#giant tiny writing

[callsign-relic]

Giants as landscapes,,,,

Traversing across the giant’s body as they lie on their back and sleep. Wary of even their unconscious form— one wrong shift or turn, and you’re smothered beneath them.

Starting at the base of their abdomen. The gaping cavern of their belly button in the distance… if you fell inside, you’re not sure you’d ever come out. You’re careful to walk around the indent of flesh, trying to balance yourself against the rise and fall of their stomach as they breathed. The horizon you traversed across, breathing with life. This horizon, a person.

Stopping in your tracks whenever the giant’s stomach growls. Grumbling and gurgling beneath layers of skin and flesh and muscle… a broiling chamber held within them. Pushing past any stalks of hair that were scattered about their stomach.

Crossing their abdomen, reaching the incline of their chest. Feeling their skin vibrate slightly, pulsing with their heartbeat below. The thing that keeps them alive, powerful enough to disrupt your balance. Just their heart was multiple times your size…

[ray-gt]

sleep-in

I've been thinking about the girls again. A quick one because I love them.

___________________________

“Morning,” Lilah murmured.

Dani felt her girlfriend’s large nose nuzzle the length of her spine before her shoulders were enveloped by the soft cushiony press of her lips.

Dani simply groaned in response, rebelling against Lilah’s obvious push to wake her up. She turned further away, burying her face in the pillow and pulling the sheet over her head.

Lilah let out a breathy chuckle before flipping back down with a petulant whine. The bed shook from her movement but Dani was too sleepy and too stubborn to give Lilah the reaction she was hunting.

Just as she felt sleep tickle the edges of her consciousness, Lilah rolled over again in Dani’s direction, chasing it away. She felt the sheet being pulled off her head and she scrambled to grab it. It was laughable how hard she had to pull just to keep it from being pulled away any further. She knew this was just a game for Lilah. If her girlfriend wanted to, there would be no contest. Instead she was content to let Dani, sleepy and disgruntled, try and eventually give up.

“Fine.” She muttered. She let go of the sheet and flopped back face-first on the pillow.

Above her Lilah huffed.

“Dani.” She complained, drawing in out like a child. “It’s 8am! You don’t want to waste the morning. I’ve been up for an hour already.”

Dani didn’t reply. Lilah had a faulty brain that enjoyed getting up at the asscrack of dawn, but Dani’d been up until 2am the night before prepping a new case briefing for the partners at her firm, she didn’t have the same reverence. This sacred space of morning was hers to turn her brain off and indulge in the freedom of a semi-empty mind. The pure physicality of being tired.

When the silence endured long enough for Lilah to realise Dani didn’t intend on replying to or acknowledging her, she let out a long, loud sigh.

That’s ok, Dani could deal with Lilah’s fidgeting.

There was nothing stopping Lilah from seizing the day or whatever it was that people did when they voluntarily got up before mid-morning.

Dani was content until she felt the press of something indenting the pillow around her and then Lilah’s large fingers curling beneath her and meeting below Dani’s stomach.

With a yelp, she was airborne and watched as her precious pillow grew further and further away. As she watched her view was replaced with Lilah’s smug grin.

Her girlfriend looked the opposite to what Dani felt. Was it some magic in giants that meant their equivalent of ‘bed head’ was just slightly tussled? What would be a sagged, tired squint on Dani was a soft low-lidded stare from Lilah. When they made eye contact - Dani dangling above her girlfriend’s face - Lilah’s eyes shone.

“Li,” Dani groaned. Her voice was cracked with the disuse of morning. ��You know I’m not a nice person until at least 10am.”

“I don’t mind.” Lilah shrugged.

Dani rolled her eyes.

“How kind. Can you please put me down? I need at least 10 more hours of sleep.”

Lilah pouted. “But I miss you.”

“I’m literally sharing a bed with you.”

Lilah didn’t reply but Dani saw an idea form behind her eyes.

“Ok, fine.”

The hand holding Dani began to move, but instead of it returning her to her pillow, she was lowered onto Lilah’s chest. Then Lilah drew the sheet up to her and rested back.

“You can sleep.” She said at last, grabbing a book and her glasses from her bedside table.

Dani wanted to protest. She felt like she should say something about agency and autonomy, but she was too tired and too comfortable to care. Lilah was letting her sleep-in (which she rarely ever did, regardless of size) so Dani decided to just take the win.

“You’re so needy.” Dani muttered by way of rebuttal. She felt Lilah’s chest vibrate as her girlfriend hummed in contentment.  

Slowly, the rise and fall of Lilah’s chest, the quiet turn of a page, and the rhythmic wash of Lilah’s breath coaxed her back into the sweet embrace of sleep.

(I've been writing a bit of Dani and Lilah stuff offline, and I'm having a lot of fun I fear. You can rad more about them here, or over one AO3 where I've been reworking the story a bit - ray xx)

[sizebrained]

Starting off 2025 with a commission of Ben and Hazel from Unstuck Together By the wonderful @kix-mm I love it so much! Look at them.

[tinycoded360]

Sterling household--The Talk

Chapter 8: The talk

Milton's heart pounded nervously as he stood on Sterling's kitchen table, flanked by Cassia and Emma. Sterling loomed like a benign colossus, his presence still intimidating.

"Alright then," Milton began, his voice steadier than he felt, "let's talk about how we can make this work for all of us."

“Of course, but first, I have some things for you.” The tiny borrowers watched in confusion as Sterling turned to grab something from his counter.

The smell of freshly baked bread was distracting. Apparently, Sterling thought it was a good idea for them to snack and talk.

"Smells amazing, doesn't it?" Cassia whispered, her stomach betraying her with a tiny growl.

"Focus," Milton murmured, though even he couldn't deny the saliva pooling in his mouth at the thought of fresh bread. Granted, Cassia was perfectly able to make bread within the walls of their home, but it wasn’t the same as the fluffy bread that giants make.

Sterling chuckled, a deep sound vibrating through the air. "I hope you're hungry. There's plenty to go around." He set down a plate of freshly cut bread. Some slices had butter on them, and others did not. The bread was cut into tiny pieces so it would be easy for his tiny guests to handle.

Before Milton could make a move to sample the offering, Sterling spoke up again, his giant hand coming down close, startling the tiny man. “Wait one more thing, here take this, this is for you.” Pinched between the giant’s forefinger and thumb was a tiny tea cup—perfectly sized for the tiny borrowers. Milton stared in shock but reached for the cup. Sterling offered a cup to Cassia and Emma as well.

“These are for you, you can keep them, I bought them at a craft store, I thought they would be perfect for you. Oh! And these too.” Next Sterling handed each of them a tiny spoon, the spoon was close to their scale.

“This is amazing, Sterling. Thank you.” Cassia said.

“Why do you giants have tiny stuff like this? What’s the purpose?” Emma spoke up. She liked the tiny gift, but she couldn’t understand why a giant would sell and buy these things, if not for toys for their young, but these items seemed way to small for children’s toys.

“I don’t know……. I guess humans have always liked tiny things.” Sterling said with a shrug.

“But wait there’s more.” Sterling said with a grin. He brought over a pitcher of iced tea. He then took a pipette and suctioned some of the tea into it. He then held it over each of their tiny cups. He carefully served them some fresh tea.

Sterling sat down in his chair, holding a mug of his own; he took a sip of his tea and smiled down at them. “Ok, now we can start.”

Milton inched closer to the table's edge, his eyes locked on Sterling's face. "Sterling," Milton started, each word measured and deliberate, "We've come to appreciate... your kindness."

Sterling leaned in, careful not to make any sudden moves that might startle his tiny guests. "I'm glad to hear that, Milton. I've always enjoyed helping where possible, and I want you guys to stay."

Cassia, her hands clasped in front of her, added, "We can't ignore the risks, but we also see the benefits of living here, close to you." Her voice held a note of cautious optimism.

"Of course," Sterling nodded, "It's a delicate balance, isn't it?"

Emma glanced between Milton and Cassia before addressing Sterling with a hint of boldness. "It is. And we'll find a way to maintain that balance if you are."

Sterling's expression softened further, touched by the admission. " All of you were very kind to look after me when I was ill. I think we can be good neighbors or roommates or sorts, I’d be willing to work out an agreement of conduct.”

"An exchange," Milton proposed. "We help with small tasks, like pest control and small repairs to the house, and in return, we receive some food scraps and materials that would otherwise be wasted."

"Seems fair, but I think we can do better than that," Sterling agreed with a gentle smile. "I don’t want you guys to feel like you have to hide. I don’t see how that’s different than before?” “What, the only difference is I know you’re around?” Sterling asked with a frown.

“This is a lot for us. We’re not supposed to interact or talk to you like this.” Emma pointed out.

“I won’t push you past what you’re comfortable with, but I would want you all to be more comfortable, maybe interact more. I’d be willing to share more than just scraps.” Sterling pressed.

"Hmmm, okay, then. Look, Sterling," Emma piped up, barely containing the tremor in her voice as she glanced warily at the corner of the kitchen where Whiskers usually lounged. Currently, the cat was shut in Sterling’s room. "We need to talk about your cat, then."

Milton's eyes darted toward the ground, his body tensing at the mention of the feline predator. Cassia placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, her gaze fixed on Sterling.

Sterling sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know Whiskers can be... problematic for you folks, but she's part of this household too. I can't just get rid of her."

"Perhaps we could arrange our borrowing times?" suggested Milton. "A schedule that lets us roam when she's confined to your room?"

"Or announce ourselves loudly," Cassia added with a hint of reluctance. "Though it feels like asking permission in our own home."

"Training her might be a safer bet," Sterling proposed, watching their reactions closely. "Properly introduce you to her, so she understands you’re family, not food. But of course, I’d be willing to set a schedule; we can write it out."

Cassia nodded slowly. " The schedule would be preferred, and I think we should do that first. But I’d be willing to try to be introduced to your—"

"No!" Milton interjected sharply. "I won't risk Cassia or the children. If we do that, I’ll do it first, just in case something goes wrong."

“Oh, I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise,” Sterling said as he leaned closer.

Sterling and Milton locked eyes, a silent battle of wills passing between them until Sterling finally chuckled. "I promise you won’t be hurt; I’ll be there every step of the way; it will be done under close supervision.”

"Good," Milton grumbled, not thrilled about this whole idea.

"Another thing," Cassia said before the mood could sour further. "Please, don't tell others about us. It's dangerous if more humans know."

"Of course," Sterling agreed solemnly. "Your secret's safe with me. And I'll give you a heads-up if I'm expecting company. You should have plenty of time to hide or return to your nest."

"Thank you," Cassia said, the relief evident in her tone. "It eases my mind knowing we won't stumble upon strangers."

"Before we continue further," Sterling said, shifting slightly, "I have another thing for you." He reached into a drawer and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in cloth. He unfolded it on the table with delicate care to reveal an assortment of miniature kitchenware.

Milton's eyes narrowed at the sight of the tiny pots and pans, more silverware, more teacups, plates, and plastic buckets—all perfectly borrower-sized. "We can't accept these; you’ve already given us a gift," he stated firmly, his pride as a provider prickling at the offer and the fact they didn’t get any gift for the giant.

Cassia's elbow nudged into his side subtly yet with intention. "Oh, they're wonderful," she exclaimed, her voice warm with genuine delight as she inspected the gifts. "We love them, don't we?"

"Of course," Milton conceded begrudgingly, though his gaze lingered on the items with a hint of appreciation. Sterling's lips curled into a pleased smile, his eyes brightening at Cassia's enthusiasm.

"Good, I'm glad," Sterling responded, watching them. "I hope they're... usable."

"Indeed," Cassia said, still admiring the craftsmanship.

After a moment of contemplative silence, Sterling's expression turned serious. "Listen, I've been meaning to ask—have you been cooking inside the walls? Using flame?" His tone was gentle, but concern etched his brow.

Cassia and Milton tensed simultaneously; the question felt like an intrusion, a spotlight on their hidden lives. "Yes, but we're always careful," Cassia assured quickly, her voice steady despite the sudden anxiety.

"Even so, I'd rather you didn't," Sterling insisted. "It's not just about being careful. Even tiny, controlled fires could lead to disaster."

"Disaster?" Milton scoffed. "We know what we're doing. It's not like we're reckless."

"Still," Sterling pressed, "what if there's another way? I could get you a miniature kitchen to set up here, on the counter. You could cook safely without worries."

"Out here?" Milton's voice rose incredulously. "You expect us to abandon the safety of the walls whenever hunger strikes?"

"Look, I—I thought it might be nice to share meals, but maybe that's too much," Sterling stuttered, his proposal hanging awkwardly in the air. "We can work out a schedule if that's better."

"Share meals?" Emma muttered under her breath, her skepticism evident even in hushed tones. "Like we wouldn't just take what we need anyway."

Sterling cleared his throat, undeterred. "I'll also leave a notepad out. If you need anything specific, just write it down, and I'll see what I can do."

"I’ll consider it. Could I pick the kitchen?” Cassia spoke up. She loved the idea of having something close to what humans got to enjoy.

“Of course!” Sterling said with a relieved smile.

“Okay, well, we can give it a try to see if that works,” Cassia declared, ignoring her husband's grumpy expression.

"Agreed," Sterling nodded. "You'll have free access to the kitchen. Anything you need."

"Generous offer," Cassia said with a small smile, glancing up at Sterling's towering figure. "Thank you, really."

"Of course," he replied, his voice softening. "Anything for my little housemates."

