Change of Plans
The frontman recognizes the opportunity to torture Gi-Hun a little, because, as it turns out during a conversation, Player 456 has a big heart for children…actually, he wanted to use you to shatter Player 456's hopes into pieces…but you don't listen to what Appa wants from you; you're fascinated by a player with purple hair, colorful fingernails, and a funny way of speaking. So, by Appa, you think to yourself, and you stumble over to Team Thanos, completely throwing the plan out the window. Yay.
"…..and then you run towards your father"
"Appa?"
"Yes, Appa"
"Appa Hug?"
"Hmm….."
"Pinky too?"
"What?"
"Pinky say hi Appa too?"
"No….I'm just taking you to the Triangle Keepers…."
"Tree-Angles….."
"Yes…..do you understand what your job is?"
You rustle the stuffed animal in your right hand – a miniature version of Iago, the parrot from Aladdin – and of course, you weren't really listening.
At almost 3 years old, your focus is on other things.
The stuffed animal in your hand…the fact that you're about to give Appa a hug…the surprise that Appa said you could go and say hi…when it's a no-no when the adults play the games…which confuses you but also makes you happy, since you don't have to take a nap…so…that's good news, and you want to show Pinky - the Higher Ranked Square Guard with the black and pink uniform - how great Iago is.
"Iago…hi hi…parrot…beep…beeeeep…Pinky say hi!" - you coo, laughing once.
Of course, Pinky doesn't say hi to Iago.
"This is going end up bad…" - the guard muttered as he handed you over to one of the triangle guards and gave instructions over the radio.
The guards - the Circles…or whatever they're called to you…Circleleys - were just about to hand out lunch, and the atmosphere should be relatively relaxed.
The plan was actually for you to stumble, cute and clumsy, with your stuffed animal toward the frontman…or Young-Il - calling out "Appa" - and it would be a cute, "oh who's this little baby girl" scene.
Young-Il explained that you're actually his niece and she calls you Appa because you've been there for her since your parents died, blah blah….and then you were supposed to have a little interaction with Gi-Hun, to wake up his father's heart and hit a sore spot, and then the boss of the games was supposed to order the guards to get you out of the way. A gunshot should be heard, and the curtain would fall.
Of course you have no idea about the plan and you impatiently kick with your feet - that are in Frozen slippers and let Iago playfully wander onto Tree-Angle's right arm with - beep-beep Iago can fly beep….words.
When you're in the large room with the beds, where there's already a line waiting for food, one of the Triangle guards points in the direction where Gi-Hun's team is sitting, where your Appa is already sitting, waiting for you to run towards him with Iago in your hand.
You're happy when you see Appa…it's a bit strange that he's there without a mask and wearing a green suit…but you really want to give him a big hug and tell him that you and Iago desperately want to cuddle and miss Appa.
You take your first steps, and a few attentive parents among the players do a double take…a toddler? WTF is happening here…and you actually had a clear goal in mind until…
"Come on, my bro, Min-Su - don't let Nam-Su get away from you, be a man - you know Roar or something!"
You stop and something about the voice sounds funny. You look in that direction, and a group of adults are sitting by one of the beds with its small stairs. One of them has purple-black hair and is talking to another boy who is looking somewhat uncertainly at the floor.
"If you don't reach for the stars, my brother, you'll fall badly…like a bird that can't fly and then…poof!"
The man with the purple-black hair made a sweeping hand gesture, and at the words "bird" and "fly," you look down at Iago in your small hands.
You want to show the boy your stuffed animal - Iago can fly too! And so you completely throw your appa's plan out the window and run towards the group as fast as you can, forgetting your shyness around strangers for a moment.
"I told you, he can't even defend himself, fucking…"
"Beep beep! Iago fly too" - you say, holding the stuffed animal out to Thanos with a broad smile, thus interrupting NamGyu's insult against Min-Su.
"Where did the baby come from?" - Se-Mi wondered.
"No baby…big girl," - you said, without taking your eyes off Thanos, who tilted his head for a moment and looked you up and down before reaching for the Iago stuffed animal you held out.
"You all see the girl, right?" - NamGyu wondered, and Min-Su scratched the back of his head, overwhelmed.
Thanos looked at the stuffed animal thoughtfully.
"Be brave, Min-Su…quack!" - Thanos disguised his voice, which sounded similar to Iago's.
You chuckled quietly at the sentence and hugged the rapper's right leg.
"Iago parrot…no duck," - you said.
"Huh?" - Thanos replied, not particularly witty, leaning slightly closer to you.
"Beep…no quack," - you say, and Thanos pressed the stuffed animal back into your hand.
"Not quack?"
"Nuh-nuh…parrot…beeep," - you say, letting go of his leg to hold the stuffed animal close to you.
Then Thanos laughed loudly and ruffled your hair as if you'd known each other forever.
"I like the little one! She'll be…our mascot. Hey NamGyu, give the youngest member of Team Thanos your drink," - Thanos ordered, and NamGyu gave him a surprised look before turning to Min-Su.
