... but after showing off such power, now we're wasting the potential on something silly:
mullberry-colored lipstick.

Lipstick.

I ask you!

Umiel wants:
4x Fire Ring
9x Moorish Idol
14x Mushroom
2x Pearl
1x Pink Diamond
1x Purple Candle
330 FP

And now we begin to see the cunning. All that's really needed is the purple candle (the right shape, and approximate color), and the 330 FP to fuel the spell-change into lipstick.
But what's all this other stuff for, then?
For wasting Umiel's time! Now we're being used to supply items for Umiel's own use, in more impressive endeavors. Fire rings will fuse with a pink diamond to create an impressive gem; the moorish idol fish scales lend it a shimmering iridescence, the pearls enhance its luster. This amazing offering will be placed inside a mushroom ring as an important trade-gift to a local Fairy Queen in exchange for certain considerations, and perhaps a bit of fairy-fueled spells.

Right. Now we're in search of a commonly desired item: Super Strong Coffee!

Umiel wants
5x Bubbles
1x Caique Feather
1x Darkness Potion
2x Daruma Doll
11x Flower Petals
210 FP

At this point, I'm pretty sure I'm just being messed with. But okay! Darkness potion is probably just super strong coffee to begin with right? So what is the rest for? Daruma Dolls for Umiel's foster-child? (See what happens, Umiel, when you ask me for these things? I start speculating about your family life.) Flower petals to make perfume for this child? Perhaps a Caique Feather becomes way to wave around the bubbles which Umiel makes permanent mobile-toys for this theoretical youngling? And food points because children are expensive.
But, no. Apparently Umiel uses the dolls as a set of cups to hold the coffee, pours the darkness potion in and makes them frothy with bubbles. Stir in some fragrant flower petals with a feather because otherwise they aren't in the least palatable, and super strong coffee is created times two -one for Umiel and one for me.

Secrets are revealed, here, in an episode of gossipy tabloid-like questing for...
hydrogen peroxide!

You'd think a chemist would be the place to go, but Umiel is our one-stop-shop, so off we go, to find the required list this time is:
1x Heart Balloon
3x Iron Ore
1x Mushroom
1x Silver Ore
4x Snowflake
280 FP

And, really, you know something is up now. A heart balloon? Why a heart balloon? Umiel is in love! And courting! And forget your request, it's all about these all important gifts...
The iron and silver ores will clearly be smelted down and remade into a gorgeous ornament, perhaps KofK's first snowglobe using those snowflakes you found? Tied to the end of the heart balloon to keep it from floating away. Oh yes, and what did you need? A bleach? Well, bring a mushroom as well, the food points will fuel a transformation spell from one type of dye to another.

Next we learn how the courting has been progressing....

ostensibly we want anti-snail spray.

Umiel wants
1x Bromine
4x Cell Phone
2x Red Rose
350 FP

The bromine will do to keep the snails away, but what's this? Cell phones? To talk with Umiel's enamorata? And roses, to gift with the phones. I wonder why so many. Perhaps they are from different companies and use different carriers, so that there will always be reception.
And of course, food points, perhaps as bribes to the cell phone companies...

Well well! The cell phones weren't working. You see?

Because now we're looking for a pop-up card, and rather than grab paper and scissors and make one we head off to Umiel.

And Umiel wants:
2x Cloud
1x Crystal Ball
3x Purple Perch
6x Toilet Paper
220 FP

Hm. A crystal ball -okay, the communication devices from before did not work. Or perhaps they were spurned, as only one ball means only one-way.... Umiel is perhaps trying to find out how to buy back favor? And yet, that's quite a creepy stalkerish thing! I choose to believe the ball is for this mysterious admired would-be-lover, so that whoever it is can instead watch Umiel. A much more pleasant gift, looked at in that light. And a pair of clouds, to veil it from view and keep it a private viewing. How sweet!
What are the perch for? Perhaps Umiel is feeling peckish and merely wishes a meal?
And some toilet paper as A form of paper to transform into this card, with the fuel of the food points.

The saga continues.

We're off in search of hair spray.

Umiel wants
4x Copper Ore
1x Goblin Ear
9x Marshmallow
7x Robin Egg
1x TikiTaki Tribe Mask
330 FP

And you know, you just KNOW, from that list, that Umiel isn't about to make hairspray. Instead those food points will fund its purchase from a regular old store. Maybe the copper will be ground finely and used to help hold, but.... everything else has another purpose.
The Goblin Ear will probably go the way of the crystal ball, and be used to enable sound on the device. Perhaps the marshmallows become the glue to attach it? And a robin egg to render the ear more dainty and like a delicate shell, so it becomes more sightly? The others, the other eggs are perhaps meant to become bird-messengers after they hatch, winging back and forth with tiny strips of loving words!
The Tribe Mask is likely for an entirely unrelated project, though. I bet it's got something to do with why Umiel needed that fairy magic from earlier...

At this point, I've long abandoned any attempt to pretend I'm doing these quests for any reason other than to poke and pry into Umiel's life.

I come to the Alchemist with the latest excuse: Lucretia's wallet.

Umiel looks at me, does a little skeptical, "MM-hmm!" and asks for:
10x Banana Peel
1x Golden Ring
4x Ivy Leaf
2x Morning Dew
1x Pink Diamond
370 FP

At once I think I know what's going on! The ring and diamond mean things are going well in the courting situation, right? And the banana peels will become the leather-substitute to make the wallet, get that finished and done. The ivy leaves will become patterns on it. But the morning dew! Those will be transformed into two jewels framing the diamond on that golden ring. Woo-hoo! You go, Umiel!

I have to see how the celebration will happen, so back I come with a handy excuse of "Prayer Beads".

Umiel asks for
10x Holy Wind
1x Silver Crown
15x Spider Webs
8x Valerian Leaf
330 FP

Huh. This is confusing. The leaves roll up into little beads strung along a strand of braided spider webs. But how does a silver crown and enough holy wind to make a tornado help in a celebration?
Maybe... maybe it didn't go well?
Maybe there hasn't been an answer yet.
Maybe this is another fairy gift, a small silver crown for the Fairy Queen and gusts of holy wind to carry her aloft, far beyond what fairies could usually reach?
But then where are the mushrooms to reach the queen?

Something else must be going on!
Determined to get to the bottom of this, I rush to the next quest...

Neon crayons!

I come running back with this, and Umiel obligingly gives me the next set of clues.

4x Lily
1x Pencil
8x Spathe Flower
10x Twig
220 FP


Hm, not much to go on there. Twigs form the crayon basics, a pencil to teach them how to color, and lilies and spathe flowers to make dyes with. Where are my clues? Where are my hints as to what Umiel is doing?! I must do another quest...

The Heartfelt Drink lets me come back to see Umiel finally.

The new request list:
1x Apple Juice
2x Blue Macaw Feather
1x Halibut
3x Laurel Leaf
5x Marshmallow
380 FP


... Hm. Not much to go on there, either. The Apple Juice is clearly for the drink, and the marshmallows too. Perhaps the halibut, feathers, and leaves are also the latest in the Mystery Project? With a crown and winds, you could create a flying fish crest, perhaps?
Then it comes to me.
Of COURSE these seem like strange requests!
They're for Umiel's apprentice to practice basic magics with.
What was I thinking?
The crown to make a thinking cap.
The winds to speed thoughts.
The halibut is brain food!
Feathers and leaves will be the basis for the first spell attempt: a flying spell!