》we depend on you

[hypnowave]

art by me
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leopold leroy chase x male x he/him x 19 x " the pianist in pink "
jack x genderless x it/its

Personalities:
Leroy is a very sassy doll at first sight, often casually teasing others when he's certain he's in an invulnerable position. He's very self-entitled when it comes to music and believes that all he achieves is the result of his own hard work. However, aside from everything that revolves around music and pianos, Leroy is a pretty laid-back, calm individual with all his wits collected. At times like these, he's very talkative and would make a very interesting debate partner. Apparently, his side interests include debating, discussing, and having interesting conversations in general. You'd be surprised what a pianist has to say about many things. He's worth listening to from time to time, as long as you have your own points to discuss for him to hear. Leroy is a creative individual who always has his wits about, though he isn't the quickest when it comes to comebacks. He's easily curious and friendly once you've known him well enough that he no longer teases you over trivial things, and is always eager to pursue what he calls 'inspiration' since his muse can come from many places at once.

Meanwhile, Jack is quite as sassy as its doll, pretty much becoming Leroy's personal Siri with a little more salt. Although it's only a pair of headphones, it can prove to be rather annoying - it's adapted to speaking through the same robotic voice that Stephen Hawking talks in, and uses said voice in a way that sarcasm is almost always implied. It will sometimes play lyrics from a song as an alternative way of speech. When it's supposed to actually do what a pair of headphones is supposed to do, it can be difficult to get Jack to cooperate unless both it and Leroy are in a good mood.

Yes, Jack's name is a pun on 'audio jack' because
Leroy doesn't name things very seriously.

Leroy refers to himself with 'Leroy' more than 'I.'
A pianist, which is not easy when you're a doll.
He managed to obtain a piano his size, maybe
it's a miniature? Who knows at this point really.

Song: Sad Machine by Porter Robinson - click the headshot to listen!
The song relates to them as being the song that both of them consider a favorite. While it's lyrics don't match up to them perfectly, they do agree that there's a significant correlation between said lyrics and their own past. As much as the two bicker, they feel like the lyrics 'we depend on you' means exactly that; both of them depend on each other greatly. Jack doesn't have many companions who can tolerate its voice and attitude, and Leroy needs Jack's musical taste and advice when he's composing with his miniature piano.

art credit to wolf ;;

History: Leroy started off as a doll belonging to a little girl in New York. He had his own miniature house with all sorts of furniture - the girl's mother had always spoiled her, and as a result Leroy had all he wanted. Eventually, the little girl expanded her doll collection to include Barbie dolls and a few miscellaneous other dolls. One was a cat, another was a ball-jointed horse. The girl made Leroy out to be a pianist and even got him a plastic piano. Of course, its keys did not work and it made no sound, and the little girl only played music from her mother's phone to make it look like Leroy was a master pianist. The other dolls were Leroy's 'friends' in the little girl's head; they got along well and Leroy's music always serenaded them, calmed them. Even the cat and the horse.

The little world that existed on two planes was one Leroy thought he would never get tired of. The world that was in the little girl's head existed in the form of a tightly-knit group of friends, a cat and a horse, in one big dollhouse. However, as time went on, the girl grew up. It was something that would have happened eventually, but it still came as a shock to Leroy when he was put in a box and never saw daylight for months.

Fast forward to when he signed the contract with his shadow. Originally, Jack wasn't even his own - it was a pair of headphones belonging to one of the girl's Barbie dolls. While Leroy didn't remember what exactly had happened, he felt like he had one goal: to become the pianist he used to be. Everything fell into place as he beheld the outside world he only had glimpses of through an apartment window. With the still-nameless pair of headphones around his neck, Leroy began to explore his surroundings. He often saw the girl who used to shape his world - now a grown teenager who spent most of her time outside. He missed her, but he felt like his time with her had long passed. At times, he considered sneaking into another apartment room to just show up in hopes of finding another little girl who would put him in a dollhouse and weave stories about him. He never did, though, knowing it wouldn't be the same. Instead, he spent most of his time around the apartment, loitering down its many corridors with his shadow accompanying him wherever he went. Eventually referring to the shadow as Jack, Leroy learned that it functioned like a normal pair of headphones. It could play music, but because it wasn’t an electronic device, it had to memorize the songs it needed to play. Thankfully, Jack had an exceptional memory and worked almost as perfectly as computer speakers when relaying songs. It used to communicate via cutting words out of songs, until it found itself using a robotic voice. Leroy grew fond of how Jack spoke with such a monotone accent. It was more amusing than annoying, and much more convenient compared to chopped up songs.

