Klatter! Shatter! Vases fell to the floor as the boy raised the desk up to sit. He stood shaking with his hands on the edge of the desk. He stared at Klaus, waiting for him to speak.

"Ah, what am I doing here? Well, I found myself in a mild state of ennui."

Klaus explained himself. A moment of silence ensued as they stared at each other.

The room's eerie vibe began to set in. The floor turned black from piles of dust, the sounds of scurrying insects on the dirty walls, and the bedframe covered in shackles. The whole room was very dark, the only light being a sliver of sun peeking through the right-side window. The musty-smelling floorboards moaned as the boy's nervousness added to his weight. Klaus's midnight eyes began to strike daggers into the boy.

"U-um, sir? Wh-why'd you break into my house? Actually, n-no. Why'd you sneak behind me and scare me?" The boy gained more confidence with each line and had stopped shaking by the last. As soon as Klaus grinned, though, the shaking came back.

"Well, wouldn't it be boring if I just came inside to watch you?"

"Is, is this guy insane?!" the boy thought.

His confidence arose again. The boy furrowed his brow and side-eyed Klaus, remaining silent.

"What?" Klaus looked blankly at the boy.

"Are you asking me to kill you like any other robber would? You'd rather die than be surprised like this?"

The boy nodded.

"What…that…makes no sense. I even complimented his doll, yet this guy's acting like I'm a total freak!" Klaus thought. He gazed up momentarily, thinking, "I just broke into his house. And I have this shoulder wound…" Klaus touched the dried blood on his shoulder.

He looked around and contemplated, "But this doesn't even seem like his…why would someone in Boon, especially his age, have such a house…for themselves… and he's making a doll. That's rare..."

Klaus looked back at the boy with wicked eyes; the boy had piqued Klaus's interest, and there was no getting away. The boy gulped, gripped the doll, and shut his eyes before saying, "S-sir! Respectfully, pl-ple-please don't hur..." The boy's voice dropped as he noticed an unfamiliar smell getting closer. When he opened his eyes, he saw Klaus's face right up at him.

"Eeek!" The boy pushed Klaus away and had no choice but to jump on the bed; it collapsed as the boy placed his weight on it.

"Wahaha! So that's why you weren't on the bed! Hahaha!" Klaus burst into laughter, covering his face.

The boy pouted as he sat up on the collapsed bed, his butt hurting. He glared heavily at Klaus.

"Haha…" Klaus began to quiet down as he saw the boy glare at him. Instantaneously, thin white threads started to appear, one by one, almost invisible against the dim light.

"What."

At first, Klaus thought nothing of them but soon realized they were tightening along his arms and legs, growing stronger each second.

"Oh..." Klaus murmured, noticing the web of strings that constricted him. He tried to move, but the tension only made the strings tighter.

His gaze followed the string to the floor, where he saw a red doll the size of a book spinning rapidly, precisely controlling the strings. Klaus stared at the doll, turning in the same direction as it. He stayed silent for ten seconds before snatching and inspecting the doll. Klaus felt the tension increase when he picked it up as well.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Klaus touched several white lines from the doll's head, shoulders, hands, feet, and legs.

"Puppet…doll…" Klaus murmured as he theorized.

"Puppet master? Judging by the white threads and this doll...Is Joshua a puppet master? Very interesting inde-"

Bonk…

The puppet's yellow hand had moved enough to create a sound on Klaus's cheek, interrupting his thought. To him, it felt as if fur had touched his face and moved. Regardless, he stared in disbelief at the utter nerve of the doll.

"Joshua…where'd you learn how to control dolls?" Klaus turned to the boy and freed himself of the string compressing him.

The boy peered nervously at Klaus before admitting, "N-nobody did. I learned m-myself." Joshua began to twiddle with his fingers. He was extremely nervous.

"Yourself? How do you gain such a skill by yourself…" Klaus thought, and then he decided to find the answer.

"Yourself? How?"

"I can't tell you."

"How come?"

"I…just can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't."

"Why can't you?" Klaus persisted. By this point, Joshua was visibly angrier than ever, but he contained his emotions more or less. He was fully ready to escape. On the contrary, at this point, Klaus had decided to gather more knowledge on Joshua and was dead set. He was fully prepared to persist.

