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 Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 3:27 pm
Every new update made to the shop metaplot will be posted here. Before each update there will be summary, so if you are too lazy to read the whole thing, you can at least get the gist of it.
Currently under construction…
Updates
06/22/07 - Updated with all thirteen segments of the Taking a Break for It arc.
04/05/07 - Updated with the summary of the Egyptian Death Festival Roleplay Event, Join in the Festivities.
09/04/06 - Updated with the summary of the Field Roleplay Event, Just the Beginning....
07/25/06 - The update Secret Meeting was added.
05/31/06 – The thread was made. The updates A Lively Buy and And So It Begins... were added.
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 3:44 pm
A Lively Buy
Users: Happyzac (Zac) & Kami.no.Kurai (MS)
Characters: Zac, Kami, Aki, unnamed boy
Setting: Outside and inside Bellus Pupa
Summary: Zac and Kami decide to stop by the doll shop Bellus Pupa. They speak to the shopkeeper named Aki, and Kami ends up buying herself one doll and Zac a set of two dolls. A few weeks later, they come alive, and now the two girls wish to find others in a similar situation.
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All conversation stopped as the two girls entered Bellus Pupa. The only sound came from the bell atop the door as it settled back into place, and after it stopped, then there was nothing. The shopkeeper gave the two girls a smile.
“Welcome,” came voice from her lips, “Welcome to Bellus Pupa.”
The two girls looked at each other. One tilted her head at the other, receiving a shrug for an answer. Even before someone entered the shop he could tell that it sold dolls, many of which we obviously made of porcelain. Now, within the store, the dolls seemed to be less happy and inviting.
The girl that had opened the door and caused the stillness grinned, turning so that her back was facing the shopkeeper and her companion. She was short, but she held her head high and shoulders back in such a way that it made her look much taller. “Well,” she whispered to her friend, “we are here, so we might as well look around, right?”
“But, Kami,” the other answered back, “the dolls… I don’t like their stare. They just look…evil. Even the happy ones.”
“I’ll protect you if they come to life and try to chop your head off,” Kami said sarcastically. “They’re dolls, Zac. Dolls are inanimate objects that cannot hurt you. Well, I guess if I threw at you it might hurt, but that would be me doing the hurting through doll, and that’s not the same thing…”
“Okay, but it’s not just that. It’s cold.” As if to illustrate her point, Zac pulled her coat closer around her and shivered. “Can we go somewhere else?”
“It’s not too cold,” Kami said, ignoring the fog from her warm breath. “Just suck it up, Zac.” Kami gave Zac a reassuring nod then turned back to face the shopkeeper. She made a quick grab for her friends hand and ran to the counter. “We are looking for some dolls.”
“Obviously you would come to a doll shop to look for dolls. If I am not mistaken, doll shops do usually sell dolls,” interrupted a voice from behind the counter.
“Is that an insult, boy?” Kami growled as she made a fist with her right hand.
“Kami, calm down…”
“Fine, Zac. He is just a boy after all. Wait… Why is there a boy in a doll shop?” Kami thought aloud. She leaned over the counter to a get a closer look at the young man. He skin was, she noticed, pale like many of the dolls in the shop. It stood from his jet black hair, black turtleneck, and black pants. His skin was not the thing she was interesting, however. It was the doll he held close to him in his hands. It stared back at her with lifeless eyes, frowning at the world in general. Kami leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. “And why does a boy have a doll? Boys aren’t supposed to play with dollies.”
“Kami, please,” Zac pleaded with her friend.
“No, wait… Zac, didn’t your cousin play with dolls? Of course, he always was… that way.”
The boy did not reply to her insults or do anything to show he had even heard. “Aki?”
The shopkeeper cocked her head at the sound of her name, but she did not turn to look at him. “Sir?”
“I will be leaving now. Make sure that these girls get exactly what they are looking for…” The boy quietly walked out the door. After he left the room it seemed to have gotten warmer, yet less life-like…
“What are you looking for?” Aki asked politely.
Zac gave another shiver from under Aki’s gaze. “Yes, what are we looking for?”
Kami thought for a moment. She hadn’t actually thought about what to get yet… She made her decision then nodded. She motioned the shopkeeper closer then leaned across to whisper in her ear. Aki nodded and ran into the back room. She came out with two decorative boxes, one twice the size of the other. She rang them up, and after Kami paid and filled out some forms, handed them to each of the girls. “Take good care of them. Come again.”
---
From here the story lies dormant… sort of. Just because no one can see the changes, that does not mean they are not happening… Over time the dolls began to change, becoming more human. They began to talk, move, feel, and think. After Zac was done being freaked out about her twin dolls, and Kami calmed down from being excited over her one doll, a thought popped up into their minds: what if there were other dolls like these? They set out to find other customers from the shop and bring the owners of the unusual dolls together. Of course, as Zac says, figure out what’s wrong…or something boring like that.
