again. And you know the rules; no relationships. You can help out but don't get too close."

With that said Zelphyr went into the large house and the carriage driver took the equipment and horses to the rightful places. Chitose was left with a distance between him and the other male.

Aizel tried not to let his smile waver when the beaten male flinched. He hated to see what kind of shape he was in, and he felt bad for him. He couldn't help but remember what it was like to be beaten, the thought floating over the wall he had constructed over the years. He forced the thought back. He looked at his master when he walked over and whispered in his ear. "Of course Master" he replied, inclining his head respectfully. When he departed, as well as the driver, he smiled again. "Well 's nice to meet you. What's your name?" he asked, tilting his head to the side curiously. He would help him to the infirmary-like place, where he could get some medical help. He deffinitly needed it.

Chitose had to speak, however afraid he was of it right now. He opened his mouth and tried to force the words to rise from his throat. So nervous was he that the words were held fast, and he lowered his eye to the ground. He wasn't ready to speak, but that was the only way they'd get anywhere and make progress. He had to make progress so the master wouldn't find him disappointing and send him back. The words were currently unavailable, and he didn't want to continue to stand there gaping like an idiot. Instead, he took a few more steps with his head lowered, he closed most of the distance between him and Aizel, but the thought of physical contact was making him hesitate. He looked to Aizel with a single grey eye and wished he could explain why he wasn't speaking.

Aizel waited for him to answer, a bit confused as to why he wasn't getting an answer. He frowned as he took a few steps foreward without answering still. His face softened and he sighed. "You can't right now, can you?" he asked quietly, wondering if he was right or not. It would make alot of sense. And he had to guess the type of place he had probably been in before he came here, he wouldn't be doing too much talking either. His stomach knotted slightly when he thought about it. That was just such a horrible thing to happen. "Here, I'll help you inside. You can get all fixed up" he held out his hand, not too fast, not wanting to scare him or something. He wasn't sure if he would take his hand, but he hoped he would. He could tell that some progress would be needed. He knew it could be done though.

Wary of the hand but grateful for the understanding, Chitose was torn between accepting the gesture or still keeping his distance. The hand was kind and understanding, he could tell, but it was still a hand. No hand had ever been gentle with him. He out stretched a hand to meet with the other, jerking it back as the tips of his fingers made contact with the smooth warm flesh of the other. Slowly he lowered his hand back, putting a little bit more of his hand down at a time when he'd become accustomed to the touch. His hand was shaky in the other's, but it was there. He let the other lead him to get him 'all fixed up.'

Aizel waited silently, wondering what his decision would be. He could tell that this individual was torn. He was so mentally damaged, as far as he could tell. That would heal though, and he would hopefully gain trust in other people. He smiled when his hand reached out. he kept his own perfectly still when the cool fingers met his own before withdrawing, and then touching again. He closed his fingers around the other hand gently. "All right, let's go" he said, giving a smile and turning to walk towards the mansion, ready to help if he needed any support.

Chitose followed along with Aizel, keeping himself balanced pretty well. Aizel was warm and seemed to thaw the numbness in his fingers, letting him curl his fingers around the hand that held his. The gentleness almost hurt, but he wasn't complaining. A lot more things could really, actually hurt in the world, and he'd take this over all of what he'd been through previously. Aizel was leading him somewhere, and the mansion was like a maze for him, but that would have to change soon. He was led to a room with a few beds, and open cupboards that contained multiple jars and bottles. The room smelled extremely clean, the exact opposite of what the rooms he was used to had smelled like. A few maids scurried about fixing beds or organizing the shelves. One stopped what she was doing and walked over to Aizel, looking curiously and piteously at Chitose. "Who might this be?" she asked him.

Aizel lead him carefully through the mansion, having no trouble with the twists and turns anymore. He had gotten used to it, and he was sure that the man beside him would as well, eventually. "Here we are" he murmured as he walked up to the door and walking inside, looking around the clean room. "Well, he's the newest addition to our staff. I don't know his name though. . . he won't talk. . . I don't think he can right now. He needs to be fixed up, but be gentle" he said, letting go of his hand and smiling. "I'll leave you in their care, but I'll be back soon. I've got some work to do. Goodbye" he smiled and waved over his shoulder as he turned to leave the room. He knew that he was in good hands with the maids there, but he had no idea how he would react.

