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Forever-home Renovated Archive

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Chapter 1: Chapter 2: Chapter 3:

[raindrenchedstories]

Forever Home renovated Chapter 3

“-Rip your toenails out one by one if I had the chance!” Richter spat. Alright, his tirade was unfair. He wasn’t sure what he expected when he stepped out into the open. He guessed just to be looked at? Possibly talked to? That he could have handled so close. Instead, he found himself hating the man outside the window.

“Couldn’t have just kept your grabby hands to yourself. You’ve earned every single bite you got!” He threw his hands down on his knees and stood up. It was irrational, but the whole thing had to be the giant’s fault. He didn’t blame him for the kidnapping that was probably well out of the bearded bastard’s control. He did however blame him for the most recent loss of dignity.

He spent the morning pouting and pacing around the house again. He tried to make sense of the books, failed, and stuffed them back in place. He tried to tidy the place or rearrange it in his own fashion. It occurred to him that years spent sleeping under any sort of stable roof, on the floor made him a poor housekeeper.

Any decompressing action he took just frustrated him more. In the end, he had only one real source of entertainment. He sat and watched the giant. Who in turn, only showed himself a few times, at least at an angle Richter could see from the house.

He had no real sense of time. He was aware quite a bit had passed however. Because his keeper was in and out of the room every so often. He had no choice but to assume it was the afternoon by now. He was starting to wonder when the next feeding time was. As his stomach was starting to tighten.

Richter groaned. He wanted something to occupy himself with. All he had so far was looking outside. There was a perfect track for jogging outside. The likelihood of being grabbed was too high though. He could only sit with his own thoughts so long. His eyes stared wistfully at the jogging track. Longing and fury built in his chest.

His frustration rekindled, and he stormed into the kitchen and grabbed himself a glass of water. He tried to decide if talking to the big guy was even helpful. If for no other reason, it was probably better for his mental health. He slumped against the counter with his back facing the clear wall. Light filtered in, but it lacked the warmth of a nice sunny day.

It also didn’t change position like it did outside. He found himself missing the clear sounds of the abandoned city. Silence didn’t happen. Not really. Even now, he could hear bird song outside his cage. Which made no sense because he was in a house, inside another house. He assumed. He’d been asleep when they arrived so he had no real concept of his master’s dwellings.

Maybe the birds were normal? He spun about and managed to catch a glimpse of them picking at the lawn outside. He couldn't help but laugh incredulously. There were actual sparrows outside. They fled when they saw him, and he couldn’t help but try and follow them.

They were well gone by the time he got outside. Though the giant spun about to look at him. Richter used the open doorway to shelter himself a bit, but kept his gaze outside for the animals. It was the first sense of familiarity he’d had since arriving.

When he was sure his little friends wouldn’t be coming back, he returned to his sulking. He sat in the kitchen and stared out the window. The birds were a surprise at first, but now, he could relate to them slightly. He too was dealing with something much larger than himself.

Idly he started to think about his situation. Maybe he was like the birds. Flighty and scared. Even if there was no real malice from the Jötun. He couldn’t help but compare himself to his apparent master. He meant no harm but the birds didn’t know that. They didn’t know he wasn’t going to chase and eat them. Or, maybe they did, but still thought of him as a big terrifying monster. He could relate.

Out the window, the Jötun watched him. Leaned quietly against the wall and staring into the enclosure directly at him. He really wished the big guy wouldn’t stare so. With a huff, Richter slid from the bench to the floor. He rested on his belly and relished in the cold texture.

Interestingly enough, when he stopped leering, the animals returned. Richter’s attention snapped back to them, and he made an effort to be smaller. Quieter. Even that movement spooked them. Thankfully they didn’t flee this time though. He supposed he really was like his avian friends. Only he couldn’t fly away. If he could, he wouldn’t even be here.

They flitted about and dug for worms. Though he was unsure if they’d find any. He wasn’t even sure sparrows ate worms. They lacked the sharp beaks that robins carried. Richter wondered if they were even supposed to be in the house. The giant gave no response to them, but let his hand droop into the enclosure. Richter was ready to watch the animals scatter again, but they paid him no mind.

Perhaps he was too big for them to fathom, or maybe they were accustomed to him. He was almost envious if that was the case. Slowly he scooted a little closer, and again, the birds were gone. Richter grumbled softly. He never had time to master the art of birds, he supposed.

Hunting, yes. Mostly urban hunting. His parents never dared to leave the city when he was travelling with them. His father thought the monsters were more numerous out there, where they could move freely. It was actually more likely to be the opposite, now that Richter gave it thought. The dense trees outside of the city made for better hiding and hunting.

It was too late to think about now. Richter shut his eyes. He could hear the creature above him cluck his tongue, and chose to ignore it. No point in paying close attention. He only reacted when the monstrosity cheered out loud. He snapped to attention and stared horror when he saw the back of the giant’s hand beside him.

Richter jerked violently to the side, and spat more curses at the brute. He rolled almost under the bench by the time he stopped to analyze the situation. When the hand didn’t approach or move at all, Richter played the situation out in his mind. He was inside the shelter, not in the yard. The Jötun was on the other side of the wall. Richter’s shoulders relaxed, and he let his eyes shut. This was acceptable.

He could live with slow exposure therapy. Richter was still halfway across the room, but he could stay there. It was about then he realized the Jötun was talking at him. His tone was high pitched and cheery. Slowly Richter pieced the idea together in his mind, and laughed. “Are you... Praising me?” He chuckled incredulously.

When the jötun brightened up and got a little louder, he shook his head. Probably something along the lines of ‘good boy’ or something like that. “You titanic nerd.” He snorted. Richter’s head lolled to the side as he rested his chin on his folded arms. He stared out the window softly.

He had to consider this situation as though he were the giant. Like with the birds, his master probably meant him no harm. On that note, if the constant grabbing weren’t so intrusive, he could actually see it as being enjoyable. The giant’s grip was broad and warm. He was careful not to squish Richter even when he’d fully encased the man.

The hand came a little closer, and Richter again tensed. His eyes locked warily on the giant as the dreaded enclosing fingers came to rest. Again, Richter could relax. His body slowed down and he settled into a comfortable position.

He started to feel himself drift off, sleep overtook him slowly. Until the giant clucked his tongue again. Richter snorted and clicked his own tongue back mockingly. He scooted out from under the bench, and looked to the wall. There was an entire hand covering the glass wall now. Richter’s gut churned uncomfortably. He shook his head and backed further away.

He was certain he wasn’t about to be grabbed. The brute wasn’t about to reach through glass. Nor was he reaching for the panel to open the wall. It made no sense what so ever to flatten your hand against the enclosure just to reach in anyways. He was already caught and couldn’t get any more ‘in captivity’ than this. So the Giant wasn’t about to snatch him up. Logically he knew he was safe.

Yet he couldn’t shake the association. He’d been snatched up by store employees and his initial captors so often that the sight of an open hand was disconcerting. He put as much space between them as he could. Once he backed into the counter, he started to climb it just to get distance.

The Jötun retracted his hand as though it had been burned. To be fair, Richter could still see the red mark from where he’d bitten down. He winced guiltily at that. Some things he couldn’t deny. The fact that he’d bitten the giant was one of them.

Come to think of it, the other was that he’d seen actual magic again. Seeing a gryphon and a mermaid had been one thing. Those paled, however, in the face of actual spells being slung about. It was hardly the first time he’d seen or experienced magic. The lights dancing around the ceiling were proof of that. He’d been pinned and had something done to him before as well. Some sort of spell he had no context for.

None of it compared to what his master just did. He’d absolutely been hurt from the fall down the stairs. Then miraculously, it was gone. The pain, the shock, even the residual damage. He was pretty sure he’d at least have scrapes on his chin from the embarrassing fall. Yet there he was, unharmed and unhindered. A hapless brute wouldn’t bother to notice such things.

Richter rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. He couldn’t exactly apologize out side of actively touching the spot he’d bit. That option was too out of the way right now. He wouldn’t be able to handle it. Instead he took a breath, and slid slowly off the counter top.

They hadn’t known one another long. His heart was still jackrabbiting any time he saw the big guy. But he knew when he was in the wrong. He took a breath, and scratched the short hair on the back of his neck while he spoke.

“I...I know you can't understand me. Other wise, this is the sickest joke I've ever seen. But you have to know that I need time.” He folded his arms around himself.

“I’m not an egotistical maniac. I can admit I’m scared. I don’t like this. I don’t want to be coddled and cooed at. I don’t want to be stared at all the time and picked up and told I’m a ‘good boy’ or what ever. But I don’t have a choice here.” He started to pace as he spoke.

They were both intelligent beings and he had to think of it like that. “Just don’t be a dick. Please?” The jötun was already walking away, having taken Richters food tray. He slumped. At least he’d get to eat. That was a bonus to being ignored. If it was anything like before, he’d be glad for the meal.

When the tray was slid back in place, he found it piled with new delights. More vegetables, but also fruit, and some small bits of jerky that he’d had in the store. He was about to go for the table until the jötun clicked his tongue again. Richter paid him full attention this time. Confused.

Apparently that was the correct answer, because the big guy smiled at, and praised him. A moment later the tray was pulled away, and something more was placed on it. Once it returned, Richter found himself staring at a small, round cake of some sort.

He was pointed to his meal, and the giant left his sight. So treats were on the table. Quite literally. Richter shrugged, and sat down to eat. Operant conditioning aside, he was genuinely glad that food at least was readily available.

With a huff, he decided to start with desert first. The cake just about melted in his mouth. He hadn’t tasted vanilla since he was twelve, and only found himself enraptured by the rediscovered flavour. It was sweeter than he was used to, and spongy like a proper pastry. It lacked some of the undertones that were burned into his memory, but he’d sworn he was just taken back in time via his sense of taste.

Of course it didn’t help that he was in a climate controlled building with no threat of muggers or predators. With a sigh, he watched outside the garden. The birds were back, and it finally started to make sense. They were like flies. You never knew how a fly got in the house, but there was always at least one every year. They probably slipped in through the door.

A house this large likely had plenty of food scraps they could subside on. More over, they were so small the big guy hardly had to worry about them. He almost appeared to enjoy their presence. He supposed if flies sang so beautifully humans would mind them less too.

With a sigh, Richter came to a grim realization. He’d go mad if he didn’t step out of the shelter at least once. It was worth at least stepping out when the unnamed master was out. A groan tore from his throat. “This is going to suck.”

He finished his meal and exited the house once he was sure the jötun was out of sight. Of course the back wall was solid, so ‘out of sight’ was more like ‘either out of the room or just behind the house’. He stepped onto the grass, and almost instantly he heard the shifting of the jötun behind him. Richter debated on springing back inside, but the last time didn’t end well.

There was a stain in the grass below his feet. Copper red. He probably split his chin on his fall. With a wince, he rubbed his own chin. Sure enough some crusty material came up on his fingertips. What he wouldn’t give for a pocket mirror.

He contented himself with sitting in the doorway, and watching with discomfort as his master took his food dish. The giant crossed the room, but beyond the high walls Richter could only see the top of his head. He could hear water, and the dish smashing noisily. He chose to lay his head on his knees. He wanted to explore the whole area but couldn’t bring himself to be so exposed again.

