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Shadow Puppets The storm brought with it perpetual winds and torrential rains, flooding the area with water up to a giant's ankles. While Jac was safely within the confines of Richard's home, which had mostly been spared the brunt of the system, she still had to sit through listening to the weather pounding the roof of his house. The hundreds of thundering booms back to back was just as frightening; it wouldn't be long before the lights dimmed out as well, leaving the two in utter darkness. After he had spent a slow hour or so shifting through the rooms with only a dying cellphone and a little bit of illuminating magic, Richard was able to find the flashlights that had become their saving grace. During the much too long time she was left alone, Jac's usual confidence wavered bit by bit, as she peered out the window at the noisy cats and dogs that seemed to be eager to claw their way inside. Her unease lead to a surprise jolt when Richard suddenly turned the flashlight onto his face with a soft "boo!" Jac crawled backwards to the very edge of the armrest she was on, and breathed heavily just as she began to register what was going on. A small cackle escaped the Wile giant initially, but his mood instantly shifted to that of great concern over seeing her overall reaction. "Hey, are you alright?" "No," Jac admitted, "this thunderstorm is really pissing me off... I don't think I've ever witnessed anything this big since I moved to the Beanstalk society..." "I read on the newsfeed that it's a once every twenty year event." Richard replied. "There will be a few more days of this unfortunately." Just hearing that revelation made the smaller woman wrap her arms around her legs. Richard offered a hand which Jac nonverbally accepted, the giant's fingers providing relief somewhat from the relentless shaking she was having. He could feel her distress from her tiny heart thumps, and it was eating at him that he could not for the life of him figure out how to alleviate some of her anxiety. "If you think there is anything I could do to help, I'd love to hear it." He spoke in almost a whisper. As Richard sat the flashlight down, it's light glowing against the bare wall, he scooped up the tiny human with as much care as possible and brought her up to his face. Jac was paying less attention to the kind gesture at that moment, instead focusing on the shadow that they casted in front of their only light source. "Hm? What's on your mind?" "Well... it's silly. But I could use a bit of that right now." Said Jac. "I think I know of one thing we can do to pass the time." A little later, Jac and Richard brought some props that were just the right size for the human to carry, which was mostly everything she needed for her little improv show. With a circular paper mache on her back, Jac placed two fingers over her head and began to crawl and wriggle ever so slightly. On the wall, she almost resembled a snail. "Once upon a time, there was a very big snail who was minding her own business, just enjoying the simplicity of her days of eating and sleeping and... pretty much that's all snails do." "No kidding. They ruin my garden. I hate them." Richard said. "Wait, you have giant snails in your yard?" Jac had slight gleam in her eyes. "Stay focused on the play Jac.." "Oh, right!" Jac repositioned herself once more and continued. "One day, the snail found the biggest, juiciest leaf she had ever laid eyes on. It was out of the safety of the cover of the tree, but it was so delicious looking that she couldn't resist." "Famous last words." Richard mumbled. "What?! You keep interrupting!!" "Sorry! Continue." "Yeah... uhhh..." Jac then put her thinking cap on for a minute, but came up empty handed. "I guess that's all I got. Can't think of anything else to add right now." Richard fell on his side upon hearing that response. He then walked up to the makeshift platform and cleared his throat. "Just when the pretty little cherry, I mean, snail crawled out of hiding, a very handsome black bird spotted her from the sky!" "Oh boy." The Wile giant then put his thumbs together and spread out the rest of his fingers wide. He then began to flap his 'wings' as his shadow circled around the snail. "The bird realized that she was the most beautiful cherry snail that he had ever seen, and he knew that he must invite her to his home for supper! So using the moment when she was distracted, he swooped in as quietly like a, a bird, and snapped up the snail in one, quick--" "Wait!" Jac exclaimed as his hands hovered mere inches from her body. "That's not a bird hand puppet, that's a butterfly!" "Is it now? Hm... I don't know what the bird shape is, but I'm willing to compromise by calling this a bat instead. It does look like a bat, doesn't it?" "That's not how it--" "So the butterfly bat swooped in and caught the cherry snail in his claws! He then flew up and away with his prize." During this time, Richard scooped Jac up and began to flap the tip of his fingers as she rode up and away in 'airplane' mode. Jac could not help herself as she giggled excitedly with every swoop and dive. She noticed relatively quickly that Richard was slowly moving his hands towards his face. The Wile, being the cuddle bug he was, found it difficult not to bring Jac in and nuzzle her against his cheek. This brought even more laughter to the human, which made the giant even more relieved that his plan on cheering her up was working. Such a rush of exhilaration made the two of them lose themselves in the feedback loop. With hugs came pats on the nose, which lead to nose rubs, and then pecks and-- "Okay! Story's over! Time for the next one!" Jac shouted. "Wait, there's more? " Richard's voice turned mopey. "But, we were just getting to the best part!" "Nope! It's too early for that!" Richard gave out a small pfft. "Sorry, I got carried away." "All good, I barely stopped myself." Jac laughed. Richard sat Jac down on the table again as she began to switch props, this time she would don a cone shaped hat with a sash at the end. "Once upon a time, there was a princess who lived in a far away kingdom!" "A cherry princess?" Richard asked. "Just a princess!" "Aww." Jac then jumped on front of the light, which made her shadow cast a form to appear as if she was wearing a beautiful gown. Richard on the other hand was plotting for another prank to pull, which Jac anticipated quite well with the quick glances they continued to give each other. She continued on. "--but the princess was very lonely, and she had no one to talk to. If only someone would take her away to a more exciting, fulfilling life!" "My turn right?" "Yeah! I think I laid the groundwork for what you can do now." "Cool." With his arms and the end of his hands folded together, his palms and fingers spread out, the tips of them curbed slightly to resemble jagged fangs, the shadow of a mighty dragon swooped onto the table with a loud thud. "Fear not my lady, it is I, a noble dragon from the east. I have come to take you away to a much more exciting place!" "Richard, I was expecting a knight or something more catered to my size!" Jac squeaked, giggling slightly between every other word. "Aww, what's a knight got that a noble, devine creature doesn't?" The dragon replied. "I! Don't want to go with no overgrown, scaly beast! Shoo, vamoose or what have you!" "Hey, that's no way to talk to a royal, sofisticated dragon! That's not very nice! I'll.... have to, punish you for that!" "Ohhh, are you going to breath fire or something? Oh no, I'm so scared." Richard's hands then darted towards Jac. Try as she might, the shadow of the princess was unable to run fast enough as she was snapped up in the jaws of the shadow dragon. Wedged gently between the giant's palms, Jac wriggled and giggled extensively while she tried her best to tickle to giant back. Only to get the taste of her own medicine as the tips of his fingers tapped away lightly at her every form. They both laughed nonstop for a few minutes before they both ran out of air and were forced to stop. The two friends laid back, Richard against his chair and Jac against one of his hands as they huffed and puffed a good while. They both looked at each other tiredly and smiled, acknowledging just how happy they were just being in each presence. "I haven't had this much fun in ages." Jac said. "Me too." "Though, to be honest. I think I'm worn out from all these shadow puppets." "Same here. Though I wouldn't mind doing it again at some point. Since, well," Richard turned to the window, which brought Jac back to the reality of the noisy downpour outside. "We'll be here for a good while." "Yeah.. You know, while we were doing that, I had completely forgotten about the storm. A guess a good distraction is all I needed." "I'm glad it helped you out," Richard said softly. "If you're ever in the need for more, then I'll be glad to assist where I can." "I appreciate that a lot." Jac began to make her way towards the center of Richard's chest, his heart beat offering much needed relief from the distressing sounds. She then gave out a yawn. "For now, I think this will do. If you don't mind." Richard blinked a little, before he returned with a smile. He cupped a hand over the human, surrounding her with warm bliss as began to settle back himself. "With pleasure."Lullaby *‘Child, you are my little ray of light Like a fire that glows in the darkest night. If you find me I will hold you tight Never letting go I promise I’ll be there for you.’* Jac had awoken to the voice of her mother as she whispered into the young woman’s ear. She spoke such clarity, echoes like droplets of water, air like the soft wind against her skin. This had to have been real, no way it couldn't be.. But much to Jac's despair, reality had come for her as she gradually opened her eyes. She saw the full moon still beamed through the curtains as she found herself within the shelter of Richard’s hand. The Wile giant was sound asleep, yet he had subconsciously brought her up to his chest. On an ordinary night, his would have provided maximum comfort for the smaller human, but this time she was unable to feel the joy that this level of affection would normally bring. Jac couldn’t shake off the feeling that began to well up from her chest. It had been months since she had relapses of the visions of her mother, so for such a dream to just show up unexpectedly.. and with that particular song no less? This had put a damper in her spirits and unearthed unspeakable anxiety that was shaking her to the very pit of her core. She had fought hard to weather her fluctuating emotions, but in the end, she was unable to hold back hot, stinging tears. Richard steadily opened his eyelids by the sound of Jac’s various gasps and wheezes. He looked down at the small woman who was curled up in the dip of his right palm, his eyes gradually shedding off some of their drowsiness as he began to realize that she was actually crying. The Wile giant’s keen ears was able to pick up on her sobs despite the tiny human’s best efforts to try and hide them. “What’s wrong?” He spoke softly, his tired voice still lingering. Jac was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to pay mind to what was said, although she did quiet down somewhat. Perhaps she just chose to not answer him. Richard was not surprised to see her like this, but he could never get used to it. This exact scenario would play out every once in a while for about as long as he could remember; the trigger was apparently always the same, but he was never given the details as to exactly why. After seeing what this has been doing to Jac, and always getting the same dodging reaction whenever he had brought it up, over time he felt that it was better not to question it. Or perhaps he had become too afraid to ask. Instead, Richard brought his other hand behind the one that held Jac. He then slowly but surely placed her all the way against his chest, his hands completely covering her up as she was nestled onto the fabric of his shirt. He then began to start humming a sweet melody of his own. The tune was pleasant, as gentle as the giant could muster with his voice. With variables ranging from a cheerful, upbeat hum, to a quiet and more graceful sound. After a few short minutes, Jac’s sorrow had begun to dissipate, as she listened intently to the giant’s voice as her mind spawned new visuals that tapped into her imagination. It wasn’t long before she finally spoke. “What are these songs? They all sound so… refreshing.” “They’re Wile giant hymns,” Richard whispered, “passed down from generations. They have different meanings but nowadays they’re more commonly used for lullabies.” “Do you know the lyrics?” Jac said, as she quietly wiped the remaining liquid off of her eyes and nose. “I know of some. Many of them are probably difficult to comprehend for you, but I’ll try to think of one that I can sing.” Richard paused for a moment, before he found one that he thought would be easy enough to share with the human. He cleared his throat, and began in a near whisper. “Why are you crying dear child The heavens bring the stars and the moon The wolf in the forest, the birds in the trees, the night flies dance in the twilight there is much to see” “What do these words mean?” “I did say that they were cryptic,” Richard chuckled, “but yeah… I think it’s meant to be interpreted in different ways. But I personally think it means that even if there is stuff in the world that makes you feel sad, there’s still enough beauty in this planet to not want to… give up.” There was a hint of concern in Jac’s face, which the Wile giant picked up on right away. “I’m sorry.. It’s just… this was one of the many things I’ve used as a coping mechanism growing up.” “It’s okay, I understand.” Jac looked down on the indents of the giant’s hand momentarily. Her mind was drifting once more, but this time with a new resolve. 'Perhaps that’s what mother was trying to tell me all along.’ The beginning of new tears started to form on the base of her eyes. Richard realized what was happening and worried that it could have been his own fault, but instead of dwelling on it he chose to switch focus onto a more pleasant tune. “Ode to the bush warbler building his nest sweet songs that he sings, the cherry he brings on route to gather many food in his crop bring them home to seven mouths without stop.” That got a laugh out of the smaller woman, which brought a sense of relief to the giant. “Is that a real Wile giant song?” “No, you got me. I just made it up on the fly.” “That wasn’t too bad though for something you thought up in a few seconds. You should record that!” “Nah, I had already forgotten most of it.” The two friends laughed it out, before Richard continued to come up with different songs to hum. The new tunes ranged from an array of folk songs to popular music slowed to an almost music box pace. Jac chose to quietly listen through the rest of this special little concert that her friend made just for her, but it wasn’t long before she fell back into the world of dreams once more. This time the clouds that formed before were long gone, bringing with it clearer skies and sweeter dreams. Shortly after Richard followed suit while in the middle of a tune, he had apparently sung himself to sleep.HarvestThe Harvest Festival was in full swing, and the Fincher siblings were treated to some of the best crops this season had to offer. The pickings for this year in have been blessed with good bounty, as crops as far as the eye can see were brought out on full display. And the best part of all this for Jac was that every single one of these fresh produce were fit for a giant, so it became sort of a playground for her to explore. Fortunately her big brother was keeping a close watch. "This one looks to be a good size!" Jac hopped onto the tallest pumpkin in the patch, a gargantuan monstrosity that looked heavy enough to give even Bo some trouble. That coupled with the just as horrendous price tag caused the Bunyan giant to stop dead on his tracks. "We can't take this home! It won't even fit in our wagon." He exclaimed, as he reached out to grab the rambunctious little woman before she could leave any shoe prints behind. When he sat her off near the squashes, Bo managed to catch someone familiar off the corner of his eye. With the press tailing his every move, Rod was unable to safely meet up with his boyfriend at this time, but they would acknowledge each other's presence with quick side glances at every chance they got. Bo had to withhold waving hello on impulse, and while it was frustrating to not be able to make visual cues to his love, just being near him was more than enough to make weathering the rest of the day worth it. "I found a really nice one!" Jac said, as she managed to get some distance between herself and the Bunyan giant in a short span. Bo rushed over to meet his adopted sister, who was at this time on top of a fairly cute pumpkin that glistened slightly against the warm autumn sunshine. It wasn't too big and it was a fairly decent enough height, but the main thing that caught Jac's attention was how perfectly round, yet meaty it was. With a few light knocks, Bo nodded his head in agreement. "It's perfect!" He said with a smile. Just then, one of Rod's escorts walked up to the two, the elf shooing Jac off the fruit while he turned to the giant with a glare that could be felt even through his dark shades. "I'm sorry, but this pumpkin has already been reserved for Prince Roderick." "There's hundreds of others here he can choose fr--" Jac almost retorted, before Bo quickly yet gently placed a hand over her mouth. "I understand," Bo said with slight nervousness in his voice, "we'll be on our way then." "There will be no need for that." At that very moment, Rod walked in as if in a procession, with his hands behind his back and accompanied with escorts who followed every step he took almost precisely. The way he approached with a proper, almost gentlemanly gait was far from what the siblings were used to seeing from the high elf. Jac had to slap a hand to her mouth as air began to fill her cheeks; the young diplomat raised an eyebrow at the woman but made no further reaction towards her predictable response. Instead, Rod turned his head up to Bo, who was breaking out in a pool of sweat. The high elf hated to see his beloved in this way, but he understood the reason why. The pressure to remain proper and formal towards him in public was certainly getting to the Bunyan giant. "I was actually planning on buying this pumpkin for a very close friend of mine," Rod finally spoke. Bo gulped. "But, I'm sure I'll find another. Since this place has some of the best crops in the entire province, there are plenty more options to choose from. Besides..." Rod would then give a quick wink. "You folks look like you'd be needing it more than I do." The service elf with the shades approached the young dignitary with a series of nervous 'buts', but Rod quickly silenced him with a swift glare. The escort got the message and proceeded to scan for the other offerings without further question. Jac and Bo were not surprised upon seeing their friend throw his high magician status around, doing so with just about as much ease as breathing air, but it was still relatively jarring to witness at least for the smaller sister. They watched as the escorts began to take turns, the ones being relieved from their duties would shrink down to their normal five-inch-tall height who were then carefully carried away by other staff. Rod himself however stayed in human height all throughout the day. His seemingly limitless magic makes him a highly respected figure among elf kind, and his royal lineage on top of this only added to his reverence. Since he couldn't say anything aloud so long as Rod was close by, Bo sent Jac a text message that read. "They're just doing their job. Don't sweat it." Jac shook her head and moved on, her attention shifted deftly towards the bright plump tomatoes on the opposite end of where they stood. But just before Bo was able to follow, he received a notification on his phone. Much to his surprise, it was a message from a contact named 'Sparkle Bangs'. "You saved me the trouble of gift wrapping and shipping costs." Bo looked for Rod, who had walked some distance away at this point. The giant gave out a quaint smile and typed back. "Thanks. I'll show you pictures of the Jack o' Lantern soon!"Melody The morning announced it’s arrival with a brilliant orange that blanketed the entire eastern sky. Jac was early to rise, which was typically unusual when it came to weekends. But what prompted the young woman to remove the crust particles from her eyes was a sound so soothing, yet breathtaking that it resonated throughout the family farm. A nostalgic feeling welled up over her, and she was eager to watch and listen as the voice continued to echo across the fields and into the canopy of the resting trees. It came from none other than her stepfather, Gerald B. Fincher, who was singing a hymn that had been past down through generations of the Nature Giants since ancient times. It took on a strong baritone for much of the first half, with it bridging to a surprising yet seamless higher note which Jac describes as fluffy and ‘light as air.’ The song looped continuously as soon as the alto reached its climax, a true endless tune that only ceases when the vocalist deemed it so. The human understood not a single word of it but that didn’t deter her from becoming completely enamored by it’s sound. The best part of being a spectator of her pop’s “concert of the fields” so to speak is observing the reactions from the farm animals and the surrounding nature. The Giant's primary stock and trade are the fleece of giant vegetable sheep, and every morning he rounds up a herd of nearly a hundred of them simply by the calls of his song. The very melody seems to hypnotically tame the entire masses as they never fail to follow his every move; no need for a shepherd dog if he can do everything himself. What intrigued Jac the most was that he never seemed to tire or take breaks to catch his breath, working till the morning’s end largely without ceasing his tune. That to her was an amazing accomplishment all by itself. Unfortunately for the young woman, her stepfather stopped at its midst as soon as he spotted her in the clearing. He had successfully herded the sheep into their grazing pasture, so there was no need for him to continue at this point regardless. Jac however, was kicking herself internally for not making a better effort to hide. “Morning Jac! You’re up early.” “Mornin’ pops…” Jac said plainly. “You… don’t have to stop, you know… because of me…” “What do you mean?” “Your song! I love listening to it.” “Oh!” Traces of a blush could be seen on her stepdad's cheeks, but he kept focus on his work as he continued to speak. “Well, my song isn’t like other giant’s, you see… My voice is carried through the wind, so it vibrates across the fields far and wide! If I see you’re close by, I couldn’t possibly resume knowing that it could potentially hurt your ears.” “I know dad.” Jac tried her best not to groan, but traces of this could be heard from her voice. “I could get out of your way then..” “Now, now…” Gerald walked over to the human and bent down with the equivalent of a couple of yards away from her. Compared to the common giants his frame was enormous at a whopping ninety five feet, it still amazes her just how big he is in comparison to what she was used to. “If you want to leave, then I’m not going to stop you. But it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you 'round the farm. I could use your company, even if only for a short time. It would give me a much needed break to clear my throat after all.” Jac considered his words. After awhile she would nod, and while she was dissatisfied by not hearing the song again for the duration of their union, she was certain that she would be given the opportunity when the time came for the sheep to return to their pens. So without further delay, Jac hopped on to the hand that was presented to her, which then carried her steadily onto the giant’s right shoulder. For the next hour or so, the two would talk about this and that while Gerald kept a watchful eye on the herd. Jac couldn’t help but bring up the hymn after the topical subjects had run dry, and while her stepdad was hesitant to bring up the details surrounding it at first, he figured that it likely wouldn’t matter if he told her at least some of what he knew. He trusted his own daughter to keep it just between the two of them. “I mentioned to you before that my father taught me when I was a growing boy,” he explained, “The song has deep meaning to us, and is one of many that hold the primary source of magic for our own kind. When we utter it, the breeze will carry it adrift, making sick and dying flowers healthy again. When we sing it out loud, it’s like a gust that travels across distant lands. Or so I’ve been told. This has the power to tame beasts as you have seen, as well as hold other positive benefits.” “That’s amazing! I guess that the second one worked on me too?” “I wish it would calm humans down the way it does with you.” Gerald laughed. “But I’m glad you think it’s worth listening to.” “Of course! You’re the best singer I know!” “Oh please! You flatter me! You should have heard my grandmother, she was one of the best vocalists of our town! Folks from all around would gather to hear her voice.” The elder then had a darker expression over him, his eyes contemplating deeper thoughts that made him silent for a minute. Jac’s smile slowly fell upon realizing this, and she asked if there was anything the matter. The Nature Giant declined to elaborate at first, but he decided to ease her into the details bit by bit. “Jac, it’s important that you don’t speak a word to this to anyone.” “Uh… sure thing. I promise.” After a long sigh, her stepfather spoke. “The lyrics to our songs are from a language from this part of the world that is widely believed to have gone extinct.” As Gerald told his story, he took momentary pauses to wipe the hint of tears in his eyes. “Not even I know the meaning behind them. I wish I had asked my grandparents or my elders about it, but they have all left this world now…” Jac’s eyes began to water as well. This is the first she’s heard of this and it contradicted some of her previous thoughts. “I thought Nature giants can live for a millennia or more. That’s what I, heard..” “That was the case for a time..” Her father spoke with his voice hung low. “But… not sure if it’s true or not… but I have a theory that since we are like the plants and trees, I suspect that it may be to do with the ever increasing pollution in our planet. While we pretend that nothing’s wrong when we speak to everyone else, I suspect that there aren’t very many of us left…” “That’s terrible!” Jac exclaimed. “Why do you want to keep that a secret? Don’t you think that there’s folks that could help you in some way?” “I don’t want to be held captive in a greenhouse!” Jac was shaken by the words that came out of his mouth, as well as the pained anger that fueled the volume of that last statement. To his fright, Gerald put a hand to the tiny woman’s back and began to stroke her ever so gently. “I’m sorry..” “It’s okay dad. I’m just… I don’t know what to say…” “I was just as shocked as you were when I first heard about it. Simply put, it’s a domed city where they house small populations of Nature Giants in at least one other country. To try to 'preserve their lifespan’ under a controlled environment, or so they claim. They provide good food, good housing, clean air, but… I hate to think that I’d be forced to stay stuck in one place for the rest of my life. To me that sounds no better than a prison.” He shook his head. “If keeping my freedom to go wherever I please means that I will whither away sooner than so be it. I don’t want to be cooped up like that, I’m sorry.” After that there was silence, as the two tried to comfort each other the best they could. Afterwards what little conversation they had was small and light, as in what ice cream flavors they will be having after the workload had mostly been accomplished. While the topic was never brought up again, the gravity of the revelation weighed down on Jac for the rest of the day. Soon it came time for the older Giant to round up his herd. Jac was placed far enough away from the fields and the barnyard as Gerald thought was acceptable, which got a complaint from the smaller woman, though she chose not to dwell on it. Soon enough, the song was heard once more from a distance, which Jac couldn’t help but get a closer look but only slightly. As she watched her stepfather exercise his vocal chords and move the massive crowd of rams and ewes into their pens, a new sense of realization clouded Jac’s mind. The day her father passes away, the song will likely die with him. With a wipe to her eyes, Jac sought to appreciate the moment to the fullest and never failed to look away until the last sheep was brought in and the tune was done for the day. And she would continue to enjoy listening to the concert of the fields for many more years thereafter.Golden "Midas had it coming." Jac sighed as she shook her head. All across the room, there was a sheen of pure gold on every single platform imaginable, from the dining room table to the bedding, the drapes and even the walls themselves. Every food on the massive banquet was made up of the solid mineral; same goes for the meals that had been brought in through carriers, as well as the caterers themselves. And at the centre of it all, just before a similarly changed throne, was King Midas himself, who had also been turned into a golden statue. He was in a ridiculous ballot-like pose with his index finger on the tip of his nose. That was what likely done him in. "How much do you think this guy will be worth in modern BSK dollars?" Said Richard as he held back a snicker. "We're here on a mission, remember?" Jac replied. "We have to get to the bottom of what caused this so that we can let the progression of this story flow like normal." "What if this is how it was supposed to happen originally?" The shrunken Wile asked. "According to the other fairy world recorders, Midas is supposed to have another story right after this one. Dang it... This is a serious pain..." The detective was stumped. It would be near impossible for them to arrange to go back to before this timeline, yet she can't in her good conscience return to the present and leave things the way they are. Enough of this screwing around with the past could drastically disrupt the modern day fairy world, a domino effect that is difficult to correct once it's set in stone. But without any leads or a means to fix things, like it or not, this was looking more and more like a dead end, which frustrated the seasoned inspector. Just then, she heard a clanging noise... and what almost sounded like gnawing. Jac looked up, discovering to her horror that Richard had grown to his full height, cramped but thankfully just a snug enough fit to the roomy space to not have the ceiling collapse on him. He had taken a whole roasted chicken and chomped on it, but try as he might, he couldn't bite down. "What the hell are you doing?!" Jac hollered. "It's solid.. I was testing if it was gold plated. If that were the case, I would have been able to rescue Midas by chewing off the outside..." "You don't want to get beheaded by the king, do you? I read that he was pretty ruthless in the second story." "Relax, that plan's dead on arrival anyway." Just then, Richard was able to catch a whiff of something new in the air. He followed his nose to the back of the corridors, behind the hardened curtains he caught a glimpse of a strange, almost inhuman creature that was attempting to move out of sight. The giant spun around and with a quick swipe, he managed to catch this enigma in his bare hand. He couldn't tell what it was at first as he drew it closer to the light, only that it was fuzzy. Richard open his palms to reveal a lowly little satyr, who had become scared stiff about this whole being snatched by a giant without warning deal. "Well well well! Who do we have here? " "What in Zeus's name is a giant doing in the palace?!" The Satyr wailed, "Please! Have mercy on me!!" "Well then tell me what is a magic user like you doing snooping around? Where barely anyone else is allowed to come in, hm?" "I'm a friend of the King! Honest!" The Satyr explained while paying close attention to the giant's fangs every time the latter opened his mouth, "I came baring news from Dionysus with a cure for the Golden Touch, but I had arrived too late..." "Richard..." Jac didn't have to say another word- just the sight of her as she folded her arms and thumped her feet was enough to convince the mighty giant to put the horned man down, even though Richard wasn't too happy about it. "How do you know this guy can be trusted?" The giant frowned. "According to the fairy archives, a little known fact is that King Midas rescued a Faun and became friends with him in the start of the story! This led up to Dionysus granting him the Midas Touch as a reward." "Uh... it's a, Satyr..." The Satyr corrected. "So you're the person who's supposed to fix everything, right?" Asked Richard with a raised brow. "Yes! I would had arrived earlier, but the king was busy entertaining another guest. I heard it was a fairy, with green skin..." "The Time Warper. Of course!" Jac said while she slapped her hand in front of her face. "That guy's been giving us the slip for who knows how long..." Giving a moment of pause to press between the bridge of her nose, Jac then asked the half-human. "Is there a way you can reverse this?" "I believe the same way to remove the Golden Touch will also work to reverse the curse, but.. how can we move his majesty now that he's solid gold?" "You underestimate my natural strength," Richard then proceeded to pick up the petrified king with just two fingers, "I'll do the heavy lifting, you give me the instructions." So with no more time to waste, the Satyr lead Jac and Richard to the nearby river, with the giant carrying all of the humans who had been afflicted by the curse. While it was not the prettiest solution, it was determined that the only way to completely reverse this mess is to completely submerge the statues in the water, which Richard hastily accomplished by unceremoniously dunking all of the occupants in his arms into the drink at once. Jac looked at him with a stern while the giant returned with a smirk. "They were heavy, alright? My arms are sore." It took only a few minutes, but soon enough the entire river as far as the eyes could scan shined with a magical energy that turned the water a shimmering gold. The two guests marveled at the sight; Jac meanwhile couldn't help but snap selfies of herself and part of Richard's face with her phone, taking in the scenic view as a keepsake for their efforts. "What in Zeus' name is that contraption?" The satyr spoke. "Don't worry about it." Jac answered as she zipped the phone back up in her coat. And nothing more was said. When the spectacle had passed, the magic of the curse had been absorbed into the sand at the bottom of the river, which had turned into a brilliant shade of yellow. And with that, the afflicted had all emerged from the river at once with a large gasp for air. The Satyr fell into the arms of his beloved king. When Midas asked "Of whom were the folks who helped me remove the wretched spell so that I may thank them?" The Satyr quickly turned around, but much to his surprise, the girl and the giant had vanished without a trace. The curse has been obliterated and the entire kingdom had declared a celebration for this event. Jac and Richard couldn't stay for the festivities however- the less of a presence they had in the stories of the past, the better. It was better for them to sneak away than to resort in using forget-me spells, and the two detectives had plenty of work ahead of them as they would need to report their findings to headquarters. With the Tunnel of Chaos dispersed, Jac and the giant slipped into the portal. The day's task was over but who knows when the next one will arrive so long as the mischievous Time Warper was still on the loose.Mirror "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.Snowed OutWith a gentle breeze the snowflakes fell, becoming one with the sea of white that had made up the forest floor. Surrounded by the mighty cedars as she watched the powder dance and sway, Jac was reminded of a scene from a Christmas movie. A far cry from the storms that had whipped through the town the night before. Jac let out a foggy sigh. Long after the holidays have come and gone, the frosty weather had more than overstayed its welcome. In particular, Jac was left stranded outside after the previous night's blizzard, which had only validated her frustrations further. With this part of the Beanstalk Society largely buried underneath this icy menace, and her workplace being closed for the day, the young woman was left with nothing but to kill time. As she added the finishing touches to her snowman, Jac paused for a bit to admire her work. A standard effort, not too shabby. The doldrums were about to set in however, her eyelids drooping on occasion as she continued to be on the look out. If she was going to do nothing all day, then she might as well rope her best friend into this so they can spend the day doing nothing together. After all, she did happen to be staying over at his house when the blizzard passed through. For a giant like him, this was nothing that a couple of hours of shoveling couldn't fix. But any knee high snow pile for these gargantuan folk would be enough to completely engulf any dwelling within the human district, with Jac's apartment being no exception. Despite repeated reassurances from the townsfolk themselves, Jac could not help but let her mind wander. How were her neighbors doing? And what would she be doing at this very moment if she was trapped along with them? At that moment Jac had snapped back to focus as she heard a rumbling sound, a low growl that echoed in the winter air. Luckily for her, it came from a familiar voice. Sure enough there was Richard, who was making an effort to roll a massive snow ball nearly half his height up the hill. With every shove, extra clumps of snow added more to its size and weight, yet it somehow managed to maintain a perfectly rounded shape throughout. Jac couldn't help but be struck with internal laughter, for to her it appeared as though the Wile giant was pushing a mountainous boulder by the way he was panting. After what seemed like a tremendous amount of time (for the Wile giant at least) Richard brought the snow orb to a designated spot on flat, stable ground. As soon was taken care of, he immediately flopped down on his back red in the face as he huffed entire blimps worth of air in and out of his lungs. Jac clicked her tongue and shook her head, having to fight back from expressing her amusement further. "Who are you trying to impress?" Richard opened a single eye to side glance the woman as she made her way towards his head. His look held a playful glint. "I have no one to please but myself." He said in a fox-like tone. Jac was near his cheek at this time. "But why go through the trouble? You're not competing for some award or making something that could land on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens." "I'll have you know, I have good reason to make a perfectly round snowman bottom. Just... give me a minute..." Richard had to stop for a moment, for he was still recovering from exhaustion. He soon continued. "At least the hard part is over with." "If you aren't having fun, then what's the point? I made mine without using much elbow grease." Richard turned his head to the side to get a better look at Jac's creation. He watched it in silence for a good minute. "What is that?" "What do you mean what is that?" "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" "Tell me the truth, Richard. What do you think?" "The truth...?" "Yeah! Doncha think it looks pretty good?" "It's decent." "Of course!...Wait, huh?" "Pfft" "Rich!" "I didn't say it was bad. I said it was decent." Said the giant as he perked his lips. "Ohh, go finish your own dang snowman. Let's see what you got, Biggs." With that, Richard steadily pulled himself up and back on his feet with renewed vigor. In less than a minute, his entire frame towered over the human, taller than any of the buildings in her local district. This same titan of a man gently lowers his hand with his palm face up on the snow. "Since