Elsa's Story: Chapter 1 (Disney Frozen Birthday Party Elsa by Mattel)

It's amazing how quickly things can change. Two months ago I was sitting in my box at the store, waiting for someone to buy me, and now I'm a big sister. And no, it had nothing to do with Treesa's 'meddling', as some of the other dolls call it. Actually, Treesa was more surprised than anybody. But I'm getting ahead of myself. It's always best to start at the beginning, so here goes.

The day Treesa took me out of my box was probably one of the craziest days of my life. The best way to describe the welcoming process would be 'organized chaos'. Word spread quickly through the collection that there was a new doll in the house and groups of dolls kept coming over to meet me and introduce themselves. As soon as one group left, another would show up to take their place. I barely had time to catch my breath. Not only that, but I ended up hearing and answering a lot of the same questions over and over again. What was my name? What doll line was I from? What did I think of Treesa?

And everyone seemed to have at least one piece of advice, some of it contradictory. For example, several dolls told me that Treesa has a tendency to meddle. Joy's advice was to pick my battles but to otherwise go with the flow. Halle basically told me to take matters into my own hands and to ALWAYS speak up for myself. By the end of the day my head was spinning. I was so grateful to go to sleep that night.

The next day the 'welcoming committee' seemed to have thinned out, much to my relief. I found out later it's customary to give new dolls a little peace and quiet on their second day in the house, to give them time to adjust. The other dolls would say hello when they passed by, but none of them tried to drag me into a lengthy conversation. They were also very understanding if I couldn't remember their names, which happened a lot.

I enjoyed the peace and quiet for a while. But by the time afternoon rolled around I was starting to get a little bored and lonely. I decided to walk around the room a little, hoping to find some company, or at least a distraction. I knew from the other dolls that Treesa knew we were alive, so there was no danger of me giving anything away if I wasn't where she'd left me when she got back to the room. It was a weekend, so I really wasn't sure if Treesa was even in the house or not.

As I started my walk around Treesa's bedroom, I turned my head to look out the window. The sky was clear and the sun was shining, and I stopped for a moment to admire the view. Suddenly, a little boy doll raced across the floor towards the window. He stopped when he saw me. "Excuse me," he said politely, "Did you see a baby reindeer over here?"

I looked at him, surprised. A baby reindeer was probably the last thing I expected to see roaming around Treesa's bedroom. "No, I haven't," I said. That's when we both heard a soft snorting sound. It seemed to be coming from behind a stack of books that were left piled under the window. The little boy doll raced over and peeked the stack. "I FOUND YOU!" he shouted. Then he walked back over to me, followed by a plastic animal that did look like it could be a baby reindeer.

"Thank you for helping," the little boy doll said to me. I smiled. I couldn't help it. It was impossible not to be charmed by this little fellow, with his adorable, freckled face and his wonderful manners.

"You're welcome," I said. The little boy doll seemed to be studying me. His eyes were looking up, focused intently on my face. Though he was a little larger than one-sixth scale, I was still taller than him. "You're pretty," he said at last. "What's your name?"

"Elsa," I said. The little boy doll smiled. "My name's Christian," he said, "and this is Sven." Just then Treesa rushed into the room. She headed over to the window, and started rummaging through the stack of books. I guessed she was looking for something. Then she noticed the three of us standing by the window, two dolls and a plastic reindeer. "Christian," she said, "you're not bothering Elsa, are you? She's new here."

"He's no bother," I said quickly. I didn't want Christian to get in trouble. I also wanted to reassure him that he hadn't done anything wrong. Treesa looked a little surprised at first, but then her expression changed and she said, "It's nice to see you're making friends already Elsa. Watch out though, Christian will steal your heart if you let him." Then Treesa picked up the book she'd come in for and headed for the door.

After Treesa left, Christian smiled up at me. "You're really nice," he said. "Do you want to play hide and seek with me and Sven? It's Sven's turn to seek." Christian looked so hopeful that I didn't see how I could say no. "All right," I said with a laugh. Christian cheered and said, "I'll show you a great hiding place." Then he ran off, and I followed close behind him.

