Life-Changing Gift (Close For MsAmative)

[Lucian_Devine]

Blake's dark brown eyes stared out the window, just like they had been for an unknown amount of time. It wasn't that the view outside was in any way spectacular, but quite the opposite. It was just grassland as far as the eye could see. His mind ran with a myriad of ideas of what might be waiting for him when he got to his destination, because the driver hadn't spoken a single word to him as he'd been ushered to and eventually deposited into the car in which he now rode.

With nothing else to do, Blake's mind inevitably wandered back to the events that had happened over the past three weeks.

Blake's parents hadn't been the best parents by any means, but they were adequate by most standard. They housed him, fed him, clothed him, and made sure he at least got passing grades in school. They hadn't really done much to or for him other than what the law more or less demanded of them. With that knowledge in mind, he naturally should have been suspicious when they cracked open a bottle of wine for him on his eighteenth birthday. He was young and naïve though, and had hoped that they were just turning over a new leaf. He'd made no secret of the fact that he wanted to leave as soon as he was of age, and they'd made no secret of the fact that they were happy for it. Hell, any suspicions he may have had wouldn't have mattered anyway, because he never would have actually suspected that they'd get him drunk, convince him to sign the paperwork, and proceed to sell him off the very next day. I mean hell, by the time the hangover from the additional bottles of wine that had followed the first had finally worn off, his sale had already been finalized.

As bad as being literally sold was though, Blake had no idea at the time that it was the least of his problems. He found out that he'd been purchased to do hard labor jobs for paying clients, along with a bunch of other men and women. He tried to plead his case to anybody that would listen, but it was always the same story. He'd signed a contract, and would do as he was told until his contract was up. The contract was legally binding, and they said that there was nothing he or they could do to change that. So it was best to just do the job and get used to it.

The people that Blake had talked to were right, or at least half right. There was nothing they could do, but there was something he could do. He went to the job site the first day, but refused to do any work. He was threatened by the supervisor at the work site, and similarly warned by the other workers. When the work day was over, and they were bussed back to the compound, he got his first beating, five cane lashings across the back.

Most people likely would have learned after the first beating, but Blake wasn't most people. Sure, he was only 5'6'' with black hair, brown eyes, and a touch on the thin side, but he had the truth. He knew that this wasn't the life for him, and if that meant he had to take a worse and worse beating every day, then so be it. The owner was thankfully smarter than Blake when it came down to it. After the second beating with ten lashes and the third being fifteen, the man chose a different method.

When Blake arrived home the fourth day, expecting another beating, he was surprised to find that it didn't happen. He went to bed that night trying to think of what that meant. He didn't have to think on it for too long though, because the next day, at breakfast time, he was denied food. He shrugged it off until he was denied lunch at the work site, and then dinner when they got back. Sleep was hard that night, and it only got harder with every subsequence night. He tried to make up for the lack of food with more water, but eventually found his water rationed as well. The owner clearly didn't want him dead, just obedient and working.

Bribe attempts came next, trying to offer him food, snacks, even sex if he would just do as he was told. Even his fellow workers tried to convince him to just do the work, but no. This was the hill that he would choose to die on if it became necessary.

The hunger-strike of sorts lasted for two weeks. Blake's body slowly wasted away, but he still showed no sign of giving in. Ultimately, it was the owner that finally gave in. As easy as it would be to just let Blake die, that would be a horrible waste of the money he'd paid for him. So he chose to take him to auction and make him somebody else's problem.

The auction process and the steps leading up to it were...weird. Blake was stripped naked, photographed, and finally put in a non-descript room with a door on one side and mirrors on the other three walls. His hands were put into shackles hanging from the ceiling, forcing him to remain standing. There wasn't anything else for him to do but just let his mind roam free while he waited for...he didn't even know what really. Hell, he even managed to doze off somehow, despite the position.

The slight reprieve that had been unconsciousness was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. One of the auction house's employees unlocked the shackles, threw him a t-shirt and shorts to put on, led from the room, and eventually brought to the car he now found himself in. He'd been told nothing and thus knew nothing except that he was on the way to his new owner, whomever that was.

 

[MsAmative]

Gianna waited impatiently in her office, idly watching the surveillance feed skip by like clockwork. She should be packing her bag for her latest trip, but her mind kept wandering back to her incoming shipment. She knew well enough that she had what she needed for the trip. Her staff would have made sure of that by filling in the gaps of what she had placed earlier. If it wasn’t for the sun slowly rising above the trees through the floor to ceiling windows in her office she might have stared almost unblinkly at the rather empty video before her. On a normal day the view outside her window would be much more distracting, which is why she loved her office. By placing her desk so it faced what was practically a wall of windows she could see land for miles. Her land. For miles.

She hadn’t always known this land would be hers, having been the only child and a female it wasn’t always certain it was hers. It wasn’t entirely because her father was sexist, he simply didn’t expect his daughter to grow up as a woman who would enjoy running a cattle ranch. Daddy wasn’t completely wrong, this certainly wasn’t his cattle ranch anymore. Having spent her whole early life on the ranch she had become fascinated with the animals around her, developing what seemed like a natural ease. By her twentieth birthday she had already developed a reputation for being able to turn around the behavior of almost any animal, and her fee’s reflected it. Truth be told she could have bought the ranch by the time Daddy would have sold it if she had too - but she had already earned his respect. By the time she turned twenty one and they retired and moved south she had already set her new plans in motion. After modernizing most aspects of the house and staff buildings she reimagined the open basement. What had once stood empty or was filled with ugly neglected mounts and other trophies from the past was now living quarters and a large kitchen outfitted to feed an expansive staff.

While she had started focusing on simply animals, her interests and expertise over the years… expanded you could say. By the time her parents retired she was just as well known for her skills in humans as she was in animals, which proved to be much more interesting and lucrative. All in all things functioned and fit together well at this stage. Now that she was in her thirties she had developed substantial savings. The income from the cattle provided all she really needed for income and then some, allowing her to train who and what based on the situation and her mood. The money was good, but almost irrelevant, save for the fact that it allowed her to have essentially created her own animal sanctuary of sorts. It also provided a wonderful cover for anyone who might stop by wondering what she did on the ranch. No one except those in the loop ever really need to know what secondary focus was.

In part it was this that led her to this moment, tapping her fingers lightly across the arm of her plush office chair behind her desk. She had gotten a tip from one of her contacts about a man who had come up for sale. Based on the photos he seemed barely a man, bruised and immanciated. She had initially written him off, assuming that his price would be bid up as the worst of her kind bid on him like he was scraps. The notes on his tiny file for the auction listed him as “difficult” which was all he needed to attract the worst of the crowd, or so she had expected. There would be many people who would have loved to push him to the breaking point. She would of course like to do the opposite, but only to a point. As much as she’d love a project, there still had to be a balance. Humans were much more expensive. Depending on how high the bids went she could buy a couple of horses, a donkey or maybe even an elephant of two. (Not that she would buy an elephant, but the point withstanding.) She couldn’t save them all, as much as she’d like to. Still, the thought of him lingered the next day and she succumbed. She was surprised when she received the email that his purchase went through under her limit, even though she ended up accepting this last minute job to compensate. Based on his condition it seemed unlikely that he could even remotely last through any kind of training with her immediately. It seemed almost like the young man would faint at the idea of anything strenuous. The week that she would be gone would be a suitable time for him to hopefully regain some of his strength, and maybe wear away some of his “difficult” attitude.

“Mistress Gianna, your car to the airport should be here in five..” a female voice said, ringing out from the intercom on her desk, helping to bring her out of her head.

She hadn’t realized so much time had passed. The transport van should have already been here, she had planned her departure to account for the new slave’s arrival. Clearly life had other plans. It only took her a moment to head into her bedroom through the connecting door, and she stopped at the full length mirror to check her appearance after noting her bag had already been carried out. For someone in her mid 30’s she liked to think she could pass for less, Maybe 29 on a good day. Her work kept her busy and you could see the athleticism in her petite form. Her white wrap sweater dipped low enough to tease a hint of her ample cleavage while clinging just enough to accentuate her curves, as it skimmed over the tops of her dark wash jeans which clung to her toned thighs. Her dark down hair bounced as she ran her fingers through it, pulling up the very top of it in a clip before letting the rest of the natural loose curls fall back to their place midway down her back and exposing the small sapphire earrings that were her signature.. Her light brown eyes contrasted with her slightly sun kissed skin, making her sweater seem almost a little brighter than it really was. Really, her old battered riding boots were the only thing that betrayed her surroundings, and it only took a moment for her to slip them off before grabbing a pair of navy heels. She carried them with her as she calmly walked down the stairs into the staff quarters.

“Good morning Rosalie, morning Randy.” Gianna said happily. “Did Colt tell you about our new addition today?” She paused, waiting for the nods she expected before continuing. “Hopefully he won’t be a challenge. I told Colt to put him into one of the staff rooms for now instead of the training quarters since they’re all empty. He’s to lock the door for the day unless you’re bringing food in. I cannot imagine he’ll be too rowdy, but I told him to use the one at the far end of the hall in case he does. We’ll keep all the doors to the outside locked for the first couple days like we always do. I figure tomorrow morning Colt can bring him out to the kitchen and see if he behaves. If he doesn’t I don’t see why he cannot have free reign of the staff area and staff living room with you all if he doesn’t pitch a fit. Maybe work on fattening him up a bit? He can help you all if he’s a gentleman and offers, but I am not expecting him to do more than behave like a normal human. He can sit and watch tv all day for all I can at the moment. Kid looks like he could do with burning as few calories as possible.”

