The Dollhouse (Pigeon & Noise Prince)

[Noise Prince]

Shiori seemed a bit flustered, and if Bruno himself wasn't himself, he might have noticed it more, and how emotive he was in the moment. He sheepishly nodded, and followed as he led the tour on. A teahouse… that sounded very fancy! To have a building just for tea, that seemed really nice.

 

"Ah, yes…" Bruno didn't dislike Carn, but the disappointment wasn't hidden well in his tone. Carn was a hard, stern, man and Bruno was a little uneasy with him, and he had been enjoying time with Shiori as well. Of course, his whole job was mostly to spend time with him, so it wasn't realistically a loss to not spend more time together now.

[Kotorichan]

"I apologize, he can be very overprotective around me. I will do my best to keep him from overreacting to anything." Shiori bowed his head before starting back to the living room. He slid the door open and walked over to sit next to Carn on the couch, his expression remaining blank.

 

"Have you finished giving the tour?" Carn immediately wrapped his arm around his wife, his fingers moving over Shiori's waist and hips. "I hope you two are getting along..." His touches seemed far too intimate to be done in front of Bruno, but Shiori didn't react in any way.

 

"Yes, I think we are getting along very well." Shiori looked to Bruno for confirmation.

[Noise Prince]

Bruno blushed a bit, wondering if his hesitation to return was so obvious. He shook his head.

 

"No, it's not… it's not that…" He struggled to put his finger one what he was trying to explain. "I think your husband is a good man," He finally settled on. He didn't want Shiori to think that he disliked Carn to any capacity. He seemed very serious, so naturally it would mean he was protective of his loved ones.

 

He followed Shiori back indoors, into the living room. Wordlessly, Shiori walked to his husband's side and sat next to him. Carn was a striking man, hard all around, in great contrast to Shiori, who was so flowing and round and soft. So soft it seemed most emotions didn't dare crack that delicate face, even. They seemed wrong put together like that, somehow. Especially how Carn's fingers traced over Shiori's body so sensually. It seemed too intimate in front of someone else. But, Bruno reminded himself, that this should be fine, he was the help, not a guest. They shouldn't have to restrict how they behave together on his account.

 

"Yes, sir!" Bruno replied in turn, smiling. "Your property sure is nice. I've never seen such a pretty place in my life!"

[Kotorichan]

"Of course you haven't, I made sure it's only the best for my dear Shiori..." Carn's finger's ran over his wife's leg and began to slip under the fabric of Shiori's kimono to stroke his bare skin.

 

Shiori grew visibly tense, trying to stop himself from smacking Carn's hand away. It felt disgusting, not to mention humiliating. "Darling..." He didn't know what he could possibly say to make the man stop. Fortunately he didn't need to say anything because a servant knocked on the door to inform them that dinner was ready.

[Noise Prince]

"Yes, it's very… uh, fitting," Bruno cast his eyes to his knees, feeling a little uncomfortable himself with the blatant display. He wondered if he'd eventually get used to it, since Carn himself had no qualms about it. Guess he saw a servant as a servant regardless of how new they were in service. But Shiori also seemed at unease with the rather daring affection. Was he shy, or did he dislike being touched like this? He sympathized, before reminding himself that Shiori was Carn's wife. They loved each other. He shouldn't read so much into small gestures. He might not actually be uncomfortable, and Bruno was projecting. Before Carn could get too daring, there was a knock on the door, and another servant came in and announced dinner was ready. Bruno grinned. He was so nervous about his first day that he didn't eat an awful lot for lunch, to the dismay of his mother, so he was very eager for dinner, not to mention a relief from the couple's display.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

"Yes, it's very… uh, fitting," Bruno cast his eyes to his knees, feeling a little uncomfortable himself with the blatant display. He wondered if he'd eventually get used to it, since Carn himself had no qualms about it. Guess he saw a servant as a servant regardless of how new they were in service. But Shiori also seemed at unease with the rather daring affection. Was he shy, or did he dislike being touched like this? He sympathized, before reminding himself that Shiori was Carn's wife. They loved each other. He shouldn't read so much into small gestures. He might not actually be uncomfortable, and Bruno was projecting. Before Carn could get too daring, there was a knock on the door, and another servant came in and announced dinner was ready. Bruno grinned. He was so nervous about his first day that he didn't eat an awful lot for lunch, to the dismay of his mother, so he was very eager for dinner, not to mention a relief from the couple's display.

