The Dreamland Collection

Legend of Lothario’s Lagoon By: boysluvcraft
Part two…

It never did stop raining, Yusuke observed as he dressed in his room. Ianto had been nowhere in sight when he’d woken up. He was kind of disappointed. They’d had such a good time the night before, just laying around, shooting the breeze. But on the other hand, it was probably for the best that the blond had slipped away sometime during the night. Yusuke had woken up with his dick in his hand again.

He had quite the dream last night. Both Hiei and Kurama were in it. Hiei was on top of him, grinding his perfect little ass over his needy cock, so cute, wanting to badly to get fucked. Then Kurama showed up. He whispered dirty things and words of encouragement in Yusuke’s ear. And then he went down on Hiei while Hiei rode his cock into blissful oblivion. Damn it was hot. Too bad it was only a dream within Dreams.

Yusuke shook his mind off his wet dreams before he devolved a need to relieve himself again. He walked out of his room and spent a fair amount of time roaming the halls of the west wing. At some point a rumbling in his stomach reminded him he had not eaten yet that day and he determined that the kitchen was just as good a destination as any. But then he remembered that he didn’t know where the kitchen was. Not a problem, he’ just ask one of the staff members. And what luck, there was one now.

“S’cuse me,” he approached the maid.

“Oh, it’s you,” she said, odd way to be greeted by a servant. Yusuke recognized here from their first night, Janet was her name? She told Yusuke, “I just spoke to your partner a minute ago.”

“You’ve seen Ianto?” Yusuke cut in.

“Yes, down at his room,” Janet pointed in a vague direction, “Actually I was on my way to fetch him some breakfast.”

“What a coincidence,” Yusuke grinned freely, “Those are the two things I’ve been looking for, my friend and some food.”

“Well come with me then, Mr. Urameshi,” She beckoned him toward a curtain, which once pulled aside revealed it to be a service passage, where the help could come and go and not be seen by the master’s of the house. As soon as he’d ducked into the passage she asked, “I must know, have you been by way of Ilek-Vad, recently?

“Yeah,” Yusuke cocked his head. He and Ianto had passed through the city but a week ago. They picked up a good amount of traveling cash there, too, with Yusuke doing manual labor at a construction sight and Ianto doing temp work at some archive. But why was this maid so interested in Ilek-Vad? As far Yusuke knew there wasn’t anything more interesting going on than the renovation on the main highway running pass the palace.

“Then you’re the ones I‘ve been waiting for!” She exclaimed.

“Huh?” Yusuke was taken a back.

“Oh, sorry,” she calmed down, “I’m the royal investigator Janet Gypsum, your inside contact here.”

“You’re our contact?” Yusuke said dumbly not understanding just what is happing here.

She frowned at him, “Yes, am I not what you expected? Ah, but I understand Carter is a busy man. He doesn’t have the time to give a proper briefing. Ha, All I was told was that he was sending me two accomplished adventurers of the Waking World, one with long hair and the other with a loud mouth.* Oh, I feared you’d never arrive. Have you discovered anything since you came?”

“Uh,” Yusuke was starting to get the picture. This Janet lady was some sort of undercover operative and she thought Ianto and him were her backup. Dang, Yusuke thought stuff like this only happened in Tom Hanks movies. But still there was something else she mentioned, a name; Carter. As in King Randolph Carter, the benevolent and much loved king of Ilek-Vad? The living ledged who traveled to Unknown Kadath in the frozen north, came face to face with the messenger of the Old Ones Nyarlathotep, and came back not only alive, but sane? Yusuke knew all this because it was one of Ianto’s favorite stories to tell and often tavern keepers would give them a free meal in exchange for a recitation of the tale. Back to the matter at hand, if Janet worked for Carter that meant she was a good guy, but what was it she was investigating? One way to find out.

“Why don’t you tell me what you’ve found first,” Yusuke told her, “Cuz you’ve been her longer and stuff. And it would be silly for me to tell ya stuff you already know.”

“That is a good point,” She agreed. “Lets see… as you may or may not know there has been suspension for a while about our friend Count Flint. He lives the life of a wealthily nobleman, he is of course by birthright, however it is known that the bulk the Flint family money ran out in his grandfathers generation. The family was barely staying afloat on the good tides of friendly loans and the pity of distant relatives. But now all of the sudden Gerald Flint is a wealthy man-- so wealthy he can even afford to be charitable himself by hosting an asylum for Dreams’ depraved.”

“He told me that the inmates run a book binding thingy,” Yusuke interrupted, “And that the nut-house runs off the profits of that.”

“It does,” She confirmed. “And technically putting idiots to work is not a crime, however I personally don’t find it very tasteful. But I am glad that you brought up the bindery, because it is related to the thing that first led us to believe that the count is up to something unlawful. You met some of the merchant traders that he does business with did you not?”

“I did, but I don’t see,” Yusuke began.

“Not all of them trade in books, Mr. Urameshi,” Janet told him. “Flint does a lot of business with a man called Deuclay, who is a known slave trader.”

“You think he‘s running a slave trade racket-- but how?” Yusuke asked, “There would be tons of people going in and out of here all day. Surly someone can’t hide an operation like that.”

“That would be true, if we where talking about common slaves for the use of labor, but there are more than one kinds of slave. For example, there are slaves that are explicitly for the use of personal pleasures-- the kinds which are kept in brothels and harems. That type may go at a higher price; therefore he need not have tons of people being marched in and out of here every day to turn a profit.” Janet told him.

“You’ve got any proof to this?” Yusuke asked.

“I have been watching his merchant friends. The ‘supplier’s, come from big cities--coincidently, these cities have been suffering from a rash disappearances involving young boys and pretty girls. They show up with big crates marked with words like ‘parchment’ or ‘ink’, raw material,” she snorted. “And then his ‘distributors’ leave this place with large crates marked “books’. It is funny, too, how many ‘books’ are exported-- far more than are actually produced. I’ve peeked at the productivity ledgers, the figures do not add up.”

“So, the count’s running something of a weighting station for sex slaves?” Yusuke wanted to make sure he was grasping the situation.

“Maybe more than that,” Janet put in, “I’ve also found a man named Loamwood. He’s employed as an orderly, but he has a background in prostitution. He may be breaking and training them.”

“No kidding,” Yusuke worked to keep his voice even. This shit was real. “Do you know where they’re taking these people?”

“I do not,” Janet shook her head, “After they leave this place I have no way of knowing where they go. I’ve also been unable to find where the hide the stolen youths while they are here. And unfortunately without that information, we‘ve not enough proof to shut Flint down.”

During the course of their conversation, they arrived at the kitchens, put together a couple of meals on a cart, and then set off for Ianto’s room.

“Ianto’s real good at finding stuff out,” Yusuke told her, “If I ask him to, he could probably sneak into Flint’s office and look over his books or something. He might find something you missed.”

“It couldn’t hurt to try,” Janet shrugged, “But I have an idea of something you can do, Yusuke.”

“What’s that,” he tilted his head at her.

