#lou from ugly dolls movie

[ayosdesignz-blog]

Just watched Ugly Dolls for the 1st time.

That movie went about how I expected story/plot wise. Gotta say Lou was obvious but I'm a bit disappointed they didn't go the route of him being like...well meaning and sticking to the parameters of expectations for how they're "meant to be" and not realizing he's wrong or causing harm by not being a free thinker and actively going against the concept and then being taught how to change and do better instead of yknow...diabolical and slightly deranged because he's somewhat broken.

Kinda funny that he's completely disregarded after being thrown in the wash when he was practically a cult leader. We only see him a mess as he tries to mop in the credits.

BUT ENOUGH OF THAT!!

I kinda wanna talk about the brief display of raw emotion Lou gave when ranting like a lunatic at the end of his rope at the green bunny thing: Mayor Ox.

According to both, they're old friends.

According to Mayor Ox they were like brothers.

According to Lou....well...he took the fact that Ox wanted to "leave him" like every one else SUPER personally.

I'm curious 🤔 on how the fandom for this movie (is there a fandom???) handles the relationships, consequences, and interpretations of Lou's mental and emotional state.

Like before I watched the movie I only ever saw bits of commercials and that song of Lou's, Ugly Truth?

That song was a hilarious whiplash of overly high expectations, blatant insults/mockery, showmanship and narcissist traits done in a blend with a good dallop of civil politeness and carefree/careless congeniality on top. And just a sprinkle of flirtatiousness, for good measure I'm sure.

I just find him lowkey interesting.

[flareheart8]

My PrettyDolls Redesign

Took awhile, but I finally got these designs done. Similar to my Uglydolls redesign, I didn't change too much from their original designs. All I did was added some accessories, and change up their clothes. Most of the pretty girls have golden earrings, and different size skirts besides Lydia.

Kitty is the leader of the Spy Girls. She makes sure that the other spies, and Mandy look top tier as they are the lead examples of perfections in the Institute. Because of this, Kitty is very strict on how the girls should dress, look, and act as she doesn't want to disappoint Lou. For my redesign, I gave her long white stockings, shortened her skirt a bit, and a cat hairpin. Kitty wants to look professional and up to Lou's standards. She doesn't wear to any thing that's too distracting, and keeps things simple. The cat hairpin is something she added to give her outfit some flare, and to show her love for cats.

Tuesday is a big fan of Lou and wants his attention 24/7. Kitty makes sure to keep her in lane, but Tuesday can't help it. Besides her obsessions of Lou, Tuesday's job is to keep track what's trending and whatever gossips that goes around in Perfection. It's how the Spy Girls stay ahead of the game, and have a bunch of dirt on everyone. For her redesign, I gave a big red bow, and a cowlick. The red bow helps her gain attentions, and the cowlick is to show that she can be a bit of an airhead despite her perfections.

Lydia is the defense of the group. She makes sure the dolls keep their distances from Lou, and defends the Spy Girls name. Lydia is not some doll you should mess with, and willing to stuffed anyone that gets in her way. The reason why I gave her long, flowing pants, because I kept imagining her with them, and felt like they suit her better than a skirt. I also gave her a bunny pin since she does have a bit of the soft side, and she mentioned that she loves bunnies.

Mandy's redesign is very similar to how she's looks in the movie. The only differences is that she's allow to wear her glasses around Lou, and the Spy Girls since in my rewrite. Wearing glasses doesn't make you ugly. That doesn't mean she's completely perfect as she hides something messier underneath. Besides that, Mandy pretty much act that same like she did in the movie, and have a decent, but neutral relationship with the Spy Girls. Though, she is pretty close to Kitty as Kitty tends to trust her with certain tasks, and helps keep the group organize.

For Meghan and Michael, they are background characters that appear once in a while, but I wanted to redesign them as well. Meghan skirt isn't as twirly like some of the other pretty girls' skirts. She takes her role as a lawyer serious, and doesn't mess around. For Micheal, I shorten up his jacket vest and have his shirt stick out a bit. He likes to keep his himself clean, and really dislikes the idea of going into the washer (Though, that is pretty much how all of the institute feels.) Both Meghan and Michael try to live up to Lou's standards, but aren't on the same level like Mandy and the Spy Girls.

Now for the doll himself, Lou!! The only changes I made for his design is that I added a "L" initial on his jacket. Other than that, Lou is leader of the Institute of Perfection, and mentor to all pretty dolls. He seeks out the best of the best, and is very harsh and judgmental when doing so. He only wants what's best for the pretty dolls as he knows that they can do better. Though, he doesn't have much hope for Imperfects dolls as he sees them as mistakes and wouldn't hesitate to recycle them if they refuse to do labor work. All the pretty dolls look up to him, and see him as this flawless doll can do no wrong. Despite wanting to forget, he constantly thinks about that one friendship he had with a certain ugly doll as that was the only time he felt something more genuine than admiration.

Note: I notice that I made Mandy, Kitty, Tuesday, Meghan, and Micheal's skirt and pants a lot lighter than I intended to be, so that's going to get fix in the future.

[lousirs]

If you could add scenes or change certain designs to the uglydolls movie what would they be ? (Idk alternate institute design or random filler scenes)

For exemple i wish they insisted more onto the « doll school/training » thing.

Or another exemple, i had this idea where instead of Ox finding out bout Moxy and mandy being in danger with the printer thingy, he would’ve (seeing moxy’s missing) suspected Lou done something/has hurt Moxy and while running in the Pipe to the institute, he hears Moxy and mandy screaming for help (would’ve added a lot if you think bout it)

Gotta save this 65mill$ budget 💪💪🤩🤩

good question and wonderful ideas! i very much agree with the ox finding moxy/mandy scene. he should've been worried that he hadn't seen moxy in a while. sure, she was upset, but she is never so quiet... so he goes to check up on her, only to find an empty room, and panic arises. he tells the other uglydolls, and they go around town calling her name. and then ox reaches the sunflower pipe. realisation sinks in: "lou must've gotten her". and so the uglydolls help each other to get up the pipe, and through the darkness there is a faint red glow and screams for help.... dramatic... but maybe a bit too dark for a kids film, who knows xDDD

anywho, i have a lot of things i would change about the movie tbh, but to name a few: (buckle up everyone cause i got a lot to say)

first and foremost GIVE THE UGLYDOLLS (besides moxy and ox) A PURPOSE. babo, wage, luckybat and uglydog are the main characters technically, and yet they serve no purpose. if you removed them, and only had moxy find the institute, nothing would've changed. my fix? allow them to do what they are good at to win over the prettydolls.

from what is shown, i'm guesisng moxy is a reporter, luckybat is a fortune teller (or something like that), wage is a cook, babo is a builder and uglydog is a DJ. so! have luckybat tell the prettydolls fortunes (reading their palms or something idk), have wage cook them a nice meal, have babo build a cool contraption for them and uglydog host a dance party. and all the while, moxy is writing about the institute, life there, how lou is a big ol' meanie head, etc. this would've fixed so much, because in the film, the prettydolls turned on lou so quickly, so GIVE THEM MORE OF A REASON TO besides "ew prototype" and "he kicked a baby!!!". make the prettydolls warm up to the uglydolls, not due to their appearance, but due to who they are inside and what they enjoy doing. make them think that lou is wrong for being so cruel to them.

speaking of this, moxy writing down everything about the institute (perhaps to put into the uglyville newspaper) could be a point of tension! lou doesn't want his reputation to be smeared, so there could be a scene (i'd say after the training montage where lou is further trying to dissuade moxy) where lou tears up all the pages of her notepad, leaving her feeling devastated, but still determined to carry on despite the odds.

the only other point i have about the uglydolls is their designs. i would've loved to see them more like their original counterparts, cause they feel a bit too cutesy to be truly 'ugly' or whatever in the film. especially the stitches around the eyes, they should've kept that!! more of a handcrafted ragdoll look, i suppose!

for the institute... i feel like this is a hot take, but i like how empty it is. kind of shows how empty and artificial trying to be 'perfect' is. the repetitiveness of the institute also works to show that as well... buuut they could've taken it further. perhaps they could've gone for the more city-like area like they did in concept arts, but have it a lot more organised (too organised), so everything feels disorientating. for instance, the dolls houses are all clunked into a square area, same with the training course, etc.

this concept art, although looking sterile, still feels quite open and lively, like that of a big city. so they could make it feel more suffocating? who knows.

(i get that uglyville is quite clustered and tightly packed too, but that feels more like a comfortable closeness)(so the institute could be an uncomfortable closeness)

one scene they could've added for the prettydolls is the spy girls being hesitant to throw moxy and mandy in recycling. their expressions as moxy is going down the pipe shows fear and regret, and yet this brief, and they go back to being fine afterwards??? i get lou not giving a shit, but c'mon girls, you just helped kill two dolls! kidnapping isn't good either, but recycling innocent dolls is on a whole other level.

even if it was just a small piece of dialogue between the girls and lou, it would've worked... like:

"surely you aren't going to actually recycle them? that's way too far lou!"

or

"we didn't agree to this lou! you just told us to take them to you!"

and lou shuts them up and says how they'll be perfect yada yada idk. and that could be a breaking point for the girls, where they begin to distrust lou, because bro's a maniac.

i've mentioned this in a previous post, but i believe that the novel's version of lou and ox's backstory makes a lot more sense, in how lou stepped on the line ox was passing to make it seem like he failed the gauntlet, and the robots dragging ox to recycling. instead of ox making other dolls fail, and lou being like "imma show you recycling now. cya bub"

similarly, mandy getting the audience to coax lou into running the gauntlet makes more sense than him running the gauntlet on his own accord, fully knowing that he would be exposed. yay, peer pressure!

nit-pick here, but i wish they made nolan more 'imperfect' design-wise. although yeah, his hair and eyes are different colours and his uniform is too small, he has no socks and lost a button and has freckles, it all seems too... polished? like, his freckles are just around the cheeks, and although yeah, people can have exactly that irl, i would've loved if they went harder on it. same with his hair, the green parts are in a neat clump, that still matches the hair model of the doll. so fuck it! have him have messy hair with green strands randomly placed on his head, make his freckles heavier, so they cover his arms and legs etc too, make his uniform have hanging out threads and missing parts, etc etc! alsooo further push him having a long neck, small head, being tall, whatever. cause it's barely noticeable... (which i guess works cause lou picks up on the smallest of things but stillll i want a more 'imperfect' nolan xD)

that's all i can think of for now, and the post is long enough as it is sooo yeah xP

[yanguazalie]

Doesn't quite fit the binary, that boy 🤔

A very mini comic based on this very short poem!

Headcanon ramblings under cut

I've had the headcanon for over a year, but I denied it because I was already world-building for the movie and didn't want to muddy my train of thought. But now I've embraced it and have fit it in a little: If the Perfect Dolls are assigned their genders by what the chamber throws on them, with Nolan's clothes and hair color coming out rather mixed up, more prominently in his heel-less flats, he is intersex. It's only by perception that he leans more toward the male side.

It's not common, but Nolan would be far from the first to be in this "situation." At this point he's a "Recall" doll, if only for a while. Usually Lou would put him through the chamber as many times as needed to "fix" his body, but luckily the Uglydolls took all the attention before that happened.

With Quality Control more lenient after Imperfection took over, Nolan was able to embrace his appearance as well as create his own identity from scratch rather than being assigned an occupation with the credible skills included. Almost like a college drop-out! :D

But his freedom isn't without setbacks. As he remained a Recall, once entering The Big World, Nolan landed on a random spot on the planet rather than a shelf like his peers. It's ironic because even the Uglys were put in the "Reject" category and at least distributed as cheaper toys for sale on the other side. Getting paired up with his kid the rogue way... how enriching that must be.

[bluepoodle7]

#UglyDolls #Hasbro #UglydollsTheMovie #SetOf92019HasbroUglyDollsToGoClipMiniPlushiesWithBox #PlushPals

This is a Set Of 9 2019 Hasbro Ugly Dolls To-Go Clip Mini Plushies With Box.

These keychain plushies were all in good new condition but may have wear, marks, wear on the Set Of 9 2019 Hasbro Ugly Dolls To-Go Clip Mini Plushies With Box, scratches on the plastic clips, bends/creases on the cardboard, and strings loose.

The Set Of 9 2019 Hasbro Ugly Dolls To-Go Clip Mini Plushies With Box are new but the cardboard for the mini plushies might have bends/creases on it and items inside are mint.

These mini plushies were fuzzy and soft while wooly in texture.

I wish the Uglydolls movie did well or released later without the movie competition.

I thought the movie was okay but I wish this movie got a sequel so we can have the normal dolls as plushies and have Lou be the super rare plush to reference the movie.

The Set Of 9 2019 Hasbro Ugly Dolls To-Go Clip Mini Plushies With Box are all 7 inches from the top of the plastic hook display dangler to the bottom of bottom of the box.

The Set Of 9 2019 Hasbro Ugly Dolls To-Go Clip Mini Plushies With Box are all made by Hasbro.

The Uglydolls mini clips in the images are Wedgehead, Ugly Dog, Wage, Tray, Ice-Bat, Lucky Bat, Babo, OX, and Moxy.

The front tush tag on the OX Clip Mini Plush says © 2019 Ugly Industries Holdings,LLC. ©2018 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. PLACE IN A PILLOWCASE; TIE CLOSED. MACHINE WASH SEPARATELY, COLD WATER, GENTLE CYCLE, NO BLEACH, TUMBLE DRY LOW. FILLING: ALL NEW MATERIALS: POLYESTER FIBERS. MADE IN VIETNAM WITH PARTS FROM CHINA. The back tush tag says NEW MATERIAL ONLY. CONTENT: POLYESTER FIBRES. CE.

The front packaging on all the Ugly Dolls To-Go Clip Mini Plushies says UGLY DOLLS. AGE 4+.

With the name of each of the characters with the words TO-GO next to the name.

For example Moxy TO-GO.

The back of the packaging says Are YOU ready to dream? Includes plush clip, NOTE: Adult should remove and discard fasteners/packaging components. FILLING: ALL NEW MATERIALS: POLYESTER FIBERS. Retain this information for future reference. TM & © 2019 Ugly Industries Holdings,LLC. Hasbro®. 6 to collect. Each sold separately. Subject to availability. Includes figure, 3 accessories, and sticker sheet. Product and colors may vary. Retain this information for future reference. TM & © 2019 Ugly Industries Holdings,LLC. All Rights Reserved.®and/or TM&©2018 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. MADE IN VIETNAM WITH PARTS FROM CHINA. Hasbro®.

