For most of the day Nillyna led Lily on a tour of her property. She started with the gardens surrounding her house, some of which she used to cultivate potion ingredients for her magical potions she would sometimes be commissioned for (though not on the level of quality that the Tetra's could produce, garnering Nillyna's need to do business with them whenever quality was everything), but most held rare, exotic flowers Nillyna had collected over the years. Lily was genuinely interested, having seen multiple types of flowers growing alongside her throughout her life, but had never seen such a variety of colors that were housed in Nillyna's gardens.
 
 
While amongst all the greenery, Nillyna realized she hadn't eaten for a few days, having spent most of her time till now caring for Lily and distressing over her feelings of being rejected, so she stopped by one of her many fruit bearing plants growing in the garden her and Lily were currently exploring to have a snack. Lily on her part was curious about the little five ridged fruit Nillyna was enjoying and asked if she could try some. Nillyna happily complied, it was her responsibility to provide Lily with everything she would need after all.
 
 
"Mmm…" Lily chewed happily on the yellow green fruit. "This is delicious. What kind of fruit did you say it was?"
 
 
"It's a Star fruit," answered Nillyna as she and Lily walked hand in hand, her silver talisman thudding lightly in the dirt as the both of them trekked across a grassy field, heading in the direction of the lake.
 
 
"I've never had anything like it," said Lily, popping the rest of the fruit into her mouth, Nillyna offering her another when she was finished.
 
 
"Not surprising," said Nillyna, "They aren't indigenous to the region where your forest was."
 
 
Lily mulled that over as she scarfed up the other star fruit. Having lived in a forest that was mostly acorn or walnut trees, the only thing she could compare this delight to was the occasional berry, but that was a pale comparison at best. These little fruits have so much flavor in their small forms, if there was more where this came from it was unlikely Lily was ever going to regret signing that Soul Contract.
 
 
Once they arrived at the shore of the lake Lily could not help but stare at the lengthy body of water. She had never seen so much of it in one place, and, truth be told, it was almost as unsettling as the view below had been. Nillyna, for her part, could not help but swoon at Lily's adorable expression as she gazed at her lake.
 
 
That is until a rusling from her other side revealed Lily's plant mouth slithering up from the distance and up to the shore as well.
 
 
Despite Nillyna carrying no grudge against Lily for what had happened in her forest, you don't slide down a gigantic maw without developing a slight unease around said maw, and, therefore, Nillyna could not suppress a small start as the huge trap came up next to her before the water. Nillyna placed a hand to her chest to steady her pulse, her heartbeat slowly returning to normal. She kept her gaze focused on Lily's plant mouth, waiting to see Lily's reasonings for bringing it forth, but stood absolutely still before her.
 
 
She turned to Lily's main body but found her just as still.
 
 
Before Nillyna could inquire if she was alright a gentle sloshing sound was heard, followed by a light rippling in the lake water. Turning, Nillyna saw that Lily's plant mouth had dipped into the water, taking in gulp after gulp of the liquid. In a way Nillyna almost thought it was cute.
 
 
Lily seemed to moan in bliss.
 
 
"Incredible," she whispered.
 
 
Then the plant mouth did something entirely unexpected, it plunged into the water with a soft splash, the lengthy stem allowing it to move freely through the water while still possessing enough length to leave the taproot it was attached to, which was left on the shore with the rest of Lily's body. Nillyna noticed that she seemed to be channeling all her focus on her plant mouth as it swam in the water, leaving her humanoid body stationary on the shore. But Nillyna just smiled and leaned on her cane, she didn't mind letting Lily enjoy herself like this.
 
 
After about half an hour of the plant mouth
swimming in the lake like a mighty sea serpent it eventually resurfaced and joined with the rest of Lily's form on the shore, great trickles of water rolling off its stem like miniature waterfalls. Lily seemed to snap out of a deep trance, her stationary human body suddenly taking in a great gasp and blinking rapidly before her gaze settled on Nillyna.
 
 
"I take it you enjoyed that?" The Lepidopteran asked kindly.
 
 
Lily smiled.
 
 
"Immensely," she replied, staring out at the lake almost blissfully. "I... have never been near so much water before. It was a pleasant sensation to swirl my plant mouth through it."
 
 
"You may keep going if you enjoyed it so much," Nillyna offered.
 
 
Lily smiled in turn. "I appreciate it, but as much as I enjoyed this, I would much rather be planted in the ground again."
 
 
Nillyna thought that made sense, however, she had to ask something as they continued to explore the estate."Why did you go only partly into the water anyway, Lily?"
 
 
"Oh, my humanoid body house's my lungs," explained Lily as she and Nillyna headed to the forested part of the hovering land. "I would have had to come up for air if I had brought it into the water with my plant mouth, and plus," she smiled sheepishly. "It gave me anchorage...I... don't really know how to swim."
 
