Not Falling in Love

Rosa Island was absolutely bustling with beans out shopping for the upcoming festivities, filling bags full to the brim with seasonal confections and gifts for particular someones amongst the falling pink leaves. Most of the crowd seemed to be swept up in the holiday cheer, happily flitting to and fro, but one bean simply can’t seem to find that holiday cheer.

Cherry was slumped outside a little cafe, ears flopped over and chin in her hands, looking utterly dejected amongst the bustle of happy beans and flowerlings. She sighs as she stares into the crowd, waiting for her friends to arrive. She checks the clock across the plaza, and slumps to one side, looking around the area. Just as she’s thinking of leaving, Madeline appears out of the crowd with a pastry box in one arm, waving to her as Haseul and Ichika trail behind holding teetering towers of packages and bags wrapped in reds and greens and adorned with an absurd number of bows.

Cherry can’t help but huff as the three set their things down around the table and start settling in.

“You’re late! Where were you guys, anyways?” Madeline giggles, gesturing to the sitting bean.

“Calm down, ma poupette! We were just doing a little gift shopping!”

“We?” Hasuel quips.

“A little?” Ichika whispers, eyebrow raised. Madeline laughs, waving away the jabs.

“But of course! That’s of no matter though, mon cheries. What has your tail in a twist, Cherry?”

“How do you know my tail’s in a twist?” She demands, frowning and crossing her arms. Hasuel snorts, pointing above the bean’s head.

“If you were any grumpier you’d have a raincloud there.”

“For real? No way, I look perfectly happy, don’t I Ichika?” The little green bean stutteres before looking off to the side and pulling a hand up to her mouth.

“Uh, o-of course you do Cherry-chan.”

“Ugh, you too? Is it that obvious?”

“Oui, darling. Now, why don’t we talk about it over these?”

Madeline sets the pastry box down on the table and opens it to reveal a mouth-watering array of confections. Tiny pumpkin pies dolloped with picture-perfect fluffy whipped cream spirals were nestled in tightly amongst caramel apples and beautiful dulce de leche cupcakes topped with a glistening glaze and artfully arranged sugar pearls. Cherry’s mouth nearly watered at the sight.

“Oooo, these are from Cremies, aren’t they?” Madeline smiled as she placed napkins and small plates in front of her friends.

“Except for the apples, they are from Treats & Tricks.” Hasuel grabbed one of the cupcakes, nearly shoving the whole thing in her mouth at once.

“Mmm, what matters more is where they’re going! My stomach!” The four of them laugh as they all dig in to the sweets. As they all began to eat, Madeline turned to Cherry.

“Where are Cersie, Skipper and Margerinie?”

Cherry shrugs as she places one of the beautiful personal pies on her plate, carefully cutting out a slice. She smiles just a tad at the wonderful smell of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.

“Oh, they couldn’t make it. Something came up on Versii, something about some beanlings that found a glowing monster in the frozen caves? They went to scope the area out and see if we need to step in and do something about it.” Ichika shudders, pulling back a moment and putting her candy apple down.

“A cave monster?” Hauel twitches her ears, speaking with her mouth full.

“Did they say how big it was?” Cherry nods.

“Yeah, it’s supposed to be very big, large enough to swallow a flowerling whole. Rumor has it that it was so scary and dangerous, it made two beans flower just from trying to get away.”

Madeline stops eating for a moment, confusion written across her face.

“Made two beans - that’s not how that works.” Hasual shrugged.

“You never know! Maybe their wish was to avoid getting eaten by a toxic cave monster.”

“Toxic cave monster!” Ichika squeaked, nearly dropping her drink. Hasuel laughs, slapping the little green bean on the back.

“Aww, don’t worry Ichika! I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t handle! A little magic here, a little punching there and we’ll have it under control in no time flat!” Madeline nods in agreement.

“Oui! Nothing we can’t handle, I’m sure! Skipper wouldn’t lead us into it if we couldn’t” Hasuel laughs.

“Sure she wouldn’t” The group chuckles, and a silence falls between them as they focus on their food. After a moment, Ichika pauses in between bites and quietly queries Cherry.

“So what is wrong, Cherry-chan?” The other bean sighs dramatically, swirling her drink and flopping her head into her hand.

“Oh, it’s nothing really, just another silly little thing. . . “ Hasuel doesn’t bother to swallow before she talks, rolling her eyes.

“If it isn’t anything then you wouldn’t look like someone ruined your favorite crystal ball.” Cherry frowns, putting down her fork full of pie.

“It’s just another silly prediction. I was hoping that this year, at the Versii palace dance, that under the lights of the frozen dew that I would -” The four beans finish the sentence in unison. “Find the one.”

“Exactly!” Cherry sighs again, waving towards nothing in particular, ”But I finally got close enough to do a proper reading and- and -” She begins to tear up and the other three beans exchange a look before digging around for tissues. Cherry begins to bawl. “Amd I’m Not Gomma Fiiiiiinnndddd Theeeemmmm!”

She grabs all of the tissues, holding her face in her hand as she sobs uncontrollably. Madeline shakes her head, reaching over to pat her friend on the back.

“There there, ma poupette, it will be ok! Perhaps you read your prospects incorrectly?” Hasuel mutters as she wipes stray tears off her.

“I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time.” Ichika glares at her and she shrugs defensively.

“Well, it wouldn’t!!” Cherry shakes her head, speaking in between her sobs.

“No - It was right - I had a vision and - I definitely don’t meet anyone!” Madeline frowns, pausing her comforting.

“Are you sure? You might meet somebean after your vision?” Cherry finally begins to calm a little bit, still crying.

“No, no, there’s no way! I know there’s no way! After all, in my vision we’re all fighting this ice monster and -” Hasuel nearly chokes on her mouthful of cupcake and glares at the crying bean.

“Shouldn’t you have started with that?!” Madeline sighs, pulling out an enchanted compact and flipping it open.

“The sooner we tell Skipper the better.” The other three nod and gather around her, looking into the mirror. After a moment, the star at the top of the shell shines and lights up, and Skipper's Culture Guild insignia flashes across the glass before she appears in the tiny mirror.

“Hey guys, what’s going on?” She asks with a big smile. The four exchange a look before Hasuel sighs.

“Well, we’ve got some news. We might have bigger issues than cave monsters.”