Even though Sunny Specht knew her chauffeur's vintage beetle was crawling towards the mansion in the distance, to her it looked like it was approaching them, ready to engulf the car like the black waves at her hometown's beach engulfed crabs on stormy days. The fact that the mansion - she could even call it a castle if she was feeling generous - was the only thing around didn't help her smother her discomfort.

"Is that where I'll be staying?" she asked. No response. Fantastic.

She got her answer when the beetle stopped at the mansion's tall iron gates. When Sunny was little, her mother would take her to Fall Carnivale in Derry. Fall Carnivale had a haunted house that she'd always been too chicken to check out. This mansion reminded her of that haunted house. T

he beetle took off the very second her duffle hit the cobblestone, leaving Sunny alone at the mercy of the tide.

It was almost dusk and cloudy to boot, and yet she saw no lights on inside. Had her hosts forgotten about their arrangement? Still, the door creaked open (eerily as hell) when she pushed. Sunny paused. Closed the door. Knocked and waited. She couldn't just barge in! No bad first impressions.

After a period of uncomfortable silence, a young man opened the door. His suit looked well pressed, and the glove on the hand he used to push his glasses up on his nose was pristine. He glowered at her from inside the doorway.

"We do not like solicitors," he stated. What a good way to start things out.

"No... I'm supposed to live here, right?" Sunny asked, confused.

The young man's glare darkened, and Sunny wished she could melt into a puddle and disappear into the cracks between the cobblestones. "It seems we have had some communication issues. We can discuss matters inside. Follow me."

Sunny hefted her bag inside the foyer and noticed an older man standing to her right. He looked friendlier than the younger man, with smile lines around his eyes, and she couldn't have been more relieved to see him. This must be her host. Pity he had hired such an unfriendly doorman.

"Hello, my name's Sunny. Nice to meet you," she greeted him with a polite bow before raising her head again and shooting him what her mother had affectionately called her "blue-ribbon smile." The man looked at her expectantly, his his hands folded in front. Then, he gestured to her bag as if he wanted her to give it to him.

"Follow me," the younger man spoke from behind her, venom in his voice. Oh, gosh. The older man was this place's doorman. And she had just greeted him like he owned the place! She probably looked like a royal idiot right now!

Sunny waved goodbye to the doorman, cheeks burning crimson red, and sped away to catch up with the other, nastier man.

"I'm sorry about that… sir," she said. A pause. "Well, uh, you heard me introduce myself. How should I address you?"

"'Reiji' works just fine," he replied. The corners of his lips twitched. Sunny would take anything positive at this point.

"Are you my host, or…?"

"One of them, yes."

"Oh!" Sunny was a bit taken aback. He looked so young, even if he dressed twenty years too old for himself. "Who are the others?"

"My brothers."

"Brothers plural?"

"There are six of us."

"Six of you! Huh. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone. Are you hosting anyone else?"

"You're a chatty one." Reiji's statement didn't strike Sunny as a jest. "There is another girl here. You will meet everyone soon enough."

Sunny got the message. Silence, commoner. Okay, maybe he hadn't meant that, but he still wasn't being very nice right now. She shut her trap until they entered a massive living room, when the overwhelming luxury of everything finally destroyed her self control.

"Ohmygoodness this room is so pretty!" This room really was gorgeous. The couches were elegant, the carpet fluffy, and the staircase to her left gave the room a practical (if a bit austere) frame. Not a cushion sat out of place, and every single item in the room looked worth… two month's rent of the apartments she'd been looking at online. Sunny tried to collect herself. "I'm sorry. I'm gushing, aren't I? Sorry… it's just a wonderful room. You're very lucky to live here. I'm jealous! Oh, but I-!"

"Reiji, what's with all this racket? Is another human girl to stay with us?"

The dream she'd been living shattered as red flags flew. Firstly, why was this fourteen-year-old talking like he was fifty? Secondly, she hadn't made that much noise! Most importantly… "human" girl? He was joking, right? This was some weird quirk of his awkward early teenage years, right?

"Is he… one of your brothers?" she asked, struggling to glue the "blue-ribbon smile" back onto her cracking face.

