Whisper [Sho and Tachi]
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Sho on 30-04-2010, 02:19:26</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Whisper [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>30-04-2010, 02:19:26</strong>
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				Nestled deep within Chinatown, in one of the stranger and darker neighborhoods, was a sprawling shop announced only by a two-story front with curtains drawn over the windows. The top floor had gauzy red curtains with thick velvet ones over them, but they were always drawn tightly shut, never a single crack of light showing through the center. The bottom floor had two grand, sweeping windows, with traditional latticework frames made from ebony, worth a fortune and clearly antique. There were heavy wooden-and-metal shutters on the outside but during the day they were drawn back, revealing a wide sitting room filled with antique furniture that seemed to come and go.<br><br>Li ran the shop, inherited from his family, making quite a comfortable little profit.<br><br>It was already&nbsp; five thirty in the afternoon and the sun was sinking below the skyscrapers and towering apartment buildings shadowing the little street-level shop. It was spring, and the air was thick with the smell of fresh buns being cooked, Chinese meat being turned on spits, the chatter of people going by the storefront in the melodic, swooping tones of Mandarin and Cantonese. Li spoke both, of course, along with English and a handful of other languages. He had to, to run his business.<br><br>People trailed in and out, stopping in for high-end teas and herbs to use.<br><br>He was popular in the neighborhood - terrifying as well - but his popularity showed at the end of the day when he had a small stack of drawings from neighborhood children stacked atop the small tea table in the center. A little boy was in the shop with his mother, and as his mother looked at the small, meticulous labels in Chinese on the neat gold-trimmed placecards in front of the ornate lacquered Chinese boxes, he chattered on and on about how the night before, he had seen a man walking with a fantastic serpent wrapped around his neck, and how the serpent seemed to be dancing, coming out of the shop.<br><br>His mother scolded him gently for telling tall tales, and Li smiled, handing the little boy a sweet bean cake.<br><br>He scooped some fresh oolong tea leaves into a pretty porcelain bowl, capped it with a matching top, and deftly tied a neat bow. "I'm sure your grandmother will love this tea. Please, give her my regards."<br><br>"How did you know it was for grandmother-" murmured the woman, but Li merely smiled and bowed politely and the woman paid and then excused herself from the shop.<br><br>Li - Lee to the cops that had been stalking around his shop and trying to dig things up on him - shut the front door and got ready to shut down for the day. He walked outside and shut the huge shutters, trailing back into his shop. Without natural light, he lit a few flickering gas lamps, lending a beautiful golden glow to the room.<br><br>He pulled the heavy silk curtains across the windows, then, blocking any last bits of light or sound that might seep out, and looked around. The room was immaculate - huge porcelain urns were tightly capped, scattered about the room, along with huge chests and beautiful couches and chairs. There was a tray of sweet cakes that he'd cooked on the table, and a steaming cup of tea waiting on the sideboard that he picked up, taking a slow sip. He hadn't locked the front door yet, but it was rare for people to try to come in when the windows were closed, as that was when no one could see into the storefront.<br><br>The shadows seemed to dance and shift in the rich room, the golden lamplight making everything more beautiful, everything flawlessly polished.<br><br>There were no electronics to be seen - no television, no alarm system - but no one bothered him.<br><br>He looked at himself in the full-length mirror trimmed in beautiful mahogany. The room smelled faintly of peonies, and a few floated in bowls scattered around the room. He had hair that was long, to his shoulderblades, glossy and black and pulled back in a sleek tail that swung at the base of his neck. He wore a traditional outfit - though as small as he was, he looked quite feminine. He had on a cheongsam, a rich crimson one threaded with gold, slim legs encased in tight black pants that were trimmed in gold. His lips were full, and red, and his eyes were a beautiful grey, icy and cold. He looked mostly Chinese, but his eyes belied the fact that somewhere along the line, Westerners had crept in. He was a rare beauty, gorgeous in his delicacy, slim hands fluttering on the rim of his teacup. He was small, almost a bit fragile looking, yet there was a strength that seemed to curl from within him. He looked like one of the antiques - a memory from another time - on sale.<br><br>The officer would be here, soon. To keep him safe. He'd been threatened by Michael Salem, the head of the mob a few blocks over. Salem had been making advances on Li, and Li had turned him down. He'd stopped dealing with him business-wise, as well, when Salem had proven unable to accept Li's graceful rejection, and after his shop had been burglarized by a few thugs (something he had never thought anyone would dare to do) he'd reluctantly accepted the offer of protection.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Whisper [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>30-04-2010, 03:39:48</strong>
