#Works of Oz

[kensboytoy]

A Boy and His Doll (Ch. 1)

Title: A Boy and His Doll

Fandom: Barbie (2023)

Pairings: Ken/Original Character (M/M)

Ratings: General

Chapter: 1/?

Summary:

An underpaid middle school librarian gets the surprise of his life when his childhood doll waltzes out of Barbie Land and into his workplace. When the two reconnect, both start to realize they have been chasing the wrong things in life.

A/N: 

This is singlehandedly the most indulgent thing I've ever written. I have selfshipped since I was a kid, yet Ken has blown every other crush out of the water. He means the world to me and I hope this fic can be a glimpse into why I adore him so much!

Quietly shelving books that preteens had shoved in various nooks and crannies around the library, things almost seemed peaceful for once. It was just before the final bell was due to ring and everything was finally quiet since class after class had descended upon the tiny library like wolves. The teachers tried their best to handle the large class sizes in an environment outside of the classroom and, well… At least there wasn't a ton of trash to clean up today. Just ripped up books that would either have to be taped up again or tossed in the ever-growing destroy pile.

Why were kids so destructive these days? Oswald sighed to himself as he ran his fingers along another torn cover. He didn't blame the kids, really. Junior high was rough, after all, and he certainly knew that the larger class sizes each year meant that so many of these kids were falling behind. Sometimes he wished he had pursued that teaching credential like he had dreamt of since he was young. That was a far and distant dream nowadays. Many of those silly childhood dreams were. Teacher. Cartoonist. Writer. This job barely paid the rent in Los Angeles, adding teacher expenses alongside student loans would be the final thing that would send him living in his car.

[Continue Reading or Read on AO3!]

The young librarian plopped down in his shoddy swivel chair to begin the process of rebinding all the destroyed books now piled up like an unstable mountain on his desk. It already took him through his lunch hour earlier, so he would just spend the rest of the day working on the daunting task. Somewhere in the faculty fridge, his salad was only getting more wilted and pathetic. It could wait. If he didn't do this now, it would just be another project to work on for hours after school and he loathed staying too late. Classifieds like him with no teaching degree weren't exactly encouraged to have more hours than what was on the schedule and the school had already warned him that there was plenty of time in the day to get all his job duties done.

Oz rolled his eyes at the thought. Administration was just so out of touch with what actually made the school run. When you get paid enough money, you stop caring if kids actually are thriving in public education or not. He let out a soft sigh as he booted up what was now considered an antique: the old Cover One machine. Lazily, he reached around in his drawer for his X-acto knife and gave a blank stare as he pulled it out. No blade. Seriously? How these little thieves got into his locked drawers was seriously impressive, yet mildly infuriating.

"Just take the whole thing next time," he muttered under his breath while reaching for his bag. Years of art supplies were stashed away in there, so he held his breath in prayer for a blade refill. "Shit!"

Of course it was loose. When did he ever have the common sense to put things in their proper cases? He carefully pulled the blade out and was thankful that the cut wasn't deep enough to bleed for more than a few seconds. A quick sucking on the tip of his index finger would heal him enough. Into the holder the blade went and Oz was back at the task of dissecting this book apart. As the blade sliced through the cover, severing it from the spine, Oswald winced. He was always so careful with his own books, always keeping them pristine while reading and never dared to even dog-ear the pages, he felt a bit guilty for the inanimate object he was holding. Hopefully books couldn't feel being tossed around and ripped apart. So many of them sat lonely and untouched on the shelves that he wondered which was a worse fate for something designed to be helpful to humans.

The librarian hummed to himself as he carefully cut off the dust cover before preparing a piece of adhesive to slide against the now bare spine. With the Cover One now warmed up, Oz delicately wrapped the book in wax paper before placing it in the machine. He firmly held the book steady until there were a few beeps signaling that it was done. Out the book came, almost for a breath of air, before he plopped it back in to let it settle for the next eleven minutes. He mused that he could try and fix some of the paperbacks while waiting for it to cool off when he heard the thick library door push open.

Figuring that it was one of the quiet kids coming in to retreat from the chaos of class dismissal, Oz’s face softened into a smile while he stood from his seat to greet them. However, when he saw the fully grown figure in a… cowboy costume? Oz paused. Having adults on campus wasn't unheard of, there were in fact many parents on a daily basis who came in and out even though they really should have stricter security measures at the school. But this person didn't really look like a parent trying to pick their kid up from school.

Was there an assembly Oz had forgotten about? Some weird yo-yo man teaching tricks to bored kids even in this day and age? Or maybe he was a cowboy teaching kids for a career day or something? But that costume didn't scream a real, genuine cowboy. Oz had grown up with vaqueros in Gilroy, watching them skillfully take care of the farmlands out there. And they did not look like this delicate, untouched pretty boy who had just strutted in.

Curiously, he elected to watch the stranger for the time being as nothing about the man really warranted him to freak out quite yet. It was actually a nice surprise. Oz sat back down in his chair and continued to work on his book repairs, his emerald eyes flashing up every now and then to see what the cowboy was up to. The man looked lost, like he had never been in a library before. He was staring at the ends of the isles, desperately searching for where a certain subject would be. Alright, he was starting to look pathetic enough that Oz had to help him out.

"Can I help you?" he inquired, sneaking up behind the cowboy.

There was a soft yelp from the blonde before he whipped around, baby blue eyes wide in fright. Oz was looked up and down before the stranger stood back up at his full height, eyes narrowed.

