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“I love you! You're amazing! Lord of Pride, protect me!”
She watches CatNap run away from her, looking back a few times to gauge their distance away, but that doesn't stop her from chasing them. She's fast, but due to CatNap being so goddamn short, CatNap is faster. That's the only reason, if they were the same height, she would have snagged them and threw them against the wall already.
“Get the fuck back here, CatNap!”
Saying— or, yelling in this case— “CatNap” sounds silly, she can hear the rational part of her brain say that, but she doesn't actually know their name, and technically, that little fucker is so far beneath her she doesn't even care. CatNap, whoever the fuck is CatNap, doesn't deserve jack shit, not on her watch.
Fuck. If they were back home, back in that void of screams, of boiling hot temperatures, back in that area that would make all of this synthetic fur melt—
If she was there with CatNap, she’d kill them.
Without. Hesitation.
CatNap’s long tail is almost in grabbing reach, but they make a sharp movement and slide under the Bron lamp, crying out;
“Lord of Pride, protect me!”
And, honestly? She's getting really tired of hearing them say that, hearing them try and call out to wherever Venus is in this place, as she's been chasing them around the entire Playcare and Venus has yet to show himself.
“Venus can't fucking save you!”
(“O’ mighty Lady of Wrath, in your fiery presence, I bow. Hear my Summon, I beseech thee, your servant in this mortal realm. Arise, arise, Lady of Wrath, come unto our mortal plane, hear my Summon.”
… Who the fuck? )
She scatters, her paws digging up the fake grass as she’s able to leap over the lamp, yelling at the feline who doesn't bother to stop, who doesn't bother to accept the date awaiting them, just prolonging the inevitable moment she gets to them to rip that pretty little voice box out of their throat.
They can't scream for Venus then.
“Lord of Pride! Lord of Pride! Where are you?! The soul you own is in trouble!” CatNap yells it for the hundredth time it seems, and yet, he still doesn't answer.
“Yelling his title doesn't work, dumbass!”
CatNap lunges forward, running under benches and hopping across the stones. In response, she jumps on whatever they run under, successfully scaring them as they bolt every-which-way,
They shouldn't have been a dumbass and pissed her off, it's their fault.
(“Grant me the pleasure of seeing thee, calling forth your might, arise, arise, Lady of Wrath, guide my hand as I chant your name and summon you to our mortal plane.”
She’s quiet. She blinks a few times before furrowing her brows, contemplating her choices…)
The door to the Playhouse is slammed open by CatNap, skittering forward as they run straight to the area with their holding cells. “CatNap! Get the fuck back here!”
“DogDay! Save me! Please!”
And there he is in his glory. The markings on fur are alive, the eyes blinking and looking around as they snap straight to CatNap even DogDay himself perking up
“What is-”
He blinks rapidly. He then watches as CatNap lunges into his arms, and the Lord of Pride—DogDay—stands, and she doesn't have enough time to stop herself as she rams herself right into one of DogDay's paws he holds out to stop her from getting any closer to CatNap and himself.
“... What did you do? Okay… Ah… Hoppy,” DogDay speaks, making sure to really pronounce the toys name, the mascots name, reminding her of what exactly is going on… “what the hell happened? Why are you mad?—more mad than usual?”
Hoppy crosses her arms, tapping her mind paw to the tiles as she glares at CatNap before glancing to DogDay. His mismatched eyes, trailing down to the other eyes that surround his body, and scowls. He says nothing, simply staring, waiting, slowly blinking at her before leaning forward and clasping his paws, tilting his head.
“They pissed me off.”
“How? How did they pissed you off? Remember, you blow everything up and out of proportion.”
“DogDay!-”
(“Lady of Wrath, I seek your aid; arise and send me your strength, may I honor thee with boundless flames and praise, for your strength knows no bound. With each word, may I honor thee, and be blessed with your presence.”
… Is it worth it? To leave? To go somewhere unknown? To possibly leave one shit hole and get somewhere else?
Or-?
What does she do?
Did the others get this message also?)
“Just tell me what they did.”