[Kotorichan]

Shiori smoothed out his kimono, his hands trembling. "I-I suppose we should go and eat before the food becomes cold." He slowly rose to to his feet, letting out a soft sigh of relief when Carn didn't do anything to stop him.

 

The older man stood up and wrapped his arm around the crane's waist, holding him close. "That's right my dear, let's go eat." He gestured for Bruno to follow. "Come along Bruno, the cooks are making one of Shiori's favorite meals." He led the crane towards the dining room, his hand moving down to rest on Shiori's ass.

 

Shiori didn't protest, he just followed along until they reached a traditional Japanese dining room. Finally Shiori was able to move away a bit so he could sit down in his own spot. The table was already set with a feast of traditional foods. Shiori was not excited in the least. Carn only wanted the cooks to make traditional Japanese food for Shiori.

[Noise Prince]

Shiori's shaking hands didn't go unnoticed by Bruno, who couldn't help but frown. Something about the married pair really made him feel uneasy. It made him feel more guilty than suspicious, though. He didn't now either of them well, and they were his employers. One would be paying him, the other he was tending to, and both would keep him under their roof and feed him. It wasn't his place to judge their relationship or mannerisms.

 

Even if he could swear there was a crack in Shiori's stoicness when Carn put an arm to his waist to keep him close.

 

Bruno nodded, and stood up, leaning on his cane as he pushed his weight to it, he really felt his injury the most when standing, and followed them out. Like Shiori's hand earlier, Carn's hand did not escape Bruno's notice as it slid south.

 

The room they entered was a dining room, but very peculiar. On theme for the home, Bruno had still never seen a room quite like this. Nor the types of food laid out. He recognized some individual ingredients like rice and fish. He vaguely recognized it as Japanese cuisine. It would make sense that Shiori would prefer the things he grew up with. Though if this was his favorite, he wasn't letting it be known. Not that he gave the impression of being a jump-for-joy type of crane.

 

"It looks amazing! Can't say I've seen much of this before, let alone try any…"

[Kotorichan]

Shiori dropped his gaze to the table. He didn't want to make eye contact with Bruno, he felt too ashamed of letting Carn touch him like that in front of someone he barely knew. He was afraid to see a disgusted expression on Bruno's face.

 

"Well, it's difficult to find high quality, authentic Japanese food. I have hired cooks who are better than anyone from the restaurants nearby." Carn said proudly. He reached over and took Shiori's hand, squeezing gently. "As I always say, nothing but the best for my dear Shiori." He lifted the crane's chin with one hand and leaned in to gently kiss him.

 

The expression on Shiori's face didn't change at all as his husbands lips met his own. His eyes were completely empty, as if he was trying to be anywhere else.

 

Finally Carn pulled away and picked up his chopsticks. "If you don't know how to use chopsticks you can go to the kitchen and get a fork and knife." He smiled at Shiori. "Well, itadakimasu."

 

"Itadakimasu..." Shiori murmured, picking up his own chopsticks and taking a small bite of his fish. The food was delicious, the highest quality ingredients cooked to perfection. But the flavor had been lost on Shiori for years.

[Noise Prince]

"Wow, that's really something. Most men only wish they could do these kinds of things for their wives, you know?" Bruno gushed, looking over all the food. Did they eat like this all the time? Fancy exotic food made by the best cooks available? Now he had something to stare at instead of finding something in the room when Carn and Shiori kissed. Though it was a tame one, Bruno noticed in his peripheral vision. He was a little worried that at one point they'd go beyond a delicate peck on the lips. Especially since Carn felt no shame in groping his wife's butt in front of essentially a stranger.

