Chapter Text
Shadow milk cookie had ordered condensed milk cookie, black sapphire cookie, and candy apple cookie to all go in to the mountains of the dark cacao kingdom, supposedly to get more land. Condensed milk cookie really didn’t see the point, they had plenty of land on beast yeast, anyways the spire was infinite so they really didn’t have anything to worry about. But he couldn’t defy shadow milk cookie’s orders, nor could candy apple cookie or black sapphire cookie. And so the three of them continue to walk through the snow. They’d talked a bit at the start of the journey, but there didn’t seem to be a point at considering to fill the air with meaningless chatter. The faint crunch of snow beneath their feet was the only sound any of them could hear. The sky was blue and clouded, sunlight shining down through the gaps between the clouds.
As they began to near the top of the peak the trees began to thin, the air was starting to thin as well, it was shockingly hard to breathe. Condensed milk cookie felt so… ugh. Horrible, sick, nauseous, so many horrible things. How did some cookies tolerate being in the mountains? He knew he certainly wouldn’t be able to, anyways there didn’t seem to be anything to do up here, there was no buildings, quite literally nothing but snow trees and stone.
as they finally reached the peak they all paused, there was a small cabin. They should leave, go somewhere else, anywhere where another cookie wouldn’t see them, and yet condensed milk cookie found himself oddly intrigued, what sort of cookie would spend their life all the way out here, so far from any others, so alone. How strange.
Black sapphire cookie and candy apple cookie had already started to leave, but condensed milk cookie lingered. He didn’t move closer, nor did he leave. He merely stood there watching, that is until the door opened, inside the doorway stood another cookie. Condensed milk cookie really should run, but he didn’t. It was an odd moment to say the least, neither cookie said anything, and neither moved.
Condensed milk cookie finally got the nerve to run, he ran faster than he ever had before. The air suddenly felt too cold, too thin, it was sickening, so utterly sickening, the snow beneath his feet threatened to trip him at every step as he tried (and failed) to go faster. He couldn’t believe himself, letting himself get seen. He was supposed to be terrifying, threatening, anything but a coward and yet here he was running.
he’d finally caught up to the others, nearly stumbling into them as he stopped.
”oh. Great you’re here again.” Black sapphire cookie muttered
condensed milk cookie didn’t reply, he was still out of breath as he glared at black sapphire cookie.
the three of them continued to walk, really they should’ve just used one of the portals through shadow milk cookie’s other-realm.
the sun continued to shine down on them, it really should’ve been pleasant, but it just made condensed milk cookie sick, the smell of pine and something else? Marshmallow? He wasn’t really sure, filled his lungs, he wasn’t even sure where it was coming from, all he knew was that he wanted it to stop. He hoped that he’d eventually forget that cookie he’d seen atop that mountain. Well why wouldn’t he be able to forget them? They were just the same as any other cookie that he’d seen when on missions after all, so why couldn’t he get their face out of his head?
maybe he’d go back here another day to actually talk to them, or maybe he wouldn’t. Really what was the point of going back and talking to someone he was supposed to never see again?
(Short timeskip my apologies little basement dwellers, however I need to place this idiots back into the spire of deceit)
condensed milk cookie had gone into his chambers the second him and the other two deceitlings had returned to the spire. Condensed milk didn’t lay down, didn’t sit down even, he just paced in circles over and over and over again as thoughts plagued his mind.
He was so tempted to go back, to talk to that cookie, to try and figure out why his mind kept drifting right back to that same cookie. He wondered what their name was, who they were, what they did. It was so strange how they lingered.
though he didn’t go back. He didn’t bother doing that. He merely walked to the shelf in the corner of his chambers and grabbed a book from it, then let himself fall backwards onto the bed.
He really did try to sleep that night, there was no denying that he’d tried. And yet he’d failed. It’d gotten late, and he slid out of bed, the floor beneath him felt too cold, he stepped from the room into the hall, it was long and dark, though he knew he wouldn’t spend long before he would leave.
(Hi! Author here, small time skip because I realized mid way through writing this chapter I didn’t know how he’d get to the mountains, so just don’t question it and accept the fact that he’s back there somehow.)
the mountains managed to be even colder at night, and even more eerie when only illuminated by moonlight. He truly wished he’d never seen that cookie, or more so he wished his stupid brain hadn’t fixated on the cookie.
As he continued to walk the hut came into view, it was made of dark wood and had very few windows, only about one or two unless there was some other one that condensed milk cookie couldn’t see.
he walked up to the door, and before he could really think about it he knocked on the door. The second he did it he regretted it, he really hoped the cookie wouldn’t answer, or maybe he hoped they would answer, even he didn’t know.
And then the door opened, the cookie who opened the door looked tired, hair mussed as if they’d just gotten out of a bed. The second condensed milk cookie saw them he felt worse, had he really just woken someone just because he couldn’t wait?
”who are you?” The other cookie spoke first.
”hello! I am—“ condensed milk cookie paused, should he share his real name? He’d heard of the milk tribes nearby this place, so maybe he’d be seen as a normal cookie. “—condensed milk cookie.” Wait, but if this cookie lived up here wouldn’t they know all the cookies from the milk tribe?