 
Nillyna had to berate herself for missing that obvious detail.
 
 
Lily's single visible eyes sparkled as she and Nillyna arrived under the canopy of the ancient Oak trees. It was obvious that the sight reminded her of home, and Nillyna's heart warmed seeing her expression of belonging. But an exploration of the forest later found Lily becoming more eager to find a place to settle her roots, so, when they next passed a slight clearing in the trees it was here that Lily requested to be placed.
 
 
It was nowhere near as big as the meadow where Lily originally came from but it was tranquil with an opening in the canopy above large enough for sunlight to shine down throughout the entire day, and Nillyna also noticed that it was fairly close to the lake, enough for Lily to easily reach it with her plant mouth, no doubt for her to 'swim' whenever she wants. Nillyna had no objections to this location though, it was Lily's choice, after all.
 
 
"So, how are we going to go about doing this?" Asked Lily as she inspected the surrounding grass by weaving her vines through it. "Are you going to dig a hole for me? That might be a bit hard."
 
 
Nillyna laughed. "Dig a hole? Please! Manual labor is unnecessary for someone as skilled as me."
 
 
Lifting her cane, Nillyna placed the red orb that acts as the head to the ground. Like water flowing from a spout a luminous blue trickled from the orb, spreading along the ground but never seeping through it. Spreading her wings, Nillyna took flight, lifting her nude body up into the air to avoid the spreading substance as it encompassed the entire clearing. Lily was slightly unnerved when Nillyna avoided the liquid but wasn't afraid and assumed she had her reasons; after all, any attempt to harm Lily on Nillyna's part would be rendered null by the terms of the Soul Contract, so whatever this magic was wasn't going to harm her. The glowing spread eventually reached Lily and she watched as it slipped under her body, only leaving a slight sensation under her vines and stem.
 
 
Lily gave the hovering Nillyna a confused look.
 
 
"Position yourself however you like, then slide into the ground," she explained. "I've made it so that the ground will become intangible when you decide where you want to be."
 
 
Lily nodded, at least partially understanding, slithering around the illuminated clearing and inspecting it from all angles. Eventually she found a position she liked, and Lily suddenly found the ground beneath her becoming slightly similar in texture to the waters of the lake she had explored earlier, her body sinking into the soil slowly and gradually. As the process took place Lily positioned her roots through the ground as they slipped beneath the surface one by one, returning to the subterranean world where they belong. Lily's taproot also slipped underground, the stem of the plant mouth extending out so as to conceal itself among the trees, same as it was when Nillyna first stumbled upon her.
 
 
Once Lily had sunk up to the part of her body where the aperture was located did the process stop, leaving the bulbous part on the surface and the vines scattered about the surrounding area, no doubt preparing to ensnare prey whenever the opportunity presents itself. The ground's glow faded, leaving the grass just as it was, but now Lily was housed in the middle of the clearing, finally snug in soil once again. To say she looked pleased would be an understatement.
 
 
The feeling of having her roots surrounded by rich earth again sent such bliss throughout Lily that she practically swooned. Her eyes closed and she hugged herself. Nillyna landed before her, her wings shrouding herself and magically morphing into an elegant dress with an ankle length skirt.
 
 
She smiled as she looked at Lily's firmly planted form. While she had enjoyed being able to see 'all of her' it just looked right now that Lily was planted again. She also felt tremendous pride in successfully integrating Lily to her home and what it would surely entail.
 
 
She had made it happen.
 
 
Lily was going to live with her.
 
 
Her 'girlfriend' was going to live with her.
 
 
"Comfortable?" She asked the newly planted girl.
 
 
Lily opened her eyes and stared at Nillyna with her one visible one. "Oh yes," she replied, once again swooning. "This soil feels wonderful, and it's so rich with nutrients."
 
 
"I should hope so," said Nillyna, looking around at her forest and taking pride in all she had accomplished to sustain it. "It needs to be in order to sustain all the plant life I keep up here."
 
 
Lily followed her gaze and smiled at all the nature surrounding her. It wasn't her meadow but she definitely felt like this place could be her home. It was peaceful, tranquil,and to boot, someone was here to keep her company, for the first time in her life. Lily still felt so strange being able to tell herself that, having gone so long consuming any and all who approached her she never realized having someone by your side for longer than a few hours at most was so... fulfilling.
 
 
Lily returned her gaze to Nillyna and felt gratitude well up in her. Despite everything that happened the Lepidopteran girl went to great lengths to accommodate Lily, despite having a good reason to dislike her, and yet, she looked just as pleased to have Lily here just as Lily herself did. Yet again, Lily found herself believing she was going to enjoy Nillyna's company a lot more than she originally believed.
 
