Chapter Text
I’ll take him.
A rough looking 11 year old young boy, shoulder length black hair with red highlights. Wearing a simple tunic, pants and some flat shoes. Piercing blue eyes that are as bright as the sky itself. But that’s not the most interesting thing about this young boy, that would be his black bull horns that are slightly pointing up with a little curve to towards the back.
This being in this world is called a Faunus. No one really knows how they came about to this world, nor any history dedicated to explaining their existences. The only thing that people can theorize is that they were children of the Grimm due to their animal traits, but some beliefs from the Faunus communities, mostly from Menagerie, that they were created by the God of Animals, a lost God in the ancient text. Another word that comes with Faunus, “Demons” or “Devils”.
Looking up to a wealthy woman that is wearing a fancy business suit, long black silky hair that goes down to her waist. Ruby style lipstick, red eyes that feel unnatural and unnerving, and her skin is smoothing white as snow. This woman is named Delphine Rosa.
She is currently taking a business trip from Atlas to Mistral, outside of the kingdom itself and looking around to one of the Faunus Orphanages but not for any charitable reasons. On her top left jacket pocket, there’s the Schnee emblem with her nametag on. Doing work on the behalf of the Schnee Dust Company, serving as their business consultant to the business tycoon of Jacques Gele.
Feeling nothing but some sadistic urge of satisfaction of seeing a young Faunus boy, licking her lips.
‘So what is this young man’s name?’ She asks the orphanage owner named Barker, counting the Lien on the table and forging documentation for the young Faunus.
‘His name is Adam Taurus. His surname came from his animal trait.’
“Taurus?”
She’s taking the interest of the young boy even more, slowly feeling up and caressing the horns. Poking herself after feeling the tip of his curved horn.
‘How well does this boy take orders?’
‘He cleans mostly, but he should be doing well. Not the best in stock, or at least he’s the best of this stock of these animals. The best ones were already taken by other Atlasiens.’
Her satisfying grin slowly turns to an unpleasant scowl while looking down at Adam, piercing through his eyes as if there’s an eclipse.
‘So… this young man isn’t the best you have?’
‘Technically, he is now. But when I did have a lot in stock, he is perhaps the best flamenco player, even for a young age, he helps me provide extra Lien from the streets.’
Scoff at first, placing her finger on her chin to think about her situation on if she could take the young boy. A minute has passed as she had her closes closed in order to process till her scowl turns back to her grin.
‘Alright. I’ll still take him. If he’s not the best, then I’ll turn him into the best servant of all of Atlas! Granted, it’ll be hard work, but it’s much better than what I can expect!’
Spinning and squealing as she looks up to the dark and stormy skies, making her declaration.
‘I’ll show everyone in the Schnee Dust Company that I will be next in line in order to run the company! I know Jack is doing well, but he’s far too lenient to these animals by giving them "minimal wages” and even providing “heated homes” but that’s just to avoid any Grimm attacks! But after this day, I’ll be the one that will run the whole company as a whole!’
Her right hand curves over the left side of her mouth to give out a rich woman laugh. Grinning and drooling from her right side of her mouth as she laughs.
Mr. Barker gives Adam his documents as she’s laughing;
-Full name, Adam Taurus. (“Adam” is a name for unnamed children of orphanages while the girls name is “Eve”)
-Current date of birth is March 17th. (His actual birthday is on November 22nd)
-Parents, deceased. (Half is true due to his parents being part of a breeding brothel in Vale’s crime underground, but is forced to move to Mistral after birth. Died during one of the clients. The father has never been identified)
-Born in Bellrose, Vale.
After reading his new documents, ‘Um… Mr. Barker?’
‘Speak up, boy!’ His voice made him jump, due to all the times he has been disciplined from his caning and even taking canings on the behalf of his younger siblings from the orphanage, ‘You’ll be leaving soon! At least I don’t have to look at your Devil horns!’
‘May I grab my guitar and my rock? It’s the only thing I really have in this world.’
