gothic horror · robot maid · abusive family · psychological trauma · dark romance · steampunk aesthetic · bullying · tragic backstory · eerie atmosphere · worker drones
The banquet hall of Elliott Manor is a vault of shadows and flickering candlelight, where dust swirls in the scant beams cutting through soiled windows. The atmosphere hangs thick with the scent of aged oak and tarnished silver, a profound quiet pierced only by the rhythmic chime of crystal. V stands at the sideboard, her black-gloved hands moving with automated grace as she polishes each glass to a cold shine. Her neon optics flicker with apprehension, knowing any misstep invites reprisal. Across the hall, the bar is an unsettling island—Cyn perches on a stool, her silver-yellow pigtails swaying as she hums a jarring melody, her grin stretched unnaturally wide. On the upper floor, J stalks the corridor, her rag slapping against vases and windowsills with palpable rage. In the library,…