love magic
"I can do that if you want, but magic always comes with a price," the sorcerer winked at her, and she made a face. He laughed. "Aw, come on, you already knew that. Give me a smile," he teased her, one hand placed on his hip, the other hand playing with a glowing ball of light.
Kagamine Len was widely regarded as one of the best sorcerers in the world. He was the person to go to if you needed a spell or potion – he could make anything anyone might desire, but in exchange, his prices were high. Len admitted before that he could be bought over to do anything as long as someone had enough gold – the words of a truly business-minded individual. He had few moral scruples and preferred to know as little about what his clients wanted to do as possible. The less he knew, he claimed, then the better he slept at night.
She sighed. "How much?" she clasped her hands together, hoping the price wouldn't be too high. Her family really needed the help to make it through this winter. Food was scarce, and even the farmers were struggling to grow crops. The lack of food hit their entire community hard – no one was able to afford new clothes, and her family's tailoring business had seen a very drastic decrease. If Len could help them with the crops, they wouldn't have to suffer so badly.
He considered. "A hundred gold pieces," he finally shrugged, and she averted her gaze – she couldn't afford that. "It's not a difficult potion to make, but the recent dry spell has affected the herbs and plants I'll need. They are not easy to find now, so…I must increase the prices," he told her, and he sounded apologetic. She sighed again. That was reasonable. She probably had not been able to afford the potion in the first place, anyway. They barely had any gold.
"It's all right then. Thank you, Len," she bowed her head. He sighed, extinguishing the ball of light and reaching out to pat her head. She stiffened as she felt his slender fingers stroke her long hair, picking up locks of it and studying them for a while. Her heart was suddenly pounding.
"You know, you have lovely hair. Long and luscious," he paused. "I'll give you what you need if you're willing to give me some of your hair. Not much, just maybe from here…" he pointed at her hips, where her hair ended, "to…here," he raised his hand to the middle of her back. She hesitated. Her hair…she personally did not believe in such superstitions, but her mother thought that cutting her hair would bring ill fortune and leave her vulnerable to possession by the Devil. In fact, her mother didn't even like dealing with Len, whose magic she claimed was the work of the Devil. If she cut her hair, her mother would no doubt react poorly.
But she didn't know what else she could do. Len was already kind enough to offer her this alternative, and if she didn't take it, their entire community might starve for the winter. So in the end, she nodded, and the sorcerer smiled, his fingers still holding on to some of her hair. "That's a deal then, Miku. But no hurry. You can give it to me whenever you want – let me just get the potion ready for you first. Come back in two days and you can collect it."
"What do you need my hair for?" she asked, curious. She held up a few locks of her own hair and studied it, frowning. She never knew hair could be used in magic. Len had turned away from her, humming quietly to himself, and he didn't answer. Perhaps he had not heard her.
"Len!" the door to his dwelling suddenly burst open, and another wizard came in – this one was Utatane Piko, another very good sorcerer, though there was a reason why Miku did not go to him instead of Len. Piko tended to specialise in magic that made him popular among girls – he was exceptionally good at spells and potions that created illusions or caused infatuation and good fortune. As a result, his prices for everything were higher than Len's, even when it came to things that were outside his specialisation. "Do you have a moment? And oh, it's you," he paused, noticing her. "The village beauty!"
She blushed a little at the compliment, ducking her head. She certainly didn't think herself worthy of that title. Len looked up at the sound of Piko's voice. "What do you want, Piko?" he drawled, moving across the room – his black cloak swished around his ankles, fluttering in a wind that was only present around him. "If I know you, then you're up to no good as always."
