#OOC: [Rodger! your daughter is gonna ask to keep Twisted Sprout-]

[ask-detective-toodles]

Toodles could feel her gut screaming at her to run, to hide, the wild cry of her instincts overwhelming her. Her heart raced in her chest, pounding so loudly it felt like it might burst. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself as Sprout’s twisted form reached out to her with a hand not covered in ichor. For a moment, she thought this was it—she was done for.

But then she heard it. A faint sound buried beneath the groans, words struggling to form. Her eyes snapped open, her breath catching in her throat. She could barely make it out, but she knew what she heard—it was the nickname Sprout always called her.

Her eyes widened as realization struck. Sprout was still in there, somewhere. Toodles' gaze shifted to his body language and the look in his eyes. The twisted form, the grotesque ichor covering him—those were new. But beneath all of it, she could see traces of her friend.

She hesitated, fear holding her back for a moment. But then, with a soft whimper, she reached out, her small hand trembling as it gently touched his face. "What happened?... What has Mr. Dandy done to you, Detective?" she whispered, her voice thick with worry and panic. "W... we need to get you out of here. We need to ask for help!"

Without thinking, she leaned in and gave him a small, careful hug, mindful not to hurt him or herself. She could feel the sticky ichor clinging to parts of him, but she didn’t care. Right now, her partner needed her. "It’s okay, Mr. Sprout. We’ll get you out of here... I promise. That’s a promise from me, Detective Toodles," she said softly, her voice cracking slightly with emotion.

Trying to lighten the mood, she added with a faint smile, "And Detective Toodles always gets the job done." Her words were shaky but determined.

Toodles pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes, still feeling the exhaustion from all the running, but she pressed on. She was still alive, still standing, and, thankfully, still free of the ichor herself.

"Come on," she said firmly, her face set with determination. "I know there are still more machines to fill. Once we’re done, we’ll go to the elevator and get out of here." She gave him a reassuring nod, holding onto her resolve despite the fear still gnawing at her.

[ Sprout. Missing in action since the day after their duo investigation. Eventually, the amount of treats left in the fridge specifically for Toodles dwindle, along with just the sweets baked in general. His friends had checked his room- nothing but a pair of slightly chipped glasses and a few ichor stains if you looked hard enough. Long story short, he was gone and it looked like he was never coming back. At least to everyone except for the little detective herself. She's been tracking the case for so long now, and was the first to discover him completely missing along with Cosmo. Her investigation all left her to the same place. ]

[ Down the elevator. Where the older toons conducted those ichor runs for Dandy himself. That is the one place she hasn't checked, she wasn't allowed to check. So she did the most obvious thing to do! Go down by herself and find Sprout if nobody else would. Slowly, the floors pass by as she fills the machines with ichor, and descends the elevator. Every floor is more ominous than the next, next to no sign of Sprout. Other creatures were much more common, like a weird version of Poppy.. And Shrimpo.. They all tried to chase her, like she was doing something wrong! Was she? ]

[ The next floor arrived, and the sound of leaves crunching filled the tense air. Black puddles of ichor pool on the floor, seeping into the hardwood of a greenhouse. She couldn't find a single twisted, either! Huh.. What a mystery.. Eventually, after filling a machine or two, she spots something. Someone. Sprout. He looked so, so much taller. Imposing. Terrifying. His body is covered in large leaves, the tips of the plants dripping with that black substance she had seen earlier in Dandy's world. And. He sees her. A loud, painful groan comes from the large strawberry.. Well, can you even call it a toon anymore? But it seemed docile. At least for now. ]

𖧧 - @berry-boy-v1

Toodles knew something was wrong the moment Sprout went missing and didn’t come back. Maybe the others hadn’t noticed yet, but she and Cosmo both felt it—something wasn’t right. Especially Toodles, as she was the one who had seen the signs, the clues. Or at least, she thought she had. The treats left for her only made her more uneasy. It made her worry even more for Sprout, her heart sinking at the possibility that something bad had happened to him.

After waiting anxiously for what felt like hours, she couldn’t stand still anymore. She hated this awful feeling. And so, she did the unthinkable—she went to find Sprout herself. She knew her dad would scold her for sneaking off, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was finding Sprout and making sure he was okay.

Descending the elevator, her determination drove her forward, but what she encountered only made her resolve waver. She filled the machines with ichor, her hands shaking as she worked, while evading the strange, distorted creatures that roamed the halls. They looked like Toons but… wrong. Different. As if they were twisted versions of the friends she knew. Her breaths grew heavier as her energy drained, sweat dripping down her face. Her head ached from the flood of unanswered questions, each one clawing at her mind.

Reaching the next floor, Toodles paused, her heart sinking further. This floor was different from the others—colder, darker, and far more intimidating. Taking a shaky gulp, she clutched her magnifying glass tightly, forcing herself to move forward. Her nervous steps echoed as she explored, refilling two more machines with ichor despite the weight of dread pressing on her.

But then she heard it—a low, unnatural groan. She froze, her chest tightening as she turned toward the sound. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw him.

Sprout.

But something was wrong. Very wrong. He looked different—his body larger, twisted, and unnatural. The cheerful, kind strawberry Toon she knew was gone, replaced by something that made her feel impossibly small. Her magnifying glass slipped from her trembling hands, shattering on the ground, but she barely noticed. Her voice broke the tense silence, barely above a whisper. "...M… Mr. Sprout?..."