|
Post by Vapovile on Feb 21, 2018 4:51:09 GMT
"Well...uh...Aria..." Melody darted her gaze around the room. Kate looked at Cosmina with an annoyed expression when her sister clung to her. "Ok, let me start from the beginning! I was born after you two got married!" Melody motioned to her photograph. "Childhood was great! Cosmina always gave me cool clothes to wear, and Kate had little gadgets that were amazing! My favorite is Bubbles, of course!" Melody said with a smile on her face. Haruko lightly nodded her head. "And then what...?" She asked. Melody realized her tangent and continued. "Right! So uh...I grew up pretty normal I think. And then...well...how do I say this..." Melody's face slowly drained of her usual happiness. "Aria...was killed. You see...out of nowhere, this guy started turning people into..." She glanced around the room, looking at Cosmina for half a second. "...zombies. He had thousands before we even knew he was a threat! And then...well...the infection just spread throughout the world. He controls all of them from his base in Australia." Melody explains.
Haruko looked at her with concern in her eyes. The future was overrun by these...zombies? "So why have you come here? To ask for our help?" The seamstress asks. Melody shakes her head. "Nope! The reason why I came here...is because he found a way to travel back in time as well. So I'm here to track him down and stop whatever he's doing here! And of course that means protecting you guys, since he...has done that before." Melody's face grew even more filled with melancholy. One weak look to Haruko told her exactly what Melody meant. "I see." Haruko stood up and pulled Melody into a tight hug. "Thank you for thinking of us. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know." The seamstress says. Melody was taken aback by this gesture, then finally gave in and hugged back tightly. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" She cried. Leading the HWIC during this horrific period was taxing on Melody's mind. Being able to enjoy a simple moment with the family she had lost was precious to her. There were other things that she wanted to tell them...but those would have to be saved for another time.
|
|
|
Post by HungryHunter on Feb 22, 2018 5:18:56 GMT
"A necromancer? Like Ma.... Malcolm's old girlfriend?" Cosmina changed direction mid sentence, but she felt like she shouldn't have. That was an odd pause. Maybe they were really weird zombies? Like squid zombies. No, that was stupid. That would be something Ariana would think up. Aunt Aria dead though... they didn't know her very well. It was a doubly distant thought, a death from a timeline she would never experience. When Melody hugged her mom, she immediately hopped up and hugged her as well. "Well... if you need a place to stay while you search, I guess it would be a waste of money to get you a hotel." Cosmina understood Melody's concern. One or more of them was dead in the future. She shuddered.
|
|
|
Post by Vapovile on Feb 23, 2018 20:49:29 GMT
Kate stayed on the couch, not knowing exactly what to do in this situation. This strange lady was apparently her sister in the future...and was hunting another future person who took over the world? And managed to kill the most powerful person she knows; aunt Aria? Could this girl actually take him down by herself? These questions ran through Kate's mind when Melody finished hugging Haruko and Cosmina. Her eyes were noticeably more shiny than earlier. "I'm so happy to hear that! I'll get right to work tracking him down! You can count on me!" Melody took a step toward the front door...and stopped. She then gripped Haruko by the wrist and pulled her into the hall nearby, away from Kate and Cosmina's ears. "I have some stuff I need to tell you later...not around them. Can we do that?" Melody asks. Haruko nodded her head. "Of course. I'm guessing you're headed to your...workplace?" Haruko asks, to which Melody nods her head. "Yep! I'm going to see if I can get them to help me track him down! I'll be back soon!"
And with that, Melody steps out of the hallway and opens the front door, waving as she steps out and shuts the door behind her. It took a few seconds of silence for Kate to finally speak up. "...what the heck just happened?!"
|
|
|
Post by HungryHunter on Feb 23, 2018 23:15:01 GMT
"Bye! When you come back, I need to show you my room and you need to tell me about what I'm like as an adult!" Cosmina waved Melody off. Excitement was replacing anxiety quickly. She had a little sister! She wasn't the youngest anymore! And more importantly, she had a window in the future, that hallowed era where she walked the world of adulthood. She could drive! She had a job and money! She paid taxes! She had to know about this beautiful utopia that lay before her. "Hey Kate... I bet I'm a cooler grownup than you." Cosmina giggled.
|
|
|
Post by Vapovile on Mar 3, 2018 0:03:58 GMT
"Oh whatever! I would be SO much better as a grown-up than you!" Kate responded to her sister. Her powers were to upgrade or degrade almost anything! If they suddenly got a little sister, she could make the best gadgets ever! What was she talking about with this...Bubbles? Haruko shook her head and motioned for the two to break it up. "Alright you two, no fighting. We'll talk to Melody more when she gets home, ok?" And with that, Haruko sits back into her chair and began to draw up more designs in her notebook.
