Author's Notes: Wow, it feels like forever since I've been able to post anything on this site. It probably hasn't been all that long, but it feels that way to me. I would like to thank everyone who has given this experiment a chance, and I will do my best to make this story a good one. In this chapter not a lot happens since this chapter is more to establish character rather than move the plot along. I'd call it a laid back chapter. Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing my fic, and I hope you enjoy this chapter of "Frost Byte".
Other Notes: Toontown and Who Framed Roger Rabbit may or may not take place in the same universe. Also, Dilbot is a shout out to one of my favorite comic strips; Dilbert :)
Chapter 2
The New Shop
16 years had passed since the initial Cog invasion. Oddly enough things in Toontown had returned to a sort of normalcy, though no one could really say life was the same as before. The Cogs continued to advance on the various regions of Toontown, but the Toons had become more proficient in defeating Cogs and reclaiming their land. It seemed to be a never-ending cycle of battle and respite, but at least it wasn't nearly as fatal as it had been in the beginning.
One thing that changed was how gags were sold to Toons. Toons now needed to train for certain types of gags and certain levels of the same gag so that no one got stuck trying to work with more than they could handle. Despite the difficulty, however, most young Toons still decided to go through with gag training and fight against the Cogs to save their home. It was nothing short of a civilian army.
It was in this landscape that Patsy, a tall pink bunny in a blue dress, and her photographer Oliver McQuack, a yellow duck wearing a baseball cap and a striped shirt with red shorts, worked together at News For The Amused in Toon Central. It was a small but respected newspaper with lots of comics and pages for coloring. Patsy mostly wrote cute stories like PIG AND FISHING POLE SAVE THE DAY and DOES YOUR DOODLE LOVE YOU? SCIENCE SAYS YES! It was a job both Toons loved and excelled at.
On this particular day a new shop had opened up in the playground area next to Goofy's Gag Shop, and it was Patsy's and Oliver's job to report on the grand opening. It was a candy store called Neat Sweet Treats, and the candy there was said to increase a Toon's happiness by anywhere from 5 to 15 points depending on what flavor one got. Patsy was excited to write all about it, and Oliver had his camera at the ready to take lots of photos.
When they got inside the candy store they could see there was already a long line. The walls and front display case were filled with delicious looking treats, and standing at the counter was an aqua blue colored deer with glasses and a plain outfit consisting of a white button down shirt and a khaki skirt. Patsy wanted to interview the new shopkeeper but knew she would have to wait for the line to thin out.
"Hey Patsy, look!" Oliver McQuack exclaimed, "Fudgy Balls with sprinkles! Let's get that!"
"Okay," Patsy replied agreeably, "Maybe we could also get some Fruity Cubes and Pop 'Ems. Those things are great!"
Both Toons loaded up a couple bags full of goodies and waited in line to make their purchases. It took a few minutes before the line moved enough for them to buy their items, but Patsy didn't waste any time and asked questions of those that had already bought things and tried samples. Apparently the reviews so far were good.
Finally they made it to the front, and the deer girl took their items one by one and rang them up on what had to be the fanciest looking cash register Patsy had ever seen. Most Toons just used a regular register with pop-up pictures of the items, but this thing only had numbers and symbols on it. How could anyone read such a complicated thing?
"Your total is 27 jellybeans," The deer told Patsy in a drab nasally voice, "Would you like to receive our weekly specials flier?"
"Um, no thanks," Patsy replied politely, "But I would like to interview you for my column in News For The Amused. We like to feature new shopkeepers for our Toon interest stories."
"That sounds beneficial. Meet me after closing time," The deer instructed, "I'll be right here. Thank you and have a productive day."
Patsy and Oliver paid the deer and scampered off to eat their candy. As it turned out everything was delicious, though Oliver ate all the Fudgy Balls before Patsy could try any, so to get him back she swiped a Fruity Cube he was going to eat before he got the chance. He gave her a challenging yet not unfriendly look, and they raced each other to the trolley to play tag.
