Chapter Six: Classified Information.
(Heavily plot based, be careful in what you read).
"The birds that had once echoed throughout the kingdom, had died out slowly as the depression hit. Despite cookies who still had their kindness and purity in their heart, they knew that eventually, they would fall into the same rabbit hole of depression and gullibility, one could be as stupid as to try and sarifice themselves for a cookie who would eventually forget about them. He used to be like that, he used to take his sweet precious time while watering the plants, and taking care of his plants as though they were his one, special mission. He always had a heart of pure gold, due to living almost the perfect life. He was looked up to as the best cookie for peace and calmness, yet his past had proven otherwise.
Being the golden child of the family has its ups and downs, from being looked up to so much, the lead to your downfall is heavy, and you can never get back up once your downfall attacks you from behind. After all, people looked up to you. That was the reason why he started to befriend those who were the opposite of him, those who didn't even care about themselves and others, but rather just personal gain and egotistical reasons. Ever since the incident however, he hadn't been doing well after those months.
He started fairly recently to getting better, yet every time I try to talk to him, he becomes more and more mentally driven away from what he once used to be. I'm worried, yet the only thing I can do is to write about these experiences, and hopefully and eventually, this will lead me to find a cure for my beloved husband."
As the violinist finished scribbling his half dull graphite pencil onto the weak sheet of book paper, he placed a ribbon in between the pages and closed the book, as he sighed to himself. He could never forget how empty and silent the house has been, even with his company, it just, never felt the same.
The Violinist went outside of the writing room, and into the bedroom, where his husband lay down. He sat next to his husband by sitting on the left side of the firm mattress bed as he gently put his hand onto his beloved's head to make sure he wasn't developing the high fever he had previously beforehand.
"I was wondering where you were," the cookie said, his head still in the same position, his emotionless face looking up to the roof. It pained to see the critical condition he was in, at least to his husband.
The way that his eye was bandaged, yet blood still slightly leaked out of it from time to time, the bandage-patch like eye patch was still slightly helping, being half blind wouldn't be fun, but at least he wouldn't have to worry about another eye in the next couple of years, if he lives on.
"I should have been there for you. I should've never let you be with such an irresponsible cookie who would do anything to sacrifice his friend for the touch of a penny! Don't you see, Herb? He's the reason why you're-"
"There is no need to be so upset, Mint," Herb stated. "I am still alive here on this bed, I am able to walk and talk, things I was not able to do before, and I am always thankful every day for it."
Mint sighed to himself as he paused, smiling slightly before kissing the top of Herb's head gently before he got off the side of the bed, and opened the door to the room he was currently in to take his leave.
"I guess you can say that... I mean, at least you still remember me," Mint Choco said as he gestured a wave of goodbye to signal that he would be in the kitchen to cook for his husband.
Herb paused at that word, "remembered." He continued to use his vision to look up, before he slightly stood from the bed, feeling the wrap around bandage around where he had stabbed his chest previously, as he stood up slightly, and began to get dressed.
As Herb walked gently across the wooden planked floor, he saw his husband cooking. How kind.
"I'm going to get some extra groceries for tonight's supper, I won't be late my beloved, I promise!" Herb exclaimed slightly, feeling a slight headache as he tried to show his emotion of love and happiness to his husband.
"Please be careful my love, you have an hour as the shop is not far from here."
As Herb unlocked the door and closed it as he went outside, he walked across the sidewalk and the sun began to fall slightly, his head and lungs were not used to the air, as he almost suffocated it before, but needless to say, he found it quite refreshing. He could never remember the time how he enjoyed walking outdoors.
In fact, he remembered everything.
Pomegranate slammed her back against the wall as she fell down and began to sob. Her tears had started to flow down, angered at the fact that she knew how weak she was. She hated this place, she hated her job, she hated the way she ended up, she only wanted to make her parents happy, she only wanted to fulfill her destiny. Yet she couldn't, she couldn't change her fate, afterall, it was too late. She already made several cookies get killed, traumatized even, the way that Parfait's words had stabbed through her tough bratty persona made Pomegranate pissed.
"All you ever did was prove that you're better than me! I get it!" Pomegranate yelled in between her sobs as she slammed the back of her head on the wall, tightening her grip on the mirror she had held.
"So what is the point in trying to doubt me when you already know I've failed?!" Pomegranate said, her sobs overflowing her complaints, the way Pomegranate's mind had reduced so immaturely, the way she had physically hurt herself just so she could feel that presence of her mother hitting her. She just needed someone.
