010 ~*~ The most anticlimactic return

[not_so_great_wall]

[ Action : 340 Brady Lane : Sunday mid-day ]
[ It might be difficult for outsiders to tell that something was off about Meiling, at first. As a drone she was a touch more pleasant and carefree, a bit more diligent with her work, and much more subservient to her "husband". At school she was pleasant and diligent and a good, hard worker.

But today, the vacuum cleaner in the living room is on and just... running in place. A quick investigation will show that it is on and sitting flat on the floor beside the couch. The couch that a certain redhead is dead asleep on.

...drone!Meiling did not understand the importance of proper rest, so that's why Meiling, having snapped out of it, decided to rectify this at the cost of all else happening around her. ]

---

[ Action : Mayfield Elementary : Monday Afternoon ]
[ Dressed in her usual overalls for her work, this particular janitor is mopping the halls rather dully. She isn't humming to herself as usual, or trying to make a show of cleaning for anyone still milling about after school. Meiling is definitely not all there, but at least it's obvious from the lack of a genial smile that she is no longer droned. ]

---

[ Phone : Monday Evening ]
[ That's both the longest and most frightening droning period ever for her, so those who know her might notice that she's just barely keeping the disappointment inside. This place can make her break just about any promise, it seems... ] Um, hi Mayfield. It's Meiling. I was told I was out for a little while, now, so I want to say I'm sorry to anyone who wanted me for any reason! I'm all better now, I pro-- .

[ Deep breath. ]

I'm pretty sure I am, I mean.

Comments

Mayfield Elementary

[kinship]

[Cain is just about to head home for the day, homework in his backpack already done, when he notices the janitor and her rather dull expression.]

Are you alright, miss?

[not_so_great_wall]

Huh? [ She snaps partway out of it, leaning comically forward and turning her head to look at the boy. ] Oh! I'm okay. [ A weak smile, not the distinct and creepy Stepford Smile she might have given any other day. ]

[kinship]

[She looks tired, his heart goes out to her.]

Would you like some help? We could get your work done twice as fast, working together.

[not_so_great_wall]

[ Meiling straightens up. ] You might get in trouble if they see you helping me. It's my job, after all!

[kinship]

I can pretend to be walking by if anyone says anything, I promise we won't get in trouble.

[not_so_great_wall]

Hehe, I'm not really worried about myself. I'll be okay. [ And she gets right back to it. ] Besides, I only have one mop. Hard to split up this kind of work!

[kinship]

Do you work here every day? I've never seen you before.

[not_so_great_wall]

Maybe not in this hall, but I should be here on most days!

[kinship]

I'm Cain, by the way.

[He holds out a hand to her politely.]

It's nice to meet you, miss.

[not_so_great_wall]

[ She bows her head at first and then reaches out to shake his hand easily. ] Meiling. Nice to meet you, too!

[kinship]

Wow, Meiling is a pretty name. Where are you from?

[not_so_great_wall]

[ The smile comes a little easier, now. ] The Scarlet Devil Mansion, in Gensokyo. What about you?

[kinship]

I'm from Germany originally, I still think of Berlin as my home town.

[not_so_great_wall]

Ahh, that's in Europe. I've never visited -- which isn't saying a lot, for someone like me, but even so! I've always wanted to travel the outside world and see where all the stories come from, even if it's dangerous.

[kinship]

Is Europe especially dangerous where you come from?

[not_so_great_wall]

[ Headshake. ] Not any more dangerous than anywhere else, I guess.

[kinship]

Maybe when you go home, you can visit one day?

[not_so_great_wall]

Mm, maybe. It'd have to be with everyone, though, since I can't leave the mansion unguarded. [ More than she already does, that is. Herp. ]

[kinship]

You live in a castle?

[Wow, it must be quite different for her being a janitor then.]

[not_so_great_wall]

Mm, I wouldn't really call it a castle. More of a very big European style house, with many floors and a basement and a huuuge library. [ Beaming. ] I protected the gate, and I also took care of the gardens.

[kinship]

That sounds like a lot of responsibility... you must miss it.

[not_so_great_wall]

Mm. I do, and I'm not alone in missing it. [ A bit of a sigh.] There are a lot of us here from the Scarlet Devil Mansion. The Mistress and her sister, her friend Patchouli, the head maid, and... [ A moment to count in her head. ] No, I guess that's it.

[kinship]

That's still an awful lot from one place, considering how many places this one has to choose from. There's only my brother and I from our home.

[not_so_great_wall]

I guess we're lucky like that. [ A weak smile. ] Or unlucky, depending on how you think.

Family is important, though, no matter where everyone is.

[kinship]

I think we're lucky.

We might all be trapped, but as long as we're trapped together then we will always have the motivation to survive and carry on.