"Can I ask a question?" Trepidation and nerves marred my words.

"Of course you can." Ae Ri responded unfocused, straightening my shirt collar. She was knealt down in front of me, squatting so she could see me head on. From her usual titanic height she'd only have a bird's eye view. However, even like this, she was taller than me, a boulder of mass.

"Am I going to be wearing this from now on?" The chinos and shirt were a marked upgrade from a cum stained t-shirt, but the fact that Ae Ri was going to all this trouble was disconcerting.

"No. We have a guest coming." My owner had slipped into a mental zone that I'd only seen a handful of times. The last time was before the work party where she was announced as CEO. Meticulous. That was the word for it. Hawk eyed, fixing minor things, tiny details that no one else would notice.

It all started after she'd received a phone call while cleaning up Charlotte. Phone sandwiched between shoulder and cheek, I watched as suddenly everything tightened on her. As soon as the call ended things became hectic. The 'bath' in the sink was sped through and I was ordered to get the tape measure. Fast.

First, I was measured, the tape whizzing around, pulled tight around various parts of my body, Ae Ri noting everything down. Then I measured her. There was only a brief hint of excitement in her having me read out the numbers, surprising me. Instead we rolled through at speed too. Without missing a beat, I was ordered to clean, to make the front room 'spotless' as a priority, but to also sweep through the rest of the house. I did as ordered, sweating, scrubbing and dusting, tidying and shining. While I went about the grunt work she had been organising things, her phone working as a tactical headquarters. I'd catch pockets of conversations whenever I passed the kitchen. She was in there, eating and cleaning. The typical post transfer feast wasn't being indulged as much as usual.

It took less than 45 minutes from the bath ending for there to be a buzz at the door. Boxes. A pile of them, delivered, left on the doorstep by a ghost. I'd never seen the corridor up to her apartment, but noisily spied it through a crack in the bathroom door. It was long, windowless and had only one other entrance - an elevator at the other end. However, my attention was drawn to the boxes laid on the floor. There were five of them. Three of them identical but varying in sizes, one curious box and one, clearly, that was a pizza. I ignored that one, my hunger having been almost eradicated by Ae Ri's metabolism tinkering. The other boxes were all blank. No brand. No symbols. Two large and flatter, one more square and bulky. Lastly, there was the black sheep. It differed from the rest and had an obsidian colour - long and thin, similar to a shoe box but too narrow and too long.

The titan scooped them all up and strutted back, vibrating the floor under me with her powerful steps. I jumped away, rapidly getting back to cleaning something, as I had been told to. "Here." She'd said, a slice of pizza in her mouth and the smaller of the flat boxes thrust out to me. "Shower and change." The box held the outfit I was wearing now - the shirt, the chinos, a belt and even some shoes, neatly tucked into the corner. Logically, I knew the other two blank boxes must have contained an outfit for her and, immediately, I was imagining tantalising clothes draped over her body. I still had dreams of her in that dress from so long ago.

Waiting with semi held breath, I was dressed and ready, outside of her room in no time at all. Ae Ri must have been cleaning herself up in the en suite, taking a much longer amount of time to get ready. When she finally did emerge from her bedroom, my heart skipped. She looked equal parts breathtaking and intimidating. Some gargantuan, giant gang boss, wearing pinstriped, high waisted slacks and a white blouse, open down to the fourth button. Each side of the silken material was filled out with mammary, forcing the opening wide enough to see the top set of her abs. Two belts went around her waist, cinching in the hourglass, emphasising the curves. One belt had a buckle, bigger than my fist, had the word 'Mami' emblazoned in jewels. Topping everything off, her makeup was immaculate. Smoke around her eyes, a slight tint under her cheekbones and her patented wine coloured lipstick, glossy and shining.

As she approached my stomach began to churn. Closing in on me, I felt something was off, a primal alarm bell ringing in my head. It was only when she right next to me that my brain pieced it together. A familiar set of noises with every footstep. Stopping in front of me, I was staring into the flap that covered the zipper of her trousers, thighs that made me look like a toothpick shrouding me in shadow. My lips would be level with her clit... "Finally. Finally you're the perfect height." She said, tongue stroking her canine as she smirked down at me. It sent a shiver through me.

I'd been thinking it before but seeing Ae Ri  like this made it certain. She was practically wearing war paint. This 'guest' - I'm guessing Felicia - was important. A threat, or at the very least, someone Ae Ri wanted to show a strong visage to. And at what must have been around 8 foot tall... I don't think she could have done a better job.


It was after all of that when her attention turned to me, straightening my collar and absentmindedly letting me ask a query. Fingers combed my hair, rearranging any loose out cropping or tufts. "Mhm. I forgot how good you looked all dressed up." She smirked, planting a kiss on my forehead. Frowning she rubbed at the mark it left, her gigantic thumb, big enough to clear my entire forehead, cleaned it off.

A knock at the door startled me. Ae Ri rose, perfume and breasts and abs and crotch rising up, casting nightfall over me. "Best behaviour. And no talking back." She said, deathly serious, clearly not playing any games. Patting my butt, she moved me, pushing me towards the front room. Peering around the doorway cautiously, I watched, too curious to not eavesdrop.

Ae Ri opened the front door to reveal a stalk like, tall, long, skinny woman. Despite my warped sense of size I guessed she must have been close to 6 foot tall (183cm) in the modest heels she was wearing. Her whole look gave off an avian aura, large nose even giving the impression of a beak. Long straight, brown hair with a perfectly, geometrically straight fringe accented her stretched out length. The only shape was given by the flaring cut of her pure white trousers. They matched her cropped, bone coloured leather jacket, both contrasting with her black blouse.

The stalk stepped back instinctually, away from the door, bewilderment in her eyes. She'd been facing forwards, eye to ribs and was clearly taken aback by the magnitude of woman in front of her. Ae Ri smouldered with satisfaction, triggered by the response. Although she was tall, the reed of a woman was a weedy, long spruce next to a tree that would dominate the rainforest. Dwarfed in every dimension by Ae Ri, it was only natural that she'd be taken aback. "Hi, Felicia." Smugly, the giant greeted the woman. "I didn't expect you to be visiting in person."

"My, Ae Ri, you've further enhanced yourself." Felicia said from below the bust of the titan. She had quickly collected herself, confidence rushing back in to her body language.

"Mhmm. Surely that's a relief for you."

"It is indeed." Came a smooth reply as the rake shrugged off her coat. "It's good for business." Her black, satin blouse reminded me of a pirate, the sleeves long and baggy around the forearms, tapered in by tight cuffs at the wrist. She held the jacket out to Ae Ri the way someone would to a butler.

