Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Charlotte arrived in Sumeru City late in the evening. She had been travelling for three days straight. The endless hours of walking through the region’s hot jungle left the girl drenched in sweat. She was here to write the story of the decade for the Steambird, a newspaper company based in the neighboring country of Fontaine. This story was sure to make headlines: “Legendary Adventurer Finally Found in Sumeru!” Lumine had gone missing a week ago and Charlotte was here to get to the bottom of the mysterious disappearance. The reporter pinched her damp shirt and peeled it off her chest. She waved it back and forth in an attempt to cool herself down with the colder evening air. A content sigh escaped her lips as a gust of wind blew against her face. The girl then stretched her arms upwards, exposing her sweaty armpits to the breeze. Happy with the temporary chill, she continued her march towards her hotel room. The investigation began first thing tomorrow morning. Her only lead was a dancer named Nilou, apparently she was close friends with the missing adventurer. Charlotte rechecked where her house was marked, and went to bed.

Nilou was busy getting dressed when she heard a knock on the door. 

“Just a minute,” she called out. 

The girl slid her right foot through the calf straps and placed it softly on the leather sole of her sandal. She used her toes to pull the foot forward until it aligned with the indents left from the months of wearing these shoes. The sole was still damp with the previous day’s sweat. The dancer pulled her leg up and tightened the straps around her leg. As she did, she wiggled toes about, relishing the freedom the sandal offered the digits. She did the same thing for her left sandal and walked to the door. 

“I'm really sorry about the wait. Just had to put my shoes on,” she explained as she opened the door

Outside was a girl dressed as a reporter from the Steambird. She held a pencil in one hand and a notebook in the other.

“No need to apologize about the wait. My fault for coming so early in the morning.  Is this Nilou’s house? I’m looking for her at the moment,” the girl at the door explained.

“That’s me,” the dancer exclaimed. ‘A reporter here to talk to me? Ah! Maybe she’s here to write a story about the theater.” The thought of getting an article about her little trope published in such a famous newspaper filled Nilou with joy. “Come on in.” she said as she gestured into the house. “Please. I insist. Let me get some water.”

“Yes, thank you,” said the reporter as she walked through the door. “The name’s Charlotte by the way. I work for the Steambird. Oh, do you mind if I set my camera down here?” Charlotte lifted the device off her hip and placed it on the table.”

“Go right ahead, here, take a seat.” Nilou put a glass of water down in front of one of the chairs at the table and sat down. “What brings you all the way out here?” 

“I’m doing some investigative work. I was hoping to ask you a few questions.” Charlotte sat down at the chair opposite the dancer and took a sip of water. 

Nilou hid her disappointment. “I guess she’s not here to write about the theater.” “Sure, whatever’s on your mind.”

“Alright, question one.” Charlotte raised her pencil and notebook to take the answer down. “How do you manage to dance in this heat? Just walking around has me sweating bullets.” “Journalism 101,” she thought to herself, “start with a personal question to break the ice.”

Nilou was surprised that the girl was actually asking about her dancing. A newfound joy filled her voice as she explained: “Oh! I think it's a combination of two main things: clothing and practice.” Nilou gestured at her loose sleeves and exposed midriff. “You’re moving around a lot while dancing so there’s always air circulating around you. I’m not sure I could do it if I was wearing anything heavier. On the practice side, you just sort of get used to it. The sweat is there to help cool you down. When you think like that it’s easier to deal with it. Just gotta take a bath after.” The dancer explained. 

“Mmm hmm, mmm hmm. That makes a lot of sense,” the reporter nodded as she took down notes. “I bet your armpits get pretty bad though. Mine have been while I’m just sitting around.”

Nilou laughed at the comment. “You’re absolutely right. I don’t have much advice I can give you for that though.” 

“That’s too bad,” the reporter replied with a laugh of her own. “Anyway, getting back on track with question number two: I’ve heard that you’re close to an adventurer named Lumine. When was the last time you remember seeing her?”

“Oh ummm. It would’ve been a little over a week ago, I think. She came by to watch a performance. We chatted a bit, I turned around, and suddenly she gone. Why?”

“Unfortunately your friend is currently missing. I’m here to write a story on it for the paper. You were my only lead so I came to ask you.”

“Missing? Really?” Nilou’s face shifted to concern. How had she not heard of this?

“Yeah, do you have any idea where she may have gone after the performance?”

“No. I don’t” the dancer responded. She paused for a moment before lifting her head. “Let me help you look. You’re new to the city right? I can take you around to places that might have clues.” Nilou stood up and tucked her chair in.

“Really? That’d be great.” Charlotte replied. The reporter followed suit. She grabbed her camera off the table and followed Nilou out the door.

Lumine had spent the past week alongside Nilou. She followed her around everywhere, attending dances and wandering around the market with her. 

She had been stuck to the sole of the dancer’s right sandal the entire time. The hot and sticky sweat encrusted leather clung to the miniscule girl’s skin, trapping her in place. She lay face up in the triangle gap between the dancer’s pinky and ring toe, and the ball of her foot. The space was elevated above the indents that surrounded it, a sign that Nilou’s weight was rarely, if ever, pressed there.

