[OOC] Application
Player
Name: Officer 1BDI
Livejournal Username: NovaAva
E-mail: Officer1BDI[at]gmail[dot]com
AIM/MSN: NovaAva
Timezone: PST
Current Characters in Route: None
Character
Name: Lars Fillmore [Philip J. Fry]
Series: Futurama
Timeline: Pulled from December 31, 3007 A.D. (up to the end of Bender’s Big Score)
Canon Resource Links: His page at the Infosphere. Also see: Philip Fry.
Because Lars' background is a bit complicated (time travelers: whadda ya gonna do?) and spread out, I'm going to try to outline his history here:
The first thing you have to understand about Lars is that, despite being a (biologically) 51 year old man, he's only “existed” for about five years (or 1005, depending on how you look at it). That's because, before that time, he went by the name Philip J. Fry and lived a completely different life.
Fry's history is as rich as it is complex, but in short he was born and grew up in late 20th century New York, where he came to work as a pizza delivery boy until he was (accidentally… or not) cryogenically frozen at the age of 25. When he awoke, he found himself at the turn of the 31st century in what was now New New York. Despite being torn away from everything he'd ever known, Fry quickly came to thrive in this new environment. Here he befriended robots, aliens, mutants, and all sorts of interesting beings while exploring the universe and utilizing his delivery skills at his great [recurring] grandnephew's intergalactic delivery company. On occasion, he’d even manage to save the world and/or universe. He'd found where he belonged and he loved it.
Unfortunately, in 3007, two disasters occurred: an alien invasion sent him fleeing for his life after a couple of the invaders determined he carried some top-secret time travel information and needed to be destroyed; and Leela, the woman he loved and worshipped, fell head-over-heels in love with another man. Fry was forced to use the unconventional time travel method to return to his original time and save himself. In the chaos he duplicated himself: the "original" Fry accidentally froze himself again and returned to the future, while the "time paradox" Fry remained in the 21st century to resume the life he'd left behind [in his mind] nearly eight years ago. And while he was more than happy to see old friends and family members, and was able to create a new niche for himself that ranked him a bit higher than "delivery boy", he clearly missed his futuristic life and clung bitterly to the few reminders he had of the place (and the people) he'd left behind.
In 2012, the aliens indirectly caught up with Fry through the assassin they'd sent after him. The hacked robot destroyed Fry's home and injured Fry in a fiery blast that altered his voice and changed his appearance. When Fry stumbled to a mirror he realized he now looked identical to Leela's lover. And the realization hit him: he *was* this man. Armed with this knowledge, Fry took on the identity of this man, known as Lars Fillmore, and raced to the cryogenics lab to (once again) freeze himself. He awoke in 3002 and started over under this new persona, waiting for Leela and the rest of the Planet Express crew to walk into his life as he already knew they would. Everything went according to plan, following the same script he'd previously observed as "Fry", and he eventually became engaged to Leela.
Unfortunately, as a time paradox who had encountered his original self in the "present" time, Lars was damned to die by a universe desperate to maintain balance. Aware of his fate, he ultimately sacrificed himself to save Fry and Leela from one of the alien invaders.
Affiliation: Trainer
Personality: As can be surmised from his history, Lars is an extremely laid back, "go with the flow" sort of person. It takes a great deal to faze him, and even if something initially throws him off, he usually grows to appreciate it (or, at least, accept it). He's also used to being randomly tossed into [usually unfamiliar] surroundings by this point, and thus takes these events in stride.
Lars' casual demeanor doesn't necessarily indicate maturity, though. Though he's certainly more mature now than he was when he was younger, he's not above doing anything that has any possibility of being fun. At his most enthusiastic points he'll easily slip into Big Kid Mode. He can also be serious when the situation calls for it. He puts his friends before himself when it matters, and if he feels someone is crossing a line he'll definitely let them know about it. He's very self-assured, sometimes to the point of cockiness, though he usually merely comes across as confident.
