The Dollhouse (Pigeon & Noise Prince)

[Kotorichan]

Early the next morning a driver came to Bruno's house to pick him up. By the time they had reached the mansion Carn had already left. Shiori was still in bed, curled up under the covers. He was completely naked with fresh hickies sprinkled over his body.

 

Carn's insecurities had come out in the form of violent, forceful sex the previous night and even that morning, leaving Shiori exhausted and sore. He had managed to fall back asleep immediately after saying goodbye to his husband. He knew that Carn didn't mean to hurt him, but his sympathy for the man had run dry years ago. This made him feel even more like an object than he normally did.

[Noise Prince]

Bruno was feeling rather special, having a driver come and pick him up. Hopefully, though, it wouldn't be long before it wasn't necessary, as he'd be moving in if he was hired. The driver let him know that Carn headed out early, and that he would most likely not be there when they arrived. That was fine with Bruno. After what Shiori had revealed to him about Carn, he wasn't looking forward to spending much time with him, especially not with Shiori present. Of course, that was going to be something that was inevitable if he were to be hired full-time.

 

He crept into Shiori's room as quietly as possible, trying to be delicate when placing his cane down, as that would be the obvious offender. He was wondering if he should wake him, though. It was pretty early, so it might not be necessary. And he looked so sweet and peaceful asleep, the blankness looked natural like this, and more relaxed and soft than when he was with Carn. When he got closer, he realized that Shiori was naked under the covers, and from the amount of visible skin, Bruno could see more than a couple of small, red angry marks. The thought made him ill, did Carn do this to him? It took him a moment to realize that they were hickies, which only made his stomach flip more, and twisting in his core. Was Shiori being sexually abused? He had seen that Carn was very psychical but… this was beyond what Bruno thought he was capable of. He decided to leave him be, and he went and quietly moved towards to closet, finding a robe, and placed it at the foot of Shiori's bed, so he could quickly cover himself when he woke up.

[Kotorichan]

Shiori jolted awake as he felt something get set by his feet. He sat straight up, eyes wide. "Carn?" He yelped, not able to hide his fear. "Ah..." He visibly relaxed as he realized who it was. "M-Mr.Bruno... I apologize..." His cheeks flushed softly as it occurred to him that he was still naked and he pulled the covers up a bit more to hide himself. His eyes quickly moved away as he tried to hide his shame. "P-Please excuse me... I did not mean to fall asleep again. Not when you were on your way."

 

He quickly grabbed the robe from the foot of his bed and slipped it on, doing his best to keep himself covered as he did so. "H-have you eaten breakfast yet? I would be happy to have some company..."

[Noise Prince]

Bruno nearly fell back when Shiori suddenly flew up from the mattress like a thing possessed. It was startling especially for him to cry out Carn's name, with such fear in his voice. He instinctively calmed and smiled when he saw how quickly Shiori relaxed when he looked at him. At least he wasn't kept in a state of alert terror even when Carn wasn't near. Simultaneously as Shiori covered himself, Bruno turned his face away.

 

"That's a-alright, I should have let you sleep," He told him. "I didn't mean to disturb you,"

 

To his mother's dismay, he hadn't eaten breakfast yet, in hopes of eating with Shiori again. He wondered if Japanese breakfast was as good as dinner. Though, Shiori might not want to eat that kind of food when Carn wasn't here. "I'd love to have breakfast with you," He replied, looking back once Shiori was dressed in the robe.

[Kotorichan]

Shiori slipped out of bed, hugging his robe to himself. "Would you excuse me for a few moments..? I need to dress myself..." He turned away, his wings folding up tightly behind himself. "Perhaps you could ask the cooks to start breakfast? You can have whatever you would like of course. They know what I prefer to eat. Especially when he is out of the house..."

 

With that he stepped to a sliding door and opened it to revel ceiling high shelves of perfectly folded kimonos, each one more beautiful than the last. He stared for a few moments before closing the door and turning away from it.

[Noise Prince]

Bruno blushed and nodded, turning away when Shiori got out of bed.

