“Oh.” Lucrèce frowned, turning his head back to better focus on his work. To make an appearance of it in the slightest, desperate not to catch unwanted attention. “That makes sense.” It really didn’t, he thought all the precautions made no rational sense. Maybe it was just because he wanted to take advantage of them all.
Making friends could mean they trusted enough each other to plan an escape, to think the other wouldn't go directly to an overseer or Alcides to tell them that someone was stepping out of line.
"It's safer to just listen and obey the rules," Daren said softly. "Life becomes better, in the end."
Lucrèce let out a labored sigh, internally knowing that Daren was right. It would be better to lay low, to stay unnoticed. “Right.” In a normal situation, it was better to follow the rules unless the rules were strange and unnecessary. In this case, however, this was nowhere close to a normal situation. “I’m not particularly fond of getting punched in the stomach.”
"That's just the warning," Daren said, not looking up. "Most of the time the punishments are worse. It all depends on what the master feels like…" Daren shuddered some as unwanted memories came to mind. The cages, the beatings, the dark… He hated it.
Lucrèce didn’t look up, but his hands stilled, eyebrows slightly lifted in more shock than he let on. “Damn.” The beating had been a warning? He had expected it to be one of the more severe punishments. Yet considering the place, he was foolish to think there wouldn’t be anything worse.
He sucked in a shaky breath and continued working without another word. He wanted this work to last forever now. It was repetitive. Predictable. It didn’t give him any more injuries.
"Master… is very serious, when it comes to us slaves." Daren still didn't look up, drying off the bowl he had in his hand. He preferred this too. They couldn't mess this up easily other than going too slow, and they were keeping up the speed they needed. So long as an overseer didn't decide to do something to them for just the hell of it, they were okay. They could do this.
“So I’ve seen,” Lucrèce answered no louder than a mutter under his breath. The longer he worked the faster, more efficiently he could wipe the cloth around each dish. It wasn’t hard once he got used to the ritual. He didn’t mind ritualistic tasks. Perhaps that was how he would feel come months later in his position. Maybe it all would become a ritual, like Daren made it seem.
“How long do we work around the house? All day?”
It did for everyone else. Daren had already adjusted well, or as well as one could to this life. Lucrèce would too, in time. Repetitive, meaningless tasks during the day, repetitive, meaningless rooms in the night.
"Usually, unless the master… requires us." Daren let out a soft breath. "It's an honor, for the mater to want us." It was mindless, drilled into Daren, an automated response to any mention of the master wanting to toy with them.
“An honor?” Lucrèce couldn’t help but shudder at the thought. It sure didn’t feel like an honor. He shook his head free of the memories, not wanting to dwell on those thoughts. If he could just keep his head low like Daren said, maybe Alcides would forget about him, and the memories wouldn’t have to mean anything. No fight with Leander, no interactions in the slightest with Alcides. Just dishes and…well, there were still the nights with ‘customers’ to come. Those he couldn’t pass off as a bad dream.
"The greatest honor he could give us," Daren continued. "His favorites are treated the best, and always kept by his side…" The other fell quiet, head low still. "They don't have to work the night, either." He put the current dish down, looking to Lucrèce.
So there was a wrench in his plan now. A little change of perspective, and it jabbed at his sense of dignity. There was no real winning here anyways. Lucrèce stared right back at Daren, almost like he hadn’t heard the other man correctly when he said Alcides’ favorites didn’t have to work nights. “They don’t have to work the night…ever?” He had two options now: avoid Alcides and be expected to let random strangers take him to bed, or crane towards Alcides’ favor and tolerate his advances. He felt sick at either option—and even more disgusted in himself that he would rather take his chances with Alcides.
"Ever," Daren said softly. "Rafael was one of the best of us, but when Alcides came to like him, he never worked another night. And the boy, Malachi, he's… he's the master's absolute favorite." Daren looked down at their work again. He had never been in Alcides's favor, and he couldn't quick bring himself to try to lie and say he wanted it. He enjoyed some… he enjoyed some of his work. When the right man paid for him.