She's quiet, and she tugs at her ears, glaring at DogDay. “It doesn't matter, okay? It doesn't matter what they did, what matters is that they pissed me off, so they need to get backhanded!” She barks, watching DogDay’s lip twitch, paws twitching, ears flicking—
He takes a breath. He looks at the cat on his shoulders, and they squeak, ears flat, hiding in their own fluff. He takes no measures to comfort the scared feline, speaking to them in the exact tone he spoke to Hoppy in;
“What did you do?”
CatNap waivers, ears falling, tail tucking.
“ CatNap .”
His tone is enough.
“I didn't do anything that bad…! I… I just—”
Hoppy lunges forward, cutting CatNap off as they shriek, bolting off of DogDay's shoulders, and Hoppy would have continued the chase if DogDay wouldn't have grabbed her—
Grabbed her and stared at her with all of those eyes, the eyes she once upon a time counted, the eyes that—
“Eva,” DogDay's—
Venus’—
“Eva, I need you to fucking behave for once in your goddamn life.” DogDay pulls away and dusts his paw off in a bored fashion, giving her a glance. “Can you do that for me, Eva? Can you behave? Can you sit down and think? Use your head for once?” He chuckles. “Or am I truly the smartest one here that actually has a fucking brain?”
Ah, he knows what he's doing, giving himself a damn ego boost. So Hoppy has to obviously shut that down. She’s silent before she does as told; she sits down, pulling her legs to her chest as she looks up at DogDay, the towering canines ears lower, but his stance shows power. “I ain't a fucking kids toy.” Hoppy growls, watching CatNap through DogDay's legs, their tail puffed up as they stand still, watching Hoppy.
And Hoppy just watches them back.
(“May your flames burn bright and true, as I call upon thee for my summoning. With your power and blight, arise, arise. In your name, I will stand steadily by your side, in our mortal plane of existence. Arise, arise, Lady of Wrath, arise,”
Eva huffs a sigh. This better be important.
“I will forever praise your fierce divinity. Amen.”)
“It's not like I could hurt those kids so CatNap's the next best fucking thing!” She snaps, watching DogDay's position change, moving his stance, protectively standing right in front of CatNap, a loud growl leaving his throat. “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot it's your fault we’re all still here!” She spits, and DogDay laughs.
“No, you're the one that got yourself stuck. No one forced you to answer the summon. I'm so sorry I’m failing my job as a Leader to get you out of a situation you put yourself in.” DogDay picks up CatNap in his arms, taking two steps and bending over, their noses almost touching. “Cry me a fucking river, Eva. Cut the act. The kids have recess soon so clean yourself up and bury whatever you dragged up.” He spits, walking past the bunny on the ground. She sends a glare over, blinking in a bit of surprise as CatNap looks back with sympathy.
Don't fucking need sympathy, she stands up, not from you. Someone as worthless as you doesn't deserve to be protected by someone as great as Venus.
She takes a moment to go back to her cell, grabbing a soft brush and fixing up her fur. At some point, a familiar yellow bird stops by, and without asking, he puts his feathers on her shoulders and gives a massage. “What happened, buns?” KickinChicken asks, and she looks away. “Did you get hurt? Did someone commit a Sin and you can't get to them?... Did Venus choose CatNap over you?”
KickinChicken lists off a myriad of possibilities.
“... I hate that we’re stuck with someone like CatNap. Whatever it is, it doesn't deserve our company.” She growls, and KickinChicken blinks, taking a breath, and makes Hoppy face him. Face him as he takes a feather and puts it under her chin, making her look up at him as he smiles, cupping her cheeks.
“We don't know anything about CatNap. It's safer to be kind and careful. They tried to summon someone powerful and whoever CatNap is was sent instead… Meaning that powerful entity decided that CatNap was worthy enough to be a replacement. We don't know who that is.” KickinChicken murmurs, placing a soft kiss on her head. “I'm here, okay? I’ll calm you down.”
“... You won't leave?”
KickinChicken just smiles, taking Hoppy into a hug, rocking the slightly smaller Sin.
“None of the Sins could take you away from me, no human, and especially no… Whatever CatNap is. You're mine, I’m yours.”
“The Envy to my Wrath?” She murmurs, and KickinChicken hums.
“The Envy to your Wrath.”