Welcome to The Duality of Man, an original animanga role-play that features numerous supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, these various species have distanced themselves because of the war that occurred thousands of years ago, plaguing some with eyes that only see their dualism. While others meddle themself with their differences, two groups fight, each attempting to eliminate the other in for their definition of worldly peace. These two groups of the Terror Response Syndicate (TRS) and the Assembly of Phantoms (AP). With individuals fighting merely over their differences, it brings uncertainty to the outcome of this war.
We happily accept all role-players as long as they obey the rules and are capable of meeting our word count of 50. This does include those who are unfamiliar with this style of role-playing. The staff of The Duality of Man are willing to happily help those who are new to the role-playing world so they feel comfortable on site. Feel free to message the staff if you need help, they can be found here or in the site Discord and will gladly answer questions alongside calm concerns. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them; guests may use the support board as a suggestion area as well. Should you decide to join, may I say welcome to the site and we all hope you enjoy your time here.
Yours Truely,
The Staff
season
Summer 2022
Heat has broken through into a glorious summer. The snow has entirely dried through the spring, leaving to the brilliance of the warmer months. Terror activity has risen as people are brought out of their homes, leaving the TRS in a position of consistent work. Each are attempting to maintain victory in the endless struggle for power.
With April, an activity check has arrived for members to do! Please post on the AC and tag all your accounts, including WIPs and OOC accounts. Failure to post on this AC will result in your accounts being marked inactive or deleted. Please note, due to a late start, the due date for this check has been adjusted for one time and one time only.
@ethan | I thought might as well do some exposition so you're not at a loss... may have gone too much ^^;;
The suburbs.
All over the world they're known best for attracting lower upperclass pigs who wanted nothing more than to splash money on useless and beautiful things. Lorsette was no different. Thus it was Ki-Ha's location of choice to establish the Lotus House. He surrounded the House in a forest thick enough to drown out the monotonous drone of reality. It was paramount that he created the barrier between the filth outside and inside. To access the house, you were forced on foot through narrow winding paths that curled and twisted tightly around the trees before bringing you to the front door. It was a ten minute walk on foot and there was no faster way. Photos were prohibited and there was no signal. It was all designed specifically to melt away time. For without time, there was little that could distract: No overclouding thoughts of when you were expected back at home or what you should be cooking this evening... Just the overwhelming weightlessness of complete calm and patience.
And that was all but the preparation. The Lotus House itself was fashioned after a traditional palace- peaked gables and shimmering tiles cropped out from the landscape, over twenty separate buildings all connected by the stone-paved paths and lantern-lit courtyards. From the bamboo forests to the koi and roaming peacocks, there was not a detail that broke the illusion of stepping into a traditional Korean wonderland. Every stereotype you could think of was somewhere to be found here.
Thus the importance of the barrier, it was what elevated the Lotus House far above going to a tacky theme park. It turned fantasy to reality.
And Key was at the head of his fantasy Kingdom
Just to be clear, he chose the name to avoid repeating his own name a thousand times over, only the other workers knew him as Ki-Ha... It's not his rapper name or anything of that sort.
For a nominal fee, you could attend classes for calligraphy, tea-making, try on various traditional clothes, watch the dances and live performances. An expensive day out for some, for others an escape from their meaningless lives but it was the third kind that Key paid special mind to- those that came in with wandering eyes oozing with lust. Arousing desires and teasing fantasies were second nature to him- an accidental touch, a faint blush and innocent smile, dancing along the border of an intimate closeness whilst just staying out of reach... all to bring them back for after the sun set. During the night hours, a hefty sum could be used to hire the private company of Key's staff. Key had handpicked each and every one of them for their looks, their elegance and he had trained them personally in the art of seduction and socialising. He knew each of them better than their own family did.
Most of his own staff had no awareness of just how dangerous they were. For it's all too easy to let your defences down when you're surrounded by such fragile and delicate beings. A careless slip of the tongue from a client and Key will sell on whatever information passes through his walls or hold it against you for as long as you live. That is the true strength and power of the Lotus House: secrets.
Key paused. He rubbed his eyes.
Dear god, it must have been a more tiring night than he had thought if he was seriously going through all this stuff that he knew in his own mind.... He turned his attention back to his tea and frowned. The water had turned cold and the brew was too strong- a bitter lukewarm cup of leaves would do nothing to help him get to sleep.
He cleared away the remnants of what had been left by his class and made a direct line to the reception. All that was left for him to do was check everything was in order for the rest of the day and he could finally get some rest. He checked the names of the visitors for the remainder of the day and ran a final check of the workers' schedules. As ever, there were no problems. He closed the registry with more force than he should have. Heavens knew why he worried so much.
Better safe than sorry.
And standing (loyal as ever) by his motto, he even lingered in the gardens to await the next gaggle of guests to come giggling up the path. He kept his distance, only really wanting to make sure that there were no alarm bells that went off when he saw them. He was hardly in the mood to entertain conversation.
