Jaina Cassandra's Story

Perhaps it was simply the evening approached, but the charming buildings of Terota that day seemed... just a little sad. There was something lingering in the air, something unsettling, and it made all the citizens of the small town ill at ease. Within this town, a crossroads for several major settlements, was the beginning of a strange journey for several stranger individuals.

This is where our story begins.

Of different cities, different lives, the characters of this tale gathered for one reason alone - to continue to live. However, it was obvious at first glance that this would not be fulfilled. It had always been a quaint little thing, as most key-keeper shops are. However, that day, it was different. The dolls gathered could barely recognize the tired, dilapidated building. The windows, once inviting, had been boarded shut, so hastily that the nails hung ajar. The door had been locked at first, but one reckless individual had broken it down.

The inside was worse. Far worse.

There was scarcely a centimeter that remained untouched - the ground was littered with debris and the walls scorched and torn. With every step, glass or ash was crushed into the floorboards underfoot. The scraps of the paper once draped on the walls were scattered, burned, and destroyed, the printed roses almost wilted in a literal sense. The skin peeled back, the building now stood, a mere wooden skeleton of its former, kinder self.

The brittle beams struggled against the pull of the earth, and on the far side of the room, a table lay crippled by the bared walls. Its legs were snapped, its surface smeared with dark powder. However, despite the wreckage strewn about, it was obvious that once upon a time, this was indeed the shop of a keykeeper. Both sides of the room were lined by the small locked drawers that had contained the beautiful keys of dolls... but they were smashed open, displaying their hollow interior for all to see.

The tiny cats that adorned the drawer-tops lay shattered on the floor. The vase of flowers once beside it had met the same end. The water seeped along the cracks of the floorboards, drowning the remnants of fragrant blooms along with a slip of paper, half-dyed red.

Further papers, destroyed to the point of being unreadable, were crammed into the flickering hearth to the left. A wooden chair, legs licked by the flames, lay beside a pair of broken glasses - its silver wire frame was twisted beyond repair. However, rather than the hearth, the remains of a bonfire lined the pit of a gaping hole in the center of the room. Inside it was an inch of cinder along with the remnants of a half-eaten meal.

Other than the crackling of the fire, the house was quiet... unnaturally so. However, even stranger still were two objects mysteriously intact. The first, tacked to the door leading into the keykeeper's private quarters, was a singed fold of paper. Although the ink was blurred, two significant clues remained:

'Have patience - the keys unlock the gates to immortality'

... and...

'Eternal is the Master Key'...

The other object, seeming misplaced amongst the ruins, was a strange silver amulet. Engraved into the disc was what resembled a serpent devouring its own tail. Hanging from a nail upon the wall, it seemed almost deliberately placed.

So normal it seemed from the outside... and humans rarely frequented the shop meant for dolls. The people of Terota might not have known if it weren't for the dolls that fateful day.

Showing off a tall and imposing figure as she stepped out of the carriage, Cassandra spared no heed of the mixed questioning and awed looks darted at her way. Donned in a short scarlet-colored dress and a pair of butterfly-decorated, high-heeled black pumps, the amethyst-haired girl turned to the woman inside the carriage.

"I thank you for your company, Madame Lilian", she spoke impishly, eyeing the said woman from under her lashes. "You are truly a wonderful blessing my lady. I will forever will be in your debt." Her voice sultry and with an indulging smile in her face, she winked at Lilian Gaborne of Hastings. The portly woman can't help but redden slightly at the praise and coyly covered her face with the fan in her hands, just giggling in the process.

Cassandra then settled into a customary curtsy, holding the littlest trail of her dress into the side. "I will be taking my leave now. Please always take care Madame." She accompanied her words by placing her hand on a cheek of the golden-haired woman. She softly caressed her before murmuring, "I hope we meet sometime in the future." Staring at her directly, she smiled again before dropping her hand to her side and stepping away to leave. The said woman can't do anything but stare at her in muted shock, the enchantment and fascination is obviously etched in her face.

Cassandra took out her parasol and opened it with ease. Trudging in a steady pace towards the only key-keeper's shop in Terota, she walked ahead with purpose. It had been a long while since she last visited this place. Pretty much a quite long while actually.

