The Dolls- Part 2: Trickles
Trickles
The rain pounded on unrelentingly as Nino sat beside the three mannequins, shivering, while he continued to watch television. The news channel that Nino had been watching for the past ten minutes, showed footage of flooded streets and a couple of stranded passengers unable to go home due to the lack of transport. In some areas of the city, power had been disrupted and phone lines went dead. The government assured the public that they were doing their best to restore energy, and to provide emergency help to those in need. Plans to restore and clean up the city were to take place within the next few days, or until things get restored to its state prior to the storm.
As the news anchor rambled on, Nino wondered about the state of his small, one-story apartment and promptly grew exhausted. Between his stomach's rumblings, and his body's increasing demand for warmth, Nino's thoughts strayed to the unwashed clothes waiting to be laundered, the dirty dishes piled up in the kitchen sink, and what was by now, a very wet bed that lay under a leaky roof he was never quite able to repair. Nino also suspected that he was coming down with the flu, and was worried that he would not have the time, or strength to read the books (which were saved, thanks to his jacket) that he borrowed for his term paper. To make things worse, Nino was convinced that his fever was making him delirious. As the minutes ticked by, he kept hearing voices calling his name and was actually starting to believe that the voices came from the three mannequins sitting next to him.
"Here you go, Nino..." Yuki's voice broke through Nino's garbled musings as she handed him a towel and several items of clothing.
"T-thank you" Nino replied through chattering teeth as he received the garments with a trembling hand.
"It took me a while to find clothes your size, but I managed to find some...Gosh, are you okay?" You look a little pale..." A worried look crossed Yuki's features as she placed the back of her palm against Nino's forehead, feeling for signs of fever.
"You're burning up! You better get changed" Yuki fussed over Nino like a mother hen as she grabbed his hand and led him to one of the shop's dressing rooms. "You can go back to watching TV once you're done. Just leave your wet clothes there, ok? The food's just about cooked." Yuki barked her orders to an unresisting Nino as she closed the door to allow him some privacy while he changed. Yuki then went to sit in front of Ohno in the lobby while waiting for Nino and for supper to be served...
"Well, you three," Yuki smiled softly, suppressing the tears of joy that threatened to spill from her eyes, "We've finally found him! It'll only be a matter of time 'till we find Sho, right?" Yuki rambled on, clapping her hands in excitement. "It's a shame though, because Nino's very sick right now and he can't seem to remember anything." Yuki pouted, "But I'll help him get better Ohno, I promise" she said as she placed a reassuring hand on Ohno's lap.
"...You know, it would help me a lot if I could actually hear what you're thinking. At least I know that I'm not talking to myself like an idiot even if other people think so" Yuki stuck her tongue out at the dolls and tugged lightly at Ohno's ears, tilting Ohno's head slightly and positioning one of Ohno's hands beside his ear. "There, you look cute that way!" Yuki giggled.
Nino emerged from the dressing room looking pretty much like a green Eskimo. Nino wore green flannel pajamas with small teddy bear prints, and wore a thick, cream-colored woolen sweater over it, while his feet were warmed by a pair of matching green socks. Despite the warmth that the layers of clothes provided, Nino still shivered slightly, as he made his way, towards the lobby. Snippets of Yuki's lively monologue drifted to his ear and Nino looked around to check for another guest, or to see if Yuki was engaged in a phone conversation. As Nino reached the lobby, however, he was surprised to find a giggling Yuki placing Ohno's hand beside its ear in a pose resembling the maneki neko souvenirs sold in so many shops around Japan.
"Thank you very much, Miss...um..." Nino said as he approached Yuki, embarrassed that he hadn't even asked for her name
"Yuki. You may call me Yuki," Yuki replied as she extended her hands to Nino.
"Thank you, miss Yuki. I left my clothes in the dressing room just as you told me, but if you want, I could hang them out in the bathroom so that they won't drip all over the floor."
"Don't think much of it. I'll have Marguerite and the others take care of your wet clothes," Yuki replied "Anyway, it looks like the storm won't let up until tomorrow morning, so you're free to stay here for the night. Actually, I insist that you do! I can't have you walking home sick now, can I?" Yuki grinned with a slightly mischievous look in her eyes. Nino was about to protest and give Yuki a litany of reasons about why he shouldn't stay, when the smell of freshly cooked chicken soup and porridge wafted through the air. As Yuki's servants brought warm food to the lobby, Nino immediately forgot all about protesting, and instead grew embarrassed as his stomach announced its hunger.
