Wrenfield looked up at the ivory blimp holding his ship up from the Earth. It sometimes worried him; to think that the one thing separating him from near-certain death was an old fabric balloon containing gas. The thing was certainly reliable and had never gotten so much as a tear in its surface. Still, though, it was hard not to think about it when he spent so much time in the air.
 The young mechanic was clad in a very functional suit of clothing. He had dusty brown pants on, as well as a similarly conditioned green shirt. On his feet were metal-soled boots that clanked on the metal grate as he walked. His light-brown hair was messy and thick, jutting out here and there upon his head. A pair of goggles was on his forehead, and an old tan scarf was wrapped around his neck. It was an outfit designed for protection against wind, and sometimes against cold.
 Wrenfield’s ship, The Amadeus, was something that he and some of his folks back home made together. It was something of a parting gift, though it was necessary for the parting to even occur. He’d been using it for several months, traveling about the air as a worker for various jobs, usually along the lines of transport. To him, it was the most valuable thing in the world. The things he saw as he drifted about the brown and sunlit clouds above the ground were breathtaking, and the mountain settlements he’d visited had shown him parts of the world he’d never heard of. It was a pleasant lifestyle, even if some things occasionally troubled him.
 Suddenly, a distinct metal clang caused Wrenfield to jump in shock. He was alone on this Zeppelin, or so he thought. He’d never been one to take many passengers, and there were very few who would have been interested anyway. This was why is surprised him to hear a loud noise so controlled as the one he heard. If it was simply something he kept on the ship that had fallen, there would be more rolling about or banging, but this was a single clang against a grate. Wrenfield took his wrench from his belt and began to search his vessel.
 The control room was clear, which was a relief. His bedroom was empty as well. Even the cargo hold had nobody. Finally, Wrenfield arrived at the engine room’s door. He turned the wheel to open the heavy door and looked in. He couldn’t see anybody yet. Wrenfield swung the door fully and stepped in. The mechanic walked around the metal grate surrounding the engine, but found nobody. With a sigh of relief, he turned back towards the door.
 Just as he turned around, another metal clang rang out from right behind him. Wrenfield tried to swing his wrench around and hit the stowaway, but something caught his arm and held him back. A gold-like limb wrapped around Wrenfield’s chest and kept him from turning around. For a moment, the mechanic struggled and tried to wrestle from his assailant’s grip. However, it soon became clear that he wasn’t going to escape.
 “Calm down and stop struggling.” A feminine voice literally rang out from behind him. He stopped totally. It wasn’t because he wanted to obey the order. He just didn’t expect such a command in such a tone.
 Wrenfield remembered his situation. “Let go of me!” he demanded irritatedly.
 “Only when you calm down and stop struggling.” the voice reverberated. It was such a strange sound. Wrenfield’s curiosity eventually got the best of him and he relaxed. After the mechanic released a long, docile sigh, the stowaway let go of him and stepped back. Wrenfield turned around to see his “attacker”.
 The young man wasn’t at all prepared for what he saw. Standing in front of him now was a humanoid figure whose surface was totally reflective. It looked like a female model made of brass, but it moved so fluidly that it was undoubtedly alive. It wore nothing, showing its more-than-fair proportions entirely. The form lacked any genitalia, but it bore other fine features. Its midriff was mostly smooth, but it had a long, thin navel running down its center. Its facial features were positioned ideally and it lacked any sort of hair. The entity’s expression was a warm one that emphasized good nature.
 Wrenfield paused for a moment as he stared. The figure stared back just as intensely. Only when it cocked its head did the mechanic finally speak.
 “Who are you?” He spoke sternly, trying to come across as confident.
 “I am Gilda, a metallic squole,” she chimed. “Most people recognize my material as very similar to brass.”
 This reply only raised more questions. “What in heaven’s name is a squole?”
 “It is an amorphous species of humanoid creatures that have decided from slimes. We’re not very common in the mountains that I’m certain you are familiar with.”
 “Then why are you here?” Wrenfield was truly fascinated.
 Gilda stared at the engine of the airship and put a shiny hand on the railing surrounding it. “A metallic squole such as myself is very attracted to metal objects. We feed off of metals and other minerals. I’m particularly interested in mechanics, so I snuck aboard your airship at your last stop. I have been feeding off of various pieces of metal that I found in different places, but I have avoided anything vital to travel.”
 Wrenfield thought about this for a moment. This at least explained what happened to his spare parts. The squole was so upfront about everything, and seemed to be rather articulate. She knew what she was doing, and certainly knew enough about the ship to have not caused it to crash. However, what was he going to do now?
 Before he had a chance to say something, the squole spoke again. “Would it be possible for me to stay at least until your next destination? I promise that I will not obstruct you in any way or make your work difficult.”
 “Well…” the mechanic began to scratch his chin.
 “Perhaps I could even help. I have expressed that I am interested in mechanics, and I would be happy to do anything I can to assist you in aerial navigation.” Gilda leaned in towards the young man and looked at him with metallic eyes.
 After a short pause, Wrenfield replied. “Alright. I guess you could stick around for a bit longer. However, we will have some things to sort out. Let’s talk about this in the kitchen.” The squole smiled gratefully and followed the mechanic.
  “So,” Wrenfield leaned on his hands which rested on the table. He was across from Gilda, who was sitting in a chair with her hands in her lap. “What will you be eating?”
 “If you would like, I could eat pieces of metal that you’ve deemed suitable for my consumption. I’m not picky. I could still eat other things without your suggestion; I assure you that I won’t digest anything necessary.”
