[Well, either way. I don't think their definition of being an adult matters at this moment. Not like they are doing anything associated with being an adult so]
Yeah...
"Oh he's a friend from the Academy," Gizzele says with a more energetic tone. "This is Daniel Wu. Comes from an isolated rural village in the East. He and I have been chatting for the past couple of days and have really hit it off!"
"Oh? 'Hit it off' you say. Do you know the double meaning behind that sister?" the darker-skinned one says with clear insinuation.
"E-eh!? That's not it at all! Don't do that Cecil!" she screams shoving her hands right into her face.
So the dark-skinned girl is Cecil. Got it.
"Well, I actually have a question for you. Seeing as you often hear very much at the end of gatherings I never get to see you often, nor do you tell me about how things are. Come, we must have some tea for this." Cecil says turning around.
"Go ahead and meet some others, Daniel." she says blowing me off for a moment.
She is supposed to be my envoy here!
[Abandoned...sad]
Shut up!
"Uh, sure! I will uhm, look around. Maybe they have cake." I said waving her off casually
Cecil and Gizzele both walk off away from me to a bunch of tables inside the estate which I glance a bit inside. But as I lean to see, I get blocked off by the twins who walk right in front of me.
"Uh..." I say trying to be coy
"Don't try and be coy with us...Now, how is it she has an outsider who " the one on the left says crossing her arms and widening her leg stance.
"Yes! I would also like to know how you met my little sister at well!" the girl on the right says in a way too upbeat tone in comparison to her twin sister.
"I uh...I met her at Acade-" I get the collar of my uniform grabbed and dragged towards inside the estates and takes a left instead of a right where Cecil and Gizzele are.
Gizzele notices me being dragged off and is about to say something but is cut off by her sister Cecil.
"Let him have his fun. I am sure they are going to have a little friendly conversation with him. So please sit and have some tea with me!" she says almost forcefully.
Gizzele relents a bit but backs down and stays in her place and drinks some tea.
*Daniel POV*
*THUD*
"H-hey!" I remark as she moves me over to an isolated open dining area.
"So...how do you know our younger sister?" the right says placing her right hand against the wall near my head."
"I uh-"
"Yeah! Tell me! Did you ask her out or-" The twin sister on the left gets her head bonked by the one on the right with her fist.
"Stop it, this is an interrogation, not a sleepover. We are adults..."
"Geeze, you don't gotta hit me!" the one on the right with some sadness
"Well, first off I don't think you should hit your sister. Second, I think I'm gonna go" I gesture trying to walk to the left underneath one of the girl's arms
*Fwoosh*
One of them steps right in front of me and blocked me off. I can't tell if they are overprotective, or if they are trying to pick a fight.
[You willing to fight 2 women? You sexist?]
Bruh...fighting a girl or woman doesn't make me sexist. the reason why is. And two of them blocking them and using force against me I think warrants a bit of force. What would you do if someone got in the way and was beginning to use force?
[Don't get a body so not like I could do anything]
Exactly! Now I am in charge of the body.
"How about we be reasonable before someone gets hurt or goes too far."
"Are you threatening a Cardinal guard?' one of the twins says with a slight attempt to instigate a response.
"Yeah, you challenging us!" the other says with way too much energy like a child
"Sister...You are not making this any better..."
"Hmph! Fine, I will just be silent then!"
Identical twins with entirely different personalities. Swell...
[Their voices are slightly different pitches though.]
Visually, however, not very distinctive.
"I think you guys are a bit pushy. So please move." I ask trying to not appear as afraid or challenging them either.
"Or what?" she says gripping her left hand into a fist.
"Uh...I guess nothing happens then. You will waste your time with me and your sisters. While also wasting my time by holding me hostage. I am not going to fight you. I can tell you are trying to antagonize me or attempt to see how my response would be."
She gives me a surprised look for a moment but continues with a scowl.
I bet you are trying to see if I would attempt to pay you off or threaten you with my family status. Well, guess what. I got no money, I got no family, nor do I have any high status. So you are wasting your time with me." I cross both arms and straighten my back and look directly at her.
We stare at one another until a small whisper behind the girl in front of me speaks.
"He's got you there...I think he might be smarter than you-" She gets silenced by and small bonk on her head. Doesn't seem forceful but it got the point across.
"Grrr...Maybe if I knock you out you will forget. Who would she believe? Me, her older sister, or some random small human who she likely just met."
"Sound argument, but would you risk hurting your sister emotionally?"
"She is a Cloven, she needs to be strong. If she is hurt because you are hurt, then she needs to toughen up like us" she says triumphantly. She takes her left hand and hits the chest of her uniform.
"So that is how you think my 'dear' sister?" a voice more gentle comes out
I look to the left along with the twins and Gizzele walks out of view with her hands clasped together, with a solemn face. Disappointment? Sadness?
"G-Gizzele! I uhm-"
"Don't, Sherri...You've done this before. I know where you are going to go again. Just stop. And Cherry...Why would you follow your twin in her antics?" she asks the other sister.
"Well uhm, she bribed me with some food. Said it would be the exotic grain bread from Khuzadon!"
"Khuzadon isn't even a trade partner with Celicia anymore remember?"
"What! Sherri, you lied to me!"
"Ugh...Fine. Get out of my way both of you. Sherri says with a pout. Her plan was ruined.
