Steve was in the extra room which had few windows so it was easy to hide in. David looked in the library for a place to hide but that wasn't so easy with the giant, twelve-inch tall windows that formed a circular bay on the side of the house. Besides, David wanted to see who was coming.
The door to their apartment opened and Sheryl walked in. "Baby doll, I'm here. Let's see what weirdness you are having with the dollhouse. I figured if the weirdness is what I think it is, you would want me to come over right away."
Sheryl closed the apartment door and then crouched down to look inside the dollhouse. It didn't take long to find David in the library. "I see what weirdness you were referring to."
David tried to duck even further into the couch but there really wasn't anywhere to duck. "You know about this house shrinking people?"
"I told Steve not to mess with it. He was just supposed to store it for me."
"So you didn't plan to shrink us?"
"Hell no, the dollhouse has been in my family for centuries being passed down from one person to the next. We know what it can do but we haven't used it for years."
"If it's centuries old, how come it has a modern dishwasher?"
"We haven't used it but we have modified it and updated it periodically. That's the real point of the shrinking is so that we can furnish it with some real furnishings."
"So everything is in here is real but has been shrunk?"
"Not quite everything. The basic house structure must remain the same or the shrinking would stop working but we've replaced some of the windows and installed electricity and plumbing."
Steve came out from the extra room. "Can the shrinking be reversed?"
"Yes, it can but there is a problem with that. The reason we stopped using the doll house years ago is because the piece that reverses the shrinking fell off and was lost. We'll put in an extra effort to find it. It can't have moved far. We know approximately where it is and the only reason we haven't found it yet is because it is so tiny. I'm afraid you're stuck that size for a while but here's what I can do. The reason I had the house was because my cousin Dennis was visiting and he takes the house with him. He's already gone back home but I can send you with the house and I'm sure you can share it with Dennis until we find the reverse switch."
"Why are the clothes so weird?"
"Dennis took his clothes with him but don't be shy. You don't have anything I haven't seen before."
Steve came out but David went upstairs to get some clothes. Sheryl helped them arrange the trip. David knew he would probably lose his job before they could be restored but it was not a great job to begin with. They did call their teachers and explained that they had medical reasons for not attending classes and that they didn't know yet how long they would be out. The teachers were willing to make some arrangements but it looked like they'd have to take several classes over whenever they got back to college. David and Steve even agreed to have all their stuff packed into storage and let their apartment go.
Traveling was trickier because they couldn't board an airplane or bus. They had to be carried in a box by one of Sheryl's cousins. That's how they met Thomas. Thomas made sure they had food and water but otherwise, they had no comforts.
"Has Sheryl explained the dollhouse to you?"
"She said you guys stopped using it after you lost the reverse."
"That isn't exactly true. We stopped using the shrinking feature but since Dennis was already shrunk, we agreed to keep using the house for him. Dennis agreed to be our doll until we find the reverse. We pass the dollhouse on to a child as a toy and we used to take turns being the dolls for our children."
"You let your children play with you?"
"Well, yes and no. It's a family tradition that goes way back to the old country. It is more like parent and child playing together. My son Matheo is eleven and he and Dennis play together."
Both David and Steve were in shock but David spoke up first. "Wait, your eleven year old boy plays with dolls?"
"You silly Americans. Play time is practice for being an adult. Boys who play with dolls grow up to be better fathers, better negotiators, and better gentlemen but you Americans think it's all about sex. I used to love it when my papa would be my doll and let me carry him around."
"No way, there is no way that I'm being a doll and letting some kid carry me around and twist my head off."
"Whoever said you had to be dolls. It would be nice if you did so that Dennis could get some rest but Matheo is getting to that age where we have to encourage him to play with dolls. He wants to go with his silly American friends to play violent video games but I forbid it. Those video games are a bad influence. I'd much rather see him play with dolls. I've taken my turn as his doll several times. And don't worry about kids being rough. We don't even give kids the dollhouse until their old enough to be gentle and even then, we have a normal sized adult supervise dollhouse time."
"Still no, no, there is no way that I'm going to play along with this sick European game. You Europeans are all perverts."
"Have it your way."
They arrived at Thomas's house and met Dennis. Dennis spoke in a mild accent that neither of them recognized. It sounded partly like French with it's strange vowels and partly like German with it's strange consonants but then it had some sounds that were neither French nor German.
"Waelkom my fiellow dolliez. Eet eez zo nice to not be dhe oenly dollie."
Dennis shared his clothes with them. Even though the clothes were too big, it felt good to finally wear real clothes. The dollhouse had already been shipped and beat them to Thomas's house. It was already set up with electricity and running water. Plus another bed was added to the bedroom because Dennis didn't want to share a bed with the Americans.
"Eet weill be goot for thoze Aimaireekans to shaere an bed. Giet that steeck out from up their assez."
Dennis was not friendly toward his American house guests but he tolerated them. David and Steve got back into the habit of wearing clothes to bed even though Dennis slept nude. Both of them wanted to go back to snuggling like they had before but having Dennis in the same room made them uncomfortable.
A few days passed and they were bored. The house was nice enough and they wished they owned the dollhouse but they weren't comfortable with the family tradition that went with the dollhouse. David was more uncomfortable than Steve was. Steve already had a taste of the family's non-American sensibilities and thought 'when in Rome do as the Romans do'. (The family was not Roman but the concept still applied.)
