Chapter 1: A Quiet Night
Chapter Text
“Careful tonight,” Fit said as Phil stepped out of his truck. “There’s been some bear sightings ‘round here.”
Phil chuckled, closing the truck’s door. “Don’t worry, mate. I’ll be fine. I don’t have any other plans except dinner and a hot shower.” He leaned against the open window sill of the truck.
“Sounds good. Casualonas, this weekend?”
“Same as always. See you tomorrow.” Phil stepped away from the window and watched Fit drive off, quickly swallowed by the forest trees.
It would be accurate to say that Phil lived alone in the woods. However, it would be inaccurate to think he was the only one living alone in the woods.
In fact, a great many people lived in woods quite near to Phil. The entire island on which Phil lived was covered in forests and mountains with people interspersed in between it all. For the most, they valued each other’s privacy (at least in land, gossip spread faster than wildfire).
The residents of Quesadilla Island had built up a close-knit community within the small logging island. Phil knew they would help him through whatever, and he would do the same for them.
Fit was a perfect example.
Phil hadn’t had a working car since he was seventeen, yet every day for the past three years Fit would drive him back and forth to work and occasionally to the general store whenever Phil needed. Fit may have teased and complained about it to no end, but Phil knew that he never really minded.
Phil spared a glance towards the old, broken car, a Chevy Chayenne, sitting in the clearing that made up his yard, and briefly entertained the idea of working on it. It was a useless thought though because he couldn’t afford the right parts to fix it.
The car used to belong to his father. Phil's father had loved working on cars.
Phil turned towards his house, an old rundown home that was probably built about thirty years ago and hadn’t had much upkeep since. In fact, it hadn’t had any upkeep at all since Phil's father left him. He had tried his best to maintain the house since he was fifteen, but there was only so much that could be done.
It seemed out of place amongst the mountainside forest, almost as if it was better suited to the suburbs than the mountains, but Phil paid no mind to it as he walked in. He had long since gotten used to things being out of place.
As he walked in, he ducked his head under the door frame and set his hat on the coat hook, where it would be waiting for him in the morning.
It was as dark, empty, and quiet as always. To fill the silence, he turned on the radio and set about making himself dinner.
Phil opened the freezer and pulled out a large, frozen portion of venison and vegetable stew. He took a big pot and filled it up with water and placed it on the stove. Then taking a match, he lit the stove to boil the water. After he chopped up the meat and vegetables and put them in the pot, Phil went to take a shower.
The water was cold and faintly smelled of things Phil didn't want to think about, but Phil didn’t care. He was filthy from his job as a logger, covered in dirt, sweat, and sawdust. The shower got him clean enough to feel decent enough to go back to work and get dirty again. After his shower, Phil ate dinner, finishing the entire pot. The dishes would have to wait for another day.
He stopped in the bathroom to brush his teeth. As he did, Phil allowed himself to take in his reflection.
Standing at over eight feet tall, Phil was considered a giant by most standards. Thankfully the people of the island didn’t care, aside from the occasional joke. For the longest time, Phil had a comrade in his height, Spreen.
He used to be Fit’s roommate and would sometimes take care of Ramón before he ran off one night under the pretense of grabbing a pack of cigarettes. Spreen had been about as tall as Phil, if not taller. Although they hadn’t talked much, they had seen each other often. Phil was close friends with Missa, Spreen’s brother, and for as much as Queasadilla Island had to offer, it was sparse on entertainment and places to hang out so Phil would often run into Spreen.
As he spit out his toothpaste, he looked at his teeth and sighed. They were large and brutish, protruding in weird ways and resembling more shark or dinosaur teeth than anything human. He wished that he that he could fix them but he couldn’t afford it. Fit had dental covered in his job as a janitor, maybe Phil should ask if there were any openings?
Nah.
Then Phil went to bed to get up in the morning and do it all again.
More often than not, this was the routine of Philza Minecraft, only occasionally interrupted by weekends and nights with friends.
But tonight, someone watched as Phil turned out his lights. It was a figure off in the distance, a silhouette against the night sky, a figure almost as tall as the trees. A figure with bear ears.
Chapter 2: A Worrying Weekend
Summary:
“Phil found himself making his way towards the karaoke set-up for whichever song Slime had picked out for him.
As he joked with Fit about the quality, or lack thereof, of his singing voice, the bar door slammed open.”An average weekend for Phil and Fit, except for the dark, looming presence in the wood.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Casualonas was the only bar and halfway decent restaurant on the island and, thus, a very popular place during the weekends. It shared its space with the general store and gas station, separated only by a thin wall, and was near the only bridge in and out of Quesadilla Island.
Together, Phil and Fit entered the bar.
Taking a quick look around, it seemed that most of the locals were already there. Max and Roier were serving drinks and cooking food while chatting with Mariana who was serving the food and taking the orders with the personality of either a stripper whose rent was due or a jaded three-time divorcee. Slime and Baghera were mid-way through a rendition of Celine Dion’s "My Heart Will Go On" in the back corner, while Missa and Nikki cheered them on from another table. In a booth towards the side Pac, Pierre, Foolish, and Mike appeared to be in a deep discussion, probably over some construction plans if Phil had to guess.
Fit and Phil quickly took their regular table and ordered some dinner and drinks. After probably a few too many drinks, some light conversation, and friendly flirting, Phil found himself making his way towards the karaoke set-up for whichever song Slime had picked out for him.
As he joked with Fit about the quality, or lack thereof, of his singing voice, the bar door slammed open.
In the doorway, stood Cellbit, looking pale with wide eyes and gasping breaths. He clutched something tightly in his hand as he leaned against the doorframe. Everyone in the small restaurant stared. Roier rushed towards Cellbit, closing the door and leading the man to a seat.
“Cellbo, what happened?” Roier asked.
Cellbit stuttered, taking a moment to respond. “The-I.. A monster!”
“A monster?” Fit said, a mix of fear, disbelief, and curiosity.
Cellbit nodded. “It was like… and it had these teeth that were… and he just…” The man gestured wildly as he spoke.
“Are you sure you just didn’t have some of Pierre’s stash?” Mariana asked. The glare from Cellbit was enough to banish that thought.
“I have proof,” Cellbit said as he held up a Polaroid photo that he had had a death grip on previously. “We had need to hunt this and take it down.”
He laid the Polaroid on the table and everyone moved to get a better view. Phil clutched the karaoke microphone tightly as he approached the photo.
Could it really be a monster?
The photo was blurred and dark but there was definitely something. The silhouette stood upright on two legs but its arms were weirdly long, ending sharply. Its eyes were reflectively bright like a cat’s and its teeth, reflected in the moonlight, were sharp and brutish. Worried murmurs echoed through the crowd. Then a loud, cold laugh erupted from the back.
Everyone turned and looked. In a dimly lit corner sat a man in a white suit with a pink tie, on his belt was a Glock. Cucurucho, the mayor of Quesadilla Island and leader of the Federation. The mood in the room shifted.
Nobody liked the Federation or Cucurucho. It used to be for minor complaints, like high taxes or a monopoly on resources. But that changed last fall when an earthquake struck. It caused massive flooding and knocked over power lines, causing fires. The water supply was corrupted and gas lines split open. Quesadilla Island had been left on its own for two weeks before the Federation had even attempted to help. Cucurucho was nowhere to be found during the time, having apparently gone on vacation the day before the disaster. The islanders had pulled them through, but Phil would be lying if he said that it hadn’t been hell, or at least purgatory.
Slowly Cucurucho approached the table, glancing at the photo. “This isn’t a monster, it’s a bear. If it were a monster then you could trust that the Federation would have already taken care of it.”
“Like you took care of things last year?” Fit said under his breath.
Cucurucho stared at him for a moment, dead eyes meeting angered ones. “The Federation is doing its best to ensure that everyone enjoys the island. By the way, Fit, I would suggest bringing galoshes to work tomorrow. We’ve had issues with the toilets. And, remind me, how is Ramón?”
Fit glanced down. When Fit’s aunt and uncle died, they left behind their son, Ramón. Fit, being the only living relative, had taken in his little cousin and was doing his best to raise the clever boy. Fit and Ramón had struggled after Spreen left, but Fit managed. He had gotten a job as a janitor to make sure that Ramón could have everything he needed.
“Ramón is fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Fit said coldly.
Cucurucho smiled and Phil clenched his fists. In his hand, the karaoke mic was crushed like a piece of tissue paper. Next, Cucurucho turned his attention to Cellbit. “I would hope you would spend your time on better things than chasing nonsense. Remember, I need those reports on my desk by Monday.”
Cellbit stared. “But y-you said you needed them by Thursday! And I really saw something.”
Cucurucho stared.
“I will have it done by Monday,” Cellbit said as he lowered his head.
“Good.” Cucurucho walked towards the door. “Enjoy the island!” Then he left.
The islanders collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
“You do believe me, right?” Cellbit asked quietly.
There were some mumbled, half-hearted agreements, but nothing solid. Phil stayed quiet. He didn’t know what to believe. The more he looked at the picture, the more it looked like a bear. But Cellbit had seemed so certain.
As much as Phil wanted to side with Cellbit, he didn’t actually know him that well. Cellbit, like Foolish and a few others, were college interns brought on and employed by the Federation. Before last year they had never met. Phil didn’t know what to make of the whole ordeal.
Unbeknownst to the group, after seeing the photo a lone figure clad in blue and purple had slipped out the back door, making their way into the night.
The mood officially ruined, Fit turned to Phil, “I need to check on Ramón. Bad’s probably tired of watching him by now. Want me to drive you home?”
Phil shrugged. “I doubt Bad’ll get tired of Ramón, he loves watching him. But sure.”
The two left the bar and Fit drove Phil to his house.
~~~
It was late at night when Fit finally arrived at his home. He and Ramón lived in a broken and cramped trailer near Casualonas. Fit would have liked to give Ramón something better, but this was all he could afford. Thankfully, his beautiful boy had never complained about it.
Fit smiled as he saw Ramón asleep on the upper bunk of trailer’s bunk bed. Bad was sitting at the table on other end of the trailer, reading a book.
“I hope he didn’t give you too much trouble,” Fit said, keeping his tone low as to not wake the sleeping boy.
“Oh, it was a pleasure.” Bad smiled. “You know, I love watching Ramón.”
“Yeah, but I still feel bad.” Fit rubbed a sore spot on the back of his neck. “You know, I would pay you if I could.”
“And you know that I wouldn’t let you. Really. It’s my pleasure.” Bad said.
“Well, if that’s the case then I might need you to pick Ramón up from school tomorrow. Phil and I ran into Cucurucho and he mentioned that there might be some extra problems for me to deal with tomorrow, so I probably won’t be able to finish work in time to pick Ramón up.” Cucurucho had been generous when he gave Fit a job. Instead of having to work a prescribed shift, Fit simply had to complete the day’s tasks to gain the same amount of wages. When he was finished with the task list, he was finished for the day. He used to be able to finish early enough to pick Ramón up from the local school. However, recently, the task list had been getting longer and the tasks harder, so Fit barely had any time left for anything else in the day.
“Yeah, no problem.” Bad said. “I’ll have to bring him to my shift at the store, though.”
“Thanks, Bad. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Fit said.
“See you tomorrow.” Bad said, as he walked out of the trailer and into the cold night air.
Once Bad was gone, Fit sighed. He pulled out his work uniform and made certain that his tool kit and galoshes were in his truck, from the sound of things he’d them both tomorrow. Then, he grabbed his backpack and packed it full of anything he would need for the upcoming day. He did the same thing with Ramón’s backpack as well. He made certain that Ramón’s homework was inside. The boy was smart, no doubt about that, but he had been forgetting to turn in his homework lately. Fit wouldn’t stand to see his boy’s grades slip simply because of a few forgotten worksheets.
Next, he turned his eyes to lunches for the two of them. Ham sandwiches should do nicely.
As Fit opened up the refrigerator to grab the ham slices, his eyes landed on a sun-yellowed advertisement posted to the fridge. ‘Apply for Create Academy!’ It said. ‘The Best Opportunities Await!’
Fit sighed as he closed the fridge door. It had always been Ramón’s dream to go to Create Academy, especially after Tubbo was accepted to their university, but Fit could never afford it. He couldn’t even afford the entry test fee, much less the actual tuition, no matter how qualified Ramón was.
There was a time that Fit had been saving up to send Ramón to Create Academy, but that was when he was still living with Spreen. He and Spreen had shared a rental house together after they had graduated. After Fit took Ramón in, the two had shared much of the responsibility and expenses of caring for the boy. But then Spreen had walked away into the night, and Fit had not seen or heard anything about him since. After Spreen left, Fit couldn’t afford the rent and he had down-sized to his current trailer home.
But there was no use dwelling on the past, not when there was nothing Fit could do to change it. He finished up the sandwiches and went to sleep, knowing that the next day would be a long one.
What he did not know was that a singular figure watched Fit and Ramón from outside the trailer. It stood as tall as the trailer in the pale moonlight and, when a distant sound was made, its large black and white bear-like ears would flick towards the noise.
One week later, an announcement was made by the Federation: It is free, open-season hunting for all bears, regardless of gender or age, and any bear sightings or information will be rewarded.
Notes:
Any theories so far?
Fun Facts:
1. Since this is a prequel and backstory, all of the characters are younger than usual. Phil is around 19-20.
2. Not all of the eggs exist in this universe and some of eggs are more references than anything else (i.e. Phil’s car, Chayenne). But the eggs that do exist, at least for now, are Ramón, Pomme, and Dapper.
3. Juanaflippa was a bag of flour that Slime and Mariana had to take care of for a school project. She lasted 5 hours, until Mariana made flour bombs with the wrong bag.
4. FitMC and Philza Minecraft believe they are cousins. Phil’s father was Fit’s uncle. Hence the Minecraft/MC last name.
5. Since this is a prequel, it’s set somewhere in the past (between the early 2000s and the 1960s, idk anything more). This isn’t terribly relevant to anything, but nobody has a mobile phone
Chapter 3: A Transformative Afternoon
Summary:
“He looked behind him and immediately shrieked. Attached to his back were a set of large, black wings.”
Notes:
Alright, alright! Hope you enjoy this next chapter!
Minor cw: hybrid transformation, and slight self harm (pulling at feathers)
If you’d rather avoid this, then skip from “Then, the pain worsened.“ to “It appeared he would be stuck with the wings, at least for the time being. “
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Phil wasn’t simply tired, he was bone-deep exhausted. Every movement he made ached. His eyes cried out for rest. His shoulders throbbed in constant pain. Even his teeth hurt from the exhaustion. All across his body were tiny pinpricks of pain that he tried to ignore. Every thought was a struggle against the urge to pass out on the forest floor underneath his feet.
And Phil had no clue as to why!
He had gone to bed early the night before after a relatively easy day, yet he had to force himself to awaken in the morning. It felt as though he could have slept for a week straight.
Maybe he was getting sick. That could be the reason. For the past week or so, he felt like everything about him was off. He felt far too cramped and restrained in his own body like everything was bottled up. His center of balance also felt wrong; his back felt far too light. Maybe he was just wearing his backpack too much? Hopefully, it would be over soon.
Thankfully, he had been given an easy task for the day. The logging company had started clearing a new portion of the forest, so Phil was sent out to mark the logging boundaries and the trees that would be cut with spray paint.
Elsewhere in the forest, his co-workers were doing similar tasks, but for the moment, Phil was alone.
After coming to a stopping point, Phil allowed himself to rest in the opening of a small cave just outside of the logging boundaries.
Then, the pain worsened.
The dull throbbing of his back turned sharp. It felt like someone was taking twin knives to his back from the inside. It was unbearable.
Phil collapsed to his knees.
His hands clawed into the dirt, leaving deep gashes through soil and stone. He was distantly aware of tears falling from his face, but the only clear sensation was the pain. His back seized upwards as if possessed by an unknown force trying to crawl out of him, and something pressed against his shirt.
It felt as though someone poured hot lava over his back at the places where his shirt stretched. Phil would have torn the wretched thing off of him if the thought of any intentional movement didn’t feel impossible.
Somehow, the pain got worse.
Phil’s muscles and tendons seized up uncontrollably. He let out a choked scream. His back seized again.
Phil wished that he could simply just pass out from the pain, but the adrenaline and panic in his veins insisted on his consciousness. His back seized one final time, causing Phil to let out a guttural cry, sounding more like a wounded bird than anything ever resembling human. Something ripped from his back and through his shirt, coating his back in a warm, sticky fluid that he refused to think about. His arms felt weirdly shaky and limp.
But yet, it couldn't have been his arms.
His arms were below him, clutching the dirt like his life depended on it. This was something else.
But Phil was too tired to be curious. The pain had finally stopped, but now he felt too weak to do anything. Phil collapsed onto his stomach, drifting in and out of consciousness. He was too tired to be awake, but there was too much adrenaline for him to sleep.
He had no idea how long he stayed like that, but when he finally had the energy, Phil sat up and leaned back. Doing so, however, felt inherently wrong. The only way to describe it was as if you had tried to lean on your back while supporting yourself with only your elbows, except your shoulders and arms were pushed far farther back than they should ever go.
Cautiously, Phil stood up. Surprisingly, he did not feel off-balance; something was keeping him grounded and steady.
He looked behind him and immediately shrieked. Attached to his back were a set of large, black wings. He scrambled to get away from the wings, but being that they were attached to him, it didn’t work. The wings responded to his panic and puffed up, flapping violently.
In disbelief, he brought a wing in front of him, shuddering when he could feel his hand touching the wretched thing. In a fit of desperation and panic, Phil tried to pull the thing off of him. As he pulled at the feathers, matted from the fluids he refused to think about, waves of pain burst through him. He could feel every feather on the wing just like he could the hair on his head, maybe even more so. Quickly, he stopped.
He couldn't deal with any more pain today.
It appeared he would be stuck with the wings, at least for the time being.
Carefully, he tried to tuck the wings behind him. They listened and obliged. It felt surprisingly natural, almost as if he was always supposed to have them. The tips of the wings came to just above his ankles, and they, when folded, reached just above the tip of his head. It would be impossible to hide.
Phil ran a hand through his hair as he thought about what he would do. He couldn’t let the others see him; he just couldn’t. Phil could barely stand the thought of himself with such drastic changes. He couldn’t imagine how the other islanders would react. They would call him a monster. He was a monster. They would hate him. Maybe he could just live in the cave forever?
