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It was a wonderful day on the second Easter Floor. Sitting quietly on a low stool at the edge of the table was Bassie Bloomington. Her inner thoughts were, as usual, a swirling tempest of quiet worry. She constantly wondered if she was doing enough to be considered helpful, or if the other Toons were secretly wishing someone more composed or talented were in her place.
She carefully lifted the corner of a translucent wax sheet, inspecting a dried lavender stem she had pressed the week prior.
From around the corner of the hallway, a rhythmic, rubbery tapping sound echoed against the walls, accompanied by a cheery, low hum.
It was Gabby.
As her eyes scanned the alcove, she spotted the Basket sitting alone at the craft table, hunched slightly over her book. The Fluffy Craft slowed her energetic bounce, tilting her head in curiosity. She noticed how stiffly Bloomington was holding her shoulders, and how her handles seemed to twitch whenever the floorboards creaked.
Gabby: Hey there, Bassie! What are you up to over here in the quiet spot?
Bloomington jumped slightly at the sudden voice, her hands twitching over the leather-bound book. She looked up at Craft.
Bassie: (startled) O-Oh! Gabby... um... hello... I-I was just... just looking through my... my collection...
Gabby took a step closer, her arms coiling slightly as she observed the tight posture and timid expression on Bassie's face. Craft’s heart immediately melted. Being the ultimate hugger of Gardenview, her instinct whenever anyone looked remotely tense was to offer immediate comfort.
Gabby: (grinning widely, extending her arms open broad) Oh, so I offer you a special gift… a hug!
Bloomington shrank back into her stool just a fraction. While the Basket knew the Fluffy Craft was harmless and sweet, the sheer size of Gabby could be overwhelming when her anxiety was already running high.
Bassie: N-No thanks, Gabby…
Gabby paused, her arms remaining outstretched for a moment before she gently lowered them, letting her hands rest near her sides. She tilted her head, her eyes searching Bassie's face with deep, innocent empathy.
Bassie: (fidgeting with her fingers, looking down) W-wait, I do...?
Gabby: You look a bit uneasy…like a wound-up spring in a pop-up box!
Bassie: (softly, with a nervous tremor) I... I suppose I am a bit uneasy... I always am, really... I just... I get so worried that I'm taking up too much space, or... or that I'm not doing my job right... Everyone else is so capable and smart... like Vee, or Sprout... and sometimes I feel like... like if I'm not careful, someone will come along and replace me altogether...
Craft listened intently as her expression shifted from playful energy to profound, gentle concern, resting her hand over her fluffy collar as if feeling Bloomington’s words in her own chest.
Gabby: (warmly) Replace you? Wow, Bassie, that’s silly talk! Nobody could ever replace you! Who else knows all the secret names of the flowers in the garden? Who else has a pretty crown of petals right inside their head? You're super special!
The Basket looked up, her blush warmed her cheeks.
Bassie: (hesitant, small smile forming) Y-You really think so...? I... I try very hard with my flowers... It's the one thing I feel like I'm really good at...
The Fluffy Craft’s eyes lit up with sudden excitement, her eyes sparkling brightly. She leaned over the table as she gazed down at the heavy leather album resting between them.
Gabby: (enthusiastic, clapping her hands together with a soft thump) Is that what this big book is? Your flower collection? Can I see? Can I? Please?
Bassie was taken aback by the sudden surge of interest. Usually, the other Toons were busy running around, completing tasks, or analyzing statistics. Rarely did anyone stop just to look at her pressed botanical specimens with such genuine curiosity.
Bassie: (nodding slowly, a gentle smile appearing) U-Um... yes, of course... You can sit down if you'd like... It's... it's a bit heavy, so I keep it flat on the table...
Gabby didn't need to be told twice. With a happy squeak, she pulled up a sturdy wooden bench next to Bassie's stool and sat down. Because of her fluffy body, she towered over Bassie, but she was careful to pull her arms close to her sides so she wouldn't bump into the fragile pages. Her claws tapped lightly against her knees in eager anticipation.
Bloomington reached out with her small, smooth hands, carefully turning the heavy parchment page of the scrapbook. The faint, sweet scent of dried flora and aged paper drifted into the air between them.
Bassie: (pointing softly with one finger) This page... these are wild tulips. I found them near the edge of the courtyard last spring. Tulips are very delicate when you first harvest them... you have to lay them perfectly flat between two sheets of absorbent parchment, or the petals will wrinkle and lose their shape...
