Chapter Text
Since the morning, you had been avoiding getting to the main area.
Why?
Because you didn’t want to meet up with the tall blue fuzzy monster the children adore at each tour they take to visit the factory. You prefer to stay over some storage at organizing some stocks of toys or help selling at the short toy store used as a souvenir to keep for the customers.
But there was this small part in your brain… That has this urging to actually test something out. To be sure what you saw this morning was really true and not some.. Fever dream.
The gift from your boss was attached around your belt, now dangling each time you moved around. Letting a small key sound each time it hits over the metal material it's attached to.
Which easily attracts the attention of you. Children or adults would take a peek at you to notice what was making such a small sound. When they spotted the little charm, there were different reactions that came quite positive. Some were amused while some were overjoyed to know an employee had a favorite toy in the building. Even though you were not.
You just focus on your job, not minding their looks or comment. It has been a long time you would actually gain this much attention.
Just as you were about to go put some empty carton box away from the toy store after you had put out some Pg pug-a-pillar toys on a shelf destined for the pup. Now that you think about it… all those toys could have a real life giant mascot that could be wandering somewhere. Which makes me slightly shake in fear.
Because for once, you can’t tell anyone about this discovery. I mean… Who would believe you in the first place if you tell them about Huggy being actually alive. Some would judge you and think you just went crazy.
You don’t want to be seen in this kind of accusation and prefer to stay silent about it. You held up your usual happy smile that said ‘everything is good no need to worry about lil old me!’ for assurance. You’ve been working here for like… five years already? It’s not much compared to the other workers around you who were almost seniors in the majority. Jealous of the younger one to be able to wander around and once wished to be young again.
Each one has their own job to deal with here…
Compared to them you were nothing and easy to replace.
You wish this never happened though.
After all, you were one of the few rookies that has stayed and did not quit yet.
“Mister? You dropped this!”
Snapping out of your thoughts, a little girl was standing before you. Holding up a toy from her little hands. A sweet innocent look in her eyes with a small smile on her face. Not far was her parents, somehow being proud for their little girl to help out a total stranger. You look back to her, taking the toy carefully from her as you give her a bow of your head in gratitude with a thumb up.
She giggles and takes your thanks. She responded by saying a joyful ‘you welcome!’ and rushed back to her parents. Her father ruffled her hair while she received a kiss on her cheek from her mother. It was a cute sight. It makes you miss your parents. They were like that too when you were around the girl’s age too.
The love and affection that would warm a whole heart from any sadness or depression anyone could feel…
You shook your head, regained some sense in you. You should not start to mourn about the ones you missed for a while. You need to move forward and get better with yourself.
You went back inside the toy store, putting the toy in a spot that was left in one of those shelves before walking around the counter. Welcoming customers and scanning the toys before showing the price asked to be paid.
Of course there would be someone unhappy about how very expensive it was to buy one of this merchandise from the franchise. Not your fault it was quite popular with the kids. Plus if the parent buys it it’s for the children's happiness and memory left on it for this journey around here. You wave goodbye to each kid that was eager to wave a hand at you. Seems like you were quite known and popular like a mascot. For them it was fun and intriguing to meet a mute person for the first time.
You even got to chat with a five year old while his grandpa was searching for the money in his purse to pay for a cat bee toy. The boy was very energetic and you had trouble to follow completely. But in the end the child sounded satisfied to actually have someone to listen to him for once.
The rest of the evening went great. After you had closed the toy store when its last visitor came in, you went to fetch the cleaning product in a nearby closet. You had to clean up the entrance of the building, the security room and the toy store.
What? Clean the main area too? Pff… You don’t remember about that added task. But the paper pinned at the closet that was addressed to you by none other than your boss was pointing a gun at your forehead.
Looks like you had no choice… Again.
So you took your time cleaning each small area before going to the bigger one. You were not so quinn about it. Not at all. Your heart beat already as going too fast at your taste as you were getting too sweaty. You were glad the gates were still open when you entered the roaming place. Your gaze stayed on the podium, where the statue of Huggy stood. You took a very deep breath in and proceeded to start cleaning the floor. You were high on your guard as you would take a lot of glances toward the mascot. You can easily spot the slow movement coming from it. The way it breathes…
Few people would notice this detail as mostly when you move, it is hard for your eyes to completely focus still.
After twenty minutes of doing this, you realize your task won’t be done quicker if you keep looking at it… Or him or she.. You don’t even know if this creature has a gender or not. You yourself know you were in between with the pronouns despite you having a male body.
