Unmoving

Now Matsuzaki Ayako didn't hate dolls, in fact she had been a delighted child when her parents used to give her a Barbie for her birthday, but this one scared her more than the various possessed dolls she'd encountered in paranormal situations. A miko shouldn't be scared, especially of one doll occupying the empty space above the tummy of a celebrated ghost hunter. Reasoning wasn't her forte, but she could find no reasonable explanation for the latter, other than it might have been given by a girlfriend. Why in the world would he accept a stuffed doll who looked eerily like him? Black hair and black clothes, it screamed all Naru to her. It didn't even look like the Barbie or Ken dolls she played with, and not even like the horribly realistic and expensive dolls of porcelain – no, it looked terribly cheap and squeezable, made of cotton and mostly custom made by an amateur.

Nevertheless, she didn't gave it much thought after she settled in the CEO's office - with Lin's permission, which was taken with much force as she couldn't stand seeing the dust spreading around like this day after day. When she tried to wake Naru up by calling him, he remained asleep. She nearly thought he had died a peaceful death in his office after staying up for nights, as mentioned by Lin. For someone like him Ayako supposed it had to be the best way to go.

She went with the duster to the book cases behind the sofa he was napping on. Normally one of the other girls would take care of this pesky job under observation of the big cheese himself, but they had a few weeks off due to college or university burdens. Naru wouldn't and couldn't watch her clean if he tried, so it was all hers to do. When the miko was done with the book case she moved over to the boss's desk.

"Don't touch that."

She whirled around.

"Wha-"

There was no one else in the room.

"Naru, is that you? Are you awake?"

"You're wrong."

Different voice. It was a young boy's voice. Ayako froze in her steps and stared at the doll, which stared back at her. It talked? It talked? What's going on?

"D-doll?"

"Of course, who else? The boss is sleeping," that funny voice spoke again. It couldn't have been her imagination, the voice was very audible and outside her head. Plus, Naru wasn't the type to pull pranks on people.

There could only be one explanation for this...

"G-ghost!"

"You truly are stupid, aren't you," the miniature stuffed version of Naru said.

Ayako couldn't bring herself to respond to the insult and ran out to bang on Lin's door.

"LIN-SAN," she knocked again, while nearly hyperventilating, "open the door!"

There was a small gap in the door opening when Lin responded to her call. One wary eye visible, sending subliminal messages like 'let me be alone!' and 'go away you crazy woman!'.

"What is it, Matsuzaki-san?" he asked politely.

"It's Naru, in his office- doll!"

"Doll?"

Ayako was entirely unaware of his reclusive needs, slammed his door wide open and literally dragged the man out into the other office. She pointed at the black doll on top of the boy. In the meanwhile Naru had slightly changed his sleeping position, his face turned to the seat.

"That doll -- it talks!" She claimed.

Lin merely raised an eyebrow, while straightening his slightly disheveled blouse. He was grateful the miko didn't drag him by the tie, she'd surely choked him.

"Isn't he asleep?"

"I.. I think so...?" She hesitantly said.

"Why don't you ask him? He doesn't bite," he had to chuckle a little.

"D-don't laugh, it's not funny at all! Do you think I believe that?" Ayako answered, "why don't you check if he's asleep?"

He sighed and loomed with ease over the boy for a moment.

"He's asleep."

She could notice a tone of dark amusement in his voice, but it flew away as the Chinese man was about to leave.

Then... then...

"What about that doll?" Ayako panicked and then whispered, "it speaks!!"

"Oh."

Lin shot her a stoic glance long enough to silence her, obviously he didn't believe her words, before he returned to do his work.

Now she was alone with Naru and the doll.

Sleeping Naru and the doll.

Sleeping Naru and the talking doll.

Damn you, Lin-san!

She glared at the closed door.

No Ayako, you have to be brave, you can make through this! Ignore those funny little voices in your mind and clean the desk! Clean the desk and do your best!

However.

"Don't pretend I'm not here," the voice started again.

"Lalalala, I'm not hearing ANYTHING-!" She sung happily as she dusted the empty chair.

