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You pushed open the door to the Beneviento house, surprised when Angie didn't greet you immediately. That doll was extroverted to a fault, with some good energy to boot, and she was always excited to see you. You didn't understand it at first, but then you realized that her emotions were connected to Donna's, at least to some extent. That was pretty cute, in your opinion. But, you tended to find most things Donna did endearing, so maybe you were just a bit biased.
Which is to say, Angie's absence put you on edge a little bit. You knew that not much could or, more importantly, would threaten your dear Lady Beneviento, but it was still in your nature to be worried for her. You gently shut the door behind you, venturing further into the house in an attempt to find her.
You had just gotten halfway up the staircase when there was a creaking noise behind you, and you turned around to see Angie zipping around below you, giggling incessantly. You instinctively relaxed upon seeing her. Her eyes may have been creepy, but when she was so undeniably tied to someone you loved so dearly, it was impossible to find her truly scary.
"You're back, you're back!" She cried gleefully, her dress dragging behind her as she leaped up the stairs.
"Hi, Angie," You smiled down at the doll trying to get up onto the railing to talk to you better.
"Let me tell you, Donna hasn't been able to shut up about you for days," Angie said, swinging her legs. "It's always 'When do you think she's gonna be back?' and 'I can't wait for the day when my love returns,' and all 'It's always so lovely when she holds me-'"
"Angie!" You jumped at the sound of a voice behind you. You turned around, to see Donna standing behind you, looking embarrassed. She wasn't wearing her veil, you noted happily.
"What, I'm just telling her the truth! You think she shouldn't know all the extremely flattering things you say about her on a daily basis?"
Donna was seemingly about to retort with something, but she was interrupted by your laughter.
"I think it's sweet," You told her sincerely, delighted when she smiled. "I see you're not wearing your veil."
"Ah, well," Donna's smile turned a bit sheepish. "I knew that you would come back any day now, and I thought it would be nice for me to keep my veil off."
"It's very nice," You agreed, gently kissing her face just below where her growths caused by the Cadou were. She didn't like it when they were touched, but you liked reminding her that they were still beautiful, at least in your eyes. "Anyway, I meant to be here earlier, but I kind of got held up."
"Why?" Donna tilted her head. You were momentarily distracted by the way her hair framed her face perfectly.
"Lady Dimitrescu," You led her down the staircase to find a more comfortable place to rest. "She was complaining about some problems that she had to attend to, and I got distracted listening to her."
"Probably caused by those nagging daughters of hers, eh?" Angie said.
"Angie, you know better," You chided, but not with much anger. You knew that the doll didn't like Lady Dimitrescu's daughters all that much, but they were precious to her, and lord knows what would happen if she heard Angie insulting her daughters. Besides, you didn't understand her dislike of them; they were polite and kind girls when they weren't trying to murder somebody, and they had at least tried to be nice to the doll.
"I know, but it's just so unfair how they can talk badly about me but I can't respond," Angie crossed her arms.
"I scolded them about it, but they're stubborn, and they didn't seem that afraid of me," Donna commented, pulling the doll into her lap to calm her down.
"Hah!" Angie let out a harsh laugh. "I bet they would be more afraid if they came out here and you gave them some freeeeeaky hallucinations. Use a little plant magic and BAM! Instant fear."
"Let's change the conversation topic, shall we?" You asked awkwardly, and Donna nodded.
"Let's," She said, gently running her hand through your hair. "I've been wondering about something recently."
"Hm?"
"Do you know how to dance?"
"Not really," You leaned into her touch and sighed. "I've seen people dancing, but I've never learned it myself."
"That's a shame," Donna gave you a gentle smile. "I'm sure you would enjoy it."
"Wait, you know how to dance?"
"Well, I've forgotten some things, but for the most part, yes," She said. "Would you like me to teach you anything?"
"I would love that," You answered, gently taking her hand. Her skin was soft, but the tips of her fingers were rough, probably since she did so much intricate work. Definitely the hand of a doll maker. Donna set Angie on the place where she was sitting, and led you to the middle of the room. "So, uh, what kind of dancing are we talking about here?"
"Um, whatever comes to mind," She laughed, and your heart briefly stopped with how radiant she was. "Put your hand on my waist." You followed her instructions as she guided you through the dance. There was quite a bit of awkward shuffling on your part, and a lot of looking behind you to make sure you didn't knock anything over. But Donna took it exactly at your pace, moving as slowly as you needed, and being patient. Once you got the hang of it enough that the two of you could move around the room, you looked at Donna and smiled.
Your heart swelled as she smiled back at you. You always felt so fulfilled when you were with her, like you could never ask for anything more in life. You remembered when you first met her; a doll maker who lived in a remote house by herself, wore a creepy veil, was close with a creepy talking doll, and was able to cause hallucinations in people who inhaled the pollen of a specific plant, which she could only control because she was implanted with a parasite? Anybody would find that creepy. You did too, at first, but then you met her, and shenanigans involving making the exact wrong person mad led you to having to stay in her house for a few months. Maybe imprisoned was a better word, although it didn't turn out to be much of a prison.
