Chapter Text
The following evening arrived, and much like Evelyn had said, was as busy as he’d expected it to be.
Huxley looked around the newly transformed “plaza” in awe.
The original set pieces, living, kitchen, dining and all, had been pushed aside in favor of turning the ground floor into an “outdoor” public square - giving it the appearance of the bustling center of their cliffside town.
Having no walls was a benefit, it seemed, now that the ground floor was filled with little stalls, carts of flowers, round tables with colorful umbrellas, and other toys . They flocked about happily, some sitting and chatting, sharing food, singing in pairs or groups, the hum of their conversations and songs filling the plaza.
Across the floor, tiny poles with strings of flags and lanterns stood illuminating little (mostly decorative) shops selling flowers and food, while fairy lights strung around the fencing provided luminosity to the overall area. In the distance, music played from large speakers, volume lowered to accommodate the toys’ size.
Evelyn had certainly been downplaying exactly how exuberant the whole thing was going to be.
Just in front of the wall of houses stood a giant wooden stage, complete with a colorful cloth backdrop and tiny trails of fake flowers. A few other toys still seemed to be setting it up, moving around crates of props and instruments, a toy piano, little chairs and cushions for seating, other things Huxley was no longer paying attention to.
There was so much going on.
It was…
Bittersweet.
He didn’t know how to describe it. For everyone else, they had all of this, all the time. All this music, this cheer, this community.
He’d never had anything.
Dahlia had never had any of this.
Was it jealousy? That these toys could experience something like this, participate in all this excitement that he never could? That he probably never would have been able to, if he hadn’t been moved? That there were thousands of other toys out there, probably some who’d been in worse situations than him, those out there who would never be able to experience something like this.
Shouldn’t he be happy?
“Don’t look so down, little clown.” A chipper voice next to him sang. “We rarely get to have the carnival. It takes ages to set everything up, especially the rides.”
Huxley turned to his right. A vinyl ball-jointed doll in a pretty dress and long cyan hair beamed in excitement as he faced her. He’d seen her around the town before, probably one of the staff members, but at closer inspection he realized she was a lot more familiar looking than he’d initially thought.
“Sorry. You’re right.” Huxley mumbled.
She was right. The least he could do is not act like his usual gloomy self in the presence of all this happiness… Right?
“I’ll take it from here.” Another familiar voice, this time to his left.
The cyan-haired doll placed her hands on her hips. “Sure kiddo, just cheer this poor boy up. Show him the ferris wheel, or something. Maybe get him in on tonight’s performance.”
“Alright, alright, just go and prepare.” Evelyn sighed, shooing the other doll away. “You alright, Huxley?”
Huxley looked at the doll cheerfully skipping away, and then back at Evelyn. Now that he thought about it, they did appear similar.
“Don’t worry about her. Miku’s a little… Easily excited.” Evelyn said quickly, already seeming to know exactly what he was thinking. “She’s meant to be a pop star, after all. Apparently she was the main influence behind my design, so now she keeps calling me her daughter.”
“Looks like she had you pretty young.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes. “Yeah, maybe. Anyway…”
She waved her arm around the now open floor, where he could see the whole room wall to wall. It wasn’t the human’s bedroom, as far as he could see, but an entire room dedicated to the caring for and restoration of toys.
The large work table covered with tools at the other end of the room, posters with sewing patterns and scraps of material swatches plastered across the wall, the cabinets full of books and meticulously labeled boxes of spare parts - it was actually a little creepy, but at least knowing the entire purpose of the room was to restore and spruce up existing toys before returning them to their homes almost didn’t make it feel like he was in a giant butcher’s shop. Almost.
Huxley wondered if his previous owner’s room looked the same. He’d never been able to catch even a glimpse of it, but he’d always assumed it was cluttered with piles and piles of toys and other dollhouses.
Or maybe it was just them.
Here it was relatively clean, and surprisingly empty. Apart from the scarce furniture meant for the human, it seemed the whole room was mostly for toys, even if their main living area was delegated to a fenced-off corner.
“...Feel free to have a look around.”
So Huxley looked some more.
