It had been quite some time since Vesper had joined Blue Pegasus, but he had not really made any friends in the guild thus far. His only contact, a passing nod in transit or fleeting moment of assistance between two colleagues. He wanted, or rather, he desired to make this place feel like home. Every single member of the guild is a member of his family. He already had a plan and all he needed now was to muster up the courage to act. He'd already been approved access to the kitchen and usage of any ingredients that he wished to use - within reason, of course. A treasure trove beyond his wildest dreams for the little baker to whisk away into little confectionaries.

He rolls up his sleeves and wipes his brow, the anxiety of making a lasting impression with his passion fries his little brain. Aaaaah. He's already pouting to himself, desperately chanting a prayer to himself. Please love my treats. It's not like he was going to do anything awe-inspiring, just an assortment of different cookies for anyone to pick up and munch on in the hall. Maybe make some small talk and get to know each other. Waaah! It's not that serious! His brain dreams up a million what-ifs and unreasonably deranged scenarios while he mixes the cookie dough - something akin to that anxious tamping you see from dogs when their owner steps out for even five seconds. It's honestly such a blur. Placing the cookies into the oven, tapping his feet as he leers at the timer, waiting to pounce at it as soon as it makes a peep and then decoratively arranging them on a plate, sprinkles and frosted garnishes painting a few canvases.

Vesper taps at the carriage that is to deliver his delectable treats out into the hall to his precious family, still nervous, but just as determined. Every treat is a smile and every smile a treat. It's just like back home at the bakery, Ves. He cracks open the door, a radiant light, a spotlight too blinding for the boy taking the stage, but he pushes on regardless with a deep gulp and pounding rhythm of his heart to cheer him on. He wheels out his cookies to the nearest empty table and sets his selection of assorted cookies out with a small hand-drawn sign that read: Vesper's Pastries

[427]

Vesper was sitting upright, back straightened with his shoulder pushed out to be as broad as possible to display himself as properly with perfect posture. First impressions are important - a lesson he's learned from tending to his family's bakery. Even more so when you're looking to impress the people you vehemently crave to call friends. The first customer - No, that's not quite right. These delectable treats were free of charge, a gesture of appreciation and continued diligence in service of the guild. The first of many regulars, fingers crossed, that would indulge in his hopeful offerings. She had looked rather familiar to the boy, but he shuffled that thought away for now.

The woman that approached his little makeshift cafe seemed quite shocked at the sheer quantity of cookies on display, and perhaps Vesper did overdo it a little in the heat of passion, but her words sounded more flattering than anything else. "Heheh~ Yes, ma'am! I wanted to make sure that everyone would get to try them. Please, help yourself~" He bows, filled with pure gratitude as she plucked her choice confection.

Vesper tries, and fails, to be polite - avoid staring at her with his eager eyes, holding his breath in anticipation for the glowing praise he sought. And finally the climatic moment arrived! Ah such sweet revelry - the splendid chorus of his baking being appraised as "delicious" was music to his ears. He's practically wagging. He can't help it. A dazzlingly wide grin colors his expression as his face blends into a faint red hue. "Thank you so much! I'm really glad you liked it, Alisa-san. No, I'm a bit new here. My name is Vesper!" He can't help but giggle while his brain catches up on two things in these brief moments. The first, she called him a talented cook - very bad for his ego, but causes him to wiggle and wag even more. The second, her name. He's finally figured out why she looked familiar.

"Oh, goodness! Pardon my manners, ma'am! I never would have imagined my first guest would be none other than the guild master! Thank you for everything! I'm so grateful for the opportunity! Please feel free to try as many as you wish."

[394]

It was not too often that the fairy found herself spending time at the guild hall. Not only was her schedule quite... packed due to the responsibilities she held at the clock tower, but she found herself quite inclined to continue honing her skills. Perhaps it was for that reason she had come to the guild hall. Part of her had hoped to consult Alisa on a matter, having taken quite a liking to the guild master to the point she started to look up to the woman as something of a mentor figure. Yet for the time being she had chosen to instead focus on deciphering more of the mysterious grimoire that she and her colleagues had recently excavated from an ancient ruin in Caelum.

She had just started to place the finishing touches on a deciphering one of the chapters of the book when a particular scent caught her attention. A light wif of it made the fairy tilt her head slightly to the side in bewilderment. "That doesn't seem like the bartender's usual dishes... hmm, nope, more like bakery... Wait, did the guild have a bakery?"