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				Officer Daniels looked at the piece of paper in his hand and then then back to building in front of him. This was the right place alright. Deep in the heart of Chinatown, a place where he normally rarely visited. A tourist trap is what it was, at least that's what it had been back in his father's time. Since then though it had become more and more of a community, harboring its own gangs, violence and coding. Every city had its crime though and here it was no different. Aside from the unfamiliar smells and Chinese influence, Raith felt at home.<br><br>He was here on assignment, undercover, to protect a man by the name of Li. He was having trouble with one of the gang leaders and several break ins had occurred but there were no reports of violence so far. Raith was here to make sure the situation didn't escalate. Just standing outside in his uniform wouldn't help it though. They'd just wait until he was gone and be more cautious in their actions. It was best to not raise suspicion and wait in order to catch them in the act.<br><br>Smoothing back his golden blond hair, which he always kept short due to his job, never letting it get passed his ears, he approached the metal doors and lightly rapped on them. Without waiting for a response he tested them and walked through when they opened. He was surprised at the decor of the room and just how well kept everything was. It wasn't something he expected down here in China town. It was more like a spread out in a magazine. Everything in there must have cost a fortune, which made him wonder why nothing was ever stolen.<br><br>"Mr. Li? I'm Officer Daniels. I was assigned to your protection." He flashed him his badge to assure him of his identity and tried not to react when he finally laid eyes on the man. He was, for lack of a better word, beautiful. Handsome didn't quite cover it and Raith had to question if Mr. Li was a Mr. at all. His clothing was certainly male though. Raith may not know much about the Chinese culture but he did know what a Cheongsam was.<br><br>Not knowing what customs he had adopted, Raith extended his hand for a shake anyway. He never was one for all that bowing and stuff--or was that the Japanese? He didn't know but he'd try not to insult the man at least. He looked like the type who was easy to insult but wouldn't tell you if you did. He'd just wait until the appropriate time to get a jab in all while under the guise of being polite. Raith never knew what to make of people like that.<br><br>"It's a nice little shop you have here." He said while looking around at all the herbs and teas. He had seen shops like this before but never one as grand and elegant as this. It made him wonder, for a brief moment, how he was able to afford all this. That was just his cop nature shining through though. His business must be running quite well, though he did wonder how he had gotten involved with gangs in the first place. Raith would have to remember to ask him once the pleasantries were over.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Whisper [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>30-04-2010, 05:49:02</strong>
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				Li was surprised when his door swung open - he had forgotten to lock it again - and he looked up. Locking the door had never been necessary until the problems with Salem had started, since everyone was far too scared of him to try anything, to even consider trying to break into his shop. His business was Chinatown's well-kept little secret. While everyone in Chinatown might not have supported him, he knew that they would back him up, at least to a certain extent. Part of it was because they were terrified of him but a lot of it was the fact that they considered him one of their own. Even though he'd had some white ancestor somewhere along the line that had given him those bright eyes, he'd come to them from Shanghai relatively young, and the neighbors, knowing his family, had immediately accepted him. One day he'd been dropped down there in the middle of Chinatown and now he was as much a fixture as the paper dragons that marched through on Chinese New Year.<br><br>He shook the officer's hand, though the gesture seemed a bit foreign to him, "You may call me Li." Not Mr. Li, just Li. No indication of whether it was a first or last name or if he cared as to whether or not the other man knew. "Please, have a cup of tea." He reached out for a small cup and filled it with a gleaming golden liquid with just a few flecks of tea leaves settling lazily down towards the bottom as though they were drunk and couldn't quite fall straight.<br><br>He took a sip of his own liquid, "Tell me, Officer, are you going to be spending every evening here? It will make my business a bit hard to run." Though, as it seemed, the shop closed at night. <br><br>The sun was sinking rapidly, bathing the whole shop in crimson, bright light. He stretched slowly, just barely perceptibly, under his rich silk cheongsam. The crimson fabric shifted slightly and he looked the Officer up and down but he seemed to be laughing slightly, just barely, under that mask-like face. Perhaps he was laughing at the fact that this was the man sent to protect him, when he didn't even know a word of Chinese. Perhaps he was merely smiling at the beauty of the golden light as it reflected off his antique mirrors and giant porcelain vases.