For the Karugame twins, waking up had always been troublesome of a task.
Apparently, via genetics from their mother's side, at least according to their father, Hiroshi and Amaye were born notorious heavy sleepers. Their bodies stubbornly unable to lift themselves out of the realm of sleep long after the sun had risen. Struggling out of bed was a daily battle they rarely won with any grace.
Today, however, was different.
Perhaps because of the comfortable sleeping conditions, both twins' eyes fluttered open simultaneously as if choreographed by some unseen force. The first thought that struck them wasn't the unfamiliarity of their surroundings or the events that had led them here. Instead, it was the surprising absence of aches in their bodies— the first time in four whole weeks.
When Hiroshi's eyelids lifted, a soft, ethereal glow bathing the room in a gentle, almost fey light was what had greeted him. The ceiling above him was adorned with strange, luminescent orange crystals that pulsed with a faint, soothing radiance.
For Amaye, she found herself uncharacteristically alert when she sat up, a first for her. Her mind was startlingly clear instead of cloudy with a chance of sinking back into the deep abyss of cosy sleep. She blinked, several times, and even pinched herself as she took in the unfamiliar textures of the bedding that covered her and the textures of the room.
"The bedding... it feels different," she murmured, "Almost feels … like home."
Both twins had their respective pairs of eyes roam over the room, taking in its exquisite details. The walls were lined with finely tailored fabrics that shimmered softly in the ambient light. Every corner of this space exuded craftsmanship and care… so foreign yet so, familiar … and familiar was truly calming, as they both had felt.
"Amaye?" Hiroshi began the moment he was able to acknowledge his sister's presence on the other side beside him "Are you … are you alright?"
"I'm… I'm fine, but... where exactly are we?.... It almost feels like we're– "
"--Back home … like everything that happened … was all some terrible long and realistic dream."
Was it a dream? It felt like it had all been a dream. I'd like it if were a dream–In fact no "like" is far too little of a word to be used in this context, "love" on the other hand, now there's a good word. "Love" with a Capital "L"!
This was what went through the minds of the twins as they began to move off the beds they sat on and sit on their respective ends so that they were sitting before each other. For a brief, fleeting moment, it felt as if they could explode with delight at the fact that everything they had thought they had gone through, didn't happen.
Then they took a second look at what the other was wearing.
"Since when have you had that set of pyjamas, brother? I've never seen you wear them before?"
"I could say the same thing about you, Sis?"
Was it so unusual that they knew each other so well? To the point they could identify every piece of clothing the other owned, when they had worn it, for how long, and when they might wear it again.
Perhaps it was just a twin thing—and it was just normal, at least in their eyes.
Why ask this at all? Well, their certainty about each other's wardrobes was so ingrained that they could swear on their parents' lives: these pyjamas were new.
Both in their appearance and in their presence on each other. The matching long-sleeved cotton tops and bottoms were similar, differing only in shade and the fact that Hiroshi's bottoms were longer, while Amaye's were shorts.
These weren't pyjamas they owned, and they don't remember putting them on themselves.
"What happened to our clothes?" Amaye asked, her voice laced with unease.
"And how did we end up in this place?"
"I don't know, and honestly, I think I'd rather not find out. Wanna know what I do know?"
"What?"
Hiroshi stood up and scanned the room. "I know that I want to leave—and I want to leave now."
"Then let's go!"
Amaye rose to her feet, following her brother as they headed toward the door. Just before Hiroshi reached for the handle though, she noticed something.
"Look, brother! Our bags!"
She pointed at the long table where two backpacks rested, along with a familiar sack topped with an even more recognizable hat.
"Well, isn't that convenient?"
The twins hurried over to the table, and there they spotted something unusual. First, their bags looked remarkably clean—no longer resembling gear belonging to mountaineers. Second, beneath the bags lay a set of brand-new, fancy-looking clothes. Nestled between them was a folded piece of paper with two words scrawled across it:
"For the eyes of the Karugame Twins?" Amaye read aloud, her voice tinged with bewilderment. She exchanged a puzzled glance with her brother. "They know us? Whoever wrote this..."