 

"I-I'll get right on it!" He told him, and quickly dismissed himself and left Shiori to his choices. So he really did want different food from what Carn had prepared for him. And more than just him on the staff was aware of the type of relationship the two had. It was a skeleton in a glass closet. He found his way to the kitchen, it wasn't hard to find since he knew where the dining room was. He hadn't prepared what to say when he go there, though, and the cooks gave him a quick look. He would be a stranger to him to them, but they seemed to figure out who he was pretty easily.

 

"Master* Shiori is awake, eh?" One asked, smiling, and two other cooks went into action, the fourth was continuing to do something in the back, and had never looked up. "What would you like, Mr. Bruno?"

 

"Ah, nothing fan… I mean," He stammered ungracefully, feeling rather useless already. "I would like the same as Master* Shiori," He clarified, even though he didn't actually know what Shiori liked. But Bruno wasn't all that picky, especially not at breakfast so he presumed he wouldn't have an unpleasant surprise later.

 

"Alright, we're on it," The cook, who Bruno presumed was the head cook here, considering they were the one talking, and also moved to start on the double order. Bruno hesitantly left, as unceremoniously as he entered. He stood outside Shiori's room, thinking it wouldn't be smart to sneak in like he did earlier. Those fancy clothes were probably difficult to get on, and might take him a while. Or… maybe he should help once Shiori was at a certain level of decency, so he knocked on the door to let Shiori know he was outside.

 

(*Sorry I don't think I ever asked what Shiori's title is at the manor?? Let me know and I'll change it)

[Kotorichan]

Shiori had left the bedroom after Bruno and silently made his way to his sewing room. He retrieved the loose shirt and pants that he had made for himself out of soft fabric with earthy flower patterns on it. He tied his hair up in a loose ponytail before going back towards his bedroom.

 

"Mr. Bruno, I apologize. I keep my comfortable clothes in my sewing room. The clothing he buys me is very beautiful, but far from comfortable." He let his loose sleeves fall over his hands to hide his fidgeting. "If it is not too much to ask then I would be truly grateful if you kept this from him. It would no doubt... Upset him..." His gaze dropped to the floor. Bruno was clearly not a bad person, but Carn was his real employer so he may not want to hide such things.

[Noise Prince]

Shiori startled Bruno quite a bit when he came out from his sewing room. He hadn't expected that, and here he was patiently waiting outside the bedroom!

 

"Don't worry, I'll keep your secret," He promised. Carn maybe the paying him, but his job was to assist Shiori. And even if it wasn't… knowing now what he did about Carn and his treatment of Shiori, he'd never want to put him in any kind of danger, not from his own husband, especially. You couldn't exactly run to safety when your supposed safe haven housed the danger.

 

"So, breakfast has been started," Bruno said with an uneasy smile, displeased to see Shiori's expression fall so much. "What is your typical breakfast, anyway?" He hoped the change in topic would make him feel better.

[Kotorichan]

"Thank you very much." Shiori bowed his head deeply. "I really do not wish to cause any problems for you." He straightened up and managed a slight smile. "I enjoy pancakes and french toast, I ask the cooks to make whatever type they think I will like."

 

"Shall we go to the dining room? I do like to drink tea when I have first woken up. Although I would not mind if you prefer to do something else." His gaze searched the man's face for any sign that he was being a bother. "I do not require any assistance, however I do appreciate your company when it is possible."

[Noise Prince]

Bruno blushed and grinned wide, rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't worry about it, that's what I here for, after all. To solve problems you might have." He reminded him with a light-hearted chuckle. Bruno hadn't expected him to like the desserty breakfast, it was a bit of a treat! He was glad he got the same as him.

 

"Oh, sure, I'd love some tea." Bruno wasn't an aficionado of tea, so to speak. He rarely drank it and had found very few flavors he actually liked. But he'd drink any hot leaf with Shiori. It was… kind of his job after all. And drinking tea in a mansion with a beauty like Shiori was the height of class, right? How could he turn it down?

 

"I'd be more than happy to give you my company. Just between us, I don't have an awful lot else to offer…" He laughed.

[Kotorichan]

Shiori smiled slightly at the man. "Do you enjoy tea?" He began to walk towards the kitchen. "I have heard that in this country tea is not as popular, especially with men. But I have not met many people from this country so I do not know if it is true or not." When they reached the kitchen he asked the cooks to bring some tea to the living room and then began to lead Bruno towards the living room.

