This is the Cirno News Network with a breaking news story! Still no news of our beloved workwolf. Please contact us if you hear any more! Now, onto the story! We have learned that there is more rumors of the darkness spreading in the forest. Perhaps a darkness youkai is planning her next move? We are unsure, as our source recently visited the manor deep in the bamboo forest to have her eyes checked. Although, we are unsure how she managed to get that far, when she has trouble seeing what is in front of her face! We wish her well in her recovery.

Thank you, and enjoy the show. This has been THE STRONGEST! Now back to your irregularly scheduled fix.

Empty-Headed, Innocent Love Magician

Dum de dum, dum de duh. A rum-tum-tum anna liddledeeda. Too la fo ulna yagato rasa. Feo leo teo ma. A little bit of fluffy, a little bit of wuffy, and a little bit of muffy in the soup. Tella mea culpa, mea trea culpa, tragado yagato ya.

…Wait, what was it that came next? Usa laywa ima twea poobah? No, that wasn't right… That will make it much too fuzzy. Uz meaza ena loogar tetswana? No no! Silly me! I went and forgot the spell! Again. Poo. Now ima gonna hafta go all the way back up to my room, and get down my book and look it over.

Maybe I will just try something new! It wouldn't be that hard, after all. All of the spells that I's know are much much easy! All I have to do is say the magic words… Why am I talking to myself like this? Not like there's much need to tell myself what to do! I'm still just being silly me, as always! Teehee.

Fweeh. But whaddya think I should do, me? A zippidee doo dah ringing banging? No, no, we don't need little fuzzywuzzles following after us. Although, I should write that one down. It might be nice to have more fuzzywuzzles in the future! Maybe I can use them to talk to that nice wolf lady person who borrowed some of my potions!

Too bad that she didn't like them though. But they made nice wolf lady even fuzzier than usual! Fuzzy is always better, isn't it? Yes it is, oh yes it is! I wish she understood… But she didn't even let Ellen pet her! Poor girl looked so mad too… She needed nice warm fuzzy petting!

Dingalingaling! Oh, I love that bell so much. But who could it be? Who could it be? A customer perhaps? A customer indeed! Oh, how wonderful! And just so soon after I opened the doors! Well, I opened the doors of times, yes, lots of times! How wonderful is it that it happens? So wonderful indeed!

Still, this is a call for a momentous and monuments and majestic and magnificent celebration. A whoodidly doo ana sis boom bah!

E-heh-heh! Did you like my light show customers? I put it on just for you! Plus I do like to show of the magic. Wasn't it so sparkly? Hehe, thank you, thank you! I do my best! Although, I think it needed more sis and less bah, don'tcha agree? Here, try it on for size. A whoodidly doo ana siiiis boom ba!

Uwah? No, I don't have anything cooking on the stove, much less bacon! Silly customer! Silly me! I don't even have a stove! Not like I gotta eat much, anyway! Why need I eat when there is more lovely-dovely magic to be making! Why am I still talking when there is magic to be showing? Come on in, come on in!

Oh, there are others with you? Who is it- Oooooh. Big shield lady thing! Hiya there! What's it making you float? Do you have floaty magic? You don't taste like you have floaty magic. Or smell like you have floaty magic. Still, you must have floaty magic, because you are floating!

Aww, ok, I won't taste. But you must know that taste is a very important sense for us magicians. How else would be get a good feel for the magic? Asides from feeling the magic, but I find that quite imprecise! The best knowledge always comes from tasting! Unless it's poisonous, and then you just have to make something more lovely than the poison so you can then taste it

Still, I like you. Plus you have a giant glowing ball! Giant glowing balls are the epitome of magical might! Unless they are pyramids. I like pyramids too. But giant glowing balls are better!

Eh? Why is strange lady snickering, shield lady? Does she have something wrong? Oh, I know this! Saw this from the doctor lady person thing. She has life support hooked up! That's why she has that thing attached to her. I'm sorry. She must have some rather bad condition, doesn't she? I bet it causes her to spontaneously snicker at times.

