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strange things | text
[It's taken some time for him to sit down and actually try this because every instinct he has is screaming at him that it's not allowed. The rules toys follow aren't just something they choose to follow, they're instinct. Instinct they can fight, certainly - like when he and Sid's toys had scared Sid - but instinct nevertheless.]
[But this is a special circumstance and maybe Buzz has the right idea. One of the big people had been nice to him, sabotaging his back switch so it didn't actually change anything when switched to demo mode.]
[This situation is so much bigger than them, bigger than any other chaotic situation they've ever faced, bigger even than their little prison break at Sunnyside. What's an escape from a daycare compared to an otherdimensional...whatever? A place where magical shock devices have been put inside them and now they're being expected to, what, go on missions? His only job is being huggable and good for playing pretend. How that's supposed to translate to "missions" is beyond him.]
[In any case, it's so big that maybe he and Buzz need a little help from the big people. Or at least for them to know the two toys hanging around are actually alive.]
[But that doesn't mean it's easy to talk to them. He decides to do it first over text. And decides to maybe test the waters a little instead of launching right into "Hi I'm woody, I'm a talking rag doll."]
[The comm is almost as big as he is, so he has to rely on the voice-to-text to type anything because it's so much work hitting all the buttons.]
Hi. Hello. So.
How nonhuman would someone have to be for you all to think they were too weird for you to want to deal with? Asking for a friend.
[But this is a special circumstance and maybe Buzz has the right idea. One of the big people had been nice to him, sabotaging his back switch so it didn't actually change anything when switched to demo mode.]
[This situation is so much bigger than them, bigger than any other chaotic situation they've ever faced, bigger even than their little prison break at Sunnyside. What's an escape from a daycare compared to an otherdimensional...whatever? A place where magical shock devices have been put inside them and now they're being expected to, what, go on missions? His only job is being huggable and good for playing pretend. How that's supposed to translate to "missions" is beyond him.]
[In any case, it's so big that maybe he and Buzz need a little help from the big people. Or at least for them to know the two toys hanging around are actually alive.]
[But that doesn't mean it's easy to talk to them. He decides to do it first over text. And decides to maybe test the waters a little instead of launching right into "Hi I'm woody, I'm a talking rag doll."]
[The comm is almost as big as he is, so he has to rely on the voice-to-text to type anything because it's so much work hitting all the buttons.]
Hi. Hello. So.
How nonhuman would someone have to be for you all to think they were too weird for you to want to deal with? Asking for a friend.
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[As for going off the handle... yeah, that's a sensitive topic right now and she's not touching it.]
Is Buzz a toy too? Are all toys alive or just you guys?
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And in my world, most toys come alive. [A pause.] For all you know, in your world, they all do, too. We hide it because of all the bad things that might happen if we don't.
The fact we even exist isn't something anyone has much control over because there's no way to explain why it happens. One second there's nothing, and the next thing you know you're waking up in your box at the toy store or some kid's house. Or waking up when they hold you the first time.
And it's almost anything meant to be a toy, too. Not all sports equipment but most things that have some kind of face or are made to be some kind of animal. Toy robots. Toy cars. Ones the kids tend to...humanize, I guess you'd call it.
I've even seen a toy made out of lit-er-al [He draws out the syllables for emphasis] garbage come to life right in front of me after being made. [He splays out both hands in a gesture to show he barely wants to touch that.] That one freaked out even the rest of us. My owner made him out of craft supplies and trash during kindergarten orientation.
He's a spork.
His expression makes it clear that yes, he's aware of how very weird it is.
So if we told people we were alive and they got rid of all of us, no kid could have a toy ever again because even ones they make would come to life.
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So... my teddy bear could be spying on me.
Great.
[Mr. Snuggles would never betray her, right?
She winces at a thought.]
My dad kept so many figures in glass boxes. I hope they're not alive because it must be miserable in there.
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Not spying, no no no. [He gestures to his chest.] A toy's loyalty is always to their kid. If toys in your world are alive, your toys thought you were the greatest. That's our job. Especially since kids always give us so much love, it's almost impossible to not want to give it back.
[He backs away from the comm and holds up his foot. The name "Bonnie" is scribbled in black marker. The brown paint the name is on is a little chipped though, after his scuffles with Jorgmund, and the faintest impression of a faded "Y" is visible underneath. He puts it back down.]
Belonging to a kid is the best feeling in the world. [His face falls a little.] At least when they actually still want you.
[He quickly paves over that, instantly regretting he'd said it aloud.]
If you still have your teddy bear, kept it after all this time? And it is alive like me? It probably thinks the sun rises and sets on you. We don't let that feeling go easily.
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Oh. That's... nice to hear.
[Her voice is thick when she says that, and she feels like an idiot. Someone tells her that her teddy bear, who may or may not be alive, adores her and now she's ready to cry? Good God, Vanya, get yourself together.
