Teddy Bison

Teddy, despite what his appearance may suggest, is a laidback goofball. He is inherently goofy by nature, having a penchant for making those around him laugh at his zany antics. Teddy is especially good at handling children, having considered being a full-time day care worker if the astronomy thing didn't work out for him. He is a person who enjoys living in the moment, taking everything in stride. Despite this trait, he occasionally likes to take things slow when everything becomes too hectic for him to handle. He used to jump into things headfirst, quite literally at times, but as he grew older, he has learned to use his brain a little more though he can sometimes be swept in the moment. As the old saying goes, old habits die hard.

A Small Spark

Barbara and Bobby Bison met each other at the local county fair in a rural town in Texas. The young cow first saw the bull with a mutual friend of there’s, Billy, as they sat around in their trucks drinking beer and having a good ol’ time. She swore the first time she saw him, her heart was a flutter, her eyes nearly popping out her head. Billy saw his friend and the way she stared at Bobby and introduced them, Barbara turning red in the face. The conversation was awkward as Barbara just babbled on, not really knowing what to say to such a handsome bull, but Bobby didn’t really mind it. He thought she was rather cute, every nervous giggle bringing out a chuckle in him. The night was long, but by the end of it, the two bison were tucked away in each other's arms in the back of Bobby’s broken down truck. Barbara was 16 then, and until this day she swore if she could, she’d do it all over again.

Theodore was born when his mother was 17 and his father was 21. The pregnancy came as a shock to the both of them, only having been in a relationship for a few months and having slept together a handful of times. They were young, Barbara barely into her senior year of high school while Bobby worked as a farm hand on his family-owned farm. Barbara was nervous, scared of what would happen if her parents found out. Her mother might have understood, but her father was a strict man set in his ways. Religious to a fault, he ran the family with an iron fist. In his house, his word was law, and were any of those laws broken there would be immediate repercussions. She loved her daddy, but she knew what the man was like. Bobby was different though. Unlike Barbara, his family was accepting of his ways and supported him in his decisions. “A man’s bed is where he makes it, and only he can choose where he sleeps”, his father would always tell him. Bobby, of course, was scared himself. How was he supposed to take care of a child of a woman he hadn’t even married yet? The thought plagued him, but the idea of having a child with the woman of his dreams kept him steady. He wanted to have the baby, but it was ultimately Barbara’s decision whether she would birth him.

Barbara kept quiet about her pregnancy to her father. When she woke up sick in the morning, she’d blame it on having stayed up too late. When she found herself in one of her dizzy spells, she blamed it on the weather. She spent her days hiding in fear from her classmates and her parents. The only person she could talk to was Bobby who’d tell her it’d be alright. His words comforted her for a moment, the idea that the two would have a baby together seemed wonderful. However, her father’s stern face would always appear, destroying her image of a happy family and bringing her back down into her depression. Bobby sat down and watched as Barbara was falling apart, his heart breaking whenever she’d fall down and cry to him. He told her he loved her, that he’d be there for them when the baby was born, and that he’d do anything for them. Despite that, nothing seemed to ease her mind. The bison was hesitant, reluctant even to offer this, however, Barbara’s life was the most important to him and so he told her of a solution.

In the neighboring town was a doctor, an old friend of Bobby’s father, who ran an abortion clinic. If Barbara had wanted to, Bobby would ask his father to make an appointment and schedule them a meeting as soon as possible. After he said it, he felt a weight lift off his chest only to be replaced with another. Barbara, who didn’t know she had an option, thought about it for a moment as she looked at the pained expression on Bobby's face. She knew how much this baby meant to him, but he also knew how damaging it was to her. The cow hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer. Bobby assured her that whatever decision she chose, he’d stick with her. Coming to an understanding, Barbara nodded her head, agreeing to visit the doctor.

