As the sun reached its peak in the sky, the echoing tome of the clock tower rang across the town, hundreds of individuals just below the tower itself in the “Old Town” Square. Prague was a bustling city, its age old aesthetic filled with a modern life as people crossed its streets. Everywhere you looked there were shops open, street performers attracting viewers, and through it all a distinct amount of life. If you knew where to look, you could find some magic as well.
Against one of the old walls of the square, a man stood out from the crowd. Sitting atop a large black case, the man was an oddity; despite appearing clean shaven and fairly well put together, he was dressed from head to toe in a ragged suit, the clothing seemingly decades old. It consisted of a stark black jacket and pinstripe pants to match, with a pastel orange shirt on underneath. He also adorned a pair of stark white gloves and an orange handkerchief folded in his breast pocket, matching his shirt. Despite his vagabond-like appearance, the dusty timeworn clothes seemed to fit him perfectly, the outfit completed by a top hat with its own orange sash around its base, its brim currently resting low on his head as to cover his eyes.
For a time, the man sat perfectly still, his weight resting upon the crate with his hands balanced atop a long wooden cane. As the last tomes of the clock tower rang out though, a smile began to appear on the man’s face, at which his hand swiftly moved from his cane to his pocket, lifting out a small silver pocket watch. Checking the time, as if he did not know it already, the man was satisfied, sharply tapping his cane twice upon the cobblestone below him before lifting himself to his feet. Running his hands along the brim of his hat, he fixed to balance upon the back of his head before taking the handle of the crate in one hand, his cane in the other. Beginning to make his way to the center of the square, the man glanced downwards to the case in his hands, speaking to it, or its contents, under his breath. “Show time.”
Upon reaching a small clearing amidst the crowd, the man firmly place his case standing upright, the box standing 3 feet high and almost 2 feet across. Content with the location, the man started to step a few feet away from the crate, beginning to walk slowly in a circle around it. As he did, he began to tap his cane rhythmically against the stone below, catching the gaze of a few passers-by. After circling the crate a few times, he had caught the eye of a few, looking to him in either curiosity or confusion. Before long though, the man spoke up, his voice surprisingly carrying itself through the square, reaching much further than it should have through the bustling crowd of people. “Do any amongst you wish to see something magic?”
Taking a few more laps around his circle, he repeated his mantra, each time attracting a few more people. Before long, there was a crowd of about 20 people circled around him. It didn’t seem like a lot of people compared to the hundreds around them, but the man was content. ‘Dozens more will come; they always do.’ At that, the man made his way to the center of the circle, resting one foot against the side of his case. “Now, my humble audience, you can call me Marcus the Magician, because despite any theatrics, I assure you the magic you’re about to see is real. Watch closely, for what comes next will be a rare thing to see.”
At that, the man tapped the side of the case with his foot, tipping it over. As the crate fell onto its side, the lid of the swung open, falling to the ground as the contents of the case rolled out onto the stone. For a second, a few people in the audience gasped, few others laughing in surprise: it appeared that from the case, a woman had tumbled out, now sprawled out limply across the stone. After a second of closer observation though, it was clear that it wasn’t a real girl, but instead an incredibly detailed puppet.
With her mouth slightly ajar, the puppet laid motionless, her gaze looking off aimlessly into the crowd. Her face and figure was that of a 20-something woman, her skin being made up of a felt-like fabric with a series of seams over the girl’s form. Despite this, the puppet seemed perfectly realistic, her face and body easily passing off as that of a real girl without further inspection. The puppet girl had shimmering white hair, an artificial wig that reached down the toy’s back. Interestingly enough though, the puppet was dressed in what seemed to be casual street clothes, wearing a tight fitting stripped t-shirt, sneakers, and a pair of short-shorts.
Walking up to the puppet girl on the ground, the Magician tapped her gently with his cane, her fabric frame shifting slightly with each poke but remaining limp. Shrugging, he looked to the audience with a joking tone. “Sorry everybody, Lucy here always has had a bit of stage-fright. Puppets can be so unprofessional.” At that, the Magician kneeled down, effortlessly draping the doll over his forearm and examining her back. There, a distinct slit was visible in the nape of the girl’s back, her shirt having a similar opening. Stretching his fingers playfully, he quickly slid his hand into the girl back, getting half was down his forearm before stopping. As soon as he did, the puppet blinked.