"You must be the keeper of these books?"

The question sounded almost impressed. Oz, obviously amused, gave a small nod.

"The one and only. What can I help you find?"

That caused the cowboy to look more relieved as a wide smile stretched across his goofy looking face.

"I'd like your books about men, please."

Oh. Oh? Well that was interesting. Was this man…? No, no. No need to make speculations. Just because Oz was gay didn't mean that every guy was. Though, with that outfit…

Oz shook the thought from his mind quickly, not wanting to assume that this pretty man was talking about the wide selection of queer books they had. He led the man to the non-fiction section before turning his head back up at him.

"Well, you'll have a lot to pick from, but I'd start here. Try the biographies and autobiographies if it gets too overwhelming," the ginger haired man offered with a smile. "If you have a better idea of… men, well, I can help you narrow it down."

The cowboy scanned the books for a moment, still seeming so puzzled. Oz might have to hold his hand through the entire library process wouldn't he?

"Do you have books about… the patriarchy?"

Oz blinked in surprise. Huh. Yeah, this guy was a weird one. Didn’t exactly scream incel but the request was a bit amusing coming from a handsome boy. He quickly walked down the isles to the war section and pointed out a few very outdated pieces of literature the school still somehow hung onto. The man ran his index finger along the spines before grabbing a few that interested him. Pleased with his selection, he beamed at Oswald. There was something charming and almost innocent the way he smiled. Like a proud child picking out their first book. Oz couldn’t help but feel a flutter in his heart at that.

"How about horses?"

Now that was a normal request. Fitting for the cowboy! Oz returned the smile and showed the cowboy their small selection. Wasn’t anything fancy, really. Perhaps an elementary school would have a wider selection. Back when he was a horse girl, that was the ultimate treasure trove of knowledge. Middleschoolers didn’t care about that sort of thing too much. ’That stuff’s for babies’ would be the usual complaint. So, the school barely kept anything fun in stock. Booooring! A total snoozeville. It’s like no kid could harbour a special interest anymore.

Oswald carefully pulled out the only book that was specific to horses and watched the man’s eyes go wide. Eager hands snatched it up, thumbs dancing along the cover as if he was trying to actually pet the horses plastered all over the book. That goofy smile never faded from the stranger even for a second.

“Yes! Yes…” The man was giggling. “This is perfect - do I have to pay for these?”

He suddenly looked very worried, full of cautious optimism searching Oz’s face for an answer while protectively clutching the handful of books to his chest. Oz let out a soft chuckle and shook his head.

“Normally you’d need a library card but, uh, you’re not a student. ‘sides, no one will miss those books if you took them. I think the last time anyone even looked at those books was more than a decade ago. They’d probably end up in a landfill soon anyways.” Playfully, he shot the cowboy a wink and pressed his index finger to his own lips. “Just keep quiet about it, ‘kay?”

There was that sweet smile again followed by frantic nodding.

“Of course! Your secret is safe with me, bookkeeper.”

“School librarian, but I kinda like bookkeeper better,” Oz laughed.

“Well, bookkeeper, I shall take these fine books and bid you ado,” the cowboy grinned, tipping his hat to Oz.

As the cowboy turned to leave, Oz reached out to grab his hand. It was so instinctual - like he was afraid of saying goodbye to this stranger. He couldn’t just let him go so easily. Maybe he could ask him what his deal was. Anything to spend another minute with him.

When their fingers grazed against each other, his mind exploded with visions that suddenly froze every muscle in his body and completely immobilized him.

Visions of him being very little with a doll in his hands. The only doll he ever had growing up. Ken. His Ken doll that he found in a pile of cheap toys at the flea market his family vended at. The one that caught his eye underneath the mountain of stuffed animals he normally would jump at the chance to pick through. Still in his tattered box. Oz never thought he’d be able to afford something so nice. His usual toys were old and discarded ones no longer wanted by their owners. Broken, unbranded, or simply just cheap fast food toys that other children grew tired of. The kind old lady selling the doll had given it to him for all the change he had rattling around in his pocket that day once she saw the quiet child’s nervous excitement just holding the box.

How very careful he was taking such an exquisite toy out of the box. Delicately opening the packaging and saving what he could before holding Ken tightly against his chest. Tears had rolled down his cheeks from just how happy he was to own something so nice. A little dollie all of his own. He’d be oh so careful to love and cherish this Ken for as long as he could!

They were inseparable. Ken was always in his coat pocket wherever he went. Despite being so young, Oz made sure to play with his toys as gingerly as possible. Ken was handled especially tenderly. Always getting a nice long bath in the sink after spending the whole day outside. Then getting tucked into a makeshift bed made out of tissues or scraps of fabric samples Oz’s mom let him have. All set up nice and cozy on the dresser next to his own bed so that he could keep Ken closeby. With Ken around, nightmares didn’t stand a chance.

Memories like this had been long locked away by Oz’s deep-rooted trauma. Yet now they were pouring in uncontrollably.

“Ken?” Oswald’s voice cracked as tears flooded his vision. It was so soft and uncertain. Surely this was a dream. It couldn’t be his Ken, right?

It looked like Ken had been hit with the same realization. His twinkling blue eyes were wide like a deer in the headlights as he searched Oz’s face. Immediately, his arms were around Oswald, holding him tightly. A laugh bubbled up from him and he just kept squeezing. So afraid to let go.

