Anethole

by beacandy

Summary:

Drabble Challenge Day 14 - Saccharine

Notes:

Unless I state otherwise, I am okay with any transformative work of my fanfictions (fanart, playlists, fan-fanfiction, continuations, podfics, translations, etc.) so long as you link back to my fanfiction and notify me in some way of your creation. If you would rather talk about your plans privately instead of in the comments of this work, you can contact me on tumblr at @beacandy or @beatrixcandy or on bluesky at @beacandy.bsky.social.

Anise stood outside of the opening to Candy Queen’s Castle and reminded themself to manage their expectations.

Candy Queen was sympathetic, and a victim, and a person, but she was still Candy Queen. She hadn’t somehow turned into an archetypal mother like that of Ringo, protagonist of their favorite manga, Dye. She wouldn’t fix all of Anise’s problems. She was still capricious, still wounded, still… totally cuckoo-bananas.

They tried to breathe and ground themself, but the saccharine air of the Candy Kingdom was anything but soothing.

But… maybe they were imagining it, but some part of that smell was nostalgic.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 14 of Bea's May Drabble Challenge 2025