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 3:58 pm
And So It Begins…
Users: Kami.no.Kurai (MS)
Characters: Kami, Aki, unnamed shop owner
Setting: Inside Bellus Pupa
Summary: Kami slips out of her apartment without Zac, her children, or Yoru to go speak with the shopkeeper of Bellus Pupa. She asks Aki for information on other doll owners and informs Aki of her friend’s two dolls and her one doll coming to life. Aki speaks with the shop owner, who allows Aki to give Kami some information on a few doll owners so she can search them out.
Notes: Kami and Zac will come searching for all the owners who wish to be found. PM the shop mule if you are interested in a roleplay between them and your doll owner.
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Kami took hold of the cold doorknob and turned. She did not open it immediately but instead pushed it open, and then slowly allowed it to go back in place. This she did without a sound. She stepped out and—once again slowly—shut the door. Now she was right in her line of sight. She glanced up the stairs then began quietly toward the front gate. Kami had escaped Zac for now.
The lives of Zac and Kami completely changed when the three dolls awoke. When Kami had paid for the gift, and when Zac accepted the gift, they never expected their three precious dolls to spring—and fall—to life. Today Kami had decided to find out what was going on, and to do this she had to go to Bellus Pupa. She left her little Yoru in the hands of Zac’s little Tsurara in the morning so she could sneak off in the afternoon. So far, it was working.
And it continued to work as she found her short self out the front gate, down the street, and in front of the strange doll shop. Zac was still nowhere in sight when Kami opened the Bellus Pupa door, which she did a lot less slowly and quietly than her own door. The bell was still a-ringing from the top of the door when she made it to the cashier desk, where the shopkeeper known as Aki stood.
Aki had not changed from Kami’s last visit to the small store. She still wore her plan, earth-tone clothes. Her skirt, Kami knew, went nearly to the floor, concealing the lower half of her body in a light olive. Next come the long sleeves and button up shirt. This modest outfit was accompanied by a quiet, calm smile. It was the same smile that made Zac shudder that caused Kami to flinch now. And then, as if by habit, came the same, emotionless phrase from the shopkeeper’s lips. “Welcome,” her smile widened, sending shivers up Kami’s spine, “Welcome to Bellus Pupa.”
Kami brought her shoulders back, corrected her posture as much as possible, and still, she was short. But at least it made her feel bigger, and as long as she had confidence, she could win…or at least take a stab at it. “My friend and I… We purchased some dolls from you a few weeks ago…”
“I believe it was one doll and a set of two, right?” Aki questioned—happily, excitedly, energetically.
“Yes, that’s correct… Have you had any strange happenings with the dolls here?”
“No, ma’am. Have you had any problems with the dolls?”
“Yes-no-sorta… Yes, I think so. They came to life.” Kami waited for the shopkeeper’s reaction. She was expecting surprise, fright, or, possibly, happiness. What she wasn’t expecting was…
“Really? That’s strange… It hasn’t happened before.”
Kami took a step back. What kind of person could say that so calmly with a smile still plastered on his face? She let out a nervous laugh. Now she had to say what she came here to say… Great… “Can I…have the names and addresses of those who bought dolls form here? I want to know if it will happen again.”
Aki’s face did not change. “I’ll see what I can do.” And without another word, she was through the door into the back room, leaving Kami waiting impatiently in the shop.
---
Aki walked across the cold, concrete floor, her skirt brushing against the ground. Her shopkeeper smile remained the whole time. She stopped in the center of the dark room, beneath the dull light, and closed her eyes. “Sir,” she called out, “you are working on your sister, are you not? I am sorry to disturb you, but a customer had a request. She also had some interesting information, and you told me to tell you when I found something interesting…”
No one came into sight, but a voice called out from the darkness. “Your powers are increasing, Aki. That, too, is interesting.” It was a young, emotionless voice. There was tapping—like light feet clicking on concrete—and the voice became louder. “I’m listening, Aki. Tell me quickly or I shall go back to work.”
“She says her doll and her friend’s two dolls came to life. She has shown no proof, but I did not sense that she was lying. I do sense it on her, sir. She wants information on other customer’s so she can track done other similar dolls.”
“That is…interesting.” Silence. The silence of someone thinking. “I will allow it for now. The customers may be against it, and the law may be against it… But it is so much easier to study something when they are all together. Give her the names and addresses of the last few bought. She will not know it, but she has to prove this is worth my time and customer loyalty. You get back to work so I can.”
---
With some more tapping of feet, and some more brushing of skirts, Aki came back to Kami with an answer. Aki talked little as she gathered some papers from beyond the locked counters beneath the desk. Kami took them, also silent. The silence was finally broken by Aki as Kami opened the door. “Be careful.” And Kami left, the warning quickly lost and forgotten.
