play_arrowMirror "Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" In an instant, the fairy behind the glass appeared before the queen and replied with a cocky grin. "Hate to break the news to ya lady, but there's a new gal in town that goes by the name of Jac." The queen was infuriated! She made quite a ruckus tearing down the window curtains before she tossed her bubbling drink towards the mirror, barely missing it. "WHAT HAPPENED TO SNOW WHITE?!" "Well, she met up with her sister Red Rose and is now in a cabin with a bear I believe. So she's no longer in this part of the fairy kingdom, ma'am." "Good. That bear will take care of her. But WHO IS THIS INTERLOPER JACK?" "Beats me. She just came out of nowhere, like poof! And she was there." "WHERE IS THAT GOOD FOR NOTHING ASSASSIN?!" Meanwhile, Jac and her giant friend Richard were stuck in a crossroad, both literally and figuratively. "The Wizard brought us through the wrong wormhole again! " Jac fumed. "This is definitely not Never Never Land!" "Never trust a wizard to do a fae's job." Richard replied as he held, and eventually fiddled, with a shining crystal in his hands. "Don't worry, I'm on it. I can open the Tunnel of Chaos again so we can get back and start over.. If I can just... ugh! Get this artifact to work!" "Or we could try to find the right checkpoint ourselves and head over there straight away from the tunnel." "Jac, we discussed this. The last time we did that we wounded up switching sizes. I'm not going to take that risk again." "But I liked being big.." Jac pouted as she folded her arms. Just then, a rugged man wielding a knife walked up to Jac from behind. She whipped around as soon as she noticed him, the sight of the weapon in his hand caused her hair to stand on end. She was about to do a quick draw of her own weapon, when the stranger backed up and held back his blade. He had a sorrowful look in his eyes. "Oh, oh... no you're pretty." He uttered. "What?!" Was Jac's angered response. "I'm sorry. I was hired to kill you. But once again I cannot. I am a weak man." "WHA?! " At that very moment, the man was suddenly plucked up by the rim of his coat and was just as quickly brought up to the giant's face. The assassin was flabbergasted by how he failed to notice this titan before, and began to flail about wildly. "What do you want me to do with him, Jac?" Richard bellowed in an almost beastly manner. "Please!! Mister giant!! Don't eat me!!" The assassin pleaded. "No. Why would I want to do that? You look disgusting. I was thinking more like... how about I throw you over the horizon? That sounds like it would be fun, wouldn't you agree?" "Richard!! Put him down!!" Jac was folding her arms and thumping her foot. The giant then turned his head and looked upon her in disbelief. "What~? Why don't you want me to mess with him? He did just try to kill you after all." "I think I know which story we're in! We're not supposed to screw around with things, remember? Just fix the other Time Warper's messes!" "All right, all right..." The grouchy Richard turned his attention back to the shivering man in his grasp. "You promise you won't tell anyone else about this?" "OF COURSE OF COURSE! I SWEAR BY THE QUEEN'S NAME!!" "O-kay. " The Wile giant then sat the man down roughly on the grass. He then lowered himself and looked at him straight in the eyes before returning with a growling voice. "Now BEAT IT before I change my mind." The man did a complete 180 and made a beeline for the hills, all while wailing hysterically like a madman. Richard got up to his full height and brushed the dirt off his hands. "He won't keep his word. We better get outta here before all the King's horses and all the King's men come after us with pitchforks." "The usual." Jac shrugged. Not long after, after reciting the spell for the umpteenth time, at last the crystal in Richard's hands lit up a bright blue and a portal started to form right in front of the two. They could hear the telltale hollers of an angry mob in the far distance, so the interdimensional tunnel couldn't come soon enough. As what was normally the case, the hole was only big enough for a human to pass through, though that wouldn't be a problem for Richard. Shrinking down to human height is a necessary evil (in his mind) when the situation called for it. As he took Jac by the hand, the two of them jumped in at once, and they were pulled in just as the wormhole was about to close behind them. Escaped by a hair once again. Hopefully their next actual adventure won't be nearly as harrowing.CozyJac watched the chopped up timber as it was tossed into the blaze. She was awe stricken by how massive the fire became in such a short time, but her sense of wonder grew to a sliver of uncertainty as her thoughts began to cloud. It was just right for a fireplace in a giant household, but from the perspective of a human, there was enough of an inferno to completely engulf the likes of a structure more scaled to her size. "There, that should do it." Bo said as he tossed the last of the firewood that was needed. "That'll certainly keep us comfortable for the evening." Jac sat at a safe distance on top of Bo's single seated couch, yet there was no escaping the sight of the caged flames. Jac couldn't help but stare blankly as she gripped her nails into the fabric. When Bo finally made his way over to her side, he could instantly tell that something was off. "You all right?" Jac was in a trance, she gazed without blinking but a few times that minute. It took several hand waves and near shouts before the young woman snapped out of it at last. "Elheim to Jac! Can you read me!" "Huh?" Jac literally shook her head, her hair whipped from side to side. "Were you daydreaming again?" Asked Bo. "S...sorta? I guess?" Jac took a deep breath and explained what she was seeing from her own point of view. Her words steadily opened the Bunyan giant's eyes. "Oh. I'm... sorry if setting up the fireplace scared you.." "Wha~? Nononono it's not like that. It just.. feels weird I guess." "Well I don't blame you... But doncha worry, that fire's 100 percent contained! You'll be safe without a doubt." "Yeah, I guess that should be obvious." Bo could tell that his adopted sister was still visibly uneasy, which was far from normal for her. But without a second thought, Bo was on it. He stepped into the kitchen for just a moment to whip up some pick me ups just for this occasion. As the microwave heated their drinks, he pulled out a couple of cookies to add as a topping. Right before he heard the ping, he pulled out the tiniest miniature he could find in the cabinet. Slowly and as gingerly as he could, he poured the hot brew of chocolate and cream into the tiny cup. He then shaved a little bit of the vanilla crumbles into her drink, not as fancy as he would have liked but it would have to do. In a few short minutes, Bo was back with the hot cocoa at hand, taking extra measures to stabilize his sister's helping. "There you go sweet pea. Sorry, I tried to add your cookie in just the right amount but it broke." "Well, I guess that's just how the cookie crumbles." That got a chuckle out of the Bunyan giant. Jac then looked at the mug with a big smile on her face. "But yeah, it's the thought that counts." Bo sat down and brought Jac over to his chest. The human then proceeded to walk over to the crook of his arm where she settled down. As soon as she took the first sip, Jac perked right up; the sugar gave her a much needed boost, but just the right amount, not overbearing as was the case when consuming most giant confections. Bo really knew how to make it work. The two drank in silence as they took their time to soak in the warmth of their brew. After Bo was about half way done, he finally spoke. "I used to be terrified of fires as a kid. Especially after what happened to my mom." "Yeah.." Jac replied quietly, "I can imagine." "But, I eventually got over it, and now I even volunteer to help stop small fires if there's ever a need. So, what I'm saying is, if I can get past it, so can you. Cause you're the bravest, most toughest person I know." "I'm not as strong as you. C'mon!" Jac laughed. "Not physically, of course! But you know what I mean. It'll take time, so don't feel bad about it. For now, you've got me to keep you safe." "Since you fight these things sometimes, I guess I don't have to worry." "Mmmhm!" Jac asked Bo to set the cup aside as she began to settle down. She was a lot more relaxed now that she was literally on top of her big brother, and she