you put a dime in the water [c]

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Beneath a veneer of bright early-morning sunshine, the giantess known as Clarity scoured the streets of Takigakure - which is to say, she strolled about them with the languor of a centuries-old being, - her naked left hand lifted superfluously to her brow beneath her broad-brimmed sunhat, all the better to peer down this alley and that.

In place of her usual, sunny mien, Clarity was possessed by a pouting concern, which street-goers made the way for, observing the woman's unusual, exaggerated lookout poses as though she were a particularly intimidating performance artist. The ivory tower seemed not to notice this quizzical regard, even as the minutes dragged into hours.

Eventually, at the peak of a flight of stairs leading out of a (strangely vacant) fountain-ornamented plaza, Clarity bunched her empty fist and shoved it towards the rosy tiles, her moue look becoming more emphatic as she let out a comically exasperated grunt.

"Where is she?" the woman wondered aloud, becoming pensive immediately afterwards, twirling her long wooden staff over-ends a couple of times in meditation before stamping its base to the floor and clucking her tongue.

After she had initially hit it off with her carefully-selected, already-cherished protege, the young tealette had promptly decided to vanish - and not in the, 'haha, I got free food out of you lady, seeya later' kind of way, but moreso in the, 'I'll see you again! only I've gone missing and something seems fishy' fashion. Clarity's fledgling network of contacts within the village had dredged up sweet FA, leaving the woman to comb the roads manually; as yet she had found no trace of the young woman.

Of course, it seemed a superficial attempt, and in a sense it was - but Clarity had found that destiny tended to favor her. It was some mythological figure or other who had once said: "Ask and it will be given to you."

Well? Clarity had asked!

j

[j]

I HEARD HE GOT THAT HOT NEW THING
IT'S CALLED SWITCH

Chiyo wandered absently through the streets of Takigakure. Several times this morning she'd successfully resisted the urge to assault suspecting villagers who wondered who this unfamiliar young woman could be. While it is true that recently Chiyo had undergone a transformation of sorts, she was unfortunately unaware of this crucial piece of information.

Chiyo tottered to and fro, enduring heinous hunger pangs, as a stomach is wont to do after not ingesting nourishment for several days. Currently Chiyo was severely famished. She'd not had food or drink since she could remember, which was not an abundant amount of time.

"Ehm.. Excuse me?"

Chiyo addressed a nearby stranger. Instead of responding accordingly, the fellow simply grimaced and backed away. As Chiyo grew closer, an expression of disgust warped into an air of terror. Chiyo's iris' burned red as her impatience grew.

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CODED BY REM OF WW

[clear]

It was not long before Clarity huffily set off again, clattering down the plaza steps and down into the street. A male was progressing in the opposite direction. The giantess attempted to hail him, but he ignored her, darting off quickly with an anxious expression. The ivory tower wondered at his condition, but quickly spotted a black-haired girl further up, who could easily act as a replacement.

Approaching slightly leaned over and with a palm to her hat-clad crown, Clarity paused before the girl, apparently failing to notice her visible state of frustrated enervation.

"Excuse me, my dear!" Clarity inquired with a sense of urgency, stopping right in the middle of the street. "You wouldn't have happened to see a girl around here, would you? Teal of hair, about yay high, says "Oi" a lot. Her name is Chiyo. I'm her friend, and I'm deathly worried about her."

j

[j]

OOH GIRL YO' BREATH IS HARSH
COVER YO' MOUF' UP LIKE YOU GOT SARS

Contrary to Chiyo's intent, which was to act cordial, the fellow departed in haste. Unfortunately for Chiyo and her frightening grin, it seemed as though aid wouldn't be arriving in any near future. She wandered aimlessly, wondering if perhaps there might exist an ache worse than the one present in her midsection. Probably not. She'd contemplated flattening the block several times, and picking through the rubble for edible scraps, but that'd definitely bring more trouble than benefit; so she quickly considered other options.

But just then a person approached. An astonishingly slender blur, brought to Chiyo's attention by how pale the advancing shape managed to be. Her head shape was accentuated by a larger thing at the top of the head. The woman spoke of something among many other things that began to sound like one elongated note. It was a strange conversation in which Chiyo nodded a few times, squinting in order to perhaps perceive the individual slightly better. Naturally, this failed tremendously and promptly resigned to watching the pallid blob speak.

But just as the resonance gathered Chiyo's interest, it ended. A rather disappointed Chiyo straightened to her full height, which was still not nearly as tall as the woman standing before her, and opened her eyes wide, allowing the red hue to gleam slightly towards where the person's blurry face might be and spoke quite politely,

"I'm sorry sir but it seems I'm suffering from a mild case of malnutrition. Could you repeat that?"