As the two of them grew closer than ever, Jack convinced Leroy to go outside. They descended down to the lower levels of the apartment, being wary of the abundance of humans. They certainly didn’t want anyone seeing them. They snuck out, and beheld the view from a much realer perspective compared to what they saw from high balconies. As the duo explored this strange new world, they bumped into their next companion: a large, ginger cat they named Bo. The cat was oddly friendly to them, and Leroy felt drawn to him because he reminded Leroy of the cat doll he used to have as his ‘pet’ cat. At first, Bo was still slightly wary of them. Leroy began a new routine of sneaking into apartment rooms to find food for the cat. He and Jack would meet Bo at noon every day, and the cat would always find a meal waiting for him. It was an interesting start to a friendship. Bo even let the doll on his back sometimes.

The duo made another friendship during their first few times outside - they met another doll, who introduced themselves as Lion, as well as their shadow Faux. It came as a bit of a shock to Leroy and Jack, since they never thought they could find another doll and shadow. They thought they were the only ones. Lion was patient, however, even offering to lend them a hand. They asked Leroy about a 'Dollhouse' and if he knew about it, to which he replied that he didn't. Lion began to explain to him about the Dollhouse, a place where dolls came and went. Lion spoke enthusiastically about their room in the Dollhouse and all the things they collected with their shadow. While Leroy wasn't too interested in Lion's collection, he wanted to go to this Dollhouse. And with a little help from Lion, he managed to get there. That was when he began to make friends, go places, and even find a working piano just his size.

It was when he began to truly live as himself.

art credit to Eternal_Flame

Other Songs: Obviously, Leroy and Jack don't only like their one song, so here's a list of the songs they like and the songs Leroy plays on his piano often.

Songs They Like:
Lone Digger - Caravan Palace
Lionhearted - Porter Robinson
Goodbye to a World - Porter Robinson
Waiting for Love - Avicii
Tokyo - Owl City
Jenny - Studio Killers
Emperor's New Clothes - Panic! at the Disco
House of Memories - Panic! at the Disco
My Demons - Starset
Legacy - Switchworks
Sunset - Alex Vourtsanis

They also like a lot of other songs by Porter Robinson and Owl City. They also like a few songs from the Billboard Charts, though some they just find annoying.

Songs They Play Often:
Reflection (Mirror Night) - Vanros Kloud
Wings of Piano - Vanros Kloud
Evolution Era - Vanros Kloud
Turkish March - Mozart
Fur Elise - Beethoven

The songs listed above are only a few of the songs Leroy enjoys playing. Most of them are classics, but there are other songs they enjoy playing as well.

art credit to Eternal_Flame
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About the Piano: It's no secret how much Leroy loves playing the piano. To him, he's finally on his way to achieving the life he was meant to life. He'd always enjoyed being a pseudo-pianist when all he had was a plastic replica of a piano and the music from a phone. Now that it was all real, Leroy only enjoyed it even more. He would sometimes record his music, and even play it to other dolls. It was a shame that pianos weren't as portable as flutes or even violins. If they were, there wouldn't be a time when Leroy wasn't practicing his skills.

The piano he has is perfectly doll-sized, and is shaped like a grand piano. It's creamy white in color and sits in one corner of Leroy's room in the Dollhouse, lit by its own single light on the ceiling. It faces inwards into the room, so that if Leroy plays it, he would be sitting with his back facing the walls. The piano itself functions just like its real-size counterpart, which pleases Leroy. If humans could play the piano, then so could he. It's spotless and smooth, with a glossy surface that Leroy cleans every day (much to Jack's impatience), mostly so he could boast about it to anyone. Such a special item had to stay in shape fit for a museum, shouldn't it? Every day, Leroy finds some time to wipe the piano down with a cleansing liquid and cloth. All the while, he has to go through Jack's complains about how the piano 'didn't need his constant attention' and how 'it's not as important as your shadow, is it?' This guilt-tripping leads to a fair amount of arguments between the two, lasting from beginning to end of the cleansing of the piano. In the end, it's always Jack's loss.

art credit to Eternal_Flame
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The Dollhouse Room: Leroy's room is rather spacey, mostly because it's not a sight for sore eyes to see a grand piano in a cramped room. Instead, the room has wide spaces as well as a higher ceiling in doll standards. There's a standard bed on one side of the room, a little too big for Leroy (not that he's complaining) with several pink, brown and peachy pillows to match Leroy's hoodie. There's a similarly colored rug on the floor, with patterns like hearts and dots. There's a desk, a wardrobe, a cushioned bench and some shelves to match the room as well. The desk has some doll-sized pens and paper for Leroy to write his musical notes in, the wardrobe has his clothes, the bench is for when he wants to write in a more comfortable position, and the shelves are full of piano books and books of similar interest. Overall, the room follows one solid theme that resembles Leroy's clothing, but with more pastel colors and an aesthetic that isn't too crowded, making it a very pleasant sight.

