Why are most of my fics under the same genre combination...

Part 1 of my incredibly-late contributions to TSoS, this one under the theme 'Symbiosis'. Not much to say about this one, aside from "I tried writing in present tense again and it was just as difficult as last time". I apologise for any formatting issues, since this was originally written on my phone. Anyway, please enjoy!

Also, a brief warning - I've given this fic a T rating due to a mention of suicide. Just thought I'd play it safe.

Disclaimer: I do not own TWEWY or its characters.

Partners

"Happy birthday, dear."

The little girl's eyes sparkle with mirth as she takes the package from her mother's outstretched hands. After politely asking permission, she rips open the packaging to reveal a small box with the words "Beginner's Sewing Kit" inscribed on the top.

"If you really want to be a seamstress like your aunt, you should get started early, Shiki." Her mother gives her a smile, warm and inviting as always. "Why don't you go try it out now?"

Her grin growing wider, Shiki scurries off towards her room and, sure enough, her bed is covered in small piles of brightly coloured material. She picks up one piece of cloth and marvels at the way it slides between her fingers, shimmering and catching the evening light through her window.

"Thanks, mom!" she calls from inside her room, before gathering some material in her arms and setting it down on a rug. She then makes herself comfortable on the floor, for want of a better wide, flat surface, and opens the kit that she has placed by her side. Ideas are already flowing through her mind, and she cannot decide what to make first.

Grabbing a needle and a spool of thread, she gets started.

Her first few works are far from perfect, but after a week, she finally manages to make something she likes.

Initially, it had started out as a pig with a wide smile, but the snout had not turned out right, and she had run out of white thread halfway through. Desperate, she had sought her aunt's help and, after a few hours, some extra material and a tub full of black cloth dye, she had managed to right her mistakes.

Now, she gazes at the creature that she has managed to create with her own two hands. It leans casually against the side of her bed, with its tail tucked between its slightly misaligned legs and a single crooked ear ready to listen to its creator's words.

With a triumphant smile, she declares, "I'll call you...Mr. Mew."

She has never been creative with names, but Mr. Mew does not seem to have any complaints, and so the name sticks.

Before long, the plush pig-turned-cat becomes her constant companion. She takes it everywhere; even to school, where her friend Eri marvels at her creation.

"He's sooooo cute, Shiki!" she squeals, and the girl in question grins bashfully, trying to conceal her blush behind her too-large glasses. Soon enough, the other students are crowding around her as well, and even the teacher praises her at the end of the day.

Shiki has never been particularly outstanding in her class, until now. She is glad to have something that makes her unique.

"All finished," she declares as she bites through the thread. She holds Mr. Mew at an arm's length and examines her handiwork.

Over the years, Shiki has worked on improving her skills as a seamstress. She invested in a sewing machine a few years ago, and she now uses it to make outfits that Eri designs; the two of them hope to open a clothing store in Shibuya one day. Her mother's birthday present has been set aside to be used only for simple patch jobs, like the one she has just finished now.

Shiki is nearly thirteen years old and has already worked on a wide variety of sewing projects over the last six years. But the one she still holds closest to her heart is Mr. Mew. She is glad to know that he still depends on her, in a way, to patch him up whenever he starts to fall apart at the seams. His tail has been reattached three times, his ears five times each, and she is sure that the cotton in his stomach has almost completely been replaced by now. But he is still her most precious creation.

"You can always rely on me to fix you, Mr. Mew. I promise."

Two years later, she runs home and locks herself in her room, throwing herself on her bed. She has just had a massive fight with Eri, and she knows that nothing she says will ever be able to fix things between them.

"It's my fault," she sobs into her pillow. "I was jealous and said such horrible things to her."

Shiki has always felt inferior to her best friend. Eri has everything – looks, charm, and a knack for design. All Shiki has ever been able to do is bring Eri's designs to life. Nothing she has made on her own over the years has ever been good enough.

She feels a light pressure against the top of her head, and pulls her face out of the pillow to see Mr. Mew, who was previously sitting upright, now leaning against her in an almost comforting gesture. A watery laugh escapes Shiki as she sits up and takes the plush cat in her arms, hugging him tightly.

"Well, at least not everything I make is terrible," she says to herself, glancing down at him. "You'll be here for me, won't you Mr. Mew?"

His silence is the only answer she needs.

