[ one on one; adoraтιon and espedιna ]

[espedina]

((Alrighty. I'm going to do that with Eva's post too, so it's not like she's a never ending journey. xD And this might be my last post for the night, since I'm descending down the path of madness as it gets later and later. ouo; ))

||Daniel Luveau||

Lionel did have a very valid point. Being hasty in the matter would ultimately spawn it's own consequences; a thing Daniel supposed they both knew much about. They cast a what anyone would probably describe as a wicked curse on themselves. Consequence? They had regressed to a life of minimal interaction with the outside world. But had such limited sociability really crippled his sense of morality to the point that he'd even fathom taking the life of another? Maybe.
Biting the inside of his cheek, he did suppose he should sort out a plan before he came into contact with the girl, for logic's sake. "Don't worry, I'll probably just end up sending her on her way. With any luck I'll be back in 10 minutes." Daniel answered, reaching towards the curved metal of the door handle, it's very touch frigid at this time of year. Gripping it, he swung open the large wooden door, wincing as a wave of cool air rushed to embrace him. This season was really grating against his patience. While gaining some reptilian senses was certainly an interesting perk, the easy loss of body heat really made him feel like an old man- a comparison he thought he'd never be able to make to himself. Before creating a wind tunnel like vortex with the corridor behind him, Daniel swiftly moved to close the door behind him, before giving one final nod to Lionel.
While adjusting his garments, he realigned his gaze to where they'd spotted Cerise. Well, no time to dawdle. Striding forward, he grimaced a movement as the cobblestone beneath his feet transitioned into mounds of peaty leaves, the dryness giving him little hope of completely masking the tell tale crunch of his footfalls."Miss. What are you doing here?" Daniel dared to call once the distance between them was significantly less. Opening his mouth, his next words were cut off by a closer observation of the scene. The carriage was clearly in no working order- well, there was his answer. This also brought a new notion into light: he couldn't just very well demand she go marching off on foot in this weather, could he?

[adoration]

{ Alright. c: And I totally feel ya' there-- my mind always gets fuzzy at night, so it becomes harder for me to think straight and to come up with replies. u w u; }

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Lionel often didn't doubt of much, but his brother's reassurance didn't cease his constant curiosity as he watched him push open the looming wooden doors of the manor. There wasn't a village anywhere near where they lived-- it was the exact reason why they had chosen to live here in the first place. 'Sending her off on her way' didn't mean he'd just be telling her to go off on some nice five minute stroll; it meant he'd be denying her any help and just brushing her off to her own death. Not that it'd mentally affect them at all.
Physically though? Well, when a mob of villagers came pounding at their front doorstep-- they'd get their answer to that.

He made no objection as his brother headed out, though his eyes did follow his every footstep. Though, as he started to push the door shut, he finally made a comment. "Well, do whatever you think is best-- just try not to bring her back here, he said, his secluded side of him making it's way to his thoughts. A girl would never settle in well with them; especially if she figured out about their past use of forbidden magic.

Leon stayed standing in front of the door as it was shut, cutting off his brother from sight. For a second he contemplated going after him; but he decided against it. He still had to be wary of any possibility though, so he made his way to the east wall of the corridor to slip a hat off of a metal hook and slide it onto his head. If his brother did end up bringing the girl back-- which, he highly doubted would happen --he'd have no other choice but to hide the horns that adorned his head.

So, after slipping the piece of clothing onto his head, he had nothing else to do but wait in the returning deafening silence, fighting off the urge to see what had happened himself.

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Cerise would've started pacing long ago, if it wasn't for the loss of feeling in her feet, and the paralyzation eating away at her fingertips. The crisp, frigid air was enough to make her pull her hands up to her biceps though, as her shoulders bunched in. Her hair was anything but neat, as it had fallen down from it's bun during the crash, and now messily cascaded around her shoulders. At least, it was a source of warmth; even if it was only the smallest bit.

There were a few rips and tatters now lining her dress, probably from ripping off of splinters of wood while she was unconscious, but she couldn't care less. The only thing that mattered right now was finding a way to survive, whether it was by going off on her own to find somebody, or to let somebody find her near the crash sight. Though, she still couldn't move an inch. It was as if frostbite was already chewing it's way at her toes, leaving them useless.

What caught her off guard was the sound of a voice calling out a ways behind herself. She remained silent for a few seconds as it filled the air, though her eyes were torn away from the scene and they drifted off to the man now standing only feet away. Where in the world had he come from?

Fully turning herself around, she payed no mind to how much of a mess she must've looked like. At least she didn't look insane; just, stricken with fear, and surprise at his presence. With the now ruined carriage behind her, on the other hand, she probably looked like a vase in a museum compared to it.

