Poise. Perfection. Grace.

Three words you’ve always loathed hearing, whether it be from your own mouth or a fellow Cookie’s. Those words were on repeat in your childhood, mainly because your parents were two of the many Elders in the Crème Republic’s Convocation of Elders. They were strict and put on a public face of pride when you were around, only for it to drop behind closed doors. They found any reason to belittle and berate you, whether they claim it to be ‘for the better’.

Because of this, you’ve learned to school your emotions and hide them away behind a pleasant face and logical reasoning, and an impeccable ability to read the thoughts of even the most stoic Cookies. It was through them that you got an outlet for what you thought the other members were like: Snobbish, angry, and bitter. But, one if them would prove that wrong.

When you reached adulthood, your parents put in a good name for you that allowed you to join the Convocation, but mainly in their places. A personal puppet, one could say. However, you tore down everything they built up, making friends with their enemies and enemies of their friends. All the while, you kept a neutral, pleasant face.*

One of the Elders, Oyster Cookie, decided to introduce you to Clotted Cream Cookie, a Consul member as young as you. Oyster Cookie was an Elder you genuinely liked, so you had no reason not to go with her to meet him.

When introduction day came, Clotted Cream Cookie had found you in one of the meeting rooms, sitting across from one of the Elders, one he recognized as his own adoptive father, Custard Cookie. He could see the calculative gaze from where he stood. The young Consul member prided himself in being able to understand his fellow Consul to learn their wellfare, but not you. Like your thoughts were hidden behind a carefully crafted exterior.

Just like him, in a way.