 
Still, now that all was well, and Lily was back in the ground like she should be, all that had happened finally managed to catch up to her.
 
 
Her forest was burned…
 
 
She was uprooted and replanted…
 
 
She had found a trustworthy companion…
 
 
She was on a giant piece of land floating in the sky, adorned with flowers, fruit, and other types of plants she had never heard of.
 
 
The good things and the bad things that had happened over the last few days surfaced in Lily's mind...but one thought occurred to her that forced itself to the forefront. A thought that sparked curiosity that had to be addressed.
 
 
"Nillyna, can I ask you something?" Lily asked, her and Nillyna locking eyes at the plant girl's question.
 
 
Nillyna smiled at her, "Of course, my dear."
 
 
Lily was beginning to find herself blushing whenever Nillyna called her that, but continued. "What exactly is the purpose of all this?"
 
 
Nillyna arched her eyes. "Could you elaborate? I don't understand what you mean."
 
 
"Well, all this," she spread her arms around. "Your home, why is it all suspended in the sky? I don't understand the meaning behind it all. Why would you choose to live up here? Aren't you... isolated?"
 
 
Lily hadn't seen a single other person up here, apart from Nillyna, and while she had lived a reclusive life herself, she was aware that the majority of people in the world desired companionship in some form or another, her education on the matter was actually due to the fact that Shadow sometimes lured more than one person to here meadow at a time and their reactions to watching each other being consumed had showed her how people can feel towards others, pleading for the sake of others, as well as her own. But for the most part Nillyna was alone up here and she wanted to know why.
 
 
 It was also such a foreign concept for Lily to have interest in another.
 
 
Nillyna herself frowned at the question.
 
 
It had been several years since she even thought about the unique quality of her home as anything above the norm for her day to day life, and it had been even longer since the last time she had anything compared to a guest up here, let alone someone who found interest in its elevated nature. And in recent years she had spent so much time on her quest for eternal youth she had practically isolated herself from the rest of the world.
 
 
In fact she barely even remembered why she had bought this type of property in the first place.
 
 
Eventually, Nillyna managed to dredge up the original reasons behind her current choice of residence.
 
 
"Well Lily, I guess living this way just appeals to me," Nillyna explained. "I enjoy my solitude, as well as the view."
 
 
Lily just stood in her new spot in the ground, taking a genuine interest in what Nillyna had to say.
 
 
"But what about other people?" Asked Lily. "Aren't you lonely?"
 
 
Nillyna was about to scoff, but stopped as a thought occurred to her.
 
 
"Maybe," she said. "In fact, I'm almost positive I was. I think that's why I was so compelled to save you Lily. I never realized how isolated I was feeling until we did what we did."
 
 
Lily blink as she contemplated that. "But if that's true, why did it take us doing…'that' for you to realize it?"
 
 
"Because up until the moment I met you practicing my craft without interference from others was what I desired," Nillyna explained. "I felt company was nothing but a distraction."
 
 
"Craft?" Nillyna inquired, finding herself switching to a different topic other than Nillyna's social life. "You mean your "magic?"
 
 
"Mhmm," Nillyna confirmed with a smile and a nod, staying on track with the conversation as it switched topics. "I am pretty sure it's obvious to you by now, Lily, but I'm very adept in the art of magic. I've spent most of my life honing my skills, and if you will forgive the boast, I pride myself in being one of the most powerful magic practitioners in the world."
 
 
"Really?" Lily tilted her head in wonder, Nillyna finding the action cute. "I admit, I have no great concept of how magic functions, and any others who could use it I met I readily devoured."
 
 
Nillyna visibly shivered, that statement from Lily involuntarily making the memory of sliding down Lily's maw resurface.
 
 
Lily seemed to pick up one this. "But don't worry, I won't do the same thing to you...uh, again."
 
 
Nillyna swallowed to steal her nerves, but gave Lily an encouraging smile. "I know."
 
 
She made to sit on the grass, having grown tired from showing Lily around her home, but still desired to converse with the plant girl, but before her bottom could make contact with the ground she felt a multitude of Lily's vines gathering beneath her, forming a sort of arch that bore her weight effortlessly.
 
 
"Allow me," said Lily with a smile.
 
 
Nillyna smiled back with gratitude, laying her talisman cane across her lap once she settled in the makeshift chair Lily provided her.
 
 
"So... how skilled are you in magic?" Asked Lily, wanting to engage the conversation with Nillyna further, finding herself enjoying talking to the Lepidopteran. "The only sorceress I ever had any extended relationship with was Shadow, but something tells me she wasn't a prime example of a talented spellcaster. The most I ever saw her do was lure people to me through trickery and manipulation."
 
 
Nillyna frowned with disgust at the mention of the late dark sorceress (whom she had killed personally).
 
