3 String

It felt like it took forever for the night to end. Finally, the clock struck midnight, and Satin wished she could turn into a pumpkin and not help with the clean-up.

That wasn't the case. As the attendees drifted out, primarily drunk and many in a happy stupor, Satin rubbed her face. She finally let the makeup break and showed the heavy black bags under her eyes. Yet, she and Streamer had a job to do.

Cleaning up was much quicker than Satin had thought. Streamer was swift and precise despite her fragile-looking body. Soon they were finished. Satin could go home. She usually had Chandy's help cleaning up and a ride home, but she had royally messed that up.

The walk home was quiet; the darkness stretched over the sleepy starlight town that Satin had lived in for years. She could just see the sun trying to birth along the crest of the hill.

Each building was unique, designed for the person who lived in it. The buildings accounted for a beautifully unique skyline.

Satin's house was a massive spool of thread, complete with a thick needle sticking out of the top. The top of the spool was slanted slightly to allow for rain and snow to run off. The middle was covered in a thick glass window keeping her safe and dry but still allowing light to get in.

The needle itself Satin used as a plant hanger down the side of her house. The thread was steel which was the only real drawback. The house could get very hot in the summer, and often Satin would have to take a cold bath to keep cool. Sometimes she wished it was of soft linen she used as a thread, but she knew that wouldn't have been practical.

The house design made sense. After all, Satin was the village seamstress and had been for years. It was a family tradition.

All Unicorns could sew.

Satin could sew buttons, pants, dresses, hats, and even wounds, but that didn't often happen unless Chanty was in town for longer than a few nights.

Satin's little home-shaped spool of thread was pressed neatly between the bakery owned by Miss Spoon, which made fresh bread from midnight onward, and Mr. Whisk, the donut maker. The donut maker once worked for the bread maker, but Mr, Whisk believed in all-natural living. Satin felt all things should be made from their more appropriate counterparts, in Satin's case, wood and steel.

Mr. Whisk chose to make his new donut shop from warm milk, yeast, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, nutmeg, salt and flour. He used the town's soup kitchen that (luckily for Mr. Whisk) was the perfect vessel to fry a world record winning donut that became his new home.

All went well till the spring rains came, then the whole donut fell apart, leaving a soggy mess of rotten, moldy slime along the street for several days before the city was able to clean it up.

After that, Mr. Whisk had to live in a more normally built house, much to Miss Spoons chagrin.

It was hard to live in between sometimes. Everything was dark and peaceful, which was a very rare moment.

Satin sighed and unlocked her door, hugging it with her head, and stepped inside.

"Did you use your magic to clean up? You are home early.." A soft voice greeted her from the sewing machine.

Azuki, her faithful black cat, was stretched out along the half-finished blue dress she'd been working on before leaving.

"Not really. Streamer was much faster than I had thought she would be." Satin did her best to cover her red, tired eyes.

"Hm, but you didn't drink anything, did you?"

"Just apple juice. And must you lay on my work? You have multiple beds, yet you sleep on my work."

Azuki sat up and stretched, making sure to leave a bit of extra black fur on the dress.

"You didn't say it to her, did you?"

"Of course not! Azuki! I couldn't say it even before she was married, let alone at her wedding!" Satin sighed.

"Why not?" the cat yawned.

"Oh, you never understand these types of things; I'd be the talk of the village, forever. Everyone would hate me. Maybe even driven out! At the very least, lost work." Satin picked up the dress and shook the fur off, losing a few pins as well.

"I have a social status too, you know, among animals. Other Witch's cats look up to me, so it would be simple to get you more work with the right amount of fish leverage." Azuki huffed.

"It is only because they want to have kittens with you." Satin smiled at the thought of a round-bellied Azuki.

"Oh, heavens, no! I will never be having a kitten, thank you!" the cat spit. "What a dreadful thought. All those tiny screaming, squirming things are looking for a meal you are meant to provide."

Satin smiled, sitting down to work as Azuki kneaded at a pail of cloth beside her little bed. Her bed was untouched, but the fabric Satin had been trying to keep clean was covered in Azuki's fur.

"Shouldn't you go to sleep?" Azuki asked, stretching and profusely hooking her claws into some of the white lace.

Satin grimaced. She didn't dare look in the mirror with a face as tired as hers.

"Yes," was all she said as she pressed the foot pedal of her machine and began to work again.

Satin had just begun to sew the first seam in the dress when someone knocked on her door.

Her ears sank, and she hesitated.

"Who could it be at this hour?"

For a second, her thoughts lept at the idea Tea was coming to say thank you. It was far-fetched, but it was just what Satin needed at the moment.