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My heart does not falter
Night had already settled in on Mystery Island a long time ago, but your feet still roamed the streets. Mindlessly, you arrive to a dirt trail that broke away from the streets. The natives were quite friendly; hopefully none of them would ambush you. As you walk deeper into the trail, you can see the sharp outlines of the town's shacks and huts. A nice tropical fruit drink from the refreshments hut would hit the spot. The night was constant and dark but your eyes were guided by the lights of tiki torches. They stood along the border of the trail and their flickering flames crackled silently.
Your ears seem confused, but there seemed to be another sound behind the crackling of the fire. Your eyes look to one of the torches on the path. An object, more like a doll, seemed to have been discarded there. You walk to it and kneel down curiously. It looked very much like a plushie Kougra, only with more cat-like attributes. An image of a yarnball suddenly pops into your head. Confused, you shake the image off. A yarnball? The amber and green eyes of the doll glinted in the moonlight.
An image of curling souls and screams resonates within your head.
Its center is hollow and empty
Basics
Name: Siveira
Pronunciation: See-VAE-rah
Meaning: Comes from the element silver
Alias: Veira (called that only by close friends)
Possible species: Kougra
Gender: Siveira's an "it" but looks more like a female
Made in: Late summer
Current age: A few years, doesn't matter.
Paint: Plushie
Main stitching: Purple
Belly stitching: Dark magenta
Eye color: Right eye is amber; left eye is green
Ears and pawpads: Purple with white dots
Tail: Yellow stripes with white dots.
Other characteristics: Wears a collar with an orb; bow that has the same colouring as tail stripes.
Height: 25 cm
Length (from head to tail): 35 cm
Weight: 1 kg
Owner: Suiqu
Friends: Suiqu
Traveling companions: Ears
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Overall, Siveira is a very curious doll. She loves to watch the living and their strange habits. She always questions each thing they do; their customs and cultures. The orb on her collar proves how observant she can be. Siveira can eat souls, but she prefers to keep them in the orb to observe them. Worst of all, Siveira doesn't know wrong from right, which is she doesn't know what she's doing is wrong and is very confident about her actions. However, as her story progresses, she becomes tired of owners treating her like a novelty item, which is when her hobby takes a darker turn in terms of motivation/intent.
Since Siveira has no muscles, her movement can be poor at times. If she ate more souls, she could gain enough movement to change face and move with more freedom. Sadly, Siveira likes to trap souls inside her orb to observe them and doesn't know she could gain more movement by eating more souls. Siveira has only eaten one soul so far (that of a Wocky) and only has the ability to walk and pounce. She shows emotions by twitching her whiskers or flicking her ears. If her whiskers are spread and ears up, she's attentive. However, if her whiskers are down as well as her ears, she's upset. Siveira looks very much like a Siamese cat, having a dark face and ears and a thin build. The tag on her tail with the heart and dollar sign crossed out means they'll bring love and financial misfortune to her owner.
Ears is Siveira's lifeless plushie Miamouse. She grew quite fond of it since she found similarities between herself and Ears. Since she found it, Siveira always carries Ears around with her, preferably with her curled tail.
-Souls
-Yarnballs
-Tiki torches
-Love
-Games
-Uneven stitches
-Mistreatment
-Not being washed in the laundry at least once a week
-Bright lights
This is me! Suiqu. Before moving to Kreludor, I was the owner of a humble hut (now the owner of a humble Kreludor moon base!). The only reason why I let these other characters invade it is because it felt a bit spacey. I am the only one who can get near Siveira without being harmed...I think it's because she likes me? Maybe. But you're probably more interested in the other residents living here.
Chaintel is a retired comedian who can easily get on everyone's nerves due to his terrible, TERRIBLE jokes and puns. Once you get past that, he is a very friendly guy to be around. Now he has a horrible taste in humour IN SPACE.
Although not part of the "hut" family, we see this strange lupess wandering the island every now and then running errands and whatnot. We haven't really had the chance to talk to her much but she seems like a kind lupess. Too bad we didn't get to know her better before we fled left for Kreludor.
Due to a recent downgrade and...moving to Kreludor!? We have gotten new friends!