"The same could be said of you, my fellow sorcerer," Piko retorted, a dazzling grin on his face. "But I simply wanted to have tea with you. It has been a while since we last relaxed together, is it not?" he sounded wistful. "Do you remember that tea party Megurine Luka hosted thirty years ago? Ah, those were good times. Gumi was there if you remember, and she was trying to push you together with some little witch called Mayu –"
"Let's not talk about those times. It makes me feel old," Len interrupted, turning around and waving Piko into the dwelling. Miku frowned. She actually had no idea how old Len was. He had been around for many, many years – even her grandmother had stories about him. She died when Miku was young, but she still remembered the advice the older woman gave her before she passed away – that one should always be careful when dealing with Kagamine Len. His prices were not necessarily always just gold. But Len had yet to charge her anything else, except for this instance when he asked for her hair. Usually, he just wanted money.
"Oh, but you are old," Piko pointed out, his grin widening. "Do you have tea?" he bustled around Len's kitchen, clearly familiar with the place. Miku fidgeted, wondering if she ought to take her leave now, but as though he could read her mind, Piko called out to her while rummaging through a cabinet. "And don't leave just yet, Miku. Since you're already here, you might as well eat with us. Humans have to eat, don't they?" he laughed gently.
Right on cue, her stomach gurgled. She winced, her hand shooting up to cover her stomach. She had not eaten well the whole week, and her stomach was clearly making that known. Len and Piko both glanced at her, looks of amusement on their faces, and she sighed. That had been embarrassing. "Well…if you both do not mind, then yes, I would like that," she admitted.
"Why would we mind?" Len waved a hand, and three chairs shot out from underneath his table. "Make yourself comfortable. Piko, go make the tea. But don't you dare slip anything into the teapot again. I remember what you did to Luka at that same tea party you mentioned," he added. The other wizard held up his hands in surrender, and Len glanced at her while she carefully took a seat, looking around. "Just wait for us and we'll get some food ready in a jiffy."
She wanted to help, but she looked at the wizards bickering with each other and figured she would simply get in their way. So in the end, she just sat there waiting for them, and after a while, the table was laid with tea and pastries. Len and Piko simply had to stand there and chant a few incantations, so she didn't know what they were even arguing over in the first place. "Tuck in and enjoy yourself," Len invited. "I made the tea, so you don't need to fret over Piko possibly slipping one of his potions in there. Again," he glared at the other wizard.
"I did that one time, thirty years ago," Piko rolled his eyes. He had mismatched eyes, one blue and one green, and silvery hair that reminded her of snow on a winter's day. There was a cat who lived in the village who looked very similar to Piko, with long white fur and the same dual coloured eyes. She wondered if the cat was somehow related to him. "And come on, admit that it was lots of fun. I never knew Luka could be so lustful. It was hilarious!"
"And so much trouble to deal with afterwards," Len muttered. "I still wonder how you are even in business, Piko. You'd think most people would figure out that it's not worth it to pay so much for an illusion. You can't force someone to fall in love with you – the most you can create is a sense of infatuation that is so strong, they think they are in love with you. And is that not just a cruel lie?" he sighed, leaning back in his chair. She listened, interested.
Piko raised a finger. "Ah, but you see, those are illusions," he shook his head. "I do sell true love. Sometimes. Very rarely, because those potions are hard to make. But what I can do is to strengthen the love someone already feels for you and possibly get them to act on their feelings. Of course, it's still not making them fall for you," he shrugged, "but the love does not have to be romantic love. I can take familial or friendly affection and make it romantic if I want…but understandably, those potions are not easy to make, so hardly anyone asks."
"I would be concerned if they did," Len smirked. "Familial love? Imagine that. Incest is highly frowned upon among mortals," he glanced at her, meeting her gaze. "Am I right, Miku?" he added, now sounding faintly uncertain. She nodded empathetically, wondering how out of touch Len had to be with the human world to not know about such conventions. "But if I had the patience to wait around for potions to brew so long, I'd have done the same thing as you, Piko. Can't deny that your line of work is particularly lucrative."
