Video/Action for Violet City

[neededlassie]

[Shaun looks pale and trembling, and his eyes are wide and scared. He looks - and sounds, when he finally speaks - like he's been crying. All he can manage are four short words, before his voice cracks and it's all he can do not to break down.]

Norman won't wake up.

Comments

[justanexpression]

[Yeah, probably better to sidetrack this conversation before they both end up depressed.

Jack leans back away from the screen, ruffling his own hair.]

Back home, there's Guardians that protect kids. Making good things happen to make people happy is a really good way to do that.

[neededlassie]

[Shaun's ability to make other people sad is practically an unconscious superpower at this point.

...That sounds like a thing that Shaun's needed in his life, yeah.]

...What kind of good things?

[justanexpression]

[Everyone can use a magic snowball to the face now and then.]

You ever have a snowday off from school?

[neededlassie]

Yeah, at least once a year. There's usually a big blizzard sometime around my birthday.

[justanexpression]

[Jack could not look any more smug if he tried]

Yeah, I invented those.

[neededlassie]

No way. You can't invent snow, that's part of the weather and stuff.

[justanexpression]

That's what you think.

[Okay, so he didn't invent SNOW, exactly, but he totally takes credit for the things kids do with it, okay?]

If I had my powers instead of being stuck all human again, you'd think differently.

[neededlassie]

You have snow powers? Are you an alien?

[he's met aliens, you see.]

[justanexpression]

[So has Jack. Sort of. That's why he laughs.]

Naw. Just a spirit. Kinda like a ghost but about a million times more awesome.

[neededlassie]

Oh.

Does that mean you...died?

[justanexpression]

[This is NOT the direction this conversation was supposed to go. Darn it.]

Well... yeah. Technically, I guess. But I got better.

[neededlassie]

[No it's okay this is more okay than comas because people coming back from the dead is encouraging.]

Was your friend who almost died a spirit too?

[justanexpression]

Actually, he's an alien. Pretty cool one, too. He gives kids good dreams.

[He's just going to make a mental note to slip Sandy Shaun's name if he ever gets back home. Just in case.]

[neededlassie]

An alien? What planet is he from? ...can everyone on his planet do that?

{SHAUN NEEDS IT. My god does Shaun need good dreams.]

[justanexpression]

[He holds up his hands, laughing.]

I don't know, sorry. Only one I've ever met is Sandy, and... uh, I try not to ask too many questions. [Because seriously, who can understand him half the time? Not that Jack doesn't try, but... Well, an abstract concept like 'home' might be a bit much for a conversation.]

[neededlassie]

Sandy? That's a girl's name!

[justanexpression]

Well, what else are you gonna call the Sandman?

[neededlassie]

...Mr. Sandman? You mean there's a whole planet full of Sandmans?

Are there Sandwomans too?

[justanexpression]

You know... I have no idea. [Honestly, he really has no idea what Sandy is or who he used to be, but 'alien' is as likely as anything, knowing Manny. He definitely isn't human, unlike North, for instance. And it makes an entertaining story.]

He doesn't really talk, but why not? Maybe it's a whole planet where no one has anything but good dreams.

[neededlassie]

[Shaun mulls that over for a minute, and then smiles sadly.]

You know... Earth is okay, and the Pokemon world is awesome. But I wouldn't mind living on a planet full of good dreams, either.

[justanexpression]

[Hey, now, no sad. They're way past sad.]

Me, either. Maybe if he ever shows up here, we'll get him to tell us about it.

[neededlassie]

Do you have any of your other friends here? You know, people from your world?

[justanexpression]

Mmhm. [He nods.] Two of them. Bunny and Tooth. They're still back in Cherrygrove, I think.

[neededlassie]

[Wait a minute...]

The Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are real?

[Now he's getting the hang of it.]

[justanexpression]

[Color Jack just the proudest big brother in history right now, yup.]

Sure are. Not that they look it right now.

[Excuse him while he snickers a bit as he remembers.]