#tw guts

She's got more freedom when going out and about, compared to Sun. Even though she's technically part of the Morning Star Crew, its only because she's an extension of DJ. She doesnt usually partake in any of the jobs that Henry gives them, and knows almost nothing about those. At most, she could be a messenger.

It's not uncommon for Froppy to leave the thrift shop when its closed, wanting to stretch her joints or properly burn through her coal reserve. Either going out to play with random kids on the slums, or out to the dumps to scavenge anything salvageable that she can take back to the shop and anything shiny she can keep for herself.

Like today.

Steam puffs out from the mechanisms on her legs after a jump, falling heavily atop a mountain or rusted metal and rubble. A sound similar to coins and pebbles rattle and clank inside her mouth, already having a good haul of trinkets, but wanting more... She looks around, her scopes shrinking and widening, trying to focus on the distance in search for anything else that catches her attention.

Then, a shimmer.

"Bingo!"

Another puff of steam, another stomp, another rattle. Whatever this is, it starts getting dug out from the dirt, wires, and rubble with eager hands... Until finally, Froppy manages to pry it out of its hiding spot... Sneaky sneaky! Should the content not be such a bright purple, she would have never seen it.

Holding it up to the light, she inspects it... Its like a small tube, but made out of glass. What was the word? A vial? It was dirty, maybe a bit cracked, but it held well. Maybe it was fancy ink? A drink? Medicine? No idea, but it was pretty!

"Finders, keepers..!"

She hums with glee, opening her mouth wide, placing the vial inside next to the marbles, cogs and bolts. Standing back up, she gets ready to hop back home.

A puff of steam, a stomp, a rattle, a crack.

Her scopes shrink and focus on movement many feet away.

A rat?

------------

Sun huffs, slumping down on the nearest chair, taking a smirk out of YN who sat on the other end of the table with a cup of tea on their hands.

"Hard day at the thrift shop, Sunny?" they tease. Sun can just groan in response.

"It's been TWO days just going back and forth, moving boxes, shelves, furniture and stuff trying to find that odor DJ keeps complaining about. And the flies...!"

He whines, throwing his arms up in frustration. Bothered, both at the work he has to do (it got boring pretty quickly), and the lack of sense of smell that could help in solving the problem much more quickly.

"Froppy keeps saying there must be a dead rat somewhere, but not even the Minis can find a thing in the vents. Please do not say its a Cat and Mouse chase-"

YN chuckled, raising their hands in mock surrender, keeping their mouth shut. After thinking about it for a while, they spoke up.

"Tell you what. I'm free tomorrow morning, so... I'll go with you and help. How about that?"

Sun perked up, smiling and thanking them profusely. Another human nose would surely help! Besides, it's been a while since they visited the shop... It would also help get rid of that pesky feeling of dread inside their gut. DJ had mentioned it before. There's no need to feel cautious or alert about every single thing. It must be nothing.

...

Oh, how wrong they were.

Just a few steps inside the shop, they could sense it. It was faint, but there... That smell DJ had complained about a couple of days prior. It was certainly bothersome. They had to hold back a gag... But it was not because it was strong! It was because they knew, without a doubt, what could possibly be the cause for it.

As Sun, unaware, stepped ahead to help DJ at the back, YN stood still, tense, eyes darting back and forth. Where could it be hidden? The vents? No, the minis hadn't found a thing there. A box? DJ and Sun would've found it by now. Under the floorboards? Unlikely.

For now, it wasnt a matter of Who or How it was hidden in here. Where, was the question?

A fly that had been resting on the front desk took flight. YN, on high alert, followed it with their gaze. How it flew in circles, up ahead, then landed on Froppy who was walking to the side while carrying a box full of tools.

All three inquiries had the same answer, their gut screamed.

Their steps were quick and silent, eyes open wide, barely breathing, as they walked ahead and approached the robot from behind. A screwdriver fell from the box.

As Froppy bent down to retrieve it, she froze, noticing YN, the Tinkerer, looming nearby, daggers shot right at her from their eyes. She didnt say a thing... Just quickly put the tool back in the box and then started to turn and leave around the corner, changing her route.

Disgustingly clever, avoiding the ones that could smell. YN felt the bile raise on their throat with fury and rage... And charged.

The rattle of the tools falling to the floor. The stomp of Froppy's body being thrown down with a kick. A desperate puff of steam as the boot on her chest held her down.

"N-no... No no no, YN, Wait!-"

Froppy pleaded with broken cries, the desperation and fear glitching on her voice, while still keeping her mouth tight shut.

YN didnt care as her hands clawed at their legs, endured as she tried to keep their hands away, holding that screwdriver and forcefully jamming it between the seam that separated the faceplate from her lower jaw. They yelled, raw with that primal emotion that mixed fear, rage, disgust, and conviction.

"SPIT."

With a sickening and straining creak, the metal was bent out of its hinges.

The odor that came out was foul.

The sight was worse...

Maggots, squirming and writhing. Mangled pieces of rotting guts and flesh pooled inside the open compartment, mixed with marbles, cogs and bolts...

Even small pieces of broken glass, with tiny droplets of something other than blackened blood stuck to them. It made YN's soul drop...