Archive of Our Own ^beta

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A large purple cat rolls over on black silk sheets, yawning silently, with his mouth fully mouth; then shut it, stretching all his limbs downwards at the same time, moaning slightly as he did... and flop. A moment later, he opens his yellow eyes and stares at the ceiling.

Those yellow eyes turn to stare at a letter on his bedside table, before returning to the ceiling; his mind drifts to his adult life.

Catnap Bell, ‘Professor Catnap Bell’, aged twenty-eight, and a scientist who had one product that went so well that he had to open his own company.

Catnap studied chemistry full-time at a university. And because of diurnal and nocturnal cycles, hardcore courses were made for those who wanted to study to the death. And he has done just that. At first, he was just going for the nocturnal course, get a part-time job, and studying the four years like everyone else; However, when he discovered he had a Trust Fund that his father he had never met, had set up, he went for the diurnal and nocturnal merger course, meaning in four years, he studied a course worth eight years.

Catnap also discovered during this time, his father was alive and actually a black panther critter- which would explain why he had grown so tall;  yet he still had his slim and lean figure of the normal purple cat of his mother, whom he only had a photo of. He was glad that no patterns had come through.

In his first year, well... the first month of his first year, he met Diamond, a female cat with rich jet black fur, with whom he had a one-night stand that led to them having two eggs. Catnap thought his life was over, but the university allowed for any critters under the age of eight because they were not considered ‘alive’ until they got their pendants.

Catnap and Diamond came together and had a long discussion. They decided to get married. One reason for Taxes and the other reason, Catnap, was hoping to share the responsibilities of raising their young. Diamond liked the Tax reason idea but hated the thought of their offspring; she felt that she would be forced into the mother role and turned into a housecat. Catnap, who had grown up as an orphan, with his mother dying and an unknown father, did not want his own offspring to have an absent father or mother, so he agreed to fill that role.

A son and a daughter. They had deep yellow eyes and had deep, dark purple fur; however, both appeared black; it was only when the light went over their fur that the purple was revealed. Obsidian was his son's name. Panthera was his daughter’s name.

Catnap was always seen with his kittens, only leaving them outside when doing dangerous experiments, taking tests, or exams. He was glad they were as silent as he had been growing up, because they rarely disturbed the classes, and the professors were kinder towards him when other parents brought their young with them. Catnap had only found his voice when he was thirteen; he was sure it would be the same with them. Right now, they were signing and whispering small words.

Catnap had made a ‘RED’ during university. A gas that was designed for anaesthetists to help put critters to sleep. It was a dense red gas that was heavier than air and normal smoke, so it went downwards and would drift on the floor. It crept critters out when first seen.

Diamond had become a lawyer, and she reached out to some friends for him, who were in the field of patenting products, and talked him through how to do it.

At this time, Catnap’s money was almost gone with university fees, the cost of living, and setting up a Trust Fund for his offspring to ensure that they would have a pendants. With the last of his money, he set up a small company to sell his gas. To get his name out there, he asked ten doctors and nurses whom he met on campus to show his gas online so he could present it to hospitals.

They did serious presentations and silly ones... the silly ones somehow got online, and it trended. Catnap had no social media at that time, so he did not realise his gas was becoming so popular. And when his company finally had the labs, the office space, and a warehouse, his gas was preordered by not just hospitals but random critters who wanted to see if this was a real product.

And he sold it to them, too. It went around the web for about two years before the hype died down; however, by this time, he had made a small fortune and had many clients- even some from the underground... who paid double without a sniff.

With this good start, he was able to get more labs and warehouses in the third year and worked solely on making ‘RED’ from his company name ‘Sleep Well’. He hired scientists, some he even studied with, and they kept working on ‘RED’ so there were three versions by the sixth anniversary, which was coming up this summer.

Catnap had to work on both the business side, too; his single office he had hired from, became a building he paid for and had the whole space for offices. They mainly worked with the current clientele and on trying to get new ones.

During these six years, he had secretly been working on something else.

It was a scent blocker.

Once upon a time, critter kinds did not live together, but slowly over many centuries, they have been coming together. When cities rose up, bringing more critters together and having them live in enclosed spaces, like trains and buses, there came another issue.

Scent.

Every critter had its own scent, plus an underlying scent that went with its kind. Instincts roared to live being so near in the early days of cities and towns, and only had suppresses for many things. Like blood lust and heat lust. Catnap actually wanted to revisit these drugs; he now had two teams in two labs... and they all worked on ‘RED’.