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:49 pm
Secret Meeting
Users: None
Characters: Aki, unnamed shop owner
Setting: Inside Bellus Pupa
Summary: After Kami took the information, it seems the shop owner of Bellus Pupa has been spying on the owners using them. Since they have yet to gather anything of use, they are sending out invitations, but to what exactly?
Notes: Also see here
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The quiet shopkeeper stood in front of her boss, not a least but frightened beneath his hidden gaze. He sat at his desk, the dim light barely reaching his dark form. How did this mysterious man remain cloaked in the darkness? How does his pale skin, slightly glowing in the dark, forget to give off the detail of his thin body? An aura of such darkness surrounded him and the doll dressed in royal purples. He stroked the head of the porcelain girl as he sat in thought.
“So,” he finally said, his voice slightly raspy from lack of speaking, “did you get any useful information? Did that woman lie to you?”
She answered back in an overly happy tone, much different from his emotionless voice, “No, sir. Sorry, sir. I pried them for information just like you said, but they refuse to give me any information worthwhile.” She straightened up and stared at the wall behind the man. Perhaps she found the black, empty void more welcoming from that of the shop’s owner? Or maybe she simply got tired of staring down at the man in the chair?
“You got me nothing?”
“I did learn that one of our customers died, sir… There really isn’t anything of interest.”
He stopped stroking the pale being’s head. Instead he wrapped his arms around the doll and began to lean on the raven black hair. He made a clicking sound with his mouth as he fixed his next words in his mind. After a few moments he spoke again, “Make sure that all the addresses are right on the invitations. I also need you to contact him… I may need his help.”
“Yes, sir.” Aki began to turn to go—to walk down the dark pathway of boxes back toward the bright, dead shop—but he grabbed her arm. She did not move or change expressions as he pulled her toward him. She smiled aimlessly at him, herself now almost hidden in the blackness. “Sir?”
“Your hair, Aki… It’s a mess.” His voice suddenly changed, then. It was not warm, but it had a certain calm, motherly feel to it. He straightened her hair, fixing the auburn strands back into their appropriate places. He let go and still she smiled. Without a word she began to leave, but he spoke up, “Remember to feed Akisa.”
“Yes, sir.” And she left him to return to the light through the door.
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 3:34 pm
Just the Beginning...
Information: Below
Setting: Field Fair
Summary: The Bellus Pupa owner announced a raffle for two dolls. 'Bob' awarded a plushie to Cal (Flamefire123) for winning a raffle. He also randomly sold two-for-one plushies to Naiya (infidelities). No one was able to buy the dolls at the event, though the owner said he would sell them at the shop. The event ended, but not before revealing a little about the NPCs. The golden one ends up giving one of his rings from his shop to 'Bob' to test out. Bob also gave out his shop card to all the buyers, but unfortunately (or possibly fortunately) for them the address just leads you to an abandoned shop. 'Bob' has also agreed to do research on something for Bellus Pupa.
Link: x
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An invitation was sent out, the words ‘Bellus Pupa’ lavishly written in cursive on the front. All those who bought a doll from the small shop received it. The reader may open the letter, possibly wondering how the people at Bellus Pupa knew where to send, forgetting they had filled out a form on the day of their first purchase. Inside the card reads:Invitation You have been invited to a meeting of the doll lovers on August 8th, 2006. This is no normal meeting, however, a
nd you and any other people you bring will be greeted with shops, food, and rides. Here you can meet others like you and have fun doing it!
P.S. Do not forget to bring your doll and invitation!
---
What was once a plain field has now been transformed, as those who come to the Bellus Pupa meeting shall see. Around the meeting place (which was not, however, the whole field) a gate had been put up. There was one entrance at the front, facing the road. The shop keeper Aki stands out front, taking up the invitations from partygoers. As she receives the cards she has the person right his/her name down in a little black book, for future reference. It also seems curious people without an invitation showed up. Aki wrote these people down in the book as well and allowed them in, as long as they were fully clothed, of course.
Once the person is inside the fence, he/she sees something similar to a small fair. There a few rides, such a merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, and some funny looking spinning spider thing, perfect for a playful prairie dog. There was, too, an above-ground swimming pull, for any of those water-loving people. Whoever set this up conveniently has swimsuits for sell beside the pool area, too. Far more interesting than the pool was an almost bare area, where there was a strange tree perfect for a cat to climb and grass for a pretty cow to chew. Maybe the people who set this up decided not to uproot the tree and left the area bare, but who knows?
Greater than all of this was the shop area. Here there were food stands selling all kinds of food, from delectable chocolate and ice cream to Italian and Japanese food. One stand seemed to stick out, though, with a large sign. The writing on it was complete gibberish, unfortunately, but it was obvious this person sold plushies. The man was shouting at the top of his lungs, over the crowd and machines, to speak of his stuffed animals. He sometimes jumped on the table, and even a few lucky people had plushies thrown at them, before he snatched them back to return to his pile. One may question his mental status, but why should that matter when he is selling these things at such a great price?
