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“Sugar,” Hollyberry suddenly said, as she stood by the dresser in their bedroom. Fingers fast in their work of unraveling the braid of bubbles. “I gotta ask- what have you heard about the upcoming festival?”
Ensconced in a cocoon of blankets, Eternal Sugar blinked back. With the other’s icing collected over her shoulder, she had been rather engrossed in studying the wonderful broadness of her back; muscles rippling as she shrugged off her armor, revealing spans of silvery scars stretching across her dough.
Her claws tightened in the pool of the coverlets.
“What are you referring to, my love?”
Hollyberry turned around, smiling- the force of it sending those crow's feet crinkling up at the corners of her eyes, and long baked laugh lines deepening still by her mouth. Dreamily, Eternal Sugar sank deeper into the mattress.
Even lost in her bliss, she could recognize that particular air about her- a countenance of exaggerated nonchalance. The very same look she gets whenever she’s questioned about the mysterious whereabouts of the twins whenever they’ve decided to scamper off into the Cranberry Forest together. Still, it’s a rather endearing trait to be such a terrible liar, in her opinion.
“For starters, it’s called Berrcalia- a festival meant to herald in fertility for a good ol’ season of berry ripening. Been going on for as long as…why, since the founding of my kingdom!” She snickered, snapping off the last of the golden bindings to wrap around her wrist. “At some point, it sorta stretched into becoming a bit of a lovefest- intended to celebrate all types of love. Of course, there’s a rather special emphasis placed on the more romantic type.”
“How utterly fascinating,” Eternal Sugar mused, tail flicking up madly under the covers. “And I suppose this is your roundabout way of an invitation?”
Red teased the tips of her ears. “Well, of course! Who else would I ever invite to this shindig?”
A fission of delight erupted in her chest- flaring bright and warm as a falling star. “I must ask- what does this festival exactly entail?”
“Ah, mainly just gift-giving!”
Eternal Sugar’s spine straightened, rapt with interest, and Hollyberry took it as a silent invitation to continue. Stepping into her nightgown, she said, “Well, you’ve been to more than enough of our festivals to get the general gist of ‘em! This one differs really at night- where couples take turns walking up and down the Pome River, exchanging gifts under the milklight of the moon.”
Her fingers twitched.
Gift-giving, she pondered, a particular skill she had thought to have perfected as an Emissary. Tailoring a present to each cookie’s taste was no easy feat, and she had done her best to satisfy them all; baskets bursting to the brim with candy berries, to cloud beds that always assured a full night’s rest, and even extravagant adornments to be tucked into their icing. For cookies to savor the lasting sweetness of Happiness before they departed back into the woes of the world. Leaving her forsaken behind, never to see them again-
She exhaled sharply. No, this gift will be truly different from all the rest of those flimsy, frivolous things. A mark above all the rest; to truly deliver true Happiness to her fervent other half.
“My love, you said this festival was soon.”
Hollyberry strode over to the bed, fingers pressing indents into the plush as she leaned over, waiting. “Yup; just at the end of this week!”
Eternal Sugar narrowed her eyes. And if nothing else, Hollyberry had the decency to wince at her foolishness.
“…You’ve given me a rather tight turnaround, my love.” Eternal Sugar sighed as she threw the covers back. Hollyberry clambered into the space left behind, slotting herself neatly against her side. Blithely, her tails wreathed about the other’s thigh, and in return, a toned arm draped across her shoulders. “But still, I suppose I must make do anyway.”
An awkward cough came, subsiding quickly into a half-hearted chuckle. The back of her neck prickled in hefty suspicion at the sound.
“About that…I’m not exactly asking you to participate in it.” Hollyberry said vaguely.
A blink. Eternal Sugar tensed, claws digging into the blankets.
“We’re…not participating?” She drawled darkly.
Underneath her winding tail, there was a flex of muscles; Hollyberry hastily averted her gaze. And all at once, that earlier endearing charm fell away, leaving her only with a growing pit in her stomach. “W-Well, not both of us…I’ll be the only one taking part, actually.”
She sucked in a breath between clenched teeth. “My love, I’m not quite following.”
