Aiko and Company Putting the Toy in Story chapter 2 by TinyLesbo

All in all, it was a longer journey than expected. Buzz insisted that they'd only been in the car for half an hour or so, citing his keen timekeeping abilities, but when the periwinkle haze of sunset was visible through the gap in the 'roof', suddenly he wasn't so confident.

 

But eventually, the engine stopped rattling, seatbelts whooshed undone, and doors opened. Excited steps splattered across gravel, and the box lurched forward as their new owner clearly made a spirited attempt to pick them up.

 

"Aiko!" Mom called, "That's heavy! I'll carry it for you!"

 

"I wanna do it!" Aiko yelled back, her voice muffled somewhere amongst the box's outer layer, and a hush of anticipation washed over half a dozen or so toys as it lurched again, knocking several off their feet. Woody could only shake his head fondly; wherever you went, kids were all the same. Stubbornness and excitement, rolled into one.

 

"At least take the seatbelt off first...!" Mom sighed, and there was a third whoosh as the seatbelt was unbuckled. Scraping gently against cardboard walls, there was moments before Aiko tried for a third time, heaving the box out of the car seat. This time, at least, she was successful, shuffilng forward with heavy sandal slaps against concrete flagstones, which wobbled underfoot with a ceramic crinkle. Another car door was thrown shut in the background, and Aiko's mom easily caught up to her, overtaking with a jangle of keys in hand.

 

"Patience, Aiko..." Mom cried, jiggling the keys into an argumentative lock. 

 

"It's heavy mama!" Aiko argued immediately.

 

"I did offer to carry them for you." Mom cleared her throat. That very reasonable point seemed to fall on deaf ears as Aiko hauled the toys inside. Shoes were kicked off, landing somewhere a few feet away with rubbery slaps, and she managed a few more barefoot stomps across wood before the box fell to the ground with a vaguely coordinated thud.

 

Of course, that was a minor earthquake to the family of toys inside, leaving them a jumble of limbs and loose change.

 

"That... could've gone better." Buzz shoved Hamm off of him, "But phase one of the mission is accomplished, Woody. We're inside."

 

"And with a bit of luck she'll love us." Woody said.

 

"She's loved you already, Romeo." Potato Head waggled his moustache, only for Woody to shush him with a finger to his lips. 

 

"Aikoooo!" Mom called from the distance. "Dinner will be ready in about an hour! You can play until then, okay?"

 

"Okay!" Aiko called back, and the box wobbled as she tried to heave it from the ground, but with no luck at all as it barely even tipped. 

 

"Have you taken your shoes off?" Mom called.

 

"Yyyyep!"

 

"Washed your hands?"

 

"Nnnnope!"

 

"Wash your hands, Aiko. I will ask Hana to take the toys upstairs."

 

"Okay..." Aiko muttered, stomping back down the hallway.

 

The squeak of faucets chimed in the background, and unease washed over the clutch of toys.

 

"Hana? What's a Hana?" Jessie mumbled.

 

"Means family." Hamm chuckled from her right.

 

"Nooo, it's gotta be a name." Woody corrected. "Why else would Mom ask them to carry us upstairs?"

 

"Name?" Jessie frowned. "Another kid maybe? An older sibling?"

 

"Let's not get our hopes up just yet." Woody advised, as the box was lifted off the ground once again. There was a grunt of effort, but as Woody's stomach left him behind, it was clear that whoever this Hana was had more strength than Aiko. Knees gently thudded against the floor of the box as they were carried upstairs, the calm orange of evening filtering through the gap in the 'ceiling', as their new host grumbled;

 

"Stupid Aiko, getting more dumb toys..."

 

"That's gotta be a sibling," Woody muttered, offering an optimistic thumbs up to Jessie and the others. The question was; who were they? Another kid? Aiko herself looked like she wasn't far away from becoming a teen, so if this kid was older, they were probably already there. That didn't bode well for the possibility of a second owner.

 

Woody's thoughts were kidnapped as their box was lowered to the ground once again, this time with a little more balance and poise, and blinding lights flooded their little chamber as it was opened up properly. 

 

"Ungh," the older kid groaned. "Why's she get everything?"

 

Eyes forced open against the blistering light, Woody couldn't see a damn thing for a few moments, but once he'd adjusted, the mystery of Hana finally came to light. With the same dark hair and eyes as her sister, though that hair was much longer, Hana here didn't look at all impressed at the sight of them - if anything, she looked annoyed - but just like Woody had predicted, this one had all the hallmarks of a teen. Braces glinted between her lips, and the gentle curve of her chest stuck out as she loomed over the box. 

 

"Who're you...?" Hana mumbled, her slender fingers wrapping around Jessie's waist.