“I don’t know if you noticed,” she said, “but the count seems to be sweet on you.”

“He’s ‘sweet on me’?” Yusuke didn’t understand the old fashioned term.

“I mean that he is interested in you… romantically,” Janet said tactfully. “Yesterday, I heard him telling Nelson to lock your friend in his room so that he could spend some time with you, alone.”

“He did WHAT?!” Yusuke shouted, outraged. Whatever reserves he may have had pertaining to Flint’s decently of character was thrown out the window. Nobody and that means nobody locks Yusuke Urameshi’s friend in a tower!

“That is not all,” Janet continued in spite of the demon’s already enraged state, “He had the boy dosed with sleeping powder the first night you two were here. He tried to do it again last night, but I volunteered to take him his ‘tea’, but threw it way instead. And if you doubt the count’s favoritism wait until you see your friends room, it does not compare to the lavish affair he gave you.”

It was true. As they passed through the halls, their surroundings became less and less lovely. The wallpaper was old, faded, and discolored in spots, a sort of sap-green color. It didn’t look like mold. Yusuke couldn’t smell mold, just dirt and something sweet. The plaster in the ceiling was cracked to the extent that it looked like a spiders-web. Those green discolorations were there as well. Yusuke also noticed how much cooler the air was in this part of the castle. No wonder Ianto had been so cold when he came to him last night. He glanced at Janet out the corner of his eye, “So what was you wanted me to do?”

The plan was simplicity in itself-- or so Janet said. However, Yusuke didn’t think there was anything simple about stringing along a perverted whack-job with his sexual wiles in order to squeeze information out of him. Yusuke wasn’t even entirely sure how to go about it. His usual forms of persuasion involved intimidation or a straight forward ass kicking. He would try though. Janet left Yusuke at Ianto’s room, saying it would be best if people didn’t see them speaking too often. In any case, Yusuke could pass on the information to his partner.

Yusuke knocked at the door and heard Ianto’s voice inside, “Yes?”

“Room service,” Yusuke shrilled in an obviously fake woman’s voice.

“What?” Ianto’s door flew open. His face tinted red as he gasped, “Yusuke!”

“Are you alright?” Yusuke moved around the cart that had their lunch/breakfasts on it. “Don’t tell me you’re sick.” He pressed his forehead to the blonds. His face was sort of warm. He reached down cupped Ianto’s hands in his own. They were freezing.

“I’m fine,” Ianto protested shakily. Yusuke’s face was so close to his!

“You are not fine,” Yusuke told him, “And no wonder! Why didn’t you tell me they put you in such a shit room?”

“Well, I am used to sleeping outside--” Ianto started.

“Nuh-uh,” Yusuke grasped his shoulders, “Get your stuff. You’re coming to my room where I can take care of you.”

Ianto’s face reddened again at the thought of Yusuke taking care of him; fluffing his pillow, feeding him soup, snuggling up next to him to keep him warm. He shook those thoughts from his head and protested again, “I’m not sick, Yusuke.”

“Oh? Then why is your face so red?” Yusuke pointed.

Ianto nervously fiddled with a strand of his hair. “Would you believe that I was having incredibly impure thoughts?”

Yusuke burst out laughing, “You… impure thoughts… that’s rich! Oh, tell me another one.”

“It’s not that funny!” Ianto stomped his foot, “I am a man, you know.”

“You’re not a man,” Yusuke said suddenly sober. He took the strand of yellow hair out of Ianto’s fingers, leaning in close, he said, “You’re an angel.”

Ianto suddenly felt dizzy. He looked away and muttered, “Don’t mock me.”

Yusuke frowned. He took Ianto by the chin, “Hey now, look at me. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. You really are like my angel or something. I don’t know what would have done it I hadn’t meet you.”

“Get eaten by spider hounds,” Ianto muttered, “that would be my guess.”

“See,” Yusuke wrapped an arm around the smaller man’s shoulders, “I need you, Ianto. So, don’t be mad at me, please.”

“I… couldn’t possibly stay mad at you,” Ianto smiled up at the demon, however wobbly. He felt weak, his energy sapped by the combined nervousness and thrill he was experiencing from Yusuke’s close proximity. All Ianto could think was, What’s happening to me? And do I want it to stop?

“Awesome!” Yusuke kissed him next to the ear. “Alright, first let’s eat, before this stuff gets any colder. Then I’m taking you up to my room and putting you in my bed.”

They did just that. After eating the meal Yusuke and Janet had hastily thrown together, Yusuke herded Ianto up to his lavish room in the west wing. At which point-- and in spite of the blonde’s protests that he as not ill-- Yusuke took the other’s jacket off him and forced him into the large cozy bed. He then climbed in behind him, snuggling up as close as he could. Maybe the blond had been a little feverish, or maybe it was only the warmth of Yusuke’s body and relaxing pitter-patter of the rain outside. Ianto fell asleep, curled up with his back against Yusuke’s chest. Yusuke likewise caught up in the lazy atmosphere slipped off into a light doze. It was only when there was a rapping at his door did he even realize he’d fallen asleep. He slithered out of the bed and went to the door before the disturbance could wake his sleeping companion.

“Yeah, what is it,” He said gruffly as he opened the door to find the butler, Nelson standing outside it.

“Good evening Master Urameshi,” Oh, he was Master now. Nelson greeted him, “Count Flint has requested your company for dinner.”

“I’m not dressed for a fancy party,” Yusuke pointed out, remembering the grand gala that he had attended the night before.

“Forgive me, you will not be attended the dinning hall tonight. Count Flint has requested that you join him for dinner in his private apartments,” Nelson, clarified, “What you are currently wearing will be fine.”

Sure, Yusuke thought, what does he care what I’m wearing, he expects it to wind up strung across the floor anyway. It was the perfect opportunity to launch into his… investigation. He said, “Alright then, just give me a minute to fix my hair.” He swiped his fingers through his hair a couple times. “Okay, let’s go.”

Nelson sniffed his distaste, but nonetheless led Yusuke from his room, through a short series of corridors and to the apartments of Count Flint. Outside the door, Nelson motioned that he was to wait there to be announced.

“Master Urameshi has arrived,” Yusuke heard Nelson’s nasally voice say.

Then Count Flint’s smooth, self-assured one responded, “Wonderful, show him in.”

Yusuke rolled his eyes as Nelson waved him in. That was one thing that always annoyed him about the upper-class. Everything had to be a production. Inside, Count Flint was seated in a plush red, wing backed chair. He was wearing black slacks, a crimson smoking jacket and, yes, a cream colored ascot. He was swirling some sort of dark red liquor in a bell shaped glass. Yusuke half expected him to say, “I would like, if I may, to tell you of a strange encounter….”

What he actually said was, “Yusuke, so glad you could make it.”

Time to go to work, Yusuke thought. He smiled, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Gerald. I uh, didn‘t see ya around at all this morn. Busy with work or something?”

