Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

An ancient legend has been told for decades to all Toons, old and young... the legend was about several villages separated from each other by dense forests where harmful creatures live.

These creatures and the Toons had a pact that the Toons could pass through the forest unharmed so they could trade and visit their families, if they were offered offerings such as animal meat, skins, fruits, vegetables, honey... even bones... not to mention that they had to kneel if they saw one of these creatures wandering through the forest.

There was a moment in this story when some Toons from a village wanted to break the deal, thinking they didn't deserve this kind of treatment... so they had a plan! Kill these creatures with the resources they had and burn the entire forest.

Obviously, it didn't go as planned...

The creatures became enraged and invaded every village, killing every Toon there, innocent or otherwise. These creatures soon became yet another plague for the surviving Toons.

Cosmo was a Toon who now walked alone, before he walked with a group of survivors he was born from, but they were found by one of those creatures, none died, but they all separated and this had been more than four weeks and Cosmo missed some company... he doesn't even know if they are alive…

In the meantime, Cosmo found a small cave, which not even a bear could fit in properly, and turned it into a temporary home, with only a fire, some utensils such as a knife, a flint and some skins to make a bed and clothes.

Last night, he was almost attacked by a large creature. Luckily, he wasn't found, but unfortunately, the small plot he'd planted was destroyed, leaving only the remains of eaten plants.

This was a sign he needed to leave and search elsewhere. He was picking up everything and putting it in a bag.

Cosmo hadn't even eaten yet and was hoping to find food.

With everything ready, he took the flint and water and threw it into last night's fire, so he could say goodbye to the place.

Cosmo walked as the sun was rising, and now the sun was in the center of the sky. He couldn't find any place good enough, and strangely, he didn't find any creatures.

He didn't know whether to be happy or worried… it was spring, and creatures became more aggressive and territorial this time of year, especially since spring had just begun… so yes… very strange.

Cosmo's stomach was growling loudly, and he felt faint. He stopped for a moment and looked around, hoping he could find a pond to fish in, or perhaps a bush or fruit tree.

But no matter how much he searched, he found nothing. He felt increasingly weak from the lack of food.

Searching a little more, he found food... but it was an offering…

Cosmo heard that after the pact was broken, some Toons gathered together and continued to make offerings in the hope that those creatures would forgive their ancestors. But the offerings often involved sacrifices or jars of blood, not to mention that they picked dried flowers and wore clothes made of skins and animal skulls.

Cosmo always avoided it when he saw a Toon dressed like that or if he saw any offerings like that, but his stomach begged him to check if there wasn't any food.

"Huh… if there's a sacrifice, I'll leave… I'm not so desperate for food that I'd commit cannibalism…"

Sighing, he dropped his sack on the ground and hid it in a bush with flowers still blooming.

Arriving at the offering, he groans when he sees a large leather cloth, furs, dried flowers... and of course... a corpse that looked freshly sacrificed and jars of blood, but... there were three baskets containing bread, honey, and milk.

Cosmo was torn between consuming the offering. It was for the creatures... and also, he might be cursed or…

"Pft... for being scared? It's not like we gave these offerings to the creatures and by some miracle they automatically forgave us... right...?"

Swallowing hard, Cosmo approaches the offering and looks around constantly. The strong smell of blood invades his nostrils and he closes his eyes, apologizing and trying not to step or get too close to the corpse and the jars of blood.

He opens his eyes when he smells new bread, Cosmo reluctantly looks at the baskets with food, when he was going to back away but his stomach growls and, without a choice, Cosmo takes one of the breads and takes a bite, his stomach was very happy to receive food after hours without eating.

He begins to eat the bread, soaking it in honey and drinking the jugs of milk… Cosmo feels his energy returning and is becoming completely satisfied.

A shiver runs down Cosmo's spine when a little far from where he was there was a weak but angry growl... he turns his head slowly to find the source of the sound, only finds the reddish gaze of one of the forest creatures, this specific one was not as big as the ones he had already witnessed, but even so this creature was still dangerous, its angry and hungry gaze was on Cosmo.

"H-hey... calm down... I... I..."

Cosmo drops the bitten bread and the jar of honey and starts to walk backward, only to be startled by the creature's shrill scream, causing him to trip over the sacrificed body and knock over the jars of blood. His clothes are slightly bloodied. He doesn't have time to be disgusted by this as the creature advances to attack Cosmo.

He looks around and throws one of the blood-filled vases at the creature's face, which screams even more furiously, the blood staining both of them.

Cosmo takes advantage of the distraction and quickly gets up to flee. Soon, he hears the creature scream and run after him.

His lungs burned from the exertion, and in desperation, he made a promise to himself that if he survived, he would never, ever, under any circumstances, invade an offering and eat food that wasn't even meant for him.

Distracted by his prayer, Cosmo didn't notice that a road was badly dilapidated, causing him to slip and fall down.

Cosmo groans in pain as he falls, feeling the branches and dirt scrape his skin and soil his clothes.

After a while, he stops and falls silent, trying to see if the creature is still following him. Luckily, it doesn't.

It seems the creature either noticed something was wrong or deduced that Cosmo died on the way down. It wouldn't risk descending and injuring itself just to kill a Toon.

Cosmo groans in pain, his entire body is bruised, and he thinks he's broken his leg.

A curse… or a lesson… not to eat what wasn't his…

Cosmo stood up, but soon fell because of his leg. He looked everywhere, trying to find something to get up, but found nothing. He decided to just sit on the floor and try to breathe again.

"Okay, Cosmo… you're fine… you just need to rest a little… and then you have to go back and get your things…”

Cosmo thought about it now… would it be a good idea to go back there?

He felt something strange next to him… it felt like a chain; picking it up and examining it, it looked like someone had cut it in desperation.

The chain chills Cosmo's blood, and not only that… he also notices that the place has some torches that are now unlit and are full of dried flowers and skulls decorated with colorful paint.

"May it not be a place of offering… may it not be a place of offering.”

Cosmo pleads for it, but his prayers seem to fall on deaf ears when he hears muffled breathing and rustling leaves. He looks up and sees a creature…

“SHIT!!!”

It wasn't the same creature he was running from… this one was much larger, with one black claw-like hand, most of its body black, and the rest a dark red. This creature also had sharp leaves on top of his head, back, and long tail.

the only visible thing that made Cosmo tremble was his single red eye looking at Cosmo.

Chapter Text

Cosmo stared into the creature's single red eye, which stood there, staring at the toon. Cosmo crawled backward until he felt his back hit the dirt wall.

The creature approached, holding his hands together, his tail wagging rapidly, and his eyes wide and bright.

"HEY! GET OUT OF HERE! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! I SWEAR!!!"

Cosmo groans as he feels the creature's hands grab his waist and lift him up. The creature studies Cosmo like a book and soon begins sniffing the cake's body.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS HE DOING!? HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A NOSE!!! I-I THINK…”

The creature muttered something Cosmo couldn't understand… as if it were talking to him… "I-I… I can't understand you…"

The larger one turned his head and raised his eyebrow, looking more confused than Cosmo was by what the toon was trying to say. The creature ignored him anyway and continued exploring the Toon's body.

Cosmo often tried to stop the creature from touching him too much, always trying to push its large hands away or giving it light pats.

He just hoped this wouldn't irritate the creature…

The creature's tail wagged quickly and it finally stopped exploring Cosmo's body. Luckily, it didn't need to take off the clothes the Toon was wearing. If that happened, Cosmo would rather die. He felt the creature's hands holding his body and placing it under his black chest, which was strangely mucous and warm.

Fear strikes as the creature begins to walk. Cosmo desperately tries to move and screams for help... But no one hears him, and the creature continues to walk, reaching a point where Cosmo tires of screaming and trying to free himself, feeling so tired and nervous that his eyes grow heavy and he falls asleep.

Waking up, Cosmo looked around, still asleep, seeing that he was still being carried by the creature and the sun was setting…

"Where is he taking me?"

Cosmo stretched and saw a sort of den ahead, with a wooden door covered in moss and some mushrooms sprouting.

There were some stakes around the den and some bones decorating the outside, making Cosmo shiver.

The creature lightly touches Cosmo's shoulder, thinking he was asleep. The creature's single red eye looks down to see that Cosmo is awake.

The larger one seems excited and nervous, saying a few more incomprehensible things to the Toon and pointing toward the burrow.

The creature sets Cosmo down, but the cake only falls because of his injured leg, causing the creature to let out a frightened squeak and pick Cosmo back up, saying a few more things before finally entering the burrow.

Entering the burrow, the creature lets out a frightened squeak and covers Cosmo's eyes as he speaks. Cosmo becomes even more confused and tries to understand what's happening.

He feels the creature (with one hand still blocking his vision) carrying him to another part of the den, finally releasing Cosmo and allowing him to see again.

Cosmo feels his body relax as he is placed in several soft animal skins resembling a nest. The creature stands in front of Cosmo, saying strange things and pointing at the ground.

"Oh... y-you want me to stay here?..."

The creature turns away again, not understanding what Toon was saying, and walks backward, motioning for Cosmo to stay where he was.

Curiosity struck Cosmo, he was sure that the creature was trying to calm Cosmo down so it could devour him later, he had already been taught that when the animal was slaughtered it had to remain calm so that the meat would be tender when eaten... and in fact... that was true…

Slowly, Cosmo crawled out of the nest, one of his legs weakened, to the leather curtain that served as a door and peeked out.

The creature seemed agitated, putting things away, using its tail to pull dirt from the floor under furniture, and going into another room to pick some sweet-smelling plants.

"Is he cleaning his den?"

Cosmo found this act amusing, not expecting a being made like this creature to do something a normal Toon would do. He noticed that the creature had spines on its back and tail, resembling rose thorns, only larger and sharper, and the creature's body was fit and well-built.

The creature suddenly stops and turns, its single red eye staring at Cosmo, who quickly closes the curtain and crawls to the nest where the creature left him.

The creature soon enters the room and observes Cosmo in the nest, wide-eyed and perched on the furs.

The creature's large hands grip Cosmo's waist, turning him around for a closer look. The creature speaks a few muffled words and touches Cosmo's broken leg, to which Toon groans in pain.

He felt guilty for doing so. The creature hadn’t yet realized Cosmo's leg was hurt, and he began to speak more gibberish, holding Cosmo to take him to another part of the burrow.

The Toon looks around the burrow, which resembles a regular little house, but different at the same time.

Cosmo's thoughts stopped when he gasped in surprise as he looked at the place he'd been taken to. It was like a cave with a waterfall and a lake, the water emitting a vibrant blue glow and looking pleasant.

He heard the creature's tail wagging, and Toon noticed the creature staring at him as it took in the sight.

Shaking its head, the creature sets Cosmo down and begins unbuttoning his shirt, causing Cosmo to flinch and blush. He slaps the creature's hand away.

"H-HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? I KNOW HOW TO TAKE OFF MY CLOTHES!!!"

The creature again doesn't react negatively to Cosmo and his behavior. He backs away from the Toon, but continues to observe.

"I can wash myself!"

Seeing that Cosmo wasn't taking off his clothes and was showing irritation and embarrassment at the situation, the creature moved a little further away, still keeping his eyes on Toon.

Cosmo huffs and crawls to a rock to take off his clothes, but he hears a low rustling of footsteps and leaves. Rolling his eyes, he looks over the rock, barely hiding his body, sees the creature approaching and startled when he meets Toon's gaze.

"Please?..."

With that, the creature finally gives up and leaves.

A sigh escapes Cosmo, unaware he was holding it in. Without wasting time, he continues to remove his clothes, leaving him completely naked.

The cold wind of the cave blew against his body, making him shiver, but it didn't stop him from observing his body covered in bruises and scratches from that "pleasant" descent before being kidnapped. Worst of all, he doesn't know what his fate will be when he finishes bathing... still thinking about the possibility of being devoured.

"Right... I better wash myself before my wounds get infected..."

He crawled to the edge of the lake, putting his hand in the water to see if it was cold. Surprisingly, the water was warm and pleasant. Cosmo happily waded in, becoming more relaxed as he cleaned himself.

He began to think of some plan to get out of there without the creature finding out and getting angry, but nothing came to mind.

A familiar growl seemed to approach, and instinctively Cosmo curled up and lowered his entire body into the water, leaving only his head exposed.

It was the creature again, far from the lake Cosmo was in. He was carrying an animal skin and a bowl with something inside, looking around and getting closer to the lake, seemingly searching for something.

‘Oh... it's me he's looking for…’

"Hey... I'm here…”

Cosmo raises his hands and waves them. The creature notices and moves toward him, causing Cosmo to shrink back and cover his body with his hands.

"HEY! I'M NAKED! DON'T COME HERE!!!"

The creature stops and looks at Cosmo, even though he doesn't understand anything the Toon is saying, he can tell the cake is uncomfortable with his presence.

He places the bowl with the skin on the ground, and the creature immediately begins to run its hands over its body, especially its armpits and neck, saying something about it before leaving.

Cosmo doesn't understand until a black stain appears around the bowl and skin, and a tentacle appears, stretching toward Cosmo, who jumps back in fright when he sees it.

The tentacle left the bowl and the skin on the shore of the lake, causing Cosmo to approach, when the tentacle disappeared, Cosmo analyzed what was in the bowl, the skin was probably for him to dry himself.

The bowl contained an opaque red paste that smelled very good. Cosmo remembered the creature had made some hand signs on its own body. Now he understood that the creature wanted Cosmo to smear it on his body.

"Wait... WHAT IF THIS IS TO GIVE MY FLESH A TASTE WHEN HE CONSUME IT!?”

Cosmo got even more nervous. It smelled great, but... it didn't seem like something good to eat with meat. To clear his doubts, Cosmo put two fingers on the paste, scooping a bit into his mouth.

The toon immediately choked and spit it all out onto the lakeshore.

"That tastes awful…”

Now Cosmo knows the paste wasn't meant to be applied to skin for eating... but, strangely, it was meant to be applied to skin to smell nice.

After wiping away some of the bad taste in his mouth, he looks at the animal skin and notices two skins. One he knows is for drying off himself... while the other looks like a tunic…

"Well... my clothes were torn and dirty... I just hope these clothes aren't for some strange ritual..."

Cosmo had finished washing himself, and he was soon drying himself and applying the paste to his body. When he finished, he put on the robe, which felt very comfortable on his body.

"Okay... now how am I going to get out of here without crawling..."

Crawling would definitely get his new clothes dirty. Looking around, he quickly remembered there was a creature.

Cosmo hoped he wouldn't devour him.

"Hu-... Hey!! Hey!!! Creature! I'm already finished showering! You can come!”

Cosmo didn't expect the creature to understand, but he didn't give up calling him. After a few seconds of calling the creature, he could hear heavy, hurried footsteps coming towards him, which at first scared the Toon, but he was soon relieved when he saw the creature in front of him and picking up Cosmo.

He looked worried, probably thinking Cosmo was in trouble because he was now searching Cosmo's entire body again.

"I'm fine, I just wanted you to pick me up-”

The creature stopped touching Cosmo when it saw his injured leg. He touched it lightly, earning a pained groan from Cosmo. Cosmo let out a low grunt. Now he understood why Cosmo had groaned in pain when he touched the Toon's body.

The creature looked worried. He had opened its mouth, and all the black mucus had separated, which startled Cosmo to discover that the creature had a mouth with sharp teeth, ready to devour.

But the creature licked Cosmo's cheek, leaving him shocked and unresponsive.

The Toon was taken to another part of the den, and the creature placed Cosmo back in the fur nest. It grabbed one of the furs around it and ripped it into a strip.

Cosmo was startled by the creature's strength, as it had grabbed one of the thickest, toughest furs he had ever seen.

Suddenly, the creature grabbed Cosmo's broken leg and spoke a few words, seeming to tremble as he spoke.

Cosmo was very frightened. Even though he didn't understand what the creature was saying, he could already imagine what it intended to do to his leg.

"Calm down! Calm down! C-could there be another way to-”

The creature didn't listen and twisted Cosmo's leg back into place. A scream of pain echoed in the den, and tears welled up on Cosmo's face as the creature quickly bandaged the Toon to comfort him.

The larger creature picked up the Toon and lay down in the fur nest, hugging him and saying something that sounded like an apology.

Cosmo soon calmed down from the pain, the leg was still throbbing, but he was in disbelief and confused when the creature lay down with him, he doesn't know what this creature wants with him, but apparently the creature isn't going to eat him, Cosmo would be more comfortable if the creature didn't start licking the back of his neck repeatedly and slowly, which was making Cosmo calm down and close his eyes, enjoying the warmth and comfort he was feeling, completely forgetting about the pain in his leg.

Chapter Text

Cosmo doesn't know how many times he woke up in the middle of the night, every time he closed his eyes the nightmare of one of the creatures dragging him across the floor to a dirty, dark hole always came to his mind.

The last time he had this same nightmare tonight, he felt a warm, moist flesh on his face. When he opened his eyes, he found the creature's black, slimy tongue licking him as usual.

"Why does this creature keep licking me?”

The creature also hugged Cosmo tightly, not to the point of hurting him, and its sharp tail was in front of the creature and the toon, as if protecting Cosmo from harm. On the other hand,

Cosmo was now even more confused by the creature's actions and struggled to think of something to escape this place while trying to go back to sleep.

Luckily, this time he managed to sleep. Even without a plan in mind, he woke to some low grunts and the mucous part of the creature's face rubbing against his cheek. Cosmo pulled away and looked into its single red eye.

"Hi... uh... good morning?"

The creature murmured a few times, and its hand rested on Cosmo's stomach, sending a small shiver through the Toon.

The creature began to gently tap Cosmo's belly. The toon thought for a moment and soon had some idea of what the creature meant.

"Uh... Yes... I'm... hungry..."

Cosmo remembered that the creature didn't understand either, so he patted his own belly and pointed to his own open mouth.

The creature nodded and stood up. Cosmo tried to follow, but was immediately stopped by the creature's black hand, which gently pushed the toon back onto the bed, said something, and pointed at the nest.

"Okay... okay…”

Cosmo nodded, making the creature leave the room. The toon could only hear the sound of jars and old cabinets opening. After what seemed like hours, the creature returned with an angry look, but soon smiled when it saw Cosmo.

That sent another shiver down his spine…

The creature was carrying a sack that Cosmo couldn't imagine what was inside. He felt the creature's hands grab his waist and place it on his shoulders, keeping his hands on the toon's thighs to keep him from falling, and began walking out of the burrow.

"Where are we going?"

‘Ah... he doesn't understand me…’

As he emerged from the burrow, the creature looked around, and slowly the two of them were heading somewhere Cosmo didn't know.

Cosmo had no idea what this creature was doing. He walked and stopped at a certain spot where there were some trees, paid for the sack he was carrying, and painted the tree's bark red.

‘Marking territory?’

Well... for a creature that lives all alone in the forest with others of its kind who probably don't enjoy each other's company, that would make some sense.

‘But... why the fuck don't you kill me? I'd be an invader…’

The creature suddenly stops. Cosmo looks ahead and sees an offering. The food was different from the last time he was there: sugar, some fruit, and flour... and strangely, there was no corpse... It was strange….

Any offering had to have a body, but this time there wasn't.

The creature happily approached the offering, took everything the bizarre group of Toons had given him, and continued walking to mark some trees.

After marking the trees, the creature began to look at Cosmo happily, covered his eyes with one hand, and began walking away.

"Where is he taking me?"

