Lost and found

[puddssoul]

𝕬𝖓𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖘𝖎𝖆

Hello! This is my form to win Dollhouse Doll #205 - please do not post so I can make sure I have all the posts I need! ^-^

{adopt by rice;, Dollhouse Dolls owned by Hoshikuzu}

[puddssoul]

𝖘𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖕𝖎𝖊𝖈𝖊𝖘...

doll's name;; Anastasia, meaning "resurrection" or "rebirth".
nicknames;; Ana, "Bones", Stacy (to a select few!)
gender;; Female, she/her
age;; Nineteen years old
sexuality;; Heterosexual
zodiac sign;; Capricorn
birthday;;
The day she made a pact with her shadow was January 14th.
personality;;
Anastasia truly embodies her zodiac - practical, helpful, determined, and conservative but ambitious; with her own morbid sense of humor built in, probably from dealing with her job. If you need something, she'll help you out in the most "think smarter, not harder" sort of way that she can. She's not the type to be overly creative or think outside the box unless she's absolutely forced to. However, she is wickedly smart and good at solving problems, and tenacious enough that she's not going to give up until whatever stands in her way has been not only dealt with but demolished. She gets a total rush from the "victory" of doing so, which is why she doesn't mind helping others out so often. At first meeting she probably seems a bit quiet, but that's just because she doesn't believe in speaking without purpose, and will only open her mouth when she thinks there's something that absolutely needs to be said at that moment.

She's quite awkward in social situations the majority of the time, and definitely doesn't go out of her way to find living company to surround herself with. There's no switch to flip, the girl's simply charmless. That's not to say that she can't make friends, as somehow there are still those out there who want to keep her around - probably for being so helpful! Anastasia's never bothered when someone finds her too weird to be around, what she does is what she does and what others think is of no matter to her. She's grown used to being alone and doesn't find anything wrong with it.

This girl is always looking to climb to a better place in the world, no matter if that's learning something new or expanding the graveyard under her own watchful eyes - she's got ambition, for every aspect of her life. She's often disappointed if something doesn't go her way, even if it doesn't show on her face. But she'll dust herself off and keep trying until she gets what she's gunning for, no doubt about it. Some joke it's a shame she didn't have any creativity to go with her ambition, or she could really be going places other than a dreary place to keep the dead.
shadow's name;; Amaryllis
shadow's personality;;

Amaryllis is on the quiet side even for a shadow, rarely speaking, emoting, or showing any signs of life to anyone, even Anastasia. They prefer to simply aid the doll in her day-to-day tasks and act more like a normal shovel than anything enchanted or magical. However, the shadow will look a bit anxious if separated from their doll, and do what they can to get back to her.



"We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will."
- Chuck Palahniuk

[puddssoul]

𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖉𝖎𝖉 𝖜𝖊 𝖌𝖊𝖙 𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊?

