Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Thank you all for coming." Brightney beams, adjusting the glasses on her face. She picks at her lampshade, a nervous habit she picked up after being cleaned of ichor. Her light bulb flickers as she sets her book down on a coffee table nearby.

"It's our pleasure..." Astro smiled. Book club was something he looked forward to after things had blown over, it took his mind off the ichor operation, and the dark shadow left behind in its wake.

“Are you all able to meet here at the same time next week?” Brightney asked, looking to each group member.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Brightney’s bulb shone a little brighter at Astro’s words, bringing a smile to his face.

“Of course.” Dazzle muttered, leaning over to try and shake his brother awake as gently as possible. Razzle startles, his eyes lack any sort of recognition about his surroundings. His claws spring out of his arms with his fangs bared as his head shoots up.

Dazzle jumps, quickly using his arm to hold onto Razzle’s and grab his attention, an attempt to settle him down. As Razzle gets his bearings, guilt floods his system and he relaxes, a tired expression returning to his face. They rise from their seat with a slight grogginess, moving to help Brightney out of her seat.

"We'll help Brightney back to her room," Dazzle turns to Astro, "Are you…?" He trailed off with a tilt of his head, gesturing with his hands to make up for the lack of words.

Astro nods, his exposed arms shifting uncomfortably at his side. He knows the toons around him aren't harboring judgement, but it's more of a habit at this point to have something to cover himself with. He hasn't found a blanket big enough to cover his body with the growth spurt, and frankly, he finds himself a little cold most of the time.

Upon returning to the lobby, Astro knows where he's going. He takes the long way to avoid anyone, not out of nervousness, but out of the nature of his destination. Recently, the toons have turned to him for guidance. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't daunting to be looked up to. That was Dandy's job, or it had been before he shut himself in and refused to see anyone. He was the leader, the voice of reason, the one who always knew exactly what had to be done. The weight of that responsibility was a lot, and Astro shared it with the other mains. He couldn't imagine carrying it alone.

He quietly ducked into Dandy's old shop, tucking the keys back into his pocket. The counter was so small now, reaching only up to his waist. He turned to some boxes and kneeled to rummage through them as if he had practiced. He pulled six different bottles of paint from a box, fishing around for a brush before he sealed the box back up and stood back at full height. Three arms cradled the bottles of paint while he locked up the shop, scurrying out to head towards the elevator.

He steps in, pressing the button for the floor the main toons lived on. He's jittery as the giant mechanism begins its ascent, but with excitement rather than nervousness, like when you're about to do something thrilling. Nowadays, he found himself looking for any reason to visit Dandy. The last time he'd seen the flower was several days ago, when he spoke to him through his door. Food was left by his room so he wouldn't starve, but otherwise he refused to step outside.

It had only occurred to him during book club of Dandy's upkeep on his appearance that he likely hadn't painted his petals in ages, and it was the perfect excuse to slip through the walls he put up.

The elevator stopped a ding, the door slid open with a loud groan of protest from the gears, likely rusted beyond belief. Standing on the other side was Sprout and Shelly, chatting away as they waited for the elevator. Shelly did most of the talking nowadays, Sprout's throat never properly healed from the damage caused by the ichor. Scarring stretched across his face, continuing along a substantial portion of his body. Contrastingly, Shelly's body was almost completely untouched on the top, the change began from the waist below. She was no longer covered in ichor, but her body remained like that of a theropod. She had at least put some weight back on herself since she was cured. She was shockingly fine with her new body, happy, even. It was a conversation starter for a discussion about dinosaurs.

Shelly ceased chatting as their attention was drawn to Astro. He bit the inside of his cheek, eyes scanning around the floor. Silver lining, at least Vee didn't seem to be present.

"Ohh, Astro, hi!" Shelly beamed, beckoning him closer. He stepped out hesitantly, smiling sheepishly as he waved with his single free hand– he felt as though he’d been caught committing a crime. Sprout narrowed his eyes, gaze darting from the paint to Astro.

"Hello Shelly, Sprout..." Astro curled in on himself further. He knew his friends would never do anything to deter him from seeing Dandy, but he was still a touchy subject for everyone. Everyone knew about the ichor operation, and unfortunately for his image, it was not from Dandy coming clean himself.

Shelly's eyes followed Sprout's and they landed on the paint. "Oh- are you delivering that to…?" She trailed off, turning around to look at his room at the end of the corridor. It was like living with a ghost, an oppressive force looming over them, just out of the corner of your vision.

"I was actually hoping he would let me in." Astro stared at the paints, eyes softening.

"Really? Well, let me know if he's okay, ‘kay? I'm worried about him too..." Shelly smiled, but it was laced with concern, and maybe a bit of grief. Sometimes it felt like mourning someone who hadn't died. Astro felt it too, the Dandy he knew years ago was gone, replaced with someone entirely different.

"I will." The moon nodded, chancing a glance up at Sprout. He didn't speak, but he closed his eyes and offered a quick nod before stepping into the elevator. Shelly bounced in after him and waved as the doors sealed themselves, leaving him alone on the floor.

That familiar nervousness returned as he crept up the hall, soon coming face to face with the imposing door. It was adorned with a plaque in the shape of Dandy's head, once vibrant and colourful; the paint has since faded and chipped.

Pebble is nowhere in sight. His dog never really shrank back down to his meager little size and oftentimes guarded Dandy's room from intruders, but really, he just wanted inside. That room was once his at some point, and Dandy wouldn't even open up the door for him. While Astro didn't mind, it caused a lot of hassle for the rest of the toons. All that pent-up energy now went towards making a mess of the center, and consuming an absurd amount of food to fuel his havoc. He still believed he was a lap-dog, on top of it all.