Cosmo doesn't understand why he was taken with him in the first place, probably to keep him from escaping, but if that were the case, they would have just locked the door or set a trap.

Because seeing him mark his territory, pick up offerings, and walk around was something the creature could do on its own, without needing anyone to see him do it.

The creature stopped walking again and let out a low growl. Cosmo was startled and slightly removed the creature's hand from his face to see a camp that had been attacked. He let out a startled gasp, causing the creature to quickly turn away so they couldn't see the camp's condition.

Cosmo didn't see much, but he could see that there was blood and everything had been destroyed. There were probably corpses, given the strong smell and the squawking of flies.

The creature places Cosmo on the ground, motioning for him to stay there again, and then motions for the toon not to turn his back.

Cosmo nods tremblingly, and he hears the creature's footsteps heading toward the attack site, rummaging through everything, the rustling of fabric, bodies, and objects being thrown about.

Soon Cosmo, feels the creature's hands holding his waist and placing it on his shoulder again, when their eyes meet, the creature kept showing Cosmo what he found, probably making Cosmo not pay attention to the camp.

They were kitchen utensils, Cosmo saw that the creature really liked this, as he showed off the pots, cutlery, knives and other things like a child showing off a new toy to adults.

This distracted Cosmo a bit from what had happened... A loud rumble sounded in Cosmo's belly, causing the creature to stop showing what he found, so that his attention was focused solely on Cosmo and the rumble in his belly, leaving the Toon embarrassed.

"It's just my stomach... don't worry, I've gone a few days without eating... so a few hours won't be a problem-”

The creature placed Cosmo on its chest and began to run, leaving Cosmo startled and hugging the creature's chest tightly to keep from falling.

‘Is this place so important for it to run like that!?’

After the creature raced Cosmo through the forest, the creature gently shook Cosmo's curled-up body. Cosmo slowly realized the creature had stopped and that they had arrived at the place it was trying to take him.

Cosmo looked to the side and saw a beautiful field of flowers. The sun wasn't even high yet, which gave the grass and flowers a vibrant glow. He could also see the silvery mountains just ahead.

The creature wagged its tail when it saw Cosmo's positive reaction. It placed Cosmo on the ground so he could better see the passage while it went to a tree to grab a thick, sturdy branch and handed it to Cosmo so he could move around.

Cosmo took the branch and began to walk a little.

"Thank you…”

Even though the creature didn't understand what Cosmo was saying, he understood that the Toon was grateful for the branch, grunting happily and turning away from Cosmo, leaving Cosmo and the landscape alone.

While Cosmo was surveying the landscape, the creature placed the bag on the ground and began sorting the objects he found along with the food he received as offerings.

This caught Cosmo's attention, and he merely glanced from afar. The creature gathered several twigs and straw into a small pile and grabbed some stones to wrap around it.

Rummaging through the sack, the creature found a flint and lit the pile of twigs and stones.

He was obviously building a fire, but Cosmo hadn't seen him take any meat from the offering; he was surprised when the creature took the food he'd been given.

‘Nah... he can't cook’

The creature quickly found a large, flat rock and placed it on top of the fire. Cosmo took back everything he'd said about the creature.

He was going to cook... Cosmo slowly approached the creature, his curiosity overcoming him to find out what the creature was going to cook. The toon realized he'd noticed the creature. Even though his attention was on the ingredients and containers, the creature's tail wouldn't stop wagging.

The creature grabbed a bowl and poured in flour and sugar.

‘He's making something sweet…’

Cosmo realized the creature needed water. He looked around and saw a lake not far from where they were. He grabbed a steel cup near the creature and limped toward it, only to feel a tentacle wrap around his body and pull him back toward the creature.

The toon looks at the creature in fright and confusion, who only responds by shaking his head.

"What's wrong? I was going to get water! Are you going to make this recipe without water?"

The creature looks at Cosmo and points to the red trees that end the markings a little closer to the river. Cosmo nods, now understanding what the creature means.

"That's where your territory ends... right…”

The creature rubs Cosmo's cheek and continues cooking. He takes a jug of water from the bag and pours it into the bowl with sugar and flour. Then, he takes a whisk and starts beating the batter. When the batter is ready, he drops a few pieces of the liquid batter onto the flat stone.

"Are you making pancakes?”

Cosmo's stomach is eager to try it, having not had pancakes in months; the smell already tells him they're going to be delicious.

While the pancakes are baking, the creature mashes the fruit he received as his offering and adds a little sugar to it, to eat alongside the pancakes.

After a while the pancakes were ready and were served first to Cosmo who was already devouring them quickly because of how hungry he was, completely forgetting his promise to never eat something from offerings again, well the ingredients were, but Cosmo received the pancakes that were made by the creature, so that doesn't count.

The creature watched happily as Cosmo ate the meal he prepared. Just as Cosmo was about to take another bite of the other pancake, he heard the creature grunt. He wiped his mouth and turned his attention to the creature.

"Hum... Is there a problem?"

The creature grunted again. Cosmo remained silent, and the creature touched its chest, causing the same grunt to repeat.

"S... Sprout?"

The creature nodded and patted its chest, repeating the word several times.

"Oh! Your name is Sprout? Is that it?"

Cosmo pointed to the creature and said its name, which was understood, and the creature pointed to its chest again.

"Right! Nice to meet you... Sprout!”

The creature approaches Cosmo and pokes the Toon's chest, this time remaining silent and turning its head as if asking something. he wants to know his name.

"Ah! My name is-"

Cosmo interrupts himself, thinking that if he says that, the creature will think that's his full name. He sighs and points to his chest.

"Cosmo!”

He repeats this and beats his chest. The creature pulls away and tries to grunt the toon's name. The first few times, nothing resembling the name comes out, but after a little effort, he manages.

"C-co...s...mo..."

"Yes! Cosmo!"

"Cos...mo..."

Cosmo nods happily. The creature understood and kept saying the toon's name while he ate a pancake and offered it to the other.

"Where did you learn to cook?"

The Toon pointed at the food and at Sprout, making the creature look proud and point at himself while puffing out his chest as if he were born learning to cook.

"Right... it's interest..."

He would doubt it, but since he has a little house and some mannerisms similar to the Toons, he thinks he learned from some other creature.

Cosmo and Sprout were now silently eating their pancakes.

The sun was high, and Cosmo had a full belly. Sprout was keeping all the utensils he used to prepare the food in a separate bag. And sometimes he glanced at Cosmo.

Sprout was very pleased that those who worship him had chosen Cosmo as his future mate. This mate is sweet, handsome, and sometimes a little shy, but the main problem is that it's very difficult to impress him…

What Sprout was forgetting…

Sprout showed that his den was very comfortable and beautiful (even though he tried to hide the mess).

But in the middle of the night, Cosmo was shaking and crying…

Sprout gave him a lotion with his scent so he wouldn't lose sight of Cosmo, and a new outfit. Sprout hoped they would bathe together like couples outside their territory.

But this offering wanted to bathe alone and hid in the water…

Sprout showed everything he had found in abandoned or attacked camps: spoons, pots, knives, spatulas, etc…

But thinking about it… it was something anyone like Cosmo would see every day…

Sprout showed that he has a large territory, perfect for his companion to roam and feel safe.

But since he showed no interest, only discomfort at seeing a camp attacked...

Sprout will have to go there again and find the intruder who did it, to prevent Cosmo from thinking the place is dangerous for him. But he gained a positive point today!

Thanks to Sprout's observations of the beings who worship him while they cook, helped him do something that would surprise his future mate.

At first, Sprout ate meat from sacrifices… but it didn't taste very good, and he didn't know what the jars of blood were for… probably so the meat wouldn't taste like iron when he ate it…

But something that caught his palate's attention was food like bread and sweets.

Besides the taste being a thousand times better, the interest in knowing more about where that food came from increased and he started to see hidden the toons who cooked... he could say that he was going somewhere in learning to cook…

Cosmo seemed to really like it, and of course, Sprout wasn't going to say he learned it from watching others; it didn't seem very appealing.

So the best idea was to demonstrate that the talent was natural.

This worked, and Sprout was wondering what next step he could take. Mating season would soon be here, and he intended to impress Cosmo enough that he'd agree to have children with him.

Sprout, now that he had put everything away, watched Cosmo looking at the grass and touching it. The creature noticed Cosmo's interest in the grass (even though it was minimal) and picked up one of the slightly clean pots to see its reflection.

As he'd imagined, the leaves on his head were quite dry and messy. Looking at his back and tail, the leaves had the same problems as the leaves on his head; they weren't as shiny and healthy as before.

He confesses that he'd been a bit neglected with his appearance during the past spring and winter. This must be one reason the offering didn't find him interesting…

Now, besides taking care of the invader in its territory, it would have to take care of its leaves, perhaps even finding some to replace the ones on its tail and back.

It would also have to find more food, since its burrow was empty and it didn't want its future companion to spend the rest of the day hungry. Sprout grunted at the very idea it had, catching Cosmo's attention.

"Hum… You're okay?"

The creature was embarrassed but quickly got up and went to Cosmo to carry him again.

He has to leave Cosmo in his den so he can stay safe while he makes his giant list of things. He just hopes Cosmo doesn't get bored…

Chapter Text

The warmth of the furs comforted Cosmo. Sprout had left Cosmo lying in the fur nest, making sure he was comfortable and warm so he wouldn't get scared and so his injured leg wouldn't hurt when moving. Once that was done, Sprout signaled for Cosmo not to leave the nest and go outside.

When Cosmo confirmed that he understood what the creature was asking, the creature walked to the exit and locked the door when he left, noises of broken branches and wood cuts were heard by Cosmo who limped with the improvised cane that Sprout gave him and went to the window to see what was happening.

Cosmo surreptitiously peeked into one of the den's windows and saw the creature placing sharp spikes around the den, tentacles emerging as Sprout walked.

‘Is he... doing something to keep me from leaving the den?... Does he know I'm going to run away!?’

The creature didn't notice Cosmo peeking; he simply checked to see if the den was secure enough before heading off into the forest.

Cosmo watched the creature move away until it disappeared from view.

‘Wonderful... now how do I get out of here…’

Cosmo didn't know when the creature would return, so he tried to search the entire lair for something, maybe a secret passage, an escape route... anything to get out... but to no avail. He only found some branches that could act as a distraction for the tentacles, but the stakes will be easy to get through.

Now all that's needed is luck…

Looking down, he saw the cane; it was sturdy and sharp… good enough to break down the door.

With that in mind, Cosmo tried to find something to eat on the way if he managed to escape. He simply found the pancakes and grabbed them along with a bag and a knife. Even though it was a small knife, it would be enough to try and defend himself.

The Toon sighed and limped to the locked door. He tried to steady himself, grabbing the branch he used as a cane and starting to swing it hard at the spot between the door and the doorframe.

It took a while to open it. Cosmo's hands were red, and some blood was seeping from the scratches the branch had made, but he finally managed to open it.

"Finally!-...oh, damn!”

Cosmo looked at the branch and saw that it was brittle and fragile, but either way, he'd have to make do with this branch if he wanted to escape so badly. He immediately grabbed the other branches and threw them at the tentacles to create a distraction.

Approaching slowly, he threw one of the branches at a tentacle. The tentacle he hit went toward the branch, trying to break it. Seeing that this worked, Cosmo threw more branches at the tentacles in sight and limped out of the den. But halfway there, Cosmo realized he was out of branches, and the distraction didn't even last a minute.

"Damn…”

Cosmo shrinks back, thinking that this will allow him to defend himself from the tentacles, but to his surprise, none of the tentacles attack him, leaving him confused until he remembers that the tentacles only attack invaders or threats that only Sprout considered… Cosmo was not a threat to Sprout.

Now he followed the path more calmly, limping and sometimes tripping over his own feet, but at least he was leaving that place... now he just needed to get out of Sprout's territory and hope that no other creature came to attack him.

Cosmo took a long walk, causing his cane to break and him having to move between the trees. He crossed the border that separated Sprout's territory from another creature. The sun wasn't setting yet, so he had to try to make a shelter in this new territory and go back to square one in the search for other living toons.

As he walked a long way into the new territory, he found a good place where it wouldn't rain or get cold winds in the future, but he didn't have the strength to make a fire and an improvised bed to spend the night. Shrugging, he put his bag on the ground and sat down, paying attention to any strange noise that wasn't from Toons.

Yesterday and today were the craziest days Cosmo has ever had, especially since he still doesn't know what that creature's intentions were beyond... sheltering and caring for him…

A strange feeling of guilt washes over Cosmo. How would Sprout react if he saw the den empty and a bit messy? Would he be worried or nervous about his disappearance? Cosmo shakes his head.

‘It probably wanted to devour me later or do something worse…’

He was trying to accept this idea, but memories of Sprout being docile with him flooded his mind, making him wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to return to the burrow and stay there, hoping Sprout wouldn't get upset about Cosmo's outing.

"No! Absolutely not! A Toon isn't meant to live in a dark hole with a creature that can do anything to-”

A low rustling of leaves reached Toon. He huddled closer to his shelter and tried to hear where the noise was coming from.

‘He didn't follow me here... right?... It would be impossible... unless his sense of smell is too keen…’

Footsteps grew louder, small and light, not large and heavy like Sprout's. So no, Sprout hadn't followed Cosmo, but... if it wasn't Sprout... who was it?

Cosmo thought it was probably a small creature or a baby creature. Cosmo had only heard of baby creatures in stories; he'd never seen one in person, but he didn't doubt they existed, as no one is born from nothing. Finally, the footsteps stopped.

"Hello? Anyone?”

The toon blinked a few times and recognized the voice, it sounded like one of the members of his group that was attacked and they separated, he took a peek and his intuition was right, the lampshade Toon was there calling and a great happiness filled his chest, making him leave the place where he was hiding and going towards the lampshade.

He was limping badly and fell a few times, but managed to reach her and hug her.

"Brightney!!"

"Cosmo!? You're alive!?"

The lampshade also hugs the roll cake and is startled when he notices his friend limping toward him earlier.

"What happened to your leg? Did you hurt it!?"

"Oh... I... was attacked by a creature and... you know... fell down the hill trying to escape..."

"Oh my! We have to fix this! Come on, I know a place to help you..."

"Seriously!? No kidding!"

Brightney put Cosmo's arm around his neck to help him walk.

"Yes! These months apart have led me to find a permanent Toon camp! They've helped me a lot, and I'm trying to find other survivors.”

"Are the others with you? I missed them so much!"

Brightney was silent as she walked with Cosmo, looking down and staring into space.

"I hope they're okay..."

Cosmo nodded sadly and followed in her friend's footsteps. Brightney suddenly wrinkled her nose and sniffed her friend, causing Cosmo to back away a little.

"What's that strange smell?"

Cosmo froze for a moment, remembering the dull red paste Sprout had given him to rub on his body. He hadn't even noticed the scent still on him... but he wasn't going to tell Brightney that he'd been captured by a creature and cared for for a day and a half.

"Smell? What smell? It's my normal smell..."

Brightney raises her eyebrow and opens her mouth to speak, but she just shakes her head and continues with Cosmo without asking anything else.

Night falls, Sprout's arms are filled with a variety of fruits and vegetables, he doesn't know if Cosmo eats animal meat or has a preference for fruits or vegetables... maybe he could try asking questions to try to get to know Cosmo a little better and have some kind of understanding communication between them.

There's no point in them being together and not sharing a single idea or thought without being able to understand what the other was saying.

The Toons who worship Sprout understand what he says... but Sprout has never been curious enough to learn their language…

This makes him wonder why Cosmo doesn't understand what he's saying. Cosmo was given as an offering by this group... so why is that Toon confused by what Sprout is saying?

'Probably shyness... or maybe he's not fluent in the language...'

Sprout remembers that living offerings had their feet chained to prevent them from running away and angering the entire forest... but Cosmo wasn't chained... the chain had been cut, and he looked injured…

‘Could it be... that he tried to run away and the group beat him up and... a-and broke his leg so he couldn't escape!?’

Sprout felt a pain in his chest, a mixture of resentment and pity. When he makes something decent for Cosmo to eat, he'll 'talk' to that damn group of Toons. He always knew all those Toons were good for nothing!

Well... except for Cosmo and a few Toons he saw hidden... making food for others, playing, hugging, talking happily and helping others... it's a shame they were a minority…

Finally he is almost home, he is still worried about Cosmo's hunger and the disappearance of the intruder, that Sprout could not find any clue where they should be.

But the good news is that he finally gave his leaves a proper treatment, pruning, moisturizing, and applying tree sap to them to give them a shine.

Not to mention a few extra leaves he found along the way, which were large and shiny enough to catch everyone's attention.

With this and the food he collected, Cosmo will earn him several points, not to mention the admiration he'll earn from Cosmo! Sprout hopes Cosmo likes the treatment his leaves have received.

Sprout arrives home, stopping and widening his eyes as he sees some branches scattered on the ground and tentacles flailing about. He sees that the door is broken, which makes him even more nervous and worried.

Sprout runs to the door and opens it. He lets out a startled gasp when he sees the den looking a bit messy. He starts calling Cosmo's name over and over and looks everywhere in the den, trying to find any sign of Cosmo, but the den is empty.

Several thoughts flash through his head, the main one being that the intruder who entered his territory killed or captured Cosmo.

Sprout's breathing becomes frantic at the thought, but he looks around the den more calmly and notices no strange smells or marks like scratches or large footprints… it's just a little messy and smells like Cosmo-

"His smell!”

Sprout thought if he caught Cosmo's scent he might be able to find him. This Toon probably left because Sprout took too long to return... when he finds that Swiss roll, he'll give a friendly lesson about not trying to leave the burrow and that regardless of the situation, Sprout will be fine.

He sniffs the entire burrow, trying to find the spot where Cosmo had been to where he had just left the burrow. The scent was faint, but not impossible to find the path Cosmo had taken.

Cosmo and Brightney arrive at the camp she had mentioned, it was very large and protected, there were several Toons awake, preparing food and protecting the camp, soon they all see Brightney bring a new Toon to the camp, they all went to the entrance of the camp to question her.

Questions like "Where did he come from?", "Who is he?", "Where did you find him?", "Why is he limping?", and other similar questions were hurled at the camp's Toons, leaving Cosmo speechless.

Brightney cleared his throat before speaking, causing the Toons to stop talking and focus on the lampshade and the roll cake.

"Everyone! I know you have a lot of questions... but I promise that tomorrow I will answer all your questions. The new Toon is tired from the journey we had to make with his current situation... so since it's night... let's go to sleep and tomorrow we will resolve everything about this new guest.”

All Toons was paying attention to Brightney. Cosmo was very impressed and proud that his friend had gained the trust of all those Toons, especially considering the creatures were a threat to the Toons and there were strange groups that sacrificed Toons.

it was hard to trust anyone…

The Toons agreed and soon returned to their nightly chores. Some even greeted Cosmo and welcomed him, making him feel more comfortable.

"Well, Cosmo, tomorrow you can explore the camp more and go to the infirmary to get your leg better! But right now you have to sleep."

"I agree, I'm just thinking about wrapping myself in the blankets and never waking up."

"Hehe... don't say that kind of thing, because it could really happen..."

"Yes, yes, I know, hehe... oh! Where am I going to sleep, anyway?"

Brightney waved to Cosmo and led him deeper into the camp. He saw small, hand-built wooden houses, campfires, lampions, cauldrons with food being prepared, children playing, and elderly people gossiping. This environment was quite pleasant for Cosmo.

