A Little Less Sugar Coated

[InactiveCoffee]

This is a 1x1 RP between myself and @clockwork girl

-No sense in putting up a plot outline. We know what we're doing! At least... I hope we do. xD -

 

[InactiveCoffee]

Ayato paced in his room, the day was wearing on, and he was unable to sleep. It made him irritable, not being able to sleep. He had sent everyone who worked there home for the next few days as he was awaiting his newest sacrificial bride. Well, that's what they called her. This was only the second time he needed one since taking over the mansion from his father, so he hadn't quite fallen into the routine of how they were sent to him. As the sun dipped further toward the horizon, he opted to try and get some sort of rest. Down the long corridor from his room, and down the tall, main staircase that lead to the foyer. Everything was pristine and clean, just as the humans were supposed to leave it. Save for his personal room. That he kept clean himself so that no one ever needed to enter it. Those few that had met unfortunate ends. He stepped into the dark sitting room that was just off the main entrance, and laid down on one of the couches, stretching himself out. "Such a bother." he murmured softly, and closed his eyes. A nap before she arrived would be a good thing, since he would need to be at his strongest.

 

[clockwork girl]

Shiori peeked in awe at the majestic mansion that was in view through the large metal gate. It was like those mansions in the movies—something she had never seen in real life. And yet, here she was. Was it really okay for her to be here? Nervously she pushed against the gate, and it swung open without a creak, opening up the way for her. Taking up her suitcase she made her way through the beautifully tended gardens and the spotless cobblestones. Whoever lived here was definitely a rich family! And rich families had butlers and maids, gardeners, the whole package. It wouldn’t make sense for her to be here otherwise.


It was Career Week, which meant that she and the entire graduating class was sent to various workplaces to experience what it was like to be in the work place. Many of her friends had been stuck with fast food chains or offices, but she had been the only one to be sent to a mansion. She’d be employed as a maid, and shown how a large household could be run. As nervous as she was, she was also rather excited. Real life butlers and maids! Who knew they existed just outside of the city? It had taken her three bus rides and a taxi to get to this mansion, but the beautiful sight of it alone almost made up for the near three hours of bumpiness.


Finally, she was at the huge double doors. She took a moment to clear her throat and tuck her jet black hair into place, making sure it wasn’t sticking out strangely—short hair did that sometimes. Then she stepped forward pushed the doorbell, which made a sound similar to a real authentic bell, booming and loud. If she had expected an elderly butler to open the door, she was surprised by a boy who couldn’t have been much older than her. Was he a butler? He didn’t really look like a butler… However she recovered quickly to introduce herself properly, dipping her head respectfully. “M-My name is Shiori Arisato! I’m here for Career Week…pleased to meet you.”


Her friends had all been jealous that she got to work in a real life mansion, and from what she could see of the interior from the doorway, it seemed she had truly lucked out. Was that a real chandelier?!

 

[InactiveCoffee]

The boy who had answered the door looked at the girl sleepily. "You must be the new night maid. Alright. Come in." he yawned, and stepped aside to allow the girl entry. "Mr. Sakamaki, I believe, is in his room. I'll send word that you're here, and he should be with you shortly." he said simply, and moved for the stairs. He paused, and turned, "Oh, and, uhm, Don't go exploring. Not until you've spoken with the master. He's..." the boy paused, "Particular about things." he finished, as if opting to say that versus what he had originally been going to say. He turned away again, and continued up the stairs, disappearing down a hallway on the top floor. The sound of a door closing echoed through the rather silent, almost empty mansion.


Ayato grumbled softly, the sound of the only person he allowed to live within the mansion answering the door. It was another vampire. His younger brother whom kept to himself, and generally stayed out of Ayato's business. They had once been close, but after his 'training' to take this place over had begun, they had grown distant quickly. He didn't bother to get up, being able to hear and scent the girl that had been let into the large home. This was his chance to get a grasp on her before he spoke to her. He had to figure out which tactic would be best suited for this girl, unless he decided to simply scare the tar out of her like he had done to many of the others who dared wander into his mansion in the dead of night. It was already obviously clear she hadn't been told who exactly she was going to be 'working' for, otherwise she would have bolted somewhere between there and here. And judging from the short introduction, she was a student here for career week, and as certain as that was, he already knew the politicians and possibly her family if she had any, were already coming up with some story to explain away the reason she wouldn't return from this trip.

