Chapter Text
It wasn't new. She had done this routine of hers for a long time now, and she's gotten used to it. While being the forgotten Main was a bit of a bummer for Shelly—she really wanted to socialize and such—she also enjoyed it a lot. She got a lot of things done whilst the rest of the cast went about with their shenanigans—especially with her hobby: paleontology. And soon, she got used to it. Ever since Shelly stopped trying to appeal to her presence in the room, she had realized that she had so much free time on her hands...! After shootings and rehearsals, she could finally return to her digging and discovering almost instantly instead of dissapating into the background during conversations she was never a part of, pitiful.
Today was honestly no different. She awoke to the usual morning commotion; the others were already eating breakfast, and she could tell from the scent of crispy eggs and bacon—a standard meal for the morning. She sat up in bed and idly looked around her room (just to sober up on consciousness), a vacant, yet tranquil, smile on her face as her eyes traced over each and every one of her dinosaur-themed items, all displayed on walls and shelves—and the ceiling and the floor...! With a swing, she let her blanket drape onto the now empty bed, tidying it up a bit, her hands dutifully folding her blankets and duvet, quietly mumbling the names of dinosaurs as she traced the patterned fabric with her hand. Shortly after, she turned around to face everyone outside her room, hopefully she could gauge a small conversation from at least one of them—... It wasn't like she opposed otherwise, however...
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Her earlier assumptions were soon proven correct once she entered the room she and the other Toons all know as both the kitchen and dining room. Many, if not all, of them were already sat down and eating, and the morning din was lively and warm (much like the meal atop the table). The aroma of the food cooked by Sprout and Cosmo was more noticeable now with it bringing a faint rumble to Shelly's stomach. A few of the others perked up at the sound of her footsteps and gave her a brief greeting, some more enthusiastic than others: an 'oh, hey' here and a few 'morning's there before they all returned to eating. She wasn't always 'alone' alone. Shelly knew that. She talked to them from time to time, though seldom, and she tried to make each exchange count. It was never fruitful.
Shelly, more withdrawn than she attempted to seem, waltzed kitchenward to grab some food. She managed to snag a few strips of bacon and a sunny-side up, more than enough for her. Noticing that every other Toon barely even acknowledged her silly act of theft, finding conversation a much more amusing topic, she seized this moment to return to her room to eat, plate in hand. Her footsteps were much more quiet this time around with nary a squeak. Her door opened and then shut. She had done it: success.
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It wasn't that serious. It never was. She didn't commit a crime, and it wasn't like she were to be punished for it lest she be caught. But... it was fun to think so. That was all that matters. So, she was going to give it her best to have fun. And it was that serious, actually. She decided so just now!
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She sat down by her desk and prepared to dig in, grabbing the—... Shelly facepalmed. "I forgot the utensils..." she groaned before staring at her plate with a small pout, her head resting on the plush part of her palm. A few moments passed by before a sigh escaped her; who really needed utensils? She shook her head. "Noone, that's who," she mumbled quietly before giggling. With a small grin, she shrugged and began eating with her hands, harbouring no overthought cares in her mind. The moment she took a bite from her hands, her eyes widened as it did every time. This food was delish...! Shelly had to restrain herself from practically eating the plate itself with how amazing the food was.
After just a few minutes, the plate on her desk was much lighter than it was when it was brought inside, not even a small crumb from the bacon remaining on the plastic. They weren't really allowed ceramic or glass, especially sharp objects—well, except for Sprout, Cosmo, and the craft twins, Goob and Scraps. Then again, the latter's scissors had those safety edges where it could barely even cut paper. Shelly's train of rambling thought shortly came to a halt when a quiet burp escaped her, followed by an "Excuse me" that was mumbled to noone but herself.
After cleaning her hands, Shelly had lain down on her made bed, the blanket below crinkling as she got comfortable. The ceiling she was staring at suddenly deemed itself interesting, and Shelly began to mindlessly observe it in its entirety. Said 'mindless observing' slowly turned into an almost reverent beholding; there were so many sights hidden in mundane, everyday things that she'd only notice. Only when she's become just like them. Her reverie lasted a while—almost hours passed by—with her eyes still flitting from spot to spot on the ceiling, tracing the paintstrokes with an utmost delicacy; it was as if she were putting herself in the painter's shoes.
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Shelly wondered what they felt whilst they painted the walls of her room, what they were thinking when their roller slid across the ceiling. Were they enjoying the activity? Were they bored? If they were, that made two of them.