All the aforementioned little stalls and such were spread out across the floor in front of their town - of course given the size ratio, it was only half the room being occupied, but the entire floor was open to be explored. Toys were almost everywhere, flocking in between stalls with delicious looking treats in their hands, or throwing darts or popping balloons at game booths. Even the few decorative stalls still had toys sitting around them here and there, talking about their day.
Gaze following a small group of excited dolls, Huxley turned to another tiny makeshift staircase that led to a low end table, with what appeared to be a miniature Ferris wheel at its top - actually working!
He stared at it in awe.
Evelyn nodded towards it. “Interested? It might be a little small, but you should be able to fit in one of the carts if you fold yourself a little.”
“Well,” Huxley began, thinking, “the cabinet’s already high up enough. Isn’t it kinda redundant?”
“Is the clown telling me he’s above carnival rides?” Evelyn scoffed jokingly. “It’s more about the experience, isn’t it? How many toys do you think get to ride a real ferris wheel?”
“The theme park merchandise, maybe.” Huxley squinted at the ferris wheel, seemingly made of wood. “How does it work?”
“What, Ferris Wheels? Electricity, I suppose.”
He rolled his eyes. “I meant this one.”
“Oh? Also electricity, then.” Evelyn said. “We bought a pre-made one for me to study the mechanics of, and then we rebuilt it to be larger and able to be taken apart and packed away. Used the motor of an old desk fan. Just have to plug it in and it lights up and spins. It took ages, though, and we probably still haven’t reimbursed the cost of it.”
“Still a little too small for you, though?”
“Oh, unfortunately.” Evelyn shrugged. “But I’m tall enough.”
“Ah, so the ringmaster is above carnival rides?”
“I quite literally am.”
“Then, I guess you don’t mind if I give it a whirl?” Huxley asked, his grin betraying his excitement, even if he was doing a good job of maintaining his ever-dreary persona.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. “If by “giving it a whirl” you mean actually getting a ride and not sending the poor toys on it on a homicidal road trip, then sure, Huxley, go ahead. I still need to prepare a few things.”
“Great. See you later, then.”
She waved him off as he made his way towards the table, looking up at the Ferris wheel and the other toys clamoring around it.
Sure, there were hundreds, maybe thousands of toys out there that probably weren’t as lucky as him, but at the very least, he could enjoy himself now. He deserved to enjoy himself for a little while.
Right?
Making his way up and into the line of other toys, he was quickly shown to an empty cart to take his seat in. It was definitely not built to hold someone of Evelyn’s size, but he could fit in decently enough, despite having to slouch a little more than he usually did in order not to hit his head on the cart above him.
Huxley looked over the ground floor as the ferris wheel cart slowly rose upwards. Like the little town he’d been observing before, even in the night, the long roads were empty and barely lit, but here there were people laughing, singing, dancing, celebrating together. Even in the huge room, even though their tiny lights couldn’t afford to dispel the darkness completely, the toys enjoyed themselves.
Huxley watched the flickering fairground lights as he did the stars in the sky. In awe, and as though they were things he could never really reach or understand, but things he could enjoy nevertheless.
He was allowed two cycles on the ferris wheel in one go, but eventually relinquished his seat to the next batch of toys in line. Following the ones that had gotten off the ride alongside him, Huxley went off to explore the rest of the room.
The tiny stalls scattered across the floor had been set up with small-scale carnival and party games as well, he observed - and there was plenty to choose from.
He didn’t know how, but even amidst the unfamiliar crowd, Huxley finally had fun.
Accompanied by other toys, he went through as many games as he could - ring tossing, darts, charades, fishing, twister, he always found himself surrounded by eager toys and laughter - and he couldn’t help but join in.
Just like that, for the first time in a long while, time flashed by.
Settling down from a very intense bouncy castle session on a mini trampoline with inflatable toys, Huxley procured a stick of cotton candy and went to find somewhere quiet to sit down for a while. The carnival was exhilarating, almost too much so, but as much as he’d enjoyed it, he still needed some time for himself.
Huxley ended up resorting to holding the cotton candy in his mouth as he made his way up the stairs to the cabinet top. It took a bit more time and effort than he would have liked, but he made it up without having lost his food on the way, which was good enough for him, he thought, as he noticed Avis sitting at a bench by the fencing.
“Ah. Huxley.” He looked up as the clown puppet approached him, moving aside slightly to allow him space to sit down. “How are you finding the carnival so far?”
