Mobile icons – By Mister Pixel and By irene hoffman, US of the Noun Project
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Mobile Mobile (40)
Project: Family movie (“The Journey”)
Known as: MM
Real name: Mobile (as in movable) Mobile (as in what hangs in over baby’s cradles)
Group affiliation: None
Physical description: MM is a giant baby mobile. At the top there is a large circle that has his face and on the back there is a large knob (on a standard mobile, this would be something that could be wound up to make the mobile turn). Below his “chin” there is a short chain that attaches to four arms that protrude like a large plus sign laid flat. Dangling from end of each of these arms is a plush animal (an elephant, a zebra, a tiger, and (oddly enough) a turkey). To get a sense of MM’s scale, each of these plush animals is large enough for an adult person to sit on.
MM floats so his animals are just above the ground. When he moves in any direction, his arms rotate moving the animals in a circle and a little lullaby plays. It’s initially charming, but quickly becomes annoying.
MM can also magically reduce his size to that of a standard mobile in a baby’s room (he can only shift between the two sizes). When he is small, he can turn extremely fast (he looks like a blurred frisbee).
Personality: MM is very sweet and helpful, if not particularly smart. His zebra is smart and rather chatty; his elephant likes knock-knock jokes; his tiger is often sleepy; and the turkey is mean and rude.
History: After the Stotherts escape Da Ogre, they begin walking in the direction of the sound of water. They notice the very unusual flora, and Grant and Eri are mystified (Kana is very quiet, though occasionally she seems to sort of nudge her family away from some of the plants). They then notice this blurred disk flying towards them, darting like a bee. It makes a very odd sound (it is a sped up lullaby). Grant picks up a stick, ready to swat it, but Kana tells him to wait.
The disk settles at eye level before them and slows down. It eventually stops and hovers, the animals dangling. The face greets them and asks if they need a lift anywhere. Grant tries to ask it several questions about where they are, but MM gives very vague and unhelpful answers (he is trying to be helpful, the questions are just beyond his ability). He keeps offering them a ride.
Grant begins to get impatient but Eri asks where they would get a ride to (Kana is looking very sheepish and blushing while this is happening). MM says he only goes to a place that is safe with food and places to rest. With it getting dark, Eri thinks they should give it a try. Grant points out that MM couldn’t carry them, at which point MM expands to his full size and tells them to hop on.
The three decide to do so (Grant at first approaches the turkey, but the turkey rudely dismisses him). The ride begins, and the three smile at first, but quickly find the song and the turning to be annoying. Eventually they arrive at the safe place.
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Role in the narrative: MM gets them from A to B. The way the characters react to him also start to plant clues: Grant finds MM annoying, Eri thinks he looks familiar, and Kana seems embarrassed for some reason.
Abilities: He can change size, float, move fairly quickly, turn, and play a lullaby.
Inspirations: We will find that this world is populated by creatures imagined by one of the characters. I thought of something that might inspire the imagination of the very young and liked the “mobile” and “mobile” wordplay. Talking objects are nothing new (e.g., Beauty and the Beast).
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