[TOY] Plaything

[skinstealer]

You nod.

POLKA DOT: It's hard to figure out a place to start, but...
POLKA DOT: It started with me walking into the ruins from yesterday- but like, before it was ruins.
POLKA DOT: There was this...circle, and I went and stood in it.
POLKA DOT: ...people started showing up in it too, and I saw, like...
 

You are now realizing just how...private these visions must have been- or at least, if they were actually depicting things accurately for people.

POLKA DOT: ...reflections of them, I guess.
TIMOTHY: ...well, what does-
TIMOTHY: What did you see, then?
POLKA DOT: ...
POLKA DOT: Like I said, the...bears? Were there, not first, but-
POLKA DOT: I saw Devo, like...talking to the other voices.
POLKA DOT: There were all these colors, and everyone seemed pretty at odds with each other...
POLKA DOT: Eventually it all came to a stop, when- the shadowy one talked.
 

Fatale tenses up.

FATALE: ...what did he say?
POLKA DOT: Something along the lines of..."making them see the real you", or something, to Devo.
POLKA DOT: Them being...us, I guess.
 

The red bear makes a loud "tsk" sound, looking away.

FATALE: The nerve.
FATALE: Always thinking he knows everything...
POLKA DOT: He didn't say much, but...didn't sound very friendly.
FATALE: That's because he isn't.
CROSSBONE: ...it's...a dream, though.
CROSSBONE: Yeah, it's- it's very, very weird that he would show up when you don't actually know him, but-
CROSSBONE: We can't...make judgments based on a dream.
CROSSBONE: At least, I'd- I'd rather know this person first.
FATALE: ...
 

She "hmph"'s, but doesn't speak up further.

CROSSBONE: ...were we all there?
POLKA DOT: Yeah.
POLKA DOT: You were...
 

You feel yourself have trouble, with this one.

POLKA DOT: You were low battery.
POLKA DOT: And, not doing good-
POLKA DOT: You kept talking about...a reset.
POLKA DOT: To have me reset you.
 

Cross makes a startled beep before wringing her hands.

CROSSBONE: Oh, I-
CROSSBONE: I'm sorry.
CROSSBONE: I- I wouldn't ask you to do that.
CROSSBONE: It's- it's something I used to think about a lot, before we met, but-
CROSSBONE: ...
CROSSBONE: Sorry.
 

...you aren't sure what to say.

TIMOTHY: Okay, so-!
TIMOTHY: It's definitely showing personal stuff!
TIMOTHY: Things that- are not really things people want to be known.
 

You can see some franticness in his eyes, your own anxiety rising.

TIMOTHY: What was there-
TIMOTHY: -f-for me.
 

It comes out as a pained exhale.

POLKA DOT: ...
POLKA DOT: You had...ropes on you.
POLKA DOT: Lots of them, and they kept getting tighter.
POLKA DOT: There was this- this other toy there, and she was calling you the wrong na-
TIMOTHY: Don't say it.
TIMOTHY: Just-
TIMOTHY: I want to know the rest.
TIMOTHY: ...but not the name.
TIMOTHY: Something...about that feels like it's too much.
 

He rubs his eyes.

TIMOTHY: ...it's not something I want to remember.
 

Fatale seems to  have some degree of...recognition on her face, as if considering expressing sympathy and deciding against it.

POLKA DOT: ...that's fine, man.
POLKA DOT: She was just...weird to you.
POLKA DOT: Trying to say we were bad influences.
TIMOTHY: ....
 

He nods, taking it in.

TIMOTHY: ...sounds about right....
TIMOTHY: ...
TIMOTHY: ...thank you, for telling me.
TIMOTHY: I...don't buy into the idea that you're "bad influences", any of you.
TIMOTHY: So...whoever that was, she can fuck off, or whatever.
TIMOTHY: Weird...dream person.
 

There's quiet as the obvious next step in the explanation sinks in, Roulette's refusal to say anything feeling....foreboding.