Yeah, that would work! He knew how to survive in the wilderness. He would be fine!
But Phil knew he couldn’t do that. His friends would come looking for him, and the cave wasn’t exactly hidden.
Besides, he needed a shower.
Instead, Phil resolved that he would walk to his house. The walk was a bit of a hike, but the logging site wasn’t too far from his house, and he was given a map and compass to navigate, so he would be just fine.
The walk to his house was long and made Phil even more exhausted, but it also gave him time to think.
Phil had always known that he had been adopted. His father had made certain to remind Phil of that fact every time they argued. But he had never really wondered where he had come from before that day.
He knew that he was a member of Quesadilla Island and that was enough for him. Now, however, thoughts about his origin filled his head.
Was this curse genetic? Were his birth parents like him? Did they know that this would happen to him? Is that why they gave him up? Was he some sort of secret lab experiment that had escaped containment? Did he even have parents? No, that was silly. He had parents. Probably.
But what even was he? Because human, certainly wasn’t an option anymore. Although, he wasn’t quite ready to admit that. Secretly, Phil held onto the hope that this was all bad dream.
The more Phil walked, the more he noticed the changes in himself. For starters, much of his arms were covered lightly in tiny, black feathers. They didn’t cover him completely but instead were in small scattered patches that reminded Phil of arm hair. He was willing to bet from how it felt when he brushed his hair away from his face that he had some feathers around his ears as well. His hands had also changed. His nails were long and blackened with pointed tips that looked far too much like bird talons for his liking.
Finally, Phil reached his house and collapsed onto his old couch. It felt weird with the wings, but it was soft and safe, so he didn’t care. He could have fallen asleep right then and there if it weren't for a quiet, bird-like cooing sound. Phil was startled to realize that the coos were coming from him.
What had happened to him?
Phil stifled down the cooing and started to close his eyes. After resting for a few minutes, Phil became increasingly aware of how filthy he was.
So he dragged himself from the comfort of the couch and into the bathroom. A shower felt impossible at the moment. Instead, Phil tossed his torn and soiled shirt in the trash and set about cleaning his back with a wet towel. It took far too many towels and far too much time to get his back and the wings clean, but by the end of it, he felt much better.
After pausing at his closet for a moment, Phil threw on a green poncho that he had gotten as a gift and went to make himself dinner. It was the only thing he could wear with wings.
As he opened the fridge, his landline rang on the wall next to him. Phil looked at his phone for a moment before carefully picking it up.
“Hello?” He asked, confused. Fit’s panicked voice came through the crackling static.
“What are you doing at home right now? I thought I was supposed to pick you up?”
Phil winced. He can’t believe he forgot about Fit.
“Oh… Yeah, sorry about that, mate. I was feeling sort of ill and so I took work off early.”
“Oh. Okay, okay.” Fit took a breath. Phil smiled to himself; Fit was worried about him.
“I thought Cellbit’s monster got you or something." Fit chuckled. "How’d you get home anyway? None of the guys said that they saw you leave.”
“I-urm… walked home.”
“You walked home? While sick?”
“…Yes?”
“Phil that’s nearly five miles of mountains! And nobody knew where you were! You could've been eaten by the bears or something!”
Phil winced again. That was… probably not his best decision.
“Alright, alright,” Fit said, a mixture of exasperation and worry in his voice. “Don’t do anything stupid. I’ll get Bad to babysit, then I’m gonna come over an-“
“No!” Phil shouted, a desperate caw escaping his throat. He tried to play it off as coughing. He didn’t want Fit, or anyone else for that matter, to see him right now. “No. Don’t come over. I don’t want you to get what I have. Or pass it on to Ramón or something, you don’t need that.”
He could hear Fit’s hesitance over the phone line. “…Fine. You sound horrible. But you better get well quickly, alright? And I’ll be calling you too, so don’t do anything stupid like going for another five-mile hike, alright?”
Phil rolled his eyes at his friend’s protectiveness. “Yes, mom. Don't worry. I will be better before you know it.”
Then he hung up the phone. He heaved a sigh of relief and then crumpled to the floor, wings bending awkwardly as he did.
How was he possibly going to recover from sprouting wings?
He had no idea how to fix this.
Maybe he couldn’t. Maybe he would just have to live with this curse. If that was the case, then eventually Phil would have to come clean. But for right now he would have to learn how to live like this first. He could adjust to others seeing him like this after he had adjusted himself.
Knowing of no way to fix his predicament, Phil tried to continue on as normally as he could. He turned on the radio and fixed himself dinner.
As he was washing his plate, a knock sounded at the front door. Phil looked over across the kitchen and living room and wondered who it could possibly be. Then the doorknob started to turn, and a wave of panic shot through Phil.
He couldn’t let anyone in. They couldn’t see him like this.
Acting more on instinct than anything, Phil rushed the door and pushed himself against it. He felt a slight push from the other side before the pressure receded.
“Phil? Hello?” It was Missa.
“Um… Heya Missa.” Phil said, trying to preserve as much of a tone of normalcy as one could do after sprouting feathers and personally barricading a door. “What brings you here?”
“You invited me?” Missa sounded confused. “I got an engine part for the shop, but I got the measurements wrong and I couldn’t return it. We wanted to see if it would fit Chayenne.” The doorknob jiggled.
Phil groaned. He had made plans with Missa for today!
“I am so sorry, Missa. It completely slipped my mind. I’m… um feeling a bit sick, so it might not be the best idea to be around me right now.”
“Oh,” Missa said. “Is there something I can help with? To make you feel better?”
“No, No. I’ll be fine, promise. I just, um, need a bit of rest and alone time. I had just finished dinner, actually, and was about to take a nap, once you leave. So you can just go on your way back and I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. See you later!.”
There was a pause at the door.
“Philza, ” Missa said slowly, “a-are you lying to me?”
“…No?” Phil lied.
Missa’s tone was steady. “Then open the door.” The pressure on the door increased.
“I’m sorry. I can’t do that.” Phil pushed back.
This continued for a few moments, Phil having an advantage, but just barely. Missa was surprisingly strong for his size. Then Missa relented.
“Fine.”
The pressure eased up, and Phil relaxed. He could hear Missa’s thick boots clomping away from the door. Had he not been so relieved, it would have struck Phil as odd that Missa gave up on his friend so easily.
Then, the boots stopped.
Phil held his breath.
The next thing he heard was a thick clomping around the side of his house.
The back door! No!
Phil rushed through the house and pressed himself against the other door, fiddling with the lock as he did. Just as the lock slid into place, Phil heard the sound of the front door closing. Missa had faked him out. In his panic, Phil didn't hear Missa turn back around to the front door.
From across the living room and kitchen, scared blue eyes met worried brown ones.
Notes:
Wonder how Missa’s going to react…
Comments and Kudos are very much appreciated!Fun Facts:
1. Phil works for Mr. Rabbit Logging Co.
2. Phil’s wings were originally supposed to be fluffy and covered in down, but I fell down the research rabbit hole and learned that crow chicks don’t have fluffy down (fr they be ugly), so instead Phil has normal flight feathers.
3. Phil’s adoptive mother died when he was 15, his adoptive father left shortly after.
4. Missa works as an auto-mechanic at the island’s only auto shop. He makes a decently livable wage.
5. Usually before a transformation or presentation of hybrid traits, the body enters a torpor-like state to reduce pain and trauma. However, Phil was stubborn and fought it off o.O For so many reasons, this is not good. (Take this as your sign to listen to your body. Stretch. Sleep. Get some water. Take your meds. Do it.)
Chapter 4: A Revelatory Evening
Summary:
The wings curled around him.
“Please don’t tell anyone. I’m not ready for them to know.”
Missa nodded. “You shouldn’t go through this alone, not such a big change like this. I know someone who can help.”
Notes:
I use some Spanish in here. Most of it was from a translator app, so please tell me if something needs correction
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Fit sat with Ramón at a table in Casualonas. It was still relatively early in the evening, so the nightly revelry was yet to start. Between the two sat remnants of what was once a large pepperoni pizza. Fit had been too tired to make dinner, so the pair decided to eat out. Fit hoped his tiredness wasn’t a sign that he had caught something from Phil. Hopefully, it had just been the long day at work.
As Fit sat back down with a pair of root beer floats, one of which Ramón happily took from him, Cellbit slammed open the door and rushed to Roier with a worryingly bright look in his eyes.
“Geez, man,” Roier said from behind the bar. “Can you ever walk in normally?”
“No. Look!” Cellbit shoved a Polaroid into Roier’s face, but Roier set it down on the bar counter.
Ramón perked up, carefully watching the two and clearly eavesdropping. Not that Fit could judge. He was doing the exact same thing, just less obviously. Even the little mouse in the corner seemed to be listening in, though no one noticed her.
“Cellbo…” Roier warned. “I thought we talked about this.” He lowered his voice, which only made Fit and Ramón listen harder. “You need to stop thinking everything is some cover-up or monster or something. Por favor. I care about you.”
“I know what I saw, Guapito. Just, just look at the picture.”
Roier rolled his eyes but obliged. A small gasp left his mouth as he stared down at the Polaroid.
“Well, what is it?” Ramón signed, clearly directed at Cellbit and Roier.
Fit lightly slapped his shoulder. “Don’t be rude, Ramón. It’s probably just another bear.”
Roier looked up at Fit. There was a look in his eyes that Fit couldn’t quite place.
“It’s not a bear.”
“Come here. Come here.” Cellbit waved them over.
Fit and Ramón stood up and walked over to the bar. Ramón had to push himself onto a stool to see above the countertop. Roier turned the photo around so they both could see.
“I-I was on my lunch break and walking around a little bit when I saw it. I was lucky I brought my camera along. It was near that new logging spot, I think.” Cellbit explained.
Fit stared down at the photo. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t a bear.
The photo was taken from a distance and was rather blurry, no doubt from how much Cellbit must have been shaking while he took the picture. But a few things were clear. The thing was humanoid in shape but unnaturally tall, with long, dark talons for fingers. Giant black wings protruded from its back. Almost every inch of its back and wings were covered with bright red blood. Fit only hoped the thing didn’t eat people. It seemed to be walking away from Cellbit and deeper into the woods, so the photo didn’t capture the creature’s face; Fit could only imagine the horrible sight of the creature’s maw.
Simply put, it was a monster.
Fit gulped, then spoke with an unsteady voice. “Whatever that thing is… We need to stop it.” He held Ramón closer.
~~~
Missa stared at Phil for what felt like an eternity before Phil sprinted towards a hiding place behind the kitchen counter. Being eight feet tall and having giant wings didn’t allow many options, but it was better than being out in the open. Anything would be better than that.
“P-Please don’t look at me. Go away!” Phil said, his voice cracking.
He was barely handling this on his own. He couldn’t bear what others might say.
But yet, Missa’s tone was soft, “Why?”
“Because I’m a monster! That’s why!” Phil said with tears in his eyes. Missa had seen what was wrong with him, so why did he insist on making Phil point out the obvious?
“I don’t think you’re a monster, Phil.”
Missa hadn't taken a single step towards him, simply staying in the entryway.
“How can you say I’m not a monster? I look like a freak!”
Missa settled down and pressed his back against the door. It would take some time to coax Phil from his hiding spot, and any attempt to move closer would almost certainly be counterproductive.
He watched Phil’s hiding spot, not that it was a very good one. The tops of Phil’s wings poked above the counter top and the tips of his feathers could clearly be seen. It would almost look comical if it weren’t for the situation. Even from the doorway, Missa could hear Phil begin to hyperventilate and had no doubt that the man’s mind was spiraling.
“I care about you, Phil. I am not going to be scared of you. Trust me. I just care about you and want you to be okay.” Missa said.
“No, you’re lying! You don’t care and you’ll leave me now that you know I’m a freak.” Phil said. Tears started to flow down his face. His birth parents left him, his adoptive father left him, and Missa would leave too.
“I won’t leave you, Phil. I promise.”
“But look at me… I’m-I’m a- “ Phil couldn’t finish his sentence.
“You’re not a monster, Philza.”
“How can you say that?”
Missa took a breath. “You’re not a monster, Phil, because you have the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen. You’re not a monster because you have a laugh that makes any room better. Because you’re always willing to help out a friend. I don’t think you’re a monster, Phil, because you’re my friend.”
Phil’s breathing had quieted.
Tentatively, Missa asked, “May I come to you?”
“No. Please no.” Came the reply.
Missa stayed where he was. They sat in silence for a moment. Then came Missa’s next question.
“Did you know?” There was a lot to unpack from that one question, but Phil was too emotionally exhausted to parse through it, so he answered honestly.
“No.”
“It must have been scary then, yes?”
“I don’t know what is happening to me. What is happening to me, Missa? What am I?” Phil was starting to spiral again. He gripped the wing’s feathers as he looked for any way to ground himself, but it only made things worse.
“Hey, hey,” Missa spoke calmly and slowly. “Shhh. Shhhh. Shhhh. You’re going to be fine, yes? You’re going to be fine. Just breathe with me.” He started to take big, exaggerated breaths.
Phil followed.
After a few moments, Phil started to feel better. However, the space behind the counter was starting to feel cramped and awkward.
Phil’s voice shook as he asked a question. “If I come out of here, will you promise not to be afraid of me?”
“Phil, I could never be afraid of you.”
Slowly but surely, Phil arose from his hiding spot. He refused to look at Missa, who seemed absolutely dwarfed compared to him, and instead, he glanced around the too-small house. He could feel Missa’s eyes on him, watching his every move with worry and care.
The wings curled around him.
“Please don’t tell anyone. I’m not ready for them to know.”
Missa nodded. “You shouldn’t go through this alone, not such a big change like this. I know someone who can help.”
Phil let out a coarse laugh. “With this?” He gestured to a wing. “No offense, but I don’t think anyone would know how to deal with that.”
Missa nodded, “They would because they have gone through something similar.”
“What? They have?” Phil wasn’t the only one?
“Do you trust me, Phil?”
“Yes.”
Missa took a step closer, then another and another. If Phil wanted, he could reach out his taloned hands and touch him. That thought terrified him.
Instead, Missa took another step and reached for Phil’s hand. Phil’s first response was to recoil from the kind touch, but he fought it. He let Missa hold his hand. It felt good.
“I want you to meet someone at my house. They can help you.”
“Are you sure?”
Missa nodded.
“Then okay.”
Missa led Phil out of the house and towards his truck. After several failed attempts to get situated, both men decided that wings do not belong inside a car. Instead, Phil sat in the truck bed and held on as Missa drove down the windy, bumpy dirt road.
Thankfully, Missa’s house wasn’t too far away. Once the truck hit the pavement, it was only about ten minutes to Missa’s house.
Missa lived on a large chunk of land in a stretch of mountains that the residents simply called, the Wall. Phil also lived on the Wall, but nothing other than footpaths had been made between the two properties.
Phil watched from the truck bed as Missa reached his house. He continued to watch as Missa kept driving past the home. Instead, Missa stopped in front of a ginormous warehouse that Phil vaguely recalled seeing from other visits. However, he had never been allowed inside of it.
Missa jumped out of the truck and extended his hand towards Phil to help him down. Phil avoided the hand. He still didn’t trust himself not to hurt Missa with those dangerously sharp talons. They walked towards a door on the corner of the building.
Missa took out a key and opened the door, ushering Phil inside. As Phil stepped inside, he wasn’t sure what to expect, but this wasn’t it. He was in a cramped, small room with a ladder on one side and a large door on the other side. His hair and the wings brushed the top of the ceiling. Missa closed the door with a shaky breath. He seemed nervous.
“Ok, Phil. I need you to promise me something.”
“What?”
Missa’s nerves weren’t helping Phil feel any calmer about the situation.
“I need you to stay calm, alright? It will probably be a lot, but you have to stay calm, okay?”
Phil nodded, and Missa took a deep breath.
“Good. I’m going to take the ladder up, but you will take the door. When you’re ready, open it, and don’t freak out.”
Missa began the climb and opened a small trap door when he reached the top. He went through it, and Phil was left alone. Phil stared at the large door in front of him.
It was squarish and took up nearly the entire wall. Towards the top was a doorknob, far outside of Missa’s reach. It made Phil wonder why someone would even place a doorknob where they couldn’t reach. His questions would soon be answered.
Not being one to delay the inevitable, Phil reached for the doorknob and pushed open the door.
Nothing could have prepared Phil for what was on the other side of the door. He stood frozen in the door as he took in the sight.
It was a fully furnished apartment scaled up to a giant size to fit the warehouse. Phil looked around and saw that almost every modern convenience was there, only about ten times larger than usual. Phil discovered that he had been standing in a large kitchen cabinet. Who would even be able to live in such a place?
He looked up to see Missa smiling above him, dangling his legs off the kitchen counter, kicking his feet to and fro.
“You good, man?” He asked.
“Yep.” Phil squeaked. He forced himself outside of the cabinet and into the giant room.
“Good.” Missa smiled. Then he stood up on the counter and yelled out, “¡HOLA! ¿Donde Esta Todos?” [Hey! Where Is Everyone?]
A small groan came from a couch in the living room, directly across from the kitchen. “Ellos ocupados, culero. ¿Qué pasa?” [They’re busy, jerk. What's going on?]
Phil thought the voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it.
“¡Ven aquí!” [Come here!] Missa shouted.
“No.”
“¿Por favor?” [Please?]
The voice sighed. “¿Por que?” [Why?]
“Um... What’s going on?” Phil asked, feeling left out of the loop.
“…Phil?” The voice asked.
“Um… Yes?”
The couch shifted as someone got up, but Phil still couldn't see them with the large couch in the way.
“Ay, Missa, what did you do?” The person sighed, as they rounded the couch's corner.
Phil gasped. It was Spreen! He had been missing for over a year. What was he doing here?
Phil would have felt bad about not recognizing him sooner, but Spreen had changed so much. He was several feet taller now, Phil only coming up to his chest. Spreen had bright white streaks in his black hair and wore two costumed black and white bear ears, although based on the way the ears twitched and moved Phil wasn’t entirely certain that they were fake. Despite Spreen’s size, he still looked dwarfed by the apartment, more like a schoolboy than a grown adult.
Spreen looked surprised at Phil for a moment as well. His eyes lingered on Phil’s new appendages. Phil folded the wings closer in a futile attempt to make them look smaller. He would have felt more anxious about the Spreen seeing his wings if it weren’t for the weirdness of the situation thus far.
“Ah.”
