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Brightney was stressed, and a certain bookworm was making it much, much worse.
The bookshelf was completely ruined. Books that had almost every page torn out and eaten were lying on the floor next to the crying, pathetic Toon. The bookshelf that Brightney had just yesterday fixed.
“Who did this to my—” Brightney said, attempting to keep her anger in check but failing. “Squirm. Hi. Get out of my library, now.”
Her patience was at its limit after having to do dozens of tasks to keep the library maintained, and now this worm had ruined a perfectly good bookshelf. It could take days, weeks even for Arthur or Delilah to replace it even with her constant nagging.
“I-I…I’m sorry Brightney!” Squirm stuttered, running to his room in tears.
Brightney would’ve felt bad since Squirm was very…fragile, but she had things to do and it felt like Squirm never meant his apologies since he never stopped repeating them.
“Heya, Brightney!” Goob chirped, walking over and holding a book. “You look sad, what’s the matter? Do you need a hug?”
“No, Goob, I’m fine, thank you. Would you mind comforting Squirm? He messed up the bookshelf, as you can very well see, and ran off to his room. I would myself, but he—”
“I’ll help! Don’t worry Brightney! Oh, and, I have a book I needed to return! It was for Scraps, but she didn’t need it yet.” Goob quickly handed Brightney a book and sped off.
Squirm’s room wasn’t far from his, Goob noticed as he opened the door. Maybe he should visit more often! Squirm was one of the few Toons that always accepted his hugs, even asked for them sometimes.
“Squirm? Are you in there?” He asked, opening the door gently before stepping in.
Squirm was on his bed, writing something. It was probably the poetry he liked to write—Goob had ‘caught’ him once, as he had put it.
He sniffed. “...I-I’m truly am s-sorry about the books…I j-just can’t…” Squirm inhaled, trying to calm himself down.
“It’s okay! Brightney was just stressed already.”
“B-but…it’s all my fault t-that she got stressed,” Squirm confessed, crying harder which made his words more muffled.
“I…I borrowed some of her books and forgot to return them, w-which made her confused and a-agitated, and t-then I…I just got so hungry! The books…they looked so good…” He whispered, covering his face with his two of his hands.
“...Do you want a hug? We can apologize—together, if you want—later.”
Squirm nodded, sniffling as Goob wiped away a tear and hugged him.
“You’re too good at this…” He mumbled, crying again.
“Well, you’re my favorite Toon to hug. You get special privileges!”
“W-what about Scraps? I-I thought you liked her the m-most…I’m nothing like her…”
Goob pulled back from the hug slightly. “Scraps is my big sis, of course I love her! But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you and everyone else too.”
“Except for Shrimpo.” They both said simultaneously, giggling as they pulled back.
Squirm stopped crying, blushing hard at what Goob had said. Goob looked at him curiously. What could’ve gotten him so flustered?
“Are you sick?” He said, concerned.
“...N-no…W-why do you ask…?” Squirm whispered, tears coming back. Did he sound weird? “I-I’m just so pathetic, aren’t I…Brightney thought it, I know…” Squirm started sobbing again.
Goob froze but quickly relaxed, hugging Squirm tighter. “No, you were just blushing. Squirm…you aren’t pathetic.”
Squirm sniffled, pressing his face against the side of Goob’s face. “I’m sorry…”
He didn’t respond, just letting Squirm calm down｡
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