Since she had possessed two keys instead of the usual number of one as what is normal for each doll, she did not see the need of coming back here. She took a key with her and left the other one with the key-keeper. Ever since then, she was able to live by with having just the silver key with her. Having another key gave her the privilege that those other dolls doesn't have. Though it might grow tiresome for a while, about needing to be winded after every two days, still she's happy with her situation. She definitely gets used into not settling into that rhythmic schedule of visiting this shop, miles away from her home, in Belerise. In fact, it might have been more than five years since she last stepped in Terota.

If it wasn't for her urgent current need, she would never have come back. Cassandra of the Everett House would have not been caught dead, or as dead as she could be, here if it wasn't because she truly needed to get her key from the shopkeeper.

Smirking inwardly at another gaping face that she had passed by, she then turned round the corner and found herself in front of the familiar shop.

...

..

Or what should have been the case to Cassandra. Snapping her neck to see the surrounding establishments near this barely recognizable dilapidated building, she reflexively put a hand over her mouth. Noting the same shops and houses nearby, she is quite certain that she wasn't wrong when she walked towards this place. If her memory served her right, in this pitiful looking shabby shack is where the very same modestly designed key-keeper's shop should have stood. She shook her head and slightly lowered the skirt of her dress that had hiked up past her thighs from when she had walked before. She closed her parasol and lightly arranged the hat from its position in her head.

Stepping inside, she eyed the door hazardously left on the floor and cringed as she noted the dirt and accumulating dirt inside. She held a gloved hand in front of her chest, the other holding tightly into her parasol and purse. 'What had happened here?' She thought in confusion as she discovered how far destroyed the place had been as she entered inside. It was no doubt the same old key-keeper's shop that she left her key with, years prior, she concluded staring at the broken cabinets on the side.

"Do any of you know where the key-keeper went or why this store is in ruins?" Was the first thing she had heard, seeing a golden-haired jointed doll standing at the side.

Her nose crinkled, showing her simple distaste as she saw the two other jointed dolls. Honestly of all the strange things that could happen to her, this would have topped it all. Seeing the store which should have held the only literal key for her future- in shambles and being surrounded with a disturbing number of haughty looking jointed dolls in one room together with her does not absolutely bode her well.

She then planned and decided that it would be better if she just quietly observe them for the meantime. She may need to use one of them, if things come to worst. She may have to charm these dolls to encourage them to follow what she wanted them to do and tell her later on. Everything was still very confusing for the jointless doll. Knowing that she's not the first one to discover what had happened, she was forced to rely on them for information.

"I'd like to know that too", she spoke after the statement, the curiosity getting ahead of what she initially intended to, and that was supposedly to keep quiet for a while. She turned calculating eyes towards the other two doll, her face emotionless as usual, and inspected them from head to toe. One of these three dolls may or may not be her only way to solve what happened here.

The paper was still wet, and hung limply as though lacking a spine. The highly diluted red solution still dripped ever so slowly, and the pool of water it had been resting on was stained a similar shade of red. If one looked closely at the damp fibers, there was still the faintest shadow of a past image that had been written on its surface, with the majority of the ink having been stolen away by the liquid. The most visible word was ‘agen’ in highly elaborate script, mere centimeters from the upper edge. Touching the limit of the remaining material was a large eclipse, encircling the word as well as a little of its surrounding area. A gently curving line led the from that shape to an almost perfect square, although slightly taller than wide, which was marked ‘Tero’. A cautionary ‘???’ marked the rest of the paper in a larger size, along with a multitude of illegible scratches.

There was a rip on the bottom of the paper, the jagged edges looking almost like bitten by some large beast. The fibers were soft there, and almost fragile. While the backside was also stained crimson, there was a little more to be seen there. On the top of the sheet, the word ‘Sage’ was written, before a grid of perfectly straight vertical and horizontal lines ran from side to side. There were words inscribed on each of these lines, but they were indecipherable from the mess. In the center, there was a break in the pattern, with a square taking up exactly the width and length of six of those lines. In this square, there was a barely legible word. Was it ‘Varel’ or ‘Novel’? There was nothing else of interest on the sheet, although an upwards pointed arrow neatly highlighted a capital N.