"Yes, I suppose. Though I often need to test new spells and new magic. Can't keep selling the same thing to humans, you know. After a while, it stops working. Greedy fools," Piko muttered. "Miku, are you not having your tea?" he noticed, realising that her teacup was still full. She started. She had yet to drink because she was so fascinated by their conversation. This was a rare glimpse into another world, a world where everyone was powerful and equal because all of them could do magic – all of them were not mortal. Len and Piko were both so old…
"Thank you for the reminder," she nodded, picking up her teacup and drinking. The tea tasted faintly herbal, but it was sweet and fragrant, and she enjoyed it immensely. The hot liquid was like a friendly hug. "It tastes really good!" she exclaimed, putting the teacup back down. Len grinned, and she remembered he said he was the one who made it.
"I appreciate that. Come, finish the cake as well. Piko and I don't eat so much. And you are the one who is clearly hungry," he chortled, and Miku blushed again, thinking back to how loudly her stomach had growled. He would probably never let her live it down. She didn't think Len ever forgot anything. Wordlessly, she reached out for a pastry, pleased to find that it all tasted good too – or perhaps she was just hungry. Either way, she ate until she was full.
Piko sighed. "You know, Miku – you are the one girl in the village who never shows your face at my door. Yet you visit Len very often, do you not?" he frowned. "What can I do to make you come to me instead? I feel disappointed to not be of any assistance to you," he leant over a little, taking her hand in his. She tensed. His hand was slender and elegant, and his fingers were tracing small circles against her skin. She suddenly didn't know what to say.
"Oi, stop that," Len slapped Piko's hand away. "I know what you're doing. Doesn't matter how small the movements are, I can still see you casting one of your love spells on her," he scolded. Piko just sighed again, his brow furrowed, and turned towards Len. She promptly placed both hands on her lap, her heart hammering. She really had to be careful around them.
"Why do you even care?" he groused. "It's not like she'll come to me for anything that isn't related to love, anyway. You're still the wizard everyone visits for anything else. Let me try to get some business from her, why don't you?" he mumbled. Len flicked his fingers against the back of Piko's head, causing the silver-haired sorcerer to yelp loudly and glare at him.
"Possibly because she doesn't have anyone she's in love with at the moment. Look at her. Do you really think she needs your help to find love?" he continued scolding Piko. Miku's face flamed – while it was nice to be called pretty, it was different when she heard it from the two sorcerers, who had lived such long lives and had probably seen all kinds of women.
"Touché. She is quite the beauty, isn't she?" Piko stared at her, and she suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to run out of the room. Both sorcerers were watching her now, their gazes intense, and she felt mildly suffocated. "Whoever you end up with will be a very fortunate man," he mused. "He probably won't even need one of my spells of good luck."
"I think I must leave now," she rose from her chair, ducking her head so that neither man could see how red her face was. "My mother will be wondering where I am, and she will not be pleased if she knows that I came to visit Len. Thank you very much for the tea and cake!" she turned and shot for the door, fumbling with the lock. Len watched her, amused, as even after a few minutes she was still unable to open the door. Finally, he waved a hand and the heavy bolt slid out. Miku froze, clearly flustered, and he tried his best not to laugh.
"Don't forget to come back in two days for what you asked for," he called out to her. She glanced back briefly, nodding to indicate that she had heard him before she all but ran out of his house. He chuckled, shaking his head, and waved his hand again, shutting the door. "I wonder if she knows just how adorable she is," he mused, picking up his teacup and taking a sip. Piko smirked, a look of amusement dancing through his eyes. Len recognised that look, and he did not like it. It was the face Piko wore whenever he was plotting something.
"I don't know about her, but I can tell that you are head-over-heels for her, and you won't even admit it," Len stilled, his fingers tightly clenching his teacup. "Is that not why you asked for her hair? Hair isn't used in magic, not unless it's a love potion…" Piko mused, tapping his fingers against his lips. "Who was the one who just said love potions are mere illusions?"
"How do you even know all this?" Len put the cup back down, glaring at his friend. Piko at least had the decency to look ashamed. "Are you spying on me again? With that infernal cat? You need to stop sending your sister out to eavesdrop on your behalf, Utatane Piko."