All at once, the girl seemed to spring to life, lifting herself from her owner’s forearm before stretching, her arms in the air and giving off an exaggerated yawn. A moment later, a voice came from the doll’s lips: an effeminate, lighthearted voice. “Wow, it really is cramped in there!” she joked, motioning to the case she had just come out of moments before. “Well, I’m glad everyone could come see our show! I’m Lucy, if you didn’t know, and I’m the main attraction! This guy’s just here to warm up the crowd for me.” Pretending as if he was insulted, the Magician looked to the audience, all appeared surprised by the prop they’d just seen come to life. A second later, Lucy began to make her way to the middle of the circle, the Magician seemingly just being pulled behind her. In reality, Lucy’s feet barely touched the ground, her light weight form fully supported by the hand in her back. Despite this, a few of the voyeurs couldn’t help but be amused that is seemed that the toy was calling the shots. Reaching the center, the Magician lifted Lucy up to step on her overturned crate, turning to address the crowd around her. “So is everyone ready for a show?”
---
It was even busier than before, the day now reaching well past noon. As Nicole made her way through the busy crowd around her, her ears perked up as the sound of excitement caught her attention. Pausing for a moment, the tan-skinned girl stood on her tip-toes, attempting to look above the crowd as well as she could. Thankfully, Nicole was fairly tall for a girl, her gaze just able to peer across the sea of people around her as she did. Not too far off from where she was, a circle of people seemed to have formed around a street performer, though she couldn’t make out what the performance was from where she stood. Checking her phone and thinking to herself for a moment, she couldn’t deny she was curious to see what was going on. Truthfully, she wasn’t in much of a rush, only in the square that afternoon to visit a few shops. After a second of thinking to herself, she shrugged, making her way to the performance. “I mean what’s the worst that could happen?”
Dipping her way through the square, Nicole repeatedly peaked her head above it all to no avail. Even reaching the edge of the circle, she still couldn’t quite see. There had to be at least 100, if not more people around the performance, which only managed to peak the girl’s interest further. ‘Must be good, right?’ she reassured herself, not wanting all that effort to be for nothing. Stepping into the circle of people, Nicole could just about make out what was going on; though still stuck peering over someone’s shoulder, she could see an oddly dressed man and a woman seemingly performing some kind of magic trick for a kid in the audience. Slightly disappointed, Nicole was about to leave. ‘What’s so special about that?’ she mused to herself, expecting something amazing. Before she could turn her back to go though, the girl glanced in her direction, making eye contact, before flashing her a smile and returning to her act. All at once, it clicked. “She’s…shes’s a puppet?”
Watching intently, it took Nicole a few minutes to believe what she was seeing. The woman she was looking at moved fluently, organically, like anyone else would, but even from where stood she could make out the cloth and stitching that made up the toy’s frame. Her eye then turned to the man’s hand, which was slid into the puppet girl’s back, all but confirming that she really was just a prop in his performance. She instantly forgot about leaving, her eyes now locked on “Lucy,” the supposed name of the life-like doll.
Every movement they puppet made, or rather every move the Magician controlling her made, was seamless, the nuance to how Lucy moved being undeniably human. Beyond the precise way in which she moved her arms and legs, as well as moved her head, there were details in how the doll behaved that Nicole couldn’t convince herself was entirely just a man pulling levers and strings in the dummy’s back. The way the doll would occasionally brush her hair behind her ear, or bite her lip when asked a question by a curious member of the audience, even just the way she moved each of her fingers; Nicole was convinced there was no way Lucy was just a puppet.
Evidently, she wasn’t alone in her suspicions either. From across the circle, a heckler called out, his voice reaching most of the audience. “That’s not some dummy, or magic! Just a girl in a costume!” Turning to look towards the source of the voice, both Lucy and her puppeteer turned, replying immediately. “You think I’m pretty enough to be a real girl? You’re too kind!” Lucy responded, curtsying as the audience laughed at the exchange. Stepping in, the Magician looked around to his audience and chimed in as well. “As I said before, my humble audience, there aren’t any tricks here, just magic. Lucy here is a toy!” At that, he let her fall limp over his arm for a moment, the puppet falling inanimate for a moment before the Magician slid his hand back inside her, her spark coming back to her once more. “I should know, I made her myself.” Still, a number of the watchers weren’t as easily convinced, their curiosity slowly turning to doubt. Seeing this, the Magician thought for a moment before smirking. “Well, don’t you worry. Doubt is a product of an active mind! Would anyone from the audience like to volunteer to come get a closer look then? To vouch for a vagabond like me?”
