Rayne

Rayne staggered out of the Tatters one morning, vaguely aware of human form and social structures. Clothes, for example, were a must, even if her doll-like body lacked anything to hide. She could have made some from her own body, but putting ready-made ones on was quicker and took less effort. She assumed a form that felt right and began to walk among the people, studying their ways and not really asking why she had wound up here or where she had come from. There was only the Tatters, only Hope. Before that, there was nothing, at least as far as she could recall. Interacting with humans was awkward and somewhat daunting, so she first befriended kith. Her Ally Elaine was her first true friend, and helped her learn how to navigate the tricky world of interpersonal relationships.

As there were several remnants discovered at this time, her appearance in Hope didn't raise alarm. She could have been a disguised elf or a pirate transfer student, and besides that she was here and she was behaving herself. That was enough to allow her to stay in Hope and enroll in the Kith Studies program at the University. This did not last. Rayne grew bolder and more outspoken with time, especially once she got a taste of adventure with the discovery of the Shadow Stage. With the appearance of a threat to her people and her new friends she discovered that she was protective of them and would throw caution to the wind whenever they were in trouble. It was also here that she met the Hero, who she soon claimed as her best friend after finding him to be a kindred spirit (not that she understood why at the time).

She did not meet Rain until the Curtain Fall threatened the Shadow Stage, and upon seeing her for the first time suddenly knew there was a connection between them. The answer came to her very quickly: she and the Rain were somehow the same person, or rather copies of the same person. There were differences between them, but the source was the same. Rain was far less thrilled to hear this than Rayne was to share it, especially since the two were at the time complete strangers. Rain couldn't deny that there was something to her claims, however, and reluctantly allowed this very strange being into her life.

The return of the Narrator and the emergence of the Snarls has been a twofold blow to Rayne, and has made her suddenly more aware of her own nature than she ever has been before. What were once inklings and blurry daydreams have suddenly become repeating nightmares, the same every time, never changing except to expand. She wakes up unwound, threads loose all over her body and limbs trembling. She's not human, she's always known this, but only now is it bothering her. Worse still is what these strange scenes imply, both about her past and about her makeup. Why does she see through the eyes of the same person every time? Why does she also see through the eyes of the Snarls that tore that person apart? Better not to think about it,how it will happen again, it will happen again and she will only be able to watch, better to just laugh it off and move on...

Like dye to a cloth so too has memory made its mark even upon the soul. Untangled threads arrange in a stolen image, but the spool is wound too tightly and easily comes undone. She sees the true image in the shadows, who can blame her for her envy? A doll is made to be a plaything, and is nothing more. The cleansing rain scolds her, the laughing crane mocks her, so she plays the fool to pretend that she knows nothing of it. Hope is her core, hope is her bond; ferment it into despair and she will be gone.