'Oh! Because I am bored and want to have fun, I want you to mix multiple potions. There are probably more than six ingredients that will work. Find those all of them and it will be extra strength. You want this spell to not wear off right? Also, since I am a wonderfully fantastic god, I will let you keep all of the potions you figure out, even after deaths and restarts. Now then. Go!'

'Really? You are now adding more instructions? But alright, that will help my shop and future.'

'Remember to have fun!' Alias tells me.

"Okay so there are 23 possible ingredients. Let's test out a few potions using six ingredients for each." I tell him. "I'll have you help me pick out a couple sets of numbers but let me write out and number the ingredients."

1. Lotus leaves

2. Lotus petals

3. Lotus roots

4. Kelp

5. Ground sea horses that died of natural causes

6. ground dried up starfish

7. Powdered Frugs Lungs

8. Water pixie dust

9. Arrowhead

10. Begonia

11. Aglaonemas

12. Coleus

13. Dieffenbachia

14. Devil's Ivy

15. Fiddle Leaf Fig

16. Jade Plant

17. Rubber Plant

18. Aloe Vera

19. Spider Plant

20. Peace Lily

21. Powdered Fish Scales

22. Wet Fish Scales

23. Mermaid Scales

After writing and numbering the ingredients I shake my hand. A bit of a hand crap. Not the most fun thing. Can't say that I am a fan.

"Now then. Let's come up with some number sets!" I say, trying to get Alex to be excited about it. It might seem tedious to others, but I like this kind of thing. Order and structure, but unpredictable results. I might have made a good scientist.

Going back and forth throwing out numbers here is what our number lists look like.

22, 11, 16, 15, 4, 8

7, 19, 22, 4, 1, 8

5, 10, 15, 17, 4, 9

7, 12, 21, 17, 4, 3

9, 12, 17, 19, 13, 20

1, 2, 6, 14, 18, 23

"I love getting an insight into some of your methods." Alex tells me, grinning widely.

Yes. My methods. Definitely not me trying to figure things out the best way I know how to.

"It's nice to be able to share some of my insider secrets." I tell him. "Well, shall we get mixing?" I ask him.

While mixing up some potions we talk and flirt. I feel like I am really connecting to Alex. It's a great feeling. After we finish the first three potions, which end up being a potion to turn a solid to a liquid, a potion that gives someone gills for an hour, and a potion that gives a person resistance to the water element for 48 hours Alex asks me,

"Are you getting hungry? I am getting a little hungry. I brought us some sandwiches. Don't worry, I didn't make them." he tells me, and we share a laugh. A small one.

"You know, now that you mention it, I am a bit hungry." I confess.

Alex pulls out two sandwiches, as well as some shredded meat which he gives to Blizzie.

"Thank you!" Blizzie says to him, although I am sure that all he hears are happy cat meows.

"Blizzie is happy that you brought food for him as well. Thank you for the food from the both of us!" I tell him.

We sit in a companionable silence while we eat. I let my mind wander a little bit to how the orb is going to work. I also think about how I am enjoying making potions and making the cute, knitted creations. I can't help but also wonder if I have stopped dying because Alex is the correct route. That is too simple though, right?

Once we are done eating, we go back to mixing potions. Our next attempts gain us a poison of thirst, a poison that turns a person into a fish for 30 minutes (that is a very strange poison I must admit. What are you going to do, use it against an enemy before cooking and eating them?), and a potion that enhances water magic by 50% for 24 hours. At the end of all of this I have my potion recipe.

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"Okay. After making these I know what we need to make our permanent water proofing potion."

"Okay! What do we need?" he asks enthusiastically.

"4 pinches of ground sea horses that died of natural causes

8 Dieffenbachia petals

7 pinches of ground spider plant

3 ground up lotus roots

1 scoop of powdered fish scales

2 scoops of ground up rubber plant

9 ground up peace lily petals

6 pinches of water pixie dust

Add 5 splashes of water

Boil until blue and sparkly"

I don't know how I know the amount or the last bit, but it feels like the information is downloaded into my brain. I like getting knowledge this way though, it's very convenient.

"Look!" I exclaim when the potion is done. "We did it!" I tell him.

"How can you tell?"

"It's one of the skills that I possess. I know what a potion that I helped create does, just by making it. This is the one that we need. Now I can make a set of knitted totems and they will be water, and other liquids, proofed forever!"

We celebrate our achievement with cheers. Alex decides to keep me company the rest of the day while I knit. He tells me about his life and the things that he hopes to achieve. I walk him home at the end of the night.

"I had another great day because of you." Alex tells me.

"I feel the same." I tell Alex. He stares down at me for a second before stealing a kiss. He then grins at me and runs inside his shop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next couple of days pass by in a blur. Alex keeps me company while I knit. Which is great aside from one small thing. Every day that he comes into the shop to keep me company his suspicion bar is increased. It was small at first but has continued to increase. The increase is so noticeable that my stomach is knotting itself into a mess.

It is now two days before my party, and I have just finished dropping Alex off at his shop. It is earlier than it has been the past couple of days because Alex plans on taking me on a proper date tomorrow, all included. A walk, a picnic, maybe renting a boat and just floating out on the water. It is a bit of a carriage ride to a nearby lake, but that can be enjoyable as well.

As good as I want tomorrow to be I have a lead feeling in my guts. This feeling leads me to standing outside of the smithy. I take deep breath and walk inside.

"Well, hello again Aria." Samuel says to me. "Here to buy more materials?" he asks.

"Not today. I was actually wondering if you would sell me a sword with a matching dagger?" I ask him.

"Of course, I can! I am glad to see you are finally wanting a sword. I was beginning to wonder if you were lying to me about stopping in to buy one. But, if you don't mind me asking, why the dagger?"