---
Marika's Kaspa
The sun inside the Kaspa was finally setting, with most of the dolls sitting out along the grass lawn. Helen was leaning against the side of the house, wearing a pair of white noise-canceling headphones while she read a book in her hands. This entire trip was an annoyance for her. She had no interest in world conquest or these stupid kids, choosing to use her days to practice the piano and violin for the few people who wanted to see her concerts. Helen knew that many of them probably only attended to get in her good graces...but there wasn't anything she could do about that. The region Arachne tasked her to take was only lightly getting attacked...just enough to keep Arachne from questioning her motives. Herself and Caroline were the two who had no interest in helping Arachne conquer their world.
Archie was sitting on the ground, watching as Raven inspected some of the weaponry from her timeline. "Is this...a shotgun that shoots napalm inside bullets?! And ah pistol that draws in air to pull people close?!" Raven's face with filled with glee when she inspected the craftsmanship. Archie kept her arms crossed. "That's right. These are my tools of justice, after all. Nobody strikes terror into the hearts of criminals like me!" The muscular doll declared. Raven ignored the posturing and continued to observe the guns. Arachne sat several feet away from the two of them, with Kuromi standing next to the chair he was sitting in. Miles glared at the dictator from his chair that had been drug out for Marika and himself. "See, isn't this nicer? Now you can see what it's like for your dolls!" Arachne declared. Miles simply glared at the man. Stitches looked on with glee at the two of them, now having control over the two of them.
In the kitchen, Caroline walked up behind Yuu and leaned over to get her attention. "Uh...hey! Mind if I help out here? It's kinda awkward out there." She stated. She also noticed that Yuu seemed to be the only mature one here, whom Caroline wanted to be around more than the crazy and/or immature people outside.
|
|
|
Post by HungryHunter on Mar 3, 2018 8:43:37 GMT
Marika's fingers extended on her armrest, then pulled back like claws. She kept repeating this cycle as she glared at her son at the head of the blanket. Her fingers were raw, fingernails ragged with a trail of red left by one as it scraped, over and and over. She said nothing, just making quiet sniffles as tears ran down her face. Chelsea sat not far away, looking up at her in her chair. She had never seen Marika like this. It made her shudder. "Stop doing that!" She thoughtlessly commanded and Marika's fingers froze. Her head turned and she looked like Chelsea was raising a knife for her neck.
She mindlessly screamed, Chelsea ducking and clamping her hands over her ears. "I'm sorry Marika! I forgot!" She tried to grab and restrain her. Marika just kept screaming, thrashing until she knocked over the chair, falling out onto the grass. Cheslea looked to the other dolls, but they remained away from their thrashing creator. "Marika, stop screaming!" Chelsea could hear the click of her teeth as Marika's mouth snapped shut. She silently rebelled, pounding her fists on the grass and wiggling like a snake. Chelsea turned away in embarrassment for her. She didn't have anything that could help her right now.
Ignoring the screaming, Jane kept edging closer to Helen, trying to see her book's title. Was it from the future? That was just exciting! Helen also just seemed neat. She was based on Haven, her coolest sibling, after all. Not far off, Sidney floated upside down next to Arachne. "So... how's the future?" Her eyes ran over his body, looking for signs of the device that brought him here. "Lots of cool gadgets? Anything I invented big? I'm quite proud of my fire-breathing kite and would love it to sell big. It doesn't get caught in trees. The trees know better."
Away from the others and the picnic blanket, Josefina sat in an empty space large enough to fit her. In front of her, Cassandra delighted as a ball was rolled back in forth as Josefina raised and lowered tiny hills. Martha watched from the shade of a tree, rare smile on her face. She glared again as she looked back at the picnic blanket, fixating on Margaret. Old withered dustrag. Thought she was so good.
Yuu checked outside frequently as she preheated the oven. She had just turned to put the lasagna in the oven when she heard Marika's scream. She spun and threw the window open, sticking her head out. It felt like acid was eating its way out of her chest when she saw Marika falling apart, losing her dignity in the grass. After a few seconds, she couldn't bear to watch and slammed the window shut.
Caroline's appearance came as a surprise. She quickly rubbed her eyes with paper towels and turned. "No, please. You're a guest in my home. There isn't anything for you to do regardless. It just needs to cook." She finished the job of putting the lasagna in the oven, not enjoying the blast of hot air that greeted her like most dolls would. The dryness heat just made her eyes water again. "I'm sorry, you shouldn't be seeing me like this." She wiped her eyes again, shoulders slumping forward as her face appeared to age ten years.
|
|
|
Post by Vapovile on Mar 12, 2018 20:04:17 GMT
Watching Marika break down was making Miles's blood boil in rage as he glared at Arachne. He shot a furious glare at Chelsea after her commands toward Marika, having no words to even yell at her at this point. He fixed his gaze back onto Arachne, who was casually leaning back in his chair watching Sidney. "The future's amazing of course, I control most of the world! As far as I know, you don't even exist in my future. So no, nothing you made got big." His expression grew into a frown when he saw her floating upside down. "...don't float upside down!" He commanded, the strange angle triggering his neurotic instincts. He was suspicious about this doll...she seemed too smart for her own good, and didn't have the morality to not use it to betray him. His gaze briefly shifted to the window where Caroline was talking to Yuu, before shifting back to Sidney.
