Looking For Friends, In These Trying Times?
The cable car was actually enough room for all four of them to fit quite comfortably. Sure, Catnap had to sit down while everyone else stood, but there was quite a lot of arm room. Dogday, Kickin, and Hoppy all waved goodbye to their friends who were also waving goodbye as the tram starts up and they went up and out of Playcare. The three also gasped at how the dome looked from the outside. Very dark and spooky, according to Kickin. Then after they rode through the long tunnel, they finally stopped at the large lobby/waiting room area. They then followed the exit signs as their only way of direction as they finally reached the area where the train would be if Kissy Missy had been transported properly, without her killing the people who were escorting her.
"How do you propose we call the train?" Catnap said to Dogday. Dogday looked around for a control panel but there was nothing in sight. Dogday then looked through the tunnel opening that would lead to game station, to see an empty tunnel.
"If we have no way to call the train, then I guess we could walk all the way to Game Station?" Dogday said as he put his hand to his chin. Dogday turned back to the group, who don't seem to convinced that walking would be a viable option.
"There's a train for a reason, it's probably quite the long distance away." Hoppy said as she scratched her head. Just then, they heard a rumbling from deep inside the tunnel. Something large and mechanical was chugging it's way down towards the four. The four backed up behind the yellow line and saw the train which was named the "Playcare Express" coming from the other tunnel, slow down and stop at the tracks, right in front of the four. The four then saw a tall and lanky Kissy Missy, unmoving smile and all, get out of the main control panel for the train, followed by a small porcelain doll with red hair, Poppy Playtime herself. Catnap didn't want to meet them yet, but at least the train was here.
"Hmm... I should've known Playcare was too quiet. You're defecting against the Prototype, aren't you? Catnap?" Poppy said with a slightly smug expression, making Catnap narrow his eyes at her.
"The one little doll that wants to go against the Prototype, and of course she doesn't trust me." Catnap explained with his lip slightly stiffened, earning a little chuckle from Poppy.
"Obviously! How do I know if I could trust you? You were rumored to be the most loyal soldier of the Prototype, and now you're just defecting like that?" Poppy says with smug confidence, making Catnap remember those pompous pricks back at the orphanage. Well you've always been stealing things, Theodore. It's only right for you to get your comeuppance sooner or later. You've been fighting with the other students, Theodore. And fighting is very bad. No wonder you never liked to pray with us, you're probably communing with Satan. Before Catnap could fully let his emotions consume him, Dogday goes in front of Catnap to face him, gently squeezing his shoulder.
"It's okay, Catnap. You said, you don't really want to meet them yet, and we did. But that doesn't mean that we have to ally ourselves with them yet." Dogday said which made Catnap shake his head.
"No. If they're here, then we do it right now. It would be a wasted opportunity to not try and convince them." Catnap said, which got a "humph" from Poppy. Both Poppy and Kissy, hopped off of the train to talk to the four, face to face. Poppy, being a small porcelain doll, is quite tiny compared to everyone else. While Kissy is about the same height as Catnap if he was bipedal.
"Tell us your plan, then. Let's see how good you are at convincing." Poppy says as she crosses her arms. Catnap takes a deep breath before he starts talking.
"You probably already know how the Prototype controls people, right?" Catnap says to Poppy as she nods her head, listening attentively.
"Since he controls all of his minions through pain, They are all likely only going through with the Prototype's orders with the pretense of they will be hurt if they don't. Therefore, most, if not all of his minions, would probably be willing to defect against him." Catnap said. Poppy was nodding her head, seemingly impressed by Catnap's plan.
"And you are sure that the other participants of the Hour of Joy would just up and switch sides?" Poppy asked. Once she asked that, it was now Catnap who held a smug smile.
"Of course. Miss Delight said yes, and she also told us that the other participants would also be willing to defect." Catnap said, getting a surprised look from Poppy and Kissy. The two then exchange a glance before looking back towards Catnap, who had a serious expression now.
"That's... very interesting. From what we know, the Prototype would keep drilling you with pain until you're entirely submissive and loyal." Poppy said with a slightly confused expression.
"Well for me, I just agreed with the Prototype willingly, so that might change things for me. But it would seem that Miss Delight and her clones are just the same old, slightly unhinged and off-putting, Miss Delight." Catnap said with a shrug. It would seem that Poppy had gotten more confused by this as her face scrunched up.
"You... just said yes to him?" Poppy said as she backed up one step, eyeing Catnap carefully and with caution, as Catnap breathed a sigh. Sure the fact that Catnap had just agreed with the Prototype is quite suspicious.