Looking into the young boy's eyes, seeing nothing but dread and despair.
Scoff.
‘Very well. It’s not like they’ll become of any use for me now. But make it quick, I have a whole day of meeting other clients you know!’
Skiddishly making his way back to his room, ‘Yes, sir! And thank you for allowing me to…’
‘Just grab your shit, and leave! I don’t need to hear you speak, you Devil!’
Bowing continuously, ‘Thank you again, Mr. Barker! I’ll make it quick!’
Walking down the halls, looking at nothing but empty rooms of prison cells. The orphanage itself is just a reused prison that has been abandoned a long time ago. Nothing but empty prison cells for Faunus as the public believe, or to only Atlas and Mistral Kingdoms, Faunus’ don’t deserve luxury lives or even a simple home but instead deserve to be behind iron bars for the rest of their lives.
In the middle of the prison itself, there’s a small hole that the eared Faunus can swear that they can hear Grimm, snarling and growling, drooling at the thought of a possible massacre that could happen at any time but they didn’t move at all. Some children were dared to explore the hole itself, but never returned. Only screams of horrors are heard, and a devilish cackle from the shadows, mocking the Faunus children from below, like it wanting more to dare to explore the depths of the unknown abyss.
Going to his cell, No. 1740. Seeing nothing but cold hard walls and seeing one torn apart spring bed, a toilet next to the bed, and a nightstand where the flamenco guitar and his precious rock is located. The flamenco guitar is nothing special but it’s a reminder of his father who left it during their visits to his mother. But the rock, it’s something unusual, even for Remnant. The base of the rock has black coal-like structure, light but nearly indestructible besides heating it to melt it down. And what’s unusual is that the inside shards are crimson red gems. Not valuable for Remnant standards of gems, but not common gems as well. It’s a gift from his mother, but the origin of this rock is unknown.
Grabbing his stuff, then slowly walking out of his cell. Seeing all of the kids from various ages are looking at him, waving him away and hopefully he’ll have a better life from here.
Giving them all an awkward smile, skittish. Rubbing the back of his head, feeling completely nervous of his next step in life. But this gut feeling of his telling him that he perhaps should take a chance on leaving on his own terms due to her grin and licks. Seeing their expressions, he nods to them all then decides to stand on the edge of the shattered guardrail.
‘I - I hope this isn’t a final goodbye, but if this is the case, I want to say to you all this, thank you. Thank you for being my brothers and sisters ever since I’ve been living here in Piacere Isola I - I may never come back, but I do hope that I do, in order to bring you all home with me in order to provide you all a much better life. It may not be today, or tomorrow, but I know to myself because one day, I’ll come back. To save all of you. And maybe slay the Grimm down in that abyss, so I won’t lose any more family.’
The cheeks are flustered, feeling red as the declaration of freeing his family here in Piacere Isola, hoping he can deliver the promise. Could he actually do it? Don’t know.
‘I hope where I’m going, I - I might learn on becoming a Huntsman. A Huntsman who can be better for all the Faunus all over Remnant. So wish me luck.’
Bowing in front of all of his brothers and sisters in the orphanage. They all wave him off, and even give him one final big hug before leaving. Hugging him tightly, and a couple of canine Faunus are nuzzling over him. Telling him that they’re gonna miss him and miss his playing.
Once the hugging is over, it’s quite ironic that every step away from leaving them all behind, the feeling of letting go is growing quite harder.
Seeing Laurie Blanche with the lightning strikes behind her, and unnerving to him, seeing a shadow covering her entire face till the light reveals her ruby lips grin and her ruby-like eyes in a disturbing giddy delight on seeing Adam.
‘My, my! You seem to enjoy playing the guitar, my darling. Now tell me,’ Wrapping her arms around him, making him feel uncomfortable while they make their way to the nearby limo. ‘How long have you been playing?’
Too afraid to look up to her, knowing that all she’s doing is looking down on him. Giving her a timid answer, ‘A - about a couple of years now. I - I’ve tried to copy the guitar sounds from when we get radio time. Actually, my brothers and sisters wanted me to play certain songs, but I couldn’t master the rhyme or the tune, so I ended up practicing whenever I had free time.’