Usually, an argument with a friend lasts a few days at most. But an argument with the most popular girl at their local high school is a far different matter altogether.

Her fight with Eri instigates a school-wide reaction, and everyone avoids her. She is shoved in the hallways, made fun of, and she accepts it all without hesitation. After all, it is what she deserves.

But when she expects it to die down, it only begins to get worse. The taunting becomes louder and ruder, and so do the insults. Her insecurity begins to resurface, even stronger than before, because she now knows without a doubt that everyone hates her.

A few weeks later and it is finally too much.

"I'm sorry, mom." After everything that has happened, she cannot bring herself to sew anymore.

"I'm sorry, Eri." The two girls no longer talk to each other, and their dream will remain nothing but a dream.

"I'm sorry...Mr. Mew."

He is the only possession she brings with her to the roof of her apartment complex. It isn't very high, but she is sure it will be enough to get the job done.

She completed his final patch job that afternoon; yet, even now, his left ear is beginning to fall apart. But she can no longer do anything about it.

"In the end...I couldn't keep my promise."

Her vision blurs, her heart full of guilt and shame; she clutches him to her chest as she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, before stepping over the edge.

"Goodbye."

She knows that death is something that she has chosen for herself, and yet, she cannot let go of her past life. There are too many choices that she regrets, and the more she thinks about it, the more she wishes she had never decided to end her life in the first place.

'I want to go back...I want to start sewing again, and to make things right with Eri.'

When Shiki is offered another chance at life, she takes it without hesitation.

Life in the UG is far from what she expected. She could easily forget that she is dead, only she cannot bring herself to do so. Not when her own appearance is a reminder of her previous life. Gone is Shiki's plain exterior; she now looks just like Eri, and try as she might, she cannot figure out why her appearance was taken as her price for the Reaper's Game. After all, she hated her previous self, and she is much happier this way.

The people she passes on the streets do not notice her presence, and she has not run into another dead person all day – as morbid as the thought sounds in her mind. She reaches into her – or Eri's – skirt pocket and pulls out a handful of pins, heaving a sigh. She needs to be able to use the pins' abilities to fight, to survive, but matter how hard she tries, she cannot get any of them to work.

"What do we do now, Mr. Mew?" she whispers, holding him tightly for reassurance. Yet another thing she cannot understand is how he ended up here along with her. The UG is a place meant for dead people, not inanimate objects.

She tosses the pins around in her hand uncertainly, and then, her eyes suddenly land on a single pin. The name forms in her mind – "Groove Pawn," she says slowly, picking it up with her free hand and holding it between her thumb and forefinger. "Did I miss this one before?"

Without another moment's hesitation, she activates its Psych, and to her utmost shock, Mr. Mew jumps out from under her arm. He stands before her, arms on his plush waist, seemingly awaiting orders.

Almost as if on cue, five frog Noise appear from out of nowhere, and she is forced to do battle. Hesitantly at first, she shouts orders as Mr. Mew, and her confidence begins to grow as she sees him obeying. He mimics her actions – jumping, punching and sliding – until every last Noise has been defeated.

Once the battle ends, Shiki breathes heavily, watching Mr. Mew out of the corner of her eye. He simply stands in place, unmoving, and she carefully picks him up, tucking him under her arm again.

"Well, it looks like we're a team now, huh?" she asks, looking down at his still-neutral expression. Of course, he does not reply, but she now feels less alone than she did a minute ago.

She glances in the direction of the Scramble Crossing, still full of people who cannot see her. Intuition tells her she will not be getting a human partner any time soon – she has been alone for too long already, and her odds are growing slimmer by the day.

But she is far from unhappy. After all, it's easier than being paired with some angsty teenager she has never met before. Mr. Mew knows her better than any human ever could – they have been together for most of their lives, providing each other with support and care, and she could not ask for a better Game partner.

Placing the pin back in her pocket, she smiles as she turns towards the Scramble Crossing, her beloved companion still safe under her arm. The Noise are still everywhere, but now she knows that she will not have to face them alone.

"Let's go, Mr. Mew!"

I know UG!Shiki said she made her own clothes, but I'm not sure if it applies to real!Shiki. Even if it does...ah, I hope I've left this fic open-ended enough in that regard.

Do let me know what you think, and I hope you've already taken a look at my fellow authors' works!