Work Text:
The day of the Summer Festival has arrived, and the residents of Poppyville are all buzzing with excitement. The day, for many, starts with watching the rising sun. And for the Smiling Critters, this was no different. All 7 of them stood on the top balcony of Crafty’s tower as they waited for the sun to rise.
They waited with bated breath as the sky was bathed in a fiery orange glow, the sun's light chasing away the night's darkness and making way for a new day. They watched as the stars flickered in and out until the only one that could be seen was the sun.
They all shared a look, smiling at each other. A new day had arrived, and they were all here sharing it together.
After watching the sun rise, they all made their way to Picky’s for breakfast. The table was filled with plates of pancakes, fruit, toast, and delicious, refreshing drinks for them to have their share. They talked, laughed, and overall just spent the morning enjoying each other's company.
When breakfast came to an end, they helped Picky with the cleanup before returning to their own home. They had to get ready to spend the day at the festival. They met up at Bubba’s as he would be the one taking them to town.
They were all excited, Picky in particular; this would be her first Summer Solstice Festival since moving in last year. Each critter was wearing something for the occasion. Whether it was an extra accessory or a completely new outfit, they simply wanted to look extra nice for the day. They all piled inside Bubba’s car. As Bubba was about to leave, he was stopped by Crafty.
“Wait, Bubba. DogDay’s not here yet.”
They all looked to see that, yes, their leader and friend was in fact not present. “Hmm, you are correct, Crafty.” That was odd. Where could he be?
“I wouldn’t worry too much about that, guys. I’m sure we’ll see DogDay at the festival.” Bobby reassured, giggling to herself. “And maybe with someone special.”
Hoppy groaned, while Picky just smiled knowingly. Crafty and Bubba were confused.
“Uh, what do you mean, B.B.?” Kickin asked.
Bobby simply waved the question off, telling Bubba that they should get going. DogDay would be fine; they’ll see him there; all they had to do was trust her.
Bubba hesitated, but decided to listen to Bobby. The group made their way to town, ready to have fun all day together.
Meanwhile, back in the valley, in an orange doghouse, an orange dog critter was getting ready. After leaving Picky's, DogDay had spent the rest of the morning getting ready for his (friend) date with CatNap. He brushed his teeth, brushed his fur not once but twice. Making sure to remove any loose fur and knots.
For the date, he decided to wear a light hoodie Crafty had gifted him for his birthday the year before. It was a beautiful homemade hoodie depicting a rising sun in brilliant shades of oranges, yellows, and reds. He loved this hoodie and had designated it as one of those clothes to wear on special occasions, such as today.
He also decided to wear a simple brown dog collar, with his sun pendant hanging from it. Grabbing his bag, he walked out the door and began the short trek to CatNap’s cat tower.
He knocked on the door, softly but firmly. After a few moments, he could hear the hurried but soft pitter-patter of a certain cat critter. When the door opened, he greeted the cat. “Good late morning, CatNap. Are you rea…dy…”
DogDay's voice trailed off as he saw what CatNap was wearing. The feline was wearing some black-and-blue striped arm warmers; he also wore a sparkly black choker. His moon pendant was attached to the choker, making it seem as though he had a small piece of the night around his neck. CatNap was also carrying a night-themed parasol.
CatNap fidgeted nervously under DogDay’s gaze, twirling the handle of the parasol. ‘Stop staring, you’re making me nervous,’ he signed.
This brought DogDay out of his stupor. “Oh, sorry, bud.” He rubbed the back of his head. “You just looked so cute; I guess I got distracted.”
Catnap looked down shyly. ‘Thanks. It was Bobby’s doing.’
Bobby’s? How did Bobby know? DogDay hadn’t told anyone, except…. Picky! Did she tell her? Maybe. But… He looked at CatNap again; he couldn’t deny she had done a good, no, fantastic job. CatNap looked so cute.
And with that dark shade of purple across his face, along with the way he looked down, only to quickly look up and look back down made him look even cuter. It made DogDay want to cancel the outing altogether just so they could go inside so no one but him could enjoy how CatNap looked.