The Box length is 15 inches, width is 6, and height is 3.

The front box packaging says UGLY DOLLS. UGLYDOLLS TO-GO.UGLYDOLLS. Hasbro. Each sold separately. Subject to availability. The left side of the box has pictures of different Uglydolls and the right side of the box says 9 to collect. UGLY DOLLS. UGLYDOLLS TO-GO. *Each sold separately. Subject to availability. Hasbro.

The back of the box says TM & © 2019 Ugly Industries Holdings,LLC. All rights reserved. HASBRO and its logo are trademarks of Hasbro. © 2019 Hasbro.

I did bubble wrap all the items listed and the box.

These are very cute and unique Set Of 9 2019 Hasbro Ugly Dolls To-Go Clip Mini Plushies With Box.

I sold this item.

[0perfectimperfections0]

Okay, I didn't think about that idea until I read this a few weeks ago, but it gave me time to dwell on the thought and here's what I've gathered:

I went back to the beginning of the movie and took note of every type of base model shown. For some reason, the left side of the factory starts at Model 10, which are the bears, and it seems to continue on, but we only see 11 through 15 in the shot. I believe there are six base models altogether. Here they are according to their number and what base model they are:

10: Bears

11: Dogs (cats?)

12: Dolls

13: Bunnies

14: Ducks

That's all we can see in the 1:17 shot of the movie, but we also see one more shot of the bird dolls that are made as well, which is where Lucky comes from. There also conveyer belt 9 that doesn't have anything on it for some reason in this shot and it suddenly disappears when we follow what will soon be Wedgehead through the pipe that leads to the Recycle. This was most likely just an animation error. Conveyer belt 15 also doesn't show anything on it.

I take creative liberty in assuming that the only reason the giant octopus exists is because either A) it was a recalled toy or B) the conveyer belt they are made on just isn't seen. I presume the animators made a deliberate choice in showing the base models of the main characters to give us an idea of where they came from, but that ignores the question as to why the bird stuffies aren't shown in the 1:17 shot.

Looking past animation errors, we definitely see that all the Uglies come from every base model EXCEPT the Model 12.

(Side note, sorry, but my theory for the Octopus also applies to the random unicorn and shrimp creatures and anything else in the movie that I might've overlooked)

I took a blurry screenshot of this crowd when Ox is introducing Wedgehead. Obviously, this isn't Uglyville as a collective, but the animators did just copy and recolour a lot of these characters to save on time (as they should cause we know Lou is the only reason a lot of people watched the movie).

Everyone in this crowd is of some deviation from one of the other base models. They have bunny ears or bear ears or bird wings or something else that gives away the fact that they were of some animal base model.

Where I'm going with this is that I think that Moxy is the only UglyDoll that is based on the original Pretty Doll model. We also see closer to the beginning of the movie that these machines cut out 2D prints of the material. There's a boy conveyer belt and a girl one. The girl one is just a 2D, pink cutout. Now, considering all the Model 12's come out as grey and ungendered until they go through the individualization scanner, I'm not exactly sure what purpose the 2D cutouts serve when it comes to the color coding.

It's weird and, I'm just gonna be real, I don't know what purpose they serve in the doll-making process. I feel like this was either an animation mistake or the storyline, had they been given more liberty with time for the movie, would have incorporated that detail somehow.

Either way, Moxy is still a mistake and I believe that the 2D cutouts that were supposed to be used for a Pretty Doll ended up being her.

Back to your initial question: I don't think the other base models are as self-aware as the Pretty Dolls.

I don't mean this in the sense that they are dense and pretty much as unresponsive as real animals, but they do hold true to their nature. Ox, for example, being a bunny and animal by nature of his base model, could not mentally or physically fit in with the Pretty Dolls. It wasn't that someone trained him wrong or taught him to be messy and different, but that's what he is by nature.

LuckyBat even lives in a high building that has a circular door like a bird house. It's his nature because of the bird base model he's derived from.

I also think this is the real reason why Moxy is so sure that there is a Big World and that children do exist. Sure, the other models get their own kid, but they really don't require the kind of moral compass or longing that a doll BASED on the humans would need.

Because the Pretty Dolls themselves are meant to reflect the humans they're made for, it kind of makes sense that they would have to be as mentally and emotionally complex as them too. The animal-based dolls simply don't need that, and I think that's why Ox really couldn't pass the Gauntlet if he had wanted to. None of them could have.

Moxy was the one that ended up consoling the baby at the end. And, while a lot of it chalks up to a good heroic moment for her, it also is just because it's a part of her nature to be that emotionally aware. Again, the others care about each other (just as animals of their own species watch out for their flock, herd, etc.) but how often do we see or hear in the movie that they care about finding their kid? I mean, Moxy legit has to resort to coaxing them with things they care about in order to persuade them to follow her through the pipe. None of those things being the chance to find their kid.

They really just do it for Moxy. Which makes me think that even in the worlds of the base models, there isn't any difference. I assume everything is less structured and scheduled and moreso just a temporary home for the stuffed animals before they get bought by their kid. That's also assuming they even have a portal to go through and don't just immediately end up on the shelves to be bought.

If there has been a mess-up that's made it through to the other models, a part of me doubts the base models would even notice or care. All of the Uglies don't even seem to be aware that they're physically abnormal until Ox tells them.

I feel like I was wrapping all this up to be a more concise answer, but it didn't turn out that way...oops.

Overall, that's what I can think of when it comes to canon hints we're given. I have my personal reasons for why Model 12's seem to get the spotlight, but those thoughts would be spoilers for the Shell-Shock series.

so, as someone who recently got a uglydolls dvd. there's one uglydolls lore question that's been on my mind: If doll type number 12 has their own world, would that mean every other doll type (the on-model versions of the uglydolls first seen in the opening) also has their own world? what would they be like?

like, I doubt they would be that similar to what pretty dolls's world was. I get the impression that they were under more pressure to be perfect given the fact that there hasn't seemingly ever been an off model mess up of one of them that needs to be discarded.

lol The question comes out of nowhere. I haven't thought much about it, although I've seen fanfics develop those concepts of worlds outside of Model 12. Because yes, all the residents of Uglyvilles come from the rest of the models, the only ones that have always remained perfect and untouchable are those of Model 12.

Maybe it is due to something about Lou, his management, or maybe he is the only prototype forced to work in quality control. Who knows? Anyway I pass the microphone to @0perfectimperfections0 because I'm sure they must have a more elaborate theory and stories about that xD

[natalie-the-writer]

Hey y'all! It's another UglyDolls story. Yep.

Except this time, I did a big twist with an AU idea I've had in my mind for months. This story follows where the Lou in the movie wasn't the real Lou, but a replacement and, well, you'll see how it goes.

Replacement and Rescue

It had been two years since Lou woke up locked in the basement of his own home. Two years since of him being in this ten by ten foot cell with three sleek grey walls and one glass wall. Two years since he was replaced for being 'corrupted' because he learned emotions from Ox and was willing to send a so-called 'ugly' doll to the Big World. Two years of learning dolls' names every night, seeing the memories of his replacement, and trying not to cry from helpless loneliness. He couldn't save his dolls. He couldn't protect them from the harsh words of the doll who pretended to be him. He couldn't protect Ox. 

 Everything changed a few days ago. Dolls that could only be from wherever Ox came from had shown up. They were going to go through the Gauntlet - an exercise for compassion and skill during his leadership and an object of pressure and fear for his replacement. If they made it through, it would reveal the secret. Lou might get out of there. For the first time in a year, he allowed himself a little bit of hope as he meditated, peering through the eyes of his replacement. The creator couldn't completely sever their connection with one Lou alive. Why he was alive in the first place, he didn't know. Didn't really want to know the answer. 

 It had been hard to stay up straight and meditate for hours. He usually kept it short, just a glimpse because even though it was torture for himself, he had to know. He hated not knowing even if everything he found out, everything he saw during lessons, crushed him. He was sleep deprived for hours, shaking where he sat and heart thundering in his chest, but he had to know what would happen. Ox was back. His replacement dragged him here and as much as Lou hated him being tossed around by someone he thought was Lou, there was a part of him that was happy. Hopeful. Ox was near. He would figure it out. He had to. The replacement had his memories, but not his attitude. 

 Ox would figure it out. 

 Lou watched as his replacement ran the Gauntlet, doing everything he could to trip the other dolls and failing. His heart went a mile a minute, a foreign, forgotten smile of triumph appearing on his face every time the other blonde was thwarted. He watched Moxy, Mandy, Nolan, Ox - everyone. He watched everyone cross. Watched his replacement fail. Grinned when the metaphorical ax fell and his replacement revealed he was a prototype. 

 Exhaustion took over in a wave as his replacement fought Lou's brother. His palms hit the ground, head hanging forward and bangs covering his face. His hair had long since fallen out of a perfectly good style, hanging in wavy locks on his forehead and reaching just above his shoulders. The last thing he heard was his replacement's cackle and remark of, "I'm not the Lou you knew." 

 He woke up hours later on the ground with a crick in his neck and his replacement banging on the glass. He rolled his head to look, lacking the strength to stand or even raise up. 

 The second Lou looked so much worse for wear than ever - suit shrunken, hair a mess, and a scowl permanent on his face. They must've sent him through the wash. Lou allowed himself a small smile. 'Was the water nice?' He wanted to ask, but all that came out of his mouth was air. He hadn't spoken in months. He wasn't sure if his voice worked anymore. 

 "I'm leaving to talk to the creator and get my position back since your stupid doll friend took it from me." He growled, folding his hands behind his back. Lou's smile grew. "Don't worry, they know nothing about you. They won't find you. They aren't looking for you." His mouth pulled into a smile as Lou's heart dropped. "I can sense your hope as well as you can see through my eyes. You shouldn't have developed emotions. If you hadn't, you'd be in my place without a stupid mistake to take care of." 

 'I'm glad I developed them!' He wanted to scream. 'I don't want to be like you. I'd rather be here than hurt any doll, especially my brother.' Since his throat refused to cooperate, he glared with newfound defiance. It'd been so long since he'd stood up against his replacement, acknowledged him with more than a short look, and it felt powerful. It felt right, for just a moment. 

 His replacement snorted. "Adorable." He spun on his heel. "I'll be back in a week or two. Try not to die before then. Sir wants you alive for some reason, despite all your mistakes." Lou waited until the door down the hall closed before letting his eyes shut, breathing deeply as he slowly pushed himself to sit up against the wall. The little cot of a bed was only three feet away, but he didn't have the willpower to get on it. Instead, he drew his knees to his chest and settled his forehead on top of them, unbidden tears falling down his cheeks. Relief. Hope. Desperation. It all boiled over into uncontrolled crying. He hadn't cried in months. 

 It felt good. 

__________________

 Lou waited five days. 

 He forced himself to take a long cold (it was always cold) shower in the little cubicle in the corner every day. Most of it was letting the water fall down on his face and over his threads, grounding him to reality with every shiver. A robot brought him a meal once a day. They seemed to get smaller and smaller with every month that passed, only enough to keep himself alive. He wore plain, stiff clothing, usually black or white, and he hadn't felt comfortable since his capture. 

 Who was he kidding? The only time he felt comfortable in his life was when he was singing his songs, teaching, or with Ox. It had been a long time since any of that happened. Could he even sing anymore? What would he sing about?

 On the evening of the fifth day, Lou sat once again with his back against the wall. He couldn't sleep. He hadn't been able to sleep. Every sound made him jerk, hope skyrocketing that someone was here to save him only to crumble when no one showed. He couldn't take much more of this. His hair was wet from his most recent shower, damp clothes clinging to his skin because he hadn't had the energy to dry himself as much. Shivers wracked his lanky frame making him curl up tighter. 

 Lou eventually put his head down against his knees again, wrapping his arms around himself in the closest thing he could get to a hug. He missed Ox's hugs. He missed Ox. His only friend. The only person who ever hugged him. Sometimes, he could feel the phantoms of his arms ghosting around Lou's torso, a barely there touch that was really only air. Absentmindedly, he wondered what other's hugs would feel like. 

 His imagination was torture. 

 Lou sighed and closed his eyes, trying not to picture for the millionth time what it would be like to be rescued. He couldn't get himself out of this. He'd tried so many times. Attempts only ended in punishment. His body was too weak to try now, even with his captor away. His mind was only sharp through single player card games and mental problems he solved. How he kept his sanity, he wasn't sure. Always remembering Ox? Always keeping a small drop of hope despite everything? 

 There was no hope now, he realized. Tears pushed at his eyelids and his head pounded in time with his heart. Ox was within a mile from him and he hadn't found him. Hadn't figured it out. He wouldn't be found. Lou #2 would come back and take over again. Everything would be the same except... Ox and the others would undoubtedly be kicked out or worse, never able to return. Lou would be truly alone. He shook, pulling his legs closer as tears broke through, soaked into the cloth of his black pants. 

 He didn't want to be alone anymore. It was cold. Sad. Scary. All the bad emotions Ox gave him names for. He wanted it to stop. 

 He wanted his brother, but he was just out of reach. So close, yet painfully far. 

_______________

 Lou wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he knew when he woke up to the call of his name. 

 "Lou!" 

 He shook his head a little, pressing his eyes shut again. It was only in his mind. His stupid imagination. He kept his head downward, pulling his body as close together as he could go to try and block out that imaginary voice in his head. A voice he hadn't heard in years. The last time he truly heard Ox, they were wishing each other goodnight the day before the Gauntlet. Lou had replayed that moment thousands of times, wishing that he'd said so much more. 

 "Lou! Please, Lou, look at me." 

 'No, I won't.' He said to the voice in his mind, fighting back the urge to really look around. It would only be another disappointment. 'You're not really here. I'm not about to get tricked by my own mind. Not again.' His fingers pinched the fabric of his pants as he screamed at himself to snap out of it. He was losing his mind. He really was going crazy.

 "I'm coming, buddy. We're coming. Just hold on and I'll be right there with you. I'm here." 

 Buddy. Only Ox ever called him buddy. He went to raise his head only to forcefully stop himself. No, he was not going to respond. Voices without bodies don't get responses. Their promises aren't real. Their words can't bring the comfort he longed for. 

