#tiny!ginger mentioned

October 16th

Looey applied a special lotion along his ears. It was designed to give his unique skin an extra shine to it that would only enhance his appearance. Today was a special day after all! The Circus Troupe would be performing at the theatre in the park, and Looey was more than a bit nervous about it. This would be what would make or break their careers as a Circus Troupe. They’d done performances like this before, yes, but this was like, a real one that they were getting paid to do. It was a big deal. Yatta and Blot had gone on ahead to the diner that they were going to eat at because Looey wanted to be alone for a moment. The second he was done in the washroom, he would retrieve Cane’s box and sit at the couch, admiring the little guy with his cheek held in his palm. “Heh… this’ll surprise you but- I’ve never had a pet before. Reallyyyy hope I can do a good job.” He’d say with a soft smile, reaching a hand in and gently caressing around their antlers as they watched him with those intelligent eyes. That nose of theirs glowed softly as they seemingly smiled up at him… they may be small, but Looey was glad to have them. “Hmmm, what do people do with their pets…? Can’t exactly play fetch with you, hehe.” The way Cane’s face seemingly scrunched up in reaction to that was silly. Looey would think for a minute, tongue hanging out a bit. “Maybe… you could try to balance? You do stand on two legs so… hm.” 

After a minute, Looey would be seated on his knees in front of the couch, Cane held on his hand which was open palm up. If the little reindeer fell, the couch would soften the fall easily! “Okay… lemme justtt…” Looey would adjust them a bit, until he’d have them balancing along one of his fingers, the balloon dog assisting his balance. It wasn’t meant to be anything crazy, just a small moment of bonding. The Borrower would hold their arms out, waving them out a bit as they tried to maintain balance… amazingly well, actually. Looey grinned widely, encouragingly. “Yeah! You’ve got it, heh… little trapeze artist.” He complimented with a slight wag on his tail. Cane smiled up at him, and would walk from the tip of his finger, to the palm again very carefully. “Man, I definitely need to show Yatta that-”

A knock came from the front door, which startled Looey into his hand becoming unsteady, and Cane stumbling, and eventually falling. “Oh!” Looey exclaimed, but caught him with the other hand easily. “Heh… I know you would’ve landed on a cushion but- sorry, lil Cane.” He spoke with a nervous smile, before setting him down on the coffee table, returning to standing, and going to answer the door. He’d open the door to reveal Poppy, standing with a bright smile and hands held behind her back. “Hey, Looey! Good morning,” She began, just standing in the doorway, “Oh, good morning to ya too! To what do I owe the pleasure?” The balloon dog asked, leaning against the door frame with one hand.

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Stop calling me that! Rudie thought with a grumpy face before he peered over the edge of the coffee table. Cane wasn’t that bad, but he’d only enjoy it as a nickname, not as his actual name, thank you very much! Bobette and Ginger tended to call him Pepper or Mint depending on the day, but usually it was just Rudie. It may have only been a couple days, but Rudie immensely missed their touch. Focus, Rudie… you got a job to do! He’d think, with an ominous look on his face. He would slowly begin to scale his way down the table leg, sliding his way down with arms wrapped around it. He needed to talk to Looey; it was simply unavoidable. Once he reached the floor, he looked up. Looey towered far above him by the doorway, talking to someone. He made his way over to stand directly behind him, and just… waited. He didn’t exactly want the other person to see him. 

“Oh you know, just thought I'd get to know you and the other two more! Are they here-?” The Bubble-Looking Toon asked as they leaned against the doorway and Rudie just idly hopped from one hoof to the other, waiting. “Yeah, unfortunately they’ve left already! I’m gonna be following in a jiffy though!” Looey assured, tail idly swaying and creating a gentle breeze for Rudie. It was crazy how much influence the Beans had over him. Hopefully that would ebb once Looey knew the truth. “Ahhh, well that’s alright; I was just going to invite you to breakfast tomorrow? If you’d like?” “Hmmm, only if ya come to our performance tonight!” Looey gestured, handing her a flyer for their event as he cheekily responded. “But hehe, yes I would love to. Gives me a good time to talk to you about some thingsss, likeee, what your pet policy is?” He asked, which caused Rudie to tense up and hold his arm with the other. No… he wouldn’t, he couldn’t! Rudie thought, worriedly. He didn’t want to think it’d be bad if Looey told, but he didn’t want to find out!! “Ah, well- suppose it depends on the pet, you could bring them to breakfast if you want! Sprout’s is pet friendly! We can review and see if they’d be a good fit.” “Wonderful!” Rudie exhaled heavily in relief, he didn’t even realize he’d been holding his breath. Looey wasn’t going to tell her today… but tomorrow was still a huge problem!! He’d take Rudie, and then he’d be exposed in broad daylight! Soooo, now there was a time limit on Rudie confessing. By all the sugarplums. Looey and Poppy would talk for a minute longer, before he’d close the door and turn around, eyes widening in surprise when he saw the Borrower. “Oh, hey- how’d you get down from there? Must have some hops hehe.” Looey would say with a smile, getting down on hands and knees to be closer to the ground. “You okay-?” Looey asked as he tilted his head. He probably wasn’t expecting a response. 

Rudie bit his lip, knees a bit shaky as he looked up at his face. Come on, you can do it, you can do it! Just- He opened his mouth and tried to say something, but before he could get out a single sound, Looey would just gently caress his head with one finger and a soft smile. “Heh, you are okay. Here-” Looey would scoop him up carefully, and Rudie wouldn’t even flinch. “Why don’t you come with me? Beats staying here in your box I’d imagine, hehe.” Rudie bit his lip, a slight wag in his small tail. Looey’s smile made him feel warmer. He needed this to go perfectly, it couldn’t be anything less! If he wanted Looey to know he had to do it right when there’d be time to explain. Rudie would sit, and hold his front hooves in his lap while Looey carefully took him, and his box unfortunately, all the way downstairs to his car. Rudie would look all around curiously as Looey positioned the box just so, and set Rudie inside, buckling the box into the passenger seat in the front. “Alrighttt, I’m sure you’ll be able to eat something there! Stay put now, Cane.” Looey said, just as he would begin the drive all the way to the diner. 

The drive was mostly uneventful. Rudie just waited patiently for when they arrived at their destination, and watched out the windows the best he could. The engine hurt his little ears a smidge, but it was alright. The clouds were a nice sight… but Rudie could find little enjoyment in it. How was he supposed to when he had to do something that he’d been taught was Wrong? Ginger certainly seemed upset with him about it, and Bobette… while she was supportive, Rudie could tell how she really felt. But… I mean… Come on! It’s Looey. He’s not menacing, at least not on purpose!! Rudie thought, trying to convince himself but it was hard. All the possibilities of what could go wrong bounced around his mind like a parasite of anxiety. But, what about all that could go right?? A giant friend would be insanely cool, after all. Rudie couldn’t really think about all the good possibilities though before the car would be stopped, and Rudie would be taken inside via box.

Instantly his bright, red nose would be assaulted by various scents. Fresh eggs, sizzling bacon, even a few pastries. Yep, this was definitely a diner; at such a small size all of the smells were nearly overwhelming… and the Noise. Rudie had no idea how Ginger dealt with it so often back before she met them. He held two hooves over his ears and winced a bit. Soooo many voices. The box he was inside would be set onto a surface, and he’d try to stay tuned in to Looey, Blot, and Yatta. “You hear about that new exhibit at the museum?” “We have a museum?” No, that wasn’t them, focus Rudie, he thought to himself. “Okay… just stay there, promise I’ll bring you bacon.” Nope, not them either. Why did places like this have to have soooo many Beans?? “Okay, how about we name him Cane? You knowww, cuz he’s got like, candy canes for antlers?” Looey suggested once Rudie got tuned into listening to the right people. “Ooo! That is such a CUTE name!!” Yatta. At least she was easy to hear in this place… she probably gave good presents, Rudie thought as he got himself comfy in the box. “.snoitcejbo on evah I !mih eman ot teg d’uoy thgir ylno s’ti mih dnuof ay ecnis ;esnes ekam seod tI” Blot ‘said’ from the otherside of the table. It would appear that Looey was on one side of the booth, and Yatta and Blot were on the other side, with Rudie’s box on the table next to Looey. “Yeah!! We should TOTALLY go out and try to find some cool stuff for him!! I thinkkkk I saw a pet place somewhere in town!” The Piñata would say while Rudie looked up to the box being opened. Looey’s hand would discreetly set a few scraps of bacon inside!! Rudie had heard of this, but he’d only had it once, in the days after he met Ginger. He licked his lips, and made quick work of the scraps. It felt a bit strange to be fed but… it was convenient. He didn’t even mind when the box was closed again. “Ooo, yes that could be a good idea. Thanks for ordering for me by the way Yatta-""OF COURSE! I’ve had your favorites memorized for years!!.” 

