Nightbear
The so-called “nightbear” is a species of sapient stuffed animal which hides in plain sight alongside the non-living playthings of Edenian children. They are fiercely loyal creatures, who will protect the homes which adopt them until their dying breaths, but they only come to life once darkness falls.
Each nightbear is given life by a child who believes with all their heart that their precious plushie is alive in some way, which makes the nightbear a subspecies of amicus imaginarium. And the child’s love of and devotion to the bear is reciprocated in full. There is nothing a nightbear will not do to protect the person who brought them to life.
In urban environments, nightbears often prowl in packs. Realizing that there is safety and strength in numbers, individuals from neighboring homes gather in a common area and stick together for the evening—ready to dole out justice to any and all ne’er-do-wells they come across. And though the nightbears’ form of vigilante justice is officially discouraged in most corners of Eden, law enforcement officials have been known to cooperate with the bears and look the other way as needed.
Sadly, similar to their parent species, the end of a nightbear’s life comes when the kid who gave them life grows up and no longer believes. The only difference between a nightbear and most other amici imaginarium is that they have a body to leave behind—a soft squishy body which might one day be loved by a new child and brought back to life once again.
These are so lovely. Toy Story and Velveteen Rabbit vibes for sure. Reminds me of the baku from my world.
Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.
Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!
Ooh, I'll have to check out the baku. Yeah, I'm glad those vibes are coming off here. :-)