[TOY] Plaything

[Iguanaiguana]

laurie's trust is really important, and someone just cleaned this pool. don't go in the water no matter what, there will be opportunities to swim in the pool later on.

[Lilium Mortem]

cmon. break a rule, just one. go swimming, It's not gonna hurt anything, you did just shower you're squeaky clean. dooooooo it.

[sarcovyn]

maybe you can float along the surface and paddle around with your legs . not as bad as full body swimming. just say you fell into the water while dipping your toes and paddled around for a bit

[skinstealer]

You try to clear your head and focus on what’s been going on, because god, there is a lot. As much as you hate to admit it, you should probably reflect on that dream of yours…both the part that you’re pretty sure was your memories, and the weird premonition. You can’t help but wonder if Vine knows anything about the whole future vision thing, and whether this is normal…

You also need to go get that room number before you leave so you can report those assholes, because you are definitely going to try and get them in trouble for what they did to the robot toy. If Laurie doesn’t tolerate that shit, neither would you.

And then there was considering what to do after work…

You stare into the water, your reflection staring back.

…fuck it. 

You pull your feet out of the water and start stripping off your clothes, trying to justify what you’re about to do to yourself. You were just gonna bob around in the water, all…rubber duck-like. You’re not going swimming, not really, and you just took a shower anyway. No weird residue or grime at all, it’d be fine. Totally fine.

Once you’re free of clothing, you step carefully into the pool, absolutely delighted as the chilled water takes you in. Before long, you’re bobbing in the water, your body naturally able to float. It feels…so right. So perfect. So-

The door opens, and you freeze. So does the staff member face to face with you, carrying a box labelled “SWIMSUIT RENTALS”.

…a very familiar staff member, skulls along her arms. 
 

WILLOW: …um. 

[Zenthis]

Uhhhhhhhhh act casual, be smooth and don’t act like you were just caught doing something you weren’t supposed to be, and be real good at it and don’t mess up at all

[Lilium Mortem]

I have been here for less than twenty four hours all I have are memories of betrayal and a primal rage. LET ME HAVE THIS PLEASE.

...wait why do we have swimsuits we barely wear clothes to begin with? is this a sex thing? let's be honest it's probably a sex thing we work at the sex place.

[knux400]

I tripped and fell and also all my clothes came off at the same time.

Boy the world sure is wacky, huh?

[skinstealer]

You…need to ACT CASUAL. SMOOTH. 

You have GOT THIS.

POLKA DOT: I tripped and fell and uh, also all my clothes came off.
WILLOW: …
POLKA DOT: At the same time.
WILLOW: …
 

The character on Willow’s screen just blinks, the pixel blush back in action. 

POLKA DOT: Look, uh-
POLKA DOT: I’ve been here for less than twenty four hours and the only things I can remember are, like…
POLKA DOT: Some kind of betrayal, and rage. Like, serious rage.
POLKA DOT: Please let me have this and don’t tell on me.
 

Willow just kind of half nods, walking in and closing the door behind her. She notedly avoids the pool’s edge as she walks around to the other boxes in the corner, placing down the rental box next to them.

WILLOW: I…did a lot of stuff like that too, when I was new.
WILLOW: I really don’t recommend it…Laurie might get upset.
WILLOW: But…
WILLOW: You have ten minutes. You have to get out by then, or we’re both going to get in trouble-
POLKA DOT: Deal.
 

She goes to sit on one of the benches, kicking her legs a bit. There’s an awkward silence as the two of you desperately look for something to say.

POLKA DOT: Uhh…what about those suits you brought in?
POLKA DOT: Like…we’re barely clothed anyway. 
POLKA DOT: …is it a sex thing?
POLKA DOT: It’s probably a sex thing, right? Like, this is…the sex place.
 

Willow giggles a little, that adorable beeping sound back again.

WILLOW: I mean…for some people, yeah.
WILLOW: But other people just want to dress up and get into the spirit of things.
WILLOW: I like swimsuits too, they’re cute…
WILLOW: But getting wet would be really bad for me. I don’t come here unless it’s for work.
 

On the one hand, the thought of Willow in a swimsuit is definitely activating some awful part of your mind. On the other, the idea that she wouldn’t be able to enjoy this kind of thing…it makes you a bit sad. Maybe you’re just looking for people to share this blissful feeling with. Probably.

More silence, but Willow breaks it this time.