“Hey, you three need anything?” A new voice asked, one of the ones Rudie had heard earlier. It was a deeper voice, yet with a softness that felt protectively warm. Which was strange to say about a voice he’d just heard, but it was true. “NOPE! I-I mean nope-” Yatta clarified, seemingly very aware at that moment that she was probably too loud there. “Hehe, it’s okay to be enthusiastic-” The new voice began to say, before Yatta interrupted them. “Oh! Actuallyyyy, Looey!! You want anything else? This place, I've been told, has the BEST sweets!” She’d say, probably leaning on the table with two hands while bouncing her seat judging by how Rudie felt the box shift a bit repeatedly. “Yatta, you can just tell me what you want, hehe; what do y’all have here Mr… Sprout? Oh-” Looey asked, seemingly a bit surprised. Ohhhh this place is “Sprout’s”, that must be The Sprout! Rudie thought, understanding now. “Yes, I am that Sprout! we do a little bit of everything around here. In any caseee, I do have quite a few options for you.” Sprout would go off listing a few different items, brownies, swiss rolls, cinnamon buns, casual stuff. (Was this place a diner or a bakery?) Mmm, Rudie hadn’t tasted the majority of those things but it all sounded appetizing!! “Hmm, maybe a cinnamon roll that sounds soooo good right now. Whad’ya think Blot?” Looey asked, but Blot didn’t say a word in his strange language. Seconds after Looey’s question, he’d seemingly respond to something that wasn’t verbally said. “Oki oki, Yatta, how about you?” Looey asked exasperatedly; Rudie got the feeling it may be because the part of the table that Yatta’s voice came from was vibrating from her movements. “Well, OKAY if you insist!!” “Keep it to one thing, PLEASE.” “FINE!! Just, hmmm- ooo- I’ll need a minute!” “Just the two cinnamon rolls for now then.” Looey finished with a chuckle. Blot didn’t seem to be talking at all now. Perhaps it was because most people couldn’t understand the way he spoke… hm. Maybe after everything’s over, if things go well, I could learn it! Rudie thought optimistically, which only further motivated him. Motivation could only carry him so far unfortunately. 

Nothing would be said from there, except a thank you from Looey as Sprout presumably left and went to take care of the order. From there the conversation would turn back towards going to the store, and wandering the town. Rudie would try to keep it tuned out as it made him feel strange, but you know, there was only so much he could do with them being so close to him. Rudie would sit, and reminisce for a moment. This place did bring back a lot of memories, back when he and Bobette had been living in a place much like this. He’d been younger, and had gone out exploring the restaurant without permission from Bobette. He remembered tracing the swirls in the wood of the inner walls of the building as he wandered through the crevice. The smells even when the place was closed was such a beautiful amalgamation of so many foods that the reindeer couldn’t name. Sweet, savory, everything. He remembered emerging out into the dining room, wandering between the booths and occasionally earning a scrap of food here and there. It had been such a good haul!! Definitely enough to get him on the nice list, though by then he wasn’t a Christmas fanatic. A shiver went down his spine. He remembered more. He’d picked up a few chunks of a pizza crust that had been tucked under a table in a booth, clearly from today, and smiled as he pocketed it into his beloved satchel. He’d foolishly left it somewhere in Looey’s walls when he’d been borrowing the grapes that day when he’d been caught… he should try to find it again. In any case, it was after that when he had felt a cold point on his neck. 

“What. Are. You. DOING. Here.” 

An angry voice had growled at him. He remembered being told to turn around slowly, and then coming face to face with… well, a rather unintimidating sight save for the needle pressed against his neck. They were a shrimp Borrower, reds, whites, and oranges coloring their form as they wore a poorly sewn brown coat. A scowl seemed permanently affixed to their face as they glared him down, or up, while they berated him about not seeing his markings. Apparently, the skulls with the strange tail on the head were a marking of his that he’d left on various places in the walls to signify his territory; how edgy. He remembered his satchel being ripped off of his body, and being pushed to the floor when he tried to defend himself verbally. That had been a bad fall. It hadn’t seemed like the Shrimp would be willing to let him leave… at least not without getting more than a littleeee roughed up. 

But that was when she came. Ginger descended from above and absolutely kicked the O out of Shrimpo (Rudie had learned his name from Ginger afterward.) He swears up and down that Ginger was so so cool, with all kinds of moves and fighting off that shrimp while Rudie scrambled for his satchel when it was dropped, which made it so he didn’t see much of anything admittedly. Once Rudie got back up and was facing Ginger, Shrimpo was nowhere to be seen. He must have been sent away real quick! Rudie smiled as he thought about it. How caring Ginger had been, and how she’d been hospitable to Bobette and him, it just made him so glad to have her. He hoped that she’d forgive him once he spoke to Looey; she definitely did not seem happy about it. Rudie could understand why though… After all, it was like the one thing they weren’t supposed to do.

Thankfully, Rudie got interrupted before he could get far into those thoughts. “Here ya go! I’m… sure this is probably okay.” Looey spoke from above as he reached a hand into the box again, and this time set a bit of strange mush next to Rudie. It was tan in color, with a sort of thin white shell with deeper browns on the inside of it. Rudie sniffed as he picked it up with two hooves; It smelled insanely sweet. Rudie’s mouth was already watering as he brought it up and took a nibble out of a good part that had all of the components. His eyes almost instantaneously lit up as his little tail began to wag. Looey, and Beans in general, had been holding out on him. This was soooooo good!! Rudie could hardly believe such a deliciously sweet thing could exist. Needless to say, he devoured it in seconds which elicited a small laugh from Looey who watched above. “Well, at the very least he seemed to like it.” Rudie fought the urge to ask for more because he could Not do that in front of Yatta and Blot but… that would’ve really been a good time, he acknowledged as he sat back down and tried to savor the sweet flavor of what must’ve been a chunk of cinnamon roll. It felt weird to be fed of course, buttt, at least it tasted good.

Afterwards, the Beans would leave the diner and Rudie would be left just thinking about how he could get his hooves on that dessert as a normal Borrower. It would be hard to say the least… but he supposed it was a good thing that he wouldn’t exactly be a normal Borrower soon enough! He really hoped Looey would be going home soon, if he could just have another quiet moment with Looey he might actually be able to do it. You know… a moment where Looey wouldn’t be busy, maybe after the performance he’d been talking about all this time. Rudie bit his lip as he debated on this. He wassss more than a little frustrated with himself. He didn’t necessarily enjoy putting things off, and he knew that that was exactly what he was doing. He reached a hoof up to stabilize himself as the box was jostled with Looey’s movements. This is so dumb… I know why I’m scared to tell him- but I ALSO know that I need to for both of us!! So… why can’t I? He realized that it didn’t really matter if he knew what he needed to do, all that he knew was that he had to try, to force himself into that moment! He slid a few inches as the vehicle took a turn, apparently they were driving somewhere and they had set the box inside the car at some point. “We need to find somewhere good to park so we can walk… maybe the park?” “.mih htiw luferac eb ,attaY -ertaeht eht ot ybesolc eb ll’ew rac eht ot kcab klaw ew nehw neht ,haeY” “Of course!! I’m ALWAYS careful!” The box was opened again, and Rudie looked up to see Yatta’s head turned to look inside as she sat in the seat next to his box. It felt so weird to call this box his, but that’s simply what it was at this point. Yatta watched with a bitten lip whenever Rudie slid around, before eventually she’d scoop him up suddenly and hold him. “Heh… your fur is so so soft.” She spoke, quietly for once, while Rudie held his breath and just let it happen with little protest. I mean… What was he supposed to do? The warmth of the hands underneath him felt so strange… he could practically feel the life within her. Rudie stiffened up when he felt one of her fingers gently stroke between his antlers, before slowly relaxing; the sensation felt nice, but he did not want to get used to it. Eventually the car would stop, and he’d be put back in the box as the three got out and seemingly decided to take it with them. 