Lumine estimated her height at a millimeter tall, maybe less. Nilou’s gargantuan toes were orders of magnitude larger than her tiny body. The two times Lumine saw the enormous woman’s full form every day - when she put the sandal on and when she took it off - the monumental difference in size reinforced her helplessness. Normally, Nilou was only 5cm (2 inches) taller than her, now she was a mountain. Her legs climbed into the distant sky; the dancer’s midriff was a barren wasteland of skin. On the rare occasions she saw the girl’s face, it covered the horizon. Her gigantic blue eyes appeared as deep as oceans.

Lumine knew that communication with the giantess was impossible. Her arms and legs were stuck down, making flailing impossible. Her imperceptible voice never reached beyond the vaulting straps of the sandal. The tiny girl had given up hope of escaping the sweaty purgatory.

 Most important to Lumine were the occasional streams of sweat that leaked between the girl’s enormous toes. They provided the miniscule girl with her sole access to water. And the only thinking that would cool her down through the tortuous days. At first she lamented them as they crashed onto her from above. By the third day, she eagerly drank the salty gift. Every bit that got absorbed into the sandal beneath her was a waste of valuable sustenance. 

Unbeknownst to either of the girls, Lumine had heard their entire conversation. The revelation that someone was looking for her felt cruel. The two giantesses were already at the end of their search and they didn’t even realize it.

“Don’t give me hope,” Lumine thought. “I won’t be able to tolerate it if there’s hope of escape.” She didn’t even bother calling out to the enormous girls above her.

The entire world shifted as Nilou stood up and began to walk. The inertia when the dancer lifted her foot made Lumine sick. Momentum forced the tiny girl’s entire body to retch. The single silver lining was her empty stomach heaved nothing. As the foot stopped and crashed to the ground, her purgatory shook. The damp ground squelched under the pressure of the step and released a torrent of sweat from the leather sole. The tiny girl knew from experience stagnant liquid tasted worse than the sweat coming directly off the giantess’s toes. She held her breath as the warm tide rolled over her. It coated Lumine’s entire body before sinking back into the sandal. 

The pattern of retching and waves continued with every step the giantess took. “Walking is better than dancing.” Lumine repeated herself. “Walking is better than dancing.” It was a cold comfort. 

A single, heavenly drop of sweat rolled down Nilou’s foot and into the crack between her toes. Water tension kept it dangling above the miniscule blonde, high above her reach. She prayed for it to fall upon her. The drop fell as Nilou adjusted her foot. “Sweet relief,” the tiny thought as she opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue to receive the cool, salty water. This singular pleasure was now the highlight of Lumine’s day. Every drop was graciously received like a servant receiving a blessing from their goddess. 

Charlotte and Nilou trekked around the city following every lead as to Lumine’s whereabouts. They would occasionally stop to ask someone questions, but everyone that knew anything said they saw the girl sometime before Nilou had. Thus far, the dancer was the last person to witness the adventurer before she went missing. Multiple hours of dead ends left both of them feeling dejected. The blazing afternoon sun bore down onto them. Both girls were drenched in sweat.

“I need some water,” Charlotte gasped as she collapsed onto a bench in the shade. The reporter took off her hat and used it to fan herself, “by the archons it’s hot.” 

“Yeah, it’s pretty bad today,” replied the dancer. She joined Charlotte on the bench and stretched her arms upwards. The girl’s sweaty armpits felt cool as they became exposed to air, “my feet are starting to get sore, too. Wanna take a break?” 

“That’s probably a good idea,” said the reporter. She put her hat back on her head and raised her arms to air out her pits. “Man, that feels good.” 

“Drinks?” 

“Drinks.”

The girls made their way to a stall selling fruit juice. Charlotte was overwhelmed with choice. “What are you gonna get?” she asked her local guide.

“Hmmm, probably the Zaytun Peach juice. It’s sweet and refreshing. Great for a hot day like this,” the dancer responded flexing her knowledge of regional beverages.

“Alright.” Charlotte walked up to the stall and ordered. “Two glasses of Zaytun Peach juice, please.” The vendor placed the drinks down and took the money. The reporter turned around and handed one to Nilou. “Here you go. Thanks for taking me around all day.” 

“Aw, thanks. You didn’t have to do that,” the dancer said. She put her lips to the straw and took a sip. “Ahh, that feels good. Follow me. I know a good place to sit.”

The girls came to a small pool on the east side of the city. Nilou set her drink down and sat at the edge of the pool. She loosened the straps of her sandals and slowly withdrew her feet. The sandals fell over as she dropped them next to her and dipped her legs into the cool water.

 “Ahhh that feels nice.” The dancer sighed as she leaned back. She wiggled her toes around, ensuring the water washed away the sweat between them. Charlotte sat down next to her and took off her trimmed boots. She set them down beside Nilou’s sandals. Her socks were soaked through with sweat. The reporter slowly peeled them off her feet and set them on the ground next to her boots. Her toes felt free in the fresh air. She followed Nilou’s lead and let them sink into the cool water. A contented sigh escaped the girl’s lips as she closed her eyes. She began to make little splashes in the water by kicking her feet. 

