Better (Pure Vanilla Cookie x Reader)

9

"Oh."

"I finally found that containment spell." They smile.

"Wow. I haven't heard you mention that in forever." (C/F) Cookie chuckles in surprise.

"Yeah, because it took me three moons to find because SOMEONE didn't help me!" They huff angrily. "I read the blueprint it's on like twelve separate times before realizing it was a spell!"

Their angry posture makes (C/F) Cookie snicker before asking, "Where are the cuffs?"

"All on that table in the back of the workshop where I left them." Strawberry Crepe Cookie crosses their little arms.

"Do you want me to attempt that spell right now?"

"The sooner the better really." They shrug, "I'll run the diagnostics on it first, just to make sure it's completely ready."

"Great. Do you want me to help?"

"I got it." Strawberry Crepe Cookie frowns, "I need you to help catch up on the fixing projects for the Villagers. One of them broke a music box and I'm not sure we have all the pieces for it."

"Alright." (C/F) Cookie watches them hurry off into the workshop.

After fixing a few broken toasters, rewinding a watch, and recalibrating the timer on a microwave, (C/F) Cookie turns their attention to the broken music box.

It has literally been snapped in half. How did they even do this? There are definitely pieces missing, including the actual mechanism that would play the music box—the note comb.

"I got the—" Strawberry Crepe Cookie says, coming to stand beside where they're hunched over the table, staring at the mess.

"How did this happen?"

"Some idiot wanted to test restoration magic on it." The crepe arms box the shattered box, "Took a hammer to it."

"Clearly they weren't paying attention when Pure Vanilla Cookie explained it then."

"Well, that's not the problem we can fix." Strawberry Crepe Cookie frowns.

"I don't think we can fix this either. That one piece that plays the music is gone." (C/F) Cookie sighs.

"You can tell the kid that." The crepe arms pull their chair back and lift them, "Come on."

"Why are you carrying me?"

"Because I can!" They snap angrily.

"...Fair enough?"

"Here." (C/F) Cookie is placed in front of a table with all the cuffs and Berry Bishop blueprint they're all holding down. Strawberry Crepe points at a spell circle and the writing beneath it. "This one."

(C/F) Cookie reads it over once and sighs, "I have some unfortunate news."

"What now?"

"This is the restoration spell they use to heal." They frown.

"Are you kidding me!" Strawberry Crepe Cookie groans.

"I wish I was."

"Ugh! Is the containment spell really not written anywhere?!" The kid yells into the workshop.

"I could probably find it in the castle library." (C/F) Cookie offers awkwardly.

"You haven't done that?!?!" Strawberry Crepe Cookie rounds on them.

"Uh... Yeah... I didn't think it would be this hard to find it..."

"UGH!!!" The pink-haired child runs off into a different part of the Hangar.

(C/F) Cookie stares after them before returning to the broken music box. "I'm gonna go ask that kid if they found any more of the pieces!"

"Whatever!"

Setting off into town, (C/F) Cookie heads for the Crow's Nest. Hopefully they could ask around and figure out who the box belongs to pretty fast.

"(C/F) Cookie!" Black Raisin Cookie greets them enthusiastically.

"Hey Black Raisin Cookie." They wave, "Do you happen to know who shattered a music box?"

"A music box?" She frowns, "Yes, I know who that would be."

"Great because I'm trying to fix it, but I'm missing one of the most important pieces." They explain.

"I did tell them not to do that." She sighs. "I can tell them you need any more of the pieces they have."

"Thanks."

"But this letter did come for you." She hands them a neat envelope with their name written on the back in familiar handwriting.

"Oh, I know who that's from." (C/F) Cookie takes it from her hands, "Thanks for getting it to me."

"No problem." She smiles, "The crows often get the mail, so we ensure it gets delivered to the right Cookies."

"Oh, that's nice of you." They smile, awkwardly holding the letter in their hands.

"Tell Strawberry Crepe Cookie hello from us." She says.

"I will." They watch her hurry off.

Once they get back to the Hangar, they go to their bed and open up the letter:

'Hey (C/F) Cookie! Hope you're doing ok.

It's almost that time of year again so I sent you this letter to make sure you're alright. Be sure to at least have a sandwich and some soda water every day. I hope your lack of communication means you're busy taking care of yourself.

Things are... less than ok in Graham. There's a rumor going around that the library is going to lose its sponsorship from the Republic (I know how much you loved that building so I thought you'd want to know it might close before you visit–if you do) because of a severe drop in magicanical productions here.

You were replaced as lead engineer by that one Cookie you'd always come home and complain to me about–you know, the one that's a lazy idiot–and things have gone less than well for the engineering company since you left. Serves them right if you ask me, they didn't realize what an asset you were until like two moons after you left and nothing got done at all.

They're probably going to start pushing for you to come back. It likely won't be worth it to open any letters from there, so spare yourself the heartache.

You don't have to worry about me. I'm moving out of Graham as well. I got a job in the Hollyberry Kingdom, so I'll be headed there in case you ever stop by. In fact, I'll probably be there by the time this reaches you. It's kind of a ways away from the Vanilla Kingdom, but it's closer than Graham if you ever want to bring yourself and your new friends (which I am certain you have) over for a sandwich sleepover.

Hope your well,
Roommate Cookie'

(C/F) Cookie frowns as they scan the letter again. Had they really been here that long? It didn't feel like it.

They were glad to hear from Roommate Cookie—and that if they wanted to visit they wouldn't have to go back to Graham—but it brought an uneasy feeling to their chest. It felt like any confidence they had in themself was hit in just the right spot to shatter in a clean enough way to stay together. A lump formed in their throat and they reached under their pillow, pulling out their unused, useless staff and the twenty-three letters they had tried to forget about.

They weren't going to cry about this. Not again. Not when they had finally gotten to learn magic.

"(C/F) Cookie!" Strawberry Crepe Cookie calls from the workshop, "Come here! I need your help with this!"

"Coming!" They shove the Roommate Cookie's letter under their pillow with the rejection letters.