"Right," Sterling said, refocusing the group's attention. "One last rule I'd like to put in place. My bedroom and bathroom are off-limits. You'll just have to ask me if you need something from those rooms."

Milton nodded, his expression serious as he considered the giant human's request. "Understandable. Your privacy is important."

"Very well," Emma agreed, her eyes flickering to the other borrowers. "We'll respect your spaces. Let's sort out these schedules then."

"Great," Sterling replied, relieved. They discussed times and routines, ensuring their paths would cross safely and predictably.

Once they agreed on a schedule, Sterling reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object. "I've got one more thing for you. It's a smartphone—a basic one, but it should do the trick."

"A phone?" Milton's eyebrows shot up, incredulity etched across his face.

"Yes," Sterling beamed, placing it gently on the table before them. "It's pre-paid. You can call or text me if there's an emergency or even if you just need to ask about something."

Cassia leaned forward, her eyes wide as she examined the device. "This... this is too much, Sterling. We can't accept—"

"Please," Sterling interjected, pressing his palm against his chest. "It would give me peace of mind knowing you could reach out if needed."

"Thank you," Milton said gruffly, clearly moved despite his reservations. He was thinking about how they’d have to give something to Sterling in return; the giant human had already given them too many gifts. He could not stand to be outdone in this way.

Sterling picked up the phone and showed how to use it. "Here's how you turn it on, and here's how you make a call. I've saved my number under 'Giant'—it seemed fitting."

A chuckle escaped Cassia's lips, and even Emma allowed herself a small grin at the nickname.

"Let's test it," Sterling suggested. He dialed his own number from the phone and let it ring. His pocket buzzed, and he showed them the incoming call. "See? That's you calling."

"Technology," Milton muttered, still eyeing the phone with a mix of suspicion and fascination. Their most common technology was wiring and lights in their tunnels.

"Can we send messages, too?" Cassia asked, her curiosity overriding her initial hesitation.

"Absolutely," Sterling confirmed. "I'll leave it here by the notepad—you can grab it whenever you're ready to take it back to your nest."

"Stellar," Emma said, and though the word was flippant, her tone carried genuine appreciation.

"Thank you, Sterling," Cassia said again, her voice warm. " Although, Sterling, there's one more thing," Cassia interjected, "I want you to properly meet our children."

"Of course!" Sterling’s voice boomed enthusiastically, a giant grin spreading across his face. His eyes sparkled at the prospect of meeting the little ones he’d only glimpsed during hurried rescues from mischievous escapades.

"Come on up, loves!" Cassia called out. Four tiny figures emerged from the shadowy crevice in the wall, cautiously approaching the table. Agnes, her hair tied back in a practical braid, climbed the dangling rope with ease of experience, her little brother Finn clinging to her back, his eyes wide with wonder and trepidation. Pippin and Lila followed their big sister.

Sterling watched, spellbound by their miniature bravery, resisting every paternal instinct to scoop his hands underneath them for safety. Instead, he remained still, but his body was ready to lunge forward to catch them if they slipped.

"Hello, Mr. Silversmith," Agnes greeted, her voice steady despite the rapid thumping of her heart.

"Hi!" chirped Finn, his small fingers tightening around his sister's shoulders.

"Please, call me Sterling," he replied gently, careful not to startle them with the volume of his voice. "And who might this brave knight be?" he nodded towards Finn. He’d only seen the tiny boy once after rescuing him from his cat.

"I'm Finn!" the boy announced proudly, puffing out his chest as much as his piggyback position would allow.

"Nice to meet you, Finn. And Agnes, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Agnes nodded, her cheeks flushing with bashfulness.

"Can I have some bread?" Finn asked, his gaze darting to the plate of food.

"Of course," Sterling chuckled.

"Yeah!" Finn exclaimed, sliding down from Agnes's back to enjoy the warm food. Milton moved to help his youngest with his serving.

Sterling's eyes then landed on the other two children.

Cassia stepped forward. “This is Pippin, and this is Lila.”

“Hello there, it’s very nice to meet you?” Sterling smiled at the two tiny children.

Pippin shuffled his feet. “It’s nice to meet you too; thank you for letting me go last time.”

“Of course, little one. Here, go help yourself to the bread,” Sterling replied. He could tell the tiny children were still nervous around him, and he hoped his offering would put them at ease.

Sterling watched in fascination as the tiny girl, Lila, approached his hand. She placed her tiny hand on his finger. To his surprise and delight, the tiny girl started to climb into his hand. She stood on the back of his hand. Balancing and giggling as she went. Sterling held perfectly still, not wanting to knock the tiny girl down. He could feel her tiny feet padding softly against his skin.

"Are we like mice to you?" Lila asked, her voice teeming with curiosity.

"A bit," Sterling acknowledged with a teasing grin, "But much cleverer and certainly more talkative."

"Can I climb up your arm?" Lila inquired, peeking up through long lashes, her adventurous spirit shining through.

"Maybe," Sterling hedged, shooting a quick glance at their parents. "With your parents' permission, of course." He was surprised at how quickly this little one was warming up to him.

"Let's stick to the table for now," Milton interjected. It didn’t sit right with him to see his youngest daughter using the human as a jungle gym. She shouldn’t be this at ease with him.

Lila pouted but listened to her father. She hopped down from the giant hand and ran over to her father, asking for some yummy bread.

After the borrowers had their fill of bread and the adults had hashed out their agreements, they said their goodbyes, packed their gifts into their packs and headed back inside the walls. Sterling leaned down, handing them their new phone to take back with them. Sterling was amused that it took all three tiny adults to drag the electronics back with them. 

Author Note: Below is an example of some of the gifts Sterling gave them. The figure is just a reference model for size comparison. 

Chapter 9

[gtbutterfly]

Quincy and the forest giant part 10

hey, I got this one out a lot sooner than expected! I might try to work on a new story or maybe some one offs between this chapter and the next one. Anyways, this part is a bit more in depth than the last one. Hope you enjoy it! Critism is appreciated! (Sorry I forgot to say that last time)

previous part:

______________________________________________________________

I’ve never understood why in movies and cartoons, whenever one character was tiny and another character was big, they had the smaller character sitting on the bigger one's shoulder. I always thought that it would be too easy for the smaller person  to fall off from there. When people have parrots and other birds on their shoulders, it makes sense, because the bird is holding on with its talons. But with a person, they’re not really hanging onto anything, they're just balancing, and they somehow don’t fall off. If they had to hang onto something, it would probably be the ear, which would be painful for the bigger character. I never realized why those shows always did that until Ella took me for a walk that day. She had me cupped in her hand while she was walking through the forest. Her elbows were bent so I was upright in her hands. After a while, she started carrying me in one hand against her chest while she put her other hand down, and she switched hands a few times, which was a bit disorienting for me. I figured out her arms were getting tired in that position, so I decided to say something when she switched again,

“Um…hey, Ella?” I said,

“Hmm?” The giant looked down at me, “oh, sorry kid, I know changing my hands can be a bit much,” 

“Uh…it's fine…hey, do you want to, like, hold me in a different way?” I asked.

“What other way?” she asked, “this is the most comfortable way I can hold you without you dropping 40 feet,”

“Well…it doesn’t seem too comfortable…” I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Comfortable for you I mean,” Ella said. “Would you rather I have you in a fist around your neck again?”

“Um…no,” I said, “uh…how about…I dunno, your shoulder?” I suggested.

“You’d fall in seconds.” Ella said dryly.

“Um…your pocket?” I asked,

“You wouldn’t be able to seeQuincy. That would defeat the whole purpose of going on a hike.” Ella said. “My pockets are too deep for you to see over…do you want to know what's in my pockets?”

“Um, No?” I said, in a mixture of scared and genuinely confused.

“Good.” Ella said, continuing to walk. 

“Um…do you have any ideas?” I asked.

“Hmm…” she sighed, “your too small to walk beside me, obviously,” she said, “maybe…sigh no,”

“Um…what?” I asked,

“Nothing..” she said, starting to murmur something to herself about “me being too young.”, I couldn’t fully make it out. She sighed again. “Maybe we should rest for a second, how does that sound?” 

“Yeah…that sounds fine,” I said. Ella looked around, before slowly lowering herself to the ground, which was covered in leaves and plants, some flattened by giant footprints, supposedly from Ella stepping on them before. She sat with one leg outwards and the other bent towards it. She placed me on the ground on her right side, next to the bent leg, and leaned back with both her arms behind her. I looked around at the forest we were in. The trees were even larger than the 60 foot giant looming over me, their leaves were massive and completely blocked out the sun. The floor of the woods was covered in bushes and shrubs and flowers that took whatever light did seep through the leaves of the trees. Next to me was a foot print the size of a small car where the plant life was completely flattened. It was Ellas footprint, but it wasn’t somewhere she stepped before. I looked up at her.

“Um…do you come to this part of the forest often?” I asked.

“Yeah…part of my job,” the giant said.

“Oh yeah….your job…” I said, looking down. “Um….is it ok if I…ask now….um, what your job is?” 

“I told you, I’ll tell you when I’m ready to,” Ella said,

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I rubbed the back of my head, “um…but….I’m just wondering if you can, uh, just tell me what you do,”

“What do I do?” Ella asked.

“Yeah…uh, you don’t have to tell me how your a giant or anything about the company, or Derrick, or anything like that…I just want to know what you do, that's all..,”

“Hmm…alright then,” the giant sighed, “I’m only telling you because they apparently want me to adopt you, or whatever,” she closed her eyes and sighed again, before looking forward and away from me. “I walk around the forest…and make sure everything is…” she waved her hand in the air as if trying to think of what to say, “normal” she finally said, with air quotes.

“N-normal?” I asked.

“Not normal like, normal, normal like, the way things are supposed to be,” Ella said.

“Um….ok…um, like what?” I asked, tilting my head. She looked down at me.

“That's harder to explain without getting into…y’know,” Ella sighed again, changing her legs to be crisscrossed. She then held out her hand to me. I looked at it for a moment, confused as if we were going to continue walking or not, before climbing onto her palm. Ella stayed on the ground, lifting me upwards to a tree. My gut felt weird being lifted like that, I thought that I would be used to it by now.

“Do you see these trees?” Ella asked. I looked at the tree in front of me. It was thick and wide, much more dense than a normal tree, but not as much as say a red wood. The trunk was brown, and the leaves were much bigger, they seemed like normal leaves, but they were almost a foot long. 

“Y-yeah…what about it…?” I asked.

“These are oak trees, Quincy.” the giant holding me said. “They're the kind of tree your townspeople chop down.” 

“But…they're so big…” I said, “...trees from centuries ago don’t get this big…at least as far as I know,” 

“That's the work of the company.” Ella said. “Its experimental, these are the only trees in the world being grown like this. Since its experimental, there are some worries from the company about these modified trees affecting the animals, or their existence being found out to the public and other companies try doing the same thing,” 

“So…you make sure those things don’t happen?” I asked.

“If an animal mutates or whatever, which never happens, I’m supposed to give it to the company for testing, and if a human is found out here, I’m supposed to take them so that no one finds out about what the company’s doing.” Ella said. “So, yeah, I just walk around and make sure those things…don’t happen,” she shrugged.

“So, you're their security?” I asked,

“That's a way of putting it,” she said dryly. She looked down at herself for a moment, almost seeming sad about something. I looked up at her and patted hand a bit, I don’t know if she felt it or not, she didn’t have a reaction. I looked down for a moment, before backing up and looking up at her.

“So, uh, they were worried about the big trees making…big animals?” I asked,

“Yeah…they never did though, at least as far as I can tell,” Ella said.

“Did they make you big…in the same way?” I asked sheepishly, looking down slightly. Ella turned her head towards me and sighed. She was silent for a moment.

“It's a bit more complicated than that…” she said, before she got on her knees. I could tell she didn’t want to talk about this anymore. She looked forward. “Come on, let's start heading back, I should start making lunch for us,” the giant said, still holding me as she stood up.

“Yeah….um…how does…uh, venison…taste anyways?” I asked. 

“You’ll see,” Ella said, her footsteps vibrating the ground as she walked with me in her hands. She was looking straight forward as she walked. I looked up at her face. She seemed like she was thinking of something, something that was bothering her. She was passively sad, looking forward with her mouth frowned and her eyes a bit droopy and tired looking. I patted her thumb again.

“Hey…um, are you ok?” I asked, looking up at her. Her eyes widened a bit as she glanced down at me.

“...what do you mean?” she asked, seeming genuinely confused.

“Um…you seem..down about something,” I said, rubbing the back of my head. Ella’s eyes shifted to her side for a moment. They flickered slightly in thought. 

“Um…yeah, it's just sort of…been a lot happening lately,” the giant said, “usually things are a lot more..uneventful out here,”

“um…I know what you mean,” I said, “but I meant…well…you seem…sad….”

“It's nothing,” Ella sighed.

“Um..it's ok…” I said sheepishly, “if you're sad…I just…if you want to talk about it ... .or anything…” Ella sighed again, interrupting me. She let out a slight smile, that was clearly just meant to make me feel better.

“It's fine, Quincy. You don’t have to feel bad for me,” She said, rubbing my back a bit with her finger, “honestly…I probably deserve this, anyways,” 

“Ella…don’t say that…” Said, touching her thumb again.

“Its alright Quincy, you don’t know…” she said, sighing again. “I’ll tell you everything soon…tonight…I’ll tell you everything tonight…make sure to hold me by that, ok?” she said, tilting her head. I paused for a moment.

