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Cumulus clouds marred the otherwise seamless blue sky over Destiny City. The trees waved lazily in the light breeze, and the beginnings of spring called forth buds on the dew-laden plants. The silence of the otherwise still morning was broken up with fits and starts of birdsong, and the occasional car driving atop the still dampened pavement. It was a picturesque Saturday morning, one that Sirsce had the pleasure of enjoying to its fullest.

She had but one mission for the day, and that was to pick up a couple necessities from the local supermarket. There wasn't much on her list: sugar, baking powder, and some milk, so she elected to walk to the store rather than take the bus. Besides, given the moderate temperature and enjoyable weather, did she even need a reason to go on a long stroll through the city?

On her way out, she intended to make a few choice stops on her way to the store. She still had some leftover money from the plethora of chores she'd finished earlier in the week, and she fully intended to splurge and buy her two favorite commodities: chocolate and fabric. From what she remembered from the area, the chocolate shop came first, followed by the fabric store.

Idly she recalled the previous visit she paid to the candy shop. What was it called? Sugar Shanky? No that wasn't right. Sugar Sherry? It was something strange. She also recalled meeting an impeccably cute doggie there, one whom she petted emphatically and even fed. Despite blanking on the name of the establishment, she remembered the dog's name without a hitch. Baldwin! Yes, she hoped to see him again, despite the rather shameful exit she made around Valentine's Day. Hopefully his owner didn't recall her hints about stealing the dog.

Suddenly visiting the candy store didn't sound so appealing.

Maybe, she thought, while walking briskly through the petal-flecked streets of Destiny City, maybe I could apologize to him, if he's working today. Ooh, or I could buy something as an apology! There's nothing business love more than ... business! She silently applauded herself for the wonderful idea. He'll be so happy to see me after that! I'll buy one of those assorted chocolates, and maybe something else, and... Oh! I could make a little doggie bandana for Baldwin! And I could stitch his name onto it... He'll have to forgive me after that!

Now the day was golden.

When she finally reached the Sugar Shanty, she pushed through the doors tentatively and was greeted by the sound of bells. "Um, hi..." She ventured bashfully. Looks like it was time to own up to her plans and buy an arm and a leg's worth of chocolate.

Sirsce's face lit up like a christmas tree when her sights fell on the Irish wolfhound. "Baldwin!" She exclaimed excitedly, completely forgetting her transgressions regarding the dog. She hastily petted him on the head, the neck, the trunk... Anywhere she could reach that pleased the dog. "Ooh, Baldy!" She cooed. "You're so cute!" The dog seemed to enjoy her company thoroughly, and Sirsce was much obliged to continue with the rubbings and pettings until she could feel ghosted prickly feelings on her hands. With another loving pat on the head, she finally broke away from the dog and headed toward the chocolates.

Sugar Shanty displayed a daunting variety of chocolates, and chocolate variety boxes. The array was arranged professionally, and the combined smell wafting off the boxes tantalized Sirsce. If she had her way, she'd take them all home. Although, if she did that, she'd balloon up to two hundred pounds, and then how would she be able to sew for herself? She'd have to buy out the fabric store just to keep herself clothed, and then she'd end up a shut-in because no one would want to see her, and then all that fabric she bought would go to waste because she could've just stewed in her room with just her underwear on, and... The downward spiral continued.

When she finally brought herself out of her melodramatic thoughts, she turned to the front counter. "Um, hi, I have a question." She began meekly. The man at the counter seemed busy, and she didn't want to disturb him from any important work, but the wall of chocolates presented far too many selections for her to decide on just one. Wait a second, he looked familiar.

Upon peering closer, Sirsce recognized him as the same man who was in the parking lot around Valentine's Day. If she recalled correctly, he handed her some bacon and taught her how to feed his dog. "Oh, I remember you! And, um, I'm sorry about what I said to you last time... I don't really want to steal your dog. I swear." She stared at the ground with a dejected sigh. Apologizing was hard, but she didn't want him thinking she was a dognapper. "And, um, to make it up to you, I wanted to make Baldwin a little doggy scarf. And maybe a sweater. And a bandana." Maybe it was going a little overboard, but apologizing was worth the extra effort, wasn't it?