“You see why I wanted the clan now,” Missa said from his place on the countertop.
Was that what Missa called his family? Weird…
Spreen nodded. “They’re out hunting and should be back soon.”
Missa nodded to himself before making grabby hands at his brother. Spreen glared at him. Missa smiled. Spreen groaned before picking Missa up from the counter and setting him on the floor. If Spreen looked like a schoolboy in the house, then Missa looked like a baby, barely reaching the seat of the kitchen chairs.
Phil looked around the warehouse apartment. Something about the place felt wrong to him like it was inherently wrong of him to be there. The feeling was a weird mix of being abandoned in a restricted building and looking through someone’s nightstand drawers. But it also felt strangely calming.
“So, what is this place?” Phil asked, eyes wandering from the kitchen and living room towards a hallway further into the warehouse.
Its purpose was obvious, but Phil still couldn’t fathom why it was so big.
“It’s our den,” Missa answered.
Den? Like a cave? It seemed much too comfy for that, but maybe dens were supposed to be that way.
“I thought you lived in your house?” Phil asked.
The house would be much better suited for Missa and Spreen, if he wanted to crouch, than the den.
Missa nodded. “I do! Spreen used to before he presented. But most of our clan lives in our den.”
Phil nodded, pretending that he understood all of what Missa said.
“Why didn’t you just live with the rest of your, um, clan?”
Spreen shrugged. “Human technology and schooling are a lot better. Our parents wanted us to get ahead, so they put us in the school system, and for that, we needed an actual address and house. Then we got attached. Similar to your family, no?”
Phil shook his head. He was still reeling from Spreen calling it ‘human technology’ and the implications of that.
“How long has it been since you presented?” Spreen asked.
Phil gave him a confused glance. “Presented?”
“With the wings and feathers? You know, presented.”
“Oh, is that what it's called? It happened this afternoon.”
Spreen and Missa both stared at him like, well, like Phil had just grown wings out of his back.
“This afternoon?” Missa asked. “And you were alone in your house? You should be resting! Pá didn’t let Spreen out of the den until at least a month after he presented!”
Phil felt as confused as ever. “Oh...”
Spreen muttered something, presumably not intended for Phil. “¿Este idiota es completamente ajeno?” [Is this idiot completely oblivious?]
Missa replied, “Cállate, no lo sabía.” [Shut up, he didn’t know.]
“¿Cómo podría alguien no saberlo?” [How could someone not know?]
“¡No lo sé! ¡Por eso quería a los demás aquí!” [I don’t know! That’s why I wanted the others here!]
Phil cleared his throat, eager to not be left out of the conversation and desperately wishing for more than context clues and unspoken assumptions, but still a bit nervous. “Missa, do you know when, uh, you would present?”
Missa gave Phil a sad smile. “I’m human. I won’t present.”
Now that really confused Phil.
“Aren’t you and Spreen brothers, though? He presented.”
Missa chuckled. “Not by blood. They thought I might when I was younger, ‘cause I was so tall, but it turns out I’m just human.”
“Isn’t Spreen human?” Phil was getting really confused and a bit worried.
The brothers shared a look. Spreen’s fake bear ears twitched a bit, and Phil grew nervous.
“You don’t know, do you?” Spreen asked.
“Know what?”
Phil knew, or at least he thought he knew. But he didn’t want to hear it. He wished for the ignorance to last as long as possible.
“Okay, how do I say this?" Spreen ran a hand through his hair. "I’m not- You’re not- We aren’t human. We’re meant to blend in with them when growing up, something to do with survival. I don’t know. But we aren’t like them. We keep growing and getting bigger, bigger than the trees. We change, we present when we can’t blend in anymore and gain the ability to change into different forms. But some things show up in both forms. Like this,” He pointed to his ears. “and that.” He pointed to Phil’s wings. “We’re giants, Phil, not humans.”
Phil was silent for a moment, taking in the head rush.
“Oh,” Was all he said when Spreen finished.
Notes:
Comments and Kudos are very motivating for me!
Fun Facts:
1. The time that Cellbit had to take between when he captured the photo during his lunch break and when he got done with his shift was the most agonizing experience of his life.
3. In addition to his ears, Spreen also has a bear tail. (Phil just doesn’t stare.) Spreen is embarrassed by it, but Missa likes it.
4. Spreen’s bear traits are based on a Spectacled Bear, which is also the only bear native to South America.
5. Giants used to be born with hybrid features, but eventually evolved presentations as a way to mimic humans during maturation in order to better protect their young from harm and engage in the benefits of human society.
Chapter 5: A Tense Night
Summary:
What did catch his attention and draw him out of his thoughts was a deep rumbling sound coming from the end of the hallway.
Phil looked up towards the noise and was startled to see an aircraft hangar-sized door open at the end of the hallway.
Notes:
It’s been a tough week and I didn’t get as much of a chance to proofread this as I did other chapters so it might be a bit messy but here you go. Hope you enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Phil didn’t really know what to think after that. Well, actually, he knew exactly what to think. Why had this happened to him? Why was he cursed with this? Why couldn’t he just live a normal life? He wanted it all gone!
But he didn’t say any of that, because he knew that it wouldn’t matter. He was what he was. There was no changing it.
So instead, he sat on a plush giant-sized recliner and watched Missa talk at him from his place on top of the coffee table. At some point, Spreen had gone into his room.
It wouldn’t be fair to Missa to say that Phil listened, but Missa did talk, mostly to fill the silence in some form of comfort. He mostly talked about his family and what each of them was like. Apparently, much of his family, or clan, had gone away recently for one reason or another; Phil hadn’t been listening.
What did catch his attention and draw him out of his thoughts was a deep rumbling sound coming from the end of the hallway.
Phil looked up towards the noise and was startled to see an aircraft hangar-sized door open at the end of the hallway. A giant in a black hoodie stepped in, accompanied by several animals running around his feet as he walked towards the kitchen. In his hands he casually carried several large ice chests. With him was a small bear and two wolves. One of the wolves appeared to have a pink mouse on its head.
Phil thought he was seeing things until he noticed that the wolf and bear had purple and gold streaks in their fur.
Suddenly, the mouse jumped off of the wolf’s head and started to grow. It gained a more humanoid appearance, complete with frilly black and pink clothes, but maintained its large ears, one of which was pierced with a large hoop, and a constantly twitching tail. Once finished, the mouse-women stood at over twice the size of Phil.
“Something’s off.” The mouse-women said in a high-pitched voice to the other man, who, much like Spreen, had large bear ears atop his head.
“¿Que es?” [What is it?] A different man said, having shifted from one of the wolves.
He had black spikey hair with wolf ears, a black tail, a purple and gold jacket, and the sharpest eyes Phil had ever seen. Even without looking at him, Phil could feel the intensity and focus of the purple and golden eyes.
“I don’t know…” The mouse-women said with a contemplative pout. “It’s like someone else has been here. I can smell them.”
“But there is no one else around here?” The hoodie man said. “Unless maybe Missa?”
The wolf-man shook his head. “Mousey’s right. It isn’t Missa, but someone’s been in our den.”
“¡Estamos necessitos para encontrarlo! ¡Podrían ser humanos!” [We need to find them! They could be humans!] The other wolf had shifted. She had blonde hair, wolf ears, and a look of determination on her face.
Phil curled up in the chair. He didn’t want to think about what literal giants would do to an intruder, even if he was apparently a giant as well. Flashbacks of hearing Jack and the Beanstalk played in his head. Or maybe Goldilocks would be more accurate, considering the bear people.
Maybe if he stayed still, then no one would see him.
“¡Hola!” Missa had apparently not gotten the stealth memo because he waved at the four giants.
All four giants looked over at Missa and, consequently, Phil.
Oh, how Phil wished for the power to turn into a couch cushion at that moment! With all eyes trained on him, Phil proceeded to curl into himself and wrap the wings around him so that he was effectivly shielded from the outside world.
“Who is that?” The wolf-woman asked, a low growl in her voice.
“My friend, Phil!” Missa replied.
“Missa,” The hoodie man breathed. “I know you are human, but please, míjo, tell me that you didn’t let another person into our den.”
“It’s not really that bad of a thing, is it? He needed help.”
The wolf-man sighed. “Missa, a den is a special place. I thought you knew this. We can’t have it just being violated. Why didn’t Spreen do something?”
Missa was about to answer when a new voice spoke up.
“He looks so small, barely more than a cub.”
The voice was clear and calm with a hint of curiosity. Phil peeked out from underneath the wings and saw the origin of the voice. The final giant had shifted out of her bear form. She was taller than both Spreen and himself but a good bit shorter than the other giants. Beautiful black hair with gold and purple highlights framed her tanned face. Two black bear ears poked out from underneath her hair and patches of dark fur covered her arms, which ended in large claws.
Spreen, who had emerged from his room during the conversation, spoke up, “Phil just presented today. He didn’t even know what a giant was before I told him. There was no way I could tell him to leave. I thought that he could use some help.”
The others seemed to think on that for a moment.
“He didn’t know he was a giant?” The mouse-women asked.
Spreen shook his head.
“Phil was almost in a panic attack when I first saw him. He doesn’t have any clan.” Missa added.
“He wouldn’t last out there with the humans.” The mouse-women said, a contemplative look on her face. “Not with a hunt going on…”
“Didn’t you always tell us that we should help the less fortunate? He clearly needs it.” The bear-girl said, siding with Phil.
The hoodie man looked to the wolf-man and sighed.
“Fine. He can stay if he chooses.”
Phil relaxed, still not sure if he wanted to stay but relieved that the discussion wasn’t over whether to run him out or eat him.
“Now that the matter is finished.” The hoodie man spoke. He took off his black hood to reveal large hazel-brown bear ears and tired red eyes. “Let us get introduced. I am Luzu, the father of Missa and Spreen. That is my brother-in-law Vegetta, his daughter, Kristin, and his sister, Rivers. Over there is Iron Mouse.”
“Call me Mouse” She smiled, revealing sharp vampiric fangs. Since when did mice have fangs?
“Hello,” Phil said, cautiously standing up on the chair. “I’m Phil.” He gave a small wave. He felt awkward only wearing a poncho over his top half, but nothing else would fit with the wings.
“Spreen said you just presented, yes?” Vegetta asked.
Phil nodded. “I thought I was dying when the wings came in.”
“You were awake for it?” Kristin asked, a look of horror on her face. The others shared a similar reaction.
“Am I not supposed to be?”
“Realmente no tiene ni idea.” [He really is clueless.] Rivers muttered, before turning away from the conversation to help Luzu put away the contents of the ice chests.
Vegetta looked concerned. “Most giants sleep straight through presentation. I slept for a week during mine.”
Mouse nodded in agreement.
“You must still be tired. Kristin and the others can set up a bed for you if you would like.” Luzu said after he had finished packing away the food that was stored in the ice chests. It mostly looked like meat from wild animals (Phil had hunted enough to know.), but there were also packets of chips and a gallon or two of ice cream.
Phil thought for a moment. He didn’t want to impose, and he did have a bed at his own house. But it felt like a lot of work to go back home and it seemed much easier to just stay at the den. However, everything was still so large and disconcerting.
Phil shook his head. “I wouldn’t want to bother. I have a perfectly good bed at my house.”
Luzu nodded. “Okay. Can you take Phil back, Mis-?”
“I could do it,” Kristin said, which was met with surprise, because Kristin couldn’t fit in a car, much less drive one. “We could take the footpaths and he could ride on my back. It would be much faster.” She explained.
“Are you okay with that? Missa? Phil?” Vegetta asked.
Missa smiled and Phil shrugged.
“Great!” Mouse said.
Phil exited the den via the kitchen cabinet, keeping a close eye on the giants as he did. All of them were at least twice his size, if not more. Phil had no idea how careful they would be with him and he didn't want to get hurt. Kristin said that she would take the hallway exit and would meet up with Phil. Thankfully, it allowed Phil a moment to himself.
As he stood outside in the summer night, Phil was surprised to see how clear his vision was. Despite dark clouds obscuring the moon and stars, he could see almost as well as in daylight. Distantly, he wondered if it was a side effect of presentation.
Loud steps clued him into Kristin’s approach. He turned and smiled up at her.
“Are you ready?” She asked.
“I think so.” He replied.
“I’ll admit, I’ve never been down that path before, so you’ll have to guide me. Have you ever ridden a horse before?” Phil nodded. “It’s something like that, just hold on with your legs and tell me where to go. And maybe don’t pull my hair too much; Spreen always used to pull before he presented and it hurts.” Kristin continued on, rambling slightly.
Phil waited for a moment, then asked. “Do you want to walk instead? It’s not too late and it’s a nice night. I’m good with whatever.” Although, if Phil was being honest, walking seemed better than riding.
“Sure,” Kristin said with a small twitch of her ear.
The two started to walk down the path to Phil’s house. The silence between them felt a little akward at first.
“So, what is it like to be a bear?” Phil asked as he kicked a stone down the hillside.
“It’s nice. It felt a bit weird at first but I like it. I mean, if you need to shift anyways, why not at least enjoy it?”
“You need to shift?”
“Yeah, everyone does. Don’t want to lose your mind, you know?”
A blank look from Phil told her that he did not, in fact, know.
Kristin explained. “It can get really unhealthy staying in just one form for a long while. You start to lose bits of yourself. I heard of one guy who stayed as a sheep for so long that he forgot how to shift back. He had to be coaxed out of it.”
Phil must have looked horrified at that revelation because Kristin was quick to reassure him. “Don’t worry that only happens in extreme cases, like if you stay in one form for a month or so.”
“Does it work the other way?”
If Phil didn’t shift, then would he go back to normal? Could he just wait this out? It wasn’t like he knew how to shift anyway.
Kristin thought as she took a large step over a river. Phil walked over the river on a log next to her. The wings extended a bit for balance; Phil was beginning to hate how intuitive they were.
“I don’t think so,” Kristin finally said. “Presentation is more permanent than shifting. My aunt, Jaiden, once said that she knew someone who tried, but he ended up making himself sick. I think it's better to just use both forms. Weren't you taught this when you were younger?”
Phil almost laughed at the idea of everyone being sat down in class and being taught about shapeshifting similar to when they were first given The Talk. Instead, he just shook his head.
“No. Humans don’t shift, so this is all new to me.”
“Oh.”
Kristin grew silent. Phil estimated that they were over halfway to his house at this point. It still startled him how well his vision had improved since he presented. It almost seemed better than in the daylight.
“What was it like? Growing up as a human?”
“It was nice.” Phil said, “I have some really great friends and good memories.”
“Oh?” She asked.
“Yeah.” Phil smiled. “One time, in senior year of school, I was paired with my friends, Fit, Tubbo, and Charlie, for a project. We had to work together to design and preform a science experiment, then present it. Charlie had this idea. He wanted to prove that goldfish only have a three second memory, well not actually, but for the purposes of the experiment he wanted to test it. Tubbo designed an experiment, he’s really smart like that, especially in science. He going to Create University to study engineering, you know? Anyway, Tubbo designed an experiment to test it. We were going to play a loud sound and then shock the goldfish’s water. After about ten times, we were going to just play the sound and see if the fish had any reaction. The only problem is Charlie was the only one of us who owned a goldfish and it was stuck in his room on the second floor of his house. But the electric generator couldn’t be moved into his house without Charlie’s mother getting mad. So Charlie and Tubbo took a bunch of jumper cables, taped them together, and made a path to the fish tank. However, the cables were still a bit too short. To conduct the electricity and extend the range, Tubbo and Charlie tied one end of the cables to an old metal chair and tied a different cable to different part of the chair. However, I knew none of this when I came over. I had been helping Fit get ready for a double date. Fit was nervous, so I had agreed to go with him and another friend to help the date go more smoothly. We were busy all day, but made time to help with the experiment just before the date. Fit and I walk into Charlie’s house. And you want to know what I do? The first thing I do? I sit down on that old metal chair that was hooked up to the wires. Thankfully, Tubbo pulled me off quick enough that there was no lasting damage. But my pants were burned completely through. Neither Charlie or Tubbo were anywhere near my size, so Fit took his pants and gave them to me. I was so grateful that I wouldn’t have to go on the date in my boxers that I sat right back down after I put the pants on. I sat right down on the metal chair! Again! And I ruined Fit’s pair of pants too. So, long story short, we both had a very awkward double date in our boxers.” He laughed as he finished the story.
Kristin was laughing too. It was a beautiful sound that Phil wanted to hear again and again.
Phil’s mood dropped. “I-I guess it’ll be different now.” He gestured to his wings. “All of this makes it a bit confusing.”
Kristin nodded. “Humans don’t usually get along well with giants here. Especially not when they’re cutting down our forests and making it harder for us to live here.” She glanced over at Phil; it was clear the topic weighed heavy on her. “But I shouldn’t be worrying you with this. You’ve just barely presented. You're practically a cub.”
The conversation stopped for a moment. Kristin gazed up at the starry night as they walked.
“Have you ever talked to humans before, other than Missa?” Phil asked, trying to assess the entirety of the situation.
“Me?” Kristin asked with surprise. “No, my parents raised me more traditionally than Luzu raised Spreen. I’ve only met giants. And Missa. But the culture has always interested me.”
“Really? Maybe I could teach you about humans? If you showed me more of how to be a giant? There’s so much that I don’t know.” The two approached the clearing in which Phil’s house was.
Kristin brightened up at the idea. “That sounds great!”
“Then it’s a deal.” Phil stuck his hand out for a handshake.
Kristin stared at it blankly. She had never seen a handshake before. Phil realized this and carefully took her arm from her side, moving it toward his. He interlocked hands with her despite the size difference. She held his whole hand easily and he could only solidly grasp a couple fingers. Then he shook her hand.
“Lesson one,” he said. “When agreeing to a trade or deal or even just meeting each other, humans shake hands. Like that.”
Kristin smiled and nodded. “Good to know.”
“I’ll have to teach you more later.”
“Yeah, tomorrow maybe?”
Phil smiled. “It’s a date.”
Then, both turned away to go to their own homes.
Notes:
I have soooo many fun facts for this!! Also feel free to ask me in the comments anything about giants or the world thus far (I have way too many thoughts and no socials)
Fun Facts:
1. The giants often pick up Missa like he’s a large tabby cat. Missa is completely fine with this.
2. Mouse steals food from the island’s store. Bad just thinks he’s bad at doing inventory. No one but Mouse knows how she manages to steal gallon-sized ice cream containers while in the form of a mouse.
