A changeling and a doll

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LunaValentine

LunaValentine

A smiling Face
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FOLKLORE MEMBER
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  1. Speed of Light
  2. Multiple posts per day
  3. 1-3 posts per day
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  1. Female
Genres
Fantasy, Romance, scifi, videogame, romance, pretty flexible really
Teresa sighed as the antique shop was closed and all the workers left. Once she was certain the coast was clear she opened her display case and actually carefully climbed out. At least the store was large enough for her to move around in. The dim light took some time to get used to but the fragile looking doll started to roam the store. She expended magic with each step. Luckily she'd learned how to manipulate every little joint. Such a detailed doll like herself was exceedingly rare and thus she hadn't been bought in some time. Her dress was faded but in decent shape, she made a mental note to see if there was anything she could do about it. She had no clue that her magic had attracted the attention of a creature. Glowing eyes watched from across the street in the shadows as the doll moved across the floor.
 
Lyall Drahken peered from behind a wooden fence as a terrible creature silently slinked it's way across the rode, rising up at the door and dismantling the lock with a skill and finesse only a being of magical power could muster. The moment it was in, disappearing into the inky darkness of the shop-closing the door behind it... Lyall tied a bandanna around his face, he put on sunglasses and he put up the hood to his heavy coat... At the same time, his extremities started to ache as he balled up the magical energy within him to his center of mass... an almost perfect mimicry of the human soul. And with that his disguise was complete, and the plan was executed.

He walked into the store, hands in his pockets as he peered left and right, looking for any signs of oncoming traffic. He walked up to the door and pulled an M1911 pistol from beneath his coat. He had one round of bullets with no exceptional qualities, and it would have to do for now. As he jogged up to the door, he peered in through one of the windows for a good five seconds. He failed to perceive anything, the room was nearly pitch black. He crouched in front of the door, pulled a bobby pin and a screwdriver from his pockets, and fiddled with the lock for a few seconds, before trying to open the door. He feigned surprise upon discovering that it was unlocked, and opened the door with a soft creak, pulling out an old flashlight and looking around the store. The demon was in here with him somewhere, but he couldn't break character just yet.

He move quietly, almost tiptoeing, as the light of his flashlight swerved to the left, right where some old jewelry was held. Perfect. He grumbled to himself and began to peruse the items, while listening as closely to his surroundings as possible. That's when he heard it. A single faint tapping on the floor, and what could have only been the demon, seeing "easy prey" and moving in for the kill. He turned around and pointed his gun out, but instead all he saw was a doll, standing upright on the floor, moving on it's own. Out of reflex, his finger nearly pressed the trigger, but he hesitated. That thing was a mere monster, would it move a doll to mess with him?

He ran out of time to ponder as, from a suspended position on the ceiling, the beast's red eyes flashed open as a clawed hand hooked Lyall's back hoisting him in the air as he unloaded his pistol into it, and pretended to go unconscious.
 
Hearing the door creak open made her stop and frown. Someone entered and had a flashlight. She could hear them from the back of the store. She decided to figure out what the noises were and started to walk towards the front, towards the light. She knew the shop like the back of her hand and could navigate it without light. She was started when the light suddenly turned to her and the figure held a gun, ready to attack. It didn't show on her face but she took half a step back before noticing the red eyes above him. When the hand hooked him she frowned. He went unconscious. "Oh my...I have a non-human visitor," An echo-y voice rang out, "You put him DOWN!" She sent a blade of pure magic to cut off the arm of the creature as she glared at it.
 
The creature roared, and Lyall fell limply to the ground, the creature's claws still embedded in his chest as the magic returned to the rest of his body, and he regained his strength. Under the cover of the distraction caused by the additional combatant in the fight, he channeled his strength into his arms, tearing out the claws in his chest. He didn't hesitate to roll over to the side as his hand went underneath his jacket again, pulling out a dull iron blade and jamming it down on the beast's foot with the hopes of locking it in place. It let out a terrible roar and bared down on him, with the goal of crushing his head with it's open palm. He balled his hand into a fist, and a blue glow emanated from under his sleeve as he punched the beast in it's open palm, breaking the limb and sending the beast leaning back, but unable to fall down completely as Lyall got up, now holding a sliver dagger that glinted in the faint glow of his right arm. He held the knife at a position ready to strike as he looked the beast in the eyes. His chest heaved as he shifted from side to side, ready to dodge at any moment he glanced back at the doll who fired the spell, and nodded once. He turned back, raised the knife in both hands, and lunged as the creature freed itself from the dagger in the floor, dodging the lunge and using it's weight to tackle Lyall to the ground, as Lyall managed to drive the knife into it's ribcage. With two glowing arms, he held the face of the creature's jaws away from his throat, before turning to the doll and speaking.
"Kill it! Kill it! Kill it now!"

