Just to Touch You, Prologue
Dec. 30th, 2004 05:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raegan_1Just to Touch You:
Summary the First: Trowa is given ownership of a slave boy who can't bear to touch or be touched by others. Who is this mysterious slave, what is his secret, and how does Trowa handle the situation?
Summary the Second: Trowa is given ownership of a slave who can't bear to touch or be touched by other people. Can he unlock the boy's past and his own before it's too late?
Summary the Third: Trowa is given ownership of a slave boy who can't stand to touch or be touched by other people. What secrets lie in both their pasts?
Personally, I think I'd like the third one better. Maybe. Meh. :D We'll see.
Prologue
~~~~~_____~~~~~
The Coperna Desert
The Winner mansion was on fire. The shell of the building was burning from the inside out; consumed with flames as the few who had managed to escape stood outside and watched its slow inward crumble until it was merely a large pile of smoking ash. Only then did the survivors move. Daylight was coming on the horizon and if they were caught alive, their lives would be forfeit by dawn.
The girl, her blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail, looked down at her little brother as they walked away from the wreckage they used to call home. He was sniffling and rubbing at his face as they walked, his small hands wiping ineffectually at the tears that still poured. Their parents had been trapped in the blaze. Beside them walked a large bear of a man, the rips and burns in his clothes telling of his attempts to save the occupants of the house.
They were three of a dozen who had made it outside. After day break, they were the only three survivors.
~~~~~_____~~~~~
The Country-side, East of Lisein
Catherine ran her fingers idly along the silken tassle of the pillow. She adored spending time in the solar. They weren't allowed in there when the master was home, but in his absence, Catherine could be found there, lounging among the cushions like a queen, the sunlight falling over her form. She liked to think she looked like an angel or a goddess like that.
She leaned her head to the side and looked to the far side of the room. Triton was sitting upside down on a chair, his eyes closed and his cheeks stained pink from the rush of blood to his head.
"You are such a goof, Tri," she said to him. One green eye blinked open and regarded her for a moment before closing again.
"And your point, Cat?" he asked quietly. Her eyes narrowed and she stood up quietly. "Sit down, sister. You walk like an elephant." She humphed and put her hands on her hips, glaring at him and daring him silently to repeat that. Both his eyes opened this time, and he regarded her with a maturity beyond his eight years. "Just be glad that I didn't say you looked like one."
She rolled her eyes and plopped down once more on the lounge, her eyes momentarily flitting to the window. Triton shifted, turning in the chair until he was lying across it, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at the blank screen and then at his sister.
"We shouldn't be in here. The master will be returning today," he said softly. He only ever spoke in quiet tones, which might have been why Cathy spoke so loudly. They balanced each other out, from Cathy's impulsive and daring nature to Triton's more cautious approach to everything.
With a sigh, she flung her arms out. "That doesn't matter. He never catches us."
He made a quiet noise of unease, but didn't continue his part of the argument.
Cathy could hear the reproach anyway. "Why don't you go tattle on me then, Mr. Goody-two-shoes." She glared at him and pouted. He was about to open his mouth with a rejoinder when the front door opened. They looked at each other and quickly leapt to their feet, setting the room to rights in a flurry of movements.
An older boy strode into the room and stopped to stare at them, his nose rising into the air at a haughty angle. "What are you two doing in here? Hasn't father told you that you're not allowed in the front parlor unless called?" His question was met with silence. He looked at them both, before turning to settle his glare on Cathy. "Explain yourself or I will tell my father."
She was trembling; her young chin wobbling as she caught the threat in his eye. If he told his father anything, they'd get into more trouble than if they'd just been caught by the old man. "I'm s-sorry, Master." She bowed her head, hoping that her sign of obedience would be enough to placate him for once.
"Don't bother, bird-brain. I think you should be punished for being in here unless you can give me one good reason."
~~~~~______~~~~~
Triton looked at his older sister and saw the fear in her eyes. The masters seemed to take great pleasure in catching her in trouble and she was often punished. Drawing up his shoulders, he spoke loudly, "It's my fault, Master. I was sitting on the chair. She caught me and was scolding me when you came in."
They both looked at him in surprise. The young master raised an eyebrow at him and smirked, Cathy forgotten as he turned to look at the boy before him. "Really? Then I guess that I get the pleasure of being the first to punish you, Triton Bloom. This day has been a long time in coming, but I'm sure that you deserve everything you're about to get." He smiled, the curve of his lips more malicious than pleasant, a cold gleam in his eyes.
Triton bowed his head as his sister had done. "As you will, Master."
