Captive Calidity

Pyana Apimana knew this day would come. As soon as the first snowfall of the year descended from above, she knew she would find herself in this situation again. Her wrists hung over her head, bound by sturdy green vines. These vines coiled around her arms, legs and waist, keeping her suspended in a somewhat reclined position. Her legs were elevated, with her bare feet raised just inches above her head. The same strong vines were snared around her ankles, keeping them in place.

Her golden eyes scrolled about and examined the winding network of vines that formed a sphere around her. Her eyes shifted downward and saw that she was suspended above a large pool of water.

The last thing she recalled doing was leaving the home of her cherished cousin after a casual visit. Upon exiting the home, she found herself being besieged and abducted. Her signature baggy clothes and red athletic sandals were nowhere to be found, most likely having been taken out of the room while she was unconscious. Instead a pair of black bicycle shorts and a sleeveless, midriff-baring white tank top had been placed on her.

She knew why she was here, what her captors wanted from her. It was something that only she could do, something that made her a special target. She understood their plight, but also wished to return home.

She hands clenched into little fists as she tugged against the bindings of her wrists, twisting and straining about. She could hear noises akin to the stretching of leather coming from the vines, filling her with hope that her efforts were not in vain.

As if responding to her actions, the vines began to stir. She tried to follow as many of the movements as possible and found every one she could track getting closer to her. Three approached her from either side and one approached from the front. They came to a stop in positions that filled Pyana with a sense of dread. “Aa-..” She released a small sound as she recognized the intent.

“AAAAHA!!” Pyana soon found herself the victim of a powerful retaliation. The six vines at her sides nuzzled against each inner thigh, each side of her stomach and into each underarm at once. The last vine had spouted a soft, fluffy reed-like instrument, which brushed gently against the soles of her feet. All of these sensations at once had the poor girl shrieking in a fit of hysterical laughter. “AAHA! A-AHAH! E-E-EHE!”

Reflexes drove her to thrash about, trying desperately to free herself from her restraints and from her torment. Her head flung back as her unique laughter burst from her lips. “AHAA~!!” Every time the soft reed swept across her mocha-colored soles, they flailed about, unable to stand the sensation. Despite their struggle, it chased them down, relentlessly exposing them to this unbearable sensation again and again.

“AA-AAAAHA~!!” Pyana's helpless shrieks echoed across the room as she thrashed side-to-side, trying to evade the vines that wiggled into all of her ticklish spots. Her underarms were especially vulnerable to this treatment, as most of her thrashing was in an effort to at least remove that sensation. “AAHA~!!” Tears bubbled in her eyes as her body began to go limp, having exhausted so much energy that she was losing the will to struggle.

The air around her began to waft as the heat inside the room rose. The source of this heat was Pyana herself, the little fire fairy with a supernaturally high body temperature could make an entire room sweltering in minutes, willingly or not. As with any person who engaged in roughhousing or other strenuous activity, they would find themselves getting warmer as they exerted themselves. In Pyana's case, it was enough that a bag of popcorn could be prepared merely by holding it up to her body.

When her torture at the hands of the vines finally came to a stop, Pyana's head slumped back against the vines set to cradle it as hefty panting puffed from her lips. “Aha... Ah... Ah...” She doubted she had enough strength to free herself, and had no doubts that the vines would retaliate again.

She tipped her head back and gazed at the vines snared around her wrists. She tugged them lightly just to let it truly sink in that she wasn't going to be able to escape. With this realization set in mind, she let out a defeated sigh and let herself lie back.

“I thought I sensed someone trying to escape~” A playfully cheerful tone came from a hole in the ceiling of the room, where a lone figure began to descend from a vine that was looped under her like a swing. Bare feet of a soft, somewhat pale tone touched the ground, with the petals of a dress shaped like a flower fluttering around them. Soft, purple hair flowed down to her shoulders and splayed outward, giving giving her head the image of a flower bud with a deceptively sweet face and a pair of stamen protruding from above her forehead.