As she was finishing, the perimeter bell rang, announcing that someone had passed through the ranch gates. The small surveillance monitor in the corner sadly showed her town car to the airport, and not her new addition as she hoped. By the time she walked out with her shoes on and her bag in hand the car was already pulling up outside.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

As with most long car trips, especially when you don't know where you are going, Blake didn't really care much about what was going by until the car turned off of the main road. The turn naturally caught his attention, and he started taking notice of what they started to pass.

With the landscape itself not changing, Blake sadly wasn't surprised when the first thing that he actually noticed was a large herd of cattle. His heart sank further at the sight of them. He expected that he knew what was coming up when they got to their destination. He was going to work on a cattle farm, more hard labor would be forced upon him, likely backed up with the same treatment he'd gotten the last time he refused it.

The sight of horses scattered about also didn't make him feel any better. Blake just sank back into his seating, waiting for the inevitable to come. When the house did eventually come into view though, his surprise actually managed to overcome his other emotions for the moment. it looked like a large rustic prairie home, but it was more than that. It had two wings split off from the main house that almost seemed to be ranch-style houses in their own right. It was impossible for him to take his eyes off of it, even as the car got close and pulled off a bit to the side along one of the wings.

When the car stopped, Blake just waited and watched as the driver got out of the car, walked around and opened his door. Blake slide slowly out of the car, his gaze naturally still being drawn to the house. Out of the corner of his eye though, he couldn't help but notice a hint of movement and a dash of white. He turned his head and saw a woman looking at him over a car door. She had dark brown hair and was wearing a white wrap sweater. Their eyes met briefly before she turned to get in her car. The sound of her door closing snapped him back to reality, making him aware that the driver of his car was waiting for him.

Blake found it strange that the man hadn't tried to usher him along, at least not until the woman had gotten into her car and gone on her way. Blake turned his eyes back to the man, and when he gestured him forward, Blake walked slowly towards the large house.

As big as the house looked from the outside, it seemed even bigger inside. It likely had something to do with there being windows along every outer wall. With nothing else to do, Blake just followed the driver through the large house and waited for his suspicions to be confirmed.

 

[MsAmative]

Gianna watched her luggage disappear into the trunk of the town car rather absentmindedly. When she looked up as she opened the right passenger door she was surprised to see the company van slowly make its way down the drive. She paused and turned towards the rear of the car, taking a half step backwards so her gaze was unobstructed. She watched intently as Colt opened the door and allowed the new arrival to step out, but once she had gotten a decent glance she knew she had to move on. As much as she’d love to get a better idea of what she was getting into she did have a plane to catch.

----

Colt led the young man into the house once his employer had entered the car. He knew he didn’t need to wait until she had departed completely, as she had already seen what she obviously required. Thankfully it was easy enough for him to gesture him forward and lead him into the staff quarters. He was not overly surprised when Randy nor Rosalie stopped to comment on Blake but it did seem like they did steal a quick glance as he did so. He knew that they were generally pretty respectful, and this wasn’t really an unusual circumstance afterall. Gianna normally made several purchases a year, after all it created a good way to pass the time stuck inside during the brutal winter. Blake however would be a slight exception, with spring fully underway all the previous purchases from last year had already been long sold. He knew there would be at least some slight interest from even the most disinterested staff by that detail alone. Colt was really quite surprised when he picked up the “package” that morning. She had mentioned he would be in bad shape. He had expected bruises…. But the level of malnourishment was abnormal.

Having led him through the staff kitchen and dining room which was full of light due to the abundance of windows and deeper into the house, down the long hallway which spanned the whole length of the house. They passed several doors on the right, each hiding its own expanded staff suite and the large archway off to the left which led to the expansive staff dedicated living room. It wasn’t until they almost reached the end of the hall where a steel doorway culminated that they paused. Colt had readied the room next to the entrance for the slave quarters specifically for Blake. Not knowing how the young man would actually behave he wanted to make sure he left some buffer room between him and the rest of the staff that was currently in house. He had learned over the last 5 years of working with Ms. Gianna that you could never be truly certain how a new acquisition would react. It would do no good for him to keep or disturb the rest of the staff. While he didn’t quite agree with her decision to hold him on this side of the door, he was certainly not going to tell her he felt otherwise. He could only hope that the rest of her assumptions would be true and there would be major issues while she was away.

“Well, this is it.” Colt said as he unlocked the door on his right with his keycard and opened it, gesturing for Blake to enter. "It's not the taj mahal but it has everything you need." Untimely it wasn’t a lie. The staff quarters were designed to be generous. Each suite, if you could call that, was big enough to hold a small sofa, and a tv which sat atop an entertainment center that hid a tiny microwave and a refrigerator. the suite also contained a generous double bed and a private bathroom and closet. Each of the staff quarters also featured large picture windows to help offset the cold dark winters and helped it feel more like a home. It certainly was a step up from the slave quarters, but not by a large extreme. “I’ll be back in a bit with something to eat.” Colt said cooly before he closed the door behind him, locking it automatically as he did so. He couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath as he did so. “I wonder if he’ll find the fridge and cabinet stocked with snacks? Or if the clothes fit?” he asked to himself out loud.

“Can you guys whip something up for the new guy? His name is Blake apparently.” Colt asked as he strolled back into the staff kitchen.

“What do you think is going on with him” Rosalie asked, her voice wavering slightly giving away a hint of concern in her voice.

“Looks like the kid hasn’t eaten in weeks” Randy was quick to add, in a half joking half horrified manner.

“I couldn’t even begin to tell you. Maybe Ms. Gianna will have some information to tell us when she gets back.” Colt replied half heartedly. “Think you could fix him up a sandwich or something?”

Much of the rest of the afternoon continued as usual for the rest of the staff. Colt brought Blake the sandwich and fruit that Rosalie had put together and returned with dinner shortly before it was served. It wasn’t until the next morning that the two really spoke. As he neared the door at the end of the hall he was happy to see the light bleeding out from under the door, knocking before he unlocked it with his keycard.

“Blake?” he rang out before opening the door further, unsure what might be waiting for him and bracing himself for whatever might come. He was happy that there was no attack awaiting him once the door was fully open but unsure what further response would come. “Come to breakfast, you’ve gotta be hungry by now and they put out a nice spread today.” He remarked as we stepped back, his head cocking towards the hallway hoping Blake would calmly follow him down the hall.

Morning had to be one of the best times in the kitchen. The large windows let in tons of sunlight, and if you timed it just right you could see an amazing sunrise come in over the trees that skimmed the horizon. All of the windows made the kitchen feel utterly cheery, and the fact that the kitchen and staff dining room was built into an L-shape to make the most of the light meant that it became the gathering place for all the staff. It wasn’t really until the sun went down that the staff really gathered elsewhere. The outgoing personalities of Rosalie and Randy certainly helped of course. He had really wondered if the two would get along at first but ultimately the duo made almost the best of two worlds, one a warm welcoming surrogate grandmother and the other a true down home boy with a good sense of humor.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Blake kept his head and eyes up as he was led through the house. He didn't really know why he bothered, because from what he saw of the surroundings, any attempt to escape in his current condition would just lead to death by dehydration or starvation, making it not even worth the effort. That being said though, it was hard to deny the charm of the place, with light shining through all the windows, even as they started walking inside one of the long wings of the house.

It was hard to not be surprised when the man that was leading Blake stopped here in the wing section. He'd honestly expected that he'd be going to meet his new owner and then led to whatever work he was expected to do. Such was not the case though, and when the man unlocked the door with a keycard and opened it for him, complete with a joke, it was hard for Blake to not chuckle at least a little. I mean hell, the sight of the suite before him was basically heaven compared to both the place he'd just come and even his room with his parents.

Blake stepped slowly into the room and looked around, only just hearing the man's words because they mentioned food, something that had his stomach rumbling audibly.

The sandwich and fruit that were eventually brought to him from the kitchen he'd passed by were like a second slice of heaven, especially when he combined it with a cold bottle of water from the fridge that he found in the mini-fridge nestled in the entertainment center beneath the TV. Blake ate so fast that he damn near choked twice before he finally finished the modest meal.

There wasn't a single question in Blake's mind as to what he was going to do after he ate. He stripped off his clothes, threw them in the hamper he found in the closet, and headed for the shower. The feeling of the hot water pounding onto his sweaty body felt better than could possibly be imagined if you weren't the person experiencing it. Sure, he'd been washed at his previous home, but that was little more than a glorified hose down since he wasn't doing anything to earn any better. He lingered there, letting his mind wander, and for the first time since he'd first been sold, think that maybe things wouldn't be so bad.

