[TOY] Plaything

[Lilium Mortem]

hehe I see my reputation as a loose canon proceeds me. yeah ok I can do that boss man.

also is this city just full of terrible people? why would they vote for this guy? I mean I figure his odds aren't terrible given you've just described very expensive electoral campaign ads. wait no I know this one, the reason is that the other guy is equally bad if not worse.

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

May as well, should be easy. Besides, a name like saddler screams cult leader or bad lawyer anyway.

[skinstealer]

POLKA DOT: Heh…
 

You can’t help but smirk a bit, Laurie giving you a confused look.

POLKA DOT: Guess my reputation precedes me.
 

The bear’s face softens at that, seemingly relieved you weren’t laughing at the situation itself.

LAURIE: Well…Vine and I are good friends. We talk.
LAURIE: She speaks highly of you…
LAURIE: …but also tells me you need a stern guiding hand. No offense meant.
POLKA DOT: None taken…she’s done a lot for me.
LAURIE: You’ve done a lot for her, too.
POLKA DOT: …really?
LAURIE: I could go on and gossip away, but first-
LAURIE: The original question.
POLKA DOT: Oh, uh-
POLKA DOT: I mean, it should be easy, right?
POLKA DOT: Guy kinda screams like. Bad lawyer anyway.
 

That gets a snicker out of Laurie, the bear almost bumping into a fire hydrant in his giggles.

LAURIE: He does, doesn’t he?
LAURIE: But…even bad lawyers get clients, just through suckering those who have no other options.
LAURIE: Which…is a lot of people, here.
POLKA DOT: …yeah.
 

The two of you walk in silence, the conversation’s mood gone back to feeling dire.

LAURIE: …you’re scared of this place, aren’t you?
POLKA DOT: E-eh?
POLKA DOT: I’m not-
LAURIE: It’s okay to admit that you are.
LAURIE: By asking you that, I’m not seeing if you’re a coward, I’m seeing if you’re smart.
POLKA DOT: …it’s just…
POLKA DOT:  I...is this city just, full of terrible people?
POLKA DOT: Why would they vote for this guy?
POLKA DOT: I get that he’s got all these gross fuckin’ ads everywhere-
POLKA DOT: Is…the other guy in the running just, worse or something?
LAURIE: Hmm.
 

Laurie’s quiet as he thinks things over, glancing over at you occasionally.

LAURIE: It’s an interesting conundrum.
LAURIE: When toys leave the Store…they are placed somewhere seemingly random.
LAURIE: There are many settlements that we know of, countless really-
LAURIE: But this one is considered…well, it’s not held in high regard.
LAURIE: For one thing, it offers no “theme”, no particular draw for any one type of toy.
LAURIE: It’s just a city. And while I see the merits of that, some will argue that it’s boring compared to the more fantastical places out there.
LAURIE: But then you look at the high crime and violence rate…
LAURIE: It does beg the question- why, god why, do people stay?
LAURIE: It varies, but…
LAURIE: Many people just showed up here and this is all they know.
LAURIE: Others realize that the structures in place here can benefit them, even if it’s at the expense of others- primarily those who show up here and know nothing different.
LAURIE: Then…there are people who find others they care about. People they love.
LAURIE: They make a little home for themselves here, amidst all the violence.
LAURIE: And…it becomes hard for them to leave that, into a world of uncertainty.
LAURIE: ….
LAURIE: I know that I probably make that last angle worse for people, by creating a haven that keeps them here.
LAURIE: But…I would rather try than not. I would rather make a space for people that is safe, and hope that change…radiates outward, or something.
LAURIE: It’s part of why my network is so large. I want to make connections that last long after I’m gone.
LAURIE: And…maybe someday, the Saddlers of this city will be toppled. I don’t expect to fill that void, my ambitions don’t line up with becoming a politician or anything-
LAURIE: …but maybe sharing these resources with people will allow someone who could to take a stand.
LAURIE: …am I just an old fool, do you think?

[Lilium Mortem]

No. I think I might have fallen to this city's influence without you. I got here and only felt rage. Imagine where I could have ended up?

