#IT HAPPENED TO THE CHRISTMAS TOONS.

[strawberryroll]

"the new updates suck i want rox back!!!!!!" oh we want rox back? the same rox the fandom was collectively hating because he was a FUCKING GROOMER??? WE WANT HIM BACK NOW???????

[purpleguysimp]

Does anyone else feel like they're getting worse at dandys world or is it just me. Like am i going insane or am i going dumb

[artificial-hope]

“The big events are Christian holidays is this a Christian show???”

Maybe it’s cause there the biggest holidays in America??? And the ones kids get the most excited about??? Are you stupid?

[slumbrr-r]

The Christmas toons…

are called “Xmas-1” or team X1; but they’re all a part of the A1s.

I caved. The funny photo of them is here.

By the way, Bobette A1 is now ranked 2nd after Astro in terms in power scale for Gardenview. :)

Their augments:

They leave Gardenview HQ and travel on missions with just each other as a “special force” and rescue toons and guide them to Gardenview. They lack an operator, instead, having their own ways to activate their augments. These guys are one of a kind, and do not have duplicates.

Each team member is closely connected with one another due to the lack of an operator. They come back every winter to help Gardenview out during the Shortages.

When The Fall first happened, Bobette and the others volunteered to travel out and figure out how to deal with the apocalypse; that is why they were gone in the first place.

Their lore will be continued, and they will be showing up in the comics (either the main series or the side).

[eclipseberrycake]

Poly! MoonBerryCake x Reader Pt.11

AN: The WEEK I have had omg. I was in the hospital then my partner was in the hospital and now I'm exhausted and the mental illness is coming back an bro I just wanna write about my funky lil guys.,

Part One -> Part Two -> Part Three -> Part Four -> Part Five -> Part Six -> Part Six 1/2 -> Part Seven -> Part Eight -> Part Nine -> Part Nine 1/2 -> Part Ten

Warnings: Mentions of past abuse, canonical references to harmful treatment of the other toons, mentions of smoking but no actual smoking, approximately two dirty jokes (Who makes them may surprise you)

☁ The air is cool tonight. It chills his cheek as he leans on the balcony, the once chilled stone of the railing warm under his arms as a reminder of how long he's been out there.

☁ He wants to go back. He can hear your soft breaths and Cosmo's grumbles as he rolls back and forth a few times, but something in his gut curdles at the thought, crawling up his stomach and threatening to choke him.

☁ How can he go back to the group, to you, knowing what he knows now. It runs rampant in his brain he's sure he's almost dislodged his leaves by the number of times he's pulled at them.

☁ Him and Astro have since made it a habit of going through the old records of Gardenview, as it's both nostalgic and bittersweet, reading through the memories of things previously lost to him. Seeing the video of him and Cosmo baking, or the screenplays written for adventures between the four of you, or even just the letters the Toon Handlers had written concerning them all make his chest ache. Just the thought the four of you had previously been close before all of this is both a solemn thought and a warm comfort.

☁ He wonders what could've been prior to the breakout. What could've come from...well, all of it, really. There's a sinking feeling that nags in the back of his head at the thought, knowing if things had continued the way they were, there was a good chance he never would've gotten the chance to be with you and Cosmo.

☁ Him and Astro had the benefit of consistently being in each other's company, but since going through the old records, he's come to the disheartening realization that it was because of the breakout he was gifted with the opportunity to get to know the other commons, you especially. He knew Cosmo previously, even if his Handler attempted to minimize the contact between the two, but he truly didn't know you beyond the cute delivery toon and the minimal scripts that had you and him interacting for no more than a few minutes.

☁ While the ichor breakout was an awful thing, and he would never wish it to happen again, a part of him is grateful. It granted him a freedom he didn't know he was starving for.

☁ That being said, freedom doesn't come without it's cons. He's gotten on Rodger's case before for investigating areas he has no right to do, but those are mostly far more personal matters rather the general history behind Gardenview. Unfortunately for him and Astro, this lack of restriction has led to a few startling discoveries over the treatment of the toons that weren't mains.

☁ Recently, the Christmas toons had started making their own appearances on floors, so in the pursuit of getting Dandy research, you had also made it a personal mission to get them back too. So far, you had successfully gotten Ginger and Coal back, with Rudie evading you at every turn and the Bobette research slow going. They, Ginger and Coal, were stand-offish to begin with and while he didn't understand it, he gave them their space and left them to Cosmo and Pebble.

☁ After reading what happened to them after the Christmas season, however, he understood and worked with Astro to get Ginger's room an assortment of nightlights as to minimize the reminder of the old closets they used to remain locked in. Additionally, Shrimpo and Finn had been able to carve out a sizable doggy door in the wall beside the door for Coal to come and go as she pleased. Rudie's future room and Bobette's as well were both being fitted with similar things as well and- to his chagrin, as he looks back to check on you all- your room will need one too as he watched Coal's tail thump quietly, Pebble by her side and Blu on top of her.

☁ He blames Blu in all honesty. The lovable little shit had a way of making everyone love her, despite the circumstances of her appearance.

☁ Which was another thing entirely and the source of his current bout of restlessness. He groans lowly, rolling his shoulders back. His fingers itch for a smoke, but he promised himself he'd quite. It started when he was younger as a rebellious act against Sam, taking one from their packs and hacking at it until he got the hang over it. His own way of previously taking back his freedom. However, with it now freely granted, it wasn't needed and he, for the most part, quit it easily. It was mostly just a stress response at this point.

☁ He'd consider himself stressed at this point though. The most recent set of files had been...off. They'd been reluctant to open the file, as it was sealed with wax and stamped with all sorts of red warnings- very unlike the other files they'd gone through previously. They'd opened it anyway, reading through various employment records for an individual neither he nor Astro have heard of before.

☁ It was going on and on about an individual named Ciara, her start date of employment, her pay rate, her credentials and especially her role in Gardenview. It was written in black, bolded lettering, all caps to ensure there was no confusion. He can see it now, every time he blinks, flashing behind his eyelids as a reminder. "Ciara [Redacted]: TOON HANDLER"

☁ The only problem is he couldn't even begin to remember any other main besides the five of them, Dandy and Bobette. A part of him thought she was Bobette's Handler, but the employment date didn't line up with the holiday season. Astro had tried to hypothesis that she could've been a temporary replacement for one of the other handlers, but Sprout has a feeling he knows better. In fact, he's sure the room behind him, where the rest of you are fast asleep, was hers. It was the only one without a placard.

☁ He never doubted you ever. He knew this intricately, believed it to this day. No, his theory was that you didn't even know about it really, but too many things lined up for him to ignore it. It was little things that only meant something in hindsight.

☁ Things he never would've spotted previously coming back as he thinks all the way back to when he was first recovered. He remembers watching you outrun Twisted Pebble, managing to keep up in a way he knew the other common toons couldn't do when they were distracting. You had gotten hit during the retrieval run, but kept in front of him for the majority of time they needed to finish machines. Hell, he doesn't know how many times you've nearly sent him into cardiac arrest just by how...easily you're able to distract. It just comes naturally to you.

☁ Pebble, also, was right away practically attached to you at the shins, following you everywhere you went with a happy little tail wag. That originally is why Sprout figured Dandy hated you, but the further he thought about it, the more he thought there was a different reason. One he just didn't know yet.

☁ The biggest indicator literally slaps him in the face every morning. Blu's appearance, while was instigated by Dandy's interference, was still something he couldn't understand. Normal, common toons very rarely could interact with the magic within the tapes. There's only one he knows of, and that's Teagan. And even then, it's limited to influencing her own person. She cannot extend that magic to anything beyond herself. That is something exclusive to mains.

☁ They all use it to a degree, just not in the same way he does. The magic is everywhere, contrary to what most of the commons think, it's just strongest in the tapes, which is what he uses for his own ability. But the others call on it in different ways too. Vee uses the general area of tapes and where the magic is strongest to get a general sight on twisteds in the area. Shelly weaves it through into the machines to make them fill faster. Astro himself uses just a bit to rejuvenate someone's stamina. Hell, even Pebble uses the magic in the tapes to make himself appear like a larger target to twisteds after he barks. It's why they can't do it all the time, they need to let the energy stabilize. Recharge.

☁ Which is why he can't get over you doing it at all. Even with Dandy's interference, you shouldn't have been able to interfere with the magic unless you were....made with that ability.

☁ His eyes widen as he whips his head to look back into the room. Astro's not there, but Sprout can vaguely remember him telling him that he was going for a short walk. You and Cosmo are wrapped around each other, burrowing into the other in a heaping mass of legs, arms and tails.

☁ His eyes immediately dart to one of your hands. It's curled around Cosmo's shirt, flexing slightly before your fingers stretch out as you gently shift, the rest of your arm stretching out as well. There, in all their glory, are your paw pads. He moved off it too fast last time, but now it's all he can focus on. For all the times he's held your hand, felt you cup his cheeks, watched you do anything with your hands, not once did they stick out to him because they were something you aways had.

☁ Something you always had.

☁ Your hand curls back around Cosmo as he burrows into your neck, mindlessly hiking your leg further up where it's hooked around his side.

☁It wasn't momentary. It was all right there, in front of him, in front of them, and they'd all been blind to it. Even your twisted had shoved itself in his face, steps heavy and purposeful and audible. Your twisted even had an ability. While it wasn't a debuff like Shelly's or Astro's, or even incredibly fast (to a degree) like Pebbles, it was like his twisted. It could influence the environment. It charged and took away cover, took away any form of safety those who ran into it had.

☁ Falling against the railing, Sprout's eyes are stuck on you. If you were a main, what happened? Why were you practically wiped from the records, meant to remain a forgotten background character? Did it have to do with Dandy's distaste towards you? Did you have a passive ability that they just weren't aware of? Did you have any idea whatsoever?