The creature drew closer, as the young man's glow started to flicker away, and his speech deteriorated into coughing and hacking.
 
Teresa watched the creature and glared at it. She didn't realize the young man moving at first, but when the creature roared she looked down and saw him moving. She was started though her face remained in it's normal frozen smile. She saw the way the two of them seemed to be fighting. She could tell the dagger was silver and that would certainly hurt the beast. She saw him look back at her and nod as if asking her to do something. The creature tackled the boy who started to wrestle with the creature. She saw the way he was quickly starting to cough and hack after barking at her to kill the creature. She nodded and with a swift spell she lopped off the creature's head. "That should do it," She said in her strange voice. However once the creature went limp she backed away, trying to hide herself in the darker corners. She didn't want him to see her in much detail, after all she didn't want anyone to know she was a living doll. "Are you all right?" She managed a less echoing voice.
 
Lyall was clutching his stomach, his hand visibly shaking. From one of the deepest pockets of his coat, he drew a small vial of a black substance, he quickly removed his bandanna and threw it to the side, revealing a sickly pale face. He fiddle with the cork to open the vial and hastily drank the substance within. He shuddered and his eyes gave off a faint blue glow for about a second as the health returned to his face, he scooted over to a wall and rested against it.

"Whether or not I'm Ok is arguable, but I'll live to do more dangerous stuff like this."

He squinted at the figure, now backed into the shadows, before looking around the room, the rolling flashlight revealing a panorama of damaged items, with a severed arm as the centerpiece.

He hesitantly asked;
"So uh... Is this your place?"
 
Teresa could see him shaking and frowned. He seemed very sick and she half thought of calling for an ambulance until he drank something and seemed to be doing a bit better. Then she realized he wasn't human. After all no humans really glowed like that. She stayed in the shadows and noticed the damaged items all over. "Something like that," She answered cryptically. For the time being she wanted to remain out of his sight as best as possible. "I suggest you regain the ability to leave quickly...." She started to walk towards the back to wait for him to leave, she knew she couldn't go back into her case yet.
 
Lyall quickly, almost immediately, responded to the suggestion.
"Leave? Quickly? Nope. Can't. I have to get that thing's carcass out of here... I got some heavy-duty trashbags... may have to get it into smaller bits... all that gruesome, serial-killer style business. May or may not have enough time to uh... clean up this place, my apologies, of course."

At this point, he was removing rolled up garbage bags from the inside of his coat already, and has set to putting the already severed pieces into one. Occasionally glancing at the young woman in the shadows, though his exact expression was hidden under his sunglasses.

He removed a cell phone from his pocket, and immediately began texting someone, it was his doctor, to be exact, and Lyall was preemptively alerting him that he would be receiving more blood to turn into the 'medicine'.

He then walked over to the more complete monster, and began sawing at the broken arm with his silver dagger, making slow progress.

He spoke in a casual tone;
"Should just be a few more minutes... it's claws better not rip the bags open or I'll have a conniption."

He slowed down for a moment.
"I'm going to be honest with you, I've seen enough Tim-Burton-Nightmare-Death-Metal-Horror creatures that you slinking into the shadows... just out of my line of vision so that I can only see the faint silhouette of you in the inky darkness... that is really making me paranoid."
 
Teresa watched him and inwardly frowned. She hated that he wasn't about to just leave but at least he was getting the body out of there. "I could remove the claws for you....." She offered after some time. When he mentioned being paranoid with her being so far away and him being unable to see him she gave in and quietly walked towards him. "Fine. If it gets you out faster then I'll help." Her voice returned to the echo-y sound it was before. She didn't understand his references though, she'd spent most of her time in stores or in a display case. To her, this whole things was just a waste of magic but she didn't have a choice, he was going to be there a while and she'd need to return to her case by the time he left.
 
He spoke;
"Thanks, and try to simply trim the sharp part rather than severing the claws itself, I really need every piece of this thing I can get... So on the topic of this thing, now that I can talk to you more comfortably, what do you think brought this nasty thing over to your place?"

He handed her the iron dagger, and what remained was the legs, as the head and arms were all triple-bagged and taken care of.
"I mean, I thought this thing would be looking for simple prey but..."