I'll admit, I didn't expect to have so much fun playing hide and seek. But it was impossible not to get caught up in Christian's enthusiasm. After a few rounds of hiding and seeking I was acting more like a kid myself than an adult. I had a number of the other dolls ask me curiously what I was doing, but after I sheepishly explained that I was playing hide and seek with Christian and Sven they just smiled a little and nodded. I got the feeling I wasn't the only doll who'd been won over by Christian and his reindeer friend.

The next day I was taking a stroll when I met up with Christian and Sven again. They were playing with a Barbie-sized frisbee, and they asked me to join them. "The other kids don't play with us much," Christian explained. "They're all smaller than me, and I think they're scared of Sven." The look on Christian's face broke my heart, and I agreed right away to stay and play frisbee. We talked as we tossed the frisbee back and forth.

"How long have you and Sven been friends?" I asked. Christian smiled. "Since always," he said. "We came in the same box. There was me and Sven and Annie and Elsie and Olaf." Christian's smile faded and he said, "We had lots of fun, 'til the humans cleaned the room up. They threw lots of stuff in a big, brown box. Elsie was hiding under the bed 'cause our human lost her dress, and Annie was with her 'cause they're sisters. Me and Sven and Olaf got put in the box. So did Elsie's dress, so now she can never come out."

Christian sniffled. His expression tugged at my heartstrings. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," I said. Christian didn't say anything, but Sven must have known that something was wrong because he came over and nudged Christian with his nose. Christian patted Sven lightly. It was easy to see how close the two of them were.

Christian and Sven

Christian still looked unhappy though, and I tried to think of something to say that would help. "You know," I said gently, "before Treesa bought me I didn't have any friends. I was all alone in my box, and I was really lonely. But I'm not lonely anymore." Then I smiled at Christian and said , "How could I be lonely when I have friends like you and Sven?" This seemed to cheer Christian up, and we got back to the frisbee game.

(Stay tuned for Chapter 2.)

Alice's Story: Part 4 (Mattel The Twilight Saga Eclipse Alice)

 

Christmas means a lot of things to a lot of people, but 'peace on earth' seems like one of the more popular phrases around Christmas time. And I figured out pretty quick that I wasn't going to feel 'at peace' until I told Jasper the truth. So I did. But I decided to wait until after Christmas. I didn't want to risk ruining the holiday for Jasper.

 

The day I came clean I found Jasper over by the window, staring out at the sky. I wasn't sure if he knew I was there at first. But then he said, "Hello Alice," just like he did when we first met. He turned to me and smiled, just a little. It was like he wanted me to know he was happy to see me, but he didn't want to risk making me uncomfortable by showing me with a full on smile just HOW happy he was to see me.

 

"Jasper," I said, plunging right in, "there's something we need to talk about." Jasper's smile disappeared and his expression turned more serious. I kept going. "Listen, you've probably noticed I'm a little uncomfortable around you," I said.  Jasper nodded.

 

"The thing is," I told him, "I already knew a Jasper doll before, at my old house. We were part of a collection, all Twilight dolls. It was like having a big family. Jasper loved me like a little sister but me...I just loved him." I was sort of stumbling over my words, but I knew I had to keep going. "We all got donated to the thrift store but Treesa didn't buy Jasper,"

 

"Because she already had me," Jasper said, putting the pieces together. His facial expression didn't change but I saw so much feeling in his eyes. He looked...crushed. I'd expected him to be disappointed when I told him but this, this went beyond just being disappointed.

 

Jasper turned away, hunching his shoulders like there was a heavy weight pushing down on him. Then he said, "I'm so sorry Alice." The words came out sort of hoarse, and I realized then the feeling that was weighing him down so much was guilt. He felt like it was his fault that I was unhappy, and that I wasn't with the doll I loved. He must've thought if he hadn't been here first, Treesa would've bought my Jasper.

 

"It's not your fault Jasper," I said, and I meant it. "You didn't know. That's why I'm telling you."