She was kind to you, which you couldn't understand at first. You had grown up hearing stories about the lords of the town, all of their bloodthirsty experimentations and the sacrifice of hundreds of villagers. Stories about Donna weren't as overtly awful as the others, as they didn't contain as much murder, but they told of a wildly different person than the Donna you had come to know. The stories about Lady Beneviento said that she was agoraphobic and hated the villagers. She would drive them away with hallucinations of their greatest fears and her many dolls if they ever happened to stumble anywhere near her house, and few escaped without some mental issues afterward. Some didn't escape at all, and it was rumored that Donna would use their body parts to make dolls.
Of course, some things were true. Donna did dislike the outside world, and she did drive people away when they entered her territory, but it wasn't for a malicious reason. She was just scared, and considering all the things that had happened to her here, it made sense that she would have a disdain for the villagers.
So why did she act differently with you?
"It's cause she likes you, silly!" Angie had told you one day when you asked. "She gets all happy when you're here, and talks to me about you very nicely."
"Likes me… Romantically?" You had asked her, unsure of what was happening.
"Hehehe, you'll have to ask her yourself!"
And you did. It was a very… Strange conversation to be having with someone you were taught to fear. And yet, when she asked if you returned her feelings, the answer had come to you without you even realizing it. It was a yes. She was talented, and a very sweet person, and you knew she needed someone. Well, someone other than Angie. Seeing her face for the first time and finally knowing that she was yours was the happiest moment of your life.
"What's going on in that head of yours, hm?" Donna's soft voice broke you out of your thoughts, and she pulled you closer so that she could touch your foreheads together. You looked into her eye, a light grey iris and a dilated pupil, and removed the hand on her back to gently cup her cheek.
"Nothing much, dear," You said. "I'm just thinking about you."
"I'm flattered," She laughed quietly. The sensation of her breath on your lips made your own breath hitch. She leaned in to kiss you, and your chest was filled with warmth. No matter how many times she had kissed you previously, it still made your heart flutter as if it was the first time. She conveyed so much love with just a simple action.
"It's so much easier to kiss you without your veil," You smiled as an intense blush rose up on her cheek.
"So it was a good idea to keep it off, then," Donna said, but her voice was just uncertain enough that you knew it was more of a question than a statement.
"A very good idea," You assured her, with another gentle kiss next to the right side of her face. "You're so beautiful." She just rested her head on your shoulder in response. This allowed you to see Angie sitting on the couch behind Donna, turned around with her hands on her back, like she was pretending to kiss someone. You rolled your eyes fondly. Angie loved to make fun of both of you, even though she was probably the only reason you were together in the first place. Neither of you were particularly confrontational with your feelings, and you would have never guessed that Donna liked you if Angie hadn't brought it to your attention. The doll turned around and giggled at you, and you put a finger to your lips.
"It's been a long week," Donna said, her face buried in your neck. "Truthfully, I didn't do anything particularly harder than usual, it just dragged on."
"I feel you," You replied, stroking her black hair. It was so soft, and slightly fluffy, too. You loved running your fingers through her hair, it was a relaxing and tender action, and it seemed to relax Donna as well. "Nap time?"
"Hmm," The doll maker hummed, considering your proposal. "Normally I would refuse, but I've been sleeping less recently, and I'd like a break." She reluctantly lifted her head from your shoulder and started walking towards her bedroom, her hand still in yours. Dolls were scattered throughout the hallways, most of them detached from the human form in some way. These humanoid dolls with twisted features creeped you out at first, and they still did a little bit, but you knew that this was how Donna liked to express her pain and trauma artistically. Besides, you liked all her creations, even the more horrific ones.
All of a sudden, you felt something thin and firm brush your leg, and you didn't need to look down to know that it was Angie. The doll had opted to walk behind you, rather than float like she normally did.
"Angie? Why are you walking?" You asked, gesturing with your arm in case she wanted to be carried.
"Drat!" She exclaimed, climbing up onto your arm and perching on it, almost like a bird. "I was going to surprise you. Guess I got too excited…"
Donna laughed, "Are you going to sleep with us?"
"Yeah," Angie nodded. "I get tired, too!"
"You don't even have eyelids," You pointed out, holding in as much laughter as you could.
"Hrng," If Angie had lips, she definitely would've pouted. "Maybe so. But I wanna stay with you guys! Is… That okay?"
"Of course, Angie," You smiled, gently patting the doll's head. You yawned immediately upon seeing the bed, and all three of you burst out into giggles. You didn't know how tired you were, evidently.
Donna climbed into her bed first, opening the covers for you to get in as well. Her blankets were the perfect texture, and the pillows made you want to melt into them. You always loved sleeping in her bed. You pulled Donna's hair out of the bun that it was in, and her locks spilled over her face and shoulders. You gently pushed her hair out of her face, not quite tucking it behind her ear, and she smiled as she planted a gentle kiss on your palm. It made your heart flutter.
Angie grabbed a small pillow and floated onto the bed, settling herself in between the two of you and sighing contentedly. She wrapped her small arms around it and held it underneath her chin.
"Good night, dear," Donna said, gently rubbing the back of your hand with her thumb.
"Good night," You mumbled back, shuffling closer to her warmth while simultaneously trying not to move Angie.
"Night, lovebirds," Angie said, uncharacteristically quiet. She curled up into a ball and covered her eyes. It was really the closest she could get to closing them.
You managed to sneak in one final kiss on Donna's forehead before drifting off to sleep, reveling in the feeling of taking a nap with your lover.