“...ok,” I said, looking down, “...you really don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to…”

“It's fine Quincy,” she said, rubbing my back again, “you should know…you deserve to know…”

And then she kept walking.  

[gt-zel]

Character Q&A

Be sure to vote and send asks when the poll comes back!!

[gt-abby]

Mar and Jake- chapter 7

Since you guys want it so bad, here it is, chapter seven!

Don't forget to reblog and comment what you think of the story so far (no pressure tho!)

Tag list: @soakedmilkgt

Chapter 1 chapter six chapter seven (you're here) chapter eight

----- 2400~ words

Mar froze. Then she remembered who it must be and she let herself relax. Jake got up rather quickly and looked through the peep hole just to make sure no one who shouldn’t would see his tiny friend, then opened the door with a relieved smile.

“Hey guys! I’m sorry I’m a bit late, got caught up.” Emily entered the apartment before Jake could offer her in. She then knelt down in front of Mar with a big smile and rubbed her head with a finger. Mar didn’t know how to react to that so she let her ruffle her hair, but she was in a bit of a shock. She still wasn’t used to anyone but Jake knowing about her situation. She still felt a few reservations about this, but she tried to reassure herself that Emily must be trustworthy. Jake quickly approached the two women and knelt down in front of Mar as well. That made her a bit uncomfortable- being surrounded by giant people that were looking down at her.

“So, you have to tell me, how come you can… shrink?” Jake just cut to the chase. He couldn’t wait any longer.

“Oh, I can grow, too.” Emily smirked and stood up, motioning for Jake to as well. Then, she slowly rose above him and touched the ceiling with her head. Jake and Mar were shell shocked, Mar more so than Jake. Now she was barely the size of Emily’s pinkie. This made her reservations about Emily grow, but as per usual she didn’t voice her concerns yet. She gulped, but Emily quickly shrunk back to regular human size.

Emily laughed, a rolling, contagious laugh. “Oh, this never gets old, your faces.” Jake returned a fake, nervous laughter. Mar didn’t.

“Anyway, to answer your question, I’ve always been able to do that. It took a few years to master it fully but now I’m a proper sizeshifter!” Emily exclaimed proudly. She then looked down at Mar and asked, “you can’t do that?” Mar shook her head. After meeting Emily for the first time, she tried commanding her body to grow back several times but nothing worked. Emily replied with a ponderous gaze.

“So your parents are… how did you call it .. ‘sizeshifers’ too?

“Oh no, they’re regular people. They know I can sizeshift, though. At first they thought it was a disease, but doctors have never found anything wrong with me, I was always perfectly healthy. But aside from me, no one that I know can do that, either.”

Mar wished Emily would shrink down to her size to keep her company and make her feel more comfortable, but she didn’t voice it. Emily didn’t seem to notice, and neither did Jake, that Mar was rather extremely uncomfortable at the moment.

Two giants were standing, towering above her, having a conversation between them as if she wasn’t there. If she were to speak up, would they even hear her? If she were to try to join in, would they even include her?

Those anxiety-driven thoughts plagued her mind as she spiraled into this deeply depressing mentality that she’s grown to feel weirdly comfortable with. She watched as the two titans sat down on the sofa and continued their conversation as if forgetting about her completely. She was invisible, non-existent perhaps.

“-Right, Mar?” she was pulled away from her thoughts by her name being called.

“Um, sorry what?” her voice broke, but it was so small she really hoped they didn’t hear it.

“Tell her what happened to you.”

“Oh, umm…” She hesitated, feeling embarrassed. But she sucked it up and retold the story again. No one interrupted her. She added her dream to it too, as to explain why it happened, but none of them actually understood exactly why. She ended up rambling for a few minutes, while Emily and Jake looked at each other as they listened. When Mar finally finished, she tried apologizing for talking so much, but the two reassured her that it was all okay.

“I’ve actually had a few dreams like what you’re describing, but I can barely remember them. I remember something, someone, who knew me, but I’ve never met before, appear in my dreams and to talk to me, but I can never remember what they were saying. I… think they were made out of a blue flame or something? I’m not 100% sure.” Emily became uncharacteristically quiet for a moment. Mar’s heart skipped a beat when Emily said she had those dreams too, but she was meekly disappointed to hear that she remembered none of it. How come she remembers but Emily doesn’t? Now she has more questions than answers. “Say, what’s it like being small all the time?” Emily asked Mar tactlessly, changing the subject. She then proceeded to jump onto the coffee table, shaking mar and almost making her fall in the process, while also shrinking back to her size and sitting, crosslegged, next to her. Emily saw the grim expression on Mar’s face and realized. “You don’t like it, huh, well I think it’s pretty cool, you get to be “babied” around, getting carried everywhere you want to go, and all the food I so huge you can eat all your favorites for forever!” She laughed, making Mar chuckle.

“Well, that’s one way of looking at it. But… it was so scary at first, I… I never wanted this to happen, all I’ve built up to in my life is now either useless or gone. My parents even didn’t take it well, so now I’m all on my own.” Mar felt bad about ruining the mood, but she felt like she had to let this feeling out.

“That’s not true, Mar, you have me,” Jake piped up. She looked up at him with a smile. He’s right. He’s been there for her at every turn. Even if she does’t fully feel comfortable leaning on him like that, but she certainly knows she can trust him.

“And me,” Emily exclaimed. “I know we don’t know each other all that well but I’m here for you, no matter what.” She rested her hand on Mar’s shoulder.

“Thanks, you guys,” Mar wiped away a tear. “I really needed that.” She let out a happy laugh of relief.

—

After a few more hours of the three of them hanging out, it was finally time for Emily to go home. Mar felt. Ted bit sad to see her go, her energy was contagious, but they all knew all fun times must come to an end. After Emily had left, Jake sighed heavily and held out his hand to Mar, indicating to her that he wanted her to come with him. He looked tired, and Mar guessed he wanted to go to sleep.

“So… what are we doing tomorrow?” She asked him while crawling onto his palm. “Am I coming with you or staying home?”

“I’ll… let you chose this time. I know I wasn’t the nicest towards you this morning, I wanna make up for that.”

“No, no, don’t worry about it. Umm I guess it’s best if I stay home, since we can risk someone else seeing me and anything bad can happen outside. I can’t move anywhere on my own right now so… I’d feel safest here.”

“Alright. Then Ill make sure to get you everything you need within reach before I leave. I’ll do my best to come back as soon as possible, but I do have work after class so I’ll still be back late.” Jake placed her on his nightstand carefully with a soft smile. Mar tucked herself in the sock he gave her as he went over to the bathroom to get ready. She had a bad feeling for some reason, but she couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from or why. She drifted into sleep before she could hear the bathroom door open back up and Jake return to his room.

“You’re here again at last.” That familiar voice… it struck fear in Mar’s heart as it did before. She was dreaming again.

“What do you want now?” Mar asked the deity, already impatient.

“We have infinity to spend together now, must you be so hostile?” They replied mockingly. Mar scoffed. She had no intention of spending her lifetime connected to this condescending “god”. When she finds a “cure” for all of this, she’ll finally come back to her normal life. “Anyway, how have you been faring the past few days? Have your powers come to you?”

“No.”

“I see.”

Silence befell them in the void. The fire knew Mar wasn’t interested in a conversation, and any attempt at one would be shot down immediately. Mar herself didn’t know what the deity was capable of, but there wasn’t much they could do in the dreamscape. Her physical body wasn’t here so nothing bad could happen to her. So she turned away from the deity and sat on the ground, staring at the void until her eyes began creating shapes in her vision.

“Turn around.” Mar heard a voice from behind her, so cold it made her shiver. But she didn’t reply. Suddenly she felt heat coming from behind her and turning around she saw the fire being grow, bigger and bigger, until they were Jake’s size- hundreds of times her own. Mar was looking up at them, open mouthed, beginning to shake in fear. She felt as if she was first shrunk all over again- the size difference terrified her, especially when it was someone made entirely of flames. Regardless of whether she wasn’t going to be physically harmed, this was a petrifying sight.

Then, her worst fear happened. The deity reached down towards her with their hand, yet Mar was frozen in place. She couldn’t run, or hide, or do anything but stare in disbelief as the fiery palm got closer and bigger. She cowered, looking away, when she felt heat surround her and the giant hand close around her, so tight she felt her breath be taken away.

“No please”, she cried out, as she felt herself be raised from the ground so high up if she fell she could easily die.

“So you humans are just as easily scared as you were back when I last returned, I see.” Mar looked up to see the indifference in the deity’s voice also appear on their huge face. They looked disappointed, too. “I find that extremely pathetic. How did my host come to be this way..? You all have lived far too comfortably in the last millennia. Must I remind you of what I’m capable of? Your life is, quite literally, in my hands. So remember that when ever you plan on disrespecting me, young one.” Mar gulped. This was truly a nightmare. She felt her chest be crushed in the titan’s grip before being completely let go, and, as she fell screaming, she was woken up to Jake’s gigantic face peer upon her and his hand shaking her awake.

“Thank god, Mar, you scared the hell out of me.” He said, wiping away sweat from his brow. “You were screaming, did you know that?” yes, she could feel her throat was sore. “I-I’m sorry” she was breathing heavily, cold sweat pearls on her forehead.

“Look at me,” he pleaded with her, and when she did what he asked, his heart sank. Her eyes were in total shock, darting to everywhere on his face, wide and with tiny pupils. What could she have dreamt about that was so petrifying? “Are you okay? Breathe.”

She took a deep breath and let it all out, looking away from him. “Y-yeah… I’m not… dead so... I guess.”

“Now… please tell me, how the hell are you doing that?” he gestured to her body, and it took her a while to realize there was nothing underneath her. She let out a yelp thinking she was still falling, but she was actually hovering in place, the sock she was sleeping in already slipped off.

“What…?” she stood up in the air and looked around her. Nope, there was nothing underneath her that was holding her in place.

“Of course you wouldn’t know.” Jake sighed. “there’s something new about you every day, huh?”

“Why didn’t this happen like two days ago?!” Mar exclaimed in frustration. “I wouldn’t have broken my freaking leg!” She cried out, her emotions overwhelming her- first, the fire deity scaring her to oblivion, now this.

“Wow, wow, Mar, calm down, it’s okay, these things… happen.” Jake tried to calm her down, unsuccessfully. He resorted to his secret technique. He grabbed her as softly as he could and pressed her against his chest. Her heart was beating so fast he could even feel it. It was faint, but it was there. Slowly but surely, it began to deescalate and she took a deep breath and tapped the inside of the ball he created around her and he let her go. He uncapped his hands but she stayed laying there on one of them, looking up at her giant friend. She wiped away her tears and looked away. Jake took his other finger and used it to position her head so she would look at him, and he raised her to eye level. His eyes looked very concerned and not convinced that she was alright. The way he was looking at her made her eyes water again, so she sat up and looked down at the ground- well, Jake’s palm. He felt her tears falling down on it and his heart dropped some more.

“What… was the dream about this time?” He asked as softly as he could.

“T-they’re back…” Mar replied, still looking away from him. “I tried to ignore them so… they got mad-“ she wiped away the tears- “and became giant, like you, and held me tight. They threatened me and dropped me and then I woke up.”

“My god…” Jake gasped, “No wonder you were panicking.”

“Yeah…”

“W-well, you’re okay now, and I’m here for you- u-unless you need me to leave.” He added, scared he was contributing to her panic, since he was also a giant compared to her.

“No, no, please stay…” She grabbed his thumb and hugged it, finally looking up at him. Jake sighed in relief and his heart skipped a beat- he could not help how cute she looked to him as she hugged his thumb with her entire body. Her size could never stop looking so adorable to him, but he pushed those thoughts away- he didn’t want to dehumanize her like he did the day before.

“Okay.” He pressed her against his heart in an attempt at a hug and she reciprocated and spread her arms and hugged him back as much as she could.

“Thank you.” She whispered

[sarah-kings]

Curses and Thimbles (chapter 1)

Why, hello, g/t community :)

This is my first time posting one of my g/t stories, a big thanks to @ratcatcher0325 for helping me settle on a title for this story

This story takes place in a world where borrowers and other mystical and magical creatures wander the same world as the other humans, though the public is unaware of that. For now, at least.

This chapter mainly acts as a prologue to ease you into the part I really want to tell the story of, the first part acts as the backstory of my OC Jon and the second one is a time skip 20 years forward

Anyway, here is a link to my Masterlist

Jon has been doing better, to say the least.

Well, that wasn't completely the truth…

He had been doing better when he still was back home, able to live under a safe roof, safe from all the dangers he hasn't even known of before and able to have a proper warm meal prepared by his mum.

Then again…the situation with his father wasn't ideal…

That was the only thing that he didn't miss, hearing him scream at his mother and constantly fearing that one day it would hit him too.

Being hit by the strong, reeking smell he'd have whenever he'd come home in the evening.

Feeling so terribly small and worthless under his sharp and judging gaze.

He never thought he could feel more pathetic than back then, and yet…here he stood at roughly one inch in height, desperately stuck in the same ally he got cursed in.

If it wasn't for the food in the many knocked over trash cans Jon never could've been able to survive for so long.

True, the food was disgusting…but it was better than starving…

This was just one of the few compromises he had to make.

Instead of a proper roof over his head and his usual bed all Jon had for cover was a tilted over cardboard box, which was withered and close to falling apart with how often it had been outside in the pouring rain.

Rain…

Jon missed the rain he used to be able to play in for hours…now all the rain was to him was a death sentence.

He had to learn that the hard way when a few weeks ago he almost got swept into the sewers after he got dragged along by the stream of rain.

