|{Herr und Puppe}|
( Master and Puppet )

Arc Angel x Papillon Cameo

A pair of slender fingers ran slowly along the smooth, wood surface of a skillfully-crafted box, the grey-gold pair of eyes whom they belonged to fastened carefully upon the same box where it lay. The hollow box was of a decent size, and was said to hold a gift passed down from his late uncle to him. If Talon could even call his mother's distant brother his uncle, that was. The idea that a man he'd hardly known would leave him something in his will, something such as what could be held in such an ornate wooden box, perplexed him. Whatever this box housed, it must've been important for the man to have remembered his nephew in dealing with it's inheritance.

Yet, the fact remained that his uncle had passed away quite some time ago. Three years and some number of months ago, to be more precise. Receiving what was left in his will only this evening was perhaps what stirred Talon the most. The box had arrived via an anonymous messanger, left neatly upon his porch early in the afternoon. No wrapping had encased the box, which was in peak shape from what he saw, and there was no explanation except for a small note he'd found laying atop it. The baby blue note bore neat cursive handwriting that read: "From Herr to Herr-- it's only in the family, my boy."

Only after speaking with his mother about this did he realize that the note had been referring to the box's passing down from its old master to its new one; from his uncle, to him in other words. Sighing, Talon finally decided that the gift need no more sit upon his dining table untouched. The fingers he had slid upon its surface moved to its side, where he found a latch to open it. Taking in a breath involuntarily, he dared to pry it open.

'She' had not been aware of the time passing. Only the shifting of light trough the cracks of her container even let Fealty know that any time had passed at all. The delicate doll had no true care for such things. She had been created to serve one family, and one alone. As long as that task was completed, she was as content as one of her origins could be.

Her vibrant amethyst eyes and curled mahogany locks were a sure contrast against her pale porcelain colored skin. The baby blue lace dress she wore was old fashioned, as if it came from another era entirely, which it did. Fealty was almost glad when the lid of her box slipped open, though she'd no idea what to expect from her new master. The way her amethyst eyes moved over him showed her curiosity. She refrained from speaking and wondered if he would be another of the ones who yelled their surprise at her existence, or maybe he had actually sought her out.

Only time would tell, and the doll had plenty of that. To make sure the man knew she could, Fealty shifted upon the dark velvet lining the box to sit up.

Talon stared down at the porcelain doll blankly for a moment before his eyebrows drew together. Had it just blinked? His body stiffened in place, jaw tensing to render him speechless as the form before him moved to sit up. This affirmed his prior thoughts, which had lead him to believe that he was seeing things, such was appraently not the case. The doll clad in a light blue dress was here, sitting before him, looking straight at him. Clearing his throat a bit, he made a hesitant assumption, "You can speak too, can't you?"

He had heard countless rumors of his estranged uncle, who'd apparently died of a freak accident just a few years ago. Yet, of all the rumors of voices coming from his house, the stories of his ability to make things come to life--, well, none of them paralleled one of the memories Talon actually still held of the man. He had been just seven years old the first time he'd gone to his uncle's house, and there he witnessed a sight destined to stay etched in his mind. His mother had pleaded with her brother to take her son in for the night so that she could tend to their father in the hospital, and the soft-spoken, older gentleman had agreed. The night had been pleasant, and the two had gotten along swimmingly, however what Talon remembered the most wasn't something he'd experienced alongside his uncle. Rather, it was something he'd seen his uncle doing. During the night, he had awoke with a start, hearing voices down the hall. The younger Talon had crept down the hall to see what was going on, believing his mother had come early for him, but he was delighted and awestruck to see his uncle sitting in his armchair speaking with a wide array of antique toys.

Somehow, though he hadn't expected his childhood memory to have been entirely factual, this was the reason his surprise wasn't any greater. Still, his gaze locked upon the doll intently, cautious though accepting of its ability to move.

A small smile crossed the doll's coral pink lips as she regarded the man. At least he wasn't screaming. Perhaps that was why her old master had sent Fealty to him. There was no telling what that old man might have done, eccentric as he'd been. There had always been a reason behind that though. "Yes. My name if Fealty, and you are?" With a tilt of her head she peered at this young man with his golden eyes.

