Mia was sifting throught the books that stood on the desk in front of her, flipping the pages like there was no tomorrow. She was so far behind in her studies that she had to stay up late night just reading chants and charms. Mia was having a fun time though, she enjoyed reading books all day long.

Mia set a book aside called 'Mysteries of Magic' and grabbed a new book called 'Mysterium Arcana.' The book looked old of age and torn; it was practically ancient. She flipped the book open and began to read.

The book was very interesting to Mia, very interesting indeed. But it had a certain evil ora to it, the letters that read on top were in a lanquage rarely ever used. But the lanquage was familiar to Mia because she was very good at decoding ancient lanquages.

Mia sat at that table reading the book until the sun had gone down; the librarian was walking towards her. Good evening Mia, I see you found a book of interest to you. The librarian smiled with a chuckle hidden behind her fat rosy lips. Yes I have, the book is very intersting. Would you mind if I took it with me for a few days. Mia gave a pleading look at the librarian. I suppose that wouldn't do any harm. You keep that book as long as you want. Mia stood up and held the book close to her chest. I won't let anything happen to it. She said running towards the door.

Outside the library was dark, only shadows remained lingering among the crates and stalls. Mia ran towards her house that she was staying in and burst threw the door. She quickly ran upstairs and set the book down on her bedside table.

Mia turned towards the door as she heard a few knocks at the door, she walked over to the door and opened it cautiosly. Yes, can I help you sir.

A long, long time ago Robyn had once been to the library. She knew this because her body remembered what she did not: the errant, forking, looming paths that traveled betwixt her wanderings were familiar to at least one of her various memés and to it she allowed herself to be taken. Was she looking for someone? Looking for something? Robyn didn't know and Robyn didn't much care either. Her memories were fragile, piecemeal things that appreciated the finer things in life and tended to die off because of it. This was not a world where one could take a stroll without consequences.

The sun was leaving the world, and in between the moments of its life and death, vague but long shadows were cast, sending the town into the realm of twilight. The sun had died in ages past and few had noticed (the shadows noticed) but still it did its duty, a shambling corpse of its former glory but still enough of a taskmaster to allow the world to function and move forward. That was its way- and until the end of time it would continue onwards, forwards, heralding each new day like a fragment of Time and Thyme.

She reached the library just as the sun set, watched the gleaming doors open and a figure bursting through.

Follow her

She did. Through the narrow, winding streets and across the sewers where snobbish brutes and the castoffs of civilization ruled, past the warehouse chock-full of skittery, flittery little creatures, past the docks of ships whose lifetimes were measured by the pockets of its owner and the skill of its navigator did she follow. Her stench was elusive but pervasive too, and in many parts of where she went it was no different than the stench of the city. This was not a place where magic could ferry out the waste of human filth but a place of workers and artisans. The filth went into the streets and one lone stinkbug more would not make much of a difference.

Finally they reached a building. The door was open. Politely perusing it with her eyes, Robyn closed the door. It was very important to have manners after all and looked for the knocker. Finding it, the small girl banged on it.

An equally small girl (smaller, even) answered.

"Robyn-Rin is not sure." Robyn answered. "Robyn-Rin needs to know if girl-without-a-name-right-now has a book. A very important book."

Mia stared at the women with confusion, the women spoke of her as if she had not known her but had been following her for the book she had brought back with her. Yes I have a book, I just checked a book out called the 'Mysterium Arcana.' Its very interesting and I wouldn't want to just give it out quite yet. She glanced over towards the night stand where she had set the book.

Would you like to come in... and have.. a.. cup of cof... coffee. Mia began to stutter from the feeling she had in her gut that this woman was no ordinary woman. She looked at the womans figure, the woman was more than a foot taller than Mia was and she also smelled unlike anything she had smelled before.

She has the book

Robyn wondered briefly, for a small moment, who it was that was talking to her. It wasn't Poppa Bear or Momma Bear (both of whom she would have recognized and demanded explanations from- where had they gone?!) and it wasn't Cheffy-Chef or the Thinking Cap or any of her other im-mage-inary friends. Not that they were imaginary. Perish the thought. They just didn't have 'bodies.' And as everyone knew, everything needed a 'body' in order to be alive and such. It was in the rulebook. A very important rulebook. With codephrases and understandings and everything!

Maybe.

Anyhoo it was getting dark and if Robyn wanted to stay as a good leetle gurly she had best be getting ready to leave. After she had the book of course. Cocking her head to the side she waited for the words to stop tumbling out of the girl's mouth. She had the book and that was all that mattered... or rather, all that mattered was that Robyn needed the book and that this girl had it.