“In fact, I was trapped in my office all morning, filling out shipment notes,” Flint told Yusuke. “But come now. Let’s not talk about my boring work. Have a seat. May I offer you some Rose Brandy? It‘s the best, imported from Iztar-Iln”

“Rose Brandy, huh? Sure,” Yusuke took a seat in the chair next to Flint’s as Flint rose to fetch the aforementioned drink from the small bar built into a niche next to a row of bookshelves. Flint was serving him himself, rather than calling a servant to do so. Of course, Flint wanted him alone. Yusuke clicked his tongue, “You spend a lot of time working?”

“A bit, but I thought we were not talking about work,” Flint returned with a glass of the aforementioned liqueur. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Not much to tell,” Yusuke lied as he flashed what he hoped was a sexy smile, “I’m just a boy from the Waking World, wondering around Dreams.”

“You have no particular destination?” Flint pressed.

“Well, me and my friend were heading to Barharna,” that part was true. Then Yusuke lied, “Not for any particular reason. Just that my buddy, Ianto says it’s a real happening town. It could be fun.”

Flint smiled with a small victorious glint in his eye. “Then you are not in a hurry to on your way?”

“No.” Liar liar, Yusuke’s pants were on fire. “It’s a good thing too. I’ve been, uh, enjoying your company. It’d be a shame to have to say goodbye already.”

A shadow passed over the count’s eyes. It was dark, possessive and primal, like a wolf that had sighted its prey, and woe be the other poor creature that dare to try and steal it from him. The smile on his face now seemed to hold a more sinister undertone. When Yusuke had finished the last of his wine, Flint cooed, “Come our dinner awaits.”

He took Yusuke to another room in his apartment where there was an array of covered dishes laid out on a low coffee table in front of the settee. There wasn’t a doubt in Yusuke’s mind that the count had a proper dinning set squired away somewhere in those rooms. He suspected this set up was designed to put the two of them sitting side by side on the little couch, all cozy like while they ate. He could just image it now, the count leaning in close, “Oh, you must try this one, Yusuke.” And then hand feeding him some overly rich and pretentious tid-bits. Yusuke went along with it though, sitting close to the man, chatting and flirting. He even ate the damn food out of the man’s hand. All the while Yusuke tried to steer the conversation in directions that may provide clues to the case Janet was investigating.

Three hours and several glasses of wine later, Yusuke had come up with nothing useful. Yusuke was a little more than agitated as he stumbled back to his room. When he opened the door he found a very nervous looking blond pacing the floor.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Yusuke admonished him.

Ianto stopped and looked away, “You were gone for a very long time.”

“Where… you worried,” Yusuke tipped his head.

“You do have a history of getting yourself in trouble…” Ianto wrung his hands.

“You were worried-- awe that’s so cute!”

“Yusuke!” Ianto threw his hands up in front of him as if to protect himself, but it was no use.

The demon tackled him onto the bed. They rolled one over the other, and in the process tangled themselves inside the blankets. Ianto wound up beneath Yusuke, his arms around the demon’s middle. The blankets were wrapped so tightly around them he couldn’t draw his arms back. Yusuke grinned above him, “Hey, ya know what I’m thinking about?” He moved his fingers gently where they were rested on the blonde’s sides.

Ianto paled, “Don’t you dare-- AH!” Ianto’s protests degraded into hysterical laughter as Yusuke attacked his ticklish ribs. Ianto struggled, tried to free his arms, but that only served press his arms even tighter between Yusuke and the blankets. And it gave Yusuke more room to attack his chest, sides, and the dreaded underarms. Ianto begged, “Ahh, Yusuke, stoopp! Eek! Ha ha ha! Nooo!”

“Oh, yes yes yes,” Yusuke grinned, “I can’t stop. It’s too much fun!”

“I should have known… ha ha ha… you’d… HA… enjoy torture, you demon!” Ianto gasped out between laughs.

“You know you like it, too,” Yusuke hissed in his ear.

Ianto gasped again, “Pleasssee, it’s too much!”

Unbeknownst to the two on the bed, there was a witness to their bizarre male bonding ritual. From behind the wall, through a hole masterfully hidden behind a corner of a picture frame, the butler, Nelson watched the two young men writhing on the bed. He snorted disapprovingly and then scurried off to report to his master.

Meanwhile back in the green room, Yusuke finally gave up on torturing his friend, but only after the other’s face had completely colored red and tearstained streaks painted his face from laughing. He was now lying to one side, amusing himself with Ianto’s hair whilst the blond recovered his breath.

“That really cheered me up ya know,” Yusuke said, stroking his own cheek with a wisp of blond hair.

“Glad to hear it,” Ianto responded dryly, “You were down about something?”

Yusuke shrugged, “All that time I was gone, I was having dinner with Count Flint.”

“Is his cooking so bad?” Ianto asked as a joke. Joke he might, but still the idea of Yusuke spending time with that man… upset him.

“You know I prefer my own,” Yusuke drawled. “So, you ARE feeling better?”

“Yes much better,” Ianto gave up convincing Yusuke that he was not sick in the first place. “Why, have you had about enough of this mad-house and are ready to get out of here, come hell or high water.”

“High water’s right. It hasn’t stopped raining all day. I bet those damned swamplands are all flood damn near to the castle walls now.” Yusuke snorted. “No, I uh, got some stuff I need to tell ya. I didn’t bring it up earlier cuz you were sick and all.”

“What is it?” Ianto tilted his head worried. It wasn’t like Yusuke to be so serious.

Three minutes later, Ianto shouted, “You did what!?”

“I agreed to help Janet with her investigation,” Yusuke said innocently.

“I heard you. I just can’t believe you’d get mixed up in something like this. No wait,” Ianto amended, “I would believe you would get us mixed up in this.”

“Come on, Blondie,” Yusuke used the nickname to butter the blond up.

“Yusuke, we do no work for King Carter,” Ianto pointed out.

“Yeah, but those guys ain’t here and Janet needs the help,” Yusuke countered, “Besides how could I find out about something like this and just walk away?”

Ianto sighed, “I know you. You couldn’t.”

“Then you’ll help me?” Yusuke perked up.

Ianto shrugged, “I could break into Flint’s office and see there’s anything funny about his business records, however he’s probably got his real ledgers hidden.”

“You think you can find the blueprints on this place and find out if there’s, like, secret rooms or something.” Yusuke asked, “Flint said that the previous owner had a hidden dungeon--”

“You mean Count Gneiss,” Ianto nodded, “Yes that Lothario’s Lagoon affair was quite the scandal about twenty years back…. What do you plan to do, Yusuke?”

“Count says he wants to have breakfast with me tomorrow,” Yusuke stretched out on the bed next to Ianto, “I was gonna use some of my sexiness to try and worm some information out of him.”

Ianto frowned, “I don’t like the idea of you doing that.”

“Why ya jealous?” Yusuke teased.

Ianto scoffed as he got off the bed, turning in time to hide his blush.

“Hey where you going?” Yusuke asked the blond as he trekked toward the door.

Without turning back toward Yusuke, he said, “It’s late, so the offices should be empty. If I want to get a look at Flint’s records, now would be the time.”

