- 009 - Action

[verypractical]

[Jane is in her room, having avoided all the invitations to Christmas parties thus far.

The door to the room is cracked open, and she's stretched out on her bed, writing a few letters. She has a record player on the floor... and a song is playing.]

Comments

[sadsadclown]

[The little clown gulped as he read off the room numbers he passed. 504...503... at last, here it was. Room 502.

Again he gulped. From what he read on the dorm listings, this was apparently where Lotso was staying. With a helpless, oblivious little girl. The clown fought with himself on what to do. Should he knock on the door? What if Lotso were there? Surely the bear would tear him to pieces.

What if it was only the girl? What would he say to her? She'd most likely just think he were crazy if he tried to warn her. Maybe coming all the way here was a mistake. He was about to turn tail and go back to his own room to think up another plan in helping this poor kid... when he tripped over his own large clown feet. Swell.]

[verypractical]

[The clown wasn't very large, but Jane still heard the sound when he fell.

She scurried out of the bed and went to the door, peering out then around. When she looks down, she finally sees him. She kneels quickly to get closer.]

Oh! Are you okay!

[sadsadclown]

Uh... yes. I'm fine.

[He looks up to see the same girl from the other day.]

Oh! Are you... Jane Calvin?

[verypractical]

I am!

[She... kind of thinks she should be calling him "sir." But calling a toy "sir" doesn't seem right either...]

[sadsadclown]

[Ah, good. So he indeed had the right kid. He forces on a smile. He had to be delicate about this.]

Ya'll told me the other day that ya room with Lotso, didn't ya?
Um... well, pardon me fer askin' but... has he been... pleasant? I-I mean, he hasn't done anything bad to ya, has he?

[verypractical]

[She looks at him, tilting her head a bit, but she still smiles.]

Why would Mr. Lotso do anything bad?

[sadsadclown]

Uh, well... [he stammers, trying to keep on fake smiling]

Even n-nice toys can have a temper sometimes. Eheheh.

[verypractical]

[Jane is oblivious.

The idea of any toy not being completely nice is beyond her.]

But he's really sweet!

[sadsadclown]

I... used to know him real well. We used to be good friends, actually, and he certainly was sweet. [Key word being "was"]

But, um... there are times when he could be a little... mean. It m-might not be best to be rooming with him.

[verypractical]

Mean?

But how could a toy be mean? Especially Mr. Lotso.

He was a little rough looking when he came to the Academy, but... He's all patched up now!

[sadsadclown]

[Oh poor naive child.
But when she mentions the state Lotso used to be in when she met him, he grows curious.]

Rough?

[verypractical]

He was really messy and a little bit ripped. I got him stitched up and washed!

[sadsadclown]

Oh. Oh of course. He was sent to the dump, after all.
[Chuckles cringed, thinking about it. And about what he heard Lotso had done there.]

So you were the one who stitched up his side?

[verypractical]

Mmhm!

I didn't do as good a job as Mother would have, though...

[action]

[sadsadclown]

No, I... I think ya'll did a real swell job. He's had trouble with his side fer years... always had a limp 'cause of it. But this is the best I ever seen his torn side look in a long time. Ya... did a good job.

[The clown almost gets a little wistful for a moment, remembering the day Lotso got said injury years ago. But he snaps himself out of it and reminds himself why he's here in the first place. He really didn't want to believe Lotso would ever hurt a child, especially one as sweet as this one, but the possibility remained.]

Uh... Miss Jane? I know ya think Lotso's a real nice toy, but... [takes a shaky breath] but the truth is, he's really not what he seems. It'd be safer for you or him ta change to another room. P-please.

[verypractical]

[Jane still can't wrap her head around the idea of a mean toy.

Poor girl has a lot to learn.]

But why? How could a teddy bear [especially a pink one who smells like strawberries!] not be nice?