Drocell X Reader The Missing Person

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Your POV:

The last time you saw him was outside an old doll shop in London. He had been looking for his younger sister who had scampered into her favourite shop excitedly, spending an unusually long period of time in there for a person with a short-attention span.

 Now it had been two weeks since anyone had seen him.

He had just vanished. According to his younger sister, he was there before she went in but not after.

You’d only found out something was wrong when she’d been escorted to your home by a police officer who’d been on patrol nearby. The officer had told you he’d been alerted by the cries of the little girl.

An investigation into the mysterious disappearance had been opened. Police were marching around the streets of Victorian London banging on doors and stopping carriages.

Why they did this you had no idea. They claimed it ‘helped’.

But it hadn’t. He’d still not been found.

Currently you were walking down one of many boulevards in London with his younger sister. You had been assigned the task of distracting her from her brother’s disappearance. It would be good for you too. You were his twin after all.

“Big sister…” Lucy looked up at you with her sad, puppy dog eyes. “Will big brother ever come back?”

“I… Er… I…” Well what are you supposed to say? You can’t tell her the soul-crushing truth that he may never come back!

“I don’t know Lucy.” Was your meek reply.

“But ______...” She whined. “Your Jack’s twin. You should know something. Please _______...”

Quick change the subject ______. “How about we go into ANY shop YOU want and I’ll buy you ANYTHING you want!” Smart move ______. You thought. There goes a crapload of money.

However, your plan seemed to work. “Yay! Let’s go to the dolly shop!”

Oy vey… That damned doll shop. Not only was it the place where Jack disappeared, it was also Lucy’s favourite shop. She was obsessed with it. Every day, before his disappearance, either Jack or you would be dragged to it.

“No.” You stood firm.

“Why not?!” Lucy cried. “You said ANY shop I wanted to go to!”

Damn it. She’s smart for a six-year old. “Fine, fine. But just one doll ok?”

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The bell rang as you entered the shop causing you to shiver.

You hated this place. It was always damp, dark and smelt of straw. The only light either came from the lamps on the wall or the front window/display case.

You glared at the many shelves filled with rows and rows of dolls all with the same glass eyes. They stood still, silent. Each with their own Victorian-styled dress or suit. Every one of their glass faces were frozen in identical creepy smiles that never quite reached their hollow eyes.

If that wasn’t enough to scare someone off then the eerie singing in the background would send them running home:

“London Bridge is falling down,

Falling down, falling down,

London Bridge is falling down,

My fair lady.

Build it up with wood and clay,

Wood and clay, wood and clay,

But wood and clay may wash away,

My fair lady.

London Bridge is – oh?”

The shop owner, a young man named Drocell Keinz, stepped out from his workshop.

You’ve never understood Drocell. To you, he’s always been more doll-like than his actual dolls. With his pale, flawless skin and straight ginger bangs. What fazes you about his looks is not the purple and black eye shadow he wears nor the unnerving mark of his brand tattooed under is right eye, but his emotionless amethyst eyes. You’ve never had the courage to ask why his eyes were a shade of purple.

As far as you knew, humans only ever had eyes that were shades of brown, blue and green.

His attire was even stranger. He wear clothes that are much more extravagant than the average Victorian citizen. His clothing is much like his dolls but – unlike – his dolls he wears a blue tailcoat with a red ribbon around his neck. He also has a black top hat with a red ribbon and black feathers.

“And I thought to myself, it’s the same young lady and little girl who always come here.” Did I mention he talks in this weird fashion? Seemingly always speaking in a monologue and always starting with ‘and I thought to myself.’

Drocell tilted his head to one side, staring at you both with his emotionless face. From the day you first met him, his face was forever set in a blank expression along with his voice forever stuck in the same expressionless tone.

“Let’s just buy a doll and get out of here.” You whispered to Lucy through gritted teeth.

Lucy smiled at you before perusing the shelves excitedly.

All the while Drocell was staring at you intently. “And I thought to myself, it's _______ isn’t it?” He asked.

You nodded in response.

“I have something to show you.” He gestured to the door to his workshop.

You glanced at Lucy who just shrugged at you. She was too busy admiring a doll of Queen Victoria.

You turned back to Drocell. The last time I saw Jack was outside HIS shop. It couldn’t hurt to ask him I suppose. Though he never came forward when the police asked for witnesses. Surely since the disappearance took place directly outside his shop he would know something or at lease seen something? Plus, if we’re alone, Lucy won’t hear so she won’t get upset. It’s worth a shot at least.

Hesitantly, you followed Drocell. He opened the door revealing an old wooden staircase. He walked up it in front of you. Drocell didn’t even walk like a regular person. His limbs moved in a robotic fashion and you swore that every time one of his joints moved you heard a click. He only moved his upper body to continue turning that strange music box that he was never seen without. His head stayed in the same place; only his legs moved.

Drocell Keinz… He seems to be human yet has no humanity. Do I really want to ask him about Jack?  Yes, I have to.

Drocell opened a door at the top of the staircase to reveal a small workshop at the back of his shop.

“I would show you my larger workshop… But that’s reserved a very special Earl and his butler.” He allowed you to move inside.

The room was covered in a layer of dust. The only objects in the room that weren’t were the desk at one end of the room and a sheet covering a large funny shaped object at the other.

“And I thought to myself, ______ is always so beautiful. A more beautiful creation than any my hands could craft.”

Your (e/c) eyes fixed on Drocell who was stepping cautiously close to you.

“And I thought to myself, might I risk taking her hand?”

What? In like marriage?! To your relief he held out both of his hands; his music box hanging limply in front of his chest by a ribbon. Phew. I was panicking for a moment there.

You held one hand which he took carefully into his. To your utter shock, he was freezing cold. Poor guy. Can he not afford heating or a fire or something? I rarely see other customers in this shop… He mustn’t have much business.

Gently, you reached out with your other hand and placed it on his cheek. Still freezing cold. “Drocell. How come you’re so cold?”

“And I thought to myself, are you worried about my health?”

“It’s natural to be concerned for others. Even if you don’t know them that well.” You smiled at him.

“And I thought to myself, I am fine.”

“Well you’re not. You wouldn’t be freezing cold otherwise. Hm… Ah!” I don’t necessarily want to do this but the guy’s freezing.

You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him into a hug. You rubbed your arms up and down his back in an attempt to warm him up.

Drocell was speechless at this. Wordlessly, he draped both his arms around your waist. He even buried his face into your hair.

That was when you knew. That was when you realised you mistake.

“Drocell…”

“And I thought to myself, what is the matter?”

“You’re not breathing… And you have no pulse… And you’re freezing cold…”

“And I thought to myself, I cannot let you leave now…”

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Lucy's POV: (A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUUUNNN)

The last time I saw my older sister ______ was in my favourite doll shop as a child. It had been two weeks after her twin – my older brother – Jack had disappeared. That Drocell guy came downstairs and told me that she’d left us so suddenly. He also told me to expect two a new specially made doll. 

It had come a few days later… I still have it on my desk. It’s a male doll that looks exactly like Jack.

He’s kept the counterpart to this doll. I remember it clearly. A doll with (e/c) and (h/c) hair, looking exactly like _____.

I have no idea what happened that day. The doll shop is long gone. All boarded up and empty. Apparently Drocell had a run-in with the Queen’s Guard dog. He’s been missing since.

Though I did receive a note. A note that has started many searches:

Your sister _____ is very beautiful. She sits in a glass case beside me now, frozen like an angel.

Her beauty shall remain untouched. It shall be for my eyes only.

Forever.

    -          Drocell Keinz