At that, Hollyberry began to ramble, her tongue twisting over and under itself. “Y-You see, I-I’ve already gotten you a little something, Sugar. And for it to really work, it’s key for it to be more of a…uhh…showpiece than a mutual exchange. It’ll be more than worth the wait, I can promise you that!” She grinned, pleased to crumbs with her argument.
“…You said that this was a celebration for couples.”
“It is!”
“Then why am I not allowed to celebrate you as well?” Eternal Sugar said lowly, her voice warbling dangerously at the seams. “It is really only right that it goes both ways, my love. Why must you deprive me of the chance to show how much I adore you?”
She heard Hollyberry’s breath hitch.
Eternal Sugar’s claws loosened, coming away to reveal tattered ribbons of satin that she’s made of the bedsheets. She made to pull her head away, but a gentle touch at her chin stopped her.
A rustle of sheets; another hand came up to join the first. Cradling her jaw ever so delicately, Hollyberry leaned in to press a kiss just above the bridge of her nose- sincere apologies baked right into the gesture. And Eternal Sugar sighed lovingly, rubbing her cheek against those calloused, worn palms, taking delight in how those fingers curl into the apples of her cheeks. Quelling at once the branches of her discontentment, but not entirely the roots.
“Really, don’t trouble yourself with finding a gift for me, Sugar!” Hollyberry murmured, measured puffs of air ghosting across her forehead. “Trust me, what I have in store is wholly perfect for just the two of us. All I require of you is your company, and that’ll be more than enough for me, ha ha!”
*✧･ﾟ✦: *✧:·･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *✧✦ ･ﾟ:*✧
“Oh, I’m at an utter loss for what to do,” Eternal Sugar lamented as she swooned against the wall. She bit again at her bottom lip, which is beginning to sting terribly from how much she’s gnawed on it. “Truly, I never thought she would be this cruel to spring something like this on me so out of the blue!”
Wildberry Cookie, ever unsympathetic to her plights, placed aside his rag with a scowl. Patently unthrilled that he was caught in the midst of cleaning his equipment in the armory, cornered under her relentless yet justified worries.
“I don’t understand why you chose to come to me,” He said, inspecting his gauntlet. To her eyes, it seemed just the same as before- the sterling silver’s sheen only accentuated by the glow of candlelight, with that mulberry gem at the center still glazed over with velatura. “Wouldn’t Juneberry or Cloudberry be more apt for a discussion like this?"
“Nonsense!” She scrunched her nose. “As supportive and sweet as my lovely friends may be, they hardly know my love as well as you do. And I thought it best to go to a fellow romantic on this matter.”
Wildberry’s head snapped up at that, his normally fixed face contorted into an expression of utter bewilderment, “A romantic?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t you be? Your heart is teeming over with that persistent and pining love. Don’t deny it any longer, I’ve seen you with that little wolf cookie to know more than enough of your devotion.”
He turned his face away- not nearly quick enough to disguise the faint smatterings of a blush across his dough. The corners of her mouth curled up knowingly.
“…What do you need?”
Eternal Sugar scooped up a pair of tongs from the table, fiddling with them idly. “I require advice- you must have some inkling of a gift idea that my other half would cherish.”
“Don’t touch that,” Wildberry ordered sharply, and with a frown, she placed it back down. “But no, I don’t.”
“Surely you know something,” She said, settling for picking at her cuticles; fragments of dough coming away in her claws. “Please, anything at all would be effusively beneficial.”
“Hmm.” He sighed, running a hand through his tousled icing. “…A bouquet?”
“No, no, I’ve given her plenty of bouquets before- this gift needs to be truly and entirely special- not trite in the slightest.”
“Jewelry?”
“Ah, she has more than enough sets! And I don’t think any jeweler would be able to create a suitable custom piece on such a short schedule.”
“A letter then.”
“…A love letter?” Eternal Sugar furrowed her brow. “Why would I ever write down my affection when I could simply profess it in the dough instead?”
Wildberry’s left eye twitched. “What is the point if you’re going to deride all my suggestions?”