"It seems I might've struck a chord. I'm sorry, let's start off on good terms, hm?" Klaus apologized and extended his hand while bowing.

Klaus was willing to do anything (mostly) to gain someone's trust, particularly someone from which he wanted information.

Joshua was taken aback and hesitated, looking back at his bed. Eventually, he met Klaus's hand back.

When he did, Klaus began to speak again.

"So…how old are you?"

"11."

"11 and you're that short?!" Klaus's eyes widened.

Joshua glared at Klaus, shadows over his eyes. Klaus noticed his slip-up and quickly said, "Oh,

sorry. I didn't think…yeah."

Joshua didn't seem to accept his apology and turned his head.

"Wait! I'm sorry Josh!"

Joshua turned around again, glaring even harder.

"You don't like Josh?" Joshua turned back around as Klaus questioned him.

"Wait, I'm trying to get to know this guy…" Klaus realized. "Ah, wait. I know," thought Klaus.

Klaus snickered and ripped a piece of paper off his journal from his bag.

"Emma…" Klaus thought as he wrote her name down and began executing the plan he had just concocted.

"Say, Joshua…you into pretty girls?" Klaus said in an alluring tone. No response.

"Ah, pretty girls with actual clothes, not just animal furs…you know, the good kind." Klaus emphasized the 'good kind' expecting Joshua would finally turn around, but Joshua defied his expectations.

"I'm not into girls."

"You're gay? It's o-"

"No!!" Joshua shouted, turning around, huffing and puffing. It seemed as if he was highly offended by such a claim.

"I just have no interest in girls."

"So, you're interested in guys? Listen, it's o-"

"No!!!" Joshua stood up on the bed, fully revealing his body. The sun shone light on only the face of the bed, where Joshua was standing; Klaus got a good look at Joshua.

Joshua wore high-quality animal furs from a species known as Trians (four-legged mammal). The fur was dark green and covered his upper body. The bottom half of his body was covered by dark blue furs, with bones resembling teeth sticking out the sides. His shoes were leather, with feathers sticking out of the back.

His face was white, and his hair was almond. Although his eyes were the same color as his hair, they shone brightly off the sun, reminding Klaus of a certain rodent with a similar feature. His nose was medium-sized, and his lips were full. He was indeed cute.

"Ah, reeks of royalty," Klaus thought as he assessed Joshua's appearance. Klaus was now very determined to learn more of Joshua: one, because he could control dolls for some unspeakable reason, and two, he seemed of royalty. A question arose in Klaus's mind.

"Why would royalty be here? Wait, aren't the royal ones the Reapers? Unless I'm mistaken…"

Klaus thought.

Joshua noticed Klaus staring and his sudden energy shift. He balanced himself on the bed and began to control dolls in case Klaus attacked.

"I-I'm not part of-" Joshua attempted to speak but was interrupted by Klaus suddenly picking him up. Klaus held him over his shoulder, Joshua's face at his back.

"H-hey!! Let me down!!!" Joshua repeatedly kicked his legs and hit Klaus's back with his fists. The attacks seemed to have no effect, though, as Klaus continued to walk down the stairs with no reaction, humming.

"Hey!! Can you hear me!! Stop!!" Joshua continued his flurry of attacks, hoping to escape. He continued until he realized there was already no hope, though, and stopped right before Klaus left the house.

"No more kicking or anything?" Klaus curiously asked, stopping right at the exit.

"You won't hurt me?"

"Mm…can't guarantee that," Klaus said as he walked out of the house.

"Ah!!!! Stop!!! Help!! This man is not my father!! He's gonna kill me!!! Help!!"

Joshua began kicking and hitting faster than before.

He desperately pleaded, looking at the families he saw walking. They paid no mind to him as, although shamed upon, crimes were a regular occurrence in Boon, and nobody was trying to get themselves into trouble.

"Why would people think I'm your father? We're only four years apart…" Klaus thought as Joshua urgently tried to wriggle out of his grip.

"Oh, hi Emma!" Klaus waved to Emma, who was now walking towards Klaus with Grandold and Annie.