[Backdated to early January 2008]

Ian stands outside the door of Tom and Thomas's house, smiling wide when Tom swings the door open. "Hey! How're my favorite married people?" He steps forward, reaching up to give Tom a hug, careful not to hit him with the bottle of wine he's brought. "I was starting to think y'all had fallen off the face of the earth."
( Read more... )

[set in October, following Naveen's post looking for a dominant versed in whipping.]

Naveen has invited Gabriel to meet with himself and Ian at the club's restaurant, to discuss Ian's desire for the whip. It's not something Naveen feels entirely comfortable, but he knows that one of his duties as Ian's Sir (and his lover) is to make sure that Ian's needs are met. This is something that Ian needs to go through, and Naveen needs to help him through it. He tries to hide his nerves, smoothing the napkin in his lap as they wait for Gabriel to arrive, sipping at water and chewing the ice, crunching it noisily.

The post had been intriguing, and Gabriel is still thinking it over as he arrives at the club, making his way into the restaurant and keeping his eye out for Naveen. It's been made clear enough that meeting Ian is more of a formality, the real agreement lies with Naveen if Ian is interested, and he understand that well enough. Spotting them both he heads over to the table.

Ian can feel the tension in Naveen, in line of his lover's thigh brushing up against his under the fine linen of the tablecloth, in the set of his jaw as he demolishes another ice cube. He hates it a little, knowing he's causing this, but Naveen had said it was okay. Hell, Naveen'd actively gone looking for this, which had surprised Ian more than a little. He reaches out, squeezing Naveen's knee to comfort him, to settle them both. He spots Gabriel across the room, takes a second to think Gabriel fucking Byrne and have a couple of inappropriate thoughts about hot priests, before he says softly to Naveen, "Showtime."
( Read more... )

[Backdated to early September; it's been a long time, so just as a refresher, when last we saw our erstwhile hero *g* he and Naveen had a conversation about Ian wanting to try his hand at topping.]

Ian slams the door behind himself, his chest heaving as he leans against it, eyes shut, legs trembling. Stupid. You fucking stupid fucking fuck. He bangs his head back against the wood, berating himself in a way he hasn't in years, not since he stopped hearing Nicky's insults in his head. ( Stupid, stupid, stupid )

[Backdated to December 8, 2007; in response to this surprise sent by naveen_a; apologies for the mun being so freaking slow!]

Ian's having a pretty good day, all around. It is, after all, his birthday. His mama's called to tell him the story of his birth for the twenty-ninth time. His Meme FedExed him homemade cookies. His email inbox is full of well-wishes from friends and loved ones. The only dark spot in the day is that he's alone - Naveen's still in Oahu til midweek, and it just hadn't made sense for him to fly in for the weekend, then turn back around and fly back on Wednesday. Ian's not moping, though. Okay, he's determinedly not moping, but he's counting it as a moral victory, keeping himself occupied with a day of pampering - starting with the yoga he's doing now, with plans to head to a spa later. If he can't get a spanking from Naveen today, a deep-tissue massage will have to do, he thinks with a grin as he twists his body into the next asana. Even if announcing his plans to Kate had gotten him ridiculed for being gayer than gay.

The sound of the doorbell bleating startles Ian, gets his heart going faster than it should be on a bright Saturday morning. He unwinds himself out of position, a little annoyed at the break in his routine, and heads down the stairs to answer his door.

The deliveryman standing there looks non-descript, completely normal and everyday, in a uniform which from a distance would scream UPS but up close is missing the logo. It's something Ian has come to learn over the last three years absolutely means that he works for the Establishment. Ian signs for the package, thanking the man, humming happy birthday to himself as he heads back inside.

The package contains a card with his name written in Naveen's looping script and a small box that can only mean one thing, and Ian's shallow enough to admit to the thought yay, jewelry! good boyfriend! as he tears open the envelope. He wasn't expecting anything, figured they'd just celebrate when they were together. But it's like Naveen not to make him wait, he thinks with a small smile to himself as he pulls the card free.

( Marriage, Y/N? )

[July 2007]
A talk turns into something more...

Nice to see you again...

