piperbowes (piperbowes) wrote in childofeden_rp, @ 2013-11-07 19:48:00 |
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Current mood: | busy |
Entry tags: | character: emerson dewitt, character: piper bowes (dropped), location: dewitt mansion, thread: complete, |week: 03, ~date: 07/july 22 |
WHO: Emerson, Piper and Gretchen
WHERE: Old DeWitt Estate
WHEN: Week 3, Monday, Morning.
WHY: Piper learns about DeWitt's past and meets his slave, Gretchen.
WARNING: Swearing, kissing (run for your lives) and witty banter.
Piper stomped away from DeWitt with annoyance. She wondered if he knew that a little sex as reward or incentive would make her new role as cleaning lady go down a lot smoother. Instead the brunette was throwing attitude and sarcasm with everyone response to his requests.
Grabbing her bucket of supplies, she made her way to the study and put it down with a sigh. This sucked. A noise made her gasp and look up, "Oh! Hell, you scared me."
An elderly woman in neon pink, leopard-print leggings and matching, thankfully baggy, shirt almost fell over from chair she was perched precariously on to reach one of the higher bookshelves in the study.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, honey, you scared the leopard off my pants," the elder maid breathed, stepping down from her perch and sitting down in the chair she'd previously been standing on. "I'm 80 some years old! Heart can't take a scare like that."
Piper couldn't help but chuckle as she apologized, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was told to clean this room." She looked at the woman and took her in. It was quite a sight. A light went off in her brain, "You're...the other one. The other slave. I thought he was joking but you're real. Is it just us here? I thought there would be more."
Gretchen leaned back in her chair, happy to get a load off her feet. "Nope, honey. Just us. Emerson doesn't like a whole lotta people crowding about. Boy's been like that since I known him. Ain't had a steady girl for more than a few months neither. I told him it was okay if he was gay, but he still does his thing. Turns out he ain't queer. Just strange."
The brunette followed the older woman's lead and sat down on the plush sofa, "Huh. It would make more sense if he was into dudes."
"How long have you been here by yourself? And how long have you known Emerson? And how do you keep this entire place clean by yourself? It's massive--sorry, I..." Giving DeWitt the cold shoulder was obviously getting to her.
"You think I clean this whole place by myself?" Gretchen scoffed, waving a hand casually. "That boy don't make me clean. He mostly uses that magic and stuff to keep the place tidy. He just gives me busy work to make me feel like I ain't just wasting away." She nodded to Piper, looking back and forth discreetly before leaning in to whisper to her. "If you ask me, he mostly wants the company, and don't you let him tell you otherwise."
Her eyes widened in shock, "...he uses magic to keep the place up?" There was no freaking way. He couldn't be that nice a guy, or that sweet to let an old woman keep her dignity. Oh God. Suddenly Piper felt like she was in real trouble. "So... why would he buy someone like me?--I mean, you don't know me... I guess I just don't know what he wants from me. I don't know what to expect. He's a little hard to read." She felt herself chuckle as her last words escaped.
Gretchen rolled her eyes. "I don't think that boy much knows what he wants from anyone, if you ask my opinion. But you gotta give him a little space. You know, what with the accident and all. He's a little guarded, if you know what I mean." Her voice continued in a hushed whisper like she was afraid they were being spied on. Or just liked to sound like gossip.
Her brow furrowed before she spoke, "What accident?" What Gretchen was saying made little and perfect sense at the same time. Maybe DeWitt was just as mysterious as he made out to be. Piper put her feet up and made herself at home. It was nice to talk to another woman for a change and the insight on her master was too good to pass up.
Gretchen for her part was settling into a role she hadn't enjoyed in some time. She smiled, putting her own feet up as she prepared to tell the story.
"You know Emerson's family, the DeWitt's, they were one of the central families here in Crescent Hills. His mother and his father were brilliant, and everyone liked 'em. Had vampire friends, werewolf friends... The other witches liked 'em." Gretchen gestured, punctuating her words with her hands. "Popular, fascinating, brilliant, powerful... The DeWitt's were what every witch in this town wanted to be. They were going places, they held all the power, and their heir was hailed as a prodigy, one of the brightest minds they'd produced in ages."
