lilfluff

Has it been a week since I posted something? I'll have to make a progress post this weekend. But, while working on other items I've also put down a few short scenes involving Owen from the two prior Iced Tea pieces (hmm, may have to find a better name)

Title: Random Scenelets
Fandom/'verse: Somewhere in

aldersprig's Tir na Cali
Rating/Warnings: slavery, discipline, rude brothers, but no sex. Abuse, possibly triggery in a spot.
Summary: Some short bits from before and after Sweet Iced Tea (LJ link) and Recovering (LJ link) with a little of Owen's past and part of why Carrick scares him. And Carrick learns an important lesson about hospital hierarchies.

Two years earlier...

Owen knelt on his mat and smiled. He had been given a space on the north side of the floor, which was usually warmer than the rest. Even better the north side had better a better view, showing the mountains around the city instead of simply a city street.

"You again?"

Recognizing the voice he bowed and answered without bothering to look at the speaker first. "Good morning Mister Manager, sir."

The manager cleared his throat and when Owen looked up he held out his hand to show off a gold ring with small, deep blue gems circling it. The man smiled when he spoke again, "I managed to get the attention of a lovely Lady, so that is actually 'your lordship', now."

"Oh! Congratulations your lordship!"

"Now Owen, why are you back here so soon, you were behaving I hope?"

"I thought I was. But then all these people came and they were looking at everything and told us to all go back to our rooms and then they came back and told us to all come out to a truck, and today they brought us here."

"Then you were part of the Crown auction Trevor handled. Not to worry, we'll get you into a better home soon." The manager smiled and gave his head a pat before continuing down the line checking on the rest of his inventory.

Six months earlier...

Owen was crying when the manager spotted him among the store's newly arriving purchases. The manager checked the note he had received again, We were processing yesterday's purchases and saw you were to be notified if this one's registration number came up.

When Owen saw him he opened and closed his mouth a few times without saying anything before simply latching onto him with his shackled hands and cried harder than before. Patting the boy's head he skimmed through the paperwork, they boy had actually been sold twice more before showing up at his shop again. This time around they'd purchased him through an estate sale. It seemed the poor boy's last owner must have been a kind one for him to miss her like this.

Waving over one of his men the manager shook his head, "We can't just leave him out on the floor like this. Take him down to the kitchen, Gretchen can get him something to eat and have him help out once he's calmed."

Two weeks before Sweet Iced Tea...

"Runt, weren't you cleaning the same spot when I left this morning?"

Owen gave Carrick a quick bow from where he was sitting, "Yes sir. I used the wrong cleaner, Cacey's showing me how to do it right."

Carrick hmphed, and watched while Cacey carefully measured out a portion from a white bottle instead of the brown one he'd used earlier. "Never have liked the smell of that stuff."

Fortunately Cacey, enjoying his role as teacher for the younger boy, answered for him. "It's mostly made from white vinegar, sir."

"Hmph, like I said I don't like the smell. You are paying attention to what you're being shown, right runt?"

Looking up Owen nodded, "Yes sir." Refraining from saying anything about interuptions accept in his head.

Leaning against the wall Carrick made more comments while watching. "You used the tile cleaner? Does this look like tile?" "Are you really paying attention? He just told you how to get the scuff marks up." "Do you like puddles for some reason? Because Cacey wasn't leaving the floor so damp when he did it." "Do you think this is a who is the slowest, contest?" "Watch it. Get any of that on my shoe and I'll have you eat that rag."

He simply nodded to each one and answer with a quiet, "Yes sir." Turning back to Cacey each time, trying to concentrate on the older slave's advice. He wasn't sure what he'd done to annoy Carrick, but he wished the boy would just go away. He wanted to remember what Cacey was telling him so he wouldn't make a fool of himself again. Carrick interrupted twice while Cacey was explaining what to do with a spot of wine that had dried without being noticed. The third time was one time too many.

"Have you been listening to anything he's said?"

Owen knew better, even as he turned he knew it was a mistake. He had bit back everything he wanted to say all week. He just didn't have enough concern left to hold back again.

"Yes, sir, I am trying to listen to him. So would you please just shut up and let me!"

When he turned back he got to enjoy a second or two of Cacey's eyes wide open and staring at him. At least until Carrick yanked him up by the back of his shirt. "Would you like to repeat that? No?"

He tried to get his feet back under him as Carrick dragged him along, just succeeding when a shove put him over the arm of a chair. "Hold him there."

He looked up in time to see Cacey come up to his side and grab his arms. The older boy leaning down to whisper to him. "Are you mad? Are you trying to get in trouble?"

Owen would have answered but he heard the rattle of a buckle as Carrick pulled his belt off. Please let it just be a beating, not that, please just a beating. Then Carrick's belt struck cutting off his panick, his whole back feeling like it was on fire as the belt came down again and again.

A few days after Recovering...

Owen wished they'd let him just walk to the bathroom, however much it still hurt just to walk. But he realized now there was something more embarrassing than having a catheter replaced. Having it replaced with Carrick in the room was worse.

"What's wrong? Most boys would love getting a little attention down there from a beautiful woman."

No. Having Carrick in the room, talking about it, was far worse. Especially when there was no safe answer. Even if he had his eyes closed and was trying to ignore everything.

"Then again, that looks like it has to hurt."

Hearing gloves coming off far too soon got his eyes open in time to see the nurse walk up. The glare she gave Carrick almost made it easy to think her red hair was a wreath of flames. "Are you enjoying making my job harder, child?"

"What? No, I was just--"

"Out."

"What?"

"Get out of this room and out of my ward."

"You can't do that, it belongs to--"

"He belongs to your mother. And the only people she has put on the visitor's list are her husband and a daughter. You, brat, are not on the list. You visit at my sufferance and I am not suffering another moment of your presence. Out. Now."

Owen couldn't help but let himself grin a little as Carrick seemed to deflate and shrugged. "Fine, I'm going."

"And stay out, you are not to big to go over my knee."

She watched until Carrick was out the door then rewashed her hands. Owen watched the doorway a little longer before looking back to her and speaking softly. "Thank you, your ladyship."

"Nurse Roisin will do child, it's my only true title. Now try to relax, I know this isn't comfortable but it shouldn't hurt."