Page 11 of The Toymaker

Once the balm did its job, and Kit’s nipples weren’t sore anymore, he liked the way they felt when Trig or Riju played with them in bed. He could see why some got their nipples pierced.

Trig replaced the bars with little gold rings from which small weights could be hung for fun or to torment Kit. They looked good too.

Still, he decided they weren’t really for him. Despite the pleasure that could be had, he simply didn’t want to keep them. He was fine with them as a temporary thing. If he stayed later under a new contract, he’d keep them in for Trig, and if he left, he would remove the rings.

The weather grew chilly. They didn’t have any demonstrations, and Kit made progress with his stitches when he practiced at night on samplers with Riju occasionally helping him. In early November, Riju invited him into his room twice in one week to make more little clothes.

He said the best practice was to also create the thing he wanted in the first place since he had more experience. Kit made another dress for his doll, and on the second day, once he’d finished sewing drawers for her, they ended up on the bed with a wooden board. Riju had parchment, and they doodled on separate pieces.

For a while, there wasn’t any sound except for the scratching of the never-fill quills. Kit used to draw a lot more, but he hadn’t bothered in a long time. He was pretty sure his doodle was terrible.

“I can’t draw very well even though I’ve practiced, and I like doing it,” Riju said once he’d made a lopsided cat on spiky grass. Kit figured the little things in the air were birds. “It never turns out the way I want, and my birds are all deformed.”

“I’m no good either.” Kit frowned at the little boy with a puppy next to him.

Riju looked over. “That’s…very good.”

“You don’t have to say it is just to make me feel better.”

“But it is. Look at yours, and look at mine.”

“I showed Perry I drew something once, and he said it wasn’t any good, and I have no talent.”

“That’s like something in a kid’s book.” Riju pointed at the boy. “In fact, you could probably be an illustrator for children’s books.”

“Ehhh…” Kit was pretty sure an illustrator would need a lot more skill.

“What else are you going to say about Perry that makes him sound stupider?”

“Huh?”

Riju adjusted his spectacles. “Every time you say something about him, he sounds dumber and dumber. He actually said you’re bad at drawing?”

“He said real art is like people who can paint and make it look like life. He had quite a few like that. I don't know how to paint.”

“So what about kid’s books with pictures?”

“I don’t think he counts it as art, and he didn't think mine were any good…”

“Art doesn't always have to look real. Children’s books have a different style, and simpler drawings often work better than a bunch of paintings. I like looking at those kinds of pictures. Your puppy’s much better than my cat, and you do have some talent. I think Perry just wanted to pick on you and make you feel bad to put you down. ”

Perhaps Riju was right. When Perry had said his doodles weren’t any good, Kit had been ashamed to show him again, and since he figured his art was pretty bad, he’d stopped entirely. It wasn’t like he’d ever planned on doing anything related to art, and if he was that terrible at drawing, why bother? There was no point if he was bad at the hobby.

“He wasn’t very nice about a lot of stuff.”

“You could illustrate kid’s books,” said Riju. “You don’t need someone telling you your art is bad just because they’re a snob about what counts as talent.”

“Well, I stopped because I also don’t think I’m going to illustrate books.”

“Shouldn’t you do it for fun if you like it?”

Kit hesitated. Riju didn’t sell his dolls, and he still made them. It wasn’t quite the same because he was unquestionably skilled at it. He’d figured out carving the pieces by himself too, so he was good at his hobby.

“I guess I should. I only stopped liking it when he made me feel bad, and I figured I shouldn’t waste my time on a hobby if I’m terrible.”

“Can you show me how to draw a puppy so I can try?”

Trig knocked when they’d finished, and after Riju said he could come in, he opened the door. “What are you doing?”

“Drawing. He showed me how to make a puppy.” Riju held up the parchment where he’d done a passable puppy since Kit had shown him how to do it bit by bit.

“Cute.” Trig raised an eyebrow. “You let him in your room?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, okay. I wanted to ask if you’d like to have a meat and spinach pie from the bakery for dinner.”

“That’d be good.”

“Both of you can watch the shop while I go out and get it. I’m leaving in about fifteen minutes.”

“Okay.”

Trig closed the door, and Kit stretched. “Ohhh, meat and spinach pie. I can’t wait.”

“Me neither. The bakery here never puts nasty onions in them either. I hate onions.”

“Me too.”

Riju inched over to get on top of him and went limp. Kit pulled out a long piece of his hair to appreciate how red and soft it was.

“Elira, your hair is so pretty. I could almost be jealous.”

“Why almost?”

