And this is it, One for the Books, which has been getting the majority of my attention since I moved here. Survived a whole five and a half months so far. @thomassylvester
Hunter stepped outside of the presentation room and while he usually would feel a weight lifted off his shoulders, right now all he still felt was... nothing. Or well, just the slight panic that was rising up in his chest from stepping outside the room and being in plain sight. He probably didn’t look great and people could be staring at him. The last thing Hunter wanted at that moment was being in public. He hugged the robe tight to his body and walked alongside Thomas, following him to his room. While Thomas had not wanted aftercare from Hunter, Hunter did feel like he should leave with Thomas. He had already seen him like this and he didn’t want to add more people to that list. He was silent as he walked, not at all feeling like himself.
Don't you look very regal today... Still too much clothing for me. I take it you're not in the mood to cook dinner, so do you want me to cook or just order something?
Luckily for you, you have free reign to change that any time you feel I’m wearing too much. You should’ve seen the first thing I almost put on... well, you will. I mean, if you want to treat me like royalty, you definitely won’t hear me complaining, but I do think that choice should be up to you. Whether you feel like cooking or not.
meet the parents || the madam & her daughter’s beau
Seated at the head of the grandiose dining room table of the Romano Estate, with a freshly made filthy martini, the Madam idly restocked her ornate cigarette case. A simple action to bide time until the arrival of the mysterious Thomas Capulet, a man who had apparently won over her beloved daughter’s heart. She appreciated that he was indeed a Capulet and not a Montague, and that he seemed to have a respectable career and past. But there were just a few details here and there that didn’t quite sit right with Celeste. She had to be certain. 100% that this man’s intentions were honorable, because Lord help anyone who crossed Madam Celeste Romano.
“Thomas Capulet is here to see you, Madam.” Came a voice from the far end of the dining room, and Celeste glanced up to see one of her burly security guards. She gestured toward him with a bejeweled arm.
08/01 - Hunter and Thomas perform their presentation scene involving knife play. @thomassylvester
Hunter walked into the presentation room, trusting that Thomas was crawling in behind him. Hunter was nervous, not because he didn't have confidence, but because this was his time to show the Headmasters that his whining about his mark was with a reason. That he really was a respectable Dominant. If one thing went wrong or he couldn't control his partner, it was going to stick with them. Add to that the public humiliation once the list of grades were posted. Trying not to think about it too much, he gripped the flogger in his hand tight as he walked towards the middle of the room. "Thank you for your attention, Headmaster and Headmistress." He said with a bow of his head. "Kneel in front of me." Hunter ordered and turned toward the other Switch. He laid his items down on the table which really wasn't much, just a knife, flogger and a first aid kit. "Please repeat your safe word for me, submissive." He ordered. He knew Thomas was most likely going to hate him but he trusted that he knew that this was for the sake of a good grade.
Thomas hated everything about his life right now. Since he wasn't going to be able to do it during the presentation, Thomas glared at the other Switch from the moment he was told to get on his knees outside the presentation room door and as he started crawling forward. The second he passed over the threshold though, he switched his look over to one of complete concentration. There was no way in hell that he was going to look over at his mom while he was crawling on the floor, so he cast his eyes downward. The whole situation was entirely too complicated for him. His insistent need to always please and impress his mom weighed heavily on him, but he still wasn't sure if he wanted to be impressed with how good he could be in a more submissive role. He was determine to try this hardest though, but he knew it would take every ounce of self-control he had not to roll his eyes at least once during the whole ordeal. His first test was when Hunter told him to kneel in front of him, but Thomas was able to do so without showing any emotion. He did, however, cringe ever so slightly at being called 'submissive'. "Red, sir."
Hunter knew this was going to be hard for Thomas. He would definitely be a worse partner if it was him on his knees and he would definitely have to thank the other for that later when their presentation was over. While Hunter was a little scared of what was to come, the room felt a lot less heavy than it had felt during his first presentation when he had been in the submissive role. Hunter was raised as a Dominant and right now was the time to show all that he knew. He looked down at Thomas and nodded when he followed his order. "Thank you, good boy." He praised him. "As you know, we will be doing a scene involving knife play. Since this is one of the more dangerous practices of BDSM, I want to once again make sure we agree on everything." Hunter began. "If at any point you can't stand the knife for whatever reason, you tell me your safe word and I will stop safely as fast as I can. There is no shame in doing so. While I am practiced in the act, mistakes are always possible on my part. I want you to voice it whenever you feel unsure. You can use yellow and I will slow down or stop for a moment. With red, I will stop everything." Hunter said, making sure everything was clear. "Understood?" He asked. After the answer, he turned towards the table. "Please strip down. Your underwear may be worn if you wish. Then climb on the table and be ready for me to position you in any way I want."
