Stirring.

[Anonymous]

Early one morning as the sun rose overhead, Sybil went and opened the door to the Sweet shop. Her mother mumbled for some scrambled eggs, but was contented when Sybil handed her homemade bread of a small dish. The sign on the counter said that she would be with the customers shortly. Small assortments of bon bons and Jellied sweets lined the shelves in glass jars behind the counter, and a smaller jar underneath it kept the profit to be moved to the safe at nightfall. Sybil figured there wouldn't be any trouble today... She went outside and fed her horse, Jewel- a dark grey creature with black speckles on her hide- Before returning to the desk and putting the sign away. Idly, she wondered to herself in anything of interest would happen today...

[Anonymous]

Indeed, a beautiful day. He couldn't even remember why he'd come to Connlaoth really, in fact it was quite odd for him to be here at all what with magic being completely outlawed in this kingdom. Shaking his head he continued his morning walk, causally strolling along the streets until a smell reached his nose that made his ear twitch. Upturning his nose to the air he inhaled deeply, catching the scent of multitudes of sweets in the air.

Following the delightful scent almost absent mindedly he found himself outside the door of a building. Looking up at the sign on it it seemed that he'd stumbled across a sweets shop. He really had no interest in buying sweets since he didn't need food anyway, but he hadn't studied much on the subject of sweets during his one hundred year crusade in the spirit world. He couldn't remember why exactly he'd come anyway, he might as well just make the best of it and stop in the shop for a while.

Pushing the door open the two foot five inch tall rabbit-like creature entered the building, his expertly well made clothing giving him almost an air of nobility as he noted that the clerk wasn't at the counter currently. Shifting his gaze to the glass and the sweets that lay behind them he began to have a look at the wares on display as he waited for the owner of the establishment to return.

At least he he heard footsteps, shifting his gaze to the legs and feet moving behind the glass before the sign was put away. Walking over to the counter he stared annoyedly up at the high platform. With a quick hop he easily flipped up on top of the counter, his arms crossed as he smiled at the girl that had so recently manned her position. "Good day madame." Were his first words as he bowed respectfully before smirking. "Do pardon my intrusion. I've just come to have a look at your little shop."

[Anonymous]

Sybil gave a yelp as this creature jumped on the counter and began... speaking to her! "Ew. Nasty pests... I must be hearing things..." She barely whispered, struggling to ignore the fact that the rat which had crawled onto the counter was wearing a suit[/]!

She felt around behind her to pull out a bit of a net, and proceeded to try and catch what she assumed to be a mouse, "Shoo shoo- This shop is no place for rodents." She didn't mean to insult it, she was simply in denial. She had never seen anything slightly magical and so felt she simply must be loosing her mind...

[Anonymous]

Vega's pupils dilated, his breathing slowed, and his face became blank as a slate. He stood motionless for a second before his ear twitched ever so slightly and his expression changed to one of the utmost annoyance. He held his right hand out to his side, wordlessly calling a strange wooden staff that measured roughly three feet long to his hand, the rod appearing out of thin air, vines, flowers, and nuts growing around it and red string tied around both ends.

Easily deflecting the net the girl was trying to use, Vega stepped forward in a huff and looked directly into her eyes with his own dull gray eyes, voicing the fact that he wasn't a mouse if it wasn't obvious by now. "Madame. I take that as a high insult to both myself and my race, and I would implore you to apologize for such a dreadful thing. Rodent! Why the nerve of it all!"

His ear twitching again he raised the staff into the air and cocked his arm back as if he was going to forcefully strike the girl before bringing it forward with some speed, stopping not but a inch away from her skull before giving her a light bonk on the head. "I'm not here to hurt you, and I'm not here to cause trouble. Now contain yourself madame! I mean really, hasn't anyone ever taught you manners? You're acting simply barbaric!"

[Anonymous]

Sybil cursed to herself as the net missed, and glanced at the creature just in time to see the reaction on it's face. The stick in it's hand that it seemed to summon was far more than twice his size. It was her turn now for her pupils to dilate.. But her ears, sadly, did not twitch.

Her sea green eyes were open wide now, and she seemed positively in shock. "talking... your talking..." She stated, thinking to herself 'You know, Sybil, you really should get out more...'