☁ The door to the bedroom slowly opens, Astro slipping in before closing it just as silently as it was opened. He looks to the bed, nodding his head with every mental count he does before pausing. One of his hands physically points at both you and Cosmo, coming up empty for the third. Sprout smiles despite the current thoughts he's having, gently knocking on the balcony loud enough for the celestial to hear.

☁ He looks over at the noise, visibly relaxing before moving to join. He deters to the bed for a moment, bringing the blanket further up yours and Cosmo's shoulders before walking out to the balcony. Two of his hands reach for Sprout's cheeks, thumb running over the seeds. "You're cheeks are chilled. How long have you been out here?"

☁ Long enough." Sprout mutters, laying his forehead on Astro's. "I've been thinking."

☁ "About Ciara?" Astro questions, and feels Sprout nod. "I-...I think I know who's handler she was."

☁ Astro remains silent, but he knows the other is still listening. Lifting his head, he looks back into the room, watching over you and Cosmo once more. Cosmo's rolled onto his back, mouth open as his breaths turn into damn near snores. You're on his chest, drooling onto his shirt. Both of you look content and peaceful, Astro surely ensuring your dreams are just so as well.

☁ There's silence between them before Astro is humming softly, his tail giving a gentle sway. "I thought so too, honestly." He sighs. "Too many things add up for it to be otherwise, I'm afraid."

☁ "...Do we tell them?" They have no method of confirming this short of turning this entire place inside out, which they have neither the time, patience or energy to do so. But it makes that earlier feeling rot in his stomach further and the idea of not telling you makes him nearly lose his supper.

☁ "I think we can bring the possibility and our concerns up to them." Astro hums, ever so calm. He always is, levelheaded and soft, consistent with his needs and open with what he expects from them and himself. While they all try to remain open with communication there are times where Sprout is so lost in the need to care and protect you three he forgets to express his worries out loud, or Cosmo is so wrapped up in his own anxieties that he refuses to try and push them onto the rest of you; even you've been known to break down in your own frustrations every now and again, simmering in your own little nest of pouty huffs and scoffs under your breath. But never Astro. The celestial has always been straight with them, even if he's grinding his teeth or wringing his hands as he does.

☁ And there is nothing Sprout appreciates more, especially in instances like this where he himself can barely think straight, but is quickly reoriented by the other. "Do you remember?"

☁ Astro falls silent as he comes up with a response. Sprout knows he doesn't need to expand on the question, but enjoys watching the other's thought process anyway. "I...can't say that I don't." Astro says carefully. "I have memories of running scenes with them, but I can't pinpoint if I knew they were a main or not. Just that they were...there. They always were." His lips spread into a small content smile as he looked over to where you and Cosmo where still sleeping soundly.

☁ Upon further glance though, it didn't appear as sound as it once was as you were now the victim of Cosmo's grappling, huffing as he rolled to lay on top of you. Sprout knows from first hand experience that if you aren't prepared for Cosmo's dead weight, it's like a punch to the gut. He only semi-pities you.

☁ "C'mon, you need some sleep." Astro huffs, moving to shove Sprout forward into the bedroom. "And we need to possible save Y/N."

☁ Sprout gives a chuckle at this before conceding, crawling into one side of the bed as Astro crawls into the other, the latter taking on Cosmo, who immediately wraps himself around the celestial while Sprout is allowed to wrap himself around you.

☁ The feeling in his gut is somewhat satiated, more so when you eagerly burrow into his chest with a content little purr. It makes his chest ache in a way he's not too sure is positive or negative just yet, and instead chooses to hold onto you anyway. His hand blindly grabs for Astro's and squeezes it the second he cans. He hopes the presence is enough to sooth his dreams for the night.

☁ Morning comes faster than you expect, but you pay it no mind as your attention is kept rapt and forward. Your brows are furrowed as you play with your fingers, tilting your head when no immediate change happens. "Do you think he's dead?"

☁ "Don't you manifest that." Cosmo hisses from where he's trying to pull away from Astro. His butt waggles in the air, which does in fact catch your attention and makes you smirk as you watch it, as he uses his legs to try and pull back, but Astro's grip is ironclad; you would know.

☁ "It doesn't make sense." You huff, having half a mind to take a picture so it'll last as long as you need it too. Cosmo's tail unfurls for a second to give a harsh little whip before he groans. "You could help!"

☁ You ignore him, instead returning your attention to what caught it in the first place. "He's always awake first though."

☁ Cosmo gives one final pull, practically cheering as he tumbles free only to tumble right off the bed. Once more, you could've helped and caught him, as you're sitting cross-legged at the foot of the bed, but you only grin at him from his place on the floor. He shakes his head before shooting you a glare, using the bed to help himself up. "Thanks, my loving, and oh so caring partner who is supposed to love and help me in sickness and in health-"

☁ You shush him and his sarcastic tirade, forcing his chin to look at the duo on the bed. Astro immediately turns to lock onto Sprout, but the flicker in his tail tells you he's slowly waking up and probably listening to your bickering.

☁ "He's still asleep." You repeat, as if this is some big thing. Cosmo rolls his eyes with a scoff. "Astro is always-"

☁ "Not Astro."

☁ Cosmo looks over and as if it dawns on him for the first time, his eyes widen at the sight of Sprout. His leaves are messy with bed-head, but he's still sound asleep, shoulders rising steadily with every cute little breath.

☁ Cosmo's jaw drops and suddenly he's right next to you, watching Sprout as if he were another exhibit in the museum. "Is he dead?"

☁ "Oh, so when you do it, it's funny, but when I do it-"

☁ "It's still just as loud no matter which of you ding dongs do it." Astro huffs, startling you both. Cosmo slips back down to the floor with a thud and you nearly follow him, if not for Astro's tail whipping out to catch your hand. The celestial blinks awake, eyes darting to the two of you. "Are you both done?"

☁ "Sprout's still asleep!" You exclaim, as if this explains everything. Astro raises a brow, looking at the berry asleep on his chest, raising a brow as if to ask 'so?'.

☁ "He's never asleep this long!" You explain, gesturing wildly. "That's not our Sprout!"

☁ "I promise he's our Sprout." Astro easily reassures you both, watching Cosmo crawl back onto the bed, sitting far enough on the bed he wouldn't go tumbling for a third time.

☁ Sprout nose scrunches and he shifts and the three of you tense at the action. It's quiet enough you could hear a pin drop before Sprout is settling once more and you let out a sigh of relief

☁ "Not dead." You breath at last. "That's good, I was not looking forward to learning Ichor necromancy to bring him back if only to kill him myself."

☁ "I feel like this is a rare occasion. Like...Christmas." Cosmo adds, watching Sprout as well. "Or my birthday. Or maybe his birthday. Though, for future reference, if it was my birthday I would expect more. Maybe an early birthday gift." The diva shrugs, even if you shoot him a glare.

☁ "I have an inappropriate name to call you." You jokingly shove him before your perking up. "Hey! You know what this means?"

☁ "I don't think I want too." Astro huffs, furrowing the space between his brows.

☁ "Nothing bad!" You quickly reassure. "Or dirty." You add, shooting a look at Cosmo, who sticks his tongue out. "Kitchen's open." Is what you say at last, a devious grin spreading over your features.

☁ "Sprout'll kill you." Astro pipes in.

☁ "Uh, not if you take one for the team." You shoot back. "I'm not saying Gigi was in charge of inventory this time, but I am saying my record is 40 pudding cups and the chance at fifty bucks."

☁ "Fifty whole dollars. Wow- that's- Just woowww." Astro rolls his eyes sarcastically. "How did you know I've always wanted a sugar daddy?"

☁ Cosmo snickers even if you lean into the part, crossing your arms and puffing out your chest. "I'll get you the finest pops that I find on the ground, baby, don't you worry."

☁ This time Astro snickers, as if despite himself. "You're impossible."

☁ "Not yet, I'm not." You grin, moving to slide off the bed, but Pebble is right there, glaring up at you as if daring you to do so.

☁ Your jaw drops at this, once more foiled by this silly little creature who seems to have the ultimate vendetta against your kitchen escapades. Cosmo peers over your shoulder to see what make you pause before letting out a burst of giggles, only to clap a hand over his mouth before they have the chance to truly escape.

☁ "Remind me to give him a treat later." Your attention turns back to where Sprout is comfortable laying against Astro, letting the celestial play with his leaves, even if his eyes are locked on you. You have the audacity to give him a sheepish grin.

☁ "Heyyyy, youuu-" You begin, knowing you've been caught before you could even really truly leave.

☁ Sprout levels a look at you. "Well, now I know what you've been trying to do lately." He huffs before sitting up at last, rubbing his eyes before leaning back to press a kiss to Astro's lips. Cosmo eagerly crawls forward to be next, tail wagging behind him, and though you pout at being last, you accept your own good morning kiss.

☁ "Good, now Sprout's awake and we know he's not dead, about that early Birthday present-" Cosmo leans over, only for you to shove him by his face.

☁ "Actually," Sprout cuts in, looking back at Astro who nods. "We were hoping we could...talk?"

☁ You and Cosmo both settle, immediately sensing the shift and responding accordingly. You both sit side by side, watching Sprout with your full attention.

☁ He takes a breath, sitting forward as he plays with his fingers. "...What do you know of someone named Ciara?"

