Rhy̢thmia L̛ap̢şe҉u͘s
Outside the Minor Library, during The Talks
"I'm sorry, but only one of you may be allowed in."
The twins had expected that, but it was still disappointing to hear. As Melodia entered the make-shift conference room, Rhythmia sat herself down as close as possible to the entrance and stared down most of the house representatives with cold crimson eyes. There were many among the Southern reps that felt her glare, but the Lords of House Kothlin and Young felt it too, with a particular chill. Rhythmia knew about their contingency plan - and they knew that she knew. The Lapseus twins hardly kept even the smallest secrets from one another, it was absurd to think that Melodia wouldn't disclose the information to her sister. Last night Rhythmia returned to their shared room hoping to surprise her sister with something nice and useful - and instead was shocked herself to learn of the other Tech Lords' developments.
Well, she'd be lying if she said she didn't want a look at those tin canisters... but that was beside the point.
For now, Rhythmia planted herself outside the minor library, not particularly interested in the arguments but in the results, waiting to hear or sense if anything was going in a dangerous direction. Every now and then she'd turn her dark stare on anyone that attempted to get close, and continued waiting.
Melodia & Rhythmia
Former Residency Hall
The political talks between the North & South had always been a draining experience. You entered a room with a bunch of bureaucratic noble men and women, listened to them monologue on self-importance, and then raised your hand when you agreed with something. The queen hadn’t even been there, so honestly this whole thing could have been done via couriers and not in person… but Melodia guessed that formalities were more so the reasoning for it — though she really hoped there wouldn’t be such an event again next year.
As the discussion concluded Melodia gripped her metallic cane and slowly made her way to the exit along with others who had wanted to get the hell out of there. She avoided conversation, contact in any form really, and made a conscious effort to keep her crimson sights aimed directly at the door until she reached it.
The door was pressed open by Melodia’s small hand, and as she slipped out from the council room her eyes immediately locked on to a familiar face waiting outside.
“Rhy~ it was such a long day. I’m so tired, can we go to our room?” Mel’s eyes widened and glossed over with superficial tears. Childish whining over a productive day, she really was the worst.
Her sister wasn’t moved by her crocodile tears in the slightest, but Rhythmia had been planning to take them both back to the residencies either way. She knew this kind of thing would be tiring for anyone, but especially the Lapesean Lady. They were both getting on in years, but Mel had always been the more fragile of the two.
“Come on,” Rhythmia nodded, offering her arm should her sister need it. As the rest of the house representatives funneled out of the room, she spared some of them an icy glare, but no words. Never any words, it seemed.
The twins were first to leave the small space outside of the library being used as a conference room. The few people they passed were servants and Brothers, who steered well clear of them. Soon enough they were back inside the bedroom they’d been assigned.
Melodia quickly unlatched from Rhythmia’s arm and flung herself upon the bed face first. Bellowing a loud sigh into the silken tapestries that covered the mattress her body would go limp, small legs dangled off the side. Though her body would eventually relax and her head would finally peel itself from the sheets and look back to Rhythmia.
“Well the good news is, I don’t think we’ll be going to war. The southern pigs are strangely taking up some progressive policies, though I hate that Arthur is a racist fuck— but that’s a conversation for another day. Like, we voted on higher education budgets up in the North, rights for the beastmen, I think I turned my brain off after that one— but I’m pretty sure it was mostly positive stuff.” Melodia’s words trailed on as she looked to Rhythmia in anticipation for her response.
The short-haired sister released a bit of tension she didn’t know she was holding, her shoulders relaxing minutely. No war, then. For now. That was good. After that bit of good news Rhythmia let her head drop and nod again as Melodia continued.
“Surprising,” she said, wondering why of all times the Southerners decided to lean in favor of the North. She thought back to Reason’s words from last night, a sour taste filling her mouth as she recalled the scene as she left the garden. Still, were the talks really going to be a success for the Technologists, all things considered?
She continued, mildly talkative though only ever in the presence of her trusted family,
“Even the beastmen... really? It was a good day, then.”“Yeah, Arthur had some resistance towards it. But I would say it’s a win — in the short term it’ll probably cause some problems. But then again, I’ll be happy to start getting official identification into our beastmen population’s hands. Actually, when we get back to the estate could you have your boyfriend send out some of the Impsus to begin enforcing that immediately?” Melodia’s voice remained at a careful volume, controlled and stern. She was met with a blank stare from her sister across from her. Then, a sudden spark of realization in Rhythmia’s matching red eyes.
