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An annoying buzzing sound could heard in the large, grand bedroom of Athena Pallas, causing the woman hidden under the blankets to toss and turn a little before waking up to end the noise. Stretching her arms above her head, Athena let out a yawn and got out of bed. Rubbing her eyes as she walked into her bathroom, the woman moved over to her shower, starting the water. Letting out another yawn as she gathered her towel and rag, the Demi-Goddess stepped into the steamy warmth, and stood there for a few moments. The hot water felt good against her skin, almost making her fall back asleep, but Athena quickly did her normal routine and finished. She had work to do today and she couldn't waste time standing in the shower. There she moved on to getting dressed and doing her hair, and then moved downstairs into the kitchen to eat her breakfast and a cup of coffee. Sitting quietly at the small table by the windows, the young woman looked through her appointment book. Oddly enough, she wasn't too busy with scheduled appointments with eager new masters or mistresses. Which meant that she had time to do what she needed. Brushing a lock of hair form her face, she looked out the window as her thoughts started to wander. One would think that if one person owned a slave shop, that they wouldn't have a need or desire to have a slave. Why Athena wanted one, she really wasn't sure. Maybe he could help with her work? She shook her head on that thought. She enjoyed doing the work herself, and she was slightly OCD about how things were done. It really wasn't for companionship either, seeing as she had friends that she could go and hang out with. So why did she have this sudden urge to own a slave? Shrugging her shoulders and handing her empty plate and cup to one of the servants, Athena gathered her leather bound, black book, and moved to her office to the east wing.

He normal routine consisted of moving to each of the slaves' rooms, making sure that they were all fine and treated fairly. Many would call the slaves of this shop spoiled, but that really wasn't the case. It was just good business really. If a master or mistress came in and saw a potential slave in a happy environment and at their best, they were more willing to buy that slave. There was no point in mistreating them because it only had a negative outcome. If the slaves were treated properly and are happy, that might become more accustomed to the lifestyle. Which, in the end, made it easier on their future masters or mistresses. However, that didn't mean that Athena put up with bad behavior either. If a slave started to misbehave and act out, they were taken out of their wonderful comfortable rooms, and put downstairs in the basement. The conditions there weren't terrible by any means, but it wasn't as great as it was upstairs. When she finished her rounds, Athena spoke with the guards briefly and then went back to her office. There she answered a few phone calls, and once everything was quiet, she grabbed the stack of slave portfolios and started to look through them. Why she was looking through them, she really wasn't sure, seeing as she had read these files over and over, and had actually remembered everything about the slave. Maybe it was because she was just trying to get a better look at them. Putting her cheek in her hand, she looked through each file carefully and closely. Just who could she take for her own?

When she got to the last file, she looked over it a couple of times before small smile appeared on her lips. Getting up with the file under her arm, Athena walked back to the slave's room, and let herself in. Closing the door and setting the file down on a nearby table, Athena looked over him. He was tall. Very tall and had this bright red eyes that made him appear to be wild and dangerous. She liked that. Clearing her throat and walking over to him, she frowned at the mask. What was it about that again? Oh yes.. it was to help keep back weaker women. "I would like for you to remove that mask. I'd rather speak face to face with you, and before you start, I've read your file and I know what it does. I can promise you I can control myself. I'm not like other women." Athena prided herself on that fact too. It was good to be different. Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, Athena crossed one long leg over the other before smoothing out her skirts. Looking up at him she studied him with crystal blue eyes, before closing them and putting her hands in her lap. "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be doing this, but I've gotten a certain.. how should you say? I guess a urge or desire, and no, it's not that kind of urge. I've actually become interested in having my own personal slave, and I'd like for you to come with me." Opening her eyes, she looked at him once more, trying to see a reaction from him. Why was she picking a wild and untamed slave? It would be easier for her to go and grab one of the slaves who would happily do whatever they are asked, but Athena just felt like he would be the right choice. No matter what challenges or frustrations she might have to put up with later. Standing up and smoothing her skirts once more, she walked over and grabbed his file. "So what will it be Mr. Sanos Chandler? Would you rather sit here and wait for more than likely, a weaker woman to fall all over you, or would you rather come and live in the other side of the manor? It will be a fairly easy lifestyle for you, as long as you don't misbehave too much." Looking over at him as she put her hand on the door knob, the Demi-Goddess waited patiently for his reply.

❝ I may come out as cruel and ruthless.....