 

"Well, I think I best learn, don't you think?" Bruno took the chopsticks, and readjusted them while watching how the other two held theres. It felt really weird, how do you move them at all? Oh, like that. He might go hungry for the first few days, but he'd get the hang of it sooner or later.

 

"Ita…takamas…" Bruno murmured sheepishly. He forgot his embarrassment when he had a bite, though, his eyes lighting up. He quickly swallowed and smiled broadly.

 

"Wow, Shiori, you sure have good taste!"

[Kotorichan]

Shiori's lips twitched into a ghost of a smile at the man's words. It wasn't often that he got to see someone get introduced to such luxurious meals. He would often forget that others didn't have the privilege to eat such well made food. As usual, his smile disappeared as soon as Carn spoke. "Of course, Shiori wouldn't eat anything cheap." He said firmly

[Noise Prince]

Bruno chuckled in response, nodding in understanding. Carn sure was proud of being able to give Shiori such spoils. Shiori seemed indifferent to it, though. Maybe because he was used to Carn boasting about it, maybe because he was embarrassed to have such things pointed out. But Bruno could've sworn Shiori might have been about to smile before Carn said something, then he blanked, the twinkling of a smile quickly dropping into a soft, ineffectual and emotionless stare befitting a doll. Shiori was such an enigma to Bruno. He was starting to think that the stoic, emotionless state wasn't a cultural thing…

 

Maybe he was reading into it too much. There was a word for not liking other cultures, wasn't there? Maybe he actually didn't like Japanese people and never knew because he didn't know any until now, so now he was thinking that there was something wrong with how Shiori presented himself.

 

"Xenophobia…" He muttered, smiling as he remembered the word he was trying to recall. He looked up, a little shocked and embarrassed by talking out loud like that. This was not a place for that kind of habit. He cleared his throat a little.

 

"I-I mean… Shwori, have you faced any xenophobia here? Carn, you've surrounded him with Japanese stuff and he's always on the estate here. Is it to avoid other people?"

 

By trying to cover up, he might of asked a very personal or invasive question. His face turned pink.

 

"J-just if you're comfortable sharing that, I don't want to pry…" He muttered. "It's just… you're kind of a local legend…"

[Kotorichan]

"I have not," Shiori said quickly before Carn could notice that the crane's name had been mispronounced. "Carn has been very careful about who he lets me meet so that I am not exposed to something so cruel." He cocked his head to the side, frowning slightly. "I am a local legend..? I have not done anything to draw attention to myself have I?" He looked from Bruno to Carn for some sort of explanation.

 

Carn smiled and leaned across the table to press a light kiss to his wife's lips. "Of course people would be curious about you my dear. They know I am married and they have heard that you are a beautiful and exotic creature." He lightly caught a lock of the crane's hair and let it fall through his fingertips. "There are many people who are very curious about you..."

 

Shiori frowned slightly at the compliments. It never made him happy to be treated like an object or some exotic pet. He looked towards Bruno for any other explanation.

[Noise Prince]

Bruno was relieved that his question didn't seem to offend or cross a line. He was also glad that his mispronunciation went unnoticed, or at least unaddressed, since he still couldn't get the word to fit his mouth correctly.

 

"That's good! The town here is pretty nice overall, though, I can't imagine too many people would be that mean to you," Bruno replied with a smile. He'd hate if his cover-up question had resulted in Shiori sharing that he had, in fact, been treated poorly. Bruno chuckled a little, covering it up with a slight cough, at Shiori's reaction to hearing he was a legend, looking back and forth from him to Carn. When he looked like that, there was something to him that was more than beautiful, even when he frowned in confusion.

 

Carn offered his explanation for Shiori's near-mythical status. It was somewhat true, some of the things he said. Carn was the richest man in town, so whenever he made large life changes, it became a pretty big deal. So when he went on a trip overseas, people took notice, when he returned, they took notice, when he brought back large amounts of Japanese imports, people took notice, when someone mentioned they saw him bringing someone home, people talked. No one saw anyone out with him in town, but enough people claimed to see this person at a window, or a glimpse in the backyard that it became the town's big mystery. It became a bit of a joke, if something went missing, someone might say "Carn's new friend borrowed it". Eventually they all did learn that Carn was married to a Japanese crane, and a lot of the noise quieted. But still, no one ever really saw Shiori even after the reveal.

