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As the elevator doors were about to clunk closed with the ticking time limit over their heads, Astro used his ability for the final time that floor, having used up all the cooldown to aid the rest of his friends into the rusting metal compartment before it eventually slammed shut, leaving the party unable to breathe until they sensed the descending sensation once more.
Standing there, the electric hum filled his ears with that familiar, numb dread, drowning his mind with an indecipherable static he’d grown used to.
Key word: Almost.
Though his brain scattered itself in his headspace, his thoughts had one specific peaceful pocket nestled within: Vee. She was the only one who was able to snap him from his reveries amid the dedicated party of toons waiting to descend onto the next floor, quite easily, in fact, locked into a mutual gaze from opposite sides of the elevator.
If he were to be honest, among the only toons he was close with, Vee was a special one, at that. She, in all her elegant hostess splendor, had a lot of time to think along with the rest of the toons after the shutdown. The entire ordeal made her slightly more reserved, and tired, definitely, but it never felt like she lost herself in the infinite cycle of floors.
The other mains always felt like they had something to hide. Sprout only ever talked to Cosmo nowadays, Shelly had a whole host of problems other than trying to be heard, and Pebble was, well, a dog. Even he never felt very…whole, in a sense. But Vee? She had always been incredibly blunt, and though her machinery was burnt out from the mental strain, she was the only one who felt genuine.
Vee said what was on her mind, and Astro found that endearing. His dreams, his nightmares, his thoughts—they were all winding, lucid, but amid it all, Vee was the only one who felt real. What they had was real.
“Whatcha lookin’ at, buddy?”
Astro almost yelped, but nothing managed to slip out, startled at best. He looked behind him to find Dandy, perched in his usual pop-up shop with that award-winning grin over his features.
“No…uh…nothing. Just…zoned out again…”
He quickly replied, his response seemingly satisfying his best friend’s inquisitiveness.
The moon drop had forgotten it was an even-numbered floor, the perfect time for Dandy to restock and get ready to sell some items. He also realized he’d been staring at Vee for an unknown amount of time prior. She didn’t seem to mind, but it was something he had to work on. Yikes .
The chatter in the elevator resumed as the rest of the toons purchased some items, some good, some bad, but all fairly priced. Astro didn’t fancy anything in particular, but he bought a singular chocolate bar, even if he didn’t like sweets. At least it made Dandy happy, knowing he was at least helping in his little way.
“Soooooooooo, what’s up with you and Vee?”
Dandy questioned after their usual pleasantries, twirling a speed candy with the tip of his finger.
“Pardon? Vee and I? Why?”
He made sure to test the waters before asking, figuring he might as well confirm if his best friend was thinking what he thought he was thinking. You can never be too careful…
“Well, y’know, just wanna make sure you aren’t replacing your best friend!”
His innocence didn’t seem to mask the statement’s implication, and Astro noticed.
He and Vee hadn’t told anyone about… them yet, per se. They were planning on telling the other mains first if they were trustworthy enough to keep a secret, but neither of them wanted the other toons to get so mushy about it, especially since they were both mains held in high regard. And, plus, they were both too busy making sure everyone was alive in each run, so they wouldn't let their relationship affect the operation when the entirety of Gardenview was at stake. Or, at least that’s what they were told. They could wind down when they were alone, but certainly not here.
Still, that didn’t stop the two from showing mutual affection in small ways—standing a little too closely in the elevator during panic mode, hugging a little longer than what was considered platonic, quietly looking into each others’ eyes when they weren’t doing anything in particular, just to name a few.
Others soon began to catch on, but no one ever seemed to mind or bring it up, much to their relief. Everyone was rather respectful despite all the ruckus. That is, everyone except Dandy. See, the entire thing was an open secret, but it seemed like Dandy was the only one who didn’t seem to get the memo. It puzzled Astro greatly, seeing his best friend suddenly getting more and more curious about Vee, particularly, what she was doing around him, especially since the two weren’t exactly on the best of terms.
He let out a sigh. He couldn’t blame a star for having his head too high up in the clouds. Dandy noticed.
“You’re not replacing me, are you?”
The star interjected with pleading eyes, leaning over the table as he waited for the moondrop’s answer, expectant.
“O-Oh, Dandy, you know I could never.”
Astro reaffirmed, his voice strained but meaningful, not wanting to upset him and derail his motivation. He was already holding up quite well; He just needed the extra reassurance.
