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Bassie yawned, letting the sleepiness wash over her nerves like a gentle wave, lapping up at her nervousness and draining it out of her in time with her weary eyes softly closing.
Mmmm.....h...?
Is it night time already? She yawned, her hand, which felt heavier than before slowly rising up to rub at the wooden weaves on her head.
Bassie made her way over to the kitchen, wanting to get herself a glass of warm milk before going to sleep, as she mentally counted the amount of days it's been since Delilah........
a shiver ran through her, she breathed in, shakily giggling under her breath.
How many days does she have?
Distantly, she wonders if Cocoa is counting out the days as well, her fluffy fingers stretching, one, two, three.
Child's math, simple additions.
Happy smiles on the bunny's face.
One last week, before her show is over, the smell of fresh baked pastries, sweetness clogging up the room, one more task, to prove she is far better, more useful, catch more attention, make more connections, help more friends, be acknowledged.
More and more and more, gathering love with the sweetest poison she's two steps before falling a victim of.
A laugh rips out of Bassie------- stressed, vicious.
And to think that they've been friends?
Bassie sighs, pressure, pressure, pressure, and a stupid bunny that keeps on adding it, and a toon handler that keeps on following her sweetest steps, over and over and over.
Bassie steps into the kitchen, groggy, but fueled somewhat by the adrenaline of spiralling into negative thoughts, and such.
She keeps on doing that, lately, keeping awake, sweating in her bed, overthinking it all.
She's been awake for two days.
"Hm.........Hello Bassie" Eggson smiles gently, and she yelps "Ah----- Young lady, I apologise for the scare....." Bassie places her hand on her heart, anxious thing going....thump..thump,thump, as Eggson moves to place his hand upon her shoulder, she breathes, he offers for her to sit down.
They move to the table, light sound of chair scraping against the floor, sitting down as Bassie looks at the counter, there's a tray of cupcakes left there. at midnight. because of course.
Eggson looks the way she's looking, she laughs, despite her situation, despite herself.
"Sprout...." Bassie smiles, humoured, Eggson hums goodnaturally
"You've quite the friends now, young lady........ Back in my days, I've known a buncha toons like that.......... maybe they weren't bakers, but back then I've known a sheepherd fella...... quite kind, he was! But he's always woken up too early for me....... even during the egg hunts every year, he'd be up before me." he hummed
Bassie listened, not intently, but she sort of caught onto his words, enough to be aware of them, even if, due to her tiredness, she wished to sleep more than to care about what he was saying.
Bassie nodded,
"I'm gonna heat up milk for myself..." she said, softly, moving to pour some into the yellow pot laying in the middle drawer, it had three painted eggs on it, one pink, striped with zigzag yellow lines, how cute. "Do you want anything, Eggson?" she smiled, asking politely.
"Just a cup of water" he replied, she twisted the knob on the gas stove, before flicking her lighter and putting the pot down, she grabbed a glass from the shelf and poured some water from the sink, before gently placing it down in front of him
"Here you go! Enjoy it, please!" she chimmed, some enthusiasm in her tired voice, she's doing this right at the moment, isn't she?
"Thank you, Bassie" Eggson took a sip, gratitude.
Her friend is a treasure, in this world of betrayal at least she has him by her side.
The easter toons were supposed to stick together, technically.
They're all a group, together, because of their interest in easter, because of their upbringing linking them to it, placed together closely.
The event holds a special place in all their hearts.
And yet.
Bassie's smile becomes a tad bit strained, thinking about Cocoa again.
Such a bother, that girl is really.
Ingraining herself in places she doesn't belong, with plans on how to convince the world that she does, that Bassie's the outlier.
.....Can she not enjoy simple moments, like these, because of her anymore?
She's stolen far too much from her already, and now, greedy, she doesn't want to stop at what she's already sown, already reaped.
".....What's bothering you, dear?" Eggson asks, saddened, perceptive, or perhaps she's just too out of it, right now. She casts her gaze down, they're both worried, so worried.
Bassie crosses her arms, catching each one in her hands for comfort, it looks bossy, mean, of course it does-------- to others, maybe.
That's how people commonly interpret a gesture like this, similar to the one they're likely looking for--------- arms crossed, and hidden.
Quiet expectation, control, steady, Sprout on a particularly busy morning, telling Shrimpo to go clean up after himself (the crustacean tripped on. a mop. falling face down into a bucket full of cleaning supplies and dirty water.
