[TOY] Plaything

[skinstealer]

POLKA DOT: ...yyeeeeeeah.
POLKA DOT: It's....
TIMOTHY: Suspicious?
POLKA DOT: Mmmmm.
CROSSBONE: ...you're the only one who's been out of this infirmary.
CROSSBONE: Did...you find out anything-?

 

You nod, your face scrunching into a grimace.

POLKA DOT: Talked to the "management", at least.
TIMOTHY: ...how screwed are we?
POLKA DOT: I don't like the way it looks, if I'm gonna be honest...
POLKA DOT: Mange, the guy in charge-
POLKA DOT: He said this place was, like-
POLKA DOT: He says he inherited it from "old faith".
POLKA DOT: I don't really know what that, means, but-
SCOUT: Oh!

 

Scout pounds a fist into his other paw, eyes widening.

SCOUT: I might!

 

Everyone turns to look at him.

SCOUT: I did a lot of reading before coming out here.
TIMOTHY: ...did you think to take notes for the others...?

 

Scout shakes his head.

SCOUT: Unfortunately no...I suppose I thought I'd have more time to do that than I actually got.
SCOUT: Time management's not easy like this...
SCOUT: BUT
SCOUT: I do remember something about religion being mentioned.
SCOUT: Something about this area having a very prominent group...

 

He squeezes his eyes shut, visibly trying to remember.

SCOUT: ...shoot.
POLKA DOT: Did you forget?!
SCOUT: You try being in a dark corner of someone's head for-

 

Scout tries to count out loud.

SCOUT: I don't know!
SCOUT: It's harder than you think!
TIMOTHY: It's-
TIMOTHY: It's fine.
TIMOTHY: We know there's some kind of...religious nuts here.
POLKA DOT: Used to be in charge, from what I can tell...Mange doesn't seem like he's too big on it from what I can tell, but...
CROSSBONE: But...
POLKA DOT: ...he says we gotta keep certain things toned down.
CROSSBONE: ....

 

She looks more than a little nervous about that phrasing.

CROSSBONE: D-
TIMOTHY: What k...kind of things?

 

You can't make eye contact with any of them.

POLKA DOT: ...he said people are less tolerant here.
TIMOTHY: Fuck me.
TIMOTHY: You mean we came all this way for people to be weird about us being fucking gay?
POLKA DOT: W-well-
POLKA DOT: Not just that-

 

Everyone looks like they're going to have a wide range of panic attacks.

POLKA DOT: Apparently they really-
POLKA DOT: REALLY don't like the whole "get cursed on purpose" thing.
POLKA DOT: ....
POLKA DOT: ....and mentioned having seen that one of us is "modded".

 

Scout and Tim immediately go pale.

TIMOTHY: D-
TIMOTHY: Did he mention who-
POLKA DOT: N-
SCOUT: It-
SCOUT: It's...fine.

 

The bear reaches out and gives Tim's shoulder a pat, the dog's expression looking pained.

SCOUT: I can say it.
SCOUT: ....
SCOUT: Us bears, we-
SCOUT: We're modified, yeah.
SCOUT: We got injured back before Lauries, and Tim patched us up.
SCOUT: I imagine a patch might not appear like much to the average person- just a repair job.

 

He rubs the side of his face.

SCOUT: ...but our injury was sexual in nature.
SCOUT: A deliberate tear in a seam, to- I don't know.
SCOUT: Saddler had his proclivities, haha!

 

Scout sounds like he's about to snap.

CROSSBONE: jeez...
SCOUT: We dealt with it fine enough for a long time.
SCOUT: Devo ended up stitching it up when it needed it- but he's not a doctor. It would always loosen back up.
SCOUT: ...Tim gave us a proper patch.
SCOUT: And, yknow- it's cute!

 

Tim hides his face in his paws.

TIMOTHY: I'm-
SCOUT: It is cute, and you should be proud of it.
SCOUT: You learned just for us!
SCOUT: It's very sweet.
TIMOTHY: Mmmgh-
TIMOTHY: But it got you hurt!
TIMOTHY: W-what if they do something to you?!
SCOUT: We'll address that if it comes up.
SCOUT: Whether a visible rip or a cute heart patch to cover it up, we were going to get nailed as...a pervert, or whatever they think we are, anyway.
SCOUT: ....
SCOUT: Just how our life goes, I guess.

 

He sighs.