"So sorry mister whatever your name is!" Cherry says running off to follow her twin.
"Uh, Daniel! That's the name!" I call out but she is already around the corner.
"How long were you there?" I ask
"Well, I didn't hear the first few words but I heard mostly all of the words. Like 80% of it."
"Oh. I see..."
"To be honest I am surprised you didn't get aggressive to my sisters. They typically warrant an aggressive response."
"Well, I knew for one thing I could've. But! I knew I shouldn't. Because I did make a promise to your mother not to start any trouble, plus I don't want her hind legs to break my spine when she kicks me outside the estate." I say with a sly smile and joke moving past her.
As I turn around the corner I stop a step and see who I assume is Cecil, her older sister. Whose face is on the table with a flipped teacup on its side?
"Uh, what happened to your older sister?" I gesture with a point
"Oh, well I knew what was going on with the twins and what Cecil was planning. So I might've knocked her out."
"You knocked your sister out?"
I didn't think she was capable. Her demeanor is calm, gentle, and collected. Guess I underestimated her.
"Well, though I don't have the intention of joining my family in the armed forces and all, my parents were very adamant in trying to push me towards joining one of the honor guard brigades. So I know a couple of things hehe," she says with a slight shyness in her voice
"You know enough to knock out an older sibling," I say shaking my head.
We walk outside of the estate and now I am back to my original, making first contact with a large family.
I follow Gizzele further into some crowded areas of the large conversation surrounding a table, but I am too short to see what is going on exactly. Everyone is taller than me.
I follow up close behind her until we get right in the front where I see two males, one is a Cloven male, with dark skin, short white hair, and a lower body has two Equidae-like legs. While the other is a Wolven male with grey fur all over the body and brown eyes. The two seem to be arm wrestling. But for some reason, it is really intense.
"Grrr! Well, you finally about to give up man?!" the Cloven man says with a hunched forward posture and almost sweat going down a part of his head.
"Ha! As if! I have spared longer than this! Do your worst brother!" the Wolven man says with a bit of a crack in his voice.
I am guessing they've been at this for a couple of minutes.
"Father, why are you doing this again? Why not converse with your family?" Gizzele asks with a disappointed face.
"Honey?!" the Cloven remarks.
"Ha!" with a sudden thud the Wolven overpowers him and his right arm slams the Clovens into the side of the table. Winning the match.
"Ha! You are so dumb!" He yells at the Cloven.
The Wolven man pulls out a pouch and I hear a subtle jingle of what is likely to be coins and he tosses it at Gizzele. Gizzele catches it and opens it.
"Y-you! You paid my daughter to distract me?!" The Cloven says standing at a full height of likely 7'3. That is tall a shit. The fact he is taller than anyone I've ever seen is mesmerizing...Also intimidating. I bet he was like over 1,000 pounds because of the mix of humans and Equidae.
"I have no idea what you mean, I merely gave your daughter some money for her education. I would never stoop so low as to pay your daughter off in order to win a bet that costs 200 silver from you. So cough up!" the Wolven yells extending his hand for the bet money he is owed.
"So this is your father?" I ask whispering.
"Yep, a competitive ex-mercenary of the Iron Hoof. A large number of his family are former Iron Hoof mercenary members or active ones."
"Your father was a mercenary?"
"Was, a mercenary. He retired over 20 years ago after marrying my mother. One of the most well-recognized members of the organization."
"Wow. So if I may, how did your mother meet your father? If that is not too touchy."
"Well, my mother and father were both experienced fighters, but my mother used to be an Honor Guardswoman, and my father was a Heavy Cavalry. His group was hired to help escort a convoy a while back for some royals and the two apparently 'butted' heads constantly. But the two got the job done. Ever since then, she was employed to worked him many more times and then eventually she gave him an offer to join the Honor Guard, which he rejected. But that didn't stop the two's relationship from growing. At some point, my father claims he made the first move. Which I am inclined to disbelieve. Because if there is anything my father is afraid of, it is my mother. I think my mother made the first move." she finalizes after counting the coins while speaking.
"Huh. So, is your father unemployed then? You mentioned he is an ex-Iron Hoof member."
"No, he is retired from mercenary work but still works in recruitment and training Honor Guardsmen in the heavy cavalry units. But isn't an official Honor Guard member. Not uncommon for government or official organizations to employ those with less reputable or unofficial positions to assist in matters." she says stuffing the pouch in one of her pockets.
Makes sense I suppose. Been done in military campaigns, civil wars, and conflicts to employ experienced fighters, officers, or specialists to teach or train newbies in armed conflict to build them up. Countries do this to avoid direct involvement in a conflict, while also choosing a side that serves the interests of a nation. Smart move, and also an asshole one at that.
[I mean, it is smart.]
So? Still a pain in the ass. Can you picture if the Confederate States of America got funded by Britain in the Civil War? Funded by Britain means the Union needs to make a decision to invite a third conflict with the British Empire from the north to stop supplies of resources from the British. Or allow them to avoid a direct declaration of war, but have to fight better-armed, and better-trained soldiers from the South. It becomes a nuisance and difficulty spike in direction.
[Which is why it is smart if it is done.]
Yeah, yeah. It is all about a nation's self-interests. But still, Asshole move.