The substance that covered the desk was a dark grey on closer inspection, not the black that it had seemed before. It brought with it the faintest smell of lead, and left a streak of a lighter, but still shining silver to everything that it touched. This powder was hard to the touch, and a closer glance would reveal that it was made of pieces of varying sizes.

---

Raine Alba

In dealing with humans over the past many decades, Dove had seen for herself that humans seemed to absorb the emotions of others like an illness. One blustering, angry soul could inspire a whole room of them to anger; one giggling fool could spread his smile through a crowded taproom. Dove was often thankful that Dolls did not behave just this way, however, as more porcelain bodies entered the blackened shop, the child Doll had some inkling of the panic being swapped around. Thankfully, she could refuse to take part.

The watch face in her hand ticked steadily within fetchingly tarnished silver. The hands, thin black twists of delicate metal, jerked with a clean neatness that always gave the little lamb pleasure as she watched them. Upon the round face the hours of the day were inscribed. It had only been an hour and twenty-six minutes since her arrival in Terota, and already things were going so utterly awry. Ah, well. At the bottom of the face lay a semi-circular cutaway, beneath which turned a disk with a bright day and starry night painted upon it. Of course, it being late morning, only the blue sky and gilt sun were visible. There was a quiet click as the watch closed like a clamshell in her palm.

With the air of a sleepy grandmother watching a child play before a warming hearth, Dove gazed upon Raine as she moved towards the apocryphal note and symbol. Her snowy lashes blinked with a soft click of her lids as she watched a shattered piece of spun glass carve across the other Doll's pale, flawless arm. She supposed she'd be alright. Porcelain of that making was rather resilient. As the questions mounted, that curly head turned towards the door. For a moment, Dove let the voices bounce off of her ears as if she had not heard them, taking time instead to glance over the fearful creatures that had entered. Immediately she saw Jaina as sad and lost, for clearly she had little respect for the perfection it was to be a Doll if she dressed so scandalously. Truly it was always a sorry sight to come upon a Doll that tried so hard to emulate the licentious flaws of a human. Perhaps she could not help it.. perhaps these Jointless dolls felt urged to do so, in looking so much like them. It would be finer, of course, to use the nearness in appearance to make an example out of oneself; to be better, purer, more lovely in every way. But Dove just smiled softly, and snapped her eyes a degree to the left, appreciating the softer look of the plaintive blonde.

“Do any of you know where the key-keeper went or why this store is in ruins?”

Dove's voice fell from her, as velvety as her coat, and twice as dry. It was the neuter voice of a child, with a strange timbre to it. Perhaps the depth just came with age, for after all, this Jointed doll was very old, and human rules did not apply. "If I knew, dear, I would not be here."

But soon after, Raine returned to the center of the room as if it was her place, and Dove did not interrupt. She also did not appear to pay full attention, for while the raven-haired Doll spoke, she gratingly released her locket, which rattled as it settled to her belly, clacking once against one of the neat jet buttons on her well-tailored habit. Jointed fingers crawled into that pocket, and withdrew the damp bit of soft, fibrous paper, and she eyed it once again. There was plenty of time to think while this bitter little angel in a white dress established herself over the other two. There was an acidic ring to that slow and otherwise charming voice that made Dove smile in the strangest way. Considering that the doll of questionable morals and the one with the floral dress did not seem quite capable of making decisions for themselves very well, the lamb only bowed mildly to them in a curt obeisance before turning to Raine at the end of her little tirade and stepping a bit closer on her curvy little legs, her chopines tapping hollowly on the marred floor.

In her hand she held the scarlet fragment, and her upturned face was naturally sweet and harmless. For Raine's golden eyes, Dove had turned it so the "Look here, sweetling- ah, do not touch it, for your dress and skin are so fine- ...Don't you think, perhaps, Sagen may be of some interest?" She did not further explain that this appeared to be some sort of map; whether of a physical location or a causal flow, she was not sure. Furthermore, she much preferred silence, and was used to speaking mostly when asked. Where she more loquacious, she may have pointed out the arrow and what appeared to be the washed-out, truncated name of this Town, but the taller doll seemed smart enough, or at least should be, if she found it her place to be so cruel.