Aurafe
Aurafe is a starry shoyru and the co-pilot of a space ship. She used to work at Virtupets Space Station. Due to some job cuts at the station, she has had to relocate to Kreludor, where we met her. She is very blunt and to the point but surprisingly passive.
Lhoukas
Lhoukas is a shoyru and pilot of a space-ship and used to work at Virtupets Space Station as well. He was relocated to Kreludor along with Aurafe after a few job cuts. He has the makings of a leader (honest, understanding) and is very vocal about his opinions. He can get a bit bossy though and gets upset when things don't go his way.
As for Reorru, Yaniih and Tavher, they have decided to travel Neopia and search for Yaniih and Tavher's true origins.
As for the Mystery Island/Kreludor shenanigan, keep and eye out for future Neopian Antics comics in the NT! Your questions might just be answered there!
Siveira's new life on Kreludor
It is not connected to my body
Siveira's abilities were given to her as a blessing, one that resulted from the spell her creator put upon her. Her main ability is that, being a hex doll, she brings bad luck to her owner. She only had a small shred of energy, but it was enough energy to steal a wocky's soul. Since Siveira never consumed the souls, she used her bell (that soon turned into an orb) to store the souls. When a soul is trapped in her orb, it is not lost forever. Siveira only steals the energy of the soul, meaning that the essence and personality of the soul still have their freedom to jump into another body. The wocky's soul is the only exception to this rule.
Her eerie hex magic can cause her victims to hallucinate and feel things that aren't there. For example, most of her victims feel their body getting heavy. Her victims usually hallucinate their worst fears before their body gives in.
If Siveira were to be buried or disposed of in an incorrect way (such as being burned), her body would unleash terrible energy that would attract all the stray spirits around her. The only way to dispose of her would be to give her a proper burial.
For if it were something
For the first few years of her life, Siveira wandered around Mystery Island, collecting souls. Siveira was always attracted to the flickering torches placed around the streets. This was always where most of her victims found her. She never ventured in the jungles and always stayed around the town's borders. Siveira's always managed to be clean despite all the sand and moss she's been in.
Habitat-wise, she wanders the more populated area of the island, where she is bound to find more interesting souls. She only strikes every now and then since too many mysterious deaths would be suspicious.
Artists (from left to right): Chelsea, Tacita, Bell, Sienna, Vicats
1. Trades only; requests are open to my buds/friends.
2. If you'd like to, I can give the yarnball a theme. Even if you don't specify it, I'll still try to do a theme anyways.
3. Compatible with Kougras, Wockies, and other felines.
Due to some files being wiped from my computer, some customs were lost. If you had an adoptable from this set, please contact my main, ahqua!
Example
This heart of mine floats inside of me
A lone shack stood in the more modern and upbeat part of Mystery Island. Business went on as usual and tourist admired the island's sights.
On the shack was a plain bamboo sign that read "Tropical Souvenirs". Few customers strolled inside; night would be coming soon. The doors bell chimed several times as the remaining customers exited.
Behind the dusty corner stood an elderly Lutari. His brown and white fur was covered in tropical attire. A flowered boa hung around his neck. His waist was wrapped in a yellow-green grass skirt. He sighed heavily and sat down on his rusty stool. He reached for the drawer in front of him and took out a thick notebook. His long curved claws flipped through the yellowing pages.
They came to a halt at a page that was filled half-ways. Using his index claws, he dipped it in a small bottle of ink that stood on the table's rigid surface. His claw quickly scratched numbers onto the paper but stopped abruptly. The Lutari's dark eyes narrowed as he inspected the writings.
This notebook was no ordinary notebook, for it contained vital information about the shop's financial status.
Tourists were the main buyers and came almost all year-round. Every type of souvenir was doing well; masks, tiki masks, keyrings, boas and so on. The only items that seemed to be the least bought were the dolls. The good luck dolls were selling at an average rate, but not the hex dolls. The reason for this downturn was the bad luck they brought. The Lutari always told the tourists how to counter the hex doll's bad luck, but most would brush it off.
Most tourists were naïve and didn't believe a doll could bring someone such despair. The hex dolls weren't all that attractive either. Its huge button eyes and shrivelly hair would send any youngling running home.