She needed someone to be there, she didn't care what they would do to her.
Hit her, abuse her, manipulate her, she could give less than two fucks about what they did, all she needed was someone to actually look at, and acknowledge her presence.
As Pomegranate had tried to calm herself down, her hesitant breaths breathing in and out, as the silence began to settle, she could hear faint footsteps coming towards Pomegranate's direction. Pomegranate stood up and wiped her tears as she started to adjust herself back to her normal, monotone self, forcing herself so quickly was unnatural to any cookie, however, Pomegranate pulled it off well.
As the saying goes, make it till you break it.
Pomegranate looked in her pocket until she found her cigarette pack, taking out a fruit-like flavored tobacco cigarette and putting it in her mouth, as she put away the cigarette pack and took out a lighter, and lit it to give the impression she was just taking a smoke, and may have accidentally done something wrong, to excuse her red eyes from looking so swollen from crying.
"Ah, another smoker? Such a harmful impact to the environment, so selfish," the green leafed cookie said as he paused in his tracks as he saw Pomegranate smoke her cigarette, the red and grey smoke emitting from her cigar. Pomegranate chuckled lightly at his words before taking out the elegant cigar out of her mouth.
"Well well, looks like someone is new around these parts, such a shame, truly. I hope you enjoy your stay in this unfortunate circumstance of events happening here," Pomegranate said as she inhaled the cigarette once more and exhaled the smoke out, curling unusual designs with her cigar as she put the cigarette back in her mouth. Doing her best to avoid the cookie that was standing near her peripheral vision.
"I know how this town goes, Pomegranate, there is no need to flaunt your reputation towards me."
Pomegranate paused before taking out her cigarette once more, she knew that other people in the kingdom had known her, but the way he had said her name, the way that he had talked about the environment. All but one cookie could truly speak like that, hearing the slight venom in the cookie had caused Pomegranate to feel some type of regret before quickly shooting up her head towards the familiar cookie, instantly recognizing him, a shiver had gone down her spine as she saw his bandage-patched eye.
"The doctor said that it was pure luck that I had survived."
"Well then, that surgery of yours must've changed you for the better then, hm? Seems like you actually have changed... for the worst," Pomegranate laughed.
Herb paused, then laughed slightly to himself.
"Compared to you, I needed surgery to change, you changed solely for the fun of it."
Pomegranate silenced herself, giving a glare at Herb.
"Those days are over and you know it."
"Which days? The one where your friend told me to stab my eye out to save my friend? Or where you actually felt sympathy when I sacrificed myself?"
Pomegranate scoffed at his words as her eyes widened.
"I saw your eyes widen before at what your friend was implying, you still love me like you used to, don't you?" Herb said, looking at Pomegranate up and down.
"You dare to speak to me when I have a reflection to traumatize you in return?" Pomegranate said with a sinister smile, getting irritated at his words.
Herb looked below and saw the mirror Pomegranate had held, realizing that she had tilted it slightly to catch Herb's face. The mirror glistened as it sealed his reflection in the mirror.
Clever.
"Why don't we go out for tea? I'll get to tell you all about what I experienced during my surgery and coma, what do you say?"
Pomegranate stood silent at his words. The way he had teased and mocked Pomegranate on their past relationship caused Pomegranate to growl internally to herself. And now he was asking her for tea? Was he kidding?
Who in their right mind would accept their ex's invite to tea, knowing he was probably mentally insane in the head due to his inflicted dagger into his eye and brain?
"Only under the pretense in which your current significant other is present. I won't be staying with a mentally insane cookie even if it were the last thing on my mind."
She would.
"Fine then. Early in the morning, 8:00."
As Herb took his leave, waving goodbye mockingly towards Pomegranate, Pomegranate stuck her tongue out as he walked away, before putting her cigarette back in her mouth once again, exhaling the smoke from her mouth, as she thought of how useless she was.
Afterall, she was getting the praise of attention she wanted, right?
"Ha ha ha! Yet another... Yet another drink for Paru... Paru Paru!" Parfait drunkingly said, as the criminal cookie continued to persuade Parfait to drink more alcoholic beverages.
The bartender and Licorice took notice of this.
"We don't serve too many drinks at once. Let her rest," the bartender sighed in annoyance.
"Come on, man to man here, you know my implication. I'll pay you extra!"
"Unlike a man like me, I don't plan to sexually assault others under the influence. In other words, I'm not a filthy disgusting pig like you."