There's an air of optimism about Lars that he's maintained for most of his life (little surprise from the man whose personal theme song is "Walking on Sunshine"). He easily forgives people who have hurt him in the past (some might argue too easily), and the enemies he does have are mainly figures who have tried to do something unforgivable to his friends or the world/universe in general. If you've made a friend of Lars, he'll probably be one for life (or for however long he manages to stick around your fraction of the timeline).
Lars tries to be a reliable person, and these days he manages this trait pretty well, but he suffers from a limited intelligence, laziness, and a lacking foresight that often make reliability difficult to maintain 24/7. He's clumsy at times, prone to bending the rules, will eagerly take a shortcut when offered it, and he might accidentally forget to fulfill a request or two from a friend (though the more important he believes it is, the harder he'll try to avoid screwing up).
Lars has done quite a bit of good in his world, though, despite these setbacks. He’s saved his universe multiple times from multiple threats, many which he never even received acknowledgement for (and some which he's forgotten completely thanks to involuntary memory wipes). Perhaps this Hero Complex is why Lars has an almost nonexistent sense of self-preservation. If you're his friend and he thinks you're in trouble, he will step in to try to save you with an almost scary disregard for his own safety. Unfortunately, his ability to think straight under these circumstances is sketchy at best, which occasionally leads to some very silly rescue attempts (i.e., trying to save something from being lost in a lava pit by diving into said lava pit).
As can be surmised, Lars has some cognitive issues. By this age he's become adept at feigning average intelligence, but in truth he often struggles with relatively simple concepts and is familiar with making fantastic, often impossible leaps of logic. This is due to a number of factors, including at least one learning disability (*) and an unusually structured brain that resulted from "past nastification". Although Lars has been called stupid in the past (even he has decried his own intelligence), he still manages to show brilliant insights on occasion: his vocabulary is unusually impressive, and with assistance he can compose and play fantastic music.
Strengths:
- Confident: Lars has been fairly confident for most of his life, but it wasn't until he became Lars that he was able to properly channel that trait. Unlike his younger self, he is much harder to catch off-guard, and he comes across as much more charming.
- Creative/Imaginative: Though limited by his skill level, Lars (or at least Fry) has a history of being artistic. With assistance he's an accomplished musician (specializing in the Holophoner), and he's been known to write stories and draw comics. He also knows how to dance (though his breakdancing days are LONG behind him).
- Experience with Animals: Lars has demonstrated a fondness for animals for most of his life. He owned at least one dog when he was younger, occasionally helped Leela care for her pet, and worked as a keeper at an aquarium for almost a decade. In this respect he'll probably do fine training in Johto.
- Experience with Technology: Even ignoring the ridiculous amount of hours he spent playing video games, the man's from the future. He owns a wrist communicator with a built-in video screen. Simple-minded as he can be at times, something like a Pokédex isn't going to throw him.
- Open-Minded: This man will take almost anything and everything in stride. He'll try anything at least once (within reason... or not), and it takes a lot to make it onto his nearly nonexistent Enemy List.
- Outgoing: Lars may have matured, but he hasn't lost that youthful spark that makes him so endearing to some other characters. He's also quite friendly to people in general and is more likely to make a friend than an enemy of any given person.
Weaknesses:
- Learning Disabilities (*): Lars has at least one learning disability (ADD), and likely more, that hinder his ability to absorb and process information. Though Lars seems to have a better handle on these disabilities now than he did in the past, it's still likely difficult for him to learn new things and should take him longer than most to absorb new material.
- Pain Response: Fry was notorious for feeling an insignificant or -no- amount of pain during what should be excruciating events (like the loss of a limb), and Lars is likely no different. While some might consider this a strength, it ends up being a huge weakness because it leaves Lars susceptible to injuries that he might have avoided if he'd recognized how much his body was hurting.