Rudie had no idea who was holding the box, but whoever it was, they were slow and careful… so definitely not the one they call Yatta. Rudie sat and listened and felt the vibrations as the trio walked together. The movement of his box was calm, collected, so it felt a bit more like Blot’s doing, though Looey could be that way with Rudie. It turned out Rudie was correct in his thoughts about Blot. “Ooo!! Looey can we please stop for a minute? I need to refill my stash!” Yatta exclaimed suddenly, about what, Rudie wasn’t sure; he was sure that her voice came from the box’s left which meant it cleared without a doubt that it wasn’t her holding the box. “Anddd where are you gonna put it?” Looey's voice responded from the right. “Uhhh- in the box of course!” Well, that told Rudie that Blot was the one holding him. “With Cane? He’d eat it!” Why was he so quiet all of a sudden? It didn’t seem like Blot was going to contribute to this conversation, which did contribute to Rudie’s earlier suspicion. “Come on, it's not like THAT much could fit in that tiny belly.” Yatta reasoned, before a bell would sound somewhere. Rudie was familiar with bells, both from the farm house and from where he met Ginger. He loved all of the different sounds they made… but Jingle Bells felt the best. “Well- fair enough. Here Blot, I don’t think they’d allow pets in, could you stay out here with Cane please?” Looey asked, a strange edge of anxiety in his voice. Blot didn’t respond, at least not with his voice, before Looey would head on inside after what Rudie could only presume was some kind of wordless exchange. Ginger and Bobette had them all the time whenever they were set to go somewhere new. Rudie never had any idea what they were thinking during moments like that, just that it wasn’t good usually. The box would shift around a bit, and eventually Blot would open the top of it and just gaze in. His expression was unreadable, though there was something soft about it. Noises would come from him, like usual, and for a moment Rudie thought he might understand a word or two, perhaps his given name, Cane? He tilted his head intently as he tried to decipher the strange language. The speaking was strange… but there was no way there weren’t words in that. All the more incentive to speak to Looey, because then he could ask him stuff! Wouldn’t that be something?

 Blot would close the box back up once Looey and Yatta had returned, only for multiple pieces of quite colorful candy to be shoved into the box all around him… the sweet smell was nearly overpowering. Rudie mentally prepared himself for a battle of wills to not eat all of Yatta’s candy, but thankfully it was for naught because she simply unwrapped one of the yellow candies and offered it to him… simple and round. He was not familiar with the taste, but it was of a sweet tang. He couldn’t really bite into it well but he was able to lick it a good bit until he was able to. That was a nice treat, at least made him a smidgeee more amicable toward Yatta despite what she said yesterday. He smiled up at her just before the box would be closed again, and for the moment all seemed well. Rudie didn’t pay much mind to their talk, and primarily just focused on enjoying that candy. After a bit of walking, something happened on the outside. “Hey, careful!” Rudie would hear Looey say suddenly, before the box would shake suddenly and hit the ground, hard. “AH-” Rudie yelped as his head hit the ceiling, and he landed on his front, entirely splayed out on the ground of the box as he clung to what remained of the soft yellow candy, and groaned quietly. “...wO” “Blot! Are you okay?!” Yatta asked, and Rudie would hear a brief scuffle outside. “Oh- fishsticks-! Sorry I’m running late- Sorry!” Someone called back to the trio presumably, their voice getting further little by little. “-hhh ,won tew lla m’I …grU” Blot mumbled, and soon the box would be picked up. “Don’t worry- I’m sure you’ll be- well- your version of dry soon-” Looey assured, just as the three started walking and he opened the box to look over Rudie with a bitten lip. “It’s okay, I’m so so sorry-” He apologized sincerely, before gently closing the box again.” “…kni ym -emit deen tsuj …enif eb ll’I” Rudie rubbed his head a bit, and would try to get comfy again. It was so lucky he hadn’t been hit by any of the candy that had gone flying. It would be soon after this that Rudie would hear another bell, this time followed by multiple voices. His ears flicked… there had to be about four other people in here that weren’t the troupe; wherever here was, at least. Beans moved on from thing to thing wayyyy to fast, he thought.

“G’morning! You three need something for your little friend in the box?” A cheerful voice asked, bright, energetic, but with something laced underneath… Was she tired? Rudie wasn't sure. “Yes, actually! But uh- I’m sure we can find it ourselves, ma’am!” Looey assured as Rudie felt Blot walk through this new location, stopping occasionally for no apparent reason. Was this that ‘pet store’ the three had talked about earlier? Rudie hated being in a box; he never had any clue what was going on. He’d tear a small chunk off of the candy he’d been offered with a hoof, and just lay on his back to enjoy it as he opted to eavesdrop on some of the conversations around. For a Borrower, entertainment was few and far between, so sometimes the best thing to do was to just listen to the Beans. 

“Oh- hey! You looking for something for the D-O-G?” The cheerful voice from earlier asked, and an equally energetic but deeper toned voice responded. “Oh- ha! I always am Shells, but uh, you know, I’m also looking for something for a smaller friend-” Rudie tilted his head to try and listen better. “Ooo! What are you thinking? A hamster, a guinea pig, a mouse?? Ooo birds are kind of small. You know, a lot of birds are distant descendants of dinosaurs! It’s something about their bone structures that stuck out to-” Shells rambled, before getting cut off. “Yes, Shells, I remember haha! I wish I could listen more but I should get going, friend- can you ring me up?” “Oh, yeah of course! Follow follow- oh, wait over there a second-” Rudie sat up a bit, idly chewing on the candy. He could only imagine the visuals. He imagined a sea shell Toon perhaps, excitedly rambling in one of the isles, clearly a lovely shop owner… but who was she talking to? They sounded pleasant, charismatic, but something seemed off about him. He sounded sturdily built, if that made sense… maybe he was a brick, or a tree? Rudie couldn’t be sure. He sounded firm, actually. “Miss, miss- please- I know they might look good but you can’t eat the ants-” Shells scolded elsewhere in the store now as Looey and Yatta discussed something Rudie wasn’t paying attention to over his head. All he heard from the mysterious ‘miss’ was a shuffling that sounded strangely like shifting paper. The bell rang as they left, from the seems of it. “Bye!! Hope to see you again soon, heh.” Shells added on as they left, rather weakly. “Everything alright, Shelly?” The mysterious tree or brick Toon asked. Seemingly softer so Rudie was leaning more towards a Tree being what he was, something plant-based. “Eh… been better. I’m just nervous y’know? After that freak ‘earthquake’ a couple weeks ago that Ruined the Museum’s wholeee event that I spent all that money on, I’ve been working so much just to make sure it stays open, but it’s like no one even knows it’s there. So many people were going to come but now it’s just… ruined. And I miss you, and them- we hardly hang out anymore, the lot of us!” Shells protested, quietly enough that the Circus Troupe and any other Beans couldn’t hear, but loud enough so Rudie could; perks of the Reindeer Ears. He imagined her seated at a chair behind a front desk of some kind, reclined and just ranting to this Tree Toon that had various supplies in tow just waiting to be out of there hehe… Eh, he sounds too caring for that. “Oh… Shells, you know how busy I am- why do you say ‘earthquake’ like that?” The other voice asked suddenly at the end, and Rudie wondered what he meant. “Well, come on- we don’t live on any fault lines, not even near any, it happened and was gone in a matter of seconds but not before causing some damage, and… I don’t know, it was just weird.” “Shells, it was just an accident- a freaky one- but y’know nature; it’s unpredictable. An earthquake was all it was.” He assured, almost forcefully, but with a comforting enough tone to supplement it. Shells would sigh, and say that he was right, before finally ringing him up. “Heh… well, see you later D- Watch out!” 

