***
Around two during the day of She's graduation party, after all of the guests left, cards and gifts were sorted, and thank you notes were begun, She finally returned back to the room She Lived In, or rather, the Room We Lived In. Since the Code of Dolls had been broken only yesterday, every doll She owned had been put into one place on a brand new white wooden shelf. When our human came back we all resumed the act we were used to. Even if it was in vain now, it was instinct.
The day had taken its toll on She: her eyes were glazed over, her dress was tousled by the wind and multiple hugs, and the hair on the top of her head was pressed flat from wearing the sunhat all day.
She belly flopped onto her bed and began speaking while her face was muffled in the comforter. "God, I'm exhausted."
"But you had fun, right?"
"Yeah, I did," She raised her head and pushed away a lock of hair that was stuck in her mouth. "Olaf?"
"Yep! That's me!" Olaf waved both of his arms like he was trying to catch a friend's attention from across a street in busy traffic.
She smiled sleepily. "You sound exactly like him. And you're not a shy one, either."
"No, he's never been shy." Said a lady-like voice with a intermittent French accent.
"Who said that?"
"Eet iz me, the itty bitty Elsa plush doll beside Olav? You named me Idina."
"Ah, that's right, Idina." She blinked and rolled over into a sitting position.
"Olav and I... we're engaged!" Idina blurted. She couldn't help herself.
"Really?" She asked, probably thinking, I'm too tired for this right now. "Dolls can do that?"
"Yeah, dolls can do a lot of things that humans can. But sometimes we have to find ways to do things ourselves. Look, we have matching bracelets instead of engagement rings!" Olaf proudly flashed his white-and-blue mark of his marriage to be.
"That explains it," She said. "They're nice. And you made them yourselves?"
"No, Elsa and Nessarose made zem." Said Idina.
Well, one thing lead to another and She called me out for making the bracelets, then remembered I had one of my own, too, one different from Olaf and Idina's. I pointed out Steve for making ours, and then She learned that she had two engaged couples in her group of dolls. And then she met the ornament sisters, who Nessa was pleased to introduce her to the Pocket-Sized Avengers, who brought up the Funky Warriors... the introductions seemed endless.
She took to all this new and very much life-changing information quite well. I was certain that some part of her suspected this all along, with the mysterious movements and disappearances and reappearances and costume changes. Her easygoing, yet pleasant demeanor got all of us talking, even the shyer or shiftier ones like Anelle and Magneto. But of course She had a lot of questions.
"So tell me about the Code of Dolls. What does it do for you guys? Why do you have it?"
We didn't really know. All of our lives it was a sort of thing built into us that we had to remain quiet and still around humans. We grew to learn that this behavior never helped nor hurt anybody, so we continued to do it, and dolls began to pass the word around that humans must be protected from our world. At least, that's what we all thought. But Loki had to come around and give us a reason for everything. Apparently, one of the first dolls ever created didn't know the Code and talked and moved as it pleased, living life as a human with the rest of them. Its creator, thinking the doll was infused with some sort of ghost or demon, threw the doll onto a pyre to burn, and then threw salt in with it to keep the bad spirits from coming back. Not exactly your most pleasant bedtime story, but it was intriguing to She.
"That's it? That's why none of you ever talked to me for four years?"
"It's a legitimate concern." Loki said, defending his theory.
"I'm not doubting you! It sounds awful. And a waste. I'd probably just sell you on Ebay with the tagline 'possessed doll'. People love that sort of stuff; you'd be surprised."
I wasn't sure if that made me feel any better, so I chose to forget her response.
Luckily we had easier questions to answer after that. I don't think She wanted to ask about how and why Cogsworth died, either because she knew it was a sensitive subject, or Loki had already told her everything. With as big of a crush he has on her, I wouldn't put an outpouring of emotion above him.
"By the way, when are the weddings?"
"Well, Olav and I were thinking of sometime in ze late summer." Idina replied, giving her finance's hand a squeeze.
(At the time this happened it was early June, so that was back when we thought we had all the time in the world for "Ilaf" to get married, but the date I'm writing this is July 25th and we're still unsure of a good time.)
