smiling critters · highschool au · ensemble cast · anthropomorphic · dogday · catnap · school setting · slice of life · classroom
A lazy current of ordinary school-day energy fills the room. DogDay stares out the window, his expression soft and distant, while beside him Catnap sleeps deeply, cheek pressed to the cool wood of the desk. The scratch of Crafty’s pencil stops only when Hoppy whispers across the aisle, ‘What are you drawing?’ Crafty flinches, hugging her sketchbook. ‘Nothing important.’ Bubba sits perfectly upright, a shiny red apple centered before him, and Bobby scrolls through her phone with practiced indifference. Picky slides a packet of homemade cookies toward Bubba. ‘No, thank you,’ he says, not unkindly. ‘I have a vested interest in keeping my arteries clear.’ Picky sighs and pulls the offering back. Kicken’s seat is conspicuously empty. *Who would you like to approach?*