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"I can SEE you, you little shit."

Caught 'em. I turn the corner, focus on what's in front of me, and point directly at the offending party.

This ONE LAST GODDAMN PATCH of polys in the WRONG GODDAMN SMOOTHING GROUP.

I mean, geez, am I just everyone's errand girl or something? "Hey boss, I got the model in the perfect shape, but I don't have time to clean up the smoothing vomit from my own hacky techniques." "Oh, throw it Clover's way, she definitely doesn't have anything planned." ...I mean, I don't, not until Bonnie sees what I left her and tries the number. Still, it's the principle of the thing! This whole cleanup job wouldn't be happening if they just cleaned as they went in the first place. What, do they just expect this modeling job'll look perfect with the texture on it when they have no idea how the smoothing groups are gonna be arranged? Hmph.

Programming, art assets, design, whatever you need. I'm a generalist on this dev team, and I gotta say, being the jack of all trades feels like it means you get tossed everyone's leftovers they can't or won't finish. Might just be a product of the management, though it's gonna take time to figure that out; I need experience here if I'm gonna establish myself elsewhere. Bigger places won't even look at you for long if you haven't made jack shit, and for good reason. ...well, it beats trying to get hired on a programmer job that wants ten years of experience in a language that's existed for four, at any rate. I actually get PAID for this.

Still, it's about that time of day. I reach over to my pill case, pop open the far-right cell, and pour out the contents. One quartered pill with water, two whole, less-concentrated ones dissolved under my tongue, with water afterwards to be sure. Anywhere from 1:30 to 2:30 in the afternoon, like clockwork. It's a pretty mundane routine at this point, but the results I've gotten from it have been well worth remembering it each day. Ten or fifteen minutes of dissolving as I absentmindedly poke at the final touches on the model, and everything's squared away once again.

Right about then, the sound I've been waiting for all day rings out. My phone, from an unknown number. I went to the trouble of getting Bonnie my number, but... I dunno hers. So all I can do is hope and answer all of these. Lucky number one...

"Hello?"

"Hello, we're calling about your car insurance plan-" ...wow. Ten outta ten, right there. Next time call someone who has a car, bitch.

"Beep boop, asshat." Ugh. I... would really rather not get more like that. It's bad enough wondering if she thinks what I did was kinda weird; these kinds of messages are irritating to get in my voicemail, let alone listen to on the spot. Still, she... she was a wreck. And I already know her deal, so if she needs someone to talk to or just someone who knows not to pry, I'd be a good choice. And there was breakfast this morning, and she seemed to like that show too, and I mean-

...yeah, right. You're just making excuses for yourself. You opened her phone and left your number 'cause you were too much a coward to ask directly. That's how this goes. You just flush everything down the drain because you can't do the one reasonable thing. What good are you, Clover? What? What do you even-

...the phone, again. I'm really not in the mood for this. It doesn't matter, anyway. ...no, NO, get yourself together, you idiot, that's like the one good thing left that can happen today! Answer like you mean it!

"H-Hello...?" Terrible job, pack it up.

"Oh, Clover? Are you okay?" ...correction: task failed successfully.

"B-Bonnie?! I mean, I... yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit out of it from work. Drained."

"Ah, I see. Well, I just noticed a conspicuous little number in my phone a while ago. Calendar even pinged me at 2:00 PM. Someone was thorough, it seems~" Well, that's better than I could've hoped. Won't hear the end of this though.

"Yeah, I just figured, you know, you could... use someone to talk with. About that stuff. Or not, we could do whatever, like... um. Stuff. Other stuff."

"Hmhm, well, if that 'stuff' includes our show and the game I just got done watching as much as I could from, then of course. How'd that little gremlin sniper put it...? 'I've been savin' this one just for you.' I've got plenty to follow up on, if you'd have me.' Huh, I... didn't tell her about that one. That means she- she seriously looked it up???

"Y-You're serious? I mean, I'm glad to relive any part of it you'd like, though what I can do for you is pretty limited considering the game's... well, the servers are gone."

"Then we can talk about it, and maybe you can show me whatever it is that's filling the void for now. I know you said it was one-of-a-kind, but something that was that prevalent... I can't imagine a go-getter like you just giving up being competitive altogether, so there MUST be something, you know?" Oooookay, she's got me. Still, what I've got right now isssssss kind of a lot. Like, a lot a lot. I'm gonna need to remember how I stumbled around at the start to get it to make any sense. It'd be nice to have someone in-person that plays too, though.

"You know what? Sure. But it's pretty dense, so you'd best come into this with a blank slate, you hear me? You're gonna get your ass beaten for several games to learn this stuff. Badly."

"I'll see about that, Clover. I may not play much, but I'd like to think I'm a fast learner. Bring it on, you hear me?" Oh, I hear you. I hear you saying something you're gonna regret, and I'll enjoy every second of you realizing that. I didn't even tell you what the game's about, silly girl.

"Reaaaally? Okay then... no guidance for your first game, then. Just the basics. The true beginner's experience, just stumbling in and smacking buttons. You think you can do that for me, big gal?"

"I-I, um... yeah! I'll show you, this game won't know what hit it when Bonnie Everett's done." Bottom four. Easy. We'll see how high among those players she places, though...

"Ooookay then! And you were gonna do this when, exactly?"

"...oh, r-right, I forgot to ask if- I mean, does tomorrow work? We've got more leftovers than we know what to do with, especially since I missed dinner here last night. I won't need to be here most of the day, so maybe around noon?"

"Sounds good to me. The only work I have right now is cleaning up other people's messes, and that'll be done in a moment."

