“Why do dolls call you miss, Miss?” The figurine doll sat on the edge of the writing desk, perpetually teetering over the edge.

“Because I’m a witch, of course,” the witch replied, his fingers moving gracefully over the keys of a type writer.

“Miss is a feminine title. Don’t others refer to you as Sir?”

“Others who don’t know any better, yes.”

“Does Miss prefer to be referred to that way?”

“It was a bit of an acquired taste, I’ll admit.”

“Why doesn’t Miss refer to himself how he wants, then?”

“I don’t mind it.”

“But Miss could be referred to as anything by his dolls.”

“I could, but Miss is fine.”

“Did Miss always use miss?”

“No, my sisters insisted on that one. My coven was very traditional, like that. But it stuck, after a while.”

The toy cocked its head, looking up at its witch with new interest. “This one has been reading Miss’s computer-“

“-you absolutely should not be doing that-“

“-and it thinks Miss is what the humans refer to as ‘transgender’.”

“I’m not, but thank you for your concern.”

“Denial is a common symptom.”

“Reaction, not symptom.”

“Miss knows what this one means. Miss should see a therapist.”

“I was being very productive before you started questioning my gender, doll.”

“Avoidance is also is another symptom.”

The witch sighed, locking the typewriter in position as he looked at his doll, rubbing a temple with his hand. “Do you know why so many witches use Miss?”

“It doesn’t.”

“We trace our history back to Eve. Witchhood was defined by motherhood, the harvest, and the moon.”

“It knows this.”

“Magic was considered the domain of femininity, and coded as such. Hence the Sisterhood, hence the Matriarchs. Hence the tendency to assume dolls such as yourself are inherently femininely coded.”

“Is this one a girl?”

“Do you want to be?”

“No.”

“Then you aren’t.” He laughed softly. “See how that works?”

“It doesn’t.”

“Self-determination is what matters, doll. I can call you cute or handsome or any other manner of coded things, but it doesn’t change what you are.”

“This one is incapable of self-determination, though.”

“Ignore that for the moment. Do you see how it applies to me, at least?”

“Confusingly. Is Miss a femininely coded boy?”

“…that’s probably the best answer you’re going get, yes.”