He paused for a moment, focussing on her now that he could see her more clearly.
"If I'm still correct, and it was looking for prey, then why would it target that which is without flesh? You think this thing could eat souls?"

Considering his situation, he concluded.
"Well, I still don't have an accurate measurement of how well you can handle yourself but... I think you may have saved my skin. Thank you for that, I've been getting used to doing stupid stuff like this alone, and frankly... I got sloppy this time. I usually go for things that have a proper classification... Vampires, Werewolves, Wendigoes, things that have a defined procedure as to how one can counter them. Aaaaand I'm rambling. Though I guess I know how to take down whatever this is."

Pausing for a moment to open up more trash bags, he asked;
"You don't think more of these things are going to show up do you?"
 
Using a little magic she trimmed down the claws, wearing them to be blunt. When he tried to hand her the dagger she didn't touch it. She took a small step back when he talked about a target without flesh. "So you can tell...." She said softly, "I don't know. This is the first time I've been targeted by a creature. It is possible that it was after my soul....or my magic. It is uncertain. It could also be a creature sent to punish me for my misdeeds....." She felt very uncomfortable as she stood there. "Do you truly wish to know what I am? You can tell I have no flesh....but do you know what I am called? I am a living doll. I threw my own soul into a dolls body." She stared at him with unblinking eyes and an unmoving face. "You are the first to catch me moving and not run away in terror. You are no human, that is clear. What are you?"
 
Finally putting the last pieces into a bag, he removed his sunglasses and hood, revealing his black hair and dull green eyes. He responded;
"Well, in my line of work you survive by being perceptive. Your face has no creases or blemishes, almost too well-maintained. And then, a case that could hold an object your size is empty. Also, your elbows. So anyway, I'm not really sure what I am right now, but I was meant to die shortly after being created. By maintaining a comfortable level of magic, I stay alive. However, there's more important things at hand than talking about me. This is your first time being targeted by a malevolent creature, so tell me, have you participated in any rituals, studies, or other activities that may have caused a disturbance sufficient enough to draw this thing here? If so, I may be able to take preventative action to make sure no additional creatures pose a threat. If not, seems tonight was an unlucky night for you.

His cellphone buzzed in his pocket and he checked it, rasing an eyebrow."
"Hmm. I'll have to go drop these body-parts soon. Does anyone live within a block or two from here that may be awake? My car is a little walk away."
 
Teresa stood there and listened to him. When asked if she'd participated in anything that could attract it she shook her head. "Not in recent years. No," She answered, "I....I have never left this place....I wouldn't know..." She said quietly. She felt awkward, after all she'd never left the shop so she couldn't really help him much. "I suppose.....I should return to my case then..." She felt sad and her voice did show it to some extent. She'd never really been outside. Every time she'd been moved she was boxed up and put in a truck so she never saw the outside world except through windows. "I do not know why it came here....but I will be more vigilant from now on." She said simply as she started to head towards the case. She tilted her head towards the ground and managed to use her magic to fix her face into a frown.
 
As Lyall started to drag the bags out, he slowed down, and came to a stop, letting go of the bags.
"Hold on now... you're telling me you never left this place. Holy hell, take it from somebody to fights to live, that's no way to live your life... bloody... how long were you in this stuffy old place?"

He shook his head, as he looked around the room.
"Well, you gone and got my brain going... The little scene I was hoping I was going to pull was that of a robbery, thug comes in, trashes the place, takes some stuff, and leaves, completely undetected. I suppose I'm willing to strike a deal, I can get you out of here, and make sure you don't get hurt by these things, perhaps in turn, you can help me. You say you threw your soul into a doll's body. That means you can keep it there, not only that but you're proficient in magic, and you got a lot of time on your hands. Putting two and two together..."

He looked forward and, staring off into space.
"You may be able to solve a certain problem of mine."

He turned back towards her.
"I guess I should also mention, I know a guy who's pretty big into magic as well; Primarily alchemy, so his problem isn't so much demon attacks as it is handling dangerous substances that I wouldn't touch with a long stick. To make a long story short; He's nice, but he is particularly strange."

After a brief pause, he concluded.
"So if you want to come with me, you should follow me to the car. I can't just leave you here without offering help, and still have a clear conscience."
 
"I don't exactly live.....I've been here for many many years. After a few decades you stop caring," Teresa replied before letting him continue to talk. She nodded as he mentioned her situation and said she must be proficient in magic. For the time being she listened to him. He then invited her to follow him. She thought for a moment before looking at him. "I....I will follow you. Perhaps we can find a solution to my situation.... Please lead the way." She watched as he picked up the bags again. As they headed out she didn't make a sound except for her feet tapping against the floor. She felt odd and looked around as they went outside. Slowly her face started to move and make a confused expression. She used a little magic to show facial expressions and she was interested to look around, though everything was new and just a little frightening.
 
