Snippet #2063262

"Take not one more step!" the voice boomed out at three children once again. "You dare taint these hallowed grounds with your presence? You dare enter the home of spirits?" The voice crescendoed as the accusatory questions continued, until it became an almost deafening roar in their ears. "YOU DARE TO DEFY THE VERY BALANCE AND ORDER OF NATURE AND EXISTENCE ITSELF? THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS SHALL BE MOST DIRE! YOU SHALL-"

"Kikiri, please! Would you stop scaring the guests like that?" The voice of a young woman rang out most melodically, cutting off the sonorous speech of the invisible speaker, her light, high-pitched tone contrasting sharply with the deep, powerful one. "I have asked you a thousand times, to please let me greet all guests and simply alert me of their presence without talking to them." The body of the feminine voice appeared, bustling toward the children with quick little clacks as her heels hit the bamboo floors. The woman stood a good deal higher than them of course, but it was clear that she was quite tall by anyone's standards. Her hips swung unnaturally as though she had been practicing walking this way, but even from under her maid uniform they stood out clearly. The black against the frilly white lace and her soft pale skin gave her a bold, strong appearance, as did her full, bright red lips and flowing, dark, gently curled brown hair. She had air of confidence and strength, but a forced, tired smile as she approached the children, simultaneously holding out a finger as a perch to a small orange bird.

The bird took in a breath, the red plumage on its belly puffing out, then sighed. "You never let me have fun, Madeleine." It was softer, but the voice from before had surely come from the tiny creature.

"Alright," the woman continued, ignoring the bird on her finger. She pulled a feather duster from her side and removed part of the handle with her teeth to reveal a pen. She then pulled out a pad and looked down to the children. "So what kind of spirits are you? What floor would you like? Are you all together or separate?" She rattled off questions faster than the children could answer, writing things down as she went along. "And your names? How many rooms will you require? Are you elementals? Which plane are you from? What kind of spirits did you say you were again?" She stopped and stared down at them expectantly.