"Huh. I'll deny I ever said so but Emerson never seemed like an idiot to me." Piper was grateful to get his back story from someone since she didn't ever expect to get in from him. Maybe the feeling of being a chicken with its head cut off would start to disappate.
"Most people don't share those thoughts. He goes to great lengths to seem like an idiot sometimes," Gretchen continued with a sigh. "It started when he lost his parents. It was really just awful how it happened. They were practicing darker magic, you know. All that demon summoning business and what have you. When Emerson turned 18, they thought they'd bind a demon familiar to him. Some sort of surprise or reward for doing well in his studies or something. Now, if you ask me, they should've just bought him a decent car or something. But no. Witches and their demons," the old woman said, throwing up her hands like she was talking about teenagers and their loud music.
Piper's face fell with concern and horror, "He was possessed by a demon?" That was something familiar to her in this crazy world. She'd seen it done on purpose and by force and it was nothing but horrific. Some even said the human inside could see and feel everything the demon controlling it's body was making it do. For a hunter nothing seemed more terrible.
"Oh, no!" Gretchen waved a hand, dismissing the idea. "No, they were gonna bind the demon in one of the slaves for him. He never says, but I know that boy. I can't imagine he would've gone along with something like that." The old woman sat up, leaning forward as she got to the important part. "Nobody'll ever know what happened that night. All they could find out was that the demon killed everyone there. The witches, his parents, the slaves... Thing is, when they found him, everyone was dead, including the person the demon was in. No presence lingering. He checked out for not being possessed. Something happened down there. Something happened down there, and that boy lived."
Piper felt like she was in the middle of some old mystery novel. A witch and his slaves. Parents, wealthy and self important trying to bind a demon. A massacre with a lone survivor who wouldn't speak of the tragedy. The chill that went up and back down her spine was surprising; it wasn't like she hadn't grown up with real life ghost stories before but this one was something. "I... I didn't know."
Gretchen raised her eyebrows, nodding solemnly. "Talk of the town for a while, but it wasn't long after til he bought me. Spent a pretty penny on me even though no one wanted me. He'll never say so, but I think he just wants some company."
"Sounds like a story I know." Piper nodded with a smile, remembering that she didn't think anyone would want her either but apparently DeWitt had a soft spot for lost causes and liked to spend money on them too. "So it's just been you for years? Alone with him in this huge place?" Tucking her feet underneath her, she was overwhelmed with the questions piling into her brain.
"And the occasional woman who didn't last long. I can't help but be curious about the types that've come through here."
"Oh, all different types, honey," Gretchen answered, enjoying herself far too much. "The sweet girl, the bad girl... Everything in between. I don't much know what that boy wants from anybody, maybe not even himself."
Piper nodded, "That makes sense." The next question she was afraid to ask, afraid it'd out her or Gretchen might think she was pining for their master. "And he's only--let you clean to give you something to do. He's never...asked for anything else?" DeWitt hadn't been one to read between the lines and Piper just hoped the older woman was better at it then him. "Or with other slaves who've come and gone?"
It would never not be weird for her to just be a housemaid or a cook. She wasn't great at either. Now sex? Sex she was great at. The brunette played the saint and the whore for Renee and it made her feel like she was earning her keep. When he first nought her, she even played the virgin and he bought it. He thought she was madly in love with him and he worshipped the ground she walked on. Emerson's disinterest was playing on her healthy ego every day.
"I've been his only slave for the ten years since his mother and father passed," Gretchen replied with a shrug. "He certainly don't ask me to be doing more than clean, I can tell you that. And if I didn't, I'm not sure he'd eat half the time. Boy's hopeless, I tell you."
Furrowing her brow, she asked, "What do you mean?"
"Oh, just that. He gets wrapped up in things. Thoughts, memories, all sorts of things. I don't ask ever. Well, not anymore. Doesn't much answer. He's gotten out more lately than I've seen, but he mostly keeps to himself. Plays music, reads..."