<br><br>The harsh glow of flourescent lighting came in through the slats in the windows, softened slightly by the lanterns hung outside some shops, but the cold light only seemed to make Li's skin glimmer like diamonds were embedded just below the surface. <br><br>"Please, take a seat." <br><br>It was dinnertime, and Li had prepared a small feast, though who had cooked it or if he had cooked it himself was unclear. He procurred platters of fragrant meats and fresh vegetables, dumplings and soups, setting them out neatly upon a table. He set out a fresh pot of tea and gestured to a chair for the man to sit in, carrying in the food from behind a curtain where, apparently, a small kitchen was. He sat down across from the other man, passing him chopsticks, then pausing. "I assume you can use chopsticks, Officer?" If not, he had forks, though the tiny smile playing on his face seemed to be teasing. If he was going to have the man watching over him, the least he could do was offer him so dinner, though he thought the whole idea of police protection was a bit ridiculous.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Whisper [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>30-04-2010, 06:57:18</strong>
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				"Li." Raith attempted to copy the accent but probably didn't do a stellar job of it. Hopefully the man wasn't one of those who was particular about how someone said his name. First or last, it didn't matter. It didn't stop Raith from doing his job and it only bothered him because he wasn't used to hearing only one name. He wouldn't push it. Not yet anyway. He waived off the tea, being more of a coffee man himself, but thanked him for the offer.<br><br>"Every evening until this matter is resolved. I'll try not to inconvenience you too much." He tried not to think of how soft and smooth Li's skin was. It really was unbecoming for a police officer to follow that line of thought and he put it out of mind, blaming his lack of sexual interaction since his last breakup. He just hadn't had the time. It was this line of thought that allowed him to catch the slight movement of his clothes as well as the studying looks. Raith couldn't help but feel like he was being judged.<br><br>He was near the top of his class back in the academy and one of the best shooters on the force. He was well able to take care of himself but he was well aware that things were different when it came to gangsters and the martial arts. However, his magnum .45 police issue weapon was enough to handle even the toughest opponent. Said weapon was strapped securely to his side in his shoulder holster, out of sight from prying eyes but still within reach.<br><br>Li was hard to read with that porcelain like face. The smile was almost false in its perfection. Raith had no reason to suspect that he was up to something though so he didn't pry. When the light struck him he began to think he was seeing things. Li's skin sparkled and made him look like a creature from another world. How could another man be so beautiful? No one was perfect but Li seemed to be the closest he had seen so far. It drew Raith to him.<br><br>"Thank you." He sat opposite of Li and ignored the urge to check and brush off his clothes. There wasn't any dirt in sight, despite the foot traffic his shop must get. It was a surprise when food was brought out. Raith hadn't expected to be fed. Just greeted, maybe offered a drink, and then locked in for a long night of staring at the walls, waiting for something, or nothing, to happen. This was over the top, but not exactly unwelcome. He hadn't eaten much before heading over here.<br><br>"Yeah, I can use them." He thanked him again for the food but couldn't take his eyes off him. He was irrevocably drawn to the man and he was helpless against his gravity. The smell of the food though was at least enough to take away some of his attention. Dumplings were his favorite but the meat was not. He made it a point not to take them and separate it to the side when needed. He didn't want to insult Li though so he explained it to him.<br><br>"Vegetarian." He commented after a bite. "Its good though." He had assumed Li had cooked it. He hadn't seen or heard anyone else since he'd entered the shop and he figured Li would have mentioned it if someone was there. Raith easily ate with the chopsticks. He had practiced with them since he was a kid. He could even pick up ice cubes with them. For some reason he felt proud of this fact--that he hadn't managed to make an idiot out of himself while eating at least. He wanted to make a good impression on Li.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Whisper [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>30-04-2010, 20:54:24</strong>
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				"Ah, a vegetarian. I will keep that in mind in the future." He'd be sure to stick to vegetables when he cooked in the future. He was fine living off of vegetarian food - his grandfather rarely ate meat, and he'd only started cooking it when he had come to the states. He took a slow bite of a vegetarian dumpling, chewing carefully. He ate slowly, gracefully. Each movement was highly trained, but seemingly natural, and his back never touched his chair. He sat up so straight it seemed as though a metal rod had been forced down his spine and was forcing him to sit upright. <br><br>He looked at the Officer, taking him in, sizing him up. He was large - certainly large enough to physically protect him with the gun he was certain that he had - and he seemed strong. Li himself wasn't particularly strong, physically, but he'd been well-trained and he knew how to take down a fully grown man with very little fight. He shifted slightly in his chair. <br><br>He felt Raith's eyes on him and just barely managed to keep a smile off of his face.