♡︎What Binds Us Together♡︎

Chapter 3: They're somewhere...

Strawberry's POV

—————

As the sunlight shone into the room, I had gotten up from the bed. I stretched my arms and legs and found that satisfying sensation that went through my body.
I yawned and looked to the bed, Brave—er—Gingerbrave wasn't there, and I was a little curious.
Where could he be?
I walked to the door and opened it, getting out of his room, I traveled downstairs.
"Gingerbrave...Ginger...brave?" I called his name, except there was no response. "Gingerbrave if it's a joke...I don't like it...don't scare me, p-please..."
But there wasn't any response either. But there was a note on the kitchen counter. I went up to the counter and grabbed the note and started to read it.
"Heyo! I'm at the Bear Jelly Grocery Store, I'll come home soon!" The note read.
Come home soon...
But I didn't want to wait, I wanted him with me.
I went towards the front door and opened it, looking out to the sunny neighborhood ahead.
"O-Oh..." I mumbled nervously to myself. I forgot about the cookies around here, I decided to furl my hood a little to avoid eye contact. The only thing ahead of me being the carved, cobblestone paths.
I started to walk ahead, since Gingerbrave gave me a tour of the kingdom, I knew where to go.
I just had to avoid cookie interaction.
As I started up ahead, many cookies didn't mind me walking through the neighborhood, maybe they thought staring was rude.
I took a deep breath and sighed, the market wasn't far from here. It was only a mile away, which is a quick walk, maybe like...five or six minutes of a walk.
And as I was lost in thoughts, I bumped into someone.
"Oof!" I muttered. I took a few steps back in fear.
"I-I-I didn't mean to! S-Sorry!" I covered my face, ready for whatever punishment they were going to do to me.
"No it's fine!" I heard them say, it was a female's voice.
Fine?
I uncovered my face and there was a female cookie smiling down upon me, she had auburn hair, she wore a red coat and a red fedora. Her eyes were unique, them being blue-gray.
"Where are you off to?" She asked.
"U-Uh, the um...Bear Jelly Market..." I answered her.
"Oh, want me to guide you there? You look scared." She pondered.
"Y-Yeah..."
"Here." She held her hand out to me and I grabbed it, I was still unsure about her, she looked mysterious with that choice of outfit.
"What's your name dear?"
"Strawberry Cookie..."
"No wonder you smell sweet, you can call me Carmen Sandiego Cookie, or Carmen for short." Carmen smiled at me. No one has ever complimented my scent, ever, and it made me happy.
"Are you looking for Gingerbrave?" Carmen Sandiego Cookie asked me.
"Y-Yeah, I just wanna be companied." I admitted.
"Huh, okay."
We walked on the cold stone path for a few minutes, then up ahead we could see the market, it was one of those outside markets, those ones you might see in a fair or something. Many cookies were over there, and I saw Gingerbrave next to the fruit. As we made our way there, I decided to let go of Carmen's hand and ran up to him. It was Gingerbrave all right, I could recognize his bandana.
I hugged him from behind, and he turned his head.
"Strawberry?" He said my name, curious.
"She wanted to see you." Carmen Sandiego Cookie came up behind us.
"Oh, I thought you would wait at home." Gingerbrave turned around to look at us, patting my head while I still clung onto him. "Why are you here?"
"I-I felt lonely..." I confessed. "I just wanted to have someone to talk to." I stopped hugging him and moved away from him. Putting my hands in the pockets of my sweater.
"Oh, okay." He smiled at me. "Wanna go to the Jampie Diner while we're here? It's only a few blocks away, and I'm assuming you haven't eaten anything yet."
