Page 55 of The Toymaker
Trig drew him in to hug. “I know it didn’t take that long to decide.”
Riju smelled his typical rose scent, common among fairies. Kit’s was nice too with the hint of sunflowers, which was rather rare like the magnolia on Riju. It hadn’t taken long to form a single word, but what was he supposed to say? He’d wholeheartedly trusted Trig for a long time, and he’d ignored a few simple things that had irked him because the majority of their relationship seemed good to him.
Lately, a couple of things had done more than irk him. He couldn’t blurt it all out at once.
“I want to read my books,” said Riju.
“All right. Don’t stay up too late.”
“You know I don’t.” Why even bother to tell him anymore? He didn’t need to be told to go to bed at a decent time.
Trig kissed him again, and Riju was free to go to his room. When he took off his spectacles, everything on his desk blurred.He could tell things apart, but the details were lost, and when he set the books down, the embossed words,Fairline’s Essays,were hard to make out on the front. While living on the street, he’d learned to not look for the details of a dropped coin but the shape and faint gleam of the copper, silver, or gold on the dirty cobblestones.
Once, he found two lans on the ground at the age of ten. Holding the gold coins, he’d felt like a King for about five minutes until he remembered money never lasted, and the food he could buy with it didn’t either.
He took a cloth from a drawer to carefully wipe his spectacles while he thought about Trig’s words. Why did he want to know the thoughts in Riju’s head? The wording felt invasive, and thoughts were supposed to be private unless one wanted to share them.
Trig didn’t even ask. He just wanted to know, like he had the right to know whatever went through Riju’s mind at any time. Whenever Trig had said so occasionally over the years, Riju had usually never told him exactly what he was thinking. It was another thing he’d felt he should keep hidden, like the moving tattoos he'd been born with on his back.
The real Dory had thought they were pretty. Trig would likely think so too, but Riju had never shown him, a thing that had caused strife between them a few times earlier in their relationship.
Perhaps he’d always known deep down he shouldn’t share everything, and it was why he’d held back on certain things at times. It was only now that things were becoming clear like his room when he put his spectacles on.
Once he’d changed into sleep clothes, he tookFairline’s Essaysand got into bed with Dory and his weighted blanket.
“I don’t like feeling like this,” he muttered to Dory even though he knew she wasn’t real and couldn’t hear. It still feltgood to tell her or his other dolls stuff because he could say whatever he wanted, and they wouldn’t prod him with questions he didn’t want to answer, attempt to change his mind, or tell him he was wrong for feeling a certain way.
The basics in the essay on submissives and dominants weren’t anything new to him. When Trig had explained certain things, he hadn’t been lying. In their relationship, Riju obeyed in bed. He wasn’t into receiving heavy pain, but he liked the occasional paddling or having someone take control of him in a way that made him feel safe. Trig had never hurt him before.
Riju was also his work apprentice, so he had to obey in matters of the shop or when he was making an item. That was normal for any boss and employee.
Some dynamics were different, and the dominant might have more control over the submissive in daily life. A key point was the submissive had to have a safety word or signal. The dominant also had to be aware of their submissive because if anything happened during a session, and they weren’t able to speak or signal due to panic, they needed to know it was time to stop.
If a dominant ignored a safety word or signal, the submissive needed to get out of the relationship. Ignoring a word or signal meant the dominant only cared for their pleasure and had no regard for the safety of their partner. The submissive would lose trust, and it could carry over to other relationships. It could even lead to injury or possible death depending on what was being done.
The safety word or sign was one of the most important things regardless of what level of strictness the couple had. It could be as simple as “stop” although it wasn’t safe in certain scenarios such as consensual nonconsent. A nontypical word was better because it would draw more attention. If a dominant or Master said they didn’t allow a word or sign, the submissive should notenter into a relationship with them. It didn’t matter how sure the dominant was of their skill or ability to keep the other safe.
“Mhm,” Riju hummed to himself.
Consent could also be revoked at any time by either person, and the other had to respect it. If one person wanted to leave the relationship, their wish also had to be respected. The other couldn’t use coercion or force them to stay.
For a slave and Master, some might like the term and play only in the bedroom. The slave usually had a stricter set of rules overall such as being nude while home, doing the cooking, cleaning, and servicing the Master at any time. The dynamic and rules could vary. Sexual activities were often heavier and more intense, but not always.
Not only did the Master have to know what he wanted, the slave had to as well. If they weren’t into heavy pain or hated a certain implement, but the Master’s desires didn’t align, and they couldn't find a meeting point, they wouldn’t work out. If the slave wanted to be shared and humiliated, but the Master wasn’t into it, again, it wouldn’t work out too well.
Both parties had to compromise and consent or find someone else they aligned with better.
If rules were agreed on, and one wanted to add something important, it needed to be discussed with them on equal ground. That went even if the slave decided they wanted something because the Master also needs to consent, and the rule applied to dominants and submissives too.
Fairline had even included a list of specific things to never do without prior, strict agreement and discussion. If it wasn’t included in the initial rules the couple agreed on, it could cause a lot of problems. Some slaves might be fine with being put in a situation they hadn’t expected, and with others, it might break their trust, so it was best to never take chances.
The list included public humiliation and sharing. Fairline added how such things had to be done in approved areas too with consenting people. A Master fucking his slave in front of a friend who liked watching was fine. Doing it on a random city street where any citizen might see it was not acceptable.
Urine and scat were on the list because they were considered extreme. Those two things were disgusting in Riju’s opinion. They should be privately done in a privy, not on a person.
Modifying the body in any way was a kink, and it needed proper consent and careful consideration. Riju read out loud to Dory since it was probably the most important thing so far besides always having a safety word and consent.
“One way is branding,” he whispered while Dory leaned on his chest. “While it’s not a common kink, some are into burning. It must be done with a healer on hand if the Master is unable to do it. If the slave has healing magic, this isn’t acceptable. If they go into shock or panic, they may be unable to focus and heal the area. This is an uncommon kink, and forcing the slave into it without prior agreement could lead to trauma. The same goes for branding, which is intended to be permanent and is only suggested for a couple intending to remain together or marry. Forcibly marking another for life requires careful thought and consideration from both people. It’s not like a whipping or anything that involves impact with a special implement where the marks fade as they heal.”