 There was a whoosh of air and then the pattering of several footsteps, one set much faster than the others. He really was losing his sanity after two years. He was breaking- 

 Soft arms wrapped around his torso from the side, one looping around his back and the other across the front of his legs. He jolted with what little strength he had left in him, but was otherwise frozen, his mind coming to a stuttering halt as he curled further into a ball. No. No. No. This wasn't real. It was too much. Why? Why did his mind do this to him? Hadn't he suffered enough?

 "Lou." His name was spoken softly. Ox. That was definitely Ox's voice. It was always Ox in his nightmares and dreams, screaming at him or comforting him. This was no different. He wouldn't fall for the trick. 

 The arms tightening around him almost broke his resolve. He turned his head away a little, unwilling to look at the illusion or think about how real the hug felt. "Talk to me, Lou. I'm here. I'm sorry. Can you hear me?" One of the arms moved. Lou almost let out a whimper at the loss of contact, as fake as it was, and opened his eyes to stare at the blank tile. A hand took his chin gently, pulling it until he was face to face with Ox. 

 Ox who's hand was warm. Ox who was looking at him with his one eye brimming with tears and mouth turned up in a shaky attempt at a smile. Blurred figures stood at the edge of Lou's vision, silent and staring, but he only had eyes for the illusion. "Say something, Lou. Please." His voice cracked, fingers tightening minutely on the blonde. The touch, the pressure, gave Lou a realization that had his lungs hitching and tears pooling in his eyes again. 

 This was real. 

 With a burst of sudden strength, he gripped onto Ox's arm with his hands, checking- He was solid. Completely solid. A strangled sound left his throat as he met eyes with his friend, more tears running down his face. He choked on them, breaths coming faster as he was enveloped in a strong hug, face pressed into the green fur of Ox's chest. Lou hung onto his warm with all his might, begging for this not to be a dream. 'Please, don't let this be a trick. Please.' He wasn't sure who he was begging to. Himself? God? Ox? Trembles ran through his frame, suppressed sobs and flagging strength overtaking him. 

 "I'm right here. I promise." Ox whispered, voice breaking again. He always knew what Lou was thinking. "Oh gosh, Lou, I'm so sorry. If I knew - if I'd known - I would've been here in a heartbeat." 

 He hadn't used his voice in so long that he wasn't sure how to speak. He opened his mouth, pushed his throat, and- "Ox." The name was barely a whisper, hardly loud enough for he himself to hear, but Ox's arms tightened anyway. He tried again, managing something slightly louder. "Ox. Ox." 

 "I'm here. It's- You're gonna be just fine. We'll get you out of here. He'll never hurt you ever again. Just rest a minute. I promise I've got you." One hand moved from his back to run through his wet hair. Lou's eyes closed involuntarily, breathing evening out at the action. "Moxy, Ugly Dog, keep an eye out for that... monster of a doll. Mandy, your house is closest. We need to get him somewhere comfortable and out of here. You're going to lead the way. Nolan, I need you to come here. Everyone else, find anything that might actually belong to Lou and then act as bodyguards outside. We don't need other dolls seeing. It would be too overwhelming." 

 The calm command in his friend's voice soothed his heart further. The role of leader fit him well. Lou peeked an eye open as several pairs of feet moved, vision clearing now that the tears bad slowed. He recognized all the dolls, seen them from his replacement's memories, and knew the Pretty Dolls' names since they were created. He also remembered all the others. As Nolan came closer, an anxious look in his mismatched eyes, he let his eye fall shut and relaxed against his brother. If he trusted them, then Lou could trust them, too. 

 "What do you need me to do?" The brunette's voice was small. Lou recalled the Ugly sign on him and the U.G.L.Y. song that made him cry. Did that shatter his confidence on the first day? His heart wrenched with the thought. He'd have to make it up to him. Somehow. 

 "I can't... I'm not tall enough to carry him comfortably. I need you to, until we get to Mandy's house. Please." 

 "I... I'll do it. As long as he's fine with it." 

 Lou felt the eyes on him and ignored how his heart picked up the pace again. He wanted Ox and only Ox, but he also wanted out of here. It had almost been a week since the other Lou left. He could be back at any moment. He wasn't about to get locked in a cage again when freedom and safety were right in front of him. So, he forced himself to open his eyes halfway, look between Ox and Nolan, and nod. 

 "You'll be just fine. I won't be far." Ox assured as he was gingerly shifted away. His brother didn't let go until he was safely tucked against the chest and shoulder of the other doll, one arm looping around his back and the other under his knees. After a '1, 2, 3' count, he was lifted from the cold floor. He tried not to 'cuddle' up against Nolan - they weren't exactly friends and the Lou the brunette knew was far from the original - but it was hard when you hadn't had the contact of another individual in two years. Carefully, he pressed his forehead to Nolan's neck and folded his hands over his stomach. Nolan stiffened, saying nothing, and Lou deemed it safe enough to close his eyes again. 

 He wasn't sure when he drifted off. Slivers of consciousness came and went as he was carried down the vast hallways of what was once his mansion (he wouldn't admit to himself that he flinched when he peeked and saw all the statues and artwork). He opened his eyes a little when warmer air hit him, almost crying when he saw sunlight and buildings. Outside. He was outside. The wind whipped by, running through his hair like an old friend, and he smiled. Lou wanted to see all of it, but his exhausted body begged for reprieve. He gave in, letting unconsciousness take him in bits and pieces for a little while. Vaguely, he was aware of the forms moving around him, creating a barrier, and Ox's hand on his arm. 

 He awoke again when he was put down, laid across something so soft he could've cried a third time. A bed. A soft bed that was a stark contrast to the cot he had nightmares in. A large hand rested on his head as the comforter was pulled over him. "Rest bud, you're safe." He whispered as another, heavier blanket was flattened over Lou. A weighted blanket. Lou snuggled down into it, a small puff of content air escaping his mouth. Everything was soft and warm. He could lay there and not get up again for all he cared about right now. 

 There was a small shifting of feet as he laid on his side. He listened as Ox told some dolls to leave, grab supplies, and inform the town that he'd be unavailable for a while. (Knowing Ox would be there made the last of the unknown tension ease from his muscles, leaving him feeling floaty and happier than he'd been in forever.) He called back two dolls: Mandy and Nolan. He instructed them to help keep watch on Lou. 

 Before everything, Lou would've protested being babied. He was independent, perfect, and everything in between. Now though? He wanted dolls close to him, even nice dolls that he didn't know because they weren't mean and cold. 

 As the conversation went on, Lou found himself no longer able to feign sleep, slipping into real oblivion easily. No nightmares interrupted him.

_________________

 Despite everything, something urgent came up that Ox had to deal with. It had been several hours since Lou went to sleep and the sun was going down, the bustle of the town at a slow down before dolls poured through the portal, their children asleep and ready to get rest themselves, hang with friends, or grab a bite to eat. Mandy had returned barely half an hour before, walking in the door right before Ox left, leaving her and Nolan to watch over the sleeping blonde who looked so much like the tyrant who was toppled a week ago. 

 "He looks a little different." Nolan muttered after a long stretch of silence, unaware of her racing thoughts. He was looking at Lou, almost studying him, and watching the ride and fall of the doll's chest. Lou had barely moved since he was placed in bed. The only movement he did make was from when he was switched into more comfortable blue pajamas, now laying on his back instead of his side. His hair was laid out, fanning over the pillow in golden waves. Sometimes, he'd almost smile, lips twitching up, only for his face to fall lax again. 

 But there were things underneath the blankets and a peaceful face. Lou was thin, thinner than a doll should be. He'd been locked inside of what could only be described as a cage, unmoving against the wall when they found him. He'd broken down in tears when he finally responded to Ox, eyes so lost and vulnerable it made her heart hurt. She hated to think she'd been so skeptical of Ox's suspicions that there was something else going on. It was only after they found the secret door by pure dumb luck (as in Lucky Bat and Ugly Dog horseplaying until they ran into the fake column-lever) that they found the real, vulnerable Lou. If they hadn't gone in there, hadn't found him.... who knows what would've happened. 

 He'd been there a long time. That was clear to see. Why hadn't anyone noticed? She wasn't here for his personality flip, wasn't here to see one Lou turn to another, but did he not have friends who would see it?

 She thought back to the words and technical warning Ox gave before he left. "We can't fix the past. I was the only one who coulda seen it and I didn't..." He'd ran his hand over his head. "We can only help him now. He's going to be a complete flip from the Lou you know. He... He was only just learning emotions when I knew him. There's no telling what that time did to him. Be careful with him." 

 Then he'd left, leaving the three dolls alone. It'd been an hour. 

 

 "He does," she replied after another minute. They were sitting in armchairs by the bed, watching either the window or Lou. "But...before he probably looked exactly like... him." Her voice lowered to a near growl on the last word. She didn't understand how someone could take the identity of another, destroy who they were in the public eye while torturing the original. 

 Nolan fiddled with his hands. "What do you think he's like?"

 "I... I don't know. We'll find out soon." 

 A few heartbeats later, Lou shifted. 

 'Sooner than expected,' Mandy thought, tensing a little while trying to appear relaxed. She thought she mostly succeeded. Nolan did not. He gripped the fabric of his pants, shoulder going a little rigged as Lou slowly pulled his eyes open, brief confusion and fear flashing across his features until realization settled in. He blinked at the ceiling, then his eyes landed on them, curious and hesitant. None of them said a word for a full thirty seconds. 

 It was Lou who broke the silence, voice an unused rasp. "Hi." He gave a little wave with his fingers. 

 Nolan jumped into action. "Hi- uhm, oh, you must be dehydrated. Hold on. I'll get some water." He sprinted from the room so fast that he ran into the hallway wall. Both Mandy and Lou winced. "I'm okay! Just a minute!" His fast footsteps disappeared down the stairs. 

 The two remaining occupants met eyes, Lou looking between her and the door with a little worry. She waved it off, trying not to show how caught off guard she was to see that face show such emotion. "He'll be alright. He does that sometimes. Do you want to sit up?" He opened his mouth and she stopped him. "No talking. Just move your head, okay?" He nodded twice, getting his elbows up under him. Mandy hastened forward to help him, putting her hand against his back as he slowly sat up. She helped him lean back against the headboard, blankets still firmly wrapped around his shoulders. He looked a little like a sick child, except with emptier eyes.

 "Thank you," he mouthed, offering a tiny smile. 

 Instinctively, she smiled back. "You're welcome." 

 Footsteps came down the hall again. Nolan practically sprinted into the room with a half full pitcher of ice water and an empty glass. Mandy raised an eyebrow. "You didn't spill half of that, did you?"

 "No, but I knew I would if it was filled to the top." Nolan replied sheepishly. He poured up a glass and held it out to Lou. The blonde pulled his arms out from under the blankets, taking the glass in slightly shaking hands. Mandy stepped forward to offer assistance, but he managed to drink it by himself. He went through another refill in slightly weird silence before putting the glass on the bedside table with the pitcher. 

 Lou ran a hand down his throat and cleared it. "Thank you, Nolan." His voice was still weak, but less gravelly. A bare whisper that could almost not be heard over the ceiling fan. Nolan grinned, some of the tension broken, and said "anytime." The word made a smile form on Lou's lips. 

 It was strange. If the Lou from last week had smiled, it was the smile of a shark, teeth or not. The hesitant smile on this wavy haired Lou in pajamas was entirely different. A doll pushed toward the edge finally saved. 

 "Where's Ox?" He asked, folding his hands in his lap. Blue eyes scanned the room in one swoop, anxiety visibly growing the longer Ox wasn't around. The image of him clinging to his brother as hard as he could flashed across Mandy's mind, pulling on her heartstrings once again. 

 "He had to step out for a little bit." He'll be back soon." She assured him. "Something about several dolls fighting." 

 "Oh. Alright." 

 Silence descended for a minute. Not exactly uncomfortable, but they didn't know each other. Lou didn't know them. They didn't know this Lou. He needed to be comfortable, especially while recovering. 

 Wait...

 "How did you know Nolan's name?" She asked, sitting on the edge of the bed in front of him. Her tone was carefully constructed to be curious, not accusing. 

 He fiddled with a stray thread on the blanket. "I was awake earlier, but it wouldn't have mattered if I was or not. I know the name of every doll that is made for me to teach." He said, then winced. "Well, before, anyway. Now I know the names and have to watch while my replacement teaches you all. He's right and wrong." Like that, he was off on a tangent, eyes narrowed on the bed as his voice gave in an out. There was a small fire brewing in his irises, drawing Mandy in. "The washer is only for demonstration. Not to be used on dolls. The Gauntlet isn't supposed to just test strength, as you all finally figured out. The-'' He broke off in a coughing fit. Nolan poured another glass and passed it to him. 

 "Slow down, Lou." Mandy said. The name felt foreign on her lips. "There will be plenty of time to dissect that later. The other... guy is gone. All you need to do is rest up." 

 He finished the glass, voice dejected as he spoke again. "He'll be back soon. Possibly with an army of robots or something. He wants his... throne back and me gone. He hasn't been able to since the creator wants me alive for some reason, but now? He'll kill me no matter what." He let out a frustrated huff. "If I had the strength, I could tell you exactly where he is?"

 "What do you mean?" Nolan voiced the question on Mandy's mind. 

 "He is... hardwired to me. I am the original prototype to run this place. Since there can't be two from the base programming, he is based off of me. Connected to me." He touched his chest, right above his heart. "We both have chips. Mine is the original. His follows mine. I can see through his eyes and he can feel my emotions since that's the one difference between us. The creator made sure he wouldn't develop emotions like I did. He has many purposes to drive him, but not emotions. He won't listen to a word I say. He's less doll, more... robot."

 "We'll fix this." The promise pulled itself from Mandy's lips. He looked at her through hanging bangs. "You won't be hurt again. We'll get rid of him. You'll have your rightful place again." 

 He smiled, looking somewhere between shy and surprised, but grateful all the same. "Thank you." 

 "It's the right thing to do." Carefully, she took his hand in hers. The muscles tightened a brief moment, hesitation flickering across his face, and then his fingers curled around hers in a gentle squeeze. "Wage is coming with some food for you. It should be here soon. Ox said you liked pasta with pepper." 