you're not busy, do you want to tag along?" Without hesitation nor a reply, Jac climbed onto Richard's hand, and bolted for his shoulder as soon as he lifted her gingerly onto that spot. She dove straight into the loose opening between his neck and scarf, and quickly settled into the giant's warmth. With a small smirk, Richard waited for Jac to eventually poke her head out. They then began to play a little game of hers that she always does whenever she's tucked away like this. "Onwards!" Jac commanded, pointing out to the great beyond. "Aye aye, captain!" Richard replied. And off they went. . . . . . . . It didn't be long before Richard returned with the second snow clump in his hands. He stacked it atop the first, then went to work fine tuning the spherical shape as he made it appear like a shining bald head. After a while however, Jac noticed her giant had stopped moving for a few minutes. She peeked out of the shelter of Richard's scarf to investigate. As suspected, the Wile giant had already moved on to decorating the second piece with stones. "Oh? So tired that you're resorting to putting the face on his torso?" Jac teased. "No, I wanted to create a Snow Daruma instead of the standard one." "A Da..? What is that?" "A snowman based off of a Japanese wishing doll. My dad used to make them with me when I was a small kid. Ah! Wait... I need to explain that concept to you, too." "As you can see, I have time." Jac said plainly. Richard then went on in textbook dialogue about daruma facts. All this talk of a sitting Buddhist monk that the snowmen resemble and the history behind the curious paper machete dolls that also took to the monk's likeness was enough to make Jac's eyelids heavy. At least until he came to the part where he spoke of their ability to grant wishes. "-- their eyes are blank, see? So if you make a wish or set a goal in mind, you draw an eyeball on one of the daruma's eyes and place it on the shelf for the household to see." "And then the daruma helps you grant your wish?" "Yeah.. according to tradition anyway. After the wish comes true, you draw the other eye in. And send it off to a shrine to show thanks for its support." "I see. So it's like a genie." Richard's tone of voice grew disheartened somewhat. "It's not that foolproof." He reached for his pocket to pull out his phone, but stopped short after recalling his battery was nearly dead. "I could show you, but..." At this very time, something lit up like a fire in Jac's mind, a remnant of a small memory that has clicked into place. "Didn't you have a white, rounded face object on your shelf in your living room? It had a bunch of facial markings and it only had one eye!" "That's the one!" Pausing for another moment, Richard then replied with a softer expression. "I'm surprised you remembered it at all." "Of course! I can't forget that gigantic face that scared me half to death! I was nearly startled off on your shoulder that time." "For someone your size who isn't used it, I'm not surprised. I was afraid of it too before I knew what it was. When I was like, five.” Richard chuckled under his breath. "By the way, whatever happened to it?" Richard had expected this. He continued to pat down his snow daruma, as he seemingly tried his best to not let Jac's question get under his skin. "Is something wrong?" That got Richard out of his trance. "Oh? Oh. No, you see..." He hesitated a bit, as he struggled to come up with the best course of action; eventually he settled on being blunt without spilling all of the details. "I wasn't able to get my wish granted... so after a while, I gave it up." Jac gasped. That lit flame ignited into a blazing passion. "They still only had one eye, right? Why didn't you let them do their job? I'm sure that doll was working hard for you!" Those last words stung a little. If only she knew that Richard's daruma could never grant his wish. It was impossible, so it was better for him to not be reminded of it. He spent the next few minutes without saying a single word, as he covered his emotions under the illusion that he was engrossed in crafting his snow creation. Jac didn't question it, but she did finally speak when the silence became unbearable for her. "Are you okay?" She asked meekly. A half-startled Richard replied. "Huh? Yeah! I'm fine. And I'm just about to wrap this up." He knew if he changed the subject, Jac would likely forget about it, and sure enough this was the case. With a final pat, Richard backed up to give Jac a full view of his work. The girl gave the snow daruma her honest review: she had to admit, this snow person was picture perfect with two clean spheres that made up the head and body. The face was simple, yet effective with a cute emoticon-like smile. It definitely fits the bill as something you would see on a holiday postcard. And yet, Jac felt as though something was missing. "Hm?" Richard knew that look in her eyes. After a tidal wave of brainstorming, a spark coursed through the human's mind. And upon processing it, she couldn't help but give out a smile that shined brighter than any of her surroundings. She whispered into Richard's ear; since they were alone, there was no point in doing this except to get a silent reaction. And there it was, that smile was contagious. Richard spontaneously perked up the side of his lips, slightly showing his sharp canine teeth. "That's perfect." He whispered back. He made his way towards Jac's snowman and carefully lifted it up onto his palm. With precise and delicate accuracy, Richard slowly sets it down on the left shoulder of his snow daruma, adding just a tad more snow to the base of the miniature to keep the latter stabilized. The giant then backed up to let his friend marvel at this sight. The result was a perfect giant and tiny person snowmen pair. “I call it Beanstalk and Beansprout united!” "Eh, that works. Mine does compliment yours perfectly I must say." "So, Rich. Think my snowman is only decent now?" "No. Truth is, I thought my efforts were pretty decent as well. The standard round body, round head approach. Nothing fancy. I just got carried away with the first piece. But together? I think they increased both of their marks by at least a hundred percent." "You think?" "Am I wrong?" Richard turned his head to look at the young woman on his right shoulder with a smile as wide as she was tall. Noticing the giant's willingness to express his glee (something that isn't too common for the Wile these days), Jac returned with a large grin of her own. "Nope. Not at all. And I couldn't have made such a perfect work of art without ya, of course." "Likewise." So with that, the two friends continued to look at their accomplishments for some time. As the snow, while still light, was increasing by the hour, Jac watched as her thoughts began to drift away once more. Being lost in her own ponderings, she remembered something she forgot to ask Richard before. "Do Yu...um. Snow darumas? Do they grant wishes, too?" "I've never heard of it." "It wouldn't hurt to try I guess." Jac asked the giant to hold her in front of the snow daruma's face. She then clapped her hands together, before she broke the momentum and asked Richard. "Aren't you going to make a wish?" "I don't bother with these types of things anymore. Besides, I don't really have anything to wish for right now." "Ok then!" With that, Jac closed her eyes and thought about what she wanted the most at this very moment. She then reached and with a bit of trouble she pulled out one of the stones that made up the snow daruma's eye. She then handed the heavy rock to Richard, who placed it in his coat pocket without effort. The Wile giant was puzzled by this. "Aww. The snowmen look less than stellar now.." "Don't worry. I'm sure the Da-roo ma–” "Daruma." "Right. I'm sure they'll get it back soon. Sometime today, hopefully." "What exactly is this wish now?" "It's a secret." "You can tell me..." "Well...hmmmm... nah. Wanna make sure I get my wish, so I don't want to ruin it by saying it aloud.” "Suit yourself." Richard shrugged, with Jac teetering slightly on his shoulder. This got her to respond with a cheeky laugh that the Wile wasn't sure what to make of. But he chose to refrain from any further questioning about it. As the quiet snowfall continued to coat the landscape in a sea of white, the two friends continued to take advantage of this free time. Hopefully Jac will be able to return to her apartment by day's end. If not however, she would have Richard to give her a home away from home.Memoirs of the Lonely Phoenix I have risen once and I have fallen twice. I was the first of many, a progenitor, a prophet according to some. I was told I could set my foot atop the heads of kings, to unleash a storm upon the metal kingdoms and bring forth a lush overgrowth of forests. Such lofty goals were alluring, but it was not a path I chose to follow. Not once did I step forth however, for I was struck down before I was given a chance to soar. When the flock went towards their palaces in heaven, I was left clinging to my shell. Hunters held a bounty for my yolk, a cup forever refilled as a precious source of eternal youth. I was traded and shuffled in the back alleys of lowly passages, my treasured form hounded by a pack of hungry wolves. I yearned to see the bright sunshine of the noonday, yet in darkness I remained. Soon the ruffles ceased, as did the pain. The lives that I saved no longer wanted me, I was rescued or perhaps abandoned somewhere. It was cold and by that point, I was too tired to want to put in the effort to be reborn again. I wanted nothing more than to be rid of everything, but I could not merely cease. So instead I slept. For how long, I cannot tell from within these confines. It must have been eons, for my sense of self began to lay dormant. It was time for another to take my position as a wanderer of this world. No matter, I enjoy sleeping, continuing it only seems natural. Many times have I risen and many times I have fallen. The whispers in the corridors of my mind spoke of me being the fourth generation. I heeded the fragmented directions that had been perfected over the ages: to tuck in my wings so I could blend in with humans, to hold my chest up high while keeping my fire at bay. Nothing else mattered, so I was free to roam. Small capsules of history dotted across the land revealed that my prior selves had unfulfilled lives. I set out to do the opposite, a comfortable existence was all that I strived for. The cogs of the tall woodwork clocks were the new talk of the town. It wasn't long ago when the men and giants rode in droves on their carriages, bringing prosperity to this once humble place. And yet I largely kept to myself, speaking to the passing birds when few others bothered to notice. I learned to live with that however, the warm sip of tea on quiet mornings was more than enough to satisfy me. And yet, life always finds a way to grip you into the trenches of something grander, subtle, elegant but profound nonetheless. I met her at a lowly pub, she wore a long, satin gown with a white sash around her waist. She smiled and I grinned back. I was quite unremarkable, yet for some puzzling reason she took a liking to me. We continued to talk, and continued to meet for many an hour and in numerous places. And with every encounter our hearts danced a little bit more. I soon fell into her warm embrace, my lips locked with hers. She looked into my eyes one radiant dawn and asked if she could stay by my side forever. I said yes without a shadow of a doubt. At that moment, I wished for a power only mortals possessed. Such a union was set up for heartbreak, but my heart knew not then nor did it care. I loved her. Even if only for a fleeting moment I wanted nothing more than to spend as much of my life as I could with her. We sang the songs of the air and flame, and trotted through countless moonlit nights. She shared her love of exploration that brought within me a sense of wonder for the wider world, and on almost every work day we would pocket a quarter or two to fulfill our dreams of travel later in life. We nearly reached the top and bottom of the world, we sailed the vast seas and walked under groves of cherry blossoms. Every cherished moment with her, no matter how great or insignificant, made my life that much more full, my fire kindled brightly. And in our twilight years we continued to stroll in harmony. Even when her legs gave way, and her voice grew weak, we continued to waltz and sing duets in silence. Age meant nothing to me, but with enchantment I matched her face, her arms, her labored breath. Even as we grew old together, we never drifted apart. My wife, my linked partner, my better half, my dearest friend. I offered her my blood, and she knew very well who I was and what I was, but the thought of hurting me even for a single life pained her. And in her own words, she wanted to travel the vastness of the night to meet the constellations she admired in all of her years up close. And on the following dusk, when the deep orange of the sunset fell over her time worn cheeks, she left. Gods I wish I could have followed her. My heart became numb. This is the life immortals must tread, countless people gone in what seemed like mere minutes to us. I could not bear her loss, nor could I fathom going through this again with anyone else. How mortals put up with it is beyond comprehension, perhaps a shorter lifespan serves as a release to handle such pain. When am I allowed to rest? Nothing brings me joy anymore, to fill out this empty husk left behind seemed like a fool's errand. For many more grueling years I wallowed in this thought, I did not wish to connect with anyone, anything. Until at last, my soul slipped into dormancy. Sleep, at the very least, gave me the closure I wanted. Perhaps we will even cross paths once more in my dreams, I think my chained soul can reach the stars if only for a moment. I've died many times, though I picked myself back up at every chance I got. Seventh generation here, name's not important. When you're like me and you've carved a path for yourself in these streets, you learn to gain a thick skin and a knack for not fearing what's right in front of ya. And this was long before I began to listen to the voices in my head yapping about me being some kind of deathless god. After that revelation you couldn't get me to stand still. The guys before me must have had it good, yet they had let the world walk over them. As for me, I swung back with piping-hot cinders, and I wasn't afraid to bite. Living a life vexing the devils, to retreat and do it all over again. It was an endless game, one that scratched an inch that few other jobs could satisfy. Bounties and heists were all the same to me, I cared not for any moral high ground. As word spread of my successful hunts, all matters of men and Wile came pleading on their knees. But I only bent towards the most rewarding gigs, nothing else was worth my time. Save for… kids who needed help finding their mothers, or nice old ladies who had their sole treasure stolen, or people who stopped to offer kindness knowing damn well who I was without expecting anything in return. I couldn't say no to them, even providing my services free of charge in these cases. While I lived in infamy by and large, some within the wider community spoke kindly of me and what I've done for them. It wasn't much, but it felt good. So long as I avoided the eyes of hogs and white suited gents, there was little that stood against me. And yet thanks to them, I couldn't dawdle in any one place for too long. I sometimes had thoughts of what it would be like to settle down with a burly, yet tender man who wanted to stick around with whatever I was. I guess it will remain a pipe dream, such a high stakes profession demanded I be on the move. And I still loved and rolled with it in spite of it all. No one stood a chance against me, yet I applauded their repeated efforts. The thugs would soon be creative with their attempts however, for they caught wind that I wasn't immune to pain. My job steadily became much harder, that alone made me hesitant to press on. The days began to blur, how long has it been since the thrills had lost their luster? My passion faded with every new mission, and I couldn't understand why. My hesitation led to my downfall, that I'm most certain of. Had I not tripped and fallen into that explosive, it would have passed through me harmlessly like it normally did. My mind suddenly slipped out of my control, the nails of my soul clung on in desperation. How could this have happened?! I can only become dormant of my own volition, right? Why did I succumb to it then?! I'm not finished yet!!! I screamed at the top of my lungs. Yet what's left of my body uttered not a single sound. As I sunk deeper into the abyss, I reflected on everything, and all that I should have done. There was so much I took for granted, so much I had missed, so many things I fell short of experiencing for myself. I never got to feel warmth up close, nor spend my days on things that actually mattered. I won't truly die, I know that now. But I hope the life that follows won't fall into the same trappings mine had. I'm not ready to become fully dormant yet, I'll show them myself if I have to. I’m the eighth and current generation, and I don't have much to share from the relatively short time I've been here. I hatched scared according to Hayden, seventh gen for clarification. I mean, I don't know how it was for them, but the voices in my head were loud in the beginning, which led to a skewed first impression of the world. Despite all that, I'm enjoying my time here so far. Sure life is not without its headaches, and boy was that ever apparent just a few years back. But I met many cool folks who helped me along the way, and I'm thankful to have them as lifelong friends. I broke the curse of lonely phoenix Wiles it seems, that much I can say. I still have no idea what I want to do with my life, and I'll take as long as I need to figure that out. In the meantime I want to focus on the little things that spark joy in my heart. Like the melon bread that's worth the trip to the other side of town, or the crisp smells of the fireplace on a frigid winter’s night. I met someone who lit up a candle in my chest, the best moments I have so far have been with him. My heart skipped a bit when we held hands for the first time. Here's to many more moments like this. Maybe I'll be a poet like fourth gen, or work hard to make people smile like six did. I want to make seven proud, I know a little flame lights up in my eyes from him still. Wherever I'll wind up, I know I'll be ready. Whether grand things await me, or a simple ordinary life, my only wish is to have cherished moments throughout. And to share it with anyone who cares to join me in this little journey of mine.trophyHaunted 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....”Haunted 8: Moonlight Jac placed the glass oval stone in the center of the hollow. Just being near this cursed snag made the hair on her skin crawl uncontrollably; the rancorous aura still oozed strong, but had dwindled greatly thanks to the fresh cinders that continued to flare up between the crevices of the wood. With no further delay, the young woman stepped back and stood just a few feet away from the tree, as her three friends watched on from a distance. "You can do it Jac!" Jillian said, "I believe in you!" Richard and Aiden shared in her sentiment. Jac took one more look at them with a quaint smile. She then took a deep breath, sat upon the earth, and began to concentrate. She mentally called for The Witch of the Dawn to assist her with the final spell. The glowing butterfly manifested itself within the confines of the jewel, and with its arrival a voice as vibrant as sunshine echoed in Jac's mind. "You must repeat this incantation exactly the way I tell it, and you mustn't stop until I deem it safe to do so. Now, are you ready?" Jac affirmed her commitment and vowed to do whatever it takes. And with that, the light of her eyes glowed a bright yellow momentarily, before she closed them shut and began her chant. The words were intangible to anyone including the one who spoke it aloud; the lyrics carried with it a divine meaning that felt like a reflection from a far distant past. Jac continuously looped the spell, and with every passing minute, the miasma that