Leroy and Jack don't spend as much time with the piano as they do outside, looking for inspiration, but whenever muse hits them they tend to shut themselves in the room for days at a time, until they finally emerge with a record draft for a song. After that, they tend to take it easy for a few days outside the Dollhouse to cool down.

art by me

Relationships:

Bo the Cat: Both Leroy and Jack are fond of Bo, and the cat is the primary reason why Leroy spends more time outside of the Dollhouse. He prefers his feline companion to take him places compared to the boring idea of crossing through the portal doors in the Dollhouse. Leroy really likes feeding Bo, and while the cat isn't too dependent on him, it's clear he's imprinted on the doll and will always look forward to a delicious meal upon meeting up. Bo isn't too close to Leroy and Jack, but is considered their third party member either way when they're together. Jack does have a pet peeve of Bo trying to play with its cable, but other than that, the two are very fond of this cat. Leroy has even considered stealing a collar from a pet shop to give Bo.

Lion and Faux: Even though Lion is the reason Leroy and Jack managed to arrive at the Dollhouse, they aren't that close as friends. They do talk, but Lion is usually too busy trying to collect the things they're passionate about, and the noise they make when they drag their new things around just isn't pleasant to Leroy's ears. Besides, both duos prefer to spend their time outside the Dollhouse; Lion and Faux to look for new things and Leroy and Jack to spend time with Bo and look for song inspiration. Perhaps they could collaborate and Lion could write down lyrics to a song Leroy could compose, but before any of that, they just act like polite acquaintances to each other.

Addi and Snap: Honestly, when Lion introduced Addi to Leroy, it felt like they could have been good friends. Addi's love for fencing didn't seem to match Leroy's love of piano music, but some form of chemistry made them work out. Leroy could play his piano to Addison's fencing, in a way that was so strange it felt beautiful. Addison's stabbing and twirling and stepping fell into place with the music, and it felt like one big show to Leroy. It was an artistic thing for both of them, and Addison remarked that he hoped his trainers were impressed by how much he'd improved aesthetically. His moves were more fluid. Aside from that, the two make good friends. They both had a childish and arrogant streak, and their conversations were stringed with jokes, sarcasm and teasing. They made good friends.

Kitsumae and Ai: Leroy doesn't know Kitsumae very well but he seems pretty cool. They talk sometimes about music, and while Leroy isn't that interested in games he doesn't mind talking to Kitsumae about those. Both of them have had rather long conversations, and because of it Leroy considers the guy some sort of friend despite only exchanging a few words aside from aforementioned conversations. They don't go around looking for each other, but always greet when they meet. Jack has a small grudge with Kitsumae for mistaking it for a regular pair of headphones, though.

art by me

Relationship between Doll and Shadow: Realistically, there's no such thing as a perfect couple, and Leroy and Jack hardly come close as doll and shadow. They can get cranky with each other when they aren't practicing music, and Jack has a knack for being annoying, even without its robotic, seemingly sarcastic dialect. It will play an endless stream of songs it knows Leroy hates. Despite their bickering, both doll and shadow care deeply for one another. Leroy finds Jack to be a moderately competent debate partner, and is always there for conversation when he needs to vent or just talk. Whenever Leroy feels unsettled, afraid or unhappy, Jack always finds a way to calm him down with piano music. When push comes to shove, they make a pretty swell tag team.

Because Jack has a difficult time getting around, Leroy always wears it, either around his neck or on his head. He can't bear the thought of ever losing Jack, which is why they never separate. When they're both in their room in the Dollhouse, sometimes Jack is left to its own devices. It isn't used to getting around, and tends to hobble awkwardly wherever it goes. It uses its wire to grab things and uses its momentum to jump, but it still strongly prefers to remain on Leroy's neck. This is another reason why they're still close to each other - the fact that they're almost never apart. Most animal shadows would go their own way; even item shadows do that. Jack just isn't one of them.

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art by me
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Likes:
Leroy: Chocolate, cupcakes, cotton candy, any music besides country, Bo, pink, and clouds.
Jack: Leroy's music, Leroy's hair, its heart pattern rushing wind, the cold, and talking to Leroy.

Disikes:
Leroy: The rain, macaroons, green tea and its smell, the color yellow, dogs, loud noises.
Jack: The heat, playing country music, advertisements, being treated as a normal item.