Sirsce cowered in fear after the man's sudden explosion. She retreated to the jelly bean display, seeking comfort in the dog she'd expressed her desire to steal. "I said I was sorry!" She defended herself meagerly. Ultimately she didn't know what to do to weather the man's temper, and instead chose to shrink away amidst the jelly beans. When that didn't work, and she became aware that she was only making a fool of herself, she sighed and petted Baldwin once more. She could use some furry companionship to calm her nerves right now.

It didn't help when the man laughed at her for crawling back to the jelly bean display. Was it really that pathetic? Sirsce's self-confidence shrank to the point of nonexistence. She knew she might've looked silly, but was it really necessary to laugh? Maybe she should retreat to the confines of her room with a wall of chocolate, stuff her face, gain two hundred pounds, and then never see the light of day again. It sounded like a better course of action than staying here and enduring the self-deprecating onslaught.

However, her spirits lifted marginally when the man apologized and recognized her. "Oh, um, it's okay..." She began. He must receive dozens of guests a day, and the fact that he remembered her at all meant that she must've left some kind of impression on him. That was a good start, at least. "Well, he is a super cute dog. And he's so nice!" To confirm her statement, she patted the dog on the head.

Finally Sirsce approached the counter once more. "Oh, this old stuff?" She held up a crumpled wad of pink fabric with white hearts. "No, it's for a headband actually. I was thinking, um, of something more doggylike for him. Maybe a yellow background with little dog bones on it? I wanted to make it out of cotton, so it's comfortable for him. Oh, and maybe something waterproof for his coat. I wouldn't want him to catch a cold!" She had already forgotten about the humiliation she'd suffered just moments before, and her attention wholly focused on the dog and his needs.

Relief washed over Sirsce as she realized his outburst was only a misunderstanding, and that he was far too immersed in his work to properly process what she had been telling him. "Oh, um, sorry - I shouldn't have just bombarded you like that." She offered an apologetic smile. She also relinquished her post behind the jelly bean display and approached the candyman with the fabric still clutched between her fingers. "Oh, and I was also thinking of making a red and white life vest for him, in case you two ever go swimming, and maybe some nice boots for the snow... Ooh, he's going to need a thick doggy jacket for that too..." Already she was composing whole outfits for Baldwin.

"Oh, you think he'd like it?" She practically jumped for joy. That was all the encouragement she needed to get her canine ensemble line rolling. She'd have this dog decked out in ten outfits by week's end. "Awesome! Then I can get started tonight, and like, bring him a bunch of different bandanas and sweaters to model by like, Sunday!" And they could put on a little canine fashion show, and people could come and buy candy and watch, and vote on their favorite outfits, and then they could have their own dogs doing a modeling run on each Sunday, and everyone would love it!

Sirsce petted Baldwin vigorously as her imagination went wild. "You'll love it, boy!" After a few scratches behind his ears, she finally pried herself away from the dog. Back to the counter she went, eager to shake hands with her new friend. Anyone who introduced themselves was a friend, right?

She took his hand and shook it gently. "I'm Sirsce Xanthis. It's nice to meet you, Richard!" He seemed like a nice enough guy, and his dog was an absolute hit with her. "Oh, um, what were you working on before I interrupted you? Are those mints?" Maybe he'd let her try one; they looked delicious.

That was the wrong thing to say, not that Richard would've known it at the time. Her eyes widened, her pulse quickened, her skin broke out in goosebumps. Did he say what she really thought he said? Did he just offer to help her start up a fashion line? She heard that correctly, right? "Oh, oh, um, did you just say... You'd endorse me?" No words could express the utter euphoria that graced her at that moment. This man practically handed her a free pass to start her own fashion line and storm the world with Sirsce Xanthis' incredible and forward-thinking styles. Little did he know what he'd just unleashed on the world... And the fabric shop will be the first to notice it.