Huxley sat down next to him, taking a bite of his cotton candy. “Honestly? A little noisy.”
“Is that so? I can’t do anything about that, unfortunately.”
Huxley chuckled. “‘S fine. I’m just.. Surprised about all this. I mean, I can’t imagine how you guys set all of this up. Whose plan was this in the first place?”
“Well, the starting idea was from our Keeper, of course.” Avis said, putting down the cup of tea he’d been holding by his side. “They really wanted to find a way to let us enjoy ourselves once in a while. It took quite some time for the whole plan to come together, though - especially cost-wise. Since our number of staff has increased as well, each festival we’ve set up has been bigger than the last. This one is quite the spectacle compared to the previous one, really, so you’re rather lucky to have arrived at this time.”
Huxley chewed thoughtfully on his cotton candy. Avis had given his reply with no insincerity, but it was still… Bizarre, for him, to say the least. He couldn’t quite believe it was their human that had come up with the idea - to want to use their money and resources just to have an occasional funfair for their toys. Not even their own toys, just visitors - giving toys they didn’t know and wouldn’t even get to, a chance to enjoy themselves like this.
Did they really have the toys’ interests at heart? Was it truly a selfless act, or some kind of experiment?
He decided not to dwell on the thought.
“By the way, where is that owner of yours?” Huxley asked, looking across the room. Apart from their designated living area in the corner of the room, the rest of it was still rather dark - although he did spot one or two toys having climbed onto the furniture, tugging miniature flashlights behind them.
“They’re around.” Avis said. “They try not to disturb us while the whole room is open to everyone.”
He paused, thinking, “although they may return to the room if they need something, or there’s an emergency. We try to handle everything ourselves, though.”
“What would count as an emergency?”
“Hmm…” Avis looked thoughtful. “I suppose… Something we couldn’t handle on our own. Well, let’s say: You somehow tore off your arm, Huxley. I could fix that, no extra material needed. But…”
He turned his gaze back to the scattered toys on the ground floor. “…what if a fire broke out?”
Huxley realized he must have made a bewildered expression, because Avis quickly continued before he had the chance to say anything.
“It’s a hypothetical situation. There’s lots of flammable things in here - ourselves included. What would we do in a closed off room?” Avis paused again, seemingly imagining the situation play out in his mind. His eyes briefly disappeared under the reflection of his glasses as he looked towards the bright lights in the distance. “Current procedure: Miss Evelyn and the other staff would have to open the door, wake up and gather all the residents, evacuate - but that doesn’t stop the fire from spreading.”
“Knock over the water dispenser?” Huxley suggested half-jokingly, nodding his head towards the aforementioned plastic structure. “It might crush a few people, but if you aim right it might put the fire out, too.”
Avis adjusted his glasses. “Hmm. I’ll keep that in mind. Anyway, my point being…“ He directed Huxley’s eyes back towards the work table. “The digital tablet, there. If Miss Evelyn or one of us can reach it, they can alert the Keeper to return to the room, or back home, rather than having to run all the way to fetch them.”
“So, what happens if they’re not home?”
“Then I suppose we’ll push over the water dispenser.” Avis gave Huxley a look. “That’s why the floor is only open when they are home. We don’t mean to keep everyone trapped - I assure you, it’s for safety. We’re not as sturdy or as fast as we like to imagine ourselves to be.”
Avis looked down at his gloved hands, curling his fingers. “Everything melts, eventually.”
Huxley nodded silently.
He wondered if something had happened before, something Avis clearly wasn’t comfortable or at liberty to divulge. But, still…
Yes, of course, safety . That’s why everyone always stayed trapped somewhere, always in their own little box.
It was for the best, though, wasn’t it?
And… At the very least, this place was much more open than his previous home. Not just the surroundings, its residents, too. Even if the box was just a little bigger, even if there were other people in there with him, did it make that much of a difference?
That makes all the difference, doesn’t it? A familiar, chipper voice echoed in his mind.
“Could I go outside tomorrow?” Huxley asked.
Avis nodded, surprising Huxley with his quick reply. “Certainly. I’ll let Evelyn know so she can accompany you. Just get back to me about the time.”
Huxley relaxed back in his seat. “Thanks, Avis.”
Outside. For the first time.