 
"And you would be right," said Nillyna with scorn in her voice. "I don't doubt she was cunning and definitely manipulative, but her arcane skills were completely amateurish, especially from what I could glean from the spell she cast on your meadow. A completely fowled up, rushed, and poorly prepared job if I ever saw one."
 
 
Lily just nodded, not commenting on the fact that the botched spell initially did destroy her home and almost killed her. "And you?"
 
 
Nillyna smiled mischievously and twirled her cane. "I killed Shadow with nary any effort, what does that tell you?"
 
 
Lily had to agree with that comparison. She eyed the talisman cane with a twinkle in her eye. Though it had always been her achilles heel magic had always held an underlying fascination for Lily.
 
 
After all, with all that could be accomplished with magic, who wouldn't find it interesting?
 
 
Nillyna noticed the infatuation in Lily's expression and smiled in understanding. "Would you like for me to demonstrate some of my skills? I could put on a little show for you, if you want."
 
 
Lily perked up at hearing Nillyna's offer and nodded her head vigorously. The thought of being shown some magic first hand got her excited, and, to boot, this was going to be the first time she got to see magic without it being directed at her in a threatening way unlike with all the magic practitioners whom Shadow had lured to her.
 
 
Nillyna found herself looking forward to performing a little for her lover.
 
 
It also occurred to her how little she used magic for anything other than economical reasons or personal projects. Magic had a recreational side to it, as well as industrial; several performers utilizing this arcane branch world wide. Nillyna was no performing artist by any means, no, she was a researcher, a scholar, and an arcane prodigy, but, with a little enginuity, she might be able to provide something entertaining.
 
 
After all, if there was one thing Nillyna was proud of other than her magical skills, it was her uncanny ability to not only triumph but to triumph with flair. She just needed to shift that 'flair' in another direction. Steadying her cane to the ground and using it to lift herself out of the seat of vines Lily had been providing her, Nillyna formulated a plan on what she could do to wow her audience of one.
 
 
Lily braced herself, wondering what Nillyna had in store for her.
 
 
Nillyna lifted her cane above her head, twirled it three times and brought it down in front of her in a vertical arch, channeling the necessary magic to perform the benign spell she had formulated in her mind. The red orb left a prismatic ribbon of light in its wake which, once Nillyna completed her arch, came to life and began to weave around them like a levitating serpent composed of light that shifted through the color spectrum in an endless show of brilliance. Lily's jaw dropped in aw as the living light weaved and swirled about the area, trying to follow its every movement, but it coiled and spun through the air with such poise she found it impossible to take everything in.
 
 
Then, suddenly, the ribbon of light bound towards her, spiraling like a dancer's vale. Lily flinched in reflex as the ribbon passed right through her body, but found nothing from the point of contact other than a pleasantly warm sensation. Then the ribbon began to flow and twirl around her body, weaving between her neck and shoulders, under her arms, and even between her fingers. It was almost like it was tempting her to try and catch it…
 
 
…which Lily suddenly found herself unable to do anything but comply.
 
 
She reached out with her arms and tried to grasp the dancing light in her hands. It actually evaded her, weaving around her limbs elegantly and leaving her with an empty catch. Rather than disappointment, Lily felt a thrilling sensation building in her breast and a mischievous smile crept into her lips.
 
 
She tried once again to catch the light, the only reward for when she would succeed is a gentle warmth through her hands whenever they made contact with an intangible band. But she didn't mind. With each successful contact, and the building warmth from it, Lily felt her exhilaration grow, and soon enough she was giggling to herself as she futilely tried to catch the light dancing around her.
 
 
Nillyna giggled herself as she directed her spells movements from within her mind. She found Lily's behavior to be absolutely adorable, like a kid playing with her first toy. It also sturred up long forgotten feelings.
 
 
Nillyna could not remember the last time she had partaken in anything recreational, the feeling of what it was like to have fun, to play, had become a foreign concept to her. But seeing Lily play with her spell reminded her how much more life had to offer, how much richer it is when you do something just for the sake of having fun. She could not help but savor the moment…
 
 
...and promised herself that she would dedicate as much time towards having as much fun as she could from now on.
 
 
 With Lily especially.
 
 
Eventually it would appear that Lily was getting tired, her movements growing sluggish as the ribbon swirled about. Deciding she would at least give her something of a grand finale, Nillyna sent the final mental command to her spell. Before both of them the stream of light separated into six individual bands and rose higher into the air.
 
 
Lily grew still as her plaything flew out of reach, but didn't seem to object, she just stood there, panting slightly as she kept her gaze on the ribbons as they flew away, wondering what they would do next. She wasn't disappointed. The six ribbons coalesced, forming a six pointed star in the sky, shifting from one color to the next almost too fast to notice. Lily's single visible eye danced with the color, her wonder only growing as the star began to spin rapidly, forming a wheel of colors above.
 
