A Reunion
After a lengthy talk with his mother and Mari, Sho was somehow able to manage a peaceful acceptance of his situation.
After all their speculations, all he knew was that his dreams and visions were linked to the shop. Whether it was an idyllic scene of an outdoor picnic in the summer sun, or a terrifying nightmare of a death by fire, Nino and the doll's faces featured prominently in each of them. His "dreams" although not necessarily linear, followed a coherent sequence that made sense to Sho, and it felt as though he was revisiting a memory, rather than having a dream. It was something he just knew, but was too afraid to confront. He still wasn't sure about his healing abilities, but his intuition tells him that it might be connected to them too.
Either way, the only thing he had left to do was to confront his fears and hope there will be answers to his questions.
***
Sho woke up to a tranquil Sunday morning wrapped in the fleecy, cream-colored sheets of his king-sized bed. He fell into a deep and even sleep, blissfully free of disturbing dreams about talking dolls, or nightmares of fire and blood. Sho stretched out his arms and rolled to his side, his eyes lingering briefly at the miniature panda plushie that Mari placed beside him. He then yawned and clutched a cushy white pillow to his chest while his sleepy mind slowly bloomed into awareness, idly mulling over the small and trivial details of his clean and spacious room.
His gaze wandered from the bookshelves filled with old hardcover volumes of childhood fairy tales written by his mom, and encyclopedias whose bindings were nearly coming off of its spines. Newer textbooks on print and broadcast journalism were eventually added to this collection during his years in the university, and earned their place alongside thick volumes of manga and photo books, collected during his teens. Boxes of CDs and LPs filled with music from classical to hip-hop, stood in a quiet, undisturbed pile next to his bookshelves, and the old posters of the musical artists he grew to love, framed between stiff layers of black illustration boards, still adorned the whitewashed walls of his old room, gathering dust beneath the slightly faded gloss of the magazine cutout.
Although he had been living on his own for a couple of years now, in many ways, the mansion was still his home. Much of the things he truly treasured remained in this room and he couldn't quite bear the thought of moving them out and bringing them into his small apartment. The power of his old home, filled with the warmth of his happy memories put his frantic heart at ease and convinced him that things would eventually work themselves out somehow. Sho turned to lie on his back and stretched out both legs, staring vacantly at the ceiling. It felt as though he had never left home at all, and it was in moments like these that Sho was grateful for his mom's sentimentalism and her insistence on leaving Sho's room exactly as it was, even though he rarely had time to visit because of his hectic schedule.
Three knocks on the door, followed by his mother's loud and cheerful voice calling him out for breakfast, broke through Sho's early morning musings. Sho started to get up, one limb at a time and pushed himself off his bed, making his way to the mirror where he combed his hair, trying to at least look a little human before joining his family for breakfast. Sho walked out of his bedroom dressed in his plaid, flannel pajamas and walked around in his tattered bunny slippers, given to him by Mari as a Christmas present...
"Morning, Sho!" Mari greeted her older brother, waving from her chair, forking a big slice of blueberry pancake into her mouth. "Did you sleep well?" she asked between mouthfuls, while a sticky a drop of maple syrup trickled down her small chin.
"Yes, I did. No nightmares this time." Sho smiled, pulling out a chair and taking his place beside Mari and motioning for her to wipe her chin. "Good Morning, mom."
"Good Morning! So, what time do we visit your friends?" Sho's mother asked, "I do like to see them, even the dolls you talked about."
"I think the shop opens at around 10 during weekends." Sho smiled weakly "Maybe we could drop by after lunch."
"Do you think we ought to call them, at least?" Asked Sho's mother between sips of coffee.
"Well, we could, but I wrote their phone number on a sticky note that I placed on my corkboard. I'm sorry, but I don't remember it."
