"As natural as the fall of night; as rhythmic as a bell chime, with a touch of their creator intent, hum?" Connie maheswaran rubbed her chin as she read the instructions for homunculi crafting.

"What the heck is that? Why is this type of magic nothing but riddles? Nothing at all like flame or blaze magic." She sighed as she leaned back in her chair, a tired and annoyed look on her face.

She has been at this studying and experimenting all morning.

"Mistress." Steven called from the front door of the witch's study, " Come out to my greenhouse, please. I wish to show you my newest purchase."

Connie hummed, hearing her partner's footsteps get further from her door as she stretched sitting up from her bent-over position. " Well, I have been in here all day. Some fresh air would be nice." She rubbed the nape as she stood up, turning and leaving her incompleted research on the table.

"You're a beauty." Steven gushed at the newest part of his garden, setting the potted plant down on the table, " Sure, my lady will love you as well. Yes, she will."

"Dapper demi?" Connie called.

"In here, my lady!"

The witch followed the call of her demon partner pausing, catching a glimpse of his excited, smiling face through the greenhouse glass walls. She felt her cheeks heat up at the sight and couldn't help but feed off his excitement, skipping a bit as the greenhouse came closer.

"I'm here, Steven." She announced her arrival, stepping in with a grin, "What this amazing purchase you have to show me that you pulled me away from some research in homunculi."

Steven grinned at his lady, kissing the back of her hand, " My apologies, my lady, but first I know you haven't left your lair since this morning and probably forgot to eat the breakfast I left for you in the kitchen."

"I..." She rubbed her nape bashfully. He knew her so well.

"I got to it, eventually.. "

"So if I kiss you, I'll taste it on your breath?" Steven grinned as he watched his contractor blush again.

".. umm. Ye- you were going to show me your purchase?" She stated shyly as the dapper demon got closer.

"You're right!" He exclaimed with glee turning away as Connie took a breath. Only to feel his lips take hers as she melted into the deep exploring kiss. Tippy-toeing as he pulled away to keep the kiss going for just a few more seconds.

"You did eat it, good job." Steven grinned, pecking her nose.

"I told you as much." She gave him a smug pout," I don't miss your meals... even if it gets cold." She grinned," Now, what did you want to show me?"

"Ah yes!" Steven smiled, holding her hand and leading her to the newest addition to his greenhouse.

"A... black and purple stripe bluebell?"

The flower she was looking at was indeed a black and purple bluebell, a demonically beautiful black and purple striped bluebell, with exotic bulbed stems, spike leaves, and its large head pointing upward.

"A Nightbell!" The demon exclaimed excitedly.

"A Nightbell?" Connie repeated, her eyes widening in surprise. "How did you manage to obtain such a rare and enchanting flora?"

Steven beamed with pride, "I've been searching for one of these for quite some time, and finally, a fellow demon trader had one in his possession. He was kind enough to part ways with it, seeing the potential it held for our... work."

Connie couldn't help but admire the extraordinary bluebell. Its dark colors seemed to absorb the dim light of the greenhouse, giving it an almost mystical aura. She gently ran her fingers along the spiky leaves, feeling the cool smoothness of the stem.

"But what is a Nightbell, Steven?" she inquired, still in awe of the flower. "It has all the beauty of a regular bluebell, but with such darkness and allure."

"Glad you asked, my lady."Steven grinned, "the Nightbell is a demon plant, usually grown in places of high magic and cursed soil."

"Cursed?" Connie questioned.

"Run down temples, alters, battlefields, dark ritual sites, and various other places of dark magic, where poisonous plants would grow," Steven explained. "It dwells in unstable landscapes, surrounded by a dense fog that takes its purplish hue from the night."

Connie's eyes glistened with excitement. "That's incredible."

Connie stepped closer to examine the flower further, still holding the exotic stem between her fingers. She traced the spikey edges of the leaves and looked up at Steven, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Its energy from those places is what it feasts on, what gives it attributes of dark magic and mystique. That allure is the flower's way of attracting unsuspected travelers to it so it can absorb its vitality and energy into itself. It can also absorb any magic used near it."

"Fascinating," Connie murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "So it's a potted parasitic predator, feeding on the very essence of magic and life."

"if wild, yes." Steven nodded, his eyes dancing with a mixture of excitement and reverence.

"But why would bring a cursed plant home?" she asked, her fascination growing with each revelation.

