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"So, we have 24 Cookies, 12 male, 12 female. We have 4 rooms for you, so please allocate yourself in the two rooms for your gender. At the same time, get to know your roommates!"

The Cookies quickly bolted into the rooms. claiming beds and meeting new friends. The dormitory building was short, in a cylinder shape; the four rooms facing each other. Instead of numbers, the rooms had different berries on the doors: Blueberry, Blackberry, Raspberry and Cranberry. The Blueberry and Blackberry rooms were the boys', and the Raspberry and Cranberry rooms were the girls'.

Each room had simple decor; 2 pairs of bunk beds, 2 single beds, a wardrobe, a shelf to put everyone's backpacks, a few small cupboards, and a private bathroom alongside it.

Almond and Roguefort almost immediately slammed open the door of the Blackberry room, claiming a pair of bunk beds. Several other Cookies soon poured in, claiming their own beds, putting down their backpacks, with the occasional quarrel between a few Cookies about bed allocation.

"The Cookies in your room will be part of your group for the camp, so get to know everyone! You have 10 minutes to settle down before our first activity."

A tanned Cookie suddenly shouted from his single bed, "Guys! Let's sit in a circle to introduce ourselves."

The others obliged- Roguefort and Almond exchanged confused glances before sitting down as well.

"Okay, so...introductions. I'm Buttercream Choco Cookie, yes my skin is tanned, and I really can't do anything special, but I'll  try my best to help you all."

Everyone looked at his expensive clothes, evidently not something a normal Cookie could afford.

Almond thought the Cookie was a bit ostentatious, but he put that thought aside.

"I'm Pilot Cookie, I know some stuff about engineering and machines, although I don't know if that will help."

"I'm Salt Cookie, I know a lot about the ocean and how to get food from it."

Roguefort Cookie looked at the two Cookies, and something told him that their knowledge would come into handy,

"I'm Prophet Cookie, just a fortune teller in training. I will try to help you out by seeing your future."

Everyone looked at Prophet Cookie and his crystal ball, which glowed a bright lilac. Almond doubted the Cookie's skills, but it explained why he carried a crystal ball along with him.

Roguefort nudged Almond, signalling he should go first.

Almond nudged Roguefort back, signalling that he should go instead.

Taking a deep breath, Roguefort introduced himself.

"I'm Roguefort Cookie...I was homeschooled, so I have no experience working with other Cookies. I'll do my best, though!"

All of the other Cookies stared at Roguefort in shock - it was very uncommon for a Cookie to be homeschooled.

Not many could afford it, and even those who could afford it didn't choose to.

Almond nearly panicked before he thought of a way to divert the other Cookies' attention.

"Hey, me too! I was homeschooled too!" Almond happily slung his arm around Roguefort's shoulder in an attempt to remove the sudden tension.

"And who are you?" Buttercream Choco questioned, "you're the only one who hasn't introduced yourself."

"Oh, yeah, I'm Almond Cookie, also homeschooled as you know. I guess I have some type of knowledge about everything? I know random facts."

All the members of the room proceeded to weirdly look at Almond Cookie.

Almond awkwardly scratched his Cookie head.

"Well, I guess this is it?"

"Hmm..why don't we talk about our interests?" Salt Cookie suggested, "I like fishing."

"I like flying." Pilot Cookie continued.

"I like detective movies."

"I like seeing others' future. It's very intriguing."

"I like meeting other Cookies the same age as me...I suppose. This is my first time."

"Wait, what?!"

The whole group of Cookies stared at Roguefort Cookie in shock.

"You've never met any Cookie your age before?"

"Does my sister count..?"

Everyone in the group exchanged surprised looks. Roguefort had never met Cookies his age before?

Being homeschooled was uncommon, but a lack of friends was even more.

"Luckily, we're here! We'll have fun in this camp!"

An optimistic Almond Cookie immediately lightened up the awkward atmosphere.

Roguefort was already starting to like the Cookie who was homeschooled as well.

"Well, let's work together as a team, let's be the most outstanding group, okay?"

"Of course!"

"Cookies, you have 1 minute to get to the hall, it's been 10 minutes!"

Hearing the instructor's shout, the Cookies of the Blackberry team rushed out of the room, grabbing all they needed.

~♤~

"Cookies! Call me Instructor. You will first work together with your groupmates to find food for today's lunch and dinner. You are permitted to go to the ocean, the forest, and your dorms to take any containers. You have one hour to do so."

The crowd of Cookies immediately grew noisy, everyone shooting awkward, confused glances at each other.

"We have to find food for ourselves? How does that work?"

"No way, I've never even camped before!"

"Huh???"

"Silence!" the instructor shouted, her voice booming off the walls, "For every question, you will reply with 'Yes, instructor' or 'No, instructor'. No chatting is allowed. Did you read the rules?!"

All the Cookies stared in silence, some even shaking in fear.

"Answer me!"