Explanations:
Chocolate, cupcakes and cotton candy: Though he can't eat any of the three C's, Leroy really loves them and imagines them to be as sweet as can be. He thinks they're really cute foods as well. Music: Leroy loves pretty much any music he hears from Jack, which is good because Jack hates playing country music and knows Leroy doesn't like metal that much. Bo: There's really no need for an explanation. Bo's simply a great cat and a great pal. Pink: Leroy just loves the color and wears it most of the time. It's been that way forever, really, ever since he saw how well the color looked as his hair. Clouds: When he first saw clouds, Leroy was amazed. It's been a wish of his to touch a cloud, although he knows it's very unlikely.

Leroy's music and hair: It's really quite obvious. As a pair of headphones, Jack's gotta do what it's gotta do. Heart Pattern: Can headphones be vain? Yes, Jack can. It matches Leroy's mole, too! Wind and the Cold: It's a pleasant rushing feeling for Jack to feel the wind and cold. Talking to Leroy: Ever since it started using its robotic voice, Jack has grown accustomed to talking to Leroy that way, and for some reason, it's an enjoyment for it too.

The Rain: Jack likes the cold, but Leroy doesn't like cold, wet raindrops in his hair. Macaroons and Green Tea: Macaroons just don't appeal to Leroy, especially when he found one in the trash at one point. Green tea has a smell that makes his nose wrinkle. Yellow: Yellow just isn't a 'pretty color' as Leroy says. It isn't a good color in his eyes. Dogs and Loud Noises: Bo and the duo ran into a pack of street dogs once. It wasn't a good day.

The heat: The heat makes Jack all fidgety and uncomfortable. Playing Country Music: Jack and Leroy have a mutual dislike of it. According to Jack, playing it makes it feel like it's committing a crime. Advertisements: Jack isn't a mobile device crammed with advertisements, but they tend to usurp Jack's memory. When it's startled, it sometimes accidentally plays a commercial jingle. Being Treated as a Normal Item: Nobody likes being referred to something they're not.

art by me

A Day in the Life

Voila! Leroy's fingers trembled as he held his newest masterpiece - a melody he'd spent days on. The ink pen rolled across the desk, now unused as Leroy ran to his piano. The pair of headphones on his neck emitted a comment that was flat in tone, but Leroy could sense its excitement. "Let's do this, Jack," he told his shadow, rubbing his hands together once the sheet music was in front of him. He began with a few finger exercises to loosen his joints, and the music filled the large room with a breath of fresh air. "Do-re-mi-fa," Leroy sang along, though his voice wasn't as melodic as the piano's keys. Jack hummed along, a constant note in the air from its speakers. Then Leroy felt like he was ready, and began to play the tune he and his shadow had just composed. Its title: A Day in the Life.

Strings

The strings of the piano were always taut. There was no exception for this. Leroy's muse had run out, and now his thoughts were focused on these strings as he peeked through the piano's cover. His hand reached out and touched one of the strings, and it vibrated slightly. It didn't touch any of the other strings, which remained still in place like a row of soldiers. A low sigh escaped Leroy's lips. The rhythm of his last song was still in his head. He just didn't have the energy to compose anything new. Jack was silently watching this unfold. It didn't say anything as Leroy observed the piano's strings, once more strumming them with his fingers like a guitar. Then, without warning, he got up again, as if his mind had went "Eureka!" Leroy sat back in the piano seat, and sang out new notes. "Strings, kitestrings, heartstrings, strings..."

His heart-shaped mole is on one side of his face. He's
embarrassed because of its shape. It's actually a mark
that was drawn on him when he was still owned by the
little girl. He feels too sentimental about it to wash it
off, though, so it's always there.

His age is 19, mentally. He's really a five year old doll,
made in 2011 along with many other ball-jointed dolls.

He keeps a lock of Bo's fur in his pocket at all times.
Jack thinks it's very unsanitary of him to do, though.

Jack isn't a real pair of headphones, of course, but it
still functions like one, despite no real speakers. It's
all in the shadow's abilities.

About the Adopter: Yo, I'm aviate, owner of two dolls: Addison and Lion, both of which are used in this form. I wanted to try out as soon as I saw this doll, but held myself back since I felt like I was too busy to do so. However, I eventually decided to wing it and wrote almost two thousand words in a day for this form! The rest of the writing is from the day after, as is most of the art. I didn't have much time to do art on the first day, so I'm sorry for the amount of sketches instead of full art. Thank you so much for the chance to enter for this doll, and good luck to all the other entrants! I had a ton of fun writing about Leroy and his shadow Jack, and I know they'll go to a good home regardless of who wins.

Credits: All art pieces are credited to their respective artists. Shoutout to my friends Eternal_Flame and wolf ;; for making art for me on such a short notice! You guys are the greatest. Bo, Addi, Snap, Lion and Faux belong to me; Kitsumae and Ai belong to Nekoma's Lion. Aside from that, all writing was done by me.