When Blake did finally manage to drag himself out of the shower, he dried himself thoroughly as he tried to keep his gaze from looking at the mirror. He could already feel how bad his body was doing. The last thing he wanted to do was see it in it's entirety. Whether he had planned to do anything after his shower or not ultimately didn't matter. He just pulled on a pair of briefs and slid into bed. He normally preferred boxers, or nothing at all, but the ones in the closet were too big for his emaciated form. So brief it was.

Blake had known that it was early afternoon when they'd reached their destination, but between finally having a meal in his belly and the long hot shower, he was utterly drained. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow.

For the first night in weeks, Blake slept well. It was a deep and dreamless sleep that his body so desperately needed. There was no telling how long he would have slept if the rising sun shining through his window hadn't woken him up. He let out a low groan as he stretched his arms, back, and legs. He'd needed the long sleep to be sure, and didn't regret it, even with the predictable tightness he now faced.

When Blake got out of bed, he headed for the closet once more. His fingers traced over the sparse selection before settling on a pair of navy blue athletic shorts and a blank black t-shirt. The shirt was medium-sized, but seemed like a large on him, baggy in all the wrong places. He didn't have much time to think about it though, because he heard a knock on his door, his name being called, and the sound of the door being unlocked with a keycard.

Blake had of course seen the way the man had entered the room, expecting to be attacked, and it was the first time since he'd seen the place that he thought about that aspect of his situation. He still didn't know what was going to be expected of him or what he'd have to do to earn a room like this, and food like he'd had last night. Still, with no way for him to answer these questions for himself, and with his stomach rumbling again at the sound and thought of breakfast, he did follow the man, once again without resistance.

While Blake had never really been much of a morning person, or a breakfast person, it was hard to deny how good it felt to be bathed in light as he walked down the long hallway and then was all but surrounded by it when he walked into the large kitchen.

Blake was surprised at how few people he saw in the kitchen. It was just himself, the guy that had driven him and escorted him through the house, and 2 other people. One was an elderly-looking woman, and the other one looked like a cowboy with an apron on, hat and all. The sunlight streaming through the windows had a calming effect that was accentuated by the intoxicating scents that filled the air.

The sight of the spread of food before him actually made Blake pause. First off was the sheer amount of it. There were only four people here, but there seemed to be enough food for ten people or more! His hesitation was brief though, and quickly overcome by his hunger. He grabbed a plate and took a piece of toast, some sausages, and an apple. He topped it off with a big glass or orange juice before finally heading to the table to start eating. He didn't say much as he ate, but did watch the way the three interacted with each other. They seemed like a friendly and personable group, small as they were, making him once again wonder about the woman he'd seen the day before and what exactly this place was and where he was supposed to fit into it.

 

[MsAmative]

Colt sipped on his cup of coffee as he watched Blake eat, having angled himself so that he could still see Blake out of the corner of his eye as he seemingly stared out the windows. With how everything was going so far he felt like he could likely let his guard down just a little, but he knew one could never be too careful. He caught the eye of Rosalie and Randy every once and a while as they started the slow prep for lunch, he could tell they were subtly watching as well. Whether he liked it or not Blake was definitely the curiosity of the week.

It wasn’t until Blake had reached the last of his meal that Colt spoke. “Some days there would likely be more of us here, but some of the staff put off breakfast until later to get some things done early.” he cleared his throat, taking a moment to try and choose his next words carefully. “This may or may not come as a relief to you, but your next few days are pretty blank. I know you have obviously connected the dots and realized you have been purchased by another owner. I don’t know your story beyond that. Your Mistress is away for the next several days. Her ‘orders’ if you could call them that, were for you to rest and do as you please so to speak. If you do not do anything untowards you can spend your time where you please. The doors outside of this wing are locked, so you won’t be able to leave without permission, but you can obviously spend time here in the kitchen, or your room or the staff living room off to the left. It's nothing fancy, but it’s got a bigger TV and some nice seating and books and movies and the like. If you want to stock up your room with a few drinks or snacks Rosalie or Randy can help you out if you ask nicely.”

Colt paused slightly, hearing the faint footfalls of a dog coming down the hardwood of the hallway. He turned slightly, nodding his head towards the entrance to the kitchen. This by the way is Blue. He is your Mistress's pride and joy, so be nice. He’s a lot nicer than he looks.” Colt said, trailing off as he extended his arm towards the giant schnauzer who now sat in the middle of the kitchen. “Lunch is generally from 12-2pm and dinner from 5-7pm, although I am sure if you ask nicely they’ll always hook you up with something.” Colt explained as he stood up and walked past Blue to the entrance to the hallway. “I have my own tasks to complete, but these two can likely help you with anything you need in the meantime. Oh, and if you were wondering… I have no idea what Mistress Gianna's plans are for you.” At that, Colt disappeared down the hallway.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Blake forced himself to eat slowly, despite his bodies desire to shovel it in as fast as possible. As he ate the last bit off of his plate and washed it down with the last of his orange juice, he heard the man that had driven him start to speak. He lifted his brown gaze to meet the man's gaze, but said nothing as he spoke, but did crack a small smile and chuckle a little when he said the two cooks could help him stock up his room if he asked nicely.

When Blake saw the man hesitate and eventually turn towards the entrance of the kitchen, he turned his gaze as well. He had of course expected a dog from the sound the steps made on the hardwood, but the size of it was definitely a surprise. He let out another chuckle when the man told him to be nice, but he let his eyes linger on the majestic creature, even as the man started to talk again and got out of his seat.

There was of course one question that Blake had, and he was actually about to voice it, but the man's final words all but answered it, and he simply nodded as the man turned around and exited the room. Blue stayed though, lingering in the middle of the walkway like he owned the place. He cracked another small smile at that thought before finally pushing his chair back and rising to his feet. His hands naturally scooped up his plate and glass, and as he turned his gaze towards the two cooks, Rosalie spoke up. "You can put those in the dishwasher." She said simply as she pointed him in it's direction. He nodded and walked around the table, and heading in that direction. He naturally stopped next to Blue as the creature reached his nose out to sniff at his shoes and leg. He then continued on and opened the dishwasher. "Plates on the bottom. Glasses and bowls on the top and all that." He heard from behind him. He naturally already knew that, but with them not knowing anything about his past and how emaciated he was, he couldn't fault her for the quick reminder.

After breakfast, Blake headed back towards his room, and found it a bit curious when Blue followed him. The dog followed as far as the threshold of his room, which he sniffed at briefly before turning around and walking away. He paid the creature no mind though, and simply laid back on his bed, staring at the ceiling until he drifted off to sleep once more. He ended up missing lunch, but was awake for the latter part of dinner. He was surprised to see that Blue was laying just outside his room, laying against the wall on the other side of the corridor. He knelt down after stepping out of his room, and extended his hand towards the creature. Blue didn't come to him or get up, but did lift his head and look at him for a couple of moments before laying back down.

Blake headed towards the kitchen and was surprised to find that it was empty save for the two cooks. "Well look who it is." Rosalie said as she reached down to grab the last plate that was next to what had certainly been another sizeable spread. "We missed you at lunch." Blake let out a soft chuckle as he stepped forward to take the plate that she held out for him. "It's pretty picked over since lunch and dinner are when people are usually chomping at the bit, but there should be enough for you. Just let us know if it's not or if you want something specific. We try to cook things that the whole group will eat, with each person getting to pick the menu on their birthday. Those cowboys love the vegan food on April's birthday, no matter what they say!" He let out another chuckle, louder this time, as he started to load up his plate.

Blake ate in silence like he had with breakfast, but after he deposited his dishes in the dishwasher and headed for the door, he paused and turned back. "Thank you." He said simply, turning back to meet the elderly woman's gaze before leaving once more. He heard Rosalie's excitement as she talked with the other cook, happy that he'd spoken for the first time since he'd arrived.

The days passed slowly after those first two, with Blake not really knowing what to do with himself, except for meal times. He spent the first few in his room for the most part, briefly wandering out to the staff living room to grab a book and maybe see what the last person had put up on the TV, be it a show or a movie. He then started to spend a bit more time in there, taking advantage of the better seats, lighting, and the distraction that was the occasional person coming in or out. The next couple days came with a bit more boldness, venturing as far as actually turning on the TV and putting an occasional movie in. When somebody else came in and wanted to watch something though, he put up no resistance and simply passed the remote over to them.

The people that came in didn't ask much of Blake, and he didn't really put himself out there either. He just caught a bit of banter here and there, most of it going over his head, but whenever he heard Gianna mentioned, he did take notice. People were saying that her trip was taking longer than expected, and they didn't know when she was coming back. That was about as much as anybody knew, but he still kept his ear tuned, just in case. The only real change after that was from Blue, surprisingly enough. Blake didn't really know when it started, but the large dog had started to lay on the floor next to the couch or chair that he was sitting or laying in when he was in the staff living room. He didn't really think much of it though, but did periodically drop a hand down to pet him.

 

[MsAmative]

Gianna ducked her head as she got off the small private plane, her eyes squinting against the bright light that awaited her outside. As her eyes adjusted she was pleased to see the black town car waiting for her across the pavement. She finally breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the cool leather against her back. The purpose of her trip had been simple enough, but the stud involved? It was much more complicated than she was led to believe. The events of the last week were not exactly eventful, but they were stressful. The extra days away had certainly messed with her timeline for what was going on at home and there was a growing restless that she couldn’t ignore. The view of the ranch as it came into view always brought her a sense of relief and today was certainly not going to be an exception.