Astro swallowed the lump in his throat as he raised his free hand to the door, letting out a quiet series of knocks. He wondered if Dandy still remembered the pattern they had made all that time ago to identify each other. Silence followed for a long time, and Astro began to wonder if he had perhaps overestimated Dandy's hearing. After a suffocating wait, there was a quiet thump, then footsteps that stopped by the door. The handle rattled for a moment before it was pushed open, a little too far by the looks of it. Dandy struggled to grab at the door with big claws, pulling it closer to cover more of himself.

The silence was oppressive and uncomfortable, Astro could feel his own pulse as he stared into the other's eyes.

“Astro…” Dandy finally spoke. His voice had deepened several octaves, now rough and guttural. Just hearing him speak, say his name, sent Astro over the moon.

“Dandy.” He couldn't suppress the smile that spread across his face, he missed his best friend.

“What do you want?” Dandy looked past Astro, checking to see if the others were on the floor. The coast was clear, meaning he could indulge Astro for longer.

“I brought these… I thought maybe we could take care of your petals?” Astro held out the paints. Dandy's gaze flickered down and his eyes widened in surprise, a hint of fondness and excitement in his gaze, but only for a brief moment. His expression fell and he shook his head, moving to close the door.

“It doesn't matter…” His entire body sagged, looking away with a frown.

“Please?” Astro panicked, shoving a hand in the door. Dandy stopped, letting go with a nervous expression. Astro sighed and gently cracked the door open again, making sure not to step inside. “It would make me happy… to spend time with you again. I miss you.” It barely even scratched the surface of the feelings he had.

Dandy shrank back, his mouth twisting into a toothy frown as his eyes darted from place-to-place. He couldn’t slam the door on Astro or he’d risk hurting him if he decided to stick his hand in the way again, but he felt guilty telling him to go away.

“I don’t want you to come in…” Dandy stammered, looking down at his hands. They were once small and cute, able to fit in the palm of a hand with ease; they’d taken on the shape of large claws, an ugly and violent shape. It was unbefitting of someone who was supposed to be the face of friendliness. “I don’t want you to see me.”

“I promise I don’t mind…” Astro frowned, holding the door in anticipation. He watched Dandy’s face flicker with emotions, his resolve crumbling.

“...Alright.” He mumbled in defeat, stepping inside to let the other in. Astro took a deep breath, calming his nerves as he stepped inside with a big smile. He sat on Dandy’s bed and laid down the paints; organizing them by colour. He looked up and patted the bed, indicating for Dandy to sit alongside him. Dandy hesitated before accepting, slumping as he shuffled over, climbing onto the bed. He was far too big for it; the springs let out creaks as the mattress gave under his weight, dipping on one side. His face flushed, embarrassed, but Astro let a hand fall on his, keeping him from getting back up.

They made eye contact, and Astro felt like his heart was doing cartwheels. He couldn’t imagine admitting out loud just how much he had missed Dandy, how every day the flower occupied his every thought and wouldn’t leave him be.

“Please don’t look at me.” Dandy broke their gaze, shifting uncomfortably away from him. His petals curled around his face, shrouding his features in shadow.

“I think you’re still beautiful.” Astro blurted out.

Dandy’s face flushed a deep dark green, and his petals perked up a bit. “You do?” Cute, Astro thought, just like a cat. He offered a nod in reply, rubbing his thumb over one of Dandy’s claws.

Dandy reached over and took the paint into his paw, fumbling with it for a moment before managing to get a grip on it. He struggled with the brush for even longer, dropping it onto the floor a few times until his temper got the better of him and he left it there with a huff. The lack of opposable thumbs was a bigger struggle than he’d imagined it be, and it didn’t make him feel any less like some wild animal. He stood up, squeezing the paint so hard it almost burst, and stormed over to a stack of his belongings, searching for something the paint could be poured onto. Astro frowned, leaning down to pick up the brush, rotating it in his hands silently for a while as he listened to Dandy root around frustratedly.

“Can I help you?” Astro asked timidly, turning his head.

“No, I found it.” Dandy returned with a paint palette and climbed back onto the bed, his weight making Astro bounce.

“I meant with painting them, your petals, I mean.” Astro wrung a set of hands together while the other fidgeted with the brush he was still holding onto. Dandy stared at him for a while, eyes narrowing and his gaze hardening.

“I can do it myself.” He outstretched his clawed hand expectantly. Astro sighed and nodded, placing the brush into the center of his palm. It slipped out as soon as Dandy tried to grip it, falling onto the bed. Astro dove for it, picking it up and holding it out again for Dandy to take.

He gave Astro a tired look, blinking away in frustration. Finally, he let his head fall, forced to admit defeat. “Go ahead…” He sighed, averting his eyes from Astro.

“Are you sure?” Astro frowned. He felt like he was walking on a rope, and one wrong move would lead Dandy to asking him to leave.

Dandy nodded. “Let’s get it over with.”

Astro sighed and shuffled closer, hesitantly reaching one of his hands up to Dandy’s neck. With a gentle touch, he guided the other’s head into his lap, letting his hand stroke over his short fur. He popped open the bottle of red paint and poured it onto the palette, dipping his brush in and taking one of Dandy’s soft petals into his hand. He rubbed it between his fingers for a moment before he moved it to a comfortable position. He began to run the brush down the soft membrane, using long strokes and being careful not to use too much pressure.

Dandy rested his head against Astro’s chest, eyes falling shut as he leaned into the touch and bit back tears. He didn’t want to admit how much he’d missed being loved; he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been held. If he tried really hard, he could pretend nothing had changed, that they were small and young, cuddling before they went to film for the newest episode.

Astro finished one side of the petal, turning it over and beginning to work on the other side. A purr escaped Dandy as Astro’s hand wandered along his neck and back, petting him absentmindedly. The walls he’d built crumbled in the desperate need to be wanted, to be good and wonderful for someone.