could finally bask under the warmth and the soft glow of the very flames she had gotten so worked up over just minutes before. The two continued to relax for the rest of the lazy evening in that very spot. And it would not be long before the two of them would drift to a sound slumber.Reverie Jac was walking in air. Yes, quite literally. After she stepped over a puddle, on a sidewalk paved with crayon graffiti of every color imaginable, she found the end of a rainbow. A fabled occurence, one that legends proclaim would lead to vast otherworldly kingdoms or treasures beyond the wildest dreams. Do any of these hold truth? Only one way to find out! The young woman placed her foot atop the prism of light, which caused the surface to solidify and morph in shape. Soon the rainbow arc transformed into a stairway of seven colors that appeared to reach up into the luminescent stratosphere. Jac wasted no time hopping on and she began her ascent towards the stars. "Jac..." Suddenly there was a low, echoing voice that cut through the air, it whipped and whirled pass Jac's body like a raging gust. Colorful dust started to kick around her; in turn, her body weighed down, like an enormous, unseen pressure was pushing against her. Yet not even this will take her down so easily, she'll fight against a literal storm if she has to. "I'm not giving up!" She exclaimed with true defiance in her tongue. "No matter what you say you won't keep me down!" "Jac, what the hell? Get back down from there!" "NEVER!" With a cackle and a raspberry that she aimed towards... the sky, Jac triumphantly ignored the voice without questioning it further, and carried on up the stairs. Before long, she had made it to the top of the arch, which she took great pride in by jumping around and dancing. "HA! I MADE IT! IN YOUR FACE - - Wh-WHOH!" At that exact moment, the ground beneath her began to rumble. The foundation of the magical staircase was weakening and it felt as if it was about to give way right under her feet. Sure enough, the stairs at the base of the rainbow began to break apart, effectively turning the colorful staircase into water vapor once more. Jac tried her best to marathon her way through the rest of the passage, but it was too late. "JAC!!" Down down down she fell, some ten feet, then twenty. She could see the world increasing in size in the blink of an eye before she ultimately passed out from vertigo. Immediately thereafter, there was impact. Her landing was soft, nothing too fluffy like the clouds that she ran past earlier, but leathery and warm. She slowly came to, just as she was gently being lowered into the dip of the palm that became her lifesaver. These hands would then cover her up as they folded together, embracing her on all sides. "Jac!! Wake up!!" Jac's eyes shot open. Moderate rain poured all around her as the chilling air whipped its way past the pillar of fingers she had laid against. She looked to the side to see the pavement where the graffiti rainbow was drawn, from up here it doesn't look as massive. And just in front of her was a giant sized jungle gym. It then dawned on her. "Was I... dreaming?" "Jac!! You could have gotten seriously hurt! What were you thinking!?" "I... got carried away... didn't I?" She said with a weak laugh. She looked up to see the face of her giant, and gave out a blep as a weak attempt to look cute. Richard looked angry, as well as fear-strickened, towards the tiny woman in his hands. He was trying very hard not to exclaim, though the cracks voice was enough to let her know that he nearly had a heart attack just before this. He paused to made sure nothing was broken, as he pulled her arms up gently like a ragdoll. "I'm fine." Jac said as she righted herself up in the dip of his palm. "I'm none worse for wear, as they say." "Let me guess. Did you get too much sugar into your system again?" "Uhhh..." "Jac!" "That new chocolate ball that they were handing out at the factory looked soooooo good! I just had to take a bite out of it... or four." "You can't keep eating candies made for giants! You know how dangerous it can be! Look what it almost got you!" Jac stared into the jungle gym as she tried to recall what she could remember. Blurry fragments of rainbows and the sky.. but not much else. "I must have been sleep walking hard..." "Your sugar rushes are intense Jac! If I hadn't come along, you could have been seriously hurt, or..." At this point in time, Richard was a lot more worked up than Jac was. The human tried to ease the tension by running a hand on one of his fingers. "I'm ok. The important thing is that you were here. Thanks... for saving me. And I'm sorry I made you worry." That was enough to get the Wile giant to calm down, if only by a sigh through his nose. His face still looked a tad judgmental however. "I should get you out of the rain at least. Bag, pocket, or..?" "Pocket!" Jac cuts in. "Sure thing." Without further discussion, the giant dipped Jac ever so gently into his chest pocket. She slid down into the warm felted landscape, the beating of the drum behind her also made for nice background music. Yes, a pocket without any obstructions and a seat belt for good measure was one of Jac's favorite hiding spots. "Now then. You can dream all you want in there." "It's night now. It's probably best if I can hold it off until I can get some real sleep in my own bed." "You're making sense. I like that." "Hey!" "Before then, let me treat you to a nice dinner and a movie when we get home! How does that sound?" Jac was beaming. "I'd like that. Would we get some of those chocolate vanilla shakes for dessert? Mmmm-mmm!" Richard had to sigh. "After what happened tonight? In your dreams!" "Aww! I'll behave this time! I promise!" "Not a chance!" "Aww c'mon!" This small back and forth would continue as Richard trekked towards home. Compared to what nearly happened earlier, this was a welcome calm.Moth"WAHHH! WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!" Aiden ducked and flinched as the strange little creature fluttered around him, giving him the shock of his life. Richard stood by the shrunken Wile as he watched the ladder flail about. The sight of this was hysterical but the larger Wile had chosen to be discreet about it. "You're scared of a butterfly..." "Is this what a butterfly is?!" Aiden practically wailed. "I always thought that they were pretty little things, not murderous monsters out for blood!" Richard fell out laughing. "You're too much, you know that?" "Easy for you to say! Why don't you come down to my level and see just how terrifying this thing is with your own eyes?" Richard cracked a side grin. "I know what insects are like. Sure, they take some getting used to, especially when you realize that some of them defy the laws of physics as we Beanstalks know it. But once you can get past how freaky they are, they're not so bad... usually." "What in the world is going on here?" Jillian questioned as she walked in through the human entrance. As soon he saw her, Aiden bolted forward and made a flimsy attempt to hide behind the elf. Upon spotting what he was running from, Jillian held a hand to her mouth with endearment. "That's what the problem is?" "It was attacking me earlier!!" "It's a little white poodle moth! Such a gorgeous creature.. Why would you be so scared of this itty bitty guy?" It was obvious Jill was teasing the red head at this point. "You should have seen him earlier, he was practically being chased." Richard replied with a toothy grin. "Yeah! What he said!" Aiden cried. The moth was currently perched atop a Sprout-scaled shelf, sulking the bristles on its legs as it observed the commotion below. "Are you pulling my leg?" Jillian said. "I'm telling you! That bug wouldn't leave me alone!" Aiden then told his account while waving his arms around to set the scene. "I was here, just minding my own business. When suddenly that creature swooped down and crashed onto my head! And it kept doing it too! And no matter what I did to avoid it, it just dived and flung and loop-the-looped! I have no idea what it's deal was!" While listening to Aiden's testimony, Jillian gestured lightly for the moth to come closer to her. The insect's antennae twitched as it turned it's body towards the elf's coos and whistles. It then flew off of its resting post and swooped onto Jillian's finger. Which instantly caused the chicken-hearted Wile to hide for the nearest cover. "Aren't you a pretty little thing! Yes you are!" Jillian hummed as she hovered a finger over it. She