 

Jasper's posture didn't change. I wondered if he'd even heard what I said. What Jasper said next made me realize just how deep his feelings went. "I never meant to hurt you Alice," Jasper said. "You have to believe that." It took a minute before I got the full meaning of what he was saying. The real reason Jasper was hurting so much was because he thought that he was hurting me, and that was the last thing he ever wanted to do. Jasper thought that, just by being here, he was constantly reminding me of what I'd lost.

 

I'd thought that telling Jasper the truth would make me feel better. Instead, I just felt horrible. Because of me, Jasper was blaming himself for something that wasn't his fault. All I could think was how badly I'd screwed things up, and how much I wanted to fix them. But how could I convince Jasper that none of this was his fault. An idea popped into my head and I acted on it without thinking. First I touched Jasper's arm, to get his attention. It worked. Jasper turned back to look at me. "We're dolls Jasper," I said. "We can't control what our humans do. And as far as I know neither one of us can see the future. There's no way you could've known that me and the doll I was in love with would get donated at the same time, and that Treesa would only buy me because the other doll looked just like you. And even if you had known all that there's nothing you could've done about it. Besides, even if Treesa had bought the other Jasper doll, that doesn't mean he ever would've loved me THAT way. I told you he just treated me like a little sister."

 

I stopped talking for a minute, trying to think of something else to say. Then Jasper looked me in the eye. He didn't say anything at first. It was like he was trying to figure out if I really believed what I was saying. Anyway, Jasper must've made up his mind that I was being honest, and that I really didn't blame him for anything. "Thank you Alice," he said. He said it like he really meant it, like I had taken the weight of the world off his shoulders. Then I felt the crisp fabric of Jasper's shirt sleeve under my fingers and realized I was still touching his arm. That's when I started to feel uncomfortable, and embarrassed. I pulled my hand away.

 

"No problem," I said. "What are friends for?" I felt like I was babbling. Since when were me and Jasper friends?

 

"I'd like to be your friend Alice," Jasper said quietly. "And I'm sure Joy would too. But if it makes you too uncomfortable, I understand." I can't remember what I said after that. I'm not sure I want to. It was probably something stupid, or something that hurt Jasper's feelings. All I know is I've been thinking about Jasper a lot lately. I mean, I was thinking about him a lot before, trying to figure out how to tell him about Jazzy Jazz, my Jasper. The thing is, I don't really think of him as my Jasper anymore. It's like telling this Jasper the truth helped me finally let go.

 

There's this quote from Lewis Carroll that says, 'It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.' When Treesa first got me, I sometimes wished that I'd at least told Jazzy Jazz I was in love with him. But now, if I could somehow go back in time and do it, I don't think I'd want to anymore. Jazzy Jazz might only have loved me like a sister, but if he'd known I loved him he still would've worried about me after we got separated. He would've worried about whether or not I'd be able to move on. Since I never told him he should have a much easier time adjusting to wherever he is now.

 

As for me, I'm still trying to figure out what to do next. I've sort of been keeping to myself since Wedding Bells and Wedward left, so I'm not really close to any of the other dolls yet. Treesa was obviously hoping that Jasper could mend my broken heart or she wouldn't have introduced me to Joy. So what happens next? I guess I'll just have to 'go with the flow,' as Joy would say.

 

Alice



Second Update from Shade (rebodied blue-haired Mattel fairy)

 

I said I'd let you know if there were any 'further developments', and boy were there ever! I got a chance to really talk to Celeste, and I think I know what her deal is now. Did you know her first owner kept her on a shelf for a while? On a SHELF, with NOBODY to talk to, I would've gone completely loony toons! Either that, or I would've broken my neck trying to get down.

 

Me and Celeste kinda got off to a rough start though. I was watching Carlos from across the room. I'm not a stalker, honest. I was just trying to get up the nerve to talk to him. Anyway I must've zoned out or something 'cause the next thing I knew I heard a voice real close by saying, "He might notice you more quickly if you went over and said hello."