"So you're saying, if you weren't around to tell him to eat, he'd forget?" That would make sense. DeWitt definitely seemed like the type to lose himself in thoughts and private time and forget about the rest of the world. Piper had discovered he wasn't asexual but maybe he was the type to enjoy lots of different kinds of private time instead of demanding a slave come satisfy him.
Finally the impatience got to her and she blurted, "So you don't think he's ever had sex with his slaves?"
Gretchen seemed taken aback, clasping on hand over her heart. "Oh, well, my word, dear! No. I'm the only one he's ever had beside you."
"Only?!? You're the only one...ever?" Shaking he head in complete disbelief, Piper tried to wrap her mind around that. She knew she shouldn't have asked. Leave it to the old lady in hot pink and leopard print to make her feel like a pervert. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...shock or offend you. I'll just know that as common practice between masters and slaves. That's surprising to say the least. "
"He's not a common boy, honey," Gretchen replied. "Weird, some say. But he likes some company. Not too much, though."
"I'm starting to understand that more and more." Piper looked around the room and discovered Gretchen really did take pride in cleaning this place. "Do you think you've got a handle on this room? I'm so nosy I'll probably just distract you from your work if I stay," getting up from her seat and adding, "But if you're ever bored, I'm always up for a drink and some girl talk."
"Well, I don't much like to gossip, but I'm always here for girl talk, honey," Gretchen replied, hoisting herself out of her chair with a sigh. "You go on. I'll get this place taken care of."
"Thanks. And I didn't mean to make you gossip or give anything up on Emerson you didn't want to. It's just...good to know. " Piper felt a little guilty for all the questions but definitely felt better, more settled than before. She even felt less pissed off and ego - bruised by her master which was good for him in the long run. With a final smile, she left the study and headed back to where she saw DeWitt last. If she didn't get lost in this damn maze first.
Emerson was seated in an upstairs lounge that he'd more or less converted into a music room of sorts. Various types of guitars, acoustic and electric, lined the walls, and the only desk in the room was littered with sheet music, some original, some not. Sitting atop the desk with his legs crossed, he held his very first guitar in his lap, tuning it with a cigarette dangling from between his lips. He didn't appear to notice anyone approach.
Piper walked down a long hallway on her way to the last place she saw him, which, if she was honest, she wasn't quite sure where that was. Hopefully after a few weeks of getting lost in this place, she'd get to know her way around. The sound of a guitar echoing through the walls made her stop and find it. The brunette peeked her head inside with interest, chuckling when she saw him. Instead of speaking, she just walked with purpose to where he sat and plucked the cigarette from between his lips to take a drag, "Mm."
Emerson looked up, not moving or fleeing as Piper approached and plucked the cigarette from his lips. He'd told her to do something, hadn't he? The Witch stood there, looking perplexed as he studied her and tried to remember what he'd asked her to do.
"Did I ask you to do something, or are you just finished the last pack I gave you?" he asked, not caring if it made him look like dimwit who couldn't keep track of his own orders.
The brunette just chuckled and took the cigarette out of her mouth long enough to shift closer to him and lean close. She was trying not to let herself think too much about what she was about to do and focused on the feeling she had when she decided to do it. Even though his focus was on her, Piper put a hand on his cheek and pressed her lips against his in a determined kiss. Not too hard but not gentle either. Learning what she did was too much; he was a damn sweetheart and sweethearts deserved to be kissed. Her mouth moved against his to catch his bottom lip between hers before she moved away with a sigh. It helped that she thought it might alleviate some tension between them.
"You asked me to clean the study but Gretchen was already there doing a way better job then I'd ever do so I came back. I like her. Gretchen," informing him with an air of casualty that ignored what she'd just done.
Emerson didn't move a muscle, so put off his game by Piper's decision to up and kiss him that he couldn't even try to stop her if he'd wanted to. He closed his eyes against his better judgment, figuring if she meaned to shank him during the kiss? It was clearly his time to go. And what a way to go. He found himself responding to her kiss sooner than a startled man should have, and he felt his pulse start to race.
