A Change of Fate - A Cookie Run AU

Chapter Seven - Into the thick of it!

Licorice knocks on the lime green door, anxiety pricking at him. Was this really a good idea? What if it's nothing, and he's just overreacting?

The door opens with a creek, a cookie with leafy hair standing before him. The cookie was the embodiment of calm and collectedness and radiated warmth. The adult looked at him for a moment, perplexed. "Do you need something? Are you lost?"

Licorice shook his head. "N-no, I, uh, I'm looking for Gumball cookie. He lives here right?? I'm a friend of his. My name is Licorice," he explained, fidgeting with a loose string on his jacket as he spoke. The other nodded, smiling softly as he leans against the doorframe. "Well usually you would be in the right place but Gumball is actually not home right now. He ran off to get some space around noon and hasn't come home yet. I'm not sure where he is now, but you can try again later if that helps."

He nods a bit, confused. Based on what Licorice knows about his friend, Gumball hates going out alone, preferring to be in groups. The colourful cookie was always wanting to share moments with others according to his basic reading on him. He must have really upset him if he was acting that way. Licorice sighed and looked back up at his friend's dad. "Sorry, I haven't seen him. He didn't come into school today."

It was nerve wreaking that his friend was missing somewhere, alone, and it made everything feel ten times worse. What if he was in trouble? Licorice just couldn't have that on his conscience.

"I see. Thank you for letting me know. Do you have a phone? If I could give you my number that would be good. Just text me if you see him?" The green leafy cookie was basically begging at this point for something. Had he not seen him ether? "Of course, here, just type in your name and number," he offers, handing him the phone. After a moment he offially had a new contact.

"Thank you. I Hope you have a good rest of your day, alright?" Licorice nods in response, eyes locking with the other.  "Have a good night sir."

The door shut with a soft click of the lock. Nothing was left to be done, so back to school he went. He can find Gumball once afternoon classes finished.

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The ship creeks and bobbed as the water below goes in and out, Choco struggling not to get sea sick in front of his client from it. The ship deck was swarmed with strange ghostly cookies, see-through.  All of them looked like the pirates he would hear in stories at night. It disturbed him but he didn't say a word about it. Choco just focuses on keeping his professional demeanour. "So, yer gonna have to bear with me if ya wanna meet 'em both, since the second one's real shy but 'dare is one of them jus' over yonder," The pirate explains as Dark Choco honed in on where the captain was pointing.

"That's the kid you want me to babysit?" Choco questioned, confusion creeping into him again. The cookie was just slightly taller than Shroomie, baggy pirate clothes hanging off their frame as he wipes the deck in large. Clunky boots. A nice cutlass hung from their hip. Their frosting was a shiny blue colour and sticks up ad out in strange places. The teal colour distantly reminiscent of the water surrounding the boat. The pirate nods happily. "Them an' another tyke. they ain't really a child, but 'day are a child. Ya get what I'm saying here?" He sighed, pinching his nose bridge as Choco listened with great interest. "Can't leave 'em alone for two damn minutes. No cookie wanna take the job."

Choco nods in understanding, face stern. He pulls out a notepad and pen from his back pocket. "I see. I'll take the job, but I need to have the hours that you want me to care for them," he informs, straightening his back into a more formal posture out of habit to appear official. To the captain, it seemed more defensive than anything else but chose not to comment. After all, they have work to discuss.

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After meeting up at home to pretend everything was fine and dropping off shroomie with Choco after school, Licorice embarked on a self-assigned mission to make amends with Gumaball. Of course, that requires finding him first, which is why he has a team! More eyes, higher chances of finding him.

Cherry and Pancake were with him, bags in tow packed with useful things as they walked along the main strip of the town. Cookies were everywhere, smiling and chatting with each other. Hours had passed, the sun getting closer to the horizon faster then Licorice would have liked. Pancake placed a hand on his shoulder as they walked again around the block. "Gumball is probably okay, but uh, we've been walking for nearly two hours and he won't answer his phone..." Licorice nods, worried. "I told you something was off. Let's go somewhere quieter, I have a back up plan. And do any of you have a paper map??" he asked, guiding the party away from the hustle and bustle and into a dark alley. "Why on earthbread do you need a map?? How is that supposed to help, huh? Walk up to strangers and ask where they last saw him??" Pancake questions, frustrated with the fact they can't find him. Cherry groans, annoyed. She sits on the cool pavement against the side of a building and shrugs off her bag. "This is hopeless."

Licorice rolls his eyes. "Well a city map would've worked better, I have this tourist map that we can use," he explains, pulling the pamphlet out of his bag as they sit down as well. The two exchanged a look, confused, then pancake just shrugs. The trio contune walking as Licorice mumbled to himself, stopping when he felt there was no more eyes on him. "Okay, plan b was originally gonna be what I did if I didn't have you two, but obviously that's not working so I'm about to do something illegal outdoors now."

"Wait, what now?"

"Dark magic, obviously!"