Tradition's End (A Touhou Project Fanfiction)

A Wicked Hermit's Wicked Whims

The noontide sun sat high in the sky, brilliant rays shining down upon the parched earth. The air was heavy with humidity, the cicadas droned relentlessly, and not even the slightest breeze could be felt.

Summer was in full force, bringing to bear a full suite of things that a certain puppeteer would have found rather detestable.

At the moment, however, the weather outside mattered very little.

Today, Alice was making dolls.

...

From within her workshop that occupied the second floor of the tower attached to her home, the dollmaker was hard at work.

Sunlight filtered in through the window above her work table, providing plenty of light. It warmed the sturdy wooden surface and reflected dazzlingly through the tray of glass eyes and minor gem fragments that Alice was currently sifting through.

She was in her element.

Countless shelves, drawers, and cabinets completely covered the walls, meticulously organized, but filled to the brim nonetheless. Within, they held everything Alice could have ever needed.

There was fabric. Oh, so much fabric. Spools of thread, bolts of cloth, skeins of yarn, lengths of ribbon, rolls of lace, and fragments of half-finished clothing concepts, in a variety of colors that would have put a rainbow to shame.

Rows of paint bottles, bundles of metal wire, and organizers containing nothing but beads and charms and fasteners and eyes.

Tools, too. An entire jewelry box, repurposed to hold nothing but carving tools. Tweezers, clamps, paintbrushes, drafting tools, needles, pallet knives, files, sandpaper, and a potentially concerning number of scissors.

A sewing machine, for when she needed a large amount of stitching done.

A small array of crystals, useful in bolstering the enchantments she layered upon her dolls.

A pair of glasses, equipped with various magnifying lenses, that now rested upon her nose.

A half-emptied cup of lukewarm tea, occupying the small end table beside her.

A line of incomplete bodies, patiently waiting their turn with Alice, sitting to one side of her work table.

They would need that patience. It would take time for her to be able to get to each of them.

She was doing this by hand, after all.

A handful of Naples dolls lingered nearby, hovering quietly and eager to help. However, for this task of dollmaking, of creating their brethren, they would not assist.

The reason?

Alice simply didn't want them to.

Now, it wasn't as if they couldn't help her at all. They were still quite useful when it came to fetching needed tools or ensuring a clean workspace. However, Alice had decided long ago that she wouldn't allow herself to use her dolls for this sort of work.

It may have seemed a bit strange coming from a woman who normally operated her dolls as if they were countless extra limbs, but that was just how it was.

Sure, she had recently taught Shanghai to knit, but that had been more of an experiment. The scarf had been the doll's to keep, anyways.

But dollmaking.... Dollmaking was different.

It was more... involved. More... intimate.

...

For Alice, the act of creation was... a deeply personal experience.