“Oh,” Yusuke said. “Hey Ianto?”

“Yes?” the blond paused.

“Thanks for not being mad at me,” Yusuke said, “You really are some kind of angel aren’t ya?”

“Sure,” he muttered before existing, “and you’re the Easter Bunny.”

Ianto was gone the rest of the night and by the next morning he still hadn’t returned. Yusuke wasn’t too worried though. The blond might have found a lead and gone off chasing it. That’s what Yusuke told Janet when she came up to his room on the pretenses of bringing him his clothes and running his bath.

“So, you hear anything new?” Yusuke asked as he changed into a green suit that reminded him of his old school uniform-- except this one was tailored better and showed off his broad chest and, yes, his ample package.

“Nothing that would help us,” Janet shrugged, facing the wall. “The maids have been complaining about bizarre green stains on the walls. The cooks are all up in arms about roots growing up into the cellars. They keep tripping on them, you see. And all the grounds keepers can talk about are the Gneiss Blossoms. They say they’re growing in profusion this year.” She laughed a bit here, “The old man who keeps the horses says that it’s the Countess Gneiss, showing her displeasure with Hornbell’s the current master.”

“Why would he think that?” Yusuke asked.

“Excuse me?” Janet didn’t understand.

“Well, is there a reason why the Countess wouldn’t like him?” Yusuke pointed, “Maybe the old man knows something.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Janet mused, “Perhaps I should, I don’t know, bring him some coffee and strike up a conversation.”

“You do that,” Yusuke agreed, “I’m sure a pretty girl like you will have him spilling the beans in to time-- if he’s got any beans to spill.”

“Yes,” Janet nodded with a wary grin on her face, “And I take it you’re off to use the same tactic on the count?”

Yusuke answered her with an annoyed growl.

“I’ll be off then,” she said, “Nelson will be up here soon to fetch you and I don’t want to be caught here when he does.”

Nelson did come to fetch him and soon Yusuke was led through a ridiculously expensive looking door into a ridiculously expensive looking parlor with red curtains, rugs and pillows on the richly patterned orange couches. The far wall of the room was dominated by a gigantic arched window. The curtains where only partly closed over the glass. Yusuke could see outside was dark as night, even though it was just before noon. The rain was still going strong.

“Yusuke, so glad you could make it,” Flint greeted him in his customary way.

“Heh yeah. Where the fuck else would be?” Yusuke muttered awkwardly. Damn it, what the hell to I do now? Yusuke thought. Janet seemed convinced that this Fatal Attraction bit would make the count putty in his hands, but he had no idea what he was doing. Yusuke sat down on the couch. Man, what would Sharon Stone do? Should I flash him my nuts?

“I suppose there isn’t much in the way of internment around here,” Flint poured a glass of wine for Yusuke, “I hope it hasn’t been too unbearable for you.”

“Nah,” Yusuke half-smiled. “But what do you do to pass the time?”

“I keep fairly busy between entertaining my guests and work. If I have spare time I might read.” He gave Yusuke a pointed looked, “However I have been looking to finding more… pleasurable ways to spend my free time.”

“Oh… is that right?” Yusuke asked. “Anything spark your interest?”

With a predatory smile Flint reached over, running his thumb under Yusuke’s lower lip as if wiping way a smudge of wine. He hummed, “Perhaps.”

“Heh-heh,” Yusuke laughed nervously. Was this going in the right direction or not?

Flint drew back, much to Yusuke’s relief. He asked, “Is there anything you enjoy doing, Yusuke?”

“Well,” Yusuke had an idea, “Is it really true that the Count Gneiss had a sex dungeon hidden around here.”

“That’s what they say,” Flint raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

“Call me a curiosity seeker,” Yusuke grinned, “It would be really cool to see such an infamous place.”

“That’s interesting,” Flint smiled amused. “But I’m afraid that place was dismantled before I became the owner of Hornbell.”

“But the room itself is still there right?” Yusuke purred.

“No. The survivors of the Gneiss family were afraid that room may have had curses laid on it, so they filled it with ruble and mud,” Flint informed him.

Damn I suck at this, Yusuke thought. Of course he’s not gonna cop to it. What, you think he’ll take you down there next and say “…And this is where I torture the bitches until they learn how to suck balls properly.” Get real.

“But if you’re interested in that sort of thing,” Flint chuckled, “I’m sure I could stage an impromptu, just of you.”

Fuck why don’t I just kick his ass until he spills the beans? It was a plan of action that Yusuke was greatly leaning towards, when all of the sudden, Nelson burst through the door.

“What is the meaning of this,” Flint demanded, “Can you not see Mr. Urameshi and me where in the middle of a conversation?”

“Forgive me Master, but Mr. DeuClay just arrived with a new shipment of… raw materials.”

“So, unload the thing and hand the matter over to Mr. Loamwood,” Flint told him shortly.

“I would Sir, but the materials seemed to have been damaged, by the cold and the rain,” Nelson informed him.

“How many?” Flint seemed concerned.

Nelson answered, “Three units, Sir.”

“Three…” Flint tapped his chin then turned to Yusuke, “My apologies, Yusuke, but this matter requires my attention. May we continue this another time? Perhaps tonight, in my apartments?”

“Maybe,” Yusuke said coyly.

Flint grinned like a shark before he turned on his heel and left, his cadaverous butler on his heels. Nelson had mentioned the names Loamwood and DeuClay. Those were the same names Janet mentioned. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. Yusuke sat motionless for a minute, and then he dashed to the door and peered out through the crack. He could see Flint and Nelson headed for a big curtained doorway. After they’d slipped past it, Yusuke slipped out of the parlor and made to follow. If these ‘damaged materials’ were what Yusuke thought they were, he’d find the proof Janet needed to shut Flint’s secret operation down.

Yusuke kept well behind the two, not wanting to be discovered following them. Staying hidden became more and more difficult as the decor became more and more Spartan until the walls became utterly bare. In some places even the plaster was missing showing bear stone, the mortar in-between nearly rotted out. Stingy little roots were clearly visible peeking out from between the stones. They were leaking a green sap that stained the stones.

On the plus side, Yusuke didn’t have to worry about Flint and his man hearing his footsteps in the empty corridor. The sounds of the asylum inmates’ screaming could drown out just about any sound. The screams were getting louder and clearer. They must be passing into their part of the castle.

Yusuke heard voices and stopped, crouching behind a corner.

“…Two males, ages ten and fourteen, and a female, age sixteen, All three seem to be suffering from hypothermia” a heavily accented man’s voice said. “The males shouldn’t be a problem once they warm up, however I should like to keep an eye on the younger one to make sure he doesn’t catch a death of cold.”

“That’s good,” This was Flint’s voice now, “Where are they now, Doctor?”

“I’ve already taken the liberty of putting them into some rooms,” the doctor told him.

“I do hope you remembered to put the in different sections this time,” Flint warned, “We had to do way with a nurse last month because she noticed similarities in a couple of her ‘patients’ ranting.”