3. Kristin is currently in a scene kid phase. Once she exits the phase, she will be determined to destroy every piece of photographic evidence that she was a scene kid. Spreen and Missa ensure that she never succeeds.
4. Here is a list of all known giants and their animal hybrids: Phil- Crow; Vegetta- Alexander Archipelago Wolf; Rivers- Hudson Bay Wolf; Mouse- Tungsten Mouse; Luzu- Grizzly Bear; Kristin- American Black Bear; Spreen- Spectacled Bear
5. Hybrid presentation is not linked specifically to genetics, but instead to nurture, personality, and culture. Although the overarching culture typically causes certain trends to occur or certain clans to align more heavily with a particular sect of animal (mammals, birds, aquatic creatures, insects, ect.)
6. Oldest children in a clan are more likely to present traits aligning with protective/defensive animals, predators, or animals associated with leadership (eagles, lions, boars, sharks, bears)
7. Middle childern in a clan are more likely to present traits aligning with social/pack-reliant animals, prey animals, or passive animals (dolphins, deer, wolves, cats)
8. Youngest childern in a clan are more likely to present traits aligning with independent animals or energetic animals
9. Giants have a longer lifespan than humans. They live to about 150 years old.
10. Presentation is typically considered as a right of passage from child (called cub) to adult
Chapter 6: A Long Night
Summary:
One day, as Phil entered the den, he heard Luzu speak four worst words in the world: “We need to talk.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It had been another long day for Fit as he finished changing the broken lightbulb on the second floor of the Federation building. The past several weeks had been stressful and filled with sleepless nights.
After Cellbit showed everyone the picture, they had been understandably concerned. The islanders had taken it upon themselves to search the forests for the creature, but the search had always come up dry. After two weeks of looking, resolve was starting to dwindle. That didn’t stop the worry.
Fit smiled as he folded up his ladder and walked towards the janitor’s closet, ready for his shift to be over. Fit put the ladder away and grabbed his backpack. He turned and was startled by another one of the workers.
“Hey.” Walter Bob said. “I was about to clock out, but Cucurucho said he wanted to see you before you left.”
“Alright. Alright.” Fit nodded to himself. “I’ll make sure to see him. You have a good night, man. Say hello to your wife and kids for me when you get home.”
Walter Bob nodded and walked away.
Fit set off in the opposite direction. As he took the stairs to the second story, Fit couldn’t help but wonder why Cucurucho would call him to his office. He had been a decent employee lately. He was on time and always finished his task list for the day.
He knocked on Cucurucho’s door and entered the office. Everything in the office was white. The whole room seemed to be coated in white marble. The only thing that wasn’t white was a golden birdcage with a small turquoise parakeet sitting on a perch. Cucurucho sat behind his desk.
“Hello.” He said and gestured for Fit to have a seat.
“Hi, boss.” Fit sat down across from Cucurucho. The chairs felt worse than the chairs at the doctor’s office. Fit wondered if that was intentional.
“Walter Bob said you wanted to see me? Is there something you need?”
“How is Ramón?” Cucurucho asked.
Fit was a little confused by the question but answered nonetheless.
“Oh, Ramón? He’s doing great, yeah. The kid’s so smart that the teachers are considering moving him up a few grades next year. I hardly know what to do with him.” Fit said with pride.
Cucurucho nodded. “What about Create Academy?”
“I’d love to send him there. He’s always wanted to go, but…” Fit trailed off. Things were so expensive at the moment. Much of that was Cucurucho’s fault, but Fit couldn’t say that to his boss.
“Yes,” Cucurucho said, understanding. “The Create Academy would suit him well, but it is expensive. Have you looked at scholarships?”
Fit resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Those scholarship competitions were the most rigged things in the world!
“I don’t really know about those… There seems to be a lot going on behind the scenes. I don’t want my boy to waste his time.”
“Maybe.” Cucurucho conceded. “I have influence in the Academy’s offices. It would be possible for me to help.”
Fit weighed Cucurucho’s words. This seemed like a rather large favor, and the man didn’t do anything for free. Even if he did, Fit had learned that it was always better to know the expectations beforehand. But he couldn’t outright tell Cucurucho that he didn’t trust him. Fit would have to be more strategic than that. So, he sat a little straighter in his chair and cleared his throat.
“Well, it would be very generous of you to offer to help like that. Ramon and I, we’ll take our wins and losses on our own. We don’t take free handouts.” Fit started to stand up.
“Wait,” Cucurucho said. Then, he stood up as well. “Follow me.”
Cucurucho walked out of his office and down a flight of stairs. Fit assumed that they would be stopping there, seeing as it was the ground floor. But Cucurucho opened another door with a large key and led Fit down another long staircase.
Fit tried to keep his composure; emotion was the easiest way to lose a bargaining edge, but his curiosity was piqued. Fit had never been allowed down this stairwell before.
Finally, Cucurucho opened another door with another key and walked through it. Fit followed.
He was surprised to find himself in an enormous underground facility. The space seemed massive. The walls and ceilings were almost four times bigger than what he was used to. He had no idea that this even existed.
“What is this?” Fit asked.
Cucurucho gave a disapproving glare. He clearly didn’t want many questions.
“In exchange for my help with Create Academy, the Federation would like you to expand your role as a janitor to include the upkeep of our less public facilities. Do you accept?” Cucurucho held out his hand for a handshake.
Fit looked around the space. It would take a lot of effort and hard work, but Fit was willing to do anything for his beautiful boy. Fit shook Cucurucho’s hand.
“For Ramón.”
After Fit had gotten home that evening and sent Ramon to bed, he called Phil. The line went straight to voicemail, which wasn’t unexpected.
After feeling sick for another two days, Phil was given two weeks of quarantine by the Federation. The Federation took sickness seriously and didn’t want anything to spread, so they often forced quarantine at the first signs of illness. Phil had done himself a favor by reporting the sickness.
Fit called in often to check on Phil, and he seemed to be doing well enough, mostly sleeping or taking it easy.
Strangely enough, Phil had been sleeping a lot more often and unable to come to the phone. Fit thought that since he had more time to rest the past two weeks, Phil would be more than ready to be active or interact with Fit, but that was not the case. He worried Fit.
Fit cleared his throat as the phone beeped, signaling that a voice message was being recorded.
“Hey, Phil. It’s me, Fit. Hope you’re doing alright. Call me back when you get this. If you don’t, I’ll kick down your door to make sure you’re alright, alright? Anyway, I was calling to tell you I got a promotion from Cucurucho, kind of. It’s complicated, I don’t really think I’m allowed to talk about it. But I might have a way to get Ramon into Create Academy. I haven’t told him yet. I want it to be a surprise. I can just imagine the look on his face when he finds out. Call me when you get this. Bye.”
~~~
During the past two weeks, Phil had fallen into a routine. He spent his time between his house and the den. He tended to walk there in the morning to hang out with Spreen, Missa, or Kristin. While he was less comfortable around the older giants, he soon learned that each had their own strengths. All the giants were comfortable and careful around Phil, never raising their voices too loud or touching him harshly.
Luzu was clever and funny. He had a stabilizing presence within the clan.
Vegetta was generous and kind. He had given Phil some shirts with wing holes specially cut into them. When asked, Vegetta said it was intended for Spreen if he had presented with Avian traits, but the clothes didn’t seem like Spreen’s style.
Rivers took a bit longer to come around, but she was soon teaching Phil the best ways to cause mischief.
Mouse also taught Phil about mischief. She took a shine to him and helped him in her own chaotically friendly fashion.
About a week after Phil presented, Spreen asked about Fit. Phil knew the two were close, so it wasn't a complete surprise.
When Spreen had left for the store one night, he could feel the exhaustion of presentation starting. Rather than drive back to Fit's, Spreen went to the den. He had intended to let Fit know he was gone, but the exhaustion of presentation claimed him first. By the time Spreen woke up, he figured it was too late to offer any good explanation. Spreen had checked in on Fit and Ramón occasionally, but there wasn't much he could tell from outside a window.
Phil was happy to tell Spreen how Fit and Ramón had been doing since he left.
Mostly, Phil spent his day around the den, helping where he could and learning about giants.
Apparently, what Phil considered to be giants were only properly considered mini-giants. There used to be larger giants so tall they could walk over the mountains with ease. However, conflicts with humans demolished the population. Because humans outnumbered both mini-giants and giants, they dominated the lands and forced the others into hiding.
Most mini-giants had moved to live on a magically protected island in the ocean, called Giant Country. But generations ago, Luzu’s clan and Vegetta’s clan decided to stay in their homeland of Quesadilla Island.
After spending most of the day at the den, Phil would walk to his house with Kristin. Occasionally, he would spend the night in the den.
Thankfully, no one in the clan had tried to teach Phil how to shift yet. Phil was still on the fence about the whole animal transformation process and, being honest, he was a bit afraid.
When the topic first came up, Luzu reassured Phil that he wouldn’t need to shift for sanity's sake anytime soon. And despite the clan enjoying both of their forms, if Phil didn’t feel comfortable then he wouldn’t have to shift any more than what was healthy.
Regardless, Phil was still deemed too young to shift. His body was still growing and adapting from his presentation and it wasn’t ready for a second form yet. There was usually a decent gap of time between presentation and the first shift. While some young giants would shift soon after their presentation, it was only in life-or-death situations and could only be triggered by stress. Despite presenting almost a year prior, Spreen had not yet shifted either.
One day, as Phil entered the den, he heard Luzu speak four worst words in the world: “We need to talk.”
Luzu seemed to be talking to Rivers. They finished up the conversation way too quickly for it to be “The Talk” and Rivers walked away.
Even though the words weren’t aimed at him, Phil froze and tried to retreat back into the cabinet entryway.
Luzu happened to turn towards him, however.
“Ah, Phil.” He smiled. “I was hoping you would be here. I would like you to hear this.”
“Um, ok?” Phil responded.
He followed Luzu through the den to a room the other giants called the nest.
The room consisted almost entirely of mattresses, pillows, and blankets. There were also several large platforms at varying heights near the walls and a hanging bar suspended in the middle. Almost everything in the room was painted in relaxing blues and purples or blacks and whites. Overall, Phil liked it; the nest settled some internal restlessness that he never knew existed. A large mural of a sunset over a field of flowers covered one wall.
Phil assumed that the reason for this was related to the owner of the nest, a giantess named Jaiden, whom Phil had yet to meet.
She, like Phil, had avian features. He had heard she was on a business trip, and no one was entirely certain when she would return. When she was in the den, Jadien had built the nest to be a place to relax, retreat, and hang out with clanmates. Now, it was used by all the clanmates as a meeting room and area for serious discussion.
When Phil entered, he immediately noticed that the rest of the clan was also in the nest. Everyone had a serious look on their faces.
Phil felt his wing bristle as he sat nervously between Kristin and Missa.
Once settled, Luzu closed the door and sat with his back to it.
“Before I begin, I want everyone to understand that what I am about to say does not come easy. It will be hard but important. Do not interrupt. We may discuss this after I finished speaking.”
Luzu made eye contact with each person to make certain they understood the gravity and agreed to the conditions. Seemingly satisfied, he continued.
“I have included Phil in this discussion because what I will say affects him too, and he should be informed. The logging of the island has not stopped. It will not stop. The animals are dying. Soon there won’t be enough for us to safely hunt. The humans are venturing deeper into the woods and more often. It’s only a matter of time before we are discovered if we stay here. So before their trip, we asked the clan members to look into another option, living in Giant Country.”
Spreen and Missa both looked surprised. The others, however, nodded along.
“They were able to find a possible den in a nice city, Karmaland. Nothing is final, but it’s an option. I discussed it with the others, and they agreed if Phil wants to join us, he can. Of course, with the barrier around Giant Country, not everyone could cross.”
Spreen held onto Missa’s hand.
“So they appealed to the Council to see if they would grant an exemption. But the Council said they wouldn’t allow Missa to live there, especially since he is considered grown by human standards. However, they did offer a solution. If we leave Missa, they will provide both sides with a Warpstone amulet that will allow us to come back to visit and will allow Missa to visit us for a few hours every week. This is the choice we have to make.”
For a moment, everyone was silent.
Vegetta began. “We can’t just leave Missa. What will happen i-“
River interrupted. “And we don’t? We can’t stay on Isla! It’s only a matter of ti-“
“That doesn’t mean we can abandon him!” Vegetta shot back.
Mouse spoke up. “We’d still visit. But he has a good job. He’ll be with his own kind.”
“We are his kind! We’re his clan!” Spreen banged his fist against his knee. He probably would have stood up if not for the fact that Missa was huddled into his side.
The discussion only escalated from there. Soon everyone was shouting. Phil covered his ears to avoid the noise of giants yelling.
Finally, Luzu shouted above the others. “SILENCIO!!! CALMA!!! RESPIRA!! NO ESTO GRITAR O PELEAR!!” [SILENCE!! CALM DOWN!! BREATHE!! DON'T FIGHT OR SCREAM!!]
That seemed to grab the other’s attention. Luzu continued.
“We do not have to decide now. We have a month to make a choice. We can discuss this once everyone has cooled down. We need time apart. I need to go.”
With that, he opened the door. Slowly, everyone filed out of the room. Everyone except Phil.
It was late at night, and he didn’t want to walk home. The nest was warm and comfortable, especially after the day’s stress. So instead of leaving, Phil rearranged some of the pillows and blankets and tried to sleep.
Tried, being the keyword.
While he could still hear angry conversations through the nest walls, what kept Phil awake was his own thoughts.
He stayed awake most of the night, thinking about what he had been told. Could the clan really leave Missa? Would they survive if they stayed? Would Missa? Would Phil?
Phil might be more comfortable with his wings than when he first presented. But the thought of exposing them to everyone made him shudder.
What would they think of Phil? Would they hate him for lying to them? Would they call him a monster? Would they try to hunt him for his differences?
Phil didn’t want to think about it.
But what was the alternative? What would happen if he went to Giant Country? He barely understood their culture.
Would he be able to fit in? Could he live a regular life? He was only starting to truly adjust to being around the clan’s giants. How would he react to being around even more giants?
Phil tossed and turned for hours as he thought.
Eventually, he got up and walked out of the nest. It was late into the night now, and everyone was asleep. He was thirsty, and some water might do him some good.
However, as he reached the kitchen, Phil realized he had a problem. He wasn’t tall enough to reach the cups. The cups were in a cabinet above the countertop. Phil couldn’t even reach the counter!
After briefly considering walking to Missa’s house using one of his cups, Phil started to walk back to the nest. However, a sound made him pause.
It was coming from Luzu’s room. He walked closer to Luzu’s room, and the sound became clearer. It was a man’s crying. In between the muffled sobs were words.
“-No sé qué hacer! Estoy tratando de ser valiente y fuerte para nuestro clan, pero tengo mucho miedo. ¡Si nos quedamos aquí, moriremos! ¡Lo sé! Pero no puedo dejar a mi hijo solo. No puedo salir de Missa. Pero debo hacer lo que sea mejor para el clan. Pensé que si se lo decía, la decisión sería más fácil, pero empeoró todo. Ojalá pudieras guiarme, cariño.”
[-I don’t know what to do! I’m trying to be brave and strong for our clan, but I am so scared. If we stay here, we will die! I know it! But I can’t leave my son alone. I can’t leave Missa. But I must do what is best for the clan. I thought that if I told them then it would make the decision easier, but it made everything worse. I wish you could guide me, sweetheart.]
Phil couldn’t understand what Luzu had said, but he could tell it was something personal that he wasn’t meant to hear. Quietly, he walked back to the nest and fell into a light and fitful sleep.
Notes:
Kudos and comments are appreciated!
Fun Facts:
1. Ramón wants to study engineering.
2. Luzu was praying to his wife when Phil overheard.
3. Luzu’s wife (and Spreen’s mother) died from a car crash when Spreen was younger. This was the same crash that killed Ramón’s biological parents (Fit’s aunt and uncle).
4. Luzu’s wife presented with horse traits and is Kristin’s namesake.
5. Giant Country’s government is divided first into clans (or somewhat large families, occasionally including very close friends) whose ancestry is then linked to a pack (a larger group of multiple clans). Each pack democratically chooses a leader to represent the pack’s interests on a large council, which oversees everything. Pack affiliation cannot be changed and is not based on geographic region, but rather current or birth clan.
Chapter 7: A Loud Morning
Summary:
A tense silence covered the entire kitchen from yesterday’s argument. No one wanted to be the first to apologize. Phil was about to slink away to the nest when Vegetta set down the chile rellenos.
Notes:
Whew! I’m back! So sorry abt that wait, I didn’t mean to be gone for three weeks (wow, was it really that long?). Life’s been crazy and I didn’t have the time to edit this to the best of my ability, so if you notice any grammar mistakes or structuring improvements, feel free to shout them out. I was on a big roadtrip and didn’t have time to post or edit (trust me, you don’t want to see this fully unedited). But I did have time to write, so be expecting a new one-shot or two soon. (If you ask, then I might just reveal a little more abt them…)
Enjoy the chapter!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Phil was beginning to hate birds. Especially morning birds.
He had only started to fall into a halfway decent sleep when their loud and incessant chattering woke him. He let out a loud and annoyed ‘caw’ to silence them. It didn’t help.
Birds had become weird after his presentation. It wasn’t like he could understand them. Their chirping didn’t immediately translate to English in his brain. However, he gathered impressions from their cheeps, feelings more than anything else. And, occasionally, a vague concept or two. It was easier when he saw their body language.
He supposed that this was as close to translation as he could get. Regardless, it made ignoring the constant morning chatter nigh impossible.
Groaning, Phil got up and remade the nest. Then he stumbled into the hallway and made his way towards the kitchen, the usual morning hub of activity. Maybe he could finally get that cup of water.
Phil couldn’t help but notice the tense air in the kitchen as he entered.
Vegetta was making chile rellenos as Ironmouse drank a cup of coffee. Kristin and Spreen set the table. Luzu, Rivers, and Missa were nowhere to be found.
A tense silence covered the entire kitchen from yesterday’s argument. No one wanted to be the first to apologize. Phil was about to slink away to the nest when Vegetta set down the chile rellenos.
“Breakfast is ready. Let’s sit! Do you need help, Phil?” Vegetta asked, drawing the room’s attention to Phil.
His wings bristled as he shook his head. Carefully, Phil propped himself on the seat and sat on his knees to reach the table. Kristen sat beside him, and Spreen sat on the other side of the table, a few seats away from Phil. Vegetta sat next to Spreen and across from Phil.
