Chapter Text
Tossed and turned in the swirling sea, White Lily kept her hopes as high as her head above the water. Though she could feel the strength in her legs peter out, giving up would precipitate into an early demise. Another wave came over her, submerging her again in the water – it seems the tempest and her were going to continue this song and dance until one of them faltered. She was lucky to not have crumbled under the might of the undulating waves; her souljam would not allow it but any ordinary cookie would have melted away in second – even so, she wasn’t sure how long it would take for her to disappear in the squall’s might.
With her lungs filled with salty brine, White Lily coughed out desperately and raised her head high, avoiding letting herself drag down further. Everything was weighing her down: her clothes, her icing and worse her optimism.
How did her friends do this? Survive and laugh in the face of adversity?
Words couldn’t come to her head as she was forced once again to take a mouthful of seawater. Using her arms to wade, the only thing she could fixate was the advice given by Dark Cacao.
When treading water, you should swing your legs like an egg-beater. Keep them circling and never let your confidence waver. The minute your head is clouded with thoughts of defeat, only then will you sink.
“M-maybe if I keep afloat, a ship will rescue me.” She mumbled. There she goes again, talking to herself, she must be going delirious as death loomed over her.
White Lily’s rotten luck really ended up catching up with her, even Elder Faerie told her not to wander too close to the deck especially on rough nights. But her curiosity had overlapped her judgement as an unbuckled wooden crate came barrelling towards her, knocking her off into sea’s grasp and in her current predicament.
Her hands clawed at the wooden crate as she clung onto her lifeline, ignoring the sensation of splinter pricks in her palm. The salt water didn’t help the stinging sensation but even if she felt the spark of her survival fade away, White Lily knew that deep down – her friends would want her to persevere.
The lustre her eyes began to fade as she shivered in the storm, White Lily couldn’t help but sneeze. What a miserable way for her to die: lost at sea.
That sensation…of against her legs. She froze and the spark in her eyes was reignited, not of hope but of fear.
White Lily looked around in the water, searching the murky abyss for…
THERE IT WAS AGAIN!
That creature brushed against her leg. Was it a shark? Oh no, White Lily thought, I’m not a snack. I’m too gangly and fear makes my flesh stringy. Heaving, she tried to drag herself higher onto the crate but the seas turned around and rolled it over. Whimpering, White Lily glanced back at the water and to her horror, she saw a pair of eyes staring back at her.
She saw them – slit pupils that were hungry. Not wasting a minute, she brought her foot down and kicked it square between the eyes and scrambled further onto the crate. The water sputtered and splashed as…whatever that was…retreated down into the abyss. She didn’t know how long…how…at least…at least. As White Lily’s vision slowly failed her, there was one thing in her mind.
The worst way to die would be to learn whatever that creature was.
“Hello~ anyone home?”
Her ears rang from the voice, White Lily winced as she could feel a bright light try to pierce past her eyelids. Without the strength to move, she remained where she was - with one arm over her face and the other lying beside her. No matter how hard she willed, her legs refused to budge, weighed down by the heft of her soaked emerald dress. White Lily could feel the weight on one side; someone must have positioned her like this - knowledgeable enough of the recovery position.
Maybe this was heaven? Yes, she must have drowned - it was the only logical explanation. All she could do is let out a tired whimper.
“I know you can hearrrrr meee!” It was that voice again, her ears twitched - like nails on a chalkboard, definitely a stark contrast to the dulcet tones of Pure Vanilla. She was wrong, this was hell - this was her karma.
Before she could respond to it, there was a tightness in her chest that made her seize and sit up. Her first instinct was to lean over and throw up whatever was left inside of her, it was undignified but necessary. Her cheeks burned from humiliation as she could feel someone pat her back. Witches, she wasn’t alone and the fact that someone witnessed her dishevelled state took a blow to her pride. After a couple of hacks, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and tried to sit up only to wobble and stumble back into the crouch.
Rather than supporting her like before, the hands seemed to pull away, and White Lily fell face first into sand; much to the amusement of the laughter she heard above her. From the ground, her eyes started from floating feet and gradually stopped at the lanky figure before her.