Throughout their whole exchange, Cassandra had opted to listen closely at the conversation, all the while looking around the destroyed shop. Not that they were actually saying something important or worth taking note off, but for the amethyst-haired jointless doll it would be a great advantage to study the personalities of these beings.

It was because of these studies that she had learned to triumph any situation/problem she encountered.

Secretly scoffing at the obvious insults thrown towards the others and also advertently to her, Cassandra just let the “older” girl take control of the situation and dish out statements word after word.

‘This one is such a cranky old doll’, she can’t help thinking as she noticed her getting irritated even of the littlest things. The golden-eyed doll spoke as if she was someone of higher status—like what is normal for the jointed dolls, even if she had in many words plainly declared to all of them that she had no clue on what has happened in here. ‘And she dared to call us clueless and useless?’ She briefly made a face at the back of the speaker before arranging her expression into an innocent one- well, as innocent and weak she can be-.

Her head lowered as if in shame, and her hand clutched the parasol to her chest. Looking every inch helpless and inferior, she tried hard not to catch the black-haired doll’s eyes; bowing down and staring at the dirty ground.

‘If weak and inferior she think of us, then that is what she will get’, were Cassandra’s thoughts as she played the character to the fullest of her ability. Settling on this new approach (personality change), she waited expectantly to what the other dolls reaction will be.

It was natural for beings like them to be arrogant and proud. No doubt they had every reason to be. Not only were they beautiful and striking in appearance, the limitless time- their immortality, the grander skills and talents of dolls and sometimes the envy and bitterness of human themselves proved as a confirmation for the superiority of dolls overall the living creatures. It would assuredly be a surprise for them to see such a spineless doll.
In all truth though, getting back at the one-sided dialogue in front of her, she had been most tempted to leave as soon as the black-haired golden-eyed girl had stated about finishing the search for anything that could give clue to the key keeper’s whereabouts. If it was up to her she would not endure any longer the company of these unbearable presences. However once she had underwent an undeniably heavy weighing down of the positives and negatives and after regarding the other girls, she decided to stick around a little longer.

Though she was probably as vain and haughty as they are, Jaina Cassandra was more inclined with pursuing every means about a particular goal rather than getting sensitive and offended with the several insults directed at her. For the brown-eyed girl, though they were unknowing this moment, surely later on these jointed ones might find some clue about the location of the key-keeper.

From what she had gathered, it is duly confirmed that the-key keeper wasn’t here, though he was supposed to be. Not that the broken things hadn’t helped to serve as enough clue to what has happened, it still didn’t hurt her to be more certain. After all, it had been years, a time far too long since she last visited. Who knew what had changed since then?

Biting her tongue to control herself from retorting and speaking out loud in their presence, she waited until the first doll- the superior acting one, addressed them and uttered the possibility of travelling towards another place.

Ah, Sagen! One place she can deem to call a town of sin and pleasure . She had been to the place once, and that was a few years back. Her master had longed to see the port during that time. Finally after a lot of planning and effort, few weeks later they were given the permission to go and visit it.

Without a doubt, she could definitely say that she have enjoyed the trip. The most memorable vacation she ever had!

It wasn’t because of the location though- more so because of her companion. She could still clearly remember the moment that both of them were gazing at the sea, standing at the edge of the harbor. It had been such a warming and pleasant experience.

Comfortable silence had permeated over them, as they contented their selves with listening to the sounds of the waves crashing and the birds flapping their wings. No words were needed and even if they had only stayed there for such a short time, to her, it was one of the most treasured minutes she had experienced ‘til forever.

Too bad she couldn’t do that same thing now.

Instead, it seemed to her that she will be accompanied with uptight and stuck-up dolls on her second visit. ‘Jolly!’ She can’t help but do an inner monologue, hiding the scowl that was sure to grace her beautiful features.

With the right amount of shyness and awkwardness injected in her voice, she then questioned--stuttering while doing so, “I’m sorry if I might sound foolish… but, h-how do you plan on traveling to Sagen? I have never been to that... place and I heard that it’s a town that also serves as a port. What if there were pirates? Or drunkards?”

She then looked around, gripping tightly the parasol in her hands. She had performed her best, looking authentically weak and pathetic to everyone who’ll see her.