A memory. Ken had a memory! He wasn’t sure if he ever had one before, but it felt so nice. Brand new, a bit scary, but… he could feel something deep inside him that he had never felt before. The only thing he could compare it to was the feeling he had been chasing whenever Barbie looked at him. What was that funny feeling that made him feel so full?

“Oz! Wow!” He couldn’t stop himself from letting out excited little laughs of disbelief. “Is that really you? Look at how much you’ve grown…”

Clutching onto his old friend, Oswald was overcome with emotion. His smile was wide and shaky as he began to sob softly into Ken’s shoulder. Those were words he always craved to hear from loved ones since his transition. No one had ever said something so sweet to him.

Worried that he had upset his dear friend, Ken pulled back enough to closely examine the weeping man. Oz wasn’t frowning, no there was still a smile on his face, but why did he cry? Was he not happy to see him? Had he said something wrong?

“You should be standing in my curio cabinet at home,” Oz’s voice cracked, teary eyes looking up at his doll. “How…”

“You kept me?” It was Ken’s turn to be surprised.

“Of course I did.” Carefully, as if he were afraid that Ken would disappear like a fading dream, Oz cupped his doll’s cheek. “I tried to keep all my toys that my family didn’t haul off without me knowing.”

Family.

Ken remembered those people - they weren’t very nice. As the memories continued to trickle into his plastic brain, he could recall the nights Oz would cry after being berated by his aunt and uncle specifically. He had been so scared after his parents passed away. Hugging Ken close to him every night even though he was all grown up. How desperately Ken wanted to hug him back and tell him he was okay. To protect his boy. He could feel that protective surge swell in his chest, arms tightening his hold onto Oswald. Now he could properly hold his boy.

It was an unfamiliar feeling to be held like this. Sure, Oz gave plenty of hugs to his friends even as an adult. This was far different from that. His body tensed up for a moment like a frightened prey animal unable to move. However, the longer they stood in the embrace, he felt himself relax into Ken’s touch. The tears couldn’t stop themselves as soon as they cascaded back down his cheeks. Safe. For the first time in more than a decade, Oz felt safe.

“I’m so happy I found you again,” Ken murmured, dipping his head down to rest against Oz's.

“How is this possible, Ken? I - I’m not having one of those hallucinations again, right?” Nervously, the librarian pulled away so that he could stare into Ken’s eyes. It was so bizarre that Ken looked so human and yet still very dollike. “You feel real.”

“I am real!” Ken puffed out his chest and gave a bit of a flex to show off. “Does this not totally look real?”

There was a giggle from Oz as he placed a hand on the firm bicep that was being showcased. The fact that Ken was such a show-off was rather charming, he couldn’t lie. A true himbo like the human had always imagined.

“C’mon, dollie. I didn’t mean it like that.” He gave him a reassuring pat on his arm. “You know that my brain plays tricks on me.”

Ken’s boisterous behaviour faltered for a moment as he looked at his boy.

“You still see those… monsters?” he quietly asked.

“Sometimes. It’s not as scary like it was back then.” Oz gave a sheepish smile, feeling bad that he was causing Ken to worry so much. “I take medication to help now.”

Those arms were back around him, pulling him in for another hug.

“I won’t let them get to you. I can fight them for you now!”

How could Ken so easily make all the years of trauma slip away like it was nothing? Oz had been fighting for so long on his own, trying to make a life for himself in this crazy world. And now his doll was human-sized and a walking, talking being that somehow waltzed back into his life? He didn’t believe in fate. But this was one hell of a coincidence.

“But how are you here, Ken? I don’t understand.”

“That’s easy! Barbie was trying to find the little girl who was playing with her. Something about cellulite - whatever that is. Lots of transportation. And now we’re here in the Real World!”

Staring at him like he grew a second head, Oz cocked his head to the side.

“Barbie? I never had a Barbie. Did you… find a Barbie?”

Suddenly, Ken felt very warm. His face was red hot! That was weird. He was plastic. Was this another funny feeling he didn’t quite understand?

“Well, yeah. It’s Barbie and Ken, you know?”

Oz’s face softened at that.

“That’s sweet. My Ken has a Barbie. Huh.”

“Wh-what?” That blush was growing deeper. Ken looked nervous. But that funny feeling was growing when Oz called him his Ken.

“Nothin’. ’s just cute that you found your girlfriend. Is she here too?” He peeked out the window of the library, glancing through the crowds of preteens. Nothing loud and pink out there.

“She’s uh. Doing her own thing.”

Oz’s brow shot upwards and he tried his best to suppress his grin.

“Well, don’t let me keep you, Ken. Go on, go to her.” He pulled away from his doll, heart feeling achy at the thought of Ken leaving. But if Ken had a Barbie, he wasn’t going to keep him from her. Looks like his doll didn’t need him anymore.

It was Ken’s turn to grab Oz’s hand.

“I wanna stay with you longer. I’m sure she’ll be fine.” It was surprising to Ken that he was saying all this. Normally, he’d do anything to trail in Barbie’s shadow in the hopes she’d so much as look at him. But that didn’t seem to interest him right now. Not with his boy right in front of him. Something was telling him that he needed to stay with Oswald. “Please?”

Oz couldn’t say no to such a sweet face. How could anyone?

“Okay, okay. You’re really twistin’ my arm here,” he joked. Ken immediately let go, panic on his face. “Oh, no! I was just teasing! It’s an expression.”