Thomas once again fought desperately to not roll his eyes when Hunter called him a 'good boy' and was quite pleased with himself when he was able to keep his features entirely neutral. Even though they had already gone into detail beforehand about what they were going to be doing during the presentation, Thomas listened careful to refresh his memory himself on everything and to make sure Hunter wasn't going to try and throw in any surprises. Even though he had a high pain tolerance and knew that he most likely wouldn't need Hunter to stop or slow down, he did remember reading some criticism from the last presentations about a submissive pushing himself too much and well past his comfort zone, so Thomas made sure to keep that in the back of his mind. "Understood, sir." Since Thomas had no issues with nudity, even with his own mother in the same room, he stood up and striped off all his clothes, neatly folding all of them and putting them in small pile by the table. After that was finished, he climbed onto the table and laid on his back as he waited for Hunter to continue.
Hunter was glad to notice the boy listening closely to whatever he was saying. Safety was incredibly important and while Thomas didn't want to submit, Hunter knew he would do everything to make sure it was done correctly. The boy was doing well and Hunter already knew he would never be able to repay the other Switch. He didn't think like that at that moment though. He was the Dominant and Thomas was his submissive. He nodded when he received the answer he wanted and then waited for the boy to strip. The other was incredibly attractive and would've definitely distracted Hunter in any other type of situation. Hunter walked up to the table and rested his hand lightly on the boy's hip before reaching for both of Thomas' hands with his own. He lifted them up and crossed them before moving the boy's arms back over his head so his arms were crossed over his face. It was a slightly awkward position that probably wasn't going to feel really great after not being able to move for a little bit. Hunter's hands then moved to his legs and pushed both of them off the edge on either side of the boy. He pushed his legs up until his knees folded over the edge of the table. That way Thomas' legs were farther apart than they probably usually were in splits and it would most likely cause strain. "I want you to try and stay in this position, submissive. It might start to ache but I want you to filter away the discomfort. If you are able to handle the blade of my knife across your skin, you can handle this discomfort. If you move your body - your arms or your legs, that will count for five hits with my flogger. At any point you are also allowed to ask for a break to stretch your limbs. If you ask me politely if you may stretch your limbs, I will allow it. However, it will count for one hit with the flogger as well. I want to see you be strong mentally and physically. I hope to see you filter away the discomfort." Hunter explained. "You are also not allowed to make sounds, other than your safe word or when you ask me for permission to stretch your limbs. If you make a sound or you don't request what you want respectfully, I will add one hit with my flogger. Is all of this understood, submissive?" He asked.
Thomas easily allowed Hunter to move his body around into whatever position he desired. To help him mentally survive the whole ordeal, Thomas thought of himself as more of an artist's muse getting ready to be painted or sculpted instead of a submissive. When Hunter moved his arms, he was grateful that the other boy remember his request not to put extra strain on his shoulders. However, even with his arms in a more slightly more manageable position, he knew after a while it would definitely cause him some discomfort, if not pain. The legs, however, were another story. Thomas was somewhat flexible but not that flexible, and he could already feel his muscles beginning to burn at the stretch. It was good though. Thomas was an athlete and was used to pushing through the pain, so it was nice to have something to focus on other than the knife that was getting ready to cut his skin, stressing about how sterile it was, and if he was going to get an infection because of it. The second that thought even crossed his mind, his body briefly tensed up but once again he began to focus more on the stretch of his legs to be able to push everything else out of his mind. Thomas again listened carefully as Hunter continued to explain what was expected of him. He knew it would be challenging, but he was determined to try his best. "Yes, sir. I understand."