[Backdated to July 9, after Tom and Thomas's wedding; players only]

Ian's not sure if it's late in the evening or early in the morning as he and Naveen make their way through the labyrinthine hallways that lead back to their room. The world's a wonderful, hazy place where time stands still and clocks are useless - that could be all the champagne, or the wine, or the gin. "S'a beautiful ceremony, don'tcha think, hon?" His accent's a little stronger, a little more Southern than usual, and he grins at his lover, not realizing that's about the fourth time he's said that to Naveen in the last hour. He trips over one of the copious rugs that seem to be everywhere in this place, stumbling a bit, grinning as he regains his balance. ( Shit, who put that there? )

Note and Gift Delivered by Est Courier


Dan,

Thought I'd give you and Ben a head start on your art collection, complete with parental failsafe. Happy birthday!

Love,
Ian

The Gift: A dual-sided frame, one side showing a black-and-white print of a man, bound with bondage tape from mouth to ankles, his hands cupping his genitals, and the other side a print of David Hockney's Day Pool with Three Blues.

The F Word

The last couple of weeks - no, make that months - have brought a lot of changes into Tom's life. First his proposal to Thomas and his discussion with his mother, then visiting his parents with more discussions, more filming for Smallville and last but not least his new relationship with Kevin. And despite his best intentions, Tom hasn't seen Ian in forever. Time to remedy that.

Parking his car in front of Ian's house, Tom walks up to the front door and rings the bell. Maybe he should have called to make sure Ian's at home but it was a spontaneous decision to visit his friend and so all Tom can do is waiting to see ( if he'll open the door )

To: naveen_a@establishment.rpg
From: isomerhalder@establishment.rpg
Subject: Helping out a complete stranger

Hey hon,

Just wanted to send you a link to this post before I forget. I was wandering through the journals and this guy's looking for someone he could trust for a con-non-con. I think he's in London, but I'm not sure, so I thought maybe you'd know someone.

Love you,
Ian

[Backdated to October 4, features danielradcliffe and benmckenzie

The sauce is bubbling on the stove-top, and Ian's humming happily along with Jack Johnson on the stereo as he chops up lettuce for the salad. As meals go, it's a pretty simple one, but then again after twenty-four hours of flying to get home and then a long day of looping dialogue, he's not up for much more than comfort food and the company of good friends. Speaking of, the guys should be here soon, he thinks as he looks up at the clock on his kitchen wall.

And it's a little weird, being here at his own house instead of at Naveen's loft. It feels almost like being in a hotel, he's spent so little time here. It doesn't feel like home. But his clothes were here, and Naveen's in Oahu, so it had seemed logical to stay here. And he does love his kitchen. He walks to the fridge, pulling out the fresh tomatoes and mushrooms he'd picked up at the market on his way home. He's running the tomatoes under cool water when he hears the doorbell sound, and he wipes wet hands on jeans as he hurries to answer it. He throws the door open to reveal a grinning Dan standing on his doorstep. "Dan!" ( Where's your better half? )

[Backdated to Jan 17, as the mun can't get her act together lately.]

Ian smiles quietly to himself as he pours the batter into the waffle iron. In the quiet hush of the early morning hour, he's got the kitchen all to himself as he works on Naveen's birthday breakfast. There's a gaily-wrapped box sitting on the table, next to Naveen's place setting, with a card propped up against it, and Ian hums happily to himself as he puts the finishing touches on breakfast. He hopes Naveen likes the gift, hopes that his lover has a good birthday this year, and above all else, is grateful they're getting to spend this time together. It's short-lived, he knows - L.A. is already calling him, and soon he'll have to start work on his next project - but he's determined to make the most of it while they can. He wipes his hands on the kitchen towel, and heads for the bedroom to wake Naveen up. His smile turns absolutely devilish as he slides under the covers, determined to wake his lover up in the best way possible.


In the box: A new, top of the line wood carving tool set and a picture of the large block of Indonesian sono wood sitting out in the sun room.

And a card that reads:

Happy birthday! I know you've been busy lately, and you haven't had as much time for your art as you'd like. But work won't last forever, and when you're ready, you've got a willing model.

I love you.
~Ian

[Backdated to just before Christmas]

Thomas isn't home yet and so Tom settles down on the sofa with a cup of coffee and his cell phone. There are a couple of people they'll have to call and tell the good news but he'd like to call Ian first. He misses his friend and promises himself not to let so much time pass again before they talk to each other. Dialing the familiar number, he waits for Ian to answer his phone.

