{~*Corner Sweets*~}

[Jag]

Ira didn't believe her one bit. She had to be lying. Though why would she lie to him? His family was rich, but he wasn't rich. So it couldn't be for money. She couldn't have seen him before unless she happened to wander to the high school for some reason. He'd never bothered anyone, so unless she was an angry mother at him for failing her lazy kid, Ira didn't see a reason for her to want to hurt him.

Dragons were things of imagination, not reality. But Ira wasn't about to start a fight and slowly sat back down. His eyes stayed on the Ally and the dragon and he didn't touch the chocolate right away, "I'm here cause I wanted...chocolate..." he said softly, "I could smell it from outside..." Ira had never been down this street before, otherwise he might of been lured in here before hand, "...is it really real? How is that possible?"

[anon]

She shook her head at him. "Now see, the question is, what is real? What is the definition of real?" Ally smiled at him as the dragon flew from her shoulder and landed with a soft thump on the table.

It circled the plate a few times before curling against it. Ally kept her gaze on Ira. "Is reality something that is tangible? Because if it is, the dragon is, but feelings are not. Is reality something that is logical?" She lifts a shoulder with a smile. "And chocolates are good." She bobbed her head with a smirk. "I'm glad that the scent of chocolates have lured someone in here. I kept telling Eva that it'll work."

[Jag]

Ira was raised under the belief that emotions got people in trouble. To him, things that were real and trustworthy were tangible. But Ally was right, that would make the dragon real. Though dragons couldn't be real. That wasn't logical. No one had ever found a dragon and been able to prove it or found the body of one. So how could this one exist? Ira was becoming confused.

"Reality is logical..." he said softly, watching the dragon fly to his table and curl up next to his plate, "Reality is tangible and emotions are chemical imbalances in one's brain..." he said softly again as he reached to get his gloves that the dragon had taken to laying on. When Ira's hand got close, the thing looked up at him and he pulled his hand back, "Will it bite me?"

[anon]

Ally shook her head. The bells tapped against her cheeks as she did so. "But life is never logical. So are you saying that life isn't real?" She studied him with interest as he made to reach for the gloves. She laughed as the dragon gave him a look, as though offended by what he was suggestion. "I'm not sure. But seeing how he's made of sugar, chances are he'll break his fangs before he break your skin."

She drummed her fingers against the table, amused. "Why not try and see?"

[Jag]

"You have your way of life, I have mine..." Ira didn't think that he was right, but he didn't think that he was wrong either. His parents thought they were right and no one else was, but he wasn't like that. He allowed people to think what they want, though he would debate it with his own points of view, "...No one has ever proven that life is real, now have they?" he ask while looking at the dragon.

"Sugar, huh?" he muttered softly and looked the dragon over. Hopefully she was right. If this thing was real and...made of sugar, then it couldn't cause much harm to him, "I don't think he would bite if he knew that it would break his fangs. I doubt that dragons have self destructive personalities..." though he could be wrong. Quickly, he reached out and yanked his gloves out from under the little thing's body and put them in his lap, "Does it eat?"

Despite Ira's disbelief in what was happening, he was curious, "Does it sleep or just like to lay down?"

[anon]

The dragon snarled as the gloves were tugged out from beneath him, making him tumble back. It huffed at Ira before flying back to Ally, its talons sinking into her shoulders. She could feel the tension in it, the displeasure at the man's dismissal of him. She murmured wordlessly, a soothing, low sound before turning her gaze back to Ira.

"It eats when it feels like it. It sleeps and it lays down." She answered simply. "To him, that is its reality. It does what it wishes, when it wishes. It has a freedom that few of us understands." She looked wistful for a moment before grinning at him again. "Though I don't think it has taken much of a liking to you."

[Jag]

"Yes, well, I don't think I like him very well either...but that's besides the point..." he cleared his throat lightly and stood up from the table after looking at his watch, "Well, this has been...interesting to say the least. But I must be going now. I have work to attend to," he would normally shake hands, but didn't want to get too close to that dragon, so he instead gave Ally a small bow.