His thoughts are interrupted when Brightney opens the door to a small house. The two toons enter. When Brightney lights the lampion, Cosmo sees that the house is much smaller than it appears from the outside, but it has everything you need: a bed, a chest, a bookshelf, and a desk with papers and inks.

"I hope you feel comfortable here!"

"Thank you very much, Brightney!”

Brightney nods and closes the door. Cosmo looks around and sits up in bed. He looks at his injured hands. The blood had dried, but they were a little swollen and red.

‘I have to go to the nurse's office as soon as possible tomorrow to avoid further infection…’

He rests his injured hands and looks at the trunk. He approached it, still sitting on the bed, hoping there might be something to cover his wounds. But he only sees a few clothes there. They weren't his size and somehow looked familiar. Due to the dim light from the lampion, Cosmo couldn't see them clearly.

"It could be a spare set of clothes or something….”

Cosmo closes the trunk and yawns, he was too tired to think about this or his injuries, he lay down on the bed and got ready to sleep and when he did, he closed his eyes, sleeping peacefully.

Chapter Text

It was still night, Cosmo tried to sleep, but thoughts of Sprout sometimes invaded his mind, to the point where he gave up trying to sleep and just stared at the ceiling of the dimly lit room. Even doing so didn't ease his anxiety about the creature...

He looked down at his injured hands, which were worse than before.

‘I guess... I don't have to wait for a doctor tomorrow... I wonder if there's any medicine here?’

Cosmo got up and lit the lampion. This time, the fire inside illuminated the entire room, giving Cosmo a good view of what the room looked like. He was trying to search everything he could see, even finding a much better and sturdier cane.

‘If there's a cane here, that means there must be some medicine’

But something bothered him as he took a closer look at the cane. It looked very similar to the cane used by one of the older Toons who accompanied Cosmo's group.

It could be a coincidence, as there are several canes with this model...but it still bothered Cosmo that this cane had the same scratches and dirt that the old Toon's cane had.

Cosmo looked towards the trunk where he had found some familiar clothes, but he hadn't thought much about it because he was tired and the lamplight was too weak to analyze it better.

Arriving at the chest and opening it, he took a better look at the clothes that were there, his discomfort increased even more… he recognized all the clothes that were there… they belonged to his friends and acquaintances from his group.

Cosmo could have been happy that they were here, but only two things made him feel uneasy.

The Toon using the cane was an elderly gentleman… he wasn't going to leave it just anywhere… another thing was that Brightney had said something that made it clear that his friends weren't here…

'Does Brightney know about this?’

Cosmo had several questions and began rummaging through the chest to try to find something other than his friends' clothes, until he found a strange book...

It was a dark red, hardcover, and quite thick. Luckily, it wasn't too heavy. It had several strange drawings that made him uncomfortable. He held it tightly and sat on the floor to open and read the book.

Whoever had written this seemed quite fascinated by the creatures... it talked about how it all started up until the disagreement between the creatures and the toons, this writer used the word "Twisted" instead of creature, this made Cosmo wonder if Sprout would be offended if he called him one of these words (if Sprout understood him).

Cosmo shook his head and continued reading. It said that the Toons were in the wrong in this story and that they had to pay for what they had done in the past to protect their own descendants. He knew these words very well... he had no doubt that this writer was the creator or had participated in some way in the cult of those Toons who kill each other to give their own flesh to the creatures.

He flipped through the pages. There were several important notes about the creatures, even information about their types. He could identify Sprout's class, which the book indicated he was important and quite dangerous! Which didn't make much sense.

Sprout wasn't aggressive toward Cosmo at all, just a little overprotective of him…

Cosmo continued reading, even finding a sort of dictionary so he could understand what the creatures were saying so the sect's toons could understand and communicate with them.

"Cosmo?...”

Cosmo quickly puts down the book and is startled to see Brightney in front of the door. He doesn't know if he can trust her or not... Part of him tells him she's his friend and that she might have no idea what she's getting herself into, but the other part tells him the opposite.

"Cosmo... where did you find that book?"

"Uh-huh... in the chest... is it supposed to be there?”

Brightney shakes her head and notices that there are some clothes scattered around that had to be in the chest; they were clothes she knew very well…

“The chest had to be locked…”

Cosmo swallows hard. Brightney notices his nervousness and sighs.

“Cosmo… our old group… had some… wrong ‘ideas’ about some things… but living here has opened my eyes, and I’d like to open yours too…”

Those words revealed everything he suspected.

"No thanks... I think I've seen enough..."

The room fell into an awkward silence. Cosmo's only thought was to get out of there alive and try to use some silly excuse to get Brightney to let him go, since it was now obvious he couldn't trust her anymore.

"Did you know... that we sacrifice those who abandon the group?...”

Cosmo's soul was frozen and he trembled. Brightney not only knew what he was getting into, but he also knew about the sacrifices and participated… It reminded him of his family's clothes and belongings.

‘No… no… no, no, no, no… she wouldn't do that… we all grew up together and formed bonds! She wouldn't have the capacity to do that!’

Cosmo held back his tears and tried not to shake too much.

"Brightney... where's our group..."

Brightney looked at her friend, then at the familiar cane he'd found. She was silent for a minute.

"They were here-"

She didn't need to continue. Cosmo didn't even know why she asked. The answer was clear to him. He was filled with a mix of negative emotions... sadness, anger, and disgust flooded through him.

Cosmo tried to walk through the door to get away from that place and away from his old friend. He had no plans for where he could go, nor did he have anyone to stay by his side now that everyone was gone. Brightney put her arm in the doorway, stopping him from leaving.

"Why don't you stay?... You don't have to be afraid-"

"I NEVER ASKED TO COME INTO THIS SHIT!"

"But I invited you, and you accepted when I found you…”

"BUT YOU DIDN'T MENTION THAT THIS GROUP IS A BUNCH OF PSYCHOPATHS!"

"Don't call us that, we're just surviving... The Twisteds would be really upset if anyone stood against them..."

"Brightney... I really can't believe you're saying that! They hate us, and there's no point in making three, five, or ten sacrifices a day and giving them food!!! They'll hurt and kill us; they see us as food or a threat!”

Cosmo cut himself off, his words hitting him hard as he remembered Sprout. Cosmo had been taught from a young age to run and pray that no creature would find him alive, and the book he'd found had warned that Sprout's class was dangerous.

His mind was starting to fill him with more doubts about Sprout and the creatures.

Brightney looked Cosmo up and down and moved a little closer to the roll cake, making him back away.

"But you were actually part of it or had contact with some members before coming here... so why are you acting like this?"

Cosmo was confused. He'd always wandered alone; the only group he'd ever been part of was the one that split up after being attacked by a creature.

Brightney noticed his friend's confusion.

"You smelled strange, and also, strangely, no Twisted attacked you along the way..."

"That's called luck! I've never sacrificed anyone out of fear!"

"Absolutely not, but then you showed up in strange clothes... and that reminded me of a really... funny story..."

Cosmo was about to push Brightney away and try to run with his cane, but those words caught his attention.

"There was a dangerous-class Twisted who came here a week or two ago saying he wanted a live sacrifice instead of a dead one."

This sounded familiar to Cosmo, but he believed it was just a coincidence.

"We didn't want to question him, since there was a time when he stopped eating the sacrifices we gave him... oh! And he also made some 'demands'... we understood he wanted a mate! Can you imagine? A Twisted being in a relationship with a Toon?"

Cosmo felt butterflies in his stomach. He tried not to think too much about Sprout and this subject.

"Anyway, we decided to give him a Toon that met the requirements of that Twisted... the problem is that the Toon we chose wasn't at all interested in having a romantic life with a Twisted... I don't know what her problem was! If it were me, I would feel safe! Especially since he's a dangerous class."

Cosmo stopped feeling the strange sensation in his stomach. It wasn't Sprout, because if that were the case, he would have had a Toon in his den when he took Cosmo there. But it still doesn't make sense... why didn't Sprout kill him?

"Our group had the idea of chaining her up when the offering was ready without her knowing... it was such a pain leaving her there! We left food and water for her because we didn't know when he would come to the offering... but the next day... three patrolling Toons saw her with the chain cut... we didn't know how she did it..."

‘OH... FUCK…’

Cosmo remembered that when he was being chased by a creature and fell into Sprout's offering, he had seen a broken chain! Sprout showed excitement when he saw him and began to show everything, that he has a large territory, that his house, even though it is a den, had everything, that he knows how to make food for Cosmo, that he knows how to take care of Cosmo's wounds and other things that Cosmo could not even have given importance to.

"The whole group was in despair. We kept thinking that Twisted would attack the camp and kill us all when he saw the empty offering... We thought about sacrificing that toon when he showed up... but strangely, he didn't come... but today I find you dressed differently and smelling like that Twisted."

‘OH MY GOD! IT'S SPROUT!’

Cosmo pulls back slightly, this reaction revealing to Brightney that Cosmo was in a situation he didn't even know he was in.

"I really didn't want anything bad to happen to you, Cosmo…"

Brightney puts her hand on Cosmo's shoulder to pull him toward her. He thought it could be one of two things: either she would hug him or stab him with some knife hidden behind her back. But she pulls away, forcing Cosmo's face and body to meet the ground.

Luckily, the ground was soft grass, which softened his fall and saved him from injury. However, it caught the attention of the other toons who were awake and patrolling the camp.

They immediately grabbed Cosmo when they saw Brightney's expression. Cosmo squirmed, trying to free himself from the toons' grip.

"Cosmo, you're my friend and I hate doing this... understand that it's not just for my safety, but also for the safety of the Toons here... you angered a dangerous Twisted... he probably thinks you're a member of this place and will kill everyone when he finds out you've escaped."

"And the best idea is to sacrifice me!? We've known each other since we were little, and you'd rather throw that away for a group of sickos and-”

Something seemed to be coming toward them, making Brightney and the other toons alert. Cosmo recognized its movement and became tense and afraid... it was a creature-or Twisted, as they called it… everyone knew that... but, unfortunately or fortunately for Cosmo, it wasn't a Sprout, angry because Cosmo had disappeared from his burrow and left a mess. He recognized this creature somewhat... it was tall, had two antennae, was dominated by green on its body, and had red digital eyes.

The same one that attacked Cosmo when he ate the offering…

'HOW LONG HAS SHE FOLLOWED ME!?'

Cosmo trembled and tried to run away, but the other toons pushed him toward the creature. He stared into the red eyes of the approaching creature, growing more nervous when the toons (even Brightney) spoke strange, incomprehensible words, but the creature responded.

He tried to pull away, but the creature placed one of its hands on Cosmo's chest with all its strength. He groaned in pain from the pressure the creature was exerting on his chest.

The roll cake desperately wanted to call for help from Brightney. He knew he was going to die at this moment, and he wanted to make his last attempt to make Brightney realize that this group was sick and maniacal.

The creature looked deep into Cosmo's eyes and tightened its grip on his chest, causing tears to well up in his eyes. She spoke incomprehensible things to Cosmo.

So… the pressure on Cosmo's chest disappeared.

Without a second thought, he stood up, coughing violently, hugging himself and caressing his chest in a failed attempt to ease the pain. He realized the creature was no longer in front of him; she had simply vanished!

He looks around and sees dust rising from the ground, grass spurting everywhere along with blood and a viscous black liquid.

Cosmo and the other toons watched the fight until the dust settled and they could see Sprout scratching and biting the green creature. Luckily, the creature had no mouth, much less claws to hurt Sprout. It was possible to see it releasing some electrical charges at Sprout, as its leaves looked slightly burned at the edges and its body sometimes trembled.

Finally, Sprout throws the green creature to the other side, it looked totally hurt like Sprout, they started to grunt and scream violently at each other, it was a few minutes of 'talking' for the green creature to leave and give Cosmo a deadly look, making him shrink.

Cosmo watches the creature disappear from the camp, he still shaking and whimpering a little with an uncomfortable pain in his chest. Cosmo feels someone's presence behind him, turns around, and is knocked to the ground again.

Cosmo opens his eyes and sees Sprout on top of him, cornering him for any escape route. Cosmo watches Sprout's single red eye stare at him as he breathes heavily. The little guy feels more fear than the pain in his body... he knows Sprout is most likely not happy about him escaping the den.

"S-sprout... I'm sorry-”

Sprout's head turns to the side and one of his hands gently holds Cosmo's. He sees they are swollen and red. He then brings his mouth to Cosmo's hands, staring at them for a minute, and begins to lick them.

‘H-he's... not mad... right?’

Cosmo feels Sprout's tongue not only touching his palms but seemingly exploring them all to ensure there's no injury.

He eases a little...

Sprout's tongue pauses for a moment, lingering on Cosmo's palm before returning to Sprout's mouth. He looks back and growls aggressively at the Toons who were watching them.

Cosmo freezes, he wants to stop Sprout from doing something stupid... but he's also still hurt and angry at Brightney and those Toons who sacrificed his friends and would do the same to him.

Sprout got up and started walking angrily towards those Toons, Brightney spoke tremblingly to Sprout things that Cosmo didn't understand, but just like the other creature, Sprout seemed to understand but wasn't willing to listen to Brightney's excuses or the other Toons.

He lets out a shrill scream and attacks the toons. Cosmo curls up in a fetal position and squeezes his eyes shut.

Brightney tries to calm Sprout, who seems even more irritated. After a while, with screams of rage and despair, Sprout stops attacking, and Brightney finally manages to say something to calm Sprout down a bit.

Cosmo takes a peek, they are still talking and he sees that some Toons are seriously injured, some he may think are dead, Sprout gives a scream interrupting Brightney who immediately whispers in the ear of one of the surviving Toons and he suddenly disappears.

Cosmo looks on the floor and sees the book he was reading and hides it in his clothes, even though it contains absurd things! It has information that could help him deal with Sprout.

The surviving Toon returns with a sack, which Sprout angrily snatched from his hands, letting out a menacing growl at Brightney and the surviving Toons.

He returns to Cosmo and carries him in his arms as he walks into the forest and away from that bizarre group of Toons.

Chapter Text

It was a cool, dark night, Sprout walked silently through the forest and took a deep breath when he could see the red marking on the trees, meaning he had arrived in his territory.

He carried Cosmo in his arms while the toon held a book and in one of Sprout's hands, he held the piece of clean branch that helped Cosmo walk, since the branch he gave to Cosmo was no longer with him, Sprout noticed that Cosmo had his face pressed against his chest and was breathing calmly.

He can't tell if Cosmo was asleep or pretending to be asleep, but he won't judge if he was pretending... tonight was a shock for this toon and a mountain of twists and turns for Sprout.

The Twisted he had fought before he recognized, they were not friends, but they were not enemies either... normally, they had to fight for territory or kill each other like the other Twisteds did, but when they met for the first time, they both noticed that they went through the same difficulties and decided to have a kind of silent truce, until each one had their territory and their own den away from the other's den and territory.

It was no surprise that Sprout's territory shared this green Twisted's territory.

Sprout was furious when he tried to find Cosmo by his scent and found his scent mixed with the Twisted's… which also smelled like the invader. He didn't know why she had invaded his territory after years of no fighting.

Anyway, when Sprout found her almost killing his future mate, it was obvious he wasn't going to just watch her hurt Cosmo and went straight for her.

After the fight, he had the option to kill her, but that wasn't his intention; it was just to warn her not to hurt his mate.

This Twisted felt sickened when Sprout warned her to stay away from his mate.

It was stupid; Sprout knew it, and he knew that the Twisted would judge him deeply. But it was something he didn't care about (especially since they weren't friends).

However…

Her words caught his attention… she'd said that Cosmo had invaded her territory and eaten her offering. Sprout was sure she was lying or mistaken.

Unless Cosmo only ate the food and not the sacrifice… but… either way, Cosmo was part of a group that idolized Sprout and the other Twisteds…

he would know that wasn't allowed and would anger them… Right?...

Sprout swore that was it, a mistake, but when the green Twisted left and after the rage attack that Sprout had with those Toons who were letting Cosmo get hurt, one of them had the courage to approach Sprout and say that Cosmo was not part of the group and that he was an intruder.

Sprout didn't believe him at first, but then he connected the dots and realized it wasn't just the green Twisted who said that... It was a member of this group...

Sprout's world fell apart...

It was okay for him if Cosmo wasn't part of the group... like it or not, it would make sense. Cosmo didn't understand what he was talking about. He was afraid of everything, he didn't see his attempts to be a little romantic, and so on.

Mainly, the mess in Sprout's den wasn't because Cosmo was captured, Cosmo just wanted to escape the den… that explained the fear he displayed when he saw Sprout

and…

Cosmo's injured hands….

But… Sprout confesses that she had loved the idea of Cosmo being her companion.

The red Twisted sighed, a little sad and thoughtful. He wasn't going to leave Cosmo with them, since they blamed Cosmo for everything and advised that Sprout should kill him out of disrespect. If Sprout didn't kill or do something to Cosmo, it was obvious that this group would do something bad to Cosmo...

Sprout had an idea!

Taking advantage of the fact that they still liked him, Sprout decided to send someone to get some medicines for him and Cosmo, so he could apply it to Cosmo's hands and the bruises that the green Twisted had left on Sprout.

After Sprout received the medicines, he picked up Cosmo and went into the forest to get him away from them.

Cutting off his own thoughts, Sprout realized they were finally home, and now Sprout didn't know what to do next. Cosmo had no idea what he'd gotten himself into, and he didn't even want to live with Sprout (that much was obvious).

Sprout couldn't leave him outside because not only did those who idolize Sprout dislike Cosmo, but Cosmo would have to survive with the Twisted, who would likely devour him, not to mention Cosmo's injured leg.

In other words, Cosmo was dead without Sprout.

He shakes his head and enters the den. Upon entering, he notices the mess Cosmo made and sighs. He goes to the nest and places Cosmo there.

He simply places the clean piece of twig beside it so that when he wants to get up, he won't have to crawl around the den. This time, Sprout won't sleep with him, since he's now certain Cosmo was bothered by him the first night they slept together.

Sprout sits on the side of the nest and opens the bag containing the medicine. He takes only the anti-infection medication and some bandages. Gently, he takes Cosmo's hands without waking him (even though he suspects Cosmo is faking it) so he can apply the medicine and bandage his hands.

He wouldn't let Cosmo have sore hands all night. Also, if he leaves his hands like that, the infection could worsen the next day.

Luckily, Sprout managed to apply the medicine to Cosmo's hands and bandage them while he was sleeping. He wanted to give a kiss or a lick to the bandages he made, but it could be something that Cosmo didn't like when he did it to him.

So Sprout left Cosmo's hands under the furs and left the place to stand in the other room of the den and began to dig the dirt on the ground to make it soft so he could sleep there while Cosmo stayed in the den with him.

As he lay down, he couldn't relax. He was at a loss as he remembered that he still didn't know what to do with Cosmo, since he wouldn't live with him and Sprout couldn't leave Cosmo alone in the forest.

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.

‘If Cosmo isn't part of a group that idolizes me... there might be others like Cosmo, he wouldn't be wandering alone in the forest! He might have a group’

The only problem Sprout found in this plan was finding the group that was hanging out with Cosmo.

‘If Cosmo could get so close to my territory, anyone who didn't know could get there too…’

He just had to watch out for anyone unwary crossing his territory. It can be tricky waiting for someone to come with mating season approaching, as Twisteds become more irritable and possessive, killing and fighting with any living thing.

