I blink my eyes a few times to get re-oriented. It does leave me feeling displaced when I go from talking to Alias back to the checkpoints. I just take a moment and glance over my shoulder at Poppy. Poppy is still cleaning up and humming, and I feel no threat from her. Well, that's fair, she isn't the last one who killed me.

"Blizzie!" I call and hear him racing to me. I open my arms for him, and he leaps into them. What a sweet baby! I stroke his fur and we walk out the door.

Should I go to my store before going to the bakery? No, then that would be limiting what he can have as recompense. That would seem less sincere. And getting people to change their opinions of me should begin with a bit of empathy as well as sincerity..

Part of me doesn't want to go back to the bakery, but I know that I can't avoid it. I need to go and apologize to Bobbie. Ugh, but I really don't want to. What happened to his store wasn't my fault, and he just cooked me alive!

As I walk, I pet Blizzie's fur and get to hear him purring contentedly, which is always really nice. With renewed vigor I make my way to the bakery. I open the door and hear that same greeting.

"Hello, welcome to Crepes, Custard and Creamery Cafe!"

"Hi Bobbie." I say, making eye contact with him instead of glancing around at the multitude of colorful and heavenly smelling confections.

"Would you like your usual today?" he asks.

"Perhaps in a bit. However, that isn't what I am here for. Or, well, not the main reason that I am here at least." I tell him honestly. I used to have a bad habit of nervously babbling in an uncomfortable situation.

"Oh?" he asks, sounding genuinely puzzled.

"I am actually here to offer an apology. What happened with the taffy bomb was extremely regrettable and I am sure that it must have hurt your business. And for that, I am genuinely sorry." I tell him.

"It isn't like you to apologize. What's the angle?" I hear him ask and see his suspicion bar rise.

"Believe it or not, there is no angle. I am here because I genuinely would like to apologize to you."

"If you are sorry, then why did you let it happen?" he asks, and I can hear some frustration entering into his voice. It seems he doesn't like it when he feels he is being duped. I can't blame him for that. No one likes that feeling. I hate that feeling to be honest.

"I doubt that you are going to believe me, but I didn't know what the taffy bomb was." I tell him honestly.

"You expect me to believe that?" he asks me, then glances around the room and sees that we are getting the attention of the customers sitting inside and enjoying their sugary indulgences.

"I don't want to disturb anyone." he says to me quietly. Will you come to the back to talk?" he asks.

"I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable with that. How about we talk outside?" I ask as a counter-offer.

He looks confused as to why I wouldn't want to talk to him in the back but leads me out of the store anyways.

One we are outside he continues talking.

"You really expect me to believe that you had no idea what the taffy bomb was? Who else would have made it?" he hisses at me. Maybe he is hissing so that he doesn't yell? Odd choice, but an understandable one as we are outside of his business.

"I don't expect you to believe it, but it is the truth. If I knew what was in it, I wouldn't have let her explode it! Well, at least not inside your place of work. It wasn't me that you slighted. And while I care for Poppy, I wouldn't make such a flashy thing for her. I would have made it and used it in a much grander manner, don't you think?" I ask him. I need him to believe me, which means I have to be haughty.

"Well, when you put it like that I kind of believe you. Still though, why would you let her do that, especially not knowing what it does. That's seriously messed up Aria. I know that everyone just sees you as this prissy little troublemaker, but I think that there could be more to you." he says and I see that he means it as his affection meter raises, though only the smallest amount.

"You may be the only one to believe that." I tell him honestly. I haven't really met anyone else, but for all I know that is close to the truth.

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"Your younger brother believes it. He believes in you." he says.

"I am not only giving you words as my apology." I tell him. I felt the mood shifting, but I have decided that he cannot be the secret route. Alias would have known when I "visited" him after all. Although, I don't know if I can fully rule him out either? I will feel him out a bit longer, but I am pretty sure that my instincts are right about this.

"Oh?" he asks, seemingly surprised. This must be a day of surprises for him.

"If you would like, you can follow me to my shop and choose out one of the things that I sell, and I will give it to you free of charge." I tell him and watch his expressions. It went from surprised, to confused and settled on curious.

"I appreciate that. Do you mind waiting with me for a short while until Sadie comes in?" he asks.

"I don't mind. I can enjoy something sweet while I wait, which is always enjoyable." I tell him.

"Did you want your regular?" he asks.

Taking a risk I respond with "I'm not sure. I might want to try something new. I am in a bit of an adventurous mood."

"I'll bring you over a menu then." he says.

With that settled we go inside and I take a seat in the corner. Not long after I sit down Bobbie comes over with a menu. I look it over and have to swallow my saliva a few times to keep from drooling. Everything sounded incredible.

Orange creamsicle drinks, salted caramel mousse, custard tarts, bittersweet chocolate cookies, and crepes of all flavors. There are also an assortment of muffins, cakes, and drinks. I don't know how I could possibly pick from all of this.

I eventually settle on a spiced plumb tea and a strawberry custard crepe. I don't know how the flavors are going to mix together, but I am intrigued.

When I place my order Bobbie gives me a strange look. "That is very adventurous for you. I hope you like it all the same. Would you also like me to box up Poppy's usual order?" he asks me.

"Yes please." I tell him and he leaves to go bring me my order. While I wait, I pet Blizzie's head and let my mind wander back to my old life.

