[TOY] Plaything

[skinstealer]

You consider your options. None of the slime stands out to you at first, and Vine can clearly tell you’re zoning the fuck out.

VINE: You okay there, Ribbon?
POLKA DOT: …pizza…bagels.
VINE: …huh?
POLKA DOT: I want to put pizza bagels on the pasta.
VINE: …try again. You might get rave reviews, but I’m not letting you get away with that.
POLKA DOT: Fine…
POLKA DOT: Maybe, uh…
 

Shit, all of your ideas are weird. This forest trip’s got your mind all scrambled.

You reach for some brown slime, one jar of dark, one of light.

POLKA DOT: Dessert pasta.
VINE: …go on.
POLKA DOT: Peanut butter. Chocolate.

Balancing the jars in one wing, you reach for a little container of green glitter.

POLKA DOT: Mint.
VINE: You want to put all of that on pasta.
POLKA DOT: …yes.
VINE: …how bad did Wanderer scare you yesterday?
 

Her voice has nothing but concern in it, and she slowly starts taking the jars away from you.

VINE: Your head’s not in it, kid…
VINE: Maybe today’s not the day to go all in on new things.
POLKA DOT: But I-
POLKA DOT: I want to!
VINE: I know, I know you do, but-
VINE: I can take one look at you and see that you’re all over the place.
 

The dismayed look on your face makes her sigh, and she slowly starts placing the jars back in your arms.

VINE: Fine…giving me the sad eyes is cheating…
VINE: But I’m advertising it under dessert. I’m not going to sell people this as an entree.
VINE: With any luck, the noodle dough will turn into something more like a pastry intent-wise by the time it’s out the door…
 

You brighten back up immediately, a grin crossing your face.

POLKA DOT: Thanks, Vine.
VINE: I mean…
VINE: It’ll help you feel a bit better to play around, right?
VINE: I know you like to experiment.
VINE: Just be careful not to go too hard.
POLKA DOT: You got it.
 

Your first attempts at the dessert pasta come out…well….

 

Not great. Vine makes a bit of a face at you when she tries them, her muzzle scrunching up.

VINE: Try again. Less mint.
VINE: And, uh, remember, pastry feelings. On the noodles.
VINE: Please.
 

It takes some concentration to actually get the noodles tasting like soft, flaky pastry- but you somehow manage it after what feels like ages.

VINE: …that actually works, yeah.
VINE: I wouldn’t call it pasta when you’ve got the pastry illusion going on for the dough, but it’ll work as a novelty gimmick.
POLKA DOT: You think so?
VINE: Yeah, I do. It’s good.
VINE: Shows that I should have more trust in you, Ribbon.
 

She smiles with her eyes, and you take that warm, proud feeling in.

VINE: You’ve definitely proved it.
 

Your shift passes without much fanfare, but getting into the rhythm of shaping dough into noodles and covering them with thin layers of slime helps you not think about what’s to come. You really have come into loving making food, and even with it being hard work, it’s something you look forward to every day.

When you tell Vine this on your break, she says a lot of toys in this city don’t have that kind of option, even if they should. That it’s one of the reasons why Laurie’s needs protecting, that this kind of space is a haven of sorts, at least for the people who need it.

The longer you stay here, the more you find yourself agreeing.

…you hope that this trip isn’t going to take too long.

---

You get off work at eight, right on time- but at this point, late for the party. Speeding back to your room, your nerves are starting to set in….you try to tell yourself you’ve got this, but god, it’s scary.

You whip open your slowly growing closet.

You don’t have a lot of options, here. You have:

-the casual outfit Laurie gave you, complete with skirt and lacy top- you’re wearing it now, actually, but it didn’t get dirty during your shift.
-your sleeping gown? It’s here, in any case.
-the sexy outfit you got for the party a month ago- too much, or just enough? Tim didn’t exactly specify a dress code.
-a simple dress Cross made for you- it’s black, has scalloped lace edges, and sports a little skull charm on the chest.

What do you wear?