He had had so many damn never-ending conversations last night that he was beginning to feel himself bordering on irritable. He could hold it in... for a little while longer.
By hell, he wouldn't be grumpy in the House if it killed him.
Ethan had been studying this woman for weeks, during those weeks he had figured out the only time he had a chance of bringing the woman in to collect his bounty would be having to become a regular at the Lotus House. In a short amount of time he had started using his cash, of course he spent his time tea making. It gave him a chance to see her during different times of the day, besides it was innocent enough among other options available to those who spent the money for it. He also got a chance to see Key, a very handsome man indeed. Somebody he didn't want to catch his attention because if this beautiful man found out what he was about to do, he was sure that he have some words against it. With that in mind, he was unaware the man had been using a nickname and that the staff knew him by another name. If he had known, he would have spent much of his time attempting to pronounce it, despite the displeasure of others. Of course since he wasn't staff, he didn't become aware of his real name, so it was difficult to take much interest.
If he spent too long looking at Ki-Ha, he would run the risk of wanting to stick around and not completing the task at hand. Then of course there would be possible frustration that for his choice of work that he got to be with other people. Oh how fate could be cruel at times. Having gone in for tea making and trying on traditional clothing just for the sake of blending in, he found himself ready to take it a step further. He had decided despite his displeasure of not wanting to have to go through embarrassment just to capture his target who happened to work at the Lotus House, he would have to be willing to pay for the fantasies. He had showered earlier in the morning, before putting on a fresh pair of clothes. For this bounty, he chose a white dress shirt with black pants. He didn't want anybody being mistaken with how much money he had on him. He normally gave his money away to charity but when his next bounty ended up being hard to capture, he noticed the price go up and decided to take his chance trying to accomplish it.
He took his keys, phone, and wallet, having already stashed a couple large bills in his wallet before walking outside the door before locking it behind him. He had already called for a limo, so he had gotten inside, paid his driver and had them drive most of the way until the rest had to be completed by foot. He didn't mind, it gave him a chance to rethink his plan before it he took action. As soon as he had gotten to the entrance, he was quick to spot out the woman that he had been searching for. To his displeasure she was busy with somebody else, meaning he'd have to wait his turn. Perhaps attempting to kidnap her was a bad idea. He thought to himself before moving to a spot where there weren't very many people if at all. When the time came, he would step up and pay for the lust part just for the sake of it being easier to capture her. Of course that wasn't to say, somebody else wouldn't be able to draw his attention away in the meantime.
Like counting sheep, Key blinked tiredly, as the guests filtered in from the pathway. They were a sea of strangers with a few familiar faces amidst them. To occupy himself, he tried matching the name to the guest...
'Phyllis' was definitely one of the senior's name and he tried to suss which of the three elderly women present would have been unfortunate enough to have the parents who named her.
All the 'Martha's' he knew all had curly hair, so he dubbed the stick-thin kid with tight ringlets, round glasses and her backpack on back to front with the na... He trailed off from the thought as he realised he was still staring at the backpack. The sight of someone wearing their hideous big grey box of a bag like that in this haven irritated him. It looked so atrocious and tourist-y in contrast to their image that Key actually stood up and went to greet the girl.
Steps light, a pleasant smile, good posture and pushing his shoulders back. He ran through a mental checklist as he made his presence known.
"Welcome to the Lotus House, I'm Key. It's a pleasure to meet you..."
"Martha-"
CALLED IT.
Damn he really shouldn't be this distracted talking to the guests...
She stuck out her hand and he graciously accepted it. His facial expressions were carefully controlled, even if his thoughts weren't. He made sure to visibly widen his smile as he took her hand and he relaxed his posture a little, as if meeting a close friend. At his touch, he felt the heat flush through her body and he sensed as her desires suddenly filled with images of possible dates for the two of them, how he would ask her out, what their children would look like...
As it went on, he was suddenly glad that he wasn't working this afternoon. He released his hand from hers gently.
"The pleasure is all mine Martha, please do come to me if you have any questions. I'm happy to help with anything." He smiled warmly, before his eyes finally glanced down at her hideous backpack.
"Oh my-" he feigned surprise "that seems very inconvenient, please allow me to have one of the staff find somewhere safe to store your bag. I wouldn't want you to get a shoulder ache while you're here." He said, eyes filled wit worry for the girl. He gestured for one of his workers to come and take care of the problem. He said no more, certain that the other staff was well aware of the problem the instant Key stepped in.
He moved on as he watched Martha being led inside. He didn't miss as she tried to rearrange her hair to come across as a little more appealing. It almost made him want to laugh. Almost. He offered a few more greetings to several of the guests who approached him, as he tried to weave his way back to his bench.
He picked out a familiar face on the edge of the group, Ethan. He recognised his face from various tea ceremonies that Key had led, he was not an outspoken figure. In fact he didn't bring much to mind now that Key thought about it hard. But now that Ethan had Key's undivided attention, his wants seemed to be focussed on someone here- he wasn't close enough to tell who- but there was something different about this man. He wasn't consumed by fantasy, lust or love like so many who came repeatedly to the House.