Ironmouse remained near the coffee pot.
“Mouse, are you coming to eat?” Vegetta asked, ears perked up and tail wagging ever so slightly.
Mouse took a long sip of coffee before she walked past the table.
“I’m not hungry.” She said with a cold bite to her voice.
Her red eyes met Vegetta’s as she passed; her tail flicked defiantly as she walked to her room. Vegetta’s fur bristled and his ears pinned back.
They ate in silence. Spreen glared at Phil in between bites. It made Phil uncomfortable.
About halfway through the meal, Luzu came in smelling of alcohol and looking like he didn’t sleep. He got a cup of coffee and walked away. No one asked him to sit.
After breakfast, Phil approached Spreen. He lay on the couch reading a book, though the way he glanced around and stared into space showed that his attention was elsewhere. When he saw Phil approaching, Spreen glared at him but didn’t say a word.
“Hey Spreen,” Phil said awkwardly. “Is everything alright?”
Spreen looked at him like that was the dumbest question in the world. It probably was.
“What part of this situation says ‘alright’ to you?” Spreen said, his words filled with venom.
“Well, not everything has been ‘the greatest’. But it seems like you are mad at me, and I can’t figure out why.”
“Maybe it’s because all of this is your fault?” Spreen set his book down.
“What? How is this my fault?” Phil asked, taken aback by Spreen's answer.
“Because the clan would never have even thought about leaving Missa if you weren’t there to replace him!” Spreen let out a low growl.
“But I’m not replacing him! I don’t want to replace Missa!” Phil raised his hands.
“Yes, you are! Everyone was hurt when they realized Missa wouldn’t present, but then you walked in all confused, and they practically adopted you!” Spreen stood up from the couch. “If it weren’t for you, they would never have considered leaving Missa! They would have never tried to replace him!” Tears edged in Spreen’s eyes as he shouted at Phil.
Phil had no idea Spreen felt that way. He certainly hadn’t been trying to replace anyone, much less Missa. He loved Missa like family.
He reached towards Spreen. “Spreen, I-“ Spreen pushed him away and sent Phil to the floor.
“Go away!” He yelled.
And Phil did go away. He went through the kitchen cabinet and into the clearing outside.
Phil decided that a walk might do him some good. So he set off on a footpath towards his own house and started walking.
Spreen couldn’t be right. Could he?
Phil knew that the discovery of Missa’s humanity had hurt the clan. But he didn’t think that it would lead to Missa’s abandonment. But that was what it was, an abandonment.
From what Phil had learned, clans didn’t drift apart in the same way that families did. Clans stayed together for generations and were far more permanent in each other's lives than a family. Clans were something to be added to, not subtracted from. Yet, that’s what they were doing with Missa. The clan was separating from Missa while adding Phil.
Maybe Phil was replacing Missa.
Before he knew it, Phil was at his own house. He didn’t necessarily want to go in, but it was better than standing outside. As he stepped in, Phil failed to notice Missa’s truck parked outside the house.
Phil had to duck as he entered through the doorway. As he stood upright, his hair and wings brushed against the ceiling. He had grown a bit in the last two weeks.
Rivers had said that this was normal after presenting. She explained that most cubs grow to about average human size (give or take a few extra feet), then their body stops for a time and uses any extra energy to ready itself for presentation before continuing its development and growth until most giants stop somewhere between 15 to 20 feet.
Phil wasn’t looking forward to more growth spurts. But he supposed it was unavoidable. Absently, he wondered how much longer he would fit in his house.
Then, something else caught his attention.
There was a small sniffling coming from his couch.
Phil walked over and saw the small figure of Missa, covered by a blanket, crying on his couch. By the looks of it, he had been there for a while. Phil had many questions. However, he pushed them aside in favor of comforting his friend.
He knelt by the couch. “Hey, Missa.”
“H-hello,” Missa said. “I’m sorry for coming in, it’s just that I needed some alone time and I-I knew you wouldn’t be using it a-and I needed a place that wasn’t so-so big, you know?”
Phil nodded. He did know.
As nice and comforting as the den was, it was also very big which was overwhelming at times. It was nice to see everything properly proportioned for a change, even if it now felt a bit cramped for him.
“Do you want to be alone?” Phil asked. He didn’t want to be kicked out of his own house but he didn’t want to make Missa feel worse.
“No, I’m ok right now.”
Phil settled in with his back against the couch. He lightly laid a wing over Missa.
After a moment or so, Phil spoke. “D-do you want to talk about it?” His voice sounded oddly small in the quiet of the house.
Missa nodded but didn’t say anything. Phil gave him a moment.
“I-I will just miss everyone when they leave. I didn’t want them to fight over me.” Missa finally said.
“I won’t leave you. I promise.” Phil tried to reassure Missa. “And the others could still choose to stay.”
Missa shook his head, “No! I want them to go. They need to leave or they won’t be safe. The Federation won’t stop without a good reason and the dangers will get worse. Cellbit even managed to get a photo of Spreen! I can’t ask them to stay for me.”
“You want them to leave?” Phil asked, confused.
“I mean, nobody ever wants to really leave their clan.” Phil thought briefly of his father. He was family, he left. But Phil remained quiet. Missa continued. “But I want them happy and safe which means they need to go. Even if I can’t come too. I’d manage. I have Roier and Marianna. And I could visit.”
Phil nodded but he still knew how lonely it would be, perhaps even more so than Missa. He had lived without a family for the past several years; even with friends, it hadn’t been easy. He didn’t want anyone to live like that, especially not Missa.
Phil moved to hold Missa’s hand, gently massaging his palm as he did. They stayed like that for a while.
The curtains were drawn but Phil could still see the sunlight grow golden and start to slink away from the dirty window.
Then Missa sat up and stretched. “We need to head back now before they start to worry.”
“Alright.” Phil moved his wing from where it had covered Missa and let him get up, but did not attempt to move himself.
“Are you coming?” Missa asked as he stood.
Phil looked up at Missa from where he sat on the floor. Sitting down, Phil was just a little below Missa’s shoulder. Phil shook his head.
“I think it’s better if I don’t.” Phil couldn’t stand the tense mood nor Spreen’s anger.
Missa seemed sad, but he understood. With a hug and a promise for Phil to take care of himself and visit soon, Missa was driving away.
Phil sighed and closed his eyes.
He stood and stretched then flopped onto the couch in an attempt to relax. Or at least he tried to.
In a miscalculation of both size and force, Phil ended up tipping the couch too far back and falling head-first onto the floor. He laughed at himself as he righted the couch.
He briefly looked over his wings to make sure everything was fine. The feathers were ruffled and out of place, but nothing felt painful, so despite the urge to fix the misplaced feathers Phil continued with his night.
He fixed himself a dinner from leftovers and ate on the floor. His chairs were beginning to feel cramped and uncomfortable as he grew, especially compared to the spaciousness of the den.
Despite being a dinner plate, Phil's plate felt small and fragile in his hands. It was the same with his knife and fork, almost uncomfortably so.
For a moment, Phil considered ditching the silverware altogether and simply eating with his hands and strangely sharp talons.
Everything seemed like origami paper in his hands, far from the solid, durable feeling of almost everything in the den. He wondered if this was a side-effect of his growth and presentation or if the world had always been this delicate. He was afraid to touch anything in his own home.
Phil tried to fill his mind with other thoughts as he ate. His mind kept returning to the problem at hand.
Whether to stay on Quesadilla Island or leave for Giant Country? Both presented challenges and problems.
Phil wished that he could delay his choice. But Luzu was right. The logging had been cutting farther into the island’s forests recently.
Cucurucho seemed oddly intent on going further. He knew that any property standing against the efforts would be cut down regardless by using the Federation’s policy of eminent domain. Phil didn't believe they even needed that much wood.
Maybe if the giants talked to the loggers, then they would come to some agreement. Maybe they could postpone or even stop the logging. Maybe there could be an area of land reserved for the giants.
Phil bit down too hard and tasted metal. He spit out the piece of food and discovered that he had chewed through his fork. The broken fork was a reminder of the reason why that wouldn’t work.
The giants weren’t human; Phil wasn’t human. They couldn’t expect the human islanders not to freak out the second they saw a giant. The entire reason why the giants’ wanted the woods was to remain hidden; they couldn’t just announce themselves without fear.
But maybe it could work if it was someone sworn to secrecy. And maybe if the giants were small enough. And maybe if there were only a select few people necessary for the negotiations. Maybe…
After dinner, Phil called Cucurucho.
If there would be anyone to set up a meeting with to stop the logging, it would be Cucurucho. Thankfully, the phonebook still had his direct line. As he held the landline between his thumb and index finger, Phil dialed the numbers with a pen to ensure he didn’t misdial. He ignored the flashing red light on his phone that indicated he had a message. Cucurucho picked up almost immediately.
“Hello?” Cucurucho said.
Phil was startled by the speed of the answer, but he quickly recovered. “Um yes, hello Cucurucho. It’s Phil. I have something important to talk to-“
“How are you doing?” Cucurucho asked coldly.
It was a reminder of Phil’s place and his manners. People with bad manners rarely got far with the Federation.
Phil cleared his throat and exercised patience with the mayor. “I am doing well. Thank you for asking. How are you?”
“Good.” Came the reply.
Phil wasn’t sure if it was an answer to the question or a remark on his behavior.
“Wonderful. I was hoping I could ask you for a favor.”
“A favor?” Cucurucho repeated.
Phil winced at himself. The Federation never gave out favors. He would need to make it appealing to Cucurucho if he wanted to get anywhere.
“Well, more like a deal or a meeting for a deal at least, something that benefits both parties.”
“A deal?” Cucurucho asked.
Phil could tell that he caught the man’s attention.
“Yes, about the logging.”
“We can meet in my office. Ten in the morning. Next week.”
“W-we won’t be able to do that,” Phil said. It would be hard for any giant to fit comfortably inside Cucurucho’s office, even Phil.
“We?” Cucurucho asked.
“We.” Phil reiterated. He wanted to bring someone else, maybe Spreen or Kristin. Negotiations, he heard, always go better in pairs.
“Birdhouse Bluff, then. One in the afternoon. Tomorrow.”
“I hope that we can keep this between us. No one else.”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Cucurucho hung up.
Immediately, Phil called the den. He had been surprised to learn that the giants had a phone, but he supposed it made sense, considering the number of times he had called Missa and Spreen previously.
It took a little longer for someone to pick it up. When the call went through, Phil heard Rivers's voice over the line.
“Digame?” [Tell me? (a/n: it sounds a bit rude in English but, from my research, is an incredibly common and appropriate phone greeting in Spanish)]
“Um, hello. It’s Phil. I was hoping to talk to Spreen.”
“Ok. Give me a moment.” River jostled the phone around to muffle the sound before she called for Spreen. Phil could hear Spreen on the other end shortly after. The two began a quick argument before Spreen picked up the phone.
“I don’t want to talk to you, Phil.”
“I know. I know. But hear me out.”
“Two minutes.”
“Seriously? You’re kidding.”
“One and forty-five seconds.”
Phil spoke quickly. “Ok. Ok. So the main problem is the logging, yeah? No forests mean no way to stay hidden. So why don’t we stop the logging? If we do, then we can stay, and there’s no danger.”
“Phil, you can’t stop an island-wide logging operation. Especially not one that the Federation is behind.”
“You’re right! I can’t, but if the Federation chose to stop…”
“Tell me you didn’t.”
“I called Cucurucho.”
“Ugh, you did.”
“I told him I wanted to make a deal to stop the logging. He agreed to a meeting.”
“Great job, idiot. How are you, a giant that can’t even shift, going to make the major governmental corporation that practically owns the island stop producing its most valuable export and money-making endeavor?”
“Well, that’s where I was hoping you would help.”
“Ugh, how would I be able to help?”
Phil could almost imagine Spreen running a hand through his hair as he spoke.
“Don’t sell yourself short, Spreen! I remember you used to talk your way out of detention every other day. If anyone could convince the Federation, it would be you.”
“Even if I wanted to, there’s still the slight problem of me being over ten feet tall.”
“It will just be you, me, and Cucurucho. And you know that he can keep a secret.”
“You think of everything, don’t you?” Spreen muttered, more to himself than anything. “Fine. When is it?”
Phil silently cheered. “Tomorrow in the afternoon at Birdhouse Bluff.”
Spreen cursed. “That soon? Alright, meet me outside the den tomorrow, and I’ll fill you in on the plan, okay?”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
Both boys hung up. Both missed the small click of a third line hanging up before the other two.
~~~
Cucurucho set down the phone. His ever-permanent smile grew larger on his face. Cucurucho stood from his desk and stared at his caged little blue bird.
Opportunities like this rarely came along. Tomorrow was going to be an extremely beneficial day.
But preparations needed to be made first.
Cucurucho walked out of his office and down a few flights of stairs until he reached the facility’s research level. He walked the hallways until he found Fit, dutifully mopping the floor.
“Hello.” He said, startling Fit as he did.
“Oh, Cucurucho.” Fit didn’t relax. “I’m just finishing up here.”
“Follow me,” Cucurucho said, turning and walking in the direction he came from.
He stopped when he didn’t hear Fit’s footsteps behind him.
He looked at Fit.
“Well, I’d love to follow you, boss.” Fit stammered. “Following you down a restricted concrete tunnel after everyone else has gone home for the night would just make my day, but I need to finish mopping here. I told Bad that I would pick Ramón up two hours ago, and make him dinner.”
Cucurucho stared.
He wasn’t sure if Fit was being partially sarcastic or entirely genuine. He decided on genuine.
“Follow me.” He repeated, staring at Fit until he started to move.
Cucurucho led Fit through a white concrete maze of hallways and doors. Finally, they stopped at a small door near a larger, warehouse-sized door.
Cucurucho pulled out a key and opened the door, holding it open for Fit first before entering himself. Once they were both inside, Cucurucho closed the door.
Fit stared around at the space.
It was large and open, made solely of concrete, and filthy. Dark stains covered the floor, and the walls held claw marks. Giant, blue feathers littered the floor. Cucurucho watched as Fit stared at the feathers, clearly having never seen feathers like that before. They were almost twice the length of his arm.
Fit muttered to himself. “What monster was in here? And where is it now?”
Fit took a step back, but Cucurucho was right behind him.
“You want me to clean this place?” Fit asked, almost shuddering at the thought.
“Yes,” Cucurucho said. “By tomorrow afternoon.”
Fit looked around. “I don’t know about that.”
Cucurucho gave him a look.
“I-I mean, it’s an awfully big job, and it will take a lot of time. Maybe even a week or so, if you want it in perfect condition.”
“Tomorrow,” Cucurucho repeated, leaving no room for argument in his voice.
Fit was about to argue further, but Cucurucho cut him off.
“The Federation thanks you for your dedication and service. It will be appreciated and remembered in the future.”
Then Cucurucho turned and walked away. He left Fit alone in the cold, concrete room.
Notes:
So sorry about the wait. If you’ve enjoyed the story thus far, pls leave a comment. And if I made any grammar mistakes, feel free to correct me.
Fun Facts:
1. Phil can’t see glass.
2. Fit stayed up all night cleaning.
3. Phil has never preened his wings, and doesn’t realized it is a thing he needs to do.
4. Ramon loves sleepovers with Bad and Dapper, he just wishes they didn’t happen so often.
Chapter 8: A Pivotal Meeting
Summary:
“You have changed.” He said flatly.
Phil’s feathers bristled, and Spreen let out a low growl, but Cucurucho said nothing more.
“Yes,” Phil said, trying to present a calm, professional demeanor. “But we’re not here to discuss that, are we?”
“No.” Cucurucho agreed. “You had a deal?”
Notes:
I know. I know. I’m sorry.
But in my defense, I’m posting this at 11:55 so it’s still technically Monday
Enjoy :)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Spreen said.
“I couldn’t talk you into anything you didn’t already want to do,” Phil replied.
The two stood on Birdhouse Bluff just a little before one in the afternoon.
It was a steep slope on a mountainside that overlooked the forests. From the bluff, you could see almost every part of Quesadilla Island and parts of the ocean beyond it. It was breathtaking at sunset.
Currently, a crisp afternoon wind blew through from the ocean. It carried the smell of the sea, obscuring all other scents, and an occasional whistling sound that made things hard to hear if you weren’t standing near the person speaking.
Phil and Spreen, however, did not have such a good view.
Instead of standing on the bluff or the clearing nearby, the boys hid amongst the trees. Spreen had insisted that they would remain hidden until they saw Cucurucho.
They had remained similarly hidden throughout the entire hike to the bluff, staying in the woods and avoiding any people or buildings as much as possible.
“Do you think he will show up?” Spreen asked.
Phil nodded, then checked his watch. They had two minutes.
Both boys continued to watch the clearing. At one o’clock exactly, a voice spoke up from behind them.
“Hello.”
Both boys jumped.
Spreen could have sworn that he didn’t hear anyone behind them.
“Hello, Cucurucho.” Phil put on a nervous smile.
Cucurucho eyed both of them for a moment. He circled them until he was standing in the clearing.
“You have changed.” He said flatly.
Phil’s feathers bristled, and Spreen let out a low growl, but Cucurucho said nothing more.
“Yes,” Phil said, trying to present a calm, professional demeanor. “But we’re not here to discuss that, are we?”
“No.” Cucurucho agreed. “You had a deal?” He turned towards the slope of the bluff, taking in the view.
Spreen nodded and stepped out of the trees to be heard. “Yes, we wanted to talk to you about opening up a fair negotiation process to keep the land. Phil and I represent an interested party in maintaining the current forest lines.” Despite his roughness and rudeness, when negotiating Spreen was a force to be reckoned if he wanted.
“Why?” Came Cucurucho’s response.
“Because we need to keep the forests.”
“Why?”
“Because we rely on them for our livelihood and lifestyle.”
“Why?”
Spreen sucked in a breath. He had forgotten how Cucurucho liked to get on his nerves.
“Because our family has lived that way for generations. Our… unique traits make it hard for us to work a normal job, so we rely on the forests. If you cut them down, we will have no home.” Spreen stepped towards Cucurucho again.
“What does that matter to me?” Cucurucho asked coldly.
“Because,” Phil stepped forward and out of the forest shadow. “you say that we are supposed to enjoy the island. Having your home destroyed is not enjoyable.”
“The citizens of Quesadilla Island should enjoy the island, but giants cannot be considered citizens of the Federation.” Cucurucho reasoned.