In the middle of all these things was a stage. On it four chairs were placed, behind a podium. On this podium, however, was a fake raven, ever watchful eyes placed behind the microphone.
Someone may wonder how this was all set up so quickly, and how all this stuff came about here. The answer? The owner of Bellus Pupa has connections. He has money, too, to fuel this doll hobby of his.
Now let’s see how many come to see all this…
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 3:35 pm
Join in the Festivities
Information: Below
Setting: Inside Divinations
Summary: People have showed up for the event, and Sasha is watching them closely. He has noticed the winged-girl named Naiya (Sindorei), the boy with whiskers and a tail called Paven (Flamefire123), and four moving dolls, including Kerri (Bootchu), Dusty (Bootchu), Suki (Zan-chan), and Yoru (Kami.no.Kurai). These must be important, right? The boy, Eicca, also brought in his own, lifeless doll, as well as three others. The first two are the Egyptian-themed dolls. The third was handed to Hansi, who picked Renn (Sindorei) as the new owner. So far, nothing more interesting than some dancing and frenching has occured. Unless, of course, one counts the creepy-crawlies Leran (RubyJenn) left at the refreshment stand while Hansi was distracting Sasha. Poor Evella (Evella), found the creatures, and Sasha seems to blame Hansi partially for the ruckus. Sasha has now pulled Hansi into the back room to set up for the ceremony, and it seems he has caused even more problems back there. Sasha finally called everyone back in and started the ceremony, but something went wrong... All those wearing a mask have changed and gained animal features according to the mask they wear, and the employee Lucas collapsed. Sasha left Leran (RubyJenn), Eicca, and Hansi in charge while he left to take care of his employee. A few more customers joined Sasha, including Ruri (WindRiderNaya), who was in search of a doll. After scolding Sasha about losing him, Eicca found Sebastian (WindRiderNaya), and Sasha sold him to her. In the back room Hansi babbled on as he tried to come up with a way to fix things, and he now has a plan. He has decided to use the doll Sebastian (WindRiderNaya) as bait to lure the animal souls back. Hansi handed the doll to Leran (RubyJenn) and told him to stand in the middle with the bait while he chanted. After doing so, the souls left the people, diverging on Sebastian (WindRiderNaya), and the animal features disappeared. It also seems Lucas awoke afterwards, too. After they usher everyone out of the store, Sasha, Eicca, and Hansi have a strange conversation, Benji, another strange man, came to take Hansi home. Now all Sasha and Eicca need to do is stop any more dolls from coming to life...
Link: x
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The man glided around the shop, making final adjustments for the opening day, September 13, 2006. He grinned at his work, hidden behind the display case at the front of store, dark and colorful behind the curtain. He stood out from his shop, dressed in his bright gold and white, skin full of life, unlike that of his worker. He stepped into the back room, making last minute checks of his workplace. Nothing could go wrong tonight; he could not injure (or kill) customers, now could he? Money… Gold… This shop owner loved the color, the power it gave… It was only right for him to have some.
But something did go wrong. No matter how perfect one thinks he is, there is always a mistake. No one arrived, despite the flyers and letters. How could someone not come to his shop? His perfect shop? His perfect event? Inadequate help, of course.
The excitement was now gone; his lips no longer smiling, but snarling angrily at the single employee. “How could you put the wrong date on the invitation, and one so far off at that? You cannot make mistakes! Where is the perfection, you worthless piece of trash? No, you’re worse than trash… You useless, valueless, ugly human!”
The employee stood there, simply staring at his attacker. His face remained emotionless; he did not flinch when his boss began to physically threaten him. The first reaction came when the other began to babble on in some other language, and only then was it a slight bow of the head.
The abuse finally stopped. He had grown tired of attacking such a stupid thing. Now all he had to do was figure out how to fix it. “The date does not matter. I can fix it… Now I just have to figure out how to fix you.”
---
The Bellus Pupa customers may be confused by the letter they received, written much like first. On the front, however, it said Divinations, and inside it read:Invitation Dear Bellus Pupacustomer,
We invite you to Divinations on October 2, 2006. On that day we will celebrate the Egyptian Lantern Festival, also known as the Egyptian Death Festival. Bellus Pupa customers will receive something for free. Refreshments will be available.
---
The day had finally come for the ‘Death Festival’. Everything was set up in the small little shop. The jewelry and other items were stacked in their normal shelves, and the prices slightly lowered. A table was against the far wall, a bowl containing blood red punch, cups, cookies, and small cakes arranged neatly on it for all who entered. In the middle of the shop was a table covered with a maroon sheet. On top of the silk cover were masks, and beside them a sign. It read:
“All Bellus Pupa customers are allowed a free mask. Please show your invitation to the employee, and he will allow you to pick one. Non-Bellus Pupa customers and Bellus Pupa customers seeking a second mask must pay the price on the tag.”
