This ask blog is about the Gilded Menagerie, a circle of outcasts, killers, dolls, and other folk that never quite stayed in the light. It’s set in a world similar to the Child’s Play/Chucky universe, but with my own twists. Tackling society's broken system, beliefs, and how that affects what the general public sees as outcasts.
Here you’ll meet familiar faces trying to live normal lives again, my own interpretations of the Ray family, other characters, and some original ones: like Menagerie’s new ringleader, Ashri, and his beloved Val Ashwood. You’ll also get a glimpse of the Menagerie itself: their current members and friends, the chaos, and the strange magic that kept it… alive.
Now, important things out of the way:
🗣Rules:
Be respectful. This might be a dark space, but hate toward other users or minorities will not be tolerated.
The writing and characters explore difficult topics for storytelling purposes, it’s not intended to harm anyone that i talk about.
Suggestive questions are allowed, but no explicit pornography or sexualization of anyone under 18.
You may ask about the Menagerie, their past, or current life as dolls-turned-human again.
⚠️ Warnings & Triggers:
This blog is not suitable for minors and the owner of this blog is legally an adult. There will be depictions and mentions of:
Violence, murder, and death.
Mental health struggles.
Sexual themes (non-explicit)
Supernatural and body horror.
If these themes upset you, proceed with caution. Stay safe out there 🤍
Do you guys think your new house might have a rat problemm? Things to make sure of before the movee X")
Oh, absolutely! I grew up moving around a lot, so “check for rats” is already on my mental list. Along with leaks, weird smells, and whether the walls feel like they’re listening... normal stuff.
If there are rats, I’d like to clarify that they are on very thin ice.
We already checked the crawlspace, the attic, and anything that could be considered a “nesting opportunity.” No rats, yet.
Val used to cook with her grandmother a lot growing up, It’s one of the few genuinely gentle memories she has. So, now she cooks with the Menagerie whenever she can.
…but there’s a problem.
Val does not believe recipes are rules. She believes recipes are… suggestions.
She can make the perfect soup or fresh bread like a sweet grandma angel, but she will also look you directly in the eyes and say;
“What if we add salt and pepper… to this pasta… for science?”
Being murder dolls I bet it gets lonely so do you guys have any friends you hang out with? :3
"Oh yeah, it was lonely alright.. but only after I was tricked into this body. As for freinds, we have each other… Val keeps me in line, I keep her on her toes, and the rest of the gang; Maribel, Teagan, Eli, they’re reliable in ways you wouldn’t expect. I couldn't have asked for things to turn out any other way."
"Exactly, we stick together like a big family of people. It’s… comforting, in a weird kind of way."
"And I happen to know the Rays as well. We've been pals for years before the whole killer doll thing. So i consider them freinds."
"I've heard that they apparently have some very nice neighbors. Once we roll into Hackensack, I'd be absolutely thrilled to meet them all and actually start living our new lives!"
So… are you two actually going to try normal life? Or just keep murdering people?
"Normal is a tricky word. We try our best on the most part to lay off the killing. But life without the occasional… cleanup task is a little boring."
"We have settled some boundaries now, since some of us here aren't comfortable with the.. occasional murder. I’m the one reminding Ashri to behave, and he tends to get a little sulky about it."
"You know you like when I break the rules every now and again, babe. Just admit it.. that's what you loved about me when we first met."
"Oh, it’s… chaotic, as expected. Maribel keeps insisting on labelling every box, Eli keeps dropping things he swore he could carry alone. Honestly, I could get used to this… As long as no one trips over the dolls, I insist on keeping on display once we put up a nice shelf in our new home."
"We’re… making it work, slowly. The last town had a very enthusiastic raccoon infestation, so we’re avoiding barns for now, although i dont think my dream home is a farm. I’ve just been packing up our personal belongings.. what you can call personal anyway!"
The first thing Val noticed was how heavy everything felt.
Not in a bad way, just real. Her legs ached when she stood too long. Food sat warm in her stomach instead of disappearing into nothing. She kept pressing her fingers to her wrist, marveling at the pulse there, like it might vanish if she stopped paying attention.
Ashri adjusted faster than she expected.