had been blown to the edge of the field had slowly parted. A strange sensation washed over Jac as time went on- she began to feel almost lighter than air. Nonetheless she carried on without ceasing, voicing the purification hymn until the voice in her head had come to a complete stop. When she finally opened her eyes, Jac found herself in a strange, misty forest. Everything that surrounded her, from the trees off the distance to the grass beneath her feet, were colored a dusty white. The only object that seemed as natural as she could discern was the full moon that lit up the night sky, its light being the one source able to cut through this thick blanket of fog. "W-Where am I...?" Jac gasped lightly. "I wish I knew..." Said a familiar voice from behind. Jac twirled her head back to find, as she had been expecting at this point, Aiden standing with his hand behind his neck. "Where's Richard and Jill?" Jac cried out. "I think we left them at the yard..." Aiden spoke in a dampened mood. "It's always something, isn't it..." "Yeah..." Jac raised an eyebrow. Even she was starting to grow suspicious about Aiden's sudden appearance basically everywhere that involved the supernatural. "I guess we have no choice but to look for a way out. Notice anything strange?" "Of course! Everything is..." "That's reassuring." Jac sighed. The two friends decided to walk down a path in hopes of finding something, anything, that could send them back. After trekking past the leafy groves in silence for some time, Jac decided that it was about time that she had a little talk. "Aiden, I..." Jac hesitated. She steeled herself before saying the next words. "I think you know more than you're letting on." "How so?" The shrunken Wile had a slight unevenness to his voice. "About ghosts and all kinds of weird stuff! You don't need to hide any of that from us, especially if you think it could help in any way. So tell me, is there anything else you know about all of this that you haven't told us yet?" "I, honestly... wish I had an answer to that." Aiden gave a deep, long sigh through his nose before he had the courage to continue. "It's not like I understand entirely what's going on, but I know that since a certain point in my life, I've been able to see and affect stuff that others can't. To me it's like the normal things you witness every day, so it surprises me... and sucks, when I find out that others don't... and are afraid of me for it." "...I'm sorry." "Don't sweat it okay? That's how it is when you're a Phoebe Wile." "Is that why Jillian...?" Aiden's demeanor changed when he heard her name, and he stopped walking momentarily was he took a deep breath. "I did something the other day that scared the living daylights out of her." "What the heck did you do?!" "I- -" Suddenly, a burst of wind left the two friends with a bitter chill. The two raced in search of shelter, using the moon as their guide. They eventually made their way towards the center of the forest, where they found rows of white stags that stood in an aligned circle. What they witnessed at that exact moment left Jac in a state of shock.. for the first time since this ordeal began, Jac was quivering throughout her entire skin. Near breathless, she finally spoke. "What the hell... is that?" Aiden meanwhile was cowering down on his knees. All the visions from those sleepless nights had manifested themselves in the form he saw before him- it was all of his worst nightmares come true. The Wile was desperately holding back the ferality that was screaming to claw its way out, although he was running on paper-thin restraint at this point. Before them was the titanic Portuguese man-of-war-like monster… the swarm of evil spirits that have merged to form a single entity, confined with strange otherworldly chains to the hollowed tree that the two friends were all too familiar with. And standing right in front of this catastrophe of a creature was The Witch of the Dawn, who was looking upon it with content in her eyes. Not even a moment later, Aiden felt a gut wrenching sensation in his body that caused him to wince even further. He then coughed up a strange, smoky blob that floated up like a magnet to fuse with the rest of the spirits. While helpless to do anything about their situation, the combined entity were seething with infernal rage. "Thank you for bringing me the last of the spirits," The witch said with a calm, gentle voice, "As well as for completing the task, Jac. No one else would have accomplished this so spectacularly. You are deserving of a gift worthy of a god." She turned back to the multi-eyed fiends and added. "It appears that there are only 107 of them left. One of them was completely eliminated from existence, or so I've heard. Which, I won't lie, makes my job easier." 'He was a natural born leader!' A female voice cried. 'When we get out of these chains, Phoebe,' shouted a male voice, 'mark our words, we will burn you to a crisp as you did so mercilessly to our comrade! We'll make sure you'll suffer!' "Oh pipe down, you ingrates." The Witch huffed. "You all will get what you want, so there's no need to complain." "Wait, WHAT?!" Aiden screeched. "W- What's going on?" Jac was quaking, "What are you talking about? What even is this place? And why is...?" "So many questions, Jac! But I suppose you of all people should know." The Witch walked up to the young woman and held a hand to her cheek. The witch spoke these next words with a sweet, almost motherly tone. "I will need a new body to complete my resurrection, but to do this I must have a powerful source of energy that would sustain me for a long time, as well as a sacrifice." She then extended an arm towards the collected evil spirits, as if showing off a grand display. "This demon will provide that energy source. They will get what they want in the end with an immortal host, but rest assured they will have no control over us. Their influential powers will be no more, for my divine essence will eventually eat away at them bit by bit. Poetic, don't you agree?” The foul spirits struggled against their chains wanting nothing more than to charge at the holy woman, but that was all they were really able to do. "And what is this... sacrifice?" Jac was near petrified. What she didn't realize was that her being frozen in place was not of her own doing, and without warning an unseen force slowly lifted the young woman into the air with a tight grip between her chest and neck. Jac's airway was obstructed and she struggled to utter a word, let alone breathe. All the while the witch looked at her with a blank, expressionless face. "JAAAAAC!!" Aiden rushed to her aid, but it was no use. In that very instance white tree roots exploded from the earth and latched onto the shrunken Wile giant, wrapping themselves like a snake's coils around his entire body. He let out an obscene, bone curling scream as he realized that he was reliving his prolific night terrors in real time. The tree roots drew him closer to the evil spirits, who wasted no time swallowing him whole into the massive blob of their gaseous form. "A...A...id... en..." Jac stuttered as hot streams of tears began to roll down her cheeks. "Don't worry..." The Witch remarked. "He'll just regenerate like his kind are known for. This makes him the perfect scapegoat. That lucky bastard." Try as she might, Jac's efforts to escape from her position were fruitless. Every lash, each jostle resulted in her body being squeezed tighter and tighter. And with this came a recollection- she went through this very same feeling that fateful night.. when the vengeful spirit in white rags covered her mouth. “I…It was you ... that night. You… processed me…” The witch was chuffed to finally be acknowledged. “Caught on at last.” She whispered. “You… lied to me…” “I did what I had to to free myself, and by ridding ourselves of the wicked spirits, I'd say I'm well beyond redeemed at this point!” As those very words were spoken, the 107 spirits all wailed in otherworldly fashion as they were slowly being vacuumed into the glass jewel that was still wrapped around Jac's neck. The Witch then approached her with a radiance that pierced through her mind. "The task is complete. As soon as you awaken, you will be immortal, for I will be reborn… as you." Jac's eyes shot open as she heard that statement, yet the witch tried to lessen the blow by wrapping her arms around her. Jac struggled ferociously, but this gentle hug has sealed her fate. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you before, but I knew you would object to it. Do not fret, I will let your soul have control over our body frequently. We shall take turns! I made a promise to the Bean that I wouldn't harm you, and I'll keep my word, especially after all you've done for me." Despite everything, Jac was able to gather as much strength as she could to shout as loud as possible, all while hyperventilating between words. "YOU... YOU USED ME!!" "Immortality is a blessing. You should be honored." "YOU USED ME!!" "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me." "ENOUGH WITH THAT BULLSHIT!! YOU'RE NOT EVEN LISTENING!! YOU!...USED!...ME!!! YOU USED ALL OF US!!!" At that precise point in time a dazzling white light engulfed the two, completely overtaking the entire witch's domain in its wake. Reality was calling for their return together, and Jac was screaming to the top of her lungs all the while.Haunted 7: SpiritJac and Aiden thought that they would never return to this horrid place again. The haunted house loomed over the landscape like an imposing entity that would cast a shadow far greater than the forest itself. And there stood the darkest part of the shade: a single pitiful tree, its baneful branches appearing to beckon the two as they made their way ever closer. This time Jillian accompanied the duo as they entered this plot of land, and while he remained unseen, Richard was also on standby. Jac was not given much detail as to what went on during Aiden and Jill's meeting with the head of the scavenger hunt, but one thing was certain. The two had barely spoken to each other since then, and they tried their best to not address one another. Sensing the underlying tension in the air, Jac tried to lighten up the mood. "All I got to do is place the jewelry under the tree, say the magic words and be done with it. Simple as that!" "I... don't think it's going to be that easy Jac." Said Jillian. The elf woman's confidence was absent, and her voice was almost as small as if she were at her normal borrower-sized height. "You.. look like you've seen things..." Jac then placed her hands on her hips. "Okay, what happened?" Jillian slowly looked at Aiden before quickly ducking her eyes back to the human. "I don't really want to talk about it." "You can stay here and wait for us, you know." "I can't! Just, stand back and watch my best friend walk into a frying pan! Ghosts aren't my level of expertise, but if I can use my magic to provide some form of protection then, I'll go wherever you need to be." Meanwhile, Aiden was largely silent throughout, as once again the alarm bells inside his head had begun to ring all at once. His nerves were fighting to control his natural flight or fight instincts, which was starting to flare up immensely as the surrounding fog thickened. As the three were on the move, a strange unexplained pressure was beginning to weigh down on them. The more it seemed like they were advancing, no matter how long they took, they barely made any progress as the tree stayed firmly rooted in the same distance from their starting point. "This can't be real! It's like a mirage!" Jac complained. "The miasma is terrible here." Jillian uttered as she covered her nose and mouth with a sleeve. "What's that?" "It's like an extreme imbalance of negative energy. It can cause all kinds of problems if we stand in it for too long..." "You mean...you can see it too?" Aiden gulped. "Wha? No..? You can?" Jillian wariness peaked at that point. "Yeah.. It looks like a purplish smog that's covering the entire yard..." "Y-you're kidding!" Jac exclaimed. "No?" Said Aiden. "You mean you guys, can't...?" His voice grew to almost a whimper as he sensed the growing fear in Jillian's expression. "I'm not surprised anymore..." Jillian said flatly. "There are gaps in the smoke...maybe... I can direct you guys through the least concentrated areas of the stuff." Aiden was hesitating a bit, but his confidence grew with each word. "I don't know if it'll make a difference, but perhaps we can actually reach the tree that way." "So it's like a haunted maze?" Jac asked. "I guess..." "Then it's worth a shot..." Aiden led the way through the narrow gaps between the heavy plumes, the two women careful to retrace his every step. The path was winding and full of twists, yet sure enough, they were finally starting to make progress as they were closing in towards the hallowed bark. Little did they know, there were invisible eyes on all sides taking note of their every move, in particular those of the shrunken Wile. 'The Phoebe is becoming a nuisance' A female voice whispered. 'We warned him not to interfere,' uttered a male's, ‘now he must pay the price.' Just then, something within Aiden snapped and he began to let out a low, guttural sound. Which in turn caused Jillian to slink behind Jac. “Are you ok?!” Jac exclaimed. "They're already here." The Wile snarled. "Don't worry about me! Let's MOVE!! GO GO GO!!" Without further questioning, Jac and Jillian tried their best to keep up with Aiden as he raced the rest of the way through the maze. The closer they had gotten to the barren tree, the thicker the miasma became, and with it the apparitions that were chasing them had become more apparent. "Are those wisps?!" Jac yelled. "No! These must be the..." Jillian started as she fought back a strange burning sensation that had started to overwhelm her. Suddenly, the elf woman grew sickeningly faint and before long she withered back to her regular size of four inches. Jac caught Jill just before the latter was about to plummet to the ground. The human drew her closer, eyes widened from the outcome. "Oh my god, what happened? Say something!" "I... don't know." Jill replied weakly. "I'm sorry Jac..." It was during this exact moment when Jac realized that Jillian had been setting up a magical barrier around the group this entire time, which had now shattered due to this event. Without its protection the miasma was beginning to seep into their lungs, which increasingly made it that much more difficult for them to breathe. "We're almost there! Hang on!" Jac exclaimed as she covered her respiratory canal with as much clothing as she could. She gently placed the drained elf in her pocket as she continued to run after Aiden, with the restless wisp-like beings still in hot pursuit. The setback of inhaling corrupted smog had slowed down their advancement significantly however, which gave the foul spirits the chance to surround them in every direction. The apparitions dived and swarmed strategically around the three friends- a frenzied attempt to outmaneuver them that lasted more than several minutes, with each second exposed to the invisible poisonous fumes being enough to put a dent in their lifespans. Aiden fell over and was dogpiled relentlessly by more than a dozen of these fiends. At the same time Jac could feel the pressure intensifying… but in spite of everything that was trying it's damndest to hinder her, she remained mostly unfazed and was determined to push through it. "I'm not giving up! No matter what you try to do, you can't stop me!" Jac exclaimed as more of a means to psych herself up as she was being bombarded by the cold fireballs throughout her body. She then pulled out her knapsack and threw as much of the magic dust within as she could in the air, which in a flash ignited with an intense bluish-white blast. The sparks were enough to send the evil spirits aback momentarily, and while they were largely unaffected by its burn, they seemed to be blinded by the glow that was emitted. This was enough for Aiden to snap out of his cowering state as he quickly regained control with a swift fiery assault from his nails. The apparitions feared his onslaught, and immediately took off from him, but not before a couple of the wisps had become singed in the process. At the same time both he and Jac felt a sudden earth shake, which would then rumble profusely as the quakes drew nearer. Within minutes the silhouette of a giant cut through the thick smog, which brought everything to a stand still. "JAC!!" Richard bellowed. "Took you long enough! Where have you been!" Jac hollered. "You're here but... I can't see you!" The Wile giant tried desperately to peer his fingers through, but to no avail. "I recognized your magic and came as soon as I could..." "I don't understand Rich..." Jac replied with the first hint of concern in her voice that she had all day. "We must have gotten trapped in between worlds somehow..." Aiden said. “You're kidding…” The shrunken Wile took careful note of the fact that about thirty or so spirits had all gathered to face the new threat that was the other Wile giant, though they were unable to go past the point where the miasma cloud ends. He held his hands to his forehead, his eyes pinching intensely. "C'mon think! There's got to be a--" Suddenly, his panic settled when he saw the knapsack in Jac's hand. His focus then shifted back onto the miasma, and then to Richard. "You two are Linked, right?" Aiden spoke with purpose. "Can you combine your magic powers?" Jac grew hesitant. "We're still practicing that, but..." "Richard! You know a bit of wind magic right?" "Yeah, why?" Richard understandably had hesitation in his voice. "Use the spell to transfer your wind to Jac! And Jac, toss that powder of yours straight at the tree. If you can pull it off, you may be able to blow this miasma away!" "Will that work?!" Jac exclaimed. "I don't know! But it's better than nothing!!" With that declaration the two reluctantly complied. Jac took a deep breath and swiftly got in position for what would have been a few feet away from the Wile giant if they had been in the normal world. She then pulled out a good helping of the pixie dust and held it in her right hand. Concurrently Richard was swirling the air around him, as his magic was concentrated in the tips of his fingers. As soon as the unclean spirits realized what was transpiring, they charged wildly at Jac, but were cut off at every turn by an unusually focused Aiden who took full advantage of his ghost burning ability at maximum adrenaline. Richard chanted the spell, and within seconds a gust of wind blew from his outstretched arms. The miraculous power of the Link caused it to flow in front of Jac's hand, which in turn- despite being much weaker in comparison to her giant- began to stir the smog around her. Their breathing synchronized as did their heartbeat, and with that solid momentum Jac's timing was perfect as she aimed the magic powder directly at the tree, just as she called upon the ignition spell. A burst of hot wind carried the pixie dust into the hollowed bark, and upon impact the tree exploded in a sea of piping cinders that shined a brilliant blue. In an instant, the spirits fell, caught in the tempest that would also cause the smog to gradually dissipate. Jac was experiencing a tremendous amount of pressure to keep her arms upright so that the heavy breeze would keep going, but Aiden helped to lift one arm, and Jillian pitched in with a renewed commitment to regain her human height so she can hold the other. Within moments the miasma had blown to the far side of the empty field, and while the blaze had been blown out, the tree was starting to crumple under its own weight. And as the smoke cleared, the three friends had found themselves back in reality where night had since fallen, with Richard standing clearly right behind them. With warm hugs and a cheerful celebration, the worst of their troubles were seemingly behind them, and there was only one more task left to do.Haunted 6: Shimmering "Where... am I?" Jac opened her eyes and found herself floating, or perhaps submerged underwater.. but she was still breathing somehow. Everything around her was an unsettling black void as far as the eye could see... save for a small, flickering light that emitted from the glass egg that hung from the necklace