Jason chuckled, covering his cheeky smile with his hand as one of his new friends complained. Lucky Bat whined with a jitter of a laugh, causing the other five uglies and Nolan to laugh loudly. They were walking through the streets of Imperfection. More specifically, they were walking along the promenade, which was slightly elevated from the docks that held the night-races in Uglyville.
At first, Jason was kind of upset that they thought he was this 'Lou' person. But after a little talk, they apologised for assuming and began treating him like a friend that they've known forever. Especially Moxy. She acted like Jason was the best thing to happen to her.
It was weird.
It was too weird.
It felt off.
Jason didn't say anything about it though. He didn't want to act in a way that the uglies don't like. They all seem so angry about his disgusted reactions. It's like they think he's wrong about his own opinions. Well, excuse him, but it's not his fault they're not perfect enough for his liking.
Is it?
No! Of course not. Why would it be my fault? I just got here.
But I know nothing about how my actions can affect them.
Yet, above all of the ugliness, there was that interaction with that blond doll. He seemed nice. But Jason couldn't fathom why he was cleaning a sidewalk when it would just get dirty again.
The poor doll looked exhausted.
Maybe one day I can help him with his job.
That would be nice.
It would be good for my reputation too.
Reputation. Damn, why did Jason have to bring that up! Stupid, stupid!
Now's not the best time to think about how to pass. I just got here.
He sighed contently, thinking back to the doll. Now that Jason could concentrate on it, the other doll looked like a right state. His hair was ruffled, it looked like it was stiff. When Jason locked eyes with the mystery doll, he could see the tiredness in the sunken blue iris's. It hurt to know he probably couldn't have helped him.
Maybe I could've helped?
Oh doll, was that a test?
Was I supposed to take the job rather than start talking to Nolan's friends?
Oh no.
Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
Jason audibly gulped, causing the orange ugly - Wage - to speak in his direction.
"You alright there, Jay? You seem kinda stiff." At the mention of the shortened name, Jason turned to look at the baker doll.
Jay...
Eugh.
What a disgusting version of my name.
Yet, instead of showing any hostility towards the nickname he shrugged and hooked his thumbs into the pockets of his dress pants. He glanced back at the ground, watching his feet kick a stone before glancing back over at Wage. Only for his eyes to widen slightly at the sight of all of the dolls in the group, minus Lucky Bat - who was having a lovely conversation with Nolan about different plants and herbs for his tea shop - and Nolan - who was deliberately not looking at Jason because he knows what it's like to have unwanted eyes on him (Spoiler alert, it doesn't feel so great).
"Uhm." Jason hesitated, averting his eyes from the uglies with embarrassment. He coughed to clear his throat before nodding at the earlier question. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just worried about fitting in or not."
I shouldn't have said that.
Moxy snorted a laugh, causing Uglydog and Jason to flinch - as they were closest to her and that they didn't expect her to laugh - at her loud laughter. Jason hummed and held his left arm with his opposite hand, conscious of how stupid his response sounded. Yet Wage didn't take her reaction well and nudged her with the look of a disapproving mother on her fuzzy orange face.
"Moxy! You don't just laugh at someone like that!" Wage scolded her pink friend while Uglydog rolled his eye at her.
"Ya think Mox will know when it's appropriate to laugh..." The hip-hop dog grumbled, glaring over at the new doll and seeing how uncomfortable he was. As best as he could, Uglydog gave Jason a sincere look and a smile. Jason noticed and returned the smile, albeit hardly noticeable.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's just funny that he worries, don't you think?" Moxy calmed down, only a small giggle leaving her mouth as she turned from Wage to look up at Jason. "Why would you need to worry? You don't have to fit in to be able to have your kid."
Kid.
My child.
That does sound nice.
But I have to pass the gauntlet to have my kid!
I need to follow the rules.
Jason hummed and looked away from the bright pink doll. An awkward silence filled the air around them as they strolled down another street. Moxy does not realise how worried Jason was and sighed. "Jay, look-" She tried to speak, but the blond prototype spoke up suddenly, interrupting her with a loud voice.
"Don't! Call me that. It's not my name, and never will be. My name is Jason, and I would prefer it if you called me that." Jason's face held a cold look, his ocean eyes holding a stern look ahead of him. He didn't dare to look at the multicoloured uglies reactions. Yet, The ugly dolls could easily tell how upset he was about the nickname, obvious from the tone of his voice near the end of his speech. Moxy tried to speak again, this time ending up more successful than before.
