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 Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 1:42 pm
Ainsley couldn't help but feeling like a child in a candy store, or a child in a Build-a-Bear to be more precise, as she was lead in with Xavier. Wide eyed and a smile on her face, she looked around the store very carefully. It was amazing, with bright yellow walls, with one side filled stuffed animals sitting on their own little shelves waiting to be brought to life and on the other side there was an accessory outlet filled with shirts, pants, shoes and even hats for all of the newly brought to life animals. Closer to the back was the stuffing station, where the stuffed animals were brought to life.
It all seemed interesting to Ainsley and she held tightly onto Octavian Oswald so he couldn't get lose in the masses of animals as she looked for a suitable candidate to be Octavian Oswald's knight, his right hand bunny. Her dear prince seemed ever so lonely since Gwenliana had left him and she wanted to cheer him up. She stopped upon seeing one, an unstuffed bunny on her right.
"Xavier!" She said as she pointed to the bunny that was on the floor and not in a display, scooping the very floppy, unfluffed bunny in her arms and holding it out to him. It was so lifeless, without cause. It seemed to have been battered and even stepped on by careless children. Dirty and one ear torn: No one wanted it. Ainsley was sure if she made him Octavian Oswald's knight that the bunny would live again, with purpose! A worn warrior.
"This one. This one needs a purpose! Can we get this one?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:57 am
Xavier's eyes traveled all over the stands, though for a different reason than Ainsley. He had never been in a build-a-bear before - this was all new to him. Hearing the children laugh made him feel warm and happy, and as did discovering all the wonders this place held.
The simplest thing was magic to children, after all. Too bad most, like him, lost that sense of magic and wonder as they grew.
He looked down when Ainsley called her name, "Oh, my..." That one had seen better days, and part of him wanted to gently suggest that she find another one. Through... How hard would it be to sew that ear back on ? To clean it once they were home ? Not too hard, wouldn't it ?
"Well, if that's the one you want." He said, gently. "I think we need to go wait in that line, now ?" He pointed toward the stuffing station.
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Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:13 am
Upon hearing Xavier's approval the child's face lit up, much like a Christmas Tree did on Christmas Eve, before she gave the flat bunny a much needed hug. It was most definitely the one she wanted, and her heart was set. The only thing left to do was bring him back to life, but the child did not know how to do that. Surely there was some magic at work here and that's when Xavier addressed the stuffing station and the line of children and parents came from it.
"It is!" She exclaimed with joy as she went back to his side, waiting at the end of the stuffing station line.
It seemed to be a busy day for stuffed animals to be born, but the line quickly found itself shorter and shorter as the stuffed animals ahead of them were brought to life one by one in front of Ainsley's eyes until finally it was their turn. Excitement and curiosity raced through the child's mind as her eyes settled on the one operating the stuffing station: an older woman with slightly greying hair and a motherly smile.
"Now," the employee said with a smile, "which companion will you be taking home today?"
Ainsley looked at Xavier, and then back to the woman before she held out the torn and dirty rabbit. The woman took it, studied it and laughed. Was this the only bunny left on the display? Surely there would be a better one in the back for the child. The woman shook her head to herself and turned to walk away, only to find Ainsley's small hands grabbing onto the side of the apron she had on.
"Where are you taking him? Ainsley asked in a worried tone.
"Oh," she seemed surprised to find the child stopping her. "I was going to get you a better one from the backroom."
"No..." She child cried out. "D-don't take him away..."
"But child, this one is so worn and dirty..."
Her eyes slowly fell onto Xavier. He could make her stay, couldn't he? She only wanted this bunny. This worn and dirty bunny.
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Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:50 am
Ah, one of the worst heart-string tugger of all. Little girl tears. Well, little girl almost-tears. It looked like it would certainly be in his future if he didn't step in, through.
And now everyone was looking at them.
Drat.
"We'll clean it and repair it once we get home." Xavier nodded. "It's no bother."