~~~~~_____~~~~~
The Outskirts of Lisein
Professor H stared at the scene before him in despair. Everything he'd worked so hard on in the past eight years was gone. His research, his notes, even the experiment itself. He turned to look at the men behind him. "I'm sure you all realize what this means. We'll search the ruins and if the boy isn't found, we'll have to hunt the city."
Professor J looked at him coldly. "I knew the girl was a bad choice from the beginning. We should have taken one from the street like I suggested. An orphan would have worked just as well and we wouldn't have had to worry about anyone missing her."
"This isn't the time to bicker," G interrupted. He glared at the first two. "If the boy's alive, we'll find him and bring him back. If not, then we can deem the experiment officially over. We won't be able to reproduce what's been done without our notes."
"The Foundation won't like this," stated the fourth man, Professor O.
S was still focused on the mess. "I can't believe we lost both of them."
"The girl isn't important, it's the boy we need," said H. If he can't be found, then our plan is no longer viable. I say we count our losses and beg employment somewhere else."
The other four were silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, J turned away from them and the wreckage and walked to where his carriage was waiting. The others slowly followed. He paused before getting into the transport. "We will find the boy."
~~~~~_____~~~~~
The Desert
"What will happen, Iria?" Quatre asked as he looked up at his sister. She was standing a few feet away, leaning against a rock as she rubbed one of her feet tiredly. She looked up at him and smiled weakly. For all of her thirteen years, she didn't know any more about what was happening than her eight-year-old brother.
"I don't know, Quatre. Rashid should be back soon and he'll know. All we have to do is wait." He nodded, his blue-green eyes trusting as he looked at her. She put her foot down and stood up straight. "Why don't you take a nap? I'll stand watch until Rashid comes back."
"Okay," he agreed, settling comfortably on the ledge where he was already sitting. He lied down and closed his eyes, glad that at least he still had his sister. They were in a canyon, the high walls surrounding them on either side. It was nothing like desert he was used to. Home seemed so flat in comparison; even the rolling hills of sand couldn't compare to the hard, high rocks which surrounded them now.
His ears perked up at the sound of several rocks falling over the precipice nearby and he opened his eyes to see what his sister was doing. A big man, probably the size of Rashid, was holding Iria to his chest, a knife held to her throat.
"Iria!"
"Stay there, Quatre! Don't move!" She screamed, twisting and fighting against the grip that held her. "Rashid!" Her voice was desperate and the man holding her took her chin in his hand and twisted her head savagely, silencing her instantly. Quatre gasped, feeling something within him twist painfully as the man dropped his sister to the ground.
"Well, well. Look what we have a here. A pretty little boy. I know where you'll be welcomed, little boy," the man rasped hoarsely as he approached Quatre. The blonde boy thought about running, but he was too stunned and scared to move. The man grabbed his arm and they both screamed in pain.
~~~~~_____~~~~~
In the Country, East of Lisein
Professor S walked around the back of the house when he got home later that evening. He didn't want his employer to see him in such a state. If Deakim Barton found out too soon the plan had gone awry, then S and the other researchers would be punished severely and he didn't want that.
As he made his way through the courtyard, he thought he heard what sounded like a gunshot. Ever curious, and knowing that it couldn't be his employer, he walked in the direction of the sound and peered through the trees. To his surprise, he saw Deakim Barton kneeling over a figure in the grass. S walked closer, hesitantly now. The man looked up at him, his pupils dilated and his face pale. "What have I done?"
S looked at the body lying on the ground and gasped. Trowa Barton, Deakim's son and heir, lay bloodied in the grass, his body still. "What happened?"
"I saw someone beating on my slaves, so I fired a warning shot, but the site is off on my gun and..." he trailed off as he stood up slowly. "No one can find out about this. He's supposed to make his entrance into society in a week. How am I going to explain that I shot my own son? It's not like he's a slave that's replaceable."
A sound to the left brought S's attention to a boy and a girl who were standing a short distance away, their arms around each other. The boy looked like he'd been in a fight and they both seemed frightened. "And your son isn't?"
"What?" Deakim said, facing him squarely.
"Your son isn't irreplaceable. By custom, no one outside your household has seen him since birth, so none can identify him. The boy there, Triton...he's only a couple of years behind your son and he's very mature. It would be a simple matter to train him and threaten the rest of the servants. No one will ever be the wiser."
The plan seemed almost too easy, but Deakim snatched at it eagerly, looking down at his real son with no sign of affection. "An excellent idea, Professor. An excellent idea." The professor looked at the boy and girl again and smiled as gently as he could. The subterfuge was weak, but if he played his part right, he would ingratiate himself to Deakim Barton, at least for the time being.