Bassie remembers that morning, having just headed down the hallways, catching onto the scene as it unfolded.
angry noises bubbling from the bucket "FwUUCk, SHiit, FUck It FWWWUUUUU" As Sprout glared, furious, "SHRIMPO, STOP CURSING!!!!!!" he thumped his feet on the floor "Do you have no idea just how much you do that!??? Think about what would happen if you slipped and told that in front of a kid!" he gestured with his hands, spread, alarmed "You HAVE to be more responsible!!!!! You're a Gardenview toon! We star on television! You're an influence! I can't have you making a habit of this, when it's clearly going to get us into troub-----"
Splash. Bassie stared in shock.
The leaves on top of Sprouts head clung tightly onto his eyes, soaking wet, "I HATE TOONS WHO BOSS ME AROUND! FUCK YOU. I HATE YOU,"
to accent his point, Shrimpo kicked the bucket as it rolled down the hall.
"THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR BEING A BOSSY, MEAN, BITCH! HONESTLY YOU SHOULD GET HUMBLED MORE OFT------" Shrimpo stopped, as Sprout wiped down the dirty water from his face, eyes barely open, as they have most likely hurt like hell from the cleaning chemicals, and cleaned up grime.
Shrimpo looked no better, really, but he kept his bloodshot red eyes open through pure fury, likely worsening his pain.
Sprout had done his best to try, to wipe the water, and the foam out of his eyes.
He stepped closer, Shrimpo glaring him down.
Sprout picked up Shrimpo.
Bassie snorted.
"WHAT THE----- PUT ME DOWN, PUT ME DOWN, PUT ME DOWN!!!!!!!!" Shrimpo flailed around, kicking weakily at Sprout's chest as he held him by the scruff of his shirt, muscular hand strong, and steady.
"I HATE STUPID STRAWBERRIES WHO ARE FREAKISHLY TALL!!!!! I. HATE. YOU." Shrimpo screamed, Sprout furrowed his brow "Stop screaming, it's like you get off to making our lives hell in here."
Shrimpo flailed around, flur of angry energy.
He did so for about 10 minutes.
Sprout did not falter.
Shrimpo heaved "I hate you!" tears slipped down his eyes, which was so emberrasing. he already popped a vein or two in his heavily irritated eyes, and now he was crying.
Like a baby, like he's weak----- Shrimpo isn't weak. Shrimpo ISN'T.
Sprout sighed "Dear Garden, what on earth am I going to do with you....?" he pinched his nose with his other hand, a headache.
That's what that shrimp was.
"Put me down!!!!!!" he teared up, weakly punching Sprout's chest one more time.
Sprout felt ......pity for him, now.
Almost.
What a funny thing it is, to know a nineteen year old who acts like he's six.
.....Even Toodles is more mature than this, he snorts.
".....PPpppuut me Dddddooowwnnnnnn........." Shrimpo whines, crying, not even physically taking it out on Sprout anymore, just crumbling, begging, needing to feel the even ground after fifteen minutes of swinging. humiliatingly.
"No." Shrimpo whines "First, say you're sorry" Sprout asserts, one hand on his hip, brows furrowed in expectation.
"Mmmmpfftghh......" Shrimpo cries, some sort of weak sound tumbling out of his mouth before he mumbles "'mswrry" flustered.
"I didn't hear you?" Sprout laughs, "repeat, what was that? what have you said?"
"I SAID I'M SORRY" Shrimpo yelled, pulling at his face with his hand.
Sprout teased "Is that how you apologise?" he laughed.
"I" Shrimpo starts "I PROMISE. I SWEAR. SWEAR TO NOT SWEAR IN FRONT OF THE KIDS. SHRIMPO PROMISE. MEANS A LOT, BECAUSE SHRIMPO IS GREAT AND HE NEVER PROMISES!!!"
"Not just in front of the kids" Sprout argues "Don't swear. It's bad for you, it makes you look silly."
"I'LL NEVER SWEAR AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!! JUST PUT ME DOWN" Shrimoo wails
"One more thing." Sprout breathes in, Shrimpo shrieks "Clean up after yourself, it's important for toons to take responsibility and handle the messes they have made, and you're the one who knocked that bucket down------- not just that, you've kicked it down the hallway, you've splashed the water onto my face, and you've"
Sprout sighed, Shrimp laughed. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, you'll still be moping the floors, this place better shine when you're finished with it, buddy."
Sprout places Shrimpo down, and the crustacean makes his way down the hall, to pick up the bucket laying at the end of it.
Bassie, suddenly aware she's been snooping around and peeking around the corner for.