A few hours of trolley games later and the duo realized it was dark outside. The candy store had been closed for a while now, and they feared they had missed their chance to interview the new Toon in town. Just to make sure she was actually gone Oliver went over to the window and peeked, only to see the deer was still there sitting in a chair and organizing jelly beans by color into separate sacks.
"She's still in there! We can still get the interview!" Oliver shouted at Patsy, who was across the playground near the HQ.
The deer heard the shouting as well and went to open the door for the reporters. She stepped aside as the duck and rabbit made their way in. She sat down at her chair while they remained on the other side of the counter.
"Thank you for staying in the shop and waiting for us," Patsy said gratefully.
"I wasn't waiting for you," The deer replied dully, "Honestly I forgot you were coming. So, how should we begin?"
"Well, first of all tell us a little bit about yourself," Patsy replied cheerfully as she took out a notepad and pen, "What made you want to open a candy shop?"
"There are only ice cream parlors and diners in this region of Toontown," The deer replied matter-of-factly, "Candy seemed like an untapped market with a high growth potential. I figure sales will remain at a steady increase for the next four quarters, and then afterward decline should happen at a slow enough rate to allow for a rebound in the market after a brief lull."
Patsy's eyes were glazed over after hearing that answer. What in the world was that? Did the deer even answer the question? It sounded more like the mumbo jumbo one would hear from a Double Talker after it got squirt with water.
"Um...okay," Patsy floundered for a moment before recovering enough to say, "So, what's your name? Where are you from?"
"My name is Frost Byte. That is spelled B-Y-T-E," The titular deer replied, "And I am from the outskirts of Daisy Gardens."
"Hey, my mom is from Daisy Gardens," Oliver McQuack replied happily, "Do you know Raindew Muttonchop McWaddle?"
"No, I'm afraid I don't," Frost replied apologetically, "I'm sorry to say I don't make new contacts easily. I tend to be rather...I suppose rigid would be the correct word for it. I know that will probably hinder my shop's performance a bit, but hopefully my product will be good enough for Toons to overlook my less than stellar personality."
"Oh, don't put yourself down so much," Patsy waved away the comments, "I'm sure you're a great friend once Toons get to know you. After all, only a true artist can make candy that restores Laff the way yours does."
"Restores what?" Frost asked in confusion, "Could you repeat that please? It might be a good marketing ploy."
"Laff," Patsy repeated, though with a hint of confusion, "I mean, you had to know candy is good for your Laff, right?"
"I, um..." Frost wasn't sure whether to voice her next question or not, but ultimately curiosity got the better of her, "What is 'Laff'?"
Patsy and Oliver looked at the shopkeeper like she had lost her mind. Who didn't know about Laff? It was as basic as breathing and throwing a pie in someone's face. Still, the serious and bewildered face Frost was making indicated that she wasn't joking.
"Your Laff is a sign of your overall health," Patsy explained to Frost Byte, "It's that funny feeling inside that makes you Toony. Without Laff energy we'd all be nothing but soulless sad-sacks. Don't you go to the doctor to check on whether or not your Laff has been restored after a hard battle or a long day?"
"My doctor never mentioned Laff to me before," Frost replied calmly; unaware of the full implications of low Laff, "He did say however that my posture is a bit off. He believes it is due to the chair I slept on at home and suggested suing the company. I chose not to since I didn't have the time."
Oliver leaned over to Patsy asked whispered "What's suing?"
"I think I've heard the term," Patsy whispered back, "But I don't know what it means. I think it's like a stapler or something," Patsy then turned back to Frost and said "You should get your Laff checked out. If you haven't been maintaining it properly then you might be close to going sad. To be honest, you already look kind of listless. That might be a sign of low Laff energy. If you want, Oliver and I could go with you to see Dr. Tom Foolery. He's great with new patients."
"Why would you do that for me? You don't even know me," Frost asked in confusion.
"Well, we could be friends, right?" Patsy asked hopefully, "Oliver and I love making new friends! We could exchange phone numbers if you want...or not, either way is okay."