Avis returned a quick “not a problem” as he picked up his cup of tea to drink from again.
“Although we might have to reschedule in case of any weather issues.” He continued, right after Huxley had begun imagining the feeling of real, warm sunlight on his face, “and since it will be your first time going outside, we’ll have to have the keeper show you how to get in and out of the building.”
“Oh.” Huxley sank back again. “Is that really necessary?”
“Yes…” Avis gave him a strange look. “We wouldn’t want you trapped alone outside with no way to get back in. Door handles are high up, and while we’re not particularly tasty to wildlife, we don’t expect them to just ignore us.”
“Well, what if I wanted to run away forever?” Huxley asked abruptly. “I’d be fine outside on my own. I wouldn’t need to go exploring and get myself in danger.”
“Hmm…” Avis shook his head. “Then, I’m sorry we were unable to provide sufficient accommodation for you. Still, we’d try to find you… and a more suitable place for you to stay. Trust me, Huxley, it would be dangerous for toys alone outside. That is why our Keeper, and we ourselves, value keeping our home pleasant for everyone.”
“Oh.”
He’d said it as a joke, but he hadn’t expected Avis to take it as him disliking this place - and that regardless of his actions, they would still keep his interests in mind. If he wasn’t happy here, they’d find somewhere new for him, somewhere he could be. And that was what the human had wished for him when they’d brought him here.
These really were kind people, weren't they?
“Your owner takes good care of you guys, don’t they?” Huxley asked. “It’s pretty nice here compared to my last place.”
“They try their best,” Avis nodded, and looked towards Huxley with a small smile, “and we do, too. So I will be happy as long as you are.”
Huxley looked back to the distant lights, and let the two of them sit in silence for a while.
“Anyway… I think my break is about done.” Avis finally said, picking up his teacup again. He drained the last of it, before looking past Huxley towards their town, trying to catch sight of something he couldn’t quite make out from where they were sitting. “I’ll need to go help with the preparations for the show.”
“Oh, alright.” Huxley nodded, shifting out of the way. They could barely see it from where they had been sitting, but Huxley assumed Avis had been intending to look towards the wooden stage in the center of the town.
“Will you be staying here?” Avis asked, not looking up from the pocket watch-slash-buzzer he’d taken from his belt, pressing one of the tiny buttons on it.
“Maybe for a little while longer.” Huxley said, deciding to finish off his cotton candy that he’d been letting sit for a bit too long. “How did you get up here, by the way?”
Avis snapped his watch shut. “Burdening Miss Evelyn, same as everyone else.”
“Hmm… There should be a better way to get up and down from here, don’t you think?” Huxley thought out loud, leaning back as, on cue, Evelyn showed up at the cabinet top.
“Yes, there ought to be.” Avis put his pocket watch away and bowed his head towards Huxley. “I’ll be off then. Would you like to come back downstairs with us?”
Huxley waved an arm nonchalantly. “I’ll get down myself. It won’t hurt if I fall.”
“Right… Well then, don’t linger too long up here. The show will be starting soon.” He said, and with a quick bow, headed over to where Evelyn was waiting for him.
Now alone, Huxley sat quietly, looking across the dark room, and thinking about the future. While this certainly had been a pleasant place to stay, he couldn’t get the itching feeling that once his “rehabilitation” was done, he’d be packed up and sent off back to his previous owner, stuffed back into the cramped dollhouse with only fading memories of this town.
He realized he hadn’t even given Evelyn or Avis a proper confirmation that he did want to stay here, permanently, at least. It was better than his previous home by a mile, but was that really what he wanted? Did he want to return to his old, familiar friends? Did he really miss them, or was that just the gnawing idea of resentment they might have for abandoning them?
Would staying here, never having to think of them again, be better? Huxley didn’t know anymore.
It all just seemed like a pleasant, but temporary dreams as he watched the flickering lights in the distance, for a while longer.
…
Huxley returned to the town center when he noticed that more and more toys were starting to gather at the stage, taking their seats at the several chairs and small mats spread across the floor in front of it.
He recognized one of the staff members, catching their attention as they walked by him. “Is the show starting?”
“Oh?” They looked up at him. “Yes, soon. Are you not performing?”
“Me?” Huxley paused. “No, not… Not yet.”