she wore. Jac could just make out the faint hint of a butterfly pattern from within. "Why do I...?" As soon as she gave the item a tap, the illumination at its core suddenly grew to envelop her entire surroundings with a majestic, white sheen. Jac watched in awe as she saw a mysterious, yet beautiful figure manifest itself before her eyes. She shimmered with a golden radiance that sparkled over her snowy dress. "You freed me..." The being spoke. "I can't thank you enough for what you've done." "W-who are you...?" Jac gasped. "I am called The Witch of the Dawn. For a long time I was the tutelary guardian of this land... At least, until the evil spirits of the hallowed bark destroyed my precious home. You are the first person to succeed in finding my precious jewel! The very one that will aid in my resurrection..." "Uh..." "Don't worry dear. Rest assured that no harm will come to you so long as I'm around. I promised a friend of mine." "Wait! How did I... wind up here?" "WAHHH! ANOTHER ONE!!" Jac whipped her head to the source of that scream just as she saw a familiar red headed Wile literally fall into the strange 'room' they were in, where his descent gradually slowed to a halt. Jac hovered as fast as she could over to his side. "Aiden!! How the hell did you get here?!" "I haven't the slightest idea..." Aiden grumbled as he managed to float upright again. "I was in that guy's house... And it turned out.. he was possessed by one of the evil spirits in my dreams…” "You mean? The head of the scavenger hunt?" The shrunken Wile nodded. “Some stuff then happened and, I ended up here.” He then took notice of the witch again and immediately slinked behind Jac for cover. "Who's this?!" "Do not fret. I am not your enemy." The witch replied, her expression was soft, yet somber. She appeared graceful, yet simultaneously she seemed as though she was searching through the very essence of Aiden's soul. It was almost like he could “feel” her presence tap into him, which didn't help to calm his relentless nerves at the slightest. "Hold on!" Jac exclaimed. "Weren't you the one who led me here? You look suspiciously similar to a certain butterfly I know..” “You would be correct. My true power was locked away in that jewel. Had it not been for my light, you would have still been under the control of that foul spirit.” “Wait… you saved me?” “Correct, dear.” The witch's smile beamed even brighter. “And now you are truly free from that wicked being. It was the least I could do… for freeing me in spite of your affliction. Again, I am eternally grateful.” As Jac was trying her best to wrap her head around all of this, Aiden's mind was brewing as well. His thoughts failed to escape the ethereal witch however, as the infiltration of his very essence quietly continued. "Indeed, it is as you suspect. I did know Bartleby… long before he became possessed.” "I wish you had warned me before you read my mind..." Aiden mumbled. “Huh?” Jac was completely lost. “Don't let the stories lead you astray. Before he became broken.. he was a kind man. One who went above and beyond to help everyone he could…” The room fell quiet momentarily, as the witch's eyes began to cloud. The two friends looked at each other before Jac broke the silence. "So you're…the woman from the story?” “You know about that part?” The witch looked down. “...Yes… I was his wife, before I lost everything…” The two friends uttered not a sound, even in their heads. After a brief moment the witch continued. “He didn't want to hurt me. But, the 108 were relentless. They knew I had the power to eradicate them, which is why they came after me specifically.” “The 108…” “That doesn't li- -” Aiden uttered before Jac interrupted. "Wait, I'm confused.” Jac tugged onto the glass egg lightly, noticing then that it was somehow fastened tight. “What is this exactly? And why are the evil spirits using the scavenger hunt to go after it?” “My jewel solely holds the key to completely destroy them. That is why they will stop at nothing to destroy it first.” The witch explained. “Even before they became sealed to the hallowed bark, they cannot touch this jewel, its purity is greater than their dark energy. Unfortunately, anyone who ventures too close.. are ultimately prone to their influence.” “So.. that would mean that they possess people to try to do their dirty work for them…” Jac put a hand to her chin. “And if they succeed?” “I pray that it won't come to that. The 108 must be plotting to stage something elaborate, if they are this desperate after being dormant for so long.” The witch then took a deep breath, and looked towards the great white void that surrounded the three of them. “All Hallows Eve draws near, the time when spirits are at their strongest. It's not a coincidence.. they could pose a great threat to many lives if they are released." Aiden gave out an involuntary squeak. In contrast, upon hearing this revelation, the pit of Jac's core began to boil. She clenched her fist with renewed vigor, determined more than ever to set things into motion. "Tell me what I need to do." She said. “Are you certain?” The witch asked. “Once you embark further on this quest, there is no turning back.” “Positive! The whole world could possibly be at stake here! I don't want to stand back and watch after everything I learned … If there's anything I can do to stop this before it's too late, well.. Then I guess it's worth trying!” “But Jac! It's too dangerous!!” Aiden exclaimed. “We have the tools for it! So it can be done, right?” At first the witch seemed apprehensive towards the idea, but then she saw the sheer look of fire in Jac's eyes. One that showed total conviction to the cause, someone perhaps worthy… to actually succeed. This was enough to make the ethereal witch cave. “Perhaps the stars had aligned for us to meet at this exact moment. Very well then! If you insist on stopping the 108 once and for all, then you must heed to my instructions and listen well!” The witch floated over to Jac's side, resting a hand on her shoulder. The human could feel a cold chill from her touch, signifying that she was indeed not of this world. "You must go to the hallowed bark and place the jewel underneath it. You must then repeat the spell that I will give you at that time. The foul spirits will stop at nothing to make sure that you will fail, so you must stay vigilant!" The witch then turned her head to Aiden, who jerked upon seeing her soft smile once more. "You have the power to burn even spirits. Your fire will come in handy if the need arises. Can I count on you to protect her?" Aiden gulped. "I'll try my best, ma'am." The shrunken Wile still shivered at the prospect of making eye contact with her. It was as if his gut was telling him something important, but he couldn't discern what exactly. Just then, Jac and Aiden suddenly began to lift out of their positions; steadily at first, but at increasing speed, they were being carried off higher to who knows where. “What the?!” Aiden cried. “What's going on?!” Jac shouted. “Your physical forms are starting to awaken. You should remember everything I've taught you here, so don't fret.” The witch stayed behind in her exact spot, yet her brilliant radiance could be seen far in the distance. “Hold on!” Jac shouted as she began to fight in vain against the current. “I still have so many questions!!” As the two drifted further away, the world around them literally cracking in its foundation, Jac was surprised to hear the good spirit speak now in her mind one more time. "Farewell for now. If all goes well, we shall meet again. Stay strong you two, you don't have a moment to lose!” ..... "Jac...? JAC!!" Jac slowly blinked her eyelids awake, and the first thing he saw was a crestfallen, human-sized Richard. As soon as the Wile witnessed her return from the brink, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could. The young woman could feel the sweat that had previously drenched his skin and shirt, as well as his pouring tears. "Thank God!" Richard cried, before saying nothing else for a long time as the two continued to soak in each other's embrace. Jac gathered as much strength as she could to look around. She realized that she was back at the cemetery as a light rain poured down where they stood. Furthermore, they were alone. "R-Richard...?" Jac said weakly. "Wha… Where's Aiden...?" "Aiden's not here. What are you talking about?" "Oh.... nevermind." She put her hand on her chest to find that the jewel was still present. Everything she saw leading up to this point had all felt like a wild fever dream, but it was obvious that this was anything but. "Let's go home..." Jac said. "I'll… try to explain on the way..." Richard lifted the exhausted woman over his shoulders. As he was about to carry her away, Jac spotted what appeared to be a small piece of yellow paper next to the crater that she had dug up. She asked the Wile to hand it to her, and while she couldn't make out the misshapen writing at first, she was eventually able to decipher its code. 'The final task is a simple one. Bring the necklace to me. If you can't do this then destroy it. You will then receive your prize.' Jac then crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it afar. "Yeah, like that's going to happen." She thought.Haunted 5: GravestoneAfter many delays, the time had finally come. With the wretched sticky note at hand, Jac had set out to the graveyard off the edge of the human district to find the eponymous Bartleby's tombstone that was etched so vividly in her mind. She hated this wild goose chase more than anything- after the events of the previous nights, she felt as if she was being dragged into this otherworldly mess without having any say on the matter. Aiden and Jillian had split off to find the mastermind behind this dubious scavenger hunt, so without the red head's protection Jac had brought along the next best person. Or rather, he volunteered to accompany her while she tried her best to to insist that she'd be fine on her own. "You didn't have to follow me here, you know." Jac said. "You can't technically go any further anyway since this is a human restricted area." "I don't like this at all Jac," Richard spoke rather uneasily. "Tell me again why you have to do this?" "If I don't, then the ghosts will just keep coming back." "Jac..." "I know you don't believe in these things, but you have to trust me on this one! The visits have become more frequent as of late, and every night I get the exact same dream of this woman with white rags pointing her finger towards me..." "You may need some therapy..." Richard mumbled. "After this is all over with, I think I will take you up on that." Despite the fact that the two friends had visited the cemetery during midday, the atmosphere within the area still felt eerily cold. Barely anyone else was present even at this hour, and the scenery throughout appeared misty and hollow. Nevertheless, Jac proceeded to march through the main entrance without losing any of the confidence she had whipped herself into. As soon as she stepped forward, she suddenly felt the Wile giant's finger brushing her shoulder ever so gently. "Wait," he said with a tense voice. "A-allow me." And before she was given the chance to turn around, she witnessed a whitish-blue radiance that blossomed across the yard, illuminating the area in a soft, warm glow. Jac understood right away what this meant, yet it still left her completely stunned. She slowly looked behind her just as the magic had started to fade, and there stood Richard not even a foot taller than her. Jac knew Richard felt vulnerable in this form, and would never think to shrink down out in the open under normal circumstances. This situation must have been truly dire for him. "You! You didn't have to--!" "Don't sweat it, okay?" Richard said after he shook some of his dizziness away. "Let's go, I want to get this over with before nightfall." Jac remained silent, but pressed onward after she snapped herself back to focus. Best not to question his decision, although deep down she appreciated the act more than he realized. Searching through hundreds of different gravestones, most of which have been worn through the passage of time, was no easy task. For the next couple of hours, the two companions decided to engage in small talk to help alleviate some of the stress that had been building up since their arrival. Jac made a passing statement that Richard uses magic much more frequently in her dreams, to which the shrunken Wile replied as being hogwash. The human laughed, only to lose herself in quiet sorrow as she admits to missing such lighthearted night visions. Ever since that fateful night, they've been replaced by the sinister being that seemed to have taken up residency in her head. .... "I... I think I found it!" Jac raced over to Richard's side after he made that declaration. There stood a large tombstone with what appeared to be vines with razor sharp needles wrapped all around it. Engraved was the name of Bartleby Jones, and just underneath was the worn and torn fragment of something yellow that fluttered in the wind. There was no mistaking it. Jac hurriedly pulled out the paper and scanned it frantically..only to drop to her knees, eyes narrowed in utter disbelief. "You.. You can't be serious!" Jac didn't have the energy to shout her fury to the wind. Dumbfounded, speechless, lost, and even more afraid…She handed Richard the note briefly before she slowly got up, and walked away. The shrunken Wile was no less shocked, for a single written word had brought everything to a stand still: ’Dig’ "Screw this, I'm going home." Jac spat angrily as she tore up the note and tossed it into the rubble. "I'll get a medium or the Bean to help me fight this ghost. Destroying private property isn't worth it." "Yeah..” Richard sighed. “Couldn't have said it better myself.” .... Jac was infuriated by the fact that she had wasted her time and energy on this thing, this entire thing. This was looking more and more like a case of a gravedigger's folly that had incurred the wrath of those who should have been left undisturbed. Jac was secretly kicking herself for allowing these consequences to happen to her, and getting her friend Aiden involved only made her overwhelming regret even worse. These were the thoughts that would plague Jac's mind the following evening, and she couldn't shake off the feeling that it was all her fault. The tossing and turning had become relentless. As she began to mentally stew herself in a dark corner of her mind, Jac slowly turned her head. Somehow, subconsciously, she knew it was there. Perched on her left shoulder once more was the glowing butterfly. Jac remained semi-conscious however, so at this moment in time she believed she had already fallen asleep. "Oh. It's you again." Jac said flatly. "What do you want?" The pretty little insect fluttered about as it usually did whenever it was addressed. Jac pinched her eyes shut and tried her best to ignore the slight nuisance, and sure enough the glow had faded. With a quaint smile, Jac turned to lay on her back before she gave out a long, drawn out sigh. And as soon as she opened her eyes again... She saw that the apparition that was by the entrance on previous nights was now hovering right over her head. Jac would have had the start of a scream, if it wasn't for the ghoulish hand which was at this very moment pushing hard onto Jac's face. Using the other hand to restrain her left arm, the otherworldly being had effectively pinned the young woman down. Jac struggled with all her might, but it was no use- in no less than a few minutes time, the human would lose all consciousness... ..... Richard tried calling Jac multiple times. He had a gut feeling that something had gone horribly wrong, for his friend never failed to leave a message or two to give at least some kind of signal to how she was doing. Using his phone's tracking system, he was able to pinpoint the human's approximate location, his eyes widening at what he saw. This can't be… no. He couldn't believe it. And yet, his gut told him to follow. It was half past midnight, and a shrunken Richard wasted no time retracing their tracks at the lowly cemetery. The Wile frantically searched for any signs of his best friend- - Jac's scent, yes!! He whipped his head and was able to spot her from a far distance. Kicking his legs to catch up, Richard's eyes began to tremble as the realization began to set in. His walking slowed, his breath started to labor, as he increasingly became mortified by what laid before him. "J... Jac?" Richard nearly choked up. Jac turned to face him slowly and mechanically, she bore eyes that flashed bright with what appeared to be no signs of any eyeballs in her sockets. As if being pulled like a marionette, the woman slowly jilted her head back and resumed what she was doing. Upon seeing that she had taken a shovel and was using it to upheave dirt, Richard crouched down to the ground, tears dripping without ceasing. To say he was about to throw up was an understatement.. this HAD to have been nothing more than a horrendous nightmare… it's gotta be. And he wanted nothing more than to wake up from it. Then, she suddenly stopped. Tossing the shovel aside, Jac pawed into the crevice that she created and pulled out an object that sparkled against the light of her eyes. A vintage trinket lopped by a piece of string- it resembled an oval shaped gemstone, center as white as snow. The Wile could feel an unnerving and mysterious aura emitting from it, but that was the least of his concerns. Jac suddenly cried, in laughter, and with hysterical sorrow, back to back in an uncontrollable fit.. as she embraced the object close to her heart, the shine in her eyes slowly fading out. A similar light would then reappear inside of the abnormally in her hands, and with this it felt as if a great weight was lifted from her entire body, a euphoria unlike any she has ever felt. And just as soon as she would have regained her sense of self, she would then lose consciousness once more. She would have plummeted to the pit below if it wasn't for a timely catch.Haunted 4: Hex"Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of bog…" "What's a bog?" Aiden spoke with a light squeal. All three of the Bean, Jillian and Jac shushed him at once. The older woman would then resume the stirring of the cauldron, with the mixture soon turning a bright, magical blue. Ahead of this curious event, Jac and Aiden both shared their experiences on the previous nights, their hair (well, Aiden's at least) stood on end upon the realization that they both had what they thought were merely visions at the exact same time. When this was brought to Jillian's attention, the elf woman suggested that the best way to learn if this was not a mere coincidence was to visit the Cunning Woman known as the Bean who lived in the far-side of town. "If anyone can figure this thing out, she can," Jillian said. This "Bean" was a middle aged witch who also went formally by her given name Marigold. Since her track record was solid and she charged fair prices for her services to boot- according to Jillian- she's been the go-to person for finding out the various going ons in the uncharted world of spirits and the mysterious forces that pertain to them. Without a single syllable, Marigold took one upon Jac and Aiden and stroked her chubby cheeks as she gazed into their perplexed eyes. "Oh my my, this is serious!" She spoke in a light tone, "You poor dears! I need to get started with you two right away!" The human and the shrunken Wile both reluctantly followed the Bean to the room where the large cauldron was kept. After stirring the pot for some time, while gazing upon the contents that only she was able to discern, Marigold let out a horrid gasp before turning to the two afflicted. "You have both been visited by spirits..." Aiden gulped. Jac put on the best face she could but she couldn't help but pull on her pant legs a little. They hadn't even gotten a chance to explain themselves yet, so hearing this from the expert herself had more than confirmed their fears. "You!" The Bean addressed Jac first. "You were visited by the ghost of a vengeful woman. She is restless and will stop at nothing until she has accomplished her unfinished business here in the mortal world. While it still won't be easy to remove her presence over you, this spirit is the lesser of the two you should be worried about." She then turned to Aiden, her voice heavy and filled with hints of dread. "I don't know how you did it without help, but you managed to rid yourself of not a ghost, but an evil entity. Beings old and ancient... 