Sophie

Sophie wandered around with a beaker in her hand, occasionally putting grass or a flower into it. Since she couldn't make a real love/lust potion, she would have to make a counterfeit instead. With any luck, Aktheus wouldn't realize it was a fake untill they were all long gone. Not that she, a woman of the alchemical science, believed in luck, of course. But a break would do just as well.

When the beaker was about 3/4 full of various common plants, she went into an alleyway and sat down. After making sure no one was watching (witnesses would ask to many distracting questions), she withdrew three vials from their respective pockets in her cloak. After checking to make sure they were what she wanted (a super-mild acid, water and glucose), she got to work. First she poured in a tiny bit of the acid, to dissolve the plants, followed by the water to neutralize it, and to add quantity to the 'potion'. Then she added some glucose, to make it taste better, or at least less like dissolved plants. She dipped a fingertip in, and tasted it. It tasted something like flat rose-flavored soda. Sophie examined her work, a beaker full of sweet green-blue liquid. Hopefully, it would do the trick. She rested for a half-hour, both to give the illusion that she was searching for the proper ingredients and also just to rest her road-weary feet.

Sophie returned about an hour after she left, carrying the 'potion' proudly. "Give this to Sister Monica, and within a week, she'll be putty in your hands."

Aktheus was overjoyed. "Thank you so much! I can't wait until dinnertime to give her this."

"Why don't you just give her some now?" Sagus asked. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Aktheus looked at him like he were dumb.

"You moron. Think about it. If she wanted to be in love with me, I wouldn't need a potion."

"Well, I suppose that's true..."

"Unfortunately," Sophie said. "You have to give it to her directly. You can't put it in a drink, because it'll mess up the chemical reactions. Also, if she isn't aware of it, and what it is, it won't work. You have to go right up to her, tell her 'this is a love potion' and if she drinks it of her own free will, she'll love you."

"All these conditions! You can create the need for them with chemicals?" Sophie nodded. Aktheus sighed and looked back at sister Monica. The sun's setting light shone through the window on her as she lit a few candles. The flames hit her face just right, and for a moment, she was even more beautiful than Aktheus had realized. He swallowed hard and....