The garden was beautiful now that he took the time to look at it. The bushes bore fruit, the tree was in flower. The birds tapped his feet. Richter jumped, and frightened off the curious little feather balls. He slumped with disappointment.

A soft hiss alerted him to the fact he was being watched. The jötun sat with mild interest. Snickering at Richters failed attempt at bird watching. With dramatic flair, Richter dragged himself into the house. He was laughed at for his rebellion. Defeated, Richter shot him a middle finger, and stormed up the stairs. He glared at the step that carried a small splash of red.

The house was white. He hadn’t taken the time to think of it, but the stairs and lower floors were almost marble white. He scoffed. It would only be easier to see the mess that way. Possibly that was the point. Cleaning became easy if you saw every little splash and splotch.

His bedroom was a nice respite from the constant view of the larger world outside. He sat down and pressed his fingers to old scars. This would just become normal eventually. All things did. He hated change. Hated the unsure feeling of forces beyond his power acting on his life.

He wondered if his parents had a similar fate. Though he tried to push their memories back further, and further, he still thought of them. The terror in his mother’s eyes when their captor came. The angry shouts of his father while he hacked away at the beasts fingers with his hatchet. Richter’s mother had kicked him into a basement during the attack. Or, capture. Maybe they were still out there now.

Were they together still? Or did they get separated? Did they hold each other through these dark times? It was by far a better fate than drowning in a flooded river. He started to think of her. He shook his head violently. Better to deal with the giant right now than think of that. Richter forced himself to look out the tinted glass.

Sure enough, his Master was working on that book, looking down at him. He wondered what the man was even writing. He played with the idea. Hour whatever, the small angry thing took a nap. Further monitoring needed. He snorted and sat himself up. Probably was still calling him ‘Ricky’ in that damn book.

He tried to think of something less daunting. Maybe daydream. When he was a child, he went on adventures with his favourite cartoon characters in the private space of his mind. Until the world crumbled. Then they changed. Either about finding food during the lean times, or finding a community of people who skipped the collapse.

Now? He tried to think about something other than survival. That was almost guaranteed. He tried to think of the future, but saw nothing. Nothing he could definitively say ‘that’s probably going to happen’. Instead he thought of the immediate moment. With a miserable shrug, he realized that he was going to take a long time to adjust.

~

“Just once I wish these sorts of things were better handled. Why does it fall to the curious to explore every aspect of the world?” He tapped his pen irritably on the pages. What was he supposed to write that hadn’t already been said? Ricky was quite determined to avoid him. Though he did respond if prompted.

A sharp ache struck up Bear’s forearm. Unspent magic that sat just below his skin searched for an escape. A grim reminder that he had an actual job. A role that he’d been neglecting for a while. His time as a recluse was up. He’d have to return to his duties soon.

Being an elemental creature, Bear, as well as every other giant, had a role to play in his world. He bit his lip thinking about it. Other wars were fought, he’d fought in them. Never did they leave such a scar as the one fought between the true gods and the false dieties. The god war was long before his own birth and yet it still left shudders in the physical world.

Elements clashed violently, in an attempt to equalize and settle. They made waves that Trampled and devoured each other despite being the same force. Only after a god war would you find a desert surrounded by tundra.

Thus the need for Elemental giants to maintain some semblance of a boarder. Almost like dams in that thrashing tide. A wall to limit the damage. Without them, there would be no stability for life to flourish. It was indeed the lack of stability that led to many of the wars that occured.

Bear’s own forest was beginning to feel the ice from the neighbouring perimeter creep in. He could feel it. Unlike the natural sleep of winter, this was a biting chill that shook his bones. He gave a short prayer to the goddess of life, and stood. Time was up. He’d have to bite back.

The question was where to start. Bear made a small sketch of Ricky while he pondered his actions. Ricky himself was an unknown element to this. Where did his species fit in the natural order? Bear himself was responsible for nurturing the woods and wildlife. Did Ricky’s kind need to populate the land as well?

He drummed his fingers on the wall of the enclosure. That was until Ricky shouted at him. There was something strangely intelligent about the little stinker. It was like watching a grizzly figure out a complex puzzle. Gears were turning in that little mind.

He jotted down in his notes to try giving Ricky a puzzle to play with. It was probably best he took the time away. The break from his constant presence might encourage more natural behaviours. Though he hated to miss out on the little fellow’s exploration.

With a long suffering sigh, he stared into the enclosure one last time. Which must have upset Ricky, who promptly threw a pillow at the wall. The giant smirked. Bear wasn’t always the type to keep a pet. Aside from actual bears. They were more affectionate than they were given credit for. If not a bit sharper than Ricky. He stared at his bitten hand and huffed.

Ricky needed something to do. Other than being pestered by his overgrown master. So Bear stood. “You win, Ricky. Stay out of trouble alright?” He patted the wall twice, and walked away. He made his way out the door, and made a point to close it louder than usual.

The road wound before him, with the ever present crunch of debris under his feet. First order of business was to go and handle the encroaching cold from the mountains. He started west, and tromped his way to the mountain’s base. There he caught sight of the local ice giant. Though she tried to keep the wall back on her own, she was failing.

The freeze was turning the bark of the trees white. The leaves were a dully fatal brown. Several hadn’t even had the time to drop into hibernation. The worst of it was the rotted undergrowth. Visible only if he squinted, and invisible to any giant who didn’t know what to look for. Sometimes it paid to have a familiar, who could point things like that out. Who knew, he might need to consider a familiar someday.

She was young for a giantess. Only a fraction of his age. Created from sheer snow and ice, her body gleamed in the sunlight. Sparkling like fresh snow. She wore something like a rough tunic, with a large cloak of fur. Something she’d have spent ages to make.

He couldn’t help the guilt. He’d left this poor youngster to manage the whole thing for a little too long. Her hands were cracked from spending so much time outside of her frozen climate. The whole time she never complained, or tried to find him. Didn’t even send a messenger from the mountains. She just gave him time. He’d have to make this count.

Her cold blue eyes turned to him, and she huffed. “Took you a while old timer.” Ah, the impertinence of youth, he chuckled at her antics. The ice giant hurriedly scooped a couple of encroaching polar beasts into a fist. A snarl marred her features. Her frustration was more than understandable.

It wasn’t uncommon for animals to try and expand their territory. It was however, unusual for them to be so brazen in front of a carnivorous giant. He wondered if they knew she couldn’t focus on them for too long. He also debated on whether or not she’d devour them later. It took very little to keep ice giants full, but what they did take taught the younger, foolish ones the folly of expanding off the mountains.

They’d be uncontested if they were to breach into the temperate lands Bear oversaw. The climate was cool enough that the animals wouldn’t suffer the heat. The wildlife had no countering magic. Unlike the polar beasts they could not freeze the world around them. Just as magic warped the land, it warped the beasts of it. Meaning polar beasts were more than capable of stopping prey in their steps before even catching up physically.

She popped the animals into a pouch on her side and shot him a glare. Bear could only shrug. She could only make ice, make walls and breaks. She couldn’t restore what she failed to protect. That was his job. “Stand back pup. Let this old timer work.” He waved her off. With a stretch, he plunged both hands into the soil. It was still warm, probably from the efforts of the ice giant.

With a huff, he shoved as much innate magic into the ground. All about him new, green life sprung and forced the weakened ice back up the mountain it was contained on. Warm browns and shocking colours snapped from the earth. New flowers bloomed instantly in the surviving brush behind him. He shoved as much life into the ground as he could until nothing cold lasted in his border.

Satisfied with his work, he shook himself free of the dirt. Next, Bear collected the deadened trees from the Ice giants realm. “You’ve been gone a while.” She commented. She gripped a frozen tree and ripped it from the earth. “Every thing okay?” Her eyes grew more concerned as she spoke. She was young, but not foolish. He smirked and trapped the frost giant into a casual hug.

“All’s well. I’ve been preparing to take on a new pet is all. Yourself? I hear someone has been trying to steal your heart away.” He winked at the giantess and saw her flush a deeper blue. He could hardly remember her name. Though he knew she was entangled with a black ice giant. One who left invisible, impossibly cold stains at the highest points of their landmass. She welcomed him into her home. Both shared sides of the territory to manage.

The woman shoved herself hard from his form. With an awkward cough she turned her back on him. “Yeah well. He’s... Gods above and below Bear, don’t make me get all mushy. He’s nice. Alright. He’s nice.” She rubbed the back of her neck.

“You should tell him that.” He grinned. “Honesty is the best way to a healthy love life.” He bumped her hip. The woman rolled her eyes and shoved the older giant into the snow beside her. He was larger, but hardly cared to romp about like some young beast. The crack of ice and snow sounded below him.

“I don’t need relationship advice from someone who hasn’t even TOLD his intended.” She scoffed. It was his turn to grow red in the cheeks. Well, green. He couldn’t actually flush red.

“Now hold on a minute young lady. That’s not-” He ended up with a face full of snow.

“Don’t start. We all see it. You’ve known each-other for centuries now.” She rolled her eyes. “And for the gods favour stop dropping off the face of the earth like that. We debated on scrying just to make sure you were still alive.”

‘We’. That was a word he still had trouble grasping. The land around him was so vast for his part. But there were communities. He could name at least two more forest giants around. The lady behind him was also a neighbour, and her new partner. They had two fire giants nearby as well. Keeping the heart of their lands. They visited sometimes. Particularly around festivals. But for the most part, they were passing faces.

Giants spend most time solitary. They visited one another as friends, sometimes even joined territories to create something new. For the most part though, there was just no need to stay so close. It was kind of them to at least think of him.

Bear glared at her flatly. “You know, knocking exists. You could indeed, just visit.” He shook the snow out of his beard and scoffed. “And I’m not going to tell him squat. He’s shown no interest in me so there ain’t much point to it. Kiddo.”

The giantess stared at him flatly. Then burst into laughter. “Did you forget my name again? Going senile or something?”

“It’s been a decade since we last spoke. Scorn me.” He chuckled. He was starting to wish he’d had been a better neighbour. Satisfied with the overall management, Bear turned back to the woods. Neither of them were too concerned about his forgetting her name. He’d remember it eventually.

The woman spun about and shouted after him. “Tell him you idiot! The whole range has been waiting for you two to finally say something!” He sped out of earshot. His relationship with his long time friend was no business of the whole damn community. There were at least seven or eight Giants in the area. Making it awkward with one would only bring him trouble. Thus, he chose not to act on his feelings for Archibald.

The two had gone to war along side one another. When Archibald went missing for too long, it had been Bear who demanded his rescue. They found him inside a mountain, battling with a score of sun-elves. They’d tried to take up smithing from the magical stone that grew off the giant. Almost managed to pin Archibald down and properly chain him for mining.

As it turned out, nothing an elf could forge could not hold a giant down. Archibald had rooted through the whole mountain, snatching up his attackers. That had been a grim day for elf kind. When the dust had settled, the found Archibald lecturing his captives.

