Chapter Text
He was meant to be a gift. It's what his name, Theodore, meant: A gift of God.
It's how his parents, Mrs. and Mr. Grambell, described him. As someone to be treasured.
(If they explained what Grambell meant, he must have forgotten already.)
Their community was relatively small. Not that many families with kids. Some younger or older than Theodore's six years of age. He was what many considered an introvert. One of the occasions they saw each other was at church.
It was a tall building but very cold on the inside. The benches could do with some cushions. The statue of the bearded man on the cross creeped him out a bit while the man in white and red robes opened his arms at it in prayer. Some days there were ceremonies for the oldest kids in the group where they had to eat a piece of bread and drink some type of red juice.
He never got to experience one of those himself, as he became an orphan first.
He had no extended family that could take care of him, so Theodore couldn't live in his now empty home. He had to be taken where orphans go. An orphanage.
He wasn't afraid of leaving things behind he had no true attachment to. His house was now empty and people could use the toys he grew out of, but his parents never threw away. He was afraid of whatever awaited him in the orphanage. The older kids liked to scare him with rumors and scary tales about places like those.
The man who came to pick him up assured, however, that the place Theodore was shipped off to was nothing like that.
And true to those words, Playcare, Playtime Co's orphanage, proved every single fear in Theodore's heart and mind false.
Despite the strange location in a cave, this place was just as colorful as home. It reminded him of before the accident. Warm and inviting. Full of life.
It had everything children like him needed. A house with warm beds, a school for learning, a counselor's office in case trouble occurred, areas reserved for games and playing such as the Playhouse and a place to get toys. They even had a duck pond!
It was like an entire world underground. A hidden paradise for children.
This was meant to be a new beginning for Theodore. This could be a paradise on Earth for him.
The initial excitement faded down after some time.
The place was fine.
The people... not so much.
They weren't bad by any means, but they were so different from the company he kept in his hometown. Theodore was never that much of a social butterfly, and that popped out more in a place with so many people.
He didn't dislike the company; he just preferred that their interactions were more on his terms. Or that it came when he was in the mood for it.
He wasn't much for talking, so when caught off guard, his speech reduced to stutters and nervous mumbling. The older kids thought it was hilarious. Jane especially.
His age wasn't a beneficial factor among them either. He was six so many older kids thought hanging with Theodore was equal to babysitting or just thought his age would be ruining their fun when playing games. It wasn't fair; there were kids even younger than him, babies included, and they weren't treated like he was!
He couldn't really connect with others his own age or lower either. Some didn't seem to understand what personal space was, so they took his awkward silence as an invitation. He let them talk his ears off with their uncontrolled voice volume to get the unpleasant interaction over with.
His own voice was a quiet hum in a loud, childish cacophony of excited squeals, cries, and yelling. Any apportation he made in rare occurrences was met with a demand to speak louder or disinterest for lack of understanding what he meant or just for not being related to whatever it was they were interested in at the moment.
None of them were animals, but Theodore couldn't help but feel like a quiet little mouse in a house of noisy, bigger rats. Always running all over the place and energetic in a way that could become scary at times.
But that didn't stop him from trying to live by his mother's words.
Be kind, Theodore. Always be kind to others.
One of the things he liked most was the classes. No, he wasn't crazy over the homework, but he did like the ambiance. The classrooms were ruled by order and peace. People paid more attention to the teachers than him, and his spot made him less of a target when someone was called to the board or to read a page out loud.
But his favorite subjects were, without a doubt, anything that had to do with art.
Art was a quiet and calm activity. It was the kind of fun he adored. He wasn't disturbed, and people allowed him to work in peace. He could create anything he wanted to with just his hands and the right materials.
Painting was fine, but it could get messy, and the paint would take some time to dry. Acrilics stayed wet while watercolors were tricky to work with.
Glue could stick to his hands at times if he wasn't careful, and it was a pain to take it off. He didn't understand why some liked to eat paste straight out of the jar. Yuck!
Scissors could be dangerous, especially when they were in the wrong hands. He has seen enough accidents to learn he was better away from them.
Toy making was a bit complex for him, unlike Quinn, who excelled at that, even if his creations weren't that friendly-looking. The others thought it was creepy. Especially the teachers and counselors. Theo wasn't that much of a fan either, but if he had to pick, he'd choose the fusion between CatBee and Bunzo Bunny; most normal one out of Quinn's creations.
