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43rd Teddy Bear [Video/Action]
[Nami went home. It's another tally on her list of people she dearly misses now—she marks them down and can count them off on her fingers. Mom... dad... Mr. Luffy... Nami left... Archie... J-Jilly.... Pao-Lin and Miss Lightning... Noel and Mr. Ling... Ace.... Lots of people are gone. She's been so afraid of being left alone, but she never considered maybe it wouldn't just stop at her mama and papa. She never considered that she herself were capable of leaving, either.
Maybe—someday... she'll be all alone.
And every time it hurts. It hurts! She counts off the names and it still makes her want to hide in her covers and cry. She's too young to appreciate that they're in their own worlds, where they belong. Lucky for her, not to know some were going to their deaths. Did she even have any pictures of some of them? She's got a few, but—they're not enough. Some people don't have any at all to hang up. It's awful, to sit there and see blank places on your wall where you could have so easily had more images... of loved ones you might not see again.
She spends the next few days collecting up as much as she can from the item shop, whenever Winry or Ed is willing to take her (well, one more willing than the other, all things considered). She has her pink camera, and if she can just get even more film for photos, she can get lots and lots of pictures. This is what her father did, right? He's the reason she has a picture of her and Nami together.
Thank you, papa. Thank you for giving her pictures to remember.
While she's at school, she'll call out to familiar faces, surprisingly eager.]
Let's take a picture together!!
[Out in her front yard, she excuses herself from her play time with her action figures and dolls to usher her friends over, if they visit, if they happen by. There are some she knows who take the trail often; she may or may not be betting on that.]
Can you take a picture with me??
[She's out of breath, just having caught someone she knows in the corner of her eye; what if they vanish in the next few moments, and she never catches them, and she grows up and forgets their faces? She calls out down the road, close to the smithy where Winry works (she likes to visit, sometimes; it's nice to stay there):]
Wait! Can we have a picture? Just one!
[Sometimes she just calls out to two people out on a stroll, friends, clearly friends or relatives or lovers, people who probably love each other like she loved her friends. She smiles and looks hopeful, and holds up her camera that hangs off her neck.]
Do you want a picture of you two??
[Eventually, a click. No flash. No film. She's all out.]
[Video]
[The feed is just of her laying on her bed sideways, holding her camera close to her. With all her thoughts circling her head, she's been trading out the camera for her stuffed plushies when bed time comes around. She turns on video, because it's also a good way to see people sometimes. Even if it gets harder and harder to find their... pages... She can't find some of her papa's old pages. She was sure she could remember where they were.
Her lips are pursed, and her camera is held against her heart.]
People go away... How do you make it stop hurting? ... I wish my memories were so good, I could remember like a movie. I wanna remember every little thing, but it's hard to remember so many little things... [Her eyes well up with tears. They drip into the small crease between her eye and nose, pools there as her voice goes low.] I don't wanna grow up and forget.
I don't wanna forget. What should I do?
[.....]
.... I need more film... for pictures.
Maybe—someday... she'll be all alone.
And every time it hurts. It hurts! She counts off the names and it still makes her want to hide in her covers and cry. She's too young to appreciate that they're in their own worlds, where they belong. Lucky for her, not to know some were going to their deaths. Did she even have any pictures of some of them? She's got a few, but—they're not enough. Some people don't have any at all to hang up. It's awful, to sit there and see blank places on your wall where you could have so easily had more images... of loved ones you might not see again.
She spends the next few days collecting up as much as she can from the item shop, whenever Winry or Ed is willing to take her (well, one more willing than the other, all things considered). She has her pink camera, and if she can just get even more film for photos, she can get lots and lots of pictures. This is what her father did, right? He's the reason she has a picture of her and Nami together.
Thank you, papa. Thank you for giving her pictures to remember.
While she's at school, she'll call out to familiar faces, surprisingly eager.]
Let's take a picture together!!
[Out in her front yard, she excuses herself from her play time with her action figures and dolls to usher her friends over, if they visit, if they happen by. There are some she knows who take the trail often; she may or may not be betting on that.]
Can you take a picture with me??
[She's out of breath, just having caught someone she knows in the corner of her eye; what if they vanish in the next few moments, and she never catches them, and she grows up and forgets their faces? She calls out down the road, close to the smithy where Winry works (she likes to visit, sometimes; it's nice to stay there):]
Wait! Can we have a picture? Just one!
[Sometimes she just calls out to two people out on a stroll, friends, clearly friends or relatives or lovers, people who probably love each other like she loved her friends. She smiles and looks hopeful, and holds up her camera that hangs off her neck.]
Do you want a picture of you two??
[Eventually, a click. No flash. No film. She's all out.]
[Video]
[The feed is just of her laying on her bed sideways, holding her camera close to her. With all her thoughts circling her head, she's been trading out the camera for her stuffed plushies when bed time comes around. She turns on video, because it's also a good way to see people sometimes. Even if it gets harder and harder to find their... pages... She can't find some of her papa's old pages. She was sure she could remember where they were.
Her lips are pursed, and her camera is held against her heart.]
People go away... How do you make it stop hurting? ... I wish my memories were so good, I could remember like a movie. I wanna remember every little thing, but it's hard to remember so many little things... [Her eyes well up with tears. They drip into the small crease between her eye and nose, pools there as her voice goes low.] I don't wanna grow up and forget.
I don't wanna forget. What should I do?
[.....]
.... I need more film... for pictures.
action;
You're already a little taller than I was at your age.
[Not...that that means much considering how he's been a bit of a shorty all his life.]
action;
action;
It can be tiring, can't it? I'm sure it won't be long before you can look them right in the eye.
[He reaches into his kimono sleeve and pulls out a small pouch, holding it out to her.]
And here is something to help. You can't grow on an empty tummy.
action;
She accepts the pouch, eyes widening.]
This is the sweets you had?
action;
[When the pouch is in her hands, he pulls the drawstring and it opens, revealing multicolored sweets in an array of shapes and patterns]
What do you think? Can you help me with them?
action;
And then she points straight to a particular pattern fondly.]
They have flowers...
action;
[He smiles at her, pulling his hands back away from the bag.]
Do you like them?
action;
And these ones! How'd they put grapes on the side? This one has grapes drawn on it!
action;
The ones who make these are very talented. It is a special skill that candy makers learn.
action;
How do you think they do it...? Maybe they paint it with magic candy paint.
[man how can i even eat these, they're works of art!!]
action;
If you like them so much, I can bring you more another day.
action;
action;
[He rests his chin in his hands, elbows on his knees as he balances on the balls of his feet in front of her.]
Seeing you smile is more than enough.