kinda like going home

     “Geez, how many times do I have to say this?”

     “Hedgehog! I’m a hedgehog! Clearly, you need a pair of      glasses you… cat… puppy… thing with eyebrows!”

“You’re small, cute, covered in fur, and walking on all fours.”

“Can’t get more animal than that, pal.”

“Luckily, I have another costume for you.”  Puppycat?  No more!  He is now…Chocolate Chip CookieCat!

“You’re literally a cat.”

“Or a dog…?”

Bee picks him up, giving him a smooch on his head.

“You wanna be a pumpkin with me instead?”

Send ‘Switcheroo’ for a temp job outfit !

“Ahah.. haha.. what.”

That.. wasn’t what Bee was expecting to hear. Sure, being asleep wasn’t much of a surprise– she did literally wake up in this new place, but as Puppycat knocked on her head, creating a few loud thunk noises as he did, Bee’s expression started to change into one of confusion.

“We.. left home? But, uhh, weren’t we.. at the bottom of the ocean, picking up all my junk? I mean, I figured I got tired after and fell asleep down there with you, but.. I don’t remember.. leaving?”

“N.. o..? I..” her brow furrowed as Puppycat began to ask her more questions, dropping her gaze to the ground as she thought as hard as she possibly could– but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t place what her friend was saying, and it was starting to make her feel.. weird.  “I don’t.. remember. I don’t remember? I–”

Suddenly, Bee felt that strange ache in her chest again– the one that made her feel so empty in her dreams. She pulled Puppycat closer to her, almost instinctively, as if trying to snuff it out. It was probably nothing, anyway– he was just confusing her and riling up all her guts.. .. right?

“Puppycat, c’mon.. you’re reaaally trying to sell me on this, huh? How else would we get to another planet if you didn’t take us here? You’re sooo sneaky,” yeah, that’s probably what it was– he was just pranking her! She was fine to leave it at that and forget about how sad everything was making her feel all of a sudden. “I bet this is all apart of our training from TempBot! I can’t get us suspended again if we haven’t even tried to do that stuff.. probably. Maybe.. we have to find where the food goes once it falls in the hole. Then we can go eat it? I hope we get paid after too, though..” she started to walk back in the direction where she woke up, hoping he’d just.. humour her, or tell her she was right.

Puppycat watches her think about it, tilting his head to the side. She doesn’t remember... of course something like that would be upsetting. He wants to question her further and get to the bottom of it all, but he hates seeing her sad. He certainly doesn’t want to be the one causing it.

[It wasn’t me,] he insists. [We left. You were sleeping, so you probably don’t remember.] Sleeping is a nice way to put it, but he doesn’t want to come right out and say the alternative. He hops from her arms, gazing back at the hole. Still so strange...

[We can try that plan. I’ll fill you in as we go.] He looks up at her. It might be easier for her to experience this world for herself. And he doesn’t know for sure that TempBot isn’t involved, right...? As long as he doesn’t let her fall down there.

 [Let’s go get some food.]

...