[TOY] Plaything

[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?