Boonapping! Home Team

[wheatencrown]

Cruella is not moving anywhere unless they say and she is surrounded on all sides by people who care about Boo-AndrAIa, Enzo, Coreen and Demeter herself.

Comments

[alorn-bear.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I can see that pretty clearly," says Belar. "Don't worry about that." He considers Cruella for a moment. Then, with a negligent flick of one finger, he says, "Ceiling."

For Cruella- and for Cruella only- gravity will be reversing itself. As far as she, her clothing, her jewelry, the things in her pockets, and anything else she's got on her person are concerned, the ceiling is now 'down' and the floor is 'up'.

[obsessedwithfur.livejournal.com]

"AIIIIIIIIIE!"
A few of the thorns scrape her on the way down to the ceiling; she lands on her shoulder and then falls back onto her stomach. There might be some moaning, which comes to an abrupt stop when her purse falls on her head.
Looks like she might be unconscious. Or trying to pretend to be anyway.

Shorty shakes his head.
"Stupid woman don't even play around with bein' able to walk on the ceiling."
I mean, come on. That's pretty awesome.

[a1enzo]

"You want to join her?" Enzo demands. "Bet we could aim you at a rafter on the way."

Okay, yeah, it would be pretty awesome. Enzo's just not in a mood to admit it.

[obsessedwithfur.livejournal.com]

Shorty considers.
"Naw. She'd prob'ly try'n get me to do somethin stupid."

[a1enzo]

Enzo nods, very slightly mollified. "Least you know it. Why're you working for her anyway?"

[obsessedwithfur.livejournal.com]

He shrugs.
"If The Boss asks me to be on the job, I'm on the job. He got 'em, not me.

Why he picked this'n, I dunno. She must be payin him top dolla. He don't deal with fools much."

[a1enzo]

Enzo's brow wrinkles. "You mean, she... subcontracted the kidnapping?"

He shoots a glance at the rest of the team. Unknown quantity. This could be anywhere from bad to very bad.

[obsessedwithfur.livejournal.com]

Shorty's face goes from blank to blanker with a side of confused.
"Dunno nothin about no contracts."

[a1enzo]

"Subcontracted. Means you have a job, and then you hire someone else to do it, or part of it."

What? His sister's a businesswoman.

[obsessedwithfur.livejournal.com]

"Oh."


Shorty frowns, obviously thinking this over.
"Maybe, then."

[notascreensaver]

Even though Cruella is on the ceiling, the Game sprite is still gripping Shorty by the back of the neck, though it's more general holding in place now, rather than restraining.

"What else did she want you to do other than rescue her?"

[obsessedwithfur.livejournal.com]

Shorty shakes his head a little.
"The Boss'd have my head if I answered a question like dat.

The lady might be an idiot, but I'm not. 'n The Boss a'int neither.



Sorry."

[coreenfennel.livejournal.com]

"Shorty, you're here now. The more immediate danger is here, wouldn't you say? Who knows what people do around here..."

She pauses for a second. "You know, you could make a new start somewhere else...free of the constraints of your 'Boss'."

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa offers the boy a small smile.

"Besides," she adds with her own coaxing. "How would he know you told us anything?"

[obsessedwithfur.livejournal.com]

Shorty has an amused smile for AndrAIa.
"He'd know. 's why he's The Boss."


He looks at Coreen and the others seriously for a long moment.
"Look, The Boss ain't all bad. He's been better t'me than my own Pa ever was. He didn't have'ta force me on the job. I wanted it."

[a1enzo]

"Stealing little kids?"

[obsessedwithfur.livejournal.com]

He frowns and shakes his head.
"We didn't do that. We didn't get the job till after that."

[wheatencrown]

"Child, your Boss cannot know what is happening here unless you tell him for he is not All Seeing."

[coreenfennel.livejournal.com]

"And if you help us out, I'm sure we can find suitable means to help you out."

[notascreensaver]

She nods at Coreen's statement, releasing her hold Shorty. It's not like he's going anywhere in a hurry, right?

"That's right, Kiddo; you scratch our backs, we scratch yours."

Slowly, she crouches down to Shorty's level as best she can with the thorns in the way.

"What did Cruella tell you about this place?"

[wheatencrown]

As they talk, Demeter whispers to the thorns and they subside and then disappear since the boy doesn't appear to be as much of a danger as Cruella.

[obsessedwithfur.livejournal.com]

He turns toward Demeter and nods.
"Thank ya kindly, ma'am."

He looks at his feet thoughtfully.
"In da briefing she said the closet went to someplace else. That was where the girl came from and where people would be comin to get her from. The Boss wanted me to go through 'n keep an eye on the lady - make sure we didn't lose our payday.
Den she said there'd be weird people here, sayin all sorts of things, but they wouldn't be hurtin me since I look so young. I'm use'ta knowin how'ta deal with people and The Boss knew I'd be good at playin the part. 's all."

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa listens to all this patiently, nodding when appropriate.

"From what I can tell, you're a smart kid, Shorty, you shouldn't be mixed up in any of this business."

She stops her hand mid-motion from giving the kid's hat and hair an affectionate tussle.

"How'd you end up in all this in the first place?"

[obsessedwithfur.livejournal.com]

"The Boss found me when I's livin on the street." Shorty's lookin past AndrAIa now, his voice rougher and quieter than it was a minute ago. "Guess he saw somethin in me.. he took me in. I hadn't had a good meal in months when he found me. Hadn't.."

There's a pause then until Shorty remembers there are other people around. He glances back at AndrAIa and continues.
"I didn't know his business til after."

[notascreensaver]

The Game sprite gives Shorty's shoulder a gentle squeeze along with a soft, understanding smile.

"You did what you had to in order to survive. I've been there, I understand."