WILLOW: …you said that you came here with a lot of negative feelings…
WILLOW: That’s…not uncommon.
WILLOW: Almost everyone I’ve met has been like that.
WILLOW: Not all of them, but…enough.

[King-Clod]

Seems to be a theme with this place, yeah. The Store seems like an awful time for everyone involved.
I'm just worried that the more I remember about it...the more I'm going to regret, I guess. But no matter what, it doesn't seem like those memories stay buried for long.

That's enough about that though! Sorry...really. You've probably had more than enough time thinking about your time the Store, and I'm not gonna drag you down with my thoughts on it. It's just rough.

I was wondering, since you can't really swim, and you certainly wouldn't enjoy it as much as I do.... what sort of environment are you most comfortable in? What sort of leisure activity really makes you feel at peace?

[Lilium Mortem]

I thought the world would be cold and harsh and worth hating when I was dropped into it. But people keep giving me reasons to think otherwise, or at least that this place is an exception to the rule.

Then the rage... it has nowhere to go.

[skinstealer]

POLKA DOT: Yeah, that…seems to be a theme with this place.
POLKA DOT: Seems like that Store place is just an awful time for everybody.
WILLOW: You know about the Store already?
POLKA DOT: Yeah, Vine talked to me about it…I guess I’m just.
POLKA DOT: I’m worried that the more I remember about it, the more I’m gonna regret.
POLKA DOT: Doesn’t seem like those memories stay buried long, though…
 

Willow nods, quiet as she listens to you talk.

WILLOW: For me, it was the same way…a lot of stuff early on, but then…it stopped coming to me.
WILLOW: Not for lack of stuff there, just…I guess once I got more used to it here, it wasn’t as needed for me to remember the old stuff…
WILLOW: Or something.
 

At the mention of her own past, she looks nervous, pulling her limbs in closer. 

POLKA DOT: H-hey, that’s alright…we don’t need to talk about this. Seriously.
WILLOW: It’s okay…I just…keep that stuff private.
WILLOW: It’s safer.
WILLOW: N-not that you’re dangerous, just-
POLKA DOT: I get it.
POLKA DOT: When I woke up, I was just…pissed. Raw ass rage.
POLKA DOT: I thought people were going to hurt me and the whole world was going to be cold and harsh, but this place-
WILLOW: Don’t let your guard down. 
 

Her voice comes out quick and almost cold, startling you.

WILLOW: Just…it is cold and harsh out there. At the very least in this city, this is pretty much the only place like this.
WILLOW: If you get hurt, injured, sick…
WILLOW: You’ll find out that this place can get pretty nasty.
WILLOW: And there are people out there who prey on newbies…we just had someone report a politician in power of all things for us to blacklist.
WILLOW: People higher up in ranks, in positions of power…they’re basically all corrupt.
WILLOW: Places like this are the only safeties…
 

She shakes her head.

WILLOW: I don’t mean to scare you, just…don’t go too soft. Please.
WILLOW: For your own safety…
 

She glances up at the clock, your gaze following.

Ten minutes have passed.

WILLOW: I’m on shift still, so…ten minutes was all I could spare. I’ll just take it out of my break.
WILLOW: You should get going.
 

You’re already clambering out, the character on Willow’s screen scooting to the side, almost like an averted gaze.

POLKA DOT: You okay?
WILLOW: Yeah, just…
WILLOW: I get kind of shy around full nudity, at this point.
WILLOW: It’s…a weird thing of mine, probably weird since I don’t usually wear shirts and everyone seems to think it’s normal…
POLKA DOT: Nah, it’s cool…lemme just…
 

She fully looks away as you towel off and get dressed, making sure to wipe up any tracks for good measure. 

POLKA DOT: There. All dressed up.
WILLOW: Nice…it’s a good look. I like the um, lace…
 

The virtual pet gets to her feet, starting to walk towards the door. You can feel your face heating up from her comment, a little bit of paint-like blush tinting your cheeks. Her character’s just about the same, face with those few extra pixels you’re coming to appreciate. 

POLKA DOT: Thanks..hoping to get more soon.
POLKA DOT: Oh, right- one last thing.
POLKA DOT: I know you can’t do water, or pools, or stuff like that, but…
POLKA DOT: What do you do for fun? Like, what makes you feel as chill as this did for me?
WILLOW: I like…
 

She thinks to herself, rocking back and forth on her heels like the night prior.

