010 ~*~ The most anticlimactic return

[notsogreatwall]

[ Action : 340 Brady Lane : Sunday mid-day ]
[ It might be difficult for outsiders to tell that something was off about Meiling, at first. As a drone she was a touch more pleasant and carefree, a bit more diligent with her work, and much more subservient to her "husband". At school she was pleasant and diligent and a good, hard worker

Comments

Mayfield Elementary

[imjustpicky]

[Picky is pretty absorbed in his recently-regained Game Boy, and had it out of his backpack and on for another round of Tetris as soon as class was out. He played it all the way down the hall, towards the doors... and because he wasn't paying attention?

He bumped right into the nice janitor lady.]

Oh! Aaah, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I wasn't watching, I... I-I-I...

[He's quickly trying to tuck the toy away somewhere so it doesn't get confiscated.]

[notsogreatwall]

[ She lets out a startled sound, but doesn't lose her handle on the mop. ] Ah! [ She laughs a bit. ] I'm sorry, I should be out of the way, but I wasn't expecting anyone.

[ Leaning down with the mop handle supporting her weight a bit. ] Are you okay?

[imjustpicky]

I-I'm okay! I'm fine! I...

Oh! You're real!

[That surprised him more than anything else, and made him forget about possibly getting busted for possessing "communist electronics". Hadn't she been... not-so-real, before?]

What's your name? I'm Finch!

[notsogreatwall]

[ A tilt of her head. ] Of course I'm real! [ Then it hits her. ] --oh, you mean. [ Scratching her head a moment in silence, but then just smiles and nods. ] I'm Meiling. It's nice to meet you!

[imjustpicky]

Good to meet you, too, Meiling! It's... uh... we real people should... stick together, right?

[The kid looks like he really wants to be friendly... but he also looks like he's waiting for someone to come by and smack him. Anxious.]

[notsogreatwall]

Definitely, Finch! [ She stands her mop upright in the bucket, as if was a weapon and not a simple cleaning tool. ]

[ Then she leans down, curious. ] Say... what's that behind your back?

[imjustpicky]

[Wow, she's enthusiastic! And kind of intimidating...]

Uh... what? [Oh great. Busted again. But she's a real person, and can be reasoned with, surely... so he brings his toy back out to show her.]

It's my Game Boy. I just got it back in the mail today! Uh... I'm not in class so it's totally okay for me to have it. Yeah.

[notsogreatwall]

Oh, that's neat! [ Staring. ] ...what does it do?

[imjustpicky]

...

[Well OF COURSE he had to demonstrate his game to her! He shifts around so that he's beside her and stands as high as he can, while turning the game on. And he has the screen angled so she can see what he's doing.]

This plays video games! You can take it with you anywhere! This one's Tetris. You have to move the blocks around and make lines. It gets faster and faster the more you play! It's really fun.

hnnng that video. My childhood (yay)

[notsogreatwall]

Video... games...? [ A pause. ] Oh! I was told about those. So this is what was meant... [ She speaks with a certain fascination, peering closely. ] It even plays music and everything! [ A pause, as she looks around it from different angles. ] ...where are the cables?

And my childhood, too. T_T

[imjustpicky]

Yeah! Video games are cool. I got this for my birthday. I have lots of different games back home!

[Picky is nowhere near as good a player as the dude in the link, though. And he forgets to pause when she asks about cables. He tips his head back to look at her while he answers.]

Uh, it's all in there. It's portable. If you wanna play games in color, you need to hook it up to a TV with cables but...

[Eeeehn! And there was the game over noise.]

Aaah! Oh no! I lost!

'rents pawned off my original GB when I was young /mourns

[notsogreatwall]

So compact... Technology from the outside world really is wonderf-- [ Meiling recoils at bit at the reaction. ] Oh no! Is that it? Can you still play again? Is it broken?

Aah, how sad! :(

[imjustpicky]

[Oh no, he scared the lady! That wasn't right. He'd have to correct this.]

It's fine! It's fine. I just lost the round I started. But I can start another one.

[And he proceeds to do so, clicking through the menus.]

See? D'you want to try?

The saddest day

[notsogreatwall]

[ Her expression softens. ] Ohh, I see. [ Even if she only mostly understands. ]

[ A blink, she points to herself. ] Me? Are you sure? I don't want to break it or anything! That would be terrible.

[imjustpicky]

It's pretty durable! Just don't drop it, and it'll be okay! And, and even if you drop it? It's fine. See? [He points to a scuffed and dented spot on the bottom.]

That's from when my brother pushed me and I dropped it. It's still fine!

[notsogreatwall]

If you're sure... [ Meiling makes sure the mop won't fall over out of the bucket and wipes her hands on a rag tucked into the front pocket of her overalls. Then she carefully puts out her hands to accept the device. ] What do I do?