"The chocolate was wonderful..." Ira wasn't sure if he would come back here again, but he was already having doubts about not coming back. Chocolate really was addictive, "Good day to you, Ms. Ally," he said softly before heading quickly out the door, hearing the bells jingle behind him.

Ira nearly ran all the way home. Today had been a little too much for him. He felt something he hadn't in years. Inspired. He wanted to write again. He spent the rest of that day typing away at his computer before passing out on his home office desk.

[Priest]

It was a brand new day; the air was fresh in his lungs and for once Damien felt; well …very unDamien like.  For so long he had to endure the silent slander of the occupant of his pocket, but after the other day it had seemed unusually quieted.  With a lightness to his movements; Damien picked up his jacket and threw it on … He looked down at the table where his dice had been sitting and his blood froze; his mouth fell open in shock.  As he gazed down at his chest he saw not the usual one bulge where the shrunken head sat nestled in his inside pocket, but two bulges ; two large rounded shapes of similar size and in a split second of confused insanity his mind drew to one conclusion and he almost choked;

Damien remembered enjoying some of the chocolate treats in the quaint and curious Corner Sweets; but had there been something in them? …some unknown ingredient that had unbeknownst to him had reacted within and created some sort of gender reassignment.  Looking down it was as though he was sporting an ‘B cup‘.  It was then the second bulge fidgeted and let out a hearty croak and with it Damien almost fainted.  After a moment or two a sense of perspective returned and he plucked up the courage to fish the chocolate toad from out of his coat and swapped unblinking glances with it as it sat in the palm of his hand.

“Well what are we going to do with you then?”

It is a short while later that the dithering diceman finds himself once more outside of the door to Corner Sweets; He wondered for a moment if this was the early signs of an addiction, was he craving the sweetness of the confectionary creations or was it something else …was it… his train of thought was dislodged by a rude croak and Damien realised that he know had it in stereo, with the toad on one side and the stroppy comments of whoever it was that had burdened him for longer than he could remember on the other.

It was a surprisingly sunny day  and with a smile on his face he moved to open the door but was nearly knocked for six when the door flew open and a figure hurried by; seemingly with an air of consternation about him.  For a moment Damien watched him hurry up the street, he walked as though he had purpose.  The diceman smiled; purpose was good and right now his purpose was the acquisition of something sweet.

As he stepped through the door he was suddenly conscious of the fact that it looked like, to the passing glance at least that he is wearing a padded bra beneath his jacket.  The shop is quiet; he sees only Ally; to whom he flashes a smile, one more confident than it had been upon their first meeting.  He walked to the counter and looked up at the menu; his fingers of one hand idling with the dice, whilst the other ‘adjusted’ his ‘chest’ so they sat more comfortably.

[anon]

Ally waved at Ira, an odd smile on her lips. "Weird one, isn't he?" She murmured to the dragon. "Weird that he's so normal- ah!" Her eyes lit on Damien as he walked in. She stared at him before a giggle burst from her lips. "Trying out something new?" She nodded at his "chest," the teasing smile on her lips.

[Priest]

Damien’s cheeks flushed several shades of red and for a few moments he could neither set his eyes on the sprite like form of Ally; nor hasten her with a reply; his discomposure was furthered when the dice slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor.  He quickly ducked down to retrieve, hoping that he could compose himself in the moment he was out of sight  but as he bought his head back up he caught it against the lip of the counter with a dull ‘thunk’.

In that instant his eyes rolled and filled with water;  the pain was accentuated by the soundless insult directed at his stupidity that came from one side of his jacket and the throaty croak that came from the other.  Damien smiled; a lopsided smile and was still rubbing the top of his head with his hand as he spoke with a shy chuckle and glanced down at his chest; “It’s a little more adventurous than I usually go in for.” 

