Rotten Right to the Core

"Ya." Curly mused, saying it in that kind of weird weasley way Mariah and Chewie tend to. "Ya got any leads, bwoss?"

"Two at the moment. One a tad more promising than the other. Tell me, Curly, do you think it's true when they say blondes have more fun?"

"I think there's one way to find out!" Curly let out a good old Brooklyn chuckle. "I'mma need you to narrow it down though, boss. There's a couple a blondes for us to stick our claws into. Metaphorically for old curly. Less for you."

She laughs, placing a metal Doc Oc esque leg on Curly's little worm head. "That's true, my slimey second. Tell me, have you noticed a certain blonde hanging around a certain redheaded rhubarb? All rhubarbs are gingers, you know."

Appley smiles in a way that could be warm or could be sinister "Of course! Like I said, it's all inside you. You just have to..." she pauses, before remembering Mariah's favorite song from her favorite Starkid musical "...let it out."

"And how, per se, would you suggest I go about doing that?"

"Perhaps," she smirks "I could be of assistance. But of course, it's a two way street. Tell me, Mr. Lint, what can you do for me?"

"What do you want weird apple?"

"I want to help you, weird eyeless gourd."

Appley smiles in a way that could be warm or could be sinister "Of course! Like I said, it's all inside you. You just have to..." she pauses, before remembering Mariah's favorite song from her favorite Starkid musical "...let it out."

"And how, per se, would you suggest I go about doing that?"

"Perhaps," she smirks "I could be of assistance. But of course, it's a two way street. Tell me, Mr. Lint, what can you do for me?"

"Ya." Curly mused, saying it in that kind of weird weasley way Mariah and Chewie tend to. "Ya got any leads, bwoss?"

"Two at the moment. One a tad more promising than the other. Tell me, Curly, do you think it's true when they say blondes have more fun?"

Appley smiles in a way that could be warm or could be sinister "Of course! Like I said, it's all inside you. You just have to..." she pauses, before remembering Mariah's favorite song from her favorite Starkid musical "...let it out."

Brushing off the comment, she pressed "I could get you a pair, if you were interested. At a price, of course, but they really do elevate the experience of produce life."

"Of course!" She smiled scrumptiously "You're...quite the delight. Mirabelle. Tell me, does the Beet treat you like the star you are?"

"So what I'm hearing is...you need hands. I hear many hands make for light work. Is that what you need?"

"Oh yes!" Oscar would clap if he had any hands but as previously established he does not. "Many hands would be many greats!"

Tossing her cape, Appley revealed her Doc Oc legs. "I might be able to help with that."

A gasp escapes the Polish caterer's mouth. "Yippee! You can be my waitress!"

Appley blinked, leaning back "Wha-...but I...no, no Oscar, that's not what we're doing here. Do you really think I'd sink so low as to take a serving job?"

Oscar's whole body sank, his eyes got sad, like Puss In Boots in hit film Shrek 2. "You said you'd help."

"I meant maybe getting you a set of legs." She clarified "For a price."

"So what I'm hearing is...you need hands. I hear many hands make for light work. Is that what you need?"

"Oh yes!" Oscar would clap if he had any hands but as previously established he does not. "Many hands would be many greats!"

Tossing her cape, Appley revealed her Doc Oc legs. "I might be able to help with that."

A gasp escapes the Polish caterer's mouth. "Yippee! You can be my waitress!"

Appley blinked, leaning back "Wha-...but I...no, no Oscar, that's not what we're doing here. Do you really think I'd sink so low as to take a serving job?"

"So what I'm hearing is...you need hands. I hear many hands make for light work. Is that what you need?"

"Oh yes!" Oscar would clap if he had any hands but as previously established he does not. "Many hands would be many greats!"

Tossing her cape, Appley revealed her Doc Oc legs. "I might be able to help with that."

"Oh, nonsense, really. Things like, trivia about their special interests, or like... makin' everyone stop at all these different road trips. Ya know, it's nice and all, havin' friends for once, but sometimes I think it would just be good to be a villain again, you know? Just for a day. I wouldn't really... I mean, I don't know why I came all this way to see ya. I guess when I heard you were in town, I... pardon the expression, but I was tempted to talk to ya."

"Special interests?" The apple raised an eyebrow "Care to expand on that? I think we make a good team, Weed."

"I don't know, Appley, what can you offer me in return for that information? Besides, your brother's the reporter. What would you need me for?" Audrey said, careful how she played her cards. She had always admired Temptation. Gossip required Temptation to urge those a little more reserved to share a juicy secret or a shocking whisper. Without having ever met her, Audrey had felt her absence and had, quite honestly, missed her.

With a sly smile, Appley tossed her leaves like hair "Your skill set is very useful to me, Weed. There's usually a grain of truth buried at the bottom of every rumor. And as what I can offer you..." she bites her bottom lip, chuckling "...what do you want, Audrey?"