A sigh escaped him as he sat in the same old box he has been using as his shelter for the past few weeks.

He longingly looked at the exit of the ally, unable to gather up enough courage to leave.

It already was a problem to be outside on his own with people around, but with him being this tiny, the world looming over him for miles to no end?

The thought alone made him shudder.

No, he couldn't go out there, as much as he wanted to…

Subconsciously his hand reached for the piece of bread he had fished out of the trash the other day, a small wince escaping Jon when he hit nothing but air.

Right…he had eaten all of it already…and to his dismay the trashcan wasn't exactly getting any fuller, food was harder to find before the racoons already have plundered them before him.

"I miss home", he quietly admitted to himself, rubbing at his eyes to wipe away the tear that has formed.

He knew he shouldn't cry as a boy…but he was just a toddler, there wasn't much else he could do…and his nerves started breaking.

A startled gasp escaped Jon when he suddenly heard a loud crash, his hand flying up to his mouth out of habit to suppress a scream.

"Nononono, please no, please not dad", he begged in his head, curling in on himself as much as possible in hopes of comforting himself.

"Please, oh god, oh no, don't find me!"

His breathing started to pick up in a panick, Jon screwing his eyes shut in hopes of stopping himself from hyperventilating…but to no avail.

A shiver ran down his spine and he shuddered when he suddenly felt a shadow falling over him, signifying that something had found him, if the sound of surprise from above him was anything to go by.

Slowly Jon dared to open his eyes, his breath picking up once more when he saw a person looming over him, making direct eye contact with him.

He tried to scramble back in a panick to get as far away as possible, only to -thud- hit his back at the wall of the cardboard box.

"Easy, there", the MUCH taller man told him, remaining in his crouched position and raising his hands in mock surrender.

Jon couldn't help not tearing his eyes off of the man, he was HUGE to him.

He wasn't exactly the size of a human, but the fact that Jon could see how he himself wasn't taller than just the man's knee left him unsettled.

"Deep breaths, ok, boy?"

The man held up a hand, counting to five seconds as he took a deep breath in, holding it for another five seconds, and then released it once more after five seconds, repeating the action on loop until Jon finally caught on, repeating as the man did with shuddering breaths, but, eventually, able to calm his breathing.

"There we go…", the man spoke in a soft voice.

"What's a kid like you doing out here in the middle of an ally at brightest day?

Where are your parents?"

Jon just coiled up in himself in response, not daring to say a word.

He was met with the softening and concern warping gaze of the man.

"You're lost out here, aren't you?"

Jon had to admit, he was lost, in a sense.

He couldn't go anywhere without getting overwhelmed, he was stuck in one place.

A slow nod from him confirmed what the man dreaded as an answer.

"…What's your name, kiddo?"

"…Jon", he hesitated.

"I'm Gael Lynch", the man said while giving him a tiny reassuring smile.

"And how old are you?"

"Four…"

Gael's face dropped at that.

"Four?"

He looked at Jon in disbelief.

"I never have seen a four year old your size", he mumbled to himself.

A cold breeze swept by, causing Jon to shiver under it and the man's complete attention.

Gael noticed, shrugging the cloak he was wearing off of his shoulders and carefully draping it over Jon.

"There you go, now you won't have to freeze."

Jon's confused gaze was met with a small smile.

"Come with me, you'll just freeze out here."

"But I don't know you! I can't just go with a stranger!"

"You are just as much of a stranger to me as I am to you.

Come on, kiddo, you'll just catch a cold out here and we don't want that to happen, now, do we?

Don't worry, I'll look after you."

Jon paused at what Gael said.

…Should he really go with this stranger?

And did he really have much of an other choice?

Food was starting to run out…and the weather won't get better any time soon…in fact, winter was approaching and Jon knew for a fact that staying outside won't do any good for him.

…He had the funny feeling that he wouldn't make it much longer on his own…

Hesitantly Jon slowly rose from the spot, Gael giving him a small smile and spreading out his arms.

Without thinking twice Jon ran up to him, burrying his face in the man's chest and clinging onto the fabric of his shirt.

"Let's get you home, hm?"

And with that Gael rose, carrying Jon in his arms as he made his way home, concluding with confidence that he would look after Jon until he'd be ready to take care of himself.

_

Jon took a deep breath, collecting himself and calming his nerves.

"Alright", he mumbled, looking up from where he was standing underneath the desk of the busy office.

"Just grab some of the coffee and get out of here, easy as that."

If ONLY he knew how terribly wrong this entire borrowing mission would go…

[kittydoremi]

Commissioned some more art from the talented @smallpwbbles, this time from my Sonic and The Sol Flower fanfic/au! I love SonElise, and I wanted to make a fanfic with the giant/tiny trope with them ^^

(I need to update it, I haven't updated it in a while .-.)

I love how these sketches turned out so much! :D

[tinycoded360]

Would have reblogged earlier but Tumblr doesn't like showing me posts from people i follow!

hahah Chesters prov of meeting the parents!

The Tiny (Chapter 17)

Chapter 1 | Previous (16) | Next (coming soon)

Content Warning: Sexual mouthplay, blood

Word Count: 2.1k

------ Chapter 17: Blood and Thunder ------

While that infamous day will scar my memory forever, at least one good thing comes out of it. Jackie seems to have fully unlocked her magical potential. She casts impressive bolts of electricity with ease, though she is limited in how much she can produce before she is drained. I’m proud of her, and relieved she has an effective means to defend herself from other giants. 

Even so, I take excessive precautions to keep her safe, fortifying my modest little cottage like a castle. If she’s my tiny princess, I’m her fire-breathing dragon, ready to fry any adversaries to a crisp. She’s my treasure, and I will protect her to my dying breath. 

One day, I panic when I smell her blood. I launch myself across the room to shield her from harm. I’m horrified to find her hands drenched in red, dripping on the table. “Jackie? What happened? How did you get hurt?” I cry, snatching her up.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” she assures me, unconcerned. I furrow my brow with confusion. She holds up her bloody hands with a smile. “It’s blood magic! A little gross, but it worked!” 

“How did you do it?” I question, sniffing her curiously. I’m certain it’s her blood. 

“Well… I drank your blood, but it wasn’t enough. I think I had to ingest the blood of another giant too. And when…” She shudders. “When that huge man took me, I bit his hand and tasted his blood.” 

“Oh,” I utter softly, not sure what else to say. I don’t want to pry into the details of her traumatic experience. She told me in a basic sense what happened, but didn’t divulge the unsavory specifics. I know better than to press her for additional information. 

She winces a bit in disgust and tries to flick the scarlet liquid off her hands. I restrict the movement of her thin arms by gently compressing them between my fingers. She searches me questioningly. I lick my lips and swallow, raising her close to my mouth. My stomach grumbles. Her alluring scent has whetted my appetite… 

I can’t resist a taste. I part my lips and explore with my tongue, touching the tip to her crimson-stained fingers. Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t pull back. She’s been inside my mouth many times, enough to trust that I won’t swallow her against her will. I lick her hands clean, and enjoy the rest of her magnificent body for good measure, bathing her in my saliva and warm breath. She tastes superlative. 

“Mmmm,” I hum. Jackie blushes. Her miniscule fingers curl around my much larger fingertip. I’m surprised to see that she appears to enjoy my ravenous advances. I never thought such a feat was possible. 

She practices more. There’s a substantial difference between manifesting the raw element of magic and shaping it into a spell. The spike in difficulty challenges her, but she remains diligent in her studies, undeterred by her failures. She makes remarkable progress, even though using magic leaves her exhausted. 

On another day, I’m sprawled out on the couch watching TV while Jackie lounges on my belly. She’s doing something, but I’m not really paying attention to her, until she calls out to me. 

“Chester, open your mouth for a minute,” she insists. I cock a brow as I stare down at her. She’s got a mischievous gleam in her eye. I follow her command, relaxing my head on the pillow and cracking open my jaws. I wait patiently as I feel her tiny hands and feet scale my neck and chin, pulling on my stubble. 

I don’t know what she’s planning, but a tickle of excitement activates my salivary glands and inflames my loins. Her knees come to rest on the plush pillow of my lower lip. My tongue sways in the vast cavern of my maw below her, hankering for a taste. To my surprise, a mystery parcel falls into my mouth, tumbling down my slippery tongue like a slide. I catch it before it hits the back of my throat, cradling it in my jaws thoughtfully.  The foreign object is a savory, soft, succulent morsel. 

“Why, that’s human meat!” I blurt through the mouthful of food. “It tastes really good too!” 

It tastes… like Jackie. I double check that she’s safely on my chin, not in my mouth, before gulping down the meat with tremendous satisfaction. A pleasant fullness permeates my belly, as if I’ve eaten a real human. I open my maw again, hoping for more. I’m rewarded with another marvelous chunk of flesh. I wolf it down, positively glowing. 

“Now, Chester, this next piece should be the best yet, but be careful not to swallow it,” Jackie murmurs in a sultry tone. She slides between my lips; I part the gates of my teeth to allow her ingress. My hunger is thoroughly satisfied, but I’m always eager for another taste. She surrenders herself to me, riding the undulations of my tongue. 

Her flavor magnifies; she’s taking off her clothes. I spit them out and slurp on her naked body, slithering my tongue to her sweetest parts, pleasuring her. Feeling her, drinking her up, sandwiching her between my incisors and my tongue, spreading her legs wide apart. I can taste her sexual ecstasy. A low moan rumbles in my throat. 

When we’re done, I open my mouth and stick out my tongue, with Jackie perched at the top. I flick her onto the bridge of my nose so I can admire her better. She sits up, skin and bare breasts glistening with moisture, and gazes down at me lovingly. I rarely get to see her at this angle, so close to my eyes, so I thoroughly appreciate the special treat. She covers her mouth in the cutest little pose and erupts into giggles when she sees my big eyes crossed to see her. 

Her laughter is infectious, especially when she topples backwards and nearly falls back into my mouth. I rise up, making her tumble off my face for real, but I catch her safely in my palms. As I look at her nestled in the folds of my hands, I’m filled with pure bliss. She may be small, but my love for this little person is as deep as the ocean, always swelling in great waves. 

Her newfound ability marks a notable improvement in our relationship. I don’t have to rein in my appetite as much or harass her around dinnertime for mouth time when she’s not in the mood. My incessant cravings are easier to satisfy, when I can fully ingest human meat made by her blood magic. While it’s not quite the same as lively prey, it provides the same level of nutrition and satiation. 

As happy as we are, though, I can plainly see that Jackie is homesick. She keeps working towards her goal of manifesting a portal home. She can create keyholes, but they are still unstable, and sometimes too small for even her diminutive form to squeeze through. I’m rooting for her. I want her to be as fulfilled in life as I am, so I quell my lingering fears that she will desert me. I must put her needs above my own, though I do have faith that she loves me too much to leave me. 

Her power strengthens during thunderstorms, when the air is charged with electricity. So, when lightning flashes on the horizon one afternoon, Jackie is eager to try out her spells. Although I’m hankering for a meal, I put off cooking and decide to support her in her endeavor instead. Since I don’t want to leave her alone and unprotected, I stay outside with her for a while, observing her efforts. 

All that practice pays off, and a portal appears before her. I can make out a red building, perhaps a barn, through the small tear in the fabric of reality. Jackie looks back at me, cranking her neck up. As elated as she is, I detect a hint of uncertainty behind her expression. 

“Should I go through this time?” she inquires, wringing her hands. 

“You might as well,” I respond. “I think you’ve practiced enough that you should be able to come back. I’m sure your folks are very worried about you.” 

A flicker of conflicted emotions crosses her features. I smile gently and pick her up in my hands, planting a small kiss on top of her head. “I’ll be waiting for you here,” I promise. “Take as long as you need.” 

As I lower my hand down to the portal, I’m blinded by a flash from the sky. A bolt of blue cracks the air and slams into the portal down below. It explodes with a cascade of cobalt sparks and a rush of heat. My feet shoot out from underneath me and I topple forward. I reflexively clasp Jackie to my chest and twist so my shoulder will absorb the brunt of the impact. 

My stomach somersaults when the expected collision does not occur, and instead I drop through empty space. My body does a flip and I land flat on my rear. Jackie spills out of my clumsy hands, but fortunately ends up rolling down my thigh and plopping in the dirt between my legs without injury. 

She stands up, brushing the soil off her clothes. She swivels around, looking very nervous. I wince and rub my aching bottom, stretching out my spine in the process. Only then do I realize something is very, very off. My house is gone; the trees are gone. The landscape is oddly flat. There’s elaborate little birdhouses on the ground for some reason. I don’t recognize this place at all. 

My nose is assaulted with a cacophony of tantalizing aromas. Humans? I sample the air, not believing my senses. The air itself is warmer, drier. The sky is a serene blue, free of any clouds. There’s no rain or thunder. It’s like we’ve been plopped down into a completely different climate, a different world. 

Different… world… 

I blink rapidly and look down. The vegetation is weird, with clumpy grass organized in orderly squares and little stalks that vaguely resemble broccoli sticking out of the earth. I wrap my fingers around one of the stalks, examining the texture. It’s scratchy and crunchy around the base, while the green tufts on the ends are softer and flatter. 

“H-hey…” I stammer, becoming more perplexed and alarmed by the second. I gaze down at Jackie with wide eyes as I pinch one of the broccoli stems. I’m struggling not to lose my composure as my mind slowly grasps what is going on. I’m holding an entire tree between my fingers. I don’t want to believe it.  

