The story, short version, is

1) My grandma had an antique ventriloquist doll when I was a kid. I love this thing

2) In recent years, I have inquired about it and she promised it to me, only for us to realize its with my aunt

3) I love my aunt dearly but her house is full of basically free roamining sugar gliders, insect infestations, and probably mold or other environmental hazards

4) The dummy already wasn't pristine. This is not ideal dummy storage. I want this dummy

5) My aunt and grandma disagree politically and generally and fight a lot, have their whole lives. I am both their favorites.

6) We usually exchange Christmas gifts with my aunt at Grandmas house

7) I have requested the dummy for Christmas with explicit plans to restore it

The potential blowup is here; if I get the dummy on Christmas day, and it has, say, been eaten by bugs, and my grandma sees this, she is going to be Not Happy

But I want that dummy

This thing is from, at earliest, the 1970s

oh dear

I have no doubt you will be able to do a beautiful job restoring it

but still, I understand the worry

Update, plot twist: There are apparently two dummies

:0

gasp!

a 1940s era dummy from my grandmas childhood and my aunts dummy from her teens, thats the one she has

A potentially good development?

potentially!

I have, however, previously helped search my grandmothers house for a dummy and not found it, so finding the one I am supposed to have may still be a problem

but, much less chance of fighting

hmmm

well, less fighting is always good

and I hope y’all can find this missing dummy!

thank you!

Good luck!