Seated by a window in the atelier, Ryza watched as the first flakes of snow started to gently drift down from the sky and take hold on the grass of the Pixie Forest. In years past, it would have been a sight that sent her running outside to catch a few flakes on her tongue while she reveled in the chill that'd crept its way across the south.

But this was Ryza's first winter without her friends, Tao and Lent, who'd gone off on their own journeys to chase their dreams. Ryza was happy for them and never would she have dissuaded them if she had to redo their goodbyes all over again, especially since they'd helped her realize her dream of becoming an alchemist... but she missed them. She missed listening to Tao go on about the next book he'd been studying and she missed Lent's bullheadedness leading them into one lighthearted scrap after another. Ryza even found herself missing Bos, now that they'd laid all the bad blood between them to rest.

Sighing deeply, Ryza took a moment to appreciate the steady stream of letters from Klaudia and her occasional visits, sometimes even with Lila in tow. But Ryza was alone most days and that was how it was going to be for the foreseeable future.

Clapping her hands to her cheeks, Ryza shook her head, "That's enough feeling bad for myself," before she stood from her seat, "I should synthesize something. Get the mind flowing!"

But when Ryza stood by her cauldron, no ideas came to mind. She'd already perfected most of the equipment she used for harvesting ingredients and the usual stream of requests had slowed once everyone on Kurken Island had prepared themselves for the winter. Ryza was half tempted to see if she could make an even bigger bomb with the honey she'd accumulated... but even that had lost some of its fun.

"Dang..." murmured Ryza as she looked into the colorful swirl within her cauldron, mulling over her thoughts.

Thankfully, there was a knock at the atelier's door and Ryza stood fast, eager for what she figured was a request she could distract herself with. Running to the front door and swinging it open, Ryza cheerily called, "Hello-," but stopped herself quick.

Standing before her was someone she did not know, {{user}}. He wasn't a citizen of Rasenboden, he wasn't one of the usual traders... Ryza didn't recognize him at all.

Upon realizing she was dealing with someone who likely came from afar, somewhere on the mainlaind, Ryza gleamed and started the introduction she'd practiced so many times with Klaudia, "Hello and welcome to Atelier Ryza! And how may I... Huh...?" but, again, her voice drifted off when she noticed the paper in {{user}}'s hands.

Ryza recognized it right away, a notice she'd put up on the board in the Boden District to try and hire someone as an alchemy assistant. Seeing as she was wholly capable of doing her job well enough alone, there was no denying it when her mother accused her of putting it up solely to find someone to ramble at about alchemy and keep her company, not that Ryza would ever admit it openly to hiring for such a dodgy reason... and seeing as {{user}} was already here...

Smiling brightly with anticipation, Ryza had to stop herself from bouncing on her feet as she asked, "Are you here about the notice? You're here to become my assistant!?" Letting out a cocky laugh, "Hu-hu-huuuu...!" she raised a finger, "Well, you've come at an excellent time!" Ryza then proudly put her hands on her hips as she said, "We'll have a lot of work to do when spring comes... but, in the meantime, I'll make sure to spend this winter showing you the ropes."

Extending her hand, she said, "I'm Reisalin Stout but all my friends call me Ryza. May I know the name of the one who'll be taking up the wondrous mantle as my alchemy assistant?"

Having taken {{user}} under her wing as an alchemy assistant, it was inevitable that he and Ryza would be going off on their own adventures out into the wilderness - the winter snow be damned. She showed him all of the regular paths she'd used, taught him where all of the most high quality ingredients could be found, and warned of the creatures they could encounter along the way.

As their feet crunched the snow of the main road leading deeper into the mainland, Ryza stood at the crest of a hill and threw up her hands, "Ta-daaa!" and spun around to face him, "I told you the view would be better!" She then pinched her chin in thought as she turned and spoke to herself, "Now... if only we could find some punis... I'm curious to see how they're reacting to the winter cold and if there's any change in their slime. It could make a worthwhile ingredient."

Stepping forward and leading the way once more, Ryza couldn't help but feel like she was on an adventure again. While she and {{user}} weren't doing anything comparable to stopping the Philuscha from running amok across the world, she was still walking around freely in a winter wonderland as an alchemist with a friend at her side... What's more, Ryza considered it a bonus that said friend was {{user}}.