Hunter could see in the other Switch's face that he was listening closely and understanding what Hunter was saying. The scene wasn't an easy one and asked for a lot of concentration and working together. The position Hunter put Thomas didn't look uncomfortable at first glance but it was a position that strained and stretched the muscles. The boy looked very good. "Good boy." He praised after the affirmation. He walked over to his stuff, which were all in ziplock bags. First he had a brand new knife that hadn't been used on anything or anyone before. Then he had a new clean cloth that was also never used. He grabbed the cloth and grabbed the alcohol that he brought, wetting the cloth with it. Hunter then took the knife and made sure to clean the blade thoroughly. Once Hunter was conviced the knife was sterile, he moved back to Thomas. He smoothed his hands over the boy's chest which the other Switch had shaved after Hunter had ordered him to. Nothing better than a clean and blank canvas. Hunter took the cloth again and smoothed the alcohol over the boy's chest and stomach. Clean was clean. "Concentrate, submissive." Hunter said as he lowered the knife to the boy's skin, not pressing hard enough to cut. "Be a good boy for me. But always remember your limits." He mused. The blade was very sharp, not needing too much pressure to cut. A knife that wasn't sharp always had the danger of accidentally pressing to hard down because one might think it's not cutting. With a sharp knife like Hunter had, it took a lot of control but he had a knowledge of the amount of pressure that was needed. Hunter placed the knife just a little below the boy's nipple and slowly started to move it down, starting with pressing lightly to feel out the knife on the other Switch's skin.
Thomas wished he could put in ear plugs just so he didn't have to listen to Hunter call him a good boy anymore, but he also knew that communication was key to getting through this and he didn't want that hinder just because some of the things that Hunter was saying and especially what Hunter was calling him made Thomas want to cringe. He watched closely as Hunter took out the knife and wiped it down with alcohol and a clean rag and was quite relieved when the other Switch cleaned off his chest with alcohol. That helped at least put one of his many worries about this whole ordeal at ease. When the cool steel of the knife first made contact with his skin, Thomas' breath hitched and his whole body tighten, expecting there to be pain that quickly followed. When the pain didn't come, Thomas was able to relax a little bit more and he began to focus on other things, like the stretch of his muscles and some recent good memories to help distract himself a bit as he waited for Hunter to really begin.
Hunter was very pleased with the way Thomas was handling the scene so far. While it was something the other boy wasn't completely comfortable with, he was managing to be perfect for Hunter. The next test was coming though, as soon as the knife cut the boy's skin. Hunter was feeling that the amount of pressure he was putting on the knife wasn't enough and so he pushed a little harder. Hunter could see the skin split as a cut was created. It wasn't a deep cut, just a cut deep enough that the lines would show up. He moved the knife down, creating a line down the boy's chest. Hunter lifted up the knife to look down. The line had a few spots were a little blood was pooling but it was quite a clean cut. Of course a straight line was the easiest thing to do. Hunter hummed at his creation and reached for the cloth again, wiping the knife before going down again, creating another line next to the one he had just created. Hunter worked slow because of the needed precision. He also made sure to take small pauses to check on how Thomas was doing.
Thomas was in no way prepared for the pain caused by the knife, even as he tried to focus on other things besides that. It felt like one long paper cut down his chest, and his instincts were telling him to scream, cuss, punch Hunter in the face, or do anything but to just lay there and take it. Thomas was able to somehow fight against all the natural urges and continue to lay perfectly still. He began to take a deep breath but stopped himself since it would cause his chest to rise more than Hunter was expecting, so he opted to bite down on his lip to stop any sound from escaping and causing him to earn begin hit by the flogger. Even though he wasn't all that musically inclined, Thomas decided to take a new approach to making it threw the presentation. Since focusing on the strain in his arms and legs wasn't quite as effective as he wanted it to be, he decided to sing the lyrics of as many songs as he could think of in his head. This did seem to help somewhat as the pain from the cuts seem to dull just a hair and was more bearable.
Hunter noticed the difference in the other Switch's breathing immediately. It was expected, of course. The feeling of a knife cutting into one's skin certainly wasn't the easiest to ignore. Hunter tried to work with Thomas' breathing, pausing at moments he felt like Thomas was moving his stomach and chest too much. He noticed the struggle the other Switch was having and paused for a moment when the second line was finished. "You are doing very well." He said. Hunter created a small stripe above the second line he made before cleaning his knife again. He continued on to the next creation while being hyperfocused on everything that was happening with the knife and Thomas. It was like a dance, having to work with the other to make sure everything worked out well. At times his lines were slow while other times, a line was made much quicker. Hunter wasn't taking any chances and moving faster than what felt comfortable.
Thomas sadly didn't know the lyrics to that many songs so he had to keep repeating them in his head. After awhile, that started to annoy him more than pain of the cuts Hunter was creating on his chest. Before the presentation, Hunter had told him that he was going to cut a word or two into his skin. Thomas made it clear that he was fine with that as long as it wasn't Hunter's name or anything that seemed too possessive like 'mine'. Since song lyrics were no longer as effective as they started out to be, Thomas began to try to determine exactly what Hunter was cutting into his skin. He quickly realized that doing that just caused the pain to be more intense, "yellow, sir," Thomas hissed out. It made him feel weak having to use it, but it was either that or bolt from off the table. He quickly caught his breath and let Hunter know that it was okay for him to continue as normal. To once again distract himself from that pain, Thomas decided to take yet another approach. This time he thought of all the horrible things he would do to Hunter given a chance, and it proved to be the most effective distraction yet.
