Chapter Text
You were hurt, still thrashing against your captor, but the dull thumping of your fists only served to shoot pain up your arm. Nics and cuts from being tossed into a trunk stained the taffeta of your blush ballgown, before you were jerked out with a snap from your wrist. There was only one thing left that you could try, knowing it wouldn’t help you get away, but not caring. You just wanted to do something.
“Son of a- the bitch just fucking bit me!” The big man yelled, cracking you in the ribs hard, but you bit down harder. “Open one of the fucking cages, for fucks sake!”
“None of these are empty!” Another one replied.
“I don’t care, just open one!” The first one snapped before you were thrown down, you head smacking hard concrete before a boot connected with your ribs, kicking you on into the room. (A small cage really, not even a room.)
The head injury made the world blur slightly. Muffled voices talking around you.
“Blue, leave her alone, that's a human.” A voice hissed from your right as you curled in on yourself.
“BUT SHE’S HURT.” Another voice said from above you, “HER HEAD IS BLEEDING.”
You glanced up at the person kneeling over you and met the biggest brightest blue eyes you had ever seen. Though ‘eyes’ was probably inaccurate, they were glowing lights floating in black sockets, the bone above those sockets was scrunched up in concern.
Your eyes snapped open, light streamed through pale gossamer curtains. You weren’t sure what had woken you up at first until you heard the knocking,
“Madam, your father has requested your presence downstairs.” Joffrey’s raspy voice called through the door.
“I'll be right down.” You called back, getting out of bed instantly. No time to be groggy when you had to get dressed one handed. Your closet consisted of a lot of polished professional pieces or darling dresses. There weren't a lot of things that prioritized ease.
You would be changing that the next time you were allowed out of the house. There was really just one you could reach easily, a flowing green summer dress with a blue belt that met at the back in a large, perfectly symmetrical bow. At least it was perfectly symmetrical when you were done with it.
Your hair styled one handed still had not a single strand out of place. White flats that you could slide on without having to bend down. Then you slid your sling over your cast, straightened your back, held your head high and walked out of your bedroom.
“I haven't seen that dress in awhile, young miss.” Your butler said, smiling down softly at you. You cringed as he fell in step beside you.
“Joffrey, we've talked about this. I'm not a little kid anymore.” Hadn't been for a long time, since it had been your twentieth birthday the night you met Blue.
Your father had canceled your debutante party after the incident. Not like you were complaining, it was already two years late, and you hated those big extravagant parties. You had never told your father that you hated them, but you never told him that you hated a lot of things.
“Of course ma'am.” Joffrey agreed easily, smiling and offering you a hand down the winding flights of stairs, but you waved him off. Your injured arm was on your non-dominant side, so you could still feign delicacy by letting your fingertips rest on the banister as you walked down the first flight.
Your show stopped halfway down the stairs when you saw your father, standing in the foyer with six skeletons. All dressed in simple white button ups and slacks that they would be given at the slave auctions. One of them had the biggest brightest blue eyes you had ever seen.
You felt yourself smile, running the rest of the way down the stairs. “Blue you're okay!” You said, throwing your one good arm around the skeleton. Instead of embracing you back the skeleton stiffened, an audible grinding sound coming from his jaw.
You stepped back to check on your friend and ask what was wrong only to be instantly mortified and heartbroken in equal parts when you realized that this wasn't your friend.
“You aren't who I thought you were. I'm so sorry.” Was the only thing you could think to say as you took a step back to put the ‘proper’ distance between a lady and a stranger.
The skeleton with the blue eyelights worked his jaw a few times before saying a polite, “IT’S QUITE ALRIGHT MA'AM. MISTAKES HAPPEN.”
You turned expectant eyes to your father, wanting an explanation or at the very least an introduction.
“I'm sorry princess. I know they’re not the ones you wanted.” He replied making your skin crawl. You wanted to ask him not to talk that way about Blue, but this was the way the world was, to act like it wasn't would be naive.
Future leaders of industry couldn't be naive.
“I'm not going to stop looking for him, but until then I got you these fine boys here.” He continued proudly, going down the line introducing you to each of the six.
First one with a round skull and fuzzy white eye lights, “Roulette.”
Next a tall one next to him, staring forward like he isn't really seeing you, “Sniper.”
Down the line to a barrel chested skeleton with red eye lights and a golden tooth, “Colt.”
Beside him a tall spindly skeleton with burning red eye lights. “Musket.”
The one that looks so much like Blue you can't look at him without it hurting. “Carbine.”
And besides him, another tall skeleton with orange eye lights, and what looked like circles under his eyes. “Rifle.”
“Boys, this is my darling daughter, and of course the family butler Joffrey.” he continued, introducing you to the gaggle of skeletons and nodding up the stairs to where the old man was still slowly making his way down the stairs.
“It's very nice to meet you all.” You said politely.
“Nice to be here.” Roulette replied, waving just a little.
“Now of course it goes without saying, a single hair out of place on her head and this man here will have a lot of dusting to do.” Your father warned, shocking you.
“Daddy-” You started to say something about that, softly but he held up a hand.
“No, this is important, princess. These monsters aren't like regular monsters. I pulled some strings to get them. Some ‘accidents’ keep happening to their owners…I pulled even more to have some special permissions approved through their collars. These men are here to make sure that what happened last month never happens again.” He explained.
“Daddy?-” you tried again, wanting to tell him how uncomfortable the idea made you but he just smiled and patted your good shoulder.
