Entry tags:
39th Teddy Bear [voice/action]
[Elicia had been sleeping next to Gracia off and on now, after papa had left. She thinks maybe it makes her mama better, that she's close and there. And like so many other days, Elicia gets up and rubs her face, bleary-eyed and ready to start the day. Only, what greeted her was the silence of a empty, blue room; the essence of it—everything that made it her mother's—was sucked out. All she had was a pillow behind her and a blanket clutched in her hands, and for a moment, she doesn't understand.
It takes some time before she finally does.
The house is really quiet. Winry and Ed must be doing the things they do every day. She numbly leaves the bed and goes into the bathroom, stripping down like always, turning on the water and being careful that she doesn't make it hot. She gets soap in her eyes, but it's okay, because it washes out. When that's over with, the clothes come next—it's a dress, and she puts her ties in her hair, trying to make them match evenly on each side; it sort of looks right, she thinks, so she goes to the kitchen and uses a chair to get to the cabinet so that she could get the cereal box. And then the milk. Spoon and bowl. She doesn't make orange slices because the knives are bad and off limits. And then she sets the table and eats fast.
It's all wrong. But she's had nightmares about a day like this, only soothed when she woke up and looked at her mother, or wandered into her room in the dead of night, just for a look. But now nothing's left in her mama's room, and the fog of loneliness pushes on her from all sides as she sits on the couch and waits for something to change.
Over time, she lets herself cry. It builds up like a wave traveling toward sand, gradually peaking as the force carries it. It's okay, she thinks. She'll come back, or papa. They wouldn't just leave her behind for long. Not even the malnosso could change that about them. Right? They'd come back and there wouldn't be any reason to cry.]
[Voice]
Mama—
[She breathes in, voice watery and unsure. Everyone had to do things like this. This was the right thing to do. This is what people here had to do sometimes, for the ones they loved. She inhales a shaky sob.]
Gracia... Hughes... Went home.
[It's weird to say her full name like that. She doesn't like it. But she has to be grown up right now.
Later in the day, she'll be out working on the garden Raine had helped her replant, and has no intention of going inside until the sun starts dipping low. She doesn't really feel like playing today. A lot of her presents from the birthday are left scattered in her room, where she's left them from the night before Gracia had left.]
It takes some time before she finally does.
The house is really quiet. Winry and Ed must be doing the things they do every day. She numbly leaves the bed and goes into the bathroom, stripping down like always, turning on the water and being careful that she doesn't make it hot. She gets soap in her eyes, but it's okay, because it washes out. When that's over with, the clothes come next—it's a dress, and she puts her ties in her hair, trying to make them match evenly on each side; it sort of looks right, she thinks, so she goes to the kitchen and uses a chair to get to the cabinet so that she could get the cereal box. And then the milk. Spoon and bowl. She doesn't make orange slices because the knives are bad and off limits. And then she sets the table and eats fast.
It's all wrong. But she's had nightmares about a day like this, only soothed when she woke up and looked at her mother, or wandered into her room in the dead of night, just for a look. But now nothing's left in her mama's room, and the fog of loneliness pushes on her from all sides as she sits on the couch and waits for something to change.
Over time, she lets herself cry. It builds up like a wave traveling toward sand, gradually peaking as the force carries it. It's okay, she thinks. She'll come back, or papa. They wouldn't just leave her behind for long. Not even the malnosso could change that about them. Right? They'd come back and there wouldn't be any reason to cry.]
[Voice]
Mama—
[She breathes in, voice watery and unsure. Everyone had to do things like this. This was the right thing to do. This is what people here had to do sometimes, for the ones they loved. She inhales a shaky sob.]
Gracia... Hughes... Went home.
[It's weird to say her full name like that. She doesn't like it. But she has to be grown up right now.
Later in the day, she'll be out working on the garden Raine had helped her replant, and has no intention of going inside until the sun starts dipping low. She doesn't really feel like playing today. A lot of her presents from the birthday are left scattered in her room, where she's left them from the night before Gracia had left.]
[Voice]
You're strong to me. [And when he had to call the real estate where his mom worked, the group of friends she made at the fitness center, had to tell the police and everyone that she was dead... he felt exactly the opposite of strong. He wanted to hide away from everyone who offered their condolences and maybe never see them again.
If he didn't have Billy supporting him, Teddy isn't sure how he'd handle it. And he's a teenaged boy.]
[Voice]
It's because I got lots of strong people around me...
[Sanji taught her how to speak her mind.
Nami taught her that girls could be tough.
Iron Man taught her how to be a hero.
Law taught her how to look at life.
Winry taught her how to stay by someone's side.
Ed taught her how to fight for what you love.
So many people helped her, and they were always there for her. They've had to suffer sometimes, too. But they were always moving forward, and that's exactly what Elicia knows her mama and papa would tell her to do. Keep going, never give up.]
They showed me how to be brave and strong.
[Voice]
[Eli taught him how to face forward and never give in.
Kate taught him how to be a leader.
Cassie taught him how to look at both sides of the fight.
Vision taught him how to be yourself no matter how much your nature demands you to be someone else.
Tommy taught him how to speak his mind.
Nathan taught him how the things that made him different could make him a hero.
Billy taught him how to live.]
And maybe, because of all the things you learned... you can teach someone else how to be brave and strong, too. Everyone we meet and love teaches us something... even if they're gone.
You must have some incredible friends.
[Voice]
I hope I can do that... I'm a super hero, so I gotta be able to help someone else, too! I'll get better at it, and then I'll help save them like they always do for me. 'Cause they really are incredible friends...!
[Voice]
You know? I'm a super hero, too.
... But sometimes even us heroes have to cry. It doesn't make us any less of one. It just means you're showing a different kind of bravery, or maybe you just need a little more strength right then.
[He offers a small smile.] That's what those incredible friends are for.
[Voice]
[Sniff.
Sniffle.]
...
Luceti's got a lot more heroes than I thought.
[Voice]
[There's a soft tone to his voice, a smile of sorts.] I bet even the toughest of them all has cried about something. When no one's looking at them, anyway.
[Voice]
I--I hope they cried, when they were sad. 'Cause it starts hurting not to, huh...?
[Voice]
they're just never around when you really need them and always arrive late or just in time
sounds legit.]
... Yeah. It really does start to hurt. And that hurt only gets worse the longer they hold it in... sometimes it can turn them into super villains.
[Voice]
[That... is really really sad. And awful. She's almost taken aback by the thought right now, even with how she's feeling—she'd never want anyone to turn into something like that, just because they didn't cry...!]
[Voice]
Does that make sense?
[Voice]
I definitely don't wanna be a super villain... It sounds like it's lonely and sad...
[Voice]
[He offers a little smile now.] So why not work to be a super hero?
[Voice]
Pinky promise.
[Voice]
Pinky promise.
... And hey, if you ever need to talk to me about these things? My name is Teddy.
Re: [Voice]
I'm Elicia. I won't forget, Mr. Teddy.