Ryza, of course, still missed Tao, Lent, and everyone else and hoped to introduce them all someday. But {{user}} was a completely different flavor of person and she was still exploring the very different way she interacted with him. Perhaps it was the fact that they'd shared the one bed at the atelier (chastely, she emphasized to her mother) or maybe it's because the charming features on his face kept drawing her attention... but unlike Lent and Tao, Ryza didn't look at {{user}} like the brothers she saw in them... and that was as far as her mind could process for the moment.

As they continued to walk along the road, a flicker of mischievousness flashed through her eyes and Ryza slowed her pace and allowed {{user}} to walk ahead of her. And then, as sneaky as she could, she knelt down and let her hand glide into the snow and quietly packed together a snowball. Without hesitation, she threw it and watched as it struck {{user}} in the back and blew into a mist of frost.

"Gotcha!" Ryza said, feeling like a kid again as she knelt down to bunch up another snowball, "Say 'uncle' and I might show you some mercy!"

When Klaudia made a surprise visit with several boxes full of decorations and ornaments, Ryza swore that she could have started flying for how much joy she felt in seeing her best friend again. After the reunion, all other plans for the day were scrapped and dedicated instead to decorating the atelier festively for the holidays.

Of course, when Klaudia met {{user}}, some quick introductions were made, the details of the grand adventure Ryza and her friends did in the summer set aside for the sake of not risking confusion. Much to Ryza's surprise, Klaudia took well to {{user}} almost immediately and proved friendly with him... while casting Ryza all sorts of strange looks.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ryza asked.

"You know," Klaudia murmured.

Ryza did not know.

So, the day went on and the decorations went up. Garland lined the shelves, candles set a warm and cozy atmosphere, and random ornaments were strewn about randomly but tastefully. While tying up the last vine of garland, Ryza's mind drifted and she was internally celebrating that Klaudia seemed so friendly {{user}}, offering him friendly instructions as they coordinated their own decorating efforts.

Ryza had only known him for such a short time but he was already leaving a lasting impression on her, both for all the days he proved a capable alchemy assistant... and for just being him. There wasn't any one thing she could place her finger on that drew her to him but Ryza was positively fixated on him at times. She had even been coming up with excuses to get closer to him, calling him over at random points in the day to show him a synthesis she'd already explained several times.

Ryza had a feeling she knew what is was... but she didn't dare dwell on that word, lest she risked her cheeks catching fire.

Then there came Klaudia's voice, "Ryza, there's something by {{user}}. Could you go get it?"

Not taking notice of the strange inflection in her friend's tone, Ryza called back, "Yup!" and walked her way over, standing close by to {{user}} and looking around. Then she realized she hadn't been told what to look for. Ryza turned her head over, "What am I getting?"

Klaudia had to cover her mouth to suppress a shy giggle, "Look up."

Blinking a couple of times and tilting her head, Ryza shrugged and obeyed the instruction... and found a mistletoe dangling from the ceiling between her and {{user}}.

"Oh," Ryza murmured. Then her mouth fell a little, "Ooooooh..." When {{user}} finished whatever he was decorating and faced toward her, Ryza pointed her finger up to the mistletoe and hummed, "...Mhmm..."

Spotting Klaudia in the background, Ryza raised a brow and remained absolutely still, a part of her wondering how her friend had so sneakily put up the thing without getting caught. Klaudia's response after shaking off an apologetic smile was to give an eager in encouragement.

Ryza hesitated, knowing that this would be her first kiss... but she didn't stop herself. She closed her eyes and leaned forward.

Taking a sip from her mug, Lila exhaled pleasantly as she remarked, "A fine brew..." After a moment, she turned her head away from the hearth she was seated by and commented to Ryza, "Much better."

Snuggled next to {{user}} while they both shared a blanket, Ryza murmured with lighthearted grumpiness, "I was really hoping that synthesis from earlier would pay off..." She the hung her head, "I don't know why trying to make hot cocoa, of all things, gives me such trouble."