Hunter continued on being as focused as he possibly could. He forgot the Headmasters who were in the same room and the only thing on his mind was Thomas and making sure he wasn't cutting too deep or too fast. Half of the first word was already on Thomas' chest and then he heard Thomas speak when he was starting on the new letter. Hunter lifted up his knife and laid his hand on the boy's hip. "Of course, just breathe in and out." Hunter said, his thumb moving across the boy's skin. He then moved away completely for a moment to dip the cloth in some more alcohol to clean his knife. When he came back and got the okay from Thomas, he got back in. He lowered the knife and continued on the letter he was working on, letting the knife cut the skin only slightly. As Hunter already had some letters down, he noticed he was getting more comfortable with the movements. While it wasn't too fast, he did manage to make the cute with slightly more accuracy and speed. Soon enough the first word was clear on the boy's chest. "We only have a little more to go. You are doing great." He praised.
Thomas was thoroughly enjoying images of stringing Hunter up by the balls and using him as a piñata, but he should have been paying closer attention to his body. If he had been paying attention, he'd notice most likely notice a few important things, like his leg began to shake due to the strain every so slightly - not visibly noticeable though - and that the bottom of his feet were starting to be covered by a thin layer of sweat. The combination of the two caused his foot to slip off the edge of the table. Even though he was mentally cussing himself out, he was able to stop from actually saying the barrage of swear words running though his mind. He quickly recovered though, putting his foot where it originally was before speaking out, "May I please stretch my limbs out, sir?"
Hunter was concentrating on the knife and letting it cut Thomas's skin precisely. He was focused on the boy's breathing because it was important for how deep he could cut. When the boy's foot slipped of the table, it was a surprise. He lifted up the knife immediately and looked at the boy. Hunter made sure to remind himself to take a look at the boy's position every now and then to see Thomas wasn't struggling too much, even though the other Switch had to do that himself as well. "You may, submissive. The slipping and the question are 6 hits in total." Hunter voiced. "Take your time." Hunter said and moved over to his cloth again.
Thomas couldn't control the eyeroll that was building any longer when Hunter told him he'd have to be flogged five times on top of all the torture he'd already endured, so he closed his eyes and finally gave in temptation. Since he was laying down, the Headmasters would be able to see even if he kept his eyes open, but he didn't want to chance it. Since he was already being punished for needing to stretch, he was going to take his time and make sure his limbs were able to make it through the rest of the presentation. Thomas winced when he heard and felt his bad shoulder make a very audible pop and stretched out his legs, trying to wipe of the sweat onto the table while doing so. When he was finished, he resumed the original pose and let Hunter know that he was ready for him to continue.
Hunter made sure to give Thomas his space while he stretched and continued to clean his knife instead. He knew keeping the pose was probably hard but there had to be a bit more of a challenge to the scene. Once the boy showed that he was finished, Hunter returned to him. He didn't have many more letters to go so he hoped there would be no slipping after the stretching anymore. "I'm continuing now." Hunter told the other Switch. He got in close again and put the knife down to start the first letter of the second word. The 'S' was a more challenging letter but the curves were fine as long as Hunter took his time. The letter went without any problems and so Hunter could continue on after wiping his knife clean again. Hunter's muscles were definitely starting to hurt from the constant strain he put on them to make sure he was applying the perfect amount of pressure at the perfect height. He tried to focus as much as he can on the act of doing it do he wouldn't feel the pain much and he would rush. Rushing would always lead to mistakes. He was sweating and he was craving a big bottle of ice cold water but the fact that he was so close made it just a little easier. Soon enough Hunter was on the last curve of his last letter and when he was done, he let out a satisfied breath. "There we are, submissive. A title that fits with out scene." Hunter said proudly. The cuts on Thomas's stomach read 'little sub'. The lines were angry and red and there were some pools of blood and while some letters seemed more cursive than others, the words were clearly readable.