For a few seconds, the audience looked around, seeing if anyone would step forward. From the edge of the circle, Nicole did the same, admittedly too shy to step up herself. All the same, she found herself on her tip-toes once more, glancing around to the rest of the audience. As she did though, she felt a sharp push on her shoulders, some unseen force driving her forward. Stumbling for a second, Nicole felt herself brush past the people in front of her as she tried to find her balance, but as she finally caught herself, she’d made her way past the crowd and into the circle itself. Looking back and apologizing profusely, Nicole stopped short as she heard a man’s voice call out from behind her. “Ahh, my volunteer! There you are! Welcome to the performance!”
Standing up straight and turning to the voice, she was greeted by the sight of the Magician looking right at her, Lucy the puppet looking to her with a half-cocked grin and holding one of her hands in the other. About to turn back, Nicole was stopped before she could, the Magician taking her by the hand and leading her to the center of the circle. “Don’t be shy, don’t be shy! Let’s get a round of applause for Nicole!” Blinking, Nicole looked to the man, asking him in a surprised tone “How did you know my name?!” With a smirk, the Magician leaned in, whispering in her ear briefly. “It’s Magic dear, you’ll get used to it.”
At that, Nicole’s ears were met by the applause of the audience around her, her focus being drawn away from the strange man for a moment if only to shyly wave to those around her. It took her until just then to realize that she had a few hundred eyes all on her. Before she could get caught up in it all though, the Magician pulled her attention back toward him, lifting Lucy between the two of them.
“Now Nicole, tell me, does Lucy here look real to you?” Gulping slightly, Nicole looked to Lucy, who now looked to her with big eyes and a smile on her cloth face. “I mean, a little bit,” Nicole said honestly, the audience around her agreeing. Before she knew it, the Magician stepped closer, extending Lucy so that she was only a few inches from her. “Well, my dear, look a little closer then.”
At that, Nicole felt as Lucy took her by the wrist, placing her free hand in hers for Nicole to examine. Looking to the puppet for a second, Nicole almost felt embarrassed to hold her in such a way, but she reminded herself that the girl in front of her was just a toy, and proceeded. Running her hand along the puppet’s wrist down to her forearm, Nicole didn’t feel a hint of body heat coming from her form, only the soft touch of cloth against her skin. Giving the arm a gentle squeeze, Nicole was surprised to feel only cotton and a thin wooden rod within the arm, without any sign of humanity. Looking to Lucy’s eyes, she was surprised to find the puppet’s gaze watching her intently; despite it all, she seemed as real as ever, even now knowing she was just a toy. At that, Lucy winked at her, Nicole feeling her chest flutter just a bit.
“Ah-hem, hate to interrupt the moment girls, but I believe Nicole has a job?” Marcus spoke gently to the two of them, the girls breaking eye contact as Lucy brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Speaking up for the crowd to hear, Nicole affirmed things. “She really is just cloth and wood, everyone; no costume.” Content, the Magician stood tall, addressing the audience himself now. “Glad we could clear that up! Just in time too, it’s time for the main event! You’ve seen Lucy here do tricks, tell jokes, all while looking stunning, but just wait until you see her dance! All with a little magical twist, I assure you.”
The audience seemed to perk up, excited to see what would come next. Unsure of what to do now, Nicole turned to leave the circle, planning on returning to the sidelines, but as she turned to go she felt a small hand brush against her cheek, turning her gaze back towards the circle. It was Lucy, looking to her with those same big eyes. “You know, as fun as dancing is alone, I think I could use a partner.”
For a second, Nicole felt as if she should reject, but the longer she looked into the doll’s eyes the longer she knew she didn’t want to leave just yet. Beside her, the Magician glided up to her, whispering in her ear. “You know, something tells me my puppet here has a bit of a thing for you. Trust me, if you stay a few minutes more I don’t think you’ll ever forget it.” After a second of contemplation, Nicole nodded, a sharp smile coming over the Magician’s face. “Wunderbar, now, just follow the dummy’s lead,” he joked. Slipping his hand out of Lucy’s back, he tossed the puppet to Nicole, who was caught off guard as she caught the toy.