No, waitasec. Since when did Robyn need this book? She considered this fact morosely. Maybe she didn't actually need the book. Now that would be a silly thing to do- steal a book from a someone who needed a book while Robyn didn't. Awwww, that'd actually be... well, that'd be sad! And bad! And Robyn would turn into the meanie-pooh! Robyn didn't want to be the meanie-pooh! The meanie-pooh of this story could vereh well be someone else! Yupyup! She ignored the voice that was now pleading for her to just take the book and begone and instead nodded her head politely at the girl.

"Wot is 'coffee'?"

Mia just stared at the woman confusudely, wondering why this person did not know of the basic foods. This woman was beginning to make Mia feel very uncomfortable. Mia just beckoned for the woman to come and sit.

Mia walked over to the kitchen area and took out a tea pot and a few pieces of wood. She threw the wood in the oven and lit it on fire, she then put the tea pot on top of the stove after filling it with water. The water contained a pouch of freshly ground coffee beans which eventually would brew into a bitter but solemn tasting drink.

When the tea pot began to steam Mia ran over and poured the coffee into a few mugs; one for her guest and one for herself. Here you go. This is what coffee is. Mia smiled and nodded with satisfaction as she took a sip from the dull glass mug. Mia was hoping that the woman would like the drink. So... how is it.

Robyn sat and watched the girl work curiously. In her mind, if such a thing could be heard, gears and screws were running rampant as they sought to capture these ludicrous and insane actions of a clear-cut madwomen. Whoever heard of putting a teapot on fire? Blasphemy! Evil! Robyn wanted to gnash her teeth and steal away the teapot, make sure that it was safe and sound from this evil, evil person but she also wanted to know what coffee was. And if she had to sit through this long, boring, and blasphemous procession she would do so. And -after- she had found out what the exotic 'coffee' thingamagigger was she'd be able to rescue the teapot.

For a moment, a glorious knight in shining armor that looked suspiciously like Robyn-Rin flashed through her eyes- yes, Robyn would rescue the teapot! Nodding almost imperceptibly to herself, Robyn made up her mind on this singular but very important point. Rescuing teapots ranked with the same goodness as rescuing stray kittens, or measly mumps or Mr. Fluffington! It was something that just had to be done!

The book...

'Shut up.' Robyn told the voice primly. Sometimes one just had to let the other know who exactly was boss. For instance, Robyn -could- have simply agreed with the voice and it would have gone away after she explained to it that this coffee business was a pressing and all-important issue but Robyn didn't. Robyn understood that a hierarchy was being formed and that the Voice believed itself to be in control. Now that was just sillycakes! Nosireebob, Robyn had to put a stop to that kind of useless and flagrantly, brutally, insidiously silly speculation.

So caught up with her philosophy on how to deal with errant voices in her head, Robyn almost didn't notice that the child had finished with her 'coughee' and was now handing her a steaming drink.

Looking at it suspiciously, she sipped it.

For a moment there was calm. And then... as if energized by the beverage she had just consumed, her skeleton burst out from within her body and thrust itself outwards. Peering out suspiciously from the folds of Robyn's fleshy prison it nodded to itself in satisfaction and stepped out. Curiously, Robyn herself seemed unharmed. The skeleton started to dance.

Robyn knitted her brow in confusion. "Does it... usually do that?"

===================

OOC: Robyn unconsciously cast 'summon skeleton' :lol:

Mia watched as a skeleton appeared out of nowhere, beginning to dance around the room. What just happened? Mia said not expecting an answer. Mia realized that this woman must be some sort of summoner or spellcaster of sorts.

Well, that was interesting. How long have you been practicing summoning. she said, not realizing how much she was shaking.

Robyn continued to watch the dancing skeleton. It was a pity it didn't have a cane and boots. And a top hat. Yes, it needed those things. Robyn nodded to herself. If she ever got a proper skeleton- one that wasn't, y'know, her own (how did that work exactly? Was she missing a skeleton? Would her body turn to jelly in the next few moments?)- she'd definitely invest in a cane, a top hat and some proper dancing shoes. Tap-dancing shoes, she amended privately to herself. Watching it dance and considering her coffee, the little girl noticed that the other girl seemed to be quite amazed by the skeleton and that the little girl's skeleton had not joined Robyn's in this extraordinary dancing routine.

Oh, and that the little girl was not answering her question. Grrr.

"Practicing... wot?" Robyn asked, after listening to the little girl's two questions. Robyn was most certainly -not- practicing spellcasting. Spellcasting was something for... wizards. Or ninjas. Or ninja wizards! One did not simply cast spells and watch them go 'kafoom!' and 'kaboom!' One needed a book of spells-

Like the one the child possesses...