[the-meme-monarch]

so with your event toon hibernation hc... do u think what ginger said about watching tv means like, they arent asleep for the full time or they wake up occasionally and just watch tv until they fall back asleep or smth?

i like to think their hibernation is them like literally disappearing bc them still being physically there and technically awake and just mostly unresponsive for most of the year is like too fucked up and horrifying to me HDHSHSHS and the convo w rodger where he says like “things happen outside of the christmas season when we see you” made me think they like physically disappeared. idk how true that is, but it’s cartoonish and whimsical so i like the idea :] theyre christmas magic it’s fine

but so i kinda figured her bingeing vee’s segments she was talking about ‘when it’s not actively christmas but she’s still around and cognizant’ :0c but under the idea they Are physically there all year but are like actually hibernating like sleeping, her waking up and putting on vee’s game show segments would be cute i think <:] imagine one of the toons getting up in the middle of the night only to be jumpscared by ginger who’s supposed to be dead this time of year just chilling watching tv

[dandysworldhcs]

*scuttles outta attic* Headcanon! The christmas toons, whether they disappear or just fall asleep. Still dream, and through these dreams. Astro can converse with them (kinda) and keep them up to speed on some things that happen in the waking world. In a real emergency. Astro can help them "wake up" long before or after christmas, allowing them to pitch in for a few hours at most. Most times this is just to help with maintaining the building so it doesn't collapse atop all of them. Other times, Its' Rudie doing his best to lead lost toons back to the lobby during a entire building black out. Ginger helping Cosmo and Sprout heal up/feed the others. Bobette aiding Dandy in printing the toons, which I imagine takes a toll on Dandy mentally, if not physically. Although Astro acts as a medium, the regular toons can still converse with their holiday kin via their dreams. It isn't certain how much of the dreams they'll remember. But it helps them feel close, even when fast asleep for nearly all year long. *Scurries back into attic* -SKIN ANON

ooohe this is interestinga ctually

[modcroissant]

Would be so funny if all the mains' close friends are also tired of their sulking. It's even worse when they get friendzoned.

Cosmo starts to stress bake cookies whenever this happens (just had a Loooong talk with sprout), Tisha attempting to get Shelly's mind off of whatevers making her feel bad, the Book Club giving Astro advice, Dandy receiving emotional support from pebble, Vee searching her entire database for SOMETHING that can help with this problem (whilst trying to get snapped out of it by Brightney), Bobette being helped by the Christmas toons.

All of them (Main's Friends) usually come together to the kitchen to eat Cosmo's Stress baked cookies, and rant about this situation.

LMAOOOO THEY ARE SO DONE WITH THEM-

It probably won't take long for them to get informed that Poppy & Connie are trying to help out Boxten and the mains and later joined the two to help as well

I can imagine this was the only time, Cosmo, Tisha and Brightney gets mad at Sprout, Shelly and Vee. Not because of their sulking; but rather because neither of the mains take the time to stop and think about how Boxten feels

And since yk, the main's friends are practically what's stopping Boxten from confessing; Poppy and Connie are likely reluctant to let them join in-

[diggitydoggo]

Wanted to throw more of that Jolly Joust ship. I couldn't help but imagine Rudie meeting twisted Suitor. Yes, a great bit of danger to Rudie... But playing detective and getting as much research as he could. I imagine Rodger would have Rudie walk into the interrogation room to chat with twisted Suitor. See what happens, have Goob yank Rudie out through the door if it gets too dangerous.

Maybe he brings their favorite sleigh in with him.

Given that the holiday toons seem to hide away or go into hibernation when it isn't Christma (or the immediate months before and/or after). I imagine if Twisted suitor never saw a twisted rudie. He would have a hard time picturing Rudie as one of the "thieves"

... Flip side, Twisted Rudie follows toon suitor around like a puppy.

"don't worry, he's harmless."

"suitor, he just impaled Poppy on his antler!"

"... I can train him to do that to Twisteds?"

You guys are making me like this ship so much more than I thought I would. HOW!?

I can guarantee Twisted Suitor is not letting him go that easily. All he's had to talk to for months was a messed up version of Glisten so I can imagine he'll get pretty clingy when he finds someone who he doesn't think is "tainted" by the toons.

Toon Suitor would absolutely try to bring Twisted Rudie home like a stray dog.

I can imagine Suitor would be DEVASTATED when he learned the holiday toons have to leave once the season is over. He'd be so dramatic about it acting like he's a housewife who's husband is leaving for war. He would probably even hide Rudie in his room so he can stay longer then when they get caught he would go crying in Glisten's room. Unfortunately that means Glisten isn't getting his beauty sleep that night and will be very cranky in the morning.

[the-s1lly-corner]

Egg Radar (Bonus ending 1) (Eggson x Reader)

something something "say hell yeah and ill write an ending for eggson" and then i got like two hell yeahs instantly quick heads up im writing this at 3am, havent slept yet and im currently unable to- body just refuses ough, also im aching so... hmm... also generally itching to write! so if this is more janky than usual... i apologize! notes: gn toon reader, does not take place at the same time as the main 7mih line due to the whole "main one takes place during christmas + pre game so obviously other holiday toons arent around", eggson doesnt really get the game, no kissing but there is... something sweet even if not explicitly romantic, old man ooough i love old man, pre game, obviously stating that the reader is an adult (otherwise i wouldnt be writing this) BUT eggson is older than the reader word count: 2.1k cws: none

You push your hand in deeper… and all eyes are on you…

Your fingers wrap around something, and you pull out…

Something smooth and round. It almost felt like plastic in your hands- and your fingers caught on something sticking out of the top of the thing. One side was curved, and the other flat. A second later you pulled the thing out into the air and… you still had no idea what it was. It looked like one of those cooking timers, but… not quite. Kitchen timers didn’t have an antenna.. At least the ones you’ve seen Sprout and Cosmo use didn’t have any. The entire thing was curved, too, setting it down and keeping it from toppling over would be a nightmare in the kitchen. 

You had… absolutely no idea what it was meant to be. 

“Uhm-” You hold the item higher into the air to show it off to the toons around you. Even Dandy looked like he was having a hard time trying to figure out who it belonged to… before the owner stepped up- Eggson… probably the last person you would expect to play this game… but to be fair Dandy had only just revealed why he was collecting items.

A part of you wondered if the older toon even knew what the game tended to entail… your jaw remained clamped shut, Dandy’s seemed to do the same as Eggson pushed his glasses up.

“Why… I think that’s mine,” The egg toon’s hand fell from his glasses, the other gripping the top of his cane firmly to keep him steady. Awkwardly you pushed the… whatever device it was… to his now opened hand.

The thought to ask what it was didn’t cross your mind as Dandy straightened his stance. “Well! I suppose that settles who our first two players are!” 

A tenseness laid in his words, but overall he almost sounded… relieved. Like he was glad you hadn’t drawn someone else… even if there was still a pang of disappointment laced in the gaps of his words. 

Eggson muttered something asking for a reward. He… really did not seem to know what the game was meant to be. 

“You’ve both got seven minutes,” Dandy clasped his hands together, before turning his attention to Vee- to act as his timer you had to guess. 

Cocoa’s hand finally fell from your shoulder. Even she looked relieved- knowing Eggson nothing was going to happen aside from having your head talked off with his stories. Not that that was too terribly bad. Your hand found itself to Eggson’s slightly curved back… the fabric of his vest was… soft… almost silky under your fingers. 

“Come on, game’s starting,” You leaned down slightly to where his ear would’ve been if he had any. 

“What’s the game?” He asked, slightly irked that no one was answering his questions as you walked him down the hall to the gift shop. The door to the storage room was already hanging open… and as you stepped in you grabbed one of the plastic chairs left behind in the shop to bring inside for Eggson. 

“Here,” You set it to the side and guided him towards it. You set yourself against the wall to his right- the door shut and doused you both in darkness. 

Eggson wasn’t as frail as he looked, but the sheer amount of dust in the air did force some worry to coil around your throat as the particles lazily floated through the air. 

It didn’t even occur to you that you hadn’t answered his question until he repeated it- understandably a little more forceful and confused. 

“There isn’t much to it, really, it’s, uuh…” You pat your palms against the wall behind you. How could you word it without sounding weird. Or without making it even more awkward? “You kind of just spend some time alone with someone? I mean there isn’t really… a set goal in mind, its ultimately up to the players-”

You weren’t technically lying. 

Eggson let out an unamused huff. 

“You kids these days really have a weird way of having fun. Back in my day, we played games like tags and chase and-”

You allowed him to go on and on… you couldn’t find it in yourself to remind him that he was designed to be older. Just as all the other toons were designed to be fully matured by the time they were put out into Gardenview… with a few exceptions, of course. 

“I suppose red rover would be more fun than standing around in a closet in the dark,” You add in as his grumbling lulled slightly. “..though… I wouldn’t want you to get hurt,” 

Eggson readjusted himself against his cane- still held in his hands as he leaned forward slightly on the chair you had given him. He waved you off. 

“I’m not some tired old bitty who needs to be fretted over- I wouldn’t have become the egg hunting champion if I didn’t take a few risks,” his smile stretched across his face. “I’ve fallen out of my fair share of trees to secure my victories, you know,” 

You force a smile across your face but the idea nearly mortified you. 

“Well… if not for you- we still have some more… fragile toons… Scraps is… papery… and Finn’s made of glass- literally… I’m sure there’s a few more,” You shrugged.

Vee, too, maybe even Brightney… Rodger and Glisten’s glass faces crossed your mind for a moment. “Not worth the risk, you know?”

Eggson hummed softly in response. “You’re a kind toon, taking everyone else into consideration like that,” his hands curled and flexed around the curve of his cane. The elder toon tilted his face to get a better look at you- at least as best as he could in the dark. 

“Say… why did you enter this…” his smile faltered slightly, as if the current round was painful to call a game, “...activity…” 

His face untensed. 

The corner of your mouth curled downwards in a faint grimace to match his own temporary one. 

You knew why he entered- he was roped into it by Dandy by adding his item into the basket. Though… he could have backed out of the game- even if he didn’t fully understand it. 

You, on the other hand…

The shrug of your shoulders did nothing to satisfy Eggson’s curiosity.

“I guess I didn’t really think much of it? I mean-” You cut yourself off and regather yourself. 

But… perhaps it was his kindness… your clear discomfort was picked up by Eggson.

“Oh… you don’t need to feel pushed into giving an answer if you don’t have one,” his smile was earnest as his hand pulled itself towards you and lightly rested itself on your upper arm. The gesture was small, but it did wonders in soothing your current state. 