She let out a cross-huff. Really, for a cookie who practices prudence, he has a rather remarkably short fuse. “You must understand, Wildberry, that this gift shall be so stunningly perfect. If she had promised such a wondrous offering to me, then it is unthinkable that I cannot return one of equal measure to her.”
Wildberry considered her- a steely glint flashing across his eyes.
Donning his gauntlet, he flexed his fingers, finding the metal joints to be satisfactory enough to his standards. “To be forthright- I would follow Queen Mother’s lead. Trust that she has a good reason for her request, no matter how evidently vexing you may find it.” He stood up, the chair skidding painfully against the sugar resin floor. “I’m overseeing drills for the cohorts this morning, so I must take my leave. Don’t touch anything else.”
Eternal Sugar watched him go, a faint scowl about her lips. Fine, it seemed that she must take it upon herself to find a gift for her other half, no matter what any other cookie has to say about it.
*✧･ﾟ✦: *✧:·･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *✧✦ ･ﾟ:*✧
Hollyberry skidded back on her heels, waves of stones following her into the air. A tiger pounced; its occupant rising onto her haunches, readying her spear for attack. Just in the nick of time, she wheeled back around, meeting the jab head-on with her shield. The clash of metal upon metal revved throughout the courtyard; an ear-splitting, grating noise.
Eternal Sugar’s head fell into her hands with a huff. She winced as dirt streaked across her chin from the dirt amassed underneath her nails and around her cuticles. Longing desperately for the baths, for the sensation of juice lapping away at her dough, but unfortunately, she must wait for her beloved to finish up her spar.
At least it is a dashing view, she thought, watching how Hollyberry effortlessly parried a sidestrike from her general; laughter bubbling out as she sent her flying backwards. Those gorgeous locks spiraling behind in ribbons, light curling around the contours of her flexed arms, and the broad smile that stretches across her wonderful face from ear to ear. Utterly radiant.
Yet it did nothing to dispel that weight lying heavy across her shoulders, a hefty reminder that she still hasn’t found a present worthy of the sight before her. No matter how hard she racked her head, it remained so stubbornly barren, leaving her with a nasty headache at the tips of her temples. It seemed that her natural propensity for gift-giving had long curdled away like spoiled milk. She pouted.
Laden footsteps made their way toward her. Eternal Sugar glanced up to see Hollyberry’s marvelous flushed face above her- sweat rolling down her cheeks and lips slightly parted from exertion. And she at once swept the tip of her tongue across her lips, finding them much too dry for her liking.
“Phew!” Hollyberry panted as she proffered her shield. Mind holding this for a second, Sugar?”
Sunlight gleamed off that bronze rim, meandering into those hilted grooves invitingly. Caught in a trance, Eternal Sugar mindlessly accepted it. Hollyberry took a step back, unhelming herself to begin combing through her mane with her fingers.
Settling the shield into her lap, her fingers smoothed over the rim, gliding past those deep jagged edges. With her forefinger, she traced the set of wings, scalloping along the edges of the plumes. And her own wings, just as dawn-kissed and dappled as the ones illustrated below, swept in around her.
Her claws caressed the heart of her love’s shield, tracing over the curved surface of the Soul Jam. Even under the delicate press of her fingers, it bent reflexively, leaving indents of her touch upon its heart. Its trills resonated within her, beckoning happily for its other half that’s tucked away in her circlet- a greedy noise that sent her lips slipping upwards.
She has come to duly adore her beloved’s shield. A truly wondrous reflection of her kindness; meant to be celebrated and lauded and reveled in. Of course, if anything should serve as a perfect gift for her dear Hollyberry, it would be a strengthening of her beloved source of Passion.
Splaying a hand over the Soul Jam’s surface, the steady warmth baking into her dough, she asked. “My love, do you ever require anything for this?”
Hollyberry let out a surprised laugh. “Not at all! The Light of Passion thankfully does all the work for me in that regard.”
“…Surely your shield requires some sort of upkeep beyond that.” Eternal Sugar wondered. “Perhaps a few wreaths of leaves encircling the center, or a thick veneer of wax would do nicely on top of the bronze. My love, this is your pride and joy after all, and I would be more than willing to see to its care as a little present on your behalf.”
