Fresh Starts

[Atrice]

So the man scared all of the girls. And nobody wanted him. Well of course not, if he hurt them. The girls would even warn each other about him. Lucius thought it all over, but only briefly, for then Ione continued to talk. She wanted the man to not come, because he hurt the girls. She tried to make a case, said the girls would not be beautiful and the place would not be better, if they were scarred. 

"That's up for me to decide, not you. I will meet him when I get the chance, and then I will decide what to do about him." Lucius would make no promises, because right now, his plan was to begin earning some coin. So he had to start all the way down here in the dirt, with the patrons that already came, to make sure the Elysium would not die before he could make it better. Ione didn't need to know all that though. All she really needed do was know how and when to open her mouth or spread her legs when told to do so.

"Can you think of other things here, that could use improvement? Now is your chance to tell me." At least that would get her thoughts off the man who cut the girls, so she'd stop suggesting he shouldn't come here. To begin with, his visit and others like him, would be a necessary evil. 

@Sara

[Sara]

Hope faded quickly from her face and her body language. Why would he want the girls to be scarred? She knew the Elysium was a cheap, pitiful place these days but surely he would want to protect his...merchandise. The thought she might have to see that man again made her heart beat faster and she nervously wrung her hands. She merely nodded though. What else was there to do? She didn't know the man and last time...he hadn't seemed to enjoy her pain, but he seemed to enjoy making her uncomfortable. She vividly remembered being bent over the bed. She had to try and school her disappointment into neutrality but for somebody like Ione, that was difficult and her eyes were still expressive and sorrowful as she glanced up at him, following his question. 

There were a hundred and one things here that she would change if she could. Proper beds, nicer clients, more peculium, more time off, access to a medicus or a herb wife on his coin, more food...but she knew the former three were unlikely. The latter two though...maybe. "We...we aren't allowed much food. The old dominus had a deal with some of the thermopolia around here and it was taken out of our savings, it was usually one meal a day but if a girl didn't work for a while if she was bl-bleeding or ill she couldn't eat which..." She shrugged her own thin shoulders, "Meant girls are unwell. A-and we can't often afford...and the old dominus didn't pay for us to see a medicus or a herbalist if we are injured or need to..." She made a vague gesture to her stomach to imitate a bump. "We make do but there have been several pregnancies." She swallowed. 

 

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[Atrice]

Lucius didn’t want the girls to be scarred – or rather, he didn’t want all of the girls to be scarred. But apparently, since he last owned the Elysium, it had gained a new reputation and the people who came here were scum. They’d stop coming if he changed too much overnight, so he wouldn’t. Lucius wanted to cater to everyone. You want to hit the girl or hurt her otherwise before you fuck her? Fine. You want romance and sweet times? That can also be arranged! But he had to start somewhere and that would be with the clientele they already had. And this guy who hurt and scared the girls, he could be useful. If he’d agree to Lucius’ idea of a deal.

 She nodded when he said that it would all be up for him to decide, and then he distracted her with another question. Ione glanced up at him then, before she began talking, although she seemed almost afraid to do so. All of the improvements she asked for made sense though. More food, visit to or by a medicus or a herbalist from time to time. Lucius nodded.

 “You need to eat, of course. I’ll make sure you do. There is still a kitchen here? There was, years ago.” Lucius would have to look into that. He’d hire someone to run a kitchen for the brothel, and some slaves to work there… “And of course you need to see a medicus when you’re injured! Your old Dominus… has been replaced. And I will improve the place.” Lucius promised again, “And, I really would prefer that you didn’t become pregnant. It’s a brothel, not a nursery.” So all that she’d mentioned might actually be something he looked into… however… “I can’t say how fast any of this will happen. But it will happen.” Lucius said and then looked at her with a sudden,  newfound interest, “Can you cook, Ione?”

@Sara

[Sara]

Ione's whole demeanour changed as he started to speak, agreeing with her suggestions. She couldn't help but look at him and her face had shifted; it was suddenly warm and filled with pleasure and...hope. You could always read the emotions on her face as easily as text in a scroll but now it was beneficial. "I haven't seen a kitchen but there's lots of rooms that the old dominus used for storage or...or just shut off." He maybe thought it was more economical to force his whores to pay for their meals out of their wage than employ and house a few slaves to cook for them. Classic Titus. 