Rudie had hardly paid attention to his immediate surroundings, but now he became conscious of the Trio finally finding all the stuff they could use, and heard Looey yelp as he collided with something, and then fell onto Blot who was holding the box. Rudie yelped in a similar tone to Looey’s as he was suddenly and shockingly airborne for just a few moments before he felt stability. At the same time as him feeling stable, he heard a slight tear, and as he looked to his right he saw one of Looey’s familiar claws pierce the wall of the box, snagging and catching it just barely; on the other side of the box however, it felt as if it had landed on a surface to keep it stable, and judging by the voice that came from that side, it would appear the Tree Toon had caught the other side. “Whoa! Sorry about that, friends! Here, let me help you out with that-” The Tree Toon said, repositioning the box into Looey’s hands as the two then lingered for a moment. There was a strange tension in the air… but Rudie couldn’t see a thing.

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Away from Rudie’s vision, the mysterious other Toon had his eyes locked on Looey’s hand that grasped the box, and on the claw that had retreated as suddenly as it had appeared. Looey had an uncomfortable look about him, before finally tugging the box away from their grasp. “Oh, heh-! Sorry, folks, just zoned out for a second. I don’t believe I’ve seen you three around here before?” He asked, smiling up at the three. Looey, Yatta, and Blot all exchanged a look with each other, before Looey cleared his throat and answered. “Well, we’re the Circus Troupe! Name pending hehe… we’re putting on a show later tonight actually- Razzle and Dazzle were handling the advertising and stuff.” Looey explained, smiling as brightly as he could. “Wonderful, wonderful- I suppose that’s what the flyers are about, eh?” He asked Shelly, just as the Fossil took a glance at the door where a flyer had been taped on a few days ago. “Oh! Yes, I thought I recognized these three!” She said while the other Toon looked at the flyer and smiled. “Well, that’s a convenient time. I suppose I could take time out of my schedule to attend, if you want, Shells!” To say that Shelly beamed when he suggested the idea would be an understatement. “Ah!! You really mean that, sure yes of course!” “Well, it’s a date! Not, literally- I’ll see if the others can join us, bye now!” He’d finish, the bell ringing again as he left. “The others? Oh! Yeah, rightttt- see you then!!” She waved excitedly to him, just as the Trio reached the counter. “Alright!! Will that be all today?” She asked Looey with a wide grin. “Yeah, I reckon so! Hope you two will enjoy the show hehe…” He responded, as Shelly got the transaction ready. “I’m sure we will! You three seem like such fun!” She assured, and Looey and Blot perked up a smidge more… Yatta was already grinning and swinging her arms as she waited for the payment to be finished, before she remembered something. “Ooo! WAIT- do you have any reindeer food??”  

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Rudie listened, unaware of any of the visual aspects of the transaction, but, aside from Yatta’s last question, he was glad Looey’s show was known! That seemed pretty cool for the bean even if he seemed vaguely nervous about it. The trio would leave, and begin to discuss other places to go before they went to rehearse, and Rudie couldn’t help but get comfy in the fabric, yawn, and just sleep the day away… His sleep wouldn’t last long though, Eventually the box would be set down somewhere that wasn’t the car. He assumed it was the loud one named Yatta that had done it, as he felt the impact as if the box had been dropped a few inches away from the ground. “Yatta! Careful with him-” Looey scolded lightly, picking the box back up and setting it seemingly a smidge higher. Rudie rubbed his head again, and just sat and stared at the wall. He could not wait for Looey to be alone. At this point, it really seemed like Looey was just a Good Guy who cared for him, genuinely. Despite all he knew about how bad Beans could be, he knew telling would be for the best. Plus he did not want to be treated like a pet forever. The pets on his head were nice but that was it! He thought firmly with a nod. “I feel bad for the little deer… he doesn’t get to see a thing.” Looey spoke aloud to the other two Beans. Blot said something in response, but Rudie was too groggy to even remotely process the strange language. “Ooo!! Yeah, there’s a whole BUNCH of tools around here, just give me a minute, Looey!” Yatta exclaimed, her quick footsteps making Rudie’s ears flick as he heard the movement. 

Shortly after, amidst Looey and Blot talking about ‘rehearsals’ for their performance, Yatta would be at Rudie’s box. “Okay, just gotta be careful!” This would not assure Rudie in the slightest judging by how ‘careful’ she had presented herself being already. She would open the top of the box, Rudie seeing her constantly smiling face before suddenly she’d reach a hand in, and gently scoot him away from the wall closest to her. Rudie looked up at her with confusion, before the reasoning was revealed by a tearing sound. Yatta had stuck a knife into the cardboard. The blade, sharp and gleaming, was taller than Rudie overall. Rudie couldn’t help the shiver that went down his spine despite Yatta’s clear intent to not hurt him. After a little bit of sawing, eventually she had cut a lot of holes in the cardboard for Rudie’s viewing pleasure. “..why did you make them look like prison bars?” Looey asked, side-eying Yatta as he leaned down a little and inspected the box, occasionally looking at Rudie. The little reindeer didn’t know what thoughts were going through that balloon’s mind, but it didn’t make him as uneasy as it used to. “Oh! Haha, I did!! Had the robbery act on my brain, sorry!” Looey shook his head, but smiled at her before looking away to the floor. 

“Yatta… will our act be good-?“ “It’ll be GREAT.” Yatta interrupted him, hand on his shoulder as she spun him away from Rudie to look at her. “First time outside of a Talent Show, Looey!! This is way too exciting to be terrible!! Just do your best, and we’ll be with you!” She said with the widest grin possible, it was almost unsettling… but the encouragement diluted this thought in Rudie’s mind. It made him feel a little pumped up too, even though he hardly understood what was going on. “Now come onnn, Blot’s definitely gotta have the props ready by now! Bring Cane too!” Yatta shouted excitedly, before skipping away through a doorway that seemed to lead to a red curtain. Oh, right! Rudie should take note of the room. The little reindeer scrambled forward, hooves clinging to the bars as he tried to stick his head through them, but it wouldn’t quite work. Looey picked the box up, and began to head for the same door that Yatta had with the box tucked under his arm. For the short time Rudie could look around, it seemed like they had been in a backstage area with rows of mirrors, lots of boxes, and a strange ceiling that had a lot of bars and grates that looked like they’d be great to walk across or in when borrowing. This view would be subsumed by the next room, which appeared to be a lot smaller but Rudie could only imagine how it’d look with the curtain drawn. The floor was wooden, and rounded out in coordination with the curtain, and the stage was relatively empty overall. There was a weird breeze, and smell in the air however that made Rudie suspect that perhaps they were somehow outside. Looking up made this fact more apparent, as there was sky and clouds instead of a roof. This was interesting. Rudie had little idea of what their whole ‘circus’ act was about, but he was intrigued. He’d sit criss cross once Looey set his box on the ground, and the trio would congregate in the center of the room. 

“Okay, what do you two wanna practice first?” Looey asked the two as they huddled together. Blot warbled something, with Yatta nodding enthusiastically. “Yeah!! That’s definitely your best one!” Yatta exclaimed, the confetti on her horns standing on end. “Agreed, agreed; glad we got that pie for it!” The three would ramble on to each other, with Rudie’s mind drifting. It wasn’t that he wasn’t paying attention, he just had a lot on his mind right now. He really hoped that the others would be accepted too, once he told. Bobette, Coal… Ginger. Coal would probably be accepted pretty easily since she wasn’t a Borrower, but Rudie worried for Ginger most of all. He didn’t want to think about that right now, so instead he closed his eyes and thought of Christmas. This next one had to be a good one, he just knew it. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the outdoors. It reminded him of Coal quite a bit, as she usually smelled like the outside with how much she ventured away from them. Rudie looked up to the sky as laughter filled the stage, and warmth filled his mind. Bobette had lured Rudie out from a bush one day, a few years back, not long before they met Ginger, actually. The two of them had been in a park staying under a tree where they had found an abandoned den. That had been a wild time for the two of them. Rudie followed Bobette, cheerfully, and with a significantly less amount of thought in relation to the 25th of December. He was nervous however to be greeted by Coal shortly after this. The large dog was just laying there on the grass, not far from the bushes at all. She perked her head up only slightly, gave the air a sniff, and promptly laid her back down on the grass. She was utterly unbothered, to say the least. Bobette had given him a side-eye, and smiled. “Don’t worry, she’s a big ol’ softy!” She had reassured him. This wouldn’t have been the first time he had ridden her, before reaching the tree he was forced to ride her out of necessity, but he had been more focused on keeping his eyes closed and burying his face in the fur as he tried desperately to distract himself from the unnaturally, at least for him, high speeds. After a bit of coaxing, the bauble had managed to get him up on her back, and she would sit behind him. Well, ‘sit’ was being a little generous; it would be more accurate to say that they were laid on their fronts and clinging to the fur with their hands and or hooves to the best of their ability. 

