Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Mydei swipes away from the chat, the black screen of his phone reflecting the uncontrollable smile on his face. That’s right, after years of saying they were going to do it and months of planning, it’s finally happening! He is going to his first ever convention with his two best friends!

Half a decade ago when he started sharing his art online, Mydei never imagined he’d get to become so close to two people, bonding over their mutual love of comics and games. 

Their latest obsession is of course—the critically acclaimed RPG with free trial up to level 80—The Flamechase Journey. To say it had consumed their lives (and screentime) in the year since it was released was an understatement. They love it so much that they’re even planning to cosplay their favourite characters together, a group known as the calamity trio. 

Nikador of strife,. Zagreus of trickery, Thanatos of death. Also infamous for being the most misunderstood characters in and out of canon, which is why they resonated so hard with Mydei and his friends. 

Anyway, after so much time, it’s all coming together. 

Mydei holds the neatly packed cookies carefully in his arms, hand-carried all the way from Castrum Kremnos since he couldn’t risk them getting crushed in his luggage. It’s going to be his first time meeting Cipher in person, and he could only hope they would all get along as well as they do online. 

He recognizes Cipher easily from her streams, standing out with her neon blue beanie pulled over grey hair, cut shorter in the back with the longer front pieces braided. A denim jacket hangs loosely from her shoulders layered over a spaghetti strap tank top, and baggy cargo pants completed the look.

She had been looking down at her phone, but looked up upon receiving his latest text message, blue eyes darting around the crowded arrivals hall. It takes her less than a few seconds to spot Mydei in the crowd, he stands out, for better or for worse, and she immediately starts jumping up and and down, waving her arms in the air like an idiot. 

Mydei chuckles and waves back, of course he sees her, she’s hard to miss even without acting like a fool. Cipher doesn’t even wait for him to clear the crowd before she runs in his direction, leaping into his arms. 

“My little Fig Stew, it really IS you!” She exclaims when he catches her, miraculously without dropping the cookies.She squeezes his waist so hard it feels like his soul is about to pop out of his body. “I wasn’t being catfished. You really ARE a tall, blond tattooed freak!”

“Why are you surprised? You’ve seen me on video call before,” Mydei says, amused by her reaction. 

“Well yeah, but it really doesn’t do justice to how BIG you are!” Cipher expands her arms to prove her point. 

Mydei rolls his eyes. “Yeah well, take it easy, you’re going to make me drop the cookies.”

Like clockwork, that gets her to take a step back. She spreads her arms outward like an eager child, making grabby motions with her fingers, bouncing on the soles of her feet. “Ohhhh the legendary Garbaniphoro bakery cookies. Soldiers have died for these, children went hungry, cities left ablaze-”

“Stop exaggerating,” Mydei chides, but deposits the cookies into her waiting hands nonetheless. “No chocolate, I know you don’t like it.”

Wisely, he keeps Castorice’s portion on himself, if only to ensure that she actually gets to have some when she arrives. 

Cipher rips open the bag using her teeth without hesitation, shoving cookies into her mouth until crumbs fall out of it, all right there on the airport floor.

“Mhmphhhdhisishshoogoood!” She murmurs incoherently with her mouth full.

“Chew first, Cipher,” Mydei says patiently. 

Cipher makes sure to take her sweet time chewing while making more unintelligible sounds until finally swallowing with a huge gulp. 

“Holy shit, these are incredible,” she sighs. “Sweet, a little salty and so crunchy. I understand now why your bakery’s so highly rated in Kremnos.” She tugs on his t-shirt sleeve, pretty much the highest place she’s able to reach without going on tiptoes. She’s shorter than her personality online seems to suggest. “Say, have you given any thought to opening a branch in Okhema?”

“Can’t say that I have,” Mydei says coolly. Before she can retort, he sees a flash of pink in his peripheral vision and turns his head. “Is that Castorice?”

Cipher swivels towards the arrivals hall, where a lavender-haired young woman is making her way through the crowd. Castorice’s modest outfit, her plaid skirt, white blouse, and high-stockings clash hilariously with the large scythe slung over her back. 

She spots Mydei and Cipher quickly enough, and her trolley wheels make scraping sounds along the ground as she quickens her pace in their direction.

“Sorry I’m late!” She apologizes continuously. “Customs wouldn’t let me pass because of this even though it’s so obviously made of foam.” she gestures to her prop scythe. “And then I got so worried that they were going to check my luggage and find all the suggestive doujin I was carrying and… ahh!”

Castorice buries her face in her hands as she loses to embarrassment, cheeks flushing bright red.

“It’s okay… they let you pass in the end, didn’t they?” Mydei, ever the voice of reason, pats her gently on the shoulder. “Have a cookie.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. It’s not like drawing pornography is illegal in Okhema or anything,” CIpher dismisses, trying to sneak her hand into Castorice’s share of cookies only to be swatted away by a watchful Mydei. 

Castorice covers her eyes with her fingers, letting out a high pitched wail. “I’m so embarrassed I could die!” She accepts the cookie Mydei offers, stuffing it into her mouth whole. The sweet treat seems to calm her down, and her muffled wails transform into a moan that is perhaps more lewd than she intended. 

“Oh my gosh, these are just too good!” She says, reaching for another cookie. “Visiting your bakery the first time changed my life, just so you know Mydeimos.”

“I still can’t believe you guys met before, without me!” Cipher complains, crossing her arms. 

“It was before we got close,” Castorice explains. “My sister and I just happened to be visiting Castrum Kremnos for a con.”

“Oh yeah, Kremnos is pretty close to Aidonia, isn’t it?”

“It is,” she agrees. “It was our first time travelling overseas and we didn’t know anyone. Mydei was an amazing host and I think that’s when we started becoming really good friends!” 

“It was my pleasure,” Mydei says modestly. “I also prepared some cookies to take home to your sister, by the way.”

Cipher’s jaw drops open comically.  “Seriously? No fair! Where’s my takeaway portion?” 

“Well, you’re not the one who stayed up all night on the phone to help me with my cosplay.” He has fond memories of all the stressful nights spent with Castorice yelling at him "No, you lightly slice the top of the EVA foam first with your blade, and use that as a guide before making deeper cuts. Use the side of your knife, Mydei, the side!”

Cipher just shrugs. “What can I say, kitty needs to stream, kitty needs to make a living. Anyway-” she links her arms with both of theirs, putting herself in the middle. “Come on, my car’s parked outside. You can load your stuff into my car booth! It’s not time to check-in to our hotel yet so… I’m thinking we should grab something to eat first and I’ll show you around Okhema!” 

She drags them towards the parking lot with surprising strength. 

“I’m so happy we’re all finally meeting as a group!” Castorice smiles so hard her eyes crinkle up into slits. “It’s my first time boothing with friends! I’ve really been looking forward to this!” 

“Me too,” Mydei says, and he knows he’s smiling too. “Though I’m still unsure if anyone would be interested in buying my work.” A small part of him is already mentally preparing to lug home all the luggage he brought with him.

“They definitely will, you leave the marketing to me.” Cipher nudges him with a cheeky smile. “Just keep the cookies coming.”