Back in my old life I didn't allow myself such indulgences. My livelihood depended on my looks. I would have a piece of dark chocolate on the rare occasion, but aside from that it was mostly soups and salads. I would cook myself up some healthy dishes as well on occasion for variety. I had to make sure that they were on the cheap side and low fat/low calorie. It wasn't the most enjoyable all the time. Although, it was better than living off of ramen and tap water, which I had been doing not too long ago.

"Here you are!" Bobby says as he sets a plate and mug in front of me.

"Thank you. This smells divine!" I tell him. Some of the other people in the shop look over at what I am having. I wonder if they were curious or if they were taking note of it. While Poppy and I have a bad reputation, we are also trend setters if I remember correctly.

"I hope it tastes as good as it smells. By the time you are done Sadie should be here and we can go over to your shop."

"Alright." I tell him, then take a bite of the food. The flavors did somehow work together and danced on my tongue. I almost made a happy cute noise that I cultivated for my streams, but luckily was able to avoid it. So many poor habits to break. Once I swallow the bite I blow on the tea and take a sip. I close my eyes and simply savor the flavor. The tang, the spice, the aroma. How lovely.

I open my eyes and see Bobby smile at me.

"Glad to see that you are enjoying yourself." he says.

"Quite." I tell him and see him leave the table. I wonder why he stayed. Was it just to watch me take a bite. That is more than a little creepy.

As I finish my last bite, I hear the door open and see a pretty young girl come in. She has her dark brown hair in braided twin tails and her green eyes are shining. She has a bright smile dancing on her lips as she goes over and greets Bobby. When I see her go behind the counter, I realize that she is Sadie.

I look around to see what I was supposed to do with my plate and mug and see that people are bringing theirs to the counter when they go to pay. That is a strange system, but I will go along with it. When in a fantasy world, follow along with what others are doing or find yourself dead in a manner of horrible ways.

I clean my table and bring the cup and mug up to the front counter.

"How much?" I ask him. He gives me an amount and I panic as I realize that I don't know what any of the money in this world is worth. I open the coin purse and luckily I seem to tap into Aria's knowledge. I pull out the amount, plus extra and hand it over. Bobby looks at the amount and, saying nothing, puts it away.

"Sadie, I have to head out for a bit. Are you going to be okay on your own?" he asks Sadie.

"I will be just fine. See you when you get back!" she says brightly. I can feel her eyes on us as we exit the shop. It feels as though they are burning a hole in my back. Seems that she is jealous, which is good news for Bobby I suppose. Unfortunate news for me as it means my potion is going to be all the more effective.

I feel fortunate that I know the way to my shop, and that it doesn't take more than ten minutes to get there. Bobby and I make meaningless conversation. He does most of the talking, telling me about new recipes that he wants to try and asking my opinions on them.

When we get to my shop, I realize that I don't have the key for it. I feel my stomach sink. However, before I realize what I am doing, I am whispering words to the door, so softly that Bobby can't hear. They are words in a language separate from the one I have been speaking. When I am done with whatever I am saying, the door pops open. Magic. Again. Okay then.

"Come on in and take a look around." I tell him, ushering him into the store. It is dark in the shop, not much natural light coming in. I guess that is to create a specific sort of ambiance.

He walks in and I follow closely behind him and close the door. I then walk over and turn on the light. With the shop illuminated I am able to take a good look around. It was a rather cute shop, with a bit of a gothic feel to it. There are a large number of candles around the room, and places clearly meant for burning incense.

On one wall there are a great many charms. Some of them are made of paper, while others are crafted from gems, metals and glass. They are pretty to look at and glittered in the light. On the other wall are shelves of potions, with what they do on tags hanging off of them. I hope that the knowledge of how to make all of these are in a book somewhere, or I will be able to easily tap into Aria's memories.

In the middle of the shop are different table set ups. Some of them have flowers and plants, while others have cute stuffed animals and dolls. I hope that they aren't curse dolls, but looking around the room I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if that is exactly what they are.

"Is there any reason that you closed the door behind us?" Bobby asks, looking uncomfortable.

"The shop isn't open today, and if I left the door open it may encourage others to come in to purchase my goods." I tell him calmly.

"I suppose that makes sense." he says and takes a look around. I see curiosity in his eyes. I wonder if he has ever been in this shop before. I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't.

"Anything catching your eye?" I ask him.

"There is a lot to look at." he tells me. Is that a surprise to him?

"Of course, there is." I tell him. "I am a woman of many talents."

"And you made all of this?" he asks.

I am quiet for a moment. The knowledge that I did make it all comes into my mind. "Of course, I did. However, I did not make the plants. I just grew them." I tell him. "I do not have creation magic. I cannot conjure plants out of nothing."

"Very funny." he says and goes back to looking around. While he looks around, I do my best to as well, without giving away that this is the first time that I am seeing any of this. I look over at the potion bottles and see if I can read any of the tags from where I am standing. I can't.

I take a seat behind the counter and watch him look around instead. As he picks up things, I look over them as well. He picks up some of the charms. He puts the paper ones down immediately but seems to hold onto the others longer.

"What does this charm do?" he asks me.

""That one is for health. You hang it in your bedroom window and tell it what ails you before you sleep."

"Is everything in here that ridiculous?" he asks me, and I can't help but feel a bit offended.

"Everything in here works." I tell him and know full well that those words are true.