Two weeks passed dismally. Severe storms often shook the ground as rain pelted the windows. The humidity made standing outside for a few minutes unbearable. The entire atmosphere surrounding the Anderson household made everything seem gloomy and uninviting. Bonnie herself acted quite troubled at times, keeping her playtimes short and struggling with her imaginary stories. The normal vivacity she generally felt with her toys had disappeared a bit ever since daycare ended. Luckily, she managed to get away for a little while when having to help her mother clean up Sunnyside for the summer.
The toys themselves felt the dread upon their shoulders ten times more heavily. Through word of mouth and eventual confirmations from Woody, they learned the very basic and short story about what had transpired at Sunnyside. Mrs. Potatohead, Trixie, and Dolly acted quickly but cautiously, offering their help and support to Jessie, who had taken to hiding herself or sitting alone. Appalled by such disrespect for women toys, they made sure to surround the cowgirl with reassurances and confidence in hopes to help her know she was not at fault. Yet, Jessie brushed them off the majority of the time, merely blocking out their words while getting lost in her own thoughts. A few times she had yelled in annoyance before apologizing profusely, feeling so confused and frazzled.
Progress moved along at a snail’s pace, the lack of success making everyone feel downtrodden and helpless. They knew one toy could probably speed it up, make Jessie feel better about herself, to show her absolute dedication and a road toward happiness that seemed nonexistent at the moment.
Yet, he himself had fallen victim to misery as well.
Buzz had practically vanished right after the cowgirl woke for the first time after the attack. No one saw him and no one knew where he would run off. His discreetness and silence astounded everyone, but it only served to worry them. Never before had he acted as such, uttering not a single word and keeping himself in complete isolation. He would only show up whenever Bonnie came into her room to play. Otherwise, he would make himself scarce, even at night, and none of the toys would see him for several hours.
Only Woody understood the ranger’s behavior. The horror and panic in Jessie’s eyes had said enough the day she returned to Bonnie’s room; she saw nothing but Henry’s Buzz when she looked at her Buzz. The space toy had taken it to heart obviously enough, letting guilt and blame plague him again as they usually did whenever hurt or pain riddled the cowgirl. The cowboy knew changing Buzz’s behavior would prove challenging, thus he let the issue continue for a while until he figured out how to reach out to the couple, if they still were one.
He waited for the opportune moment, but he knew he couldn’t delay for too long.
One bleak Thursday, after Bonnie and her mother had returned from Sunnyside and left to get groceries, Woody decided he would mill about aimlessly. No one had the energy or the patience to do anything, taking it upon themselves to nap or stare at a movie. The cowboy felt the need to busy himself though and eventually found himself wandering toward Bonnie’s discarded backpack. All year, Ken and Barbie had sent the toys messages about the happenings and transformations at Sunnyside. Wondering whether they had sent one since Bonnie’s last day of daycare, he clambered inside to search. He didn’t feel surprised when he actually did find a note hidden in one of the inner pockets. Once he read it though, the cowboy felt enlightened.
A good reason to talk to Buzz had finally come up.
Scouring the house for a good half hour with note in hand, Woody tried to find the space ranger’s hiding place. Neither the kitchen nor the dining room showed signs of him, the garden and the basement were too far a distance from Bonnie’s room, and Mr. and Mrs. Anderson’s room did not suit well for concealing anything. That left only one option, the laundry room.
Dispelling Shadows Pt 6 2/?
anonymous
August 5 2011, 15:33:08 UTC
Carefully entering so he would not surprise Buzz and kept the element of surprise on his side, Woody glanced about the various items littered around the washer and dryer. It took him only a moment before he spied a green glow emitting from behind a few towels on the shelves. Picking out a route to climb and placing the note in his mouth, the sheriff scrambled up to his destination. He took a peek before making his presence known, catching a glimpse of the ranger nestled in the towels and settled beside a small kit of needles and threads, a hand placed gently on top. Woody forced himself not to sigh aloud.
“Well, there you are.” The cowboy announced himself with a hint of playfulness in his voice. “Looked everywhere for you. Wouldn’t want to play hide n’ seek with you; you’d win every time.”
“What do you want, Woody?” Buzz’s voice held no patience, but he seemed to shy away when the sheriff sat himself down in the little space in front of him.
“Well, I’m assuming you can probably guess.” Woody tried his best to keep the conversation and his tone subtly lighthearted. “But y’see, I have another reason why I’m here and it involves you.”
The ranger sighed but said nothing in response. He turned his face away to hide it in the shadows, but due to his suit glowing in the dark, it proved impossible.
“We got a note from Sunnyside today.” Buzz perked up a bit at that news. “Gives us a few updates.”
“About what?”