"Exchange numbers?" Frost asked, her ears perking up, "Alright then. We can meet in front of the doctor's office tomorrow afternoon after I close the shop."
Patsy and Oliver McQuack agreed and the three of them exchanged numbers. Patsy was happy to make a new friend and help a Toon out, Oliver was happy the interview was short so he could go home and get some sleep, and Frost was happy to finally have some contact numbers in her rolodex.
The next day Patsy and Oliver McQuack walked over to Dr. Foolery's office, and just as promised Frost Byte was already waiting there. The deer was looking up at the sky and adjusting her glasses as if she wanted to see something more clearly. Oliver and Patsy walked over and greeted her with warm Toony smiles, and Frost Byte smiled back at them, although with less enthusiasm.
"I am grateful you came with me to make an appointment with the doctor," Frost said in a placid manner, "I couldn't find a phone book anywhere so I wasn't able to call him."
"Phone books haven't existed in Toontown for years," Oliver informed her, surprised she didn't know, "We had to discontinue them when Cogs got ahold of them and called Toons so much they caused a chronic wave of sadness. It was called the Ginormous Telemarketer Plague of a Bunch of Years Ago."
Frost raised her eyebrow at that ridiculous overly long name, but decided not to ask about the subject. Instead she walked into the doctor's building with her new newsy friends in tow.
When Frost got inside she could see that the reception office was small and decorated in green wallpaper. It looked newly decorated, and smelled more like a bakery than a sterilized medical facility. Standing at the counter was a royal blue duck wearing a white T-shirt and looking at the group with a friendly expression.
"Excuse me," Frost called out as she approached the desk, "I would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Tom Foolery."
"I'm Dr. Tom, nice to meet you," The duck replied jovially, "Hi Oliver, hi Patsy!"
"Hi, Dr. Tom," Patsy greeted him and waved while Oliver likewise waved, "This is Frost Byte. She owns Neat Sweet Treats in the playground. She wants to know more about her Laff. Can you help her?"
"Of course, right this way," Dr. Tom replied as he started walking to the back room.
Frost Byte hesitated for just a moment, surprised at how unprofessional this all felt. She wasn't used to going to a doctor and then being admitted immediately. Appointments were usually scheduled weeks in advance, and then once the appointment was made one would usually have to negotiate with her supervisor to be allowed to take a personal day off work. Tom Foolery's way just seemed...odd.
The room they went into was small but at least this part actually sort of looked like a doctor's office. Sort of because Frost wasn't used to seeing examining tables with comfy cushions or tongue depressors stored in the same jar as lollipops. In fact, Frost had never seen a doctor that kept lollipops around at all. What was the point of having candy in a doctor's office? A doctor's office was no place for fun in her opinion.
"So, what seems to be the trouble with your Laff?" Dr. Tom asked conversationally as he took out his toolkit and some sort of meter.
"She didn't know what Laff energy is," Oliver explained, "Do you think she got hit on the head with an anvil or something?"
"Good grief!" Frost exclaimed; taken aback by such a bold assumption.
"You don't know about your Laff?" Dr. Tom asked in concern, "Well then I supposed you don't have your own Laff reader. That's alright. I'll give you one. No need to worry."
"Give? As in free?" Frost asked for clarification.
"Of course. A Laff reader is something every Toon needs," Dr. Tom replied, "Now, I'm going to take a reading. You won't feel a thing."
Frost Byte sat there quietly and waited for the ducky doctor to finish his work. Patsy and Oliver waited patiently as well, hoping it wasn't bad news. Dr. Tom waved the scanner over Frost, waited a minute, and then the little device beeped. Dr. Tom looked at the results, and gasped in shock.
"Great Casper's ghost!" Dr. Tom shouted, his eyes bugging out when he saw the meter.
"What is it?" Patsy asked frantically, "Is her Laff at zero?"
"It's worse than that," Dr. Tom replied gravely, "I've never seen an adult Toon with a Laff this chronically low."
"What do you mean, Doc?" Oliver asked.
