Comeback Tour

Put-Put Trolls

Aurora hummed a small tune as she worked in the kitchen, making something for everyone to eat, John Dory leaned against a wall and watched the intimate image. It made him feel remorse, thinking back to how if he hadn't stormed away, he could've had this image for the past twenty years, but instead he ventured off alone, wasting time they could've and should've had together.

The radio was playing, the song was catchy, and Bruce was jamming to it with Tiny Diamond on his stomach as he drove, "Oh, my kids love them. We're a total Veneer household," Branch looked disturbed at his brother, John Dory looking over at Bruce from Aurora, "They're the ones who have Floyd," He disclosed, Bruce grimaced, "Oh, it's gonna be hard to separate the art from the artist,"

'That was Velvet and Veneer with their spicy hot new single, 'Watch Me Work,' the announcer on the radio spoke, "Catch them tomorrow night at the Rage Dome where they'll be receiving the Lifer Award,"

Bruce and Branch exchanged worried looks, Bruce leaning forward to turn off the radio as Branch walked back to where Poppy and John Dory were going through clues to find Clay.

"Oh, I'm sorry. The clue board?" Branch started, looking at his brother and girlfriend with a smirk, Aurora glancing over her shoulder to watch the interaction, "You mean my clue board?" He tried to be cocky, but neither were paying attention. "That I made?" He tried again, only to look at them upset, "We like the clue board now?" Aurora laughed, "Yes, we like the clue board now," He smiled at her, Poppy and John Dory talking about Clay's funderwear he had on in his pictures.

"Oh, those are his...funderdrawers," Branch realized, walking over to the glass case holding them and breaking it, a bunch of stinky ghosts escaping and into everyone's mouth. "Oh, that's disgusting," Aurora gagged, "I can taste Clay," John Dory didn't waste an opportunity, "You wanna taste someone else?" He whispered, her face burning up as she shoved him away, "Knock it off!"

"John Dory, I don't know why you save these. It's incredibly disgusting, but I'm glad you did," Branch held them up with a knowing smile, "What? They're memorabilia," John Dory defended himself, crossing his arms as he pouted a little about Aurora shoving him away, "But how are they gonna help us find Clay?"

Branch hung out the front window with the funderwear on a stick, dangling it in front of Rhondas face, Poppy holding Branch by his pants so he wouldn't fall, "Help us, Rhonda!" Branch urged, Rhonda getting excited as she picked up the scent. Poppy pulled Branch back inside, everyone crowding around the front of the caravan.

"Oh, hey, Tiny. You see that button," John Dory smiled, catching the baby's attention. "Uh, yeah?" Tiny stood in front of it, looking back at the adults with a grin, "That beautiful, shiny button?" John Dory teased, making Tiny Diamond more excited, "Oh you mean the button that's taking every fiber of my being not to press?" He curled up onto the button, looking up at the adults with big eyes, "Yeah I see it," he slid off. John Dory smirked, "Press it," he encouraged, Tiny Diamond wasted no time, jumping onto the button, "Oh, heck yeah!"

Rhonda's eyes glowed, and she took off, dashing into a Hustle Portal. Everything started to become almost psychedelic, the environment switching between different styles. Bright colors flowed, everyone experiencing an out of body moment.

When Rhonda finally came out of it, everyone flopped to the floor, "Wow. Too much Hustle is a thing," Poppy spoke, eyes wide as Aurora sat up groaning, "I haven't been on a trip like that since-" "Since we went to that Undertree Show," John Dory looked smug, Aurora looking somewhere else in embarrassment as she remembered what happened that night when they both got a little too crazy. 

~.~

They arrived in a dark, foggy part of a forest. An establishment that seemed to be abandoned loomed in the shadows, the moon barely casting a light due to the clouds. "Are we sure this is where Clay lives?" Branch thought, Tiny Diamond immediately rebuttled, "Are we in the right place? Our GPS is an armadillo bus sniffing used undies, so no, we're not sure," He sat in the baby carrier that was strapped to Bruce's body, who offered to take over watching him to give Aurora a break.