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Dandy felt awful.
Their limbs felt warm and shaky. Breathing felt like a burden. Each inhale tickled the back of their throat and threatened coughing. The lights from the elevator above threatened to worsen their headache.
Despite this they sucked it up and smiled at the shop. They had a run to supervise after all.
The toons buzzed conversation all around them. They coughed roughly into their elbow for a brief moment before sniffling and turning back to the toons. Vee walked over, and browsed their shop. Dandy was about to make a witty comment, but suddenly sneezed twice in a row. Vee looked up at them. “Heh, not sounding too well, bloomy. Why are you hosting a run like that? You’re gonna make everyone else start sneezing.” Vee teased and went to ruffle their petals. Dandy laughed limply and tried to shove her hand away. “Hey! Heh-” they coughed midway through, “Keep that up and I'm sneezing on you! On purpose!”
Vee laughed a bit. “Seriously, you sound rough. Are you sure you’re up for a run?” Dandy put their hands on their hips. “Totally! I’m doing better than you would if you got sick!” They proudly said before coughing. They coughed so hard they started gagging, which got the attention of toons and got vee to back up out of instinct. “Dandy, are you okay?” asked Poppy cautiously. Dandy waved their hands. “Yeah yeah! All-” they sneezed suddenly, “-all fine and dandy!” they reassured her. Poppy didn't look that convinced. The elevator opened to the next floor, and dandy got their shop to descend.
Dandy began to regret hosting a run.
No one was buying much. They wondered if it was because they sneezed and coughed on the stock, which would make sense. They wouldn’t want to buy a chocolate bar from a sick shopkeeper either. They were growing restless and agitated. Although, despite this, they didn't want to twist. They knew it would take a ton of energy and heighten their senses, but they can’t just leave toons who ignore them, unpunished. That means they could abuse this whenever they host runs while sick. Either way, they went below their shop, and cracked their knuckles to begin.
The toons didn’t actually think dandy would twist while sick, but the haunting music box that played proved them wrong. “There’s no way Dandy’s actually twisting right now right?” Cosmo asked, “You heard how sick they were in the elevator!” Scraps crossed her arms, “Maybe they’re just tryna scare us? You know, make us think they twisted but really they're still below the shop.” She offered. The elevator door opened, and Vee flicked out her microphone quickly, and tapped it. Light illuminated the large hulking lethal twisted that was Dandy. “That IDIOT! They actually twisted!?” she snapped. Cosmo looked to vee. “Should we complete the floor as normal?” he asked. Vee nodded, “Just be careful…”
Dandy was regretting every moment of their life at this very moment. They could barely make out their surroundings, and kept bumping into walls. Each breath they took made their chest ache. Their head was spinning as they stumbled. Each ding of a machine felt agonizing in their ears as they shakily stumbled towards a machine. The music box they loved now felt headache inducing.
Oh why did they do this?
Their attention turned to another finished machine near the broken elevator, and the elevator opened. Finally, the floor was done, just one more machine to head over to. Dandy stumbled over, breathing heavily as they trudged. Vee was dusting her hands off proudly as she started to turn to the elevator. Dandy spotted her and began to chase her. She jumped and started to run. The flower was trying to catch up to her, falling behind. Vee suddenly stopped running, and was regaining stamina.
Dandy was far behind her.
She was outwalking him.
Now that's pathetic.
Vee actually turned around when she realized she hadn’t died yet. Dandy couldn’t run any longer and fell to the ground with a loud THUD!
The tv toon looked at them and began to laugh. “Can’t run any more, trash heap? I knew you couldn’t get far twisting like this!” she teased. Dandy moved their claws over their head. “Don’t-” They coughed, “Tease me… Cathode… I’ll get you! I just-” They coughed again, harder this time. Vee’s antenna went back. “Geez, don’t hurt yourself. You’re already a fool enough for hosting a run like this.” She said. Dandy rolled their eyes. “You’re one to talk. What was that thing last month? Miss 'I'm going on a run with a fever?’” They chuckled. Vee crossed her arms. “That was different. 1. I'm a robot, I can take it. 2. I don’t twist voluntarily on runs. Heck even if you DID still host the run you didn't have to twist!” She scolded. They narrowed their eyes at the television.
