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| Marie Anette; The Lost Puppet | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sun Apr 3, 2016 2:38 am (149 Views) | |
| Marie Anette | Sun Apr 3, 2016 2:38 am Post #1 |
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General Information Name: Marie Anette Age: 91 Gender: Female Race: Sentient Golem (Marionette) Birthplace: The De Rosiers Estate Appearance Height: 5'11'' Weight: 45 Pounds Skin: Pale Eyes: Silver Hair: Dark Brown Personality Likes: N/A Dislikes: N/A Personality Traits: Curious, Naive, Eager/ Sad, Lonely, Lost History Lord Xavier De Rosiers was a respected Arcanotechnician of his time. His golems - ranging from simple machinations meant for menial tasks to more ornate, immersive works - were often sought after by myriad sorts of people.His dancing dolls were quite popular with children due to their beautiful craftsmanship and seemingly impossible magicked dancing routines. His more practical creations served mostly lords and ladies that were short on hands or simply wanted a more obedient servant. Occasionally, Xavier would be approached by the Generals or Leaders of cities and nations on consultations for potential militarized golems and automatons. However, Lord De Rosiers refused to use his skills for the purpose of harming others. It was this steadfast belief, as well as his generally agreeable personality that drew his wife, Chloe, to him before they married. The two lived quite happily for a few years before Chloe became pregnant with their son, Michel. Having a son was a thrill for Xavier, and he made many toys, both mundane and golemized, for his son to play with. However, Xavier and his wife had always wanted a daughter, and sadly, Chloe was incapable of bearing anymore children. It was this sad situation that sparked in Xavier a most productive curiosity and ambition. He would create the perfect golem. One that could think, feel, and move with self-awareness. This creation would be the daughter he desired. Certainly, when he proposed this idea to his wife, Chloe was most skeptical, but the then four year old Michel was quite excited at this most intriguing idea (he got excited about everything, but that was beside the point). Using his connections and favors he had collected over the years, Xavier searched for the most important part he needed for this endeavor: a sentient golem core. It took months, but he eventually got his hands on one through the assistance of a former customer - a Lord who had amassed an impressive collection of Arcane Technology Components over the years. It took quite a bit of begging and promising, but the Lord eventually agreed to give it to the eager Arcanotechnician. His prize in hand, Xavier set about working his magic as soon as he could. The excitement and unwillingness to admit defeat kept him going even at the worst of times, until finally, all his failed attempts had paved the way to his success. After he finished his work, Xavier took time to admire it, and called to his family to share in the final success. Before them was a life-sized golem - one that looked like a young adult girl. She had flowing dark brown hair, and her silver eyes stared at them inquisitively. Her artificially feminine frame was draped in a beautiful black dress with pink frills. The golem attempted to mimic the smiles of the people before her, and after a few tries, managed to do so. She tried to speak as well, but all that came out were some moans that sounded hollow and un-alive. Xavier set in his mind a goal to fine-tune her voice amongst other simple functions in order to make her more life-like, but for now, he wanted to test her comprehension. "Can you hear me?" The girl nodded slowly and stiffly. "I am Xavier. This is my wife Chloe, and my son Michel. You are Marie. Marie Anette." "Ma...Ma...rie?" "Yes, that's right." "Ma....rie A.....Anette. Marie Anette. Marie Anette!" Marie attempted a simple accomplished giggle, though it was a bit awkward. The more she moved her vocal joints, the better she was able to coherently speak. She proved right away to be a quick learner, which would be a boon for teaching her more of the world she was in in the future. Xavier slowly walked towards Marie, who looked up with her uncannily realistic eyes as the man gently took her shining hand in his own. "You are part of our family." "What... is family?" "Well... a family... a family is a group of people who love each other and live together." "What is love? Is it a good thing?" Xavier wasn't sure how to answer this broad question without a vague answer. "I believe you will come to find out on your own in the future. Love is a great many things and is, therefore, difficult to describe, but it is most definitely good." Although a little confused, Marie didn't press the matter. She was more interested in other things... such as Michel. The little boy looked up at her in awe with wide eyes. "Michel?" The boy nodded, fascinated. "He is your brother." Marie cocked her head to the side. "Brother?" "Yes. Well, while you certainly look older than him, he is technically your older brother. He is the child of Chloe and I, thus he is our son, and your brother. Your sibling." "Do siblings love?" "Yes. Yes they do in a way." Hearing this answer, Marie smiled down at Michel. "I love you, brother." While she said