Becky has had a good day. A very good day. She feels more relaxed than she can ever call being… and then, something slips. And she finds herself facing an… unusual situation. She wouldn’t call it bad— She’s dreamed her whole life of speaking to Mimi! But the ability to understand her pet came out of nowhere! And then, as suddenly as she’d been able to do it, she’d lost it again…. But, even after losing the sudden burst of magical energy, Becky knows what the mimic said will never leave her heart. 2,289 words.

The world of Shadow Oaks is owned by TheStalkerBunny on tumblr. It is a brilliant piece of work and I recommend reading more about it HERE.

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Becky lay in bed after a particularly relaxing day of nothing.

It was a rare day, now, when nothing happened. But it was also very good. Especially considering tomorrow she was going to Malinka’s house, and Malinka had warned her that her dad could be… a little bit stressful. So it was good to have a moment before that to just let herself be comfortable.

Becky had watched Mimics of the World, again, while her dad had sat with her on the couch sketching his work.

She’d tried not to bother him as she’d edged closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Though, after a moment he had put his sketchbook down and put his arm around her, instead.

They were getting the hang of it, Becky thought. Being a proper family.

They’d laid together on the couch, barely watching the TV and just enjoying the quiet moment, until Isa had come home and made dinner.

They’d eaten together; though the attempt at conversation had fallen short with a disagreement about denim knee-high boots.

Now, both Isa and Ken had gone out together and left Becky at home.

Where they’d gone, Becky had no idea.

But they had been spending more time together, outside of the house.

Becky couldn’t help but wonder why….

‘Mrrp?’

A little chirp caught Becky’s attention, and she sat up to peer over the arm of the couch. Mimi was by the lounge room entrance, shaped like a larger version of the sock it was holding in its mouth as it peered around curiously….

‘MRRP!’ it lit up when it caught sight of Becky, and began jumping side-to-side in excitement before dropping the sock and skittering across the floor to the couch. ‘CHCHCH! MRRP! TRRR!’

‘Hey baby!’ Becky called, holding out her arms for the mimic to leap into. ‘Hello! Hello! My cute little baby girl! I love you! Yes I do!’ Becky lifted Mimi high above her head before pulling it close for a tight, loving hug. ‘Good girl! You’re my little stinky baby girl, aren’t you! Stinky baby girl!’

‘Mrup! Mrprp!’ Mimi trilled back.

‘Baby! Baby girl!’ Becky held Mimi up again, swinging it around playfully. ‘Stinky baby girl!

‘Brrb! Brby! Braby! Braby girl!’

Becky froze, feeling her eyes go wide as she stared at the wiggling mimic. ‘Wh… what?’ she breathed.

‘Mimi is a baby girl!’ Mimi chirped, loudly. ‘Good baby girl! Special baby girl! Love! Love love love!’

‘Love?’ Becky echoed, feeling… stunned.

Mimi was….

Mimi was talking?!

Talking!

Like a person!

Becky felt like the world had stopped turning. A thousand rocks in her stomach dropped, and her breath caught in her throat.

‘Mimi loves Mama! Mimi loves—‘ Mimi stopped wiggling, and cocked its head. ‘Mama stop playing? Mama okay? Mama sad again?!’

The mimic struggled, then, breaking out of Becky’s grip and landing on her chest. It transformed into a scarf and slithered up to Becky’s neck to lick at her.

‘Lick! Lick lick! No more sad for Mama!’

Becky blinked, and then flinched, turning to look at Mimi. She barely noticed the mimic’s tongue on her lips as she stared at it.

‘Mama? Mama happy now? No?’ Mimi chirped.

Then, it jammed its tongue in Becky’s ear, finally eliciting a reaction from the woman as she let out a cry and stumbled to her feet.

‘Mama! Lick lick! Make happy!’ Mimi sung, continuing its wet assault over Becky’s face.

‘I— What—‘ Becky managed, reaching up to peel her pet off her neck. ‘Mimi! Wait— What?!’

‘Mimi waits,’ Mimi said, going limp in Becky’s hands as it was held at arms length. ‘Mimi is a good girl for Mama. Make Mama happy! Yes. Make Mama happy by being a good girl! The best girl. Best special baby girl!’

Becky just stared.

Then, she let out a loud, unnatural laugh— And Mimi stiffened and went alert.

‘Mama’s scared sound!’ it growled. ‘What scared Mama?! Bite! Growl! Growl! Protect!’

Another laugh— This one a little quieter, and edged with a breathless disbelief as Becky collapsed back onto the couch.

Mimi was talking.

How….

How was this happening?

A hundred thoughts all tried to force their way into Becky’s head, all at once— But they melted away as Mimi let out another growl and looked around the room.

‘Protect! Protect Mama! Nothing hurts Mama! Not when Mimi is here! Mimi protects Mama!’

Becky felt tears coming to her eyes, then. And realised that she didn’t care—

She didn’t care how this had suddenly happened.

She wasn’t going to waste this moment.

