Page 4 of The Toymaker

Kit wasn’t expecting to be picked up in the morning by Riju who carried him like a child out of his room.

“Where are we going, Master?” Kit hadn’t even been given time to yawn or figure out which way was up, and all he knew was that Riju was half-naked.

“To Trig’s room. He wants to fuck your ass.”

Trig had white drapes tied back around his four-poster bed, and he was lying entirely naked among his sheets.

“Wait, did you let him piss or anything yet?” asked Trig.

“Erm, no. I forgot.” Riju set Kit on his feet.

“Kit, go use the hall privy and clean your teeth,” said Trig. “Crawl back in here, and get on the bed when you're done.”

“Yes, Master.”

Riju practically jumped on Trig with a laugh. He was naked from the waist down, and Kit wondered if he’d be getting it from both ends. Trig had said he liked bottoming during sex when they were discussing the contract, and he’d still prefer Riju overall, but he probably wanted to cum in Kit’s ass as a reminder of who owned him.

When he finished in the hall privy room and crawled back in, Trig had Riju flat on his back while he sucked his cock. The sight of Riju fisting the sheets while his thick shaft disappeared in Trig’s mouth sent a thrill to Kit’s dick. He knew damn well he was the slave and at the bottom of the hierarchy, so he wasn’t sure if he could simply join in or not.

Trig withdrew to give Riju’s cock long, slow licks up the side before he took it in his mouth again. If it wasn’t for the cage, Kit would have been hard just from watching.

“Go find the new bottle of oil,” said Trig. “The other one’s empty.”

“Or you could keep sucking my cock,” said Riju. “That works too.”

“You’re not blowing just yet.”

“I don’t want to get the oil. I want to cum in your mouth.”

Trig rolled him a bit to playfully smack his ass. “You can blow in Kit’s throat. Now go get the oil, you brat, or he can watch you get your naughty little ass paddled.”

Riju made a frustrated noise.

Trig crawled up his body to kiss his cheek. “Afterward, I’ll tie you to my bedpost so you can’t touch yourself, and I’ll make you watch Kit get all of the attention.”

That made Riju get up and hurry into Trig’s attached privy room.

Trg chuckled. “He knows I’ll do it too.” He grasped Kit’s arm to pull him a little closer. “You remember what I said yesterday, right? About pinning him?”

“Yes, Master.” It would be too forward for a slave anyway.

“Let him touch you, and you can do it back if he seems okay with it. If he says to stop, that means to stop touching him entirely.” Kit nodded as Trig continued. “He tops me in bed, and I prefer it, but I can’t top him at all. He’ll never let you do it or assimilate it in any way. Don’t ask him to take off his shirt either.”

Riju returned with a bottle of oil and got back onto the bed. Kit’s new Masters seemed to forget about him for a minute since they both started making out. Trig had a nice body too and a little more muscle. Kit preferred Riju’s lithe one, although with the sleep shirt on, a lot was covered.

Being half-dressed must have been another thing he liked. From Kit’s position, he could just see the dusting of red hair on his lower stomach along with the thin trail that led down to his erect cock, and the rest of him down there was shaved. Once his Masters took a break for air and remembered he was there, Trig told him to open his mouth.

Kit obeyed to take Trig’s shaft in. “Are you ready to serve and be a good boy?” Kit made a noise of assent. “You’ve got a long day ahead of you. I’m going to push you and see if you’re still good.”

Kit had no urge to be a brat then, and he wanted to please them and show them he could be a good slave. He moaned when Riju lightly stroked his ass. Kit was still sore from his whipping, but the other fairy was gentle.

“I was thinking last night that we should pierce his nipples,” said Trig.

What? Pierce him?

“Just something big enough to tease and twist.”

Kit made a noise of surprise while he tried to focus on sucking. Nothing in the contract mentioned piercing him. He’d thought about it before, but the concept was rather frightening since it involved needles, and bringing sharp objects close to his body wasn’t on his list of fun things to do.