“It’s not like I was really looking for someone specifically to pull- not that I’m not happy to have you with me, of course,” You continue on. A glance is stolen from the corner of your eye, resting on his gentle features. A small part of you wondered if he would have been given the same grace and openness if he were drawn by someone else. The implications of the game tended to lead to similar outcomes- regardless of how far they went. Would someone have been a little less patient or understanding if they had pulled someone who clearly didn’t know what was going on? 

His fingers trail a faint circle against your skin and you're brought back to the storage room. The dust stings your eyes, and the air felt nearly suffocating- your throat itched. Bad. 

“This game isn’t just about sitting around doing nothing, is it?” 

Eggson’s hand pulled itself away from you and settles with the other. A soft but faint groan rolls in your throat and your teeth clicked. 

It didn’t how much you tried to dance around the topic, your words had betrayed you and gave the egg a little more context than you were intending. 

As hyper focused as he was on “the old times” and the (egg) hunt, he was far more observant and in the moment than one might think. 

Your feet suddenly looked really interesting, the way it pushed the dust and left streaks in it more captivating than the faint glint from his glasses- just barely catching the sliver of light creeping in through the bottom of the door. 

“It… can be, but not always,” You drag the toe of your foot to draw a line in the dust. “Though… at least from what I’ve heard- I’ve… actually never been drawn before, if I’m being honest- the only reason I’m in here I guess is because Dandy made me draw-” 

Your words die, and you take a moment to recollect yourself. It shouldn’t be this awkward to explain this. Sure, Eggson wasn’t cruel but he did have a tendency to judge things he didn’t fully understand- and you had a feeling he wouldn’t fully get this. 

“A lot of people actually use this as a means to get closer-”

Again, not an entire lie. Wrapped in innocence, and it could be taken in any way. 

“Ah, like lovebirds,”

And he saw right through it. 

Your teeth clench against one another… you hadn’t meant to hesitate but it was enough confirmation for him. Both of your eyes fixed themselves intensely to your feet. 

A few seconds passed, and just as you were expecting Eggson to go into one of his rambles about not understanding the younger generation… he… laughed.

Not at you- he covered it under his breath.

“I suppose you younger toons aren’t much different than us older folk,” Eggson readjusted his glasses. “Well…” he shifted around in the plastic chair- and fully turned his head to look at your wilted and mortified form. 

“...even if I am not who you’d choose, I think you’re lovely,” 

Your hands shift awkwardly against the wall behind you once more. 

“Even more- you’re thoughtful, and kind. I may not fully understand this game… and truth be told I don’t think it’s my cup of tea, but as long as you have fun with it… who am I to judge?”

Another shift and he turned himself to fully face you from his chair- back no longer supported. His cane clacked gently against the wooden floor. “And I’m glad I have such a dear as my first,” 

Another hum pulled from your chest. 

“And I mean that,” 

The tips of your feet press against one another. “I know you do- you don’t usually just say things to say them,” 

Eggson chuckled again softly… and as he calmed, someone knocked on the other side of the door. 

“Time’s up you two, time to come on out!” 

It was Dandy… at least he gave you both the grace to open the door yourselves. 

“Time really flew by, huh?” Eggson readjusted his glasses and a second later rose to his feet. He mutters a soft thanks as you help him rise- and… he offers you his free hand. 

…and you take it without giving it much of a second thought.

“I’d offer you my entire arm, but… oh, I’m afraid it’s a little difficult to walk like that with my cane,” He apologized.

“No, no this is just fine,” Your hold squeezed around his hand before relaxing… you’re the one to open the door to greet Dandy on the other side- who’s eyes instantly fly down to the shared hold between you and the older toon. 

“Ah,” 

That was all. Whatever tenseness in the single noise wasn’t questioned by you- but it did earn a raised brow from Eggson. 

“Come on, I’m sure you want to go back to… what were you looking for earlier, exactly…? I saw you wandering around the lobby earlier…” You ask under your breath as the two of you walk together down the hall.

“Oh, I was trying to see if I could find any eggs early- you know, they’re hosting the egg hunt tomorrow,” he grinned up at you. You purse your lips slightly. 

“I think they’re putting the eggs out tomorrow morning- right before opening-” 

“Well, it never hurts to scope out some hiding spots!” he snickered. “You should do the same, you might just be able to best me this time,” 

You only shake your head slightly, but you couldn’t fight the smile curling at the edges of your mouth…

…and the sight seemed to satisfy him. He brightened just a little more- a new found pep in his step as he began to rattle on about some of his egg finding strategies. 

….You… had a feeling he almost let slip what his item was before quickly redirecting.

[fizzyboy]

If the Christmas toons were Canon to this au, would it have become an apocalypse before, after, or during their stay?

Imagine they pop back into reality expecting hugs from kids only for Oops! All Wasteland lol

I actually don't know.

On one hand, this all likely happened before the Christmas season where gardenview was more focused on the actual research part of their jobs, and the toons were all just tossed into this nightmare with no prep time.

On the other hand, if this happens during the Christmas season, it would like be the most disastrous situation for humans specifically since it would be a time when a lot of children were involved.

Child death or late to the party.

[mostazio]

Making some dw ocs, here's some concepts

They're gonna be a group of 5 toons, i made one first then got this idea of making them based on a roller disco and other stuff. I wanna share some ideas i have for them, might change a lot when i finish their designs and lore. Also, all their abilities affect a group of toons, as a ref to parties having tons of people in them Smoke machine: Her ability can be activated while being chased by a twisted, if you use it you'll quickly make the twisted chasing you lose you, this will also affect any toon nearby, if you're being chased by for example t.Shrimpo you can use the ability to lose the twisted and if there's anyone else that the twisted would focus their attention to then the ability will affect the other toon as well. Bum bag: He'll have an ability similar to Gigi's but others can actually take your items because you'll drop them, he'll drop rarer items depending on how much other toons there is in your team, if you're playing by yourself it'll be difficult to get any rare items, if you're playing with 8 players you'll get rarer items for yourself and your teammates. Cassette: She'll be a distractor, her ability is like Pebbles bark but a little different, i'll change her design because she'll have some boombox kind of headphones which when using your ability will activate loud music for 10 seconds, there will be an icon that other players would see and it'll be some musical notes also if any other player gets near you while this happens they'll get confusion 1. This ability will attract twisted to your exact location and if you're near any toon while the 10 seconds aren't up the twisted will stay focused on you, after the 10 seconds are up they'll still follow but now can get distracted and go after other toons with lower stealth Disco ball: There will be higher chances of a blackout with this toon, but his ability will illuminate the entire map with a blue light similar to a disco's one, but still the light of other toons will be visible while this happens. He's going to be a main, i'm still thinking about his other ability but this one is like a concept. Also, they all glow in the dark, there will be little details in their designs that will explain it. Also, the disco ball will have an unique way of glowing in the dark.

Here's Rollie, he's also a part of the group! I ship this stupid guy with R&D bc... Why not? I was thinking about his ability being like Rudie/Flutter's but with a little extra, he'll do a little dash as if he's skating with his socks and will boost the toons near him giving them more movement speed or stamina regeneration idk which one yet, also had an idea for his trinket that could give him a bit of the boost to himself, but it'll depend on how many players are affected by his boost, if there's a lot of people that get his boost then he'll get just a little bit, but if there's no one you'll get the entire boost smth like that I still gotta think abt a lot of stuff for them but here's what i had in mind! Also, they'll be toons made to celebrate, after the celebration's over they'll get locked up just like the christmas toons.. Waiting for the next celebration or whatever special moment happens so they can spread their joy to everybody. All of them talk in caps to show just how energetic and cheerful they are! And oftenly other toons tell them to calm down a bit because of them talking too loud.. And of course, most have a pretty low stealth, they tend to call everyone's attention. Had this thought of them not being able to feel sadness, anger, any negative emotions, they'll feel frustrated about it but couldn't exactly show it, it'll be like they'll scream for help but could never be taken seriously, no matter how hard they try.. They're toons only made to party all the time, having no break at all about their nonstop joy. Forced to be something they don't want to be. GONNA CHANGE A LOT OF STUFF, PROBABLY SAKFNASDLFASDL

[weirdo-art-stuff]

Dandy's world

Dandy's world art sense I got obsessed with the game, and spent most of my time getting all the characters and mastering all their mysteries, getting all trinkets and skins.. Because I have a completion need. And I was successful :3 But also I don't have Looey, Coal and Bobette's Mysteries yet, But I will be working on getting them soon when I get the chance :D for now, I want to be going back to working on some art after getting over my sickness and personal problems that happened :)

Btw designs for the Christmas toons and some twisteds soon :D

[lavendermunson]

enchanted | knight!eddie munson x princess!reader

summary Eddie never saw you again after that night, you both were ten years old and sitting in a piano, just a couple of kids enjoying each others company but since you were a princess with an arranged marriage, you got trapped in a castle. You never saw Eddie again but he did, getting close to your windows to watch you, you grew to be the most beautiful he has ever seen. A re-encounter might change the world, even put upside down two different kingdoms.

tags +18, afab!reader, perv!eddie, mentions of jason craver sorry, best friends to lovers kind of relationship, masturbation reader and eddie, mentions of food in a nsfw way, set in some fairytale, mention of low self-steem. one use of y/n just one i swear it’s you won’t even remember it. i tried to be as inclusive as possible so i didn’t mention anything about the reader’s, no skin color, no hair color, no body type, if i missed something tell me! i want everyone to read this and picture themselves as a princess, although i did used she/her pronouns and the reader was born in autumn. mentions of death eddie’s mom

a/n i pictured a lot of princess from disney and also toon inspiration from bridgerton, it’s the first time i write something so long so forgive me for any mistakes. if you want me to keep writing this story don’t forget to mention it :)

wc 2.4k… i surprised myself

moodboard | next chapter

A few years ago two kingdoms decided to unite, building a wall to protect them both and agreeing on sharing everything. With this agreement also came the rule of “arrange the marriage of their second born children at the age of 20” The two of them being born in the same year made it easier for it to be more under control, thanks to their older siblings being already married or out of town.