The fairy decided it might had been something worthy of investigating, if not the least for the sake of her building appetite for some cookies. Closing the book she started to take a hop and a skip over to the guild hallway, a peek around the corner revealing who might had been the source.

"Sensei? Nono, if she was an amazing cook that might had been too much talent in one package. At least let the other ladies in the guild hope to be able to compete when it comes to the wife aptitude levels."

A few steps were made by the wary fairy whose gaze now focused onto the other participant of the conversation, and the likely source of the delicious scent that was occupying the guild building. "That means he is responsible for the pastries. Hmm, wonder if he also does lunchboxes, that would be a nice way to get the people of the Clock Tower some treats during their work."

A hop and a skip and now the fairy was hovering in the air right beside Alisa, her gaze shifting from Vesper to Alisa. "First a bartender, now a baker... Trying to compete with Fairy Tail in the business industry Ali-sensei?"

A sheepish grin lingered on her lips as she still held the tome close to her chest, her gaze now shifting to Vesper. "Hello~ I am Yu~ Nice to meet cha~ Was trying to study but this delicious scent demanded a Plan B, so I decided to investigate."

Her wings fluttering lightly behind her the fairy continued to playfully sway back and forth in the air. "Cookies and pastries~ I once heard a spirit say that all you need now is a lot of cute girls and then you'd have all things nice in the world~"

A playful wink followed at Alisa as she chimed softly. "Mhmm~ It was 'that' particular person who loved to say that~ I wonder if Esperia liked cookies as well..."

The atmosphere in the guild was so brilliantly delightful. Sun-kissed skin from the intangible, yet palpable halation that seemed to radiate off of every single person. Vesper was grateful beyond words to have joined somewhere this cozy. Being able to enjoy this idyllic view of a satisfied customer, making them happy with his own two hands, was more than enough for the boy.

"Of course! As you wish ma'am! Err... A-Alisa.. Mm! Alisa it is! Heheh~" He bows and giggles. It'll be hard to snuff out the desire to be formal around such a respected adult, but he's rather fond of having such an affable role model to look up to. "The offer still stands nonetheless. If we run out, I shall simply make more~"

Vesper was already over the moon, privileged and grateful for this encounter when he's bestowed with another gift. A fairy! His heart flutters in excitement with the same tenacity of her wings as she sways back and forth. He's never met a fairy before! He's excited and trying so desperately to contain it. "Nice to meet you, Miss Yu~ Heheheheh~" He's fidgeting, rosy red cheeks as he toys with the fringes of his bangs, distracting himself with a different sensation. Ves found it difficult to juggle the sheer amount of childish wonder and exuberance swirling around inside him. "Ah! I do apologize for luring you away from your work! Feel free to help yourself. My service to the guild that's been so good to me." He extends a hand out to beckon the fairy - an invitation to feast to her heart's content.

She had said something else that had caught his attention and started slipping just as quickly. Cookies? Pastries? Cute girls? A reference to a mutual friend, perhaps? Vesper tapped his finger against his lips. "Hmmm I suppose if I get permission to use the kitchen again... I could make some little cakes as well and then Blue Pegasus would have all those things!" The elated boy shines a wide, toothy grin, swaying with his hands behind his back - a pup that couldn't help but wag his tail, forever blessed.

Yu couldn't help but smile sheepishly at Vesper's choice of title for her. "Just Yu is fine~ I might be your senior in the guild but if we go by technicalities you and most mortals are still older than me."

The fairy chimed softly as she shook her head lightly at Vesper's apologize. It was fine, she had nearly completed most of her work to begin with and as a result started to proceed to the more exciting part of her studies: experimentation!

"Don't worry about that Ves~ I just finished deciphering this book, which is actually why I came to seek out Ali-sensei~"

She hovered beside Vesper and excitedly showed the cover of the book to the guild master. "I actually found this book in Caelum, in one of the study chambers of Esperia I found this book, it was quite difficult to decipher since judging from the contents of the book the language used for the scriptures was in Dragonic! But that language hasn't been used since the age of dragons passed! Although I do wonder how she learned the script..."

A soft hum followed as she continued speaking. "Well! Thanks to this book I learned how to deconstruct the fundamentals behind the conversion of mana into magic~ Given the opportunity to observe a spell I could in theory scribe down the factors and then apply the theory in this book to replicate the conversion."