Coal had risen to standing with only a moment’s stretch quite slowly. In time, Rudie would come to realize how extraordinarily gentle of a dog she was, but here he couldn’t appreciate it as much. He buried his face in the fur, and braced himself for high speeds that threatened to send his fragile body flying, but no such speed came. He looked up hesitantly, and flinched when he felt Bobette’s hand on his back. “It’s alright, she’ll go slow today- but if you hold your head up, you might just enjoy it anyhow!” She spoke softly, the smile clear in her tone. Rudie bit his lip, but he did have to admit that he hadn’t gone flying last time and if Coal was going to go slower then…? “Oh… well, alright!!” He exclaimed, as excitedly as he could for her sake as he raised his head to actually enjoy the view. “That’s the spirit! Alright, giddyup girl!” Bobette shouted, despite Coal’s quiet whine of protest. “What does ‘giddyup’ actually m-EaN-Uh!” Rudie tried to ask a question, but was interrupted by Bobette slapping Coal’s side, and suddenly they were off, decidedly not slower than they had been last time but there was no helping Rudie’s current position. The little reindeer’s screams were lost to the winds with the sounds of Bobette’s whoops of cheer. Coal remained silent, but the consistent pounding on the ground as she booked it across the grass, through bushes, and between trees felt stable somehow. Through gritted teeth, Rudie looked ahead as Coal sped past so that things rushed by. “You’re doing great! Isn’t this great?” Bobette had called that day to him, and Rudie couldn’t help but agree. Sparkles in his eyes, he looked right, and looked left, trees and benches almost becoming blurry with the speeds. He could feel his fur being pushed down by the wind, and he could feel Coal through all of her fur as she sprinted. “Y… YEAH!” Rudie shouted excitedly, head held high as he took in the ride. He remembered the shine of the sun, and the pure freedom he had felt. It was wonderful.

Rudie missed that time in the park; it had been dangerous, but it was soooo beautiful. They left that place because the original owner of the little burrow both Bobette and Rudie had been staying at had come back… there was no issue with him, but the bauble felt guilty after Coal literally scared the Ant Borrower away. He was a chill little ant, and maybe they could’ve stayed but he didn’t come back for multiple days so eventually Bobette had the three of them head out to find somewhere else so the Borrower could have their home back. Maybe with Looey’s help they could go and finally apologize-

Rudie yelped as his reminiscing was suddenly cut short, and he was pulled back to the present by the box being picked up and quickly taken to a table and set down with him and the bars facing a wall. Blot’s voice whispered something assuring to him, and at this point Rudie just appreciated the tone. He heard another voice suddenly, two of them. “Alright, alright, alright! You three are excellent!” “(It was exciting…)” “More than exciting! Thrilling!” One voice sounded rather joyous, and the other seemed eternally down in the dumps, but they seemed happy enough. “Hey, Mr. Raz and Mr. Daz!” Looey exclaimed, though it sounded like he sort of regretted it at the end. “Hehe, yeah! Love this guy. You must be Looey, and then this is Yatta, and then there is the Mime himself, Blot!” Razzle charismatically pointed out. “Real inky fellow, why’d ya head backstage just now?” Blot didn’t respond, and for a moment Rudie was confused, before remembering that most people obviously wouldn’t understand him, Rudie included. “(Razzle… he’s a mime… probably quiet.)” Daz said, with Razzle agreeing after. “Oh but of course. You three got this tonight! Dazzle and I have been going ALL over town to promote your show, and we’ve even got concessions ready outside. Are y’all almost ready?” Razzle certainly sounded like an exciting Toon. Rudie got up and took a seat at the wall closest to the sound of the voices, and he’d press his ear against the wall. It was opposite of the bars that Yatta had carved out of the box, probably by design. “YEAH!! I am so HYPERCITED.” Yatta exclaimed, though Rudie wasn’t sure what the word was… Oh, hyper, and excited, got it, Ha! He thought with a small smile. The beans would talk a bit more about getting ready for the performance, and real soon Rudie found the Circus Trio to be moving about the backstage area all getting fully ready as the sounds outside grew louder. The small reindeer was just glad that the growth in volume was gradual and not all at once! It felt like a disjointed Christmas carol like he’d hear in those movies back at the farm house. The sound was excited, but sort of subdued. Rudie made a curious noise as the box was lifted up, and Looey would sit with the box on his lap in a more secluded corner where the noise was lesser. 

“Oh… there’s so many people out there, Cane. I don’t know if I can do this…” Looey uncharacteristically mumbled with the box positioned in such a way that Rudie got a clear look at his torso, but would need to stick his head out to see their head. Rudie approached the bars despite the uneven ground, and stuck a hoof out. Looey’s arm was just close enough for him to gently rub the side of it in a reassuring way. “What if they laugh at me…? I-I know that’s kind of the goal but, with how I look it- Oh-” Looey tensed up at the touch, but then relaxed as he let the rubbing happen. “Aw… hehe, that’s a weird feeling.” Looey pulled away, and opened the box. Rudie still felt fear when he reached a hand in and the fingers wrapped around Rudie’s form, but he simply shut his eyes as tight as he could and breathed. Looey was a nice guy. Looey wouldn’t hurt him. He needed to affirm this a lot in his head. The paw lifted Rudie up to Looey’s face, and the balloon dog would gently nuzzle the Borrower. “Thank you… man, I really should have gotten a pet sooner. You’re great…” Rudie winced at the wording, but soon Looey wouldn’t be thinking things like that. He hoped. Rudie really wanted to say something now, it felt like a good time, but he knew that it would probably psych Looey out or something. Looey’s grip went slack, and Rudie found himself sitting on his open palm as Looey smiled, and seemingly just daydreamed for a second. Relatable, Rudie thought with a stifled giggle. He suddenly had an idea, for something that may actually help Looey throughout the wholeeee performance. 

—--------------------------------------------------

Looey smiled. He was so glad to have Cane. He had thought about having a pet before, but nothing ever really felt right. He supposed that it was just the kind of thing that life had to force onto him. Looey thought for a moment about getting all kinds of nice things for Cane once he and the Troupe made it big (no matter how anxious that thought made him) before suddenly the tiny reindeer leapt down. “Ah! Cane!” He exclaimed, scrambling to catch them, before realizing they had landed perfectly safe on his calf. “Oh- wh-what?” He questioned, breathlessly as Cane nuzzled into his gut a bit. The smooth nose felt cool, and the sensation overall felt like one of affectionate reassurance. Just how intelligent was his little Candy Cane? “You… you want me to eat you?” He questioned, feeling really silly saying that. I really need a different word for that… something cute, silly, but in a better way than ‘eat.’ He thought, unable to come up with anything right off the bat. Cane just stared at him, those red and green eyes not having a thought behind them, or so he thought. “Looey!! It’s almost time!! We got this!” Yatta exclaimed at him, beckoning the balloon dog over. She stood in the doorway, Blot behind her dusting himself off as they waited for the curtain to go up. Looey could distantly hear Razzle and Dazzle handing out concessions for cash, and even heard some familiar voices in the crowd. Looey looked back to Cane, the gaze of his little reindeer unwavering. “Be there in a minute!” He shouted back, but Yatta had already turned her attention toward climbing somewhere high up. Looey hoped the entrance went well. He would pick Cane up, and hold him right before his closed mouth. “Well… I hope it’s as good for you as it is for me.” Looey murmured embarrassedly. He hadn’t even set the Borrower inside yet, but he already felt his heart beating faster. He could feel claws extending subtly from his hand-paws and feet-paws. He felt his teeth elongate just as he opened his maw, the saliva strands breaking and reconnecting before Cane, though Looey didn’t see this.