The Lutari put the notebook away and sat back, pondering quietly. Could there be another way to sell the dolls? The Lutari sat up straight as an idea popped into his mind. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of it before?
All neighbourhoods stood still as night settled in on the island. The streets where lit dimly by tall tiki torches.
Inside the Tropical Souvenirs shack, the Lutari sat on his stool, leaning over his counter. The shack lay in thick shadows except for the lantern that sat on the counter's surface. The Lutari shuffled busily through a large cardboard box. He held a purple stuffed Kougra between his claws. The plush looked very much like a Siamese cat; a dark face, ears, and the paws had a different hue of purple. Its tail curled and long whiskers, which were made from thread, fell from its muzzle. Its eyes were two buttons. Both were very old and only hung on by a few threads. The Lutari quickly clipped them off, leaving the face eerily eyeless.
His claws traveled through the box once more and snatched two glass eyes. They weren't the same colour, one amber and the other green, but they would do.
He dipped his index claw in ink and painted one pupil on each eye. Since the claw's tip was quite pointy, the pupils turned out to be thin slits. Just like a cat.
The Lutari quickly got to work by patching cloths on the plush to make it look more appealing. He took out a roll of yellow cloth with white polka dots from the box. Using a needle and thread, he carefully patched four stripes onto the doll's tail. He worked slowly as to not tear the cloth and let the stuffing out. He picked up a small square of the cloth and folded it into a tiny ribbon.
His sleek needle patched the ribbon near the right ear swiftly. The shopkeeper took out a second roll of cloth; this one was a deep magenta with light pink polka dots.
The patching ensued. The new cloth was used to patch the inside of the doll's ears. Tiny paw-pads were patched on its three toes as well. The waning moon climbed higher into the sky and the shopkeeper's claws kept working.
The doll's underbelly was now patched with a lighter colour and its mismatching eyes were glued in place. The Lutari placed the Kougra plush in front of him. The stitches were even; the only aspect of the doll that wasn't matching where its eyes. The curling smile that was upon its dark face made it seem somewhat adorable.
He held the doll between his claws and pressed it against his forehead. His eyes closed and his lips uttered a quiet chant. He opened his eyes and looked at the doll before him. His mind wondered why tourists would even buy dolls like these. Most likely, it is because of their disbelief a doll can have.
The sun shone strongly as usual over the island. In one of the shack's shelves sat the Kougra doll. Around its neck hung a light blue collar with a small bell attached to it. The shopkeeper had put it on the night before.
The hut's door creaked open and its bell chimed loudly. An Aisha with speckled skin and casual attire walked in. Her fingers played with her white hair as she looked around. Her feet walked towards the shelf where the Kougra doll sat. The doll's large mismatching eyes seemed to lock onto the Aisha.
The Aisha's hand reached for the Kougra and snatched it from the shelf. Her eyes noticed a tag sticking out from the doll's curled tail. She flattened it to read the tiny scripture written on it.
She turned the tail upside down to read it properly and saw a heart and a dollar sign. The strange feeling about the two symbols was that a line ran through them, crossing them out.
The Aisha held the plush between her arms and walked towards the counter. The shopkeeper wasn't there. A lone and small silver bell stood on the counter. The Aisha tapped it quickly several times and the chime echoed through the store.
There was an entrance leading to the shack's storage room behind the counter. The Lutari emerged calmly and approached the counter.
May I help you? he asked.
The Aisha set the doll on the counter. What is this doll exactly? I'm interested in buying it.
The Lutari blinked his old eyes and realized it was the doll he had put together the night before.
Ah yes, the Lutari mused. This is a hex doll. You probably saw the crossed out symbols on its tag. It brings bad luck to its users but if you treat it well it won't.
The Aisha gave a doubtful nod. Alright.
The Lutari glanced nervously at the Aisha as she reached for the wallet in her pocket.
The Aisha fiddled with her wallet. How much for it?
10, 500 neopoints, the Lutari coughed.
Without hesitating, the Aisha gave the shopkeeper several large gold coins.