"And Elsa and I want to wait until winter. Probably February."
She nodded. "I like that. It's fitting. And, if you don't mind me asking, are your pets alive?"
Toto barked, and Moana held up Pua in one hand and HeiHei in the other. "Uh-huh."
"That's cool. But... how are you guys alive? Like, how do dolls gain sentience?"
I saw Loki look nervously towards Wanda, but I was used to this kind of secrecy between them and tried not to let it bother me now. "Dunno." Said Wanda.
"Alright, whatever. That doesn't matter too much, I was just curious," She shrugged in such a way that let me know that this did matter a lot. But She brushed it off and changed the subject. "Do you guys want to see some pictures from today?"
Um, yes. Finally with the Code broken we were able to take part in our humans' lives, just like all dolls want to, even if they won't admit to it. She told us to gather around the laptop while her camera was transferring the images there, and pretty soon we were clambering all over our human like She was a living jungle gym. Everybody took part in the fun except for the Funko Pops, who remained on the shelf. Before any pictures were seen She wanted to make sure they were okay.
"Hey, why don't those guys talk?" She asked, pointing at Blake, Heimdall, and Iron Man.
"They can't," Moana said sadly. "They weren't made with mouths."
"Ah, Funko Pops usually aren't. No wonder they look so unpleasant all the time. They've probably got stories screaming inside of them. Moana, can you call them over?"
"They understand English."
"Perfect. They're gonna love what I have in mind."
The Funkos, who previously where only obedient to themselves, came over to She without complaint.
"Listen, I've got a proposition for you."
Blake knew the word "proposition" took him down a road he didn't care to travel down again. He made his hands into "C" shapes and wiggled them away from each-other until they lined up with his shoulders.
"What is it?" Moana translated.
"I've got a idea. I think you guys are really gonna dig this," She said, then reached an arm under her bed, rummaged around a second, then pulled out a red paper folder. Five slightly wrinkled sheets back was a printed out paper with all the letters and numbers of the English alphabet and their Morse code translation to me. She handed the paper to Blake, who She easily picked out as the Funkos' leader. "Here, this is our compromise. You might be able to communicate with all of us in this way, even without mouths."
Blake's eyes hastily scanned each line, then turned to Heimdall and Iron Man for approval. They nodded once in unison at She.
"Great! All you need to do is make some tapping noises in the way they appear on that paper and you can spell out exactly what you want to say. It's gonna take some practice, but it will be worth it. Got it?"
I'd never seen such a fearsome band of dolls so happy. They ran off together with the sheet to search for a quiet place to study. There was no doubt in my mind that by the end of the night they would all know everything.
"That was quite clever of you." Loki said once they left.
"You'd think so, but I know not a letter of Morse code. I'm gonna have to do some studying of my own now."
They exchanged a smile.
"I could help you," Loki offered. "I know Morse code."
Did he really? I wasn't sure. He probably did. This was Loki, after all. But it made me wonder if he was only saying that to spend some more time with She.
"Maybe." She replied, and that was the end of that.
We got to see the pictures and there was definitely more than what was necessary, but humans will do that if it's a big day, which we were assuming this was for She. But that's all it was. Assumption. We didn't have the slightest clue what scholarships or graduation parties or colleges were. It was like they were speaking a whole another language, and for four years we dolls had lived with the knowledge that we could not know everything. But now with She, a giant connection to the humans' world on our side, we could ask her anything.
Nessa read my mind, as she was prone to doing, and tugged on one of She's butterfly sleeves to grab her attention. "Hey, She? What's graduation?"
She stifled a laugh. "What did you call me?"
"She? With a capital S? That's what the humans call you. Isn't that your name?"
"No, it isn't."
"Then what is?"
"You know what? My real name doesn't matter. I like She. It's cute as hell."
So She stayed She, and She didn't like our question. One hand began to choke the other, like She was missing someone else's hand that was usually held and squeezed.
"Um, well, it's like a celebration for finishing your last year of school."
"You're done with school? That's great! Now you'll have more time to do things with us!" Olaf cried.
