As a creepy, suspicious trinket shop, it's easy to find.

Unaware of the visitors she was about to receive, the enchantress Chloe Aitell sighed and swapped her hanging "Open" sign to "Closed." Another day with almost no sales... This business of hers wasn't working out. The average citizen of Merridan was too poor to randomly splurge on a trinket or bauble at the rate she considered "fair." Meanwhile, her black market stock had to remain secret so that neither the Church nor Dyna's Knights came around asking questions... So, while she'd occasionally earn a big payout from some interested buyer with enough information, those came once in a blue moon.

The former nun ran a hand over her frowning face, looking into her own brown eyes in her storefront window. Her hand moved to her rose-red blunt bangs, then nervously felt her single long braid, tossed over one shoulder. How long had it been since she was excommunicated for bad behavior? She didn't want to remember a number... Well, it'd been some time, and now she was pushing into the late thirties. She fancied she used to have the sexiest look in the Church, far before it was fashionable to do so... While others in the Church somehow seemed to avoid the passage of time, it seemed to march right on for her. The heavy makeup she wore, including makeup and ruby red lipstick, could only do so much.

"The Church... Well, well, well. That bitch Clara Fauxbright went and decided it's fine for everyone to dip a little bit into the community well, hm? That it's fine for all those men to start getting their piece of the pie at the bake sale? That it's fine for all good parishioners to 'make a joyful noise,' huh?!" The woman's face turned into an ugly scowl, which did the mature look she was so concerned about no favors. "Bah! Damn fuckin' hypocrites! Those high-and-mighty holy types got too jealous, just because I was a little bit forward-thinking, and kicked me out. Ruined my life!"

Chloe was not being entirely fair. The Church hadn't excommunicated her for trying to increase the faith in Geod by relieving sexual frustration, as the current edict went. She'd been kicked out because she was blatantly using the enchanted tools she created to relieve her own sexual frustration, in ways that were definitely not approved by the Church (or, certainly, the law). She tended to conveniently gloss over the fact that what she'd been doing then would certainly be frowned upon even now.

The woman drew her heavy, gaudily-patterned and fur-lined purple cloak around the ornate and frilled black dress she wore below and began to walk away from the storefront, further into her dusty store lined with all manner of bits and baubles she never managed to sell. That was one advantage of no longer being a nun: she could show off her pale shoulder line as much as she wanted. Not that her somewhat provocative dress was doing her much good these days, when she could hardly leave her shop. It looked like she'd be setting up for another lonely night... "Time to decide which one of my enchanted little buddies will help me work out my frustration before I go to sleep..."

Suddenly, just in front of the store, she heard voices. Voices, right in front of the shop! Like she was a criminal who had broken in instead of the shop's rightful owner, she pressed herself to the wall beside the windows and doorframe to avoid being seen in the low light. Then, she peered around the corner...

The first thing she saw made her grin brightly. A man! A very handsome young man! An absolutely tasty morsel of hulking, youthful muscle! The woman tried to clear her head, acknowledging this was a pretty horny reaction even for a sexual deviant like herself. "Well, I was just gearing up to get my diddle on before bed... But, holy shit! This guy could have stepped right out of my before-bed fantasy! C'mon, come in! There's gotta be some trinket you need, right...?!"

Before she could even properly construct an image of that handsome redhead coming in and throwing out some cheesy excuse for his being there, straight out of dirty theater, the man stepped slightly to the side. Then, Chloe saw... a woman.

A really fine woman, older than the young man, but younger than her.

"Crap. That's gotta be his woman. So, he's into fat-assed black chicks, huh... Wait."

Chloe's mood got even worse. She saw the pendant hanging around the woman's neck. "That's... a knight's pendant. This woman's a knight!" If there was one thing Chloe hated as much as the Church, it was the Knights. Under the flimsy excuse of "protecting the city," that band of drunkards had the whole city dancing to their tune. Also, just one look at their raunchy captain was enough to know... "Those sons and daughters of bitches get all the sex they want, don't they?! I bet they can get the freak on with anyone in the city they choose! I'm jealous! So jealous!! And so this skanky blind chick is shacking up with handsome hunks like this stud? Does she think those gross scars make her look mysterious and sexy?! How pathetic!!"