Make sure to treat it well, the Lutari warned. And I don't make any refunds!
The Aisha gave a friendly smile and walked away with the doll in her hands. The Lutari scratched his graying muzzle worriedly. Hopefully he had made the right choice, but it all lay in fate's hands.
The calm twilight cast long shadows on the island. The water lapped gently against the shore and the palm trees seem to sway ever so slowly. The islanders began lighting the torches on the streets to illuminate the streets. The flames flickered and waved, crackled and swirled in the air.
A small wocky (or the lesser wocky) pounced on the small crackles of flame that fell onto the ground. The feline was very small; it would be considered a petpet if it didn't possess its fluffy mane and wocky tail. Its paws waved playfully at the glowing sprites of fire.
The fur on its skin was sleek and pure white; the left paw was a dark splotch of brown. Before it could make its next move, a green and white hand reached out for it. The hand lifted the wocky up and held him gently.
The wocky's ears stood in surprise and his muzzle let out a warm purr. An aisha with white hair and speckled skin held him carefully. Its limbs bent back like a baby being held by its mother.
Let's go back in Snowflake, the aisha whispered gently.
The aisha set down a large lantern on the kitchen table. Her wocky wriggled out of her arms. He landed on the ground steadily and lay peacefully beneath the table. The aisha bent down and set a small bowl of food in front of Snowflake. The aisha walked over to a counter where she'd left a small cloth bag.
The aisha had moved to the island not too long ago, which was why the house was wasn't very crowded.
She reached inside the bag and took out the doll she had bought earlier in the day. Gently, she set the doll on the table. Its curling tail hung over the table's edge. The aisha inspected the inside of the doll's collar curiously.
Faint carvings could be seen that spelled out a name. Siveira. The aisha tilted her head wondering what the name meant. Carrying the lantern with her, the aisha strolled out of the room calmly.
The doll sat motionless; its wide grin was the same and so were its round eyes.
The wocky licked its lips as it looked up from under the table. After a meal, Snowflake would enjoy playing with her owner's belongings. The doll intrigued Snowflake. It was almost as big as him, not to mention the shiny bell on its collar caught his eye.
Snowflake leapt up and pawed the doll's hanging tail playfully. The doll swayed over slowly and fell on the ground with a loud thud. Snowflake's ears went back apprehensively. He slowly crept forward and sniffed the doll daintily. The golden bell shone brightly. Carefully, Snowflake prodded the bell. It let out a faint chime.
Slightly faster, Snowflake pawed at the bell again. Excited by the joyous chiming, Snowflake mindlessly pawed the bell. His tail lashed from side to side and his eyes smiled brightly.
His fur stood on end as he heard an almost silent whine in the room. He looked closely at the doll, but it still lay motionless on the ground. Snowflake's fur flattened and his paws shifted into a stalking position. He readied his paws and pounced on the doll's back.
In the still living room, the aisha hung the lantern on the wall to light up the room. She slowly walked to the couch and opened a cardboard box that lay on it. One by one she took out glasses wrapped in newspaper.
As she unwrapped one glass, she heard a faint and almost silent whine coming from the kitchen. She glanced towards the kitchen's entrance. She shrugged lightly and continued to unpack the glasses.
A blood-curling screech filled her ears, causing the glass to slip from her grip.
The glass met the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces. The aisha stood up, her legs shaking and lips quivering. Her feet stepped carefully around the broken glass. Very slowly and silently, the aisha leaned into the kitchen and peered around. The light from the living room lit the kitchen very dimly, but strong enough to see the outlines of the table and counter. She rested her right hand on the entrance's frame.
Her eyes scanned the kitchen for any sign of Snowflake, but he was out of sight. The doll was missing as well.
Her legs tingled sharply as she felt a fluffy coat of fur brush against her. She looked down to see Snowflake lying down, paws tucked in and eyes closed carefully.
Snowflake? She called.
A light dripping sound floated into her ears. She brought her hand that leaned against the frame to her face. A dark black liquid pooled in her palm and dripped around her wrists. Her hand shook as the ooze began to seep into her skin. Her veins felt heavy, too heavy to even keep standing. Her muscles tightened and the shadows in the hut seemed to swirl around her.