"I'll pay for the food, mind if I bring some guests?" Carmen asked.
"Sure!" Gingerbrave nodded. She went on her way, waving at us.
"Hey, wanna sit on the benches for a bit? I just have to pay and we can go." Gingerbrave asked me. I only nodded as a response.
And as we finished paying, we decided to sit down on a nearby bench where there was an umbrella above it. I sat down first, sighing and relaxing on it as it was a hot day today. Gingerbrave sat next to me.
We saw four cookies walk by, a detective, a professor, and their two daughters. They reminded me of my parents when me and my sisters were going to the market, always staying by our sides. I looked away from the family, I wanted to forget the past.
But I can't, not when my sisters are still on my mind.
I let my legs fold to my chest, resting my head on my knees. It would be awhile before Carmen would arrive with her friends.
"How are you?" I heard Gingerbrave ask me.
"Good, uhm, thanks." I answered, he inched a bit closer to me and I felt myself blush a little. "What about you?"
"Good, thanks Strawb!" He smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back.
My gaze looked around and I saw a group of cookies that were together, then I saw Wizard Cookie with another cookie, couldn't tell who the other one was though. She looked like she was a student...no...maybe not a student, scientist?
I heard footsteps in the distance, it was Carmen Sandiego Cookie with two other cookies who looked no older than me or Gingerbrave.
"Oh, Strawberry, come!" He grabbed my hand and led me to the three cookies. As we approached them, the both of them looked at me weirdly.
"Who's that?" A cookie with pink hair asked Carmen.
"Her name's Strawberry Cookie, I thought you'd like to meet her, she's new around here."
"New?" A cookie with white hair and a cute pancake outfit pondered.
"Uhm I-" I started but was cut off by the one with pink hair.
"According to my prediction, you're 55% shy and 45% nervous." The cookie tilted their head.
"W-Wha...h-how-"
"Strawberry Crepe, don't scare her like that." Brave told them.
Crepe scoffed but mumbled a "sorry".
"Hey!" The cookie with white hair came up to me, smiling a smile so ever big. "I'm Pancake Cookie, who are you? You look cool, and smell cool! Can you fly?"
"Uh..." I mumbled. "I'm Strawberry..." I replied in a quiet voice. Didn't he hear Carmen mention my name a moment ago?
"But can you fly?" He asked me again, standing on his tiptoes.
"No?" I looked at him questionably while Gingerbrave giggled.
"Don't worry, it's normal of him to ask that. Almost asks every cookie, those some I refrain because he keeps asking it, way. Too. Much." Carmen Sandiego Cookie said. "Anyway, let's go eat. We can show Strawberry the best meal there!"
"Best meal?" I tilted my head curiously, the only best meal I've had was jelly stars...or maybe jelly star salad.
"There is a lot we need to show her." Crepe said, butting into the conversation. "Like my lab! Where I make robots! It's so cool!" Crepe went up to me. "You should see it!"
"Okay, calm down robot geek, you have Ivy Cookie as your best friend and now your willing to make more?"
"But Ivy Cookie—well—she does get me about not having a family but another friend would be so cool!" Strawberry Crepe smiled at their mother figure.
"Another friend would be nice..." I murmured under my breath, putting my hands on my pockets again.
"See, your making friends Strawb..." Gingerbrave whispered to me, smiling in the process. I blushed, and Gingerbrave gave me a questioning look.
"You're red again, are you okay?" He asked me.
"Y-Yeah, just...hot outside! Yeah." I lied, oh gosh why was I feeling this way?
"Anyway..." Carmen looked at us weirdly. "Let's go inside!"

