[Coolshaymin]

"Okay, the potion seems like it will do me some good. Let's see... Curry spices, Golden Banana, a crown of royalty, a flawless diamond, a chip of a legendary sword and a teaspoon of sugar..." Witch was in her shop seeming busy with her book. She was in the middle of figuring out a potion... probably for some kind of scheme. Still, she seemed to be slowly getting irritated as it went on.

"A crown of royalty? FLAWLESS diamond? Where do you even get a solid good banana? Do Legendary Swords even chip? Grandma has some obscure potion ingredients..." Witch resigned as she closed the book. She sighed at how she was even going to get half of these ingredients. Still, she shortly perked up and startled giggling. She opened the book again and got a mischeivious look on her face.

"Curry Spices though? I think I know who would be carrying those. That gives me an idea. I wonder what Arle is up to on this planet..." Witch plotted though she did not think to lock her door. Anyone could enter her shop while she was busy plotting. Still, she giggled to herself at the prospect of getting those spices off Arle.

[Mari]

Ding! The sound of the shop's door opening could be heard, a familiar face entering. Well if it wasn't beautiful in blue herself! Arle stepped inside looking rather lost and curious, closing the door behind her and scanning the area. It didn't take her long to notice Witch, her eyes locking onto the other and a bright smile gracing her face. "Oh, well if it isn't Witch~! I didn't know you'd arrived here on Li." Arle remarked. She seemed rather happy to see Witch, for reasons unclear. Weren't they enemies? Sometimes? ...Reasonably often? Except for when they weren't?

Arle glanced to the recipe in Witch's hands, eyeing it curiously. Best not to let her see what Witch was scheming. "What've you got set up here, some kind of shop?" Arle went on to ask.

[Coolshaymin]

I forgot to lock the door! Witch was unsurprisingly startled when the door opened and she looked to see who was here. Oooooh. Speak of Arle and she shall come. That was oddly good timing for Arle to discover her shop... But also really bad timing since she has not fully made a plan to steal the spices... Maybe she can just play it off until she comes up with something.

"Oh, Arle, what an unexpected surprise. Heard you have been getting quite the name here. Were you always the type for live action performances?" Witch responded while closing her book so Arle did not see the page she had opened. Best not to let her see her potion plans... Or the ingredient that just happened to be related to her. She had a lot of things to acquire that Arle no doubt would get in the way of.

"It's only natural I set up a potion shop. Obviously I can't use the one back in Primp Town. This Black Market luckily had plenty of space. Perhaps I can give you a celebrity discount?" Witch answered. The walls were lined with various potions each with different picture labels. Of course celebrity discount more meant someone famous using her product would attract more attention. There was the fact a Potion Messup was the reason she was on this planet... But Arle did not need to know that minor detail.

[Mari]

Arle beamed at Witch, rather pleased with Witch's knowledge of her reputation on Li. She was pretty proud of that, even if it was a little annoying in it's own right. She struck a rather flattering pose for Witch. "Of course! I've always been the hottest~" Arle remarked in a light-heartedly arrogant tone. It seemed she still had her dignity ... somehow. "It's just like our puyo battles, only for a bigger audience!" Arle went on to explain. Apparently, she was not afraid of crowds. Good to know. The mage then turned to acknowledge Witch's offer, a bright smile on her face. She seemed to be in a pretty friendly mood, in spite of having just flaunted her looks at the other.

"I guess you're right. That's awfully nice of you, Witch. What do you have for sale?" Arle asked, apparently actually interested in taking Witch up on her offer. Oh no. She's looking at you expectantly. What will you ever do, Witch?

[Coolshaymin]

She's having that ego boost again. That much has not changed about her. While she may be right, it does not make it any less annoying for her to be teasing it. If only there was some way...

Wait, did she just agree to the discount? It looks like she is letting her guard down... Maybe this will be easier than I thought... Now she had an idea to teach Arle for teasing and get those spices. This could not be going any more perfectly.

"Ohohohohoho!~" Witch giggled as she opened her potions book and quickly flipped the page. More to a page of pictures that she inserted to keep track of the pictures. "I have a few suggestions from my various potions for you. I have a potion that makes plants grow faster. A potion that allows you to communicate with the dead. Or I could have something else that would help some problem you have. Though, another one may interest you considering curry is going to be extremely hard to get by with the food shortage. I have a special Curry Potion that I concocted while studying it from various areas. It may taste like the most wonderful curry you could ever eat or, in this case, drink. I do not know myself, have not had much to compare it to. Still, good to have something, right?" Witch suggested pointing towards a potion with a skull and speech bubble, one with a flower and an up sign, and finally one that was red and had a curry symbol.