 

Have you ever watched the news around Halloween and seen some local news reporter going through a haunted house, trying to tell the people watching that they should come out there while monsters keep jumping out from doorways and around corners? I must've done a pretty good impression of the reporter when the zombie jumps out of the shadows at him. It always seems to be the guy reporters who get sent to the haunted house. I guess 'cause guys like to act all strong and tough, so it's more fun to see guys screaming and acting like scaredy cats.

 

Anyway, when I turned around and saw Celeste standing behind me I was really embarrassed. Celeste apologized for scaring the pants off me. She thought I knew she was there. But I was kinda ticked off by then and wasn't in the mood for an apology. "This a hobby of yours, sneaking up on people?" I asked. Celeste tried to apologize again. She said she was only trying to help. When she said that well, it's kinda hard to explain but I felt sort of...guilty. Why? I think it was 'cause Celeste was new here and barely knew anybody, but she was still going out of her way to try and help me. Maybe she could've done a better job of it but it's the thought that counts, right? Besides, this was the same doll my big brother had a crush on. I should at least TRY to be nice to her, for Orlando's sake if nothing else. "It's ok," I said. "I guess I could sort of use the help. It's just, whenever I see Carlos I get so nervous I don't know what to say."

 

"Have you tried talking to him?" Celeste asked. I kinda shook my head and told her I didn't want to sound like an idiot. Then she asked me how I knew what would happen if I never tried, or something like that. I kinda looked at her like she was crazy. Why? Well, whenever I thought about talking to Carlos I always tried to come up with a game plan, something to say that would impress him, make him notice me, in a good way. I couldn't just walk up to him, start talking, and hope for the best. But the more I thought about what Celeste said the more it made sense. All the planning in the world wouldn't do me any good if I never followed through.

 

"I guess you're right," I said. After a minute it hit me again how Celeste was going out of her way for somebody she didn't really know and I said, "Thanks Celeste, for caring and all that."

 

"You're welcome," Celeste said. Then there was this awkward silence. I wanted to keep talking to her, to try and find out what her deal was and if she liked my brother. But I didn't want to say anything about Orlando straight out, in case Celeste didn't know Orlando liked her. So I asked her how she liked it here so far.

 

"To be honest it's a little overwhelming," Celeste said. I agreed that things could get a little crazy, but I told her she'd get used to it. "I hope so," Celeste said. "I don't know how I'll ever remember everyone's names."

 

"Yeah, that part's tough," I said. "It's easier if you get to know a few dolls at a time and work your way out from there." Then I told her my name, and stuck out my hand for her to shake. Celeste shook my hand and said, "It's nice to meet you, Shade."

 

"So," I said, "you really think I've got a shot with Carlos?"

 

"You'll never know if you don't try," Celeste said. "It's not the things we do that we regret the most. It's the things we didn't do." Then Celeste got this look in her eyes, like her mind was somewhere else. She'd been getting that look a lot since she came here. "Celeste, you ok?" I asked. She told me she was fine but I wasn't so sure. "If you want to talk about it..." I said. I told her I knew it was tough sometimes, that Treesa was my second owner too. Anyway, Celeste took me up on the offer and started talking. She told me about her first owner, about living on a shelf, until she suddenly wasn't anymore. She told me how hard it was for her to talk to other dolls after she got taken off the shelf. She told me how worried she was that she would never make any friends, that she was 'already repeating her past mistakes'. By the time she was done talking she was actually shaking. I'd never seen Celeste like that before. She'd seemed so quiet and distant before, I hadn't realized there was so much going on on the inside. I didn't know what to do, so I did what felt right. I gave her a hug.

 

"Things will be better here," I promised. Then I told Celeste she could hang out with me and my friends. I think we've been a good influence on her. She's learning how to actually talk to other dolls, how to really be part of a group. I still don't know if she likes my brother, or if she knows he likes her. But now that Celeste is hanging out with me and Dandelion and Rampion at least they'll have the chance to sort of get to know each other.