This worried Sprout greatly. If Cosmo didn't find a group and stay with him, Sprout would either kill Cosmo or fuck him. He wasn't sure if the latter would happen, as he'd never gotten horny when he saw a Toon in his territory during that time.

Sprout hoped this wouldn't happen because he didn't want to scare Cosmo and traumatize him further.

‘If anything, I'd just come out of the den and stay outside for a while until the heat subsides. I just hope it rains... Or gets cold…’

Sprout managed to calm down with these plans. He yawns and stretches, curling up on the soft earth and closing his eyes to sleep. Tomorrow he'll have a lot of tasks to do besides marking territory and getting food, so he needs a good night's rest to wake up early.

Cosmo noticed the silence and darkness of the den, he pretended to be asleep after Sprout was carrying him, because really, he didn't want to try to talk to Sprout about this day, not that he thinks Sprout would be angry and hurt him, since he didn't show any irritation when he found him at Brightney's camp.

It was because he was still trying to come to terms with the fact that a friend of his had killed his friends to please the creatures and to save herself… he wondered if anyone had managed to escape or if they had never been found by this group.

But if they were all dead, he didn't want to be wandering the forest alone again.

And now he doesn't know what will happen tomorrow, if Sprout will want to try to talk to him about that night or if he'll abandon Cosmo and leave him in the forest.

Honestly, he doesn't know which scenario is worse, but thinking about the first option... he remembers there's a book about creatures that might help him understand Sprout better and see if the story about Sprout wanting a Toon companion and thinking Cosmo would be it is true…

He sits on the nest and picks up the book he never put down the entire walk back to Sprout's den.

Cosmo starts flipping through it; he now knows Sprout is asleep and that no one will be there to interrupt his reading.

He skips the sections he's read and goes to the part of the book that talks more about the Twisted (without any idolization involved). Cosmo has already read about Sprout's class, and from what Sprout has shown… he's selective about who he threatens and is aggressive toward, even though he's in a dangerous class.

Flipping through a few more pages about other classes Cosmo wasn't interested in learning about, he finally found something about the creatures' lives.

From what he'd read, they're selective in choosing mates and have a mating season where they try to be the most attractive to other Twisteds.

From what was written, they try to maintain a more groomed appearance, always exaggerating height and shiny skin or fur.

This is a method they rarely use, and there are two easier ways for Twisteds to gain a mate.

The first is to have a good territory to attract the attention of another Twisted and start fighting. If the territory owner wins, they can choose between killing the opponent or making them their mate. Cosmo frowned in disgust as he read this.

‘Oh... that... ew... well... the second option might be a little better!’

And of course... it wasn't…

The second way is to invade the territory and fight with the owner of that territory to gain the territory, and the owner of the territory becomes the invader's mate.

‘It's the same as the first option... only in reverse!’

Cosmo thinks about Sprout. He had fought with another creature... if that were the case... Sprout would be interested in her. It didn't make sense, since that place wasn't either of their territories, and Sprout didn't kill her or mate her!

‘This is going to be more complicated than I expected…’

He turned to the next page, which warmed Cosmo's heart; it was a page focused on the children the creatures could have.

'Aw... finally something peaceful!'

And again, a bucket of cold water was thrown at Cosmo when he read about... Basically, they can have five to fourteen babies in the first pregnancy, and after one of the mates is pregnant, it is abandoned and left in the territory it had lost or stepped on…

The worst part is that of all the babies Twisted can have, only three or one survive…

This made Cosmo's stomach churn. If it was true that Sprout wanted him as a mate… he would probably leave him when he was pregnant, and besides carrying more babies than a normal Toon could carry, he would watch them die one by one.

And to top it all off, there's only a few Twisted babies likely to survive when a Twisted gives birth... imagine him being a regular Toon, everyone and him will die!

Cosmo closed the book and hid under some furs that covered the nest. He curled up, trying to process what he'd just read.

‘Sprout wouldn't do that... would he?...’

Sprout hadn't displayed any behavior that indicated this; yes, he most likely wanted someone, even though there was nothing written that a Twisted could have feelings for a Toon.

This book seemed to have left Cosmo even more confused and paranoid than before. But then, he looked at his own hands, bandaged by Sprout.

Even pretending to be asleep, he felt every care Sprout took not to wake him or touch any sensitive spot on his palm. Cosmo's heart warmed a little more, thinking that maybe the book was wrong (since they see the creatures as gods) or that it was probably quite dated, since the book looked old.

‘Some things can change... right?’

Cosmo felt a little relieved and picked up the book again, flipping through the pages that resembled a dictionary for the creatures' language.

Cosmo's plan was to "try" to learn the language all night and apply it tomorrow with Sprout. He was determined to learn it and have all his questions answered by Sprout.

Cosmo doesn't know how long he's been "studying," but he just fell asleep after staying up late. He's only learned the basics, like greetings, negative responses, and positive responses.

He could say he learned a lot, but he hopes he gets the pronunciation right and that Sprout understands what he's saying. It was a good night of studying, which made him close his eyes while reading and fall asleep.

Sunlight shines through one of the holes in the burrow that resembles the normal windows of a toon house, causing Cosmo to wake up with a light groan and slowly open his eyes. He was sleepy and a little anxious to see what would happen to him today.

When he turns around he sees Sprout beside him with the book he was reading in her hands, this makes Cosmo get a slight fright and quickly jump out of bed, also scaring Sprout who quickly closes the book and returns it to Cosmo's lap.

It was morning, and the sunlight fully illuminated the den. It was now clear that Sprout was covered in dirt and looked injured, even though he didn't have a scratch, just bruises and burnt leaves. On the bright side, he'd rubbed some medicine on them, since he had some mucous paste on his body right where the wounds were.

"Hi-”

Cosmo paused, thinking it would be a good opportunity to demonstrate what he'd studied to Sprout.

He cleared his throat and sighed.

"G...good morning, Sprout."

Sprout turned his head and wagged his tail slightly. He seemed to have understood a bit, but still looked a little confused.

"Did I...mispronounce...?"

Cosmo picked up the book and tried to figure out what he'd done wrong, but Sprout's hand closed the book and looked at Cosmo.

"Good...morning...Cosmo..."

‘Oh...right...right…’

"Good...morning...Sprout!"

Sprout's tail wagged happily, even with the same normal expression on his face, he seemed happy that Cosmo had gotten the pronunciation right!

Sprout gets up and goes to the room where he was sleeping. Cosmo sees him leaving and decides to follow. Getting up and grabbing his cane, he leaves the nest and meets Sprout at the entrance to the den. He opens the door and lets Cosmo go first.

Cosmo hesitates at first, but then crosses and stands outside the den. It's still morning, and the place looks much more flowery, most likely because of spring. This allows Cosmo to enjoy the view while Sprout still waits.

Sprout takes a moment, but he emerges from his den, carrying the bag, which probably contains utensils and food. In his other arm, he carries the book Cosmo was reading. Cosmo doesn't know where they're going now, and he doesn't know if Sprout knows Cosmo wasn't his offering.

"Sprout... where are we going?”

Sprout scratches the back of his neck and points at Cosmo and the depths of the forest. Cosmo doesn't understand at first, but when Sprout points to the den, to Cosmo, and shakes his head in denial, Cosmo flinches and backs away in fear. He immediately thinks Sprout is going to return him to the group of toons who love to sacrifice others.

Sprout notices the toon's fear and immediately waves his hands in denial.

He tried some strange gestures, which calmed Cosmo down a bit, but made him feel a bit anxious. Sprout sighed and drew a burrow on the dirt floor, followed by some Toons that looked like Cosmo.

It wasn't the best drawing, but it was understandable. Cosmo looked at the drawing, then at Sprout. Sprout took advantage of Cosmo's calmness and pointed to himself, then to the burrow, then to Cosmo and the drawing.

"Oh... you... want me to go home…”

Sprout probably didn't understand anything Cosmo said, only assuming Cosmo understood his intentions. However, this made Cosmo very sad, and Sprout didn't know why until Cosmo crouched down and poured dirt over the drawings that looked like Cosmo, causing Twisted to gasp in fright and become speechless.

Sprout now understood they were dead.

Even with Sprout's shock at Cosmo's friends being dead, he puffed out his chest and pointed at Cosmo and himself, then at the forest, finally pointing to the drawing of a burrow he had drawn on the ground for Cosmo.

It was confusing at first, but Cosmo understood that Sprout wanted to find a new home for Cosmo, one that wouldn't be with the group of Toons who had hurt him or Sprout.

That was very sweet of Sprout. But he felt a pang in his heart knowing that Sprout would be alone, as he'd already wandered alone in the forest for days without knowing where his friends were. He understands the feeling of being lonely...

"Okay... let's go..."

Even with that thought, he perked up a bit at the idea of finding a new home. He could try to see if he could visit Sprout or have Sprout visit him- OF COURSE, no sacrifices or awkwardness... just as friends.

He and Sprout wouldn't have anything, but the idea of them being friends would be quite amusing to Cosmo.

Sprout walks further into the forest, and Cosmo follows him, this time not carrying Cosmo in his arms.

Chapter Text

Cosmo and Sprout were walking in the morning silence in the forest, it was beautiful and calm the place when you weren't running away from some angry and hungry creature or afraid that the first worry might happen.

Cosmo always followed Sprout, hoping to find a new home, as the Twisted had promised. Cosmo silently asked to be close to Sprout's territory so he could visit regularly and check on Twisted.

And to never let him feel alone…

Cosmo wasn't sure if Sprout had a plan in mind to find him a new home; the creature seemed lost in the forest, as if he'd never known his own territory.

Sprout paced back and forth, reaching the edge of his territory several times. He sighed, seemingly unwilling to resort to that…

Sprout leaves his territory. Which made Cosmo stop. Twisted looked at him and began to growl lightly to get his attention. Realizing that Cosmo wouldn't see if he didn't call him, even growling didn't work, he picked up the book Cosmo had with him last night and flipped through a few pages, stopping at one in particular.

And it was precisely the pages that contained the translation from Toon language to Twisted.

"Come on… Cosmo…"

Cosmo looked at Sprout trying to pronounce it, finding it cute that the creature tried to speak more than once, genuinely thinking he'd made a mistake, even though Cosmo seemed to understand the first few times.

He hesitated at first, but Sprout kept repeating those words, so he had no choice but to look around and then run toward Sprout, nearly falling from his quick pace.

The Toon isn't entirely sure it's a good idea to find a group of Toons outside Sprout's territory, but Sprout also has a good point about not just staying in his territory so that "maybe" an unsuspecting Toon might come along.

Sprout wagged his tail happily as Cosmo approached him and did as he was told. They both continued searching their new territory until the sun was in the center of the sky.

And… nothing…

Cosmo was already starting to get sweaty and tired from walking so much, especially since this spring day was hot and muggy, but Sprout didn't seem to have the same problem, he seemed much more determined even though you could see drops of sweat on his body.

Unable to walk any longer, Cosmo stops and sits on the ground, catching the red Twisted's attention. He slowly walks over to the Toon and bends down to examine him better. He grunted in concern.

"I'm fine…"

The pronunciation was correct. Sprout certainly heard and understood, but she still wasn't confident that Cosmo was truly okay and decided to stay by the Toon's side.

"Sprout… I'm fine…"

Sprout nods and pulls the bag he was carrying so he can get Cosmo a sandwich. The Toon is increasingly amazed at how a creature like Sprout knows anything about cooking.

"Where… did you learn…?”

Cosmo takes the sandwich and takes a bite, savoring the food before glancing at Sprout, waiting for him to answer his question.

"You guys…"

Sprout lightly touches Cosmo's chest with a fingertip. Cosmo frowns, but then gives a knowing groan, thinking he probably saw a Toon cooking or was taught by that group of Toons Brightney was part of.

But he deduces that these were just observations Sprout made, since these cult Toons probably wouldn't think it a good idea to teach Sprout anything about cooking, since they themselves preferred to make Sprout's meals.

"You only know this group... Who loves you?”

Cosmo finishes his sandwich and is startled when his gaze meets Sprout's single red eye. He seemed to be hiding a hint of contempt at this question. The Toon thinks he probably misspoke or mispronounced something. Just as he was about to apologize, Sprout interrupts him.

"They don't love me…"

"What?…”

Cosmo blinked a few times. Sprout picked up the book he was carrying and went straight to the pages that taught their language. It took him a while to speak to Cosmo.

Cosmo wondered why Sprout despised them… since they loved Sprout so much, they'd give themselves up as food, or an apology… or marriage…

Finally, after reading and writing on the ground so as not to get lost in the words, the Twisted took the words from Cosmo's language and formed the sentence.

"They do this out of fear and to make sure I don't kill them…"

Cosmo nodded. That made sense. Brightney had already demonstrated and talked about it; she had a certain fascination with the creatures. However, she still harbored fear and would kill every Toon in existence just to stay alive.

Sprout continued writing and reading the book.

"...at first it was good, they gave me food and other things, but after four or more offerings, they start doing everything to please me..."

Cosmo noticed the contempt in the words Sprout wrote on the ground. The Toon didn't understand... it was very good that the work of getting food and other things was done by others…

Then he reread the previous section and remembered that they sacrifice others, and he began to better understand what Sprout was saying.

"They even think I'm mad at them. Even if one of them coughs while they're offering me a sacrifice, they think it's an insult to me!”

Sprout gives a low growl. Cosmo just looks down as he writes. The Twisted notices, his expression quickly changing, and he flips through the book again to write the last few sentences.

"But... at least they're not making sacrifices for me anymore, since they realized I wasn't interested anymore.”

Sprout puffs out his chest and looks at Cosmo, as if it were some great achievement that a Twisted wasn't interested in this, but the Toon noticed he'd written "no longer interested," which meant one thing.

"So... you were interested... in sacrifices?"

Sprout gave a nervous cough. He wasn't looking at Cosmo now, speaking incomprehensibly in a high, slurred voice.

Cosmo understood that he probably enjoyed this practice, but most likely didn't like it anymore. He couldn't tell if he no longer liked the taste of Toon flesh or because he found it more interesting to have a Toon as a companion than as food.

‘Oh! Well... since he understands me... I'd better ask him about this companion thing…’

"Sprout-”

Sprout stopped talking, his cheeks dark, and he couldn't look at Cosmo, making Cosmo chuckle.

"Why... did you accept a living sacrifice?..."

With no answers... Sprout just looked down, utterly embarrassed. Cosmo reached out and placed his hand on Sprout's thigh to get his attention.

"Mate... right?..."

Sprout nodded slowly and finally looked at Cosmo.

"I don't think about it anymore... not now..."

Sprout's hand grabbed Cosmo's, making them both look at each other.

"You don't fight to win someone over... It's mutual... and... you don't abandon your young..."

Brightney was right, Sprout wanted a living sacrifice to be his mate... Cosmo highly doubted Sprout would have trouble finding a mate... but after the book described "how" they find mates... he didn't doubt why Sprout preferred a Toon to a Twisted.

Cosmo didn't want anything to do with Sprout… but he didn't want to abandon him…

"Friends…!"

Sprout's eyes lit up at the word. He probably doesn't know the meaning, but he understands it's a way of telling Cosmo not to leave him once he finds a home.

After a moment of intertwining hands and eye contact, Sprout broke the moment by releasing his hand and looking up at the sky.

"It's hot! Isn't it?...”

Sprout uses his black hand to fan himself. Yes, it was indeed very hot, but Cosmo could see how embarrassed Sprout was by the questions he was asking him.

"Y-yes..."

"Maybe... I can talk to him another time, or when he calms down..."

"Cosmo... come on!...”

The Twisted gets up and walks briskly. Cosmo is startled and gets up, tired, unsure if he can handle walking any further to the mysterious place Sprout wants to take him.

"Sprout!... Sprout! Wait!"

Even though he's far away, Cosmo hears Sprout's footsteps heading toward him. When the Twisted arrives, he crouches down and looks at Cosmo, causing the Toon to back away due to his proximity.

Cosmo cleared his throat and tried to remember how to say he was tired, but he had a much better idea: to rub his arm across his forehead, showing fatigue, and pointing to his injured leg.

Sprout groaned, acknowledging Cosmo's situation. He then opened his arms and waited for Cosmo to come to him. Cosmo, without thinking twice, approached, and Sprout picked him up to carry him to the place he wanted to take him.

Cosmo looked up as Sprout carried him, enjoying the sun shining on the tree leaves. At some point, his vision fell on Sprout's slightly burned leaves. Even though they were a little burned, they seemed brighter and more vibrant, even a little larger, reminding him of the leaves on the trees he saw above.

‘How beautiful…’

They walked for a while, Cosmo thought that Sprout was still on the search to find a new home for him, the sun was almost setting and to Cosmo's surprise, Sprout took him to a new place, it was a big lake, it had several plants and the water looked very clean.

Cosmo is once again surprised by Sprout; it seems this creature knows all sorts of fantastic places. The good news is that now Cosmo can enjoy these places without having to worry about other creatures, since he has a creature to protect him.

Sprout set Cosmo down and handed him his cane. Cosmo approached the lake and crouched down, trying to dip his bandaged hand into the water to see if it was cold, but was stopped by Sprout, who stopped Cosmo's hand from touching the water.

"No…"

He could started to argue, but remembered he shouldn't get his injured hand wet.

"Oh… right…”

Cosmo learned from Tisha, one of his friends, that he had to avoid contact with water for two to three days when he bandaged his wound.

He believes he can wash his hands and remove the bandages tomorrow. This reminded him that he forgot to thank Sprout for the bandages on his hands.

"Oh! Thank you, Sprout... for yesterday…”

Sprout's tail wagged and he looked away. Cosmo also felt awkward and looked at the lake. He really wanted to swim, but he didn't know if there was a snake or some other venomous animal swimming around. He also couldn't swim with his bandaged hands and injured leg.

"Is it dangerous?”

Cosmo pointed to the lake. Sprout studied it for a moment and shook his head. The lake was safe, which made Cosmo very happy to have a chance to get rid of the heat he was feeling.

He looked at Sprout and pointed to the lake again, pulling Sprout's hand closer to the lake. The Twisted let go of Cosmo's hand and walked back, shaking his head. Cosmo didn't quite understand why he was like that. He said the lake wasn't dangerous, but he didn't want to go in.

Cosmo pointed to the lake again. Sprout picked up the book, flipping to a specific page, and handed it to Cosmo. He read it and groaned in understanding.

Only couples swim together…

It would be cute, but Cosmo remembered that he and Sprout are just friends, and that the creatures soon abandon each other when the other is pregnant.

"Oh… I see…"

Cosmo flipped through the pages to the Twisteds' translation of the language and read a bit so he could share an idea he had.

"But… for me and the other toons… that's just friends.”

Sprout pondered, still denying the idea of anything with Cosmo, but seeing that Toon wanted to escape the heat that day, he relented and placed the bag near the lakeshore. Cosmo was very happy and left the book and cane there too.

Sprout's back was turned when Cosmo began to take off his clothes, which made Toon appreciate the respect he received. After a while, he was completely naked, covering his parts with his hands so Sprout wouldn't see when he turned around.

"Sprout…”

Twisted turned around and just looked at the sky while groping the air to try to find Cosmo, the toon chuckled at this and when Sprout managed to find him, he carried the Toon in one of his arms with one hand on his waist and walked to the lake.

Cosmo watched as Sprout's feet disappeared into the water along with his body until he felt the water lapping at his own feet. It was freezing, but it would provide a great relief from the heat of the day. Sprout stopped walking when he felt the water on his hand, which was around Cosmo's waist.