took particular care to prevent touching any part of the moth's delicate body. Aiden slowly came out of his curled position to take a closer look, though he remained cautious. "You.. you tamed it." "Nah! These kinds of moths just feel relaxed around elves. We've had them as companion pets since ancient times so it's likely ingrained into their DNA! This one's in such prime shape too! I better work on getting it some life extension potions so I can rehome it to someone who can take good care of it." "Yeah.. you do that. So long as it stays clear away from me, I'll be... happy for it..." "Aiden. Aren't you wearing that woolly sweater?" "Um... yeah? Why?" "Well no wonder! I just found out that this is a little lady! So no, she wasn't really coming after you, she most likely just wanted to lay her eggs on your clothes." Aiden took a moment to fully process what he just heard. Before the realization settled in... and the start of a small, high-pitched scream commenced, which had increased in volume and intensity by the second. "All right!" Jillian shouted. "I'm taking her with me for now! Try to relax, will ya!" Jillian kept the moth by her side as she made her way back to her workshop. Along with getting her new charge somewhere safe, her ears needed a break as well. Aiden wouldn't dream of doing the last thing she said until the elf had shut the door behind him. It was only then that his bundle of nerves settled, if only slightly. He turned around to face the front of the giant sized desk he stood on and wondered where Richard had gone. Only to discover shortly after that the Wile giant was hunched over on the side of the furniture with a look of someone who was in pain. He immedietly exploded in laughter in spite of himself. "You're no better than Jac." Aiden pouted. "I'm sorry...!" Richard uttered before releasing the heckling maniac that he was trying his best to tie down. "If you can't handle a moth, I wonder how you would fare with other bugs? Like jumping spiders?" "Jumping what?!!" Aiden squealed. Richard almost wanted to tease him a little more, but he thought it'd be best to hold back... for now at least. After all, his friend has already had enough scares for one day.Secret“Jackie Newton? Is that really you?” Jac’s eyes shot open upon hearing that name. She turned around to see an older blonde haired woman with a large pink hat who was bent on walking towards her, much to Jac’s dismay. The young woman failed to recognize her, which immediately caused all of the alarm bells in her head to sound off. Her legs began to tremble as an unrelenting panic crept up into the deep corridors of her mind. Concurrently, Aiden stepped into the picnic area with an ice cream cone in each hand, one of which was appropriately sized for his much smaller friend. The Wile giant had arrived the moment the older woman walked up to Jac, and he thought nothing of the conversation at first. Just a friendly “how do you do” and all the casual chatter that was to be expected in a public park. That immediately changed however, when Aiden sensed the the ever bubbling terror that radiated from his human friend. Which in turn caused him to respond with a deep, guttural snarl. Jac had took notice of his low rumblings straight away, as did the stranger. “Is that…? Oh god!” The older woman backed up just as she was beginning to realize what she was potentially dealing with. A giant by themself was threatening enough, but a Wile giant was a whole nother issue altogether. “Aiden!” Jac shouted, as she put herself between the woman and the teeth baring giant. “It’s alright! She’s not here to cause trouble!” “Wa-huh?” Aiden paused just as he was leaning over the two humans, which caused the older lady to fall under the giant’s shadow. She cowered immensely from the pressure of those enormous copper eyes that stared directly at her, as she folded herself into a ball behind the more defiant Jac. “Uh, I thought…?” Aiden looked between the two several times. As he realized that he had caused the attention to shift towards him, he mellowed out instantly and stammered. “Oh! I’m sorry!! My bad.” “It’s okay.” Jac said as she patted the Wile giant on the hand that was firmly on the ground next to her. “You sensed my nervousness, and you were right to be worried about me! But I’m fine now, so try to relax!” Aiden turned to the woman, and gulped nervously when he saw her flinch at the mere notion. “Uh! I didn’t mean to scare you… uhmm…” The Wile figured that the best course of action was to back away as much as possible. He returned to the picnic mat several yards away, though he made sure to keep the two humans within his line of sight just in case. The older woman spent several minutes in a dumbfounded trance and took her time to get her bearings together. Jac rolled her eyes but did offer to help the lady back on her feet, which helped to calm the latter down considerably. “I… I can’t believe you actually tamed that… that Wile giant…” The woman finally uttered. “I don’t really care for such a condescending word. He left of his own will.” Jac spoke with a slight sternness in her tone. “Still, it was really brave of you to stand up to him! He was quite ferocious.” Jac had to hold back laughter. “Aiden’s the least ferocious Wile giant I’ve ever met! He wouldn’t hurt a fly, quite literally.” That still failed to put all of the lady’s fears to rest, though in hindsight it may have been for the best. Knowing that there was a "predatory" giant that seemed to come to Jac’s beck and call was enough to keep her from overstepping. And yet as the two began to talk once more, Jac’s wariness never fully ceased. For the woman, who had revealed herself to be a retired tax collector from Petithiem, would bring up things from Jac’s past that had made her substantially uncomfortable. Aiden meanwhile could not retain his focus on anything else as the human’s conversation continued. Perhaps most irritating for the inquisitive giant was the fact that, per Jac’s request, the rest of their discussion took on the form of near whispers. Which made it difficult for the Wile giant to hear amidst the distraction of other outdoor noises. Though even then, Aiden’s sharp hearing was able to pick up bits and pieces. This helped to fuel some of his anxieties however, but it was thankfully short lived. For just as sudden as she came, the woman had bid adieu to Jac and went on her way. Jac slowly walked up to her giant friend with a heavy look in her eyes. “How much of it did you hear?” She asked. “Not that much.” Aiden replied. “What part?” Aiden cleared his throat lightly as he lowered his palm to the ground, which Jac hopped aboard without question. “What was that lady’s deal anyway?” He whispered instead. “She didn’t even get your name right.” “She… she did.” Jac felt like she had no other choice but to explain at least the bullet points of what he had witnessed. As she was lifted up to his ear, Jac briefly gave him the rundown of her name, what it had connections with, and why the woman spoke to her the way she did. Jac made it very clear that the elder must never tell anyone else back in Petithiem where the former was today, in which the woman replied that she wasn’t planning on returning to that “stuffy old port town” if she could help it anyway, so her “secret would be kept safe.” Having the Wile giant around would insure that the older woman would make good on her promise. Aiden took all of this in without saying a word. He wanted to, but he just couldn’t find his voice after hearing this influx of eye-opening revelations. He was well aware of some of the heavier details from previous chance meetings, but it still brought a slight tear in his eye when he learned just how complicated and hard this was on his human friend. After a few minutes of processing what just happened, Jac broke the silence. “Promise me one thing. Please don’t tell anyone what happened today. We’ll take this to our graves if we have to.” “Of course.” Aiden replied softly. “Another added to the pile. But… what about Richard?” “Especially Richard!” Jac exclaimed, before she looked around and lowered her volume to a mere mumble once more. “He doesn’t even recognize the dag… err…” “I’m aware… But… but why though? Shouldn’t he of all people need to know?” “Please don’t…” Jac was in the verge of tears for a brief second before she collected herself again. “I beg of you…” Sensing the severity of the moment, Aiden quietly relented, speaking softly while gently wiping her eyes with the tip of his finger. “All