 A small light lit up his eyes. "I do."

 "Then you're in for a treat." 

___________________

 Not long later, several sets of feet came bounding up the stairs, murmurred voices and 'shush' admonishments following. Mandy shook her head fondly. She loved her friends, but a lot of them couldn't be quiet for anything. Nolan shared the same sentiments in a small chuckle. Lou just looked vaguely amused, settled back against the pillows. He was exhausted, but refused to sleep any longer. 

 The door came open and Moxy's head peeked in. She grinned when she saw Mandy and Nolan. Her grin grew wider when her eyes landed on Lou. "He's awake!" She told the others, running forward to the bed as everyone else filed in, Wage holding a styrofoam box of pasta and Lucky Bat with a bowl of ice cream held in his wings. "How are you feeling, Louey?" Moxy asked. 

 "Uhm..." He was clearly a little overwhelmed by the exuberant pink doll. "... better, I suppose." 

 "Your voice is shot." UglyDog said blatantly, receiving a light smack to the back of the head by Babo. "What? It's what the ice cream is for! I was setting the scene, man!" 

 "Ice... cream?" He sounded so confused it hurt. 

 "Yeah dude! Vanilla!" The dog doll jumped onto the end of the bed as Lucky Bat walked up with Wage. They settled the food in front of Lou with friendly smiles. He smiled back, but Mandy saw the glistening sheen of tears in his eyes. She squeezed his hand again and their eyes met. 

 'Are you okay?' She silently asked as the others moved around the bed, laughing and joking lightly with each other. 

 "I'm fine," he murmured. "Just...happy." 

 She smiled. "Eat your food. You need strength back, and the ice cream will help your throat." She reached out and opened the containers for him, putting the fork in his hand afterward. After a moment of hesitation, he started eating, watching the others and her with slightly wary eyes. It would take time to build a friendship with Lou. He'd been burned a lot mentally, but they'd help him. 

 A few minutes later, Nolan's voice broke through the chatter. "Does anyone want to play cards?" He held up a stack of Uno cards. 

 A chorus of "yes" went around until eyes landed on Lou, halfway done with his pasta. He looked between all of them, then asked, "How do you play?" 

 Instructions were given. Cards dealt. Lou's half eaten plate was put to the side because he couldn't stand any more and he nibbled on a scoop of chilled ice cream in a cup, the rest having been put away in the freezer while cards were given. They played round after round as the sun went down, laughing and sending good natured jibes at each other. Lou stayed mostly silent, smiling as he organized his cards. When he won, he laughed. 

 It was like a million cheerful bells going off. Beautiful and contagious in every right. Maybe it was a little weak and breathy. Who cared? Nobody. Everyone enjoyed the fact that he was laughing. 

 Ox came in at about ten o'clock, frazzled and worried, but when he stopped and saw them all playing Uno, Moxy about to win and Lou grinning as he laid down a draw four on her, Mandy watched him smile. It was sad and happy at the same time. She allowed him to slip into the spot between her and Lou, smiling to herself as his arm slipped around his brother's back in a side hug that Lou leaned into. 

 It was the calm before the storm, she knew. The replacement would be back eventually. Lou was struggling in both mind and body. The storm would come with a bang and they'd get thrown around a while, but they'd be okay eventually. As long as they stayed together. 

 For now though, Mandy pushed the thoughts of the hard future away and enjoyed the moment. They were together now, getting to know Lou, and that was what mattered. 

 (Lou won again.)

[weird-color]

thoughts on Lou from Uglydolls 🤨🤨

my bf simps for him lol

but i honestly think he's a good character,his story is pretty simple but it's good for him.

he's a prototype,so he can't go to the big world,and that line "YOU WERE GOING TO LEFT ME BEHIND LIKE THE OTHERS!" it hits a bit hard,now understanding why he's like that,he lost many people he loved,because he can't go with them,so he started loving himself to not feel lonely at least,but we still know that,even if he tries really hard,he can't have a child to love,he can't have someone that loves him until the end of his days.He right about the ugly dolls not supposed to exist,because that's the real plan of the whole fabric.He is a really underrated character actually,and in some parts of the movie he's right about several things.He deserves love and care,and that ending the dolls gave him is a bit of unfair.

yeah,he's a cool guy

[0perfectimperfections0]

I have a lil' headcanon that when Lou insulted the dolls during the movie, it was, actually, part of their training as there are some kids that are not going to like how they or their kid looks, so they're going to be insulted, degraded, etc... so they would be prepared mentally for when that happens. Now this is my request if you could do it: could you write a fic where some dolls, I don't particularly care who, comes back from the big world after being insulted or something by one other kid, or their kid was the one to be insulted and they go to Lou, or Lou somehow finds out and there's some fluf there?? I don't know, I came at a blank at this point 😅

Lou didn't necessarily consider himself an eavesdropper - because why would he need to be? He had enough problems of his own - but he couldn't help but notice the heated conversation Moxy and UglyDog were having. He wouldn't normally care to any extent, but it was the first time he'd seen Moxy upset.

Well, upset and him not being the cause for it.

He was fixing up the shed when he'd overheard their conversation. The last thing he wanted was to be seen living in a dump, even if it was against his will. So, blazer set aside and sleeves rolled up, he had got to work driving nails into the siding that was starting to warp and bend awkwardly.

The two Uglies had been walking by when he heard Moxy venting. She sounded bitter and hurt at the same time. "I just can't believe he would say something like that! Is the thing on my head really that weird?" She tentatively touched the aforementioned appendage self-consciously.

UglyDog shook his head as he trotted beside her. "Some kids are just mean like that. They like puttin' other people down. Like some people I know."

Lou didn't have to look over his shoulder to know that UglyDog was referring to him.

Lou glanced over his shoulder when he heard Moxy say his name. He was up on a ladder, hammering in the nails higher up the shed. "What...are you doing?" Moxy tilted her head, eyeing him suspiciously.

The blond rolled his eyes, hammering in another nail as he spoke. "What's it look like?" He muttered. "Shouldn't you be with your kid right now?" He didn't know why the Uglies and Pretties had put so much work into reforming the Institute if they had tried so hard to go to the Big World. What was the point in fighting to get a kid if they hardly left the Institute to see them?

His words must've hit a nerve for Moxy, because her suspicious look was suddenly replaced with a scowl, and he could see the faint hurt in her eyes. She crossed her arms, looking away and mumbling. "I don't always have to be with my kid, you know. This is my home."

Lou hummed, not believing that in the slightest. He propped a foot up on one of the higher steps, resting his elbow on his knee and gave her a mocking pout. "Aw, did someone have a bad day?" She scowled up at him.

UglyDog growled, trotting up and resting his front paws on the bottom step of the ladder, glaring up at Lou. "Hey, knock it off! She's goin' through somethin'!"

Lou gave the dog a deadpan look. "You're barking up the wrong tree, mutt." UglyDog opened his mouth to retort, but Lou grabbed a wooden mallet from his toolbox and tossed it a ways off. UglyDog's ears immediately perked up, and he bolted after it. Lou looked back at Moxy. "Why don't you wanna see your kid?"

Moxy pursed her lips, watching as UglyDog fetched the mallet. She squinted her eyes up at Lou. "Why do you care?"

"I don't, but since you asked me a personal question, I figured I'd return the favour."

Moxy huffed. "I just asked what you were doing!"

Lou grinned down at her. "I consider that personal."

She scowled, hesitating a moment before relenting. "This boy in my kid's class said I looked stupid. He said the thing on my head was weird and that Maizy should cut it off."

Lou assumed that Maizy was the name of Moxy's kid. He climbed down from the ladder, just in time for UglyDog to come bounding back and spitting the mallet down at his feet. The dog frowned, glaring up at Lou. "You can't just get rid of me by-"

He was cut off again as Lou tossed the mallet further this time. Not a second later, UglyDog sprinted after it. Lou shook his head, sliding his hands into his pockets and looking back at Moxy. "Why do you care what that boy thinks?"

Moxy shrugged. "Cause...he's one of the popular kids, according to Maizy and her friends."

"That doesn't really answer the question."

"I don't know!" Moxy sighed, throwing her hands up in defeat. "I just do. I can't explain it, but he's like one of those people that you wanna strangle but impress at the same time-" She cut herself off when she met his gaze, a knowing look in his eyes as he smirked. She narrowed her eyes at him and looked away. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"Well, too late to take it all back now," Lou shrugged, a smirk still on his face. "Want some advice?"

Moxy scoffed, crossing her arms. "You giving me advice? Like what? Be less ugly?"

Lou tossed the mallet again when UglyDog came back with it, giving the mutt no time to retort before bolting off. "When Maizy and her friends aren't looking, turn your head slowly in his direction. Don't say anything or blink or any of that. Just turn your head when he's watching."

Moxy blinked, not...expecting something so outlandish from him. "What?"

Lou grinned, shrugging again. "You'll either scare him half to death to where he thinks you're possessed and stay far away from you, or he'll think you're the coolest thing in the world because some guys are weird like that. They like creepy things."

Moxy pursed her lips, looking Lou up and down and wondering if he was being serious or not. She rolled her eyes, beginning to walk away and make sure that UglyDog actually followed her this time. "Right. Sure. Cause that will work."

The next time Maizy took her to school with her, she decided to try it, even if it sounded stupid.

And, honestly, she was glad she had taken Lou's advice. The look on the boy's face had been so priceless, she had almost busted out laughing and blew her cover.

But he never bullied her or her kid again.

[begitalarcos]

100+ Years of Horror

This is not a definitive list. These are just the films I believe every Horror fan should see at least once. I’ve excluded any sequels that I didn’t feel needed including. I hope you enjoy.

For @mechamag​

1922 – Nosferatu

1925 – The Phantom of the Opera

1927 – The Cat and the Canary

1931 – Dracula, Frankenstein

1932 – Freaks

1933 – The Invisible Man

1934 – The Black Cat

1935 – The Bride of Frankenstein

1939 – The Cat and the Canary

1941 – The Black Cat, The Wolfman

1942 – Cat People

1945 - Dead of Night

1953 – House of Wax

1954 – Creature from the Black Lagoon

1955 – Night of the Hunter, Les Diaboliques

1956 – Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Bad Seed

1958 – The Blob, Macabre, The Fly

1959 – House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, The Killer Shrews

1960 – 13 Ghosts , Black Sunday, Eyes without a face, Peeping Tom, Psycho, Village of the Damned

1961 – The Pit and the Pendulum

1962 – What ever happened To Baby Jane?

1963 – The Birds, Black Sabbath, The Haunting

1965 – Repulsion

1966 – Island of Terror

1967 – Wait until Dark

1968 – Night of the Living Dead, Rosemary’s Baby, Spider Baby

1970 – Mark of the Devil, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

1971 – The Cat O’ Nine Tails, Let’s scare Jessica to Death, What’s the matter with Helen? A Bay of Blood, Play Misty for Me

1972 – Ben, Children shouldn’t play with dead things, Deathdream, Don’t torture a Duckling, The last house on the left, Night of the Lepus, What have you done to Solange?

1973 – The Crazies, The Exorcist, The Legend of Hell House, Sisters, The Wicker Man, Don’t look now

1974 – Black Christmas, Deranged, It’s Alive, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Vampyres

1975 – Shivers, Trilogy of Terror, Jaws, Deep Red, The Stepford Wives

1976 – Alice Sweet Alice, Burnt Offerings, Carrie, Eaten Alive, The Omen, Squirm, To the devil a daughter, The town that dreaded sundown, The Tenant

1977 – Audrey Rose, Day of the Animals, Demon Seed, Eraserhead, Exorcist 2: The Heretic, The Hills have Eyes, Rabid, The Sentinel, Shock, Suspiria

1978 – Damien: Omen 2, Dawn of the Dead, Halloween, I Spit on your Grave, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Jaws 2, The Legacy, Magic, Martin, Piranha

1979 – Alien, The Amityville Horror, The Brood, Phantasm, Prophecy, Tourist Trap, When a Stranger Calls, Zombi2, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Salem’s Lot

1980 – Alligator, Altered States, The Changeling, City of the Living Dead, Fade to Black, The Fog, Friday the 13th, Hell of the Living Dead, The House on the Edge of the Park, Humanoids form the Deep, Inferno, Maniac, Motel Hell, Prom Night, The Shining

1981 – An American Werewolf in London, The Beyond, The Black Cat, The Burning, Dead and Buried, The Entity, The Evil Dead, Friday the 13th Part 2, The Funhouse, Galaxy of Terror, Halloween 2, Happy Birthday to Me, Hell Night, The House by the Cemetery, The Howling, My Bloody Valentine, Omen 3: The Final Conflict, The Pit, Possession, The Prowler, Wolfen, Scanners, Blow Out, Ghost Story

1982 – Alone in the Dark, Basket Case, The Beast Within, Cat People, Creepshow, Friday the 13th Part 3, Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, Madman, Pieces, Poltergeist, Q: The Winged Serpent, Tenebrae, The Thing, Visiting Hours

1983 – A Blade in the Dark, Christine, Cujo, Curtains, The Deadly Spawn, Eyes of Fire, The House on Sorority Row, The Hunger, Mortuary, Nightmares, Sleepaway Camp, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, Twilight Zone: The Movie

1984 – C.H.U.D., Children of the Corn, The Company of Wolves, Gremlins, Night of the Comet, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Razorback, Silent Night Deadly Night, Firestarter, Starman, Ghostbusters

1985 – Cat’s Eye, Day of the Dead, Demons, Fright Night, Ghoulies, LifeForce, Phenomena, Re-Animator, The Return of the Living Dead, Silver Bullet, The Stuff, Cut and Run, The New Kids

1986 – Aliens, April Fools Day, Chopping Mall, Critters, Deadly Friend, The Fly, From Beyond, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Hitcher, House, Invaders from Mars, Little Shop of Horrors, Maximum Overdrive, Monster Dog, Night of the Creeps, Poltergeist 2: The Other Side, Rawhead Rex, Terrorvision, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Trick or Treat, Troll, Vamp, The Wraith

1987 – Angel Heart, Bad Taste, Creepshow 2, Dolls, Evil Dead 2, The Gate, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2, Hellraiser, The Hidden, House 2: The Second Story, The Outing, The Lost Boys, The Monster Squad, Near Dark, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Opera, Prince of Darkness, Predator, Stage Fright, The Stepfather, Street Trash, The Witches of Eastwick, Lady Beware, Fatal Attraction