The iron wars were started from a logical place. Iron was poison to elves. Dwarves mined it and brought it readily into the surface. Conflict was bound to happen. It just happened a bit more violently than anticipated. No one expected the sun elves to start it. They also hadn’t expect them to try and turn on the giants. That was what started their involvement. Giants, dragons and other elementals hardly ever joined wars unless provoked. The kidnapping of three giants sure as hells provoked them.

While he ruminated on this, the sprawl of woodland around him thinned. The forest giant stumbled over a stump. Bear glanced to the bared earth below. Another patch of untended land. Something had taken the trees in a strange way. They were cut clean, mere stumps in the earth. He couldn’t think of a creature that took wood in such a way. He shook his head in confusion. New critters? Just one more thing to look into.

Perhaps he needed to be more proactive in his tending of the land. Things had fallen into so much disrepair. Bear would have to walk about and double check on the state of affairs more frequently.

He dropped one of the deadened logs onto the ground, and crushed it underfoot. With a sprinkle of magic, the land started to consume the rotted tree. Probably would become a nice meadow. Though he wondered what had taken the trees in the first place.

He stepped carefully to watch for any flushed out animals. Perhaps the culprits were among the dense woodland. For the most part he caught glimpses of birds, deer, and tiny creatures he could hardly comprehend. He’d had them described to him, but could never actually make them out.

He returned to the warp gate and stepped through. Fresh timber was good nesting material for certain dragons. As well as good feasting material for his own people. He brought it into a market stall to sell. From there, he returned to the pet shop.

A simple puzzle was best for now. He stepped into the building and came face to face with the same employee. “Mr Heart! Welcome back. Is your pet to your liking? Or were you looking to get him some company?” The young giant scampered around the counter.

Bear could catch just a glimpse of a glass cage. Inside was a familiar face. One of the elves he’d fought back in the war. “Is that... Avari?” The elf spun about. His ears pinned back, and he gave his biggest hiss. It was him alright. Same blonde hair loose at his shoulders. Same bad attitude. Though Bear couldn’t blame him much. He had been at the forefront of the war it’s self.

He’d been there, when the giants ended their bloodless campaign, and chose to simply end things. It had happened after a particularly nasty fatality. One Bear could not accept. Giants ended things peacefully if possible. However, it was never a guarantee. Which many beings forgot until the iron war.

Bear clearly remembered the bite of the elf’s weapon in his ankle. The sting of loosed magic snapping through his tendons in an attempt to wound him. Just enough to prevent the giant from moving. There was a sickening satisfaction that it hadn’t worked. That his body didn’t allow him to falter.

Avari likely only did what he did to survive. There was no ill will towards the elf. Though he still couldn’t help but feel bitter about the whole situation. Bear watched him now, as he stared into the giant’s eyes with recognition. There was a hint of fear in his body language. Although it was subtle, probably due to the size of the man.

“Oh, yes. He’s a surrender. He um... Tried to murder his last master.” The younger giant tapped his fingers together. “No more similar sized masters for him. I’m afraid. Though you two seem to know one another, it might be a good match if-”

Bear held up a hand to stop him. “We’ve got bad blood. I don’t think it’s in either of our best interest to make that arrangement.” He shook his head. He could hear the elf protesting much the same. With more swearing and far more hissing. He found elf hisses to be the funniest thing. They were tiny, and cute. Sad that they only really came from true hatred and terror.

With a nod of recognition, Bear passed by Avari. The sun elf hissed again, refusing to speak like an actual person to him in particular. Honestly he reminded Bear of Ricky. With less biting. Perhaps Avari would have been a more agreeable choice. He snorted at his own private joke.

“Getting my scamp a puzzle. Any recommendations?” He tried to include the youngster. Who, in turn, leaped at the chance to be helpful to his hero. Thankfully the boy had been dissuaded from any further pushing of another pet. The fresh giant brought up a list of puzzles and toys. One was a strange wooden structure, made into a dome of open windows.

“We’ve seen these where Scamps tend to hang around. The one’s we’ve found appear to be a metal of some sort. But we can’t really have that around the elves. So we’re trying shaped wood. Grown by giants like yourself!” He held it out. “They love to climb on top of these things! Some of the other critters like it too. Griphons love to perch on them.”

As if to prove his point, an indignant squawk dragged both their attention. A griphon had been climbing on it’s own little dome when it’s cagemate chased it off and sat atteh very top above it. They launched into a play chase around the enclosure. The dome ended up in his basket not long after.

With a chuckle, he took a glance at the scamp section. Just to see if any behaved like Ricky. A few did. Mostly males. Others hid. He laughed as one threw his entire bedding at the glass. So throwing objects was absolutely part of the behaviour.

Some of the enclosures now carried more enrichment, and he took note of the most used toys. Most of it was improvised from different animals. A large ball was being thrown at him by an adult. Some soft fabric tents were being hidden beneath. There was an odd individual who just sat and stared, holding a stuffed toy to his chest. Unconcerned by anything around him.

It was during his inspiration walk that Bear spotted his first youngster. It stayed close to the adult with it. He couldn’t discern whether the young one was male or female. The adult, however was female. She shoved the child behind her and balled her fist. He chose to back away.

“Oh those two? The ones who sold them to us say they were caught separately. But the little one clung to the adult so closely that we decided they’re a package deal.” The young cashier smiled. “I wish we knew where the actual parent was though.”

“Might have been orphaned. Though it is interesting that they’ll adopt unrelated young.” Bear commented. He chose a few small toys. Though he oped out of the tents for now. Stuffed animals were added to the selection though. One gripphon toy caught his eyes. A fluffy bundle of feathers on a stick. That too, was put into the basket.

With is new puzzles in tow, and a bath set up, Bear paid for his trinkets. Avari scoffed from his position. He took note of the scars on Bears hand. A satisfied smile spread over his features. “I hope your pet never stops biting you.” The elf spat. It had almost been a century since he’d last heard that hateful voice.

Yet he felt he deserved the scorn it carried. “And I hope you heal from the things apologies cannot mend.” Bear sighed. Avari hissed at him one final time, and threw him a rude gesture for good measure. He shut himself in a little tent to hide away.

With that, Bear gathered his new gifts for Ricky, and made his way back home. He wished the elf well, even if they were bitter towards one another. Bear found it hard to forgive the attempted hamstringing. At least at the beginning. Not one elf death had happened when Avari tried it. In fact, it was that action that cemented the deal. Bear still would rather see the little guy in a safe situation.

The war had come to mind a lot this day. It would probably be a bad night for sleep then. It always was when the memories came back. With a scoff, Bear sped up. He’d worry about that later. Or better yet, not at all. He wouldn’t let himself dwell on it this day. He’d feed Ricky, and give him toys, and watch him be happy and thrive.

Even if his heart was trying to beat faster. Even if the spot where he’d been struck in battle itched. Bear chose to block it out. He held it firmly with one hand. He quickened his pace. If he just got home fast enough, he might be able to catch Ricky outside of his shelter. That was a nice thing to think about. Ricky was his focus now. Ricky, and the forest.

His two responsibilities he could make his priority. If he could tame Ricky down enough, he might even be able to combine the two. He entertained the idea of carrying the little fellow along while tending his forest. A worthy distraction. He wondered if Ricky was much of an explorer.

~

Meanwhile, back at the house, Richter was climbing his shelter. He eyed the wall with a grin. It wouldn’t take much to build a way out. If he just was stubborn enough. Thankfully, he was indeed, quite stubborn. It wouldn’t be freedom, but it’d be something. Something other than the dull garden he was already growing tired of seeing.

[raindrenchedstories]

Hi! Just wanted to say how much i adore forever home! I’ve read it so many times over the years. I’m so excited for the renovation! I’m already loving all the new insights! Looking forward to the next part!

AAh! Hello! I'm so glad you liked the original. I can't lie, I was so nervous to post the first chapter of the renovation! Thanks for being here, genuinely.

[raindrenchedstories]

I gotta brag about my husband

This man saw I had a chapter of Foreverhome open and mid-written when he got up in the morning, pressed save. Then made a back up save and labeled it "2 B safe" after the main title.

I'd saved before I went to bed. But I am so thankful he does these things for me.

[raindrenchedstories]

Forever Home renovated Chapter 2

If he was going to take a tour of the house, he may as well start with the room he was standing in. The floor was mostly solid, aside from a grate in the middle. He chose not to think too hard about that. It was far larger than it needed to be for such a job. The fact that the room was solid was a blessing though it didn’t let in any light. There was a light source though.

Much to his relief a small glowing ball sat high on the ceiling. He couldn’t be sure what it was made of, but he was sure it wasn’t going out any time soon. With a sigh, Richter walked the distance of the room. He found a second grate in a corner. Across from that, there was a water pipe. Something the store had provided as well. Wash water. He supposed they thought humans to be very clean ‘animals’.

A floor to ceiling mirror also stood at what he considered ‘the back wall’ as it was installed into the actual wall of the enclosure. He took a breath, and examined himself. He had everything he needed in this case. The only thing left was his razor. He ran a hand through his matted hair. He’d have to cut the majority off. Oh how Richter missed having someone else to do it for him.

After some deliberation, the human poked his head out the door. His master wasn’t watching. From the smell of things, he was cooking. Honestly, it smelled pretty good. Richter hadn’t had a home cooked meal for a very long time. Though he was pretty sure he’d be fed dry kibble or some kind of mash. It would be consistent with his treatment prior.

Come to think of it, what was even the point of a door in a pet cage? Were they aware that humans could use handles? It even had a lock. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind. It was probably for the best he didn’t think too hard about it. The fact that he was a pet was horrific enough, let alone the implications of a lock on a bathroom door. Instead he ran to the room across the hall from the washroom.

He was pretty sure the other room was for sleeping. It was darkened after all. Still visible, however, so he’d be changing in the bathroom. Oddly, this room did not have a physical door, just an opening. So just the bathroom then. Was he expected to hide there? Or was it just a coincidence? He decided it didn’t matter. There was plenty of time to overthink later.

As soon as he went through the door, he tripped. His foot caught on a previously unseen lip. Thankfully the landing didn’t hurt. He pushed the surface below him experimentally. It gave easily. Slowly, Richter got back to his feet. A pillow. He was walking on a giant pillow. He supposed it made sense.

The room was darkened with stained glass. It would have been lovely if it weren’t a cage. Still, he was here to find his belongings. They were placed in this room, he watched the jötun put them here. Now he just had to find them. An easier task than he’d thought. As they were right in the centre of the room. He stumbled his way to them.

The plush surface was much harder to walk on than it had any right to be. It would probably be amazing to sleep on later. After actual years of cement, tattered rags, and occasionally if he was very lucky, a mouldy matres. If he were honest with himself, he was looking forward to bed time now. He scooped up the backpack once he reached it, and dragged it to the ‘bathroom’.

On his way back, something smashed loudly, causing his heart to leap into his throat. He could see his master moving about the kitchen. There was no sound of distress or anger, and a large towel hung over the brute’s shoulder. He couldn’t see what his new captor was doing, but he assumed it was dishes. It made a hell of a racket. With a steadying breath, he returned to the matter at hand.