The trip was quiet as they drove to the next town, Bobby driving to the sound of country music while Barbara sat alone with her thoughts. Was she really prepared to go through with this? Was this what she wanted? Her mind was in utter chaos as they pulled into the clinic parking lot. There, she was met with an unfamiliar view, this being her first time out of town. Once inside, she was greeted by an antelope who seated them and had them fill out a few papers. Bobby did most of the paperwork since it was his father that had recommended them. Finished, they sat holding each other's hand as they waited for the doctor to call her in. It took almost no time at all, an elderly hippo called her into one of the examination rooms. The woman was nice as she explained to her how the process worked and what they would do during today’s visit. They examined her first, discovering she was about 2 months pregnant. The hippo then told her they’d do a few tests to see whether it was safe to perform on her, and that Barbara would get a call back with the results along with their next steps. The visit took nearly an hour and a half, the hippo going into depth about the process and assuring her that the procedure would be safe. With that, she took a few pamphlets, and the two drove home again in silence.

Bobby got the call a couple of days after the visit. They called his phone since Barbara didn’t have one herself, so as soon as he got the news he told her. Everything seemed fine and that they could schedule her next appointment whenever she was ready. Barbara thanked him and gave him the okay to schedule the appointment. Though, the thoughts from that day still continued to eat away at her as she somehow managed to keep her pregnancy under wraps. Her father, however, was becoming more aware of his daughter’s behavior growing suspicious of her activities with Bobby. Feeling that something was off, he gave Barbara a stricter curfew, telling her not to meet up with that Bobby boy. With her daddy growing weary of her, it became harder for her to see Bobby. Now she was alone with herself and the baby growing inside her. Without her parents or her boyfriend, she now had time to truly think about her choices. What she really wanted. She loved Bobby, that much she was certain of. She loved him enough to want to spend the rest of her life with him, but then what about the child? Barbara didn’t hate the baby growing inside her, in fact, the idea that she was carrying someone who would carry a piece of her and Bobby was exciting. But … there was always a but somewhere in the back of her mind. What about her father? Then it hit her. What about her father? Her father wouldn’t live her life for her. She wouldn’t be stuck here the rest of her life wondering what her father was going to think. Barbara wanted this baby, regardless of her daddy's opinion. This was her life, and her choice. On that night, she finally made her decision, she was going to keep the child and tell her family everything.

When she saw Bobby next, Barbara told him to cancel the appointment, she was keeping the baby. Upon hearing her request, Bobby lost all self control and hugged her, happy to hear her change her mind. He had to wonder what brought about this decision after she was so adamant about it earlier, but he kept it to himself. What came next scared even him. Barbara had planned to tell her parents about it. She didn’t know what would happen, hell she didn’t know if she’d be able to stay in the house after, but she was ready. Bobby supported her decision and told her he’d be right with her when she told them. It took two to make a child, and although his parents already knew about it, it would be unfair to let Barbara deal with it on her own. The next couple of days, the two went over how she’d tell them, none of them ending with her father’s acceptance of the situation. Soon, the day came rolling in like clouds during a thunderstorm. Bobby picked Barbara up from school, the two sitting out in a field for a few hours before Barbara felt ready to confront her father. When they stood at the front door, her daddy was pissed. He had told her to stay away from Bobby and now here she was holding his hand. He pulled Barbara away from him, the bison butting heads with the other. The old bull hurled threats at him as he held his daughter. Angry, Barbara pushed him off her and told him the truth. The next thing that happened was a blur. Her father nearly slapped her only for Bobby to intercept it, the two now rolling on the front lawn. Her mother came to her aid as they watched her father and Bobby fight it out. At the end, the two were separated and Barbara was disowned and kicked out of the house, told to never set foot on their property again. That was the last she’d ever speak to her parents as she moved in with Bobby and his family who welcomed her with open arms. It was there she’d give birth to a tiny bison they’d take to naming Theodore J. Bison.

Becomes a Star

Teddy was born into a four parent household, his grandparents constituting as another set of parents for the young calf. They lived together in a small tight-knit community of bison, the town having little to offer in terms of tourism or resources making it isolated from the rest of Texas. As a child, Teddy was adventurous, always looking for something to explore whether it be the inside of his parent’s closet or the corn maze on his granddaddy’s farm. During the day, it would be up to the ladies to deal with the boy’s abundance of energy while the men tended the fields. However, the Bison household raised strong women, his mother and grandmother being no exception as they beat him in almost every game they played. When he wasn’t roughhousing with the women of the house, he was roaming around the vegetable fields with the men, trying his hand at farming and failing miserably. In that house, everything was fun and full of laughter. His parents and grandparents adored him, showering him with hugs and kisses whenever he walked by. He felt like a little celebrity with the way they begged for his attention which always left him feeling giddy inside. In town, he was a celebrity too, but for a whole nother reason that he couldn’t understand.