"I haven't the faintest idea who they are," Hiroshi muttered. "Open it. Let's see what it says."
With a moment's hesitation, Amaye carefully unfolded the letter and began to read its contents.
'The pair of garments have been meticulously tailored to ensure a perfect and comfortable fit. Once you are prepared, please change within the provided dressing room. Upon exiting your quarters, you will find an escort awaiting to guide you to the dining room, where you may indulge in what is provided to your heart's content.'
"There's nothing else written," Amaye said, her voice laced with uncertainty. "W-what should we do, Brother?"
"Well," Hiroshi began, his brow furrowed in thought, "I think... I think we should take a page from Mother and Father's book. Let's consider our current situation before making any rash decisions—"
-rrruuummmbbblllee-
The twins fell silent, each placing a hand on their growling stomachs. They exchanged knowing looks.
"Do you want to go and change first?" Hiroshi offered.
"U-Um... Yeah," Amaye replied, gathering the clothes set out for her and moving towards the dressing room. "I-I'll only be a moment."
-~-
"Oh goodness gracious me! You two look absolutely stunning!"
This was the escort mentioned in the letter.
To be honest, the twins had no idea what to expect, except that they anticipated the unexpected.
Perhaps that's why neither of them made much noise, their faces painted with bewilderment as they emerged from the room in their fresh new outfits to find a tall, broad lady dressed in vibrant orange and green—complete with a pumpkin for a head, with four glowing holes that moved adjacent to how a mouth, nose and pair of eyes would on more "regular" looking face.
"Oh, the Lord has truly outdone himself, he has! Of course, I expected nothing less from his handiwork. But whether the two of you could pull off these new looks? Well, here you both are now, exceeding my expectations!"
Her words flowed evenly, her accent almost musical.
She held her hands before her and stood with a composed demeanour that exuded an air of trustworthiness.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the housekeeper of this fine manor you now stand within. You may refer to me as 'Autumnia.' And may I say once again, Sir and Miss, you both wear those outfits so perfectly that I can't help but envy you."
The twins felt compelled to look down at themselves once more, just as they had moments ago when admiring their reflections in the new garments.
A long, flowing purple gown with intricate gold and silver embroidery, that's what adorned over Amaye's body. The dress featured a low-cut neckline, form-fitting long sleeves ending in flared cuffs, and a layered skirt that swept elegantly behind her. A decorative belt cinched her waist, accentuating her figure. A large, wide-brimmed black hat adorned with a striking decorative feather sat atop her head. Black elbow-length gloves and matching heeled shoes completed her ensemble.
Beside her, Hiroshi took a long look at his own new attire -now dressed in an ocean blue robe, its fabric adorned with delicate black and silver embroidery that caught the light as he moved. The robe's large diamond-shaped collar framed his neck, while a deep hood hung ready at his back. Snug sleeves ran the length of his arms, ending in flowing cuffs edged with shimmering silver. The robe's layered waist draped gracefully over black trousers, cinched by a black belt with an eye-catching silver triangular buckle. His feet were clad in polished black shoes with silver accents tying the whole ensemble together.
They had to admit, they both felt extraordinary in their new attire—the first clean pair of clothing they'd worn in four weeks.
"Well then, follow me, my dears, as I escort you to the dining room where the Lord has prepared a magnificent banquet for the two of you. We can get better acquainted afterwards, hmm?"
Autumnia turned and began to make her way down the corridor, the twins silently trailing behind. A myriad of questions danced on the tips of their tongues, but their still-growling stomachs effectively corked their mouths--
"WHAAA!!!"
Which was soon removed by the intoxicating aroma and the glowing sight that lay before them.
"What we have prepared for you both this evening is a variety of delicacies, including but not limited to fried frog legs, boiled snails, Do-Do eggs, chopped fried beef, rice, and an assortment of soft drinks. Please feel free to start-- Oh?"