 

But that wasn't the only 'development'. Thanks to Celeste's advice I finally worked up the nerve to talk to Carlos. Like Celeste said, it's not the things we do that we regret the most, it's the things we didn't do. And I didn't want to spend the rest of my plastic life wondering 'what if'. Besides, what better time to take the chance than Christmas? Why? Well it's supposed to be the season for miracles.

 

It was Christmas Eve. Treesa had already left for a party at her uncle's house. I'd made up my mind that tonight was the night. Tonight, I was going to talk to Carlos. I spotted him over by the bookcase. Before I could second guess myself I took a deep breath, walked over and said, "Merry Christmas Carlos."

 

He sort of smiled a little and said, "Merry Christmas, though technically it's Christmas Eve." Then he looked at me, right at me, for a few seconds and said, "It's Shade isn't it? You're Orlando's younger sister?"

 

I nodded. Even though I'd kinda hoped Carlos would think of me as something besides Orlando's little sister, I'd take what I could get. Carlos kinda tilted his head a little and said, "In that case, Merry Christmas Eve Shade."

 

"Thanks," I said. I wasn't sure what else to say, so I said the first thing that popped into my head. "Are you hoping for anything special for Christmas?" I asked. I kinda wished I HADN'T asked him as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Why? 'Cause it sounded too flirty. Some dolls can pull off flirting, but some dolls can't. The dolls that can't just come off as pushy or desperate.

 

Carlos didn't seem to mind my question though. He just looked kinda thoughtful and said, "I think I already have everything I need, more than I need really. I have an owner who knows I'm alive and takes my feelings into consideration, or at least tries to. Most dolls aren't as lucky as that. I also have friends who accept me for who I am. So no, there's nothing special I'm hoping for." Carlos looked right at me again and said, "What about you, did you ask Santa for anything?"

 

For a split second, I thought how much I wanted Carlos to be my boyfriend for Christmas. Then I got really embarrassed. My face would've turned beet red if I was human. "Not really," I said quickly. "I mean, I wished my brother and my friends'll get whatever they want for Christmas, but I don't think that counts." My confidence kinda fell apart after that and I said, "I should go. I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas." I got out of there in a hurry. But as soon as I was out of Carlos' sight my embarrassed feelings started to go away and I started feeling really good about myself. I did it. I talked to Carlos. I couldn't wait to tell Celeste.

 

Well, I guess that's about it. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, or a Happy Holiday.

 

See Ya, Shade



Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Lorena and Rudolph.

Signed, Treesa



Celeste's Story (Celestial Collection Evening Star Princess Barbie)

 

If there's any major difference between playline dolls and collector dolls, it's this. The purpose of a playline doll is to be played with and handled, while the purpose of a collector doll is to be looked at and admired. I was designed as a collector doll. When I was given as a gift to a little girl, she was warned to be careful with me. I was placed on a shelf and my new owner was told not to touch me. For a while she did as she'd been told, and I stayed on the shelf. I passed the time by observing the various goings on in the room. There were a number of other dolls who lived there, along with stuffed animals and various other sentient toys. I didn't socialize much with them. I wasn't sure if I could safely get down from my shelf, and even if I could there was no guarantee that I'd be able to get back up again. It was safer to stay where I was. Besides, at the time it didn't occur to me that I had a choice in the matter. I was a collector doll, and I assumed that this was simply my lot in life. But I watched the others, living out their lives below me. I watched, I listened, and I remembered.

 

As it turned out, I was too great a temptation for my young owner. When her willpower failed, she took me down from the shelf. Her plan was to put me back on the shelf when she was done playing. It worked, the first several times she tried it. She played with me, then she put me back on the shelf with her mother none the wiser. That is, until the day her mother came in and saw a hole in my dress. In my owner's defense, the material was ridiculously fragile. But then I'd been designed as an adult collectable. I was never intended to be played with.