Nilou raised her arms up as she yawned. “Nap time,” she jokingly said. She twisted her hips and let her body fall rightwards towards Charlotte. The dancer’s ribcage landed on the reporter’s left thigh. Because the girl’s arms were still up, it was her armpit that pressed into Charlotte’s right leg. 

“Hey, that’s not fair. Get your sweaty pits off me,” the reporter said with easily detectable fake anger.

“Hmmmm. Nope,” Nilou replied. Both girls began giggling.

A wave of relief washed over Lumine as the enormous toes above her retreated from the sandal. Fresh air surged into the space previously occupied by Nilou’s sweaty foot. She greedily gulped in the outside air. Everything crashed as the shoe dropped onto the hard path. Lumine was launched free of her purgatory. She spun around in mid-flight, completely disorienting the miniature girl. The air whipped past her as she sailed through the sky. The arc of the tiny girl’s trajectory reached its apex and she began to fall. The girl landed on something soft and came to a stop. 

For a moment Lumine simply laid there in a daze. As her head came to, she realized with elation that she was free. Her heart raced as a cavalcade of positive emotions washed over her: joy, relief, excitement. As she began to calm down, she looked around in an attempt to gauge where she was. She already knew she was outside. The ground was soft and peach coloured; it gently caved around her feet. She spun around and saw a white ridge in the distance. Beyond the ridge was a towering red wall. Lumine followed the wall upwards with her eyes. It curved inwards slightly. A gigantic camera attached to a hip strap rose high above her. The reality of her location slowly dawned on the tiny girl. She was on top of Charlotte’s thigh. The white ridge in the distance was the strap she kept her notebook and pen attached to. The red wall that towered above her was the enormous reporter’s shirt. 

“Nap time,” Nilou’s powerful voice boomed. Lumine instinctively covered her ears and turned towards the sound. She looked up in time to see her friend’s armpit descend upon her. The tiny girl’s legs lacked the speed to avoid her fate. She inhaled one last breath of fresh air.

The hot wall of sweaty skin slammed on top of the shrunken girl. Her legs buckled as she was knocked over. Lumine was pressed tightly between the armpit and Charlotte’s thigh. The force squeezed the air out of the tiny girl’s lungs. She gasped, desperate for oxygen. The air that entered her mouth was hot and humid. The salty taste of Nilou’s warm sweat burned Lumine’s lungs as she breathed. The combined smells of Charlotte and Nilou tried to dance within the tiny girl’s nose; their otherwise sweet scents were nothing compared to the overpowering sweaty air. The thick, salty air stung her eyes. She pressed them shut and began to weep. The tiny girl gasped between heavy sobs. If Nilou’s sandal was purgatory, her armpit was hell. Lumine struggled desperately to relieve the crushing pressure, to break free. Her tiny arms and legs squirmed against the vast expanses of skin that surrounded her. Charlotte’s thigh was the only thing that didn’t add to the dense atmosphere.

“Anything, please. I’ll do anything,” she begged the universe. “Please let me out. I don’t deserve this.” The few seconds of freedom from earlier only made the torment worse.

Momentary relief came as Nilou sat back upright. Lumine was carried upwards with her. She was plastered to the skin of the titanic dancer’s armpit. The girl’s last glance at true freedom disappeared as the giantess lowered her arm. The crushing pressure of Charlotte’s thigh was replaced by the furnace deep within Nilou’s pit. The dancer’s skin radiated intense heat into the miniscule girl trapped between their fleshy walls. There was hardly air to breathe, sweat particles filled the entire crevasse. Lumine felt soaked to the bone with Nilou’s thick sweat. Then the giantess moved her arm. The skin surrounding Lumine twisted with the girl’s shoulder. The tiny girl’s entire body was yanked along. She was dashed against the fleshy walls of her boiling prison repeatedly as Nilou stood up. The world spun and squished and rubbed and turned with every movement of the dancer’s arm. Lumine was sent spiraling in random directions. The tiny was wheeled into a sweatdrop trapped deep within the armpit. She girl tried to gasp for air, but water filled her mouth. She was starting to drown. Another movement broke the sweatdrop and momentarily averted her fate. Lumine was once again sent spinning. Her consciousness started to fade with the heat and the movement and the thick air. Hot, salty sweat soaked her diminutive body to the bone. The girl was thrown deeper into hot crevasse of Nilou's armpit. A new drop of sweat formed along the skin in front of her. It connected with the wall at her and completely enveloped the miniscule traveler. This one didn't break. Lumine, exhausted, sticky, wet, woozy, and tiny, couldn't find the energy to keep herself conscious. She passed out within the salty lake of sweat. 

Three days had passed since Charlotte and Nilou met each other. In that time they had followed up on every possible lead throughout the entire city. Regardless of who they asked or where they went, Nilou seemed to be the last person to have seen the blonde adventurer. With the trail stone cold, Charlotte had little choice but to give up on writing her smash article. Instead, she wrote an article about her new friend, and the theater troupe that performed in the Sumeru City Bazaar: “Young and Talented Dancer Shares Her Advice on Beating the Heat”