Theodore preferred drawing. It was simple and easy. All he needed were colored pencils and the occasional eraser to correct mistakes or soften the lines to give whatever effect he wanted.
He wasn't the best at it, but it was clear enough for others to understand. In one of her visits to the school, Miss Greyber saw his work and even praised it! It was nice.
Maybe he could use it to communicate with others more easily!
It was a nice thought that immediately Theo got discouraged from by the other teachers and counselors.
You need to use your words, dearie.
Kiddo, you need to speak to others. That way you won't end up all alone in the future.
You want friends, no? Then maybe don't be afraid. C'mon, they aren't going to bite ya.
Just go say hi. It's easy. Just one word. And it all flows smoothly.
You just need to be more vocal and social.
Honey, we all have to do things we don't want to but that are needed. Just give it a try. At least one. That's all I'm asking.
Theo knew they meant well, but it still stung. The words that were meant to encourage him only managed to bring him down. Friends were supposed to help each other out and hear one another with no judgment.
He didn't feel treasured like a gift by these people. It made him miss his parents a whole lot more, and reality was quick to remind him that they were no longer here to offer any comfort and reassurance. He was alone now. No parents and no friends.
It's why Theodore only had him.
The Smiling Critters were a collection of stuffed animals released the same year Theodore was orphaned. Maybe the universe had a twisted sense of humor, or it was just a coincidence. They were in the statue located in the center of Playcare, in all their smiley glory but in stone form.
The group consisted of 8 colorful animals. Dogday as the sunny and determined leader of the gang (who everyone liked), KickinChicken as the brave one and cool kid, Craftycorn as the artist of the group (that had the freedom to be), Bobby Bearhug as the loving one (who wasn't shamed for it), PickyPiggy as the hungry one always down for snacks as long as these were healthy, Bubbaphant as the smart one with a plan always at the ready, Hoppy Hopscotch as the sporty one full of enthusiasm, and finally the quiet one, CatNap.
While others diverted their attention to the brighter animals, Theodore's was solely on the cat.
There was just something appealing about the feline toy. It was almost as if the cat spoke directly to Theodore's soul. As soon as he spotted the little guy on the shelf in the toy shop, all alone, his companions gone, he decided to take it with him.
He wasn't even charged for the toy, as if the man of the shop wanted to be rid of him.
He asked Miss Greyber why that was.
It turned out he wasn't the most popular. Others found him boring or downright creepy with his smile (a bit hypocritical since they all had them by design).
The cartoon for the toys didn't help much either. Some scenes with CatNap could be creepy, but he wasn't actually harming anyone. He was just getting his friends the rest they needed in times of stress and when they were in need of help. He was helping them. Just like friends were supposed to.
That was his opinion, but he wouldn't say it out loud. He was afraid of what others might think of him for liking a cartoon with a "creepy" cat. It's one of the reasons why he couldn't bring his friend to sit with him when they had to eat. He didn't need people calling him a baby.
He got enough of it when some older kids threw some jabs at him for needing to hold Miss Greyber's hand in the initial tour to get accustomed to his surroundings and know the insides of Home Sweet Home. (Sometimes the house could feel like a maze.)
Marie even stated that his feline friend smelled bad. Maybe she just didn't like lavender. Many just preferred DogDay's vanilla scent or Bobby's rose scent.
CatNap couldn't help how he was, just like how Theodore couldn't help himself. Maybe that's why he liked him so much.
"People don't really like you that much either, right?"
The purple plushie just stared back with its empty, beady black eyes and characteristic smile. What others would have found creepy and unnerving, Theodore found reassuring.
CatNap couldn't speak like a person, he knew that, but his face was sending a very clear message to Theodore.
You're not alone.
He hugged his one friend in the world tight. "It's okay, we can be lonely together. You and me."
It wasn't a human person that could talk to him, but if this was the answer to all of his prayers for friendship, Theodore wasn't going to complain. This was his friend after all. Toy or not. He didn't have anyone else in his life.
The floral scent pulled the child into a calm, deep sleep that night. The dreams with his friend were nice. In his dreams, it was just them together in a lonely world, but they ended up meeting other people who were genuinely nice and respectful, not judgy or mean. People who wanted to be friends with them even if Theo was a weirdo by his new home's standards.
Theodore was safe and happy when dreaming. No danger would come for him there. Fantasy treated him nicer than the harsh reality he was forced to be in.
If only dreams could come true and last forever.