This liquid could take away any scent but the user's own. It worked on items, too. Diamond would hate it, scent was the number one way of knowing if a critter was a cheater or not, however. Those on the train who actually rub against another, getting their scent over them, cause distress among mates.

Catnap had no idea what to call this new product, and because he had not spoken to anyone about making anything new, he was a little lost.

‘I only called it ‘RED’ because of the colour...’ Catnap thinks dryly, smiling slightly, ‘Those online came up with many weird theories about why it was called them, thinking the letters stand for something.’

Catnap rose up; he was already fully dressed.  He groans and crawls out of bed, standing up, and he hurries to join his family. Opening the door, he walks through the hallway to come into the fancy kitchen; he gives a quick gaze to the large windows of his apartment. His wife's idea, he wanted to buy a house, but needed a place to be close to her law firm and his labs and offices.

However, he did not see the point now that they were getting divorced. Thankfully, Diamond was a divorce lawyer and was so paranoid about losing her stuff if this ever happened, she made an air-tight agreement that should they ever divorce, they would walk away without taking anything the other had or had built. So, Catnap kept his company, and Diamond kept her law firm. Anything they bought together would be sold, and the money split between them. They had their own separate money, even if, by law, the head of the family controlled it.

Catnap turns his attention to the dining table. His kittens were sitting at the table, munching on the breakfast he had made before lying down. He went over and grabbed a piece of toast and munched along with them, but not sitting down.

Obsidian and Panthera were both nine now and would turn ten at the end of the year. Reaching double digits, something to celebrate in a world that eats offspring if they do not have a pendant by the time they are nine. Because once they turn eight, they only have that year to get it.

Obsidian and Panthera’s pendants were both round and were ‘Platinum’. Catnap smiles each time he sees them with it. He had a copper pendant when he got his own. Pendants would be like this until they were thirteen, and it would change shape; critters say, it would shift into their soul. This was a myth.

“The divorce will be final tomorrow,” Catnap told his family. His wife nods her head. She was standing in front of those large windows; everything around them was packed in boxes, mostly her stuff, because his personal belongings had already gone to his new house. “We’re leaving now.” Another nod, “Are you going to even see your offspring one last time?”

“No.” Diamond said firmly, there was a slight hiss to her voice; over the years, Catnap and Diamond had more of a brother and sister relationship and only ever had that one night together, “I see you bought a place in that upper-class place in that small city, what will happen if ‘RED’ ever fails?”

“I doubt anytime soon,” Catnap told her softly, merely standing at her back blankly; their offspring had finished their breakfast and were looking between them, “Hospitals have steady sales and so from the other place...” He sighs heavily, “Thanks for being my wife all this time. I doubt I would have gotten where I am today without you.”

“Yeah, I doubt I would have gotten this far without you, too,” Diamond says with a sigh of her own, “There was never any love... so, thanks for being so... agreeable. I guess, I know I steamrolled over your meek tail many times.”

Catnap snorts, “Yeah, you are demanding... I think I need someone who puts my thoughts and needs before their own every time.”

“Your therapist is doing wonders for you,” Diamond said with a snicker, “Did you have to cry and pump yourself up in the bathroom before daring to say that to me?”

“No. I’m not that silent kitten anymore... even if there are times I would like to be,” Catnap said and glances at his young, “Sometimes I have to do things that are harder for the sake of those whom I care for, even if I hate it.”

“Great, good for you. I bought you out of your half of the apartment, so get lost.” Diamond told him with a loud hiss, “I have my lover coming over soon.”

“Wow. Wouldn’t even let my bed get cold!” Catnap said, smiling, he looks at the boxes that were hers and frowns, “Are you buying all new stuff too?”

“My business is no longer yours to know; get out.” Diamond replies darkly, he realises now she was watching him from the reflection of the glass.

“Ready?” Catnap asks his offspring. Obsidian and Panthera push their chairs back and climb out of their seats, nodding their heads, “Okay, grab your backpacks. And say goodbye to Ma.”

They shook their heads.

Catnap glances at them and blinks at them. They smile and blink back. They knew their father would not force them to do anything they did not like.

“Right! One last time! A head count!” Catnap calls out, he points to himself, “Catnap Bell! Present!” he says, raising his hand. Then points to Diamond, “Diamond Gram!”

A sigh, she raised her hand, “Present!”

Cantap points to his son, “Obsidian Gram-Bell!”

The kitten raised his hand and uttered softly, “...present...”

Catnap points to his daughter, “Panthera Gram-Bell!”

