That Violet Disciple - Poppy Playtime

6 - Waiting Game

Yin stood at the gas control panel, aimlessly wondering how the system worked. He turned around.

CatNap stood over Yin. "I will not call you an angel."

Yin convinced his heart not to explode at the fact that CatNap had just appeared behind him. His hands definitely shook a bit, though. "That's fine. My name is Yin."

"Yin. That is... dull."

Yin rolled his eyes. "You're named after an intransitive verb."

"You set me on fire," CatNap said dryly.

Yin narrowed his eyes. "You drugged me. Repeatedly. And clawed up my face."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, then simultaneously said "Sorry."

Yin scooted around CatNap and headed for the opened door. CatNap followed, his giant footsteps somehow quieter than Yin's. DogDay was already there, nose turned up toward a vent on the wall. "I smell Poppy."

CatNap tilted his head.

"The doll, not the gas," DogDay clarified.

Yin squinted at the vent. Was Poppy really there? Usually she was pretty quick to reveal herself. Maybe she wasn't expecting him to show up with... company.

"Poppy!" called DogDay, "Poppy, we're here! Don't you want to talk to the angel?"

"Not with that monster around!" Poppy's voice echoed back.

Yin cast an apologetic look at CatNap.

"He's on our side now." DogDay explained. "The angel saved him from the Prototype."

There was a pause. Then Poppy voiced a sigh. "You've done it again, the impossible." She finally showed herself, but kept a wary eye on CatNap.

CatNap, sensing the attitude, walked away to sit beside his cutout. He sat like an Egyptian statue, front leg slightly askew to keep his balance. His tail curled around his side and the end occasionally waved around.

Poppy refocused on Yin. She was holding a tape. "You deserve to know the truth. You came back because of your coworkers; you wanted to know what happened, and why." She held up the tape. "This is your answer. We called it "The Hour of Joy.""

A tv turned on. Yin got closer to watch. Grainy CCTV footage showed frames of Huggy, Mommy, Boxy, CatNap, Miss Delights, Kissy, and mini Critters attacking anyone in sight. More frames showed a sickening number of bodies left behind.

The box blinked off, reflecting Yin's horrified expression back at him.

He backed away from the screen. Poppy started talking again. Yin heard most of it. His blood chilled when she said they ate the bodies.

Yin looked at DogDay. DogDay couldn't hold his gaze.

Yin looked at CatNap. CatNap stared steadily at a point between Yin's eyes. Yin looked away.

"The Prototype has to die," finished Poppy, "For this. For everything."

A door opened and Kissy walked in. She carried Poppy from the catwalk to the lift below the floor. Poppy hopped to the riveted platform, then looked back up at Kissy. "Soon as we reach the bottom, we'll send the lift back up. Just hold tight, okay?"

Kissy nodded and lumbered over to the control lever. CatNap walked away as she approached, walking around to the other side of the lift shaft.

Poppy threw a warning glare at CatNap before focusing on Yin and DogDay. "You're welcome to join us, DogDay. It's good to have you."

"It's good to see you again, Poppy," he said as he carefully made his way down the steep metal stairs. Yin followed partway down, but stopped to address CatNap. "You coming?" Yin signed.

CatNap tucked his legs under him at the edge of the ledge. He shook his head. "I will stay here. This is my place, and I don't think I can face h—... face it."

"He can't fit on the lift, anyway," Poppy interjected. Yin gave her a hard look, which seemed to make her check her tone.

DogDay stood as tall as he could on the lift. CatNap was sitting right above him and stuck his head down. They were almost close enough to touch noses. DogDay exhaled vanilla into the cat's face again. CatNap raised his head, then sneezed. He rubbed at his nose while DogDay and Yin chuckled.

DogDay waved to his friend. "Be careful, okay?"

CatNap dipped his head. "Do not lose yourself."

"I won't."

"The Prototype lies. Do not listen."

"I know. Just don't forget to take your own advice."

CatNap looked at Yin. "Go kill it. You will save us."

Yin felt that ten-year burden settle on his shoulders again. "I will do what I can," he signed. "I promise, I will do my best."

CatNap nodded and blinked slowly.

Yin looked over at Kissy and waved. She threw the lever and the lift started going down.

"What's the plan, Poppy?" DogDay asked.

"Right. Once we hit the ground, we have to be cautious, there's something—"

Kissy screeched. Yin looked up. CatNap snapped to attention, staring at something on the other side of the shaft. He crouched at the edge before launching his full length across and letting out a roar of his own.

"Something's wrong!" DogDay shouted, "Poppy, take it back up!"

"I am!"

The lift started going up as the overhead seal came down.

The two toys at the top kept screeching. Sounds of a struggle reached the three on the lift.

"We're coming!" called Poppy, "Just hold on!"

The seal lowered, cutting off both light and sound. 

Yin fell to his knees.

"KISSY!!" "CATNAP!!" 

A/N - Roll Credits!

Ain't it just like me to fall in love with a pathetic little man who gets the least amount of screen time and then immediately dies.
Ain't it just like me to see Big Evil Monster and turn him into Sad Little Boi so I can pat him on the head and tell him everything's gonna be okay.
Ain't it just like me to take a single chapter idea and turn it into a lot of chapters with custom headcanons and so many slices of Sadness Cake. 

Anyway hope you guys enjoyed this little self-indulgent foray into what will likely be my only contribution to this fandom. At least until the rest of the game comes out, but we'll see.

Now go yell at a bird.

K bye.