Huxley looked upwards as the tiny lights strung about the fencing and different floors of the town turned off, leaving only pale moonlight from the windows to illuminate the room, and a single bright spotlight on the stage. Eager eyes turned to look towards the center of the light, and Huxley followed suit.
More spotlights lit up the stage, and in the distance, music began. The curtain was whisked aside, and a ball-jointed doll in a pink glittery dress stepped out. She stood tall above the audience, light playing off her sparkling clothes, as she theatrically addressed the roaring crowd in a loud voice.
“Is everyone ready!?”
Claps and the thumping of feet filled their little room.
The doll bowed, brandishing her microphone as though it were a sword, pointing it to the audience and demanding their affirmation, louder this time. Even as she received it, she moved across the stage like a dancer, inciting louder cheers from each audience member she leaned down to blow a kiss to.
Even under her sparkling costume and mask, she was still familiar. If not for her booming speech and showmanship, Huxley would have thought it was Evelyn playing up the crowd, salaciously whirling across the stage with all the enthusiasm in the world.
Huxley blinked.
No, that was Evelyn.
He heightened himself above the crowd, trying to get a closer glimpse at the golden eyes and coy smile behind the mask. There’s no way he was mistaken.
Even if her physique and stature were exactly the same, her complete 180 in personality had thrown him for a loop - this was the same quiet, aloof toy who rarely spoke more than she ever needed to, and who, by all means, often reminded him of himself.
But on stage, there was somebody else.
She truly was a performer, and a ringmaster in her element, Huxley realized, as her clear singing voice ricocheted through the room. Her costume wasn’t just for show after all - this was quite literally what she was made for.
What he’d give to be as confident and spirited as her, he thought, watching as she was joined on-stage by backup performers, each sparkling under the distant spotlights. Intrigued oohs from the audience turned into thundering claps and cheers, but her singing remained ever clear and triumphant over them.
…To be so vibrant and vivacious when she had to be. It was so loud and energetic compared to the gentle humming he felt he’d last heard weeks ago, but still, it was uniquely her.
Huxley turned around, squinting into the distance as he realized the spotlights were just beams from the mini flashlights he’d seen some of the toys carry around earlier, all of them strategically placed high up on the furniture in the corners of the room. There was another group of toys, he noticed, on one of the higher up floors, fastening something to the wooden beams.
Puzzled but curious, Huxley reluctantly moved his eyes away from Evelyn to the other toys high above. He couldn’t quite see what they were fiddling with, if they were even part of the show or just some troublemakers, but he didn’t have the time to make his way over to find out before they began lowering something to the stage.
Huxley stayed rooted to his spot and watched in curiosity. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but Evelyn, as meticulous and prepared as always, anticipated whatever had been dropped from above her.
A sturdy wooden ring, bound by a long wire to the upper floors, was grasped in Evelyn’s precise hands, and she was immediately whisked upwards.
The crowd of toys gasped as she spun and twisted around in the air, almost appearing like what Huxley could best describe as a ballerina, mid-flight.
An acrobat!
Huxley watched in awe alongside the rest of the thrilled audience, as several other dangling props were lowered for her to jump between and hang onto, sending her swinging her above the stage. Ever energetic but still incomparably graceful, her voice still called out loudly and clearly from up above even then, introducing the next set of performers, and inviting up anyone that wanted a chance to shine onstage.
Finishing her opening act, Evelyn quickly disappeared backstage, and the audience roared and cheered as other toys took the stage with their acts. Singers, musicians, even more acrobatics and other such gymnasts kept the room filled with whoops and hollers, applause and ovation never lowering in volume. Even more props and equipment filled up the stage and the surrounding area as the show went on, with Huxley watching as the staff members took turns scurrying between and around the audience to keep things in order.
What organization, he thought, standing amongst what seemed like complete chaos.
Then, turning away, he squeezed his way out of the crowd and headed backstage.
Huxley moved forward, not entirely sure what he was looking for, as the song of the current toy on stage melted into the cheers and general noise of the audience behind him. Still, he made his way backstage, thinking mostly of the flying ballerina and her song.
There were a few toys milling about in anticipation of their performances, but in the midst of it, Evelyn stood quietly and calmly, apparently having shed her stage persona.