"I wish I could, Olaf. I wish I could. But I don't. Not really for long because... well... college is like second school," She rolled her eyes. "Just like high school is the second school for middle school. And middle school the second school for elementary school. And don't even get me started on kindergarten and pre-k. I've done twelve years of school. And I'm about to go and do four to five more."
Olaf was disgusted. "That's college?"
"Yeah, but it's like fun school! Or it's supposed to be. College is more catered to your interests. And then after college you're done. You're on your own. Out in the job world with little knowledge of business or the economy or even how to use a pay telephone anymore..." She shook her head. "It's nothing. Just more school. School with longer hours and more work."
Loki stepped forward. "I know what college is. Most students move out to live on campus there. You're not leaving us, are you, She?"
The room became very silent when She wouldn't look any of us, and that's about thirty dolls who She had to purposely avoid. "Not at first," She whispered. "I'm living at home my first year, commuting each day I need to go. But I've already met a couple of friends at the orientation, and I wouldn't mind renting an apartment with them eventually. So yes, eventually I will have to leave."
There was a wave of murmurs and concerns from dolls who had already grown so attached to a human they'd only just met for real, but Loki was devastated. It was obvious that his hopes and dreams had sunk to the lowest of the low with that last line.
"Not at first!" She blurted, trying in desperation to clear things up before we went haywire. "Not at first. I'm staying here a year for certain."
"But we've only just met you..." Loki murmured.
"No, no, I've only just met you. I've got a feeling that some of y'all have been poking into my business for as long as you've been around." She's voice was pointed, but not directed at anybody in particular. In some way She knew that all of us were to blame at one point or another. The ones of us who were definitely guilty: Moana, Magneto, Olaf, Loki, the PSA, and I, all winced, embarrassed.
"Ah, great. Now I've spoiled the mood. Class dismissed, everybody."
"No! But we still want to see some of your pictures!" Nessa begged.
"You know what I want?" Elphaba said, who had been relaxing soundlessly on her back the entire time, facing the paper snowflakes on She's ceiling.
"What?"
"An Instagram account."
"What? How do you know what Instagram is?" She couldn't believe it.
"We've been around the 'net a couple of times," Elphie sighed, twirling a finger in the air. "Or I have. And maybe Elsa."
(Long story short, She allowed us to get an account, and we finally got something posted. Isn't that awesome? Basically the main goal of doing this is to hopefully attract more readers back here to the blog, but of course you guys here can follow me, too if you have an account of your own. You can find us here at this username: A_Dolls_Life_For_Me.
Anyways, that spiraled off into a ton of other requests. Dorothy wanted permission to do some baking if She was the only one in the house. ("Only if I get to eat it.") Hawkeye wanted an "Avengers headquarters" that would be set apart from She's bedroom. ("I don't know about that.") Nessa wanted She to get another Disney doll, like Tiana or Belle. ("We'll see.") But I didn't think She was too keen on getting more dolls anytime soon now that She had discovered we were alive.
The next morning, was She's real graduation, and the day after, She's Grandpa, whom She called "Pap" was due to leave on his trip back home. He lived up north, and that's where She's family would visit him on their trips sometimes. But it was a long journey and he had to get an early start.
She was up already, earlier than She was used to, probably working off the energy from the day before. Pap came in to say goodbye to She after She had finished getting ready for the day.
"See you later, kid," he said. His voice was gruff but She was clearly used to the way he spoke when they exchanged hugs. "Are you still coming over in October?"
"I hope so. I'd like to spend my birthday with you again," She frowned and pulled away whenever Pap only hugged her with one arm, with the other behind his back. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, yes," Pap replied. "I just have something to give you here."
Pap held out another doll and at first I could see that She wasn't so grateful, but then She recognized the character in took him happily. It was a middle aged man, with a perpetually confused look on his face, and I would be too, if I were in my pajamas and carrying a bath towel.
"This is your graduation present from your grandma and... well, from me. It's that guy from Hitchhiking around the Galaxy. You told me you liked those books."
"Yeah, it's Arthur Dent! And it's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He's got an excellent paint job. I'll put him right up here with the nutcrackers you gave me."
"You still have those? I gave the first one to you when you were only about five, I think."