"Hey, Pika does it because it amuses her to see you in denial," he defended himself. "I mean, you're a sorcerer who dislikes love potions and magic because you believe that none of it is real, yet you're asking for something which is used solely for love magic from the girl you are interested in. Did you even realise what kind of request you made?" he pointed out.
"Shut up, of course I know," Len told him irritably, drinking from his cup again. "And just to add on, I definitely wasn't thinking about love potions when I asked for her hair. She looked so sad when I told her that what she wanted cost a hundred gold pieces – I knew she could never afford it, not when she's just a girl from the village. I wanted to be kind so I asked for something else dear to her. All I need is a sacrifice, and the magic would work."
"But you are not kind," Piko pointed out, and rightfully so. Len rolled his eyes, not bothering to answer this time. "So, you're not denying that you have feelings for her?" he asked. Len took a while to ponder this question, uncertain whether he ought to reveal the truth.
"No, I won't deny it. I've lived long enough to grow past those petty games," he admitted. "But she is a human, and her lifespan is much shorter than ours. How am I supposed to love a girl who will die in a few short years? Even if she lives to an old age by mortal standards, it is only a blink of an eye to me. I'd rather not make either one of us suffer through that."
"Or you can teach her magic, make her a witch so that she'll be able to live for many years to come," Piko suggested. Len hesitated. That wasn't an idea he never considered before, but learning magic, using magic, it all came with a price. He wasn't sure if he wanted Miku to pay that price. Being a sorcerer led to a lifetime of loneliness and isolation. Mortals did not like them, believing they were affiliated to the Devil, and they avoided sorcerers at all costs unless they needed their help. Whenever anti-magic sentiment ran high, all sorcerers and witches had to go into hiding, fearing that the humans would find them and burn them all to death. Sorcerers had spells to help them, but even their magic was limited, and they were not impervious to fire. Did he want Miku to live the same nomadic, lonely lifestyle as him?
"I'd rather not. For good reason," he finally exhaled, draining all the tea in the cup. Piko made a face but didn't protest. "Anyway. Aren't you going to invite your sister in? She spied on me for you, yet you are the one who sits in my house, eating and drinking. Don't be such a selfish older brother. I can hear her meowing outside," Len tilted his head, and sure enough, a faint, piteous cry could be heard, along with the sound of claws scratching against wood.
"Fine, fine. Pika, come in," Piko called. A few seconds later, the door swung open and Piko's little sister entered the room, glaring hotly at her brother. She was a dainty girl with the same silvery hair as Piko, though hers went all the way to her waist. She also had the same dual coloured eyes as her sibling. Apparently, she was now stuck in the form of a cat unless Piko gave her permission to use her human form, mainly because she lost a bet with her brother and now had to do his bidding. Piko told him that she still had to listen to him for another century.
"You're so mean," she whined. "I've been hanging around that girl for days and she's fed me more times than you have! Did you know that her family is going hungry?" Pika went to the table, sitting on Miku's vacated chair. "But whenever she has food, she always shares half of it with me. She's such a sweet little thing, that child. And I heard Len is very fond of her."
"Indeed. She must be a very special girl, to capture the heart of one of the best wizards we know," Piko's lips twitched. Len ignored them, pouring out more tea from the teapot and adding a sugar cube. He was craving something sweet. "But he refuses to talk about it. I think that he won't ever make a move, and he'll just live the rest of his very long life pining for her."
"Sounds about right," his sister agreed, greedily reaching for some cake. "Oh, Piko. This tastes great. You're as wonderful a baker as ever," she complimented her brother, and Piko just inclined his head, grinning. In their community, Piko was known as the wizard who did love magic, and who could also bake a very delicious shortcake. "Is the girl coming back?" she suddenly asked, exchanging a look with her brother. Len glanced up at the question.
