For both! First hi Madeleine hi Espresso!! As for the question: is there a positive quality about the other that you admire but never really vocalize the appreciation for?
“ There are many positive aspects of Espresso Cookie that he harbors, but he will always refuse to accept any potential compliment I may give him. Due to that factor, there are many such qualities that I never get the chance to fully appreciate..and picking just one is a difficult choice. Oh, I can imagine his scowl in my mind's eye just now! He has absolutely no ear for whatever he perceives to be fluff or flattery, I say...”
“ But if I were to pick one, it would be that which I have never attempted to tell him, not once. ”
“ In my experience at the Academy, we were taught about the values of leadership. One of the traits discussed was that of dependability. If one cannot depend on their leader, they cannot trust them, and if one cannot trust their leader, they cannot carry out their mission correctly. ”
“ It is not that other Cookies aren't trustworthy. It is that, without fail, every time that I have needed him, he has been there. He will protest this, if I ever mention it. He will chalk it up to coincidence, obligation. But - every time that I have been forced to take a knee, he has been there. He does not help me up, but he gives me the period of grace I need to do it myself. ”
“ In combat situations, when it is the two of us, we will fight back to back. I believe in him enough for that. I trust that he will not abandon me. I trust that he will protect my vulnerability just as much as I intend to protect his. It is a position that only works if the two of you truly know the intricacies of the other's weaknesses and the depths of the other's strengths. It is balance, fighting in tandem - the ultimate display. ”
“ I recall the first time we truly fought together - it is a special occasion to me, and was even when I was wounded and leaning heavily on my then-new companion, just as he was leaning into me. The setting sun was warm on our backs, the smell of strawberry jam sharp in my nose still - but we had won, as wounded as we were. It was symbolic, almost - trusting the other will not fall, trusting the other won't leave you behind, trusting that you can work together to get to safety. He acted so reluctantly then, as if daring to assist me was a chore, but I believe it was that day that I understood what made Espresso Cookie so different from any other. ”
“ Perhaps he has set my lovely cape on fire before. Perhaps he frowns and scoffs at every statement I make. Perhaps he denies it every time I refer to the two of us as acquainted, or companions, or as old friends.
“ But I am certain I can trust him. I am certain that, when he leaves for the day, I will see him again tomorrow, without a single doubt, no matter what has transpired before. ”
“ It is a quality I have yet to see in any other individual. Not the way he displays it. ”
“ Espresso Cookie is an individual who will always be there when he is needed, by whoever may need him. That is what I respect and admire most about him - he does not come when he is called, but he will stand in the face of the adversary and guard you at your lowest. Truthful, selfless loyalty - though it presents itself in an atypical fashion - is uniquely his. ”
“ I would prefer if you kept this between you and I, dear asker! I worry he will attempt to mask this trait if he is aware that I see it within him. ~ ”
‘ Hmph! There is nothing, in any sense of the word or its meaning, that would be relating to something remotely positive that the guy doesn’t already know! His appearance, well-maintained and illustrious in irrational beauty standards, certainly holds for the face of the land that he stands for. Knightly demeanor? The same thing applies. I insist that I have no intention of ever noticing things like those, especially considering the fact that practically everyone has as well. Word travels fast in places like these, where being a model citizen means that every cookie has their eye on you. ‘
‘ All I speak of just goes to show: some things are just as they seem. Immaculate attitudes flaunted around are the symptom of a personality that has been thoroughly crafted in order to muster up attention appropriate to the desire within oneself. Hmph! Good things?! Much is already too “good” for others. And that, right there, is the problem. You ask me what I think. Would I be capable of putting that into perspective? Is there anything in him that he hasn’t made a marvel of? ‘
‘ …… Actually, there is. I don’t think I’d be elaborating on such things if it were not for the situations surrounding the thoughts which inspire my mood. Logically speaking, it is absurd. Infringement of privacy is not even a question, let alone anything minor in the slightest! And yet… I’m here. ‘
‘ …When I think of things Madeleine Cookie has truly never known, let alone thought of, there are several that come to mind.
‘ I admire… whenever he drops his usual award-winning smile for the one that tilts up at the end, resulting in a crooked crease in both eyes. All the times that he has ever been awkward with his honesty, like a young steed stumbling over its strident legs, I have liked them too. When treated to a cup of coffee or an extended hand, he reacts most sheepishly, something completely different from what one would think! Alas, for every moment that it was just the two of us, I suppose he has never been more genuine anywhere else. What I view more of in such an “uncharacteristic” way is not the Knight Commander, paladin to the Cremé Republic. Rather, the real cookie behind that title deserves what I can muster. It is not incorrect to say that I stay more for that sense of real, flawed care than anything perfect in design. ‘
‘ You want my answer, from an esteemed professor to an individual I have no knowledge of ever meeting aside from online? It is this: not a part, nor a portion. I admire the whole of him. ‘
‘ —Oh, also. Do keep your lips shut about this, will you? That is, if you desire a good word from someone like me. ‘
