FIC Indenture Part 7
Oct. 19th, 2007 09:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jessara40k_ljTitle: Indenture
Fandom: FFVII Cetra Restoration AU
Rating: PG
Warnings: slavery, implied slash threesome, implied femslash, implied het
Elena fell behind Sephiroth as he led her to ‘the red guest room’ where she was to sleep for the night, and she ran to catch up. He glanced at her, contempt in his eyes, and deliberately slowed his pace to match hers, all in absolute silence. She shivered, trying to control her apprehension and considering just how perverse a sense of humour the Planet must have. It was clear Sephiroth came very close to hating her now, because Rowan had offered her to Cloud, and from Cloud’s reaction he returned Sephiroth’s love. She couldn’t have met the Planet’s Weapon in a worse way, but now, at least for a night, she belonged to him, something she’d half wanted, and certainly fantasised about since Tobias had told her that her similarity to Tseng was one of the reasons he’d decided to talk her into a concubinage contract.
She couldn’t do anything about Rowan’s mistake, and honestly Elena hadn’t even known she was making it; she hadn’t connected the fact that about a sixth of the Cetra who came looking for concubines brought their consorts with them to a requirement that a gift of a concubine had to be approved by the consort beforehand. But perhaps she could do something to make Sephiroth see her in a more favourable light, in fact she should try to make him look more positively on her and just following him in mouse-like silence certainly wouldn’t do that. Besides, the silence was growing uncomfortable, at least for her, so she decided to ask him a question.
“Sir, if you and the Planet’s Weapon decide to keep me will I be permitted to cut my hair short, or at least shorter?” It was a slightly presumptuous question, but she couldn’t think of anything else, and she’d noticed that Tseng’s hair fell only just past his shoulders.
“I’m not certain. Cloud likes playing with my hair, but he’s never told me I wasn’t allowed to cut it, and he hasn’t objected to Tseng’s choice to keep it shorter. Why do you ask?” Sephiroth had been honest, and revealed unexpected information about Cloud, Elena knew that she should return the favour and be equally honest - especially since she knew he’d probably be able to tell if she lied.
“Because dealing with long hair’s an awful hassle. It tangles in things, and gets dirty a lot more swiftly than short hair does, and it takes longer to dry...sometimes I feel time drying increases with the square of length. And my hair isn’t particularly manageable when it’s long...it’s probably slipping from the combs Cathryn used to put my hair up even now.” She didn’t really want Cloud’s attention - her fantasies had more been about belonging to a man who was unlikely to want to bed her after Daris, and before that it had been of an owner who would probably permit her to learn to fight - and it sounded as if short hair would help discourage him, at least enough to make him unlikely to call for her often. “I...forgive me, but how do you manage to care for hair as long and pale as yours?”
“I...do not believe my hair tangles in the same way an unenhanced human’s would, and it is fine enough to be easily managed. As for keeping it clean; most dirt can be brushed out, at least for me.” He shrugged as he spoke. “How many owned you before Rowan did?”
“Two. Both male.” Elena didn’t try to hide her distaste at the memory of her first owner, even though she knew it would probably count against her, as Sephiroth might well think it was for all men. Still, she should probably explain a bit more to make things clear. “The first...was healer caste, but...not what I expected from that.” She’d hoped Sephiroth would understand what being owned by a healer caste really meant, but not expected it, so the understanding on his face startled her.
“And the second?”
“He wanted the option of a female while his spouse was unavailable due to pregnancy.”
“I see. This is where you are to sleep. There is an attached bathroom, and a servant will bring breakfast to you if need be, so please do not leave this room until one of Cloud’s inner household comes for you.” Inner household...that meant consort or concubine or Cloud himself in this case.
“Yes sir.” She walked into the room, pulling the combs from her hair as she did, relieved that Sephiroth didn’t watch her, walking away instead. Once her hair was all loose Elena began to strip down, a matter of urgency as she hadn’t been able to use the toilet since two hours before the meal started. She felt just a little regret that in her haste to remove her tunic she’d smeared her make-up onto it, but that didn’t matter, not beside the effort of untangling the ribbon that served as lacing at her back.
Afterwards she washed her face clean, and on finding a hairbrush used it to detangle her hair, wishing for her gem-carving kit, even if she didn’t feel up to working on anything but quartz at the moment. Pulling on the pyjamas she’d found in the top drawer of the dresser made her feel a little less vulnerable, and she folded her clothes while she considered her situation. She knew her nerves were irrational, Cloud had forgiven Rowan for her offence with no more punishment than breaking off their espousal and even if he had not, from what Tseng had said of him, he was not the type to take his anger out on his inferiors, as Laton sometimes had.
So...the very worst case for Elena was that she would be sold back to the trading company, either by Rowan or by Cloud. In either case she had another eight years or so of being a concubine to look forward to, and she could sell the jewellery Rowan had given her that was not to her taste.
If she wasn’t sold she would either still belong to Rowan, and probably be able to resume her relationship with Scarlet, or she would belong to Cloud, who was unlikely to wish to bed her too often, in case it upset his consort. And she liked Tseng, certainly as a friend, possibly as more, so it wouldn’t be a hardship if he wished to bed Elena occasionally, especially since he seemed the type to take ‘no’ for an answer if she was reluctant.
Now that she’d thought things through her situation didn’t seem quite as bad as it had at first, and Elena slid into the double bed confident that she’d be able to sleep.