It wasn’t until around 2 pm that Gianna finally arrived back at the ranch. Coming in through the rarely used front door, she made a quick lap around the main floor before ending up in her bedroom towards the back of the house. She paused for a moment, grabbing a quick hair tie and clipping the top half of her hair in back of her head and pulling on her boots (which had thankfully been cleaned and conditioned in her absence. While still obviously well worn, she no longer had to feel guilty about making her way through the house in them - at least for now.) Having already assured that she was in fact alone upstairs, she made her way down to the basement. She walked slowly down the corridor, unsure what to really expect. She had made a quick call to the house to let them know she was going to have to extend the trip, but she had not asked for an update of things at the ranch since she didn’t want any other distractions. Her staff were more than capable in her absence, but it did make her wonder what Blake might have spent the last 10 days doing. When she reached the downstairs living room, which was almost halfway, her curiosity truly peaked. All the staff room doors had been closed, including the one that should have been assigned to Blake. That alone wasn’t overly interesting, but where was Blue? It wasn’t strange for him to be down here in the staff quarters, he usually hung out in the kitchen while she was away. Normally by this time he would be bounding down the hallway to see her, having seemingly memorized her gait or the sound of her footfalls. As she rounded the corner into the living room she almost took a half step back, trying to place the head of black hair coming into view. While it really only took what was barely a second it seemed almost a lifetime in that brief moment for her mind to register it. Blake. It was Blake. As she stepped forwards and around the couch she caught a glimpse of Blue, laying there near the feet of the couch. “Looks like Blue made a friend. Huh…” Gianna thought to herself as she took in the sight, as she walked up to the side of the chair and leaned against the arm of the chair. She couldn’t help but but chuckle as she watched Blue contort himself as he tried to turn his body and get up as quickly as his legs could carry him, his pads slightly ever so slightly against the hardwood floor as she tried to partially launch himself towards her.

“Looks like you made a friend” Gianna said out loud, half wondering if she was more to the dog or Blake. She had been ready to say more, but found herself too busy petting and burying her fingers in the dog’s shaggy beard as she scratched his face.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Blake was resting comfortably against the arm of the couch, the TV remote laying in front of him as he let the hosts of Sportscenter ramble on in between highlight clips of this game and that.

The sudden sound of a voice caught him off guard. He hadn't realized that he'd either dozed off or been so lost in his either his own head or the TV that he hadn't even heard somebody approach. The fact that the voice wasn't familiar also caught him a bit off guard. He'd heard the voices of most of the people that worked here, but not this one. He turned his head to see who it was and was surprised once more. "Heh, look who it is. Haven't seen you since you since I got here. Does this mean that Mistress Gianna is back and my blank days are over with?"

 

[MsAmative]

“Yes it has been a bit hasn’t it. Work keeps me busy you know?” Gianna said, not really asking of course as she pondered his question. “MIght mean your days of leisure are over, guess we’ll just have to see.” she quipped.

The small smile that had formed as the two had talked turned into a grin as she exited the living room and continued down the hall towards the kitchen. She was happy to see that things had seemingly gone just fine while she was gone, but she wasn’t particularly expecting to have been thought of as a member of staff when she got back. That was certainly going to make this interesting, she was certainly going to find out how the young man handled a small dose of humiliation soon enough. She caught up with Rosalie and Randy quick enough, they were happy enough to fill her in on the ranch gossip as she sipped a glass of tea at the staff table. It wasn’t really ‘need to know’ information, but she was just happy to be home with Blue’s head on her lap. After their chat she headed back upstairs and into her office, settling into her desk chair with a contented sigh. She had barely had time to boot up her laptop and log in before Colt had appeared, carrying a cup of tea for them both.

“So I know you’re wondering how it went.” Colt said as he eased Gianna’s cup down on the desk before easing himself into one of the plush armchairs off to the side of her desk. “It went fine, I guess.” Colt continued, a questioning lilt edging into his voice. “He didn’t do anything we had to be concerned about. He did the kind of things you’d have expected or asked of him I guess. He washed, he ate, he cleaned up after himself.” He paused, clearing his voice before continuing. “He’d kept to himself. Stayed in his room for somewhere around the first half, before getting more comfortable spending time in the staff room but… he hasn’t really spoken.” Colt waited, trying to calculate his next words. “I mean, he registers that he’s paying attention, so it’s not like he’s lacking understanding or being rude but he’s definitely holding back in some way. I had figured he would have warmed up by the time you got back, at least with Rosalie or Randy but really we haven’t heard anything more than one or two word phrases.”

“So he hasn’t made conversation with anyone at all? That is interesting.” she said, half expecting Colt to retract his comment. Blake had certainly said more than just a word or two to her. Gianna opened her mouth to speak, wanting to speak her thoughts. Her words swirled around in her head instead ‘what makes me so different, does he think somehow that the rest of the staff are on such a different level and that I am not? Or that we are the same where the rest is not?’

“Can you do your daily check in with the ranch hands tonight? You can let them know I’ll be in tomorrow as usual for an update.” Gianna said, trying to pull her thoughts back together. “Oh and bring Blake up after you are done.”

Once Colt had left the room, she turned her attention back to the open laptop in front of her. It didn’t take long for her to sift through her email and find the report that she was looking for. She took a sip of her tea as she waited for it to download and then open automatically. Gianna was somewhat shocked at the short length of it. Granted, Blake was only 18 and really just barely. Based on what she had heard and seen she had somehow expected there to be more. Ultimately, it was likely what she didn’t see what hid behind the lines where the true story laid. The gray areas seemed pretty obvious though, at least in her experience. Grades were there, she’d call it passing. They weren’t terrible but they weren’t signs of massive intellect or book learning. Contract signed on his birthday at the age of 18. While perhaps not uncommon it still signalled danger. The fact that the servantry contract was sold to labor house only highlighted that further. For whatever reason he decided, or felt he had to or was coerced he didn’t get valued at much that was for certain. His previous and only owner had only kept him for 20 days before his title was transferred. It meant that he was likely not in great shape before he ever arrived. Beyond that there really wasn’t much for her sources to find. She couldn’t help but wonder if “difficult” just meant unable. But what did this mean for him here? She knew it was already obvious to her staff that he was an impulse buy, but she couldn’t even figure out what impulse made her decide to do it. Did she anticipate the sob story? Did she think she was somehow rescuing him at the time, or was she just bored? Either way she’d have to figure out not just his place here (if there even was one) but his place in life, something much easier said than done.

Gianna picked up her cup of tea with her left hand as she turned her head to look at the clock. By this time the two would likely be on their way to her office or would be shortly. It really only took her a moment to cross the room and sit down in one of the armchairs which sat in a conversation grouping off to the left of her desk. She sat her cup down gently on the table between the two chairs, taking a moment to adjust jeans before crossing her legs and then gently straightening the tied white collared shift which she had tied at the front and left open just enough to hint what was hidden underneath the crisp fabric. Satisfied she cradled her mug of tea in her hands as Blue flopped down at her feet. When the two finally appeared she nodded to Colt, who turned and stepped out after escorting Blake halfway into the room.

“Come,” Gianna said, beckoning Blake to sit in the empty chair. She waited until he seemed to be seated comfortably before she continued. “While we never officially met at your arrival, I am Gianna. You can call me Mistress Gianna. I apologize if there was any earlier confusion, normally we would have met at your arrival but timing was different than we anticipated. I am sure this has given you a lot of time to question what your role is here?”

 

[Lucian_Devine]

The conversation with who Blake assumed was April was brief, but it did at least confirm for him that whoever this Mistress Gianna was, she was back, and he was likely about to be put to work, or so she thought. Sadly though, there was nothing for Blake to do about it for now. He simply remained on the couch, flipping through the channels. Normally he'd go grab another movie, but he suspected that he wasn't going to have that kind of time.

While he was ultimately correct in thinking that he wouldn't have time for a movie, it did take a bit longer than Blake expected for somebody to come and tell him that Mistress Gianna wanted to see him. Where anybody who had been around him at his previous place of "employment" would have assumed that he'd resist and have to be dragged kicking and screaming, Blake chose the opposite. While he did detest the circumstances that brought him to this point, he was not a petulant child, acting out at every turn just because he could. No, he was a victim of circumstance yes, but lashing out at every person he came across wouldn't accomplish anything at all. There was only one way for there to even be a chance of a happy ending, and it started with being able to plead his case without having already given people a reason to doubt or despite him.

And so Blake walked, following behind Colt as he was led past the end of the employee area that had been his previous boundary, and into the main section of the house. He was led up the large staircase and down a short hallway into what he could already tell was an office, just from the view of the desk from down the hallway.

Colt entered the office first, leading Blake in before stepping sideways and waiting by the door. Blake's eyes scanned the room. He of course saw nobody sitting behind the desk, and just April sitting in one of the chairs clustered to one side. He opened his mouth to speak, but was beaten to the punch by the single word command that came with a gesture towards one of the empty chairs. It was at exactly that moment that he remembered that he didn't actually know that this woman was in fact April or not.