I think you might just be preventing some future Sadlers from being made. I think things could change, as long as we keep helping each other.

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

Think you're just being smart. Place does worry me but it's what we got right now, so let's make the best we can out of it.

[skinstealer]

POLKA DOT: Nah, like…
POLKA DOT: You’re being smart.
POLKA DOT: This is what we’ve got right now, right?
POLKA DOT: ‘sides, I probably would’ve gotten fucked up by this city without you.
LAURIE: Oh?
LAURIE: What do you mean?
POLKA DOT: It’s like…
POLKA DOT: When I got here, I woke up on the ground with a lot of anger rumbling around.
POLKA DOT: It’s all I felt, and I didn’t know what to do with it.
POLKA DOT: Still…figuring that part out, but the Place helped me take a second to calm down and get my head in order.
POLKA DOT: Met a lot of nice people, learned a lot of cool things.
POLKA DOT: …it’s hard not to imagine how things would’ve went if I didn’t have that.
 

Laurie’s quiet for a few moments, the only sound being his cane tapping along the sidewalk.

LAURIE: I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.
LAURIE: You may have made some mistakes early on without the Place, yes, but-
LAURIE: From what I can tell, you’re brave and have a strong heart.
LAURIE: …cheesy, and maybe you do have these qualities to a fault-
POLKA DOT: H-hey!
LAURIE: -but those aren’t to be downplayed in a place like this.
LAURIE: It’s part of why you’re going on that adventure outside, isn’t it?
LAURIE: To help someone you care about?
POLKA DOT: …Vine told you about that too, huh?
LAURIE: Oh, word travels. You’re not the only one asking people for advice.
LAURIE: You didn’t think Willow was going into this half-cocked, did you?
 

…you realize that you kind of did think that, a little bit. The whole…becoming a monster goal, it just seemed too out there-

POLKA DOT: She’s…been asking around?
LAURIE: Mm, though not the same questions, I bet.
LAURIE: From what I can tell, she’s been looking into how to manage transformations and the like.
LAURIE: Vine’s told me you’re handling a lot of the prep stuff, party gathering, the works…
LAURIE: …Willow’s making sure that this choice won’t harm you, or anyone else.
LAURIE: Or at the very least, trying to mitigate as much of that damage as possible.
LAURIE: Chances are, this will end in someone getting hurt. Perhaps her, perhaps someone else.
LAURIE: But she’s looking into ways to bounce back from that.
LAURIE: …you should ask her about it, when you get there.
POLKA DOT: Guess so, huh…
LAURIE: I’m sure you have your own worries, too…
POLKA DOT: Boy, you could say that again.
LAURIE: Then why don’t you pitch them to me?
LAURIE: We can rehearse.
LAURIE: Tell me what’s getting to you about all this.

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

Honestly with everything said, I want to really know fully what I'm getting into here. No getting sucker punched, no surprirses that get others hurt, what kind of damage we're really facing.

[skinstealer]

POLKA DOT: …with everything I’ve heard so far…
POLKA DOT: I want to know what I’m getting into. Not just…surface level stuff, the whole deal.
POLKA DOT: I don’t wanna get sucker punched, I don’t want any surprises that lead to somebody getting fucked over, I wanna know just how bad it’s gonna get.
LAURIE: You want to know every risk, then.
POLKA DOT: Yeah! Yeah, exactly.
 

Laurie laughs, catching you off guard immediately.

LAURIE: Good luck with that.
POLKA DOT: I-I mean-
LAURIE: You’re headed out into the wilds!
LAURIE: You’d have a better shot of guessing the future literally anywhere else.
LAURIE: I know that’s not reassuring, but listen-
LAURIE: You’re going about this wrong.
 

You huff, it coming out more like a strained squeak.

