Chapter Text
Tea knight cookie hobbled into the juice bar, its wooden floor-boards creaking under the weight of his armor. Armor he wishes was being used at the moment, see, recently he had gotten injured in combat. After seeing some of the healer cookies he was told he would live, more than live really, he could go about his days just fine, but until he healed, no work for him. No combat, no manual labor, not even a swing of his axe. And to a cookie like him, that isn't living, that’s existing. So here he is, stepping into the juice bar to spend his day, with nothing else to do, this was basically his only option other than sitting on his bed, staring at the wall and contemplating his life, which for the record, he debated for a while.
He took a seat at the counter, the pretzel stool wheezing underneath him. He looked around to see the place eerily empty, almost nobody in sight, not even that mint chocolate cookie or even herb cookie, the only two he could see were sparkling cookie cause . . .duh, and vampire cookie which . . . may be no less expected.
“Hmh, must be a quiet day . . .” he mumbled to himself, alerting the red haired drunk next to him to his presence. Vampire cookie turned to face him, “heeey, didn't see you come in.” he said, his voice slightly slurred and his breath majorly tainted with berry juice. Tea knight looked at the drunken cookie for a moment before sighing and turning back to sparkling cookie. “I’ll just have a cream root-beer.” he said, his voice gruff and tired as usual, to which he just received a nod and a stein.
“The name’s vampire cookie. You’re uh . . . tea-knight, right? Think I’ve seen you around the kingdom every now and then.” vampire cookie drunkenly slurred once more, tea knight cookie knew this man for all of about a minute and he already did not care for him. Not wanting to spark more conversation, tea knight simply nodded slightly before taking a gulp from his drink. “Hmh, you’re pretty quiet. That’s kinda funny.” Vampire cookie sat up straighter, actually bothering to make eye contact with him now. “What’cha got goin on in that head of your’s to make you so silent out here? . . .” vampire cookie asked, not receiving tea knight cookie’s wish to just drink in peace. “. . . nothing. I am simply a quiet man.” he answered, his tone firm and unwavering, as though it was practically a command to tell vampire cookie to stop talking, a command that was not very well understood. “Hmmmmmmmmmmm, nah. Nobody acts the way you do, with a face like that, just cause they’re quiet.” as much as he didnt want to admit it, vampire cookie was right. “So, what’s on your mind big guy?” vampire cookie asked, looking up at tea knight cookie with a drunken smug grin.
He wanted to brush him off, ignore him and just continue with his night, but he couldn't, his words bounced around in his mind, echoing off his own thoughts. “. . . i was forced off duty, ‘too weakened to fight’ they said, until my injuries fully heal, I am useless . . .” tea knight cookie answered, leaning over his drink, a stormy look in his sky-blue eyes. “Dang, free vacation?” vampire cookie blurted, speaking before thinking, though even if he had thought before saying that, it probably wouldn't have come out any different. Tea knight cookie grunted, “why could i expect you to understand, a cookie who spends all day every day drunken, wasting away, what would you know of usefulness.” tea knight barked, clearly irritated. “Heeey, calm down. No need to get fussy about it.” he consoled, his usual relaxed aura admittedly being a tad bit infectious. “Think of it the way I do, cookies constantly debate about what life’s about, but these days, life’s about just, enjoying the time you’ve got. Everything we do is for the sake of the enjoyment of ourselves and others, and you’d know that. You've been fighting for how long? Keeping others safe and happy? But there’s one person you’ve barely been fighting for.”, he drunkenly bapped tea knight cookies chestplate. “What’s the point of fighting for others when you're too depressed to see their smiles? You’re just as, if not more important. I know you knight-ly types are always talking about self sacrifice and putting others first, but eventually, after putting too many others before yourself, you won't be around to keep fighting.” tea knight cookie was, well, shocked to hear rather wise words coming from such an inebriated cookie.
“I-I . . .”, he was at a loss for words. “Look at ya, so tense you look like you're just gonna implode any second now. You need a break like this, one for not just your injuries but for your own mental well-being.” he simply looked at his glass of berry juice and back at tea knight cookie, as though what he said were just common small talk. Tea knight cookie just stared at him. “You . . . you’re right . . . i . . . do need to take better care of myself . . . thank you . . .” he said, standing up from his seat before taking a few steps away from it. “Eyyy, there we go.” vampire cookie said, happily floating off his own seat after him, gently circling around him like a moon orbiting a planet. Juice swirling in his glass as he slowly rotates it in his hand. “Saaay, why don't I treat you to a nice drink, a bottle or two couldn't hurt” vampire cookie said slyly, chuckling quietly. “No . . . i believe I will head home, I have something I would like to do, as well as . . . possibly reflect on a few things . . .” and with that, tea knight cookie left, the loud thuds of his sabatons against the wooden floors marking his department.
“Awe . . . that's a shame . . .” vampire cookie muttered, floating back to his seat. “Especially since he was kinda cute, y’know?” he admitted to sparkling cookie, who was now eyeing him slightly judgily, probably saying “old man fucker” in his head before waving it off and serving him another glass of berry juice. “Heeey don't look at me like that, sure he was old, but he wasn't some wrinkly dough bag, plus-” vampire cookie continued talking but after so many years of serving him, sparkling cookie learned how to tone him out and just pretend to listen. Eventually closing time came and vampire cookie was kicked out, bound to wander the streets, looking for something to do before the bar opened back up in the morning.
[hey everyone, author here, please note that this isnt finished. this is just a chapter one, both to see if people like/care about this idea, and also cause it was all i could be motivated to write while waiting for my invitation to be processed . . . anyway, hope you liked it!]