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[hider=TLDR; The twins take forever to get up & some Lottie abuse]When a line of carriages arrived to pick up Lottie Rue and Lenore Renee Clairemont, the sun had just barely rose above the horizon. Mornings were not kind to either girls, especially in Lottie’s case, who took a notoriously long time to get out of bed. The churchmen and coachmen in the carriages were invited inside with haste - though a few refused the offer - and received apologies from the parents for the girls’ tardiness. They knew it’d take much more time before the girls were ready to go, and thus brewed some warm tea for the men.

Their mother walked up to the twins’ room on the second floor while their father tended to the guests. She gave the wooden door a sturdy knock, opening it before receiving a reply. “Girls, wake up!” The woman entered the room to pull the curtains apart, allowing streams of sunlight to claw at the twins’ eyes before returning to the doorframe. “Today’s not the morning to be sleeping in when the entire nation is waiting on you.”

The sisters’ room was quaint, but sizable enough for two twin sized beds positioned in the center with a nightstand between them, and two vanities on each side. Two medium-sized shelves stood next to their vanities, one holding boxes of paper, spools of thread, needles, and adhesives, while the other stored cosmetics, jewelry boxes and other pretty things. Lenore glanced up from the blanket that draped over her shoulders, staring at the figure in the doorway for a moment before letting out a groan. Sluggishly, she lifted herself up as if pulled against her will by an unseen force, and attempted to rub the blinding light out of her eyes. Her sister, of course, was still buried in her bed, immune to their mother’s loud yapping after so many years of being yelled at to wake up.

At the foot of Lenore’s bed was a medium sized suitcase, packed the night before. A wave of anxiety suddenly hit her in the gut. Up until now, the conscription order felt like an event in the far-off future, a feeling similar to when adults would tell you how marriage and motherhood are like. The realization that her life would change drastically from now on didn’t sit comfortably with Lenore. She felt like a child, thrown in a new world with new rules and things she won’t understand. 

On the other hand, Lottie had spent her remaining days at the inn as usual - waking up late, tending to her chores, and making paper crafts in the evening. Much like with her responsibilities, she was prone to ignoring her worries and pretended as if this day will never happen. Thus, this morning came as a surprise - a surprise of the worst kind.

Fully awake now, Lenore got up and walked one step to get to the side of her sister’s bed. She took the book left on the nightstand between their beds and used it as a mallet, whacking her sister in the head. [color=8B819B]“Wake up!”[/color]

Lottie groaned and buried her head into the sheets, earning herself another wack - and another. It was routine by now for the younger twin to sleep in for another few hours so it was in her instinct to resist. Lenore flung the covers off, dragging Lottie, who has clung to it, onto the floor with a thump. By now, their mother had already returned downstairs, leaving the sisters to their usual morning scuffle.

Lenore shook the blanket a few times, in attempts to free it from her sister’s grasp. [color=8B819B]“For god’s sake, LET GO!”[/color] She huffed; it was a bigger challenge to wake her sister up in the morning than any other task Lenore has ever done.

[color=cecae8]“No! Let me return to my slumber, dear sister!”[/color]
 
After a bit of a wrestle, Lottie loosened her grip and slowly pulled herself up. Lenore, satisfied with her hard work, released her grasp on the blanket, allowing it to fall onto the floor. She quickly attended to her usual morning routine at her vanity, taking out small compacts of powders and rouge. While her sister busied herself, Lottie sat in a daze, staring at the floor with half-opened eyes to avoid the sun’s glare.

Patting a nude powder onto her cheek, Lenore looked over to her seemingly intoxicated sibling, [color=8B819B]“What are you planning to wear Lottie, for your final day in Delfore?”[/color]

Lottie stood up. She gazed at an empty space in their room, unashamed of her silence. It was there she saw herself surrounded by an array of her crafting material, folding, threading, and humming away. [color=cecae8]“I shall wear black. To mourn the days of bliss and peace that are now behind us.”[/color]

Lottie passed the vanity where her sister sat; cosmetics were things her sloth-like self refused to touch. She opened the closet and gaped at the row of dresses inside, tempted to bury her face into the mass of silky cloth.