Realizing she might had lost the duo the fairy proceeded to exclaim with a sheepish giggle. "Or in layman terms: Copy a person's spells! So if Ves was to make a candy spell I could in theory replicate the results through observation! Isn't that amazing?!"

She happily took a hop and a skip closer to Alisa and smiled gleefully at her. "She might had been a lewdling, but she must had been super smart and loved magic lots and lots to be able to figure out the contents of this book by herself!"

Vesper gently brushed the top of his hand, fluttery, ember-touched finger tips grasping for something to smother the warmth. He hugs his hands together, trailing up to his wrist with elated wiggles of his body as he listens to the women banter together and praise him further. It felt odd to have this sort of familiarity with patrons and both seemed to prefer a more casual manner of being spoken to. "Ah! You're far too kind, Alisa. Thank you so much! I can't wait to make more treats for the guild~" He can't help but bow to his guild master, giggling with glee.

"Oh, that's exciting!" A quick chime and sense of relief that his efforts were not distracting to the studious fairy. Vesper was rather ignorant of the history of the world and magic at large, sequestered away and sheltered by his overly protected parents. It was all he could offer despite his genuine interest in her work and luckily she was eager to amply elaborate. It was endearing to listen to someone so passionately explain their work and a quality he was a bit envious of. Yu was glowing, if only for a short while. An alluring light humming an entrancing melody.

"Ehhhh? Really!? You can really copy spells just by seeing them? That's incredible, Yu!" Child-like excitement in his twinkling eyes, hands unlatching to position in front of his chest, balled up in equally childish wonder.

Alisa's suggestion to put the idea to the test would be met with an enthusiastic "Of course, I'd love to help!" Regardless of his own curiosity and interest in the practical demonstration of the fairy's theory - he felt obliged to give back in whatever way he could to this paradise that had accepted him with open arms. "Hehe, I don't think I'll be able to compete with how cool Alisa is, but I'll give it my best shot~!"

He bumbles through his bag, and plucks out a piece of candy, holding out in the palm of his hand. "Ahem~ My magic is a bit weird and probably a little impractical, but I came up with it myself!" He puffs his chest out, half proud and maybe to shield himself from little teases. "I use candy as a catalyst to power my body up with magic through my metabolism." He closes his fist tight and a magic circle forms around his hand, the sparking thrum of electricity curling around the candy clenched so tight. A quick motion to toss the candy into his mouth - crunch. A faint blue glow shrouds Vesper's frame, galvanized with crackling electricity that emits a low buzz.

"Ta-da~" A showmanly bow with a voice that cracks into a giggle.

Spell:

Yu nodded her head sheepishly in response to Alisa's statement. It was true, although the ability to copy spells came with a certain degree of versatility it also had the downside of never being truly as good as the spell that was originally cast. Fortunately Alisa and Vesper were more than willing to put the magical ability of the book to the test, and with the same excitement of a child unwrapping a present on their birthday she opened the book. She nodded her head attentively as Alisa started to perform the motion that served as the activation of her spell, alongside a phrase she presumed was the name of the spell, similar to an incantation.

With baited breath Yu watched as the page in the book started to lit up and a collective of runes and schematics started to emerge on the page. "Elemental composition, mana distribution, incantation motion, it is all recording it- but there is something else going on... the book is rewriting the spell?"

A light tilt of her head followed as it seemed the book itself was altering the very design of the spell and with a hint of excitement she turned toward Alisa. "Let's give it a try~"

As she lightly raised the book up in front of her the tome levitated for a moment as the runes on its page lit up. Raising her left arm into the air she focused on the instructions of the book. Alter the density of the mana, enhance the flow and... Reciting the phrase naturally, perhaps oblivious to the ties the Sinese language had to that of the Joyan she chimed softly.

"Shōma no Ibara"

A sudden jolt of white light shone from her arm as the mana around her fingertips visibly started to solidify in the familiar crystalline blade that Alisa had produced earlier, although based on the initial look of it the blade seemed sharper and slightly longer than the original?

"I'm not certain, but based on the instructions of the book it should have created an optimized version of the spell? Although to call it optimized in comparison to the original makes the author of the book sound a bit cocky." Yu chimed playfully as she dispelled the magic after letting Alisa have a final glimpse at it.