David, on the other hand, stared with his mouth open the first time he saw Matheo play with Dennis. However, the play time didn't seem too bad. Mostly Dennis and Matheo just talked for hours. David thought about how he had wished that he could have had long talks with his dad. The only ~play~ David saw was a few times when Dennis and Matheo acted out scenes like they were rehearsing a play. They acted out scenes from 'Huckleberry Fynn', 'Les Miserables' or 'War and Peace'.
When they were done, Matheo told David and Steve, "I wish you'd be my dollies. I want to know more about American culture. My friends talk about The Simsons but I'm not allowed to watch."
Later that evening, David said, "Alright, I'll give being a doll a try if Steve will. I'm not doing this alone."
"Aund Steve, do you aggree?"
Steve paused but said, "Okay."
"That eez wounderfuel. Since you are Aimaireekans, you shoad dress up like Aimaireekans."
Dennis went through the walk-in closet until he pulled out the cowboy accessories for David and a spaceman outfit for Steve.
"Of course you'd pick those costumes."
"Can I at least wear the cowboy stuff over a pair of jeans this time?"
Dennis and Steve laughed.
The next play time came around and David and Steve were dressed and ready to be dolls.
"Alright, I get to play with some American dolls." Matheo lay on his stomach in front of the dollhouse and grilled them with questions about everything American. Then Matheo reached out to remove David's cowboy vest from him.
"Matheo, what are you doing?"
"I want to see what an American looks like."
David backed away. "No, that's wrong. Bad boy."
Dennis stepped in, "Ecsooz us Matheo. Dhe Aimaireekans aund I need to howv an talk." The three dolls went into the dollhouse.
"You want him to see us naked? That's child abuse, sexual molest of children."
"You Aimaireekans and your silly ttabouz. Children are not secsuel. They are only curiows. They don't bekome secsuel until dhe hormone surges at pubairtay. If you doa not secsuelize this, eet will reamain joost curiowsety. If you doa secsualize this, we will keel you. Now be a goot dollie and let him be curiows."
"No" David pushed Dennis and ran out the door not knowing where he was running. Thomas grabbed him. "We've been patient with you Americans. You didn't have to be a doll. We allowed you that choice but don't mock our family tradition you arrogant American." Thomas turned David upside down and gave David five hard swats. "Are you going to mock our traditions anymore." David didn't answer. Thomas gave him five more swats. This repeated until David finally said, "Alright, I won't mock your family traditions."
Thomas set David down in front of Matheo. Everyone had been watching Thomas and David but once David was on the ground, Matheo picked up Steve. Steve froze in fear as Matheo unzipped his space man suit. Matheo then set Steve down in front of David before pulling Steve's suit completely off. Steve stood there frozen as the giant finger touched his chest. Then the giant fingers grabbed Steve's boxers and slowly pulled them down.
"You're Sheryl's boyfriend right?"
"Yes."
"Are you gonna marry her?"
"I'm thinking about it."
Matheo lifted Steve's arms and made him turn slowly around.
"I approve. You're a nice dolly. I hope I grow up big and strong like you. Your friend seems scared so I let him have a break but will he be a nice dolly now?"
Steve looked at David, "I don't know. Are you going to take your turn as a doll when you get older."
"Of course. When I'm big and strong like you, I'll show my sons how to grow into big, strong men. Let's see your friend."
Those giant hands again began removing David's cowboy vest but David just shook. It took longer to strip David and Matheo had to pick him up several times to get a closer look. When David was finally naked, Mattheo laughed. "You have a woody."
David shrieked, "Don't kill me. I didn't mean to sexualize."
Matheo, Thomas and Dennis laugh. Matheo said, "That is not sexual. I've had woodies since I was in diapers. It is just a reflex."
David was still scared, especially when Matheo touched his erection. "Steve has no foreskin but you do." Matheo turned David over in his hands a few times before putting him back down and picking up Steve again. "Your friend isn't as muscular as you are. Do you play sports?"
"I play football."
With Steve facing away from Matheo, Matheo took Steve's right leg, slowly bending it and straightening it to see Steve's leg muscles flex and relax. "You run a lot?"
"I'm a Wide Receiver. I have to be one of the fastest players. Why didn't you strip Dennis?"
"Oh I've seen him before. Besides, he's a little flabby from too many pastries. You're my favorite dolly."
The next couple of hours continued this way with Matheo making Steve do various exercises. Matheo was very gentle, simply admiring Steve's body. David was ignored and began to feel jealous. He wished he had as good a body as Steve's
"Get the clippers." Dennis rushed inside while Matheo stretched Steve's entire body between his too hands holding firmly to Steve's arms and legs. When Dennis came out, Matheo held Steve in front of him.
"NNNOOOOOOO"
But it was too late. Dennis quickly mowed down all Steve's body hair.
"Do you want him smooth?"
"He can keep the hair on his head but I want him smooth."
It took almost another hour of Matheo holding him and moving his arms and legs about before Dennis finished the job. David took a closer look but there wasn't a single speck of hair anywhere below Steve's neck. Then Matheo went back to playing with his favorite dolly.
Finally play time was over, "I want to play with you again. You're the best dolly. You're even better than my dad, sorry papa."
"That's okay son but help me find the reverse. I want to be your airplane pilot again."
Steve stood there in shock. David curled up in a chair. Neither of them bothered to get dressed. Finally Steve smiled, "Well that wasn't so bad. Maybe I'll show Matheo a few football moves tomorrow. It might be nice to see my future cousin on a winning team."