Today was the day. Lucid had been planning for a while but never got around to it until he finally wrote it down on a planning calendar. He was going to get a new slave, it had been too long. The previous one had died in an unfortunate accident and he didn't even mourn her loss. Slaves to him where pieces of property rather than people. They obeyed him, took care of his house and dealt with his anger when he was in a particular foul mood....which was often ever since he had fallen.
Shaking his head, the man turned his attention back to the road ahead. He had found a particularly good slave shop about a day away from his own home. The shops that were closer he didn't seem too interested in. He'd been through those places a million times and each time they had the same ones, some were newer but none met his criteria or caught his interest. So he went out further. Lucid had seen a couple of profiles of the slaves they had here and they all seemed interesting enough to go and check it out.
He took the exit his GPS told him to and got off the freeway, heading more towards the edge of the city he just passed through. The shop was on a very large property near a lake and surrounded by dense trees to give it a more closed in feeling. The slaves here were better taken care of than most he had read which he approved of, it was never good when he had to nurse them back to health before they could even function enough to complete the tasks he required of them. Plus they almost always seemed to be broken, having given up because of the neglect they suffered. Plus, the light in their eyes was usually diminished, they had no personality and just did as they were told which bored Lucid to death. He wanted someone who could actually speak for themselves and give him some entertainment.
Finally pulling into the side road that would take him to his destination, Lucid kept an eye out for the building. He pulled up to the estate, recognizing the feel of passing through an invisible barrier a hundred yards back. "So the entire property must be closed off, seems like a good idea." He thought to himself, watching the estate building for a moment to see if there was any movement. Not seeing any, he turned his vehicle into the large space reserved for parking a little away from the building, Lucid turned off the engine of his Ferrari and got out, taking the time to walk and check out the place. The grounds were large, spacious and very well taken care of. He could see several guards patrolling the place. Lucid knocked and watched as a butler with no emotion on his face answered, scrutinizing him with an expectant look. He walked inside and turned to the man. "Mind showing me to who I need to converse with before I search for a slave?"
The butler silently nodded and took him into the office of Mistress Pallas. He spoke with her for a moment, always remembering to be polite then waited for a guard to take him to the rooms. "I'm looking for a slave who can cook and clean and...is a bit temperamental if you get my meaning, I don't want her broken. And female please."
The guard nodded and stood up, showing him up the stairs to the woman's section. He showed him a couple of the slaves but none really caught his interest. Most of the girls quickly looked down at the floor when he met their eyes and he wanted someone who could stare at him without any fear. He wanted a slave with more of a dominant streak than submissive, he had had too many of those the past decade or so.
They were just about at the end of the rooms when his guide knocked and opened a door, showing him yet another slave. This one had her back to him and was drawing on the window, but what was strange was the glass had fogged over, ice forming at the edges even though it was warm and sunny outside. it must have been something that the girl was doing. As the guard walked forward into the room, Lucid stayed back, not entering, just observing what was about to take place.
"Lux, this man is here to look for someone to take home with him. Be presentable and polite. Turn around so he can see you." The man told the girl firmly, folding his arms. He knew how stubborn the demonness could be and had to act equally stubborn in order to get a response.

((OOC: please forgive my ignorance of the estate, I'm such a dork))

......but get to know me better and I'll show you a whole other side of me ❞

Roland heard the girl's words and sat down on a chair next to a small desk in her room then leaned back, waiting for her to dress. He was curious to see what she looked like, her voice was soft but it held a kind of lilt to it, the words rolling slightly. Smiling, he looked back over at the book and stood up, wondering what kinds she read. Fixing his crisp white shirt and adjusting the beaded strings that held his shoulder cape, Roland made sure he was presentable, making sure his clothes didn't have any creases in them then continued standing. Sitting down would only make it feel like he was arrogant, which he was a bit but he was also respectable, even towards those of lower ranking than him.
It seemed a while before he heard movement in the bathroom then a door slowly opening. He resisted the urge to turn and stare, preferring to wait until the girl spoke before giving her his attention. Once he heard her voice, the incubus moved his right foot then pivoted on his left, a clean turn, his arms behind his back when he stopped moving and faced her. "I am fine actually, it's been a good day, your name is Loretta correct?" She seemed normal, like a human, but the color of her eyes was very unnatural, colored like the clear ocean near the beach. He wondered what species she was, he hadn't had much time to look at her papers yet. Her hair was a beautiful chocolate hue, almost dark enough to be black which contrasted sharply against her pale, white skin. She carried a mysterious aura about her and he wondered what kind of story she had.
"I'll give you my name if I decide to buy you but for now just call me Sir." He said then bowed slightly, lifting his head to watch her as he did so to see her reaction. Roland was a devious incubus and making women flustered and confused always entertained him. Loretta seemed like she was the type to do that easily. "Tell me a bit about yourself." He instructed, keeping his voice quiet but in such a tone there was no room for argument. He wanted to know more about this girl, her having piqued his interest quite fast, surprisingly. She seemed shy, but the way she held herself told him there was more to her personality than she showed. Maybe once she got to know him more she would relax and allow a part of it to emerge. Loretta was very attractive and he found himself wanting to get closer to her, his basic species instincts flaring for a moment. But he kept himself in check, knowing that buying and then sleeping with her outright would make him seem like he was just a sex addict...which he was but he wanted a slave for more than just that.