Soon enough the doll was lifting herself from her velvety bed to stand a little uncertainly before him. Her stiff hands made it difficult to grasp anything at all. It was only one of many things that annoyed Fealty. Perhaps it was wrong, but the doll wanted to be human if only for a little while. They had no idea how lucky they were! Though every time the doll contemplated telling anyone her wish, she shook her head making her mass of curls twist around until the notion was shaken from her mind.

Grey-gold eyes still set hesitantly upon the doll before him, Talon let one of his hands raise to rub the back of his head thoughtfully. Accepting the idea that the doll could move was definitely going to take a bit of time. Even with his current lack of much surprise, tying together the idea that his estranged uncle had left him a living doll in his will, one with which he was now speaking, was difficult. After hearing her name, he nodded in acknowledgement, letting out a breathy sigh as he let his hand fall from its place on the back of his head. He would simply have to go with the flow of things, he figured. "My name is Talon, nice to meet you," he spoke politely, albeit uncertainly.

Realizing that perhaps more would need to be said, he dropped the idea of continuing speaking right away to think of what he should be saying. How are you? Why were you sent here? How is it possible that you are even alive? A strain of several questions encircled his mind, leaving him quiet for a few moments before her found himself leaning backwards to sit on the edge of his bed. Her box sat upon the table opposite to it in the small room, so the distance he had moved was but a few feet, and he still faced her from where he sat. "So..." he began quietly, voice fading for a moment as he conjured his words once more, "I'm not entirely sure what to say, to be honest. You were sent here from my uncle's, as a means of inheritance after his death. Of course, that had happened some time ago... Of course, you might've already known that?" It was evident that he had no idea what grounds they were speaking on, or how exactly to address the girl- err, doll- standing before him.

He was taking this rather well. Fealty was pleased with Talon so far. Silently she compared him with some of her past masters and found her coral lips twitching up in amusement as she recalled some of the more outrageous reactions her appearance had created. Moving forward, the doll bent down stiffly and let her legs swing from the table. Back and forth went her legs with the soft swishing of fabric. She'd never let anyone change her clothing, not since her creator had given her this beautiful ruffled dress. Oh how she missed the man! If she was honest with herself, Fealty had been just a little in love with him. Alas he was long gone now and only his descendents remained.

Yes, I'd presumed that." A tinge of sadness entered her features, though it was hard to tell considering that none of her could move much save for her limbs. "Talon I'm sure you have questions, please feel free to ask whatever you want." He reminded her of her first master, maybe that was why she was so polite with him. Usually she was doing her best to terrify her new masters by now, then again that was a reaction they deserved for the most part after screaming their heads off and saying she was a creature of evil.

One hand firm on the cushion beneath him, Talon's free hand rose to rub the back of his neck thoughtfully. His gaze was trained upon the living doll before him, but he knew not how to speak to it. Politely, of course, but how should he fashion the conversation? Was it to be kept formal, or casual? Was he to shake her hand, for a proper introduction, or perhaps just mind his space? What he did pick up from his studying of her, though, was the slightest detection of sadness as he mentioned his uncle. So, the doll had feelings-- this shot down a few of the questions wreaking havoc in his mind. Leaving dozens in its stead, of course. As he was given proper permission to ask questions, he felt his jaw fall slack. He had many questions, but where to start and how to ask them was beyond his present reach.

After a few moment of silence, Talon cleared his throat, and sent a grin Fealty's way. "Ah, right, sorry," he began slowly, his gaze dropping to break eye contact with her for a moment before rising again as he began his questions with, "Is there anything I can get for you?" It was customary to ask a guest, and she were a guest, were she not? Well, maybe she would stay there, but that information was too far-fetched for him at the moment. He needed to take this step by step, simple, to avoid clustering his thoughts further.

The doll eyed Talon with a little amusement now. For some reason his age compared to hers was suddenly very apparent in his nervous movements. Or perhaps, Fealty simply felt old. She'd already outlived quite a few masters in the years. Would this one be any different? He would age and die, while she would remain beautifully young in appearance in her shell of porcelain. Longing sparkled in her amethyst eyes as she contemplated his question. For a moment Fealty was tempted to tell him what exactly she wished for, but thought better of it.

Nothing at all, save your company. It's been quite lonely stuffed in that box for such a long time, though I'd no idea how long it had been." She didn't care how long, since it was always lonely when someone placed her in her box again. Stiffly, the doll moved to jump off the table and walked forward to look up at Talon from her much shorter height. Silently she wished for him to pick her up as many of her more friendly masters had, to place her upon his warm knee so she felt almost human as they spoke and laughed together as her creator had done.