This was certainly a scene Xavier hadn't expected to ever be in, and he gave the clerk his best 'Hi-I-don't-know-how-to-deal-with-upset-little-girls' face.
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Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 4:06 pm
The woman stopped and sighed before finally nodding her head. Who was she to argue with the customer?
Ainsley was relieved and any thoughts that might have lead to her tears were wiped away as the woman walked back over to the stuffing machine and then carefully placed the bear onto the nozzle before stepping on the foot peddle to start the machine. The stuffing began to flow into the bear and it's lifeless body soon filled with life as she did each arm and each leg before she began to fill the body as carefully as she could so the bunny would not be damaged further. The moment passed and the bunny was no longer the limp and lifeless piece of fabric it had been. It was the warrior Ainsley had envisioned, even with a gaping hole in the back.
Why hadn't she sewn him up? And why was she now smiling? The older woman directed Ainsley towards a basket of small hearts that was hanging off of the stuffing machine and told her to pick one, that they were going to bring the bunny to life now. There was no way Ainsley would not want to bring her bunny to life and she quickly did as she was told. She carefully lingered over the basket as she found the perfect heart for the bunny, studying it to make sure it was the strongest of them all before she picked it out of the basket and smiled as she showed it to Xavier. It was good, yes?
"All right," the woman said to Ainsley. "Hold up the heart in your hand!"
The child obeyed the woman with gusto, a silly smile on her face as she happily shot her hand into the air.
"Shake it up to get the heart started, then tap it three times so it has a heart beat!"
Ainsley shook her hand carefully and then used her other hand to tap on the heart three times.
"Put it on your side, so it's always by your side!"
Ainsley laid the heart in her hand flat against her side.
"Put in on the person next to you so it will have lots of friends!"
The child giggled as her hand was soon pressing against Xavier's arm, the heart crushed between the two of them.
"On your head so it's super smart like you!"
Her hand patted the top of her head and she smiled. This lady was so nice!
"On your knee so it 'needs' you!"
Both her hands dropped down to her knees, one hand holding the heart against her knee and the other holding her in the position before she stood back up, her eyes looking at the woman for more instruction.
"Squeeze it tight, close your eyes, and make a wish! Kiss your heart on both sides to seal in the wish!"
Her eyes shot close, and she thought hard on her wish before she finally decided it and kissed either side of the heart.
The woman was looking at her now, holding out the bunny so the child could put his heart inside. Ainsley looked hesitant. What if she put in in the wrong spot? What if it didn't work? What if he didn't come to life? Her worries might have held her up forever but the woman gently reassured her fears as she nudged the bunny forward to her and she carefully slipped the heart deep inside. The deed was done and the woman pulled the bunny back and closed him up securely and handed him to Ainsley.
The bunny seemed full of life as Ainsley began to introduce the two bunnies to the other. A prince and his knight, and a princess to fight over? No no, just a prince and his knight. Ainsley smiled, held the new bunny up to Xavier happily and then looked around? She didn't know where to go next.
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Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 4:52 pm
Xavier looked over the process silently and without intervening once. This was really adorable, actually, and it kind of made him sad that he had never come here back when he was young and liked plushies. 4 years old him would have gotten such a kick of the whole process.
But now Ainsley seemed done with introductions and was looking up at him, and he walked over to the cashier to pay for the bunny.
"Well, we should probably head home now, no ?" He said, playfully ruffling Ainsley's hairs.
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 2:07 pm
With everything paid for and their task at creating a new rabbit over, the child was content. More than content, she was smiling happily as she held Octavian Oswald in arm and her new rabbit knight in his traditional house in the other. She had objected at first, but when she learned that all the newborn stuffed animals left in a little house, she allowed it. She couldn't deny him tradition, now could she?
Feeling Xavier's hand on her head as he ruffled her hair, the child felt at peace for a moment. They would head home, tell Bell all about their afternoon together before finally settling into for dinner. It was a perfect day, one the child wouldn't forget soon: the day she had cake and gave life to a stuffed animal.
"Thank you for everything," the child said softly to Xavier. "Let's go home!"
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