Work Text:
Oh, how somber life could be.
Mark tried not to let that get to him, though. In fact, he was truly a cheerful man deep down, even if he was in an utter slump at the moment. He was simply happy he was alive, trying to live the best he could.
The mannequin hummed a southern tune as he cooked breakfast. He loved the smell of eggs in the morning, even if he wasn't the best cook. Admittedly, he was a bit scared of the oven, so he simply took pride in the fact he found himself able to cook in the first place. He really needed it too: surviving off of reheatable meals and leftovers after forgetting to eat all day wasn't exactly healthy, even for a wooden mannequin such as himself!
"I wonder how Jimmy's doin'..." muttered Mark, looking away from the pan and off into the distance. He couldn't help it. Family and friends were the most important thing to him, and he wasn't even medicated yet! Naturally, his brain was going to wander all about. He chuckled as he thought about the story his best pal told him that one time. It was something about Jimmy trying to carry stacks of planks at once before quickly realizing his hubris and having a quite literal downfall. It made him laugh every time he thought about it. What were the planks he was carrying, anyways? He didn't recall Jimmy ever telling him, which was rather strange as he usually informed Mark of any wood related things as soon as they popped up. Maybe oak? That was difficult to work with, though. He wasn't too sure what types of wooden planks were used in construction nowadays ever since he retired to become a woodworker instead. He would definitely have to research later! He was certainly very curi-
Mark jumped as he heard the rather obvious sounds of the egg burning and quickly snapped back to what he was doing, panicking a little as he practically threw the egg from the metal pan onto his plate. He leaned down and investigated it, making sure it wasn't totally burnt. Luckily, he managed to catch it pretty quickly before his breakfast was totally ruined.
He sighed in relief and turned the oven off, putting the pan aside in the sink to wash later. Yikes, he would definitely have to wash all of those dishes soon. As much as he hated to admit it, he had definitely been neglecting his needs. He felt a pang of guilt: the same one he got whenever he felt like he was bothering others. In reality, he was only really inconveniencing himself, but it still felt like someone would be disappointed in him if they knew.
Mark shook his head, not wanting to think about the subject anymore. It would most likely divulge into regret and pain if he did, and he wanted a happy morning. He grabbed the paper plate and hopped towards his wooden table, setting it down deeply. There were two, freshly cooked eggs on it, just how he liked them. He reached over to grab some pepper, seasoning his food carefully and smiling even wider when they were ready. He felt so proud of himself, even if it was a minor task.
Needless to say, he devoured his meal with great speed. As soon as he took one bite, he felt a surge of happiness, loving the meal. He leaned over the table and grabbed a tissue, rubbing his mouth to get rid of the juices left over from his messy eating. He didn't really care about being clean, though. He was about to start cleaning up before remembering his medication, halting himself and grabbing a bottle of water from across the table. He grabbed the medication case he used to store his pills and popped open the section meant for the morning. He grabbed his medicine and put them in his mouth, drinking them down with water.
Mark then got up from his chair and cleaned after himself, throwing the now empty paper plate away and placing the fork he used in the sink to wash later. He knew he should eventually get himself to clean those up later, but he couldn't right now. He had work, after all!
The wooden mannequin hummed as he hopped around his cabin, going back to his bedroom and into the attached bathroom to get ready. He carefully brushed his teeth, being careful not to get any mint where it didn't need to. He utterly hated mint. It tasted too cold, too noticable, too... bleugh. He didn't know how to describe it, but he despised everything mint related. Sadly, the only mannequin-specific toothpastes were mint flavored, so he couldn't win. He began to carefully comb his thick, wooden beard and mustache, wincing in pain sometimes. He managed to get it done soon enough, though, and smiled in pride. Who knew that taking care of yourself could make you feel this good?
Mark began to get dressed for the morning, throwing on his usual white button-up shirt and orange vest. He rolled up his sleeves and adjusted his yellow hard hat, making sure it was set firmly on his head. He admired himself in the mirror for a moment, giving himself a toothy smile out of glee. He thought he looked rather dashing, if he could say so himself.
Mark then left the bathroom and entered his studio, immediately being hit with the delightful scent of wood and sawdust. There was a sizeable wooden sculpture on the table, one someone lovingly commissioned from him for their fiance. Admittedly, he was jealous, especially with his history of marriage, but he didn't let that take over his mind. Who was he to comment on the love life of two strangers because he had a poor one? He wasn't the type to do that. He didn't want to be the type to do that.
He took a moment to admire his work as is, absorbing the look of the sculpture. It showed a tree with two lovebirds on it, making a heart shape with their heads. It was adorable, and the client seemed to really love it when the mannequin showed progress images. He was happy with the product too, especially after he had went down a rabbit hole of bird nesting when trying to make sure he had made the tree accurate to real bird-friendly trees. All he needed to do now was to add some extra texture to the tree, which wasn't that hard to do. He put on his utility belt and safety gear before getting to work.
Luckily, the client didn't want him to paint it. He offered it in his prices, but he, admittedly, found it preferable people didn't want their commissions painted. He found the process comforting as a hobby, but he was always scared that he would accidentally break the piece in the process or make a mistake that threw it off entirely whenever it came to his business. A good shape can't excuse a terrible paint job, and Mark didn't want to deal with people mad at him for that, even if his worries were usually unfounded.
Once the textures were all done and Mark was sure he didn't want to add anything else, he carefully lifted the sculpture onto the moving cart next to the door of the studio and grabbed his phone to inform the client he was done and ask when they could meet up. He sighed and relaxed his shoulders, a bit tuckered out after finishing the piece. He checked the time and saw it was before noon. Normally, he would push himself to do another, more personal project just to get himself working, but he decided he deserved the rest. His buddies did tell him to take it easy after he complained of headaches and sleepless nights, after all.
Mark hopped out of the studio and into the living room of his cabin, laying down on the wooden couch. Normally, he would put something on to watch, but he didn't feel like it. He was simply going to lay down for a minute and think. Yeah. He totally wouldn't fall asleep. He was just yawning at the moment for... oxygen. Mannequins also need oxygen. It was a little known fact, but a true one! Mannequins also needed to shut their eyes to think too! Their senses were heightened compared to humans and the like, so it was best to think in total silence and with their eyes shut. It was basic mannequin knowledge.
☆
Mark fluttered his eyes open and checked the time, thinking that was enough time to rest. He didn't remember what he was thinking about before, but he assumed it was very insightful-
"Oh dagnabbit!" he exclaimed in a mixture of surprise and frustration.
He had, in fact, fallen asleep, and the client responded around two hours ago. He groaned and apologized for falling asleep, eventually setting on a time. He felt bad for napping at such an inopportune time, but at least he was well rested.
Mark then got up and decided to make himself some lunch. Life wasn't too bad when you were trying to best, after all.