 

[clockwork girl]

“Thank you,” she said gratefully as the sleepy boy let her into the mansion and gave her a brief explanation. From his speech patterns, he definitely wasn’t a butler. Was he one of the family members? He warned her not to go exploring on her own and Shiori nodded vigorously—that would surely be offensive to the owners of the house. Mr. Sakamaki, eh? She could see him now: a fancy gentleman, wearing cravats and carrying a walking stick. No! A cigar? A pipe? He probably spoke fancy languages too, like French or Latin. A scholar! Yes, that fit her imagination perfectly. The sleepy young man left without much fanfare, going up the large stairs and disappearing from view.


For a good long while she stood there in front of the stairs, holding her suitcase and looking like a soldier at attention. But no one was coming out to see her. Well, it was in the middle of the night…was Mr. Sakamaki perhaps already asleep? Well…she should probably text her brother and tell him she had arrived safely. She pulled out her phone, rapidly typing the words into the text box.


[Got to the mansion safely. Don’t forget to take your lunch tomorrow morning—make sure you eat well while I’m away, or I’ll get mad! -`д´-]


She pressed send, a ghost of a smile on her lips. Ichirou was probably waiting up for a response, despite the fact that he would have to be getting up early for work. He was a salaryman at a good company. He was three years older than her, and they lived together in a cramped apartment. How surprised he would be if he got a glimpse of this mansion? She let out a soft chuckle at the thought of his comically shocked expression. The beep of her phone caught her attention again—her brother had replied.


[Yes ma’am. Just as you say, ma’am. (=__=||) Have fun working, Shi-chan. (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و̑̑ Goodnight.]


With a content sigh she slipped her phone away into the pocket of her skirt. The mansion was deathly silent—was everyone except for the sleepy boy asleep? Did that mean…she would have to find the servants’ quarters on her own? Surely, it wouldn’t be okay for her to sleep on the stairs all night or anything. Picking up her suitcase again, she slowly began to walk, trying to find some sort of door that would be conveniently labeled as the maid’s room. Of course, that was unrealistic, but what else could she do?


But despite her awkward search, she couldn’t help but still be full of amazement at how luxuriously the mansion was decorated. She didn’t dare touch anything, in fear that she would break something priceless. The sight of a vase of roses caught her attention and she stopped, cautiously leaning forward to sniff at the flowers. She did love roses. Shiori wondered if the garden outside had them too.

 

[InactiveCoffee]

Ayato winced at the harsh sound of the cell phone, the clicking of a sent message, the beep of the return. The whirring of the gadgets that powered it. He finally stood, and wandered over to where the girl still remained in the entry way, glaring harshly at her as she leaned over to sniff at the roses that decorated one of the tables. "If they didn't tell you before, I'll tell you now. No cell phones inside my home. I have sensitive ears and the blasted things annoy me." He growled suddenly, standing in the door way, one hand in his pocket, the other fisted on his hip.


"You must be the girl here for career week. I am Ayato Sakamaki. Master of this house." He stated, finally approaching her. He looked her up and down, the look on his face clearly saying she was no more than a piece of flesh. "Get rid of the phone. I don't want it here. If you need to reach anyone, you may use the house phone during your regularly scheduled breaks." He stated.

 

[clockwork girl]

Startled by the sudden voice and appearance of someone, Shiori flinched away from the roses. There, standing in the doorway, was another boy--not the sleepy one from before. Red hair and green eyes that were glaring angrily at her. “Oh! I-I’m sorry,” she apologized. Had he seen her texting? Ah, he had heard the beeping alerts. She wanted to ask if she could just put it on silent—after all, most of her personal information and contacts were on the cell phone. But it seemed he wanted it gone altogether. She apprehensively glanced at the young man. Probably not another butler, from the looks of it…another family member? She had not missed the way he had said ‘my house’…but surely, he couldn’t be…


