"Are you insane?" I shrieked.

She looked up, startled. <What? I'm just gonna flash dry them with my fire->

"-And ruin them? These things need to sundry! Baking them in fire is gonna make them crack!"

Her eyes narrowed. <How do you know that?>

"I looked it up once," I said, flushing. I didn't want to tell her the actual truth: that I once took a pottery class in my freshman year of college just to impress one of my professors - a gorgeous barely 30 woman with a wonderful laugh. I'd heard she went to it and wanted to spend more time with her in a non-school related environment. I had no clue that the class consisted of making primitive architecture, tools, and things as well. Needless to say, I only lasted about two classes before I quit.

"Anyway," I continued, bending over to shoo her out of the center. She moved noncommittedly, making a lazy swipe at my hands. I yanked them back, wincing as the middle finger on my left hand got a minor burn. I sucked on my finger, glaring at her. "We just need to wait for them to dry; it shouldn't take that much longer."

<Fine,> she sighed. <What else have you made?>

I showed her the clay paste. It looked a lot less damp than before - probably because it sat in the full brunt of the sun - so I went about splashing it with some water to keep it wet.

"A bucket," I grunted, squishing the water and paste together, "is definitely on my to-do list when I make that clay kiln."

The fairy hummed. <Do you even know what this is for?>

I scowled. "Weren't you the one that knew everything?"

<Well, yes, but- I'm old! I have memory lapses sometimes! Shut up!>

"Whatever."

The paste sufficiently re-moistened, I rinsed my hands off in the river and went to go check on Nun.

He'd curled up into a ball when the fairy dropped him, his arms wrapped around the sticks. When he heard my footsteps, he hugged himself tighter, not bothering to look up.

"Hey, bud," I said, crouching down by his side. "You alright?"

His tail waved dejectedly at me.

Chuckling, I patted his shoulder. "Yeah, I know. The fairy-"

<I heard that!>

"-is pretty scary sometimes. Her freaky fire powers and too-strong body can be intimidating-"

<Can be?>

"But I'm sure that, once you grow big and strong, you'll be just as powerful!"

<Never in a million years would a spirit beast be able to compare to the strength of a demon of my kind!>

"Will you please shut up?" I demanded, glaring at the fuming fairy over my shoulder.

She harrumphed and turned her back on me.

"Anyway," I said, turning back to the monkey. "Don't worry about her. I live in fear of something ending my existence every minute of the day, but I get through it. I have to! I don't want to think about what might happen if I stop..."

Nun looked up at me, a sad look on his furry face. I sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I know. But it's okay; we'll get through it together. Alright?"

He grunted at me in affirmation.

"That's a good monkey," I grinned down at him. "Now, back to work! Let's see these sticks..."