The day began bright and early for Aiba who always rose on the rooster's first crow.  Aiba opened his eyes and experimentally stretched long, slender arms over his head as he yawned widely. Deciding that it was still too cold to get up, Aiba turned to his side and tucked both arms back under the blanket.  On the bed beside his, Sho slumbered --his ( Read more... )

Dawn broke through the thick, cold winter fog as spring roused the sleepy forest into waking. The crisp morning air greeted Aiba's pale elfin face as he made his way down the path from his home up in the hills,  his strawberry-blond hair catching the first rays of the warm sun as it thawed the frost-tipped leaves of the trees and  flowers that ( Read more... )

Dinner hadn't even started and Sho was already showing signs of nervousness, stumbling on his words and unknowingly knocking over an empty wine glass due to his fidgeting. Amid the seemingly relaxed atmosphere of muted lights and soft music, Sho was suffering from an auditory overload. Around him, the unnamed voices chattered on excitedly, while ( Read more... )

With a knapsack riding heavy on his back and two paper bags in each hand, a haggard Nino hurriedly made his way to the boutique. It was only an hour ago, when he received an 'urgent' phone call from Yuki who gibbered excitedly about how Sho was finally coming to see them. This momentous occasion, according Yuki, demanded a celebration and a grand ( Read more... )

If someone asked Sho how he feels about his life right now, he would probably say that he feels quite lucky; and it was true:  Sho had much to be grateful for, growing up in a fairly sheltered environment that left him with very little to ask or want.

Sho grew up the eldest in a loving and supportive family of five. His father was a wealthy merchant ( Read more... )

 Nino's serendipitous appearance gave renewed hope and joy for both the dolls and Yuki, who dearly missed her 'stubborn little brat' of a brother.

Since their arrival, Yuki had been working on familiarizing herself with the ways of this strange new dimension that she and the dolls would come to call home. Using her ability to absorb knowledge and ( Read more... )

The Dolls 3:  Tremors

Nino, Yuki, and the three dolls continued to watch Sho's segment over dessert and some warm tea until the program ended. The dishes were put away by Yuki's servants and Nino was given some medicine for his fever. As the rain finally started to subside, Yuki and Nino started forming plans on how to get Sho to visit their little ( Read more... )

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 ( Read more... )

II- The Dolls.

It's going to rain. Aiba thought glumly to himself as his glass eyes looked on at the shadows cast by the massive storm clouds gathering overhead. The lemon-yellow brightness of the sun that blanketed the little park in its warmth had been replaced a cold, oppressive gray. Little tornadoes played with dried, dead leaves, and the few ( Read more... )

Part 1: The Shop

"Honestly, sometimes I think I spend more time with these dolls than I do with people..." Nino murmured to himself as he placed the finishing touches on the mannequin's outfit--tucking the button down shirt, zipping up its fly, and placing its hands in such a way that it looks as if it's thrown its jacket over its shoulder.

It's ( Read more... )