“What just happened? Why… everything is so small!” I shout stupidly, despite knowing full well what is going on. 

“Chester.” Jackie meets my gaze. I see my anxiety mirrored in her eyes, but she tries her best to ground me. “This is the human realm,” she explains slowly, as if speaking to a child. She points to the tiny house close by, the one I initially confused for a birdhouse with how small it is. “My parents live in there. They are going to panic if they see you.” 

No shit. I can’t avoid scaring them, when I already loom over the house sitting down. It’s ridiculously small. Everything is ridiculously small. The fences, the vehicles and machinery, look like toys in a playset. Cows and horses crawl around in grassy green fuzz like mice. I know Jackie is miniscule, but an entire world scaled to her would be inconceivable to me, if not already laid out before me like a patterned tablecloth. 

“Just… stay here for a minute. Don’t get up,” Jackie orders me, hurrying towards the farmhouse. I obey, meekly running my hand through what looks like grass. When my fingertips brush against strange lumps, I realize with amazement that it’s a miniature field of corn.  

An ear of corn from this field wouldn’t even constitute a single kernel from the Land of Giants. My stomach rumbles at the reminder of food. I didn’t get a chance to eat dinner before coming here. I place my hand over my gut with consternation. This is turning into a troubling situation. I can’t allow myself to fall to temptation again, no matter what. 

Jackie’s halfway to the house before the front door flings open and two more tiny humans scurry out, presumably her parents. They scream and gesticulate wildly. Her dad is wielding a shotgun. I know from experience that frightened prey can become recklessly aggressive, when threatened. 

Oh dear. This isn’t going to end well. 

Chapter 18 (coming soon)

[puddingforg]

FINALLY Finished this darn comic, I do kinda like how it turned out, the comic is inspired by @krackenwl post abt turning giant panic!

(CHECK THE REPOST BCS THERE ARE MORE SCENES THAT DIDN’T FIT HERE‼️‼️)

I apologize for the artstyle change, I started this on march and then picked up again in August, hence the change, anyways I hope y’all like it and let me know if y’all would like a part 2 ^^!

Btw the characters here are my ocs Hunter and Owen :)

[ray-gt]

Close Quarters

Some more Dani and Lilah. In my head this one isn’t too long after the original events in Something’s Shifted - maybe only a few months after. They still have no idea what’s causing the shifts and are well and truly over their heads, but try their best to continue on with life as normal. Lilah’s shifts are just as unpredictable as ever and she’s getting used to the fact that Dani knows. Dani, for her part, is still coming to terms with the fact her girlfriend is a giant and is trying to navigate what it means to be Lilah’s anchor.

***

Dani parked the car in front of the national park welcome centre. She had the pick of the lot as it was well after operating hours and all the other staff had gone home. Over the last few weeks, it’d become more common for to Lilah work late but Dani didn’t mind. It was nice to not be the one sneaking in at all hours for once, dinner well and truly cold.  She’d come straight from the office and the lukewarm Thai sitting in the passenger seat had been taunting her stomach throughout the drive.

She parked as close as she could to the front door, marvelling at the way the blustering winds shook the car. Even though she was only a short distance away from the door, she doubted she’d get inside before the weather made a meal of her.

Shrugging, she grabbed the Thai, her phone and keys and slipped her feet into her Birks, having left her heels in her desk drawer. Then she muscled the door open and was immediately met with the winter winds trying to strip her of it. The door flew back on its hinges to full extension and flooded the car with biting cold. Dani grit her teeth against it, got out and closed the door with a definitive bum of her hip. She locked the car, knowing there was little need and hurried to the building, regretting she hadn’t tied up her hair before leaving the safety of the car.

Once inside, she was met with the glorious warmth and stillness of the centre, lit only by the greenish glow of the exit signs. Outside, the weather raged on like a beast knowing its prey was just out of reach. She shuddered at the sudden shift in temperature, keen to lose her thick coat and reacclimatise to heat.

She wandered through the visitor’s centre, which marked the public-facing part of the building, with the ranger offices through the back. Usually the building would be locked at this hour, but Lilah knew she was coming and had left the front open.

With the wind beating at the windows and the trees outside blocking any other lights, the usually joyful welcome centre, full of bright colours, huge murals of local wildlife, and, of course, a gift shop was now dark and shadowy.

Still, Dani continued. This was far from her first night at the centre and would be far from her last. If anything, the eeriness made her smile. Lilah told her once that, during closing one day, she’d screamed after mistaking one of the t-shirt manakins for an intruder. She’d shot up another meter in height before she was able to get it under control.

Dani nodded in reverence to the manakin in question as she passed it.

When she got to the back, she jabbed in the key-code she shouldn’t know and used her shoulder to open the glass doors to the offices. The rangers’ office was at the end of the hall. The door was open, spilling yellow-gold light into the hungry dark. From where she stood, it looked like the gentle glow of a fireplace and it beckoned to her.

Despite Lilah knowing she was coming, and knowing her ETA, and there being no one else in the building, Dani made a point to make herself known as she walked down the hallway and knocked on the door to the rangers’ office, peaking her head in to spy her girlfriend.

Lilah, who’d been feverishly typing at her desk, looked up and immediately grinned, whatever stress that had her brows planted was gone. Dani’s chest glowed at the sight.

“I thought I said in the delivery notes you could just leave the order at the door?” Lilah said, standing and making her way towards Dani, who’d dropped everything in her hands on the nearest available surface (a small round table near to the centre of the room) and was shirking her coat, enjoying the blessed heat.

“Well, we like to go above and beyond for our most loyal custo-” She said, but before she could continue, she felt Lilah’s hands slip around her waist from behind and turn her around. The taller girl’s lips found hers and any other joke was forgotten.

Lilah pulled back, her arms still firmly wrapped around Dani. She was dressed in her usual work clothes, all shades of greens, browns and kakis. Her long hair was braided back away from her face, and Dani could feel where the keycard at her hip dug into her stomach.

“Your skin is so cold!”

“I know!” Dani said. “I was only out there for a second and still I feel like I need to defrost.”

“Let me help.”

She laughed as Lilah enveloped her. Her girlfriend rested her head on Dani’s shoulder and Dani rolled her eyes, smiling as she ran her nails up and down Lilah’s back.

“Long day, love?” She asked.

“A million years, if you’d believe it.” Lilah replied, her voice muffled by Dani’s shoulder.

“I do. I’ve brought Thai.”

Lilah hummed, it was a sweet, low sound that unravelled Dani from the centre. “You always know how to make it better.”

“It’s my job. Now, get off me so I can reheat it.”

Lilah whined as Dani shrugged her off. She grabbed the Thai and took it over to the small kitchenette. It was a skeleton kitchen (the more elaborate being in the shared cafeteria) but the rangers were content with a kettle, fridge, and microwave, seeing the rest as an unnecessary expense. It made Dani think of the barista her firm hired to make their coffees, the elaborate “back-up” espresso machine they had for when the barista had gone home for the day, the instant hot and hold taps, the snacks left out in the kitchen. Looking at the kettle that needed a pep talk in order to work and the microwave that looked like a vintage prop in what was otherwise a newly-renovated facility, she smiled.

Lilah said her boss James had insisted they didn’t waste money on “any new-fangled fancy appliances” during the renovation when their old stuff “worked just fine”. She’d been surprised to find most of the rangers agreed with him.

“We don’t spend a lot of time in the office. We pop in and out throughout the day. If we can make tea and reheat our lunch, that’s really all we need.”

She put the Thai in the microwave and turned around, resting back against the bench top. Lilah had wondered back to her desk and was bent over her laptop, frowning again.

“So,” she said, shaking Lilah’s focus. “What made your day so bad? Was it the intern?”

Lilah started some meandering protest but Dani cut her off. She’d heard this before. They’d recently hired an intern who was more useless than pulling a name badge on one of the trees outside and putting it on the payroll. At least the tree would add some value.

Lilah, with a level of patience Dani would never mirror, routinely took time out of her schedule to help him, telling Dani she wished she’d had a superior look out for her when she’d first started.

Dani, whose first boss had thrown her in the deep end and told her to learn to swim or drown, thought there was a difference between mentoring and hand-holding, but had given up pushing the point. Lately, Lilah’s tack had changed and Dani’s seen her become more and more agitated at and about work.

She’d realised, long after everyone else on her team except their boss, that their intern TJ was not stupid or naive, he just didn’t care. And that, to Lilah, was the true cardinal sin.

“Ugh,” Lilah groaned, leaning in her chair and lolling her eyes back. “He’s useless! I can’t stand him. And no matter how much we raise it with James, he doesn’t do anything. According to him, TJ’s only here on student placement so we should just see out the semester. But I don’t know if any of us can last that long.”

The microwave pinged behind Dani and she started unloading it.

“You should just shift and scare the shit out of him. Or better yet, leave him at the top of a tree and let him find his own way down.”

Behind her, Lilah laughed.

“Tempting. But I’m not that mean.”

“You could be, that’s my point.” Dani said. “I feel like you’re not using your abilities to their full potential. The way I’d abuse that power to get my way -“

“You say that,” Lilah said. “But you’re such a bleeding heart, love, you wouldn’t know how.”

“For TJ, I’d find a way.”

She took the Thai, now pleasantly steaming, over to the round table. It was intended to be a lunch table though most of the rangers preferred to eat outside (except for the truly terrible weather like today). Most of the time it was empty, and the chairs around it were decorative.

“Now, come eat.”

---

Lilah looked up at her girlfriend from her desk. They’d eaten and caught up about their respective days, talking at length about nothing in particular in the way they often did. Just Dani’s presence had a way of calming her heart, refocusing her. She’d spent a long day gritting her teeth, her body near-constantly on the brink of a shift. Everything TJ did and said seemed to drive her closer and closer to explosion. At one point, she’d had to exit the building and shadow herself in the trees in a desperate attempt to stave off a rapid shift.

By the end of the day her body was exhausted and her mind drained. The moment TJ left for the day was only second best to Dani’s arrival.

She walked through the door and suddenly, the stresses of her day were no longer these huge herculean beasts, they could be picked up and tucked away in their proper place and left alone. She wondered if Dani knew the implicit effect she had, or if she walked about the world oblivious to the fact she made it that much easier to live in.

After dinner, she’d apologised. There were a few tasks that needed doing before she logged off. Dani didn’t mind. She’d wandered back to the car and grabbed a book to read. It was a rare sight and she was surprised to see she hadn’t used the opportunity as a chance to continue with her own work. That was until she admitted to Lilah that her laptop was on the fritz and she’d had leave it with IT overnight.

So instead of working, Dani was curled up on a chair in the corner, quietly reading, letting the time pass by unbothered. She could have been at home, showered, in bed, prepped for an early start in the morning. Instead she was here, keeping her company.

“Ok,” Lilah said, almost regretful to break the peace. Dani looked up from the page but otherwise didn’t move. “I just need to check one thing and then we can head.”

“Whenever you’re ready, love.” Dani said and returned to reading.

Lilah nodded.

She’d told TJ a week ago that there was an 8th birthday party happening tomorrow and he needed to prep for it - arrange the itinerary, flag with the high-ropes course staff, allocate a ranger to lead the “wilderness adventure”, organise the goodie bags, ensure waivers were signed before the day, clean and decorate the events room, etc. The usual motions for when they hosted children’s birthdays. In an ideal world, that wouldn’t be the job of the rangers to organise but apparently all the funding had gone to the building upgrade rather than hiring any other staff.

She’d reminded him the yesterday and he’d waved her off (almost causing another shift). She just needed to check that everything was good to go.

She looked on the ranger allocations tomorrow and found they were all fully allocated for the day (including herself) but there was no one on the birthday. Her heart stopped and then picked up again in double-time. She closed the spreadsheet and looked at the high-ropes bookings - fully booked, no birthday group. She closed her eyes and forced a shaky breath in and out of her lungs, she could feel her body heating up.

“Shit.” She muttered. She thought it was quiet but it was loud enough that Dani frowned and looked up again.

“Everything ok?”

“No.” Lilah said, she stood up from her desk, blood pumping loudly. The signs were creeping up on her but she was took angry and stressed to notice. “I have to check something.”

She stormed out of the office without another word, barged through the welcome centre with a fury and entered the public cafe. On the other side of the cafe was a door leading to their private functions room. It was a beautiful space, with walls of floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the trees. For children’s birthdays, should be brightly decorated with goodie bags ready and waiting for the kids. There should be the “Ranger for a Day” badge awaiting the birthday girl alongside an adventure passport for each of the kids.

It had better all be there.

She slammed her hand down on the door handle and opened the function room to find it a blank and empty canvas - not even a single chair had been pulled from storage. Outside the stormy weather picked up ferocity and the trees were raging in the wild winds. But all Lilah could see was her own reflection staring back at her, deadly. The blood was pounding in her ears and her skin pricked. He hadn’t done it. Any of it. She told him, time and time again and he hadn’t done it. She’d been patient. She’d explained the process. This was the only task she was actually willing to give him on and he still hadn’t done it.

She took a few steps into the room. It was big enough for small functions, big enough that the thud of her books echoed on the floor and bounced off the walls. By the time her slow walk had taken her to the centre of the room, her clenched fists had left deep crescent moons where her nails dug into the skin. Her jaw was tight, despite the cold in the unheated room, she sweated beneath her uniform. She could feel her body begging for release and it was all she could do not to let it.

“Nice room.” Came Dani’s voice from the doorway. “I don’t think I’ve been in here before. Oh wait, yes I have, right? For the Christmas party. It looks so different empty.”