"Because my lady, a normal Nightbell, can amplify magical energy," Steven said, his voice filled with excitement. "It's an ideal ingredient for certain potions and spells. Even a well-boil Nightbell can produce a magical stimulant in the form of tea, especially those that require a touch of darkness."

Connie's mind raced as she considered the possibilities. "Could it be used to enhance my magic? Permanently" she asked.

"Absolutely," Steven replied with a smile, "Among other uses."

"And you're certain it won't try to feed on us or drain all of our magic?" She asked with a playful smile.

Steven chuckled. "My lady. I've taken the proper precautions. I've planted it in a pot filled with blessed soil and surrounded it with protective runes. It absorbs and is sated by the ambient magic in the air as well as the nutrients from the soil. As for feeding, it still can absorb the life force of smaller creatures, but it is not a necessity, as it prefers the magic energy, we're perfectly safe."

"You took precautions. Well, you should enjoy your find, Dapper." Connie nodded, grinning at his excitement.

"Oh Connie, my blazing witch, this isn't for me. I did all this for you."

"For me?" Connie looked up at her partner, an arched left brow, and a small side smile on her lips.

"For you, my Witchy ember," Steven explained, taking her hands in his. "I know how much you've been struggling to solve the puzzle of a homunculi core, right?"

"Those crafting instructions are like a tome of puzzles, riddles, and mind games," she complained, her black eyes reflecting the purple tint of her flame magic. "But I'm determined to figure it out."

"As expected of you," Steven replied with a slight chuckle as he rubbed his thumbs across the back of her hands. "I think this Nightbell might hold the key you're looking for."

"And how exactly is that? What's your plan, Dapper demon?"

Steven grinned mischievously, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Nothing too sinister," he toyed, " just feed some of your magic directly into the bulb."

Connie eyed him cautiously as she continued to caress the Nightbell's petals. "And what purpose will that serve, Steven?"

"It will attune itself to your power. Just trust me on this, my lady," he insisted with charm and a glint in his eye. "This is exactly what you've been missing."

Intrigued, Connie bit her lower lip as she considered his proposal. She knew he wouldn't intentionally lead her astray. Trusting her instincts, she steeled herself and focused on her fiery magic, allowing it to swirl within her. As the heat built up, a soft red-orange and purple ember appeared on her index finger, casting an eerie light and familiar warmth over them both.

"Alright, Bell. Eat up." She told the plant, holding it to one of its bulb heads.

"Oops, you named it."

"Oh, quite you." Connie playfully chastised Steven as the Nightbell head dipped towards the ember. The Nightbell's leaves shifted as if it sensed the magical energy and leaned into her hand, absorbing the ember whole.

Steven's grin widened as he watched the transformation occur before his very eyes. "That should do it," he said with satisfaction.

"Now what?" Connie asked, retracting her power with a small flick of her wrist, extinguishing the ember in the process.

"Now we wait," Steven replied, his eyes never leaving the Nightbell. "It'll need time to process your magical essence, but when it's done, you'll see its true potential."

Connie quirked an eyebrow at him as she tugged on his sleeve to get his attention, "Dapper, you and your dramatic pauses. Care to enlighten me on what we are waiting for?"

"Now that would ruin the show, speaking of." He pointed to the Nightbell as its bulb rose toward the ceiling. its dark petals holding a blackish-purple glow that seemed to be getting brighter by the moment.

"Whoa... what's going on, Steven." Connie inquired amazement in her voice and eyes. Latching onto his arm.

"I wonder." He teased as They continued to watch as the bulb began to open up.

Connie watched in awe as the Nightbell's petals slowly unfurled, revealing a marble-sized glowing night-colored orb suspended within.

The orb pulsed with magical energy, casting flickering shadows across the walls in an almost melodic time frame.

"As natural as the fall of night; as rhythmic as a bell chime," Connie gasped as she reached for the orb.. feeling a familiar heat of her magic residing inside it.

"With a touch of the creator's intent, was it?" Steven smirked before getting caught off guard as his lady gave him a loving smile and hugged him close, bringing a purplish-pink blush to the demon's cheek.

"Thank you so much, my darling Dapper." She spoke with an earnest and loving tongue kissing his cheek and the corner of his lips.

"Always, my wondrous witch," Steven responded in kind, holding and squeezing her tight, lifting her off the ground a bit as he did. All under the nightbell's loving light.