Work Text:
Dear Wedding Cake Cookie,
If you receive this message, do not return it back. I will be absolutely ecstatic at knowing my letter passed through instead of getting intercepted, but alas, you must spare me a response.
It has been one month since that beautiful yet chaotic rehearsal. And even longer since I last seen your face. I haven't forgotten you, and I hope that you have not forgotten me. My time with you was glamorous and the most amazing period of my small life, so I hope you reciprocate my appreciation for your craft.
Furthermore, I will be planning to make my grand return to the Creme Republic and atone for my actions against the mother of the Consul. But most importantly, to plan another wedding and meet with you again, Wedding Cake.
I am aware that I don't deserve the best hospitality, as per the situation I have gotten us into, but I will come anyway.
I hope to see you safe and as bright as when I've met you.
Love, Black Forest
__________
Wedding Cake's hands shook with a nervous urgency that was caused by the arrival of this sudden letter, and from Black Forest Cookie of all cookies.
What was she thinking? Why was she being so foolish to send a letter? And through Witches knows what means..
Since the departure of Black Forest, Wedding Cake has been ridden with thoughts of her, and like irritating parasites, they remained and grew in size.
A soft pitter-patter against the window of her salon was a stark contrast to her dire state of mind, which seemed to be more like a torrent of hail than a soft drizzle. Speaking of hail, Wedding Cake looked as if she was being pelted by hail, twitching in pain every few seconds.
A sensation of doom was draped over her, like a snake sliding onto and hovering over her arm, mocking her and waiting to bite-
While opening, a soft flip from the opening of the neatly folded envelope pierced through her thoughts. On the envelope, the address of Wedding Cake's salon was neatly scribed into a weirdly clear white surface. On it, there was no return address.
As if her troubles involving Black Forest weren't enough. A real, physical, piece of Black Forest was in her possession currently. This is dangerous, how was this letter not intercepted? Wedding Cake has always trusted Black Forest to have her ways for everything, but she is actively being hunted down by the Knights.
She would have to read the letter quickly. Then dispose of any remnant of any close relationship between the wedding planner and the bride. This was a horrible look on both sides, even Black Forest's organization.
Her gloved hands grasped the envelope and snatched out the letter. It was folded in thirds, but it didn't seem very long. She felt a twinge of disappointment.
"If you receive this message, do not return it back. I will be absolutely ecstatic at knowing my letter passed through instead of getting intercepted, but alas, you must spare me a response."
Ah, so that was why there was no return address. At least Black Forest is not foolish enough to forget she is wanted by an entire town.
Wedding Cake felt some sadness at knowing that she couldn't write Black Forest a letter back, and that she would be wondering if Wedding Cake received this letter at all. It was strangely reminiscent to the tale of the Moon and the Sea, who both longed for each other without the other knowing for millennia.
No, this was not a problem. It would be the best thing ever if Wedding Cake Cookie forgot Black Forest as soon as possible, or the realistic option; that Black Forest would realize that writing to her enemy was dumb, and grow apart from her. This letter was living proof that Black Forest still remembered her, and cared enough to communicate with her. But for what reason?
Her eyes drifted downwards, she continued..
"It has been one month since that beautiful yet chaotic rehearsal. And even longer since I last seen your face. I haven't forgotten you, and I hope that you have not forgotten me. My time with you was glamorous and the most amazing period of my small life, so I hope you reciprocate my appreciation for your craft."
Wedding Cake had spent that one month fretting over if Black Forest was safe, or if she was dead in a ditch in a narrow forest somewhere. The possibility of the latter was more greater, and it was even more that her death would be caused by people who were against the Order. The period of silence was the scariest and most suspenseful time in her entire career, especially if she considers that Black Forest left her with nothing but a promise. That she would come back.
Instead of hoping for her return, she began dreading it. What would become of Wedding Cake and her if people found out that they were close? Certainly they would face persecution, and Black Forest would likely be thrown in a dirty, rotten place to be jailed because she was labeled as a cruel terrorist. She didn't want Black Forest to come back, she had inferred that Black Forest went to the Creme Republic of her own volition, not being ordered, despite popular belief.