Ae Ri plucked it away, smile unwavering. "Come in. Let's sit." I darted back, into the room, suddenly very conscious of a usually minor decision. Should I be sitting or standing when they enter? In the end I settled on standing next to the smaller of the two couches. The one that was sat more at the head of the coffee table. Considering the situation, I had a feeling this is where Ae Ri would sit.

The shorter woman entered first, her beady eyes snapping over to me. "Ah, and this must be the infamous Paul!" She emoted in an exaggerated way, overly excited to meet me. Rushing over, she loomed, making my pulse thud faster. Seeing her next to Ae Ri had distorted her size. Even she seemed huge at my stature, my eyes hovering near her bony, angular chest. She had a lithe build, long and wiry, supple muscle that came with yoga or something. Broad shoulders, the same ones that looked slender next to Ae Ri, reminded me again of how narrow and scrawny I really was. She held out a pale hand for me to take but not in the regular shaking way. Instead her fingers bent downwards, knuckles pointing to me. I took the hand and awkwardly tilted it up and down, feeling like she wanted me to kiss and bow rather than shake. However, if there was any disappointment, she didn't show it.

"Yes, this is Paul." Ae Ri had an odd, almost aggressive tone creeping into her voice. It made me worried that I'd done something wrong. She move to position herself to our side, seperating us. "Please, take a seat." Gesturing to the larger couch, she waited for Felicia to sit before taking a seat herself. As I'd hoped, she'd sat at the head of the table, next to where I was stood. Rump and wide hips filling the two seater snugly, as if it were an arm chair, she crossed her legs, making the fabric of her trousers draw tight over the moving, flexing muscle, audibly creaking. The outfit must have been altered to her size but not perfectly tailored - unsurprising considering how quickly they appeared from no where.

"I'd be a poor host if I didn't offer you a drink wouldn't I?" Ae Ri asked rhetorically. "Paul, get the Soju and glasses from the kitchen." Going rigid, I felt a rush of panic welling up. There was Soju in the kitchen? I'd never even seen it. And which glasses!? But she gave me a calm look, jutting her chin to the door, telling me to go.

Silently, I nodded my head and walked away, trying not to look flustered. In the hall I had to physically slow myself down as I scuttled to the kitchen. Where would I fin- There on the island was a tray with two shot glasses, two tumblers, an ice box and the largest, almost oversized, bottle of alcohol if ever seen. Korean text emblazoned across the label, I knew it must be the Soju. A postit that said 'fill me' was stuck to the ice box. Breathing a sigh of relief, I almost laughed. Jesus, she was always ahead of me.

By the time I returned, precariously teetering left and right under the weight of the tray, they were knee deep in business discussions. "There's been at least 40% margins on every quarter."

"I'm sure that will only increase. Considering the way fat distribution is being handled now, soon every woman will want a transfer. A few inches of height and an hourglass figure? You've disrupted the cosmetic surgery market. Hard." Ae Ri waved a hand at me, signing to place the tray down on the table. "Let's drink."

She reached for the bottle only to see Felica going for it too. "I'm the elder, aren't I?" The monochrome flamingo said.

Ae Ri's eyebrows rose, a muscle in her neck jumping angrily. "I'm surprised you know South Korean traditions."

"Of course. I've done business across the globe. You pick things up." She did some magic with the bottle, running through a foreign ritual. "Although, I'm surprised your belt isn't in Korean, especially since you're so patriotic." Felica's voice dripped with sarcasm as she  wriggled the bottle side to side in her hand.

"Well, Spanish is a much more widespread language." Ae Ri smirked. "It's also your first language, isn't it?" Felicia hummed an affirmative, her semi smile never shaken.

The belt was a message. Everything these two did was some underhanded snipe at the other. An prove who was at the top. Two alphas, beating their chests, both vying to be the dominant force. They didn't have a solid partnership at all. Instead, they were acting as rivals, ready to sink a dagger into their contender's back at a moments notice. It felt... Just petty from where I stood, far removed from the equation. A beta bystander, just watching. But that's all I was. Someone that had never been top dog in any environment, so of course I thought this was all silly.

With one hand, Felica poured a shot for Ae Ri, nudging the glass over with a single skeletal digit.

Scooping it up with two oversized fingers, the giant locked eyes with Felicia and knocked back the drink. "Paul. Pour her a glass." Unable to follow the constant back and forth of disrespect, unsure of why I was now pouring, I moved forwards. Skittish and worried, I did as instructed, as respectfully as I could.

From that point on, I was in charge of pouring the drinks. The ladies moved from shot glasses to tumblers, alcohol steadily infusing into their systems. They continued talking business, stats and numbers as glass after glass disappeared. Finally, Felicia's bony hand covered her glass, signalling she had to stop. Unable to keep up with Ae Ri and her now inhuman, race car of a metabolism, she threw in the towel. For some reason that filled me with pride, knowing a symbolic victory had been etched out by my owner.

"I think I am adequately tipsy." Felicia drawled. "Let's get to the real reason I'm here." A darkness was drawn over her expression, the straight haired woman leaning in. "You have another for my collection, no?" Hairs rose along my neck.

"I do." Ae Ri said, swirling the clear liquid in her tumbler.

"Ohhooo! What was her name.... Charlene?"

"Charlotte."

"Yeeeesss, I remember her. Where is she?"  Despite the glassy quality that had clouded her eyes earlier, Felicia was now alert. Excited. Giddy.

"Paul. Go get Charlotte. She's in the bedroom." Clenching my jaw, I felt anger bloom. Collection? This was what she'd meant? She was giving Charlotte away to a psycho that had a collection? I didn't want to do this, but acting out in front of Felicia was clearly a taboo of the greatest order. I wasn't sure if either of them noticed my pause before departing, or the change in my expression. Biting my tongue, I walked away, stewing internally.

In the bedroom, sat on the bed, was a present. A tall, wide, square box, sealed with a neat, pretty bow. This was a fucking joke. Picking it up, I could feel the weight inside. It contained Charlotte. The weight of a life. Carrying it through the hall felt like the procession for a funeral. God, was this really happening? Were people being traded callously, nothing more than a fucking magic the gathering(TM) card between wealthy CEOs? There was hardly any movement inside the box. A rough shuffling every now and then. Charlotte's weight settled on one side, a subtle warmth on my skin through the cold card. I closed my eyes and bit my lip to stop from breaking down. She stayed like that all the way up to me handing the box to Felicia and even after. She was resigned to this. And so I was. We were both powerless. It fueled the anger being stoppered within my chest.