“Well, here, I’ll read it to ya.” Woody decided, unfolding the note and resting it in his lap. “Dear gang, we don’t want to say too much. We know you’re probably busy. I just wanted to let Buzz know about what happened to Henry’s Buzz. Apparently, after the kids came in after the picnic, Henry couldn’t get him to work. Being…who he is, the kid rejected the toy and threw him away. The janitor has already put him in the dumpster and the truck has taken him to the dump. Even when we were able to get a glance at him without humans, he wouldn’t come out of toy mode. Something happened with him, we’re not sure what. He deserved it though, that much we know. We hope everything is going all right. We send our love and support. Ken and Barbie.”
Silence reigned for several moments. Woody gently placed the note down and kept his gaze on Buzz. The ranger seemed at a loss for words, his eyes darting around in bewilderment. The sheriff assumed he felt shocked and upset about the damage he caused Henry’s Buzz, but Woody did not want to focus on those worries then. Besides, he had to agree with Ken and Barbie. The jerk deserved what he got.
“See Buzz? He’s gone.” The cowboy murmured. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
“Gone?” The ranger asked quietly after remaining silent for a moment. “No, he’s not gone. He’s sitting right in front of you, Woody. The same face, the same name, and the same voice!”
“You are not him, Buzz.” Woody quickly hardened his tone and his expression. “You are so much better and I know that from fact and experience. Do you not know yourself? You’re friendly, you’re considerate, and you’re so humble it’s annoying sometimes. Why do you think that’s changed?”
The lack of an answer from the space toy gave the cowboy the answer he already knew.
“Jessie is not afraid of you, Buzz. She’s afraid of the other one. She was fragile and delirious at the time, mistaking you for someone else. It’s not the only time she’s reacted that way either; the littlest noises cause her to jump. Trust me, she still loves you, Buzz. She needs you.”
“Has she asked for me?” The ranger scoffed, his eyes narrowing. “Did she want to see me? No. I’m the last toy she wants to see. She doesn’t want or love me anymore. She’ll always remember him instead of me.”
Woody crossed his arms and issued a gentle glare. It took all of his strength not to shake or hit Buzz to make him see sense.
Dispelling Shadows Pt 6 3/3
anonymous
August 5 2011, 15:34:26 UTC
“You’re gonna give up just like that?” Disappointment laced his low tone. “You haven’t even tried to reach out to her and you’re acting like there’s no more hope. Y’know what? I bet you that’s exactly what the other Buzz wanted. Are you gonna let him beat you? Are you not even going to fight for the girl you love? Are your own problems so terrible that you’re not even going to try to help her? Listen to yourself, Buzz! You’re giving up so easily! I expected more from you than this!”
The cowboy stared down the space toy, as if he faced a showdown in the Wild West. Yet, when his opponent only grimaced with dread and turned his gaze away, he relented and settled back into his concerned demeanor. He didn’t want to see defeat afflict his friend, but Woody knew he had began destroying the walls of guilt and blame the ranger had set up around him.
“Look, Buzz. I know you can overcome this. You’ve never let me or the others down before.” The sheriff added with much more assurance. “Yes, it’ll take time, but I know you can fix this.”
“How?” Buzz nearly choked out.
“Show Jessie the differences between you and the other Buzz.” Woody suggested as he came up with ideas on the spot. “Show her your compassion and concern for her. Remind her why she fell in love with you and you her. Anything you think can comfort her and convince her to see you differently could work. Just be gentle and understanding, but don’t give in so easily. You’re the only one that can really help her begin to heal. It’s because of this rift between you two that she’s having a hard time, even though she might not know it.”
The ranger sat silently for a moment, collecting those suggestions mentally and analyzing their potential. Woody could tell, though, that the prospect of putting those ideas into action encouraged Buzz a bit. He had not known what to do and hid himself to try to deal with the issue in the only way he knew how. Yet, now that he had options, he seemed readier to take on the task of helping Jessie.
“Ok, Woody. I’ll try.” Buzz finally decided.
“That’s the Buzz I know!” Woody cheered gently as he clasped his friend’s shoulder.
“Could you just do me a favor, though?” The ranger asked quietly.
“Sure, partner.”
“Could you talk to Jessie and tell her? Prepare her, I guess. I don’t want to frighten her when I try to talk to her out of nowhere.”
Woody smiled softly, admired by Buzz’s carefulness and concern for his cowgirl. He nodded simply.
Re: Dispelling Shadows Pt 6 3/3
anonymous
August 5 2011, 19:17:05 UTC
Seconded!Anon.
I am reminded of Woody's pep talk in movie 1. And I have a smile on my face. Mostly for Woody's pep talk to Buzz. That just makes me feel so happy. I can't wait to see Buzz comfort her and that sort of thing. Great gob.