She pulled away, leaving him completely flabbergasted and in shock as she started to speak again. Gretchen? Had he? What? "You... Gretchen? Did I?" Words were apparently failing him.
A sneaky smile creeped it's way across her face even as she tried to bite her lips to keep it at bay. Finally she decided to just tease him further with it. "Yep, you did. Something the matter, DeWitt?" Piper had heard him mention that it was something friends called him and so she started calling him that to herself. Now she wanted to know how he'd take it or if he'd even notice. Lifting the cigarette to her mouth again, she took a puff and asked, "So was there anything else you wanted?" The brunette had asked him that about fifty times since he'd bought her and she would keep asking until she got the answer she wanted.
Emerson visibly willed himself out of his open-mouthed state of utter shock, shaking his head. Where the hell had that come from? Dangerous goddamn distraction indeed. He'd all but forgotten that he had a guitar in his lap.
"Wait, Gretchen... Did she put you up to that?" he asked, suddenly very suspicious. The old lady had just been waiting for him to bring home another slave so she could weave her little web of matchmaking or something. She always did tell him he needed to get laid more. "And there are a lot of things I want, but I want an answer to that first. Because I find it very hard to believe that telling you to clean the study endeared me to you."
Piper scoffed, offended and amused at the same time, "Excuse me?" Sitting on her hip, she had to look away to gather her wit before she said, "Endeared? Who said anything about endeared? Can't a girl kiss a guy without being interrogated after? No wonder the people you fuck don't stick around long." That was definitely taking it a little far and outing her and Gretchen from gossiping about him. The brunette sighed and found herself at a loss about what else to say.
Emerson sighed heavily, feel every bit like the asshole he'd probably unintentionally sounded like. He scratched the back of his head. He'd never been good at genuinely expressing regret or, well, most feelings for that matter. He was about to try when what she said hit home with him. He'd been too side-swiped to notice at first.
"All the people I fuck, huh? What else did she tell you?" he pressed on, back to the interrogation as he started to catch on.
Piper's face fell with regret and shame. "Nothing. She didn't tell me anything." Knowing more about DeWitt was beneficial for everyone, she still believed that but admitting the source wasn't going to happen. The brunette just wanted to leave, take back the kiss and start over. "I was just being bitchy, I don't know anything," she couldn't keep all of the accusation out of her voice, "and I take it back, okay? I won't kiss you again when someone tells me something sweet about you. Like using magic to clean your ridiculous house but giving Gretchen just enough to do so she doesn't keel over from boredom." The nervous babbling was definitely taking over as she tried to back her way out of the music room.
Now it was Emerson's turn to look sheepish again. Gretchen might've spilled something, but apparently nothing too terrible beyond a little gossip and some annoying comments about him being sweet or something ludicrous like that.
"No, I'm sorry. I'm being an asshole. I usually am, you know. Gretchen's a goddamn liar," he finally said, sparing a lopsided grin at Piper.
The brunette stopped walking away, "Yeah, you were." Her hands clasped behind her back to keep from fighting, "And I might not go looking for gossip if I got something from you. I am curious, you know." Piper didn't expect to become his new confidante but they did live together technically, after all. She smiled at his grin and walked back towards him with a familiar intent in her eyes, "Assholes don't deserve kisses. Remember that." Grabbing his shirt in her first and pulling his mouth down to hers again. The kiss was more intense as she scraped her teeth along his lips before soothing them with her tongue. Ripping her lips away, she whispered close, "Good thing I don't believe you."
"Well, you're sure to be-" He'd started to talk, readying the wise-ass remarks that usually flowed from his lips like a fountain before she grabbed him again and kissed him. It took him less time to recover from the shock of it this time, and he suspected he should've seen it coming. He kissed her back, responding to the fire it felt like she'd lit inside of him, opening his eyes to look back at her when she pulled just slightly away.
"Good thing," he managed, his voice a low whisper as he moved his hand up to pull her back in again.
