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A cold wind brushed over the Pagoda, the small sounds of the wind chimes echoing throughout.
A smell of grassy incense danced along the marble wall, as the warm sun hugged the somewhat chilly atmosphere
It was a sunny day, a lovely day in fact. No Fog or looming gray clouds to envelop the peaks as it usually does.
But alas it wasn’t just because the weather had altered, it was also because the Master of the Ivory Pagoda had fallen.
But that didn’t mean it stopped her from healing.
Cloud Haetae Cookie huffed as they swept the entire courtyard, gathering all the dust they could, getting every corner and every gap.
Cleanliness was essential
Especially for the grand master.
It was a common ritual if anything
First thing after Cloud Haetae Cookie drinks their tea and finishes their breakfast, it’s off to chores they go.
Sweeping, dusting, relighting new incense and tending to the small flora in the pagoda. It may not seem a lot but it was a large estate..
After making sure the last pillar stood shining and dust less, Cloud Haetae sighed, putting away the cleaning supplies that stood near an empty corner. They walked to the middle of the yard, taking a small rest on a bench.
Seems so little ago when they witnessed that..Dark Cacao deny the peace of apathy.
It was insulting, and even more disrespectful to the heavenly master.
Everyday since then, Mystic Flour had devoted her entire being to more meditation, to healing herself to the ends that she could.
She would need to, after all
It would soon be a time when she finally regains the soul jam back, entirely.
With no take backsies for him
The sun was slowly heading to the lower peaks behind the pagoda, that was an alarm for Cloud Haetae
They hopped off the bench and brushed off any dust or rocks on their clothes before rushing off to the main building
The Four dumpling kings stood near the door, their hands steady on their weapons
The Meat Dumpling King glanced at Cloud Haetae for a small moment before nodding
Chive Dumpling and Spicy Dumpling took the golden handles and pulled open the doors
Cloud Haetae smiled politely in return and rushed inside
They set the kettle on the warm fire, going to a small cabinrt taking out a jar of licorice root
Taking the root, they took a small knife and began cutting
Usually half the root will do
They put it into the teapot, taking it off the fire
Next, a little bit of sweetener, but not too much as the master had no care for sweets
A dash of corn syrup, for intellect
A teaspoon of peppermint for focus
And a bit of milk to increase the thickness
Just the way Mystic prefers it
They set the teapot and the cups onto a tray, putting crackers and honey and sugar cubes alongside it as they headed to the Meditation ward
Two large crane birds guarded the doors, their eyes closed before opening to greet cloud Haetae
With a small respectful bow and the use of their legs, they opened the doors
All three bowed their heads the lowest they could
As a brush of white fog exited the room.
Their master sat in the middle of the room, atop a fading Lotus
Long white thin strands of fabric made a large web of the walls and pillars around
You wouldn’t be surprised if you found one of the webbed spider queens lurking about
They made a particular mutual pact between them and Mystic to say the least
Cloud Haetae wasn’t too fond of them
The Haetae walked to the center before resting on their knees laying down the tray on a wooden table
Mystics back was to then yet Cloud Haetae kept their gaze low
“Master, I’ve brought you your tea, I hope that your meditation went as-“
They glanced up and stopped
Mystic was turned to them
Her gaze set on them as if it was always there
She was so quiet..
Cloud Haetae even after all these years felt a little intimidated
But they did not falter
“I hope your meditation assisted into reaching farther into your image of apathy”
They finished their sentence
Mystic hummed and looked at the tea before beginning to pour it into the cups
A quiet yet somewhat peaceful silence passed through them
She sipped it tenderly, as did Cloud Haetae
Admittedly, Cloud Haetae enjoyed these moments
The quiet time to think to themselves
The coolness of the temple combined with the warmth of the candles surrounding them felt just right upon their dough
But most of all, they enjoyed resting with their master
After all it had been eons since they had any head scratches from her
Mystic was just..sacred to them
And for these moments to occur everyday felt like a blessing
After finishing the tea, Mystic cleared her throat and looked at Cloud Haetae who perked their ears to listen
“Supplicate with me.”
She merely said
Cloud Haetae had to stop from smiling
They got a small pillow, going on their knees next to Mystic as the master lit up a new stick of incense
Clapping their hands together, they lowered their heads and spoke in their minds
Cloud Haetae thought of their mother, the things they enjoyed, the sweet memories they cherished,
The stick of incense burnt out after an hour or two
Mystic and Cloud Haetae breathed in deeply
And out
Then Mystic looked at Cloud Haetae
“Are you hungry?”