A man hovered before her, hands on his slender hips and bent down as he glowered at her pathetic state. His appearance definitely screamed as if someone threw up blue on him; his sickly complexion was the shade of blueberries, and his eyes were mismatched hues: one neon and the other a softer pastel. His hair was unkempt and wild like the ocean waves, with black and white highlights - if she didn’t know any better, he would have camouflage right into the very ocean that had threatened to drown her earlier. His attire was quite simple - a pair of checkered baggy pants, amusingly like that of a jester, and a white loose blouse with a deep v neck and laced collar. She tried not to let her eyes linger at his exposed chest and stare at his face, which curved into a hungry smirk.
“I aum uh,” she couldn’t even form a sentence, looking around at her surroundings. She seemed to have found herself at a beach, mostly abandoned except the lighthouse at the end, “w-where am I?”
The wary stranger rolled his hand twice before bowing oh-so-dramatically, “You, my dear, have found yourself in BeastYeast Archipelago - one of the most feared yet sought after tourist destinations in all the 7 Earthbread seas!” His tonality fluctuated up and down, but White Lily could sense the sarcasm seeping through his tongue.
She knew of the BeastYeast Archipelago, privy to its mystery and the forbidden knowledge it entailed. Even the name itself, BeastYeast, wasn’t for show as she read that monsters roamed wild in this mysterious place; you would be foolish to dare to venture into its territory.
Though she knew Elder Faerie wouldn’t dare sail near, she was knowledgeable enough of his trade routes that he would dance at the outskirts where she might serendipitously meet someone she was looking for.
It was just unfortunate that she was swept away.
“Am I dead?” She mumbled, frisking her body to find any abrasions or slashes. Her brow creased as she recalled back before she passed out. She was sure that something lurked in the water, fully intent on having a little flower snack, but she found nothing of the sort on her body.
Much to her relief, she let out a sigh as no semblance of injury was discovered. She heard the sound of someone puffing their lips, her attention was gravitated back to the floating gentleman. “Not at all, in fact, you’re very lucky to have survived,” he came over and plucked out a stray seaweed in her white hair, “I found you this morning washed up, so out of the goodness of my heart, I gave you~ the kiss of life.” Blowing her a kiss.
White Lily frowned and played off his gesture, catching it in her hand and discarding it. “You have my sincere gratitude, um,”
As she trailed off, the man seized the opening to introduce himself. “Shadow Milk Cookie, at your service.” Ever the illustrious showman, he accompanied it with a long bow and a curl of his sharp teeth.
“Shadow Milk, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to find a way-“
White Lily’s legs began to strain and quiver when she tried to walk away. Her strength clearly hadn’t returned, and she let out concerned groans as she felt herself about to topple over. Shadow Milk quickly swooped under and caught her before she landed painfully. Her face glowed red from fluster as she was caught in an intimate embrace. Witches, she could feel her heart pounding desperately as it wanted to jump free from her chest. The Princess Hold did quite a number on her resolve, regardless of gender, if often left her breathless and squirming as her carrier lifted her with such doting concern.
Much to her surprise, Shadow Milk lowered her down with a sweep of his arms – treating her with the same delicacy as if he was replanting her. Watching her kneel and stabilise herself, he backed off sat cross-legged in the air.
“Careful now, I think we can both agree you’re in no state to go home,” he scolded, even wagging a finger at her like a misbehaving brat, “tut tut, we shouldn’t be impatient to test your limits. After all, you know what they say: curiosity killed the cat.”
“Yet satisfaction brought it back.”
Her retort made Shadow Milk pause mid lecture and his lips form a perfect o before pursing shut. That befuddled face after her insolent comment made White Lily scrunch her shoulders together and look down, ashamed to have cut him off so rudely like that. White Lily watched as his face muscles squirmed, from the quivering of his lips to his eye twitches, and his hands wringing together, almost digging into his skin with his sharp nails.
A rush of wind came as Shadow Milk surged forwards, almost touching foreheads with her and glaring down her wide red eyes. All she could do was take a deep breath and stand her ground, unwavering she locked eyes and challenged him.
If I show even a semblance of fear, he may seep through the cracks – so for now let us continue this stalemate
It was probably the longest minute of her life, though Shadow Milk had elevated himself higher than her, White Lily tried to keep her shuddering to a minimum. No, she wasn’t quivering from fear but the fact her soaked clammy dress clung to her body.
“Pfft.”
White Lily blinked and tilted her head.
Shadow Milk soon doubled over, holding his gut and cackling. Almost like an amused child fawning over a toy, he began to spin in circles in his fits of laughter. “Ahahhaha~ oh I like you,” Shadow Milk wheezed, wiping a corner from his eyes, “Tell me Miss Castaway, what brings you to the shores of BeastYeast?”
