Chapter Text
The creaks and groans of the machine stopped abruptly as Pebble’s front legs slipped off the wheel again, sending him crashing to the ground of the gift store.
“Maybe you’re just not cut out for this, Pebble.” Vee spoked, getting off the machines to flip Pebble over again. “We’ll make sure to get more extractors next expedition. Maybe even Shelly, if we find her.”
Pebble turned away from the machine, before wandering off, leading Vee to do all the machines alone again. They had descended 35 floors. Vee would’ve searched for Shelly the missing toons alone, but Pebble stuck himself in between the opening of the elevator doors and whined pitifully until Vee pulled him in.
The machine dinged and she went over to finish Pebble’s machine too.
Vee pulled on her tail again, highlighting the twisteds. THEY wandered around aimlessly, with a glint in their soulless eyes and sometimes ichor dripping down their chin. Vee would shiver in disgust if she could.
She was pulled out of her thoughts as Pebble slid to a stop next to her and accidentally rammed into her leg. She looked down, noticing a bottle of pop in his mouth. She reached down to pet him, before taking the bottle. This would help her a lot. She was not exactly the best at running. She was a gameshow host, for Gardenview’s sake, not a pro athlete. Can’t say the same for Pebble, though. Pebble never runs out of energy. Even when they were in the elevator, waiting for the descent, Pebble would run around in circles until the door opened.
Vee felt how loose her right arm was. She’ll need to screw it tighter when she gets the chance. At least no wires were exposed. She rubbed it as if it was sore, even though she’ll probably loosen it further. Maybe she hangs around the other toons too much.
She watched Pebble get ahold of a Shelly plush, shaking it around like some toy. Cotton flies out as Shelly’s leg rips off, leaving a mess on the grounds. Vee turned away from the unsightly scene. Shelly was alive. She was fine, and dandy, and probably digging up another fossil, and Vee is going to bring her to the surface again, and then they’ll be safe.
She finished the rest of the machines, feeling just as shaken as before, the picture of the Shelly plush fresh in her mind. She doesn’t know why it mattered so much. She looked at Pebble, cotton stuck to the corner of his sharp teeths, and entered the elevator. She couldn’t bear to look at him.
The elevator shut with a loud CLANG, as Dandy and his shop rose up before her.
“Vee.”
“Dandy.”
“So are you going to actually buy something this time?” Dandy slammed his hand, causing the gumballs to shift slightly.
“I do not care for your trashy wares, Dancifer.”
Dandy exhaled sharply, crossing his arms. “These tapes were never yours. There’s no reason to keep them with you. And since you have oh so many complaints for my graciously hand-picked items that have helped you survive for so—“
“You hadn’t been selling anything of worth. Where do you get your wares, the trash bin behind Gardenview? I don’t need your shop, nor your items, nor you. You don’t have to follow my descent.”
Dandy looked like he was about to lunge over the “table” of his shop, before just descending.
The door slammed, leaving Vee in the silence.
Pebble whined, lying his head on the ground of the floor.
“Just because you are Dandy’s dog and you happen to be in the same room as me doesn’t mean I hate Dandy any less.”
Pebble shook himself and got up.
The elevator rumbled, before opening once again, revealing Shelly’s floor.
Floor 36.
The lights flickered once, twice, before finally going out. Vee couldn’t help but get the feeling that Dandy was behind this somehow. She pulled on her tail, watching the twisteds light up. It must be her lucky day, as she got the same clones of commons once again. Shelly must be here somewhere, right? Unless she decided to wander off to other floors.
She went out towards a machine, with Pebble tagging along behind her. He sniffed, before sitting down and stopping.
“What’s wrong, Pebble?”
He whined, turning around to try and walk toward the elevator. When he noticed she wasn’t following, he turned around again.
“Pebble, I have to find Shelly. It’s just a blackout. We’ve seen many blackouts before this, and nothing bad has happened yet.”
Pebble barked again.
Vee walks toward him, before noticing a half-filled machine. Shelly.