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Evangeline
It wasn't as lively as she expected when she stepped out of the dormitory. The only activity as of now was the cortege of maids busy moving luggages or carrying platters of sweets and tea around in silence like ants in an anthill. Most nobles must have done the same as Lily and stayed in their room to take a break.
As I descended the stairs and approached the entrance, a gigantic bearded man opened the double door. He had to lower his head to enter. Noticing me, he waved at me, and with a deep baritone voice asked me if I was the owner of two Doebbits.
The giant introduced himself as Bronk, the guardian of the dormitory and the one in charge of caring for the pets of the students while they were away. After inviting me to follow him, he started explaining his job, but because of his appearance, I couldn't stop drawing a parallel between the guy and Hagrid from Harry Potter, since they looked the same.
We arrived at what looked like a small farm, with a wooden mossy hut in its center surrounded by stone buildings that had many animal noises coming out of them.
He opened the door of one of the structures and entered. I waited outside but could see there were a lot of rabbits in this part of the building that were comfortably sitting in large cages that seemed to have been carefully crafted for them to feel right at home.
After about a minute, he came back out, my two Doebbits in tow. They immediately jumped into my arms when I saw them. As I was about to engage in a petting session, Bronk, who was standing nearby awkwardly, scoffed "Not that I mind watching pets and their master being close to each other but I do have tasks to attend to, so you will have to take them to your own room".
His remark made me blush with embarrassment. To be sure they'll not run everywhere until I reach my room, I hoisted the two Doebbits up my shoulders. On our way back to the dormitory, he explained what I had to do if I wanted to take care of my pets. He recommended which food was best for them, how often I had to take them out for a walk or make them exercise and even handed me a handwritten notebook titled Doebbits training 101.
"Some pets are allowed to follow their owner around all day, as long as they know how to behave and are approved by a faculty tamer. Lucky you, Doebbits are amongst the most docile creatures, so I doubt they'll fail this mundane trial. Don't forget, any damage to property caused by your pets will be your responsibility and when you can't take care of them, leave them to me or any guardian or animal carer available in your accommodation area. Oh! And don't forget to get yourself a veterinarian for a semestrial health check up, it's free for undergraduates, all you need is to get your Doebbits registered to the clinic".
I nodded all the way and when we were back at the dorms, the dorm guard said goodbye as I went back to my quarters upstairs. I decided to spend the remaining time of the afternoon reading the Doebbits training 101 notebook.
At Sunset, Lily's maid summoned me to the young baroness's room. When I entered, I was greeted by the sight of a desk transformed into an impromptu dinner setting. The maids stood by, a tray of food in hand, ready to serve. Lily, upon noticing the two Doebbits, exclaimed, "Kyah~," affectionately burying her head into the belly of one that had leapt into her lap.
While eating I told Lily about the dorm's guardian while she recounted the book she was reading. Apparently, she had started reading a very cliché prince charming fairytale. The content was so cheesy that I had a lot of difficulty containing myself from laughing out loud. I didn't want to be rude since she was so passionate about it.
"Did you hear about the new chosen one by Prometheus?" Lily inquired as we indulged in dessert, a delectable vanilla flan draped in caramel coulis.
Noticing my puzzled look, she took it upon herself to fill me in on the latest rumors she had heard from one of her maids. Our decision to dine in our room was a consequence of the school undergoing renovations to welcome a new human hero in the cafeteria.
Curiosity was rampant about his appearance, with the consensus being that he was a male swordsman. It seemed Prometheus was earnestly working to introduce new heroes to replace the older, rebellious ones.
After our meal, I bid Lily goodnight and retreated to my room, feeling exhausted. As I took all my garment off and fell into the hard bed, the two Doebbits decided to sleep there with me, which turned the previously banal bed into a fluff heaven, sending me straight to the dreamland.
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Evangeline awoke to the first light of dawn, its gentle rays creeping through the slivers of her room's window. Today was no ordinary day since the club fair will be taking place at the academy.
She had spent the last 2 days familiarizing with the school layout. Outside of the facilities they visited during the first day, she found out that there was a big market that came up every Fourth and seventh days of the week.
Sadly, outside of local farmer products, random food stalls and handcrafted trinkets there was nothing particularly interesting. She purchased two adorable collars, each adorned with a small bell, for her Doebbits, along with some carrots.
She also heard some rumors about a mystery merchant that appeared on a very irregular basis and while exiting the marketplace, she discovered the announcement board located at the entrance. The simple large sign proved immensely helpful in keeping her informed, summarizing all forthcoming events and providing the date for the club fair and its location.
Roaming around campus was perfect for teaching her Doebbits how to act correctly in a public setting. She even stumbled upon an isolated but comfy park near the dorm to dive deeper into the Doebbits training guide and get her pets more tamed.