SCOUT: ...but that's that. Now we're on the same page.
POLKA DOT: I'm-
POLKA DOT: Fuck man, you shouldn't have had to tell us that-
SCOUT: I don't personally mind much, but...
SCOUT: Be...gentle about it with the other three.
SCOUT: ...
SCOUT: Especially the one you met last night.
POLKA DOT: Yeah, I-
POLKA DOT: You said you didn't know if he was okay.
SCOUT: Not a clue.
SCOUT: ...he saved you, though?
CROSSBONE: We couldn't have gotten through that fight without him.
CROSSBONE: I wish I knew his name...
SCOUT: ...if he has one, it isn't known to any of us.
SCOUT: I knew he was friends with Roulette, but...
SCOUT: This is definitely the first time I've heard of him actively sticking his neck out for people.
SCOUT: Good omen, if you ask me.
POLKA DOT: And there's no way to contact him?

 

The yellow-tinted bear shakes his head.

SCOUT: I can keep an eye out, and at minimum, write notes for him.
SCOUT: It'd probably be good for us to keep a running journal, at this rate...
SCOUT: But!
SCOUT: I was able to hear a little in my dream last night.
TIMOTHY: I-is he okay?
SCOUT: ...
SCOUT: I mean-

 

He winces.

SCOUT: It...was mainly crying noises, that I heard.
SCOUT: Ones that didn't line up with Devo's, or Fatale's.
SCOUT: No matter how hard I tried to approach, I couldn't get closer to the source of the noise.
SCOUT: Just...further, and further.
SCOUT: ...driving me away.

 

Tim places his head in his hands again, making a distressed canine whine.

TIMOTHY: God, I probably freaked him out so bad-!
TIMOTHY: Why did I have to say that before blacking out, he-
TIMOTHY: Fatale even said he doesn't like me, and I said I wanted to hug him-

 

Scout blinks.

SCOUT: ...do you?
TIMOTHY: I-I mean!

 

He pulls his hands away, a bit of tear-embroidery on his face.

TIMOTHY: He was so-
TIMOTHY: He was acting so heroic-
TIMOTHY: And I-I know his words were harsh, but he gave everything to help us-
TIMOTHY: M-maybe it's stupid, but-

 

He tries to wipe his face.

TIMOTHY: ...yes. I wanted to hug him.
TIMOTHY: ....
SCOUT: .....
SCOUT: Do you have a crush o-
TIMOTHY: CMON MAN
SCOUT: It's fine if you do-
TIMOTHY: IT WAS A HIGH STRESS SITUATION
CROSSBONE: I-it's okay, Tim-
POLKA DOT: You can't help it if you thought he was cool-
TIMOTHY: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

He buries his head in a pillow, Scout looking more than a little amused.

SCOUT: It's sweet, Tim...don't you worry.
TIMOTHY: Y-yeah, but-
TIMOTHY: ...
TIMOTHY: .......I don't want him to be creeped out.
SCOUT: Then you can cross that bridge when you see him again!
SCOUT: At the very least, you can tell him "good job!" for saving your lives.
POLKA DOT: That at minimum.
POLKA DOT: Dude was a beast out there.
CROSSBONE: We've got to tell Fatale what happened, in any case.
TIMOTHY: ....Devo, too...

 

You all fall quiet.

SCOUT: ...he'll be back.
SCOUT: He's always back!
SCOUT: I promise.

 

Tim nods, sighing.

TIMOTHY: For now, let's-
TIMOTHY: Let's just focus on the situation at hand.
TIMOTHY: So we're in a town full of religious bigots.
POLKA DOT: Looks that way.
CROSSBONE: Should we leave...?
SCOUT: Can't.

 

You turn to look at him.

SCOUT: Not just a "shouldn't", but a "can't".

 

He gestures at the intensive care curtain.

SCOUT: While the four of us are recovering okay, Roulette's going to need time.
SCOUT: I'm not willing to rush that.

 

His voice is firm.

SCOUT: No objections. You'd have to leave us here too.
CROSSBONE: N-no one's leaving anyone!
CROSSBONE: Just-
TIMOTHY: ...yeah.
TIMOTHY: I'm not leaving Roulette either.
POLKA DOT: Ditto.
CROSSBONE: Then we're in agreement.
CROSSBONE: But then...what?
TIMOTHY: ...we came here to get you cursed.
TIMOTHY: We may as well do that and get the hell out.
POLKA DOT: About that...
POLKA DOT: ....
POLKA DOT: They...do want to...help? Us do that.
TIMOTHY: ...huh?
CROSSBONE: I thought you said they-
POLKA DOT: It is! Complicated!
POLKA DOT: And very stupid!