"Stop that, you're a terrible singer," the doll was a bit miffed.

In one movement of her head she glared at the thing.

"What did you just say?"

"So you heard something."

"You talk! Dolls aren't supposed to talk!" She yelled, and determinately went over to Naru and his doll, "there must be some trick to this!"

"Don't touch me," the doll insisted when she wanted to grab him.

"Why?"

"You're filthy."

Now Ayako was fuming, "what do you mean with filthy?! I'm the one cleaning this place."

"You? Who gave you that permission?"

"Lin-san did."

"He's not the boss," the doll firmly said.

She sighed, "...stop talking."

"Does it matter if I talk? You talk constantly."

"Alright, lets throw that stupid doll out of the window!" She said as her mind slipped into the gutter and insanity.

"You can't do that."

"Okay, then I'll wake up Naru!"

Ayako went forward to shake the boy awake and grabbed him by the arms.

"Pedophile," the doll accused and she suddenly let go.

"WHY YOU-!" Ayako stomped with a foot on the floor, "I'll rip you to pieces!"

This time it was Naru who responded with a groan, covering his eyes.

"...huh?" he moaned.

The miko stared, wide-eyed and her mouth tightly shut.

"Oh, it's you," Naru commented as he sat up and ruffled his hair.

"What's with the 'Oh, it's you'? I'm cleaning your filthy office!" she complained.

The young boss didn't respond and it made her very mad.

"Well?"

"I had the impression miko girls were only talented at cleaning shrines," he said as he dusted off some dirt off his clothes, "but... there's something on my shirt,"

Only talented at... Ayako grimaced at how he implied she had no talent, for she hasn't even cleaned a shrine before, "well about that..." then she caught sight again of the doll, "...eh, Naru where did you get that doll?"

He looked at her and then stared at the doll on the empty sofa.

"Mai gave it to me for my birthday."

"Mai?"

She didn't understand... why in the world would that girl give him something like that? Why a doll? Why not cologne or... a different item that would fit the boy better? Unless...

"Eh Naru, why a doll?"

He sighed as if he didn't want to explain her that, "...my hobby."

Hobby? Ayako was stunned, then looked as if she's just found a treasure map, before bursting out with laughter.

"Why is a boy of your age playing with dolls?!"

Naru glared at her for a moment and then sighed, taking up the miniature version of himself on his arm.

"Miko-san is the stupidest person on Earth," a younger boy's voice said.

"Gah!!" She backed off immediately. The mouth moved, but Naru's lips remained still!

"I would think Mai earns that prize," he talked back.

"Ma-Mai-san?!"

"She's not scary," Naru said, "she brought you here."

"No, Mai-san is scary, she cut my hair off too short," the doll sounded mortified, "it's her fault I look terrible now!"

The miko was stunned. So.. Naru could do that, it was all... ventriloquism?

"Too bad... then how about Matsuzaki-san?"

"No, I like miko-san."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Eh, why do you like me?"

"Because you're stupid. I like to make fun of stupid people," the doll said.

Naru smirked.

"A stupid doll like you having the guts like this-!! Oi, Naru!!"

"I was custom made, that's why I'm special. I am not like you."

"Are you implying I'm not special?"

"Special does not equal stupid."

Ayako had enough of this nonsense and proceeded to lightly hit the younger man's head with the duster in her hand.

"Hmpf! Naru, I thought you weren't into doing pranks. See if I'll ever clean up this place again!"

"No, you made it look like a prank. I call this practice," Naru twitched the corner of his mouth as if to smirk, "and for your information, I usually clean my own desk."

That day Ayako made a resolution to ritually burn all the Barbies and Kens stacked under her bed when she got home, so nothing would ever remind her of the black-clad scientist and his equally narcissistic doll.

Author's note: Remember the sewer scene? That's where the idea for the birthday present came from... I was thinking of inserting other characters here, but Bou-san would see through it anyway and Masako wouldn't sense any spirit so.. poor Ayako is the victim.

Yeah, I needed a break from serious writing, even though this wasn't funny at all.