Day 0, Hour 0, Minute 51
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
The insolent child of a doll immediately pointed to a further wall where a note and strange object hung. While Raine had no intention of following her orders, the objects piqued her attention, and with stiff, puppet-like steps, she stepped daintily through the rubble. A shard of glass scratched over her porcelain skin leaving a, she was sure of it, visible mark. She sucked in the air from her teeth more out of irritation than the slight pain that came with that. The child continued to speak, with a soft, almost floaty voice. “I hope you have some time, early one.”
Whilst Raine usually disliked those dolls who had the belief that by calling her old, they would actually escape her grasp unscathed by humiliated - this doll had much more polite language. Although, she couldn’t help but feel as though the child was somewhat belittling herself, Raine felt the lack of energy getting to her somewhat. Perhaps she shouldn’t have ended up deciding to cut her winding so close, but there was no choice. Her carriage had been getting repaired until this day. And but of course, she would not be seen in anything barring perfection.
Before she realized there was another arrival, there was a voice that seemed smooth like soap. “Do any of you know where the key-keeper went or why this store is in ruins?” came the almost-innocent question. A slight pause while Raine deliberated whether to put the female back in her proper place or to finish pushing onwards to the symbol, she continued onwards. Her steps coming on with a soft pat every time her slippers touched the filthy floor.
“I’d like to know that too,” came yet another voice. Raine sighed, before stopping on her slow and almost tedious progress to the Ouroboros. It seemed as though there was a need to explain things - even though she personally had no idea as to the truth, even her guess would be more correct than the deductions of that child. From the sight of her, she was probably slightly younger, a younger sibling that was created by the Dollmaster.
Raine turned around, using her momentum to spin towards the new arrivals. While one was more tastefully dressed with blond hair, the other with the parasol was wearing quite revealing clothes. The one with the better apparel had curling blond hair and although pretty in her own right, Raine outshone her like a sun did the stars. The one without the joints had strangely colored hair - and was taller than herself. She couldn’t say that she liked the feeling of having to crane up her neck, but it just went to show her garish appearance. It just went as evidence that the newer dolls seemed to lack both taste and decency. The first new arrival were also much newer from the sight of her, not a newer sibling per se. The distance between their respective models was similar to that between generations.
With a scornful cough, Raine cleared her throat, as though daring others to interrupt her already slower speech. That in mind, she decided that even if one of the other dolls interjected, she would merely pitch her voice higher and speak above them. Their opinions did not have to be heard, after all. “Are you but spoiled brats?” she stated, with a hidden thorn in her voice, at the questions the new arrivals had thrown her way. “If I had to answer all of your questions, we would be here for the rest of my eternity. If you’ve realized that you’re clueless and useless in such a situation, would you please keep your little opinions to yourself? I’m sure that your imaginary friends would find great solace in knowing that there was someone as stupid as them. That is if you even have minds to use. Perhaps the Dollmaster forgot because he was petrified by the idea that you would become the cretins of society.
“Wait. I forgot. You already are.
“Now if you’ll do me a favor, you’ll listen to your superiors and obvious betters. As soon as I have finished looking at everything of interest, I am going to find that coward of a key keeper and take back my belongings. Whether or not you do too, I don’t see why I would care.”
Whilst Raine usually disliked those dolls who had the belief that by calling her old, they would actually escape her grasp unscathed by humiliated - this doll had much more polite language. Although, she couldn’t help but feel as though the child was somewhat belittling herself, Raine felt the lack of energy getting to her somewhat. Perhaps she shouldn’t have ended up deciding to cut her winding so close, but there was no choice. Her carriage had been getting repaired until this day. And but of course, she would not be seen in anything barring perfection.
Before she realized there was another arrival, there was a voice that seemed smooth like soap. “Do any of you know where the key-keeper went or why this store is in ruins?” came the almost-innocent question. A slight pause while Raine deliberated whether to put the female back in her proper place or to finish pushing onwards to the symbol, she continued onwards. Her steps coming on with a soft pat every time her slippers touched the filthy floor.
“I’d like to know that too,” came yet another voice. Raine sighed, before stopping on her slow and almost tedious progress to the Ouroboros. It seemed as though there was a need to explain things - even though she personally had no idea as to the truth, even her guess would be more correct than the deductions of that child. From the sight of her, she was probably slightly younger, a younger sibling that was created by the Dollmaster.
Raine turned around, using her momentum to spin towards the new arrivals. While one was more tastefully dressed with blond hair, the other with the parasol was wearing quite revealing clothes. The one with the better apparel had curling blond hair and although pretty in her own right, Raine outshone her like a sun did the stars. The one without the joints had strangely colored hair - and was taller than herself. She couldn’t say that she liked the feeling of having to crane up her neck, but it just went to show her garish appearance. It just went as evidence that the newer dolls seemed to lack both taste and decency. The first new arrival were also much newer from the sight of her, not a newer sibling per se. The distance between their respective models was similar to that between generations.
With a scornful cough, Raine cleared her throat, as though daring others to interrupt her already slower speech. That in mind, she decided that even if one of the other dolls interjected, she would merely pitch her voice higher and speak above them. Their opinions did not have to be heard, after all. “Are you but spoiled brats?” she stated, with a hidden thorn in her voice, at the questions the new arrivals had thrown her way. “If I had to answer all of your questions, we would be here for the rest of my eternity. If you’ve realized that you’re clueless and useless in such a situation, would you please keep your little opinions to yourself? I’m sure that your imaginary friends would find great solace in knowing that there was someone as stupid as them. That is if you even have minds to use. Perhaps the Dollmaster forgot because he was petrified by the idea that you would become the cretins of society.
“Wait. I forgot. You already are.
“Now if you’ll do me a favor, you’ll listen to your superiors and obvious betters. As soon as I have finished looking at everything of interest, I am going to find that coward of a key keeper and take back my belongings. Whether or not you do too, I don’t see why I would care.”