 
Then it burst into a thousand multiple glistening shards that rained down upon Nillyna and Lily like multicolored snowflakes.
 
 
"That ... was... amazing…" Lily mumbled out in astonishment, catching some of the drifting sparkling particles in her hands and watching them twinkle away.
 
 
Nillyna was equally delighted; not by the performance herself, she could practically do more complicated spells in her sleep, but because she had found the first hobby she and Lily could share together.
 
 
"Thank you," she said to Lily's praise, taking a little bow.
 
 
"Magic is incredible," Lily continued, turning to face Nillyna with an eager smile. "What else can it…?"
 
 
Lily was cut off as a low rumbling sound resonated from her body, her giddy expression dropping from her face to be replaced by a pained cringe as she clutched at her abdomen.
 
 
"Nillyna heard it too and was by Lily's side in an instant.
 
 
"Lily, what is wrong?" She asked almost frantically, clutching her shoulders.
 
 
Lily was momentarily distracted from her intense discomfort at hearing the concern in Nillyna's voice. Never before had anyone ever spoken to her with such sincere worry in their voice, not since she first…'uh... sprouted'? It sent a warm sensation through her that momentarily masked her pain, knowing Nillyna cared enough to be concerned about her wellbeing.
 
 
And it was only right to relieve her worries.
 
 
"I'm fine, Nillyna," she said, rising from her bent over position to return Nillyna's gesture of putting hands on her shoulders, finding herself enjoying the contact. "I'm just, a little bit hungry is all."
 
 
Nillyna gasped with concern.
 
 
It didn't dawn on her until now how long it had been since Lily had a proper 'meal'. Not only had she been cooped up in Nillyna's cellar for a number of days, but who knew how long it had been since she had had a proper catch. Nillyna herself had been her intended meal when they met, how long had it been since the last one?
 
 
Immediately, Nillyna began steering her impressive intellect towards how she was going to properly care for Lily's needs. Her original plan was to begin building a functioning ecosystem up here that could sustain her, transplanting large prey such as dear, rabbits, and anything else Lily might be able to feed on, but with Lily's initial rejection of her offers of accommodation she hadn't even begun to put preparations for such a venture into effect. It would most likely take days, what with needing to get in touch with the right vendors, breeders, and environment experts.
 
 
And Lily was hungry now.
 
 
Lily had enjoyed that star fruit earlier, but Nillyna had doubts that even if she were to offer not only all the star fruit she had but everything else in her pantry as well it would ultimately fall short of satisfying her appetite. Lily was, for lack of a better term, a big creature, and no doubt had an equally big appetite. Still, Nillyna had to do something now, and what better way than to ask the one with the current hunger dilemma?
 
 
"Is there anything I can do for you, Lily?" Nillyna asked.
 
 
Lily gave her a confused look. "Didn't the Soul Contract say you would be responsible for my nourishment?"
 
 
"Let me clarify," Said Nillyna. "Is there anything I can do for you now? Yes, my terms of the contract is your wellbeing, but, truthfully, I haven't had time to make any arrangements yet. My estate regrettably lacks wild game at the moment."
 
 
Lily looked about at her new environment, now realizing she hadn't seen or heard anything to indicate there was anything up here but trees and plants.
 
 
"How?" She inquired, "How can all this be here without anything else? Not even bird's?"
 
 
Nillyna blushed and rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "I…can only say I don't have the best interests when it comes to animals."
 
 
It was true.
 
 
When she had first purchased her estate she had the option to include wildlife, but found the idea of noisy, intrusive animals would interfere with her academic pursuits.
 
 
Lily didn't quite understand, but found herself unable to dwell on Nillyna's reasonings due to another rumble of hunger racking her frame.
 
 
"Is there really nothing 'meaty' to eat up here at the moment?" She asked, hoping this wasn't something she was going to have to adapt to.
 
 
Nillyna shook her head in sadness and shame. "I am sorry, Lily. I will rectify this soon and have live games transferred up here for you, but that's going to take time, so for now we will have to do with what I currently have available."
 
 
Nillyna's comment on 'rectifying' gave Lily hope that there would be meaty morsels in the future, but as the Lepidopteran sorceress said it didn't help now. The plant girl racked her mind, wondering if anything they had at their disposal could help date her. As an afterthought Lily wondered why her hunger was flaring up now. She had been confined in Nillyna's cellar for so long without food, yet hunger did not strike then, in fact, she had been cut off from even direct sunlight, yet during all that time she could feel her photosynthesis working.
 
 
The only thing she had received at the time was…
 
 
"That potion!"
 
