Quilt When Jac goes to visit the family farm on a chilly day, there's one thing that she looks forward to more than anything else. It was surprisingly not her dad's wonderful singing, nor was it hanging out with the vegetable sheep herd and sleeping on their wool (though that would be a close second). That distinction belongs to staying in the living room and wrapping herself all around with her favorite quilt. This luxurious fabric was hand knitted by the nature giant himself from the fleece of the very sheep that he had raised. It used to be a part of a much larger throw that had decorated the sofa for more than a decade. But after seeing that his adopted daughter loved it so much, Gerald decided that it would be better for her to have a piece of it to claim for herself. So he had cut off a portion and presented it to her one fateful dawn, and the young woman had been enamored with it ever since. Jac was so comfortably snug in the center of her thick, warm veil atop her resting place on the back of the couch. Her figure reminded Gerald of a chrysalis, for the tiny human remained completely still in that exact position all throughout the morning. He knew she was awake, but he was also aware that she would not be getting up anytime soon. "I'd be careful if I were you, Jac!" Her father teased, "I wouldn't be surprised if you will turn into a butterfly in a few more days." "You know what?" Jac finally spoke in a muffled voice. "Let's test that theory." "I never saw a giant butterfly before, so I'm sure that would be truly remarkable! I bet you'll become a very beautiful one." "Thanks dad." And with that, she was done speaking for at least another hour. As the day rolled by and the nature giant was mostly done with his morning chores, he sat down to relax with a nice cup of joe next to the human cocoon. While she failed to notice his presence at first, Jac listened intently as more and more sounds began to perk up her ears. The creak of a tin opened, which was immediately followed by a plastic wrapper unzipping, that would then unleash a sweet yet tart smell that tickled at her nose. Jac slowly turned her head around to witness the majesty that was her dad's famous cookies, her eyes then widened to about the size of an owl's. "Well! That got your attention," Gerald said with a soft chuckle. "You want some?" Jac gave an audible gulp that even the giant was able to hear. But as soon as she unfurled the quilt that had protected her small body, she was quickly reminded of why she had it on in the first place. After merely a moment exposed to the surrounding air, which in turn caused her to shiver quite a bit, Jac backed up and took refuge underneath the safety of her quilted shield once again. "I think I'm good for now." She said. "Are you sure..?" "Yeah..." Jac was reluctant, but she had mostly made up her mind. "Well, that's too bad. I suppose I'll just have to eat the last remaining ones myself. Wouldn't want to let good food go to waste after all." One by one, the noise of soft crunching slowly reverberated through Jac's ears, which had made it excruciatingly difficult for her to ignore. The thought of missing out on this rare treat pained her, and it wasn't long before she had to take back her initial decision. Gerald patiently waited as Jac's inner turbulence was swirling around in her mind. After a time however, he felt that he needed to speak up. "Why don't you come on down here and help yourself? A bit of exercise will do you good! Besides," The giant was hesitant to suggest this but he thought it would be the next best solution. "You can always go back to that spot when you're done." "Deal!" Jac exclaimed in lightning speed. As much as Jac would have hoped to keep herself from tripping over her blanket as she made her way to the seat, this proved to be next to impossible for the tiny human. Thankfully, Gerald offered to lend a helping hand quite literally, so that she can enjoy feasting on a part of a cookie without the need to unwrap herself from the safety of her fluffy cocoon. Nothing could beat devouring one of the most delicious sweets that Jac has ever tasted, while simultaneously being nice and snuggly with the best quality quilt that she owns. Gerald watched in silence as his adopted daughter happily chewed away like a rodent, and during this time he had a good thought. "Why don't you take that blanket home with you? I know how much you like it, so it would only seem natural I think." Jac nearly dropped the cookie she was holding and swung her head to face her father much too quickly. "This is part of a set with the other quilts isn't it? I'd hate to break it up after all this time." "Doncha worry about it. I never cared about keeping a complete set or any of that hullabaloo. It's yours Jac. Feel free to take it and do whatever you please with it." It took a little bit for Jac to fully realize just how happy she actually was by that statement. With a great big hug to her pops, she thanked him wholeheartedly for the gift. "I promise I'll take good care of it!!" "So long as you remember to go to work and exercise and get out of bed every once in a while then I'm fine with it." Gerald suggested. "Sure thing dad." Somehow her father couldn't believe that, but he went along with it with a slight sigh.gifFragileThe most terrifying thing in the world for Bo was when Jac got seriously hurt, all because of a careless oversight on his part. After sheltering these memories for so long, he failed to understand why he was beginning to recall these events ever so vividly. The exact scenes would play over and over again in his mind, from his being late to go home due to soccer practice, to the fateful incident when he threw the ball at the human girl upclose. It was in that moment that his worldview shattered simultaneously with her bones, and he began to understand that these tiny people were much more fragile than they appeared to be. For a good while thereafter, he wouldn't dare pick up or handle anyone human sized or smaller. But given enough time and through some encouraging words from Jac herself, Bo managed to overcome his fears and would ultimately use this lesson as a resolve to better himself as a person. The chronicles of this particular past experience had been put in the back burner of his mind for some time. So why was he having relapses now all of a sudden? As was usually the case however, the Bunyan giant kept quiet about his thoughts. Off days were seldom had and relaxing outdoors with his little sister with no sneaky Wile giants lurking about was even rarer still. Bo wanted nothing more than to sit on the park bench and just relax without a care in the world. If only Jac would just stand still then he wouldn't have to get paranoid on keeping an eye on her, but then again that's