[Noise Prince]

"Oh, well, the ladies do enjoy it more," Bruno told him. But he wondered if Japan had a similar relationship to tea that China did, and if so, maybe by comparison Americans didn't like tea as much. "It's kinda fancy, to the kind you don't put on ice," He added. He wondered if Shiori had ever had their kind of tea. Hot tea in little, pretty cups with those sweet bready things were something seen as a kind of thing people treated themselves to once in a while, rather than a daily occurrence.

 

The deer followed Shiori into the living room, a little surprised. Growing up, his ma would tan their hides for bringing food or drink outside the kitchen or dining room. Of course, as adults it wasn't as frowned upon since they were much less likely to make a mess, and he'd been to other people's homes where they might offer him a drink in the living room, but for something Bruno viewed as so elegant rather than informal as he did tea, it seemed unusual to be taken to the living room. Of course, Shiori was Japanese, he reminded himself. Maybe it was a faux pas to have tea anywhere else. The living room was unsurprisingly expansive, and beautifully decorated.

 

(*Disclaimer, I could not find a lot of research in the brief google searches I did about the popularity of tea in 1920s American. Iced and sweet tea have been a thing in forever, and it looks like tea houses were kind of a thing in the US at this time? So this stuff might be wrong and made up entirely )

[Kotorichan]

Shiori sat in the soft love seat that he usually shared with Carn, but instead of huddling to one side he allowed his entire body to stretch out over the cushions. His feathers fluffed up as he relaxed, almost completely laying down. "I see... I do not know any of the customs of your people. Other servants have told me a few things but it is difficult for me to imagine how people act when I am so sheltered from your world."

 

A light sigh escaped his lips as he brushed a lock of hair out of his face. "I apologize. You are hired to be my care taker, not my tutor. I should not ask you so much. Your duties are no doubt enough already."

 

((That's fine, I don't expect this to be super historically accurate or anything >>; ))

[Noise Prince]

Bruno took a seat in a chair next to the love seat. He could really tell the difference in just how relaxed and calm Shiori was without Carn here. He streched over the love seat and his feathers on his wings fluffed like a sleepy bird's. Instead of his prim, upright posture, Shiori was almost lying down against the plush cushions surrounding him. The day before, it wouldn't be possible to tell if the cushions and pillows were soft or rigid, the way Shiori held himself. Bruno felt a lot more at ease with him now.

 

"Awe, I haven't been too put out yet," Bruno laughed. "Though, I'd rather be your caretaker than tutor, since you'd exhaust my knowledge and experiences pretty quickly, I'm afraid. But until then, I'm more than happy to explain things for ya,"

[Kotorichan]

"I think you may underestimate my husband's ability to keep me from the outside world." Shiori said with a sad smile. "He is very opposed to the idea of me learning to read your language. So I can not even gain knowledge from the books in his library. I can only read about my home country." He frowned slightly and looked at Bruno. "Ah, I will not tell him if you teach me about your country. When we are in front of him just do not talk about anything that could possibly be upsetting. Otherwise he will think it may upset me."

[Noise Prince]

Despite Shiori's smile, which did no favor to mask his sadness, Bruno only frowned. Poor Shiori, even if Bruno had an understanding of Shiori's relationship with his husband and what Carn would do, but the extent of his control, and his bizarre fixation on Shiori being kept in a frozen sort of state, was still quite jarring and upsetting. He couldn't even learn to read English. To think, someone as refined and wealthy as Carn's wife being effectively illiterate. He even spoke so well! Bruno's grandmother, who seemed to despise speaking English the way she avoided it, could read fairly well, and even had an English bible.

 

He wished he knew how to teach someone to read. He figured the alphabet would be easy, but he didn't really know what words to teach after that. It wouldn't hurt to offer, after all. It would probably take a while for him to memorize the alphabet, giving Bruno enough time to figure out the next step, possibly.

 

"Alright, I'll be careful," Bruno promised him.

[Kotorichan]

"Thank you. I apologize for how much trouble I must be causing you. I am sure that you thought this would be a very simple and straight forward job. If you wish to quit then I would no be offended, there have been others who would quit after only a few days. However I must warn you that he will push for you to move out of town to prevent you from gossiping about me." Shiori curled his knees to his chest, his gaze moving to his hands. "I wish you did not have to be involved in these things... It is all my fault."