Astro finished with the petal and let go; it dropped unceremoniously onto Dandy’s face, smearing a bit of the paint onto his white complexion. “Hey,” Astro picked the petal back up, “you can’t be all droopy, or you’ll get paint all over yourself.” He let out a quiet laugh. Dandy cracked open an eye to give him a look but complied, forcing his petals to straighten out.

Astro smiled and began to clean off the brush, pouring out the next colour and dipping it into the paint. Dandy continued to purr as Astro started at the next petal, resuming scratching him.

He worked at each petal with meticulous detail as Dandy fought off sleep. His body rose and fell in a slow rhythm, and every now and again he'd shake himself back awake before settling back down again.

“I think you’re done.” Astro smiled, patting Dandy and setting the brush down onto the palette. Dandy stirred, raising his head and looking around blearily.

“Already?” He slurred, standing up and leaning back to get a big stretch in, claws flexing.

“Yes. Why don’t you take a look and tell me if I missed any spots?” Astro slid off the bed and walked over to Dandy’s vanity. It was so small looking now, full of old paint stains and chipped wood from years of use. The mirror itself had a dusty, white sheet draped over it. He carefully peeled the sheet back, coughing as a plume of dust filled the air.

Dandy hesitated upon approaching Astro’s side, but with a reassuring nod from the other he leaned down to look in the mirror, taking in his own reflection; something he hadn’t seen in months. The new coat of paint was bright, drawing in his eyes immediately. He still had tired eyes, and large, unruly fangs poking from his mouth, but even if just a little bit he began to resemble someone he used to be.

“It’s…” He trailed off, taking in his large form, and the thorns that peppered it. He had to think of something to say; anything! Thank him! Just say something! “You didn’t miss any spots…” He tore his eyes away from his body, deciding the floor was much more interesting at the moment.

“That’s good.” Astro nodded. The silence grew between them again. Dandy was hard to keep a conversation with, he seemed so lost in his own mind and Astro wanted nothing but to tangle his fingers in his petals and fur and fish his old self back out.

He reached to him, taking Dandy’s big paws into his hands, squeezing lightly. Another hand grazed his cheek, gingerly tilting his head up to meet his gaze. “That’s more like the wonderful flower I know.”

He wanted to lean in further and close the distance that had grown between them, to make Dandy feel safe; to be his comfort and make everything better. As Dandy’s expression settled into dumbfounded shock, Astro withdrew like he’d been electrocuted, wrapping his arms around himself– a nervous habit developed in lieu of his blanket.

“Ah- thank you for letting me come inside. I should- I ought to not overstay my welcome, huh?” A nervous laugh escaped him, cheeks flushed a dark blue. He took a step back and spun around, almost tripping on a few things left on the floor as he fled.

He threw the door open with urgency, only to walk straight into a hard body upon taking a step out. His gaze travelled up and up until he met the eyes of Pebble, who was looking straight through him, a maw of sharp teeth bared. Astro nearly leapt out of his skin, opening his mouth to say something but the opportunity passed too quickly as Pebble shoved past him, launching the abused door into the wall as he barrelled into the room, barking loudly.

Dandy let out a sharp gasp as Pebble charged straight for him, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he crashed into his master, sending them both to the floor.

“Pebble-!” He yelped. The aforementioned dog wasted no time assaulting Dandy’s face with his tongue, covering him in wet kisses. Dandy’s limbs flailed as he unsuccessfully tried to push the giant mutt off.

Astro held in a laugh as he watched. He stepped out of the room without a sound, closing the door as nonchalantly as he could muster before he leisurely made his escape.

Chapter Text

Glisten fished a wipe from a package and dragged it across his face, being careful to avoid his eyes. The sensation was cold on his glass and shocked him into wakefulness. He had long since run out of actual makeup wipes and had resorted to using regular old glass disinfectant wipes; It technically wouldn’t damage his face, he was made of glass and metal after all, but the chemicals made his eyes burn uncomfortably. Occasionally, the fibres would catch in the cracks along his face and he’d have to pull them out, but after a period of tedious work he finished cleaning all the grime and finally had a blank canvas to work with.

He dragged a brush through his favourite pink blush, tapping it delicately onto his cheeks.His eyeliner was applied with practiced precision, not a single line out of place, finishing it off with some eyeshadow. He hadn’t gone for anything experimental, and it was rather simple, but it was him. There was the ever-present fear in the back of his mind that he would run out of makeup–and that was simply unacceptable. He wouldn’t fret over it until then, that would give him stress wrinkles.

As he cleaned off his vanity, he found himself staring at his own reflection in the mirror. The reflection of his face creates a weird effect in the mirror, making him dizzy if he stares into it for too long. He opts to stare at the cracks in his glass instead. His face had been smashed into pieces by twisted Pebble, and while the glass had been repaired, only so much could be done for his features. His eye was unable to be salvaged and his vision in his left eye was gone for good, making his depth perception non-existent. The craft siblings had done the best they could to fix the damage with what materials they had, repairing Teagan in a similar way. Scraps had used a golden adhesive to rebuild his face, though he could never seem to remember the name of it.

His gaze wandered to the polaroids pinned up to the wooden frame. He had always enjoyed seeing himself, he wouldn’t deny being self-obsessed, but ever since he’d been cured he found himself staring at them with envy. He knew keeping them right next to his own reflection was cruel, a way to taunt himself. All it took was for his eyes to wander just a little bit and they’d land on his imperfect, broken face, but he couldn’t bear to take them down. It was self destructive and he knew it. He assured others that they didn’t bother him, but he was lying through his teeth. They reminded him that he was no longer the toon he used to be.