“You’re a star, after all… and you also happen to be my best friend, so..-”
“That’s sweet, but I was just kidding, silly! Well, now that you’ve said it anyway, that reminds me: We should spend more time together. Maybe after we finish up here?”
“That sounds…nice, but I have plans with Vee..-”
“Great! It’s decided then! See ya later, ‘Stro!”
And with that, Dandy and his little pop-up shop sunk into the elevator, leaving the moondrop stunned. It seemed he wasn’t taking “no” for an answer. Maybe the flower was simply in a time crunch? He didn’t know, but it wasn’t like he was just going to ditch his plans with his partner either. Astro figured he just needed to re-inform Dandy later.
Now that the elevator had settled down, it felt like he could finally breathe again, letting go of a shaky sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding. His vision, finally vacant, scanned the walls so he could catch a break, before reuniting with Vee’s line of sight, but before he could get comfortable, something felt…off.
Vee’s once calm, neutral expression had shifted ever-so-slightly to an unreadable mix of emotions if there were any behind that screen. That’s what they saw, at least. She had what the resident baker described as a “resting b-face,” meaning she had an angry or indifferent one by default. But Astro had spent enough time with her to know it was more than just apathy. From the way she seemed to shrink into herself and how her monitor was slightly tensed, something was bugging her.
But before Astro could think any further, she had already whisked him out of the elevator as soon as Dandy descended into the depths, the first two to leave when the star was out of sight and out of mind.
Every step she took since exiting the elevator was of the usual cold, calculated, and rhythmic motions, and yet, her circuitry seemed scattered, wracked with emotions she wasn’t made to process. Each move her metal components made was clunkier than the last, dragging herself forward with evident hesitation. The tension that had formed between her and Astro was palpable, but Vee didn’t know exactly where she’d be taking him. All she knew was that the faster they finished this conversation, the faster they could shove doubt out of their minds.
Taking Astro by one of his hands, Vee eventually led him into a small room with no machines, just the pitter-patters of what seemed to be Ichor they had to be wary of, alone. Her grip wasn’t particularly tight, gentle yet firm enough to lead him safely there without running into any more of those nasty Twisteds. If anything, her partner was the one clasping her vacant hand, sending a reassuring, tender squeeze through the cool steel, silently and slightly flustering the machine.
She wasn’t quite used to affection or physical touch just yet, seizing up whenever Astro got a bit too close without either of them realizing. She wasn’t a very lovey-dovey or overly bubbly toon to begin with; She never had Shelly’s amount of enthusiasm or Sprout’s mind-numbing sarcasm, but with how hectic everything had been, she appreciated his attempts. They were small reminders that, though she couldn’t reciprocate the feeling as much, he still trusted her despite everything that’s been happening.
Vee loved him for it, but then again, part of her feared that maybe he was a little bit too trusting.
“...Is there…anything you want to get off your mind..?”
Astro was the first to ask amid the dim unease of the open room, riddled with concern. He tried his best not to seem so feeble, but his vision was out of focus, bouncing from wall to wall, restless.
“What were you and Dandy talking about?”
Her question came promptly when she noticed her partner’s shaken demeanor with a steady gaze, accompanying a subtle flick of the wrist, a gesture she’d grown used to when she wanted to make a point.
“I overheard a bit of your conversation by accident, and I just wanted to confirm,”
His features softened, rubbing his eyes as he recognized that investigative tone bathed in distrust, not of him, but of his best friend, something he expected. The flower had been noticeably distant, both physically and emotionally, so sparking up sudden conversations with Astro either meant he needed something from the moon drop or needed him for something. It became a pattern she grew to notice more and more often, and even though he implored her not to worry, it only made Vee more and more suspicious.
Astro was too kind to admit that he was growing more and more sick of something he couldn’t control.
“Confirm what, Vee…?”
His voice went even lower than either of them expected, hushed, trying to gauge the atmosphere. He didn’t know if it was the fatigue getting to him but standing in front of his partner in a quiet, too- quiet, eerie room only made him more anxious than he already was.
“If confirmation is what you seek, then…no, it had nothing to do with the operation,”
“No, it’s not that,”
Vee was one step ahead of him, balancing her words as if she were treading on thin ice. Dandy was already a touchy subject, even more so among the mains, but she knew addressing him personally would accidentally ring invisible alarm bells in Astro’s usually occupied head.
No matter how hard she tried, he always got involved in whatever beef she had with Dandy. He almost always ended up as the mediator for the two of them, the main reason why they were still talking despite the grudges built up. It made Vee feel horrible, but Astro couldn’t help it. He was a loyal toon, to both his best friend and to her.