With Lucy now in her arms, Nicole held the girl up by her armpits, surprised at how light weight she was. Looking to her, she saw that the puppet was completely inanimate, her head drooping to the side as her once excited gaze seemed distant, though still beautiful. Now, walking around Nicole and Lucy, the Magician took the pairs hands and positioned them together: Taking one pair of hands, he interlocked their fingers, leaving Nicole’s hand suspended in the air holding Lucy’s. With their other hands, he positioned them at Lucy’s hand rested on Nicole’s side before pushing the torsos of the girls together. Now, Nicole felt as the plush body of the girl before her was pressed up against her, the puppet now involuntarily resting her head against the taller girl’s chest. Before she even had time to blush though, Nicole felt as the Magician took her free hand, gliding it along Lucy’s back, and slipping it into the slit in her back. With her hand inside Lucy now, she felt a long wooden control rod within the puppet, taking it in her hand.
With his volunteer and his puppet now intertwined, the Magician sprang across his makeshift stage, stepping onto the still overturned crate and using it as a podium. Reaching into his pocket, he took a small harmonica into his hand. Motioning to the pair below him on his makeshift stage, the man addressed the audience once more. “Ladies and Gentlemen; I present the Waltz!”
At that, the Magician began to play a fast and nuanced song on the harmonica, creating an almost elegant melody to it. As soon as he started playing, Nicole felt herself instinctually begin to sway, taking a step to her right and bringing the puppet with her. She’d never been much of a dancer, but she felt like she was being guided, as if on strings.
As the two began to dance, Nicole nervously looked down, the puppet’s feet resting on hers as to move when she moved, but as she watched she noticed something different; with each step, Lucy’s movements became more and more her own, until the puppet’s feet were moving entirely independent of her own. Looking back up, she was met with Lucy fully animate; her eyes filled with life and looking directly into hers. Nicole felt as Lucy’s grip tightened slightly, taking both her hand and her side firmly in her grasp as she pulled herself a little closer to her dancing partner.
Feeling this, Nicole felt like she should have been surprised, but really she was just nervous, both by the hundreds of eyes on her and especially by the advances of the doll she was holding close to her chest. Noticing this, Lucy leaned in, whispering to her as the two continued their dance. “There’s nothing to be nervous about, cutie. You’re performing! They love you!” At that, Nicole glanced up, viewing the many faces around her as they twirled in their dance. For some reason, seeing the smiles on their faces made her feel warm inside, as if despite her own nervousness she was exactly where she should be.
“See? I can tell you love it too. Besides, you’re a puppet, just like me, and what else could make a puppet happier than being used in a performance?” For a second, Nicole was going to question what Lucy meant by that, but as she did the warm feeling she felt before seemed to overtake her, relaxing her entirely. Now, her motions didn’t even seem to be her own, feeling each sway and shift she made being controlled by Lucy.
As this continued, Nicole could hear the audience begin to gasp all around her. As Nicole continued to dance, she felt her skin around her feet slowly turn from flesh to a smooth, polished wood. Starting at her ankles, she could feel a slight pop as it was replaced with a visible ball-joint. Continuing up her leg, a similar joint appeared at her knees, with her legs soon becoming entirely hollow, with only the smooth wood of her skin keeping her form. Shifting upwards, the changes reached her hips, which seemed to expand slightly to make room for two more joints. Washing over her sex, she could feel as her lips turned too, Nicole moaned internally, but she found no noise came out. Instead, her lips were locked in a happy smile, not moving an inch.
Noticing her internal arousal, Lucy leaned in, chiming in once more. “Not in public, dear; this is a family show,” she joked, continuing to lead Nicole in their dance. As they continued, the transformation continued up her torso, her stomach becoming a single beautifully carved piece of wood. Reaching her chest, her breasts and shoulders became a different piece as well, a slight crease forming just under her bust connecting the two pieces of her torso. There, Nicole could feel as her breasts became pert, taking on an especially polished look as well. Shooting down her arms, she could feel as 3 new joints appeared as well, her gaze catching a glance of her fingers as they took on the appearance of a ball jointed doll’s hand, with each finger articulated.
Finally, slowly reaching up her neck, one final joint formed at the base of her skull, little more than a ball and socket keeping her head in place. As her lips became wood, two lines appeared at the corners of her smile, reaching down to her chin resembling a ventriloquist dummy. Still, her smile persisted, while internally she was still smiling as well, lost in it all. At her eyes, she could feel as they turned to two detailed glass balls, her brown irises shining in the light of the afternoon sun. Overtaking the rest of her face, her features smoothed out, her eyebrows becoming a series of threads patched onto the wood. Reaching her hair, her longer brown hair became simply that of a wig fixed onto the puppet she had become.