Cloud Haetaes tiny tail began wagging rapidly
Mystic Flour may have been known for her past volition, her wisdom, her now virtue of apathy, and her pale ailment, but Cloud Haetae knew that her cooking. Was the one thing they would worship everyday.
In the kitchen, Cloud Haetae sat patiently on a nearby table, excitedly waiting
Mystic was cooking, and the smells that came from the pots and pans was enough to make Cloud Haetae drool
Their tail wagged thumping against the pillow they sat on
Hands itching as they were folded on their lap
The dumplings and buns smelled like heaven as they steamed, and the sight of the noodles drowning in peanut oil practically made Cloud Haetae melt
Mystic, ever since she returned to the Pagoda, had a habit of making a LOT of food for her minion.
One reason being that Haetaes in general needed a lot of fat in their bodies. Going from a cookie to a Haetae took a lot of energy, even if it didn’t seem like it. But nevertheless, Cloud Haetae loved her cooking, and often would look forward to it after a long day. Even if Mystic never really reacted to their thanks, they knew it came from a place of…apathetic care?-
An entire spread, just for them.
(Well Mystic would make plenty of food for the Dumpling Kings and Cranes as well)
Dumpling soup, sweet buns, candied daikon, and more!
Cloud Haetae’s mouth practically watered at the sight
Mystic set down a cup of tea for herself across from Cloud Haetae
They clapped their hands together and bowed their head
“Thank you for the food!”
They said
Mystic nodded once sipping their tea whilst Cloud Haetae dug in
A nice hearty meal and a tub of tea later, was a full and happy Haetae
Another thing about Haetaes was that they had very easily occurring food comas
So already Cloud Haetae felt themself dozing off
They hated it
In their mind, they should help- no. Repay Mystic Flour by cleaning the dishes used
But they never were able to do it
Which is what happened
Their head laid on the table snoozing softly, belly full and heart happy
Mystic finished her tea, watching them, and with a sigh she stood up
Poor thing
Then, small tiny white spiders began crawling out from various places, her robes, the walls, the ceiling
They began collecting the dishes on top of their backs, taking it back to the kitchens for washing
Meanwhile, Mystic collected the tiny Haetae into her arms, as she did a long while ago
Cloud Haetae always worried how mystic took all those dishes
In reality she didn’t.
Cloud Haetae slept in a small bed utop a tiny pedestal, with small trinkets surrounding them
Carefully without stepping on them, Mystic set them on the plush bed, pulling a thin white sheet over their body that they used as a blanket
Her hand brushed their head, before scratching it gently
Their tiny tail wagged in their sleep, a small sleepy smile brushing across their face
Mystic didn’t do much
She pulled away after she knew Cloud Haetae was truly asleep
She left the room, her robes brushing against a small clay toy that they made themselves, of their departed mother
Mystic Flour disappeared back into her room, the Cranes guarding the doors as a small white fog filled below the doors filled
Her mind shifted,
Now that the small Haetae was asleep, she could focus on how she would be able to decimate the thief of her soul jam.
The next day was..sorta the same
Cloud Haetae awoke, made food, did a bunch of their chores, and made tea for Mystic Flour again
However, in the middle of their session of tea and silence, they felt a boom under their feet
As if something bashed into the pagoda.
Mystic and Cloud Haetae before they could get a word in then heard the familiar snickers from above
“Ohhhh MISTYYY!!~”
“Oh dreadful.”
Mystic sighed before looking up
The master of Deciet loomed over their heads, one hand holding a cup (that he somehow took from the tray) and swirling the tea around smirking
“Ohh don’t be like that, don’t you miss me?”
He asked
“Am I to assume you’re not the only one here?”
She asked
BOOM!
The sounds of the crane birds squawking and familiar laughter filled the hall
The spiders scurried away
“Nope!”
Shadow Milk giggled
Burning Spice stomped in holding his usual axe
“Been too long..why is there so many webs-“
He gruntled waving his arms to smack away the webs
“Keep doing that and your hands will crumble.”