Step one; offer the guest refreshments of any kind. Check. Step two; make them feel at home. How in the world was one to do that? Talon's hand that had been rubbing his neck left his person to rest atop the bed spread at his side. His gaze was drawn calmly and calculatingly to her, his eyebrows slightly furrowed as he continued to struggle with conjuring up the right words. His thoughts only became further muddled as she hopped from the table holding her to walk right up to him. This was when the enormous difference in height truly struck him, seeing her stand just before him as he sat down, and noticing that she was still severely dwarfed. Perhaps a means of creating more casualty was called for?

This thought came along accompanied by another, that being about what she had said. Fealty said that she had wished simply to have his company, and that was all she had requested of him. A smile, a true smile for the first time that day, broke onto his face with this. It was sweet of her to ask such, and he was grateful to hear something of the sort come from her. Company wasn't a difficult thing to come by for many, but Talon wasn't particularly popular around those his own age, so for him it was nearly a delicacy. In his opinion, she couldn't have requested anything better at that moment. Needless to say, he was more than willing to oblige. "Would you like a hand, Fealty?" he then pepped up, leaning forward with an outstretched hand and the intention of lifting her up to sit beside him, "We can sit here and talk for a while, if you'd like." Again, with his uncertainty of the propriety involved in speaking with a living doll, he wasn't sure that just grabbing her would've been decent of him.

She supposed he was charming in his own way. Perhaps they would get along after all. Fealty was unable to smile in return, though her voice lilted with pleasure at his answer. "Yes please. Being what I am makes it difficult to climb up anything. I'm always so stiff." Though that last bit only saddened her, Fealty let none of that show.

Instead she let her eyes rove a little over the bed, and the rest of the rooms as she waited. It looked like a nice enough place. A little small in her opinion, but then again she'd started out in a mansion. It had been such a grand place for so many reasons... Her reminiscences would have to wait for later when Talon slept. Now it was important to get to know this young man to try and see what kind of master he would be. Fealty wondered how he would react to finding out what exactly had gone into her making, for she was certain he would ask. Many were confused, shocked and downright horrified when they found out. Some understood what had prompted her creator to do as he had, though the results had been far different from what he'd intended.

A she agreed to let him give her a lift, his hand carefully closed around her small form. Grip firm, he would lift her up slowly and set her beside him on his bed. "There you are," he said with a small smile. It was strange to regard lifting a doll as he would a smaller person. Even though the movement on his part had been conducted over just a couple of moments, he had frette over dropping her. What would happen if her precious body were to drop upon his hardwood floor and crack? Would it crack? He didnt dare think of letting that happen on his account. He would have to do something about his flooring if she were going to be staying here.

Glancing down at his flooring for a moment then shaking his head a little at himself, he would let his gaze drift back to Fealty. She now seemed to be closer in height to him, making him feel a little more ease regarding the fact that he was speaking to a doll. Running a hand up through his hair to ruffle it, he tilted his head slightly to the side. "Well, I suppose I should begin with the obvious questions," he spoke slowly, thoughtful in his choice of words, "Might I ask how you were made?" He supposed she might have been expecting that one, but if they were to get to know one another, they may as well begin at square one.

The care Falon showed for her made Fealty want to break out into a smile, though her lips could only open and close enough to let sound escape. He was a rarity. Without even knowing her the man was already all too conscious of the fragility of her porcelain body, and taking care not to break it. For she would break if dropped upon hard floors, or if thrown against something in anger. The way of the magical doll's making had been destroyed by her creator in the hopes that no one else would do has he had. The poor man's heart had been broken, though it had healed a little in the raising of his porcelain daughter. She had never tried to replace the little one she was supposed to have been.

"My creator, your ancestor, lost a daughter to a terrible tragedy. She was stolen away by the rushing river, little Ellamae. This body belonged to her favorite doll. Using blood from her broken body, and her heart, he tried to summon her back from the dead into this shape. Instead the master got me for all his sacrifice. He gave up his sight, and his ability to have anymore children in my creation. I was a secret from his sons and wife. No one knew about me until he died and passed me on to Cedric. Since then it's always been the same, me watching as my friends grow older and die then being passed on the next relative who shows even a spark of magic, however tiny it is." A little laugh left the dark haired doll as she shrugged. It was a wry sound, made in an attempt to hide the sadness in her voice. So many had already gone before Falon, how many more would there be?