 “I guess I can find some stuff for you. We’ll figure out portions later. Next, where will you be staying?”
 “I can stay most anywhere, but I would be most comfortable with staying in my current resting quarters.” Gilda reverberated cheerfully.
 This brought up a good question. “Where have you been staying, then?” Wrenfield asked.
 “For the past few days, I’ve been hiding in your bedroom, typically underneath your bed.”
 This was quite a surprise to Wrenfield. “You’ve been staying in my room? Er, well, I guess if you’re most comfortable there, you can stay as long as you don’t bother me while I sleep.”
 “Don’t worry; I haven’t woken you up at all since I got here,” she stated factually.
 The mechanic stood up straight and crossed his arms. “I guess that’s all I have to say. Do you have anything you’d like to add?”
 The squole looked down for a second before opening her mouth. “Actually…I…uh, nevermind.” Gilda turned her gaze to the side and avoided eye contact with Wrenfield. The young man was puzzled by this, as the brass woman had been acting very formally until now. However, he didn’t want to ask more questions at the moment. He was very tired and didn’t want to get into a complicated subject.
 “I’ll be heading to bed. You can go to sleep whenever you like. Just don’t cause a ruckus when you do.” He blushed a little at the idea of her in his bedroom, but he remained stern. Gilda nodded at him as he entered his chamber.
  “Sir.” A voice rang and awoke Wrenfield from his sleep. He was bundled up in his covers and clad in pajamas. He looked towards the source of the noise and vaguely saw the female figure of Gilda in the dark.
 “W-what is it? Just call me Wrenfield.” He muttered, half-awake.
 “I don’t know how to tell you this, but please remain calm.” Gilda put a hand on Wrenfield’s covers. The young man’s eyes widened. The squole grabbed the mechanic’s blanket and moved it out of the way before positioning herself on his bed. Wrenfield didn’t speak at all, only listening to what Gilda had told him and remaining calm.
 The brass woman literally wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to her body. Gilda’s body was surprisingly soft and warm. Despite being metallic, the surface of the squole moved at his touch. It was very smooth, to the point where Wrenfield could barely feel it at all.
 As the mechanic felt himself against the squole’s body, he soon realized that he was actually being pulled in. He started to panic as felt himself slowly sinking into Gilda. However, Gilda’s voice chimed again and soothed him.
 “I won’t hurt you. Just don’t panic.”
 Wrenfield closed his eyes and let himself be engulfed by the wave of brass that was covering him. The squole, for a few seconds, held her body which now contained the young man. He formed a oddly shaped bulge down her entire body for a little bit before the inside of the brass woman began to shift. A pocket of air was present inside of Gilda’s body, and slowly Wrenfield adjusted himself into a crouched position inside this pocket.
 Outside, the bulge in Gilda’s form was no longer awkward and bumpy. Instead, a smooth sphere sat at her midriff now. Its surface was reflective just like the rest of her body, and the navel that had previously been so thin had widened and grown. Although it was still narrow, Gilda’s belly button was now wide enough to see how deeply it sank into her tummy, not unlike a ravine on her brass surface.
 Gilda slid a hand across the shiny ball that was her abdomen. She had a somewhat affectionate smile on her face as she cradled her belly. The squole was now lying down in Wrenfield’s bed, hugging her tummy with both her arms and legs. She adjusted her self again and again, trying to feel the sensation from every possible angle. Finally, Gilda closed her eyes, rested both her hands on her gut, and fell asleep.
 Wrenfield also slid a hand on Gilda’s abdomen, but he did it from the inside. He could clearly hear his own breathing, and there certainly wasn’t much room to move, but the mechanic still found his position quite tranquil. Wrenfield didn’t feel too hot or too cold; it was simply comfortable. He could barely think about where he was and what had happened to him before he also found rest.
  Gilda stirred as a dim light shone through the window in Wrenfield’s room. After she began to move a little, it didn’t take long for her to notice the mass at her belly. With a few moments of recollection, the squole remembered her actions last night. She went to the bedroom shortly after Wrenfield and tried to get some sleep. However, she couldn’t seem to get any rest, even if she’d been able to for the previous days. That time, Gilda couldn’t help herself as she gazed at the mechanic. She had approached his bed in the dark and told him to remain calm while slowly enveloping his body.
 The squole dipped a finger down the long, narrow navel that was in her brass tummy. She would have continued had she not realized that Wrenfield was still asleep. Reluctantly, Gilda slipped her body away from the young man’s and stood on the floor next to the bed. Wrenfield, now in the light, was quite cute. His hair was tussled and he lay curled in his bed. Be that as it may, Gilda couldn’t continue doing this right now. Things were going very quickly and she didn’t want to make them more awkward than they needed to be. The brass woman left the room as quietly as she could.
 After the door to his room closed, Wrenfield cautiously opened one eye. He let out a sigh and propped himself up on his elbow. He’d felt and seen all of it; the rubbing, the releasing, the way she looked at his sleeping figure. The mechanic didn’t know what to do about it. It was totally unexpected, but Wrenfield would be lying if said he wasn’t comfortable with what happened. The feeling of being so near and together with another person was delightful and felt like nothing else. However, it was so sudden and unpredictable. If this sort of thing was going to continue, they would have to talk about it and get on the same page first.
 For now though, Wrenfield didn’t want to get up. He basked in the glow of the morning light as well as the afterglow of being in contact with Gilda. It truly was an infatuating sensation.