"Well, that's okay. They ought to be there, it's their shop." Mari reasoned. "Consider it a surprise visit! And I'd like to meet Yuki too. She sounds like such a glamorous person... shame you don't have eyes for her!" Mari giggled.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh come on, apart from all the weird stuff, all you kept talking about was this blonde, doe-eyed Aiba doll. Is he really that pretty? I am curious about the Ohno doll though, I'm not sure why..." Mari tilted her head to the side, pausing for a moment before finishing off the last forkful of her pancake.
"Are you implying that I'm attracted to inanimate objects?"
"I didn't say anything," Mari replied, an eyebrow raised, "but if that's your thing, then..." Mari hid behind a sly smile, trying to contain her laughter.
"Mari~ you're such a child!" Sho whined, biting into his toast.
Finished with her breakfast, Mari got up from her chair, giving her brother a tight hug and a peck on the cheek. "And you're too serious. I know you're still a bit scared, but you're the one who insisted that we go today. Mom and I will be with you just in case you go crazy," she smirked.
"Thank you... I think" Sho replied, pouring himself some coffee.
“I also know that you're gaaaay~~!" Mari yelled as she skipped towards the bathroom, where she was about to brush her teeth.
"Mari!" Sho blushed and sputtered his coffee, unable to deny any of her allegations. He slowly turned to face his mom, unable to meet her eyes as he struggled to explain himself.
"Sho, sweetie, I've known since you were in high school." Mrs. Sakurai spoke, just as Sho was about to open his mouth, "We all knew, eventually, your dad had a rather hard time accepting it, but he eventually got around to it."
"...and Keiichi?" Sho gaped, clearly surprised.
"Oh, he knows and he's been trying to look for a suitable boyfriend for you, since you never brought home any. Shame you weren't always home when he was. He brought home lots of weird men! It would've been entertaining to have your brother set you up! We never approved of anyone he brought home though, that's why you never met them." Sho's mother smiled and laughed jovially as she buttered her toast. "Your dad wanted someone 'as good looking as you' and would 'treat you like the princess you are...' or something like that. Who knew he'd be so picky, huh?"
"Dad wanted...what...?!" Sho squeaked, unable to find the words to express his shock. This was turning out to be a very weird week.
"I know you've been through a lot the past few days...We were hoping you'd come home one day and come out to us with your new boyfriend. Mari's just a bit spacey these days, she didn't mean to let your secret out. Relax, Sho. We'll get through this." Mrs. Sakurai said comfortingly as she placed her cup down the table, and made her way towards Sho, placing a soft kiss on his head, and combing her fingers through his hair.
"Thank you, Mom. Thank you very much." Sho replied in a harsh whisper, overwhelmed with emotions. His shoulders slumped down in defeat as he finally gave in to the tears, burrowing his head on his mother's chest as he sobbed openly. Sho was truly grateful for his family, weird and crazy as they were, they gave him a solid support group whenever he needed it and they had never let him down.
***
It was 2 PM when Sho and his mother, driven (unfortunately) by Mari, arrived at Yuki's shop. Sho's heart skipped a beat as they neared the display window; Instead of three dolls, only one was peeking out of its small frame. Ohno sat alone on the park bench which he often used to share with Jun and Aiba. He wore a black beret on his head; one of his hands held a sharpened blue pencil, and on his lap was a blank sketchbook. Ohno looked serene as though he was calmly studying his subjects from where he sat, and was getting ready to sketch them.
Sho and his mother stepped out of the car while Mari tried to find a place to park. Sho felt panic rise with every step he took towards the shop. The 'Closed' sign was hung upon the door of the boutique, and the normally busy atmosphere of Marguerite's cafe was replaced by an empty silence, devoid of the usual boisterous crowd that frequented it. Sho took a deep breath, stopping at the door and mentally debating whether or not he should knock and wait for a response. Something was amiss, and he wasn't really sure he would like to find out.
"Sho... Nobody seems to be around. Do you think we ought to come back another time?" Mrs. Sakurai asked.
"No... Um, I think I'll try knocking first, someone might answer." Sho's voice quivered as he spoke, but he was determined to look past his fears and get this over with. Sho balled his hand into a fist and gave the door three sharp knocks, trying to contain his anxiety while waiting for a response.
