Quirk of Fate [private for me and Coffee-Tastic]

[zajawa]

Long time ago cursed by the witch. Now living as a doll. Without a master love he has no life. He dreams to find a way to once again become a living entity.

 

 

Name: Master chooses it since he forgot his own name through all the times he 'woke up' in different worlds and names he was called

Personality: submissive, curious of everything and clumsy

Likes: reading, being helpful, taking care of flowers

[Coffee-Tastic]

 

Name: Todd Graham (Nickname: Teddy)

Age: 20

Height: 5ft 10in

Eyes: Pale yellow, has thin eyebrows

Hair: Light brown

Body: Lean with some muscle, he's agile and knows how to fit himself through small, tight spaces

Sexuality: Bisexual, he guesses

 

Personality: Cold, territorial and distrusting, but can also be very gentle with certain things when he's calm. If he senses danger, he is very cautious and quiet.

 

Bio: Born a small community in the wasteland, he was lucky to have no defects besides having sharp, black fingernails out of all things. Todd was always insecure about the mutation, but he learned that appearances didn't matter all too much in a world where only survival mattered. And sadly in a place where survival was the only thing that mattered, there were many people out there who would do anything for supplies. When he was 14 years old, raiders came to the community and set everything up in flames, killing the men and taking the women and young girls for purposes he could only imagine were horrible. As for himself, he ran after witnessing his father being killed and his mother being killed as well for causing too much of a fuss. The only thing he had on him was a backpack with his gas mask, a knife, small tools and jerky.

 

Many times after that he thought he was going to die. Starvation, dehydration, getting injured while trying to survive against the large bugs of the wasteland, but from his experiences alone, he learned many things. Currently, he drove out the occupants of a small, condemned home in a dead forest, claiming it as his own and protecting it well with several traps around the area and a mutant dog he captured and keeps chained outside. Its more of a safe house than a place he lives, usually scavenging around the broken city not too far away in search of interesting things and supplies. He feels relatively safe in this area, but lately has been noticing a lot of passerby's going through the city, which usually means that raiders and thieves will pick up on their route and start making residence in the city eventually.

 

Likes: Scavenging new places, finding interesting things, eating mammal meat, cool and shady places, and bathing

Dislikes: Raiders, mutants, large bugs, rain, having chapped lips, eating bug meat and strangers

Extras:

- When it rains, he gets immense pain all over his body, even if he stays inside. He is very sensitive to radiation. Because of this pain, he always avoids any places where he can sense radiation, which others don't have the ability to do

- He's come across plenty of people who he trusts slightly more than others, but always refuses sticking by them as partners, preferring to survive on his own and not get attached to anybody.

- Todd is not innocent, he has stolen from many people before, though he wishes he never had to.

- The mutant dog he keeps outside can speak words, but still is quite a savage animal who always tries to bite Todd

 

---

"Come back here!!!" A gun fired after the sound of a man yelling came from behind Todd, who was running away with a back pack stuffed with canned food and bullets that did not belong to him. He hated to have to do steal, but he didn't have a very lucky streak in finding useful things for him. Food he had, bullets no... But when he came across a tent with someone staying in it and saw the things that he had, Todd couldn't pass up the opportunity to take everything he could for himself. The brunet put his hood over his head, gunning it as fast as he could. With another string of gunshots, he was starting to wish he had found that man's gun so he could have taken that as well. He had his own sawed off shotgun strapped over his shoulder, but he wasn't looking to do more harm to that man more than. And he wasn't going to waste bullets when he was already starting to get some distance between himself and the stranger.

 

The chase led Todd out of the dead forest, a place with mostly crispy trees and dry, infertile dirt, and to the edge of a town that... he didn't typically like. The vibes he got from it weren't positive, and not in the sense he felt radiation, it was just a pure ominous factor. He's wanted to come in this tragedy stricken place. Every time he came by, it was that feeling keeping him from going in, or he saw a swarm of bugs in the distance and was further convinced not to enter. Todd guessed he could no longer keep away. He needed to lose the man following him somehow.

 

He jumped through the broken window of an unidentifiable store and looked back, hearing footsteps coming. Todd cussed and ran deeper inside the store, passing dirty shelves of chippe jars, broken toys and dusty, faded books, looking for a place to hide. Looking frantically, he caught sight of a hole in the wall that looked like a tight squeeze, but he was sure he could fit through. Taking the backpack off and holding it in his arms, as he crawled inside. It might not be the best idea to enter a tight space that might have been made by an animal, but he'd take his chances to keep from being shot and killed.

 

He went inside and crawled through the wall space. It really was tight, but it was okay... That is he heard snapping wood beneath him. His eyes widened and before he could even attempt to do something about it, the floor under him broke and he fell through to a lower level of the nameless place. Todd hit the floor hard and his backpack also fell on his stomach, taking the wind right out of him, "Ouch," he groaned, but then covered his mouth when he heard the man on the upper level running inside, looking for him. The air down here after he fell was covered in dust, particles everywhere, wanting him to sneeze or cough to give away where he was. He slapped his other hand over his mouth, not making a single move, not making a single noise...