The look on her face was reminiscent of a smile, but Talon hadn't known her long enough to be assured of it. Still, once setting her down beside him, he would return the gesture with a small smile of his own. This situation was odd, no doubt about it, but there was something magical about it that he didn't wish to take for granted. He wanted to protect this little piece of magic in his commonly boring life, and make sure that the petite miss felt at home. This brought several questions to mind as to where she would be staying exactly, and more about home she went about living. Did she eat, sleep? Was there anything he needed to do for her up-keep?

The story of her creator drew sympathy from him, the happiness in smile smile flickering by the time she was finished speaking. The man had been a distant ancestor, but a part of his family no less, and the story was a tragedy of sorts that left him feeling a bit down on himself. Why hadn't the man been able to succeed? Yet, at the same time, he had created the girl beside him. That was magic, in itself. Scratching the side of his cheek lightly, Talon's lack of people skills was showcased by his loss of words to say to comfort Fealty. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must be a lonely life for you," he said softly after a few moments, sending a grin her way. "Well, I will try my best to make sure you're as comfortable as possible during your time with me. What do you say, Fealty?" He hoped to give her some ray of optimism again as he offered her a small smile, then letting his mind drift into thought again.

Later he would have to become acquainted with the magic that her creator had used to bring her life- for the sake of truly understanding this phenomena- but as for now, he did wish to fulfill his words. "My home is small, I've only just finished my schooling, but I do have a room you are welcome to use as your own if you wish? There is plenty of space in here as well, I suppose it's truly up to you," he spoke thoughtfully aloud, looking about the room they were presently in, his bedroom.

He had no idea. Time passed and people grew older but Fealty always stayed the same. Ever since her creation she'd wished to be human, or to break along with one of her masters. Life was too long when there was no end in sight. Yet hope kept her going, though in perpetual sadness beneath her porcelain exterior. Lifting a stiff hand, she turned it this way and that to distract herself. IT didn't work well, only making Fealty wish she had fingers to move around and play music with.

Turning her violet eyes to Talon, she tried to make her lips lift and curve the ways his did. No matter how much effort the doll put in, her expression remained nearly the same. "I would like that." At least her company would be more then pleasant this time around, with golden eyes and pale hair and a ready smile. He didn't fear her, which was a comfort to the woman in a doll's body. Yes, these next decades would be pleasant, perhaps even heavenly. But then it would all end with Falon gone and her being left behind once more.

"Let me stay here with you. I have too much loneliness in my heart already to be alone when I could have company." She was always like this at first, with fresh grief and sad wishes that would never come true. It would pass as it always did after a while. Shifting a little, the doll moved to lift herself with effort to move carefully. She brushed a hand over Falon's hair with a hopeful spark in her eyes, though it fell away. So her last master hadn't been able to give her even the feeling of touch upon his passing as he'd promised. She knew he'd tried, but it was still another bitter disappointment atop others. "I still can't feel anything," whispered the doll the herself as she let herself fall back onto the bed.

Talon would look down at the smaller doll beside him for a quiet moment after her repsonse before his smile widened and warmed up a bit more. His gaze falling slowly to the floor beneath his bare feet, he let his eyes wander over the abstract, oval lines in the smooth wooden surface. I really do have to do something about this, he thought to himself for a moment before shaking his head a little and remembering that he was speaking with Fealty at present. How rude of him to forget, really. Though, in a way, he supposed it hadn't been too rude of him to let his mind wander temporarily. His thoughts been circling her presence in his life, after all. With her response and what seemed to be her attempt at a smile, Talon would nod affirmatively. "Then I won't disappoint you," he said confidently.

The next words from her porcelain mouth, however, drove a small stake through his plans to make her stay happy. Talon couldn't possibly imagine what her life must be like in a doll's body, let alone living through master after master. Why, he'd lived through his father's death, but that had seemed unbearable enough. He couldn't imagine doing similarly time and time again. "You may certainly stay by my side, then," he replied softly, his gaze gentle as it moved back to her. She had been crafted skillfully and obviously cared for well, but would she require anything? She was living, yes, but he wasn't sure food or water were things she would be able to take as a human would. At the same time, did dolls need anything to be taken care of properly? That question would call for a visit to his little sister. He would have to do so soon.