If they're not here, then I can go home and try another day... Sho exhaled.
A few seconds after, the knob was turned, and Nino's face came into view, "Sorry, we're... Oh Sho, it's you!" Nino's eyes were lined with dark circles, and he looked just as tired as Sho felt.
"I know you're closed, but I..."
"It's okay, come in."
"This is my mother and..."
Mari, you're here! Can you hear me? I missed you!
"Mari, let's go!" Sho called after his sister who stood in front of the display window, seemingly fascinated by the doll that sat alone on the bench.
"Um, yeah, okay..." Mari replied in a distant voice, wearing a perplexed expression on her face as she obediently followed Sho into the shop, her gaze still fixed on the doll.
"Who's that over there?"
"That's Ohno, I think..." Sho replied, looking curiously at Mari as they entered the shop. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't know, but it feels like I should know him somehow..."
Nino gave Mari an inquiring glance, trying to ignore the sudden pang of jealousy that nipped at his heart.
"My name is Nino. Pleased to meet you."
"My name Mari, I'm Sho's sister. Pleased to meet you too" Mari smiled shyly as she gave a short bow to introduce herself.
"This is my mother and as you already know this is my sister Mari."
"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Sakurai, Mari" Nino replied.
"Listen, I know you're closed for today, but I really need to tell you something..." Sho began.
"It's all right." Nino interrupted, "I need to tell you some things too. I'm actually glad that you dropped by. Yuki is in the lounge watching TV, follow me. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you too."
Sho, Mari, and his mother followed Nino into the lounge where they found Yuki sitting between Jun and Aiba, watching a mid-afternoon dorama on television, while digging into a bag of potato chips.
"We have some guests." Nino announced, pulling up an extra chair for Sho, and telling Pierre to bring in two more while Marguerite prepared to serve some snacks.
"Oh, hi! You're here!" Yuki exclaimed, looking surprised when she saw Nino enter the room followed by Sho and two other women.
"Good afternoon, Yuki." Sho greeted, looking a bit confused at the sight of two mannequins watching television with her. Yuki sat cross-legged on the couch, dressed casually in jeans and a loose t-shirt, looking a bit tired and weak, as though she's just recovered from some illness.
"Are you okay? You look a bit pale." Sho asked.
"It's just a little fever." Yuki smiled weakly, "anyway, I'm sorry I couldn't be dressed better. If I had known you were coming I would've tried looking a little more decent. Make yourselves at home." Yuki replied, a little unbalanced as she stood up and reached for a paper towel to wipe her hands on. "My name is Yuki, I'm Nino's sis--- um, employer." She went in front of Sho's family and gave a little bow.
"Hello, I'm Sho's mother, and this is his sister, Mari. I'm sorry for dropping by on such short notice." Sho's mother replied and sat down on one of the chairs. Like Sho, she found the whole situation rather peculiar, although she tried her best not to show it. Mari on the other hand, looked a little distracted and kept gazing at the dolls who sat on either side of Yuki.
"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Sakurai, Mari, please have a seat" Yuki motioned for them to sit as Nino went back to the lounge and sat himself down the armchair next to the couch. Pierre followed Nino and brought in some extra chairs, while Marguerite brought in a tray of pastries and some tea for the guests...
Hey it's Mari! Hi Ma--
Shut up Aiba! Not yet!
Sho's head suddenly turned to the direction of the dolls. From across the room, Nino observed the whole exchange, nodding silently to himself.
So, he could hear them... Who's Mari, exactly? I don't remember her at all, and from the looks of it, neither could Yuki. But Jun and Aiba seem to know her...
"Oh! Before I forget..." Mari suddenly exclaimed, snapping out of her reverie as she turned to look at Yuki.
"Yes?"
"You really are pretty, just as I'd thought."
"Oh, um thank you."