After hanging out with them for that long and watching them so closely, she felt she had a better grasp of their personalities and decided to give them new and shorter names for familiarity sake and because the manual suggested that it would make communication easier and create a more personal bond. Sol was the name she gave to the smaller Doebbit that was super lively all day, loved to bask in the sun, and then completely out of energy at sunset.
Squee was for her other Doebbit, because it kept making "squeaks" while moving around or when it met new people or asked for headpats. It seemed like Squee was trying to talk through its squeaks, being all chatty and friendly.
As she was getting dressed, Lily barreled in her room full of excitement "Wake up Evaaa! Quick! It's time to go to-", only to cover her eyes and blush.
Surprised by Lily's sudden shyness, Eva turned around and asked what was wrong only for her to run out while letting out a "sorryIdidntknowthatyouwerenakedahhhhhhh!".
After putting on the academy issued uniform, Eva went out of her room and found Lily on a corner, furiously blushing and mumbling things like "How shameless" "Must I marry her now?" and "I saw her bare". `I guess a visit to the tailor will be necessary, I didn't think of the sleep wear issue until now` thought Eva.
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After explaining to Lily that I was not some kind of pervert and just had no undergarments available since I was literally abandoned in the forest and isolated from civilization, we went out together with the Doebbits following behind.
As soon as we stepped out of the dormitory, multiple carriages of all kinds awaited. Each had different banners sponsoring a club with smiling third and fourth year waiting with flyers, flags and small bags in their hands.
A lot of students were already collecting the freebies or taking seats while a barrage of students acting like zealous salesmen explained all the benefits of their club.
I looked towards Lily, seeking her opinion on which option to choose, but she simply shrugged and simply said, "You pick, I'm just here to tag along," right before her stomach audibly rumbled. Chuckling, I responded, "Guess it's one of the culinary club-sponsored carriages for us then."
There was no need to search for it, since the smell of baked goods was enough to guide us toward a pastel colored carriage that seemed completely out of place regardless of the already fantasy-like setting of the academy.
Oddly enough, it looked like no one had picked this carriage to ride. It was like everyone just pretended it wasn't there. I saw some of the other students laugh or do a quick sign of the cross when they walked by it.
Curious, I nudged Lily, who was busy checking out the other carriages, and pointed at it, asking if she was up for hopping on. She seemed cool with it until we got closer. Then, she suddenly looked as if she’d seen a ghost. "Umm... Eva, I don't think that's a great idea. Let's try a different one," she said.
Before Lily could protest further, the doors swung open, and a well-mannered boy greeted us with a warm, "Welcome! Come on in, ladies! Don't be shy; we have the finest pastries you could ever dream of!" Lily's reluctance was clear as day when she saw him, prompting me to take a closer look at the guy. Humanoid, a bit on the pale side, and then I saw it—a brief flash of a sharp canine in his smile.
"Daywalker," Lily whispered under her breath. A flicker of discomfort crossed the boy's face, but he quickly returned to his inviting demeanor. "So, what are you waiting for?" he said, pulling me into the carriage with a strength uncharacteristic of his looks. Lily, still clutching my hand, was pulled in alongside me.
The boy quickly set up a table laden with an array of pastries. It almost felt like being back home, where my grandpa would spare no expense for my birthday party. Under the boy's eager gaze, we began to eat, the awkwardness palpable in the air as the carriage set into motion. He watched us intently, seemingly hanging on to our every reaction to each pastries we ate.
Breaking the thick silence that had settled in the carriage, the boy handed us a flier and a bag overflowing with food. "I-I'm the representative of the Cosmopolitan Culinary Club, and we prepared this breakfast in hopes that you'd consider checking us out or even joining," he explained. "My name is Drakaar, and, miss Elf, since you seemed puzzled about my nature unlike your friend here, I am a demi-vampire. I apologize for dragging you both in without your consent, but no one seemed willing to enter, and you appeared more open-minded than most of the freshers this morning. I couldn't bear the thought of wasting the hard work our members put into these pastries..."
His attempt at lightening the mood and start a conversation only seemed to make things even more awkward. When the carriage finally stopped, Lily was the first to leap out, and I followed more slowly. Drakaar looked genuinely upset by our hasty departure. With Lily urging me on, all I could offer was a quick apology before we stepped out of the carriage.
It dropped us right in front of the academy building's gate, which had been closed during the first day's visit. This time, it was wide open, revealing a garden teeming with students and tents hosting various stalls. Lily was on the verge of tossing the bag we received from the vampire to the garbage bin nearby, but I quickly intervened, telling her that I wouldn't mind keeping it for myself. She seemed indifferent to my decision, so I took the bag with me and we entered the club fair.