"You toasted her." I said.
Stared at the smoldering pile of ash with my jaw on the floor and my eyes wide. My sister. Years of anguish. Poof! Gone!
"Hotshot!" Croc yowled out, shoving me out of the way and throwing himself onto the floor. Burying his claws into the ash, tears rolling down his cheeks.
"You killed my wife!" He spat at Loveall who was trying to sit up.
I stumbled over to my friend despite the shock that still ran through my system, the doll person pulled themselves together as the fighting came to a screeching halt.
"Love, you a'ight?" I asked, pulling myself to my feet. Croc stared at Loveall, me, then to his crew. Without a word, he got up and ran out of the building, leaving his friends behind.
"Wait! Croc," One of them shouted before they all left. The loud ringing in my ear started to go down as the sounds of clapping assaulted me. Glancing around, I realized, they were clapping for me.
***
"Is he going to be okay?" The doll asked me, their eyes moved from Loveall to me and back. I had carried Love all the way home and put him in my bed, his migraine so severe he couldn't talk and ended up passing out the second his head hit the pillow.
"Yeah, I guess," I said, ushering the doll out of the room and into my living room.
"So what exactly are you?" I asked, shutting the door to give the other privacy.
"Moi? My names Poupée, but you can just call me Dolly."
"Didn't answer my question."
"I'm a living doll." They shrugged at me, going around the living room and picking things up to inspect them, "I can fall apart and move my appendages independently."
"Wow."
"Right? It's fun, non?"
"No, it's kind of creepy"
They laughed with a shake of the head, "I like you. You're sassy."
"Why are you in my house?" I asked, taking the vase they were inspecting out of their hands.
"I wanted to make sure you and your boyfriend were okay."
I could feel my face burn and stomach churn, "He's not my boyfriend!" I spat out angrily.
They ignored me and continued on their inspection, I felt the rage cooling down as I grew more curious about them.
"Hey, uh, don't take this the wrong way, but uh, what are your pronouns?"
Dolly turned their head backwards to look at me, ew what the fuck.
"I'm joyful you asked," They grinned, "I change my gender by the day, today I am she."
"Got it," I said with a nod, "So you gonna leave my house or am I going to have to force you out?"
"I think I'll be staying the night."
"You can't just invite yourself to stay here!"
"Why not?"
"Because I said so."
"And what if Croc comes? I don't sleep. I watch out."
I hadn't thought of that, Loveall did just kill my sister and Croc's wife. He'd probably want some form of revenge, and after the police nearly handcuffed me at the bank, I wasn't exactly feeling good about being alone. Why do I keep collecting strays?
"Fine! But only tonight."
In the back of my mind, I knew, this was probably more permanent. Stared down the hallway. My mind stuck on Loveall. The power. The intensity. Who the fuck is he?