Re: Dispelling Shadows Pt 6 3/3
anonymous
August 6 2011, 22:28:11 UTC
OP HERE!
Woody talking to Jessie as a way to prepare her for Buzz is actually one of the things that I had pictured as part of the recovery scene! I always figured that Jessie would be nervous and scared around Buzz after what she experienced at the hands of another Buzz Lightyear. She would just be so scared of Buzz and it would take Woody to help get the two to talk.
You are amazing, anon.
I can't wait for the next update. Please update very soon!
Re: Dispelling Shadows Pt 6 3/3
anonymous
August 7 2011, 20:38:10 UTC
Thanks guys! Yeah, figured conversations were going to happen no matter what, so I focused on them the most. The dialogue is hard to come up with though. Anyways, really glad you guys are still enjoying this. Next update is about halfway so it will be up very soon!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dispelling Shadows
Two weeks passed dismally. Severe storms often shook the ground as rain pelted the windows. The humidity made standing outside for a few minutes unbearable. The entire atmosphere surrounding the Anderson household made everything seem gloomy and uninviting. Bonnie herself acted quite troubled at times, keeping her playtimes short and struggling with her imaginary stories. The normal vivacity she generally felt with her toys had disappeared a bit ever since daycare ended. Luckily, she managed to get away for a little while when having to help her mother clean up Sunnyside for the summer.
The toys themselves felt the dread upon their shoulders ten times more heavily. Through word of mouth and eventual confirmations from Woody, they learned the very basic and short story about what had transpired at Sunnyside. Mrs. Potatohead, Trixie, and Dolly acted quickly but cautiously, offering their help and support to Jessie, who had taken to hiding herself or sitting alone. Appalled by such disrespect for women toys, they made sure to surround the cowgirl with reassurances and confidence in hopes to help her know she was not at fault. Yet, Jessie brushed them off the majority of the time, merely blocking out their words while getting lost in her own thoughts. A few times she had yelled in annoyance before apologizing profusely, feeling so confused and frazzled.
Progress moved along at a snail’s pace, the lack of success making everyone feel downtrodden and helpless. They knew one toy could probably speed it up, make Jessie feel better about herself, to show her absolute dedication and a road toward happiness that seemed nonexistent at the moment.
Yet, he himself had fallen victim to misery as well.
Buzz had practically vanished right after the cowgirl woke for the first time after the attack. No one saw him and no one knew where he would run off. His discreetness and silence astounded everyone, but it only served to worry them. Never before had he acted as such, uttering not a single word and keeping himself in complete isolation. He would only show up whenever Bonnie came into her room to play. Otherwise, he would make himself scarce, even at night, and none of the toys would see him for several hours.
Only Woody understood the ranger’s behavior. The horror and panic in Jessie’s eyes had said enough the day she returned to Bonnie’s room; she saw nothing but Henry’s Buzz when she looked at her Buzz. The space toy had taken it to heart obviously enough, letting guilt and blame plague him again as they usually did whenever hurt or pain riddled the cowgirl. The cowboy knew changing Buzz’s behavior would prove challenging, thus he let the issue continue for a while until he figured out how to reach out to the couple, if they still were one.
He waited for the opportune moment, but he knew he couldn’t delay for too long.
One bleak Thursday, after Bonnie and her mother had returned from Sunnyside and left to get groceries, Woody decided he would mill about aimlessly. No one had the energy or the patience to do anything, taking it upon themselves to nap or stare at a movie. The cowboy felt the need to busy himself though and eventually found himself wandering toward Bonnie’s discarded backpack. All year, Ken and Barbie had sent the toys messages about the happenings and transformations at Sunnyside. Wondering whether they had sent one since Bonnie’s last day of daycare, he clambered inside to search. He didn’t feel surprised when he actually did find a note hidden in one of the inner pockets. Once he read it though, the cowboy felt enlightened.
A good reason to talk to Buzz had finally come up.
Scouring the house for a good half hour with note in hand, Woody tried to find the space ranger’s hiding place. Neither the kitchen nor the dining room showed signs of him, the garden and the basement were too far a distance from Bonnie’s room, and Mr. and Mrs. Anderson’s room did not suit well for concealing anything. That left only one option, the laundry room.
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“Well, there you are.” The cowboy announced himself with a hint of playfulness in his voice. “Looked everywhere for you. Wouldn’t want to play hide n’ seek with you; you’d win every time.”
“What do you want, Woody?” Buzz’s voice held no patience, but he seemed to shy away when the sheriff sat himself down in the little space in front of him.
“Well, I’m assuming you can probably guess.” Woody tried his best to keep the conversation and his tone subtly lighthearted. “But y’see, I have another reason why I’m here and it involves you.”