"I brought these for you. I made them too. Sho told me that you were interested in consigning my stuff... but I know that we're not here to talk about that yet, anyway..." Mari dug into her bag and produced a pair of her hand-crafted chandelier earrings. Its tiny stones caught the faint sunlight that illuminated the room and glimmered nicely in her slender fingers. "Try them on. I know they'd look good on you."
"Thank you very much!" said Yuki, "You said that you weren't here to talk about this... what exactly do you mean?"
"Well, I think it's best if I let Sho explain... Sorry for being a little random. I know I tend zone out sometimes." Mari smiled sheepishly, scratching her head in apology. "Do your dolls watch TV with you all the time?"
"I know someone who zones out even more than you do." Yuki replied, trying on the earrings. " I think we'd better get him here too... about the dolls, well, it's a little complicated, but I think both of us want to discuss the same thing."
" I see..."
"Well, I guess I'd better get Ohno here then," Nino stood up and headed towards the display window.
"So he's Ohno... The one on your right must be Aiba, then."
"You know them?"
"Sho told us. It's a long story..."
"I've been having dreams about them lately, among other things..." Sho began as Nino entered the room with Ohno in tow, squeezing him in beside Jun at the edge of the couch.
"Well, seeing that we're all here. I guess we'd better start." Nino sat down on the armchair once more. "This might take a while, so I told Marguerite to make us some dinner if that's okay."
"That's perfectly fine. I think we'll need it." Said Yuki. "Well, Sho, since you're here, you get to go first..."
"Okay..." Sho looked at the dolls and exhaled nervously, "I don't really know where to begin and it might sound a little silly..."
"It might not be silly at all, you'll be surprised..." Nino replied.
TBC
Previous: The Burden of Memory Next: A Reunion: Part 2
A/N
*__* wheee... I think. The update took quite a while, sorry about that. I find it hard to shift from one storyline to another, especially if it's an ongoing multi-chapter thing, so the wolves will have to wait till I finish this.
Hope you enjoyed.
... and remind me not to underestimate instant coffee and put a heaping teaspoon into my mug. My fingers are shaking... +_____+
After all their speculations, all he knew was that his dreams and visions were linked to the shop. Whether it was an idyllic scene of an outdoor picnic in the summer sun, or a terrifying nightmare of a death by fire, Nino and the doll's faces featured prominently in each of them. His "dreams" although not necessarily linear, followed a coherent sequence that made sense to Sho, and it felt as though he was revisiting a memory, rather than having a dream. It was something he just knew, but was too afraid to confront. He still wasn't sure about his healing abilities, but his intuition tells him that it might be connected to them too.
Either way, the only thing he had left to do was to confront his fears and hope there will be answers to his questions.
***
Sho woke up to a tranquil Sunday morning wrapped in the fleecy, cream-colored sheets of his king-sized bed. He fell into a deep and even sleep, blissfully free of disturbing dreams about talking dolls, or nightmares of fire and blood. Sho stretched out his arms and rolled to his side, his eyes lingering briefly at the miniature panda plushie that Mari placed beside him. He then yawned and clutched a cushy white pillow to his chest while his sleepy mind slowly bloomed into awareness, idly mulling over the small and trivial details of his clean and spacious room.
His gaze wandered from the bookshelves filled with old hardcover volumes of childhood fairy tales written by his mom, and encyclopedias whose bindings were nearly coming off of its spines. Newer textbooks on print and broadcast journalism were eventually added to this collection during his years in the university, and earned their place alongside thick volumes of manga and photo books, collected during his teens. Boxes of CDs and LPs filled with music from classical to hip-hop, stood in a quiet, undisturbed pile next to his bookshelves, and the old posters of the musical artists he grew to love, framed between stiff layers of black illustration boards, still adorned the whitewashed walls of his old room, gathering dust beneath the slightly faded gloss of the magazine cutout.