Hollyberry perked an eyebrow. Remaining silent, she tucked the helmet underneath her arm. Pulling her shoulders back, Eternal Sugar smiled lazily up as she approached.
But Hollyberry only coaxed the shield away from her, leaving her fanned claws cold as she tucked it away on her back. A frown flickered across Eternal Sugar’s face; clouds veiling the sun, until its weight is replaced with the comfort of the other’s hand. Hollyberry’s thumb brushed ever so gently across the back of her fingers, loitering just barely on her annular finger before moving right along- paying such wonderfully sweet care to her.
Eternal Sugar froze. Enthralled in how those pink eyes, tinted and toned with mauve and dusk, so easily favor the jam embedded in her shield. Truly, it was fate; as if they were destined to be always entwined with one another.
“Dontcha worry, my shield is perfectly adequate for the job!” Hollyberry chuckled. “Any extra adornments will only distract from its true purpose- to protect those I love and care for with my entire dough.”
Eternal Sugar opened her mouth, more than ready to protest, but Hollyberry’s fingers receded away before the words could leave. She stood up proudly, hands planted on her hips. “Now, I’ve certainly kept you waiting long enough! How about we go take a quick dip in the juice baths to freshen up a tad?” Hollyberry winked inconspicuously. Her heart swelled in want against her ribcage.
The matter at hand promptly forgotten, Eternal Sugar stretched her arms overhead. Wings billowing out into clouds of white, her tail swishing against blades of grass as she rose up. “My love, how could I ever say no to such a tempting offer?”
*✧･ﾟ✦: *✧:·･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *✧✦ ･ﾟ:*✧
Days passed by, and worry began to worm its way under her dough.
None of her attempts to poke and prod at Hollyberry had borne any fruit; the other only dismissing her questions. Each one was accompanied by a wave of her hand and a kiss pressed against her crown. Her persisting selflessness was so duly endearing, but not when it came to act as a bane to her very existence.
In the absence of any better alternatives, she only saw fit to pin her hopes on their weekly trip to the Grandberry markets, believing the ideal gift would be tucked away amongst one of the stalls. And better yet, she wouldn’t have to lift a claw to get it. A foolproof plan, Eternal Sugar decided, one that will surely yield something worthy before that ever encroaching deadline.
But no matter how far her eyes swept across or how many booths she scoured, there was nothing befitting of her. An immensely frustrating thing; time simply tumbling out of her hands like grains of sugar in an hourglass, helpless to stop its flow.
A brief reprieve came when Hollyberry spotted a small quintet of musicians congregating together. Their eyes had widened when they approached; humbly stumbling over both their words and limbs as they greeted her. She had only laughed and simply requested a song from them. And they listened.
It was a contrary thing of a song; forceful in its pulse that it sweeps her heart along with its tempo, yet there’s a delicateness in the plucks of strings; sweet and soft enough to only cradle it in its palms. Utterly ensorcelling in its melody, strong enough to keep her feet planted firmly to the ground as she listened. The din of the crowd behind her faded away; fluted wings fluttering about her waist as a breath caught tight in her throat. A faint stirring started deep under her dough- a kindling of a bleeding longing that she couldn’t quite place. And her chest began to ache something fierce.
With a long shudder, the song all came to a grinding halt, and Eternal Sugar blinked- cognizant of where her body was once again.
“Bravo, bravo gentlemen!” Hollyberry cheered, flipping a gold coin into the waiting case. The cookies bowed to her in hearty appreciation before starting up another tune, far more sparkling in its joviality than the first.
She would have cherished the chance to listen more; to lose herself in the swell of the strings, the warbling of reeds, and peals of horns, but Hollyberry instead draws her away back into the market to weave through the crowd. Cookies wave at them as they pass by, and always she returns their greeting with a gentle flutter of her fingers.
“…I’ve heard that last song,” Eternal Sugar said suddenly, following along quickly in Hollyberry’s footsteps. “I must admit, it’s slipping my mind from exactly where.”