Riju reached to rub one of Kit’s nipples. “It wasn’t in the contract, and you can tease his nipples the way they are.”

“But we could still do it.”

“It’s kind of permanent,” Riju said in a doubtful tone. “You didn’t write it down.”

“He can take them out later if he wants, and I did write he has to accept anything done to him.”

“It doesn’t mean we should pierce him.”

“Think of what we could do, like switching the bars out for little rings to hang weights from. It’ll be pretty too. I’ll think about it. It’d be pretty on you too, Riju.”

“No,” snapped Riju. “I’m not getting pierced.”

Trig chuckled as he thrust into Kit’s throat. “I know you won’t. You’ll take it if I decide yes, won’t you, Kit?”

It wasn’t like he had a choice over anything anymore, and his assent was a choked noise since he had a cock stuffed in his throat.

It wasn’t long before Trig was up Kit’s ass and pinning him on the mattress while he pounded away. Riju watched as he fisted himself. Again, Kit wished for the damn cage to be off so he could cum all over the bed.

Riju came closer, and Trig shifted a little before he grabbed Kit’s hair to lift his head. “Suck his cock.”

Kit gave a desperate moan as the angle in his ass changed, and Riju’s length entered his mouth. Every stroke of Trig’s cock on his prostate made him more desperate as he sucked and lapped at the thicker length. Riju let out pre-cum, and Kit swallowed the salty, thick fluid.

Not caring about his pleasure, they used his holes hard and fast. Kit clenched around the Master in his ass and sucked on the one in his mouth, beyond eager to pleasure them and make them feel good. This was exactly what he needed: to be used.

Trig came in his ass with a groan. Riju kept pumping his shaft in and out, and Trig withdrew to lay on his side. Kit used his elbows to prop himself up, and he gripped Riju’s slim hips, trying to drive him further in.

The fairy didn’t seem to mind it, so Kit kept a hold of his hips. Riju's skin was soft, and he could feel his hip bones. Kit looked up at him from under his eyelashes.

In the sun through the curtains, Riju’s red hair glinted, and his eyes were focused on Kit who let out a moan until it was cut off along with his air. His Master made him hold it in his throat for a moment.

He felt the slight tremble in the fairy’s hips and wished Riju would take off his shirt so Kit could see everything, including his heaving chest.

“He’s a good little cocksucker, isn’t he?” Trig said as he watched.

“Yes.” Riju pulled back, and Kit gasped for air, but he didn’t have much time before his mouth was being fucked again. Riju tensed and flexed his hips. “Fuck…”

Kit’s eyes watered from the intensity as he lapped at the base and squeezed Riju’s hips, eager to prolong the pleasure. Even if he wasn’t getting off, he loved it when a man reached the point of pure bliss in his mouth. Most of the cum went right down his throat, and when Riju withdrew to let him breathe, he shuddered.

Kit’s dick wept fluid, not that anyone cared about his wants. He’d served his purpose. He licked at the tip where a few last droplets had collected.

“Good boy,” said Trig.

“Does your back hurt too badly to lie on?” asked Riju.

“Eh, it’s not terrible if I don't move around too much, Master.”

Riju pushed Kit to lay on his back and crawled on top to lay on him, a reverse from yesterday. Now that Kit knew what to expect, he rather liked the feeling of someone’s still weight on him.

“I don’t think he likes it the way you do,” said Trig. “We have to be strict with him today too.”

“I want this too. I could sleep now since I think Kit sucked out my soul too.”

Trig chuckled and patted Riju’s bottom. “Come on. We need to get up. Kit needs a little time in the violin after he washes up.”

It turned out that the violin was a wooden torture device idea stolen from humans on Earth. Or at least that's what Trig said he heard once. The hinged piece had a hole for Kit’s neck, and it fit fine even with the lirek collar. It had two more holes for his wrists spaced in front of him. It wasn’t painful, and Kit wouldn't be left in it long enough to do serious damage.