Was there something more at play? It was unlikely... but once again it was definitely better to be safe than sorry. Key made his way quietly over to where Ethan stood alone.
"I suppose you're well-versed enough now that you don't need to listen to the welcome speech anymore." Key's voice came as a soft ripple in the silence. He laughed lightly, a melodic chime to offset awkwardness between them. He stood close to Ethan- not close enough to be touching but close enough so his voice need not be raised above a sultry purr. He gave Ethan a coy smile, "What puts you so far from the others? Are you not as excited for the tea ceremony today?" He teased with a light tone.
Ethan had noticed Ki-Ha greeting at the entrance when others were walking inside, of course he had disappeared, most likely to handle something, so he didn't get the same greeting when he had gone inside as he usually had prior. It was fine, this was likely the last time he'd get to come here anyway, not that he found himself interested in coming here, or maybe it would be somewhat missed. He had mixed feelings on the subject but this bounty took top priority, everything else would just have to settle for being second. It wasn't until he had moved away from the crowd to stand alone that he started plotting how he would get her alone to kidnap her. In the heat of the moment, he had heard somebody, closer than he would have cared to admit, asking him a question, in which case he had flinched because he hadn't noticed him there and Ki-Ha had in a matter of speaking, scared the shit out of him. Where the hell did you come from? You weren't there a second ago! I know you weren't, I checked my area. He would sigh, trying to relax himself.
There was no need to become alert just because Ki-Ha was right here. "Is that a promotion?" He teased back, as if he was supposed to hear the welcome speech per visit. He forced a smile back to Ki-Ha, not wanting him to think that he was up to something. Does he know? No, that is impossible. Standing all the way over here doesn't mean that your up to something, just means that you had a reason to be here.... Such as getting lost or something. He thought to himself, finally figuring out how he wanted to answer Ki-Ha's question. "I didn't see you when I walked in, I'm so used to your greeting that I was searching you out and I got lost." He answered going silent. I don't want to tell him I was going to pay for the lust part, not really because he might figure out what I'm up to but because he is so handsome and I sorta want it with him now. He wanted to face palm himself right now, trying to handle this bounty was going to become more trouble than it was worth. "Looks like you found me instead." He answered with a small smile on his face.
I can't let him figure out that I was going to kidnap his staff member. That will get me kicked out before I even managed to get her outside. I have to figure out another way to kidnap her since she is already busy with something else. So many different choices. What else could I say to him? I almost wonder if I could have claimed that I got lost trying to find the bathroom, I bet it would have been much more believable, but then again, it is a pleasure to see him. He thought to himself, trying to keep business before pleasure.
The corners of his mouth curled, mildly amused by Ethan's reaction to Key's sudden appearance. He would have teased anyone he knew better about it. But he wasn't sure how Ethan would take it... Judging by appearances alone, Key would have guessed that he was more on the sensitive side. The fact he attended the tea ceremonies and little else would further prove that. But Key was becoming more assured that there was something more to his visits. Instincts would have him question whether it was suspicious that he was so skittish. Whether it was innate or covering for something, he was in no rush to find out. He had every intention of keeping him occupied for the meanwhile.
Now if he could stir something in the handsome stranger and take him aside for a few precious moments of his time...
"Promotion? For the welcoming?" Key gave a small shrug, indifferent whether Ethan had wanted to attend or not. "I don't think I need to, you've already heard it more than enough. There are many more exciting things you could see instead." He gave a knowing look, Ethan must now be well-aware what other services they offered at the House. And if he wasn't mistaken, he was beginning to see himself among the complicated mess of things Ethan wanted. A little tempted perhaps? (He would certainly hope so, he had worked too hard for his charms to amount to nothing at all).
There was a lot that this man wanted for. And why he had come to the House, Key a still remained clueless. Ethan's desires were tangled and tied up so tightly that it was difficult to pick any one of them out and make sense of them.
Patience and time would be best to unravel that mess. Small steps.
The fact that Ethan had adopted a teasing tone to talk to Key, established the basis for Key to start taking it up a notch... He was matching with Key's tone, let's see how far Key could take it... Ethan had been here long enough, the man could handle something a little wilder than usual. Key was sure of that much.
He slid closer to Ethan, he leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Besides I'm not leading the welcome talk, so it won't be as fun. Tell me, would you come along if I were there? It would be a lie to say I wouldn't miss you if you didn't come to see me when you visit here." His face just a hair's width apart from Ethan's. Key's voice was a deep purr, brimming with affection all the while, keeping that light edge so he could back up if Ethan completely freaked out.
He pulled back slightly so he was looking right into Ethan's eyes. "So now I've found you. Do you want something to drink somewhere a little more... private?" He extended his arm towards the private houses behind the gardens. There at least, they would be free from wandering eyes and Key could really get to work on Ethan.