The changes didn’t stop there though; much to the audiences surprises. Invisible paintbrushes seemed to rush over Nicole’s form, bringing color to the wooden sheen of the newly made toy. All down her legs and arms, the wood began to take on a peachy, light skin tone, unlike her usual tan demeanor. Underneath her clothes, her skin was painted with an acute detail, shading her form to look natural. At her breasts, her nipples were painted a rosy shade, with her sex done similarly as well. Reaching her face, her new skin tone was shaded in as her lips were now painted a bright red, with a tone of blush now covering her cheeks. With the work complete, one last brush painted a name just above her butt on her lower back: “Nicole the Puppet” was written smoothly in cursive, marking the toy as complete.
While the audience watched in awe as Nicole was turned from flesh and blood to nothing but a prop, only a few even noticed that Lucy had changed greatly as well. Where before there was only a toy made of fabric, wood and cotton, Lucy slowly became flesh and blood. Every step of the way, as Nicole became more and more puppet, every change was matched with Lucy becoming human. By the time Nicole Puppet was complete, Lucy was real girl, inhaling deeply with a look of satisfaction on her face as her chest went from being filled with stuffing and a control rod to lungs and flesh. Just as each transformation was complete, the Magician finished the song, and the two stopped dancing, or rather Lucy stopped guiding Nicole along.
“Can we get a big round of applause for our two fantastic dancers?” The Magician beckoned, and only a second later he was met with a thunderous applause. Truly, no one amongst the audience knew how he had done it, but somehow the volunteer he brought to help was now a puppet and Lucy, his prop for most of the show, was as real as any one of them, now holding Nicole up.
Smiling brightly, Lucy took a bow, overjoyed by the reception. Taking off his hat, the Magician turned it upside down and walked the perimeter of the audience, many happily throwing money into his hat. As he did, Lucy turned to her new puppet and hugged her. “You were great! And wow, you make such a cute puppet too! Aren’t you glad you stayed?” Slowly coming to, Nicole began to think to herself. ‘Wait… a puppet? But… I’m not the puppet, you are… right?’ She didn’t know why, but she could barely think. At that, Lucy reached up Nicole’s shirt around the back, finding a similar slit to the one she had not moments before. Reaching into Nicole’s back, she took the control rod within in hand. All at once, Nicole felt herself spring to life, her mind clearing. At first, all she could think about was how strange it felt to have Lucy’s hand in her back, but quickly her mind was pulled in another direction.
“So did everybody have a fun time this afternoon?” Despite not thinking it herself, Nicole heard her voice speak up, the crowd responding with another round of applause. ‘Did I just speak? But I didn’t-‘ Internally she was cut off. Though she couldn’t move a muscle herself, she felt herself begin to lift her arms, waving to the audience with an even brighter smile on her face. Leaning in close to her, Lucy hugged her from behind, Nicole swooning slightly as she felt the body heat from her owner course through her. “Come on, puppet. Let’s go meet some of your fans.”
For the next half hour or so, The Magician continued his walk, thanking audience members for watching as many more walked away satisfied. Meanwhile, Lucy and her new plaything took it upon themselves to continue the show a little longer. Walking up to a group of school kids, Nicole, (or rather Lucy speaking through and puppeting Nicole,) introduced herself, asking if they enjoyed the show. All the while, Nicole found herself struggling to move a finger on her own, every move she made and every word she spoke being out of her control. For a minute, she tried to fight it, but soon enough she gave in as she realized it was hopeless, watching as one of the kids walked up to the two of them.
“She’s not really a puppet, is she? She looks so real!” Nicole was caught off guard by the kid, a girl who couldn’t have been older than 14. Nicole felt herself lowered to eye level with the girl, who looked to her with curious eyes. “She really is just a toy, honest!” Lucy started. “She’s my favorite plaything in the whole world though, aren’t you Nicole?” At that, Nicole heard herself respond in a sing-song voice. “I sure am Lucy! She’s the best owner too! And I’m not just saying that because I can’t move without her!” At that, Nicole felt Lucy slip her hand out of her back, Nicole Puppet falling limp all at once. “Here, see for yourself!”