Fandom: FFVII Cetra Restoration AU
Rating: PG
Warnings: slavery, implied slash threesome, implied femslash, implied het
Elena fell behind Sephiroth as he led her to ‘the red guest room’ where she was to sleep for the night, and she ran to catch up. He glanced at her, contempt in his eyes, and deliberately slowed his pace to match hers, all in absolute silence. She shivered, trying to control her apprehension and considering just how perverse a sense of humour the Planet must have. It was clear Sephiroth came very close to hating her now, because Rowan had offered her to Cloud, and from Cloud’s reaction he returned Sephiroth’s love. She couldn’t have met the Planet’s Weapon in a worse way, but now, at least for a night, she belonged to him, something she’d half wanted, and certainly fantasised about since Tobias had told her that her similarity to Tseng was one of the reasons he’d decided to talk her into a concubinage contract.
She couldn’t do anything about Rowan’s mistake, and honestly Elena hadn’t even known she was making it; she hadn’t connected the fact that about a sixth of the Cetra who came looking for concubines brought their consorts with them to a requirement that a gift of a concubine had to be approved by the consort beforehand. But perhaps she could do something to make Sephiroth see her in a more favourable light, in fact she should try to make him look more positively on her and just following him in mouse-like silence certainly wouldn’t do that. Besides, the silence was growing uncomfortable, at least for her, so she decided to ask him a question.
“Sir, if you and the Planet’s Weapon decide to keep me will I be permitted to cut my hair short, or at least shorter?” It was a slightly presumptuous question, but she couldn’t think of anything else, and she’d noticed that Tseng’s hair fell only just past his shoulders.
“I’m not certain. Cloud likes playing with my hair, but he’s never told me I wasn’t allowed to cut it, and he hasn’t objected to Tseng’s choice to keep it shorter. Why do you ask?” Sephiroth had been honest, and revealed unexpected information about Cloud, Elena knew that she should return the favour and be equally honest - especially since she knew he’d probably be able to tell if she lied.
“Because dealing with long hair’s an awful hassle. It tangles in things, and gets dirty a lot more swiftly than short hair does, and it takes longer to dry...sometimes I feel time drying increases with the square of length. And my hair isn’t particularly manageable when it’s long...it’s probably slipping from the combs Cathryn used to put my hair up even now.” She didn’t really want Cloud’s attention - her fantasies had more been about belonging to a man who was unlikely to want to bed her after Daris, and before that it had been of an owner who would probably permit her to learn to fight - and it sounded as if short hair would help discourage him, at least enough to make him unlikely to call for her often. “I...forgive me, but how do you manage to care for hair as long and pale as yours?”
“I...do not believe my hair tangles in the same way an unenhanced human’s would, and it is fine enough to be easily managed. As for keeping it clean; most dirt can be brushed out, at least for me.” He shrugged as he spoke. “How many owned you before Rowan did?”
“Two. Both male.” Elena didn’t try to hide her distaste at the memory of her first owner, even though she knew it would probably count against her, as Sephiroth might well think it was for all men. Still, she should probably explain a bit more to make things clear. “The first...was healer caste, but...not what I expected from that.” She’d hoped Sephiroth would understand what being owned by a healer caste really meant, but not expected it, so the understanding on his face startled her.
“And the second?”
“He wanted the option of a female while his spouse was unavailable due to pregnancy.”
“I see. This is where you are to sleep. There is an attached bathroom, and a servant will bring breakfast to you if need be, so please do not leave this room until one of Cloud’s inner household comes for you.” Inner household...that meant consort or concubine or Cloud himself in this case.
“Yes sir.” She walked into the room, pulling the combs from her hair as she did, relieved that Sephiroth didn’t watch her, walking away instead. Once her hair was all loose Elena began to strip down, a matter of urgency as she hadn’t been able to use the toilet since two hours before the meal started. She felt just a little regret that in her haste to remove her tunic she’d smeared her make-up onto it, but that didn’t matter, not beside the effort of untangling the ribbon that served as lacing at her back.
Afterwards she washed her face clean, and on finding a hairbrush used it to detangle her hair, wishing for her gem-carving kit, even if she didn’t feel up to working on anything but quartz at the moment. Pulling on the pyjamas she’d found in the top drawer of the dresser made her feel a little less vulnerable, and she folded her clothes while she considered her situation. She knew her nerves were irrational, Cloud had forgiven Rowan for her offence with no more punishment than breaking off their espousal and even if he had not, from what Tseng had said of him, he was not the type to take his anger out on his inferiors, as Laton sometimes had.
So...the very worst case for Elena was that she would be sold back to the trading company, either by Rowan or by Cloud. In either case she had another eight years or so of being a concubine to look forward to, and she could sell the jewellery Rowan had given her that was not to her taste.
If she wasn’t sold she would either still belong to Rowan, and probably be able to resume her relationship with Scarlet, or she would belong to Cloud, who was unlikely to wish to bed her too often, in case it upset his consort. And she liked Tseng, certainly as a friend, possibly as more, so it wouldn’t be a hardship if he wished to bed Elena occasionally, especially since he seemed the type to take ‘no’ for an answer if she was reluctant.
Now that she’d thought things through her situation didn’t seem quite as bad as it had at first, and Elena slid into the double bed confident that she’d be able to sleep.