They both looked at each other. Sprout felt Cosmo's bandaged hands on his chest. Cosmo felt a warmth in his cheeks, causing him to bury his face in Sprout's chest along with his hands.

Sprout turned her head and poured some water on Cosmo's head and shoulders, avoiding getting the water on Cosmo's bandaged hands as much as possible.

Cosmo could only see his own hands on Sprout's dark chest. His chest was smooth and well-shaped, his muscles were visible. This made him wonder if Sprout was naked all the time... then... where were his parts?

‘he eats and drinks… there’s somewhere all this comes out… and they also reproduce… how do they do that if they don’t have these parts?’

It was a very intrusive thought, but it invaded Cosmo's mind so deeply that it made him think so hard and bury his face so deeply in Sprout's that he could hear Twisted's heartbeat.

And the heartbeat was even faster.

That noise calmed him down and made him feel very warm and safe… even with all the hardships he'd been through.

Cosmo froze when he felt something crawl up his legs and move, making him jump and wrap his arms around Sprout's neck.

"Snake!”

It's unclear if it was actually a snake; perhaps it was a fish or something? It was long and smooth, so the closest Cosmo could think was a snake.

Sprout held Cosmo tightly and began looking around for something that had scared the Toon, as he didn't recognize that word in the book.

Cosmo, on the other hand, just waited, expecting to see the animal that was on his legs in Sprout's hand. However, there was a moment when Sprout stood still.

"S-sprout?..."

‘Was he bitten? Could a small animal like a snake do that to a living being the size of Sprout?’

Cosmo's face is placed on Sprout's neck by him, Cosmo doesn't understand why Sprout did this, interpreting that this possible animal hurt Sprout and he doesn't want to look weak in front of Cosmo…

But if that were the case, he would be ashamed early in the morning, after he had fought with that green Twisted and was covered in bruises and burnt leaves.

Whatever the reason, Sprout returned to normal and hurriedly emerged from the water, grabbing Cosmo's clothes and the bag he always carried, and hurriedly ran back into the forest. Cosmo felt his cheeks burn; he was completely naked, and all his protests and curses went unheard by Sprout.

Chapter Text

During those days when Cosmo and Sprout were wandering through the forest looking for other Toons who didn't have some adoration for the Twisteds (and never finding anything), they both got closer and Cosmo got to know Sprout's territory very well and even started to like staying in his den.

However, on the first day of their search, Sprout had forgotten to mark his territory and pick up the offerings. This continued for four days and Cosmo always talked to him about it, but Twisted was always more focused on finding a new home for Cosmo than doing his tasks.

What made Cosmo worried was that Sprout's territory was very large and great to live in. If this caught Sprout's attention when he found this place, what's stopping another Twisted from thinking about it too?

Cosmo doesn't doubt Sprout's ability and strength; he would certainly win a fight against some brave Twisted who wanted to steal Sprout's territory. What worried Cosmo was that Sprout could get seriously injured in these fights if the Twisted was the same class as Sprout.

So over the next few days, Cosmo refused to go out with Sprout if he didn't do his chores. At first, Sprout thought it was a joke, but since Cosmo wouldn't come out of his burrow and if he was forced out of his burrow by Sprout, the toon would spend the whole day without talking to Sprout, making him lower his head and do what the toon said.

This plan worked, as Sprout now began to remember her commitments, continuing to mark the trees in red and take the offerings (which luckily were free of sacrifices).

To the delight of both, Cosmo helped Sprout mark the trees and collect the offerings, and also took time to study Sprout's language more so he wouldn't have any trouble speaking to him while holding a book.

It was great now that they could understand each other without having to play charades. He learned a lot from the Twisted, and so did Sprout. Cosmo began to love Sprout's company, even though he wouldn't let him leave his territory without him.

Cosmo agrees with himself, within Sprout's territory he was very safe and he knew the entire place, so if he was in danger, Sprout would know where he was, if not, Cosmo would know what to do and where to hide if something bad happened.

It could be because he no longer sees Sprout as a threat or something that could kill him, that he no longer has a sense of danger, for Cosmo all the events that happened to him before meeting Sprout were nothing more than a nightmare he had.

Cosmo confesses that it's nice when Sprout reminds him that there are still creatures that can attack him.

His heart races when Sprout protects him, even though he's a little confused about it…

It was dawn, just a few minutes before sunrise.

Cosmo woke up at exactly that time because he couldn't sleep properly, so he decided to read some more from the book he found at Brightney's camp among the furs in Sprout's nest.

He couldn't read or concentrate; a thought he'd had in the previous days invaded his mind... He missed the first few days they slept together and the licks Sprout gave him. He knew it was a couple thing and that Sprout stopped doing that when they became just friends.

But did he have to sleep in a hole of soft earth and wake up all dirty the next day?

Cosmo also noticed that Sprout was distancing himself from him a lot, even speaking very little compared to the first few days...

‘Did I do something he didn't like?’

Cosmo kept thinking about what he had done to hurt him, but nothing went through his head, he started to feel like that after the day they were at the lake or rather... on the first day of searching... but he still talked to him in the following days.

‘Oh! He likes to cook, if only I made something for him, or better yet! We could cook together… he might feel less angry with me… or he might even talk about what made him upset!’

This idea was really good. Besides Cosmo finally being able to practice one of his hobbies in peace, he could find out what had made Sprout so upset with him. Luckily, his hands got better.

Great opportunity!

Cosmo stood up confidently and grabbed his cane to walk to the other room where Twisted was supposed to be sleeping in a hole. But seeing only scattered dirt and no sign of him, several questions arose in Cosmo's mind.

‘Sprout doesn't usually wake up this early... it's not even morning... and if he did, he'd wake me up even if he was in a bad mood with me…’

Cosmo went to the entrance of the den and opened the door to try to find some clue as to where Sprout might be. Outside there was nothing, no tracks, no footprints on the ground... he started calling his name and got no response, so he went back to the den and started calling for him.

Toon searched every room until he reached the cave with the lake and waterfall; it was the only place in the den he hadn't searched. Luckily, unlike the other rooms in the den, this one held some clues, such as large animal pelts, the pink-and-white striped scarf Sprout casually wore, and a bowl of the familiar opaque red paste for rubbing on his body… and some plants, like chamomile and other herbs, that appeared to have been chewed.

But Bingo! Sprout was there, but he still had two unanswered questions… the first was why Sprout was taking a bath so early, and the second was where was he? There was no one in the water.

"Sprout! Where are you!?”

As he called his name, something submerged in the center of the lake, startling Cosmo at the sudden action and dropping to the ground, he crawled to one of the large rocks near the lake to hide. After calming down, he peeked out to see it was only Sprout, and it was noticeable that he looked terrible.

"Sprout! How long have you been there, and how long were you underwater?”

Sprout looked down, seemingly not listening to Cosmo, which only made Cosmo grow angrier and come out of hiding. He took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, walking to the lakeshore.

"Sprout, did I do something that didn't please you? Or did I say something that hurt your feelings?”

Again no answers, just a shake of his head that signaled he wasn't upset with Cosmo, on the one hand this eased his anxiety, but if he wasn't upset, what had Cosmo done that made Sprout start avoiding him so much?

Sprout's large form swims to the lakeshore, and where Cosmo was, Sprout somehow looked quite different. Not only did he look worn out, but the way he swam and crawled toward Cosmo looked tired and tense. Even his gaze seemed more piercing as he looked up at Cosmo, making the toon flinch a little.

‘What's happening to him!?’

As Cosmo turned to leave, having received his answer and Sprout doing nothing but watching him strangely, a tentacle grabbed Cosmo's leg and pulled him toward Sprout, eliciting a startled cry from him.

Even though the tentacle seemed in a hurry to hand Cosmo over to Sprout, it seemed to be careful of Cosmo's leg and not pull too fast for him to fall.

"S-SPROUT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

Sprout's black hand holds Cosmo's waist, making him lie down calmly on the ground. Sprout's muscles look tense and he places his body on top of Cosmo's, keeping only half of his body underwater.

Sprout's wet body makes Cosmo's clothes damp, the cake tries to move away from Sprout's body but soon feels a shiver when Sprout's face rests on his neck and Twisted's warm, wet tongue touches his neck.

Words couldn't come out of Cosmo's mouth; he missed Sprout's licks and body beside him so much, but the way Sprout was acting was different and heated up Cosmo's body as the strawberry wouldn't stop licking his neck. It started on his cheeks and went down to his groin.

The toon only encouraged Sprout's actions as he began to moan and put his hands around Twisted's neck, to the point where he could feel the vibrations of the possessive growls that Sprout was emitting.

Sprout's tongue was now making a trail from Cosmo's neck to his chest, eliciting several moans from the Toon. This made him more confident in continuing his licks on Cosmo's body.

With one of his claws, Sprout placed it on the collar of the clothes he had given Cosmo in the first days he lived with him and slowly lowered the claw, making the cave echo with the sound of fabric being ripped, finally Cosmo was completely naked for him.

Cosmo cringed and closed his eyes, at the same time that he was enjoying this he was feeling a wave of embarrassment hit him when Sprout watched him for a while with her gaze downcast, soon a loud moan came out of the Toon's throat when Sprout licked his naked body.

Sprout's tongue dipped lower and lower as lust and heat overcame him, but the moment was broken when his tongue quickly licked Cosmo's crotch, making them both jump at the sudden action. Sprout's eyes widened and he pulled away from Cosmo, who looked a little dazed.

"Sprout?...”

Cosmo's daze began to lessen as Sprout pulled away from him, stumbling and falling into the water as he swam awkwardly to the other side of the bank and away. Cosmo shivered when he heard a loud knock on the den door, implying that the door had been ripped off and most likely broken by the Twisted.

Silence fell over the cave. Cosmo was still a little confused about what had happened between them and why Sprout was acting so unusually.

‘He... he must just be embarrassed about what happened... he'll come back later... Yes... he will…’

During the morning, Cosmo had found a basket with several Toon clothes, not knowing if these clothes were offerings or something that Sprout picked up in abandoned camps.

He grabbed the most comfortable one and began scavenging for food throughout the day. He found several options, but since Sprout hadn't returned, he decided to cook for himself. Taking advantage of Sprout's absence, and even though he'd been living with him for several days, the Twisted still prevented the toon from cooking and insisted on making food for both of them.

This gave him an idea. Cosmo thought about making a cake for Sprout, but he didn't know where to bake it since he only had a cauldron and a fireplace…so he just cooked some soup to make Sprout feel better.

The night fell, and there was no sign of Sprout coming home.

Cosmo could hear some thunder outside and the sky seemed full of dark clouds even at night, which made him a little paranoid about Twisted... he didn't know what Sprout had, but if it was an illness, with this rain that was coming, it could get worse if Sprout stayed outside and the Twisted could catch a cold too.

The Toon looked outside in anguish and decided to go outside to look for Sprout. He grabbed one of the nest's furs and some string to make a makeshift raincoat. He also grabbed the lampion and a flask of oil in case the fire went out.

He doesn't know how long he'll have to search for Sprout, but he hopes he won't get hurt in the process.

Cosmo tried to cover the entrance to the den with the door Sprout had broken, just to make sure no one could get in if he couldn't find him.

He lit the lampion and began calling Twisted's name. All he could hear were the sounds of insects and other creatures he hoped weren't Twisteds.

Cosmo always moved the lampion forward to see if he was still in Sprout's territory. He's sure no one will enter Sprout's territory, but nothing stops a Twisted from invading it too.

‘Where did he go…’

"Sprout! Please… let's go home!"

And nothing… just the sound of nature, it gave him chills… now he's no longer with Sprout to protect him in case something bad happens to him.

It was just him and his luck.

The only thing that managed to calm the Toon down a bit were the fireflies everywhere, resembling the children's books his groupmates used to read to him when he was younger. Even with the unfamiliar noises and the feeling of always being watched, it calmed him down.

"Sprout!! Where are you!?..."

The Toon called out to the Twisted again, and again, no response. But... This time, the sounds of nature stopped, causing Cosmo to flinch and move the lantern around, trying to figure out why the forest had gone silent.

"S-sprout-"

A weight hits the Toon, making him fall onto the grass and his lampion fly to the other side. Cosmo feels his wrists gripped by large, strong hands. He tries to free himself, but remains in place.

Cosmo feels warm breath on his face, scented with chamomile, passionflower, and lavender. He opens his eyes and looks at Sprout's familiar face, which looks tense and distressed.

"Sprout…”

The Twisted puts his head next to Cosmo's, and when his mouth hits the grass, he lets out an anguished cry, startling Cosmo, who feels fear and worry for him. The toon sighs shakily; if his wrists weren't tied, he could calm Sprout with a hug or a caress of the shoulders or neck.

"Sprout... y-are you okay?..."

"No!”

Cosmo swallowed hard at Sprout's quick response. The Twisted would sometimes tremble and flinch, panting heavily and stifling screams.

"Can you... tell me what's going on..."

Sprout tried to maintain normal breathing, but even with effort, it seemed very difficult to do so. Cosmo felt a familiar sensation tapping on his legs. He glanced below him. It wasn't very visible, but the silhouette of the thing resembled one of the tentacles that accompanied Sprout, but this one looked very different. It was long and thick, and it seemed to have something on the end, something mucous…

"OH MY—IT WASN'T A SNAKE-"

Cosmo's face started to heat up, and everything that had happened in the lake made sense! Especially Sprout's reaction to finding the supposed ”””snake”””

He had read about mating season in the book, but he thought it would be similar to what Toons experience, not to the point of going into heat. The book didn't mention the symptoms either, only that they would become more aggressive and territorial.

And finally, the book didn't say anything about a creature feeling something for a Toon like that.

"I... I... it's so hot... Cosmo, it hurts so much..."

Cosmo's thoughts cut off, and he returned to reality, where a Twisted was on top of him, trembling in pain and panting heavily. It was heartbreaking.

Something in the back of Cosmo's mind made him think of helping his friend… he'd never done anything like this for anyone… but he'd heard of Toons who helped their friends when they were lonely. It wouldn't change their friendship… right?

"C-Cosmo… go away… and quickly-"

Sprout lets go of Cosmo's wrists, but instead of Cosmo running away and Sprout fighting the instinct to chase him, Cosmo rests his hand on Sprout's cheek, caressing it lightly.

"Cosmo… Don't do this-"

"I want to help you…”

Chapter Text

Sprout's hot breath fanned Cosmo's face. The Twisted still stood motionless at the request his friend had made. Of all the requests Cosmo had made of him, this one in particular was something he wouldn't do... no way would he!

And Cosmo knew it…

"Sprout... I want to help you... that's what friends do... right?..."

Sprout lets out a long, deep growl as his hands dig into the dirt and grass on the ground, pulling out a handful. Cosmo doesn't know if he misspoke or if the heat the Twisted felt was increasing because of him.

"Cosmo-”

When Sprout was going to restrain Cosmo and give him one last chance to escape, the Toon approaches him and gives him a little kiss on the cheek, making him completely lose his mind and let the lust dominate his body, if before he tried hard to control himself around Cosmo, now he is in fact out of control of his actions, he was only thinking about having sex with this toon.

When Cosmo pulls away from the kiss, Sprout lunges at him, licking Cosmo's neck and chin, making the Toon blush and his hands go towards the Twisted's chest, he can hear his heart beating very fast.

Sprout pulls away when he feels he has licked too much the cake, Cosmo looks down and just stares at Sprout's long member, if the Twisted wasn't full of lust because of the heat he would definitely lift Cosmo's head to stop staring at his member... but he unfortunately was and even felt his member boiling and throbbing a lot.

A groan escapes Cosmo's mouth as Sprout hurries him to some part of his territory. It was actually quite quick, given Twisted's brisk pace; they reached a hidden corner of his territory, covered in foliage.

Sprout walked through them, standing in the middle and with his black hand he began to make a shallow hole and tear off some of the foliage in the middle, making it look like the nest that Sprout had made at the entrance to the den when he decided that he and Cosmo would not sleep together and that Cosmo deserved all the comforts of his den.

Only this time, the foliage surrounded them, creating a barrier for both of them to have privacy.

Finally, Cosmo was placed beneath Sprout, who began licking the Toon's neck even hungrily as she removed his shirt and cape.

Cosmo was becoming more and more embarrassed by his friend's actions and when he was left bare-chested, he was met with the gaze of Sprout who was enjoying the view of the shirtless toon and lowered her head to begin giving several kisses all over his body, making him blush and cringe.

When Sprout was satisfied with the teasing he was doing to Cosmo, one of his hands was placed on top of Cosmo's head so he could slowly lower the Toon onto his member, Cosmo became more nervous and anxious every moment his face got closer to the Twisted's member.

Finally, Cosmo and Sprout's member were face to face, he swallowed hard watching the member twitch, it was no wonder that on the side he thought it was a snake, as already said, Sprout's member looked like a different tentacle…

Without having control of his own body, Cosmo held Sprout's member and began to caress the length a little to receive thick and muffled moans from the creature above him, this member was a little mucous and moved as if it were alive, it was a little veiny and above all it was very hot to the touch.

Cosmo felt his face burn as he watched the member in front of him twitch and move uncontrollably. Swallowing hard, he automatically brought his mouth toward the length and began to give it a few kisses and licks, but soon pulled away, startled by Sprout's loud, strangled grunts in response.

‘He must not be enjoying this…’

Toon didn't know whether to continue or stop due to the Twisted's reaction, but when he felt Twisted's hand caress the top of his head, he looked up to meet Sprout's single, glowing red eye, staring passionately at him.

"Continue… Please…”

Sprout's body trembles a little at the request he made to Toon, which seemed more like a beg than a request. Cosmo still feels his face burning, but he complies with his friend's request and continues to lick and kiss the length, receiving in return more muffled and wild grunts and growls.

A few spurts of semen come out of the Twisted's member, smearing the cake's face a little. Something tells him in the back of his mind to put Sprout's penis in his mouth, but he reconsiders... it was too big and thick for him... but it's still a strangely attractive thing for Cosmo.

The more he thought about this idea, the more his hand, without his control, guided Sprout's penis to his mouth, which opened without him noticing and when he least expected it, the hot, long member was already inside his mouth.

Cosmo only managed to fit a little of the Twisted's length into his mouth, due to the difference in size and having a shred of awareness that it wouldn't fit, but at least he almost managed to reach half of the member.

At the height of lust, Cosmo's head moves back and forth, receiving more moans and grunts from Sprout, who in response, seems to love it so much that she has stopped shaking a little.

Cosmo was loving the feeling of Sprout's member going in and out of his mouth and rubbing against his throat, while Sprout was loving the feeling of his member getting hot and wet inside his friend's mouth, making his hips move unconsciously, helping Cosmo give him a better blowjob.

As Cosmo continued to pleasure the creature, he felt something spreading his legs. It wasn't actually Sprout's hands, as they were above him.

Out of curiosity, Cosmo took Sprout's member out of his mouth and looked down. He blushed deeply when he saw two tentacles pulling off his pants, and after removing them, they grabbed his legs.

'Damn!...’

Cosmo flinched as the third tentacle appeared and approached his groin, shame was taking over him but he felt Sprout's black hand caressing the back of his neck, making him look up and see the Twisted's face.

even though he was full of lust in his body, Sprout tried to keep his gaze on Cosmo, stopping to tremble a little to calm Cosmo and give the toon a bit of confidence, Cosmo began to calm down a little with the affection that Sprout was giving him and took his length again to put it in his mouth, while the third tentacle separated the lips of his vulva.