He pushed the tiny Reindeer inside, and would quickly close his maw, only taking a moment to slurp their leg in as he quickly coated him in saliva. The chocolate and peppermint taste was delicious… Looey couldn’t stop his tail from wagging. He would push himself back to standing, only taking a moment or two to enjoy the sensation, and of course ensuring the Borrower was coated well enough. He hummed softly in a reassuring way, though he wasn’t sure how necessary it was since it had seemingly asked for it. He couldn’t help but purr a little due to the struggles; it was a strange new thing being a Pred gave him, but so long as no one heard it, he was cool with it. With a strong swallow, Looey panted a smidge as the Borrower descended down his throat, every contraction lulling more squirms from them. It was oddly satisfying, but there wasn’t time to think about it. It was showtime. Looey didn’t acknowledge the feeling of Cane landing in his stomach, and just charged on out after quickly snatching up three juggling balls, and made his entrance. 

—--------------------------------------------------

The audience buzzed with excitement. An act that wasn’t by the Mask Twins was rare, so people were interested. Brightney found a seat somewhere off to the side, awkwardly taking off her reading glasses and setting them off to the side. She had cancelled the book club meeting she’d normally have with Dazzle and others so they could attend this performance. Elsewhere in the audience, Shelly sat crisscrossed alone. She could really use a pick me up like a good show. When she spotted a friend in the crowd, she beckoned him over with an excited wave. Razzle and Dazzle handed out popcorn and drinks to all sorts of Toons that stopped by. Razzle was absolutely gleaming with excitement, and even Dazzle couldn’t help but have the faintest hint of a smile on his face. Couldn’t keep him at ease for long though, the frown returned soon enough, probably from general worry. “Hey!! Big Guy! Theo! Yo! We got you a special seat over there, greattt!” Razzle called out, pulling Dazzle out of his funk temporarily as they directed a much larger Toon watching off to the side to a bigger seat that would accommodate them. “(Nice to see Trev with you too…)” Poppy showed up a smidge late, but was more than happy to sit off to the side with a can of pop and some popcorn! Meanwhile, Finn sat at one of the seats highest up in the booths, eagerly kicking his feet a bit. He kept an eye out for Rodger, who had invited him, but the detective was nowhere to be found. “I’ll just… er- sit elsewhere…” A paper craft would say apologetically, having been sat just in front of him a smidge lower. “Oh- Cod- Seally sorry-” He apologized with a pun toward the Secretary-Bird looking toon. Before more could be contemplated, the stage was alight with, well, stagelights. All were focused on what appeared to be a mass of ink in the shape of a person! With extended arms, white gloves shining a bit in the light, they’d whirl around to reveal a singular eye, and a mime’s attire. The crowd watched as he surveyed them with one hand over his eyebrow, before giving a cartoonish wave. Then, one of the lights would go out, creating a bit of shadow on the stage. The mime looked visibly distraught by this, and extended his arm outwards repeatedly as if miming a long pole that he’d use to tap the light repeatedly (with an actual sound accompanying it, courtesy of Yatta from the roof, hidden from view) until it came back on. He looked triumphant for only a moment, before he’d gesture off to the side, where on top of a large ball, came a very funny looking clown juggling three smaller balls. 

The clown seemed to be a balloon dog, with multi-colored limbs and the widest grin possible. He dexterously juggled for a few moments as the mime looked on in awe, before with a mischievous look, he’d mime pulling out a little pin, and pretend to pop the balancing ball; the balancing ball proceeded to pop due to an unseen mechanism, and the balloon dog would stumble in the air slightly, before doing a single flip and landing on the ground on their rear. They made a goofy face of dizziness, and perhaps had a spike of anxiety on the inside, before the audience chuckled in amusement over the act. Everything was going according to plan. Then the carnival tunes finally began, and both the Mime and the Balloon Clown looked up to the sky in wonder as spotlights angled up to the roof, where Yatta was hooked on something real high. Then, with a daring backflip, she would leap off the roof, and swing on a cable of some kind as if she were flying around the stage, before she’d disconnect from it and safely land on top of both of her Troupe Mates. As it turned out, while the audience focused on her Dazzling flight, Looey and Blot had positioned themselves just right and held their arms up to support Yatta in a sort of balancing act. It went even better than it had in rehearsals!

—--------------------------------------------------

Rudie curled up into a ball, tenderly rubbing the walls of the gut here and there. He hoped his presence would bring the Balloon Dog some comfort, and from the sounds of the outside, and the way the stomach sloshed him around, it appeared all was going well for their performance. He sighed wistfully, wishing he could watch. He was going to tell Looey tonight. It was set in his mind that he would, even though it always felt like there was something keeping him from telling the larger-than-life potential friend, he knew he would. The second the two were alone he’d reveal it, with deep breaths and a cheerful demeanor!! No matter how it terrified the Borrower he wanted it more than anything. He yelped a bit as he felt the walls contract and the chamber jolt slightly, as if Looey had just fallen suddenly. Rudie adjusted himself to sitting almost on his knees, and pressed a hoof against one of the walls before leaning his head against it. “Mm… Looey… gah, I’m sorry it’s taking so long. I’m sorry I haven’t spoken to you yet. It’s just… so hard.” Rudie began to say to the wall, and to the Looey in his mind, trying to envision how the interaction would go. “It’s only been a couple days and- Beans have always been so scary for Borrowers like me… but- somehow you seem like such a great guy. I don’t know where I’d be if someone else had found me. It feels crazy to want to talk to you- which I will- but I think I have to, y’know? Almost feels crazier to not want to. I don’t wanna be distrusting. That’s not festive, or cheerful.” Rudie pressed his forehead against the wrinkled front of the stomach, his antlers slightly poking. “Tonight. I’ll do it tonight, and it’ll be great, for me and my friends.” He declared dramatically to himself as he slumped back over, and tried to rest until the performance was over… despite the numerous sloshes. 

—--------------------------------------------------

Looey felt as if every sense of his was heightened. He had gone out on stage atop the balancing ball, juggled, fallen, and then helped Yatta perform the balancing trick. He could see every face in the crowd, both familiar and unfamiliar. He smelled the popcorn, and the faint scent of chicken for some reason, and generally the smells of the outdoors. He felt every nerve vibrate in excitement as he felt more hyped than he ever had been as Yatta bounced off of his and Blot’s hands to land in the center of the two, right when it was time to properly start the show. He could hear the laughter, the breaths, the heart rates of his two friends… and he could hear a tiny voice coming from his stomach. Everything seemed to stop for a moment. “It’s only been a couple days and- Beans have always been so scary for Borrowers like me… but somehow-” Looey listened to the voice, and he knew exactly who it was. H-How could Cane…? Borrowers could talk. Looey felt his heart rate increase at the implications, and for a moment he thought he’d freeze up on stage; in the end, he shook it off, the adrenaline from his Pred instincts assisting in pushing the thought away, with the promise to deal with it after the show. Cane was secured, and all could be figured out later. Now is not the time to freakout. He was freaking out but he tried the best he could to shut off his mind. The show went on, the curtain falling briefly so they could do different acts here and there. One time, Blot was dressed up as a stereotypical criminal, Yatta as a bank worker, and Looey as an officer of the law; that was an act filled with slapstick. Blot found himself stuck in an invisible box once, and neither Looey or Yatta could get him out… until he found an invisible key behind Yatta’s ear; there was plenty of mimework. All three of them juggled, with his two friends eventually passing their balls off to him so he was juggling nine balls at once by the end of it much to the audience’s awe. Yatta did all sorts of acrobatics, even juggling both Looey and Blot somehow. She was the strongest in the group, that was certain. (Though it wasn’t like Looey was particularly heavy.) In the end, the three got into a line, Looey in the center for some reason, and they’d all bow to immense applause. 

