Lily Flower

Pure Vanilla: Mech and Magic

Strawberry Crepe cookie: "Hey, ya want my backstory?" *Shelter by Porter Robinson starts playing

In which you all get to read about Pure Vanilla getting high. Don't do drugs kids. I'm writing about it cause I see Licorice as a nineteen-some-year-old who would hang out in dark corners and get absolutely blasted on weed.

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Pure Vanilla regarded the child mechanic. They looked at him in excitement, like he was a figure worthy of awe, or maybe an interesting specimen to dissect. He had trouble telling the difference. Either way, they knew his true identity. The fact did not greatly bother him, but he hadn't counted on anyone figuring it out so early.

How should he proceed?

They seemed happy to see him, going as far as to lower their defenses. The healer had no intent to be cruel to a child, and besides, they were clearly a descendent of his people. He would like to be on good terms with them. Any single cookie that survived the Flour war was his responsibility, since the kingdom has crumbled, in part, because of his failures.

He supposed that he should treat them with kindness.

"Well, since there isn't any point in hiding it, I should introduce myself. I am Pure Vanilla cookie, former ruler of the vanilla kingdom. It's a pleasure to meet you." He raised a hand.

The child mechanic took his hand in both of theirs and shook it enthusiastically. "Wow! This is my first conversation with you. I didn't think I would ever get the opportunity. Dad always praised you so much- 'Oh, Pure Vanilla is such a good man, he's such a nice king, he's so powerful it's awesome'- I really wanted to see what was so great. Well, maybe the outside is unassuming, but it could conceal something interesting. Or maybe not, hehe. My name is Strawberry Crepe, and I'm not a boy or girl!"

The healer blinked, taking a moment to process this absolute barrage of information. He brushed off the slight insult to his appearance and noted with some satisfaction that he had been referring to them correctly. Also, the mechanic's father was implied to have known him directly. Pure Vanilla thought about the people around him, and memories of a shorter, pink-haired, proud man quickly popped into his mind.

"Was your father the head of Research and Development?"

They grinned proudly. "Yep!"

The former R&D head was someone known for working to the bone, yet would take every weekend and holiday to spend time with his kid. Pure Vanilla was not that close to him, yet he would confidently attest to his character.

Strawberry Crepe cookie was alone in the castle. The thought made his heart sink.

"...do you know of his whereabouts?"

Their grin faded somewhat. "No, the last time I saw him was before the Flour War reached us. He brought me to an underground bunker and put me in a cryo-pod he built. He wasn't there when I woke up."

Another casualty, most likely.

"I don't think he's dead though!" the kid added in a hurry, "My Pop's too stubborn to let a simple thing like war do him in."

"I'm sure he's capable of making it," Pure Vanilla lied.

"Yeah! See, I'm not the only one who believes that." The healer wilted a bit inside. "So, my liege, what are you doing here?"

That information was a little more personal. Although he had no compunctions against telling Dark Choco, this kid did not need to know the complex relationship he had with the Dark Enchantress.

"Uh, that's not a good face. Let's change the subject."

"What about you, Strawberry Crepe cookie?" Pure Vanilla initiated, "The rest of the cookies of darkness don't seem to have any experience in magi-technology, so I assume that the wafflebots are solely accredited to you?"