With it, he was completely helpless and dependent on his Masters for everything since he couldn’t use his hands. To his humiliation, it wasn’t taken off when he had to piss again, so Trig held his dick for him.

Kit never thought he’d be reliant on someone to hold his penis to do a normal bodily function. He thought he’d be made to sit and piss, and even that wasn’t nearly as degrading. The treatment must have been a reminder that they could do anything to him for the next year, and even his ability to eat or relieve himself could be taken away for a while if he misbehaved.

For breakfast, he had to kneel by Riju. The other two had a proper meal, and between bites, Riju fed Kit little pieces of toasted bread.

“It’s not punishment, but you won’t be eating much today,” said Trig. “Don’t ask for more food.”

“Why, Master?”

“It’s only to see your temperament. Demonstrations can run a bit long, and I don’t need a slave who gets pissy when they’re hungry. Some people are like that even if they don’t realize it. Riju, don’t give me that look.”

Riju turned his head away, so Kit didn’t see what the look was. He had never been the type to get pissy when he was hungry. He didn’t say so since it wasn’t his choice what was done to him, and not eating much for one day wouldn’t harm him.

Trig and Riju cleaned up after breakfast since Kit was rather helpless. He had to kneel on the floor by the counter in the shop, and his face warmed when the first customer of the day walked in.

“You’ve got a slave now?” the customer asked.

Trig nodded. “Yeah, he’s new. We’re breaking him in.”

A couple of other customers who came in later used him to test toys. A pair of nipple clamps were placed on, and the customer listened to his squeals to see how tight they could be made. Trig had a case full of glass phalluses, and once Kit was bent over, his hole was oiled so another customer could test a couple of phalluses. Trig cleaned them afterward. Kit liked the feeling of a ridged one, and the customer bought that one.

Someone else wanted to test varying lengths of leads, so the violin was removed. Kit had to crawl around after the person while he was leashed like a dog. Once the customer selected one, the violin went back on, and Kit had to go sit in the corner. He wondered if the device would be left on all day. What was “too long?” Riju, who had been doing something downstairs, came out to sit behind the counter and work on a thick book. Kit assumed it was the ledger.

He was hungry by lunch, but instead of more food, Trig removed the wooden violin. Kit’s arms were rather sore by then, and it was a relief to straighten them. A metal bar was placed across his shoulders, his wrists were cuffed to the ends, and he was made to sit on a small stool outside. Trig warned him to behave or he’d be kneeling on the hard stone.

The sign around Kit’s neck said his mouth was free, and if he misbehaved, they were supposed to tell his Masters so he could be punished. Along with being half-starved today, it seemed Trig was going to run him ragged and see if he still behaved.

There were plenty of takers eager for his free mouth. Some weren’t keen on getting their cock sucked in the street even though they were in The Edge, but they were happy to watch. Someone called him a whore because his caged dick leaked, and that he must have been a naughty slave since he had whip marks. The humiliation only made it better. Trig checked on him a couple of times, and he could probably see perfectly fine through the store window too.

Loads of cum didn’t count as food and weren’t very filling. He couldn’t even say no when he had to suck off a man who smelled. Kit was laboring away over his cock and wishing he could stop when Trig came out again to watch. As much as Kit despised this one, he kept his expression pleasant, pretended he loved it, and did a good job.

The man took forever to cum, and Kit was left with a sour taste in his mouth afterward.

“How many loads have you swallowed?” asked Trig.

“Ten, Master.”

“Is your jaw sore?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Your ass can have a turn.”