 

Regardless, my little owner received a harsh scolding. She was told that not only had she disobeyed her mother, she had also ruined an expensive doll. My owner's mother seemed so angry that even I believed her when she said I was ruined. But by then it was too late to do anything about it. So afterwards, my owner and her mother treated me like the rest of my owner's dolls. I never went back on the shelf. I was played with instead of just looked at. My braids were taken out and my veil disappeared. And whenever the mother decided to tidy up her daughter's room, she handled me just as roughly as the others, grumbling all the while about how her daughter hadn't learned to clean up after herself.

 

Even though I was among other dolls now, it was still difficult for me to socialize. Not only was I inexperienced in that area, but I was also self-conscious about my appearance. When she first received me, my owner had said I was beautiful. But now that I was 'ruined', now that I was in 'played-with' condition, I just couldn't believe that I was STILL beautiful. It didn't occur to me that we were ALL in 'played-with' condition, and that it was nothing to be ashamed of. I was designed as a collector doll, and I was still in that 'collector doll' mindset. So I avoided the others. I ducked out of sight whenever I saw anyone coming. But I overheard enough of their conversations to know that they thought I was stuck up. They believed I wouldn't socialize with them because I thought, as a collector doll, that I was too good for them. As a result, they began treating me rather coldly. I wasn't sure how to correct their assumptions, so I retreated to my old habits of living my life on the outside looking in. I watched, I listened, and I remembered. I watched other dolls make friends and fall in love. I listened when they fought, and when they made up again. I ended up knowing these dolls inside and out: their flaws, their strengths, their hopes and dreams. But I never let on that I knew.

 

If I had known what I had to look forward to, then being donated to the thrift store when my owner became 'too old for dolls' might have come as a relief. But as it was I had no idea where I was going or what would happen to me, and I was terrified. I was still terrified when Treesa bought me and brought me home with her. I didn't know what to expect. Meeting Treesa's other dolls was a stressful experience. It's a large collection, and it seemed that everyone wanted to meet me. I know now that there's always a lot of curiosity when a new doll arrives. But at the time it felt like they were singling me out. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't keep any of their names or faces straight.

 

I tried to be polite to everyone, but I couldn't seem to break the habit of keeping to myself. And I still spent too much of my time just watching, listening, and remembering. Then one day I was looking for somewhere I could be alone. I located a likely, out of the way place, but when I got there I discovered that it was already occupied by a female doll with blue hair. She didn't notice me at first. She seemed to be watching something on the other side of the room. I followed her gaze and saw a male doll in a fairy prince costume. Curious, I turned back to the blue-haired doll. That's when I noticed the look in her eyes. I'd seen that look before, in the eyes of other dolls. It was the kind of wistful look a doll gets when they're waiting for the object of their affection to notice them.

 

That look has always tugged at my heart. There had been times at my old home when I'd seen that look and been tempted to offer encouragement. But considering the opinion those dolls had had of me, I doubt that anything I said would have been well received. In the past, I would've just walked away. But somehow, I couldn't. I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe this time, I could help. Judging from what I'd overheard, the dolls that lived here hadn't yet formed an opinion of me, one way or the other.

 

I took a few steps closer to the blue-haired doll, just close enough that I could talk to her without anyone overhearing us. She didn't turn her head, but I was sure that she knew I was there. "He might notice you more quickly if you went over and said hello," I said.

 

Apparently I must have been wrong in thinking she knew I was there, because she let out a surprised squeak and spun around to face me. "Celeste, you scared the pants off me!" she said. I quickly apologized. "I'm sorry," I said. "I thought you knew I was there." The blue-haired doll still looked flustered, but her embarrassment was quickly being replaced by something else. "This a hobby of yours, sneaking up on people?" she asked. I tried my best to explain. "I was looking for someplace quiet," I said. "I didn't know this space was occupied. When I saw you here, you looked so sad..." I trailed off, realizing that I didn't have an acceptable explanation for why I'd decided to get involved in something that was none of my business. "I'm sorry; I was only trying to help," I said. I was about to apologize again when the blue-haired doll said, "It's ok."