Richter decided he didn’t care to live in the kitchen. If it was going to be so loud. He’d have to pull some fluff out of his bedroom floor at some point. He darted to the bathroom again, and shut the door. It was then that he opened his bag for the first time in three months. He had small snack bars, which were probably melted and crushed in the time spent packed away. Stale water, and crumpled clothes. He would have like to wear them again, but they were probably safer left packed up.

He dug through a little deeper. Bolt cutters, spare blankets, a few plastic dishes, one old blanket was carefully wrapped around something. He chose not to open that. It would hurt too much to look at those things right now. Maybe if he made it through a few more days.

Finally he found the shaving kit. The razor was a bit dull, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. There was some bar lather, scissors and finally, a few brushes and combs. It was time to feel human again.

He used a small bowl and filled it with water from the tap. If only he had time to do this before the bath. He chose to remove his shirt so as not to get fine hair on it. Afterwards, Richter finally began to care for himself. His hair had to mostly come off, which he counted as a shame. Then the beard. Oh how it felt amazing to get rid of that damn beard. It itched all the time, and caught flakes of food and other unsavoury things.

Idly, he wondered if his master chose him for the damn thing. People tended to keep pets that looked a little like them. It made losing it thing almost a rebellion. He took some joy in that. Once the matted hair and scraggly beard was gone, he started to recognize himself again. Even if the dull blade caused a few shaving cuts.

He patted his cheeks and enjoyed the soft feeling of his own skin. He continued his little session by brushing out the hair that was left, and taking a crack at his teeth with a toothbrush. No paste, but something was better than nothing.

It was refreshing to feel so much like himself again. He burst out of the bathroom after packing everything up, and was greeted with a great shadow over him. Perhaps he hadn’t thought his plans through. It might have been better to do the personal grooming part at night. Now he was being stared down at with pure wonder and concern.

He supposed if his pet hamster lost a ton of hair after a bath, he’d be worried too. He rushed to his room and threw the bag in, before he spun about on his master. Much to his relief, the beast didn’t watch the bag. Instead, he watched the human. Richter took a breath, and fidgeted on the spot. He could feel his palms starting to sweat and his throat start to ache.

The Jötun stood confused. His hand moved worryingly towards Richter. Though his heart hammered in his chest, he understood it was only natural to examine a pet that showed signs of injury or illness. That didn’t mean he was comfortable with it. His arms moved on their own accord to shield himself. He hugged his middle protectively. It took every ounce of his being not to screw his eyes shut.

His master stopped his dreaded reach, and leaned away from the enclosure. Richter stood firm. Rooted to the spot. He couldn’t have fled even if he wanted to. The Jötun eyed him longer, and took a deep breath. He said something, then moved on. Away from the enclosure.

Richter’s legs chose to give out then, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap. His lungs burned for breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He took a desperate gulp of air, and settled against the wall. With a sigh, he tried to force his mind into a thinking state again. He wasn't sorrowful, it was too late for that. He'd been captured a long while ago. No, he was stressed, and scared. He was unharmed. That was the important part.

His fingers sought the unusual fabric of his clothing. His thumb worked the texture between his forefinger, and middle. It was soft, uncannily so. He’d have thought someone had knitted it, but for the size of his master. No one that big could knit something so fine and small.

Three deep breaths. That was the trick he’d used all his life. One. Breath in. He thought about the whole process of his ‘adoption’. Out. Two, Breath in. The arrival so far was as stress free as it could be made, given the situation. Out. Finally, the third breath. He was unlikely to die miserably, the enclosure was too nice for that. So at least he looked to be a well cared for pet.

What a thought. Being perfectly fine with being kept in a cage. He forced himself back onto his feet, and made his way to the big bedroom. The floor tripped him once again, and he fell flat on his face. With a huff, he decided crawling would be his best option. He sluggishly made his way to the middle of the room, and sat down. He’d examine from a distance here. Until he was more accustomed to walking on giant pillows.

The strange light source wasn’t there. Instead the tinted glass darkened the room. Only a little in the bright light from the kitchen, but enough to sleep by. On the back wall, was a series of shelves with clothing stuffed inside. Along the wall furthest from the door were far too many pillows. He heaved a sigh, and hid his backpack among the pillows. After quite a bit of stumbling, that is.

From there, he left the overly squishy room and headed down the stairs. He didn’t have the time to really consider it, but the idea of stairs was actually novel now. So long had he gone without even thinking about stairs. Most of the building that had them were basically vetoed as safe havens. The higher up, the closer to jötuns. There was no reason to put yourself at risk. Now though, he was bounding down them.

To his left, was a room that looked suspiciously like a living room. Across from that, a dining room. At least that’s what he’d call it. There was a feeding tray visible from the door. Empty, for now. Lined with two benches for seating.

He chose the living room. It was furnished with white sofas, and more pillows. The floor was furry, but not made of a massive pillow like his bedroom. Carpet. It had been a long time since he last laid eyes on new carpet. Let alone his feet.

There were book shelves on the back wall. Though the books titles were incomprehensible scribbles. He supposed they could be doll’s furniture. The idea was uncomfortable, but palatable. He could tear them up and throw everything across the room if things got too stressful. After all, he was supposed to be an animal.

That would do nothing though. It would only give him less to do. He opened one at random. More chicken scratch littered every page in organized lines. There were some illustrations though. Some were actually quite lovely. He traced his fingers over a drawing of a dragon in a wheat field. He wondered if it was a portrait of an actual dragon.

With a final gaze around the room, he found little of interest. Just a few scattered pillows more and a chair. The seating faced the large glass window that gazed out on his enclosure. A reflexive shudder ran up his spine. For now, he’d just call it a yard. The window gazed out on his yard. He deliberately chose not to look at the surrounding walls.

With a huff, he shut the book and returned it to it’s place. There was no art on the walls, though he sorely wished there was. No cozy quilts on the back of the sofa. Nothing to claim as his. Thus, he left the room. He wished he had some materials, he would have made the place more his own.

The kitchen was much the same when it came to decoration. Though he was overjoyed to find a basin of water, and a tap. He still had to press for water, but the basin could be plugged up. He could use that for a sponge bath if he so chose. With that in mind, he started to open cabinets at random.

They were mostly empty, aside from a series of rough towels that were clumsily stuffed into one. He took the time to fold those and neatly put them away closer to the sink. The drawers were pleasantly functional too. In one, he even found a little set of stone cutlery.

A deep hiss startled him from his exploration. Behind him the giant leaned on the stone wall and watched. The hiss was more than likely a sigh. The brute looked comfortable. Richter could only wonder how long he’d been staring. He tried to ignore the prying eyes while continuing his wanderings. In one cupboard he found a stack of stoneware cups. He was a little surprised they even had that much. Though he wasn’t going to argue it.

With the sight of the cups, his throat began to ache. He hadn’t had water in a while he supposed. Outside of accidentally choking on a mouthful during his bath time misadventure. He chose to ignore the thought of those invading hands a little longer. Instead, he reached for his new cups, and filled a glass. He’d almost forgotten how to properly drink from a cup after his three months captured.

The water was colder than he was ready for. Richter yelped when the shocking liquid hit his teeth. He held the glass as though he’d been stung. The steady supply of clean water he’d previously been given wasn’t cold, it was room temperature. This was properly cold. As though there were ice in the bottle he’d poured from.

He tried to look at the back wall for answers. However, unlike the rest of the house, it was solid. He felt the tap for any signs of chilling or even frost. Nothing. The deep chuckle behind him indicated his new owner was in on some sort of joke. Or at least aware of what startled him so.

Perhaps he’d made an effort to ensure his drinking water was always chilled? So much work for a pet. Richter glanced back to the window. His master eyed him with reserved affection. Something he wasn’t quite ready to see. Instead he grabbed a second glass of water, and drank deep.

This was home now, he supposed. Just himself and his thoughts. Oh, and the big monstrosity he now called his master. He finished his glass, and washed it in the basin. It was set to dry while he stood confused. He took this time to watch his master back.

The being that bought him idly scratched notes into a book. One he’d had for quite some time since bringing Richter ‘home’. He made a few notes, and stared back at the man. When nothing happened, he tilted his head. Idly, he clucked his tongue at Richter for attention. Though his heart jumped, Richter looked away. He took a breath, leaned himself defiantly against the counter.

He’d decided. Escape was a fool’s errand for now. That didn’t mean he’d make it easy though. If this big brute wanted him to be the ideal pet, he’d have to work for it. With a smirk, Richter made the decision to be an absolute pain until things started to go his way. A sort of reverse training.

He’d prod, and push, and bribe until he gained some scrap of control over the situation. Then, maybe, he’d be put in a position to think about escaping. So long as conditions were ideal for the act, and desperate enough to necessitate it.

For now, he decided to play stubborn. At least while the beast looked at him. Even though he could feel every nerve screaming at him to run and hide, Richter held firm. He could deal with the aftermath later. He stayed against a counter, and kept his eyes locked onto the being before him. The jötun sat patiently, and stared back. Slowly, his eyes scanned the human below him. Richter took that time to stick his middle finger up at the giant.

The meaning was apparently lost on the big brute. The man snorted. “Not so scary then. Just big and stupid.” He tried to reassure himself. The jötun leaned back, and slowly left Richter’s sight. He didn’t put too much weight behind the action though. He couldn’t expect full and undivided attention from his keeper. Nor did he want it. Instead, he chose to meander about a while longer.

The upper floors were more comfortable, but he still had yet to explore the outside of his enclosure. That would have to wait, he decided. The idea of being open and exposed to possible grabbing didn’t sit well with him. Or rather, he was pretty sure the big brute would attempt to pet him at least once in this whole miserable experience.

He wondered how often he’d be fed here. His spoiled stomach started to growl. Years he’d gone on just one meal a day, if that. Now he almost expected it each day, twice a day. With a groan, Richter chose to climb the stairs. Maybe a good night’s sleep and a fresh head would let him think more clearly. He had no idea how long it had been since his arrival, but he was exhausted. Perhaps it would be just a nap, or perhaps time meant nothing any more.

When he arrived in his room, he stored his bag safely in the corner, and piled two large pillows on top. He then laid down on them, and sighed. His stained glass window only just showed the outside enough. Though he assumed he was much more visible from the other side. He could see the ‘yard’ before him, and the tree. He could make out his master’s silhouette moving in the distance. Like a whale sighted just off shore.

He rolled away, shut his eyes, and slowly forced himself to sleep. Tomorrow, he supposed he could explore the house again, if he felt up to it. Boredom was the next key battle. He almost hoped there was some kind of toy for him in that basket of goodies his ‘master’ bought. Almost.

~

Bear sat at the table, and watched the enclosure from a distance. The new pet was interesting. There were a few plans sketched out in sloppy writing in his notebook. Feeding schedules, things to do with scales, and of course, the beast speech spells. He hoped at least one would give him the ability to make sense of the creature.

So far he acted very much like an elf. Self grooming. Able to use utensils. Perhaps even had a name, though that was a little vague. Ricky worked. He wrote it down in his journal. With that said, he supposed it was time to leave the little fellow totally unsupervised for the evening. When he stood, he found the little one tucked into his corner, sleeping soundly.

Ricky was a decent enough name. It kept in line with the sounds the little one made. While in turn being cute. Oh so cute. Even if his bite was far from it. Boy, did that little thing bite. He could see the welts on his hands from the vice grip of the scamp. He was used to bites, but they never got less shocking. Just easier to ignore.