For the next two or three hours, all Kit saw was the upside-down street and the legs of whoever was fucking his well-oiled and stretched ass. Trig had bent him over a wooden horse he’d dragged outside. With a thick bit gag in his mouth to keep him quiet, and his wrists and ankles tied to the bottom corners, he had no choice but to take the half dozen men who used his free hole. Besides showing him his place, it also demonstrated the quality of the horse. Even when a man who was three times Kit’s size pounded him, the horse didn’t creak, squeak, or wobble. Trig certainly didn’t slack off on his work.

When Kit was finally taken in, his arse was sore, his jaw still hurt since it had been held open with the bit gag, he was hungry, and cum leaked from his hole. He wanted to lay down, but Trig made him wipe down the horse and hurried him along with a few swipes of a crop.

“You still have to cook dinner after you clean up. Get a move on.”

Dinner took a while because Trig wanted chicken and corn pie. He had to teach Kit how to make it and help him since he wasn’t any good at making crusts. While it cooked, and there wasn’t much else to do, he sat by Riju’s leg on the floor and had his hair stroked. His Master was reading a book, and Kit wanted to know what it was. He was quite tired and happy to sit by him in silence too.

Kit served them their plates and waited in the corner while they ate. His stomach grumbled and hurt, and he wondered if he’d be made to go to bed hungry. The smell of food was a torment.

"Riju, stop picking and eat the onions," Trig said halfway through the meal. "They're good for you."

"No, they're not," Riju declared as he picked out a stringy piece of onion to dump on the side of his plate. “You know I hate the way they taste, and the crunch is disgusting.”

“You eat other crunchy foods.”

“It’s not the same.”

“There’s literally no difference.”

“To me, there is a huge difference. I’ve told you.”

Trig sighed and gave up. Kit didn't blame Riju because he didn't particularly like onions either.

After Kit cleaned the kitchen, he was permitted more toasted bread.

It wasn’t filling enough, not that he complained. He felt a bit of pride since he’d been treated so roughly on his first, full day, and he hadn’t whined or acted like a brat. He’d made his Masters happy, and even though a day was barely anything, it surely meant he was getting somewhere with his goal of being a good slave who wouldn’t later turn into a brat.

He thought he’d be left in his room, but while he lay on his pallet, Riju came to sit with him and stroked his head again.

“Trig says you did well today,” he said.

“I’m glad, Master.”

Riju squinted as he looked ahead before he hunched down on the floor next to Kit. “You don’t need pain all of the time, right?”

“No, but I do like pain, Master. I can get off on that. To a point. I can get off without it too, Master.”

“I'm just wondering.”

“I definitely need rough treatment to make sure I behave, Master. I wasn’t as good of a slave as I thought I could be with Perry.”

Riju bit the tip of his thumb as he stared at the edge of the pallet. “You sucked my cock so well this morning, and we weren’t that rough. You did that because you wanted to. I can tell. I’m not stupid.”

Kit patted his hand. “I know you’re not stupid, Master.” How many people besides that one nasty guy had called him stupid if he felt the need to say it sometimes? It was obvious he wasn't dumb at all. “I’ve been naughty before, and I want to be a better slave in the future, Master. Perry wants me to be a slave who always obeys. It's what a pleasure slave should do.”

Riju pointed at himself and vaguely gestured at the wall. “Worry about what I and Trig want. Not this Perry. We’re your Masters now, so focus on us.”

“Okay, Master.” It made sense.

“He didn't even give you aftercare.” Riju leaned in closer. “Besides, Trig can be nice too.”

Kit propped himself up on his elbow. “I like nice too, Master.”

He hadn’t had a real kiss in a while. Perry hadn’t even seemed to enjoy kissing him that much anyway. Hesitantly, he brought his face closer.

“Master, may I?”

“What?”

Kit thought it would be pretty obvious considering how close their faces were, but maybe he was wrong. “Am I allowed to kiss you, Master?”

Riju’s bright eyes widened for a second before he pressed his lips to Kit’s and practically made him purr with pleasure. Riju teased his lips open with his tongue and deepened it.