Though, Witch honestly marked that bottle wrong on purpose. It actually had love potion in it that she planned to give Arle if she wanted something special. If she fell for it like Witch wanted, she could have some fun with it for a moment... Just unfortunate that it won't last very long. She made sure to put some things to make the effects on memory foggy. While she would not completely forget what happened, it would be hard enough to remember that she could get away with it.

[Mari]

Arle's gaze followed Witch's hands. She, of course, wasn't entirely trusting. The idea of a potion that made plants grow faster sounded intriguing, if only because she wanted to impress Viridi with it by growing her something nice. The potion of spirit speaking momentarily hurt her spirits as the sudden imagery of her ghostly mother talking to her filled her mind. It was an irrational memory, for she knew not her mother's fate, and yet it affected her all the same. Her smile briefly faltered. She wasn't sure that potion wasn't unholy. Best not to touch it, just in case. The last one though...

That was bait.

Definitely bait. And yet...

Delicious, delicious bait.

"...A curry potion? If it is even half as good as you say, I might just have to become a regualr customer." Arle replied, only mildly incredulous. It was odd, but the idea that Witch could have made a half-decent curry flavored potion wasn't implausible to her.

Arle moved to inspect the potion. "Well, if you don't mind... I'd like to try this~!" Arle remarked. The mage moved to accept the potion, taking it into her hands and inspecting it more closely for a moment. She wasn't sure what she was looking for though, so she soon opened it and gave it a whiff. ...Strange. It didn't smell like curry. It didn't smell like anything, really. Not anything she recognized, anyway. Perhaps that was simply the nature of the potion? Arle gave Witch one last look, one of incredulity, before raising the potion to her lips and beginning to drink it.

One could see Arle swallow once before hesitating for a moment as she realized this didn't taste like curry at all. However, she kept drinking. Perhaps she simply enjoyed the taste and did not realize what was happening to her or perhaps the potion itself was compelling her to continue drinking it. Either way, she kept drinking until the potion was empty. The mage then emitted a gasp, recoiling slightly as she dropped the bottle. Arle could feel a warm... fuzy sensation overcoming her, a wave of fogginess rushing over her mind, twisting her feelings... She turned on Witch, a certain alarm in her tone.

"Th-That... was not a curry potion, was it..?" Arle stammered out, struggling with her newfound emotions. One could see the way she trembled, failing at nearly every step.

[Coolshaymin]

She would come back more often if she got a good curry potion? Huh, maybe she should of considered that instead of just tricking her into drinking love potion... "Sure, go ahead and try it. I want to know what you think," Witch encouraged. Arle's look after smelling the potion definitely did not help matters. She struggled not to go on one of her giggling fits to give herself away. Why did Arle have to be so cautious about drinking her potion? Fortunately though Arle soon downed the whole love potion and it was time to see how effective this is. That amount of love potion being consumed directly should last a good while. Not sure how long, maybe a few hours, maybe less. She did not really test it. Definitely would not be more than a day. Did not have the ingredients to make it that potent.

"Ohohohohoho~." Witch giggled in response to Arle's question. From that reaction she must be feeling it. "That would depend on your definition of curry. Ohohohohohoho~." Witch dodged the question though she did not think much on how that would sound suspicious. Though it was not dishonest, probably poking fun at how Arle loves curry so Curry Potion could be another term for Love Potion. Well, if you looked at it in a sneaky way. She could try and take advantage of Arle's confusion... But she had to get something out of the way and see how good this was. "By the way, I could use a present. I would like some Curry Spices for something special. You would not happen to have some to loan to me, would you?" Witch requested.

[Mari]

Arle considered Witch's words. The logical part of her brain was aware that something was wrong, but the emotional part of her brain was a lot stronger and was telling her she really wanted a closer inspection of Witch's lips. ...Wait--what?! What was happening to her... brain?! Arle screamed internally, but could not deny her feelings. They felt honest and real to her, and the potion was doing a good job of clouding her mind to the point where she was intoxicated enough not to be able to question the origin of these feelings too much. For all her brain was concerned, the potion she'd drank had in fact tasted like curry in hindsight and she'd loved every moment of it. "O-Oh... Sure!" Arle blurted out in a rather flustered tone, eagerly producing a jar of curry spices from her bag and holding it out to Witch, an approval seeking expression on her face.