108 of them to be precise." "I heard that number before..." Aiden recalled vaguely. "Well! If I did away with them, then that means I'm in the clear... right?" "Wrong!" The Bean exclaimed as a plume of colorful smoke exploded from behind her, giving the witch an almost menacing appearance. "There's at least one of them hovering over you, keeping a watchful eye," she announced, "the spirit is buried deep and it will be difficult to completely remove. So long as it remains there's a high chance of you becoming infested by an awful curse in due time." "Is there anything we could do right now to reverse this hex, and to get rid of Jac's haunting?" Jillian asked. "I will have to continue my research on the young man's affliction before I can determine what will be the best course of action. Yours is a powerful one that is tied to the land itself. Walking in blindly could result in one or more of us getting seriously hurt, or worse..." Aiden's color whitened with hints of a disturbance beginning to rattle his crop. While Jillian rubbed the shrunken Wile's back, Jac sprung up from her chair. "Will she? Will they... come back?" "I'm afraid that'll be hard for me to determine at this point." The Bean replied, "My bet is that it's a high possibility." The Cunning Woman placed a hand under her chin, and contemplated for a few moments before continuing. "I will now try to conduct the spirit world through the window casted by my brew. If I can secure a couple more hours of your time here, I may be able to find a lead." "If it means that we'll be closer to getting out of this mess, then go for it." Jac nodded. She then looks back at the shrunken Wile, and despite not moving from his previous position, Jac could feel that he agreed to this as well. The pot was whipped by the enlarged wooden spoon once more, this time in slow, drawn out stirs. As the hour went by, different colors ranging from green to red hues resonated within the stew. Like a code, the Cunning Woman was able to understand its cryptic message, and after the second hour had passed, her expression went from mild concern to one of genuine solicitude. She looked up to Jac momentarily, which caused the young woman's heart to jump. Without saying anything, the Bean returned her attention to the contents of the cauldron to try and unravel what her previous communication actually entailed. At last, she pulled out a cloth and wiped the sweat that was rolling down her face. With a deep sigh, she announced, "I was able to find a solution.” All three of the friends bolted from their chairs and drew in mere inches from the witch. The Bean tried her best to shake off some of her anxiety, her voice reluctant at first, but firm. "You two will have to return to the source of what caused this mess to begin with." "The... haunted house...?" Aiden stuttered. "The conductor of the scavenger hunt." Jillian said while putting a hand to her chin. Jac and Aiden both looked at her with surprise. "You are both correct,” the Bean replied. "But I believe the presence that is affecting the young man exists nearby, and not in the house itself." Memories of the hallowed tree began to plague Aiden's thoughts again, and he needed to sit back down. "Did you find anything else about my haunting?" Jac asked with a tiny nervous quip to her voice. "If my suspicions are correct, you'll have to complete the task of visiting a grave..." A cold chill formed in the back of Jac's neck momentarily after she heard those words. The visual of the wretched note of Bartleby's tombstone shot up in her mind. "I'll admit, that one is strange. This grave is not hers, but of someone who she may have had close ties to. I can make all the assumptions I want, but this is what my conducting spirits have told me, and I trust their instructions." "Was she...? The one you spoke with?" The Bean wouldn't utter a sound but she nodded her head in reply. After this she went to the cupboard to retrieve two small bags that she would hand to Jac upon her return. "Please take these, they're on the house." The Bean said. "They are special magic dust that will aid in protecting the wearer. They're not full proof, but if you stay one step ahead of these troublesome spirits then they'll work wonders. I will also give you instructions on how to use a spell that is tied to them and when is the best time to conduct them." "Do I... get something too?" Aiden asked meekly. The witch looked into the young man's eyes. Her expression had a smidge of wariness to them, but her composure remained strong. Sensing Aiden's hesitation, she decided to tell him through her thoughts. 'I am aware of your.. skill. There isn't anything I could do that you can't do better. All you need is courage.' Aiden shivered. A part of him accepted her "words" as fact, but that still failed to calm his unrelenting nerves. After all was said and done and the three friends were about ready to leave, the Bean said one last thing. "Please, be careful... The road ahead is full of many dangers. Stick to the plan and watch out for traps." As the Cunning Woman was getting ready to close shop, she turned around to see a glowing butterfly on the seat handle of the very chair where Jac previously sat. It remained perched while fanning its wings ever so slightly. The Bean looked at the mysterious insect with a stern eye. "I did what you asked," She said, "Now promise me that no harm will come to the girl." The butterfly would then take off, fluttering lightly too and frow around the room before slipping right through the door. The witch followed its every move with a sharp eye; upon looking out the shades of her window she spotted the ethereal insect off the distance on top of Jac's shoulder, with the young woman completely oblivious to its presence. The Bean then took a step back and gave out a sigh. "Perhaps I was wrong..." she uttered. "The ancient spirit is not the worse of the two..."Haunted 3: ShadowsThe week since the eve of the scavenger hunt had been filled with restless nights for Aiden. The first couple of days the Wile barely uttered a syllable, and his stomach stayed unusually empty. Through the attempts of comforting words from his concerned friends however, Aiden was able to shake off his initial shock by day three, and thus began his path towards normalcy. By week's end he was eating full meals again and his general unease of mind was beginning to fade away. But all that progress instantly faded on the exact Saturday after that event. The evening was cold and the sky appeared to be starless. What started as a slow, almost peaceful day would end in a treacherous night.. Aiden's dreams would once again bring upon relapses of terror, but this time, they were more intense than any that came before it. Everyday for the past week at exactly midnight, he would startle up from his slumber.. the Wile would then curl into a ball and wrap his arms over his legs, remaining in this position until the rooster crowed. This time however, his body felt as if it was paralyzed by his own sleep, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake himself wake. As he broke into a pool of sweat, the Wile tossed and turned. Tremors began to quake all over his body, and his hands and feet were petrified, fingers stuck in place unable to bend. His eyes were rapidly moving from side to side under his eyelids, the sheer horror of what he was imagining were thinly emoting from his gaping mouth. The tree... It bared no leaves or fruit.It's bark was freshly charred as if it was constantly burning from an unseen flame. Each dusk carried this very same nightmare, but this time there seemed to be no means of escape. It was as if the hallowed wood was pulling him in like a magnet. Or perhaps, it was the other way around. Upon realizing this, Aiden managed to regain half of his consciousness. He was aware he was still in a dream, but at least now he had some semblance of control. With all his might he broke the shackles that were binding him, which was revealed to be strange tree roots that were made visible once the Wile giant had ripped them to shreds. However, like a lizard's tail but at ten times the speed, the tree roots regenerated in an attempt to tie him down again. Aiden's eyes widened in a furious gaze, his pupils narrowed to a slit as his bared fangs spewed out a bellowing snarl. With a resounding roar, Aiden called upon his inner magic to ignite the roots in a furious blaze. He was able to burn away the restraints that were keeping him down, and in this process his magic glowed, almost resembling brilliant red and yellow wings. With these newly obtained appendages, he was able to glide far away from the hideous tree… and back into reality. In that exact moment, Aiden shot out of bed. The Wile looked over his body in a panic, much to his relief there was nothing amiss. A long sigh escaped him. ‘Another night of this.’ He was fixing to curl back up under his blankets, when he felt a cold chill pierce through his entire being as he stared up at the ceiling... Aiden almost forgot to breathe when he saw, or perhaps more accurately, felt the presence of it.. a shadowy blob like creature, with erratic eyes all over its gaseous body. Whatever it was, it didn't feel like a natural force of nature. Just being near this entity left the young man sick to his stomach. With the sound of multiple voices, it grumbled. "You are a Phoebe Wile.." Aiden's hair stood on end as soon as he heard those words aloud. He couldn't verbalize with his mouth, but his mind could be heard by the foul apparition loud and clear. How the hell do you know about that?! "Your power is phenomenal. Your fire can even burn spirits.." A male voice said. "Your kind go through death and rebirth." Said a female. "You are both half alive.." spoke another. "And half dead. " said another voice still. "Due to this, you are in tune with the spirit world." Just who are you? And what do you want from me?! Aiden cries out in his thoughts. "Who we are doesn't concern you..." A dozen spoke at once. "We came for your flesh! A fresh, living body to take refuge in." "But despite being near immortal, we cannot inhabit yours . Your fire will cook us up." "A shame really..." Wait, you were trying to POSSESS ME?! Aiden cried. The spirits remained silent after that remark, which had mostly confirmed the Wile's suspicions. "Our work here is done. There is no need for us to stay any longer." A female voice grumbled. "Just keep this in mind, Phoebe," a male one spoke, "when the time comes for us to pillage the land, we don't want you to get in our way." "We'll leave you alone if you leave us alone, that seems fair, doesn't it?" Aiden could only nod rapidly in response. "If you don't keep your end of the bargain" the voices gathered at once, "then we'll come after you, and you will feel a death unlike any before..” A legion of the blobs would then merge together to form a massive hand that filled up almost the entire room. It then charged at the terrified Wile, stopping short just before it appeared as if it was about to smack him, a finger tip mere inches from the Wile's mortified face. Aiden remained frozen in place as he witnessed the shadowy hand slowly subside into the ceiling. Sensing his plight, the voices all began to cackle at once, steadily increasing in volume until their sinister laughter swirled around the entire house. Aiden was beginning to grow ill from his struggle to endure this, he wanted so badly for it to end, but the euphoria that was spiraling into a chaotic mesh of dread and doom prevented him from entirely ignoring their presence altogether. He just pulled his covers over him and began to count, tears running down his hot cheeks like a cascade. And then... There was silence. Aiden could not bear to bolt awake this time, instead he slowly and reluctantly opened his eyes to the ceiling. Thank god, it had been cleared of the strange apparitions. The Wile giant gave out a tremendous sigh, but he couldn't shake off the fact that he felt completely drained after this ordeal. He looked to the side at the clock to see that it was only half past midnight. ’Another sleepless night... ’ He knew… that nightmare was not merely just that. If his Phoebe Wile instincts were correct, then something horrible had just unveiled itself to him... and it hinted at something terrible yet to come. Normally he would keep his insecurities and personal problems to himself, but this time Aiden felt that this is about to go beyond just him. Like it or not, he needed help, he cannot shoulder this burden alone.Haunted 2: Beacon It had been a week since Jac postponed the scavenger hunt. After that last ordeal with the haunted house, the young woman felt as though the prize at the end (which was kept in the dark as far as she knew) was not worth the amount of effort and energy spent to work for it. She had already gone through a dozen different clues, with each location increasing in difficulty and supposed "spookiness." But with a reward so vague, she felt too tired to bother wasting any more time on it. "If it were a million dollars then I'll be more obligated to go on, that's for sure." She thought. "But since there isn't any indication of that, well..." On the bright side, at least Jac had managed to get farther than anyone else in this game, so she felt that was as good enough of an accomplishment as any. Jac had the weekend off and she wanted nothing more than to spend that time simply relaxing away. It's not often that she would choose to spend her free time alone, but for whatever reason she was feeling more exhausted than usual since about a week ago. She figured it was most likely due to her strenuous work week. Jac trotted over to the fridge to clear her throat with a cold beverage, when she noticed something was laying about in the corner of her eye. The slight breeze that seeped in from the half opened window must have knocked a napkin off of the kitchen counter. She went to retrieve it, when she suddenly realized that this was no disposable paper cloth at all, rather a torn off sticky note. She winced when she saw what was written on the back. ’Your next clue is in the graveyard next to Bartleby's tombstone’ Great. She did not want to be reminded of this right now. Jac stomped her way into the living room and shoved the little piece of paper into the desk drawer. The sooner she can get it off her mind, the better. Later that afternoon, Jac was in a call with Jillian, when the latter had finally brought up the question of what the former was doing the previous week. With a sigh, Jac reluctantly told the elven woman about the scavenger hunt and that she and Aiden were essentially running in circles in a fool's errand. "You need to stop diving head first towards things without first considering what it is you're actually getting yourself into," the voice on the other end sighed. "Yeah, it's a hard habit to break though.." "Still, don't you think that the way the game is structured is a little bit, I dunno... suspicious? It did sound like they wanted you to cause vandalism towards the end." "I was told I was going to get a prize. And.." Jac felt like she was done as she fessed up. "I was bored and I needed something to keep me busy. Games are always fun, so I thought I'd give it a shot." "Do you even know the guy who organized this scavenger hunt? If I were you, I'd ask some serious questions." "I've only talked to him in a chatroom once with a bunch of other participants who gave up before me.. I recall he didn't have a face, but he spoke with one of those cheap, monotonous voices that folks do when they try to be spooky. It's all one big act." "If I was over there, I'd like to give that so-and-so a piece of my mind." Jillian huffed. After clearing some chores, Jac had the remainder of the day all to herself. With a very sweetened Cup of Joe on hand, the young woman was just about ready to listen to her favorite audio series, when the apartment shook with a sudden jolt. It was too loud and too brief to had been an earthquake, which had only meant one thing. Jac looked out the window, and sure enough she saw a shadow being cast by an unseen giant. "Oops! Sorry!" The giant said to the residents of Jac's housing unit, before she could be heard stomping away. Jac was able to see her after the latter was some distance away carrying what looked like construction beams. With a sigh, Jac checked around the unit to make sure that there was no collateral damage; thankfully nothing was amiss save for all of the drawers and cabinets which had swung open ever so slightly. None of the contents spilled, save for a few pieces of paper that had flown out of one of the desk drawers. Jac was in the process of picking them up when one of these managed to give her a paper cut. After putting the wounded finger in her mouth, Jac pulled up the culprit, falling into a near stupor when she realized what it was. Your next clue is in the graveyard next to-- Jac made an audible groan and shoved the wretched sticky note on the bottom of one of the heaviest books on the shelf. Surely she wouldn't happen to come across it again. She's just about had it up to here as far as the scavenger hunt was concerned. The rest of the day rolled on without much excitement, which was fine as Jac felt she's had enough. She felt a sudden headache coming on however, so she took a couple of aspirins and decided to turn in for the night. And while she slept like a dog for the first couple of hours, the next two were filled to the brim with constant distress. She was startled awake by a loud thumping noise, as she realized right then and there that her temperature had skyrocketed. With a pained groan, she slowly looked to the right… to find that the paper cut on her finger was starting to get bigger. The sight of this caught Jac off guard, but her body aches have become so intense that she could barely breathe, let alone get out of bed. Suddenly, another thump... The sound seemed to have come from the unit upstairs as the heavy footfalls made its way from one end of the ceiling to another. It crawled down to her level… like a large, heavy insect… Thereafter came a long stretch of silence, which had unnerved Jac more than she thought it would. Her breathing had intensified, and her heart began to race, but she wasn't sure why. At that moment, she heard a fluttering sound just to the right of her. She slowly turned her head to the hand that was sliced to discover that something was lying on top. She couldn't believe what she saw. A butterfly.. that was glowing with a shimmering yellow light. Jac could do nothing but gaze in awe at its sudden appearance; it rested on the opening of her cut for a bit before it took flight again. And in the blink of an eye, it vanished. Just then… a large thud. Jac turned her head slowly to the bedroom entrance, where she thought the strange butterfly flittered off to, but instead she would witness something unlike anything she had ever seen before. And it made her skin crawl immensely. A hand, much bigger than that of a human's, that was completely devoid of color pigmentation. It was far too bony with long, jagged nails. Jac stared at the apparition for about a minute.. her eyes pierced onto it, not a peep from her mouth. The appendix suddenly jolted to life, as if awakened from a spell. It pointed to her and beckoned her to come closer, before pulling back and out of the room. After taking a deep breath, Jac managed to speak as strongly as she could. And while her voice still croaked, he was able to make herself loud and clear. "NO THANKS! I'M STAYING RIGHT WHERE I AM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" And she pulled the covers over her and refused to emerge from them for some time. When she had regained consciousness, Jac bolted out of bed with a loud gasp. She took a moment to check around to make sure her body was in one piece- without a doubt, there was no indication of aches and pains, and the paper cut wound returned back to nothing more than a thin scab. "A nightmare..." She uttered. It was half past midnight, but there was no chance in hell that she was going back to sleep in her own bed. She felt a cold shiver up her back at the mere thought of it, the likes of which shook even one as stout-hearted as her. She knows that there was one remedy for this.. one she needed to take in order to have some sense of security again. She had to dial a number. "Jac...?" Richard asked on the other line with a groggy voice, "W-what's going on...?" "I'm sorry to ask on such short notice but..." Jac took a moment to gather her thoughts before proceeding. "Is it all right if I meet you over at the border of the human district? I.. need a place to hide for the night." Richard was silent for a moment, but Jac knew from experience that his eyes likely had widened by her request. He understood exactly what she meant. "Are you okay?" "Not really..." Jac replied quietly. "I have nothing to fear with you, so I just... want to be comfortable. Whether it'll be a hand, a pocket, or... you know. I just....Need this right now." "I'm on my way." Richard could be heard shuffling out of bed. "Please, hang in there." "I'll try.. Thank you."Haunted 1With a slight push, the door opened with a loud creeeeeek Jac had made her way inside the abandoned house, as she searched around she took great care to not make a single peep. A flick of her flashlight revealed sheets of cobwebs and dust that blanketed the rooms, a scene that made her scrunch her brow. Beyond that were furniture that felt like relics of days gone by. Not that this was of any importance to her. "C'mon!" Jac spoke in a harsh whisper. "We get the next clue, then we can get outta here. Stat!" "A-xhoo" Lagging far behind her was Aiden, whose sinuses had flared up through the roof. "I don't like this place. It gives me the creeps..." "Well, the sooner we can find that paper, the sooner we can get going!" "Aren't we kinda like, trespassing? Someone might still own this joint..." Jac was mostly wrapped up in her search, the words of her friend bouncing off of her. She was more determined than ever to beat this game they've gotten swept up in.. in her mind, there was no time to get concerned over something silly like this place being supposedly haunted. Unfortunately for the shrunken Wile, Aiden wasn't able to do anything but focus on the eeriness of the house as a whole. When he wasn't clattering his teeth and firmly rooted in wherever he chose to just... stand on, he was sneezing up a storm from all the dust that Jac had kicked up. "What are you doing? Help me out! Look around in any of the other rooms!" "Uh, yeah! I'm on it!" Aiden was actually grateful to have gotten away from that dust cloud. The nearest entrance carried him to a large living room with shelving that was stacked to the brim with old books. On the furthest corner, there was a grand piano that appeared to be playing on its own. Wait... That was probably a prank the guys who set up the scavenger hunt made. 