But he really wanted to enjoy the festival with CatNap, so he couldn’t be selfish.
‘DogDay?’
“Yes, Naps?”
‘You look great.’
DogDay blinked rapidly. “O—oh. The sweater! Thanks.” He twisted his body a bit so that CatNap could look at it better. “Crafty made it for me. It’s really nice, isn't it?”
CatNap reached a paw out. ‘Crafty made it?’ It was soft and light. Very nice indeed. Crafty was a great seamstress. “Yup.”
DogDay grabbed CatNap’s paw. “You ready, CatNap?”
CatNap squeezed DogDay’s paw, and off they went.
The festival was buzzing with excitement. The residents of a variety of creatures filled the streets and paths, chattering and laughing. There were vendors everywhere. And the smell of food filled the air. It was a happy, joyful place.
And loud. Too loud.
CatNap really doesn't like coming to town. It was way too crowded and way too loud for him. Sounds varied, and he could barely ever pinpoint where any noise was coming from. People walked or ran around each other, bumping into one another without a care, not paying attention to those around them.
He shrunk into himself, bringing his parasol to cover him, tail wrapping itself around his leg. The soft touch of DogDay’s paw on his shoulder was the only thing bringing him comfort.
“Hey,” DogDay spoke softly, “don’t worry. It’ll be alright. We don’t have to do everything all at once.”
He looked around. “ We can take things slowly. Just walk around and look at stalls. We don’t have to do everything right away. The festival will be going on all day.”
He nuzzles CatNap. “And if things get too much, let me know. We'll take a break in one of the parks nearby. Ok?”
CatNap took a deep breath, squeezing DogDay’s paw.
Just as DogDay said, they walked around the stalls, just looking and seeing what was being sold. There was a variety of jewelry, accessories, and other knick-knacks being put on display. Nothing really caught CatNap’s interest, but just absently strolling with no real goal in mind helped calm him down.
DogDay didn't seem all bothered by their mindless walk. He mostly just chatted with the vendors. He supposed that as long as DogDay had someone to talk to, he was happy. CatNap had abandoned holding paws for wrapping his arms around one of DogDay’s, holding his parasol above them with his tail as they walked.
In CatNap’s opinion, the sun was way too bright today. He eyed DogDay, who had a smile even brighter than the sun’s. So maybe it wasn't all bad.
After a bit more walking and a bit more observing, they decided to take a break and get something to eat. The two stopped at a food stall that was selling freshly made pastries. DogDay ordered poppy seed rolls for them, along with a small square cheesecake with a pink poppy flower on top.
They sat down at one of the table benches nearby. CatNap rotated and sniffed his bread roll while DogDay wasted no time chowing down. CatNap took a tentative bite; it was good. While he ate, CatNap properly took a look at his surroundings. There were banners and murals depicting the sun and poppy flowers all over.
CatNap continued to eat his roll when something caught his eye. At the table a little ways from them were two teen moths. They had one of the small square cheesecakes with a yellow poppy flower. They grabbed the little piece and broke it off. Each took a piece and ate it along with the flower.
He also spotted that a little further away from them were Miss Long Legs, her husband, Mister Long Legs, and their child. The two spiderlings were chatting while their baby slept. But that wasn't all. They also had a cheesecake piece, but they had a deep red poppy flower placed on top.
He watched as Mister Long Legs gave the piece to his wife, who just held it in her mouth. Mister Long Legs leaned in, doing the same thing. It almost looked like they were kissing, but instead of kissing, they both bit it at the same time, tearing it into two. They ate it along with the flower, touching their foreheads.
He bit his roll. Interesting. The more he observed, the more he noticed that many were doing the same thing. They had a piece of cheesecake with a poppy flower. The color varied, but it ended the same. They broke it into two pieces together and ate it.
CatNap tapped DogDay on the shoulder, and pointed around them, and then at the cheesecake DogDay bought.