She only had one thing to say to him though, "T...thank you dominus, I'm so grateful." Because she was, she really was. Those small pleasures - more hot food, and access to medical help, would infinitely improve her life. It would also enable her to save her meagre peculium. Maybe she wasn't worth much? Maybe it wouldn't be so many years before she could buy herself? Even if it took weeks or months or years for the changes to happen, that was fine. It would give her hope and in a place like this, hope could mean the difference between an apathetic, depressed slave and one who wanted to work.

His question confused her but she nodded hurriedly. "Yes, dominus. I was a slave in a house of a merchant before...here, and I cleaned and I cooked. Before that," She swallowed, "On my island I looked after the family home after my mother died. I-I did all the cooking for my father." Was...was he musing on taking her out of the brothel? Putting her to work in the kitchens instead? Her heart hammered against her chest at the thought and she blinked up at him again, hope clear in her voice. "I-I would be happy to work as a cook, if that would please you." Undoubtedly she was a better cook than a whore.

 

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[Atrice]

His reasons for liking her ideas for improvements were logical, to Lucius at least. Of course the girls needed proper meals, nobody wanted a starving whore on the brink of death. And if they were well-fed, they were less likely to become sick. So they’d work better. And of course wounds needed tending and illnesses in general, again, the girls would work better and gain much more profit if they weren’t sick or tending to bruises and wounds on their own. So Lucius would see to those things. Maybe there was a medic or a healer he could employ on a regular basis? He’d have to look into that.

 Her facial expression shifted while he spoke, she looked less sad and sour and when he’d finished talking, she even thanked him. Said she was grateful. Well she should be. They should all be grateful that Lucius had returned to take care of the brothel again.

 “Good. I hope you won’t forget that.” Lucius replied to her, while his mind wandered to the thing easiest to solve – the food-issue. He’d like to start that endeavour as soon as possible, she he wondered if she could cook. Ione nodded and explained that she’d done cooking before. She seemed very eager. Too eager. Was he being too soft with her?

 “It might please me. If you will be ready to split your time.” He then added, walking closer to her and around her, taking her in, “I don't want to disappoint your regular clients, after all. It would be hard work. Some time spent in the kitchens, some time working as the whore you are. But, until I can find a proper cook… it could be an arrangement.” He stopped in front of her and pushed her hair over her shoulders with a smile, “It would be a waste of nice looks anyway, to have you work only as a cook. Don’t you think?”

@Sara

[Sara]

Ione, never an artful actress, could not hide her disappointment. It had felt like freedom - even just being moved to the dank, dark, hot kitchen in the brothel felt like a taste of something she hadn't had in the eighteen months she had been enslaved. She started trying to disagree as he left a pause for her to speak as he moved closer; "My clients would be happy with the other girls I am sure, domine." She was not the star of The Elysium, spoken about on the street corners of the subura after all.

And then she realised her mistake as he pushed away the waves of mouse-brown hair from her shoulders to reveal her neck and chest. He was smiling at her, but she felt no comfort or friendliness in it. She inhaled quickly, and nodded. She shouldn't have tried to argue. Half of her time in the kitchens would mean half of her clients, and time to herself. That was better than nothing. "Thank you, domine." She nodded hurriedly, "I agree. I...would be happy to go and start clearing out the kitchen room?" She backed away from him a few steps, as if that's what she should do, despite him not confirming it. 

 

TAG: @Atrice

Edited March 9, 2022 by Sara

[Atrice]

He would definitely not forget, that she just moments ago said she was grateful to him. That was something to pick up sometime, if she was displeased him, if she was not behaving right. And he wasn't sure she was, right now. It was an idea he had, to install her in the kitchens, but she seemed a little too happy about the idea and that meant she'd feel less inferior to him. So her time would be divided. And he was right to go with that, since he didn't want to lose any patrons. But she seemed disappointed with this idea, she didn't even hide it and then suggested her clients would be happy with other girls.

Lucius arched a brow, "They might, but they're used to you. So they will have you." Lucius said and had walked closer to her, inspecting her, which he knew she'd find uncomfortable. And he didn't want her to get too comfortable. It seemed to work. He stopped in front her, pushing her hair back. He already had her once, he tried her out, so he didn't know if he would have her today. But sometime again, maybe. Still, she didn't know that. For now, it would be a waste of good looks and youth to have her work only as a cook. And she seemed to have learned her lesson - she thanked him and agreed with him. But then... she backed away from his touch. His smile faded instantly.

"I didn't say it would be today." Lucius said and crossed his arms, "I'm your Dominus now, Ione. And if you forget to treat me with respect, I'll find another cook." He tilted his head, looking at her, his eyes wandering over her body and then back to her face, "Undress." 