- Stamina: Partially due to age, and partially due to his average lifetime fitness, Lars just can't maneuver and endure like he could when he was still known as Fry. He tires a bit more easily and moves a bit more slowly than he once did. While Lars can still take hits (possibly more than the average person, if Fry's history is any indication), he probably goes down quicker NOW than he did when he was younger... and that's something he probably doesn't acknowledge at this point in his life.
- Strength (Lack Thereof): Lars is no strongman. While he's decent with a long range weapon (largely due to all the video games he played in his youth), he's virtually useless in a physical fight. He'll still attempt to put up a fight when he finds it necessary, though.
Pokémon
Starter: Lapras ("Leia")
(*) I want to clarify that I'm not trying to say that Lars is stupid because he happens to have a learning disability; if I come across as implying such I apologize. I consider the stupidity to be a result from his miraculously pieced-together brain and his own general lack of interest in learning.
First Person Sample:
[VIDEO]
[When the feed flickers to life the screen is focused on the annoyed expression of Johto's latest victim. He's a bald, bearded, middle-aged man with a serious overbite, and he's currently sitting on the edge of a snow bank a short distance away from that notorious starter house. His backpack sits, momentarily forgotten, at his side, though he's managed to make use of the gentleman's coat and scarf he found when he awoke. He stares directly through the screen at whoever's on the other side with tired eyes.]
"Hello? Professor, are you there?"
[One might assume he's trying to talk to Professor Oak, but that's impossible, isn’t it? He pauses for a response, but when one doesn't immediately come he hums impatiently.]
"Please pick up. I tried you on my wrist thingy, but it's all screwed up for some reason. [The view tilts sideways as he briefly investigates the device.] Maybe it's a one-way system.... Professor, you're the only person I know who could do something like this. I- Look, I appreciate the thought. I really do. [He smiles and looks up to scan the area for a moment.] And this place you came up with is kinda neat; though that woman back at the house is a little... off. And this music could use some work, too. [He shakes his head.] But, never mind. I think I know what you're doing. And you can't, Professor. You of all people should know why."
[His eyes lose focus for a moment as something comes to mind.]
"...Maybe that's why you stuck me in here, instead of the 'real world'. You're probably still looking for a workaround, huh? [He frowns.] But I don't want this. I don't want to be stuck in this phony place while you try to bring me back. And... really, I don't think this is something you can fix."
[For a brief moment his expression flickers and gives way to sorrow. He recovers and continues.]
"I can't let you put your lives on hold for me. You guys need to move on. I want you to move on. I already had my time, [He smiles a bit.] and it was awesome. But it's over now. And I can live with that. Or not."
[He chuckles darkly at that. He then falls silent, eyes downcast. It takes a moment for him to look back at the camera.]
"Look, whatever you're trying to do with me right now, at least let me talk to you about it first. I'll be waiting. [He smiles wryly.] You know where to find me."
[He reaches towards the device and ends the transmission. And somewhere in New Bark Town, Lars Fillmore climbs to his feet and seeks out a warmer spot, waiting for a response that will never come.]
Third Person Sample:
'I could be in worse places,' Lars decided as he surveyed New Bark Town from the top of a hill off of Route 29. 'At least nothing's tried to eat me. Yet.'
A light wind blew past and he tugged the unfamiliar coat he was wearing tighter around him. He still had no idea where the swanky clothes had come from, and they were far from his style, but he was grateful for them in this weather. He just wished he'd had the chance to raid his own wardrobe instead....
If Lars were a more pessimistic man, his thoughts might turn to visions of home and all he’d left behind. He might realize that he would probably never see them again, and he might sink into the depressing conclusion that no matter how much he missed those things he could never return to them. Not if he enjoyed living.
But Lars was not a pessimistic man. Right now he was the owner of a goddamned Lapras, and he was going to take full advantage of that fact.