Ian's walking through LAX toward his gate, already looking forward to getting back to relaxing Hawaii after a long week of meetings in hectic LA, when his cell goes off. Shifting his hand luggage around, careful not to drop the small glass sculpture that's part of Naveen's Christmas gift, he fishes it out of his pocket, smiling when he sees Tom's name flashing across the LCD. ( Tom! Merry Christmas! )

[Features NPC Nicky Hilton; backdated to late July 2004, approxiamately 3 weeks before Nicky married another man.]

"You fucking freak." Nicky's voice is cold and cruel as she pushes Ian away, moving away from his bedroom wall, moving away from him. ( Get out of my way. )

[With katemoennig;Backdated to mid-September; players only.]

Ian's still smiling when he hangs up the phone - chances to talk to Naveen have been few and far between over the last few weeks. Hell, what with the time difference between southern China and the U.S., chances to talk to anyone have been few and far between. Thank God for days off, he thinks, popping his neck as he rotates his head. Filming's been rough, physically demanding, and he's sore. And being sore makes him think of all the ways he's not sore - how many weeks it's been since he's been on his knees, since he's felt his lover inside him, since he's traced bruises in the shape of Naveen's fingertips...

This line of thinking is getting him nowhere, except for lonely and hard, and while he never thought it was possible to get tired of jacking off, fuck if it isn't. He sighs, rolling over to top off his tea cup from the tiny pot sitting on his bedside table before flopping back onto the bed and tucking the pillow up under his head. Not a lot to do in this part of the world, cut off from all but the most basic tenets of civilization. He's lucky to even have the phone, he knows, and ( he reaches for it again with determination )

*Title from the Robbie Williams song of the same name, mostly because I can't get it out of my head.

[Featuring Ian and naveen_a. Players only; Backdated to May 26, 2006, and the week following.]

Ian turns his key in the lock, pushing the door open and holding it for Naveen, glad to be home again. It's been a long afternoon, filled with a lot of waiting. And information, and tests. And no lollipop at the end of it all, Ian thinks back to his childhood doctor's visits with a pout... being a grown up is no fun sometimes.

But they've gone now, and listened, and been told basically what they both already knew: nothing's fool-proof. There's risk associated with not using condoms; the Establishment's policies mitigate that risk, but they don't eliminate it. And it's not like Ian didn't know that, it's just that he needed to hear facts, cold, hard statistics, and he needed for Naveen to hear them too. ( Now all that's left is for them to figure out what to do )

[Public to Est Members]

Really, really must stop reading reviews. Are any of you able to find the strength to resist doing that, and if so, how do you avoid them?

The worst thing - and I'll deny this to my dying day in public - is I think I agree with them. It wasn't the movie I hoped we were making.

[Delivered by Est courier to Dan in the UK]

One plate of homemade brownies, with number candles that spell out 23, and an envelope that contains tickets to upcoming concerts* for the Buzzcocks and the Violent Femmes.

And a note:

Hey Birthday Boy! Hope you're having a great day - tell Ben I said you are a good boy and deserve a spanking when you get home. ;)

Call me once y'all have come up for air, I can't wait to see you again!

Love,
Ian

[*For game purposes only, they're the first week of August instead of this week.]

[Players only; backdated to Sunday, June 25. Refers to events occuring in this chat, and leads up to this chat.]

The brilliant Caribbean sun streaming through the windows of their hotel room is what finally rouses Ian. He raises his head, groggily staring at the alarm clock. It's nearly eleven, and while part of him can't believe he's actually slept this late, the rest of him just wants to curl up in Naveen's arms and go back to sleep. It was close to two in the morning before they made it back to their room. Sadly, once he's awake, he's awake. And there is brunch to be had, if he remembers correctly from the schedule.

He slowly strokes down Naveen's arm, trying to gently wake his lover up. "Naveen, are you up?"

After their late night activities (and not enough sleep in his opinion), 'up' is about the last thing Naveen is right now. "Mrrph?" He blinks a few times at Ian, then at the clock. Yes, he probably should get up now. In a moment. ( Morning )