He dipped his hand into the jacket and fished out the bulge and rested it in the palm of his hand;
“It seemed that last ti….” he glanced down and his face fell.  Sat in the palm of his hand was the shrunken head; its baleful eyes mocking him in silence.  With great haste he shoved it back into his jacket and sought out the hump on his other side; The toad now sat in his palm; its eyes regarding Damien with an odd look and for a moment Damien felt that they had both been discussing him last night as he slept.

“erm …” the discord at having shown another the head was noticeable in his voice and the best he was able to offer in a weak stammer was “T..t…oad.”

[anon]

Ally winced at the loud thud and leaned over the the counter. "You alright?" She blinked at the shrunken head, but shrugged her questions away. She wasn't one to comment on others' eccentricities, especially when she had quite a few on her own. At the appearance of the toad however, she started laughing. Her laughter fell like peals of rain against marbled floor. "He's still with you?" She leaned over the counter to pet him on his head. "I would've thought you attempt to lick him by now."

The dragon on her shoulder huffed as she tipped forward before turning its eyes to Damien. Ally leaned back and popped open her laptop again. "Oh and the coins that you left last time? I did some research." She tapped a few keys, calling up a website. "It's...old." She said, shaking her head as she turned it to him. "And of some remote tribe. There isn't much information on it though."

[Priest]

Damien stopped rubbing his head and bought an outstretched finger towards the toad that sat squat on the palm of his hand; they exchanged a glance and the moment his digit came within range the toads mouth fell open and a long chocolate tongue lashed out and attempted to grab hold of him; Damien managed to pull it back just in time and the tongue flailed in mid air before being drawn back into the toad;  Damien stuck his own tongue out at the confectionery creation.

“Yes; actually I didn’t realise he was still with me until I got home.” he rolled his eyes as he mocked his own foolishness; “Honestly; I would forget my head sometimes…” he stopped as he realised the duel edge of  his statement and softly he mumbled to himself ” At least I would if he would let me.”

He nodded; “I spent most of last evening trying to chase him down; but had to give it up.  He kept me awake the rest of the night with his croaking.  Not that I get much sleep anyway; not with him.”  He chuckled at the thought, it had been sometime since he had felt this relaxed and it was a feeling that he enjoyed immensely;  “Well it did cross my mind; but with a tongue like he has I was concerned that if I did then he might try and return the favour.” he winced a little at the thought.

His eyes moved from one creation to another as his look fell on the little dragon perched on Ally’s shoulder. He was transfixed until the twinkle of her voice broke his concentration and he watched on as she flipped open her laptop and brought up a web page; His eyes narrowed and he fished out one of the coins; it was a exactly as the one on screen; “Bugger me; I have a chest full of these things back home.” he spoke with a distracted tone.

[anon]

Ally arched her eyebrow, but turned her attention back to the toad. "Have you been keeping Damien up?" A croak was the single reply. She sighed, shaking her head at it. "I don't suppose that you can train a toad now, can you?" The dragon's tail twitched as it eyed the toad. She grinned a little. "Take care and listen, otherwise I'll let him have you." As though to illustrate her point, the dragon snapped its jaw in the direction of the toad before taking to the air.

It flew in a neat circle about Damien's head before landing on his shoulder, its eyes fastened on the toad.

[Priest]

Damien began to scroll down the page in an absent minded fashion and as he did so he was hit with the weirdest feelings; it was like everything he read and saw on that webpage was both very familiar and yet completely alien to him.  He sighed and pulled away from Ally’s laptop, feeling the waft of air from the dragon’s wings as it encircled his head.

The moment the dragon landed on his shoulder, Damien went still, he was all too conscious of those confectionary claws braced against him and he gave Ally a hesitant smile as both the Dragon and the Toad seem to stare each other down, he was concerned that any sudden move he might make could see him in the middle of a scrap.

[anon]

Ally giggled and waved at the dragon. "Come back here, won't you?" Her voice was sweet, intending on lulling the audience into a deceptive sense of security. The dragon's talons squeezed at the Damien's shoulder a little before taking to the sky again, its wings flapping quickly to keep it afloat before landing softly back on Ally's shoulder. "I was only kidding, you silly thing." She tapped at the dragon.