The best rational decision for Black Forest would be to go back to her organization and to steer away from any possible trouble for her whole life. She had her doubts about the order, after all, it was a cult. But Black Forest had lived under that community her whole life. It was where she came from and her home. The most peaceful life for her would her to stay put and follow whatever faith she follows. She would never. come back.
But it was like Wedding Cake was split in half, one part of her dreaded when Black Forest would fulfill this sacred promise, but the other part of her is screaming for her to come back. She wants to see Black Forest, that was very clear to her. After all, why else would she be constantly dreaming about her grand return?
When Wedding Cake had met Black Forest, she was one of the many oddballs she had her services for. But she had a great charismatic quality to her, Wedding Cake found herself enjoying Black Forest's company along with her radical ideas that Wedding Cake had her own input in. But when she revealed her origin and her intentions it strengthened an invisible cord that connected them to each other. Their relationship was far to intimate to be considered professional.
Black Forest had at one point, wanted to indoctrinate Wedding Cake so she could have her company more permanently. For Witches' sake!
Of course Wedding Cake wouldn't forget Black Forest. She occupies the most amount of space in her mind. She's in everything Wedding Cake sees.
"What would Black Forest do?"
"Would she like this dress?"
"Could she help me model this dress?"
Wedding Cake sighs, a puff of hot air coming out from her mouth. Too much inner turmoil, she had a few more lines left to read.
"Furthermore, I will be planning to make my grand return to the Creme Republic and atone for my actions against the mother of the Consul. But most importantly, to plan another wedding and meet with you again, Wedding Cake."
The metaphorical snake around her arm slithered up to her neck. And squeezed. squeezed. and squeezed. Her back stiffened up into a still board. The thing she has been most worried about for the intentions of this letter was exactly what the intentions were. She was going to come back. And plan the most beautiful wedding ever had with Wedding Cake.
Suddenly, her wide office room felt too constricted and stuffy with unnecessary feelings. A licking, churning, lashing motion grew in her stomach, the Witches hate Wedding Cake. Every event that has led to now was specially made to crack Wedding Cake, and bring her down with all her goddamned feelings.
She weakly pushed at her desk to get up out of her seat. Terror lurked in every corner of her office. She had to get rid of the source. The letter. The stupid letter.
When trying to stand up from her seat, she nearly collapsed in anguish. Every grave step she took to her paper shredder seemed to knock her down sanity like a sword repeatedly slicing through a tall tower of cookie dough.
She scrambled to her shredder and shoved the letter in it, the machine let out an degrading groan before getting jammed with the letter in it.
Wedding Cake's face contorted in stress and frustration, she switched it on and off, but it didn't budge a single bit. It was like everything in the world was plotting against Wedding Cake.
Not taking any of the world's bullshit anymore, Wedding Cake's vice grip on the shredder twisted and threw it across the ground. She couldn't take this. Why did she ever accept Black Forest as a client in the first place? There were perfectly clear warning signs for Witches' sake!
A loud crash of machinery sounded through her office room and soon as she released the shredder from her hand, and it landed square in the trash can.
Wedding Cake couldn't help but laugh bitterly. It was moments like these that clashed with intense anger that somewhat calmed her down. It was mocking, yes, throwing a paper shredder when she could've just ripped the letter into digestible pieces manually and accidentally throwing it in the trash (she has just realized), but it reminded her she needed a break.
______
With the aftermath of her emotions to deal with, she had a dull pounding in her arm when trying to force the letter down the paper shredder. Wedding Cake came to her senses to switch off the paper shredder with the letter, which was jammed. She lifted the paper out of the mess of folded strips coming out of the hole like confetti, and cradled it gently in her hands.
"I am aware that I don't deserve the best hospitality, as per the situation I have gotten us into, but I will come anyway."
It was like Black Forest to cause madness in Wedding Cake, to make Wedding Cake hate her, but then to make her feel like she's done absolutely nothing wrong and deserves everything.
Oh Black Forest. The effect you have on me.
"I hope to see you safe and as bright as when I've met you."
Whether Wedding Cake liked it or not, she hoped to see Black Forest too.