*Marlhy's POV*

Updates in our lives as of today: Phil recovered four white carnations, Dan got hurt more, Peej found out where we live. Awesome.

I wanted to go check on Dan and Phil and hopefully explain the situation, but they were asleep in each other's arms. I normally would have interrupted, but it was just so cute I couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I left the room, smiling ever so slightly to myself.

The carnations needed to be planted so they wouldn't die before Phil got the chance to make the potion. While I waited for the lovers to wake up, I figured planting the flowers wouldn't hurt. Chris and I had been adding onto the treehouse recently to make it more of a living space, so we now had two small bedrooms, a living space, a decently sized room we used for food preparation and the like, a ground-level outhouse, and a tiny storage room. A lot of this had been achieved by my magic, which had been growing somewhat stronger since I had been using it more. Fairy powers are a lot like muscles, in the sense that if you exercise them enough they will be more useful.

I stepped into the storage room and thought for a moment about how I would manage. I knew a spell to instantly cook clay, which would make the pots, and I also knew a spell that would help the flowers sustain life even in the most dire situations. "Chris, could you go get me a bit of clay from the creek?" I yelled out the door, and he gave me an affirmative before leaving to acquire the clay.

While I waited, I remembered that I needed to cast a protection spell around the treehouse. A protection spell was a bit like a whitelist. You were to clarify in the spell who would be allowed to see through the spell and walk into the protected area. The whitelist only worked for humans, though - all magical entities were allowed entrance.

"Skylla min renapol hemmen fronn alla otim Dan, Phil, oche Chris," I chanted. Bright blue runes expelled from my hands and joined together as the forcefield, which glowed brightly indicating it had worked before dimming to a barely noticeable glimmer.

I sighed in relief and retreated to the fort to rest for a moment before Chris arrived back. When he did, I was feeling mostly recovered and thanked him for the clay before going to the storage room. He followed, which I was fine with.

Once I had shaped the clay into a reasonably bowl/pot shaped item, I advised Chris to step back before I cast my spell. He obliged.

"Kaldi craftor ll dan sori Sun oche torkoson matte leta," I mumbled. Scarlet smoke came from my fingertips at the last word and circled around my clay formations, heating and drying them into pots. When the spell had finished, I turned to Chris and thanked him warmly. He smiled and assured me he would wait behind while I gathered some soil.

I arrived back in the room carrying four very heavy pots of soil. Chris sprang to attention and grabbed two for me, placing them on the counter.

"Thanks, dear," I grinned. 

"No problem."

As I started planting the flowers in the pots, Chris came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, watching intently over my shoulder. It surprised me at first, but I sank into his embrace, finding comfort in his touch.

"So," Chris muttered into my ear, "Phil's really gonna do this?"

"I guess so," I said, "he really loves Dan and I guess he'd do anything for him."

"I envy their love, you know?"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. I've had both girlfriends and boyfriends before but I never loved any of them like Dan and Phil love each other. I want that, but I guess I'll have to find the right person first."

I finished planting the carnations and moved them closer to the window before spinning around and hugging Chris tightly. I didn't know why, and neither did he, but we really needed a hug at that moment. After a minute or so, I remembered the final spell I needed to cast and pulled away, before turning to the flowers once more. Chris remembered to step back this time.

"Gei desta bloutor liva ll dan morkartep af tierpa," I chanted at the flowers. White powder launched from my fingers and the carnations perked up ever so slightly. I smiled at my work.

At that moment, Phil entered the room. "Morning, sleepyhead," Chris teased, earning a scoff from Phil. 

"It's three in the afternoon," I assured them.

"I'm ready for the next part of the potion," Phil started, obviously excited, "what do I have to do now?"

I turned to face Phil. "Next, you will need to find a stone. Not just any stone, though. This stone is perfectly smooth and pristine. The stone represents how fairies must keep tied down to the forest once they become so."

Phil nodded, thinking. "I don't suppose you could clue me into where it is?"

"Nope," I sighed, shaking my head. "I really wish I could help, Phil, but that would invalidate the potion."

"I understand."

"This reminds me of this one time with my sister. One day we were out..." I blocked out Chris's bant. He always went off on tangents about his sister. Thankfully, Phil cut him off.

"Mate, I'll have more time to hear your story when I'm back, yeah?" Chris nodded and Phil left, on a quest to find a stone to save his lover.

hello hello

I have the potion recipe down and yeh so hopefully I'll be able to write more

Also how about that lil Chris/Marlhy action? ;););)

But like yeh. I will build on that more in the future. Have gr9 days yo :D