 

Now Shiori's frown didn't look so nice, almost sad or bitter despite Carn's affections. Bruno was a little uncomfortable with how physical he was, but it looked like Shiori was even moreso. Why didn't he just tell him to stop doing such things? He was his husband, so he has to do what his wife says, right?

 

"Y-yeah…" The look Shiori gave him almost demanded that he give an alternative. Bruno was hesitant to contradict his boss, but he wanted Shiori to not frown like that anymore. "Your husband is an important figure in town, so when he disappeared overseas, and comes back with all these things to fill his house, everyone was curious. Then someone claimed to see someone walking in with him one day. But then Carn never brought you anywhere, and sometimes people would claim to get glimpses… then when Carn let us know that he'd gotten married, that just ignited the fire, right? Richest man in town has a secret wife wrapped in silks in a room covered in uh… rice paper?"- he was thinking of sumi-e paintings. "It's kind of like the start of some novel, right?" He got a little too excited and probably spoke more than he should have.

[Kotorichan]

Shiori lightly bit his lip and dropped his gaze to the table. It really was like the start of a novel... Mostly since everything about him had become fiction. He wasn't some beautiful, delicate creature that needed to be protected. He didn't even enjoy living surrounding by such excess luxury. It all felt so fake, like he wasn't even a real person anymore. Carn reached over and gently took Shiori's hand, giving it a light squeeze which pulled him back to reality.

 

"What's wrong?" Carn asked, frowning deeply.

 

"Ah... It is nothing..." Shiori's mind raced for some kind of explanation, if Carn thought that Bruno had upset the crane then he would no doubt be fired on the spot. "I only worry that if I were to meet those people they would be disappointed. They must imagine me to be something truly wonderful if you insist on keeping me so safe..."

[Noise Prince]

Bruno couldn't help but frown as well when Shiori's eyes fell to the table. He hated that it was him who made him sad like that. He wasn't sure what he had said to cause such a reaction, though. He was such an enigma, so it was difficult to really read him. He felt a little saddened that he wouldn't be able to know what would make him sad or happy.

 

But when Shiori explained that what bothered him was that he was afraid of disappointing people if they met him, Bruno sighed with relief and grin.

 

"Oh, you shouldn't worry about that!" Bruno assured him with a chuckle. "You couldn't disappoint anyone. Besides, there's actually been a bit of talk that Carn keeps you indoors because you might be really ugly! So you'd impress them, if anything."

[Kotorichan]

Shiori's lips twitched into a fain smile, at least until he felt Carn's hand on his waist again. "You would never disappoint anyone my darling, you really underestimate your beauty..." The man leaned in to kiss the crane's neck. "Besides... I won't take you anywhere that might have people who would judge you. I'll wait until the people of this town are more... Open minded."

 

"Thank you my dear..." Shiori looked down at his food for a moment before pushing his plate away. "I am sorry, I do not feel well. I think I shall go lay down for a moment. Please excuse me..." He began to stand, frowning slightly when Carn took his hand.

 

"I'll go with you, I want to make sure you're alright." He said quickly.

 

"No, please finish your meal..." Shiori's gaze moved to Bruno. "Perhaps Mr.Bruno can accompany me..? He is learning how to do this job. Of course, that is if you do not mind too much Mr. Bruno."

[Noise Prince]

Bruno felt quite the bumpkin, compared to how Carn could use his words like that. His rich, deep voice, and he was so articulate, and virtually everything he ever said was in praise of his wife. But Shiori didn't seem happy at all by any of it. He actually looked a little sadder. He felt a bit of hurt in his town pride at the insinuation that the town- his neighbors and friends and family- weren't open minded. He was sure everyone would be very nice to Shiori when they got the chance to meet him. But he wasn't about to contradict his new boss.