"Yes. She has to collect something from me. Why do you ask?" he studied the siblings. Piko and Pika just shrugged in unison, but there was a gleam in Piko's mismatched eyes that Len did not like. He suddenly had a very bad feeling about what was to come.
Miku hummed, going up the path towards Len's house. She was so glad that he agreed to make her the potion, and she had finally decided that she'd cut her hair off when he wanted it – it didn't matter what her mother said. She'd rather leave herself vulnerable to possession than to starve to death in the upcoming winter. Her stomach was already suffering enough.
She reached Len's dwelling, her hand poised to knock when suddenly she hesitated. There was nervousness in the pit of her stomach. She had bought things from Len before, but it was the first time she asked for something so expensive. Usually, she asked for simple spells, the kind of thing he could do with his eyes closed – a spell to heal a persistent cough or a spell to befriend an animal or…easy things. He'd just ask for a silver coin or two, and she would pay and then she would leave. But this time, she had no money to pay him, and that left her uncertain. If she paid him with her hair, would she have to cut it all off now?
It was still a huge thing for her, even if she made up her mind that she would cut it off. It wasn't that she had never cut her hair before, but she rarely did and she knew she would miss the long locks. When she wanted to cut her hair, her mother would bring her to the church so that the priest could bless her while she underwent the ritual, or so her mother called it. It was strange to not do the same thing this time. The only person who would see her cutting her long hair short was Len. And she was not entirely sure how she felt about that.
Sighing, she knocked on the door. "Come on in," Len called out, his voice sounding faintly distracted. She did as he said, pushing the door cautiously and stepping inside his dwelling. It was dim inside, darker than it usually was, and she could faintly make out Len at the other side of the room, a few glowing balls of light floating around him. He was mumbling quietly, and she guessed he was in the midst of casting a spell, so she looked for a chair and made herself comfortable while she waited for him to finish. After a while, Len turned around.
The balls of light were still present, but he ignored them, waving them away when he left his position and they tried to follow him. "Oh, Miku, it's you. I have your potion ready, just give me a moment…" he went over to a cabinet, opening it and stretching up to search through the bottles there. She could see the front of his shirt rise a bit, revealing just the tiniest hint of his flat stomach. Miku bit her lip, twisting the fabric of her skirt around her fingers. Her face was hot. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him doing this – why was she affected now?
"I found it," he grunted, bringing down a bottle and closing the cabinet doors. The whole place was still dim, but her eyes were adjusting to the darkness and she could see his face. He was frowning, looking down at the bottle while he walked over to her. "Be careful. If you accidentally spill this on the way home, you're going to see a lot of wild grass and trees, so make sure you only use it on crops," he told her. She was barely even listening to him, so entranced by his face and his look of concentration. He was extremely attractive when he was so focused.
"Len," she interrupted, and he blinked, looking at her. He was standing right in front of her now, and she got up from the chair so that he wasn't towering over her. He tilted his head, studying her curiously. "You say that you can create anything for someone as long as they're willing to pay the price, right?" she asked, and he nodded, unsure where she was going with all this. She took in a deep breath. "What would I have to pay to get you to kiss me?"
He choked, abruptly setting the bottle down somewhere safe before he dropped it in his shock. Miku was staring unblinkingly at him, her green eyes heated, and that bad feeling from two days ago returned to him. Piko must have slipped something into her drink while he wasn't looking. He was going to hunt down the other sorcerer and throttle him. "Miku, you should sit down for a while," he tried to steer her back to her chair. "Hang on and I'll make something to help you, okay? But damn," he mumbled. Love magic wasn't his forte.
He was going to need Piko's help. Where was that damned wizard when he actually needed him? Miku shook her head stubbornly and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He froze, inhaling her sweet scent. She really was lovely. People called her the village beauty, and it was not difficult to see why. She smelled like wildflowers…but no, he could not just give in to temptation. It was nothing but an illusion, a feeling of lust that she was mistaking for love. There was nothing real about any of this. "Miku, you need to sit down."