She noticed Huxley hesitantly approaching, and stepped aside to prevent them from having to meet in the center of all the other performers.
“Hi, Huxley. You’re not watching?” She asked, adjusting her gloves and buttons of her coat. Just like that, it seemed she’d left all her expressiveness and flourish still in the sky after she’d landed, and was just her familiar self again.
“Oh, no, I am.” Huxley said. “You were great. I was just…”
He paused. He hadn’t decided on his next set of words, juggling between “I just wanted to have a look around” and “I just wanted to see you”.
He settled on “was just curious,” and ended his sentence there, despite wanting to say more.
“Well, there’s still plenty of show left. And we don’t have a proper setlist, so spontaneous performances are very much encouraged.” Evelyn said. “Would you like to go onstage?”
“No- I don’t know.” Huxley shook his head. “That’s not…” He paused, taking a breath.
Yes, maybe , could have been his answer, for the first time in a long while since he was asked something like this, but he just couldn’t bring himself to say it.
But for once, he let some of his worries spill.
“I can’t just put on a fake persona to go on stage, Evelyn. Why should I fake a smile and act like someone else just to make an audience laugh? Just to make them like me?”
“Hmm…” Evelyn folded her arms, looking thoughtful. “Well, that’s the thing, Huxley. Some performers like that. They love having an entirely different person perform in their stead, and then return to anonymity once they’re off the stage. But… that’s up to you, too.”
Huxley looked away.
“You don’t have to do that.” She continued. “Stage persona or not, people should like you for who you are. After all…”
Evelyn lifted her hand to her mask and lowered it slightly, her warm golden eyes focusing on him. “…I’m still me, aren’t I?”
Huxley laughed weakly. “People already like you.”
“And I’ll perform whether they like me or not. Yes, our goal is to entertain the audience. But,” she straightened, readjusting her mask. “You should perform for yourself, too. Does it make you happy?”
There was a pause.
“I don’t know.” Huxley admitted. “I just… I don’t perform because… That’s all I’m good for. Because what’s the point if that’s all people give me the time of day for? Only listen to me when I’m on stage?”
Evelyn tilted her head to one side. “I asked if it made you happy.”
Another spot of silence, with Huxley taken aback by her curt response.
He frowned. “...I guess so. I like performing.”
“And don’t forget that. You don’t have to wait ‘till you’re on stage to do anything, Huxley. If it makes you happy, why should you wait for a special occasion? Make the occasion special.” Evelyn said, and then leaned down towards him slightly, lowering her voice. “It may be a little cheesy, but… At the very least, know that I’ll enjoy whatever you have to tell, whatever the occasion.”
An astonishingly sweet smile and even sweeter words, only partly obscured by the flowery mask.
Huxley found himself unable to reply.
“Swords for the next performance, Miss… Ah, Huxley.” Avis approached them, carrying a box of props. “You’re here. I promised to give you a knife show, didn’t I?”
Evelyn raised an eyebrow at him, then turned back to Huxley. “Of course he did. Honestly, you’ll be safer on stage than you will be in the audience.”
“I’ll be extra careful for our guests this time.” Avis tutted, replacing his black gloves with white ones. “Will you be joining us onstage, Huxley?”
“I don’t know.” Huxley mumbled. “I don’t want you to announce me and excite the audience - and then - and then I just disappoint them. I can’t just stand there alone and take that.”
“Were you planning on performing alone?” Evelyn asked.
It was clear this simple question had caught him completely off-guard, because Huxley hadn’t even considered the fact that someone might want to perform with him.
“Well.. I mean… Clowns and comedians are usually solo acts, aren’t they?”
“I suppose.”
They were both looking at him expectantly, and it was clear they would have liked him to be on stage, but from what he knew of Evelyn and Avis, they wouldn’t think too much of it if he just declined. And that’s what Huxley thought he wanted right now, to just be part of the audience for once, and not have to put himself out there ever again.
When was the last time he had even done that?
“I’m sorry - We don’t mean to push you.” Evelyn finally said, when Huxley began to let the silence drag on for a bit too long. Looking a little more concerned, she gestured back to the crowd on the other side of the stage. “Enjoy the show, alright?”
There it was, his chance to just opt out again. The same choice he’d always made before.
