Ashe begins her day by watering a mass of wood and bark, tucked between shelves of ducks. It comes to life, revealing it to be her wooden companion, Elmer who helps hang up her store sign for her woodshop: Ducks 'til Dawn. As she does, she notices someone's moving in across the street; her new neighbours, Yuzu and Kumquat, are moving in these beautiful wooden swans. Impressed, she runs in, inspired to work on a new carving of her own. At her work bench, she brings out her carving tools and Elmer catches up to her, handing her an axe. Ashe thanks them as they lay their arm on the workbench. She then readies to chop off a piece of their arm.
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Ashe dusts off the freshly cut wood and gets to carving the block immediately. Elmer shrinks in size slightly as their arm grows back before they lumber off into the house.
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After a couple hours of work, Ashe admires her handiwork thus far, pleased. She glances across the street and sees Yuzu moving in another elegant statue. Ashe looks back to her own, disheartened. She shoves the statue away, dissatisfied, as Elmer comes by with lunch. Concerned, they offer their arm to Ashe. With a brief thanks, she cuts off another piece of them, making Elmer much shorter this time. Ashe only becomes increasingly more frustrated as the day goes on. She carves, chops, and cuts away at her ducks and Elmer who only becomes smaller and smaller with each swing.

Dusk arrives as little Elmer waddles into the workshop and past many, many forgotten ducks. Ashe’s back is to them as she stares outside, exhaustion in her posture. Elmer tugs at the hem of her dress and she looks down at them with a desperate look in her eyes.

Elmer can only look innocently up as her hands shake and slowly raise the axe up. She then goes for a final chop.

Ashe trips over a wooden deck and on the ground, she finally realizes how little they are now because of her. She breaks down, dropping the axe and down to her knees to hug Elmer.

Ashe carries her watering can through the shop, past her work bench. In the backyard, Elmer is nuzzled in some dirt. She hands a plate of dirt to them and they gladly dump it all over themself. She lays down on the grass beside them and watches in awe as a small flower blooms on top of their head. She smiles contentedly and closes her eyes for a well-earned break.