Felicia brushed my hand as she eagerly took the box. Popping the bow open on her present and tearing the lid off the stalk grinned into it. She cooed happily, mewling as if she were looking at a kitten in there, baby talking. I mentally checked out. I couldn't manage this new reality and, affixing my eyes to the floor I walked over to neutral ground, between the two seated giants. Calming my breathing, I tried to drown out my surroundings. Guilt smothered my thoughts so much so that I didn't notice Ae Ri rolling her eyes at Felicia.

After a few minutes of the cooing and appraising her new 'collector's item' the titan moved to bring an end to this visit. They talked a little more and, keen to get her to leave, Ae Ri rose, walking passed us to the door, "let me get your jacket." Ardently moving this woman's departure along, she left me alone with Felicia for the briefest of moments. Seconds. But it was enough. I didn't realise how close she was until the her stifling perfume surrounded me. "Bye Paul." Alcohol came from above, voice close enough to be over my head. A heeled foot suddenly appearing next to mine. Brushing her body against me, measuring my size up against her, a long lean leg flanked me, her crotch pressing against my waist. It made me rocket back. I hadn't heard her approach at all. In response to my fear, she quietly laughed. "Aw, don't be so shy. I imagine I'll be seeing you again one day." She rocked the box side to side gently, meaningfully. "You'll bore her too..." Leaning down her black, soulless eyes stared into me. She had shark eyes. Lifeless, blank, predator eyes. They narrowed at the edges, a toothy grin forcing what little cheeks she had up. "...Eventually." Heart ramming against my chest, I backed away, eyes flickering from hers to the box in her hands. Blood and colour drained from my face.

But before I could say anything, she was already gone. Whisked away to the hall, chatting with Ae Ri, reclaiming her jacket. Alone with the horrible premonition I stood in silence.

Breathing heavy, nerves tight and blood cold, I tried to collect myself. It was only when Ae Ri returned, kicking off her heels, that my heartbeat slowed. "Ugh. I'm glad that bitch has finally gone. She's so annoying. And those shoes were too tight." There were lines on her feet where the straps had dug into her skin. Soft, thudding footsteps pranced over to the couch.

Stretching out, unfurling to fill the verticle space, arms reaching up, tone dancing, muscles, hidden by fabric, still managed to catch the evening sun. The stretch was cut short as her fingers hit the 11 foot ceiling. Startled, she pulled her hand back. In the chaos we'd both almost forgotten about our new sizes. "Huh." She said, a smile on her lips. Reaching up, she brushed the ceiling again. "Didn't think I'd be too big for this place so soon." Smirking, she turned to me, a finger curling to call me over. Still simmering, I followed the call begrudgingly.

She was right, of course. She dominated the space, a pillar of gorgeousness, large enough that even the enlarged surroundings seemed undersized. The realisation made me take stock of my own situation, forcing me to look around and really compare myself to the furnishings. Size had further warped around me. The larger couch was a landscape unto itself, long and tall enough to hide five or even six of me on its cushions. The coffee table came nearly up to my waist, a grand dining table instead of the measly thing it should have been. Everything was larger, wider, taller. But it wasn't really. It was actually me. Smaller, bonier, skinnier, shorter. Looking up, I wondered how anyone could ever touch that ceiling, sky high above. But then there was her. As always, she was different. She broke the rule. She was bigger. A work of art that numerous artists could have devoted their lives to. A statue carved into a mountain, seen by everyone for miles around. As I approached she stretched bigger, higher above me. Broader. Taller. Her scale just kept increasing, my eyes sitting just above her navel, abs as big as... Entranced, beside myself, I reached over my head, to the opening of the shirt, my outstretched fingers spreading over one abdominal bundle. They just about covered it's size, the mound practically mocking me.

The muscle jumped as she scoffed. Bending, her ab left my fingers, my heart skipping a beat as a hill side came down towards me. Giving a yelp, I was lifted up, one hand under an arm, the other grasping not one, but both of my ass cheeks. Her bicep swelled against my side and out of reflex I held her tight, arms around her neck, breasts smothering me, hips to chin. An astronaut strapped into a rocket, I went into the sky, the floor dwindling behind me. Twirling with me, she shimmied and bounced, enjoying how easy it was to throw around my skimpy weight. I held on for dear life, feeling as if I was on the roof of a house. "You're so light." She smiled.

"And you look so cute all dressed up. It remindes me of when we'd go to parties together." I could have listened to the genuine joy in her voice. To how happy she was reminiscing our relationship. Those memories, ones even I cherished, turned into ash, Felica's words haunting me. 'I can't take her to a party ever again.' I thought to myself, teeming emotions bubbling together. Just another way I'll bore her.

Falling, with me held to her, she sat on the couch, making the entire thing emit a cricking, cracking chorus of noises. The drop had seemed perilous at my size, leaving me surprised my ears hadn't popped with our rapid plummet. Swinging her legs, securing me against her tightly, she splayed across it's expanse, breasts rolling and slapping my form around with their weight. Looking up at her, I saw a particularly satisfied smirk on her lips. Following her gaze, peering down, I saw that she was too big even for this extra large piece of furniture too, heels dangling, hanging over one arm rest, head propped against the other. "Another thing I've outgrown." Pleased with the finding, she smugly went on. "I guess it was just a matter of time."

... A matter of time. Poltergeist echos from that bitch richocheted around my skull.

"What is she gonna do with Charlotte?" My tone was hard, words quiet.

"Hm?" Ae Ri tilted her head to the side, looking at me hanging from a breast.

Senseing my mood, she tutted and pulled me into a tighter embrace. "Don't think about Charlotte, Paulie." She cradelled me down, bringing my head to her bosom, enveloping me in more warmth than the world ever had. She stroked my hair, trying too sooth my frustration, "Felicia has like... A whole fucking city of... Of 'tinies.'" I could tell that was a quote. "She'll be fine there." Was she implying her life would somehow be better there? Bristling at the bullshit, the idea she'd gone to farm where they sent the old pets, I felt my indignation swell. The maelstrom inside thrashed harder. "Forget her. You got what you wanted right? It's just us now."

What I wanted? Once more ignoring how happy she sounded, I drowned myself in negatives. The gaslighting. Making me feel guilty, twisting my words to contort me into submission. I pushed an arm off of me, furiously shrugging off her hug - forgetting that she must have let me do it. I stood up, dismounting.