 

He didn't dare take his hands off until he could no longer hear the footsteps, even hearing the stranger swear as he went away, most likely to go off and try to find him somewhere else. As soon as he took his hands off, the scavenger sneezed. He sat up and rubbed his nose with the sleeve of his sweater, grabbing his backpack and putting it on his back again. Todd wished he could apologize to whoever that was, but he didn't regret getting what he got. Bullets were very important and he got plenty of them. And the man must clearly not be smart if he was shooting around at him, wasting the bullets he had left. Todd never wasted resources.

 

Well, now that he was safe, or at least that's what it felt like, he got up and took a look around "So dusty..." he muttered, keeping his sleeve over his nose as he walked slowly to see what was down here. There was more broken things on shelves, but nothing looked like it was touched in a very long time. Todd came to a row of toys and stuffed animals, picking up a cute looking rabbit and touching its ears. The stuffing inside the toy was stiff from age. It was much of a sad sight, but if it was in a place like this, it was a little better to know it might not have belonged to someone in a long time. He put it back down and took a few more steps, seeing dolls now. "Sheesh..." Decrepit, old, dusty dolls. "How nice." He looked over most of them because of their creep factor, but within them, he saw an interesting cherrywood box with a free latch attached to it.

 

Always interested in antiques and anything different, he found himself drawing all of his attention towards it. He put his hand off his face, taking the box carefully and lifting the top. "Oh... just another doll." Thats all he said to himself at first, but he took a closer look at it and it was in an amazing condition... The clothes of it were a lot more elegant and the hair of the object looked as if it had just been brushed with a golden comb. A doll didn't mean anything now anymore whatsoever, but he could tell that if the world wasn't like this, this thing would have been very expensive. The skin was so pure. How come this one was in such a good condition? Even the box looked in good shape. Picking up the doll, in his hands, he looked at it curiously, looking into it's hazel eyes. Wow. They looked pretty real. "... I'm not into dolls that much, but," he smiled a little and touched it's hair, "I actually think I might take you back with me."

[Coffee-Tastic]

(sorry I didn't send it first, I got too excited xD )

[zajawa]

Gold eyes opened as soon as Todd picked up the doll. Now, when he was holding it it's skin gradually became warmer. Suddenly, small hands gripped one of the boy's fingers and the little eyes looked at him curiously.

 

He opened his eyes slowly and looked around, and then on the big face over him. Some time ago each time when somebody awakened him he was afraid but it was long gone. He grew accustomed to this with time. After all after so many times it was impossible not to. More or less at least. He looked at his new master.

So it was human this time.. but then the green eyes rested on the unusual nails. So.. a half-demon? It's interesting. From what I remember the last master claimed that demons do not exist.

 

Sometimes he actually felt when he sleeps he is carried by different times and worlds. It was a strange sensation.. like floating in a cold water.

"Are you my new master?", he asked not taking his eyes off of the other for even a second.

 

Is there magic in this world? Technology? Waiting patiently for the other's reaction he hoped the other wasn't one of those violent kind of people. Well, they could not kill him so he kind of didn't have anything to worry about but pain is another thing...

 

He smiled and shook his head reassuringly.

"This is not a dream nor an illusion. I'm real. I assure you", he added, knowing by experience that it helped sometimes to ease his new masters a little bit by talking .

Well.. there was a time he was brought to life by a psychopath.. and had some very sadistic masters as well but the only thing he could do right now was hoping for the best.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Staring at the doll as it's face grew life as did it's vocal cords, Todd let it speak, the voice small and polite... Master? Yes, he just asked if he was his new master... Todd shook his head just like the doll had, but only to shake himself out of whatever was wrong with his head. Looking back to where he fell from, he looked on the floor to see if he had hit something on his way down, but there was nothing there and the only part of him that hurt was his stomach that his heavy backpack crashed on. Still. When something told you I'm real. I assure you, you would be seriously wondering what happened to your health up until these moments. And he's seen a lot of things on the wasteland from mutant skeleton dogs, owning one that talked, to rodent-insect creatures. A talking doll. No. Those weren't exactly common in this rad-drowning world. But at this point, he might start believing that radio waves affected inanimate objects.

 

Todd put another finger on the doll's hand that was touching him, lifting up his arm gently, "I'm sorry, but I don't believe you," he sighed, surprisingly taking this very well... "You cant assure me by just saying I should trust you. Do you have a..."

 

Somewhere from this basement area, he heard a familiar clicking noise, the chatter of a creature he didn't like very much at all. "Name..." he finished his sentence after a pause, becoming sharp and alert, "Tell me later. I don't care if you're actually talking or not, but you know how to get out of this place and back upstairs?" He asked taking the doll and taking the box as well, "I didn't see any stairs." And if there were stairs, they weren't by him and by the creature making the noise. That creature could easily be identified as a radroach. An over sized cockroach that liked meat just as much as Todd did. Their exoskeleton was incredibly tough and it always took a gunshot or two to kill. But Todd was extremely conservative with his ammo and if he could find a way out without using his gun, then that would be pretty great right about now.

[zajawa]

As the other male looked up so did he. Seeing a hole in the ceiling the doll wondered if maybe his new master fell here. The room they were right now in seemed pretty rundown so it was a possibility. Hearing the noise made the black haired male look around but he didn't notice anything. Still, assuming from the other's reaction, it wasn't anything nice. Being asked if knew the way out he shook his head.

"I am afraid I can't help you in that matter much, Master, yet the way the air smells here I would say that is could be somewhere in that way", he said softly, showing with his finger to their left.