Miles, meanwhile, looked at Chelsea with anger in his eyes. "You! Take back those commands! If Marika wants to talk, she should be allowed to fucking talk!" He shouted. He needed to come up with a plan. Perhaps there were dolls that weren't loyal to this monster, a chink in the armor he could exploit to kill this guy! Kuromi waved her hand at Chelsea when he was done yelling. "Do what you want, Chelsea dear. You can't be bullied by these two anymore." She reassured. An audible 'snap' could be heard coming from Miles's chair, where he had snapped one of the arm rests off its supports.
Away from the others, Helen peered over her book to see Jane slowly inching her way over to her. Great...someone wanted to talk. She was going to ask what book she was reading, ask what she does, ask a bunch of stuff...and it will be meaningless when they go back to their own timeline. When Jane got closer, she could see the front cover was orange and weathered from age. It depicted an old drawing of a man looking downward, with other designs looping around the top. Red letters on the front spelled out the title 'The Odyssey'. She kept reading, hoping that Jane would just go away.
---
Inside the house, Caroline watched as Yuu stuck her head out the window to see what was going on with Marika. So Yuu cares about this Marika person...huh? This was a strange concept to Caroline, since she absolutely hated Arachne and didn't have any particular bond to her other siblings. When Yuu got back inside, Caroline shook her head and leaned against the counter. "No no no, you don't have to put up a front for me. I'm going to be honest...I don't like what's going on here either. The boss just ordered us to come here with him...and aside from Helen and myself, they all love this stuff. So yeah...if there is anything I can do to help out, just say so!" Caroline's eyes widen slightly, the doll letting out a small laugh. "Oh right...I never introduced myself." She held out her hand and gave a warm smile. "Caroline, nice to meet you."
|
|
|
Post by HungryHunter on Mar 13, 2018 6:27:30 GMT
"Really? That's a shame. I can make you a fire-breathing kite if you like though. Only 5,000 dollars, best quality and best price on the market." Sidney offered, slowly drifting back into a more normal position. "You can fly it with your mom and dad. Not in here though. The sky's too low and there's no wind normally. Hell, I'll make a three pack for 11,000 dollars. A pretty sweet deal if I do say so myself." Sidney gave the pitch like she was reading off cue cards and didn't quite know how to pronounce some of the words on it.
Chelsea glanced back and forth between Kuromi and Marika. Kuromi was weirdly nice after their fight. A lot nicer than Marika, that was for sure. It was still a lot to ask, though. Throw Marika under the bus for the chance at a cool friend? She couldn't do that so easily. "Marika, you can talk! Just please don't scream!" Chelsea tried to hug Marika but was pushed away as she stood. "Shut up Chelsea! I hate you!" Marika kicked her chair upright and collapsed into it, eyes empty. "Is she going to be alright?" Chelsea whispered to Kuromi. Marika was kind of mean, but seeing her like this was disturbing!
Jane saw the cover and was diappointed. "Oh, that's not from the future. That's really old. I guess the classics are still classic, huh?" She went quiet for a second to let Helen respond, but the doll from the future remained silent. "You can talk to me. I don't mind you guys coming here. It's pretty exciting! You're from the future! That's like something out of a comic book! And you're also like more sisters or something!" Jane delighted in this new adventure. They were a little scary, but they were also colorful and cool.
"I'm Yuu. Have we not met in the future?" She wasn't very optimistic about this future and what it held for her family. Caroline was inherently disarming, every bit of body language friendly. Yuu thought of asking her for information, but she hesitated. Sure, Caroline seemed friendly, but Marika's son seemed like she was more skilled than his mother. He could have made a proper spy. "Well, dinner is cooking so could you help me tidy up?" Yuu handed a sponge to Caroline, grabbing wipes from under the sink for herself.
|
|
|
Post by Vapovile on Mar 13, 2018 20:50:19 GMT
Arachne watched Sidney explain her invention, lowering his right eyebrow slightly in confusion. "Wait wait wait...wouldn't the fire-breathing part be horrible? It would make the thing impossible to control!" He asked. Arachne had plenty of money to buy a million of these kites, but didn't trust this girl or the practicality of her inventions. "I'm not flying anything with this..." Miles was about to say 'son of a bitch', but his mother was Marika. "...pathetic waste of skin." Miles finished. Stitches smiled at the pause. "What's with the pause? Couldn't think of an insult?" She mocked. Miles glared at the patchwork doll and flipped her off. Kuromi, meanwhile, looked over at Chelsea. "Yes, she will be fine. It must be hard knowing you no longer have any power over people." Kuromi said. Miles tried to put his hand on Marika's shoulder, trying to make her less angry while he thought up a plan.