It was like he had enough love for everyone around him if it wasn’t for the strain and drain of the operation. He always talked about how she was his safe place, his rest, but to her, he was more than just a partner. Then again, before the shutdown, Dandy and him were practically best friends, more like brothers than best friends. The moondrop still held onto those memories pretty tightly, and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but…
“Is he whispering things in your ears again?”
The Ichor in him ran ice cold as soon as the words met him. Dandy didn’t, but he knew it was true deep down, even if he didn’t have the strength to admit it. The star wasn’t like this before. The one he remembered, the one he cherished, his best friend, was caring and only wanted the best for them.
It wasn’t like Dandy had changed. It was just that a side of him died the moment Gardenview shut down. Now, he was the only one holding things together, and Astro couldn’t bring himself to question his increasingly worrying methods, all in fear because biting the hand that fed them would be the death of everyone he loved.
What was even true about the star? He wanted to believe the lies Dandy fed him, that the Ichor operation would bring everything back to the way it was, that nothing was wrong with their friendship, but as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t ignore the way things shifted for the worst as time went on.
Loving had him hung in the middle.
“He…he didn’t. Not this time, but…”
He swore his eyelids were twitching by simply trying to keep them open, regulating his breaths just to keep him alert.
“...He insisted we ‘spend more time together’ after this was over.”
“What did you say?”
“I-I don’t know. He didn’t let me have one.”
A moment of somber understanding passed by them. Astro had known Vee had picked up on what was happening under the surface for quite some time now. What he didn’t expect was how upfront she was about it. They both saw the star beginning to grow more and more erratic, more unhinged, more unstable, spiraling into a volatile whirl that descended deeper and deeper into something neither of them could pinpoint.
“Astro, you look like you’re about to collapse. When was the last time you slept?”
“I took a nap before this. Dandy said-”
“Here we go again. How many times do we have to tell you Dandy isn’t good for you?”
“...You’re saying that like it’s a prescription.”
“If it’s for the best, then, yes, maybe I am! Can’t you see what he’s been doing to you? Is it really that hard to-”
“Hard…? Do you know what’s harder than being told that leaving your best friend is ‘the best for you’? If you’re just going to tell me what to do, then what makes you different from him?”
“Because, believe it or not, I care about you!”
“Yes, I know! You’re tired, I’m tired, he’s tired, we’re all god-forsakenly tired! He probably didn’t know when he talked over me a few times. That’s why I’m going to tell him myself later. Give us both a break, please…!”
A momentary silence.
“Hey, I… Did I upset you-?”
“WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?!”
An even bigger silence. An even bigger rift, cracked by the exchange of words. Astro’s sudden outburst shocked both of them. They didn’t know he was even capable of shouting until mounds of pent-up frustration slipped from his mouth. Both were frozen. Astro was on the verge of tears. Vee felt the guilt starting to eat at her.
Wrong question, wrong time, Vee Version 1. If she could physically let out a sharp exhale, then she probably would’ve by now but alas, it was another one of her artificially-made woes. She knew silence spoke more than words when it came to Astro, but then again, what was she to do? Last she checked, she also sucked at comforting.
She let out a frustrated, pixelated sigh.
Come on, Vee, you’ve watched too many silent romance films to mess this up.
The silence had them both in a chokehold until, suddenly, she snapped her fingers in an enlightened, lightbulb-moment revelation, an action that mildly caught them both off-guard. She never thought she’d be more grateful that she did, in fact, watch way too many silent romance films just for this very occasion.
Part of her felt bad for her roundabout way of dealing with all this “feeling” stuff, but if it gave them both their peace of mind, she’d just have to steel her nerves and deal with it as if her dignity didn’t matter at the moment.
Without much thought, Vee pulled Astro closer, the dull lull of distant machines and the Ichor dripping from the ceiling filling their ears with a mutual static. She didn’t plan on doing anything extreme, just something small for his sake, because she knew, to him, her subtlety was enough. Well, it wasn’t as subtle as she would’ve hoped. Their height difference, or the mere lack of it, coupled with the fact they’d never been this close before, made the situation all the more awkward. It was like Vee was merely hugging him, but she was far too stubborn to care.
She took a moment to survey his surface-level features. From what she could recognize, the moondrop’s expression was a delicate whirl of confusion and anticipation, something she had expected from her sudden gesture. Seeing this, she internally apologized. It was only about to get more confusing.
Before either of them could fully process what was happening, Vee had planted a fleeting kiss on Astro’s forehead, a hand resting on his cheek as if to hold him, systematic yet surprisingly gentle.
