goldie

Clouded Milk Cookie and Crystal Salt Cookie have a rather strained relationship, looking at it from the outside. Salt hardly even looks at Cloud. The two of them used to be close friends, so what happened? And how does it connect to the scars they now wear on their faces?

Clouded Milk and Crystal Salt have known each other since they were both very young, and for most of their lives, they were inseparable. As was his name, though, Clouded Milk always seemed to have his head in the clouds. He dreamed of escaping the walls of the city and finding a place far, far away. A place where you could see real stars. Crystal Salt was always more of a realist, and they tried to keep Cloud grounded. The world outside Planifolia's boundaries was a wasteland, and there was no telling what dangers were waiting for them out there, let alone if the place Cloud wanted to see even existed.

Despite their best efforts to convince him otherwise, Clouded Milk eventually found a way to sneak outside the city, and Crystal Salt reluctantly followed after him, if only to keep him safe if they couldn't drag him back. They were still within sight of the city when the two of them were attacked by a cake monster. Crystal Salt was able to fight it off, but at the cost of Clouded Milk almost losing his eye, and Crystal Salt's throat nearly being torn out. Salt covers the scars on their face and neck with their mask and jacket, and now remains silent.

Clouded Milk has apologized a thousand times over to Crystal Salt for almost getting them both killed, but he truly believes Salt hates him for it now. He has no reason to believe otherwise, they won't even look at him anymore.

Crystal Salt doesn't hate Clouded Milk, though. They still care deeply for him. They're just afraid of looking him in the eyes again, as they know the moment they see that scar, they'll be reminded that they couldn't keep him safe. They worry Cloud hates THEM, they were the one who kept pushing for him to stay in the city where it was safe. Maybe if they'd just kept their mouth shut, he wouldn't have tried to sneak out.

They both go on, thinking the other hates them when they really just hate themselves.

Additional bonus silly: FL0-W3R feels very awkward around Crystal Salt due to their strained relationship with her creator and the fact that they never speak. They like her, they just don't show it much.

Anyhow decided that I'm redesigning both, Shilk deserved a bit of a glow up too AND gets to keep some "fount for knowledge" design elements since he never really corrupts in Virtuous Advice.