A squeak escaped her mouth when he pulled her back to his, not expecting any reaction from him let alone that one. She was happy with his participation in the short kisses and thought it was good progress. Seeing as she was the one being kissed this time, Piper focused on the feel of his strong but pliant mouth. It tasted like smoke and something sweet she couldn't quite put her finger on. The brunette flattened her palms against his lean but broad chest and let him take charge since she'd messed with him enough today.
The kiss was slower than hers had been. Emerson took his time with this sort of thing. He wasn't all spontaneous decisions, not all the time anyway. He parted her lips with his tongue, deepening the kiss as he slipped another arm around her waist, holding her against him. When he pulled back, lips still inches from hers, the smile he wore wasn't quite as sarcastic as usual.
"You're something, you know that?" he managed, not quite sure what to say or what Gretchen had told Piper to bring this on. "Difficult, but something."
Of course he was the type to take his sweet time, massage her lips between his and cup her chin to guide her mouth however he liked. Piper couldn't help but moan into his mouth when she felt his tongue and opened hers for him, her arm slipping across his shoulders and pressing into the muscle she felt there. Holding on for dear life when he licked his way into her mouth, made her lose her breath. Her lids were still closed when he pulled away, his voice making her blink up at him, "Am I? I'll take difficult. I've heard worse." DeWitt's smile was the most surprising of all and now she knew what a real one looked like. No more fooling her. The brunette let her hands run down his arms as she licked her lip in thought, "I should probably clean something."
Emerson wasn't exactly sure what he wanted. Well, no. That was a damn lie. He knew exactly what he wanted, but it was such a tricky subject for him. He looked down at her, apparently not quite ready to let go of her. He didn't want to be the sort of Master to take advantage of slaves for the sole purpose of sex and dominance and being a complete, domineering asshole. But he didn't want to let go just yet. She felt nice there.
"You don't have to," was all he managed. He had to sound casual, and he took great effort to do so in his current situation. "Not if you don't want to."
Piper gave him a look that said it was very dangerous to be saying something like that right now. Being so sweet after such a sexy and satisfying set of kisses. Emerson was being so understanding and treating her like a human--the way the Bible and the Buddha said humans should be treated. It was a dangerous combination and causing a mix of emotions she wasn't ready to tackle yet. The brunette found it harder to pull away then she expected and just loosened her grip, making it easier for a getaway if needed.
"So, we had dinner with some witches, went to a restaurant opening. Do you have our next outing planned, master?" she referred to him in a playful tone but wouldn't be surprised if her subconscious was trying to remind them both who they were.
Emerson shrugged. He rarely planned what he was going to do in the next, few hours. Only fancy parties that he sort of had to attend or events made it on to the calendar. It was kind of an odd thing to ask considering their current position, and he wondered if she wasn't trying to make some sort of a point.
"Hadn't planned on it," he answered honestly. "You heard about anything in particular?"
Now that she thought about it, she had, "Roxy told me about this party. A Masquerade hosted by this woman Maia. You know her?" Her fingers absentmindedly played across his biceps and then down his forearms that hugged her waist. "It seemed fancy and a little racy from what she told me, plus she seemed excited about it so that's a clue. And you probably don't want to go but..." Piper looked up and realized their closeness might help her cause as she gave him a pleading look, batting her lashes. "It sounds fun."
Emerson raised an eyebrow, smiling down at her as he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He worried that it was perhaps a bit too affectionate, but it was sort of his natural go to considering their position.
"I know her, and I'm not ashamed to say that she scares me a little bit," he joked casually, pursing his lips together. "Not sure if I'm going, but I'll take you there if you want." It was his way of letting her know that he trusted her, that she had more freedom than most of the rest of the slaves here did.
Her eyes gently closed at the gentle kiss and for a moment she was content to stay exactly where she was. "That doesn't surprise me. I'm slowly starting to understand that people around here aren't like you." Piper smiled brightly and lifted her head to look at him, "Really? Thank you," and pressed a whisper of a kiss to his lips in gratitude as well as a minor distraction. Untangling herself from his arms, she said, "But I'm gonna need something to wear and I thought Gretchen could help me. Don't worry, you don't have to shop." The brunette bit her lip and kept her smile hopeful, "Please."
