Poppet Boyfriend: Vult Ludure (special preview)

I come from a pretty big family, I have nine siblings, all older than I am. Each of them has a special magical gift as well, as our parents are witches, they were given a special charm when each child was born. My eldest sister can talk to animals, my eldest brother can make plants grow with a song, and on and on through each sibling, until you have me. 

I suppose at number ten, the powers that be were a bit stretched at how to bless this newest child. Every sibling already had something unique and special through which to channel their magic. But me, on the other hand, I was charmed with needles. Yes, you heard me correctly, needles. All my siblings could use their powers almost right away when they were young. Me? My parents thought it best I learn to use my powers when a needle wouldn’t be such a harmful thing.

Bit by bit, my mother and father introduced me to the needle. My father taught me to sew, my mother showed me how to use a spinning wheel. But by this age, my siblings had already become familiar and intimate with their magic. I was the baby as well as the odd one out. I didn’t even cast my first spell using needles until I was thirteen. I made a teddy bear that would warm up when you hugged it, and even then, it felt like a paltry comparison to my brother’s four foot tall pumpkin patch.

My parents met when they were young in a traveling carnival. To this day, my family still travels with the carnival from time to time. For the past few years, I’ve worked in the costume department, using my magic to create garments that will magically change in color, appearance, whatever is needed. I also perform a type of fortune telling, where I place needles on a piece of felt and tune them to the person before me, the needles will then act like a sort of lie detector. Easy enough stuff. My siblings have accused me of not being creative with my magic, and that there is more to needles than I assume. Easy enough for them to say when they can make themselves fly or magic hair to do as they will.

Recently, the cabaret has come under new management. Oriharu has taken over since Muna, Fye and Bron have temporarily retired to spend time with family. Oriharu’s tastes in costumes are much grander than Muna’s used to be, so I’ve become the head of his costume department since my magic is able to give him what he needs.

“Can you make people?” He asks.

I’m fitting him for a new costume and I’m admiring his teeny tiny waist as I do. “I have a uterus, so it’s just a matter of will and time.”

He titters at my wit. “No, I mean like, sewing them! Making people with your magic.”

I adjust the waist a bit more and mark it with a needle. “You mean dolls?”

Oriharu poses in the mirror a moment, sticking out his beautiful prosthetic leg from the slit in the gown. “Yeah, just big and alive.”

I think for a moment and hum to myself. “I’ve never tried making anything alive. Aside from the stuffed animals I make for the kids, I’ve not tried anything with dolls.”

“You should! There’s already living dolls here in the carnival. There’s living scarecrows, living statues. It’s not that far fetched. Perhaps you could utilize your magic that way, outside the wonderful clothes you make.” As he turns, the dress shifts from red to green.

I arch my brow at Oriharu. “You just want more flexible back up dancers, don’t you?”

Oriharu mimics my expression. “I knew I should have hired someone whose needles didn’t squeal like a prison stooly.”

I smirk at Oriharu and return to the fitting. “Just ask. No need to bury the lead with me. If you want patchwork doll dancers, I can see what I can make. Now-” I step back from Oriharu so he can admire himself in the mirror alone. “What do you think?”

Oriharu tilts his head to the side, letting his long white hair flow down. His tails spread out from the back and fluff up. He smiles and looks at me. “Perfect. As always.”

I tuck my needles back into the bun in my hair. “Do you have those sketches for the Versailles number?”