The librarian turned his head to the stack of books on his desk. He should have stayed to finish the daunting work and not have even more on his plate for the next day, but…

Oh, come on! His childhood doll springs to life and he’s just supposed to go back to his mundane day job? Nuh-uh. He was going to spend as much time as he could with Ken in case he was plucked away back to wherever the hell he came from.

“If you give me ten minutes, I’ll wrap up everything here and maybe we could…” He trailed off, rubbing the back of his head nervously. “Go back to my apartment or something?”

Ken lit up at that. Like an excitable dog, he was practically bouncing up and down. Then he realized he may be looking very uncool and tried to stand up straight to posture himself as calm and collected.

“That would be rad.”

“You can go over to those bean bags and chill for a bit - I’m sure you wanna read those new books you got.” Oz smiled, pointing to a circle of janky bean bag chairs that had seen much better years.

Oh right. The books. Ken had almost forgotten about the books he was carrying, fingers curling against the thick spines of each one. Somehow, he wasn’t that intrigued to explore the topics of this world that he had been so curious about not even ten minutes ago. That didn’t matter to him when Oswald was right there.

“I can read that stuff later,” he shrugged. “No big deal.”

Oz tried to bite back a laugh at the fact that Ken was trying to act so smooth after nearly bursting at the seams getting these books just a short bit ago. Was he wanting to impress Oswald now? What a silly doll. He simply gave a little nod and began to tidy up the books he had been rebinding, taking notice as Ken shuffled closer to try and take a peek. Oz didn’t mind the audience. Having his doll near him felt safe. A warm feeling that pooled in his belly that he hadn’t felt in so long. Maybe Ken could stick around longer before he went back to his dollhouse. Did Ken have a dollhouse? He’d have to ask a million questions about where Ken came from when they got back home.

The little flutters in his chest with Ken nearby were so bizarre. Was it excitement? Nervousness? There was a frenzy of emotions running through him all at once due to the fact that his doll was lifesize and following him around like a lost puppy. Such a sweet face. He could feel his own face grow warm with the threat of blush rising to his cheeks. Shit, when he went red, it was so painfully obvious! So he tried to hide his face with his long copper locks of hair and turn away from Ken as much as possible when tidying up. Maybe since Ken was so oblivious he wouldn’t notice his human getting flustered.

And he didn’t, thankfully. The doll was too occupied with watching what Oz was doing with his hands. How gentle they were with the tattered books lining his desk. Ken smiled to himself. Of course his boy was careful - he remembered how well taken care of he was when he was Oz’s doll. There was something swirling around in his own chest at the thought of it. Kens were merely accessories for Barbies and not typically played with on their own. Yet, with all the memories filling him, he now knew that he had been loved by his human. Looks like it wasn’t just Barbie that had someone! His half smirk was wide on his face with just how smug he felt. There was someone out there that loved Ken for being Ken. Wow!

“What’s that look for?” Oz chuckled, bag slung over his shoulder and car keys in hand as soon as he walked back up to Ken.

“Nothing!” Ken lied. Had to still play it cool. Couldn’t mess this chance up! “Just… ready for our hangout sesh.”

Oswald looked skeptically at Ken before he absentmindedly reached for the doll’s free hand. Their fingers laced together and Oz was pulling him to the door. It felt so natural that neither of them had questioned how sudden this was. Just bashful glimpses at one another like two shy kids holding hands for the first time.

“Alright, cowboy. Let’s go home.”

[chloesimaginationthings]

"Oswald's mom has got it going on" - FNAF Pit bonnie

[kydnexploded]

them

[roguish-gallery]

She is so fine,,, If I was her wife I would do literally anything and everything for her

[joe-spookyy]

rip daniel “oz” osbourne of buffy the vampire slayer fame, you would have loved having at least one airpod in 24/7 ESPECIALLY while on the job

[merp-blerp]

I know it's late to say, but I hope that Hbomb's video will encourage people to not only cite their sources but also have a good source to begin with. Don't tell me Snow White is 14 years old and then show a screenshot of a featured snippet from Google that leads back to Screenrant.com. Don't tell me Judy Garland was forced to take drugs and smoke 80 cigarettes a day by MGM and have your source be social osmosis or "Hundreds of other videos say so!" Where's that info from? Does it's source truly make sense as a source? Are there more reliable routes for sources to take outside of looking online, like reading books about the subject from people involved or seasoned/trusted in the topic? I know "Google is free", but that doesn't mean it's always good for research. Try Google Scholar at least...

[hiddencarpet]

Will always protect you.

[incorrectfatui]

Signora: Oh wow, today‘s weather looks just like you Balladeer…shitty. Scaramouche: The forecast did say things were gonna get wet- I‘m sure that‘ll be a first for you. Signora: Oh yes, several inches of rain. Can you imagine that? More than one inch? Scaramouche: You know, I think I‘m having trouble, maybe if you moved that way, into oncoming traffic, the entire world and I would have the peace and quiet to envision such a thing. Signora: I would, but then who would take care of dear Arlecchino? What would they do without her best friend? She wouldn’t have anyone to hang out with! Scaramouche: *pushes her into the rain* oh shit you didnt melt. Wizard of Oz lied to me.  Signora: I hate you Scaramouche: I hate you more. 

[aceinthefreakinspace]

*hands you some aspec nygmobs memes because I haven't been able to get this out of my head all week*

Part Two | Three | Four

[siromany]

Soma at the start of Dawn of Sorrow

[kensboytoy]

I’m Your Tamagotchi (Ch. 1)

Title: I’m Your Tamagotchi Fandom: Barbie (2023) Pairings: Ken/Original Character (M/M) Ratings: General Chapter: 1/? A/N: This is a very self-indulgent piece! It'll be several chapters and I'll be updating it a lot more when the movie comes out. If you want to listen to the playlist I made to write this, you can find it here.

