piper90 | strange things

[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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[there's a good few minutes before she responds. when she does, it's with a video of her own. she is a young woman, with shaggy black hair and pointed ears, and a metal right arm]

"And this is mine. So, what's the story? Magical accident, curse, AI, or what?"

[her tone is friendly, commiserating, like someone who is determined to take even the weirdest of shit in stride, because experience has taught her there's no point doing otherwise.]

Haven't the faintest, ma'am.

In my world, toys come alive and none of us know how. There are a few types of toys that don't, like sports equipment, or board games, but the rest of us do.

[saturday blinks a couple of times, processing this.]

O... kay. Do people - know about that? ...do you think toys do that other places - ?

[she is thinking, pretty clearly, of her own beloved childhood toys and trying to catalogue their fates. There might be a little bit of horror in her face. She might need to go root around in some boxes once she gets home]

- sorry. Wow. That's definitely a new one for me. Do other people know, where you're from? Like non-toy people?

No, we keep it a secret and stop moving when humans are around.

I wouldn't know if toys in other worlds are the same without trying to talk to them.

[He understands why she'd be concerned. All humans donate toys, put them in storage, even trash them.]

Even if they are alive where you're from, I wouldn't worry too much. We know how to take care of ourselves. If we're donated or put in storage, we learn to live with that. If we get thrown away, we usually escape and run off before the garbage truck comes.

[Usually. The circumstances at Sunnyside were a little different, thanks to Lotso. And that had led to one of the worst possible scenarios.]

[this doesn't necessarily make her feel better]

I never threw anything - anyone - [oh god] - away. My pops, he runs a community center, there's a daycare an' stuff. I usually played there anyway, so they'd know everyone there an' I shared a lot - [she's thinking out loud] - but I put the most important ones away in case I had a kid or Maggie did later, but I left Mr. Baku out because he was my favorite -

[what if he has been lonely this entire time!!!! she needs to get his friends out of their boxes!!!]

[focus, Saturday, focus]

- why do you keep it a secret, though? If you're people, then you're entitled t'be taken care of proper, not thrown out an' stuff.

We usually prefer an owner but day care can be a good place for a toy.

[Sunnyside was better after Ken and Barbie started running it, after all. Woody still would hate to be at day care because that's likely the last place a toy will ever be before they finally wear out too much. Not much chance of a new owner. But it's still better than the alternatives.]

[As for the rest, his face takes on a hesitant expression.]

It's...complicated. There are rules we follow and part of it's instinct. Even talking to you like this, over this...communicator thing, it's not easy. I have to fight the instinct to drop down and play dead every second and none of us has a clue where that instinct comes from.

But beyond that I think we all worry what people might think. If they were scared of us it might taint their happy memories of childhood, knowing we were alive all along.

Or they might be guilty - [he gestures at the screen, at her, with her worry over her old toys] worried about toys they gave away or threw away or accidentally broke.

They might even be scared enough of us to get rid of us all. Any toy comes alive - and I mean any toy, including ones kids make for themselves out of crafts. I saw one made out of a spork come alive right in front of me. Since any toy comes to life, if they're scared enough, they might decide to never let kids have toys ever again. No more playtime, no more nurturing their imaginations, no more comforting them when they're sad or scared or sick...

We can't that happen. What kids need, that's more important than what happens to us.

[Saturday frowns]

I can see the problem, yeah. If toys are alive in my world, they - well, even if there was some idea of showing themselves after the Awakening, Deus would have put an end to that.

Still - if you want to be toys, then still, like. That doesn't mean we shouldn't treat you nicely an' take your feelings into account... do you think you guys might be kinda like, spirits? Does your world have spirits an' things like that?

[her frowns deepens]

If Mr. Baku an' the rest were people, I ought to feel guilty about not takin' their feelings into account. Not too much 'cause I didn't know, but...

[she can't articulate it, but tries anyway]

...even if their feelings were just, "I want to be a friend and playmate to children," you still got choices and preferences you're allowed t'make an' feel, I'd think. Like I ain't super into the old ways an' I'm not an expert on spirits but like, wanting different things than a human person or a flesh person might want doesn't make you not a person, just a different kind that wants an' needs different things. 'Less there's something I'm missing.

We don't really know what we are. What makes us alive.

[Are they spirits? Maybe? Is there some magical, spiritual thing animating them? Who knows?]

As for choices, or how we're treated, it just...is what it is back home.

[He doesn't know how to articulate the idea that they have a certain culture and way of thinking to compensate for how little power and how few choices they have.]

But here, I certainly won't say no to the idea of other people treating us well. We plan on doing the same, even in the state Buzz is in. If you did, I'd certainly be grateful, especially since Jorgmund is just as happy to hurt us like everyone else. [His expression gets steely, and it's not feigned. Even though Buzz got it fixed, he's furious they were willing to wipe his mind.] And especially after what they did to Buzz, using his demo switch to wipe his memory.

[He's got to make sure to act angry, as part of the act.]

I know we're all stuck in this mess, but they talked about how we didn't need a room. I heard them call us -

Inventory. Which I don't mind when no one knows we're alive but it's a bit alarming to hear when someone does.

Treating you well was never up for question. Far as I'm concerned, everyone Jorg's fucking is on the same team and that's the end of it. Even if someone was your worst enemy back home, put it aside til you are home, you know?

[she nods firmly, her own face hard as flesh can look; Woody does have an advantage in poker games]

You're welcome to bunk with me, or I can set you up a spot in one of the vents or something - there's a lot of odd gaps in the walls and the like. Been using them to cache things.

An' if you don't mind, I wouldn't mind learning a bit about you guys an' all. Maybe toys back home aren't like you, but if they are, it'd be right to set things up so they're comfortable. Like, is it better to leave a playset out for you to hang in when someone isn't playing? If someone's outgrowing you, do you wanna be donated or like, kept in a nice spot with some things t'do til another kid in the family wanders along? I'm guessin' if my world's toys are like you they don't wanna be outed and let the world know, but - I mean, my pops was always giving gifts to the spirits and making them nice little houses an' such, don't see why people can't do similar for toys.

[she nods, decided]

Be a good way of teachin', like, respect an' care an' such to the kids, too.

strange things | text

Re: video

Re: video

Re: video

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject