Only the silence

[ open ]

julientheviper

“There do seem to be a lack of options as far as quiet spaces” Julien inclined his head in a slight nod. It did seem rather noisy down here, probably due to the fact that the assets were packed in rather like sardines, with four to a room. It hardly seemed like anyone would get any peace and quiet down here, let alone be able to take a nap in the space. Then again there were some that seemed to be able to nap anywhere.

Tilting his head a little Julien contemplated leaving him to his nap, but he sighed instead. “I do have a rather comfortable couch, if I do say so myself, you’re more than welcome to use it if you’d like more quiet than you’re getting here. I promise there’s no unexpected noise, or squabbling going on in my apartment” An offer, though one Julien honestly didn’t mind giving, he had a rather large apartment all to himself.

Riley tried hard not to snort. ‘Lack of options’ was the theme of his life as a whole, so why should he expect it to be any different when it came to the hope for some peace and quiet on his day off? It would be simpler to do away with all expectations of improvement, but he was an idiot that was, secretly hoping for things to get better even when all signs pointed at them getting worse, ot at least staying the same.

After the inevitable reply came the offer he should have known was coming as well. Now it was Riley’s turn to sigh. “That sounds nice,” he said, deadpanning, his voice and expression removed from anything remotely resembling sarcasm. “And when we’re on your couch, what? Do I get on my knees, or get on all fours and pull my pants down? I mean, normally I wouldn’t be as blunt, but I’d rather get the formalities out of the way. I’m not in the mood to let you beat around the bush and let you believe you’ve actually convinced me that you’re nice.”

#convo #ch: julien

Open~

From watching Riley he could tell that the man didn’t seem to find anything that would help him get unlocked from these handcuffs. As he listened to the male he kind of had hoped that Riley had been sent to have sex with him. He would be able to make it work with someone he knew better than he could do a stranger. He licked his lips and looked away for a moment.

“Well, if a master is coming to use me then you better get out of here,” he said looking up at him. “I don’t need you getting in trouble because you were just trying to be helpful,” he said offering Riley a kind smile. “Put the blindfold back on me so that no one knows you were here though. I appreciate you looking around to see if there were any keys.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said, a response that went against his every instinct. But, strangely enough, Riley felt certain of his choice, even if he knew that the odds were high it would end up in disaster for both himself and Oliver. But he had been playing the quiet observer for a while now, keeping hid distance and trying not to get involved when someone else was in trouble. Usually the guilt he felt over doing nothing was minimal—he couldn’t imagine it would be the same this time, not when the victim of his inaction was someone he actually knew.

“They didn’t care enough to lock the door…” It was hard to assign any significance to that fact, but Riley decided to give it a try. “If they didn’t want anyone wandering in and helping you out, they would have done that.” There were other explanations for why the door wasn’t locked, but Riley didn’t want to stew on them and drive himself mad with worry. Instead, he turned his attention to Oliver, and against his better judgment cast a passing glance over his body. “Are you… are you cold…? I can throw my jacket over you if you are…”

#convo #ch: oliver

[ open ]

“Well then, come on,” Gunner said, smiling and motioning for the asset to stand up. “And as for the sandwich, I’m pretty sure there are leftovers in my fridge that I can offer you,” he said. He paused slightly, thinking. “Well, so long as the twins haven’t eaten all of them.”

He watched as Ramsey nuzzled Riley’s hand, chuckling softly. “You say that now. Wait until he gets loose from his leash and climbs into your bunk with you. Then, it’ll be the worst kind of attention you could ever have.”

#riley: instagram #queued

Riley gave Gunner a small shrug as he rose to his feet, taking his time at stretching, though not to stall, something he usually did when an associate took a more than passing interest in him—he just really needed the stretch. His whole body felt heavy and awkward, but he wasn’t really that tired, and he didn’t feel even slightly sick. It was just plain lethargy, he figured, the lack of activity holding him back almost as a form of inertia.

He hated it, this side-effect of inactivity, but he didn’t say anything about that. Instead, he decided it was better to let the associate believe what he wanted about his state and plodded on, Ramsey following along, matching his every step with an eager skip and tail-wagging. He seemed like an unusually happy dog. Riley couldn’t help but envy that for a brief moment. “I think I rather have him over my roommates,” he mused, the barest hint of a smirk playing on his lips as he walked.