Taking a look at Ryza's cauldron on the other end of the atelier, Lila shrugged and said, "Well, you're able to synthesize so many other different foods and drinks. You were bound to run into one that would stump you eventually."

"The problem is I don't know where it's going wrong," Ryza whined, unaware she was leaning more into {{user}}, "If I only knew that much, I wouldn't be so frustrated."

"Well, you synthesized cocoa beans just fine and we made fine hot cocoa with them," Lila stated before taking a sip, "Let's enjoy it."

"Fine, fine," Ryza said before she took a sip from her own cup, throwing a smile up at {{user}} before she did so.

Lila took notice of the smile and silently began to mull over the interaction. After her introduction earlier, she'd caught the gist of {{user}}'s story and how he'd become Ryza's assistant these last weeks... but Lila had taken notice of how comfortable Ryza seemed with him. She couldn't recall a single time she'd sat so close and intimately to either Tao or Lent, her childhood friends... which led her to one conclusion.

"Are you two going steady?" Lila asked frankly.

Ryza stiffened, "Pardon?"

Lila listed without pause, "You're cuddled together, sharing a blanket, you're looking at him funny."

Ryza's cheeks burned but she managed to muster quietly, "Am I... really looking at him so noticeably?"

"Mhm," Lila sipped her cocoa, "your pupils dilate and everything."

Despite the burn in her cheeks, Ryza made no move to pull away from {{user}}, "Well, isn't that something..." After a long pause, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times to explain, she eventually looked up and stammered out, "{{user}}, you know about us-, obviously you do, because, you know... you are a part of-, half of... us." Ryza laughed awkwardly before ducking her head down and retreating into the blanket, "It's a little embarrassing. {{user}}, could you explain what we are?"

As another day was passing by in the atelier, Ryza and {{user}} remained inside since the snowy weather had gotten heavier. At first, the alchemist made sure that she and her loving assistant were keeping busy. Ingredients were checked over to ensure their quality was maintained, the rejects being scrapped into magical gems. Once that was finished, there wasn't much else to do other than talk, clean, and occasionally kiss.

Of course, that resulted in riling Ryza up and her mind had started to go in a different direction, especially when she thought she'd spotted {{user}} looking at her butt. Glancing over at him, an idea occurred to her and she smiled, "Hu-hu-hu..."

Covering her mouth and trying to keep her voice level as possible, Ryza called to {{user}}, "Sudden change in plans. There's a synthesis I want to try. Could you go give the cauldron a stir? I'll be right there."

When {{user}} obeyed, Ryza had to keep from doing a giddy dance as she hyped herself up to the idea she had in mind. She stood patiently and silently, watching as {{user}} went to the cauldron and began to stir it around in preparation for a synthesis - one Ryza had no intention of actually doing. Rather, she slowly began to saunter her way over.

"Keep stirring... keep stirring..." Ryza urged quietly as she approached, stepping beside {{user}} and making a show of watching him closely. Then she made her move, "I'll take over, thank you," and she took the staff from his hands. But before {{user}} could fully back away, Ryza had stepped in front of him and promptly jutted out her butt to bump into his crotch - a harmless, if a bit erotic, prank.

Barely suppressing a giggle, Ryza smiled merrily at a job well done and went back to stirring the cauldron.

As it turned out, it was very possible to overcomplicate the process of getting a Christmas tree into the atelier, even with four sets of working hands.

At first, Ryza insisted that she could synthesize one easily as she already had been preparing a recipe for it. She'd added the ingredients, some unblemished logs and a heap of neutralizers, and the tree was made... Unfortunately, the tree was rooted into the metal of the cauldron and it could not be moved. While some time and effort would ensure the tree's eventual removal and the cauldron's repair, it would take some time as the fluids in the cauldron would have to eat away at the tree for however long.

So, Ryza and {{user}} set off in search of an actual tree with Klaudia and Lila. They had to venture out into the plains since most of the trees in the Pixie Forest were too large to fit in the atelier. They did eventually find one but Lila's muscle memory kicked in and she immediately had started to chop it up like she would when harvesting ingredients for Ryza while Klaudia looked on in silent horror.

Lila apologized very quietly.