right. I promise.” Relief washed over the tiny human as she fell back into the digits that were supporting her. As he brought her back up to the front of his face, Aiden smiled. Whether he agreed with Jac or not, he was much more inclined to respect her wishes if it meant that even a fraction of pressure could be lifted off her shoulders. Now that the tension had passed, the Wile giant felt that a nice cold treat was the best thing they could have for this occasion. But as he looked back at the cones on the laid out picnic cloth, he sighed. “The ice cream is probably a puddle by now. I could get you another.” “Mmmm, melted ice cream…” Jac mused, the thought of it made her relax even more. “Just what I needed today. But since you’re offering… ehh, I don’t mind seconds.” Aiden had to sigh again at that response. Not that he minded, of course.Gentle Bo stared at the potted plant for a good minute or so as the leaves quivered ever so slightly. He went to get a closer look, only to see a fraction of what appeared to be a much smaller being as they scurried to get away from sight. Bo could barely make out a figure, he could have sworn that he saw a familiar sleeve. There was only one person he knew who wore that particular hand-knitted sweater. "Rod...?" Bo uttered in the tiniest voice he could muster. The sound of his name caused the elf's ears to perk right up, as he scooted further into the cover of the leaves. "GO AWAY!!" He shouted desperately at the top of his lungs. He was pretty sure the giant couldn't hear him, but Bo was able to read the message well enough based one how intensely the leaves shook. Bo had never seen the elf in his normal five inch height. He was well aware that Rod would never show his true form out in the open, so that was enough to tell him that something was up. Bo also understood however that he couldn't just straight up talk to him upfront, as the latter would least likely trust someone so massive in his current state. The giant needed to approach this with care. After putting his thinking cap on for a moment, Bo pulled out his phone. He decided that the best solution was to make a call. In a moment's time, a faint fragment of a familiar ring tone sounded off from between the leaves. Realizing that there was no way to convince the giant to ignore this, Rod caved in and answered, though he said nothing at first. "Rod? What happened?" Bo talked not through the device in his hand, but in the same barely audible way as he did before. "Please, I want to help." After a minute of consideration, and much sighing, Rod finally spoke. "My magic just suddenly died on me. It happens when I've gotten low on energy..." "And you didn't want me to see you like this?" "I trust you as a friend. And yet.. I don't enjoy knowing that larger folks can see me in my vulnerable state... especially since, you know..." "Say no more! I can certainly see where you're coming from." Bo replied. "Even though I've never been in your position, I can figure out how uncomfortable you must be with someone like me at this time, friend or not. Although..." Bo rested his hand under his chin. "Was it your intention to be hanging around the plants?" "Um...no..." "So you're stuck..." "I can get off of this platform on my own...given enough time..." "Listen man... I know it seems like I'm the scariest thing in the world right now, but you're going to have to trust me on this one." Bo said with determination in his whispered words. "I've had to hold tiny elves and other smaller folks before. You've seen that with your own eyes! So please, let me get you out of there and into someplace more secluded. Okay?" Bo then took out a single finger, pointing it just before he touched the little pot itself. Rod looked at the digit with fear welling up in his core. He could see the fingerprints form craters on its tip; this in turn would cause the elven man to gulp, and vibrate even more. Sensing the tension from the silence, Bo did his best to remain calm for his bud no matter how much of his own nerves he had to quell. He took a deep breath from his nose, and said: "It's going to be okay. I'll be gentle. I promise." A minute passed. Then two. When it had seemed like nothing would change from this situation, Rod finally made his move. Carefully and gingerly, he placed his hands onto the warm surface of Bo's fingertip, and began to crawl. The tiny elf wrapped his arms and legs around as much of the skin he could hold onto, and he still shivered as if he was freezing despite the heat all around him. He remained silent throughout, but Bo knew from experience that Rod was about as good and ready as he'll ever be. As steadily as possible, without a single shake or sway, Bo transported his tiny passenger with his finger still extended throughout. After the initial uncertainty, Rod managed to return to his usual calm self gradually but surely. It would not be long before he began to feel grateful for this improvised ride. After all, this was certainly better than many cases of being held by other giants and even humans. Bo really did earn the title of one of the Beanstalk Society's gentlest giants. After Bo sat the elf down in front of the hole in the wall as per instruction, Rod got off sporting a weary smile. His confidence boosted profoundly once he got off of his carrier; he was relieved that this was over, but was also humbled by the events that took place. Bo noticed this as well, and had instantly released the bundled up worry he had been shouldering throughout this time. "Thank you, my friend," Rod said. "You were a great help." "Anytime." Bo chuckled. "Would you have expected any less?" Rod made a side glance to his giant companion and gave out a small grin. "Of course not." He replied. The elf would then retreat into the walls, retiring for the day and starting the process of regaining his magic as the night went on.personpersonHaunted 10: Mist (Final)The atmosphere was eerily quiet, so much so that one could hear the light scurrying of a mouse. A heavy patch of mist blanketed the entire field, but unlike their previous visit to this domain, not a single sign of marble-like trees, grass, or shrubs could be found. Jac slowly opened her eyes to find herself laying on a cushion in what appeared to be a house.. or rather, what was left of it. The flames had chewed out a large portion of the abandoned structure, which allowed the heavy fog to seep inside. The first thing she could discern as she gazed up was the charred remnants of what appeared to be a mural painting that had been discolored and withered over the span of ages. It depicted a battle between a woman wearing white robes and a large, multi eyed black monster with multiple people scattered about on both sides cheering them on. "Ah! You're finally awake!" The baritone voice shook Jac out of her laying position. She turned to find an older gentleman who wore a black cowboy hat. "I brought you over here to rest up. There was quite a commotion out there earlier. Destroyed this old place, it did." The old man sighed. He looked up at the mural when he noticed the young woman had taken an interest. "And to think that this was one of the few things that survived the onslaught. Such an odd thing, that fate is." "Am... I dead?" Jac said reluctantly. "Oh no! You still have that cord that's chained to your body. You can't see it, but it's there. You'll live. Oh!" The gentleman recalled. "There's someone outside who's waiting to see you. He's been worried sick about you ever since you arrived, and he kept on apologizing--" Without another word Jac sprung up, and while she struggled to maintain her footing, she managed to make her way past the burned up corridors until at last she found an opening. There on the Veranda stood a lowly person who carried a large plumage of red and gold feathered wings on his back. His arms were folded on the guardrail, and his face was completely sheltered in them as he slumped low in deep despair. Jac paused for a moment, before she found her voice again. "...Aiden?" The familiar red head swung his head back the instant he heard her voice and immediately lunged himself forward to wrap his arms around her. The young woman was no less shocked than she was a second ago, but she would nonetheless embrace this moment by squeezing him tighter. "I'm so sorry Jac!!" Tears were running down Aiden's face. "I didn't know what else to do to get rid of that witch, but I was so worried you might have--" "It's alright. You... saved me.. but..." Jac looked down at the