"What I wanted?!" I barked to the shocked giant. "I didn't want you to throw her away. I didn't want to to drain her into a toy and then give her to some crazy bitch!" Ae Ri was stunned by my outburst, blinking. When I'd held that tablet, I could have typed anything in. I could have reversed things, taking back my size while she was distracted. The transfer would have crippled her... It would have been all I needed. And here I was, far too brain washed and broken to do it. Even now in hindsight I couldn't fathom it. She said jump and I said how high. This all started with an inch. I'd given her an inch and she'd taken a mile. "Maybe she was fucking right. Maybe you are just a leech. You just use people and then when you've taken your fill you throw them away!" And I was next. The next to be discarded when she was done.

Hands shaking, chest fluttering as I panted, I slowly begun to realise how fucking stupid this was. Ae Ri pivoted, feet hitting the floor one at a time in resonating thuds. Sat, she still loomed over me, shape a huge square of muscle, tantalising sexuality and, right now, rage. I was unnerved by the lack of an outburst. She was staring at me, brow knit together, nostrils flaring, muscles in her jaw jumping, eyes narrow.

"Y'know, I thought I'd gotten rid of the last little bitch in my house. I thought now we could be happy." Grabbing my wrist, she pulled. Out of reflex I tugged back. It did nothing. Gripping my own forearm, I poured my weight into the movement, leaning back, desperately yanking and scraping. The shoes she'd ordered for me screeched against the floor, their friction doing little more than my strength or my mass in stopping her blackhole power. Even leveraging everything against her, that one muscled limb was enough to  overwhelm me. "Men deserve clothes." Each word an even, enunciated blade. Whipping side to side, I couldn't budge, cemented in place by her strength. She took a handful of my shirt and ripped it open, buttons spraying from my chest. "You are not a man." Hooking her hand into my waistband next, she ripped. Leather snapped, the metal clasp on the trousers popping, zipper rupturing open.

"What're you doing!" I was stuck, being stripped by this behemoth.

"So I'm not going to treat you like one." With a few flicks of her arm, my balance was stolen, sending me left and right, tripping and falling. I landed on her lap, two thighs, gigantic slabs of muscle making a table, supported me. She twisted my arm painfully, bringing it across my back and up, smearing my knuckles against my shoulder blade. Switching hands, her left fist held my arm and me down against the smoothness of her marble legs. The other, now free hand pulled trousers and underwear down, exposing my ass.

"What're you doing!?" I shrieked again, louder. Terrified to struggle, scared my shoulder would rip out of it's socket, I weakly wriggled. An impact smashed me, the crack of flesh on flesh an explosion of sound. My ass took a blow, jolting my body along her legs. I began kicking my legs viciously now. "St-stop!" I bellowed, face turning beet red as I realised what was happening. I was being spanked. Her palm came down, thunderous, paddling my already red cheeks. I struggled harder now, humiliation fueling me to ignore the pain in my shoulder.

"Stop moving." She grunted, delivering a third smack. A feral panic filled me. They were getting harder. "At least try to not take your punishment like a bitch, for fucks sake." Remorseless, she swung her palm into my ass again, even harder, inching me further along her lap. "How fucking dare you talk to me like that." It honestly felt as if her hand was a slab of hot iron, reducing my ass to molten slag with each hit.

"I'm sorry!" I whined, eyes watering. "P-please ssstop!" Begging, I pleaded, nerves throughout my body aflame. One last slap cracked home hard enough to make my teeth chatter.

"Oh, fuck me. Are you seriously hard right now? You're such a perv." Disgusted, she let go of my arm, shoving me off of her lap and onto the ground at her feet. Shame, turgid and lustful was sandwiched between my thighs. With all the time in the world I wouldn't be able to explain my arousal. Right now explanations weren't really on my mind though. I tried to move, flailing, my ass raw, crimson and seared like a steak.

"A crying, perverted, little shit like you is calling me a leech?" Spite rained down on me from above. I had to look up at her like a worm, from the lowest of the low. She was leaning forwards to look at me, legs spread, breasts filling the area I'd just occupied, cleavage being forced out of the chasm of her open shirt. Her lips pressed into a line and she shook her head. "I expected that from her but... Not from you." Angry lines creased her brow, twitches of pain on her face. "You're the only person I've ever told everything." I shrivelled beneath her, wilting smaller still.

Standing, her face disappeared, my point of view being consumed by the rounded, bulging towers of meat that were her quads, wrapped up tight in trousers that could make me two whole jumpsuits. Breasts, clouds in the stratosphere, hid her face almost completely. That feeling of being a worm was compounded. I was a bug in the fetal position at the feet of a Goddess. "I worked for everything I have." She snarled far above, voice growing more wild. "I took all of it with my own hands." Booming above me, anger billowed, swelling within her as she got more and more worked up. "Parasites don't take. Not like me. They eat scraps, stealing pieces whenever they can like you. Living in my house, eating food I paid for, and you call me a leech?!" My eardrums vibrates. The whole penthouse shook with the bass in her roar. She bent, a hand stabbing down to grab me around the back of my neck. "Get the fuck up."

Ripped from the ground, I wailed in pain, every movement, every twitch of my lower body sent agony through my spine, my brutalised ass rewiring my senses. When I finally ascended straight I was back at her stomach, chest even with the heat of her crotch, truly a dwarf compared to her. Feet slipping, dragged across the floor, she (wo)manhandled me along with her effortlessly. Her fist around my neck was crushing my vertebrae bit by bit, leading me through the house as I held onto whatever I could to try and slow us. My fingers peeled off the door frame, the walls, the book shelf. It didn't even slow her down. "Let me remind you of how different we are." She growled, powering through the apartment.

Surprisingly, our first stop was the kitchen, beelining straight to the fridge. Tearing the door open, she grabbed at one of her gallon sized protein shakes. Her hand repositioned, releasing my neck, switching to encompass my head. Palm against my right ear, her fingers curled across my face, over my forehead and nose and chin and scalp. I was rammed into her flexed, chiselled abdomen, sending stars spinning in my eyes. And then she began to chug. Her gulp was deafening and powerful, consuming a massive amount of shake with every swallow. Through the shirt I heard the first slosh, the slap of the thick, viscous calorie and protein laden liquid landing in her stomach. Then there was another and another, heavy, jug fulls of shake filling her up, pushing her abs out against my head as her stomach grew. Like a motor getting fuel, the organ started to work, monstrous, inhuman, already digesting. It only took her a few seconds to guzzle down the gallon shake. "You hear that?" She barked, pushing me harder into her gut. Gurgling, churning digestion popping maybe an inch and a half away from my ear. "That's me digesting more calories than you could eat in a week. And it was a fucking snack!" She wasn't even that bloated. I had no doubts that this was just an appetiser for her. "And do you know why?" She continued, ranting, grabbing something else from the fridge. "Because I made it that fucking way! I took it! I took it from you. And your piddly little appetite wasn't enough." She ate again, viciously chomping something down, expanding her stomach, stretching muscle and compressing my head more. "Because even at 6'5 you were a little fucking bitch." Things clattered around the fridge, her insaitableness now hurtling faster with anger. "I stuffed my fucking face like this." Something was munched in. "I kept eating and I kept forcing my appetite bigger and I kept forcing myself bigger and stronger. I made myself... Ff-fucking evolve." Between mouthfuls she spoke, mumbled and angry. "Because what I took from you wasn't enough!" My head felt like it was going to be crushed. A wall of muscle on one side and her steel hand on the other, being mushed together with me in betwixt the two.