A look of small terror filled Spreen’s face before he masked it.
“You know?” He breathed.
While Phil and Spreen weren’t exactly being subtle with their appearance, they hadn’t expected Cucurucho to know precisely what they were.
“Yes.” Was Cucurucho’s reply. He gave no explanation of what he knew or how much.
Spreen calmed himself again. “So, what you are saying is if we paid taxes and stuff, then you would stop the logging?”
“No.”
“But you just said!“ Spreen took a step towards Cucurucho.
Phil stepped in front of Spreen to block him from doing something regrettable.
“It would help your request gain traction if you were citizens of the island,” Cucurucho explained. “The only reason I am here is because Phil is a valid citizen of Quesadilla Island in good standing with the Federation.”
Cucurucho turned and began to walk away.
“But it isn’t just a request,” Spreen said. “It is a deal, yes?”
Cucurucho stopped and tilted his head. Then he turned with a cold smile plastered on his face.
“Yes. Tell me, Spreen. What do you and your forest-dwelling family have to offer me that could persuade me to stop the most highly profitable source of revenue on the island?”
Spreen paused. His mind went blank as his eyes searched for an answer.
That was all the answer Cucurucho needed.
He let out a loud, sharp whistle, and several things happened at once.
The first was that several large nets were fired at Phil and Spreen. The second was that a large black and purple shape barreled towards Spreen. The third was that this shape knocked Spreen off the bluff's edge and sent him tumbling down the steep, grassy incline.
Phil was immediately caught in what seemed to be several different nets. The more he struggled, the more trapped he became. Unable to stand, he fell onto the rocky soil. The rope tangled uncomfortably between his feathers and across his skin.
He looked next to him and saw a black bear that was similarly trapped. It shifted, and its form elongated into that of Kristin’s, but she still remained trapped in the nets.
Phil looked towards Cucurucho.
Behind him, a figure emerged from the woods. She wore two purple bows in her hair and held a device in her hands. She turned a knob, and ropes tightened.
Cucurucho looked at the woman, and she smiled.
“Oh yes,” she said, “these two will do quite nicely. Think of all the things we could learn about them, Cucurucho!”
“Yes,” Cucurucho said. “They will do well, WS01.”
She scowled at the title and then pressed a button.
Phil was immediately engulfed in a searing pain as electricity shot through the net and shocked him. The last thing he remembered before the unending, electrified pain engulfed his consciousness was the smiling face of Cucurucho.
“I hope you enjoy the island.”
~~~
Fit felt like a walking corpse.
He had stayed up late last night cleaning the concrete room. Most of it, he tried to block out and ignore. The stains smelled too much like when Ramón broke his nose, and Fit had to drive him to the hospital.
Unfortunately, by the time Fit was finished, he only had time to drive home, shower, and then drop off a lunch for Ramón at Bad’s house.
Now, he was back at work.
Something big seemed to be happening. Everywhere Fit went somebody was rushing around. The basement level seemed to be in an absolute frenzy. Scientists in white lab coats and heavily armed security guards rushed around like ants in an anthill.
Even with his exhaustion, Fit couldn’t help but be curious.
From conversations he overheard, there seemed to be something being delivered in the loading dock. It was either a new lab experiment or a dangerous weapon. Or both.
In all the commotion, no one noticed as Fit slipped into restricted areas. Fit carried a mop and bucket around in case he was questioned. If asked, he would say he was asked to clean up a spill.
As Fit drew closer to the loading docks, the crowds thinned, and anyone walking along the hallways seemed preoccupied.
When Fit got to the loading dock entrance, the hallway was deserted. In front of Fit were four doors leading to different docks and storage areas.
Each had a keycard scanner next to it with a different color light to indicate different security clearance requirements. The first three were relatively low security, but the fourth had a high clearance level.
Glancing around, Fit jimmied the lock until he heard a click. Then, as quietly as he could, Fit entered the storage area. The industrial lights were already on when Fit entered, so he didn’t need to worry about tripping over anything.
It was a large metal warehouse filled with boxes and rows of pallets. Opposite from Fit was the docking portion and a large garage door that was currently shut. Everything looked old and ignored, except two industrial flatbed trucks carrying large packages covered in thick tarps. Fit wanted to know what was underneath those tarps.
Abandoning his mop and bucket, Fit walked towards one of the trucks.
The tarps didn’t cover all of each container; Fit could see a few black feathers sticking out. They reminded him of the blue feather he had cleaned up earlier, simply because they were far too big to come from any bird that Fit knew. Involuntarily, his mind went back to the photo Cellbit had taken of a winged monster in the woods. Fit shuddered.
Then, he started to lift up the tarp. Curious to see what kind of animal the container held.
Suddenly, a cold voice made him jump.
“Hello,” Cucurucho said. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, hi boss.” Fit turned towards Cucurucho. “I’m just doing my janitorial duty, sir. Leaving no stone unclean. You know how it is.” Fit chuckled nervously.
“No. What are you doing?” Cucurucho looked annoyed.
“Well, to be the best janitor I can be, I wanted to see if our flatbed trucks needed cleaning. I’m sure the beds get dirty after a while. I wanted to check, but those tarps are in the way.”
"Your service would not be needed, nor would it be appreciated.”
“Alright. Alright. I’ll leave.” Fit put his hands in the air and started to slowly walk away. “But I have to ask, what is under those tarps?”
Maybe it was a sleep deprivation that made him ask, or maybe it was something else entirely. But Fit had to know.
Cucurucho paused as if internally debating if he should tell Fit. Eventually, he spoke.
“It is the Federation’s job to ensure everyone enjoys the island and everyone is safe. The recent concerns over monsters in the forest have been addressed.”
Fit sucked in a breath, looking at the two containers with a newfound fear.
“The monsters are in there?”
“Yes,” Cucurucho said. “These creatures are dangerous. They target the things you care about, the things that make this island run, and they destroy them.” He walked away from the container Fit had been examining and to the other container. “They hide amongst everyday people until they are ready to attack. They are responsible for unrepairable destruction and damage to the island. These monsters will stop at nothing to destroy everything the Federation stands for.” He lifted up one of the tarps and Fit recoiled.
Inside, was a monster. It had long black hair and fur covering the sides of its face. Deadly claws attached to humanoid limbs lay still on the truck bed. It was bloodied and had burns all across its body. It had to be over twice Fit’s size.
“What are those things?” Fit whispered, afraid anything louder would wake the beast. He was glad those beasts were locked up.
“We call them Giants.” Cucurucho covered the creature once more.
“And you caught them all?” Fit asked. Nothing like that should be on the same island as his beautiful boy.
“No,” Cucurucho answered. “The rest of the clan will retaliate soon. The Federation will need to be prepared.”
Fit internally shuddered at the thought of more of those creatures attacking.
“Well, I’m glad the guards are here.”
“The Federation plans to hire more guards, just in case. Would you be interested?”
Fit thought for a moment about his community, his friends, and his family. Ramón. Phil.
“I’ll do anything to protect my friends and family.”
Notes:
I love writing thematically appropriate names! Birdhouse Bluff, as in the birdhouse Q! Phil was trapped in by Cucurucho bc he's a birb boi, and bluff like a lie- ahh nvm y'all're smart, you guys get it.
Anyway, looks like everyone is in for some fun times up ahead
Sorry, but no fun facts this time around. Feel Free to ask me in the comments anything about worldbuilding or the story thus far
Chapter 9: A Rude Awakening
Summary:
For a while, their silence continued.
Then a small, human-sized door opened, and the scientist from earlier walked in. Behind her were two armored guards with very dangerous-looking military-grade rifles.
Kristin growled, her ears pinned back, and the scientist looked uncomfortable.
Notes:
This chapter’s a little bit shorter because it’s more of a setup for the last section of the story. (Don’t worry, even when this ends, I still have a ton to add to this au) Feel free to point out any spelling or grammar errors! ^_^
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Phil woke in a cold, concrete box that smelled nauseatingly like disinfectant. He still felt the pain from the electric nets; on his arms and legs were electrical burns, and he could feel the burns on his wings.
Looking around, he realized he wasn’t alone in the concrete box.
Hunched down and curled into the corner was Kristin. Sitting down, she made it halfway up the wall. If she wanted to stand, Kristin would have to crouch. Big, fat tears dripped down her face as she sobbed.
Groaning from the pain, Phil got up and walked towards her.
In her sobbing, Kristin didn’t notice until Phil pressed himself against her and wrapped his wings as far as they would go around her for some semblance of a hug. Delicately, she moved her arm around him and pulled him close.
Neither knew how long they stayed like that, keeping comfort in each other’s presence.
After what felt like a long time, Phil spoke up.
“H-how did you-“ His words trailed off. There were so many questions that he had. Thankfully, Kristin understood.
She wiped her eyes and sniffled a little. “When you called, I picked up Tío Luzu’s phone about the same time Rivers answered. I was curious so I stayed on the line while you and Spreen talked. It sounded like a dangerous plan, and I wanted to tell the others at first, but I figured that if there was a chance, a chance to fix all of this, then maybe it could wait. But it still seemed dangerous, so I followed behind you and stayed hidden. Then I saw these weird machines launch the nets, and I-I was just trying to protect you. But now-“ She started to cry again.
Phil leaned closer. “Spreen got out. He saw what happened. The clan will come for us soon.”
“Where even are we?”
Phil looked around. Other than concrete walls, massive metal doors, and industrial lighting, there wasn’t much to see.
“I-I don’t know. It doesn’t look like the jailhouse, but the Federation has buildings all over the island, and it could be any of them.”
“Why did they make it so big?”
The answer was obvious. Although it was still too small for a giant, it could have only been built with one purpose in mind. Neither wanted to admit what that purpose was.
For a while, their silence continued.
Then a small, human-sized door opened, and the scientist from earlier walked in. Behind her were two armored guards with very dangerous-looking military-grade rifles.
Kristin growled, her ears pinned back, and the scientist looked uncomfortable.
She cleared her throat. “Hello, I am Elena. You will refer to me as Ms. Elena. Do everything I ask of you, and there won’tbe any trouble.”
“And if we don’t?” Phil asked, his wings flaring.
The guards gripped their weapons tighter.
Elena looked briefly nervous before steeling herself.
“It would be in all of our best interests if you did. Now Subject D,” she pointed at Phil, “follow.”
Then, Elena left the room.
Seeing no other options, Phil did as he was told. He ducked his head under the human doorway and followed her through a massive concrete tunnel. The two guards followed behind him.
They took a confusing route through several more blank concrete tunnels. Phil had never seen anything like this on Queadsadilla Island before. It made him wonder if they were even on the island.
Finally, Elena led Phil to a large, dim doctor’s office with various medical tools, machines, and various scientific instruments. It almost looked like something out of a sci-fi show Fit and Phil used to watch together when they slept over at each other’s houses. Off to the side and bolted to the floor was an operation table large enough to hold a giant. Phil shuddered at the possibilities.
In one corner was a desk and two human-sized chairs. Elena directed Phil to sit in one of the chairs. The guards, who followed them in, stood near the desk.
Once he was sitting, Elena instructed him not to move as she placed all manners of strange objects on his hands and arms. After, she sat down and typed on her computer. Then, she took out a cassette recorder and started a recording.
“Subject D. I am going to ask you a series of questions. You will answer them fully and candidly. Then, I will perform a routine medical examination and evaluation on you. Do you understand?”
Phil nodded.
“You must audibly answer all questions. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“What was your full name?”
“Philip Za Minecraft, people usually call me Phil.”
Elena started typing on the computer, after each answer she would type more.
“How old were you?”
“Twenty-one.”
“Who were your parents?”
“Greg and Sarah Minecraft.”
“Where were you from?”
“I live on Quesadilla Island.”
Elena frowned. “Where were you from?”
“Quesadilla Island.”
“Where were you born?”
“I don’t know.”
“Explain.”
“My parents found me abandoned in the woods.”
“Do you know who your birth parents were?”
“No.”
“Are you human?”
“No.”
“Were you human?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“Explain.”
“I thought I was human and normal, but then I sprouted wings.”
“Can you fly?”
“No.”
“What are you?”
“A giant, I guess.”
“Can you shape-shift?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I’m too young. I can’t until I’m older.”
They continued back and forth like this for a while. The questions slowly became more mundane and medical-related.
Then Elena stood up and unhooked Phil from the strange machine. She made him change out of his regular clothes into a plain white shirt and pants, each with a large ‘D’ printed on it.
Elena had Phil sit on the operating table as she performed a medical examination, occasionally writing things down. Shetook particular interest in the area where his wings met his back.
Then, Elena returned Phil to his cell, and Kristin was taken away, presumably for the same treatment. After Kristin left, a different guard gave Phil a loaf of bread and a cup of water, which he ate happily. It wasn't enough for a growing giant by any stretch of the imagination, but it was better than nothing.
Kristin eventually returned, wearing a white outfit with a large ‘C’ written on it. Around her neck was a tight steel collar with a blinking red light. Phil had no doubt it was electrified, or that it was meant to stop Kristin from shifting.
They discovered that both of them had relatively the same experience. Neither could figure out where they were or how they could get out. After they talked, they went to sleep, huddled against each other for comfort.
The next week or so passed in much the same way.
Phil and Kristin would wake up and talk. Elena would take one of them away while the other would be fed. After they had both been taken and returned, they would sleep.
Elena would make them do something different each day.
Sometimes, they would be poked and prodded by a team of scientists for medical exams or have needles thrust into their veins for blood testing. Occasionally, they would force Phil or Kristin to do some form of exercise while being hooked up to machines with all types of sensors and wires. The scientist would make Phil and Kristin exercise until they were too exhausted to continue. On those days, it wasn't uncommon for one of them to pass out from exhaustion.
Elena was never alone with them. There was always a guard hovering near them.
Thankfully, apart from the experiments, Kristin and Phil were never separated. Which meant that they had time to plan. Unfortunately, it also led to arguments.
“I told you! I can’t do it! Even if I could, it’s too risky! You could get hurt!” Phil paced across cell, mad at Kristin.
They had this argument one too many times.
“I could show you how Phil! Or at least I could try… But we can’t just sit around here and wait to be rescued!”
Kristin sat in a corner, watching Phil pace. She was slightly envious of how he could move about the cramped space.
“You’re right.” Phil stopped pacing and turned to face Kristin. “That’s why I think we should go back to our first plan.”
Kristin scoffed. “Talking to Elena? That was getting us nowhere!”
“She could get us out of here.”
“If she wanted to.”
“Exactly, which is why it’s worth trying again.”
“She’s made it abundantly clear that she won’t let us. ‘The cost to science’ and all that junk. Please, Phil, this is the only way.”
Phil sighed, his wings slumped down. “I know, but what if it doesn’t work? Or if you get hurt? If we do this, it could make everything worse.”
“Look around. How much worse can it get?”
“They could kill us.” Phil said.
The tension in the room shifted. Both knew death was a very real possibility, but neither had pointed it out before. Somehow, acknowledging it made it seem more plausible.
“What kind of life are we living now?” Kristin whispered. “I can’t stand this for much longer.”
Tears left new trails on her dirty face, neither of them had taken a shower since they had arrived.
“Ok.” Phil conceded. “We’ll try your plan tomorrow.”
Notes:
Sooooo, what do you think? Any fun theories or burning questions? If so, I’d love to hear them
Fun Facts:
1. While Kristin and Phil are Subjects C and D, there was also a Subject B and a Subject A.
2. Kristin is the first and only non-avian giant that the Federation has studied.
3. Phil’s biological parents were some of the original giants that lived on the island. They lost Phil while moving away from the island because of humans. He had four other siblings.
4. Phil has no intention to seek out his biological parents. Families are built through bonds, not blood. And Phil already has plenty of family.
5. Fit and Phil used to routinely have sleepovers where they would just chill or watch movies and tv-shows. This happened at least once a month and continued as a tradition until Phil presented.
6. Additional guests that have been invited to Fit and Phil’s sleepovers are: Tubbo, Missa, Spreen, Pac, Ramòn, Slime, and Quackity
Chapter 10: A Dangerous Tomorrow
Notes:
So sorry about the wait, I’ve been swamped by stuff all week and didn’t get a chance to edit this chapter until late night and this morning. But, all in all, it should be a good chapter! Just a warning, I’m going camping so there will a bit of delay on the chapter.
If you get bored while waiting, feel free to check out my other fic ‘oh, can you see my ghost?’.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Alright, are you ready?” Kristin asked.
It was early in what they presumed was the morning and a heavy air of adrenaline and anxiety coated the cell.
Phil nodded and started to take off his shirt.
The two had spent much of the day before discussing the escape plan. The first step was to force Phil to shift and use his smaller size to their advantage. Unfortunately, any forced shift needed to happen under immediate life-or-death situations where the change would be useful, which meant there were some obvious risks.
Thankfully, Phil and Kirstin had spent the night devising the safest way to almost kill him. If Kirstin failed, Phil’s blood would be on her hands.
Phil handed his shirt to Kirstin.
She breathed a shaky breath. “While I’m doing this, focus as much as you can on getting smaller, more bird-like, ok? When you’re ready, close your eyes and turn around.”
“Okay,” Phil said with a shaky breath.
After a few moments, Phil did as Kirstin instructed. The wait, for however long it lasted, was agonizing. Phil was beginning to wonder if Kirstin would do it when she struck.
The heavy cotton of his shirt covered his head and wrapped around his neck. A panic overtook him. The fabric grew tighter and tighter around his neck with each passing second. Phil instinctively fought it as he felt an arm wrap around his neck and a fist was shoved in his mouth. His wings beat furiously for hope of escape, but a part of the shirt stopped them from stretching too far. Phil tried to gasp for air but nothing would come. He tried again and again, but he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe he couldn’t breathehecouldn’tbreathehecouldn’tbreathe
Phil desperately needed to take a breath. He needed to escape the hands so he could breathe. He couldn’t squirm or maneuver in any way to escape the hands. He couldn’t breathe. He needed to breathe. If he was smaller, then he could breathe. He needed to breathe, he needed to be smaller. He needed to be smaller.
Distantly, he felt something in him change. More presently, he felt the suffocating pressure release. The feeling of a warm, soothing blanket covered Phil’s back and he felt less exposed.
It took a moment for him to open his eyes again. When he did, Phil was greeted with a thick, dark fabric covering every inch of his vision.