“Oh, that.” The canine rescinded licking his fingers. “That’s the ‘forever cheesecake’.”
CatNap tilted his head. Forever… cheesecake?
“It's a custom here, something residents and really anyone who comes to the festival can do.”
Looking to the side, DogDay explained that to the residents of Poppyville, the summer solstice represents longevity, warmth, and luck. But also the importance of ‘forever’ existing for all of eternity.
And with the way that poppies grew in abundance here, and in different colors, the residents used them to represent aspects of different relationships. Whether it be romantic, platonic, or familial.
“Each color represents something about the relationship between those who eat it. It highlights the things they want to hold ‘forever, for all eternity’. And to ensure that happens, they break off a piece together and then eat it, with the flower.”
He delicately held the cheesecake piece in his paw. “It's mostly done by two people, but it can also be done by a group; you would just get a bigger piece or a full cheesecake, decorated with the flowers of their choosing.”
CatNap nodded, and then made a biting motion with both his paws close together.
“ Oh, that. Yeah, uh… that's something couples usually do.”
Ok. That makes sense. “Well, wanna doing with me, CatNap?” He offered the cheesecake. CatNap nodded, pointing at the poppy flower. It was pink.
“Pink poppy flowers symbolize gentle affection, compassion, and comfort.”
DogDay moved so that he was facing CatNap. “I adore having you by my side. The quiet moments we have, where it's just you and me. Just having you near me brings me so much joy. I feel at ease with you here. I hope that it will last forever within our hearts.
DogDay stared at CatNap with a gentle look and a soft smile. CatNap accepted the cheesecake.
‘I feel the same. When I am with you, I know that I can be who I am. I feel heard and understood, even without the use of words. You're always so kind and patient with me. So I hope that this will last forever within our dreams.’
CatNap gave DogDay a tender smile, eyes sparkling with so much adoration. They broke the piece off, ate it, and touched their noses together.
Afterward, they continued their walk around the festival. CatNap, since then, has calmed down and is now more relaxed. DogDay was glad. He really wanted CatNap to enjoy his time. This was the first festival he had gone to since moving here, and DogDay was going to make sure it was a good first time.
They looked through vendors and even started to play some games or join in on some arts and crafts tables. During their walk, CatNap stopped them because in one of the playable booths was a giant teddy bear with bat wings.
“You want that, CatNap.”
CatNap nodded.
“Well, only one way to get it; let’s go!” They ran up to the booth. The worker told them that they had to shoot the target and get it to fall in order to win. If they wanted to get the teddy, though, they would need to knock down all the targets within a span of 2 minutes. DogDay looked at CatNap. The feline nodded. They were determined to get the teddy one way or another.
After a few tries, they managed to successfully knock down all of the targets. CatNap happily received the teddy, squeezing it hard. “You happy, bud?” A nod. “Is it soft?” Another nod, followed by quiet purring. Yep, he sure is happy. “So I take it you're pleased with your winning?” A little squeak.
Cuuuttee~
DogDay thanked the worker, and the two went on their way. There was still more to do and more to see.
They continued to play games, trying to win prizes. When they got tired the sat on some bleachers and had some lemonade. The sun continued to shine brightly in the sky even when late afternoon rolled around.
They watched a parade together and listened to some of the local bands playing. DogDay gave CatNap some earplugs to help with the noise, and even wore some himself when things got too loud.
Afterwards they continued to stroll down, simply taking in the sights. Every now and then something would catch their interest, but for the most part they just walked.
At some point though, DogDay noticed something particular. He smiled, bringing CatNap close, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. CatNap raised an eyebrow. DogDay just innocently smiled. CatNap shrugged it off, and off their merry way they went.
“Oooooo, do you think he saw us?” asked a soft, timid voice.
“No, I don’t think so,” answered a sweet voice.
“You really shouldn’t be doing this, you know,” scolded a deeper voice. “Unless you want to be scolded again.”
