[action/video]

[horseish]

[The video opens near the town square. Every surface is dusted with a thin layer of early December snow. Most people are trudging around it, hoods down against the cold.

Until one small figure scrambles into shot, collecting handfuls of snow in small, bare hands. A child of maybe seven or eight, dressed in knickerbockers and a knitted sweater, anachronistic against the stark modern backdrop of the fountain, is working hard to create one snowball from the meager snowfall. The child obviously isn't dressed for the cold and shivers now and again, but doesn't seem to mind. The snow is obviously much more exciting and worth working through the cold for. Someone comes to closer and they speak for a while, out of range of the device's speaker, but the child makes a mad dash when the woman tries to hold out a hand to hold.

Which results in the discovery of the device.

A small freckled face comes in very close to the lens, inspecting it with calm and careful interest.]

Does everyone speak to these things in this place? I don't know why they would do that I don't think they talk back. See, my name is Bobby Lassiter and I think my magic brought me here. But I wish I hadn't left Rosie behind. Now I'm going to look silly because I just talked to a box.

[The child makes a high pitched noise, almost a scream and almost a whiny before cantering around in a circle and flopping onto a snowbank.]

See? Now I look crazy AND silly and I will get sent to the loony bin and no one will ever see me again.

[The video feed ends with a fit of giggles.]

Comments

Permavideo

[doeswhathewants]

We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad.

action;

[bookbending]

[Hello, child flopping about in a snowbank. Jinora isn't sure what to make of that, but it's interesting enough to make her close her book and investigate.]

Hello?

[horseish]

I'm not mad at anyone.

[Not while she's making a seriously excellent snow pile.]

[horseish]

[Oh, it's a girl. Bobby is a bit withdrawn at first, because Rosie is her best friend and she is the one who left her behind when she used her magic by accident and it wouldn't be fair to make a new friend just now.]

'lo.

[doeswhathewants]

Mad as in- oh nevermind. IT loses the effect if I must explain.

Newly arrived, then?

[horseish]

Yes. It wasn't snowing where I was.

[bookbending]

[Jinora is a bit withdrawn herself, but that's just how she rolls. She's been looking for people her age, though, and this person is about the right height.]

Aren't you cold?

[horseish]

[Bobby gives a non-committal shrug.]

I don't know. Maybe a little.

[bookbending]

I know where to find coats.

[horseish]

I don't have any money for coats.

[bookbending]

You don't have to pay for them.

[horseish]

...are they from the poor box? My father didn't want us taking clothes from there.

[bookbending]

They're in a box, but I don't think that's what it's called.

[horseish]

[Her hands are getting kind of red and tingly. Strange.]

Can you show me where it is?

[bookbending]

Of course! Follow me.

[And off she heads for the Welcome Center.]

[horseish]

[She dusts off her hands and scrambles to her feet to follow her.]

Don't you have parents here?

[bookbending]

[She frowns.]

Well... no. Mom and Dad are still at home.

[horseish]

Did you get lost?

[bookbending]

Not... exactly. The City's strange.

[Jinora holds the door of the Welcome Center open for her new friend.]

[horseish]

[Bobby hadn't really been paying too much attention to how strange the buildings look here, but now that shes faced the prospect of actually having to walk into one she finds herself shrinking back.]

I don't want to go inside.

[deadmanbusiness]

[Child flopping on snowbank matched to child who was just on the video. Got it.

Theo approaches carefully, rats and hands in his pockets.]

Hey. I saw your video.

[horseish]

[Video? People here speak funny. Bobby is much more interested in snow angels right now.]

Alright.

[deadmanbusiness]

[Hurm.]

No one's going to think you're crazy.

[horseish]

It's okay if they did because I'm not crazy, not actually.

[synanthrope]

The only reason you would be sent to the loony bin is for not stopping that incessant giggling.