Her body soon dropped to the ground, defeated. Her eyelids felt heavy, but caught a glimpse of a tall shadow before closing.
She could see the kougra doll sitting a few feet away with the same curling grin. It waved to the Aisha with its tail.
Goodbye.
Chapter 2-Tearing away
Note: From this chapter on Siveira's story takes place in my own "world" and not in Neopia.
The sun shone brightly and charred the island below. The cool half of the summer season had already gone by. The ground would soon boil under an intense heat wave.
A tall woman with tan skin and brown hair walked on the beach. A small girl with black hair and brown skin held her hand. The little girl enjoyed a fruit cone while walking alongside her mother.
Mum, when will Dad be back from his Sister Island trip? the young girl asked,
Her mother looked down at her softly. In a couple of days.
I hope he brings lotsa gifts like last time.
Her mother smiled gently and looked onwards_ The sand was warm under their feet, protected by strong sandals. The steady waves crashed softly against the shore.
Her daughter's pale eyes looked ahead attentively. She broke away from her mother's grasp and bolted down the shore.
Her mother called out to her, Klina, come back!
Klina knelt on the hot sand and inspected a forgotten doll that lay before her. Her eyes widened as she held the doll in her arms. It was a small feline doll, about the size of a large house cat. Its main stitching was purple and it had distinctive pink paws. The doll's soft belly was a pink hue as well and a blue collar went around its neck. Klina's fingers tugged on the collar, making its small ornament jingle.
Klina's mother approached her quickly. What is that honey? Be careful; you don't know where it's been.
Don't worry mum, she cooed. It doesn't look that dirty.
Klina poked the doll's round and cool glass eyes.
Alright, Klina's mom sighed. But I'm washing it as soon as we get home.
***
Rays of sun continued to shine down on the island.
In a hut's small room, Klina sat on a grass mat and played with the newfound doll. Her mother had washed it quickly with water and it had dried very fast despite the soaking it had gone through. Klina had instantly gone to her bedroom to play with her toy. Klina pulled on its tail cheerfully, threw it up in the air and caught it in her arms. She tugged on the collar to see if it would come off. Her eyes noticed a word carved on the collar's inside.
Siiiveiraa… Klina mouthed slowly. Siveira?
Klina giggled playfully. Her eyes noticed a small tag sticking out the cat's tail. It had symbols drawn into its fabric. One of them a heart, crossed out. Klina couldn't quite make out what the other symbol meant. She started pulling on the tag to rip it off, but the doll's tail suddenly lashed against her face.
Klina jerked back a little and dropped the doll on the ground. She poked its nose curiously but no movement came from the doll. Klina shrugged and turned to her bed. She reached for a light blue lace that lay on it. She wrapped the lace around the doll's head in a drooping ribbon. Klina continued to pet the doll happily.
Her skin tingled sharply when she felt something crawling up her leg. She could feel long and skinny hairs grazing her leg.
Her eyes gazed past Siveira, towards her legs to see a large and hairy black spider make its way up her leg.
Klina jumped on her feet and shook it off fearfully, sending the spider flying across the room. She cried out, but no sound escaped her mouth. She bent down to grab her doll, but it was gone. Only the silky blue lace was left. Klina's eyes flickered towards her bed, where she saw the doll perched on her bed's frame. Its tail curled curiously. The doll's wide grin and un-flickering eyes remained the same.
Klina managed to choke out words. Si…veira?
Klina's body felt drowsy and her eyelids felt extremely heavy. She rocked back and forth before collapsing on the hard ground. Her breath became steadier and steadier. She felt something soft on her belly. Her eyes gazed up, only to see her doll sitting calmly and looking down at her. Klina's eyes closed tiredly and didn't open again.
Siveira hopped off Klina's belly and headed out of the room gingerly. Her whiskers spread out thoughtfully. She wondered if the girl's mother was nearby.
A hide and seek game would be fun.
Chapter 3-Night's heat
Three humans sat around a tall flickering fire. Two were tall and lean boys while the third one was a shorter and thinner girl. Her dark hair was tied in a rigid ponytail. The girl's dark skin faded into the night but her clear green eyes and freckles stood out greatly.