Summary the First: Trowa is given ownership of a slave boy who can't bear to touch or be touched by others. Who is this mysterious slave, what is his secret, and how does Trowa handle the situation?
Summary the Second: Trowa is given ownership of a slave who can't bear to touch or be touched by other people. Can he unlock the boy's past and his own before it's too late?
Summary the Third: Trowa is given ownership of a slave boy who can't stand to touch or be touched by other people. What secrets lie in both their pasts?
Personally, I think I'd like the third one better. Maybe. Meh. :D We'll see.
Prologue
~~~~~_____~~~~~
The Coperna Desert
The Winner mansion was on fire. The shell of the building was burning from the inside out; consumed with flames as the few who had managed to escape stood outside and watched its slow inward crumble until it was merely a large pile of smoking ash. Only then did the survivors move. Daylight was coming on the horizon and if they were caught alive, their lives would be forfeit by dawn.
The girl, her blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail, looked down at her little brother as they walked away from the wreckage they used to call home. He was sniffling and rubbing at his face as they walked, his small hands wiping ineffectually at the tears that still poured. Their parents had been trapped in the blaze. Beside them walked a large bear of a man, the rips and burns in his clothes telling of his attempts to save the occupants of the house.
They were three of a dozen who had made it outside. After day break, they were the only three survivors.
~~~~~_____~~~~~
The Country-side, East of Lisein
Catherine ran her fingers idly along the silken tassle of the pillow. She adored spending time in the solar. They weren't allowed in there when the master was home, but in his absence, Catherine could be found there, lounging among the cushions like a queen, the sunlight falling over her form. She liked to think she looked like an angel or a goddess like that.
She leaned her head to the side and looked to the far side of the room. Triton was sitting upside down on a chair, his eyes closed and his cheeks stained pink from the rush of blood to his head.
"You are such a goof, Tri," she said to him. One green eye blinked open and regarded her for a moment before closing again.
"And your point, Cat?" he asked quietly. Her eyes narrowed and she stood up quietly. "Sit down, sister. You walk like an elephant." She humphed and put her hands on her hips, glaring at him and daring him silently to repeat that. Both his eyes opened this time, and he regarded her with a maturity beyond his eight years. "Just be glad that I didn't say you looked like one."
She rolled her eyes and plopped down once more on the lounge, her eyes momentarily flitting to the window. Triton shifted, turning in the chair until he was lying across it, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at the blank screen and then at his sister.
"We shouldn't be in here. The master will be returning today," he said softly. He only ever spoke in quiet tones, which might have been why Cathy spoke so loudly. They balanced each other out, from Cathy's impulsive and daring nature to Triton's more cautious approach to everything.
With a sigh, she flung her arms out. "That doesn't matter. He never catches us."
He made a quiet noise of unease, but didn't continue his part of the argument.
Cathy could hear the reproach anyway. "Why don't you go tattle on me then, Mr. Goody-two-shoes." She glared at him and pouted. He was about to open his mouth with a rejoinder when the front door opened. They looked at each other and quickly leapt to their feet, setting the room to rights in a flurry of movements.
An older boy strode into the room and stopped to stare at them, his nose rising into the air at a haughty angle. "What are you two doing in here? Hasn't father told you that you're not allowed in the front parlor unless called?" His question was met with silence. He looked at them both, before turning to settle his glare on Cathy. "Explain yourself or I will tell my father."
She was trembling; her young chin wobbling as she caught the threat in his eye. If he told his father anything, they'd get into more trouble than if they'd just been caught by the old man. "I'm s-sorry, Master." She bowed her head, hoping that her sign of obedience would be enough to placate him for once.
"Don't bother, bird-brain. I think you should be punished for being in here unless you can give me one good reason."
~~~~~______~~~~~
Triton looked at his older sister and saw the fear in her eyes. The masters seemed to take great pleasure in catching her in trouble and she was often punished. Drawing up his shoulders, he spoke loudly, "It's my fault, Master. I was sitting on the chair. She caught me and was scolding me when you came in."
They both looked at him in surprise. The young master raised an eyebrow at him and smirked, Cathy forgotten as he turned to look at the boy before him. "Really? Then I guess that I get the pleasure of being the first to punish you, Triton Bloom. This day has been a long time in coming, but I'm sure that you deserve everything you're about to get." He smiled, the curve of his lips more malicious than pleasant, a cold gleam in his eyes.
Triton bowed his head as his sister had done. "As you will, Master."