Her hazel eyes were fixed directly on the little redhead contained in the sphere and smiled softly as she commanded the vines to move the sphere closer to the edge of the basin of water beneath it. “I was having the most wonderful sleep, surrounded by such warmth.” Azalea brought her hands up to her cheeks, expressing such delight as she spoke. “So cozy. And I have you to thank for that.”

She reached into the vines encircling Pyana and gently cradled the small girl's feet in her hands. “Yes I do. It's all thanks to you that I won't freeze to death.” Azalea cooed as she gently caressed the soles of Pyana's feet against her cheek, basking in their glowing warmth. “Your natural toasty-ness is keeping the inside of this entire tree warm and cozy.”

“Mm...” A somewhat stern gaze fell upon Azalea as the little redhead shook the bindings on her wrists. She wanted Azalea to know that she was okay with being kept here for a short while, but not to remain a permanent power source throughout the winter.

“Oh don't give me that look.” Azalea said softly as she moved her cheek away from Pyana's feet and gave each one a little kiss. “Come on now, let's see a smile.” She cooed as she began to swish a single pointed fingernail up and down either of the soft, brown soles before her.

Immediately she could see Pyana's firm demeanor cracking. “K-Khm~” An eyebrow twitched, lips quivered, toes curled and wiggled. Pyana averted her gaze from her captor as she struggled to resist, and not give this woman the satisfaction she sought.

“Come on~ Smile for me~” Azalea's soft, teasing words accompanied an increase in digits. Four pointed nails now raked and swished across the silky soles of Pyana's feet, swapping from one to the other every few seconds. “Come oooon~ Smiiiile~”

“M-mm!!” Pyana's cheeks puffed and her back arched as she tried desperately to keep the floodgates from bursting. Unfortunately, this was a battle she could not win, and she knew well how effective Azalea's nails were against her. As soon as the arching of her back ceased, her lips burst open and released a tidal wave of laughter. “Aa-aaha! A-Aha! E-Ehe! Ehehe!”

Azalea's smile matched that of her prisoner in brightness as she took in the precious sounds of the redhead's signature segmented laughter. “There we are! All happy now!” Azalea cooed as her scribbling fingers jumped from one foot to the other, while both wiggled about, frantically trying to avoid them. “Such a cute smile, and a cute laugh to match!” Azalea remarked she relentlessly pursued Pyana's feet, continuously exposing them to the ticklish sensations they so desperately tried to avoid.

“Eehe! A-Aha-aa! Aha! Ahaha!” Helpless giggles poured through a large, cheeky grin that was plastered across Pyana's face. The only part of her that could put up any kind of struggle against her torment was the very appendages being subjected to it. They swished and swept over each other, each flipping behind the other to protect itself from the sensation. This only granted Azalea unfettered access to the sole of the foot being used as a shield, which in turn provoked the afflicted appendage to retreat behind its partner. “Aaaha! Ahaha! E-he-ee-ee!!”

Azalea basked in the warmth of the toasty appendages as scribbled her nails ruthlessly across their soft soles. “Now then. Are you going to behave? Are you going to stay put like a good little heater?” She spoke in a tone mixing both playfulness and sternness as she looked onto Pyana with a gleaming expression that told her much worse would come to her if she didn't co-operate.

“BAHA! Ahah! A-Aha!” Pyana's back arched as a burst of laughter louder than any before spewed from her lips. Her head shook wildly to either side just as the question was posed to her. She had to struggle to resist the sensation long enough to lean forward and frantically nod her head, to signal her compliance. “Aha-aaaa!”

The helpless feet went limp the moment Azalea's nails ceased raking across them. “That's a good girl. I promise I'll make this up to you, okay sweetie?” Azalea cooed as she caressed the tormented soles in her hands and began to pepper them with little kisses.

Pyana's lips curled into a soft smile as the soothing sensation made up for the torment she had just received. She nodded again once Azalea made her promise, deciding that for the time being she would go along with this, and not raise too much of a fuss.

“Good..” Azalea cooed as she released Pyana's feet from her grasp and allowed the sphere of vines to move back into position above the basin of water. She approached the entrance to the room above and turned back toward Pyana one last time. “And remember... behave yourself... Don't try anything... or else.”