“You’re not upset, yes, but…are you tired?”
Her words came out more monotone than she would’ve hoped, but she willed herself to look him in the eyes.
Every movement made Astro flinch, but the moment Vee’s touch brushed against his skin, the wary walls he had built up practically melted with a trembling breath, the exhaustion he had long shoved down crashing over him in waves, making him weak.
“Yeah…”
She figured he’d say that. Normally, he wouldn't be the only support in the run, often accompanied by Shelly or Sprout, but since they were assigned to different runs, he was stuck with sharing stamina alone. Since then, she saw him drained more often, falling into silence without the energy to start up conversations, not even with Dandy. And yet, he kept going despite the stress. He never complained, never made the sleepless nights obvious, never blundered his role as the quiet, miracle-working stamina saver. The rest praised him for being so strong, but to Vee, it just made her more concerned.
“I’m sorry,”
She started, cradling her partner’s head into her arms, nuzzling into an uneasy embrace that couldn’t decide whether it’d be a cuddle or a hybrid side-hug, just so he wouldn’t see her stuttering like a buffoon, struggling with something that was supposed to be elementary after all their years of working with children.
“I should’ve responded with kindness instead of anger, as cheesy as it sounds… The last thing I want is to lose you in this never-ending cycle of floors.”
He had conceded in trying to read Vee’s expression, his eyelids fluttering softly and slowly as he finally settled in her arms. Despite not knowing what she was planning to achieve, he was indeed content with her newfound warmth generated from the genuine gears in her system.
“It’s…alright. I forgive you..”
He averted his gaze for a moment, feeling the weight of the tension that had built between them dissolving, replaced by a fond sense of belonging, like they were made to be held together.
“...I-if anything, I should be the one sorry for yelling…I…I didn’t know I had it in me.”
“But my point still stands. You’re too quiet sometimes, y’know?”
Vee scolded him, but an alarmed undertone seemed to overtake whatever was intended.
“If something, anything is bothering you, you can tell me, or Sprout, or, hey, even Shelly,”
No answer, but he looked up at her with half-lidded, sleepy eyes. Vee snapped her fingers.
“Hey…hey! Listen to me. Gardenview isn’t going to collapse if you want to take a break.”
“Vee, it already has—”
“—No, no, you hush. If you need some rest, we can chip in the runs for you. We’re mains too; You’re not carrying this operation alone.”
Astro didn’t reply, but deep down, he understood, and Vee knew it as well. It’s one thing to know a fact; It was another thing when it's told to you, a simple reminder of something more profound, that he didn’t need to sit in silence when his surroundings were amiss. He knew Vee was calculating responses to every one of his actions, frantically, at best, but her voice was steady and direct, accompanied by a gaze he couldn’t quite break out of.
“Oh, Vee,”
He managed to mutter out as his voice fully broke, tinted with too many emotions at once, breaking the restraints he had mounted on himself as he tried and failed to hold back the tears that welled up, pricking the corners of his eyes. Too many thoughts, not enough time to process them all, overwhelmed.
“H-Hey, hey, what’s with the waterworks???”
Vee asked, alarmed and genuinely confuddled.
“I could… I couldn’t help it… I-I’m sorry… It’s just…”
He tried wiping away the tears that kept falling regardless.
“...God, how I love you.”
Astro hugged his partner back tighter, a comfortable tightness that had them pressed against each other, warmth against warmth with his head on her shoulder, still sobbing into her embrace. It felt like a sensory overload, admiring every small detail about her up close with cloudy, puffy vision, but the unpredicted smiling and tiny giggles that came with his breakdown made the spur-of-the-moment even more special, completely messy, a jumbled mix of emotions he held back for the sake of everyone around him, now cautiously poured out over his safe space, his star.
“I love you from the moon and back.”
“Me too, Astro. Me too.”
The words seemed to spill out almost naturally. They didn’t need any more words.
It was neither grand nor very pretty, but seeing her attempt at affection made him love her even more. Hearing her voice flooded with concern at his recklessness made him love her even more. The small ways she showed she cared about him made him love her even more. Everything about her made him love her a million times more, but he wouldn’t say it out loud. To both of them, the silence was enough.
Vee, on the other hand, was completely frazzled, so much so that she ended up absently patting the back of his head as a default. Was he happy? Was he sad? Did she have an onset short circuit somewhere in her headspace, or was she just that bad at distinguishing emotions? Either way, it wasn’t like her entire system was frying or, per se, overheating from the fact that Astro loved her that much, right? …RIGHT???