"Yeah, it was a special gift. I couldn't give them away. Although this shorter one here was kept in the attic until Christmas."
"Is it Christmas in June?"
"No, I thought it was best to keep him with his brother."
She and I both knew that Pap wouldn't exactly understand. As far as we knew, he was like most humans and the Code of Dolls wasn't even a concept to be thought of. But he nodded anyways.
She and Pap hugged again and said their goodbyes. As soon as he had left and the door was shut, She wanted to know if her new doll was like us.
"I'd better step back and you guys can check if he's alive. I don't want to scare the guy off." She said, but Arthur could hear her so there was no point in saying such a thing.
"Has the Code already been broken with this one?" He asked, his head twirling around from doll to doll. He had an English accent, but one more informal than Loki's or Vision's.
"Yeah, sorry, buddy. You don't get a break like the others did. I'm your human. Call me She,"
Arthur shrugged, figuring that there was no use in pretending like She didn't know anymore. He held out his hand for a shake, and She took it with her pointer finger and smiled. "Welcome home, Arthur."
She took to all this new and very much life-changing information quite well. I was certain that some part of her suspected this all along, with the mysterious movements and disappearances and reappearances and costume changes. Her easygoing, yet pleasant demeanor got all of us talking, even the shyer or shiftier ones like Anelle and Magneto. But of course She had a lot of questions.
"So tell me about the Code of Dolls. What does it do for you guys? Why do you have it?"
We didn't really know. All of our lives it was a sort of thing built into us that we had to remain quiet and still around humans. We grew to learn that this behavior never helped nor hurt anybody, so we continued to do it, and dolls began to pass the word around that humans must be protected from our world. At least, that's what we all thought. But Loki had to come around and give us a reason for everything. Apparently, one of the first dolls ever created didn't know the Code and talked and moved as it pleased, living life as a human with the rest of them. Its creator, thinking the doll was infused with some sort of ghost or demon, threw the doll onto a pyre to burn, and then threw salt in with it to keep the bad spirits from coming back. Not exactly your most pleasant bedtime story, but it was intriguing to She.
"That's it? That's why none of you ever talked to me for four years?"
"It's a legitimate concern." Loki said, defending his theory.
"I'm not doubting you! It sounds awful. And a waste. I'd probably just sell you on Ebay with the tagline 'possessed doll'. People love that sort of stuff; you'd be surprised."
I wasn't sure if that made me feel any better, so I chose to forget her response.
Luckily we had easier questions to answer after that. I don't think She wanted to ask about how and why Cogsworth died, either because she knew it was a sensitive subject, or Loki had already told her everything. With as big of a crush he has on her, I wouldn't put an outpouring of emotion above him.
"By the way, when are the weddings?"
"Well, Olav and I were thinking of sometime in ze late summer." Idina replied, giving her finance's hand a squeeze.
(At the time this happened it was early June, so that was back when we thought we had all the time in the world for "Ilaf" to get married, but the date I'm writing this is July 25th and we're still unsure of a good time.)
"And Elsa and I want to wait until winter. Probably February."
She nodded. "I like that. It's fitting. And, if you don't mind me asking, are your pets alive?"
Toto barked, and Moana held up Pua in one hand and HeiHei in the other. "Uh-huh."
"That's cool. But... how are you guys alive? Like, how do dolls gain sentience?"
I saw Loki look nervously towards Wanda, but I was used to this kind of secrecy between them and tried not to let it bother me now. "Dunno." Said Wanda.
"Alright, whatever. That doesn't matter too much, I was just curious," She shrugged in such a way that let me know that this did matter a lot. But She brushed it off and changed the subject. "Do you guys want to see some pictures from today?"
Um, yes. Finally with the Code broken we were able to take part in our humans' lives, just like all dolls want to, even if they won't admit to it. She told us to gather around the laptop while her camera was transferring the images there, and pretty soon we were clambering all over our human like She was a living jungle gym. Everybody took part in the fun except for the Funko Pops, who remained on the shelf. Before any pictures were seen She wanted to make sure they were okay.
"Hey, why don't those guys talk?" She asked, pointing at Blake, Heimdall, and Iron Man.