If he wasn’t perfect, he wasn’t Glisten, because Glisten was meant to be perfect. He’s an imposter.

His attention is drawn to the doorknob wiggling across the room and slowly opening with a whine. Tearing his eyes away from the photos, he looks into the mirror again and smiles as a familiar, fluffy head peeks inside.

“Hi, Glisten!” Goob flashed the mirror a toothy grin, stepping inside the room fully. He keeps his hands tucked behind his body as he manoeuvres the door shut with a foot.

“Hello, handsome.” Glisten laughs, turning around on his bench to face the other. “Got something for me?”

“Ohhh, you know- just a little something.” Goob produces a pink ribbon from behind his back excitedly, hurrying over to present it to the other. It’s not as big as the one he typically wears around his waist, but it's almost identical in colour. “I know you worry about your glass–even though I think you’re beautiful and don’t need it!” He interrupts himself, waving his hands around to stress his point.

Glisten laughs, taking the silky ribbon and letting his hands wander along the cool fabric. He looks up at Goob and smiles, cheeks warming as he stands up and embraces the other in a tight hug. “Thank you.” He plants a quick peck on Goob’s cheek, making the craft’s heart threaten to break out of his chest and fall on the floor.

Glisten pulls away, raising it to his face and tying the ribbon over his blind eye before turning to look in the mirror. The fabric drapes over the cracks in his complexion in a way that it covers them almost completely.

“It’s wonderful.” He murmurs, hands falling into his lap.

“Yay, I’m so glad!” Goob beams, wiggling side-to-side in excitement. He can’t keep himself from leaning in to hug Glisten, elastic arm’s slinking around his cool metal frame as his head comes to rest on the mirror’s shoulder.

“Is this all you had planned for today?” Glisten chuckles and leans into his warm touch, reaching a hand up to play with his fur.

“Actually, I was just gonna take a walk to the diner.” Goob’s tail wagged at the prospect of getting some delicious baked goods from Cosmo and Sprout. “Wanna come with me?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Glisten nodded. It definitely wasn’t to force himself out of his room so he’d stop digging up old memories, or so he wouldn’t be left alone. That wasn’t it at all. “Help me tie my bow?” He stands up, picking his bow up off the vanity and holding it around his waist.

“Oh, of course! Let me get that for you.” Goob nods enthusiastically, taking the bow into his paws and beginning to tie it around his boyfriend’s waist. He struggled with it ages ago, but now he’d become so familiar with helping he could probably do it with his eyes closed. In fact, to test that theory, he let his eyes fall closed, tongue poking out of his mouth as he concentrated on the muscle memory of tightening the ribbon, making sure each side was even-

“What are you doing?” Glisten’s laugh–his wonderful, amazing laugh–broke his focus.

“Tying your bow!” Goob smiled. He wanted to hear Glisten laugh again. Luck would be on his side as Glisten let out another giggle, a hand raising to cover his mouth.

“With your eyes closed?” He asked.

“Yep!” He finally looked down, grinning at a job well done. “I can do it with my eyes closed!” His hands landed on his hips, a proud expression crossing his face.

Glisten hummed, turning in his seat to get a look. “Well I’ll be; very impressive.” He cooed. “Shall we get a move on then?”

“I’m ready!” Goob nodded, pulling Glisten out of his seat and twirling him around.

“Alright, alright- let’s go.” Glisten steadies himself, pushing Goob away playfully. The craft giggles and takes the opportunity to get the door first, holding it open for Glisten. He exits after him, casting a glance at Glisten’s vanity. His brows knit together and his mouth pulls into a thin-lined frown before he shuts the door swiftly.

It's a short trip to the kitchen, and to Glisten’s surprise, only one of the two permanent residents of the kitchen are there. The smell of something freshly made wafts through the air as he steps behind the counter and enters the kitchenette.

“Anyone home?” Glisten calls out, sighing at the clattering of utensils that promptly follows. They spot Cosmo bent over retrieving a spatula from the floor before sighing and tossing it into the sink.

“Oh- Glisten, Goob!” He smiles weakly in greeting, leaning against the counter and wiping his good arm across his forehead. The other one lacks the ichor of when he was twisted, but it still remains longer than his left; it’s tipped with long claws that grip the counter.

“Hello, Cosmo!” Goob skips in, stopping right in front of Cosmo. “Hug?” He tilts his head.

Cosmo smiles but shakes his head. “No thank you.” Goob frowns but accepts, taking a step back. His gaze lingers on Glisten’s face for a moment, eyeing the pink ribbon hung loosely from it. “I like your- uhm…” He trails off, raising a hand to point at his own head in place of where the ribbon would be to show what he’s referring to.

“Oh- thank you.” Glisten smiles nervously, adjusting it and to make sure it’s definitely covering all his cracks. “Where’s Sprout? I thought you two lived here.” Glisten teases with a coy grin, earning him a playful scoff from the cake roll.

“Looking for more food with Vee, too many mouths.” He turns his attention back around to the frying pan on the stove and gives it a shake. “Rodger asked me to make something for Toodles, she’s sitting at a table over there.” He nods his head in the direction of the seating area that the two had just entered from, and sure enough, Toodles was sitting quietly at a table, playing silently with her toy dog.

“I didn’t even see her.” Glisten clicks his tongue.

Even in comparison to the other toons, Toodles had been heavily affected by her twisting. Her head had been completely broken open, and despite it being repaired, it was clear it had its lasting effects. Still the loving little toon, but she was less social, didn’t speak as much, and didn’t go out of her way to be as friendly.

“How long have you been cooking for?” Goob asks, eyes landing on the mound of dishes in the sink. Cosmo follows Goob’s line of sight and he grimaces in embarrassment.

