Mansion of Dolls (Complete)

Chapter 01 (Rewrite/Edited)

She was exhausted.

That was the first thing that came to Taryn Lowell's mind as she opened her blue eyes to stare up at Tokyo's airport ceiling. It wasn't from jetlag. Well, at least part of it, that much she knew. Letting out a breath, Taryn lifted her hand and looked at the ID-Disc. The chain wrapped loosely around her fingers as she ran her thumb absentmindedly over the engraving.

N64 586 C52

R LOWELL

RC O/RH/NEG

CDN FORCES CDN

It belonged to her brother, Roy.

A second thought came to her mind soon after the first, one that seemed to keep asking the same thing over and over after arriving here in the early morning.

What am I even doing here?

It was one that she had an answer to already, but she still couldn't help herself in thinking. She was here because of one reason. Well, one person.

"So, how are you feeling?" Taryn then glanced to her left, as she saw a pair of dark grey eyes framed behind a pair of red-rimmed glasses looking down at her.

Rachael Blake, though with only a year in age difference, Rachael being older than Taryn, the two were extremely close friends. With red-orange hair that was currently done in a single braid. There were also freckles all over her pale skin.

"Ground control to Major Tom, you in there, Taryn?" Rachael said again when her friend only continued to stare at her vacantly.

Taryn gave a short laugh. "Yeah, yeah," she said as she sat up in her chair before stretching her arms over her head. "I'm here. And I feel fine for the most part, jetlag not included." She then put the ID-Disc back over her neck and in her T-shirt to hide it from view. "What about you, Rei?" she said, using her friend's nickname. "How do you feel?"

"Besides feeling like I got hit by a truck, pretty good."

She looked at Rachael with an arched brow. "Why do you feel like you were hit by a truck exactly?"

"Because!" she said with a now excited smile on her face. "We're here in Japan of all places! I know we talked about going before, but I never thought it would actually happen."

That was true; it was somewhat surprising. Even Taryn still couldn't wrap her head around it. And it was all because of Stephanie Stratford.

Which led to her thought coming back to the forefront.

What am I even doing here?

Again, the answer was clear, exceptionally so. It was because that woman appeared on Taryn's front doorstep two months previously. It wasn't something Taryn expected; after all, Stephanie was the woman Taryn's ex-boyfriend had cheated with.

So, seeing Stephanie was a bit confusing. And awkward. Very awkward.

That awkwardness didn't stop them from talking; Taryn even offered Stephanie to come inside if she wanted. Just because of what Taryn's ex had done didn't mean Stephanie was at fault, at least not really. And from what Taryn understood, Stephanie didn't fully realize either until after Taryn ended the relationship.

Even then, the whole situation about it and what caused it was just a big giant tangled mess that all of them seemed to try and figure out how to go about it.

If anything, Taryn got why her ex went for Stephanie. She was tall, probably a bit taller than him even, with dark blonde hair and dark blue eyes with an athletic build like that of a supermodel, same with being rather busty.