 

Since his senses were really sharp just after awaking he could tell the things like that. After a day or two it always dulled to a normal level. He didn't know the reason for that nor was able to figure it out by himself. The noise from before repeated once again and made the doll flinch. It really was a very disturbing, unpleasant sound. Even if it interested him a little bit he still would prefer to get away from it as soon as possible.

 

Looking at Master once again he noticed the gun as well as a knife. So more technologically advanced world? Is the creature some kind of a robot, maybe? Though.. it doesn't really sound like that..

[Coffee-Tastic]

Going to the left as suggested, Todd's footsteps had become ghostly silent. Being alone in the wasteland, he knew how to make himself quiet because there were plenty of situations where he would die if he were caught. Raiders always stayed in groups of at least three. Other groups that weren't raiders but still dangerous, he would have to be quiet with them too. Creatures and mutants were harder to get around because they could smell you, but this was just a roach. It was big and tough, that was the only advantage these things had for themselves. "Don't say a word," he whispered quietly, to the doll, not even realizing that he had just been referred to as a master.

 

He didn't know why he trusted a talking doll... Maybe it was because he didn't have any other ideas right now... Or that the voice of the doll just felt trusting. Either way, he kept the doll close as he walked, seeing a door there that he hand't even noticed because of the darkness. It was good to see. Hearing the clicks start to come over here wasn't very nice. Todd looked to where he heard it and saw two long entente moving around in the air as the large roach started to come by. Shit. Holding his breath, the brunet turned his head at another shelf, grabbing a vase and throwing it away from him.

 

With the crash of the glass ceramic, the bug hissed loudly shooting off to where the vase broke. Todd waited for it to get far enough, then went to the door, opening it up and going through the door, closing it silently. The bugs weren't strong enough to get through doors, so he was safe. They were safe. Putting his back on the door, he closed his eyes. "Alright... I'm assured now." There was a slam on the door from the bug that Todd didn't expect and it made him flinch for a second, "Dammit,' he glared at the door and stepped away from it. Around the short corner were a flight of stairs back up, "Well wouldn't you know. Its here. Thanks," he smiled, "Alright. Now you can tell me your name."

[zajawa]

The green eyes widened as the creature could be seen at last. For his small form everything around seemed big but it was a first time he saw such a bit insect. Sure he found himself earlier in some words that used magic but still it was first he met something like that. Covering his lips with his neat hand the doll nodded his head. There was no way he would let out a sound a risk the creature getting closer to them. Since the other was carrying him he had a chance to observe everything closely. Ah! So it's reacting for sounds just like it's smaller bothers, huh?

 

As the doors closed he let out a sigh of relief only to let out a small, funny sound when the cockroach slammed onto the door. It made him blush a bit. Such a stupid sound to make..

 

"My sincere apologies but I do not know. Once I had a name.. but because of how much time passed and how many times I was named differently anyway I do not remember. It fine to give me a name, Master. Choose something you would want to call me by", he asked, nodding his head slightly to apologise.

The timbre of his voice was soft and nice to listen to. Melodious.

 

"If that would be alright I would like to know your name, Master. I hope it isn't rude to ask that? I would of course still call you by your proper title", he added after few more moments.

[Coffee-Tastic]

So the little guy couldn't remember his name? Todd could understand that he might not remember if he was asleep for such a long time. The clothes the doll wore were very traditional. He wondered the last time people dressed like this or even had dolls that looked so regal and pristine... But when could dolls talk? That's what he'd like to know. It seemed like the nameless doll had a question of his own. A simple thing like his name, that was to be expected, and it wasn't rude at all. "No, don't say that. Its fine to ask me my name," chuckling, he started to climb up the stairs, leaving the radroach behind and taking each step carefully so the doll wouldn't get dizzy from him moving around. Do dolls get dizzy though...? "Todd. Todd Graham... You can call me that actually. Calling me Master isn't very normal. And I only found you, that doesn't make me your master."

 

"And since you don't have a name, then what about the name Xuaniko? Its not a common name, but a talking doll is not common either. It comes off the tongue well, don't you think?" He asked, being more careful the closer he got to the top of the stairs. Radroaches usually aren't alone in an area so there might be ones upstairs that came out of hiding after hearing the commotion he and the stranger caused earlier. They'd be able to hear the clicking, but it was best to keep more quiet from the get go. He didn't worry about the dolls voice however, it was smooth and gentle. Nothing on the planet could possibly be bothered by the soothing, small voice.

 

He really wasn't... too bothered by this anymore. A talking doll was quite something, but Xuaniko was extremely pleasant. He also helped him find the way out of the basement, which was impressive and appreciated. Never would he think that he'd come across something so useful to him. Yeah, a gun is useful, but only useful for surviving. He could already tell that the doll was going to be useful for himself. Trusting nobody on the wasteland, befriending a polite, soft voiced doll would do the solitary boy great good. All the time he was paranoid, mostly paranoid. Even when he was at home, he'd always spend a hefty amount of time looking out the windows, just to make sure nothing was coming towards him. He had the mutant dog outside, but sometimes it didn't catch things and even having that animal as his guard dog, it wasn't too reliable. Sometimes it slept. He was afraid that the dog could be killed silently to prevent it from making noise... ect.... It was good to keep some sense of paranoia, survival not being exactly the easiest thing in the world, but something like Xuaniko to keep him company... he'd really like that.