'It's a joke. No doubt about that one. Yep.' Just then, Aiden spotted something sticking out from the top of the piano- a small white sheet of paper. The Wile was just about to lift the lid when he heard a voice reverberating from behind him. It felt like it was breathing down his neck. "I wouldn't do that if I were you~!" Aiden dropped the piano lid and squealed at the top of his lungs. The older gentleman from behind covered his ears. "What in tar nation's!!! Get a hold of yourself, young man!!" Aiden spun around and came face to face with the fellow who came up from behind, a time worn man who greeted him by tipping his black cowboy hat. The latter took a moment to recover his piercing eardrums before speaking. "Mornin' to ya, laddy." He spoke in a ruffled yet strong voice, "I wasn't expecting any guests this fine hour." Aiden let out a long breath, holding his hand to his chest to calm his thumping heart. "Oh thank goodness. I had no idea anyone lived here." "Who? Me? Naw.. I wouldn't dream of it. I just own this plot of land here and I come over to check in on it every now and again." "Uh! I'm sorry for barging in like this-" "No need for that now. I could use some company. Gets kinda lonely for me when I'm here." At that moment the room was lit with a bright orange glow that shone from the large windows that took up half of the room. The sunrise looked marvelous from this view; Aiden couldn't help but stare at it in wonder for a bit. "It sure is pretty from up these hills" the older man said. "I had no idea we were in this house for so long..." "Don't worry about it. You're welcome to stay as long as you like." Aiden was scanning the yard outside when he spotted a small skinny tree from a distance. The bark appeared to have been charred from a fire, and not a single leaf adorned its branches. Aiden's eyes narrowed to a pencil slit, and he started to shiver at the tip of his shoulders. The landowner took notice of this. "While you're here, would you like for me to give you a rundown of the history of this place? I promise I won't take up too much of your time." That snapped Aiden back into focus. "Uhh.. sure? I don't see why not." The older gentleman gave out a long sigh through his nose before he proceeded. "Well this estate used to be owned by a very wealthy man. A cruel and wicked man who had used his money to carry out all sorts of fornication and what have you. Folks who worked for him would tell strange accounts of him harboring evil spirits... But I'm getting ahead of myself." He looked down at the piano, its tune continuing to play. "One day he brought home a woman who looked to be the prime of her youth. She was a sweetheart, her beauty was unmatched both in her appearance and her personality. He made her into the model wife- she cooked and cleaned and did everything for his needs. She loved him and he made himself to be the model man for her, only for her to discover that he was still craving other women behind her back. Before long, she confronted him about it. And that's when he--" The man paused as he shook his head and pinched his eyes. Aiden watched this and drooped somewhat, he sensed where this was going. The landowner turned his head to the sullen tree before he finally spoke. "That tree right there? That was where the man did the unthinkable before turning the rifle on himself." The Wile widened his eyes when he heard that revelation, his stare never parting from the tree in question as the old man continued his tale. "That tree had lost all its luster and it hasn't grown any leaves since then. Rumors spread of the man having housed as many as 108 unclean spirits within him during his life.. who have now manifested this entire area, spreading their influence through the roots. But who can say if any of that holds any truth to it or not." The man then gave one more sigh. "Pardon me for taking up your time with this sad story." "Oh? Oh no. It was... eye opening. To say the least. It gives me more of a good reason to want to get out of here as soon as I can." "Do you believe in spirits?" "I... wish I didn't." The man had to laugh at that reaction. "Well, that's an honest answer! You seem to be mighty keen to them, that's for sure! All right then, that's fine by me if you want to get going. But before you do..." The man then picked up the piece of paper that had flung out of the piano before and handed it to the young Wile. "You'll be needing this, right?" Aiden had completely forgotten about what he had came for at that exact moment, but he was grateful to see the poorly handwritten sticky note when it was given. "Oh! Yeah. Thank you!" "I'd be careful with following the instructions for that if I were you." "Huh?" "Aiden!! What the hell!?" Aiden whipped around to see Jac covered in a fine coat of dust bunnies, and she looked kind of beat on top of that. "Wha? Wha happened?" He replied. "I heard you scream!" "I did?!" "Yeah! Like a little girl!" "Hey! And... uhhh.. I didn't just now? The last time was about... maybe, ten minutes ago?" "No it wasn't! You had just come in here like a minute ago and then you screamed enough to scare the ghosts away!" Aiden took notice of what she had said, and it had just occurred to him at that point that the room was dark in the dead of night. "W-wait.... what time is it?" "It's half past midnight!" Aiden's face colored white momentarily as he was trying to wrap his head around those words. He looked down on his right hand to make sure that he hadn't been hallucinating. Sure enough... "You found it! Thank you so much Aiden!" "Y-yeah." Jac pulled the paper from his hands and held the flashlight onto it. ‘Your next clue is in the graveyard next to Bartleby's tombstone’ Jac let out a very long groan. "I'm tired. We'll pick this up another time. Let's--" Aiden was ignoring much of what was being said, for he was transfixed to what he was seeing when he turned his head to the side where the old man had stood. Or rather, what he doesn't see. He retraced the man's steps in his mind multiple times and followed him as he made his way towards the windows and the side of the grand piano. Dust had covered much of the floor with a blanket of gray, disturbed by the shoe prints of the two visitors as they snooped around. However, no footprints were left where the man stood... "Aiden? Are you ok...?" Aiden remained silent. Jac took on a more comforting approach once she took this as an answer. "I'm sorry I brought you along into this. Let's go home okay?" "Y...yeah..." Jac then gave Aiden a pat on the back and helped him make their way out. As soon as they closed the front door behind them, the piano, which had continuously played its tune on a loop, had finally stopped.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.The First DayThe bells chimed their melody of eight. As if on cue, the halls came alive with the shuffling of shoes and the clanging of lockers as an increasing swarm of students pooled in, a scene that quickly escalated into a chaotic rush that was typical of the events that plagued every Monday. Far enough away from the stampede to not be swept up by it was Richard, who stood facing his locker on the furthest side of the room where sunlight from the window could not reach. If one were to look upon him, one would assume he was in some kind of trance; in truth, he was deep down the rabbit hole that was conjured up by his own dark ponderings. Among the few neatly organized things kept in his personal storage was a small, round mirror that stood on a pedestal. Richard silently seethed as he gazed into the pool of silver that colored his eyes- his reflection revealing that their sheen lacked the soft, inner glow that normally beamed from the magic within. The slit of his pupils, however, were just as predominant as ever. "Another year of this..." He spoke in a voice that was barely audible, with a tone flat enough to hide the bitterness that was gnawing him. Nonchalance is the front he puts out, for he tries his damndest to hide his true feelings. Why did I come back here? Perridi High doesn't care about the treatment of Wiles, Being isolated is the same as if I don't exist at all... Once upon a time, Richard was proud of his eye color. He used to boast that his silver was a cool shade, not fancy like the bronzes and golds of other Wiles. To him, they were just right. But as he grew older and he began to mingle among the rest of society, his eyes became a burden. Silver gives away a person's status as a Wile, and Wiles are known to possess wild and at times uncontrollable magic. And to others, that spelled danger. Without understanding the deeper meaning behind these abilities, no student dared to look straight at him after doing so once. The hymns and lullabies passed down through the generations among his kind spoke of how the world would treat them- as monsters- but Richard could not fathom that there would be actual truth to these lyrics in this day and age. For civilization at least in this side of the world has become more accepting of the many different types of mystical people of all shapes and sizes, encouraging them to coexist in harmony, or so the ad campaigns claim. But as the cold shoulders of many a passerby have shown, time and time again, he was greatly mistaken. Richard took a deep, sound breath, before abruptly and firmly slamming the locker shut. He had mentally tossed his frustration inside before swinging the door, making an internal scream all the while. So what if they're afraid? They aren't worth my time!! After a moment of pause, Richard placed his hands, one atop the other, facedown in front of his chest while slowly breathing in, and then out through his nose. Through this silent meditation, he quickly calmed down. But not before something, or rather, someone, abruptly broke his concentration. "HEY! WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOIN'?!" A voice, hardly an utterance, but one that his ears could pick up with ease. Richard didn't have to look far to find the source of the near high pitched shriek, for his keen senses were quick to pinpoint, zero in, and lock onto his target. Pacing across the crowded aisle with a look of increasing frustration on her was an unfamiliar student, a human by the look of her. As she stormed her way up the hall and back, it became all too clear to her onlooker that the girl was hopelessly lost. Richard wanted to offer assistance but stopped short at the thought. He would dare not approach her without warning, as that would likely scare her out of her wits. Which is typical of how these kinds of encounters tend to be. His size was an obstacle in of itself, let alone him being a Wile. And yet, Richard could not bring himself to take his eyes off her. The young man pulled out a notebook from his backpack, using it as cover as he continued to watch the events unfold.. upon realizing this, he was taken aback. He felt like he really shouldn't be eavesdropping on the lass, even though his range of sight could span out to see her regardless. But she would repeatedly do something so strange, so bizarre, it... fascinated him, perking up his curiosity. Which in turn made her increasingly impossible for him to ignore. She tried talking to the other students. Students who were ten times taller than her. Students who were all too oblivious of her presence, and could have easily trampled her underfoot if it wasn't for her quick maneuvering skills, which were impressive in of itself. She would continue this exercise of yelling and dodging several times; either the passing giants had failed to pick up on her voice or- a more nefarious thought- she was being disregarded on purpose. As someone who was born and raised in an integrated part of the Beanstalk Society, Richard is used to the occasional appearance of Beansprouts - a collective term to describe the smaller folk, which included elves and humans. His city was built to accommodate them, yet sightings remain rare. Most would not dare to venture deep into Beanstalk territory, no matter what opportunities- or bribes- are given to them. Richard doesn't blame the Sprouts for thinking this way, for he has seen the hostile treatment of some of their people first hand. Which really makes the actions of this bold and seemingly reckless human all the more perplexing. Nothing's stopping him from going over to help her now, right? Since she appears to show absolutely no fear of the larger folk. However, he isn't like most others. Wiles in particular have been known for.. less than appetizing dealings when it came to Sprouts. Once again, his hesitation got the better of him. His muddled musings would cease however, as he started to instinctively pick up a sudden shift in the air. That was when he realized that the tiny human had stopped, for she finally noticed the Wile making side glances at her. Crap! The young man inadvertently ducked behind his papers once again, not that it would make any difference now that the jig has long since been up. In mere seconds, the girl sprinted into the crowd, diving and sliding past the heavy traffic of giant footfalls. The sight of this nearly gave Richard a heart attack. He bolted, opting to meet the crazy girl partway, but she had already made it through the crossroad of the main hall before he could even get a chance to react. She was obviously out of breath, but thankfully all in one piece. Richard had to get his bearings together. The Junior student shut his eyes and counted to ten, this time while braying out a long, shaky sigh. This couldn't have lasted for more than a couple of seconds however. Sensing that the smaller presence was close enough to the verge of being almost uncomfortable, he slowly opened his eyelids, and just as speedily looked down. The new student was now nearly touching the toe cap of his right boot. Richard spontaneously took a step back, giving out a startled, involuntary meep in response. "E...Excuse me..." The girl huffed weakly as she was trying to get air back into her lungs. She was positive she would have to repeat that, for it was barely audible enough for a giant to hear. Which made Richard's response all the more shocking to her. "I... It's ok... Take your time." That couldn't have been what she heard, could it? The girl then craned her neck as high as it could go, realizing right away that the titan had bent down to check in on her. As soon as she made eye contact however, Richard immediately averted his stare. But not before the sophomore caught a quick glimpse of that silver color. She never saw anything quite like it before. Richard didn't mean to be rude by that gesture. Of course he was too afraid to show his eyes to a regular sized person, let alone a Sprout. But upon sensing that the mood had not changed at the slightest despite being fully aware that she was able to see them partially, he slowly eased up as he found his voice again. "You needed help from a Beanstalk?" He spoke after clearing his throat, making sure to not verbalize too loudly. The girl had pulled back some of her long, light-brown hair that had flung to her face during her run earlier, revealing strong, determined eyes that took the young Wile giant by surprise. He paused for a moment and rolled his eyes back to her without realizing it. Even then, her confidence didn't waver, as she put on a stout yet relaxed tone that could only be indicative of someone who treated him as a person matching her own height. No, she definitely wasn't like the others. But he couldn't put his finger on whether this was due to sheer bravery, stupidity, or a combination of the two. Richard began to tilt his head like a bird, a typical habit of Wiles of his variety, examining the small one from head to sneakers. No doubt his inquisitiveness has reached its peak. He would watch as the human girl had closed her eyes, taking a long deep breath and-without further warning-shouted from the top of her lungs. "COULD YOU TELL ME WHERE I CAN GO FOR WORLD LITERATURE ART STUDIES?!!" Richard was forced to drop to his knees in haste, his shoulders quivering slightly. "Yeesh! Not so loud! I can hear you just fine!" He replied in a harsh whisper. "I was about to head over there myself! It's at room B-17." The girl blinked in surprise. She wasn't expecting to get an answer from him at all, much less his first choice of words. "R-really? Thanks! Sorry... I've been practically screaming my butt off all morning and you're the first person who actually heard me." "So I noticed..." Richard was still wincing, which the human scanned over with more curiosity than concern. "Are you all right?" Richard opened his eyes while grumbling something about noise under his breath before addressing her. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just took me by surprise, that's all." "You're the first giant person I met my whole life who didn't have terrible hearing." Richard had to do a double take. Did I just hear that correctly? Of all the nerve! He could not believe the words that just came out of this Sprout's mouth. He would then loom closer and look at her squarely in the eye, his face now completely obstructing her view. "Oh, so bold of you to say that in front of one of them." He crooned. "Well, it's a fact. I've been around Stalks for a few years now and I'm used to shouting to get heard. But I can clearly see, you're quite different." Throughout this conversation, the girl's eyes never loses focus on his. Richard cocked his eyebrow slightly, narrowing his stare as if he had the look of annoyance. But in truth, he was enjoying the moment for what it was as it is the first interaction he had gotten in a while. And furthermore, it was certainly entertaining. Though it became clear to him now that this person had no idea who she was talking to. Which, once this thought crossed his mind, caused Richard to hold back what he wanted to say in response. Instead, he curved a small grin. "What's that look for?" The human girl asked. Richard replied in a teasing tone. "Shouldn't you be keeping your eyes on that clock?" With that revelation, Jac immediately whipped her head around to the timer that was centered at the middle of the halls. The large hand was mere inches from the fifteen mark. "Damn! Uh... Hey! Do you mind if you can take me over there?" Richard's almost menacing smile lessened into a milder one as the calm began to settle in. That wouldn't last. "Sure thing! Think you can keep up?" "Uhh..." The girl replied flatly, "that's not what I mean..." Richard took a moment to completely comprehend what the Sophomore could have possibly implied with that statement before it hit him. Like a wreaking ball. His eyes flung wide open, hair jolting nearly on end. "You want me to do what?! His voice had a slight, shrilly crack to it, though he remembered to speak lightly in spite of his turmoil. Jac couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Didn't they teach you how to pick up Sprouts in school?" "Nooo?! I think it's voluntary, like learning CPR!" The Wile giant was obviously panicking. The girl waved her arms out and grumbled under her breath."Great! And here I thought the education system was supposed to be better around here? Fine... " The smaller student then made her way just under his right hand. She was still lightly fumed, but she didn't let that get in the way of her instructions. "Let me guide you through this," she spoke in a humdrum manner. "It's not that hard. Take out your hand." She was actually going to go through with this. "OH NO NO NO. I'm going to call one of the school officials and they'll --" "We haven't much TIME!" The girl jesters to the clock, which had shown that it was roughly three minutes before the starting bell. "I can't be late on my first day!!" "Okay, okay!" The sooner he gets this over with, the sooner he can alleviate his nerves and get on with his life. Even though deep down he thought his idea was much better. "What should I do?" "Just lower your palm on the floor face up." Swallowing, Richard reluctantly did as he was told. Now that the platform of flesh and skin was resting in front of her, the young woman placed her hands on the tip of his index finger to try to help ease the giant's rattled nerves, though it only aided to increase his shivering instead. She would then suck in a breath before finally jumping on board. It felt as if a dozen different emotions washed onto the Wile Giant all at once; on one hand he was vastly in awe of the sensation of feeling an actual tiny person on his hand, one who would go so far as to entrust her life to someone like him. On the other however, the sheer pressure of holding someone this fragile was beginning to overwhelm him, as indicated by the continuing tremors that rattled the smaller human's form, which seemed to intensify by the second. "H-H-H-Hey! Calm down!" The girl's voice reverberated with the rumbling. "Sorry.." Richard replied with a low whisper, as he slowly brought her closer to his face. "I'm worried about carrying you like this all the way.." Sensing the unease of the situation at hand, the girl had to agree. Time was running out and she had to think up a storm. "How about you cup your hands around me? That'll keep me secure at least." In an instant, largely due to his unrelenting panic, Richard brought his left hand up and clamped onto the human a little too fast. The girl squeaked as she was being squished against his digits, but it wasn't enough to do any damage as the young giant loosened his grip within seconds upon realizing his mistake. From the way it looked, Richard was in a lot more distress than she was. "Daijou--uh, I mean! Are you okay? Did I break anything?" "I'm fine! Calm down! Ok?!" She felt it best to move on quickly than to dwell on the matter, going back to the crash course where she left off. "Just! Keep my body against your palm and curve your fingers over my chest and legs like so. Your thumb should be kept behind my head to prevent--" "Over your what ? No way! I'm not doing that!" "Relax.. will ya? Keep it a loose hold and you'll be alright." The Sprout spoke with a huff. And with that she pulled his fingers in over her like a blanket as a gesture for him to get a move on. Richard was clearly unnerved by this but he didn't have time to react before the girl shouted. "OK! YOU'RE ALL SET! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET GOING! MOVE MOVE MOVE!!!" Richard scattered, returning to his senses just enough to pick himself up and start running (well, more like brisk walking) as he made his way through the massive halls. Wrapping both hands around the small one and holding her close to his torso, he felt the minute and a half it took to get to classroom B-17 to be the longest he's ever had. Keeping his mind focused on the task at hand both figuratively and literally, the Wile giant failed to notice the few students who were still about, eyeing the scene as he walked past. One of them shouted something at him, not surprisingly an insult, but he could not bother to pay any attention to it as he was so engaged in what he was doing and the sheer anxiety that came of it. Meanwhile, the girl was keeping silent while holding on tightly to the giant's paw. No doubt that this was a rougher ride than what she's used to, but all in all it wasn't nearly as bad as she was expecting. Keeping a firm but loose hold on her while stabilizing his hand with the other, the Beanstalk wounded up doing everything by the book. Not bad for a supposed first timer. After turning many corners and passing by what seemed like an endless row of doors, at last Richard had reached their destination at two minutes past the starting bell. Thankfully, the teacher had yet to arrive and the overall atmosphere among the students who were there was still relatively calm. They were early enough, which brought the two a much needed sigh of relief. Richard uncurled his hands and let the small one roll onto the dip of his palms. The Junior student looked down in horror when he saw that the Sophomore had curled onto herself. "Oh my gosh!! Are you ok!!?" She was slightly disoriented, but she wasn't going to let him know that if she can help it. "I'm good. Ya get so worked up over nothin'." She said as she righted herself up. "It was a pretty bumpy ride, but overall, I think you did okay." "This was my first time. What did you expect? " That got a chuckle out of the human. Seeing that she was smiling and thankfully well by the way it appeared, the Wile giant would let the feeling of success sink in, which finally allowed him the luxury to ease up quite a bit. Looking around his surroundings, Richard saw that the majority of the classmates were either Juniors or Seniors themselves.. and yet, he couldn't catch anything that signaled a place where tiny students would go safely. Every desk and chair was normal sized (from his perspective) not a single thing in this room indicated anything that would cater to Sprouts. 'Did I come to the right place?' He pondered. Just then, the class instructor walked in, a giant with a pompous chin and thinning grey hair. He immediately took notice of the young Wile giant, first by scanning down on the girl on his hands and then onto his face... and eyes. Richard knew that look. "Sir! I can explain!" What the teacher did next was not what the Junior had expected. The older Brobdinrang's expression quickly changed from perplexed to a much lighter mood. A wide, cheerful grin would then overtake his face. "Young man, I see that you've brought our newest student! We were expecting you, Jaclyn Fincher!" "Please. Call me Jac. I'm delighted to be here!" "Oh, but that's a boy's name! Don't you like Jaclyn? It's prettier and I think it suits you better." Oh brother. She could already tell she'll be having a swell time here. "I'd much prefer Jac, if you don't mind." "Well in any case, welcome to Perridi High!" He would then address the Wile. "If you would be so kind as to follow me while I show Jaclyn to her desk?" "It's Jac, sir." Richard corrected. "And, sure." Jac looked up at Richard with a thumbs up as he made that assertion. Without further ado, the teacher walked him through the class while Richard continued to carry Jac, making it past the main student body to a spot in the farthest corner of the room. This time all of the classmates had set their eyes on the three, and Richard in particular could feel the pressure of their judging glares tracking his every move. Despite all of this, the Wile giant was more confident in his ability to hold Jac, or at the very least, he didn't pay as much mind to it whether intentional or not. Jac was ultimately thankful for this as he held her without so much as a few awkward sways, being nowhere near as much of a rollercoaster as before. When they got to the spot in question, Richard could only see a bunch of potted tropical plants, nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. Upon further examination however, Jac quickly noticed the small entrance behind one of the giant leaves before the teacher could bring it up himself. When she mentions this, the older gentleman would nod his head, presumably impressed by her observation. "Good eye! Behind here is our state of the art miniature classroom!" The teacher then pulled some of the leaves back, revealing a square metallic box like structure complete with tiny windows and an entryway. Richard could not believe the remarkable detail that was put into it. "I'll give you two a minute to get yourselves ready, and then class will be in session." And with that, the teacher walked back to his desk. Richard was in awe upon witnessing this piece of architecture for the first time. Does every classroom have one of these? And furthermore, why did the folks who constructed these miniatures go through all the trouble to keep them hidden from plain sight? Jac cleared her throat, causing the Wile giant to break out of his trance. "Can you put me down now?" "Oops! Sorry!" Richard laid his hands in front of the entrance to the smaller facility. Jac hopped off and would proceed to make her way in. But not before spinning around and facing the giant once again, whose face was covering her entire view once more. "Thank you for helping me out. Honestly, I don't know what I could have done without ya." "No problem. I only did what I figured was the right thing." "I guess I'll be seeing you around then!" Richard was half expecting this to be the last time they would see each other up close, so upon hearing this, he perked up more than he thought he would. He couldn't help but smile for the first time that day. "Sure! I would like that." "I didn't get your name! I'm Jac, but you already knew that." "Ah. It's.. it's Richard. Richard Yamada. Well, I guess I'll see you later, then!" And with that, the looming giant backed up, spun around and stomped away. Richard was awfully proud of what he had accomplished that morning, for the first time during his attendance at Perridi High School, he felt exhilarated. Even if this was a chance of being just a one-off experience, no doubt this would be a day he would never forget. Little did he know, Jac would, for the first time in this entire morning, have a tingling hint of uncertainty in her mind. She turned to face the door of the Sprout tailored classroom, as she finally let out the breath she held back during this while. She darted her eyes onto her shoes and began to ponder, her thoughts even surprising her. Until this point, Jac had no reason to be fearful of Richard. That was, until she was caught by surprise when she saw his smile up close... really up close. That quick moment was just enough time for Jac to notice the unusually long canines that were protruding from within. She had heard stories of one particular kind of giant that were known for.. And yet.. That initial response, that bit of wariness, would soon pave way for unbridled excitement. 'A Wile giant in this school? So the rumors of this city are true..' Humans had always whispered about not making contact with Wile giants, and yet Richard.. was contrary to everything that she has heard. Typical...The kindest person she met since she had transferred to the Beanstalk Society was certainly someone worth checking out later. "I hope to meet him again over lunch!" She thought. And to that, a smile returned to her face as she charged into the classroom with a a bout of renewed confidence. "I wonder if someone as cool as that would let me be his friend?" Luckily for her, this wouldn't be the last she would see of the mysterious giant with silver eyes.The Masquerade BallA magnificent chandelier greeted guests as they entered the ballroom floor, illuminating the entire area with a soft, orange glow. Those who flocked underneath wore garments filled to the brim with silver and gemstones, and yet their beauty only seemed to excel with the elaborate masks that adorned their faces, a treat to all who gazed upon them. The crowd filled the space with delightful chatter, as they compared each other's wardrobes down to the finest detail. Concurrently, Jac stood alone near the hallway, her chin low with her fingers clasped together. Never mind the fact that she wore what she once thought was the prettiest aquamarine dress, topping it off with a vibrant yellow eye-mask decorated with patterns of roses and thorns. No, instead she felt like a sardine in a coy pond, which only aided in increasing her hesitation tenfold. "It would be a unique experience, that's what the lady who handed me the brochure said anyway.." Jac said in the tiniest voice. "But... where is he? He said he'd be here by now. And yet..." Days before, Richard voiced his reluctance to attend, something Jac should have listened to in hindsight. But the initial excitement of getting to wear her newfound outfit at a seemingly fun event won at the end of the day, and her best friend knew that he couldn't say no to that. They even planned on keeping what gown they wore a surprise, which upon recollection made her slap herself in the face. He could be anywhere in the crowd, anyone... To melt into the mass of masked people seemed inevitable, but it was hard enough when her anxiety was steadily crawling up her limbs. The pressure of everything collapsing down on her added more weight to her shoes. Minutes felt like hours, the young woman's shoulders slumping further with every one that passed. And worst of all, she couldn't shake off that loneliness she felt. Jac had half a mind to bolt away for something more humble. "That burger joint down the street looks appetizing. I'll... let Rich know there's been a change of plans." But just as soon she reached for her phone, suddenly, she noticed a peculiar figure in the corner of her eye. Someone who stuck out in the metaphorical fish pond. Dressed from top to bottom in a seal brown garment, a man with a dark plague doctor mask stumbled into view. He awkwardly tried to slip between the cracks in the swarm, bumping into a few shoulders along the way before he managed to break free. His inept legs took him far in the clearing before he straightened his posture, and this action gave him a direct view of the little lady who stood alone on the sidelines. Sure enough, the two locked eyes with one another. And somehow, in some inexplicable yet enchanting way, they paused in the sight of the other. And without a peep from either, they slowly drew closer. Whatever anxiousness Jac had, while still present somewhat, dissipated quickly the moment they met in close proximity. The man took his time to scan her from head to shoes, which in turn caused Jac to laugh in spite of herself. It was that height, that very gait, that posture.. there was no mistaking it. But before either of them could get a word in, a sharp buzz blasted from a speaker overhead. "May I have your attention please! The first dance of the gala will now commence! Please choose your partner, or multiple if you'd like, and get ready to dance to your heart's content! Remember folks, the most important thing is to have fun!" Soothing strings began to fill the room with a delicate, harmonious chord. The others in the crowd gathered the person adjacent to them, moving in tandem to the slow rhythm. At the same time, the two outside of the cohort turned their heads towards the other in an awkward silence. Jac could not pinpoint why the man who stood before her was so hesitant, but after a moment of contemplation she nodded. "Are you... perhaps waiting for my approval?" The masked man watched for a few seconds more before he slowly nodded back. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" His voice was muffled, but this was all the validation Jac needed. She bowed her head low while extending an arm, her knees trembling slightly as he bended forward. "May I have this dance?" The man tilted his head slightly, another little quirk that reaffirmed her decision. "With pleasure." He replied after a small ahem. Their fingers intertwined, hand by hand, side to side. They soaked in each other's presence for one last moment, before they extended each other's arms and prepared for liftoff. And from there they soared, bounding in near perfect unison in their improvised waltz. They swung to and fro, making brisk steps across the dance floor; away from the bustling excitement of the rest of the crowd, they were free to spread their range as far as they wanted, as well as change styles on a whim. They spun clockwise and back, wounded their arms in a cartwheel, and shifted to what would best be described as a chicken dance shortly after. Their style was not perfect, far from it as they were both guilty of stepping on each other's toes at least once, but they nonetheless had a great time. And in the end, that was exactly what they hoped for. As soon as they caught wind of numerous eyeballs staring them down, the duo went right straight back into their slow waltz. They could not help but let a snicker escape them in turn. "It sure would be funny if I had picked the wrong guy." Jac said with a giggle. "It would." Richard replied. "Where were you? You left me hanging out there for a while!" "Sorry! Sorry.. I tried to text you but I couldn't get a good signal. I'll admit... I got lost." "...Me too. Well, the important thing is that we're together now." "Y-Yeah.." "So! What do you think of my outfit?" "Ah! You.. look stunning! That dress, the mask? Everything! It suits you well! I didn't think that you'd go all out! How much did it...?" "Believe me, it's a rental." "Ah! Makes sense. By the way, how did you figure it was me?" "Richard, let's face it. Compared to everyone else's wardrobes, you stick out quite a bit with how.." "Simple?" "Let's say how flugal, your clothes look." "Still not flattering." "You just pulled it out of your closet. I recognize your office party clothes when I see it! But... you still look nice." "The mask is a bit stuffy, I'll admit." "Don't get me wrong, I really dig the plague doctor aesthetic! Though as cool as it looks, I'll be honest, I do miss your face." "I miss your eyes, too." Jac gave out a tiny smile in response. "Hiccups and awkwardness aside, I'm glad we took a chance on this place. Get to scratch that one off of our bucket list." "I'm glad. Though I do have one teensy complaint. The food here is way too expensive." "I guess they gotta make their money somewhere." "Burger joint later?" "Yes please." With that, Richard placed a hand on her head. It was the same gesture that he would give when he was in his full height, and Jac appreciated it just as much now as ever. She leaned in on his chest, which no doubt took the Wile aback by how swiftly his head turned to the side. It wouldn't be long however before he gently folded his arms around her for deeper hug. What was once a nerve-wracking ordeal for them both turned into another night to remember. The duo continued their dance well into the night, soothed by the other's presence at last.

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