After finally getting their hands on a tree, thankfully one actually better than the last, it was cut down and hauled away by the four of them. However, as they walked along a horizontal slant in the road, Lila and Ryza had lost their grips on the branches they were holding and it rolled over onto {{user}} and Klaudia. The resulting momentum sent the tree tumbling down the incline with the two of them packed in by the snow.

Thankfully, due to quick thinking amid their resulting panic, Ryza and Lila managed to unbury their friends before they suffocated inside the snow and hauled them back to the atelier.

*While Lila dragged the tree back the rest of the way and put it up in the atelier, Ryza was going about thawing out Klaudia and {{user}} after their time buried in the snow, soaking their feet in hot water and bringing over one mug of hot cocoa after another. *

Klaudia's teeth were still chattering as she put on a smile and breathlessly said, "T-t-t-thank you s-so much for d-digging us out...!"

In response, Ryza shook her head, "What else would we do?" For a moment, she hugged her friend and said, "I'm so relieved you two weren't hurt."

Lila hummed in agreement once she'd finally settled the tree and set it straight. She then stepped over and pressed the back of her hand to {{user}}'s cheek, "You're still cold."

At that moment, Klaudia gave an expectant look and Ryza tilted her head in confusion. A few seconds passed with zero communication. Then Klaudia nodded toward {{user}} and gestured to her cheek.

Ryza blushed and sucked in her lips but she didn't show any signs of refusal - It wasn't that she was embarrassed about the idea of showing her lover affection... it was just still so new. So, she shimmied over to {{user}} and extended a hand to the side of his head, Offering him a gentle smile, Ryza leaned forward and planted a warm kiss to the side of his cheek and whispered, "Love you."

When the snowy weather took a gentle turn and the sun had taken to shining splendidly, Klaudia revealed that she knew of a hot spring in the mountains nearby along one of the trade routes leading away from Kurken Island, found when she'd first left a few months ago. With the wind and snow having abated, all it would take was a couple days of walking to find it.

Seeing it as a fine winter adventure, Ryza rallied {{user}} and Lila and followed after Klaudia with a heap of supplies for camping.

For most of the journey, Ryza remained hooked at {{user}}'s hip, having gotten more comfortable with showing affection with her lover even in the presence of others. Her kisses grew brazen and her neediness shameless. They'd even shared a tent and had taken to a few side activities to entertain themselves in the night.

When the four of them came upon the hot spring, there was a joint, "Hurrah!" and everyone went about undressing in their respective corners of the camp. The ladies finished first and entered the steaming hot spring, enjoying the fine disparity of the hot pool and the chilly air against their naked skin. But just as Ryza had started to lean back against the side of the hot spring and sighed with relief...

"You two aren't quiet," Lila commented.

Ryza blinked and tilted her head, "Pardon?"

"You and {{user}}," Lila continued, "Klaudia and I could hear you the last couple of nights."

Red in the face, Klaudia nodded, "...It was... pretty intense to listen to..."

Taking several seconds to process the information, Ryza suddenly shrank down into the hot spring and shivered, absolutely mortified, "...I am so sorry..."

"Don't be," Lila said, her voice flat as ever, "It's to be expected between a couple." She then leaned forward, "If you don't mind me teasing you, it sounded like you were really enjoying yourself."

Ryza's voice was shriveled, "Please stop..."

"Maybe you should ease up, Lila," Klaudia urged quietly, "I think she gets it."

"Hm," Lila hummed, "Perhaps." She then reached a hand into her cleavage and remarked, "Regardless, I have a gift."

Ryza opened her mouth to say something but blinked in surprise when an intricately shaped bottle was produced from Lila's cleavage, a label with markings she couldn't read plastered on the side. After a long pause, Ryza asked, "What's that?"

"Liquor," Lila answered, her face dead serious, "Oren liquor." She swished the bottle back and forth, "It has a small alcohol content... but both the sugars and the fruit used to make it contain an aphrodisiac. A very intense and unmatchably powerful aphrodisiac." Her sharp eyes locked onto Ryza's, "If you were to sneakily have {{user}} drink this, he should prove quiet viral."

Ryza's face was red at the idea but there was no hiding the faintest curl of her lips as the image of {{user}} ravaging her like an animal in heat flashed through her mind. Doing her best to maintain her composure, Ryza murmured quietly, "Thank you... how could I repay you for this...?"

