The Real Mansion Madeleine

Tree's a Crowd

Herb Cookie and Mala Sauce Cookie were pulling off the heist of a century. They were absolutely booking it, zooming out of the tree lot. Dark Choco Cookie was chasing them, yelling something neither of them could understand over their panting.

How did this begin?

Well, it was an average morning in Mansion Madeleine. There was chatter among the cookies waking up, many of them talking about the upcoming holidays.

More cookies were awake than usual, some helping Grand Madeleine Cookie hang the garland. Kids were parading around with bells in their hands, trying to sing carols, but only half of them knew the lyrics. Even Espresso was in the living room, asking Latte what the hell he was supposed to give Eclair for the teachers' gift exchange.

Black Raisin Cookie was making pancakes in the kitchen, and anyone who walked by could get themselves a plate. It was first come first served in that household.

Suddenly, the peace was ruined by Cocoa Cookie crashing in through the front door. The bells hanging by the doorknob rang in her presence. The room grew quiet.

"I looked everywhere and I couldn't find our tree. How are we supposed to have the perfect Christmas without a TREE?!" She looked distressed.

Grand Madeleine looked down from the ladder she was standing on, "Oh, we haven't told you what happened to our tree yet, have we?"

"Did Chili Pepper steal it again?"

Chili Pepper was walking by with a plate of pancakes topped with a healthy amount of hot sauce. She stopped, hand on one hip, "Hey, I did that last year, don't look at me!"

"That's why your stocking is full of coal this year," Cocoa growled.

"Ohh, that's why it's so rocky."

"Anyways," Grand Madeleine waved off Chili Pepper, "Mala Sauce lit the tree on fire by accident. It's a good thing the rest of the mansion was fine."

"Mala..." Cocoa had a dark look on her face. She got a little bit intense when it came to the winter holidays.

The information didn't become important until she was walking through the mansion later that day. She was on her way to Mint Choco's room to ask him if he wanted to go out for dinner, but on the way she passed by the boiler room.

Hot air blasted through the open door, as did the projecting voice of Mala Sauce, "Alright, it's time to go on a walk! Work up a good sweat!"

Cocoa remembered the tree incident and grabbed Mala on the back of the shirt, stopping her in her tracks, "Actually, I think you need to fix the problem you made."

It was more of a threat than a statement.

That's how Mala Sauce and Herb both got sent to go shopping for a new Christmas tree. Mala being there since she was the reason they needed to shop in the first place, and Herb to prevent her from burning down the whole place.

It was cold outside, and both cookies were wrapped up in their winter attire. Mala Sauce was wearing two pairs of gloves and five pairs of socks, she was shivering in her snow boots. Herb was wearing his usual sweater and beanie.

Together they went to the bus stop and waited to get picked up. Mala Sauce turned to Herb, "So where the hell do you buy a tree?"

He pulled out a map that was way too big to fit in the small front pocket of his sweater, but still somehow fit anyways, and gestured to a place Mala didn't even know existed, "A tree farm. Like this one."

She squinted at the map, "I ain't reading all of that."

Herb sighed and was about to give a rundown on everything , but the bus arrived .