Lilah didn’t look at her, she could only stare forwards as her anger compounded. But she could hear Dani make her way into the room and walk towards the window. From her periphery she was aware of Dani spying out the drop below.

In order to attract more bookings, the events room overhung a small depression in the landscape. The room was suspended about 15 or so metres over the drop counter-levered by the rest of the building on the ground. The effect was that anyone in the room would feel as though they were truly immersed in the wild.

“It shouldn’t be empty.” Lilah managed, jaw tight.

“What?”

“It shouldn’t be empty.” She repeated, this time louder, with more force. Her fingers tingled. “I told TJ. I told him so many times. We have a birthday tomorrow and each time - EACH. TIME. - he blows me off, like ‘it’s fine, Delilah, I know’. But guess what? He’s done shit all. They’re coming at 9am tomorrow and the room’s not ready, none of the rangers have been told and we’re all at capacity, the high ropes is fully booked and won’t be able to take a group of 20 kids at the last minute - obviously!” Her face was getting hot. “And I just know he hasn’t had any of the waivers signed by the parents. And now I have to stay back even later to fix it! What a fuc-“

She grew. Only a metre or so but it was enough to shock her out of her rant. Her heart trembled as her blood got hotter and hotter. Despite herself, there was a cruel relief in the sensation.

She looked at Dani whose eyes were wide. Obviously, she’d noticed too. It’s hard to miss when your girlfriend is suddenly double your height. Lilah’s head now only just missed the ceiling.

This was all still new for both of them. Lilah was unused to being seen in a shift, to looming so far above anyone - let alone Dani. For Dani’s part, she was determined to prove the sudden shifts - Lilah’s unexplained and unexpected growth of anywhere between a few inches to a few metres - didn’t bother her. But Lilah knew. She knew Dani. Already she was on high alert.

Her girlfriend was taking small steps towards her, hands out in either a placating or defensive gesture (maybe both).

“Li,” She said, caution flooding her tone. “I know this is stressful, and really frustrating. But this isn’t your fault. You don’t have to fix it. Let TJ deal with the consequences of his mistakes.”

Lilah put her head in her hands. She hated this part - the pounding in her head. She needed to get it under control, but she was struggling to focus. Whenever she attempted to calm herself down, the image of TJ’s smug indifference and the eventual conversation she’d have to have with parents in the morning would set her body alight again.

“But why should a child on their birthday have to deal with the consequences of his mistakes? How is that fair?”

Her head hit the ceiling and instinctively she dropped to her knees.

She felt a tiny hand on her thigh. She opened her eyes and there was Dani, already so small, looking up at her. While she was doing her best to keep them level, her girlfriend’s eye betrayed her.

“Li,” She said again. “It’s not fair, but that’s how we learn. That’s how he has to learn. Let’s just calm down and -“

“No,” Lilah interrupted, more forceful than she meant and Dani took a step back. Lilah swallowed. “Wait, sorry, Dani, I meant-“

Before she could finished, her body took over and she started to grow again. Except this time wasn’t a small burst. This time she just kept growing, watching in horror as the space around her grew tighter and tighter. She had enough control as to fold in onto herself to stop her from crashing through the roof, but if she couldn’t stop it, there was not much she could do to prevent that from happening. Plus, what would Dani -

Behind her pounding headache, her thoughts stilled.

Dani.

It was all Dani could do to scramble away in time, her back pressed into the glass corner where two of the windowed walls met. Lilah lifted her head as much as she dared to check she was ok. Her chest was moving rapidly and occasionally, Dani’s glance shifted to the drop outside but Lilah watched in relief to see she was unharmed.

But there was no guarantee that would last.

“Dani, are you ok?”

Before her girlfriend could reply, Lilah’s head swum and she doubled back down, pressing her forehead into the floorboards of the events room. She could feel the walls pressing in as her body hungrily devoured any available space.

“I’m fine!” Dani said in delayed answer, though her voice was strained.

Lilah turned her head (now unable to lift it) and saw her hand was now pressing against Dani’s body, sandwiching her against the glass.

She needs to get out of here.

They were suspended over a drop in a room that was not designed to carry this kind of load. Of course, at this size, the drop would mean nothing to Lilah, but for Dani…

And then what if the room could hold the weight? She might crush her girlfriend if she couldn’t get it together.

“Babe, you need to leave.” She managed. “You need to get out, I can’t stop.”

This was as large as she’d ever shifted in the human world. Usually a bad shift would see her double in height, sometimes triple. But now, she was almost half her natural height and didn’t look to stop.

“Ummm, ok.” Dani swallowed. “Well, love, that might be an issue. You’re blocking the exit.”

The realisation calcified her stomach. Of course Dani was right, if she focussed on it, she could feel the doorway pressed against her other shoulder.

“No-no-no,” Lilah began to mutter, feeling her breath go shallow.

“It’s ok!” Dani called up, though it was obvious to both of them she was lying. “We’re both fine. I’m sure I could find a way to squeeze thr-“

Despite the constantly creaking and groaning of the forest outside, they both heard the new sound. It was the terrible complaint of the building below them. In the stilled silence of the moment before, the two shared one knowing glance. Dani, pale and still, looked so small against the writhing dark behind her.

The building creaked again, this time louder. Closer.

When the floor shifted beneath them, Lilah reached out.

As the private function room collapsed over the gap, Lilah continued to grow to her full size, while in her fist, Dani seemed to shrink smaller and smaller. Naturally, Lilah brought her hand to her chest and curled herself into the foetal position protectively around her cargo. It was all over in a few seconds when Lilah felt her side land roughly on the earth below. Thankfully, the drop was clear of any mature trees that would have done significant harm. Other than the awkward ache of a fall, she was fine. Thankfully, she couldn’t feel any glass in her skin, the full-coverage of her uniform offering her blessed protection.

Now outside, the wind whipped at her like a pack of frenzied animals descending on a fresh kill. The trees, dark and much smaller now, were bending their canopies this way and that, bullied by the fierceness of a clear winter night.

The cold, biting and hungry, was almost a relief against her burning hot skin and her lungs happily welcomed the air as relief. There was truly no feeling quite like returning to her natural height. She’d tried to explain it to Dani before. Even though she never felt constricted when she’d shift to human size, returning to normal height felt like stretching after a long day bent over hard labour.

Still holding her fist to her chest, she used the other to prop herself into a seated position. Doing her best to shelter Dani from the onslaught of wind, Lilah opened her hand. There was Dani, her suit crumpled, her hair a messy. There was an immediacy to her stare as she re-oriented herself with the world. When she looked at Lilah, her expression was unreadable.

“Are you ok?” They said in unison.

Lilah waited for Dani, who very quickly waved her off.

“I’m fine.” She said. “I just fell out of a collapsing building and, if not for your quick reflexes, would have died, but I’m fine. Are you ok?”

Lilah looked back at the welcome centre, at the gaping hole where the function room used to be. It was now about level with her head. Around and beneath her, the remnants of it were scattered - bits of glass, concrete, wood and other infrastructure lay broken and useless. Off in some of the nearby trees were other pieces of it carried off in the wind.

It was then that the horror sank in, and her eyes boiled over. She couldn’t help the rapid, frantic sobs that escaped her chest.

---

“Hey! Hey, love.” Dani tried by she was fighting a losing battle against her girlfriend, the wind, and her own panic wanting to tamp her voice dow. The shaking of Lilah’s fist was making her disoriented. “It’s ok! You’re ok. I’m ok. Ok?”

But the wind stole the words away. Her hair whipped around her face in wild tendrils. Lilah’s fingers curled around her, making her heart race.

“Oh my god, I’ve destroyed it.” Came Lilah’s pained voice, ignoring or not hearing Dani. “What if someone was here? What if I couldn’t reach you in time? What if…”

She descended into another fit of sobs, but this time Dani’s stomach lurched as she was pulled suddenly flush against Lilah’s rapidly moving chest. In the moment, Dani’s mind first went to the image of a small teddy bear being cradled by a child for comfort. As much as the idea softened her heart, the combination of the movement, being suspended in the air and Lilah’s haggard breathing covering her from above had her feeling nauseous.

Plus, she knew they still had to deal with it.

Lilah’s thumb stroked the back of her hair, though it was neither as soft nor as considered as her girlfriend’s usual touch. They were still getting used to each other at different scales and these were the situations where the newness really showed.

Dani grit her teeth and endured it, promising herself she’d raise it when cooler minds prevailed.

Right now, needed to stop this before it got worse.

She pressed on Lilah’s tightening hold around her centre forcefully and it was enough to get Lilah’s attention.

“Dani?” She asked, though she seemed to already know to let up as Dani felt the vice loosen just slightly.

Dani had to do everything to top her teeth chattering in the cold.

“I’m fine!” Dani repeated, with a more level voice than before. She still felt the same level of panic but was better prepared this time. “I’m ok!”

Lilah studied her with a terrible scrutiny, but when she was satisfied, she looked at the space where the private function room used to be.

“But-“

“It’s a building.” Dani stopped her before she could spiral. “It’s just a building. Actually, it’s part of a building. And you know it’s insured to high heaven.”

“But-“

The giant fingers twitched around her making Dani’s heart rate soar.

“Lilah, look at me.” She almost had to yell to get her giant partner’s attention.

She had to crane her neck to meet Lilah’s stare. Her girlfriends eyes were raw and her cheeks smeared with long wet trails. Dani hated that she couldn’t hold Li close and tell her it’d be ok. She couldn’t let her girlfriend collapse into her arms, she couldn’t run her fingers down her back. She was too powerless to cup her face and make it all go away. She couldn’t fight off the feelings, but she could fix them.

“Here’s the plan.” She said. The words alone had a soothing effect on her own heart. They let her brain settle and work through each thought. “Are there cameras?”

“Not on this side of the building. They didn’t think it mattered - the only thing this side is the drop.”

“Ok, good. We need a cover. We’ll keep it as close to true as possible. You were working late. TJ forgot to do the one thing you asked him to do and so you were preparing to (as always) pick up his slack. The room collapsed, and…”

At this point, Dani wasn’t even talking to Lilah, she was just piecing a story together and Lilah happened to be there.

“And people are going to believe I survived that unscathed?”

Dani shook her head. She chewed her cracked lips.

“No, of course not” she hummed. “Maybe you were in the room and you looked up just in time to see  one of the trees falling towards the building, uprooted by the wind. You escaped just in time.”

“But there’s no tree here?”

Dani looked at Lilah. “There are plenty of trees here, Li. If you could push one over onto the centre that, plus the wind, would be enough of a cover-up.”

Lilah pulled back, her face guarded.

“Dani, some of these trees are over 100 years old. I’m a ranger, I’m not going to kill one just to cover my tracks.”

“But-“

Lilah’s eyes flashed. “No."

Dani bit down on her tongue. There was no use pushing this. She knew it would be a hard line for her girlfriend. Dani didn’t love the idea of pulling up a tree for no reason, she knew how much Lilah cared about nature, but there was a reason - hiding the secret of giants from all of mankind seemed like a good one, even if it was environmentally questionable.

But this wasn’t the time to push Lilah or upset her more than she already was. She needed to pivot.

“Fine.” She took a long breath and shrugged. “Then we rely on uncertainty and bad weather and we call it an unfortunate Act of God.”

Lilah frowned. “And that would be enough?”

Dani pursed her lips, “The tree thing would be better but,” She added as Lilah’s fist inadvertently tightened around her. “You’d be surprised how often these kinds of things happen. When emergency response get here, you’re going to tell them you felt the room giving way under you and you sprinted for the door just in time. You’re lucky you were able to react. Actually, we may even be able to claim worker’s compensation -“

“Dani.”

“Fine, goodie two shoes. I’m going to say I found you in shock. You’re going to admit you have no idea what caused it - you suspect the bad weather over the last few days. You’re going to say you were looking forward to the clear forecast tomorrow and you’re going to make a throwaway comment about how nature is wild and unforgiving. The police and insurers will realise there is no obvious or provable blame and National Parks shouldn’t have an issue making the claim. It should be enough. But!” She looked Lilah right in the eye, nearly daring her girlfriend to look away. “Before any of that, you need to shift back.”

---

It took nearly 30 minutes of gentle coaxing and breathing for Lilah to shift back, which was faster than usual but not great from a timeline point of view. But Dani needn’t have worried. As far as emergency response was concerned, a ranger and her partner almost died in a wild weather incident. There wasn’t any discussion of blame, and if there was, what would they say? At least as far as the two of them were involved. The insurance company would want to speak to Lilah, but Dani would prepare her for that, she’d teach her the right things to say, how to act. When to joke and when not to. She’d make sure they’d have no reason but to pay out the claim to rebuild and with that, Lilah’s guilt would vanish. Dani would fix it.

From where she was sitting, ambulance blanket over her shoulders, she caught Lilah’s eye as her girlfriend was being interviewed by the police. Lilah nodded and smiled.

Dani let out a long breath.

One day.

One day she’d be able to control it.

One day they’d be better prepared.

-

(inspiration can strike anywhere. In this instance, it was useless people at work. - ray xx)

[sizebrained]

The Reason for the Glue Traps...The Rat Part 2

Hazel and Cob's father -- Jug -- goes to check on Hazel and gets a terrible shock. CW: Adult themes, language, danger, threat of death, terror, trauma, blood, wounds. *** He did not approve. Jug didn't always feel that way about humans. But after what happened he could never trust them again.

He had tolerated the Professor, and that after much insistence from his wife Lily.

