How does it feel?

About the past and about the present

       As soon as Lou entered to his old house, a strange melancholy and annoyance immediately attacked him. Considering that he had ceased to love himself as before, all these paintings and statues with his images seemed very silly to him. Moxy tried hard to contain her laughter, but she didn't succeed.

       "Turn."

       Passing the main hall, the dolls went behind an inconspicuous turn and found themselves at a large wooden door. Lou turned the knob and dust flew over the dolls again. Shaking off the last specks of dust from his jacket, Lou looked inside the room.

        "I haven't been here for a long time..."

       The room was pretty small. It had only two racks, a table, a chair and a lamp. On one of the rack were books with University rules and instructions for teaching dolls. And on the other rack were books detailing the structure of the University, and in particular, of the Gauntlet. There were much fewer books on it.

       All five entered the room.

       "We will analyze this rack. It should have at least something. Just don't waste time on unnecessary books..."

       "Oh, this is THAT book!" shouted Moxy, seeing on the opposite rack a thick book with the inscription entitled "The Laws of the Institute of the perfection".

       Lou frowned.

       "I supposedly said not to waste time. You still violated most of the rules described there."

        "Fair..."

       Lou exhaled and went to the desired rack. He took some books with him. Everyone else did the same. Lou sat at the table. Everyone else had to sit on the floor. Ox and Moxy settled down near the table, Mandy and Tara sat down away.

       "Read everything carefully. And let's not interfere with each other."

       Everyone just sat silently looking for information. But despite this, Lou felt something... Strange...

       He felt that he was really doing something important. And not one, but...

       With friends?

       He didn't expect to reconcile so quickly with Ox. But he was already tired of their hide and seek from each other... He figured that if they try to become friends again, he will become... Better. He will begin to understand others better... And... Understand what it feels like to be someone's friend. He didn't dare call himself friend of Mandy and the others in the room, of course he had once been Ox's friend... But it was a very long time ago... Besides, he thought that if he and Ox became friends... That ... Maybe ... He can finally make someone happy ...

       Ox, in turn, had long wanted to atone for Lou. He thought a lot about how things could work out, if they were more reasonable. What's done is done, right? The loss of a mechanical child is a real tragedy for all dolls. And in times of tragedy, everyone needs to unite.