He shot one last glance at the hillside before he gave the massive creature beside him an affectionate pat. "All right, Leia," he chirped as he climbed onto her back. She twisted her neck around to watch as he carefully settled himself onto a smooth patch of her shell. He tightly gripped its edge, leaning forward with the expectations of a jockey at the starting line. "Let's do this."
If Lars had been paying attention he could have clearly read in her eyes: "You are a silly human and this is not a good idea." Nevertheless, Leia lowered her head and started descending down the hill.
They had a slow start, but the pair quickly picked up speed, and soon the Lapras was effortlessly weaving her way down the slope as her trainer laughed exuberantly from her back. Folks stopped and stared at them as they sledded by, but Lars didn't care. He boldly let go of the shell and threw his hands into the air with an enthusiastic "WHOOOOO!" A brief bump in the path sent the two momentarily flying; Leia whipped her head back around fretfully, but he’d already recovered and was resuming his cheery yells, albeit with a hand firmly clasping the shell edge. He thought he saw her roll her eyes as she returned to her streamlined position.
The ride continued as Leia slid off the path, into the adjacent woods. Away from the townspeople there was little sound, save for the WHISH of the snow below them and the occasional chatter from a Pidgey. Lars sat up a little straighter and closed his eyes, trying to lose himself in the moment. It had been years since he’d been in the middle of such a peaceful nature setting, and though he usually strived for stimulus even he could admit that this had its meri-
FWACK
When Lars awoke, he was lying prone in the snow. He gingerly touched around his nose and winced when he felt warm blood. Had something just taken a bat to his face? Somewhere far ahead of him he heard Leia warbling in a panic as she waddled towards him through the thick snow. He noticed her duck under the low-hanging tree branch he’d failed to avoid.
“Dim okey,” he murmured thickly as he stumbled to his feet. Starbursts exploded in front of his eyes and he swayed as the blood rushed from his brain. Leia’s head swooped into his shoulder to help steady him, and he grappled for her neck. “…Oh not,” he slurred.
It was probably hospital time.
Name: Officer 1BDI
Livejournal Username: NovaAva
E-mail: Officer1BDI[at]gmail[dot]com
AIM/MSN: NovaAva
Timezone: PST
Current Characters in Route: None
Character
Name: Lars Fillmore [Philip J. Fry]
Series: Futurama
Timeline: Pulled from December 31, 3007 A.D. (up to the end of Bender’s Big Score)
Canon Resource Links: His page at the Infosphere. Also see: Philip Fry.
Because Lars' background is a bit complicated (time travelers: whadda ya gonna do?) and spread out, I'm going to try to outline his history here:
The first thing you have to understand about Lars is that, despite being a (biologically) 51 year old man, he's only “existed” for about five years (or 1005, depending on how you look at it). That's because, before that time, he went by the name Philip J. Fry and lived a completely different life.
Fry's history is as rich as it is complex, but in short he was born and grew up in late 20th century New York, where he came to work as a pizza delivery boy until he was (accidentally… or not) cryogenically frozen at the age of 25. When he awoke, he found himself at the turn of the 31st century in what was now New New York. Despite being torn away from everything he'd ever known, Fry quickly came to thrive in this new environment. Here he befriended robots, aliens, mutants, and all sorts of interesting beings while exploring the universe and utilizing his delivery skills at his great [recurring] grandnephew's intergalactic delivery company. On occasion, he’d even manage to save the world and/or universe. He'd found where he belonged and he loved it.
Unfortunately, in 3007, two disasters occurred: an alien invasion sent him fleeing for his life after a couple of the invaders determined he carried some top-secret time travel information and needed to be destroyed; and Leela, the woman he loved and worshipped, fell head-over-heels in love with another man. Fry was forced to use the unconventional time travel method to return to his original time and save himself. In the chaos he duplicated himself: the "original" Fry accidentally froze himself again and returned to the future, while the "time paradox" Fry remained in the 21st century to resume the life he'd left behind [in his mind] nearly eight years ago. And while he was more than happy to see old friends and family members, and was able to create a new niche for himself that ranked him a bit higher than "delivery boy", he clearly missed his futuristic life and clung bitterly to the few reminders he had of the place (and the people) he'd left behind.