Another perfect day in Barbie Land, just like it always was. All the residents went about their perfect lives as it was always so well-rehearsed. The Barbies all had very important jobs to do after all. Some were doctors, others were lawyers, and some were even politicians. Every important job was assigned to each Barbie to perform. And the Kens? Well…

Most of the Kens on the beach had been muttering to themselves, quietly daring each other to check out the source of the strange sound coming from the lighthouse they had been hearing all afternoon. It was a shrill and intense beeping that seemed to strike at random, making each and every one of them jump out of their skin in fright. They all postured and tried to act tough, stating that they weren’t that afraid of some silly noise. But someone should definitely check on it before the Barbies noticed. So they wouldn’t get scared, of course. No one had ever exactly gone up to the cliff where the pink and white striped lighthouse sat - there was never a reason for them to venture anywhere outside of the warm, sandy comfort of the beach.

Ken had been waxing his surfboard, eavesdropping on the conversation the entire time and scoffing at the cowardice of the other Kens. It was just a stupid sound, why were they getting so worked up? Maybe the lighthouse just… did that? Ken wasn’t exactly sure what noises lighthouses were supposed to make, his job wasn’t lighthouse keeper - was anyone actually designed with that in mind? - it was just beach. And because his job was beach, he felt a sense of responsibility to go up there and turn the noise off. It was getting annoying anyway.

[Continue Reading or Read on AO3!]

He propped up his surfboard in the sand and tossed the canister of wax aside, slinging his towel over his shoulder. The hike to the cliff was a breeze for Ken, the doll taking long strides as he grew closer to the lighthouse despite the sound becoming louder and louder. It was just the echo, that was it. It totally wasn’t a super scary monster about to lure him into a trap. Ken could feel a pang of nervousness rush through him at the thought, but the stubborn toy quickly pushed the thought aside. He’d be the hero that would keep Barbie safe. Maybe, if she saw how brave he was, it would earn him a proper kiss. A dopey smile stretched across his face, a toned hand reaching up to his cheek to where he envisioned Barbie planting her lips. Yes, he’d be a hero!

Without even realizing it, Ken was already at the entrance of the lighthouse as he walked through his picture perfect daydream. He stopped in his tracks, blinking a few times before he craned his neck upwards to properly stare at the looming structure. From the beach it didn’t look big, but up close? Well, he just hoped he didn’t have to go to the tippy-top to find this noise. Totally not because he was afraid of heights or anything. That would be silly. No, he had just… hit his steps for the day and didn’t want to go over them! It would be totally humiliating to the other Kens if they knew how hard he was working out for this.

As if the building sensed him, the old door swung open to greet him and nearly made Ken jump out of his plastic skin. This was weird. Like really weird. Cautiously, he peeked his head inside before taking a tentative step forward. The sudden sound from earlier pierced the eerie silence of the lighthouse. Ken frantically looked around for the source until the sound tapered off and faded completely. He used the light from the open door to peer around as best he could, but there was nothing there.

When he took another step forward, his foot brushed against something and sent it skittering across the floor before he could process it. There was a small thunk! as whatever it was impacted against the spiral staircase that led up to the actual light room itself. Another beep like the object had been startled by the movement. It was enough for Ken to find out where it had landed, his hand reaching out for it without a thought to stop himself.

Luckily, it wasn't anything dangerous or that would poke him like a pissed off pufferfish. It was a small plastic toy from the looks of it. A UFO shaped toy with little green buttons on the front. Ken stared at it for a moment, fingers ghosting over the left and right buttons. He pressed them down immediately with pure curiosity guiding him. There was a flash on the screen that startled him but then it quickly faded. He pushed down for longer, the same flash happening before a pixelated ghost popped onto the screen.

The device went dead for a moment before the speakers crackled to life once again. Instead of a shrill beep, there was a playful little melody that played before the screen was filled with solid black pixels. As the song played, each row of pixels danced off-screen to slowly reveal a silhouette of a figure. Ken leaned in closer, furrowing his brows in confusion. The song ended and the figure came to full view - it was a chubby little… alien? He looked like a little nerd, with curly hair, huge circle rimmed glasses and a funny little mustache, but there were clearly alien antennae sticking out of the mop of hair. The alien blinked at Ken before his face broke out in a wide smile.

“Wowee! Golly, I was starting to think my battery was gonna die before anyone found me,” the almost cartoonish voice chirped from the speaker.

Startled, Ken stumbled backwards and nearly tossed the device out of his hand. That… wasn’t what he was expecting at all.

“Woah! Easy, fella, I can’t exactly bitecha.”

The alien giggled as Ken adjusted himself. He cleared his throat, trying to play it cool like he hadn't just nearly screamed like a little girl.

“I guess you can’t. I’ve just… never seen something like you before.”

“And I’ve never seen someone like you before, Master!”

Ken stared at the device in confusion. Master? He could feel butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. No one had ever called him something like that before. It was so fancy and formal - far from what he was used to.

“Me?” he inquired, pointing to himself.

The device beeped again, the alien soon giggling once more. It seemed that the shocked face Ken was giving off was rather amusing to the curious creature.

“Of course! You saved me, after all. So you must be my new Master! The last one kinda dropped me in this playset, and, well… you saved me.”

