Crumbling Worlds (A Charlotte Cracker x OC story)

Chapter 2: Biscuits and Jam

Michelle'sthoughts were running wild inside her head while the man next to hercontinued to chuckle devilishly. He was kidding. He mustbe kidding. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she pointeda shaking finger at him, still struggling to form a proper sentence.There was no way that the man she bumped into by accident, the manthat guided her to the harbor, the man whose hand she justshook- was actually the Minister.

...Right?

„Y-You're...you're Cracker?!" wasthe first thing she managed to get out in a choked gasp, her throatfeeling awfully dry all of a sudden.

„IndeedI am! Charlotte Cracker, The Knight of Biscuits, 'Thousand Arms'...whatever suits you best." heexclaimed dramatically and shamelessly reached out to grab herbiscuit box so he could finally help himself to one of the delicioustreats inside. Michelle didn't even notice it, her mind was stillpreoccupied with processing that the man sitting right next to her...was Charlotte Cracker. For a second the young woman felt incrediblystupid for not asking him about his name or who he was earlier, sincethat might have prevented this shocking reveal in the first place.So, if this was really Cracker, then it was also the first time sheever faced a Minister by herself. Not just that, he was also one ofBig Mom's feared Sweet Commanders. A man with a bounty high enough topay for all of her life's expenses, and even those of her family. Didshe really just run into such a big shot without even noticing, orthinking about it...?

However,something about this didn't make sense. If he wasCracker, then who-

„Wait-but that can't be right," Michelleslowly furrowed her brows and shook her head, now even more confusedthan before, „weran into the Minister, Cracker,earlier today! He was that big, mean-looking warrior with the...funky helmet and long beard!" sheretorted, and her hands quickly went into her bag to pull out theWanted Poster of said pirate so she could hold it up infront of this'Cracker'.

„S-See?!"

Thetall man simply eyed the poster with a mischievious glimmer in hiseyes and took a bite out of the biscuit he just snatched.

„Mhhh,seeing how you'll soon be my citizen, I suppose it wouldn't beappropriate to keep such obvious secretsfrom you, little one," hechuckled darkly, and his grin widened as he quickly swallowed thebiscuit and raised his hands to demonstratively start clapping themtogether infront of his face. At this point Michelle's confusion hadreached a peak she didn't even know existed. The young woman followedhis movement with her eyes and couldn't resist cocking an eyebrow atwhat he was doing. Ishe applauding himself? or-

Butbefore she could finish that thought, a huge biscuit suddenly poppedout of seemingly nowhere and hovered right infront of her face. "Whatthe-?!" Michelle instinctively recoiled as the treatfloated in mid-air, a surprised gasp leaving her lips. Whatis going on here?!

Amusedby her shocked reaction, the pirate continued to clap his hands asthe biscuit slowly changed its shape and turned into dust, which thenswirled around until what appeared to be a large head was formed. Hecould tell by the way her expression changed that the young womanslowly began to understand what he was going for, or at leasthe hoped that it would dawn on her soon.

„Yousee this? This is the face of my 'armor' which I usually inhabit!" heexplained, the grin never once leaving his face, „hehe,or rather, the 'Cracker' everyone outside of Tottoland believes toknow!"

Michelle'smouth hung wide open as she stared at the biscuit, which was nowmolded into a perfect copy of the face of the man she saw earliertoday.

„Iusually don't leave Tottoland that often, especially since mysoldiers are valuable assets for keeping the kingdom's security incheck," Crackercontinued to explain as the warrior's face crumbled up into dustagain and he ceased his clapping to grab another biscuit from thebox, „sonot many can claim to know my true appearance!"