Her eyes quivered nervously. So, have you heard the rumours?
The boy with tan skin and auburn hair tilted his head. What rumour? There's always rumours runnin' around here.
The second boy with brown skin and dreadlocks watched silently.
You don't know nothing Mano, the girl scoffed. It's about a hex doll. A living one.
Mano rubbed his head calmly.
The second boy leaned forward. Well, Iris, there's always a lot of myths. My mom always scared me with stories about haunted dolls.
Trian, everyone's not your mom y'know, Iris sighed. Besides, I'm pretty sure this one's real! There have been reports about people jus' falling asleep and…well y'know!
Maybe it's just an illness! Mano guessed.
Their heads tilted in deep thought.
Let's just forget about it for now, Trian suggested.
A sharp breeze ruffled the trees. The fire wavered and flickered wildly. It steadily downgraded to a small ember.
Great! Mano sighed. Just great.
He quickly reached for a wooden stick and prodded the ember carefully. The fire quivered weakly and faded away.
Guess we have to start it up again, Trian murmured.
The wind grew cooler and a small ember sprouted on the log.
Yes! Iris exclaimed. Quick fan it so-
Whoosh.
Before her sentence could end, the single ember sparked into a roaring fire. The fire hissed at the three teenagers, crackling and quivering furiously. The three youngsters jumped on their feet instantly. The fire grew as tall as the palm trees, waving dangerously close to their leaves.
Mano spotted an exit towards the beach. This way!
They swiftly headed towards the beach only to be stopped by a hot wall of fire.
There's no way out! Iris panicked. The fire's surrounded us!
A prickly bush behind the wall of fire quivered faintly. A small feline watched them with mismatching glowing eyes. It was the doll Siveira. Her whiskers spread in amusement. There were no roaring walls of fire, no heat and the fire was never turned off by a cold gust of wind. Siveira never knew a mere illusion of crackling fire would frighten these humans so deeply. What a fun game.
The humans cowered into the clearing's center. Their eyes were hollow with panic and despair. There was no way out; the fire would soon engulf the jungle. Iris clutched her stomach tightly and collapsed on her knees.
Iris! Mano fretted.
Iris felt her skin boiling hot and her tongue was like dry cement. She choked and felt bitter powder on the inside of her mouth, taking her breath away. Her body crashed against the ground, feeling heavy from the cement inside her throat and slipping into her stomach. Her gentle eyes shut tightly. Mano knelt by her side and took her in his arms firmly.
He shook her body in panic. Iris! Iris! Wake up!
Trian gazed at the raging fire with intense fear. His mind could picture the burnt trees and charred sand. Those thoughts were soon pushed off by another.
A yarn ball.
Trian rubbed his forehead in frustration. Images of stitches and doll crashed into his head.
Get out my head! he screamed.
Siveira's whiskers drooped. It was not going well again. The three humans were panicking. Siveira liked the flames and she wanted the humans to enjoy its magnificent sight. She tried to calm the female down by closing her throat. She had overdone it. Again.
Some could call Siveira a sociopath of sorts. And she was.
Trian's mind snapped out of its trance when he heard something hit the ground. He turned to see Mano face down, not too far away from Iris. His muscles weakened and his legs gave way.
He slowly crawled towards his fallen friends. Mano…Iris…
Behind the bush, Siveira's tail curled sharply. She could only communicate with image telepathy, which further complicated tricky situations. She was trying to tell the humans about the things she liked, stitches, dolls and yarn balls. Siveira attempted to make a connection but all her victims gave the same reply. Panic.
Siveira's ears wiggled softly. A ticking clock floated in her mind.
It was time.
---
Chapter 4-My ears
Sunshine blared into the island like a sharp claw. Despite the sun's bright glow, a chilly breeze ruffled the dry palm trees. Autumn was dawning on the island but tourists still flooded the tropical paradise.
Siveira rested underneath the shade of a palm tree. The shadow kept her body cool and refreshed. She was a safe distance away from the lapping shore, safely keeping her paws dry and clean.
