It should be better than this.

11

The Institute of Imperfection was bustling again, just like every other day- with some dolls milling about and exchanging morning pleasantries, some already off to the diner, and some heading in and out through the portal.

Nolan, on the other hand, was still fast asleep. This wasn't unusual for him, as his routine varied between waking up earlier than any other doll, or sleeping in for a few extra hours; that's just how he functioned. Today was a 'sleep in' kind of day, as he lay snug in his covers, messy hair further ruffled by the pillow, and uniform slumped over a nearby chair in his bedroom. There, he continued to slumber peacefully, until a loud alarm blared through the Institute, jolting Nolan awake and sending his heart into a frenzy.

"New doll incoming. New doll incoming." A robotic voice continuously reiterated, causing the freckled doll to pull himself up and rub his eyes to try and awaken himself.

"New doll incoming! C'mon dolls, let's move it!" He heard a muffled voice shout from outside, before hearing aggressive tapping on his window.

"Let's go Nolan, it's going down!" An enthusiastic Peggy yelled through the glass, zooming off as quickly as he appeared. Nolan slid out of bed and stumbled over to his uniform, hastily putting it on. With his hair still tousled, he ran out of his room, down the streets... and crashed into Lou.

"Wh—Oh! Lou! I'm sorry!" Nolan frantically apologised. Lou just chuckled and steadied Nolan on his feet.

"It's alright. You off to go and see the new doll?"

"Uhm, yeah! Are you?"

"Nah, I have chores I wanna get over with, so I'm not concerned. Besides, since everyone is busy with the newbie, the rest of the place will be practically empty."

Nolan nodded and waved him goodbye, making his way towards the sunflower-decorated pipe, where dolls had gathered around to welcome the latest addition to their community. He stopped near the back of one of the platforms, Mandy at his side, and surveyed the crowd with a curious glance. The dolls were chattering excitedly in anticipation as they gazed upon the pipe.

"Maybe they'll have tentacles," a plump doll with a single eye suggested, giggling at the thought.

"Maybe they'll have extra arms or legs!" another doll proposed.

"Or perhaps they'll be able to run on their ears!"

"Or fly!"

Mandy glanced over to Nolan, face filled with curiosity and eagerness. "What do you think they'll be, Nolan?"

"Uhm... I'm not too sure."

The other dolls hadn't seen any new arrivals for a while, all assuming that the shelves had become full of the different dolls, so there was no need to make any more of either for now. But now it seems like production has started up again, and everyone couldn't be more thrilled.

Ox hopped onto the highest platform, Moxy following not too far behind with her notebook and pen.

"Good mornin' everyone!" Ox boomed, his voice silencing the crowds. "We seem to have a new arrival today, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome them to our family. Now, we don't know what to expect, but I'm sure that they'll fit in just fine with the rest of us."

"So let's show them a warm welcome!" Moxy exclaimed, smiling brightly at the crowd.

Everyone cheered in agreement, some bouncing up and down in excitement. Moxy stepped forward, her notebook open and ready to take notes.

"...Make sure you don't bombard the newcomer with questions, Moxy. We don't want to scare them." Ox whispered.

"Yeah, yeah... But it's exciting, ya know? And I want to make sure we have all the information we need to make them feel welcomed and comfortable here."