"You can keep it! It's all yours~" Arle went on to state. Was this what being flirted with by Arle felt like? ...It was more like she was obedient puppy, desperate to please her master. One certainly got that impression from the eagerness in her eyes. It raised questions about what else Witch could get away with, and if Viridi was aware of the risk Arle was being put at.

[Coolshaymin]

"Thanks, Arle, this will do very nicely. How kind of you to just give it to me," Witch approved as she took the curry spices. This Love Potion thing was turning out to be a very effective tool. Good thing there was no Goddess or anything that would be mad at how easy Witch made Arle to be so vulnerable. What would be the odds of that? Even be her actual girlfriend. The thought is enough to make Witch giggle with humor.

Hm... She does seem very obedient when effected by it? Is she naturally this submissive under the effects of love? Can't say anyone ever really got Arle to feel this way... Which means she must be the first one. What is the chances something silly like a hippie deity would of did it first? Well, it's not like it will possibly come back to bite her. Arle is as good as drunk with how much love potion she drank. Might as well have a little fun. After it is over, it will probably just seem like a strange dream to Arle, right? That is how these kind of things worked... Well, when you don't really think it through. Eh, where's the harm. It's not like she will figure it out.

"Ohohohohohoho~... You know, it would not be right if I took them for nothing. Maybe I could give you something like a hug... Kiss, maybe?" Witch mused aloud. She was usually not out there with her inner feelings for Arle... at all really. In fact, she tended to get defensive like that time she apparently cuddled Arle in her sleep... Still, no one could see them and Arle was completely out of it. Maybe playing it off how Arle would not usually see it would make it seem more dreamish. Either way that sounded like a good idea for her to actually experience this proper.

[Mari]

Now, Arle's actual girlfriend could have told Witch that Arle wasn't naturally a very intimate person. That was part of why Arle liked Viridi. She didn't ask for much if any intimacy. It was a breath of fresh air from all the perverts and suitors that always wanted... Well--less than friendly intimacy. That wasn't to say that Arle was incapable of feeling desire, merely that others often had zero clue how to appeal to her. Yet... A love potion, on the other hand, would do the trick quite nicely. Perhaps Arle merely saw and heard whatever magic words she needed to see or hear, but she was helpless to resist the flood of desire that made her heart flutter at that moment.

Witch could see the fire in Arle's eyes, that single-minded desire brought on by the poisoned drink. What was she thinking about doing..? Perhaps she ought to make a note to be careful not to give that potion to an enemy. Not everyone would have as much restraint as Arle was demonstrating right now. A moment of shock passed as Arle absorbed Witch's offer.

"...Why not... both?" the intoxicated mage asked in response before she hesitantly moved in and wrapped her arms around Witch's waist, pulling herself close to the other and just sort of basking in the close embrace for a moment. She smiled in a rather goofy, not-quite-all-there sort of way before leaning in and attempting to give Witch an adoring smooch. Best hope there isn't any love potion lingering on her lips, lest the unthinkable happen.

[Coolshaymin]

"B-Both?!" She actually accepted to it? Not only that but both the hug and the more intimate part? She was just testing to see if she would agree. The girl was not ready to actually do it! Then again, she did make the love potion. She should really of expected it's effects to be quite strong... That look though was strangely intimidating for some reason... Was there some unintended side effect she did not intend for the purposes of her potions?

Before she could think it through that far however or object, Arle took the initiative. She was about to try and say something to halt it but before she could the kiss came. And it was not anywhere near as enjoyable as she would of thought it to be... Was it because of how she acquired it that it did not feel satisfying?... And why did her lips taste vaguely of... Oh no... That backfired fast. Witch instinctively pushed Arle away before feeling her head. What effects would love potion have when it was intended to work on yourself? It was a good thing it was a low dose of it so it would not last as long or have as powerful of an effect.

Just need to think of something before the... before the... It was getting difficult for her to think as her mind was distracted with herself. What was she doing? Did Arle try to make a move on her just now? That was all she could think of the situation seeing Arle's previous position and how hard it was to think straight. Either way, no one else she knew was good enough to be with her. She was all hers... or something.

"What was that?! What makes you think you can just invade my space like that?!" Witch complained. Well, this was going downhill for her whether she was currently able to figure it out or not. Most of what she can figure out is how perfect she is and how no one but herself deserved her.