This acting was a game she had perfectly mastered. Especially when the duchess had ordered her to be imprisoned in a room away from the young heir-- this activity had grown to be a past time. There were only few who have seen through her act, and even then, she made it certain to not intentionally reveal her bluff until the very end… or if not, until she gets bored.

((I'm willing to edit anything you guys might find wrong in this post. :> Sorry for the grammar inconsistencies. []__[]

Edit: I forgot to change the place!! >.< Sorry! ))

“The more … unsavory members you have mentioned stick to their own districts - there is nothing to fear. If you’re going to come as well, you may as well walk there; it’ll take you perhaps two days if you have the willpower to continue. That is, unless you have something to offer me? ...Can you carry heavy loads? Wash clothing? Do you have a way to pay for your passage? I don’t usually take on extra weight, but I’ll make you an exception - coin will do if you can’t do anything else.”

Her face soured the moment that she heard the older doll's haughty and patronizing tone. It was a good thing she had opted to lower her head else she might unintentionally show them her true feelings. They had really taken her for a spineless and lowly jointless. After all the superior acting doll, while it was degrading even, had actually considered bringing her along the trip. If she was another doll in this scenario with the way the golden-eyed one insulted them, she might have flipped and took great offense.

The black-haired and golden eyed doll was very arrogant in all ways possible. More arrogant than Cassandra herself, she could definitely say. From the moment that they had entered this dilapidated ruin and discovered the owner of the shop gone, she had mouthed nothing contemptuousness and disdain: for all of them. Not used with such treatment, Cassandra was more than tempted to deck her or push her into the nearby fireplace, laughing as she watched her archaic body being eaten by the flames. 'It would be a delight to witness that!' She sneered in the back of her mind, duly checking if she still looked powerless in her stance with the way her thoughts about this situation runs.

Thinking deeply about this, the amethyst-haired girl felt relieved that they hadn't suspected anything (which meant that her acting was once again as flawless as it could ever be). Mentally shaking her head in amusement, it was understandably natural for the dolls to be one-sided, and for that she felt victorious with their current treatment of her. It would be easier for her to play this game after all.

Eyeing the black-haired doll for a moment as she slightly raised her head, she then weakly uttered. "Coins...?" She tilted her head to the sides as if desperately searching for something, and looked at her superior once again. "I do not know any form of labor...", she spoke in a wistful and disappointed tone. As if she was truly sorry that she couldn't do any of the tasks the older doll had suggested. She took a coin bag out of her purse and meekly lifted it for others to see. "T-this is all that I have. Will this be enough?"

She fully raised her head and stared at the other doll inquisitively, "I don't know if this is going to be enough but I truly hoped it would. I need to find the key-keeper and I will be honored if you'd let me come." She let out a forced small smile before continuing as she tightly gripped the bag in one hand, "I-I won't get in your way! You won't even feel I'm there... and this might sound that I'm begging so much but if going into Sagen will stand a better chance to meet the key-keeper then I'll do all I can to get there."

Cringing as she totally gave out her best with the acting (-how else can she explain being able to stomach delivering that disgusting speech?!), she inwardly contradicted every word that she uttered in front of them. She certainly sounded pathetic and she knew if this wouldn't work, nothing else with regards to appearing spineless and shy would. Not that she was downplaying her skills, but honestly, that was the worst acting experience she had to endure. And she had to do it to the ones she had always thought of the lowest, the jointed dolls--next to other humans that is.

Who knew that acting inferior in front of these old and cranky dolls would be this exasperating? ‘This better be worth it!’ She thought brattily, sneaking a calculating glance towards them. She wasn't used to being totally dependent to the other’s mercy. While her drama might have been perfect, there is still though very much miniscule, a chance that someone will notice her façade.

"I am fervently wishing that you'd allow me." She turned to give the brown bag filled with a generous amount of coins to her with the same small hopeful smile playing in her lips and waited until the older doll reached for it. If she'd take it, Cassandra would take it as a sign of her affirmation. The bag didn’t have just a handful of money after all. It was pretty plentiful and she knew it would be approximately suitable enough for a six-person’s trip to Sagen or more. She didn't know if the doll would fall into her bluff, but she most confidently dare to assume that the jointed doll would.