“Might have heard it from my granddaughter’s wedding,” Hollyberry replied. “It’s a rather ubiquitous first dance song to choose- it’s practically tradition!”
“An unconventional request from you then,” She couldn’t help but ponder. “It seems rather impious to play an interlude simply out in the open.”
There was a sharp intake next to her. She looked up to see Hollyberry choking on air; face flushing a dark crimson, and forehead beginning to bead with sweat. The other pounded her chest with the ball of her fist before managing to splutter out, “A-Ah…it’s not just a wedding song! It’s an often common anthem before a ball- there’s nothing more Hollyberrian than the passionate blaring of brass!”
Eternal Sugar cocked her head, mind wandering off as she watched a merchant’s desperate attempt to haggle with an increasingly puffy baker. Then a thought surfaces from the depths, strung together by the memory of the alluring call of woodwinds and the lingering heartbeat of percussion.
“Have there been songs composed about you, my love?” Eternal Sugar asked, and that was enough to mollify Hollyberry.
“Quite a few!” She laughed. “But not just dedicated to me; there’s a batchful dedicated to my other aliases, all the way back from my huntress days.”
Eternal Sugar brightened a few shades lighter.
Perhaps a song would suit her nicely. It's a rather unorthodox pick, but she welcomes it all the more. After all, it has been simply ages since she’s arranged a melody on her lyre, and there is no better subject of one than the cookie beside her.
Trying to remain coy, she nudged her side with her elbow. “I can only imagine! Which of those are among your favorites, then? I would so graciously adore hearing it all from you.”
Hollyberry winced in her hold. “O-Oh…I’ll be frank- I don’t really remember most of ‘em! Not for lack of trying, of course, but I don’t have a real musical ear. Don’t know how Royal Berry managed to become a real virtuoso, but it certainly wasn’t due to me!”
Eternal Sugar deflated.
It seems she must go back to the drawing board yet again. Granted, anything she would have composed would be far more noteworthy than any other insipid song, but she cannot risk it. No, this gift needs to be so painstakingly perfect- just like what Hollyberry promised for her.
“Oho!”
Startled, Eternal Sugar followed her gaze.
Cookies have amassed around a long rectangular court, smarted with red and green balls of hardened sugar. She squinted, not recognizing it to be any of the games played before her time away in the silver tree. It all seemed like a rather rudimentary game to her.
“It’s been ages since I’ve participated in a good game of bocce!” Hollyberry pressed a fleeting kiss against her forehead. “C’mon, I’ll teach you the rules. I promise, you’ll pick it up in no time!”
And Eternal Sugar followed her in the swell of the crowd. Even under her other half’s valiant tutelage, she promptly gave up after a round; her feet instinctively fluttering off the ground to throw the pallino. She couldn’t be too upset, deeming it far more agreeable to watch Hollyberry and the other cookies easily triumph from the sidelines.
*✧･ﾟ✦: *✧:·･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *✧✦ ･ﾟ:*✧
It was only a day later that she found herself cooped up in Hollyberry’s old study, surrounded by endless mountains upon mountains of papers. Illuminated only by thin streaks of sunlight spilling into the room past the blinds.
The room is more used for storage than a functional office nowadays, but there’s really no need for it to be so entirely cloaked in dust. Sheens of it cloak her glorious wings, burnishing the white into shades of soot and sending her dough itching terribly. She’s learned her lesson to avoid any sort of pruning; as a stray plume had accidentally swooped right under Hollyberry’s nose, causing the other to let loose a violent sneeze. Loud enough to have sent a tower toppling to the ground, sending more squalls of dust pillowing into the air onto her feathers.
Her wings bristled.
It’s so terribly claustrophobic here. She could hardly imagine why her dearest would choose to rummage through these papers willingly. Still, if this is where she wishes to be, then she shall stay by her side.
“…I thought you said this was just a meeting with one of those cheesy representatives?” Eternal Sugar mused, flipping one of the pages over. “Why would you ever need this many papers for that, my love?”
“Well, even Golden Cheese’s own subjects aren’t one to be slapdash, that’s for sure!” Hollyberry replied off-handedly as she leaned forward in her seat, tapping the papers on the desk to form a uniform stack. “Just gotta get everything in order for them…and that means covering all of our bases.”