this with good intentions, Marie still didn't really understand what the words meant, but Michel didn't care, as he smiled shyly at her words which Marie took as a good thing. Over the next months, the De Rosier family spent much time helping Marie adjust to her life; she was taught things such as how to read and help with chores around the house, and Xavier took the steps necessary to more refine her physical and sensory functions. One day, about three years after her creation, Marie went outside for some fresh air (she had learned that people did that when they were stressed or bored, and in her case, it was the latter). As she walked around the garden that Chloe had lovingly tended until beautiful blooms came forth, Marie came across a most curious sight. On the ground, there was a small creature. If she remembered correctly, Chloe had said it was a bird. It was a pretty bird, but it did not seem to be moving. The bird lay on its side, still as a rock. Intrigued, Marie gently picked up the bird and decided to ask Chloe about why the bird was still as it was. While she did not understand why, Chloe shrieked when she saw the bird in Marie's hand. "What is wrong?" Marie asked. "Marie... That bird is dead." "Dead?" Chloe nodded sadly. "It is not alive anymore. " "What does it mean to be alive?" Marie's mouth made a frown mixed of confusion and uncertainty. Chloe answered hesitantly. "Alive is, well.... Alive is like me and Michel. We move, we talk and breathe. We are alive." "I do not breathe," Marie stated astutely. "Am I dead?" Chloe smiled sympathetically. "No, dear. You are still talking and walking and being, feeling. You are, for all intents and purposes, alive." "I see." Chloe put a hand on Marie's shoulder. "Death is a sad thing." "Sad..." Marie frowned again. She learned that frowns were associated with sadness. "B-but," Chloe stammered. "When living things die, they are not gone entirely. They have a spirit - a soul. These souls live on, though we can not see or feel them. They live on a plane entirely different than our own, but we can see them again one day." "I wonder if I have a soul," Marie pondered. Chloe smiled more cheerfully. "I'm sure you do, in some way. You will learn more of what your soul is and what it means to have one as time goes on. I promise you that." "I.... see.." Marie left Chloe to bury the bird. She had been taught that when something dies, you bury it in the ground so that the land can take care of the body forever. ------------------------------------ "S-sick?" Another couple years had passed, and Marie was startled when Xavier came to her most distraught. Apparently, Michel and Chloe had both contracted some sort of illness that was getting worse over time. Alchemists, Herbologists, and Doctors were all unable to find a cure for this particular illness, and could do nothing more than ease the pain and discomfort. Xavier sat in the chair he used in Marie's room (part of the basement/lab that had been designed to look like a girl's room) and laid his head in his hand. His features, Marie noticed, were strained with a most unpleasant look. "Yes. Sickness is not a good thing. I... the doctors says that they are not getting any better." Xavier's body shook as he sobbed. Marie looked on, and she noticed something strange when Xavier looked up at her for a moment. "Xavier, your eyes are leaking. Why?" "What?" Xavier's voice shook. "Oh. Um.. tears happen when someone is sad enough to cry." Marie remembered seeing them several times before, though she had never had a chance to ask about crying "I, um..." Xavier stood up and left the room, unable to talk anymore. While more curious about crying and tears, Marie took Xavier's sudden departure as reason not to continue to ask him. As time went on, the conditions of Chloe and Michel only grew worse, and Xavier became more and more distant from Marie and anyone else. Marie did not understand completely, but she knew that it was not good. She had learned enough of emotion to tell when someone was to be left alone, so she didn't bother Xavier with her questions. One gray day, ten year old Michel's life left his body, and he grew cold. The grief hit Xavier hard, and he seldom left his bedroom where Chloe still lay, sure to follow Michel shortly. Sure enough, not three days passed, and the cheerful, gentle woman grew still in her sleep. A funeral was held the next day, and the bodies of Michel and Chloe were buried in the De Rosier Family Cemetery. The entire event, Xavier was silent and withdrawn. He refused to talk to anyone, even Marie. He simply stood with a empty look on his face. That night, Marie found Xavier in the dining room drinking away his woes. He didn't look good, Marie thought, so she thought she'd keep him company. She joined him at the table and sat down. She was silent for a time; Xavier simply stared at nothing and drank. Then Marie spoke up. "....Chloe once told me that when something or someone dies, they are not completely gone. They have spirits that live on a different plane. We can't see or feel them, but they are still alive, and we can see them again one day. I don't really know what she meant by that, but it seemed happy somehow." Xavier didn't respond. The two sat in silence for what seemed like hours until Xavier got up without a word, and went to his room. The next morning, Marie