POLKA DOT: How should I go about it, then.
LAURIE: Don’t get huffy with me, kid. This is good advice coming up!
LAURIE: When you’re dealing with the narrative, especially wild narrative, you have to think bigger than just “the risks”.
LAURIE: You can’t account for everything, you just can’t. There’s too many options.
LAURIE: Knowing them is still useful, but let’s break it down.
LAURIE: You’ve got monsters! I could give you a whole bestiary on those and you’d still be likely to deal with nasty surprises.
LAURIE: You’ve got hazards- and in your case, that’s likely to be weather. Unpredictable even on the best days.
LAURIE:  And then, worst of all- other people.
LAURIE: While running into other travelers is rare outside of settlements themselves, you still could have conflict amongst your party.
LAURIE: All of this is probably making your head spin, isn’t it?
POLKA DOT: You’re doing a really bad job at making me feel better about this.
LAURIE: That’s because I haven’t gotten to that part yet!
LAURIE: You can look up every single detail about where you’re going in as many books as you can, try to figure out every path-
LAURIE: But there’s going to be one path, in the end. And that is what it is, it’s the journey you take..
LAURIE: Prep is important. Don’t shirk on that.
LAURIE: But…use that to make goals.
LAURIE: Concrete, yet flexible.
POLKA DOT: …how can a goal be both of those things?
LAURIE: Well…let’s see.
LAURIE: What would you say your main goal is, with all this?

[Ignispark]

Well, there's two main goals really.
1. Don't let anyone die. (Dying is illegal.)
2. Project Prophecy Monster (The main goal)

I mean,,, they're concrete in the fact they're discrete. Well defined? Not really sure how to be flexible on them other than like. Getting to them? Or accepting the inevitability that partial or total failure may be utterly out of the control of anything but fickle chance...what are you getting at????

[skinstealer]

POLKA DOT: Uhhh…
POLKA DOT: Nnnnot dying?
LAURIE: Good start.
LAURIE: What else?
POLKA DOT: …well…
POLKA DOT: Getting Willow to become a monster, I guess.
LAURIE: Mmmhm.
LAURIE: I’ve met people with similar goals, actually.
POLKA DOT: Wait, really?
LAURIE: We can get into it after this.
LAURIE: Do you have conviction in these goals?
POLKA DOT: I mean, yeah.
POLKA DOT: I know I don’t want to die, and I know this is what Willow wants.
LAURIE: Then that’s the concrete part.
POLKA DOT: So you mean, they’re…well defined?
LAURIE: Mmmmmmmmmmhm.
POLKA DOT: Then…is flexibility, like- related to getting to them?
LAURIE: That’s one way to interpret it, yes.
LAURIE: You have these goals, you believe in them-
LAURIE: But things may change and shift around as you go, and you’ll have to change your course to accommodate.
LAURIE: More succinctly…
LAURIE: If you have a strong goal, the narrative is more likely to work with that.
LAURIE: How it works with that is out of your hands, so be willing to wiggle around and get weird with it along the way.
LAURIE: Well, somewhat.
LAURIE: But more advanced narrative manipulation, well, I don’t know if you’re ready for something like that.
LAURIE: We’ll see!
 

You feel even more confused than earlier.

How does anyone make sense of this guy....

POLKA DOT: Th…thank you? For the…ad…vice?
LAURIE: You’re welcome!
 

Still, he’s trying to help me…
And…

POLKA DOT: What were you saying about the whole…knowing people with similar goals thing?
LAURIE: When you’re as old as I am, you meet a lot of different kinds of people.
LAURIE: And I’ve known some people in my time with similar quests- seeking out magic, especially transformative kinds.
LAURIE: After all, doesn’t everyone want to be a little different than how they currently are?
LAURIE: Dysmorphia’s a hell of a drug.
 

A little twinkle shows up in his beady eyes.

LAURIE: Go on, ask away.
LAURIE: I can tell you’re dying to know.

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

What's your drug? Give us the beans.

[skinstealer]

POLKA DOT: Dysmorphia as some kind of drug…you say that like you deal with it yourself, or something.
POLKA DOT: Why not spill the beans on that?
 

Laurie blinks his beady eyes.