“Then I must ask-why does your kingdom suddenly have such a vested interest in…” She squinted at the lopsided script. “…Trade relations with the Parmesan desert cheesebirds?”
“You see, it’s another source of added revenue for Golden Cheese; she’s gotta build her kingdom back up one way or another! I wouldn’t be able to call myself a true friend if I didn’t do all I could for her.”
Eternal Sugar raised an eyebrow. “…And I suppose this has nothing to do with Princess Cookie’s souvenirs of aged sharp cheddar when she came back from her honeymoon, does it?”
A pause; Hollyberry, ever so slowly, cracked a sheepish smile. “Ah…ha ha! Well, you certainly got me there! I can admit I’ve gotten a bit of a craving for the stuff now. If nothing else, I’m just pleased that they’re bringing a wheel of it here."
At last, an idea sprang to life. Drumming her nails in a staggered pattern on the desk, she slyly said. “My love, then what other imports have you sorely missed since the war’s end? I imagine quite a bit, being the worldly adventurer that you are.”
“Let’s see here…” Hollyberry leaned back, balancing on the back legs as she stroked her chin.
“Oho!” The chair smashed back to the ground with a bang. “Can’t believe I nearly forgot…that blazing mojito from Dragon City!”
“A mojito?” Eternal Sugar repeated dubiously. “My love, I do understand your yearning…But I don’t believe that’s entirely healthy for you now.”
She waved her hands. “Ah, no, no! Believe me, I have no intention of relapsing! I’m talking about the non-alcoholic version- the stuff they make for little doughlings. Still retains that signature fiery taste, with sharp, acidic lime added, along with a note of sweetness from the ginger. Ahh, now that’s a true drink right there!”
Finally, Eternal Sugar thought with a smile, a straightforward solution. Now, it was only half a day’s travel to Dragon’s City by foot last time they visited, and would be far less by flight. If she left under the shroud of night, then there would be just enough time to secure a barrelful of it and-
“Sugar…I know exactly what you’re getting at here.” Hollyberry cut in, her head now cupped in her palm. A brazen sort of fondness was present in those exquisite eyes, framed by those beautiful, blunt eyelashes, and it was almost enough to make her forget about the task at hand. Almost.
“Whatever do you mean, my love?”
“You’re still trying to come up with a gift idea, aren’t you?”
Eternal Sugar straightened haughtily. A hearty laugh echoes from Hollyberry’s chest, and the pleasant sound of it is enough to soothe the tense lumps in her dough.
“Aw, Sugar, I thought I told you not to worry about it.” She teased lightly.
She curled her lip. “…Is it really so wrong for me to bestow a single gift upon you?” Eternal Sugar challenged. Her wings roused at her sides, that awful dust still making their home in between her feathers. A shudder ran down her spine, all too acutely aware of how detestably dingy they still are. Ugh.
Hollyberry sighed; her hands still as she gave her a strange look. Defiantly, Eternal Sugar crossed her arms to stare back.
Silence reigned between them, competition held in their gazes. And to her immense pleasure, Hollyberry is the first to break away- one small victory.
Hollyberry exhaled sharply through her nose, more akin to a long-suffering huff, before she placed her stack to the side. Hands gingerly reached out to clasp her waist, lifting her up as if she weighed nothing more than a cloud. She’s placed on top of the desk, knees spread just so to give Hollyberry enough room to slot herself between.
Her tail thumped wildly against the desk, the dull reverberation of wood loud against the relative quiet.
“Oh, I really don’t need any of those luxuries, Sugar. Sure, I certainly would be lying if I said I wasn’t hankering for those dragon mojitos, but I wouldn’t want you to leave me for it.” Hollyberry said kindly.
Eternal Sugar nursed at her bottom lip, struck suddenly silent.
Hollyberry studied her, concern evident in those lovely eyes, twisting her stomach further into knots. There’s a tension in the junction of her jaw, a delicate tautness from an inner conflict that she’s not privy to. But before she could ask, the other’s nose scrunched, the corners of her eyes crinkling in warning before-
“AH-COO!”