[zajawa]

He shook his head when he heard Todd Graham.

"I am sorry to correct you, Master, but you are my master. If not for your touch I would be still sleeping. As long as your heart is beating mine it too. If it stops I would be back to being just a doll. Right now I can be of size of a doll but still my heart is beating. I can feel, become hungry or sad. You gave me life thus you're my master", he said softly.

 

Hearing his new name made his darker, alluring lips move as he silently repeated his new name. He was trying it out while at the same time remembering it. Then he smiled softly, his green eyes glistening.

"I like it very much. It's a beautiful name and I would be happy to use it from now on. Thank you very much, Master", he thanked the other male and nodded his head in appreciation.

 

There were few moments of silence before Xuaniko spoke up again.

"If that's not too big of a hassle may I ask what kind of world it is? Could you please describe it for me a little bit, Master?", asked Xuaniko, hoping he wasn't too much of a bother with his questions.

Although he woke up already knowing how to read and write in a mother tongue of his master's it still was the only thing he knew. The worlds changed and each was different than the earlier one. It was amusing and very disturbing at the same time.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Well, he supposed being called Master didn't hurt... And if he didn have a problem with it, he would've had to get used to it since it didn't seem like Xuaniko wanted to stop calling him that anyways. At least in his little talk, he learned that touching him is what awoke him and that if he died, then the doll would go back to being a quiet, lifeless doll. That was a pretty depressing thing to think about. Todd would hate to be someone that would resort back to being inanimate after someone important to them just died, and then waking up in some different time period... If Xuaniko goes through that, then sure, he should do whatever he wants. Todd was now a Master.

 

"No, it won't be a hassle at all," he said, getting to the top of the flight and looking around. As he suspected... he saw another roach in the store, but he didn't need to go where it was, so he just took himself back to where he came through, hopping over the large open store window and onto the dusty, cracked ground, "This place, Xuaniko, is the wasteland. I'm sure there are other places that don't look like this, but I've lived around in this place all my life." The deserted town was dead silent, Todd being the only human walking down the road to return back to the dead forest and then back to his home, "Apparently this place became this way because of big bombs that came from the sky. There was a war and everyone would just bomb each other... Now a lot of the land is dry and dead. Theres a lot of radiation still around, which isn't good for us humans because some can get sick... like with my mother, she had been living in a radioactive area without her even knowing, so years later, when she had me, I came out with a defect."

 

Todd lifted his hand for the doll to get a better look at his sharp nails that almost looked like claws, "But that's pretty much it. I know others aren't so lucky... As for how things go around here, its very dangerous. In fact, I want to get back home as fast as possible. Its going to get dark soon and there's a lot of worse things out there besides giant bugs." Todd wasn't very used to talking so much, so he had to lick his lips because they were starting to get dry again, "Its different from what you saw last, huh? Its pretty crumby to live in this world."

[zajawa]

As Todd looked around so did Xuaniko, soon noticing another one of the big insects. With more light being present in the room it looked even more.. discouragingly. In his normal size he wouldn't want to meet it.. and even more while being like right now. As they jumped outside through the broken window the green eyes stopped here and there, observing everything. It really looked dangerous and uninviting. No wonder Master carries his weapons with him.. Looking at the claws that made him think at first the other was some half-demon Xuaniko nodded his head.

 

"Yes, indeed it is different. The last world I was in was full of life, very chaotic. It's very saddening to see a town in such a state. Living in here must be hard on you, Master. From now on I'll try to be of any use I could. As I'm still in this form there aren't many things I can do for you but it won't keep me from trying", he said softly. "Radiation... so that's the reason for those cockroaches being so big. If they are like that I only can imagine how are dogs or cats... Hm.. And what about the food and water? Radiation probably made it impossible to get those things just from any source?"

 

Sure Xuaniko was new to this world but it wasn't like he didn't know what radiation was. He enjoying reading really much and he read some of the debates and such about what would happen if the war broke between some of the countries. Sure, technology was different, but some things were still common.

[Coffee-Tastic]

He could only imagine how life was back then, before people decided to start blowing everything up. Books in good condition were hard to come by. History books with pictures were even more difficult. Anything giving a window back to the normal days were always in demand of everybody. And even with pictures, Todd bet it still would be hard to imagine this dead land to have any sort of life in it, especially for him, who grew up in this world. "Contaminated water is undrinkable and would probably kill a human if they tried to drink a cup of it... The only places you can get water is underground. The only ways to get the water is by making a well or digging for it, which takes a long time... But thankfully, there's plenty of wells around. in these woods, built overtime. I have a well behind where I live, so I'm thankful." He still felt kind of bad for scaring away the people who lived in it before. A man and a woman. They must have felt like they were in their own closed off world in that little house, but a bad person just happened to find it and chase them away. That person being Todd. But he didn't tell that part to Xuaniko. He might be able to figure it out eventually, or he'll just ask. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't dreading the time when the doll were to ask how he was able to have an actual house while others were scraping by, moving from place to place.