...you are not sure you want to talk about it either, to be frank.

POLKA DOT: So, uh-
POLKA DOT: With-
POLKA DOT: Uh-
POLKA DOT: Roulette's, stuff-
 

Roulette's lens opens a couple millimeters wider at mention of itself.
It's still glancing away, or at the floor; anywhere but at Anyone in the group.

POLKA DOT: It had its scarf on, and there were these eyes it was talking back and forth with-
POLKA DOT: Some of it sounded familiar, but it's hard to say.
POLKA DOT: ...a lot of negative stuff. None of it was really...kind, or positive, or anything-
 

...you don't really want to elaborate on that.

POLKA DOT: And the eyes on its scarf would close. The wall ones, too.
POLKA DOT: ...until it got...put in some kind of cage.
POLKA DOT: Sorry, I-
POLKA DOT: I can't remember every detail.
 

You expect to hear the robot's fans whirring up faster as they usually do, but strangely they drop in speed to a near-whisper in volume.
The bot has yet to look at you, its posture statue-still.

ROULETTE: . . .
ROULETTE: I apologize.
ROULETTE: That you had to deal with any of that.
ROULETTE: ...If that's all you need from me, I should return to my post.
ROULETTE: I do not want to leave us undefended.
POLKA DOT: W-wait, uh-
POLKA DOT: At the end of the dream, everyone-
 

You don't have it in you to go into specifics.

POLKA DOT: ...died, I think.
POLKA DOT: ...
POLKA DOT: ....it...was a shitty nightmare.
ROULETTE:    .   .   .
ROULETTE: ...everyone?
POLKA DOT: ...yeah.
POLKA DOT: I...think, it might have just been stress on my end.
ROULETTE: ...I. Apologize.
ROULETTE: ...that you had. T-o...
 

It trails off.

FATALE: It's a dream.

Her voice comes out cold, irritated at first- but softens.

FATALE: It's not something you- or any of us- need to apologize for.
FATALE: Yes, it's showing Polka things she has no right to know.
POLKA DOT: H-hey-
FATALE: But it doesn't sound like Polka has a situation like mine, where dreams are all I have.
FATALE: If anything, it sounds like the narrative's trying to rattle us.
FATALE: Well!
FATALE: I refuse to kneel to it!
CROSSBONE: But-!
FATALE: No but's!
FATALE: You want this, don't you?
CROSSBONE: Y-yes, well-
FATALE: Then have a spine and own it.
 

Roulette 'calmly' makes its way to the tent entrance.

ROULETTE: I need to return to keeping watch.
ROULETTE: Ap...ologies.
FATALE: Roule-!
 

She sighs, unable to get the word out before it's gone.

FATALE: ...
TIMOTHY: ...
CROSSBONE: ...
POLKA DOT: ....
CROSSBONE: ...are you sure, we should keep going?
CROSSBONE: I could go alone-
TIMOTHY: No way.
TIMOTHY: We're not that far out yet, but-
TIMOTHY: Fatale is...probably right.
TIMOTHY: It's just the narrative trying to shake us up.
TIMOTHY: Makes for a "better story", right?
CROSSBONE: ...right.
CROSSBONE: ...I just hope I'm doing the right thing...
FATALE: Well...
 

The bear gets up with a stretch, heading back to her and Tim's section of the tent.

FATALE: I'm not risking my life for this to be nothing to you.
FATALE: You'll get what you want one way or another.
FATALE: I'm going to gather our things.
TIMOTHY: Do you need any help-
FATALE: No.
TIMOTHY: ...got it.
TIMOTHY: I'll...wait for you to clear out, then.
CROSSBONE: I...should clean up too.
CROSSBONE: We don't want to lose too much daylight...
 

With that, the party fully disperses, leaving you in the center of the tent.

Cross is in your section, Fatale is in hers, and Tim's close by, by the fire. Roulette's outside, keeping watch.

...what do you do now? Is there anything you want to do before leaving?