But he had lost her because of a human just like the rest of his family. He missed them. He missed his wife. Every day. All the time.

If it hadn't been for Hazel and Cob, Jug would have probably given up. Or at least go back to the forest like he preferred. He missed the forest days of his youth.

His children, however, were not good in the wilderness. They were too pampered by life in human settings. Especially Cob.

Hazel was fine, physically, but he worried for his daughter. She was not the same since her pact human died. Jug never understood why Hazel was so attached. Mary was awful. So was her male. The shed suited Jug just fine.

Humans were great, until they weren't. Then they were the worst thing imaginable. Monsters. Giant, unrelenting, horrible monsters.

At least prey animals would eventually give up, but not humans. They were cruel, clever, and relentless. Especially when it came to their kind.

Jug felt a tightness in his chest at the memory. Jacques hands snatching them up one by one. The famine from the war made everyone so hungry.

Jug paused and took a few deep breaths. He was nearly at the floor of the building Hazel had told him about. Dangling from a line, he swayed just a little in the dark passage. Humans were monsters. But it pained Jug to admit his children seemed happier than he could remember. Especially Hazel. He hadn't seen her like this since the Professor.

She was bright again, filled with joy and energy. Even Cob seemed happier than usual. But that may have just had as much to do with them getting to move out of the shed.

It made him worry in a different way.

These new humans were the biggest Jug had ever seen his in his long life. They scared him. It was another painful thing to admit. He didn't like being scared. It was a rare feeling for him and it only ever happened with humans.

He thought of Jacques's hand again, gripping. Jug started climbing again. Faster. As if he needed to escape. He felt a sudden worry in his chest, different than before.

Hazel was supposed to come see him yesterday. His eldest child was many things, but she was never late. Jug climbed faster. As he got closer he heard a loud voice shouting. It had to be human. Given how far he was from Hazel's floor, Jug thought it must be Hazel's human. He was shouting her name.

Jug climbed even faster than before. Jug noticed a smell as he climbed and panted. It smelled like blood. He made it to the floor and started moving through the spaces Hazel had made very fast. Hearing the human shouting Hazel's name was not helping. Jug could feel the walls vibrating with the human's power. He felt a rising terror. He knew his daughter's work well and knew where she liked to go. Jug knew Hazel must be somewhere in the walls. She would have come out by now with the way the human was shouting.

That meant she couldn't move.

Jug followed the smell. He turned a corner and saw it. The rat.

Jug froze in place and crouched into a ready stance. But then he saw the rat was dead. Where was Hazel? The rat was nearly filling the whole space. Jug looked around and cursed in old French. His daughter had gotten sloppy. There was no way to get to the other side but through the rat.

The tightness was in his chest again but Jug didn't hesitate. He ran straight towards the rat's dead body. He pushed through between the little space there was between the interior wall and the rat's dirty fur. Jug held his breath as he did and struggled.

It seemed to take forever but he finally pushed through. Then he saw her. She was covered in blood and curled up in a ball on her side. Jug ran to her and cradled her in his arms. The human had thankfully stopped shouting, but Jug could hear him clomping around. Jug looked over Hazel's body looking for wounds. She was breathing. "Mon coeur...mon coeur..." Jug whispered and ran the back of his hand across her forehead. "Da?" Hazel whispered back at him, her eyes closed. She curled into him weakly. Jug set her down gently and started rifling through his pack. He started trying to tend to her wounds. They were bad. It looked like she had been bitten at least once. He could see the huge marks in her stomach. It had barely missed her spine. "I'm sorry..." Hazel sobbed. Jug shushed her as he worked. "I will make you wonderful boots from him. There's enough for jacket." Jug's accent filled the space between them. Jug untied the tools from her bloody battered forearms. They had saved her from losing them, but it was not good. At least her right arm was broken. He stifled a sob by breathing long and slow through his nose. He was so proud of his fierce girl. She should have ran, but he realized she knew that and must have been trapped. Jug looked over his shoulder at the rat and saw Lily's pick sticking up out of the top of the rat's head at an odd angle. It was deep in the brain. It must have been the killing blow. He turned his attention back to Hazel. Jug's hands delicately pressed and searched along the rest of her. The wounds were too much for him to fix. Too deep and too long since it had happened. She lost a lot of blood. "I was coming to get a line and..." Hazel explained. Jug shushed her again and held her head up to give her some water from a pouch. "Save strength." Jug was tired of having to make painful admissions. But he needed the human's help. "Help coming. Be still." Jug reassured her. He pulled a large piece of cloth from his pack and made a pillow for her setting it back down gently. Jug pulled his own pick from his pack and started hacking away at the interior of the wall in fast, furious strikes. After a few moments he had made a small hole into the human's home. Jug pressed his face up to the hole, he looked through and saw the human pacing and searching. Jug stuck his mouth out as much as he could. He hoped this worked. "Here!" Jug shouted as loud as he could manage. He saw the massive human stop in place. Jug was surprised, Hazel must have trained him well to pick up on what must have been such a slight sound at his size. "Help she is here!" Jug yelled hoping he wasn't wrong and the human did in fact hear him. His hope was confirmed as Jug's body shook away from the wall from the force as Ben dropped to the floor. The giant was searching frantically for the exact source of the sound. Jug made several strokes at the hole again trying to make it bigger. He shoved his face against it again. "Here! She is here! There is a rat! We are stuck..." Jug stopped before he could finish his poor English and fell over Hazel covering him. He saw Ben bolt up to his feet after a few words and saw one tree sized leg pull backwards. Jug recognized the motion. He was going to kick the wall. He forgot how fast they were. Ben was very fast for his size. Jug felt the wall shake violently and a deafening thud resonate through the interiors of the human's wall. It came again and again.

By the fourth strike, a the toe of a shoe had come through it in a heap. Jug felt some of the material hit his back as dust filled the air. Jug had managed to put a hole through the relatively soft drywall just above the solid wood baseboard. Ben's shoe had come through the wood in just a few strikes that would have taken Jug hours. The shoe came through again and again making the hole bigger. "HAZEL!" Ben cried in concerned terror. Ben's finger tips gripped the hole his shoe had made and pulled away the wall in a frantic hurry. He had kicked and pulled away about a foot wide hole in his wall. Light filled the dark interior. Jug opened his eyes and looked around at the now well lit space. There was blood everywhere. From the rat and Hazel. "Hazel!" Ben cried again pressing his face up to the hole trying to see. "Ben..." Hazel muttered. Jug held up a hand to stop him. Ben shut up and froze. His face was red and his eyes were wet, struggling to wait. Jug slipped his arms under Hazel and lifted her up as he stood. He turned towards the hole and walked out to Ben. Jug felt his pulse quicken and his breath halt as he looked up at the massive human. He felt exposed and in danger. He tried to calm himself. Hazel said they could trust him. That he had saved her when he didn't have to save her. As painful as it was, Jug needed him to do it again. "She needs doctor." Jug demanded. Ben's mind was racing trying to figure out what to do. He pulled out his phone to call Sam. As he dialed his sister's number, she came bursting through Ben's door. "Ben is Cob here?!" Sam asked with panic in every word. "Sam! Hazel's hurt!" Ben responded. *** End Part 2

[makothegayyburrito]

Like, “hey bud, you look a bit cold there”

(An old meme I made that’s been floating around in my archives)

[tinycoded360]

Lilliputian adventures Chapter 6

@gt-daboss @voraciousvore

Tori's fingers trembled as she flipped the bag flap closed on her side bag. She had gently placed Telwin, Mavri, Fildor, and the rest of the tiny Lilliputians inside. She could feel their miniature bodies shifting and adjusting, finding secure positions amidst the folds of fabric.

"Is everyone okay in there?" Tori whispered.

Telwin's voice piped up, his voice sounding muffled through the fabric. "Snug as a bug! Don't you worry about us, Tori. We're made of sturdy stuff!"

Pulling out her phone, Tori's fingers flew over the screen as she composed a message to Uncle Jim:

"Hey, Uncle J, I really need to see you. Can I come by the dock? It's urgent... Please."

She hit send and held her breath, praying he would respond quickly. Uncle Jim had always been there for her, a steady presence in the chaos of her life. If anyone could provide a safe haven from Trina and provide aid to her tiny guest,it was him.

As Tori waited for a response, she paced back and forth, her mind spinning with worst-case scenarios. What if Trina caught up to her before she could get to the dock? What if Uncle Jim responded poorly to the Lilliputians?

"Deep breaths, Tori," she muttered to herself, trying to calm her frayed nerves. *You've got this. You have to protect them. *

Her phone vibrated with an incoming message, and Tori's heart leaped into her throat as she read Uncle Jim's reply:

"Of course, kiddo. Come on down. I'll be here."

Relief flooded through Tori.

Tori slung the bag over her shoulder and headed towards the dock with renewed purpose.

The salty sea breeze whipped through Tori's chestnut hair as she hurried down the dock, her side bag bouncing gently against her hip.

"Uncle Jim!" Tori called out, spotting his familiar figure hunched over a tackle box on his weathered fishing boat.

He looked up, his sun-worn face breaking into a smile. "Hey kido! What brings you down here in such a rush?"

"Can we... Can you take me out on a trip?" she asked, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. Tori reached into her pocket, pulling out a slip of paper with scribbled coordinates, her hand trembling slightly as she offered it to him.

Jim unfolded the paper, his brow furrowing as he studied the numbers. "This is way out, Tor.”

"What's eating at you, kiddo?" Jim's concern was palpable as he scanned her face, looking for clues.

Before she could muster the words, a shrill voice cleaved through the air. "Tori!"

Trina stormed down the dock, her face contorted with rage. She jabbed a finger at Tori, her eyes wild with accusation. "You thought you could hide from me?”

Tori's heart hammered against her ribs, fear and panic rising in her throat. She instinctively clutched her side bag closer, shielding the tiny lives within.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Trina. Please, leave me alone."

Trina's lips curled into a sneer. "Oh, don't play dumb with me. You have those little freaks, and I want them. They're mine, and you stole them!"

Uncle Jim stepped forward, his voice low and warning. "Now, hold on just a minute. What's all this about?"

Trina whirled on him, her eyes blazing. "Stay out of this, old man. This is between me and Tori."

Tori's mind raced, desperate for a way out. She couldn't let Trina expose the Lilliputians, couldn't bear the thought of them falling into her cruel hands.

"Uncle Jim, please," Tori pleaded, her voice trembling. "I can't explain everything right now, but I need your help. I need to get somewhere safe."

Trina's laughter rang out, harsh and mocking. "Safe? You think you can hide from me? I'll expose you and those little freaks to the whole world. Everyone will know what a lying, thieving little brat you are!"

Tori flinched at the venom in Trina's words, tears stinging her eyes.

"I won't let you hurt them," Tori whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her own heart. "I won't let you take them."

Tori’s heart pounding as she darted towards Uncle Jim's boat. She leaped aboard, her feet stumbling on the deck.

"Tori, get back here!" Trina screeched, her face contorted with rage. "You can't hide from me forever!"

But Uncle Jim blocked her path. "I don’t know what this is all about!" he said sternly, "But you’re not welcome here, I suggest you scurry on home.”

Trina sputtered, her anger momentarily deflated by Uncle Jim's imposing presence.

As the heated argument escalated, Tori huddled in the boat's cabin, her trembling hands reaching for her bag. She could feel the Lilliputians' tiny forms, their presence a comforting weight against her side.

After a while, Tori’s Uncle crouched in front of her. “What’s going on, Tor?”

Suddenly, a new sound sliced through the discord, its shrill cry growing louder by the second. Tori's hands fell to her sides, and her breath hitched as the unmistakable sirens wail reached her ears.

"Police? Did she really just call the police?" Jim's question hung in the air, confusion mingling with frustration.

"Thought I'd teach you both a lesson," Trina shouted triumphantly.

Panic seized Tori, her mind racing with images of handcuffs and questions she couldn't answer. The tiny people—their safety in jeopardy if discovered.

"Officers will want to hear all about your thieving niece," Trina crowed, her voice reaching a fever pitch as the sirens crescendo, closing in on the dock.

“I’ll handle this; you stay here, Tor,” Jim said, but before he got off the boat, he pressed the boat key into Tori’s hand.

Tori glanced over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Uncle Jim gesturing animatedly as he engaged the police officers in conversation, his voice rising and falling with persuasive intensity.

*He's buying me time, * she realized, a surge of gratitude mixing with the adrenaline coursing through her veins. *I can't let this chance go to waste. *

Tori's hands trembled as she inserted the key into the ignition, the engine's roar drowning out the sound of her own pounding heart.

With a deep breath, Tori shifted the boat into gear, lurching forward as she navigated away from the dock. The wind whipped through her hair, and the salty spray of the ocean misted her face as she focused on the horizon.

Mavri emerged from the side bag, her red hair whipping in the wind as she climbed onto Tori's shoulder, her tiny hands gripping the fabric of Tori's shirt for balance. "Tori, let us help you," she called out, her voice carrying a note of authority despite its small size. "My crew and I, we're experienced navigators. We can guide you through these waters."

Tori glanced at the tiny captain, a flicker of hope sparking in her chest. "Oh, thank God! Cause I don’t know what I’m doing!”

Mavri snorted “I can see that.”

Tori blushed. “That obvious, huh?”

Telwin clambered up the fabric, scaling up her body to stand on her other shoulder. “No worries, lass, you sail, and we’ll tell you where to go.”