"You want to feed it? Seriously? What if it bites you?" - after Namgyu exchanged a look with Min-Su and Se-Mi.
Thanos made a pffff hand gesture and sat down on one of the lower beds before, with surprisingly routine gestures, picking you up and placing you on his lap. You let out a quiet giggle and let Iago say "up up" once, and you weren't afraid of the adult with the funny voice and the great purple hair. He was funny and seemed sweet.
"Are you going to bite the Legend of Thanos? No, no, are you? Little Lady?" - Thanos cooed, waving his painted fingernails in your face and patting your head with one hand and Iago's plushie head with the other.
"No, no… biting, no nice!" - you say, and a few moments later, NamGyu has to say bye to his water bottle, and you drink from it—and Thanos is already treating you like a long-time member.
While you're enjoying the attention of Team Thanos, In-Ho makes a mental note not to develop a plan in that direction again and to brief you on the subject of Stranger Danger as soon as you're back in your private quarters.
But for now, you continue to sit on Thanos' lap, letting him feed you some of his lunch as a matter of course, while Nam-Gyu is given the honorable task of holding Iago and—kindly—being kind to him. Se-Mi and Min-Su are also given this honorable task a few minutes later. It's a somewhat bizarre sight – that even Gi-Hun eventually becomes skeptical and gets up to… well, see if he needs to rescue a poor toddler from the clutches of a dangerous gang. Young-Il follows him at a distance and signals to the guards to discreetly and quickly remove you if necessary.
"Ring!" - you say, tapping one of the many rings on Thanos' hand.
"Hmmm…right! Smart mascot," - Thanos grinned, lifting you from his lap onto the pillow of the bed to examine his team for a moment.
Min-Su looked even more unsteady with Iago in her arms, and you would have definitely fallen forwards out of bed without Se-Mi's courageous, timely intervention. The player picks you up and gives Thanos a quick glance.
"Better watch out for the mascot…or she'll hurt herself," - Se-Mi murmured, and Thanos liked a surprised face.
"Maybe she has superpowers…how else would a little kid end up here?" - Thanos guessed aloud.
"Oh great…that guy from yesterday is here for a second round," -NamGyu grumbled as Young-Il and Gi-Hun reappeared at the group.
Se-Mi's grip on you tightened a bit. You're fascinated by the necklaces she's wearing.
"Who does the child belong to?" Gi-Hun asked worriedly.
"Someone hasn't learned anything from the bees and flowers," - NamGyu said spitefully.
"She's part of my team and came to me like a poor little dog. Now she's our mascot. So…no reason to stress," said Thanos.
"That's not right…it…is probably a test…" Gi-Hun replied, trying to get your attention.
But Thanos didn't like that at all.
And so he suddenly acted like the incredibly sad guy, making quiet whining noises and holding his hands over his face.
"Thany kay kay? Uh-Oh! Thany sad no!" - You look at your new friend and notice how sad he is.
You impatiently struggle in Se-Mi's arms, who lets you down on the floor.
You pad over to the bed where Thanos is sitting and try to comfort him.
"The mean players from the other groups want to steal you…that makes Thanos sad," - Thanos fake-whined, and you make a startled "oh" sound and hug Thanos's leg tightly.
"Thany no cried….Hug all better!" you say when Thanos lets out a soft sniffle. You look at the other two adults…and recognize your Appa. And another stranger…the one who's been trying to get your attention the whole time.
Mean.
"And we just became friends," - Thanos said dramatically, and something about his sad voice suddenly made you sad.
Tears welled up in your eyes and your lower lip began to tremble.
"Thany sad! Mean," - you whimpered, and before you could really start crying out loud, it was Min-Su who gently picked you up and distracted you with Iago.
"You should go… before someone else starts crying," - Namgyu growled, and Se-Mi stood next to him, ready to defend you and NamGyu… he wasn't quite sure if he was just trying to make a good impression on Thanos… or if he was finally coming to terms with the idea of a mascot.
"The child seems to be doing well… considering the circumstances, Gi-Hun… we should still tell one of the guards. Maybe it's one of their children?" - Young-Il said calmly.
"You sure Young-Il?" - Gi-Hun wondered, his gaze still on you.
But you pay no attention to him anymore and just hug Iago comfortingly before addressing Thanos quietly—thany no cry pwease—words.
While Young-Il and Gi-Hun go to the guards and explain the… bizarre situation, a kind of protective instinct awakens in Team Thanos.
But that only lasts until it's was clear… that the mascot isn't quite house cleaned.....toilet training quialty....yet.
"Change of plans, my friends… hey Triangle Guard, you look like a father, come here and help us!" - Thanos called out, slightly nervous.
And it was the perfect cue for Tree-Angle to not only get you out of the situation, but also for your appa's plan to somehow work after all… even if not everything went as In-Ho had planned.
THE END