'Move faster you slowpoke', she longed to say while observing the slower reflexes the black-haired doll had, obviously aware that their precious time is ticking faster than she would have liked. Being stuck in a place such as this with no human to turn her key, would certainly be disastrous especially at the nearing hours for her winding. They had already wasted minutes -or was it an hour?- than needed and it is apparently time for them to move on.

“Oh! You can address me as Cassandra by the way. I’ve just noticed how impolite I was, talking to you without even introducing myself. Please forgive me for my insolence.” She curtsied towards them, bowing low as she held her short dress up with her free hand.

Watching the black-haired doll's reaction as patiently as she could, Cassandra held out the small bag of coins in her hand. While she looked every inch inferior compared to the one in front, the amethyst-haired doll was actually inwardly throwing her every swear words that she acquired from her mistress' uncouth mouth. She had remembered once thinking of cursing as very idiotic and unladylike. After all, she had observed from the matrons of the society on how they complained for a person's very vocal... speech. It was considered a shameful move but now as she waited for the stupid doll's hand, she found herself not caring a bit about it.

Very much tempted to push the coins on the superior-acting doll's ugly face, she then settled on discreetly fisting her purse with her left hand on the sides. Despite her initial judgment and disgust for the surroundings, she was forced to temporarily place her parasol at the nearby barely standing counter. She didn’t know how many more moments this stupid doll would waste to get the money but she would rather not want to look like an idiot cramming all of her belongings in her free hand—the other currently holding out the small bag.

Surreptitiously eyeing the jointed being, she could not stop shaking her head mentally. Noting on how pitiful-looking the slower doll was. She considered dolls of her generation cursed and deprived—the undoubtedly superior acting one’s that was. They had looked disgusting with or without the many layers of clothes covering their body and they looked so creepily very much still doll-like to the very core that Cassandra sometimes felt sorry for them. They moved slower, process information even way slower—than she could obviously and they are such old-age believers that she couldn’t stop shuddering whenever she had to have a prolonged stay with one of them, like now… for starters. They were truly such weak creatures that are destined to die way too easier compared to her kind.

Noticing her still outstretched hand, she almost groaned once she noted that it hadn't been more than a moment yet when she had last showed the other doll the coins. “I am really proud of my skills”, she randomly thought, studying the bag of coins. It had come from Madame Lilian, one of the many matrons she had successfully won over. Her latest victim actually. Recalling how she was able to deceive the older fat woman into doing all of her bidding, Cassandra lowered her head and smirked in secret.

The woman was such a stupid fool: easily swayed by a bit of charming words and praises complimented on her way. Cassandra had stayed with her for some few moons and it was only when they had visited Terota (due to her innocent request) that she decided to ditch the woman’s not-so-companionable presence. The woman had totally fallen under her traps when the amethyst-haired doll had deceitfully commented in passing on how she needed provisions in order to travel for her conquest to find her beloved prince. Lilian Gaborne had wasted no time in giving her lots of the said provisions worth more than just a thousand coins. Garments, foods, and even the escorts, the wealthy wife of a Duke gave her everything that she needed and wished for. 'Urgh! I can gag now!' She thought haughtily as she vanished away the remnants of the mistress of Hastings away from her mind.

Finally, after a seemingly long period of waiting, the archaic doll had reached for the money and took it into her jointed hands. Sighing quietly in relief, she gently massaged her hands and unconsciously waited with bated breath for her next action.

Perhaps, she wouldn’t dare not let me get off the journey now? 'That wasn’t a petty amount of monetary value after all! 'Unable to stop the small smirk from spreading on her lovely features, Cassandra’s eyes greatly widened when the jointed doll dropped the coin bag unceremoniously on the ground. Hearing the sounds of the coins knocking over each other as it abruptly fell, she almost missed the cold voice speaking. Feeling as if she was a jointed doll herself, instead of her prided jointless structure, she slowly comprehended the statements.

"So, doll, where did you get this money? I am honor-bound to report you to any and all authorities and persons whom you might have wronged. Tell me, and tell me the truth. This money was not earned by any proper practice was it? What did you do to get it? Have you found that purse-cutting is a suitable alternative for learning a trade? Do not fear. It is the duty of those better than you to bring you on the right path. So tell me. doll, where did you obtain this?