The kitten shifts on her feet for a moment, then slowly raises her hand and says even softer than her brother, “.....pre...sent.....”

“Good! Let’s go!” Catnap says trying to be cheerful whenever he was around his offspring, even if he wanted to crawl into a hole himself sometimes. The large purple cat sighs lightly. Life was changing again, and he hated big changes.

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It was a long, tiring trip.

But at last, he saw the lights of the city on the road.

Catnap was returning to his hometown; when he left ten years ago, it had been just a large town, but it was now a small city. The main reason this place became a city was that it was home to the superstars, Dogday and Kickin.

Catnap had been so focused on studying the death courses, caring for his offspring and wife, then starting his own business while helping his wife start hers, that he did not know what was happening at home.

Dogday had left for the city too, just not the same city Catnap had gone to. The golden dog had gone to the much larger one that was known for its film and music industry. And became this legendary Idol, working as an actor, singer, and model. The dog had been just as busy as the cat, but for a whole different reason. The more Catnap learned of his old best friend’s life, the more exhausted he felt. Give the cat hours of studying and young raising any day, but do not make him film any movies while on tour.

Catnap smiles as he comes into the higher-class neighbourhood; this place used to be a field he and his friend used to play in... yet now, it was large manor-like houses that were far away from each other. Catnap had done a little bit of research- meaning he hired someone else to do it because he was too busy, and found out that Dogday’s home was in this area, and he bought the house next door... even if it was far away.

When they were younger, they always spoke about living next door to each other, but when Dogday suddenly left, Catnap thought that would never happen. Catnap had been planning to just take a basic college in town and live here with the dog... he had no idea his friend had been wanting to leave.

“This is it!” Catnap says loudly, looking in the mirror to see his kittens smiling at him. It was close to midnight when he and the moving trucks pulled up into the driveway... the long driveway, “Our new home and the new labs for our second gas... or mist. Whatever!”

Catnap steps out of the car and stares at the huge house... a little too big for a family of three. The kittens step out too and hurry to his side. They watch the ape critters who were their movers, getting out of the trucks, watching them oddly.

“Our new home.” Catnap says aloud, “Finally, a house! ...a big house!” he gently places his hands on their shoulders, “No more apartments! We have a big garden to play in! Excited?”

The kittens nod and move nearer to his legs.

“It’s fine! We’re going to make this place our own in no time!” Catnap told them happily, walking towards the house, “I have to check out our new warehouse and offices over the next few days, but we’ll settle in first.” They walk up the steps together, and Catnap pulls out the key from his pocket; he places it in the keyhole and nods to his offspring; they put their little hands on his larger one. “On the count of three, we all turn together. One, Two, Three!” They turned the key together and pushed open the large door, letting them into a dark hallway that led off into four different directions and a staircase.

Catnap finds the light switch and turns it on, lighting it up for the apes behind them.

“Wow... it looks bigger than the pictures suggest.” Catnap breathes out and walks further inside with his kittens. The apes follow behind him, placing the first boxes inside, “Let’s explore? Or want to take a nap in the car? Or a nap in the bedroom outside? I can bring out the mattress.”

The kittens glance at each other and, without a word, point upstairs.

“Good thing I asked for this box to be brought in first,” Catnap points to a box labelled mattress. He smiles at them, “Come on!” He reaches down and takes the box, then walks up the stairs, followed by his kittens. Finding the first bedroom, the kittens rush through the open door and wait for him; he places the box down and quickly opens it, pulls it out, and it bursts open, unfolding itself into a mattress.

The cat puts it in the centre of the room and watches them climb on and curl around each other, then he leaves and closes the door for them, but stops it ajar.

“If you need me, call.” Catnap says loudly to them, then, turning around, he hurries back down the stairs and meets the ape critters who were still bringing in boxes.

There was someone else with them.

A golden dog, smiling as he stares at the boxes. The apes did not seem surprised by his being there.

“Dogday!” Catnap calls out, causing everyone to turn quickly around to the stairs. The purple cat grinned at his old friend’s shocked expression.

“Catnap?” Dogday utters out, “Catnap!” he shouts out louder, this time grinning boldly and wagging his tail like mad. The darts forward, and the cat walks down the steps to greet him. At the bottom step, he sits and is bowled into, making him lean back, lying fully on the stairs behind him. The cat got slightly headbutted in the dog’s excitement and was licked half to death.

The ape critters were watching the scene, clearly unsure what to do.

Catnap began purring loudly, rubbing himself when he could because Dogday was moving too fast.