LAURIE: Well, I was more expecting you to ask about other people wanting to turn into monsters and such, but-
LAURIE: I suppose I have my own issues as well, yes.
LAURIE:  Not! With turning into a monster per se.
LAURIE: Dysmorphia tends to go hand in hand with dysphoria, and I deal with that a fair bit.
POLKA DOT: You lost me.
LAURIE: Hmm, how do I put this…
LAURIE: When I came to in the Store, I was labelled as a “girl toy”- most Bean Buddies have some kind of gendering in their tag poems, and that’s what I got slapped with.
LAURIE: I liked the clothes found in the aisles I was born in, but when people called me all kinds of feminine words, it just didn’t stick with me.
LAURIE: Not until I got to the real world and started using them in a way that felt good, anyhow.
LAURIE: I don’t mind being called a girl now, just…on my own terms.
LAURIE: Girl, but as a performance.
LAURIE: A lot of people refer to what I do as drag, but I personally prefer crossdressing. It feels…right.
LAURIE: Since starting the Place, I’ve tried to be especially welcoming to toys who need a space for that kind of thing.
LAURIE: Whether it’s wanting to become a monster or play around with gender and their own body, anyone who messes with their presentation is welcome under my roof.
 

You think back to your time Cross put you in a corset, imagining the changed shape it gave you…

POLKA DOT: Yeah. I think I get it.
POLKA DOT: I’m happy being a…whatever I am, a girl, I guess?
POLKA DOT: But…there’s been stuff I’ve done that makes me feel extra good about it.
POLKA DOT: Does that count?
LAURIE: Mmmhm.
LAURIE: Anything that gives you that little rush.
LAURIE: Ah, look-!
 

He gestures with his cane to an upcoming building, two stories made of molded plastic bricks with some kind of colored flag in one of the windows.

LAURIE: Bold of him to put those up…
LAURIE: But here we are! Featherweight’s!
LAURIE: Looks like the narrative thought that was a good point to end on, eh?
LAURIE: About time, I could use a sit down…
 

Even with his bad leg, he manages to lead the way, holding the door open for you.

 

The space inside is absolutely covered in work in progress garments, reams of fabric stacked high enough to reach the ceiling. Something about it fills you with a sense of wonder-

How much stuff could you make here?!

LAURIE: Featherweight, we’re here!
 

The voice that follows is muffled, a stork bean buddy barely managing to poke his head out from behind a pile of supplies.

????: We? Who’s-
????: Ah!
????: You’ve brought a guest.
????: Is this…the Silk Ribbon I’ve heard about?
LAURIE: The one and only.
 

As the stork steps out of the mess, you notice two things immediately-

One, he’s wearing a cute, strappy outfit, decked out in suspenders and a pleated skirt.

Two, he is tall.

He extends a wing, his expression soft.

FEATHERWEIGHT: Pleasure to meet you.
FEATHERWEIGHT: Willow’s told me so much.

[Lilium Mortem]

Activate *realistic* wing to wing shaking action!(handshake)

I hope only the good stuff. Nice to meet another bird, I love your wings. Thank you so much for letting Willow use your facilities and letting me come by.

[skinstealer]

You extend your own wing to meet his, the stork giving you a nice firm shake.

Nice to meet another bird…

POLKA DOT: Hope you’ve only heard the good stuff.
FEATHERWEIGHT: Good is in the eye of the beholder, but if you mean hearing gushing from Willow-!
 

That gets painted blush to spread all across your face, torn between being shy about it or feeling proud of the bond you’ve built with Cross.

POLKA DOT: Well, I mean-
POLKA DOT: W-watch out, I can talk a mean game back when it comes to her.
FEATHERWEIGHT: As long as it doesn’t detract from the work, talking’s more than welcome in my shop.
POLKA DOT: Yeah, thanks for letting Willow use this place-
FEATHERWEIGHT: Use? Please, she helps keep me in business.
FEATHERWEIGHT: Her modeling has sold us a lot of stock.
FEATHERWEIGHT: It’s all I can do to let her use my shop when she needs it.
FEATHERWEIGHT: …granted, when she’s back from your little adventure, I’m planning on offering her a seamstress position.
 

He winks.

FEATHERWEIGHT: But you didn’t hear that from me.
 

When we come back…

…what is it going to be like, when we come back?

You hadn’t really thought about it before now- Cross would be a monster, then.

Would she still be able to get the job?

Featherweight seems to pause as he looks at your expression, only to be distracted by Laurie wandering off to poke at various fabric reams.