<br><br>He knew that the other man was watching him. That the other man wanted him. There was something nice about knowing that the other man was drawn to him; unlike Salem, he hadn't tried to jump on Li and force him into something he didn't want. <br><br>Li finished off his food slowly and took a sip of his tea, slim fingers gently wrapped around the cup, keeping it neatly tucked within his long fingertips. "Are you going to be staying all night?" <br><br>Li stood when they were done, cleared the plates, piling them in the kitchen. His hair fell below his shoulders, pulled back into a neat ponytail. He was tired, quite tired, but too anxious to sleep. He glanced out the window for a moment, betraying his nerves for just a second, though his face never changed from that pleasant, smiling mask. It would be hard to run his business while the other man was puttering around his shop at night. He came back into the living room, wiped down the table with a damp cloth, then dried it quickly, leaving the mahogany table gleaming. <br><br>"Is there anything else I can offer you to make your stay more comfortable, Officer?"<br><br>His voice was smooth as glass. <br><br>He was wondering if there was something that he could say to avoid answering questions about why he had to have an officer following him about at night. Not that he would answer directly, anyways. He would dance around things.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Whisper [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>30-04-2010, 21:45:24</strong>
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				There was just something wrong about Li. Everything was just too perfect, too well trained. He was definitely not a normal person and that intrigued Raith. He wanted to know what was hidden behind that perfection. To find an imperfection, a weakness, to prove that Li was human. So far he was finding nothing and it unsettled him. It felt like he should be trying harder to be more polite. To achieve a greater level of manners and poise. Raith wouldn't let it get to him though and he leaned back just to prove it to himself.<br><br>It was quiet while they ate but he expected that. To Li it was probably taboo to speak with his mouth full--maybe even at all while food was served. Raith wasn't so well groomed. He ate with his mouth open and acted like any other man would when not in front of their picky girlfriend or mother. Here, however, he made it a point to keep his mouth shut, at least most of the time. It seemed like an insult to do anything that wasn't prim and proper. It would drive him crazy if he kept it up the entire length of his assignment.<br><br>That was why he nearly shoveled the food down. It didn't take much to fill him up, he had never been a big eater, and he sat the plate on the table with only a slight clang. He felt he should thank him but he already had and it wasn't in his job description to do the man's dishes, not something he wanted but felt obligated to do since Li had supposedly been the one to make the meal. It was only fair after all. He wasn't just going to help himself to the man's kitchen though.<br><br>"Until morning." he replied. It was an all night shift and he would be going home to sleep around the time Li opened up shop. Raith was used to working night and graveyard shifts so it didn't bother him all that much. The only thing that did was when his neighbors turned up the tv and he couldn't sleep. God, he hated apartment complexes.<br><br>Raith wanted to help with something when Li cleaned up but there was nothing for him to do. It was part of why he had become a cop, to help people. It seemed that the only thing he could do right now was his job and that was to protect Li and his shop. The first step in that was to secure the place. Standing up he started checking the windows for locks and putting them in place if he found them. Li should get the hint and take care of the door himself. It was strange that he hadn't done it himself though.<br><br>"Just don't hesitate to call if you need help." It made his job so much easier when people complied and left things out in the open. He couldn't help if Li didn't ask for it and he didn't have access to all of the shop like he did. All he could do was sit out here and stake out. Raith hated stake outs. He'd rather be in the line of fire than sitting and waiting for something to happen. Li made the situation a little better though.<br><br>He was one person he didn't mind protecting.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Whisper [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 06:30:29</strong>
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				Li nodded, and after he'd cleaned the dishes, he glanced about the shop. "If you need anything, feel free to call for me. My room is just up these stairs," he murmured, drawing back what had initially appeared to be simply a stretch of wall. It seemed that he'd taken the silk and stretched it tight, tight enough that it looked solid, and only by applying pressure and kicking up a certain stud in the ground did the silk relax and show that it was indeed a curtain. There was a staircase that went straight up, and another curtain at the top. Li looked over his shoulder, and paused.<br><br>There were similar studs in the ground along the same wall, clearly obscuring more passageways, more staircases. "Please don't go wandering about my shop. It is old, and connects to the tunnels of an old subway system - I'd rather not have to come and rescue you, Officer." His smile was playful but his eyes were shockingly cold. He didn't want the Officer exploring his shop.<br><br>There were things there, terrifying things, fantastic things.