"Eat up!" Yuki said as she giggled at the noise coming from Nino's stomach. Two sets of dishes were set on the lobby's small table, and Yuki took her place in one of the armchairs perpendicular to the sofa where the dolls sat. The television buzzed softly in the background as the programming shifted to lighter news and showbiz gossip.
"I really can't thank you enough." Nino spoke, as warm food was scooped to his plate.
"Well then, let's talk about that, " Yuki replied.
"Of course. How can I repay you?"
"Hmm... our shop needs more people. I was thinking that maybe you could help out, even if just for a few hours everyday"
"Oh, of course, that would be great! I've been looking for a job for some time now" Nino exclaimed, suddenly grateful for this turn of fortune. "Umm... well, what do I do? This shop seems to be a really classy place, and I don't really know much about fashion. But I could do some heavy lifting, and I think I can man the cash registers..." Nino rambled on, noticeably excited.
"Don't be silly! I won't make you lift heavy things," Yuki replied in her sing-song voice "I was thinking more of a window dresser, or maybe an assistant window dresser"
"Oh... well, I don't really know how I can help, I'm not much good at designing, or decorating things..." Nino replied, his bubble of hope suddenly popped.
"That's not a problem, you could help Pierre, he's the chief window dresser. There's not much heavy work involved, and for the most part, you only have to follow his instructions. He decides on the designs for the display, and every now and then he may send you out on an errand to buy the things that he needs." Yuki hurriedly made up a vacant post, knowing well enough that their shop didn't need extra people.
The two worked out Nino's terms of employment over supper, the television temporarily forgotten, while the dolls were having a small riot of their own...
Waaah! This is great! I didn't know there were people that tiny! How did they do that? Aiba exclaimed, amazed at the small box that projected moving images onto its screen.
Aaah. Maybe they shrank them? Ohno replied, similarly in awe, but somewhat distracted by the conversation happening right beside him.
Hmm... I don't think there are tiny people inside that box, Aiba, Jun pondered the machine in front of him, I think they work like *scrying pools...
Oh, I see! Maybe we could ask Nino once he breaks the spell...Aiba replied, currently fascinated by the dancing cows that advertised a brand of chocolate milk.
Once the advertisements were done airing, the news resumed. The arts and culture segment was hosted by a young man who looked to be in his early 20s. The news anchor had round eyes and full lips that lay a few inches above a small chin. The strong angles of his squarish face were softened by the hair that lay in a rumpled, flyaway mess below his ears. Long bangs swept to the side of his face hid a very prominent forehead, and as he spoke, a deep, calming voice spilled out of his lips. Aiba, Jun and Ohno were unable to hide their astonishment as the camera focused on the reporter.
Sho! all three of the mannequins exclaimed.
"Sho?" Nino wondered aloud, staring at the dolls and worried that his delirium had gotten worse.
"Sho! Where?" Yuki's eyes were frantic as she looked to Nino for answers.
"Oh, nothing...I think I'm hearing things," Nino scratched his head "Well, if it helps, the name of that reporter is Sho..." Nino said, pointing to the television.
Yuki's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the television screen. "You know Sho! That's great, could you get him here?"
"Eh, well... I don't personally know him," Nino replied, surprised at Yuki's sudden change of mood, " What I mean to say is that, I just know him from watching this news program"
"Oh I see..." Yuki sounded, disappointed.
"Oh!" Yuki's eyes lit up, her disappointment forgotten in a span of two seconds.
"What is it?"
"We have to get him here!"
"Um... how?"
"I don't know yet, but you'll help me!" Yuki replied with a manic glint in her eye.
"Eehh... well, I..."
"Go get some rest! I'll give you some medicine for your fever, and tomorrow we'll figure out a way to get him here."
"Okay..." Nino, unable to protest, managed to squeak in agreement. At the back of his head, Nino strongly wished that this was all some strange, crazy dream brought about by his fever.
Nino's going to get Sho back! Yay!!
Yes, Nino was convinced that he really needed a good night's rest...