As Azalea spoke these words, Pyana felt the vines around her moving. She scanned around and saw that two of the ones that had tormented themselves earlier were poising themselves a mere inch away from the delicate undersides of her raised arms. She was essentially being held at knife-point, as Azalea knew well how powerful a reaction exploiting this weakness would produce. “Ehehh...” A nervous grin and matching giggle were followed by a slow nod, to let Azalea know that she understood her situation and was submitting to her captor.

When she was left alone in the room, Pyana pouted and scanned the room. Her eyes drifted up toward the vines binding her wrists and she tugged them lightly to confirm that she was indeed going to stay put for a while. The vines pointed at either underarm began to slowly stir as she did this, compelling her to immediately halt her actions. “Ee-!”

She sighed with relief when they ceased moving, remaining in position just inches from her sensitive underarms. It was unnerving having the two vines remain pointed at her underarms while she was completely helpless to guard them. It made her think that they could strike despite her compliance, simply because it would amuse Azalea.
It was obvious that this was the reason her wrists were bound over her head like this. Azalea knew this weakness well and loved to exploit, knowing it could be used to intimidate the little redhead into submission. A look of pure dread swept over her face as the vines wiggled up and down for just a brief moment, taunting her and warning her to remain obedient.

She let out another sigh once they ceased moving, closing her eyes and imagining herself lounging in a hammock. Eventually a smile did form on her face as she decided to take this time to relax and shed all of her cares. A little peace and quiet would do her some good, she decided.

The following morning saw Pyana greeting the sunlight from the peak of the tree she had spend the night residing within. She gazed around at the snow coating the tree tops and couldn't help but smile as it glistened in the light. Before she could savor the sight any further, she was nudged from behind, instructed to keep moving.

A large swath of vines was coiled around most of her upper body, looped over and under her arms and keeping her wrists secured behind her back. She could feel one of the vines pinned in her lowered underarms, ready to nuzzle into them should she put up a struggle. At the opposite end of these vines, Azalea pulled Pyana closer to her as she too emerged from the inside of the tree, shivering keeping her source of warmth within arm's reach at all times. “If I didn't require sunlight I would just stay holed up in there.”

Last to step out into the sunlight was Azalea's lover and servant, Jineerra. Despite her attire being little more than ivy vines and leaves, the cold didn't have as much of an impact on her. She raised her shackled arms into the air and stretched, smiling with satisfaction. “I dunno. I think the air is kind of crisp today.”

Azalea's narrowed eyes shifted toward Jineerra with a complete lack of amusement. “Easy for you to say. You have warm blood.” She ushered Pyana to sit down on the floor of the tree's “rooftop” before wrapping herself around the little redhead for warmth.

A gentle smile swept onto Azalea face as she rested against the small child. The nourishing sunlight was beaming down on her back, while her front was kept nice and toasty by the fire elemental she was cradling. Her hands rubbed together, feeling somewhat chilly before slipped down and nestled against Pyana's bare stomach.

“Ee~” The little redhead exclaimed as the sudden sensation of chilly hands touching her soft belly made her jump.

Azalea's smile widened as she swept her hands across the supple stomach, savoring the soothing warmth of it. “Aww.. Are my hands cold?” Azalea cooed into the pointed ear before her. “Well I know what will warm them up.” Her expression turned to one of pure glee as she began to playfully fluttered her fingers across the sensitive stomach.

“Yes! A little playtime will keep your mind off the cold.” Jineerra cheered as she too joined in the fun. She seated herself in front of the small girl and used the tether of her own ankle cuffs to bind Pyana's ankles, holding them in place and leaving Pyana's bare feet completely at her mercy.

“Aaha! Ahaha! E-Ehehe! Ee! Eheh!” Pyana's entire body came alive with motion, wiggling in place and swaying about as Azalea and Jineerra performed devious double-team attack. Her legs bucked about, her eyes clamping shut as she swung to either side. “AA~!!”

“This child always puzzled me.” Jineerra said as her hands scrambled across Pyana's frantically squirming feet. “I remember the first time I brought her to the castle's dungeon. I tried for I dunno how long to get her to talk, but nothing happened. She can laugh, but she's never spoken a word.”

