Bellflower Extract 1 (Patreon)

This is going to be a little unorthodox. Basically, chapter 50 is a biggie. Not only was I way too ambitious about trying to include a lot of characters we haven't heard from for a bit, a few big things unfold pivotal to the story's direction. But as it stands, it's about 3x the size of a normal chapter & I keep wanting to "call it" but things feel like they fit better together if I finish scenes.

Anyway, this little excerpt was already written & kind of just feels out of place where I had it, probably because it only has a rough pass. But it was just a way to shoehorn Veronica in. It's canonical, & Regina continues to pop up again, but it's not that important to the rest of everything in the grand scheme of things. So as a show of goodwill that I AM in fact diligently working on the damn thing, I'm going to stick this up as a little side, standalone vignette. And later on, I might stick up other sort of "extracts" like this showing alternate series of events & things I had written ahead on & then didn't quite work the way I thought they would. We'll see. At any rate, I hope this snippet holds you over just a wee bit longer.

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All told, they were a lot heavier than she had anticipated. 

She knew she should’ve made multiple trips. So ditzy of her to assume this would be easy. But balancing the big tupperware trays as she took a short, plodding step off the elevator, she realized it was a little too late now. Just what in the world possessed her to make so many? Well... baking when she was hungry, obviously. That was the obvious answer. But why did she keep doing it? Then again, she was practically always hungry these days. No matter what time of day. Anyway, it seemed like such a good idea at the time. At least at first anyway. But now? She wasn’t so sure, waddling down the corridor, heaving the stack of trays. She was starting to wheeze. It was a lot more exercise than she'd had in quite some time.

“Ah! Miss Regina! What a pleasant surprise! I will let Miss Veronica know you’re here,” Penny chimed as she approached the southern girl’s door.

“Oh!” Regina cooed, “Thank you!” she cooed warmly, grateful she wouldn’t have to keep balancing the heavy trays while also somehow trying to figure out a way to knock. At least now, all she had to do was focus on her arms not giving out. She hoped the density she felt, the weight of the cupcakes, just meant they were extra moist & yummy. 

She came to a stop just a foot from the door. As self-conscious as she was about her growing belly, it was helpful to take some of the brunt & leave just a bit of the slack off her arms, helping her balance things. Acting like the ledge of a shelf, helping to take the edge off. Of course she felt muscles in her arching back, sore for the first time in ages.

“What?” She thought she heard sharply rasp from inside. Followed by a “No. I am nowhere near decent…” There was another agonizing few seconds of silence as Regina stood there, buckling a little.

“It seems Miss Veronica, by her own admission, is a bit indisposed at the moment.” The computer seemed disappointed to report.

“Oh.” Regina sighed a little disheartened. “Even when I come bearing yummy cupcakes?” Another momentary pause, with silence filling the vacuum. 

"Cuh-" The door hissed. "Cupcakes?" Inside, an extremely disheveled Veronica poked her head around the corridor from the kitchen. She had her dyed hair tangled up in a top knotted bun, with loose strands liberally left out. She must've just scrubbed off her usually caked on makeup, leaving a blotchy reddened face, pock-marked by a few tiny blemishes it seemed as though she had applied some sort of cream to. A breakout? Regina couldn't judge too harshly, seeing as she'd had her fair share of greasy bbq the other night herself.

"Hi-yee!" Regina unflinchingly squeaked sweetly, lifting her heavy leg a step closer.

"Stop!" Veronica lurched a bit, remembering her appearance & snagging the hood of her sweatshirt across her face almost like a half-assed veil. "Not to be rude but I am in no shape for company." She lost her balance, peaking around the corner a bit, exposing a bit more of her body. She seemed... thicker to Regina. Her hourglass curves had seemingly broadened, to the point that the only thing close was the bifurcation the elastics of the gym shorts she'd squeezed into sunk things in around her middle. But only just a bit. It felt rude of Regina to notice, but it put her a little more at ease about her own body. Still, freezing in place at Veronica's directive to stop. She just wished she could set the trays down. At least for just a second.

“That is so very sweet of you!" Her Penny thanked on her master's behalf before chiding. “Despite Miss Veronica's rudeness.” A robot arm appeared from just above the door. It grabbed the top plastic tray off the top, lightening Regina’s load. In return, Regina puffed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you!” She murmured softly, trying to not come off as a wuss. The other two were still quite heavy, but things were just a bit more manageable now.

“Thank you!” Penny said, adding, “I am quite sure Veronica is going to very much enjoy every last one!”

“How are you?” Regina asked, trying to keep her high spirits, even though it was a little disheartening. She came bearing gifts & Veronica wouldn't even come to the door, & was making her shout.

"Frankly, I've been better, sweetheart." The southern belle huffed, greedily waiting for the robotic arm to hand her the tray. Then she realized she should probably inquire back. "How about yourself?"

"Oh... good," Regina sighed, trying to regain a bit of her composure once again, now there there was at least just a bit less to carry.  "I've been baking. Lots! Getting lots of practice!"

"I can see!" Veronica said, pulling her hand away from her hood just a second, prying open the tupperware to look in. "Well... thanks!"

"That was very sweet of you, Miss Regina." Penny said warmly, almost trying to once again make up for Veronica's shortcomings. 

"Oh," Regina could barely let out before the door hissed shut just inches in front of her. It startled her, almost causing her to drop the rest of what she was carrying.

"Mmmmm," She thought she heard inside. "Seems like she didn't do a half bad job. This time anyway." Even for as someone as upbeat as her, she couldn't help but take the whole interaction as a snub. Her warm smile dematerialized.

"Last time I cupcake that B," she muttered, under her breath, too nice to even spell out the full insult. She started to shuffle back towards the elevator, towards her next stop. "At least the others will appreciate all my hardwork!"