"Oh, you too? I may not be doing it right now, but that sounds like my own work sometimes. It's... well, it pays." Oh yeah, I never asked... that'll make good small talk, I guess.

"Ha! Damn right, Bonnie. Power through, spite the incompetents, get paid. Live the good life."

"Oh, C-Clover! Hehee... a-anyway, I'll see you then?"

"Like clockwork, big gal. Have a good night."

"You too, Clover! Good night!" Haaah... it's done. I'm seeing her again. Already. I half-expected it to be over dinner at her place, not some kind of tutoring session on my hyperfixation, but hey, the former's not off the table either. All I've gotta do is-

...

...it crashed.

The goddamn thing crashed. In the middle of my last reprieve. A balled fist narrowly misses my keyboard as it crashes into the desk. Again, and again. It hurts like hell, but that's the last thing on my mind right now. ...I have to start over. That whole model, from wherever it last saved, and that's assuming it didn't corrupt the file to make me start fresh. Why wouldn't it? Probably won't even do it as good the second time, you hack. Your effort just went up in smoke, like everything else. Oh, you'll get it done again. In several hours. Because you can't keep up, you'll be wrestling with that thing again while everyone breathes down your neck. That's just how it works, every single day. You fucking useless layabout.

And there you go, just collapsed, laying in bed because you can't bring yourself to do anything else. Feel anything. Think about anything. Your next chance to feel good is with Bonnie, and that's not until tomorrow. You just get to wait. Wait, and wallow. All while the things that need doing just pile up in the background until you can't ignore them anymore.

So lay there and do what you do best: nothing.

* *

A Saturday evening, and I'm still fighting the urge to double-check my work papers. I know I did it all right. The numbers line up. You know this. You told Bonnie as much, and you kept your word. The offer's going through as we speak, though we're not going to get a response until the work week starts again. Lets them stew a bit, and we'll need that indecision or confidence, whichever they're inclined towards on thinking over tough decisions. Either way, we come out on top.

Oh? The stairs... is she up already? I'd have assumed she'd be out cold until later tonight. I turn around from the book in my hand and the folders on the coffee table, and see... Bonnie, in her scarlet nightgown. A welcome sight at any hour. She always did like that one, and it makes her look positively radiant. I told her as much, back when she first got it. She can make anything look good, but this one... it looks perfect.

"So your rest went better than expected, I take it?" Aw, she jumped a little when she heard. Must still be out of it.

"Oh, hun... well, the rest never really happened, but I realized I got Clover's number last night at some point. I gave her a call, and seeing as how neither of us really have anything planned, I'm going to see her tomorrow. I'd like to make a better impression than being the girl who crashed on the couch after she... she, um... w-well, after last night happened. That was just embarrassing." Huh. She's really hitting it off with this Clover girl. Well, she's a friend of Kylie's, so I shouldn't be surprised. She and Bonnie are inseparable when we have her over; this friend of hers must be quite something to evoke a similar reaction.

"Oh, really? That sounds wonderful. How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"Well, we have a decent bit to catch up on since I, er, don't remember part of our time together clearly, and she's going to teach me about this game she's been into recently, so I- ...huh. I'm not sure, actually. I didn't ask how long a match is, but she seemed to think I could get through a few games at least, so I guess that means...? No, that doesn't actually explain anything. Gosh, maybe I should just take dinner with me to be safe. I don't want to impose again. I made her breakfast, but it was from her own pantry. Not exactly the finest favor."

"Wait, you... made breakfast, from scratch? On your hangover? Dear, are you crazy?"

"I know, I know, but I just- I needed to thank her, somehow, and that's all I could think of. If it's any consolation, she stopped me from making more pancakes when she woke up and realized what was happening." Heh. Always the headstrong one on these matters, I see. Exactly what drew me to her; I've never met someone so insistent on being so sweet, and I may never meet anyone else like her. It makes me glad we're here, together. It's like my work, in a way; there's power in what's left unsaid and implied, whether in a business deal or expressing affections. And in that way, we've shared plenty of love here, calmly enjoying life as it goes.

...well, for the most part. She's been in some kind of funk recently. Possibly for a while; it seeped in slowly. I couldn't explain it, and I wasn't sure what to do. It was even a bit contagious. I started wondering if she knew what I meant the times I brought up my work, how it affects us, those sorts of matters, or if she was just going along with it. She made a good call on this last one, though, so... I'd like to think she gets it. If everything stays perfect and we play our cards right, the mortgage may be a thing of the past. We've made good progress on it, already. This would be the final hurdle. I can finally look her in the eyes and say "Our home is ours now, and few can even begin to say otherwise. Now, and forevermore."

When she came down from making those plans, though, she seemed so animated again. Just like I knew her before. If Clover is who it'll take for my darling Bonnie to get her sunshine back, then so be it. She's certainly protective of Bonnie, at least, probably in no small part due to knowing her through Kylie. That little bunny would fight god, whatever its origins, if it threatened Bonnie's safety. It's the sort of zeal I wish I could say I match, but there's no competing with her on that front.

"Always the caring one. Admirable, I'd say. I hope tomorrow goes well, then. You're in good hands."

"O-Oh, thank you, Penn... and yes. She's been amazing." A few of those charming giggles later, and she's making her way to the fridge. Must be peckish. Well, it's as she said, we've no shortage of leftovers, so she won't have to go to much trouble for something.

...you know what, my folders can go back in the file accordion. Tonight's for relaxing, for both of us. She's doing wonderfully; I should do the same, with no distractions from work.

Everything will be just fine like this.