 

Scout leans in.

SCOUT: I can work with stupid. What's the plan?
POLKA DOT: So there's- there was this sword guy.
POLKA DOT: At the fight. Before I passed out, somebody split the fucking ragmirror in half.
TIMOTHY: IN HALF-?
POLKA DOT: I mean-
POLKA DOT: Us, Cross and the bear did a lot of damage before then!
POLKA DOT: But, yeah. In half.
POLKA DOT: I didn't even see what did it. Just-
POLKA DOT: A guy walking with some kind of huge sword.
POLKA DOT: ...the hunters here say they've been interfering with their kills. They don't like them much.
POLKA DOT: So there's that-
POLKA DOT: And yeah, someone going around actively cursing people.
CROSSBONE: Oh!

 

She lets out an excited beep.

CROSSBONE: So there's-!
POLKA DOT: Yeah. A chance we can make this happen.
POLKA DOT: ...and they want to use that.
TIMOTHY: I don't like the word "use" there.
POLKA DOT: ....
POLKA DOT: Mange figures that if the sword guy was interested in us...
SCOUT: The curse user may be as well!
POLKA DOT: Yeah.

 

Scout taps his chin.

SCOUT: It's not completely unsound. I could see it.
SCOUT: I mean- we're travelers!
SCOUT: It would be narratively interesting for us to get into trouble...
CROSSBONE: ...and what do they want us to, um, do with that?
POLKA DOT: ...he says he can follow us around, we can get cursed and then he can shoot the curse user in the head.

 

Everyone winces.

TIMOTHY: Well-adjusted bunch we're dealing with here.
POLKA DOT: Yeah.
POLKA DOT: I didn't agree to anything, but-
SCOUT: I say we do it.
SCOUT: If we play into this, it could work out for us!
CROSSBONE: ...I don't think it'd be a bad idea, either...not huge on us being followed, though...
TIMOTHY: Especially with the whole. Everything.
POLKA DOT: ...yeah. We'll have to be careful.
POLKA DOT: But-!

 

There's a knock at the door, everyone going quiet before it swings open.

A chunky, durable looking walkie talkie stands there, looking your bunch over with a tired-looking screen face. He's dressed in a thick hunter's vest, heavy combat boots, cargo pants, and-

His hands are distinctly tipped with long, razor sharp claws.

You try not to visibly gulp.

????: ...
????: You're looking more alive than earlier.
TIMOTHY: And you are...?
????: Comms.
COMMS: I'm the guy who dragged you all in from the woods, along with Vortex- it's another hunter here.
COMMS: We were on late night patrol when we heard ragmirror cries.
COMMS: Even a long ways out, you can hear them pretty well. Distinct sound to it.
CROSSBONE: ...no kidding...
COMMS: When we got there, though-

 

His screen face looks irritated.

COMMS: Looked like the pest got there first.
SCOUT: The pest?
SCOUT: You mean the swordsman?

 

He nods.

COMMS: We can't risk them wasting any more bodies.
COMMS: Monster hunting exports are all this town has to offer.
COMMS: Even ragmirrors have stuff worth salvaging. By destroying the bodies beyond saving, it's a direct hit towards our livelihoods.
COMMS: So...
COMMS: We hunt the swordsman as well.
COMMS: I've gotten the closest to catching them out of any of our guild.
POLKA DOT: ...what happened?













MANGE: God DAMN it
MANGE: How hard is it to get ahold of ONE
MANGE: SHITTY swordsman-

 

The rain is pounding down on the woods, the trees providing cover just enough to keep from getting bombarded. The hunters' voices are frantic, flashlight beams cutting through the dark.

MANGE: NOBODY'S going back until we find them!

 

There's rattling at random intervals, and if the hunters are lucky, one of them might just see a brief glance of something moving. It's to your benefit more than anything, the psychological damage on those down below makes up for the risk.

SNICKER: You're crazy if you think we can find them in this storm!
MANGE: I can fucking hear them, I know they're here!

 

Gotta just build tension, let them get stressed so they mess up even more.

With a good arm and a little luck, a large chunk of tree bark is sent flying, lodged into the ground a little too close to one of them for comfort.

