A Sordid Story of Blood & Fluff

4: Frailties

Powder braced her hands at either side of her chest in preparation and then pushed herself from the table. The contraction of her back muscles shifted her skin and fresh fire ran across her embroidery. She stifled the noises her throat was trying to make but her mouth let out a few anyway.

"How's your mobility?" asked Scotch. "I'd say your wires seem tight but I don't think you have any of those."

Powder stood up to let energy spread to her cramped limbs, but she remained bent over from the pain. She looked down at Scotch's feet, those black boots. He was in front of her but she couldn't straighten enough to look up into his face.

"I'm a little foggy," Powder said. "He drugged me... with something."

"Who did?"

"His name was Buttersweet. No, Bitterscotch."

"Bittersweet," Scotch said. "Of course, that knit. Was the drug pink?"

"It wasn't pink."

The doll paced around in circles. Powder sat down again. Hot water bubbled in the corners of her eyes and splashed over her lap. Suddenly the splashes were replaced by a thudding sound and when she opened her eyes she saw Scotch's hand under her chin, catching her tears. They absorbed into his palm, leaving dark rings.

"What is it?" Powder asked, brushing the tears off her cheeks. "Is there a reason you're studying me?"

"I always study the things I'm afraid of," he said, staring into his hand. "You should too. Why is water coming out of your eyes?"

Powder straightened a little and looked at his face, which didn't reveal a whole lot since dolls lacked a lot of subtle expressions.

"You're afraid of me?" she asked.

"Let me say it like this," said Scotch, straightening and tilting his hand in front of his face to look at the tear rings better. "There's one other human here, and she's female too. There isn't a decent thing about her. You show up and she's delighted, taking you off alone with her. That can't be good for us dolls." Scotch looked down at Powder. "I don't know who you are, but while we're finding out I'm observing everything."

"I don't know who I am either," said Powder, almost feeling scared of herself.

"Then we'll be learning together."

There were running footsteps and a moment later Pop and Fizz appeared beside their serious friend. Fizz's drooping dark red sweater was big enough to fit three more dolls.

"Licorice wasn't kidding," Fizz said after surveying the harm. He sat down on the floor in front of the girl. "It's alright, Sweety, you'll be fine." He took one of her clammy hands and patted it.

"No, Powder won't be fine," said Scotch, and everyone looked at him. "This is the first time the Monstress has been toying with a human. If she's done a name embroidery, you know the Globe is next for her."

"The Globe? Does that have to do with the 'productions'?" asked Powder. "Can you explain more about those?"

Pop looked at the others. Scotch shrugged at him and Fizz opened his mouth.

"Well...," he began, "it's like taking a trip into someone else's imagination and getting to experience—"

"—All kinds of horrible things you'd never wanted to know while feeling violated that someone else has control of your body and actions," Scotch finished.

"We are literally dolls our mistress plays with," added Pop. "And since you've got an embroidered name like we do, she might be planning to make you part of her productions too."