 

"For food, its a bit easier. I just got myself some canned food, which is a real treat, but its possible to eat mutated animals, because that's just how they are nowadays, there aren't many normal animals anymore," he chuckled, "Its even possible to eat those roaches, and other bugs... But I try to not go for them. They're gross to look at and for me, eating them hurts my stomach and my throat. They take it more radiation from the environment and I'm very sensitive to rads, I was just born that way. Someone else could be able to eat it just fine, I only eat them when I have no other choice. Speaking of that, it also rains acid... That does anyone harm if they're exposed to it, but for me..." He sighed, "Well. Even when I'm inside, it feels like every part of me hurts. The rain just gives off too much radiation in the air for me to be able to handle it. So nobody ever asks for rain, me more than anyone else."

 

"Its definitely hard," he shook his head, "But you know? I feel very happy to have found you to keep me company and help me out. I'm sure there'll be plenty of things for you to help me with once I figure it out. But I'll be guilty to say I might not let you do much. You're very pretty, Xuaniko. I wouldn't want you to get hurt or dirtied."

[zajawa]

Xuaniko listened carefully to everything that was being said. After all he would be living here and every information would be useful. He nodded to the information the insects were still eatable. It was important for one to know how he could get by. There would be a lot of things he would need to learn, that being only a little bit of that. The memories were fading with time passage but still he remembered the things he learnt and that would come in handy as well.

 

So rains are like that, huh? No wonder no one likes it... or is waiting for it. After all it brings nothing more than more trouble.. That saddened Xuaniko a bit since he was a person appreciating a beauty of rain.

"That sounds bad. I'll make sure to tend to your all needs when it would be raining again, Master", he said only to fall silent as the other male continued to speak.

 

When the other male told he was happy he had found him made him smile only to blush up to his ears when complimented. Not sure what to say to that he looked down. It wasn't a first time someone complimented him like that but it was the first time he was told that to early and by a person that seemed all sane and nice. Someone smart enough to stay sound and safe although the circumstances were not favourable.

"Th-thank you, Master.. I.. I'm happy t-to hear that m-my look is to your liking", Xuaniko muttered, clearly flustered.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Sadly, for Xuaniko, there wasn't anything that could be done to help what happened to his body when it rained, not even hearing his calming, refreshing voice. It was as if all of his organs were laid out under the acid water to be burned for whatever reason. Drinking water didn't help. The only thing he's ever found that helped was to keep his body moving. And that usually meant being in bed rolling around in agony until it stopped... Thinking back to all of those times, he knew they weren't pretty. Todd wasn't sure if he ever actually wanted the doll to see him like that, so he might have to ask him to stay in his box until it was over.

 

Glancing down to the doll, he smiled seeing his cheeks red. It was funny how when he first saw the doll, he felt like the skin and all made it look so real, and now that the small doll was alive, all of his expressions were just so human like, even more so than the poker face he had before he was awoken. And wow, he didn't think a male doll could be so cute. Laughing, Todd lifted up Xuaniko and kissed his small head, "You're very welcome." The doll wouldn't know after meeting Todd like this, that the boy never acted like this to any human being ever. And a kiss on the head? That was an amazing thing on it's own, but this was actually all how he acted when he was calm. And he had never felt any sense of comfort from any person, but with Xuaniko not being a person, being completely innocent to the ways of the wasteland, that gentle part of him was being given out freely. What were to happen when the doll saw how he was like all of the time? He wouldn't expect him to be so cold, he bet. So cold and so ruthless when he was between a rock and a hard place like today. Stealing. He hated stealing, but if he never had stolen anything, he'd most likely already be dead.

 

"Any more questions, Xuaniko? If not, I have my own. One big one being how its possible that I'm talking to a doll right now... Thats the only question that comes to my mind."

[zajawa]

The other male laughing was a nice surprise. It was long since he heard someone that awakened him laugh so freely. The soft, warm lips kissing his head made him blink in surprise and his heart skip a bit. That kind of treatment wasn't usual at all. Sure some masters did this or that to him but.. showing affection? There was only one such a nice master, at the beginning. He remembered how hard he cried after he died in his arms. But that was exactly what was waiting for him - Xuaniko was a doll and he didn't age.

 

Thinking about it all made him feel sadness welling deep inside him. Pushing those thoughts aside the doll shook his head. There was nothing more he wanted to ask, not now at least. What followed next was a question that he was more or less used to hear from his new masters.

 

"I was cursed by a witch. The curse to watch of the others dying and being unable to do the same. Waking up again and again. It was so, so long ago.. but I remember first.. I thought it wasn't much of a curse but then I slowly started to understand... and I came to full realisation after a person I kept very dear to me died.. and then I met my first insane master..", said Xuaniko, paling and shuddering a bit at that memory. "So.. that's why, Master. I was originally a person.."

 

Xuaniko didn't remember who he was or what he had done to deserve a fate like that but there needed to be something. Who he was? What he had done? He didn't remember all that. The only two things he had a recollection of was the witch's furious face and the feeling he had told Todd about.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Listening to the doll speak, he was surprised to hear that he was actually under a curse, his smile turning into a small frown. And that he wasn't a doll from the beginning. Witches existed now apparently, or they had existed a at some point. He's never heard of any witches in the wasteland, but then again, he didn't know curses were a thing either. All the possibilities for these things never crossed his head, Todd was too busy trying to stay alive to ponder the existence of such a thing because asking himself if witches were real wasn't going to keep him alive for an extra day... Putting that aside, wouldn't a witch only curse someone who deserved it? Xuaniko didn't act like someone who deserved a horrible, endless cycle of punishment. Todd just couldn't see it.

