Pelting rain. Howling wind. Pain.

Ari rushed through the forest in a blur. His heart pounded in his ears. His blood flowed hot from his wounds, though the pain was a cold-numbed afterthought. He couldn’t hear the hawk anymore. Did he lose it? Or is the rain too loud?

The storm pummelled him. Rain like ice. He could feel it shredding his already tattered wings as he ducked through the trees.

A light. Not lightning. Gentle, yellow. Ari dashed toward it with the last of his strength. A door? A house. The edge of the forest.

The storm quietened, beyond the woods. The hawk was gone, he was sure now. He got closer to the light. A lantern above the doorway. The adrenaline began to wear off. His heartbeat slowed and his energy began to drain. The last remnants of his wings managed to drift him down to the base of the huge structure, built for humans and their ilk most likely. Ari landed in a crumpled heap before the doorstep as the last of his energy evaporated…………………..

v   

Livia always hated mornings.

Her head pounded, her eyes hurt to use, and her body felt heavy. Some more rational part of brain reminded her that she wouldn’t feel so bad if she’d chosen to not to drink so much last night. She chose to ignore it. It’s not like the morning was innocent anyway, being so cold.

Livia continued her mental crusade against getting up as she shuffled out of her bedroom to her workshop, occasionally blowing messy brown hair out of her face as she wandered down the hall. The floor groaned under her bare feet, the wooden building seeming to share her feelings. She passed by the bathroom on her right and the storeroom on her left before emerging into the workshop proper. The orderly collection of benches and shelves that made up the workshop were buried under her chaotic mess of scrap metals, gears, levers, prototypes, blueprints, mugs, gemstones, and tools. She was lucky Ludwig had bolted all the furniture down before he died otherwise it would likely be just as disorganised. She picked her way through the jungle of artifice toward her front door, passing by the smaller kitchen-dining area tucked away to her left.

Crisp morning air, that’s what she needed. She’d open the door, and the shocking cold of the bastard morning would blast all of her hangover away. Hopefully…

Nope.

Livia stood in the doorway, looking out toward the forest and freezing her tits off. The wind bit through her thin tunic and pants as if she were naked. Great. Now she was cold and hungover. She let out a sigh. At least the air smelled nice. It always did after a storm. Her attention was caught by the monstrosity of candle drippings above that used to be her lantern. She must have forgotten to blow it out last night. Groaning and rubbing her eyes, she stepped forward to inspect just how bad it had gotten.

Her foot landed on something soft and wet.

Cringing, Livia eased her weight back off that foot. It had some strange shape to it and was mildly warm under her sole. Probably some animal hid from the storm and shat on her porch. She added another thing to the list of things this morning had done to her. The offending thing – unfortunately – came up stuck to her foot. Letting out a noise partway between sigh and growl, Livia leant back on her doorframe and held her foot up to see what it was she’d stepped in.

She blinked. Was that…?

It was. Stuck to her foot was the form of a tiny man. Somewhere between 4 and 5 inches tall, with a thin look to him and mint green hair that matched his simple clothes. He was also covered head to toe with cuts and bruises, blood caked all over his limp form.

Livia held her breath as she carefully peeled the tiny form from her sole, terrified at the thought of causing such injury. Through the anxiety she also noted what looked like the shredded remains of an insect’s wings, confirming her suspicion. She had trodden on a pixie. Heart pounding, she laid him on her palm to get a closer look as her mind frantically scrabbled to understand. The townsfolk had always talked about fairies in the woods. But she had always thought it was superstition, or a poor huntsman’s excuse for finding no game. So much for that.

The feelings of shock began to give way to an anxious guilt, and she started desperately looking over the tiny man for signs of life. Just as she was starting to lose hope, she noticed something. He breathed!

v   

The first thing Ari felt was a deep warmth filling his form. A soft yellow colour glowed through his eyelids as he found himself lying down a soft surface. There was noise coming from his right. As consciousness slowly returned, the first emotion he felt was a subtle confusion. Hadn’t he been ripped to shreds by a hawk and eaten last night? He remembered a storm… That’s right, he had escaped the monstrous bird and landed outside some human’s door before he passed out. Wasn’t he still badly injured though? Why didn’t it hurt? He found he could still move his limbs, so he eased his way into a sitting position.

Ah, there’s the pain. His head throbbed as he opened his eyes and was met with an unfamiliar sight. He was inside some giant workshop, strewn with all manner of magimechanical detritus spread along orderly benches. He was seated in an island of cleared space, laying on what looked like a sponge with cloth thrown on top. Above him shone two lights; a warm yellow lamp, and a dim green glow from a cut gemstone set into a complicated-looking silver device. Ari saw he was set at the edge of the workspace, and to his right he saw what looked like a smaller kitchen area with space for cooking, and a single table with four chairs. Finally, behind the table, he noticed a human woman, making something at the stove. She wore a simple tunic and pants tied loosely at the waist, and her long brown hair was tied up at a peculiar angle on the right side of her head.

Ari looked down at himself and was amazed. There wasn’t a single scratch on him! It looked as if he hadn’t been attacked at all. Not including the thick covering of bandages wrapped around his chest. As he noticed, he felt a sudden hollow sensation from his back. Reaching around to feel at his wings, he realised why. His wings were gone.

A sudden despair began to wash over him. They were gone. Completely? He knew they’d been badly damaged last night, but to think it was that bad… How was he supposed to–

A sudden loud clang startled Ari out of the feeling. He looked over to its source to find a bulky hovering machine that had just slammed into one of the benches. It was an odd circle of brass, with plates covering internal machinery and set with several glowing gemstones. It had an almost bulbous cast to its form, and a steel disk set into its bottom that Ari noticed was attracting dust from the floor below it. It recovered from its crash and wobblily hovered in a different direction. As he watched, entranced by the strange thing, Ari noticed the woman was looking at him, golden eyes wide. She quickly scrambled to finish up whatever she was doing and rushed over after setting a plate down on the table. 

Gods above she was pretty. Ari found himself entranced by her gentle features. She had a full figure that enhanced her natural curves. Her slightly messy brown hair – now let down – framed her gentle features that were set in anxious concern. Her slightly dishevelled state – it must have been early morning – even gave a subtle sense of realness that made her beauty approachable. And gods those eyes. They were a bright golden colour Ari had never seen before and seemed to able sparkle in the light. Ari realised she had said something he missed during his stupor and shook himself out of it.

‘…Huh?’

o    

Livia hurried over while fighting off a concern that threatened to overwhelm her right there. He was awake, which was good. Though the way he was just passively observing her with curious eyes was a bit concerning. Shouldn’t he be at least a little scared? Livia figured she would be if she woke up in some strange giant woman’s house.

Old Ludwig’s healing conduit continued to glow softly. The old silver device had never failed her yet, though it’s age and the unsettling ‘yet’ loomed over her. It seemed to have done its job. The little guy looked as if he’d never been hurt, besides the bandages. Gods, she felt bad about that. She knew she had to do it – they had been more shredded fibre than wings when she got to them – but that didn’t stop her regretting having to do it. Did they grow back? Or was it a permanent thing she had done? Had she done some kind of primal sin? Like… killing a unicorn or something? Her lack of fairy knowledge further compounded her worries. She made a mental note to pay more attention to those superstitious woodsmen next time she went down to the tavern.

There was an anxious silence as she stopped a few steps away from the bench she had set him on, cautious to get too close. It continued as they silently took one another in, Livia’s heart pounding. The silence eventually became too much for her, and she stepped forward to break it. ‘…Uh…’

‘Uh’? seriously? Of all the questions and concerns she had bouncing around in her head, that was the first thing she said? She mentally groaned, but it seemed it got his attention.

‘…Huh?’ He asked, as if just emerging from deep thought.

She started. His voice was surprisingly clear for something so small. ‘Huh?’

They looked at each other a moment, confused, before sharing an embarrassed chuckle. The pixie seemed okay so far. A small weight lifted off of Livia’s shoulders. Steeling herself, she crouched down somewhat to meet his gaze.

He had a fairly slim build, which she had expected of course. Mint green hair with a tasteful messiness to it, on top of a soft face with a permanent curious expression. He was quite cute actually, now that he was up and moving. She had expected that too, though she hadn’t expected how… natural it would be. That was the strangest thing about him. Livia had been expecting something a bit more otherworldly or supernatural. But sitting in front of her now he simply looked like any other very cute man she could find around town. Aside from only being a few inches tall, of course. 

Livia caught herself thinking again and refocused on the moment, pointedly ignoring the light blush she felt rising on her cheeks. ‘How are you feeling? The conduit seems to have worked pretty well but I don’t know if it was designed for someone so… uh, small.’ She felt her blush deepen.

The pixie felt himself over before answering with wonder in his voice. ‘I… feel fine, actually. Surprisingly. Though my head hurts a bit, all my scrapes have vanished without a trace.’

That made sense. The conduit could heal all manner of wounds, but it couldn’t magically restore blood once lost. ‘That’s good.’ She replied, breathing a sigh of relief as her concerns over his physical health washed away. ‘As long as you get enough rest and food the headache should go away soon.’

The pixie continued to feel himself over, cringing when he felt at where Livia had amputated his wings. She felt her guilt spike and wash over her when she saw the despair visible on his face. ‘I’m sorry,’ She said quietly. ‘They were so torn up when I found you, and the conduit couldn’t do anything for them either. I wish I could’ve done more…’ The pixie hung on her words, grieved. When she finished, he slowly nodded solemnly, eyes downcast. Gods, Livia just wanted to curl up and die after seeing how affected he was, though she pushed through anyway.

‘…What happened to you, anyway? I woke up this morning and found you on my doorstep, almost ripped to shreds!’ She inquired, changing the topic. Exactly how she had found him, she sheepishly withheld.

The pixie looked up at her, seemingly relieved at a change in topic. ‘Ah… Well put simply I had foolishly strayed much too far from the others on a simple afternoon flight,’ He explained, wincing slightly at the word. ‘Before I could get back, I was attacked by a hawk and nearly devoured. A lone pixie in the woods near dark is a prime target for hunting birds, as you can guess.’

Livia nodded as he spoke. His wounds made more sense now, though she had guessed something along those lines. ‘And then you must’ve been caught in the storm right after, poor thing…’ She said, shuffling closer toward the bench.

‘Yeah… even then I could feel the rain tearing through what was left of my wings, it’s a miracle I made it here at all.’ The pixie replied. Shockingly, he smiled at her, meeting her gaze again. ‘Thank you,’ He said. ‘so very much. I would have died last night if you hadn’t helped me like this. You saved my life.’

Livia felt a warm feeling fill her, replacing all her worry and guilt with a feeling she couldn’t quite describe as she saw his smile. It fit his face perfectly, and his light blush completed an expression that reminded her of everything good in the world. His eyes were sparkling, and eve–

Livia turned away, smiling and not bothering to withhold her blush any longer as she held onto the warm feeling. ‘I… It was nothing, really.’ She stammered out. ‘Oh, um, my name is Livia, by the way.’ She said awkwardly as she met his eyes again.

‘I’m Ari! It’s nice to meet you.’ The pixie replied, still smiling as he held out a hand toward her.

Livia giggled lightly as she held out a finger to shake his hand with. As they touched, she found he was surprisingly warm.

Ari pulled his hand back and she watched as he slowly stood himself up off of the ‘bed’ she had made for him. He seemed a little off balance at first, but quickly regained his posture. Livia got closer to watch as Ari slowly wandered around the small area she had cleared for him. At a few points she noticed he lurched slightly as if to take off, only to remain grounded. It would probably take some getting used to, not being able to fly. Feelings of guilt began to rise subtly at seeing his plight, and Livia made a mental promise to Ari right there. She would find some way to reverse this and return his flight to him. As her mind already began sorting through ideas, she noticed Ari had stopped and was craning to get a better view of the silvery healing conduit above him.

Noticing her attention, he turned. ‘How does that work? I’ve never seen anything like it.’ He asked. ‘…Nor anything else in here, actually.’

‘The healing conduit?’ She replied. ‘It’s not super complicated, just hard to make. It uses the gemstone to channel positive energy from the background cosmic matrix through the foreground cosmic matrix and directs the flow into a living creature. That makes a reaction that effectively revitalises the creature’s internal systems, creating a super-accelerated healing effect.’ She explained.

Ari blinked at her. ‘Uh…’

She flushed slightly, seeing his lack of comprehension. ‘the gem channels magic into people and heals them’ She clarified. She forgot how most people – and apparently fairies – didn’t have the same grasp on magical theory that she did. ‘Here,’ she said, lowering her palm in front of Ari. ‘Let me show you.’

Ari hesitated a moment, before slowly climbing onto her hand. He knelt down on her palm and gripped her fingers for support. She had to suppress a giggle at feeling his small hands almost tickling her. Once he was settled, she rose him up to get a closer look at the device. As he looked it over, curiosity overriding whatever reservations he had, Livia simply enjoyed how warm he felt in her palm.

Ari turned to her eyes alight with wonder. ‘It’s an incredible device, even if I don’t understand the magic involved. Did you make this?’

‘Ah, no actually. I can only dream of getting fine details like that.’ She replied, feeling some of that old shame return. ‘That one was made by my old master Ludwig. He used to be the tinker around here. Or “artificer” as he insisted it be called.’ She reminisced, imitating a fancy tone as Ludwig once had. ‘I was his apprentice ‘til he died a few years back. Now I’m in charge of his old workshop.’ She said, taking a step back and gesturing around at the space.

A loud clang interrupted her, as the bulbous cleaning device slammed into another bench nearby. She sighed, gesturing toward it. ‘I don’t have even half his dexterity, so all my creations come out too bulky, even if they work just fine.’

Ari looked as if he was about to say something before he was interrupted by a loud growling that rumbled from Livia’s gut. She chuckled, embarrassed. ‘Are you hungry?’ She asked. ‘I had just finished breakfast when you woke up.’

o    

Ari tore into his bacon ravenously. He’d never had human food, since most of what they ate was beyond the reach of his kind. And gods it was wonderful. He was seated on the side of a large ceramic plate, heaped with food. Bacon, toast, and egg abounded here apparently. The plate sat upon a larger flat table, in the kitchen area off to the side of where he awoke. Nearby, a piece of bacon much larger than his was skewered and lifted away. It might’ve actually been bigger than him even, he realised. He finished his delicious piece and watched as Livia brought her prize up to her mouth and stuffed it in whole. Her lips, glossy with the oils of her food, pursed around the fork as it was pulled free of her mouth. As she began to chew her meal, mumbling softly around it in appreciation, Ari found himself entranced again. Gods, she was beautiful even when she was eating! It was a select few Ari had ever seen in his life that could hold that prestige.

Allowing his thirst to pull him away from her visage, Ari stood and cleaned himself off before stepping off the plate. He grabbed his small ‘cup’ (a thimble with the holes sealed) and wandered over to Livia’s rather large mug. Given his size, it was pretty much impossible to pour any drink for him without spillage, so they agreed to settle on him scooping from a larger source for now. Stepping up onto the handle, Ari awkwardly clambered onto the side of the ribbed ceramic cup.

He really did miss being able to fly. How did humans and their ilk manage it? It must be maddening to have to climb or stretch everywhere. They were ginormous though, so they probably didn’t have to he realised.

Resting on the lip of the mug, Ari allowed himself to get swept up in the sweet scent of Livia’s coffee as well as looking up to admire her again. She was really going at it, devouring an immense amount of food in each mouthful. Was it really that much though? Not to her, he supposed. Maybe he just eats a tiny amount of food. The thought had never really occurred to him. She really was huge though. He suspected she might’ve even been a bit taller than average for female humans, though he didn’t have much experience to go off.

Through his admiration, Ari found he’d made up his mind. This woman had saved his life and was even going out of her way to share her food with him (even if he really didn’t take very much). He owed her a life debt, and he was going to make sure that every bit of his gratitude was channelled into repaying it. ‘Livia!’ He called up to her, catching her right after she swallowed a mouthful of breakfast.

She cleared her throat before responding. ‘What’s up? Did you need anything else?’ She asked lightly. Any awkwardness from before seemed to have faded, and she had been chatting more casually with Ari since she’d started eating.

‘No, I’m fine. More than fine actually. This might be one of the most comfortable mornings of my life in fact.’ He replied, smiling at her attempt to hide how pleased she was. ‘That’s just the thing, everything you’ve done for me has been wonderfully kind, and I feel I owe you a debt.’

Her expression changed into a strange blend of concern and interest. ‘Oh no, really it’s fine! All you’ve done is used a little bench space and a tiny amount of food.’ She insisted. Ari felt she was severely understating.

‘It means a lot to me though! And I want to make up for it through any way I can.’ Ari pressed. He sat up taller on the edge of her mug and met her eyes to show his insistence.

Livia hesitated a moment, before nodding. ‘Well, I suppose you’re probably going to have to stay here for a while anyway. It’s not safe out there if you can’t fly.’ She said, her concern showing through her voice.

Ari nodded, a bit crestfallen at the reminder of his condition, but very much alright with the idea of staying with the human. His people likely thought him dead anyway, and the mischievous side of him was already planning a suitably hilarious dramatic return, which could come at a later time.

‘And while you’re here, you can try to help out however you can!’ Livia continued. ‘Do you have some kind of fairy magics you can use? I’m not super familiar with the stories, but they everyone always says you guys can do all sorts of things.’

Ari was amused by her enthusiasm, and quickly started formulating exactly how to let her down. ‘Yeah… about that. You see, the stories are true, mostly. We pixies especially are known for our greater magical potential. I’ve known pixies who could turn invisible, make others fly or disappear, command plants and nature, even wield fire and lightning to defend themselves.’

Livia nodded along rapturously, seemingly entranced by the idea. Her golden eyes sparkling.

‘Though the thing about that is…’ Ari continued, embarrassment rising. ‘I… personally…’ He sighed. ‘I’m terrible at it.’ He stated flatly, meeting her gaze. ‘I’ve never been able to grasp anything beyond the simplest of spells, and even with those I’m pretty inconsistent.’ Very inconsistent, in fact. Truthfully he was probably the least magical pixie this side of the desert. It was funny that of all the pixies to owe Livia a debt, she got Ari. Though he couldn’t help but feeling bad about it regardless as some of the wonder in her eyes faded. Surprisingly though she didn’t seem too fazed about it.

‘Oh, okay.’ She replied simply, settling back. She noted his expression and clarified. ‘It’s not that big a deal, really! I never much believed those stories anyway, so I wasn’t expecting anything crazy. Besides, magic is my strong suit in tinkering anyway. So, I’m not missing out on anything.’ She gave him a warm smile. ‘I’m sure we can find stuff for you to do while you’re here.’ She finished, turning back to finish her remaining breakfast.

Ari sat there a moment, flushed and staring after her. He smiled to himself and cherished the warm feelings that filled every part of his body for a moment. Once again however, he was pulled away by his need to drink something. Remembering why he was up here on Livia’s mug in the first place, he looked over the rim. The hot brown liquid steamed gently in the cold morning air, a decent way down from the rim at this point. Ari set out a hand to steady himself as he bent over into the mug to scoop some for himself. He hung there precariously, the warm scent of coffee wafting over him as he strained to touch the surface that was just out of reach. He leaned further, loosening his grip, and managed to start scooping the liquid for himself. He sighed, having finally managed it, and let go so he could fly out with his prize.

Ari fell into the mug with a soft splash, and he found himself submerged in the warm drink. He spluttered to the surface and looked up to see the smooth inner walls of the mug, with a small circle of ceiling visible out the top. Gods he felt foolish. Why did he think he could fly all the sudden? He sighed to himself, flicking the coffee off his face. He would have to apologise to Livia for ruining her drink. Oh well. He used his smaller cup to scoop some out to drink as he waited to be found. This strange drink was surprisingly good, even if it tasted nothing like it smelled, and its warmth flowed into his body like a hot bath.

Suddenly, the mug jostled and began to rise into the air. Ari quickly downed what he had and tried to stay afloat as the drink swayed side to side. Looking through the top, Ari could see Livia’s face coming closer as she raised it to her lips. He realised her golden eyes had a depth to them he didn’t notice before, and her lips still glistened as they came closer. As they parted to accept the rim of the mug, Ari could faintly make out the details of her mouth. Orderly, clean teeth made way for a soft, smooth tongue that flattened to make way for the drink. Behind, the pink walls of her throat expanded below her delicate uvula, ready to swallow whatever entered. Livia’s hot breath carried the scent of swallowed coffee over him as the mug reached her lips.

As the mug he was in began to tilt forward, and the coffee began to run inside, Ari realised he hadn’t said anything to get Livia’s attention yet. He gave out a shocked yelp as he began to slide forward. Ahead of him, he saw the coffee pooling at her throat, patiently waiting to swallow. His legs slipped over the edge. He felt his feet and calves brush against her teeth and the tip of her tongue. At that, he was able to find his voice. ‘Livia!’ He cried out as he slid further and further into her mouth, finding no purchase against the smooth inside of the mug.

Blessedly, her lips pursed shut, startled, sealing around Ari’s thighs. The coffee sloshed against them briefly, spilling a slight dribble before Livia pulled the mug away slightly, leaving Ari dangling from her mouth above it. He felt her tongue timidly feeling about his lower legs as she let out a concerned sound around him. With a sudden motion, all the coffee rushed away from Ari, pulled deeper inside of Livia as a resounding gulp came from inside of her lips. For a brief moment, everything was still, with Ari’s legs inside the hot wet, confines of Livia’s mouth, held there by her lips.

As soon as the coffee had been swallowed, Livia’s mouth opened with a gasp, and Ari fell a short distance back into the mug. When he emerged from the drink again, he was face to face with Livia’s concerned, though slightly amused expression. ‘Ariiiii! You scared me half to death there!’ She whined. ‘What are you doing in there anyway?’ Her expression softened, seeing he was alright and peering into the mug.

‘I… uh, I fell in.’ Ari replied simply, his heart still beating hard and coming down from the mixed feelings that had erupted inside him.

Livia snorted, now fully calmed and a simple smile of amusement on her face. ‘I thought you just needed a cup, mister.’ She jabbed playfully. ‘you like coffee that much, huh?’

It was Ari’s turn to laugh at her mocking tone. ‘Says the girl who just swallowed a whole mouthful of the stuff at once. Who drinks like that?’ He parried, looking as regal as he could from the bottom of Livia’s coffee mug.

‘Hmph!’ She pouted mockingly, mimicking his haughty air. ‘I do. When I’m thirsty.’ She replied. ‘Want another demonstration?’ She once again opened her mouth wide before the mug and tilted it forward. Ari flinched for an unsure moment before she slapped her lips shut right on the rim and started sucking in the coffee a little at a time, making a purposefully obnoxious slurping sound at him.

That got a solid laugh out of Ari as he bat at her face jokingly. ‘Get off!’ He half-chuckled. ‘I’m still in here you know!’

Livia let out an exaggerated ‘mmmm’ before swishing the coffee around and swallowing. ‘I know.’ She replied matter-of-factly. ‘I think your flavour adds something to it. Minty. Maybe I’ll start adding you to it every morning. Like a teabag.’ She taunted smugly. Ari almost couldn’t tell if she was joking or not.

She continued to slurp at him intermittently, the coffee sliding out from beneath him as he slapped into her lips with each tilt. Eventually the last of it fell into her waiting mouth as she upended the mug. Ari found himself laying on her soft lips for a brief moment before she returned the mug to the table with an exaggerated – though Ari was finding it hard to tell – sigh. Ari lay awkwardly at the bottom of the mug, as Livia’s face peered in over the top, grinning. ‘Had fun?’ she asked.

‘Oh yeah it was great. I loved the part when you almost swallowed me.’ Ari jibed. The small part of him that might not have been entirely kidding went unnoticed for now.

Livia smirked. ‘Watch it mister. I just might if you get on my bad side.’ She laughed. Her expression softened. ‘Let’s get you cleaned up and outta there.’ She brought her dishes over to a small tub of water and set them to the side, fishing Ari out of the mug with two fingers. Her digits caught him in a firm but gentle grip and pulled him out, freeing him from his caffeinated prison. She set him down next to the tub and gestured toward it. ‘Go ahead and clean off first. You probably don’t want to use dirty sink water for a bath. She snickered at the idea.

Her invitation snapped Ari out of another daze. Trying to keep his mind off her infectious smile, Ari slid himself in. And almost immediately regretted it. Turns out a tub of water kept in the kitchen over a cold night gets cold. Who knew? Ari quickly thrashed about to clean off as much as possible, the cold creeping it’s way beneath his skin, before clambering out onto the counter again. As he stood there shivering, he noticed Livia looking at him with a soft expression he couldn’t quite place. It quickly vanished as they locked eyes.

‘Oh!’ She started. ‘I’m sorry that must be freezing in there. I didn’t think about that.’ She admitted sheepishly. ‘here, you can use this to dry off.’ She handed him a small fuzzy towel. Small to her at least. To Ari the thing was larger than a blanket. The towel took the water off his body but unfortunately couldn’t take away the cold. He was now dry and cold, which was an improvement, but not by much.

‘R-Remind me to stop jumping into liquids without thinking.’ He joked, teeth chattering.

‘Ha! I knew you did it on purpose.’

‘sh-shut up.’

Livia giggled as she scooped him up off the counter. She brought her other hand in around him, keeping a little hole for his head to peek through and holding him close to her midriff. ‘Better?’ She asked.

The warmth of her body quickly flowed into Ari. ‘Mmm… yeah…’ He mumbled as he found himself unconsciously snuggling in further. Livia seemed to notice, as she held him a little tighter and cooed affectionately.

They remained there a long moment, standing idly in her kitchen sharing warmth. Eventually Livia broke the embrace and raised Ari up to be level with her face. Ari awkwardly pushed down feelings of disappointment.

‘That was fun.’ She said, smiling.

‘Yeah. I’m glad it was your doorstep I ended up landing on. Cause otherwise I wouldn’t have met you.’ Ari beamed sincerely. Livia flushed a whole new colour at that, looking away and failing to hide how pleased she was again.

‘W-well.’ She stammered out after a time. ‘I’m just glad that I was able to really help someone.’ A small, happy smile stuck onto her face when she said that. Ari noticed she really meant it. They smiled at each other. Livia cleared her throat. ‘Well, now that introductions and breakfast are out of the way, how about I show you around where you’ll be staying?’ She proclaimed.

Ari nodded eagerly.

With that, Livia made sure he was settled, and then set off, showing him around the house/workshop she called home. Ari was surprised at how modest Livia’s home was (though to him it was massive). The large workshop seemed to take up more than half the building up front, including the kitchen. The rest of the rooms were nestled away down a short hallway, with a simple bathroom on one side and a spare room on the other. Livia said it used to be a bedroom, but since her master had passed on, she had simply been using it as a storage area. At the end of the hall lay a small bedroom. Inside a large, plush bed took up most of the room, with a simple bedside table and bookcase – half filled with books, half filled with tools and gadgets – to fill up the space.

Inside the bedroom, they began to discuss where Ari should sleep, when a sudden loud knock on the front door startled the both of them.