Veneer's Secret || Floyneer

8) Invention

Veneer pov

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, I was just busy with doing my designs while Floyd was just watching me and suggesting some things to add.

"Veneer!" I heard Velvet call me, her tone sounded pretty annoyed. Is she on her period or what?..."Yes?" I shouted loud enough for her to hear me, "Come here! And bring that troll with you!" I looked at Floyd and he nodded before I took the perfume bottle and put him inside. I brought him and my sketchbook with me and headed towards her room.

I took a deep breath before entering Velvet's room, hoping that it's not gonna be another of those unnecessary arguments. I opened the door and saw her sitting on her vanity's chair while Crimp was ironing some of Velvet's clothes. "Oh Veneer! My sweet little brother!" She said with a fake calming tone as she turned towards me. I just looked at her, waiting for her to say what she wants from me. "How are the designs for our outfits next week?" "Oh, I actually just finished them..." "I need to see them. Crimp is going give them to the tailor, right Crimp?" "Yes Miss Velvet!"

I set Floyd on her vanity and opened my sketchbook to show her my designs. I felt kinda nervous if she would like it or not. "Hm.. Not bad, though something is missing." She looked at me sternly. "Crimp! Where's the thing I asked you for the other day?!" "Oh! Uhm, space from mee??-" "Yeah, no."

I got kinda confused and it seemed like Crimp was too, "Ohh right! You said you needed a way to make your smoothies even fruitier onstage!" I gasped, "You did?!" "Shh yes, that's what I want, go on" "Well~ I had an idea!" She proudly showed us something that looked like, "Crimp, that's not an idea. Those are shoulder pads..." I looked at her, still kind of confused at her idea. I looked at Velvet and she seemed like it caught her interest. "I beg to differ, you see, it's actually a high powered vacuum! I finally put that master's degree in engineering to good use, hehe" she began to show us the demo, "see, you just pop the grape or strawberry or blueberry or guava slice right in here, and it releases the the fruit essence through here!" I suddenly came to realize why Velvet wanted these, she wanted to make Floyd's essence release faster. Oh Velvet, you sure do never get contented, do you. "Once you're onstage, lightly tap this button, just delicately, y'know, like once" she pressed the button and it started to extract the essence of the fruit, but then Velvet grabbed the shoulder pads and and put Floyd in it.

"Velvet oh my God- wait! Wait!!-" me and Crimp tried to stop her but it was too late, she put on the shoulder pads and harshly pressed the button quickly, sucking out a huge amount of Floyd's essence, vocalizing after doing so.

"You said that it was for smoothies..." "It's called lying Crimp. Deal with me." "If you use too much, you'll kill him! The plum I tested turned into a prune!!" "So what if he dies? There are thousands of them out there. Besides, his dumb brothers are coming here. There's nothing to worry about!" "Velvet! Is that really what you think of them?! Disposable things that can be replaced and thrown away?! Velvet they are people too!! Living beings!!" I spoke up, this was getting too much!

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes in response, "anyways," she faced Crimp, who was now looking guilty, I mean, I wouldn't blame her. "You're smarter than I thought. Now I don't trust you." "Th-that's maybe not a rational response, I-I don't-" Velvet picked her up and opened the closet, "please don't put me in the closet!-" she locked it before Crimp could say anything else.

She took off the shoulder pads and put Floyd back into the perfume bottle. "Now, come on!" She handed me the bottle and headed towards the door, "We're about to go from stars to megastars!" She exclaimed, I sighed as she left.

I looked at Floyd in my hands, and I couldn't believe what I saw. "O-oh my God...Floyd...y-your-" "I know..." His legs were starting to become see through like crystal and his used to be vibrant magenta hair was fading into white. "I'm okay Veneer, it's okay-" "No Floyd! You're dying! Dying is NOT okay!" I panicked, I need to get some help, but where? I don't think hospitals here in Mount Rageous know what to do for these situations, and if I do go to one of them, what am I supposed to tell them?!

Wait, I think I know where to ask help from. My parents. They surely know about a thing or two! Besides, they do have books about these and my dad is also half-troll.

"I'm going to help you Floyd...I can't leave you like this..." "Oh Veneer...what are you planning to do now..."