⏳CLOCKWORK⌛️ - timekeeper/croissant x reader

[🗝]

It was finally your big day.

Only four months prior, you had applied for a position at the Time Balance Department—a rare opportunity indeed, and not easy to qualify for. It took fairly long for those of the highest positions to sift through all the applications, but it was finally done and a small handful—no more than a dozen—of people had been chosen to be interviewed. Your history in engineering made you a great Cookie for the job, and while it was no guarantee, your chances of getting in were good.

Nonetheless, you couldn't help but overthink while sitting in the waiting room, staring at the rather large and intricate clock as the ticks rang through your head. You were snapped out of your almost trance-like state when you heard your name called, and you took a few seconds to compose yourself before walking into the interview room.

It was a rather long hour sitting across the desk from an unfamiliar cookie and answering questions, but you were finally done, and now being given a tour by your interviewer. Everything you saw seemed to be more spectacular than the last, but most eye-catching of all was the giant clock in the wall of the main room where everything connected, a gear-like frame around said clock as its ticks and tocks echoed throughout the building. You still had yet to know whether or not you would get the job, but just the thought of it excited you.

After maybe 20 minutes of being toured around the place, you had come to a doorway decorated with a brown and orange stained glass window shaped like a croissant. Above the door was a sign that read "Engineering Department". You and your tour guide waited at said door for a while before it suddenly opened, revealing another Cookie on the other side—perhaps the meaning of the croissant-shaped window? Indeed, her hair was a dark golden-brown color with a croissant ponytail, which matched her deep brown eyes and complimented her outfit nicely. She was wearing a black tank top tucked into a pair of baggy teal overalls, though the straps of the overalls were tied around her waist rather than put over her shoulders. She had a brown fanny bag around her waist and similarly colored boots and gloves, and a pair of golden goggles resting atop her head.

       "Hey, you're one of the new recruits, right?" she asked, smiling as she set aside her golden wrench on a nearby table. "I heard we have a few coming in, yeah?"

       "Yes, but... I'm not quite sure if I got the job or not," you replied. "I just finished with my interview not too long ago."

       "Well, best of luck with that! The name's Croissant Cookie, I'm the head of the engineering department here." She stuck her gloved hand out for a handshake before realizing it was dirty from working previously, so reached to take it off.

       You grabbed her hand, smiling back at her as you shook her hand—or, really, she shook yours. "I'm [Y/N]! It's a pleasure to meet you... What exactly does the engineering department do?"

"Well, for one, we definitely work on engineering!" she joked, laughing a little. "But really, the main thing we focus on is designing and building machines for time travel... I was the first Cookie to build a Timecraft all on my own!"

"Impressive... Is that all you do?"

"Pretty much, yeah... Me personally, I manage all of this, but... Any Cookie in a lower position will be doing mainly engineering and planning." She hesitated for a few seconds, looking away before looking back towards you. "Do you specialize in engineering?" she asked, shifting her weight onto one foot and then the other.

"I do... that's why I applied. I've been into engineering for a few years now, and saw this as a great opportunity," you responded, looking deeper into the room at all the machinery and Cookies working in the distance.

       She smiled, putting her glove back on and adjusting her goggles. "You'll fit right in! We're a bit short on engineers, so I don't doubt you'll get a spot here!" She seemed like she was about to keep going, but looked over at your tour guide who now seemed to be urging you to finish up.

       "Looks like I have to get going..." you said, looking out the door for a few seconds. You turned to Croissant and waved at her, prompting a wave back, before leaving and making your way home.