Kit’s cock stirred in the cage as he let Riju control the pace. How he wanted release even though it hadn’t even been long yet. He could get relief in a different way. He wouldn’t be gasping and spending his seed anytime soon, but he could make Riju cum. Kit could channel all of his frustration into pleasing someone else.

When his Master started kissing down his neck, Kit shivered. “Can I have dessert, Master?”

Riju paused. “You got all the food you’re getting today. Trig’s only restricting it this once, and he’ll never do like today again. I said I didn't like it, although he didn't listen. You’re not supposed to ask, and he said it’s a rule for today.”

“I meant you, Master.”

Riju pulled back to squint at him. “What do you mean?”

“Can I suck your cock, Master? Your cum would be my dessert.”

“Are you trying to trick me?”

“No, Master! I wouldn’t do that. It’s a joke and like saying your cum is the creamy filling of your cock." Kit chuckled. "Like those sweet rolls in the market. I guess it was a dumb joke, Master.”

Riju tilted his head for a second before reaching for his belt. “It wasn’t dumb. I’m also not going to say no to having my cock sucked.”

***

The next morning, Kit was allowed a big breakfast. Later, he was left in the shop to lean over the counter next to a new display of wooden paddles. Trig had made a tiny sign that said “Try before you buy!” in bold, painted letters, so Kit was pretty sure he'd get a couple of wallops at some point.

Trig and Riju were in the sitting room, and he could faintly make out their voices. Trig’s grew annoyed after several minutes.

“Why do you have to be so mean about it?” came Riju’s voice.

“Stop asking. It's only a damn fair, and I can't believe you thought I'd say yes.”

Riju let out a noise like he was either in pain, furious, or both. For a moment, Kit’s heart quickened, and Trig’s boots stomped through the hall. “I said no.”

“But I want to go with him!”

Trig came through the doorway and into the shop. “And I said no. I make the rules.” Kit kept his ass stuck out and his hands flat on the counter as Trig moved to stand across from him. “Oh, boy. Here we go. A meltdown over a damn fair.”

Riju came to stand in the entrance and glare at Trig. “I’ll take him anyway.”

“No, you won’t,” said Trig. “I told you already he needs strict discipline and very little rest or fun time in his first two weeks or so. That’s why he can’t even have fun books just yet. He’s a slave, and he needs to learn his place so if he feels like being bratty later, he’ll think twice. The fair starts in a few days, and it’s too soon to be letting him out, so the answer is no.”

“It’s not going to make him bra-”

“For fuck’s sake, I thought this would be clear. You can go by yourself as long as you don’t stay out all day.”

“But I want to take him, and he can have-have-” Riju stumbled over his words as he seemed to be struggling to think. His face had pinkened, and his eyes were watery. Kit wanted to go hug him or do something even though he had no idea what was going on, but he didn’t dare move from his spot because he’d get a paddling from Trig.

“Remember to stop and think for a second so you don’t mix up your words,” said Trig.

“He’s not a bad slave! He’s been good even-”

“I know he’s been mostly good so far, but he’s a painslut, and it hasn’t been that long yet,” said Trig. “A couple of pats on his behind won’t do much because it’s barely foreplay to him. He needs strictness now, so if he thinks of misbehaving in the future, he'll reconsider it. When you’re training a new pleasure slave, going to the fair isn’t a part of it. Must I explain it again?”

“It’s our only chance.” Riju crouched on the floor at the entrance of the hall and pressed his side against the wall. “It’ll be done for a whole year, and we’ll have missed it!”

“Lower your damn voice.”

“No, I won’t lower my voice!”

“Lower your voice. I’m not in the mood today, and it’s not happening this year. You can go next year with him, okay?”

“You’re trying to trick me! His year will be over before the fair starts again next year. He won’t be here, and I want to go this year with him now because he’s good. You have to be nice too. You said so, and that’s why you were nice to me after I bit y-you!”