Autumnia's words trailed off as she realized her audience had vanished from where they stood. They were now at the table, chowing down like rabid animals.
"My, my... what an appetite. They're gouging down hoards like werewolves with their fresh kills."
She decided then and there to turn and leave them be. It was the first good meal they'd had in a while, so their current poor manners as they shoved whatever they could grab into their mouths were justified. Best to let them be. It shouldn't take long, she thought. At the rate they're going, they'll be finished in just about--
Seven and a half minutes later...
"Buuurrrppp!!!"
Two simultaneous upper digestive tract gas leaks later, and the twins were slumped in their seats, feeling far better than they had in ages.
They were so content that they almost found themselves drifting off to sleep again.
"That... was the best meal... I have had in my entire life," Hiroshi exclaimed with sheer delight.
"Aah... so full... feels so good... I wanna eat again but... I have no space in my stomach to do so..." Amaye mumbled as she lay in her seat, mouth hanging wide open in glee. "Whoever had this made ... wherever you are right now ... thank you."
"You are most certainly welcome, my deeeaaarrr."
"Huh?"
The twins' eyes darted to the head of the table. There, lounging in an immaculate recliner with feet propped up on the table's edge, sat the owner of the new voice.
"You should have seen me when I had my chefs prepare this feast. I may have appeared overbearing, and they might have been sweating messes... but when I say results will speak for themselves, I never lie. You did both just admit you enjoyed yourselves, hmm?"
"What the..."
"...heck..."
Hiroshi's and Amaye's voices overlapped.
Their faces once again painted with perplexity, much like when they had first encountered Autumnia not long ago.
But this time, their expressions bore an additional layer of profound bewilderment.
"Oh, is there something on my face? Oh, hohohoho! Or maybe it's my face in its entirety?"
Indeed, it was. Atop an orange and green pinstripe coat with dark green lapels piped with black—ragged along the bottom hem—sat a pumpkin head even larger than the last they had seen.
To complete the bizarre ensemble, a top hat perched jauntily atop the gourd.
"I know what you're thinking, darlings. 'What the heck am I even looking at?! No seriously, what the heck even is that?' You're not the first, and you certainly won't be the last."
With a snap of their fingers, the enigmatic figure conjured a staff, its length surpassing even their considerable height. Vines coiled around it from base to tip, with a lantern dangling ominously from its crown.
"I am the Lord of this establishment, as well as the entirety of the woodlands you managed to survive in for four long weeks! My subordinates refer to me as ... Lord Lantern O'Jackson, The Stingy, and may I say, despite your sheltered upbringing, your parents certainly did a fine job preparing you two for the outdoors."
"Eh?!" Amaye exclaimed, her eyes widening. "You know our parents?!"
"Know them? Ohohoho! We go way back, my darling! With your father especially—something akin to old... let's see... high school buddies if you will."
The figure sauntered around, dragging the staff behind them with an eerie scraping sound. Their "neck" cracked repeatedly, an unsettling sound from a being with a pumpkin for a head."
"I was the one who procured that accommodation you two have known as home, in fact," Pumpkin Head added "A favour in fact that, given current circumstances, will need to be repaid a little earlier than planned."
"H-huh... what exactly do you mean?" Hiroshi questioned, his voice tinged with apprehension.
"Ohohoho! Do not fret, it's not that big of a deal. It may even work out splendidly for all of us. I get what I need, and you two get the means to free your parents from their stone prisons."
"?!"
The twins froze. This being—whatever it was—knew about their parents' fate!
"Indeed I do."
"Eh?!" Hiroshi jumped up, alarmed. "W-we didn't say anything?!"
"But it was thought up, no?" The figure retorted. "What exists in one's mind within my forest, I cannot 'not' know. In here, I see and know much more... apart from the answer to the most crucial question that must now be asked."
Without warning, the figure leapt onto the table, striding down its length until they stood between the twins.
"Hiroshi Homare Karugame... and Amaye Cedric Jr Karugame... how would the two of you like to become ... business partners with me?"