The doll turned on her back and felt the orb on her collar with her tiny pads. The marble felt smooth and soothing. Siveira could hear the light whooshing of the souls that drifted inside. How would it feel to be locked inside an orb? The sphere was a shiny golden bell in the past but morphed into a pale blue orb over time. The inhabiting souls molded the ornament's shape as time passed.
Siveira hopped on her paws. Her whiskers spread thoughtfully. Even though she spent most of her time in the safety of the jungle shadows, a wave of curiosity had suddenly swept into her mind. The island's town. Siveira had never ventured into it; maybe she could find a few worthy souls.
**
The town was packed with shoppers, eager to spend their money. Siveira zig-zagged between legs and passing feet. Humans, otterans, and other peculiar island creatures walked calmly and ignored Siveira's presence.
She fled into an alley and away from the bustling market. She daintily avoided crummy pieces of litter left on the ground. Her paws stepped over murky puddles of water carefully.
Her back arched sharply and she pressed her body against the alley's cold wall. An island lupe and a stray gelert ran past her quickly. Siveira gazed up and caught a glimpse of the lupe's tan fur and the gelert's black and white pelt.
The doll shook her head. She looked around slowly. Out of a fallen cardboard box, she spotted a lifeless brown doll. It was of a mouse with extremely big ears. Siveira sat before it for a long moment. The doll reminded Siveira of her own past. Her curling tail wrapped around the doll tightly. She placed the mouse on her back, letting it slump faintly. Siveira's whiskers spread joyfully. An image of pointy ears popped into her mind.
Ears.
Chapter 5-End
The clouds strode lazily in the sky. Siveira was curled up on a palm-leaf bush, paws tucked underneath her small body. Her doll Ears was safely squeezed under her collar on her back.
Her whiskers drooped calmly on her muzzle. The leaves cracked under her from the setting autumn. Many suns had passed since Siveira had claimed her last victim. She had given up her pursuit of approaching sentient beings and took it as a hobby of sorts instead. Her mind ached to trap an innocent soul in an inescapable puzzle. The orb on her collar jingled faintly as Siveira rose on her paws. She jumped out of the bush, shaking the dry pieces of leaf off her pelt. Her tail curled with excitement. Her delicate paws weaved and leapt over prickly bushes. She skidded on the ground and came to an abrupt stop. The ground beneath her pads began to feel softer and smooth. Her ears wiggled as she picked up the gentle lap of the waves on the shore. Siveira's whiskers spread instantly as she spotted a small lupe sitting on the beach, facing the scarlet sunset.
Siveira crouched in a stalking pose. She carefully crept forth, putting one small paw in front of the other. Her tail rose in the air and curled tightly. Her body wiggled from side to side and Siveira jumped towards her victim.
The lupe sighed thoughtfully with the wind drifting around her pale body. She stood on her paws reluctantly, but sat down again firmly. As she sat, she heard a tight squeak and she could feel something soft underneath her back legs. Her eyebrows rose questioningly and her emerald eyes flickered innocently. She rose steadily and turned her head towards the ground. She saw a purple cat doll with its face buried in the sand, tail uncurled and shooting straight into the air. The lupe's nose twitched as she smelled and inspected the strange toy.
A cloud of angry smoke floated in Siveira's mind. Just as she was about to land on the lupe's back, the striped lupe had stood up and sat on Siveira just as she landed on the sand. She felt the lupe's sharp claws poke her body nimbly. Siveira's ears shook dots of sand off.
Hey Reorru!" she heard the lupe call out.
With her face buried in the sand, Siveira could only pick up the sounds around her. She heard sleek and stealthy paw-steps creeping towards her.
What is it Yaniih? Found something?" a sly voice asked.
Yeah! I suddenly sat in the sand and this doll just appeared out of nowhere!" the lupe squeaked.
Strange…"
Siveira felt skinny toes and rugged claws prod her gently. Her body suddenly flexed, responding to the touch.
Um…did it just move?" the striped lupe inquired.
Why yes, yes it did," the sneering voice added.
Siveira felt more paws hit the ground.
Sister, what do you think it is?" a quiet and rough voice growled. "Those signs on its tag look suspicious."
That would be a hex doll," an intrigued voice answered.