More papers scattered like swirling leaves into the air, but Eternal Sugar ignored them all. “Oh my love, are you feeling ill?” She began to fret, hands fluttering about her face.
“Ah, it’s all right! Seems that the stuffiness of this place is just getting to me, ha ha!” Hollyberry sniffled, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Mind fetching me a handkerchief in that top drawer?”
Eternal Sugar nodded. Shifting around in her seat, she fumbled for the knob. It creaked open just a smidgen before a hand fell on top of hers, encompassing the whole of hers with just its palm. She blinked, awed.
“W-Wait!” Hollyberry chuckled, slamming the drawer shut. “Not that draw, Sugar.”
Curiosity piqued, she went to open it again, but her love was quick to halt her once more. “Whatever is in here for you to be so secretive?“
Hollyberry grimaced. “It’s that I…uhhh…just got s-some rather important stuff from Royal Berry tucked away in there, y-you see! A whole batch of boring ol’ houses legal work that he would prefer not have the berries spilled on.”
“…You still are involved with the berry houses? I thought you decided to take a permanent leave of absence after you called the head of the Cranberry House a…’waspish, bitter crab-berry of a cookie?’ Not that I don’t disagree with you, particularly after those snide jabs directed at your granddaughter’s partner.”
Her face flushed a dark red at the reminder.
“Oh, just some of them. Gotta throw around my own weight once in a while for him,” She said lamely. Reaching instead for the other drawer to pull out a handkerchief, ducking her head away from view. Eternal Sugar sighed as she crumpled her hands into her lap.
With a trumpet blow, Hollyberry folded the cloth inwards before tucking it away in her pocket.
“N-Now!” A short laugh echoed as she pushed out her chair. “I’m sure you agree it is far too good of a day to spend it wasting away in here, wouldn’t you say?”
Hollyberry rose; bones cracking like firecrackers as she stretched. And then she offered a splayed hand to her.
Pursuing her lips, Eternal Sugar accepted.
*✧･ﾟ✦: *✧:·･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *✧✦ ･ﾟ:*✧
It was such an utterly lovely night for disappointment, Eternal Sugar only thought as she curled her hands around Hollyberry’s arm.
The river was blooming with berries, hues of indigo, violet, and mulberry bursting across the waves, the streambed lost away in the tides. And there were countless couples lining its banks, all broad smiles and glistening eyes as they exchanged their presents: bouquets of budding flowers, extravagant jewelry, and bottles of juice tied off with a ribbon. A bitter taste welled up across her tongue.
Grip tightening, her gaze drifted upwards to the heavens.
Stars, magnificent and dazzling, greeted her. Crumpled together into constellations she hardly recalled: zig-zagging, coiling, and spiraling across the skies above.
Locked away in the silver tree, she had ached for so many wondrous things: the brush of silvery wind across her shoulders, the lushness of moss squishing underneath her feet, and the supple touch of flowers as she dragged her fingertips across their petals. But most of all, she had missed the stars; so very distant in the cursed stretches of silence. She had mourned them deeply; that in the tragedy of their absence, she had no imprint left upon her dough to remember them by.
“W-Well, it’s about that time, isn’t it?”
She tore her eyes away to look at the other. That particular air had congregated around Hollyberry again; that smile was painfully plastered false across her face. Yet, she could hardly bring herself to care, swallowed by that insurmountable wave of shame.
“My love…I’m so very sorry.” Eternal Sugar began, and Hollyberry only blinked back in confusion; a rather adorable expression of not for the severity of the situation.
“What for?”
“I…I have nothing to give you,” She admitted.
A brief pause before Hollyberry laughed, a bright ring in the night, disentangling herself to face her. At the loss of her love’s touch, she suddenly feels so very alone- left adrift in the unforgiving sea. And finally, those tears she had worked so arduously to keep back at last overflowed- warm and wet across her cheeks.
“My love, I’m such….such a failure,“ Eternal Sugar sobbed as she gathered her dress into her claws. “I…I couldn’t even find you a single present after you’ve gone all this way for me. What kind of partner am I for not being able to cherish you properly?”
