[TOY] Plaything

[skinstealer]

You have to think on this one.

POLKA DOT: Hmm.
POLKA DOT: Can I just use your answer?
CROSSBONE: Huh?
POLKA DOT: My girlfriend turning into a big...skeleton monster, with flames and wolf claws!
POLKA DOT: That's pretty damn spooky.
POLKA DOT: ...but I'm excited for it, too.
POLKA DOT: It's gonna be cool.

 

It's hard to see her pixel character through the snow, but she lets out a shy beep you've come to associate with blushing.

 
CROSSBONE: S-silly...
POLKA DOT: If you want a non-gay answer, dreams.
POLKA DOT: They're scary, sure, but can be super awesome too.
FATALE: Wild thing to say after last night...

 

Her tone is amused, but bitter. You flinch, a bit.

 
POLKA DOT: S...sorry.
POLKA DOT: Was more thinkin' of stuff, like, me being a pirate once.
POLKA DOT: Not...dreams like that.
TIMOTHY: It's okay-
TIMOTHY: I know what you meant.
TIMOTHY: ...still, I wonder if...they'll get worse, or something.
CROSSBONE: I! Do not want to think about that right now.
POLKA DOT: F-fair enough!
POLKA DOT: Uh....Fatale.
FATALE: Mm.
POLKA DOT: What do you do for, uh, hobbies?
FATALE: Bold question to ask someone who's barely been in the outside world for the past year.
POLKA DOT: ...maybe stuff you want to do, then.
FATALE: Hmm...

 

The red-tinted bear thinks to herself, rubbing her elbow as she walks.

 
FATALE: I...am not sure.
FATALE: There are things I'm curious about at Laurie's, I suppose...
FATALE: ...
FATALE: Things I wish I could do, if things were different.

 

She shoots a side glance at Tim, who immediately starts looking nervous.

 
TIMOTHY: D-
TIMOTHY: Do you want me to cover my ears, or something? I-
TIMOTHY: It can be a secret between you and the o-
FATALE: No, no. We're having a truce, now.
FATALE: You can hear.

 

Her glance turns skyward, squinting as some flecks of snow fall on her glasses.

 
FATALE: The idea of putting on performances as a job...I can see why it appeals to Devo.
FATALE: A chance for us to explore and express how much knowledge we have in intimate departments.
FATALE: What I would give to be on a stage...
FATALE: ...
FATALE: ...with Devo.
FATALE: But we share a body.
FATALE: If we were to put on a performance together, it would require...preamble, special fliers, what have you, that out us and our situation.
FATALE: And then who knows what would happen? Maybe people would laugh. Mock us.
FATALE: Who on earth would find this sort of thing appealing.

 

The bitterness returns, more spitting than before.

 
Everyone is quiet.

 
FATALE: ...I suppose we can think about it, though.
FATALE: Something to entertain in our mind.
FATALE: Someday, we may even share those thoughts outside of dreams.
FATALE: ....
FATALE: My turn to ask a question.

 

She takes a deep "breath".

 
FATALE: Roulette-

 

The bot hardly moves its head.

 
FATALE: What, ah-
FATALE: What...do you want to do, when we're home?
FATALE: ...after all this.

 

Its fans suddenly kick into overdrive.
Snowflakes melt on its 'cheek'. You can feel the heat from where you're standing.

 
ROULETTE:  . . .
ROULETTE: ...I'm  n     N-

 

Its voice glitches, turning to static.

 
ROULETTE: nN-N-o t-tttsts-
ROULETTE: u-SsS-ure.

 

Roulette stumbles.
It stops walking.

 
Fatale's the next to stop, peering over at it with a concerned expression.

 
FATALE: ....Roulette?
FATALE: Are you okay?

 

It stares forward at nothing.

