|
|
Post by The Jenn on Nov 22, 2007 3:50:08 GMT -5
Femi looked up just in time to catch that smile peeking through on his maleable wooden face, turning up the corners of his mouth in an expression that was so heartbreakingly precious for so many reasons, the most important of which being that it was hers. Just like him. He smiled for her and it made her smile back, giggling and burying her face against his neck now. "I like it when you smile," she whispered, petting at one of the wings. He didn't even seem to flinch at the movement. Hmm.
She untangled herself from her hold on him regretfully, nosing against his cheek before she moved to sit behind him. His wings had such promise, such ornamental detail. The gold ribbons really were ingenious. She ran her fingers along one of the wing joints, testing the material. Solid wood. Those were certainly saveable and the condition would be improved tenfold after a little light sanding. "Does that tickle?" she asked curiously, running her hand along it again. She needed to know... if he really could feel this. Feel her at all.
Yet.
The sails would be more difficult, but she had a few spare bolts of black silk left over from another repair less than a month ago, a stubborn young dragon whose wings were caught in a doorway. "Black silk and gold satin," she murmured to herself, envisioning how they would look on his back, gleaming with newness and good repair, the closest to 'health' a doll could come by. Judging from his current state, he was in rather poor health. She would fix that. She would fix it all.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kari Muffin on Nov 22, 2007 4:06:02 GMT -5
He blinked at her comment. Kazifel watched as she untangled herself, his smile still on his face. Apparently he could smile. "Then I'll have to do it more often." To make her happy. That was his goal now. Something worthy he could put his heart into. He could thank her a thousand times and it wouldn't be enough.
He watched her as she shifted to play with his wings. He couldn't feel it. No. He never could feel any of it. that was his major problem. "No, I can't feel it. That's one of the reasons why I'm broken. I was a failed experiment." It hurt to say that. It was like a shadow of a knife stabbing into his very soul. Cassiel never said it out loud, but she was disappointed. He knew it from seeing her shocked expression.
"Silk and satin... that would be amazing." That was an understatement. He never really expected to be "fixed" so the very prospect of being almost whole again was almost mind numbing.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Jenn on Nov 22, 2007 4:15:50 GMT -5
"That would be just lovely," she agreed, touching a wing and still seeing the soft smile on his face. It made something inside her just want to melt all over him, but not yet. His next words had her frowning and petting the wings more possessively before she turned and looped her arms around his neck to one side of them, resting her chin on his shoulder. "You may have been broken, my beautiful Kazifel, my everything, but you are no failure. You just need a few finishing touches, and then a concentrated effort to get you back to the state you should be in. The state I can see the rest of you wanting to be in. And after I make you as beautiful as the doll man I see inside that smile, I'm going to make it so you can feel me. Feel this." She kissed his cheek.
How was she going to achieve something like that? No clue, none whatsoever, but she would find a way. For him now, she would find anything. Anything he needed, anything to fix him and make him whole.
But. First. His poor wings. She giggled at the comment and pulled herself away, hopping off the bed. "Silk and satin it is, then, and maybe I can find a few gems left over from some of the useless jewelry Mother gave me to make your wings glitter and shine. I know there have to be some rubies in there, and maybe a few diamonds, some teeny ones. Just a moment! I'll be right back!"
She held up a paw-hand with one finger raised, then skittered off, laughing outright with happiness and excitement. She would fix him, and he would be the most beautiful thing anyone had ever seen. Except they wouldn't get to see him. Because he was all hers. To the storage room, then.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kari Muffin on Nov 22, 2007 4:30:25 GMT -5
It was a promise then. She would fix him and make him feel again. It was all he ever wanted. It would make him complete. To feel a kiss, to feel her hands, to feel her fur. Yes, it would mean everything to him. Everything and then some.
He was surprised by her sudden laughter, enough to make him jump a bit and look at her with wide eyes. Kazifel certainly hadn't expected such a joyous outburst. She was very determined to make him "beautiful." Cassiel had tried to make him perfect but that obviously didn't go as planned. He couldn't see Femi failing where she had. Femi was different.