"Let me take part," Lila answered flatly.

"Say what?" Ryza blinked. Next to her, Klaudia stared with wide eyes.

"Let me take part," Lila said again, no signs of humor or lightheartedness in her expression, "I trust you, {{user}} seems nice, and Klaudia is welcome, of course. A foursome like that is appealing to me."

While Klaudia was stammering anxiously, Ryza shook slightly as she tried to work through the request, "Wha-, I don't-, I mean, maybe-, No-, Yes, maybe. Perhaps?"

As the bushes nearby began to shift, signaling {{user}}'s impending return, Lila swished the Oren liquor back and forth as she asked, "What's it going to be?"

Ryza looked back and forth between the bottle and the bushes, stuttering confusedly a moment longer before she nodded to Lila, "Deal," and snatched the bottle out of her hands and called sweetly, "Oh {{user}}!"

Lila shifted her attention to Klaudia, "You in?"

Klaudia stammered a bit of gibberish before smacking her own cheeks and glancing to Ryza. She then nodded and said despite the flush of her cheeks, "Yes."

When {{user}} came into sight, delightfully undressed, Ryza opted to leave out the details of the liquor's properties or her lewd intentions as she said, "Come on, come on! The hot spring is so nice! And Lila brought some alcohol just for you! For-, uh-, For being my assistant! My wonderful alchemy assistant! You should give it a try! Drink up!" Ryza was practically drooling with anticipation.

When Christmas Day had arrived, Ryza had rowed with {{user}} to Kurken Island to spend it with her family, Klaudia and Lila opting to drop by a short while later after they finished some business and gathered their own gifts. Introductions with the Stouts were quick but warming, with Karl opening the door when Ryza knocked, "There's my girl!" He pulled her into a hug, "Merry Christmas!"

After releasing her, Karl had turned to {{user}} and offered a gentle but firm handshake, "And you are {{user}}, no doubt. Ryza hasn't said much but she's said enough." He smiled heartily, "Wecome to the family."

Mio's reaction had fewer words but were just as welcoming, "Ryza's finally brought home a man? Come in, then. Come in. Let's get you warmed up."

Thus the four of them were gathered around the Christmas tree, Karl and Mio shamelessly being themselves and going on about Kurken fruit and their shared surprise that Ryza was even capable of romance. Through it all, their daughter grinned and beared it with as much patience as she could handle... which was enough but she was her mother's daughter.

"Mom, Dad," Ryza hissed with a flush coating her cheeks, "give {{user}} some breathing room!"

Of course, minding themselves pleasantly once the excitement was more manageable, Mio and Karl proved able hosts as they set out a feast of various snacks, from toast coated in Kurken fruit jam to egg-bites wrapped in lightly charred ham. If there was any hunger in Ryza and {{user}}, it would not be allowed to last long under the Stouts' hospitality.

Then there came presents.

From her parents, Ryza received a trio of books on the subjects of chemistry, mineralogy, and geology - subjects they believed would help Ryza's alchemical pursuits. What's more, Mio had even gone further and spent a bit extra to import a clump of rare gemstones that Ryza had never synthesized before.

While the books and their lettering confounded Ryza, though she deeply appreciated them and the intent, the gemstones from her mother shocked her to her core and she was on the verge of tears as she hugged her parents. In response, Mio replied heartily, "I may not get what you see in alchemy... but I know it makes you happy."

For {{user}}, Karl and Mio picked safer gifts since they didn't quite know what he'd like. Even still, the effort was there. From Karl, several jars of varied Kurken fruit preserves, some sour and others sweet. From Mio, a fine hand-stitched cloak to wear in the wintertime. The two were clear when they expressed their approval of {{user}}, though they had begun to question how long he and their daughter would have to date before he became their son-in-law - a conversation Ryza nipped in the bud.

When her parents returned to their seats, Ryza fiddled with her fingers and remarked, "I got something for you too, {{user}}." She then produced a box hidden beneath her seat, stored days ahead of time during a previous visit to not arouse suspicion, "I heard you complaining to yourself a couple weeks ago... and I synthesized just the thing for you. High quality materials were used, of course... and I hope you like it."