 

Watching the people you care about die, then only to become a lifeless doll once again for the cycle to repeat... Waiting for almost entire lifetime for your insane master to eventually die... "That's more crazy to hear than listening to a doll talk for the first time. I really can't believe it though. I can't imagine you ever making anyone angry, let alone a witch, to the point of cursing you. I'm sorry that had to happen. Have you ever tried to find a way to break the curse? I mean there has to be something. You must have learned your lesson by now, you shouldn't have to live like that." In any situation where there was no way out and the only fate you had was pain, it could just be better to take your own life. Todd could imagine that the curse would prevent that from happening though.

[zajawa]

Xuaniko sighed shaking his head.

"I believe I much had done something really bad to deserve something like that. It's not all that bad.. Existing like that have it's nice sides. Also no, Master. I didn't find any way to break the curse. Later on I would probably grow into your size, Master, but that is the only thing I know", he said, being quiet about growing feelings and emotional attachment to each other since it wasn't the right time to say things like that. "When being in the worlds filled with magic I've got through a tons of books treating about curses and similar subjects but the only thing I've got to know was that it depends on the caster of the spell. Not the most useful information one could wish to find.."

 

Searching for a way to end this curse were frustrating and seemed endless. Yet.. what else he could do than to calm down and try to search again and again? So many years.. so many masters, tears and pain. But what kept him sane and going forward were those good moments, the small windows of time that showed beauty of the world. Going through everything he did made Xuaniko able to witness it and appreciate.

 

Sighing softly he rubbed his neck, looking around.

"This world... your world, Master... it seems some time passed after the war, didn't it?", he asked, not sure if what he noticed was true.

[Coffee-Tastic]

He was certain there would be some way to break a curse. It wouldn't be easy to get a word about witches or spells at all, but it was sad to hear Xuaniko liked like that. He could say how nice it was at some points all he wants. Todd could just tell he suffered a lot... Wait on. But what was that he said with growing his size? Oh, so he wouldn't be this small all the time after all. That was comforting to hear. Keeping a small doll with him all of the time wasn't such a good idea, being small, Xuaniko's dangers could be pretty much anything. Even if he was a little bigger, that would put enough worry to rest. He'd worry a lot though, because when he said he didn't want such a beautiful thing to be damaged or dirtied, he meant that. And he was the one who found him, Todd was his master, he wanted to take good care of him.

 

"This is our world now, Xuaniko," he gave the small correction and went on to give his answer, "I don't know how long it's been, but I know for sure that it's been more than a hundred years. My mother told me how her grandmother had lived when the bombs dropped. I bet that must have been scary to have her world just blown up. But then again, she probably hasn't seen an angry, giant mutated mix of a fly, a dog and a crab like I did a few months ago... You'll get used to seeing some crazy things." Being in this world sometimes was the same as living a part of a horror movie. Gangs, vile creatures, acidic rain. It just sounded like a bad time and it was. Every day.

 

Even when he felt the safest in this new place he stayed at now, that wouldn't last long. One day, bad people would find this place and do the same to Todd as he did with the people here before him. Who is to say they wouldn't be alone? Who is to say it would be human's at all? Mutated people were more animal than anything, and probably just one would be able to get past his traps, kill the dog and break in. Todd wouldn't try to protect that home if that were to happen, it was always best to know your capabilities and retreat when you had the chance than stay to fight a battle you can't win and then get yourself killed.

 

"You know... I don't plan on dying anytime soon, so you'll have plenty of time to see what this place has to give. It usually isn't good, but it'll be interesting, huh? I'll try my best to make sure you're safe the whole ride, Xuaniko. There's not a lot of good things here on the wasteland, so I wouldn't want to lose you." He was speaking the truth, plain and simple. Xuaniko quickly ended up being more important to him than the gun on his back.... But he would like it if he kept both...

[zajawa]

When Todd said it was their world now he nodded his head. Of course the other male was right about it. Then he listened to the answer to his question. More than a hundred of years? The mass of radiation was surely much lower by now but if everything was radiated.. it would take thousands of years to disappear completely. The mutations caused by it were surely the strongest just after it happened. That must be scary and dark to life then and there. Still.. humans survived. There were still people around. How impressive.. and yet how unwise to use such a power..

 

As his train of thoughts were suddenly stopped he blinked and then smiled. Feeling his cheeks becoming slightly warmer he nodded.

"Thank you very much, Master. You are really a good natured person and I would be happy to be of any use to you within the time we would spend together. I'm sure it would be an interesting adventure", he had said.

Xuaniko knew he needed yet to know the other male better but so far it was most pleasant of his encounters so far.. and that meant something. This world was hard to survive in but still it would be very interesting, he was sure of that much.

 

As they were still walking Xuaniko observed everything, his curious eyes resting here or there while his thoughts freely mixed with each other, making his mind wander.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Nodding after Xuaniko's words to signify he agreed and had listened... From the very start, Todd never wanted to have a partner, or any kind of relationship with anyone at all. All humans in this world were flawed. Todd never wanted to be the person to steal. He never wanted to kill someone. He never wanted to be someone that would trample over others for his own survival. It happens to everyone. You could be an angel as a child, innocent and protected from the wasteland as best as possible with the efforts of your parents. But no matter what. There will be a moment in your life when you realize that if you want to live, angels can't. Todd wanted to be something like that. In the place he lived, it was so peaceful and he was rarely exposed to any of the tortures the wasteland gave.