It was a surprise to him when she stood and ran a hand through his hair, but he remained perfectly still for her. Talon wondered over this gesture silently until she spoke up, his eyes then widening slightly when she did. So, she wished for the ability to feel? It seemed that she had the emotional capability, but he supposed that her body didn't do much to allow for physical ability to do so. Grinning, he shrugged slightly in her direction, unsure of what to say. An idea occurred to him off of a previous thought, to which he slowly stood and moved to the linen closet at one side of his room. Withdrawing a large, lush beach towel, he carefully spread it out on the hardwood before his bed. Then, smiling up at her form where he knelt on the floor, he laughed softly at himself. "To help with the hard surface, only temporary until I can find a proper rug," he explained, rubbing his neck as if shyly.

Then standing once more, he took note of the time as displayed on the clock beside his bed. Sighing softly to himself, he frowned slightly. "Ah, I suppose it is getting rather late..." he murmured, inwardly torn between getting ready for bed and staying up a bit later with Fealty. He mused he'd pay the consequences for that at work the next morning. "I'm sorry our time is cut short, Fealty, but I reckon I should head to bed for now. Work in the morning and all," he grinned half-heatedly at her, not having wanted to give up conversation quite yet for the sake of not only his own curiosity but also his realization of her loneliness.

The blankets were probably soft, but she couldn't really tell. Instead they were just a gentle pressure against her frame, like her clothes and everything else in the world. Fealty's eyes turned to plant themselves onto the young man who would be taking care of her. Though the doll did feel like taking care of him too. He was so much younger then her usual masters. Maybe Talon would like hearing about his relatives of the past, and some of the things the doll had seen. Then there was the magic, did he have any?

Thoughts drifted away like butterflies in the wind, to be gathered up again later when Falon slept. "Thank you for thinking of me, though I didn't think I would be staying on the bed." At least she thought that was why he put down the towel. She could have been wrong. Either way, it was a rather unusual thought. Many of her past masters had placed her in her box for the night as she'd slept. Talon's uncle had been an exception to that. Fealty had assumed the young man would be putting her back into the wooden contraption for the night. If he didn't, well that was another point for him in Fealty's opinion.

"No need to apologize. You do have a life to live. Perhaps tomorrow we can speak more, and you can ask more questions. For now I must ask, where shall I be sleeping?" That was always one of the first things to be figured out. Though the doll didn't exactly sleep, it was more like a prolonged daydream filled with memories. Anything would wake her up. She was better then any kind of guard dog with her own personal brand of magic to keep attackers and thieves at bay.

Thoroughly confused by the remark she made about the towel, Talon took a moment to look up at her blankly before a blush. Of sorts spread over his cheeks. Clearing his voice slightly, he shook his head once. "O-Of course that wasn't what I had in mind," he replied with a lack of smoothness that he mentally cursed himself for. While she was a doll, she was alive, and that still made her a girl. Having a girl he'd just met sleeping in his bed, regardless of the already odd circumstances of their acquaintanceship, was far beyond his own thoughts. Perhaps she didn't view that in the same way, but he surely found it would be an inappropriate thing to expect of her.

Talon's body's sudden stiffness due to embarrassment sound melted a bit, however, at her next words. A grin lining his lips, he would decide to thank her, "Thank you for being understanding, I did wish to speak with you for a bit longer." A slight disappointment altered his tone slightly, but he then became thoughtful with her question. Yes, if she cannot be sleeping in my bed, then where? Rubbing the side of his neck, he looked about the room slowly. There was the table with its cloth, which he supposed wouldn't be most comfortable ( having remembered that she couldn't feel, he still took this into consideration ), the box which she'd come in, which he figured may be where she was most comfortable unless she didn't like being closed in, or the small guest bedroom with its twin bed.

Sighing softly, Talon would turn to face her once more with a small smile. "Yes, of course we can speak more tomorrow. I don't work late very often, so there should be plenty of time. As for where you can sleep, I'm not sure what you would prefer... There is a guest bedroom next door with a small bed that you may use, but I can also make you a makeshift bed of sorts anywhere in here if you'd like," he spoke thoughtfully still, unsure of where would be best for her. So, with his lack of experience, he had left the decision up to her.

He was adorable! How could anyone think otherwise when it seemed like Talon blushed so readily? Fealty stifled a laugh behind one of her stiff hands. Of course her assumption had led to an awkward situation, but not too bad a one. It wasn't unusual for her to sleep so near someone. At times she had been gifted to a young child and hugged close at night. Those times were the best. Then she became a confident, and a true friend, to those she shared the early years with.