If this was the afterlife, it was a boring one. Turning his head, Phil caught sight of a spot of light. He walked towards it and found an opening. As he poked his head through the opening, Phil was reminded of how he first felt when he entered the den. He almost immediately realized that the strange hole was, in fact, a sleeve from his shirt; the thick material had done a good job of blocking the light.
He was still in the concrete cell but it had grown exponentially in his perspective, and that wasn’t the only thing that had grown in his eyes.
Kristin looked at least ten times bigger than usual. Her ears were down-turned and her face was filled with worry as she stared at the shirt. Then she caught sight of Phil, and her whole face lit up. Phil realized he would do almost anything to make her face light up like it did at that moment.
“You’re safe!” She said, kneeling to be closer to him. “I feared the worst for a moment there. How are you feeling?”
Phil moved completely out of the shirt before looking over himself. He was a crow, simple as that. It felt weird not to have arms and what felt like hands extending from the bottom of his legs. And his balance was certainly off-center. But, otherwise, he felt fine. Phil looked up at Kristin and nodded his head. He tried to say he was fine but only a loud caw came out.
Kristin smiled. “Wonderful. Now to-“ The cell door started to open. “Quick! Hide!”
Phil looked around and hid in a corner behind the door. He heard Elena’s footsteps as she entered.
“Subject C, it’s time for m-” Elena paused. “Subject C, where is Subject D?”
There was no response, but Phil could feel a smugness coming from Kristin.
“Guards! Guards!” Elena called. Several pairs of boots came clomping to meet Elena. “Subject D has escaped! Send everyone on high alert and find him as soon as possible. I’ll deal with this one. Agent 18, stay with me. We need to interrogate Subject C on this matter.”
Phil heard the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking.
Kristin gasped.
Elena’s voice became even once more. “Subject C, follow me."
Elena and Agent 18 walked out of the room and, a few moments later, Phil heard the sound of a larger door opening so Kristin could move. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Phil hopped from his hiding place and entered the tunnel with Elena, Kristin, and Agent 18.
He followed along as Kristin was escorted away. The group hadn’t traveled far, but to Phil’s crow body, it felt like he had walked half the length of the island. He tried to press on, but he had to rest for a moment. Unfortunately, that was the moment Kristin was led behind a closed door with Phil unable to follow. He wanted to get closer but Agent 18 guarded the door closely.
As he studied Agent 18 and the door from the safety of a corner, a shine caught Phil’s eye. The shine came from Agent 18’s belt and it sparkled so shinily and prettily in the light.
So pretty…
So shiny…
Phil wasn’t sure what it was but it was pretty. He wanted it. He had to have it. Like a young child to a bowl of Halloween candy, Phil hopped straight for the shiny object.
Agent 18 stared inquisitively at the seemingly random crow who had shown no fear as it walked to him, but Phil didn’t notice 18’s curiosity. His eyes were transfixed only on the shiny object.
With the subtleness of a freight train, Phil hopped up, using his wings for a height boost, and grabbed the object with his beak. A string was attached to the shiny object, preventing Phil from taking it, but his beak quickly snapped the string and it recoiled back.
Agent 18 looked about as mad as Phil could imagine. He tried grabbing Phil but Phil was quick to avoid him. Now was probably a good time to run.
So Phil did run, flapping his wings occasionally for a boost of speed but never getting off the ground. He ran far and fast in his little crow's mind, making it around the corner and into a little alcove that contained a drinking fountain. Agent 18 ran right past him, footfalls echoing loudly in the otherwise empty corridor.
It was dark under the drinking fountain as Phil set down his shiny, new treasure. In the darkness, it didn’t look nearly as shiny as before. A part of him cried at the loss of the shine.
Wait, what?
Phil shook his head. Was he legitimately sad because something didn’t look shiny in the light? Had he seriously risked life and limb just because he thought something was pretty? What was up with that?
Phil refocused on his prize and was delighted to see what was the source of his former obsession. It was the key! It had to be the key to the door that Agent 18 was guarding. Phil couldn’t believe his luck!
Of course, Phil couldn’t use the key while in crow form. It was nearly the width of his body and the door lock was far too high for him to reach. Phil would need to shift back first.
Carefully, Phil hopped out from underneath the water fountain and into the empty hallway. Then he closed his eyes and focused. Kristin had made certain to talk him through all the steps of transformation and how to shift back but Phil was still nervous.
What if it didn’t work? What if he couldn’t shift back? What would happen if he was stuck like this forever?
Phil shook his head clearing the thoughts away and focused only on his sensations. He felt every feather on his body. He felt the odd clip of his beak and the wide separation of his toes. Then he focused on the sensations that he couldn’t feel. The feeling of his fingers idly fidgeting; the way the tips of his hair just barely brushed against his chin; the sturdiness of his legs beneath him.
Phil focused on these invisible feelings. He imagined every sensation and feeling as if it was real. Then, slowly, they became real, no longer envisioned but felt with every breath and every nerve in his body.
When he opened his eyes, Phil had returned to his other form. Smiling to himself, Phil stretched his arms and then his back. It felt good to be human again. His wings stretched behind him. Maybe human wasn’t the best term, but it was close enough.
Wasting no more time, Phil reached under the drinking fountain and grabbed the key. It looked so small in his hands. Then, he hurried to the door and unlocked it quickly.
He threw open the door to find a small hallway leading to a medical lab and an observation room on the side. Kristin was tied to a medical chair in the lab. She was gagged but her eyes widened as she saw Phil enter.
Several doctors peeked out of the observation room to observe the new entrant. Phil sent them a dark glare and they quickly retreated into the observation room. He closed the door behind them. Then, with a bit of effort, he twisted and crushed the door handle, effectively trapping the doctors.
With the doctors neutralized, Phil turned his attention to Kristin. His black talons made quick work of her bindings as he cut them loose.
As soon as she was free, Kristin stood up and started to look over Phil.
“Are you alright? I was so worried. They didn’t find you, did they?” She asked.
Phil shook his head and started his own inspection of Kristin. “What about you? Did they hurt you?”
Other than a few sore spots from the bindings and gag, Kristin looked fine.
“I’ll be fine.” Kristin glanced nervously at the observation door. The scientists were trying to ram it open. They were getting frighteningly close to knocking the hinges off. “We should get going.”
Phil locked her hand with his. “Where?”
Kristin looked back towards the trapped scientists, the door shuddered from another hit.
“Anywhere, but here.” Kristin tightened her grip on his hand and ran out the door, crouching to fit. Phil followed behind. He had to sprint as Kristin ran down the corridors and turned down hallways. Any guards they crossed were promptly shoved into the walls as they passed. Phil hoped they were alright, but when he glanced back they weren't moving.
The hallways were starting to blend when Phil spotted a flight of stairs leading upwards. He stopped and tugged on Kristin’s arm to make her stop. She did, noticing the stairs now too, then she nodded to Phil and the two started to climb.
During their capture, they had both talked a good deal about where they were and both had agreed that, considering the size of the facility and the lack of windows, they must have been underground and, as everyone knows, the quickest way to escape from underground is to go up. To Phil, seeing the upwards leading stairs felt like a drowning man seeing a boat.
Climbing the stairs, however, was agonizing. The stairs were built for human-sized feet taking human-sized strides. It was not built for young giants with giant-sized feet and giant-sized strides. Phil could barely fit the first half of his feet onto a step and Kristin had to tiptoe to fit while ducking to ensure she didn’t hit her head on the ceiling. Thankfully, the tradeoff was that they could take several steps at once.
The doorway on the next landing had a large “L” painted on it but was locked and the door seemed heavily reinforced so Phil couldn’t break it. Instead, he rushed up the next flight of stairs with Kristin at his heels.
Phil burst through the door into a hallway lined with office doors. Unfortunately, it was also lined with Federation workers. The workers stared at the giants for a single moment of silence before someone screamed, “Monsters!”
Many workers ran away but many workers started to attack. They threw whatever they had on hand and Phil was pelted with staplers, notebooks, and other office supplies. He held up his wings as a shield. It worked well until some of the workers started to run up to him and hit him or pull out his feathers. He let out a guttural screech and batted the workers away as best he could.
Phil tried to back up, but Kristin was pushing him forward.
When he looked at her, she whispered, “There’s more behind me.”
“What do we do?” Phil asked as he slammed a worker into the wall with his arm. He knew that man. He had helped Tubbo with spelling as he wrote love letters to that man. That man now lay still on the floor, hopefully not forever. Phil didn’t know how much of this he could take.
“Run,” Kristin said. “We’ll split up. The first one to find an exit will leave and get help, no matter what. Alright?”
Phil didn’t want to agree. He didn’t want to leave Kristin. He wanted to go back with her or not at all. Despite his opposition, he nodded. When he did find an exit, he would go back for Kristin.
Phil pushed away from the mob of workers, which was starting to thin. He ran towards the closest door.
The security guards showed up and started evacuating the other workers. Phil couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not.
While security was distracted, Phil started to open various doors, looking for any possible escape route or a hiding place for when the guards did turn their attention to him.
The first room he looked in just held cubicles and office supplies, all of the windows were too small for him to fit through. He tried several other rooms to no avail.
In the effort to leave the workers behind, Phil had lost track of Kristin. He hoped she was alright.
The next room he looked into was a white meeting room with no escape routes. As he walked out, Phil was struck with the realization that this was the first time he had been alone in probably a week. The quiet was eerie as Phil stood in the now abandoned office hallway. Distantly, he noticed the lights had been turned off.
Absentmindedly, he let out a sad coo.
The crackle of a walkie-talkie broke the silence and a voice spoke up. “I heard a strange noise in sector three. Backup, standby.”
A bright light lit up the adjoining hallway and started to move towards him. Phil looked frantically for a place to hide, his wings puffing up behind him. There were four doors surrounding him and not much else. The light grew closer. Phil chose the closest door on his left and crammed himself through it.
Looking around, he realized he was in a broom closet.
With all of the different supplies and equipment, Phil was far too cramped and took up every available space that he could. It was an awkward fit. Still, Phil held his breath as he heard the careful, calculated steps of army boots tread down the hallway.
Then, he heard the boots stop.
Phil willed every inch of his body into silence. He didn’t move. He didn’t breathe. He didn’t even think. He just stood, still as a statue. For a moment, it felt as if the whole world was standing still.
The world spun into motion again as the door flew open with a loud bang. Phil flinched as a bright light shined directly into his eyes. He couldn’t see the figure behind the light, but he didn’t think he wanted to see the face of his captor, or possibly killer.
Phil waited for something to happen, a shout, a punch, anything.
Instead, he was met with a stunned whisper,
“Phil?”
Phil knew that voice. That was the voice of the man who drove him to work every day, the voice of the man who had stood with him in his toughest moments, the voice of his best friend.
“Fit?” Phil asked.
Fit turned off the flashlight and held his hand out to help Phil out of the cramped broom closet.
“What are you doing here, Phil? I haven’t heard from you in weeks! Are you alright? It isn’t safe here.” Fit looked around warily as Phil stepped out into the open.
“Fit! Oh, it is so good to see you! I’ve missed you so much! I really could use some help right now.” Phil tried to hug Fit, but he stepped away.
“Phil,” Fit said tentatively. “What’s on your back?” His eyes flicked between Phil’s face and his wings.
“Fit…”
Fit took another step back. “Phil, don’t tell me you’re one of them, man.”
Phil tried to reach closer to Fit but he stopped when the man reached for the gun on his belt.
“I-I wanted to tell you earlier, but I didn’t know how. Please listen to me, Fit. I need your help.”
Fit kept glancing between Phil’s face and the wings. “You’re one of the monsters…” He muttered under his breath.
Phil’s eyes began to fill with tears. “Please, Fit. I need your help, mate. Please trust me.”
For a moment, neither man said anything. They just stared at each other and the entire world felt balanced on a pin-tip.
Then, the walkie crackled to life and a voice came over the line, “Sector three, report.”
“Please.” Phil pleaded.
Fit stared at Phil with fear in his eyes. He didn’t move. He didn’t breathe. His mind raced. He stared, still as a statue.
Then, ever so carefully and slowly, Fit reached up for his walkie-talkie.
“Sector three here.”
Phil waited with bated breath as Fit spoke.
“I found it.”
Phil’s blood ran cold and the tears started to flow down his face. In the hallway, he could hear inhumanly large footsteps running towards him from behind, but he didn’t process it. The only thing he could see was Fit. He looked so scared and so, so small.
“Fit…” Phil whispered.
He took a step closer.
Fit pulled out his gun. “Stay away from me, Phil. I mean it!” His voice cracked with emotion and his gun darted widely around Phil’s body as if he didn’t know where to shoot.
“Please…” Phil said.
He saw himself reach an arm out towards Fit, but he didn’t feel himself move his arm. Everything felt strangely distant and unreal. Something gripped his other arm and tried to pull him away, but he barely noticed the efforts.
Fit fired the gun.
The shot sent Phil back and to the ground as pain erupted from his thigh and the back of a wing. His ears rang from the sound of the gunshot. Even that felt strangely unreal.
Kristin came into his line of vision. She was crouched down and shouting something at him, but Phil was in too much shock to hear what she was saying. She looked panicked, though, he should probably try to focus.
“….-old you! We need to go! We can’t stay here right now! Phil, I’ve found an exit! Just tell me you’re alright, please!”
“Kristin?”
“Come on! They’re coming!” Kristin pulled Phil to his feet and then started down the hallway. They twisted and turned down a few other hallways, but Phil didn’t pay too much attention to their route. He was still in shock and his mind was still on Fit.
Fit had turned him in to the Federation. Fit had shot at him. He didn’t feel like he was shot. Weird. Phil looked down at his leg. Yep, he had been shot. There was too much blood for it to be anything else.
Kristin stopped and looked around, talking to herself. Or maybe she was talking to Phil. He couldn’t be sure; whatever Kristin said flowed in one ear and out the other without going past his brain. The only thought his mind had was that Fit had shot him.
Suddenly, Kristin stopped talking. It seemed like she had heard something. The next moment she was ushering Phil through a door.
The door led into an office.
It was a white office with big windows and a caged bird in one corner.
Kristin put an office chair in front of the door and locked the handles around it. Then, she sat Phil down against the wall (he was too big to sit comfortably in the other chairs) and began fussing over the bullet wound, the pain of it began to pull Phil from his state of shock.
The bullet, thankfully, hadn’t lodged itself in Phil’s leg, but it left a sizable incision across his outer thigh that was bleeding profusely. It might need stitches.
His wing was another story. The bullet wedged itself between the skin of his wing and his feathers. It had hit the last part of the wing where skin and muscle were before transitioning to only sprouted secondary feathers. The bullet’s path had left many feathers either broken or out of place and it hurt in places Phil didn’t even know existed until that moment.
Phil let out a small caw from the pain as Kristin dressed both wounds as best she could. She had elected not to do anything with the wing or the bullet, other than pulling away some of the broken feathers. She didn’t want to make the situation worse.
“Can you walk?” She asked after finishing.
“I-I think so,” Phil said. He had walked here, so what was a little more walking? Adrenaline was one hell of a drug.
“If you can’t, tell me and I’ll help you. How do you feel about jumping?” She asked.
“Jumping? Why?”
Kristin glanced back at the windows. “Because that was the only exit I found on this floor.”
Phil nodded grimly. It was the window or nothing. “I’ll make it.”
Kristin helped him up and they made it to the window.
The view caught Phil off-guard. You could see so much of the forest from this viewpoint. The ground directly below him looked more paved, however, and Phil dreaded the incoming fall.
Regardless of his fears, he started to inspect the window for any way to open it, but it looked pretty well sealed.
Behind them, someone tried to open the door. Then, they tried harder. Uh oh.
Phil turned to Kristin to say something about needing to break the windows. But Kristin wasn’t focused on the windows anymore. Her eyes were fixated on the grey and blue bird inside a small cage.
“Kristin?” He asked quietly. He placed his hand on her arm. “Are you alright?”
“That’s my aunt.” She replied in a whisper, still staring at the bird. “That’s my Tía Jadien. I-I would know her wing patterns anywhere. An-and they just locked her up… for all this time.” Tears were beginning to fall from her eyes.
The guards began ramming the other side of the door. It wouldn’t hold for much longer. Distantly, Phil wondered if Fit was leading the attack.
“Then let’s free her,” Phil said.
He started to approach the cage and undo the locks. The fine mechanisms were harder because of his size but he didn’t want to startle or hurt Jadien and make everything worse.
Finally, he opened the cage and Jadien flew out. She perched on Kristin's shoulder and nuzzled her head.
“Don’t worry, Tía. We’ll get you out.” Kristin said.
“We’re going to have to break the glass,” Phil said, keeping one eye on the ever-weakening door.
Kristin nodded. She was about to say more when the door broke open and guards swarmed the room. Instead, she grabbed Phil and pressed him close to her as she threw herself out of the window.
Together, in a rain of glass and gunfire, they fell out of a building.
Notes:
Soooo, how’s everyone feeling?
Fun Facts:
1. Giants aren’t usually susceptible to animal instincts unless they stay shifted for a long time. However, because of the way Phil presented and that his first shift was forced he is at much higher risk of falling into his instincts. A doctor versed in Giant biology would have a heart attack after hearing everything Phil has been through.
2. The scene between Fit and Phil was one of the first I thought of when coming up with this story. This was always the plan. When I was writing this, I originally wanted to end the chapter in the middle of the scene for a cliffhanger effect. Aren’t you glad I didn’t? :)
3. Sometimes Fit wonders if he made the right choice, then he’ll look down at Ramón and be reassured that he did. He’ll do anything to protect his family.
4. Ramón does end up going to Create Academy and studying engineering.
Chapter 11: A Daring Escape
Chapter Text
Ow. Ow. Everything hurts. Ow.
Phil wasn’t certain what he expected when he fell from a second-story window, but, in hindsight, a lot of pain would make sense.
He was sure he was covered in bruises from the fall, and the shards of glass cut into his body almost everywhere.
If Kristin wasn’t urging him to get up, he probably would have laid there. He grabbed Kristin’s hand, and the two of them ran for the cover of the forest with Jadien flying behind them.
Kristin looked worse from the fall than he did. Her body was littered with cuts from the glass, and he could see several shards still lodged in her skin. From the way she winced with every breath, Phil guessed that she probably broke a few ribs too.
The guards chased after them, but in the open space of the woods, the two young giants had the advantage and easily lost them.
