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Secret Santa | A Dollmaker's Reprieve
It was another regular day in Sharia. The hustle and bustle of the city was low, and people idly meandered through the streets for their daily chores. Even in the chilly mornings of Ranoa, people kept themselves busy, and much like everyone else, Juliette, the doll-making disciple of Zanoba Shirone, and Rudeus Greyrat worked tirelessly on a recently commissioned work.
The workshop was largely empty this morning. Many of the workers that her master had so graciously employed decided that taking a minor holiday vacation was too tempting to pass up. The fact that Zanoba simply allowed them without a fuss was something that Julie herself found no reason in. She couldn't understand them; she was merely happy enough to see Zanoba's ecstatic expression upon viewing one of her finished figures.
Julie's hands slowly and assuredly chiseled away at the stone infront of her, the delicate process she had instilled into her while training. By this point in her life, it had become almost second nature to the girl.
A bead of sweat dripped down her chin as she chipped away at the veritable boulder, her focus sharp and intense on the vision of what she was aiming for. This commission, in particular, came from the Queen of Asura herself, Ariel Anemoi Asura. In most cases, something like this would only be handled by the most affluent nobles or the foremost professionals in their respective fields. However, it just so happened that both Zanoba and Rudeus had curried more than enough favor from Ariel to make them her go-to for something like this. That and the fact that she found Julie's figures a sight to behold.
Thus, Julie found the hours passing by in the blink of an eye, her hands and mind working tirelessly over the days as she continued relentlessly pouring all of her being into the project before her.
Julie's focus didn't break even a smidge when the door creaked open, or the footfalls drew near. With a low cough as if to clear his voice and make his presence known, an all too familiar voice spoke. “Julie.”
Julie sputtered as she turned around, only to see Zanoba standing behind her, a smile and a transfixed stare plastered onto his face, seemingly admiring her current progress. With Zanoba's sudden and abrupt entrance, Julie's hands dropped the chisel and hammer she had been clenching. Her clumsiness caused her to scramble to collect them, only to be intercepted by Zanoba doing so before she had the opportunity.
“It's already beginning to look absolutely marvelous, Julie.” Zanoba stood her up with ease, his strength still monstrous but natural to the girl.
Zanoba's ecstatic expression almost made the girl feel guilty at just what he was admiring. “I've barely even started yet, Master.” The vague humanoid outline could be considered anything but a work of art. The finished job was supposed to resemble Ariel Anemoi Asura and convey her authority while showing her beauty in equal contrast. Its current appearance was anything but that.
“It seems that you still lack a critical eye when it comes to these sorts of things, Julie.” Julie wasn't exactly sure if she should be feeling happiness or dread when a smile crept up Zanoba’s lips.
“Even though her figure is still crude as of now, you've already exquisitely expressed her power as a queen. Her imposing demeanor, the way she's poised as she stands.” With a finger guiding her attention, Zanoba pointed at the barely mapped-out statue infront of them. “Look closely at her body and how you've subtly depicted her beauty without even meaning to. How her features demand your attention or with how she stands to captivate her audience. Even her dress shows her relationship with the common man as well. Her stature dictating that while it could be made of the finest silks, she instead chose a common fabric that anyone could wear—”
It’s gonna be one of these ramblings, isn’t it? Julie couldn’t help but deadpan in her thoughts as she looked up at the man beside her.
Yet, she did nothing to stop him. Zanoba’s smile and ecstatic speech only seemed to brighten her mood when she saw how the man spoke with a passion she could be jealous of. Even then, it was better to stop before it became another multi-hour-long discussion on how art was the greatest human expression and how everyone who didn’t think so should be summarily executed. “Excuse me, Master Zanoba?”
Zanoba’s speech was cut short as he rearranged himself, managing to pry himself away from practically groping the work-in-progress statue infront of him. “Yes, Julie?” Zanoba looked back, his face beaming down at her with the glee of a child in a candy shop.
“Weren’t you supposed to be out for the evening? You said Grandmaster wanted help with something, so why are you back already?” It wasn’t like Julie hadn’t been paying attention to Zanoba when he had told her his plans. It was just that she was too focused on getting some more work done on their commission that she had maybe misheard him.
“Oh, that?” Zanoba looked away from the statue momentarily to look back at Julie. “Master and I will be leaving for a few days to work on a project we’ve been working on for a while. Normally, I’d have Ginger look after you while I’m gone, but this project requires her assistance, so while I’m absent, you’ll have to stay with Master’s family.”