At that, Lucy positioned Nicole to sit on her knees, the girl walking up to her slowly. Extending one hand, she ran a hand along her smooth wooden arm before lifting her up slightly. Bending her over just a bit, the girl slid her hand into Nicole’s back. Though she didn’t spring to life this time, Nicole felt as the girl pulled the controls in her back, making her open and close her mouth, as well as blink slowly. Taking Nicole back, Lucy slid her hand into her once more, Nicole speaking as if nothing had even happen. “See? Just a dummy.”
For a while, Lucy sat down on the case that she herself had came in, resting Nicole on her lap and doing a short ventriloquist act for the kids. Nicole wasn’t happy at first, but with each joke Lucy made using her, (mainly wood and puppet puns,) she couldn’t help but feel that familiar warmth inside everything she made them laugh. By the time they were done, she was having a blast, but she didn’t expect what would happen next. As Lucy set her up for another joke, Nicole felt her movement return to her. Blinking, she took a second, looking to Lucy who looked back with a warm smile. “I think this is your line, Puppet.” With a genuine smile, Nicole turned back to the kids and completed the joke herself, Lucy giving her back full control.
After a while, the kids left happy, leaving the performers alone in the square once more. Sighing in satisfaction, Lucy positioned Nicole on her lap to face her. “Hey, just wanted to say, sorry for turning you into a puppet.” The two laughed at the remark, as ridiculous as it sounded. Nicole had to admit, when she first saw Lucy being puppeted around, she never thought she’d end up being puppeted by her. Hugging her puppet gently, Lucy continued. “What can I say? You looked adorable, I had to see how you’d look as a toy. And now that I have, I think I might just have to keep you.” At that, Nicole felt nervous for a second, speaking to her would-be owner. “Me? Being owned? As your toy? But what would you even do with me, what about-“ Cutting her short, Lucy leaned in, kissing her puppet deeply on the lips before releasing and giggling to herself.
Nicole found herself lost in a world of bliss for a moment. All at once, she saw what life would be like; being used in performances just like this each day, being brought home by Lucy each night, being played with, making people laugh and smile. She thought about how simple things would be to be a toy, owned by someone who evidently had no interest in letting her sit on a shelf. She couldn’t be sure if it was her own mind or the magic but regardless the feeling was the same. Resting her full weight on her owner, Nicole hugged her before replying. “Yes, owner. Please.” Before Lucy could say another word though, another voice chimed in. “You know, I’m not sure if a puppet can own another puppet.”
Looking up, the Magician was standing behind them, smiling coyly with his hat in one hand, now stuffed with money. “Marcus! Come on, can’t we keep her? Just look at her!” At that, Lucy stood up, lifting her hand from the whole in her back and holding Nicole up by her arms, presenting her now inanimate form to the man. “We can use her in acts! Or I can do my own shows with her when you’re busy! Or we could even just turn her into a maid doll for around the house! Pleeeaase?” Lucy looked to the man with desperation, playfully posing Nicole as to make her beg. Still, the Magician looked annoyed. “You’re so much easier to talk to when I’m the one pulling your strings…” he started, Lucy hugging Nicole nervously. “But…” he continued, “If you really like her that much you can keep her. Just for a week though! Then I’m turning her human again. We can’t just go around collecting girls in the streets of Prague, for crying out loud.”
At that, Lucy jumped up and down in excitement, hugging Nicole closely as she did. Internally, Nicole was just as excited. Lucy was officially her owner, which made her her puppet. With that, any doubt in her mind disappeared; she was a toy now, a prop, and she wanted to be used like one. Looking at the excitement, Marcus sighed. “Looks like I’ll need a bigger case for both of them now.”
With the clock tower striking two, they decided it was time to head home, content with the money and even a new puppet from their work that day. Kneeling over, Lucy folded Nicole up, putting her into the puppet case in a kneeling position. It was a tight fit, but it worked, Lucy giggling at the bunched up form her puppet now took in her box. Leaning in, she kissed her inanimate for on the lips once more before shutting the case, leaving Nicole in darkness.
Now, in her own case, Nicole drifted off into a dream. She dreamt of being suspended on strings on stage, dancing for all to see. She dreamt of being posed on Lucy’s lap, making people laugh. She even dreamt of being played with like a doll by Lucy, who she was quickly developing feelings for, and feelings beyond simply owner and toy at that. Feeling her case move as she was carried around, she wasn’t sure where she’d end up, but she didn’t care. She was a puppet now, and she’d let her owner handle moving her from now on.