There’s a lot of layers going on with the Human Trafficking plotline. Something I wasn’t able to go into in this post relates to why Harrod ends up buying Laurel from Gret.
As established in Made A Slave, Darcel attends the kinds of shady parties people are bringing their “pets.” to. He’s interested in Marcel, since they’ve known each other since childhood, but he’s equally interested in Laurel. Remember, Laurel is Sage’s brother. Sage is the girl Darcel has decided he’s going to marry one day. Maybe one of the people he’s most fixated on for a time. So while he doesn’t like Laurel as much as he likes Sage, he still pays attention to what’s going on with him. Especially once he goes missing shortly after Marcel does.
Darcel keeps tabs on what ends up happening to Laurel, looks into who ends up buying him. He sees the kind of person Gret is. While he doesn’t care that this man abuses and breaks his toys, Darcel doesn’t want to see Laurel end up in a snuff film. While there’s the tiniest part of him that’s interested in seeing how Laurel’s family would react to seeing that film, overall, it’s just not worth it to let Laurel die. The fun ends when a person is dead.
He doesn’t want to directly intervene, but like with Marcel, he’s fine doing things that get other people to intervene. Related to Marcel, he has a connection with the Harrod trio. Lorenzo (Marcel’s owner) and Harrod are business partners and sort of friends. They get together sometimes and bring their pets along. They let them all hand out in a side room while the two discuss whatever.
These meetings are something Marcel treasures, since they’re some of the few times he’s allowed to talk with people other than Lorenzo and his house staff. He grows closest with Bertie, who’s pregnant with Harrod’s children at the time. Bertie is a couple months further in his pregnancy than Marcel is in his own, but they bond over their similar circumstances. Someone else who can understand the horror of being pregnant with their captor’s child, but still trying to keep it together for their unborn child’s sake.
While Lorenzo doesn’t typically make Marcel preform at parties, he does have sort of a foursome with him, Bertie, and Harrod at one. Mostly it’s just Harrod and Lorenzo fucking their boys side by side. They’re both pregnant, so something something that’s the appeal in showing them off together. Darcel sees this though. This scene is actually what happens right after where I ended Made A Slave. Seeing Marcel reaching for this other boy, holding hands with him for support while they’re being used, tips Darcel off that they must know each other. Which gets him interested in Bertie and if it’s possible to use that link for anything.
Harrod hosts a lot of big parties. Darcel does what he can to get in good with that group. Works his way into Harrod’s favor (even if it’s mostly Harrod being amused by this clearly out of place teen who thinks he’s hot shit, so he’s willing to see what he wants). Fast forward a bit, and Darcel ends up getting Harrod’s permission to spend some quality alone time with Bertie, since Harrod will lend his pets out for sex to people he likes.
It’s after his evening spent with Bertie that Darcel reveals his trump card, he knows Marcel and is willing to exchange messages between the two of them. Marcel had escaped from Lorenzo a couple months before this point, but that was the most Bertie knew about what happened to him. So hearing that his friend is okay and that he can possibly talk to him again, even if only through this guy, is tempting. Bertie figures he has nothing to lose and goes along with it. Plus, he finds Darcel entertaining in that he’s at least a change from the type of guy he’s usually lent out to. All Darcel wants in return from Bertie is any information he can gather on a pet named Laurel. Any information he can get is fine, but the more, the better. Especially related to what his master puts him through.
Bertie gets to work on uncovering what he can and gets his companions, Cyril and Poppy, to assist him. Mostly they subtly talk with other pets at parties. The more they learn, the worse things look for this pet they’re investigating. They start thinking of ways they can get Harrod to interact with Laurel’s owner, first for info, but then the idea of getting Laurel out of the situation takes hold. Clearly things are looking dire for him, they need to get him out of there before it’s too late. They drop hints to Harrod on how nice it would be to have another companion around. Cyril is instrumental in this, since after Harrod meets up with Gret and they play “pet exchange” with Laurel and Cyril (as is mentioned in The Third Night) Cyril really lays on how good he thought Laurel seemed. How he’d fit in so nicely with them and even add a nice blue/red color aesthetic with himself. A perfect addition to the group.
Harrod is perhaps a little suspicious why they’re so interested him buying this boy, but doesn’t really care what the interest is about (and down the line as it becomes obvious Cyril is becoming romantically interested in Laurel, probably chalks part of the interest up to that). On his part, he’s kind of interested in Laurel. The boy was sweet and clearly is being wasted on Gret. Harrod actually dislikes Gret a fair amount due to how he treats his pets. So this, combined with the fact he’s curious what having an omega boy might be like (since his own boys aren’t omegas, as while L&L has some omegaverse aspects, no one is alpha/beta/omega). Thus he buys him from Gret and Darcel’s goal of getting Laurel away from Gret is complete.
Tag: Harrod
Can anyone please explain Cyril and Laurel please?
(There’s no way to explain the premise for these two without discussing sex slavery and triggers that go along with that. I tried to keep it neutral, but please feel free to skip this post if you need to).