[Noise Prince]

"Oh, you really don't have to apologize so much. It's kind of my job to be troubled about you," He teased with an uneasy shrug. "I'm not going to quit on you," Bruno added quickly. "I don't want to. Any job is going to have some problems, that's okay. And I'd feel awful leaving you behind, especially knowing what I do now."

 

Bruno moved from his seat to Shiori's feet, tilting his head to try to catch his eyes. "There's no need to talk like that, it's not as if things are hopeless." He told him gently. "I'm here to stay, and it's my job to make sure you're happy, so that's what I'm going to do. Just let me know how to do that,"

[Kotorichan]

Shiori looked over at him and hesitated for a moment before moving to lean against the man's shoulder. "Would you mind terribly if I sit like this for a little while..?" He asked softly. "It can be nice to be close to someone without being grabbed all the time..." He moved slightly to readjust his wings, his body lightly rubbing against Bruno's arm as he did.

[Noise Prince]

Bruno tried not to stiffen in surprise when Shiori leaned against him rather suddenly. He moved against him, the nice silk clothes against his rougher fabric, he wondered if that was bad for silk, but Shiori paid no mind. For a moment, a very brief moment, he understood Carn. Shiori was beautiful, so delicate and sweet and kind. He wanted to sweep him in his arms and hold him in his lap. He wished he was his wife.

 

Then in another moment, it was gone, and he was a wifeless Bruno with a crane at his arm.

 

"I don't mind at all."

[Kotorichan]

"Thank you..." Shiori's eyes fluttered closed as he relaxed more, fully vulnerable against the man. He pulled away again as there was a light knock on the door. "Come in." He called out.

 

One of the other servants entered with their breakfast and tea. He bowed and silently set it on the coffee table before leaving again.

[Noise Prince]

Bruno was a little flustered when Shiori called for the person knocking to come in so casually, considering the state they were in, with a married man leaning into his newest servant on the couch, alone. But a man came in with a large tray, set it down on the table before them, and politely bowed without a word and left. They must be aware of Shiori's relationship with his husband, it only made sense, so it also made sense that they were aware of his desire to be physically close to others? And wouldn't find this kind of thing odd at all. No matter the reason, it didn't seem to be something to be worried about.

 

"Wow, do you eat like this every morning?"

[Kotorichan]

"I eat this way whenever he is out. On days that he is home I have to eat more traditional breakfasts." Shiori moved closer to the edge of the couch so he could reach the food. There were two plates of pancakes stacked high with whipped cream and fruit. On the side was two cups of black tea with milk and sugar. "Please help yourself..." He took a small sip of his tea.

[Noise Prince]

"Ah, well, I hope he's out often," Bruno responded, a little awkwardly. He meant it as in he wanted Shiori the chance to eat the breakfast he wanted, but it wasn't until after he said it that he thought about how it might also have the implication of wanting Carn away as much as possible. While that was also true, he hoped it didn't sound predatory or anything, like he was going to take advantage of Shiori while his husband was away. But he spent too much time wondering if he should clarify to clarify at this point without making it more awkward.

 

Bruno wondered if Carn really made him eat so much traditional Japanese food that Shiori- who grew up in Japan- had grown sick of it, or if this was just an act of rebellion when he did have some amount of control in his food. He was very glad Shiori was surrounded by helpful staff who'd oblige him when Carn was away. He wondered if Carn treated them well...

 

"Thank you," He nodded and took a plate, putting some of the fruit that fell off the pancake stack back on top of the whip cream before digging his fork in.

[Kotorichan]

"I am always grateful for his business trips." Shiori responded, his gaze fixed on his meal. "If you wish to take a vacation during that time then I will not tell him of your absence. Otherwise is it unlikely that you will be given much time off." In his mind Bruno was only there because it was his job. There was no way that the deer would have any interest in staying in this horrible place any longer than necessary.

 

The crane's confidence had been bludgeoned by his family for years, then even further destroyed by Carn's treatment and the speed at which servants would quit. He enjoyed Bruno's company, and wanted the man to stay as long as possible.