Recounting how she fell into the ocean was to say the least…humiliating. Especially with how Shadow Milk’s face once again twisted into amusement and he giggled at her predicament between his hand on his lips. Conversely to how harrowing her near-death experience was, Shadow Milk seemed entertained by her story – crossing his arms and legs as his eyes quirked upwards like an intrigued parent hearing about their child’s day.
Once again, the fact that his first attempts were to tease and intimidate her made White Lily cautious of Shadow Milk. In this showdown, White Lily knew better than to reveal all her cards at the table: of why she was here and what she wanted to seek in BeastYeast. Keeping him at this point arm’s length was probably the best choice of survival.
With White Lily’s story drawing to an end, Shadow Milk hummed and held his chin. Deep in contemplation, he soon changed his approach as he brought his two knuckles on his head to grind on them. With that childish display, White Lily couldn’t help but eye him distrustfully.
This performative demeanour is quite the charade…just like me, there’s something underneath those mischievous eyes on this.
Orbiting around her, Shadow Milk gave her a careful up down before coming to a halt. “Well Missy, I think we can both agree that you are in no state to go home…especially with how drenched you are.” As if to prove a point, Shadow Milk reached a hand to pull her braid from behind and put it on her shoulder. Unceremoniously, the water flicked on his face and made him sputter; White Lily couldn’t help but giggle at his misfortune before taking a deep breath once her jitters were out.
“Ah yes, shelter would be good, thank you Shadow Milk.” White Lily bowed.
“Come, my lighthouse isn’t too far, you can rest there and then we can figure out how to get you home,” Shadow Milk waved her over before taking off, leaving White Lily standing there and watching him like a dumbfounded meerkat. He rolled his eyes and blew a raspberry, “What you think I’m gonna carry you? And get my precious clothes drenched? We’ve stalled enough time; your vigour has returned”
White Lily picked up the hem of her dress and plodded behind with Shadow Milk as her guide. “Didn’t stop you from picking me up earlier.” She muttered under her breath.
She was lucky that they weren’t too far from the Lighthouse, if they were then this would have been the second time White Lily passed out today. The design of the Lighthouse definitely screamed Shadow Milk; maybe it was the dark blue roof or perhaps the white accents that wrapped around it like a snake. Rather than a traditional lamp, the lookout was a closed eye but the shape, though perturbed, White Lily recognised it…and chose to keep her mouth shut, pressing hand protectively to the emerald hairpin tucked within her head. The crow’s nest was ringed with guardrails shaped like a queen’s crown, its points decked out into droplet-like tips.
“Tada~ welcome to the Lighthouse, we hope you enjoy your stay, Miss…” Shadow Milk then paused before turning back to her, “Say, I never caught your name, unless you like the nickname Miss Castaway.”
Preoccupied with wringing the water out of her dress, White Lily let out a soft gasp and bit her lip. On one hand, she wanted to keep as much information as possible from Shadow Milk, sensing there was more than he let on. On the other…she knew that if she withheld from the seemingly generous host, he might be less inclined to help her. For all she knew, Shadow Milk could have left her there to succumb to her shivering fate – at least…
“White Lily, my name is White Lily Cookie.” She replied, with a polite tip of her head.
Shadow Milk clapped his hands, “Ooh~ That explains the scent, in spite of the salty brine, I noticed an intoxicating floral scent on the beach. Must’ve been how I found you.”
Was it a complaint or a backhanded compliment? Her scent was a sore subject for her, but White Lily tried not to linger onto ill preconceptions. She watched as Shadow Milk finally lowered himself, for the first time, onto the ground and something that caught her eye was his legs.
At the Lighthouse’ door, there was a strange doormat – once again it sported the same symbol as the spotlight but there were also two footprints engraved in it. It must be some sort of pressure plate, a little odd for a Lighthouse to have a security measure like this but maybe Shadow Milk was a cautious one. When they reached the ground, Shadow Milk’s legs tensed and his entire body froze. With clicks and chirps of a mechanism, his door opened to reveal a keylock and the gracious host went to frisk his pockets.
She could hear him seething through clenched teeth and degrading himself, though he greeted her with a jovial mask, there was an underlying pain that coursed through his thighs. His hands jolted and she could see his legs flex and squirm, as if something was piercing the soles of his bare feet.