~~~~~_____~~~~~
The Outskirts of Lisein
Professor H stared at the scene before him in despair. Everything he'd worked so hard on in the past eight years was gone. His research, his notes, even the experiment itself. He turned to look at the men behind him. "I'm sure you all realize what this means. We'll search the ruins and if the boy isn't found, we'll have to hunt the city."
Professor J looked at him coldly. "I knew the girl was a bad choice from the beginning. We should have taken one from the street like I suggested. An orphan would have worked just as well and we wouldn't have had to worry about anyone missing her."
"This isn't the time to bicker," G interrupted. He glared at the first two. "If the boy's alive, we'll find him and bring him back. If not, then we can deem the experiment officially over. We won't be able to reproduce what's been done without our notes."
"The Foundation won't like this," stated the fourth man, Professor O.
S was still focused on the mess. "I can't believe we lost both of them."
"The girl isn't important, it's the boy we need," said H. If he can't be found, then our plan is no longer viable. I say we count our losses and beg employment somewhere else."
The other four were silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, J turned away from them and the wreckage and walked to where his carriage was waiting. The others slowly followed. He paused before getting into the transport. "We will find the boy."
~~~~~_____~~~~~
The Desert
"What will happen, Iria?" Quatre asked as he looked up at his sister. She was standing a few feet away, leaning against a rock as she rubbed one of her feet tiredly. She looked up at him and smiled weakly. For all of her thirteen years, she didn't know any more about what was happening than her eight-year-old brother.
"I don't know, Quatre. Rashid should be back soon and he'll know. All we have to do is wait." He nodded, his blue-green eyes trusting as he looked at her. She put her foot down and stood up straight. "Why don't you take a nap? I'll stand watch until Rashid comes back."
"Okay," he agreed, settling comfortably on the ledge where he was already sitting. He lied down and closed his eyes, glad that at least he still had his sister. They were in a canyon, the high walls surrounding them on either side. It was nothing like desert he was used to. Home seemed so flat in comparison; even the rolling hills of sand couldn't compare to the hard, high rocks which surrounded them now.
His ears perked up at the sound of several rocks falling over the precipice nearby and he opened his eyes to see what his sister was doing. A big man, probably the size of Rashid, was holding Iria to his chest, a knife held to her throat.
"Iria!"
"Stay there, Quatre! Don't move!" She screamed, twisting and fighting against the grip that held her. "Rashid!" Her voice was desperate and the man holding her took her chin in his hand and twisted her head savagely, silencing her instantly. Quatre gasped, feeling something within him twist painfully as the man dropped his sister to the ground.
"Well, well. Look what we have a here. A pretty little boy. I know where you'll be welcomed, little boy," the man rasped hoarsely as he approached Quatre. The blonde boy thought about running, but he was too stunned and scared to move. The man grabbed his arm and they both screamed in pain.
~~~~~_____~~~~~
In the Country, East of Lisein
Professor S walked around the back of the house when he got home later that evening. He didn't want his employer to see him in such a state. If Deakim Barton found out too soon the plan had gone awry, then S and the other researchers would be punished severely and he didn't want that.
As he made his way through the courtyard, he thought he heard what sounded like a gunshot. Ever curious, and knowing that it couldn't be his employer, he walked in the direction of the sound and peered through the trees. To his surprise, he saw Deakim Barton kneeling over a figure in the grass. S walked closer, hesitantly now. The man looked up at him, his pupils dilated and his face pale. "What have I done?"
S looked at the body lying on the ground and gasped. Trowa Barton, Deakim's son and heir, lay bloodied in the grass, his body still. "What happened?"
"I saw someone beating on my slaves, so I fired a warning shot, but the site is off on my gun and..." he trailed off as he stood up slowly. "No one can find out about this. He's supposed to make his entrance into society in a week. How am I going to explain that I shot my own son? It's not like he's a slave that's replaceable."
A sound to the left brought S's attention to a boy and a girl who were standing a short distance away, their arms around each other. The boy looked like he'd been in a fight and they both seemed frightened. "And your son isn't?"
"What?" Deakim said, facing him squarely.
"Your son isn't irreplaceable. By custom, no one outside your household has seen him since birth, so none can identify him. The boy there, Triton...he's only a couple of years behind your son and he's very mature. It would be a simple matter to train him and threaten the rest of the servants. No one will ever be the wiser."
The plan seemed almost too easy, but Deakim snatched at it eagerly, looking down at his real son with no sign of affection. "An excellent idea, Professor. An excellent idea." The professor looked at the boy and girl again and smiled as gently as he could. The subterfuge was weak, but if he played his part right, he would ingratiate himself to Deakim Barton, at least for the time being.