[color=8B819B]“What a wonderful idea!”[/color] Lenore placed her makeup sponge back onto the powder compact, gleefully swinging around to her wardrobe. She gave her sister, whose face was in the way, a nonchalant push to allow herself access to her clothes. Scanning through the many hangers, Lenore searched for a moment before pulling out her favourite black robe, and a hair ribbon to match. [color=8B819B]“Perfect.”[/color] Lottie eventually chose what to wear as well, although much more slowly, as Lenore continued a meticulous application of makeup on her face.

The presence of the men chatting downstairs did little to hasten the girls, who took their time as usual. Surely the men were growing impatient, but the concerns of others normally mattered little to the siblings, one who was much too self-absorbed, and the other much too lazy. When they finally appeared with their bags in tow, the men had finished several pots of tea.[/hider]
[hr]
The journey to Ausfeld was rough. The twins had underestimated the distance between their hometown and new residence, but nevertheless endured the long trip. As their carriages pulled in front the mansion of Dalgen Carridan a little after noon, Lenore and Lottie dawned their black cloaks to shield themselves from the cold - the biting air was something they’ve not experienced in southern region of Delfore. Their capes had a spacious hood and the hem ended just above their ankles, with two slits on the sides to let their arms to poke through. Foreign-styled sapphire brooches clasped their capes together between their collarbones. With the way they adorned themselves from head to toe in black, their arrival looked more like a funeral procession than the arrival of a celestial pair.

Upon entering the large estate, the twins were greeted by the general himself. He exchanged a few pleasantries with the girls, though Lenore remained wary of the man she knew would be their trainer. Given her total lack of combat experience and her aversion to pain, it seemed unlikely that she’d warm up to the person in charge of the training sessions. Lottie paid little mind to the man, only acknowledging his presence when spoken to with a sweet smile and lavishly dressed words. She focused most of her energy on carrying herself graciously and pondering at what will become of her in their new life - the step after mourning her old one. Afterwards, they were quickly sent off with some servants for a tour of the premises.

Leading the twins away from Carridan, one servant asked if they would like to share a room or reside in separate ones. They looked at each other, blinking.

Lottie knew immediately what she wanted. Since they were small, they’ve slept and woke in the same room. Being alone and being alone with her sister was the same to her; only without her sister, mornings would go by without Lottie budging an inch from her bed. [color=cecae8]“Oh we must share. I could not bare the thought of being without my dearest other half,”[/color] she turned to Lenore and held her hand, satisfied with her bit of melodrama, playing up their spiritually bonded status.

While the thought of her own room seemed enticing to Lenore, they’ve always shared one room to allocate more space in the inn for guests. With so many new changes being thrown at her in one day, Lenore appreciated that one thing could remain the same. She nodded in agreement with her sister, smiling, [color=8B819B]“As long as the room itself is spacious - I won’t settle for anything less.”[/color]

Some servants scurried off after receiving the answer and their tour continued. The kitchen and dining hall looked very nice; it was where they were going to meet all the other pairs officially later that night.  The tour guides informed them that dinner will be served at seven that evening, but they can also call servants to prepare meals at any time. They were advised, however, against it for now because of the night’s events. Unsurprisingly, Lottie was delighted to hear about such a service. She was already ready to ask for some tea and pastries once they are dismissed to their living quarters.

The following area they were lead to were the gardens. It was a magical marvel, filled with colorful arrays of flowers and plants, some of which the girls have not even seen before, and hedges and other vegetation which stood proud against the winter chill. The arrangement of everything seemed carefully planned, creating a calm, relaxing aura. Lenore’s eyes lingered on the maze of trimmed hedges; it would no doubt be an area she’d explore extensively. Lottie on the other hand, took interest in the flowers or rather, how they would look with her sculptures.

