Tin Man Fic Ideas

Chapter 3: Glitch Came From Merryland, The Kingdom Of The Living Dolls

Glitch isn't human, and he doesn't mean in the 'now he's a Zipperhead' sense. There's a reason he survives the Mobat attack and the cold without injury. Before he was a Zipperhead, even before he was his dear Queen's advisor, he came from Merryland, the kingdom of the living Dolls.

He's not a robot, he's not even a cyborg. He's quite literally a doll come to life. A scarecrow actually, technically, though he quit the fields when the crows wouldn't stop bullying him to pursue his interests in philosophy and science.

He's not entirely sure how to tell his friends. Raw knows, he thinks, since he can sense things like that. But DG and Cain don't. And Glitch isn't ashamed of his origins, even at his most uptight 'I haven't slept in four days and though that may be my own fault for obsessing over an invention I will now make it everyone else's problem– OOOH COFFEE!' as Ambrose, but still he's nervous about them finding out.

Cain is his friend, that he's sure of, but he doesn't actually know him that well. He had a thing against Zipperheads, even if he never really did anything besides say a few admittedly-reasonable things, when they first met. What if he's got a thing against Dolls, too?

And DG... She may be readapting to the OZ quickly and enthusiastically, but some things still take her off-guard. What if she freaks out? What if he scares her? Humans have horror stories about living Dolls, don't they?

Never one for good impulse control, Glitch blurts it out one evening over the campfire, with zero tact or lead-up. It goes well! His friends still like him, DG has a million questions about how a Doll even had a brain to remove, and he's happy with his decision...

...until Cain starts calling him 'Doll-face' with an amused little grin. Now Glitch is certain that everything is horrible and why does he like these people again?

(Cut a poor headcase some slack and ignore the way he smiles back whenever Cain calls him that, please. He's had trouble controlling his expressions ever since the brain removal surgery. He's had trouble controlling his expressions ever since the brain removal surgery. He's had trouble controlling his expressions ever since the–)

(Oof)

(...thanks, Cain)

(No problem... Doll-face)

(CAAAIN!)