 

I  hadn't expected her to forgive me so quickly. I hadn't expected her to forgive me at all. I didn't know what to say. Before I could respond, the blue-haired doll spoke again. "I guess I could sort of use the help," she said. "It's just, whenever I see Carlos I get so nervous I don't know what to say." Her tone was as wistful as the look in her eyes, and a feeling of sympathy welled up inside me. I knew I wanted to help this doll, if I could. While I didn't have much personal experience with love, I thought I had seen and heard enough about it in my lifetime to at least offer some advice. "Have you tried talking to him?" I asked. The blue-haired doll shook her head. "I can't just walk up to him and start talking," she said. "I'd sound like an idiot. I just know I'd say something stupid."

 

"How do you know unless you try?" I asked. The blue-haired doll looked at me like I'd said something insane. Then, slowly, her expression changed. "I guess you're right," she said. There was a pause before she added, "Thanks Celeste, for caring and all that."

 

"You're welcome," I said. It felt good knowing that I might actually have been of some help. However an awkward silence quickly developed. I wondered if this was a signal that I was supposed to leave. But before I could turn to go, the blue-haired doll asked me, "So, how do you like it here so far?"

 

At first I didn't know how to answer. I worried that it would be impolite to say what I really thought. But in the end I decided it was best to tell the truth. "To be honest it's a little overwhelming," I said. The blue-haired doll nodded. "Yeah, it can get a little crazy around here," she said, "but you'll get used to it."

 

"I hope so," I said without thinking. "I don't know how I'll ever remember everyone's names." I started panicking as soon as the words were out of my mouth. What if the blue-haired doll realized that I couldn't remember HER name? Would she be insulted? Thankfully I never found out. The blue-haired doll said, "Yeah, that part's tough. It's easier if you get to know a few dolls at a time and work your way out from there. Let's start with me. I'm Shade." Then she held out her hand for me to shake. "It's nice to meet you Shade," I said as I shook her hand. "So," Shade said, "you really think I've got a shot with Carlos?"

 

That's when a new feeling hit me, the feeling that I was in over my head. I didn't really know anything about Carlos yet, so how could I say in good conscience that he and Shade were compatible? The answer came to me in a flash of inspiration. "You'll never know if you don't try," I said. "It's not the things we do that we regret the most. It's the things we didn't do." I remembered hearing this somewhere. But I knew even then that I was speaking from experience. I had spent my whole life just watching, listening, and remembering, but not participating. For me, life had become a spectator's sport. The thought flashed through my mind that maybe I'd been given a second chance, now that I was Treesa's doll. Maybe this was my opportunity to change, to make a real life for myself.

 

For a moment I was so lost in my thoughts that I forgot all about Shade. "Celeste, you ok?" she asked. I managed to pull myself back to the real world and said, "I'm alright, just...thinking." Shade didn't look fully convinced. "If you want to talk about it," she said, "I mean, I know it's tough sometimes, adjusting or whatever. Treesa's my second owner too." Shade's words sort of trailed off, as if she wasn't sure what else to say. But I could tell that she genuinely wanted to help me. No doll had ever shown that much concern for me before. It didn't matter to me that we still barely knew each other. Because of her kindness, Shade didn't seem like a stranger to me anymore. She seemed like a friend.

 

I found myself talking to Shade like I had never talked to anyone. I told her about my past life, about watching the world go by from my shelf, and about the uncertainty I felt when I was thrown headfirst without warning into that world. I told her about the cold shoulders I received from my fellow dolls when they thought that I didn't want to associate with them. And I told her about the fear that suddenly gripped me, the fear that the same thing would happen again, that I was already repeating my past mistakes. By the time I was finished I was physically shaking with emotion. Shade was staring at me with a stunned expression on her face. "I didn't know..." she said. Then she did something that I never expected. She hugged me. "Things will be better here, I promise," Shade said. "If you want you can hang out with me and my friends."

 

"Thank you," I said. I was so touched by her generosity that I didn't know what else to say.