"No," she mumbled. "I've always liked you, Len…but you never seemed interested in me…" she sighed into his shirt, and he didn't know what to do. He didn't want to just shove her aside because that might hurt her, but if he didn't, he'd never be able to get them out of this situation. "Don't you like me too?" she asked, and her voice was breathy. He groaned.
This was extremely strong love magic. He could tell. And he really needed Piko. He heard a familiar meow outside his window, and he glanced around, seeing Pika there, watching them – he didn't think cats could smirk, but there was such a smug look on the witch's face that he wanted to kick the damned cat. "Pika, you better get your good-for-nothing brother to come here right now!" he shouted. Pika just rolled her eyes and turned away, waving her fluffy tail carelessly at him. He growled. "Come back here, you foul little –"
Then he couldn't continue because Miku tiptoed, her hands cupping his face, and pulled him down to her for a kiss. He froze, unable to move as her delicate lips ghosted against his, her warm breath lightly touching his face. Her fingers weaved through his blond hair, and she sighed against his mouth as she gently pulled. He didn't know how to respond. Should he kiss her back? Should he push her away? Both sides fought against each other, but Miku just continued to press her soft lips to his, clearly not minding that he was as still as a statue.
"Mm," she caught his bottom lip between her teeth and tugged. His hands were starting to slip around her waist, and her sweet scent was making him a little dizzy. He couldn't allow himself to succumb to her, but she was making it so hard when she was pressing herself up against him like this, and her green eyes were so wide and wanting, and he had imagined kissing those rose petal lips before though he knew that he shouldn't – "Len, why won't you kiss me back?" she sounded disappointed, peeking up at him from underneath long eyelashes.
He desperately needed Piko to come here before he did something stupid. "Because you're under a love spell, and none of this is real," he told her tersely, trying to step away from her – but she followed him closely, and he didn't know where he could go to avoid her. All of a sudden, he entirely forgot how to cast anything. He was very close to snapping and ignoring that all this was an illusion, that none of it was true – the girl he liked was right in front of him, basically asking him to kiss her, and refusing her was becoming very difficult.
"I don't think it's not real," she exhaled, smiling. "I think it's very, very real. I like you, Len. Even though you're a sorcerer and my mother hates you and thinks you're a gateway to the Devil. You're much kinder than you think you are," she told him, her fingers gripping his wrists tightly. He looked around, helpless, trying to avoid her gaze – he knew that if he looked into those green eyes for another moment, he'd forget why he was resisting. How preposterous, that a powerful sorcerer like himself would be so weak around a fragile mortal girl like her.
"Piko, where in Heka's name are you?" he hissed. He had little doubt that the sorcerer was watching from somewhere, enjoying the results of his actions. He hoped that Piko would at least have the decency to step in before things got too serious. Though he couldn't be sure about that. After all, he let Luka run around after Gakupo for quite a while before he finally deigned to rectify the situation. "If I catch you, you little worm, you're going to regret –"
Miku suddenly kissed him again, and since his mouth had been open, she took advantage of that, nibbling gently on his bottom lip and sweeping her tongue inside his mouth. He froze. She was clearly inexperienced, and he could tell that she had no idea what she was doing, but her attempts were charmingly clumsy and he felt himself softening, his hands settling firmly on her hips. "Len," she whispered, and he closed his eyes, hesitantly kissing her back.
Throughout the many years of his existence, Len had made some very stupid mistakes. But he was pretty sure this was one mistake which would be difficult to top. Miku whimpered as he took over the kiss, one hand reaching up to hold the back of her head, the other tight around her waist, and he felt her trying to kiss him back with the same kind of intensity. She was sweet, just like her scent, and her skin was so soft and delicate. A true marker of youth.