Opening her mouth to speak, she was almost hesitant to. Why? Probably only because the man seemed completely at ease out in the forest, in the middle of nowhere. It was as if it was almost casual for him. And she had enough sense after hitting her head multiple times during the crash to know that nobody would be in their right mind to live all the way out here.

"Ah, well-..." was all she said at first, until she watched his gaze travel over to the debris behind her. Seemed like there was no more point in answering his question afterwards; every word she said made her throat hurt, anyways, so it would've been a waste of breath.

"Are you... Are you from a village nearby?" It was hard to keep her voice from shaking, especially from the bitter air, but she at least managed to cease it just the slightest, even though her thick accent made it stand out. "I was heading to Faroe, a village... somewhere-- I've never exactly been there in person --when my carriage ran off of it's course. At least, that's all I know of what happened..."

Oh, she probably just sounded like a blabbering idiot now. A cold, and tattered blabbering idiot. How lovely. And she didn't even know the man standing in front of her! This was a horrible first impression on her part-- not that it even mattered in this situation. Tensing her jaw up, she shut her mouth, trying to calm her insolent questioning. She still had to at least get one answer out of him though, nonetheless.

"I know it's probably rude of me to ask so many questions, but... where did you even come from?"

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{ I just came up with the name Faroe on a whim. Hope you don't mind. }

[espedina]

((Faroe is a perfectly fine name! Remember, after all, I named the horse Louise. |D ))

||Daniel Luveau||

At first, Daniel grabbed a few spare moments of time to fully let his gaze take in the scene of the accident behind Cerise, his expression continuing to sour as time progressed. This really was a wretched little curve ball life had thrown them, wasn't it? Not only was there this poor woman to attend to, but the mess of a scene behind her. Surely, if anyone passed by with even an inkling of observational skill, they'd notice the carriage. With his eyes hardening as they fell upon the bodies of the departed, that only complicated things further. What were they to do, simply leave them out here, and hope no one came knocking at there door to call them out on it? Or should they call for a funeral parlor to come collect them, and the authorities to report the accident? All paths required much more potential interaction than Daniel was currently prepared to tolerate.
As his attention finally shifted back onto Cerise, he let her get out all the talking she wished before he even bothered to speak. Conversing with his brother all day was fine and dandy, but with this new face before him, Daniel found himself having to exercise more discipline than he cared to use.
Biting at the inside of his cheek in indecision, Daniel's usual cool confidence slowly began to ebb back to him. Even if he very well didn't know what to do, he certainly could look like he was collected and poised. "From my home, of course." Daniel dared to admit, though he didn't immediately reveal the direction of the house if she hadn't yet figured it out. Lionel's last few words that wafted out to him from an almost closed door still rang in his mind.
"Faroe is quite a long distance away, miss. Even then, the nearest town is several miles in any choice of direction. Inns wouldn't be available until you arrived there..." Daniel spoke his thoughts aloud, though they also served the purpose of informing Cerise of what he knew. Letting his gaze wash over her, he tensed slightly, nearly groaning as the most logical solution stared him in the face. Here was this battered, poor woman, nearly blue skinned from the cold, probably looking to him as her only escape from her current predicament. Any sane human would shoo away the grip of freezing death this season would try and drape over her, and hurried escort them to the closest warm abode.
"Are you still able to walk well?" He inquired; the dress was clearly a mess, but her physical state was the most pressing issue. "My home is not that far of a trek off." Oh, Leon would probably want to kill him for this... But despite the twisted, arrogant ego that was contained inside him, neglecting Cerise to let her somehow survive in the cold was something he couldn't choose to do.

[adoration]

{ Lol, alright. cx }

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Cerise didn't say much as the man took a few more moments to fully take in the accident. She had already talked enough in her opinion, anyways, so she found solace in biting down on her lip just the slightest. If anyone she knew was here, they probably would've all been giving her looks for going out of her way and talking on instinct. Then again, the man already seemed to be having a change of moods, as his expression turned sour.

He lives all the way out here...? The young woman couldn't help but just find herself awfully appalled by his answer. And to think, he even admitted himself that the nearest town was miles away. Why would someone live so far away, in such solitude? She did stop though, and take into consideration the fact that it was none of her business. At the moment, she only needed to figure out what she was going to do.

Hesitating at his question for a split moment, she soon nodded and answered with a simple, "Ah, I can." Though there was some pain nagging at her left leg as she stood, she tried to ignore it. A different thought soon changed her priorities, anyways.

