queenoflogs | (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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"And is destroying them really the only way to keep that from happening?"

"I would not expect less of this place, and it's the most convenient. Really, I don't see what the big deal is." It's not like Alice deals with things in rather strange ways!

"The big deal, young lady, is that you're willfully destroying such beautiful craftsmanship over what are seemingly petty reasons."

Yumeko didn't say anything, but she did back Shinki up with an emphatic nod.

"I-Do you know how many of them I make? Even if I were to just place them somewhere else or give them away, there would be so many that people would be drowning in dolls!"

"Maybe if you stopped blowing them up, you wouldn't make so many..."

Just saying.

"That reasoning does seem very circular," Yumeko agrees.

In the end, Alice only feels... overwhelming sadness that she is still the only one that can understand her own ways. She had thought that this might be different now, but it seems that it is only the same. She has no response for what is being said.

That... isn't lost on Shinki. A mother knows, after all. She exchanges a look with Yumeko for a brief moment before moving to embrace Alice once more. Yes, she may not understand her daughter's reasoning, but...

"... Regardless, I am proud of you. Don't ever forget that, okay? You are beautiful, talented, and brilliant..."

Yumeko doesn't join in this hug, either, but she does step closer, leaning aside to give Alice a friendly little nudge. She isn't one for physical contact very often, but that doesn't mean she can't smile gently and say, "And in any case, we're all here together now. No matter what, we want to be able to support you in whatever way we can."

And Alice can only reply by being sheepish and awkward. It really has been a while since she has been through this.