He paced the trailer they’d been staying in, barefoot on creaking floorboards, stretching fingers that were no longer porcelain-thin. His scars were still there, seams softened into pale lines, cracks turned into strange birthmarks, but the body beneath them worked. Moved the way it always should have.
He caught her staring.
“What?” he asked, amused, grinning in a way that still looked a little too sharp.
“You’re… really okay,” Val said. “Like—really okay.”
He snorted at her question. “You say that like you expected me to fall apart.”
“I kind of did,” she admitted, smiling. “I know I did.. with the whole process. It's terrifying watching you having something similar to a seizure.”
Ashri leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. “I’ve waited my whole life for this body. Dying, the way it happened was just… the worst part of the process.”
She rolled her eyes, then grew quieter. Outside, the Menagerie’s wagons sat still for once. No crowds, or spilling of blood. Just the low hum of cicadas and a summer breeze through torn curtains.
“I don’t know what we do now,” Val said with a sigh, finally filling in their awkward silence.
Ashri tilted his head. “We live?”
She laughed softly, shaking her head. “I mean really live. I’ve always been the girl who thought she’d have a house, white picket fence, stupid garden gnomes, the whole thing..” She hesitated. “Just like my grandmother, I just don’t know how that fits with… us.”
Ashri watched her for a long moment, expression unreadable. Then he smiled, gentler than usual.
“That’s adorable,” he said. “I get it, you want suburban hell.”
She swatted his arm. “Oh shut up!”
He caught her wrist, tugging her closer and into a hug. “Hey. I’m not mocking you.” His thumb brushed over her knuckles, warm as he nuzzled against her. “I think it’s nice. After everything we’ve done… maybe we’ve earned boring.”
Val blinked at him, surprised he was actually considering it. “You’re serious?”
“Terrifying, I know.” He glanced toward the door, where Maribel, Eli, and Teagan were arguing quietly over a half-burnt coffee pot. “We could settle. At least for a while. Call in some old favors..”
She raised an eyebrow at that, what could he possibly mean by that. “From who?”
Ashri’s grin turned sly. “An old family friend. Well. A family.” He shrugged. “You know who, The Rays.”
Val froze for half a second. “That Ray family?”
“The very same,” Ashri said. “If anyone understands dolls trying to play house, it’s them.”
Val laughed, resting her forehead against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, real, steady, it felt impossible. “You know,” she murmured, “this might be the weirdest version of my dream.”
Ashri kissed the top of her head and cups her face in his hands. “Weird dreams are the only ones worth keeping.”
Suddenly Teagan burst through the trailer door like it personally owed her money.
“Okay, settle this,” she said, already mid-sentence. “Because I think you can’t just fix a coffee pot with duct tape, and Eli thinks—”
She stopped.
Ashri and Val were standing far too close. Val’s forehead was still pressed to Ashri’s chest. His arm was wrapped around her like the world might steal her again if he let go.
The room went dead silent.
“Oh,” Teagan said flatly.
Val jumped like she’d been caught committing a crime. Ashri, on the other hand, didn’t even move.
From behind Teagan, Maribel leaned in, squinting. “What? What is it—”
She saw them and immediately softened, one hand flying to her mouth.
“Oh,” Maribel repeated, but warmer with a smile visible with the way her eyes narrowed. “Well, how sweet.”
Then Eli peeked around the doorframe, eyes wide. “Did we walk in on something or—”
“Yes,” Teagan and Maribel said at the same time.
Val pulled back, face flushed. “We were just talking!”
“Mhm,” Teagan said, turning slowly, arms crossed. “About your little fantasy and definitely not any murder.”
Ashri pinched his nose bridge and sighed. “Listen, we were deciding to settle down.”
That earned him three identical stares. Eli blinked, caught off guard. “Like… settle, settle?”
“Like ‘maybe stop running every six months’ settle because we have to kill assholes for a living,” Ashri clarified.
Maribel giggled, dark brown eyes shining a little. “I always thought you’d make a terrifying neighbor..”
Teagan groaned, rolling her eyes. “I leave you alone for five minutes and you’re planning domesticity.”
Then she paused and slowly smirked, clearly this idea didn't bother her as much as she let on. “So when are we going?”