decided she would do something nice for Xavier, and prepared him breakfast like Chloe had shown her. Everything looked delicious, at least as far as Marie knew delicious looked like, and the marionette went upstairs to Xavier's room to fetch him for breakfast. She knocked. No answer. She knocked again. Still no answer. Knock after knock after knock, there was still no answer. Concerned, Marie opened the bedroom door and stepped inside. "Xavier?" Marie looked around the room. Xavier wasn't in his bed. Instead, she found him in his chair. Thinking that he had gotten up to study some designs, Marie smiled and walked over to him to surprise him. "Found you!" She giggled and playfully shoved Xavier in the shoulder. No response. With the force of her shove, Xavier's body slumped over to one side, and Marie heard a clinking sound on the floor. Bending down to find the source of the noise, Marie found a triangular bottle without a cork. She picked it up and looked at the label. Black Nightshade. Marie remembered when Xavier told her that Black Nightshade could be beneficial in small quantities, but was deadly if too much was ingested or used for medicinal purposes. The bottle was empty, so Marie could only assume one thing. Xavier drank the entire bottle and took his own life. "Xavier?" Dropping the bottle, Marie, gently shook Xavier, hoping to rouse him. "Xavier!?" Her voice became more urgent and frightened. "Xavier!" Even with all the shouting and shoving, Xavier would not wake up. Defeated, Marie let her arms go limp and she sank to the floor. "Father......" ------------ After a while, Marie stood up slowly and left the bedroom. She wasn't sure what to think. Seeing that everyone she had known for the five years of her life had left her gave way to her first taste of sorrow. She headed towards her room, and as she did so, she look about the now quiet halls that had once been so full of life. Her family was gone, and she didn't know what to do or think. Reaching her room, Marie could not be bothered to go to her bed, so, after giving the room one last look, she slumped in a corner and brought her knees up to her chin, and wrapped her arms around them. The overwhelming sadness slowly overloaded her consciousness, and she felt herself fading to black. Before she lost her sentience completely, Marie thought to herself one last time: "Don't leave me....." ----------------------------- Evelynn Prescott was excited. She had recently acquired a house that no one wanted for cheap, and she couldn't wait to live there. She had seen the house before, and instantly fell in love with it and the location. The tale of the family that had died almost instantaneously from one another eighty five years earlier did not dissuade her. She was not a superstitious sort, after all. If there were indeed ghosts, let them come! She'll show them they have no power on her! She remembered being told that the previous lord of the house had been a skilled Arcanotechowhatsits. Apparently he made dolls that could do all sorts of things on their own. Evelynn made dolls, too, but nothing fancy like that. Regardless, the children whose parents bought them dolls seemed to enjoy Evelynn's dolls, and that was enough for her. Perhaps some of the work that this Lord guy had done was still in the house. How exciting a prospect that was! Arriving on the grounds, and hardly able to contain herself, Evelynn set about exploring the whole house. Room after room she went, taking in the sights. The furniture was dusty, but in good condition otherwise despite the decades long lack of use. It was also quite nice looking, so Evelynn planned to make use of it all as best she could. Eventually, she made her way to the basement, where the Arcanotech man apparently did most of his work. As such, this would be the room most exciting to explore! Slowly and reverently walking down the stairs, Evelynn entered the basement, and was instantly wowed by what she saw. Plans, blueprints, doohickeys and gizmos galore! Prototypes, finished works that ranged from the mundane to more human-esque. They were all strange looking to be sure, but Evelynn was impressed all the same. "This guy really knew what he was doing, didn't he?" As she explored, a most interesting thing caught her eye. She was surprised she hadn't caught it before. The back of the room was cut off by some extra walls and a door. The door was open, and Evelynn could see a lot of colors inside. Curious, she stepped to the door, and opened it wider, then entered the room. It looked like a room that a little girl would enjoy sleeping in. Everything one could think of that a girl would be interested in from toys and flowers to books about animals and frilly dresses. But what caught her eye the most was in a corner off to the side of the room. "Oh... my word...." Before her was a large marionette that looked very human. Everything was detailed beautifully from the hair, to the eyes, to the curves. It was covered in dust, so it could only be assumed that the marionette had been in the same place all these years. Certainly it was obviously a marionette since any part without dust shone with a smooth sheen from the sunlight that peered through the tiny rectangular window on the opposite side of the room. It also didn't move, so it was either dead, or not alive in the first place. Evelynn took a