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“CatNap!”
CatNap looks up and over, immediately purring as he stares at the other experiment, who has a wagging tail.
Why is DogDay out of his cell?
More importantly, why is DogDay here?
“Hey.” CatNap manages, his voice breaking a bit more. DogDay shakes his head, and CatNap immediately understands what the other wants.
No more speaking.
“Okay, hey. I have a super important question!” He chirps, tail slapping on the ground as he sits down. “Do you wanna play with CraftyCorn and Bobby?”
(“DogDay, he's strange… I don't trust him—”
“What? CraftyCorn, CatNap wouldn't hurt a fly!”)
… God no.
CatNap shakes his head, ears flat. The others don't like CatNap, and he has to agree, he doesn't like himself either. DogDay frowns, before he smiles once again. “Well, I’m not supposed to be out right now, but I am so… I have something we can play with together! Let me go get it!”
And he's off.
He's off to grab some sort of toy they can share, whatever it is, CatNap has to admit he's pretty excited. He doesn't know why, but just the thought of spending some one-on-one time with DogDay manages to get CatNap up and moving around his cell.
It's a tiny space, but CatNap makes the most of his excited prancing as he tip and taps his paws to the floor as DogDay comes back with a large ball.
“The workers brought this for the other kids, but they broke something immediately. It's ours now!” He excitedly speaks, and sits at the other side of the wall and rolls it to the cage. CatNap reaches their paw out, flicking the ball.
It rolls back and forth between the two, no talking required.
They know the other is happy; DogDay’s tail is noisily slapping the floor and CatNap is loudly purring, the playful up and curling of his tail is another good piece of evidence that he’s happy, and he isn't afraid to show it.
He's happy.
Yeah. Happy.
.
.
.
He stares at the ball, gently pawing it as it rolls to DogDay. The others are also chained up, watching, confused.
DogDay stares at it before using his strength, all of his strength, and kicks it back with zero question.
“DogDay-”
A glare from CatNap shuts the Critter up. And, with a purr, CatNap once again kicks the ball over to DogDay.
This goes on.
CatNap hitting the ball just enough so that it gently rolls to DogDay for him to kick, only for DogDay to, somewhat harshly, kick it back. It was hard for the seven in the room to ignore CatNap's purring, to ignore the signs of happiness despite the place they're trapped in being desolate and destroyed with blood strewn about.
Strewn about everywhere.
And yet this giant experiment—giant cat—is acting like nothing’s wrong, continuing to play with DogDay.
Play with DogDay like he isn't hung up on the wall, like he isn't being held captive.
It was hard to ignore the gently swish swishing of DogDay's tail, also. Hard to ignore the fact that he found happiness in this moment, playing a simple game of ball with someone like CatNap.
No words are spoken. Not by DogDay, not by CatNap, not by any of the other Critters.
It's a silence that, with no words spoken, reminds the two of them of the past.
A comforting nostalgia.
.
.
.
So.
CatNap is looking at him with those black eyes.
And he sees nothing but pain.
In his mouth are DogDay’s legs.
He doesn't seem to know what to do, ears low, looking around as he stares at the belt that's stopping the blood from flowing anymore.
“... Sorry…”
DogDay blinks.
Blinks and stares at CatNap.
Blinks and lets himself fall, lets tears fall, lets himself look away from CatNap. CatNap just looks away and walks with the legs, taking them out of sight.
(The ball. Again.
The two are kicking the ball to one another.
It's childish, he sees that now, but CatNap still loves this game. Loves nudging the ball to DogDay’s foot and watching DogDay kick it back.
And suddenly, a hand comes out of nowhere, nearly scaring CatNap out of his new body before he quickly gains composure, nudging the ball to the Prototype—
And the Prototype gets rid of it.
Their ears fall, looking at their paws.
“You're taking a child's toy away? Really?” DogDay snaps at the Prototype, anger edging his tone. “That's one of the few things he still plays with and you're just gonna take it away?”
“... Theodore.” That disembodied voice makes them bow, submitting.
“... Angel.”
“Take his legs.”
DogDay feels his veins run with ice.
Watches as CatNap curls in on himself.
Watches CatNap slowly sit up and—
“CatNap. CatNap, no. You can't.”
CatNap takes a step forward.
“CatNap-!”)
He moves, shifting, trying his best to lay beneath DogDay, despite having to curl into what looks like is an uncomfortable position.
His tail is up and wraps around his neck like a scarf, and DogDay has to accept it.
Accept this.
.
.
.
The Angel came.
Saved DogDay.
Took DogDay on their back and teased him about his love for watermelon.
Spilled his love for CatNap.
And the two are now walking around Home Sweet Home, with CatNap leading. He doesn't mention that they're just going deeper into the orphanage, no, part of him is curious. It's not like the Prototype just abandoned CatNap after he was electrocuted or anything, and he feels like CatNap isn't going to kill him.
If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it when the Angel left. It's an obvious answer, so that means CatNap is leading him somewhere on purpose, and that has DogDay's interest, more than he would like to admit.
“CatNap, is this going to take a while? We have to go back to helping Kissy, Poppy, and the Angel.” He says with a slight frown, and CatNap looks back at him.
“... Surprise…”
“Okay, okay… I'm sorry.”
He hates the somewhat sad tone CatNap used.
His response seems to make CatNap happy and chipper again, and he opens a door and crawls in. DogDay follows behind, careful to not step on any dead toys or anything that would impale him, and—
“Is that-? Is that our ball?”
In CatNap's mouth is an all too familiar ball. CatNap is quick to lead DogDay out of the crowded room, into the empty hallway, and as soon as DogDay is out, CatNap drops the ball and kicks it over.
DogDay just smiles, chuckles, and kicks the ball back.
“Maybe the Angel can wait a bit longer.”
.
.
.
The two Critters sit and play.
DogDay's tail hits the floor, wagging.
CatNap's purring fills the air.
He stares at DogDay, feeling—happy. This is happiness, right? CatNap doesn't feel stressed, or feel like he’s having a hard time breathing, no, he feels happy. Happy to once again play ball with DogDay, happy to listen to his tail wag, happy to watch him with life in his eyes.
Honestly, CatNap doesn't know how long they were down there kicking the ball. It was long enough where a pink limb ended up taking their ball, staring at the two, and nodding.
“... Rude.”
He mumbles it, and DogDay laughs, laughs and shakes his head. “It’s okay, we can play on the way down. If I remember correctly, we’re going on that lift… Elevator thing. We can play then.”
CatNap nods, a soft purr of his in the air, walking side by side with DogDay, following Kissy Missy out, staring at the ball in her hands, excited to play again.