#jackasspuppet

 if a dream is a wish your heart makes, then pinocchio is really wishing for some of his old-school disney friends! he’s not picky, but his old friends jiminy cricket and lampwick wouldn’t go amiss!

In the midst of walking down the sidewalk, he couldn’t help but take notice of a rundown motel nearby. Obviously considering how many other beings there besides sheep that are possibly residing in the city, a single hotel wasn’t going to do when trying to make room, though there’s also the factor of one’s financial situation.

He can kinda guess why he wound up in the hotel. As long as he went to school, his living situation was covered even if he did have a job. Though honestly he’d rather be at that job instead at the moment. All the lessons in studying with Gibson just made him understand too easily the studies he’s supposed to to learn for someone his age. It was just like he was hearing the same things he had already learned. Not much really challenging him.

He had that single second thought of possibly skipping out though maybe that wasn’t such a good idea when he was still relatively new here. He might as well play along for now and see where it goes.

If it wasn’t for his staff, Pinocchio wouldn’t have left his room at all. Being outside in such a strange place – no matter how scary Library had been – could only cause trouble, and he wanted nothing but to avoid it. Of course, peace never tended to follow him – something he recalls when he barely steps out of his room and bumps into someone. At least... he thought that he did.

Blinking, he peers over the top of his staff to glance at the stranger. “Ah, that’s...” Rather, this boy was a puppet, wasn’t he? Moving on his own, like Gishin and Anki. With those two gone, the sight startles him a little. Outside of Library, he... had been the only one to do that.

What’s that supposed to be? Pinocchio didn’t know- he’d never seen something like it before! Initially, he takes a step back when the girl shoves it at him (and almost into his mouth, nonetheless!) and holds up his hands in self defense, as if he’s to shove it away in rejection.

But she continues to pursue him, trying to get him to take it. Something about it gives him a bad feeling in his gut, but the consistent begging is enough for him to give in as he takes the cigar from her hands and accepts it. “Th-Thank you, I suppose!”

      “Hey, don’t sweat it! I got a boatload of these bad boys.” To illustrate her point, Peacock reaches into her hat and takes out another cigar, twirling it between her fingers before lighting it and taking a big puff of smoke from it. She seems pretty damn satisfied with this—hell, she holds out her lighter and lights his up for him, too! Not like he’d know any better.

      Still grinning, she sizes the boy up, her six eyes looking him up and down. “Yer Pinocchio, right? Loved yer movie.”

Heading to his work at the library as usual, Laurent hummed to himself as he was on his way. Another morning, another day’s work lay ahead: he didn’t want to keep his sheep co-workers waiting and impatient. He usually arrived early: the ‘early bird caught the worm’, after all. Yet something peculiar halted his travels. For a moment, he thought he’d been seeing things.

He paused to rub at his glasses with a clean handkerchief, but the sight was still there. How...bizzare. A puppet, moving all by itself? Back in the Nohr and Hoshido ages, there had been those capable of using puppets and moving them, true: but it still required someone with the puppet to move it. Yet, he was certain there was some kind of magical aura about the puppet?

Unless he was incorrectly gauging magic, which had happened. His curiosity was too large to simply let the matter go, though. At the same time, he didn’t want to scare the puppet! He was a shy person. He simply watched, and observed inquisitively from afar.

“.....”

... How come you ain’t got no strings, little fella?

Okay, well, anyway. Your new home is Moonpie Motel Room #19!