closer look, and gently lifted up the head. The facial features were shockingly detailed and real looking. However, she thought it was in poor taste to add silver streaks to the face as if the marionette were crying. "Well, that's a bit of a downer, innit?" Regrdless, Evelynn instantly fell in love with the doll. Out of respect for the creator, and her own desire to be part of something grand, Evelynn decided that she would keep this marionette in tiptop shape! It would not be until tomorrow that all her things would arrive with the caravan, so she took out a silk cloth from her satchel and gentle glided it across the face of the marionette. "Let's get rid of those dreadful tears, shall we?" she said as she worked. The hair would prove to be more difficult as it was extremely real in its look and feel, but she was certain a wet rag would do wonders with a bit of elbow grease. An hour later, Evelynn finished wiping the doll down. It could have taken less time, but she was determined to make sure that every speck of dust was gone - every orifice was clean and shining like new. Over the next couple weeks, Evelynn continued to care for the marionette. She had moved it to a chair in the main part of the lab so she could work on it more easily. She wanted to give it all the attention she could, and always made sure to polish it and de-wrinkle the dress as best she could (she had washed it before since the dust was rather stuck on). The more she looked at the mastercraft, the more she was intrigued by the purpose behind it. "What were you for?" she asked as if expecting an answer. "Surely you weren't just a show piece. Too much detail and love went into your creation. I can tell. I'm a doll maker, you see. Your designer must have had big plans for you..." This routine continued for some time, and over the next couple months, Evelynn readily made the house and its land more her own. While she was most focused on the girl, she also cleared out the rotted remnants of a garden and other refuse and set about making it all pretty again.She wanted to honor the memories of those who had lived there before and make sure that she took care of the home for them in their absence. Of course, she wasn't shy about making it her own. One day, Evelynn was finishing up the marionette's polishing for the day. It was rather hot outside, and the basement felt even hotter, but Evelynn fought through the sweat and the heat and discomfort for her pet project. Then she heard a clicking sound. Startled, Evelynn looked around. Were there mice in the house? She was sure there weren't any. Satisfied with her scanning, Evelynn turned back to the doll. "Wait," she said. "Her fingers weren't curled like that before were they?" Shrugging, Evelynn "whatevered" and went back to polishing. Crick. There it was again! Another look around the room. "Now both her hands have curled fingers? I'm not hallucinating or anything am I?" A little spooked, Evelynn tried to put the rushing thoughts in the back of her mind and finish her routine polish job, but it didn't work. She could swear the marionette just moved. "I'm not imagining things, am I?" A little hesitant, Evelynn finished up the polish and got up to put her supplies away for the night. She turned her back to the marionette and cleaned up. "Fa......ther..." "Yck!" The sudden noise from behind her freaked Evelynn out and she turned around sharply to face the doll. She was sure it just spoke! "U-uh..." She was starting to feel spooked. "Fa...ther..." There it was again. She was certain the voice was coming from the doll. Despite her unnerved state, Evelynn's curiosity got the better of her, and she moved closer to the doll to make absolutely sure she wasn't imagining things. She bent down and leaned in until her face was just inches from the marionette's face. And then the eyes shot open and fixed on her. Now THAT was unexpected. Evelynn stood up straight quickly and the force of her movement sent her reeling backwards into the table. Some of the materials on the table spilled onto the floor and made a lot of crashing noise, but all Evelynn could see was the suddenly moving marionette before her. It moved its head. It looked around. Then it looked at her again! Is that a smile? "I-I-I-I-I-I...." Evelynn couldn't speak properly for the fright that had hit her. "Who... are you?" Evelynn stopped squirming and stuttering. "What?" The doll rose a slender arm and pointed at Evelynn. "You. Who are you? Where's father?" "Ah. Um. I'm... I'm... E-Evelynn." "Ev...elynn?" Marie sounded out the name since it was the first time she had heard it. Evelynn nodded, her eyes still wide. "Y-yours?" "Marie." "Oh?" Marie nodded. "Yes. I am Marie Anette De Rosier." "De Rosier?" Evelynn could've sworn she'd heard that name before. Of course! Lord Xavier De Rosier! He was that Arcanotechnowhatever that Evelynn had been told about before! He was the one who took his own life after his wife and son died from illness. So that meant that Lord De Rosier made this thing... this girl... for a big purpose after all. Evelynn doubted that Marie would have referred to herself as "De Rosier" if she was just a servant or something similar. And then Marie had spoken of someone as "Father". Surely, Evelynn thought, Marie had been referring to Lord De Rosier. This marionette must have been made to act as a daughter