Azalea nestled herself tighter against Pyana as her fingers pinched and wiggled across the soft stomach between them. “Yes, but that's how it's always been, hasn't it?” She tilted her head around, her smile gleaming at the girl who was suffering in front of her.

“E-E-E-Ehe!!” Pyana's entire body rattled in place as the two doses of ticklish torment continued. Her head slumped to one side as her unique laughter poured out of a lopsided grin. “Ahaha! Aaa~!” Every touch to her stomach and feet sent powerful tingling into them that drive them to make it stop at all costs. The former sucked in and swayed about, while the latter wagged rapidly about, swishing over each other. “BAH-ah! Aha! A-A-Aha-aaa!!”

“AAAH~!!” Pyana's head flung back as an absolutely maddened shriek shot into the air, startling any bird within one hundred yards of her. The feeling of helplessness surging throughout the small girl was overwhelming. Knowing that there was no way to break free, no way to escape, no way to convince them to stop, it made her thrash frantically as if for her life. “AAAHA~!! AHA!! A-AHA-AA-AA!!”

Azalea tightened her grip around her captive, basking in the warmth beaming off of the fire fairy's form. She signaled for Jineerra to stop, and nuzzled against the girl who's head hung limp, panting heavily into the sky. “Aww-haww.. Poor thing. Were we too rough with you?” Azalea cooed in a sickeningly sweet tone of questionable sincerity.

“Understatement of the century, I'd say.” Jineerra retorted, muttering under her breath but doing so loudly enough that Azalea could hear.

With her lips curling into a small pout, Azalea spoke in a soft, babying tone. “Aww.. I'm sorry little firefly. We'll make it up to you, for sure.”

Once she regained some of her composure, Pyana's uncertain gaze shifted away from the two. She wondered if these two were truly planning to keep her for as long as the cold lasted. She had heard this once before and was not yet convinced that her time and efforts were going to be compensated.

Pyana's attention was pulled away from her captors by the sudden presence of a white speck landing on her nose. Before she could try to get a good look at it, several more began to flutter down from above.

“Oh no... Looks like we're going to have to cut this short.” Azalea said as she stood up, ushering Pyana to her feet as well. The snow to make itself more prominent, raining down from the sky rather quickly. The mere sight of it sent Azalea scurrying back into the tree.

When Jineerra finally caught up with the other two, she entered the basement of the tree and found her servant and the redheaded prisoner seated on a straw bed that the two had once slept on, when this room was their entire domicile. “It's coming down pretty heavy.” Jineerra said as she touched down on the soil floor. “The wind is picking up as well.”

Pyana let out a gasp as the vines coiled around her pulled her toward Azalea. “Did you hear that?” The plant woman said as she cradled Pyana from behind. “We get to spend one more night together. Isn't that wonderful?” Her gleaming hazel eyes locked onto Pyana's, searching for enthusiasm.

When there was none to be found, she pouted. “Don't be like that. Hey. I know what will cheer you up!”

A shiver ran down Pyana's spine as her certainty that this would result in further torment was as large as the smile on Azalea's face. She averted her gaze from the plant girl, making a solemn expression that expressed utter despair at the thought of having a smile forced onto her lips again.

Soon enough, Pyana found herself unable to remove the large, goofy grin on her face. She wanted to remain stoic but such was beyond her power. “There now. Isn't this much better?” Azalea cooed as she cradled her prisoner's right foot in both hands. Her thumbs worked to lovingly knead the supple flesh, sliding smoothly across it thanks to the lotion that worked to make the mocha-toned canvas even more susceptible to this treatment.

“Ehe.. A-...” Pyana's head rolled back slowly as she cooed and sighed in pure contentment. Her nose tipped skyward, basking in the luxurious aloe scent that filled the air. Her lulled stare was hidden behind straps of black cloth that cast her vision into total darkness. The little redhead found this to be a cruel tactic, as she knew it would make her more vulnerable to these treatments, and she could see the result.