She gave a frightful yelp when the staff went down on her head, "W-What are you?!" She took a step back, "I-if you're some sort of magic thing i..... " Smartly, she remembered that if this thing could form spells, she would be in a lot of trouble... 'uhmm...' She looked around, thinking of what to do now. She was barely listening to what it was saying.

 "What do you want? Do you want some sweets? Here. Take the sweets and get out of my shop." She said somewhat forcefully, dropping a few hard toffeys on the counter after regaining some composure. Her face was now stern. She knew the law was on her side here.

[Anonymous]

Vega sighed yet again as he turned his back to the girl and shook his head. "Miss...whoever you are, I'm not here for sweets. I am here to learn about sweets. It's what I do. I collect information on anything and everything imaginable." Pivoting on his heels he turned back to her and laughed at her other comment with a bit of pondering in his voice. Yes he was a magical creature in the fact that he could use magic and well, but no he wasn't really a magical creature...or was he? Perplexing conundrum. He didn't think he was though.

"No madame. I am no magical creature, I'm just not a common one. You see...I'm what you might call a spirit. Of course, that tap on your head was real enough so quite obviously this body is physical, but that is easily explained. Think of this body as a puppet, something I can use to interact with your world instead of being stuck in the spirit world all the time."

He had absolutely no idea how she'd react to that, and she'd probably go screaming about him being a ghost or something, but he just sighed again and decided it was time to just get on with it. With a snap of his fingers the rod disappeared and with another snap an enormous book appeared out of nowhere and crashed onto the counter with a resounding bang, the impact enough to shake the floor around the counter.

The small creature stepped over and leaned on the mysterious, hazy blue book bound with many locks and wrapped thoroughly with a long chain with his right arm, looking at the girl again. "This is my work, the Grimoire of Secrets. It details every bit of knowledge and information I've ever come across. I've been recording information in this book for ages, yet I have very little information on sweets. Like I said, I'm not here to make trouble. I was hoping you'd be kind enough to help me. I don't have anything to pay you in but these though."

With a quick flick of his wrist a muffin suddenly appeared, fresh and piping hot, perfectly baked. Just the muffin being in his hand caused the air to be filled with a scent sweeter than most of the sweets in the small shop. The muffin itself looked to be cranberry. "My own creation you might say. I make the best muffins in the entire world you know. And they're as nutritious as they are delicious." Chuckling he extended the muffin to the girl with a slight smile, waiting for her to take it. "Oh, and before I forget to introduce myself I am Vega. Vega Obscura."

[Anonymous]

"My name is Miss Maevrinn, thank you very much..." She said dignantly, "and my recipes are my own business. Besides, Sweets aren't exactly any great Secret... " She placed her hand firmly at her waist, not realising how innocent he might be. He watched as the staff vanished and the book appeared.

The book made her quite afraid, she glared at it, not sure what to think. "A Grimoire of secrets?" Her natural human curiosity formed the question really. She thought it was quite scary and intimidating to be honest, but her face was feirce, and she knew true bravery lay in standing up to ones fears.

But Vega's magic greatly disturbed her. The stories her father had told her about mages as a child greatly put her off any form of magic what so ever. "Would you please stop doing things like that in my shop?" She said sternly, "I have customers you know... Look. What would you like to learn about sweets.... Could you please make it fast..."

The scent of the muffin filling the room made her quite hungry indeed.. She took it in her hand cautiously. "Y-you didn't... charm it or anything right? It isn't cursed, I need your promise..." She looked the small creature up and down, completely untrustworthy. She doubted even his promise would garantee it's safety.

[Anonymous]

"Hmph. You people really are hard to get along with. What makes you so afraid of magic anyway?" Vega just shook his head before having a seat on his overly massive book. He waved her off a bit as he looked around the shop curiously. "Yes, yes, what do you take me for? I have no reason to charm or curse the thing. In fact, charms and curses aren't my forte at all."

Settling his eyes back on her he gave her a slightly quizzical but even moreover disappointed look. "What makes you think a wandering spirit would have the time to offer lovely young ladies cursed muffins at such an early hour of the day anyway?" He huffed before hopping up onto his book which promptly vanished under his feet as his shoes hit the wooden counter again and he placed his hands on his hips.