Next came Vesper's idea, the idea of using candy as a catalyst to accompany it with enhancing one's metabolism sounded fascinating. She wasn't sure how to make it look in practice but she was still willing to give it a try.

And indeed, the book had already eagerly started to create a schematic from the candy, including how to replicate it in a healthier fashion with a note that made Yu's cheeks flush lightly. "I can eat plenty of candy before I'd become fat! If anything maybe if I eat enough candy and learn to redirect the energy elsewhere I might look like sensei in a few months from now!"

Nonetheless, as the book finished its copying she raised a hand lightly in front of her, its palm facing upwards as soon a small sphere looking like a candy was conjured in it! With a light hop she digested the candy and...

Her eyes narrowed to the point they closed slightly as she felt her body radiating far more energy than normally, but more concerning was: "It's too sour!" The girl whined in protest "It's like thunder exploded in my mouth and now my tongue is all tingly!"

But at least it had worked...


- Learned to copy Alisa and Vesper's spell~

Vesper claps his hands together, excited to watch the book work its magic, bright eyed with a brighter smile, listening to the two gush about their magic. A playful wink and nod to the kindhearted woman expressing her desire to partake in more delectable treats. Perhaps regular gift bags full of saccharine sweets to repay her sweet gesture.

For now, his attention was on the guild master's demonstration and to say he was impressed would be an understatement. The ability to create a weapon from your own body was an incredible feat and it gave Vesper quite a few ideas. "Yeah! No way this book knows better than Alisa! ...though it is really impressive that it was able to replicate and rewrite the spell... But, it doesn't have to be so cheeky about it!" Vesper felt staunchly loyal, ready to tussle with a bundle of pages over its mild sleight to defend Blue Pegasus' honor. It doesn't take long for his attention to divert back to the fairy's display and his mildly childish tantrum dissipates into a burst of wonder. "Waaaah~ Well done, Miss Yu! Hehe~ This book really does work wonders, huh?" A hand raises to cling to the back of his neck, a gentle trail up and down as he giggles, expressing genuine perplexity through his body despite his admiration.

"Eheh~ It's more like my love of cooking influenced the magic, but one day I'd love to be able to materialize sweets to give to people. Like wishes! To make people happy." A shy response to the empress of Blue Pegasus in the interim between experiments, a sheepish smile to accompany his fidgety fingers tapping at his forearm. He wasn't quite used to the attention, but was eating it up nonetheless.

Ah, then it came time for the book to duplicate his own spell and even a candy itself, manifested from pure magic. This gave Vesper the confirmation he needed that his idea was possible. The result came as no surprise to Ves, but he was confident in the book's copy paling in comparison to anything an experienced baker could create. There's no way the taste could compare and that was Vesper's pride, above all else. Yu's reaction alleviated all of his childish worries, her face contorting in response to the intense electrifying flavor. "Ah, I should have warned you that there's a bit of an oomf to it! My apologies, ma'am! Err.. I mean, Yu" The spell he cast on himself wears off, his translucent blue glow fading to give way to the pink in his cheeks. "It's not supposed to be sour though..." A hum to calm himself as his hands move to tap at the table. "You're always free to stock up on my candies, but I would gladly do baking lessons if that was something you, or any of the guild was interested in~"

It seemed that when the topic involved magic and the theoretical aspects of it the little fairy clearly was more energetic than usual. "I see~ so through the adjustment of the blade's dimensions once can alter its purpose in battle." Yu mused softly as she seemed to think a bit more on the topic. Meanwhile Vesper's expression of wanting to learn how to use his magic to help people felt endearing to Yu. "That is a noble and kind ambition for your magic Ves-chan~" Yu hummed softly as she started to recover little by little from the initial surprise of the candy's sour flavor.

"Perhaps it is due to your subconsciously adding the imagination of the flavor to your spell? It would make sense that one who has spent much time baking sweets and such would understand the type of flavors one could produce from them. I don't think I ever had the opportunity to sample them when I was alive?"

For a moment as the last words were uttered it felt like her mind was drawing a blank. Why did she say such a thing? Wasn't she alive right now? For the briefest of moments her cheerful expression turned into one of pain as she grasped with a hand to her head and tried to suppress the pained little wince that escaped her lips. Like a picture flashing in front of her eyes she saw an old cottage, a tall figure yelling something at a smaller child-like figure that was seemingly protesting, as she was clearly yelling back at the taller person and then... fuzzy, like a static screen she felt the memory fade away, a light shake of her head following. "Sorry... I... I'm not sure what I was saying."