1988 – Bad Dreams, The Blob, Child's Play, Dead Heat, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, Fright Night Part 2, Hellbound: Hellraiser 2, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, The Lair of the White Worm, Maniac Cop, Night of the Demons, Phantasm 2, Pin, Prison, Pumpkinhead, Return of the Living Dead Part 2, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Uninvited, Watchers, Waxwork, They Live

1989 – 976-Evil, The Church, Grim Prairie Tales, The Horror Show, Intruder, Leviathan, Night Life, Pet Sematary, Shocker, Society, Warlock, Dead Calm, The Forgotten One, DeepStar Six

1990 – Braindead, Bride of Re-Animator, Child’s Play 2, The Exorcist 3, Frankenhooker, Graveyard Shift, The Guardian, Hardware, IT, Jacob’s Ladder, Misery, Night of the Living Dead, Nightbreed, Predator 2, The Reflecting Skin, Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, Tremors, Two Evil Eyes, Arachnophobia

1991 – Body Parts, Cape Fear, The People under the Stairs, The Pit and the Pendulum, Popcorn, Scanners 2: The New Order, The Silence of the Lambs, Sometimes they Come Back

1992 – Army of Darkness, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Candyman, Demonic Toys, Dolly Dearest, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Innocent Blood, Sleepwalkers, Spilt Second, Man Bites Dog

1993 – Body Bags, Carnosaur, Cronos, The Dark Half, Leprechaun, Return of the Living Dead 3, Trauma, Kalifornia, Man’s Best Friend

1994 – Brainscan, Cemetery Man, The Crow, Death Machine, Hellbound, In The Mouth of Madness, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, The Stand, Wes Cravens New Nightmare, Wolf, Interview with the Vampire

1995 – Castle Freak, Demon Knight, Lord of Illusions, The Mangler, Mosquito, The Prophecy, Species, Village of the Damned, Screamers, Dolores Claiborne

1996 – Bad Moon, The Craft, The Frighteners, From Dusk till Dawn, Jack Frost, Scream, Tremors 2: Aftershocks, Mary Reilly

1997 – An American Werewolf in Paris, Anaconda, Campfire Tales, Cube, The Devils’ Advocate, Event Horizon, I know what you did last Summer, Mimic, The Night Flier, Nightwatch, The Relic, Quicksilver Highway, The Ugly, Wishmaster, Kiss the Girls, Se7en, Perfect Blue

1998 – Blade, Deep Rising, The Faculty, Ringu, Strangeland, Urban Legend, Vampires, Sphere

1999 – Audition, The Blair Witch Project, Deep Blue Sea, The Haunting, House on Haunted Hill, Lake Placid, The Mummy, Ravenous, Sleepy Hollow, Stigmata, Virus, The Sixth Sense, Idle Hands

2000 – American Psycho, Bless the Child, Blood: The Last Vampire, Cherry Falls, Final Destination, Ginger Snaps, Hollow Man, Ju-On, Pitch Black, Python, Versus, What Lies Beneath, The Gift, The Cell, Shadow of the Vampire

2001 – The Attic Expeditions, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Dagon, Jeepers Creepers, Mulholland Drive, The Others, Session 9, Thir13en Ghosts, The Devil’s Backbone, Frailty, From Hell, Hannibal

2002 – 28 Days Later, Blade 2, Bubba Ho-Tep, Cabin Fever, Dog Soldiers, Eight Legged Freaks, Ghost Ship, May, Queen of the Damned, Resident Evil, The Ring, They, The Mothman Prophecies, Red Dragon

2003 – Darkness Falls, Dream Catcher, Final Destination 2, Freddy Vs. Jason, Haute Tension, House of 1000 Corpses, A Tale of Two Sisters, Undead, Underwold, Willard, Wrong Turn

2004 – Alien Vs Predator, Club Dread, Dawn of the Dead, Dead & Breakfast, Exorcist: The Beginning, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, Godsend, Saw, Shaun of the Dead, The Village, Taking Lives, The Forgotten, Enduring Love

2005 – 2001 Maniacs, The Amityville Horror, Constantine, Dark Water, The Descent, The Devils’ Rejects, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Land of the Dead, Wolf Creek, Hard Candy

2006 – Abominable, All the boys love Many Lane, Black Sheep, Fido, Final Destination 3, Hatchet, The Hills have Eyes, Slither, The Woods, The Host, Silent Hill, The Tripper, Wild Country

2007 – 28 Weeks Later, 30 Days of Night, 1408, Grindhouse, I am Legend, The Mist, My Name is Bruce, Nature of the Beast, Paranormal Activity, Primeval, REC, Skinwalkers, Teeth, Trick r’ Treat, An American Crime, Rogue, Funny Games

2008 – Book of Blood, Cloverfield, Deadgirl, Diary of the Dead, Let the right one in, The Midnight Meat Train, Mirrors, Quarantine, The Ruins, Splinter, The Strangers, Eden Lake, Outlander

2009 – Case 39, Grace, The Haunting in Connecticut, Heartless, The House of the Devil, Jennifer’s Body, The Loved Ones, Orphan, Pandorum, Splice, Triangle, Zombieland, Carriers, Dread

2010 – Black Swan, The Crazies, Exorcismus, Frozen, Insidious, The Last Exorcism, Let me in, Primal, Tucker & Dale Vs Evil, The Wolfman, Troll Hunter, Devil

2011 – The Awakening, Don’t be afraid of the Dark, The Innkeepers, Livid, The Thing, The Woman, The Rite

2012 – American Mary, Bait, The Cabin in the Woods, The Devil Inside, The Possession, Prometheus, Sinister, Byzantium, Compliance

2013 – The Conjuring, Evil Dead, Jug Face, Mama, Under the Skin, Only Lovers Left Alive, Warm Bodies, Horns, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Contracted, Stoker

2014 – Annabelle, As Above So Below, The Babadook, Deliver us from Evil, A Girl walk home alone at Night, Life after Beth, Starry Eyes, Tusk, It Follows, Goodnight Mommy, The Voices, Digging up the Marrow, When Animals Dream, Gone Girl ,The Remaining, Late Phases, Cub

2015 – Crimson Peak, Krampus, The Lazarus Effect, Maggie, The Visit, The Witch, Bone Tomahawk, Green Room, Regression, The Devil’s Candy, The Lure

2016 – The Autopsy of Jane Doe, The Belko Experiment, The Boy, The Conjuring 2, Don’t Breathe, The Eyes of my Mother, Split, The Forest, The Love Witch, The Neon Demon, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Raw, Train to Busan, The Void, What We Become, 10 Cloverfield Lane, A Cure for Wellness, The Shallows, Pet, Hounds of Love

2017 – IT, Get Out, Mother!, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Ritual, Thelma, Veronica, It comes at Night, Life, Gerald’s Game, Revenge, 1922

2018 – Annihilation, Halloween, Hereditary, Mandy, Mom and Dad, The Nun, Overlord, Possum, A Quiet Place, Suspiria, The House that Jack Built, Bird Box, Apostle, The Meg

2019 – Brightburn, IT Chapter 2, Midsommar, Ready or Not, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Us, I am Mother, Crawl, The Dead Don’t Die, Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile, Glass

[lousirs]

i've been meaning to draw this goober for a while now... ANYWAYS say hello to zavier

i have a dumb explanation for the creation of this fella (as well as the transcript of the image) below the cut vvv

this doll appeared in a dream i had 3 months ago around. i remember that in the dream i was watching the movie with my sister and for some reason it showed a made-up scene of lou and the backup singers etc setting up for 'ugly truth'. so you have lou, the triple fry backup singers, and another doll with purple and blonde hair wandering around, seeming super exhausted. in the dream i believe he was a backup singer from a older batch, but after i drew him and showed him to my sister, she said he looks like a drummer. so he's a drummer now i guess lol. i remember in the dream as well i said "imma make some headcanons of this guy" and then i did. yipee

i never intended to make an oc, so my dreams did it for me uh.

oh also i slightly redesigned rhidian to be more 'imperfect'.

and to expand on the last bullet point, the two weren't allowed in the gauntlet due to being 'imperfect', so they snuck into the crowd of prettydolls doing the gauntlet without lou knowing. lou is a mixture of anger and surprise, as they actually end up being pretty good at dodging the obstacles together. that is until the robot dog arrives, and shit hits the fan.

anywho, here's the transcript:

Zavier:

(the scribbled text: fuelled on caffeine and loud music)

Flaws: mix-matched hair, always tired

Role: Drummer

From an older batch of dolls (to expand on this: I'd say after Ox and Mandy but before Nolan)(EDIT: I'M CHANGING IT SO HE WAS MADE BEFORE OX AND MANDY AND NOLAN AND-- because it makes more sense. if Rhidian was in the same batch with Zavier, and Ox blocked off recycling after he left Lou, then Rhidian won't be able to be recycled cause. ya know. it's blocked off. so they a real early batch. ...not sure if the spy girls will be there though. not sure how long they've been around. maybe they are in the same batch as Zavier and Rhidian... hm)(yes im making a whole-ass story for these two i have grown attached to their pain)

Was given the Institute's cone of shame (the 'UGLY!' sign) with Rhidian. They became friends because of it. (uglies gotta stick together)

VERY protective of Rhidian

Thinks Lou is full of crap

Sleeps during lessons

Him and Rhidian sneak into the gauntlet to show that even imperfect dolls can leave for the big world. Backfired majorly.

also the scribbled text for Rhidian reads:

the customising machine malfunctioned. ...quite badly (ripped uniform, random stitches everywhere

[qnjazmine]

Lou from the ugly dolls movie

[bluepoodle7]

#Uglydolls #UglydollsLou #MaisonTalo #MyThoughts

Maison Talo be like.

Maison Talo seems like the kind of guy to make fun of other Realtor's lure and house body if they are too ugly or not normal enough to be "sold" by a buyer.

I mean Maison Talo was the first look at what a realtor is.

So he's like a prototype of the species.

If the Doll Au gets popular I hope the creator of that Au references Lou from this movie for Maison Talo.

-----------------------

(This is about the movie now.)

I remember the company that the uglydolls movie was planning a sequel and a tv series then someone on YouTube uploaded whole movie online while still in theaters and the video referenced that.

Then those plans dissappeared and airing when Endgame didn't help either.

The uglydolls movie even made a commercial being a Endgame parody using clips from the movie.

This is the video.

UglyDolls | "Ugly Avengers" TV Commercial | Own It Now on Digital HD, Blu-Ray & DVD - YouTube

Image, song, and video not mine but link is there.

The Ugly Truth (Uglydolls Full Version) - YouTube

[appleandcinnamon]

A fanart of Lou from the Ugly Dolls movie,man,I just loved this character! Hope you all like it

[hiddendreamer67]

I HAVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE MOVIE “UGLY DOLLS”

It is wonderful. I mean, actually it’s not. It’s kinda a B-list kid’s movie. But the G/t? QUALITY. 

There are so many good G/t bits throughout this film, because basically the premise is it’s dolls who are training to go to the human world to find their child and this basically means going through all sorts of rigorous threats a doll can face.

I’m putting the rest under a cut for those who want to see it for themselves (eh, I’d recommend just waiting for it on Netflix tbh but to each their own). But here are some quality G/t things:

We’ve got dangling, we’ve got dogs, we’ve got washing machines, AND we’ve got a dress up montage using over-sized grooming tools. It’s really interesting to see these things with dolls because unlike miniature people they don’t need to breathe or eat to survive so it’s not as actually torturous.

OH I FORGOT. The final test? You have to go through this special designed human-sized house and avoid all the dangers there, which include things like a robot baby (yes grabby baby heck yeah) and a vacuum machine. And that scene is especially cool because like the villian doll is in there with them jus trying to thwart them by doing things like throwing stuff off shelves in the kitchen? Yes?? I never really considered tinies going against each other, they always seem to team up in solidarity and tbh I’m really here for this.

Oh! There’s also a really interesting concept in training that you want to avoid mess at all costs, and ugly dolls are like “why? Kids love mess!” And Lou explains that if you get messy, you’re put in the washing machine. And the more you’re put in the washing machine, the less perfect you are, and eventually you’re ruined and get thrown out. Like damn...you right tho. Nice level of threat there.

AND THE VILLIAN. MY BOI. First off, he’s the leader of the perfect dolls and he’s voiced by Nick Jonas and he’s named Lou and I love him. 

Spoilers ahead.

Lou is the one who is training all the perfect dolls to be perfect and get to the human world, but from the beginning you’re like “but why do you stay behind Lou?” And he says it’s out of the goodness of his heart which is obv. a lie. I thought it was just because he’s an asshole who hates kids (which he is), but ooooh my lord it’s so much more tragic. He’s a prototype doll, which means he was designed as the basis for all dolls. BUT PROTOTYPES AREN’T MADE FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION. So he is literally eternally trapped in doll world and has to watch everyone leave him forever. WTF.

And then they don’t even give him a happy ending in doll world! But to be fair, he was a major dick. He did try to repeatedly murder. Although that meant sending dolls to recycling and when he did that he said “I’ll see you again when you’re perfect” or something sooo maybe there’s doll reincarnation?

And there’s this real interesting scene to me where they’re like “what should we do with him?” and the crowd’s like “throw him to the dog!” “give him to the baby!” “tear his stuffing out!” Like....WOW. Cold blooded. Talk about tinies turning on each other. (in case you were curious, they decide to throw him in the washing machine. Possibly for eternity. In the credits it looks like he also becomes the dog’s chew toy though). 

So....yeah. Lowkey real dark. But really powerful interesting ideas, and now I definitely want to write a ton about these ideas and living dolls and things.

[natalie-the-writer]

Hey y'all! This is another fanfiction based around Ugly Dolls, the movie, and very Lou-centric with most the other characters added in. Pieces of this were inspired by https://0perfectimperfections0.tumblr.com/ and it's a continuation of my story which is also a continuation of hers. It's linked in this post - should be in a giant box. Hopefully.

Anyway, here's the story I spent the last 24 hours writing

Nap Time

"Lou, it's almost two o'clock. You know the deal," Nolan stated, crossing his arms. He knew this would be a fight since the blonde doll had hid from him for the last thirty minutes, moving from place to place. He was agile and slick when he needed to be, but Nolan eventually did find him helping Wage out in the restaurant. The brunette had approached Lou early just to keep an eye on him until his new 'nap time' came. He didn't exactly expect a game of hide and seek with Lou slipping off into the crowd the second they locked eyes.

