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.trophyThe 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.