 

"Huh?" She managed the tiniest of grunts before freezing, hanging limp in Hana's hand. Unmoving, unblinking, a gaggle of toys just sat there bemused as Hana gently corrected Jessie's hat, tugged halfheartedly at her closed, and gripped a strong thumb and forefinger about Jessie's middle. Squeezing at the chest and hips, it was a bizarre sight for sure, Woody noted, but maybe he was a little too cynical about teens this time. This one, at least, seemed interested in Jessie. Even if the rest of them were just dumb toys, a second owner was another chance at a future, and-

 

"What're you doing?"

 

"N-nothing!" Hana said a little too quickly, scooping Jessie into her arms and holding the doll against her chest. Face swallowed up by the gentle folds of her flannelette shirt, Jessie was in no position to bargain. 

 

"They're my toys Hana, go get your own!" Aiko pointed an accusing finger, and finally both sisters were in the frame. Sure, they still had to stay frozen as the two girls bickered, but the rest of them could at least see what their new owner looked like.

 

"I don't want any of your dumb toys!" Hana bit back, folding her arms. "I just brought them up here because Mom asked me to!"

 

"Then why are you holding Cowgirl!" Aiko accused. "She's mine too!"

 

"I'm... not holding anyone." Hana dismissed, quickly hiding her hands behind her back, and Jessie with them. Against the rough denim of Hana's jeans, she could at least change her expression now. Eyes wide with concern, lower lip between her teeth, the older sister's intentions sure were a mystery. Were toys dumb or not?

 

"I saw that!" Aiko yelled, and ran at her sister. Her arms wrapped around Hana's waist, the two stumbled around on the landing before momentum took hold, and the pair fell over in a heap. Pinned between her sister's knees, Aiko struggled against Hana's superior strength, her legs kicking out in every direction, but there was nothing she could do, except;

 

"Mooooom!" 

 

Hana just groaned, Jessie hanging limp against her hip as the ominous thudding of footsteps followed them upstairs.

 

"...what is happening here?"

 

Aiko was pinned against the ground, legs kicking out at every angle, while Hana just straddled her chest, holding a doll out of her sister's reach. Whatever got them into this mess, she wasn't about to ask, but the fighting needed to stop right now.

 

Both sisters immediately started yelling, contrasting stories tangling into each other like a muddy ball of yarn, and Mom just got increasingly stressed for every second the fighting went on.

 

"...stop!" She eventually cried, silencing them both with a word. "Hana, why are you sat on your sister?"

 

"She tackled me." Hana poked her tongue out at Aiko, who just glowered back at her. 

 

"Because you stole my cowgirl dolly!" Aiko kicked out, banging her fists on her sister's thighs. 

 

"I was just looking!" Hana yelled right back, holding Jessie high into the air. That was when Mom snatched her from Hana's hand. 

 

"Do you like the cowgirl dolly, Hana?" Mom asked, her voice dangerous.

 

Hana looked away, refusing to make eye contact. But with Aiko staring up at her from between her knees too, there was nowhere to look. "...maybe."

 

"Did you want to play with the cowgirl?" Mom asked.

 

"...maybe."

 

"Then maybe let's make a deal." Mom folded her arms. Jessie hanging loose, dangling over the banister before a flight of stairs, she would've preferred just about any other position, but who was she to argue right now? Everyone was angry at each other, and a talking toy wouldn't have helped matters.

 

"You can play with the cowgirl," Mom started, and both sisters had opposite reactions, where Hana lit up, and Aiko immediately went into a towering rage. 

 

"But!" Mom carried on, silencing them both once again. "You have to play with Aiko too. The toys are hers, not yours, so it's only fair. Deal?"

 

Hana muttered something under her breath, finally getting off of her sister. Mom cleared her throat, and Hana still said nothing committal. 

 

"Deal?" Mom repeated herself, holding Jessie out for Hana to grab. Aiko snatched at her immediately, but was held back by her big sister.

 

"...fine, deal, whatever." Hana eventually grumbled. 

 

"Okay, good." Mom smiled, handing Jessie over again. Both sisters grabbed at her, pulling on a leg each, but as a thigh stitch snapped, Hana gasped, and let go, where Aiko bundled Jessie up protectively against her chest.

 

"Dinner is in half an hour, girls. Play together nicely, okay?" Mom said warmly, before disappearing downstairs.

 

And an awkward silence bounced between two sisters as they stared daggers at each other.

 

"...did you really wanna play with me?" Aiko pouted. "You never wanna play."

 

"I just thought the cowgirl was pretty, that's all." Hana deflated. "L-look, Aiko. I'll be nice if you let me have her sometimes, okay?"

 

"Hmm..." Aiko stared at her sister. Glancing up at Hana, and then down at Jessie, rinsing and repeating for what felt like forever, she eventually beamed. "Okay! Now let's go play together!"

 

Aiko dashed into the door on the left, and Hana supposed she had to carry the rest of the dumb toys in after her. Heaving the box against her chest, she sloped in after her sister, barely remembering to close the door.