Video

[a_sin_for_him]

[The gear angle is a low one, tilted up to show a kitchen counter. And a small girl who remarkably resembles Lust, perhaps seven or eight, standing on top of it and staring intently at a cabinet above her. It's open. There are various boxes of pantry type goods. And on the very top shelf, tantalizingly peeking over the edge, is a box of fancy chocolate cookies.]

[Lust is a small child. And she wants a cookie.]

[She's wearing a shirt that's been belted with a tie, in as best as she could manage to get to a dress with what she has available to her. Her hair is braided. Every so often, a blue blur covers the screen as Guttle rolls by, concerned. Henry the Espurr is holding the gear.]

[After a moment, the little girl sighs, scrunches up her face, and turns toward the gear. Or rather the Pokemon on the floor, but the direction is the same.]

I can't reach it!

Comments

[Action]

[no_ufo_ending]

<sub>[Now that Henry has been re-captured and re-introduced to the house, he can't hide forever. He's hungry too. He watches Lust's endeavors from behind a mop of hair leaning around the corner of the hallway, his fist tightly clenching one of Prince's ribbons. Prince keeps a brave face on even though it's hurting and wrinkling his beautiful fur.]

[He has to see where this is going.]</sub>

[a_sin_for_him]

[Nowhere good, likely.]

[The child on the counter frowns thoughtfully, intent on the cookies. And there aren't any grown ups to help, so what else can she do? She needs to be taller. There has to be something she can stand on to reach the high shelf....]

[She pulls over a bread box and tests its with her foot.]

[no_ufo_ending]

_{[Prince's eyes widen. That's not safe! The Sylveon marches forward a few steps, tugging Henry with him.]}

SYL!

_{[Stop that at once, tiny human!]}

Pink dog, shhhh!

[a_sin_for_him]

You!

[She turns, focusing her attention on the shaggy haired boy on the kitchen floor. She points to him, in case he doesn't realize she's talking to him. She could be talking to the pink dog-cat thing that had first caught her focus.]

Come up here and help me. You're a boy and I asked so you have to.

[no_ufo_ending]

<sub>[Henry tenses up when the mystery girl turns her gaze on him. His grip on Prince's ribbon grows even tighter and at that point Prince has had enough. He tugs it free of the boy's grip and stalks off, ears twitching unhappily.]

[Henry is ALONE.]

[His eyes are the size of saucers.]</sub>

Wh--what? But I can't...

[a_sin_for_him]

Of course you can.

[She isn't taking no for an answer.]

You've got to. I asked for your help. [A small pause as she considers her options.] I'll give you one of the cookies. One cookie.

[no_ufo_ending]

<sub>[He's...he's got to? The boy's brows peak at that. That doesn't sound terribly legit but...what if she's right? What if she tattles on him?]

[Suddenly the mystery girl makes the deal more appealing. Cookies are involved. Or rather. A cookie. With his head lowered, the boy shuffles over.]</sub>

Okay...but we better not get in trouble.

[a_sin_for_him]

In trouble with who?

[Who's there to tell them no? If there were someone there in an adult capacity of any sort, she wouldn't have to conscript random boys into climbing cabinets to get her cookies down.]

[no_ufo_ending]

Um...

_{[His eyes dart around the room.]}

Um. Um.

_{[There weren't many grownups around, were there?]}

Okay.

[Action]

[rocketralph]

<sub>[Some time that afternoon, three booming (yet still somehow polite) knocks sound at the door. It's the only way he's able to knock, sorry about the paint job there. Ralph waits patiently outside with some food containers he'd promised to return.]

[But who will answer the door?]</sub>

[a_sin_for_him]

[Oh no. A knock at the door.]

[This presents quite the conundrum. On one hand, the cookies. On the other...her memories are odd and hazy things, and little makes complete sense, but she knows that it's important to be hospitable. Guests at home were Very Important.]

[So she hops down off the counter and sprints to the door, her braid flying out behind her. It lies thickly over her shoulder when she comes to a halt and opens the front door. There aren't any grown ups around to do it, after all.]