Emerson was actually kind of sad to see her detangle herself from his embrace, but it was worth it to see the enthusiasm on her face at being told she'd be allowed to go out on her own. Of course, he wasn't going to tell her that he'd have the leas intrusive of monitoring spells to make sure she didn't get into any trouble, but that was less because he didn't trust her and more than he didn't trust most Supernaturals in Crescent Hills.
"I'll give her the car keys, and you two can go shopping," he relented with a heavy sigh. "Can you do one thing for me, though?"
Her excitement was going through her body when she made an exaggerated face and even a squeal of glee. Piper really didn't expect him to go for it. The idea of going somewhere she wanted because she wanted to and without someone hovering over her meant more to her than she realized until he consented. Her brows perked up, "Course." The least she could do was give a little something for what she was getting.
"You know I'm not like this, so try not to get too pissed at me, okay?" Emerson warned, opening a drawer on the desk and pulling out a box. "Wear this for me? It's got my house's insignia on it. I'm not the type to 'mark' people, but I just want to make sure the more skeezy people in that club don't try any skeezy things you don't like. Won't stop 'em from hitting on you, but you can always point to it if you don't want any part of it." The choker inside was platinum, and the insignia coloured with rubies and a scrawling 'DW.'
"I know this'll probably piss you off, but some of the people in this town are kind of assholes. Not that I don't think you can handle most of them, but you know."
The brunette frowned in confusion and suspicion as he spoke. Emerson definitely made it sound a lot worse than it was when he pulled out the collar. Piper gave him a look that said she was hesitant but took it in her hands. It looked more like a choker anyway and would probably feel better knowing people knew she wasn't just a wandering slave. That would definitely be putting herself in unnecessary danger. And it was pretty. The brunette took a moment to take it all in and then sighed, "I don't have to wear it right now, do I?" DeWitt seemed to be worried she'd give him a tongue lashing but as long as he wasn't making this a permanent part of her everyday life, she could compromise.
Emerson smiled, genuinely relieved that she wasn't as furious as he'd expected that she would be. He didn't like signs of ownership. Most of the time it seemed douchey to him, like he was peeing on her to mark her as his territory or something. Still, with some of the creeps who ran around town? He kind of felt like he had to if he wasn't going to be around.
"Nope. Only time I'd ask it is if I'm not around. I don't like that whole tattoo, branding, collar shit myself. Sadly, there are not-so-nice people who would look at that and think it's an excuse to do whatever they want with you. I don't want to give them that."
"Good. I was hoping you weren't just waiting to brand me or something. I put a lot of work into my skin to make it look this good." Piper didn't even realize she was backing away until she was at the door. "Thanks. It's nice to know you want to keep me safe." It was too much. DeWitt wanted to give her some freedom and protect her at the same time. Wanted to get to know her before anything more intense happened between them. Was lonely and just wanted some good company when Gretchen wasn't around anymore. It was too good too be true and she just needed some space, some time to process it all. This wasn't anything like her life or the life she thought she'd chosen for herself. Now the brunette would wait for the other shoe to drop; it could only be a matter of time.
Emerson laughed, glad she was taking it as well as she was. "Girl, you think I would ruin skin so fine? Please. That would be a crime," he joked, trying to mimic the voice of one of his previous girlfriends who would just go on until oblivion about skin care and products that would bring out your inner diva without stripping away all the good stuff or something.
Piper laughed and shook her head, "Good to know. Thanks." Looking around awkwardly for a moment she finally said, "I should really find something to clean. The bathroom on the third floor West Wing is actually playing on my OCD." And smiled to ease the end of their talk--moment--whatever as she turned and walked down the hall toward her next destination. The brunette was all about progress and then once things started progressing she couldn't get away fast enough.
Emerson watched her go, not sure if he was alarmed or pleased by what had just transpired between them. He certainly hadn't actually hired her to keep the place clean, but he wasn't sure he'd consciously been looking for someone to share life moments with either. He frowned thoughtfully, watching her as she went.
Eventually, he turned his attention back to his guitar, strumming it idly before launching into the new song he'd been working on.