"You know, your dislike of me for my appearance is making me thoroughly irritated Miss Maevrinn. If you insist so persistently with your words and actions then very well, I'll use the appearance I had while I was still living." With those words he flipped back to the floor, a larger thud than before issuing forth as he landed, as if a much heavier object had just hit the floor of the shop. As he stood up it was apparent that a heavier object than the one that had flipped off of the counter had indeed landed on the floor.

Standing before the girl now was the form of a boy of probably eighteen years of age by looking at him. He had a slim yet well muscled figure and was dressed in clothes fancy enough for him to be confused with a prince of some far off land. The topper however was his burnt orange hair and eyes which set off his mostly red outfit wondrously. His head was also adorned with a puffy hat topped with two pom-poms, each of which had a long white ribbon cascading down from them coming to about his waist.

He was just a few inches taller than Sybil. He smiled at her slightly, his rosy cheeks accentuating his handsome face. With the light filtering in the window and curling about his figure he looked almost phantasmal to put it lightly. He was like something out of a dream come to life. Once more he made a respectful bow to the girl before resuming his peaceful smile. "Madame, I do hope this puts you at ease. This is the body I had when I was living." His eyes reflected an air of trust and good nature with just a glance, and his aura seemed to set the entire room into a tranquil state like morning fog creeping across a dew soaked field. Peculiar.

[Anonymous]

Sybil frowned slightly, "Well, if you were from around here, which i presume you are not, then you'd know that we as a people believe that it was magic and the people who directed it that ended the world of the old stories. Magic is an evil power... I don't want to be involved with those who dabble in it..."

Sybil sighed and gathered the fallen sweets from the counter, believing she had said all that would need to be said for now. "I never said I disliked you for your appearance... I don't have anything against... rat, spirit... things... what are you again?" She shook her head, "Never mind..."

Then, Vega transformed in one sort of backflip motion. Sybil's mouth fell open as the boy with orange hair, like her own, stood up in front of her. Her family had been from Serendipity, so that is where she got her unusual colouring from- Vega must be from there too. At least, originally..

She gawked at the hat. It was very... flamboyant..

[Anonymous]

Vega let out a chuckle as casually stood there with his arms crossed, judging her thoughts and feeling from the look on her face and on which parts of his body her eyes strayed to first. "Yes. I'm originally from Serendipity madame. Judging from your hair you are as well. See? We're not so different after all, we're even from the same kingdom originally. I'd say we have quite a bit in common in fact. As for your views on magic however, I don't believe it is inherently evil, nor do I believe it was what caused the world of legend to be destroyed."

He was starting to get cryptic, a nasty little habit he picked up during his crusade when he couldn't be bothered to give complete or detailed answers unless it somehow got him new knowledge. Sometimes his cryptic nature could really drive people half mad, but he wasn't really paying attention to such a minor detail. He was looking deep into Sybil's eyes as if searching for something written on her face.

"I believe the talk of sweets should be saved for another time. We have something else to discuss by the looks of it." His words were abrupt and seemingly without reason as he narrowed his eyes a bit to get a sharper view of her eyes. "Indeed. We do have something else to talk about. Tell me Miss Maevrinn, is there something that's troubling you? Please, don't lie to me if there is."

His skill in reading someone's eyes was great as he'd practiced it heavily over the years so he could tell when people were indeed trying to deceive him or had some ulterior motive. It seemed to him that Sybil had something that was bothering her a bit. "Now come out with it. I may be a spirit but I don't lack compassion."

[Anonymous]

Sybil shook her head once more, "No, There isn't much to say really... My father was Serenian, but when he left, he was disowned. Silly, isn't it? Oh well, he's dead now anyway." She said, a slight bitterness on her tongue. She picked back up the muffin previously given to her and took a bite from it.

The muffin was fluffy and moist on the inside, with the flavor of Cranberries implored her to enjoy it slowly. "This is quite nice!" She admitted, as if shocked to find it so. "Really, you must share this recipe... chef to chef.." His relaxing air and the sweetness of the muffin really did all in all make her more sociable. "I'll help you with that book of yours then too."

A strange demented cry echoed down from beyond the employee door suddenly, "Sy~, Come quickly!~" The voice was from an older woman, and had a unusual croak in it, as if coming from someone developing laryngitis.