He titled his head curiously as he watched her leave. She was going to tear apart jewelry for him. The corner of his eye twitched as he remembered his mother. She had jewels that they ended up selling to support their costs of completing the doll experiments. Bad memories. Kazifel closed his eyes and pushed them down for the moment. He didn't need them.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Jenn on Nov 22, 2007 4:42:27 GMT -5
After perhaps fifteen minutes hunting and searching and gathering all the tools she would need for the night, Femi scurried back into the room, furry arms clutching a blanket with all of her supplies held inside. She placed them on the floor, spreading out the edges, and picked up her first tool, a pair of scissors. Looking up at him, her expression was one of anticipation, eagerness, and adoration. "You're going to be the most beautiful doll I own. The most special, the most amazing, the most wonderful doll in the entire world. My Kazifel, you will have no rival. If you could come and sit on the floor, I need to cut away some of the older materials to begin."
A little cutting and snipping would leave her with his bare bone wings, so naked and plain. They looked more to her like a blank canvas, just waiting for an artist's touch. She smoothed them over with fine sandpaper, which took a good deal of careful maneuvering and elbow grease. Much easier if they weren't attached, but she absolutely refused to risk his entire framework. The wings were attached soundly, and attached they would stay.
After a long, tedious period of sanding, she would begin to measure out and cut the fabric, and attach what wing sails she could. Silence during such work was out of the question, so instead she decided to talk about herself, about her family, and about the Woods. If he was hers now and would never be leaving her side, he might as well know about his new home.
Yawning for the third time in a minute, she was finally forced to concede a temporary pause for the night. "My love, I think I'll be able to finish them tomorrow. I already have some of the sails on, and they're smooth as river stones. Come cuddle me to sleep?" She left her workspace the in-progress mess it was in favor of crawling up onto the bed, holding her arms out for his company. She always slept with dolls, but she'd never, ever slept with one who could touch her back. Maybe hold her. Maybe even pet her fur. The thought made something inside her just light up like a glowbug.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kari Muffin on Nov 22, 2007 5:02:41 GMT -5
Kazifel simply did what he was told. He sat on the floor and listened to cutting of the fabric the sand paper on his wings. For a moment it felt like he was betraying Cassiel. It was a bit late to have those thoughts though. The deed was already done, and he head a new life.
He was slightly disappointed when she stopped for the night. Then again, it was better that she stopped than she pushed herself. He didn't want anything bad to happen to her because of lost sleep. He stood up and looked to her. She wanted to cuddle.
He tilted his head. He was out of practice with this. "All right." He said to himself, it was reassurance more than anything else. He wished, as they were in the bed that he could feel her soft fur and the soft sheets. He knew what they were supposed to feel like as he hugged her and she hugged her back. It still seemed empty. Morning would come soon enough, even if Kazifel couldn't tell.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Jenn on Nov 22, 2007 5:18:43 GMT -5
Femi fell asleep to the unfamiliar but wholly welcome feeling of someone holding her against them. Granted, Kazifel was made of wood like some of the other dolls, but the feeling of him actually pressing against her and making the effort, having the ability, to hug her and hold her tight... it was just breathtaking. Giddy. Dolls were her world, and now he was her everything. She was so happy she could cry, and she did. It wasn't like he would feel the tears and become worried by them. She drifted off to sleep with her nose pressed against the side of his face. The smell of wood just made it more like home. She lived in a forest, after all, amongst the trees and in a wooden house. He was home, and he was home, and there was such a profound difference between those two phrases.
Morning came with the sunlight warming her fur in places and unexpected pressure in others. She hadn't dreamed that she could remember, the previous day seeming more unreal, but the waking reality was so much better than any dream could be. As soon as she remembered who it was beside her, she slowly slid upright and looked down at him with wide pink eyes.
"You're... really real," she breathed in something akin to awe. "It wasn't just a dream like it is sometimes, with the others. I can... actually remember you. Touching me. Like you were just now. Not just in my head or in dreamland." Her eyes began to mist over. "Oh, it is so nice to just... wake up this morning! Next to you! I can hardly believe it!"