“Well- just a little while. I'm still getting used to cooking and baking again, so I’ve been going through more dishes than usual.” He admits, groaning as he takes the frying pan off the burner and pulling a plate from the cupboard. He opens up the drawer, fumbling for a new spatula, before scooping the hashbrowns out of the pan and onto a plate. “Did you two want anything?” Cosmo smiled.

The smell of hash browns was a tempting siren song he wanted to let lure him in, but he and Glisten had a helping quota to fill, and this was a perfect place to begin. “Don’t worry about us! You should take a break.”

“Goob is right, you look dreadful.” Glisten tilted his head with a frown, folding his arms over his chest.

“Ouch…” Cosmo slumped, though there wasn’t any actual hurt behind his words. “Well, a little break wouldn’t hurt I suppose, I could keep Toodles company.” He hummed. Before he left the kitchen he turned around one last time, letting his hand rest on the doorframe. “Thank you.” He smiled, turning around and leaving.

The pair waited a moment before Goob turned to face the counter. “We should give him a hand with cleaning as a little surprise!” He skipped over to the sink full of dishes and turned on the tap.

Glisten let out a whine, the corners of his mouth tugging into a frown. “I don’t want to touch the dishes… what if some floating food touches me?” He full-body shivers, disgusted at the notion. Goob rolled his eyes playfully, dropping to his knees and opening up the cabinets.

“Why don't you… clean off the counters, then?” His tongue sticks out in focus as he roots around for soap, stretching an arm far into a back corner, digging out a brand new bottle of soap that looks like it’s been long forgotten. “Bingo!” He shoots up, instantly smashing his head into the counter above him and letting out a yelp.

“Oh- Goob!” Glisten lets out a gasp and runs to his side. Goob gets right back up, wobbling for a moment and grabbing onto the counter for support.

“I’m- I’m okay!” He offers a lopsided smile and a thumbs up, almost falling as he lets go of the counter. Glisten’s eyes narrowed into a suspicious squint but he took a careful step back. “I’ve got lots of fluff protecting the important stuff.” Goob tacked on.

Glisten let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, letting his head fall as he leaned back on his legs. “You gotta be more careful than that, the last thing I want to do is to have to carry you back to your room because you’re concussed.” He straightened himself up and shook his head, letting his fists rest on his hips. “Your sister would kill me.”

“You aren’t still scared of her, are you? She’s only kidding when she threatens you, I think!” The craft giggled, turning on the water. Gardenview no longer had any hot water, it was a miracle they still had electricity. Goob paused, face scrunching slightly. How did they have electricity? Was that another one of those strings Dandy pulled behind the scenes?

“She’d gut me if I ever let something happen to you.” Glisten forced out a small laugh. In truth, ever-present was a nagging fear that perhaps Scraps didn’t see him as good enough for her brother, that she didn’t approve of him. She had never done anything to explicitly make him feel as though she disapproved, but he knew how fiercely protective she was of her little sibling; she could put Sprout to shame.

He turned to the counter, frowning at the sheer mess of it; Tisha would have a stroke.

He pulled his gloves off and tucked them into his bow before he touched anything–they were white silk and he would have a fit if they got stained. The counter was covered in flour combined with some mysterious smudges of something not quite solid, yet not quite liquid either. He couldn’t comprehend how Cosmo and Sprout let themselves be so disorganized and messy, it’s not a new development since twisting, but possibly it had just worsened it.

The sink let out a groan as Goob turned the rusted metal handle, filling the sink with a heaping amount of dish soap.He snatched a sponge and a plate and began vigorously scrubbing. The water was pleasantly warm on his paws, though it made gripping the dinnerware even trickier. “Scraps likes you.”

Glisten paused, wiping the counter to look over at Goob. It was impossible to read his expression when he had his back turned, making Glisten’s skin crawl nervously. “Of course she does, everyone does.” He needed to do damage control, he didn’t like that the first thing Goob presumed was that he was insecure. He turned back to the counter once again, scrubbing harder at the stain of something that had boiled over onto the stove.

Goob was silent for a moment, the stall in conversation only causing Glisten’s heart rate to jump even further. “You sound like you’re thinking too much.” He finally answered, retrieving a towel from a cupboard and laying it out to set the plate on. “Not in the good way- you know what I mean.”

Glisten let out a playful scoff. “Well… I just want to…” He trailed off, not truly sure what he wanted. He wanted to be loved and adored, but above all he wanted to be good. He needed to be flawless and free from judgement. Every critical look his way chipped at the fragile little podium he’d built for himself.

“You haven’t done anything to be disliked.” Goob finally turned to face him, setting down another plate and offering a warm smile. “Cmon, you’re being silly. She’s my sister, I’d know if she didn’t like you, and then I’d tell you.”

“Ok ok, fine.” Glisten sighed in acceptance, tossing the filthy piece of paper towel into a trash bin and cleaning his hands off on each other with a few swipes. “Let’s just get this over with before Cosmo gets back, I’m going to break a nail at this rate.”

“I bet I can finish before you.” Goob flashed a toothy grin, turning around and getting right back to work.

“Hah, as if!” Glisten retorted with a smile, grabbing another piece of paper towel and wiping down the island counter as fast as he could.

The two worked in tandem, moving around each other like a dance as they made swift progress on the mess left behind. It was something they had taken comfort in doing before the ichor, doing menial tasks. They helped each other in a way neither had predicted. Goob craved a sense of independence, being able to help someone else for once instead of being the one to need assistance. Glisten, as stubborn as he was to admit it, needed help sometimes.

“Done!” Glisten proclaimed, spinning around to launch a balled up piece of paper towel at Goob. It hit him on the back of the head and landed on the floor lamely.