“Of course sir, I haven’t forgotten,” the doctor cowed, “I don’t even have them stored near the more lucid patients, only gibberers and catatonics.”

So that’s how it worked, Yusuke realized. Janet couldn’t figure out where Flint was hiding his stock of slaves. That’s because they weren’t hidden at all. They were in plain sight, stuck in amongst the insane inmates. He wouldn’t have to worry about keeping them tucked away and quiet. They could scream and fight and fit all they wanted. And who would think twice about a scream in a house full of howling maniacs? They could beg for help, but the help would only shrug their pleas off as the gibberings of another idiot.

Flint was speaking again, “What of the girl, doctor?

“The girl is another story.” the man explained, “Ordinarily she would not be much worse off than the boys, but you see, she is in her bleeding time. Females are not so resilient during those times. She will need a transfusion of blood and a battery of elixirs to raise her immunity levels, as well as additional rations, preferably beef, to replenish her iron levels.”

“Loamwood, tally together how much all that is going to cost us,” Flint ordered.

Another man’s voice answered in a guttural grunt, “That’ll be, uhh, four hundred and twenty, er, seven.”

“We couldn’t possibly get more than three hundred of her. She’s already sixteen, nearly past her prime,” Flint snorted, “Let her die.”

“Sir,” Loamwood interjected.

“You have an objection?” Flint hissed.

“No, sir,” Loamwood said, “I was just going to point out that the little filly’s still going to alive and kicking for a few more hours and I was wondering….”

“Knock yourself out,” Flint said flippantly, “When you’re done just toss her into Lothario’s Lagoon with the other whores.”

Yusuke couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This guy was an even bigger sleaze than he thought! He was so angry, he was about ready to charge in there and beat the crap out of all of them. He stood up, but when he did his back came in contact with something firm that wasn’t there before. Slowly his head swiveled around.

“Hello, friend. The names DeuClay and I don’t believe you belong here,” the big bear of a man said just before bringing a ham sized fist down on Yusuke’s head.

“Ahh! Dang man, what’s the matter with you!?” Yusuke yelled, clutching his skull.

“Amazing. That usually puts em right out,” DeuClay said shaking his sore fist. “What’s your head made out of, boy?”

“You think that’s hard, try my fist!” Yusuke howled bringing his fist up into the man’s gut.

“What’s this now?” The man called Loamwood came running round the corner, having heard the scuffling. He was only half the height of DeuClay, but he was twice as thick. He flew at Yusuke with big meaty fists. Yusuke easily avoided the man’s blows, while delivering a few on his own.

While Yusuke pulverized Loamwood, DeuClay had lumbered back onto his feet and somehow he‘d gotten behind Yusuke. He grabbed the smaller man in a crushing bear hug, lifting him off the ground. Before Yusuke could shift his weight to throw the guy off, his buddy rushed up on him, driving his big fists into Yusuke’s guts over and over again. The assault could have killed a lesser man. But for Yusuke, the beating was a mild inconvenience. He was about to kick out at Loamwood and then throw DeuClay, when he heard an accented voice say, “That’s enough now. Don’t kill the boy.”

Then he felt a sharp little pinch on his bottom. Loamwood stopped punching him. Yusuke looked down. A small, grey haired man was standing next to him with a needle in hand. DeuClay set Yusuke down on his feet. Yusuke’s legs gave out from under him as if they were made of rubber. His entire body had numbed so quickly, he didn’t feel the ground when he hit it. He tried to get back up, but his limbs wouldn’t obey. All he could do was flop on the ground like a beached squid.

“Remarkable, he’s still conscious,” the doctor noted, “I gave him enough sedative to down a moose.”

“The boy ain’t human, I swear it,” DeuClay said, babying his bruised middle. Not human. Yusuke would have laughed if his mouth was following his commands.

After that space seemed to bend and warp around Yusuke and there was no sense of time, only movement. However it was difficult for Yusuke to discern actual movement from the movements that were purely generated by his drug clouded mind. It was not like a retro sixties video and it in no way fun. Yusuke found it a wonder that there were people who would willingly subject themselves to this. When his mind finally cleared he found himself back in the parlor where he’d started-- except it wasn’t the same as he remembered. The lamps were turned down low, casting the warm and inviting colors of the room into dim, sinister shadows. All the furniture was covered in satiny black sheets, save for the coffee table not two feet from him. It was draped in rich, red velvet-- and that was not all that was on the table, no. Arranged on the plush red top were implements of various sizes and shapes, many Yusuke could not identify. But there was one that he could not help but identify and seeing it sent a jolt of cold trepidation running down his spine. It was a long, fat, resin cast dildo.

Exhilarated, by panic, he came fully alert and tried to rise, but he couldn’t. He tried again, pulling at his arms and legs, but his efforts only yielded the sound of tinkling chains. He hissed, “What the fuck?”

“Fuck indeed,” the smooth voice that Yusuke recognized as Flint’s came from somewhere outside of his range of vision. Flint stepped out of Yusuke’s blind spot and into view. His usually immaculate ponytail was undone, leaving his hair to fall about his shoulders like an ebony curtain. He was wearing was a red silk dressing gown and nothing else.

“Don’t look at me like that, Yusuke,” Flint said in response to the glare Yusuke was giving him. “Seeing that you were so interested in sex dungeons, I put all of this together, just for you.”

“What? Is everyone who’s owned this place been complete and utter bastard,” Yusuke spat at him.

“Oh please Yusuke, don’t compare me to the late Count Gneiss. I’m by far much the bigger bastard,” Flint chuckled as he toyed with a few implements on the table. His hand briefly fell on the fat dildo. He petted it once, and then moved on. “Why, I’d say by now Gneiss is only responsible for about a third of the bodies that are rotting in that lagoon.”

“How many?” Yusuke gritted his teeth.

Flint shrugged, “I’ve lost count.”

“You bastard!” Yusuke pulled at his chains.

“Yes, we’ve established that I am a bastard,” Flint nodded as he continued to riffle through the objects on the table, “But you should know I am a generous bastard. And if you please me I’ll keep you as a pet for a while and not send you down into Lothario’s Lagoon too.”

The item that he finally selected, much to Yusuke’s horror, was a shiny little silver blade that looked very much like a sergeant’s scalpel. Knife in hand, he strolled toward Yusuke. Yusuke desperately tried his chains again, but it was no use, he wasn’t strong enough to break them at that moment. If only he was at his full strength.

Flint paused, a pace away from Yusuke, his head cocked in question. Then a smile spread over his face as he realized Yusuke’s mistake, “You think I’m going to cut you with this?” He laughed, “Oh my pretty, pretty Yusuke, it I’m not planning to cut you.”

“Then what ARE you doing with it?” Yusuke spit accusingly, “Scrap the corns off my toes?”

“Actually I was just noticing how over dressed you were and thought to alleviate the matter” Flint said simply as he placed the blade under one shirt cuff. With a quick flick, the sleeve was slit from cuff to collar. He moved round to give the same treatment to the other sleeve. He said, “I do enjoy some bloody play now and then, but not today. Do you like blood play, Yusuke?”