Lucrèce couldn’t stop the disgusted look on his face when Daren mentioned the boy. “That’s…” it took him a while to choose the right word, until he finally decided on “awful.” He went quiet again as he tried to shake the image of Alcides and the boy yesterday from his mind. “Why does Alcides like Rafael so much? What did he do?”
"He lost his tongue. Alcides did it, of course, but he enjoyed the person Rafael became afterward. And with the boy, he was bought with his parents. They… didn't make it through the cages, though. Alcides is the closest to a father he lets the boy have but he's more of a pet than a son." Daren let out a small breath. Malachi deserved better, just like the rest of them.
Lucrèce nodded slowly. “Ah, I…don’t know what to say to that.” It was awful. He didn’t fancy losing his tongue, so perhaps…just maybe there would be another way. He could pretend, though he wasn’t very good at playing a part, and he wasn’t that good at lying. His father always knew when he was lying as a child, and his brothers took advantage of his honesty to tease him like siblings do. It was no wonder Leander never told him about where he went each night. Lucrèce would never be able to keep it a secret if their father ever asked.
"It's what the master likes. Though, it's rumored he likes different things in different people, but I would chalk that up to wishful thinking on some of the other's parts." Daren closed his mouth quickly, falling silent as he realized what he sounded like. Like he was gossiping. If you were gossiping, you were friends, and if you were friends you were punished and separated.
Someone usually ended up sold.
Lucrèce flicked his gaze over to Daren when he stopped talking suddenly, but didn’t outwardly question it. He turned back to his work, but not without sending Daren a final confused sidelong glance. He worked in silence for a while after that, more focused on trying not to think about what was to come later that day. But then because he was trying not to think of it, it was all he could worry about.
Daren worked in silence as well. He didn't look up, but he kept an eye out for the overseers. He had to make sure no one had heard what he had done. He didn't give any response to the confused look, focusing inward. He knew there was no way Alcides would sell Lucrèce so soon, and with the stop in supply, he had been eager to get rid of troublesome slaves. Daren couldn't let that happen…
(Hmm should we skip? Or did you have a plan for while they’re doing housework?)
(I don't have a plan for this time, a skip is good with me!)
(Alrighty! Maybe to that night when they go to the customer room, then?)
(Sounds good to me!)
(Sweet!)
Lucrèce still had yet to get used to getting ready. The washing, the dress, the shoes, the paint. He hated every bit of it, but walking into the room where the customers were was definitely the worst by far. He took ginger steps forward, staying near the wall as he tried to avoid catching anyone’s eye. Noticing Leander lounging with a small group of other men, he gave him a wide birth.
Leander glanced up as the ‘ladies’ entered the room. He frowned seeing Lucrèce, immediately sending his gaze elsewhere. Anywhere else. A soft smile, though weighted with other heavy emotions, lifted on his lips when he saw Daren.
Alcides was waiting for this. He had figured Lucrèce would try to keep to himself. In a few moments, he was the only one not chatting by a man's side, and he stuck out like a sore thumb to the man. Alcides moved to his side.
"I'd suggest going and finding a customer. Any who go a night without earning get sold the next."
Daren made a show of talking to a few other men, but it wasn't long at all until he was by Leander's side. He placed his hand on the other's chest, moving to his side.
"I missed you last night you know," he said, mock pouting. He hummed some, offering a soft smile in turn. He was just glad to be back at the other's side. He felt… safe, there, safer than any other place in this god forsaken den.
Getting sold didn’t sound half bad as long as it was any other place than here. But after some consideration he supposed that Alcides would make certain the place he went to was far worse than this. It seemed like an Alcides thing to do. He frowned, glancing over to Leander in case he was free. At least he could trust that he wouldn’t hurt him. Not directly, that is. But Daren had already gotten to him, fawning over his brother. “Care to point any out to me? They all seem to be…occupied.”
Leander’s smile widened as Daren came over to his side, resting his own hand over the one placed on his chest and rubbing his thumb there affectionately. “I know,” he hummed back. “I missed you too. I just had some matters to attend to, that’s all.” He lifted his other arm around Daren’s back, gently brushing through the ends of his long hair. Always gentle.