Chitose didn't want to be left alone, even for a little bit. He didn't know these other people at all and he didn't know if they were bad or not. If Aizel trusted them than he probably could too, but still. Woman were mostly kind, and there hadn't been any woman tormentors, so he didn't know if they really could hurt him or not. There had been other woman prisoners with him who had been treated the same and hurt the same, so he didn't see them as threats for now. The maid in front of him was looking him over and listing off aloud what they would need to treat him. A few ladies in similar uniforms to the one lady in front of him approached carefully with bottles and other medical supplies in hand looking worried. He backed up a bit as they neared, just because he was nervous with four people at once getting closer. He wasn't exactly scared with them, but he was nervous all the same. One reached out to him slowly, like reassuring a frightened animal of no harm. He let his heart stop beating so quickly before re-taking his step to get closer. He flinched when the others slowly put their hands on him too. Chitose couldn't wait now until Aizel came back.

Aizel felt bad leaving him, but he had to get some work done. He knew he was in good hands, so he was going to trust that. He had a few chores to do, not very hard ones, but chores all the same. He swept up the front hall and dusted, jobs that he wasn't sure why he was doing them, but he did them all the same. After he was done he walked back to the infirmary, walking in. "I'm back" he said with a smile, looking at the brunette, who looked mostly patched up. It didn't really surprise him, since the women in there worked fast, and knew what they were doing. "Are you ready to go? I'll show you where you're going to be living" he tilted his head to the side, waiting for him to nod or shake his head or something. Or maybe he would even talk. But he wasn't getting his hopes up about that. He obviously needed some time to adjust.

As it turned out, the woman of this department were the exact opposite of harmful. He had also come to notice that they had different hands than Aizel's and former tormentors. Theirs were unfamiliar to touch, but gentle and caring. They worked fast but efficiently. Chitose decided that they could be more or less trusted. He was happy to see Aizel come back and ask him if he was ready to go. He nodded slowly and approached him, not meaning to keep a little distance between them, but still trying to get as close as he could and feel mildly comfortable. He was within reaching distance technically, but still able to run if he needed to. He reached out with his hand for Aizel's, wanting the warm, friendly hand back to warm his own.

Aizel smilled at the slow nod, hoping that he was being trusted. He was a trustworthy person, since there was no way he could really do anything wrong. He had been programmed to do everything right, it seemed like. He looked down at the hand as it reached for his own, and he took it slowly, not wanting to scare him still. "All right, it's not too far, but can be a bit confusing to get to the first few times" he explained, leading the way out of the room. It was off to the side, but not too far out of the way, in case somebody was needed urgently. He ran his free hand through his dark brown hair, letting it flop back into his face when his hand was gone.

Chitose began trying to memorize the place and corridors that they went past or through to get to the room he'd be sleeping in. It wasn't easy when most everything looked alike. When they got in the room, Chitose found that it wasn't extravagant but it was way better than rooms he'd been in. There wasn't unnecessary items in the room, mostly stuff they could use or need on hand was lying about. He didn't mind being in here since it was quiet and kind of closed off. It sort of gave a safe feeling to him.

Aizel was silent until they got to the room. He opened the door and walked in. He pointed to the extra bed, which would be his now. "That's your bed there" he said with a smile. He let go of his hand and sat down on his own bed. He only had a few more chores to do that day, and then he had been given the rest of the time off, he had been told, to help the brunette settle in. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled, looking around the room. It had all they would likely need, and really, that was it. No unnecessary clutter, or anything that wasted space or money. It was simple and nice, and he loved it.

