[TOY] Plaything

[skinstealer]

POLKA DOT: ...u-uh
????: Nine.

 

SHIT

POLKA DOT: my friend girlfriend i dunno she wants to turn into a monster and i wanted to help her and we were doing great and the giant monster attacked us and oh god thanks for saving us-

 

The wolfduck squeezes his painted eyes shut.

????: Okay, stop.
POLKA DOT: is everything okay where am i it doesnt count for the ten seconds thing right-
????: Stop.
POLKA DOT: and with the narrative thing how are you gonna enforce ten seconds what if i say something REALLY important-

 

He reaches forward and claps your beak shut with both wings.

????: Please shut up.

 

Another voice rings out, coming from the corner of the room.

????: Mange, I think she's just stupid.

 

The toy standing there- and now that you're coming to better, you can tell that you're in some kind of...cabin, or lodge or something- looks like a wolf plush, but when she emotes, you can see animatronic plastic.

????: I told you. They're nothing.
MANGE: ....

 

The wolfduck snarls, his mouth still curved into a perma-grin.

MANGE: You know we have to be safer rather than sorry, Snicker.
MANGE: They killed a ragmirror. Eviscerated it.
SNICKER: Yeah, well-
POLKA DOT: ...wait-
POLKA DOT: It-
POLKA DOT: It wasn't one of you who finished it off...?

 

Both toys freeze, looking at you with wide eyes.

MANGE: Shit-
SNICKER: Oh no, don't you start-
MANGE: It's that damn THIEF
SNICKER: Mange cmon please don't start-
MANGE: That little shit thinks they can come in here and steal our kills-
SNICKER: They didn't even take the body, dude-
MANGE: It's WASTEFUL-

 

The animatronic plush presses her face into her paws, her mouth growing equally toothy as she groans.

SNICKER: I know you want that guy's hide.
SNICKER: But you are jumping at shadows again
MANGE: I
MANGE: Am keeping us safe-
SNICKER: You're paranoid is what you are-
POLKA DOT: um

 

You realize that you have walked into something far more complicated than you're ready to deal with.

SNICKER: Maybe they just wanted to kill something big
MANGE: By the time we got there the body was fucking unsalvageable that could have been materials for weeks
SNICKER: Oh like youve been so good at getting materials yourself lately Vortex is barely able to pick apart your kills
MANGE: WATCH YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH
SNICKER: NO YOU WATCH IT YOU UPTIGHT

 

With the two wolf toys screaming at each other, you decide to get a feel for your surroundings.

Mange is sitting in an armchair and wearing a worn down flannel, plaid and looking more ratty than anything you've seen at Laurie's, and equally beat up jeans. Outdoorsy boots with a shape familiar to your own, as well...confirmation he's a rubber duck, I guess. His rubber "fur" is a bright brown, and you notice specks of dirt and stains spread all over it.

You start to sweat when you notice a plastic shotgun by his leg.

oh god

Snicker is dressed similarly, but with a thick black turtleneck instead of a flannel shirt. There's still snow on her boots, and a large battleaxe propped against the wall next to her. She's built short and thick, and judging by the animatronic parts on her face- you doubt that getting hit by her would be a gentle plush thump. Her facial expression changes wildly as she speaks, oscillating between a terrifying snarl and a deadpan tired stare within seconds.

theyre armed to the fucking teeth

The room itself is...surprisingly cozy. Some kind of lodge playset for sure, with a large stone fireplace, fur and fabric rugs and wall hangings on almost every surface, and a slew of armchairs and floor pillows. You realize you're in one yourself, and that despite it all, you're more comfortable than you'd have expected.

There's also surreal heads mounted onto the wall, plaques underneath.

god i hope those are monsters

SNICKER: SEE? She can't even pay attention to what you're saying-

 

You snap back to attention, realizing it's back to you.

Mange snaps his wing-tips in front of your face, your beak scrunching up.

POLKA DOT: I-I'm paying attention!
MANGE: Great. Could have fooled me.
MANGE: Look.
MANGE: Your friends are in our infirmary right now.
MANGE: You're the person left mostly intact after that-
POLKA DOT: Wh-
MANGE: So I need answers from you.
MANGE: Fucking, corpse thief aside-
SNICKER: THEY DIDNT EVEN TAKE THE CORPSE
MANGE: CAN IT
MANGE: You said you wanted to get your fucking girlfriend cursed.
MANGE: Am I following that right?

 

You manage a strained nod.

MANGE: One:
MANGE: You're a fucking idiot for seeking that out.
MANGE: But, two:
MANGE: We've got problems with two known quantities right now.
MANGE: Somebody's cursing people like crazy at the moment-
MANGE: And somebody's stealing our hunting spoils.
SNICKER: Maaaaaybe they're the same person.
MANGE: THEY ARE NOT YOU KNOW MY THEORIES ON THIS

 

Snicker smirks, watching the wolfduck fume.

MANGE: God, you're-

 

He takes a deep breath.

MANGE: Clearly, you've managed to get the attention of one of them.
MANGE: You wanna get your ass cursed?
MANGE: Try catching the eye of the other one too.
MANGE: Gonna make it much easier for me to put a bullet in that fucker's head.
POLKA DOT: ....
POLKA DOT: You want to use us as bait...?
MANGE: Got a problem with that?
MANGE: We're giving you resources.
MANGE: And I run this place- I can easily kick your party out of the clinic at any time.
MANGE: You waltz around trying to get yourselves in trouble, we keep an eye on you while you do, and when you get what you want-

 

He grins, no happiness to it.

MANGE: So do we.