Submission (#475) Approved

The party was in full swing when Bao arrived. Rosebeary served his famous canapes, while Cabbaoge showed his latest carrot's size to anyone who got caught in his gaze. The ladies were happy to listen, for every time he smiled, they would giggle like school kids.
"You're a great farmer." said a bear named Baogonia. "Do you plant any flowers?". She pointed at a red poppy blooming nearby. "I love red ones!".

He nodded and took off his hat, shyly. "Of course! I started planting them last time you mentioned it."

Bao wondered why he'd plant flowers if you can't eat them. He looked down at his stomach, which had been rumbling since he walked into the clearing.
"Hey Bao, everything alright?" Said Rosebeary, approaching him with a steaming plate of salmon paste in toast. There were a few more plates of food resting behind the chef on a long table with places for everyone.
Bao ignored the question and just started eating the food. His appetite was out of control. He ate three platters of food before he stopped, feeling sick.
"Are you alright? How long since you last ate?" asked Rosebeary.
"I don't know... I've been too busy napping to think about it." Bao answered.
He remembered the taste of fish and rice, and decided that he wanted to eat some more. "How much is left?" he asked, remembering, embarrassed, that he wasn't supposed to eat all the food out, *again*.
Rosebeary looked around, then grabbed his bearphone and called someone. A little while later Baomeo appeared with a huge silver platter loaded with smoked salmon, white rice and a couple pieces of fruit. "Did anyone order a Bao special?" She said, handing it to Bao. All the other bears were used to Bao's appetite, so they always prepared extra portions for him.

Bao devoured the entire thing in seconds. After a few minutes he didn't feel hungry anymore, but still needed something sweet.
"Did you cook that strawberry tart from the other day? The ones with the rosebuds?" Bao asked politely.
"Yes, I made them especially for you, Bao." Rosebeary replied.
Bao couldn't stop himself. He grabbed the pastry and stuffed it into his mouth. This time around he had enough self control to only eat four and leave some for the rest.
Everyone smiled and laughed as Bao burped. Not really understanding why the laughter, he decided to join them and laugh too.
"What's so funny?" Bao asked.
"Oh Bao, sometimes you're such a bear." Baomeo said.
Bao felt very confused, but he smiled anyway.
The sun set and the moon began its nightly journey across the sky. The bears all joined paws around a campfire, sharing their favorite memories and stories. Cabbaoge told a story of a bear who proposed to his favorite other bear. He looked a lot at Baogonia while telling it. Bao listened and pretended to understand what was going on, but really he was just focused on the smell of smoke and the sound of the crackling wood. He thought about smores.

When the storytelling finished, everyone started to get tired. They all said their farewells, walking back to their homes to sleep. Bao made his way home slowly, feeling heavy but satisfied with his night. As soon as he was through his front door, he yawned loudly. Not even bothering to wash himself, he laid down in his bed with a satisfying oompf. As he closed his eyes, he could see the stars dancing in front of him. He fell asleep quickly, with a smile on his face, and dreaming of all the tasty food he had that day. What a great party!