“Okay,” she said with a slight smile. Melodia was still in a mood to tease, it seemed. Rhythmia could easily guess who she was referring to, and though Huston and that police force didn’t
quite see eye-to-eye, he’d be professional about it.
“You never let things go, Mel.” Rhythmia’s voice edged on playful. Bolstered by the welcome changes that were soon to come to Lapseus, Rhythmia was beginning to find herself in a much better mood than earlier.
“Huston is good at being stern and commanding, that’s why he has the amount of responsibility that he does.” Melodia chimed back, winking her right eye shut in a playful manner with a cant of her head before responding to Rhy’s words.
“Of course I don’t. It’s in our blood to hold grudges. Both our family and our people have lost so much. So I will hold everything till the grave— plus you and Hunkston have been close for years!” Melodia’s time changed from serious to whimsical as her words trailed on. Though the weight in the long-haired sister’s words were always warranted, Rhythmia was around for
the dark ages of the family as well. It was here that the sisters differed, regarding the history of Lapseus. Melodia was strong of mind and learned from the mistakes of their family, turning them around with sheer tenacity betraying her weak body. Rhythmia, the reverse: used her physical strength to keep safe the things close to her and tried to forget those dark times as much as possible. Still, Rhythmia couldn’t help but agree.
“He’s close with you, too,” she pointed out to the other Lapsean, though they both knew that the man had a different kind of relationship with Melodia. Rhythmia leaned back slightly, propping her face on one hand and changed the subject back to the result of the voting.
“He’ll... be happy, though. Everyone will...” She paused briefly, and though her expression was nearly as blank as usual, to her twin it was obvious she was imagining the look of relief and surprise on the faces of their staff and the citizens when they learned of the changes that would be taking place. Changes for the better.
“You’re right, you’re right.” Melodia then let out a silent and rather animated yawn, stretching her hands out high above her head and humming out hot air.
“Well, we’ll talk about it more when I wake up. Let Vati know the good news when you see him - he’s probably fairly anxious about the news as well. And remember not to tell him about yesterday.” Melodia then gripped at the bed lightly and pulled herself into a more comfortable sleeping position, her wispy white hair covering her face as her head found the soft white pillow.
“Wake me up if you need me, love you.” Melodia quietly muttered out as she was carried slowly into dreamland.
“Yeah. Love you,” her sister repeated, standing quietly to dim the room’s lights. Eventually, the sound of Melodia’s even breathing told Rhythmia that she’d fallen asleep. The meeting was adjourned for today, the rest of the afternoon and evening were for the representatives to spend however they chose, including a well needed nap. Sometime later, the dark haired bodyguard returned to the room and Rhythmia stepped outside briefly to talk with him about what had happened. All good news.
When she stepped back in, something that could easily be considered “bad news” happened - and it happened quickly.
A muffled sound like an explosion below them made its way to Rhythmia’s ears. Instantly, her mind and body sharpened to attention. Her head wasn’t diluted with thoughts like
what’s going on? Was that a bomb or a stupid mage? Is this an attack? Who attacked? - she had a singular goal at that moment: protect her sister. Even if it turned out to be a harmless sound, Rhythmia had learned the hard way that it was better to be safe than sorry. Of course, it wasn’t exactly a harmless sound.
Harsh light flooded her vision, and Rhythmia instinctively rushed to cover the prone body of her sister from any danger, whether it be intruders or falling debris. Unexpectedly, she suddenly lost consciousness.
...
“Rh— “
“Rhy..”
“Wake up!” Melodia cried out as she shook her sister, her eyes welled up with moisture and gripped at Rhythmia’s clothing. It was only for a moment, but the blackout disoriented Rhythmia all the same. When she opened her eyes again, her natural eye blazing as bright as her artificial one, the first thing she did was make sure Melodia was okay.
“Awake,” Rhythmia stated quickly and clearly, taking her sister’s hand,
“Okay. Are you...?”The next thing Rhythmia did was lean over and vomit. She was full of confusion, and the grip she had on Melodia tightened.