"Ok. Jason, listen. I don't know what the machine told you when you were first made, but this place has changed. It's no longer a place where you need to pass tests to go to the big world. You don't have to be perfect anymore. You can be you!" Moxy was way too happy explaining that the gauntlet was technically out of commission now. Jason's blue eyes widened.
No tests?
That means there's no gauntlet.
If I don't do the gauntlet then...
Jason gaged at the thought of the recycling. He didn't want to be recycled because these manufacturing disasters decided that the gauntlet isn't needed!
Unfair!
I'm not supposed to be recycled.
I never will be either!
I'm perfect!
Perfect!
Perfect!
Perfect.
Perfect.
Perfect...
Prototype.
Just a prototype.
"Sorry, Moxy. I just... I'm still worried. I need to be prepared for the Big World. I mean, hasn't everyone here seen the Big World?" Jason questioned, raising his eyebrows as the dolls stopped their walk in front of a pristine cottage. "You all know what you're dealing with. I don't. So, please, guys, if there's any way - any way at all - you let me run the gauntlet, can you sort it out? I just don't want to be left in the dark about this."
Nolan blocked at Jason's speech with a friendly smile. The other ugly dolls didn't know what to say about the new doll's words, and they kept silent. Instead, the mismatch-eyed shutterbug spoke up.
"I can try to talk to Ox about it, see if it'll be ok for you to run it. It would technically be unfair if we all do it and you don't." The brunet coughed after his response to Jason's proposal and motioned one of his arms to the cottage. "Uh, this is your new place, Jason. It's probably not what you'd thought it to be, but it's better than you think!"
The bottle-blond nodded and unclasped the pastel yellow gate which separated his lawn from the street. Before he could get far into the lawn, Nolan spoke up again. "Your key is under the doormat!" Once the new doll made it to the door, he bent over to lift the doormat, and fortunately enough, a blue key - about the size of his hand - lay under it.
He picked it up and slotted it into the keyhole, twisting it until he heard a quiet click of the lock opening. Jason turned to face his new 'friends' and eaved - albeit half-heartedly - and said his goodbyes. Each of them waved back - some more passionately than others.
"Uh, thanks for walking with me. And thanks for the house, too, I guess." Jason smiled once more and dropped his hand, backing up into his new home. "I'll see you soon then?" Nolan nodded as the other uglies chatted amongst themselves - seeming to already forget that Jason exists.
"Yeah, we can organise a day out! Maybe introduce you to some other dolls I know." Nolan lingered on the thought, only to shake his head moments later. "And I'll have a talk with Ox about the gauntlet thing. If he says yes, it'll still take a while to fix the place up."
At least someone cares about my suggestion of the test.
"Bye then, Nolan." Jason called out as the brown and green-haired photographer began to trot away.
"Bye! Have fun in your new home, I guess!" Jason chuckled at his friend's enthusiasm before closing the door. Immediately, Jason's friendly persona dropped as an exhausted sigh left his lips. His face that was filled with sincerity and happiness only moments before was now cold and unforgiving. The blond and blue-haired doll turned from the door to take in the sight of the place he'll be calling home for the next few months.
"Eugh. Is this place even sanitary?" Jason looked around at the mismatched walls, only for his eyes to lock with a pristine white door, with the word 'Bedroom' etched on it in perfect black letters."Bedroom on the first floor." He mumbled. Not bothering to look around his home any longer, he made his way to the door and opened it.
The door squeaked for a second and he was greeted with a pastel blue and black room with a new, clean white and black king size bed. He hummed, satisfied with the room, only for the noise to be followed by a yawn.
Oh my, am I that tired?
Probably from having to put up with those unnerving uglies.
Instead of dwelling on the thought, Jason decided to sit on his bed. He kicked his shoes off and shimmied back onto the bed, flopping his head back onto the fluffy, welcoming pillows. Another sound of approval left his lips as his eyes fluttered closed for a second. The new prototype shifted slightly, only for a sharp pain to shoot through the back of his head.
Jason hissed through his clenched teeth and moved back to his original position. His peacock blue eyes fixated themselves on the light on the ceiling. He didn't dare move. He didn't want to. He wanted to sleep, otherwise, he'd develop bags under his eyes.
But he knew that wouldn't happen anytime soon with the pain stabbing through his head. The pretty doll decided to just wait it out instead. He closed his eyes and tried to distract himself from his injury. And soon enough, it worked.
The pain was still there, but it was hardly noticeable to stop Jadon from falling asleep. His perfect eyelashes fluttered close over his sapphire eyes and his body relaxed completely. Soon enough, without even realising it, Jason had fallen into slumber in his new, welcoming home.