Yes a book of spells like the one the girl had and other stuff besides. Big words and powerful gestures. Robyn concluded that the girl before her didn't know a -single- thing about spellcasting and the fact that you had to be a ninja wizard in order to spellcast and shrugged her skinny little shoulders. The fact that she had almost no flesh on her bones was only partially concealed by her many layers of fine clothing. Robyn preferred it like that. The more clothes she wore, the less embarrassing questions she was asked.

"Robyn-Rin can't spellcast!" Robyn said laughing. "It's zis... coffee stoof."

Mia was surprised, the woman acted as if she wasn't aware that she had summoned a skeleton. Could this women be a necromancer or something of that sort. Mia stood up and walked over to the woman and sat down at the table. Coffees that good to you. I always thought it was a little bland but its better than tea. Mia gave the woman a questioning look.

Robyn was about to agree wholeheartedly with the leetle gurl who had the book of magic spells that the Voice in her head was telling her to take (shut up silly Voice!) when Robyn-Rin realized that the girl had just insulted tea. And not just 'insulted' it, she had demeaned it, destroyed it, villified it- for while Robyn did acknowledge that there wasn't a tea in the world that Robyn was aware of that would allow Robyn's skeleton to rampage around free and clear Robyn would not acknowledge that this... this 'coffee' could possibly equal the splendors of a good, well-rounded tea-party.

Robyn began to get angry. Not a little angry either, a true, ferocious anger that sparked and spat acted almost... cattish, if such a word could be used. On her mental ramparts, lightning struck and roared, heralding ocean storms of madness and rage and foolish, blinding pride that was both brighter and darker than the sun all at once. She wanted to rip and tear and rend and destroy, force the foolish little girl to take back her words, swallow and then choke on them. Wanted poetic justice to be meted and for the coffee that this girl liked so much to physically incapacitate her, or to render her so excitable so that she'd become a silly little fool. Her features changed and melted into an expression of intricate, absure madness: her eyeballs bulged, her fingers clenched spasmodically, even the furs she wore smoked and shied away as if they were trying to dispel some great heat. For a moment she was a Terror.

Then she got distracted the tap-dancing skeleton and promptly forgot about all of those thoughts. Drinking her coffee she watched it dissipate into nothingness and waved good-bye. It waved back.

"Right, right. I need your book."

The book, could I lend it to you tomorrow after I had a chance to study it. Mia walked over to the book and took it from its silent perch among many other books. She walked over to the woman and held it out to her. If it means that much to you, you may have it.

Did the book mean that much to her? Robyn was suddenly, horrifyingly, uncertain. She did not know. The voice was abandoning her. The Voice, which was so merry and so jolly (fine, it was never any of those things) was leaving! Packing its bags and hopping on the closest caravan to the gods know where! And Robyn wasn't around to see it off. Pouting Robyn rushed to go look for it but was tangibly unsuccessful. For a moment, it looked like she would breathe flame- flame licked at her fingertips after all. But then the moment was over and Robyn was Robyn again. For the Voice had returned.

Take the book.

"Thank... thank you." Robyn said softly as she accepted the book gingerly, with such care as a brother might hold a newborn sibling or a warrior a magical artifact that was apparently about to explode. The two were not so dissimilar. And neither was Robyn. This was... this was something that she had been waiting for. Dreaming for. Eating for. Something that had let her go and come forth and something that had been there all along. A dangerous something. Or someone. For Robyn was not too sure if it was actually Robyn that had been doing all this for Robyn. Or if someone else- something else, was doing it all for itself. All she knew was that she had to leave before she hurt this nice little girl. For the Voice was being a meanie-pooh. The Voice did not want what it called 'witnesses.' Silly Voice-Voice! Nice friend-friend had given her coffee! She wasn't a meanie-pooh!

Nuh, not at all. Hopefully. There was always that possibility that Robyn was wrong. But Robyn was so rarely wrong! Yupyup.

"Robyn-Rin can.... keep?"

Of course, here take a few coins; give them to the librarian and that should cover the cost of the book. If its that important to you then you should buy it so it remains yours for the rest of your life. Mia smiled but hid a sad growl deep in her throat, she had wanted to study this book and learn its natures but giving the book to the woman was more important.

Robyn looked at the coins dubiously. Wot was a 'librarian?' And more importantly, wot were those funneh looking pieces of metal that the girl was holding out? And how were the two at all related to Robyn-Rin? With her minds eye she poked and prodded and bit the metal disks dubiously. "Buy it" the girl had said. What did that mean? Robyn-Rin had never 'bought' anything before. Was the girl joking with her? Robyn-Rin had her boots and her clothes and they were the same as always and hers to boot. Surely the girl before her hadn't... hadn't stolen the book had she?