"Yes, instructor.."

"Now, let me continue. Collect as much food as you can. Each group will have 3 maps. The food you collect will be all your group eats for the next two meals. The group with the most food will receive an advantage in the next challenge. Understood?"

"Yes, instructor."

"Any questions?"

"No-"

"Wait!" Almond Cookie suddenly shouted, "Will our food be weighed or counted to determine who has the most food?"

The whole room looked at Almond Cookie.

Roguefort Cookie thought he was taking a huge risk by asking.

Almond Cookie instantly regretted directing everyone's attention to himself.

"Good question, Cookie. What's your name?"

"Almond Cookie...instructor."

Prophet Cookie thought he was rather intelligent to add 'instructor'.

"Almond Cookie, it depends on what type of food you have. If, just by looking, we can determine, then it will be easy. Otherwise, we will count how much food you have. Got it?"

"Yes, instructor."

"Good. You have 5 minutes to discuss with your groupmates about your routes. It starts now."

The Cookies scurried to their groups, determining their routes and partners.

"Okay, so, we will have 3 maps, meaning that we'll have to split in pairs. My team will go to the ocean, since I know how to fish and stuff. The other two will have to get to the forest."

"I can go with you, Salt Cookie, my crystal ball might be able to tell where the fish is." Prophet Cookie volunteered.

"Sure. Maybe Roguefort and Almond can be in a team? They seem to be good friends."

"Actually, we just met on the tour bus, but sure, I'll go along with Roguefort."

"It doesn't seem like it, but alright. I'll go with Buttercream Choco."

"Cookies! Please send a teammate to get your team wristbands. One minute has passed, but we'll stop the timer for now. I will teach you all how to use the wristbands."

"I'll go get them." Buttercream Choco Cookie said as he stood up to get the Blackberry team's bracelets.

He soon returned with 6 peculiar-looking wristbands. The wristbands were black in color, with the words "Blackberry" in white. There seemed to be a lot of technology in them, as it was rather heavy.

"Well, doesn't this look weird." Salt Cookie commented.

"Listen up, Cookies! I'll teach you how to use the wristbands. There are 4 buttons - the red one will flash if you go too far out, the yellow one will tell you how much time remains before the activity ends, the green one will enable you to talk with your teammates if you hold the button, and the blue one will be announcements from instructors; you can also hold to talk with me or the other instructors, that you haven't met yet, in case of an emergency. But just in an emergency.  Understood?"

"Yes, instructor." the Cookies replied in unison.

"Now, please try to use the bracelets. Tell me if anything is not working. The timer will start again. Any questions?"

"Yes, instructor." Salt Cookie shouted.

Roguefort Cookie thought the instructor was starting to hate this curious group.

"What is it?"

"Are these wristbands waterproof?" Salt Cookie asked.

Almond Cookie thought this question was rather dumb - since they were allowed to go to the ocean, they should be.

"Yes, Cookie. They are. Any more questions?"

"No, instructor."

"Your remaining four minutes starts now."

"Okay, so let's check out the green button."

Pilot Cookie pressed the green button. "Hello?"

The Cookie's voice echoed in the team's bracelets.

"Interesting, such complex technology in a wristband.."

Pilot Cookie continued to inspect the wristband.

"Guys, so the teams are set. What equipment do you all have in your backpacks?"

All the Cookies looked at Buttercream Choco in surprise.

They hadn't thought about that.

"I have a fishing spear, I bring it everywhere I go. How about you?"

"I have this thing."

Almond Cookie whipped out a card.

"What's that used for-"

Almond Cookie smiled and started to unfold the card.

With a swoosh, it became a knife.

"Woah... that's cool!"

"Hopefully this will be useful, I'm not quite sure how much damage it does. My mother gave it to me for self-protection."

"Okay, I have this."

Buttercream Choco took out a small book.

"This has all the information on plants, so I'll know if they are edible."

"Okay, that's useful as well."

"Cookies! It has been 4 minutes."

"That quick?!" Roguefort murmured to himself.

"Any final questions before you head out?"

"No, instructor."

"Alright. Do you remember the uses of the buttons on the wristband?"

"Yes, instructor."

Pilot Cookie quickly looked at his wristband, revising the uses of the four buttons.

"Good. Your one hour starts..."

The Cookies all stared at her, awaiting the one command.

"Now."

The Cookies bolted out of the hall, some heading back to get supplies, others off into the unknown.

~♤~

[Originally published Mar 2020]

Author's note:

And off they go into the unknown!

*silently plays the Frozen 2 song in the background*

Thank you for reading this chapter! If you're excited for what's coming up next, drop a vote :)

Next chapter will be the hunt for food. Almond and Roguefort might run into some Cookies that you know!

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter!

Next chapter:

"My partner, Cream Cookie, shook the tree. You do not have permission from her to take her rewards away."

~♤~

"It's close enough, throw your spear now."

~♤~

"We're going back, now."












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