Inanimate Love

Jester

A loud creaking noise sounded through the building as I gently closed the large door behind me. Even with tender motions, so as to not alert anyone nearby of my presence, the door gives off a large thud as the lock case clicks into place and the door closes. I feel the vibrations clearly as they reverberate through me and into the rest of the building.

"Oh boy..." I whisper to myself as I let go of the door handle and peer into the building.

I seemed to find myself inside a lobby, not like an inn but rather one found inside a rich guest building. Unlike the outside, the inside seemed perfectly kept in shape. Luxury carpet lined the floors and the walls were sturdy and bereft of fault. It was a puzzling sight, but not any more confusing than the lit candle sconces that followed the walls. 

Why was there light in here? And to top it off, I felt warm. My teeth had stopped chattering. Standing here was like relaxing at the foot of a hearth inside a tavern. I'd normally find it welcoming, yet it felt out of place here. Was there someone actually living out here?

"Hello?" I shouted, "Is there anybody here?"

There was no answer. Unsure what to make of it, I carefully tip-toed down to the left of the lobby and peek into the next room. Before me was a short hallway, sculptures following its outline, doors, and paintings decorating its walls. There were even tended flower vases in the corners.

Squished tight by the heavy atmosphere, I timidly closed in on the closest painting. It was a depiction of a posh man, a dragonborn. Much like the walls of the room, the walls behind him were similar to burgundy wallpaper. He was wearing fancy clothing with a gilded coat over his shoulders, adjusting his monocle with white-gloved claws.

Looking at the next painting over, it depicted a tiefling woman similarly. Wearing a hat that could rival a bouquet and a long dress, she clasped a tome to her chest, looking pridefully out from the painting. Despite this, she seemed somewhat distracted.

Turning around to the paintings behind me, they all featured people wearing nothing but chic clothing as well. Everything about these folks screamed "noble," yet why would a group of aristocrats be holed up in the middle of the woods?

Finally turning my eyes over at the last painting towards the end of the hall, I see someone different. The painting seems to depict a jester woman. Wearing a red and blue motley coat, some tight breeches, and of course the jester hat, bells and all, her expression was happy, yet portrayed askew by a naughty twinkle in her eyes.

"Huh..." I sounded, "Never seen a woman dressed as one of those."

Continuing to look at her, she comes off as quite voluptuous. She looks like a jester, but her clothes are so tight she could pass for someone trying to entice people. It would explain those domineering eyes... but not that doll.

To the left of the jester woman, she's holding onto a large wooden doll dressed just like her. It's almost life-size, too big for any puppeteer to control with strings.

I stroke my chin looking at the woman and the doll, my thoughts running rampant. "Maybe she had a gimmick? Saw a street performer dancing with a dummy once. The way he moved his body and handled the doll almost made it look like the doll was alive too. Hmph..."

Sighing in a deep breath of air, I looked off to the side of the painting at one of the doors. It was open ajar, almost welcoming any curious soul that came its way. Placing my hand on the doorknob, I pushed it open and looked inside.

Revealed to me was some kind of bedroom. Aside from the bed in the corner opposite the door, a drapery covered the roof, and a bunch of flasks lined the shelves along the walls. At first, I thought it was an alchemist's chamber, but was quickly disproved as I looked to the left and saw the dressing table packed with make-up alongside the rack-stand with sets of jester clothes hanging from it.