“Sure. At least, I wouldn‘t mind ripping out your throat,” Yusuke sneered.

Flint placed his knife under the him of Yusuke‘s shirt and began to cut upward, “No then. Ah, I know. You have a foot fetish, right? I remember how happily you suckled at the blond piece of trash’s toes. Which reminds me have you seen your little friend lately?”

“What have you done to Ianto?!” Yusuke snapped at the mention of the blond.

“Him?” Flint cooed, sliding the blunt side of the knife down the inside of Yusuke’s leg. “There is no reason why you should concern yourself with that one. You’re with me now, Yusuke.” With two quick cuts, Yusuke’s pants were laid open and his entirely exposed.

Yusuke gritted his teeth as the cool air touched his skin. The sensation wasn’t nearly as detestable as the next one that came, when Flint’s warm hand ghosted up his bare thigh. Yusuke wiggled in his bindings and hissed, “Tell me what you’ve done Ianto-- And damn it, don’t touch me!”

Abruptly Flints hand fell across Yusuke’s cheek in a viscous slap. “I’ll touch all I wish, you little tramp! And if I hear that garbage‘s name on your lips once more, I will send my man down to start lopping off his limbs-- starting with the shortest!” He punctuated the point by grasping Yusuke’s flaccid member and squeezing it to the point of pain.

“AHH!” Yusuke screamed.

“Ohh, you cry out so wonderfully,” Flint hissed, leaning down to nip at Yusuke’s ear.

“No,” Yusuke jerked his head.

Flint wasn‘t fazed by the rejection, He snorted, “You want more then?”

“Fuck off,” Yusuke spat.

“I will,” Flint shot back, “in good time.” He went back to the table and picked up a few of those objects that Yusuke was unable to identify. He put some in his pocket, but kept one in hand. When he was closer to Yusuke, he could see that the item was a slim silver rod, about four inches long and a quarter of an inch thick. One end sported a shiny metal ball, the other, a ring which had a smaller ball on it.

“Have you ever used one of these, Yusuke?” Flint purred at the glaring Yusuke, “I think it’s just the thing you need for this pathetic state you’re in down here.” Again he took hold of Yusuke’s manhood, but more gentle this time. He stroked him a few times and failed to excite a response. He chuckled, unfazed, and brought the little bar up to Yusuke’s cock, pressing the balled end into the Yusuke’s slit. Yusuke’s eyes went wide. He wasn’t going to?! He did. Holding, Yusuke’s member in his palm, Flint worked the rod into the orifice in Yusuke’s shaft.

“No no no,” Yusuke tossed his head. The feeling was unbelievable, the cold metal sliding under his skin, stretching his canal and stroking him inside. Yusuke had never considered that a man could be stroked inside his cock. By the time Flint had the thing fully sheathed in him, where that only the ring were visible, Yusuke’s cock felt so full, so wicked. It was almost pleasurable--if only it were someone else besides the sicko, Flint doing it to him. He was getting hard too, to his chagrin.

Flint chuckled darkly, “Fun little toy, isn’t it. It keeps your prick perky no matter what. The only problem is that if I let go, it wants to come out. You see,” he demonstrated by lifting up the finger that was pressing down on the top. Immediately Yusuke’s muscles worked to expel the foreign object. It was half way out of him when Flint replaced his finger and pressed the thing back in again, causing Yusuke to shutter.

“See,” he said, “that’s a problem. How am I supposed to operate like this?”

“Take the fucking thing out of me!” Yusuke squawked the suggestion.

“No no, my love. I have a much better solution,” Flint grinned. He fished in his pocket and brought out another metal rod. This was much slimmer, curved and one end was sharpened to an evil point.

“W-what are you gonna do with that?!” Yusuke yelled.

Flint grasped his cock again and the next thing Yusuke knew was pain, sharp pain lancing through the head of cock. He screamed.

At that very moment in another place, Ianto woke with a start and his heart pounding. He thought he heard a scream. Of course he could hear a lot of screams, the screams of the insane. They were nearby, but they did not quicken his pulse like that scream had-- if indeed he had heard a scream. He wasn’t sure. The last thing Ianto remembered was being in Flint’s study, looking over historical documents about Hornbell Manor. When suddenly there was a draft behind him and a shard acidic smell wafted over him. Before he could turn, a rag was pressed to his face. After that it was only darkness. It still was dark, so dark that Ianto couldn’t tell whither his eyes were open or closed, but he was sure he was awake. He could feel the rough stone under his cheek and smell the moisture in that air, not the dank underground kind, but a pungent odor that reeked of life and decay, like the waters from a swamp. Ianto sat up, rubbing his head. The drug they’d used to put him out was making his head ache.

He dimly recalled that there were swamp lands around that area. That would explain the smell. One of them was Lothario’s Lagoon, the murky waters where the former owner of the estate had hidden the bodies of women he’d seduced, tortured, and killed. It was also the place where his wife was buried after she ended both of their lives. She called it an act of justice.

“I wonder how she’d like Count Flint,” Ianto mused to himself.

I don’t.

Ianto jumped. Did he hear what he thought he heard? It was but the slightest sound, like leaves rustling in the wind. It could have been just that and his imitation running wild in the dark.

“Is someone else in here?” He asked. No answer. He stood and paced the room. It wasn’t much of a walk. By feel he could tell the room was only about four by eight feet. There was no furniture, only a clump of musty hey in one corner. And the walls were featureless, no windows, no door. The access to the room must be from above, which lead Ianto to believe that he was not meant to ever leave this place.

But for all that there was only on thought on his mind as he slid down along one wall. That thought was of Yusuke. Yusuke alone. Or worse, Yusuke with that pompous overdressed jerk; Count Flint. Ianto told himself that Yusuke was big boy and could take care of himself, but still that knot of worry kept turning in his stomach. It may not have just been worry. Ianto remembered seeing the two of them in the garden. Flint was flirting with him. Flint was touching him.

Ianto stood with a growl and threw himself at the walls, groping for niches, cracks, anything he might use as a handhold to climb out of there. He needed to get out of there. He needed to get back to Yusuke. Yusuke said he was his angel. He needed him!
He gripped at the bricks, tried to hurl himself up, but it was no use. He couldn’t find purchase. The walls were coated in some sticky, sweet smelling slime. After one last futile attempt he fell flat on his bottom. He wanted to cry. He pushed at the wall with both his palms as an impotent act of retaliation against the inanimate object that thwarted his efforts.

It moved. A flicker of hope rose in Ianto’s chest as he pressed on the wall again and heard the sound of stone grinding against stone. The block he’d pushed on fell, leaving a hole in his wall. He reached into it with one hand to grope in the dark and assess it’s passably. When his hand was inside something wet and wiggly fell on him, like worms. He gasped and tried to jerk the appendage back, but the things had wrapped around his arm and were pulling at him. He felt more of the things surging inside the gap in the wall, flowing out the hole he made, reaching out to tangle about his limbs and in his hair. He couldn’t pull free, the things were tough and woody-- they smelled like wood, like cedar or cypress. They weren’t worms. They were roots! Like the roots that had infested the walls in room 42-A and weakened the mortar, cracked the plaster and ruined the wall paper.