See? Now you're not snickering! Although you shouldn't glare at me like that! It does bad things to your face. Yes, many bad things indeed. But I've got something to fix that. Just a little bit of soft magic potion and a whirladee doodad….

Oops. I think that was the fuzzy magic. Still, at least you don't have to glare at people with big fuzzy eyebrows miss strange lady that snickers and has a strange attachment attached to her! You can go use my kitchen if you want to cut them off; I think there is something in there to use!

Hehe. I agree with you too, miss floaty shield lady. She does look better with them. I think we should keep this a secret between us, though. Because between you and me, I think she does not like them.

Oooh. So that's why she was muttering about getting a knife. Why is that, though? I mean, all she has to do is cut off the strands. And I have a perfectly good three foot pair of scissors that she can use! They even have nice and comfy handles!

…Why would I have a smaller pair of scissors, when I have three foot ones?

You're right! It is silly question. But it is good, because I make silly questions all the time! Even when I talk to myself! Uwah? Well, I live here by myself, so it's not like I can talk to anyone else!

Oh, the fuzzywuzzles? No, why would I talk to them? I make the fuzzywuzzles to talk to other people, or just because! So, it would be silly for me to talk to them. Especially when I could talk to the comfywuzzle instead!

You haven't seen the comfywuzzle? Oh, ok! Come on then! I'll show you my secret room! It's actually the bedroom too, so it's alright if you come in. Oh, customer wants to come too? Alright… But only you two! No weird ladies with strange attachments allowed! It's part of our policy, enacted as of now.

No, I am not laughing for no reason! Don't you know that it is established store policy that one must be happy at all times? I shall have to get her with some of my happy gas since she isn't following the rules. Grr. Will you help me miss shield lady? She'll never see that coming, I don't think.

Oh, right, the comfywuzzle! See it here! He is big and soft and long and warm and comfy and big… Ewah? Well, yeah, it is a blanket. But you said you wanted to see him! Besides, I can sell you one, if you want to! Just give me a little bit to find the magic I need to make another one, if you will?

You don't want one? Aww… Why not? They are the softest and warmest. Why would you not? Oh, right, miss floaty shield lady. You do not even feel cold? That'd be nice. I hate feeling cold. Except when it's too hot. Then I like the cold! But still, that's too bad. Is there anything else that you can't feel?

You couldn't feel me tasting! Then why'd you ask me to stop tasting you earlier? I don't understand… How else am I to learn your floaty magic? Well, I could do that, but it'd be no fun, floaty lady! Hrmpf! Just because of that, I'm gonna go get my book and go help my customer. You'll get your comfywuzzle when I am through!

Why are you grinning like that? Shape up customer, or I might have to kick you out of my shop! That is, unless you pay the penalty. And trust me, you do not want to sit in that corner for five minutes! I picked that corner over there because of its extra lumpiness. I'm sure it will make you very much uncomfortable before you are through!

And no, you cannot have the comfy magic. No no, you cannot. Bad people who do not listen to the shopkeeper do not get the benefit of the magician of love's magic!

You'll be good? Hooray! Now, we go back to the main room. I hope that there hasn't bee anything going on out there. Hrm…

Eek! What's that? Giant bat? Evil giant flappy wappy nasty bat? Oh, it's got a human face! How repulsive! Begone, foul beast! I shall drive you back like the icky rodent that you are! Back! Face my magic! Sis boom trala opat magdo!

Umm… Perhaps that was the wrong spell. Most definitely the wrong spell. All it did was get soot all over our faces. Pooey! That is what I get for trying to use not fluffy magic! Nasty love magic doesn't work so well for me… I guess I'm just not mean enough.

Still, is nasty bat lady thingy going to be hurting me? Or is she going to be looting any more of my potions. Oh, I saw what you did. Too bad you took that potion, though.