The elevator suddenly slammed shut, and vee stood there mid scold with wide eyes. Dandy began to laugh, “HAH! Got you to miss the elevator!” they said before coughing again. Vee looked so frustrated. “... since I'm here, I'm taking you back to your room.” She said. Dandy scoffed. “You? Fat chance. Once I get my energy back, I'm crushing you under my lethal claws and redrawing you in the lobby..” They tried to stand up, but suddenly fell back, with a softer burst they had returned to their toon form involuntarily. Vee laughed, nearly falling over. Dandy didn’t sit up, they didn't want to see her face. “Oh shut up Vee..” They said, and coughed again.
Suddenly they were picked up.
“All right, come on. Tell me how to get out of here, Blossom.”
The elevator opened to the main toons’ private rooms. Vee carried dandy in her arms softly. “Don’t you…” dandy sneezed midway through, “..abuse that secret exit..” They snarled softly. “Got it, geez you really shouldn’t have done that, I've never seen you so tired.” She responded. She then opened the door to Dandy’s room, and set them down on their bed. “Take off your overalls, that won’t be comfortable.” Vee told them, and turned around to give them a moment. Dandy began to unbutton their overalls and looked over to see Vee walking out. “Where are you going, cathode?” they asked weakly and laid down in their bed. Vee waved a hand, “Just getting some things, hold on.” she said, and left the room.
Dandy had almost fallen asleep by the time Vee returned. “I'm back, idiot. You’re sooo lucky I talked sprout out of coming here to scold you. He was livid when I told him what you did.” She said with a snicker. Dandy simply groaned in response. Vee set something cool on their head. It was a damp towel. They opened their eyes to look at her. Vee was sitting there on the side of their bed, setting a handful of stuff down on their bedside table. “Dyle took over the run for you. He said it was okay.” She informed them and took out a bottle of what seemed to be cold medication. “Sprout also says you have a cold, and twisting might’ve made it worse. He said you probably gave yourself a fever.”
Dandy asked, “Why are you doing this…? Don’t you hate me..?” Vee’s antenna twitched, and just barely opened her eyes to meet theirs. “That doesn't mean I want you to suffer. We’re rivals, not enemies.” She responded, her voice was stern. Dandy felt their face grow warm, though not with a fever. “I mean, you’re accepting my- hold on, here take this medication real quick, sprout said it will help.” she began, then shoved a spoonful of medicine into their mouth. It tasted bitter and awful. They made a face, then had another spoon shoved in their mouth without warning. It was sweet this time. They swallowed both liquids then asked, “What was that last one?” Vee responded, “Honey. Veronica would get mum to eat a spoonful of honey after coaxing her to take nasty tasting medicine. You know how stubborn mum was to accept help.” Dandy chuckled softly.
Vee continued, “as I was saying, you’re accepting my help despite hating me as well. You could’ve easily rejected it. You took the medicine fine just now.” Dandy’s gaze softened. “Do you actually hate me…?” they asked. Vee paused, then looked at them. “Is… is this the sickness talking or something?? Why are you asking that??” she asked back, a bit startled. Dandy blinked. “Not answering the question, idiot box...” they replied. Vee sat there for a moment. “I don't know anymore. It’s been too long, so many things have been happening… We’ve been playing music together again… we’ve been talking more often, and more usually, and heck, we’ve even opened up to each other about our issues.” she responded.
They sat in silence, only broken by dandy’s occasional coughs or heavier breathing. Vee asked back, “Do you actually hate me?” Dandy looked down at their hands. They picked at the blanket on the bed. “... I don't know either.” they replied. The silence that followed wasn’t tense. It felt light, and warm. “... are we still rivals?” Vee broke the silence. Her voice was blunt, yet she gazed at them with a tender expression. Dandy felt their face get red, and they blurted out, “I-I I don’t know! I'm sick! Don’t give me a crisis while I'm sick cathode!” Vee laughed so hard her voice started to delay. Dandy collected themself, and coughed into their elbow.
“I got one more thing for you, hold on.” Vee said, and reached in her jacket, then pulled out a plush of herself holding a piece of paper. The paper said “Stop doing stupid stuff.” Dandy chuckled as they took it. “Wowwww, so nice after this chat we had.” they said. Vee looked proud. “I think it was an appropriate time. As a bonus, it's a reminder. You’ll have your best rival forever reminding you of that time you twisted while ill.” she said. The word “rival” suddenly felt so foreign. It was strange, Dandy set the plush aside, and looked back at Vee. She still looked so proud of herself. The flower sat up and hugged her from behind. “Hey?? Hey Dan, what's this??” Vee asked and looked back at them. Her screen grew bright. Dandy simply responded in a softer voice,
“Rival or not, thank you for helping me.”