Helen looked over at Jane when she started talking, now realizing that the tiny doll wasn't going away. Lowering her book slightly, she looked at Jane directly with her normal expression that looked annoyed. "I know I can talk to you. I just don't care." She began to bring her book back up...but lowered it once more. It was rude to be that curt. After letting out a small sigh, Helen looked back at Jane. "The future really isn't that great. I'm sure you heard what Arachne has described. I just try to do my own thing...practice the violin, for instance." She stated. A small frown appeared on her face when she remembered how human living in the safe zones have banned her music, despite her being one of the most lax generals in Arachne's army.
---
"Have we met?" Caroline pondered the question when she took the sponge and began to wipe down the counters. Her long term memory was absolutely horrible, so it was possible that she met someone like Yuu before and had completely forgotten. But that would be rude to admit now. "Nope! Not that I can recall anyway. Maybe the boss or some others have met our version of you." She began to scratch out a spot of hardened lasagna sauce from the counter. "Smells great, by the way! Where'd you learn to cook?" She asks, trying to make small talk.
|
|
|
Post by HungryHunter on Mar 14, 2018 7:34:07 GMT
Marika took Miles' hand, expression softening just the smallest bit. "Of course not. You shoot fire at the right time to steer it how you like. Much better than a regular kite, where any little gust can send it wherever it wants." Sidney actually loved kites. They took minimal effort to keep going once you started. And with her powers, she could make pretty much any small object into a kite. "Well, if you don't want it, I won't make ya. Too bad though, they're limited edition. Only 1 in existence right now." Sidney drifted to the ground like a leaf off a tree and lay by the blanket. "Nice day for flying a kite though." She tied a string around a fork and tossed it into the air, letting it drift in the air just under the dome.
"I mean... that makes sense." Chelsea admitted. "Not that I care. It's just better when she doesn't whine." She huffed, realizing her mask had been off all day. She shoved her headphones back over her ears and glowered at the air. All these feelings... this tragedy would be fantastic for her poetry, if nothing else.
Jane was taken aback briefly by Helen's rudeness. She didn't forget it when she walked it back, but she smiled again. "You play? That's so cool! Nobody in the family plays anything but Haven! You should hang out with them! They're on tour right now, but they'll be back in a few days. I bet you two could give each other a few pointers." Two other members of the family were technically musical as well. Ash claimed to be able to play anything, and was sometimes able to make a decent tune by accident if the instrument was simple, and Martha was just so fast she could hit drums in the right order. She just had enough time to think about which one to hit next and do it. The only problem was she didn't have any restraint, so the only time she did it, she broke the drumsticks. And the drums.
"I would hope I'm not so easily forgotten. I will simply assume that I don't survive." It was an ugly feeling. She felt it in the pit of her stomach, like a poison-soaked dagger plunged into her gut. Marika would be alone. And I will never have a life of my own. The selfish thought crept in uninvited and was beaten back at once. "Where? At the stove, one day at a time. I'm afraid Marika didn't know anything about cooking when she made me. Well, she still doesn't know much. It was hard at first. We had to order pizza, or eat out, a lot. I still hate fast food, honestly. I can't abide it. It reminds me of failure. But eventually I figured out what I'm doing. It was just trial and error, and buying myself a cookbook." Those early months were painful to Yuu. She was a newborn forced to be an adult. She had caused so much harm just by not understanding anything. Realizing the glum expression on her face, she faked a smile again. "I suppose you don't have much fast food in your timeline? It sounds rather dire. I'm sorry if that's intrusive, I don't know... time travel etiquette."
|
|
|
Post by Vapovile on Mar 20, 2018 2:08:48 GMT
Sidney's sales pitch intrigued Arachne somewhat. Having a toy that could not only fly in the air, but also shoot fire was an appealing prospect. He watched he toss a fork into the air and fly it like a kite...making note of how she can make object float along with herself. "Hm...you might have a deal. And since I'm such a nice guy, I won't order you to make it either." Arachne boasted, leaning back into his chair. This almost seemed too easy. Were his parents really this inept at making strong dolls? Kuromi looked at Arachne with disbelief. "It's not wise to waste money." She commented. Arachne glared up at her. "I have more money than I know what to do with! Buying a dumb kite won't put a dent in my wallet! And because I know you are going to try and raise the price knowing that; I am keeping the price the same!" He looked over at Sidney. He knew how situations like this go; once someone knows you're rich, they try to make you pay more for the same crap.