Mystic said, her eyes darkening to their intimidating black color
Shadow Milk sighed dramatically
“Sooooo sososososo violent, so aggressive. But seriously, what’s with the spiders”
He asked as a tiny spider hung off his hand
“Why They’re adorable aren’t they?~ They must be so important if our Mystic harbors an entire family!~”
The four looked over to see the Beast of Sloth snuggling up to a wobbling Spider Queen, clearly affected by her magic
“Why Sugar! Didn’t see you come in”
Shadow Milk smiled gleefully
“Oh yes..I came in when Spice had decided to cook those poor cranes”
She hummed with a saddened tone
“They’re still alive!”
Burning Spice stated as he pointed towards two dizzy cranes with torched feathers
Mystic just sighed squeezing the bridge of her nose
As for Haetae, they at one point got up from their seat and crawled under Mystics robes
“Aww why hello little puppy!!”
Sugar popped up with excited eyes directly at Haetae
Cloud Haetae squeaked and hid their face into Mystics robes
“Shy?~ you poor creature”
Sugar hummed
“We’re still missing one”
Burning Spice exclaimed
They glanced around, and he was right
Silent Salt Cookie wasn’t here
“Ugh, I sent that salt shaker a LETTER, specifically. How aggravating”
Shadow Milk groaned
“But y'know what, he can sit on his candle throne for alllll I care”
“You seem to have some distaste for him”
Mystic said raising an eyebrow
“Well ever since we had left that witches forsaken tree, he had lived up to his name, not ONE word to us. So RUDE.”
He humphed
“Mm how displeasing..I was hoping to see him”
Sugar sighed resting on her cloud
“Well nevertheless, four is good enough..I suppose”
“So why is the three in MY pagoda.”
Mystic said getting up
Cloud Haetae dusted themselves off and stood next to her facing the beasts
“Oh great master of the Ivory Pagoda, your apathetic reservoir is undeniable, we merely missed you! How long has it been since we all had come together??”
Shadow Milk stated, swaying his staff along the webs
“Far too long!~”
Sugar giggled
“It is no doubt our presence aligns with one another in some regard, there is no shame in merely evolving those..combinations”
Spice said with a hefty chuckle at the end
“So you all wished merely for companionship at this moment?”
Mystic asked
Truthfully, she didn’t believe it
Considering all of their..new personality changes, she knew fairly they were not the same..
They wouldn’t be the same.
The three beasts stayed quiet for a moment
Almost as if embarrassed to say the true reason
They had a certain way of showing it..Sugar turned purple in her face as her hair poofs slightly, Burning Spice’s antennas would begin to go into spirals slowly, and Shadow Milks hair would begin..dripping?-
“Well….we do miss your food…as well..”
Shadow Milk said quietly pressing his two pointer fingers together
Ah.
There it was.
“I must confess, I’ve been dreaming of your delicious sweet buns..they haunt yet bless my dreams!~”
Sugar sighed dramatically, laying along her cloud like a damsel
Mystic sighed
She did remember a time, when she used to be the virtue of volition, when she would make endless amounts of food for her..peers
They loved it so much, it became her love language, a way of showing her true appreciation to them
She hadn’t done such a thing in such a long time..it felt foreign to think about
“Mm..I see. To think you would want something so minor.”
She scoffed
Then she felt a small grip
Glancing down, she noticed Cloud Haetae still looking at the beasts
But their gaze was different now
Almost..guilty?- no
..
Disheartened.
…
“Fine. I’ll make you food. But NO more damages to my pagoda. Or you’ll turn into something worse then flour.”
She said with a threatening voice
The Beasts just looked excited
Cloud Haetae was squished between Sugar and Shadow Milk, who were chatting. Sugar had her arm around Haetae (in an unintentional headlock) while cuddling them, as Cloud Haetae was trying not to get choked.
Spice was at the end of the table watching Mystic cook, looking almost hesitant for some odd reason, but yet stayed where he was
However when the smell of the heavenly noodles and sizzling chicken filled the air, the three beasts were drawn to it like flies
Since it was a larger group then just Haetae, it meant needing to make a LOT more food
Was that an issue?
Nah
“Oh how delightful! Everything smells absolutely delicious”
Sugar hummed in delight watching as Mystic was chopping up some tofu to steam
Before Shadow Milk could snag a small lick of the garlic sauce that was being made, Mystics hand slapped it (not too hard but firmly) away.
However when Mystic caught a glance of Spice, she noticed his expression hadn’t changed
If anything his antennas were starting to spiral a little
She looked down and saw a small bundle under his arms
“What is that?”
