“You need to take some time off,” Lily told me.

“I’m fine,” I replied while yawning.

“You’re not. You’ve been working almost nonstop the last three weeks,” Lily replied.

“I have to get the order ready for the caravan,” I pointed out.

“You’ve made enough teas, tinctures, and prepared enough dry herbs and roots to satisfy the order,” Lily countered.

“Never hurts to have extra on hand. Simon or one of the other villagers might want something,” I replied.

The residents of Stonecroft still thought of Lily and me as separate from the village and I must admit, I was starting to feel that the feeling was mutual with a few exceptions. Though I had thought and hoped that things would have changed after the elders’ meeting, they hadn’t. The only real change the pixies told me that had happened was that Trinity had stopped her profitmongering for the most part and was doing more to integrate herself with the villagers. I supposed someone had pointed words with her or that she was more aware of what was happening in the village than I thought.

“Jase, you’re taking the next week off starting right now,” Lily said pulling me from my thoughts. “I’m going to lock you out of the lab equipment and if you try to use the alchemical equipment you bought from Marcus, I’ll get the other pixies to help me hide it from you.”

“Ok,” I sighed and then smiled. My familiar had a point. I was tired. “I’ll bow to your wisdom oh great and wonderful pixie.”

“You’re darn tootin’ right you will,” Lily replied returning the smile and sending loving and supporting feelings across our bond.

“Darn tootin’?” I asked as I started cleaning up the basement.

“Don’t blame me. I got that phrase from some really ancient comedy show I watched while you buried yourself in your work,” Lily answered as she started to help me. It wasn’t lost on me that she pitched in without complaining about me cleaning up instead of not working.

“What show?” I asked.

“A Laurel and Hardy short from 1928,” the pixie answered. “It’s in black and white too!”

“How is that possible?” I asked becoming intrigued. “Everything I’ve seen is in color just like how we see.”

“Early film and photos didn’t have color. The technology didn’t exist way back then,” Lily answered. “Just like humans don’t have it now except for what still works of their ancestors’ technology.”

“Good point my wise and loving pixie,” I conceded as we finished cleaning and put away the cleaning gear.

“You’re laying it just a little too thick,” Lily replied.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said waving away her comment. “Come on and you can show me this short black and white video before we go to bed.”

“Sure! Come on,” Lily excitedly said leading me to the living room. She pointed to a chair we had claimed from the ancient lab. “Now, just sit right there.”

“Alright,” I agreed. I sat in the comfortable chair. A loud farting sound could be heard coming from under me.

“Jase! How dare you?” Lily exclaimed. She was fighting to keep from laughing.

“That wasn’t me,” I said jumping up. I turned and lifted the seat cushion up after not seeing anything on it. I picked up this flat round bladder looking thing. “What is this?”

“It’s a whoopee cushion!” Lily answered giving into her laughter. I turned it over to see it had words printed on it. “That’s an old prank.”

“This something else from the ‘getting place’?” I asked.

“Yep!” Lily answered. My mood had improved as my familiar intended. “Now, let’s watch the video and go to bed. Tomorrow, we have a lot of relaxing to start catching up on.”

“We do?”

“Yep. I think we should go to the creek and take a swim.”

“Lily, we drink from the creek,” I replied.

“Not that one silly. There’s a bigger one on the southeast side of the property. Sara and the other pixies told me about it.”

“That sounds good,” I said. It had been months since I last went swimming.

*

I laid my head down on my pillow only for it to start deflating.

“What the?” I asked bolting up and picking up my pillow. It was flat and when I looked inside, I saw small green, red, and blue things.

“Ow! I was expecting the balloons to pop,” Lily said.

“Balloons?”

“Yeah. Balloons are flexible bags there were used for parties, birthdays, anniversaries, gifts, and lots of other celebrations,” Lily explained. “They make a loud popping noise if you puncture or break one that is full of air or gas.”

“And you wanted these to pop under my head?”

“Uh huh. It would have been funny.”

“I guess I have been working too much lately and not paying you enough attention. You’ve been very mischievous tonight,” I said. “I apologize and promise not to do so again.”

“Good. Apology accepted,” Lily replied as she levitated my real pillow to me.

“You’re not going to apologize for pulling pranks on me?” I asked.

“Don’t be silly. Why should I apologize for my nature?” Lily said. “You knew what you were getting into when you bonded with me.”

“I was like 5 or 6!”

“And?”

“Children that age don’t know any better,” I replied.

“Ha! The bond took, didn’t it?”

“Alright. You got me there,” I admitted.

“I always have you,” Lily said flying to me and kissing my forehead. “Goodnight Jase.”