Meanwhile, Helen folded her arms across her chest and listened to Jane explain about Haven and how they could 'give each other a few pointers'. The prospect of talking to another musician intrigued her. "...this Haven. What does he play?" Her area of expertise was classical music, so it would be useless to her if this Haven played an electric guitar, drums or bongos. "...also...who are you? What do you do?" She asked. It was difficult to make small talk...since Helen was used to practicing alone and her family were near last in the list of people she wanted to talk to. Her expression remained a cool, calm poker face as she addressed the tiny doll.
---
Caroline wanted to protest Yuu's assumption that she didn't survive, but Yuu had already changed subjects by that point. She did admire how Yuu was able to go from essentially having no knowledge how to cook, to being able to provide for all these people. When Yuu was finished asking her question, Caroline nodded her head and smiled. "As a matter of fact...there isn't many chains left. There are plenty in the safe areas where his dolls haven't rolled through, and..." Caroline's voice trailed off. Should she reveal this information? She shrugged her shoulders and lowered her voice. "Mind keeping a secret? I keep all my dolls away from the farmland so I can get fast food in my region! Mmm...love burgers. See, I'm not exactly as...talented as you. So I employ some people to help me make food and plan stuff everyday. And yes, I said employ. I absolutely hate the idea of slavery." Her head turned toward the outside, her face forming into a glare where she thought Arachne sat. Her expression turned cheerful again when she turned back to Yuu. "Anyway...don't worry about asking questions! The timeline seems to be fine after we got here, so you knowing stuff that probably won't happen won't hurt anything. Now..." Caroline's expression turned to Marika. "...sorry if this seems too personal. Do you like your creator? I've just noticed a range of reactions outside to our appearance...and you seemed one of the most sad about it. Again; feel free to say this is too personal. I just want to know your thoughts if that's possible."
|
|
|
Post by HungryHunter on Mar 24, 2018 0:32:47 GMT
"I would never do something like that. 5,000 is enough for my... projects anyway." Sidney smiled as she thought of the things she could buy for 5,000 dollars. Top end welding gear, a whole range of power tools, all the regular tools too, a junior chemistry set, and alllll the Lego. "Don't be like that, Kuromi. I'll make you one too. Or a custom toy, I take orders. I could make a spy helicopter. Or a RC car that breaks the sound barrier. I haven't managed that last one, but I'm sure with some research I could make it work." Some research and my new funds. Wait, crap, that'll cut into the Lego.
"Drums! Those cool futuristic drums, although I guess that's a silly thing to say to somebody from the future. He also uses a synth and turntables, but I don't know if you'd say he plays them. They're not really instruments per se." Jane explained her most talented sibling. Haven probably didn't play like Helen. Jane guessed that Helen was probably quite different just by the fact she was reading that old book. Haven didn't think about the old, she tried to push for the future. "I'm Jane... and, uh, do? I don't really do much, everybody else is really a lot more talented. Martha's all fast and strong, Haven plays music, Cadence, well, uh, we're not supposed to talk about her but she was great with plants."
"I won't say a word. I am used to keeping secrets." Martha's Thundercats action figures. Jane's Deviantart account. The white powder in Haven's dresser. Not a whisper to the others. "I love Marika. She's a good kid when you get to know her. She's so creative, and she has so much joy in her smile when the holidays come around." Yuu's tone became wistful for a moment and she smiled, only for it to sour immediately. "But I don't blame the others for not feeling the same." She sealed her lips and looked into the distance.
|
|
|
Post by Vapovile on Mar 31, 2018 17:39:42 GMT
Arachne didn't like how Sidney emphasised the word 'projects' in her sentence...but nodded his head anyway. "Well, we'll see if I feel like it!" He said to the formerly floating doll. His attention darted around the lawn, his stress level rising when he began to notice the sheer amount of people and things around him. Kuromi noticed his slightly heavier breathing and lightly clasped his right hand. "It's ok, dear. We can send some people out on errands." She said, giving a warm smile. Arachne's expression softened slightly as he leaned back in his chair. "Yeah...that's good. Martha! Get over here!" He yelled at the athletic doll.
---
While Jane was describing her brother's talents to her, Helen's expression showed small signs of distaste at what Jane was talking about. She absolutely detested that fad of a genre that was popular in the 2000s, but had since long diminished in the eyes of the general public. At least it seemed like this girl understood that those weren't proper instruments. "So he works on a computer. How talented." Helen said curtly. Ugh, that was mean too, wasn't it? "Lot more talented...?" She asked out loud, looking over Jane's body. The small doll appeared to be wearing a sweater with bubbles on it...did she have some sort of aquatic interest? Her gaze then fell upon Jane's hands, which had small pencil smudges on them. Helen's gaze then rose to the spot where Jane had stood...and saw a sketchbook laying in the grass. "...do you draw?" The sharply-dressed doll asked.
