Doll stumbles its way away from the dead hound, continuing the way it was going before. It doesn't really know where it's going, but, again, forward seems more interesting than backward. Even if backward, if it went far enough, would also be considered a sort of "forward."

Again, the dungeon is quiet. This just seems to be a very quiet dungeon, Doll thinks.

Mmmm. Think.

Yes, Doll thinks. The hound doesn't think. Or rather, the hound doesn't think like Doll thinks. It doesn't seem to know things, except how to leap, to growl, to bite, to claw. It likely knows more than that, but it doesn't know very much.

Doll shakes its head back and fore slowly. No, Doll doesn't know very much either. But it knew more things, and, somehow, Doll knows that the hound, and any other hounds, will never know more things. So if Doll gets better at the things it knows, it will always be able to eat from hounds.

Dungeon monsters do not normally attack each other.

Doll's porcelain eyes blink at this odd, intrusive thought. All of a sudden, it knows something new, and it stops at this new knowledge. It never thought about this, because it didn't know before, but... Yes. Doll was attacked. Doll must expect to be attacked.

Doll's feet had started stumbling along while Doll was thinking that. It was still annoyed that it keeps knowing things without knowing how or why (Although not the useful things. The useful knowledge is good), but this new knowledge was important.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Speaking of new knowledge... Doll hadn't tried its new knowledge, except for its senses. Doll still can't hear anything, so Doll thinks it might be safe.

Doll holds up a hand, and briefly thinks claws.

Doll's fingers are a little like a hound's now! Doll becomes excited again, forgetting its annoyance. But claws aren't always good, so... Claws... In?

Clean, porcelain fingers. Good. Doll likes its fingers. Now... Doll should try leaping. The hound moved quite fast when it was leaping, and even with a cut to its belly, it still landed just fine. If Doll can leap like hounds can, then...

Crouch.

Tense.

LEAP!

The dungeon walls whoosh past, and Doll can see higher, see further, see lower, see lower, see... Wait, Doll's feet aren't-

The dungeon floor, the dungeon ceiling, the dungeon walls the dungeon walls the dungeon floor... Doll tumbles quite a lot, sometimes bouncing, before coming to a stop, head tilted.

Doll... Hurts. It didn't know what pain was before, but now it does, and while it doesn't stop Doll from doing things, it doesn't like it. Doll should perhaps wait before it leaps again. Maybe.

But leaping was exciting.

And then Doll hears something. A light, airy giggle. Ahead, at another one of those places where there are more ways to go than forward, is... Another Doll. It even has the same face as Doll, even though its dress is a muted blue, and it has ribbons in different places.

It definitely has the same knife. But, for now, they simply look at each other.

"I'd like to play with you!"

That high voice. Doll wonders if it can say something. Doll opens its mouth.

"Want to be my friend?"

Doll didn't actually want to say that, but that's what it said. Maybe... Doll can't say what it wants to? But the other Doll starts moving forward, knife raised.

"I really want to play, mommy!"

Doll raises its own knife. It looks like even fellow Dolls are its enemy. Well... Try to talk one more time, and then fight. Doll wants to live, after all.

"You're not my friend!"

...

...Doll really can't say what it wants to say, can it?