Marionette!Reader x England

A man was looking through a shop of marionettes.

There were many different dolls, but one in particular caught his eye.

"My, this one is lovely." He said, his eyes stopping to rest on you.

"A-Are you sure?" The storekeeper asked. You were cracked all over—the victim of being dropped one-to-many times, and your color was so faded, you looked almost white.

But you were, in fact, beautiful. Your dress was black and white, gothic Lolita style, and your (hair length and style) hair had kept its (hair color) coloring.

Although very faded, your painted (eye color) orbs were still a beautiful shade.

"I have many other dolls, more beautiful than this one. And they're new, wouldn't you prefer those ones?"

"Nonsense, this is the most beautiful doll here. All she needs is a little fixing up." The man replied.

"Very well." The shopkeeper said. "If I can't persuade you differently." The man paid what was owed and gently picked you up.

There was a warming heat in your chest, In the place where you would have a heart if you were alive.

You were set down gently on a shelf, and the man dusted you off.

"What should I call you?" The man said out loud. "I know… I'll call you _______. That sounds like a perfect name for you."

The man smiled. "I'm Arthur. Nice to meet you." Your lifeless face smiled back at him.

The warm feeling in your chest was back. It shouldn't have been there. In fact, it shouldn't be explainable. You weren't alive, so how could you have a warm feeling in your heart? You knew you weren't going to understand it. You shouldn't even have been able to understand it, but you tried.

Then the man, Arthur, took out a small can of paint. He carefully painted your eyes, and they returned to their vivid original color.

The blush returned to your cheeks as he painted the faint pink color onto your (skin color) skin.

The more the man delicately cared for you, the more you felt the warmth grow.

One day, the warm feeling had gotten so overbearing, that you started to sweat.

The man was painting your delicate foot, and as he was doing that, the sweat trickled down your forehead, so you lifted up a dainty hand and wiped it away.

The sudden movement caused Arthur to look up. "_-______..?" He asked hesitantly.

Your eyes (the kind styled to close when you were laid down.) blinked a couple times.

It took you a moment to realize that you were moving. You could move just like the man who cared for you!

And so, you tried to talk as well. But sadly, you couldn't.

Seeing as your dainty mouth had been painted onto your face, you couldn't your lips to form words, so when the man said your name, you merely nodded.

Looking at you with eyes in wonder, He smiled.

"How long have you been alive? This whole time?" He asked.

You shook your head no.

"Just now?"

A nod.

"How did it happen?"

You shakily moved your glass hands to the warm feeling in your chest.

"Your heart? I don't understand."

"…"

"Can you talk?"

You shook your head no.

The man in front of you frowned and picked you up.

It was late at night, far passed midnight, so he walked to his room and carried you with.

When he arrived in his room, he picked up a silk pillow and set it on a chair, then he laid you on top of it.

"Good night ______." He said as he crawled into bed.

Because you were a doll, you couldn't sleep, and so you watched as Arthur slept, and when morning came, he yawned.

"_______. I didn't imagine last night, did I?"

You shook your head.

Arthur laughed. "Good, now let's go. We have a trip to take."

Arthur picked you up, and the two of you started out to find something, although you weren't sure what. You got your answer however, when the British man found it at the 6th store he tried.

"Perfect!" He said.

It was a small, white box. And because you weren't sure what it was, you were confused when Arthur lifted up your dress in the back.

'What is he doing..?' You thought to yourself as you blushed.

Arthur attached the box to your back. "Try speaking." He said.

And so, you slowly tried to speak.

"L-L-" You heard the sound of an 'L' come from your back,

It was a sound box!
"Good…" He urged you on.

"Like- Th- This…?" You asked faintly.

Arthur grinned. "that's great!"

"Ar-Arth-thuu-r…" You stuttered.

"Yes! Arthur!"

"Arrthuuurr..?" You tried again, picking up on how to speak pretty quickly.

"You're getting there…"

"Arthuur…"

Arthur smiled and paid for the voice box, walking home with you.

"By far, you are the most beautiful doll I have ever bought." He said.

You heard birds tweeting in the background as you shakily said, "A-And you ar-are by fa-far the m-most bea-utif-ful own-ner I h-have e-e-ever h-had…"

Arthur laughed. "Thank you, but the proper word is-" Arthur stopped talking as you shakily leaned up to kiss his cheek, even if your mouth was painted.

You just might have developed a crush on Arthur. If that was possible for a doll, that is.