The employee—the only man employed at the strange shop—was the one who had taken the abuse only a week ago. As always he remained lifeless, except for blinking eyes and beating heart. When spoken to he says little, if anything at all.
The door is held open, and an advertisement for the event was written on the store window. The owner stands out front for now, welcoming everyone who seems interested and inviting the rest.
“Welcome,” he says to the people, his voice happy and cheerful, holding some mystery in its tone, “Please come in. Today we are holding an Egyptian festival. Prices have been lowered just for this day. Welcome.” He smiles—a perfect, white smile—and motions toward the open door. He was not scarily cheerful like shopkeeper Aki but inviting nonetheless. “Please remain out of the back room for now.”
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 4:50 pm
Now Presenting...
Users: None
Characters: Sasha, Hansi
Summary: For a winter surprise, Hansi sent out some special presents. Of course, this required Sasha's help. The boxes have now opened, however, releasing imps to wreak havoc...
Roleplay: x
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How come Bellus Pupa is so obsessed with its customers? One may say something about “pleasing the customer,” but nothing is ever right with them, is it? And of course, the people related are no more normal than the shop itself. First of all, there is the errand boy of Bellus Pupa named Eicca who clings to his doll, always shaking but voice steady. Then there is the elegant owner of Divinations Alexander, better known as Sasha, who is all salesman and magic but too selfish to really be helpful. No one could forget about Hansi and his over-excited, hyper ways and even stranger stories, forever flailing his arms and jumping. Do not allow him to get close to sharp objects, please. And no, we cannot tell you what he does. He’s just there. The other employees are no different; Bellus Pupa’s Aki is the overly cheerful clerk who always agrees, and Lucas is the drone of a man of Divinations.
Once again these people are back, and undoubtedly they have brought more trouble. It is up the customer, however, whether to continue to playing these games with them. They have sent out two packages to each person they could, all of which related to one of the two shops. Now, some may wonder they got their address, or how it found the exact owner. Let’s just say Sasha has his sources, and he will not give out his secrets. Yet. Be patient and continue to play.
Now if one does so, he will see both packages are marked from ‘Bob’, and according to the packaging, one should open the plain box first. Inside will be a CD, each with some nice little stick-figure drawings from Hansi. If one goes even farther and plays the CD, this is what he shall hear:
“This is Sasha, owner of the shop Divinations. Some of you may have heard of it, but if you have not, you must have heard of Bellus Pupa. Either that, or Hansi is just crazy.
“It is this craziness that causes me to speak to you instead of him. He would break something, and I will not pay for anything for him unless he gives me something in return. Plus, you will probably understand my directions better, for he can never stay on topic or explain.
“Now that the introduction is all over, I will fully explain the second package. Inside is a present from Hansi for the winter holidays. As most of you are probably thinking, this is a bit late. Hansi likes to start after New Years instead of following the crowd. Of course, I had to be the one to catch and package each one, but he paid me to do it for you. He will not allow me to say more and spoil the surprise, but he hopes you will enjoy it. A warning: Hansi chose this, and his gifts are never normal. Please do not open it immediately; make sure you are prepared for what is inside. If you wish for it to be gone, simply catch it in a bottle. I cannot give you any more help than that.”
“HANSI-BOB LOVES ALL OF YOU!!! AND HE WANTS A PRESENT BUT SASHA SAYS HE’S TOO BIG FOR ONE AND THINKS I WILL JUST BREAK IT BUT I KNOW I WON’T BECAUSE I CAN BE A GOOD BOY TOO!!!”
“Shut up. Hey, stop messing with that! HANSI!”
And there is no more.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:11 pm
Making a Break for It
Users: Kami.no.Kurai (MS)
Characters: Kami, Milena, Illias, Sasha, Hansi, Eicca
Setting: Hospital, Milena's apartment, Divinations, Hansi's place
Summary: Kami was called to the hospital by her coworker Milena. It turns out she had seen Yoru before, and she had a doll of her own from Bellus Pupa. When she went to see him at Milena's apartment, she found him broken. She took him to Divinations, believing Sasha would be able to get him help. They went to Hansi's place to fix him. Eicca was called in to repair him, and Hansi called back the soul. He is not a normal doll, though, and he seems to have guilt towards something. Sasha had to place a seal on him. Milena died, leaving everything up to Kami. Sasha convinced Kami to leave the doll, named Illias, with him.
Notes: All post from this one until post 5 on page 2 are all part of the same arc. In other words, this arc stops when you see END.