#convo #ch: gunner

gustingrant

smthwicked-deactivated20201115

[ open ]

The long silence didn’t shake the doctor, he was pretty good at those himself. He just lifted his shoulder in a shrug and kept his face even and expressionless. “While that might be true, you’re finding me in the middle of a serious struggle to care one way or the other. "Just don’t let it be said that I didn’t warn you.”

Riley pushed out another sigh. So that answered that question. At least the guy didn’t look like a psychopath, but appearances could be deceiving. He didn’t expect much in the way of empathy from anybody he met in the tower anyway, so if nothing else, having his thoughts confirmed filled him with an odd sense of safety. “Noted,” he droned and went back to slouching.

#convo #ch: keaton

[ open ]

“You don’t look not sick,” Gunner said, shrugging. “Mainly, you look like you need a sandwich, a nap, and some time to yourself. Which I’m pretty sure celebrities use as an excuse to go to rehab all the time, so…Technically, yes. You look sick.”

He watched as Ramsey immediately started to lick at the boy’s fingers, chuckling softly. “You realize that he’s going to expect attention whenever he sees you from now on, right? You’ve created a monster.”

#riley: instagram #queued

“Yeah well, I’m indifferent to the sandwich, a nap would be okay, and that’s just an everyday thing—I’m not exactly a social butterfly, you see.” Riley bit back a chuckle. “I don’t think I look worse than anyone else in the build, but your concern is noted,” he observed, more as a way to get the subject pushed out of the way than to concede the point.

Once again his eyes sat on the dog. Riley wasn’t particularly ticklish, but his fingers twitched with each lick they got. “That’s okay,” he returned, smiling again. “This is one kind of attention I can actually handle.”

#convo #ch: gunner

graildiary

smthwicked-deactivated20201115

[ open ]

“Yep. I’m sure they do that for a very specific reason, like, you know, not losing money. They sure do like to wring the life clear out of people here, don’t they?” How little he cared was probably evident in his voice.

“I am,” he nodded. “But I’m not your doctor. Just the errand boy. Such is life, newest doctor in the tower, I get the bitch work.” There were nearly a thousand things he’d rather be doing. “Anyway, show up or they come for you. Which from what I understand, is unpleasant. For you.”

Riley’s gaze sat uneasily on the doctor’s expression for a few long seconds. Then he shook his head and sighed. “You know… I know this place isn’t a vacation resort, especially for people in my position, so the grim talk is something I can do without.” His voice a deadpan, his expression was no different. “A simple ‘be there on time’ would be just as effective, really.” He was still afraid of what people might do to him, but Riley was tired of acting like it. He was tired of looking over his shoulder, keeping everyone at arm’s length. He wondered if this guy didn’t get that, or he just didn’t care.

#convo #ch: keaton

Open~

Oliver was not sure if silence was a good thing or not. He wondered if the person just looking at him was going to do something to him or just leave. When he heard the footsteps move closer to him his heart raced, not sure what to expect. The blindfold came off and he blinked a couple of times before looking Riley in the eyes. He smiled softly. “I am okay, a little uncomfortable but okay,” he assured his friend. He looked around the room and sighed. “I don’t know what I am doing here,” he said, licking his lips.

“I am not sure if a master is wanting me, or if this is just a cruel joke,” he went on before sighing again. “I don’t know if the left a key. They were kind of silent as they stripped me and put me on here, no one laughed or really gave me any further instructions,” he told Riley. “Were you summoned here?”

“I can think of a few answers to that…” Riley muttered darkly under his breath as he looked around. The room wasn’t as well-lit as he would have liked, but at the moment that didn’t matter. Mostly he kept his eyes darting from one corner to the next as a way to keep them from wandering over to Oliver’s naked body. It wasn’t that he didn’t find him attractive, or that he wasn’t curious—he did, and he was—but under the current circumstances looking just felt wrong.

