Better (Pure Vanilla Cookie x Reader)

Prologue

(C/F) Cookie stares at the letter in their hands. Hot, angry tears threatened to spill from their eyes as their hands crumple the otherwise pristine white sheet giving them the bad news.

"Another rejection?" Roommate Cookie sticks their head through the doorway from the kitchen to where (C/F) Cookie sat at the table in the dining room. "Those admissions Cookies show no mercy."

"It says I don't meet their qualifications." (C/F) Cookie glares at the words on the page, attempting to will them into changing.

"Really?" Roommate Cookie scoffs at this and leans on the doorframe. "They don't know what they're doing, rejecting you so many times. I mean... I know the school's competitive reputation, but with such low graduation rates you'd think they'd take someone who works as hard as you."

"It doesn't work that way." (C/F) Cookie tosses the letter on the table, unable to stare at it any longer. They get up to find something else to do to distract themself from the burning rage of disappointment yet again. Their chair scrapes against the wooden floor of the apartment, sounding the frustration they're attempting to conceal.

The prestigious Sugar Glass Academy (once the fierce rival of the Blueberry Yogurt Academy before its sudden shutdown). Widely known the world around for producing top notch wizard graduates, but locally known in the small town of Graham the school is located in for having the highest dropout rate known to Cookiekind. Hundreds of "magical prodigies" flock to the school, only to drop out and find work in town when coursework starts requiring them to do something they've never had to do before: try. The reason all their graduates are best to none is because they keep their noses in books and don't even notice as their class gets smaller and smaller until there's only twenty or so left who graduate.

(C/F) Cookie had always wanted to study there. They had wanted to learn magic ever since they had managed it as a kid. Every year they applied—increasingly more annoyed as their colleagues all became former students who took the opportunity for granted until they just didn't care about it anymore—but year after year they had been denied, with a note saying they weren't gifted enough to attend.

"Hey, (C/F) Cookie." Roommate Cookie steps over to them. This isn't the first time this had happened while they'd been roommates, but it's likely the last.

"I really don't want to talk about this." (C/F) Cookie stiffens.

"I get it, but letting you fester over your emotions is a terrible idea." They sigh, "It sucks, but you know what, their loss. You're the hardest working Cookie I know. Crumbs, with how often you visit the library anyone would think you are a student! You're smarter than half the Cookies I know, and most of them went to that stupid school!"

(C/F) Cookie purses their lips. They're not going to cry. They're not going to! Not this year!

"And you know what? At least you can use magic. That's more than I can say." Roommate Cookie continues. "I've seen you practicing that way later than any sane Cookie should just to try something you read, and if that doesn't work you try again!"

(C/F) Cookie stiffens their jaw. They're not gonna cry! They're not gonna cry!

"I know you hate anyone mentioning it, but you are also an incredible engineer. I mean, you're so talented when it comes to magic technology that they ask you to personally oversee projects specifically for the Republic! THE Crème Republic!" Roommate Cookie emphasizes this point before adding, "So what if you've been rejected twenty-something times from a school that hides its dropout rate?"

"Twenty-three." (C/F) Cookie provides, blinking back tears and refusing to face their roommate. Twenty-three letters now, each completely identical.

"At the rate you're going, Cookies won't remember that you were rejected from the school so many times," Roommate Cookie lays a hand on their shoulder, "They'll remember that the school rejected you. You can do better than a place that can't see how good you are. You'll prove it. Who knows, maybe all you need is a fresh start."

That was what finally breaks them down into tears. They hug Roommate Cookie like a child would hug their parents after a horrible nightmare, humiliated by just how upset one rejection out of so many could hurt this much.

"...Sandwiches and a pillow fort?" Roommate Cookie suggests.

They nod against their chest. Hopefully that would help them feel a little better at least.