If Ken could blush, he would have. Instead, he let a goofy smile stretch across his face.

“I guess I did kinda save you. I am brave like that.”

He flexed proudly, something he often did to show off. His confidence rivaled the big ego that was already starting to over-inflate. Apparently it was an amusing display that made his new companion laugh in pure delight. Ken's brow shot upwards as he turned his attention back to the screen. The alien was still beaming at him, pixelated stars in his eyes that rotated around and around. He wasn't mocking Ken? Did he actually think that Ken was cool?

"Super rad! I don't think anyone who's ever held me has been that cool or brave, y'know. Really must be my lucky day!"

"How many people have held you?" Ken asked, already sounding a bit jealous.

The alien paused, tapping his hand to his head.

"Y'know, 'm not sure."

He flashed another smile up at Ken, obviously pretty clueless himself. After a few moments of silence, Ken spoke up.

"So what do I call you? Alien dude?"

"Oh! Oz is my name. Short for Oswald. I think it's a poorly themed Roswell joke of some kind, but my programming isn't advanced enough to understand it." Oz shrugged. "It says it right on my label!"

Ken tilted his head to one side and studied the cheap plastic casing of Oz's UFO home. There were some faded stickers of where lights would be if he was a more expensive toy, but the doll wasn't seeing anything. Oz gestured to flip him over, which Ken did carefully as he wondered if Oz could feel the sensation (or any at all) of being rotated. Sure enough, on the back, was a label in a neon green font with Oz's name. The engraving with the copyright information was puzzling to Ken.

"'Your out-of-this-world pal'?" Ken slowly spoke each word.

"Oh, yeah." There was a small chirp from the speakers to let Ken know that Oswald was moving. He was turned back around, the alien awkwardly rubbing his own head. There were little slashes on his face to indicate that he was blushing. "I don't think people really wanted a virtual alien friend. Maybe I'm a bit Y2K."

Again, Oz seemed to be speaking a language that Ken wasn't understanding. Seeing the confusion on Ken's face, Oz moved away from the screen and gave a nervous little laugh.

"Well, I'm not exactly a looker like you, pal. I bet people are clamoring to play with you!"

Ken scoffed and shook his head.

"Everyone here is beautiful. All the Barbies… and Kens. We're built for each other." He paused. "Oh and Allan and Midge. Guess they were made for each other too."

"Wait so… You're a Ken?" Oz chirped.

There was a small nod and the alien took note of how they must be gendered dolls here. Boys and girls separated by just two names. Funny. Definitely a bit old-school.

"And you have a Barbie?"

At that, Ken looked a bit off. He was Barbie's boyfriend. They were supposed to be together, like a perfect pair. But his Barbie hadn't been exactly interested in him lately. She was… different. Something was happening with her and Ken was worried he was losing her altogether.

"You could say that," he replied in a hushed tone.

Oz wasn't born yesterday even with his memory reset. There was something up between Ken and his Barbie, but the alien wasn't exactly going to push the issue. It would be rude to press the man who had just saved him from running out of battery.

"Well, I can tell she has quite the catch. A hero saving aliens from their untimely demise," he joked to lighten the mood. "Maybe I should call you Ken instead of Master then-"

"No. No… you can call me Master still."

Oz blinked up at Ken who was nervously averting his eyes from the screen after that comment. Was he really gonna let this little pixel thing call him something like that? It was the most respect he had ever gotten in Barbie Land. Being Ken - just Ken - was far from being a Barbie. He didn't have a house. Or a job. Or anything to his name. He was Ken. And now he didn't even know if he was Barbie's Ken anymore. So having someone, especially a stranger, now see him as anything else, well…

Ken felt special.

"Okay!" Oz giggled, clapping his hands together enthusiastically. "Well, Master, since I'm literally in the palm of your hands… Why don't I teach you how to use me?"

Again, if Ken could blush…

"If you press that middle button, you can pull up my menu. That's all the settings, time zone, and help information. Boring stuff. But if you click the right button…" Oz gestured to where Ken's thumb was idly resting against. "That gives me food! I need three meals a day to make sure my meter doesn't run out."

"Meter?" Ken inquired.

"Press that left button!"

Ken obliged and was surprised to see a status menu pop up in place of Oz. It showed a small icon of the alien's face along with a level number, sleep status, food meter, and happiness status indicated by a smiley face. Ken's brow furrowed in confusion. Was this like taking care of a pet?

"Are you my dog now?"

There was no response.

"Oh!" He quickly pressed the button and Oswald returned to the screen. The alien was trying his best not to laugh at Ken's surprise. "You have to be on screen to talk, huh?"

"Ding ding ding!"

A jaunty little tune played as the screen displayed a spinning star before fading back to Oz.

"And no, I'm not a dog. I'm clearly an alien." Oz rolled his eyes and pointed to his antenna. "But I guess… kinda? I'm a virtual pet - your new best pal! You keep my meters full and my happiness up and, well, I'll be the perfect friend! If you forget about me and stop playing…"

A large skull and crossbones popped up.

"Then you gotta restart and, boy, lemme tell you, that's not fun. I… Kinda forget all about you and have to start all over." Oz's expression shifted to what Ken could tell was apprehension about the subject.

"That's why you don't remember how you got here, huh?"

Oz nodded.

"Happens every time. I don't know how many Masters I've had that have picked me up, played with me, and then forgotten all about me. Guess it's better that way - I don't get attached."