She clears her throat. Her eyes are still brown.]
Are you--you and your friend, do you need help getting around? Nothing here is exactly to your scale, I guess, and I'm new too so I was planning on exploring anyway.
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Buzz is fine, they decided to give him a functional jetpack, but he's an action figure. I'm a bit more old fashioned so they haven't seen fit to give me anything.
I wouldn't say no to some help with getting a good tour of the place. It's a lot of ground to cover when you're my size.
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[There's something funny about her being the big one for once in her life. She's five foot nothing and is used to being dwarfed by everyone around her.]
Just turn off the communicator and yell loudly. I'll find you.
--->action
[And immediately drops and plays dead, a vacant smile on his face. When she comes in, he suddenly blinks and has an expression again, one of deep embarrassment.]
Sorry, force of habit. [He sounds very sheepish as he sits up.] Actually talking to humans is gonna take a little getting used to.
[He gets up again and dusts himself off.]
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When she finally comes across him, she frowns in confusion because it's just... a doll.
And then he springs to life and she gives a little start.]
Yeah, well, talking to toys will probably take a little getting used to for me too.
[Vanya crouches down to be closer to his level, peering at him curiously before offering one pale hand. If Woody wants to pay close attention, he may notice that she has calluses on the pads of her left fingertips, consistent with playing a string instrument, and her skin is still unusually pale and cool.]
My name is Vanya. I'm not sure I introduced myself.
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[In lieu of having his hat to tip politely at her, he salutes with two fingers and gives her a polite nod.]
I'm mighty grateful for this, miss. I'd like to get the lay of the land and it's not easy for someone my size to cover a lot of ground quickly.
[He steps onto her hand and kneels so that moving around won't knock him off balance, folding his hands in his lap.]
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Vanya stands up carefully, keeping an eye on him so that she doesn't knock him over by accident.]
Don't mention it. I was hoping to find someone to explore with me anyway. [She furrows her brow.] Do you want to stay on my hand, or is the shoulder easier or...
[She doesn't know the etiquette of carrying sentient toys, okay?]
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[Whatever will freak her out the least.]
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I don't want to trip and hurt you by accident.
[...Wait. She frowns.]
...Can I hurt you? Like, do you feel pain when someone holds you too tight or shakes you or something? [While Vanya was not exactly swimming in toys when she was a kid (it was literally just Mr. Snuggles), she knows that children aren't always very gentle with their things. He seemed very excited about the idea of being owned and loved by a child, though.]
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It's not the same as humans, I think. You hit your knee and there's a bruise and swelling, but we don't have skin or blood vessels and any pain doesn't really last.
[That's one of the up sides to being a toy. Any pain isn't as severe as it might be for people and usually doesn't last so long as they haven't lost a limb or something serious.]
I've been stepped on before and I wouldn't say it's pleasant but it has to be close to busting my stitching for something to hurt. And even then, I don't think it's as bad for us. I don't think humans can lose an arm and still be on their feet like I have.
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Even so, as she starts walking and looking around, she pays careful attention to the weight of Woody on her shoulder. It's not much weight at all, but she wants to make sure he doesn't slip and fall. Even if he doesn't hurt as much as she does, she'd still like to spare him from it.]
So, if your stitching pops, someone can fix you, right? [She has a feeling that that's going to be an issue in the future, if her understanding of their situation is right. She might want to brush off her sewing skills.] With a needle and thread or something?
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[He rotates that arm a little.]
Solid stitching, it's held up all these years.
I've never had a cloth rip, but I've known other toys who had that fixed up with patching if the edges were too rough to sew back together.
We can survive an awful lot, though I can't the extreme end of that is pretty.
[He thinks back to Sid's poor toys and shudders. He hopes when Sid outgrew them that they ran off on their own, because there's no way they could be donated to a new owner. They would've been headed for the garbage. Unless Sid worried about mistreating them and kept them safe himself as an adult.]
Buzz and I might need you big people to help us at some point. I don't know that Jorgmund will think we're worth repairing, and it's hard for us to super glue or stitch up ourselves.
[Needles and glue bottles are a little unwieldy in hands that small.]
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You said your friend is an action figure, right? Is he the kind with screws? [Because plastic is harder to fix than cloth. If he's kept together with screws, maybe there are ways to repair him if he's hurt, but if he's not, then... can toys do transplants? Could someone make a leg out of clay or something and would that work? Woody said something about a spork coming to life, so...]
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[He frowns at that, already worrying. Cloth is easier to patch than hard plastic.]
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It's okay. We'll figure it out if he ever gets hurt.
[Glue, clay, tape, whatever. They'll figure it out if necessary.]
Is there anything else you think I should know? Or, well, you need a 'big person' to know?