Her tone was gentle. Her smile was as genuine as she could muster. Her eyes closed as though she were speaking to a lost child. Clearly she was now in a delusional state. The fact that she didn't respond with violence is probably a miracle. Or perhaps a change of personality?

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CODED BY REM OF WW

[clear]

The girl to whom Clarity spoke seemed somewhat delirious, which really was an unfortunate obstruction to the ivory tower's present goals. Her hazy manner, which was somewhat reminiscent of an uncomprehending beast, complete with crimson eyes that smouldered with a certain ferocity, did not seem to intimidate the silverette, who remained leaning in, intent and oblivious.

After a vague pause, the blackette cordial responded, a little faintly but with admirable effort: "I'm sorry sir but it seems I'm suffering from a mild case of malnutrition. Could you repeat that?"

Apparently unfazed as being referred to as a man, the giantess nodded in brisk understanding. "Of course! I'll start from the top: My name is Clarity, and I'm looking for a young woman. A little shorter than yourself, -" quite a lot shorter, actually, but the Jotunn, being as she was, could perhaps be forgiven for failing to appreciate the relative distinction, "- with blue hair, about as long as yours. Her name is Chiyo. She went missing somewhere around here, and I've become quite concerned as to her wellbeing. If you have seen or heard anything, I would be very grateful to know."

In a somewhat ambiguous way of her own, still with a palm to her crown, the white woman smiled.

j

[j]

OOH GIRL YO' BREATH IS HARSH
COVER YO' MOUF' UP LIKE YOU GOT SARS

The unperturbed woman standing before Chiyo continued her speaking ceaselessly. Apparently oblivious to Chiyo's fading consciousness, she spoke. She was also, more obviously, unaware of the fact that the source of her worry stood before her currently. Chiyo couldn't help but maintain her smile and dip her head in understanding as the woman conversed unabated.

But after what seemed like another agonizing eternity, the woman finished. Chiyo glanced upward once again, and through heavily squinted eyes Chiyo discerned a kind smile. A familiar smile. Who...? As it so happened, a meal blinked through Chiyo's memories, along with a pleasant conversation. One that she surprisingly enjoyed. But then she remembered a large white hat. A white hat that eerily resembled the white blurry shape on top of this person's head.

!!!!!

IT WAS CLAIRE! The lady who'd ushered Chiyo into a direction she could be proud of. The sort of woman that had ambitions Chiyo would be happy to participate in. Without thinking, Chiyo reached out and hugged Claire intensely. Joyous tears dripped from Chiyo's bloodshot eyes and down her cheeks onto the woman's bosom. Between brief bouts of sniffling, Chiyo managed to groan a response.

"Foooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooddddd"

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CODED BY REM OF WW

[clear]

Claire waited patiently for a response, the light of expectation never leaving her wide eyes. Thus far she had remained oblivious to the young woman's plight, but some semblance of recognition seemed to arrive when the blackette's lips trembled and water began to well at the corners of her eyes.

Blinking rapidly, the giantess' features curled in concern, her mouth coming open a little. Alarmingly, the stranger flung herself forwards at Claire, who stood up immediately. The blackette gripped her like she might blow away otherwise, willingly smothering herself in her chest.

Clarity was at first quite unsure how to respond, if only because a vague idea was forming in her mind, clouding her thoughts as it aggregated. The girl began to sniffle and moan without any concern for dignity; the Jotunn thought she could feel the moisture of the bedraggled blackette's tears seeping through her dress. She let out a low, gravelly howl that was somehow familiar.

"Foooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooddddd!"

At once, the silverette knew. Not because it was easy to know, or because the evidence was indubitable, but because amid circumstantial indicators, she felt some cosmic connection reaffirm itself. Sighing in utmost relief, she wrapped her arms around Chiyo and shut her eyes briefly.

Some might have called them strangers, but it was not so.

"Oh dear, my dear, what have they done?" she cooed, shaking her head. She had grown by a foot, her hair had inked black and her skin had bleached almost as pale as the marble woman herself, but there was no mistaking her. Exactly how she had arrived at this state was a disquieting imagination, but for now it did not matter.

Pulling her away at the shoulder, Clarity treated the young Kamyuja with another kind smile.

"It's well past breakfast, don't you know," she reprimanded with gentle humor. "Let's find you all that you can eat, Chiyo, darling."

j