In 2012, the aliens indirectly caught up with Fry through the assassin they'd sent after him. The hacked robot destroyed Fry's home and injured Fry in a fiery blast that altered his voice and changed his appearance. When Fry stumbled to a mirror he realized he now looked identical to Leela's lover. And the realization hit him: he *was* this man. Armed with this knowledge, Fry took on the identity of this man, known as Lars Fillmore, and raced to the cryogenics lab to (once again) freeze himself. He awoke in 3002 and started over under this new persona, waiting for Leela and the rest of the Planet Express crew to walk into his life as he already knew they would. Everything went according to plan, following the same script he'd previously observed as "Fry", and he eventually became engaged to Leela.
Unfortunately, as a time paradox who had encountered his original self in the "present" time, Lars was damned to die by a universe desperate to maintain balance. Aware of his fate, he ultimately sacrificed himself to save Fry and Leela from one of the alien invaders.
Affiliation: Trainer
Personality: As can be surmised from his history, Lars is an extremely laid back, "go with the flow" sort of person. It takes a great deal to faze him, and even if something initially throws him off, he usually grows to appreciate it (or, at least, accept it). He's also used to being randomly tossed into [usually unfamiliar] surroundings by this point, and thus takes these events in stride.
Lars' casual demeanor doesn't necessarily indicate maturity, though. Though he's certainly more mature now than he was when he was younger, he's not above doing anything that has any possibility of being fun. At his most enthusiastic points he'll easily slip into Big Kid Mode. He can also be serious when the situation calls for it. He puts his friends before himself when it matters, and if he feels someone is crossing a line he'll definitely let them know about it. He's very self-assured, sometimes to the point of cockiness, though he usually merely comes across as confident.
There's an air of optimism about Lars that he's maintained for most of his life (little surprise from the man whose personal theme song is "Walking on Sunshine"). He easily forgives people who have hurt him in the past (some might argue too easily), and the enemies he does have are mainly figures who have tried to do something unforgivable to his friends or the world/universe in general. If you've made a friend of Lars, he'll probably be one for life (or for however long he manages to stick around your fraction of the timeline).
Lars tries to be a reliable person, and these days he manages this trait pretty well, but he suffers from a limited intelligence, laziness, and a lacking foresight that often make reliability difficult to maintain 24/7. He's clumsy at times, prone to bending the rules, will eagerly take a shortcut when offered it, and he might accidentally forget to fulfill a request or two from a friend (though the more important he believes it is, the harder he'll try to avoid screwing up).
Lars has done quite a bit of good in his world, though, despite these setbacks. He’s saved his universe multiple times from multiple threats, many which he never even received acknowledgement for (and some which he's forgotten completely thanks to involuntary memory wipes). Perhaps this Hero Complex is why Lars has an almost nonexistent sense of self-preservation. If you're his friend and he thinks you're in trouble, he will step in to try to save you with an almost scary disregard for his own safety. Unfortunately, his ability to think straight under these circumstances is sketchy at best, which occasionally leads to some very silly rescue attempts (i.e., trying to save something from being lost in a lava pit by diving into said lava pit).
As can be surmised, Lars has some cognitive issues. By this age he's become adept at feigning average intelligence, but in truth he often struggles with relatively simple concepts and is familiar with making fantastic, often impossible leaps of logic. This is due to a number of factors, including at least one learning disability (*) and an unusually structured brain that resulted from "past nastification". Although Lars has been called stupid in the past (even he has decried his own intelligence), he still manages to show brilliant insights on occasion: his vocabulary is unusually impressive, and with assistance he can compose and play fantastic music.
