“Let’s take this from the top again,” said Arwen, flipping back through her notes.  “You two got together after a rather extreme party at the Blue Vixen.”

The two twenty-something women sitting on her couch nodded.  The brunette spoke first.  “Jill went home with this crazy long tongue, and one thing led to another.  We’d been friends for ages, but that... took things to a whole new level.  Then it went back to normal, and... we drifted apart, a little.”

“Then Paula,” sniffed the blonde beside her, pretty blue eyes damp with tears, “We’d talked about fantasies, and she... she got her arms turned into doll arms.  I could pop them right off.  It turned me on so hard, taking her arms and legs away.  Making her hel...” she hiccuped.  “Helpless.”

“And then you wouldn’t give them back.  Why not?”

Jill started bawling in earnest, and it took a long time to get any answers out of her.  Eventually, with enough comforting, she started to speak.  Of lust.  And twisted desire.  Of being unable to see Paula as anything but a reduced sexual... thing.  That putting her limbs back on felt like desecrating a work of art.

“Paula, how does this make you feel?” asked Arwen when Jill finally ran down.

Paula pulled the still-crying Jill closer.  “I still love her.  I talked to Gwen at the club, and she says that what Jill did wouldn’t have crippled me.  My arms would have grown back, just... slower.”

“But I’m a monster!  I couldn’t give your limbs back, even when you begged for them.”

Paula kissed her.  “Not when I asked.  But when I needed... you did.  And you did everything you could to make me comfortable like that.  It was sweet.”

“It was insane!  Twisted and wicked and wrong.”

Paula pulled her sweetie tight against her chest.  “And I forgive you.  Would you do it again, given the chance?”

“Yes,” sniffed Jill.  “I can’t stop.  I’m sick.”

“You have an... extreme fantasy.  And some issues with permission and control,” said Arwen.  “But hating yourself isn’t the answer.”

“Then what is?” wailed Jill.

Paula kissed her again.  “Getting back on the horse.  There’s a full Moon this weekend.  Are you up for a date at the Blue Vixen?”

Jill stared at her in shock.  “How can you even joke about that?  No!”

“And that’s time for today.  I think we made some progress here.  Will I see you next week?” asked Arwen.

Jill looked at Paula and sniffed.  “If she’s okay with it.”

“Oh, sweetie, I’m okay with far, far more than this.”

Jill stared at her open-mouthed.  “Why?”

“Because you’re worth it.”  Paula hugged her, and stayed close all the way to the door to the office.  “Will I see you later?”

“I...  I don’t think I can look you in the eye,” sniffed Jill.  “How can I?  I don’t see you, I see... that.  The armless doll.”

“Ah well.  I’ll see you here on Monday, though?”

Jill nodded tearily, and held still while Paula kissed her once more.

“I’ll take what I can get.”

* * *

“Jill, Paula, I’m glad you came back.  How have things been this past week?” asked Arwen as the two women entered her office.

Jill moped her way to the couch and slumped into it.  “Terrible.  I can’t stop thinking about how Paula looked on my bed.”

Paula smiled.  “I did look amazing, didn’t I?  I’m glad you sent that picture.”

Jill started, and stared at her.  “You kept it?”

“As a reminder of happier times.”

“How on earth were those happier times?  You begged me for your limbs back.”

“For the first couple of days, yeah.  But you were so sweet about everything, I... stopped asking.  Do you remember?”

Jill nodded slowly.  “I figured you’d given up.  That I’d broken you.  I started to hate myself even more.”

Paula handed Jill a heart-shaped box.  “That’s not how it went.  Not for me.  Open it.”

Jill looked puzzled, and tugged at the paper.  Inside was a golden heart with sets of three buttons arranged near the edges.  Each set had buttons numbered one through three.  “What is it?”

“A remote control.  Press the one near the shoulder.”

Jill did so, and with a pop, Paula’s right arm detached at the shoulder, leaving only a rounded breast-shaped lump behind.  Jill screamed and dropped the remote, scrambling away from Paula.  “What have you done?”

“You were worried about control.  I’m giving it to you.”

“Paula, we talked about this.  Are you really sure?” asked Arwen.