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There had really been no reason for Sanos to wake up early that day - no reason at all. He wasn't usually an early riser, quite the contrast either, and it wasn't like there was anything for him to do in this place either - unless doing nothing counted as doing something. But he could do nothing and sleep at the same time, so it was a rather moot point. As he rolled out of the four-poster bed he had been provided with (seriously? A four-poster bed? With canopy? What kind of place was this? Best prison he had ever been in, to be certain.... not that he had ever been in prison), he glanced around the room, as if expecting the decor to have changed overnight. Of course, it hadn't, why would it? It wasn't like the people here were really interested in his interests. Still, he wondered who had decorated the room, and how they could possibly think that it looked good? Or had he just been given this room because they knew it would annoy him? He kind of doubted that - he wouldn't put the effort into decorating each of the room separately, nor would he take the effort to make sure that the decorations clashed with the recipient's style. That would take too much work and time, time that could better be spent sleeping.

Shaking his head at the complexities of this place, he went into his bathroom to take a shower. Might as well be clean, right? As he stared up through the skylight in the shower, he pondered this place. Honestly, with the exception of the choice of decor, the room he had here was better than the one he had at home! Being locked in a cage as he was brought to this place had left him with rather a negative expectation, but this place had blown them away pretty well. Sure there were negative points: he was locked in the room with a chain around his neck, and there was absolutely nothing to do, but if it weren't for those, Sanos seriously wouldn't have minded spending the rest of life here. As it was, he really missed the parties - even if he had been captured at one of them - and he did care about his family enough to know that they were freaking out about his disappearance (Either that or they thought he was dead, which was a rather sobering thought. At least he could be sure that they wouldn't think he had disappeared without contacting them on purpose).

"Man, I am really craving a f** right now." he grumbled as he got dressed and toweled his hair off, tossing the towel on the bar in the corner before leaving the bathroom and crossing over to his bed. He knew that he should be using terminology that wouldn't be misunderstood should someone hear him and just call it a cigarette, but he had grown up hearing that terminology used, so it had stuck with him. Besides there was something satisfying about it, like he was using secret code words or something.

It was times like these when he wished that he had actually carried through on all the times he had decided to 'quit' smoking, but when you were surrounded by people who also smoked, it was kind of hard; that and the stress relief it provided was nice at exam time. It made him rather sad that he had never been able to put his degree to use. Honestly, what was really the point in putting all that effort into it and then having it all go to waste - not that his degree would have been very useful in the job market anyway. That and his curse would make it rather hard to find a job - admittedly, his degree would have helped in having a job that didn't require working with people.

'I wonder what it would take for me to be able to bum a f** and a lighter off one of the guards,' he wondered to himself as he picked at the food that had been provided for him. One of the worst parts of the curse was the fact that now he had to live off of other's energy, normal food tasted pale by comparison, and although it helped, it certainly didn't fill him up, or give him as much energy as it normally did.

With a sigh, he shook his head and grabbed his collection of studs and rings for his many piercings off his bedside table and went back into the bathroom to insert them, shaking his head at the fact that he had initially forgotten. After that was done, he went back to his bed and grabbed his mask, slipping it over his face, just in case a woman came to 'visit' although he kind of doubted that would happen.

Having nothing else to do, he stood at the window, staring outside and tapping his fingers on the window sill. He was bored, and restless with cravings. Not a good combination, although it was one of the ones on the list of why he had yet to quit.

Despite the fact that he hadn't really expected anyone to enter his room, after a while, he heard the door opening. Turning around, he regarded the woman who had come through the door. Wasn't this the boss-lady who owned this place? Idly, Sanos wondered what she could possibly want from him.

And then she spoke.