Eventually, instead of running, they walked. The adrenaline of the whole situation was starting to wear off, and exhaustion was beginning to take hold.
“Any idea where we are?” Kristin asked.
Phil looked around. Actually, he did have an idea.
“I think this is one of the logging sites I used to work at.”
“If it was a logging site, wouldn’t the trees be gone?”
Phil shook his head. “It’s a pretty recent one and I think we’re on the outskirts. They might not have gotten to it yet. Let me make sure.”
He walked a little further away from Kristin and examined the trees. Sure enough, the trees were marked with spray paint to be cut. Phil remembered marking those trees.
“I was right!” He called to Kristin. Then he remembered something even better, “There’s a cave up ahead where we can rest before heading home.”
“Right now, you’re my guardian angel! Lead the way.” Kristin smiled.
Hearing her compliment made Phil smile as he started to walk towards the cave entrance, but something started to bug him.
“Why didn’t you escape when you had the chance?” Phil asked.
“What do you mean?”
“We agreed that whoever found an exit first would escape to get help. Why did you go back for me?”
Kristin was silent for a moment. Her ears flicked down as she thought. “I guess, it never really occurred to me to go back without you. I told you that so that you would go without me, but I couldn’t really bear the thought of leaving you there alone.”
“Oh.”
Phil's face started to heat up. He never realized that she cared that much about him to be willing to give up her own freedom for a chance of his safety.
Phil led them into a small cave just outside of the logging site. It was isolated and hidden from the rest of the world. They would be safe for the time being.
Phil sat against a wall, letting the exhaustion finally catch up. Everything hurt. If he could, he would sleep for a month straight.
Kristin sat against the other side of the cave, holding Jaiden in her hands. She seemed to be talking to the bird, but Phil couldn’t hear the exact words.
Then, she set Jaiden in the center of the cave floor and watched her.
“Don’t worry, tía. You’re safe now. You can change back.” Kristin said.
Jaiden hopped around a little bit and looked up at Kristin.
“Tía Jaiden?” Kristin asked.
Jaiden flapped her wings and perched on a nearby rock, paying no attention to Kristin.
Phil watched them both with a confused expression. Why wouldn’t Jaiden shift back? Kristin was convinced that was her, but what if she was wrong? What if Phil and Kristin had just stolen the Federation’s pet or something? “Jaiden” certainly wasn’t acting like anything other than a normal bird.
“What’s wrong?” Phil asked.
“I don’t know,” Kristin said, curling up while putting her chin and arms on her knees. “I’d think that after being trapped in that cage, she’d want to shift as soon as possible.”
Phil frowned.
The idea of being forced into a birdcage turned his stomach. He couldn’t imagine being treated like a literal animal, being trapped with no space to move, relying on another for every need, and not being able to truly communicate with others.
He had a short taste of it with Kristin, but that was nowhere near the kind of isolation from being trapped as a bird for who knows how long. That kind of dehumanization would make him go insane.
“What if-“ Phil began. “What if she forgot how?”
Kristin tilted her head in confusion, then her eyes widened with realization.
“You might be right. If she’s stuck that deep in her form, then we might have to guide her out of it. Can you talk to her?” Kristin looked at Phil with bright, hopeful eyes.
Phil would move heaven and earth if she asked with those beautiful brown eyes.
“I-I, um, How?” Phil asked.
He had never tried actually to communicate with birds, much less with a giantess that was trapped in the form of a bird.
“Well, it’s easy. I never really thought about it. Similar species presentations can communicate with each other, like how actual animals communicate. When my pa, Spreen, and I want to talk, especially in bear form, we just…“ Kristin let out a bear-like grunt, then shrugged.
“Alright. I’ll try.” Phil didn’t entirely understand what Kristin meant, but he couldn’t stand the idea of disappointing her.
“Thanks.” She said with those bright brown eyes.
Phil turned his attention to Jaiden. He watched as she pecked around on the ground. He let out a small and quiet caw.
"Hello?"
Jaiden looked up at nothing in particular before she let out a careful tweet.
"Hi."
"What’s your name?" Phil asked.
"I don’t know…" Jadien chirped.
Phil wasn’t sure how, but he understood what she meant perfectly. There was a slight difference in their calls, more akin to an accent difference than anything else. Phil cawed again, this time using his wings to help with tone.
"Are you ok?" He cawed worriedly.
"I don’t know…" She replied, sounding scared.
"Why?" Phil cawed.
"Something feels wrong, but I’m not sure what…"
"What type of wrong?" Phil asked.
Jaiden didn’t have words or chirps to describe the type of wrong that she felt. Instead, she flapped her wings and bobbed her body to convey the message.
"Lost. Something's missing. Lonely. Something forgotten."
"You forgot? You're missing something? Do you know when you lost it?" Phil chirped hopefully.
"Yes." Jadien chirred bitterly.
Phil thought it best to move away from the discussion of the birdcage. It might make things worse. Maybe he should try another approach.
"Do you know what you lost?" Phil cawed.
Jaiden was quiet in thought for a moment before replying. These were far more complicated concepts than any expressed so far so it took a little while and a decent mixture of chirps and fluttering. But the reply did come,
"I think it was my flock, my friends, my trust, myself."
Phil understood a little what Jaiden meant and how she felt. He had lost a part of himself when he presented and, with how Fit reacted, he had probably lost his family too.
"Who are you?" Phil asked after a moment.
"What?" Jadien seemed confused by the question.
Phil asked again. “Who are you?”
"I’m me." Came the reply.
"But who is it that?" Phil pressed on. "Who is ‘me’?"
Jaiden stuttered for a moment, still fluttering about but not saying anything. She whistled a little bit, but it sounded more like someone trying to remember a long-forgotten tune rather than anything concrete. Eventually, she chirped.
“I’m me.” She started. “I like sunsets and flower fields. I hate small, confined places. I like telling fun stories and painting. I trust people easily, maybe too easily, and I don’t like disappointing them. I love my clan and they love me. I am a million little things, but above all those, I think I’m…” She paused. “I think I am loved.”
“By who?” Phil asked, although he already knew.
They were the same people that had loved him and taken him in.
“My clan. My flock. My family.” Said Jaiden.
“Do you know your name?” Phil asked.
“I’m Jaiden.” She answered with finality in her voice.
“Are you ready to change back?”
“I’ve never been more ready in my life.”
Jaiden settled in the cave's center, and Phil watched as she transformed.
For him, it never got old watching the transformation. As Jaiden grew more humaniod, dark purple pants, and a black tank top appeared on her body. Her arms were covered in beautiful and intricate tattoos. Her hair looked a natural teal blue in a way only natural for giants. She retained her wings and tail feathers. (Phil was personally glad that he never presented with tail feathers. That seemed like too much of a pain.) As well as a small cropping of feathers behind her ears.
As she transformed, she started to stand from a crouched position. Unfortunately, the cave was too small, and she bumped her head on the ceiling.
“Ow,” Jaiden said as she rubbed the back of her head. She squatted down instead.
“Jaiden!” Kristin said as she hugged her aunt.
“Kristin! Oh, I’ve missed you!” Jaiden hugged back.
“Thank you for saving me.”
The two stayed together for a moment or two before Jaiden spoke again.
“Let’s head home, little cubs.” She said in a soft tone before moving towards the cave entrance.
Phil and Kristin followed her.
Once out of the cave, the group began walking towards the Wall and Missa’s house. It was a hike, especially with the day’s fatigue, but no one complained.
As they walked, Jaiden stretched out. First, she stretched her arms and back. Then, she fanned out her wings and tail feathers.
Phil couldn’t help but let out an impressed coo as he watched her wings in the daylight. They were so vibrant and colorful compared to his dark, dull feathers. Every feather (each so large that they were easily the size of his arm) was also set in its proper place and position.
Phil didn’t even realize feathers had a proper place or position until he saw Jaiden’s. Now, all he could think about was how wrong and out of place his wings felt.
Jaiden slowed down to match pace with Phil; he had lagged behind the others since he was the smallest and his wound hurt with every step. Kristin kept her pace ahead but glanced back every now and again to make certain nothing bad had happened.
“Now, I could be wrong about this,” Jaiden began awkwardly “but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around the island before. Are you and your clan new here?”
Phil shook his head. “I don’t really have a clan. I’ve been here since I can remember. I used to be a friend of Missa’s before…” He lifted a wing, trying to ignore the way Jaiden grimaced at the sight. “His clan took me in afterward.”
“Wow. That’s hard.” Jaiden nodded in understanding, but thankfully she didn’t press about Phil’s origins. “How have you coping with the presentation?”
Phil shrugged. How was he supposed to deal with suddenly transforming into half of an animal?
“Alright, I suppose. The others have been helping me through it.” He glanced up towards Kristin with a small smile.
“Yeah, that’s good,” Jaiden said with a small smile at the thought of her clan. “But none of them are avians.”
“Well, no…” Phil said, a little confused. What did that have to do with anything?
“So they didn’t teach you avian things like how to preen your feathers or make a nest or anything?” Jaiden seemed more like she was thinking aloud than speaking to Phil.
“No… but they taught me a lot about giants and other things,” Phil replied as they reached the top of a small ridge.
Jaiden nodded. “That’s good. It is! I was just thinking about when I first presented. I was the first person in my family to present avian traits, so it took a lot of getting used to. My mom and oldest brother are both cats and my dad and other brother presented as deer. So you can imagine our surprise when I presented as a parakeet. It took a lot of getting used to on all sides. My parents loved me, of course, but they weren’t necessarily prepared to deal with a bird-daughter. I didn’t learn a lot of things about my presentation until I was a bit older than others. I didn’t even learn how to fly until a couple years ago and, let me tell you, learning how to fly was an interesting experience. But, oh geez, I’m ranting.” Jaiden paused and collected herself. “The point is, if you ever need help trying to understand the bird side of yourself, I’m here. I can’t promise that I’ll have all the answers, but I can share what I do know.” She smiled awkwardly at Phil as she finished.
Phil smiled back.
“Thanks.” He said, finding himself to mean it too.
There was so much that he didn’t know or understand and I was incredibly kind of Jaiden to empathize and offer her help.
“No problem. I’ve had to learn a lot on my own over the years, it only makes sense that I try and stop someone else from making the same mistakes. Remind me to tell you about the Cookie Jar Incident with my grandmother.”
Phil chuckled as he tried to imagine exactly what chaos was caused between Jaiden and a cookie jar.
“Guys!” Kristin called back, “We’re here!”
As they walked over a bluff, the silhouette of the den could be clearly seen.
Jaiden’s face lit up as she, Kristin, and Phil raced towards the den entrance.
Phil smiled too. After all this time he was finally where he belonged. He couldn’t wait to see Missa, Spreen, and the others. They must have been so worried about where they had gone.
Jaiden was the first to reach the giant door with Kristin and Phil close behind. She quickly yanked open the door and stepped inside.
The scene that greeted them was far from what they had expected. It seemed oddly quiet in the den and the only noise they could hear came from the kitchen and living area. They could feel the tension in the air even from the far end of the hallway.
Jaiden shot Phil and Kristin a worried glance before she started to walk through the hallway. With her wings, she nudged both Kristin and Phil behind her and under her wings. Between her wings and her tail feathers, the couple were essentially hidden from view. Phil found it strangely comforting. As they neared the living room, Jaiden called out.
“Hello?”
The scene that greeted them in the kitchen and living room was far from what they imagined.
Everyone seemed to be preparing for a war. There were hunting weapons and knives strewn about the kitchen table and everyone was wearing either camouflage or armor. From his angle, Phil couldn’t see either Spreen or Missa.
IronMouse, who seemed to be wearing a frilly dress covered in spikes, looked over at Jaiden.
“Jaiden?” She asked, walking towards her. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you with the others?” She hugged her friend and clanmate.
Jaiden chuckled. “That’s kind of a long story. What is all this?” She gestured to the battle prep.
“Kristin and another clanmate have been abducted by humans,” Luzu explained, as he fastened a spiked riot shield to one arm. “They’ve been gone for about a week now. I told the others this, isn’t that why you came back from Giant Country?”
“We're going to get them back!” Rivers added as she adjusted a pair of boxing gloves with metal embellishments onto her hands.
“Well, I have some good news about that,” Jaiden said as she lifted her wings and revealed Kristin and Phil.
The reaction was overwhelming. Phil and Kristin were immediately swarmed by the others. Vegetta was fussing over Kristin’s injuries as Luzu lifted Phil onto the table and looked over him. On the other side of the table was Missa. He rushed over to Phil and started to tend to his wound.
“What is this?” Missa asked as he saw the bullet wound.
He was dressed similarly to the others with a gun on his hip and a dark skull mask covering his face. He removed the mask to get a better look at the wound.
“Were you shot? What happened, Phil?”
Phil winced as Missa started to clean the wound. “It’s a long story.”
“What happened?” Spreen asked walking over to Phil and sitting down at the table. “How did Jaiden save you and Kristin? I thought you two were gone.”
Jaiden chuckled. “Actually, they saved me.”
“Really?” Mouse asked.
“What exactly happened?” Vegetta asked, still holding Kristin close. Rivers was hovering near them with a first aid kit.
Phil and Kristin started to explain their side of the story while they were patched from their injuries. They explained almost everything, the meeting with Cucurucho, their capture, the experimentation, and, eventually, their escape and how they found Jaiden.
Phil wanted to leave out the reason why he met with Cucurucho, to begin with, but Spreen added that part to the story. It earned him a disapproving look from Luzu, and probably a lecture at another point in time, but Phil knew he had earned it. What he did was dangerous; it put not only himself but the entire clan and possibly all giants at risk.
At points, Jaiden would chime in with her own experiences.
Apparently, when the other clan members were leaving on a trip to Giant Country to consider moving, Jaiden was a part of the group. However, she felt sick and turned back. As she was walking back to the den, Cucurucho spotted her and knocked her out with some construction equipment. She woke up in a cell, similar to Kristin and Phil. When she tried to escape by shifting, the Federation imprisoned her in a birdcage until Kristin freed her.
After they had finished, it was the clan’s turn.
Spreen explained that after he had escaped the Federation, he ran back to the den and told the others. They were horrified and outraged. The clan went on high alert and started searching for the compound where they were being kept. Finally, they found it. The clan was preparing to lay siege on the building and demanded that Kristin and Phil be returned to them when they showed up.
Once everything had been properly recounted, it was several hours later. The sun had started to set, Kristin’s and Phil’s injuries had been properly cared for, and they were finishing a warm bowl of chili.
“I say that we still need to attack the pendejos!” Rivers said with a fury in her words.
Mouse and Spreen nodded.
“Let’s make all the humans pay,” Spreen said coldly.
Missa looked vaguely uncomfortable.
Phil shook his head. “No. Please.” He couldn’t stand images of his former friends being hurt, even Fit. “The way they looked at us, the shock, the fear. I don’t think most of the people even knew giants existed. A couple people knew about us and they wanted to hurt us, but the majority didn’t know. We shouldn’t attack all of them, just because of what a few people did.”
“Then, what should we do?” Luzu asked. Phil realized all the clan’s attention was on him.
He nervously shuffled his wings as he started to speak.
“We need to get off the island. Cucurucho is going to be mad when he finds out that we escaped. He won’t stop until he has sent everything he can to try and find us. All of us.” He looked at Missa. Cucurucho knew about Spreen. If he thought he could get to Spreen and the other giants by way of Spreen’s brother, then Missa was in danger too. He continued on. “All of us must get off the island and away from here as soon as possible. The sooner we leave, the less chance of being found.”
Jaiden nodded her agreement at Phil’s plan. Nobody spoke up in objection.
“It’s settled, then,” Luzu said. “We’ll leave for Giant Country tomorrow night. Until then, we pack.”
Notes:
We’re getting towards the end…
Fun Facts:
1. Jaiden knew Cucurucho before she was kidnapped.
2. Kristin did not have broken ribs, just heavily bruised ones.
3. Giants heal faster than humans, but the clan still smothers Kristin and Phil for weeks after they’ve healed.
4. That night, Jaiden preens Phil’s wings.
L_P on Chapter 1 Tue 09 Apr 2024 12:20AM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 1 Tue 09 Apr 2024 05:02AM UTC
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L_P on Chapter 2 Tue 16 Apr 2024 02:39AM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 2 Tue 16 Apr 2024 05:18AM UTC
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Sw1ft_Sniff on Chapter 3 Mon 22 Apr 2024 09:26PM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 3 Mon 22 Apr 2024 10:19PM UTC
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L_P on Chapter 3 Tue 23 Apr 2024 12:03AM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 3 Tue 23 Apr 2024 01:54AM UTC
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L_P on Chapter 4 Tue 30 Apr 2024 11:02AM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 4 Tue 30 Apr 2024 03:17PM UTC
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L_P on Chapter 5 Tue 07 May 2024 03:00AM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 5 Tue 07 May 2024 04:27AM UTC
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Nelijeb on Chapter 5 Mon 17 Mar 2025 06:14PM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 5 Wed 19 Mar 2025 12:21AM UTC
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Nelijeb on Chapter 6 Mon 17 Mar 2025 06:20PM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 6 Wed 19 Mar 2025 12:21AM UTC
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L_P on Chapter 7 Tue 11 Jun 2024 01:49PM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 7 Tue 11 Jun 2024 03:12PM UTC
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Sw1ft_Sniff on Chapter 8 Tue 18 Jun 2024 08:11AM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 8 Tue 18 Jun 2024 09:45PM UTC
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L_P on Chapter 8 Tue 18 Jun 2024 11:00PM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 8 Tue 18 Jun 2024 11:07PM UTC
Last Edited Tue 18 Jun 2024 11:17PM UTC
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Onoval on Chapter 8 Sun 29 Sep 2024 07:09AM UTC
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Sw1ft_Sniff on Chapter 9 Mon 24 Jun 2024 10:28PM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 9 Tue 25 Jun 2024 01:35AM UTC
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L_P on Chapter 10 Wed 03 Jul 2024 07:30PM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 10 Wed 03 Jul 2024 08:06PM UTC
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ThirstyChiken on Chapter 10 Fri 05 Jul 2024 11:53PM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 10 Wed 10 Jul 2024 08:34PM UTC
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Sw1ft_Sniff on Chapter 11 Mon 15 Jul 2024 11:38AM UTC
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xXPeusdonymphXx on Chapter 11 Mon 15 Jul 2024 05:08PM UTC
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L_P on Chapter 11 Wed 17 Jul 2024 05:01AM UTC
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