‘Mimi…’ she breathed. ‘Say something else.’

‘Something else?’ Mimi’s snarling expression faded, and it looked to Becky with matching confusion and disbelief. ‘Mama ask Mimi to speak? Like Mama understands what Mimi is saying?’

‘I do understand,’ Becky whispered, feeling her entire body fill with awe. ‘I understand every word you’ve just said.’

Now it was Mimi that froze. ‘Mama understands Mimi?’

Slowly, Becky nodded.

Mimi let out a shriek and broke out of Becky’s hands, lunging for the woman’s face to assault her in kisses.

‘MAMA UNDERSTANDS MIMI! MAMA UNDERSTANDS MIMI!’ Mimi shrieked, driving its tongue against every single part of Becky it could reach. ‘MIMI HAS SO MUCH TO SAY TO MAMA! SO MUCH! SO MUCH TO TELL MAMA! MIMI HAS SO MUCH! MIMI MUST TELL MAMA IT ALL!’

‘Okay! Okay!’ Becky gasped, trying but failing to pull the mimic off her face again. ‘What— What?!’

‘MIMI LOVES MAMA!’ Mimi said. ‘MIMI LOVES MAMA! LOVE! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! MIMI LOVES MAMA! MAMA LISTENS! MAMA MUST LISTEN WHEN MIMI SAYS THIS! MIMI LOVES MAMA! MIMI DOES! MIMI LOVES MAMA! YES! YES! DOES MAMA HEAR MIMI? MAMA KNOWS MIMI LOVES MAMA?!’

Becky felt the tears that had been welling in her eyes escape, and she gripped Mimi tightly. ‘Yes!’ it came out as a sob. ‘I hear you! I love you too! I love you too!’

‘Mama knows!’ Mimi trilled back. ‘Mama knows and Mama loves Mimi, too! Oh! Oh! Oh! Mimi is happy! Mimi is happier than Mimi has ever been before! Mama knows! Mama knows Mimi loves her! Mimi is a good girl!’

‘You are!’ Becky cried. ‘You’re a good girl! You’re such a good girl!’

‘Mama knows! Mama knows—‘ Mimi cut off with a worried gurgle as it’s tongue swept up Becky’s tears. ‘Mama? Mama stop crying! No sad! No no!’

‘I’m happy!’ Becky promised. ‘I’m so happy! This is happy crying! Happy crying!’

‘Happy crying! Happy! Happy!’ Mimi chirped, trembling violently in Becky’s embrace. ‘Mama happy to hear Mimi!’

‘I am! I am!’ Becky sobbed, burying her face into Mimi’s soft body. ‘I love you! I love you! You’re my baby girl!’

‘Yes! Yes! Mimi is a stinky baby girl!’ Mimi exclaimed, scuffling against Becky as it tried to press impossibly deeper against her. ‘The goodest stinky baby girl! Yes! That is Mimi!’

Another loud sob escaped Becky. ‘I can’t believe this. I can’t—’ Becky finally managed to pry Mimi off her neck, and held the mimic out so she could look it in the eyes. ‘I love you! You know I love you?’

Mimi let out an inaudible, excited whine, and wet itself.

‘Oh! Mimi!’ Becky exclaimed, leaping up and hurrying to the bathroom to put Mimi in the sink. ‘Baby! Are you okay?!’

‘Sorry!’ Mimi managed through its trembles. ‘Mimi was too happy! Mimi is sorry! Mimi tried!’

‘You do not need to be sorry for anything ever!’ Becky exclaimed, planting a firm kiss against her pet. ‘You are the best, most important girl that there ever was. Do you understand?’

‘Yes! Yes! Mimi understands!’

Becky picked Mimi up again, and held it close. ‘I love you. I love you so much.’

‘Mimi loves Mama!’

‘I love you,’ Becky repeated. Then, she sniffed away the last of her tears and gave Mimi a scratch along its edge. ‘You are the most important thing in my entire life….’

‘Yes! Mimi is important!’ Mimi agreed.

Becky couldn’t help but laugh as she raised the mimic up to her neck and let it wrap around her. ‘Aw, baby…. This is amazing! I can’t believe— I can’t even start to— Wow!’

‘Lick!’ Mimi chirped, running its tongue over Becky’s ear. ‘Lick lick! Love! Love love love!’

‘Love love!’ Becky echoed with a giggle. ‘Love love!’

‘Love love!’

‘Mimi!’

‘Mama!’

Becky laughed again. ‘Baby girl! Oh my god. There’s so much you must want to say! And so much you must want! What do you want? Tell me what you want!’

‘Yes! Mimi wants to say Mimi loves Mama!’ sung Mimi. ‘And Mimi wants to make Mama happy! And now Mimi can talk to Mama, Mimi can make Mama even happier!’

Becky’s tears threatened to come back as Mimi snuggled into her cheek.

Mimi wanted her to be happy.

That was Mimi’s first—

Mimi’s first thought was that it wanted her to be happy?!