Bear could see it was late by the shadows cast from the dwindling light of the window. About time for sleep, he reluctantly decided. Tomorrow he’d feed the small creature. Too much happened today, and his little stomach might reject anything he tried to eat. So, with that, Bear extinguished the spell-lights on his ceiling, and turned in for the night.

He crossed his kitchen into the living area. Few giants chose such luxuries. The term ‘living area’ was a bit more literal with such a giant. He had a few more domestic things, like books, portraits and doodads he’d collected over the years. However, those were almost blended among what was basically a grove of life. Plants in reserve for future forests. Or buds that would grow in the spring. His furniture was mostly made of shaped trees, planted and raised with great care.

Time was an abundant thing for creatures such as him. So Bear was often finding projects to occupy himself. Beyond his given tasks. Books, research, planting new forests. Ricky was his latest. Understanding was the key to ward away old pains, and invite in new joy. For both of them.

It did not go unnoticed to Bear that his little pet had scars. They lined his arms and torso. Some were probably animal bites, in retrospect. Probably from his wild days. There were some simple things as well, wear and tear from survival. He’d be well shocked if Ricky didn’t come down with some illness once he finally let his nerves settle. Bear looked about his living room one last time, and selected a book from a shelf near the bedroom.

From there, he approached his large nest in another room. Big enough and elevated off the ground for himself. He ignored half of the sounds of small critters in the undergrowth, and chose to lay atop his bedding. Mice, and birds often found their way into his home with or without his permission. Said critters silenced after a while. Much to his chagrin, he could hear the exact moment when they did.

His eyes struggled to shut as his heart thudded. Logically, he knew he should sleep. Logically it was probably time to let himself rest. Illogically, however, he wanted to just stay up a little longer. One more project, one more thing. One more note to write down. Just so he’d be awake for what ever reason. Whatever kept the shadows at bay and kept him active. He chose to spend those waking hours reading.

He had other things he was in charge of, of course. Bringing seeds to plant new forests, devouring the decayed ones too large to allow any new growth. Herding animals into the new land once things were established. The world about him was ever shifting as the slow march of centuries churned by.

There had once been a natural order, before his time. However unsteady magics constantly scarred the land around them. Forcing a more direct approach to nature’s battle. Ice giants kept full mountains frozen, or poles aligned. Earth giants managed the mineral content and mountain ranges of the soil. Water giants of all varieties had their own work cut out for them. All to be undone by a single spell surge.

Bear shook his head. Perhaps the Scamps were mutated by some surge. It wasn’t unheard of for animals to align with an elemental force to better survive. Though the little ones showed no preference to any magical line. He made a note of that in his mind. Perhaps it was an avenue to explore later. After tonight’s evening event.

He figured that if he was awake, he wouldn’t miss out on what ever Ricky was about to do next. So long as it was loud enough. Or maybe he’d hear any sort of intruder coming into his home. Or maybe he was just trying to put off the insomnia. Couldn’t lie awake in bed if you weren’t in your bed after all. Daft as it was.

The book was more for idle entertainment. Though he found himself skimming back and re-reading pages often. He wasn’t really paying it any attention. He just stared at the words and pretended to comprehend half of what he accidentally skimmed over until his eyes were too heavy to keep open. He dropped his head down and slept.

~

The next day started with rich smells, and the scraping of stone on stone. Richter shuddered at the noise. He rolled onto his back, and glared out the window. Officially, by his count, it was day one. There was something about having an entire wall be a window that made things uncomfortable. He shifted about until he could stand, and made his way to the door.

Nature’s call was his first concern, though he did intend to change clothing after a while. With a sigh, he entered the washroom, and allowed himself some semi-silent reflection. The room would probably be his only refuge when things were too overwhelming. So he hoped he had one of those owners who cleaned the enclosures regularly.

After washing his hands he took the stairs down for breakfast. The meal was probably his biggest surprise yet. Plant matter cooked along side a massive, yet carefully portioned amount of egg. The smell was a bit off, but he wasn’t exactly expecting a Jötun to keep chickens. A sort of hot pudding he’d been fed at the pet store was also portioned next to the meal.

Richter had thought himself more of a picky eater until then. At least as picky as one could be in the ruins of society. With a quick dash about the kitchen, he’d gathered himself a glass of water to go with his newfound bounty. Though he knew the hot pudding and was familiar with it’s contents, he tucked himself into the vegetable mixture first.

Fresh, vitamin rich vegetables. He’d only occasionally been able to collect such things before his capture. As for his time in quarantine and pet store, he’d only be so lucky. The only thing he knew aside from the other stuff on the table, he’d also eaten some kind of dry flakes or a sort of kibble. They tasted alright but everything paled in comparison to this.

Thick root vegetables offered a sweet flavour. As though someone had decided to cross a carrot with a yam. The deep green leaves he’d been served were bitter, but paired very well with the egg on his plate. Oh, the egg. He hadn’t had real protein since before his capture. The nostalgia that washed over him with every bite was so strong, he cared less and less about the strange aftertaste. He ignored the stuff he’d been fed at the shelter in favour of the fresh stuff.

Once he’d eaten his fill, he flopped onto his back and sighed. There was a wash of energy that made him feel more a man than ever. Probably the vitamins he was lacking. Which warred against his mindset. The monstrosity that looked over him was more accommodating than the harsh ruins of civilization. Or even the pet shop.

With a full belly, he was able to think more clearly. The first thing that came to mind was that the ceiling was painted with delicate little daisies. Two things could have been true with that realization. Either there were smaller people the jötun could ask or force to do it, or he did it himself. The mental image of the horrifically huge being fumbling to paint miniature flowers cracked him up. Even if his laughter was a soft hiss.

This was the foreseeable future. Food, shelter, and the constant presence of a being much larger than himself. Aside from living like a hamster, there wasn’t much to directly fear. The worst that could happen, did. Unless he was dropped in transit at some point, but that was something he could worry about later.

The only thing he could do was try and butter up the giant. He had no plans to be cuddly and sweet on the first day. His heart simply wouldn’t take it. Even if he was unlikely to be in any direct danger. Still, he could stay within view, maybe try to interact without contact. Like stand outside and talk to the big guy.

After all, if he could endear himself to his master, he could possibly be allowed to wander. Even if that meant being handled in the future. This would only lead to good things. An opened door of sorts for escape, or perhaps the ability to prove himself more than a mouse. All in all, he decided that no risk meant no reward. He chose to at least try. If he could just acclimate himself to the sheer size difference.

He was presented an opportunity when his master arrived to promptly clean up after his meal. He sat up, and did his level best to shake off his nerves. A groan escaped him as he worked himself to his feet. His hands clenched into anxious fists while the ‘dining table’ was dragged loudly from it’s slot.

Richter left the house on stiff legs. He stared at the shoulder of the overgrown being and shouted for attention. When none was given, he made himself louder. This time the giant heard him. He turned slowly to the human, and Richter jerked away. He waited with baited breath. This was either a great idea, or the worst one he’d ever had.

The giant turned to him, and leaned over the wall. Just man and jötun looking at one another. Richter bounced on his heels as he thought of any sort of words to say or actions to do. Anything to express himself and give some sort of positive reinforcement. At least being visible could be enough.

With a thunderous sigh, his master acted first. Slowly he lowered his hand into the enclosure. Closer and closer. Richter took a wary step back. Sure, he was looking to make first contact. Well, first willing. He wasn’t quite ready to make it literal contact however.

When the giant’s finger flicked outwards and moved slightly behind him the dam broke. The man bolted for the house, and fled up the stairs. His unsteady panic left him to trip and stumble every step of the way. Visible be damned, he wasn’t about to be picked up again.

He scrambled into the house, and tried to run for the restroom. The stairs proved a problem for his panicked steps. At one point his foot missed the second to middle stair, just slipping off the edge. He was sent sliding down. His chin smashed against every stair lip as he came down, and tumbled back out the door. He groaned miserably.

The world spun, and there were dots before his eyes. It was hardly the first time he’d fallen like that. However it was by far the third most painful. The worst part was the hot pain creeping from his chin to the whole of his skull. The ache that slowly crept down his neck and turned to a screaming headache.

Or perhaps it was the Giant’s laughter that was more painful. He was asked something but understanding anything was hopeless. He tried to orient himself by the time the giant’s palm became visible. Before he could react further, he fell under the shadow of a hand bigger than him. He was pinned beneath it. Crushed to the grass and caged around his limbs. The giant could only palm so much as his body, while leaving his legs dangling under the being’s wrist.

The world around him exploded into a soft, white glow. The sharp ache in his head subsided and the world came to sharp focus. When the light faded, he was met with the unwelcome view of the giant’s slotted fingers over his head. Following the pre-established pattern, Richter found the most vulnerable area, and bit.

He was certain the Jötun swore as he pulled his hand away. The speed of which almost dragged the stubborn human with him hanging from the skin between the finger and thumb. Once he freed himself, Richter scrambled for the house. He stayed in the middle area between the rooms and spat blood.

When there looked to be no further attempts to grab him, he stormed off to his room. There, in the dim light through the tinted glass, he dropped onto his pillow, and remained for a while. The Jötun continued to stare at him, despite the tinted wall. Like an invasive gnat in constant view. Albeit a very large one.

~

Bear could feel the panic in the little fellow rising. But in a misguided attempt to calm the little thing, he perhaps pushed him too far, too soon. As Ricky sped off for his den in clumsy steps. It would have been cute if he didn’t fall down the stairs. Bear winced at every bump.

Though he couldn’t help the soft exhale of humour when the little one fell right out the door he’d just dashed into. “Oof. You alright little guy?” That said he was concerned for the well being of his pet. He made a careful effort to watch the little fellow for any signs of injury.

Once he showed disorientation on standing, Bear realized he might not be alright. He placed his whole hand over the small being. Though he had to twist his wrist awkwardly to do so. In order to place his fingertips at the most apparent sight of damage. A few incantations and some push of his natural magics, and the little fellow was right as rain.

As he vehemently demonstrated by his hardest bite yet. “Son of a- Yeah. You’re fine. Shows me for helping you!” He spat. Bear shook his hand and glared down at the spirited little jerk. Who, in turn, glared right back.

Ricky scoffed, apparently deciding he’d won the altercation. He stormed off up the stairs. Slower than before. Though he paused to glower in the general direction of the stair he tripped on. Bear nursed his most recent bite and huffed.

He scratched into his journal. Healing spells were to administered WITH sleeping spells from now on. He shook his injured hand once again. Fortunately he learned they weren’t venomous. At least at his size. Bear leaned over the wall of the enclosure and huffed. They’d have to get to a handling point some time.

Of course these things took time. The little bastard was only adjusting. Still he had a confusing pattern. He’d called Bear, then decided he was afraid of him. They might not be at a petting point. The giant huffed and searched for the tin mug. Perhaps it was a lack of neutral zone. Or perhaps he acted too fast.

That was no comfort, however, to his aching hand. He shot the little creature a glare and returned to his writing. Of course the small being probably thought he was trying to eat him. Though he was only able to feed off of decaying plant matter himself. Ricky didn’t know that.