Finally, Dogday just stops and lies against him, sniffing his chest. Then pausing, he looks at the cat, “Hi!”

“Hello,” Catnap purrs with a smile, “What are you doing here?”

“Greeting my new neighbour,” Dogday answers softly, having another sniff.

“Well, just was not the greeting I thought I’d have from my new neighbour,” Catnap replies with a warm smile, ‘I didn’t think you’d be here at all...’ he rubs his chin on the dog’s head, “Not that I mind, if it's you, Dogday.”

Catnap’s ears flickered, and he frowned. His kittens were calling him. Taking him by the shoulders, he lightly pushes him off. Then, turning around, quickly climbs the stairs and hurries to his kittens' room. The room was already open and the lights were on, and he could hear loud hissing inside.

Catnap came into the room, found his kittens in a corner with four small puppies staring at them with wagging tails. The purple cat rushes over, on seeing him, his kittens leapt over the puppies' heads and climbed their father like a tree, settling on each of his shoulders.  

The large purple cat was now being stared at by four sets of eyes of mini-Dogdays.

“Oh! Here you guys are!” Dogday’s voice comes from behind; he felt his kittens moving to look at the larger dog. The dog pauses when he sees the scared kittens with their fur up and wide-eyed. He frowns deeply and turns to his offspring, “Told you lot to stick by me!”

Catnap laughs and reaches up to pet his son and daughter, “Obsidian. Panthera.” he kneels so they are almost face to face with the larger dog, “This is my childhood friend. Dogday, this is my son, Obsidian.” he points to the kitten on his left shoulder, “This is my daughter, Panthera.” He points to the kitten on his right shoulder.

Dogday frowns more when he notices the pendants the kittens have.

“How old are they... they have names and pendants!” Dogday says his face twists from confusion to smiling, his tail only slightly wagging now.

“They are nine. They will be ten at the year of this year... And yes, that means I had them almost right away after I left.” Catnap explains softly, giving him a sad smile, “My wife just divorced me. And had a lover in as soon as I left the door.”

Dogday looked enraged, “How dare they break my Cat’s heart!” Then pauses, a smile, “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Yeah, I wanted my offspring to see my hometown...” Catnap says with a frown, “It’s not what I remember.” Then glances down at the four puppies surrounding his legs, “I have some questions. How old and do you have names? Can I meet your wife? And how are you?”

Dogday laughs loudly, beaming at him, “They are only one, and no names, don’t need any until their eight anyway! I have no wife! This is a result of a drunken night stand! And I’m great now that you’re here!”

“Wait! Drunken nightstand? That’s how my kittens came to be!” Catnap laughs loudly, “I married their mother because I wanted them to have both parents?”

“Whoa, we’re really best friends!” Dogday says with a bold, bright smile, “Same mindset!”

“But you didn’t marry yours? Why?” Catnap questions with a frown, “Don’t you want them to have a mother?”

“Well! You can be their mother!” Dogday told him with a grin, his eyes shining with excitement, “Same sex marriages have just been announced! We can get married and raise them together!”

“Whoa. It might be law now, but many don’t like it.” Catnap quickly points out, surprisingly at how this topic came about... ‘It’s Dogday... of course he would say this, so impulsive...’ He sighs, “What will your fans say? They will be crushed!”

“I’m twenty-eight and never had a real relationship!” Dogday told him, wagging his tail, “You have! So you know how it works! It’ll be fine! Besides! WE love each other! That’s the main thing in any marriage!”

“Well, yeah...” Catnap says slowly, then starts licking his left hand, something he does when he is pondering deeply... ‘I had wanted to date Dogday... I actually hope this day would come... I didn’t think he would ask me the first second we reunited. I’m busy. He’s busy...’ He glances at his old friend, who was staring at him with big hopeful eyes, “Listen. I’m very busy, I own my own business and I’m expanding it here...”

“Did you know there’s a golden rule that says ‘Best Friends who are not married by ...Mmm... Twenty-five! Must marry each other!” Dogday lies less than smoothly, covering his nose because Catnap once told him that it turned red around the black nose. It still works to this day...

Catnap laughs at the sight, “You know what, sure. Let’s get married.” The pure look of joy on his face made the cat’s heart warm, “But let’s date first. We are great friends, we might be bad as lovers.”

“YESSS!” Dogday howls loudly, then runs a couple of laps around the tall cat. He stops and frowns, “Why are you so tall!?”

“You only just noticed?!” Catnap exclaims with amusement,

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