#sofias class is eternally archer not for a lack of skill she just wants to concentrate on attacking not music

[hqmillioncorn]

hell have no wrath like a girl trying to get her brother together with someone

Sofia tugged her arrow off from the target and turned to Babycorn. "Miss Babycorn? How can I become as strong as you?!" That question caught Babycorn completely off guard, partially because it had come out of nowhere. The other reason being that Babycorn hadn't hit any single target in the hour and a half they had been training. "Well uh..." Babycorn nervously looked around, wringing her hands. "I wouldn't say I'm that strong." Not strong enough of a level to aspire to at least. "Of course you're strong!" Sofia exclaimed, "Because no matter how often you get it wrong or get yelled at someone for hitting them with an arrow-You keep trying again and again!" Babycorn let out a quiet "Huh..." She never really thought about that. "I think they call that being stubborn...?" The word sounded familiar. "And that's why you're my teacher!" Sofia pointed right at Babycorn with determination in her eyes. "Cause I'm never gonna give up either! No matter how annoying I get!"

with @ windupnamazu 's linnet and pancake

lalapril 18: allied

cherrypit decides to introduce sofia to some of his other friends!! yay!

If you walked up to Sofia and asked her directly how many friends she had she would probably tell you first, buzz off and second, that sort of stuff didn't matter.

Truthfully Sofia didn't have many friends. Not around her age anyway. As a future hero of the realm she already knew she was bound to make a million friends on her adventures.

So who cared if her only friend for now was an eternal two-year-old with freaky eyes?

She supposed that Babycorn counted too but that was more of a mentorly relationship than a friendship. That’s what Sofia kept telling herself anyway. Though it was far from how she really felt about her bond with Babycorn.  

Even so, when Cherrypit told her he wanted Sofia to meet some of his friends she was surprised, shocked and doubtful at the same time. “You have friends beside me!?” It was hard to believe at first but the more Sofia thought about it, the more it made sense. 

Cherrypit happily nodded, the same happy smile on his face that he took with him everywhere. 

“Incredible. The toddler has more friends than me.” 

Sofia fell back dramatically on the steps of the Adder’s nest, blocking some people from entering but that wasn’t important. What was important is that Cherrypit thought it was funny to clap and laugh for her.

“Hehe. Easy.” Toddlers had such a simple sense of humor. 

It was probably a weird sight, a teenager and a baby just hanging out (while the baby’s sister finished up some deliveries for their grand company.) One would probably assume she was babysitting him or something but that was far from the actual truth. 

She and Cherrypit had actually become friends back when he was in his sister’s body, so of course she just assumed they were around the same age. How was she ever supposed to know he was just two-years old?!

Especially with the archery skills he showed at the time?! It all drove Sofia absolutely crazy that he was somehow better than her. It did take a bit but she eventually came to accept Cherrypit as an equal. Even if he was better at hitting targets than her. 

Then it all came crashing down when the truth just happened to come out. 

Of course Sofia would be upset after being lied to, even if Cherrypit didn't mean to. It was their first fight besides the one before that. 

It wasn’t until her actual hero, Babycorn Corn, talked to her about her little brother’s unique circumstances that Sofia started to actually forgive him. It probably couldn’t be easy staying the same age while the rest of your friends grew up. Leaving you behind in the shadows…

She herself knew she would hate being five-years-old for the rest of her life. 

‘You can’t reach things on the top shelf AND everyone treats you like a baby?! No thanks!’ 

And as a monarch she couldn’t just abandon one of her subjects in their time of need like this. Even if they hadn’t been entirely truthful. That and it was kind of cool having a transforming overpowered and potentially evil but heroic baby on her side. 

“You didn’t trick your other friends into thinking you were bigger than you were, did you?” It didn’t hurt to ask. That would just mean she and Cherrypit’s other friends had something in common. 

Cherrypit shook his head. “Knew fior-!  Big!” That meant that he had been friends with them for a long time. “Like thiiiiiis!” Cherrypit put his hand up in the air, trying to tell Sofia that he had known his friends since they were just a little bit taller than him.   

By now Sofia had been friends with Cherrypit long enough that she understood some of his unique baby explanations. Though his baby babble that went on for at least five minutes was still out of reach for her. “So you knew them ever since they were really young?” That was just like her!  