The envious enchantress's eyes fell on something else of interest. That pink choker the woman was wearing looked out of place... "Wait a minute. That's... I definitely sold something like that to some shady kid a little while ago. Now, this knight is wearing it? I can't begin to imagine... what's going on... B-but, anyway, that explains why they're here. It's gotta have something to do with that choker. That means I can get that young man in here! If I can just get his fine, sculpted buns through the door, I'm sure everything will work out from there..."

Ralli, Harvey, and Harley had been standing outside for a while, noticing the "closed" sign immediately. Liam's still-**** body had been set beside the door none-to-carefully, and Harley was now crouched there keeping watch.

The sergeant crossed her arms, pensively tapping one finger against her elbow. "It seems we were too late... This shop apparently closes relatively early. Still, this must be the place. This is the only person in Merridan who may be able to break the curse. I will try knocking."

Harvey and Harley winced at each other, seeing Ralli walking to the door with her arm drawn way too far back. She looked more like she was about to try and break it down, rather than get anyone's attention.

Just as she swung...

The glass door opened to reveal the creepy, hungry smile of the proprietress.

Ralli's fist stopped just a hair in front of her face, the wind from the **** sending the enchantress's braid flapping behind her as her smile froze on her face. "Ah... I apologize. Are you the owner of this shop?"

"..." The other woman took a deep breath, confirming she could still breathe and hadn't passed on to the next world. "Yes... I am Chloe Aitell. I... sell trinkets. For discerning customers, I also have ways of... 'improving' trinkets. Are you interested in either of these services?" Having recovered her senses and decided her life wasn't in imminent danger, the woman had equipped a more customer-facing smile.

"Ah, yes." Ralli nodded vigorously. "My name is Sergeant Ralli Hellknox. By 'improving,' I take it you mean 'enchanting.' We are in **** need of someone with those services."

"Bingo!" The proprietress grinned and celebrated in her head, trying to picture how much she'd be able to upcharge for a service like the one she was now sure Ralli was seeking.

"My friend, Bella Tasteasy, a sorceress in the ranks of the knights, told me you would be able to help. She also told me to make sure you were aware she'd know if you did the job right or sent me back funny... I confess I do not understand the meaning."

Chloe gave her a curious frown in response, obviously affected by what she'd just said. For one thing, if this was related to a favor to Bella, her hopes for a big payday were out. The chance to repay what she owed that woman was plenty enough to pay for whatever this knight sergeant wanted. However, that was less interesting than the implications... "Bella Tasteasy is a braineater. Without her help, I would have been killed for what I did at the abbey, not just excommunicated. But... Hehe. Heheheheheee... That means..."

The enchantress's squinting eyes fell helplessly on the collar Ralli was wearing. "Because that's exactly what it is: a collar for a demon ****. Despite what I told that silly young man to make a sale, these things can't make another human servant to your wishes, no matter how sinful their heart. But a demon... that's exactly what it's made for! And if Bella is a braineater, the person most important to her... the person she'd want to give her very important favor from me... is her deathspeaker. That's who this sergeant is... Heeheeheeee! Nice disguise! Those freaky scarred-up eyes make much more sense now. I almost wanna rip that mask right off of her in front of this guy, show him what kind of monster he was about to take into his bed... But no. I should be able to use this..."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head," Chloe told her with dripping sweetness. "It's all clear to me now. I understand... who you are, Ralli Hellknox. From what you're wearing, I can guess why you're here. I can help you, but you're going to have to do what I say."

The sergeant felt her muscles clench with fresh tension. "So you know... what I am. I understand. Help me with my problem, and I will do as you command."

"Excellent." Chloe gave her a big, friendly smile. "Then, allow me to say this first. You're not stepping a foot in my shop, Ms. Violent Knight who very nearly knocked my lights out. However... That redhead will do. Send them in to do business." Without another word, Chloe turned on her heels with a dirty grin on her face, then disappeared into her shop.

"Ah... The redhead." Ralli paused, pensively. "... Wait. Which one?"

Chloe had already shut the door behind her.