Chapter Four: Doubtful Disguise.
Saint Pastry, when that name comes to mind, you think of an angel. An angel that once served, or served god in a way that was filled with nothing but pure bliss. A way an angel is formed is they were good throughout, or, most of their life. Saints always had the best lives, right?
Well, when it came to Pastry's family tree, and the family in general, she could easily debunk that stereotype.
"You dare to talk back to your father?!" Father said as he slapped Pastry in the face as Pastry's tears had started to drown her face out.
"You ungrateful disgusting brat... you... you ruined the family name, and now it is time to pay!"
"What daughter did I raise?! What devil has possessed my baby?!" Mother said loudly as she went behind father, her eyes swelling with tears and terror as Pastry was held down by two sisters.
"Mommy!..." Pastry stuttered out as she tried to run over to Mother, but failed as her wrists were held tightly by the two emotionless sisters behind her.
"Please!... I didn't hurt Dove! Daddy's... Father is lying to you!" Pastry begged as her eyes started to shine, the salty tears kept pouring as her face began to turn red, the frustration and panic in Pastry's face was enough to show how much she hated Father.
"I hate you father! You ruined my mommy, you ruined Dove, and now you are going to kill me!? You are a murderer! Burn in hell!"
"Take that pest away from me at once oh Godly Sisters, and rebake her to a normal girl!" Father demanded as the sisters dragged Pastry towards the radiating oven.
The oven had slowly started to make Pastry feel like she was going to melt, her eyes had teared up more due to the intensity of the heat as she tried to resist the grip of the sisters but failed miserably. She was let go for a second, but before she could escape, she was pushed into the oven of heat that had taken her in blissfully as Pastry began to cry and beg before the oven door was shut, as all the heat started to take effect on her body.
Her screams had tried to break the silver oven, but the heat had continued to melt her down, and off it went with her eyes, and then with her brain, as she began to melt, and reform.
"Pastry!"
Pastry shot up awake and gasped as her name was yelled out by a familiar voice. She looked around frantically, her mind still dizzy, her eyes still nauseous from what she had dreamt, but before she could get up, a pair of two hands had grasped onto Pastry's shoulders, causing her to snap back fully into reality as she turned to her left side and saw him.
"Calm yourself, Pastry! It's just me, Blackberry is with Strawberry, you're alright, I ain't no kidnapper," Adventurer Cookie took his hands off of Pastry as he went in front of Pastry to reassure her that she wasn't hallucinating or going crazy.
"How'd..." Pastry stuttered. "How'd you get inside?"
"Well, my wife can't use her ghost magic as a way to unlock the door, but she did use her ghost vision to see what was goin' on with you," Adventurer explained.
"So I was able to lockpick my way, my wife opened the door to the house, and then I lock picked my way into your room."
Pastry laughed slightly yet couldn't help but feel impressed at how well Adventurer was able to handle a situation that he didn't understand.
"Was I... Was I really out for that long?"
"Well, my wife called me after you were almost an hour in the bathroom, so something had to have been up, especially after that bloody towel," Adventurer Cookie explained, as Pastry couldn't help but feel shame at making her friends worried.
"I'm so sorry... really, I am... I was just-"
"You also need to stop dwelling on your past, your future is now, and you have time to change it."
Pastry immediately quieted down, as his words had stabbed through her heart, that familiar tone in which he had struck not a nerve, but a hint of realization that what her flashback could've been, may have been her dug up past. Pastry never really did remember her past, after all, the only memories that Pastry was "required," to remember, was her submission to the church, and what her main missions and goals were.
Yet that dream, that flashback, felt so real, she could almost guarantee it was real, but how could Adventurer Cookie know about what she was dreaming about? Why did he say past instead of dream?
Before Pastry could ask him those questions, the door creaked widely as Strawberry Cookie and Blackberry had awaited the two cookies.
"Ms. Pastry!" Strawberry Cookie ran towards Pastry and jumped onto the bed and immediately embraced her mother with a hug.
Pastry hugged her daughter tightly as a little smile formed onto Pastry's face. Despite Pastry's struggles, having such a caring daughter that smiles everytime she sees Pastry, despite Pastry having so much on her plate.
Her daughter, being the sweet angel she was, helped the tainted saint who had committed so much sinnery, to discover that maybe she was a good cookie after all.
As happy as Pastry was to feel her daughter's embrace, and Adventurer feeling proud for what he did, Blackberry couldn't help but feel the seething rage glisten within her, start to grow rapidly. She wasn't mad at Pastry at all, but rather what Pastry had become.