He heard stones scraping and falling as the strangely mobile roots widened the hole, allowing even more roots passage to shoot out and grab him. The vegetation wrapped his limb, making them heavy to the point that he could barely struggle against them. A forceful tug pulled his legs out from under him. Ianto braced himself for a harsh collision with the hard stone floor, but instead he landed on a soft bed of writhing plant matter that buoyed him up like hundreds of tiny hands as they conveyed him into the dark passage that they had opened in the wall.

Meanwhile back in the parlor cum sex dungeon, Count Flint was preening over his handiwork. That is, the shinny silver loop that now crowned the tip of Yusuke’s bleeding manhood. The loop curved down to disappear into his slit to re-emerge from a hole punched in the underside of the head. The entirety of Yusuke’s tip was red, swollen, and throbbing, but from injury, not passion. Yusuke for his part lay where he was chained, his eyes clench shut against the pain of receiving the piercing. He was no stranger to pain, and due to his training in martial arts, he was quiet good at handling it. However he’d never conditioned himself to this sort of pain and in that place. His chest heaved as he fought to hold back his sobs. The humiliation of what Flint had done to him was bad enough, but Yusuke refused to lower himself farther by crying.

Flint chuckled darkly as he took up the little silver rod; he had to remove it from Yusuke’s shaft to finish the piercing. Now he brought to back to probe Yusuke’s slit. It went in far easier this time, added by slick blood and the fact that Yusuke’s urethra was still stretched from the previous violation. Flint twisted the little ball, on the ring near the top of the rod, until the ring was an open C. He clipped the ring onto the one in Yusuke’s flesh and then screwed it shut again. Yusuke gritted his teeth to the sensations that were passing through him, the stroking of hard metal inside his body, the undeniable fullness of his cock. When Flint took his finger off the tip of the rod, Yusuke’s body once again tried to expel it. But little metallic loop in the head of his penis held it effectively in place. Moreover, as his body’s attempts to force the object out caused the rod to tug upward on the sensitive flesh, exciting more pain-- as well as a distressingly sensuous feeling, which Yusuke was in no mood to be experiencing at that moment.

“Do you like your new… accessory?” Count Flint cooed. “Neat isn’t it. This little beauty will keep you standing up, even when you’re soft as warm dough. Hmm, but still I thing your prick could stand to be a bit perkier.”

“I swear when I get my hands on you…” Yusuke threatened.

Flint didn’t’ pay him any mind as he fished in his pocket and brought out what looked like a strange cast iron ring with a screw on one side of it. Yusuke didn’t have to wonder as to it’s purpose for long as Flint moved to slip down over his cock, down to fit it around both the base of his cock and his balls. Without farther warning he turned the little thumbscrew on the side and suddenly the devise tightened around Yusuke’s jewels.

“Ghyah! You sick fuck!” Yusuke screamed.

“Sick fuck?” Flint laughed, lapping up a drop of blood as it rolled down Yusuke’s shaft, “I’ll give you a sick fuck!”

A hand gripped at one of Yusuke’s spread thighs. Flint reached over to the table, his hand falling intently on the big man-made phallus. Just then when Yusuke thought the worst was going to happen. That his last shred dignity was going to he ripped away from him as surely as that phallus was going to rip and shred his insides-- There was a crash. The walls and the floors shook, glass decorations rattled on the walls, and the flames flickered behind lamp screens. Again the earth seized. Flint lost his balance, falling to the floor and the resin phallus rolled away somewhere.

“Nelson!” Flint howled as he struggled to get to his feet, “By Koth’s awful sign, what is going on?!”

Even in the confining position he was in, Yusuke could see the walls warping a swaying. Large chunks of plaster started to fall from the walls and ceiling. There was screaming all around him, but not like before. These weren’t just the howls of deranged men in their cages, but true utterances of horror. It wasn’t just that room that was shaking to bits it must be the entire castle.

“An earthquake?” Yusuke gasped to himself, “Ha! Serves you right you perverted whack-job. I hope your entire house falls down on your ass!”

Flint may or my not have heard it because at that moment there was spontaneous explosion of glass, wind, and rain as the gigantic widow, that nearly took up the entirety of one wall, shattered inward. The winds from the storms outside rushed into the room, sending the lamps to sputter and throwing away papers and linens, like vengeful ghosts. Perhaps there were some ghosts present, because Flint sure as hell looked as if he’d seen one. The opening where the window had been burned yellow in a flash of lighting that lit up the grounds like it was a clear day. Outside it was like the grounds where alive as if it were covered in snakes. But they weren’t snakes, but vines, vines bearing bright pink flowers. The Gneiss Blossoms. They littered the ground, climbed the wall and pillars, snaking in through doors, windows, and any hole it found or created. Even now, a mass of those groping vetches hurled themselves into the parlor.

Flint screamed and staggered way from the window, narrowly avoiding the vicious plants. Yusuke reinstituted his futile struggle against his chains.

“Fuck you got these things bolted to the floor or something,” he cursed when he failed once again to get results. Meanwhile the vegetation inched closer to him, creeping up the couch and then over his body. Yusuke howled, “Dear god, not this again!”

The plants where not interested in violating him, though. They flowed to his wrists and ankles, and then the next thing Yusuke knew the weight of the manacles and chains fell from him.

“The fuck?” Yusuke exclaimed as he sat up. Did those things just free him? Yusuke had no time to consider the implications, because at that moment he heard familiar brassy tones calling his name.

“Yusuke are you in there?” Ianto’s slim frame clambered in through the broken window frame, unmindful for the broken glass. He looked like some sort of wild thing, his hair soaked by the rain and tousle by the wind. His clothes were tattered, soaked and smeared with mud and some kind of green goo.

“Yusuke!” Ianto rushed toward the demon when he saw him.

“Ianto, you’re okay,” Yusuke reached out and hugged the blond, “I thought Flint had you locked up.”

“He did, but those plants, they broke me out, dragged across the grounds and brought me here to you,” Ianto explained breathlessly.

“Those plants, are they what‘s doing this?” Yusuke shouted over the rumble of quake.

“I think so,” Ianto shouted back, “It’s the Countess Gneiss! She’s infested every corner of this castle and she‘s pissed. Yusuke… Yusuke, you’re naked.”

“Oh yeah,” Yusuke looked down at himself. He was even still wearing those painful apparatus’. He reach down to try and remove the cock and ball vise-thing, but he turned the thumbscrew the wrong way, tightening it on his balls. “Ghyahh!”

“Dear God, Yusuke, lefty loosy righty tighty!” Ianto exclaimed, reflexively batting Yusuke’s hands way from the apparatus and removing it himself. Doing that, he got a good view of the other things that Flint had done to him. Anger flashed hot in his veins. The blond growled, “I’ll kill him!”