[There is a very big man on the doorstep. But not scary-big. In fact, something about him is rather familiar and comforting.]

I don't know where my tata is so you shouldn't come in, but would you like a drink?

[That was perfectly polite.]

[rocketralph]

<sub>[If physics had allowed for it to happen, Ralph's eyebrows would have ascended into the stratosphere. He did not have to wonder who this tiny creature was. He'd seen the goblins running around in the street. He'd even started worrying that he would suddenly become one but...that's silly. He was never a kid. BUT HE HAS TO ADDRESS THE MATTER AT HAND HERE.]

[He stares for a very very long moment and sucks his lips inward. Sega Dreamcast, what does he do? She doesn't seem to know him and in a way, that makes him a little sad.]</sub>

Oh, ah. Yyyyyyyyyyeah, that'd be fine but I need to return...these.

_{[He leaned down to offer Lust her own plastic containers.]}

[a_sin_for_him]

[She takes the containers, eyeing them curiously. They're empty.]

[But her big friend is very big. She glances over her shoulder into the house. She shouldn't let strangers inside the house when there isn't a single family grown up around. But he doesn't feel like a stranger and he's very tall.]

Thank you. [A pause.] I'm hungry. I can't reach anything. Could you get my cookies? I'll kick you if you try and kidnap me.

[She kicks quite hard, she feels it's a valid threat. She doesn't think she's going to get abducted away into child slavery, Big Friend seems very nice, but one of the few things that's clear in her mind is her father warning her to be careful of strangers.]

[rocketralph]

_{[Ralph is ready to turn and shuffle back off into Goldenrod and fret for the rest of the day when Lust's wee voice stops him. Once he processes what she's said, he covers his mouth to contain a snort before showing her two empty hands.]}

Oh, yes ma'am, understood. Who on earth would be so cruel as to put your cookies out of reach?

[a_sin_for_him]

[She gives him one more once over, then nods and retreats back into the house. Anxious Pokemon are everywhere. It's been a strange few days in Shark House.]

I don't know. There aren't any grown-ups here. I'm Isa.

[She scampers off toward the kitchen, where the cabinet is still open and a chair is backed against the counter.]

The animals won't bite.

[rocketralph]

Isa, huh...

_{[Ralph ducks through the front door and glances around the house. While he doesn't outright see the rest of the kiddie crew, he sees signs that something isn't quite right in the house. Things are toppled over. Pokemon are scurrying to and fro in search of their trainers. Someone has drawn on a wall. It's not a very good drawing. Yikes.]}

Good to know.

_{[He observes the whole setup Lust--or Isa, rather-- has set up. That's just like her. Nothing's going to stand between her and what she wants. He reaches overhead and grabs the box, offering it to her with a bow and a flourish.]}

One box of cookies, miss.

[a_sin_for_him]

[Success! The girl's face lights up as she takes the box of cookies, and she promptly sits herself down with her ankles crossed to properly investigate the contexts of the box.]

'nk you!

[Guttle and Henry the Espurr are still nervously patrolling the floor. They both seemed relieved to see an actual familiar adult in the house.]

[After selecting a particularly chocolate-y looking cookie, she holds the box out to Big Friend. He did get it for her, she ought to share. Besides, he's a guest. You have to be very nice to guests in your home.]

[rocketralph]

_{[Well, who is he to say no? Ralph kneels down and accepts the box, accidentally dumping out several in his hand in his search for one that is NOT chocolate.]}

Whups!

[a_sin_for_him]

...well. You are very big.

[Said as she eyes the small pile of cookies in Big Friend's hand. A handful of cookies for him is probably one cookie for a small person. It's sound logic.]

[She delicately nibbles at her own cookie, still eyeing him curiously.]

[rocketralph]

_{[Ralph delicately fishes out the single non-chocolate cookie in his hand before offering the rest to her.]}

Not much on sweets really, but I appreciate it. When's this Tia of yours supposed to get back?