Chuckling, Sanos shook his head, taking his chance to answer as she crossed over to sit at the foot of his bed. "I'm sorry" he retorted in a rather sarcastic tone (after all, he really wasn't), "I have an auditory disorder that prevents me from hearing people whose IQ is smaller than their shoe size." He didn't trust her promise to control herself either. Like he hadn't heard that before. Admirably, the women he had heard it from had initially thought that his statement of I'm afraid you won't be able to control yourself once you see my face had been a joke, but he didn't think knowing about the curse would make that much of a difference. "Besides, if you had really read my file, then you would know that I'd rather not choke on all the oxygen floating around here." he continued, using the excuse he generally made when asked about the mask.

He rolled his eyes when she talked about her urge to own a slave, obviously feeling the need to specify that ' no, it's not that kind of urge'. Yeah, he didn't get those either, why did nobody seem to get that? Although he was a little surprised that she wanted him. Once had learned what sort of business he had unwittingly gotten involved in, he had assumed that he would end up with some woman who wanted him for very personal companionship.

He snorted and shook his head at her next words. "A weaker woman?" he asked, "I didn't think that was possible. And what? I'd just be moving from one cage to another. I'm not sure the amount of energy it would take is worth it." He paused, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head. "Seriously, tell me how it will be different from right now." he demanded.

Ana fidgeted below the covers of her spacious bed. Her tangled, golden hair spilled out from the opening and she snuggled deeper to escape the draft. So warm...She thought, content to stay there all day. As long as she could have this lavish bed to herself she was quite comfortable with staying in this room. All day long. With nothing to do. Quickly, Ana whisked away those thoughts. No use troubling myself this early in the morn, She told herself. After that she drifted in and out of sleep before the need to do consumed her.

Now angry for no reason, probably because she couldn't stay asleep, Ana thrust the covers away from her warm body. She huffed loudly and slithered out of bed. There she sat on the floor, wondering what she should do now that she was wide awake. She gazed at the baroque room, blowing a strand of hair away from her face as she did so, loving the luxuriousness of it. Best. Cage. Ever. Though she hated cages, or anything made to contain her, she was quite impressed with this one. Sure it was just a sugar-coated version of a dog kennel, you had to admit that it was comfortable. Of course she would never be truly happy here, she required more freedom for that, but it was livable.

Deciding that she had stalled long enough, Anacaona stood and dragged herself to the bathroom. There, she took one glance at herself and, reluctantly, came to the conclusion that she actually needed a shower. Her hair, which usually laid like a flat, silk curtain, now stood out in all directions. A few static-charged strands clung to her cheeks while the rest floated around her like a halo, waving when she moved. Sighing at her annoyed expression, she turned away and turned the shower head on, pushing the lever as far as it could possibly go to the side labeled 'H'. After it heated to the desired temperature, she slipped out of her sleep clothes and threw herself under the water before the chill of the morning snatched her.

Under the heated water her body threatened to melt. Oh dear God, she thought, showers are so nice. Her sleep stiffened joints thawed and she began scrubbing all of the important areas. She was, without a doubt, going to take her time. There was no hurry really. One would think that to be bought by a Master would mean more freedom. Perhaps. In reality it was just a bigger cage, or smaller one, depending on who decided to buy you. If you were well behaved, no one messed with you here. You may not have been free in the physical sense, but mentally you could do anything, and Ana's thoughts soared most days. Yes, she did miss flying, but whenever she received the familiar ache of her absent wings she merely Shifted into her serpent form and stretched them.

Stop thinking about it. She chastised. The more she thought about it, the more insane she would grow in this place. The truth was, yes this place was elegant, but no, it was not at all comfortable. Closing her eyes, Ana chased away the truth, pushing it out of her very pores until it was washed away along with the rest of grime that had collected over night. Suddenly she disliked the idea of taking her time and quickly soaped up her hair, brutally forcing her fingers through the monstrous tangles that somehow managed to form within eight hours. After rinsing out all of the suds, she shut the water off and yanked a hanging towel from its rack. As she stepped out, she simultaneously wrapped the fabric around her frame, letting her hair drip until she reached the sink where she wrung it out before twirling it into a bun, clipping it in place atop her head.

Feeling better now that she was showered and squeaky clean, Ana practically skipped over to the closet. Feeling extravagant, she thrust open the door and pulled out the first dress she saw. It was true she had a strange love for dresses. No matter how plain they always made her feel like she was wearing something expensive. And, oh, did she love expensive things. The dress that she pulled today was a mid-thigh, light, sundress type with a triangle pattern that consisted of the colors blue and navy. After placing it on the bed, she dropped the towel and wiggled into her undergarments before practically dancing into the dress. For Anacaona, things were always better when you were wearing a dress that felt expensive.