Prince Jason, from the Craver family, was born in the light of the summer, and with it came his whole personality. He isn’t much of a charming young man, his soft hair shines under every light, even the fire, what’s supposed to be aggressive and dangerous. The boy used it in his favor, lighting his room every time he got a new girl on his bed from one of his famous parties.

From the second kingdom, Princess Y/N from the Willow family was born in autumn, just in time when the trees start to let go of their orange-colored leaves. She was a quiet girl, always surrounded by books, avoiding parties, and helping her mom grow all kinds of flowers. She’s never had a boyfriend, and always tried to keep herself busy until the day of her wedding, which she named “the end of her life”.

She didn’t like Jason, at family dinners, he always had a girl in his arms, he wasn’t polite and he was irresponsible. Didn’t have what it took to be a good prince, let aside the new king. The princess was about to turn 20, in three weeks exactly, she was scared of her future because she had too much more to learn, to see, to experience.

—

At the start of the cold winter, Eddie was born, the same year as the prince and the princess, his friends always joked about that “If you were born into the Craver family, you would’ve married the princess” he always laughed about that, knowing that only happened in his dreams, one time, after a private Christmas dinner with the Royalty, when his uncle Wayne became the Willow king’s right hand. Eddie was being trained by his uncle, in sword fights, first aid, horse riding, everything to serve as a knight to the Willow kingdom and to keep him close, but the long-haired boy hated it, he wanted to play guitar, play piano, conquer every instrument in existence, he loved music thanks to his mom who unfortunately died when he was a little boy.

Eddie had an innocent crush since that dinner, he was 10 the same as you, and you showed him the piano and started playing with it.

“You should come here and take classes with me, I'm pretty sure you’re going to be better than me. You have talent, Eds” You said.

“She said I can take classes with her, Wayne.” little Eddie begged his uncle to let him go “Pleaaase”

“No way son, you have to start training,” the older man said, with a frown on his face.

Since that day, you never saw Eddie again, but he did, when he gets a little too close to the kingdom and stares at your living room window where you read, every day, at 5 pm. He watches you bite your bottom lip when you flip the pages gently, your fingers rub the words as you furrow your eyebrows, he realizes he is head over heels for you.

—

It was a Sunday, the air was cold and the clouds were getting in the way of the sun making its light a little bit dim. Eddie grabbed a horse and some grapes, to keep him company while he watched you read, it wasn’t weird, right? He wasn't doing anything wrong, just an innocent act of… spying. His uncle stopped him after hearing the loud steps of the horse.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going for a ride, just to clear my head”

“No, you get back here young man” The voice of his uncle was louder, firmer, Eddie whined at the old man with a frustrated look on his face “Did you forget tomorrow you start working for real? We have to get you ready”

“Ready? I’m ready Wayne I just need a little time to myself”

“Nonsense, get back here you have to clean your armor”

They both get back in the little house, Eddie sighed as his uncle showed him the new armor.

“But it’s clean!” Eddie whined again, Wayne eyed his nephew annoyed, and tossed a cloth into the young boy’s chest.

“It’s not, it has to shine,” he said, Eddie sighed again, defeated. “C’mon”

Eddie stayed home that day, the first day he skipped his little spying routine, and thank god he did because what happened that day at 5 pm would’ve broken his heart.

__

“Just one kiss, please?” Jason said to you, getting the book out of your hands and throwing it aside.

“You are drunk at 5 pm? What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing! Just kiss me” he leaned in closer to your face, fingers touching your jaw “We are getting married, don’t you remember?”

“I do, I think about it every day and it makes me so sick, now I have a migraine because of your little tantrum” You push him away, and with all the strength in your body, gravity played a little turn and betrayed you, making you fall on top of him on the floor.

“Are we going to practice?” Jason had a grin on his face, his hands tightening on your waist. You get up quickly at the feeling of his touch, fixing up your dress you leave the room, not after scoffing at him and his absurd behavior.

—

On Monday, the kingdoms were throwing a celebration in honor of King Craven’s 60th birthday. Everyone in town was celebrating, having a big party for themselves with the excuse of their least-favorite King. The servants were getting the party started, Queen Craven decided to go with a ball instead of a casual dinner, where people from other towns would come to see the castle and have fun with beautiful gowns and expensive jewelry.

After Eddie met with the Willow king and queen, his new job was taking care of their little princess. He was excited about it but also nervous. He’s getting a chance to spend time with you, to watch you for a few more minutes than usual. It was a new sensation for him, some kind of anxiety mixed with enthusiasm, walking around with a heavy metal armor over his body relaxed him a bit, it was making pressure on his chest so his heart wouldn’t burst out, the only ‘bad’ thing was he didn’t have to wear a helmet, he was afraid his grin was too big on his face and decided to look for an empty room to make a little dance of celebration.

Finally one of the doors opens, and thanks to his bad luck he finds your room. You are currently in a large undergarment, looking at yourself in the mirror and making a disgusted face. You didn’t have a corset on because you hated them, but something was off with your self-esteem that day.

“Sorry, sorry i-” he said, stunned to speak at the sight of the beautiful princess. He also dreamed of seeing your body, it was better than his imagination would have pictured. The parts of your naked skin were glowing, he closed his fist trying to keep himself on edge, the desire of touching you, feeling your soft skin with his fingertips, and placing kisses all over you made Eddie turn around quickly, closing his eyes in an attempt to memorize what he just saw.

“Wait! Don’t go!” you said, getting in your dress as quickly as possible as he touched the door handle “Can you tie up my dress? It’s pretty difficult for me since i can’t reach”

Eddie opened his eyes wider, trying to ease his breathing and slowly coming up to you ‘Your wish is my command’ he said to himself.

He nods in your direction and gets closer, you move your hair to one side so Eddie can tie up the dress easier, and with his big fingers, he takes the laces of the dress tightening up a little, and makes a secure knot on your back.

“Please make sure you add a bow, i-it looks better that way” You peek your head over your shoulder for a second, he nods again and tries to make a proper bow, but it turned out nicely than he thought.

He rests his hands on your waist, looking at your reflection in the mirror, you keep checking if the dress looks good and trying to fix some parts of it that look loose. You didn’t mind Eddie’s touch, you knew who he was and what he was doing here (kind of). You were happy inside, you always wanted Eddie as a friend since that night when you were kids, and now you can keep him close, even better, speak to him and get to know him.

“Thank you, Eddie,” you say, getting out of your pool of thoughts.

“You remember me?” he asks, eyebrows crinkled on his face, and you giggle looking at his surprised face.

“How could I forget such a pretty face?” Eddie flushes instantaneously.

“Me? You are the one who looks speechless” you blush, the little flirt game making your heart flutter.

“You think so? I believe this dress has something wrong, do you?”

Eddie takes his time to reply, looking at your reflection again he keeps looking for the mistake you were searching for earlier, but he seems to miss it. He gets brave enough to trace your waist and torso with his fingers, going up from your back and resting his hands on your exposed shoulders, rubbing them delicately. You shiver at his touch, something that you have never felt before, your tummy starts to feel funny and your breath hitches, the boy behind you is quick to notice your little squirm, he laughs at it and gently takes his hands off you, you miss his touch already.

“I don’t think so, it looks… you look really good” he says, giving you a look of reassurance. He misses your skin too, it’s been just a couple of seconds since his fingers ignited with your warm skin and now his hands are too cold for his liking. You turn around in a quick twist, locking eyes with him.

“So… you work here now,” you ask him, getting lost in his chocolate eyes.

“Yes, from now on”

“What do you have to do?” His cheeks feel warm being close to you, now he hates the armor that protects his chest from the warmth of your body.

“I have to take care of you, actually” You are quick to notice he is trying to hide a big smile “Your mom kept talking about your little trips to the outside and she wants someone to protect you”

“You think I need protection?” you cross your arms in front of your chest, Eddie brings his attention to your little act trying to look tough and he gets lost in your cleavage for a minute.

“N-no, I’m sure you are fine” he shakes his head and finds your eyes again “Since you’ve been back without a scratch i know you got everything under control, i mean… she only wants to keep me close to you so she can relax” he curses at himself for feeling so nervous all of a sudden, the fact that he didn’t know about your trips to the woods outside the kingdoms makes his blood boil, he kept tabs on you every day, all day, how did he miss this?

“I’m pretty sure she thinks there are monsters out there” you laugh, covering your mouth with your hand “i only go out to read, sometimes i need to clear my head and be somewhere new, you know?” He nods, he understands perfectly, that’s what he said to his uncle just yesterday.

“Yes, but now I'll be doing my job and watching you” ‘like i used to’ he thinks to himself.

“Alright, i don’t mind you doing your job” You roll your eyes and turn around “I have to keep getting ready, can you wait outside?”

“Yes, of course” he leans his head to the front and you giggle at his movements “I’ll leave you to it”you giggle at his movements “I’ll leave you to it”

“I’ll take a lot of time, you can just go get some food and I’ll find you in the kitchen”

“If you need something i’ll be there, i have to take you to the Craven kingdom in an hour”

“Perfect, i’ll find you there” he leaves your room after listening to your words, you look at him with a soft smile before he closes the door and you run to the bathroom to clear your head.

You quickly realize you miss his touch on your body, the pool on your panties confirms it. You lift your dress and sit on the edge of the bathroom, reaching for your pussy and rubbing your clit over your clothes with your fingers, closing your eyes, and trying to focus on him. His masculine scent comes back to you, remembering his fingers touching you and the way he looked so good in that armor, you made sure to remember he had been working out to get the job. Your imagination takes you far beyond, it was almost as you were listening to his moans, but no, it can be, he is in the kitchen at this moment. Maybe he is eating a tiny cookie with his big hands, crust getting all over his mouth, maybe he is eating a cupcake while he gets frosting over his fingers and he sucks them clean, eating the bottom part while licking at his sugary lips.