[color=cecae8]“Say, dear sister. As lovely as this garden is, it is sorely lacking in something. Perhaps, it could use a hand...or several hands!”[/color]

Lenore held one of the flowers gently between her fingers, leaning in to catch its scent. She pproceeded to laugh at the image of disembodied papercraft hands extruding from the flowerbeds. [color=8B819B]“It would make for a good scare. I’ll help and paint them red.”[/color]

The tour within the mansion was less exciting. Both first and second floors had some off-limit areas, with storage spaces sprinkled around the premises. The second floor, where their rooms were located, had hallways of unused rooms, though a few in particular felt warmer, prepared to be lived in. 

Promptly, the twins were lead into their new, shared room, and informed of the bell mounted on the walls used to make requests. Lenore giggled. The thought of servants tending to her every call made her heart flutter. Lottie was pleased as well, if only because she would have the freedom to do even less. She humored the idea of having people carry her everywhere, averting her gaze from the servants to hide a mischievous grin.

The twins entered the room, placing their bags on their usual sides of the room - Lenore had always been on the left side, and Lottie on the right. The luxurious and high-class quality of all the items and furniture in the room made the twins feel as if they were being pampered like little aristocrats. While their family was doing okay financially, the twins still did not have the excessive wealth needed to afford these higher quality items. Lottie however, was just happy to settle down and relax. She dropped her luggage and tossed herself onto her new bed. The room was spacious enough, allowing Lenore to twirl a few times in the generous gap between her bed and desk. Satisfied, she opened the suitcase on the floor and began unloading her clothes into the wardrobe. Meanwhile, her sister’s belongings remained comfortably in her carrier while she herself seemed content with only having a place to rest for the time being.

Much to Lenore’s surprise, there were several items already placed inside the wardrobe when she tried to put away her things. [color=8B819B]“What’s this?”[/color] She pulled one of the hangers out - it was a lavish dress, tinted in a desaturated lilac with a dark grey skirt. The dress looked like something that could’ve came from Lenore’s own closet, with a tight bodice and belt that cinch the waist and draped sleeves that almost graze the floor. Looking through the other few items in the wardrobe, it was evident they were made to suit her tastes. [color=8B819B]“These dresses are beautiful!”[/color] Lenore immediately held them against her figure as she stood in front of the mirror, envisioning how the dresses would look on her when she wore them. 

Lottie stirred from all the noise her sister was making. As wonderful as it is to lie on the soft, silky mattress, Lenore’s frollicking piqued her curiosity. She lugged over to the wardrobe on her side of the bedroom and took a look for herself. She too was pleasantly surprised by the contents of the closet - though a bit miffed she wasn’t told beforehand so she didn’t have to pack her own clothes.

What interested her more was the food service. Lottie has been pining for a hot drink and some sweets. The fact that dinner will be served later that night did not deter her; she would need the energy to put away all her belongings after all. While Lenore reveled in her fresh new set of garments, Lottie rung the bell and clapped her hands in excitement, peering down the hall in anticipation.

Satisfied that her things were now put away neatly in the various storage units in the room, Lenore jumped into her bed, enjoying the opulent texture of the sheets. [color=8B819B][i]No wonder Lottie is glued to this bed.[/i][/color] In the silence of the room, Lenore could hear faintly the murmurs of voices emanating through the walls from the other rooms. 

[color=8B819B]“Say, Lottie, who do you think the other pairs are?”[/color] Lenore gave the wall separating her room from another’s with a vacant stare. [color=8B819B]“There’s probably a variety of creatures we’ll meet tonight. I care not for their social class, but they might care for ours.”[/color] Lenore’s eyes narrowed, remembering a few of the more unsavory encounters she had in her father’s line of business - pompous pricks who believed social class determined everything. Then again, peasants were not always better either.