A hand went to Robyn's mouth to cover a gasp. She was in front of a thief! A thievery thiefy thief! And Robyn-Rin had never expected such a thing! How incredible! How sly! Robyn's eyes goggled at the mere thought- the mere impertinence!

But by and by she seemed to understand. For some reason these disks of metal were precious and they could be used as... trade? Maybe it was some sort of food. Yes, that made sense. If this 'librarian' person from whom this girl had stolen the book needed food than surely he or she would happily give the book for these funny looking metal thingies. Robyn wondered if they tasted good but the voice in her head gave her a wack and she rubbed it gingerly. Right! She had to focus. She had the book now and this little girl was going to help her keep it forever and ever.

Suspicious

Robyn agreed. Weren't thievy thieves supposed to keep their loot? Which meant that the one in front of her was no ordinary thief! She had read the book and was now trying to frame Robyn-Rin! Gasp!

"I won't be tricked by your tricksies!" Robyn said, pushing the book back into the girl's hands. "Your a thievy thief!"

A thief? Mia said confused. Mia now thought that this woman definately was insane and had no idea of what everything was. I did not steal the book if thats what you suggesting, I borrowed it from the library. They give you the book to read and then when you are finished reading it you return the book back to the library.

But Robyn would not be dissuaded. She stamped her feet prettily. It was a practiced motion, of course, one did not just grow up stamping feet prettily- there was a range of motions and a set of motions that one had to complete in order to make the foot stamping 'pretty'. Robyn had practiced it forever and ever and ever and once she had gotten past the trouble of accidentally smashing her foot through the floorboards of wherever- she was basically home free. Or if not precisely home free than certainly home. She hoped that Alice-Mommy had forgotten about Robyn-Rin's impromptu stomping lessons. Which brings us, dear reader, to the present.

"It's not true! You're a thief!" Robyn-Rin pouted. "No one's so nice! And there certainly wouldn't be loooots of nice people giving out books for free just... just because." Robyn said, marshaling her cognitive forces for the battle at hand. She had tried to plaster logic onto her last word but she wasn't exactly used to logic and logic certainly wasn't used to her- the two of them regarded each other rather warily as she tried to ride its power into the current foray about institutions and the nature of mankind and otherkind. It wasn't exactly a gentle ride. Some might have questioned it being a 'ride' at all and not an epic fight between good and evil. It just didn't make sense! Robyn was all for believing the best of people but this was rather...

Robyn re-considered for a moment. Huh. If... just if... huh. Well, that was certainly quite true. Robyn should be nicer. And more prone to forgiving and forgetting. And such. Yes, yessirreebob, Robyn should be more like that.

Her eyes turned beady. "You sure you being truthy-ful?"

Yes, quite truthful to be exact. Now, I need to know... did you want the book. Mia handed the book out towards the woman once again, hoping she would take it and be satisfied. This woman was beginning to get on Mia's nerves, the sooner she would leave the better she was thinking to herself.

Outside, dusk had fallen and soon night would come. The boats would return against the tide bringing home their precious cargoes so that the ants that occupied this bizarre kingdom could continue functioning. They were truly ants, these humans- scurrying about with such purposeless determination and achieving their aimless goals... it was a macabre sort of funny, one that the long lived loved to gossip and philosophize on (not that the two things were so different) and the short lived merely vaguely understood when they had reached an age where scurrying became a burden. But by then, of course, it was too late. Far too late.

For Robyn though, ageless as she was, her scurries carried the weight of directed purpose that went against the common, aimless barter that was the flow of human needs and deeds. Mortal needs and deeds, rather- no matter how they might be marginalized or cast as antagonists all mortals were of the same ilk just built with slightly different rock and salt. Robyn was not so different herself but a certain timelessness in her existence made her somehow ageless and everlasting. It was a terrifying juxtaposition of fates for anyone not currently experiencing it.

She accepted the book. Bowed. And turned away her exploits of the day forgotten and her previous thoughts vacating her head like some errant butterflies in the heat of a midmorning shower.

"Of course the book wanted Robyn." The little girl said, a bit sadly, a bit shyly. She glanced over its cover but seemed to stare through it- or perhaps not even at it at all. Her eyes were not quite right for a child or unchilde. Change was happening, even in the heart of what had been stilled powerful currents were starting to move and flow. Whispers in the dark.

"But thank you."

And the little girl silently walked away.