WILLOW: …I think I’ll keep it a secret. 
POLKA DOT: Huh?
WILLOW: I can’t tell you everything right away…we just met, and…
 

You swear that even with the low res screen, you can see her character get an almost out of character devious expression.

WILLOW: …I like playing a little hard to get.
 

You get chills, but this time, you’re pretty sure they’re good ones. Willow immediately looks embarrassed of her own comment, hustling to the door and attending to her laundry cart outside. 

WILLOW: Um…it was nice seeing you!
POLKA DOT: Y-yeah…you too.
WILLOW: I-if you come to one of the lounge parties, we can talk more or something! There’s one at the end of the week-
 

You just nod, still in a bit of a daze. 

WILLOW: Okay! I’ll s-see you!
 

And just like that, she’s gone, leaving you in the hallway.

POLKA DOT: …wow.
 

You have a bit over 3 hours to spare.

[King-Clod]

Well, we have one plan now. Party at the end of this week. We'll see if we can get a nice new party outfit by then. Nothing too showy... but maybe something with open shoulders. I think we could rock that.
We should probably leave the pool area, though. Maybe get the number of that door. Maybe get to know a few of the other staff members if we can. If we don't do something these three hours are gonna stretch on for a while.

[skinstealer]

At the very least, you have a plan for later…end of the week, anyway. You’re gonna hit up that party, for sure, no chance in hell you’d miss it. But…you are going to need something to wear, something cool for a party…open at the shoulders, maybe? Yeah, you could probably pull that off. You could always ask Vine about that thrift place…

You make sure the pool room is closed up before peeking over at the next room- it’s just labelled “PLAYROOM 4”. Easy enough. You’ll nail those bastards when you’re all done messing around.

But…for now, you need to go keep yourself occupied, or time’s gonna stretch like hell. Maybe meeting a few of the staff members would be cool…let’s see. 

You know Laurie, Vine, Katie, and Willow, plus the myriad of other people you’ve seen walking around with pins- including the robot just now. The place seemed packed with staff, so…it’s just a matter of tracking someone down who wasn’t too busy.

You could go to the bar, the cafe, the kitchen, the laundry room, the guest rooms, or wander around the playroom halls.

[knux400]

How hungry are we? It might be a good idea to head to the bar or the cafe.

[King-Clod]

Cafe for sure, might wanna grab a muffin or something for breakfast.

[Lilium Mortem]

See if they have an outfit guy, a fashion dude, a costume connoisseur. That seems like a person you aught to know.

[skinstealer]

You decide to head on over to the cafe, making up a brand new song for yourself to hum on your way over. The bar’s still empty, but you can see some staff start to come in and get everything cleaned up for later. You cross through with a wave and head through the door labeled “CAFE”, startled at the amount of chatter that hits you as you walk inside.

The cafe is smaller than the bar and crowded, apparently the breakfast rush is very real. There’s floor pillows like the bar, but definitely more “normal” tables and chairs as well, and people seem a bit more put together here. There are even bookshelves along the sides, toys coming and going to pick out stuff to read. You notice a sign saying: “Take one, leave one- Lending Library”, and wonder if you should check that out at some point. 

You walk up to the counter and practically get bombarded with the scent of baked goods and breakfast. A scottie-looking bean puppy seems to be frantically taking orders, and by the time he gets to you, he looks more than a little frazzled. His nametag reads “TIMOTHY”. 
 

TIMOTHY: W-welcome to Laurie’s Cafe-
TIMOTHY: Oh, you’re staff! Well…
TIMOTHY: Have you been sent over to help out? Or are you here to eat?

 
He desperately looks like he wants you to say the former, but…you know what you’re here for.

[knux400]

...Sorry, I'm just here for a meal. Although I've got some time to kill after, maybe I could help out when I'm finished?

[King-Clod]

We have a shift in the kitchen in about three hours, but...
Man he looks desperate.
"Give me a free bagel or two and I'm yours for about two hours. Can't give you more than that, I'm afraid, I have a kitchen shift."
Should give us an hour to chill after. It'd be off the clock and we might not get paid, but... we already went in the pool when we weren't supposed to. Maybe this could make up for that. We won't make a habit of unpaid shifts though, by any means.

[Zenthis]

Try to look very cool and say ‘pancakes, hold the syrup’