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Adrien and Malina, Puppet and Puppeteer

Started by DragonSong, February 11, 2018, 08:58:01 PM

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DragonSong

__________________QUICK STATS
Name Adrien Belaque-Estarr
Age 36
Gender Male
Species Half-drow
Ethnicity Serenian-ish
Height 5'10"
Orientation Pansexual
Occupation Sculptor and necromancer-for-hire
Residence Arca



Name Malina
Age 3 or 27 (depending on how you look at it)
Gender Female
Species Animated Doll
Height 5'6"
Orientation Panromantic
Occupation Ah...does dancing count?
Residence Arca

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Puppeteer: Adrien is a bit above average height for a drow, probably thanks to a human father, and lean verging on the point of "slender". His features are sharp and well-defined, with an aristocratic nose and a rather severe brow. His skin is stony gray, contrasting sharply with bright gold eyes, and his thick, wavy black hair is kept cut to about shoulder length.

He favors dark clothing, typically accompanied by a long-tailed coat, and is only rarely seen without his spectacles. Though hardly an old man, and with elven blood making him appear in his mid-twenties, he carries a walking stick as well (though this is more practical than it seems).

Notably, if one were to see him with his shirt off, he bears a jagged, brutal scar that slashes diagonally from his left collar to about the center of his chest.

Puppet: Malina is a delicate thing- literally. Lovingly sculpted from wood and held together with silver inlay, ball joints, and magic, she is truly Adrien's greatest work of art. Her painted skin is pale, with a dab of ruby for her lips and rose for her cheeks. Taking "doll-like" to the extreme, her features are nearly flawless, and were obviously created with great care. Like her creator, she has black hair, created from silken fibers so that it may be brushed and styled like a living person's.

The only part of her body that may at first lead an observer to believe she's not entirely what she seems are her eyes. When closed she seems to be a life-sized doll or puppet, but when opened they glow a soft crimson, and it is impossible not to see the soul behind them.

Personality
Adrien is a bit of a recluse. He's polite enough to his customers, and he even seems to enjoy interacting with the children who wonder into his shop, but he is truly happiest when left to his own devices. He is not a trusting man, however, and will not open up easily, even to those that have known him for years.

By contrast, Malina always wants to be interacting with people, laughing and smiling and chatting away about anything at all, as long as she gets to be out in the world doing it. She's kindhearted, if a bit naive in the ways of the world- understandable, as she's only been animated for three years.

Magic/Abilities
Adrien: He makes his living selling enchanted toys, knick-knacks, sculptures and the like, so a bare minimum of mediocre magic is sort of necessary. He is also a well-practiced necromancer, though this is not something he broadcasts to his more "upstanding" clientele.

Animation charms are his strong suit, and he's able to give more inanimate objects a semblance of life for months or years at a time- this is rather popular among childrens' toys. Of course, animation is not true life, and his creations don't think or feel, they don't have a soul.

If pressed, Adrien can use the rapier concealed within his walking stick with surprising prowess.

Malina: Though she has no magical or martial skill to speak of, Malina is a beautiful artist. She can dance and sing as well as any professional entertainer, and she even writes her own music.

Though her greatest joy is music, she is also an exceptionally skilled sketch artist and painter. She will often make caricatures for Adrien's customers while they wait for a special order.

Relationships
Each other.

History
Twenty-seven years ago, nine-year-old Adrien met his baby sister: Malina. She was the most precious thing he'd ever seen, snow white skin and jet black, fuzzy wisps of hair, with ruby red eyes that were open and clear even at barely four hours old. He made a silent promise right then that he would protect her, always.

Despite their gap in age, the siblings were incredibly close growing up. They were raised in a small merchant village several miles outside Arca, and sometimes when they were lucky and well behaved they could go into the city with their father for a day.

"I want to live here someday," Malina would say with a grin, and Adrien would sweep her up and spin her around as she laughed.

"Then we will."

As they grew older, Malina and Adrien's interests diverged, though they remained as close as ever. He became obsessed with perfecting his magical skill, while she was more interested in attempting to capture the beauty of the world in a painting, or express it through a dance. Their parents were not exactly wealthy, but they were well-off enough to encourage their children's passions.

Then sickness came to their little town, and it was devastating. A new strain of an old ailment, the healers said, and none of their known spells or potions seemed to have much effect. The town's population was cut nearly in half.

Adrien and Malina lost both their parents before the healers seemed to discover a cure, and those afflicted gradually began to respond to treatments. But then Malina got sick.

And then she got sicker.

And sicker.

Adrien nearly lost his mind in his attempt to cure her, but ultimately it was to no avail. The healers said she had at most two days to live, and he turned to a magic his father had made him swear never to go near: necromancy.

Only a prestigious talent and reckless dedication allowed it, but he managed to learn a spell he believed would save his sister. And just in time- as Malina drew her last breath he performed the spell, and managed to hold her spirit on the mortal plane.

He didn't have time to grieve. He had already lost their parents, he would not loose his sister too. For nearly three years he labored in his mother's workshop, crafting a vessel to house Malina's soul. He was never satisfied- though it would be made of wood, paint, and magic, this body needed to be perfect.

Finally, it was ready. Adrien perform a ritual that would bind Malina's soul to the puppet body he had crafted, and his sister was alive again.

But she didn't know him. She stared at him with blank, unknowing eyes. He tried to explain to her what had happened, but she didn't seem to understand. Then, all at once, she did. And it nearly destroyed her.

Almost driven mad by what she had become, little more than a living doll, Malina attempted to destroy herself, to release her soul from the body her brother had bound it to. Desperate, Adrien managed to stop her, and in the struggle she was knocked unconscious. A bit of magic wiped the incident from her memory, and when she woke again Adrien did not make the same mistake; he told her he was a crafter and an enchanter, and that she was his greatest creation.

They moved to Arca, because Malina had always wanted to, even if she didn't remember. For the most part they kept to themselves, save when tending the shop. But Malina's nature would not allow her to be contained for long, and soon enough she was pestering Adrien to let her go outside on her own, to explore and learn.

He was reluctant, but a year and a half of near constant begging wore him down. Finally, he gave her permission to attend on of the art schools nearby where she could fine tune her dancing and other artistic interests; he always makes sure she is magically glamoured to appear fully human before she is allowed to leave the house however.

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