COMMS: Hrk-!
SNICKER: Watch it, old man!
COMMS: ...t...they're taunting us.
COMMS: We should turn back.
MANGE: WHAT did I say earlier?!
COMMS: Sir.
MANGE: We get that fucker's head on a platter NOW

 

A second warning shot, a sharp beam trail blasted by an unseen force.

SNICKER: SHIT-
MANGE: COME OUT HERE YOURSELF, COWARD!

 

The hunter lets out an awful howl, baying for your blood.

MANGE: YOU THINK A COUPLE OF SWORD SWINGS ARE GONNA CHASE ME OFF?
COMMS: SIR-, you almost got HIT
MANGE: LET THEM COME!

 

Don't gotta hurt them, just gotta scare them off. Lunge directly at them, knock them to the ground, and springboard off of them back into the trees above.

The hunters cast aside, falling into the mud and sputtering.

Mange cusses and screams, but it fades with distance.

Successful getaway.

In your head you can hear the music, the triumphant score as you make it free into the night. No matter how much heat you get, it's not hard to find your way out.

And for now- your shelter awaits.



You drag the sword behind you into the tent, getting yourself sorted and comfortable quickly. Pile of pillows, dried meats, sword kept comfy in the corner.

The rainfall gets harder, the noise creating a nice atmosphere for your evening. Sometimes you hear the thunderclouds rumble, but nothing you're unused to. Fall weather for these parts.


You feel yourself a little heavier now that the adrenaline has mellowed out, the sound of drops hitting the ground from inside your safe little spot being your favorite to end the day on.

It's peaceful.








The thunder rumbles on-







A flash of lightning illuminates the outside-





There's a toy in your tent's entryway.

The walkie talkie, a hunting rifle pointed at your head.

COMMS: ....

 

The eyes on his screen are wide, his mouth pulled back into a horrified grimace as he takes in your body, your face, everything about you.

COMMS: W....what...
COMMS: What are you-?!

 

You yawn.

TORCH: Sleepy...
COMMS: You're-!

 

His eyes glance around your tent, seeing your possessions, your spoils. All of the things you've gathered.

He's completely frozen but his gun is still ready to shoot you right between the eyes.

COMMS: Y-you're- things like you shouldn't be-
COMMS: It makes no sense!
COMMS: You-!
COMMS: You're not even a toy!
TORCH: Nope, rabbit.
COMMS: Don't say that so-

 

He's fuming, unsure what to do.

COMMS: You are-
COMMS: I should-!
COMMS: You just HAD to be some freaky thing in a comfy tent! Fuck's sake-
COMMS: What the hell am I supposed to do?!
COMMS: They want your guts strewn across the woods!
TORCH: Why?
COMMS: Because you-
COMMS: Keep taking our kills.
COMMS: What do you think you are, some kind of hero?
TORCH: Keeps people outta trouble, you shouldn't mess with that stuff.
COMMS: That stuff is-

 

He shakes his head, lining up the shot with a huff.

COMMS: I can't keep having a conversation with-
COMMS: Stop looking at me with your big old eye. You're not cute.
TORCH: Never said I was.
COMMS: I-!

 

The walkie talkie screws his eyes shut and cusses under his breath before turning away, pointing his gun down and staring at the mud.

COMMS: Fine. Fine, just-
COMMS: If you have any sense-
COMMS: You'll leave the village and stop screwing around.
COMMS: I'm giving you one chance to leave.
COMMS: If you stay, it's on sight.

 

Your rabbit-y ears flop down, sad and soggy.

TORCH: You'd really shoot me like that?
COMMS: Don't test me.
COMMS: ...something like you....
COMMS: If they don't mistake you for a duster and shoot you for that, they'll definitely peg you as something....
COMMS: ...
COMMS: Unholy.
COMMS: And not everybody is as nice as me.
COMMS: Don't show your face again.

 

The walkie talkie turns before you can respond, stomping away with a moody electronic crackle.


As soon as you're in the clear you curl up fully.




What was that all about anyway?

COMMS: ....I chased them.
COMMS: Got close to catching them, even got a glimpse of their face.
COMMS: ...They had eyes like I've never seen before. Terrifying, even.
COMMS: ....
COMMS: But they got away. Way too quick for me.
COMMS: You're lucky they chose to save you.
COMMS: With the power they wield, they could have made easy work of your bunch, too.
COMMS: Best to stay away.

 

You're not sure what to make of his story, but...


You swear you can see fear in his cartoony expressions, uncertainty.


As if he didn't know what to make of it himself.