Maybe exposure therapy was the best option to acclimate the little guy to his hand. Perhaps with treats, and thick gloves. Very thick gloves. He wanted to know exactly how Ricky got to the point of biting that hard. Perhaps, though he was loath to think it, place a live prey item inside the enclosure. They were omnivorous after all.

Bear huffed. Daily weigh ins were going to be a hassle at this rate. It might be easier to weigh the food, but he’d like to keep an eye on his pet’s health. The scamp was doing the oddest thing and stalking around his enclosure for a while. Perhaps in a territorial display. Though he eventually settled in one place.

He could see Ricky sitting on his pillow in the nesting room. His eyes glued to the giant. Though the expression was unreadable. That could be due to the sheer size of himself but well, that was just the nature of being a giant.

Borderline insane thoughts swirled about his mind. Did he break some taboo? Did he act too interested in contact and scared the little fellow away? He sighed. “Wish you could just tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”

There was a series of squeaks, jabbers and yapping that he was sure was the little fellow communicating. He noted the words ‘very vocal’ in his book. He wondered, idly, just what the little beast was talking about that was so important.

[raindrenchedstories]

Friendly reminder that you should

Write that fic

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Redesign that blorbo

Plan that comic how you want

Create the content you want to see

Be cringe

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The only thing that matters is you having fun! Not what others think!

[raindrenchedstories]

If y'all ever wanted to know my process.

I write the bulk, get stumped, then go to certain spots and fill them out with more detail and fluff.

[raindrenchedstories]

Forever Home renovated Chapter 1

The city was cold, and quiet save for the crunching of boots on asphalt. With a bag slung over one shoulder, in addition to the backpack, a man trudged forwards. His dirty face was streaked with blazing patches of clear skin. One flood, one flood was all it took, and his future was gone.

Just one more misfortune in a line of many. He’d practically grown up in an apocalypse. The many scars that littered his body under his baggy shirt and pants were enough to indicate such. It used to be he travelled with other people. First his parents. Then a close friend and his family.

For a while, things looked up. He even had someone. He rubbed his face. He couldn’t think about her right now. Not so soon after. The river flooded. Now he was alone. He’d never been alone in his life. At least the rain let up for now. Though he was aware of the flashes of lightning in the distance.

The lone man struggled through a hole in a relatively stable building. It looked like it had been a grocery store. It was picked clean now, and only served as shelter for the evening. Just in time too, another thunder clap sounded from the deep, overcast skies above.

He wanted to eat, but his stomach wouldn’t allow it. Too upset to really chance anything more than water. Even then, he was scarce on that. With a huff, he settled behind what had been the counter of the store. There was an open space under the physical cash drawer. Something that had also been picked clean indicating looting during the early days.

It was that empty space he made his bed in. Bags tied to him, and curled around anything of value. He took a breath, and let his eyes shut. It had been a bad day. A very bad day. So when the ground started shaking, he knew he was in for more of the same.

Quietly, he listened closely to the sounds. It was either a jötun, or a very loud ogre. Both were terrible to encounter. They started arriving four years after the disaster. Right after the other things. Ogres, Jötuns, even actual dragons started tearing apart houses and kidnapping people. Worse yet, they were frighteningly effective at it.

He held perfectly still. Silent as a mouse. Yet even that wasn’t enough. The wall exploded inwards, and was pried apart with frightening precision. He collected his things, and bolted. The damn thing must have watched him enter the building.

He got as far as over the counter, before large fingers entangled around himself and his things. He struggled, kicked, and bit. Finally, he screamed. As loud as he could, at the top of his lungs. A warning to any potential survivor nearby. He counted himself as doomed when he was unceremoniously shoved in a sort of wooden crate.

It was only large enough for him to stand. His affects were squished snugly against his stomach and back. There was an acrid smell that lingered in the wood’s surface, soaked in. He continued screaming until the lid was shut, and his voice was muffled. He was alone, aside from the monstrosity that had captured him. And now they travelled in some direction he could hardly make out.

At least the box had air holes. He slammed his head into the wall, and screamed again. This time in rage. It would be the first of many boxes he’d occupied in the next three months.

~

It was done. His perfection. His magnum opus. He’d had a table custom made with a high wall, able to sustain a small garden, and still prevent escapes. One wall jutted forwards, with a series of compartments and framed off with glass. These were made up to look like a dwelling. Complete with water pump, and shallow basin for the equivalent size.

For an enclosure, this was pretty much the best he could make. It took up a large section of his kitchen. As that was where he spent the most time anyways. He’d positioned a chair near it, and charts to keep track of the little thing’s health. Under the enclosure’s main area was a water tank, that could be easily removed if need be. As well there were drawers for everything he might need.

Keeping a micro climate was second nature to him. Thus it only made sense he started something like this for a tiny pet. They took up only the space of a palm. Much like elves, or merfolk. Yet they made up for it in bold personalities, and a habit of terraforming and modifying their environment in ways neither of the previously mentioned species did.

Yet, they didn’t appear to speak any known language. If at all. They hardly had any defences for the monsters and beasts that were native to the area. Finally, their native environment looked to be destroyed. It was a given that the larger races had to intervene. Especially the elementals.

Most large folk kept them as pets. Although, they were apparently spirited, they were easy to care for and safer than elves. What confused the forest giant the most, was the lack of information available. No spells for animal speech were attempted, no effort given to understand. He decided to take on the task. Step one, was to actually get the subject of study.

The giant settled onto a chair, and wrote the date into the journal. [Leaving to pick up subject now. Looking for adult or sub-adult male.] With that, he threw his jacket on, and left the house. He trodded down the flagstone path, idly looking over the tops of his most mature trees. They hardly made it past his elbow, but they were still young. The forest before him was much more dense, and reached eye level.

Delicately, he picked his way through the thick woods, and arrived at a massive copper structure. Two spires crackled with magical energy, a permanent teleportation spell was carved into the flagstone between them. Any charge they picked up from thunderstorms, kept the magic fed.

He passed through them easily enough, and landed in the city of the colossus. The city smelled of sulphur, and was made of molten rock. It’s citizens sparked and crackled as they moved. Living fire made flesh. It was one of the few giant settlements. Most giants lived solitary lives, only meeting their neighbours once or twice a decade. Unless they were close friends. The city of Colossus was the only one that held shops, and businesses that specialized in giants.

Dragons often visited as well. Rarely did they purchase anything, but they sold plenty. Iron, and raw gemstones were a popular market from such creatures, and the treasure they were paid added to the hoards they grew. Two of which were arguing over who brought the finest of silks that day, and if it was worth selling or commissioning to be made into something.

The giant ignored them, as he entered a small store, labelled as a pet shop. When he entered, a young stone giant perked up. His marble like skin polished, and shined as he forced a fake smile, that fell to shock and awe as he spoke. “Welcome to Missy’s miraculous pets. How may I- I KNOW YOU!” He jabbed a finger at the forest giant. “William Heart!”

~

The man sighed. In the three months after his capture, he grew a rough beard that itched. His hair had matted and his muscular structure had weakened slightly. He’d gone from survival to existence. No longer did he strive to live and breath every day. He was fed regularly, and water was provided. He’d gone through a month of what he assumed was a quarantine period, and was brought to a large room. Everything provided free of charge.

Yet he was more isolated from the others. In quarantine he could see, speak to and even touch other people, albeit through wire bars. Then he was brought to this place. He could hear other people. If he shouted he could even speak to them. There wasn’t much to say though. Besides the occasional plan or theory shouted across the massive room.

They’d deduced that they were in some form of shop. Whether it was a pet shop or grocery store was up for debate. Though he personally leaned towards the idea of a pet shop. Grocery stores didn’t tend to separate the lobsters. The debate never went too far though. They’d lose their voices before long.

There were sounds of other animals as well. Strange shrieks, neighs and yowls. So many live animals was also not typical of grocery stores. The kicker would be if there was pet supplies as well. Which couldn’t be seen from their vantage point. They’d have to be able to see more of the store to really tell.

During one of the ‘screaming nights’ as he affectionately called them, a plan had been hatched to end the debate. Lead by his neighbour. A woman by the name of Mary-grace. She’d been brought in a day after him. In that time, she bit two of the workers. It had been her who proposed a plan to call out what was happening to the next person who sold.

The human community had mostly agreed that the next person to be sold would yell one word when being rung up. Pet, or food. Then as new people were brought in, the ones who remained would fill them in. This plan had been shouted from across the room late at night. Not everyone agreed, they reasoned ignorance was bliss. The others tried to convince the out-layers, but he decided it was their right.

At least if they were in a pet shop there wouldn’t be some horrific death after. Then again, it would also mean he was the equivalent of a hamster. He supposed he’d always wondered how a gerbil felt. With that in mind, he watched idly as a mother and daughter meandered around the store. At least he assumed they were mother and daughter. He was both horrified and mesmerized as blazing creatures shopped about.

They crackled like molten lava, cooled to dark, ashy colours. Fire only rose from them when excited. Their skin hissed softly as they moved. The child practically was aflame as she dashed ahead of her mother. He’d seen many of them, both when a free man, and now. Yet they never ceased to confuse him.

He was perplexed by the fact that their skin didn’t burn anything they touched. Even living creatures were safe in their grasp. Jötun came in so many kinds. From sheer ice, to solid stone, yet he felt most endangered by the flaming ones. Thus this pair made him the most nervous as they perused his side of the store.

He discovered he hated Jötun children during his time for sale. The constant faces pressed far too close, or the tapping on the glass was enough. Their shrill calling and presumed baby talking was more the reason. Thus he was highly uncomfortable that this blazing girl was scampering about. She was tapping on his glass now. He curled himself away, and took to sheltering behind a sort of privacy screen in front of a grate. Otherwise known as the bathroom.

He still kept his eye on her through a small peek hole in his privacy screen. The mother’s face entered the view of his enclosure. She commented something to the child, and received a shake of the head. He was confident they wouldn’t be picking him today. Instead, they looked at another cage, the child bounced on her feet and started to cheer. An employee sidled his way up to the duo. Someone had been selected.

His neighbour screamed beside him. He never saw her face but he knew she was a fireball herself. So of course it would be her that had to be selected. Wouldn’t it? He felt his heart pang with guilt. If he hadn’t hid, maybe she’d be there another day. Even if that meant he wouldn’t.

She cried out for help, but there wasn’t really anything he could do. So he just rested his head on the wall behind him. She was pried from her cage by a worker, and shoved in a box. The mother and daughter conversed lightly as they went. The child looked a little saddened by the screaming and crying from the crate in her hands. He hoped she knew the weight of what she’d done. Taken a whole person for herself.

Mary-grace was carted around a far off section of the store. She yelled from across the building as loud as she could. The man started to show himself more as the pair returned to the counter. They had objects but he couldn’t see what they were. Mary-grace was silent during the ring up. Then shouted as loud as her lungs could bring about. “PET! They’re Se-” She was cut off as she was taken out the door.

Pet. Well that explained things. He’d suspected it all along, but now he was vindicated. The noisy food tray that screeched with every drag, the water bottle that you had to press a bead in the middle to drink from. The isolation. Oh god the isolation. He could see other people but couldn’t touch or talk to. The crates he was transported in. The glass wall and wire back of his cage. Now he knew why.