She had completely forgotten-- wasn't Evanthia traveling to meet her half way? Oh, that would not end well; especially in the predicament she was caught up in now. She'd probably end up waiting, and waiting, and waiting-- only to find no cousin rolling up in a carriage. This was definitely just not her day. Problem after problem after problem; she was just grateful that there was at least somebody else around.

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[espedina]

||Daniel Luveau||

Watching her rise to her feet, that was at least one good point among a myriad of negatives. If he'd had to carry her, certainly by the time he reached the house again his mood would be in an utterly wretched condition. It wasn't that he doubted his strength, oh no, he simply didn't want to do it. Offering her shelter in the Luveau estate would certainly be the pinnacle of his compassion for the day. "Then you can walk to the house?" He half inquired again, half stated. As awkward as it would probably be for her to enter the home of a stranger on her own, he doubted she found the current setting any more comforting.
Apparently deciding to stick to the 10 minute time frame he'd claimed to his brother, Daniel began to turn to partially face the way he'd emerged from the wood, though his eyes were still very much focused on Cerise. She was probably still in shock, if he had any experience to hazard a guess. That would explain the lack of tears, panicked wailing, or any other unmanageable hurricane of emotions. That was certainly a relief- the initial metallic shriek of the crash had been enough. With this potential image in mind, he found himself fully willing to deal with her current attitude instead.
"Come on now, miss." He used formalities again, given they hadn't yet had the chance to introduce themselves. It'd probably be wrong- exchanging names in such casualness while death lingered mere meters away. Raising a hand to assure himself that his scarf was still in it's proper position, he took a single step forward to try and initiate the walk back to the manor. "I don't like the cold any more than you probably do." Daniel came off as a bit impatient and hasty, but it was the truth.

[adoration]

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When the man asked her if she could walk to the house-- though, it was more like confirming a statement --she nodded. Her leg probably would be a problem, but she didn't want to be carried by some man that just happened to live in the middle of a forest. It'd be more awkward than being escorted to his house; which, was the current situation she was in now.

As the man turned, she hesitated. Though most of her stuff was ruined, it didn't mean she was a little bit doubtful of what would happen if it was found. Anybody with common sense would most likely inquire that the person who owned the clothes were dead, and that would be of no help to her. Even so, she forced the thought aside. It would only be a hassle to carry, anyways.

With slow steps, she started to follow after him; keeping her distance as she did. Yes, she was curious about why this man lived out in the middle of no where, but it did nothing to help calm her nerves. He seemed nice, but for all she knew, he could be some man short on sanity.

"Would you... happen to have any way to contact any nearby village?" she said, raising her voice just slightly as the wind picked up. Quickening her pace in just the smallest way, she remained four or five feet behind. Seeing as her question was probably more on the blunt side-- which didn't really seem to matter, with how hasty the man was himself -- she added, "I was supposed to meet someone during my travel-- my cousin, to be exact. If she doesn't hear of what happened, she'll probably send some search group out." Not that such a thing would be too bad-- she just didn't want them all to have to worry.

Really, it was times like these when she had to learn to bite her tongue. To think though; not even ten years of being taught and pestered to do so couldn't change her adamant will.

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[espedina]

[[Daniel Luveau]]

It really was a good thing that as they walked, his back was to Cerise-- she wouldn't have to see the look of sheer distaste his face held as she mentioned a search party. Sure, they could simply explain things and everything would probably sort out in due time, but he didn't much like the idea of potentially being examined. Lionel and him could easily hide their... inhuman qualities; but say a slip up occurred? It was human nature to communicate, and all it'd take was one word to grace the wrong ears, and they'd have consequences breathing down their necks.
"We don't have any means to do that at this specific moment, or in this weather." Daniel explained, trying to make his 'no' sound like a mere coincidence. They had no bustling stable full of horses to be used as transportation, no groom to send out to relay the message of the evenings events. One could always suppose that they could brave the cold for a brief period of time to seek out a neighbors assistance, but Daniel could not realistically see that happening. The people who were dead were dead, and this woman was remarkably unscathed compared to them, so life luckily did not hinge on their haste.
As the eaves and edges of the house began to materialize out of the woods, he felt a great deal reassured by its familiar presence, but not nearly enough to reverse his slightly irritated mood. At this point, he wasn't even sure who to direct his frustration towards- Cerise very well didn't choose to have this unfortunate event occur, so did that leave the driver responsible? That meant it was impossible for him to vent his anger to the source, then.
Upon reaching the arched doorways of the front entrance, he swung open the door to allow her inside, holding it open. It'd seem like a respectful gesture, but Daniel wanted to give himself one last glance around the property, as if expecting someone else to come walking out of the trees. Ugh, what a creepy thought. "We'll have to sort something else out promptly." Daniel stated the obvious. This limbo couldn't very well go on forever, could it?

