A witch. She gazes at the sunset as her doll drives her home. Or, well, not really gazing. Just closing her eyes and facing the sun. Red behind her eyelids and warmth on her skin. Soon they'll be home. Some five days away and now they return. It'll be good to be home.

The witch thinks to herself. Last time she went on a trip like this, the ideas came forth like a pure mountain spring. But, this time, it's quiet inside her mind. The doll, it notices her quiet distress, asks her what's wrong!

A doll and witch at a theme park! They were kinda lost earlier, but now they know where they are! They're at the pizza shop! Theme park and a pizza! What could be better! Pizza and a ride afterward! Tho maybe they should let their food settle first! Yeah. That's a good plan.

A witch late at night. She has tried and failed to go to sleep. This isn't the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last. It's because of a sort of twisting feeling in her stomach that happens when she lays down for long enough but doesn't fall asleep.

"Have you ever thought about turning me into a doll?" ... "The thought has crossed my mind, now that you mention it." "What's stopped you?" "Well... I like you as you are." "I see." ...

Hush now, little one. Let my magic do its work. Everything is going to be okay. I would have told you "no" if I thought I wouldn't be able to help. You've already earned this just by making it this far.

A doll and a witch. And, together, they defy the odds. Sometimes communication doesn't come easily. Sometimes their partnership is fraught with tension. But they don't give up on the other. After all. They've come this far together. What's one day more?

A doll and a witch. At first, they only knew each other tangentially. Then they spent a lunch hour together. Few words passed between them. But they started to eat together more and more. One day, one was missing. But the other sat in the same spot regardless.

It's... Kinda silly when you take a step back and look at it all. Witches, dolls, angels, demons, moths... Names that we have taken from elsewhere and applied to ourselves. But there's nothing wrong with that. They're labels that we've chosen for ourselves.

There's nothing that I wouldn't give to see you again. But you're gone. And... There's nothing I can do to change that. ... But my memories of you will continue to bear me forward.

I love you, you know that, right? No matter how many slips you make, no matter how many times you fall, no matter how often you need help getting back up. I love you, I love you, I love you. You're worth every second.

It's a quiet something, a seed of inspiration. And, more often than not, it won't grow into anything notable. But it's still nice to feel that yearning in my heart. That, despite everything, the grounds of my mind and heart are still fertile enough to host such seeds.

If at all possible, I'd like you to outlive me. Not because I don't want us to be there for each other at the end, not at all. Just... I think a world without you wouldn't... ... Well, you'd think the same of me, I'd like to think. That you'd want me to outlive you, too.

A doll. It doesn't need many things. It doesn't need food nor drink nor warmth and the like. ... It doesn't need any of it. But... That's not to say that such things go unappreciated.

There are songs that you will only hear once and never again. So the same goes for witches and dolls, angels and demons and moths and the like. Take not for granted the time you spend with them.

A witch that sings his doll a lullaby. It's just a song that he's heard before. He reads the lyrics from his phone. But the doll doesn't mind! It's nice to listen to its witch sing! There was a time when he didn't sing at all. So this lullaby is a nice change!

The doll sleeps quietly by its witch's side. The witch lies awake, facing it. He bows his head into its chest. "I love you. I hope you know that." The doll doesn't stir. Its breathing remains quiet and steady. And the witch... He remains.

"hello." "hello Sir is there something on your mind." "just you. i wanted to talk with you." "talk about what?" "i just wanted to talk with you. nothing really in particular."

A doll and witch on New Year's Day. The first few minutes of another year. In years past, they have watched the sunrise and shared hot chocolate together. This year... They're sharing bowls of homemade fried rice! A special Tagalog recipe passed down from the doll's birth mother!

A doll and witch on New Year's Eve. This year has been... Really scary, admittedly. And it seems that next year is shaping up to be scary as well. ... But! Despite all of that, they have each other!

A witch wondering if she's repeated one of her stories by accident. She's written a lot at this point. Nearing a thousand stories, actually. ... It reminds her of a workshop she hosted once before.

Her ideals are inviolate. Invincible. Even if she doesn't live up to them herself. No matter the sacrifices she made, the good she has done, no matter how hard she strived and struggled... She doesn't live up to her ideals. Because that's what ideals are.

"We're getting to the end of the backlog... Or, at least, this part of the backlog." "Does it scare you?" "A little. Especially since I know that I haven't been able to keep up my previous one-story-a-day habit for a while." "How long do you think you have stored?"

"Pride... I haven't been proud of myself for a long time." "And yet... When I see the way you treat me..." "It makes me wonder whether I'm worthy of being proud of." "So, for that... I must thank you."