“Ah~” An audible cue emerged from Jineerra's lips as she held a green, seedless grape in her fingers and waited until the restrained child opened her mouth to receive it. “Ah~” She said again once another was ready to be fed to the prisoner.

The redhead's pointed ears twitched as she picked up the recognizable sound of grocery store bags. She deduced that this food was prepared specifically for her, meaning that her kidnapping was premeditated. Her entire body suddenly erupted in a fit of motion, writhing and releasing an unintelligible sound filled with emotion. It lasted only a few seconds before she settled down.

Pyana's heart was brimming with conflicted feelings. On the one hand, she was feeling pure bliss with every grape placed in her mouth, and every second Azalea's hands caressed her feet. On the other hand, she felt that this was all a trap that she had walked into. She had told herself, for just a moment, that perhaps she would like to remain here. Such frustration filled Pyana in that one moment, which resulted in the miniature tantrum that had ended just as suddenly as it began.

Now her head hung back against Jineerra's shoulder, mouth agape. It closed only when another grape was placed inside. Even with the blindfold on, one could see such intense feelings of submission expressed on her face. It was clear that this tactic was winning her over, much to her own aggravation.

Two more days would pass before Pyana began to truly question how far she was willing to let this go. Cradled by vines, bound by vines and contained in the spherical enclosure of vines, the small girl pondered her situation.

Her hands rested over her head, bound at the wrists with vines winding down her arms. Her fists clenched and tugged lightly at the restraints, wondering how hard she would need to struggle before the tips of the vines pointed directly at her underarms, stomach and feet would retaliate. She performed the same motions with her ankles, confirming that she could not remove them from their current position either. Her bare feet spread apart, observing the purple reed that would brush against their sensitive soles at any sign of resistance. Just the thought drove her little feet to huddle together, rubbing against one another.

A small sigh escaped the little redhead as she began to dwell on a thought that she had been repressing for some time. A thought that she did not want to consider, but could not deny the possibility. She wondered if Azalea had considered this idea. Such sadness was expressed on her face at the mere thought of using her fire elemental abilities, be it to intimidate Azalea or to free herself.

The vines coiled around her limbs and containing her body were connected to the tree, and she feared that igniting them would greatly damage the entire thing. She wondered if Azalea had a means of retaliating against the use of her flames. She peered over her raised arm at the basin of water she was drifting above. That place of cleansing ones self could easily be used to put out any flames that she would cast. All doubts became erased, she was certain that was what Azalea was prepared for.

A whimper of despair escaped the little redhead as she gazed up at the ceiling of her prison and wondered if her precious princess was worried about her, or missing her...

In the home of one Mihao Kashima, the light of a rotating artificial Christmas tree filled the living-room where its owner stood. “...You've been here for two days now.” Standing with arms folded, Mihao's deadpan stare was cast upon the small heating table in her living-room, and the head bearing a puffy black ponytail that protruded from it.

“...Yes.” A soft, somewhat breathy voice emerged from the face that emerged from the blankets draped over the ends of the table. Lurella Atelier was basking in the bliss of the heater underneath the table. This item only appeared in the Kashima home during the winter months, and as much as ice was her element, she could be practically sedated by warmth such as what the table presented.

“And your girlfriend is with Azalea?” Mihao questioned, squatting down and trying to get a good look at Lurella's face. She wasn't sure if the young princess was even paying attention to what was being said. “This whole time?”

“...Yes.” Lurella's little voice whispered out, her eyes remaining shut the entire time this conversation took place. It seemed that when Lurella was exposed to the warmth of this table, she had not a care in the world. “She'll be fine...”

A small handled video game system and a cup of chocolate pudding sat outside the parameter of the blanket, both untouched. Mihao would have been impressed, but all this girl was doing was trading two of her usual addictions for a third. She paced around the table searching for the cord that she could pull in order to end this nonsense, but found that it was underneath the blanket, plugged into a spherical device of Lurella's own crafting that allowed magical energy to power human-world appliances.

The following morning saw the doorway at the top of Azalea's tree sliding open. With one hand raised, Jineerra used her power over the element of water to push the snow away from the interior of the building. The green seal painted on her back was glowing brightly, the result of her master granting her temporary use of her magical abilities. She stepped outside once the path was clear and began to will the snow off of the tree. “Yikes...” She said aloud she gazed down at the forest floor, where the tree was buried up to six feet.

