On the twelfth day of Christmas, my Author gave to me...
This particular tiny before meeting (and bonding) with the halfa was a really lonely soul.
It lurked in the shadows, because its appearance was so abominable that people (either mortal or ghost) could get ill or, even worse, cursed if they saw it. Or, at least, it hid only before seeing a group of human children gush on a display of stuffed dolls in a shop. Even if they were all on the same animal (but with different expressions), the plushes were all sold in that moment and replenished during the night closing of the shop. However, within the end of the week, they were gone again, chosen by people of any age.
It observed the event repeat itself for almost two weeks, before it finally gave in and "stole" one of them (read: overshadow), waiting to be bought and make friends with whoever chose it.
It only took two days before someone picked up the extremely simplified expression* stuffed doll it was in, however unfortunately it was destined to a brat who hurled it out of the school bus window. The padding exploded from the cloth on the bottom of the doll, leaving at least all the one in the head; the tail and limbs were lost in barbed bushes and the fake fur, once fluffy and soft, was soiled by mud and grass.
The lonely spirit didn't surrender though: travelling inside the shadows, it managed to find a haberdashery, where it retrieved some needles and a bobbin of black thread. Under the moonlight it mended what remained of the plush, carved a new tail from a branch and washed the cloth.
Once satisfied, the tiny felt brave enough to venture into the mortal city again...
...It didn't exactly go as planned.
Adults and some teens seeing an animated stuffed doll move around and interact with things by its own free will, realized the presence of an actual ghost and run in fright; children and the rest of the youngsters, who hadn't acknowledged it or either didn't care, either played a bit with it or ignored it, but at last every one of them didn't bring it home.
Why didn't anyone choose it? Wasn't it good enough? Was the disguise too poor or badly mended?
After another day of being let down, the tiny sat at the end of the peer of a closed ferry boat service and sighed forlornly. There had to be someone out there who could love it as much as it deserved... or at least needed.
Unknown to it, someone had heard it and cautiously proceed in its direction after a shiver had wracked their frame. When the person was near enough to see its silhouette against the light of a flickering lamp on the peer and watched as the stuffed head hung in misery, the stranger decided that nobody deserved that kind of sorrow, even if it was potentially dangerous.
The tiny jumped with a high pitched cry when a teen plopped down next to it and discarded a backpack on the other side. It tried to hide behind the light pole, but when it tried to peek discretely at the newcomer, the stuffed head was totally visible since its actual eyes were on the belly of the doll. The person was a raven haired teen with blue eyes lit up in mirth, but not the mean or cruel one it had seen many times.
Tentatively, the possessed plush came out its hiding spot and came close to the first human that decided to approach it first.
− I don't bite, you know. − the adolescent said, as timidly raised a hand towards it. − Hope you don't, though. − the tiny protested vehemently against the possibility, making the other chuckle. − Okay, sorry, sorry.
The hand hesitantly started to pet the fake head and it froze at the gentle contact. No one had been like that to it, even ghosts.
In the meanwhile the raven haired was still rambling. − I really like your disguise, but if you wanted to resemble the Original, you should have made the eyes bigger and the smile more natural. − at that, the tiny sighed dejectedly and explained more or less its motives and misadventures. The blue eyes fogged in empathy and their owner nodded along the telling. − If you want I could try and fix the eyes at least. I have a black marker that could do the job.
The tiny looked up hopefully so the halfa retrieved said permanent marker and adjusted the dot fake eyes into two thick swirls, modifying even the fixed dopy smile into a more natural and zigzagged one.
− All done! − the blue eyed adolescent proclaimed. The disguised spirit peeked over the edge of the peer at the water surface and squeaked in surprise at its reflection: now it really looked like the original! It happily danced on its spot, making the other chuckle. It jumped on the mortal's lap and sort of hugged the other with stretching thing shadow-like limbs from under the cloth. The halfa froze a bit before returning the embrace, nuzzling the stuffed head too.
A minute later they reluctantly let go, but the tiny still sat on the teen's lap. − What do you think you'll do now? − the latter asked.
The lonely spirit hummed, considering its options: it could try once again to get the humans' attention the following day, or... It looked up into the blue irises and surprisingly read the same loneliness it felt. Maybe it couldn't be only a fleeting hope, after all...
So, timidly, it asked if it could tag along with the teen, who stared at it shocked.
− Are you sure? I'm not exactly popular and it could be dangerous for you. − the halfa replied, concerned. A mortal that was caring for it? Danger could pass in second place, if it meant to stay with someone who it could be friends with.
As it replied so, the other's lip trembled a bit, touched by the declaration, then finally nodded with a shaky smile.
− Do you have a name? − the raven teen asked, extending two fingers to shake, since the shadow appendages weren't as big as human's hands. It shook the fake head in a saddened way, but the halfa tzked in disapproval. − None of it mister, we'll just come up with something! − they proceeded to brainstorm some ideas, till they came up with the pun name Mimikyu from "mimicry" and the cry of the subject of the original plush.
The newly dubbed Mimikyu seemed rather pleased with itself as it finally shook the two offered fingers. − Nice to have you aboard! My name is Danielle, by you can call me Dani with "i". − the girl laughed with her new companion on an abandoned peer in Seattle.
* I referred to a Ditto-disguised-as-Pikachu doll, the one with dots for eyes and a single curved line for mouth.
A/N. How many of you had expected the halfa to be Dani? \(^ヮ^)/
This isn't exactly a crossover, but more like using the idea behind the concept of Mimikyu (who, by the way, is one of my favorite Pokémon) and the similarities they have with Dani, hope you enjoyed it all the same. ₪w₪
(Seattle was chosen -apart from the famous Ferryboat service- for one of the Pokémon Centers scattered around USA, where Mimikyu could have found the "Pikachu" stuffed doll and Dani found it.)
This concludes the Ninth Drabble, thank you for being with me during all the holiday and I really wish you'll keep following me even afterwards.
So, all of this said, type ya soon!
EXTRA A/N. I wanted to apologize to all my readers for the 11th Day: while I was in the middle of writing it, I received some really bad news and it affected what I typed down.
I know it's not an excuse and I don't know if I could ever salvage the Day or just erase it (by replacing it with something else), but at the moment I'm emotionally unable to do so and I'm deeply regretful for this, above all since it's a bit too graphic for the Twelve Days of Tiny Christmas.
Thanks for reading the "extra A/N" and writing your reviews that really make my day. Without you my works would only be some fleeting ideas and aloof written sheets of paper never to be seen by anyone but me.
I really (platonically) love you guys and thank ya again.