Although he had been living on his own for a couple of years now, in many ways, the mansion was still his home. Much of the things he truly treasured remained in this room and he couldn't quite bear the thought of moving them out and bringing them into his small apartment. The power of his old home, filled with the warmth of his happy memories put his frantic heart at ease and convinced him that things would eventually work themselves out somehow. Sho turned to lie on his back and stretched out both legs, staring vacantly at the ceiling. It felt as though he had never left home at all, and it was in moments like these that Sho was grateful for his mom's sentimentalism and her insistence on leaving Sho's room exactly as it was, even though he rarely had time to visit because of his hectic schedule.
Three knocks on the door, followed by his mother's loud and cheerful voice calling him out for breakfast, broke through Sho's early morning musings. Sho started to get up, one limb at a time and pushed himself off his bed, making his way to the mirror where he combed his hair, trying to at least look a little human before joining his family for breakfast. Sho walked out of his bedroom dressed in his plaid, flannel pajamas and walked around in his tattered bunny slippers, given to him by Mari as a Christmas present...
"Morning, Sho!" Mari greeted her older brother, waving from her chair, forking a big slice of blueberry pancake into her mouth. "Did you sleep well?" she asked between mouthfuls, while a sticky a drop of maple syrup trickled down her small chin.
"Yes, I did. No nightmares this time." Sho smiled, pulling out a chair and taking his place beside Mari and motioning for her to wipe her chin. "Good Morning, mom."
"Good Morning! So, what time do we visit your friends?" Sho's mother asked, "I do like to see them, even the dolls you talked about."
"I think the shop opens at around 10 during weekends." Sho smiled weakly "Maybe we could drop by after lunch."
"Do you think we ought to call them, at least?" Asked Sho's mother between sips of coffee.
"Well, we could, but I wrote their phone number on a sticky note that I placed on my corkboard. I'm sorry, but I don't remember it."
"Well, that's okay. They ought to be there, it's their shop." Mari reasoned. "Consider it a surprise visit! And I'd like to meet Yuki too. She sounds like such a glamorous person... shame you don't have eyes for her!" Mari giggled.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh come on, apart from all the weird stuff, all you kept talking about was this blonde, doe-eyed Aiba doll. Is he really that pretty? I am curious about the Ohno doll though, I'm not sure why..." Mari tilted her head to the side, pausing for a moment before finishing off the last forkful of her pancake.
"Are you implying that I'm attracted to inanimate objects?"
"I didn't say anything," Mari replied, an eyebrow raised, "but if that's your thing, then..." Mari hid behind a sly smile, trying to contain her laughter.
"Mari~ you're such a child!" Sho whined, biting into his toast.
Finished with her breakfast, Mari got up from her chair, giving her brother a tight hug and a peck on the cheek. "And you're too serious. I know you're still a bit scared, but you're the one who insisted that we go today. Mom and I will be with you just in case you go crazy," she smirked.
"Thank you... I think" Sho replied, pouring himself some coffee.
“I also know that you're gaaaay~~!" Mari yelled as she skipped towards the bathroom, where she was about to brush her teeth.
"Mari!" Sho blushed and sputtered his coffee, unable to deny any of her allegations. He slowly turned to face his mom, unable to meet her eyes as he struggled to explain himself.
"Sho, sweetie, I've known since you were in high school." Mrs. Sakurai spoke, just as Sho was about to open his mouth, "We all knew, eventually, your dad had a rather hard time accepting it, but he eventually got around to it."
"...and Keiichi?" Sho gaped, clearly surprised.
"Oh, he knows and he's been trying to look for a suitable boyfriend for you, since you never brought home any. Shame you weren't always home when he was. He brought home lots of weird men! It would've been entertaining to have your brother set you up! We never approved of anyone he brought home though, that's why you never met them." Sho's mother smiled and laughed jovially as she buttered her toast. "Your dad wanted someone 'as good looking as you' and would 'treat you like the princess you are...' or something like that. Who knew he'd be so picky, huh?"
"Dad wanted...what...?!" Sho squeaked, unable to find the words to express his shock. This was turning out to be a very weird week.
