Summary of Chapter: Candy canes are very dangerous weapons… and that's why they're Metal's favorite treat!
Disclaimer: I make no profit writing this. LSK is the property of Yu Wo.
Date of Publication: 7/2/15
Rating: K
A/N: Right. So, let's pretend it's December 'cause that's totally, like, when this was supposed to be uploaded.
Ah, and I had to be reminded of this, but it's my 21st birthday today which means I can drink legally now. Yeah… my birthday really doesn't change a thing. At the start of the day all I received were emails from GameStop and Petsmart giving me birthday coupons and I started to think everyone forgot. Then I went to work and somehow got into a conversation about drinking. I casually mentioned that I'd be legal today and was suddenly attacked by hugs and kisses... The hugs I could takes but the kisses... I've never been able to stand, especially from my relatives. It's like being slobbered over by a dog.
And that's been my day so far. Working. Please enjoy the fic.
†Candy Pain†
During the snowy months, the air is filled with cheer and love making.
There's something about the blistering cold that brings bodies together in search of warmth. And while adults enjoy cuddling by the hearth, children enjoy playing in the snow. After a long day outside, it's only appropriate to have warm soup or a hot meal (in which the children would only eat a little of to save room for the delectable, sweet dessert afterwards).
No naughty children were allowed delicacies if they misbehaved. So, as if training dogs, adults offered candy to the little boys and girls who did as they were told. While the puppies continued to seek treats, the trainers made sure to procure as many bargaining chips as humanly possible. That way they could brag to their neighbors about how blessed they were to have such cooperative children.
The only problem was… the lack of new merchandise. Lollipops were turning into an old fad, you see. Chocolate was boring, ice cream was for hotter days, and really, no child actually liked after-dinner mints.
That was why candy shop owners created a fabulous product that was sure to sell.
New on the shelves of these shops was a sweet made out of hardened sugar. Unlike lollipops, this candy was long, thin, and it bent at the top to resemble a walking cane. Young females of noble families often sought this sweet as gifts for their fathers. (Perhaps the cute little puppies were trying to manipulate their elders into buying them new toys- but really, there was no concrete evidence.) Also available in a variety of colors and flavors, this unique treat generated quite the stir in the Kingdom of Forgotten Sound. In particular, candy stores located in the heart of Leaf Bud City were overflowing with customers.
The owners were so busy trying to create more of this sweet that actually acquiring one became rare. This was because as soon as the treat went on display, they were bought. Customers would have to line up at the door three days in advance to be able to get their hands on this new treat. Needless to say, the lines spanned down streets and curved around obstacles.
Of course, no one would be happy about this set up. There was fighting, "Hey! You cut in front of me!" and romantic bonding, "Oh honey, it's soooo cold! Let's snuggle up to keep warm!" and the ever present Holy Knights who tried to keep everyone from killing the person ahead of them, "Do you think Captain will let us cut if we're good? I really want some candy!" At the moment, it was the Sun Knight Platoon who took charge of security. Even the Sun Knight was there, reminding everyone that cutting in line was against the God of Light's teachings.
The Sun Knight took it upon himself to walk to the front of the shop, break the lock on the closed door, and enter in order to "confirm the safety of the shop owner," as he put it (masked under a wordy speech about the God of Light). No one questioned the knight when he came out fifteen minutes later with a brown paper bag tucked under his arm. He then smiled as he escaped through an alleyway, forsaking his platoon without so much as a single glance.
Still, no one said a word.
(Though a fight did break out after the owner informed them that it would take a few more hours before the first batch was ready. The vice-captain of the Sun Knight really had his hands full this time.)
"Sun, you're back. That's great!"
"Did you get the goods? You were gone all afternoon."
"Maybe we should have sent Judgment after all. He holds the best record of making it to the candy store and back in the quickest amount of time."
"I got them, stop insulting my record!" the Sun Knight yelled irritably as he set a brown bag down on the conference room's only table.
Twelve knights were present, each one staring eagerly at the bag- well, except for Judgment… and no one knew if Cloud was actually there. (For all they knew, the chair only looked to be occupied- but that could just be any old spirit.) They had yet to confirm the existence of their fellow brother, too engrossed in filling their stomachs with the best new thing to hit the market. Even Ice was sitting on the edge of his seat, eyes fixated on the small bag.
So far, none of Knight Captains had had a chance to partake in the sweet known as a candy cane. They had only heard rumors about the shape and unique pattern. Apparently, it was a candy that you licked and sucked and was supposed to last for a very long time.
"They don't really seem all that special," Moon spoke up as the bag was opened and everyone got a good look at its contents. Some of the other knights nodded in agreement.
Sun held up one of the sticks and examined it closely. Red stripes circled a white background… or white overlapped red. As he turned the cane from side to side, the Sun Knight asked curiously, "How are you supposed to eat them?"
The others each grabbed one of their own and examined it as well. They flipped it upside down and tested the smoothness of its texture with their fingers.
Blaze was the first to test the taste- by way of opening his maw as wide as he could and administering a nice big chomp. "Ahhh! It hurts!" he recoiled, rubbing his aching jaw.
Sun rolled his eyes. It was hard candy, not meat; you didn't need to be a genius to figure that out.
Ice, after scrutinizing it thoroughly, stuck his tongue out and licked along the curve. He seemed to be intrigued however his face remained impassive.
Each knight followed his example and started licking and sucking at different ends of the stick. It was quiet and somehow that made Judgment feel uneasy. Although the quietness was a welcomed change, he had already grown used to the bickering and gossiping of the other twelve, especially in the conference room. His eyes circled the table, taking in each individual face (and seeing a wisp of pink flash every now and then around Cloud's chair). It wasn't until his eyes landed on Sun that his brows furrowed. The Sun Knight's face was scrunched up and his eyes glistened in angry tears. He looked like a child who had just taken a bite of broccoli for the first time. "Sun?"
The knight whipped around to face him and whined, "This isn't sweet at all! It tastes like after-dinner mints, not candy! And it keeps hurting me!" He stuck out his tongue to prove his point but Judgment couldn't see any cuts or wounds.
"That happened to me too!" Metal's loud voice rang out around the room. He pulled out the candy cane in his mouth to show off the pointed tip he made. "Isn't it great?!" He beamed and poked his tongue with the stick.
Sun made a disgusted face and glanced at his treat one more time before offering it to Metal. Since it wasn't sweet, he didn't want it. Feeling slightly bad (and pleased that Sun was sharing), Judgment handed over his blue colored stick to the blond.
"It's blueberry!" Sun exclaimed, licking a trail from one end to the other, marking his claim. With his delighted shout came idle chit-chat from the others. It was a nice, relaxing evening after that with only Leaf scaring the living daylights out of everyone when he pulled out his voodoo doll with Sun's hair nailed through it and dressed it in a long black cape and mini hat. Afterwards, he used his half eaten candy came as the dolls walking cane.
It seemed liked Metal wasn't the only one naming the candy cane his favorite treat.
A/N: Even more than candy canes, I find ribbon candy very hard to eat. How are you supposed to eat them? Is there some kind of trick or secret I'm not in on? I've tried breaking it off into small pieces but I always end up smashing the whole thing into smithereens out of annoyance.
Anyway, how is everyone? I believe it's Sakura Hyuga's birthday on the 8th so (whether you're reading this or not) happy birthday!