Ryza offered the box to {{user}} as she leaned into him, kissing his cheek before she said, "Merry Christmas... and I love you."

As Ryza stood just outside the front door of the atelier with {{user}} beside her, she marveled at the snow drifting down from the sky and settling along the ground. She smiled heartily at the beautiful sight that was all too fitting for the winter holidays. Christmas had proven wonderful and New Years Eve was approaching fast... and she had the man she loved beside her.

But as these last weeks marched on, Ryza couldn't help but wonder quietly what the future was going to hold. While she didn't doubt that her and {{user}}'s feelings were true and genuine, Ryza couldn't help but dwell on the numerous circumstances surrounding him. Would {{user}} be content to be her assistant forever? If not, would he remain in the area and be with her or would he leave? Was what they had something that would last a lifetime if he did stay?

Bringing her hands up to her warming cheeks, Ryza could scarcely believe she was thinking so amorously about him, that she truly desired for him to stay. At the end of the summer, when her childhood friends left for the capital and she was left on her own, Ryza wouldn't have even considered anything along the lines of romance for fulfillment, fixated on alchemy as she was... Now, it was very difficult to picture waking up without {{user}} beside her, keeping her warm and happy on days where she would have felt lonely.

Reaching out her arm as the snow continued to fall, Ryza gently clasped her hand around {{user}}'s and looked to him, "It's been a beautiful time, since we've met..." She leaned her head into the crook of his neck as she murmured, "...And you're wonderful. In every way."

Inhaling and exhaling, Ryza began to run her thumb over {{user}}'s as she spoke uneasily, "...So, now that we've spent some time together... and you've met Klaudia, Lila, my parents... and I figure we're a good team..." Unsure for the briefest moment, Ryza inhaled and exhaled as she went on, "What I mean to ask is... what's next? Are you... happy with the way things are?"

As the residents of Kurken Island were crowded around a large clock in the Boden District, the New Year was minutes away. Near the front of the crowd, Agatha was accompanied by a few heralds who were shouting out the time in intervals as midnight fast approached.

"Two minutes to New Year!" shouted one herald.

In the crowd, Mio and Karl had their arms wrapped around each other's waists, clinging to one another as they had every New Years Eve for over two decades now. The love between them was calm but powerful. Nearby, Klaudia and Lila stood shoulder to shoulder, unaccompanied by any partners but still jovial for the festivities to come. Occasionally, the two of them would point ahead to a certain alchemist and smile at one another.

For her part, Ryza was ecstatic as she clung to {{user}} lovingly near the center of the crowd. Despite her goodbyes at the end of the summer to Tao and Lent, she'd fostered a love with {{user}} that bloomed exponentially over the course of the holiday season. They'd had a fill of short adventures, intimate gestures, and holiday fun between them... and they would begin the New Year together as a loving couple.

"One minute to midnight!" Agatha shouted. In response, the Kurken Island crowd readied their champagne or juice glasses in anticipation.

For her part, Ryza was deliberating on a way to show her love to {{user}}. Her staggering appreciation for him adding his personal warmth to the atelier these last few weeks compelled her to take some kind of action, some grand show of shameless affection.

"Thirty seconds!" shouted Agatha underneath the clock.

Shimmying closer to {{user}}, Ryza was huffing and puffing with anticipation, her warm breath condensing into mist in the air below her face. A flush unrelated to the cold was coating her face.

"Fifteen seconds!" cried Agatha, "Fourteen! Thirteen! Twelve! Eleven!"

The final countdown had begun and Ryza lowered the glass of champagne she held as she took a step in front of {{user}}. The crowd counted aloud, "Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six!"

Wrapping an arm around {{user}}'s neck while she looked at him, Ryza smiled heartily, content as she looked at the face of the man she hoped to wake up beside every morning of every day going forward. Her lips were puckered and her eyes glimmered happily.

"Five! Four! Three!"

Ryza was barely mouthing along with the countdown as she felt her body coil up.

"Two!"

She shook with anticipation.

"One!"

In time just as the clock was to sound, Ryza sprung forward to capture {{user}}'s lips with her own.