Ethan tried steadying his breathing so that he wouldn't appear startled as his mind wondered to where Ki-Ha could have come from to be sneaking up on him like this, or at least he viewed it as sneaking upon him. I wasn't in thought that long, was it? He honestly didn't think so, which meant that Ki-Ha must have seen him and wandered over for his own reasons, though he was struggling to figure out what those reasons might be despite the different services offered here. Just because he had tried some clothing on, didn't mean that he wasn't flustered all the while. It was as if they were dressing up a doll and he had that honor which was strange and thrilling at the same time. Unlike the tea ceremonies that was much more calming. Of course looking at Ki-Ha's face, he seemed somewhat amused at his startled reaction only moments prior. Did he sneak up on me on purpose? Not nice.... He wasn't upset, just slightly embarrassed about it. I'll have to remind myself to keep a closer eye on him next time so he can't do that again. He thought to himself as he decided on his next choice of words.
For some reason, the suggestion of him seeing other things, made his heard skip a beat. Is he hinting at? No, he couldn't be... He was struggling with keeping his heart beat steady, for all he knew, Ki-Ha had figured out he was up to something and discovered him being easily flustered in the process, he had to keep his guard up so he could complete his bounty without any troubles. It was around this time that he couldn't help but feel somewhat conflicted between Ki-Ha and his bounty, both sounded so pleasant and yet, he had spent all this money for the sake of this bounty and to throw it all away, it just wasn't logical. Perhaps it was the fact he hadn't commented back about those other things or maybe he appeared as embarrassed as he had felt, despite his efforts to try and contain it by teasing Ki-Ha back, he seemed to take the bait instead of finding another person for a pleasant evening. He couldn't help but feel somewhat pleased and frustrated at the same time, but his frustration turned to pure embarrassment when Ki-Ha had moved closer to him.
His breathing became faster at the hint of Ki-Ha wanting him around, he couldn't help but find himself believing his words of being missed. He does that with everybody though, doesn't he? I mean I've seen him put the charm on.... but dang it.... why can't I stop my heart from racing.... He thought to himself, feeling his cheeks become a slight pink because of how close Ki-Ha was to him. He couldn't bring himself to answer the question so he remained silent instead. Maybe that was the reason why Ki-Ha had moved away from him. I should have answered his question.... Ahhhhhhhh He thought to himself, swallowing when Ki-Ha mentioned his suggestion of a change in location. He knew exactly where this was going but he wasn't sure if he had any extra time to spend before other people came to try and collect this very same bounty. She had one nice sum on her head, assuming one could grab her and bring her in.
"I.." He managed to get a word out, finding his cheeks turning a shade of red from embarrassment as he struggled with forming his words. I need to say something before he takes me away.... He thought to himself, trying to calm his rapid heart beating. "Need to go to the bathroom." He lied, finally managing to muster the words out from his mouth. Well shit.... why the hell was that so hard to say and now I can honestly get lost trying to find it because I can't go back to capture her when I just turned him down for a bathroom instead.... He thought to himself, also slightly disappointed that he likely lost his chance to have a fling with Ki-Ha.
Ethan fell quiet now. The playfulness had died down.
Did I come on too strong?
The thought occurred that this might be Ethan's first time doing all of this. And now that he looked deep into Ethan's eyes, he imagined that his mind must be working overtime now trying to make sense of all this and decide on an appropriate reaction... How cute. Key chuckled to himself.
'Stay...' he wanted to say. But he was curious to how Ethan would react without Key prompting him.
Any attempts to hide his interest was betrayed by his body: The rosy pink colouring his face, his tense posture, his irregular breathing. Key could only imagine that if he were to bring his hand to Ethan's chest, he'd feel the frantic fluttering of a heartbeat. He didn't desire-reading gifts or powers to know that much.
And of course, was there anyone oblivious to Key's charms? Unlikely... He held back a smug smile.
But his powers were not completely useless in the situation- being so close to Ethan, he began to unravel that which rivaled Ethan's want to have Key. In fact, now that he was struggling with an inner conflict, Key could see it much more clearly: Gold. Gold and the girl- Soo Jin. He assumed she was caught up in some trouble... caught the eyes of the wrong men and ended up with a price on her head. It better be a bounty so damn big for Ethan to potentially throw away his time with Key...
He hummed in thought. He would sort this issue later. For now, he simply needed a little more time and a little more quiet before he would deal with anything.
But in his distraction, Ethan mumbled some sort of excuse and he turned to flee to the bathroom. Key was disappointed but not entirely surprised. He waited just a few seconds for the man to have taken a few steps from- let him get a little bit of space. And then-
"Ethan wait!" He called after Ethan and ran to catch up with him. As he caught up, he reached for Ethan's hand- and pulling him back lightly so that he was facing him. He laughed softly at how innocent and flustered this big strong, warrior of a man was. Key looked straight into Ethan's eyes.
