queenoflogs | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Characters: Alice, Shinki, Yumeko.
Date: Some...time after September 19th.
Summary: Family reunion.
Warnings: There should be none, but will update if something happens.

Alice was usually a bit more composed then she is right now. However, having such a sudden meeting with her mother, Shinki, who she hasn't seen in several years by now, managed to rattle her a bit. Although the conversation seemed to go well, and everything didn't go badly, Alice just couldn't help herself from feeling anxious. There was also a certain maid around, who has been for some time, and Alice felt bad for completely missing her. Now she has to deal with the very real possibility that one of them, or both, would likely be at her door, just not knowing when.

As such, Alice became a little frantic in making sure her house was suitable. She blocked off access to Marisa's old room, with a simple sign making it seem like it was just a storage room containing valuable, and possibly dangerous, material. Cleaning up was a given, and she had given some time to ponder if she should do something with her dolls. There was also the fact she had a Chinese gatekeeper staying in her house, but there wasn't exactly much she could do about that without coming off as too much of a jerk.

Really, the hardest thing about all this is the fact she doesn't know when this will happen. The fact they will come is expected but who knows when. Which leaves Alice sitting at a table, just waiting for a knock.

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It's been years since something like this ever happened, so she isn't quite used to it. She did indeed feel awkward, but Alice herself couldn't place the reason. Maybe it was because she couldn't maintain her normal attitude, or perhaps she wanted to do things she wouldn't let herself do. Or maybe she was just caught by surprise, and hates herself for that.

After hearing Yumeko's idea, Alice felt the need to speak after that, even if it sounded a bit shaken. "We can go inside if you want... but please don't mind how it looks."

She's talking about the army of dolls visible on her walls.

"Right, right... All apologies. I let my emotions get the best of me for the moment," Shinki released both girls, straightening out her dress. "Well then, let us see how our dear Alice lives, hmm?" And away they go...

... Somehow she either hasn't noticed the dolls yet, or just plain isn't reacting to them.

Yumeko did glance around at the dolls with more interest than Shinki seemed to be showing, but it wasn't a critical sort of look so much as a curious one. Everyone had hobbies, after all.

"I should apologize as well. Alice, I had no idea you were here. I even thought of you while speaking to someone else, but— If I had realized, I would have come to see you much sooner."

Alice certainly had little idea what to do, now that they were inside, but what Yumeko said was at least something for her to reply to.

"Ah, no. I've been here long enough to know to look around once in a while. I should be the one apologizing." She wanted to say more, but she keeps herself from asking who Yumeko was talking about, but wonders only to herself.

Shinki turned her attention to the dolls, making her way over and carefully examining one of them, Hourai by the looks of it.

"My goodness... Alice, your craftsmanship is amazing!"

"There's no need for you to apologize at all! I had thought it best to simply acquaint myself with the area. If I had asked around..."

But then Shinki spoke, cutting off further apologies from the maid.

She'll get back to you one day, sword maid.

"Ah, thank you. There's more around the house... but if you look around, there's a room next to mine that you shouldn't enter. It's a storage closet of mine, and the contents are... fragile, in several different meanings."

"Well that just makes me curious... But I'll be a good mom and not violate my daughter's privacy," Shinki chuckled, turning her attention back to the dolls.

"They're so beautiful... They're far and away from the old ball jointed dolls you had as a child."

Yumeko turned her attention to the doll Shinki was examining as well. "Is that really surprising, Shinki-sama? She's had quite a bit of time to practice since then."

Alice ponders for a moment, before taking the time to spring one of her dolls to 'life'. She doesn't have it do much, only makes it stand up and bow.

"Oh! Oh my!" Shinki, not expecting it to move, hops back a bit, staring in wide wonder.

"Ah!" She gasps as much because of Shinki hopping back as the doll moving, Yumeko scrambling to make sure she maintains an adequate amount of distance.

Oh, that was funny. But Alice had to keep herself from laughing. Instead, she has the doll mimic the surprise of the two. All in good fun of course.

"My goodness... This is amazing! Is she alive? Alice, have you tapped into that power?!" Shinki was absolutely ecstatic, thinking Alice had finally learned to follow in her foot steps.

Yumeko, for her part, just leaned around Shinki to look at the doll more closely. It would be rude to pick it up or otherwise touch it without permission... But...

"Ah... no, I haven't managed that yet. What you see is what I am controlling myself." Alice said this herself, not speaking through the doll. "Though, I am trying to work towards that..."

"This is remarkably close as it is... Such control is amazing! Alice, you truly have bloomed into fantastic magician. I'm so proud!" It was time for another hug. No warning for this one, either.

And, again, Yumeko intended to merely watch the hug from the sidelines. This time, though, she couldn't help but giggle at the going-ons in front of her, even as she opened her mouth to say, "Shinki-sama is right. It looks like you've been hard at work, so you have reason to be proud of yourself."

Alice didn't react with surprise this time. But that was because she was a little confused to begin with.

"... Why are you so proud that I can control one like that? That's really nothing much." A doll moving like a normal person, EH, SIMPLE STUFF.

"Oh would you listen to this girl, Yumeko? So modest~" Shinki laughed, patting Alice's shoulders. "The ability to do what you do is quite rare, Alice, even if you think it simple."

"Hm. Maybe she just thinks it's embarrassing to hear her mother say those kinds of things?" Oh no. Now she sounded like she was...teasing! This reunion really must have made her happy if she was loosening up so much. "In any case, it's certainly more versatile a skill than what I and a lot of other people can do. That alone makes it impressive."

Not that Yumeko was a magician herself, but still. Sword generation was fairly limited in scope.

This was actually a bit annoying, not that she would admit it. She wasn't being modest, or embarrassed here. She was being perfectly honest when she said that this was simple. And to prove that point, after a few moments a swarm of around fifty dolls should all fly in, and all speaking with the same cute voice.

"Actually, controlling one doll is rather simple."

"Goodness gracious..." Actually that was more than a bit creepy.

"Ah! There's so many..."

"Tell me, if controlling one deserves the praise that you gave, what does this warrant?" Did Alice have an air of being smug? Possibly.