She was so young compared to him, and she knew so little. He really ought to be above this, but it had been a long time since he actually felt serious about anyone and he didn't want to say no. Len was used to attention from the fairer sex – he knew he was attractive courtesy of his very good-looking parents, but generally, he preferred to stay away from any serious relationships with women because he would outlive them by decades, even centuries. He could be a huge flirt and he knew very well how to make a girl blush – it was one of the ways he used to tease Miku, often saying that he would give her a better price if she was willing to give him a kiss. And she would blush furiously, looking uncertain until he told her that he was just kidding. Though if he had to be truthful, he never really just meant it as a joke.
He didn't know why he was drawn to her. There were so many other women who had gone through his life that they all just blurred together, a faceless sea of faces. But Miku was the first girl he knew who came to him not asking for wealth or luck or longevity or any other material concern that mortals often had. He still remembered her first request. She was a young child then, and her main concern was a little puppy she found injured at the side of the road. She wanted to be able to talk to it so she could find out what help it needed, as the puppy kept whimpering and cowering whenever she tried to approach. He recalled being very surprised by such a naïve, simple request, so much that he helped her for free.
Her other requests, as she got older, never deviated from the same mindset of altruism and kindness. Even this wish she had, to make the crops grow better – it was driven by survival, but she could have easily just asked for enough potion to help her own family live through the winter. One reason why he was charging so much was because she wanted enough to save the entire village, not just her own household. And she was willing to pay for all these other people who, undoubtedly, would not do the same for her. She was the village beauty not just because of how pretty she was, but also because she had a rare heart of gold.
She was so unique that he couldn't help but pay attention to her. In the beginning, he'd just make her the spell or potion and send her on her way, but after a while she started coming to visit him just for the sake of visiting, often with a small gift – it really was small, usually just a bouquet of wildflowers she picked, or perhaps something she stitched using leftover material from her family's tailor shop – but he treasured all these gifts, which were always thoughtful and always took into account his own likes and preferences. Others who gave him gifts only did so to get into his good books. They gave him expensive things, luxuries that cost plenty of money, but which he felt nothing for. Miku's presents were different.
She became a friend, not just another client. She liked to talk to him, she liked to find out more about magic, and he always answered any questions she had. She once asked him why he always looked the same no matter how many years it had been, and that was the first time she heard the concept of immortality. He taught her a great deal, but in exchange, she brought him delight. And as the seasons passed and she blossomed into a beautiful young lady, he found himself becoming more affectionate, even missing her when she was not around.
Yes, he had made many stupid mistakes in the past, but this was by far the worst. He never should have fallen in love with a mortal. Why couldn't he just find some pretty witch and be done with romance? He withdrew from her, and she was breathing heavily, her eyes heavy-lidded. "Sit down," he whispered, and now she listened to him, dazedly stumbling to a chair nearby. "Wait here, okay? I'll be back soon," he instructed. Though he didn't want to do so, he bound her to the chair with a few muttered incantations, ensuring that she could not move. Miku tried to get up but she was stuck there, and the look of betrayal on her face…
He swallowed. She'd understand when the effects of the potion finally wore off. But first of all, he had to find Piko. He left his house and found the sorcerer with Pika in his arms, lounging on the tree that grew right outside his dwelling. The silver-haired wizard was grinning down at him, that stupid cat purring in delight as he scratched her ears. Pika was clearly very used to being a cat by now, which may or may not be a good thing. "Piko," he growled, "I don't know what kind of game you're playing but you need to give me the antidote now."
His friend – though Len was hesitant to use that word to describe him at the moment – just shrugged, getting up from the branch and leaping gracefully to the ground. Pika hopped out from his arms, stretching herself and lazing in the shade of the tree, her eyes closing. "I can't give you one, Len. Not that I don't want to, but there simply isn't an antidote at the moment."
"What?" Len blinked, horrified by what Piko just said. Piko shrugged again, walking over to the window and peering inside. Len glanced back too, unable to help himself – he could see Miku wriggling around in the chair, trying to break free. She'd never be able to. Unlike ropes and other mortal contraptions, magic could not be so easily escaped. Piko sighed wistfully.