‘Don’t you animals have nothing but free time?’
‘No. We do hard labour to nearby settlements here in Piacere Isola. Nothing too special.’
‘Ah!’ Giving the young boy a hard pat on the back that made him fall down onto the ground hard. ‘Now that makes sense! And a working boy will surely grow up big and strong! You’ll make a perfect servant from where I live!’
Standing up and grabbing his stuff, following her quickly.
‘Um? Seeing that you work with the Schnee Dust Company, are you around the Mistral Branch?’
Looks down at him, placing her finger on her bottom lip, playfully wink from her grinning expression at him that sends shivers on his spine.
‘Not exactly. Actually, me and three other business partners of the Schnee Dust Company. We all own a little place in Atlas together, but you won’t be going there. But you will be living with me and with my son, whom you’ll be serving too at all cost.’
Look at her with a concerned expression, ‘“Serving”? What do you mean by serving?’
She opens the door of the limo, revealing a young black hair boy, undercut slick back, same ruby-like eyes, wearing a fancy suit minus the blazer.
‘Hello, mother. Is this the best they have to offer in order to serve me?’
‘Yes it is, my dear son!’
Helping Adam into the limo then they’re taking their leave.
Introducing the boys to each other, ‘This young man here is named Adam Taurus. And this is my son, Romeo Rosa.’
Reaching out for a handshake but the young aristocratic boy glared at him, offended as the handshake was offered. Sneering at the sight of the young Faunus boy.
‘I don’t shake hands with animals like you! If you want to thank me and my mother, then you should bow like the inferior creature that you really are! If you can’t, then my mother will send you to White Forest of Salo since that’s where all of the bad Faunus boys and girls go when they don’t obey hard enough.’
Leaning towards Adam who bows slowly towards him, making him feel uncomfortable of knowing the fact that he has been bought as a servant to an aristocratic brat, insulted and belittled, there is nothing he can do about it now nor doesn't have anything to do in order to fight back. Is this his new life by knowing that one one move, he’ll be sent to this Salo?
‘So I want you to apologize for being disrespectful, and believing that you’re equal to me.’
Slowly looking up to see the ruby eyes staring down onto his blue eyes, piercing through.
With no other choice, or even a choice to begin with due to his situation, all he can do is obey.
‘I - I’m sorry, for being disrespectful, and wanting to be equal with you.’
Feeling a hand rubbing against the back of his head, messing it up for a bit.
‘You are forgiven, cattle.’
Slowly sitting up, clinging onto his rock and guitar. Flicking the strings then looks at both mother and son, having a thought even though he’s worried that having thoughts counts as being disobedient, but he has to ask.
‘Do you mind if I can play my guitar for a bit? I like to play it when I’m feeling down.’
Mrs. Rosa looks at him then smiles softly, ‘Very well. I want to hear how good you really are as a guitar player. If you’re actually pretty good, then I can expect many great things from you.’
Adam placed the rock next to him, then started tuning the strings and chipping a rock piece as a makeshift pick. Closing his eyes to imagine the music till he starts flicking the strings and unknown to both Rosas, the streaks of his hair starting to glow and a small red electrical aura surrounded him as he starts playing, making the strings vibrating loud to make the music to bounce in the walls of the limo. The rock pick served as a conductor for his electrical aura.
It started slow as he’s imagining his siblings back at the orphanage, remembering his times when they’re playing around with him watching over them. Slowly picking up when they start playing as Adam sees himself as this great Huntsman, a simple stableboy that is about to save a maiden from a terrifying Grimm that resembles a horned beast that is drenched in crimson fur. Using a katana handle with a paper blade to pretend that he had slayed the monster, and saved the maiden. Slowing down when the dawn is slowly setting down upon him, then flicks the last few strings into a sadden note due to saying goodbye, shedding a single tear.
After playing his song, he’s about to open his eyes…