“Ianto?” Yusuke was taken aback. He would have held the blond back, but he had already dashed out the door that Flint had fled through. Yusuke made to stand, but an uncomfortable feeling between his legs stopped him. “Damn it all to hell,” Yusuke hissed as he reached to remove the rest of the apparatus’ that Flint had put on him-- or rather in him.

Out in the hall, Ianto dodged falling debris and fleeing servants as he chased the count. He paused as a set of decorative swords clattered to the ground. He paced over and wrenched one off of its display and then continued up the stairs where only moments ago Flint had fled. Up he went to the formally luxurious master suites, now falling into rubble as the expensive antiques and furniture smashed, exquisite hangings ripped as the walls bucked underneath them and plaster rained down from the ceiling. There were fires now, from where lamps had fallen and broke open. Ianto ran on, blind to the castle that was falling down around him.

“Count Gerald Flint!” He called as he burst into the once stately rooms.

Flint was on his knees before an open safe, franticly shoveling coins and jewels into a bag. “You,” he hissed, “I don’t know how, but somehow you are responsible for this, you little slut!”

“No,” Ianto shot back. “This is of your own doing. You are the one who sullied the name of Hornbell Manor. You are the one who desecrated the graves at Lothario’s Lagoon. You are the one who angered the spirit of the Countess Gneiss. You hurt my Yusuke.”

“That‘s what this is about isn‘t it? Yusuke.” Flint scoffed, “You just can’t handle the idea that he’d prefer someone like me over a common little scrub like you. You won’t have to stand it any longer. I’ll kill you and take Yusuke away!” He sprang at Ianto, brandishing the wicked little sergeant’s knife that he’d had hidden in his pocket.

Ianto stepped out of the way as he swung his sword in a wide arch, hitting Flint squarely in the chest. It would have cut him in two if the blade had not been purely decorative and therefore, blunter than a sack of dirt. But still the blow landed firm and had at the very least broken the man’s ribs.

Flint toppled, clutching his wounded side. He laughed bitterly, “So what now? You kill me?”

“I want to make two things clear here,” Ianto told him heatedly, “One; there is a peeking order to who has claim on Yusuke’s love. First there is Hiei, then there is Kurama, and then there’s me. You, you sick son of a bitch, are not even in the running! Second,” he paused, the blood cooling in his veins, “I’m not going to kill you.”

“You’re not?” Flint said in surprise.

“No, that right is hers,” Ianto inclined his head. Flint followed his gazed to above where a myriad of coiled vines hung ready to strike.

Flint glared death at the blond, “I should have drowned you with all the other whores in that lagoon, while I had the chance.”

“Those were the wrong words,” Ianto whispered as he turned his back on the count. He heard the rusting of leaves and a short scream. He walked away, never looking back.

“Ianto!” Yusuke called when he spotted his blond haired companion. He noted the sword clutched in the man’s hand. He also noted the lack of blood on it. He asked, “What happened to Count Flint?”

Ianto seemed to snap out of a daze when Yusuke appeared before him, wrapped in a black sheet. “Count Flint? He went to save his money… the vines got him.”

“Oh, uh…We gotta get out of here, Ianto. This place is coming down,” Yusuke grabbed the blond by the hand and started to haul him through the crumbling, burning structure. As the neared the door leading out the count’s suite, the ceiling collapsed, blocking their exit.

Ianto gasped “We‘re trapped!”

“No we’re not. Come here.” He pulled the blond to a stately window that was somehow still in tact. Yusuke picked up a chair and hurled it through the glass. With his back to the open window, he pulled Ianto to his chest. He shouted over the roar, “Do you trust me?”

“You know I do!” Ianto yelled back.

“Hold on!” Yusuke instructed. He threw himself backward through the window, still clutching the blond to his chest. They were but four stories up, but the fall seemed much longer as the two floated out in space, the wind rushing past them as that rushed toward the ground.

Yusuke landed square on his back. Ianto felt the impact as it carried through Yusuke’s body and heard the air as it was forced out of the demon’s lungs. No sooner did they land did they tumble, down the hillside, rolling on over the other. They finally came to rest in a big mud puddle, Yusuke laying flat on top of Ianto.

“Yusuke?” Ianto breathed.

“I’m okay,” Yusuke panted. “You?”

“Fine. Uh, Yusuke…”

“Yeah?”

“You’re naked.”

Yusuke realized he’d lost his sheet covering during their fall. He laughed, “So I am.”

After Yusuke managed to roll off of his partner, Ianto gave him his jacket to cover up with. They sat hurtled together in the rain and mud, watching Hornbell Manor crumble. The rains cleared the next morning.

“I’m glad to hear she got out of that mess okay,” Ianto said to Yusuke as they traveled down the bright sunny road. “It was a real stroke of luck she had been out talking to the stable master when all hell broke loose.”

“What do suppose caused that away?” Yusuke asked idly.

Ianto shrugged, “From the looks of things those vines have been slowly infesting that place for years and it happened to hit critical mass at that time. At least that’s what Janet will be putting her report to King Carter.”

“But you think that thing was really Countess Gneiss or something,” Yusuke stated.

“If not her, it was something, it had a unique spiritual energy,” Ianto shook his head. “And before you ask, no I don’t think it’s triggering was a coincidence. It was the negative energies in that place that caused the Gneiss to grow like that. And I think it was the contact with your strong demon energy during a time of stress that put it over the edge.”

“Why didn’t you tell that to Janet,” Yusuke demanded, “That thing could be dangerous, ya know.”

“It‘ll be fine so long as nobody starts dumping bodied in the lagoon again,” Ianto dismissed it.

“I suppose,” Yusuke shrugged. “Ah well, at least we helped Janet close her case, even if she didn’t get to arrest the perp.”

“She did arrest his cohorts,” Ianto pointed out, “the slaver’s Loamwood and DeuClay. I think she’s even bringing the butler up on charges as an accessory.”

“Good. The guy was creepy,” Yusuke drawled.

Ianto laughed, “There aren’t laws about being creepy, Yusuke. Oh, speaking of creepy accessories, how’s your, um, injury?”

“My cock?” Yusuke grinned, getting a bit of satisfaction at the way Ianto blushed at the word cock. “It’s healing. Be good as new in week or so. Good thing, too. I kinda like being able to control with direction I’m a pissing in.”

“Well it’s good to see you have your priorities in order,” Ianto said dryly.

Yusuke snorted as he threw an arm roughly around the blonds shoulders, “Ah, come on Blondie, ya know you love me.”

“Yes. Yes, I do,” Ianto smiled then quickly said, “Now, let’s not dawdle. We’ll want to be in those mountains by sundown, if we want to be over them by end week.”

“We’ll be in Zak then, right?”

“That’s right and then next stop….”

“Barharna!”

Legend of Lothario’s Lagoon-- End.

A/N: Next up is The Otherworldly Occupant of O’coil Springs. You won’t want to miss it. Next time!