"Wait!" Adalind shouts at me, grabs something and then sprints over to me, though in doing so her face twitches with discomfort, and her right hand rests against her abdomen.
"You alright, Adalind?" I ask her feeling slightly concerned for her, "Totally fine, just a little sore from last night, nothing to worry about, I promise." Adalind reassures me with a small pleased smile on her lips like her manipulation of me is successful.
'Well, as long as she's not going to puke on my floor I can let her delusions run-rampant for a little while.' My thoughts are tinged with amustment towards Adalind and her third rate manipulation attempts.
"Here, I know you're not quite flush with cash, the pin is 1149..." Adalind extends her debit card to me while telling me the pin number.
Feeling a little embarrassed I scratch the back of my head with my left hand and accept her debit card with my right.
"Thanks..." I offer with a nod and Adalind shoots me a smile I might mistake for sweet if I didn't know how much of a conniving bitch she actually is.
"I mean you're picking stuff up for me, and after I tried to spy on you...it's the least I could do..." Adalind looks away from me with a faked sheepish expression on her face.
"Well, I'll be off then." I say while leaning in and placing a chaste kiss to Adalind's forehead, then moving to Ariel, I capture her lips and just as she's about to try and push it into a hot lip lock I break the kiss and leave my RV.
With the enhancement potion's effects still running through my veins, enhancing me jogging to the nearest supermarket is a relaxing endeavor, that gives me time to think about what I'm doing and what I'm going to do.
'One I need a real home where I can put down roots, two I need money to secure said place to put down roots, three I need resources to secure said place I put down roots, four I need to be especially careful of Nick's Aunt Marie, Sean Raynard and all the threats that will pop-up here in Oregon.' With my list made I begin moving through the store hitting the women's clothing department, buying the highest end looking and priced things for both Ariel and Adalind.
I start to turn around women's undergarments and other articles of clothing tucked underneath my left arm while carrying a basket in my right hand, when a short blonde bumps into my chest.
She looks up at me beautiful blue eyes filled a complicated slew of emotions while a slight blush stains her cheeks, "You-you said to approach you openly." The beautiful blonde...girl...young woman who look-like Enid...or rather Emma Myers but with long blonde hair, that flows down to just below her breasts, stutters cutely.
"You're the Queen of the local Mellifer hive?" I ask her feeling genuinely surprised, "F-future Queen, my mom sent me since she's close to retiring and thought that we should be the ones forming an arrangement since in a few months I'll be the Queen."
"Okay, and what would your name be miss beautiful crown princess and future Queen?" I ask her and can't help the teasing lilt that colors my voice nor the playful smile that twists my lips, she makes a very adorable eep sound and turn bright red, before trying to hide her face in her hands.
"Er-Erica Win-Wincroft..." Erica stutters her way through her own introduction in an incredibly cute/adorable way, that just makes me want to rub her head.
"Well, it is nice to meet you Erica Wincroft, you can call me Mason the Alchemist, but you can just call me Mason, Miss Wincroft." I offer with a genuinely kind smile, as manuver the women's clothing into the basket then shuttle the basket over to my left hand before gently taking her right hand in mine and bringing it up to my lips, placing my lips against her knuckles, and if this was an anime I'm pretty sure steam would be coming off the top of her head while her nose bleeds, but alas it is not.
"Er-Erica, please just call me Erica Mason." A rather shy but happy smile blossoms on Erica's face that makes my genuine smile turn into a slightly less friendly smirk.
"Sure thing, Princess." I tease and get a cute pout in reply. "Care to join me while I walk around the store? I've got to pickup some ingredients for potions and some jewelry for enchanting." I ask ask explain before I'm even fully finished speaking Erica has a basket in hand, and is trying to shyly thread our arms together.
"So, why don't you tell me what you and your hive want from me, and I'll tell you where I stand...you know like, if I'm agreeable to an arrangement of mutual aid or what kind of monetary benefit I will receive in return for aiding your hive." I offer and Erica gets a little twitchy and the mentioning of money.
"My hive is very poor right now, we lost our source of income... actually we were kind of hoping you could help us come up with a new way of generating money." Erica explains with a very small and uncertain tone of voice that lacks confidence.
"I would be agreeable to such an arrangement, maybe home apothecary solutions and natural remedies, they would have to be watered down from my full strength concoctions, and I'd need insulation to protect me from both other wessen and normal human authorities, meaning members of your hive may have to sacrifice their lives and freedoms to keep me safe, at some point in time." I brainstorm aloud and feel as Erica tries to lean against me and rest her head against my arm.
'She's a little clingy/lovestruck...for a first meeting isn't she?' I can't help that my eyes trail down into the front of her open top, having what I feel confirmed because of the buttons left mostly undone revealing that she isn't wearing a bra.
"We protect the allies of our hive, as if they are of the hive as long as you are allied with us, our soldiers will sacrifice themselves to protect you from all threats." Erica promises with a shy look in her eyes, while looking up at me batting her eye lashes.
"Hmm, I think it would be best to meet with your mother for anything official, but...the prospect of allying with you and your hive Erica is something I'm very interested in." I offer and receive a rather radiant smile from her in return.