[Mari]

Arle was so absorbed with Witch that she was taken off guard when Witch pushed her, stumbling backward and falling on her bottom before the other. Confusion raced through her head as Witch went on to scold and belittle her. One could just see the betrayal in her eyes. Witch was hurting her. "...But--You said I could..." Arle replied rather softly. As much as she had enjoyed that moment while it lasted, something she would probably question later, the love potion could not trick her conscience into accepting that it had been unwilling on Witch's part. She was so sure she'd understood, but then why was Witch being so cruel..?

[Coolshaymin]

Something clicked in Witch's mind seeing Arle look of feeling betrayed. Perhaps it was the way weaker effects of the potion but seeing Arle hurt by her sudden ego broke her trance for a moment. She was still a little obsessed with herself but she was able to process more than that. Specifically, Arle's look after Witch unintentionally betrayed her. Sure, she was not afraid to hurt her in the past, they were rivals... But it was kind of her fault for making her like that and becoming infatuated with herself due to it...

"Sorry, I don't know what came over me. You are right, I did say you could. Hold on," Witch apologized... Though it was not entirely honest since she was fully aware of what she did. However, she still needed a bit more self control. She went through her shelves and pulled down a bottle with a heart picture on it before taking off the fake label. She made a mistake and was going to try and fix it. "Wait here, I'll be right back," Witch suggested before heading into her small backroom.

After a moment she came back with the bottle. She opened it and took a small drink of the real curry in a bottle. She mixed it in with a cure to the love potion. "Here, share this with me. Another Curry Potion. Sorry again," Witch said, oddly apologizing more. She did feel bad and was ready for Arle to try something when she snapped out of it. Maybe she deserved it with how unsatisfied she was with that kiss...

[Mari]

Arle seemed to calm down when Witch admitted she was right. It wasn't nice to play with the already clouded minds of the intoxicated. Thankfully, the love potion had a way of twisting what the consumer heard and felt. Arle was easily convinced by Witch's regret. ...She did stop to consider whether Witch was giving her poison, however. See, clearly she wasn't because she was offering to share the same drink. So that was nice. ...Could whatever the potion did to her really be worse than wanting desperately to hug the life out of her, though? Arle got up and brushed herself off for a moment. "Alright." she replied, waiting for Witch to take a drink of the potion before reaching out to accept it herself.

Arle stared into the potion for a long moment, as if having second thoughts, before taking a large drink of it. It definitely seemed like she enjoyed the taste. "...Ah. That was wonderful, Witch~!" Arle remarked rather cheerily as her head emerged from the fog, given sudden clarity. It was a relieving sensation, like suddenly being able to breathe clearly after several minutes of limited oxygen. However, after the moment passed Arle began to question her memories. She went silent and looked to the potion in her hand, a sort of tightness welling up in her belly. Her gaze shot to Witch, her eyes full of incredulity and her cheeks a nice shade of pink.

She could feel anger boiling up inside her. Humiliation, resentment, violation... And then it gave way ultimately to despair. Witch could have never known how much Arle's self-esteem had been suffering since she was dropped on Li, and her choice to take advantage of Arle at that moment had been salt in the wound. Or, more accurately, a knife in the wound. Arle could have attacked her on the spot, but they were in the middle of the life sphere and if she started hurting Witch, she wasn't sure when she'd stop...

"...Why did you dO THAT??" Arle abruptly snapped, her voice cracking in mid-sentence. Her composure rapidly deteriorated and tears began to flow forth. This outpouring of emotion temporarily swallowed up her ability to speak, preventing her from chewing out Witch any further. It seemed Witch had crossed a line.

[Coolshaymin]

There it came, the moment she had been expecting. Well, without the being beaten up for wronging Arle part. Though she probably would if they weren't in the Life Sphere. Witch remained silent for a moment and choosing what she said before speaking up. "I needed your spices for a potion," Witch admitted. She had another reason but she was not about to say it out loud. Though Arle may be able to figure out the reason if she thought on the events some more.

"Look, I may of went too far. I really was not thinking far into that plan and in hindsight I should of found some other way. It was not worth the extra effort of that potion and I apologize for putting you and me through that," Witch apologized, taking advantage of Arle's longer moment of recovery. "As dumb a decision as it might be, let me make it up for you. I am keeping your spices to make a potion that would raise my magical powers greatly. Even though you are my magical rival, I will share it with you when I have gathered everything. On top of that, I will make you a proper curry. I promise there will be no tricks this time. You can be sure of that since I did not enjoy that anymore than you did," Witch offered.

She seemed oddly sincere in her claims and actually seemed regretful for some reason. She did not open her eyes at all and just maintained a thoughtful yet annoyed look. It did seem like something did still bother her. Whether or not that was Arle's anger was hard to tell.