"I know you've been through a lot the past few days...We were hoping you'd come home one day and come out to us with your new boyfriend. Mari's just a bit spacey these days, she didn't mean to let your secret out. Relax, Sho. We'll get through this." Mrs. Sakurai said comfortingly as she placed her cup down the table, and made her way towards Sho, placing a soft kiss on his head, and combing her fingers through his hair.
"Thank you, Mom. Thank you very much." Sho replied in a harsh whisper, overwhelmed with emotions. His shoulders slumped down in defeat as he finally gave in to the tears, burrowing his head on his mother's chest as he sobbed openly. Sho was truly grateful for his family, weird and crazy as they were, they gave him a solid support group whenever he needed it and they had never let him down.
***
It was 2 PM when Sho and his mother, driven (unfortunately) by Mari, arrived at Yuki's shop. Sho's heart skipped a beat as they neared the display window; Instead of three dolls, only one was peeking out of its small frame. Ohno sat alone on the park bench which he often used to share with Jun and Aiba. He wore a black beret on his head; one of his hands held a sharpened blue pencil, and on his lap was a blank sketchbook. Ohno looked serene as though he was calmly studying his subjects from where he sat, and was getting ready to sketch them.
Sho and his mother stepped out of the car while Mari tried to find a place to park. Sho felt panic rise with every step he took towards the shop. The 'Closed' sign was hung upon the door of the boutique, and the normally busy atmosphere of Marguerite's cafe was replaced by an empty silence, devoid of the usual boisterous crowd that frequented it. Sho took a deep breath, stopping at the door and mentally debating whether or not he should knock and wait for a response. Something was amiss, and he wasn't really sure he would like to find out.
"Sho... Nobody seems to be around. Do you think we ought to come back another time?" Mrs. Sakurai asked.
"No... Um, I think I'll try knocking first, someone might answer." Sho's voice quivered as he spoke, but he was determined to look past his fears and get this over with. Sho balled his hand into a fist and gave the door three sharp knocks, trying to contain his anxiety while waiting for a response.
If they're not here, then I can go home and try another day... Sho exhaled.
A few seconds after, the knob was turned, and Nino's face came into view, "Sorry, we're... Oh Sho, it's you!" Nino's eyes were lined with dark circles, and he looked just as tired as Sho felt.
"I know you're closed, but I..."
"It's okay, come in."
"This is my mother and..."
Mari, you're here! Can you hear me? I missed you!
"Mari, let's go!" Sho called after his sister who stood in front of the display window, seemingly fascinated by the doll that sat alone on the bench.
"Um, yeah, okay..." Mari replied in a distant voice, wearing a perplexed expression on her face as she obediently followed Sho into the shop, her gaze still fixed on the doll.
"Who's that over there?"
"That's Ohno, I think..." Sho replied, looking curiously at Mari as they entered the shop. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't know, but it feels like I should know him somehow..."
Nino gave Mari an inquiring glance, trying to ignore the sudden pang of jealousy that nipped at his heart.
"My name is Nino. Pleased to meet you."
"My name Mari, I'm Sho's sister. Pleased to meet you too" Mari smiled shyly as she gave a short bow to introduce herself.
"This is my mother and as you already know this is my sister Mari."
"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Sakurai, Mari" Nino replied.
"Listen, I know you're closed for today, but I really need to tell you something..." Sho began.
"It's all right." Nino interrupted, "I need to tell you some things too. I'm actually glad that you dropped by. Yuki is in the lounge watching TV, follow me. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you too."
Sho, Mari, and his mother followed Nino into the lounge where they found Yuki sitting between Jun and Aiba, watching a mid-afternoon dorama on television, while digging into a bag of potato chips.
"We have some guests." Nino announced, pulling up an extra chair for Sho, and telling Pierre to bring in two more while Marguerite prepared to serve some snacks.
"Oh, hi! You're here!" Yuki exclaimed, looking surprised when she saw Nino enter the room followed by Sho and two other women.