Strengths:
- Confident: Lars has been fairly confident for most of his life, but it wasn't until he became Lars that he was able to properly channel that trait. Unlike his younger self, he is much harder to catch off-guard, and he comes across as much more charming.
- Creative/Imaginative: Though limited by his skill level, Lars (or at least Fry) has a history of being artistic. With assistance he's an accomplished musician (specializing in the Holophoner), and he's been known to write stories and draw comics. He also knows how to dance (though his breakdancing days are LONG behind him).
- Experience with Animals: Lars has demonstrated a fondness for animals for most of his life. He owned at least one dog when he was younger, occasionally helped Leela care for her pet, and worked as a keeper at an aquarium for almost a decade. In this respect he'll probably do fine training in Johto.
- Experience with Technology: Even ignoring the ridiculous amount of hours he spent playing video games, the man's from the future. He owns a wrist communicator with a built-in video screen. Simple-minded as he can be at times, something like a Pokédex isn't going to throw him.
- Open-Minded: This man will take almost anything and everything in stride. He'll try anything at least once (within reason... or not), and it takes a lot to make it onto his nearly nonexistent Enemy List.
- Outgoing: Lars may have matured, but he hasn't lost that youthful spark that makes him so endearing to some other characters. He's also quite friendly to people in general and is more likely to make a friend than an enemy of any given person.
Weaknesses:
- Learning Disabilities (*): Lars has at least one learning disability (ADD), and likely more, that hinder his ability to absorb and process information. Though Lars seems to have a better handle on these disabilities now than he did in the past, it's still likely difficult for him to learn new things and should take him longer than most to absorb new material.
- Pain Response: Fry was notorious for feeling an insignificant or -no- amount of pain during what should be excruciating events (like the loss of a limb), and Lars is likely no different. While some might consider this a strength, it ends up being a huge weakness because it leaves Lars susceptible to injuries that he might have avoided if he'd recognized how much his body was hurting.
- Stamina: Partially due to age, and partially due to his average lifetime fitness, Lars just can't maneuver and endure like he could when he was still known as Fry. He tires a bit more easily and moves a bit more slowly than he once did. While Lars can still take hits (possibly more than the average person, if Fry's history is any indication), he probably goes down quicker NOW than he did when he was younger... and that's something he probably doesn't acknowledge at this point in his life.
- Strength (Lack Thereof): Lars is no strongman. While he's decent with a long range weapon (largely due to all the video games he played in his youth), he's virtually useless in a physical fight. He'll still attempt to put up a fight when he finds it necessary, though.
Pokémon
Starter: Lapras ("Leia")
(*) I want to clarify that I'm not trying to say that Lars is stupid because he happens to have a learning disability; if I come across as implying such I apologize. I consider the stupidity to be a result from his miraculously pieced-together brain and his own general lack of interest in learning.
First Person Sample:
[VIDEO]
[When the feed flickers to life the screen is focused on the annoyed expression of Johto's latest victim. He's a bald, bearded, middle-aged man with a serious overbite, and he's currently sitting on the edge of a snow bank a short distance away from that notorious starter house. His backpack sits, momentarily forgotten, at his side, though he's managed to make use of the gentleman's coat and scarf he found when he awoke. He stares directly through the screen at whoever's on the other side with tired eyes.]
"Hello? Professor, are you there?"
[One might assume he's trying to talk to Professor Oak, but that's impossible, isn’t it? He pauses for a response, but when one doesn't immediately come he hums impatiently.]
"Please pick up. I tried you on my wrist thingy, but it's all screwed up for some reason. [The view tilts sideways as he briefly investigates the device.] Maybe it's a one-way system.... Professor, you're the only person I know who could do something like this. I- Look, I appreciate the thought. I really do. [He smiles and looks up to scan the area for a moment.] And this place you came up with is kinda neat; though that woman back at the house is a little... off. And this music could use some work, too. [He shakes his head.] But, never mind. I think I know what you're doing. And you can't, Professor. You of all people should know why."
