Radeer

I remember it was when I was 4.

There was a picture book I was really fond of, one about the different myths of the world. I liked the story about Santa the most, even wrote a letter in hopes for that I'd receive a good Christmas gift that year... I remember I tried writing something amongst the lines of:

"Dear Santa,

It is amazing that you can travel across the world on a sleigh. I could not help but be fond of the reindeers you kept, accompanying you through your travel across the sky. I've been a good girl this year and would like to ask to keep one as a pet.

Sincerely,

Viola Naolara."

What I received, however, was a platypus that could somehow climb on walls and remain on ceilings. Its web-like sides connecting its legs allow it to glide through the air. Its horns could grow and shorten as it wished, but that wasn't the issue, the issue was, it could talk. Its name was Padeer.

He introduced himself as a companion who will be in my care from now on. I asked what he was, appearing out of nowhere when I was excitedly waiting for my reindeer. He tilted his head in question, saying his name was Padeer.

"I wanted a reindeer" I repeated, but he didn't seem to get the difference and returned; "I'm that Padeer"

"..."

The conversation wasn't going anywhere.

As a kid, I was bound to be dissatisfied. I remember crying, bawling over the fact as pointed at my picture book of a reindeer flying through the sky. Padeer just tilted his head, saying that his species didn't look like that. But seeing my never-ending bawls, he lengthened his horns to match the picture and climbed up the wall… to jump down on me, landing flat on my face.

I had to make-do with the present I got.

Padeer never showed himself in front of humans and I who was dissatisfied, never tried to show him off. We lived together just like that, until I asked him one day when I was seven.

"... was Santa not willing to give his reindeers and gave you instead?"

No, by now, it wasn't that I believed Santa or what-not, it's that this 'Padeer' companion was so bizarre and unworldly that I could only link him to some myth. I got him from the supposable Santa so that was the least I could relate to… although I never got a present or reply from him ever again.

"Santa? Such things don't exist… don't tell me you still believe Santa Claus at this age?" he looked at me in disbelief.

"..."

[I don't want to hear that from you, Padeer who can't get the difference between reindeer.]

Although that's what I thought, I at least had the conscience to hold in the anger, mostly due to my curiosity about his background.

"Where are you from then? Why did you come to me to be whatever companion on Christmas? Weren't you a gift?"

"Why would we believe in Christmas? I was only sent to you on that day because you requested it"

"Sent by…?"

"By my lord, who else? It's been some time since he received a fan letter so he was quite happy. Seeing that the content were written by such an admirable, small child, how could he not feel moved? Ah, but the next time you write a letter, be sure to address him by King Lucifer, Satan is a title, not name"

"Satan… Lucifer…"

"Oi! Don't call out the King's name so blatantly! It's presumptuous!"

"Eh? Ah… un…. Um… Can I know the contents of the letter I sent? I don't quite remember..."

"... It was full of mistakes"

"Aah… I'll write what I think I did so can you correct it to the original one?" Since you can't write.

"That's fine with me"

Hearing his answer, I quickly jotted down what I thought I wrote, adding some edits I might've misspelled in.

"Dear Satan,

It is amazing that you can travel across the world on a sley. I could not help but be fond of the raindeers you kept, accompanying you through your travel across the sky. I've been a good girl this year and would like to ask to keep one as a pet.

Sincerely,

Viola."

Radeer looked over the text and pointed out; "the first part is 'in a glide', this part is 'a-c-companion' which my lord guessed it was to company, you also added, 'been excited all year round waiting to see you' here"

"..."

The end result.

"Dear Satan,

It is amazing that you can travel across the world in a glide. I could not help but be fond of the raindeers you kept, accompanion you through your travel across the sky with big horns. I've been a good girl this year, excited throughout the whole year waiting to see you. Would like to ask for a raindeer as a friend as well.

Thank you!

Viola."

I could only wordlessly stare at the sheet of paper I correct.

'Glide', 'horns', 'raindeer'>>Radeer, 'excited throughout the whole year waiting to see you'... It was a Radeer plus fan letter formula alright.

"... but I didn't see him that year"

"Madam Lilith held him in thinking that he was going to meet a girl"

"..."