On the night where it all began

Even though the Gossamer Gala was at the peak of its festivities, Dew stood as an outsider, alone on the Gala balcony. She could hear the distant laughter of happy couples dancing, and small groups heartily talking business over champagne. She gently placed her hands on the golden balustrade, her fingers delicately tracing the ornamental butterflies on its surface. It had been a very long day, and her negative feelings had finally caught up to her. With eyes closed and a heavy heart, Dew recounted out loud the events that had gotten her into the Gossamer Gala.

It was days before the Gala took place, and a few weeks after Dew and the other envy buns had arrived in Burrowgatory. Many had accepted the offer for refuge at the Church of Sulfur– herself included. It felt a bit crowded at the moment, but members were welcoming and friendly (maybe even a little too friendly). Their general practice was all very new and very strange, so Dew kept to herself. Being a silent observer did present as a drawback for forming personal connections, which at times made her question her self-worth. There were, however, a noticeable few who seemed kind– a pink and purple pair named Mousse and Souffle instantly came to mind. They were the first two faces that Dew had met during the incident of the Hazebloom Harvest, and they had continued to check-up on her somewhat regularly. 

 As if he had been summoned by the power of Dew’s inner thoughts, Soufflé’s happy face peered in from behind the church’s main entrance. It was odd to see him without his usual partner in crime. Upon being asked about the reason for his visit, Soufflé explained that he wished to invite Dew out to lunch at his favorite cafe— which also happened to be the place where Mousse worked. Seeing as she was hesitant, Soufflé promised that the meal was on him. Supposedly, Mousse always gave the best discounts to her favorite customer. After contemplating, Dew quickly realized that she was not in the financial position to refuse a free meal. 

That is how the pair wound up at the cozy cafe. What instantly caught Dew’s attention was the multitude of buns in maid costumes rushing about. Mousse was among them, teary eyed as usual. She seemed embarrassed to be caught in this kind of outfit, but also anticipating compliments– which Souffle was more than happy to give. With a newfound pep in her step, little Mousse confidently led them to a corner booth.

Many of the tables around them had already been seated with customers, all of whom seemed eager to discuss the same topic: The upcoming Gossamer Gala. Dew could only hear bits and pieces of conversations floating about. It was all about who had an invitation, a hot date or an outfit worthy of the ‘belle of the ball’ title. It was clear that the buns of Burrowgatory seemed to put a lot of importance on this Gala. Dew was confused to say the least, but she was also intrigued. 

 The first of the trio to bring up the gala was Mousse. She sheepishly claimed that she’d be far too “shy” to attend an event hosted for only those of high society. Afterall, snobby people might give her plenty of unsought attention. Mousse had too much pride to admit that she actually wished she could attend. Souffle tilted his head in her direction, before saying that that was too bad. He had hoped she would be his plus one for the event. Both buns looked puzzled as he magically pulled out two Gossamer Gala invitations from his pocket— one for Mousse and one for Dew. Could she really accept this??

Mousse’s jaw dropped! She swiftly plucked one of the golden tickets from his paw and thoroughly inspected its authenticity. How did Souffle manage to get on Angora’s VIP list!? Souffle nonchalantly mentioned receiving invites every year. He supposedly just happened to have extras on hand. Dew wondered if he was being humble by underplaying his worth or if there was a catch. Maybe she wasn’t the only one keeping secrets. 

 After they’d finished discussing Gala details over a few specialty parfaits, Mousse waddled to clock out. She expressed wanting Souffle and Dew’s company on her hunt for the perfect Gala outfit, and that she knew just the place to start. 

The trio then ended up in front of an upscale clothing boutique. Dew was instantly enticed by the gorgeous ball gown in the store front. Seeing her reflection over it in the window made her heart race. Growing up, Dew could never hope for such luxury– clothes were meant to last, not to look pretty. 

