Unseen | Caramel Arrow Cookie x Affogato Cookie

Pray for a Better Life

…

Altar of the Fallen. Caramel Arrow loved to come here to relive the memories of her fallen comrades. Today, though, it was something she dreaded. Dark Cacao stood in front of the crowd of cookies. Caramel Arrow was out of her watcher uniform today. Affogato stood by Dark Cacao, studying the crowd, looking for Caramel Arrow in the crowd. He spotted her hair, poking up in the crowd. His eyes watched her the whole time as Dark Cacao spoke. “I am deeply saddened by our Second Watcher,..”

His name blanked out from her mind, looking at the altar. Memories of her father passed by her mind, and her frown deepened, her eyes welling, threatening to cry. Affogato noticed her turn away. He was disheartened by that, but didn't change his somber expression.

A tribute that was supposed to be an honor for the dead.. it was something Caramel Arrow couldn't even bring herself to look at. It took all her strength to even come out here. She was barely able to watch. "We thank him for all he has done in his line of work. His name will forever be inscribed here, in the Altar of the Fallen. We hope everyone will heal from this tragic accident. Anybody who wishes to light an incense stick to honor his memory may come up and do so now. You are dismissed."

There was a quiet, somber scattering of the crowd. As Dark Cacao walked by, he looked at Caramel Arrow and gave her a sad nod. Caramel Arrow stood still, looking up at The Altar of the Fallen. Affogato moved from his spot in the front to her side, silently.

"..."

"..." A large number of watchers lit incense sticks for her father. She watched and waited. She blinked slowly. There was a tiny amount of sweetness to all the bitterness in her heart. He was honored as a great warrior for the kingdom, but.. not at a time Caramel Arrow wanted or was prepared for. Snow fell, decorating her hair with small snowflakes. Affogato stared at her as she looked ahead. Her hands were folded in front of her. Her eyes slowly darted from one place to another on the altar walls.

Once every other cookie was gone, she took a step forward. She grabbed an incense stick and lit it. Then, she stuck the stick into the bowl. The incense was a strong rose scent, creating a serene smell to the atmosphere. She knelt. She looked up towards the top of the altar. Affogato watched her silently. She folded her hands together to pray.

A few moments later a pair of footsteps stopped by Affogato. He looked to his left to see the wolf captain, Crunchy Chip. They made eye contact and said nothing. They both then looked forward to their shared friend. Crunchy Chip let out a breath, then took a step forward toward Caramel Arrow. He stopped by her side.

Caramel Arrow looked to her left. Crunchy Chip and her made eye contact. He nodded at her. He knelt on his knees, too. He folded his hands and prayed with her. A minute passed. Then, he stood up. She did the same, looking down at the floor. He held out his arms for her. She weakly went into him and hugged him. He wrapped his own arms around her. She sniffled after a few seconds. "It's gonna be okay." He said.

He let go and nodded down at her. Then, he walked by Affogato, glancing at him but not stopping. Caramel Arrow watched. Then, when Crunchy Chip was out of the picture, Affogato and Caramel Arrow now looked at each other. Caramel Arrow didn’t look into his eyes, though.

Affogato took a step forward. Snowflakes were covering his robes with how many of them there were. He stopped in front of her on the chocolate stone slabs. "Caramel Arrow." He started. She looked up at him with somber eyes. "I'm truly sorry." She didn't say anything; she couldn't bring herself to. She turned to the altar. Affogato sighed and grabbed an incense stick. He lit it. He looked at Caramel Arrow. He held it in between the two and stared at the orange flame. “Don’t forget who else is still here to support you, Caramel Arrow." He reminded somberly. "If you need support, there are many other cookies still looking out for you. Me included." He spoke his last sentence quietly.

Caramel Arrow's eyes quivered. She looked at his face, into his eyes. The past day and a half, after his death, Affogato had been there for her, had comforted her. He even went through the trouble of preparing the ceremony and coming out to the altar, even through his wounded ankle. She sputtered a sob. Affogato set the incense stick down into the holder. He held out his arms for her, if she wanted to take them. She weakly leaned towards him, stepping closer. Then, she let her face fall into him, her cheek resting against his chest. She let out another sob, a quiet one. She whimpered as she held back a pool of tears.

Affogato put his hand around her head in her hair. This was the least he could do for her after all that she'd done for him the past three weeks. "I'm- sorryhh." He said, although his voice broke at the end of it.

She wrapped her arms around him and put herself closer to him. She needed someone to lean on right now. He was gone.

"..."

He was gone. She began letting her emotions out, slowly but surely. A sharp sob, and then another, and then another. She grimaced against him, pushing her forehead closer to him. She gasped for breath in between her ugly sobs.

He remained patient with her, as she had been with him. "I am here to support you. Thank you for all that you've done for the kingdom." Affogato murmured in her ear. The two stayed that way for a while, even if the snowstorm bit at their skin. All they needed were each other in that moment.