I’m sick? she briefly wondered. She was completely ignorant of the symptoms of mana sickness, having never experienced it before. However, after the initial rush of energy, the sickness seemed to die down quickly. She looked back at Melodia, wiping her mouth with her free sleeve. The Lapsean’s crimson eyes flickered all over her sister before she tried speaking again.
“Are you okay, Mel?”Melodia frowned as she gripped her sister tighter, her digits pressing against her sister stronger than usual.
“I’m a bit shaken, but I feel swell— better than usual actually. That burst of light was magical in nature, but the cause of it, that’s what concerns me.” Her words held an energy to them that was nonexistent before the flash, the surge of power revitalized Melodia to a fascinating degree. Besides the physical effects the light had on the sisters, there were other things that became immediately apparent - the room was trashed, as if flipped over, furniture overturned and broken apart.
Vati swiftly swung the door open permitting himself entry without a second thought.
“M’ladies - are you okay?” He looked winded and scraped up, having been in the hall when whatever happened, well, happened. Perhaps the flash had some effects on him as well, or the tumbling of the hall had thrown him around.
“Vati - “ Rhythmia summoned the man to him with a jerk of her head, and he was at the sisters’ sides in an instant helping to steady them both, though as she claimed Melodia didn’t seem to need it. The short-haired sister considered Melodia’s words, and quickly came to the conclusion that whatever had happened could not have been an accident.
“Evacuate,” Rhythmia suggested sharply - and where normally her tone would make such a suggestion seem more like an order, Vati briefly hesitated. It was unlike him.
“The Tower - it’s - ” he started, clearly disturbed but keeping his composure.
More or less recovered, Rhythmia moved to the open doorway. The Lapseus twins’ room was mostly intact, but the rest of the hall was... twisted, crumpled together, and
vertical. It was a straight drop outside of their doorway. It was a wonder that Vati had clung to the door’s frame to avoid falling.
“Well isn’t that interesting.” Melodia chimed in as she followed the other two towards the doorway. She glanced around all the features of the warped hallway, scratching her chin and pursing her lips in thought — what magic could have this degree of effect on such a large structure.
“We should still be able to use those transport circles that are used to travel throughout the tower. Regardless of how disheveled it may seem, there’s going to be some way out of here.” Her words trailed on, but she cut herself off for a moment as she remembered the burst of mana that traveled through her.
“Though outside of this tower could be a different story. Evacuation seems to be the best route no matter what way I look at it. We should try to meet up with Reina before we bite the dust though, despite the cataclysmic events that have unfolded— I have some unfinished business with her.” She concluded, nodding her head to both Vati and Rhythmia as if handing the decision making reins to the two able-bodied people here. Said people looked at each other for a moment before Rhythmia broke off, heading back inside the room. Melodia turned to watch her sister handily push over the fallen furniture, seeking out a specific piece of her luggage. Underneath one of the beds was a huge and sleek black case that clicked open to reveal a familiar weapon of impeccable design.
Tenebrae, the massive railgun that was Rhythmia’s preferred tool of the trade. She hefted it up and with the barest summoning of her gate the gun charged to life. A look of surprise briefly passed Rhythmia’s face, but she supposed it made sense. The “magical bomb” must have super charged the air with mana. Her own favor was very low, the only reason she wasn’t doubled over with what some called “mana sickness” must have been her unusual physiology. Maybe that was the reason Melodia was so full of life, too.
For her part, the long-haired sister didn’t look disturbed at all. A small smirk even graced her features.
“Things are getting exciting~”“So how do we do this?” Vati questioned, peering down the vertical shaft. It was a long drop, maybe a hundred meters or more.
“- plus there’s this,” he pointed out the dark swirling energy that seemed to be floating just above the doorway a little,
“- where the teleporter used to be.”Melodia peered up to the swirling vortex of inky void and instinctively leaned towards the magical anomaly. As her arms got closer the pull of the vacuum continued to draw her in, and then she gave in to curiosity with a small hop. As her hands entered the gateway it began to suck viciously, lifting her from the ground and into portal. The sense of magic now surrounded her, mana pulsing around and the force sending her somewhere else stretched the fabric of her being until eventually she was thrown to the ground — her location was now the laboratory.
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