Unseen | Caramel Arrow Cookie x Affogato Cookie

A Discussion Over Lunch

It was a little bit past lunch time. Caramel Arrow and Affogato sat in the empty lunch room. Affogato purposefully left after lunch so it would be quiet. Caramel Arrow only came out of necessity. He sat with a large book in hand, letting it lean on the table as it sat in his lap so that he could read it. Caramel Arrow sat quietly, drinking some leftover tea. She stared at the wall in thought and contemplation. She looked over at Affogato once in a while, watching him slurp on his hot coffee or take a bite of a piece of buttered toast. She wondered what he was reading.

Affogato liked the quiet. He would always come at this time of day, as all of the kingdom’s soldiers would’ve had lunch already. He rarely dared take a chance on spilling something in his room, even if he trusted himself that he wouldn’t. And with Caramel Arrow suddenly thrown into the picture he had to eat at the cafeteria.

He enjoyed being able to distract himself from his ankle, to let his thoughts run amok with other things. “Hey, Affogato Cookie?” A slight deflate in his shoulders.

He turned to Caramel Arrow, setting down his coffee cup. “What is it?” He asked, not hiding his uninterest.

“If you don’t mind, I.. wanted to talk about the kingdom with you.”

He raised a brow. Interesting. “How very vague.” He looked back down at his book, but didn’t actually start reading any of the words. “Tell me more.”

Caramel Arrow took a breath. “You mentioned yesterday that the citadel is in a dire struggle. I’ve spent most of my time watching over the walls and training, so.. I don’t know of these struggles you claim. I’d like to know more.” She avoided eye contact.

Affogato shifted in his chair to sit straighter. He hummed once. “Interesting.” He murmured. He picked up his coffee cup and held it near his lips, the steam of the coffee cup tickling his face. “The citadel’s resources are slowly depleting. Half of our soldiers are watching over the wall, and the King, Dark Cacao Cookie, spends day and night with fortifications that aren’t needed.”

As he sipped, Caramel Arrow digested what he’d started with. She disagreed that the fortifications weren’t needed, but she had to admit that the amount of fortifying was a bit overkill.

His lips separated from his cup. “Villagers often come to the citadel in order to ask for resources and help from us.” He sets down his cup again, and sets his book aside. “I am forced to turn them down at the gate. I-”

“I’ve talked with some of those villagers.” She blurted. Affogato raised a brow in minor annoyance, waiting for her to continue. “They’ve had resentments for you. They call you things like ‘snake.’ They say you turn them down at the door with no reason other than that the king is busy.” She narrowed her eyes at him, her lips remaining neutral. “Time and time again, when I help those villagers out, I hear the same things.”

“Hmph.” His arms crossed. “Maybe it is a bit of a fib, but I couldn’t tell the villagers the truth.” He looked away from her. “If I told them the state of our kingdom, then what faith could they put in us; the King? And I can’t be handing out resources when the citadel is already lacking.”

Caramel Arrow nodded, unsure.

“If they think me a snake, so be it. What they think does not matter.” He looked towards one of the walls. “If that sea didn’t exist, all would be better.” He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Tell me, First Watcher, what is so daunting about the Licorice Sea? No attacks ever seem to come of it; nothing that I hear of. Are those licorice monsters I hear the King ramble about even real?” He asked in a challenging manner.

Caramel Arrow huffed, looking down. “They are very real. A lot of my comrades have fallen, due to those things. Attacks are few and far between, but when they happen..” She visited some past memories. She put a hand to her chest. “My brother died to one of them. He fell asleep and couldn’t have noticed those licorice monsters climbing the wall. I.. noticed too late.” She said somberly, her words slowing. She refused to look Affogato in the eyes. “Before I could fight them off he was already gone. No final words.. no final goodbyes..” She could feel her throat stop. She opened her mouth to start speaking again, but couldn’t.