Blake's eyes flicked back and forth a couple of times as he tried to swallow the large lump that seemed to have formed in his throat. He did eventually start walking though, slow and measured steps as he let his gaze study the woman he was approaching and eventually sitting across from. Her eyes betrayed nothing though, making him no closer to figuring out her true identity until he was at last sitting in the chair that she'd gestured to. He swallowed hard and was about to open his mouth to speak before she beat him to the punch once more. His heart sank as she confirmed that she was not in fact April, but Gianna, leaving him at a loss. With the title that Colt had used, he'd naturally expected her to be...older. Sure, she was older than him, but not as old as he'd expected her to be.

While he'd of course heard Gianna's words, Blake didn't respond right away. His dark brown gaze dropped from her lighter one as his fingers fidgeted with the bottom hem of his shorts. He'd thought about what he wanted to say to her a fair bit while she'd been gone, but with the surprise that was her age and appearance, all of those words were now lost to him.

"I didn't get the best look of the place as we drove up, but with it being a ranch of some sort I'd have to assume you intend me to do physical labor, working for food and board until I die or my contract expires. Does that just about sum it up?"

While Blakes tone hadn't changed as he spoke, when his gaze lifted to meet hers once more, there was no hesitation or fear. He'd been prepared to beaten to death or starved before, and was just as prepared now. He didn't give a shit what his contract said. He was nobodies slave.

 

[MsAmative]

The few short moments that it took Blake to cross the room and take a seat felt palpable. Gianna couldn’t help but feel like she could sense the hesitation in his subtle movements. She could only hope that by speaking first she could help relieve at least some of it. She watched silently as she let her words hang, allowing him time to speak while also watching him fidget ever so slightly out of the corner of her eye. When he did speak, she wasn’t overly surprised by his assumptions. She tried to keep her face relatively neutral as he spoke, but she figured there was likely a bit of amusement that couldn’t be hidden in her eyes that he might not overlook as he brought his gaze to hers as he finished. There was still a will there that had been yet to be broken, and that said almost all that she needed.

“That is a fair assumption to make, given what little you have seen.” Gianna said with a nod. She paused, somewhat for effect but also to choose her words carefully. “What you wouldn’t know simply by looking is that all my labourers are here by choice. Some of them have come here under contract and chose to stay once the contact was complete, but a vast majority of the staff here are simply willing employees.” Gianna paused, taking a sip of her tea to let her words sink in. “I don’t know much about your life. I won’t try and pretend I understand although I can certainly try and empathize. I know by your paperwork that you signed a lifetime contract as you turned 18, and that you signed it directly over to a company that you then refused to cooperate for. It doesn’t take much reaching for me to think that you didn’t exactly make that choice completely willingly, and you obviously had no choice in the sale of your contract now.” She continued, replacing her cup upon the table. “I cannot simply end your contract today, no matter what your story is… although I would like to hear it if you are willing at some point. What I do want to offer you today is choice, much more than you’d have anywhere else. I train many slaves each year, and I am known for the quality of my placements. My method is different because I give all of you a choice, to choose your path. To dream high even. I cannot fix your past but I can help you choose your own future, within reason. It doesn’t have to be hard labor or even sex work. I have a select few who have dreamed high and put in the effort, and have now become nurses or office managers, and even a veterinarian. So my question for you now is, what do you want?

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Blake's gaze remained steady as Gianna spoke, and even his body didn't twitch, even when she confirmed his suspicion about her purpose for him. As touching as her second batch of words were though, he knew that they didn't pertain to him, so it was hard for him to care all that much. If she was going to be just like the last guy, then he was going to do the same, regardless of the consequences.

As Gianna paused and took a sip of her tea, Blake did let his eyes blink. He was of course tempted to verbally lash out, but it wouldn't accomplish anything. So even as his rage slowly started to build, knowing that his fate had only been delayed didn't cause him to lose himself as many would have.

Blake's otherwise stoic demeanor did flinch briefly when he heard Gianna talk about a lifetime contract. The look in his eyes didn't change though, not until he heard her say that she knew that he'd signed himself away and then refused to work for the person he'd signed himself to. It brought a question to his mind. Most of the words she spoke after saying that she couldn't end his contract fell upon relatively deaf ears. The word choice did cause him to lift a single eyebrow in response, and the mention of sex work brought a clearly perplexed look to his face as both brows furrowed briefly. What the hell was this chick into?

Gianna's final words were a question, a question that hung in the air like a fog. The anger that had filled Blake just moments ago drifted away as he tried to think of an answer. His gaze dropped from hers as he shook his head and slowly rose to his feet.

"Truthfully..." Blake started as he turned around and walked towards her desk, past it, and stood in front of the wall of windows that was behind it. "I have no idea..." His tongue flicked over his lips as he tried to focus. I mean shit, what did he want? "In the span of a single month I graduated from high school, had a birthday, got drunk, tricked, sold, beaten, starved, and sold again..."

Blake paused then, turning back around to face Gianna. "I don't know if want is the word, but I guess I'd have to say I need time to think about it." His gaze swapped from contemplative to serious then as he spoke once more. "Before we get to that though, I have a question. If you knew that I didn't cooperate with the last guy, why did you buy me, knowing I'd probably do the same thing with you?"

 

[MsAmative]

Gianna watched Blake slowly cross the room to the windows behind her, her legs slowly uncrossing as she brought her leg to the floor so her body could follow her head. She didn't truthfully feel the need to study him so intently, she had assumed there must be some kind of anger hidden behind his seeming calm facade, but there wasn't much that he could really do here besides launch himself or an item at her. She let her eyes flick occasionally back to ground besides her, knowing that the most accurate barometer of danger was Blue who was still lounging at her feet. She could almost palpate the uncertainty of his words as he answered her question. Still... his question back to her caught her off guard.

"Why? That is a good question." Gianna paused, contemplating how much honesty she should give him. "I have contacts that alert me when suitable candidates come up for auction. You were flagged as a potential interest for me. I often purchase those that are unwanted, for an investment. The life you left is only the beginning of the possible hells that someone is in your position could end up in. There are only a few types of people who purchase someone listed as difficult as you were. You might be surprised to hear that you were ultimately one of the most expensive items at the auction, but its not because you were valued highly. Its simply because you'd be the most fun to torture and break. Many of the days bidders would have no concern for your life at the end of it." She paused, mentally shedding the reality of what could have been from her mind. "You may think me arrogant but I like to think that even in this world and in these circumstances people still have value. I'd had hoped that at least here you could learn that life still had at least some choice, and that perhaps happiness could still be one of them."

Out of the corner of her eye Gianna could see Colts' form enter the doorway once again.

"If you don't have any other questions, I think it's just about time for dinner downstairs. Colt can bring you back down, and perhaps you can have some time to think about what you want." Gianna remarked as she stood up and walked slowly to where Blake was now standing near the window. "I think you've spent enough time indoors as well. Tomorrow you can spend the morning shadowing Charlie in the stables. I want to be clear here, that you are not expected to do more than observe. This is not training for you to take his place or assist him, only as a way for you to get out, get some sun and some fresh air and who knows... maybe socialize a bit. If Blue likes you maybe the other animals will as well. You can see me in the afternoon with any questions you have after your appointment with the Doctor. Your cooperation would be appreciated, maybe even rewarded."

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Hearing Gianna briefly outline what could have happened to him after the "stunt" he'd pulled at the previous place had a rather sobering effect. It was true that he knew that he could only die or be killed once, but he'd never really considered that someone would purchase somebody expressly for that purpose. It made the laws themselves seem that much more stupid, though he doubted that the filthy rich people who did such things considered them so.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught Blake's attention. He saw Colt standing near the doorway and assumed that this visit of his was coming to an end. He heard
Gianna starting to speak again, and he shook his head at the first part, communicating that he had no more questions. He watched her as she got up and walked closer to him. She spoke about what he was going to be doing the next day, but made sure that he understood that nothing except observation was expected from him. There was of course no telling how long that would last, but he certainly wasn't going to complain.

The one thing about the conversation with Gianna that did catch Blake a bit off guard was actually the mention of him having an appointment to see a doctor. There had never been any talk about him seeing a doctor, even when he showed up as malnourished and emaciated as he did. Still, he simply nodded, turned towards the door, and walked towards it. Colt led him out the door, down the hall to the staircase that led him back down to the staff quarters.

It was at the bottom of the staircase that Blake stopped following Colt. The older man headed for the kitchen, but he headed towards his room. He couldn't really say why, but he felt anxious about the tomorrow. That anxiety had stolen his hunger, leaving him wanting nothing more than a shower and to sleep.

While the shower proved easy enough for Blake, it was the sleeping part that didn't go so well. He tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable knowing that physical comfort wasn't the problem. He tried for hours before finally forcing himself to get up, this time on account of his stomach growling. It was without a doubt the worst night he'd had since he'd arrived, and it only got worse when he looked at the clock and realized he still had a couple of hours before breakfast. Still, there was nothing to be done about it. So he let out a heavy sigh, dressed in just a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, left his room, and headed for the staff kitchen. If he was lucky Rosalie or Randy would already be awake and willing to make him something before starting on the rest of breakfast.

