Chapter Text
His two guests were awoken by the heavenly scent of chocolate chip pancakes topped with swirls of whipped cream and a mountain of fresh fruit. The three engaged in the hearty breakfast accompanied by the clinking of their glasses and cutlery. Reus had opted for another mug of coffee while the other two toons drank orange juice.
Between the bites of his breakfast, Noisy asked, “What do you think Mayor Flippy wants to talk to Mr Reus about?”
“To be honest, he just mentioned he needed some investigation done. Since Reus is a detective I mentioned him to Flippy and well, he was interested in asking him for help! It seems important though, he was pretty worried about it.” Worry clouded her face and she furrowed her eyebrows. She didn’t really want to even think about what could make Flippy worry this much.
It didn’t take long to clean up after breakfast so Noisy, Reus, and Snagglesmirk made their way to Toonhall soon after. The trio popped up in front of the gazebo, made their way into the building, past the Vinci brothers (greeting them of course), and down the hall towards Flippy’s office. Noisy took note of the artworks around him. Were they up there when he first visited Flippy?
Snagglesmirk peeked around the corner, “Hello? Mayor, I brought the friend I mentioned.”
Flippy, who was hunched over his desk, perked up at the sound of her voice. “Hello Snagglesmirk! I was a bit worried when you didn’t stop by yesterday! Glad to see that you’re here today.” He stepped out from behind his desk as the group properly entered his office.
Snaggle kind of put her hand behind her head with a sheepish smile on her face, “Haha! It took me a bit to track Reus down but I got a hold of him in the end.”
Flippy let out a little laugh in response, “Mr Reus! Snagglesmirk has told me about your work,” he smiled as he stuck his paw out. “I’d like to personally contract you for a job.” Reus reached out confidently and shook the mayor’s mitt. After their firm shake, Flippy wrung his mittens together, a worried expression sat on his face.
“...I have some toons up in Dreamland requesting help. I know that you personally aren’t a resistance member, but that your partner is, so I’ll most likely have Bumpy Bumblebear supervise if that’s okay with you.” There’s a hopeful look on his face.
Reus looked up to Flippy and shook his head.
“You won’t take the job?” the dog cocked his head to the side. Reus shook their head again and started signing his response. Noisy was glad that he could follow along with Reus’ reply, “We would like to work alone.”
Huh?? His chest was about to burst with joy. We???
Reus looked down at him and continued, “Right, Noisy?”
The mouse looked incredibly surprised at this direct mention, eyes filled with awe. He could be forcibly moved to the funny farm and he wouldn't even mind. He’d be fine and at peace with this. He was also staring. Oops. “Y-Yeah!!” he hastily tacked on with a fist balled up and a determined look on his face.
Flippy nodded and signed back as he spoke, “I was afraid of that. It can’t be helped.” He turned around to go behind his desk. He stuck his arm into a drawer, his shoulder dipping in at one point, before pulling out a yellow envelope, “Aha!” He leaned over his desk with his arm stretched out.
“Here’s the request. I’m afraid you’ll have to gather more information from Doctor Dimm up in Dreamland.” Reus took the letter and opened it. There was a palpable tension in the air, and a couple moments later, the letter was passed onto Ozzie. Snaggle peeked over his shoulder.
Dearest Mayor of Toontown Flippy Doggenbottom,
PLEASE SEND HELP. THIS IS URGENT. I FEAR THAT THE COGS HERE MAY BE UP TO SOME THINGS THAT MAY BE FAR MORE SINISTER AND NEFARIOUS AND DOWNRIGHT EVIL THAN USUAL. HOWEVER, I FEAR THAT MY FEATHERS ARE NOT DRAWN FOR TACTICAL ESPIONAGE ACTION. PLEASE SEND THE SNEAKIEST TOON YOU CAN GET AHOLD OF TO FIND OUT WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON.
Tooniest regards,
Doctor Dimm
“This is… Incredibly vague! You weren’t lying about needing extra information from the doctor,” Snaggle looked incredibly worried now.
Flippy was mildly embarrassed. “I usually have more information to work with myself, but I trust that Doctor Dimm’s judgment is sound. I’ll take this request of his completely seriously! As for payment, I’ll arrange a hefty amount of jellybeans and gumballs to your banks and boosters to your club.” He looked them up and down, “Boosters to your individual selves in this case.“
Reus seems to think for a bit before extending his arm and Flippy took it with both mitts and shakes it up and down, “Thank you!! I’ll page Doctor Dimm about this development.” He lets go of a rattled Reus, “Oh! Before I forget, you’ll have to mention “Loony Labs” in order for him to even talk to you about anything. I know I gave you my letter but I know that probably wouldn’t be enough for him.”
“Ohhh so the doctor will give us information if we give him the password?”
“I suppose it is a password of sorts but yes, he will.”
“Oh, ok. I get secrets then.”
Flippy nodded, “You have to promise to keep them though, I know for a fact Professor Pete has been bringing in higher leveled resistance toons into this mess but I’d still like to keep it under wraps, if possible.”
There was a “Promise!” from the both of them and a, “Good bye, thank you, and good luck!” from Flippy as they left his office.
The trio exited Toonhall and Snagglesmirk took out her schtickerbook, “Noisy, how many Unites do you have?”
Noisy peeked into his pocket. He didn’t have many. It wasn’t that VP Senior was intimidating, but he didn’t enjoy dressing up in his disguise. It felt cramped and smelled much too harsh for his poor nose. His pocket contained maybe five twenty percent, two thirty, and one forty percent Unite that were accompanied by a piece of lint, two copper, and one silver coin.