 
Nillyna reeled back at Lily's sudden outburst.
 
 
"That potion you used on me somehow kept me from going hungry," Lily continued, grasping two of Nillyna's four hands eagerly. "Do you have any? It might just be what I need."
 
 
Nillyna smiled and gave a nod in confirmation. How could she have overlooked it? That potion contained all the nutrition that a plant could need.
 
 
Without so much as an explanation Nillyna twirled her talisman cane, and, in a flash of magic, a great cauldron filled with an amber liquid materialized before them.
 
 
"I just finished the latest batch before you signed my contract," Nillyna explained, waving a welcoming hand to the cauldron. "Help yourself, I can always make more if…"
 
 
Nillyna was cut off as Nillyna's plant mouth raced over from the cover of the distant tree cover, its movement giving it the appearance of it having a mind of its own. Lily didn't appear to be doing anything in response to its movements, further adding to the illusion. Nillyna fought the urge to dive out of its way.
 
 
Nillyna couldn't help but feel uneasy around the massive mouth, due to the fact she had slid down its gullet not a week ago, but as much as it unnerved her it was technically part of Lily, and if she wants to be close to her she would have to get used to its presence as well. As the plant mouth closed the remaining distance between Nillyna and Lily's main body it circumnavigated the both of them and made for the cauldron, bunking its head into the massive rim and began to make great sloppy noises.
 
 
Nillyna could not help but feel her nervousness ebb away at the sight.
 
 
It…was almost adorable. It reminded Nillyna of a horse drinking from a trough with wild abandonment. It also made her wonder if Lily's plant mouth in some way embodied her more wild side while her intelligence was housed in her humanoid body. However, her intrigue at the situation morphed into concern when she realized that the plant mouth was practically almost at the bottom already.
 
 
That much of the revitalization potion was enough nutrition to feed this entire forest.
 
 
"Woah woah, Lily, slow down. You're taking in too much at once," Nillyna cautioned.
 
 
Lily barely heard her. Her eyes had glazed over as the potion flowing into her washed away her hunger. It was so much more satisfying to ingest it through her mouth, rather than having it sprinkled on her.
 
 
Once she reached the bottom of the cauldron she extended the leaf shaped tongue of her plant mouth and began licking the bottom and sides, trying to get every last drop. But eventually the euphoric sensation of having her hunger satisfied overwhelmed her. Her plant half fell limp and toppled the cauldron over as it collapsed on its side, the tongue lolling out the side of the jaws as it panted like a dog.
 
 
Lily's humanoid body almost fell limp to, but Nillyna was there to catch her and support her.
 
 
She was concerned that maybe Lily overdid it on the intake, but soon found herself greatly appreciating the opportunity to hold Lily in her arms. Nillyna smiled as Lily cooed in satisfaction, rubbing her cheek into Nillyna's shoulder almost instinctively. Nillyna responded by rubbing her cheek and back.
 
 
Lily for her part was completely blissed out.
 
 
Not only from her satisfied hunger but from the warm body pressed against her. Nillyna's soft caresses, combined with her breathing and heartbeat, greatly soothed Lily to a point of comfort she didn't know existed.
 
 
"Thank you thank you thank you," Lily could not help but whispered into Nillyna's ear as she nuzzled into the soft fluff adorning her neck and shoulders, her gratitude once again bleeding through the selfish facade she was trying to project momentarily, thought Lily didn't realized it had practically come down since the magic show Nillyna had performed for her.
 
 
Nillyna's only response was to ask, "Do you feel better?"
 
 
Lily lifted her head to stare Nillyna in the eyes.
 
 
"Much better," she said with a nod.
 
 
Nillyna was relieved, but she doubted using this potion every time Lily was hungry would work. After all, how could one switch to a liquid diet when you were used to live prey? No, Nillyna was going to have to provide Lily her proper diet post haste.
 
 
Reluctantly, Nillyna gently pushes Lily off her, the plant girl finally dropping her happy expression for one of concern.
 
 
"What is wrong?" She asked.
 
 
Nillyna smiled reassuringly. "I have work to do if I am to provide you with your proper sustenance, Lily. I will need to have animals brought up here, as well as what they might need as well."
 
 
Lily found herself reluctant to let Nillyna leave her side. She was greatly enjoying the company, and, she was sorry to admit it, but the thought of Nillyna being absent during however long it took for her to acquire the necessary prey for her to consume greatly disturbed her. But her behavior the past few hours came flooding back to her and she remembered the promise she made to herself to not appear weak in front of Nillyna.
 
 
This was her chance to save face.
 
 
"Well," she said, growing a haughty frown. "Make it snappy, would you? I found your potion satisfying, but it was nothing compared to a proper meal."
 
 
She was actually serious about that. The potion had been swell, but she much preferred solid food.
 