That's right - she'd need a plethora of supplies if she was going to undergo this endeavor. She needed just about every bolt of material they could possibly order, plenty of thread and needles, some eyelets, buckles, other accessories... oh and a canine dress form. Did they make those? No, probably not, but if Baldwin could sit and stay so well, then there was no harm in fitting them to him, right?

"Ooh, maybe we can like, partner up or something, and someone who buys a bunch of candy can get a free doggy scarf? Or, um, a people scarf too, not all people have dogs... but then again not all people like scarves... Um, maybe a - no, not everyone wears hats either..." She paused, considering her other options. Pants were much too big to simply give a way, and she'd have to make too many different sizes. The same logic applied to shirts, and with most uniform accessories, someone might not wear them... The only remaining option was to make as vast an array of items as possible and give the patrons a choice between what they wanted to take home as their free gift.

Once a mint was thrust into her hands, she immediately lost her train of thought. Nearly everything she had planned for fashion shows, ensemble ideas, accessories and other miscellaneous items were discarded in favor of focusing on a delicious mint resting in the palm of her hand. "Um, try it? Okay." Sirsce popped the mint into her mouth unceremoniously and chewed it for a few moments. It had the typical flavor every mint did, though this one was slightly different. Smoother, she might say? That, and it was chewy, which was a nice change of pace from the usual rock hard mint. It was good, but it wasn't mind-blowing.

"Well..." She began after swallowing the mint. "I think it's smooth and totally chewy, which is nice... But it's kinda, um... boring? I mean, it's not bad, it's really good, just... I don't know, it's not super different from any other mint I've had before." She wasn't all that good at giving criticism, and she certainly wasn't the person to consult about mints or candies, because she typically had a taste for cheaper confections.

"Ooh, scarves! Good idea!" Sirsce loved scarves more than any other accessory. Though she only knew of two types, traditional and infinity, they held a plethora of uses in the world of fashion, and depending on the type of material, one could wear a scarf year round. As a matter of fact, she wore a tan scarf currently, with a chocolate brown design near the fringes. It matched impeccably with the remainder of her outfit, while providing the proper amount of contrast to make the colors pop. "I could make, like, candy-themed infinity scarves for people, and then doggie scarves that just tuck into their collars, or little puppy sweaters!" She preferred the sweaters, come to think of it.

However, she'd gotten so wrapped up in his suggestion that she forgot entirely about the mints. When he'd asked her about the special ingredient, her thought process derailed again and she struggled to think of a decent secret ingredient for mints. The problem was that she really didn't know much about candy, aside from what tasted good and what didn't taste good, so being confronted with such a question caused her to grasp for answers. "Um, ginger ale? Asparagus? Cocaine?" The first two didn't seem terribly likely, and the last one was illegal. She probably struck out on all three.

"Okay, um, I give up." She surrendered willingly, knowing she wouldn't be able to guess it if she was given an hour of free answers. However, she was curious to know what the confectionist was cooking up with these mints, and what they were for.

Then again... "Ooh, wait, wait! Is it dog food? Are these mints gonna be doggy treats? Cuz that would be an amazing idea! They could be, like, breath mints for dogs! Dogs always need breath mints... Not that your dog's breath smells bad!" She added the last part almost apologetically. "Baldwin is super nice, his breath would never stink." Not that the two were related.

"Ooh, okay!" Richard didn't have to tell her twice. She'd occupy Baldwin until the moon fell out of the sky if that's what he'd asked for. She loved the dog far too much for her own good, and wanted to spoil the big pooch rotten. "Um, take your time! I'll be here! And uh, so will Baldwin!" Just in case he was concerned that Sirsce would steal his beloved dog. She only considered it once.

As soon as Richard took off into the staff only section of the store, she herself hurried back to Baldwin, who was sitting patiently near the entrance. Sirsce practically dropped to her knees and slid next to the dog, far too eager to pet him. "Hello, Baldwin!" She cooed, reaching toward him to rub the thick scruff of his neck. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good Baldwin? Yes you are!" She happily gave the dog a thorough petting and stroked the fine fur on his muzzle. As she spoke to the dog, her eyes began to wander about the store.