But you were wrong, he wasn’t in the kitchen, he came back a couple of seconds after you went into the bathroom. He wanted to ask you something before you had to be in a public space, surrounded by people he didn’t like. But you weren’t there, he got worried for a second until his ears started ringing, recognizing your voice through the bathroom door and your shaky moans. His cock got hard just hearing you breathe in and out with a fast rhythm, he quickly got his hand under his pants and started to rub his dick, moaning at your pretty noises not noticing you could hear him, he managed to run to a bathroom close to your room to release his cum and wash his hands after. You did the same in your bathroom, quickly cleaning your cum so it doesn’t drip onto your clothes.

If that’s how both of you get after seeing each other for less than an hour, it would be worse when you have to be together day and night.

sorry i ended up like this :) if you want more i’ll be happy to write it, leave some ideas of what should happen next i’ll be reading you ♡ feedback is appreciated! don't forget to REBLOG TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR!

tags: @stephanie-nicks76 ty for commenting luv. join my taglist in the form or comment here

[moonwaterart]

So… because my fics seem to pop off a lot more than my art does. I’m posting another oneshot here with a link to the AO3 page.

Have fun with my favorite rarepair Dandy’s World fandom.

But I’m Still Nice… Right?

Rating: T

Pairing: Deck the Halls (Rudie x Glisten)

Word count: 5,993

AO3 link

Since the Christmas toons had been discovered, they’d been a major help with expeditions through the bowels of the facility that was Gardenview. Helping gather supplies in hard-to-reach places. Going where others wouldn’t to retrieve supplies to continue for another week, helping out where their skills were best suited. Yes, it was four more mouths to feed, but they earned their keep.

Cosmo was elated to see his cousin again, having a third medically knowledgeable toon around helped greatly. Not to mention she had a knack for gardening and helped turn the grassy patch in the lobby into a sustainable food source with some of the rations. The only natural light that came into the facility hit that patch in certain areas that weren’t covered by the tree, so she helped Sprout and Brightney figure out the best places to plant things.

Coal let other small toons ride her, so she was seen with Toodles quite frequently on her back laughing and squeezing with delight as the large boulder of a dog ran through the halls the toons safely occupied. She was quite fast for her size. It was nice to have a dog around again since Pebbles vanished and was later found Twisted. She also helped sniff out items that were missed on runs, so she was a good addition to have around, even if Cosmo sometimes complained about her begging for snacks which he ultimately gave in to.

Bobette helped keep their stock organized and counted. Making sure nothing ran out and if things were starting to, a team was put together to collect more. Her infectious attitude kept morale high even after bad runs. Always looking on the bright side of things, though the other toons could tell it was to hide how hopeless she felt about everything she and the other Christmas toons had gone through year after year for almost three decades. Alone. Forgotten. It was a miracle they didn’t twist. Let alone no ichor was found where they were.

Then there was Rudie. Rudie always seemed to be smiling about something. Always laughing along to jokes or joining in on conversations. Always wanting to do things to show how useful he could be. To prove he was worth knowing. He would almost always volunteer to go on runs, using his survival skills from over the years to help where he could. The Twisteds were a new challenge for him, but he adapted quickly, learning who he could help distract and who it’s best to avoid. He learned how to use the Ichor machines pretty quickly and was good at extracting from them too.

All in all, they each earned their place. Yet Rudie always felt he had to do more. Be more. Soaking up the praise he was given at a job well done and striving to be seen as ‘the nicest’ out of everyone in the group. So when he noticed in Bobette’s open inventory book that they were running low on medical supplies, he shut the book and made the decision to go on an expedition alone. It was late and many of the toons had come back from bad run after bad run, they needed something good to happen for a change.

He went to his room (it used to be Boxten’s room, but since he twisted. He didn’t need it anymore for obvious reasons) and got some things for his trip. His old present satchel to store any med kits and bandaid packs he found would do the trick as well as some wraps to help with his wind resistance. Wrapping them like how Shrimpo (reluctantly and quite rudely) showed him around his hands and just above his hooves, he made sure everything was secure before also snagging a snack from his private stash and started making his way to the elevators, doing his best to avoid anyone and everyone until he heard the large door slide down into place.

Dandy’s stall came up and the Flower seemed surprised anyone was coming down at this hour.

“Usually you guys wait until morning to do your runs.” He looked around the elevator before returning his attention back to Rudie. “Where’s the rest of your team?”

“It’s just me tonight.” The reindeer replied, a smile on his face, though his eyes gave away a slight nervousness. Dandy cocked an eyebrow.

“Either you’re one of the bravest toons in the group, or the dumbest.” He stated. “Going at it alone is dangerous.”

“I know. But it’s to help the others.” Rudie replied, his chest fur fluffing in defiance. “And I’ll do that if it means we get to survive for longer.”

“Hm… admirable… I guess.” Dandy shrugged.

“The other toons gave us Christmas toons a place outside our season when they found us… they didn’t have to, but they did… I’m doing what I can to give back, even though I can never repay their kindness.”

“Please… gag me with a spoon.” Dandy rolled his eyes, gesturing to his left. “Look, as always, if you want to go up, hit the button there. Try not to die. I’ll be up every other floor to check on you and give you an opportunity to buy things if you have the tapes.”

“…right… thanks.”

Dandy’s store closed up and the elevator descended. It was eerie without others talking to him or around him in the dingy box as it lowered, but he also found a strange comfort in the silence. He could almost hear the usual banter. Rodger reminding the group to grab research if they could for him. Tisha fussing over how dirty everything still was. Sprout asking everyone to be careful. Looey cracking a joke or two to lighten the mood.

A well oiled machine the group was. Rudie was appreciative that he got to be a part of that and only hoped this would help. “Okay Rudie… make it as far as you can, then go back. This is just a nice gesture you’re doing so we don’t gotta do it tomorrow.”

And he was nice… right?

The chime indicating he’d arrived at his first destination, snapping him out of his thoughts. Checking himself over one final time, he breathed in deep a few times and hopped from foot to foot, shaking out the nervous jitters. He has this. He had to. The elevator door slid open and he jogged out onto the floor, his hooves clicking on the tile as he quickly scanned the area for three things: Items, Ichor Machines, and Twisteds. Two things to seek, one thing to avoid as much as possible.

He had this.

—-

Eight floors down and descending to his ninth, he checked over the contents of his bag. Four bandaid boxes and two med kits. He also managed to snag a few ichor capsules for Rodger to study and some food products from an unraided pantry. Not bad, but he could find more. He should start checking doors to see if any were locked. Maybe there was a closet through one of them that someone forgot to check?

He zipped the bag back up and situated it back into place as he heard the chime ring out once more. He was about to jog out as the door slid open, but he heard something that caused him to stop in his tracks. A voice. One that no one had heard in months.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

His ears flicked and his fur puffed slightly. No… no he couldn’t be alive still.

He died. Rudie had been there when it happened. He heard it.

Toodles had wanted to go on an expedition. Despite Rodger’s hesitance, he reluctantly agreed, only if he and a select few he trusted to protect the child toon came with. They’d agreed to five floors and that’s it.

Goob, Glisten, Cosmo, Tisha and himself had gone along to watch over her and keep things running smoothly. They each showed her what things to do and how to do them. She was taught about the Twisteds and how to act in case she came across one. Everything was going according to plan.

Then they got to their final floor and all hell broke loose. It was rare for one of the main Twisteds to wander so high up, yet the high pitched scream of Toodles rang out as she got chased towards the elevator by Vee. The group realized she’d wandered off from Rodger’s side because she saw a toy on a shelf and was trying to grab it.

Glisten was the first to react, pushing past the others who’d already made it into the elevator and ran back into the darkness of the floor to grab the child. Rodger was freaking out and wanting to run back out after him, Goob and Tisha resorted to having to hold him back. Cosmo was over by the button to start their ascension to the surface. There was so much yelling.

That’s when they saw it. The twinkle of Glisten’s ability in front of Rudie. He was teleporting back to the elevator as the door was sliding shut, using him as his reference point given he was closest to the opening. The reindeer braced himself to catch him, but who popped into his embrace was Toodles who looked so scared, hurt, and traumatized, all she could do once she was in the reindeer’s arms was bury her face into the warm neck fur of the Christmas toon and sob. The gutteral sound of pained cries and glass shattering was heard as the elevator door fully closed, leaving the group in a stunned silence.

“Please… I don’t want to be alone again…”

Rudie snapped out of his thoughts and started jogging towards the voice. It didn’t take long for him to confirm who it was.

Peaking around a large crate, he spotted the hand mirror. His outfit was covered in ichor stains and ripped where Rudie guessed Vee had gotten him. His favorite bow was wrapped around his arms and occasionally dripped with the black substance that stained Glisten’s lower arms and hands. His stature made him look like he was trying to comfort himself as he stumbled around, almost in a daze, like he’d been crying for a long time.

“…Glisten?”

The mirror snapped his attention towards Rudie’s voice, the reindeer second guessing if he’d made a mistake as he saw Glisten’s shattered face. He only had one eye and he couldn’t see his mouth… but something was off about his eye compared to other Twisteds he’d encountered. He just couldn’t place it.

“Rudie…? Is that… really you?” Glisten took a hesitant step towards him, his posture lifting slightly. Now he could see it. The eye was lighter. A pink-ish color compared to the red the other Twisteds sported.

The reindeer slowly stepped out from his hiding spot. Giving him a small smile and wave. “Yeah.”