Previous: The Dolls Next: Tremors
* here's an article on scyring
The rain pounded on unrelentingly as Nino sat beside the three mannequins, shivering, while he continued to watch television. The news channel that Nino had been watching for the past ten minutes, showed footage of flooded streets and a couple of stranded passengers unable to go home due to the lack of transport. In some areas of the city, power had been disrupted and phone lines went dead. The government assured the public that they were doing their best to restore energy, and to provide emergency help to those in need. Plans to restore and clean up the city were to take place within the next few days, or until things get restored to its state prior to the storm.
As the news anchor rambled on, Nino wondered about the state of his small, one-story apartment and promptly grew exhausted. Between his stomach's rumblings, and his body's increasing demand for warmth, Nino's thoughts strayed to the unwashed clothes waiting to be laundered, the dirty dishes piled up in the kitchen sink, and what was by now, a very wet bed that lay under a leaky roof he was never quite able to repair. Nino also suspected that he was coming down with the flu, and was worried that he would not have the time, or strength to read the books (which were saved, thanks to his jacket) that he borrowed for his term paper. To make things worse, Nino was convinced that his fever was making him delirious. As the minutes ticked by, he kept hearing voices calling his name and was actually starting to believe that the voices came from the three mannequins sitting next to him.
"Here you go, Nino..." Yuki's voice broke through Nino's garbled musings as she handed him a towel and several items of clothing.
"T-thank you" Nino replied through chattering teeth as he received the garments with a trembling hand.
"It took me a while to find clothes your size, but I managed to find some...Gosh, are you okay?" You look a little pale..." A worried look crossed Yuki's features as she placed the back of her palm against Nino's forehead, feeling for signs of fever.
"You're burning up! You better get changed" Yuki fussed over Nino like a mother hen as she grabbed his hand and led him to one of the shop's dressing rooms. "You can go back to watching TV once you're done. Just leave your wet clothes there, ok? The food's just about cooked." Yuki barked her orders to an unresisting Nino as she closed the door to allow him some privacy while he changed. Yuki then went to sit in front of Ohno in the lobby while waiting for Nino and for supper to be served...
"Well, you three," Yuki smiled softly, suppressing the tears of joy that threatened to spill from her eyes, "We've finally found him! It'll only be a matter of time 'till we find Sho, right?" Yuki rambled on, clapping her hands in excitement. "It's a shame though, because Nino's very sick right now and he can't seem to remember anything." Yuki pouted, "But I'll help him get better Ohno, I promise" she said as she placed a reassuring hand on Ohno's lap.
"...You know, it would help me a lot if I could actually hear what you're thinking. At least I know that I'm not talking to myself like an idiot even if other people think so" Yuki stuck her tongue out at the dolls and tugged lightly at Ohno's ears, tilting Ohno's head slightly and positioning one of Ohno's hands beside his ear. "There, you look cute that way!" Yuki giggled.
Nino emerged from the dressing room looking pretty much like a green Eskimo. Nino wore green flannel pajamas with small teddy bear prints, and wore a thick, cream-colored woolen sweater over it, while his feet were warmed by a pair of matching green socks. Despite the warmth that the layers of clothes provided, Nino still shivered slightly, as he made his way, towards the lobby. Snippets of Yuki's lively monologue drifted to his ear and Nino looked around to check for another guest, or to see if Yuki was engaged in a phone conversation. As Nino reached the lobby, however, he was surprised to find a giggling Yuki placing Ohno's hand beside its ear in a pose resembling the maneki neko souvenirs sold in so many shops around Japan.
"Thank you very much, Miss...um..." Nino said as he approached Yuki, embarrassed that he hadn't even asked for her name
"Yuki. You may call me Yuki," Yuki replied as she extended her hands to Nino.
"Thank you, miss Yuki. I left my clothes in the dressing room just as you told me, but if you want, I could hang them out in the bathroom so that they won't drip all over the floor."
"Don't think much of it. I'll have Marguerite and the others take care of your wet clothes," Yuki replied "Anyway, it looks like the storm won't let up until tomorrow morning, so you're free to stay here for the night. Actually, I insist that you do! I can't have you walking home sick now, can I?" Yuki grinned with a slightly mischievous look in her eyes. Nino was about to protest and give Yuki a litany of reasons about why he shouldn't stay, when the smell of freshly cooked chicken soup and porridge wafted through the air. As Yuki's servants brought warm food to the lobby, Nino immediately forgot all about protesting, and instead grew embarrassed as his stomach announced its hunger.