When Aizel showed him his bed and then took to his own, Chitose stood there for a moment and then claimed what he had been given. The bed was soft, but he had nothing to compare it to. The floors had been his only known bed. That or the tables, but he'd been strapped to those by either his wrists or the rest of his body. He didn't know much else as a comfortable surface. The bed was inviting and soft, so soft he could have cried. Chitose touched the bandaged eye and wondered if the bandages would have been ruined if he could cry out of that eye still. He hugged his body close to him as he sat on the bed. But instead of looking at his knees or the floor, he looked to Aizel. Aizel looked plenty comfortable and content. He wondered what went on through his mind and what it would be like not to be haunted by thoughts and memories.

Aizel tilted his head to the side and watched as he sat down on his bed before curling up, ending up looking at him, more or less in the fetal position. He smiled slightly, covering his frown with it. He had to wonder what he had been sleeping on before if this seemed so nice. The beds were nice, yes, but they weren't amazing or anything. the were pretty average. "Is it nice?" he asked, smiling still. He had to have been sleeping on stone or something before. He wanted to know what he had gone through. He needed to get him talking, but he was going to wait. He wasn't going to force it out of him. He would wait, and gain his trust.

Chitose nodded while looking at Aizel. He was studying this other male curiously. He wanted to trust him and speak, but the words were too scared to come out by their selves. He wanted to say something to Aizel, but the situation didn't feel right to just say something. He wanted coaxing to speak, but at the same time he didn't want to be pressured into this. Aizel was nice to him, he seemed interested to know more about Chitose, even if Chitose didn't know much about himself. Aizel looked to be about his age, whatever that was. He looked a little older than him, but he wasn't old enough to be one of the people who tormented him. Just a little older and he might look like one of them did. His hands weren't the same as that man's though. He wasn't sure he'd turn into one of those people.

Aizel smiled again when he nodded, glad that he thought so. "That's good. It's nice here, you know. Nobody's ever been hurt here" he said in a reassuring tone, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. He was sure that the brunette had to be worrying about that, with all the injuries he had. "I don't know where you came from, but I can tell you right now this place is so much better" he looked back down, giving a smile. He pulled his legs up onto his bed to cross them beneath himself. "I hope you settle in well. . . it really is a nice place here. . . they feed us enough, give us days off, let us have our own rooms. . . they don't punish us" he listed off. He wasn't too sure why he said 'they' instead of 'he', referring to their master, but that didn't matter.

Chitose believed Aizel when he explained details of the place. He'd have to really see with his own eyes (eye) if this place was what Aizel assured him of. The place already did sound much nicer than where he'd been before. Then again, a place that you weren't in pain every second you were alive and breathing was nicer than that place. Zelphyr had even seemed kind enough. He didn't have the kind of light in his eyes that intended harm, or wanted to watch you break and scream. Chitose moved his center of gravity to one side so he would fall against the surface of the bed. He lay curled in a ball though he had let his hands go from being wrapped around his knees. A pillow, he had decided, was going to be one of his most favorite possessions in this room starting now.

Aizel frowned, biting back a sigh. The silence was unnerving to him, just thinking about what might be causing it. He was silent for a minute, looking at him now curled up on the bed. "Are you scared?" he asked quietly, hihs face serious and concerned, his head tilted to the side. He had to be only a few years younger than himself, and it was horrible that something like this had happened to him, even though he didn't know what exactly he had gone through, whatever it was it must have been terrible. He really wanted to get this beaten brunette to open up and trust him. He had no idea how to get him to talk though. He was going to try to persuade him, but he didn't know how well that was going to work.

Chitose didn't have an exact answer for the question directed to him. Was he scared? Yes, and no. Yes, he didn't know what was going to happen in the future. Yes, he was terrified of being sent back. But....no, he trusted Aizel, and he was still debating if Zelphyr was all right. So far it was all right. He didn't mind him right now. Now that he had calmed down a little more than he had when he'd been arriving, he could see that Zelphyr wasn't bad. Aizel wanted him to speak, he could tell. From the way he spoke to him as if trying to draw out his voice, Aizel wanted him to talk. He wanted to speak, for Aizel. Aizel was nice to him so far, he could give him something in return?