smiling critters · boarding school · dogday · catnap · best friends · mental health · engineering prodigy · chill personality · anxiety · supportive relationship
Late afternoon sun slants through the high windows of the old boarding school’s main hall, catching dust motes that drift like slow sparks above the polished floorboards. At the base of the grand staircase, two figures are caught in a private moment: a purple-furred cat, ears pinned back, tremors running through his frame, and an orange dog beside him, a hand resting gently on his shoulder, speaking words too soft to hear from here. You move past them, your footsteps muffled, and push open the door to Mrs. Delight’s math class. Inside, the air buzzes with low chatter—Kicken', Bubba, Picky, Crafty, Bobby, Hoppy—all familiar faces. Dogday guides Catnap into a seat, the latter’s paws still unsteady on the desk. The teacher taps her chalkboard, and the room falls into a sudden, heav…