Billdip au

Part 1

William "Bill" Cypher gazed out the window, bored as a 16-year-old boy could be. Beyond him lay the city of Norwich, England. The only city Bill had ever been in. Though he'd heard people were moving over to the colonies. Soon there might not be anyone left in town except the poor.

He heard a light tapping on the door to his room. "Come in." Sighing he got up prepared for his mother to come to lecture him. Instead, a small boy with dusty blonde hair stepped in the room. "Willum! Where've you been?" Willum Cypher, though being Bill's twin, was regarded as the youngest of the Cypher kids. Will also got sick often, so often their parents had him bedridden, just in case. "There's a visitor here. Mother said they're bringing a new servant today since Miriam got fired." Bill's eyes lit up. Is it someone new? "C'mon let's see who they hired! Maybe they'll play games with us." The twins raced to the top of the stairs to see this new friend. A man stood in the foyer with a big overcoat. Probably 'cause of the rain. Bill thought as he watched the man shake hands with his mom. Bill's mom was a tall, shrill woman with hair tied up into a tight bun. If that man is the seller, where's the new servant? Bill felt a nudge from Will as he pointed at a figure of the other side of the man. "Can you see 'em, Bill?" He shook his head. The man's large frame stopped any chance of the boys being able to see the newcomer. The man noticed them and chuckled. "Some mighty fine boys you got there Ma'am" Their mother snapped her head towards them. Will ducked down low, trying to hide behind Bill. Their mother narrowed her eyes, then smiled. The smile instilled Bill with cold fear. They were going to get it later. His mother waved them down and Will gunned it for the bottom of the stairs. Bill took his time, not trying to push it any further with his mother. As the figure came into view, Bill's eyes widened.

He'd expected someone older, like maybe his older brother's age. This boy was his age, or maybe younger. He had short brown hair that framed his soft blue eyes. He looked almost unhealthily skinny. The boy looked back at him and Bill jumped and looked away. Their mom put a hand on his shoulder, gripping it tightly. "Boys, this is Mason. He'll be your handmaid from now on. Think of him as a new friend." Will stuck his hand out to Mason. "Hi! I'm Willum, and this is my brother William." Mason looked at Will and blinked. "Innit the same name?" Mason had a thick accent that was a stark contrast to everyone else's proper English. Will shook his head. "Almost, but not quite." The man coughed politely. Mother sighed and clapped her hands. "Why don't you boys show Mason your room?" Finally having an excuse to leave, Bill shrugged off his mother's hand and headed upstairs, Will taking Mason by the arm and taking him with them.

Reaching their room at the end of the hall, Bill turned around grinning. "So where are you from?" Mason looks at him and smiles meekly. "I'm from there in Ireland. I'd be right guessing you lads were barn here?" Bill laughs at Mason's accent. "We were. Does everyone from Ireland have your accent?" Mason scoffs. "Does everyone from England have your accent?" Bill's brow furrow, he wasn't used to someone having a comeback. Will tugs of Mason's shirt sleeve. "What do you do for fun? We haven't had a kid around our age in a while. It's been so boring." Mason pauses to think about what Will said. "I'm not really sure about that. Haven't had no time to relax since me dad sold me off." The twins' eyes widen. "Your dad...sold you? Why would anyone do that?" Will looks horrified. Mason looks out one of the windows. "Fam'ly needed money. Traded me to slavers fer money. Fam'ly got what they wanted, and I never had to see me dad's face again." Will looks uncomfortable, unsure of what to say. Bill grabs Mason's shoulders making him face Bill. "Well, you're here now. We're your family now." Mason's eyes look slightly red and he nodded, forcing a smile. "Come on, let's go inside." Bill guides Mason into the twins' room.

About an hour later, the twins' mother comes into the room and cleared her throat. "I know you boys must be having a grand time, but I require Mason for some help in making dinner." Bill looks down to hide the resentment shown on his face. They'd been playing games and actually having fun. The kind of fun he hadn't had in a while. Mason nodded and stood, brushing himself off and leaving with their mom. "Is he going to be okay?" Bill turned to look at Will. "Why wouldn't he be?" Will grimaces and looks back at the makeshift tic-tac-toe board they were playing with just a few moments ago. "You know what I mean." Bill sighed. He did know what he was talking about. Miriam, Jester, and others before them. They get a talking to from mother, and a few days later they're gone. Miriam lasted the longest, almost two months. "He'll be fine. I give you my word. I'll go check on him myself right now if you'd like." Will's eyes widen in surprise. "But mom would kill you if she finds out you listened in!" Bill gives him a big grin and stands. "She won't find out."