Siveira heard two gasps and one arrogant chuckle.
Really!?" the lupe yipped.
Why did it move though?" the heavy voice inquired.
The curious voice answered confidently. "Well, because it's a bad hex doll. Bad hex dolls like to consume souls and bring bad luck."
Siveira could feel three bodies stepping away.
But if you treat it the right way…" the voice whispered, "…then it will turn into a good hex doll."
Siveira felt smooth claws turn her over. A brown island lupe stood over her tiny body. She could see three other heads poke in. The lupe's pale blue face and emerald eyes gazed at her joyfully. A broad-shouldered canine with strong muscles inspected her silently. Siveira couldn't tell if he was lupe or another species due to a mask covering his face and several mutations on his body.
Lastly, a slim gelert stared at her in amusement. His snout stretched into a grin and Siveira's whiskers twitched when she saw the outline of the sharp ribs on his flanks.
Hey, maybe we could keep it as a pet," the brown lupe suggested.
The lupe fluffed out her tail. "Are you crazy!? You just said this thing eats souls!"
Not if you treat it nicely!"
Rubbish!"
Siveira wrapped her tiny paws around the lupe's leg.
Oh no, it's getting attached to you!" the lupe yelped. She shouldered her much bigger and rougher brother. "Come on Tavher, let's go back to the hut!"
The wolf stood his ground and blinked slowly. "Maybe…we should just keep it so it doesn't harm others."
The lupe's jaw dropped in disbelief. The skinny gelert padded up to Siveira and shoved his snout close to her face.
Yes," he sneered. "It could be quite interesting!"
Tavher growled deeply. "It's not your personal chew toy."
Reorru shot Tavher an arrogant look. Siveira could feel a sharp tension crackling between the two beasts.
Okay, that's enough," the brown lupe scolded. "We'll keep it for now but none of you are allowed to touch it. Such violent and silly energies will make the hex doll kill you in an instance. Not to mention you'd all ruin it anyways."
Oh look," Yaniih pointed out. "There's another doll tucked in its collar."
Eh, let's leave it there for now. Don't want to get the doll angry by taking things that are hers."
Siveira felt a paw scoop her from the sand and throw her in the air. She then felt a pair of fangs grab her by the collar. Siveira always knew the lupes on the island were mystical and knew a lot about magic; but she'd never encountered one in person.
Let's go," the lupe mumbled.
Yaniih bounced as she padded along the shore. "Can I play with it later?"
A second ago you were afraid of it!" the lupe snapped.
Oh right, sorry!"
The strange group kept padding on the sand.
The lupe began bouncing up and down again. "Oh hey, can I pl-"
The skinny gelert shouldered her aside softly. "Now Yaniih, I think all this excitement has you riled up. Would you like to like to race to the hut?"
Oh boy do I!" the lupe eagerly replied.
The two broke into a swift sprint, running up ahead of the group. Siveira's ears relaxed and a floating cloud drifted in her head. Her days of soul hunting and would be filled by this boring and cliché island family.
Now the fun was over.
She could feel the souls inside her orb somewhat…happier. Siveira lowered her ears and tried to compress them back into their suffering state but to no avail. Siveira wriggled impatiently. Her mind changed pace instantly. She didn't want to be with a family, she wanted to hunt souls and discover the distant corners in this crowded island.
Her body jerked awkwardly as two cold toes poked her.
Do you really want to keep it?" Tavher mumbled. "There's nothing but dark magic in this one."
The lupe shook her head defiantly. "Finder's keepers. I want to keep it. Rumors of cursed dolls will simply scare the tourists away. What will become of this little island then?"
Siveira continued to struggle, but she wasn't strong enough. Her body felt weaker and her mind was unstable.
I'll spare the lupe… she thought. But if anyone else touches me, I'll put all of their lives at an end and run away from this dump.
Siveira's whiskers spread out. Yes, her energy might be overwhelmed by all of them, but as soon as they all let their guard down, their lives would end swiftly.
Yet I remained with them. And I realized what I yearned for since my creation. For companionship. For being treated right and not as an exotic object to be admired, but an item to be respected.
***
For I know it will never dissipate
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