Chapter Text
[ No, please, please... not the ears! ] a desperate voice echoed inside the claw machine, pitiful enough to melt anyone’s heart – if only someone would listen.
But the small black-haired boy was far too enchanted by those long, floppy pink ears. His little hands kept stroking the silky plush surface, again and again.
So soft… so fluffy!
And Soleum was actually very, very busy. He had no time for silly voices. His young mind was completely occupied with a far more important mystery.
How could a bunny plush be this incredibly soft and smell like fresh strawberries?
It was strange.
Wonderfully strange!
He had never met a plushie that smelled so sweet! His fingers gently squished the fabric as thoughts tumbled through his head. But the faint strawberry scent kept pulling him back in.
Without thinking, he buried his nose deeper into the ear. His mouth watered a little at the thought of eating a strawberry right now. His eyes slowly drifted shut as he imagined the juicy texture, the sweetness melting on his tongue, and–
[ Soleum?! ]
This time the voice cut through with raw desperation, hitting a whole new level of panic at the sight of what was happening.
A faint blush spread across Soleum’s chubby cheeks as he realized his small teeth were clamped around the bunny’s ear.
Embarrassing.
He quickly let go of the ear and tried to wipe away the small patch of saliva, but that only made things worse, spreading the dampness across the plush fabric.
[ Oh my… just stop… please… leave it like that, ] the voice pleaded, sounding utterly defeated.
“Sowwy,” Soleum mumbled, still a little shy. “You smell like strawberries, and I’m hungry.”
[ That’s why you should listen to me– ahhh! ]
Braun let out an undignified sound as Soleum’s hands returned to his ears, sliding up and down, completely ignoring him. The boy had discovered how wonderfully stretchy the fabric was.
Maybe this bunny was like those stretchy rubber toys. He grabbed one of its ears and gave it a slightly firmer tug–
Rip.
…
...
Oops.
That didn’t sound good at all.
His heart gave a frightened little jump. Mom always scolded him whenever he damaged his toys. Once, after he had pulled the arm off his favorite bear, she had even taken away his candy for the whole day.
That had been terrible.
Soleum quickly bent down and examined the seam, his tiny fingers brushing carefully over the fabric. Only when he saw that it was still holding together did he finally let out the breath trapped in his chest. Trying not to think about what might have happened if the ear had actually torn, he turned his attention back to their conversation.
Well… “conversation” might have been too strong a word.
Young Soleum really was trying his best to keep his focus on it. It wasn’t his fault there were so many soft, fluffy plushies all around him. And it definitely wasn’t his fault that this one had completely captured his attention – so much so that his hands refused to let go.
His mind had already decided: this pink bunny was his favorite.
Now he just needed to figure out how it was talking with its own voice.
“Are you really, really inside the bunny?” he asked, his small face scrunched up in concentration.
[ Yes! I’m your good friend, whic– ]
“How can I hear you if you’re a plush toy?” Soleum asked, sounding now much too serious for a five-year-old.
...
[ Well, I’m not just a plush, I– ]
“But you said you’re inside. If you’re inside, then… you are the bunny!” Soleum declared with absolute childlike logic, pressing his cheek against the soft fabric.
...
[ Alright… I can see some logic in your wor– Ouch! ]
The voice cut off with a sharp yelp as Soleum tugged on the ear again. Somehow, he had already forgotten that he’d nearly torn it only moments earlier.
[ Wait, wait! Fine... I’m... I’m Bunny. ] The admission came out strained, as though every word wounded his pride. [ Just don’t do that again, alright? ]
The voice paused before adding.
[ But I’m not an ordinary bunny plush. Understand? ]
Soleum blinked at him, his expression turning thoughtful.
“That’s why you smell like strawberries?” he asked. “Because you’re so unusual?”
Before the voice could answer, temptation won. Soleum leaned in and bit the ear again, this time fully on purpose, hoping that maybe, just maybe, it would finally taste like strawberry.
He frowned at the fuzzy feeling on his tongue.
How disappointing.
[ I… I wasn’t aware of the strawberry smell, ] Bunny said, sounding drained. [ I meant the reason you can hear me…]
“Ohh, I see…” Soleum hugged the bunny closer. “I like you, Unusual Bunny. I like how my hand slides over your ears. It feels really nice.”
[ … ]
“Are you really my friend?” Soleum asked. His voice suddenly grew softer, a tiny hint of fragility slipping through.
[ Yes! I’m your closest, dearest, best friend! ]
“And you’ll never leave me alone?”
[ Of course not. We’ll be together forever. That’s something… I can definitely promise. ] Bunny’s voice dropped low.
Soleum shivered, though he wasn’t sure why. The words made him feel warm and uneasy at the same time. But he was only a kid, so he pushed the strange feeling away.
“And we’ll play forever?” Soleum asked, his voice turning dreamy.
...
“Bunny?”
[ Um… ]
“Why aren’t you answering?” Soleum frowned, staring into the bunny’s shiny black eyes. They almost looked… worried?
No.
It must have been the reflection from the claw machine lights.
“Will we play forever?” Soleum's eyes grew wide, already beginning to fill with tears. "You don't want to play with me?"
[ No! I do... It's just... would playing forever really stay fun? ]
“Why not?” Soleum stared intently into the bunny’s face. "Didn't you say we'd be together forever?"
[ Of course... It's just... we don't always have to play. Friends can do lots of different things together. Those can be fun too. ]
"Different things?" Soleum repeated thoughtfully.
…
"What things?"
[ Something related to TV– ]
"You're right!" Soleum's face lit up. "We can watch cartoons too!"
[ … ]
"I love cartoons! I could watch them every day!"
[ That... I had already figured out. ] Bunny’s voice turned strangely melancholic.
“Oh, Bunny, you’re my true friend!” Soleum cheered, throwing his small arms around the plushie in a tight hug.
[ Yes... I am… ] The voice sounded as though it were reconsidering every decision it had ever made.
Soleum only giggled at Bunny’s funny tone. He hugged him a little tighter, feeling completely and genuinely happy.