Though judging from Cherrypit’s little explanation they might have been even younger than Sofia had been when she first met him. 

“So what are they like now?”

Cherrypit pointed right at Sofia. 

“T-They’re like me??” 

Cherrypit nodded. He first had the idea of shapeshifting into his besties but Babycorn had practically begged him to stop doing that in places that had a lot of people.

Or else they would end up sending a whole crowd of people to the hospital again. 

Meanwhile Sofia was daydreaming about the possibility of meeting people that were just like her. “Wow…” Maybe they were even princesses too?! Anything was possible. 

By now Babycorn had finished her turn-ins and come back with a new spring in her step. “Back! Okay Sofia? Did you still wanna have that practice fight?” It wouldn’t be too serious but Babycorn knew Sofia could tell when she was holding back. Not that Babycorn still didn’t try 

Sofia almost looked surprised to see Babycorn back. “Y-Yeah-! I wanted to but first can I ask you something?” Surely Babycorn would know about Cherrypit’s friends too if she was his older sister. It would also be just a little easier to understand what she was saying too. 

Though this was not always the case. 

“Sure! Go right ahead!” 

“Does Cherrypit really have friends that are like me?” Sofia looked up at Babycorn with the biggest pleading eyes she could muster. Though she wasn’t doing it on purpose. It was just something that happened naturally. Like the seasons changing or anteaters eating ants. 

Babycorn thought about it for a second. “Oh yeah, I would say they’re around your age. Little older but…” Sofia had just had her 17th nameday just two months ago so that would put her around the same age as both girls, if not a little older. Possibly.

“Really?!” Sofia must have jumped up at least three malms into the air. “Can you introduce me to them?!” She just had to meet them!!

“Please Bebe?!” Even Cherrypit was excited. If his friends became friends with his other friend then that would mean that he would have way more friends to do friend things with and they could all be together and have fun!! Being friends!!!!

Cherrypit turned to Sofia and excitedly started to bounce around. “See Pankaa! And Leemeet!” 

“Ooooh! Are those their names?!”  

“Mhmm!!”

Well they were close enough. Babycorn figured Pancake and Linnet would correctly introduce themselves when they got there. “I mean I don’t see why not…” As far as Babycorn remembered there wasn’t anything going on at the mansion. And both Pancake and Linnet were probably going to be home too, unless something else came up. 

“Then what are we waiting for?!” Sofia just went for it, grabbing Babycorn’s hand and pulling her forward and towards the serpent gate. 

“Woah-! Woah! Hold on! Don’t we have to ask someone if you can go first?!” 

As Sofia continued to drag Babycorn through Gridania she took the time to look back. “Don’t worry! They already said yes!” Though to be accurate, Sofia’s caretaker for the day had told her she could go anywhere she wanted to today as long as it was in Gridania. 

Which worked out because she knew Babycorn and Cherrypit lived in the Lavender Beds!

Which was…SORT OF in Gridania. If you really thought about it.

That was good enough for Babycorn! “Yeah okay!” She never was one to consider if someone was bending the truth to her. Even just a little. 

As the trio began to exit Gridania, deciding to take the long way to the Lavender Beds by the way, Sofia began to talk Cherrypit’s big ears off about what they could do when they get there. 

“We could talk about all sorts of things! Like favorite food and favorite colors! Oh-! And we could also compare our heights to each other! I guess I’d probably be the shortest. Unless they’re also around my size! And-! And-! We can go shopping for cute clothes too! It’s gonna be so much fuuuun!!” 

Cherrypit was resting on top of Sofia’s head, nodding as she kept talking. “Yeah! Yeah!” It was gonna be so much fun. Think of all the fun games they could all play together too!

Babycorn couldn’t help smiling. Something about this was just so familiar to her.  

It turns out taking the long way to the Lavender Beds meant it took a longer time to get there. Who knew? On the bright side, Sofia had the smart idea of asking Cherrypit more about his friends. It always helped to be prepared after all. 

“Sooooo~ What are your friends like Cherry?” 

“Nyah?” Cherrypit broke his concentration from levitating a stick off the ground, letting it drop. It got him thinking, how was he gonna answer this? There were lots of things he could tell Sofia about Pancake and Linnet.

Like all the games they played together or how when they were smaller they used to sneak into Lunya’s room and hide under her bed. 