Looey’s tail couldn’t help but wag as his smile widened a most genuine amount. Visions filled his head, roses being thrown at him, calls for more, someone asking him to juggle their baby, all of the things. Of course it wasn’t as crazy as those visions, it was just the applause, but it felt just as good. He felt a smidge egotistical for those thoughts, but he was just glad to make people laugh. The crowd was decently large, and not filled with entirely friends and family so this night was definitely a win! The curtains would fall, and the troupe would head backstage to change back into their civilian attire, and generally just put stuff away. “WOOOO!” Yatta whooped excitedly once Looey and Blot had finished getting back to normal, and pulled the two of them into a hug while bouncing slightly up and down fast repeatedly. “That. Was. AWESOME!! You two did AMAZING.” Yatta praised despite her controlling the stage with her acrobatics. “Nooo, you were the best Yatta, I just-” “SHUT.” Yatta literally grabbed Looey’s lips as Blot picked up Rudie’s box once the hug ended. “You were AWESOME. We ALL were!!” Yatta enthusiastically encouraged as Blot chuckled and walked back to the other two, thankfully not looking into the box to notice the lack of Cane. “Indeed y’all are!” Came Razzle’s voice as the Twins quickly closed the door behind them, clapping excitedly. “That was definitely the best show we’ve hosted!” (“Better than ours… y’all are cool…”) Dazzle complimented sullenly though it didn’t dull Razzle’s smile. “They were amazing, Dazzle! And so are we y’know!” (“Mmm… okay.”) Yatta walked right up to the two and gave them a hug as well while Looey just smiled. “I’ll go start the car, thank you two so much!! Mister Razzle & Dazzle.” He thanked gratefully, waving at them as he moved to leave the room. “Of course, Looey! You can just call us Raz & Daz, we should go to dinner sometime the five of us, to celebrate! I’ll keep in touch! This was great.” (“It’s good we can keep the theatre funded…”) Looey would chuckle and wave them off as he got outside and started the car. Once he was in the Driver’s Seat alone, he looked down at his gut with a frown and a thoughtful expression. 

Before he could think about Everything, Blot slid into the front passenger seat. “Better to let Yatta lay down in the back, can’t imagine how tired she must be, haha.” Blot explained with a smile as he hugged the box close to him. “Now uh… Looey? Just wanted to ask you something, if you don’t mind?” Blot asked suddenly, looking to Looey while they waited for Yatta. “Oh- well- of course Buddy Blot!” Looey assured, curious as he curled his tail around his waist a bit. “What is it?” He asked with a tilt of his head. “Well… you told Yatta and I that you’d tell us what the results of going to this “Mr. Roger's” place were, but you never told us anything. What happened there? Yatta probably forgot, but I’m sure she’ll remember too.” Looey visibly tensed up with a slight grimace, and held a hand over his gut. “W-well…” He hadn’t thought about Rodger much today. He’d been surprised to not see the Detective in the crowd but he must have been busy or not known about the show. Did he know Cane could talk??? Why didn’t he say anything? What the heck does any of this mean- there’s like a race of tiny Toons or something? That’s what it seems like!! And I ate him like four or five times. OH MY GOD. Looey thought to himself anxiously. “I think I just er, need more time to process it, y’know…?” He tried to say defensively, but thankfully it worked. Blot nodded simply, with a rather concerned look in his singular eye as Yatta strided out from the backdoor of the backstage, waving bye to Razzle & Dazzle inside. “I understand… I won’t push- but- we’re your friends, Loo. You can trust us with anything, okay?” Blot reassured, an inky hand on Looey’s shoulder with a gentle rub. Looey nodded with a soft smile. “Y-yeah… thank you.” This was when Yatta yanked the door open.

“WHAT IS UP!?” She exclaimed, before diving into the back seat, missing the vibe between Looey and Blot, and sprawling out like a cat. “I am actually SO excited guys!! But- the thing I’m excited for already happened, so like- AM I? Ooo maybe I’m just VERY happy, especially with the two of you!!” She said, stretching out a bit and generally getting comfy. “Man… that show REALLY tuckered me out haha! Can’t wait to get- home and-” Honkkkkk… Shoo. She was out like a light in under a minute; both Looey and Blot looked back at her, and smiled. “Well, that’s that then! Homeward bound.” Looey declared, pulling out of their little parking spot and leaving the park behind. On the way home, he’d pass by some people walking home, all of whom seemed satisfied, and that was enough to warm Looey’s heart. The two friends would talk for a bit here and there, mostly mentioning how well their acts had gone, and talking about people in the crowd. Looey would eventually pull into the parking lot for their apartment building, and with the combined effort of the two of them they’d easily get Yatta up the stairs and into their apartment before setting her on the couch. “Sure we shouldn’t put her on the bed?” “I wish; she'd be livid if we let her take two turns in a row in the bed, haha-” Blot reasoned, to which Looey nodded. “How about you take the bed? I don’t need it, I’ve got little Jr here to help me be comfy.” He reassured, holding up a hand where he had absentmindedly sculpted a little Blot Jr. just for fun. “Hehe, that’s a good Jr… well, if you’re sure.” 

The two would get ready for bed, and it would be all too soon before Looey found himself laying on the bed and staring up at the undecorated ceiling ‘alone.’ This has been… the weirdest and the best day possible. He thought to himself, the box that contained Cane resting on the floor at the foot of the bed. He had let Cane out and into the box (the little reindeer had been asleep) as he got changed into pajamas, and now he was left with just his thoughts. His pred instincts hadn’t fully tapered off yet, lingering due to his recent release of his Borrower; this was how he would hear the scuffling. He could hear Cane getting out of the box, which reminded him that he’d forgotten to put books on top of it. Darn it. He debated on getting up, but if the Borrower was like, actually a person, he couldn’t prevent him from leaving; that’d be wrong on SO many levels. Kind of like eating a person. He thought bitterly to himself. Then, he realized that Cane was trying to get atop the bed. Oh… he’s- coming to talk to me- like actually talk to me- just like he planned- oh gosh… what do I say what do I say what do I- “Rudie…!” A voice called out, tiny as could be, and he could hear Cane’s ascent up the side of the bed pause, before suddenly landing back on the ground with the quietest thud of his hooves. Rudie… He acknowledged, before his ears flicked slightly to listen. “Bobette? Hey…! Everything alright?? I was just about to-” “It’s Ginger- she’s missing!” Looey could practically taste the tension in the air after ‘Bobette’ said that. He bit his lip nervously, well aware he was not supposed to be listening to this. “What?” Cane- Rudie, Looey corrected himself, asked simply. “After our talk last night, I just couldn’t find her anywhere! All day since you’ve been out I’ve been looking for her with Coal but- I need your help Rudie.” She explained to Rudie, worry clear in her tone. “Oh… Garland… she- it- it must have been my fault! I scared her away with all my talk of talking to Looey-" "No, don’t blame yourself- she… she cares about us, she must have had a good reason to go. If we go right now with Coal, we can go farther than I did so we can-" "No.” Rudie cut her off, as sullenly yet as certainly as he could. “I…if- if Coal couldn’t find her, we’ll need more help than just the three of us can do. I need to talk to Looey. He- He’s a Bean, surely he can figure out a way to help us find her.” Looey’s eyes widened as he kept them firmly locked on the ceiling. Rudie’s voice sounded so soothing, and strong-willed. And he needed help. He needed Looey’s help. The two barely knew each other, and Looey just now figured out he was a person for Handler’s sake. Looey shifted on the bed a bit, debating on getting up. “Rudie… I-” Bobette had a moment’s hesitation, but from a wordless action Looey couldn’t see, she seemed to straighten up. “I trust you… Coal and I- we’ll wait, promise… just- please stay safe- okay…? And hurry! But- no rush-" "I swear on Clause himself, hehe… you know how serious I am about that.” Rudie responded, eliciting a chuckle from Bobette. “Of course… see you soon, Rudie.” Their conversation was over just like that, and Looey had formulated a plan. 

He shifted slowly, pretending to just be waking up, a yawn coming from him. He could practically sense the way Rudie tensed up, and heard him get back into the box. Looey ‘rubbed the sleep from his eyes’ and got out of bed. Mechanically, he picked up Rudie’s box, and headed out into the main living space, then out the front door, all while Rudie stayed still inside. Looey headed down the stairs, not dawdling at all save for to admire some sidewalk chalk before reaching a picnic table out the back that overlooked a river. Now that was a beautiful sight. Sure, Gardenview was a city of some variety, but it still had some beautiful Views that certainly earned it the name. He set the box down on the table, and sat with his back to the table and the box off to the side. He would sit like this for a moment, not saying a word before he’d open the box, and very carefully and slowly reached a hand inside. He was a lot gentler with Rudie this time. He made extra sure he didn’t squeeze, or startle, and was glad to find that Rudie hardly struggled as he lifted him out, and set him on top of the box after closing it again. “Heh…” He chuckled slightly as Rudie stumbled for just a moment, before righting himself and shortly afterward sitting at the edge of the box with his little legs dangling. The moonlight made the scene extra beautiful, the two Toons together, Rudie unknowing that Looey knew and Looey all too aware. Sure, Rudie wasn’t a Toon, but… what was a Borrower if not a tiny Toon? The balloon dog looked down, frowning softly to himself. 