[adoration]

{ Just a heads up; whenever both of my characters are included in one encounter, I'm just going to use a plain layout. c: }

Cerise tried to stay silent as she followed Daniel; she had millions of questions swirling in her head. She didn't utter a word though, and her quiet mood honestly surprised her. She must've still been shaken up from the crash, or just apprehensive of the man only a few feet in front of her.

However, when he told her that there would be no way for her to contact any of her relatives, she couldn't hold back the small sigh that escaped her lips. This was really going to be troublesome, wasn't it? Especially if Evanthia was still out there, looking for her. Not to mention, her heart condition just topped it off.

As she brushed all her vexatious thoughts aside, her jaw but all dropped just the slightest amount as the manor came into sight. Even she had come across some amazing homes in her time, but this-- it was huge! And, in the middle of no where. Why would someone with so apparent wealth build such a house all the way out here?

When he opened the door, she forced herself to shut her mouth. She'd probably look like an idiot staring with her mouth agape at the; even if it wasn't too bad. So, she remained silent as she stepped into the place, the clack of her shoes echoing down the hallway.

Taking in the place for a few moments, she soon looked back over at Daniel, snapping back to attention. "Ah, thank you," she said in return to his blunt statement. With a blink, she finally realized she had never mentioned her name; though, she never had time to as a different pair of footsteps echoed throughout the corridor.

"We have a guest?" Lionel asked, his hands by his sides as he approached the entryway. Though there wasn't a smile on his face, he kept any hint of apathy out of his expression. He really had watched the two from a window, so his question was pointless. In all honesty, it was more of a 'you brought her back here' question, rather than one about the current state of the girl.

Seeing as his brother was staring out of the doorway, as if he expected some monster to jump out at any second, he called over as Cerise questioningly looked at the blonde, "Close the door, Daniel-- it can just only get colder in here." Did he have the right to boss his brother around? Well, if you disregarded their difference in age, no.

But did Daniel have the right to bring a girl into their home? Not at all.

[espedina]

((Alright! And quick question- would changing font size and/or putting spaces between my paragraphs making reading easier for you? :] ))

[[Daniel Luveau]]

Daniel acutely sensed the undertone to his brothers statement, and simply turned on his heel to close the door with slight thud. "Yes, we do." He answered plainly, quite willing to maintain a small unspoken argument. Daniel wasn't completely certain with his actions, but he definitely wasn't going to let that thought become apparent here. Perhaps it was a bit immature of him, but alas, he tended to be a bit impulsive when it came to verbally defending himself, especially after an unplanned trip outside.
Directing his gaze towards Cerise, the reality set in that not only was there a strange occurrence at the peripheral of their world, but now it'd firmly stepped foot right into it. Now, he'd singlehandedly drug Lionel into dealing with his personal decision (which, probably, was not a thought that escaped Lionel). This, certainly, had to be the crown jewel of unexpected things happening here as of late.
After giving himself a few moments to sort through the fumbling awkwardness, Daniel spoke again, an activity he seemed to like to partake in. "I don't believe I caught your name," This question was directed towards Cerise, of course. Now that he got a better look at her, without that wretched distraction of a scene outside surrounding her, he did supposed she looked a bit faint- or was that simple her lithe stature? Anyways, he should probably at least feign to be deeply concerned about her well being, given the possibility of her talking about her treatment here when she finally left- which still stuck in his mind as the only inevitable conclusion to this all. This was not a bed and breakfast, people did not stay here, it was as simple as that. "Anyways, do you need anything, or are you alright?" Daniel almost reached up to remove the scarf, before he corrected himself. What a bother. Yet, as he noticed Lionel's newly acquired headware, he knew he wasn't the only one afflicted by this necessity.