Ehehe… It's a potion to make someone feel nice and happy and empty. They won't have any worries after they take it. But you might wanna be leaving soon, though! It wasn't quite done diluting, so it's quite a bit more potent. Ah, you see now weird bat lady thing? Well, get going! I don't know what bats use as toilets, but I don't want you using mine! I don't want you messing up the privy!

No, I did not make her drink that or anything like that! Sheesh, you a suspicious customer! Why would I want to do that? Why would I do that in the first place? I mean, she's not really odd like the girl with the odd attachment attached to her. Where did she go, anyways? I can't see her at all.

She better not be getting into my private stocks! That might make me angry! Hrm. At least she didn't get into the inaba potion. It's rather inane, that inaba potion. One must be careful, or it might drive them insane! In a rather inane way! Hehe, I love saying that. I do wonder what an inaba of the attachment might look like. Would it be fuzzy, or would it just try to bite me?

Well, I just ask because most animals try to bite me. I don't know why! I just try to be nice to them, and be hugely snuggly and make sure they are warm and have a nice coat and maybe a cute hat to wear on their head and ooh mittens mittens are good too even if they have fur and I just wish that they would let me make their snuggly even wugglier and then—

Eh? I can breathe quite well. But I don't need to! It's one of those annoying things, like eating and pooping! Sure, I can do it, but why do I wanna, unless I hafta? Granted, I only do the latter if I need the ingredients for something special.

Eheh, I see you have to learn there is a lot before you become a magician of love. There's all kinds of love, don't you know! There's love of the trees, love of the kitties, love of the rabbits who bite, love of the customers that keep you company.

But there are simpler loves! Love for the fuzzy feeling in your head that makes you so happy, even though you can't remember everything. The love of the warm fuzzy feeling in the bottom of your stomach when you has good food. And the love that you get when you have successful plopper on the popper. Ehehe!

Uweh? Now, why's you looking all funny? I'm just telling the truth… Don't you agree, customer? I know it may be a wee bit embarrassing, but it's the twuth! Don't try and lie, Ellen knows the truth! Besides, it's not that embarrassing! After all, everyone does it.

Well, what were you expecting me to act like? I am a child, after all. And tell me, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, what does it make it? A vicious man-eating duck that comes to steal your soul and dance upon your entrails! Mwahaha!

…Why did I laugh like that? I've never made a vicious man-eating duck… Or at least I don't remember. Are man-eating ducks nice? I think they can be, if they are nice and fuzzy. Hrm. Maybe I should try making those some day.

Eh? Oh, sorry customer! Sometimes I get lost thinking about nice fuzzy things… But I suppose you're right. If they eat people, they by definition cannot be fuzzy. Because that would mean that part of them would be sharp and not comfy. So bad and not full of love, they would be.

So, tell Ellen what you are looking for here? You haven't said the entire time what you are here for. That is leaving me wondering what you could be looking for. You will tell me, yes?

Oh… You not here to purchase something? Aww… That makes me sad. I had hoped I might have new customers. Help me spread my love with my magic and potions! Oh well, I suppose it can't be helped. So, why is it that you are visiting, besides wanting to see the sis and the boom and da bah!

You actually came to see me! Wonderful! But what is itt hat you came to see me for? Is my love magic that strong that you just had to turn and come see my shop? Eheh, I couldn't blame you if that was the case.

There's more that wanted to see me? Wonderful! But where are they? Oh, you left them outside, I see. I see. But why didn't they want to come in? It's much warmier and fuzzier in here! Pooey. I shall just have to go outside. Where's my comfywuzzler when I need it…

Oh, who is that? I think I've seen them before. I know I've seen that outfit. But what is she carrying—

.

.

.

Kitteh!