Pastry was always looked upon as a highly independent cookie, who would never care or bat another eye to anyone who tried to detain her like a bird in a cage, yet Pastry doing this to herself was more than enough for Blackberry to snap. The once independent cookie was now slowly turning into weak pieces of crumbs as Pastry continued to harm herself, practically knowing what she was doing, and knowing it was wrong.
Blackberry thought to herself, maybe it was time to push her in the more harsher direction of truth.
"Pastry, do you not have any shame for what you are doing to yourself?" Blackberry said, silencing everyone's laughter as Pastry looked at Blackberry, slightly adjusting her sitting position.
"What do you mean?"
"The way that you are acting, the way that you are harming yourself, do you think I enjoy standing by, watching you deteriorate your health, and now mental health? Have you no shame for what you are doing to yourself?!" Blackberry yelled as Pastry covered Strawberry Cookie's ears so that way she won't be able to hear.
"Blackberry... Please... I understand what you are trying to say, but please, please, not in front of my daughter-"
"Why?! I wouldn't want her to end up as pathetic, low life, and careless as someone like you!"
Pastry's eyes widened at Blackberry's words, at first, Blackberry recognized the validity of her words, not until it was to late, as Pastry's widened eye self calmed, as she held her daughter tightly and removed her hands from her ears, as Strawberry looked up at her slightly angered mother confused.
"Assist yourselves to the door, I need to get ready."
Pastry's once distressed voice, was now filled with sorrow yet monotone, so calm, yet menacing. Pastry didn't mind being insulted for how she acted, but bringing her daughter and comparing her to the mother who could barely afford rent, was expecting to get help?
Pastry scoffed slightly under her breath at the idea of being disrespected, Pastry never looked herself like a "don," or someone powerful, but the idea of being brought down from her power, a saint and a mother, and disregarded as basically not trying hard enough, was enough to reassure Pastry, that she was being called a horrible person indirectly by Blackberry's words.
Pastry swore to her other friends before they had died due to trying to recover her debt, that she wouldn't take any type of bullcrap anyone gave her, and needless to say, she was going to fulfill that.
"I only go to that church for the sake of my daughter. You think I enjoy hurting myself for the sake of staying alive and for my family?"
Before Blackberry could continue her words, trying to justify her sayings, Pastry repeated herself once more, asking Blackberry and her husband to leave. As Adventurer and Blackberry made their way out, one last look from Blackberry had struck Pastry slightly. Her sweet friend, now feeling regret, silently bows as a form of apology, yet with a glare as she left, causing shame to crash on Pastry once more.
The door to Pastry's house closes as Pastry takes a deep breath, as Strawberry Cookie notices her mother gripping her hand tightly.
Pastry admitted to herself, she wasn't the best mother, she couldn't even dare trust in herself. She always imagined what it would be like to have a father figure, or someone else to help Pastry out, but she quickly brushed it off as she asserted herself.
"It doesn't matter, my mission is going to be in a couple of hours, I'll just bring my daughter with me so she isn't alone, that's that," Pastry thought to herself.
"But, for the safety of me and her..."
"I'm going to need a disguise."
"Is that really how you're going to perform tonight?" Pomegranate rolled her eyes as she applauded with her sarcastic tone. Parfait sighed in exhaustion, her voice being slightly cracky due to practicing and singing to many high notes.
"Please... Can we take a break?" Parfait asked, her croaky voice starting to rasp slightly. "I'll be able to perform fine if I rest, I promise... I promise I'll make it to the purest of the town, the purest of-"
"The purest of when you were so foolishly kicked out of your town!" Pomegranate yelled out as Parfait flinched and looked down in shame and worry.
"Until Red Velvet comes back to give further instruction, you will stand up, and sing until you-"
"Oi oi, give her a break won't you Poms?" Licorice walked out and stood on the stage Parfait was on as he interrupted Pomegranate's complaints. Licorice held his scythe on his left hand as he put his right hand onto Parfait's shoulder, causing her to look at Licorice, slightly confused.
Parfait couldn't help but feel slightly thankful of Licorice defending her, despite him quite literally being threatening to her, after all, Licorice and her were both completely opposite cookies with no way of contrasting. One was a singer destined to make a positive impact, while the other was a criminal destined to make a negative impact.
"I told you to not address me by that... 'immature' nickname," Pomegranate snarled, as her annoyance took up more of her patience.
"Whatever Don Pom, just let the cookie rest, as much as I enjoy the idea of her being exhausted, she may drive away your guests," Licorice explained, Parfait's spark of hope slightly died out as she heard Licorice become caring for her well being, and turned it into something selfish for her sister.
Pomegranate rolled her eyes at the name of Don Pom, Licorice basically calling her old, and the title didn't even fit her appropriately, yet didn't really mind as sometimes that name could hold powers in certain other regions of the kingdoms, but not this one.