You had to turn your back and quickly sweep away the dirt on the floor made by all the people’s shoes that came from outside the factory. You did it as fast as you could. You were from one point to another until you decided to take a peek up.
Your face pale up as you knew you shouldn’t have turned your back from it.
It was standing before you, its smile still on its face and eyes blinking slowly at you. It’s hands over its hips instead of having one hand help up in the air. You felt too small and intimidated compared to it.
You dared not to move an inch as the staring contest got too long for you. You had to blink your eyes. But what if this is a way for it to move closer? Or attack you? You held the handle of the broom too tightly and it made a small sound. A creak sounding like you could almost break it.
The monster tilted its head slightly in curiosity as it spotted the way your hands had a strong grip on the broom. It parted its lips open a bit and a row of sharp teeth could be barely seen from there.
“If you held your broom this much you might break it.”
Your eyes widen and your hands immediately let go of the broom. It hit the floor while you were in shock. ‘It can talk… It can talk!? I mean… I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising..’ You were lost with this surprising fact knowing now you can tell it was the actual Huggy wuggy. A goofy male voice, the posture and the image was hundred percent identical with the posters, cartoons or merchandise of him.
Whereas, the said mascot kneeled down to grasp the broom from the floor and hand it to you in a gentle way. “I think this belongs to you, friend.” You were hesitant at first, but you took the object back. Giving a silent thank to the being.
Your hand gestures seem to amuse or intrigue him?
“I always saw you do this with your hands… You never use your voice to speak.. Why is that?” He was curious about you. Mostly about why you were mute and not using a ‘voice’ to speak like anyone else around. You gave a sad look with a shrug as you weren’t in control about this fate you got. He gave you a troubled look before his expression soften to a sheepish one.“I see… I’m sorry friend. I didn’t mean to sound rude to you on our first meeting.” He was sounding guilty for it. It was quite adorable somehow to see such a tall being look vulnerable.
You waved your hands around in dis-miss. Which brings some relief in the mascot. You were scared of him but now… You were getting less afraid and more comfortable with such a distance between you two.
You notice he had still stayed in a kneeling position. It was kind of nice of him. Your neck would not have support long to look up for who knows how long. Huggy smiled more as he kept staring at you. Which was not disturbing at all…
“Now that I see you this close… I am glad to see how pretty you actually look.”
Your cheeks flared up to a pink dust at his sudden compliment. You weren't prepared to receive those out of the sudden.
The time was ticking in your head has you had this feeling you should not get this distracted and finish your job for the day.
Sadly you had to break to Huggy. But he seems to not mind and be quite understanding.
"You have a home to go to... I understand friend."
You waved Goodbyes and went to different directions. Though a glance behind your back prooved to you the big blue softy was watching you go before to disappear in one of the hallways nearby the Make a friend area.
You nod your head and tilt your cap has a last goodbye has you resume your walk to your locker room.
Putting the cleaning stuff away and grabbing your bag. You have no time to change your outfit has you have this urge to just leave the factory. You even took a sprint to get those sweet fresh air you missed to breathe in. The realization on how puffy and heavy inside the air was despite how warm and creepy the vibe it give when you are one of the few employees to lastly leave.
Yet, you though about the small conversation you had with Huggy. You though he would act aggressive and be feral like a wild animal when no one was guarding nearby to watch. But it was the contrary.
It was... So strange but also nice that you were able to speak with one of the mascots and not being caught has well about it.
You hope you can have another one on the next days coming.
With a pep of in your steps, you went home with the though of having some motivations to go to work this time.
Meanwhile....
In the factory, the tall blue monster wander until he found his room designed for him. Which to him was more of a cage to contain him in. Since he was born in this place. He had no freedom to do what he wants. Most of the time it was... Play along and behave or else you get the stick to hurt you.
He had to comply if he want to live and have a place to rest in after the end of day.
Most of the time he get to rest in it has much has he can.
Entertaining children can be quite exhausting. Though it is exhilarating when he saw their smiles full of joy to boost his mood.
His room was is safest area. He can stop to do a play pretend and be much more of himself.
Though he though about the short human he had to speak to. The mute one. To him they looked and acted different than any adults. Most adults was... Amazed and even quite intrigued by him. But this one... They looked scared, on their guard and was awkward.
He had notice the little keychain attach on their belt. He really though he had another fan but maybe he was wrong to make this assumption?
He shrugs and lay down in his make shift bed. He curled around hugging his face with his arms to cover the dim light. He will see how this goes between their interactions in the future.
To be continued...