"I guess you can say that I gave in to being an eccentric pet parent. I want Blizzie to match me. Also, you never know when you are going to need a dagger." I tell him, shrugging my shoulder.

He lifts an eyebrow and looks between me and Blizzie. I see the suspicion bar above his head blinking, and it settles on not increasing. I suppose that is a believable enough thing for Aria to do. Good to know. It is freeing to know that I am able to use Blizzie as a believable excuse for things.

"Do you know what kind you are wanting?" Samuel asks.

"I was hoping that you would be willing to give me a recommendation?" I ask.

"With pleasure!" he says, and I see his eye light up. He begins talking non-stop about the benefits of this sort of metal over that sort, the balance of blades and a lot of other things that go above my head. Eventually he says, "However, this is what I recommend for you."

He picks up and unsheathes a sword to his right. I see that it is made of a metal that looks like a deep blue crystal. It isn't a material I have ever seen or even heard of before. It looks like a unique material only found in fantasy games.

"Samuel, it's beautiful." I tell him truthfully.

"I hoped you might think so. It is made from Ocean Heart Crystal. It is one of the strongest materials in the world, so it is nearly unbreakable. The blade also never rusts or dulls so you never have to worry about sharpening it. And I have a dagger of the same type and style. You have no idea how common it is for people to want a dagger to match their blade."

"If it is common, then why did you ask me?" I ask him out of curiosity.

"Because you never do things just because it is a common or popular thing to do."

Wondering if that is really the reason, I let the topic drop. "Do you mind if I test it out?" I ask him. Samuel passes me the sword then steps out of the way. I let my body's training take over, doing a few steps and test swings. The feeling, the balance the weight. It was all perfect.

"It's perfect. I will take it and the dagger. How much do I owe you?"

"I'll give you a discount, for your birthday." he says, then tells me the cost. "I'm throwing in the dagger for free."

"That's a very reasonable price." I tell him and pay him the quoted price. I strap my new blade onto my waist, and he straps the dagger onto Blizzie.

"Pretty! I look handsome!" Blizzie says proudly.

"Very handsome." I say. Both Samuel and Blizzie seem delighted by my words. I pat my bag and Blizzie jumps inside.

I anticipate and dread what tomorrow will bring.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Good morning, Aria! Aren't you going on a date today?" I hear Poppy say in her singsong voice.

"Yes." I say, rubbing my eyes and sitting up in bed.

"Let's doll you up then! Are you getting breakfast, or should I feed you before you go?" she asks me.

"We are supposed to be spending the entire day together, including all meals." I tell Poppy.

"That is quite the long date!" Poppy exclaims.

"He is quite the guy." I tell her in response.

"Do you plan on announcing him as your suitor tomorrow night?" Poppy asks, eyes wide.

"That is a possibility I am considering. I suppose it depends on how today goes." I admit to her, knowing that she loves gossip. I see the affection bar above her head raise then flash a gold color.

Affection Locked!

Even though I want to know what that means, I don't think now is the time to pursue it. If I get distracted right now that would increase Poppy's suspicion, which I would love to avoid. I have almost successfully made it an entire week without dying, and I would like to keep it that way. If that is possible, Is that possible?

Even though we skip breakfast, I still feel like the morning is dragging on. It is also passing too quickly. When is the last time that I went on a date? High school? Early years of undergrad? I am hoping that there is a date. With the increase in his suspicion, his affection has been dropping, and I have been struggling to increase it. It's disheartening. I don't even know what is increasing his suspicion. I can't ask without being even more suspicious.

"Let's have you wear purple today!" Poppy says excitedly. "To match your eyes. We will put you in a dress that moves and breathes too in case he wants to do any running around.

"Well, we are going for a long walk. And maybe a boat ride as well." I tell her.

"How fun! I want to hear all the details. All of them. I might just have to murder you in your sleep if you leave out even a single one!" Poppy tells me while smiling. I don't doubt that she would.

"Don't worry Poppy. I won't leave out a single detail."

"Very good." she says, then finishes helping me get ready.

The plan is for Alex to meet me at my shop. When I asked why he didn't want to pick me up at home he said that it is too scary to pick me up at the castle. It was much more comfortable to pick me up from my shop. I can't argue with him there. It makes sense.

I make my way to my shop, enjoying the feeling of the sun on my face, how good I smell, and the sound of birdsongs. How have I not yet noticed the birds singing in the morning? I hope that this date brings up Alex's affection for me and lowers his suspicion. Somehow.

I decide to leave my sword at home, as it doesn't go with the outfit, but Blizzie looks dapper wearing his dagger. It suits him. He is supposed to be a tiny little knight after all. The cutest little knight in the kingdom. Instead of riding in my bag he decides to walk by my side this morning, showing off his cat sized sword. The handsome little show off.

When we get to my shop I decide to sit behind the counter. Blizzie jumps up onto the countertop and waits expectantly with me. I wonder if he is bringing breakfast or if we are going out to eat. I am sure that he must be getting bored with being inside our shops all of the time. He never questioned me about it, which I think is a little strange. To each their own though, we have been so focused on finishing the artifact that I don't think it even crossed him mind to ask. Either that or he thinks that it is just a princess thing.

I almost get up to pace around the shop while I wait for him but decide against it. I think that everything is going to be okay, but just in case, I feel that it would be harder to kill a person sitting down. I have even left the door slightly cracked so that he can push the door open himself to come in.

"Hi Aria!" I hear Alex's voice say outside the door. "Sorry I am late." Hearing Alex's voice I feel that something is definitely wrong. I look up at his affection and suspicion bars.