"Good afternoon, Yuki." Sho greeted, looking a bit confused at the sight of two mannequins watching television with her. Yuki sat cross-legged on the couch, dressed casually in jeans and a loose t-shirt, looking a bit tired and weak, as though she's just recovered from some illness.
"Are you okay? You look a bit pale." Sho asked.
"It's just a little fever." Yuki smiled weakly, "anyway, I'm sorry I couldn't be dressed better. If I had known you were coming I would've tried looking a little more decent. Make yourselves at home." Yuki replied, a little unbalanced as she stood up and reached for a paper towel to wipe her hands on. "My name is Yuki, I'm Nino's sis--- um, employer." She went in front of Sho's family and gave a little bow.
"Hello, I'm Sho's mother, and this is his sister, Mari. I'm sorry for dropping by on such short notice." Sho's mother replied and sat down on one of the chairs. Like Sho, she found the whole situation rather peculiar, although she tried her best not to show it. Mari on the other hand, looked a little distracted and kept gazing at the dolls who sat on either side of Yuki.
"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Sakurai, Mari, please have a seat" Yuki motioned for them to sit as Nino went back to the lounge and sat himself down the armchair next to the couch. Pierre followed Nino and brought in some extra chairs, while Marguerite brought in a tray of pastries and some tea for the guests...
Hey it's Mari! Hi Ma--
Shut up Aiba! Not yet!
Sho's head suddenly turned to the direction of the dolls. From across the room, Nino observed the whole exchange, nodding silently to himself.
So, he could hear them... Who's Mari, exactly? I don't remember her at all, and from the looks of it, neither could Yuki. But Jun and Aiba seem to know her...
"Oh! Before I forget..." Mari suddenly exclaimed, snapping out of her reverie as she turned to look at Yuki.
"Yes?"
"You really are pretty, just as I'd thought."
"Oh, um thank you."
"I brought these for you. I made them too. Sho told me that you were interested in consigning my stuff... but I know that we're not here to talk about that yet, anyway..." Mari dug into her bag and produced a pair of her hand-crafted chandelier earrings. Its tiny stones caught the faint sunlight that illuminated the room and glimmered nicely in her slender fingers. "Try them on. I know they'd look good on you."
"Thank you very much!" said Yuki, "You said that you weren't here to talk about this... what exactly do you mean?"
"Well, I think it's best if I let Sho explain... Sorry for being a little random. I know I tend zone out sometimes." Mari smiled sheepishly, scratching her head in apology. "Do your dolls watch TV with you all the time?"
"I know someone who zones out even more than you do." Yuki replied, trying on the earrings. " I think we'd better get him here too... about the dolls, well, it's a little complicated, but I think both of us want to discuss the same thing."
" I see..."
"Well, I guess I'd better get Ohno here then," Nino stood up and headed towards the display window.
"So he's Ohno... The one on your right must be Aiba, then."
"You know them?"
"Sho told us. It's a long story..."
"I've been having dreams about them lately, among other things..." Sho began as Nino entered the room with Ohno in tow, squeezing him in beside Jun at the edge of the couch.
"Well, seeing that we're all here. I guess we'd better start." Nino sat down on the armchair once more. "This might take a while, so I told Marguerite to make us some dinner if that's okay."
"That's perfectly fine. I think we'll need it." Said Yuki. "Well, Sho, since you're here, you get to go first..."
"Okay..." Sho looked at the dolls and exhaled nervously, "I don't really know where to begin and it might sound a little silly..."
"It might not be silly at all, you'll be surprised..." Nino replied.
TBC
Previous: The Burden of Memory Next: A Reunion: Part 2
A/N
*__* wheee... I think. The update took quite a while, sorry about that. I find it hard to shift from one storyline to another, especially if it's an ongoing multi-chapter thing, so the wolves will have to wait till I finish this.
Hope you enjoyed.
... and remind me not to underestimate instant coffee and put a heaping teaspoon into my mug. My fingers are shaking... +_____+