“What?” Nothing had prepared Julie for the revelation Zanoba had so kindly granted her.
“I’m sorry to drop this on you out of nowhere, Julie.” Not even an hour later, Julie found herself infront of the Greyrat house, whereupon Rudeus deemed it necessary to apologize.
The man bowed his head to the shorter girl as if he had wronged her deeply. Peering behind him, the girl saw Sylphiette quietly laughing at her husband’s demeanor, and Roxy’s almost blatant embarrassment spoke volumes of how she thought the interaction was going.
Sure, Julie may have begged Zanoba to be left to her devices in the workshop so she could continue the project, but it wasn’t like it was Rudeus’s fault in the least. At least Julie wouldn’t blame him for something as trivial as this. She simply would’ve liked to have been given notice of their plan earlier. “I-It’s fine, Grandmaster.” It didn’t make the situation any less awkward, however.
“Really?” Rudeus couldn’t help but rub the back of his neck as he chuckled. The man did nothing to help his image as he meekly looked at the girl nearly half his height, his attention seemingly dragged away from her and back to Zanoba standing next to her. “I hope Zanoba explained everything to you?” Julie couldn’t tell if Rudeus was asking out of courtesy or sheer lack of faith in the man he deemed his disciple to adequately explain himself when doing things.
“He did.” A sigh of relief escaped his throat as Julie gave her answer. Whatever weight he had been carrying seemingly lifted off his shoulders at that exact moment.
“Great.” With the pep back in his step, Rudeus ushered them inside, the door snapping shut behind them.
“As I hope Zanoba told you, he and I have important matters to take care of, and with the holiday approaching, we both figured it’d be better for you to not be hunching over a statue all day long.” While she could understand where they were coming from, Julie couldn’t understand the reasoning behind their actions. It wasn’t like she was a child who couldn’t take care of herself anymore, and besides that point, the notion of working meticulously on an artwork of her creation didn’t sound all that unpleasant to her either. “So, considering we were already going to celebrate together after we returned, we figured this would be easier.” Julie couldn’t understand why they didn’t wait until they got back to drag her out of the workshop. Wasn’t Rudeus big on letting people do what they wanted?
“You don’t have to worry about me.” However, Julie couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with the care she was receiving.
That didn’t mean Rudeus would let up, though. “It’s important to know your limits, Julie.” He leaned down, his hand quickly finding the girl’s shoulder and holding her in place, his eyes staring into her. “Working without breaks doesn’t do anyone any good. Didn’t I teach you that?” He did. In fact, it was one of the first things he had when she started learning magic underneath him. Making figurines from magic was anything but an easy process, after all. At least, it was for everyone but Rudeus Greyrat.
Still, was it so bad that she just wanted to go back and work on a commission that had a deadline? Sure, they had only received it a couple weeks prior, and Ariel likely didn’t expect it for another year or two, but Julie didn’t want to let that time slip away while she had the chance to get a headstart.
“Then how about this?” Rudeus, without a shred of guilt, bowed his head again. “Would you be willing to look after Lara and Lily for me? Those two always get up to something, so I’d appreciate having someone I trust to watch them.” Julie didn’t know what to feel as she watched Rudeus almost beg her for help. “Please?” With his quiet plead, Julie could feel her resistance dissipate.
As much as she wanted to point out the fact that he had three wives, all of whom could easily look after two little girls by themselves. Julie couldn’t find it in her to turn down the person who had already done so much for her. “It’s fine, Grandmaster. You can count on me.” By the time her words left her mouth, Rudeus had already rebounded, a smile as wide as a Cheshire cat’s on his lips.
“I knew I could count on you, Julie.” Rudeus stood back up, his posture straightening as he touched her shoulder. “Feel free to use my study for practice if you want. If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask Sylphie or Roxy, and if the kids give you any trouble, don’t feel worried about calling out to Eris.” Julie could almost swear that she could practically hear a shiver run up his spine at the mention of the fiery redhead's name.
“Master, we should really get going. The sun will set soon.” Zanoba spoke up then. Rudeus’s head snapped back to the prince as if he had almost forgotten the purpose of their little talk in the first place.
“Right.” With a nod, Rudeus moved over to Sylphie and Roxy, who had been waiting for him to finish talking.
“Please don’t bring back another Nanahoshi doll, Rudy.” The smile on Sylphiette’s face was in heavy contrast to the anger in her voice as she spoke.