This was the first day the nap rule had been truly put into place. Up until a few days ago, Lou spent quite a few hours of the day sleeping off the last of his sickness and exhaustion. When he was awake, he stayed in Moxy's house, doing activities that required little to no energy as he healed, with them all spending more time with the blonde to get to know the true Lou. When his house was finished (something he'd been so happy about), he slept there, with someone always nearby to keep an eye on him. In the last three days, he'd tried to spent less time sleeping and more time out and about, working where he could, causing his friends to truly implement the naptime rule. It was good that he was trying, but he also had a track record of sleeplessness.

"Do I have to acknowledge that deal?" He asked as he put away dry dishes. Lou may not have been on janitor duty anymore, but he seemed to like helping Wage out. That wasn't one of his duties as former janitor, so maybe that was a part of it. Or maybe he liked to clean as long as he wasn't forced to. Wage was currently watching them out the corner of her eyes as she cleaned off a counter, business currently in a lull.

Nolan sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, you do."

"I'm in denial then."

"Isn't that still acknowledging but not believing?" Nolan asked, tilting his head to the side as his slight frustration quelled. He didn't exactly want to play twenty questions with the blonde, but they weren't getting anywhere at the moment. And why would Lou just agree? No one he knew liked a forced naptime. Lou likely hadn't taken a nap before unless it was out of sheer exhaustion - it likely went against his programmed perfectness.

The thought made the usually gentle doll want to punch whoever made Lou feel that way. At least give them a good talking to.

"Maybe. Same difference." He dried a plate, turning away slightly. Nolan leaned forward automatically to see him trying to cover up a little yawn and a small smile spread across his face. 'He's tired, but won't admit it.' Stubborn Lou. The green striped doll moved back to his original stance as his friend turned back to him. "Are you just going to stand there or what?" Months ago, there would've been bite to his voice. A snark that came from protecting himself and putting forward confidence. Now it was only playful, with a bit of exasperation mixed in.

An idea formed in Nolan's head as he sighed. "So you're not going to go to bed willingly?"

"What does it look like?" He asked, nose scrunching as his mouth turned down. "Absolutely not. I don't need a nap. I'm not about to swan dive again." He rolled his eyes, visibly holding back another yawn.

"Alright," Nolan shrugged, trying to imitate Lou's nonchalance. He didn't play it off well, judging by how the other's eyes narrowed on him. "You win, but you're going to bed tomorrow."

Lou scoffed, turning away again. "Unlikely."

'We'll see,' Nolan thought, heading out of the kitchen. He met Wage as she came toward him, holding a stack of plates. He subtly tilted his head, muttering to her as he passed. "Keep him here. I've got an idea." He wasn't as dumb as most dolls thought he was. Sure, he could be oblivious, but he wasn't stupid. He knew exacy how to get Lou to bed.

Wage nodded, a small smile on her face. "Will do," she whispered back, carrying the apparently dirty plates through the door to where Lou was.

As soon as he was outside the little restaurant, he hustled to where he last saw Babo, the large grey Ugly who was very nice and had the strength Nolan needed right now. He found him not far from town square, strolling down the sidewalk, whistling a merry tune. "Babo!" Nolan called, stopping the doll in his tracks.

"Hey Nolan, what's going on?" Babo asked as the brunette stopped, slightly bent over as he panted.

Once he got his breath back, he said, "I neds to ask you for a small favor."

_________________

"Put me down!"

Lou struggled against the soft arms holding him in the air, ignoring how they made him feel a a bit safe and warm despite his fighting. He didn't know Babo as well as some others, but the doll was very resourceful and overall nice. 'Not exactly nice now,' he thought, crossing his arms over his chest in a disgruntled pout, slowly coming to realize he couldn't fight off the doll's hold. The bigger doll had him held in his arms securely, one hooking under his legs and the other behind his back. His side was pressed against his chest, something he wouldn't admit felt comfortable.

"Sorry, Lou," Nolan said where he was walking slightly ahead of him. He looked over his shoulder almost apologetically, and Lou sent a little glare at him. He wasn't mad persay, but he didn't like this. He knew he needed sleep, but that didn't mean he wanted it. In the middle of the day. It felt wrong. It felt weak. It felt imperfect. As much as everyone told him he didn't have to be perfect, his programming, his thoughts, the last decade of heartache told him that's exactly what he was supposed to be. It was perfection or failure. "It's for your own good. You're exhausted, and no one wants you to work yourself into a 'swan dive.'"

Lou grumbled, but couldn't find a competent defense. He was just so tired and the longer he stayed against this fluffy mass and felt the gentle bobbing of footsteps carrying him, this... safety, the more he wanted to give into the urge and sleep. He looked away from Nolan to the sky, pointedly ignoring them all as he traced the shapes of clouds with his eyes, feeling his eyelids and body grow heavier the longer he stayed here....

He wasn't entirely sure when it happened, but he dozed off. His woke up a little when they came to a stop, eyes opening slightly. They were at his house, a nice little cottage toward the end of town with different colored flowers surrounding it, courtesy of his new... friends. That's what they were. Nolan was using the key from under the mat to get inside. His eyes fell shut again and he absentmindedly realized Babo's arms had tightened around him a little. The blonde's head was rested against his chest, and he could hear the stuffing inside shifting, along with a faint heartbeat. They all had hearts, even if they weren't like human hearts. The steady thumping lured Lou back toward blissful sleep, the feeling only increasing when they stepped into his warm house - absolutely nothing like the drab, thin-walled shed he'd been confined to before or his lonely mansion.

Babo carried him up the stairs slowly. When he jostled him on accident near the top, there was a whispered "sorry, Lou" that made his heart clench. He wasn't used to this whole being apologized to thing. He wanted to reply, but everything felt peacefully heavy and uncooperative, including his mouth which refused to work with his brain. He did manage to press further up against Babo, which he hoped was enough to convey his... gratitude? Was that the right word? There was a small sigh that almost sounded fond or amused.

A few moments later, they made a turn. Lou didn't feel like exerting the strength to open his eyes to see where they were, but it didn't take much of a genius to guess. His bedroom. A place that was no longer basic and plain with walls that closed in on him at night. There was dark hardwood for the floor and blue walls that Mandy said matched his eyes, two bookshelves that weren't full of teaching manuals and textbooks (those were in the basement, collecting dust), a desk for him to write and draw as he pleased, and three windows so the place felt way more open. There were other random nick nacks, too, gifts from the dolls that were either store bought or handmade, such as his snow globe, photo album, and the teddy bear Nolan made for him - he was quite the tailor and stuffed animal maker. All those things sat on the top shelves of his book cases, along with the other random gifts that made him cry happy tears and feel all warm inside.

"Think he'll wake up to change into pajamas?" Nolan whispered. Lou could sense him nearby, possibly only a few inches away.

Babo chuckled a little, his chest rumbling against Lou's ear. It was comforting. "I don't think he'll wake up completely for anything short of a fire right now. Let's just get him out of his jacket and shoes, then tucked into bed."

"Good idea."

He was shifted slowly and carefully to sit on his bed - a bed that wasn't too big or too small, covered in weighted, comfortable blankets that swaddled him in a hug every night. He used blankets like them back in his mansion to try and feel a little less alone, but now, as they were gifts from friends who worked so hard to get this place together for him of all people, they felt like actual hugs.

His head hung forward, gently cradled by Babo's bigger one to keep him in place as Nolan pulled his suit jacket down his shoulders, leaving him in his white button up. The blankets shifted and he was picked up again, only to be laid down in a bed. His shoes were tugged off and the blankets came to rest over his body, sealing him inside the warmth of his body and heart. He could open his eyes right now, show them he's awake, and tell them they shouldn't do this. He didn't need all this coddling, all this carrying, all this care. Perfection meant standing on your own.

But he wanted all of this. He wanted to feel the love they were giving him now. The care of friendship, something he'd had so little of in the last decade being trapped in this doll prison, teaching dolls only to watch them disappear forever to a world he couldn't reach. But it wasn't a prison anymore. He had friends. Dolls came and went as they pleased through the portal - except for him, but that didn't feel like such a big deal anymore. Yes, he wanted a kid, like all dolls did, but the love he always wanted... he thinks he had that now. The love of friends.

A hand gently patted his shoulder through the blanket. "Have a good rest, Lou," Babo whispered. "You deserve it. Sleep tight." Quiet footsteps were the only sound as the grey doll left the room.

A shifting on his right side told him Nolan was still there. Through his eyelids, he could tell that the blinds had been shut, dimming out the light in the room. A little, contented sigh escaped him, his whole body completely laxing out as sleepiness surged forth, wrapping his conciousness up in a warm embrace. He really was tired. More tired than he thought. He'd spent the day just walking around Imperfection after waking up early, ignoring the last dregs of his sickness and exhaustion trying to take him under. His breathing still felt a little funny and his head hurt at random times, but he brushed that aside. A headache didn't warrant staying in bed.

For the last few days, he'd been trying to improve his image in the eyes of other dolls by working and offering to help. He was aware Ox already told everyone he was off janitor duty, but Lou really did like to clean. It was a pastime where he could focus on scrubbing and sweeping instead of his thoughts, along with doing something productive. Many dolls were wary, yes, and gave him glares or sent harsh words his way that had his newfound friends at his side to pull him to another part of the place, glaring daggers back at the offending doll. (It was comforting to be protected, but he didn't want to get back into good graces through force.) However, some dolls did accept his help, if cautiously. Wage was the first to truly warm up to him, and he helped her out in the diner a lot.

But now, all of that labor was taking its toll on his body. He'd forced himself to sleep less, to try and be normal, be perfect, and it was backfiring on him. To be fair, it didn't backfire terribly. Not with his friends around. Suddenly tired of thinking, Lou snuggled further down into the blankets and pillows, listening as Nolan came to sit on the bed beside him. The doll's hand rested on Lou's back and he almost tensed up.

"Hey Lou," Nolan whispered. "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I just wanted to say... you're okay. Naps don't make you weak, if that's what you've been thinking. We all need time to rest, and your body and not to mention your mind need a lot of time to heal. It's not going to happen in a night but... it'll get better. I promise." His hand rubbed a soothing motion across his shoulders and back, causing Lou to sink further down into his now calm mind, his worries put to rest by someone he could call a friend, maybe even a best friend. Maybe... maybe... eventually... a family member.

He fell asleep to Nolan humming a quiet tune, wrapped in comfort that wasn't just physical. He was safe. He was home.

He was okay.

_______________

"How's he doing?"

Nolan looked up to see Ox peeking into the room, a small smile on his face. The brunette couldn't help but smile back, beckoning him inside with his hand. He was sitting on the edge of Lou's bed, hand rested on his shoulder. "Been out like a light for almost an hour." He chuckled breathily. "And he said he wasn't tired."

The green doll let out a little laugh himself, closing the door quietly before stepping up to the other side of the bed. Nolan glanced down at the sleeping figure. His blonde bangs were astray, falling over his closed eyes, and one of his hands had reached out from under the blanket, held in a loose fist. He'd curled in on himself in his sleep, lying on his side, and his breathing was steady, if a little wheezy at times. The exhaustion and following sickness hadn't entirely left him, but at least he was sleeping now. Entirely peaceful. His face was lax in a way that somehow made him look younger, so much more innocent. Like he hadn't gone through near ten years of torment.

Ox gently pushed the bangs away with a furred hand. Lou moved a little, eyebrows coming together in confusion before relaxing again. It was frankly adorable. "Like this... he looks like the old him."

"What do you mean?" Nolan asked, equally quiet. He knew of the past between Lou and Ox, how they were brothers until the betrayal on both ends, but not many specific details.

"He was so innocent back then. He'd been running this place for two years when I came along. As much as he taught me for the Big World, he learned from me." His eyes were glazed, looking off to the far wall at something Nolan couldn't see. A memory he couldn't experience. "Lou... he knew everything to do with dolls and teaching, but not the more personal words. Like friendship. Watching him figure it out, try to decipher it... it was as endearing as it was heartwrenching." He sighed and muttered something Nolan didn't think he was supposed to hear. "If I'd known everything going on in his head, all he would face, all he really knew, I would never have left."

Nolan didn't know what to say to that, so he did what he thought was best. With the hand that wasn't on Lou, he reached out and patted the bunny's shoulder. "You're here now. We're here now. We'll help him."

Ox's smile was fragile, but there. His eyes shone with determination. "That's right. He's got us, whether he likes it or not."

Lou shifted a little and Nolan drew his hand away from Ox, watching the former leader's eyelids flutter open a little, sapphire eyes groggy from deep sleep. They moved about lazily, meeting Nolan's eyes first, then Ox's. "Ox?" He questioned quietly, voice slurred with sleep. He had another hour before he needed to wake up, and Nolan really didn't want him to get up before he got his necessary sleep. He sent a panicked look to Ox, but the doll wasn't deterred at all. He climbed up onto the bed to sit beside Lou, resting a hand on the top of his head.

"Yeah, I'm right here and so is Nolan. Go back to sleep, buddy, you're safe." Ox said reassuringly, putting his other hand gently on Lou's rising and falling chest. "I promise. It's not time for you to wake up an' you need every ounce of sleep you can get. Dreamland time, okay?"

Lou stared up at him for a moment. Nolan's heart hammered in his chest, fueled by the worry Lou would disregard them and get up anyway. His worries were put to rest when he nodded dazedly and his eyes fell closed, head turning to lean more into Ox's hand. His breathing deepened out again after just a moment. Asleep. Nolan looked at the other doll in wonder.

"A little bit of assurance goes a long way," Ox said quietly, a soft smile on his face as he stared down at Lou. His brother. Nolan had the vague feeling that Ox had done this before to get Lou to sleep, maybe said those exact words. He swallowed down the questions burning in his mind and nodded, giving the older doll a soft smile that was returned.

Questions could wait for another time. Right now, Lou was sleeping peacefully with them to guard him. That's all that mattered right now.

_______________________

Lou's sickness had returned with a vengeance.