"Yes, she will be staying with us, apparently," Reiji addressed the boy first before turning to her. "This is Kanato, and yes, he is my brother."

"You guys really aren't in the loop, huh," Sunny said more to herself than anyone else.

"She doesn't smell awful, I suppose," Kanato spoke after sneaking up behind her to SMELL. HER. HAIR. Sunny jumped back to keep herself from smacking her boy into next week.

"Kanato, please refrain from being so forward with the new brides. It's unbecoming."

"I'm sorry, the new whats?"

"Don't mind Kanato, he's just being stingy," a new voice piped up from behind her. Sunny spun around. He was close! Too close! She staggered back as he tipped his hat at her. "You smell very appealing to me. My name is Laito, by the way. Another brother, if you hadn't figured that out."

APPEALING?! Sunny tried her best to put Reiji between herself and the other two. Laito was smiling at her, which was better than any other treatment she'd gotten here, but his smile looked… cold. "Nice to meet you, Little Bitch."

"Excuse me?" she managed to choke out. Any trace of a smile was long gone now, but Sunny had the manners to at least try to hide her disgust.

"Will you people shut UP?" another boy yelled from the top of the staircase. He finished his outburst by slamming his fist down on the railing, which creaked and gave way under his hand. Sunny noticed a few other indents in the railing at that exact moment.

"You're the loudest one here, Subaru," Laito chimed in. "And you're scaring our guest."

"He's not the only one scaring her, Laito," yet another boy said. "You're creepy as fuck."

Sunny blinked. The redhead hadn't been sitting on the couch a second ago, and she hadn't heard him enter the room at all. The boy on the couch met her eyes and grinned at her. Not a nice grin. A predatory one.

"Oh, dear lord," she muttered under her breath.

"Ayato, where is Yui?" Reiji asked the redhead.

"She's sleeping," he replied. Sunny frowned. It wasn't that late, was it? Yui must be one hell of an early bird.

"Now that we are all here," Reiji began. "Does anyone know anything about her?"

"She's just another sacrificial bride," someone said from behind her. Sunny spun around. There was another boy on another couch next to her. God. Couldn't anyone here say "hello" like a normal person?

"You keep using that word. Bride. I don't know anything about being a bride," Sunny measured her words out carefully. She wasn't brave enough to bring up the "sacrificial" part.

"Yes, yes, brides typically arrive confused." Reiji dismissed her comments, waving his hand. "You do not need to know much beyond the fact that you will be staying with us. No need to bother yourself with questions."

Sunny had around a million questions, though, and they were all bothering her. Why was she a bride? Who was she about to fucking marry? Were they planning on throwing her into an active volcano at some point? Why had Kanato specified that she was a human girl?! Reiji looked at his patience's limit, however, and everyone else in the room freaked her the fuck out. Except maybe the blond. He looked like he was in the middle of a nap. She decided not press.

"Um, then, if it isn't too much trouble, can one of you please show me to my room? I'm very tired from traveling," please be Reji please be Reiji please volunteer Reiji-

"I would love to show the new Little Bitch to her room!" Laito said. No. No no no no-

"Hey, Yours Truly wants the honor of-!"

"I can take her to her room," Reiji stated. Firmly. Thank goodness. "I need to explain a few house rules as is."

"Oh, that's such a shame," Laito pouted. "Oh well. I'll see you around, Little Bitch!"

I sure as hell fucking hope not, Sunny thought to herself as he retreated down the hall they had entered from. Ayato glared at them before stomping out himself, and Subaru followed suit. Lovely people, the lot of them.

"Do you like to bake?" Kanato asked, peering at her from behind a teddy bear.

Sunny was a bit taken aback by the question. "Ye-es, I do… oh. Oh. I'm sorry, there's flour on my pants. I met my hosts with flour on my pants-"

"Don't worry. I think we will get along well," Kanato said as he turned to walk out. "Right Teddy?"

Weird. Oh, lord, she was living with a bunch of freaks. GOD. Reiji still looked mildly disappointed with her. Maybe that was just how his face settled. Either way, she felt responsible for all… this, somehow.

