driftfleet | Voice/Action. Edwin, please, Mr. Jarvis is my father.

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Voice/Action. Edwin, please, Mr. Jarvis is my father.

Who: Edwin Jarvis (as a small fella) and you!
Broadcast: Voice
Action: SS Tourist, SS Starstruck, Iskaulit
When: From about March 22nd, a week onward.

... Sorry Tourist, make your own food for the week.

SS TOURIST

[Jarvis' day is the same as it always is. He gets up, makes breakfast, does a bit of laundry and tidies the ship wherever he sees fit — then work at the bar, the gym visits, making a half-sea-food dinner, and so on. It's a normal week, yes? Or perhaps not. The next day, there is no breakfast. Then no tidying or laundry. Then no dinner. It seems, without having left the roster, Jarvis has all but vanished from the SS Tourist.

Or perhaps he hasn't quite vanished. For you see, hidden up under his bed as he's been for hours now is a small boy of about eight or nine, wearing a rather too large robe, his hands in anxious fists tucked up by his face. He hasn't come out yet, because his nerves are rather... fried. Yours would be too, if you were a small kid and you woke up suddenly in a steel trap of sorts! He is mortified and at a complete loss, and all he can assume is that he's been abducted. Perhaps a ransom! Oh, his mind dances through a million paranoid thoughts. His mum and dad must have bothered someone terribly. They must've closed a door in someone's face and they want revenge. This is a lair from a villainous hideout, it must be so.

His stomach gurgles but he holds steadfast, as he fidgets with the device in front of him. It had been on the desk beside his bed, and he was interested in what it could do — and some part of him knows, in theory, how it works. And that is very frightening, because he's never seen something like this before in his entire life!!

He slams down the device, frustrated tears blooming in his eyes.]

[Audio]

[A hushed voice:]

Oh, don't cry — don't cry now, it won't do any good...

[He sniffs hard, and seems to be steeling himself. For a moment.

Even so — ]

... I want to go home...

[Eventually, sooner or later, somehow, someway, he will be out from under that cursed bed of doom and gloom and sit a day late at the table in the kitchen. But he doesn't cook, or clean, or anything of the sort. He sits with his hands off the table (impolite to put them there), sitting straight in his chair, unsure if he should... be waiting for someone to come in and make food, or if he... needs to make his own...

He's not very good at making things, yet.

Eventually he does grab a plate of... a block of some kind of gel. He wrinkles his nose but eventually gives in, and though he thinks the taste is just terrible, he is determined to eat every bite; wasting food is unsightly. He's a good boy. He would never. So to enjoy it forcefully, he hums a little tune as he eats, swinging his feet just a little. Nobody is around to see his poor etiquette, so... it's okay to be a little less rigid at the table, right?]

SS STARSTRUCK / ISKAULIT

[AT SOME POINT... Peggy will sniff him out. Which is probably way sooner than later, but anyway. Edwin is terribly curious now, despite his anxiety surrounding this... impossible place. He had investigated the Starstruck's cargo bay with some interest. Some strange and frightening man with a habit of grunting answers gave him some delicious dessert, and he wandered freely with the promise of being the most well-behaved kid in all of space.

... Well, he did fiddle with the teleporter a bit...

And ended up aboard the Iskaulit rather abruptly.

Which sparked great panic in the hall of the ship.]

How do I go back?! Oh, I've mucked it up! Stupid, Edwin — they'll be so cross with me!

[If I hit buttons enough, will that fix the problem? No?

Okay, time to roam the ship nervously then.]

CATCH-ALL WILDCARD

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[He jumps a bit; must be a skittish one.

But he's quick to give a smile, standing a bit straighter, hands folded behind his back.]

Hello, sir! I'm — very sorry for nearly running into you!

I should be more careful.

Sorry - didn't mean to scare you. [ must be. or at least, he hopes, he'd rather not be the kind of person who just...scares children. ] Don't worry about it. Are you new here?

[He nods, looking a bit more at ease.]

It's okay, I'm not — I wasn't scared!

[Maybe a little.]

I was just exploring, really! I was brought here, like my Aunt Peggy.

Space explorers!! Isn't it really amazing??

[ that gets the kid a warm smile and an enthusiastic nod. ] Totally amazing, and there's tons of exploring to do.

[ but there's something he has to clarify there. ]

Peggy...Carter? [ hang on there, he's trying to imagine peggy with family, peggy with a child.

he can feel her berating him in his mind, nope, even he's not that imaginative. ]

I'm her friend, Winn, it's nice to meet you.

Yes! Peggy, she's my aunt. I guess they take people from the same places a lot...

[He holds out his hand, trying to be as polite as ever.

Even at eight, he seems determined to be proper.]

My name's Edwin, Mr. Winn. It's really nice to meet aunty's friends.

[ wait - edwin, the properness, peggy, it's all too much to be a coincidence. which means it isn't, because this is reality TV.

he extends his own hand and gives him a friendly shake. ]

It's nice to meet you too. You want some company on your exploring expedition? I happen to be really good at those.

[You'll be pleased to know Jarvis has been polite and proper since apparently the womb.

He brightens considerably, trying not to act to excited; his father would disapprove of him acting too childish, anyway, especially among adults. It's wise to be as mature as possible so that you can't cause anyone any trouble, anyway.]

I would be most happy, Mr. Winn. I do like company.

[Not being alone, anyway. Being alone is terrible.]

Have — have you explored this place a lot?