While everything at home was perfect, going into town was different. Teddy didn’t quite get it, but whenever he walked outside, the townsfolk kept their distance from him and his family. They could go shopping at a grocery store full of chatter and arguing, but as soon as they stepped in it’d quiet down to no more than a whisper. His parents were used to this, his father ignored the low mummers that surrounded them, choosing to act as if it weren’t happening at all. However, his mother was different. When they went out, she’d hold Teddy close to her hip, her usual soft face discarded for a stern one. The way she acted at home and the way she acted outside was like night and day, and sometimes, Teddy didn’t know which one was his real momma. The adult world was a terrifying place that a calf had no business being in. Despite this, he was prematurely given a seat at the grown-ups table, forced to play a game he didn’t know the rules to.

His family didn’t interact much with anyone outside their house. Teddy’s granddaddy owned a farm, so all the work that needed to be done was right at home. His momma and grandmother took to working the check books and the men tended the crops that would be sold as produce in the next town over. Teddy didn’t quite fit into this fine-tuned machine, so his task was to get an education, and that happened at the only elementary school in town. They say that a child takes on the behavior of their parents, and much like their momma’s and daddy’s, his classmates treated him differently too. In school, Teddy believed he had a superpower. It was the ability to make anyone quiet whenever they saw him, because much like the folks that hushed when his parents came walking by, so did the kids when they saw him. It was cool at first, made him giggle when everyone around him was mumbling to each other. He had something that other kids didn’t, so he was special. At least, that’s what he wanted to believe. He needed to believe it, if not then why else did no one talk to him? It wouldn’t be until an older calf confronted him about his parents that he came to understand why he was treated this way. They called his momma a whore and his daddy a sinner, people the kid’s parents said should go straight to hell. That was probably the first time Teddy ever fought with someone in his life. If he couldn’t make the kid shut up with his superpowers, then his fist would do.

After a while, Teddy hated going to school. Thanks to his fight with the calf, he proved himself capable of holding his own. No one dared talk bad about his parents ever again, so his days of isolation continued. Teddy would ask himself if this was what it felt like to be air, to just sit here while everyone around you acted like you didn’t exist. It was okay though, he found new friends that listened to him. Every night while his parents and grandparents were dead asleep, Teddy would sneak out into the cornfield and gaze up at the stars. They shined and glimmered down as if they were smiling at the young bison, waiting for his arrival every night at their secret hideout. They never talked back, but they were good listeners. He’d tell them all about his day, giving his favorite specks of lights names like Sally and Travis. His favorite was a big star he named Curtis, because, unlike the others, Curtis was always waiting for him in the same spot. Teddy asked them questions, wondering what it was like to sit up so high. Were they not scared of heights? Of course they never answered, they just twinkled at him. That was fine by Teddy since he knew that, even in their silence, they had a lot in common. The only difference was that he stayed alone down here while they sparkled up there. He would continue his secret rondevu throughout his stay on the farm, his parents buying him a telescope they thought was a fancy golf club. Teddy laughed thinking that they didn’t know what they had bought him, though he found it strange when they were giggling amongst themselves. He used his telescope to look at the stars more closely, continuing this tradition of stargazing until his father decided to move to the big city, finding work as a construction worker.

Teddy was confused. Why did his daddy want to leave his grandparents behind? He didn’t have any lingering attachments to the town or the townsfolk, but he loved his granddaddy and grandmama. If they weren’t coming with them then he wasn’t going either. Teddy ignored his father whenever he tried to talk to him. Maybe if he saw how mad he was then his father would decide to stay. However, regardless of his actions, their family still ended up moving, his grandparents supporting their decision to leave. Teddy didn’t understand then, but his parents were highly aware of how the town treated them. A man doesn't last long, but a rumor lasts a lifetime, and in this town, there lived nothing but rumors. Of course they’d remain long after they were gone, but that didn’t mean their child had to deal with the mess his parents made. Packing took a couple of days, the family taking a road trip down to their new home. Teddy was silent, sad, and angry that they left his grandparents behind. The 8 hour drive only proved to make him grumpier, but his opinion changed as soon as he saw the bright lights of the city. He couldn’t help but think they almost looked like stars. The calf’s eyes glistened as they pulled up into the city, buildings made completely out of stone and steel extending up towards the sky. The cars there were all different shapes and sizes, Teddy couldn’t even count how many of them he saw. His parents laughed at the child’s awe, Teddy realizing his excitement and sitting back in his seat with an annoyed look on his face. He had to pretend he was mad so they’d move back with his grandparents, but … the place was like stars on earth.