Cyril and Laurel are the fankid ship with the most content, since I’ve written two stories for them. Since I never write, that should be telling on just how much I love them. I want to focus on them a lot, despite not being as central characters.
The Third Night and Preheat are the two stories I’ve written. Due to the trigger warnings that go along with these, I can understand not wanting to read them, but unfortunately, the basis for their relationship is partly revealed in these fics. Preheat is just porn, but The Third Night does go into how they first meet. And is suppose to be setting up the basis for their relationship.
Basically tho, @pokemon-legends-and-legacies and I have a crossover going with our verses involving a small group of our fankids. On my side, Team Cross abducts a number of fankids, some of which get sold as “pets” to wealthy people. Put bluntly, they’re sold as sex slaves. Laurel is one of these characters.
The first guy who buys him, Gret, is an especially awful person. A sadist who enjoys destroying beautiful things. Had he remained with Gret, Laurel very likely would have ended up being killed by this man. And Laurel knew this, so while with Gret, he tried to do everything he could to get away from him. Even if the only way to get away was to end up the toy of a different man. Thus enter Harrod, the guy from L&L’s verse who is the owner of three of her fankids, Cyril, Poppy, and Bertie.
In The Third Night, Laurel is in full on Stockholm Syndrome mode for Harrod from the getgo because of just how bad Gret was. In his eyes, Harrod is his savior. His devotion to the man only grows as the man continues to treats him “kindly,” even as he’s being used for sex. There’s still a part of Laurel that wants to be free and see his family again, but he’s had to push that part far down just to survive while with Gret. And while Laurel is enamored with Harrod, there’s another person he’s starting to develop feelings for. A fellow “pet.” Who is Cyril.
Cyril is kind and soft and makes him feel safe. While Harrod is away at work most days, the four boys all spend the days locked in his mansion together. Getting to know each other more. Bonding. Of his three new companions (plus Bertie’s twin babies with Harrod), Cyril is the one Laurel latches onto right away. Due to how touch starved he is for gentle contact, Laurel loves to spend hours cuddled up with Cyril. Maybe they’re doing something (watching a flim, reading, etc), but often they’ll just lay together. The romantic attraction part of things doesn’t really register to Laurel, but on Cyril’s end, he acknowledges to himself that he’s falling in love with Laurel as they spend more and more time together.
Harrod also makes his pets “preform” together. He enjoys watching them touch each other and also makes them have threesomes/orgies with him. So there’s already a sexual element to things. And since even Harrod can see that Cyril and Laurel are growing overly close, why not have threesomes with those two with increasing frequency. As long as they remember who’s in charge.
Lots of nonsense happens, but eventually, the group does end up being rescued by a joint effort of multiple characters (the Striaton bros are the big ones on my end) and both return to their families. They’re from different worlds though. Literally different dimensions, so while they still long for each other, both try to move on and readjust to normal life. They do still talk though. They have fancy devices to communicate across dimensions. They remain friends, and with time, can’t resist wanting to meet in person again. Which is where their relationship is quickly rekindled.
Their “epilogue” ends with Laurel pregnant with triplets. There’s some minor drama where they’re unsure who’s the father (Laurel is Cress’ son, after all), but Cyril ends up being the father of all three babies. Laurel ends up moving to L&L’s universe so he can raise his babies with Cyril. They live with Cyril’s parents for a time and eventually get their own place together. Probably get married when the triplets are toddlers. They do have what I consider a happy ending together.
Characters: Laurel, mentions of Gret. Guest starring @pokemon-legends-and-legacies
‘s Cyril, Bertie, Poppy, and Harrod (with cameos by Bertie’s twins,
Aurel and Ophir).
Pairings: Laurel x Cyril (platonic at his point). Mentioned Laurel x Harrod, Laurel x Gret, Harrod x Bertie/Cyril/Poppy. It’s a mix of everyone basically.
Summary:
It’s the first night since Laurel’s recent acquisition into his new home
that Master hasn’t taken him to bed. And try as he might, he can’t
calm the troubled thoughts that brings to mind. Not on his own, at
least.Rating: M (I don’t feel it’s explicit enough to be rated higher, but one could make the argument it could be)
Word Count:
1654
Warnings: Sexual Slavery. Laurel is in full Stockholm Syndrome mode, so while the noncon/dubcon is there, he doesn’t view it as such.
If you thought the Marcel one was bad, this one is worse, since Laurel
has bought into what’s happening to him. I really don’t recommend
reading this unless you don’t mind this kind of content.Notes: All the characters in this fic other than Laurel and Gret are from @pokemon-legends-and-legacies. We have a long running collab going between our verses behind the scenes, so I wanted to write something focusing on this group and how they get involved. She made a post briefly explaining who her characters are here.
Bertram with 5, 11, 22, 44?
I know you asked this just for nonsense so I’ll get it out of the way first. These will be answered from the perspective of a few years after Bertie is rescued, so after most of the plot stuff has finished and technically in the future from the time frame other asks are answered in.