Hollyberry’s mouth parted. Hand kept in her pocket, she only peered up at her- eyes full of such profuse sweetness and care that she started to choke. Wings swept across her body to cloak her in a thick shroud of feathers. For long moments, she stood immobilized, her feathers soaking up all her sorrows as she continued to cry. Her sternum shook in violent waves as she continued to snivel, only waiting for nothing more for the ground to swallow her whole.
“C’mon Sugar,” came that wonderful voice, dripping so mightily in devotion that she shivered at the sound of it. “Just look at me.”
She gritted her teeth- refusing that ever creeping urge to fall into her love’s arms.
“…Please, for me.”
And at those simple words, ringed ardently in desperation, her wings at last unfurled away.
She gasped.
Hollyberry was on a single knee before her, a curious box held in her hand- dwarfed against the utter size of her palm. Inside the box, sparkling like fresh, tiny dewdrops, is a-
“Yes!” Eternal Sugar exclaimed, falling onto her knee in a flurried mess of feathers, peppering kisses across her face. “Oh, my love, yes, a thousand times over, yes, yes, yes!”
“S-Sugar, come on now, you didn’t even let me ask!” The other chuckled breathlessly between those frantic kisses, her dough flushing torrid underneath each one. With great reluctance, she backed away with a pout, allowing her love some much-needed air.
Face wonderfully ruddied even under the frosted moonlight, Hollyberry plucked the ring out of the box. “Although it seems like we’re practically married already, at the rate we’ve gone along with things,” She said, amused. “Yet, I would love nothing less across all the entirety of Earthbread to make it official with you at last. Now, I must ask- Eternal Sugar, will you marry me?”
Dreamily, Eternal Sugar extended her left hand into hers, “Of course, my love; what ever else could I say but that?”
With meticulous care, the ring was slipped tight onto her finger, the metal warmed from her touch. And Eternal Sugar clutched it to her chest, pressed against the beating of her heart.
She studied the ring, turning her hand every which way to see how the cascading gems, rosy and airy, belight beneath the stars. A gorgeous design, only marred by the absence of-
Her brows furrowed.
“My love, we don’t match,” Eternal Sugar began to agonize, comparing her adorned hand to her other half’s very much naked one. “This won’t do- I really shall have to get you one at once.”
Hollyberry affectionately rubbed the tips of their noses together, sharing a breath in between. “Thought you were gonna say something like that, Sugar.” She reached back into her pocket, fishing out yet another small box. She proffered it with a small smile. “So, I…uhhh…planned accordingly.”
Hands shaking, Eternal Sugar accepted. Flipping open the lid, she comes face to face with another ring. Far less ornate than the first- a simple band with only droplets of glimmering quartz. It felt as if her hands were full of light, burning and blistering as if she were cradling a star. Her body was alight with such limitless adrenaline, delighting at long last at the strength sinking into her dough.
“Your hand, my love,” She ordered, and Hollyberry chuckled as she obeyed. Fiddling with her ring finger, she glided it on, fancying how it so easily equaled hers. With a sigh, Eternal Sugar pressed their hands together, enjoying how the two bands clinked against one another.
“…Dearest and loveliest Hollyberry,” Eternal Sugar murmured, admiring how moonlight shone off the gems to catch along the indents of the rings. Her ring. And the very thought of it made her heart swell against her ribcage, so utterly large with love that she feared it would burst away at the seams. “It was said to me that the witches once baked us all with four arms and four legs- two souls formed into one shell of a body. And one day, they split us all perfectly down into two, deeming the shape far more acceptable than before. But yet, it condemned us all to spend our lives longing for our other half forevermore.”
“…I must admit, the tale did grow on me, even after Burning Spice assured me it was decidedly false. It played on that loneliness held deep inside, a gaping maw stretching wide in my chest, even as I delivered Happiness to all cookies,” Eternal Sugar looked away from the glints of their rings, the irises of her love far more beguiling than any jewels across Earthbread. “But perhaps, there is some truth lodged inside it after all.”
And then she leaned in, pressing a final kiss against her love’s lips with a smile.