"Here's to you, my darling dolly." "Me? What did I do?" "You were here! And now I'm toasting to you!" "You're silly." "Maybe a little bit. But I think that's okay too." "You do make me smile!" "Then it's all worth it."

Christmas day. And all through the house... Not a creature was stirring! Not even a mouse! ... Except for the doll, who is practically vibrating with excitement.

"You've done nothing but take away my pain." "Awa? Where does this come from?" "Just... was playing a game and heard something that reminded me of you." The witch goes silent for a moment... Then continues.

"Did you want a doll?" "Not really." "I see..." "But I wouldn't change a thing." "But you didn't want a doll?" "True. But you've given me nothing but happiness since I came into possession of you." "Is that so..." "It is. And I'm grateful for you." "I'm glad..."

"What will you do when I pass?" "I'll mourn you, of course." "You wouldn't do anything else?" "I wouldn't." "... Thank you." "You don't need to thank me." "Still..."

"Sir, you need to sleep." "I don't feel tired." "Even so! You've been up for so long!" "That's okay. I'm used to strange hours." "Sir..." "I'll be fine. I promise. You go ahead and sleep." "... Okay. But please sleep if you feel at all tired." "I will. Goodnight my doll."

"If you had the chance to change something you regretted, what would you change?" "I wouldn't." "You have no regrets?" "I do." "Why wouldn't you change it?" "Because I might not have met you."

"Don't do it. Please. I love you." "I wasn't going to do it, but that doesn't mean I can't think about it." "Why do you think about it, then?" "I've always thought about it. For as long as I can remember." "Why?"

"You're living on borrowed time, y'know. What are you going to do when that time runs out?" "Then I guess I'll just face the music and dance."

A doll getting its blood drawn. It hates needles. More than hate, it's terrified of them. Its witch squeezes its other hand tightly. It focuses on her. Does its best to shut out that which it's scared of.

Inviolate. Invincible. That's what she wanted to be. And yet... She falters time and time again. ... But every time she falters... Her doll has been there to prop her back up. To be her rock in the storm. ...

A witch curled up in bed. Her doll is away from home for the day. ... It's... A bit lonely. ...

"Are you okay?" "You've asked me that hundreds of times at this point." The witch's head is buried in her arms. "Please leave me alone."

Was it worth it? I don't know. I... Just, genuinely, don't know. All of this effort, all of these endeavours... For what, really? Numbers on a page? Likes and shares and the rare comment... Is it enough?

A doll that has the opportunity to reset its memory. An offer by its witch. That it wouldn't have to remember all of the regrets that it carried with it. In truth, the doll considers the option. It truly did have a number of regrets... But...

A doll that dreams an epic of a dream. Filled with intrigue, puzzle solving, betrayal, hope, saviours, and so so so much more. And, upon waking, it remembers next to nothing of it except that it was truly one of the grandest dreams of all it has ever dreamed.

A doll in the rain. It buries its head in its arms. In time, it's soaked through and through. Cold. Uncomfortable. But... Content all the same.

A doll that slept past its alarms. Eventually, it wakes up... And realizes that it's missed an important outing with its witch. In a panic, it calls her. She picks up. It apologizes profusely. She just laughs. The doll is scared. Afraid.

"You're worth my love." "I just... I don't know sometimes." "I know." "How do you know?" "I just do. Just like you don't know, I know." "How does that work?" "It just does." "Does it now..." "I promise." "... Thank you."

"Happy birthday." The doll looks toward its witch. And it smiles! "Thank you, Sir!" The witch smiles back. "Thank you for being with me."

A sleeping doll. It's been asleep for a long, long time. Its witch watches over it. ... It asked, one day, to sleep. To not function, to run dry of mana. To sleep. And... Its witch... As much as she didn't want to... As much as she knew that it wouldn't help...

And so the doll and witch stand at the edge of the universe. How did they manage to get out so far? Well, needless to say, magic is capable of many such things normally considered impossible! ... It's... Surreal. On one side, darkness. On the other, a few specks of light.

"Sir?" The hunter rips their blade out of the witch. "Oh. You're awake." The doll rushes to the witch's side. His chest doesn't move. "You're free now." The doll looks up at the hunter. Then back down at the witch. "I... I didn't... I don't..."

"Want a hug?" The doll turns its head toward its witch. ""Not particularly." "That's okay." Silence passes between the two for a moment.

"Are you okay?" The witch turns her head towards her doll. "Could be better, could be worse." The doll hugs the witch. "This one is here for you all the same." The witch returns the embrace. "Thank you..."

A witch! She wants to write a story! And so she does! Not too long, not too short - Tho it's admittedly a short story, just like most of her other works - She's proud of it all the same.