Cosmo shrank even more with a bit of shame and excitement, deep down he really wanted this but he was very confused if Sprout was his friend or something more, especially the thought of whether it was wrong or strange for a Toon to be so intimate with a Twisted that he liked it and wanted to advance more and more.

He was doing this to help Sprout… but… he could enjoy certain things he was doing with this Twisted without ruining their friendship… right?

The tentacle began circling Cosmo's entrance and clitoris, making him moan with Sprout's penis in his mouth. The Twisted continued to caress the back of Cosmo's neck as he moved his hips.

Minutes passed and even without the third tentacle penetrating Cosmo's entrance, he managed to reach climax from the provocation that the tentacle gave his entrance, and when he arrived, without being able to warn him, Sprout also arrived and released his load that burned Cosmo's entire throat, making him pull away and cough violently.

Sprout seemed so numb that he didn't even notice Cosmo's coughing and sputtering, probably because he'd given him a little relief, making Cosmo think Sprout was feeling better and they could go home now.

"S-sprout-... Are you feeling better…? Cof… cof… Let's go home-"

Cosmo tried to get up, but was pulled down again by Sprout, who growled back at him.

"Still not satisfied!?...”

Sprout moved his member to Cosmo's vulva, beginning to penetrate lightly. Tears began to well in Cosmo's eyes the deeper Sprout went. The Toon finally remembered his limits and grabbed the Twisted's waist. His entrance was only able to hold half of Sprout's member, and he knew he couldn't take any more.

"S-sprout! Please... don't move any further... I don't know if I can take it.”

An upset moan came out of Sprout, even though he was shaking and wanting to move more inside Cosmo, he accepted his request and began to move slowly at the limit that Cosmo had set for him, sometimes speeding up and then slowing down when he remembered that Cosmo was there to help and not something else.

A moment later Sprout's lust and heat increased, the slow movements he was making began to accelerate and without realizing it, his member was penetrating deeper into Cosmo earning sighs and moans that he couldn't tell if they were of pain or pleasure.

Cosmo was feeling his hips go numb from the thrusts Twisted was giving, he wanted to give a warning that he was going too deep and too fast, but his mouth only released more moans in response, influencing the Twisted to continue the violent thrusts.

Sprout's mind began to go blank, his only option being to have sex with Cosmo to ease the heat. Cosmo was feeling a mixture of passion and pain from the thrusts.

Several minutes passed, and Cosmo felt Sprout begin to slow down, to the point of stopping and letting out a shrill scream. His black hand reached down and gripped Cosmo's waist tightly.

Something warm and mucous fills Cosmo's insides, burning his entrance and reaching deep into his abdomen. They both start panting heavily and look at each other.

"Okay... it looks like you're... satisfied now... right?..."

Cosmo wants to take Sprout's member out of him. He doesn't know if it's because he's weak after their act or because Sprout is still holding his waist (or both)... But he can't pull away from Sprout.

Sprout gave a few tired grunts and fell carefully, careful not to hurt Cosmo, sending some leaves flying from the ground. Cosmo felt the Twisted pull him closer as he curled up, the spines on his tail bristling and sharp; he wouldn't have doubted the spines on his back were like that too.

The Toon noticed that the Twisted was now in a deep sleep after having an orgasm and having had sex with him for a long time, looking calm and relieved.

‘At least he's not in pain anymore…’

Cosmo looked at the foliage around them. He could see a glimpse of the trees surrounding the dark place, illuminated only by the glow of fireflies. This made him drowsy, and his eyes gradually grew heavy, causing him to drift off.

Something hit Sprout's face, it was something small and at first it didn't bother him, but soon he felt it again and again, making him a little irritated and open his only eye slowly, it was morning and there were no rays of sunlight, meaning it was going to rain, tiny drops of water fell on his face and down his body, confirming this.

He stretches and yawns. Strangely, he doesn't feel any pain, and his body isn't overheated. This is a good sign, as he doesn't feel the need to stay away from Cosmo to avoid fucking or killing him because of this damn mating season.

‘Cosmo must be worried and hungry…’

A wave of guilt hits him. Sprout could have warned him earlier, but he thought it would scare Cosmo and he'd run away, only to be caught again by the group that idolizes him.

And maybe he wouldn't have the chance to save his life…

An idea pops into his head to make Cosmo something to eat in the morning, as an apology for not explaining what was happening to him and for leaving him alone in the den.

‘I can also get those Toons to give me something interesting for him… like an outfit or something shiny!’

Sprout is thrilled with the idea, wagging her tail happily and getting ready to get up so she can make her plans before it rains, incredibly eager to accomplish this and more.

‘Wow! I don't know what herb I ate... but I feel great compared to the other times I've been s-’

"SPROUT! CALM DOWN, DON'T MOVE!”

Sprout freezes as he looks down, finding Cosmo looking like he's just returned from a turbulent storm, and worst of all, Sprout's member is inside the toon. This makes him experience all sorts of emotions, and his ears start to ring, hearing only his racing heart as he breathes too quickly.

"COSMO!?!?”

Chapter Text

When Sprout had no territory, he just lived and survived alone, wandering through other territories that sometimes had other Twisteds of his class and hunting his own food in them, he had made a promise to himself when he was younger that he would never meet with another Twisted to produce offspring, so that in the end, he would abandon his mate and young as happened to him, his siblings and his mother.

Of all his ten brothers and sisters, he was the only one who managed to survive. Some died from a plant that was lethal to Twisteds and that they ate or picked up while playing in his father's old territory. Others were killed by other Twisteds that invaded the territory, and others died when they were not even a month old.

His mother had died when there were only four young left, including him. They were close, and even though they were too young to survive on their own, they fought to keep each other alive. One day, they were separated when they were attacked by other Twisteds much older than them.

Only Sprout managed to escape and survive.

He knew that none of his siblings survived, leaving Sprout to wander alone and having made that promise to himself, he didn't want to have or see his young and his mate die and he would have to abandon them, never knowing again about how his mate and young might be.

By the time Sprout becomes a young adult and mating season arrives, he understands that thanks to this unfortunate mating season, he won't be able to keep his promise for long.

The first time, Sprout swore it was something he had eaten, some bad meat or weed, but when it happened every spring at a certain time and he saw that he wasn't the only one who felt this way, he realized that if he didn't want to feel this way, he had to get someone to have babies.

But that didn't stop him from keeping his previous promise, he would have the young and a mate, but he would stay with them to care for them and ensure they all lived to adulthood.

He thought it would be easy, but he realized that he would have a lot of difficulty getting a suitable mate, he learned that he had to fight to get someone, making him fight several times with some random Twisted who wanted Sprout as a mate or simply kill him during that time.

Luckily, he always escaped or won the fight, but it was always someone he didn't care about; he simply abandoned the defeated opponent and walked away.

He wanted to choose someone good enough for him and who would agree to care for the young with him.

Later he understood that he would need a territory so he would have somewhere to live, sleep and attract the attention of a possible suitor. It was along this path that he met a green Twisted that they had never been properly introduced to.

They distrusted each other, and seeing that neither of them took the initiative to fight, they maintained a silent truce until they secured the territory.

Even though they weren't friends, they learned a few things from each other, mainly an easier way to get food and interesting objects from the Toons.

And that's when Sprout learned that Toons were much more than just a source of easy food, they had all sorts of strange ways of finding a mate... but somehow... Sprout found these ways more interesting than fighting with someone without knowing if they were going to die or not.

Soon he had the idea of having a Toon as a companion. It was a living being that he didn't need to fight and hurt each other, and could be easier to conquer. Especially since in all his observations, the Toons kept their young with them... even when they grew old, their young stayed with them.

He didn't know if there was any chance of a Twisted impregnating a toon or vice versa... but in his mind, it wouldn't hurt to try.

Sprout already had a large territory, was feared by the toons, making them obey him. No Twisted would dare approach his territory, and now he could get a mate if he asked his followers!

Everything was perfect and he would do everything to ensure his future mate and young were safe and comfortable with him.

Sprout's member throbbed inside Cosmo. Cosmo was naked and trembling slightly, his eyes wide at Twisted.

Sprout thought everything that had happened last night was a hallucination from some herb he'd eaten to ease his heat. He told himself that Cosmo would never have sex with him or act like that.

Cosmo, to him, was a Toon who needed comfort and companionship (in friendship) after everything he'd been through.

Sex wasn't the help Cosmo needed, only Sprout.

"COSMO!"

"Sprout... calm down... don't be-"

A shaky moan escapes Cosmo as Sprout pulls him up, pulling his member out. Cosmo's legs felt like noodles, they were so limp.

Sprout's semen dripped down Cosmo's leg along with some faint streaks of blood that came out along with the semen causing Sprout to give a loud, agonized grunt.

Cosmo reached out to try to calm him down, but Twisted grabbed him tightly when he noticed the rain was getting heavier. He ran to his den, leaving behind Cosmo's clothes, lantern, cane, and vial of oil.

"S-sprout! Calm down, I'm fine!”

Their attempts to calm the Twisted fell on deaf ears as he ran faster through his territory. Finally, they reached the den, and Sprout pushed the broken door aside and lifted Cosmo onto his lap.

"Cosmo…"

"Sprout! I'm fine!"

Sprout stared worriedly at Cosmo for a second. He raised his hand and lightly touched the Toon's belly, receiving a sharp, painful groan in response, and tears welling up in the Toon's eyes.

"SEE?... YOU'RE NOT OKAY!"

"I-I'm fine, Sprout… it's just… you know…"

"Cosmo… I'm sorry…"

"Sprout… you don't have to ask me to… I'm fine… and I'm the one who provokes you into doing this… don't you remember?”

"I thought I was hallucinating! I was so in heat! There was no way you would do that to me!"

Cosmo crossed his arms and frowned at Twisted.

"Yes, I would!"

"But you shouldn't! You should go away and stay in the den; it would be safer and more comfortable!"

"But I didn't even know what was wrong with you! I thought you were sick or something worse was happening to you! I wanted to know if you were okay, so I went looking for you!!”

"It was my mistake not to tell you, but that's no excuse for doing this! And if you stay-"

Sprout freezes and snaps to attention, causing Cosmo's expression to change from irritated to confused and alert, thinking he heard something strange.

A groan escapes Cosmo's throat as he is carefully lowered to the ground. He blushes as he feels Sprout spread his legs and place his face close to Cosmo's groin.

"SPROUT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?"

No words were spoken by Sprout. Cosmo felt him sniffing her vulva for a while, his warm breath hitting her entrance, making her blush even more. Finally, Sprout pulled away and sighed. The Toon couldn't tell if it was a sigh of relief or disappointment.

"No... you're not pregnant…”

"I COULD GET PREGNANT!!?!"

"Yes!? When you do that thing we-"

"I know... I know how a baby is made... but I didn't know that was possible... you know... a Twisted and a Toon..."

"O-oh... right... but... if you were... what would you do?..."

"What do you mean?"

"What would you do if you were pregnant?"

Cosmo feels uncomfortable with the question, he doesn't know what to answer... he confesses that he was starting to really like Sprout (not as a friend), but he was very confused by it. He thinks he realized yesterday that he liked Sprout.

If that were the case, he wouldn't mind having children with him. The problem is, he knows he'll carry more children than a Toon can carry, and that Sprout will have to leave once she confirms he's pregnant with him.

He still remembered reading about it in Brightney's book…

This scared him greatly. He had no one but Sprout now. Carrying his children without Sprout's protection would be very dangerous for him, a Toon, and even if he knew other Toons who could help him... what would they do if their children looked like a Twisted?

‘Would they kill them?...’

"What's that smell?"

Cosmo looks at Sprout sniffing the air and carries him to the source of the smell, which is near the cauldron. He notices the Twisted's curiosity and anxiety as his tail sways behind him. Sprout puts his hand on the cauldron lid and opens it to see what's inside that smells so good.

"Soup!”

"O-oh... yes... I thought cooking this would make you feel better... but it must be cold now."

"Oh... looks delicious!"

"I wanted to invite you to cook with me... yesterday..."

Cosmo looks sideways, blushing as he remembers last night's events. Sprout shares the same feeling as she remembers this.

"O-oh... we can cook... but first, I'll take care of you, and when you feel better, we'll cook together, okay?”

Cosmo nodded, still blushing, while Sprout grabbed some things to bathe Cosmo. Once that was done, they went to the cave where the lake was and entered the water. Sprout, in turn, was very careful when washing Cosmo's body and especially his groin, as these parts were very sensitive due to the act they had done.

After showering, Sprout placed Cosmo in the nest and covered him with several furs while she found something for him to wear. Cosmo tried to get up to help him, but a tentacle appeared and pinned him to the bed.

"SPROUT!"

"You're not ready to get up, you need to rest until you feel better."

"But I'm feeling better.”

"No, you don't."

Cosmo snorted, knowing that arguing with Sprout wouldn't convince him he was okay. Yes, he was still in pain, but he didn't want to just lie in the nest... Sprout finally found some comfortable clothes for Cosmo and dressed him.

The Toon noticed that Sprout hesitated to lick him, which made him a little upset.

It was noon. Cosmo was lying in his nest, watching the rain outside through the window as he ate the soup he'd made. Sprout had warmed it up. He couldn't stop praising the soup he'd made and couldn't wait for Cosmo to get better so they could cook together.

Cosmo thought his enthusiasm was very cute.

The toon was also thinking about searching for a new home… they haven't found anything to this day, not knowing if there really is a sane Toon left who isn't part of that group of Toons who love Twisteds, and if there are any Toons left alive… Sprout's company was extraordinary; Twisted always thought of Cosmo's happiness and comfort…

‘Is it a good idea to live with him?’

Another thought also crossed his mind when he considered moving in with him... The thought of being his partner... If it were him in the past, the answer would be no, but he lived with Sprout; he was very good to him, even if sometimes overprotective.

One positive thing is that he knows he can't get pregnant with Sprout, which prevents him from having children and Sprout from abandoning him in the future.

"Cosmo!”

Cosmo lifted his head slightly and saw that Sprout was soaking wet from the rain and carrying a bag full of things, probably offerings he'd collected.

"SPROUT! You shouldn't have gone out in the rain to collect the offerings, you'll get sick like that!”

Sprout seemed to ignore what Cosmo was saying and began showing off some kitchen utensils he probably didn't have.

"We have more cooking tools!"

"But Sprout... you didn't have to go out in the rain!"

"The rain could take this away."

"That's no excuse; you could get sick.”

Sprout blinked and set the bag down beside the room's entrance. He walked over to the nest and grabbed one of the skins to dry his arms, chest, and head. Making sure it was a little dry, he placed his head on Cosmo's lap to rest.

"See? I'm fine.”

Cosmo blushed and hugged Twisted's head, making him blush too and wag his tail. The Toon found a good moment to talk about his thoughts with Sprout.

"Sprout... I... wanted to tell you something..."

Sprout looked at Cosmo's face, still keeping his head in her lap.

"Go ahead."

"Um... I think... we should stop looking-”

Sprout widened his one eye and placed his hand on Cosmo's cheek, stroking it even though he seemed a little anxious.

"Why? We haven't looked long enough to give up!"

"I know... I know... it's just... we haven't found anything yet..."

"Don't be like that! We could search much further from my territory-"

"No, no... look... There are other things I was thinking about during our searches..."

"What would they be? Are you not enjoying being here...?"

"No! I'm loving it—Sprout! Just listen to me!"

Twisted got off on Cosmo's lap and stared at him intently.

"I'm sure no toon will come here... and... thinking about it... if you don't mind, I'd like to stay here... I love being here... and with you..."

Sprout's tail starts wagging, Cosmo gives a smile and pats the side of the bed so Sprout can lie next to him.

The tail stopped, and Sprout frowned in confusion, groaning as Cosmo grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. Twisted continued even as he thought about pulling away.

"That's... Is that something that friends do?..."

"Not exactly... in this case, no... it's not normal for toons to do that…”

Sprout became even more confused and tried to pull away after the answer, but then Cosmo cupped his face with both hands and looked into his eyes.

"Sprout... I want to be your partner..."

Twisted froze, probably processing this. Cosmo realized... He wouldn't believe his own words either.

"What? Seriously!?!”

"Yes... I want to be your companion..."

"Y-you're not obligated to do anything... I'll continue being your friend."

"No, I want to stay with you and be your companion."

Cosmo had never seen Twisted's tail wag as fast as it was now. He was also happy that Sprout liked the idea and managed to win him over.

Sprout now moved to the other side of the bed and placed her face in Cosmo's neck, resting her head against it, but still not hiding the happiness she felt on her face.

"Seriously!?!"

Cosmo pulled Sprout's face away from his neck and gave him a peck on the lips, making him even more excited, deepening the kiss, managing to elicit a moan from Cosmo that lasted only a few minutes after Sprout's tongue invaded his mouth.

Cosmo broke the kiss and pulled away to catch his breath, as the strawberry was almost on top of Cosmo and he didn't want a second round, as he couldn't feel anything from the waist down. Sprout would understand if Cosmo didn't want it, but he doesn't know if his heat has really passed.

"Okay, okay! You got it! Hehe."

Sprout smiled and laid her head on Cosmo's chest to rest a bit before making something to eat.

Chapter Text

It was almost the end of summer, which meant Cosmo and Sprout didn't have to worry about mating season and angry Twisteds.

But even then, it didn't mean they were 100% safe, since once the Twisteds found a mate, they would abandon their old territory so their mate and future offspring could stay there. Then they would have to find a new territory before winter arrived and have to repeat the same cycle come spring.

Cosmo's final conclusion was...

'Sprout will become more overprotective than before.'

And Cosmo was right. He was completely forbidden from straying from the den. Even though he knew Sprout's territory better during the spring, Sprout would turn a blind eye when Cosmo strayed a little, and before the Toon could return on his own, a tentacle would always appear to pull him back toward the den.

Cosmo had to listen to Sprout say again that there could be one or several Twisteds looking for territory, that even if they were injured and weak because of mating season it was better not to wander through the territory because they would see the toon as easy food or an enemy.

Yes, it was annoying when Sprout was like this and unfortunately Cosmo couldn't keep getting upset and angry with him when he stole a kiss from him when he finished giving his lectures, sometimes he would give him a quick lick on the lips with the promise that when autumn comes he will be allowed to go further from the den unless he stays in the territory.

Even though it was boring to wait for autumn to start, Cosmo was entertained when they started cooking a lot since they became companions, which made them both very happy. They did everything together and also slept together now. Sprout hugged Cosmo a lot and always licked the back of his neck and cheek, since now he knows that Cosmo did not repudiate this act.

Cosmo still remembers Sprout's reaction when Cosmo's leg finally healed and he could walk. It warmed his heart even more.

Cosmo confesses that Sprout had its ups and downs, but regardless, he loved Twisted immensely.

When it was mid-summer, Cosmo had the idea of starting a vegetable garden, as Sprout began to show discomfort when seeking offerings.

It could be because he now has Cosmo as a companion and still remembers that they wanted him to kill Cosmo, and he also remembers the sacrificial offerings.

Even though they no longer offered sacrifices to Sprout, that didn't mean the other Twisteds felt the same way.

Unfortunately, Sprout wouldn't let him leave, which led Cosmo to the idea of waiting for Sprout to leave to collect the offerings, so he could finally take a tour of the territory.

Even though Sprout always said Cosmo could move away from the den when fall arrived, where the Twisteds were calmer and more occupied with fixing their dens and storing food for the winter, the Toon wouldn't wait for fall, as most fruits and vegetables would be very hard to find.