“You’re Mr. Sakamaki?” she couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice, but she quickly rushed to amend her mistake. “I mean, yes sir. Should I keep it turned off…?” After all, it wasn’t like she could just toss the thing outside or into the trash. She averted her eyes when he looked her up and down—he probably thought she was a dense idiot. Shiori kicked herself mentally; what a great first impression she was making. Still, she glanced at him curiously through her lashes, as subtly as she could. He truly couldn’t be older than her, and yet he was the master of this mansion. Talk about privileged kids! He was completely different from the older, fancy gentleman she had imagined. “And…ah. I was trying to find the room I would be staying in…” she ventured, sounding timid due to how he seemed to be in a rather foul mood. Shiori was hardly a shrinking violet, but knowing that he was her employer and currently irritated didn’t make her feel too outgoing.

 

[InactiveCoffee]

Ayato huffed, and walked back into the living area he had come from, straight to a clearly antique writing desk. He fished into one of the drawers, pulling out a roll-a-dex, and a large envelope. When he returned to the foyer where he had left Shiori, he handed her both items. "Store your important contacts in there, and turn the cellphone off and place it in the envelope. Pick who ever you feel will keep it for you, and place their address on the envelope. The mail is sent out at nine in the morning. I want it out of my house." he stated harshly. Once she had the two items, he shoved his hands into his pockets, "This way." he stated, and moved for the stair case. He didn't pause, or look over his shoulder to see if she was following. I'll give away the true intentions of her arrival here once the phone is gone and out of the picture. Getting rid of the contacts list will be easy. He thought to himself as he walked.


He walked up the stairs and to the left, opposite the direction the sleepy boy from before had gone, and down the long hall. They turned down another hall, and halfway through this one, he stopped at a medium sized set of double doors. "This will be your room." he stated, turning the handles and opening the doors to reveal the large room behind them. It was, to be frank, larger than most rooms found in normal houses. The bed would easily fit four people and leave elbow room to shift around at night, the large windows at the back elegantly designed. A canopy hung over the bed, and it appeared to be capable of lowering, which when inspected there was, in fact, a pulley system near the top corners of the bed that would allow one to raise and lower the canopy. The color scheme was dark, in deep royal purple and black. The closet was large as well, though half-stocked with clothing already, and connected to the room as well was a large bathroom. A shower stood encased in glass in the far corner, a bath set into the floor like a pool in the ground. The counter was long, and followed one side of the room, a toilet hidden behind a privacy wall. The marble counter tops, and even the floor were a white and black mix of color, off set by the chrome accents.

 

[clockwork girl]

She took the envelope and notebook, a slightly puzzled ‘are you serious?’ look. She guessed he was. Obviously he must have been raised in a very traditional manner, she thought—even the furniture seemed old antiques. Well, it was just a week…surely she could live without her phone for a week. It was all the rage to try those ‘unplugged’ challenges. Might as well give it a try, right? But he didn’t seem the patient sort as he walked away, telling her to follow. Suitcase in hand she trailed him up the grand staircase, and through the twisting hallways. He led her into a spacious room that was nearly half the size of her entire apartment. She barely managed to keep a stunned gasp from escaping her lips—this was her room? “It’s so…big,” she said in awe. And fancy! This was a typical servant’s room? No way! And the bed! It was as wide as two of her mattresses put together. Was that a private adjoined bathroom? She could hardly believe her eyes. Everything was impeccably decorated, in somber shades of purple and black. It was kind of dark, but she guessed it fit the atmosphere of the house.


Shiori finally recovered from her shock to remember what had been requested of her. “Oh, um…” Rummaging in the front pocket of her suitcase, she took out a pen to write her contacts down--her brother, and her two closest friends. The way he was looking at her made her feel like she had to hurry up, which was the reason she had opted to write down the three people she contacted the most often. Shiori paused, her pen on the paper--there was one more number she should write. But...no. Briefly biting at her lip, she removed the pen and closed the book. It was just for a week anyways, right? Then she really didn't need to write that number down...