Paula nodded.  “Completely.  Don’t worry, sweetie.  It’s reversible.”  She picked up her arm and pushed it back into place.  It reattached seamlessly with a soft click.  With both hands, Paula held the remote out to Jill.  “Please.”

Jill reached for it with trembling hands.  “What...  I...  Why?”

“Because I love you.  And I loved being your toy.”

Jill shook her head.  “Not toy.  Art.”  She looked down at the heart, then back up at Paula.  “There are five sets of buttons.”

Paula grinned.  “I’m sure you can figure out what the fifth set is for.”

Jill touched Paula’s neck.  “I...  Oh Lord, your head?  What are the other buttons for?”

“The second one turns the limb off.  Can’t move or feel it.”

“Does the third make it go away?” asked Jill too eagerly.

“Sadly, no.”  Paula grinned and bounced on the couch.  “But try it anyway, it’s cool.”

Jill poked the button, and stared at Paula’s arm.  It was turning pale and white.  “Marble?”

Paula nodded.  “Something that looks a lot like it, anyway.”  She swung her shoulder back and forth, but couldn’t otherwise move the arm.  “So you can make my limbs into art projects when I’m not using them.”

Jill stared at her, and pressed the button again.  In moments Paula’s arm looked normal.  “I... if I start, I won’t stop.”  She pushed the remote into Paula’s hands.

Paula set the remote in Jill’s lap.  “It’ll be okay.”

“What... what will happen if I don’t put them back on?” whispered Jill, staring down at the remote.

“Nothing bad.  Donna took care of it personally.”

“A week,” whispered Jill.  Then a bit louder. “I can do a week.  Right?”

“Right.”

Arwen chuckled at the looks that were passing between the two of them.  “We’re not going to get further today, are we?”

Both her clients shook their heads emphatically.

“Fine.  But I expect to see you here on time and intact in a week.  Understand?”

Jill nodded sharply.  “I...  Yes, Doctor Sakurai.  I promise.”

They left arm in arm.  But once they were at Jill’s place, Paula’s arms came straight off.  “Are you sure it’s safe?” asked Jill, urgently.

Paula smiled at her.  “Nothing you will do can harm me.  Or make me hate you.”

Jill pushed her to the couch, and Paula’s legs followed her arms.  “I love you so much.”

Paula’s smile got even wider.  “I love you too.  You know you want to use the other button.”

“I...”

“Kiss me.  Then do it.”

Jill did.  Eagerly.

* * *

Arwen smiled at the two women walking through her door.  “I see Paula has her limbs.  I wasn’t sure that would be the case.”

Jill bit her lip, and stared at the floor.  “It very nearly wasn’t.  But I promised, and so we’re here.  ‘Sides, she’s going to start changing back soon anyway.”

Paula put her finger to her lips where Jill couldn’t see the gesture.  Arwen’s eyes widened momentarily, then she turned back to Jill.  “But you did, in the end, give her limbs back.  That’s something, isn’t it?”

“I hated it.  Hated every second of it.  I was crying when I put them back on,” said Jill in a soft monotone.

“Ah.  Why was it so bad?”

Jill raised her face to look at Arwen.  “Because she was perfect.  Even more beautiful than before.  And now she’s going away.”

“Going away?” asked Arwen.

“Everyone’s been saying it.  She’s leaving!  Off to Tibet to figure herself out,” Jill wailed.  “I’ll never see her again.”

Arwen looked concerned.  “Why would such a story be circulating?”

“Because I started it,” said Paula.  “Told all my friends.  I... didn’t think it would get back to Jill like this.  I’m sorry sweetie.  I’m not going anywhere.”

“But...”  Jill turned tearful eyes on her sweetie.  “Why would you say such hurtful things?  That you needed to go away to understand...”  She started to look confused.  “To understand...  Nobody quite had that bit figured out.  I assumed it was because of me.  Because you hated what I’d done to you.”

Paula laughed, drawing fresh tears.  She pulled Jill tight against her.  “Oh, love, not that.  The opposite.  Here’s a puzzle for you.  When was the last quarter moon?”

“Yesterday?” asked Jill uncertainly, receiving a nod in reply.  “You should be changing back.”

