Thread: Love is for Suckers [Goody + Incendo]

The sound of her voice, so clear and fluid actually surprised Howe. Granted, he'd only heard her say one thing really at the auction house but his first impression had been that she needed to be guided through instruction or commands. He was grateful then to see that was clearly not the case and he relaxed a bit now knowing he wouldn't have to talk to her like a baby anymore. Even still, as much as she said she wanted to remain healthy, he knew that saps were fond of lying or misdirection on occasion. Good. Okay, he nodded. If you ever need a doctor, just know, you are commanded to tell me. And one will be called for you right away. The house that Howe drove up to was on a quiet, suburban street. Each house on the street was fairly decent sized and had it's own yard, driveway, and parking garage. Much better than the old egg crate, concrete towers of apartments he'd used to live in. It'd been about 10 years ago but still, he never missed it. Single room dorms placed so snug up against each other that smells and sounds came through the walls like they were all part of one unit. He'd hated it there, where there'd been no privacy, no comfort at all. Parking his car in the driveway, Howe came around to Amina's side and with hand on the back of her neck, escorted her inside. With the sun up as it was, they were the only ones up and about at this hour, the birds chirping in the trees but nothing else moving. Door opening with his hand print on the locked panel, Howe nonverbally urged Amina past the threshold, releasing her once they were inside and removing his shades after he'd closed the door and locked it behind himself. The house inside consisted of a long rectangular room which had an implied divide between living room and kitchen marked by the end of the carpet in the middle of the floor. Howe had a couple of chairs and a large couch, along with a vid screen on the wall and book shelf underneath it. The kitchen was little more than a refrigerator and sink against the wall with a row of cabinets above. Some of the cabinets had canned blood in them. Others had sapien food that he'd recently purchased to prepare for this. Along the length of the wall, three closed doors sat but the first thing Howe did was walked into the kitchen. Hey, pay attention, Howe said to her, snapping his fingers curtly at her. Once she was looking at him, he turned and opened two of the cupboards above the sink, showing her the cans of food and boxes of dried goods inside. This is food for you. If you start to run low you need to tell me so I can get you more. Even as he said that, he doubted her willingness to approach him about it, already making his mind up to constantly check on her food supply. If you favor anything in particular, let me know and I will get you those things. There's also some juice concentrates in the freezer. I wasn't sure if you'd like that. Closing them up, he walked past her over to the middle door in the wall, opening it with a push of a button, the door sliding into the wall smoothly. The bathroom. All of it was chrome and porcelain and immaculate. There was a sink and a shower. The newest thin in it was the toilet, which they'd just finished installing last week. A despicable contraption but supremely necessary for sap ownership. Pointing at it, Howe gave her a probing look and asked, Do you know how to use that? Have you seen one before? He knew some farms had outhouses but others did not, forcing the saps to merely squat over holes in the ground, burying their leavings. You're expected to keep this area clean, understand? No messes. Closing the door, he took her to the door on the right of it, while motioning at the door on the left. That room is mine. You're not allowed in there. I don't want to have to punish you but I will if I find you breaking rules. It is my hope you'll be happy here but I can very easily make you unhappy if you force me to. This room, he said as he pushed the button to open the door in front of him, Is your room. The door opened to reveal a tiny room with a bed, a small closet, and a tiny window, much too small for anyone to fit through. The bed was made with gray sheets and the walls lay bare. In these houses, the extra room could often be made into a weight room, a study, or a guest room. For those who could afford livestock, it also could be made into a room for saps to be kept. You will sleep here and go here when I tell you to, Howe said, squinting in discomfort at the light coming through the tiny window. I need to sleep but first I'd like to draw from you. Do you have any questions?