Done with the contacts, she pressed the off button on her phone until the screen went dark, and then wrote down the address of the apartment she and Ichirou shared. She would call him tomorrow and tell him that she was sending him her phone for the week. He would no doubt worry, but from what ‘Mr. Sakami’ had told her, she’d be allowed to call people with the house phone, so it wouldn’t be like she would be completely cut off from contact. Slipping her phone into the envelope, she apprehensively handed it over to the young man. “Here you are, sir.” He still seemed to be in a foul mood, and she wondered if he was always like this, or he was just really that annoyed by cell phones.

 

[InactiveCoffee]

Ayato took the envelope, nodding, "Thank you." he stated, tucking it under his arm. "You're welcome to explore if you are unable to sleep, though tread carefully where you go. There are a few areas that I do not allow anyone to go, but they are clearly marked." he stated, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "The boy who answered the door is my brother, so if he, for whatever reason, asks for something, then do it. He usually stays in his bedroom, though. So I wouldn't have to worry to much about it." he explained, seeming to relax some. "I do most of my work at night, so don't worry about noises. There are only two others who stay here in the mansion, they'll be awake at six to prepare for the day." he continued, moving for the door way. "Get sleep, explore, whatever." he shrugged, and looked at the watch on his wrist. "It's late, so I'll tell you now. The gates to the property are locked between eight in the evening and eight in the morning. As well as from nine fifteen in the morning until seven in the evening. If you need to leave the property for whatever reason, you must speak with me first to get a pass for the guard. Don't think you're being captive, I require it of all my employees." he informed her, and then stepped out of the room. "And do be careful. Most of the decor is priceless antique." he smirked, and then closed her door, leaving for his own room.

 

[clockwork girl]

"Oh, ah....thank you, I understand," Shiori nodded gratefully, "Um. Your brother did mention you were....'particular' about certain things." At least those areas were labelled so, right? That made a lot of sense. The girl immediately sensed when his mood lightened a bit, immediately smiling in response--she had always been quick to notice fluctuations in emotions. "You must be a night owl!" she commented brightly. "I can understand that." She herself preferred the night time, after all, and she almost considered taking up on his offer for her to explore the house. However, the thought of waking up at six o'clock as part of her job was simply frightful. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to spend precious sleeping hours traipsing about a mansion she would be in for a week. Surely, she would have time to explore, and if she was lucky, the other servants would give her a grand tour of some sort.


"From eight in the evening to eight in the morning...and then....nine fifteen to....seven in the evening...." she mumbled aloud as she calculated. "So...not even three hours that the gate is open....?" Her expression was one of curious surprise. Well, that was indeed....strange, wasn't it? But ah, rich people. Perhaps she should have expected it, this family seemed very reclusive. In fact, she hadn't even know there was a mansion or a filthy rich Sakamaki family in the vicinity of her city. "G-Goodnight, sir! Yes, I'll be very careful..." she managed to get out before he left her alone in the room. Glancing about the room nervously, she carefully set her suitcase by the giant bed. Then slowly, as if it would collapse straight under her, the dark haired girl climbed onto the bed. It was soft, and smelled faintly of...roses? Some sort of pleasant fragrance. And the sheets! Like...like silk. She laid down experimentally, and then turned her body this way and that. She could practically sleep horizontally if she pleased--it was that big. Blinking, she looked up at the elegant canopy. It was hard to believe this would be her room for a week. How cool was that? It was like being at a luxury hotel!

 

[InactiveCoffee]

Ayato went to his room, a smirk on his features. Perfect. She had given him the envelope rather than trying to put it into the mail herself. So much less hassle that way. He walked over to the large fireplace that was in the far corner of his room, a roaring flame a light on the hearth. "This will be to easy." He murmured, and ripped open the envelope. He studied the phone for a moment, and then tossed it, and the envelope into the flames. The paper caught quickly, though the phone took more time.


Once he felt it had taken enough torture from the flames, he carefully lifted it out on the small tool for moving the embers about. "Damaged beyond repair, check. All I have to do is wait for it to cool and then I can crush it beyond recognition." He chuckled darkly, dropping the melted plastic and metal into a dish of water he had retrieved from his bathroom. It wasn't much longer before he had the cell phone crushed into chips of blackened plastic and metal that it was hard to tell that had been a cell phone at all. He then tossed the pieces into his trash bin near his desk. It was time to see if the girl had gone to sleep, and if so, to take the contacts she had written down and destroy them as well.