"Stay..." He breathed with a smile, moving his hand to cup Ethan's face and tracing the sharp jawline. "Time doesn't matter here. The rest of the world and everyone in it can wait for us. But why don't we take it slow... Just you and I~" He enticed, teasingly sweet and playful as he watched carefully for Ethan's reaction. Surely he wouldn't decline a second time? That would be... embarrassing to say the least for Key.
"You don't have to worry, I won't scare you like that again. I promise..." He chimed with a soft laugh. "So handsome, shall we have some tea?"
Ethan had turned to move away, unsure of where the bathroom was at but as long as he got distance between them, that would be good enough for him to be able to focus on his main goal here. That would be to capture Soo Jin for his bounty. He didn't walk very far before he heard Ki-Ha calling out to him, hearing the foot steps as Ki-Ha had started chasing after him until he had caught up. He wasn't going to run away, it would bring suspicion that he was in fact up to something. His heart seemed to skip a beat when Ki-Ha had reached out before touching his hand. He was pulled back to face him, having not gone very far, the blush was still evident on his face. When Ki-Ha had told him to stay, he found himself breathing somewhat faster again. He wasn't used to such affection and this was nice. Ki-Ha had touched his face and he melted from the touch. Everybody else can wait till later.... He thought to himself, knowing that was the motto upon coming here. I'm likely going to lose my bounty for this but I really badly want to linger around him more.
The struggle between the bounty and Ki-Ha had come to an end, deciding that he would much rather spend his time showering Ki-Ha in money then going for this bounty. That wasn't to say others wouldn't come and try and steal it from him but surely Ki-Ha wouldn't figure out that he had been apart of it because he didn't plan on taking action anymore? "Alright." He whispered, struggling with keeping his composure because he found Ki-Ha rather addicting. He was surprised to hear Ki-Ha's words, oh how he wanted to tell him that he hadn't scared him away before. How do I answer his comment? Try and comfort him in knowing that he hadn't scared me away that I just had other things on my mind. No. I don't want to admit to those other things. He thought to himself, choosing to remain quiet instead. He was flattered when Ki-Ha had called him handsome before asking if they should have tea. "I'd love to." The words had come off again as a whisper. Oh come on..... why can't I just tease him back like I had earlier? He thought he could do it but it was difficult to form words around Ki-Ha.
Nobody else here was as handsome or beautiful as he was, Ki-Ha was in fact the most addicting man he had ever met. He never craved anybody's attention but only his and now that he had it, he couldn't bring himself to let it go. "And you didn't scare me off earlier..." The comment had come off again as a whisper. I'm not going to admit I had other things on my mind. He thought to himself before admitting, "Just not used to this."
The words lingered for a second in the air. Gradually, Key's posture relaxed as Ethan raised the white flag. He called for a surrender before Key had even started to work his magic. All the better for the escort, he shrugged internally. He hadn't suspected Ethan would have been a challenge to start with but he had perhaps expected to have had to dance around Ethan's extraordinary ability to get flustered at everything that came out of Key's mouth a little more- and even factoring the problem with Soo Jin, he had suspicions that most of it was down to the client before him having very few intimate experiences in his lifetime...
Shame with looks like those, he could have half the world at his feet if he could learn to use it to his advantage.
A younger Key would have taken great pride in bringing down those walls, let his ego fill to the brim at conquering another client (especially a more handsome client than average). Younger still- before he was Key and back when he was just Ki-Ha, this very moment of his job had always been accompanied by sour repulsion. Now... he was neither repulsed nor pleased, it was just a part of his duties. He had done this so many times that he had lost all passion and respect for "love". His years had done little more than simply prove that true love didn't exist. Just lust and manipulations on everyone's basic desires. It was powerful stuff but it was a selfish and uncaring emotion at it's core- making it feel like a fairy tale was the secret of really capturing hearts.
But the best thing about 'love' was that surrender had the sweetest taste, and losing felt so much better than fighting. As Ethan would soon find out, Key rewarded all his clients handsomely for their time and attention.
Key just caught the comment of not being scared and he laughed lightly in response, amused by Ethan. Gently tracing his fingers along the pronounced jawline, he delicately tucked a stray strand of golden hair away from Ethan's face. "Of course you're not scared," He reassured his client "There's nothing to be afraid of, there's nothing here that could hurt you after all..."
The mischievous glint returned to Key's eyes as he saw his opportunity for a little fun. He took Ethan's hand and pulled him a little closer- "Now let's get to somewhere a little more private. I have a place in mind but if you're more of a bathroom guy then I can be fast as well..." He teased the man for his earlier excuse.