As soon as her task was completed, the glow upon her back faded away, locking her powers once more. She gazed up at the sky, trying to find any sign of a break in the clouds. “...Nothing. No sunlight.” She murmured before turning to step back inside.

“Yo!” Jineerra stopped in her tracks when a voice called out to her from below. She approached the edge of the treetop and scanned the surface, finding a familiar figure standing in the clearing she had just made around the tree. “Open up! It's cold outside!” Mihao called out, clutching the puffy jacket around her as if her life depended on it.

“Just a second!” Jineerra called out in response before hurrying back inside. Several seconds passed, followed by a few minutes in which nothing happened. Mihao kept her eyes trained on the tree, hoping for the slightest hint of movement in the unseen doorway. “It won't open!” Jineerra called out from above after roughly five minutes. “Hang on!” She shouted as she disappeared again.

Mihao approached the tree, getting a closer look. She found that the outer parameter of the tree was encased in ice up to about eight feet high, a thick coat that would take at least a metal baseball bat to crack open. “...I hate Winter.” She muttered as she kicked the frozen bark before her.

A sudden movement descending from above startled the raven haired girl. She spun around to witness the arrival of a looped vine parking itself in the air. It was large enough that she could seat herself in it, but Mihao was not as tolerant of things that would suddenly pull her into the air. Instead she looped it around her leg and hung on for dear life.

She was fortunate to have done so, as the vine yanked into the air so swiftly that she nearly let go from sheer surprise. It pulled her up onto the roof, dropping her before immediately retracting and closing the rooftop entrance behind it. “S-Sorry. My Master really doesn't like the cold, understatement of the millennium.” Jineerra rolled her eyes as she helped Mihao off of the ground.

“Preaching to the choir.” Mihao retorted in a low grumble. She couldn't even be annoyed with Azalea for the rough landing due to mutual dislike for this type of weather.

A leafy cushion rested underneath Mihao once she was lead into the underground passage of the tree. A cup of warm tea was graciously accepted and cradled in her hands, which had shed their protective winter gloves.

A pleasant smile adorned Azalea's face as she swirled a teacup filled with crystal clear water. “So, what would possess you to make your way all the way out here?” Azalea questioned, taking a small sip from the teacup.

“Actually...” Mihao began, holding the cup close to her face and lightly blowing on it. “I'm here because of that.” She pointed over to the side of the room, where the large spherical network of vines containing a captive Pyana was suspended over the basin of water.

As soon as she was mentioned, a small grin emerged on Pyana's face as she twiddled her fingers toward Mihao.

“Ah, yes. Of course.” Azalea responded, her eyes shifting toward the containment. They scrolled back toward Mihao and locked on her with a chilling glare. “You mean to take her from me?” Azalea's tone was as icy as her stare, her vines slowly rising in preparation to retaliate.

“Ahah... N-Not if that's your response. I was just worried is all...” Mihao said as she held the cup in front of her defensively. She was hoping that she would at least be allowed to finish her tea before inciting Azalea's wrath.

“...Oh. Well okay.” Azalea responded with a startling pleasantness. “She's been quite an angel, keeping us from freezing out here. I don't think I would have been able to stand it if she weren't around. I know some of nature's creatures burrow underground when Winter comes, but it's just not enough.” She commanded the sphere containing Pyana to drift closer to her, letting it come to rest against the ground beside her with Pyana's bare feet emerging from one of the openings and dangling directly beside Azalea's face.

She cradled Pyana's feet in her hands, caressing her cheek against them as she continued speaking. “I originally intended to keep her for only one night...” She moved her cheek away and began to playfully rake and flutter her nails up and down the soft, mocha soles, sending them into a fit of squirming. All the while she continued conversing with her guest as if nothing was happening. “But each night grew colder than the last.”

Mihao watched as Pyana rolled about, laughing hysterically under the torment upon her sensitive feet. The raven haired girl shuddered, knowing how torturous those nails were the soles of delicate feet. “Aaaand you're just gonna keep her all Winter? Ignoring the fact that her family and friends would miss her, or worry about her?”