  Upon entering  the store, the three were greeted by a chic looking bun. She was a rich red color, with ears elegantly tied up in the shape of a heart. It appeared that she was already well-acquainted with Mousse, who proceeded to tell her all about her gifted Gala invitation. This classy bun was eventually introduced as Velvet, co-partner of the boutique. Further behind her stood two more strangers– one purple bun wearing glasses and a maid apron, and the other bun a striking mix of  blues. The one who was introduced as Chiffon was said to be Velvet's business partner and designer of the garments within the boutique. The third bun happened to be a customer who soft-spokenly identified themselves as Lune. They excused themself and promptly left, with a garment bag over their arm.   

 Velvet was quick to get down to business by informing the group of their ongoing Gala sales. Dew mused that such a dulcet voice must incentivize customers to spend way over their budget. Chiffon’s tone was monotonous in comparison, and she only offered a few words to the conversation. She did, however, provide a nice variety of warm beverages for them to enjoy.

 They trio proceeded to peruse the rows of luxurious fabrics at their leisure. Mousse was fortunate enough to have some sort of ongoing business discount with the owners of the boutique, so they negotiated. Souffle, on the other hand, had picked the first thing he had tried on without even looking at the cost. He showed more interest in the complimentary drinks and Mousse than the actual shopping. That sort of carefree lifestyle and financial freedom was something Dew longed for. 

  Chiffon made her way over to ask if Dew needed any assistance. She in turn confided that there wasn’t anything that she could afford at this current time, as she had yet to find a job here in Burrowgatory. The other bun sympathized with her situation, and divulged that starting their own business had been quite difficult. Chiffon mentioned how she had only obtained an invitation to the gala through Velvet's talent for smooth talking to the right kind of people. Actually, going to this event was just an opportunity for them to network and promote the boutique.

As though she had come to a sudden realization, Chiffon made her way past the carefully organized rows of garments and returned with the dress from the window, and Velvet in tow. Chiffon was already in the process of taking Dew’s measurements while Velvet proposed a business idea. It was so out of the blue! Velvet had seen Dew admiring the dress from afar, and figured it would be to her liking. Apparently, both considered Dew a beautiful fit for this particular piece of their new fashion line. If she agreed to do some modeling work for them, everyone could benefit from this deal.

 It was overwhelming for Dew to receive such an offer. Her whole life she had had to rely on herself for even the most basic of necessities, so having other’s extend kindness was unexpected. Already she had been given an invite to the Gala, and now a dress on top of it all. Actually, not just any dress: the dress. It was an offer she simply could not refuse. Wearing it now, she looked exactly as she had envisioned when previously standing outside of the store. 

The days flew by in the blink of an eye, and it was already the night of the Gossamer Gala. Mousse had helped Dew with her hair and makeup, and they headed to the ball accompanied by Souffle. It was held in a grand building, where glamor and elegance was everywhere. Some had even arrived in bun-sized carriages, which looked exceptionally luxurious. The feeling that she was an impostor felt stronger with every step towards the entrance. Cleary there was a mistake and she would be told to leave at any moment. 

That’s when a commotion in the line ahead caught everyone's attention. Dew didn’t quite understand what had happened, but the moss colored bun ahead of them probably did.

Personally, Moss knew that her companions' self-proclaimed master plan was going to backfire. She had only kept that thought to herself since arguing would have been even more of a pain– and having to listen while he mansplained his genius idea was already a chore in itself. That’s why she spent the whole trip to the Gala silently coming up with a dozen other ways to get herself in. She had been promised a beautiful courtyard garden, and she was going to see it, with or without his help.

As she had predicted, the inevitable failure of the fake glitter covered invitations caused quite a commotion. A handful of guards began to chase after the culprit of ‘invite fraud’– one even seemed to enjoy having a runner. Moss quietly seized the given opportunity to bypass the guards while they were all busy chasing after the foolish other bun. Who said every solution had to be elaborate? Some things are as easy as stealing milk mochi from a Loafki.