Gabby: Wow! It looks like a little paper cup! How did you get it so flat without breaking it? When I press on things, they usually squish into a big mush!
Bassie: It takes a lot of patience... and very light, even pressure. You can't rush it. If you press too hard too fast, the sap inside the stem bursts and ruins the color... You have to place heavy books on top and wait... sometimes for weeks...
Craft watched in absolute fascination as Bloomington turned to the next page.
Gabby: (pointing, careful to keep her claws pointing upward) Look at those! They look like little stars! Are those hard to press too?
Bassie: (nodding as she smiled) Yes... lilies have very thick centers. You have to carefully remove the stamens before pressing them, otherwise the pollen stains the white petals yellow... It requires a very steady hand...
Gabby: (sincerely) You're so smart, Bassie! I would have just squished the whole flower, pollen and all! You're like a plant doctor!
Bassie: (blushing) A-A plant doctor...? No... I'm just... I just like keeping pretty things preserved... so they don't fade away or get forgotten...
Gabby: (softly) That makes sense. Everything stays safe and pretty in here forever!
The Basket turned to the next section of the album, where a page featuring rich purple and soft yellow hyacinths lay displayed. She traced her fingers along the wooden border of the table, her tone dipping into a quieter, more reflective timbre.
Bassie: (quietly) Hyacinths are very special to me... though... they have many meanings. Some people say purple hyacinths represent sorrow or regret... and yellow ones can represent jealousy...
Gabby: (gentle, leaning in closer) Do you feel sad or jealous sometimes, Bassie?
The Basket froze for a second, her cat-like mouth twitching slightly before she lowered her gaze to the purple blooms.
Bassie: (whispering nervously) Sometimes... I worry that... that I'm not bright enough... or cheerful enough to make people happy... Like... like I'm a bitter flower compared to everyone else's sweet ones...
Gabby: Tch, no way! No way at all! You ain't bitter! You're sweet like honey! Look at this entire book! You made all of this! It takes someone super sweet and gentle to care for flowers this much!
The Basket looked up, her eyes meeting the Fluffy Craft’s bright, honest gaze. Bassie felt a lump form in her throat, a wave of profound relief washing over her anxious thoughts.
Bassie: (smiling genuinely) Thank you, Gabby... That... that really means a lot to me...
Gabby beamed as she looked completely flustered.
Gabby: (excitedly) Can we do more? Do you have any new flowers to put in the book right now? I want to watch!
Bloomington’s face lit up with gentle enthusiasm. She reached across the wooden table toward a tray where she had set out her fresh preparations for the day. Sitting neatly on the dark fabric was a freshly picked periwinkle bloom—its five soft, violet-blue petals perfectly intact, attached to a slender, jade-green stem. Beside it lay a sheet of clean wax paper and a heavy, rectangular wooden pressing block equipped with hand screws.
Bassie: (pointing to the tray) As a matter of fact... I do. I gathered this periwinkle bloom from the conservatory this morning. It's at peak bloom... perfectly ripe for pressing.
Gabby: It's so pretty! It matches your shirt! Can... can I help? Can I press it with you?
Craft’s request was filled with such pure, eager hope that Bassie couldn't possibly say no.
Bassie: (blushing, nodding warmly) I... I would love that, Gabby. We can press it together.
The Fluffy Craft immediately raised her hands, ready to reach for the fragile periwinkle bloom resting on the tray.
But as her hands hovered over the delicate violet petals, Gabby suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.
Gabby: (hesitant, her voice dropping into a timid whisper) Oh... wait...
Bassie: (concerned) Gabby? What's wrong?
Craft slowly pulled her long, flexible black cable arms back toward her chest, wrapping her big colorful hands around her waist as if trying to hide them away. She looked down at the wooden floorboards, her shoulders slumping in disappointment.
Gabby: (sadly, fidgeting with her long cable arms) I... I forgot about my hands... Look at them, Bassie... They're giant! And... and my claws are super sharp... What if I accidentally poke a hole in your flower? What if my claws slice right through the petals? Or what if my claws tear the wax paper?
The Fluffy Craft voice wobbled slightly with childlike sadness. She desperately wanted to participate and share this quiet moment with her girlfriend, but the fear of ruining something precious to the Basket made her pull back completely.
Gabby: (looking away) I don't want to ruin your pretty periwinkle bloom... My claws are too sharp for delicate things... I should just watch...
Bassie sat in silence for a moment, she saw the genuine worry in Gabby's eyes—the deep, considerate care Craft had for her hobby, so fearful of causing harm that she was willing to deny herself the fun of participating. It was a profound display of gentleness from someone so large and powerful.