Azalea's nails scribbled with greater fury at this response, sending Pyana into a maddened fit of laughter, while her plight was completely ignored. “What choice do I have? Freeze to death out here? I normally move to warmer areas, but I didn't want to... Forget it!” She turned her gaze away from Mihao while her hand continued to skitter across the soles squirming helplessly in her grasp.

Azalea was surprised to see smiling faces locked on her, from both her guest and her servant. She recoiled a bit in her seat, slumping downward and looking quite embarrassed, knowing that the truth was out. “That was back when... I was alone.” Azalea mumbled, her fingers instinctively chasing down the ticklish feet that bucked about, unable to stand what they were being subjected to. “I've made so many friends here. I didn't want to disappear for four months, until it got warmer. I thought I could handle it, but sure enough, as soon as the snow arrived I caved.”

Mihao wanted to say something about Pyana's dilemma, but was partly afraid that it would be her own feet that were being idly tormented this way. “That's heartwarming, really, but you're kinda kidnapping someone and keeping them away from their friends and family. And aren't you two kinda family yourselves? Tsu calls you her niece and calls this one her cousin.”

“I know...” Azalea lowered her head, pouting as she nuzzled a single index finger up and down the sole of one foot. “I didn't intend to get stuck in here like this. I'm weak when it comes to cozy warmth like this.” Azalea nuzzled her cheek against Pyana's feet once more, this time while strumming her fingers against the sole farthest from her. “I just couldn't get enough.”

Mihao sipped the cup of tea before her, pondering the situation for a moment. Suddenly, a stroke of brilliance hit her with such gusto that she stood up quickly, forcing her to immediately lap up any tea that tried to spill over the edges of the mug. “I'll be back! She turned toward Pyana and called out to her. “Hang in there kiddo!”

Tears bubbled in Pyana's eyes as she hung limp in her confines, laughter continuing to pour from her lips long after her breaking point had been reached. “Aha! A-Ahah!” She was simply grateful that Azalea was distracted with the conversation, otherwise her wild thrashing would summon the retaliation of the vines poised around her. “Ahah! Eheh!”

In the living-room of Mihao's residence, Lurella was still lying in the same spot, her head nestled against a cushion that was placed underneath it. Her expression of contentment suddenly shifted as she began to drift out of a comfortable sleep. Her eyes snapped open and immediately began to scan her surroundings. “Something's wrong.” She said as she reached for the drapery of the heating table in order to pull it further over her body. She found herself swatting air, and turned to see that, much to her horror, the table was completely gone. “How could you do this to me?”

“Oh! I remember this!” Jineerra knelt in front of the small heating table that had been lifted and carried all the way from the roof of the tree down into the basement. “From that Christmas party, before I met My Master.” She couldn't help but smile as she thought back to that day, remembering her uncertainty with such a large social gathering. Now it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to her.

“And this is really going to replace... her?” Azalea questioned, her dismissive gaze locked on the table.

Mihao emerged from underneath it after hooking up the small power source Lurella had been using with it and flipping the switch on. “Trust me. You're gonna love it.” She crawled out from underneath and opened up the drapes.

“Like this.” Jineerra knelt down and crawled underneath the table, resting her head on one of the straw cushions positioned around it. “Mm... So nice...” She cooed as the warmth of the heater beneath the table flowed through her very being.

Azalea wasn't too keen on the man-made material draping the edges of the blanket, but regardless did as her slave demonstrated and crawled underneath it. She examined the heater underneath, which was blocked off by bars to keep the user from burning themselves, and immediately found her self basking in the warmth as if it were the glow of sunlight. “Oh my... This is wonderful.” Her head emerged from the drapery beside Jineerra's and nestled against its neighbor. “I love it. I truly love it.”

“Aaaand... her?” Mihao pointed over toward the sphere containing Pyana, wondering if this was enough to grant the little redhead her freedom.

