The Ragdoll (Patreon)

“Are you new to this neighborhood?” the barista asked animatedly as she handed Drake his coffee.

“Yeah… well, I'm kind of a nomad for now. I haven’t settled down yet” Drake sipped his espresso.

"And what do you do for a living? If you don't mind telling me, of course,” asked the barista.

“Several things… I am a sculptor, I repair and restore furniture and also… well, I am a doll restorer”

“Sex dolls?” the barista asked with a nervous giggle.

“No, no, just dolls, those porcelain or rag ones,” Drake said, “It's not very common, but I seriously think I'm very good at it”

“Hmm, then you should definitely meet Anne,” the barista said.

“Is she a restorer too, or is she perhaps a collector?” Drake asked, a littleexcited at the prospect of a new client.

“She is a manufacturer… and something more. I think she will blow your mind when you see her,” the barista said laughing to Drake's perplexity.

No more than two minutes had passed when the door to the small cafe opened and a woman entered the establishment, her heels clicking as they hit the floor. When Drake turned to see the newcomer he almost spat out all the coffee he was drinking. A beautiful woman, dressed in a short dress and very high heels, walked towards the cafe bar. However, it was evident that her skin was made of a soft skin-colored fabric with visible and delicate seams. Her hair was made of fine high quality wool. Her eyes were plastic but they still looked full of life and her lips were bright pink and full. Drake was completely dumbfounded at the sight of what appeared to be a living Rag Doll.

“Hello Anne, how are you?” the barista greeted her enthusiastically.

“Ugh, I'm exhausted. I just delivered four orders… at least the customers were happy, so it was worth it” said the Living Doll as she sat at thecafe  bar, “Bring me the usual”

“Here she is,” the barista said as she handed her a bowl with cotton balls and a glass of milk. “I added a new flavor, it’s completely natural and organic”

“Thank you, you're the best,” Anne said as she put the cotton balls in her mouth, “Mmm, it's delicious!”

While the beautiful doll woman was chatting naturally with the barista, Drake couldn't shut his mouth from shock. He knew that there were mutants in the world, some very rare and unusual but what his eyes were seeing were beyond his wildest dreams.

“Hey Anne… meet Drake, a new guy in town. You wouldn’t guess what he does,” the barista said mischievously.

“Hello Drake! Hmm, I don't know… I don't think I can guess,” Anne said, looking at him curiously, “You look like the artistic type, in a good way of course”

“He is a rag doll restorer,” said the Barista with a certain mischievous tone.

Anne looked at him enthusiastically. “Really?! You're a restorer?”

“Y-Yes, well… I learned to do it several years ago, from my grandfather,” Drake said, trying to get out of his state of astonishment.

“Well, I'm a rag doll maker... and I'm practically one too,” Anne said with a cheerful tone, “I usually restore my dolls or even myself, although a little professional help wouldn't hurt”

“It would be great to see your work, but I still have a hard time believing you're a rag doll” Drake said, “You're…”

"Strange? Peculiar?"

“Wonderful,” Drake said almost without thinking, “I mean… please don't think I'm flirting with you, it's just…”

“Oh, I almost got my hopes up,” Anne said, feigning a pout but she quickly laughed when she saw Drake's surprised face. He coughed a little before changing the subject.

“How does this thing about your mutation work? Are you made of cloth?”

“Well… it is my skin that has fabric properties. I don't have meat or organs per se. I'm just a pile of cotton and condensed foam"

“Don't you have a skeleton inside you?”

Anne didn't respond, she just took one of her fingers and twisted it beyond belief. “I am super flexible”

“But I see you have nails.”

“They are made of acrylic. I installed them myself, same on my foot,” she said as she lifted her foot, showing her nails through her platform sandals. Drake realized that Anne, instead of being self-conscious, was very enthusiastic about showing him her body.

“Can you modify yourself?” Drake asked.

“Yes, although it's not much different from what normal girls do. False nails, changing the wool in my hair, some piercings in certain places, or an increase in filler in the right places. The difference is that I provide those services myself”

“Wow, you're really fascinating,” Drake said, enthralled.

“I'll take that as flirting,” Anne said, laughing.

“I see you have a tongue too,” Drake said.

“You want to examine my mouth?” Anne said as she approached him.

“Is it okay for me to do it?”

“You are a doll restorer. I think you're the closest thing to a doctor for me,” Anne said with a shrug. She opened her mouth and Drake could see that her teeth were also made of cloth and padding, and her tongue was made of some sort of pink, silk-like fabric. “I need a mouth, after all and oddly enough I need to eat and drink. Although I only eat cotton, which I then assimilate into my body. Milk in small quantities prevents my cotton from drying out”

"I see. I never imagined meeting someone like you here in the city” Drake said without being able to take his eyes off the beautiful doll.

“And you haven't seen anything yet,” Anne said flirtatiously. “Hey! Would you be interested in seeing my doll workshop? There I could continue answering the questions you have and you could also help me with a seam on my neck which I haven't been able to fix properly”

“Yeah, sure. I'd love to see your workshop,” Drake said enthusiastically.

Anne took Drake's hand and dragged him out of the cafeteria. She turned to say goodbye to the barista as she winked. “Put Drake's coffee on my account”

The barista just laughed when she saw the pair walk out the door. “Something tells me that this boy's nomadic life has come to an end,” she said before she started to tidy up the cafe.