She flung herself at him in a hug that hurt a little - slamming against wood and all - but left her so satisfied it didn't matter a whit. "Good morning, my dearest love," she mumbled against his hair, then pulled herself back and slid off the side of the bed for a few quick stretches and a pat-down of her fur. "So I need to know what's wrong with you before I can start to fix it!" she began in a fast, chittery voice. "Tell me all the little stuff first, and then the medium stuff, and then the Really Big stuff short of not being able to feel, because that'll have to be dealt with separately. So we can see what my ability will get done today, and after that I can nab a bite to eat and get to work on your wings again!"
|
|
|
|
Post by Kari Muffin on Nov 22, 2007 5:43:25 GMT -5
He yipped out of surprise when she slammed into him. He may not have been able to feel the greeting but it still caused him great surprise. Yes. This was very real. He looked up at her wide eyed. So she wanted him to explain what was wrong. Everything that was wrong with him.
That was a feat. He wasn't exactly sure about everything that was wrong with him. He just knew he had suffered from quite a bit of wear and tear recently. Wandering seemed to have that effect on him.
He looked down at his lap as he spoke. He felt embarrassed when he complained. "I don't know what should be considered big or small. But I can tell you what's wrong with me... all that I can remember anyway." He kept his gaze on his lap. Complaining never was flattering. "I have some pealed paint in places on my lower arms. Nothing that special. I have cracks forming on my left shoulder. Er... all the fabric wear and tear you can see. As for a big thing, my right leg was never properly fixed after being cracked nearly clear off, I fixed it with glue. Not very well."
And then it hit him. Fatigue. He had forgotten completely about his only source of nourishment. With a sudden haze of dizziness he flopped backwards gracelessly. "Ugh. Big one. Need paint fumes. Once a week. Haven't had any..." Since when? Well. He couldn't really remember that. Never was one for taking care of himself.
Hopefully this wouldn't worry Femi that much.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Jenn on Nov 22, 2007 5:52:06 GMT -5
Femi listened to him, reaching out to stroke one of the hands near his lap as he spoke. Obviously it distressed him, else he would look at her like he did all the other times. Even if he couldn't feel it, he could still see it. Maybe that would help. She mentally prioritized each of the things as he spoke, deciding which she could do on her own and which she would need to use her ability to properly correct. She had a fairly good mental grasp on it all in terms of workload when he suddenly collapsed backwards and she let out a startled squeak.
"Paint... fumes?" Her eyes were wide, trying to remember where she stored the paint. It was in one of the higher corners of the storage shed and she could grab it quickly if she just jumped on top of the box of-
She rushed out of the room and into the storage, grabbing up the first paint container and stirring stick she could find within reach before hustling back to him. It turned out to be a vivid purple, specially mixed for one of her jester dolls, and she stirred it up vigorously before putting it near him. "I- is this what you need, Kazifel? I could go and fetch another color if that would be better, or see about mixing it more strongly, or try smearing it on something or... is that what you need? What happens if you don't get it? Oh, dearest, you should have told me sooner! I hate to see you so listless on the bed like that! Please, here, do whatever you need to, love!"
The mending and wing-work could continue after this miniature crisis - hopefully miniature - was dealt with. She didn't really understand and her eyes were wide as saucers.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kari Muffin on Nov 22, 2007 6:04:03 GMT -5
He remained silent for a moment as he let the paint fumes waft through the air. Kazifel let out a slight annoyed growl at himself as he lifted his hand to brush hair out of his face. "No. I just need to smell it... the fumes. If I don't get it I... I get sick. I could die." There was a word he didn't use often. One of the few things that would actually kill Kazifel was depriving himself of his own true substance.
"It's because I can't eat anymore. I-I wasn't always like this." Bitterness. That was what he had about that subject. He wanted that to drop as quickly and suddenly as it came up. He carefully sat up, still a bit dizzy. Apparently he had went longer than he was supposed to go. He really couldn't remember his limits. How pathetic.
"I'm sorry to make you worry, Femi." He looked up at her. He really still wasn't good at this new people thing. Twenty years with few encounters in between. Claw marks and broken legs. Better to leave things out. She didn't have to know everything unless she asked.
|
|