“Oh… oh thank goodness you’re here…” The two toons never got along. Glisten and Rudie always had an awkward relationship. Their conversations ended weirdly, they never had much of anything at all in common, yet something in Glisten’s tone called to Rudie’s empathetic nature. This wasn’t something he should shuffle away from like before. He couldn’t. That wouldn’t be nice.

And he was nice… right?

Glisten stepped even closer to him. “I’ve been alone for so long… Everything hurts. I don’t want to be alone anymore…”

“Are there… any other Twisteds around?” Rudie asked.

“I mean… Connie’s here… but she doesn’t ever want to help me.” The other sniffled.

With that confirmation, Rudie closed the distance. “Hey… it’s okay. You’re not alone anymore.”

“Please… stay?”

“I mean… I’m here now, right?”

Glisten collapsed into a sobbing mess and Rudie caught him, lowering them both to the ground, holding the other close. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Just let it all out.”

They stayed like that for a long while. Rudie not loosening his grip once, though he could have sworn he saw Connie pass by and look at the two before continuing her cycle of haunting the yet to be touched machines of the floor. He just rubbed a hand across the other’s back and slowly rocked them both side to side.

Once Glisten's sobs finally died down and a small, comfortable silence fell on the two. Rudie still continuing his comforting, the weight of the other pressed against him felt even more so now.

“Did… did what I did work?” Glisten finally asks. “Did Toodles make it?”

“…yeah. I caught her.” The other answered. “She was injured… she still sometimes gets night terrors… but she’s alive.”

Glisten breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness… I really didn’t know if my ability would work on someone else without me… I’m glad it did. I-I was always scared I’d see her one of these days… looking like one of them. Becoming one like I am.”

“…it’s not the same without you around.” Rudie admitted. “But how’d you live? We though Vee-“

“She left me to die.” Glisten started to explain his side of events, pulling back slightly. “I blacked out after I sent Toodles away. Vee hit me hard and shattered my face. The pain was unbearable… I don’t know when I woke up, but I did. I saw Gigi… thought she’d hit me… but she just kept mindlessly wondering. I knew something was wrong because of it.”

Rudie listened to the mirror talk. Recounting how he figured out how to move between floors without the elevator. How the others who vanished and twisted left him to his own devices, but because they mindlessly wandered and acted on impulse, he had no one to talk to. No one to hold a meaningful conversation with. He’d tried finding Dandy. To get him to open the elevator. To let him return home… but he’d started losing hope. He started acting out as well.

He explained why his arms were tied together; what he’d found out about Twisted behavior. Impulse, desire, and strong emotional state. That’s what made a Twisted turn into the animalistic monsters they were now. And the reason Glisten held out for so long despite how hard his body fought him. It was the hope someone would find him.

Rudie listened to his words, an ever growing pain in his heart. Glisten always acted so pompous and full of himself, but he did have a heart of gold despite it. He liked being the center of attention, but knew how to share the spotlight because at least people wanted him around. He always acted like helping others was such a chore, but his words revealed that he was thankful to feel that want from others. He loved being sought out. To be useful. To feel wanted. To be loved.

Hearing him describe what separated a Twisted from a Toon confirmed in the reindeer’s brain that Glisten was Twisted even as he held onto the last scraps of his toon-self to keep him from hurting himself and others. If Rudie stayed, he knew in his heart that he would start to twist as well. He couldn’t do that to the others topside.

He glanced around where they were, he could see a couple items on the ground, but in the corner of his vision, he spotted one of the Ichor Machines. He looked back down as Glisten, who’d gone back to resting his head against his chest fur and felt his stomach twist in discomfort. He didn’t want to leave the toon, but knew he had to at some point. However; this wouldn’t be a simple task. It was part of a long game. A game of waiting, a game of patience.

“Why don’t we get up and stretch out our legs, hm?” He suggested. “We don’t want to wither away and wallow in self pity here, yeah?”

“…right…”

Rudie pulled away, Glisten letting out a whimper from the lack of contact as the other stood up before helping him back to his feet. Making sure the mirror’s feet were stable, Rudie offered him a small and soft smile.

“…you won’t leave me… right?” Glisten asked again.

“I won’t.” Rudie knew he was telling a lie, he just hoped his tone of voice was convincing enough for the Twisted to believe him.

——

Rudie did his best to slow down for the Twisted toon as they walked the floor, but he also took the time to note where each machine he had to complete was located and if there were any items on the floor he could pick up. He noticed a blue box stashed away on a shelf a little out of each and nodded to himself. He’d need to grab that on another pass.

Rudie was never the best at making plans. He just sort of did what his gut told him to do and dealt with the consequences afterward. So being put in a situation (granted he put himself in this situation) where he had to make a plan, it was nerve wracking.

He looked back over to the broken mirror. His sluggish movements and eye glued to the floor indicating that he didn’t want to trip. Rudie bit his lip. Yes, they weren’t on a level where they could have been considered friends in any capacity, but Glisten needed one right about now.

He reached an arm across Glisten’s shoulders and pulled him closer.

Glisten let out a gasp and stumbled slightly, his shoulder’s tensing as he was pulled into the other’s side. He tried to process what was going on, but the ichor in his body was making things foggy and hard to process correctly as he tried to comprehend the gesture’s intent. Did the reindeer like him? Was it him just being nice? They never got along and were more acquaintances than friends… but he did always find Rudie’s willingness to help others admirable.

Maybe it was the Ichor intensifying his feelings about things, but feeling the weight against his shoulders, the warm fur against his side, and listening to the clicks of hoof-steps was a much-desired comfort to him. Thinking back to times they’d interacted before, Rudie always seemed to stumble over his words and say the dumbest things, making their conversations awkward and stopping them abruptly. The reindeer actively avoided the mirror after a while unless he was asked to talk with him, but Glisten never truly knew why.

The last time they talked was the day Toodles went on her first and presumably only run. A simple compliment from Rudie. Nothing more. Though he looped back through each conversation he could remember and each time Rudie fumbled over his words, it was to compliment Glisten. To try and get to know him better.

Huh…

“So… do Twisteds need to rest?” Rudie asked, snapping him from his thoughts. “Like, do you ever get tired? How about eating? I mean… without a mouth I guess it would be hard to do so…”

“What? Oh… No. Twisteds don’t sleep. At least from what I’ve noticed they don’t.” Glisten responded. “I’ve tried a few times, but it’s like my mind refuses to slow down. Like I’m waiting for something to hurt me again. It’s like I can feel my heart pounding and the ichor in my body pulse. I can physically feel exhausted, but mentally feel like I can’t allow myself to stop.

As for eating… I’ve tried before. Crushed up a protein bar. Let it fall down my throat. Threw up what I ate not even ten minutes later. Tried again with pop, but my body was physically rejecting everything I tried to eat or drink. I stopped trying after a week. My stomach sometimes growls, but I don’t feel the need to eat anymore. I sometimes feel the pain from where Vee hit me though, if that counts for anything.”

Rudie shuttered, remembering the sound of Glisten’s cries as the elevator door slammed shut.

“…I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“You… you shouldn’t have been the one out there.” Rudie admitted. “You didn’t deserve that kind of fate. Had we all kept a better eye on Toodles-“

“Rudie.” Glisten stopped moving and turned more to face him, reached a hand up to place on his cheek, but stopped himself and pulled his arms back again, instead opting to shake a finger and gesture as he spoke. “No one is to blame for what happened. No one. What happened, happened. It was all just a series of unfortunate events…”

Glisten took a deep breath, dropped his arms and looked away, before continuing. “I know you care for many of us… but I cared too. I still do. If I could go home… I would… but I can’t…” he looked up and offered a sad smile, or at least what he hoped came off as a smile. “I’m just glad you’re here. You make things brighter.”

“…what?” Did Rudie just hear him correctly?

Glisten gestured with his head for them to keep walking, so they did. The mirror continued. “You Christmas toons always know how to light up a room with your presence. Always so full of energy, life… ‘the snow is more powdered on the other side’ as it were. I’ve never seen you sad, not once. But you especially… you always had this air about you. One that was eager and willing to throw yourself into a situation even if you didn’t know how to get out of it.

Reminds me of Cosmo in a way, but not in a ‘self-sacrificing’, ‘people-pleaser’ way. In a ‘I want to know how I can help’ kind of way. You want to be part of the solution, never the problem. You just want to know what direction to go. Someone points, and you go. Dangerous, but admirable.”

Rudie felt his cheeks heating up, his fur puffed up slightly. He wasn’t used to someone complimenting him so much. Yes, he loved praise for a job well done… But compliments? Especially from the one toon he’d tried and failed time and time again to form a relationship with? That’s… new.

“Well… um… I do what I can to help. It’s just who I am.”

“Exactly. But after doing this for months, it changes you. Yet even after encountering your first Twisted, you never faltered in your willingness to go out and explore. Ginger and Bobette started staying back.”

“W-well, they do good work around Gardenview. We earn our keep.”

“As humble and nice as always.”

Rudie let out a nervous chuckle. “I-I do try to be.”

Was this genuine or was this some tactic to try to get him to stay? Either way, he could feel his tail wag slightly at the compliments and praise. He was in between a rock and a hard place at this point. He knew that. As much as it would hurt him, he would need to leave Glisten if he wanted to live. He just needed to make sure the other didn’t suspect he was leaving or going to leave.

The perfect excuse came when his stomach growled.

“Did you forget to eat before coming down here?” Glisten asked.

“Uh… yeah. It’s late and I missed dinner.” Rudie lied. He didn’t miss dinner, but it was late. “Was helping Brightney organize her new books. We got distracted talking about things. Is it okay if I take a minute to see if there's, like, a protein bar or something around here? I won’t be gone long.”

Glisten seemed hesitant to say yes… but it was for food. “Hurry back?”

“I will. Just…” Rudie looked around and spotted a chair nearby. He let go of the other and jogged over to grab it. He tapped on it, listening for any sign that it may break. Hearing nothing, he jogged back over and set it down gently, closer to the wall. “Here we go. You can rest here. I’ll hurry as fast as I can.”