 
Nillyna smiled at her friend's change in demeanor. She could still see through the facade clear as day, but let Lily have her coping mechanism. It wasn't like she minded.
 
 
"I will get right on it," Nillyna said, turning towards her distant mansion and beginning what was no doubt going to be a lengthy trek but choosing to go on foot rather than teleport to enjoy more of the scenery, having realized through recent events how little things she had been appreciating the beauty of her estate until now.
 
 
Lily's lower lip trembled as Nillyna began to depart, suddenly having to fight the urge to drag her back with her vines, embrace her, then smother her in kisses. But what Nillyna was doing was for her own good, plus, if she acted on those impulses she would definitely shatter her facade. But before Nillyna could go too far Lily did have one more thought as she spied the miniscule image of Nillyna's house in the distance.
 
 
It peaked not an urge to stop Nillyna, but on old curiosity Lily harboured for a long time, and now she realized now was her chance to indulge it.
 
 
"Nillyna?" She called out.
 
 
Nillyna turned on the spot without hesitation. "Yes?"
 
 
Nillyna was unable to resist grasping her arm shyly. "Do you...think you could bring me something?"
 
 
"Sure thing, what is it?" Nillyna responded with a smile.
 
 
"Well...I have heard that you civilized beings pass the time by reading occasionally." Lily racked her memory for the word she was looking for. "I think they're called books?"
 
 
 "Oh, you want to read a book?" Nillyna wasn't surprised Lily could read, she signed the contract after all.
 
 
"I would appreciate it." Lily twiddled her fingers almost shyly. "It has been a while since I last got to read."
 
 
"You've read books before?" Asked Nillyna, wondering how Lily could have experience with literature, given her past lifestyle.
 
 
Lily nodded in response. "Occasionally my...uh...victims would be carrying one when I devoured them. I always enjoyed them when I had the chance, but they never lasted long out in my meadow."
 
 
Nillyna understood, exposed to the elements, books wouldn't stand a chance.
 
 
"So, could I maybe have a book?" Lily repeated her request.
 
 
 "Sure," Nillyna complied, "I have lots of books. What kind would you like?"
 
 
"I... don't know," admitted Lily, having no great experience with the genres of books. But she really wants one. Plus, the thought of just sitting here waiting for Nillyna to come back after she finished with the task of getting her live prey wasn't appealing.
 
 
Though she had done so many times between victims that Shadow lured her, Lily felt it was time to break that cycle, and the first thing to do was to come up with something else she could do besides waiting for the next meal to come along.
 
 
"Tell you what, Nillyna, you decide," said Lily, "Pick a book you think I will like. Think of it as a test for you to judge my character."
 
 
Nillyna nodded and lifted her cane in preparation to teleport. She would get Lily her book real quick, then trek back to her house the old fashioned way. In a flash of magic Nillyna vanished, Lily unable to resist becoming slightly downcast at her departure.
 
 
Nillyna reappeared in her personal library among the extensive shelves of several types of tomes. It was stocked with any type of literature imaginable, ranging from magic spellbooks, (of course) multiple classes of science, history, geometry, astrology, and even fiction. Nillyna really was proud of her library, it had taken her years to collect this wealth of knowledge.
 
 
Still, Lily had made her request, so she walked up to the nearest shelf and began skimming the titles inscripted on the spine's. As she skimmed the titles she contemplated on what she knew about Lily's personality. As the plant girl had stated, Nillyna could use this to see how much she already knew her new stationary cuddle buddy.
 
 
Back when she first met her in the clearing Lily was mischievous, joyful, and lustful. Not to mention rather ravenous and ruthless. While being held captive in Nillyna's cellar she had been aggressive and irritable, but changed attitude upon agreeing to sign Nillyna's Soul Contract, and she became almost exactly as she was back at her clearing. And while being relocated somewhere on Nillyna's estate Lily was adorably curious about her new home, almost like a child.
 
 
She also greatly enjoyed Nillyna showing off her magic.
 
 
Nillyna juggled all these facts as she rummaged through the books. She dismissed the educational and magical, not that she thought Lily would not appreciate them or that she wasn't intelligent, but she had a feeling she needed to ease Lily into reading steadily, so she felt it best to start with something entertaining. History might not be a bad place to start, but once again Nillyna judged she needed to start with something that would really grab Lily's interest.
 
 
So she began searching the fiction section.
 
 
Nillyna couldn't be sure what genre of fiction Lily would like, she regrettably hadn't known her long enough to know whether she would prefer fantasy, adventure, or romance (but oh she would enjoy it if she and Lily could curl up with a good love novel between them) but Lily's ravenous predatory nature gave her an idea. She plucked a leather bound book from the shelf and looked at the title on its black cover.
 