“...But without her, I can't leave this room...” Azalea spoke in a soft, lulled tone as her face began to take on a pink hue. “V-Very well. Just please be sure to visit us once in a while.” The winding, spherical network of vines drifted to the edge of the basin, slowly unwinding and allowing Pyana to touch ground of her own volition.

Raising her arms to the sky, Pyana stretched, smiling brightly as she felt the joyous feeling of freedom. She trotted over to the two who had served as her captors for the last few days and recognized the symptoms they were displaying. She grinned and giggled, knowing that the two were now the ones imprisoned. She stuck her tongue out at the plant girl whose eyelids were too heavy to let her see this display before smiling and ruffling the hair of both of her former captors.

Next, she bounded over toward Mihao and pounced on the girl, leaving an enormous smooch on her right cheek before coiling herself around her savior. “Heh heh. Nice to see you too.” Mihao said as she approached hole in the ceiling that they had come in from. Without a vine to guide them up and down, a human would be trapped in this room.

“So how do we-” The sound of flames bursting on either side of Mihao startled her into silence and she whipped her head around to see a pair of wings emerging from behind her. They were large and ovular, bearing an intricate pattern of swirls. She could feel Pyana holding on tighter before the wings began to rattle, lifting the pair off of the ground and out of the basement.

“I can't believe you got rid of it.” Sitting on the sofa with arms folded, Lurella kept staring at the spot where the heating table had once been.

Mihao rolled her eyes as the first thing she heard upon returning home was this complaint. She left the door slightly ajar and moved toward a closer in the hallway. “Not to worry though. I can rig you up a substitution.”

Lurella stood up and approached Mihao, watching as she withdrew a thick comforter from the closet. “That's hardly the same.” The second she muttered this irritable words, a third party entering through the front door made itself known by clinging to the young princess from behind. The rush of warmth glowing off of this person was instantly recognizable, as were the arms of soft mocha wrapped around her shoulders.

“Uh... Hi. Hey you...” Lurella greeted the girl who nestled against her so affectionately. Pyana's head lowered and proceeded to nuzzle against Lurella's shoulder. The warmth seemed to in response to her emotions, with such happiness filling the redhead's heart that her body practically gave off a glow.

Mihao approached the pair and tossed the comforter around both of them, completing the substitution for the heating table. “See? Isn't that nice?”

Lurella's lips curled into a tiny smile as hints of pink began to form on her cheeks. “It's... not bad.” She said as she placed her hands on those that were wrapped around her.

“Well don't get too cozy, cause this one right here...” Mihao placed her hand on Pyana's head, ruffling the already messy bed of crimson. “...Is mine.”

Lurella's bubble of bliss popped as Mihao made this proclamation, one which Pyana was nodding gleefully to. “Beg pardon?” She questioned in a stern tone, as if defensive about her territory being taken.

Mihao made a boastful display, placing her hands at her hips and puffing her chest. “I braved the cold and rescued her. I sacrificed my kotatsu for her. And uh... the bills are getting kinda high...” Mihao muttered as her proud display instantly went meek. “So I asked if she wanted to stay here for a while...”

“Ugh. How dare you. Using her as a free heating system.” Lurella locked eyes with Mihao, leering at her. Suddenly she felt the warmth slipping away as Pyana slunk out from under the blanket and sped over toward her rescuer. She climbed onto Mihao's back, wrapping around the tallest of the three and playfully exposing her tongue toward her girlfriend who had done nothing but loaf around while she was in captivity.

“Hmph! Well if she's staying, then so am I.” Lurella declared, folding her arms again and examining her temporary home dismissively.

“Bring some more of those power sources and you've got a deal.” Mihao said as she leaned her head against Pyana's, basking in the redhead's glowing warmth.

Pyana did not bear Azalea and ill will, nor did was she truly angry at Lurella for making no attempt to rescue her. But she was far more fond of her current occupation as a space heater, than being imprisoned in Azalea's tree, in a single room, in complete solitude. Some company would have been nice, at least. But now she was going to be spending the Winter in the home of a dear friend, alongside her sweetheart, and her cherished cousin was living nearby. Such happiness filled Pyana that her aura of warmth could keep the entire house cozy without her even trying.