Dew appeared to be the only one in her party to notice the young woman who had snuck into the Gala. After catching a glimpse of the red flowers that decorated their attire, a sudden sense of familiarity washed over her. Before those feelings could be processed, Dew lost sight of the mushroom maiden who had disappeared into the crowd. 

Upon presenting their gilded invitations, the group was granted access to the party without issue–to Dew’s great relief. The inside of the building was even more impressive than the outside. All the glamorous buns making merry on the dance floor was a beautiful sight– many even looked her way, with visible interest.

 In one corner of the room, Velvet could be seen chatting amongst other well-to-do buns. They all sat around some antique couches, no doubt flirtily discussing some form of business. Velvet appeared to be right in her element, dressed in a red and silver gown that could rival those of the rich and famous. Chiffon was also at her side, but as more of a wallflower. She was leaning up against the couch armrest, with a drink in hand. Her simple yet sophisticated dark suit had accents that complimented that of her business partner’s attire. Even from across the room, Dew could sense an unspoken chemistry between the pair. 

Dew laid eyes on the enormous buffet table next. There were plenty of intricate dishes and delicate sweets to satisfy any palate. Even so, Dew felt too anxious to go over and taste anything. Fortunately, a peppy waitress came to her, offering appetizers. This bouncy brown bun smelled like cookies, and her friendly smile made it easy to accept the food: a bite-sized carrot in a spiced potato shell. No words were needed for the waitress to see that Dew had thoroughly enjoyed the pastry. She skipped off towards another bun in staff attire, calling out the name Blaze to get his attention. She was praising how everyone at the party enjoyed his work. Even though this buns fur was red, it was clear that he was blushing from the compliment. Dew took note of how those two were enjoying their evening together, despite only being invited as part of the staff.

In between bites of finger food, Dew could see Mousse peeking over at Souffle with puppy dog eyes. She hinted at how she had dressed all cute in the hopes that someone would ask her for a dance– but Souffle wasn’t catching on to the context clues. Dew decided to nudge him in the right direction by suggesting that he and Mousse share a dance. Mousse politely checked if that would be okay, her eyes sparkled in unspoken gratitude. With their friend’s blessing, Souffle cheerily took Mousse's hand and swept her off towards the dance floor. Dew was happy for her friends, but there was also another feeling in the pit of her stomach. It felt as though the room was spinning. 

 In search of fresh air, Dew made her way to an open door that led out towards the balcony. Upon setting foot outside, she came face to face with someone she recognized– Lune, whom she had briefly met at the clothing boutique. Albeit looking radiant in their sparkling satin gown, Lune’s eyes looked… lonely. As the two partook in polite small talk, Lune revealed that sharing their woes with the night sky brought them peace of mind. Maybe somebunny was out there, doing the same. Dew experienced a sudden realization. Lune was a distinguished gala guest, but their loneliness was virtually the same as her own. Lune eventually stepped away, leaving Dew to her own thoughts.

This brought her back to the starting point of her story. Sharing this experience out loud might seem odd, so she was glad no one was there to overhear– or so she thought.

In a melancholy tone, the envy bun questioned if she could ever freely allow herself to find happiness here, in Burrowgatory. Without pause, a voice replied that she would– followed by some cheesy line about how the most beautiful of flowers need time and care to bloom.

A heavy silence fell over the scene. Who was that?! Was someone listening in this whole time?! Dew frantically looked around until she caught sight of a shadowy figure struggling to climb down the clinging vines on the wall below the balcony. She called out right as they lost their balance. A rustle of bushes could be heard, followed by a soft thud sound. 

Dew ran rapidly past Gala guests and back out through the main entrance. When she circled around to where the balcony could be seen, all that was left of the mystery stranger was a bun-shaped imprint in a prickly rose bush. With a careful hand, Dew gently held on to one of the unscathed roses. It was such a beautiful flower, that the sight of it turned her wistful expression into a tender smile. She could’ve sworn her name had been called out one last time, somewhere off in the distance. 

What a fascinating place Burrowgatory was proving to be...