“I know your game, and I think it puts us at a bit of a standstill. I know better than to tell you what I want. And yet, I want you to make me an offer I can’t refuse. Isn’t that your specialty? To find that out and tempt me with it?”

"A smart little weed." Appley smirks. "And I suppose you do have a point, though I have people, worms, for that usually. I don't do the digging, just the heavy lifting. But it would be so much easier for both of us if you weren't...confined to the flower pot, wouldn't it?"

Audrey considered this. She smirked. “Well, I hear limbs are the real forbidden fruit. Pardon the expression. I already got these,” she waved her leafy stalks that served as arms. “But they’re really more for show.”

“Right. How did you meet Curly, anyway? I mean, worms and apples and all.”

"Oh, nonsense, really. Things like, trivia about their special interests, or like... makin' everyone stop at all these different road trips. Ya know, it's nice and all, havin' friends for once, but sometimes I think it would just be good to be a villain again, you know? Just for a day. I wouldn't really... I mean, I don't know why I came all this way to see ya. I guess when I heard you were in town, I... pardon the expression, but I was tempted to talk to ya."

"Special interests?" The apple raised an eyebrow "Care to expand on that? I think we make a good team, Weed."

"I don't know, Appley, what can you offer me in return for that information? Besides, your brother's the reporter. What would you need me for?" Audrey said, careful how she played her cards. She had always admired Temptation. Gossip required Temptation to urge those a little more reserved to share a juicy secret or a shocking whisper. Without having ever met her, Audrey had felt her absence and had, quite honestly, missed her.

With a sly smile, Appley tossed her leaves like hair "Your skill set is very useful to me, Weed. There's usually a grain of truth buried at the bottom of every rumor. And as what I can offer you..." she bites her bottom lip, chuckling "...what do you want, Audrey?"

“I know your game, and I think it puts us at a bit of a standstill. I know better than to tell you what I want. And yet, I want you to make me an offer I can’t refuse. Isn’t that your specialty? To find that out and tempt me with it?”

"A smart little weed." Appley smirks. "And I suppose you do have a point, though I have people, worms, for that usually. I don't do the digging, just the heavy lifting. But it would be so much easier for both of us if you weren't...confined to the flower pot, wouldn't it?"

Audrey considered this. She smirked. “Well, I hear limbs are the real forbidden fruit. Pardon the expression. I already got these,” she waved her leafy stalks that served as arms. “But they’re really more for show.”

"Oh, nonsense, really. Things like, trivia about their special interests, or like... makin' everyone stop at all these different road trips. Ya know, it's nice and all, havin' friends for once, but sometimes I think it would just be good to be a villain again, you know? Just for a day. I wouldn't really... I mean, I don't know why I came all this way to see ya. I guess when I heard you were in town, I... pardon the expression, but I was tempted to talk to ya."

"Special interests?" The apple raised an eyebrow "Care to expand on that? I think we make a good team, Weed."

"I don't know, Appley, what can you offer me in return for that information? Besides, your brother's the reporter. What would you need me for?" Audrey said, careful how she played her cards. She had always admired Temptation. Gossip required Temptation to urge those a little more reserved to share a juicy secret or a shocking whisper. Without having ever met her, Audrey had felt her absence and had, quite honestly, missed her.

With a sly smile, Appley tossed her leaves like hair "Your skill set is very useful to me, Weed. There's usually a grain of truth buried at the bottom of every rumor. And as what I can offer you..." she bites her bottom lip, chuckling "...what do you want, Audrey?"

“I know your game, and I think it puts us at a bit of a standstill. I know better than to tell you what I want. And yet, I want you to make me an offer I can’t refuse. Isn’t that your specialty? To find that out and tempt me with it?”

"A smart little weed." Appley smirks. "And I suppose you do have a point, though I have people, worms, for that usually. I don't do the digging, just the heavy lifting. But it would be so much easier for both of us if you weren't...confined to the flower pot, wouldn't it?"

Audrey considered this. She smirked. “Well, I hear limbs are the real forbidden fruit. Pardon the expression. I already got these,” she waved her leafy stalks that served as arms. “But they’re really more for show.”

"Fibs, Rumors, all lead to Temptation down the line." She smiles. "The normies might be worth exploring, did you ever find out anything particularly pertinent pertaining to Petunia?"

“Excellent alliteration, sis. Unfortunately, the Rhubarb was a hard case to crack. I know the local Banker maybe wanted to make a rug out of her hair. I know she’s in a committed relationship. And I know she committed some crimes, possibly murder, with the tiny asparagus child. Nothing that indicates any real history of concern. Just normal things around this town.”

"Is that committed relationship with the banker looking to make a hair rug? If not, we may have a lead with that banker."