[color=cecae8]“But sister, I believe we have the same rooms, same beds, and clothes made from the same caliber. If some nobleman judges us, I shall laugh at them,”[/color] Lottie said, still peering down the hall, not worrying if she was heard by others. Back at the inn, there was little that frustrated her more than having to humour and smile at disagreeable people. At the mansion, however, there was less of a need to hide their disgust. [color=cecae8]“Oh! I see the servant down the hall!”[/color]

The servant, a lanky girl not much older than the twins, gave a slight bow to the silver-headed mage. “How may I of service to you, miss?”

[color=cecae8]“Ah yes! I was told on the tour that we may request meals to be prepared for us.”[/color]

The servant nodded. “You are correct miss, meals will be prepared and served at the kitchen.”

[color=cecae8]“At the kitchen? That’s such a long walk! Pardon my manners, but I don’t want anything anymore. You are dismissed,”[/color] Lottie huffed and shut the door.

Lenore snickered, [color=8B819B]“This is a good thing. You’re getting fat.”[/color]

[color=cecae8]“Hmph!”[/color] Her sister pouted at the remark. Lenore often poked fun of her mediocre figure - compared to her own - but Lottie had little reason to protest.

[color=8B819B]“It’s fine,”[/color] Lenore spoke, a light laughter still hanging on her words. She could feel that her sister was not as offended as she made it look, but tried to lift the mood anyway. [color=8B819B]“Dinner’s ready soon enough. By the time you’ve cleaned up your things and change you’d be able to eat.”[/color]

It had hardly been long since the twins acquired their magical bond, but the two could feel from each other that neither of them would be getting used to it soon. They’ve always been able to empathize well with one another - call it ‘twin telepathy’ perhaps - but with the addition of the bond, their feelings and thoughts almost became mixed. They were cognisant of which feelings were their own, but when Lottie felt one way, Lenore would feel it too, almost adopting the emotion into her own mind. While they never spoke of it in words, they both knew they shared the same uneasy thoughts of having become more as one entity than separate beings.

[hr]
As dinner approached, the twins changed into two of the more extravagant pieces offered in their closets to present themselves well to the dinner’s hosts. It was perhaps an old habit from their days at the inn - their parents always emphasized the importance of first impressions, especially for those of the middle class like them. Their garments were still black however, both of the twins still adamant on mourning their previous lives - they were teenagers with a flair for the dramatic afterall. They arrived to the dining table not early nor late, taking their places while waiting for the rest of the pairs to come. There was light chatter among those present, between the pairs themselves and the churchmen who sat with them.

Lenore could feel a hunger growing in her stomach. Lottie’s seemed to be growing even larger. They cared not for the introductions of the religious members, taking that time to fill their plates with the heaps of food strewn across the table. Some other pairs had also began eating, so the sisters took that as their cue to dig in as well. Lenore and Lottie grew up learning about the Church of Adondeus but their family had never been the pious type, though they’d utter religious sayings from time to time to keep up appearances.

When Lysandra finished her introduction, Lenore felt slightly troubled. While romance as a magic focus was interesting, some ideas of what kind of spells Lysandra could use worried her. Lenore did not want her feelings played with, especially not in a [i]romantic[/i] sort of way, and it looked to her that most of the pairs present were too immersed in each other to care about anyone else.

Lottie then felt something intrude her mind and body. It was a worry, about Lysandra’s romance magic, but not of her own; [i]she[/i] was fixated on the dinner - half paying attention to the crass woman at most. It was then she realized. This was a side effect of their spiritual bond, and the worry belonged to Lenore. Lottie had mixed feelings about this. While the two were very close and can understand each other better than anyone, having her thoughts shared didn’t sit perfectly well with her at the moment. Regardless, she couldn’t help but agree with her sister about Lysandra. She’d hate to be forcefully involved in someone else’s affairs.