“Just don't worry about it princess. Let them be when they're working, if you're busy minding your own business you won't have time to mind anyone else's right?” He encouraged and you…forced a smile up at him.
“Right.” You agreed before turning your attention to the skeletons, “well, would you all like a tour. We can show you around the house before dinner.”
“You handle that, I have to get to the airport if I'm going to catch my plane.” Your father replied, deflating you.
“You aren't staying for dinner?”
“Sorry princess, I have meetings with business contacts in Italy, and a summit in France after that, I really can't afford to take a later flight…but hey, I'll be back for the holidays and I'll bring you some Gucci from Italy and Prada from France, how about that?” He offered, you hated when he brought you expensive gifts from abroad, hated not seeing him for months while he was away on business, but again, you never told him you hated a lot of things.
“Thank you dad. Be safe please.” You said, walking him out of the foyer, then he was gone, leaving you alone with six strangers of dubious origin. So you clapped your hands together (gritting your teeth because you had forgotten that that fucking hurts) and gave them your best charming smile. “Alright, so would you like that tour?”
“Sure thing master.” Roulette replied and you fought not to physically retch.
“Oh, you don't…you really don't need to call me that. Joffrey just calls me Madam or Ma'am.” You attempted to brush off.
“OF COURSE MA'AM.” Musket's easy reply didn't ease your discomfort.
“Alright well…let's just do the tour.” You said, fighting to keep your forced smile up. “Of course feel free to explore on your own. The house is massive, but I can at least hit the big areas: kitchen, dining room, servants quarters.”
“What no slave quarters?” Colt asked, making you laugh uncomfortably.
“No, not really.” You said.
“That isn't entirely correct Madam.” Joffrey supplemented, continuing when you looked at him curiously. “The house is quite old, the sewing studio your mother installed outside was the old slave housing from before the civil war.”
“Oh…W-well, that building is to small for all of you anyway, so servants quarters.” You replied. Showing them the staples as quickly as you could, wanting the encounter to be over.
You smiled while Joffrey informed them what time meals were, mentioning that if they get up before him they can turn the coffee pot on, but as guards they aren't expected to cook and you wondered once again what kinds of special allowances their collars had to allow them to be effective guards against the kinds of people who had taken you.
You tried to participate in the conversation and answer questions about what was through certain doors, but it was probably obvious that you couldn't look at Carbine for too long. So you didn't bother slowly showing them the whole house, you had said they could explore on their own after all.
“This entire hall is servants quarters. Joffrey’s is the first door on the left, but every other room is free. Please make yourselves at home.” You explained, gesturing with your one good arm. “Feel free to look around, I'll be in the study if you have any questions or need anything.” You explained, something Joffrey had said earlier in the day made you want to do some research.
“Does it matter what rooms we pick?” Roulette asked, nodding down the hall.
“I don't really think so.” You explained, ready to leave them alone.
“WILL YOU CALL FOR US IF YOU NEED ANYTHING?” Musket asked, and it was a real fight not to let your charming mask drop.
“I can, but I probably won't need anything. I'm used to making due.” You brushed off, disengaging from them and waving them off before another one could speak, rushing down to the study.
You debated locking the door behind you, but ultimately decided against it in case one of them needed anything. Then you turned on the old computer looking around the shelves while it booted up. You pulled down history book, after history book focusing on the civil war and before, once the computer was up you looked up emancipation activists before the civil war, expanding your search to other countries.
There had to be something you could do for Blue. You were part of the ‘elite’ upper class after all, you couldn't just sit and do nothing.
Roulette slowly walked around the room, eye lights scanning every available inch. “Don't see any cameras.” He signed down by his side.
“...it's the wrong one, daddy.” Colt sneered mocking the girl’s voice, shaking his head. “Fuckin…can't believe this shit.”
“CALM DOWN BROTHER. WE CAN USE THIS…ME AND CARBINE CAN KEEP HER BUSY TOMORROW WHILE THE REST OF YOU GO THROUGH THE HOUSE.” Musket replied, nodding towards Carbine who was drumming his phalanges on the window sill staring out at the large property that the massive mansion sat on.
“I don't know if it's a good idea for Carbine to be near her…what if she…ya know really liked the way the other skeleton looked.” Rifle suggested nervously.
“...THEN…THAT WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO KEEP HER DISTRACTED.” Carbine replied with a shudder.
“...bro?”
“NO. JUST…IT WILL BUY YOU TIME. THAT'S ALL THAT'S IMPORTANT.”
“...I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. SHE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE CHECKING YOU OUT.” Sniper added quietly for him, watching his brother pace the room.
“Whatever her problem is, let's game plan-” Colt started, pausing when there was a knock at the door.
“Yes ma'am?” Roulette called, but the old man was the one who opened the door.
“The master of the house wished for you to have this.” He said holding out a tiny brass key.
“And this is?” Roulette asked curiously.
“The key to the gun safe…I trust you know what you are meant to do with it.” The old man said, looking down his nose at Roulette before turning on his heels and leaving.
“Well well…how about we go down and land up, maybe test out the special permissions these new collars got.” Colt suggested with a cruel smile.
“LET'S WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW.” Musket suggested instead. “GIVE US TIME TO SETTLE INTO THE NEW ENVIRONMENT AND WORK UP A PLAN FOR DISTRACTING THE GIRL.”
Roulette agreed, they needed a game plan to stay and work together. It was a miracle that they were all bought out into the same house, and they absolutely planned on making it their new master’s problem.