———

As we entered the Jampie Diner, I smelled scents I haven't smelled before, the enticing smell of roasted jellybeans and ice cream filled my nose. I looked around the room and cookies were sittings in seats of two, four, or a cushioned bench, the walls around the bench being cushioned as well while groups of cookies talked about their day. I saw many couples with or without children. It made me a bit jealous but I couldn't get the reason why it did. It was just some tense feeling I felt inside me.
"This..." I started to talk with Gingerbrave. "is the Jampie Diner?"
"Yeah! Cool isn't it?"
"I think...awesome would be a better word..."
I couldn't describe what I was craving for, who knows what the menu had? It could've had anything...anything that...my family couldn't have.
I hope mom and dad are happy that I'm eating here...and being healthy.
But it made me not happy to know that they'd be disappointed when they know my sisters were gone.
𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝙰𝚙𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚢?
A waitress got us seated and I sat between Carmen and Gingerbrave, and he decided to make small talk with me. Curious about my hobbies and that sort of stuff.
"So, what do you like to do in your free time?" He pondered.
"Well," I rubbed my arm to a sudden itch. "I like to draw...uhm, I have a drawing book in my backpack." I pointed to the green bag on my back. "Though I wouldn't really want to-"
"Could you share one at least?"
"Well I..." I sighed. "M-Maybe at home..."
"Okay, whatever works for you. I'm just really interested in new cookies, especially you for some reason." He picked up a booklet that held a mini menu inside. "Anyway, here I'll show you the foods."
The foods, there was a lot! I couldn't describe how many there were and how tasty they looked, but wha really caught my attention was the Jelly Star Stew, it was blue and it looked like an ocean of sapphires.
"Jelly Star Stew..." I responded quietly. "I could eat it I guess..."
"Okay, want me to order it for you?" He asked.
"Y-Yeah..."
And while we waited for our waiter, we talked together for a bit, and Strawberry Crepe Cookie went on and on about how great their robots were or how they could destruct a whole kingdom in which Carmen gave a glare to them.
"Ahem, destroy kingdoms, cough, no, cough."
"Pfft, you say no, but it is really strong!" Crepe argued.
I only sat here watching the whole thing, my stomach rumbled a little.
"So, this is table two?" A waiter greeted us, finally.
"Yep." Carmen Sandiego Cookie nodded.
"So, are you guys ready to order?" The waiter asked.
"I was born ready!" Pancake Cookie jumped up.
"C-Calm down Pancake..." I said quietly, surprisingly he listened to me and sat down.
"What are you guys ordering?" The waiter smiled.
"I believe mango fries and some salad would be delightful." Carmen replied.
"Mango fries with some jelly star pieces! Same like Pancake too please." Crepe exclaimed.
"Jelly Star Stew for me and this lovely Strawberry Cookie here." Gingerbrave gestured his hand towards me, doing a tiny bow in the seat. I covered my face in embarrassment.
"Hehe, alright, we'll be out with your order."
——
Time skip because "lazy" is my fren
——

"Here you go miss." The waiter served me my stew, and I looked at it in amazement. I've never had this in my village...I kinda wish my family would enjoy this goodness together. But, hey, I have other cookies around me.
"T-Thank you." I nodded, and when he left, I grabbed my spoon. I dipped the spoon into the soup and scooped it into my mouth.
It tasted like jelly beans...or something. I can't even describe the taste and how good it is. All I know is that I was eating it all before the others could finish.
——
TIME SKIPPIES
——

We opened the exit, and made it to the outdoors, it was the middle of the day and I sighed. That was a really good meal.
"Wanna do that sometime soon?" Carmen Sandiego Cookie asked us.
"Yeah." I said to her. She smiled and nodded, then grabbed her kids and waved goodbye to us. Gingerbrave and I were the only ones outside of the diner.
We started walking down the cobblestone path, I didn't even notice at first but a few pieces of moss has grown into the path. I let my hands hold Gingerbrave's, we didn't say anything to each other. It was a kinda awkward walk. But the silence stopped as I heard someone run to us from behind. We both turned and I saw a cookie with custard frosting for hair, and he had some king or prince attire on. His blue eyes reminded me of the blue crystal mine we had in my village.
"Hey, so I got word from our search party."
"Search party?" I queried.
"Yeah, I sent one to look for your sisters," Gingerbrave replied to me. "what happened Custard Cookie?"
"First of all its Custard Cookie the III." Custard pronounced with pride. "And second, we found this."
He held up an apple clip and a pear clip.
They're there somewhere.