 

[MsAmative]

For Gianna, the night went on in it's usual way. When she awoke to the sun coming above the trees and into her bedroom, she couldn't help but think of the day ahead of her. Her conversation with Blake the day before had really given very little insight. She hoped that he would cooperate, but only time would tell. Knowing that she would be expected soon on the other side of the ranch she took a moment to quickly get herself together for the day. It did not take her long to pull on a pair of her well worn jeans and grab a navy long sleeve 1/4 zip shirt to protect her from the sun. Gianna walked quickly through the large great room and kitchen on the first level and into the mud room. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim light in the attached closet, but she found her boots easily enough before grabbing a black insulated vest as she walked out the door and into the yard. She took her time as she walked the half a mile to the house's stable for the first time in almost two weeks. As much as she was looking forward to getting back out she couldn't help but appreciate the stillness that this part of the morning still possessed. With as much as she now sometimes managed, being first in the stable was becoming an unusual occurrence.

Gianna walked slowly through both of the sections that made up the U-shaped building, taking notes of any condition updates listed on some of the newer rescues. Oatley, her intended companion for the morning was waiting in his stall and the subtle smile that crossed his face as he spotted her never failed to put a foolish grin on her face. She took her time getting their gear ready, and was pleasantly surprised to see the silhouettes of Blake and Charlie make their way into the barn as she led Oatley out of the other end of the aisle. She waved briefly to acknowledge their presence as she mounted her draft mix and headed off down the path.

---

Charlie sighed as he made his way towards the kitchen in the big house. He felt his own sense of dread when Colt had stopped by the stable the day before, letting him know that Ms. Gianna wanted him to “work” with the new guy. Well if you’d want to call it work, it sounded a lot more like babysitting to him and he hoped it wasn’t going to mean a lot of extra work for him. He was pleasantly surprised to walk into the kitchen and find an unfamiliar man sitting at the staff table. Seemed fair to assume that must have been this new “Blake”, and at least he didn’t have to deal with waking him up at this early hour.

“You must be Blake?” Charlie asked as he leaned against the doorway. “Ready to go?”

Once the two had exited the big house, Charlie made his attempt at being a good tour guide.

“So I guess you haven’t had a chance to see much… The stables are off to the right here from the house. Further down the road over here” Charlie paused, extending his left arm out to the service road that continued to
the right in front of the stables and then beyond “is a bunch of storage, and there are a couple of pastures behind them and some other animals. Out past the pastures are a bunch of service roads, and a couple miles down that way are the other staff quarters and all the grazing land.” As they grew closer to the entrance of the stables he could see a figure coming around the corner leading a horse. It only took a moment for him to register the feminine silhouette, and he raised his hand in recognition. “Looks like Ms. Gianna is on her way out already. I don’t know how much you know about animals or horses, but my first task of the day is food.” Charlie continued to walk through the barn, past the first 6 stalls that made up the first half of the barn and into the large storeroom where the feed and hay were stored. By the time Blake had made his leisurely way to the storeroom Charlie was already working the cart out the doorway and into the aisle, watching intently as the stacked hay swayed slightly as the cart rounded the corner. “I always start on this side” Charlie said, trying to make an effort to explain as he cocked his head towards the second row of stalls on the other side. “Ms. Gianna's horses get placed on the far end near the stable manager’s office. I like to make them priority. I suppose in essence they are all hers?” He stated, not bothering to actually make it a true question. “She tends to purchase, retrain and re home but she has some that she has a lot of personal attachment to so they’re important.” The silence hung for a while as Charlie made his way down through all of the six stalls before he felt forced to try and break it.

“So, have they uh… been friendly enough?” Charlie eventually spit out, only half waiting for a response before he felt himself continuing. “Rosalie and Randy are nice enough. I like to think most of us are pretty friendly.” He tried, but couldn’t stop himself from rambling, semi caught up in his own thoughts, “There has definitely been some talk about you though, at least among the ranch hands. She doesn’t normally buy anybody this time of year so they have been having fun speculation as to why she got you. If they say anything to you if they come by this morning just… just ignore them. They're just jealous. A lot of them would give anything to get a lot of her attention and even more if they managed to get in her bed.” Charlie trailed off, wondering if he had perhaps said too much or… maybe not enough.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

A voice speaking to him from the doorway pulled Blake out of his own head. "As ready as I can be..." He said simply to the man he saw standing in the doorway. The guy looked to be in his early to mid twenties, so older than Blake, but far from old.

Blake followed Charlie out of the house and let his gaze follow the man's directions, taking note of what was where, in case he ended up on stable duty in the near future. He didn't say much as the man talked, but simply listened while making sure he kept up with him as he walked. He knew that he wasn't going to be doing any actual work today, but he still didn't want to hold up the other man any more than was absolutely necessary.

Charlie's waving gesture brought what Blake quickly understood to be Gianna's silhouette leading a horse around a corner. "How does she even have time for that?" Blake asked, more rhetorically than anything. "I figured she'd be too busy managing all of this...everything..." Blake lifted his hands as he spoke, gesturing towards the land that they were on and everything on it. He didn't really expect an answer from Charlie, and simply followed the man as he went about his normal morning routine.

The presence of Gianna, even as brief as it was, shifted Blake's mindset once more. He'd almost forgotten about the choice that he would have to make later today, but now it, and everything it could mean, flooded back into his head. He fell behind Charlie a bit as he was lost in his thoughts, but caught back up with the man at the large storeroom.

Even with his mind in the distracted fog that it was, Blake heard Charlie's words about Gianna's horses, and it caught him off guard. Not only did she have time to ride while maintaining her normal responsibilities, but she also trained, retrained, rehomed, and had time to develop a personal connection with them. He paused mid stride as he realized that his situation wasn't all that different. He shook his head and tried to focus on Charlie once more, hoping the thoughts would just fade away.

Charlie's next tangent actually caught Blake off guard. He'd been pretty matter-of-fact about where they were, what they were doing and why. Hearing him talk about the rumors that Blake's presence had caused a soft chuckle from him, one that he hoped would help mask how weirded out he was by them.

"Heh, I'd tell you if I knew, but she doesn't even know what to do with me. She rescued me out of the kindness of her heart, but paid a pretty penny for it. She talked a bit about what others have done with their time here, but I don't really have the knowledge to be a veterinarian or a doctor, and I've never worked with animals like this either."

It felt strangely good for Blake to voice his situation, and he even went one step further. "I mean shit man, she even offered to let me choose my own path. She said it didn't have to be hard labor or sex work, and while I'm grateful it's not the first, I don't even know what the second one entails, or anything else for that matter. I'm meeting her later with my decision, but I haven't got a fucking clue of what to say. I'm eighteen, fresh out of high school, thrown into this shit, and supposed to think about the future?"

Blake let his words trail off then. He hadn't really intended to say as much as he had, but once he got going, he couldn't stop himself. Hell, he'd almost forgotten to breathe as he was ranting, and when he was finally done he just let his back fall into the heavy wooden wall.

 

[MsAmative]

Charlie found himself hesitating as Blake started to speak, trying to hide or at least had hopefully managed to hide a lot of the shock that came along with hearing what was being shared. He definitely felt blessed to have been facing away from him as he spoke because lord knew what his face was saying. While Charlie had worked for the family for several years, most of the employees really only knew a tiny bit of what went on behind closed doors. Rumors here and there mostly, they all sort of “knew” but didn’t really understand the scope of it. With it hitting him right in the face Charlie couldn’t help but feel a bit blindsided. He hadn’t expected the day to go quite this way, so he let autopilot take over a bit as he tried to form a cohesive comment in his head. By the time he had worked up a response they had reached the other line of stalls on the other side of the barn, and he took the opportunity to disappear slightly behind the confines of the stall before commenting to hide his face.

“Well, that sounds like a bit of a conundrum. This kind of work has always been in my life, I don’t know much beyond it. Never really thought about choice or direction in my life at this point. Kind of that old saying of make the best where you are planted. I guess?” Charlie said, keeping his eyes on the ground as he exited the first stall and moved on to the next. “Wish I could offer you some kind of advice. I can say that in all my contact with her, Gianna has always seemed pretty fair, and reasonable. I honestly don’t know where she gets her patience from because I’ve watched her sometimes and it seems endless. She always seems to give back respect when it’s been given to her, I think it is why she is so successful with the animals. Maybe honesty in this case is your best bet, even if that means saying you don’t know.” By the time he finished speaking he had only one left.
“If you need some time to think to yourself you can head out to the next building behind the barn. I already cleaned out the dog kennels, so it’s nice and fresh in there and there is a bench to sit on. They’re all friendly if you want to open up one of the runs and pet one, just make sure the door is closed. We’ve even got a litter of puppies at the moment too. You can always head back to the kitchen by yourself when it’s time for lunch. It’s not like she wanted you to help me, so you don’t really have to be my shadow. Just don’t do anything stupid alright?”

 

[Lucian_Devine]

While it had felt good to give the thoughts that swarmed his mind a voice, it really didn't do much to help Blake with the decision he'd have to make. He couldn't fault Charlie's logic though, and it wasn't the first time that he'd wished things had been different for him growing up. His parents had never really been cruel, until recently of course, but they naturally hadn't been the kind of parents that showered him with attention, praise, or even discipline. They'd simply existed in his life, much as he'd existed in each other's lives.