Rudeus couldn’t help a nervous laugh escape his throat. “Of course.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t, Rudy.” Roxy spoke with a certainty, her tone as if she were a stern teacher lecturing the man.
“Of course, Master.” The nickname only caused a red blush to creep up the blue-haired woman’s face as she punched the man on the chest, his body not so much as buckling under her strength.
With another quiet whisper to the two and a slight peck on their lips, Rudeus turned back to Julie and Zanoba. “We shouldn’t keep Ginger waiting any longer then, should we?” Zanoba nodded along.
“You’re quite right.” Without a moment wasted, Zanoba reached down and rubbed Julie’s head. The pressure was a tad strong, but it was nothing the girl hadn’t experienced before. “I’ll be back in a few days then, Julie.”
“Make sure to eat.” The last thing she’d want was for Zanoba to get so caught up in statues and figures that he’d forget one of the basic necessities of living again.
“That’s partly why we’re bringing Ginger along.” Rudeus chuckled to himself as he scratched at his cheek.
At least someone was willing to look out for Zanoba’s health. That was enough for Julie to feel content with her circumstances.
The rest of the day was a blur to the girl. Before she knew it, Sylphie had helped her find Rudeus’s study. Then, not even what felt like an hour passed before Roxy found her to whisk her off to the bath. The whole process was foreign to the dwarf, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Then, it was finally time for bed.
This was when Julie’s true trial started.
Sure, Julie wasn’t the most versed in interpersonal skills or for most things that dealt with people, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t hold her own when dealing with someone. That fact did not translate to dealing with children, however.
Lara and Lily, Roxy and Rudeus Greyrat's children, were bickering like no tomorrow infront of the girl in their room while Lara’s dog, Leo, sat harmlessly across the floor watching what was unfolding. “Stop pulling on my hair, Lara, I’ll tell Red-Mama.” Lily nudged the girl beside her with an elbow, her hands preoccupied with tinkering on what looked like two cylinders haphazardly attached to each other.
“Is fiddling around with that junk really that important?” Lara didn’t look the least bit pleased with her sister’s statement.
“It’s not junk.” Julie could see the flicker of anger run through the sleepy-eyed girl’s eyes at Lara’s words. “It’s a work in progress.” Lily huffed as she continued shooting her scrutinizing gaze back down to her hands.
Lara raised an eyebrow and scoffed at her, but before she could do anymore, Leo grabbed the hem of her shirt with his teeth and pulled her back into him. “Even Leo’s worried where you’ll end up in a decade.” Without a shred of guilt, Lara reclined into Leo’s fur, the dog whimpering slightly along her words as if he was embarrassed about how she was acting.
Julie didn’t know if she should just leave the room entirely or find a place to quietly drift off into sleep.
However, her thoughts weren’t seemingly hidden enough as Lara’s eyes drifted over to her. “Leo’s fur is awfully comfortable, Auntie Julie. Want to give it a try?”
Julie almost fell when she heard the girl speak. “Auntie?” She couldn’t help but point a finger at herself.
“Problem?” Lara’s smile turned smug as if she knew exactly what she was doing. “Uncle Zanoba and Uncle Cliff are practically family to us, so why would you be any different.” Julie could feel her cheeks flush at the girl’s words. The fact that someone half her age had as much gall as she did was something Julie was amazed by.
“Not at all.” Without more trepidation, Julie walked over and sat next to the blue-haired prankster, Leo doing his best to let Julie get comfortable. The lack of any surprise as she did so left Julie somewhat antsy. Even with her little interaction with the girl, she knew from hearsay that Lara would even prank Orsted if given the chance. The thought alone was enough to send a shiver of fear up Julie’s spine.
That didn’t last long as Julie fell into Leo’s fur, the softness she swore wouldn’t even be found in the wealthiest noble's homes. Lara wasn’t lying when she said he was comfortable to lay on. Honestly, it was almost criminal how soft his fur was.
Compared to living in a cold, damp cell, Julie much preferred having a nice warm room, food to eat, and people that actually gave a damn about her. It was nice.
Those thoughts weren’t for now, though. What was important was looking after the two younger girls. “Shouldn’t the two of you be getting to sleep soon?” It wasn’t too late yet, but with how Lara messed with Leo and how Lily didn’t seem to be getting any closer to fixing whatever was wrong with the item in her hands, Julie could tell neither would be sleeping anytime soon.