Ethan was still struggling with composing himself despite Ki-Ha relaxing. It was easy to notice since he worked with people that were both tense and relaxed, he always struggled with trying to get relaxed himself when the other person managed to fluster him, in this case Ki-Ha. He had made the comment about Ki-Ha not scaring him, shivering slightly when Ki-Ha had traced his jawline. I need to calm down, it isn't going to benefit me to get worked up over such things. Besides I think at this point he is flustering me on purpose, I mean why the hell not? I am easy to fluster after all. With a breath, he tried to force himself to stay clam. As for nothing to be afraid of, perhaps not here... I mean the worse that can happen is I'd be kicked out, not that I was addicted to this place anyway. Just a special somebody. He closed his eyes as he tried to think of an answer that he could give him, as if this game wasn't over just yet even though he had clearly agreed to stay with Ki-Ha regardless of the outcome. "Well that isn't true.... somebody else could come by and steal your attention away." He corrected, opening his eyes to look at Ki-Ha.
Did I finally win? I mean come on, surely he knew that I was well aware that he got his money and his clients got pleasure. In fact, I think I'm about to be in a world of pleasure.... The thought made his cheeks go pink again. Damn it, I need to calm down. At the very least wait until something happens. Ethan was pulled from his thoughts when Ki-Ha had pulled him closer. The teasing resulted in Ethan's cheeks increasing in red from embarrassment. "What? No...." He wasn't going to go into the bathroom for some fun. It wasn't private enough, had Ki-Ha thought he was suggesting it when he had tried fleeing from him before? Oh jeez, what mess did I get myself into.... He thought to himself, "But fine... you called my bluff, I didn't really have to go." Of course that would raise the question on why he had said Ki-Ha hadn't scared him away, just to admit that he didn't have to go to the bathroom after all. Surely one of them was wrong, right? "And no, that isn't implying that you scared me away." He found it easier to talk when Ki-Ha wasn't working his magic to try and fluster him. Keep it up, you might even be able to avoid being flustered just a tad bit longer.
With a sigh, he decided to refrain from giving anymore details to why he hadn't been scared only to claim he didn't have to go to the bathroom after all. As you have noticed, I get flustered but that isn't my reason for trying to flee before. But I refuse to admit that reason. There is no point in admitting to a bounty that I decided could wait till later if I bothered doing it at all. A thought had crossed his mind, no harm in asking right? "Are you sure you want to take me somewhere private? There are plenty of other people around here that I think would be much more fun then me." He asked, curious on what Ki-Ha would say. He had agreed to stay, struggling with his inner demons to remain in Ki-Ha's company, that wasn't to say that he wanted to rush into anything, even though he had decided earlier that he wanted to pay for the lust to get close to that woman so he could kidnap her.
Somebody else could come by and steal your attention away...
Key had never liked hearing words like those. It was as though he owed everyone who walked into the House all the love he had to give, until he was left with nothing. He understood why they would whisper such things... Nobody liked to share, after all. And of course, the goal of the Lotus House was to make each and every guest feel special in a way they never would in reality. Yet, there was something so stifling about the possessive feelings towards the escort.
Still, Ethan was both correct and very much incorrect in his assumption that Key would wander astray. Given all the freedom in the world, Key would not be here... He would not be speaking to this man. But it would not in the place of someone else. Key had entertained over 30,000 clients since he started... he was not bound or loyal to any of them. It would not be a someone which distracted him from Ethan but rather business or simply his own self-interest.
But for the moment, Ethan had little to worry about. It was in Key's best interest to keep this man from causing havoc with his staff.
He was slowly drawn back to reality by Ethan's question. He rolled his eyes playfully at Ethan's second instant of self-doubt. Would Key rather go off with someone else and do this? Probably not, Ethan seemed harmless, he was probably the most attractive guest in the House currently. Could his pillow and mattress tempt him away from Ethan? Possibly... but that was not what Ethan had asked.
He would one day, very much like to tell someone how he truly felt. But that day would likely have to wait very long. No point holding his breath...
"It's not that private dearest, and besides I don't think there's anyone here who's done tea brewing quite as much as you have. I'd have let you go to the bathroom if I didn't want you, surely?" He asked, knowing what the only answer could be but he wanted to hear it from Ethan's lips. That way he knew that the young man understood entirely himself.
"But none of those things happened so let's not get lost in the world of 'ifs' and 'buts'" He said as he led Ethan by the hand out of the main building and into the gardens. The cool touch of winter with made it appear as though time had stopped in the gardens. He led Ethan over the winding paths past flowers and ponds until they reached a small pavilion that looked out over the rest of the House. Key had tied a ribbon on the gate that led to it- warning any other members of staff to keep away.
On the pavilion, there was a tea set laid out for two. "Take a seat, make yourself at home." Key gestured as he retrieved a cold tea. "Lotus tea, specialty of the House." Key smiled as he poured Ethan and then himself a glass.
This was so much better. Now alone, he could hear Ethan's desires voice themselves clearly without distraction.
"So tell me honestly... Do you really lack the confidence to think that someone would distract from you or do you tease everyone who goes after you as much as this? " He said, letting his private feelings drain away so as to not distract from the role he was playing. He spoke in a half-surprised tone in reply to Ethan, as if to ask whether this truly was his first time doing anything intimate. Hell, Key was very much beginning to think this was case.
"Mmmmh... I wonder, has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" He murmured just loud enough for Ethan to hear before he sipped his tea.