asking too much of the energetic human. Just as he was about to doze off, a rustling noise caught the giant's attention. It was too loud to have been a friendly Wile, yet it was too quiet to be potentially caused by a comnon giant's footsteps. He turned his head to the source of the disturbance when he spotted something off the distance on the arch of a human sized bridge. A strange, smaller person, who looked as if he was rattling something hard within his fists. Curiosity had gotten the better of the Bunyan, so he decided to approach this lad while being careful not to draw too much attention to himself. Using a nearby bush as cover, Bo was still some ways away from the scene, but he was able to make out a figure: a boy who looked to be no more than ten years old. He was laughing and hollering at the object in his hands, swinging it around as if it were a toy. While Bo's hearing was no where near as good as a Wile giant's, the Bunyan was able to put two and two together when the sight of something on the side of the young man's hand caught the attention of the giant. His eyes widened gradually upon realizing what was going on. A skinny tail with a turf of fuzzy hair on the end hung mostly limp from the opening between the boy's digits. The Bunyan giant had only laid eyes on this humanoid a couple of times, but he knew immediately that he was looking at a telltale sign of a Maurognome's tail. Bo was readying himself to go over there to do something about it, but as soon as he had gotten up, he froze. He couldn't understand why this was happening. On normal days, he wouldn't hesitate to step in to try and defuse a situation like this, but this time he was low-key panicking. Once more, something else plagued his mind, a thought that was getting in the way of his efforts to stay calm and to keep his head together. Just then, a familiar voice cut through the air like a knife. "HEY KID! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Jac stomped onto the wooden bridge, her expression was seething with rage but she tried to keep it together overall. "I found him under my bed," the boy yelled, "he's mine! Go get your own!" Jac was just about ready to blow her top, but she took a deep breath through her nose and continued her interrogation with as much of a straight face as she was able to pull off. "I know a doctor," Jac exclaimed, "I've been around a few cases like this so I can tell that your 'friend' is in a lot of pain right now. So please, can I have a look at them?" "No! I'm taking very good care of him, so he can't be sick!" The boy said as he jerked his hands away from Jac, the little gnome's tail was now dangling dangerously close to the side of the bridge. "I gave him a little house to play in and he eats a lot of snacks and stuff. I wanted to get him out in the sunshine, but he keeps trying to run away!" "Gee I wonder why? Maurognomes can't be out in the sun for too long!" "Mauro-wah?" "You don't even know!" Jac sighed harshly. "Alright, hand them over." "Why?" "If you don't, I'll call the police." "Wha~?" "Maurognomes are protected! If you hurt one or have one as a pet, you could go to jail! Did you know that?" "No...?" The boy was beginning to whimper. "It may not be like that in other parts of the world, but this is the Beanstalk Society, and we take this sort of thing VERY seriously." The boy had gotten nervous, not only due to this revelation but the fact that everyone else in the park had now gathered around the bridge. Feeling smaller than usual, the young man finally give up on his prized possession, hesitating frequently before Jac verbally showed her displeasure with him not hurrying things along. The human woman opened her hands to see a middle aged gnome gasping for air. The clothes on his back as well as his carrier bag was left in tatters and he was as thin as a pencil. "Not a moment too soon," Jac thought. After the ambulance drove away with the Maurognome on board, Jac turned around to face Bo who had remained planted in place since the beginning of this incident. "What's eating you?" She asked. The smaller sister knew that Bo didn't enjoy that terminology, but she figured that would snap him out of his own thoughts. "I really don't know myself to be honest." He finally admitted. "I never dealt with a child handling someone much more smaller before and I guess, I was worried that I might escalate things if I approached too hastily. He may not be used to giants like me after all." "I guess that's valid." "But you were amazing, Jac!" "Ah, I'll admit. It was hard to stay calm. But I saw that a life was at stake, so I charged right on in." "You're braver than me..." "Nah, it was just circumstance. If you were human height I bet you would have done the same thing." Jac then rubbed the giant's hand as he proceeded to lift her up. "I know you're scared of your own strength sometimes, but you're the gentlest person I know, giant or otherwise. You don't have to worry so much!" "I saw myself in that little boy." Bo finally confessed his thoughts. Jac paused for a moment, she couldn't believe what she just heard. "You're comparing yourself to that brat? Bro! You were much better than him even when you were his age! You had a steady hand even then and you were never rough with any of us! Sure you weren't as good as you are now, but that's the point!" Bo paused for a bit as he began to contemplate what was said. "I keep thinking about that accident, Jac..." "That was thirteen years ago!" Jac shouted. "You take a lot of effort to prevent stuff like that from happening again! You're great at it! You should be proud of yourself!" That was what he needed to hear. Bo couldn't help but be touched by those words, as he turned his head to view the spectacular start of a sunset. Yet again, Jac had made his eyes water, even though he tried his best not to let his tears drop this time. "Thank you.." He whispered. Jac understood that he was feeling bad, so she thought about cheering him up the best way she knew how. "How about we get some ice cream before we go? My treat!" Bo took a moment to gather himself again and he spoke softly after clearing his throat. "That sounds great. Remember you can't eat off of my cone. You need to get your own, little lady!" "Not even one lick? Please?" There was Jac with her puppy eyes again... Bo couldn't help but sigh. "I guess one lick wouldn't hurt." He laughed.PuppetThe 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 other's 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 stuck here for a good while." "Yeah.. You know, while we were in the middle of all that, I had completely forgotten about the storm. A guess a good distraction was 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 he 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.