 

Shade was as good as her word. She introduced me to her friends Dandelion and Rampion, and to her brother Orlando. Dandelion and Rampion are a lot like Shade herself, vibrant and full of life. Orlando on the other hand seems a bit shy and quiet. But it's obvious he cares for his little sister a great deal and wants her to be happy.

 

My life has definitely taken a turn for the better. I haven't become a social butterfly by any means, but I'm slowly learning how to do more than just watch, listen, and remember. I'm reminded of a movie that Treesa likes that tells the story of Cinderella. A character in the film says that the problem with most people is that they dream about what they want to do instead of really doing it. For so long I've tried to be content just imagining what it would be like to have friends and to live life. Now, thanks to Shade, I'm going to try to really do it.

 

Anything's Possible, Celeste



An Inspirational Moment With Misty and Tom Servo

Focus your attention on the good and the beautiful.

 

(It's Treesa's birthday today, so some of us dolls got together and posted this. We figured Treesa could always use a little inspiration.  Any MST3K fans out there will get the reference.)



Jasper's Story (Mattel The Twilight Saga Jasper)

 

I've always felt like there was something missing in my life. At first, I thought the feeling would go away once I got taken out of my box. Then I thought it would go away once I made some friends and settled into my new life. But that feeling of something missing never completely went away. Don't get me wrong, Joy's a great sister. I really admire the way she can just take things as they come. And I know if I ever needed help, Joy would have my back. But I still felt like there was something else I needed in my life, something I had to find. Now I think I finally know what it is. I figured it out the day I met Alice.

 

It was a typical day. I was going for one of my long walks around the room. I like walking; it helps me think. I was just passing the bookcase when I heard Joy's voice, along with a second voice I didn't recognize. I was curious, so I decided to see what was going on. As I turned a corner I saw Joy and her new friend. I opened my mouth to say hello, but then the new doll turned and saw me, and I found myself absolutely speechless.

 

I think what captivated me about Alice was her uniqueness. Her hair is dark and cut short, which is unusual for a Barbie doll. Her skin is extremely pale and her eyes are a color you don't typically see. But there was more to it than simply being dazzled by a pretty face. The moment I saw Alice, I realized that the thing that had been missing in my life, the thing I'd been searching for, was love. Not the brother/sister love I feel for Joy, but romantic love.

 

Alice hadn't said a word to me, I didn't even know her name yet, but somehow she'd managed to completely change my life. I wanted to tell her that, to thank her for bringing things into focus for me. But I felt so overwhelmed all I could do was stare at her. Then I noticed that Alice was staring at me too, looking at me not with appreciation but with shock. That's when Joy turned and saw me. "That's my brother Jasper," Joy said. "Don't mind him. He doesn't talk much. Jasper, this is Alice."

 

"Hello Alice," I said quietly. I was still staring; I couldn't seem to take my eyes off her. Alice must have noticed, because she quickly left and I haven't seen much of her since. It's almost like she's avoiding me. I've tried to talk to her a few times that we've bumped into each other, but she seems so uncomfortable around me. So I've been giving her her space. Still, I keep hoping to see her, even if it's just across the room.

 

Not only does Alice seem uncomfortable around me, she also seems...guarded. It feels as if she's hiding something from me. And that got me thinking. Our skin tones and our eye colors are a very close match, maybe too close. I know I'm from the Twilight line because that's what it said on my box, but I don't know very much about the series. What if Alice is from the same line? What if our characters are meant to be brother and sister? Could that be the reason why Alice is so uncomfortable?

 

I know the only way I'm going to get any real answers is to talk to Alice. But she doesn't seem to be ready to talk to me, so I'll just have to wait. It's the waiting that's really taking a toll on me. I think Joy's noticed that there's something off about me lately, but I'm not quite ready to confide in her just yet. I do know that keeping my feelings bottled up inside isn't healthy; that's why I decided to write this post. This way I can get things off my chest without the embarrassment that would come from sharing my feelings with someone I know personally. I'll admit it's not a perfect solution. It's probably not a long-term solution either. But it will have to do for now.

 

Jasper