---
So Yuu recognized that Marika was a bad person, but wants to love her anyway? This sounded like the concept of unconditional love Caroline had heard about...where a parent would love their child no matter how bad they turned out. This concept seemed strange to Caroline...since Arachne was so utterly vile and merciless with the world. Of course; she could also see the deep-rooted psychological damage that Arachne harbored...she just didn't feel it excused his behavior in the slightest. "Well, you certainly sound like a loyal and honorable person." Caroline gave a small smile toward Yuu. Yuu was certainly a far cry from Kuromi...who seemed to fill the role of Arachne's psychotic girlfriend than an actual parental figure. Judging from the patchwork of memories she got from Arachne when she was born...Arachne had some major issues with his parental figure that didn't seem to be his actual mother. "If you ever need to chat about stuff, feel free to ask me. I know you try to put up a mature front for the kids, so it's hard with them. But I have no such issues with that, ya know?" She said with a confident wink. The snake-like doll then leaned back against the counter once more.
|
|
|
Post by HungryHunter on Apr 1, 2018 1:32:58 GMT
"Trust me, you'll love it." Sidney drifted off to maker her plans. Across the field, Martha looked up and raised an eyebrow before rubbing Cassandra's head and bolting off. She jumped onto the roof and used it as a springboard to lung over the crowd around the blanket, landing right next to Arachne. "What?" She flatly grumbled, eyes low. Every muscle in her body was tense, ready to throw her back over to Cassandra's side.
Jane backed away a little when Helen sarcastically denigrated Haven. "He doesn't just use the computer! He's really talented!" Jane defensively turned her head just a little, refusing to look Helen in the eye. "Huh? I, um... yeah, but it's not very good." She couldn't get a read on Helen at all. That was so rude, but then she asked a normal question like she was actually interested. Maybe she was just really bad at talking to people, like Martha. Jane turned her head to hide a smile. That was totally it! She wasn't a bastard, she was just dumb with people!
"I... suppose. Thank you." Yuu didn't feel honorable. She had killed a brilliant swordswoman for her arms to make Cally. She had caught her off guard relaxing in her garden, unarmed, and kicked her in the face to knock her out for Marika. Everybody with powers she had slain, it was like that. She stacked the deck so victory was assured. So she wouldn't be taken away from Marika, but instead take something else from their family. Ash's super lungs, from a man sent into a coughing fit by dust thrown into his face. Jane's hands, from a succubus who didn't taste the drugs coating Yuu in a thin, toxic sheen. Yuu wasn't about honor, she was about victory and protecting her family.
She blinked with the confusion at the wink. An odd thing to end that sentiment with. Was it was because it was a secret, or... oh. "I can keep that in mind, but if you're interested in dating me, I'm afraid that's impossible." It would be awkward if she had misread the gesture, but she would deal with that when it came. It was best to discourage her early if that was her intent.
|
|
|
Post by Vapovile on Apr 6, 2018 21:21:58 GMT
Arachne watched as Martha did an elaborate entrance to arrive at their location. "Fancy. Anyway...here!" He reached into his pocket, took out a large black leather wallet filled with money and tossed a roll of several thousand dollars at Martha, tied together with a rubber band. "Take this and whatever strong dolls you want to a furniture store after dinner. You can take one of my dolls, as long as it's not Kuromi." His exclusion of her made Kuromi smile, happy that he saw her as above menial labor. "And make sure to get stuff that matches the interior decoration! I swear to fucking god, if you come back with ugly shit..." His face started to get red at the thought of the furniture not matching. "...maybe I should go to make sure you don't fuck everything up..." He mused, until Kuromi placed a hand on his shoulder. "No need to trouble yourself, dear. Let's give them a chance." She kindly stated. Kuromi knew that the sheer amount of options at a furniture store would be a nightmare for someone as neurotic as Arachne.
---
Jane's strange act of turning away confused Helen. Was there something more interesting in that direction? Despite Jane's protests, Helen wasn't going to consider what this 'Haven' did any sort of talent. However, she was slightly curious about what Jane was trying to downplay. "...oh?" Helen asked with confusion, placing her book down onto the grass and casually walking over to the notebook. She bent down to pick it up and began flipping through the pages, her face as stoic as ever.