[ it's okay, jarvis, you're not among adults, here. actually, you may be the adult here. ]

You can just call me Winn. [ mr. schott is bad enough, mr. winn just...no. ] I like company too, it'll be great.

[ he nods with a smile ]

Yeah, I've been here for a year, I can show you all the good spots. You seen the library yet? The garden? Do you like bears? The - cute cuddly plush kind, not real live bears, don't worry.

Yes, M-- Winn, sir.

[... Close enough.

He considers cute cuddly plush bears, and then immediately considers what his father would say about such things.]

Plush bears... Like... a teddy? I like them, but I'm too old for things like that I think.

[Uncertain, he smiles.]

Libraries sound wonderful, though. Books are very important, you know.

[ they'll get there...maybe. ]

I'm way older than you and I'm still not too old for things like that so, I say we go get you one. And then we can check out the library - what kind of books do you like to read?

[ he can do this, right, do the hanging out with a kid thing...nothing's exploded yet, the kid isn't crying or running out of an airlock or something. ]

... Alright. Only if we don't tell my father.

[His dad has very strict opinions on what 8-going-on-9-year-olds should be invested in, in his family. Stuffed teddies are not one of them. Sooner or later one must do away with childish things, you know, even if Edwin doesn't want to.]

I like, um... adventure stories!

Great journeys! Don't you think those are the most exciting?

[ oh. is there anyone in the fleet without parental issues? maybe that's how they get chosen. he is so not qualified to have this talk with a child, so he goes for a somewhat cowardly out - his father probably isn't here, and hopefully he'll go back to normal before that happens if it does, right? ]

It's between you and me. [ offering his pinkie for a pinkie swear. ]

I so do, I've read every one we have in the library you're in luck I can point out the best ones.

[There should be a special club for people without parent issues.

There would be, like, two people in it.

He stares for a moment at the extended finger; he's not really used to kiddish things like pinky swears, but he knows what they are in theory. After a moment he reaches out and completes the promise, smiling a bit more earnestly.]

... I'm not a really good reader yet, but I will do my best.

I, um... I pinky swear that, too!

[He doesn't want to disappoint.]

[ he smiles and gives his pinkie another squeeze then. ]

Then off on our grand adventure we go! First stop - the interfaith center!

[ said dramatically, he's excellent at kiddish things, stick with him, jarvis, and you'll never feel immature again.

he starts walking towards it, it's where stefan kindly agreed to keep the bears he got from his sponsor drop for exactly such occasions. ]

[Stick with him, Winn, and you'll probably feel the maturity seep off him. Beware, you wouldn't want your immaturity damaged. As it is, Jarvis walks with his hands folded behind his back, his steps only rushed in that Winn has a longer stride than him.]

Interfaith center? Like church? I don't remember church having teddies.

[ it'll probably do both of them some good, honestly. ]

It's not really as formal as church, and I know the guy who runs it. A while back my friend Kara and I restored [ yes, let's go with that! ] some teddies and he let us keep them there so that anyone who wants one could just come by and take it.

[He smiles, more sincerely, fond of the thought.]

That's very nice of you, Mist-- Winn.

Are you sure I should take one? There are far more needy people than me...

Do you have enough for any young children who come here?

[Totally not one of the young children in question, clearly. Nope not me.]

Don't worry, if we ever run out I have all I need to make some more. Besides, they've been sitting there for months now, you'll be doing one a favor letting it see the world outside the center.

[ it's totally not about giving the not at all young child a toy, nope, they're clearing some space for stefan and allowing the toy to fulfill its purpose! ]

...... I understand. I wouldn't want to leave any bears too lonely.

[A grin.]

I will call him.... Mr. Tottles! And he'll be taken care of, I can promise!

And he shall visit his family every day, just so he doesn't get too homesick.

Mr. Tottles couldn't ask for a better care giver.

[ he grins right back and takes a turn. ]

It's right over here - [ he opens the door. ]

Stefan? [ they seemed to have caught it empty. oh well. he points to the corner where a few largish bears covered in happy colorful patches sit. no two bears are identical and the work on them is well done and pleasing to the eye. definitely better then their original look. ]

Pick whichever one you like.

[............................................

Oh, no. Decision-making is so hard.

He stands there with SO MUCH FOCUS, his hand on his chin.]

Whichever one.....

[...............]

Which one do you like?

[ he joins him in front of the bears and gives them a long look. he hasn't really looked at them since kitty dropped them off with stefan, their arrival was cruel and full of terrible memories. but now, with kid jarvis, he can look at them and see that he and kara did a really good job cutifying them. ]

Hmm. I like this one - [ he points to one with a heavier lean to blue patches ] blue's my favorite color.

[Edwin is more than happy to have something someone else approves of — and he does like blue quite a bit! Even if it can be a little sad of a color sometimes. He reaches over to the patched up bear with a sort of timid grasp, like he's still on the fence at keeping one for himself. But when he smooths the ears over with his thumbs and inspects it, he looks pleased.]

He's very cute...!

I think he will be a very nice guardian. [He looks up with a content expression.] My granny told me once that's what teddies are made for, you know. To make sure you sleep safely; they're little knights made with stuffing.

[ that is possibly the cutest thing he's ever heard. he nods as if that's totally common knowledge. ]

Everyone knows that, it's why you're never too old to have one.

[He looks terribly unsure if that's true, Winn.

But... If he says so.]

Have you gotten one, too? A teddy.

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