Turning to Damien, she cocked her head, the smile still on her lips. "So what will it be today?" She asked as she closed the laptop. "Or will you have to consult your dice?" Her smile grew.

[Priest]

Damien gasped silently as the talons of the dragon dug a little more into the tenderness of his shoulder before it took to the air and returned to Ally; seemingly landing far softer on her that it had chosen to on him, he gave the dragon a momentary scowl and then quickly thought better of it and softened his expression; the last thing he wanted was his other shoulder to have a matching set of talon marks.

He smiled and as he did so his gaze floundered a little and he couldn’t look her directly in the eye.  “I don’t have to consult the dice with regard to everything I do; I can make choices …” he thought for a moment knowing that wasn’t actually true and it was probably best not to anger the presence within his coat; who already seemed perturbed at having to share space with a toad.

Damien threw the dice into the air; his eyes followed them with a grin; then suddenly a flash of chocolate tongue hoved into view and snatched the bones from mid air before they disappeared into the gaping maw of the chocolate toad; Damien snarled at the animal and tapped it on the nose.  With a roll of its eyes it opened its mouth and revealed the dice;

Roll Result: Damien rolled: 2d6
Comment: Decisions decisions
Result: 1, 2,
Total: 3

Damien snatched them back with an admonishing look; and then returned a softening smile to Ally as he glanced up at the menu.  “I shall have the third item down from the top.”

[anon]

Ally laughed at the interaction between Damien and the toad. "You know, I think you might have found a purpose for it." She grinned as she looked at the menu. "Oh. Fondue. Nice pick. Or should I be telling the dice that?"

She shuffled into the back room and in minutes came back with a small bowl of chocolate, heated by an oil lamp flickering beneath it along with a plate of speared fruits. Placing it on the table, she smiled at him. "Like I was saying, you might have found a purpose for it...a dice bag. Of a sort?"

The toad looked up at her, as though offended before croaking once. She wiggled her fingers at it. "Careful now, don't get too close to the fire."

[Jag]

Ira was at a loss with what to do with himself. For the first time in years he'd actually sat down and written something. Now all that was on his mind was chocolate. He sat at his desk, his students taking a test in front of him, and all he was thinking about was that stupid chocolate. About how he should of ate all of it or taken it with him when he left. Though even if he had done those things, he probably would still want more right now. Something had to of been in it. Maybe not drugs, but something. Extra endorphins or some thing to make it addictive. That's what some companies did to their cows after all to make people eat more.

"Teacher? Teacher, can we go now. The bell rang..." the hazel eyed man snapped back to attention and looked up to find all his students staring at him.

"Oh...umm...yes. Leave your tests on my desk as you leave. Have a good day everyone," he said softly and went back to his thoughts till all the kids were gone. Once they were gone, he headed out on his own, staring down at the street that the sweets shop was on. What could the harm be in stopping in once more?

Shyly, he wandered down the street to the candy shop and tried to slip in without causing the bells to jingle. Sadly, no one could do that and he winced at the sound of the metal clanging happily above him.

[anon]

Ally looked up when the bell rang and smiled a welcome. "Hi there." She wiggled her fingers at Ira. "Glad to see that you're back. Can I get anything for you today?" She tossed over her shoulders as she made her way back to the counter and hopped on top of it, her legs swinging freely before her.

The dragon teetered on her shoulder a little as she made that little hop before staring at Ira unblinkingly.

[Priest]

Damien smiled and conceded that she might indeed be correct and that the toad could serve a purpose as dice pouch of ; perhaps the toad sensed that its immediate future lay in being an accessory as it seemed to give Damien and glowering look and bounded from his palm and landed on his shoulder.