Oh my Easter, the past twenty minutes...????? quietly, sneakingly ran away, into the main hall, where her easter friends were already chatting, sitting on the bench.
She burrowed herself right in the middle of Cocoa and Eggson, bubbly and greeting them, Cocoa tilted her head and told her how beautiful her flowers had looked, today, Bassie flustered, softly playing with the petals, you really think so?
Cocoa shined, when she was smiling, so joyfully at her.
Bassie felt like she forgot the world.
As the easter bunny snuggled into her shoulder, chocolate smell hitting her senses, warm plastry, home, she thought she'd love to just be here forever, the soft fur tickling against her, even through her dress.
Eggson huffed goodnaturally, Flyte started a conversation over the boy who tripped down a pebble and scraped his knee, youthful cries, bandages, adults swarming.
Cocoa burrowed her head into Bassie's shoulder, and she smiled, listening.
Her happiest days.
After half an hour passed, and Bassie returned to the kitchen, ready to have breakfast a little late, she'd hear a distant "I'M THE BEST AT THIS!" and a soft, quiet, feminine voice, "Does that mean you'd like to come around more often then.....? You know I would appreciate a little help!" Tisha, Shrimpo stormed out the hallway, pushing Bassie.
"...Oh dear! Are you okay, Bassie?" asked Tisha, hand extending, helping her stand up, "I'm alright, I'm alright! I want to have some breakfast" she smiled
"Alright.... I won't keep you here any longer then!" she laughed, goodheartedly "Have a nice breakfast!")
.......And her, arms crossed, but her hands are not hidden, instead they're shielding her, nervously clutched at her arms.
The defensive pose, the toon feels unsafe, and through this gesture, they're trying to give themself a bit of solance, safety, assurance from the world.
Eggson looked at her, mouth tugged down, visible sadness and worry on him, the kind that makes a toon seem older, and Bassie sees him like this, made him feel like this, because Bassie is a burden.
"...Dear" he starts, slowly, taking a step closer, "Could I offer you a hug?" he outstretches his hands, waiting, she eyes the wrinkles on them, as is common for an older toon.
she steps into his embrace slowly, and she breaks.
Eggson holds closer the shaky toon in his hold, providing safety and strenght, "I can't--- I c-an't. I can't I can't I can't I'm not" Bassie breathes in, shakily, before choking out a sob. "a-aaahh...... no no no, no, no why her, why her, why her?"
"shhhh........ there....." he softly rubbed her back "let it out...... I'm here ..........." he gently enveloped her, as she was shaking, breathing in and out, irregularly "Wh-why her? why her, why, why, why, why, why did it HAVE to be her? why her--------"
"Breathe......focus..... focus on me, alright, dear?" he held her, through the cries and hiccups, in "Breathe in...." he made an example, feeling his chest spread, the air running straight to his lungs, pushing his chest out, hers was... an attempt, a little shaky. breathed in, and out and in too quickly and out too quickly, in out in out in out, sobbing, clutching onto him, grip strong.
For her he was steady.
"N.....n..n.n.nNO. Cocoaaaa....." she wailed, crying into his chest "Cocoa no, Cocoa CoC...C...!!!!!!" sobbing, crying, he rubbed her back.
"......aaahhhhh....." she cried, clearly pained, he held on.
From the corner of his eye he saw the milk in the bot, almost boiling over....... she looked there too, shakily, eyes full of tears.
"Mmmh.......mmm....." she sobbed, trying to steady her breathing.
"I'll take care of it...." he softly informed her, putting her down on the chair, she curled her legs up to her chest, with what little space she had, put her head in her knees, and wrapped her arms underneath her legs.
Eggson turned the knob, when the gas stopped flowing, the milk let down, the yolky white sticky subtance clinging to the surface, he took out a spoon from a drawer and carefully scooped it out, throwing it out into the sink in a few scoops, and then letting the water run it down the tube.
He poured a glass of hot milk into a cup, and placed it on a table nearby Bassie.
She was near unresponsive, buried in her knees.
They've stayed like this for some time.
He watched over her, undisturbed by no toon, as no one else would venture out into the kitchen during night time.
Softly, they're there.
He makes sure he's there for her.
She shifts after a while.
"I'm fine," she says, teartracks embedded into her wooden weaves.
Eggson humms, sadly "You're not" then says "And that's okay, Bassie, every toon is not doing alright sometimes...... I'm capable of finding myself, in those harsh moments, not to be doing okay either..." he laughs, softly.