"Cosmo... are you okay?”

Cosmo blinked and looked at Sprout, who was standing at the entrance to the den, looking worried about him.

"O-oh... yes, yes, I'm fine."

"I called you twice... I'm going to get the offerings. There's food in the cauldron I made this morning, okay?"

Cosmo nodded. It would be a good opportunity to take a walk and try to get some seeds for the garden.

‘Sprout will be very surprised and will be a little less worried about me walking through the territory when he sees the vegetable garden!’

"Cosmo... you don't want me to stay?... You're not paying much attention to what I'm saying..."

"No, no, you can go get the offerings! I'm just thinking about one thing. It's a surprise, and when you come back, you'll see!"

Sprout's tail wagged happily at the word "surprise."

"Seriously? What is it!?"

"It's a surprise! When you come back, you'll see.”

Sprout huffs in disappointment, even while wagging his tail. Cosmo laughs at the situation and walks over to him, tugging on his scarf, letting Twisted lower his head so Cosmo can give him a peck.

"And don't rush! Otherwise, it won't be ready."

"Aren't you going to give me any hints?"

"Hmm... it's something that will help us during the next few seasons... I don't know if it'll be useful in winter... but we can work it out if you like!"

Sprout thought, thumping his tail on the ground, trying to guess what this surprise might be.

"Can't you tell me what it is? When I get home, I might still be surprised!"

"Hehe, no, it's a surprise, and hurry up. The offerings won't grow legs and come to you!”

"Okay, I get it... oh! I have a surprise for you too-"

"Really? When you get home, we can show each other!"

"O-okay..."

Sprout gave Cosmo a peck on the lips, grabbed the bag to collect the offerings, and finally left the den, saying goodbye to Cosmo as he walked deeper into the forest. When the Toon could no longer hear the sounds of footsteps and leaves, he ran back to the den to get water, food, and a small bag to collect the seeds. With everything ready, he left the den and went looking for seeds.

Sprout always came with fruits and vegetables, but recently he wasn't getting them anymore. Cosmo can't explain why, he just knows that Sprout was always annoyed by it. Yes, the Twisted loved making sweets and treats for them to eat, but when they live together, Sprout made sure their diet would be a little healthier.

And honestly… Cosmo didn't mind; however, he regretted not saving the seeds, as nature doesn't guarantee there will be seeds in Sprout's territory.

The good thing is that he can take a walk, since Sprout didn't want him to leave their home.

"I hope I don't run into Sprout around here…”

Sprout was out of his territory; he was sure Cosmo would reveal what the surprise was if he told him he had one too.

Even though he had nothing in mind, his curiosity would wane, and when he figured it out, he'd try to find something interesting for Cosmo so the Toon wouldn't be upset by the lie.

But Cosmo decided not to tell him anyway, and now he has to find something interesting for him.

The Twisted doesn't want to give him just anything. The Toon showed great concentration, and it looks like the surprise will be something incredible.

He could order his worshippers to give something interesting, they certainly wouldn't fail in this task, but a few days ago he noticed that they weren't giving offerings anymore and around the offering place there were some plants that were poisonous to the Twisteds, not only was his offering like this, but it was also like this for the other Twisteds he had seen.

When Sprout went to get satisfaction from them the day after the incident, he noticed that one or more Twisteds arrived first and, judging by the destroyed state of the place, it seemed like they didn't want to talk.

He found this behavior strange and didn't understand why they did it. The good thing is that Cosmo wouldn't have to feel uncomfortable and say that everything was fine if Sprout continued to take the offerings (he knows he's not fine)... However, he will have to hunt for his own food and hope to find other Toon’s objects to pretend he took the offering.

It was obvious that Sprout wouldn't tell Cosmo this; it would make him very nervous, worried, and most of all, very scared. Sprout hated seeing his companion scared.

Sprout began hunting small and medium-sized animals so that Cosmo wouldn't suspect if he showed up with several large animals, and he tried to scavenge other territories for fruits and vegetables.

Fortunately, he succeeded.

"Great... now i just need to find something amazing to give Cosmo!"

The Twisted wisted tried to go a little further. Even though he wanted this hunt to be quick and to find a great gift for Cosmo, he could sneak a peek at Cosmo's present. Unfortunately, he'll have to take his time to find something perfect for Cosmo.

Sprout saw a beautiful bush with unusual flowers. They were beautiful, and this made him think of taking the flowering bush with its roots and planting it near the den.

Cosmo would find these flowers beautiful! As he approached, Sprout noticed something strange about the bush, and when he rummaged through it, he found a bag with some strange things inside, probably tools that Toons use.

‘Lucky me! Cosmo will love these two gifts!’

He gave a groan of joy; his gift was definitely going to be better than the one Cosmo was preparing.

A green figure walked through the trees. The bad news was that he recognized it, and worse still, he was in the green Twisted's territory. Even though she didn't attack him, it irritated her, and he confessed that he wouldn't want anyone invading his territory either.

"What are you doing here?"

Sprout backed away, startled by the question. He blinked and saw the green Twisted standing in front of him, her face furrowed.

"Look, I know those idiots aren't loving us anymore and it's hard to find food on our own... but that doesn't mean you have to invade my territory!!!"

"I'M NOT INVADING YOUR TERRITORY!"

"Seriously?... What are you doing behind the markings I made on MY trees?"

"Okay, okay... I'm in your territory, but I swear I'm not here to take anything."

The green Twisted crossed her arms and frowned deeper.

"I saw some fruit is missing from my trees, and what are you doing crouched near this bush!?"

"Okay! I was picking the bush! But for a good reason- By the way! You don't even like flowers in the first place!"

"And you even less!"

"It's not for me, it's for my mate!"

The green Twisted looked at him in disbelief, her mouth twisted and one eyebrow raised.

"Mate!? Since when? You can't even catch a cold, let alone get a mate!?"

She trailed off and looked at Sprout. After processing for a moment, she frowned with a disgusted expression.

"Don't tell me that little thing that invaded my territory at the beginning of spring decided to be your mate! How disgusting, I don't even want to know how you two managed during this season... yuck…”

Sprout rolled her eyes. She had no right to give her opinion on what he did or who he was with. At least he had a mate! Unlike her.

The red Twisted stood to leave, sensing this conversation wasn't going anywhere. He still had time to find a decent gift for Cosmo.

But a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"On second thought... you can take this bush! Like you said... I don't like flowers..."

The red Twisted looked at her confused. Even though he didn't know her, he knew she wasn't charitable... unless...

"Unfortunately, I don't give things away for free... so how about you help me with a little problem I'm having and you can take this bush..."

"It depends... what would the problem be?"

"Don't worry, this problem could also be your problem in the future... and I promise you that if we can solve this problem, you won't just have this bush, but other things... like... I don't know... something your partner might like…”

Sprout looked at the other Twisted with disinterest, seeing that when she mentioned the word "mate," she rolled her eyes in disgust, but his happily wagging tail gave away his answer, making her chuckle softly.

"I see you like the idea…"

"I hope it's not just your problem!"

"My dear… tell me about a time we've united without both of us benefiting from it."

Sprout grunted softly and nodded, following her. The green Twisted led him to a place within her territory he had no idea existed.

Cosmo ate some fruit and stored the seeds in his bag along with other seeds from the fruits, vegetables, and greens that season offered. Unfortunately, he harvested very little, but it was good to return to the den and start gardening.

‘If everything goes well, we could dig a well near the den... it would be very useful so Sprout doesn't have to walk far to find water.’

He stopped in his tracks, eyes wide, when he spotted something in the path… it was a Twisted. It was small and probably Common-class, but it still had the ability to kill a full-grown Toon.

Worst of all, this Twisted noticed Cosmo's presence and followed him, forcing Cosmo to flee, clutching his bag tightly. Several regrets flooded his mind as the Twisted drew ever closer.

He should have listened to Sprout. If he was caught and killed, what would Sprout think? He would surely be very sad and feel guilty. Twisted grabbed Cosmo by the waist and pulled him... instead of killing or biting him, he just hugged him.

"Cosmo! You're alive!!!"

Cosmo blinked and recognized the voice. He turned his head and looked at one of his old friends, a fluffly Toon and the most optimistic of the group... goob.

That made him blank. He thought this was a dream or a hallucination, which was strange since he hadn't eaten or drunk anything strange before leaving.

"DID I EAT A POISONOUS FRUIT!?"

That explained why Goob looked like Twisted, but looking closely now, he realized the Black thing on his face was dirt and his eyes weren't red.

"G-goob?... You're... not dead?..."

"Of course not! I thought you were dead too."

Cosmo's head wouldn't stop spinning. Brightney had sacrificed all his friends... he saw the clothes... blot, eggson, shirmpo…

But he hadn't seen anything of Goob and the others' clothes… he wasn't sure if they'd never found Brightney or if they'd managed to escape.

"I… I have a lot of questions."

"Me too!!! But first, let's get to the camp. We need to tell Ginger and the others that you're alive!"

Goob let go of him and pulled his hand away. Cosmo automatically let go of Goob's hand, making the fluffly Toon look at him.

"Cosmo… are you okay?..."

"I… where are we going…”

"To our new home! With the others. What a silly question to ask."

Cosmo takes a few steps back. He has no proof, but he fears his friends have also sided with Brightney... if they're alive and knew Brightney, they might have followed that sect's teachings. And if it's a trap...

"Okay... I'll just go back and get some things I left at home-"

"Oh! You have a home!?"

Cosmo froze, his heart racing. He wasn't going to tell anyone he was living with a Twisted. Especially when he was practically MARRIED to one…

‘Wait…’

Cosmo thought again. All the members of that sect knew of his existence and that Sprout really liked him. If Goob joined recently, Brightney would tell him about their affair. He had an idea, just to draw his own conclusions.

"W-well... it's not really a house like we're used to seeing... it's just a little place that, luckily, I haven't been attacked by any Twisteds so far..."

"Oh! It must be because of this plant!”

Goob took out his bag and opened it, revealing a strange plant. It was purple and actually quite attractive… it reminded me slightly of a tree sapling.

"Rodger doesn't know where it comes from, but he's seen that the creatures stay away from it, so we plant it around it and never had any problems."

He had mentioned Rodger, so that meant they weren't on Brightney's side… that relieved him.

"Ah! But anyway, you can get your things later! Ginger will be so happy to see you!"

Goob grabbed his hand and ran off, leaving Cosmo to follow him without a choice.

Chapter Text

The two Twisteds walked a little further than expected. Sprout was starting to suspect what the other Twisted was planning. Before he could ask, the green Twisted stopped.

"We're finally here!”

Sprout walks over and stands in front of her and spots a large camp full of Toons. He thought at first it was the Toons who worshipped them... but he didn't recognize anyone there; they were all new faces to him.

"These ungrateful… have made their home in the middle of my territory!"

"And why didn't you attack?... They're Toons, and they don't even have a third of our strength…”

The green Twisted growled and grabbed Sprout's chin with one hand, turning him toward a strip of purple plants. It took a moment for Sprout to analyze and determine what those plants were. An understandable groan escaped his throat. These plants were poisonous to Twisteds; just smelling them made them very sick.

"Oh…"

"Now do you understand?”

"Yes, but what are you going to do about it? They don't understand our language, and I think they don't like us much after those Toons who worshipped us sacrificed them to feed us"

"Let's attack!"

"WHAT!?"

"Let's kill them all! Let's leave a message so they understand what happens when they defy us!"

"No way! You yourself showed me they planted those purple plants!”

The green Twisted again grabs the other Twisted's chin and guides him to a not very high relief, Sprout notices that there were no purple plants around that place and the trail of these plants completed a half circle, but even so, it was dangerous to go down even though it was not that high, they would end up hurting themselves on the way down.

Not to mention that Sprout doesn't want to kill the Toons who lived there, Cosmo wouldn't like this. He slaps the green Twisted's hand away and glares at her.

"Anyway, I don't want to kill anyone there!"

"You're kidding me... they destroyed our offerings and took over part of my territory!"

"That sounds like it's your problem!"

"Is it because of that cake? Good heavens, are you so desperate to get someone that you grabbed the first living thing you saw!?"

Sprout growls at her and gets up to leave.

"You have no say in what I do with my life, and besides, you can keep that bush! There are plenty of others out there-”

"Okay! Only later won't you cry if those Toons feed your beloved to another Twisted like the others did!"

Sprout turns around, more irritated with her. He was ready to defend Cosmo and maybe fight her, but he notices she's staring at the place silently and laughing.

"Looks like they caught him…”

He snorted, thinking it was probably her plan to get them to attack those Toons. As he approached the other Twisted, he glanced back at the camp and let out a startled gasp when he saw Cosmo being forcibly pulled away by a fluffly Toon.

It made his blood boil.

He began to grow very worried, wondering how his companion had managed to be captured when he was inside the den.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you they took a little bit of your territory... don't worry, it's only a small part, and judging by your reaction... I don't think you noticed..."

Sprout now stands beside the green Twisted, very angry. Not because she's making fun of the situation, he's angry at this group of toons, fearing they might be like the toons who once worshipped them, or even worse.

Cosmo looked very scared and sometimes pulled his arms back, but the fluffly Toon still insisted on pulling him back, taking him into the camp.

‘That Toon probably broke into the den and kidnapped Cosmo.’

This thought made Sprout even angrier and very guilty for not staying in the den with his companion; that would have prevented him from being kidnapped.

But this wasn't the time to complain. He needed to come up with a plan to invade the camp with the green Twisted, save Cosmo, and destroy this place!

"We'll have to figure out how to get down without getting hurt. If we get hurt, it'll ruin the attack..."

"Do you want to save your beloved or not? If so, we'll get hurt a little, like you said! They're just toons."

Sprout growled and nodded.

Goob pulled on Cosmo's arm while the other tried to keep up with Goob's hurried steps.

"We're here!"

Goob showed Cosmo the camp; it was so big it was jaw-dropping. Before the rollcake could move forward to enter the camp, something grabbed his waist. When he looked back, he saw it was Goob.

"We don't have to go in there. If we step on the plants, they'll die much faster from our footsteps..."

Cosmo nodded. It made sense, but he soon became confused as to how they could get in without walking through the plants.

Goob grabbed Cosmo's arm again, and they both walked to a huge relief filled with beams and leaves. Goob let go of Cosmo's arm and grabbed the beams, revealing a hidden passageway within them.

"Oh! Impressive..."

"Yes! Come on, I want to see the others' reactions when they see you!"

The fluffly toon ran into the tunnel. Cosmo stood still for a while. It was late, and he didn't know if Sprout would return to the burrow soon... he must be very worried, and if the red Twisted finds out he's here, he might think wrong and attack the other toons, thinking they're the same ones who wanted to kill Cosmo.

‘Calm down, Cosmo... now you can communicate with Sprout... if he shows up, you can tell him that everyone is your friend, and you can also convince them that Sprout is friendly and that he's the one who kept you alive all this time…’

Cosmo sighs. He doesn't know if this will resolve the years-long conflict between the Toons and the Twisteds. He just has to remember to act like a regular Toon and not display the habits he's acquired living with Sprout.

Especially not mentioning that his husband is a Twisted and that they've had sex...

‘It's quick... just say hi and leave!’

Now that he's calmer, he enters the tunnel. The path is long and very dark, probably unlit to avoid attracting attention. Sprout has shown a certain admiration for shiny things (specifically, silverware and kitchen utensils made of silver or stainless steel). Before meeting Sprout, he saw that other offerings contained shiny things… So…A lit tunnel would be attractive to Twisteds…

Cosmo saw the light at the end of the tunnel and followed it. As he crossed, he saw the camp very busy and bustling. He noticed that several Toons had come to where Cosmo was, and that the person responsible was Goob, who was saying something to the Toons and pointing to the tunnel where Cosmo was.

He recognized some faces; others were new, probably Toons they had encountered on the way there, and others were children and babies.

Finally, a small group of toons reached the tunnel and saw Cosmo. The rollcake couldn't help but feel uncomfortable and watched, even though all the Toons weren't there, as they were working and patrolling. He felt a bad feeling, unsure if it was the trauma of joining a group he didn't know everyone there loved the Twisteds (too much)... or something else.

"COSMO!!!”

Cosmo almost fell over when a familiar Toon ran up and hugged him. He could tell by her clothing and white hair that this Toon was his cousin Ginger. He didn't know how to react. He was so happy she was okay and unharmed. He thought she had died, so he hugged her tightly.

"Oh Cosmo... I thought you died from the creatures or worse."

Hearing the word "creature" made him relax even more. This meant they didn't sacrifice Toons or worship the Twisteds.

"I'm so happy to know you're alive..."

Ginger pulls away from Cosmo and looks at him with a sad look. Cosmo already suspects what could be wrong.

"Cosmo... not everyone is here... some... weren't as lucky as us... and... I have to tell you something about Brightney..."

"I know... she joined those crazy people-"

"How do you know?"

"I... ended up finding her and found out she... did that to our companions..."

"And how did you survive!?!"

"Um... I-I ran away."

"But that group was big, we even lost some lives fighting them! Did you have someone by your side!?"

"N-no... Huh... I think it was just luck…”

Cosmo was growing increasingly nervous with the questions his cousin was asking him. He wasn't going to talk about Sprout, she'd freak out- no, everyone would freak out. Just as he thought to change the subject, he noticed one of his old friends arrive, a teacup-like Toon woman, a little older than him and quite charming even in these dark times.

"Cosmo…! What a surprise to see you here! When Goob told me you were here, I couldn't believe it…"

"Teagan!”

Cosmo hugs her tightly, and the teacup pats the cakeroll on the back. With a few soft giggles, she looks at Ginger.

"Oh, Ginger... he can tell you what happened to him later... he must be very tired and scared... imagine spending months alone in the rain, cold, and heat, and also being chased by those filthy, carrion-eating creatures..."

Cosmo nodded, laughing nervously. Teagan hugged Cosmo, and thanks to her, the previous topic was dropped.

"We have a lot to talk about, Cosmo, but first I think you need to see the area- oh! I wish you could meet my kids… they're not even a month old yet, they're so adorable."

"That's wonderful! But… is it safe to have kids… you know… with all this going on?"

Teagan laughs softly as she places her hand on Cosmo's shoulder.

"Of course! We haven't been attacked in two months, and we're even building our own cabins so this place can become a village instead of a makeshift camp."

Ginger walks over and pats Cosmo on the back, giving her cousin a calm smile.

"You can stay in my cabin with me until they build yours!"

"O-oh... about that... I... I don't plan on staying here..."

Ginger and Teagan's sigh echoed through the camp, drawing the attention of some Toons. Even Goob seemed to hear and was shocked by Cosmo's words. Ginger grabbed his cousin's shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"Why!?”

"Look, Ginger… I know it sounds crazy, but… I have a home out there-"

"Out there? Where you can die from those creatures who would see you as a meal!"

"I know how to defend myself! Otherwise, I wouldn't be here!"

"That's lucky! Now that that clan that worships those disgusting beings is gone, the creatures will be more aggressive and hungry than before!"

"But-"

"Ah! And if there are any survivors from that group, it won't be just the creatures you'll have to worry about…"

Cosmo felt revulsion when she talked about Sprout's species like that. He knows all Twisteds are dangerous, but Sprout has proven to be far more conscientious than the others.