She smiled apologetically at the duo, her gaze turning toward Vesper. "I would love to take some baking lessons from you someday. It will be a healthy distraction from my studies." Yu chimed softly as she looked up at Alisa. "I wonder, perhaps the book's creator wanted to inspire the reader to learn all sorts of magic by learning from other people? It does seem like learning more about the origins of the magic responsible for the spell will help in learning to wield it properly. At least that is what I think~" Yu couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush up lightly with joy as she felt her head patted gently. For a moment it was as if her body was recognizing a feeling that her mind had long forgotten: the gesture of kindness and affection clearly easing the worries of the little fairy.

Magic saturates the air, a vibrant resonance that was almost too blinding for the young boy. He was positively effervescent, basking in such radiant company. There was no doubt that he made the correct choice to join Blue Pegasus, every connection forged; a blooming flower. And the petals would shine in a unique brilliance that illustrates just how special they were. A garden of memories that would continue to grow for as long as he remained in their guidance. Vesper would repay this kindness one day.

He'd peek towards the fairy, a curl of his lips to flourish broad wings, a smile that soars along with the fluttering fairy. "Heheheh~ I don't know if I'd say all that! It's just nice to leave people with a warm, fuzzy feeling and..." His head would tilt in reaction to the strange comment from the fairy with a concerned expression creasing the contours of his lips. "Miss Yu, are you okay? You haven't been overworking have you?" He'd whine,  leaning close to hover. The silence would be met with a comforting smile and her declaration, accepting his proposal for baking lessons. He claps his hands together, clasping with an excitable little shake. "Really!? Oh wow, Miss! I promise I'll do my very best to teach you all the fundamentals and whatnot. Everybody would love sweet treats made by such a sweet lady!"

He'd turn his attention to Alisa, ecstatic fidgeting afflicting his fingers tapping against the width of his forearm. "That goes for you, too, Miss Alisa~! I'd never be so cruel as to think of it as suffering. It's always a joy to taste something made with tender care and dedication~" He'd flash a smile with a hop skip to return to his place, slanted along the boundary of the table. "A nice little bakery for my friends in Blue Pegasus sounds nice~" He strokes the fringes of his hairs, cheeks flushing a rosy pink, fantasizing of a long line of smiling faces and potential apprentices to teach - to share in his passion.

"Mhm! The love and experiences that went into a creation of a spell changes depending on the user. Sort of like adjusting the flavor in a way that's suitable for the user... whether it's sugar or spice. Even with baking you could follow a recipe perfectly and it still differs in some inexplicable way... I think magic is the same way. It's what makes it so fun!" A hand would lift to ruffle the back of his hair, a shy, nervous grin adorning his face, teetering on the edges of a playful giggle. "Heheh... That probably sounds silly."

Yu couldn't help but shake her head gently in return to Vesper's concern, deciding to trust the lad with a more sensitive secret of hers. "I haven't been studying too much. You see, my memories of the time I spend as a human before I got turned into a Fairy were always hazy at best, and ever since I tried to study into the consequences the void has upon people my memories seem to have disappeared in its entirety. Like my body tries to remember, but my mind simply reaches into emptiness when I try to think about these days." She heaved a gentle sigh after she decided to listen to Vesper's joyous reaction about the fact she had taken up on his cooking lessons. The sheer enthusiasm with which he spoke was well and truly infectious, to the point it brought a smile to her lips. "That is true, every spell has an unique flavor to it, in that regard one could say the very handling of how a mage approaches the magic could lead to a very different outcome compared to another one practicing the very same fundamentals."

She brought a hand to her cheek and pondered for a moment. "I wonder if that is why people say that the sea of magic is so vast, and that every day new spells still end up being discovered by people all around the world." Yet there was one particular idea that still lingered, and so Yu turned to look at Vesper, a soft hum following. "Would you be able to develop some type of candy that energizes a person? Like the moment you nom it, you feel your fatigue fading away? If so I would love to learn that recipe with you~"

It certainly could help her a lot in her studying, or whenever she had to pull a long night looking through reports and documents at the clock tower!