The place was notably clean, and filled to the brim with delightful candies of all shapes and sizes. It encompassed a wide array, from lemon drops to chocolate boxes, and lollipops to even vaguely foreign confections like red bean treats. He really had all his bases covered when it came to sweets... But there was a notable lack of puppy treats, despite his love for his dog. When her gaze returned to Baldwin and his stainless steel dog bowls tucked cleverly away beneath a display, a rather large can drew her eye.

The can itself was tucked far beneath the display, so anyone standing didn't have a chance to spot it. She considered herself lucky that she found it in the first place. It must've been shoved beneath the display accidentally, whether by Baldwin or an errant foot. Either way, it was a can of dog food, and that was exactly what Richard was searching for. She figured it would be polite of her to alert him to its presence, even though it might be sitting there entirely on purpose, for ease of use at feeding times. Still, he was looking for dog food, and she found some.

"Um, Richard?" She called hesitantly. "I found some food back here. It looks like an unopened can?"

Maybe he was searching for dry food, since it would probably grind down a whole lot easier. Of course, he could be looking for wet food, knowing the food would dry out in the oven and probably combined well with baking powder. Then again, she really didn't know much about dog food and baking confections, so she couldn't possibly make accurate guesses as to what Richard was planning. Still, she was interested, and she wanted to be as helpful as she possibly could. "Oh, um, what about bacon candies too? I remember Baldwin likes bacon! And I think I heard they had bacon donuts somewhere... I can't remember where, but it sounds like a good idea!" It must've been on a travel channel or something.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry for saying bacon!" Sirsce tried to apologize, but she only exacerbated the dog's mood. She definitely should've thought that one through. However, Richard soon tossed a ziploc bag of cooked bacon towards her, and it landed at her feet. The dog looked as though he was about to have a coronary if he didn't get a piece of the delicious meat strips soon, and Sirsce was the type to oblige, and perhaps overindulge, him. "Ooh, let's see what we've got here..." She exaggerated her words, mostly for Baldwin's benefit.

She nimbly opened the bag, and the scent of bacon wafted out. It smelled delicious enough to tempt her into eating some as well, but that would only tantalize the poor pup. Instead, she simply broke off a piece as she was told and tossed it to the ground in front of Baldwin. "Here you go, boy!" She happily ruffled his fur to reward him thoroughly. She could do this all day.

However, she was interested in the concoctions Richard had up his sleeve, and she wanted to hear what he had to say about dog treats. With the bacon bag in hand, she approached the counter once again. "Um, what's maple bacon?" She'd never heard of it. It sounded Canadian, if she had to guess. "Oh, and um, here's your bag." She forfeited the bag to Baldwin's owner before she was harangued for more delicious treats. "Anyway, um, what are the mints for? And if you make a bacon mint, can I try it?" She wasn't especially fond of bacon, but she wanted to support her new friend in his endeavors to craft new and unique confections.

"Oh, you can make something bacon-shaped maybe! Like um..." She paused to think. As wonderful as her imagination was when it came to designing clothes and outfits, it took her a great deal of time to come up with a treat. "Maybe like... strips of chewy cherry stuff, with cream filling around it? No, that sounds stupid..." She sighed. She didn't think she had much to contribute to her friend, but maybe that wasn't a bad thing after all. He obviously took to her ideas as a springboard, and that could be all he needed to achieve success in a brand new line of candies for dogs (and strange people). "Well anyway, I think your mints are amazing ideas, and you could totally make doggie treats too! Just imagine how much money you can make on it."

Which reminded her - she still needed to head to the fabric shop and pick up something more suitable for Sugar Shanty hats and scarves. "Oh, and does your shop have a color scheme? I thought if I was going to make hats..." She trailed off, hoping her new friend would pick up where she left off.