“Hey!” Goob gasped, pulling his hands out from the sink water and stretching them out to try and pull Glisten in. He shrieked and laughed, running behind the counter and giggling. “C’mere!” Goob started after him, tail wagging furiously.

The two ran around the island in the kitchen, Glisten occasionally ducking under it whenever Goob reached over to try and grab him with his soaked mitts.

“Go dry those things off, you brute!” Glisten squealed.

The two paused as they heard fast and heavy footsteps heading for the kitchen, followed by Cosmo bursting through the doorway. “IS-” He doubled over, panting, “Are you two- oh man- are you two okay?! I was coming back into the dining room and heard a scream!” He gasped for air, a fearful look on his face like he’d expected to see something terrible.

Glisten slid to an abrupt halt causing Goob to nearly collide into the back of him, his foot landing on some water on the floor and shooting out from under him. “Gyah- we’re okay!” He staggered to his feet, rubbing his backside.

“A- are you sure?” He stumbled into the kitchen, looking around.

“Oh, don’t worry we were just playing around, I’m sorry!” Glisten waved his arms apologetically, letting them fold over his chest to nervously scratch at his arm. His eyes glued to the floor at the tile in front of his feet as he shuffled over to stand beside Goob. The craft began reaching out to give him a hug but managed to correct himself, pulling his hands back to his sides after he remembered he still hadn’t properly dried them off, though they were hardly wet anymore.

Cosmo let out a relieved sigh and nodded. “It’s okay, Glisten, I just wouldn’t want you to get hurt on any of the…” He trailed off, looking around at the kitchen finally. The counters had been completely cleaned off and the pile of dishes he’d left in the sink were now drying off on a towel. “What- did you guys clean everything?”

“Surprise! Glisten cleaned your counters, and I did the dishes!” Goob cheered, pulling Cosmo in for a tight hug. The cake roll let out a squeak, flailing a bit in surprise before he settled into the hug, letting his left arm tuck around the small of Goob’s back while his right arm hung limply at his side.

“You guys didn’t have to do that, I mean thank you-” The cake interrupts himself. “-but it was my mess!”

“It was nothing, really!” His tail wagged causing the two of them to shift back and forth slightly. He finally slid off, letting go of Cosmo reluctantly. “Sorry, I hugged without asking again.” He tapped his claws together making a clicking sound with each tap.

“It’s okay, Goob. You deserve it.” Cosmo smiled, turning to Glisten. “You too, thank you, Glisten! You two are amazing… Sprout’s going to be so happy.” He stepped over to the counter, taking a clean frying pan into his hands and turning it over. It surprised him just how well it had been cleaned.

“If the search goes well, we could all have a big supper tomorrow night, like old times.” Cosmo opened a cabinet and tucked the pan inside, folding his hands together. “You two should come, it’s the least I can do to thank you!”

“Aww, don’t mention it!” The craft chuckled. “You can have your kitchen back, and we’ll get out of your icing. Bye, Cosmo!“ He waved enthusiastically.

“It was nice to see you!” The cake roll waved back. Goob led Glisten out of the kitchen and dining room. As soon as they exited, a loud growl reminded Goob of why they had even gone to the kitchen in the first place.

“Awhh- we forgot to get food for ourselves!” He whined, throwing his head back. He’d only grown more of an appetite after doing all that cleaning. How Tisha managed to clean so much, he’d never know.

Glisten hummed, pausing to turn and look back in the direction they’d come from. “Should we go back?”

“Nooo… we just cleaned all of the plates and stuff! We can’t go and dirty them now.” The craft sighed, dragging his feet along. Glisten slipped his gloves back on, staring at his hands as he tried to think of somewhere they could find food.

“We could give Teagan a visit,” Glisten snapped his fingers. “A drink of something and a biscuit might tide you over in the meantime?” Her company always made him feel better, and an excuse to see her was just what he needed.

“Oh, that’s a great idea!” Goob’s hand shot out, finding the mirror’s and linking them together. His claws slipped in between his fingers, giving his hand a gentle squeeze, pulling him along excitedly. Glisten let himself be led to the elevator and they boarded, taking it up to the second floor of toon rooms.

They wandered down the hall until they landed upon a door with a wooden frame. Glisten raised his hand and knocked on it with the back of his knuckles. “Teagan, are you in?” He called out, taking a step back from the door, returning to Goob’s side.

The two waited in silence for a moment, and Glisten almost wondered if perhaps she was elsewhere until he heard soft, muffled footsteps on the other side. The door opened and Teagan opened it with a smile. She signed a quick hello to the both of them, turning to look back in her room with hesitation.

“I hope I’m not intruding.” Glisten fidgeted, folding his arms over his chest again. Teagan was quick to shut down the notion, shaking her head and waving her hand reassuringly.

“I have… a guest, as long as you don’t mind.” She finally spoke, her voice was quiet and raspy. Teagan didn’t speak often, though she hadn’t completely lost her voice, it was just uncomfortable for long periods of conversation. She wasn’t the only one, both Shrimpo and Sprout suffered from similar afflictions. In most cases she spoke in sign, and the toons had been making an effort to learn it for their friends.

“Not at all!” Goob beamed. Teagan nodded and smiled in return, opening the door and stepping back to allow them entry. Goob skipped in first, scanning the room for the mystery guest. His eyes landed on the last person he could have possibly guessed he’d see as Teagan’s guest; a very familiar shrimp slouching on one of Teagan’s antique looking chairs, arms crossed and glaring right back at Goob.

The scarf he typically wore over his mouth was pulled down, exposing the scarred lower half of his face. Almost all of the skin around his mouth was mangled, showing off pointed fangs. His permanent scowl didn’t help the frightening appearance it created for him.