enlarged wings on his back, and upon further inspection discovered that they were transparent. Tears started to form in her eyes as well, as she planted her face onto the chest of the puzzled Wile. Jac said nothing to alleviate his confusion but her crying grew louder all the same. "What's wrong?" Aiden sniffed. "You're dead, that's what's wrong..." "WHAT?!!" Jac then brushed her fingers on the tip of his wings, and that's when he realized what she was referring to. "OH! Oh no. This?" He then began to lightly swat at the wings while saying "Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!" And they in turn gradually faded out of sight. "This is just what happens when I use my powers too much and wind up in, um... limbo, of sorts." Aiden placed a hand behind his neck. "I may be gone for a little bit, but I promise I'll be fine, okay? I just need some time to recover, that's all." "Are you an angel?" Jac asked with sadness in her voice. "No.." "Are you... satan?" "NO!" Aiden grumbled. "I'm just a regular Wile giant who just happens to have magic that's a bit different from everyone else." "You weren't kidding..." Jac chose to drop it for now; she's seen him come back before, yet this was the first time she got up close and personal with witnessing his spirit form. Speaking of which.. "How long have I been here for? I hope it's not too late before I--" "No need to worry about that." Said the older gentleman as he stepped out to greet the two. "Even if you spend a long time here, it'll only be like a few seconds in your world. So you can take as long as you need to unwind.. Or not. It's your choice." "Oh. That's... convenient." Jac uttered. She felt a large weight thrown off of her shoulders upon hearing that revelation, but it would not be long before a new problem caught her eye. She turned her attention to the edge of the veranda, where she spotted two bright lights that were perched atop the railing. Jac squinted her eyes before she decided to have a closer look. The glow of the two objects had cut through the mist, as if they were a beacon from a lighthouse, except of course much smaller. "Is that...?" Jac gasped when she immediately recognized the glowing butterfly, which was laying on its side with what appeared to be a broken wing. "Yeah, that's her." Aiden spoke with a slight crack in his voice. "I burned up her spirit, so her core is all that's left. I believe all of her magic is gone." Jac breathed a sigh of relief. "Serves her right. Well, what is… who is that glowing bug standing next to her?" "I'm not sure. I found him inside of the collective demon's body, believe it or not. He actually helped me to get my head together and fight back." "You're kidding!" "Hold on just a minute!" The gentleman with the black cowboy hat pulled out his monocle and began to look very closely at the small speck. And upon a thorough examination, he nearly dropped his glasses in his flabbergasted state. "Mr. Jones!" He said rather bitterly. "Hello Reginald." The firefly replied after a brief moment of silence. With that confirmation, the old man took out his leather wallet and swatted at the poor bug, which caused audible squeaks to be heard from the two youngsters behind him. "I should have known you would show your face around here again! Scoundrels like you never get Tickets!" "Hey hey hey, no need to resort to violence, okay?" Aiden said as he stepped in between them. "He helped me out, so I brought him here. I had no idea he was...that guy..." "It's alright." The white speck said with a strained voice, though he was otherwise unfazed. "I had it coming for a while. When I was in the body of that beast I had about a hundred years to reflect on my past transgressions. I deserved every bit of punishment that I had received during that time, and I've accepted the fact that I won't be forgiven for most of them." He then turned to the golden butterfly and paused. "I haven't caught wind of everything, but it seems as though my wife had done all of these things with the sole purpose of trying to bring me back to life. If only she knew, that would have been impossible..." "After what you've done I don't understand why she would go through all this trouble!" Reginald huffed. "I knew of those rumors, and I understand why you don't see me as trustworthy. But mark my words, I've never cheated on her since we were together. When I made my vows to her... I wanted to change because she became the light of my life... and now..." The light of the firefly had grown to a mere flicker, as his voice began to well up uncontrollably. "Now she won't even speak. She's been unresponsive ever since she got here! It's as if she's dead, even though souls can't die... I expect some form of damnation. But not like this..." "Now now. There's no need to go that extreme." Reginald sighed. "I could transfer a little bit of my energy to her, but I don't believe it'll be enough to revive her." Nothing was said for the next few minutes as the room grew heavy with the Firefly's increasing grief. As much as it pained her to do so, Jac was also trying to come up with a solution despite her grievances against the witch. "Are you absolutely sure she can't regain her magic?" She asked the Wile. "Positive." Aiden replied. "Wait, why?" "Does your regenerative powers work on others?" "I... I never considered using it that way before. I don't think it's impossible, just... hard." "I have a suggestion." The firefly said after giving it a bit of thought. "Perhaps, lad, I could ask you to give a little bit of your energy to me so that I may use it to try to revive her myself? We have what you folks call, a Link, a contract of sorts. I can help her, but not if I'm trapped in this... pitiful state." "Well, I can sure try. Sharing energy is a piece of cake. If you think you can use that to charge up your powers, then go for it." "I'm willing to try anything." The firefly wasted no time getting on the shrunken Wile's hand as soon as he was prompted to do so. Aiden cupped him with the other and closed his eyes, and within moments his energy wings reappeared as he began to take on a gentle, yet otherworldly orange glow. Beams of light were absorbed into the small form underneath his fingers. Almost instantly, a bright light flashed between his fingers; as soon as the Wile opened his palms, the firefly shot out and reemerged as a tall, dark man sporting a pompous suit and a tuft of hair on his chin. "Great Scotts! I... I'm free...." Mr. Jones was nearly speechless. "Wait... I thought you were a much older guy than... this?" Jac questioned. "You're looking at someone who is eternally 38 years young! Whoever gave you that impression?" The man said as he gave a teasing leer to his former butler, who only raised his arms coyishly in response. Without further delay, Mr. Jones lifted the lifeless butterfly onto his open palms, and tried to imitate what was done to him just moments before. After a minute of no change, despite giving as much of his own light to her as he could muster, he immediately knelt down, and embraced the tiny insect in a pool of tears. "I... I'm so sorry for what I've done to you..." He whimpered as softly as he could, "none of this would have happened if I hadn't... If I didn't... with my own..." Just then, he heard the faintest whisper from between his palms. "It... wasn't your fault..." The man opened his hands and his expression melted as he looked down upon his wife. The former witch was now a tiny little thing, with small, white butterfly wings on her back. Her robe was a pure sheen of gold unlike the dusty white of her past self, and her expression was that of bewilderment and simultaneously of overwhelming relief. "Bartleby...?" She gasped. "Evangeline!" He cried. "Why are you so big?" "I don't know! Why are you so little?" He laughed while shedding tears of joy. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I can't make you any taller..." "I don't mind. So long as I'm with you, I don't care either way." "Likewise." The two shared in each other's warmth for some time, as everyone cried tears of joy for them.. except for Jac. Laughter was shared and formal introductions were made, and while the young woman was still incredibly salty about what happened just hours before, this would change somewhat quickly after it became apparent that Evangeline couldn't recognize her or Aiden, and had seemingly forgotten everything that had happened since her reawakening. Jac thought 'If she was faking her amnesia, she was putting up a damn good act,' but she eventually dropped making any mention of it further. Bartleby Jones called for a celebration, but Aiden and Jac felt that they had enough adventures for one day. "Time for you two to be heading home then?" Reginald asked. Aiden looked at his friend for confirmation and got it with a swift nod. "I want to rest up in my own body, I think. Aches and all." She said. "Well, that's understandable. Feel free to come by and visit any..." The realization settled in that the ghosts didn't have any home to return to, for their mansion had been left in shambles. "I'm sorry..." Aiden felt guilty. "It was an accident." Reginald said, and with a long sigh he gave a fraction of a smile. "I guess this means it's about time for me to get a move on. Got a Ticket for a train I've been meaning to ride for quite some time. I heard the destination is nice." "I wish you the best of luck on your journey." Mr. Jones said. "Unfortunately, due to my... actions in the past, I was never gifted a Ticket." "Heck, almost everyone gets one eventually. Even scoundrels like the two of you!" Reginald chuckled. "You just have to earn yours over time. It may take a millennium or two, but it will happen." "Well, that's plenty of time for us to explore the world at our own pace, isn't that right, Bart?" Eva announced. Bartleby smiled at his wife on his left shoulder. "I'll be glad to go anywhere if it's with you, my love." ….. After one last goodbye, Aiden took Jac by the hand, and with the lift of his magical wings he flew her en route back to reality. When he finally sets her back down to the spot where her physical body laid, the Wile too, would have to part ways. "I have to go build my nest now… I'm so gosh darn tired, I'll likely need a month to fully rejuvenate. I'll be on standby if you need me." "Wait!" Jac exclaimed. Aiden turned around and saw that Jac was on the verge of tears. "Thank you.... For everything... for saving everyone!" Aiden didn't feel like a hero, but he accepted that form of sincerity nonetheless. "No problem, Jac. I'll see you around!" And with that his spirit took off into the air, heading off to what was likely a place where he could use his Phoenix reviving power in peace. ..... "Jac... Jac...! Please... wake up..." Jac slowly awakened to the sound of her Wile giant's voice. And the first thing she saw was his face overtaking her entire view, with his nose propped up against her cheek. "Rich…ard...?" She said weakly. "Y...you're alright..." "I'm the one who should be telling you that!!" Richard cried excessively, though the volume of his voice remained low. "I thought I lost you for real this time!...I can't!... I just want to..." Jac watched as the Wile giant's lips parted, to which she immediately reacted with a sharp "NO!" But the smaller human was surprised to get a series of soft kisses, wet kisses, and cheek rubs back to back. Jac had no energy to make a fake protest against it, for the overwhelming relief of surviving all of this had finally started to set in, as she too released a cascade of tears of her own. "I'll be ok Richard! Don't worry! We don't have to worry about that witch or the curse, or anything anymore!" Jac held onto Richard in a tight hug for a good, long time. A new dawn approached, and this meant that that frightful Hallows Eve had finally come to a close. The friends would take it easy for many months thereafter, with Aiden reuniting with the gang shortly enough. He made up with Jillian, and thanked her for helping him to snap out of it during his rage. To which she humbly replied no hard feelings towards. Everyone avoided high magic thrills and paranormal hijinks for a long, long time. After all that excitement, they all deserved a little break.Haunted 9: SkullDarkness Absolute nothingness surrounded him, as the Wile felt like he was slowly dissolving in a pool of black gold. Such is the fate of souls that get usurped by the man-of-war monster.. As if that wasn't hellish enough, swarms of piranha-like teeth were gnashing him from head to foot. No wounds were shed, no bruises nor blood. The very core of his spirit was under attack instead, the pain of which exceeds that of any other. Aiden genuinely wished for anything to put an end to this, the madness he was slowly sinking into seemed inescapable. The evil spirits had made good on their promise to make his suffering slow and merciless... The Wile was unable to ignite his flame no matter how much he yearned for it to burn, for the body of the collective spirit had completely enveloped him, just enough to not crush him. He had long since gone past the panic stage.. overwhelmed, defeated.. he was too tired to even turn a head. He was forced into a state of isolation within his annihilation, frozen.. without hope… 'What are you doing, lad?!' A strong, yet unfamiliar voice echoed in his brain, which snapped him straight out of his trance. 'You have to keep fighting!' "I... I can't!" Aiden whimpered in his mind. 'Yes you can!' The voice shouted. 'You've done it before! If not for yourself, then do it for--' Just then the Wile heard a nauseating scream. He followed the sound to the best of his ability against the intense pressure of his entire surroundings, when he saw that at least two of the foul spirits had ganged up on something that gave off a faint, minuscule light. Aiden could not understand why, but he had the sudden urge to squirm with everything he had. Pushing and thrashing his way towards the scene, the Phoebe Wile's internal ferocity was starting to build up, and with it the drive to slash his nails, loosening his hand just enough to reach out and grab the foul spirit that had just consumed the speck. With a quick squeeze, ignited with the heat of his mystical fire, the wisp-like blob let out a chilling shriek as the Wile ripped out its very core, revealing the weak essence of what appeared to be a glowing firefly from within. In their combined fury, the surrounding community of the single minded demons pressed down onto the Wile even harder, this time compressing his body to the point that it became difficult to breathe, let alone stay on the surface of the ever increasing black pool. But with a bit of good timing, Aiden was able to slip his arm pass the pressure point. Despite the numbingly intense pins and needles that snagged onto his loose appendage, he managed to grab the hapless firefly and absorb its essence into his body. And with it securely tucked away, and his main source of energy still exposed in the open, the Wile had just enough power needed to start wreaking havoc with his inferno. With his ferality no longer in check, the Wile set out a tremendous scream as he began to set himself ablaze. Aiden's renewed adrenaline gave him the perfect opportunity to push against the mass of blobs for just one second, which was all the time he needed to let loose all the chaotic energy that would make the kings of gehenna proud. ....... The chill in the air intensified as the entire yard became lit with a soft, yet unsettling white glow. Jac had kicked off her shoes and was walking towards her two dumbfounded friends. With each step she took, the grass would grow wildly around her bare feet- every blade of which taking on a dusty white color that gave them the appearance of marble. Her hair had turned a similar shade, and the light from her eyes had made her pupils a disturbing bleach. "Jac... what's happened to you...?" Richard spoke barely a peep. "Don't touch her!!" Jillian screamed. "Please," The witch and Jac's voice said simultaneously. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am called The Witch of the Dawn and I was once the goddess of the land you are standing on. Jac made a contract with me, and has become my host. She is sleeping now, but she will awaken and reunite with you soon enough." Richard had drowned out every word as he held Jac close and rubbed his cheek against her; tears ran down along his face, which had softened the glow of her hair somewhat as it made contact. He didn't care that touching her left his hands numb and caused his skin to crack, he just wanted his best friend back dammit! "Jac... This happened before, so I know you can snap out of it again! Please! I beg of you! Wake up~!!" Richard kept up his tight embrace all while Jac remained largely emotionless. A hint of reflection was spotted in her eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came. She saw the damage done and the visible shaking of the giant's hands, which triggered a reaction that was likely from the possessed herself that caused her to jerk away and jump off onto the grass below. "The elf is right. It's best that you don't touch me while I am active." The witch said. With a renewed burst of rage, Jillian stomped on the ground. "What are you plotting, Witch? What is the purpose of all of this?!" "I came to reclaim what is mine." The witch proclaimed. "Where my long time enemy sought to reap what was left of this land, I choose to make it beautiful once more. I will do away with the industrialized cities that have encroached in my domain for far too long, and bring the forest back to its former glory! The way it was always meant to be!" "Your idea of paradise is a wild unchecked forest with weird looking white plants that don't even look edible and are already half dead. Got it." Jillian quipped. "Leave me out of it." "Talk down to me again elf, and I won't be so merciful next time!" The hair behind Jac began to rise ferociously, as it flowed eerily with the unsteady wind. Jillian remained firm but chose not to take it further, for any rash response could result in injury to Jac. Richard felt just as helpless, if not more so. He stared blankly at who he formally knew as his best friend, as she approached what was left of the cursed tree and began to spread her arms wide. "The time has come for me to reestablish my rightful place in this world! This will be the start of a new era! People will flock to my forest and worship me again...." Hints of tears began to fall from Jac's eyes, but it was unclear whether she or the witch had shed them. "Then my full power will be replenished and I will finally have enough strength to... bring him back to me..." The jewel in front of her chest began to float upward and took on a sinister red glow. The whirlwind then kicked up and surrounded her like a barrier which would have blown Jillian back if it wasn't for the giant hand that had caught her. The wild plants then exploded in size right where Jac stood, rapidly enveloping everything in her surroundings like an infestation of white, otherworldly weeds. "It's not safe here! We have to go!" Jillian shouted. "But... what about Jac?" The words that came out of Richard's mouth stung and the start of tears formed on Jillian's eyes as well. "I know! But we don't have a choice!" No matter what however, Richard wouldn't budge. It took a sudden lightning flash between them to break the Wile giant's fixation of his back-turned Link partner. The electrical current was situated at that very point in the sky before them- Jillian understood right away that this was far from any natural phenomenon, and her fears were confirmed when a ripple through space began to form just above the cursed snag. "Come hither spirits and lend me your power!!!" The Witch shouted with a fiery passion. “We shall take the night this All Hallows Eve!!” All of a sudden, just as the peak of the gusts were whipping, and the opening of the void had made a visible dent in the night sky, she heard a crack. And then another. And then... With a loud smash, the glass oval jewel shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. Immediately after, the storm had quieted and the disturbance had caused the magic to come to a complete halt. This left the Witch absolutely livid. "NO!!! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!! HOW IS THIS--" At that exact moment in time, something caused her to lose her voice, as she, and the others behind her, gave out a series of audible gasps. A set of bony fingers as intense as the surface of the sun appeared from the ripple in the sky. They began to pull it apart, tearing a hole in space just wide enough for it to go through. And out of it came the biggest and most horrifying giant that anyone had ever laid eyes on. A macro being engulfed by flames all over its body, with a torch that bloomed from the top of its skull-like head. Blotches of mass could be seen all over, which wailed individually, and yet all at once in sheer agony, in tandem to the enigma's earth shaking shrill. It sat its foot down, instantly igniting the path it treaded, swallowing up the last of the cursed tree as it made its way towards the haunted house. Jillian screamed as Richard finally broke from his petrified state to scoop her up and onto higher ground. But try as she might, Jac couldn't move. No matter how much the holy apparition screeched in her head, the jewel was no more and the ability to have control over her was destroyed along with it. Jac's natural fear of immense fire kept her firmly rooted in place, as the titanic monster was now just a few feet away. The beast locked eye sockets with the young woman and was about to reach out to grab her with a finishing hand. Against her better judgment, Jillian struggled to break free from Richard's grip and charged head on towards the fiery demon. Her personal safety was put on the sideline in a brief moment of adrenaline and sheer willpower. Just as the infernal being's finger was mere inches from the terror stricken witch's face, Jillian dived as close as she could just behind the wall of flames and began to scream at the top of her lungs. "DON'T HURT HER!!!" Much to everyone's surprise, the giant suddenly paused. "WHATEVER YOU DO! PLEASE!!! DON'T HURT JAC!!" After a moment of tense staring, the surrounding flames caused the girl to overheat and collapse. The hand immediately grabbed hold, but not before its fire was let out, revealing a sun-like glow to an otherwise normal giant hand. Against the ground, the being laid his hand gently over the fainted Jac. And with a light tap of a finger against her chest, a part of her spirit fell out from behind, along with that of the Witch of the Dawn. The Witch desperately tried to get away but it was no use, for the giant instantly snapped her up. With the foul spirit now in its clutches, the glowing giant then proceeded to crush inward while reigniting its hand. With a horrendous final cry, the witch was disintegrated into hundreds of glowing butterflies, each one burning with an intense flame which had made all but one disappear as it's embers went out. When that was over with, the enormous skeletal beast pulled back and looked upon Jac with great concern. In this very position it gradually faded away, and along with it the flames it had left in its wake had all gone out at once. In the giant's place, a multitude of faint white orbs began to float into the sky, as if they were being pulled into the moonlit night. This gorgeous scene was overshadowed by the young woman who lay still on the forest floor, in front of where the tree once stood. Richard wasted no time to return by Jac's side, and with tears anew, he held her limp body to her face, and pleaded. "Please wake up Jac.... please! Wake up....”Where's the Magic?"How come you don't use magic anymore?" That question cut through the intense focus Richard had, his fingers slowed to a halt at last. His silver eyes peered to the side onto Jac, yet his face remained glued towards the screen. "Hmm... Does it look like I have any use for it right now?" Was his answer. Jac kicked her feet slightly as her thumbs moodily twitched in her pockets. "After work.. or on days off... You don't suppose you could..?" She trailed off before stopping then and there. Richard continued to tap away, expertly filling out a paragraph in mere seconds.. before he paused for a second time. He swiveled around to meet her eye to eye, his face nearly brushing against the miniature form situated on his bookshelf. "Was there... any particular reason why you're so interested all of a sudden?" Jac glanced at her feet and puckered her face. Her smile grew brighter the more she mused, as her excitement bloomed out in the open with a giddy skip. "I miss the wind puffs you used to make!" "Wind... puffs?" Richard's voice remained flat in turn. "You know!" Jac rested her arms atop his nose. "Back when we were in high school, you used to show me all the neat little tricks you could pull off using wind magic." "Oh, yeah." "We used to gather these little weed flowers, and then you twittled your fingers around and then they sprung up in the air, almost like they're dancing with a woooooop! And then they come down with a whooosh!! Puffs everywhere!" "Mmmm-hm." Jac sighed, enthralled by such an enchanting memory. "Oh what I would give to see that again! It was.. well, magical!" "Uh huh." "You don't sound very enthusiastic right now." "I got files piling up, Jac." The Wile spoke with a huff. "This is nice and all but, I really do