There was something tugging at Ken's heart. He knew what it was like to be neglected and now he knew that someone was really relying on him. The doll carefully held onto the device and brought Oz to his chest.

"Well, now you're gonna have someone to take care of you! Like, really take care of you, you know? I'll make sure you never have to restart."

Baffled by the bold statement, Oz was glad that his face was hidden in Ken's chiseled chest. He was honestly so caught off-guard that he didn't know what to say. Someone actually was going to care for him? Though, maybe all before Ken had promised the very same. But this time… this time really did sound sincere. It could have been the alien's blind trust, surely, but the confidence from Ken had him eager to try again.

"Hey," came the soft voice from the crackling speakers. "That's awfully sweet of you, Ken. Really. But I know it's a tall order to ask someone who just picked me up to take care of me." Oz smiled, eyes twinkling with little sparkles. "But I'd be real happy to get to know you."

Ken pulled the device from his chest and gazed down at the collection of pixels. His own smile tugged at his lips. Get to know him? That was nice to hear. No one ever really paid him any mind. There was a lot Ken could do, but he didn't have anything special like the Barbies that set him apart from the rest.

"You're not just saying that because I saved you?"

"Naaah! I don't kiss that much heinie on the first date!" Oz quickly slapped his hand over his mouth, blush returning to his cheeks. There were little spirals appearing over his head to show that he was flustered. "Uh. Wrong choice of words…"

But it was far too late. Ken had already been struck with the idea of a date. While Barbie was supposed to be his girlfriend, she never called them hanging out a date. His smile was now a goofy grin and he let out a slow laugh.

"Ha… Well. A bit forward - are all aliens like you?"

"I-I don't know," Oz stuttered. "I don't retain my memories, remember? And my programming doesn't really give me a backstory with any cool alien family stuck far, far away on another planet. Though maybe I should lie and roll with it."

"You shouldn't lie, it's rude," Ken frowned.

"Is that an order then?" came the inquiry and one brow raised upwards.

Ken, feeling stubborn, puffed out his chest and stood tall. His index finger extended and he shook it at the screen like he was giving Oz a stern talking to.

"Y'know what? Yeah. As your Master, I gotta make sure you don't keep secrets. Besides, friends don't lie to each other."

That caused Oz to look away. Guilt crept up on him and instantly sat like a pit in his stomach.

"So we're friends?"

"Well, yeah! I was joking about all that pet stuff." The doll's expression softened as he looked at his new companion. "You may be a computer… thing. But that doesn't mean we can't be friends."

Had they all promised friendship? Did every one of his previous owners lie to him the same way? Ken didn't look like he was lying. This was a new chance and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have to worry about restarting with Ken around.

With a soft sigh, Oswald gave a little nod and a shy smile.

"Okay. Friends don't lie." A little laugh bubbled from the speakers. "So we tell each other the truth, 'kay?"

Ken was grinning again.

"Totally! This is gonna be awesome, just you see. No more forgetting stuff, I'm gonna show you everything here in Barbie Land and You're gonna remember it all!"

The eagerness to prove that theory true was enough to make Oz's meter fill with full happiness. A little heart hung above his head, quickly disappearing before Ken could even blink. Barbie Land sounded interesting and Oz wanted to see it all for himself. After all, this was his new home!

Ken was already walking out the door with Oz in hand. Curiously, the alien watched as the sky above them changed from the drab interior of the lighthouse to the sunny, cloudless sky of Barbie Land. It was almost like staring into a painting, it was breathtaking! Oz gave a little beep to Ken so that he'd look down at the screen and, once those big blue eyes looked his way, the alien motioned to turn his UFO over. He wanted to see what Ken was seeing. Happily, Ken obliged and held the device out to the world.

"Your arm is gonna smart if you keep me up like that," Oz teased.

"Huh."

Ken stopped in his tracks, Oz rattling around the confines of his screen. He rubbed at his freshly bonked head before seeing what Ken was up to. It looked like he was fiddling with the silver chain around his neck. Intrigued by the sudden concern Ken seemed to have for his fashion sense, Oz was quiet until the string of silver threaded through the loop adorning his device. His ship was dangling in the air for just a moment before Ken fastened the necklace back around himself.

"There, that way you can see everything and I can make sure I don't lose you."

Oz couldn't see it, but that goofy and proud grin was back on the bimbo doll's smug face. The UFO beeped a few times as Oz's circuits overloaded from the gesture. Despite only being pixels, Oswald felt safer than he ever had before. Even more so than when he was awake when his creators were troubleshooting his code.

"Thank you," he managed to mumble out.

Happy as a clam, Ken continued to saunter back down to the beach where the other Kens had seemed to disperse from their clique earlier. He knew his companion was busy taking in the beautiful sights of his - their home. With the warm sand beneath his feet again, Ken let out a pleased sigh. This was where he spent most of his time every day when he wasn't out chasing Barbie.

"The lighthouse looks so small from over here," he heard Oz muse aloud. "I'm glad you heard me from down here."

"Ah, well. I know when something's happening anywhere on the beach. Call it my six cents."

"...sense?"

"Exactly."

He gave a little nod, planting his feet firmly in the sand with his hands on his hips as the two of them looked out onto the ocean. The permanent plastic wave was high that afternoon, just as it always was.

"Surf's looking good today."

Oz looked up at Ken to see if he was serious, but the position he was in didn't allow him to see past that chiseled jawline. He shrugged to himself and figured it was best not to continue to correct him. It'd be rude to bite the hand that would be feeding him.