FEATHERWEIGHT: Ah ah ah! Be careful!
LAURIE: Oh, it’s fine.
LAURIE: Stop worrying about an old man perusing your goods.
FEATHERWEIGHT: You, sir, cannot get away with the elderly card.
FEATHERWEIGHT: The last time I left you unattended, you caused a massive collapse of the fabric stacks-
LAURIE: I saw a button I wanted to put on my coat!
FEATHERWEIGHT: And I would have given it to you, if you let me grab it-
 

You step away from the two men bickering, wandering through the shop yourself.

There’s so many colors, and with just how valuable fabric is…you can’t help but wonder how such a store stays stocked. Just being around this many sewing supplies makes your wings itching to make things…

You take a turn and stop dead in your tracks, hiding behind a stack of materials.

Cross is there, working at a little sewing machine miniature and looking very intent on her work. Her chain tail thumps the ground at even intervals, a tell you’ve come to recognize as her deep, deep in thought.

She hasn’t even seemed to notice your arrival to the shop, completely immersed in it.

[Lilium Mortem]

Wait until she's at a natural stopping point before you go up and talk to her, you don't want to startle her and mess up her work so far.

(Gay)ze longingly at your partner. Oh oh take a picture of her with your phone. Canded photos of your loved ones are always fun.

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

Pose cool for when she eventually turns around.

[skinstealer]

You don’t approach right away, choosing to watch for a little while.

You realize after a moment that she’s actually humming to herself, a soft chime that just slightly varies in pitch and volume.

Never seen that before…

It’s so cute…

You get the feeling you could listen to it forever.

The feeling lingers, filling your chest with a warm, fuzzy sensation. You know through your vague memories that you’ve felt something similar, a long time ago- but it still feels new and special now, this strange and beautiful emotion that may be a little scary, too. Right now, though- you don’t feel any fear.

Just her.

She makes a noise all of a sudden, and you almost startle, immediately assuming a cool leaning pose against the material stack.

Gotta look cool-

But she doesn’t look up, just fussing with the needle on her machine.

CROSSBONE: Fiddly little thing…
 

It’s at least a few more minutes before you clear your throat, the sound coming out a little squeaky.

Cross looks up with a happy expression on her screen, recognizing the sound immediately.

CROSSBONE: You goof!
CROSSBONE: …how long have you been standing there?

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

Not long enough.

[Lilium Mortem]

Not long enough.

Waggle your eyebrows whilst saying this.

ask her what she was humming, if it was anything in particular. also what's she working on?

[skinstealer]

You lower your eyelids and waggle your brow, getting a beeping giggle out of Cross immediately.

POLKA DOT: Not long enough.
CROSSBONE: You’re too silly.
POLKA DOT: I mean it. I could look all day.
CROSSBONE: You’re just flattering me…
POLKA DOT: No, I mean it-
 

You notice that her posture seems to hunch over, just enough to be noticed.

POLKA DOT: …you okay?
CROSSBONE: Just…a lot on my mind.
CROSSBONE: You know how it is.
 

Must be about the adventure…
…I can’t say I know how wanting to be a giant monster is, but…

POLKA DOT: You wanna talk about it?
 

Cross shakes her head, gesturing to the mess of fabric surrounding her.

CROSSBONE: I can’t afford to take breaks.
CROSSBONE: We’ve got a whole party’s worth of outfits to make and I’ve only gotten Tim’s halfway done.
POLKA DOT: Halfway? Didn’t you just start today?
CROSSBONE: I work fast, I guess….
CROSSBONE: Tim tossed me a thrifted coat to work with before heading off to work this morning, said that he’s had it for a while now.
CROSSBONE: I’ve been lining that to make it more durable for harsh weather- it was plenty warm, but we might be dealing with proper blizzards out there.
CROSSBONE: Going to be making him a snowsuit to wear underneath…
CROSSBONE: Devo also sent me his requests, and those I’m going to need to do research for.
CROSSBONE: Going to try and do some braces for his arms, legs and core. Stuff that holds stuffing and pellets more in place…
CROSSBONE: …I think I can do it. I know I can.