But that was all in the past, for now anyway. "A makeshift bed in here would be wonderful. Just not in the box, please." She was growing to hate the thing more and more every time someone placed her inside carefully. Sometimes she imagined that being in that box was like being in a coffin, except she was aware of being so enclosed. It wasn't a pleasant experience, and had never been such.

Hearing the small laugh from the girl only heightened Talon's bit of shyness, his gaze lowering for a moment before he had the audacity to lift it once more as he relaxed. She was a girl, and a doll, but alive-- he was having trouble sorting this all out in his mind. All he truly knew so far was that it seemed most natural to treat her as just another person. Well, another person that was living with him. Did that make her his female roommate? Shaking his head slightly, he ran a hand through his hair, missing it in the process.

Talon's thoughts scattered as she spoke up again, and he would drop his shy streak to send her a small smile. "Would you prefer it to be up on the table or on the floor?" he asked casually as he stood, moving into the hall just outside of his bedroom door to grab some linens and a pillow from a closet. He folded over a sheet a few times and then layed it out wherever she had decided, layed a small quilt over that and the pillow beside the neat little bed he's made for her. Then smiling over at her, he asked, "Will this do?"

She eyes Talon quietly now with a small smile. This was going to be such a pleasant time. Hopefully Talon would think so as well, even when her novelty wore off. A shudder crossed her small frame as Fealty remembered some of the people who'd tried to break her. Shaking her head, the doll tried to chase away such thoughts quickly. They would give her nightmares, or what passed for such things in her mind.

"The table if you please." From there she could look at the whole room and keep an eye on Talon. It was a habit to watch over her master when she couldn't sleep. There was no telling what might happen. Thieves might show up, or whomever she belonged to at the time might very well be prone to nightmares. Or perhaps they would just wake up and need company. In any of those scenarios, she could help and was more then glad to do so.

His last question snapper her out of her reverie. "It's going to be wonderful to sleep on. I just wish I could feel how comfortable it seems to be." Couldn't she at least know what things felt like? If she could have cried, Fealty would have then for her want of being human. Instead, a sad sigh escaped her lips before she ran towards the table and tried to vault across the gap between the bed and it. A small cry escaped her lips as she realized she'd misjudged the height difference between the two and her stiff hands reached out to try and latch onto the edge of her destination desperately.

Talon was more than glad to hear that the makeshift bed he has set up was sufficient for her. However, a moment later, the brightness in his smile that thought had brought was swiftly extinguished. Her next words drove a small dagger of sorts through his gut that drained his sympathy once more. She wants to feel, to touch-- Fealty wants to be human. Shaking his head a little, he let out a breathy sigh. In time, this may be a problem we work through. Until that time, he opted to watch her as she began to ran. Began to ran straight for the edge of his bed.

Eyes wide in dismay as he watched her frail form leap, he was swept to his feet instinctually. It didn't take more than a split second after he had seen that she wasn't going to make the distance that he darted for her. Arms reaching out, he could've sworn he felt his strong heartbeat thrumming in his eyes as worry crossed him. A second later, a save. He had tucked her securely into his arms, having fortunately snatched her from midair. Worry still visible, he would hold her out in front of him careful to look over her. "Fealty, what were you thinking?" he whispered not quite expecting an answer before he sent her a small smile. "Never mind that. Please, be careful," he then spoke softly, though louder than a whisper as he set her gently upon the tabletop.

Then moving to sit on the edge of his bed, he paused there for a moment before standing once more to grab his pajamas and head to the bathroom to change. He took this time to think. Through brushing his teeth and changing, he thought of her and that drastic action she had just made. What if he hadn't been fast enough? If she had slipped from his hands? What if she had fallen? Then she would be broken- dead- and he would be alone without his new companion. Sighing as he stared at himself in the mirror, his thoughts drifted briefly over his predecessors. They would have been ashamed of him as well, no doubt in his mind. Washing his face as he relaxed some again, he would make his way back to his bedroom.