It wasn't serious, definitely not as bad without the exhaustion coupled with it, but Lucky Bat stayed around when he could, keeping close tabs on Lou's temperature and the severity of his headache. He slept now, curled up in his bed with dolls alternating a watch over him because Lou would try to get out of bed of they didn't. They'd gotten him changed into green silk pajamas, one of his favorite colors, and tucked into bed as soon as the sickness became apparent, but he was stubborn no matter what. If if hadn't been for an equally as stubborn doll being there to figure out what was wrong, he would've kept going and made the illness worse.

And who was that stubborn doll exactly? Well, it happened to be Mandy who caught on to Lou's declining health. She was currently sitting beside his bed in the armchair the dolls had hauled up from the living room, adjusting the cold rag on his forehead as he slept on. Night had fallen over the town and her child was asleep, her emotions dormant in the back of Mandy's mind. She wouldn't be needed for hours, and she planned to stay with Lou for all of it.

"Oh Lou," she whispered to her new friend, feeling her worry rise with every wheeze of his breath. "What are we going to do with you?" She settled back into the chair and tilted her head up, looking to the ceiling as she recalled when she figured out her friend was less than healthy....

Mandy had asked Lou to come over and help her rearrange her bedroom. Again. It wasn't much - just the desk and some things on the shelves. She couldn't seem to get it how she wanted it herself, so she texted the blonde for two reasons. One, to spend more time with him. Two, because he had an eye for decoration and organization. He'd replied almost immediately, appearing at her door ten minutes later. As soon as she opened it, he was rambling about furniture placing and the types of organization. She'd just laughed, let him upstairs, and let him go wild with what he thought. It was nice to see Lou so carefree. When in his element, he was truly confident in his actions and words, careful in every little detail. She helped where she could, including moving the desk vanity, and then let him do his thing with the shelving. By the end, it looked amazing. Exactly how she wanted yet couldn't articulate.

"Lou, this is awesome!" She'd said, moving around the room and admiring all the effort he'd put into reorganizing shelves. They'd hung her unused fairly lights as well, fixing up her bedroom with colorful lighting. If she'd been paying more attention to him then, she might've taken more notice in how he wiped his brow despite the AC going on full blast, or seen the slightly off sway to his usually so graceful and fluid walk. The one only Lou could truly master and pull off.

"Of course it is," he'd said, all playful confidence. It was getting easier to differentiate in his tones after three weeks of being his friend. "I have a mind for organization."

She'd chuckled. "You sure do." Mandy moved over and grabbed his hand, a gesture they all sometimes did with each other and especially Lou. He wasn't used to much physical affection, and hand holding was easing him into it, letting him known he had people around. It especially helped when they wanted to do something for him, but he didn't want to be entirely compliant. "Let me make you some tea. Moxy also made cookies yesterday - I need you to try them for another opinion." That's how they offered Lou things. He didn't want to take it often if it was offered directly, but phrased as something else? He'd accept majority of the time.

This time wouldn't be so easy. His brow scrunched up and a nervous flicker went through his eyes. "I really need to be going. I have some organizing to do at my house, too."

"Then I'll come with you. Four hands is better than two." She could see his hesitation. Lou worried he asked too much sometimes. She tightened her hold a little in a small squeeze. "I won't go if you don't want me to, but I'm offering. I want to help." She beamed at him. He returned it, if in a smaller smile. Progress.

"Okay then. We can... head over to my house." If she hadn't been so excited, she might have noticed the way his words wavered. Not because of nerves, but because of lack of focus. She released his hand and hurried down stairs, Lou taking them slower behind her, and packed up the cookies in a bag quickly. With a backpack full of notebooks, hair supplies, and cookies on her shoulder, she met Lou at the doorway. "Ready."

He gave her a smile that looked a bit tired, opening the door. She walked out beside him, watching his face from the side. In the light of the sun, he looked a bit tired and worn. What time was it? She glanced at her watch. Only twelve. It wasn't time for his scheduled nap yet. Did he stay up late last night? Get up too early? Have a nightmare and not tell anyone? Silently, she promised herself to get him to rest a bit early.

They reached his house soon enough. If she hadn't been looking at the pretty flowers that they had growing outside, she might have noticed how he struggled with getting his key in the lock, hand shaking. He got it open the moment she looked back, taking an exaggerated bow. "You first," he said cheekily.

With a playful eyeroll, she walked in, flicking his bangs in his face as she strolled by. He let out a little huff of breath but didn't try to fix it, walking in after her. More progress on convincing him that nothing was entirely perfect, she thought. They went to his kitchen first. It didn't look very used, but she often saw him at Wage's diner. Did he even know how to cook? She'd have to ask, maybe ask Moxy if he could join them in baking sometime. Mandy didn't know much herself, but Moxy liked to bake sweets and some other meals that tasted absolutely divine.

She settled the cookies on a plate, placing most in a careful stack that she hoped he'd appreciate. The others circled around the stack, either flat on the plate or leaned up against it. Presentation was key. Smiling, she turned back toward where Lou was. "Ready to try some great cookies- Lou!" Her smile instantly fell when her eyes landed on him, leaned up against the door frame with his arms wrapped around himself. She launched forward, reaching him just as his knees buckled. The female doll caught him and instantly pulled him to where his head rested on her shoulder. When the skin of her neck met his forehead, she could've cursed. He was burning up.

After a few seconds, he tried to get away from her, eyes zoned out and blinking rapidly. "S-sorry." A shiver swept through him. She pulled him back to lay against her, wrapping her arms around him. He struggled a little, but his strength was that of a kitten. "Mandy-"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Lou." She whispers, meeting his gaze with her own. She removed one of her arms to press the back of her hand against his forehead to better gauge his temperature, surprised and endeared to feel him lean into the touch. "Just tell me when you're feeling sick, okay?"

He didn't agree, but he rested more heavily against her, burying his face into her chest. It was as much as she would be able to get from him right now. Trying to quell her worry, she pulled one of his arms to wrap around her neck, then adjusted her position to pick him up, one arm under his knees and the other supporting his back. He made a muffled sound at being moved, but nothing else. She walked to the couch and settled him down on it, moving to sit so he could rest his head on her lap. Another shiver caused him to curl in on himself, and she grabbed the folded red blanket off the back of the couch, spreading it out over him. "Thank you." He muttered.

She ran a hand across his cheek, letting it trail into his hair. "Let's just get you feeling better." She whispered. "Why didn't you say anything?" Her question was gentle, carefully devoid of any accusation.

His eyes were half lidded as he answered. "I thought... I thought it would go away. I didn't sleep that much last night. I thought that was why." He squeezed his eyes shut and a hand clenched around her heart. "I... It wasn't this bad at your house, I swear, it happened so fast-" he was getting frantic. She shushed him, running a hand through his hair.

"It's okay. Just rest."

He blinked up at her owlishly. He was definitely pale faced except for the pink hue beginning to cover his cheeks. How did he get so bad so fast? She had to guess that part of it was his showmanship. He was definitely an actor when it came to playing the role of himself. Looking at him nowadays and a few months ago, she saw two different people. One was created due to a need for protection and perfection. Now he used his automatic showmanship to cover up his hardships, sometimes without even knowing it. He could act for them, but also for himself, and that made her heart hurt. After a long moment, he nodded. "I'm... tired."

She trailed her hands through his hair, trying not to show the worry that was coursing through her. "Then sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up." She hoped he would. Lack of sleep from the night before could play a factor in this downturn.

"Okay," he whispered, voice a little raspy. She wished she'd gotten some tea in him before, but too late now. His eyes slipped shut and a minute later his body slackened except for the occasional shudder. After she was sure he was deep asleep, away from his currently less than desired reality of being ill once again, she pulled her phone from her back pocket and texted the group chat about the situation. She didn't know much about treatment - that was Lucky Bat's area - and didn't think it would be safe to carry him to his bedroom by herself. The others would want to know about this, too.

It wasn't long before Ox and Lucky Bat appeared, bursting through the doorway as silently as possible. Ox immediately came to kneel by his brother, eyes wide with worry. Mandy could only share the look.

Hours later, they had him situated on his bed after Babo carried him up. They'd all done their share of fussing over blankets, Lou's hair, checking temperatures with their hands, fluffing pillows - everything. Most of them had to disappear to go to their kids after school got out, but Lou was never alone. It was Mandy's watch now, half the others asleep downstairs ans the other half with their night owl children. She sighed into the air, folding her hands together.

"Mandy?"

The quiet whisper caught her off guard and she jerked, glasses going askew. She fixed them and found Lou's eyes half open, looking at her with a gaze that wasn't fever layered. Instantly, she reached out to touch his neck and cheek. Cool as a cucumber. Relief ran through her and she let out a small laugh, scooping Lou up into a hug before she could think about what she was doing. After a moment of hesitation that she hoped was from her sudden action and not anxiety, his arms wrapped around her, his head finding its place on her shoulder. "I was so worried." She said quietly. "We all were."

"You all are a bunch of worry warts," he muttered, followed by a small chuckle. "Not actual warts, by the way."

She smiled. "I know."

They stayed like that for a minute, wrapped up in a hug that neither tried to pull away from. Another improvement on physical affection. If she were an actual doctor, she'd give Lou a prescription for hugs and affection. He'd missed out on it for most of the last decade and had his heart torn to shreds a million times over. Subconsciously, she held him closer and adjusted the blanket to still be around him.

It was him who broke the silence. "I didn't get any of those cookies." His voice was sleepy, content. He'd been sleeping for nine hours, but sickness really took it out of a doll.

She giggled. "I'm sure Moxy will make you a whole batch after this."

He hummed, not saying anything more. Mandy shifted to see his face and could only hold back a fond laugh. He'd fallen asleep with a smile on his face. "Goodnight, Lou," she whispered, placing him back on the bed. When he shifted back toward her, smile falling momentarily, she got into the bed beside him and wrapped her arms around his torso, curling up around him. He relaxed, smile returned, and slept, forehead against her chest and shoulders. His fluffy hair tickled her nose and she had to move her chin up so she wouldn't sneeze.

With limited movement, she pulled out her phone and texted with one hand, updating the others on how Lou woke up for a minute and his fever had broken, shortly followed by a photo of the two of them. She received no reply except the sound of quiet footsteps moving up the stairs. Soon, the dolls were surrounding the bed, relieved smiles all around. She smiled back, then her eyes zeroed in on Moxy. "He wants to try your cookies."

"I'll make him a ton," the pink doll whispered back as they all climbed onto the bed into a close doggie pile, Babo sitting near the top to keep watch. Lou shifted to snuggle down deeper into the warmth and arms around him.

A couple minutes later, different breathing patterns evened out into sleep, but Mandy was still awake. She leaned forward a little to press a kiss against Lou's forehead. "Sweet dreams, Louis."

She fell asleep beside him.

______________________

"He's completely out."

Ugly Dog found himself whispering that as he looked at Lou's face. The blonde was asleep for his nap time again, the day after sickness tried to drag him down. It had been a sudden turn that made them all worried, but he'd mostly bounced back after a couple of hours. He'd been confined to bed all morning under Lucky Bat's orders, which had made Lou pout, but they'd all played games with him that weren't taxing. They went through rounds of checkers (Lou won most the time due to his intelligently strategic mind, but Moxy got one over on him due to creativity and unexpectedness), charades, eye spy - everything they could think of to keep Lou from getting bored. It worked. In fact, it worked so well that they all got caught up in the games to the point where they missed the first hour of Lou's initial naptime.

But now, with no one but the two smaller dolls here, he'd managed to fall asleep roughly fifteen minutes ago. His breathing was deep and without much of a wheeze now, but before he went to sleep, Lucky Bat asked him questions about how he felt. Lou had tentatively admitted that his head still hurt at times. He'd went to sleep shortly after.

Lucky Bat came over with a cool, damp rag held on his wing. "Yeah, he is." He whispered back, hopping up onto the bed. He placed the cloth along Lou's forehead. "This should help with the headache. A bit more sleep and he should be good to go. He'll just have to take it slow for a little while." He jumped back down. "I'm going to go get some water from the kitchen for him. Stay here?"

"Of course." Ugly Dog nodded and watched as his friend left, then looked back at Lou. He'd turned a little in his sleep, knocking the rag off in the first few seconds it had been in place. With a fondly exasperated huff, the dog doll jumped on the bed. He used his paw to fix the cloth and went to jump off, only for a weight to land on his back. Lou's arm was slung over him as he'd turned over again. This perplexed him. All the times he'd seen Lou sleep, he hadn't moved around so much. He stayed near stock still, only moving to curl in on himself or press against someone else. When he experimentally tried to move away a little, Lou didn't budge his arm.

'Guess I'm staying here for a little bit,' he thought, settling down on top of the blankets. He looked at Lou's face again. 'We severely misjudged him. He's good at his masks because he's been burned too much. If only we'd seen it before...' The thought line made him sad. Lou only needed help. Anyone would have snapped when in his position, probably earlier than he did. A part of him wondered what Lou was like all those years ago, before he lost his innocence to trauma. Ox once described him as similar to a child. Knew a lot, but also not enough. They didn't know exactly what being a prototype meant. Only Lou did, and he was slow to let them beyond his walls. Understandable, honestly. They did hurt him.

What did it mean to be a prototype? A doll, yet different? What was he programmed with? What was he meant to be? A leader and teacher, obviously, but what else? Lou struggled a lot with perfection, even around them. They could see it in his stance and his eyes. He wanted to be perfect, unable to understand that perfection wasn't achievable or needed. How would they convince him? Ugly Dog wasn't sure, but he knew it would take time. Lots of time. And love. And care.

'Maybe we could get him back to teaching again,' he thought. 'The robots teach, but they put a lot of dolls to sleep with monotone voices. Lou's teaching was right. His methods were just questionable.' He doubted he would keep doing the crueler side of his lessons. The washing machine was gone anyway, and Lou was acting like a whole other person most the time.

A small sound caught his attention. A whimper. His eyes, which he hadn't known closed, snapped open to look at Lou. The blonde's face was scrunched up in fear and he withdrew his arm from the dog doll, clutching both his limbs to his chest almost protectively. "Lou?" Ugly Dog whispered, getting up and inching over to him. "Louis?" As much as he hated the name, he didn't entirely mind if they used it now. Sometimes. Lou didn't respond, only curling in on himself further, his eyes squeezed shut.

