"You look like you're having a good time."
My eyes froze on a brand-new copy of Donkey Kong Country as an amused voice addressed me from behind. Though the people in this magical sandbox had made comments on my silliness and nakedness, none had actually ever spoken to me; and the idea that I was being observed objectively as a nude toddler immediately brought all those adult inhibitions rushing back to the forefront. I gulped and slowly turned around, finding myself looking up - and up, and up - at the young, handsome man who was smirking down at me. He looked to be in his late twenties, green-eyed and chestnut-haired and handsome in an effortlessly low-key sort of way. When I saw his eyes drift slightly further downward - saw his smirk widen ever so slightly - I realized that I was still sporting the tiniest of stiffies. My pudgy hands darted over my shame as I blushed hotly and let out a little whimper, my mortification only intensifying when the man laughed in response to my sudden modesty.
"Relax, kiddo. I've been watching you this whole time - I know that that's not because of me." He shot me a wink. "Not entirely, anyway."
"Who...who aw you?" I peeped in my tiny three-year-old voice. "Da...da fehr-wee said dat - "
"Seryth couldn't keep me away if he tried," the man grinned. "That little trickster gives himself way too much credit - he thinks he's powerful enough to create worlds like this apart from all reality, but he can't even keep guys like me from coming and going as they please."
My head spun as I tried to absorb all the ramifications of what I'd just learned. Not only had I just learned the fairy's name - Seryth - I had also discovered that what I was experiencing was some sort of pocket dimension set apart from the world I knew; and even more astonishing than that was the thought that there were people like the confident man before me who apparently had the power to navigate these dimensions. It must have shown that I was starting to feel a little woozy from all this, as in the next moment the man was on one knee in front of me, his warm and soft hands bracing my shoulders and keeping me upright on my chubby little legs.
"Whoa there, buddy," he smiled. "You okay?"
I blushed again again as I managed a nod and the tiniest of smiles. As confusing as this whole situation was, the attention from this handsome and seemingly well-meaning man was making me feel like a little boy enjoying the affection of a beloved uncle.
"...you did'n teww me your name," I managed after a second, suddenly too shy to meet the piercing emerald of my companion's eyes.
"It's Dylan," he replied. "And would the infamous Mall Streaker be kind enough to let me know his?"
"Ith Marco," I giggled, Dylan's playfulness making me feel a little more at ease.
"Well, it's a real pleasure to meet you, Marco." Still smiling, he released my shoulders and sat cross-legged in front of me. When I slowly raised my eyes to his, I realized that time had frozen around us. The counterperson was still eying me suspiciously, and the first-grader who had dubbed me Wienerman was petrified in laughter as he pointed in my direction - but neither they nor anybody else around me was so much as blinking. Dylan, as though aware that I needed a moment to absorb this new development, waited a beat before continuing.
"You seem like a busy boy, Marco," he chuckled. "So I'll cut right to the chase. People like me have the ability to dive into dimensions like this whenever they please. Some of my colleagues use their powers to mess with the people that these dimensions - these 'sandboxes,' to use Seryth's word - were created for; either because they resent their own inability to make special places like these for themselves or because they just enjoy being assholes. Either way, it's always struck me as kind of a dick move. I don't go into other people's sandboxes to stop their fun; I just like having a bit of my own."
I furrowed my brow and let my hands drop as I pondered what I had just been told, the question of my nudity irrelevant in the face of this new world of magic that I had been clued in on. There were so many different questions buzzing around in my mind that I barely knew which to start with.
"So..." I piped once I had finally settled on one. "If you can go to anybody's thandbox...why aw you in mine?"
Dylan's confidence seemed to slip for the first time, a bit of a tinge coming to his cheeks as his smile took on a sheepish air.
"Well...it's because you and I are really similar," he said. "My biggest fantasy is to be a little boy again, to just play all day and be totally taken care of. When I came across this sandbox of yours, I knew that it was perfect for me; not only did Seryth let you be a toddler again, he made it so you can be as silly as you want without any consequences. Was it as fun as it looked?"
A bit of my blush returned as I grinned and nodded emphatically. Even though there had been embarrassing moments, they were nothing compared to the sheer bliss that came along with being a carefree child given the power to do whatever he pleased.
"I knew it," Dylan beamed. "So...that's why I came, to ask if I could join you. People like me don't have any power in sandboxes unless the inhabitant gives it to them; most they can do is temporarily freeze time like I've done here. But, once they have that power, they can shape the dimension in any way they want. I know this is a lot to take in, and I know that it might be hard to put so much trust in someone you just met. But imagine the possibilities; you're not only getting a playmate, you're getting one who can make our every wish come true. I can put us in a room full of toys, whip up a giant ice cream sundae for us to split, or even take us to Disney Land. All you have to do is give the word, champ."
I reeled at the choice that had just been presented to me. As fun as this world was, its possibilities paled in comparison to those presented by my new friend. He could make every childish desire I had come true, and, what's more, provide an adorable little playmate for me to share those desires with. But was Dylan really on the level? There was no way for me to tell what his actual intentions were, to say nothing of whether anything he just said was true.