 

ROULETTE: ...concerned.
ROULETTE: About the creature we saw before.
ROULETTE: It-
ROULETTE: The commotion as it moved may have stirred up others nearby.
ROULETTE: If that's the case, then we-
ROULETTE: Then it- It- May be our best-
ROULETTE: We need to make sure other creatures won't be coming from that direction.
ROULETTE: If their numbers are high, which is likely, given the amount of noise the giant creature caused,
ROULETTE: Then it would be beneficial for us to have someone to warn the rest if a group of creatures are headed towards us.
ROULETTE: I will make my way further west and walk north in parallel with you all.
ROULETTE: Once I am absolutely sure it won't be an issue, I will make my way back.

 

The bot pivots, beginning to walk in that direction.

 
FATALE: Are-
FATALE: Roulette, someone should go with you-
ROULETTE: No.

 

It states bluntly, with more confidence than you've heard from it before.

 
ROULETTE: It will be more efficient if I go alone.
ROULETTE: If I need to warn everyone, I can make my way back easier that way, with less chance of being seen myself.

 

It trudges its way to the treeline.

 
No one moves, watching it go. The snow seems to obscure it faster than you'd have guessed it to.

 
The snowfall blanketing the air around you is denser now than you realized, filtering your vision like television static.
By the time you blink again, you can't see a single trace of Roulette.

 
FATALE: Shit...
TIMOTHY: ...I'm sure it'll be okay, Fatale.
TIMOTHY: Might...have needed some space.
POLKA DOT: It's, like- the strongest of us here. It'll do fine out there.
FATALE: ...
FATALE: I hope so.

 

Even with your reassurance...


You can't help but play back Roulette's words about leaving in your head.


...it said it'd wait til this is over.
....right?


Cross takes your hand, snapping you out of it.

 
CROSSBONE: ...cmon.
CROSSBONE: If we don't keep moving, it's going to end up far ahead of us.
CROSSBONE: We don't want to get separated further....

 

You steel yourself and nod, the four of you starting to trudge forward.


Fatale's the first to speak up.

 
FATALE: I'm moving my question to Timothy.
TIMOTHY: E-eh?
FATALE: What are you going to do when we're back?
TIMOTHY: ...

 

The scottie dog has to think about it.

 
TIMOTHY: Get to know you all, I guess.
TIMOTHY: As- as much is comfortable.
FATALE: ...
FATALE: Hm.
TIMOTHY: ...it's...important to me to make this work.
TIMOTHY: So I'm going to read! A lot of books!
TIMOTHY: And figure this out?
FATALE: Hmmmmmmm.

 

This time, you sense a slight smile in her voice.

FATALE: We'll see.
CROSSBONE: Oh, you might be able to look up stuff on multipets-
CROSSBONE: I can give you some recommendations!
TIMOTHY: O-oh! Thank you!
FATALE: It would be helpful...
TIMOTHY: Well! That means it's your turn, Willow.
CROSSBONE: Okay...let me have it.
TIMOTHY: Hmmm...
TIMOTHY: Gotta think...oh!
TIMOTHY: What's the first thing you're going to do as a monster?
CROSSBONE: Oh, easy.
CROSSBONE: I don't know what it is, but something tells me everything is just going to be...better, sensory-wise.
CROSSBONE: So I think I'll find the best place to eat in town and have a nice dinner.
CROSSBONE: Maybe even take some back to wherever Silk Ribbon and I are staying.

 

You have to hide a smirk, an unsaid meaning just for the two of you. Nothing to expand upon, not with everybody else here- but...

POLKA DOT: It'll be a date.
CROSSBONE: So, Ribbon, it's your-

 

Frigid wind stabs its way through your coat in a sudden gust, sending a shiver through your vinyl.
Everyone flinches, the group's trek halted suddenly as the weather becomes more ferocious.
It's difficult to keep your eyes open as the snow batters you.
You think Cross might still be talking, but you can't hear her at all.

It doesn't seem to be letting up, either.

You kick yourself for not noticing how bad things were getting.
It's a blizzard.