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Annie pushed open the door in front of her and was greeted by the sound of a tiny ringing bell, and a wave of warmth that brought with it the smell of cooked sugars. A tall woman popped out of a door in the back of the building.
"Hi, how may I--" She paused, looking over Annie, before sighing and adjusting her hat. "Oh, hello Annie."
"Hi Miss Morgana!" Annie smiled, walking up to the counter.
Morgana slid her elbow on the counter and rested her chin on a mittened hand. She gave her hair a half-hearted blow, momentarily revealing her full face.
"What brings you here?"
"Well, uh." Annie cupped her chin with one hand and kicked at the ground lightly. "Mr. Mundo sent me here with some business guy for a meeting, but when we got here..." Annie's face twisted into a frown and she crossed her arms. "He just told me to walk around the city and went to the meeting himself."
"What a jerk." Morgana replied tonelessly.
"Anyway," Annie held up her stuffed bear, "Tibbers reminded me you have a bakery here, so I thought that we would visit."
"Clever bear." Morgana sighed. "Well, we have a lot of orders to fill, so just take a seat somewhere."
Before Morgana could lift her arm off of the counter, a loud, banging crash rang out from the kitchen. Within moments, an exceptionally broad man came rushing out of the kitchen, covered in splotches of flower.
"Stay calm!" He yelled almost immediately. "An empty tray fell. That's all."
Morgana sighed and frowned. "Hurry and go pull the muffins from the oven before you overcook the glaze."
The man took a straightened pose. "Consider it done," he said before slipping into the kitchen. Morgana rubbed her forehead head for a moment before following him, leaving Annie alone in the store section of the building.
Annie took a seat at one of many tables scattered about, and took a look around. The store was currently empty, but Annie figured that was because all the big people were working at this time of day. The walls were covered in large paintings of flowers and fruit. The pictures and the warmth of the store reminded Annie of summer, taking walks in the woods with Tibbers and that one time she ran into Ezreal.
Annie leaned back in her chair and listened to Morgana scold her assistant from the kitchen. She planted her bear on the table in front of her. "Say, Tibbers, doesn't that guy seem kinda familiar?"
Tibbers paused for a moment and then nodded.
"I wonder why." Annie furrowed her brow and thought hard, letting out a long hum. She was interrupted by the sound of the clinking bell, the beating of small wings, and the sound of wood on wood. Annie opened her eyes and turned towards the door.
"My, Annie." Swain muttered through his scarf. "What a surprise to see you in Noxus."
"Hi, Mr. Swain." Annie leaned forward and grabbed Tibbers.
"How are you finding our fair city?"
"Uh." Annie paused. "It's okay, I guess."
Swain chuckled for a moment, but before he could speak again, the door to the kitchen swung open. Morgana's assistant strode out holding a bag with Swain's name written on it.
"Ah." He worked his way over to the counter, his cane thumping in a steady rhythm. "Thank you," he said pleasantly as he took the bag. "See you on the field."
The assistant nodded and returned to the kitchen. Swain made to leave, but stopped at Annie's table. He pulled a small cookie from the bag and held it to his raven, who slowly pecked at it.
"Perhaps you would consider living here?" He said, watching the bird eat. "You would do well in Noxus."
"No thanks." Annie said flatly. "I like my home."
The only part of Swain's face not covered by his scarf crinkled momentarily. He nodded to Annie and left the shop, his raven cawing loudly. Annie frowned.
She didn't like Swain. Every time she saw him, he would try to convince her to move to Noxus, even when they fought each other on the Fields of Justice.
Annie spent a while talking with Tibbers about Swain and who the assistant was, until the bell chimed again interrupting their conversation. A strange coldness poured into the room as the door swung open. Annie turned her head and leaned over the table slightly to see who was at the door. Mordekaiser stood outside the shop, looking as if he was deliberating on how to fit his huge frame through the door. He eventually squatted down and slipped through the door sideways, somehow making the odd act look dignified in the process.
"Hi Mr. Mordekaiser!" Annie smiled. The tall armored man straightened himself out and gave the girl a quick nod before moving up to the counter. Once again, the assistant came out with a marked bag and handed it to his customer. Mordekaiser gave another nod.
"Are we still on for tomorrow?" The assistant asked abruptly.
"Yes." Mordekaiser responded curtly and left without another word--pausing once again at the door to squeeze through. The assistant watched him leave with a grin, before turning to Annie.
"You okay out here by yourself?" He asked.
"Uh-huh." Annie nodded. "I like it better in here than in town. It smells nice and people don't stare at me funny."
The assistant chuckled and nodded. "Well, I better get that last order ready and bagged up." He nodded again and dipped back into the kitchen. Annie yawned and put her head on the table. The warmth of the room was making her sleepy. She yawned again, slipped off her headband and pulled Tibbers close, intending on napping for a little bit. The stuffed bear patted the girl's head until she fell asleep.
The chime of the bell roused Annie from her sleep. She wasn't sure how long she was napping. She gave a long yawn and put her hairband back on her head, trying to make it as straight as possible.
"So no one saw this, right?" She heard a familiar woman's ask. Annie began to rub her eyes.
Morgana's familiar sigh filled the room. "I made sure the kitchen was devoid of spies."
Annie yawned again and opened her eyes, looking towards the counter. Morgana and her assistant were speaking to a rather paranoid looking Katarina, who was holding a bag of pastries rather close to her chest.
"No one can know about this. At all. No one." Katarina spoke very firmly.
Morgana smirked. "I won't tell anyone about your frosted pink heart-shaped cookies."
"My best work yet." Her assistant added proudly.
"And no one outside of this room will know." Morgana's smile deepened, and she looked from Katarina to Annie. "Good morning, child."
Annie yawned again. "'llo."
Katarina hissed. "Damn, I didn't even see her."
"Hi, Miss Katarina." Annie said in between yawns. She noticed the bag in her hand. "Oh, are those for Mr. Gar--"
"Quiet!" Katarina yelled a bit too loudly. She caught herself and flushed a bit before turning away from the counter. "I'm leaving." She strode quickly out of the bakery.
Morgana laughed the instant the door came to a close. "That girl, trying to hide what everyone already knows." She shook her head.
Annie yawned again and stood up. "Um. I think it's time for me to go meet that guy, so..."
"So long, Annie." Morgana waved and went back into her kitchen. Her assistant nodded and made to follow.
"Wait!" Annie called out. The assistant stopped and cocked an eyebrow. "Um, Mister, do I know you?"
The assistant looked shocked. "Of course you--" An expression of understanding crossed his face. "Just a moment."
He withdrew into the kitchen. Annie and Tibbers looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. When the man reemerged, he had removed his shirt and apron revealing a chiseled chest. On his head was a large pot, and in his hands he carried a lengthy stirring rod and a pot lid.
"Ooooh!" Annie smiled brightly. "I didn't recognize you, Mr. Pantheon!"
Pantheon laughed. "Well, I must get back to work. Good day, Annie." He disappeared again into the kitchen. Annie stretched her arms and legs before leaving the shop. She stood a moment in the street, letting the sunlight hit her face.
"Um." She held up her bear face to face with her. "Tibbers, I forgot where we're supposed to meet him."
The bear drooped a bit.