When the opportunity to be alone with his thoughts was presented to him, Blake gladly took it. He'd of course offered up a sift chuckle and nodded to the man, signifying that he would not in fact do anything stupid. He followed Charlie's directions to the building that the dogs were in. It was a sizeable building to be sure, though not quite so big as the barn he'd just been in. There were a fair few kennels lining three of the walls, with a doggy door in the back of them that likely led to their own personal run. The rest of the building was basically a large and open space for them to playing or training with a variety of things to comfortably sit on and just observe.

https://www.attaboykennels.com/facility/files/stacks-image-fa1f36c.jpg

The place was loud to be sure, at first anyway, but after a while you just got used to the noise. Blake sat on a long bench in the center of the large open space. He simply looked around, taking in the wide variety of breeds that were in the kennel. Most of the dogs were in pretty good condition, but it wasn't hard to find the ones that were rescues. It was impossible for him to not eventually stand up and wander over towards the kennels. He pressed his hand against the chain link fence that separated him from the animals, letting them sniff it before he moved on to the next one.

The dog that caught Blake's eye was in fact one of the rescues, a rescued husky. She wasn't a puppy, by the looks of it, but she had clearly been neglected. Blake sat down next to the kennel after letting the dog sniff his hand. He'd checked the plastic tag on the kennel, and knew the dog's name was Peaches. Peaches had naturally been hesitant to do much more than barely sniff his hand while he'd been standing, but when he sat down and left his hand against the chain, she did become a bit more confident.

As Blake lingered there and let his fingers absently glide over Peaches' fur when she got close enough for it, Blake let his mind wander. He still had no idea what he was going to say to Mistress Gianna. He did like animals, but not nearly so much as to become a vet or even a trainer. He naturally had no interest in studying to become a nurse or a doctor either, mostly because of the time and schooling that would take. He was only eighteen after all. Future plans and long-term thoughts hadn't even begun to cross his mind.

Blakes hands moved to the latch on Peaches' kennel almost without him noticing it. He lifted the latch and move it aside, allowing the door to swing open, Peaches stepped back as the door opened, but when Blake made no attempt to move, she slowly stepped forward. When she was finally within reach, he lifted his hands slowly, not wanting to spook her while also seeing if she would let him pet her.

 

[MsAmative]

After Charlie had gone about his usual morning chores he couldn't help but take a quick look at the clock. His usual timing would put finishing just before Noon, so he wasn't particularly surprised to find that it was about a quarter after. After putting his gear back in the storage room he swung by the kennels, not wanting to walk in for lunch without knowing that Blake should already be there. He tried to ignore the touch of anxiety in his stomach as he headed towards the kennels. Blake would be there... right? As he pushed the door forwards and stuck his head around the door he could feel the slight relief wash over him as he saw Blake sitting calmly.

"Time for lunch?" Charlie called out, keeping his voice on the softer side in hopes he wouldn't startle him as he hadn't looked up towards the door just yet.


-------

Gianna could tell that it was around noon based on a quick glimpse of the sun high in the sky as she rode back towards the main house. It could have been as simple as sending an email to have gotten her update, but she loved this excuse. Not only did it help her stay an actual person in her employees lives but it brought her back to the simpler times when work was less stressful and even... fun. She'd happily spend a day out here anytime, and she had let herself loose track of time as she pitched in. As the crew started to wrap up to head off for their own lunch she made her way back towards the main house. She wasn't surprised to see the stable empty when she returned, Charlie was often at lunch or heading that way around this time. It was easy enough to situate everything herself and head back home after a quick glance at the clock. With it being a quarter to one she could easily make some assumptions about people and places. Charlie should have likely brought Blake back to the main house about a half hour or so ago, the physician should be arriving sometime in the next ten to fifteen... it would likely be easier and less stressful for her to skip going through the staff quarters this afternoon. She made her way into the first floor and down her hallway before encountering anyone which was exactly her intention. After a short conversation about lunch in her office she was more than happy to find herself peeling off her dusty clothes and stepping into a wonderfully hot shower. She had momentarily forgotten just how wonderful it was to be back home with all of her favorite products and she lingered for a moment to pamper herself, emerging newly invigorated and smelling softly of tropical fruit and sandalwood. After wrapping herself in a towel and gently towel drying her hair which hung in loose slightly damp curls down her back she moved into her closet. She paused, debating slightly between caring about how she presented herself or dressing for comfort. Effectually choosing the later, she gently pulled off a cotton wrap sundress off the hanger, stopping only to pull out a pair of similarly colored panties from their respective drawer before dressing. She did pause, if only for a second to approve of the image before her in the floor to ceiling mirror in her closet. The blue bandanna inspired dress hit in the all the right places, clinging to her curves and enhancing her bust without actually showing too much skin while the skirt hid or revealed as much skin as she desired. Purely comfortable with whatever edge she might need to or want to play with seemed perfect. Her stroll down the hallway to her office was leisurely, and the sight of Blue sunning himself in the sunlight from her office window only brightened her mood further. After grabbing her small lunch from the middle of her desk she sat down in the chair nearest the window beside Blue and ate happily. By the time her lunch plate had disappeared back down the hall she knew she did not have long to wait. After crossing her legs and letting the fabric of her dress fall to the side she pulled her phone from the table, slowly working her way through her business emails as she waited for Blake to arrive.

When she heard the faint sound of footfalls in the hallway outside her office she looked up, waiting for Colt and Blake to come into view. She watched Blake enter the room, only looking away to nod to Colt that he could close the door behind him as he left. She waited for a long moment, unsure if Blake had a desire to speak first.

"Have you thought about any desire to control your own future?" Gianna asked, slowly and seriously.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Blake's heart had actually skipped a beat when Peaches not only came close enough for him to pet her but allowed him to pet her. From that moment on any sense of time was lost to him. He just sat there and pet her as his mind continued to try and wrap itself around the position he was in and the choice that he was expected to make.

The sound of Charlie's voice pulled Blake out of his own head. Even if it hadn't distracted him though, Peaches reaction would have been enough. She immediately retreated back into her kennel when she heard his voice. Hw naturally turned his head back to the man and nodded before slowly rising to his feet. His hand went first to the latch on Peaches crate, securing it in place once more before turning to walk towards and eventually follow the man.

Blake walked and eventually ate in silence, letting his mind wander as he simply went about his day like he had the past week or so. When he did finish eating, he kept to the silence that the majority of the staff was already used to and just put his dishes in the dishwasher. Colt had been eating with everybody else, and finished before him, unsurprisingly. He got Blake/s attention and told him to wait in his room, and the doctor would be there shortly to administer the physical.

The physical itself was clinical enough with no real surprises. What did surprise him though, was what came after. When the doctor left the room a nurse entered and drew several vials of blood. He didn't offer any more objection to her than he had the doctor, even if he did find it a bit odd. They hadn't even drawn blood to check for one illness or another when he'd arrived as malnourished as he had. Why did they do it now? He did have one idea as to why they would draw blood and what they might be checking for, but it seemed unlikely if he wasn't going to be forced to do it, which Gianna had promised him.

When the nurse left there was another knock on the door. Blake didn't have to guess who it was this time though, and he gave Colt permission to open the door. He followed the man just as he'd done the previous day. The door to Gianna's office was open this time, and rather than leading him inside, Colt stepped aside and followed Blake inside, only leaving when Gianna gestured him to do so.

As he waited for Gianna to speak, Blake couldn't help but notice and appreciate the outfit that she'd chosen to wear. It was different from the ones he'd seen her wear before, and it suited her nicely.

Gianna naturally spoke first, and Blake's gaze dropped from hers as he contemplated it alongside his earlier suspicion. Her question was voiced with a slow seriousness that he also wasn't quite used to from her. He swallowed hard as he tried to think once more of an appropriate answer for her, but came up empty as he'd done before.

"It's been impossible to think of anything else as it were..." Blake said slowly, trying to choose his words carefully.. He knew now the kind of fate that might befall him if he disappointed her. "I spent time with the Charlie, the horses, and even the dogs today, but I just can't see myself being a vet, a doctor, or even a trainer." He slowly walked forward as he spoke, trying to keep his gaze locked with Gianna's rather than stray to the leg the body that her outfit so perfectly accentuated.

Blake sat down across from Gianna just as he'd done yesterday. He swallowed hard once more as he leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. "I do have a question though. In the absence of other choices I can't help but be...curious I guess...about the sex work you mentioned before. I know you said that you wouldn't force it or hard labor upon me, but it's hard to not be curious." His eyes closed briefly as he tried to formulate his focus his thoughts and give them a proper voice.

"I know a fair few guys my age who might enjoy being a man whore so to speak, especially if they can get paid for it, in a way at least. I'm not trying to commit to the choice, but I can't deny my curiosity..."

 

[MsAmative]

Gianna’s gaze remained steady as Blake walked into the room, somewhat unsure on how to read the body language he was presenting. As she watched him slowly answer, or at least attempt to it all made sense. His body language could only give away his own uncertainty. It wasn’t really a surprise, he had likely never given much thought to a future before now and he wouldn’t be the first nor the last to be unsure of what was to come. His words though, it did make her wonder how much of her question he really understood. When he sat down beside her and continued she had to stifle a laugh, although she supposed it made some sense. Of all the things she touched on it would be one of the things he could understand, even if his curiosity just showed how naive the young man still was. With his gaze no longer on her face but not quite at the floor she could make an easy guess what he was thinking.

