12th of Ymiden, Arc 717
One thumb brushed lightly over the doll's glassy eye, blank and lifeless as it stared up at Felicia from her lap. She found it earlier in the market, tossed aside broken and unwanted in the trash behind a building. It's dress was tattered, stained and more a rag than anything else. One arm was missing, and the other was near splintered wood and flecks of paint. It's face once was probably beautiful. White porcine now was cracked on one side, a green eye missing as on the same side as the crack which spread it's smile farther up its cheek. Disfigured, ugly and abandoned. That was what this doll was, and somehow that resonated with Felicia enough that she had stopped and picked it up.
They both sat now on her bed in the apartment she shared with her adopted brother. He was gone, perhaps at the outpost as he seemed to be there more and more as time passed. Because of her work with the cities Mortician Felicia rarely had a reason to leave the confines of the city itself so she often found herself alone and with the small living space empty. On one end of the building there was a small fireplace that held the contents of her last dinner, wood burned down to ashes with flecks of charred white parchment with only half-hearted scribbles she had intended to send to Robin. After all that was what sisters did wasn't it? Send letters to their siblings away and fighting some unknown enemy? The coldness in her heart, however, never let Felicia find the right words to put onto the paper.
He doesn't care. the thought bubbled up from the depths of her mind. It was becoming a common occurrence now, words called unbidden to her mind which spoke of the dark betrayal of the world around her. Felicia rarely thought about it, however. Thoughts were just that, thoughts. There was no reason to think about or believe what they told her.
He will hate you.
The doll creaked slightly as Felicia moved its one arm, making it raise and lower slowly as she tested the simple joints. It rotated all the way around at the shoulder, and the elbow allowed for very simple movement like a normal elbow would. It's hand was just a slightly rounded piece of wood without distinct fingers that could rotate around on the wrist. A child's toy, after all, did not require much utility Felicia supposed.
Felicia set the doll on the bed, propped against the pillow at the head as she stood in a rustle of cloth. Her bare feet touched the cold of the wood floor, a slight shiver of delight spreading from her wiggling toes as its coolness was a welcome reprieve from the growing heat of the season. Her nightgown she straightened as it fell almost to the floor around her. It was a simple item, plain in almost every respect and slightly off white. It was the first thing Felicia had bought for herself after coming to Ne'haer and so she took as best care of it as she could.
The doll was looking at her from its spot on the bed. Cold, unblinking eye looked like it had some words it wished to say, but its unmoving lips would not let them pass. After staring at it for a few bits Felicia put her back to it, clasping her hands behind her as she rocked back and forth from heal to toe in thought.
"Yes, it is a beautiful night." She whispered softly, not looking back, "A good night for company."
Hesitating, Felicia looked back over her shoulder at the doll, eyeing it was an odd expression before looking away once more. "You're welcome."
One thumb brushed lightly over the doll's glassy eye, blank and lifeless as it stared up at Felicia from her lap. She found it earlier in the market, tossed aside broken and unwanted in the trash behind a building. It's dress was tattered, stained and more a rag than anything else. One arm was missing, and the other was near splintered wood and flecks of paint. It's face once was probably beautiful. White porcine now was cracked on one side, a green eye missing as on the same side as the crack which spread it's smile farther up its cheek. Disfigured, ugly and abandoned. That was what this doll was, and somehow that resonated with Felicia enough that she had stopped and picked it up.
They both sat now on her bed in the apartment she shared with her adopted brother. He was gone, perhaps at the outpost as he seemed to be there more and more as time passed. Because of her work with the cities Mortician Felicia rarely had a reason to leave the confines of the city itself so she often found herself alone and with the small living space empty. On one end of the building there was a small fireplace that held the contents of her last dinner, wood burned down to ashes with flecks of charred white parchment with only half-hearted scribbles she had intended to send to Robin. After all that was what sisters did wasn't it? Send letters to their siblings away and fighting some unknown enemy? The coldness in her heart, however, never let Felicia find the right words to put onto the paper.
He doesn't care. the thought bubbled up from the depths of her mind. It was becoming a common occurrence now, words called unbidden to her mind which spoke of the dark betrayal of the world around her. Felicia rarely thought about it, however. Thoughts were just that, thoughts. There was no reason to think about or believe what they told her.
He will hate you.
The doll creaked slightly as Felicia moved its one arm, making it raise and lower slowly as she tested the simple joints. It rotated all the way around at the shoulder, and the elbow allowed for very simple movement like a normal elbow would. It's hand was just a slightly rounded piece of wood without distinct fingers that could rotate around on the wrist. A child's toy, after all, did not require much utility Felicia supposed.
Felicia set the doll on the bed, propped against the pillow at the head as she stood in a rustle of cloth. Her bare feet touched the cold of the wood floor, a slight shiver of delight spreading from her wiggling toes as its coolness was a welcome reprieve from the growing heat of the season. Her nightgown she straightened as it fell almost to the floor around her. It was a simple item, plain in almost every respect and slightly off white. It was the first thing Felicia had bought for herself after coming to Ne'haer and so she took as best care of it as she could.
The doll was looking at her from its spot on the bed. Cold, unblinking eye looked like it had some words it wished to say, but its unmoving lips would not let them pass. After staring at it for a few bits Felicia put her back to it, clasping her hands behind her as she rocked back and forth from heal to toe in thought.
"Yes, it is a beautiful night." She whispered softly, not looking back, "A good night for company."
Hesitating, Felicia looked back over her shoulder at the doll, eyeing it was an odd expression before looking away once more. "You're welcome."