Fildor, his keen eyes scanning the horizon, called out from his perch on top of Tori’s head. "Captain, I believe I know which direction we should head. Our home should lie to the northeast based on the stars and the sun's position."

Mavri nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Aye, that aligns with my instincts as well. Tori, can you adjust our course accordingly?"

Tori, her hands trembling slightly on the wheel, nodded. "I think so. Just give me a moment to get my bearings."

As she began to turn the boat, a sudden gust of wind whipped across the deck, causing the tiny crew to grasp onto the nearest surface for stability, which happened to be the giantess they were all perching on.

"That's odd," Telwin muttered, his brow furrowed. "The wind seems to be picking up rather quickly."

Fildor, his expression grim, pointed towards the distant sky. "I fear it's more than just a passing breeze, my friend. Look there, on the horizon."

Tori followed his gaze, her heart sinking as she saw the dark clouds gathering, the distant rumble of thunder echoing across the waves. "Is that...a storm?"

Mavri, her face set in determined lines, nodded. "Aye, and a fierce one at that. We'll need to brace ourselves. This won't be an easy ride."

As the first raindrops began to fall, Tori squared her shoulders, her jaw set in a determined line. Come what may, she would not let this storm defeat them.

The wind howled like a wounded beast, lashing at the tiny boat with a fury that seemed almost alive. Sheets of rain pounded against the deck, turning the world into a blurry, gray haze.

"Hold on tight!" she called out to her tiny passengers, her voice nearly lost in the roar of the wind.

Tori gritted her teeth, squinting through the driving rain. *I can't see a thing, * she thought, panic rising in her throat.

Just as they began to hope that the worst was over, a massive wave rose up before them, towering over the tiny boat like a watery mountain. Tori's eyes widened, her heart seizing in her chest. There was no time to turn, no way to avoid the wall of water bearing down on them.

The wave crashed over them, and the world went black. Tori felt the icy water close over her head and felt the burn of salt in her nose and throat. *This is it, * she thought, a strange calm settling over her. *This is how it ends. *

Chapter 7

[gtbutterfly]

Quincy and the forest giant part 8

this is the big one folks! this is the one where we finally see some of Ellas' employers! Will parts of Ella's background be revealed? will Quincy finally go home? maybe. uh, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and as always, criticism is appreciated

previous part:

CW: mentions death(no actual death), guns(dart guns?), Ella says f*ck but is censored, implyed animal murder at the end.

______________________________________________________________

I woke up that morning to the sound of breathing over me. I slowly open my eyes only to be startled by the giant face staring down at me. I let out a shocked gasp and my eyes widened. Ella noticed.

“Oh, sorry kid,” the giant said, “didn’t mean to give you a heart attack,” she helped me sit up with her fingers.

“Um, it's fine. Good morning, Ella,” I said. The giant sighed.

“Today’s the day, huh?” she said, “you’re finally…going home,” 

“Um…yeah…” I said, trying to play dumb about what I overheard the night before.

“....you excited?” Ella asked,

“um…I guess so,” I said, looking down, “uh, what time are they getting here?”

“Pretty soon. I don’t know if I should give you breakfast since they might arrive while you're still eating.” Ella said. “You want to…um….wait outside for them?”

“Uhhh…yeah, sure…” I said, hesitantly. Ella held out her hand for me and I let her pick me up and start walking outside. I looked up at her, she had a look of almost nervousness on her face. There were bags under her eyes like she didn’t sleep at all the night before. She seemed like she was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, but she could’ve been wearing a different pair that just looked similar to the clothes she wore yesterday. She didn’t really smell too peculiar, in fact, she didn’t really smell like anything at all. She had a mild morning breath, but that was about it. Her skin had bug bites and scratches that she didn’t even seem to notice, and there was some dirt under her fingertips and in the crevices of the grooves of her fingerprints, but other than that her hand was soft and dry, there was no oil or sweat from her skin. 

We got outside and Ella sat down in front of the massive door to her house. She kept holding me in her palm, not letting me onto the ground like she did last time. I looked at her.

“So….um…how’d you sleep?” I asked.

“Oh, um,” Ella said, “not much, but well.” 

“Ok…” I said, “so when those people get here….are they just gonna….bring me home, or….”

“Hmm…” Ella thought to herself for a moment, “I’m actually gonna have to talk for them for a moment. Don’t worry, you won’t be waiting long,” 

“O-ok…” I looked down, “so…um….can I ask…one more thing before I go?”

“Hmm…sure, shoot.” Ella said.

“Um…do you…like this?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” Ella asked.

“Do you like….um, being out here alone…as a giant…” I said,

“Well, it's fairly quiet…and peaceful, being out here alone,” Ella said, “but..I dunno, I guess I miss being around people, having someone to talk to.” she sighed, “you're the first person I’ve spoken to in months, kid.”

“Oh….um, I guess…that explains things….” I said. “Um….you were probably mean to me because…you never really interact with people….” Ella scoffed. 

“That might be part of it, sure,” she said, “but really, I think…I’m just like that in a way,”

“...what were you like before you were a giant?” I asked, looking down with my eyes closed.

“What are you talking about?” Ella asked, “how do…how would you know I wasn’t always like this?”

“Um…” I thought for a moment, “you said you miss being around people…you can’t miss something you’ve never had….”

Ella was silent for a moment.

“Heh…right,” she let out a weak laugh, and sighed, looking down. Then she looked up at the sky. “Nice day, isn’t it?” she said, trying to change the subject. I played along.

“...yeah, you’ll probably be able to stargaze a lot better tonight.” I said, looking at the cloudless sky. “Too bad I won’t be here to show you all the consolations and stuff…”

“Yeah…” Ella looked to her side, avoiding eye contact with me. Suddenly, her eyes widened. She looked off in the distance, into the woods. I looked in the same direction as her. 

“Wh-what is it?” I asked.

“They’re here.” Ella said, readjusting her grip around me and standing up. She held me tightly while standing to her full height. There was some rustling in the trees and grass before a dark green truck came into the open. It had tinted windows and gray lines across the sides. There was a logo on the door, I just barely recognized it from so far away. It was the logo of the logging company that started the town. The truck stopped some distance away from Ella and the doors opened. The people that came out were humans wearing some kind of armor, similar to riot gear in a way. They had boots and gray pants and jackets with vests of some sort over them, and helmets with some opaque glass covering their faces. They had these sorts of weapons that seemed similar to rifles but looked more tubeish. I think there were tranquilizer guns of some kind. There were two people that came out of the truck dressed like this, a third person, with a gray coat and a brown ponytail with silver at the tips. They had a clipboard and purple glasses. They stepped towards Ella. 

“Ella,” they said. Ella sighed and got on her knee, still holding me.

“Amber….” Ella said, looking down at her.

“Would you be…so kind as to put the child down,” Amber said,

“...aren’t we going to talk?” Ella asked. She sounded stern again.

“You will put the child down, they will wait in the vehicle, and we will talk then.” Amber said.

“Shouldn’t the kid be part of this conversation?” Ella asked, “we’re going to be talking about them, are we not?” 

“Put. them. Down.” Amber said sternly. I felt Ellas hand tense up around me. She noticed that her grip was getting tighter, and she sighed.

“Why don’t I put them down, and you can introduce yourself to them, and then they can join us in our…talk,” Ellas suggested, still stern and emotionless, like she was when I first met her. Amber was silent for a moment.

“Fine.” She said, finally. Ella sighed slightly and lowered me to the grass gently. She placed my feet onto the ground and let me go. Amber approached me.

“Hello child. You’re Quincy Mora, correct?” she asked.

“Um…y-yes….” I said, “your name was…Amber, right?”

“My name is Doctor Amber Laurier, you may refer to me as Dr. Laurier.” she said, sternly.

“...oh….um….ok…” I said. “Um…your…you're with the…um…lumber company?”

“You’ll have your questions answered soon.” Dr. Laurier said. “Guards, watch the child for the time being.” 

The two people with the helmets grabbed my arms and pulled me back behind them. Dr. Laurier approached Ella.

“You said Quincey would be part of our talk,” the giant said,

“You said you were stable enough to be around people after being turned,” Dr. Laurier said.

“I was.” Ella said. 

“All those people would beg to differ,” Dr Laurier said with a blank expression.

“We’re not doing this right now, Amber.” Ella said. “We’re here to talk about the kid.”

“right , right, Quincy.” Amber looked down at the clipboard. “Age thirteen, no parents, few peers back in the town, no permanent living situation as they are in foster care.” 

“That town is the place they've lived their whole life, Amber.” Ella said.

“And were they very happy there?” Amber asked, “they didn’t simply wander into the woods and get caught by you, they saw you and started following you. They wanted to be taken away.”

“They were just curious.” Ella said. “Ask them,”

“Even if they were just following you out of curiosity, we can’t just let them go back, Ella.” the Doctor said, “if we send them back to the town, they’ll tell them about you, and it would be cruel to send them to the foster system of some other place,”

“So you're leaving them here? With me?” Ella asked.

“It's the most beneficial option for all of us.” Amber said.

“You know what I almost did yesterday,” Ella said,

“If he was in any danger of you, you wouldn’t be standing here right now, Ella.” Amber said, almost smug sounding. 

“You just want some else too….” Ella stopped mid sentence, “...to do this to,”

“We haven’t scheduled plans for that yet. The child is assumed to be not of the right age for trials to begin on them” Amber said. 

“Trials?” I asked from behind the guards. They pulled me back. Amber looked back at me.

“I wouldn’t worry about it, Quincy. Not for the time being, anyways.”

“Don’t worry about my ……” Ella murmured under her breath. Amber looked up at her.

“Excuse me?”

“Tell them what your plans are, Amber.” Ella said.

“There are no plans, Ella. we’re still planning it now.” Amber said. 

“Tell them.” Ella said, her voice vibrating in the air. The guards tensed up around the tranquilizers. Amber stepped back.

“They’ll know soon enough.” she said. “Now, why don’t we tell both of you about what we have planned.” She turned towards me. “Quincy,”

“...” I gulped as I stepped toward Amber, “...Doctor Laurier?” 

“What are your thoughts on being adopted?” Amber asked.

“A…adopted?” I asked.

“Amber, no.” Ella said, angrily. Amber looked up at her.

“Ella, remember Derrick,” Amber said

“Don’t you ***king dare bring up his name,” Ella said, her voice salivating in anger. The guards pulled me back again. Amber flinched, I did too.

“Ella, calm down!” Amber exclaimed. Ella took a deep breath.

“Don’t bring up Derrick again.” Ella said.

“Just let me make my point,” Amber said, “the two of you…you wanted to have a child together, right?”

“We wanted to both be alive together,” Ella said, her voice rumbling.

“Quincy here could be like the child you never had,”

“You know that's a bad idea, Amber. You know I can’t be around people.” Ella said.

“Well maybe it's about time you prove that you can, “Amber said. Ella paused for a moment.

“...what are you saying?” she asked.

“I’m not promising anything, Ella. I’m just saying, depending on how you take care of this child..” Amber said,

“Stop messing with me, I know you’d never do that.” Ella said.

“Think about what Derrick wouldv’e wanted, Ella,” Amber said.

“Stop saying…”  Ella took another deep breath, “...stop saying his name. You have no idea what he would've wanted.”

“Wouldn’t he want this child to have a home?” Amber asked.

“He would've wanted this child to be safe,” Ella said.

“So keep them safe, Ella.” Amber said. “We already told the town that Quincy went away to possibly be adopted. Just take care of them for a few more days, and we’ll be back to do some health checks on them, and then a permanent decision will be made.”

“You can’t…” Ella started,

“You're not being given the opportunity to refuse,” Amber said, walking away from her. She turned to me. “You understand this situation, correct?”

“Y-you want me to stay with her?” I asked, “but..”

“It won’t be for any more than three days. You aren’t afraid of Ella here, are you?”

“Um…not….not that much…” I said, looking to my side.

“Hmm,” Amber checked something on the clipboard she was holding. “Do you have any attachment with your town?”

“well…I’ve never left it before….” I said,

“Right…right…” She put the clipboard down to her side and looked at me. “Well, we’ll leave you here now. I’d suggest getting used to your situation here…”

“Wait…your…you're actually…” I started to say,

“Nothing has been decided yet. You will stay here with Ella for the next few days. We will come back, and you will report your experience back to us, understood, Quincy?”

“But…but…” I gulped, “What about school? What about…the town…and everyone there…don’t they….”

“They’re not worried about you, Quincy.” She said, “They’re not.”

I was silent for a moment.

“Do you understand?” Amber said, in the same tone as before. I nodded. 

“...yes….”

“Good.:” Amber turned around, walking back to the vehicle, before stepping onto the first step to the door and looking up at Ella. “We'll contact you each day to get an idea of how things are going. Expect to hear from us tonight.” Ella glared down at her, her eyebrows furrowing. I could hear air coming from out her nose as she exhaled sharply in anger. She sighed.

“...ok, amber.”

With that, Amber and the guards got back into the truck and drove away, off into the forest out of sight. We stared in their direction for a minute. Everything was just silent, and I was still there. Soon, Ella laid her hand out in front of me without saying a word. I hesitantly climbed on to it, and we went inside. She took me to the main living area of her cabin, where she placed me onto the same table I was on before. They looked right over me, out the window outside. Something was bothering her. Her eye was twitching, and she kept breathing heavily out of her nose. Soon she sighed, and went back towards the door. 

“Where….wh-where are you going?” I asked.

“I’m going to kill a deer.” she said, before walking outside, and closing the door behind her, leaving me alone in the house.