For now, he decided to stick close to his overly excited master.
And naturally, Justyn’s promise of “soon” didn’t pan out. Making a doll turned out to be a far more grueling task than anticipated.
I mean, how could someone who’s never even held a needle properly expect to whip up a doll in just one day?
Ries had never expected much to begin with, but Justyn… clearly wasn’t the same. He even went out of his way to have Ketir fetch a book on doll-making, then sat around sulking like it wasn’t a big deal.
But he didn’t give up.
“I’ll learn.”
If you can’t do something, you learn. Honestly, it was an admirable mindset—painfully wholesome.
So Ries decided to cheer him on from the sidelines… while quietly estimating the odds.
How long will it take? A month? Maybe two?
He had no frame of reference, never having tried anything like it himself, but one thing was certain—it wasn’t going to be quick.
What he hadn’t factored in, though, was Justyn’s relentless persistence—and obsession.
Justyn threw himself into sewing with ruthless dedication. He had laser-sharp focus, and an uncanny knack for getting utterly consumed by a single task.
During breaks, before meals, after meals, right before bed… He even skipped his sword training—something he normally never missed more than a day or two—just to focus on sewing.
His obsession was so intense that even Ketir, just passing by, looked horrified. Ries couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt when he met the man’s “has-he-lost-his-mind” gaze… because honestly, he kind of agreed.
I didn’t mean for him to go this hard…
Who knew a tiny rabbit doll would cause this much chaos?
Ries lay sprawled across Justyn’s desk, observing. His tail tapped lightly against the wood—perfectly in sync with his current mood.
“Sorry. Just let me finish this, then I’ll play with you.”
Yeah, right. This guy had gotten so obsessed with sewing, their time together had taken a serious hit.
What was the point of being in the same room if he wasn’t getting petted, cuddled, or fussed over like before? Their lazy, cozy moments together had been cut in half!
He knew he hadn’t fully shaken his human side, and yet—he was sulking like a jealous cat over lost attention.
A wave of self-reproach crept up on him. But guilt or not, that didn’t stop the pangs of disappointment from flaring up now and then.
“…Ah.”
His eyes narrowed to slits as he exhaled sharply through his nose—only for Justyn to let out a short sigh.
Ries quickly looked down.
There it was: a hand marked with faint dark veins, and a tiny droplet of blood clinging to his fingertip.
Tch.
Every complaint he’d been stewing over fizzled out. With a resigned sigh, Ries hopped off the desk and leapt into Justyn’s lap.
“Wait—careful—”
“Myaa.”
Swatting away the hand that tried to stop him, Ries leaned in and began licking the droplet away. Slightly salty. Tasted like blood.
The first time had been an accident—he’d done it without thinking. But Justyn’s reaction? It had been so fun, Ries couldn’t resist doing it again.
It wasn’t his fault the man kept pricking his fingers.
What started as a slip-up became a running joke, then slowly morphed into habit. And all because Justyn had ditched the gloves he used to wear all the time—he said they dulled his fingers.
Back on the desk, Ries flopped onto his belly again, eyes sparkling as he stared at Justyn.
“…Thanks.”
That was how it always went. Justyn would hesitate, then murmur a quiet thanks. The real giveaway was that hand—nervously twitching like he was embarrassed.
Was he… shy? Maybe even flustered?
It didn’t suit him at all, and yet somehow it did. In the weirdest way possible.
And that—those little glimpses—were what melted Ries’s frustration. Maybe it was because he knew. All of this—every last stitch—was for a single little doll. Just for him.
Justyn pushed aside a tattered scrap of fabric—probably a pattern—and got back to work.
The same hand that had been jabbed countless times gently scratched Ries under the chin, then slipped behind his ear with the smooth, lazy ease of a snake slithering past a wall. Ries closed his eyes, basking in the touch.
Justyn’s voice came in a soft murmur.
“Ries. You can only do that with me. Got it?”
Ries opened his eyes again. Justyn was watching him, then reached out with a finger and tapped his nose—like he was waiting for an answer.
“…Mrow.”
It slipped out, low and soft, his eyes still fixed on Justyn’s face. That little sound seemed enough for him. He looked perfectly satisfied.
Justyn stroked down his back once, like a reward, then pulled his hand away and started gathering up his sewing materials again—his fingers smooth, showing no sign of injury.
That’s when Ries finally came to his senses. He stared at Justyn with a strange expression, then quickly shook his head.
Pretty sure his master had a bad case of separation anxiety.
Well… what can I do? I guess I’ll indulge him.
Still, being someone another person could rely on—it felt surprisingly nice.
***
It hadn’t even taken a full month.
To be fair, Ries had failed to account for Justyn’s skill with his hands.
“Here. Do you like it?”
A plump little fish doll wobbled right in front of his nose.
The outer fabric was a soft sky blue, lightly dusted with gray. Round, beady eyes, a pink mouth, and a tiny tail stitched at the back—every detail was adorably perfect.
For a first-time doll, it was absurdly well-made. Honestly, it felt wrong to say this, but Justyn’s fingers were worth sacrificing for something like this.
Still, to craft something so polished in such a short time? Even the finishing touches were flawless!
Ries couldn’t stop his mouth from twitching as he pictured Justyn, hunched over the doll, fiddling with fabric all day with that dead-serious face of his.
He had to use every ounce of focus just to keep his cat face from twisting into something weird.
“…You don’t like it?”
Justyn’s voice dropped, sounding uncertain. He’d barely lasted a second before getting sulky.
Ries lifted a paw and batted at the doll a couple of times.
“Myaaa~ Nyaaak.”
Justyn carefully set the doll on the floor.
Without hesitation, Ries grabbed it between his front paws and rolled across the floor like a puffball in motion.
Soft, plush, and perfectly huggable—it filled his arms completely. Sure, he was laying it on a bit thick for show, but the way his heart floated was all too real to hide.
“Thank goodness.”
Justyn’s face relaxed, his eyes curving into a soft smile. He looked at Ries like he was the most precious thing in the world.
The way he looked at him—so warm, so intense—it burned. It tickled. It made Ries’s face flush.
Thank the gods for fur. If he’d been in human form, his whole face would’ve been glowing red by now.
He quickly rolled his eyes away and tried to crowd his brain with other thoughts—anything to stop himself from focusing too hard on Justyn.
Like how best to use this doll, for example.
I should make it obvious I really treasure it.
What started out as a distraction quickly turned into a sincere plan.
Just reacting warmly wasn’t enough.
Half out of genuine gratitude, half out of a weird sense of obligation to make Justyn happy, Ries started thinking more seriously.
Alright. I’ll play with it at least twice a day. Maybe I can hang it from a fishing pole toy? Or should I just ask Justyn to toss it for me?
He seemed to really enjoy fetch games, after all.
At some point, his pride—as a former human or demi-human—had long been tossed aside.
***
After that, the plump little fish officially became Ries’s favorite doll.
His original plan was just to pretend to play with it now and then to make Justyn proud—but before he realized it, it became genuine.
When Ketir saw the completed doll, crafted in less than a month, he gave a brief assessment.
“Truly… impressive.”
On the surface, it sounded like praise. Like admiration or awe.
But it wasn’t.
That expression—it wasn’t reverent. It was more like… disbelief. Maybe even horror, like he actually did it.
Still, despite that, Ketir didn’t seem entirely displeased. In fact, he almost looked satisfied.
Most of it likely had to do with how much softer Justyn’s whole aura had become—calmer, gentler, noticeably more relaxed.
And that only spurred Ries on. Definitely didn’t stop him.
Which is why he’d even started bringing the adorable fish doll to the dining table.
