Plexure (leo Valdez x male reader)

18) Shopping?

THE PRINCESS GESTURED TOWARDS  the cosmetics counter. "Shall we start with the potions?"
"Cool," Jason said.
"Guys," Piper interrupted, "we're here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge. If this—princess—is really our friend—"
"Oh, I'm better than a friend, my dear," Her Highness said. "I'm a saleswoman." Her diamonds sparkled, and her eyes glittered like a snake's—cold and dark. "Don't worry. We'll work our way down to the first floor, eh?"
Leo nodded eagerly. "Sure, yeah! That sounds okay. Right, Piper?"
I nodded at Piper excitedly. "Yeah, just a little bit."
Piper did not look so happy at that thought.
"Of course it's okay." Her Highness put her hands on Leo's and Jason's shoulders and gestured me to come along steering us toward the cosmetics. "Come along, boys."
"And here," the princess said, "is the finest assortment of magical mixtures anywhere."
The counter was crammed with bubbling beakers and smoking vials on tripods. Lining the display shelves were crystal flasks—some shaped like swans or honey bear dispensers. The liquids inside were every color, from glowing white to polka-dotted. And the smells—ugh! Some were pleasant, like fresh-baked cookies or roses, but they were mixed with the scents of burning tires, skunk spray, and gym lockers.
The princess pointed to a bloodred vial—a simple test tube with a cork stopper. "This one will heal any disease."
"Even cancer?" Leo asked. "Leprosy? Hangnails?"
"Any disease, sweet boy. And this vial"—she pointed to a swan-shaped container with blue liquid inside—"will kill you very painfully."
"Awesome," I said kinda noticing my eyes were half closed.
"Alister," Piper said. "We've got a job to do. Remember?"
"Job to do," Jason muttered. "Sure. But shopping first, okay?"
The princess beamed at him. "Then we have potions for resisting fire—"
"Got that covered," Leo said.
"Indeed?" The princess studied Leo's face more closely. "You don't appear to be wearing my trademark sunscreen ...but no matter. We also have potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or—"
"Wait." Piper was still staring at the red vial. "Could that potion cure lost memory?"
The princess narrowed her eyes. "Possibly. Yes. Quite possibly. Why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?"
"How much?" Piper asked.
The princess got a faraway look in her eyes. "Well, now ... The price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I do. And I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me." Her gaze drifted to Jason. "Once, for instance, I met a handsome young man who wanted a treasure from my father's kingdom. We made a bargain, and I promised to help him steal it."
"From your own dad?" Jason still looked half in a trance, but the idea seemed to bother him.
"Oh, don't worry," the princess said. "I demanded a high price. The young man had to take me away with him. He was quite good-looking, dashing, strong ..." She looked at Piper. "I'm sure, my dear, you understand how one might be attracted to such a hero, and want to help him."
"At any rate," Her Highness continued, "my hero had to do many impossible tasks, and I'm not bragging when I say he couldn't have done them without me. I betrayed my own family to win the hero his prize. And still he cheated me of my payment."
"Cheated?" Jason frowned, as if trying to remember something important.
"That's messed up," Leo said.
Her Highness patted his cheek affectionately. "I'm sure you don't need to worry, Leo. You seem honest. You would always pay a fair price, wouldn't you?"
Leo nodded. "What were we buying again? I'll take two."
       Piper broke in:"So, the vial, Your Highness—how much?"
The princess assessed Piper's clothes, her face, her posture, as if putting a price tag on one slightly used demigod. "Would you give anything for it, my dear?" the princess asked. "I sense that you would.
"No, I won't pay any price. But a fair price, maybe. After that, we need to leave. Right, guys?"
I blinked for a little shaking my head. Was I being charmspeak, but not from Piper? I looked at the women for a second then at Piper. Piper looked at me realizing I wasn't in a trance anymore.
"Leave?" Jason said.
"You mean ... after shopping?" Leo asked.
"Impressive," the princess said. "Not many people could resist my suggestions. Are you a child of Aphrodite, my dear? Ah, yes—I should have seen it. No matter. Perhaps we should shop a while longer before you decide what to buy, eh?"
"But the vial—"
"Now, boys." She turned to Jason and Leo now ignoring me. Her voice was so much more powerful than Piper's. "Would you like to see more?"
"Sure," Jason said.
"Okay," Leo said.
"Excellent," the princess said. "You'll need all the help you can get if you're to make it to the Bay Area."
"The Bay Area?" I said. "Why the Bay Area?"
The princess smiled. "Well, that's where they'll die, isn't it? "
Then she led them toward the escalators, Jason and Leo still looking excited to shop. Piper and I looked at each other regretting coming here.