A white circle drawn with chalk on the floor, a star in the middle. She gets up, smiling softly at her doll she asks “you know where to go?”. Little Aya nodded. They’ve been doing this for years now, the same ritual every night. And each time it looked forward to it. Every morning after she got up she would create its body of shining, fragile porcelain, in just the way they agreed. She would choose clothes for it to wear and remind it of where it was, of what it was. Every day it would make tea and biscuits, tend to the garden, to their little cottage and all those other task she gave it while she did her work, studying hard. After all, she was still in training, indulging in old books, spells, stories. Searching for others while she learnt what she could. But that aura … There was a reason she drew in little Aya. Every other day she would play with it in different ways, remind it of its place, its purpose, its job. Sometimes soft and tender. Sometimes brutal and cruel. Yet always caring. For the meaning of possession is not as cramped up as many believe, going both ways, especially in links like these. But every night was the same. Little Aya went into the circle, looked at its witch. She smiled. Stepping towards her she put one arm on her shoulder, then on a cheek. She looked at it, a warm smile, then closed her eyes and spoke her words, letting flashes of light spread all around its body, changing, transforming it. After a while she looked down and picked up the little rag-doll she created. Watching it in her hands, slowly kissing its cheek before pressing it tightly against her heart. She put it in her bed next to her, tucked it in, lay down next to it. She pressed it onto her, just like a big spoon cuddling a little spoon. She knew it could feel it, her all encompassing presence covering it, hiding it, giving it security. They talked about it in length before and after she attempted it. But she too needed it, got flooded with warmth and tenderness. For safety and warmth, tenderness and bliss, the need for a purpose, they too go both ways.