She asked as she made the folds for the dumplings
Spice hesitated but brought it out
He untied the bundle where inside were smaller tied up bags
A memory then went through Mystics mind
Back then, before they all fallen to corruption, Burning Spice often liked to cook alongside with Mystic, bringing new spices from evolving civilizations to try and experiment
It was such a delightful time
“Do you wish to put them in”
She asked
Holding out a bowl of a sauce she was making
Burning spice looked at her and then the bowl and then back at her
He smiled, his bright yet sharp teeth glimmering
He took a purple pouch, untied it as he took some with his hand measuring it before pouring it in
After stirring, Mystic brought the spoon to her lips
She expected it to be spicy, but instead..it was well balanced
It was a very powerful shock of flavor, but it was a shock that just fit right with her mouth
The nuttiness, the texture and lessening sensation of the spice warmed her body like a soft blanket
She scooped up some more and brought it to his lips, he sipped it and his eyes sparkled
“That is..FANTASTIC”
He bellowed laughing
The other two beasts stared in confusion
Shadow Milk walked up and shoved Burning Spice aside
“Let me see that”
He led Mystic's wrist to guide the spoon to his mouth as he swallows it smacking his lips thinking
The eyes on his hair shot wide as he floated high
“WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE”
He sounded like a deflating balloon
After finally calming down, it was clear that they wanted to make more
And for once
A tiny bit somewhere in Mystics body
Something shifted
The table was filled with food, tea, drinks, delights
It may have seemed overwhelming to a normal cookie but to the beasts, it was a perfectly normal dinner
And the moment it touched their lips
Oh how they relished in it
Shadow Milk was indulging in the delicious feast, his eyes continuously sparkling with delight as he feasted on the chicken
Burning spice swallowed down the soup he and Mystic had tasted earlier
Clearly relishing in the savory sustenance
Eternal sugar herself was just all over the sweet buns, her wings fluttering in satisfaction
Cloud Haetae themself was happily enjoying their food, sometimes with the beasts piling a few sides on their plate to taste.
But overall, as Mystic watched her comrades and minions eat the food, the food she made, for once, her heart sorta loomed away from the apathetic state that it resided for eons
Memories of her past friends enjoying what she had made specially for them kept playing in her mind
A small smile crept on her face
Hmm..
Hope wouldn’t be implemented, it would never come to light of what she was thinking
But atleast
This could remind her of the good times.
As the Beast of Sloth and Destruction waved goodbye with their leftovers, Mystic tried her best to regain her apathetic composure
She didn’t want to smile at all
But goodness it was hard
Haetae slept snoozing in her arms which wasn’t surprising
Shadow Milk sighed chuckling
“Little bugger, always sleeping after eating. Like a lil baby”
He cooed poking their tail
“Leave them be.”
Mystic hummed
“I am I am.”
He laughed
“Do you think your minions will enjoy the food?”
Mystic asked
“I’m sure they will, and if they don’t, all for me then!!”
He giggled
“But to be fair, Candy Apple Cookie is a horrendous picky eater, “Nooo Black Sapphire That looks disgusting!” “Nooo Black Sapphire, I'd rather have candy pasta!”
Shadow Milk mocked
Mystic rolled her eyes
“Well here, I don’t know if they’re your favorite anymore but-“
She held out a small bag that had dumplings in it
Shadow Milk- or the Fount of Knowledge's favorite once
She didn’t even know why she made them..
Shadow Milk looked at the bag then her
A small smirk pressing on his face
“Ohhh how generous misty~ you’re so kind”
He said before taking it
Under his sleeve a golden bracelet came into view, touching Mystic flours own bracelet
It made a soft clink
…
Distant memories..
They stared at the bands before pulling away
“..goodnight Master of deceit.”
Mystic flour cookie said, ready to turn away
Then she felt someone grab her hand
“And a lovely night to you oh Master of the Ivory Pagoda”
A soft blue lipped kiss pressed against her knuckles before he turned and bowed and floated away
She watched for a little bit then turned and went back inside.
She couldn’t let past feelings cloud her apathy.
It was a long time ago when they shared those feelings…even if the bands remain
She settled Cloud Haetae into bed and brushed their hair tenderly
Then, began humming a small tune she used to do when she was once the virtue of volition
Cloud Haetae in a sleepy state took her arm, cuddling into it like it was a stuffed toy
Mystic remained there for the remainder of the night