 

The monsters deep in the ruins of the past mankind's glory were something he never had seen in his first 15 years of living. He heard stories, plenty of stories about it, from the safety behind an barbed, sheet iron wall. He and the other children told their own made up stories of their own to pass the time. Every few weeks, Todd would wake up in his sleeping bag to hear noises from over the wall, horrible things that made it impossible to go back asleep. Sometimes, the kids, him included, would be pushed into a small shack after witnessing some kind of animal pushing down the wall. Being the one oldest of them, he made sure all the others were huddled together as the adults took care of whatever it was. The sounds kept them all awake for weeks, even after the situation was taken care of.

 

Raiders, everyone knew they were bad. Raiders were the whole reason why the front gate would never open to outsiders. It was dangerous and nobody could be trusted... To this very day, Todd still has no idea how the raiders got in that day, the day where his life changed drastically, but he bet it was because someone opened that door. Maybe the group and pushed someone who looked very innocent and vulnerable in the front so the door would open. That's how it always worked. And whoever opened the door, it was the worst mistake they ever made. As he walked quietly with Xuaniko in his hand, Todd frowned as he was starting to remember the details of that night... Silent the entire rest of the way, he tracked back home.

 

There was a single bark that came from up ahead and if he didn't know better, he'd be alert again, but he knew who's bark that was... Todd didn't trust this animal very much, so before getting in sight of his guard dog, Todd whispered to Xuaniko, "Sorry, but just pretend to be an actual doll for now..." He walked up on ahead. He didn't want the dog to know the true treasure he had found this time around, he might use it against him somehow.

 

There was a large, wolf sized, canine chained up by the neck to a steel leg in the ground. No fur, peeling skin, the flies, it's stench... It would look pretty much dead if it wasn't on it's four legs, tail waging slightly, and then it spoke, the voice not pleasant whatsoever. It was as pleasuring to hear as nails scratching against cardboard. "Teddy? Oh you're back... I see you aren't dead this time... heh heh heh," it cackled, sitting down with it's milky, dead eyes staring at Todd.

 

"Yeah, not this time..." He rolled his eyes, "Did you see anything while I was gone?"

 

The mutant shook its head, noticing a doll and a box that Todd was carrying. It wasn't odd to see the boy come back with weird things, so he wasn't interested in either of those things at all. "Neh. Boring as always, Ted. You know, you should just take this fucking chain off. I'm not going to kill ye or anything. Not when you're the one that feeds me once every few weeks. How good could life be here?"

 

Todd glared, walking past it several feet away for safety measures, "I might have considered it if you didn't try biting my fucking leg the other day." He still felt like an idiot for getting too close to the animal. He didn't think he'd try to attack him, but he should know already, the dog was still a beast just as vicious as the others, it just had a slightly bigger brain... He didn't know it could talk and at first, he was going to blow it's skull off, but it begged him not to, which surprised him. Todd was aware that anything could exist on the wasteland, the talking dog being something recent to him. It wouldn't beat Xuaniko though... After knocking out the dog, that's when he chained him down in this spot. The only exchange they have together was that Todd wouldn't kill it and would give it food every once in a while, for that, Todd got himself a alarm/ guard dog. Their relationship was meaningless though. If the dog proved to be a real issue one day, he would have to kill it. And if that dog were to be loose, it would go after him more harshly than it had to begin with.

 

"You're still bitter about that, Teddy? I said I was sorry." The dog got up and paced towards Todd as far as it could with the chain keeping him back, "Ah whatever. You're face pisses me off," it growled and spat on the ground, turning around to go back to sit on watch. The animal might be better off dead than being stuck there every day with nowhere to go, but even a mutant dog found survival important. It didn't want to die either.

 

Not responding to the dog, Todd's face went back as it would on any other day. His frown, the furrow in his eyebrows and his pale yellow eyes looking less friendly. He shouldn't have been thinking about his past life, it only made him feel more bitter once he started talking to the dog again. The house got closer, but he just wasn't speaking.

 

 

(found our new color x'D )

[zajawa]

The green eyes blinked when he heard to pretend he is a doll again. Not sure what it was all about Xuaniko stopped to move obediently, getting his hair so it would cover his eyes. It would be impossible to stop blinking so he had done what he could. It also gave him a possibility to see what was happening without being noticed.

 

What he saw next made him gulp. The creature was.. disgusting. Xuaniko's sharpened senses were now making him feel nauseous because of the smell. Although the dog was moving and talking it was smelling like a dead thing. Hearing his new master he could tell the difference in his tone of voice right away. Well.. it was good it wasn't his fault at least. Listening to the conversation and observing the dog he tried to breathe so it wouldn't be noticed.