She peeked into the pocket, almost getting hit by a moth that flew out in the process, “Huh. Here, I’ll spare ya some,” and dunked a fistful of them into his pocket. Ozzie’s eyes widened. He now had thirty more of each than before.
“I can’t take this many!!”
“Sure you can!”
“Are you sure?”
“Totally!! I’ve still got a ton myself and I’ll be getting more today. I know you weren’t likely to have that many though. Although I’m sure Reus has their own, its not a bad idea to keep a couple on you,” she winked.
“Thank you!” He jumped up and hugged her. She laughed, hugged him back and peeled him off of her. “Just stay safe out there ok? This goes for you too, Reus.”
The detective looked to the side with his paws stuffed in his pockets. Snaggle shook her head and bid her good-byes along with a lunch promised between the gator and mouse. She then hopped into her teleport hole to make her way back to Acorn Acres. The other two started their trek to Dreamland.
Neither of them could fast travel there so they tried to hurry through what was left of Central and Melodyland. Noisy always tried his best to keep up the pace but he was outclassed by Reus’ stride. Poor thing. At least the sun was smiling down on them.
He frowned and took out the letter given to them. After rereading the main letter, he turned it around. Nothing. He noted the doctor’s address on the envelope, Dimm Nightlights on Twilight Terrace. Strange place for a doctor to work at. The information was carefully inked onto the envelope. The letter was as well, surprisingly. It was written in all caps to convey urgency but it wasn’t scrawled on. It had been handled with precision and care. Ozzie assumed it was just a doctor thing.
Noisy looked back up and saw Reus disappear behind a corner. Not wanting to be left alone, with a hop, skip, and a jump down the road. He made his way around the same corner, and ahead of the detective.
He slowed his pace and looked back at him, “Um, by the way. Thanks for including me earlier, when talking to Flippy.” He clasped his hands together, “I didn’t realize that I was sort of a partner in this now, and even Flippy mentioned me! Kind of.” The tunnel to Melodyland was approaching so he decided to stop and walk directly next to Reus. As he was ready to start walking next to the detective, they stopped and replied to Ozzie, “I-” they dropped their arms and then tried again “I enjoy having you as backup.”
The mouse was left with a smile as they crossed over to Melodyland. Reus brought out his shtickerbook, and Ozzie followed along. They both popped up at the playground and continued their journey north.
There were a couple toons that stared at Reus before hurriedly turning away but most ignored the duo. Melodyland’s streets were mostly empty anyway so they didn’t run into anything else as they came up onto Dreamland’s entrance.
They were lucky that it was Twilight Terrace, they’d only have to find the building now. After crossing into the new area, Noisy pulled out his map and looked down in an effort to spot the building. No helpful location marker appeared.
“Erm. I guess we’ll have to walk through the whole street to find it.”
Reus looked straight ahead and started walking down the road. The two went through the street, splitting up when there was a fork in the road and meeting up at the end with their heads shaking. There was no way they missed it right.
As they trudged down the road, they ran into their destination on the right. To the left of them, a little further down was, well, was the playground entrance. They could’ve skipped that whole winding road. Whatever.
They entered the building and a little bell jingled to signify their arrival. A short green duck behind the counter looked pleasantly surprised
"Hello! Welcome to Dimm Nightlights, number one provider of nightlights in Drowsy Dreamland!" He continues with his marketing spiel, "What would you like to order? Moon shaped? Sun shaped? Pie shaped? Shape shaped?"
“Sorry, we’re not looking for nightlights.”
Dimm raised an eyebrow, “This is a nightlight store. You’re supposed to buy nightlights.”
“I- Well.”
“If you don’t plan to buy a nightlight… I can’t help you.” The duck turned his head away.
“Loony Labs!”
The doctor cracked an eye open at them.
“There is no way Pete sent you two. He never sends toons like you. I know for a fact that this fellow isn’t a resistance member and that you are quite low in the ranks.”
“Mayor Flippy did, actually!”
“Doggenbottom sent... You two?”
Noisy was a bit uneasy at the doctor’s response, surely Flippy had notified him right? Either way he opted to hand him the letter.
“Mr Reus was called to Toonhall by Mayor Flippy to help with your request… and I came along with him. We want to help however we can!!!”
“Weeeell,” the doctor narrowed his eyes, holding the letter up to his face. “Fine. I’ll let you know what my request is. I’m going to go to the back and set up my clueboard. Here.” He tossed a device at Reus as he slipped into the backroom, “Take on a couple cogs and get me some data meanwhile.”
Noisy was left flabbergasted. Gobsmacked even. Reus started to make his way out though, so he decided to bite his tongue instead of yelling at the doctor to get back here and arguing about this data collection quest imposed on them.
The door shut behind them and Noisy crouched down to the ground, head in hands. “Ohhhhh I thought I wouldn’t have to do this type of stuff anymore!!!”
Reus just palmed the device between his mitts, trying to figure out how to turn it on. It was a metal square shaped device with a dark green glossy dome attached to it. There were a couple buttons lining each of the sides. After a careful examination, he pressed on the green dome and it lit up, causing an antenna to stick out of the box with a beep. Wonderful.
“-and then there was a toon who got STUCK in his own store. GLUED. I get that I was asked to help because he was stuck but I was asked to pick up so much!! I realize its trading-” He stopped for a moment and with a glum look on his face, “I think they’re trying to avoid each other so they don’t get stuck in this loop.”
Reus stuck the device in front of Noisy’s face. “Oh! It's on,” he takes it gingerly from the taller toon’s hands, he didn’t want to accidentally destroy the doctor’s device. There was a faint whirring coming from it and the requested amount of cogs showed up on the screen. He cringed. That was an obscene amount.
Oh well, time to go collect some data.