Goob shrank back immediately, his smile turning nervous. His eyes darted around the room, trying to avoid the other’s harsh gaze. His eyes landed on Glisten who entered the room soon after him and he shuffled a little bit closer.

Shrimpo signs something at Teagan that neither of them manage to quite catch, causing her to give him a disapproving look. His hands move with swift motions, aggressive and harsh.

‘Please be nice.’ She signed in return before she turned back to her new guests, smiling and motioning for them to take a seat. She got to work pouring drinks and gathering snacks, placing them on a tray on a coffee table in the middle of the seating arrangement.

“Shrimpo, I can’t say I expected to see you here.” Glisten sat down on a red chair, folding his leg other the other. Shrimpo only offers a dismissive flick of his antennae in reply. The room is tense and awkward, but Glisten finds it better than being alone. Any company is good company, he’s discovered. Maybe it’s lingering feelings from the effect the ichor had on his mind, making him lonely and scared. In his twisted state, he found even Shrimpo’s company had been better than nothing.

‘He’s not so bad.’ She paused to think. ‘A very quick learner. It’s nice to have someone to figure out sign with.’ She picks up a teacup and a pot of freshly steeped tea. Steam rises out of the cup as she pours it with practiced ease, offering it to Glisten. She slides over a small little glass dish of sugar cubes and he sheepishly drops a few into his drink with the fancy little spoon placed in the dish before giving his drink a stir.

For Goob, Teagan has a special mug that she pours tea into, fishing around in a tin for a straw and placing it inside before placing it on the table in front of him. It’s red in colour, and rather thick and large, perfect for his paws to hold. He happily tosses far too many sugar cubes in, making Shrimpo cringe, then leans forward and sips it from its place on the table.

‘It’s been a moment since we’ve gotten to have tea and speak, how are you two? Doing anything new?’ Teagan tilts her head, taking a sip of her own tea. Goob looks up, pulling away from his tea and licking his lips. He gives Glisten a look, pleading for him to translate on his behalf. He’d been trying his best to understand sign, but it was hard to remember to read up on it, and even worse to memorize and perform it.

Glisten is hardly paying attention, staring ahead absently as he plays with the handle on his cup. Goob looks back at Teagan with a worried and apologetic look that he simply can’t understand what she asked of him. He turns back to Glisten and taps on his leg, snapping him out of his trance.

“Huh? Oh- she’s asking if we’ve done anything new recently.” He smiles awkwardly, taking a sip from his tea.

“Oh! Well, a few things here and there, me and Scraps have been brainstorming on how to help out some toons with moving around! Mostly Finn for now, one thing at a time, right? We were thinking maybe we could build a wagon, since there's ramps on a good few floors. He can drag himself around, but stairs are hard, so is reaching the buttons in the elevators, and he’s too big and heavy to carry.” The craft chuckles. Finn was usually confined to one space at a time, needing any sort of assistance if he wanted to move about, get food, or reach anything that was higher than the height of a table really.

‘That’s a stupid idea.’ Shrimpo finally added to the conversation, leaning forward to sign angrily. Teagan gave him a critical look, urging him to stop.

“Oh, well, do you have any better ideas?” Goob tilted his head. Shrimpo just wanted under his skin, but it never quite managed to bother the craft enough to make him angry in return. In fact, he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the craft get aggressive. Even when twisted, he wandered around crying, trying his hardest to pull others in for comfort, but he’d forgotten how to be gentle, and hurt everyone he touched.

‘A wheelchair?’ Shrimpo rolled his eyes like it was obvious, folding his arms and huffing. The craft was thoughtful for a moment, humming as he reached out to pick up a handful of cookies off the table, though he was the only one who was actively eating them.

“Where can I find one of those?” He swallowed, cleaning the crumbs off his cheeks and claws with his tongue.

Shrimpo’s hands flew up to retort something but he paused and sputtered, realizing he had no idea. Did Gardenview even possess a wheelchair? He only knew they existed because of the few children in his years he’d seen in one. He lets out a noise, something between a wheeze and the call of a broken squeaky toy as he tries to formulate some sort of comeback, desperate not to be made a fool.

‘Figure that out yourself!’ He signs frantically, mouth pulled back and teeth bared into a snarl, showing off his sharp canines.

Goob swallows nervously, shrinking back. “Sure, okay…” He nods, not entirely sure what he even agreed to, but he managed to pick up the word ‘yourself’, meaning he had probably done something to annoy Shrimpo. He looked over at Glisten again, who was back to staring at his cup with an unreadable expression. He was inspecting his fingers absentmindedly as they wrapped around the cup he was holding; once more dainty and delicate looking, they had become long, sharp claws. Goob’s gaze turned down to his own paws, they were big and bulky–more so than before. He’d always been a bit of a klutz when it came to fine motor skills, but big clunky paws and sharpened talons made the most simple tasks a challenge.

Tiredness started to settle into his body, blinking slowly as his gaze travelled up. Teagan was staring at him with a worried expression, having set her own cup down on the table with her hands folded neatly in her lap. He realized that she could have been trying to get his attention and he sat up straighter, smiling apologetically.

“Sorry, did I miss something?” He chanced a glance over at Shrimpo, who was no longer interested in him, finishing off his own beverage. He gripped the cup with unnecessary strength, Goob was shocked it didn’t shatter into pieces. It was an odd display to watch him place it down when he was done instead of smashing it on the floor, or some other over-the-top display of anger.

Teagan picked up the teapot and refilled Shrimpo’s cup. He didn’t offer any sort of thanks, or even a hint of appreciation for that matter, but he picked up the cup once again and took a long sip, reclining stiffly in his seat.

‘Are you feeling well?’ She motioned gently.

