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<span>Spoiler: <span class="bbCodeSpoiler-button-title">Ezra</span></span>
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</div></div>The ocean water was cool against Ezra's naked body, leaving him feeling cleansed and refreshed, even as the salt stuck and dried on his skin. The young male waded out farther until the water was up to his chest. He lifted his legs from the rocks beneath him and he floated for a moment, the hot sun beating down on his exposed face, his long curly hair spreading out like curious tendrils in the water.<br/><br/>Back on shore, sitting underneath a thatched roof, feet buried in the white sands sat two men, watching Ezra frolic in the water. The men wore clean, pressed suits and wide-brimmed hats. They looked extremely out of place on the island of Tuloa, their skin pale and pasty compared to the natives' golden olive glow. One of the gentlemen, a plump man with a large red nose and bushy salt and pepper mustache, cleared his throat before taking a sip of fresh water from the shell of a gutted fruit. "I have heard that they've found a buyer for the Asha boy," he said simply, his eyebrows raised as he watched for his companion's reaction.<br/><br/>The other man smiled, nodding his head as he watched Ezra stand up in the water and shake his long brown hair, sparkling droplets of ocean flying off of him and glittering in the sunlight as if the Asha male were shedding diamonds. The second man was taller and thinner than his companion but seemed to have similar tastes in mustache styling. "Where is this rumored buyer?"<br/><br/>"Belmir."<br/><br/>"Importing Asha is illegal there," the thin man said plainly, taking a sip of cold liquid from his own shell.<br/><br/>"Yes, the native variety of Asha is plentiful in Belmir, but they are simple and do not have the same motivations or skills as Tuloan Asha. In Belmir, Asha are used as lowly house slaves. What we're offering is something much more valuable." The plump man chuckled to himself, feeling pleased.<br/><br/>"Of course. Tuloan Asha are a rare breed," the thin man replied. "I wouldn't have gone into the business of importing them if they weren't worth anything. Does the buyer know about their restrictive diet? Their mercurial nature? Jenson has spoken to me about his difficulty selling a couple of females in Yulls. Apparently, an Asha that cannot eat the local food is a tough sell. Once the buyer found out that the females would get violently ill if they ate anything other than Tuloan fruits he backed out. He was willing to pay for the Asha but not for the constant upkeep."<br/><br/>The plump man sighed and shrugged his shoulders, slurping up the last of his beverage. "I do not know what the buyer has been told. All I know is that he is a collector, of sorts. Very fond of expensive, rare and dangerous animals. I've been assured that he has the will and means to take care of a fickle animal, as long as it is rare enough."<br/><br/>"Padley, as far as I know, the male will be the only Tuloan Asha in Belmir. That is certainly rare."<br/><br/>"Indeed!" Padley's mustache wiggled with joy atop his lip. He stood and whistled loudly, getting the attention of the male splashing in the water. "Ay, boy! Come!" he commanded, sitting down once again as Ezra exited the water and rushed over obediently. His nude, toned body glistened as he approached.<br/><br/>"Boy, how old are you?" Padley asked, looking the male up and down. He was a gorgeous specimen. They could charge extra for him.<br/><br/>"Twenty-six," Ezra replied simply, his head bowed in a sign of obedience.<br/><br/>Padley clapped his hands together happily. "Perfectly! Just the right age for prime sexual maturity. You will make a fine, virile pet."<br/><br/>Ezra's ears perked up, he lifted his head, wet curls sticking to the sides of his handsome face. "I will have a master?" he asked eagerly, remembering all the lessons his keepers had given him, all the stories that said that having a master was the most wonderful experience an Asha could hope for. Being kept, loved, taken care of just so he could please a master was Ezra's one wish. He coveted after the finely stitched leather collars that all kept Asha got to wear around the throats, the collar that said he was special, he was precious, he<i>belonged</i>to someone.<br/><br/>"Yes, yes, boy, a very special master. You must do everything you can to keep him happy, do you understand?"<br/><br/>"Yes, sir, of course!" Ezra exclaimed, a smile taking over his typically pouty lips.<br/><br/>"Very good," the thin man interjected, his face stern. "Padley, send the boy to get fitted. We will prepare him and deliver him post haste. The trip to Belmir is long and we want to keep the male fresh."<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center">&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;​</div><br/>Ezra spent much of his time below the decks of the ship, barred from interacting with the crew that transported him. He was allowed about an hour on the top deck every day in order to get his daily requirement of sunlight, the male became rather surly and petulant without it, but most of the crew was sent away during this time. Ezra was considered an especially alluring Asha, and one that was very eager to please. Having no loyalty to the master he hadn't met yet, Ezra was ready and eager to satisfy whatever man asked him, but Ezra's keepers had to make sure that Ezra stayed pure until he arrived at his master's doorstep. A tainted Asha, especially one specifically bred and raised to please, was damaged goods that would lower the price significantly, something the sellers and smugglers wanted very much to avoid.<br/><br/>After weeks of meticulous care and maintenance, the day arrived. Ezra was beyond excited to meet his new master and receive his collar. He was bathed, perfumed and his hair combed by keepers, then dressed in a flowy, simple outfit that Belmiran Asha were expected to wear. The clothes were slightly transparent, made so that the Asha could get as much sun as possible in Belmir's finicky weather. The keepers silently hoped that the seller made Ezra's need for sunlight apparent to his new master. Belmiran Asha had adapted to the temperate climate, but Ezra was a tropical specimen who needed extra attention. The keepers liked Ezra the most of all their charges. He was the prettiest, the sweetest, the cleverest of all of them. He would make a fabulous pet to someone who took proper care of him.<br/><br/>Ezra didn't understand why he was being ushered through to his new master's home in such quiet and secrecy, but he did not offer an objection. All that mattered was arriving at his new home. A wide, hopeful grin rested on Ezra's face as he waited at the doorstep with the individuals delivering him. He ran a hand through his curls, hoping his master found him attractive and desirable. It was what he had been waiting for his entire life. He would finally have a home, finally, he would be adored, coddled, and loved as all good pets were.