Bloomington let out a soft, nervous little laugh—a gentle, reassuring sound that hummed softly in the quiet alcove.
Bassie: (nervously laughing, smiling warmly) Um... like this...
The Fluffy Craft blinked in surprise as she looked back up at the Basket.
Gabby gasped softly, her eyes widening as she felt the cool, gentle touch of Bassie's hands resting over hers.
Bassie: (steady and tender) You don't have to be afraid, Gabby... Your hands aren't scary or ruinous... You just need a little guidance, that's all. We'll do it together.
Craft felt a surge of warmth rush through her head as she slightly blushed.
Bloomington gently nudged Craft’s hands forward over the craft table. Step by step, with methodical care, The Basket guided the Fluffy Craft’s hands toward the velvet tray.
Bassie: (guiding softly) First... we position the wax paper... See? We use the palms of our hands, not the tips of our fingers... That way, your claws stay tilted upward, completely away from the paper...
With Bassie's hands resting atop hers, Gabby allowed her palms to lay flat over the smooth sheet of wax paper. Together, they gently slid the wax paper—with the periwinkle bloom nestled inside—onto the sturdy wooden base of the pressing block.
Bassie: (smiling, looking into Gabby's eyes) Now... we place the top board over it... like this...
Bloomington guided Craft’s hands to lift the heavy wooden top piece and set it squarely over the wax paper. The weight was distributed evenly across the smooth surface of the wood.
Bassie: (encouragingly) Now comes the important part... The press! We need steady, even pressure down on the top board. Don't use your claws... just push down softly with the heels of your hands... I'll press right with you!
They held the pressure for several long, peaceful seconds, listening to the soft, satisfying crunch of the wooden press securing the flower in place.
Bassie: (softly releasing the pressure) Perfect... absolutely perfect...
The Basket guided the Fluffy Craft’s hands to carefully turn the wooden hand screws on the side of the press, locking the wooden boards tightly together so the flower would stay flattened for the coming days. Not a single petal had been torn. Not a single sheet of wax paper had been scratched. Gabby's sharp claws hadn't even touched the delicate bloom.
Craft stared at the securely locked wooden press, her eyes sparkling with absolute, unbridled triumph. The sheer joy of having successfully pressed a flower without causing any damage filled her heart to the brim.
Gabby: (exclaiming joyously) I'm having so much fun!
Bassie: (warmly) You did wonderfully, Gabby... You were so gentle...
Before Bassie could pull her hands back, Gabby made a smooth, deliberate movement.
Very carefully, minding every millimeter of space around them, Craft slowly rotated her giant hands beneath Bloomington’s touch. She turned her hands palms-up, resting the backs of her hands flat against the cool surface of the wooden table. In doing so, her claws tilted outward and downward, resting harmlessly against the table's edge, entirely clear of Bloomington’s delicate skin.
With her sharp claws safely out of the way, the Fluffy Craft closed her fingers loosely upward, softly wrapping her palms around the Basket’s hands.
It was an extraordinarily tender gesture. Gabby—whose hands were nearly three times the size of Bassie's—held the Basket's hands with immense mindfulness, exerting just enough pressure to offer warmth and security without squeezing too hard.
Bloomington froze for a fraction of a second, her breath catching softly in her chest. She looked down at their joined hands: her hands held securely within Craft’s paws.
The Basket looked up into the Fluffy Craft’s innocent face. Gabby was watching her with deep affection.
Gabby: (softly, holding Bassie's hands gently) See? Claws can be careful too... when they're holding something really special!
Bassie felt a tear prick at the corner of her eye, but it was not a tear of anxiety or fear. It was a tear of pure, overwhelming gratitude as well as romance. All her inner turmoil—the fear of being inadequate, the envy of others, the quiet dread of being replaced—melted away under the weight of Gabby's gentle, protective grip. Craft could also feel the same weight of romance like Bassie did.
Bassie: (whispering softly, blushing) Yes... yes they can... Thank you, Gabby...
They sat together in the quiet alcove for a long time, bathed in the soft, dappled light filtering through the green leaves above. Craft grabbed Bloomington’s hand gently, but she didn’t touch her at first. Her paws hovered just above her wrist, close enough that the Basket could feel the radiating heat of her fluff before the Fluffy Craft actually made contact. They shared a passionate kiss in the spacious Easter Floor after together pressing Bassie’s favorite flowers.