strange things | text

[rootinest]

[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.

Comments

[rootinest]

[There is a light clatter as a vinyl head hits the floor and when she walks in there is a cowboy doll with a vacant smile laying lifeless in the middle of the common room. But she's not getting supernaturally punked by something malevolent because the expression on his face comes back a half second later.]

[Woody lets out a little groan of annoyance.]

That is the second time today.

[He's wondering how many more times he's going to reflexively rag doll before he gets used to this. With Sid he'd been mentally prepared for the whole thing but this is harder because it's people just approaching normally.]

Sorry, reflex.

[He stands up off the floor.]

There's a whole lot of instinct I'm fighting to even have conversations with everyone.

[credit_not_blame]

[Okay, a living doll is one thing, but it is a little unsettling to see him go from "inanimate object" to "person". Stacia hopes she processes it fast enough that he's too busy being embarrassed to see her process it. She chuckles in agreement.]

Not quite the same thing, but yeah, it's weird just telling people I'm a werewolf. If Jorgmund hadn't pushed it too far during the "on-boarding" process, I might still be sitting on it.

[She plonks herself down on the floor near him and holds out a hand to him. Just scooping him up without checking in one last time feels weird, even if she specifically came here to exchange hugs with him.]

[rootinest]

[Woody walks up and climbs into her hand, kneeling there. He's still wringing his hands a little because while he's been hugged many times in his life this is legitimately the first time he's ever considered hugging a human back.]

You're sure it's okay? I know there are plenty of horror movies about living dolls so it'd be fine if it wasn't.

[credit_not_blame]

[Stacia grins and taps him on the nose.]

My life turned into a monster movie a few years ago. I got used to it. And once I stopped being afraid of myself, all the other monster movie options got a lot less scary. I'm a big bad wolf, everything else that goes 'bump' in the night can bring it.

[With that, she hugs him. It's been awhile since she's hugged a soft toy, she's mostly gone to pillows and other people these days, but it's not like you really lose that skill, right?]

But hugs are still important, even for horror movie monsters. Sometimes especially then.

[rootinest]

[He got his nose booped. And it makes his heart melt because it was adorable.]

[He's still boggling a little at the idea of a werewolf being real but this situation is wild enough that he'll believe anything people tell him at this point, no matter how surreal. Thing is, he doesn't want to be a horror movie monster, though. He doesn't like that that's going to be some people's first instinct seeing him moving out of the corner of their eye.]

[But getting hugged like this is the opposite of that.]

[What's more, it's the first he's been hugged by a kid in a while. Stacia is young enough to count as one, at least in his eyes. She's too young to be wrapped up in this mess, werewolf or not. In fact, that she's a werewolf at all is troubling considering he's pretty sure that's the kind of thing people have happen against their will. At least in fiction.]

[Bonnie hugged him in her sleep the other night and it was the happiest he'd felt in a while...but it had been by accident; she'd been reaching for Forky. Then the next day she'd cast him aside. Again. And it was her mother who'd even thought to pack him for the road trip. Not her. She wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't brought along. Probably didn't notice he was gone the way she probably noticed Buzz wasn't there.]

[And for someone who cares deeply about doing his job, and doing it well, that isn't a source of resentment, but it is a source of misery. How many days now has it been that he's been covered in closet dust-bunnies, staring out between the slats of Bonnie's closet door like they're prison bars? How many days now has he been left seated on Bonnie's little stepstool watching playtime go on in front of him without being allowed to take part? Without purpose?]

[Without being loved by a child? He talks a good game about how it's about being there for a kid, whether you get playtime or not, but trapped in the closet isn't being there for Bonnie. Because she doesn't want him to be there. Without being in charge of the room, since Dolly is instead, he also has no direction outside playtime. Oh, sure, he keeps his friends calm when they're very high strung, but it isn't something Jessie or Buzz can't easily take turns doing instead of him.]

[After watching Andy grow up, it's starting to feel like there isn't anything next. That he's useless. His purpose fulfilled.]

[But now there's a kid who wants a hug and for once - for the very first time ever - he gets to hug back. His grip is gentle. He can't wrap his arms all the way around her neck, so instead he nuzzles his head against it, arms wrapped around it as best as he can manage, a light cling that isn't too constricting. It's a nice hug, all things considered, despite his size and inexperience hugging a human back. After over a decade of being broken in, he's very soft.]

[He tries not to move, doesn't want to spook her by moving too much because he knows it isn't going to seem natural to anyone.]

[Where his face is turned away from where she can see, his expression is suddenly pained, because it's the first time in a very long time that he's felt anything like he did in the time before Bonnie. Back when he was actually loved back by a child. He knows they just met and feels foolish for getting that emotional, but sometimes it takes a little kindness to make you realize how deprived you've felt.]

[When he finally lets go and she moves her hand away, he half covers his face with his hand, looking away, trying to hide how upset (relieved?) he is. His voice is a restrained rumble when he speaks again.]

Sorry. It's just - it's been a while since I was hugged like that. My current owner doesn't pay much attention to me these days.

[He clears his throat and tries to play it off, stretching his arms like he didn't just get very emotional over something as minor as a hug.]

[credit_not_blame]

[Awww, poor guy. Stacia smiles gently and reaches out to pat him on the shoulder-ish area of his body with her fingertips.]

Well, if you ever want a hug, you can always give me a shout. I'm a fan, and people here are...well, I don't know that they're less huggy than what I'm used to back home, but we haven't yet reached the 'casual physical contact' point yet either.