He sighed. He couldn’t spot anything in the room aside from the table Oliver was sprawled on, and an empty chair. “This doesn’t feel elaborate enough to be a prank,” he said. “Maybe he changed his mind… Maybe he got bored.” Maybe he had just stepped out for a smoke break and was already on his way back. That thought gave him chills. Riley shook his head. “Nobody sent me here. I just… stumbled in,” he admitted. “I heard a voice through the door and got curious. It wasn’t even locked. I just…” He shrugged.

#convo #ch: oliver

[ open ]

Gunner nodded, the corners of his mouth turning down slightly as he took in the asset’s appearance. “Are you feeling okay? Any headaches, nausea, anything like that?” He was tempted to reach out and feel the boy’s forehead, but he knew that it probably wasn’t the best idea to just haul off and feel someone’s face. “Well, even if it’s just laziness, you’re welcome to come watch my TV. So long as you won’t be missing work, or anything like that, obviously,” he added. “Plus, that gives Ramsey time to win you over to the greatness that is the squeaky Yoda.”

Originally posted by pravocedarnome

Riley couldn’t help but bristle a little, ill-at-ease with the notion that he was being observed so keenly by someone he hardly knew. “I’m not sick… Do I look sick?” It was meant as a protest, but Riley’s voice was close enough to brittle to make him sound more concerned than aggravated. Either way, he just wasn’t comfortable with being fussed over. “I don’t work today,” he offered, then cast his glance on the dog still biting on the chew toy. As tense as he felt, the dog’s—Ramsey’s upbeat demeanor proved disarming. He reached down and scratched behind his ear, smiling a little as the dog shifted his head’s weight onto his hand. “Okay,” he said, looking up at the associate and sighing. “I guess I could use a break from… this…” Riley cast a cursory glance at their vicinity and putting on a thin smile.

Open~

Today could not get any worse. Oliver was yanked out of bed by a couple of guards who brought him to a room and removed all of his clothing. When he spotted a suited man sitting in the corner he asked why this was happening. “Cause I want it to,” was all the man said. Pretty soon he was bent over a table, his ankles duck taped to the legs of the table, making his legs spread wide, his wrists handcuffed to the other side’s legs. A blindfold was put on him and then silence filled the room. “Hello?” he asked, scared of what might happen. “Is anyone there?”

After a few moments he started to believe that the associate had done this to him and left. The guards were gone, everything was silent. This calmed him a little, knowing nothing worse than this was going to happen as of right now. Then he heard the door slowly open. “Is someone there?” he asked, turning his head as much as he is able. “Hello?”

Riley didn’t know what he’d been expecting when he stepped through the door, but this was definitely nothing his mind could have conjured up. At the same time, though, it shouldn’t surprise him that a scene like this would be staged in the tower: a fellow asset stripped naked and stretched out over a table, bound in place and waiting to be… A chill ran up his spine and he had to shake his head, shoving away the thought.

His first instinct was to step forward, but before he could move an inch, Riley thought better of it. This could easily be me. The idea filled him with something like fear, enough to make him want to turn and walk away, pretend he hadn’t seen any of this. What followed was guilt. He shouldn’t be so quick to leave an asset to this fate, even if he didn’t—the voice registered quickly. Riley recognized it as Oliver’s and moved to the table without further hesitation. He pulled the blindfold from his eyes, making a point of keeping his own trained on his face not let them wander over the rest of his very exposed body as he said, “Are you…?” Okay? No, he wasn’t okay. That was a stupid question. Instead, he followed with: “Let me see if I can find a way to get you off the table,” glancing around for anything resembling keys.

#convo #ch: oliver

[ open ]

julientheviper

This was all still rather strange. The whole system they’d put in place here seemed to cater to people like him, and yet not. Julien had lived this life, being thought of as a pet, being the docile boy and having sex with whoever would give him the most leverage. It was different here, while the system of slavery the MacNamara had set up seemed to cater to those in that position, being a pet and indulging in another man’s whims, it also prevented the social climbing Julien did. Of course, you could probably still do it, if you gained favor in enough places, but it was certainly a lot harder.

Maybe that was why Julien found the commons so fascinating. Of course, he loved teasing the assets as well, some of them were just so young and naive, it was wonderful. It was the noise that drew him at first, clearly someone was getting into an argument, it really could only be expected when they were having that many men exist in close quarters. But really, it was the soft grumpy voice that drew his attention.

“Not a very good place to relax darling, I doubt it’s going to stay quiet long enough for you to get a decent nap” Julien murmured, amusement clear in his tone.

Riley pushed out a sigh, wondering whether he had expected too much in hoping to be left alone if only for a while. But there was always something or someone that got in the way of him just having some much needed alone time. It was plainly too busy in here, and no, he wasn’t merely referring to the commons. “Well… I guess that’s just my luck,” he muttered, looking up at meeting the man’s gaze. The fact that he had just called him darling hadn’t gone unnoticed. He didn’t like the implications of that word.

“But my room’s too crowded right now, and that makes the thick of my options at the moment, so…” He trailed off with a frown and made to lay back, as if to say ‘this is all I’ve got, so I might as well make do.’ Something told him, however, that the matter wasn’t done, so he didn’t allow himself to drift off. Instead, his eyes stayed trained on the stranger, awaiting the inevitable reply that was no doubt in the middle of being formulated.

#convo #ch: julien

[ open ]

“Sorry,” Gunner said, picking Ramsey up from where he was bounding around on the floor. “He got a new toy, he wants to show it off to everyone before he destroys it.” He smiled at the squirming puppy for a moment before shushing him. “I know your squeaky Yoda is exciting, but no one else is interested right now. Pipe down.” He looked down at where Riley was stretched out, considering the boy for a few minutes. He then nodded to the elevator. “If you want someplace to sleep with actual quiet, you’re welcome to use my couch.”

Originally posted by tomshardy

Riley looked down at the dog, jaws clamped down on the chew toy he held up high with all the pride of a quarry. He didn’t have a great deal of experience with pets, but he knew enough to make out the behavior. It almost made him smile. Perhaps if he hadn’t been feeling so low on energy at that moment he would have. He looked up at the associate, pensively staring while weighing his offer. “Uhm… thanks, but I don’t think that’s necessary. I’m not really tired per se. Just… feeling lazy, I guess.”

#convo #ch: gunner

smthwicked-deactivated20201115

[ open ]

“I have never understood why some people find silence necessary for relaxation,” came the voice of Dr. Keaton O'Leary. He hadn’t been the cause of the noise, in fact he hadn’t even been in the commons for more than a full thirty seconds, but it was long enough to hear the mostly gentle plea for quiet.

It was also worth noting that the doctor never forgot the lines, never found himself getting too comfortable (not that it mattered much, he was on the winning side of that line) around the assets. It was better that they housed a bit of fear for him. It was better that he didn’t get fond of one or close to another, because he’d seen so many of them die. He’d caused a few of those deaths in his short time in the tower so far. But such was the life of science, or so he told himself.

“You’re,” he checked the sheet, “Riley? You have a physical scheduled for tomorrow at noon.”

“Yeah, well…” Riley had to think about that for a moment, mostly because his mind wasn’t working full-throttle yet—something about lazy days or whathaveyou. For someone who had spent the better part of his life living in a city—New York, not his native Chicago—one would think he should have grown used to living surrounded by noise, but silence was still what he preferred at the end of the day. Silence, and music. Music wasn’t noise.

“I guess I’m more the peace and quiet loving type,” he offered with a shrug.

There was no expectation of an answer; he wasn’t hoping for a conversation, just silence. What he got was a non sequitur that only left him feeling confused. “Okay…” Riley trailed off hesitantly, casting a quizzical look at the stranger. “Funny they’d schedule that for tomorrow when today is my day off. I’m… guessing you’re one of the doctors, then…?”

#convo #ch: keaton

jesse-renn

Dmitri very seldom had days off, let alone ones he didn’t wind up taking a shift for someone anyway. So instead of hiding away in his room where he could easily be found, he laid on a ledge in the garden, smoking his usual cigarette with a cup of coffee. As he heard slow steps approaching, he looked over with the smallest of smiles. “Come to join me for brunch? I’m afraid I’ve only got nicotine and caffeine to serve.” He joked. “It’s my day off, though. So the day is young and you look like you wanna get out of here. So…” He swung his long legs over, smiling. “Let’s get out of here. What do you say?”