Behind a tree, surrounded by bushes where the rest of the Smiling Critters. They were taking a break from the festivities to eat and to teach Picky about the ‘ forever cheesecake’. They had gotten a medium-sized cheesecake decorated in yellow, blue, and green poppies, for joy, safety, supportiveness, and loyalty. They each had a small knife to cut into 6 equal pieces, and while eating, Bobby just so happened to spot CatNap and DogDay.
And of course, as their friend and resident (self-proclaimed) Cupid, she just had to check (spy) on them. She was glad that things seemed to be going great. She did freak out when DogDay turned in their direction. Did he spot them?
“Hey, it could just be me,” Kickin asked, “ but did DogDay seem off?”
“Maybe he spotted Bobby over here.” Suggested Picky.
“No, I don’t think he did.” Said Bubba.
“What’ya mean, Bubba. Looks like she got spotted to me.”
Hoppy nodded in agreement. “Yup. It sure looked like it. Your fur stands out too much, Bobby…not that that's a bad thing, you know… red fur is great and all…” she quickly added, cheeks pink.
Kickin and Picky just stared at her. Real subtle.
“No, no. While DogDay did look in our direction,” Bubba took a sip of his drink, then continued, “ he was actually looking over there.” He pointed to where they were selling hot dogs.
Bobby hummed, rubbing her chin. Why would he be looking over there? But that was not the only weird thing, because Kickin was right: DogDay was off. Sure, he looked and acted like DogDay. Had the same innocent, sweet smile he usually had. DogDay being physically affectionate with CatNap wasn’t strange either; the canine was always close to the cat one way or another.
But DogDay's action and smile, while normal, were strange because of something simple. The subtle glint in his eyes. One that Bobby didn’t recognize, one that made her feel uneasy.
But if Bubba was right and DogDay wasn’t looking at them, who was he looking at?
CatNap and DogDay were now sitting underneath a tree at one of the parks. From where they sat, they could hear music playing. There were also some smaller food stalls and vendors for anyone who got hungry.
But CatNap and DogDay just wanted to rest their paws. “Man,” DogDay groaned, “Maybe I should have worn some socks or shoes or something. My pads hurt so much.”
CatNap nodded. His pads also hurt. He held his teddy closer, feeling the soft felt from the wings. He stared at them enviously. It was moments like this that he wished he had wings, and that his father's genes had tried a little harder.
He leaned into DogDay, and the canine leaned against him. They both let out a sigh. Tired, they were. Sleepy too, especially CatNap.
“You tired, bud?” CatNap slowly nodded; his eyes felt heavy. “Alright, take a nap, Naps.”
Yeah, he will.
While CatNap slept, DogDay hummed a little tune to himself. He watched as people came and went. An elderly doll couple, some kids playing together, a group of teens messing around, families of all kinds. Everyone seemed so happy, just enjoying themselves.
That made DogDay happy.
He grabbed his bag and pulled out some cream for his pads. He rubbed some on it, and the ache disappeared. He'll make sure to give some to CatNap once he wakes up from his nap.
He looked up into the sky. The sun was still out despite it being past the time it would have started to set. Though it wasn’t as high as before. He felt CatNap stir next to him.
“Hey there, sleepyhead. Have a nice nap?” CatNap nodded, rubbing his eyes. He still felt really tired. “I still don’t understand how you can sleep so much, you know, bud.”
CatNap shrugged. It was a gift.
“Right, right. By the way, here.” He presented CatNap with the cream. “For your pads, it’ll help with the pain.” CatNap took the cream and started applying it.
‘Hey DogDay, question.’
“Sure, shoot.”
‘Why did you have us come here, just us two?’
DogDay stared at CatNap, surprised. “Well, because it’s your first Summer Solstice Festival here.”
CatNap tilted his head. ‘I would have thought that would make you want all of us to go together, since this is also Picky’s first one as well.’
DogDay felt himself start to sweat. CatNap continued to stare at him, not accusingly, just curious.
He crumbled, sighing. “You’re right. It’s both your first Summer Solstice Festival here, but it’s also your first festival ever here.