Swallowing, her tone became clear again. "Waaah, Waaah, I can't gain weight!" She mocked me. "You spent a few weeks with me and what happened Paul?!" Thankfully, mercifully, her palm released my head. Using my torn shirt as a handhold, she flung me away from her stomach, holding me at an arms length so she could talk down at me. "You. Gained. Weight." She bellowed, each word distant mortar fire. "I kept you consistent. I kept you eating. I kept you fucking determined!" I was breathing shallow, brain rattling at the decibels she was throwing at me. "Because you didn't have a problem gaining weight. You were the problem. Too lazy and too much of a fucking pussy. You didn't have the conviction - the hunger to actually work for it." These were all things I'd thought before. Dark truths I'd faced and danced around, making excuses to myself. I told myself it wasn't me and it was just bad genetics but truthfully, I always gave up too quickly. I wouldn't see results in a week and I'd lose motivation. I never pushed. Not until she came. Until she made me better for that brief slither of time. Dreadfully, it sunk in. She was right. Even when she was five foot tall she'd been stronger. Probably physically as well as mentally. And I'd always known really. I knew she worked for everything. She'd built her life up from nothing. Dirt poor, no dad, small and bullied. Anyone else wouldn't have stood a chance. Now she was a literal giant as well as an economic one. I'd known she scratched and clawed and carved her way up to the top all by herself. I knew she wasn't a leech. But I'd lashed out stupidly. I'd tried to hurt her because of what I was afraid was coming.

She shook me "Look at me, Paul. Look at what I made. Because I took. And I worked. And I grew." The snowball of anger had rolled downhill faster and faster, her eyes sucking the air from my tiny lungs. What had I done? What had I triggered because of my own insecurities? "I took what you gave me, what you didn't deserve, and I used it like you never could." She was speaking through her teeth, hissing the truth at me. "And I'm gonna keep taking Paul. I'll take whatever I want. I'll take everything. From you. From the whole fucking wor-" I'd slipped out from my shirt, withered, boney body sliding right out of the arms, leaving just the fabric in her hand.

My trousers whipped off of my ankle as I ran, pummeled ass painful with each jolting, jarring footfall. I didn't know where I was running. I wasn't working off of logic, just trying to make some distance from the oppressive, murderous energy that had been suffocating me. I stumbled through the hall as her heavy, booming footsteps quaked through the floor behind me. A slow, powerful march that was far faster than my run. "Where are you gonna run, Paul?" She shouted, a mad lilt in her voice, hot on my tail.

I dove into the bedroom, practically feeling her breathing down my neck, and slammed the big, heavy door. Pressing my body to the wood, I tried to barricade it, holding the handle up so she couldn't turn it. She didn't. She knew what I was doing on the other side. She wanted to show me how useless it was. Without a run up - I would have felt it through the floor - she slammed her mass into the wood. I bounced off the door, flying back a meter and a half to a skittering halt. The wood had cracked under the immense force, a large, dark line down the middle. I could have cemented the whole thing shut and it wouldn't slow her down. A second slam splintered the crack open, her beefy shoulder and bicep smashing through. Pulling back, she extracted herself, a grinning demon looking in from the rift of a hole that she'd opened. I back pedalled as handfuls of wood were ripped right out of the frame, widening the opening. Frozen, back to the end of the bed, I watched this unstoppable behemoth walk through - muscle through what was left of the door, smashing debris into the room, growing closer.

"What else did I take from you, Paul?" She asked, shadow engulfing me, curling over me, her body seeming to stretch and hang atop me as I cowered. "Oh, that's right," my solid member was taken in her hand. "I took your fucking manhood too, didn't I?" She laughed. "And you're still hard. But what are you actually gonna fuck with this, pencil dick?" Her cackles made my shame swell.

A palm smothered my chest, Ae Ri using it as leverage, taking me up the bed, untucking the covers as I wriggled for freedom. "I wanna show you something. Something I brought today." At the headboard, with one hand, she reached under the bed, fishing for a moment  before that black box, the curiosity from earlier in the day, was taken out. Dropping it next to me, she pried off the top. My eyes bulged. Inside, sat on black cushions, was the biggest dildo I'd ever seen in my life. Nibbling on her juicy, purple, bottom lip, she giggled. "It's the biggest they have. I think it's supposed to be a joke present or something. But for me," a longing exhale eased out of her, "oh, this big boy is gonna be just perfect for me." Running her finger along it's gleaming, shiny, plastic surface, she lingered on it until her eyes snapped back to me. "Until I outgrow it anyway." Her smile stretched, devilish. "It'll be just like when I outgrew you. First I won't be able to take it all at once, then, eventually, it'll be so fun... Then... I'll just have to upgrade again." Being replaced. This all started because of -

"In fact, why don't we relive history a little?!" A purple, translucent, girthy, 24 inch cock slapped onto my chest, almost caving in my ribs, winding me. She was unbuckling her belt. "We can stroll down memory lane and relive your pinkie sized dick being out grown." Venomous. That's the way I could describe her right now. I'd hurt her and now she was enjoying hurting me.

"Ae Ri, you're n - " She flicked me in the head. "Master, you're not a leech." I croaked shamefully.

"Too late for that, asshole."

"I said that stuff be -"

She was about to undo her trousers when a thought came to her, eyes lighting up. "Y'know, I've not really outgrown any clothes. Well, I've outgrown a fucking ton of them but not like... Actively." Oh, fuck. "Stay here." She said, turning, leaving me alone with the purple dick that was thicker than my forearm. I lifted it up, shifting my weight forwards and upright. When she returned she had to really stoop to get through the door, her heels announcing her arrival far before she was actually in the decimated doorway. "How about we play a game?" She strutted in, stretching even further above. "For every 30 seconds I'm not cumming, I take some of your size. Fun game, right?"