How did Anastasia end up running a graveyard?

~~~

Anastasia had always loathed whatever god had thought it was funny to give someone like her the unique curse of sleepwalking. How else would she end up in the middle of a graveyard in the dead of night, clothes haphazardly thrown on and limbs still stiff with sleep? Shivering, she made as though to leave, but was stopped by a disembodied voice from the night calling out to her. No answer escaped her lips, but the voice went on to explain the spot that they'd found themselves in. Somehow it suited the voice to stick to the shadows.

They were the undertaker, the voice explained, the only one to care about this graveyard. No one had been actually buried there in years - it was just taking care of these lost souls, most of whom didn't even have people left alive to come visit them. The more Anastasia thought about it, the sadder it was. Would these spirits be sad to know they weren't remembered?

But the undertaker grew old, and weary. Soon their body wouldn't let them do even this, the only job that they'd ever known. They had no heir, no apprentice. No one to take care of the small, unassuming graveyard once they were gone. Words were spoken - almost a challenge, and just like that, Anastasia knew that she had to complete it. She couldn't let this place drift off into the shadows like the undertaker slowly did, leaving behind only a wrought iron key she could only imagine would fit into that large padlock she saw on the gate as she strolled out.

It didn't matter, she would be back soon enough to find out.

[puddssoul]

𝖉𝖎𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖎𝖗𝖙

theme song;; "My Boy Builds Coffins" by Florence & The Machine

random facts;;
- Has an obsession with beating mobile phone games.
- Constantly hums to herself as she cares for the graveyard.
- Has extensive knowledge about flowers (from funeral bouquets as well as caring for plants).
- Not an animal person.
- Rarely dresses in a way that is appropriate for the weather.
- Loves vintage styles of clothing and houses.
- Enjoys playing with her hair and trying out new hairstyles, as well as pins/accessories for her hair.
- Doesn't really wear jewelry (except necklaces sometimes) because it could get in her way.

favorites;;
Color: Navy blue or teal
Season: Spring
Food: Chicken noodle soup
Smell: Cinnamon
Candy: Caramels
Body Part: Her hair
Sleeping Position: On her side in the fetal position
Flower: Helleborus

aesthetic;;

Most are very surprised when they step inside of Anastasia's humble abode to find it not frightening or bare, but rather quite charmingly cluttered and with a lived-in warmth. Of course, there are a few hints of her life about it that give it a slight "witchy" vibe, but on the whole it looks quite normal (but a few would say a bit messy). You can expect plenty of shelves and bookshelves filled with old and new books alike, along with plenty of knick-knacks and things that Anastasia found cute or interesting - a bird's skull here, a tiny snowglobe there. Somehow it all goes together with the worn rocking chairs and comfy-looking couches, with handmade curtain tied carefully over the plentiful windows. She'd like to "update" it (ironically) to a more vintage feel, but never seems to have the time or energy to do so.

When it comes to her clothing, however, she stays in a mix that is firmly vintage-feeling while still passing for modern. She loves comfortable, sensible shoes with conflicting socks that are usually colorful/high/strange in some way. Anastasia also seems to lean towards things with feminine things like bows or lace, little extra decorations. Few of these frilly things survive very long in her grasp, but she doesn't seem to mind shopping for more - although she does most of her shopping online.

pets;;

Anastasia could never really bring herself to be in love with the idea of having pets like others, cats or dogs or even fish never sparked her interest enough to bring one home. Instead, she says her "pets" are her plants, and sometimes she even names them - like a tenacious spider plant she's had for years that always seems to die and come right back to life that she's named Muffet (yes, like the nursery rhyme). Or a tiny cactus that adorns her dining room table she fondly refers to as Spike.

odd habits;;

Anastasia is a girl of many weird habits, one of which being that she's someone who's not bothered by not blinking much and as such often forgets to do it. This tends to creep out other dolls, who often wonder if she blinks at all. She does, of course, but isn't bothered by people thinking that she doesn't and sometimes uses it as an intimidation tactic when around someone she doesn't enjoy. She also plays with the lobes of her ears a lot when she's thinking hard about something, usually while staring off into space. Sometimes, if it's an extremely deep thought, she even sticks her tongue out - something about it helps her concentrate on the matter at hand, although she's not entirely sure why.

goals;;

As ironic as it sounds, Anastasia would like to "bring the graveyard back to life", so to speak. With the previous owner struggling to keep it afloat, families were torn apart and unable to be buried together, and few came to visit those who were kept there. She wants to fix that, and is slowly but surely working on getting to that point - caring for the grounds entirely on her own, of course, only with the help of Amaryllis. The two prune, plant, and even fix up the mausoleums while advertising to the locals and trying to drum up business. Things have slowly been looking up, and she's very proud of that, but knows that they - and the graveyard - still have a ways to go. Probably enough work to keep her occupied for the rest of her life.

[puddssoul]

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖙𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖇𝖎𝖓𝖉

Jayde, owned by puddssoul

Jayde and Anastasia, at first glance, seem very different. However, the two appear to have formed a bond over both being quite bad at being in social situations and having to be around large groups of other dolls. Even though Anastasia isn't a fan of animals, she can at least tolerate Jayde's snakes, and finds them somewhat fascinating. She's even attempted a ride with Jayde's shadow, and although she might not admit it, thought it was pretty fun. The two don't usually hang out too much, but if they find themselves in the same group they'll definitely stick together and help each other out so they don't look so awkward being on their own. They're quite good at not getting on each other's nerves as well, with both of them being on the quiet side and enjoying their alone time.

Maribelle, owned by puddssoul

Maribelle is one of those dolls that Anastasia will probably never quite understand. As soon as the other doll spotted her, Maribelle had decided that she needed to take Ana under her wing and protect her like a mother would. Despite Anastasia despising this type of behavior and insisting that she is neither a child nor childlike, Maribelle still drops by to check in on her or bring her sweets she's hand-made (one of the only parts that Anastasia doesn't loathe). Still, Anastasia often tries to get out of these visits and when she can't, feels absolutely smothered. She'd like to get along with Maribelle, but the other's inability to treat her like the mature young adult that she is makes that impossible at the moment.

