"That," Howard says, staring at the plush creature with a mixture of terror and fascination, "is the single creepiest toy I've ever seen. Its eyes are like the grave!"
Oh, Stacy, where it's totally normal for a fifteen year-old to be wandering around the bar with a mug of water, randomly commenting on people's creepy walking dead-eyed teddies.
Kriem chuckled and the bear waved and wobbled in response.
"Thank you, he's called a Mad Bear. I designed him myself." It was indeed one of her prouder moments getting the toy line in stores where people were buying them up eagerly. They were a particular hit among punks and biker types. Delinquents.
Howard can't exactly see why anyone would design something that sits in the overlap between 'soulless' and 'stoned', but well. People have weird hobbies. Very weird hobbies.
"That depends on your definition of alive." She mused sipping the water and setting the cup down. She took the bear by the ear lifting it up and it wiggled and wobbled.
"It doesn't feel pain, but it has basic emotions, and is absolutely loyal." She set him back down and he performed a awkward bow which ended up with his head bumping on the tabletop.
"That's gross. How smart is it?" The little table bump says 'not very', but then again, it could just be uncoordinated. "Do you like, enchant them or something?"
"Something." She answered mysteriously and the Bear wobbled over to the edge of the table to look over it, exploring the world he was only now aware of. "If you would like a demonstration I'll need another doll, or an article of clothing if that's easier."
Howard raises an eyebrow, considering. Something about The Furby Incident(tm) leaves him hesitant to want a living toy, however cool the idea of undying loyalty might be. "Who would it be loyal to? You?"
Because no offense, weird goth secretary girl, but he doesn't want to give you more weird ammunition for your scary toy army.
"It all depends." She explained so casually as if it was common knowledge how these things worked. "If it's an object that has been with you forever and you've treated it well it will be loyal to you...probably. I've never really tried."
But she had a suspicion that she could still command such a thing to bow to her will if she wanted.
"I don't have any of those objects." Maybe his knife, but somehow the idea of her magicking that seems like really bad news. "Is this a pretty usual thing on your world?"
"What a pity." Though the light tone indicated she didn't care either way. She smiled at him, "You could say I'm special. Not everyone from my world is a NEXT, we're the next step in evolution you could say. Everyone else is just...old news."
"You make it sound so bland, so boring and small." She sighed, "But I suppose on a ship surrounded by people with amazing abilities it's hard to appreciate the historical significance of the evolution of mankind."
"In my world? Absolutely." She smiled a poisonous smile "In any of these other worlds, who's to say. Perhaps mankind has evolved to be something admirable rather then the selfish, cruel and frightened masses that I grew to know."
Oh. Well, Howard certainly isn't going to argue with that assessment. "Sounds like you ended up on the wrong end of that selfish, cruel and frightened mass."
"Sometimes the hardest lessons are the ones that make you strongest." Was her simple response. Something that Jake had told her once, like so many of his philosophical musings it played clearly in her head.
Oh, Stacy, where it's totally normal for a fifteen year-old to be wandering around the bar with a mug of water, randomly commenting on people's creepy walking dead-eyed teddies.
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"Thank you, he's called a Mad Bear. I designed him myself." It was indeed one of her prouder moments getting the toy line in stores where people were buying them up eagerly. They were a particular hit among punks and biker types. Delinquents.
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"Is it alive?"
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"It doesn't feel pain, but it has basic emotions, and is absolutely loyal." She set him back down and he performed a awkward bow which ended up with his head bumping on the tabletop.
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Because no offense, weird goth secretary girl, but he doesn't want to give you more weird ammunition for your scary toy army.
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But she had a suspicion that she could still command such a thing to bow to her will if she wanted.
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