Thomas had faced many personal challenges throughout this whole ordeal, but nothing came close to controlling how he felt when he was finally able to look down and see exactly what Hunter had written on his chest and stomach. Since he was looking down at the words, it was somewhat hard to make out the upside-down letters. It took him a few moments to put it all together and his jaw instantly clinched when it finally sunk in what it said. The one thing that he never wanted to associate himself with was now carved into his chest, and that he'd have the reminder for a few days at the very least. He pushed through the fury that he felt and took a deep breath to calm down, doing through the same mental preparation he did whenever he was on the starting block before a race. Soon enough, he was able to once again push past his emotions. "Thank you, sir," Thomas was somehow able to say as he waited for Hunter to tell him what position he wanted him to be in to receive the swats so that they could finally get the hell out of there.
Hunter knew that Thomas wouldn't like what was written on his chest but because Thomas was the submissive of the scene, it would be most fitting if there was something on his chest that would mirror that. He could see the battle on Thomas's face and Hunter was certainly impressed when the boy managed to thank him. One thing Hunter knew for sure is that he would've punched someone in the face already if it had been him. "You're welcome. You were very good. You did however move and had to stretch your limbs. For that I would like for you to come off the table and put your hands on it, leaning forward slightly. I will give you six hits with the flogger." Hunter explained. He grabbed the flogger and then moved back to Thomas to make sure the boy was positioned like he wanted. When he was, he stood behind him. "You don't have to count, just stay still for me." Hunter told him. He brought the flogger back and hit the boy three times quickly after each other on the ass and back. In his own experience, flogging was best when it was done quickly.
Thomas let out a small sigh of relief when he was able to move from the table. Of course, it was solely due to the fact that he was finally able to move and stretch a bit. He was not, however, looking forward to having a flogger used on him. He had always been more partial to a paddle, enjoying the heaviness of it and the solid weight in his hand, but he had used a flogger once or twice on others. Seeing the damage that it could quickly leave behind made him thoroughly regret this leg moving since he could have easily handled just one if he would have asked to stretch. Thomas got into position and gripped the table as he mentally prepared himself for the strikes. As they hit his skin, he was actually relieved that they decided to write on his chest and not on his back as they had discussed or else the flogger would almost be unbearable.
Hunter knew the scene was a hard one for Thomas and he knew that he was going to have to thank the boy many times. Hunter took a breath and hit the boy another three times quickly after each other. There were marks on the boy's back but it was nothing dramatic. When he was done, Hunter smiled softly. "That was all, submissive. You did very well." Hunter praised. Hunter grabbed all of his stuff from the table and turned to Thomas. "Kneel and thank the Headmasters before crawling out of the room."At the end of the scene Hunter had made both Thomas's back and chest his. It had been an intense scene but it had gone very well in his own opinion. "Thank you for your attention, Headmistress Sylvester and Headmaster Schuester." Hunter said with a bow of his head. He then waited on Thomas before walking towards the doors. The scene was going to need some good aftercare.
Thomas got his hopes up that the first set of strikes would be all, but then he quickly remembered that he had three more left so he remained in the same position, knuckles turning white at how hard he was gripping the edge of the table. The last three were over soon enough, and Thomas was beyond relieved that the whole miserable ordeal was finally over. Then Hunter just had to go remind him that he wasn't exactly finished. He had come this far though, so he knew he could follow this one last command. He quickly dropped down to his knees and turned to the headmasters, keeping his eyes cast downward so that he couldn't see the looks on their faces. "Thank you Headmistress Sylvester and Headmaster Schuester." After that was finished, he quickly crawled his way out of the room.
Hunter made sure to keep an eye on Thomas when it was time for them to go and he smiled softly when he did well. The other was probably going to hate him but there was no denying that the scene had gone well. Now the only thing they could do was hope the Headmasters had enjoyed it as well. It surely had taken skill. Now it was time to see if Thomas wanted anything else to do with him or if the boy had found aftercare somewhere else.
Hunter was not planning to have company over any time soon, but there was something intriguing about Thomas that was too good to pass up. He initially thought that his first rental would be with a more tested slave, but it seemed the new delivery was smart enough to know how to act and what was accepted of him. Hunter didn’t do anything special in preparation to the slave’s arrival and decided to keep things casual with wearing only a pair of gray sweats that hung low on his hips. After the guards dropped off his toy and left, Hunter closed the door behind him before turning his full attention to Thomas. He always found the sight of someone bound appealing, even if it was just his arms, and the nude body of the slave definitely added to the appeal. However, there was on thing wrong with the picture in front of him. “Since you’re new here and you’re not quite sure how to be a good boy, I’ll be nice enough to teach you. The first thing to learn is that most Master, including me, prefer their slaves to be on their knees.” Hunter walked around and stood in front of Thomas to wait and see just how quickly the slave caught on. @boundthomas