05. Are they sexually confident or more of the shy type?
Lunen was Bertie’s first long-term romantic relationship and the two fumbled through figuring out sex together, neither having any experience prior to dating. After being rescued, Bertie wants to go back to the same dynamic he and Lunen had before, desperate to return to normalcy as best he can. It’s difficult at times due to Bertie’s trauma, but overall they’re able to settle into a routine and relationship that works well for both of them. I wouldn’t say he’s especially shy or promiscuous, despite liking to playfully flirt. He’s fine taking the lead or letting Lunen be in control, though he prefers to switch things up regularly.
11. What is something that would make your character fly into a rage?
Bertie tends to get especially angry when people (especially strangers) make any kind of assumptions about him, his children, his boyfriend, and/or his friends and family based on what happened to him. He’s very determined to put it all in the past (not ignore what happened, just move on) and hates when people bring it up. He especially dislikes it when people treat him like he’s fragile or say they’re sorry for him. He tends not to be the sort to go off on people when they’re annoying him, but he’ll get frustrated enough to rant to Lunen or Maela or whoever in private later.
22. What kind of tattoos, piercings, birthmarks, freckles, and other such unique physical features do they have?
As mentioned in an earlier post, Bertie pierced his ears with some school friends when he was 15 on a dare. While in captivity, Harrod made him and the other two get various other piercings for his own personal preference, as well as a tattoo of his family crest as a mark of ‘ownership’. Bertie got the tattoo removed as soon as he could after they were rescued and let all but his original ear piercings close up (though one of his cartilage piercings never ended up closing so he does occasionally wear an earring in it if he’s feeling fancy.) Otherwise, he has a birthmark behind his left ear and a few moles/freckles on his arms and torso, but nothing particularly striking.
44. Is there a particular event that would emotionally devastate your character?
Anything happening to his children. While they were still in captivity, Bertie’s greatest fear was not his own (or Poppy and Laurel’s) safety, but the safety of his twins. He had no idea if Harrod would want to get rid of them, send them away, or hurt them. He’s extremely protective of his sons which is a big reason why he puts off returning to school in favor of being a full time father, choosing to wait so he can be there all the time for Aurel and Ophir. Each has their own traits that lead to Bertie fussing as well. Aurel tends to put on a confident show but he’s actually very sensitive and had the most tears when trying new things doesn’t go well, while Ophir was born blind, which adds its own challenges, though he’s very calm and confident (as much as a toddler can be). Aurel’s inherited Bertie’s protective streak and will fuss over his twin, though Ophir usually just does his own thing which makes Aurel upset. They’re a handful, but Bertie and Lunen don’t mind since they’re both so happy they have the chance to be a family after everything. (Grandparents Albin and Hilda and Auntie Maela love to help out with the twins as well and gladly babysit to give Bertie and Lunen a break when they need it.) This was meant to be more ‘sad what-ifs’ but it turned into hcs about the twins so… well that’s where my priorities are it seems.
(Questions From This Ask Meme)
(Also Taking Asks From This Asks Meme!)
How do Bertram, Poppy, and Cyril go missing?
Bertram, Poppy and Cyril all go missing in February of 3633, the year the Plot sort of officially starts. Bertram and Poppy were together when it happened (the two were acquaintances) and so it’s assumed that they went missing for the same reason. Evidence points to kidnapping as they found the two’s pokemon left in the side street the two had been talking in in Lumiose. Cyril goes missing about a day later, while travelling in Lumiose with Anise, but his disappearance is not linked to the other two for a while.
As for what happened to these three, as mentioned (in the tags I think) on a previous post, there is a danger in this world of people with supernatural abilities being captured and sold on the black market for a variety of horrifying ends. As Bertie, Poppy, and Cyril are all mages (and Bertie and Poppy are also dragonbloods to boot), they were targeted by a group that kidnaps people to sell underground (known as ‘mage traffickers’.) The trio end up on auction and are all bought by the same man, a foreigner (probably Galarian or something) named Harrod Levesque who keeps them as his ‘pets’ in his fancy manor house. He covers his tracks well, and it takes a little over two years for their families to track them down and rescue them (despite one of them being the son of Champion Iris, this stuff runs deep), along with the twins Bertie had in the first year of captivity, Aurel and Ophir. Bertie and his boyfriend, Lunen, raise the twins with help from their families, while Harrod is sent to jail. Ultimately all three of them are obviously traumatized, but they all do their best to move forward and are able to lead fulfilling lives.
This subplot ties into the ‘main plot’ as, while searching for what happened to these three, multiple characters end up discovering the threads that lead to uncovering the existence of the ‘main threat/villain’ of this AU, which kickstarts the lead up to the final battle, etc. (I’m still working on this plotline though.) This plotline also leads to more awareness of the threats mages and supernatural beings face when they are treated as commodities and leads to reforms across many regions, though starting in Unova thanks to Iris.
Pokémon Legends & Legacies 