Ripping open a drawer she pulled out a bottle of lube and popped the top. "I don't think I'm gonna be able to make you -" I was shoved back prone on the mattress.

"You can use any tools at your disposal." She spoke over me, squirting massive gobs of lube onto the massive dick clenched to my chest. "If even this gets too small you're gonna have to get creative." She giggled, conjuring up the tablet from somewhere.

"But I don - "

"30..."

"You're still dressed!"

She gave me a look that translated to 'and?' "... 29... 28..." I scrambled, hefting up the monster. Using one hand to slather the lube across it's cold surface, I chucked it onto the bed and lunged towards her. My stomach turned as I fumbled at the clasp of her trousers. I had to reach up, over my head, to try and unfasten it, sat on her waist. Through her trousers I could smell her, the telltale sign of arousal right in front of me. Residual lube on my hand hindered me, struggling to fiddle with the clasp. Right as I wriggled my fingers in and got a good grip, my stomach fell. Her abs flexed and she inhaled, trapping my fingers in the waist and, making it impossible for me to tug on the material and unhook the metal. One simple act forced the trousers to dig into her, locking my fingers in placell.

"Please." I begged, looking up at the grinning eyes in the sky.

"11... 10..." She snorted a laugh. "Alright, let's be real, I'm clearly not gonna orgasm in the next ten seconds." A resounding tat-tat on the screen felt deafening. A familiar grip around my lungs burned. My pinned fingers dwindled, letting them slip out to freedom as I wobbled back. Horrified, numb to the pain, I watched her crotch climb higher and higher, passing my face with it's powerful scent growing closer to my nose. Each of her thighs flanked me, two beefy bouncers about to throw me out of a club. Those hips were probably over double the broadness of my shoulders.

Her groan of pleasure signalled the second half of the transfer. I must have dropped four inches, relegating me down back into three foot territory. All that size was being pumped straight into her. Her trousers creaked, tightening around the girth of her curves. Labia throbbing hard, her pussy bulged, the mound overfilling the space and yanking the zipper in opposite directions, the flap of material that covered it stretched, receding back. Through the zipper, little patches of skin were obvious through the gaps in the golden metal, her beige skin contrasting with its surroundings. On her waist the clasp whined, metal bending as her ass and hips and legs and abdomen all expanded in their confines. I waited for a rip, some way I could bypass the clothes and get to my goal. But, dreadfully, my expected saviour never came and her throbbing growth faded still.

Shuffling on her feet, coming down from the high, her heels scraped the floor, toes curled slightly over the lip of their soles, straps clearly biting into her skin. I knew immediately that I'd never be able to peel these clothes off unless she helped. Bested by clothes, I felt pathetic. Strategy. That was my only chance. Ignoring the trousers, I rushed forwards and rubbed through the silky material, pressing against the very obvious outline of her lips and clit, massaging. Even if I was doomed to shrink again, I could get her closer to orgasm and maybe save myself some future inches. "Ohhh, given up on the big, scary trousers?" She teased, knowing I was doubling down. "I guess you won't mind me skipping this round then?"

"It's not been 30 seconds!" I cried, abandoning my efforts. "That's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair, midget." She sneered, hitting the tablet again. Outraged, I restarted my foreplay, rubbing faster and harder, panic that I was being cheated out of precious seconds. The surge through my nerves made me gasp, my body giving out from the second barrage of electricity. I fell onto her thigh, wrapping my arms around it to support myself. The muscle tightened in response to me,  straining the fabric more. Heartbeat in my ears, temple against her pelvic bone I held tight and dwindled. Quad and hamstring inflated in my arms, cords of muscle growing and enngorging thicker. The bump of her pelvis rubbed along my skin, climbing as my hunched body shrank downwards. Awe and dismay filled me as slowly, that bloated, swollen mound of sex rose in my vision, inching higher until the bottom of her lips were just level with my eyes.

There was no time to soak the implication of my size in though  as an almighty groan vibrated every cell in my body. Now, she grew. Almost immediately, her thighs ruptured the seams on the inside of her thigh. As the redwoods shuddered longer and thicker in my arms, bursts in random fireworks of material exploded. Splitting open all along her thigh, clusters of stitches yielded to the rampant expansion. Yet, the release of pressure still wasn't enough. Next, over my head, I heard the shearing of metal, the tear of zipper tooth from tooth, her clasp popping open simultaneously, letting her crotch spill out. Her pussy, hungry and drooling, had escaped it's cage, fabric being drawn downward to let it spill forth. In a microsecond, her stifling, mouth watering musk hit me. Gun fire below caught my attention next, the straps of her heels, cross crossing over her feet snapped open, unable to take the pressure. Wide, long soles had dismantled the top of the shoe leaving only her ankle securing the heels to her. Gradually the rumbling stopped, the seismic quakes running through me quietening.

"I - I don't know why you're complaining." She laughed, voice a notch brassier, richer and deeper. "These spurts are getting me way wetter than anything you're doing." Her assessment was accurate. She was fucking soaking. Juices had darkened what was left of the damp material covering her crotch, her wetness having run down the open seams to give her skin a sheen. Even my forearm was wet. I stripped myself off of the pillar that had supported me, a skin peeling from a banana, and looked up into her pussy. Agape, awestruck by it's size hovering over me, I stared. The crotch of her trousers had sunk lower and lower as she'd grown, the ripped zipper making a wide V shape. I could see the top half of her vagina, the swollen clit proudly sat above the start of acres of labia, as if it were on a throne. It looked as if it could eat me alive.

Ae Ri stepped back to get a better look at me. Repositioning her weight was too much for the chunky heels on her shoes. A snap and a crunch sent her feet thudding awkwardly to the ground, the extra boosted inches crushed underfoot. It dropped her crotch back to level with my face but didn't erase how intimidating it looked. In turn, I stepped back and drank in the scene. Her shirt was barely holding on, skin spilling through the gaps between buttons on the white material. Her trousers were torn asunder, numerous gaping holes  acting as windows for her swelling form Using her feet nimbly, she got what was left of her heels off, opening more tears in her clothing. Looking back to me, she grinned. "30... " The countdown begun again from the top and I was spurred back into action, not having the time to observe the madness.