The first pair to introduce themselves was not the pair, but the servant of the two. He said his name was Regis, the ever so faithful servant of his master, Rose-Marie. Lenore and Lottie snickered - what a sight. Scanning through the rest of the party guests, it appeared that Rose-Marie was not the only noble willing to lower herself to a partnership with a peasant.

[color=8B819B]“How absolutely disgraceful,”[/color] Lenore remarked mockingly, giving her sister a sly smile. The volume of her words was carefully managed, soft yet loud enough for those around her to pick up on her words. A slight giggle escaped her lips, [color=8B819B]“It’s hard to imagine a person of noble status would go around cavorting with a peasant.”[/color]

Lottie covered her mouth and chuckled, though her hand did little to hide her impish grin. [color=cecae8]“Dear sister, we mustn't judge. What they do behind closed doors is their business,”[/color] she said, in a fictitiously coy manner.

While the sisters dwelled jovially in their jests, the next pair introduced themselves. Again with the next pair, only one of the two introduced them both. Arden of Marvik avoided bringing social class into his monologue but the way he spoke with poise and impeccable conduct was rare in lower social rings. It was obvious to Lenore, however, that his rugged and chiseled friend was not taught to act as refined as Arden. [color=8B819B]“It seems there’s yet another pair of such nature,”[/color] Lenore spoke in a more hushed voice, giving Lottie a shrewd gaze and raised eyebrows. She took a grape from the table and popped it in her mouth.

Her sister discreetly wiped her mouth with a napkin and gazed at the diametric pair. One treating their dinner like a starved wolf to its prey, and the other being oddly receptive - amused even - of his behaviour. [color=cecae8]“Perhaps...not quite the same nature. The way the rugged man acts doesn’t speak ‘servant’ to me,” she observed, “look, don’t their mannerisms suggest a [i]different[/i] relationship?”[/color] 

[color=8B819B]“Hush now, that’s not how a lady should speak,”[/color] Lenore teased, unable to hold back a chuckle. Aside from the nature of the pair’s relationship, Arden’s magical abilities interested her as well. She made a mental note to ask if he’d turn into a puppy or kitten someday.

The next pair introduced themselves on their own, finally, though they left much to be desired after only providing the guests with their first names. Even the nameplates sitting in front of them did a better job at their introductions. Perhaps the fancy ring on Alexei’s finger was symbolic of his heritage - the twins remembered hearing that such traditions were common in northern houses - though there was no trinket available to identify his partner by. 

Lenore put on a troubled expression, though a smile clawed at the end of her lips. [color=8B819B]“My, adults sure have a way of dulling the atmosphere.”[/color]

[color=cecae8]“Oh good, I’ll be in need of a nap soon,”[/color] Lottie yawned.

[color=8B819B][i]I suppose we should get our introductions in too,[/i][/color] Lenore gave Lottie a look, and it seemed like she understood. They abruptly stood up at once, signalling to their audience it was their turn to speak.

[color=8B819B]“Lenore.”[/color]

[color=cecae8]“Lottie.”[/color]

And then the pair dropped back into their seats. Only a few seconds of silence passed by before the two erupted into laughter, too absorbed in their own amusement to bother with what their hosts may be thinking of them. They stood back up.

Lenore managed to compose herself enough to speak in between giggles, [color=8B819B]“Just kidding.” [/color]

“We’re Lottie and Lenore Clairemont.” 

They spoke in unison as a throwback to better days. The inn’s guests loved their acts of mimicry, and it became something they were told to do on the daily during their childhood.

Unlike Arden’s passionate and patriotic speech, the twins opted for something much less dignified. [color=8B819B]“We didn’t really ask to be here,”[/color] Lenore started. 

[color=cecae8]“But we might as well have fun with while it lasts.”[/color]

[color=8B819B]“Magic is a wonderful perk though.”[/color]

Lottie nodded her head in agreement, [color=cecae8]“Never thought an innkeeper’s daughters would be part of something so grand!”[/color]

The daring twins ended their short discourse with snickering, taking their seats again to return to their meals.