Oracle

Part 11

"Leo's trying to make me talk flirtier. Master John's encouraging it," Justice said sounding like he had swallowed something sour. "I think if he could get me to agree, he would put me in the brothel still," Justice said unhappily, the bed shifting slightly as Justice shifted. It took everything Jaspar had not to inhale sharply at that statement. Who was this 'John' who could put his workers in a brothel if he so chose? "Thank you for taking care of me by the way. You were the one who took my leg off right?" Justice said almost hesitantly.

"Yes, and it wasn't a problem Just. Don't want you hurting yourself again. As for the brothel thing, John would never force you to go so don't worry about it," Elison reassured, a zipper going up again, much shorter so Jaspar assumed he had put his pants on. "The regulars here like you the way you are, so don't try too hard to be what you're not."

Elison moved closer, his footsteps heavier suggesting he had put on some shoes of some sort. The man must have done something to comfort Justice physically because Justice made a soft happy sound and Elison one of reassurance. After a moment a hand landed on his back and rubbed. "Come on Jaspar, time to get up," Elison murmured.

"Don't want to move," Jaspar grumbled, burying his face in the pillow. He didn't want to be a part of this. He just wanted to hide away and hope the monsters never found him again.

"Jaspar," Justice said gently. "We need to get your eyes sorted," he coaxed, a hand ruffling his hair. Jaspar hoped it was Justice but he couldn't actually tell from the movement how big the hand was and Elison seemed to like comforting people. Strange for someone who went about ruining people's lives.

Jaspar made a complaining sound but forced himself up. Regardless of where this now led him, he needed to take care of himself. He sat up and felt as arms pulled him up out of the bed and stood him on his feet. Jaspar curled his toes in the soft material, not sure what was about to happen next.

"Should I grab another set of clothes or do you think he will be fine like this?" Justice asked Elison softly.

Jaspar was tempted to growl that he was there in the room with him, but Justice seemed like a good person to keep on his side. If nothing else, the man had obviously been in this world a while and still seemed sane. Also given Elison was his keeper at the moment, it made sense that the other man would ask Elison first and not him. Still, it rankled a little how little choice he was being given. Hopefully, something he would not have to get used to for long.

"Leave it. Jaspar would you like the robe as well?" Elison asked. "We are going to have to go down to the main bar area to have dinner, then after we'll come back up for the doctor to do what he needs to do." The man put in a very undiplomatic way. The tone was one which did not invite any kind of discussion or complaint about the way things were going to be done.

"Can't we eat up here?" Jaspar asked not one to be afraid of tones like that.

"No," both Justice and Elison said with a tone of sympathy, the latter with a touch of bitter resentment. The fact that both men had said it suggested it was a point of conflict which had been fought many times and likely part of the rules of the place they were in rather than something either of them wanted to do.

Choosing not to try to fight it given the tones in their voice, Jaspar instead wrapped his arms around his waist nervously. "Please, can I have the robe then?" Jaspar said in a voice which he hoped sounded more calm than afraid. He might be a little warm in the bar, but the idea of wearing an extra layer just made him feel a little safe. Especially knowing that he was going to be in a room of people he didn't know, still vulnerable and depending on a man who he had recently tried to assault.

"Of course," Elison commented before he was suddenly manhandling him into the robe. Jaspar let him despite the discomfort he felt at the rough handling. Once it was on, he pulled the robe tightly around him, tying the sash tightly.

"We are going to have to create a pattern with clothes if you are going to keep dressing and undressing me," Jaspar said dryly, his shoulders complaining at how Elison had forced them to move. He rubbed them gently, Elison spluttering an apology as Justice giggled.

"I'm going to pick you up now," Elison said finally after the apology. Strong arms wrapped around him and held him bridal style before taking him out of the room and into the smoky corridor. Jaspar wasn't actually sure what to do with his arms during this and ended up putting one awkwardly around Elison's neck and the other over his chest limply. It wasn't like he had ever been carried like this before, nor had he ever expected to be.

Jaspar wanted to be sarcastic and difficult, but fear was building in his chest as the dim of voices grew louder and louder as they descended downstairs to where the bar was. He found himself pressing closer to Elison nervously, not sure what was about to happen. He was still half waiting for the gentleness to be a ruse and for it all to shatter.

Elison paused, not quite in the bar yet if Jaspar was going to judge the sounds around them. There was still something blocking the noises. "Just to warn you Jaspar, the regulars are a bit crude at times. Try to ignore them, I won't let them touch you so don't worry. They aren't harmless per se but John has rules in his establishments about harassing other customers so you will be safe. I promise," Elison said in a weird mixture of gentleness, seriousness and embarrassment.

"That's not really making me feel any better," bubbled out of Jaspar nervously as Justice snorted behind them. That made Jaspar slightly more anxious in itself. He found himself burying his face in the robe's collar. Elison tightened his grip on him momentarily in an action which was either meant to help Jaspar steel himself or the best he could do to hug the man.

"It won't be that bad," promised Elison softly. "In we go," he warned. A door in front of them opened, the creaks making it sound stiff and heavy and suddenly they were surrounded by the sounds of a currently very busy bar.