Grabbing the edges of her destroyed zipper, I pulled, forcing the already ripped material to open further along the frayed line, fully unleashing her. Her scent made my head spin, my addiction making my brain foggy. I dove in, licking the giant marble, swallowing down everything that came my way and sinking my fingers into her moistness. Ae Ri gave a delighted half laugh at my zeal and cupped my head to her. "26..." Time ticked down and, terrifyingly, I found that my fingers were sliding in and out of her almost too easily, her sex eagerly demanding something more. Slowly, I transitioned to my entire hand, nectar running down my palm and wrist as I drilled my arm in and out. The fear I'd had before, when she'd consumed my hand, was even stronger... Because now my hand didn't even seem to phase her. I sunk more of myself into her, recklessly trying to coax out an orgasm. "NUhhuugggh, faster, Paulie!" She groaned, teasingly squeezing me with her inner muscles, a leg bumping me. Even her slight movements - unconscious twitches and spasms - were enough to make me unstable so I clung to her, one arm around her leg, fingers overwhelmed by the meat on her ass. Speeding up, more of my wrist and forearm began to disappear into her, my shoulder beginning to ache. "15 seconds left, midget! Don't you think you should move up to the heavy artillery?"

Shit. In my panic, neck deep in the fumes of her sex, forgetting that purple monster. But with the wick of the candle burning down, did I have time to get it? Could I get it and back in time before shrinking? "Ten seconds! " She sang while I desperately fought for my life.

Fuck it. I had to go for it. The silver bullet for this behemoth, something that could satisfy her insatiable, bottomless greed for more could be right there waiting on the bed. I disengaged, stopping licking and stepped away. Or tried to. I didn't even get my arm out of her before she moved. As I'd attempted to pry myself away, the tendrils of the kraken slithered around me. Girthy, leviathan legs moved to stop me, Ae Ri taking a goliath step, one leg over my shoulder to wrap me up in a prison of flesh. One leg behind me, one in front, she brought them together. Arm, chest, face was swallowed, my head being slobbered on by her cunt, neck pressed into a jaunty angle. She flexed, inside and out, sucking more of my arm into her and crushing, compressing and grinding me. Bones threatening to collapse, my muffled cries came from mushed cheeks. "Let me go! You're ch-cheating!"

The laugh that elicited was abrutal. A harsh, short sound. "I make the rules, puppy! This is my game." She said squeezing hard when she said 'my' with an emphasis. "Like I said, I take what I want. And right now, this is what I want." Even in the fire of her loins, surrounded by lava skin, I felt the cold creep in. The shrink. Pinned between her legs, I was condensed smaller, compacted, every pulse I yielded about to be taken. My heels lifted from the ground, forced to tiptoe or be held solely by her. Everything swelled around me, her pussy slurping me in, gleefully tightening, reluctant to release me.

When it stopped I was half hanging, half teetering, fully crushed. A wave of vibrations were the starting pistol for the second half to begin. Rivers of ambrosia ran over me, the viceral sound of her growth all around me. I could hear bones widening, lengthening, muscle strands pumping with power, skin rubbing on skin, even the staccato popping of shirt buttons above - but the most disturbing sounds were the closest. The cacophony of noise from her vagina. The literal gurgle it made as air shifted through her growing body, popping and squelching, my arm being sucked up, her clit slowly moving over my eye as her slit crawled over more of me. Claiming me. Painting me in her juices like a territorial animal. My feet left the floor as the surge all around me took me too high. Suddenly, I dropped to the ground, slipping and falling onto my ass, pain making my yelp. Her legs had parted as she the pleasure that dissipated after the growth. I didn't have the luxury to relish anything. I needed to end this.

Clawing at the floor, I went to the bed.  Grasping the beast, I heft up it's mighty weight, I lifted up my purple sword. It was as long as my entire torso, as chunky around as my thigh. This was my Excalibur. I might not be able to get the job done alone, but with this maybe I had a chance. Wheeling around, I charged. She was still in ecstacy when I positioned its tip against her lips. Out of some relfex she widened her stance, looking down surprised. I speared her, left hand guiding my lance, right hand thrusting it home. Pushing up in an explosive push, her juices spattered to the ground, displaced by the cock. Her groan of satisfaction rung my ears. I'd shoved almost half of the dragon slayer into her, it's thickness and my weakness slowing the plunge.

Like mistletoe or an arrow to the heel, this felled the Goddess. Eyelashes fluttering, she took a step back. Then another. Her fall to the bed practically bounced me and the furniture in the room from the ground with it's impact. Propped up on her elbows she stared at me, legs open wide. "Now we-we're getting somewhere." She breathed, euphoria oozing off of her... And out of her. "Remember the first time I asked you to go harder?" She goaded me. "Do I need to ask again?" Lurching forward, I grabbed the end of my weapon,mobilising my whole body, pulling against her tightness and pushing it back in. Ignoring fatigue, ignoring latic acid burning me, I pumped. In and out, in and out, driving slightly more of the plastic into the beast with every push. A determination burned in me. I didn't want to shrink anymore. Each inch I lost was one step closer to complete uselessness. One step closer to boredom. One step closer to expendability. To Felicia.

I didn't want her to take me. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to leave. I was better with her. She'd proven it time and time again. Without her I drifted through life, purposeless, conviction-less.

Ae Ri was the best thing that ever happened to me.

If the situation wasn't so dire I might have laughed. This stark realisation dawned on me now as I rabidly fucked her. Still, finally being at peace with the thought, it filled me with the drive to keep going. To keep pushing. I couldn't afford to lose more. At this size I wouldn't be able to cook. I'd only be able to clean or... Or give massages. I had to keep myself useful.

"Harder, Paul!" She yelled, hoarse, riding the waves, furiously playing with her clit while I shoved coals into the fire. "Five... Four...." I hadn't even heard her countdown, too absorbed by the need to get her to cum. It had been much, much longer than 30 seconds, I now realised. I could tell from how I felt like rubber, from how my strength had waned. I was using my entire body, stepping back and running forwards over and over. I was beyond exhausted and she still wanted more. Jesus, even her pussy was beating me. I couldn't even do this. I couldn't even fuck. I was becoming worthless, but I needed to keep pushing to the final second. I needed to hold on to something. So I played to the fickle rules of the game and redouble my efforts, driving in abother inch of her toy. It was about two thirds in with every push now. A tight, creamy circle of her pleasure marking how much I could force in.

"One." I wanted to cry. Four more inches evaporated out of me as I continued, not even stopping as it did. As the legs around me rose, appearing to stretch further behind me, ramming the purple beast in and out of her grew harder. Muscle dwindled. Bone withered. Hope faded. I wasn't strong enough to beat her man eater. This was the en -

"C'mon, Paulie. Yo-ou're doing so good. D-don't stop. I'mmmmm soo f-fucking cllose." Praise. It shocked me, a slap to the face dispelling the dark. She wasn't even angry anymore. She was smiling, shimmering with sweat, panting. This was just another of her wild games. She was having fun with me.

