All Dolled Up

"Come on, wind me up again!"

"You know there isn't *actually* a key on your back, right?"

"Um... I *sort of* know that. But I can even feel it clicking when you wind me. And it feels so *neat* to be wound up. Please, will you do it for me?"

"Well... you get a bit weird when you're wound up..."

"Oh, please! I'll be good."

I paused, grinning. "How good?"

Terry smiled, and spread her legs apart where she sat on the bed. She looked down at her body, the frilly doll costume still covering her everywhere, but managing to flatter the shape of her curves, especially when she breathed in deeply and leaned forward towards me, pleading eyes on mine. "*Very* good," she murmured.

I rolled my eyes. "All right, all right! Don't get your panties in a bunch." I set down the safety pins I'd been using for a last minute adjustment to my own costume, and stepped around the bed towards her side.

She frowned prettily in mock dismay, and made as if to lift up her skirt to check. I caught a tantalizing glimpse of bare thigh and a flash of frilly underwear that perfectly matched the dress before I put my hand on her back and she froze, the dress dropping back over her legs.

I had been there when Meg hypnotised her, and I tried to imitate the way Meg had "wound" her "key". I mimed twisting a big handle coming out of her back, starting and ending with both hands touching her slightly, and making a mechanical grinding sound with my mouth to go with each motion. Her arms flopped a bit, stiffly, with each turn. I wondered what it felt like, to her.

After several turns, I stopped, and took my hands off her back.

Immediately she sprang into motion. "Oh, thank you! That feels great! Oh, wonderful!" She pirouetted in place, then bent to kiss me quickly before bouncing around the room again. "I love how this feels, it just makes me want to run around the building-- oh, I'm sorry, I'm just babbling, aren't I? But no really, this is such a neat feeling-- I guess I didn't totally need to get *this* much in character but what a way to do it, you know, this is just the coolest thing ever and--"

As she bounded around the room, sometimes kneeling to look under furniture, sometimes on tiptoe, bright- eyed and brimming with enough energy for three people, I followed her with my eyes and then, as she zoomed past me, reached out and put a hand on the top of her head. Instantly she froze again.

I looked at her, poised in mid-step.

The top of her head was her "freeze" button, or so Meg had told her. I hadn't seen her use it. But the whirlwind of energy was already tiring me out, so I thought it was worth a try. "You just wait there a moment while I finish fixing my costume, ok? Then you can start running me ragged again."

I took a few minutes to adjust and pin in front of the mirror. Terry stayed completely silent and motionless. Ready to leave, I turned back to her, reached my hand up... and paused, considering.

She really was completely frozen. Unable to move at all.

The fact that she'd stayed that way for several minutes while I basically ignored her meant that she'd really taken to the suggestion. Some part of her liked it quite a lot.

I walked around her slowly, admiring her from all sides.

Was she aware of me standing there looking at her? Was she aware of being frozen? Or would it all just be a blank to her when I tapped her head again? I couldn't remember if Meg had said one way or the other; and in any case people interpreted suggestions in idiosyncratic ways. What did being a wind-up doll mean to Terry?

Also, how could I get her off of my boots? She was standing on one of them, and I needed to put them on.

What the hell. Gently putting a hand on either side of her waist and bracing my legs, I picked Terry up and set her down a few feet further from the bed. She remained motionless.

I sat down and put on my boots.

Still motionless and facing the way I'd set her, Terry stood silent. Looking at her slim, shapely body, I really *really* wondered what being a wind-up doll meant to her.

I could imagine, if it were me, hypnotised and motionless and alone with a good friend, I might be thankful if they had the courtesy not to take liberties with the situation.

I stood up, stepped closer to her motionless form.

Then again, depending on the friend... I might be disappointed, if they didn't.

Terry's face was inches from my own, now, her bright eyes fixed on a distant point. She had taken this suggestion *very* strongly.

Her bright red painted lips were soft, inviting. I leaned towards them.

Would she know, if I tasted them?

I leaned closer, lips a breath from hers...

Then stepped back, sighed, and touched the top of her head.

Terry turned bright red, and sprang forward without looking at me. "I'll just wait outside in the hall-- I can pace back and forth or something-- don't mind me-- come out when you're ready..." she stuttered rapidly as she leapt to the hotel room door and hurried through it.

Well, that answered whether she'd remembered. Now I just had to figure out what the blush meant.

15.06.13