“Ahaha…ha…ha…oh-kay! Okay, wow, that was… sweet . V-Very cheesy! …but sweet. Like, what happened to keeping this lowkey, am I right, or am I right??”
Part of the moondrop wanted to roll his eyes at the scene (jokingly, of course) but was too busy trying to compose himself (with not much luck) and listening to her voice to the point where he didn’t know whether to laugh, cringe, or cry, (or all of the above, in that order). Besides, he knew he wasn’t that kind of toon and left the matter as it was. All that managed to show from that mess of a meltdown was a tearstained, exhausted face, a small smile with a couple of sniffles still lingering on the side, and a finger that made a clink in front of her monitor, a signal not to disrupt the peace of the moment.
Vee ended up reciprocating the understanding between them, before realizing she had forgotten something else.
“That reminds me. Something completely slipped my mind.”
“Ah, it’s alright… what else did you want to ask me..?”
He replied, reassuringly, taking a deep breath.
She felt quite silly asking, but just to make sure…
“Are we still on for later?”
“Oh, yes. Of course, we are…”
He tilted his head curious as to why Vee would ask. He thought the answer was obvious.
“Really?”
She questioned back in slight disbelief. It wasn’t like she didn’t trust Astro; It was more like her competition was, well…
“...You’d decline the star for me?”
“Oh, Vee, don’t be like that… We made our plans long before Dandy asked… Well, he didn’t, but I think you get the point…”
He gave her hand a little squeeze as he held it, not quite escaping her gaze.
“Dandy might be the star, but you’re my star.”
If Vee still had a small seed of doubt even after their previous exchange, that had certainly disappeared into oblivion as soon as the words reached her system. God, what did she do to deserve him? If she wasn’t a robot, she swore her face would’ve been flushed red by now, but that was one of the many perks of being the only inorganic toon. She was quite difficult to read behind her unintentionally indifferent facade and nobody could tell she was panicking inside unless she said it outright. For once, she was glad to be a machine. That way, she wouldn’t be an absolute blunder around Astro.
The moondrop in question barely had his eyes open, still resting against her form. He didn’t know if he was simply that drowsy or if Vee was simply that beautiful because he ended up pondering their shared gaze unknowingly. He would gaze into her eyes all day if he could.
“Do you think I could take a small nap?”
His voice was barely above a whisper, not wanting to shatter the serene atmosphere that cradled the two in a resounding, peaceful silence, but it was enough for Vee to pick up on
“N-Not here, idiot…”
She playfully retorted, finally pulling away from their extended embrace, and returning to her usual composure. She could’ve picked a better comeback than that, but she figured she was still at a loss of words and breath.
“Later, when we get out of this ‘spiral of doom’ or whatever the others call it.”
Astro just managed to chuckle at the sight, sending butterflies in Vee’s general peripheral. He still lingered in front of her, a quaint smile gracing his features, still wobbly.
“Alright, it’s a date then…”
His voice fell into the anticipated silence, but not because of resignation. This time, it was of certainty, one that transcended beyond his control but was also one he wasn’t too worried about, the thought that the weight of the world was no longer on his shoulders alone finally settling in.
If they had chosen a more remote room, Astro wouldn’t have heard Goob’s increasingly heavier and heavier footsteps as he distracted the Twisteds in the next room, nor would Vee have spotted an unoccupied machine not so far away, sending the two back into reality. Both of their concerns met and their curiosity for answers quenched for now, the two sent each other off, but not before exchanging knowing glances, almost like they were reassuring the other they’ll protect and admire them from afar, once again. They knew this was only one of the many problems lurking within the Ichor Operation, but in the meantime, they were content knowing they had more than an ally on their side. They had each other, and to them, that was enough.
Vee closed the door behind her with an extra bit of cautiousness, managing to slip out without drawing too much attention to herself. She didn’t intend to be gone for too long; She just needed some batteries, then she’d head back and call it a night.
The Mains’ rooms were conveniently situated across from each other, separated by an oddly larger hallway, so she figured it’d just be a quick trip. That was until she saw Dandy, standing in front of her bedroom door, staring as if he were waiting for someone to answer. It was unsettling at best, and it didn’t help that it was probably half past midnight by now.
“Vee, my buddy ol’ pal!”
Speak of the devil, who had slid beside her, quiet as a mouse. The machine practically jumped backward, a glitched scream echoing from the pits of her low-battery components.