---
The pause in Yuu's response told Caroline all she needed; Yuu had done plenty of dishonorable acts in the past...though perhaps at Marika's request. Dolls couldn't disobey an order, after all. She let out a small chuckle when Yuu rejected her. "Hahaha...oh, sorry. I wasn't actually flirting with you there, though you are pretty hot." Caroline let out a few more small laughs. She was a social butterfly in this regard, no matter the gender. "Anyway! I think your lasagna is just about done. Don't worry about the plates!" She chimed, opening the cabinet and pulling out a stack of paper plates. She had seen the nicer washable plates, but figured this would produce less work for the amount of people present. She then went into the utensil drawer and began setting forks with plates.
|
|
|
Post by HungryHunter on Apr 7, 2018 6:42:02 GMT
Martha frowned at the roll of cash in her hand. It had been a while since she'd seen a lump sum like this. She glanced over at Miles. No, it wasn't like that. This was innocent. "Alright... Ash! I need your help! Josefina, you're in charge of Cassandra!" She called back to over where she had been a few seconds ago. Ash was next to Cassandra, who spat out the blade of grass she was blowing on to hug her. "Don't let the bird steal the dough!" She burbled into her ear before she went searching for her instrument. Ash would find no explanation if she asked, but she might have seen Robin leaning in the doorway, arms crossed as she eyed the money, a greedy grin on her face.
"Wait! It's not very good..." Jane clenched and unclenched, fingers begging to rip the sketchbook away from Helen. The few family members who had seen it so far weren't very encouraging. Martha was supportive but wasn't able to hide her lack of interest in art, especially of "nerd shit". Cadence was so stoic it was hard to tell if she really meant any compliments she gave. And Patches, when she had gotten her hands on it... what she did wasn't a compliment.
Helen wouldn't find anything mindblowing among the sketchbook's pages. Jane's technical skills were impressive for her age, but not anything suggesting a prodigy. What might be more striking was a heap of creativity. Most of the pictures were superheroes, whether from comics or original. Even with those she had copied, Jane showed a knack for capturing personality; Flash taking a selfie by hitting the button on his camera and running faster than light to the other side, an Iron Man suit building other suits while Tony relaxed, a seemingly original character, a massive humanoid sponge, protecting a small child from the rain with an absorbent arm overhead. Some pages were just collections of tons of hasty sketches, character concepts, logos, and monsters sprawled on every inch. Nothing was colored, but quite a few of her larger portraits were gone over in ink, like the sketches she had done of her siblings.
Yuu utterly blanked when Caroline said she was hot. What was the proper response to that? She had been sexually approached more than once, but usually not in so comfortable a context. In the other situations it was appropriate to ignore or ready an open palm. Here that seemed inappropriate. "Thank you? Ah, yes, the lasagna. Yes, thank you, paper plates are more appropriate for a picnic." Yuu didn't bother with oven mitts, just grabbing the hot pan with her bare hands and placing it on potholders.
"Huh? You want to come? Sure, whatever, you're strong enough. But..." Martha eyed Robin, slightly suspicious she insisted on coming. She just wanted the money, didn't she? Martha wasn't sure what Robin would even do with this much money. Doesn't really matter I guess. Only thing that does is she's not getting it. Martha leaned into the kitchen. "Yuu! Can you come to Vorpal's with us? Robin's coming and I want somebody to keep the money away from her." Yuu glanced at the crew and outside at the picnic in one motion. Everything seemed fine for now... but that was only for now. "I'm afraid I have to stay here. If you're going to Vorpal's, you can take Chelsea and have her fly out of reach." It was a rather silly plan, but she didn't have a better one. If Robin wanted something, there was very little that could stop her from taking it.
|
|
|
Post by Vapovile on Apr 8, 2018 22:52:40 GMT
"I'll be right over!" Ash declared when Martha called for her help, suddenly being hugged by Cassandra and given a vague warning. "Don't let the bird steal the dough...? Huh?" Ash stood there for several seconds until she realized Cassandra wasn't going to explain herself. Giving a small sigh, Ash jogged over to meet Martha in the house, her breathing now slightly harder from the exertion. The poisonous gas in her lungs was awful for Ash's stamina...something she hated when working out.
---
Helen's expression was completely stoic as she flipped through the pages of the notebook. The art style certainly wasn't the type she was interested in...but it was unique to say the least. She squinted at the image of the Flash taking a picture, trying to figure out what was going on. Helen didn't read any comic books, so she had no idea what this character could do. Judging from the speed lines...he could run fast? Flipping through more pages, Helen found sketches of whom she believed to be other members of the house. Nothing in this notebook was special, but it was clear Jane was trying to improve, something Helen respected. She closed the notebook and offered it to Jane. "You're right; it's not good. But it is decent, and I can see improvement. I can respect creative drive." Helen stated. That was nice, right? Nobody in her own family remotely respected her music besides Caroline, but the way Caroline conducted herself was hardly fit for someone trying to gain respect. And the people who attended her concerts probably were only there to try and get on her good side, not to appreciate the music itself.