"They can't," Moana said sadly. "They weren't made with mouths."
"Ah, Funko Pops usually aren't. No wonder they look so unpleasant all the time. They've probably got stories screaming inside of them. Moana, can you call them over?"
"They understand English."
"Perfect. They're gonna love what I have in mind."
The Funkos, who previously where only obedient to themselves, came over to She without complaint.
"Listen, I've got a proposition for you."
Blake knew the word "proposition" took him down a road he didn't care to travel down again. He made his hands into "C" shapes and wiggled them away from each-other until they lined up with his shoulders.
"What is it?" Moana translated.
"I've got a idea. I think you guys are really gonna dig this," She said, then reached an arm under her bed, rummaged around a second, then pulled out a red paper folder. Five slightly wrinkled sheets back was a printed out paper with all the letters and numbers of the English alphabet and their Morse code translation to me. She handed the paper to Blake, who She easily picked out as the Funkos' leader. "Here, this is our compromise. You might be able to communicate with all of us in this way, even without mouths."
Blake's eyes hastily scanned each line, then turned to Heimdall and Iron Man for approval. They nodded once in unison at She.
"Great! All you need to do is make some tapping noises in the way they appear on that paper and you can spell out exactly what you want to say. It's gonna take some practice, but it will be worth it. Got it?"
I'd never seen such a fearsome band of dolls so happy. They ran off together with the sheet to search for a quiet place to study. There was no doubt in my mind that by the end of the night they would all know everything.
"That was quite clever of you." Loki said once they left.
"You'd think so, but I know not a letter of Morse code. I'm gonna have to do some studying of my own now."
They exchanged a smile.
"I could help you," Loki offered. "I know Morse code."
Did he really? I wasn't sure. He probably did. This was Loki, after all. But it made me wonder if he was only saying that to spend some more time with She.
"Maybe." She replied, and that was the end of that.
We got to see the pictures and there was definitely more than what was necessary, but humans will do that if it's a big day, which we were assuming this was for She. But that's all it was. Assumption. We didn't have the slightest clue what scholarships or graduation parties or colleges were. It was like they were speaking a whole another language, and for four years we dolls had lived with the knowledge that we could not know everything. But now with She, a giant connection to the humans' world on our side, we could ask her anything.
Nessa read my mind, as she was prone to doing, and tugged on one of She's butterfly sleeves to grab her attention. "Hey, She? What's graduation?"
She stifled a laugh. "What did you call me?"
"She? With a capital S? That's what the humans call you. Isn't that your name?"
"No, it isn't."
"Then what is?"
"You know what? My real name doesn't matter. I like She. It's cute as hell."
So She stayed She, and She didn't like our question. One hand began to choke the other, like She was missing someone else's hand that was usually held and squeezed.
"Um, well, it's like a celebration for finishing your last year of school."
"You're done with school? That's great! Now you'll have more time to do things with us!" Olaf cried.
"I wish I could, Olaf. I wish I could. But I don't. Not really for long because... well... college is like second school," She rolled her eyes. "Just like high school is the second school for middle school. And middle school the second school for elementary school. And don't even get me started on kindergarten and pre-k. I've done twelve years of school. And I'm about to go and do four to five more."
Olaf was disgusted. "That's college?"
"Yeah, but it's like fun school! Or it's supposed to be. College is more catered to your interests. And then after college you're done. You're on your own. Out in the job world with little knowledge of business or the economy or even how to use a pay telephone anymore..." She shook her head. "It's nothing. Just more school. School with longer hours and more work."
Loki stepped forward. "I know what college is. Most students move out to live on campus there. You're not leaving us, are you, She?"
The room became very silent when She wouldn't look any of us, and that's about thirty dolls who She had to purposely avoid. "Not at first," She whispered. "I'm living at home my first year, commuting each day I need to go. But I've already met a couple of friends at the orientation, and I wouldn't mind renting an apartment with them eventually. So yes, eventually I will have to leave."
There was a wave of murmurs and concerns from dolls who had already grown so attached to a human they'd only just met for real, but Loki was devastated. It was obvious that his hopes and dreams had sunk to the lowest of the low with that last line.