“Oop! Sorry there, didn’t mean to scare ya’,”
Dandy laughed to ease the tension, but to Vee, it wasn’t very funny. If she ended up waking everyone on the floor all because a certain rainbow flower jump scared her in the dark, she’d be forever ashamed.
He was dressed in the pajamas the founders had given him all those years ago, but he looked like he wasn't quite ready for bed yet, swinging his arms and humming a familiar tune as if he were frolicking in the meadows.
It was surprising to say the least, seeing him up so late when they all distinctively remembered him tending to his shop during all their runs that day. They called it endurance. Vee thought it was creepy on a whole ‘nother level. Being wide-eyed and awake after that mess of a day was certainly not normal.
“Dandy, geez. People are trying to sleep here, y’know,”
She addressed the star, still honing that signature smile despite the bags under his eyes.
“It looks like you aren’t, though,”
He replied in all his child-like innocence, propping himself in front of the significantly taller toon as she calmed her nerves and composed herself once more.
“I will be. I just... need to get something,”
She stated plainly, her screen blinking periodically, practically begging for an energy source, something she knew never to ignore, not even tonight.
“Why on earth are you standing in front of my door?”
“Well, I thought you were inside! So that’s why you weren’t answering,”
At least he had the decency to knock before barging in, which he hadn’t done just yet. He might’ve been acting mighty suspicious ever since the shutdown, but if there was one thing he’d never forget, it was his manners.
Vee just nodded and mumbled something unintelligible under her breath, opening her bedroom door and stepping inside. Dandy trailed behind her, standing in her door frame almost ominously as if he were waiting for her to do something.
“...Why are you here?”
She finally asked, breaking the deafening silence that’d formed around them, sending a chill down her robotic spine as she rummaged through her bedside drawer.
“Oh, nothing much,”
He cooed, inviting himself inside and plopping onto Vee’s untouched bed, ruffling the covers with clear intent. So much for manners.
“Just wanted to ask where Astro was. He didn’t show up at our usual meeting place, and I thought you’d know,”
She was a tad bit familiar with the location, but couldn’t exactly pinpoint exactly where he was pertaining to. The two often hung about the lobby, no nobody ever saw where. That mattered very little at the moment, though.
“Didn’t he tell you he had plans?”
She recalled to mind, squinting in a building of frustration as she struggled to see in the darkness, with only the not-so-bright green light glowing from her monitor to guide her.
“Yeah, he did, but I figured he needed some time with lil’ ol’ me after today. I’m his favorite toon, after all,”
He brushed it off, leaning forward with his hands on his lap to take a better gander at the machine’s dimly lit silhouette.
She felt sick to her stomach as she listened. Half of the words didn’t even reach her brain, but it was enough to confirm her gut feeling from earlier.
“Really? That’s your excuse? Did you even ask how he was?”
She was even bothered enough to halt her battery-finding endeavors just to look the star in the eyes, concern now replaced with utter disgust.
Dandy’s exuding confidence felt like it got chipped at with the succession of questions, making his usually crystal-clear voice stammer.
“A-Ah, well, we said hi and hello, the regular works! He seemed fine enough to me. He’s Astro, after all!”
He immediately tried to negate her statement, flustered by the sudden call out.
“Can’t Astro get tired of things too?”
Vee shot back, glaring daggers at her partner’s supposed “best friend,” scoffing as she went back to searching.
“He’s asleep. He’s been knocked out cold since we finished our run. If he’s really your closest friend, then maybe you should listen to him instead of forcing your twisted agenda on the poor toon. Even Shrimpo said it worked quite well for him.”
She knew Dandy’s jaw had dropped from sheer shock even if he was clothed in pitch-black darkness, just in time to finally be able to pull out two double-A batteries from her nightstand. Her job here was done; She’d just leave him here to figure out what to do with that information in the meantime.
“Watch your words, Vee Version 1.”
Her expression dropped at the star’s sudden change of tone, freezing in her tracks as she turned around, but she wasn’t able to catch whatever his expression was before he effortlessly switched back, a smile etching itself onto the corners of his lips once more.
“Oh well! I’ll be sure to remember that. Anyways, if you weren't here before, where exactly were you spending the night?”
Her hand clutched the doorknob with an intensity unknown to man, not caring to look back.
“None of your business. Good night, Dandy.”
“Haha…ha! Oh, you’re so funny. Good night to you t-!”
She didn’t wait for Dandy to finish. The machine swore she had never run so fast until she turned around and made a beeline for Astro’s room, unable to relax until she had double-locked the door behind her.