 

Bruno stood up almost instantly. He nodded eagerly, a crooked smile crawled over his lips.

 

"Yes, of course. I mean, I don't mind at all." He answered the crane. "You've already fed me and I haven't done anything yet, I'd like to learn about what I need to do."

[Kotorichan]

"Thank you," Shiori gave a slight bow to his husband before leaving the room as quickly as possible. He didn't go towards his bedroom, instead making his way to the garden. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, hugging himself tightly.

 

"I am so sorry..." He said softly. "I hope that you were not too uncomfortable by... All of that..." He turned to Bruno, his eyes wet with humiliation and sadness. "I did not think that he would be so cautious of you, otherwise I would have warned you..." He could only look at the man for a moment before dropping his gaze to the ground. His chest burned with anger at his husband and embarrassment at being seen being touched in such a way. "I am sorry. I hope that you were not too disgusted."

[Noise Prince]

Bruno gave a quick nod to Carn before following Shiori out of the dining room. He was a little confused by the direction Shiori was taking him, until he saw that he intended to take him back to the garden. Bruno ended up staring at his back, his frame adorned with a gorgeous, vibrant pattern. But despite the effortless grace Shiori exuded, he also never seemed comfortable. Or natural. With soft, flowing fabric with flowers and nature in the pattern, something about Shiori seemed a little stiff.

 

"A-ah…" Bruno blushed heavily when Shiori turned and looked at him for just a moment. His expression, still quite still, but his eyes were warm, and wet, and sad. He leaned forward, drawn to pull Shiori in, like a child who feels bad when accidentally dropping a toy they imbued with a personality, but stopped himself, the light tap of his cane supporting him grounded him in reality.

 

"Is that what it is?" Bruno smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. So that was why Shiori seemed so upset with his husband! It was because he was uncomfortable with physical affection in front of a stranger. That was understandable enough.

 

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a lil' uncomfortable, but that's okay. Young couples are supposed embarrass other people by acting mushy." He assured him. "I was mostly bothered that you seemed to not like how he was kissing and touching you. So please don't feel bad on my account, if that's what it is," Bruno added. His face was still a little pink to think such a beauty might care so much about his feelings.

[Kotorichan]

"Of course I dislike it..." Shiori blinked back tears that threatened to fall. "He sees you as a rival. All that touching has nothing to do with how he feels about me. It is just a reminder that I belong to him..."

 

He took a deep breath and turned away. "I do not even know who he is reminding, you, me, or even himself. I-if I tell him to stop then he may become paranoid and fire you." The crane's voice shook as he spoke, giving away the fact that he knew this from experience. "I can only hope that he will relax after a few days." He brought out a delicate handkerchief that was tucked in his kimono and wiped his eyes lightly. "Again, I am very sorry that you have to witness such things. It is not as if we are a newlywed couple..."

[Noise Prince]

Bruno gasped softly when he saw the tears rise in Shiori's eyes. He didn't want to make him cry. He clenched his fist over his cane. He didn't know what to do… what could he do? If Carn saw him as a rival… which didn't make sense at all. No one in town could rival Carn, he was handsome, and rich. Even if someone could compete by looks, it'd be Mario, arguably the most handsome man around their age, and he was already engaged. Bruno didn't have an awful lot to offer, in looks or in money, or in physical ability. Besides, how could anyone rival him for Shiori? They were already married! For all intents and purposes, he had 'won' already.

 

But that didn't seem to matter. Bruno didn't need to understand Carn's inner workings and psychological demons to understand that the crane before him was hurt by this.

 

"Aw, ah… please don't- don't cry. Don't be upset, please?" He stepped closer, as if for support, but he knew better than to reach out and touch him. "Just a few days, 'til he's used to me, right? And then he won't have to touch you so much, right? I'll even look away when it happens, if that'll help at all,"

[Kotorichan]

"T-thank you... I really am sorry that you had to deal with all of this, especially on your first day." Shiori tucked his handkerchief away again and took a deep breath. "I-I also apologize for interrupting your meal. I will be fine if you want to return to the dining room."