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If one listened closely between grumbles, moaning, and squeaky wheels, one could here a sudden expulsion of air quickly followed by hacking. Kami hated the smell of the hospital, and just as always she had held her breath as long as she could before breathing in, but a quick breath just caused her more pain when the air went down the wrong tube, sending her searching for a support against the wall to let the coughing subside. She gave up avoiding the smells; the over-cleanliness hurt her senses, but it was better than going into a coughing fit again. Plus, the light—the bright, glaring lights—were more annoying. The whiteness of the lights stung her eyes, which were used to the more yellow glow of normal lights, but they did something more. They reminded her of Zac and of that place…well, they reminded her of Zac. Even though she usually found comfort in her memories of her friend, it was bothering her today at the hospital. The fact she had not seen Zac much lately was frightening in itself, and the whole idea that she had been away from her for so long to take care of Bellus Pupa things, leaving the world to deal with the crazy woman without her caretaker…well, it made he feel horribly responsible for any trouble the woman had gotten into. But there was no way to avoid the lights of hospital and those memories, but she attempted anyways, slipping away into a hospital room.
And then she stopped, staring at the person in the bed before hurriedly finding a seat, nervously fidgeting. Uneasy, she squirmed in the seat under the watchful eye of the woman. It was not the look she gave Kami; it was a warm—though weak—smile. No, she was once again wiggling through her memories of prior hospital visits—for her grandfather and her sister—and even though they turned out well, it bothered her.
Finally, the woman answered, the smile unchanging, “Thanks for coming, Kami. It really means a lot to me.”
“No problem, Milena.” Squirm. Fidget. Twitch. Clear throat. Twitch again.
“I know I never told you what I called you here for, and that was probably bothersome, but you see, I wanted to talk in person about,” she chose her words carefully, her eyes every once in a while flitting toward the closed door, cautiously watching for any person who may interrupt her. “It’s about Bellus Pupa.”
And then, no more twitching. In fact, the sudden stillness may have been even stranger than the nervous fidgeting, and it was definitely more nerve-wracking on Kami. No, this was no how it worked. She called them. “The d-doll shop?” Kami quickly stuttered, a sudden stroke of genius in playing dumb.
Milena did not reply immediately, first taking the time to smooth down the sheet over her body, trying to make it perfect as she bided her time. “I saw him, Kami. You know, that day. He caused some problems, but I can’t say I didn’t find it funny…”
And now it was time for Kami’s jaw to drop. If her grandfather saw her now, some phrase involving the word “flies” would have quickly been mentioned and her mouth would closed, but no one did that now, so it remained opened. It was more out of anger than shock, for she had threatened Yoru many times about being seen in public, and normally he followed her words… “You…did…?”
The smile on Milena’s face strengthened, but one could still see how feeble it and the rest of her body was. She began to grab parts of the sheets over her, pulling them up so they were like little mini-tents on her hospital bed, destroying the work she had just made. “I have a doll, too. I need you to do something for me…something for him.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:12 pm
Kami had to shield her eyes as she walked out of the hospital, welcoming the annoying lights of the building now that she had seen the sun. She was by no means vampiric in her hate for sunlight but rather a hermit; she preferred staying inside away from the dreadful thing in the warm lights of her apartment. Even though she was once again trying to avoid the light provided, she would not return to the hospital; she had enough discomfort for today.
She had been given a message and duty by Milena, and she would be quick to do it, hoping to get it over with and return to her normal life. She cared very little about what was going on, believing she had enough to deal with in her normal life without things being passed onto her, but she also felt it was has her duty to help. Despite her conflicting emotions, she had immediately decided she would do her best. She respected her coworker enough to do that.
But she was not going to do this without complaining. Mainly these grumbles were about Yoru, who had started all this. It was his fault she was investigating Bellus Pupa. It was his fault she was searching the streets for Milena’s house, glancing unsurely at the hand-drawn map. If he had just done as she said and stayed away while she went to work, this never would have happened. Of course, he had only disobeyed once. Unless….What if he had snuck out other times and Kami was too preoccupied to notice? She would have to get after that doll when she got home.
But for now she was not home. Instead, she was standing in front of an apartment building, waving her arms around in triumph. The whole time she made her way to the room she was searching through her pockets, pulling out lint and clean tissue she had never used before finally finding the keycard. With her highly-trained keycard skills, she swiped in one swift motion, holding just long enough for the door to recognize it, and then she opened the door and stepped in.
If only Kami had remained in the hospital. She fell against the closed door, backing into the corner. Scattered porcelain pieces littered the ground, and within the fray lied a body, its face smashed in.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:13 pm
It took some time before Kami’s mind began working again, though one may describe it more as her mind slowing down rather than starting up. The doll’s body had sent her mind spiraling, her thoughts going by so fast she had no time to really consider or remember them as she regarded every possibility and solution. The slowing down didn’t help either, but it gave her time to move, to pick up the pieces of her mind before gathering the porcelain fragments of the doll.