He thought it would be a comfort to know. Instead there was a wash of unhampered emotion. There was rage, there was hurt, and terror. What was going to happen to him if he didn’t sell? What was going to happen if he did? He slammed his palm against Mary-grace’s wall. Then punched it for good measure. Every day he’d felt mocked, and humiliated. Every day some new, horrific face would peer in at him, or tap the glass. He gave himself time to breath, and circled the room slowly.

There was chaos outside his enclosure as everyone else dealt with the same feelings he was. He heard people screaming. Some arguments about whether or not it was better to know. It was all overwhelming and loud. He found a good comfortable corner, on his bedding, and curled up around himself. When the bell chimed again, everyone fell silent. Then the cashier yelled.

~

The giant let out a strained laugh. “Well, my friends call me Bear.” He deflected. Only one person really still called him William. With that, he held up his carrier. “I’m here to adopt.”

The cashier bounded from behind his counter and led the man to the different cages. Though he started at animals like horses and such. When Bear started for the little critters the young man followed along. “Oh! Are you interested in a speaking companion? We have elves.” Someone from the elf section cursed loudly.

“No, I’m more interested in these little fellows. What are we calling them now?” He crouched before the first enclosure he saw. A female was flattening herself against the back wall, and searching for an escape. He grimaced.

“Oh, well we’ve been calling them Scamps. Though that’s more of a nickname. See someone you like?” The young man was eager to please, staring at Bear with adoration. The older giant stood, and paced slowly.

“Not yet, but I do have something in mind. I’m looking for a male. Preferably one who’s used to the goings on around here and know where food and water come from. Who’s been here the longest?” He stared around the room. There were no enclosures near the ground, everything had to be at eye level. The younger man slapped his hands together and lead Bear to a single enclosure.

“Easily this fellow. He tends to hide or frighten easily. He was found in a little nest. Took the whole thing with him. He’s not a big fan of loud noises, and hides any time he sees children. Well, he hides whenever he’s unhappy. Which is often.” The teller sighed. “So he’s been here for two months. He’s the last of his batch.”

The scene melted Bear’s heart. The scamp was curled in around himself, and refusing to make eye contact. He sat atop a nest made of old, ratty material. He’d sported a small beard and shaggy hair of a light brown colour. He’d probably require grooming, but for now, he just had to get out of that store. “Yep. He’s the one. How much?”

The cashier scooted off to start the process of ringing him up. This left Bear with his hand on the glass. The little fellow noticed him, and lurched back. “I guess you’re coming home with me little guy. What should we call you?”

~

The large, hairy face outside his enclosure was an unwelcome sight. Though the creature’s eyes crinkled with a warm smile, the black hair and beard almost drowned out anything else. There were flecks of green crawling up the creatures cheeks and temples like vines.

Something wasn’t right. This new intruder wasn’t looking around at everyone else. He wasn’t going back and forth. He wasn’t moving on. The man’s stomach dropped. The cashier had returned, and reached for the latch on the front of his cage. It had been locked, but he knew they could open from the front.

The one staring at him had a crate in hand. The human made a very clear decision that he was not going in that box. He bolted as soon as the first hand reached for him. He didn’t have much leeway to run, but he was going to deliberately make himself a problem.

As the clerk reached in again, he made a break for it. He skidded under the second attempt at a grab, and bolted from another hand coming for him. The clerk was using both hands to coral him, which he could easily slide under. His ‘wild’ days had given him plenty of practice ducking under and out of danger

The only thing he didn’t count on, was the water pipe. His head collided with it, and he was sure the sound it made was audible for even the jötun. He expected to hit the floor. Instead something warm, and broad lay beneath him. It didn’t take a genius to figure he’d fallen into one of their hands. He rolled to his stomach and bit down into the flesh below him.

He shook his head violently and tried to dislodge a chunk of the offending hand. He was satisfied when he started to taste iron. Until the fingers around him calmly closed, and pinned his upper half. Still grinding his teeth into the wound, he switched tactics and began flailing his legs. This was utterly useless as he was swooped upwards. Three months since his first capture, and the feeling of being lifted into the air was still disorienting.

It wasn’t the first time something picked him up like this. Though normally they’d restrain his whole body. He made an effort to keep his legs free, and forsook his plan to bite off a piece of his offender. He was starting to be lowered, he could feel it. His feet shot out either direction and wedged him outside the door way of the container.

Calmly, he was lifted again. He tried to re-wedge himself, only to have his legs gently swung counter clockwise. He couldn’t find the foothold afterwards. Despite his best efforts, he was in the box. He stamped about and screamed at the giant, kicking his container. When the hand returned, all his bravery dropped, and he slammed himself against the nearest corner, in the most troublesome place he could manage. His bedding was dropped inside with him. Including his backpack and from the day of his capture. He’d managed to keep that, at least.

The lid was closed, and he was carried around the store. There were shouts behind him, that he largely ignored. Instead, he turned about, and examined his surroundings. Desperately he tried to confirm or dispute Mary-grace’s opinion. First he had to figure out his transport. The walls were thin stone, polished and smooth. Air holes lined two sides, and if he put effort in, he could climb them.

There wasn’t much light, except for what was outside of the air holes. So he made use of what he had, and worked his way to look outside. From there, he could see where they were going. The rest of the ‘pet’ section of the store was filled with strange assortments of animals.

For one thing, there was a pen of horses in a set up more suited for guinea pigs. A large hut in the back of the enclosure made for a stable, and the animals more or less meandered about unbothered. Long desensitized to the massive creatures around them. He tried to make out patterns but saw nothing more than strange stripes on one.

Another cage, from his view, acted more like a fish tank. Much to his wonder and amazement, there were mermaids in there. Real, actual mermaids. They swam in circles and followed the giant as he walked. Unlike a fish tank, it was supplied with a large platform for his aquatic counterparts to climb up on.

Finally, he spotted a cage with an actual gryphon in it. From his section, the creatures were so far away. He could hear the other animals of course, but never actually saw them. He also caught sight of another kind of person in those separate cages. Slender, and pointed were the two words that came to mind. They glared at the Jötun as he passed them by.

Once all was said and done, he saw the other section of the store. Tools, water dishes, toys and strangely enough clothing were all hung on neat little racks. Things no future meal would be provided with from a grocer. His apparent master started sifting through some of the items. The man on the other hand, still had a duty to perform. While his master took his sweet time, he breathed in.

His voice was unpractised and hardly used outside of cursing out his caretakers or communicating with his fellows. Yet it still did the job. “I CAN CONFIRM! WE ARE BEING SOLD AS PETS. I REPEAT, PETS. WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES EITHER!” The creature buying him jerked at his sudden shouting. He gave a short nod, and let himself drop. Once the others started calling out that they’d heard him, he knew he had to rest.

Somehow, he doubted his troubles were going to end soon. It was best to take what respite he could get. He heard the cash register. Heard the sound of the door opening and closing. He even cued in to the sound of his new owner’s footsteps crunching on the road. The air wasn’t as fresh as he’d hoped. More like rotten eggs than fresh trees and flowers.

He tried to doze off when he heard Mary-grace yelling again. He sat up and listened to her words. He caught the tail end of another tyrade. “-Throw you in every pit of hell I can find!” Well at least she wasn’t taking such indignity lying down.

“Mary!” He shouted. His owner jerked again. He took no heed of it, and simply watched out the air holes of his carrier. He could see her arm sticking out of the box she’d been shoved in. The giants were standing so close to one another now. He could almost see her. They didn’t even have to yell so loud now.

“Richter?!” It occurred to him he’d hardly heard his own name in a while. A giddy laugh bubbled up from him as he tried to stick his arm out to wave. The air holes weren’t quite large enough. She on the other hand waved vigorously. “What the hell? When did you get sold off?”

“Right after you. Look. I don’t know if we’ll ever talk again after this. So thanks for being a good neighbour while you were one. And thanks for clearing up the store’s concerns.” He had to leave her with something positive. Something good to remember. Though he was worried for her safety.

She was silent a moment. Then she spoke again. “Don’t freaking give up alright? We’re not dead. And we’re not dying. So don’t give up!” He let that hit. The Jötun mother and his master shared a laugh, and just like that, they were separated again.

Richter sat back in his carrier, and sighed. Last words were never easy. He’d said plenty more than he should have in his life time. He slid to the floor, and rolled onto his side. Whatever happened, happened. She told him not to give up. He wanted to believe that was an option. Yet the concept of giving up was loose at best. What would giving up even look like?

Would it be better to fight with every last breath, and risk angering his master? Or would it be better to be sweet until he could find a moment to escape? Was escape even a viable option? The thoughts were too heavy, he let them exhaust him to sleep.

~

Bear sat down at his kitchen table. He brought the journal with him, and opened the lid of the box. His little fellow was curled up asleep. None the wiser to the peering gaze above him. He sighed and began sketching. He took in the matted hair, and rough beard. He’d probably need to provide the little fellow with a bath at some point. For now, he’d take him to the sink. After a wash and a change, he’d probably feel pretty good. But that was a problem for another time. For now, it was probably best to put in the small comforts.

With a sigh, Bear began placing the last bits and bobs in the large enclosure. He slid open the top pane of glass in what was meant to be a sleeping chamber. With love and care, he painted the back wall with stars. Hand sewn the pillow that made up the flooring, and added some feather pillows for the sake of it. He set the clothing there, and closed the tinted glass.

The next part was recreation. He placed those in the room at the bottom floor. He’d arranged it so the feeding zone was under the sleeping area. The recreation zone was across the hall from there, and the bathroom area was across from the feeding area. He’d have liked to have it away from both rooms, but the small ones didn’t care for their waste to be near their food.

Next on the docket, was removing the little thing from his carrier. With the scars of the recent struggle still pink on Bear’s hand, he chose a much safer approach. He gripped a soft towel, and stuck his hand in the carrier. The creature woke with an alarmed scream.

As it turned out, he could still bite through the towel. Hard too. Bear let off a long suffering sigh. He worked with many a small animal. This was nothing new. With one hand, he lowered a glass bowl to the water pump. He had to set the little fellow down while he used both hands to draw water into the bowl.

In that time, the little rat made a dash for it. Bear watched him idly. There wasn’t really any place to go. When the little one saw the edge of the counter, he backed away and broke for another place. Once again, he was stopped. This time by the daunting sight of the breadbox.

Bear took that time to warm the water slightly with a sealed spell. A magical marvel in his opinion. Some just carved the spell on a stone, and it was there for later. Like an enchanted sword, only for utility purposes. Soon the water was a comfortable temperature. Much safer than heating it on the stove.

He took the hot spell, contained in a ball of crystal and placed it in a safe container. “Well. You’re going to bite me bloody again. We both know it.” He looked at the little creature, who was only now looking at the bowl. He glared at the giant, and backed away slowly. There was hardly enough water to cover the whole creature. He had to know he wasn’t at risk of drowning.

So when Bear set out the towel and soap, he was less than surprised to see the little thing trying to escape. Again. “I suppose you’ve had a bath before then.” He plucked the creature up by his shirt, and received a series of angry snarls and yaps. “Sure doesn’t look like it though.”