The ranger sighed but said nothing in response. He turned his face away to hide it in the shadows, but due to his suit glowing in the dark, it proved impossible.
“We got a note from Sunnyside today.” Buzz perked up a bit at that news. “Gives us a few updates.”
“About what?”
“Well, here, I’ll read it to ya.” Woody decided, unfolding the note and resting it in his lap. “Dear gang, we don’t want to say too much. We know you’re probably busy. I just wanted to let Buzz know about what happened to Henry’s Buzz. Apparently, after the kids came in after the picnic, Henry couldn’t get him to work. Being…who he is, the kid rejected the toy and threw him away. The janitor has already put him in the dumpster and the truck has taken him to the dump. Even when we were able to get a glance at him without humans, he wouldn’t come out of toy mode. Something happened with him, we’re not sure what. He deserved it though, that much we know. We hope everything is going all right. We send our love and support. Ken and Barbie.”
Silence reigned for several moments. Woody gently placed the note down and kept his gaze on Buzz. The ranger seemed at a loss for words, his eyes darting around in bewilderment. The sheriff assumed he felt shocked and upset about the damage he caused Henry’s Buzz, but Woody did not want to focus on those worries then. Besides, he had to agree with Ken and Barbie. The jerk deserved what he got.
“See Buzz? He’s gone.” The cowboy murmured. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
“Gone?” The ranger asked quietly after remaining silent for a moment. “No, he’s not gone. He’s sitting right in front of you, Woody. The same face, the same name, and the same voice!”
“You are not him, Buzz.” Woody quickly hardened his tone and his expression. “You are so much better and I know that from fact and experience. Do you not know yourself? You’re friendly, you’re considerate, and you’re so humble it’s annoying sometimes. Why do you think that’s changed?”
The lack of an answer from the space toy gave the cowboy the answer he already knew.
“Jessie is not afraid of you, Buzz. She’s afraid of the other one. She was fragile and delirious at the time, mistaking you for someone else. It’s not the only time she’s reacted that way either; the littlest noises cause her to jump. Trust me, she still loves you, Buzz. She needs you.”
“Has she asked for me?” The ranger scoffed, his eyes narrowing. “Did she want to see me? No. I’m the last toy she wants to see. She doesn’t want or love me anymore. She’ll always remember him instead of me.”
Woody crossed his arms and issued a gentle glare. It took all of his strength not to shake or hit Buzz to make him see sense.
Reply
The cowboy stared down the space toy, as if he faced a showdown in the Wild West. Yet, when his opponent only grimaced with dread and turned his gaze away, he relented and settled back into his concerned demeanor. He didn’t want to see defeat afflict his friend, but Woody knew he had began destroying the walls of guilt and blame the ranger had set up around him.
“Look, Buzz. I know you can overcome this. You’ve never let me or the others down before.” The sheriff added with much more assurance. “Yes, it’ll take time, but I know you can fix this.”
“How?” Buzz nearly choked out.
“Show Jessie the differences between you and the other Buzz.” Woody suggested as he came up with ideas on the spot. “Show her your compassion and concern for her. Remind her why she fell in love with you and you her. Anything you think can comfort her and convince her to see you differently could work. Just be gentle and understanding, but don’t give in so easily. You’re the only one that can really help her begin to heal. It’s because of this rift between you two that she’s having a hard time, even though she might not know it.”
The ranger sat silently for a moment, collecting those suggestions mentally and analyzing their potential. Woody could tell, though, that the prospect of putting those ideas into action encouraged Buzz a bit. He had not known what to do and hid himself to try to deal with the issue in the only way he knew how. Yet, now that he had options, he seemed readier to take on the task of helping Jessie.
“Ok, Woody. I’ll try.” Buzz finally decided.
“That’s the Buzz I know!” Woody cheered gently as he clasped his friend’s shoulder.
“Could you just do me a favor, though?” The ranger asked quietly.
“Sure, partner.”
“Could you talk to Jessie and tell her? Prepare her, I guess. I don’t want to frighten her when I try to talk to her out of nowhere.”
Woody smiled softly, admired by Buzz’s carefulness and concern for his cowgirl. He nodded simply.
“Of course, partner.”
Reply
I am reminded of Woody's pep talk in movie 1. And I have a smile on my face. Mostly for Woody's pep talk to Buzz. That just makes me feel so happy. I can't wait to see Buzz comfort her and that sort of thing. Great gob.
Reply
Woody talking to Jessie as a way to prepare her for Buzz is actually one of the things that I had pictured as part of the recovery scene! I always figured that Jessie would be nervous and scared around Buzz after what she experienced at the hands of another Buzz Lightyear. She would just be so scared of Buzz and it would take Woody to help get the two to talk.
You are amazing, anon.
I can't wait for the next update. Please update very soon!
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