She was too stunned to think, too out of it to find the weapon, too shocked to check if anyone else was in the apartment…But she was able to think of Milena, but no ideas came to her mind. How could you explain this to a woman in the hospital? This doll was the size of a child, just like Tsurara and Kori, and she had to have grown attached to it. It was her son. She could not tell her, not now. She would fix him. She would find a way.
But the only way she knew was through Bellus Pupa. That would be fun to explain: “I am here with someone else’s broken doll which just happens to be the size of a human child, but don’t worry about that because I just want him put back together and I will be on my way.” No, she could not go directly to the shop, to the people with the files who would ask questions. She would get there indirectly. She would go to Divinations.
---
Kami felt like a murderer trying to hide the body, which was ironic in the fact that she was trying to fix the body instead. Stumbling through Milena’s apartment, sorting through her stuff as she looked for something useful, she found a bag just the right size for the boy’s body and the pieces. She hoped she had collected everything, but she doubted it, even now with the heavy bag over her shoulder. Her only hope now was Divinations.
Even with this fact, she was just standing outside, staring at the front door with a glazed look. She couldn't bring herself to go in, to walk into that place for a third time. She had promised herself she would avoid the shop, but here she was, willingly walking right into it, or least trying to walk into it.
“If you keep standing there like that, you will scare off my other customers. Please move somewhere else or come in if you wish to continue.”
In any normal circumstance, the sudden sound of a voice would have sent her staggering backwards in surprise, eyes searching around frantically for the source. She had gone though too much today for that; she was too tired to move anything more than her eyes, which find the shopkeeper leaning against the wall, just slightly to the right of her normal range of vision. “I need your help.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:14 pm
Even Sasha, as cold as he was, agreed to help, smiling as he took the bag from Kami and led her to the back room, where Hansi was cheerfully tinkering with an object, beads strewn across the floor as he picked it apart over his lap. Normally Kami would have immediately backed away from Hansi, who’s lunacy she feared, but instead she ignored him, turning to Sasha and babbled an explanation to him. She left out names and places, giving only the details she thought mattered. As she spoke Sasha was carefully picking through the bag, listening without making eye contact but intently asking questions.
When her explanation finally came to a close, Kami was quick to leave and let them work. She trusted them to fix the problem, but she was not prepared to trust them with her own well-being. Bobbing up and down, Hansi followed the disoriented woman to the front door. “Bye, Miss Lady Person Who’s Name I Never Asked For But I Should Know But I Don’t Know! WE’LL MAKE HIM ALL BETTER LIKE!” He giggled once as he waved, but she never looked back, hurrying home to think about what she would say to Milena…
Hansi gave an excited hiccup as he closed the door, still watching Kami disappear among the streets. When she was finally out of sight, he finally turned back around, marching toward the back room. “Luca, we need you to run the store alone. I need you to call Eicca and tell him we have a doll with which he will be interested. Tell him to bring his supplies as well because we will need his experience with the dolls. Also—“
“—tell him we will be meeting at Hansi’s place.” Once again Sasha was smiling, leaning against the doorframe to the back room with his arms folded across his chest.
Hansi stopped his tracks, screwing his face up in confusion. “My place…?”
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:15 pm
By the time Eicca arrived, Sasha had taken each piece out of the bag, laying the body out on the table next to the pieces from his face. One may wonder why Hansi was not helping, but it was probably for the best if one did not want there to be more pieces than with what they started. Instead, he was leaning back in his chair with his legs up on the table, balancing a pencil on his nose….
…until Eicca grabbed it, throwing it across the room, where it landed in a pile of books in front of an empty bookshelf. “Why did you call me? I have better things to do than to mess with lunatics like you.” He dropped his bag to the ground, but he did remove his eyes from Hansi.
Without warning, Hansi twisted the chair around, matching Eicca’s glare with his own stare. “Just do what Hansi says without asking questions. Hansi will explain himself.”
“I still don’t see why—“
“Just listen to him, boy. We are in his realm now, and here we must abide by his rules.” Sasha glanced upwards once toward Eicca, as if to make sure he understood, before going back to his work…Now, which piece went where…
“Oh, I’d gladly have my Sascha take me to his realm, but he never will!”
