[Gift] The Perfect Toy

Elio’s hands were full. One gripping Payton’s and the other looped around Jidao as the pair pulled and stretched him in the direction each wanted to go. 

The toy fair was absolutely bustling, full of buns from all over Burrowgatory, each desperate to have a look at the new toys Peter had brought for display and to see other vendors all selling brightly coloured toys of all kinds. 

Toy cars, toy dolls, plush toys, board games, spinning tops, and so much more. The colours were beginning to give Elio a headache. The colours or the insistent shouting from the pair that had asked him to go.

“Elio loooook they have little figures of imps,” Jidao shouted pulling Elio one way.

“Oh no no, not there, Elio look, a mountain of plushies, I’m sure there is something in here for Cupcake to enjoy,” Payton added. 

Now Elio was a big guy. He was strong, he was large and he could easily handle the pair. But his shoulders could not.

“Wait!” he half shouted. “We have to go one at a time, okay, Jidao lets go look at the imps and the Payton we can sort through that mountain of plush toys.”

The pair looked at each other and then nodded before they both went to the selection of imp shaped figures, each in a different pose and painted various colours. 

“These are wonderful good choice Jidao,” Payton said to him and Jidao posed proudly before choosing a little green coloured impup toy and looking at Elio with pleading eyes. Elio sighed and nodded paying for the figure.

“Ooo can I get this one,” Payton said smiling at the Stroodle toy. It was just like Cupcake!

“Sure,” Elio said softly and paid for it too. The pair happy but now excited to see the selection of plushies, leaving Elio with the two bags, each with a small figure inside.

“They’re like kids,” Elio muttered as he followed sluggishly behind them. Demons he was tied now. And they’d only just gotten there.

“Elio looooooooook,” Payton called holding up a plush toy. It was shaped just like Ziggy his wonderful little Loafki.

“Oh it looks just like Ziggy,” Elio said a bit more awake as he walked over to hold the plush. It was soft and squishy as if made of mochi. He squeezed it. It was a bit larger than a loafki, and the perfect size for hugging. Ziggy didn’t like when he was held or cuddled. He liked pets and perching on Elio’s head or shoulder but he didn’t like to be smooshed like this.

“It’s so cute,” Elio said in love with the toy. He looked at the stall owner and asked how much, almost dying at the price.

It was so expensive.

He wanted to take Jidao and Payton for dinner later so he decided to put it back. There were more important things to put money toward, he didn’t need it for himself.

The group walked through the rest of the fair, Payton bought them all cotton candy and Jidao got them some ice pops later on and by the end of the day the group was exhausted.

Elio went to go get them all a hot drink from a vender and asked them to mind the bags. When he returned - three cups awkwardly held in his arms - the two were gone.

“Seriously,” he muttered and looked around only to spot them bounding back toward him.

“There you are where did you go?” he asked putting the cups down on a nearby table only to gasp as Jidao pulled the large Loafki plush from behind his back.

“We know you wanted it, so Payton and I bought it together, as a thank you for an awesome date,” Jidao said with a grin.

“We couldn’t let you go home without it, but we had to wait for the opportune moment to sneak away,” Payton laughed, how devious of them.

Elio took the large mochi plush toy and squeezed it happily, looking at the pair with a smile before taking them both into a big, spine-crushing hug.

“Thank you so much!” Elio called and the pair laughed.

“You’re welcome Elio dear,” Payton said to him and patted his shoulder.

“Yea you’re welcome but could you put us down, I can’t feel my arms,” Jidao commented and Elio laughed, putting the pair down and thanking them again.

What a wonderful day, with wonderful people. And he’d gotten the perfect toy from the toy fair.