"Eat up!" Yuki said as she giggled at the noise coming from Nino's stomach. Two sets of dishes were set on the lobby's small table, and Yuki took her place in one of the armchairs perpendicular to the sofa where the dolls sat. The television buzzed softly in the background as the programming shifted to lighter news and showbiz gossip.
"I really can't thank you enough." Nino spoke, as warm food was scooped to his plate.
"Well then, let's talk about that, " Yuki replied.
"Of course. How can I repay you?"
"Hmm... our shop needs more people. I was thinking that maybe you could help out, even if just for a few hours everyday"
"Oh, of course, that would be great! I've been looking for a job for some time now" Nino exclaimed, suddenly grateful for this turn of fortune. "Umm... well, what do I do? This shop seems to be a really classy place, and I don't really know much about fashion. But I could do some heavy lifting, and I think I can man the cash registers..." Nino rambled on, noticeably excited.
"Don't be silly! I won't make you lift heavy things," Yuki replied in her sing-song voice "I was thinking more of a window dresser, or maybe an assistant window dresser"
"Oh... well, I don't really know how I can help, I'm not much good at designing, or decorating things..." Nino replied, his bubble of hope suddenly popped.
"That's not a problem, you could help Pierre, he's the chief window dresser. There's not much heavy work involved, and for the most part, you only have to follow his instructions. He decides on the designs for the display, and every now and then he may send you out on an errand to buy the things that he needs." Yuki hurriedly made up a vacant post, knowing well enough that their shop didn't need extra people.
The two worked out Nino's terms of employment over supper, the television temporarily forgotten, while the dolls were having a small riot of their own...
Waaah! This is great! I didn't know there were people that tiny! How did they do that? Aiba exclaimed, amazed at the small box that projected moving images onto its screen.
Aaah. Maybe they shrank them? Ohno replied, similarly in awe, but somewhat distracted by the conversation happening right beside him.
Hmm... I don't think there are tiny people inside that box, Aiba, Jun pondered the machine in front of him, I think they work like *scrying pools...
Oh, I see! Maybe we could ask Nino once he breaks the spell...Aiba replied, currently fascinated by the dancing cows that advertised a brand of chocolate milk.
Once the advertisements were done airing, the news resumed. The arts and culture segment was hosted by a young man who looked to be in his early 20s. The news anchor had round eyes and full lips that lay a few inches above a small chin. The strong angles of his squarish face were softened by the hair that lay in a rumpled, flyaway mess below his ears. Long bangs swept to the side of his face hid a very prominent forehead, and as he spoke, a deep, calming voice spilled out of his lips. Aiba, Jun and Ohno were unable to hide their astonishment as the camera focused on the reporter.
Sho! all three of the mannequins exclaimed.
"Sho?" Nino wondered aloud, staring at the dolls and worried that his delirium had gotten worse.
"Sho! Where?" Yuki's eyes were frantic as she looked to Nino for answers.
"Oh, nothing...I think I'm hearing things," Nino scratched his head "Well, if it helps, the name of that reporter is Sho..." Nino said, pointing to the television.
Yuki's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the television screen. "You know Sho! That's great, could you get him here?"
"Eh, well... I don't personally know him," Nino replied, surprised at Yuki's sudden change of mood, " What I mean to say is that, I just know him from watching this news program"
"Oh I see..." Yuki sounded, disappointed.
"Oh!" Yuki's eyes lit up, her disappointment forgotten in a span of two seconds.
"What is it?"
"We have to get him here!"
"Um... how?"
"I don't know yet, but you'll help me!" Yuki replied with a manic glint in her eye.
"Eehh... well, I..."
"Go get some rest! I'll give you some medicine for your fever, and tomorrow we'll figure out a way to get him here."
"Okay..." Nino, unable to protest, managed to squeak in agreement. At the back of his head, Nino strongly wished that this was all some strange, crazy dream brought about by his fever.
Nino's going to get Sho back! Yay!!
Yes, Nino was convinced that he really needed a good night's rest...
Previous: The Dolls Next: Tremors
* here's an article on scyring