Twilit Mage

Chapter 28: The Perfume

"Glamorized perfume, huh?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow, peering at Mercury over the rim of her glasses, an amused glint in her eyes. "Yeah, that's a thing that exists. What do you want it for, though?" She winked. "Trying to impress somebody?"

Raoul's face shot briefly through her head, smiling and laughing and hugging her like he used to before things had gone awkward, looking at her with nothing but warm affection in his eyes. Mercury blushed. That was a possibility too, she thought, but not the point. Why had she even thought of that, anyway?

"No," she said, hoping her cheeks weren't as flushed as they felt. "Well, not that way. It's more like, you know...trying to make people safe around me? So that they don't think I'm a bully? N-Not something to make everyone fall in love with me, don't worry!"

Bonnie gave a thoughtful hum. "So nothing with pheromones, huh– sorry, sorry." She laughed at Mercury's flustered face. "Good. Otherwise I'd have told you to wait, because you have to be over eighteen to wear those. Child protection," she added to Mercury's questioning look. "Teen girls have to deal with enough creeps without magical perfume to give them an excuse."

Mercury nodded. "Is there something like that? A perfume that makes people like me...just as a person?"

"Sure," Bonnie answered, and Mercury made a small delighted noise. "There's all kinds of stuff, even scents for people who want to scare everyone they meet. I don't have any of that though, and it's expensive."

"Expensive?" Mercury repeated as her heart sank in her chest. "H...How expensive?"

Bonnie grimaced and made an avoidant gesture. "So expensive even I can't afford them except for special occasions," she said. "They're mostly used by diplomats, like-and-trust-me perfumes aren't easy to make."

Mercury's face fell. "Oh."

"Yeah." Bonnie gave her a sympathetic look, then suddenly an idea lit up her face, and she grinned with obvious mischief. "Oh, I know! Why don't you ask Sullivan? Mr. Blake, I mean. I think he's got some of those in his office, maybe he'll let you borrow some."

Ask the principal?

Mercury frowned as a nervous knot formed inside her gut. She wasn't sure she could pull that off. He had given her advice before, but had she ever managed to follow it? Could she really ask him for help before managing to follow all of his suggestions first? And for something so expensive too...Besides, even if he supported her, wasn't there a limit to how much favoritism he could get away with?

Still, it was probably not a bad idea. The best suggestion she had. And even if he said no, it wouldn't be the end of the world...hopefully...maybe...

But Bonnie was still watching her with those expectant eyes, and terrified as she was, Mercury couldn't really muster the courage to admit she couldn't do it.

~ ~ ~

Mercy had been acting strange lately.

Raoul dangled his legs, making stupid faces at his reflection in the darkening window, balancing himself on the narrow windowsill and trying to ignore the settling feeling of emptiness in his chest. Lately, it seemed, he and Mercy were never spending enough time together. Each time they had a chance to talk to each other something seemed to get in the way, and Mercy had to leave in a hurry again, cutting short their awkward conversation and disappearing without explaining what in the world she was up to. And each time Raoul was left staring at her retreating back, fighting the urge to grab her from behind and hug her or run after her and proclaim that he was coming with her. He wanted to, so much it was driving him nuts, and yet he never did, simply choosing to gaze after her with a growing sense of frustration.