Zephyr, owned by puddssoul

Zephyr is probably the closest thing that Anastasia has to an actual friend. The two are very similar personality-wise, and Zephyr's obsession with magic and voodoo makes the graveyard a very nice place for him to like to visit, making him see her a lot. He also thinks she's quite pretty, although he'd never admit that to her face and nothing would probably change even if she knew. He's one of the only ones that Anastasia will actually allow to hang out in her house, even when she's working on something else. She's even picked up a bit of sign language from being around him so often, and he suggests new songs for her to listen to while she does her work.

[puddssoul]

𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖊𝖘 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖕𝖆𝖘𝖙

"Quit pouting."

Anastasia rolled her eyes as she turned her head to find her shadow - once again, probably the fifth or sixth time that day - trailing behind her like a sad puppy, trailing just low enough to the ground to leave a line in the dirt that she'd definitely have to fill in later. Just another thing to add to the long list of to-dos that she already had going. Her shadow paused in response, but didn't actual move or acknowledge her in any other way, and she sighed as she turned back to her path, deciding to ignore the shovel's fit for the time being.

"You know we have to finish this. It's our job, Amaryllis. We can relax later." Her tone was stern, firm, like a parent disciplining a young child who just wouldn't listen to reason.

Clink, clunk. The answering sound of the shovel running over small stones and sticks in its way assured her that the shovel, much like a toddler, was letting her words go in one nonexistent ear and out the other. For once, she almost wished that Amaryllis was more talkative, it would make this argument a whole lot easier.

She stopped once more, putting a hand on her hip more for show than anything. "What's got you so worked up?" She demanded.

The shovel tilted slowly from one side to the other like someone swaying on their feet thoughtfully. A sound like humming buzzed in her ears. "Words, please." Anastasia groaned. "You know I can't understand you when you talk like that." The soft buzzing immediately vanished, but no words followed, only her shadow staring her down - it was strange how she could feel it even though the shadow had no eyes to speak of. But she knew if Amaryllis had a face, they'd be scowling at her right about now.

Tapping one foot, Anastasia waited out the long pause. Finally, the shadow spoke. "We haven't checked on the garden in two days." Short, sweet, to the point.

"Is that all?!" Anastasia rolled her eyes, much more pointedly this time. "Do you think I don't know that? I love the garden, but that's not our job. Our job is to take care of the graveyard, and that comes first - no matter what. We'll take care of the garden later, when we have spare time."

"But - "

"No buts." She cut the shadow off, narrowing her eyes. "These people deserve respect, even if they're dead. Look at how shabby some of the graves are looking." Her slender fingers pointed out toward where the bodies had been laid to rest.

Something like a sigh came from the shadow. "Fine. Let's get it done."

"Good." The edges of the doll's mouth curled up in a half smile. "I'm glad you have some sense left in there. I hope you wouldn't want to treat me like that if I should end up in a grave like one of these."

"If you end up in a grave, I'm going with you."

The half smile bloomed into a full smile at the shadow's declaration, probably as close to anything it could get like love. "How sweet of you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The flower petals dipped and danced slightly under her gentle fingertips as she arranged them to the best of her abilities. She was really no florist, but Anastasia always did her best when putting together these simple bouquets for those who didn't have families left to come see them. It always made her too sad to look at the graves - some decorated so finely with trinkets and potted plants and flowers by those who had loved the deceased, and others bare-boned with the gravestone covered in a layer of dust and dirt from sitting lonely in the weather for so long.

So on days like these, when she was caught up with the other work around the graveyard, she'd care for them. She'd take a little brush and sweep the dust away so the names and dates stood out brightly, and move any sticks or stones out of the way. Then she'd lay down her little arrangements - nothing fancy, but enough to make her feel better - and send a quick prayer up for them.

By now, she'd practically memorized the path and the names, like visiting a pack of old friends. One after the other, their sites would be brightened.

There was one gravestone in particular that Anastasia always gave special care to. It was a tiny one, a simple one, really. Slate gray, with a rather simple sketch of a pair of angel wings etched into it. The dates were much too close together, and there was no name to call out to - just "baby girl". Normally she wondered about what the families were up to, but something told her she didn't want to question where the family of this little one might be that they didn't come to say hello or leave gifts; it was something she'd be better off not knowing.

"Morning, little one." She knelt gingerly in front of it, smiling softly as she brushed the smooth rock, watching the dirt fall away in clumps where it had gathered through recent storms and gusts of wind. "Hope the weather didn't scare you too much." Anastasia didn't normally speak to her 'charges', but something about the idea of a lonely child made it easier.

Reaching beside her from where she'd placed it gingerly on the grass, she grabbed the small bouquet. A few sunny yellow carnations, and simple white daisies. Some of her favorite flowers honestly, and they seemed well-suited - yellow like bright, happy sunshine and white like the wings someone had chosen for this little child. "Here you go. I hope you like them. They really smell nice." Right in front of the gravestone, the yellow ribbon she'd used whipping about a bit in the wind.

Anastasia leaned back, observing her work with a quiet sigh. Birds were chirping in the trees ahead, but somehow the world still seemed too quiet.

Before she could get too deep into that thought, however, she felt a rather harsh shove from behind her - her shadow, of course, reminding her that the day was wasting away. As much as she'd like to, she couldn't spend all of her time adorning this grave the way that it should be. "I'll see you again, same time next week, okay?" Anastasia patted the gravestone fondly as she stood and brushed the dirt off from her knee-high socks.

Contented, she gathered the rest of her floral arrangements into her arms and glanced down the row, searching for the next recipient - but before she could move she couldn't help but notice the large, bright orange monarch butterfly that settled onto the daisies and seemed to stare at her.

The smile that she gave it was enough to last her through the rest of her task, and most of the day.

[puddssoul]

𝖇𝖗𝖔𝖐𝖊𝖓 𝖒𝖎𝖗𝖗𝖔𝖗

{by God of Mischief}

{by xxabacusxx}