"A normal maximum Laff at Frost's age would be a minimum of 15," Dr. Tom explained, "Even if the meter went down to nothing, at least it could go back up to 15 or higher. However, Frost Byte's Laff only goes up to 5. Right now it's at 3 of 5, but it won't go much higher than that."
"So 5 is...a bad number?" Frost asked to make sure she understood.
"5 is the number an infant Toon is born with," Dr. Foolery explained, "Laff energy is upgraded as you get older and experience new funnier things. Yours, however, hasn't changed. I've never seen an adult Toon that had such a low maximum Laff. My guess is some sort of defect in the drawing process, or perhaps you saw something that made you permanently depressed. Tell me, did your parents take you to the playground enough as a child? Did you eat enough sweets? Watch enough movies? Scamper about in nature to find beautiful things to bring you joy?"
"Um...I don't understand most of what you just said," Frost Byte admitted with a blank look on her face, "What was that one word you said about the playground?"
"I asked if your parents took you there," Dr. Tom repeated.
"Parents. Yes, that was the word," Frost Byte nodded as she became increasingly puzzled, "Now, explain the word parents to me. What does it mean?"
"What does it mean?" Patsy repeated in shock, "Come on Frost, your parents! You can have one or two, but everyone knows what they are. They're the people who drew you, raised you, told you right from wrong, and helped you become who you are today."
"Oh, you mean like a supervisor," Frost nodded, thinking she understood.
"No!" Patsy squealed, "Your parents love you, and help you laugh, and play with you. They feed you, and clothe you, and...how can you not know what that is?"
"It still sounds like a boss to me," Frost Byte shrugged, "Not that it matters. The matter at hand is whether or not my Laff can ever be returned to a state of normalcy. Doctor, what do you recommend?"
"Oh, well that's easy," Dr. Tom replied with a smile, "Just go out and have fun. Help out your neighbors. Do things that make you feel happy and accomplished. Go out and find things that are funny and beautiful."
"Wait," Oliver stopped him, "If Frost doesn't have enough maximum Laff, then I don't think the normal methods will work on her. I mean, how did her Laff get so low in the first place?"
"What I want to know is how you lived so long being this way," Patsy said to Frost with a sympathetic look in her eyes, "I mean, to barely be able to find joy in life at all, and yet you get up every day and greet the big Toony world anyway. That's one of the bravest things I've ever seen. Perhaps we can explore your condition so we can raise awareness for other Toons who might be experiencing the same thing."
"Oh, for crying out- I'm not diseased!" Frost exclaimed in annoyance, "I'm just boring! There's nothing wrong with being boring. My Laff is sufficient for the life that I lead. If I get too sad I can just read some Dilbot comics. Those always cheer me up."
"I've never read that comic series," Patsy admitted, "Must be from Blues News or something."
"I happen to have one in my pocket," Frost Byte said before pulling out a crumpled piece of paper and handing it to Patsy.
Patsy looked down at the wrinkled up comic, and saw that the two characters in the panels were cogs. One was a Flunky and the other was a Headhunter with pointy hair for some reason. The Flunky said "I've given my entire functional life to this company, and now you're firing me just so you can keep your own job?" To which the Headhunter replied "Don't think of it as firing, think of it as targeted immolation.".
"Oh no," Patsy said in a shaky voice, "I think my Laff went down 12 points. That is such a mean and depressing comic. There's no slapstick, no chase scene, nothing. It's just a Cog getting fired by another Cog. Frost Byte, this might be part of the problem. You're reading depressing comics."
"It's observational humor," Frost shrugged; not seeing the problem, "It's funny because this is very close to how Cog office politics actually works."
Oliver raised an eyebrow at that statement, but no one noticed him or his reactions as they continued to talk about Frost's condition. Something didn't seem right about this new Toon. Her Laff was too low, she never left her shop even to go to her estate, her demeanor and manner of speech was odd to say the least, and despite her inability to fight Cogs she still seemed to have a working knowledge of them. Oliver McQuack hoped he was wrong, but he suspected that Frost Byte might be a Cog sympathizer, maybe even a spy.