Paula pulled the remote out of her purse, and pressed a button.  Her left leg fell off.  Another button press turned it to marble.  “Doesn’t seem to be happening.  I wonder why not?” she asked with a grin.

Jill yanked up Paula’s skirt and stared at the breast that remained where Paula’s leg had been.  “It hasn’t...  Silver?”

“Nope.”

Jill’s breath caught.  “You didn’t!”

“I did.  I am 100% doll girl, until we go to Donna and ask her to change me again.  This is the real me.  It’s a pretty sweet deal, I can be human, or not, at the press of a button.”

“But... but...  Tibet?”

Paula smiled serenely.  “I will be finding myself.  With you.  Nobody will wonder why I’ve d..disappeared.”  Her smile may have been serene, but her eyes and voice betrayed her.

Jill stared at her in wonder.  Arwen stared at her in shock.

“Are you absolutely certain about this?” asked Arwen.  “You might never...”

Paula gestured at Jill’s rapt expression.  “Do you see how she’s looking at me?  I wasn’t sure... but I am now.”

“You really want this?” asked Jill, voice tinged with awe and wonder.

“As long as you look at me like that, yes.”

Jill grinned, madness added to the wonder.  “Oh, I can do better.  So much better.”

Paula offered her hand.  “Then let’s get started.”

Jill picked up Paula’s leg, and offered her a shoulder to lean on as they headed to the door.  Paula hopped along, unprotesting at the lack of her limb.

“Will I see you two later?” asked Arwen plaintively.

“That depends,” said Paula.  “Do you make house calls?”

* * *

“Doctor Sakurai!  It’s good to see you again,” said Jill, after opening her front door.  “Has it really been another month?”

“It has.  How are you doing?”

Jill smiled brightly.  “Ever so much better, now that the display is finished.”

“Display?”

Jill pulled Arwen in to the middle of her living room, where one wall was now dominated by a shrine of sorts.  It was an ornate array of niches with a variety of little objects in them.  Some hand-carved figurines, keys, several lipstick tubes, a cellphone, other oddments that one might find in a purse.  Curving out into two wings were tiers of little candle-holders, many with burning candles in them.  In front were three incense holders, each with a single stick wafting scented smoke into the air.  All of it was glittering with gold leaf.

The centerpiece was the most ornate of all, a carved wooden box of suspicious dimensions.  Jill darted forward while Arwen was still staring at it all, spellbound.  She opened two concealed latches, and the front of the box unfolded to either side.  Revealed within was Paula’s headless torso, cradled in dark purple velvet and gleaming gently in the candlelight.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

Arwen made a strangled noise, then slowly nodded.  “It’s...  Yes.  It’s incredible.  What does Paula think?”

Jill turned to a side table that was occupied by a marble object that Arwen belatedly realized was Paula’s head.  Jill tapped on a button and the head sprung to life.

“Oh, hi Arwen.  A month already?  Time flies when you’re having fun,” said Paula.

Arwen blinked at her.  “Are you... okay like this?”

Paula’s head bobbed in an approximation of a nod.  “Yeah!  And I’m so beautiful...  It took a while, but I can see what Jill means now.”

“Told you,” said Jill contentedly.

“I... honestly don’t know what to say,” said Arwen.  “Don’t you want your limbs back?”

Paula shook her head.  “And ruin the shrine?”

Arwen turned back to the shrine, and her eyes widened.  Worked so subtly into the design that she hadn’t even realized they were there were two marble arms and two marble legs, holding up the array of candles.  “My god...  I don’t understand.  This should be macabre.  But... it’s not.  It’s...”  She shook her head.  “I think my work is done.  If you ever decide to change back, and need help with being human again...”

Paula shook her head.  “I can’t imagine it.  Jill worships me.  Do you have any idea what that’s like?”

Arwen chuckled softly.  “Oddly enough, yes.  You’re not the only one of my clients with that particular issue.  Be well, you two.  I... don’t see any point in making another appointment.”

“Please come and visit even so,” said Paula.  “I enjoy the company, and this is hard to explain to most people.”

Arwen smiled.  “I think I’d like that.”