 

He lightly tucked his hair back behind his ear. "I think perhaps I will just stay out here for awhile. I need some fresh air and time to think. I do not wish to bore you..." The crane slipped his shoes off and stepped into the garden, letting his wings stretch out slowly. The white wings spanned almost ten feet and looked almost like they were glowing in the moonlight.

 

Shiori wished he could just fly out of this place and start a new life somewhere else. But how could he? He didn't have any money, or useful skills... Even if he could physically escape there was no where for him to go.

[Noise Prince]

"You don't have to apologize for anything," Bruno replied with an uneasy smile, but it seemed Shiori was just too saddened for a light tone. Bruno scratched the back of his head, and frowned a little. He really just wanted to make Shiori happy, but it seemed difficult. Was he so miserable here? He did make it out like Carn was very possessive, even going as far as to call himself property. Maybe Carn wasn't such a good man, he didn't sound like a great husband. And worse still, Shiori didn't want to say anything for fear that Bruno would be fired.

 

Bruno wanted to do the noble thing, and tell Shiori not to worry about him, to go ahead and tell Carn he didn't want to be touched. Shiori was willing to be hurt for his sake, a job he barely had was hardly a sacrifice in turn. But he couldn't bring himself to say it. Bruno had spent his adult years as a construction worker. He was a hard worker and a good laborer, he was good with his hands and he was strong. But he'd never walk a considerable distance without one hand on a cane for the rest of his life. He was very fortunate to find this job, since even being a butler would require some amount of training. There weren't many jobs he was qualified for that he could manage with a cane. The offer was stuck in his throat, refusing to allow him to do it.

 

Shiori stepped out to the garden, and expanded his wings. Bruno's eyes widened. His wingspans was massive, taller than he was, taller than Carn, too. They were white, so white they glowed under the bright moon overhead. He was a little awestruck at the sight. He wanted to stay with him, but part of him felt like he should return to Carn in the dining room, so he wouldn't get suspicious. But then again, it would seem irresponsible to leave him alone, when his job was to attend to him, right? So he decided to stay. He wasn't all that hungry, he ate a large snack before coming, and he'd rather be out here with Shiori, if he wouldn't mind the company.

 

"I don't think you're boring," He answered, maybe after too long a silence.

[Kotorichan]

"Thank you..." Shiori turned back to the man, allowing his wings to fold up again. A faint smile crossed his lips. "You are so kind. For quite some time I thought that all the people of this country were like Carn. Completely delusional and only with thoughts of themselves." He stepped up to the man, his feet light as feathers. He reached Bruno and lightly traced his fingers over his chest. "I do not know if you could ever understand how much it means when you are kind to me. It makes me wish you could find some place else to work. Some place happy. I feel so selfish asking you to stay in this place."

 

He leaned up and kissed Bruno on the cheek. "Good night Mr. Bruno... I hope that I will see you in the morning." With that he pulled away and made his way to his bedroom.

[Noise Prince]

Bruno's eyes lit up when he saw what he could only describe as a smile curl onto Shiori's lips. Even though he felt that it was still sad, somehow, he was glad to see him be a little more expressive than he had been. Did that make him a bad person, he wondered briefly, before Shiori walked towards him, as if he glided, like he didn't need to put weight on his feet to walk to him. His heart tried to beat against Shiori's fingers when they so lightly roamed his chest. It was more surprising, though, how he spoke about his husband. He was much more blunt now, saying his husband was delusional and selfish. He was completely disillusioned now that Carn and Shiori had a unique and precious love. He understood now, in some capacity, that he might have entered a home with a darkness within the walls.

 

He gasped softly, but still embarrassingly audible, when Shiori placed his lips to the side of his face. "M-me too," He stammered, grappling for words, as Shiori started to leave. He took a deep breath, and held it for a second, before releasing. This was really bad… no matter the relationship between Carn and Shiori, it wasn't going to be good for him to fall for the wife. After recovering a bit, he headed back to the dining room to let Carn know Shiori was in bed.