Not knowing what else to do, Ugly Dog reached out and shook his shoulder. "Lou, wake up, it's just a nightmare." No response. "Lou, Lou," he repeated, getting a little more frantic. "Come on, man." Finally, a flutter of eyelids and a small gasp. "There you are." He tried to smile. "You're okay."

Lou's light blue eyes met his, only to fill with tears. Ugly Dog's heart hurt. This was Lou at one of his low points. A time when he couldn't drag up his brick walls. When he was vulnerable. "Aw, dude," the dog said, trying to figure out how to fix this. Lou sniffed, his arms going lax, and the doll got an idea. He pawed one of Lou's arms up and put it around him, then settled down right up against the doll's chest.

Lou's muscles tensed up and Ugly Dog wondered if he should regret his idea. His new friend wasn't exactly the best with physical affection of any kind. Even shoulder pats had scared him at times. After a moment, he went to move, only for Lou's arm to securely wrap around him in a hug. Ugly Dog's heartrate jumped with happiness as his friend held him like a child would a stuffed animal, just as he'd done to Moxy. Except this was a more conscious decision. Progress.

"It's okay, Lou," he comforted when the leader started to shake a little, feeling tears drop onto the back of his head. "Everything is okay. It wasn't-" he stopped. Lou told them last time that his nightmares could be real things, real memories. Like with the doll Sofia. A distant part of his mind wondered if they could ever find her again, let her and Lou meet once more, but he brushed it away for now. Lou needed him in the present. "It's okay. Nothing is going to hurt you."

Lou settled down after a minute, breathing still choppy but no more tears. Another minute past and he went mostly lax, still hugging Ugly Dog. The dog doll settled down further against Lou, offering comfort in the best way he knew how. He was often the hyperactive jokester of the bunch, but he could be calm when needed to be. Like right now.

The click of a camera snapping caught his attention. Lucky Bat was at the door, holding up a Polaroid camera with a smile. "This is adorable." He chuckled, taking the photo out. The pitcher of water and glass he'd went to get were on the desk.

Ugly Dog glared, but he knew it wasn't convincing considering his position. "Not adorable. Cool."

"Fine, it's cool." He settled the camera and photo down to grab the water, moving it to the bedside table. "How is he?"

"Calm now. Had a momentary hiccup with dreams, but he's chill." He relaxed the glare. "I think I'm gonna stay here with him. My kid is going to an after school sport anyway."

"I don't think you have much of a choice with staying, unless you want to wake him up." Ugly Dog looked at him like that was the worst thing he could've suggested. His friend smiled. "I thought so." He went back and grabbed the camera, leaving the photo behind for Lou's album. "I'll be back when I can. My kid will be needing me soon."

"Bye, dude." He watched the door shut, then closed his own eyes, content to be with his friend and keep the nightmares away.

_______________________

"Time to wake up, Lou!"

Lou held back a groan, turning his head into the pillow. He didn't want to get up. Had it really been two hours already? After the excitement of the last few days, with them all working to get him into better light with the dolls and even throwing a party for the entirety of Imperfection last night, he was tired. Sleep hadn't come easy last night either, with his worries of not being accepted and anxiety over what was ahead. Ox wanted him to be a co-mayor eventually and made the suggestion last night, leaving Lou with buzzing thoughts.

He did not want to wake up from this nap. As much as he'd hated them (and still did), he'd come to appreciate them and the reasoning behind having them. He didn't like to sleep in the middle of the day and they were becoming less and less needed, sometimes even skipped all together, but he could appreciate that when he was tired, they were there. Except now it was over and Moxy was trying to get him out of bed.

"Louuuuuu~" she sang, opening the blinds. He pressed his eyes shut tighter. A moment later, his bed was moving and she was jumping on it. "You gotta wake up! Don't you remember what you've got to do in an hour?" Her jumps were coming toward him, almost beside his head.

"No," he muttered, his mind waking up. His brain was slow to get the gears turning, mind still groggy. Most the time, he could wake up instantly. Before being overthrown, he woke before dawn, either from nightmares or a detrimental sleep schedule, and always was on his feet in a few seconds. Now, he understood that he didn't have to have that instant wake up to make sure of his perfection. He could take things slower. "Wha' do I need to do?" He turned, rubbing at his eyes as they blinked against the light. Moxy's form shaded him, her bouncing stopping as she grinned down at him.

"It's your first day of teaching again, silly!" She pulled the blankets away, then grabbed his hand as his brain had stuttered to a momentary stop. "Come on! You need to get ready! Can't meet the dolls in pajamas, can you?"

"N-no, no, I can't." His mouth finally worked. His body followed suit, allowing him to climb out of bed. Moxy practically pushed him into his walk-in closet full of suits that weren't just repetitive black tuxes. Nolan had made him three in different, solid colors, and promised more. Lou had protested, but all he got in response was that his black suits needed a lot more color. He also was given several other shirts besides his white button up. His mind fully awake, he ran his hand over some suits and shirts, trying to decide. 'How about a mix of the old and the new?' He thought, grabbing a black tux and a dark blue undershirt.

After changing, he made his way downstairs, looking for where Moxy had run off to as he fixed his suit cuffs. As soon as his feet were on solid ground, a hand grabbed his arm and yanked him toward the kitchen. He had to stifle a yelp of surprise, allowing himself to be dragged by Moxy into the kitchen. Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, Mandy was there, holding a bag full of hair salon supplies.

She looked appraisingly at his change in style. Up until this point, he'd been too nervous to wear much of the other styles, fearing others thoughts on it. Today was different. His first class since... before. He wanted to show them all he was different. "I love the style, Lou." Moxy let go of his hand only for Mandy to reach over and grab it, pulling him to sit in the chair. "Now for your hair."

"What's wrong with my hair?" He asked, an old panic rising up. He was having a hard time getting his supposed to be perfect mentality out of the way, especially when it came to his appearance. He didn't have bed head, nor were his bangs in his eyes.

"Nothing," she was quick to assure. "Just want to try something. And maybe I like to play with it." She ran a hand through his golden threads for emphasis. It was no secret his hair was pretty soft, having been handmade. As much as he was the 'perfect mold' in a teacher stand point, no other doll looked like him. He was a prototype, after all.

He huffed out a small laugh, folding his hands in his lap and letting Mandy do her thing as he tried to veer away from the prototype line of thought. Maybe he couldn't have a kid, but at least his existence wasn't so soul crushingly lonely anymore. Like it had been for the last nine years.

A chocolate chip cookie was shoved into his face. "I made cookies!" Moxy announced. He took it from her hand, offering a smile. "Thanks." She grinned and hugged him, but what really surprised him was when she whispered in his ear, "You can't be sad with a cookie, but if you still are, that's okay. You've got this." She pulled away, gave him a nod, and headed back to the oven. Warmth filled Lou's chest. A good kind. One he was slowly becoming more and more acquainted with. He looked at the cookie and took a bite. Moxy's cookies really were amazing. Chocolate chip and macadamia nut were his favorites.

"There we go! How do you like it?" Mandy put a mirror in front of Lou. He peered into it, examining the small changes. His hair was slightly flatter, longer in the back, and it curled up around his ears a little. His hair was mostly straight, yes, but there was a little curl to it that most people didn't notice. Mandy had.

"I... I love it. Thank you, Mandy. You do have an eye for hair style."

"And you're just figuring this out now?" She joked, moving the mirror and supplies.

"Yes, I've been blind to it this whole time." They laughed. He stood and Mandy turned him around by the shoulder, fixing a last piece of hair. "Remember," she muttered where he could hear, "you don't have to be perfect for them. Even teachers aren't perfect. Got it?"

It was a hard thought to swallow. He couldn't promise anything. "I'll try to remember that." He conceded. She smiled gently.

"All you need to do is try and that will be enough."

Just try. He could do that. No sheer pressure to try and drag him under. Just an attempt.

Moxy shoved a brown paper sack of cookies into his hands. "Macadamia, chocolate chip, and a new flavor - blizzard sprinkle." She presented. He gave her a thanks, almost overwhelmed by just cookies. Cookies with love. Love he'd been starved of for too long. Mandy hooked her arm with his, leading him out the front door. A few steps out, he was met by Nolan, Babo, Ox, Lucky Bat, and Ugly Dog.

"First day of class, man!" Ugly Dog was practically vibrating where he stood, ocassionally jumping around. "You're going to do great," Lucky Bat told him, smiling. Lou felt a bit overwhelmed again due to all the compliments. Back when he was the leader, he got compliments when people were trying to get him on their 'side.' He could strut down a runway, singing and dancing, but none of the compliments were genuine to the thread, unless it was from a new batch of dolls who didn't yet know who he was. Those little moments of sunshine didn't last long. Mentally shaking himself out of the thought, he thanked both dolls.

Babo was holding something behind his back. Before he could ask what it was, the grey doll revealed it. It was a leaf green satchel. Rectangular in shape with two smaller pockets outside the big one, tucked underneath a flap. The small pockets held pencils and sticky notes, from what he could see. "It's a gift," he explained at Lou's dumbfounded look. "I think having things on hand is useful, Nolan knows how to sew, and everyone else got some teacher things to put in it so you'll be prepared for your first day back in action." Ox took the bag by the long strap and put it over a frozen Lou's head, letting the padded strap sit on his right shoulder, the bag settling easily against his hip like it was made for him. It had some weight to it, and he picked up the flap to see two colored binders inside, pencils, pens, markers, a notebook, and even a small bag of peppermints, his favorite candy.

For a second, his brain refused to work. They were all grinning at him, Mandy's arm still hooked around his, and the sheer amount of love from them was setting him on the fritz. They even banned together to get him a gift - a hand sewn satchel with absolutely everything he would need to be a teacher again. To do the thing he'd missed so much. It was overwhelming in the best way.

"Lou, you okay?" Nolan asked. It was then he realized he hadn't said anything in a long minute and his eyes were beginning to well up with happy tears. He took a second to blink them away, then looked at them all.

"Yes, I'm fine. Better than fine. This... this is amazing, guys." He could hardly get the words out due to how tight his throat was getting. "I love it. Thank you so much."

A chorus of "your welcomes" and "no problem Lou" met him. Moxy took the bag of cookies and put it in his new bag. "All set," she said as they all started walking toward the building where dolls who'd suffered through several classes with mundane robots and struggling to pass were. Some of his classes would be outside in an open area, but that was for the obstacle course to train for the Gaunlet. His other classes would be inside a colorful building that had a main classroom, cafeteria, and library. It was a recent building that the robots had created and everyone else got together to paint.

As they headed there, he noticed how some of the others were giggling and almost tripping over themselves. 'They're trying to walk like me,' he realized after following how Nolan's feet and hips were trying to imitate what the others called his 'sassy walk.' It wasn't exactly a thing he consciously did. When he needed to be confident in his earlier years, he found the smooth walk helped him. Over time, it became a subconscious thing. When he'd tried to stop, fearing it was a bad divide between him and the others, Mandy had pointed out how it was original. Unique in a way that wasn't the same as him being a prototype versus them being dolls. He didn't try to stop after that.

As they came closer to the building, Ox clapped him on the shoulder with his paw. "It's gonna be a great class, Professor Lou. They're gonna love you."

"Yeah, Professor Lou!" Nolan followed.

Lou almost facepalmed. "I'm not a professor. I'm just... Lou."

"Louis," Moxy edited. He gave her a glare that surely bordered on a pout, judging by her increase in smile. "Professor Louis."

"You're all insufferable."

Everyone laughed. He couldn't hold the glare up, caving into a smile. His heart and head felt lighter than they ever had when walking to teach a class - something that was slightly strange considering he weighed more with the satchel. His hand unconsciously wrapped around the strap, making sure it was still there. Still real. This was happening. He had friends, love, and he was going back to teach again. The looks he got while walking up the sidewalk weren't all full of scorn. If tentative, they were friendly. He was no longer being crushed by his cage of loneliness. His friends were his wings, and he was soaring higher than he ever had on stage.

If this was a dream, he didn't want to wake up.

But he knew it wasn't a dream. He'd taken enough naps, slept beside friends, and been carried around enough to know that this was no dream. This was reality.

For the first time in a long time, it was a reality he wanted to live.

__________________

Lou jerked awake in bed, breathing hitching up in his chest. There was a wetness on the sides of his face. Tears. Tears that wouldn't stop and images that wouldn't quit replaying in his mind. Sofia. Recycling. Fire. Robotic dog. Giant baby. Failure. Failure. Failure. Prototype. A stupid prototype.

He dragged himself out of bed, entire body trembling. The blinds were partly open, allowing him to see the beginnings of sunrise. 'It's just like waking up in the mansion,' he thought, a shudder running through his body. 'Don't think about that. Don't think about it. You're not in that place. That empty, dreary, tiring place...' He shook himself physically, arms wrapping around his frame in an attempt to give himself the hug. It wasn't the same as being hugged by a friend.

Friends. It was too early for them to be awake, and he didn't exactly want to bother them, not when they were about to leave for their respective kids in an hour or two. He knew they'd say they wouldn't mind, but he'd be depriving them of sleep. While they weren't there physically, he did have something else. On unsteady feet, he made his way to his first bookshelf. On top of it, in the very middle, was a framed photo of him with all his friends, smiling and happy. They were gathered for the group photo by a big log in the park. Moxy, Ugly Dog, and Lucky Bat were sitting on the log. Lou stood behind them, Nolan on his left and Mandy on his right, their arms slung across his shoulders. Ox stood on the end of the log, and Babo was on the other end. Everyone was happy, laughing at some joke Moxy made instead of having them say the typical 'cheese!'

They took it three days ago. He was so glad to have it now. He grabbed it, frame and all, off the bookshelf and curled up on his bed, pressing it to his chest. The hard edges dug into his threads, but he didn't care. It was calming. The picture was a reminder that whole he was physically alone, he wasn't really alone. He was in a cottage made of love, not a mansion. He was a teacher in a good way. He was living a better life than he ever had, all thanks to them. No more isolation. No more loneliness. No more crying in the dark with no one to guide him to the light. He'd been alive for nearly a decade, but it felt like he was actually breathing.

He was making progress. Sometimes it was slow, but it was progress all the same. He was getting better. He was living.

Slowly, he managed to calm down from his nightmare. He would talk to them later, or just be with them. Remind himself that nothing was like his nightmare. Not anymore. For now, he let his eyes close and breathing deepen, falling asleep with the knowledge that he was loved.