@Sara

[Sara]

"I only meant to be helpful," She said hurriedly as she saw his face - a look of thunder crossing over it. The way he stood - towering over her, arms folded only made the anxiety jump into her throat. She thought he'd be pleased at her initiative although even she could admit she was selfishly just trying to get out of the room faster. Titus had been a harsh dominus, cruel and unyielding but simple enough to understand. The man in front of her now who owned her, was a complete enigma. She gulped in air and nodded hurriedly. "Yes dominus." She only said. "I will always respect you, I'm sorry." But her apologies had evidently fallen on deaf ears at his command.

It wasn't as if she hadn't been in this position before, she'd even been with him before but his order sent a shiver up her spine. She knew he was doing it because she'd displeased him and that made fear clench her insides. She'd already apologised but...apologies clearly meant little to men like him. She merely nodded mutely and slipped off the arm of the toga, unfastening the pin that held it together, unwinding it until it fell down. She wasn't wearing anything underneath. She slipped off the heavy wooden sandals she wore outside and then with painstaking care, neatly folded the toga and placed it on the shoes. She didn't have much to wear and would rather keep it neat. The one saving grace was that Ione was not ashamed of her nakedness - how could she be, after so many months of parading around the place in the nude? She kept her eyes down though and was silent, making no movements at all. She didn't know what he wanted with her and after her earlier mis-step, wasn't about to presume. 

 

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[Atrice]

Think, that it could go so fast. One moment she was grateful to him and the next, she was displeasing him. As if she hadn't been properly trained or something. Well, good thing Lucius had come to take over, because if the other girls were like this one, they'd clearly do better with a firm hand like his. On a leash, only to be set free when they could be trusted to return when you called for them. Ione of course quickly understood that she'd displeased him. She promised to always respect him and Lucius nodded. He then ordered her to undress and took a few steps back himself, to sit on the edge of the table, just watching her. She nodded and unfastened the pin and let the toga fall down around her feet. Revealing her skinny, naked body. Still pretty, despite the scar by the collarbone. If she worked hard and was willing, she could be a good whore. And since he was now her Dominus, he believed she might be. Under his care. Or whatever you'd call it.

She even stepped out of her simple sandals and folded her clothes and then stood still, keeping her eyes down. Lucius let silence fall between them for a few moments, deliberately, while he was looking at her. Let her simmer on everything for a little while. Let her worry about what he'd do, wonder why he ordered her to undress. Once he felt it had been long enough, he stood, walked around her and opened the door.

"You can go. Pick up your things and get back to work. Send in one of the other girls." He added and held the door for her. Once she stepped past him, he grasped her arm and leaned closer, "Don't let me catch you spread gossip." And then he let her go. Hopefully she'd learned her lesson now... well, time would tell.

@Sara

[Sara]

Ione stood there, trying to be as quiet, as passive as possible. She even tried to quiet her breathing and take slow, deliberate breaths. From her vantage point she could only see his legs and he was still leaning against his desk. Did he want her to...make a move? She hesitated, utterly unsure of what to do as the silence swelled and she stood there, awkward, as naked as she had been the day she was born. 

And then he moved and she felt herself tense. She remembered how they'd parted last  time, with her bent over the bed and assumed that was what he was going to do. She shut her eyes instinctively as he moved close enough past her that she could feel his clothes brush against her skin. She steeled herself...and then nothing. The sound of the door opening. She opened her eyes and blinked, glancing over her shoulder at him - stood by the door, propping it open, looking at her expectantly. She heard him speak and nodded hurriedly, crouching to gather her belongings and clutching them to her chest as she hurriedly moved past him; muttering "Thank you, dominus." 

The feeling of his hand wrapped around her upper arm stilled her for only a second as she nodded hurriedly, furiously. "Of course. Thank you...again, dominus." And then she was released, her skin stinging but utterly un-maimed. The eyes of expectant girls peeked out of the cells as the door swung back shut. Eris gave her a feline grin that made her look more radiant than ever. She glanced down at herself self-consciously. "He was a quick fuck?" She hissed. Ione shook her head, "We didn't...he wants to see somebody else." Eris let out a laugh that - despite  their friendship - humiliated her. "Don't worry, don't worry...I'll go and finish him off. Then we'll practice when I'm done." As if Ione was simply not skilled enough to entice and finish off their new owner. She said nothing as Eris moved passed her back towards the dominus office. Ione just marched straight to her little cell, drew the curtain and slumped down on her bed. What fresh hell was this?

 

TAG: @Atrice