 
The Peril of Gloomy Pass
 
 
It was a horror story about a caravan of traveling merchants that have to take a shortcut to their next destination but encounter a frightening creature along the way. On the cover was the depiction of two luminous yellow eyes peeking out of some shrubbery, the artist even managing to give them a predatory gleam. Nillyna figured Lily would appreciate it, after all, there were certain similarities between her and the creature featured in the story.
 
 
Although, Nillyna had to admit, Lily wasn't anywhere near as vicious as this creature supposedly is. At least she can carry a decent conversion.
 
 
With the book in hand Nillyna lifted her cane and in a flash of magic was once again standing in front of Lily. The plant girl lifted her head from its propped position on her palm upon her return, giving her a bemused look.
 
 
"That was fast," she commented.
 
 
"I had a moment of intuition of what you might like," said Nillyna, offering Lily The Peril of Gloomy Pass.
 
 
Lily took the book in her hands and examined it, admiring its craftsmanship. This book put the travel weary ones she had salvaged from her victims to shame, almost gleaming in comparison. Nillyna, from her perspective, smiled as she noticed that Lily was actually admiring the pristine condition her book was in.
 
 
But when Lily finally turned her attention to the cover she did something Nillyna didn't expect.
 
 
She gasped in shock, clasping her left hand to her mouth, her visible eye reflecting the sinister eyes on the cover.
 
 
"LILY!" Nillyna herself gasped, closing the distance between them and placing her hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"
 
 
Lily didn't respond at first, but managed to look up from the book at Nillyna and pointed at the depicted gaze that almost seemed to actually be staring up at her. "What...is that? None of the books I came across in my clearing had something like this."
 
 
Nillyna was at a loss for how to explain at first, but eventually came up with something.
 
 
"It's the cover art for the story, Lily," she explained.
 
 
"Cover art?" Lily repeated.
 
 
"Something that authors have printed on the cover of the book. Sort of like a peek into the story and what it is about."
 
 
"What the story is about," repeated Lily as she continued to examine the eyes. She was slightly familiar with the story structure of novels but couldn't figure out what the image before her could mean. "What kind of story is this, to have something so… vicious? Wouldn't it be, scary?"
 
 
Lily knew the gaze of a predator when she saw one, drawing or not.
 
 
Nillyna, it would seem, would have to explain the basics.
 
 
"This is called a horror story, Lily." She tapped the book with a finger. "They're supposed to be scary."
 
 
Lily blinked at her. "You would... deliberately read something for the intent of being scared?"
 
 
Lily knew from experience that fear was not an enjoyable sensation.
 
 
Nillyna had to once again ponder an explanation for a second. "It's just a story, even if it is scary. It can't harm you."
 
 
Lily actually could grasp that concept, she wasn't completely unintelligent after all. "But why did you think I would like a story like this?"
 
 
"You're a predator Lily, same as the creature in that book," Nillyna explained her reasoning. "I figured you would be interested in how it hunts its prey."
 
 
Now that peeked Lily's interest.
 
 
Yes, she was a predator and had hunted before. Maybe reading about the exploits of another predator would be amusing. Looking back down at the book, Lily flipped open the first page and began reading the contents.
 
 
"I think I will try it."
 
 
"Marvelous," said Nillyna. "I must get to work on acquiring prey for you, Lily. Is there anything I can get you before I leave?"
 
 
"I believe I am good for now," replied Lily, her single visible pupil scanning the first page of The Peril of Gloomy Pass.
 
 
Nillyna smiled, but she herself needed something before she got to work.
 
 
"Lily?" The plant girl looked up, just in time for her lips to be captured in a passionate kiss.
 
 
Her eyes widened at the sudden contact, but her demeanor soon relaxed as Nillyna wrapped her up in her three arms that weren't clutching her cane. There was no tongue or over aggressiveness, this kiss was purely emotional. Lily could feel Nillyna's affection for her through the connection...and...it melted her heart that much more.
 
 
Slowly, Lily returned the embrace, both girls locked in a passion that wasn't sexual.
 
 
Eventually, Nillyna broke the kiss and stroked Lily's cheek, drawing back the curtain of green hair to allow the Lepidopteran to see into both of her eyes.
 
 
"Thank you," she whispered, a tear trickling from her eye.
 
 
Lily smiled and stroked Nillyna's cheek in turn.
 
 
"Your welcome," she replied, once again letting her gentleness peek from beneath her tough exterior.
 
 
Nillyna reluctantly broke the embrace and reluctantly began her walk back to her house. Lily was also sad to see her go, but knew it was necessary, she needs food after all. So, with book in hand, Lily receded into her sanctuary, preferring to read by her luminous body fluid.
 
 
After all, it was almost evening, they had spent a good majority of the day seeking her a place to take root.