need to get back to work." Richard pulled back to a more comfortable position on his desk, as he glanced at the high stacks of paper on the side with a slight grimace. "Unless it could get any of my workload done, there's no real reason to do that stuff anymore. I have little energy as is and.. it's hard to expend more than I need to for that sort of thing." Jac sighed through her nose. She leaned back against the much-too-tall books, as she watched her friend steadily wind up like the cogs in a machine. The mere sight of this seemed pitiful to the woman. "Where's your sense of whimsy? C'mon! Don't you want to do it for just a few seconds? You know, for old times sake?" "Jac.." Richard was locked into his files at this point, typing a storm while he spoke. "I guess to you it seems like a big deal, but to us Wiles, what I did there was the wind equivalent of blowing bubbles. We're not kids anymore.." "You can clap your hands to make a gust of wind! That's a bit more prevalent!" Richard groaned. "I don't even see you do basic Wile giant stuff either. It seems... unnatural." Jac looked down again, the concern in her eyes were subtle, but spoke for themselves. Nothing was said between them for a few moments, as the human began to brood over thoughts that ultimately was not what she needed to linger on. 'The modern zeitgeist of the Beanstalk Society runs deep..' Eventually, Jac climbed down the built-in steps to reach the second story shelf. She rummaged through a sprout-sized dresser until she found what she was looking for: a clothed knapsack filled with "pixie" dust. She was running a bit low on it, crud sakes, so she had nothing to show for her efforts. "What are you doing?" Richard finally said. "Going through my things.." Jac replied in a sing song way. "Jac, you're not setting off any sparks in the house. That stuff is highly flammab--" "I know, I know! Yeesh. I ain't gonna say nothin' to set it off!" "Just checking!" Jac gave out a nonverbal hiss before returning to her usual self, her curiosity perked more than ever. "You were the one who taught me how to use this... with the magic energy you gave me through the Link. Does that mean.. you can do spark type powers too? I always thought you were an air elemental.." Richard then hunched closer to the screen, as if to say now was not the time to hear this. Jac placed the bag away before she began to gaze upon the dresser, and soon beyond, for a moment or two. "Why did you give me this to me? What was the purpose again?" Richard took a breath, yet her words were loud and clear despite it's soft utterance. "I thought maybe you could put it to good use. In case a hostile giant tried to attack you or something, then that would usually be enough to make them back off." "Well, if it's ok for me, to borrow your magic, then why should it be an issue when you use it?" "I hate to be cynical... but our size is a contributing factor." Richard steadily slowed his pacing, his fingers barely getting a word in, along with his mouth soon enough. "Just because I'm small it's deemed okay in society's eyes?" Jac exclaimed. "That doesn't make it right!" Richard remained silent. "And here we are just showcasing the double standards this place runs on! Nobody bats an eye when I use magic! Heck, when we first Linked, you gave me my silver eyes through magic!" "I, still feel bad about that.." "Nono, it's fine! I know it wasn't intentional, but, I like it! It's pretty!" Jac put on a wide grin that hopefully got the message across. The giant's eyes remained somber however, but at least he was looking directly at her direction again. Seeing his expression only fueled her frustrations. "It's just... for some reason nobody paid attention to it! Or, at least folks never directly acknowledged it to me. You guys get a lot of flack for something as trivial as having metallic colored eyes." "Or for even breathing sometimes.." Richard began to slump a tad. Upon the human's realization that the mood had soured, she quickly ducked her head in a nonverbal apology. "It's fine.. We needed to vent at some point." "I didn't mean to... I just, don't enjoy seeing you so restricted all the time. It's doing a number to your health." "I know..." Richard squeezed the bridge of his nose before he leaned back on his recliner. "I know what you want me to do. Embrace the moments where I can." "Yeah! And fight the good fight!" "Where applicable." Richard then growled slightly before continuing. "It's never that simple Jac... but..." "But?" "I'll admit, wind magic isn't really something that I take that great of interest in to begin with. Beanstalk Society aside, I find it hard to have any practical use for it outside of the occasional self-defense. And you know how much I value getting some use out of things." "Yeahhh, I know.." "And yet..." "Hm?" "I... wasn't even aware that you liked it so much." "I don't just like it Rich, I loved seeing your magic make petals dance all around me. And to make the sparkly dew float gracefully towards the sky... It's, little moments like these that make life special to me. And.." Jac drew closer to that large face she was so accustomed to, resting a hand against a cheek before the rest of her followed suit. "I know it sounds like I'm only interested in the magic aspect of it, but truth is... I care because you are the one performing it. It's beautiful.. art that you've crafted with your own power. A part of you that should be treasured, and... not locked away entirely." Jac continued. "You care a lot about expending energy and all that, but I think it's good for a person who has magic in their blood to let it out every once in a while. Even if it's just for fun." Richard was careful with his breath, as he leaned in slightly to the tiny woman who nestled against him. His eyes rolled to the side as the bridge of his mouth perked up. Leading to a purr that was barely audible, yet was clear as the dawn for Jac. "Well..." The Wile whispered. "I guess I can't say no to that. Those words you spoke worked wonders." "Does that mean..?" "Yeah. Sorry I was a bit nippy earlier." "That's ok. I know where it's coming from." Jac then side-glanced to the paper tower. "Are you sure you don't want to wait? You said magic can wear you out." "Mmm-hm. Like you said, just a few seconds should be fine. Truth is... the fact that you genuinely cared about it beyond it being just a novelty.. moved me. A little." "Oh?" "If it was just me, for my sake I wouldn't bother. But... it goes beyond that now." Richard perked up as he finally looked directly at Jac's increasing smile. "If it really makes you that happy... then, well. What am I to deny you that right to see it? Cause to see you happy.. that's what I want most of all." "That's what I've been saying all along!" Jac folded her arms in an obviously fake pout. "Sorry, I was thinking about myself at the moment again." "You're fiiine. But, I'm just glad you came around. Because you certainly need to not bottle up so much!" "Y..Yeah.." "Well? What are we waiting for?" The gibbous moon glowed bright across the bed of stars- a perfect backdrop for the queerplatonic couple as they made their way towards the balcony. Jac jumped off of the giant's open palm before the latter began to clutch his fingers together. He uttered a soft incantation, short, brief and to the point. He then flipped his hand around and presented a finger tip to his friend. "Here." Jac felt it, a small yet very present force. She scooped up the invisible spell from Richard, and it was there where she could feel the telltale sign of the wind between her fingers, all bundled up in a compact form. "A wind puff..." Jac gasped in delight. "Richard... thank you so much." "No problem." The side of the Wile's face bore sweat, even such a minor spell did that much. "You were right, I am a bit out of shape." "I'll treasure it as long as I can.. to make up for it." "It won't be long before it wears out, but you can do whatever you want with it until then. Have fun!" As Richard returned to his quarters, no doubt to his remaining papers, Jac began to move the wind ball across her arms. She pulled it along, unwinding the wind like string to pick up every dandelion nearby before setting them up high to greet with the awaiting stars. Jac continued to dance like a ballerina on the porch, nothing else mattered in the entire world at this time. The perfect gift, one of enchantment, fueling her child-like wonder. Grateful to still have it after all these years, even for this brief, yet wondrous moment.