A laboured breath escaped Becky as she pet Mimi, all over its scarf-shaped body.

‘Mimi wants to make Mama happy forever! No more sad, ever! That is what Mimi wants!’ Mimi said. ‘And then Mimi wants sausages!’

‘Sausages?’ Becky laughed. ‘You want sausages?’

‘Yes!’

‘You’ve had dinner!’ Becky giggled.

‘Yes! Mimi has had dinner! But Mimi is a good girl! And good girls get treats! Treats like sausages! Yes! Yes! Mama will give Mimi a sausage? Yes? Because Mimi is a good girl?’

‘Of course— Of course I will!’ Becky exclaimed, stumbling out of the bathroom towards the kitchen. ‘You can have a sausage, Mimi! I’ll get you a sausage!’

‘Yes! A big fat sausage!’ Mimi trilled as Becky pulled a plate of leftovers out the fridge. ‘Cut up into little pieces!’

‘Cut up!’ Becky echoed. ‘You like them cut up?’

‘Yes! Yes! Mimi likes sausages best cut up!’ Mimi said, proudly.

Becky held back her tears, and silently promised herself that she would always from now on cut up every single sausage she ever gave Mimi ever again.

‘Yes! Yes! Mama is the best!’ Mimi trilled— And then, when Becky started to cut up a second sausage, it let out a happy shriek. ‘TWO SAUSAGES?! MAMA IS GIVING MIMI TWO SAUSAGES?! OH! OH HAPPY! MIMI IS HAPPY!’

Becky let out a laugh as she scraped the sausage pieces into Mimi’s bowl; and Mimi leapt off her to gobble them down hungrily.

‘Happy!’ Mimi trilled through its food. ‘Happy! Happy happy! Eat! Eat eat eat! Sausages! Happy!’

Then, Mimi finished, and rushed over Becky to scale up her side and onto her shoulder again.

‘Mama spoils Mimi!’ Mimi chirped, happily. ‘Because Mimi is the best girl! Mimi loves Mama Becky! Love! Love! Love! Lrrv! Lrrv! Rrrv! Rrrp!’

Becky felt a jolt of horror course through her as Mimi’s voice began to fade into noise, and she let out a cry. ‘What— No— Mimi! Mimi wait I can’t—‘

‘Mrrp?!’

‘I can’t understand you anymore!’ she cried. ‘Mimi say something!’

‘TRRR!’ Mimi trilled, skittering around Becky’s shoulders in distress. ‘MRRP! TRRP!’

‘I don’t know what you’re saying anymore!’ Becky felt more tears begin to roll down her cheeks— But these ones weren’t happy. ‘Please— No— Say something!’

‘AAAAAAAAAA!’ Mimi let out the loudest, most miserable shriek Becky had ever heard it make, and flopped limply over; sliding down Becky and onto the floor.

‘Mimi!’ Becky picked Mimi up, and cradled it in her arms as it screamed. ‘Mimi! It’s okay. It’s okay! I— I love you! I love you!’

Another shriek, and Mimi began shifting between forms rapidly in a tantrum.

‘I love you,’ Becky comforted, feeling her own miserable sob escape her. ‘Okay? Do you still understand me? I love you so, so much. Okay? And you make me so happy. You make me the happiest person ever. Please— Please tell me you understand!’

Mimi’s shriek quietened into a miserable gurgle, and it curled up against Becky’s chest. ‘Mmrp.’

‘Do you understand how much I love you?’ Becky asked, sniffing loudly. ‘Mimi?’

‘Mrrp,’ Mimi gave a chirp of confirmation, and began to purr softly.

‘Oh, girl…’ Becky let out her breath and collapsed onto the kitchen floor, hugging Mimi close. ‘Mimi. If you still understand me I want you to listen, okay?’

‘Mrrp….’

‘You make me so, so happy,’ she told it. ‘And I don’t know— I don’t know what just happened. I don’t know how or why I could just… understand you…. Or if it will ever happen again but— But this was the best thing that has ever happened to me, okay? Hearing you speak, and knowing how you feel— It was the best thing I could have wished for, okay?’

Mimi gave a murmur and purred louder, shifting back into a scarf and moving to wrap around Becky’s neck again.

‘You understand, don’t you?’ Becky asked hopefully— Sniffing again when Mimi chirped. ‘I love you.’

She sniffed again, taking a moment to recuperate before finally getting back to her feet and stumbling to the couch.

She retrieved her phone from the coffee table, then sat down and stared at it.

She had no idea what had just happened. Or what to do about it….

She ran her fingers over her phone for a moment before sighing and unlocking it, opening her chat with Adam and texting him:

im either crazy or a disney princess

She had no idea what else to say. How to explain everything that had just happened. Or even how to begin simply processing the rollercoaster of emotions that were surging through her as Mimi chewed on her bra-strap.

‘Good girl,’ she told Mimi, petting the mimic gently. ‘You’re a good girl.’

Then, Adam’s reply came through— And Becky couldn’t help but laugh.

knowing you? both

-End-

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