---
Yuu's blank expression made Caroline let out a few more chuckles. Did this woman have no experience being complimented like that? Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Yuu pull the lasagna out with her bare hands, having no idea Yuu was that resistant to heat. Caroline listened to Martha chat to Yuu about some place called Vorpal's, cocking her head to the right slightly. "Vorpal's? What's that? What do you all need there?" Caroline asked. If it was a place she could help out with, she would gladly offer to go in Yuu's place. Anywhere is more pleasant than with Arachne and most of his other dolls.
|
|
|
Post by HungryHunter on Apr 9, 2018 7:55:44 GMT
Jane was stunned for a second by Helen's blunt appraisal of the work, but after a moment's thought, she grinned. "Aw, thanks. I always feel like I'm not getting better." Blind praise wasn't the way to improve, but nobody who cared to look at her art would give her constructive criticism. They either had no art skills of their own so that it looked great by their standards, like Martha, or they just didn't want to hurt her feelings by bringing up what was wrong with it, just giving her a patronizing "very nice honey" like Yuu. "Um... I've drawn all my sisters, but I haven't drawn anybody from the future yet. Do you... want to be the first?" Jane rested her sketchpad in her lap and smiled sweetly.
"Vorpal's is a Hidden World department store." Yuu measured the lasagna's temperature while explaining. "Yeah, they sell all kinds of shit. We're going to get your new guys some furniture. Oh, wait, if Yuu's busy, how about you come? You know better than us what your sisters want, right? You can help pick sheets." Martha had to hide some enthusiasm. Cool bedspreads were underrated in adult society. And now she got to pick out a whole bunch! Better yet, she robbed Marika of the pleasure of doing it herself. "If you could, Caroline, that would actually be lovely." Yuu gave Caroline a mildly pleading expression. This combination in public needed supervision, and Caroline seemed reasonably responsible.
|
|
|
Post by Vapovile on Apr 10, 2018 0:56:38 GMT
The offer made Helen squint her eyes slightly in confusion. Why would Jane want to draw her of all people? She was far from the most interesting design-wise of the future dolls, and wasn't friendly like Kuromi or Caroline. Could Jane be trying to get something out of Helen? The suit probably made herself look rich to an outsider. But if this was truly innocent intentions...perhaps. "...pfft, if you want." Helen opened her book and held it in front of her face, beginning to read again while leaning against the tree. Strange enough...she noticed that the front lawn had gotten a little less crowded. Why were so many people heading inside?
---
"New furniture, eh...?" Caroline said out loud, thoughtfully. This was probably an order from Arachne to get everyone out of the house. But regardless, they probably did need new furniture if they were going to stay here for...however long Arachne wanted. Seriously, what was his aim here? The offer from Martha made her smile and clap her hands together. "Of course I'll help! I know most of their tastes by heart!" She lied. The other dolls barely interacted with each other, and Caroline already had a horrible memory. "You do know how to get there, right? And have a way to get there?" She asked, interlocking her hands behind her back and bending her back down to stretch. "I don't have a driver's license, so I can't exactly drive you guys around." Caroline stated with a hint of disappointment, twisting her back and hands with inhuman flexibility and snapping back into normal position, giving Martha another smile. "And we can't leave before dinner is over! That would be a waste, hm?" She said, beginning to set the plate along the counter for everyone.
|
|
|
Post by HungryHunter on Apr 10, 2018 5:22:32 GMT
"We'll show you when we get there. No need for a car, we have a door that opens right next to one entrance." Martha shrugged. Hey, this way I don't have to hang out with Yuu. She'd want to look at fabrics and stuff like the boring jerk she is. And more good news came next. "Food first sounds good to me!" She grabbed the first plate and an oversized slab of lasagna and vanished, leaving Robin hovering awkwardly near where she had been, hand out towards a pocket no longer there. She quickly lowered it and took some plates. "I'll help serve." She grinned at Yuu's deep frown and danced off to serve others. "You two met, right?" Yuu sighed as she cut up the remaining lasagna for the rest of the family.
"Thanks! You don't have to do anything special or pose or anything." Jane sat and started sketching. She gently made lines as Helen read. About halfway through, Martha appeared and plopped down next to her, white pants right on the grass without a second thought. "Whatcha doin'?" She asked, handing Jane a plate. "Drawing Helen." Jane didn't look up from her sketchpad. Martha stayed for a second, but realized Jane wasn't going to say more pretty quickly and jumped back up. One thumbs up to Helen later and she was gone again to feed Cassandra. Jane kept going until she had a solid sketch to show Helen. The likeness was clear enough, with all her features accurately captured to some extent. The hands were a mess, as would be expected, but overall it was very clearly Helen, reading her book. "What do you think? I'm going to do everybody... your boss probably last. He seems... picky."
|
|