“No, it’s just, I don’t have anything prepared.” Huxley stammered, now honestly a little hesitant about just returning to the audience. If the crowd wasn’t as rambunctious, he might have been fine with it, but then again, this was never the type of audience he’d been greeted with before. “I mean… I don’t think my jokes are suitable for this kind of crowd, you know?”
“I’m sure that’s not the case. And you don’t have to be out there by yourself.” Avis said, bowing his head slightly. “You’re welcome to join us - and honestly, we don’t quite have a plan, either. That’s the fun of it, I suppose. You’re quite the prodigy with improv, from what I’ve seen.”
“Okay, no need for flattery.” Huxley scoffed.
“That’s right.” Evelyn continued. “You know, we’ve never had anyone with a spring for legs perform with us before.”
Huxley laughed sarcastically. “I don’t doubt it. Could you imagine that? A clown telling jokes while suspended 10 feet in the air. I guess that would be kinda fun.”
He saw Evelyn and Avis exchange a glance, and Huxley froze. If he had hands, they’d definitely have gone cold and clammy.
“Oh no.”
“That would be fun, wouldn’t it.” Evelyn muttered, with a little too over-the-top tone of wistfulness. “You could try it out another time, I suppose.”
Avis, eyes alight behind his mask, gestured towards the still low-hanging props above them. “You don’t get sick, do you?”
“No,” Huxley answered hesitantly, wondering if he even had the capability of getting sick, and then wondered whether or not he really wanted to find out. Still, it was true that acrobatics was certainly something he’d never had the chance to do or even considered, given his lack of limbs.
And certainly, there was still the tiniest bit of curiosity and excitement at the chance of actually being able to try it, regardless of what he could or couldn’t do.
When was the last time he'd gotten a chance like this, Huxley wondered, memories of years long past hazy in his mind. Had he ever? Even if he had been alone then, he knew he wasn’t now.
“No,” he repeated, a little more confidently. “At least, let’s tell that to the audience.”
Avis actually chuckled this time, hiding it deftly behind his gloved hand, while Evelyn looked back with a small smirk.
He grinned at her. “Promise you won’t drop me?”
Ever bright, she smiled back. “We already promised I wouldn’t… not unless you ask me to.”
…
The shouting and clamor of a room full of toys was much less noisy from all the way up in the air.
The audience cheered far away beneath him, and Huxley looked down at them in just as much awe as they were to see him. Sitting on one of the larger wooden rings, he waved, calling out to the crowd, who howled back just as excitedly.
On stage, Avis and Evelyn (who was still also partly suspended in the air, holding onto one of the rings with her right hand) were partaking in a vicious mock sword fight, the sound of clashing metal ricocheting through the room. Huxley, swinging high above them, provided commentary and elicited cheers and whoops from everyone watching, gasps from when the gleaming metal cut a little too close to another dolls’ skin, and when both fighters demonstrated acrobatics a porcelain doll could only dream of performing.
“Come on, Avis! She’s not even on your level!” He yelled, getting the crowd to roar in agreement and laughter. “Look at you, you’re dressed like a bird! Why don’t you soar like one!”
“You’re right, Huxley.” Avis said, as Evelyn put some distance between them, gauging his stance. “Well then - let’s fly, shall we?”
The room couldn’t possibly get louder.
Other props and such swiftly wheeled out throughout the act quickly turned the stage and its surrounding area into an obstacle course, as Avis and Evelyn continued their sword fight over precarious gaps and tightropes. Huxley hadn’t even recalled seeing any of these obstacles being made, but he didn’t care at the moment, just laughed as he let Evelyn pluck him from where he’d been sitting as she jumped past.
Toys in the audience actually had to back away just to make space, but everyone still focused only on them, dancing high in the air. Up above the audience, on the different floors of their town, with spotlights trailing their every move.
Huxley dramatically played out the part of a captive princess as Evelyn whisked him around high in the air, deftly jumping and swinging across the stage while Avis pursued. Lights of different colors illuminated the walls of the room, flashlights creating moving pictures around them.
All the while, the excitement and volume level never ceased, and Huxley continued to quip throughout the stunts, enjoying the real, honest laughter that filled their tiny home. Finally, here was a crowd that really enjoyed him, and cheered and laughed sincerely, and all the carnival lights that had seemed like faraway stars were now much closer.