"Is Barbie Land always this beautiful?"

"Yup! Every single day!" Ken was beaming like an excited puppy who had just found a really cool stick. "Yesterday was awesome. Today is awesome. And tomorrow will be awesome too! Just like it always is."

There were a few moments of silence as Oswald mulled over the concept of constant perfection.

"Don't you ever get tired of it? Wouldn't you want to see something new?"

The device was lifted up so that the two could look at each other. Oz slid to the top of the screen and soon adjusted himself right side up.

"Why would I wanna do that when everyday's a great day?"

At that, Oz frowned. Did Ken not really see the point in chasing the high of new adventures? Was this place some kind of weird purgatory for all the dolls? He put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"Because surely something new is more exciting than doing the same thing every day. I mean, I know I have to have three meals, be played with, and then go to sleep every day. That's written in my game code." There was a gesture to his menu button before he pointed to Ken. "But you don't have a code. You could do whatever you wanted, right?"

"Well…" Ken couldn't exactly explain it, but there was the nagging sense of routine every day. Maybe some days he wanted to do things differently, but it never panned out that way. He couldn't exactly explain that he wasn't being played with the same way Barbie was. Ken was just Ken. "I try to see Barbie every day. Sometimes it happens. Then I know it's gonna be a good day!"

That made Oz frown again. It didn't exactly sound like Ken was living for himself. But, again, the relationship between Barbie and Ken seemed a lot more complicated than a simple boyfriend and girlfriend thing. It sounded like Barbie was super important to Ken and it really mattered what she did.

"...you could show Barbie that you saved me," Oz offered. "I bet she'd see how cool and brave you were."

A hand slowly wrapped around the UFO and partially blocked Oz's view. Intrigued by Ken's action, he peeked his head from behind Ken's fingertips to look at him again and see what was up.

"I kinda want this to be a 'me' thing." Quickly, his eyes darted away. "We haven't spent a lot of time together yet and everyone will be bugging me once they see you. Can't we just have some alone time first?"

Those blush marks grew wider on Oz's chubby cheeks. Hearing Ken get so protective was something that drove the little alien wild. Being kept to just Ken… It felt intimate. Nervously, he let out a giggle.

"Sure, sure, Master," the alien teased playfully. "When you're ready, I can talk to the others. But for now, it'll just be us. Who knows, maybe we'll be making friendship bracelets for each other someday."

"How could you make me a bracelet in there?"

Oz rolled his eyes.

"I can do anything in here, Ken. It's all code. I can pull anything out of thin air - heck, I could even change what I look like! 'sides, it was just a joke. Anything I make in here you couldn't wear."

Was… Ken pouting?

"Aw, c'mon, big guy! Don't look so sour. I guess my jokes just don't land with dollies."

Like a hurt puppy, Ken's face was still so sad looking. A pixel hand reached to touch the part of the screen that the plastic one was still clutching onto as if to comfort him. Oz wished he could really touch Ken, but at least his gesture could be seen.

"Don't pout Ken, that pretty face might stick that way. And that would be a cryin' shame! Your smile is ten times cuter."

As if on cue, that very smile tugged at Ken's lips.

"Really?" he giggled.

"What did we say? No lies between friends, right? I mean it. You look really pretty when you smile." Oz blushed once again and let out a light chuckle. "Your eyes get all twinkly too."

It was at that moment that Ken realized that he had never heard that kind of compliment before. Sure, the Barbies would tell him he was very brave and strong, but they had never said something so genuine. He was at a loss for words. All he could do was smile like a dope, chuffed that his new companion seemed to actually like him.

"There it is," came the teasing coo from the alien. "Much better."

Ken let out a boyish laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. Was he being wooed? Because it was working way too well. There must have been some coding in that circuit board that gave Oz enough charisma to flirt. Was it flirting or was he misreading the signs like he always did with Barbie? But this felt different…

"Ken?"

Blinking out of his daze, he turned his attention to Oz's screen before realizing Oz was focused on something in front of them. Instantly, Ken froze. The unmistakable pink flowy fabric made his heart jump into his throat, knocking all coherent thought out of him. Her smile sparkled in the sunlight and he could see her greeting everyone on the beach as she always did.

"...Barbie," fell from his lips automatically.

[bestjeanistmonster]

Oz au- Shadow’s gonna have to fist fight the poppy field btw

Wanted to think of boss fight besides Eggman and Sonic and the thought of Shadow throwing hands with an overgrown plant lizard with sleepy magic was so funny to me

[passionartx]

A few days ago I got cast as Dorothy in my local theatre company’s production of The Wizard Of Oz and I just know this means I’m gonna be hyperfixating on @whotfletamothhyperfx’s @sonicwizardofozau 10 times harder! So I decided to draw their AU Tails design + T-Pup

!Defo check their au out if you haven’t already cause ahhh it’s so, so good! The world building, the character designs, the art, the everything!✨!

[dudeimintomonsterprom]

Ok big spoilers below that have to do with Oz lore, to find it yourself you chose the mirror maze option at the carnival

hello??? btfl glitch i need an explanation on this yesterday stat. I did this same event with brian and he just got to take a nap

[em-doods]

More detail on the wicked witch!!

[octopus-defence-squad]

LINK TO TWEET

so i had the honor to help organize this years geminitay birthday art collab!

this year we had 20 gems from 19 contributors (plus lava, our wonderful background artist!!) and despite a few delays, we are pleased to present this! let’s call the few days late-ness just adding an element of surprise!