Quickly dragging the bags out of the shop, Lyall spoke.
"Keep your eyes peeled, the last thing we want is a person actually catching us."

Being especially careful to make sure that the bags don't rip or tear on the ground beneath them, Lyall was able to make it rather uneventfully about a block away, before stopping to readjust his grip. Whilst doing this, he inquired;
"So anyway, if you don't know how long you were hiding away, I think it would be best to guess what time period you're from. What's the last major world event you heard of before you were in the shop? I suppose if you're from a while ago, I could fill you in on what's happened."

He threw one of the bags, which he felt was getting worn, over his shoulder, while he looked around for anyone who might see them.
 
Teresa followed after him with a frown now on her face. She was silent as they walked but when he stopped and questioned her she raised an eyebrow. "I remember witch hunts....and crusades of some kind....different time periods but I remember I was being hunted. I....don't remember too much....time has worn away my memories like a a rock in the riverbed. The details slowly fading and smoothing out. Existence is just one long day to me any more," She answered as she looked off to the side. "I do not know much about this world any longer. I know bits and snippets from what I hear but most of the time I am a silent observer. I care little for current events. A few hundred years of it and you grow tired of the same trivial drama."

She seemed very uninterested in events and seemed even less interested in him explaining things to her. "I understand cars and lights and phones and alarm systems, after all I had to learn to disable the one in the store so I could move more freely."
 
"Freely isn't the word I would have used. Kind of ironic, isn't it. I suppose you can conclude that I'm in the opposite of your situation. You found safety by hiding in the same spot, while I can barely afford to slow down."

He managed to make it to the car, taking a moment of searching his pockets for his keys, he drew them from an outside pocket and clicked a button on them, causing the trunk to open. He started lifting the bags and putting them in one by one, and spoke up.

"Me and my friend normally meet up in graveyards, he tells me that they are usually the 'prime choices for our exchanges' but I think it's just him being melodramatic.' Of coursr, they're usually safe spots. One of my first tasks when I hit a new area is to clear the graveyards of bad things."

He closed the trunk, then unlocked the doors to the car, and walked around it, opening the passenger door for Teresa.

"Now, you described yourself as having thrown your soul into that doll... I assume that means you're a mage of some sort. If my friends finds that out he'll want to talk your ears off, so if you don't want that just say you're a golem or something."

He got into his side of the car and started it, before concluding.
"Graveyard isn't too far from here."
 
"Safety? More like boredom," Teresa sighed, "I can't exactly move about. For centuries I was unable to even move on my own. Now it's more out of habit and concern for my own well being." She stopped when he did and watched him put the bags in the trunk before speaking again.

"Graveyards....terrible places. Full of the dead and the mourning. A waste of energy and time." She hid her own feelings on graveyards. She'd watched people die all the time being as old as she was, not to mention watching her own parents' deaths. She felt very little for the dead any more. She had no one to relate to. This man was the closest that she'd found thus far. When he held the door open she got in and listened to him once more. "Golem is probably more accurate. Living Doll is a subset of Golem. But yes, I am a mage. I don't feel like talking to little schoolchildren about magic. I prefer talks with other scholars."

She remained silent for the entire trip, only her eyes moving as she looked out the window, watching the streets in thought. She'd never really seen too much outside of the shop so it was interesting to see something new. The buildings were very strange compared to what she was used to. Everything was made of sturdy materials but it all looked fairly....cold. She liked it, the cold stone and simple shapes spoke to her.
 
"Well, he's actually a mage himself... well, more of an alchemist but he knows a few tricks. I mean, he's single-handedly kept a changling alive for years, and the only reason I'm killing these things for him is because he literally can't do it fast enough himself, and still have time to try and get me a permanent cure for my... condition..."

He cut off right there, and continued driving, as they soon pulled into the parking lot of the graveyard.

"If we circle around to the back, there's an area where we will be able to use a tree to help us climb over this metal fence. This place is closed at night due to recent acts if vandalism. On the plus side, there's less of a chance for unexpected mourners. You may notice areas of dug-up earth and or claw marks on trees... don't pay attention to them, It was just a ghoul, and I took care of it a few days ago."

He removed his hood, and from the glove box, he drew a wide black hat, with various holy symbols placed in a ribbon around the base. He put it on, and began walking towards a tree that was very close to the fence.
 
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