“Oh- uhm, I’m doing great!” He blinked, smiling to try and ward off concern. “Just a little tired, and hungry. Me and Glisten did a butt-load of cleaning in the kitchen.” He giggled. He actually had no idea how long the two of them had been at it for, time passed differently with the mirror around in his life.

Teagan didn’t seem to buy it for a moment, giving him a sympathetic look as she slid over another package of cookies. ‘Stay as long as you’d like’. She signed, offering him another refill on his tea which he gratefully accepted. He hoped that he wouldn’t have a stomach ache later that night.

An awkward silence blanketed over the four toons. Glisten couldn’t help but feel that he was most definitely the cause of it, even if it was indirectly. He’d shown up unannounced, and brought Goob into a situation where he’d be uncomfortable.

He noticed Goob giving him a concerned look out of the corner of his eye, and he avoided meeting his gaze, opting to stare a hole into the carpet instead. He could think up an excuse to get them out, but an ever-present voice in the back of his mind demands he not leave, screams at him to overstay his welcome until he needs to be pried off. He feels like a leech, attaching himself to others and draining them for his own selfish means.

“Glisten?”

His head turns up, meeting Goob’s eyes.

“Are you feeling sleepy?” Goob asks with a tilt of his head. Glisten knows what he’s really asking, he’s kind enough to not reveal Glisten’s insecurities to the others in the room; how needy he is.

Glisten hums. “A bit.”

“Want to go back for the night?” Goob’s eyes dart over to Shrimpo, who’s antennae twitch in their direction. He looks eager for them to finally get out, or at least for Goob to leave.

He opens his mouth to say no, but a moment of reflection leads to a painful pang of guilt for even being there. “That might be a good idea.” He concedes, nodding. Goob smiles and stands up, taking Glisten’s hand to help him up.

Teagan looked up with a start, the speed causing the liquid to slosh around in her head slightly. She frowned at their abrupt decision to leave but made no move to keep them longer, only hoping she hadn’t made either of them feel unwelcome. Shrimpo was a hard guest to host, but Teagan had felt he’d made so much progress. Treating him differently from her other guests would be counterproductive.

‘Let me see you two out.’ She signed, setting her cup down and standing up, brushing off her dress.

She gave Glisten a small hug and a peck on the cheek, turning to Goob and giving him a hug and a quick kiss as well with a warm smile.

“It was nice to see you.” Teagan murmured, leaning on the doorframe.

“Thank you for having us.” Glisten smiled. “I’m sorry for showing up and possibly making things… awkward.”

“You’re always welcome here, Glisten.” She met his eyes with a tender look. He tried to hold it but turned his gaze downcast. He turned and left the room with a final wave as Goob followed after, waving to Teagan and Shrimpo; he scoffed and turned his head dismissively.

They both left for the elevator, taking it back down to their floor. It was a quiet walk back to their room, neither saying a word. Glisten’s room was first as he stopped in front of it, hesitating. The thought of being alone all night made his stomach churn.

“Goodnight, Glis.” Goob stepped closer to pull the mirror into a hug, careful with his claws as he nuzzled his face into the other’s. Glisten leaned into the warm hug, letting his eyes fall shut. He could stay there for the whole night. Finally with a yawn, Goob pulled away. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.” He gave a lopsided smile before turning away to head down the hall.

“W- wait!” Glisten called out, louder and more desperate than he would have liked. Goob turned, tilting his head in concern. Glisten pulled his extended hand close to his chest, playing with his glove as he looked anywhere but at Goob. “Will you… stay with me for a bit longer?”

Goob didn’t answer immediately, but nodded after a beat of silence. Glisten smiled in relief, feeling the pit in his stomach fade. He stepped inside his room as Goob followed him inside, closing the door behind him. “Thank you.” He shed his accessories, folding them neatly onto the vanity. His fingers lingered on the ribbon covering his face, reluctantly pulling off the fabric and placing it with his other belongings. He wiped the makeup from his face gently, avoiding looking at his own image too hard. He dropped the used wipe into the bin and stepped over to his bed, plopping himself down with a huff.

“Glisten?” Goob joined him, climbing onto the bed and folding his legs. “Do you need a hug?”

Glisten nodded, and it was all Goob needed to snake his arms around the mirror and pull him in for a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered quietly, leaning into the other’s fur. Goob was warm and soft, a stark contrast to Glisten’s own frigid, metallic surface. It hadn’t been a problem before, his skin was smooth and flawless and beautiful, and he attributed his entire being to that. Now that he had lost it, he craved the softness and warmth of contact with another.

“For what?” He rubbed his fluffy cheek along the mirror’s face, practically coiling around him like a snake, legs wrapping around his waist.

“I’m not getting better.” He was too tired to shed any tears, his mind succumbed to feelings of inadequacy and frustration at his own unwillingness to improve his condition. “I…” He trailed off, not sure how to word his problem. “I can’t help myself.” He clung to Goob like he would vanish if he loosened his embrace, guilt crept up his spine and seeped into his bones, making him shiver.

“You will, I promise. We all have bad days.” He reassured. “We all need help sometimes.”

Glisten didn’t respond immediately, instead letting his eyes fall shut as he focused on Goob’s rhythmic breathing, the feeling of his soft elastic arms around his body, and how his fur tickled slightly. He squeezed his paws lightly, leaning his head into his chest and letting his fingers tangle in Goob’s fur, drawing a soft rumble from the craft’s chest accompanied by a faint vibration.

“I don’t want you to leave… stay, please?” He spoke in a quiet whisper, barely even audible as he voiced his plea.

“Of course.” Goob nodded, his hold on Glisten never waning. The two of them sat unmoving for a long time, until finally sleep began to pull at them and they adjusted to laying and cuddling, tangled up together in comfortable silence for the rest of the night until their eyes lulled shut, giving in to a sleep better than either had felt in a long time.