“That was a long time ago, and a completely different situation,” said Trig. “You weren't even my apprentice yet. I was nice because you were terrified of me. It’s just a stupid fair, and you’ve been to it plenty of times.”

“That doesn’t mean I don't like it anymore!” Riju clenched his fists as he started sobbing. “You didn't even want to go with me last year or the y-year before that. You acted like I was a nuisance even though I just wanted you to come with me for a couple of hours instead of me going by myself.”

“For Elira’s sake.”

“I want to go with Kit this year because he loves it too, and we'll have fun together.”

“You haven’t even known him for long! Why do you have to get so focused on things like this? You’re overreacting. It's just a damn fair, and it’s the same shit every single year! I don't know why you want to go anymore.”

“It’s not just a fair to me! It's something I want to do with him, and he loves them too!”

Kit couldn’t believe Riju wanted to go to the fair with him. He hadn’t even thought Riju would care to do that with him, and the sight of him crying on the floor made Kit want to go hug him all the more. It’d almost be worth the paddling.

In fact, it was. Trig had already made up his mind, and Kit couldn’t stand to let Riju cry. Trig should be making him feel better instead of simply being an arse about it. They’d been together for years. How could he be mean about it?

“Did I say you could move?” Trig barked as Kit hurried around the counter.

“He’s upset, Master.” Kit dropped to his knees by Riju who was hunched against the wall. “Master, please don’t cry. I’ll go with you next year, okay? I’m not running off as soon as the cage is removed. We'll go then, and we’ll see the acrobats and everything, Master.”

Riju shifted onto his knees and wrapped his arms around Kit who reciprocated and held him tightly. He'd deal with the punishment afterward.

Riju sniffled against his shoulder while Kit stroked his hair. It seemed to help since he quieted a bit. “You promise?”

“I promise, Master.”

Trig sighed. “Riju, go to your room, and I’ll talk to you in a few minutes. Maybe…we can work out something for this year with Kit, okay?”

“Okay.” Riju wiped his cheek on his sleeve before he gave Kit a quick kiss and shakily got up to head down the hall.

Kit remained on his knees, knowing that was probably a fib. Trig had already made up his mind, and now, he’d punish their slave.

It was worth it. Kit would do it again if needed, and he’d meant it when he said he'd go with Riju next year.

“Back in position,” ordered Trig. “Crawl over there.”

Kit obeyed, stood, planted his hands on the counter, spread his feet, and stuck his ass out. Trig selected a paddle with a lot of holes and positioned himself.

The cracks of wood against Kit’s flesh were loud, and each smack made the heat in his ass build. He tried to grab the flat surface of the counter as his knuckles whitened. He struggled to remain quiet, and Trig ripped a cry from him on the fourth strike.

“Don’t move, or I’ll start over,” Trig warned him.

The next smack was so hard, Kit wanted to clutch his bottom and hop in place. The threat made him stay still. Trig hung the paddle back on the hook of the wooden shelf they were displayed on. Kit’s cock tried to swell in the cage.

“If anyone else wants to test them on you, too bad. You’ll take it.”

“Y-yes, Master,” sniffed Kit.

“You deserved it for disobeying me.”

“Thank you for punishing me, Master.”

“I should put you outside today with another free sign and a paddle for everyone to use on your ass.”

Kit’s stomach clenched since he wouldn’t be able to sit for a month. The idea was still exciting even though he truly hoped Trig didn’t do that to him.

“You’re damn near dripping, you little painslut,” said Trig, and Kit could feel the dampness on the tip of his cock which made his face grow warm. “I won’t do those things even though you blatantly disobeyed me. Why did you disobey?”

“I don’t like to see people cry, Master,” said Kit. “I don’t want to see him crying either. I like him, and I-I just wanted to make him feel better. I’m sorry, Master.”

Trig went around the counter to stand opposite of him. “For that, you don’t have to apologize, and you can both go to the fair. It lasts for a week, and you can have three days. Go whichever days you want.”