He extended a hand out toward the other and offered a smile, waiting for him to walk closer in order to help him sit down. The chair groaned, but it held. He gave another reassuring word that he’d be back as well as giving Glisten’s arm a squeeze before jogging away. He had maybe two minutes max. He had to make those minutes count.

—

Rudie didn’t know how long it had been, but through the night he’d make excuses to Glisten in order to get away from him in order to finish a machine, collect an item or two, and run back to shower the other in affection. He had one more to finish. One by the elevator. He didn’t see it at first as it was tucked away and in a corner behind some crates and shelves. When he did get to it, he wasn’t able to get much of it done before he felt the wheel suddenly stop.

He saw the light flash blue and ripped his hands away, taking a few quick steps away before deciding he could come back later and jogged off. He swiped a crayon box off the table he passed and quickly stashed them in his satchel as he made his way back to where he left Glisten. The other was nestled comfortably on one of the couches they’d found tucked away in one of the off-shoot rooms.

Rudie made sure to grab a few more throw pillows on the way back. To make his next sentence more believable.

“Sorry about that. You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to find-“

As he turned into the room, Glisten snapped his head to his voice, tears streaming down the uncracked portion of his face, causing Rudie to stop mid-sentence and walk over a bit faster, set the pillows and his satchel down and take a seat next to him.

“Hey… hey… it’s okay. I came back, see? I told you I went to go find more pillows.”

“You… you were gone for so long though!” Glisten’s tone sounded desperate as much as it did upset.

“I know… and I’m so sorry for that. But really, I went to go find more pillows for us to use. Wouldn’t want to get uncomfortable, right?” The reindeer reached up and wiped at the other’s black tears, noticing how much redder his eye had gotten. He was most likely walking on eggshells now. He had to be careful.

Glisten leaned into his touch, looking at him. “I don’t want you leaving for that long again.”

“I won’t.”

“Promise you won’t be gone for that long again.” Glisten asked, inching closer to the other. “Promise you’ll stay with me.”

Rudie felt his stomach twist again at the same time, his heart fluttering at the close proximity of the other. “I promise… I’ll be here while we rest. I won’t leave for that long again.”

“Good… good… having you here… keeps me sane. Keeps me grounded.” Glisten’s head became buried in Rudie’s chest fur. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Listening to his words hurt. They really, really hurt. He wanted to imagine the other saying that in any other context. One where they’d hit it off and became close friends. One where they’d spend nights hanging out; laughing and chatting away in Glisten’s old room. He’d say something witty, the mirror would laugh and comment on something about it. One thing would lead to another…

No… but that wasn’t the reality he was in. They both couldn’t have that. Sure, Rodger had been working on trying to find a possible solution to the ichor corruptions, but there wasn’t anything solid yet. Only theories and probably cures. Nothing tested. Nothing debunked.

Rudie wrapped his arms around the other and pulled him closer. The two adjusted themselves until they were both lying on the couch and nestled together. Rudie made sure he was shielding the other. As if he was protecting Glisten. Maybe he was. From what though, he couldn’t say. Maybe the actions he was going to pull? Ones that would most likely hurt the both of them?

He could only hope this worked.

“Let’s try to get some rest.” He suggested.

“…I don’t think I’ll be able to…” Glisten replied softly.

Rudie chuckled. “I mean… you were alone then. Maybe now that I’m here, you can get some actual sleep.”

“…maybe. I hope so.” The mirror mused. “It would be nice to finally get some sleep.”

“Then let’s try… okay?”

“…okay.”

Rudie felt tired, sure, but he knew better than to sleep outside of the safe zones. He just hoped that if he stayed still long enough, he would feel the other’s body pass out and he could make his final move. He focused on the grip one of Glisten’s hands had on his fur. It was tight and slightly painful, but he knew that once it was loose, he was good to go.

He couldn’t hear the other breathing unless he strained his ears, but he could swear up and down that he could feel puffs of breath on his fur.

He didn’t know how long it took. An hour? Two? Maybe only thirty minutes - Rudie really didn’t know how to tell time - but slowly, Glisten’s grip started to loosen on him. As soon as he felt it fully loosen and he heard the soft ‘thud’ of his hands hitting the cushions below them, Rudie tested the waters and started to slowly maneuver himself off the couch, trying to make as little sound as possible.

Once he was on his feet, he grabbed the pillows he’d snagged earlier and carefully placed them around Glisten on the couch, resecured his satchel, and as slowly and as quietly as possible left the room.

When he was far enough away, he felt comfortable enough to turn it into a brisk pace back to the machine that was left unfinished.

He looked around, checking to make sure there were no signs of Connie being in the machine. Once he was satisfied that she wasn’t there, he got to work, turning the handle once more.

—

The elevator opening once more caused Glisten to wake up with a start. He could have sworn he’d imagined it, but as he started to settle back down, he noticed the warmth and distinct smell of spiced apple cider and balsam was gone which caused him to fully awaken in a panic.

His mind snapped things into place. The elevator sound, Rudie being missing and going on those ‘excursions’ to get things without him. He was lied to. Rudie was leaving him. He was going to be alone again.

No.

No, no, no.

He couldn’t! He- He didn’t want to be alone again!

He started running.

He needed someone here! He needed someone who’d reassure him, tell him what he wants to hear, love him even though he was this… this monster! Rudie made him believe that! Was it all a lie?!

He rounded the corner where the working elevator was, watching as the Reindeer started to step on.

“NO! NO, YOU PROMISED YOU’D STAY WITH ME!” Glisten’s words startled Rudie who looked towards him, his eyes wide with fear, but also something else. Pity? Sadness? The ichor seeping into his mind was clouding his ability to tell.

“… I… I’m sorry, Glisten.” Rudie stammered out. “But… but I can’t stay here. People need me.”

“BUT I NEED YOU, RUDIE! WHAT ABOUT ME?!” Glisten wailed. “YOU PROMISED!”

“…I know… but I can’t keep that promise.” was all the reindeer could say before stepping onto the elevator fully.

“NO! I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE AGAIN!” Glisten ran towards the elevator. Trying to catch it before the door slid shut.

When did his arms become unbound from one another, he can’t remember, but it was all in vain as the heavy door hit the floor, cutting Glisten off once more. He banged on the metal door. Screaming and wailing. Wishing to tear it open.

“RUDIE! COME BACK! RUDIE! RUDIE!!!”

—

His hand hovered over the button he’d pressed, listening to the wailing as it grew quieter and quieter as he ascended the floors. The hurt he felt from Glisten’s words echoing through to his soul. There was a ringing in his ears and he could feel his lifeblood pumping through his body.

He felt like throwing up.

He really felt like throwing up right about now.

But he had to remain strong. He did this for a reason. He did this to help the others in the safezone. Sure, it wasn’t as plentiful as he’d hoped… but the bandages and extra medkits would help no matter how many he’d collected.

His hand finally dropped from hovering over the button when he heard the door open behind him.

“The elevator’s back!”

“Oh- oh my maker! It’s Rudie! He’s alive!

“Rudie!”

He turned to look at the voices and finally stepped out of the elevator. Bobette and Ginger running up to him, concern on their faces as the cookie looked him over and Bobette grasped onto his shoulders, looking up at him.

“Rudie! You scared us half to Twisting! How long were you gone?!” The ornament asked.

“What… what time is it?”

“It’s about 8:30 a.m., why does that matter?!”

“Then… all night?” The two toons looked to each other, shocked, before looking back at him.

“Oh my maker, Rudie! Why didn’t you tell anyone?! You could have gotten killed down there!” Bobette stated.

“We would have known! That was so irresponsible of you!” Ginger added. “You’re covered in Ichor, you have bags under your eyes. Did you sleep?”

“Not… not really?”

“Oh my maker.” Ginger threw her hands up and started walking away, only to quickly come back. “Why did you stay out all night, Rudie?!”

“I… I saw Bobette’s inventory book.” He explained, pulling off his satchel, offering it to her. “We were running low on medical supplies due to the last few expeditions… I wanted to help. I also gathered some stuff for Rodger, some food stuffs, and some crayons for Toodles and the craft siblings to use.”

Ginger took the bag and propped a knee up to open it and look at the contents inside. Her eyes widened and she showed the contents to Bobette. “You.. you did all of this? I- I mean woah, this is huge… this is all going to help a lot… but Rudie…”

“You know I like to help where I can.” Rudie offered a smile.

Their expressions changed from shock to concern again.

“Are you okay?” Bobette asked.

“I… I’m okay…” Rudie lied, his voice cracking. The two female toons sharing a look, but knowing Rudie, he wouldn’t tell them until he was ready. Bobette reached up with a hand and wiped away tears that started to fall from his eyes.

“Okay… let’s go get you cleaned up. Thank you for getting all of that for us… but don’t do it again. We don’t want to lose you. We care about you. We all do, Rudie.”

“…I… I won’t, Bobette.”

“Please promise me you won’t.”

The feeling in his stomach gave a final twist.

“I… I promise. Hey… I… I’m still nice… right?”

That question threw her off somewhat. Why would he question himself like that? Did something happen down there? Maybe he’d tell them, but in due time. All she could do in the meantime is offer him a warm smile

“You’re at the top of the list.” She reassured him, starting to lead him away from the Lobby. “Now, let’s go get you cleaned up.”

[dandysworldhcs]

(sorry if I'm filling up the mailbox)

Okay so this isn't really a headcannon but what if in the Christmas update this happened?

-Floor 5 Rudie

-Floor 10 ginger

-Floor 15 Coal (or blackout coal whatever the game decides)

-Floor 20 bobette

instead of just floors 5,10, and 15 random they could have like a specific Christmas toon spawn

-Silly Cinamaroll Anon

This would be very nice for players who need the holiday toon research, just reach a certain floor to get the garunteed spawn!