The doll had let out a small squeak of surprise as she felt the pressure of arms wrapping around her. That much she could feel anyway. It wasn't much, but right now Fealty was grateful for even that as Talon eyed her for any injuries. This was a surprise, to see him already so worried for her sake when they'd just met. Now, more then ever, Fealty knew the two of them would have a wonderful time keeping each other company. It was a difficult for the doll to admit that she needed anyone protecting her, or caring for her, but it was an undeniable truth of her existence. Just once Fealty would have loved to be able to take care of another the way they had always cared for her.

Just another hopeless wish. A smile crossed the doll's porcelain lips for a brief moment. "I will be, I promise." No more jumping around for her, else she might break and make worry cross Talon's features once more. Worrying him wouldn't do, when she hoped to be his friend and perhaps mentor if he had a magical spark deep within him. With such thoughts she settled down under the small quilt on the bed so carefully made for her. The doll forced her amethyst eyes closed, and sighed as she let her mind drift off into that strange landscape of memories that served as her sleep.

After re-entering his bedroom, Talon's gaze swept over his room to find the seemingly asleep Fealty. Of course, he wouldn't be able to tell that the doll didn't sleep as a human would. As it seemed to him, she appeared to be dreaming as any other person did. Pausing in his steps as he saw this, a small smile lined his lips. While he'd been worried over figuring the possibility of her falling, he was truly relieved that she hadn't. In all truth, he found himself slowly growing fond of her through their short time together and he imagined that they would be getting along swimmingly in the years to come. Not only was he glad to find the company, but seeing her in such a peaceful state struck a chord in Talon.

Nevertheless, moments later Talon would walk over to his bed and curl up atop the sheets-- he never slept underneath them. He fell asleep quickly, peacefully, and deeply. The vision before his sleeping eyes was extraordinary. The dream that occurred that night was beyond his imagination, but not beyond his recognition. It was a memory of a night he'd encountered before, having slept the night at his late uncle's house once. Yes, he was but a child in this dream, walking carefully, barefooted down the cold hardwood of his uncle's hall. He'd awoken during that night to a light musical voice chattering with the gruff one of his own uncle's. At firs,t he had thought the former to be his mother's, but it was clear to him now that the young, frothy voice was none other than Fealty's. Upon reaching his uncle's study, the source of the voices, he was just able to see through the crack in the open door. Just as he had when he was a child, he spotte Fealty sitting upon his uncle's knee, the two laughing and speaking together as if good friends.

This vision blurred as Talon felt himself suddenly falling backwards, his eyes open ending wide and his body shaking with a slight jolt as he woke up. Groaning softly, he rubbed his eyes, then rolled onto his side to glance at his clock. 6:00 AM. Gotta go to work. Sitting up stifly, he rubbed his head as he yawned and stretched out his arms. Then looking about, more alert, he would wonder just here his doll companion was.

She remembered so many things. The first time she'd seen her last master had been a rather surprising thing. He'd been a man already, with salt and pepper hair and a kind twinkle in his eyes. But that was in the past, it was time to move on. Thinking about them all would only bring about another bout of sadness for the doll, and she wanted today to be a happy one. She moved around and lifted herself off the makeshift bed on the table.

If she could have, Fealty would have bit her lower lip. There had to be a way to bridge the gap without breaking herself! That was when the doll decided to pick up all the blankets and somehow managed to create a bridge out of them. That was how the doll found herself curled up against Talon, then being dislodged by him as he awoke. Squeaking with indignation, she rolled out of the way as he did the same.

"Please look where you're turning!"

Hearing the little voice chime form his bed, Talon froze where he sat, stiffly turning o look down at her. Immediately, an apologetic smile lifted the corners of his lips as he extend a hand to her form where she now lay. He wished to help her up, but if she didn't accept then he would simply put his hand back into his lap. "I'm sorry Fealty, I wasn't expecting you to be over here," he admitted a tad shyly, clearly embarrassed to have nearly hurt her delicate form. "I'll be more careful next time," he then assured her as he rubbed is neck, wondering what the time was.

Turning his head to look at his clock again, he would sigh. Right, it hasn't changed. It's still time to get ready for work. Turning to Fealty again, he would send her a warmer smile. "Well, good morning. I'll be needing to get ready for work now, but I always have some time for a quick breakfast before I head out. We can sit and talk in the kitchen for a while then, if you'd like," he suggested, liking the idea of spending more time with her, but knowing his practical boundaries. He couldn't lose his job-- especially not right now. "I've got to shower," he then explained as he stood and left the room, grabbing a pair of clothes on the way out as he went to do so.