The next couple of days the family spent moving into their new apartment complex. This move would prove to be the first of many new experiences for the boy. Settling into his new home, his parents enrolled him in a local elementary school. Adapting to his new school was difficult at first, the bison feeling out of place amongst the other children. However, unlike his hometown, the animals didn’t hush up when he walked in. Instead they’d come talk to him about things he didn’t really understand like videogames or ask him questions about his accent. Teddy didn’t really have much to offer, but he had a new chance to make friends so he started goofing off around them which they seemed to like. It wouldn’t be long until he found himself a group who enjoyed hanging around him, his friends teaching him all about the big city while he talked about his life back on the farm. He hated to admit it, but now that he was comfortable at school, he was really glad that they moved. Of course he missed his grandparents, but the things he saw in this city were amazing. However, though the city lights were very pretty, he could no longer gaze up at the starry night that once comforted him so much back home. Teddy hadn’t only left behind his grandparents, but his first friends as well. Much like the former, he would just have to learn to live without them.

Teddy would spend the next few years adjusting to his new life in the city. His father worked long hours so he wasn’t able to see him as often as he did before, but when he did they’d always talk about their day. His mother found herself a job at one of the local retailers as a sales associate. She hated it, but she found it better than sitting around the house all day so she kept working there. Despite having less time together, the trio still made it work for them. When they all weren’t busy, they found time to hang out with each other. Sometimes they’d explore the town a bit, maybe catch a movie at the theater, or sit down and play a game at home. They took to calling it “Friday Boogie Night”, or that’s what his dad called it. Those moments were fun, but would soon come to an end after his mother became pregnant with his younger sister and his other siblings.

A big brother of three, it took a bit before he could fully understand his role. He was always the kid of the family, so he never expected to be taking care of anyone younger than him. They’d cry, pull his hair, and were overall monsters. There were times when he wanted nothing more than to call his grandparents and get on the next bus back to the farm. But there was always something about the little monsters that made him rethink his decision. Eventually he grew into his role as the oldest and came to love his siblings, even if they were a bit annoying at times. That might have been heathens, but they were his heathens and he loved them nonetheless.

In middle school, his teacher handed out permission slips for a field trip to the Nasa space center. His parents signed it and the next day he was on the bus awaiting his arrival at the famed space center. His little heart began pounding in anticipation. He hadn’t been able to see stars since he left his hometown; the city sky only had two to five stars visible on any given night. As the bus slowly made its way towards the entrance, Teddy’s was, quite literally, star struck. A llama gave them a tour around the station, showing them a large telescope that could see far off planets and stars. She then took them to an empty room with a small spherical object in the middle, telling all the kids to sit around it. Soon, the room became dark, and the ball began radiating specks of lights that lit up the space with stars. A disembodied voice began talking to them, explaining the planets, constellations, and a few other things he couldn’t name. That day would forever be engraved in his memory, the bison now taking an interest in studying stars academically. It would be his main driving force to study astronomy in college. Throughout high school years, Teddy worked his heart out to become valedictorian which would guarantee him a seat at one of the more prestigious schools in the state. Sadly, he ended up in the top 10% which was still fairly good. With his grades along with his extra-curriculars he managed to get accepted into his 2nd choice.

In his freshman year at an accredited university in Texas, he discovered a long-term study abroad program at a school in Japan called Cherryton with a focus in astronomy. Interested, he applied for the program that was set to happen at the beginning of next school year. He began taking Japanese language courses to prepare, finding the language incredibly difficult yet interesting to learn. As he continued taking courses on it, he was rejected on his first attempt to get into the program. Luckily, the program was being held again the following year, so he re-applied and this time, through recommendation of his Japanese professor, he was successfully accepted into the Cherryton astronomy program where he’d be attending at the start of his junior year.