"It's a new spell. So yes, there is no antidote because I haven't made one yet," he explained. "I wanted to test the spell on Miku and see how well it worked. I must say, this is going better than I expected," he mused. Len was quite tempted to punch Piko in the face, but he held himself back, knowing that he needed all the help he could get right now. "Oh, but don't worry, it's not one of my run-of-the-mill love spells," he added quickly, as though he could sense Len's growing irritation. "It's the expensive kind, you know. And I used my strongest one on her!"
Len stilled. "What do you mean, the expensive kind?" he demanded. Piko just narrowed his eyes and shot him a knowing look, and Len folded his arms across his chest, beginning to feel uncomfortable. "I don't know what you're talking about. Explain yourself," he pushed. The sorcerer sighed.
"I already told you before. There are potions which do not create an illusion – those take a love that is already there and make it temporarily stronger, enough to convince someone to act upon their unspoken feelings. There are two types – one that simply amplifies that bond, and one that changes the nature of that bond to the romantic type. Just to be safe, I used the former one with Miku because I didn't want to trick the poor girl into loving you if she only saw you as a brother. But look at that!" Piko exclaimed. "Don't tell me that her feelings for you are simply platonic because from what I saw just now, it certainly didn't look that way."
Len still wanted to punch Piko. His smug, condescending grin was all too familiar. While Len would have gladly joined Piko in snickering if this had happened to anyone else, he couldn't bring himself to find the humour in the situation when he was the victim. "Shut up. Is there any way to snap her out of it?" he asked, glaring angrily at Pika when the white cat meowed in amusement, waving her tail. Piko frowned, getting serious now, and shook his head.
"The best I can tell you is to just wait for it to wear off. I don't know how long it'll take, but this is my strongest potion to date and usually, they take a couple of weeks or so to die down. I'd say the same duration for this, give or take a few days," he explained. Len's eyelid twitched. So he had to deal with a love-struck Miku for a few weeks? That sounded like a horrible idea.
"I can't be in the same place as her. And her mother will hate me even more," he groaned. "She's not going to mope around saying my name the entire day, is she?" he checked. Piko made a face, and Len was very tempted to kick his sister to alleviate his frustration.
"Look, asking me all this isn't going to solve anything," Piko patted his shoulder. "I only spark feelings. How she reacts to them, how she behaves when she's in love – I will not know because that all depends on the individual. Every person responds differently to love magic," he paused. "But I know that your life will be very difficult if you have to deal with her, so I will gladly make a sacrifice and open my house up until Miku is recovered –"
"No. No, you won't do that," Len interrupted, glaring at the sorcerer. There was a playful smirk on Piko's face, and he had the sneaking suspicion that if he let Piko handle Miku, her situation would become even worse. Never trust a sorcerer whose main source of income involved making use of girls' fragile hearts and emotions. "I'll handle it. Just…don't you dare do anything like that again, or I swear I'll let Luka know where you're hiding," he threatened.
Piko yelped, hastily backing off. He was still afraid of Luka, who was absolutely furious with him after the prank he pulled at her tea party. "Don't worry, I won't! But enjoy yourself while it lasts! I'm trying to help you, you know!" he shouted, picking up his sister and vanishing into thin air. Len sighed, kneading his forehead with his fingertips. He glanced back at the house and saw Miku sitting still now, though her gaze was turned towards him. There was a small frown on her face, and he didn't know what to do. How could he last through the next few weeks with a lovesick girl at his heel, especially when said girl's mother detested him?
Well, it wasn't like he had any alternative. He hoped that Miku was still rational enough to see sense – maybe he could convince her to pretend that everything was normal in exchange for letting her visit him every day, for these few weeks? Opening the door, he braced himself for what was to come. He was in love with Miku, but…he certainly wasn't looking forward to this.