"Look, I just knew from the start that trying to deny against the Prototype is a losing move, since you could just not go through pain and still betray him later." Catnap said. Poppy nodded slowly with this, still confused as to how the Prototype thought to trust Catnap's loyalty so easily.
"What about these guys? how are they alive if you've been following orders? poppy says as she gestures to Dogday, Kickin, and Hoppy. Right. He has yet to explain the deal that he had to go through for the Smiling Critters to be unharmed.
"Well, I made a deal with the Prototype. First, I made an offer where the Smiling Critters would live on the pretense that they were "prisoners" as my "reward". Of course, the Prototype didn't like that, so he made a counter-offer, where I would go through the pain for twenty years, every two days. And I had my first one today some hours ago." Catnap said. Poppy's eyes widened from the information that Cat ap had relayed to her. After all, how could one person ever fathom of going through the pain, multiple, consecutive times? For two whole decades?
"H-h-h... How? And why?" Poppy simply said after stuttering for a bit. Catnap thought for a moment before grabbing his satchel.
"Well, I can get through the pain by using morphine and other drugs that I found in the clinic of Playcare. This would also be good for negotiation with other participants who may want it." Catnap said as he pulled out some vials of morphine and carfentanil and showed it to Poppy. She then looked over the drugs before nodding and Catnap putting it back in his bag.
"And for the why. Well, I grew to really like the Smiling Critters, especially Dogday here who turned out to be a really great friend." Catnap said as he gestured to beside him, making Dogday smile and blush a bit, while lightly rubbing his arm.
"I see. Well, you seem to be a good person, Catnap. And I'm willing to help and trust you with this plan, since ours is riding a lot on luck more than capable people." Poppy said as she put her hands around her waist with a small smile.
"Anyway, let's go to your first potential ally. Who was it that you were gonna try and convince?" Poppy said as she turned back around to walk towards the train.
"It's Mommy Long Legs and Boxy-Boo in Game Station." Catnap said as he started to follow Poppy and Kissy. The rest of the group following along.
"Her, huh? She's not gonna be easier than Miss Delight, that's for sure. Though she ought to be easier than Huggy, since he nor Kissy here can talk." Poppy said as Catnap looked to Kissy with one eyebrow raised. Kissy simply shrugged as she let Poppy hop onto her open hand to get on top of the train. Catnap quickly hopped up and helped up everyone else to get onto the train, with Dogday going last to help push up everyone else. Catnap pulled up Dogday with extra strength because he wasn't gonna help push himself up, which caused him to fall into Catnap's chest, thankfully not knocking him over, but now it looks like the two are lovers who are hugging. Especially with how Dogday has a good hold over Catnap's chest. Thankfully, it would seem as no one saw the two, preoccupied with seeing how the train worked it would seem. So the two let go of each other with a small, awkward smile as the train started up and started to chug down the tracks towards Game Station. Everyone took different seats, with Poppy and Kissy at the conductor's area, Catnap and Dogday sitting next to each other inside of a storage compartment, and Hoppy and Kickin exploring the rest of the train.
"Catnap?" Dogday says in a whisper to Catnap, who turns to look at him with a "hmm?". Dogday was looking a bit shy and awkward, quite the unknown traits for him, but quite common around Catnap.
"I haven't said this to you yet, which kinda makes me feel bad for never even thinking about it yet, but... Thank you." Dogday said to Catnap with a small and tender smile. Catnap's heart fluttered at the expression, feeling like his fantasies of Dogday being something more than friends may come into fruition. But he quickly shuts it down and thinks about things realistically. Dogdays' just thanking him for saving him and the Smiling Critters, nothing more, nothing less.
"About what?" Catnap said with a mischievous smirk, obviously playing dumb.
"Well, you saved me! An- a- and our friends, too! From.... you know..... getting murdered and, all of that. Dogday said as he played with his tail that was frantically trying to bounce around and flap about, getting a little chuckle from Catnap. This laugh made Dogday turn bright red and let go of his tail, making it thump against the ground beside him.
"Well, your very welcome, Dogday. You're just too good of a friend for me to leave hanging." Catnap said as he leaned towards Dogday with a shit eating grin. Making him look away and tremble a slight bit. Catnap could see how quickly Dogday was panting from his comments, and it absolutely delighted him, but he decided that he should stop to not give Dogday a heart attack. So after a pat on his head and a "good doggy" from Catnap's mouth. He quickly lied down went to sleep with an absolutely dumbfounded Dogday who left to a loud part of the train so that he wouldn't be heard squealing his little voice out.