Kit’s mouth almost dropped open. “What, Master?”

Trig ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve lived here for a good portion of my life, and quite frankly, I’m sick of it. It’s the same shit every year, and most fairs are the same. I’ve gone with him because he loves it. It’s gotten old for me, you know? He can go by himself, but I get nervous about him being out in such a crowd all day for so long. If I tell him to come back by lunch, he always forgets because he can’t seem to keep track of time by himself, and everything out there is so distracting to him. He wanted to go with you because he likes you, and I said no because we need to be strict with you. He gets so focused on things, it can be hard to steer him away.”

“I don't see why him being out is dangerous.”

“Technically, I know he'll be fine. I still get nervous about him being out in the city for hours by himself because-” Trig scrubbed his face with his hands. “When I first found him, he was nineteen and not what you see now. He was skeletal, and he’d been living on the streets for years because his parents kicked him out when he was eight.”

Kit gaped at him.

“There are shitty parents in the world as you know, and his home life had been rough. I got him to follow me into The Edge and up to my shop by promising food. He didn't want to come in here for it. I had to fight just to get him inside because he didn’t trust me. When I got him in, that really set him off. I guess he thought I was going to lock him in the basement for life or whatever. He can’t use his lightning magic without a weapon to channel it, but he bit, kicked, and punched me. I couldn’t even get him out of the corner of the kitchen for the first day, and I had to lock him in the kitchen overnight because I was afraid he’d sneak out. It was like trying to tame an animal.”

He must have seen Kit’s expression before he smoothed it.

“He’s not an animal, and I hate saying it, but for the first day, he almost seemed like one. It was only on the second day, he finally calmed down a bit and told me his name.”

Then why say it? “He was terrified” would be a better way to put it instead of comparing him to an animal. Kit wouldn’t dare correct him.

“I had to fight with him on a lot of things because no one took care of him for years and taught him stuff. His parents didn’t take good care of him when he lived at home. He had a doll, so I figured he liked those, and I had to lure him with another in exchange just to get him to let me cut the knots from his hair. I’ve done my best to help him in the past six years, and he’s come a long way. He’s still not-” Trig waved a hand. “He’ll never be like us in his head because I guess it’s something you can be born with. I know he can improve a lot with more effort on his part.”

Kit’s eyes welled up because even though he’d been sold for a few coins, he’d had an easier life. Uncle had only taken him because he felt sorry for him, and he hadn’t ever wanted children. He’d still made sure Kit cleaned his teeth, bathed, went to school, and everything else a person should do. When Kit went out on his own, he’d been able to find work and do okay so he’d never gone hungry.

Riju had likely spent most of his time starving and alone. Maybe some had felt sorry for him in the way one would a dog and occasionally tossed him scraps or a coin. And then, when he was old enough to work, nobody gave him a chance. They saw something about him was “different” and probably decided he wasn’t worth the trouble.

“How exactly did you two end up together, Master?” asked Kit.

“That’s not something I’m getting into right now. After a few weeks, I made him my apprentice because he was interested in making things like me, and I wanted to give him a purpose. He likes it, and he makes tons of dolls too since he’s obsessed with them. I think all of the eyes are creepy as fuck. He still doesn’t always like me touching him when he gets overwhelmed, and he hates strangers or people he doesn't know well touching him if he’s upset. He seems to like you, so…”

“I like him, Master.”

“I’m sure he’s figured that out too. If you were willing to risk punishment from me, I think he’d be safe with you. You showed you cared enough to risk your ass just to make him feel better, so that’s why you can go and why I won’t punish you further. I’d feel better if he had someone to go with.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“Don’t think you’re getting off easy,” said Trig. “You’ll be allowed clothes of course, and you can relax with the title out there, but as soon as you come in, it’s clothes off, and business as usual.”

“Thank you, Master!”