He sighed. His cousin was obviously worried about him… he'd had that thought before meeting Sprout… if he could just prove that not every Twisted was like that-

A loud roar rang out from the camp, and along with several quieter screams, everyone at the entrance noticed and looked at each other in confusion.

Another roar rang out. It was different from the previous one, but Cosmo recognized it and immediately froze.

‘Sprout!’

A Toon Cosmo didn't recognize ran over to where the others were, looking a little bruised and bleeding.

"C... Crea- creature! Back there!"

Everyone automatically panicked. In their minds, it was impossible for a Twisted to invade the camp with all the purple plants around.

"How?"

"T...there are two... two creatures are here..."

All the Toons, hearing this, ran in all directions. Teagan and Ginger tried to calm everyone down, while Cosmo took advantage of the chaos to find Sprout and get him to leave.

Toons ran like ants when attacked, screaming and hiding everywhere. The green Twisted roared and attacked several, leaving only the wounded to revel in their despair and pain.

"I've never felt so good hearing those screams! Who told us to stop worshipping-"

"Where's Cosmo?"

"Cosmo?... Oh... the rollcake... I have no idea! He's not my companion, go look for him!”

Sprout snorted and went searching, his nose sniffing the air, smelling various scents, until he snorted violently and put his hand to his nose. Looking at the blood on his hand, he immediately realized it was the purple plant.

‘Wonderful... how am I going to find him…?’

He began wandering through the Toon dens, seeing injured and bruised Toons running around in despair.

Suddenly, he heard crying coming from one of the wooden dens where the Toons lived… he'd never been inside one and was always curious about what it was like inside. The crying was loud and sounded like a youngs.

"THEY STEAL YOUNGS!?!?"

Sprout became even more irritated by this. It wasn't enough to kidnap his mate, steal his offerings, and steal some of his territory; they were also stealing other Twisted's youngs!

Even though those babies aren't his, he wants to save them. Maybe those Toons killed their mother and they'd be next.

Sprout approached the hut and entered, trying to locate the cry it was making in a high nest covered in some very thin furs... it was strange...

Sprout looked around the den, and it looked a lot like her own… only a few things were different, like the wooden floor and walls and the thatched roof.

He saw that no one was there, and the only sounds other than the crying were from the desperate Toons outside.

"Why would someone put a nest so high? it's more easier to put on the ground?... and why is this made of straw? It looks like an offering basket.”

Sprout began to get close enough to the Nest and removed the cloth covering it to find three strange youngs. They were very small, with no black spots on their bodies, and their eyes weren't red. This caused Strawberry to turn her head in confusion.

Looking a little closer, Sprout noticed that they were youngs Toons; they bore no resemblance to a Twisted, nor did they have any fangs sprouting…

‘How do they defend themselves!? And where's their mother!? Why did she leave them alone!?’

He shook his head, noticing that they were still crying, probably because of the chaos he and the green Twisted had caused.

His gaze returned to the still-crying youngs. He knew he wasn't going to kill them; they probably didn't even know what was going on.

Now how can he calm them down... he had never learned how to care for youngs, he just watched the other Twisteds and Toons caring for their own youngs without knowing the context of why every time they had a way to calm a young when it was crying.

After a few seconds of thought, he began making soft chirps and shaking the nest, something he remembered some Twisteds (even his own mother) doing to soothe their crying. And it worked.

The youngs Toons stopped crying, and Sprout's tail began wagging happily as the little ones fell asleep, until it was interrupted by a loud noise and a sharp pain in his shoulder, causing the youngs Toons to cry again.

Irritated, Sprout looked to the side and saw a Toon who looked like a magnifying glass. He was holding a strange object that Sprout hadn't seen any Toon own before… it looked like a stick with a glowing half and smoke coming out of the end.

This Toon said something Sprout didn't understand, but before the Toon could continue, the red Twisted attacked, and of course, it wasn't long before the Toon was grabbed by Sprout's tentacles, sending the silvery twig flying to the other side of the nest.

Sprout growled at the Toon, ready to kill him, but before doing so, he moved his tail toward the nest to shake it, calming the Toon youngs. Sprout noticed that the trapped Toon became frantic when he was near the youngs.

He quickly clicked his tongue and looked at the magnifying glass again, noticing the few similarities between the youngs and this Toon.

This magnifying glass was the father of the young. Soon, its tentacles loosened their grip and slowly released the Toon, who stood right in front of Twisted.

‘Brave…’

Sprout leaned close to his ear and whispered softly, something that made the Toon widen his one eye.

"Cosmo... where are...”

Chapter Text

Rodger maintains his composure, but falters when the creature in front of him stares intently at him… the creature also notices he is trembling slightly as several questions echo in the back of the magnifying glass's mind…

‘Does this thing know Cosmo? How did it know Cosmo? What does it want with Cosmo!?’

The creature growled softly and frowned when Rodger didn't answer its question; it was starting to lose patience.

"Cosmo! Where!?"

Again the creature spoke, its voice somewhat halting, but audible, and Rodger noticed the impatience in its tone.

The shotgun was too far away for Rodger to reach and shoot the creature; he refused the option of running away and leaving his children with him, even though the creature showed no sign of intending to harm or devour the babies.

“Rodger! Sprout!”

The magnifying glass widened its single eye and looked back; the familiar voice was Cosmo's, who rushed into Rodger and Teagan's cabin. Rodger was going to stop the rollcake from entering, afraid it would bump into the creature.

‘Sprout…?’

He paused for a moment, remembering that Cosmo had called his name and another name… who was Sprout!?

Rodger's nonexistent jaw dropped when the rollcake stood before the creature. The creature immediately pulled its tail out of the crib, put it on the ground, and wagged happily like a dog.

To Rodger's astonishment, he saw the two embrace in front of him, leaving him speechless at the sight.

“Cosmo, what the hell is this?!”

Cosmo felt a chill down his spine. He had completely forgotten Rodger was there; he was so focused on finding Sprout, afraid that he or some Toon he knew might get hurt, that he automatically ran towards Sprout to calm him down (and mentally thanked God for finding Sprout and not the other Twisted).

“Explanations, Cosmo!”

Cosmo broke away from the hug, Sprout, his spines bristling, growled slightly at the magnifying glass, only calming down when Cosmo stroked his arm and quietly asked him to calm down.

“Rodger, I promise I’ll tell you, but first let’s get these Twisteds out of here, otherwise-”

“Twisteds!? What’s that!?”

“I’ll explain later! Let’s go!”

“And what about that big guy? I don’t want him near my children, he’ll devour them!”

“I’ll get him out of here! And he doesn’t feed on our flesh, so please gather all the Toons, I’ll get them out of here!”

Rodger hesitated, still a little confused and with several questions he wanted to ask Cosmo. Sighing, he remembered that he didn’t have to get bogged down now; there were two creatures, and one of them must be hurting everyone while they were arguing.

“Okay… but I hope you don’t run away! I have questions and I want answers, otherwise I’ll tell everyone what happened!”

“Yes, yes, I promise! Now please gather all the Toons and I’ll get them out of here!”

Rodger looked at Cosmo, holding the creature’s hand and pulling it out of the cabin, guiding it to another place. He sighed and closed the cabin door when he was sure his children were no longer crying.

“Cosmo! Are you alright?”

Sprout continued forward with his companion pulling him by the hand. He sensed that Cosmo was a little upset and very worried.

“Cosmo… sorry for barging in here… I saw you being pulled into this place and you seemed scared-”

“How did you know I was here?...”

Sprout swallowed hard. How could he explain everything about the group that worshipped him being practically dead, that he and the green Twisted wanted to attack the camp (if it weren't for Cosmo, Sprout would have left), and all the chaos they caused because of a possible misunderstanding?

“Cosmo… I’m sorry… I wanted to give you a gift, I didn’t have anything to give you… and you seemed so excited about the surprise you were making for me… I wanted to give you something special too… but that group-”

“Why didn’t you tell me about the Toons group?... I heard they were destroyed… some escaped…”

“I… didn’t want to worry you… or make you afraid that I wouldn’t be able to get food for us during the other seasons…”

“Sprout… I understand… next time something happens, tell me… I always tell you about my problems… I also want to hear about yours…”

Sprout looks away, he feels so stupid. He and Cosmo are a couple now, and just like couples made up of two Toons, they should share their problems and insecurities, not keep them to themselves. The red Twisted's eyes widen when he feels Cosmo's lips touching his hand, and then he caresses him.

“We’ll talk about this later… I accept your apology, but now we have to get you and your friend out of here.”

“She’s not my friend-”

A shrill scream echoed through the camp, alerting the couple, who immediately followed the sound. They remained hidden so that no Toon would see them together. When they reached the source of the noise, they saw, hidden, that the green Twisted was attacking more fiercely than the Toons with their weapons, and was shooting at her. She was badly injured, which made Cosmo sigh in fear.

“Sprout! Save her, I’ll get the Toons’ attention-”

“Don’t you think it’s better if she stays there?... Like… she almost killed you last season and-”

“Sprout!”

“Okay, okay… but I have a better idea.”

Cosmo hesitated for a moment, thinking Sprout might hurt someone, especially the green Twisted, but he remained silent and placed all his trust in him.

Tentacles appeared on the ground, grabbing some Toons and forcing them to follow the black patch where the tentacles might emerge; some of them were attacking them. Luckily, the attacks were painless for the red Twisted.

The green Twisted looked confused, but recognized the tentacles and looked around until she saw the rollcake and the other Twisted waving for her to come over while the toons were busy.

She stumbled at first, but managed to reach them and followed them. Sprout signaled for her to follow him. Cosmo was in front of them, always looking around for anything that might approach.

"Why did you call me?"

"You were almost dying."

Sprout whispered as he followed his companion through the Toon's wooden dens. Sprout's earlier statement had irritated the green Twisted.

"Everything was under control! I didn't need your help!"

"I could see that..."

The red Twisted looked down at the other Twisted, who seemed badly injured and even limped slightly. The green Twisted just snorted at his analysis.

"Remember that bush is still part of the agreement! If you keep making these jokes-"

His hand landed quickly on her screen, causing her to give him a light shock.

"Don't you dare silence me! Your companion doesn't even know our language, he doesn't even know you attacked the place because of a bush-"

"YOU DID WHAT, SPROUT!?”

Both Twisteds stopped and flinched as the Toon in front of them glared at them indignantly. The green Twisted was surprised that the other Twisted's companion knew their language, and also surprised that the red Twisted had a name.

“We’ll talk about this later, we don’t have time to discuss it. You two have to get out of here or it will get worse… since they know your weakness…”

Cosmo continued guiding them to the tunnel entrance he had entered. He looked around to see if there were any Toons. Luckily, Rodger arrived first and got them all out.

“Great! Get out of here and please… don’t come back here, it will be worse for you—by the way, how did you get in!?”

They both remained silent, which was irritating Cosmo. He opened his mouth to repeat the question until the green Twisted pointed to a low elevation. He looked at the spot, wondering how they had descended without getting hurt.

Until he looked at the two of them more closely.

Cosmo was very worried, noticing that Sprout was injured and covered in dirt; he still had a bullet wound in his shoulder. But there was no way Cosmo could fix that now; the two Twisted needed to leave quickly.

“Alright… now go before they find out where you are! And… Sprout…”

The green Twisted sped into the tunnel, while Sprout watched his companion intently.

“Meet me at that lake you showed me once… so we can talk more about today’s events… but unfortunately, I have to convince my friend that you’re not a threat…”

Sprout blushed, nodding his head. He leaned down and kissed his companion’s lips lightly, giving a quick lick along with the kiss before entering the tunnel, following the green Twisted.

As he left, Sprout found the green Twisted standing there, staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Sprout… is that your name? Sprout?”

Sprout rolled his eyes and walked away, trying to ignore the other Twisted even though she was still following him; she wouldn't stop saying his name, which was already irritating him.

“And you!? You have a fantastic name, it seems!”

“Of course I do~” “Really? What would that be?”

The red Twisted crossed his arms while the green Twisted cleared her throat and gave a light giggle.

“My name is Vee!”

“Pft… and then my name is the weird one.”

Vee sighed irritably and began cursing Sprout, who in turn only continued walking so he could quickly return to his burrow, until a hand landed on his shoulder, making him turn around.

“Look… I waited for you at the end of the tunnel not to talk about your name… It’s more to thank you.”

Sprout raised an eyebrow, without saying a word. In all the years of his life, he had heard another Twisted thank another… Especially her.

“B-but anyway… what about your mate? Is he coming?”

“I… I don’t know… I’ll only know tomorrow.”

“What do you mean!? He’s your mate! You have to fight for him!”

“I know… but he asked me to wait for him tomorrow… he must be very upset with me…”

Vee watches Sprout, a little distressed, overly worried about his companion. He still thinks it's disgusting for a Toon and a Twisted to have any kind of romantic relationship, but he's pretty sure he wouldn't be able to sleep knowing he was saved by this dramatic strawberry…

“Hey… do you still want the flowers from that bush?”

Sprout looked at the green Twisted and shook his head in denial.

“Too bad, because I had an idea of ​​how he could forgive you-”

“Seriously!?—wait… this isn't a joke?”

“Of course not! Do you think I'm going to let you save my life and just leave it like this? No, we're not friends to do this without something in return, and I have something that can reward you for helping and saving me!”

Finally, everyone calmed down. Several Toons were rushed to the camp's nurses, and Cosmo arrived just in time, finding all the Toons in a rather busy area due to the attack.

Cosmo swallowed hard, looking at the damage Sprout and the other Twisted had done to the camp. He needed a good story to convince Rodger to side with him.

‘It’s going to be hard to convince him now…’

“Cosmo!”

Cosmo felt someone hug him tightly. When he broke free, he saw it was his cousin, her expression worried.

“Did they hurt you?!”

“N-no! I’m fine… and you… are you okay?”

Ginger nods and hugs Cosmo again. Cosmo reciprocates, but his gaze focuses on Rodger, who is standing with his arms crossed, staring at them. Apparently, Rodger hasn't told all the Toons about Sprout yet and won't be telling them anytime soon, until he and Cosmo have a private place to discuss it.

"That's why I don't want you out there alone... I-I just don't understand how they got in here... it's full of these plants and-”

“Ginger… are you sure you put them everywhere?...”

Cosmo pointed at the terrain; it was possible to see scratched earth and some pieces of grass falling.

Some Toons murmured about it, causing some to go there to quickly plant the purple plants before other Twisteds noticed and entered as well. Like the other Twisteds, Rodger approached Cosmo and lightly patted him on the shoulder.

“Since Cosmo is going to stay with us, it would be best to find him somewhere to sleep… Ginger, could you leave the Toons alone?”

“O-oh… yes, I can do that… goodnight Cosmo…”

Cosmo nods to his cousin, who goes after the other Toons. The rest return to their cabins or finish patrolling the area, leaving the magnifying glass and rollcake alone.

“I’m surprised you didn’t run off with that thing-”

“His name is Sprout.”

“Right… I didn’t know they had names… anyway, you have to answer some questions if you don’t want the others to know that your friend is a creature…”

Cosmo nodded and followed Rodger, even though his statement sounded like a threat; his tone of voice seemed more like a warning. Cosmo doesn't judge him; the magnifying glass knows nothing about the Twisteds and thinks they are murderous beasts.

“Do you accept sleep in my cabin with Teagan? It's nothing… but I have to make sure you don't participate in that sick cult that Brightney was in…”

“I guarantee you I’m not part of it, Rodger…”

“We’ll see about that…”

The two Toons arrived at the cabin where they were when the attack occurred.

Teagan seemed panicked when she saw the Twisted’s blood on the floor and some scratches, but calmed down when she saw that her children were safe and unharmed, which she found strange.

Rodger also wondered about this, but told his wife that Cosmo had chased the Twisted away before it could harm the babies (which wasn't entirely a lie).

Teagan, calmer, went to the other room to put her children to bed before going to sleep herself.

Once they had both ensured the cup had completely fallen asleep, Rodger gestured for Cosmo to sit down and recount everything that had happened during the time he and his group were separated.

Cosmo's cheeks flushed; many things had happened. Rodger, in turn, promised not to make judgments unless it was something immoral like murder or something related to the group of murderous Toons.

Feeling a little more secure, Cosmo recounted how he ate an offering and angered a creature… that it was the green creature that attacked the camp. The sentence made Rodger's eye twitch slightly, but he didn't question anything and asked him to continue.

Then he said that he fell into Sprout's offering, the Twisted one he saw near his children, and took Cosmo to his den, took very good care of him and the leg he had hurt in the fall, but he still had the thought of escaping from there and when he managed to, he found Brightney who took him to a camp that she didn't mention was the group that loved the creatures.

Rodger simply nodded and said nothing, but his expression changed when Cosmo stammered a little as he spoke about Sprout asking those Toons to find him a wife during the Twisted's mating season.

“...a Toon who participated in this cult was chosen to be Sprout's wife… but she had run away… they hadn't received any sign that Sprout might get angry… so… she said she thinks he thought that I… you know… that I… would be his husband…”

“And…”

“Well… they thought it would be a good idea to kill me, but Sprout saved me and attacked them, taking me back to his den… well… I had found a book that taught their language inside the Brightney camp…”

“Interesting… Do you still have that book?…”

“It’s in Sprout’s den…”

Rodger nodded, something was bothering him, and it certainly wasn't Cosmo saying "Twisted" instead of "creature" at the beginning and end of this story; it was more about mating season and wives.

"You ran away and he always found you after that day?..."

"No, no... He thought it best to find other toons so I could live better... since I wasn't his husband... but... I gave up during the spring-”

“What!?”

“You said you wouldn’t judge me, right?...”

“R-right… keep talking…”

“Right… I… decided to become Sprout’s companion.”

Rodger was about to give a loud lecture, but he stopped himself. He didn’t want to scare his wife and children, and he had also promised not to judge Cosmo. Unfortunately for him, this fact didn’t involve murder or anything related to that cult. He sighed and clasped his hands, staring intently at Cosmo.

“Why?”

"He never hurt me, he always brought me presents... even if they were things I'd already seen, he took care of me when I was hurt, he always cooked for me and did everything for me... he was even overprotective... too much…”

Rodger looked around and stood up from his seat to walk around the room. Cosmo understood that his friend was in shock at this information… even Cosmo wouldn't believe him if he fallin in love with a Twisted.

“Okay Cosmo… and now?... What are you going to do now?... You can’t live with one foot in camp and the other in the forest.”

“I don’t know… I wanted to live with Sprout… but how am I going to tell the others- and Ginger!? If your reaction was like that, imagine how Ginger will react!”

Cosmo lowered his face into his hands, letting out a long sigh. Rodger began to feel guilty for having reacted negatively to his friend, even though it was something repulsive to Toons; that creature hadn't shown any aggression…

“Cosmo… what were he and that Twisted doing here at camp?”

“Sprout saw me being taken inside… I think he thought you were the group that idolized him… or thought you were going to kill me… after what happened with Brightney…”

The magnifying glass nodded and groaned as an idea came to its mind.

“Is he coming back here to camp?...”

“No… I… I wanted to see him again…”

“Right… I have a deal, but it has to be made with him.”

Cosmo took his hands away from his face and looked at Rodger, confused. Just as he was about to speak, the magnifying glass silenced him.

“First, go to sleep. We’re waking up early to hunt tomorrow.”

“O-okay…”

Rodger showed him the room where he would sleep and lent him one of his pajamas. The rollcake couldn’t help but feel anxious about it; he was afraid something might happen to Sprout and that a new conflict might arise…