[Rk9VUg==] Video;

[ex_sorted385]

[ There is a very small child on the screen, looking equal parts annoyed and worried. She seems to be wearing a sweater that belongs to someone much larger, and the tip of her nose is red, as if she's been outdoors in the cold. ]

Who stole all my clothes? That was a mean thing to do.


[ooc: Grab bag curse! Replies will come from sojuku]

Comments

Video

[just_displaced]

[He doesn't recognize Tosh, of course, but there's no way he can let this small child just wander around in an oversized sweater -- although considering he's wearing an oversized sweater himself, and does on a day-to-day basis, maybe he's not one to talk -- and looking obviously cold.]

I don't know who took your clothes. I don't know why anyone would do that. I mean, that's really not cool. Are you new here?

Re: Video

[sojuku]

I don't know. I guess so.

[ It doesn't look familiar, so that's probably a yes. But she doesn't know for certain, since she doesn't know where here is. ]

Do you know where my mother and father went?

video

[theblowfish]

Hey, yo. What kind of clothes do you like?

[because goddammit that's not right]

Re: Video

[just_displaced]

Not really. I mean, most of us don't know where our mothers and fathers are. Everyone here is kind of lost, in a way. So it'll be okay, you know? Everyone's confused, but everyone's pretty nice.

video

[sojuku]

I don't know. [ She does that little kid whole body shrug. ] Grandfather gave me a sweater, it was purple and blue and had a kitten on it.

Re: Video

[sojuku]

How is it nice if everyone is lost?

[ She was dealing with things up to this point, but between Theo informing here that there are no good grown-ups around and now this man saying everyone is lost and there aren't any parents around either... ]

I want to go home.

Re: Video

[just_displaced]

Because people don't stay lost for very long. They make friends, or they get to go back home again.

[That's simplifying things a little, but he knows there're a lot of curses this weekend, a lot of different, strange ones, and maybe this kid is part of them. He's certainly never seen her before. Maybe she's a temporary visitor.]

video;

[snorky]

Why weren't you weren't watching 'em?

Re: Video

[sojuku]

I don't have any friends.

[ That could be taken to mean that she hasn't made any here, or that she has no friends at all. Both would be true. ]

video;

[sojuku]

I was sleeping. And I can't watch my clothes all the time anyway. Sometimes I have to do other things.

Re: Video

[just_displaced]

When I was little, I didn't have too many friends, either. I still don't have too many friends. But I've made more here than I've ever made anywhere else. And if you need some help, I can help you out.

[Maybe it's strange, to be offering assistance to a small child, when he has no idea how to talk to them, or how to help them. But he just can't let this little girl be on her own.]

Re: Video

[sojuku]

Can you be my friend?

[ You're not supposed to talk to strangers under normal circumstances, but her parents aren't around and as precocious as she is, she knows she's only five. ]

My name's Toshiko.

video;

[snorky]

If someone steals something from you-- especially a lot of stuff-- it means you weren't paying enough attention to it.

[ That's what he's heard, anyway. He offers a small, somewhat sympathetic shrug. ]

Re: Video

[just_displaced]

Sure, I can be your friend.

[Children are so much simpler, in a way. They can be friends just by asking. Why can't adults do that? And then he realizes what she just said her name was, and he's both amused and saddened, because of course, of course it's the curse, which means she won't be stuck this way forever, but of course she doesn't know him, either.]

I'm Ginsberg. It's nice to meet you, Toshiko. What do you need? I mean, I can't do everything, but I can do some stuff.

video;

[sojuku]

[ She really hadn't considered it could be her fault. Last she looked, her clothes were all in the closet and bureau where they were supposed to be. ]

I put them all away. I always put them away. But somebody came and stole them. And all my books too. And they took my house!

Re: Video

[sojuku]

It's very nice to meet you, Mr Ginsberg.

[ He seems really nice, so Tosh decides being friends will be just fine. Take that, Theo. She found a good grown-up. ]

I'm sort of hungry. I couldn't reach anything at the house, and I forgot to look for money.

Re: Video

[just_displaced]

[As far as grown-ups go, she's found an okay one. He's a lot kinder than most people he knows, even if he wouldn't recognize it in himself.]

Okay, well, how about I bring you something to eat? What do you like to eat? I'm not that great of a cook, but I can do basic stuff.

video

[theblowfish]

Well I don't have anything like that on me, but I bet one of the stores around here would. I can get you a sweater if you want. Like an early Christmas present.

Re: Video

[sojuku]

Can I come eat with you? I don't think you're allowed to have food here. And it's okay, I like sandwiches and noodles.

Re: Video

[just_displaced]

You can come eat with me, yeah. I mean, if you can find the Welcome Center. Or I can come find you. Maybe you shouldn't be wandering around all by yourself. Or if you can find it by yourself, I can have a sandwich waiting for you when you get here.

[He's not really responsible with children. He can, however, make a great sandwich.]

video

[sojuku]

Really?

[ That's a surprising thing for a stranger to offer. Unless... ]

Do you work for Father Christmas?

Re: Video

[sojuku]

I can be out by myself, I got to the bookstore, and to the park, and to the casino... I'm not a baby.

[ One of these is not like the other. ]

Which one is the Welcome Center?

Re: Video

[just_displaced]

Sure, sure, I know. Five definitely isn't a baby. You're basically a grown-up by now. Give it another couple years and you'll be driving and voting and doing whatever it is grown-ups do.

[Most of which isn't fun. But hey.]

The big one kind of near the fountain. It's got a sign on it that says Welcome Center. I mean, if you can read, that is. If not, I'll be waiting outside, okay? You'll recognize me, I promise. I look just as funny as I do in the video.

video;

[snorky]

You could probably get them back if you really wanted to. People carrying a lot of stuff don't get very far.

video

[theblowfish]

[Ho'shit, what did he get himself into? Welp. Time to ride this train to the station.]

Yup. Don't tell anyone, but I'm an elf. My name's Jesse, but I can tell you my Christmas code name if you can keep a secret.