Sybil sighed, "Alright.." She replied half-heartedly. "Excuse me Vega.." She mumbled before scurrying up the stairway and into her mother's dark chamber. The shutters were closed, and Sybil's eyes had to adjust to see her mother's silhouette sitting on the barren wood floor.

Her mother had in her hand a fallen black feather. "They come from angels" Her mother Hannilah tried to tell her. "What are you talking about..." Sybil said, well able to put up with this sort of thing. "You are talking nonsense... Go back to sleep..." Hannilah's eyes seemed to plead her daughter to reconsider what she was saying. "Listen child! Don't be blind-" "Mother. I have customers." Sybil glanced at the shell of her mother, feeling an odd burning sensation at the back of her throat. Being in Hannilah's presence made Sybil want to puke and cry, usually at the same time. But she was too strong for that sort of thing. "I love you, my child.." "Love you too.. We'll talk later."

As she returned back downstairs, Sybil's eyes itched. "Sorry about that interruption." She struggled to remember what Vega had said last. "Oh yes... What makes you think that that world wasn't ended by magic? No one knows, and you can't deny the possibility... Unless.. Well, Do you know?" She wondered how far silly on the silly-scale she had to be to ask such a question.

[Anonymous]

Vega was unphased as she walked out of the room to assist someone and in fact he took the time to compile his thoughts thusfar. He always did have a knack for calculating different situations rapidly. This girl was a bit strange to tell the truth, but in all honesty it was probably simply how she was raised. Regardless he shook his head and chuckled when he realized she'd enjoyed the muffin, but smirked to himself as he thought of how to tell her that his recipe was 1 part magic to 200 parts...magic.

As she entered the room however his attention was shifted to her once more as she asked about his earlier statement on magic. "I'm afraid I don't know for certain, but my reasoning is quite simple. Magic is a part of nature, I'm sure you can understand that much. Nature is not inherently evil, therefore neither is magic. And you have to think about it rationally."

Smirking slightly he spoke as if he'd theorized all this in some massive thesis, and he probably had come to think of it. "If magic destroyed the world, why would the world be reborn as a place with immense quantities of magic and nature? The people, especially those of Connlaoth wish to completely eliminate magic by using their Mordecai and technology, but to eliminate all magic would be to upset the balance of nature itself. "

Stretching and letting out a relaxed yawn he cracked his neck before making his closing statement that would more than likely utterly shock the girl and her entire mindset if she could grip the concept he was presenting to her. "From this point of view it's more logical that technology is actually what destroyed the world when people made it to try and take the place of nature and failed."

Smiling after those last words he leaned his left elbow on the counter, resting his cheek on his hand as he looked at Sybil's face. "So...I'd say that pretty much explains why I believe what I believe relating to the end of that world you hear about in legends so very often. Any other questions you'd like to ask me Miss Maevrinn? Or will that be all for now?"

[Anonymous]

Sybil squinted at him for a moment, before replying to his first few statements, "Magic isn't really a part of nature. It's as far away from nature as technology, Neither of them are truly natural. Magic is a corrupting thing, while Technology however, is only a useful tool to make people's lives easier." Her views on the matter were strict, and it showed on her face.

"Eliminating magic wouldn't disrupt the balance of nature. people don't need magic like they need technology. Many people live their entire lives completely devoid of magic, and we get along just fine, thanks." In a fuss, Sybil then went to the small drawer in the corner and pulled out a rag, and began to wipe the counter with it, sweeping the leftover crumbs into her hands.

"Technology couldn't have destroyed the world.. It comes from a logical mind, just as the one you attempt to carry on your shoulders... A logical train of thought can't destroy anything. We use technology to defend ourselves, to help build our homes. We are even beginning to make medicine! Imagine, that soon enough, we might be able to save someones life. There are smart people in the world, helping us all."

She stopped her monologue for a moment to look at the spirit, "That's all I have to say in defense of your argument." Her tone of voice was sharp, and had the air of finality about their conversation.

After a few moments of silence, Sybil rummaged underneath her counter for a large book, although it was quite a bit smaller than the grimoire of secrets. "You wanted to ask me about sweets?"