Before the other cookie could talk back to the bartender, Licorice quickly took Parfait by grabbing her wrist and putting her to his right side as he intimidatingly held his scythe as a warning to the other cookie.
Licorice took Parfait backstage and observed her as he walked around her as Parfait kept spinning around and drunkenly giggled at what he was doing.
"Now what are you doing, mister stranger!" Parfait exclaimed as she continued to laugh.
"I'm making sure he didn't harm or touch you," Licorice said firmly. "Oi, did he?"
"Nope!"
"Good."
Licorice trusted her word as he grabbed some of the old blankets and began to put them around Pastry to not make her cold. He gestured for Parfait to sit down on the floor, she jumped up and sat down on the floor as Licorice couldn't help but feel somewhat saddened for Parfait.
"Alright alright, no more play time. It's time for you to sleep," Licorice said as he knelt down, his scythe still in hand.
"I need to do some final checkups before closing down the bar."
"But then I'll be alone!" Parfait yelled as she began to water her feelings down slightly. Licorice had hoped she wasn't the sober type, but lo and behold she was about to have a mental breakdown solely because Licorice needed to do his job.
Before Licorice could respond, Parfait had began to sob, cuddling the blanket she was wrapped in, her sobs getting louder, causing Licorice to become instantly concerned.
"She hates me!! She hates the way I sing, she hates me she hates me! Why... Why must she always avoid me when I say I love her dearly!" Parfait yelled in between her sobs as she clutched her body closer.
"Who is this... 'she,' you speak of?"
"Pom Pom!"
"And who exactly is she to you?"
"My sister!"
Parfait had continued to sob under her words, Licorice's eyes widened as he had heard Parfait and Pomegranate were related. It was unexpected, but once connecting the pieces, the way Parfait was so forgiving of Pomegranate and her harsh remarks, had proven that in some way they knew each other.
Licorice put an arm around Parfait's shoulder as he scotched her closer to him as he put his scythe down onto the floor. Parfait looked up at him slightly, as his head tried to avoid contact with hers.
"Pomegranate is irredeemable, I learned that the hard way after what happened to her other victims subjected to her abuse," Licorice said as his mind dwelled off into past memories of Pomegranate's insults and derogatory words to him and the others.
"Hmm... nope! Maybe because you struggled to accept yourself, so you refuse to accept others!"
Licorice couldn't help but feel those words stab deeply into his heart as he put his head down slightly.
"I mean, Poms does that... she... she was just afraid to move on, so she became the thing... she feared the most."
Licorice paused to himself, irritated at how Parfait had practically read him so easily while she was drunk, yet he laughed to himself slightly as now he knew Pomegranate's family tree, along with how Parfait truly acted.
Even with all that heavy makeup, he naturally saw through her face.
Before Licorice could talk, he saw that Parfait had fallen asleep as her snores slightly interrupted his question. He smiled faintly as he tightened his hand around Parfait's shoulder.
There was one thing he knew for sure, as much as he hated to say it, due to the new information he was given thanks by Parfait:
It seems as though Pomegranate and Licorice may have finally been able to relate on one thing.
Pastry snuggled slightly as she adjusted herself, still sleepy and wanting to stay in the place she currently was. Her eyes continued to drift to sleep as she felt the comforting presence pet her head gently. Pastry slightly opened her eyes and looked up slightly before her head was petted once more, causing her to feel more comforted and safe.
The sweet sunshine that Pastry once missed had flown through the window in Pastry's kitchen as she felt the warmth and comfort she once missed so dearly.
"There there, Pastry. I'm not leaving anytime soon," Red Velvet chuckled slightly as he lifted Pastry's chin, her sleepy eyes instantly widened as she saw him causing her to gasp as she adjusted her position and sat up as she backed slightly from his lap.
"Pa... Pardon?! What are you... What are you doing here?!" Pastry said, at a loss for words, still confused at what had happened last night.
"Ah, good morning Pastry. It's almost the afternoon, did you really get that exhausted?"
"What... what are you talking about-"
Before Pastry could finish her words, she immediately remembered the memories coming back at what had happened last night.
Pastry's face went from confused, to the color of pure red blush as she began to scream internally to herself that she had just gotten screwed by a mafia that was once her enemy, he still is... right?
"Oh no... oh no no no no no!" Pastry said, as she shook her head.
Oh yes yes yes, deary," Red Velvet adjusted his position, towering over Pastry as wrapped his hands around Pastry and kissed the side of her forehead.