[[Evanthia Lombardi]]

Leaning absentmindedly back in the saddle, the atmosphere of the scene laid out before her seemed rather... unsettlingly peaceful, if she dare say so? It was so quiet and calm, the trill of the birds in the trees seeming to speak of future spring opposed to bitter death. This was disgusting, but at the same time, she didn't feel herself swept up by panic- only very sharp, poignant dread that continued to rise. The only reason she made herself draw forward was to see if Cerise was among the bodies; which, of course, she was not. She was alive?! "Ceri?" Eva lifted her head to look in a complete circle around her, hopefulness shining brightly in her eyes. It diminished when silence was the only one who answered her.
Maybe she wandered off- or, perhaps, someone else had came before her. Either option was a fine one, as long as she managed to eventually discover Cerise's whereabouts. As she tried to gather herself, it was chance that led her to see the trail. Had the patch of ground not been sheltered from the wind by the carriages bulk, the evidence would have been swept away. There was first a sweeping sort of design upon the dry, gritty ground- resulting from the hem of a skirt, maybe? Several paces away was a pair of footprints, vaguely pointing into the depths of the forest. Well then. Eva pursed her lips, realizing how foolish she would feel if she wasted time chasing a pointless lead.
It was the single one she had, however. Self directed anger would undoubtedly be much fiercer if she didn't try. Weaving through the trees, the horse took its time, making the walk from accident to house last longer than it did for Daniel and Cerise. Even with the current state of affairs, she took a second of her time to admire the house, her brows raising in slight amusement. Now why would you stick such a beauteous building out of view? Sliding off of her horse, Eva alighted onto the ground with a slight huff- and no sooner than that did the hand of the devil seem to place itself on the mare. Stricken already with nerves, the poor creature was done as soon as it began to sense the ancient, almost foreboding magic that cloaked the manor, or rather, those inside it. Any effort Eva made to soothe Louise were ultimately in vain as it reeled backwards, wrenching the reins from her hand with a whinny. With one last apologetic look, the horse turned tail to book it in the opposite direction. At a complete loss, Eva stood stunned for a moment, before raising a hand to her face in exasperation. No amount of her sharp tongued humor could make up for this.
Eventually making her way towards the doorway, Eva was bold enough to knock upon it. The least she could do now was find Cerise, now that everything else had gone to hell.

[adoration]

{ Ah, the size is perfectly fine. c: It probably would be a bit easier for me to read if there were spaces in between your paragraphs, but doing that's completely up to you. I can still read it well enough as it is now. ^^
Is there anything with my layout that could be changed to make it easier for you to read? I might change the color I use for Cerise's dialogue, since it's a bit iffy and on the light side. }



Cerise remained silent as Lionel finally looked over at her, taking her appearance in. She was slightly surprised to know that there wasn't only one of them living all the way out here, but instead two, though she made no comment of it. They were most likely only relatives, anyways; at a closer look, they shared similar face features, even if it wasn't too noticeable.

Lionel had to tense up his jaw to keep his annoyance in check; exhaling through his nose, he watched as his brother closed the doors. "This is definitely a surprise," he said through a controlled tone. Reaching up, he shifted the hat on his head, finding it uncomfortable and unnatural to have the piece of clothing covering his horns-- which, to tell the truth, were more on the outer sides of his head rather than on the top.

"My name? The stiffness of Lionel's composure went unnoticed to Cerise, though it was only because she turned her attention over to Daniel as he asked her about her name. She was a bit tentative to answer at first, given how uncultivated and awkward their meeting was. Even she couldn't help but keep her shoulders and mouth fixed in place out of skepticism, though it had only worsened after Lionel had shown up.

"My name's Cerise," she said after a short pause. She didn't dare to mention her last name at first; she still wasn't too sure about the two, even if the black haired one had technically rescued her. This was probably horribly curt of her; she knew well enough. What else was someone to think after being led to some comely chateau out in the middle of nowhere?
After pushing aside the trepidation she held in her thoughts, she finally added, "Cerise Lesune."

As the girl formally introduced herself, Lionel was silent as he listened. Though he wasn't at all fond of the fact that there was some young woman who had slivered her way into their home, he had to admit, it had been a while since they'd caught sight of a human. How long had it been since they'd been to a village? A town? How much had changed?

Seeing as both him and his brother were having to put up a little facade for the girl, while feigning concern about her condition, it would've only been rude if they didn't introduce themselves back. So, mustering up whatever welcoming look he could drag up onto his face, he took a step forward and said, "Well, Miss Lesune, I'm Lionel. And this is my brother, Daniel-"

Cutting of his introduction, the eyes of the blonde flew over to the door as a loud knock emitted from it. What, had someone hammered a sign to their front door, that was luring people to their very doorstep? The thought made Leon literally have to clench his teeth together to keep himself from storming off down the corridor.

"Daniel-- do you possibly have an idea of who might be at our front door now?" he said, holding back any scornful touch to his tone. Taking a few steps forward, past the black haired girl who was now silently watching, he placed both of his hands on the door. Exhaling once more, he soon pushed it open before his brother had time to reply to his sneerful question.

Letting his eyes fall upon Evanthia, he asked in the calmest voice he could muster after a few seconds of silence, "May I help you?"