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It was quiet. As usual. No birds, no other cookies, just quiet silence. It was early in the morning, and Roll Cake found himself sitting up in the higher branches of the tree he and his brother had been camping in for a bit, trying to take a look of the area. He never really took time to do that; he thought to himself with a sigh.
It was mostly trees from what he could see, with the grass below occasionally patchy or clumped with purple jam. He found himself lightly shuddering at that, sliding his goggles down over his eyes. It was like closing them, hilariously, since they didn’t even have proper lenses.
His thoughts eventually were interrupted, though, by a faint noise. He assumed it was either his or Pancake’s pet or Pancake himself waking up, but when he lifted his goggles, he nearly slipped off the branch with a shout, scrambling to keep his balance. It WAS a pet, just one he didn’t recognize. It was a tamagotchi looking thing shaped like a strawberry, and it was spinning around and beeping like crazy. Picking up his hammer warily, he tilted his head at the thing, one eyebrow raised.
“Where the hell did you come from little bud?”
The small pet only beeped in response, gesturing slightly to the north.
”You want me to follow you?”
Lots of beeping in response. Roll Cake took that as a yes, and soon hopped down from the branch with a huff, his hammer held over his shoulder.
”Is someone hurt?”
Another “yes” in the terms of aggressive beeping.
“Alright. I’ll try to help em out.”
Roll Cake sighed, fishing off a backpack hug on one of the lower branches.
”Lead the way little beeper thing.”
The strawberry shaped pet soon hurtled itself off into the forest, and Roll Cake found himself sprinting to catch up. He had to be quiet just in case, though there hadn’t been any infected in the particular area. Caution IS caution though.
This went on for a few minutes, and Roll Cake could hear faint murmuring as he neared where the pocket strawberry had gone.
”Y-you found someone? Oh thank the Millennial Tree..I thought I’d be a goner out here...”
Roll Cake soon caught a glimpse of the pet again as he quietly approached, noticing the cookie leaned up against a tree, who let out a slightly nervous laugh and waved. Her leg seemed to be cracked, as if she had tripped on something, and a bit of jam had stained the grass below it.
He simply sighed, rummaging through the backpack he was holding with his hammer held to his back with a strap. He soon held up a roll of some undistinct medical tape or bandages and kneeled down, wrapping it around the crumbling to hold it shut.
”That’s the best I can do for ya. Need a hand?”
Roll Cake soon stood up, holding out a hand to the unfamiliar cookie, who accepted it, holding out her hand as well and soon getting up with a slight stumble.
”T-thanks...I’m Strawberry Cookie, by the way.”
”The name’s Roll Cake, pleasure to meet you. It would’ve been better under, yknow, better circumstances, but eh.”
They stood in quiet for a bit, both sort of just staring off.
Roll Cake soon picked up the conversation again, just trying to be social.
”So, you’re camping out in the forest too?”
”W-well, yes and no. I’m traveling with a few friends a bit back: I was looking for any other survivors before we left. We have a few spare spaces in the camper; you want to come with?”
”I’d have to get my brother, but if that’s ok, then ok.”
Roll Cake was a bit surprised with the offer, but accepted anyway.
”O-ok then! Let’s go get your brother and I can show you the way to the camper.”
Roll Cake nodded, and still slightly supporting Strawberry up a little, they soon walked off, heading back towards the tree. It wasn’t much of a walk, but it seemed a bit longer to him, but then again, he wasn’t sprinting off. Once again, it took a bit of time, but they soon got back to him and his brother’s camp, and Roll Cake soon hauled himself up on the branches, gently shaking a hammock hanging from a higher up one.
”Psst, Pancake. You gotta get up.”
The younger cookie slowly sat up with a grumble, shaking his head with a whine in protest.
”Whyyy?”
“We’re heading out. C’mon you silly.”
Roll Cake soon hopped back down, and after a bit, Pancake soon glided out of the tree, landing and rubbing at his eyes while still yawning.
”Pancake, this is Strawberry. Strawberry, this is Pancake.”
“Pleasure to meet you Miss Strawberry!”
Pancake piped up with a small grin, and Strawberry just smiled in response, though it was slightly hard to tell because of her hood.
”N-nice to meet you too Pancake. Though you don’t have to call me Miss, just Strawberry is fine.”
Pancake nodded with a smile still on his face.
”Okie dokie! So...where are we going?”
”Strawberry offered to let us travel with her and her group.”
”Really?! Thank you Miss Strawberry!”
Pancake basically tackled Strawberry, who stumbled backwards with a bit of a nervous laugh. She didn’t even bother correct him with the whole “Miss” thing, giving him a gentle pat on the head.
”Y-you’re welcome..”
Pancake soon let go, practically bouncing up and down.
”Well, what are we waiting for?! Let’s go!!”