“Busy.” Lily quietly spoke, her head never bothering to glance at the two. Most would probably consider her rude, but Juliette couldn’t help but laugh to herself. Lily wasn’t any older than five and was already tinkering away with things she loved. In truth, Julie could understand where the girl was coming from. At first, she’d initially found working on figurines to be droll and monotonous, but she grew to love it over time. Zanoba was mainly to blame for that fact, but that didn’t matter anymore. What did matter was the fact that she liked what she did.
“It’s typical for young people to show respect for their elders, you know, Lily?” Oddly, Lara seemed fed up with her sister's attitude toward their guest.
Lily’s hands continued to fiddle with the object. Any answer on her lips was seemingly on hold until she found out what was wrong with it. That was until a small plume of smoke billowed out of it, the sound of something cracking echoing in the room.
A sigh escaped her throat then. One that resounded defeat. “Aren’t you the one that glued Orsted’s shoes to the floorboards and dumped a frog in his coat pocket while he wasn’t looking?” For the first time since Julie had arrived, Lily looked up from her hands.
A smile crept up Lara’s lips. “I don’t remember him being upset about it.” The girl hummed to herself as she whistled, acting as if she had done no wrong in the world.
“Then what about when you cut Dad’s hair while he slept?” Lily pointed an accusatory finger at her sister, Leo deciding it was best if he didn’t get involved as he curled up and rested for a while as the two argued.
In Julie’s case, she could hardly believe what she was hearing. It seemed Rudeus wasn’t wrong about them getting up to something when he wasn’t there.
“Dad didn’t mind.” Lara continued nonchalantly, blowing off her little sister’s comments as she picked at her nose.
Julie could tell from the color of Lily’s face alone that any more than this would be pushing buttons no one wanted to press.
So, with the only difficulty in saying goodbye to Leo’s soft fur, Julie slowly crept up and walked over to the hunched-over Lily and grabbed the now defunct contraption the girl had been working on with a slow and deliberate motion. “What was this supposed to be anyway, Lily?” Julie didn’t mean to sound rude by saying that, but it was quite frankly impossible to tell what whatever she was holding was supposed to be.
“It was supposed to help dry hair faster. A gift for Red, Blue, and Green-Mama.” The girl didn’t seem happy about her failed endeavor, but Julie doubted that Lily would let one little mess-up ruin her life—maybe her day and maybe her entire week, but not her life.
During these times, Julie wanted to at least be of some use in any way she could.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to hold if it were smoother?” The object wasn’t something Julie would consider easy to hold. It was bulky and had sharp points—hardly something you’d want to in your hands, let alone for long periods.
“It took me a week just to build that exterior.” Lily spoke as she looked up at Julie, her eyes conveying how hard simply constructing it was.
Something simple like this wouldn’t be that hard for me, though. Julie couldn’t help but think, the simple thought triggering another idea to bubble up inside her head. “How about this then.” Not a moment later, Julie tugged at her mana and formed a sphere of rock, then, as if molding it like clay, shaped it to approximately what Julie had envisioned a sleeker version of Lily’s invention would look like.
Julie could practically see Lily’s eyes brighten at the sight of the magic infront of her. “That’s just like Dad’s!” The girl couldn’t contain her excitement at seeing Julie’s handicraft.
“I’m not nearly on his level, though.” The days of her tutelage were only getting increasingly distant as the years passed, but even now, Julie could vividly remember how Rudeus used magic. Every day, Julie did her best to never lose what she had been generously shown.
“That doesn’t matter one bit.” Lily grabbed a hold of Julie as she finished shaping the rock. Lily’s tiny hands did their best to clasp Julie’s as much as possible. “If you helped me, I could manage! Could you?” Julie had never seen Lily act as energized as this in their little interactions. Most of the time, it seemed like the girl was off in her own world, but now, with her eyes glowing as she almost begged her for help, the dwarf knew what she had to do.
“Sure, if you don’t mind someone like me helping you out.” It was a senior’s duty to help their junior, and Rudeus left her in charge with his daughters, so it was the least she could do for everything he’d given her already.
“Haah…” Lara could only sigh to herself as she stretched. “Once you get Lily going, she won’t stop until she passes out. Don’t say I didn’t try helping you, Auntie Julie…” The girl yawned, and as if she’d never been awake in the first place, she fell asleep against Leo.
Julie chuckled to herself as she looked back at the girl giddily holding the object she’d made. She’d figured that when she was forced to stay with the Greyrats, it’d at least be awkward in some sense, but what she got was something she could look back on fondly. It was a refreshing day and an escape from the day-to-day monotony she may have needed.
She’d be sure to tell Zanoba all about it when he got back.