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***skinstealer*** · (This post was last modified: 11-30-2023, 11:38 PM by skinstealer.)

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[image description: a queen type TCP with a black and gray body palette, along with a sparkly gold and yellow dress and crown.]

MABEL- 5/11/316

Two DMs about the private message system having bugs…

Mabel sighs and starts kneading into her doughboard, logging in as [MAJESTY] and getting deep into the code for the PM system on the forums. Running the code side of Felid Factor was practically a part time job at this point, the rest of her time spent on bounties picked up on the side. She vastly preferred working on her own website of course, but god knows she never looked forward to squashing these bugs that just kept popping up...she’d much rather put in a new feature that Honey and Courtney came up with.

Today doesn’t seem to be a very good day for it either, her thoughts straying and fraying at the edges- there’s that cursed static noise fizzling at the back of her head, making it impossible to focus. It always seemed to kick in whenever she tried to start getting to work these days, a remnant from her time coding in corporate offices...hours spent numbly kneading away in cramped TCP-sized cubicles, the whole office put to work for far less pay than they should be getting.

And other reasons.

MABEL: That’s enough of that.

The queen type reaches for the volume on her speakers, turning them up just enough to be heard before putting on some gentle music, acoustic sounds coming through. Much better...the sound cuts through the noise just enough for her to be able to work.

She gets into the zone easily now, the kneading feeling completely natural, motions that she’ll never forget. When she’s able to work on her own projects, it feels like she’s perfectly at home, even with the initial dread that came with things like this… as long as she has direction, she’s just fine. Getting over the starting hump took some doing, but as soon as she got over it, it was smooth sailing.

That’s what Phantom always used to tell me-

Mabel stops kneading, hands frozen. She keeps them steady, refusing to let them tremble.

No. My books tell me that thinking about her is normal. It’s a part of the process. This is fine.

I can keep working.

She places her hands back down on the board, pushing them back into the soft, squishy surface and entering more code onto the screen. The thoughts begin to flood as her mind wanders, and she lets them come, sweeping over her.

She encouraged me so much, early on. I mean, she was the one who got me into coding in the first place, she would be so proud of me, I always know she’d be proud of me...she’d probably give me hell over the fact that I don’t contribute any features for myself though, she always did say I lacked ambition of my own. But even then, she was always there for me.

Never leaving my side.

They had had their fights, like any couple. Phantom was prone to fits of frustration, her own anxieties building up and not having many ways to deal with them. Mabel was never sure how to help her partner, but loved her all the same, and knew that Phantom always felt the same way in turn, despite their troubles.

When Mabel lamented not having any skills or direction in life, Phantom offered to share her own knowledge, and began to teach her what she knew, acting not only as the love of her life but her mentor, showing her how to code. And she took to it, slowly but surely, enjoying the feeling of building something up and doing something creative, even if many people didn’t consider it as such.

But Phantom always did, she insisted it was just as much of an art as any other, and swore on it until the day that she-

There’s a knock at Mabel’s door, the queen type rushing to turn down her music.

MABEL: Come in.

The door opens, a spice jar type stepping in with two skeins of metallic colored wool in hand.

MABEL: Is something wrong with an order, Courtney?
COURTNEY: No, I just came to check on you-
COURTNEY: You have your music on.
MABEL: That just means I’m working.
COURTNEY: It means you have one of your headaches…
MABEL: It means I’m curing one of my headaches. Blocking it out.

Mabel tries to keep her voice gentle, knowing that her type’s aura runs the risk of setting off feelings of fear in her friend- a need to respect her as an authority at best, but even that felt off, and something they had to overcome with time.

COURTNEY: I guess so…
COURTNEY: I did have something to ask, though.
MABEL: Oh?
COURTNEY: I got a new scarf pattern-
MABEL: Mm.
COURTNEY: It was on sale.
MABEL: Mmm.
COURTNEY: A significant sale, a deal for sure this time.
MABEL: I’m guessing that’s what the yarn’s for.
COURTNEY: Yes, I wanted to see whether you wanted to be my test run.
MABEL: I have...five scarves from you now.

Mabel feels a hint of static start to creep back in as Courtney’s voice softens, clearly disappointed.

COURTNEY: Is that too many?

Ah, no...she sounds so sad…

MABEL: No, that’s not what I meant...I meant…
MABEL: Surely you must be sick of making scarves for me by now...they’re the same size and shape, and you have to work with my colors…
COURTNEY: But I like your colors. Metallic yarn is always stunning, and you look lovely in it…

G-gah…

Mabel can feel the tiniest bit of blush crossing her cheeks.

MABEL: W-well...I suppose a new scarf couldn’t hurt.

Courtney perks right up.

COURTNEY: It’s a summer scarf pattern, too. You’ll be able to wear it in these temperatures with no problem.
MABEL: Ah, that’ll be good…
COURTNEY: Which yarn would you like? And would you like pom poms? I can put pom poms on the ends.
MABEL: ...how big are the pom poms.
COURTNEY: Fairly large, but not too big.
MABEL: I’ll opt out, and...the right yarn. I think we used the left one last time.
COURTNEY: I’ll start right away, you won’t regret this...it’ll be a lovely piece.
MABEL: I have no doubts, all of your work is good.
MABEL: Have sales been alright?
COURTNEY: So so, but they’ll perk up with this new design, I think.
COURTNEY: I just need to get enough stock out in time before June and July…
MABEL: I’m sure you can do it.
MABEL: Let me know if you need any help setting up things on your store again, I can try to update your layout…
COURTNEY: Could you? That’d be wonderful…
COURTNEY: Oh, Honey bought a pie.
MABEL: A pie? Can we afford that?
COURTNEY: Apparently.
COURTNEY: It says we haven’t eaten in a week and it feels like we deserve a treat, so it took some cash out of the splurge jar.
MABEL: ...what flavor is it?
COURTNEY: Blueberry, I think.

Her favorite.

MABEL: I’ll be out in a minute, then.
MABEL: Thank you, for the scarf.
COURTNEY: Don’t thank me until it’s done…
MABEL: The thought means a lot, all the same.
COURTNEY: Of course, Mabel...we have to stick together, after all.
COURTNEY: You know I’ll do anything for both of you.

As Courtney turns to leave, Mabel’s struck with another passing thought.

I don’t think Courtney or Honey would leave my side ever, either.

...Hm.