His eyes brightened at the sight of the heated chocolate and speared fruits as Ally returned; not perhaps something he would have chosen himself, but he had to concede that the dice rolled well in this instance and the whole thing looked decidedly appetising; besides there was fruit involved and that was healthy …right?  He picked up a piece of speared pineapple and rolled it around the liquid chocolate and bought the sumptuous concoction  to his lips; he noticed the toad from the corner of his eye …it seemed to be readying itself to launch out its tongue so the diceman quickly ate it and admonished the creature “You can’t eat that; that’s mine …anyway; would eating chocolate be damn near an act of cannabalism for you?”

He chuckled softly at the toad and then his face drifted into a more thoughtful repose; cannabals, why did that thought suddenly feel so …his train of thought was very gratefully distracted by the bells jingling over the door, the noise seemed to startle the toad who was now sat on Damien’s shoulder; and accompanied the bells with a loud crock that near split Damien’s head in two from its proximity.  He glanced round and saw the same young man that had nearly barrelled into him earlier.  He smiled and returned to his fondue; keeping a close eye on the toad.

[Jag]

Ira stood at the door for a moment, eyes on the little dragon. He knew that little thing wasn't very fond of him. He was determined today not to become as flustered or confused as he'd been the last time. That dragon thing wasn't going to get under his skin this time. Ira had something in mind and he wasn't going to leave it half eaten this time, "...ummm..." he muttered softly before removing his gloves and moving to sit at the same table he'd been at before.

"I'll have the same thing I had the other day. Though this time I intend to eat all of it, if that's okay with you," he directed the last part of his comment towards the dragon.

It was then that Ira noticed Damien and slightly remembered nearly knocking the man over the other day, "I'm sorry for rushing out the other day. I had a few things to attend to..."

[anon]

Ally beamed. "No problem! Just take a seat." So saying, she ducked beneath the glass case and plucked out a few chocolate balls before setting it down on the table before Ira. She looked between Ira and Damien. "You two have met before already?"

The dragon huffed a little. She rolled her eyes and tapped it on its head. "Play nice now. Or else I'll feed you to the toad."

[XxUnDeAdMiStReSsXx]

Aoi walked into Corner Sweets, humming to herself. Her kitten and fairy sitting on her shoulder. "Hey Ally, Damine." She called, curtsying to them and sliding into the chair where she and Rex usually sat. She looked over the new guy and smiled brightly, shooing her fairy to him. She was smiling and looking at Damien and Ally interacting. Definitely time for her to do something like Ally's dancing pair for her.

[Priest]

Damien speared another fruit; a strawberry.  Strawberries where by far and away one of his favourites;  he rolled it around in the warm liquid chocolate, given it a glistening liquid shell and started to raise it to his mouth.  The diceman smiled at Ira; and gestured with his other hand;

“That’s no problem; I am guilty of rushing out the door myself with things on my mind;” he glanced at the toad now sat on his shoulder; “Which accounts for my new travelling buddy.” he smirked, and as he did so the toad croaked loudly and  whipped out his tongue; it snaked through the air and latched onto the strawberry and before he could do anything it had disappeared into the toads large open mouth.  Damien glared at the beast  “Bugger!”

He smiled up at Ally; Well we have kind of; fleetingly I guess.” he flicked his gaze between the toad and the dragon, “I don’t think there’s anything this bugger wouldn’t eat.”  he speared another strawberry on a stick and using his free hand as cover he began to prepare it once more; giving it a coating of chocolate. The door bells jingled and Damien looked up, seeing Aoi he smiled and waved in greeting; “Good to see you again.” but; the second he did that the toad struck; his tongue swiping the second strawberry in as many minutes.  Damien sighed.

[anon]

"Hi Aoi." Ally wiggled her fingers from the counter. "And bugger?" She laughed. "That's a good name. Hey, Bugger." The toad croaked again, staring at her. "Stop with the mooching. I'll make some chocolate flies for you, hm?"

Giggling, she went into the backroom. Sounds of crashing and an occasional "oof" and "get back here"s could be heard. She reemerged in a bit, a few chocolate flies captured between a glass cup and a plate. She huffed, sliding it onto the table before Damien. "I forgot about how fast they move..."