“Shut up and get to work. Go get your stuff. We only came here because you are equipped to deal with these things. Eicca, start putting this doll back together. Do it quickly. I do not know the time limit when it comes to these souls. We could have gotten someone else to do it, but we trusted you to know enough to fix it.” The man, always dressed in gold, pushed away from the table, letting the wheels of the chair do most of the work before standing, gliding away to another part of the room. Hansi gave a salute, yelling as he ran away into another room, coattail flying behind him. “Eicca, I hope you are enjoying your dolls now…”
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:16 pm
It took time to put the poor doll back together, but exactly how long was lost in “Hansi’s realm.” Eicca merely worked, painstakingly finding each piece and rebuilding the poor boy’s face. He sometimes dropped pieces, creating even more work for himself, when Sasha yelled at him to hurry, shaking violently with anger each time he was given orders. It did not help that he had never worked on a subject this big before, at least when it came it repairing, so he was traveling in unfamiliar territory under the glaring eyes of Sasha. The shopkeeper was walking back and forth, just slow enough so one could not consider it pacing as he eyed strange objects in the room. He was speaking to himself in some strange language. Hansi sometimes answered him, but whether the maniac actually understood or just wanted to hear the sound of his own voice was hard to tell. What one could tell was that he was slightly bored, twitching and fidgeting in his seat as he watched Eicca work.
And when he was finally done, he did not stay to admire his work. “It’s not my best job, but under these conditions—“ he gave an angry glance toward Sasha, “—it was the best I could do. Now I need to get home to Akisa… And my father. I have to check on him. Call me if anything of importance happens.” As if making up for his slow pace, Eicca threw everything he brought into his bag, running out the door without looking back. This was not without almost tripping, of course.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:17 pm
“He’s a funny boy,” Hansi said, still giggling from Eicca’s exit as he grabbed hold of the table, pulling himself closer to the doll’s body. The face may have been back together, but one could tell it had been repaired, for cracks still crossed the eyes and face. He nudged the body once, but it did not move. “It’s sad.”
“Get to work.”
“Geez, my Sascha likes giving orders, doesn’t he?”
“Why do you ask questions to which you know the answers?”
“I don’t know the answers. I can only assume them, unlike you, who thinks he knows the answers.”
“Work.”
The lunatic giggled once more before leaping from the chair, scrambling toward a desk. After a few moments he returned to the body, plopping the strange objects in a pile next to it. He was like a mad scientist, equipped with bizarre tools as he attempted to bring his creation to life. Technically it was Bellus Pupa’s creation, and Hansi was merely bringing him back to life. Oddly, Hansi did not have the smile of a mad scientist; his usually grin was not there. This may have been even more frightening as he began to work on the body.
---
How many hours had it been since Kami dropped the doll off at Divinations? She could not keep count, for she was too busy worrying over the doll and Milena. She was upset with herself for not saving him in time, and the fact she could not even remember the doll’s name…well, she just couldn’t be happy with herself. Not only that, she never did look around to find out what actually happened, and now she wanted to know… How would she explain it to Milena? How could she say she was too shocked and scared to discover the truth behind it? That she did not tell her immediately? She just couldn’t. Not right now. And unfortunately, she could not bring herself to go back to Milena’s apartment, to search around for answers. No, not until she knew it was safe. That she knew that the doll was safe.
And then she got the phone call. Kami never was any good with phones, and her current state didn’t help any as she stammered out a hello. She only heard bits and pieces from the woman on the other line, but one sentence stuck out… “It seems that Milena has no family, and she listed you as her only contact…” Oh no, the hospital. Not now. She was trembling already, and she didn’t need anything else right now.. “We are sorry to inform you…” And then she dropped the phone.
---
Hansi had used many different items on the body of the boy, none of which seemed to actually do anything to his physical appearance, most of which didn’t even touch the body. The whole thing seemed slightly questionable, in the least, and most of his actions received an eyebrow raise from the watching Sasha. He mumbled as he worked, most of it in English. It was like he was reading, and he had to move his lips as he did so in order to understand the words. The only thing was, he wasn’t reading. He wasn’t talking to himself, either. He was just talking.
And then he was finished, pushing away from the table with a sigh and a low grumble. Hansi smiled at the body—the boy, a sane, sincere smile. Slowly, the doll opened his eyes, gulped for air…
And then he screamed.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:19 pm
It must have been a strange sight to see. Hansi was shaking his hands back and forth worriedly, whining that he didn’t know what to do about the boy, who was still yelling on the table beside him. The boy, upon awakening, had let out the awful shriek before shooting to an upward position, thrashing about slightly, even knocking some of the odd instruments to the ground. He was crying now, the reason for Hansi’s concern and confusion.
“What did I do? What did I do?” he screamed between sobs, over and over around the gulps of air.
“I don’t know! I don’t know!” Hansi screeched right back, now pacing in a spot so tight it was like he was just walking in a circle. “Sascha, what do I do? What do I do?”
“You get out of my way.” In one swift motion, Sasha marched up to the frantic Hansi, pushing him to the floor. He leaned over the table to look the doll in the eyes, through the tears. He did not wear his salesman smile, instead taking on an emotionless face. Gracefully, he raised his arm, mumbled something, and laid his hand on the boy’s face. The yelling stopped, Hansi sat still, and the boy fell back onto the table with a clunk.
“You better not have killed him.”
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