A few minutes later Bill is standing at the top of the stairs, looking into the hallway that led to the kitchen. He could hear noises, but he couldn't tell what the noises were. He sneaks down the stairs, careful for the steps that creak. As he got closer he could hear his mother and Mason. "-up at three, then make breakfast. The boys have to be up by five-thirty am, no later. After breakfast they- what's with that nasty expression?" There's the sound of pots being moved around. "I-I mean no disrespect, Ma'am. It's just I've never been up that early before." There's a pause. "You'll have to get used to it. I will not have servants in my house ignoring the rules I've so carefully set down. Understood?" "Yes Ma'am" Mother starts listing chores Mason needs to do, and Bill listens for a few more minutes before heading back up to his room.

When he makes it back, Will is drawing something with his legs crossed. Bill walks over and sits next to him. He leans over and sees that he's drawing a rat. "Why a rat? There's plenty of other nice animals besides a rat." Will scowls. "It's not a rat you nonce. It's a mouse. Pacifica says she has a pet mouse and she also says it's super cute." Will sets his quill down and studies his drawing. "Pacifica is also a pathological liar who will say anything to make herself seem cool;" Bill stretches out on the floor. "She probably looked in the mirror and saw herself." Will snorts and punches his brother playfully. "You're so cold-hearted!" Bill laughs and punches him back. They spend a couple of minutes wrestling until Will starts coughing. Bill sits up quickly and rubs Wills back. They stay like that till Will's coughing finally subsides and he leans back, gasping for air. "Do you need anything? Water maybe?" Will shakes his head, still gasping for air. Bill grabs his hand and rubs Will's hand, rubbing it softly. Will takes a deep breath and smiles at him. "I'll be fine, we should probably get ready for Mother to call us for dinner. Bill stands and brushes himself off as Mason walks in. "I hope you're hungry. And I hope you like gravy, 'cause I think I made too much." Mason smiles and scratches the back of his head. Will beams back and walks past Mason. "I love gravy!" Bill looks Mason up and down; he was covered in flour. "What did Mother and you even make?" Mason looks down at himself and chuckles. "Sorry about my appearance sir. Ma'am and I made biscuits n' gravy." Bill's stomach grumbles at the thought. He hadn't had food like that since Miriam had been here.

He races downstairs to see Will already grabbing food off the trays. "Will!" He grabs Will's wrist and makes him drop the biscuit he had in his hand. "Wait until Mother is at the table you know this!" Will's face slowly falls and he looks at his plate. Bill starts frantically putting the rolls back on the tray. Mason takes the plate from Bill and dumps it onto the tray right as Mother walks into the room. "Boy, what are you doing with that plate? I hope you aren't thinking about eating with my boys, are you?" Mason gulps and fiddles with the plate. "No ma'am. I was just handin' them out to the lads." He hands the plate to Will and smiles shakily. Will takes it and gives him a sorry look. Mason bows his head slightly before looking up at Mother. She holds his gaze for a moment, then shakes her head, almost imperceptible. Mason quickly grabs another plate and hands it to Bill. Bill takes the plate, barely glancing at him as he does so. Mason gives a small bow and clears his throat. "I'll um, be takin' my leave." He exits quickly, leaving an awkward silence between Mother and the twins.

Mother stands still, then claps her hands. "Alright, let's get to eating!" Will cracks a smile and starts grabbing biscuits off the tray again. Bill looks at Mother indignantly before beginning to grab biscuits himself.

                                                    ------- Interlude: After dinner--------

Will sighs, his stomach full from eating almost an entire tray of biscuits. Mother dabs her mouth with a napkin, unable to drop her pompous act for a single moment. Bill, having finished a while ago, sits with his arms crossed. Mother looks at him. "That boy made all this good food and you aren't going to have more than a small plate? Don't be disrespectful to him." Bill scowls. "I'm not being disrespectful, I'm just not hungry..." Will looks between them, then pushes his plate away. "I-I'm not very hungry anymore either. Can I go to my room?" Mother looks between them incredulously, then nods her head. "Sure, sure, leave your Mother to herself." Will nods and stands, trying to ignore her words. Bill takes his Mother's words as a free pass to leave and jumps up after Will.

Bill lays in bed across from Will, who was hugging himself tightly. "Do you think Mason will stay long?" Bill looks over at him. "We'll see in the morning. Mother doesn't care how old he is, if he can't do his chores then he's gone." Will grumbles; "That's not a nice way of looking at it. I really like him." Bill turns away from him. "I know you do..."