—--------------------------------------------------

Rudie looked onward to the moon, near the horizon, just over the treeline of the woods nearby. It reminded him of those forests in the Christmas Movies where they got those beautiful trees, but with much rounder trees. He bit his lip, and worked up the courage. This was it, no better moment than Right Now. He opened his mouth, the words on the tip of his tongue, and then. “I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you…” Looey began, visibly startling the tiny reindeer. Who was he talking to? Then Looey looked at him, and those large eyes filled with a distant sparkle that felt warm in Rudie’s soul met his own, and he felt a shudder. He was talking to Him. “You… you don’t have to worry about it anymore. I know.” Know? What could he possibly possibly know? He can’t know! Right? Rudie thought, thoughts rushing through his head, before a relief poured through him that he might not have to worry about direct confrontation. “When… when I ate you earlier before the show, my senses were heightened, and I heard you talk. And… uhm… shoot… I heard you now too, with that… Bobette lady.” Looey informed as softly as he could, head lowered a bit to try and seem smaller. Rudie just listened, chills shooting down his spine despite the inevitability of all of this. It felt jarring to hear him say Bobette’s name. The little reindeer bit his lip, kicking one leg in anticipation of having to respond eventually. Looey looked away for a moment. “And… most importantly- Rudie…” A deep shiver went down Rudie’s spine at his name. “I know about Ginger, and- I want to help you; to make up for um… well- eating you all those times- I… I didn’t know you were a person- which- sounds so stupid I mean you’re basically just a smaller Toon but- I’m just so so-” Looey rambled, starting to spiral in his nerves due to the situation, but that wouldn’t happen for long. “It’s okay.” Rudie assured Looey, the Bean startling a bit now as he turned his head back so that he could actually see Rudie talk. “Mr. Rodger… he explained it to me- it’s something that you have to do- I understand that… I should be the one that’s sorry, for um… um… never speaking up- and- stuff… it wasn’t very Nice of me…” 

Now it was Looey’s turn to interrupt. “Hey-” He reached a paw out, and gently used one finger to rub between Rudie’s antlers. “You certainly seem pretty nice… I think- maybe we should start over. No more Cane, and no more Pet Stuff.” “I dunno, Cane kind of grew on me as a nickname hehe…” Rudie didn’t know when but he had gotten used to it. “Haha… maybe a nickname someday then. For now I think I’ll stick to your actual name.” The two chuckled a bit… and Rudie wasn’t sure how but something about this just felt… natural. Sure, he was still scared more than a little bit, but he found it easier to be brave with each exchange of words. Looey held out one finger, the smallest one to the reindeer… What was this? “Here… let’s start over. Hi, my name is Looey, what’s your name?” Rudie looked at the finger, unsure of what to do. “Oh… this is what we normally would call a ‘handshake’ but since you’re uh- a Borrower I just offered my finger. What you do is well- shake it, in greeting, hehe.” Looey explained briefly, and Rudie’s eyes shone in excited acknowledgement. It was one of those weird Bean things. Rudie smiled up at the Balloon Dog. Rudie was right. His smile grew to a gleeful grin, and his nose lit up brighter as he reached one hoof out and attached it telekinetically to the finger, and shook as energetically as he could. He really was right about this. Everything was about to become so much better for him and his friends. This is it… we’ll find you, Ginger.

“Hiya, Looey… My name is Rudie. Merry Christmas!!” 

—--------------------------------------------------

“And you’re sure there’s nothing??” Rodger exclaimed, rubbing his forehead with a thumb nervously. “We’ll do all we can, Mr. Glassly, but there’s nothing we can do until we get some of the items here looked at by the forensics team. They should be here shortly. There’s nothing more I can do for you right now, I’m sorry. If you want my advice, I’d say to stay out of your garage for a bit until they get here. I’ll stick around outside personally to make sure whoever trespassed doesn’t come back again.” The officer assured him in his living room, they were a Textbook toon, outfitted in a uniform. As they left (for now) Rodger slumped over onto the couch, and groaned. In the garage, past the open door, laid the source of his worries. Files, open and littered across the floor sloppily… books too. The most noticeable thing however, was a distinct lack of any documents mentioning ‘Preds’ like that balloon dog he’d spoken to the other day. Who would want something like that…? His mind couldn’t think of anything, not a reason, and not a Toon.

—--------------------------------------------------

Ginger heavily exhaled, hands on her knees as she took a moment's respite, before a hiss would alert her that she wasn’t in the clear. Being outside was never a good idea for a Borrower as literally sweet as her. She ran down the alleyway as fast as she could, looking all around for anything to hide under, but damn cats could always squeeze into just about anything. She was getting close to a dead end, and she had no idea where to go. The breath was then suddenly knocked out of her, as cable-like arms wrapped around her, and red and blue paws pulled her up and off the ground. She grunted, but tried to keep her noises to a minimum as she instinctually kicked in the air. “Hey there, buddy! Gee, I’m glad I found ya! Actual cats are way meaner than my sister hehe, what’s your name!?” A figure from the shadows that the cable arms were connected to said to her cheerfully once Ginger was back on solid ground much higher up in a hole in a wall, and minorly goofily. Ginger shrugged the cables off as they retreated back to the fellow Borrower. “Uh… Ginger- thank you for saving me- I’ll get out of your ha-” The Borrower, now revealed to be tan and fluffy for the most part stepped out from the shadows with a sharp toothed grin. “No no no, you gotta stay!! I’d love a new friend!” Strange… Ginger always expected other Borrowers to be territorial assholes, but this guy really radiated warmth almost like Bobette, but sillier. She needed to stop thinking about Bobette though, and Rudie too. She could just… feel that something bad would happen to them… and there was nothing she could do if things went awry with Looey. Maybe a new start was for the best… though whether she’d want to stick with new people to eventually lose was still in the air. “Well… are you sure?” The new Borrower’s grin somehow widened. “Absooooolutely!” 

—--------------------------------------------------

He blinked as he took his coat off, and withdrew the files from it. He had just gotten home from watching a most wonderful show that definitely helped him prove his earlier thoughts, and driving past Glassly’s residence to see police there. He moved through the large house, and looked into the mirror as he thought about everything. He couldn’t let his minute residents see these files. The mayor reached one hand up and straightened his petals one after the other in color order as he reflected through the day's actions. He woke up, and took care of his new friends. He straightened his red petal. He studied the files that morning and had some good breakfast; it was a good thing that Rodger was always so busy, it gave him plenty of time before the magnifying glass would notice anything was amiss when he was out of the house often. He straightened his orange and yellow petals. He’d gone around the town, and met with Shells again after all this time. He’d met an odd trio there at the pet store Shelly had begun working at to pay for the museum. He straightened out his green and blue petals next. The trio had consisted of an inky blot that seemed to be a mime in profession, an energetic Piñata, and a yellow Balloon Dog with green and purple limbs. He straightened out his last petal, the purple one, as he looked at the files with the heading of “Preds” while he thought of the last detail. He remembered the way they had reacted, Looey if he remembered right, when the box had nearly fallen. He recalled the claws that had come out of his paw, and how the energy he gave off matched what the files described. The performance today was further proof of that with all of the subtle details; the claws, the teeth, and the fervent energy. Maybe he was the key. Dandicus smiled at the mirror, and headed off to his personal office to hide the files. Before he could do anything about that though…

He needed to find the Clock, the cat, and the Silly Fluffy Craft. 

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Here we are at the end! Hope you enjoyed :D The adventure is Just beginning, and I cannot wait for all of y'all to see what I've got in store past this First Story Arc, Something New ^w^

Only got one more thing to add to the end of this; I have a Discord Server! For all your Dandy's World g/t and vore needs! You'll be able to talk to others about this interest, and be able to find works and inform others of your works easier ^w^ (Probably always gonna add this to the end of a fic knasdj I hope for it to grow <3)

If you'd like to join, just message me here on Tumblr!

If you just send me a DM asking to join, I will add you from there :3