 

As they started to walk again Xuaniko made sure they couldn't be see before getting a deeper breath. His green eyes travelled to Todd's face, examining it. Seeing the hard glint in the eyes and the other frowning the doll kept silent. There was no need to speak right thing moment, it would be better to give the other some time for himself. Xuaniko couldn't help but wonder who was the dog and why he was even there. Was he a guarding dog? But... why would he try to bite Master then? And if he was chained.. what with the acidic rains? Didn't it hurt him to be out when it was raining? That and many other questions popped inside his head while they were walking, or more like Todd was.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Todd remained quiet until getting to the house, a run down place that had actually had a huge chunk of the wall behind the house covered in a tarp. This place was, by all means, not a cozy place. Inside, everything was pretty much grey and dead, dust engraved in the floor and in every single cracked corner... The actual structure contained the what was once a kitchen, a living room and just one large bedroom that he didn't even use because it had no windows to escape through so it was a huge danger. All of the other windows had either no glass, or broken glass and before he took residence there, they were all boarded up with planks of wood. Todd also found this dangerous because he wanted to be able to see outside without having to opening the door, so he had broken off a few planks off each window, just enough for him to get full range of sight.

 

The only things in the living room were a large chest, a single ripped up couch chair and an old, equally as ripped, mattress on the floor with a tattered blanket folded on top. These things were already there when he got took over. Inside that chest had been the previous owner's stash of food and even medical supplies, when Todd opened it up after kicking out the people here, he felt lucky and bad at the same time. Actual medical supplies were so rare and he had stolen it all along with this entire structure. To respect the rarity of those supplies, he didn't even use them unless it was an emergency. The only time he used it was to treat a bite that the mangy animal outside gave him before chaining it down, he's been always more careful since that.

 

The chest , but he kept the medical supplies hidden under the floor under the mattress just in case someone had sneaked in here while he was gone. The dog outside couldn't fend off anyone since it was chained, but it would howl if there was something wrong, thankfully it never had done that. This area of the woods wasn't explored often since there wasn't anything special here compared to the city, putting this place under the radar for now. All of his collected items, ones that were not important for survival were kept in the bedroom. He could live without them so they weren't hidden. He liked to look over them from time to time and he couldn't do that if they were put under the floorboard like the other things he wanted to protect.

 

Closing the door and coming in, he let out a sigh, finally placing Xuaniko down on the chair and setting the box next to it, "Alright, this is your new home for now. I'm sure you've lived in far better places back then," he huffed and stepped to the side, where he pushed over the mattress and sat down on the floor so he could gain access to the stash underneath, "But for us, it probably won't get any better than this." He put his backpack to the side as well as the gun, picking up planks from the floor to reveal a med kit. There would be stashed food under here like jerky or the occasional can of something, but he had ran out. That was why he stole today. "... I know you're a doll, but do you need to eat and drink water like humans do? You look human enough besides the whole size thing."

[zajawa]

The wood was such a sad sight. All dry and without the birds singing their songs all around. It made the one’s skin crawl just from how silent it was compared the normal woods. There wasn’t even the sound of leaves murmuring with every wind blow.

 

When he was put on the chair Xuaniko looked around. The place wasn't really that bad. It had a mattress and chest. There were even a covers. As he told Todd earlier he was woke up by many kinds of people.. and there were also times he needed to sleep on the floor. So now wasn't that bad and the other's question made him shake his head.

"Not always, Master. There were also much worse places. And, as I told you earlier, although I'm small as a doll still I am not a one. I get hungry or tired. I need to eat as well as drink but due to my body being so small it's enough to give me just a small amount. I-I'm sorry to be such a bother", he said, rubbing his arm nervously and looking on his feet. "I.. I can also be fed by sho.. showing affection of some form.. l-l-like sexual.. c-c-cum is fine.. t-too.. o-or the things like that.."

 

That said he blushed up to his ears. That was how his body was functioning. It wasn't his fault but it still was embarrassing to tell that to anyone. Normally he kept that to himself until he was asked bluntly but since his new master didn't have much food and it would be a problem to share it Xuaniko felt he didn't have any other choice. To see the other's reaction he glanced up, hoping it would be just fine. His heart was beating like crazy as he waited in the silence that filled the room.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Todd listened to the other, taking the cans out of his backpack and putting them into his secret place along with the bullets. So he wasn't a doll, but a human. Todd could barely see Xuaniko as a human from how small he was and how perfect he looked compared this crumby world, but he needed food and water apparently, so he guessed thinking of him as a doll wouldn't fly. But for now he was small, so he wouldn't have to worry about that. When Xuaniko got bigger? He didn't know. How fast was he going to be his size? Food sometimes was hard to get, so he'd have to start thinking about how to ration things in the future. But then the doll sized person said something very wild.

I can also be fed by affection. Like cum. Things like that.

 

Todd's hand dropped a can and looked directly at Xuaniko with shock, "Huh?" The doll so far in his eyes has been pure and cute, elegant. It completely came out of the blue for Todd to hear him even say the word cum. Looking at Xuankio, he could even see how flustered and embarrassed he got for mentioning it. It was clear that it wasn't a joke, and even if it was, Todd wouldn't find it exactly the best joke in the world. "What, like seriously? That can actually feed you? .... People have things like that to you? I don't..." he looked back, shaking his head and picked up the can he dropped, putting up in a more orderly way, "I don't know if I'd be able to do that to you. I don't want to be someone bad like that. Or is it something youre actually okay with...? I'm sorry. I don't know how to properly respond to that. You caught me off guard pretty good, Xuaniko."

 

And now he was imagining how it was possible to make a doll sized person eat that. What would the situation even be for that? So people would force or ask Xuaniko to... God. Alright... Okay. For some reason, he felt like he should have thought something like that would have happened. But for Xuaniko to be internally satisfied for swallowing cum as a replacement for food, that was something he never would have guessed.