"I mean, let's be on equal terms here, you were the one who kept begging for it. What was it you said while I was-"
"Argh!" Pastry grunted as pulled on her clothes that were still on yet wrinkles due to their little session, clearly embarrassed at the fact she had taken down her walls to him.
As Pastry stood silent in her tracks, she heard the creaking from the stairs as she saw her daughter walk down sleepily. Pastry got up from her position as she walked to her daughter and kissed the top of her daughter's left cheek.
"Good morning my little sunshine! I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to be with you," Pastry said, her face heated up embarrassingly as she remembered what had happened last night.
"It's okay Ms. Pastry!" Strawberry Cookie exclaimed, peeking her head slightly to the cookie who was sitting on the sofa.
"Hey! Isn't that dad?"
Pastry's eyes widened as her face became an unnatural dark shade of red, even Red Velvet couldn't help but laugh at what Strawberry Cookie was saying.
"Why... Why would you ask that, my dear?"
"Because he likes being next to you Ms. Pastry! And he saved you and me from that meanie head!"
"I mean, I'll always care for her. After all, you two are my babies. I get to protect you, and your mom," Red Velvet laughed out.
As Pastry turned to him, she saw how even he was slightly flustered at the fact that Pastry's daughter considered him her father. As Red Velvet looked at Pastry, he grinned slightly at her, the sweetest smile as Pastry's heart warmed as she gave a bright smile back, not thinking about what had happened before all of what happened last night went down.
As Pastry placed Strawberry's cereal on the kitchen dining table, she also placed two tea cups of honey lemon tea, one for herself and one for Red Velvet as she sat across from him.
As Strawberry Cookie ate her cereal, Pastry couldn't help but dwell slightly on what had happened that very night. She didn't regret it, after all, it was the first time Pastry had truly been put in her place.
Ever since Pastry was possibly forced into the church, Pastry had always struggled to learn her place, and what her actions had caused her. She didn't mind rebelling and doing the opposite of what cookies would warn and tell her, after all, that was the fun part in being in such a strict environment.
From time to time, she followed the rules and rebelled against them, to bend her limits. But when it came to Red Velvet, it was completely different.
That night was different, every day she spent with him was different. Afterall, Red Velvet was a stickler to the rules, and he made sure Pastry followed every single one of them.
And when she didn't obey, well, let's just say in Pastry's words, that he would force her to the breaking point. Ironically, the begging point.
"I wonder what that dirty yet pure mind is thinking right now," Red Velvet interrupted Pastry's thoughts as she snapped back to reality and blushed slightly at his words.
"A one time thing, 'love.'"
"You know you want me, Pastry. I promise I'll make room in my schedule for you, my beloved," Red Velvet seductively said as Pastry tried not to choke on her drink.
"Watch your... argh! Watch your tone alright?" Pastry muttered as she eyed her daughter to signal to Red Velvet that she was right there. Red Velvet giggled slightly.
"I never thought that in a week I would have you wrapped around my finger. Looks like the best obstacles to have the most... 'rewarding prizes.'"
"It's not all that fun," Pastry stated. "We can get in trouble! I mean... think about what would happen if your friends found out!"
As she looked down. Red Velvet sighed as he stood up and went behind Pastry, leaning closely to her ear as his arms gently laid onto Pastry's shoulders. Pastry jumped at his warm touch.
"Trouble you say?" Red Velvet said as he leaned closer to Pastry's ear as Pastry began to blush slightly at his tone. She knew that his tone started to change as he chuckled.
"You fucked trouble, love. You think people would care that I screwed the most independent cookie until she passed out?"
Pastry gulped hesitantly at his words, her face becoming more redder by his darkened yet seductive tone towards her.
"You want me, and you want everything to do with me, and so do I," Red Velvet whispered raspily into Pastry's ear.
"And I want you to, that spark inside of me really shines through anytime I see you. But if you really want to be sure that you may get in trouble, I'll let you decide."
Pastry looked at him slightly before Red Velvet had grabbed Pastey's chin with his cake-like hand before he had lifted her head to see his, he leaned closely as Pastry's eyes widened as her face blushed even more, trying to stutter out her sentence.
"Since you've admitted to me that you wish for me to continue, then I gladly will. However, let's make yours, or rather... 'our,' first dirty little secret, shall we?"
Pastry nodded slowly as Red Velvet chuckled once more before he gave a kiss on Pastry's soft lips. Pastry couldn't help but yip skightly as he let go of the kiss, a slight form of worry had filled, yet the excitement of finally being put in her place and rebelling?
This truly was her guilty pleasure.