to Xavier and his wife. "So," Evelynn began. "You were like a daughter to Lord De Rosier then?" "Yes, that's right." Marie replied matter-of-factly. "He took very good care of me, just like he did Mother Chloe and Brother Michel..... before they... they...." Marie went silent. "Good heavens," Marie said. "You've been there all this time. Losing your whole family must have devastated you... You do feel emotions right?" "That's right. At least, as best as someone like me can, at least. I can't cry or turn red, of course." "So those silver streaks that were on your face when I found you.... did Lord De Rosier paint them there? Wait... no.. if that was the case, they wouldn't have wiped off so easily.." "Silver streaks?" Marie questioned with confusion. "No. I don't remember any silver streaks." Silver streaks? Surely not. Was I.... crying? Marie could scarcely believe it. The last thing she remembered was slumping on the floor in her room by herself and thinking about how she was alone and feeling sad. She faintly recalled feeling something warm on her face. Wait. Warm? How would she know what that feels like, let alone feel it at all? She was sentient, yes, but she had no nerves, no internal systems or anything other than her core. She could see, hear, and speak because of magic, but anything related to taste and physical sensation was beyond her, or so she thought. Even now she couldn't feel the heat that she assumed was contained in the basement due to the sweat about Evelynn's face and arms. "Whatever the case," Evelynn's voice popped up, bring Marie's focus to reality." You're moving. I did not expect that. I'm a mite frightened, but I don't think you meant to scare me." Marie shook her head. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I suddenly just... woke up." "Right." Evelynn snorted, still not quite able to fully believe what was happening. "Well, I suppose anyone that took a nap for eighty years would wake up with a jolt if someone had been poking around them for a while." Marie paused. "Eighty years?" "Yes," Evelynn confirmed. "Lord De Rosier and his family died eighty years ago. I was told as much when I bought this house. It was pretty cheap, if you'd believe it. I was rather surprised in a pleasant way and I-" Marie toned out Evelynn's going on. Eighty years? Truly? Come to think of it, as she looked around, Marie could see that everything in the room was covered in dust, except for where she assumed Evelynn had cleaned for the sake of putting her own stuff down. It was no small amount of dust either. She supposed that only eighty years worth of dust could really do something like that to everything in a room. "- and he said that I was loony for buying a 'haunted' house, but I paid him no mind. Goodness. Listen to me go on! One would almost forget that there was a talking, moving doll in front of them. Hahaha..." Evelynn really wasn't sure what to make of this day, but Marie seemed harmless, so the least Evelynn could do was try to be friendly. "Well, Marie. If you're not sure what to do or where to go, you're welcome to stay with me until you figure things out. Goodness knows I could use some company. I'm sure it will take me some getting used to, but you really are quite fascinating. And, of course, when you decide to leave, you'll always be welcome back. This was your home at one point otherwise. You might as well still consider it as such." Marie smiled brightly. "Well, I thank you for that, Miss Evelynn. I shall stay but a couple days then see what the world outside has to offer. I never got out very much when my family was still around. I shall miss them dearly, but I am certain they would want me to be happy." Evelynn nodded. "Yes. Certainly. I'm sure that, wherever they are, they're happy you're awake again." Marie smiled again, though this time, it was a sad smile. "Yes. Even though I can not see or hear them, they are still with me. Mother Chloe told me that one time when I found a dead bird in the garden." "I see." Marie stood up a little unsteadily. She had barely moved for eighty years after all. However, it was little time before she felt good as new again. As she had said, Marie stayed with Evelynn for a few days and helped the Dollmaker with some chores. A week later, Marie decided to head out for herself, promising to come back again some day. It was a sunny morning, and Marie was ready to go on an adventure! She wasn't sure how people would see her; she was not exactly human, nor did she have a pulse, or a heart, or any humanoid organ for that matter. She was sure she would scare people, but she hoped that she could make friends, too. "Thank you, Miss Evelynn. It is nice to have a friend like you. You are kind, and a little silly. I like that!" Evelynn took that as a compliment one hundred percent. "Thank you, Darlin'. Don't be a stranger, now! These doors will always be open to you!" Marie gave Evelynn her best curtsy. It was a little stiff due to the nature of her body, but Xavier had made it to where she would improve the more she did things. And with that, Marie started her new life. She was not certain what she would do, where she would go, or who she would meet, but she had a whole life ahead of her. A life all her own. Edited by Marie Anette, Mon Jun 13, 2016 4:53 pm.
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8:47 AM Jul 11