"Not at first!" She blurted, trying in desperation to clear things up before we went haywire. "Not at first. I'm staying here a year for certain."
"But we've only just met you..." Loki murmured.
"No, no, I've only just met you. I've got a feeling that some of y'all have been poking into my business for as long as you've been around." She's voice was pointed, but not directed at anybody in particular. In some way She knew that all of us were to blame at one point or another. The ones of us who were definitely guilty: Moana, Magneto, Olaf, Loki, the PSA, and I, all winced, embarrassed.
"Ah, great. Now I've spoiled the mood. Class dismissed, everybody."
"No! But we still want to see some of your pictures!" Nessa begged.
"You know what I want?" Elphaba said, who had been relaxing soundlessly on her back the entire time, facing the paper snowflakes on She's ceiling.
"What?"
"An Instagram account."
"What? How do you know what Instagram is?" She couldn't believe it.
"We've been around the 'net a couple of times," Elphie sighed, twirling a finger in the air. "Or I have. And maybe Elsa."
(Long story short, She allowed us to get an account, and we finally got something posted. Isn't that awesome? Basically the main goal of doing this is to hopefully attract more readers back here to the blog, but of course you guys here can follow me, too if you have an account of your own. You can find us here at this username: A_Dolls_Life_For_Me.
Anyways, that spiraled off into a ton of other requests. Dorothy wanted permission to do some baking if She was the only one in the house. ("Only if I get to eat it.") Hawkeye wanted an "Avengers headquarters" that would be set apart from She's bedroom. ("I don't know about that.") Nessa wanted She to get another Disney doll, like Tiana or Belle. ("We'll see.") But I didn't think She was too keen on getting more dolls anytime soon now that She had discovered we were alive.
The next morning, was She's real graduation, and the day after, She's Grandpa, whom She called "Pap" was due to leave on his trip back home. He lived up north, and that's where She's family would visit him on their trips sometimes. But it was a long journey and he had to get an early start.
She was up already, earlier than She was used to, probably working off the energy from the day before. Pap came in to say goodbye to She after She had finished getting ready for the day.
"See you later, kid," he said. His voice was gruff but She was clearly used to the way he spoke when they exchanged hugs. "Are you still coming over in October?"
"I hope so. I'd like to spend my birthday with you again," She frowned and pulled away whenever Pap only hugged her with one arm, with the other behind his back. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, yes," Pap replied. "I just have something to give you here."
Pap held out another doll and at first I could see that She wasn't so grateful, but then She recognized the character in took him happily. It was a middle aged man, with a perpetually confused look on his face, and I would be too, if I were in my pajamas and carrying a bath towel.
"This is your graduation present from your grandma and... well, from me. It's that guy from Hitchhiking around the Galaxy. You told me you liked those books."
"Yeah, it's Arthur Dent! And it's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He's got an excellent paint job. I'll put him right up here with the nutcrackers you gave me."
"You still have those? I gave the first one to you when you were only about five, I think."
"Yeah, it was a special gift. I couldn't give them away. Although this shorter one here was kept in the attic until Christmas."
"Is it Christmas in June?"
"No, I thought it was best to keep him with his brother."
She and I both knew that Pap wouldn't exactly understand. As far as we knew, he was like most humans and the Code of Dolls wasn't even a concept to be thought of. But he nodded anyways.
She and Pap hugged again and said their goodbyes. As soon as he had left and the door was shut, She wanted to know if her new doll was like us.
"I'd better step back and you guys can check if he's alive. I don't want to scare the guy off." She said, but Arthur could hear her so there was no point in saying such a thing.
"Has the Code already been broken with this one?" He asked, his head twirling around from doll to doll. He had an English accent, but one more informal than Loki's or Vision's.
"Yeah, sorry, buddy. You don't get a break like the others did. I'm your human. Call me She,"
Arthur shrugged, figuring that there was no use in pretending like She didn't know anymore. He held out his hand for a shake, and She took it with her pointer finger and smiled. "Welcome home, Arthur."
Learning about our human,
Queen Elsa