The black-haired being had spoken without waiting for her response and it was only because of Cassandra’s intellectual prowess that helped her understand the words even in a stunned state.

Almost growling but thankfully regaining her composure, she stared directly to the golden-eyed doll and spoke in the most detached tone she can master (despite her grave rage): “Those coins had come from a friend. Madame Lilian Gaborne of Hastings in case you wanted to know.” Cassandra decided to be truthful—since the money did came from the portly woman. And no matter how angry she was for this doll’s insolence, she was reminded to stick to her act even till the last moments. Though unintentionally leaving out the stutters as she then added “I would have appreciated it greatly if you asked me about it before you had so much cold-heartedly dropped my well-earned possessions without second thoughts…” Cassandra trailed off, snapping back into her meek persona when she was able to calm down for a bit.

“I can assure you that these coins didn’t come from illegal means. I could not dare imagine that dolls of your stature could be this… uncivilized and mean. I came here with clean conscience and with the hope finding my key. Remember that I am very sorry to say this and I meant no offense, but I feel that it is my duty to state this else you continue your wicked attitude. You, Madam are the worst kind of jointed doll that I have ever had the displeasure of knowing.”

Gagging mentally at the respectful tone she had used, she continued cursing the damned doll in the confines of her mind. Cassandra curtsied stiffly, before gracefully lowering to collect the coins. With a grimace, she carefully took the gold back into the bag and once done, she wordlessly stood up.

Retrieving the rest of her belongings, she then turned to walk away. Not sparing the others another single glance when she reached the exit, she stopped momentously not caring to look back before she uttered: “Though I am obviously weaker than you are, I will not subject myself to the torture of the likes of you. Please look forward for my complaints to the local authority, because not only did you step over my humble being… you also intentionally shamed Madame Lilian’s name. Good day.”

Raine Alba

Expecting for the other doll to immediately drop down on her knees begging for forgiveness, Raine was momentarily shocked by the reply. “Those coins had come from a friend. Madame Lilian Gaborne of Hastings in case you wanted to know.” Sticking to her story until the very end… the older doll felt a sticky disgust deep inside her heart. This madame, whoever she was, was no doubt either an illusion created by this liar in order to give her story credence.”I would have appreciated it greatly if you asked me about it before you had so much cold-heartedly dropped my well-earned possessions without second thoughts.”

‘[i]I thought that this doll did not have any helpful skills,[i]’ she thought dismissively. There would be no way that she - whatever her name was - would have been able to earn any sum of money, even in the disgusting ways that were likely, given her clothing.

“I can assure you that…” blah blah blah. Whatever nonsense she was going to spew out, Raine had lost all interest in continuing with their conversation. She was not going to soil her beauty by consorting with such types. Raine turned away from the still-talking jointless before a single phrase caught her attention. “You, Madam, are the worst kind of jointed doll that I have ever had the displeasure of knowing.”

So not only was she going to be disgraceful to the name of dolls throughout the area, the rude, unsavory individual was going to insult the best that the world had to offer. Without question, Raine was furious. Her hands balled up into fists, and her breathing came louder and faster than usual. She tossed her head and her black straight hair fluttered gently, before falling back into place, although slightly disheveled.

She ignored the doll for the rest of the time, even though she was aware of the mindless words that still spilt out of her ungrateful lips. Reminding herself that such a human display of emotion was beneath her, Raine merely froze in place as her face composed itself, always a slow, agonizing process. Watching the other prance off into Terota, Raine waited a few minutes before stepping daintily through the rubble.

Her carriage was just around the corner, and she waved her hand imperiously in its direction. The driver snapped the reins to the horses, and it rumbled slowly in her direction. Maybe it was the recent encounter that had left her more upset than usual, but she hardly spared him a glance before entering her means of conveyance.

“Sagen,” she ordered loudly, before settling her porcelain body down on one of the soft cushioned seats. “And make it snappy. I’ve already spent more time in this hovel than I had ever wanted. I must get back my belongings, and for the Dollmaster’s sake, I dreadfully hope that I don’t meet up with that disgusting cretin from the countryside again.”