Poppy Playtime: Oneshots/Short-stories

Sing Me To Sleep.

Disclaimer: I don't own Poppy Playtime (Video Game). I don't own the picture (cover). Or the song if I put one in.

(qwertuno and SilentReadersMatter)

(My take on the potential aftermath of the smiling critters cartoon. )

(Hope you enjoy.)

They fell into hysteria as his abilities were spread through the room. Unfortunate side effects for those who breathed in his creation. Watching over his friends, stealing them as they collapsed, one by one, finally oblivious to the storm around them.

By myself. Something I'm used to.

The cat sat next to Dogday, the other critter bringing the most comfort. Able to relate him, even as they were opposites like the sun and the moon. One operating by night, another by the day as the sun and the moon clashed in a never ending war of claiming the skies for themselves.

Finally able to rest. Not sleep, but have a break. Too much. Too many people. Too much everything.

He cursed his enhanced hearing.

Nobody understands.

Catnap sighed, his smile dropping as the head of the character laid on the pillow by the couch. Nothing else to do but watch his friends as they slept, observing those who only saw him when the stars shined in the sky. Watching his friends, who only acknowledged his presence when they needed something. That often being his ability to spray the sleepy mist. As they often called it around him.

I should deprive them. Let them have a taste what I have to deal with. It's been...three, no, wait, four months since I slept? Spraying substances really does makes you immune.

A smile curled on his mouth. The images of hurting those critters filled him with excitement, methods of breaking them floating though his mind. He knew them all pretty well, their likes and dislikes, making for a quite good therapist, at least in his opinion. The critters confessed each other their darkest secrets to him. Acting each out would certainly surprise them.

That'd be pretty funny.

But his heart softened at the thought. Hurting his friends felt....wrong. Just the passing of these thoughts sent shivers down his back, Catnap overlooking his friends as they slept in various positions. He cringed, his gas wasn't the best at calming people. Sleeping happened to be one of the after effects. Huffing, the cat straightened himself, briefly giving Dogday a glance. His supposed best friend and leader of their little group.

Why can't I just not feel?

The only reason why he continued to live. The others weren't particularly fond of his abilities. Any look of their eyes painted him as a monster, one who cared for himself and no others. Dogday (or Sunny as Catnap dubbed him privately) slept with his arms stretched on either sides of the couch, the position pulling at whatever remained of Catnap's dead heart. The others always commented how he seemed emotionless, the only thing he agreed with them on. For DogDay, a parasitic spot spread in his chest, emotions running rampant whenever his attention directed towards the lonely cat.

My friends always want something.

His bitter smile widened.

And in return, I'm given nothing.

Catnap inhaled deeply, exhaling his anger as to not awaken his fellow critters. Sleeping peacefully under the moon, he could finally do without the noise. The other seven were beginning to annoy him with the whimpering, so offering a solution didn't seem too bad of an idea. Besides, he always preferred silence over too much stimulation.

"...Mm, Catnap?"

And Dogday chose that exact moment to wake up. Oh, wonderful. Pausing at the door, Catnap's paw held the knob as he threw a look over his shoulder to the sleepy critter sitting on the couch. He'd forgotten thag Dogday being his counterpart meant having a bit of an immunity to his...gas? Spray mist? Whatever it was that he produced, he wasn't all too happy to see his hard work not paying off. His head faced the door, eyes hardening as he opened it wide, beginning to step through-

"Go back to sleep, Sunny."

A paw clasped his wrist, carefully dragging him back in the living room. Just in front of their sleeping friends (Dogday's friends, not Catnap's, they'd reminded him of that often enough-), Dogday merely tightened his grasp on the cat, dragged him to the couch, and somehow managing to wrestle him on his back. Even he could tell Catnap couldn't be bothered to fight against him, the ability to hurt his friends fighting his instincts to protect them.

"No, why are you going?! I remember that you didn't even want to come, Catnap! You don't get to just walk away from me!"

"Dogday, I only came to do my job. The others seemed to have trouble sleeping-"

"You're lying, Catnap. Be careful with your next words, my friend. We both what happens to liars if I spot them."

Dogday's paws had Catnap pinned by his chest. The mentioned's tail whacking him in face the self-defence, a mini struggle ensued between the two of them. Of course they knew someone would win, but both were determined to be the loser of this game. Soon, Dogday had the cat underneath him once again, going in for the final move as he felt Catnap slump against him, and the back of the couch. He only ever lasted a few minutes against their leaders, naturally submitting if he fought for too long.

Dogday changed their position, using Catnap as a pillow against the couch's hard surface. In the end, the leader won their little competition, Catnap only complying out of respect for the rules. His grip tightened as Catnap shifted, thinking he may have been trying to sneak by him.

"Mine. All mine. You aren't leaving tonight."

Claiming his prize, so to speak.

Pacify him. Pacify him.

Dogday's temper was sometimes even worse than Kickin's. Like seriously, the chicken was a sore loser, but the dog's protective nature ruled over his common sense. A chuckle bubbled from Catnap's mouth, his paw placing itself on Dogday's cheek, cupping his face as the other leaned into his hand, effectively calming his temporary tantrum from Catnap's escape. A set of touches intimate from the outside, though common enough for the two to consider it normal.

"Please don't leave again."

"...You know I'm always around."

"Yes, but you're never here for me. You're the only one that understands. The others don't get it as much as you do."

"...I'll stay here tonight."

The dog critter beamed, the light in his eyes shining like the sun. Hugging the cat closer, permitting him to change their position to a more comfortable one. Catnap rolled his eyes, hiding his smile in Dogday's neck. The only one he'd allow to even touch him like this, the others having to ask before even being allowed near him. He sprayed a little of the red smoke, helping Dogday drift off atop him, the critter using him as a pillow. Maybe he wasn't the only with issues of abandonment after all.

"...Goodnight, sunbeam."

The cat laughed darkly to himself, Dogday only truly relaxed around him. Relishing in this form of dependency, the fact of them needing each other planting a few seeds of consideration within his mind. Looking over the others, he gained a confidence of his already fueled hatred toward them.

Each one of these critters were so easy to fool.

Even when I'm not here, all of you will never be enough for him. Not compared to me.