Maybe I was wrong, he thought, as Evelyn secured her right arm around his waist. She grasped the handle on a long wire attached to both ends of the fence around their town, and sent them both flying forwards, wind whipping past them and a bright spotlight following their movements.
He couldn’t help but laugh, shout in excitement as they careened forward and downwards, the crowd beneath them cheering them on as they made their “escape”.
Huxley looked towards the stage, where there were still three of the wooden rings suspended in the air, and nudged Evelyn.
“Evelyn!” Huxley called, as they zipped down the wire. “Let’s jump there! Give me a boost!”
She glanced towards where he was pointing. “That’s going to be tight.”
“I can do it.”
Even in that tiny second, not a single expression of doubt crossed Evelyn’s face. She nodded. “On three.”
Allowing him to wriggle out of her grasp, Huxley put all his effort into jumping forward, Evelyn giving him a push towards the rings.
For a brief second, things seemed to slow down - he’d intended to reach for the ring closest to him, but as he found himself already midway up in the air, he realized he had nothing to grab onto it with.
He flailed.
No, he couldn’t panic - but what was he going to do? He wouldn’t get hurt if he missed his mark, but dropping to the floor just like that was no way to end a show.
It couldn’t end like this, not after all that.
The ring was just within reach. But he didn’t need hands for this - and he didn’t need to be perfect, after all.
With all his effort, and maybe a bit of luck, Huxley flipped around mid-air. All things considered, this shouldn’t have worked - but the end of his spring caught the edge of the wooden ring, and then he was suspended, bouncing up and down upside down , ten feet in the air.
The crowd was silent for a moment. Huxley looked back down at them, just as in shock.
He did it.
I can be loved just as I am.
“This is my home.” Huxley murmured, watching the toys beneath him, but not focused on anything in particular.
Applause erupted.
Evelyn and Avis had made the narrow jump to their respective rings as well, balancing on them with one leg and their free hands gripping the wire. With that, they bowed to the ecstatic crowd, signaling the end of their performance. Confetti was thrown around from above them, and Huxley laughed, grinning and waving to the audience.
“That was quite the bold choice there, Huxley.” Avis said, still waving, as the rings were slowly lowered again.
He chuckled. “Well I made it, didn’t I?”
“You did.” Evelyn said with a smile. “You stole the show, too.”
With some help, Huxley was able to push himself upwards and grab the cord holding the ring up, freeing his spring and seating himself properly. Continuing to swing with carefree joy, he bowed fully this time, relishing the fanfare. It certainly was a bold move to jump that far, and maybe it was a bit of a spontaneous decision, but everything in the past half an hour had been.
Maybe this was what it was like making his own choices for once.
“I’ll stay here,” Huxley finally said, with an out-of-breath chuckle.
“Stay? Oh…Live here, you mean?” Avis clarified.
Evelyn turned to look at him, her eyes lighting up behind her mask. “You’ll stay?”
“Yeah. This is it, I think.”
Huxley reached out his arms, and both of them took one of his sleeves, all three bowing once again for the crowd.
“Then, let this be your celebratory welcome, Huxley.” Avis said, now smiling warmly, as they were slowly lowered back to the ground.
“Thank you for joining us.” Evelyn continued, her golden eyes glowing, and smile just as bright. “Welcome home, Huxley.”
This was his choice.
Huxley wasn’t sure if he wanted to cry, or laugh, or barf from all the gymnastics, but whatever he was feeling, it was something special. This was a special occasion, because he wanted it to be. He wasn’t brought here to be fixed, he’d known that - and he knew he didn’t need to be.
“Yeah. I’m home.” He said, with a tearful grin.
The door slammed open, and everyone immediately ceased moving, all the cheers and clapping and singing instantly grinding to an abrupt halt.
All tiny eyes tore away from the performers on the stage, watching as the giant figure entered the room in a rush, clutching something in their arms.
Huxley froze. All his prior euphoria and delight dissipated as soon as your hurried footsteps thundered past them, shaking the tiny wooden stage and its performers.
Evelyn immediately helped him down and stepped in front of him, watching tensely as whatever the human had been carrying was hurriedly but carefully placed onto the work table. Then, you turn towards the startled crowd on the floor -
“I’m sorry. We need to get back to work now.”