Now, how was he going to work around the clothing? Should he even try? Elves hated being bathed, it was considered more humane to allow them to do the work themselves. They were also speaking creatures though. Something Bear could never keep. That was an actual person just being dragged into the house. Despite their crimes, it felt unfair.

That was a matter he had no interest in thinking about though. The little fellow struggled out of his shirt while Bear was distracted, and landed himself in the bowl quite by accident. It was a wonder he wasn’t injured. Though Bear picked him up to be sure. The creature lay limply in his hand, with a glare. In a very person like way, he through his hands up.

The bath went rather simple after that. The little thing hardly fought, though he did keep biting at Bear’s hands every time he got too close. It was decided that an actual bathing setup was needed for the little fellow. They were reportedly clean creatures, so if provided with tools, he’d probably just wash himself. Bear made a point to note that in his journal.

With a spare set of clothing set down, Bear started to search for a cup. He found an old tin mug and it would have to do. He was tired of being bit for his efforts. Some things needed time. He thought of the little fellow like a wild grizzley, only smaller.

Thus the best solution wasn’t to brute force affection on his pet. Instead, he offered the mug down by the bath. There was no hesitation when the little beast crawled in. Apparently eager to be out of the water.

“I’m still going to have to dry you. You do realize this right?” The creature popped it’s head out of the mug as he was lifted to the table. There was a sense of cuteness somewhere in there. Curiosity was clear in the beady little eyes. Though it quickly turned to hate and rage as Bear lifted the towel.

He screamed bloody, indignant murder as he was towelled off. In this time, whilst ignoring the multiple bites and punches to his fingers, Bear thought of a name. “Skippy? No. Nibbles? More like Chomper.” He pondered these things, and once the pet was thoroughly dry, he let him be with the fresh clothes.

“Maybe we should call you Spirit. You’ve sure got a lot of it.” He glanced at the ruffled creature on his counter top. Now he wished it did speak. Possibly a spell of beast speech, but that would require touching him again. Something that was clearly stressful.

There was a bark from the counter. The little beast was dressed, and irrate. “Right. Ready to go to your house?” He smiled, yet the little thing still glared at him. Still, he begrudgingly climbed into the mug once it was offered. The fact that his new pet comfortably sat at the bottom was honestly adorable. Bear took him slowly to his new home.

~

A bath. An actual bath. He hadn’t had one since before his capture. Unless you counted nearly drowning in a river. His dignity might have been stripped, along with his clothing, but he was clean. His hair was still matted, and his beard still itched, but he was washed. If he could get to his backpack, he’d had a razor in there that could take care of the rest.

Had he pulled it any time before, when he was in quarantine or the store, there was a good chance he’d have lost it. Not that it was more than a shaving razor. He had to chuckle at himself, travelling in a tin mug had to be one of the strangest experiences he’d had. Though he had to fold his legs to fit, he was at least able to sit somewhat comfortably. He dared not stand up and look over the edge again. The earlier view had been terrifying.

It was still a little strange, but far better than being in someone’s hand. He’d take it. The debate in his mind of how to act from here on out still warred. Fleeing the situation wasn’t really an option from so high up. Perhaps if he was stuffed in a hamster ball. However, if this man was willing to carry him in a teacup to avoid being bit, he probably wasn’t going to be handled any time soon.

Richter found himself swooping low as his new master set him on a grassy field. He didn’t dare to hope that freedom was at the end of this ride, but the idea of walking on grass was pleasant enough. Maybe things were looking up. He crawled out of the teacup on all fours until his hands touched grass. Then, he stepped out into the high walls of his newest enclosure.

From his perspective, it was a dollhouse on a table. A table that happened to be planted with berry bushes, and grass. There were high walls, and a tree across from the house. There was a small tamped down section that made for a path. It looped about and returned to the house section. If it could be called that.

The building was mostly made of glass on one wall. With four square rooms at the top and bottom. Each had a small divot in the middle. Those were probably able to be moved in some way, like a door. The bottom half of the enclosure was clear. The top left room was tinted purple. Only one wall was completely opaque and couldn’t be seen through. He could guess the nature of that room.

Richter sighed. His suspicions about the access hatches were confirmed when the top of one wall was pulled neatly to the side, and his bedding was placed within. That must have been his bedroom then. Meanwhile his master babbled. On and on he continued until something finally clicked. He’d make a suggestion, and reject it. He was naming Richter.

Richter scoffed. He’d have to figure out his position on the big guy quickly. Was he even alright with being renamed? He needed time to think. Time he just wasn’t getting. With a huff, he made his way to the house. He supposed it wasn’t really worth trying to fight for a name he couldn’t even articulate to the monstrosity.

He chose not to worry about that just then. If he had to answer to a different name, so be it. So long as it wasn’t something too demeaning. Too... Demeaning. His mind started to slow down. Was this his new life? The giant started to repeat one word. He listened idly to what would probably be his name from now on.

“Sahndey.” The giant spoke it proudly. Richter rolled the name over in his mind. Sah-day? San-day? No, that sounded off from what the giant was saying. Sandy? Was he really thinking of naming Richter SANDY? He scoffed. “My hair’s brown, not blonde.” He stormed out the door.

Was he going to be a pet? Fine. Was he going to like it? To be determined. Was he going to put up with a name like ‘Sandy’? Hell no. He had a name. A good one. Given to him by a good man. Sandy was what you called a golden retriever. He threw his hands up and shouted for the jötun’s attention.

The giant eyed him brightly. He jabbed a thumb to his chest. “RICHTER.” He announced at the top of his lungs. If this big bastard couldn’t understand, he’d be made to. Richter determined he’d disobey every order given to ‘Sandy’. Any trick or even call for attention. He was not going to be renamed.

His master tilted his head. “Sah-”

“No. RICHTER.” He barked back. He enunciated every letter of his name clearly. He wasn’t going to take this. Whatever happened after this, would happen. He was plucked up from his old life, dragged into a pet shop, bought, stripped naked and dunked in a bath. Though admittedly he probably would have had a much gentler introduction to the water if he didn’t struggle as much.

Even still. He lost his home. He lost his family. He lost his friends and the love of his life. He lost his freedom, and his dignity. He’d be god damned if he lost his identity as well. This one thing. He desperately wanted to keep at least this one little thing.

“Sahn...Rick?” There was a genuine attempt to understand. Confusion, and concentration creased the corners of his captor’s eyes.

“Rick-Tur.” Richter spoke slower. Clearer. The jötun leaned in closer. He watched every syllable.

“Richter?” The human threw his hands up and cheered. He just about danced on the spot. The giant leaned back in his chair, with a smile of his own. “Richter.”

His victory was clear. That, at least wouldn’t change. If the big fellow was willing to learn his name, then there was a chance this situation would be tolerable. There was a possibility of at least comfort, if not escape. “Ricky!” His master boomed in delight.

Richter let his shoulders slump. It was probably too much to ask that the stupid brute got it right away. The dumb bastard probably thought he was just making a fun noise. Something that made for a cute name. He’d have to take it in stride. Ricky worked for now. It could at least be considered a nickname. He’d yet to decide what he wanted to do, but it looked as though his relationship with his new master would be acceptable.

Though the human hardly expected to be surrounded by a large hand. He was cut off from his shelter. Was he going to be grabbed again? Picked up? Did he do something wrong? It didn’t track with the behaviour but neither did the sudden hand in his face.

Richter’s fight or flight instinct kicked in, and chose freeze. His body locked up against his will. The giant withdrew as though he’d been burned. The giant said something, he sounded panicked but honestly the human couldn’t comprehend it. Once his legs started moving again he bolted for the door, and fled up the stairs.

He locked himself in the bathroom, gasping for air. Scratch that acceptable comment. Tolerable, maybe. Perhaps that was an absent minded grab, or something else. There was still quite a lot to sort through. His master was already talking softly outside the shelter. And wasn’t that just the peaches on the cream? He had a ‘master’.

His hopes, dreams, and opportunities were stolen from him the moment he was captured and sold with him. There had been a physical, monetary price on his life. Someone actually paid that price other people put on him. Just took him home like a hamster. Adding to the indignity of it all, he was trying to be fine with it.

Richter dropped and let himself finally break. He had privacy for this at least. He took several deep breaths, and couldn’t hold himself together any longer. He screamed. He pulled at his own hair and let himself fall against the door he’d just locked.

His greatest victory in those past months, even before he was captured, was that he sort of got to keep his own name. Lucky him right? At least he got to keep that. At least he got to have some connection to a life that was always messed up by other forces. He folded in on himself and started to heave deep, near sobs. He had to calm himself before he did something stupid or made himself physically ill.

He took a breath, and slowly considered his situation. He had a shaving kit. It would be nice to feel more like himself. Reclaim that, at least. His master heard him screaming and banging about. He should probably show his face, before he caused concern. A shave, then a tour of the house. He could do those things, and settle himself in the process.

[raindrenchedstories]

The renovation has begun

Ao3 Link

Forever Home Archive!

I just realized that as this story updates, It may get hard to find. (Another reason why it’s going on Wattpad)

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11 12 13 14{pending}

RESCUE HOME

1 2  3{pending}

CHAT ROOM

FH Chat 

[raindrenchedstories]

Some notes on "Once upon a flower"

I'm using this work to get back into writing. Specifically building on these things.

Working on more regular uploads.

Returning to g/t writing.

Building on these two specific characters though more focused on the male lead.

Rebuilding my relationship with writing.

I have no idea how many chapters this is going to have. But I'm having fun writing again.

[raindrenchedstories]

New giant/tiny story just dropped.

Not the Foreverhome gang this time, but still a fun pair.

[raindrenchedstories]

Moving some of the stories here to Ao3

I'm not taking them down, but compiling them there.

Here's the link if you need it.

[raindrenchedstories]

For anyone wondering what bear actually looks like.

[raindrenchedstories]

Dumb thing that definitely happens in relationships

Her: "Your hair smells so nice tonight!"

Him: (Don't fart, Don't fart, Don't fart, Don't fart, DON'T FART!!)

[raindrenchedstories]

[raindrenchedstories]

Finicky work

A novice seamstress employs the help of her local tiny friend. Just a little scene that popped into my head last night.

That damn knot was driving her nuts. She tried to tie it tightly and it kept coming loose. The tips of her fingers were sore from either pricking them with a needle, or holding the thread too tightly. She grit her teeth and tried one more time before she threw her work to the ground cursing.

She was vaguely aware, from the chortling somewhere on her dresser that her little garden friend had returned. The tiny woman propped a knee up, and hugged her arms around it. "I never thought someone so big could actually struggle with anything." She commented dryly.

The tiny woman fluttered her dragonfly like wings, enjoying the warmth of the human household for a moment. She let herself fall off the furniture and buzzed gently to her humans work.

"Well, I'm glad someone is learning from this experience." The human scooped both her sewing and her friend into her hand. "But really this is getting to be very irritating."

The garden fairy glanced between human and fabric before she leaned down, and simply tied the knot for her. "There! Done. Now, you keep going and if you find any tricky parts, you've got me."