Pomegranate sighed as she looked down at the paper of guests, and another paper of the bands that would be performing, double checking to make sure that only the highest of classes were involved, before Red Velvet pushed the door to the entrance of the bar open as he put his sword down, everyone noticed the sound and immediately looked over to him.
"How's everything going this afternoon? Night will fall soon, so I hope you are all prepared with the drinks and performances, and your outfits for tonight," Red Velvet said as he looked over to Pomegranate.
"Are all the bands and guest lists ready?"
"I have everything ready at a moment's notice. So don't you worry, I am more worried for the pathetic snob over there who was too lazy and disrespectful to even practice," Pomegranate snarled as she snickered slightly.
"Listen, Paru's trying her hardest, let her down a notch," Licorice said, getting slightly annoyed with Pomegranate's rude behavior to Parfait. As much as he didn't really like Parfait, at least, from what he thought, he didn't really like to tolerate rude behavior. He couldn't help but be slightly confused at why he was getting annoyed with Pomegranate, usually he would laugh at her words and probably Parfait.
Yet, that look on Parfait, the saddened yet disappointed look on her face, he hated it. He didn't like the idea of her being sad, usually he wouldn't bat an eye but in this case, it was just one of those cases where he hated those sweet, cute little blue eyes tearing up.
Not just that, but Pomegranate's constant hatred towards her definitely raised a lot of questions to him, as usually Pomegranate barely held grudges, and was a lot calmer with her impoliteness, but in this case, she could barely contain it.
"No need to argue, both of you," Red Velvet said calmly. "After all, I would like to import one more simple request from you, Licorice, and any other criminals that may arrive..."
Pastry finished adjusting herself by applying heavy makeup, the blush on her cheeks were a sweet pink and red, her curled white eye lashes looked extended, more elegant even, she was even impressed with it. Pastry went to her closet and opened it as she prepared her clothes as she began to get dressed.
She took off her golden phyllo veil and let down her sweet light lavender hair and took off the sweet, white cotton towel off her delicate body as she put on a pair of somewhat gray and black tinted tights. The tightness of the tights on Pastry's thighs were slightly uncomfortable, but she eventually brushed it off as she put on her black spaghetti strap side slit dress from the bottom and up as she carefully zipped the back of the dress on, making sure it was tight enough. The slit on the black dress was above Pastry's knee, making Pastry giggle to herself slightly.
"Thank goodness I put the tights on," Pastry thought to herself as she continued to dress herself.
Pastry adjusted her dress by turning it slightly before she grabbed from her closet a black dress-like trench coat and fitted herself inside the trench coat. Last but not least, she put on a large, black brim flat top straw hat. Pastry gently tied the gentle, long black ribbon attached to the straw hat into a cute double knot bow.
As Pastry closed the closet door, she looked at the body mirror next to the closet as she walked towards her reflection on the mirror.
Her sweet, medium long light lavender hair was now flowing blissfully as it draped down. Her makeup was heavy, but not too heavy for where it would feel dry, nor to light, it was just right. Pastry walked over to her makeup mirror and opened an old toy box that was once given to her by one of the sweet shops people in the kingdom, and took out a gold design outline curled in unusual patterns, while what sat in the middle was a beautiful lavender and blue gem, and dangling down from it, was a black long ribbon, with designs of gold paint on it, which, complemented both Pastry's eyes, and hair.
As Pastry put on the clip on a gem near her chest area on the black dress, she got out the black long, yet elegant gloves that were placed on the bed, and slid thome onto both of her hands. Pastry then went back to her jewelry box and put on some sweet fake gold and fake silver rings that had colored gems such as lavender and black.
As Pastry kneeled down and put on her black heels which at the bottom were slightly clicky due to the fake gold being at the bottom, she got up and called Strawberry Cookie over, asking if she was ready.
Strawberry Cookie ran over, a large black cloak with a large hood had covered Strawberry Cookie. Pastry couldn't help but giggle slightly at her daughter's size compared to the massive cloak. Pastry and Strawberry Cookie both made their ways out of the room, before Pastry grabbed her crossbow from the living room, and attached it to her right wrist and put the trench coat sleeve over it, before using her right hand to grab Strawberry Cookie's hand, and take one deep breath, before walking out of the house and closing the door, preparing to complete her special mission.
"For my special request, tell our guests, and make sure to apply this option to you as well, as for the reason I don't want trespassers trying to interrupt our get together moment," Red Velvet chuckled to himself.
"What are you tryna say Velv?" Licorice said, slightly confused.
"What I'm trying to say is that since we don't have any guards here..."
"Feel free to let our guests to let them kill whoever they please, is either not invited, or interrupting their night here at the bar."