But wait-! Cherrypit thought of the perfect thing to tell Sofia. Besides that Pancake wanted to be a delivery moogle when she grew up and Linnet would write letters to herself that Pancake would deliver back to her. 

“Curse! Pankaa and Leemeet curse!”

Curse? “Like they say bad words?” Sure she wasn’t allowed to curse when she was at home but outside it was all fair game. 

Cherrypit shook his head and picked up another stick from the ground. “Cuuuuuurse!” He waved it around like a magic wand. Then after a bit of him building up momentum he pointed it right at a pile of leaves, as it EXPLODED into flames!!

Sofia screamed and jumped back. “Cherry-!!?” She was pretty sure he wasn’t allowed to do that. 

And she was right because as soon as he did Babycorn turned around and called him out directly on it. “Cherry! Remember we don’t set stuff on fire when we’re not at home!!” A very simple rule that Cherrypit sort of always just remembered being a part of his life. 

“Sowry…” The truth was he wasn’t really that sorry.

But Babycorn let him off easy every time. “Okay~! Just don’t do it again!” 

Sofia wasn’t going to let him get off that easy though, especially since this was supposed to be the answer of how his friends cursed. Once Babycorn had walked far enough Sofia grabbed Cherrypit from the ground, holding him up in front of her. “What the hells was that?!” 

It came as more of a shock that the elementals just sort of let him get away with it too.

“Curse!” Cherrypit cheered. “Pankaa and Leemeet curse!” Thankfully the stick was no longer in his hand so Sofia guessed that there would be no more sudden fires anytime soon. Sadly, she couldn’t be more wrong but Cherrypit learned his lesson for now.

Sofia furrowed her brow, a sense of panic rising in her chest. “W-Wait so your friends-they explode stuff like you too?” 

Cherrypit nodded. 

It made sense, he had to get it from somewhere. And last Sofia checked Babycorn hadn’t blown anything up since they first met. 

“Magiiiks! Cuwse!” Cherrypit continued to explain. 

Sofia’s eyes widened, “A…Magic Curse???” She nervously adjusted the tiara on her head. Clearly she couldn’t have heard right. “L-Like the kind of curses that make princesses sleep forever or turn prince’s into frogs?!” Those were the worst kind! Only truly evil blackhearted people would even dare think of casting those!

To Sofia’s dread, Cherrypit nodded. 

“You’re joking right?!” What kind of company did Cherrypit keep?! “Aren’t you afraid they’re going to curse you or bake you into a pie or something!” 

The mention of pie sent Cherrypit squealing and running in circles. “Pie! Cherry! I pie! Cherry pie!” Of course he was referring to the game they once played where they stacked blankets on top of each other. With so many layers on top of him Pancake and Linnet referred to him as being a ‘Cherry pie.’ 

Of course Sofia hadn't been there. So the context was entirely lost on her. “What?!?!? They baked you into a pie?! How did you get better?! Did your sister break the curse with the power of love?” Sofia stopped to think for a moment. “Or did she have to eat you out?” 

Cherrypit failed to answer her question and instead just gave Sofia a whole other question to deal with. “Cuwaaaaaaaaaaa! Boowahboom!” Not that Sofia realized it at first. 

“...W-What…?” 

Babycorn looked back and provided a quick translation. “Cherrypit means that he saw them trying to cast a spell from a book once!” Right after that she turned right back and continued playing with her cat’s cradle completely wrong. 

“Reallyyyyy?” Things just got ten times scarier. 

And they were about to get horrifying. 

Cherrypit smiled wide, swaying side to side. “Cuwse! Perpon!” Then he took his little finger and moved it across his neck. “Cuwse like this!” He would have added the extra effect of actually having his head fall off but he didn’t want to make Sofia scared. 

But it was already far too late for that because Sofia was about to start crying because what was Cherrypit SAYING?!

“Then…gone! All gone!” 

(Cherrypit whispered that last little tidbit.) 

“You don’t mean they…” Sofia lowered her voice to be as quiet as she could, looking around for anyone that could be listening. Other than Babycorn. “...did they manage to kill someone?” 

Cherrypit nodded. “Yupe!” he answered. 

Oooooh…This was a really bad idea. 

Well it was too late to back down now.

Here they were, standing in front of the mansion’s gate.

In retrospect maybe Sofia should have told someone she was coming here so one of them could come pick up her dead body after she dies at the hand of a curse. 