My sagging form had purpose breathed into it, fingers curling around the purple hilt firmly. I grunted as I slammed my chest into the end of the dildo. Back pedalling, I dragged the sword free from the stone. To my amazement, it was getting easier, my motivation somehow gifting me power. Even pushing it back in was easier. I could fucking do this! I could win!

Thunder rolled. One of her hands scrunched a fistful of sheets bigger than my head. Her legs trembled on either side of me, charging the air with an electricity. Three quarters of the dildo sank in this push. Four fifths the next. It was getting easier because she was outgrowing Excalibur. It wasn't me getting stronger. She was outgrowing the nuclear option right fucking now.

Her hips bucked and the sex toy was nearly torn from my hands. Instead I lifted up, feet skidding as I landed back. I held as she thrashed, the entire thing sinking in as the growth and a series of orgasms entwined into an explosion. A gush from a fire hydrant shotgunned me to the ground, slipping and sliding on the floor.

Laying in a puddle of juices, I wheezed, coughing up some of the liquid that had blasted me. I was so burned out that my vision was unfocused, heartbeat pounding in my ears. Refusing to look down at myself and see the damage done, a cacophony of feelings ran through me. It was bittersweet. She'd forgiven me so seamlessly that I was overjoyed, but in the process I'd hastened what I dreaded. Weakly, I rose my head and looked down my miniscule body. Trembling with fatigue, I sat up. The weight of Felicia's premonition finally made me buckle. Anger and indignation melted into sorrow.

My sniffling and choked back sobs stirred Ae Ri out of her sexual haze after some time. The mountain rose and observed me. Extracting the toy from her lips, she dropped it next to me. My microscopic body hunched over, on my knees. At 2'11, I probably looked like a misshapen bowling ball to her. I was shattered, tiny and tired, barely having survived making her cum, dripping in sex.

"Oh, stop being a pussy, Paul. Don't act like you wouldn't have given me those inches eventually anyway." She said, prodding me with a big toe that could fill my palm.

"It's not about that." I croaked.

"What? What the fuck is going on with you?" She seemed genuinely perplexed for once.

"How much more do I give before I can't do anything? It won't be long until you get rid of me next." I let it spill free. The real reason for this whole argument.

"What? What did you just fucking say?" It was like I'd just accused her of something disgusting. Ae Ri rounded on me, a hand struck down, lightning fast, engulfing my neck, chin and head to pull me up, forcing me to look at her. An imax cinema screen wouldn't fit the face that I was looking into through tear filled eyes.

"You're gonna throw me away next!" I screamed at the giant, throat raw, beating my tangerine fists on her arm.

"You left me and now you're telling me I'm going to throw you away?!" She sounded equally disdainful and in disbelief. Standing from the bed, making the frame whine as mass moved, she stood from the bed, stepping over the puddle I'd been wallowing in, walking so fast the entire room streaked into colours, I swung, weightless in her hand. "Y'know, I fucking should! You'd deserve it after all the stupid shit you've pulled! But guess what?" I went into free fall, the air whipping around me as I sailed down.

Twisting my ankle on impact I squealed and swore and screamed. She took my shoulders and turned me to the front door, ignoring my pain. "Look!" She snarled, pointing at the gargantuan square.

"What!? What?! What do you want me to fucking look a-" A bell rung, crisp and clear in my head, silencing the storm. I stared up at the door.

Every single lock was open.

Chains hanging limp. Deadbolts unfastened, slotted to the left. Latches, turned, left open. One handle was all that stood between me and the outside.

"It's been like this for over half a fucking month, Paul." Pins and needles. All over my body. "You could have walked out and left me again! Any fucking time! But you didn't want to, did you?! You didn't even look at the door!" Shell shocked, I turned to her dumbly. "Every time I finally trust you, you do something so fucking stupid!" She held her head, a remanent scrap of shirt tearing at her bicep. "It's like you're trying to fuck up!"

At her wits end, she grabbed the handle and opened the door wide, cool air washing over me. That long hallway leading to the elevators was right there before me. "You don't want to be thrown away, you wanna leave on your own accord? Is that it, Paul? Then go." Her voice was unsteady. "Go now. Because that's the only way you leave me again." Her nostrils widened and shrank as she huffed, staring at me, waiting.

Mind awash with confusion and shock, I tried to take it all in but couldn't. Denial weeded in. Was this another trap? An excuse to take more and hasten my future exit? I didn't want to go. I never wanted to go. And being forced to look down the proverbial barrel of the gun, I freaked out further. Limping on my twisted ankle, I staggered forwards. Small fingers from both hands hooked onto the door. I slammed as hard as I could. It didn't even close fully, but that didn't dull my point or my feelings. "I don't want to go! I don't want to leave you!" I shouted back, chest heaving with each breath. I reeled in the outburst, shaking. "But... But it's just a matter of time before you get bored of me... And - and you get rid of me too." I was getting choked up all over again. "I mean, fucking look at me, Ae Ri. What good am I? At some point I'll be too small and too useless and - and then I'll be another 'tiny' for Felica, just like Charlotte."

"Why the fuck do you keep saying that?!" She said, frustrated, hands balling into rage filled claws. "You're mine. I chased you for months because you're mine! I took you because you are mine! And I don't give a shit how small you fucking are! No one is taking you because YOU. ARE. MINE!" The tiny bones in my ears might have just been blasted to dust. That last word had turned into a physical shock wave with how hard she shouted it at me. It made me sink to my ass.

Cradelling my head in my hands, I sat there. She wanted me. She owned me. "She said I was next." I said, hollowly. "She said it would happened eventually." I didn't believe it anymore. The rampage of a response I'd received had purified the dark seed of doubt that Felicia had planted. But I'd been tricked again. Played and manipulated, weaponised against Ae Ri. That made my heart ache. I'd done exactly what Felicia wanted.

"What?" The word was a blade being unsheathed.

"Felicia said it and I believed her." I whispered to myself, griefstricken.

Hands under my arms unfolded me, raising me up. Realisation had dawned on her and she understood what had happened, why I'd been parroting crazy words. Rage had turned into an almost maternal level of care at the flip of a switch. A hug so warm and encompassing that it could melt winter surrounded me. Car sized blimps cushioned me on either side. Arms squeezed me tight. She crushed me into her with an intensity that made everything go away. Protective. Comforting. "You're not going anywhere, Paulie." I hugged back. Wrapping twigs around her neck I held her as tight as I could. "And I'm going to destroy that bitch for this."