Ethan had noticed Ki-Ha roll his eyes at him. He was surprised to hear Ki-Ha mention how often he had done tea brewing here, not because Ki-Ha knew him as a regular but the fact that he seemed to remember the reason why he was here too. "What can I say, when you find something fun, you come back for more. No?" He wasn't expecting Ki-Ha to answer his question, it would be clear to both of them that the answer to that would in fact be yes, regardless of what that fun thing would be. God knows that I don't do it when I'm at home and I'm not about to start now either.... neither am I going to bother spending my money on clothes. It was just fun at the time and I was already here, so I didn't see the harm in trying more than one thing. He was pulled from his thoughts because it was clear to him that Ki-Ha had picked him for one reason or another, he honestly didn't understand why that would be. He was just a simple dragon, surely there were other people here that would be far more interesting to pay attention to. "It would appear so." He admitted, unsure of how he could prove him wrong on the subject.
Sure this place was expensive, but he honestly didn't think he had the most money in his wallet, so he wasn't sure why Ki-Ha had picked him of all people. Maybe he had figured it out after all, but that is impossible. He was once more pulled from his thoughts as Ki-Ha mentioned how none of those things happened. What were we talking about again? Oh yeah I remember.... the part about bluffing about the bathroom and how he hadn't scared me away. I need to pay closer attention so that he doesn't get curious on why my attention seems elsewhere. He followed Ki-Ha out of the main building, towards the gardens. The weather outside felt nice to him, the garden was beautiful. He couldn't help but think the person who had taken the time to make this place so great, deserved to hear the words. He assumed it was Ki-Ha since he was the only one he had seen here that seemed to be in charge of the place, but he wasn't about to assume such things out loud. I'm impressed, with how he treats his guests, it is almost as if he had prepared for that person to be here. He had taken a seat across from Ki-Ha, unaware that his desires had been in danger of being noticed in the first place.
Despite being told to make himself at home, he couldn't help but feel somewhat uneasy instead. Memories of his past were flooding back into his mind when his mother used to say that to him. No. I can never make myself feel at home, but I'll be damned if he figures that out. He tried making effort to force himself to appear comfortable despite feeling far from it. I took up being a bounty hunter for the sole purpose of having something to do, it also pays well. I can give it to the charity after I collect it with the hope that nobody ever has to go through what I did. Of course there are plenty of other people around without their parents, but I know I'm helping a cause and that is good enough for me. Ethan found himself smiling back at Ki-Ha, despite his feelings of being uncomfortable despite his struggling of appearing fine, the garden made him feel somewhat more at ease. How could a person feel uncomfortable and at ease at the same time? The beauty behind it, that was the answer behind his mixed feelings. Of course it was always feeling slightly uncomfortable, just to feel comfortable before going back to uncomfortable.
"Thank you." He answered, looking at the tea, not yet touching the tea cup with his finger tips. He was pulled from his thoughts when Ki-Ha had asked him his question. No your the tease.... He thought to himself. "Maybe it is a mixture of both. Who knows." He answered, feeling his cheeks go pink as he felt embarrassed for no reason. Ki-Ha complimented him and his cheeks went a red from embarrassment. "No." He answered back, in complete honesty. But that was by choice. If I don't make connections, I don't lose. I've never had the interest to be intimate with anybody before, heck I wasn't even really interested before but now that I'm here, I find myself conflicted... He thought to himself, tracing the tea cup with his finger tips. "Is that a bad thing?" He asked, curious on what Ki-Ha would say back to him.
Key knelt at the low table, as was customary when he poured tea for a guest. He was well-aware that this escape with Ethan was of a much more casual tone than usual... he guessed he must be getting old if he was even now insisting that he keep good posture for traditional rituals himself (regardless of the situation). He wanted to shudder internally- the thought of being an old man did not sit well with him. After all, there was still so much he wanted to do before he was old.
As long as he didn't look old... he supposed he could live with the fatigue and a dwindling passion for life (apparently coupled with a firm belief in carrying out tea rituals following all rules) so long as he could keep his face wrinkle-free.
Needless to say, he had made himself very self-conscious of how he was sat. As soon as Ethan's cup was served, he settled into a more casual position. With any luck, he might succeed in getting said guest to follow suit. He honestly looked like a deer caught in the headlights, clinging to his tense and awkward manner as though Key would eat him alive. Was he purposefully trying to be awkward or was there something truly wrong with the scenario Key had put them in?
Unless faulty magic was another sign of old age, Ethan still desired the djinni. This was the part where guests would at least feign comfort in order to start up a conversation with Key. Or try and make themselves seem so much confident and ready to handle Key (let's face it though, who was ever ready for him?). Even the magic of the garden- the soft melody of the wind chimes intertwined with the song of nature, the pastel colours blooming all around them like something out of an animation , the damp air and the sweet floral scent that hovered in the air- all of it was designed to entrance you and calm you before you even realised as much. Ethan was the first guest to still be so worked up, this far into their meeting.