<br><br>Great beasts and drugs, hallucinations made tangible, all hidden back in the tunnels beneath his shop.<br><br>The curtain at the top of the stairs was opened, showing a glance of a large room, almost as large as the shop, with a great bed and some large, flowering plants that were growing, before it swung shut quickly. He changed into sleeping robes, a simple pale blue silk robe, belted at the middle. He slipped beneath his rich crimson sheets, such a dark red they verged on melding in with the shadows of the room.<br><br>The shop was quiet, no sounds, though at around three am there was the crunch of boots on pavement and it was clear that two large men were casing the shop, though they didn't make a move to come in, merely looking about, muttering, then moving on after seeing what they had wanted to see, apparently.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Whisper [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 23:27:18</strong>
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				Raith covered his look of surprise as the curtain was moved. There had to be more of the shop, he knew that, but to have it right in front of him without him noticing had not been expected. Then Li hinted that there were more curtains like this and that they led to different passageways. It had momentarily crossed his mind to explore them. After all, if it was connected to old subway stations as Li had indicated then that meant that it could be used as a means to enter the building and put his charge in danger.<br><br>There was something about Li's tone and steely gaze that told him that he really didn't want to wander these tunnels on his own. Raith was not stupid though. Under the city there were miles of tunnels he might never get out of. That option was out for tonight, however Raith might just have to insist that Li show him where some of them led, at least the ones that could have other entrances to them. If someone really wanted to come after Li then he knew they wouldn't dismiss this security risk.<br><br>The shop was quiet though and it didn't seem that anyone would be coming tonight. That didn't mean he would let his guard down though. Raith didn't have to be paranoid but he wouldn't dismiss the thought that someone might try something tonight. Even if nothing did happen, he still had thoughts of Li to keep him occupied. He was an attractive man after all and had that air of mystery that drew him in. He wanted to know more about him.<br><br>Someone like Li probably slept minimalistic in silks or something similar. It was a nice image to have in mind but he didn't take it any further than that. There was no use in getting involved with his charge. Especially not when this was bound to end sooner or later. Some of Li's actions could be considered subtle flirting but he could be mistaken. It would be up to Li to take things further or at least to give him a hint that he wanted Raith to take things further. Until then, it was just wishful thinking.<br><br>As most of his stake outs were, this was rather boring. Nothing happened until early in the morning. Raith readied himself but it seemed that whoever it was was just staking the place out for now. It meant that something was going to happen eventually, but not tonight. Raith didn't want to give his position away just yet. It wouldn't due for them to be planning for him as well. Hopefully they wouldn't be bold enough to strike during the day when he wasn't here, but he doubted that would happen.<br><br>Leaning back in his seat he closed his eyes and listened for more sounds. He wasn't in danger of falling asleep just yet but there was no use in straining his eyes when shrouded in darkness. He was rather disappointed that Li didn't make any sounds of his own.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Whisper [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>25-07-2010, 05:20:02</strong>
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				Li slept quietly - it was uneventful, and he slept lightly. He pitied Raith, having to sit in an empty shop all night, nothing to amuse himself with. He debated giving in and tempting the other man a bit - touch himself, moan, writhe atop his silk sheets with just enough sound to make the other man aware that he was pleasuring himself. Instead he slept quietly, and when the sun started to come up, he slid out of bed. <br><br>His feet pattered on the floor quietly, and he brushed his hair out, wondering if the other man was still there.<br><br>He came downstairs, and was surprised to see that he was indeed still in the shop, waiting to go. He was still wearing his silk dressing gown, a rich crimson, open just enough to show his white throat and the delicate swoops of collarbone that stood out almost like his bones were made of silver under that flawless skin. <br><br>He bowed his head politely and then nodded slightly at the other man before disappearing into the kitchen.<br><br>He came out with a pot of coffee and a small tray of dumplings, all vegetarian, as well as a few pastries that he'd had squireled away, all balanced carefully on his arms on a tray. He set them down on the table and then finally raised his eyes up enough to show that he'd started waking up, now that he had a small, delicate cup of coffee suspended between his slim fingers. Clearly he didn't sleep much.<br><br>"Good morning. Was your evening uneventful or am I still in danger?"<br><br>Raith was attractive. He wasn't sure if he needed to be guarded, but if he had to be, it certainly wasn't a bad thing to have someone as attractive as the other man.
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