“I don’t think I’d want to comb it out every day.”

“It’s easier now since I do it every day. It used to have a lot of tangles because nobody ever taught me how to properly brush my hair. I used to use my fingers which is kind of difficult, and I had an old comb for a while, but I couldn’t keep my hair neat. If you keep it up every single day, it’s not so hard.”

Kit squinted as he kept playing with the piece. Even his fake Uncle had made sure he combed his hair. Before that, his Mother had taught him. “Why didn’t your parents teach you?”

“My parents didn’t like doing much with me.” Riju was silent for a moment. “They said I wasn’t worth bothering with because I was too stupid and brainless.”

How could they have thought such a thing? If they’d bothered to try, they’d have seen he wasn’t dumb because he clearly kept his hair clean and brushed once someone taught him. Didn’t everybody have to be taught those basic skills? Kit wrapped his arms around Riju to squeeze him. “Everybody has to learn, and they should have taught you. You’re not stupid at all.”

“I know I'm not stupid, but I’m not…like everyone else. My head’s messed up because I don’t know how to act like other people, and my parents blamed each other for it.”

“Huh? You're not messed up, and that doesn’t make any sense. Were they like my parents? My Father drank like a fish.” It was why Kit avoided getting drunk, and alcohol definitely seemed to make some people think and do stupid shit.

Riju sat up. “I don’t remember him drinking much so it wasn’t them fighting after a bunch of ale or anything. They were always bickering with each other. I’m part Finkin. Do you know where that’s at?”

“It’s an island way out to the east.”

“Father originally moved here to work with a cousin, and he later met my Mother. Mother said Father was stupid for growing up in a backwater island village, and he said she was a stupid city woman.” Riju rolled his eyes. “She said Father and his family probably kissed pigs on the cheek too.”

Kit couldn’t help but chuckle. “What? That’s a strange insult.”

“People from some places like Rowland, South Forest, and Finkin have a thing of kissing people on the cheek as a greeting or for certain things like if they apologize. Erm, in Rowland, I think it’s actually only for apologies. She meant that Father was such a stupid village guy, he’d kiss a dirty pig too.”

“Oh.” Kit hadn’t known it was a Finkin thing too.

“That was some of the more tame fights they had,” said Riju. “I look more like my Mother because I have her hair. I’m paler than my Father was. He used to say I was probably another man’s baby even though I had his eyes, and they’d really start screaming at each other whenever he said so.”

Kit raised his eyebrows as he sat up. “But why?”

Riju shrugged and looked down. “They hated each other and me too because I wasn’t born right in my head. Father also said I couldn’t be his kid because I was retarded. Mother said I’d fit right into a stupid village out in Finkin and kiss pigs all day. He called her a stuck-up city bitch, and…I don't understand why they got married in the first place. I guess they thought they liked each other or things were different before they had me.”

“You’re not retarded.” Kit stroked his hair. “I promise you’re not.”

Riju didn’t look up. “I’m still not like everyone else.”

“But that’s not a bad thing. You didn't deserve any of that.”

Riju was quiet for a long moment. “Sometimes I think I could live on my own now because Trig says I’m not stupid. Just to try it and be independent. He also says I wouldn’t be able to live on my own because I’m not mature enough. It was a while ago, and it made me feel pretty dumb.”

“But why?”

“He says I need to improve on a lot of stuff, and I guess he thinks I’m too immature partly because of the dolls. I'm afraid he still thinks that, and I don’t want to ask him.”

Kit thought for several seconds. “I think you could. You can work, and if you have work, you’ll have money which means you can have food and a place to live. If you’re on the street, it’s hard to get off and stay on your feet unless you have some luck. You’ve been off of it now for several years, and you have experience and skill at something. That’s basically what everyone does in life. They work to make money, and they have a roof, food, and clothes. It doesn't matter if they love dolls. Maybe they’re poor, or they have debt, but the basics are the same, and Trig should understand you get it.”

“True, but…it’s complicated.” Riju straightened up. “If I asked you to sleep in here with me tonight, would you?”

He must not have wanted to talk about the other stuff anymore, and the question practically blew Kit away. “What? Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought you slept in here alone or went to Trig’s bed.”

“This is my private space, but I think I’d like to try it with you if you’re okay with sleeping in the same bed as me.”

Kit barely knew what to say for a moment. He thought the time in Riju’s private space wouldn’t go beyond a few hours during the day.

“Hell yes, I’d love to sleep in here with you.”

“Come in around nine.” Riju kissed him and smiled. “Let’s go watch the shop.”