“I can consider this an answer to my question, at least for now.” Gianna said softly, letting her words sink in before continuing. “I will be clear that the suggestions I made were certainly not your only options. I could likely find you a place that would at least” she said, hesitating slightly for the best wording “partly fit most jobs you might have found yourself a few months ago. Some find that their owners will require more than one type of service regardless.” Gianna shifted in her chair angling her body so that she could see him full on, inadvertently allowing the fabric to slide down the side of her thigh.

“There will be things you need to learn regardless of the choice you eventually make or that I make for you. There will be a certain etiquette you must learn, and customs you must keep. Your curiosity ironically lies in what is likely the hardest path for you to choose. I can certainly understand how the desires of someone your age would make it seem like a rather splendid idea, it will ultimately require you to completely accept that your body is really no longer your own. I will give you a year. A year to grow and learn and at the end of the year you can tell me if you have a different answer to this question. If your request is reasonable or something I deem obtainable then it will be granted. In the interim you will learn the basics.” Gianna stopped, waiting for some signal that he was really listening before she continued.

“I want you to understand that I have, and will attempt to give you as much understanding and empathy that I can. I have recognized that you may not have walked into this life with as much understanding as others. I cannot give that back to you, and I cannot undo what others have already inflicted. Knowing your brief history I have given you more leeway and freedom than I would have otherwise, but from this moment onwards you will have to make an attempt to learn your new role. I will be understanding, and I will treat you with empathy - but your actions will have either rewards or consequences from here on out. Do you understand?” She asked, waiting until he responded before slowly getting to her feet and making her way across the room and back around her large desk. She did not look back towards Blake until she was sitting in her office chair and bringing her computer back to life.

“Your first lesson will begin now. There is a small cushion in the cabinet next to the window on the right hand side. You place the cushion on the floor to my right.” Gianna paused, hoping her serious and careful tone she chose would raise no argument as she watched his face. “You will need to learn to be still and be silent. You will eventually be required to kneel, but since I know you are unaccustomed I will allow you to kneel for the first 10 minutes on the hours and sit as you wish for the remainder, provided you stay quiet and do not draw attention to yourself and do not speak unless prompted. Do you understand?”

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Blakes eyes naturally opened when Gianna started to speak. Her tone was soft, but her words were clearly chosen carefully and spoken deliberately. He appreciated knowing that other options might yet be available to him, even if it might take a year for them to become so.

Blake held Gianna's gaze as she spoke, but when she stopped speaking and shifted in her seat, turning more fully to him. Her leg slipped free of the clothes that tried to hide it, and his brown gaze was naturally drawn to that movement and the flawlessly tanned leg that caused it. His gaze lingered on it for a moment before he caught himself, shaking his head and closing his eyes briefly as he lifted his gaze. When his eyes opened again though, they caught the briefest hint of cleavage that her top allowed before he shook his head and sat up straight to meet her gaze once more.

When Blake was finally fully focused on Gianna and what she was saying. He nodded in affirmation each time she paused for him to do so, letting her know that he was still with her so far.

It was tough to know what he'd really expected after he told Gianna his choice, but the first command that came was definitely not it. Sure, Blake knew that forced kneeling was often a power play, especially in the bedroom, but he didn't really get why she, or people in general, demanded it during normal day hours. Still, despite his reservations, Blake did stand up and move to the cabinet that she'd described, found the cushion, and brought it to where she'd told him to.

Blake set the cushion down and thought on her words, noting that Gianna hadn't actually said which way to face. He knew it was somewhat of a risk, but when he settled on his knees on the cushion, he chose to face the wall of windows, giving him something to look at and make the task of staying still and silent easier.

As the minutes ticked away, Blake was curious if Gianna was going to tell him when the first ten were up and he was free to move around and speak, or if he was just free to do so. There was a clock within his field of view, making the issue of time easy enough. He waited out the first ten after he was settled in place, and when she didn't say anything, he waited out a few more, just in case.

Even when he shifted to a more comfortable sitting position, with his legs crossed, Blake was unsure of whether or not he wanted to speak. Still, given what he'd just done, he did have a question for her.

"There was something I always wondered when it came to the kneeling." Blake started as he let his gaze linger on the view through the windows, pausing for a moment before continuing. "I understand the purpose in the bedroom, but what's the point of it outside of the bedroom?"

 

[MsAmative]

Gianna watched Blake out of the corner of her eye as he set up the pillow as she had asked next to the desk. She couldn’t help but wonder what decisions he would make for the finer details she didn’t bother to dictate. A small smile crossed her face as she watched him face away from her and towards the window, and assumed he was looking out across the patio and to the garden beyond. She had no issue with him not paying attention to her presence, there was plenty of time for that in the future when she might actually need to micromanage him to perfect things. Now that he had settled, she began pulling up what she needed to to accomplish her own tasks for the day. It was easy enough to watch the clock as she waited for all the necessary paperwork to load, she found it curious when he did not move immediately - but it was hard to really be surprised that he was making sure he had followed that part correctly. Ultimately she was glad he waited longer than necessary, having to reprimand him was something she’d rather not do at this point. With that time passed though, she did turn her attention back to her computer knowing that him doing anything beyond what she asked of him would easily draw her attention since he was almost within reaching distance. When Blake’s voice cut through the thick silence in the room she was almost thrown off guard. As she listened thoroughly to his question she had to wonder if she wanted to dignify it with an answer. She did ask him to be silent, would she be rewarding his impertinence by educating him? If she waited until she wanted to answer in her own time would she have missed the opportunity for him to have true understanding? Neither option was faultless.

“Since your question is a reasonable one, I will answer it” Gianna said, as she turned her chair in his direction. “Even if I did expect you to follow my directions, which did include being silent unless you were spoken to first.” She let her words hang as she decided on what was the most important to focus on. “The reason you are learning to kneel is not particularly location or situation based. It is culture related, or more specifically, part of a set of manners you will be required to learn. There will be expectations for your behavior, rules that you will have to follow - unless you are told otherwise much like your parents and other adults taught you as a child. This is simply a new set for a different kind of role. If you are assuming that you would kneel in the bedroom as a display of power or submission, you aren’t entirely wrong. There is an undercurrent of that here, with how people will see and what they will expect from you. When you leave here, these mannerisms can determine not only your day… but the quality and path for your life.” She waited, watching him silently through the warped image reflected in the window. After several moments passed with no other response she turned back to her desk and got to work.

The rest of the hour seemed to pass rather quickly once she got back on task. It ended up being Blake’s own movement out of the corner of her eye that caused her to acknowledge the time change. She let herself be momentarily distracted, watching the clock as she waited to see how he would react and if he would stay on his own task. Thankfully he did, complete with continued silence, save for the soft sound of his own breathing. By the time her work was done Blake had completed the cycle 3 times, without complaint. Other than his one question, which she had a hard time really faulting him for - he had done quite well and she could not stop herself from hoping this might be an upward trend.

“You did well,” Gianna said as she stood slowly from her chair. “You are dismissed for the rest of the day, you can spend it how you wish for the rest of the evening. I will have Colt come and get you in the morning. Is it safe for me to assume you remember the way back?” She asked simply.

She waited for him to get up and leave the room before she disappeared to her own quarters for the rest of the night.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Blake was actually caught off guard when Gianna mentioned the silence that was expected of him. He had of course heard the word when she said it before, but he didn't know that it applied now, when the two of them were alone in the room. He didn't utter a word of protest though, knowing that ultimately it didn't matter. Still, he was thankful that she had answered the question that he posed to her. It gave him something to think about over what ended up being the next 3 hours.

The hardest part of Blake's time sitting and kneeling beside Gianna of course had to be occupying his mind while also being aware of the time. His mistake the first time had been an unintentional one, and he didn't want to make a habit of it now, knowing that this was going to be the easiest part. He had only the vaguest idea what Gianna had planned for him in the future, and even that idea was only from his knowledge of the more extreme and cliché representations of this dynamic.

Blake was also naturally aware of Gianna, and any slight movements she made while she went about doing whatever she was doing. Still, her words did catch him off guard, since they came before she rose to her feet. He listened to her words, remaining silent until her final words voiced a question to him.

"Yes Ma'am."

Blake said simply, telling her that he knew the way back. He then rose to his feet, bent down to pick up the cushion, replaced it in the cabinet he'd gotten it from, and headed towards the door. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to say or do anything before leaving, but since she did expect silence, he simply did that, opened the door, exited the room, and closed the door behind him.

The walk back from Gianna's office felt awkward in a way, like a child leaving their parents study, bedroom, or some other room that they weren't normally allowed to enter without permission.

Blake spent the rest of his day in his room, except for meal times. He didn't do anything that was out of the ordinary, save for taking a pencil that he'd found in the entertainment center, and making a note on today's date on the calendar. He marked the day simply enough,, just two words, "kneel" and "silent". He then stripped off his clothes, and showered before heading to bed for the night.