”why are you here?” That was… odd, condensed milk cookie expected them to introduce themself as well. Though truly he couldn’t put it past them, would he really tell a strange cookie whom he didn’t know his name? No, he would, after all he just had.
condensed milk cookie didn’t know what to say, saying ‘I saw you and wished to speak to you.’ Sounded creepy, but why else would he have been there. “I’m not sure.” He’d finally decided on, though he really thought he should’ve said much more.
The other cookie narrowed their eyes at him, before stepping back. “Come in.”
condensed milk cookie was delighted, this was already going better than he could’ve imagined. He stepped inside, the hut was different than he’d imagined, it was shockingly well lit with candles scattered throughout. In the corner there was a small bed with far too many blankets, and in the opposite corner stood a small kitchen of sorts with no more than a cabinet a sink and a stove. Against one wall there was a brown couch with a wooden table in front of it. The walls had macrame on them, mostly in shades of brown and white.
”may I sit down?” Asked condensed milk cookie, he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to ask, or if he was just expected to sit somewhere.
”yes.” And so condensed milk cookie sat down on the couch, it was soft and oddly plush, it felt almost like velvet? But no it couldn’t be.
the other cookie didn’t sit down yet, instead they’d gone to the small kitchen in the corner of the room. He watched as they pulled a jar of something out of the cabinet and poured a little bit into two mugs. They then got out a kettle also from somewhere inside the cabinet. They filled it with water and put it on the stove to boil, before waking over and sitting beside condensed milk cookie. “I assume you are a traveler?” Said the cookie.
a traveler! Why hadn’t he thought of that himself? “Yes, I am a traveler. I come from another continent.” The best part is that it wasn’t really a lie, it was just… not telling the entire truth. And why should he tell the entire truth? It wasn’t like this cookie needed to know everything about him.
”ah, wonderful. I never expected to host someone who comes from another continent.” The other cookie’s voice was oddly pleasant, condensed milk cookie felt like he could listen to them speak for hours.
”you never told me your name.” It was the only thing condensed milk cookie could think to say, after all how could he keep the conversation going? He really didn’t want to let it end yet.
“S’more cookie. I’m sorry, I thought I had told you.” oh, s’more cookie. That made sense, they did look like some sort of marshmallow based cookie.
”well ‘tis a pleasure to meet you, s’more cookie.” Condensed milk cookie held out his hand in an attempt to offer a handshake.
”it is a pleasure to meet you too.” And s’more cookie shook condensed milk cookie’s hand.
s’more cookie stood from the couch and walked to the kitchen once more, pouring the hot water into the two mugs. He into the cabinets once more and pulled out a bag of marshmallows, then he took out two and put one in each mug.
(Quick authors note, I realized for a majority of this chapter I’ve been referring to s’more cookie as they/them but he uses he/him, my apologies but I am too lazy to go back and find every single time I messed up.)
s’more cookie walked back over to the couch and set the two mugs of hot cocoa down on the table, using one hand to push a mug towards condensed milk cookie in silent offering.
Condensed milk cookie picked up the mug and took a sip, it was far too sweet for his own tastes but he didn’t want to reject it and come across as rude or pretentious.
”so, what do you travel for?” Asked s’more cookie.
the question sent condensed milk cookie into a panic, he hadn’t been prepared to make up a whole story, sure he had his disguises, but none of them were travelers. And most of all none of them looked like him. How had he been so stupid as to go and see a stranger without first disguising himself? Then an idea struck him. “I’m a traveling merchant.” This was good, he could be a completely new cookie.
”a merchant? It’s been awhile since I’ve spoken to a merchant. What do you sell?”
another question that sent condensed milk cookie into another bout of panic, what could he be selling. He was far up in the mountains so anything produce related would be highly unlikely, nor did he have any basket he’d be able to believably claim to have anything worth selling in. No ideas came to him. He was screwed. “Uh—well, I suppose I sell a wide variety of things? My wares are merely being stored somewhere else! I just needed a place to stay for the night.”
”ah. I assumed a merchant would be spending more time down by the tribes, or by the citadel. Anyway I didn’t know anyone was aware that I live up here. So why exactly would you be here?”
condensed milk cookie hated how s’more cookie kept asking question after question that he didn’t have a good answer for. Maybe he should’ve waited a day or two to come back, at the very least until he had a good story made up for who he is. Maybe a disguise as well. But now he was in too deep, he couldn’t just go and come back a few days later as an entirely new cookie, that’d be suspicious. But would it be as suspicious as what was happening now? “I was exploring for a bit before I went down to where most of the cookies here live. I was planning to not sleep tonight, then spend down where the rest of the cookies live. But then I found your home and figured I’d ask to stay the night.” He hoped that the lie was believable.
”well, you can spend the night here then. I truly don’t see why I’d kick you out into the cold.”
”thank you.” Condensed milk cookie felt a smile coming across his face as he finished the last sips from the mug of hot cocoa. He stood and carried the empty mug to place it down into the sink. Should he wash it? Would that be rude? He didn’t know, and so he went back down to sit on the couch once more.
”well, I’ll be heading back to bed now. You may sleep on the couch.” And with that s’more cookie stood and walked over to the bed in the corner of the room.
condensed milk cookie laid back, letting his head rest down on the plush cushions. His eyes shut as he drifted into sleep.