Cherrypit took hold of one of Sofia’s fingers and looked around at the front lawn. It didn’t take long for him to spot where Pancake and Linnet were. “There! There!” He jumped up and down, pointing at them. “It’s Pankaa and Leemeet!” 

The two of them were sitting down on the deck, eating snacks and talking with each other. 

“Well you two better go and say hi before I go and eat all the food!” Babycorn joked while also being completely serious. She was ten seconds away from losing all restraint and just chowing down on them. 

At least she would have been if she hadn’t been distracted by a caterpillar crawling on the fence.

Sofia tried to think of any excuse she could make that would let her turn around and go back home but before even a single idea could cross her mind, Cherrypit was already pulling her forward. “AHH-! Waitwaitwaitwait!!!” She knew Cherrypit was strong but why did he have to be this strong!!!

No matter how much she tried to dig her princess-y shoes into the dirt she very unfortunately kept moving forward. Until she was right in front of Cherrypit’s friends.

Who of course, quickly noticed the presence of their friend. “Good morning Cherry!” Linnet waved at him, throwing a chocolate-chip cookie into his mouth at the same time. She let out a little clap and cheer when he caught it, first try just like always. 

Pancake threw her own cookie at Cherrypit, this time a little higher than Linnet had thrown it. “Hi Cherry! Morning!” Of course he jumped up to catch it right in mid-air. “Awesome!” Both girls said in unison. 

Now that their usual greeting was done, it was time to ask the important question. “Who’s your friend? Are you going to introduce us?” Linnet asked. Neither her or Pancake had ever seen her around so either she must have just moved in or Cherrypit brought her here from across the continent. 

Wouldn’t have been too surprising.

Now was the time! “This my friend!” Cherrypit excitedly gestured towards Sofia, a strange curtain of sparkles rained down from the sky. Not the weirdest thing he’d ever done, by far,  so no one really batted an eye. “Soapie!” 

Not the strangest sounding name Pancake and Linnet had ever heard, that’s for sure. 

“Nice to meet you Soapie! I’m Pancake!”

“And I’m Linnet! It’s nice to meet you too!”

“I-uh. It’s actually Sofia…Or you could also call me Sofie. No one could really figure out how to spell it on my birth certificate and uh…Well i-it’s a whole thing…” Sofie quickly shut her mouth, afraid of what would happen next. “...That um, doesn’t really matter. I guess I do like the nickname Soapie but just in case you want to know……..” 

Sofia was getting a bit of mixed messages here. These girls seemed…nice?!

Not at all the kind of people who would just go around cursing princesses, let alone killing people with curses. They just seemed like regular people. The kind that Sofia wouldn’t mind having a tea party with. Or even just hanging out together…

“Do you want some snacks?” Pancake extended a small plate towards Sofia. “My brother made them for us! So if we run out we can ask him for more!” 

“I….” Sofia wasn’t sure. 

Was she just being shy? A part of her was still really scared of the curses but…

As if that mattered-! Her best friend right now was someone who liked to roll around in graves and quite possibly killed someone by popping them like a balloon!

Who cared if someone she knew liked to cast curses on people! Not to mention, if she was their friend then maybe they could curse someone for her! 

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer sort of thing!

Linnet spoke up again. “Since you’re Cherry’s friend, do you also have a toy that helps you with chores and homework?” She pulled up a stuffed rabbit and placed it on her lap. “This is Lupyon! Lunya and Cherry gave her to me when I was younger as a nameday present!” 

“They gave me one too!!” Pancake held up her own stuffed animal. “Sometimes when we’re not looking they clean up and sometimes they’ll even leave us little candies too!” 

Neither girl had ever seen their stuffed animal moving with their own two eyes but they had a strong suspicion that was only reaffirmed by Cherrypit’s toys walking around the house by themselves. 

That all sounded pretty unbelievable. 

To someone who probably didn’t know who Cherrypit was. But to Sofia, it made perfect sense. For the worse. “WhAt?!” Sofia crossed her arms and looked straight at Cherrypit. “You mean you can just do that?! And you didn’t give me one?!” 

To think she could have been able to skip out on cleaning the chocobo tables for YEARS now.

Cherrypit answered simply with a smile and a cute little, “Sowrryyy~”

He wasn't sorry at all.