Was the garden not looking as good as usual? He would have to have a word with the gardeners here if that was case. Key would not accept anything shy of perfection.
More work for me in that case, he thought to himself.
He untied his hair with a gentle tug at the long silk ribbons which held it in place and he let it cascade along his back in thick waves.
That was better- he smiled as he set the mood.
Ah little more work for him to pick up then, he supposed. His eyes brushed over Ethan- he had expected nothing from the list of lovers but to hear that nobody had told him he was beautiful was a shock to Key. Not even from the cashier who blurts out the words accidentally or the creepy staring stranger on the subway? Surely Ethan should have heard it a dozen or so times with a face like his. Of course, he could be putting up a more modest front for Key but judging by the complete lack of confidence in his posture, Key had a feeling he even bought into his own words. His shook his head softly. "You should spend time with people who can see with their eyes in that case." Key told him with a light laugh in his voice, "Life is too short and a thousand times too cruel to go through it not knowing how brilliant you are."
He leaned across the table to move that same gold lock of hair from Ethan's face again. Letting his fingers brush delicately across smooth porcelain skin as he did so.
"At the very least, don't waste all of you on someone who can't appreciate it." He murmured.
Keeping the proximity, he cocked his head to the side and looked right into Ethan's eyes with all the adoration in the world. "You know, you really are beautiful." He said before pulling away from Ethan.
"Beautiful but very tense, might I help you with that?" He got up and padded around to where Ethan was sat and gave his shoulders a gentle massage as the escort himself settled right by Ethan's side. "Tell me Ethan, do you not show off all of your brewing skills on dates and family dinners? This should feel right at home for you, no?"
Ethan was unaware that Ki-Ha had noticed him appearing tense, he had tried his hardest to appear comfortable but it was just so damn hard. I can't ever feel at home, never again. It would defeat the purpose that I worked so hard to build when I decided to give this life a second chance.... having slept in ice after my parents died. Handling those bounties gave me a purpose and yet I can't bring myself to become comfortable around other people. It was just so damn hard. He thought to himself. He watched as Ki-Ha had removed the ribbon from his hair, watching his hair freely lay across his back in waves. In fact he found himself staring a bit too much, it took a lot of effort for him to force his eyes else where. Just because I desire him, doesn't mean I can't struggle a bit. I mean I never thought he would be the person I'd be paying to have this with.... Of course I've desired it ever since I met him, but he does this for business and I was hoping for a bit more.... stop it, I can't think of such thoughts, not only would it mess up his business but it would mess up mine as well. I'm not here to form bonds, I was only here to collect my bounty and leave and yet, here I am, struggling with my wants.
He thought to himself, the conversation about his beauty had been brought up. "Perhaps it wasn't a matter of them not saying it but just of me not hearing or noticing it." He corrected after a moment. It was possible that others had made the comment to him but he was too busy to pay them any mind. "Or I could just come back here." He answered with a smug grin on his face. I can't follow your advice, at least here I won't have the worry of taking anybody home with me. Even that bounty had another place to go, but never home. He thought to himself, pulled from his thoughts when Ki-Ha had reached across the table to move the lock of hair from his face again, shivering sightly when touched. If only I could counter him, but I just can't bring myself to say anything on the subject. He thought to himself, going silent. Ki-Ha hadn't won, he was determined to come up with an answer, he just couldn't figure out what he would say and so he was silent instead. "Are you saying you can appreciate it?" He asked after a moment, turning the conversation back on Ki-Ha because why the hell not? He found himself blushing more when Ki-Ha had called him beautiful once more, The comment seemed to hit him in the core of his heart. No.... I refuse to let it get to me. He thought to himself, slowly struggling with his desires again.
He didn't get a chance to answer, having been stuck in thought when Ki-Ha had mentioned how tense he appeared to be. "If you want to try, who am I to stop you." He answered after a moment of silents. I am not admitting that he might have more than he bargained for. He thought to himself, pleased that Ki-Ha was giving him attention. Ethan had felt Ki-Ha's hands touching his shoulders as he gently massaged, making it easier for him to relax. This is so nice...... He thought to himself. He listened to Ki-Ha's question. "I don't." He answered honestly, finding himself relaxing more. "I don't spend time going on dates or being at home for that matter. It is always work comes first." He admitted, not at all bothered since he didn't feel like it was much of a secret anyway. "The only time I really brew is when I'm here." He wasn't ashamed of that fact either, why would he brew at home when he was rarely at home to begin with. It was good as a place to sleep, the rest of the time he would eat out. "Does that surprise you?" He asked, thinking despite his job, it was about time he tried teasing Ki-Ha back for a bit.
"Maybe I should brew for you sometime?" He asked, doubting Ki-Ha would go for it, but at least then he could claim he tried. He is the most tempting man I have ever met. I don't know how I would go on with life, if I wasn't paying him to do this. The thought of having a special person in my life makes me cringe, I can't have happiness and expect to protect them at the same time.
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