Oh, fuzzy wuzzy kitty! What is it doing here? Aww, don't look so grumpy little miss kitty! I will take care of you. Maybe get you a nice bonnet to bring out your eyes and a collar that looks nice? Wait you already have a collar why do you already have a collar? Oh, you put a collar on her already why did you do that oh the kitty is for me yay the kitty is for me yay I have a kitty!

Wait, it's not a she kitty? But it's too pretty to be a he! Such a lovely gray fur. I love this gray! …In fact, it's the same color as my comfywuzzler. Why is that?

…Do I know your… He seems familiar, now that I think about it. Those eyes… I've seen those eyes somewhere…

Must be imagining things! Hehe. Still, he is a pretty cat. And all for me? Yay! I shall love him and cherish him and call him Gregory. Just like a good little pet should be called!

His name is Sokrates? Well, that is quite the dignified name for a cat, isn't it? Oh, yesh it is you widdle ball of fluffy wuffy goodness you. Oh yesh it is! Hehe, don't look so grumpy, Mr. Sokrates! I'll have you smiling happily soon enough, oh yes I will. I just need to get you something nice and juicy to eat.

…Do you like bats?

Ehehe, no, no, I won't do that! Right now… But I's has a good idea for you. I have plenty of new knives right now! We can go find you a nice little bird in the sky to be your meal. Make sure it's nice and juicy. I wonder if there are any doves that are here. Maybe a nice quail for you…

Oh, those knives? There the one's I sent your funny lady with the attachments attached to her towards. Well, and the three-foot scissors, but then again you think it's such a ridiculous idea… Well, I got the knives from this odd traveling lady…

That's right! I knew I had seen that outfit before! This lady I saw the other day looked like your friend with the green hair! That was it! She showed up in the middle of the night and demanded that I give her food. I would have too if she hadn't have used those ugly little sharp things. They weren't comfy at all… So I made them comfy! Pincushions are comfy once you make them large enough. Even comfy enough to sit in!

…Uwah? What's with the weird look you're giving me? Do you know someone that looks like your friend? Why is that such a bad thing. I haven't talked to your friend much, but she seems like a nice lady. Why wouldn't someone like her be a nice lady underneath all of that nasty pointedness?

She looked pretty much the same… But she had silver hair. Odd that was. She didn't look that old, but she had silver hair. Do you know why that might be? Perhaps she is just old in the inside, and doesn't love herself enough and therefore has silver hair? Although, she had cute braids… I like my hair better though. Nice and long, not short like that.

Aww, going already? Well, wait a bit! I need to make the nice shield lady thing a comfywuzzler. Will you let me do that, please? Then you can go! And then me and Mr. Sokrates can have some fun once you're done.

Doesn't that sound like a fluffy good time?

Sokrates has left your party, and has been entrusted in the care of Ellen. Please make room in your prayers tonight that he is not tormented too much.

A/N Well, needless to say that the next chapter is here. I decided to go with a mostly lighter tone, as the depressing chapters I've been writing recently For this project, among a few others have got me down. Sometimes it's just nice to let your mind get into the proper setting and let the nonsense flow, ain't it?

Besides, Ellen is pretty much innocent. She might have quite the interesting backstory if she had any memory of it. So everything is concentrated on the here and now, as a child might think. After all, she is a child in the end. Can't expect her to have much more than the briefest flashes of insight.

Oh, and if you see any typos, ignore them. I didn't bother to spellcheck very much, as I could not tell said typos from the intentional ones! Unless it is particularly egregious, I ask ye not to point it out. Just take it as Ellen being Ellen.

As to last chapter:

Mr. Muss, I'm afraid there is a little bit of difference. And as long as Merlin keeps her head, she will not go crazy. (I can make puns too! And they are quite welcome.) And it may be, or I may be distracting you with CNN while I set up something completely different in the plot. Perhaps I am being metaphorical, using her as an example of what is to come. Never trust a poltergeist, after all.

And at that, I shall end this off. Please read and review as always, and until next time