[His eyes lose focus for a moment as something comes to mind.]
"...Maybe that's why you stuck me in here, instead of the 'real world'. You're probably still looking for a workaround, huh? [He frowns.] But I don't want this. I don't want to be stuck in this phony place while you try to bring me back. And... really, I don't think this is something you can fix."
[For a brief moment his expression flickers and gives way to sorrow. He recovers and continues.]
"I can't let you put your lives on hold for me. You guys need to move on. I want you to move on. I already had my time, [He smiles a bit.] and it was awesome. But it's over now. And I can live with that. Or not."
[He chuckles darkly at that. He then falls silent, eyes downcast. It takes a moment for him to look back at the camera.]
"Look, whatever you're trying to do with me right now, at least let me talk to you about it first. I'll be waiting. [He smiles wryly.] You know where to find me."
[He reaches towards the device and ends the transmission. And somewhere in New Bark Town, Lars Fillmore climbs to his feet and seeks out a warmer spot, waiting for a response that will never come.]
Third Person Sample:
'I could be in worse places,' Lars decided as he surveyed New Bark Town from the top of a hill off of Route 29. 'At least nothing's tried to eat me. Yet.'
A light wind blew past and he tugged the unfamiliar coat he was wearing tighter around him. He still had no idea where the swanky clothes had come from, and they were far from his style, but he was grateful for them in this weather. He just wished he'd had the chance to raid his own wardrobe instead....
If Lars were a more pessimistic man, his thoughts might turn to visions of home and all he’d left behind. He might realize that he would probably never see them again, and he might sink into the depressing conclusion that no matter how much he missed those things he could never return to them. Not if he enjoyed living.
But Lars was not a pessimistic man. Right now he was the owner of a goddamned Lapras, and he was going to take full advantage of that fact.
He shot one last glance at the hillside before he gave the massive creature beside him an affectionate pat. "All right, Leia," he chirped as he climbed onto her back. She twisted her neck around to watch as he carefully settled himself onto a smooth patch of her shell. He tightly gripped its edge, leaning forward with the expectations of a jockey at the starting line. "Let's do this."
If Lars had been paying attention he could have clearly read in her eyes: "You are a silly human and this is not a good idea." Nevertheless, Leia lowered her head and started descending down the hill.
They had a slow start, but the pair quickly picked up speed, and soon the Lapras was effortlessly weaving her way down the slope as her trainer laughed exuberantly from her back. Folks stopped and stared at them as they sledded by, but Lars didn't care. He boldly let go of the shell and threw his hands into the air with an enthusiastic "WHOOOOO!" A brief bump in the path sent the two momentarily flying; Leia whipped her head back around fretfully, but he’d already recovered and was resuming his cheery yells, albeit with a hand firmly clasping the shell edge. He thought he saw her roll her eyes as she returned to her streamlined position.
The ride continued as Leia slid off the path, into the adjacent woods. Away from the townspeople there was little sound, save for the WHISH of the snow below them and the occasional chatter from a Pidgey. Lars sat up a little straighter and closed his eyes, trying to lose himself in the moment. It had been years since he’d been in the middle of such a peaceful nature setting, and though he usually strived for stimulus even he could admit that this had its meri-
FWACK
When Lars awoke, he was lying prone in the snow. He gingerly touched around his nose and winced when he felt warm blood. Had something just taken a bat to his face? Somewhere far ahead of him he heard Leia warbling in a panic as she waddled towards him through the thick snow. He noticed her duck under the low-hanging tree branch he’d failed to avoid.
“Dim okey,” he murmured thickly as he stumbled to his feet. Starbursts exploded in front of his eyes and he swayed as the blood rushed from his brain. Leia’s head swooped into his shoulder to help steady him, and he grappled for her neck. “…Oh not,” he slurred.
It was probably hospital time.