"I'm sorry for being such a mess. I know this isn't a good excuse, but I wasn't expecting any of this, and it seems like you guys weren't either."

"You apologize a lot," Reiji observed.

"Ah, yes, you're right."

"If you do not make mistakes, you will have nothing to apologize for."

"I… uh… I can't argue with that." What the fuck?

"I am glad we see eye to eye on that. Follow me." Reiji walked away and headed towards the staircase. Sunny tiptoed past Shu, and her small gesture of courtesy seemed to upset Reiji more than any other single thing that had happened that day. "Do not worry about Shu. That good-for-nothing needs to sleep less anyway."

"Fuck off, Reiji," the blond, Shu, grumbled. Sunny couldn't help but gawk at the exchange. Shu opened one eye to study her, and frowned. "You'd better follow him before Mr. Perfect gets his whip out."

"Ha-ha, very funny," Sunny forced a laugh, searching his face for humor and finding none. She heard Shu snort as she scrambled up the stairs.

"First rule, obviously, is no breaking things," Reiji began when she caught up. As I am sure you have guessed, everything in this house is valuable. I would even venture as far as to say that most objects here are more valuable than you are."

"I won't break anything," Sunny promised, trying to sound polite despite the sting of indignation she felt at Reiji's comment. "I'm actually… kind of afraid of touching anything in here. That sounds bad. Is that bad?"

"If it keeps you from breaking one of my favorite dishes, I welcome that fear. Do you have a cell phone?"

"I actually didn't bring one. I can still write down your guys' contacts, though."

"No worries. We have a strict phone policy in this household anyway."

"Okay, sure. I was under the impression that I'd be attending school while I live here…?"

"Yes, we go to night school. Your classes start in a few hours, so you should get some sleep before then."

"A few hours? Am I registered for classes?"

"Not that I know of, but this school accepts many last-minute students, and you may be in their system already. I can easily get a uniform for you. Size 11, yes?"

"Huh?" Sunny stared at him. Reiji smirked as he reached behind her neck with his gloved hand to tuck in her sweater's tag. Sunny gasped like a fish on hot asphalt, wringing her hands out in front of her, disgusted by the heat in her cheeks. "Oh, sorry! I mean - thanks for that."

Reiji gave her the closest thing to an actual smile that she'd seen from him since she arrived, and Sunny couldn't help but wish that one of these guys could have a smile reach their eyes. The grins and smirks had all been so fake and judgy, Reiji's current not-frown expression included.

At least they ended their conversation on a good note. If she could call it that. Reiji paused in front of a door at the end of the hallway and opened it for her. "This is your room."

Sunny did her best not to stare too much. A canopy bed. And it was queen-sized! Holy hell, these guys were loaded. Something didn't feel good in the pit of her stomach.

"It's… amazing. Thank you. Are you sure you want to give this room to me?"

"It is one of our guest rooms. You are a guest."

"Thank you…"

"I will have one of the others wake you in a few hours."

She was too entranced by the room to fully comprehend the implications behind what Reiji had just said. When it finally registered, and Sunny spun around to object, he was gone. These brothers moved so quickly. And quietly.

There was something deeply unsettling to her about this entire goddamned mansion-castle, but Sunny couldn't put her finger on what that was. Hell, maybe it was just travel fatigue making her anxious. That had to be it.

Her suitcase and Duke, her stuffed sheep, was already on her (queen-sized, canopy) bed, and when Sunny opened a drawer in the dresser by the (queen-sized, canopy) bed, she found her clothes already inside. Quickly, she showered (the bathroom, her private bathroom was so nice), blow-dryed her frizzy hair in a futile attempt to keep the beast at bay, and climbed into her (queen-sized, fucking canopy) bed in her pajamas.

Despite the soft pillows and soft mattress and kitten-soft pink sheets, she couldn't relax. She couldn't. Still, she could hope against hope that she might get a good few hours' sleep. After studying her luxurious surroundings one last time, Sunny reached over and turned off her lamp, plunging the soft pink room into darkness.