“You didn’t come to any of the prior ones, nor any event the town had in the past. I know it’s because you don’t like coming, but when you agreed to come here when I asked you, I just…” he paused, “…I wanted it to be just us.
He turned to look at CatNap. “The truth is…and I know it’s selfish of me, but I wanted to have you just to myself.”
CatNap's eyes widened. “I wanted you to experience this with me. And only me. ‘Cause you're my best friend and I’m yours. It only makes sense for it to be like that.”
DogDay grabbed CatNap's paws, holding them. “I’ll apologize to Picky and make it up to her, and to the others as well. But... I don’t regret it. I really wanted it to be us, to have you have fun with me. I’m sorry I should have been more honest.”
CatNap smiled at DogDay, tenderly. He really loved him. CatNap looked at their paws and entwined them. He gave DogDay a forgiving smile, but…
“Yeah, I‘ll make sure to apologize to the others, especially Picky." They touched their foreheads together. “Thanks for understanding, CatNap.”
DogDay knew the festival was reaching its conclusion when they started lighting up the bonfires. People either started heading home or went to enjoy the glow of the fire that would continue on until midnight.
DogDay got a text from Bobby saying the rest of the critters would be staying to watch the sun set and enjoy the bonfires for a while. They were going to be so tired tomorrow.
“Guess they won't be needing your help sleeping this time, Naps.” He let out a small giggle before yawning.
CatNap frowned. It was way too late for CatNap’s liking, but he supposed that he could let them stay up longer. Just this once. CatNap let out his own yawn. Even with the small breaks and the nap, he felt exhausted. He had been up and moving much more than he was used to. Though he would say he had enjoyed the day.
Spending the entire festival with DogDay had been the most fun he had in a while. He got to experience something brand new with someone he cared for. And someone he knew cared for him. He hugged the teddy closer.
DogDay looked up at the sky. The sun had yet to fully set but was rather midway down the sky, casting it in a soft glow of orange and purple. There were also clouds. Clouds that had not been there before, but that was the weather for you. There were lots, but not overly cloudy.
He liked how they reflected the orange glow of the sun. “Hey, CatNap.” He turned to look at his best friend. “Want to have a sleepover? We can have it at your place.”
CatNap nodded. A sleepover sounded nice. The two started to leave the festival when, out of nowhere, there was a giant flash of red. Looking up, they both saw how the sky had suddenly turned a dark, almost bloody red. The clouds looked far too light, almost see-through. The sun was no longer in the sky, but there was something glowing, though DogDay couldn’t tell you what it was.
But just as quickly as it happened, it disappeared, and the sky returned to what it looked like a few moments ago.
Weird, was all he could think. There was no other way for him to describe it. “Well, let’s keep going. I’m ready to hit the hay, CatNap.” But CatNap did not follow. He only continued to stare at the sky. And DogDay couldn’t read him. CatNap's eyes were tired but emotionless; his smile was just a thin line. But he was hugging the teddy close, like he was hoping it would bring him comfort.
Did that frighten CatNap? It did happen out of nowhere, so perhaps it did. He must have become overwhelmed too fast and froze. That must be it.
DogDay made his way to where CatNap was… and picked him up, carrying him. One arm under his legs, another holding his back. He held him close to his chest. And he made his way to the car. CatNap slowly looked at him, but his expression didn't change. Not right away. Slowly, he started coming back, and he realized that he was being carried. He laid his head against DogDay's shoulder and drifted off.
CatNap sat on his bed, holding his teddy close. DogDay was in the bathroom getting ready for bed. CatNap could hear him humming a little tune as he did. A small smile appeared on his face before turning into a frown.
He opened his mouth and began to sing quietly…
~ Then one day,
The sign she…~
He hesitated, then continued…
~ The sign he waited for…
In the skies in gre… in red, traversed a winding road, and came his way
He found the love… she hoped he would…~
He looked at the teddy and brought it close. Touching his forehead against it.
~ But he knew
That he had promises to stay true to…
The dormant daughter of the silver moon
Then all at once… he understood…~