Click.
“Whew…” Shadow Milk pushed the door open and held the door for White Lily to enter, “In we go. Try not to-”
“EEP!”
“Trip.” Shadow Milk sighed as he shut the door after her, once the door was shut, he finally began floating again. The first thing he did was rub his calves and then waved his hands, White Lily watched as papers and books whirled around and back into the shelves, “You’ll have to forgive me, dear, I rarely have guests over.”
“What kind of books are these…” She asked, her jaw soon dropped as she raised her eyes, marvelling at the sheer number of volumes…it rivalled that of her academy’s library.
“Hmm? Oh, the ones you tripped on are History of magic; the ones on the first floor are arcane myths and legends,” Shadow Milk paused and then raised an intrigued eyebrow at her, “Are you a scholar, White Lily?”
Hearing his voice flex into a teasing melody elicited an embarrassed response, her cheeks glowed red and she felt the compulsion to brush a stray wet curl from her eyes. “S-something like that.” Was all she could manage. Her lips curled uncomfortably as she could hear Shadow Milk snicker at her response, Witches even the hair tucking?! What was she, some star-struck student flattered to have caught her professor’s eyes.
“Mmhm, you’ve got that look in your eyes,” Shadow Milk hummed, beckoning her to follow him. “That hunger for knowledge. Ooh~ It's voracious isn’t it.”
White Lily could only nod in agreement. She thought she was better at concealing her intentions but maybe she truly was an open book.
“Well we can debate later, right now, we need to get you out of these clothes,” Shadow Milk had stopped floating once they had gone to two floors, arriving at what seemed to be a bedroom – kitted out even with a bathtub and all. “Here you can wash up and I’ll give you something to wear. Methinks what I have is just your size.”
White Lily followed but then she stared at him suspiciously, he was confused and then let out a sigh and snapped his fingers. “Ah, don’t worry. I’m not a pervert – here I’ll bring it to you now.” And with that reassurance, he snapped his fingers and a pile of fresh clothes dropped on White Lily’s head instead of her hands.
He mused at her with a hand on his chin, unimpressed by her lack of dexterity. “Huh…I figured you were going to catch it,” He could only click his tongue before shrugging, “Oh by the way, I left a little notebook and quill in the bathroom. I figured you’re the one who likes taking notes. Once you’re done cleaning, we can meet at the ground floor to discuss what to do.”
White Lily nodded and watched Shadow Milk take his leave; something came over her, she ran over and grabbed his hand. The gesture caught him off guard, making him reel back at glower her…almost with disgust.
“Oh umm,” she quickly pulled back with her hands behind her back, shyly she steeled herself and cleared her throat, “Thank you…for your hospitality, Shadow Milk.”
Shadow Milk could only scoff and wave her off, “The least I could do.”
With those parting words, he shut the door. The worst part about Shadow Milk’s levitation is footsteps were non-existent to him and others. White Lily rushed to shut the curtains tightly in her room, not even letting the sun’s rays catch a glimpse inside of the window.
This is ridiculous, I’m being ridiculous. Who was going to peak? Seagulls?
Then her thought came back to Shadow Milk – if he can levitate…he can definitely fly. And even if he assured the fact that he wasn’t a pervert…this feels like exactly something a pervert would say.
She shook away the silly thoughts and approached the bathroom, unzipping her dress and stripping down. Drawing the soda bath, White Lily let out a sigh of relief as she submerged into the soothing oasis.
Joints soothed, legs softened, for the first time, White Lily could finally feel the embrace of respite take over her body and the carbonation tickled her dough. Hopefully she wasn’t too loud for Shadow Milk to tease her, but damn did it feel good finally to bathe in something that wasn’t seawater. Her eyes wandered to the table on her left – true to his word, there was a notebook on her table. It would be good for her to jot down her thoughts with her old research notes getting lost in the ocean – this would be a fitting replacement.
Her head ached and White Lily pulled out the hairpin, wincing in pain as the accessory jilted and rattled. “Calm down, calm down.” She mumbled to herself, caressing the fleur-de-lis jewel on the hairpin. Soothing it, White Lily let out a sigh and leaned back. Her souljam noticed something was off too…with Shadow Milk…with this place.
Once again, her memories drifted back to her time at sea…the same question lingered in her mind from that night.
Who was that mysterious predator that lurked in the abyss?