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The sun was setting, and night soon replaced the twilight seen through the gaps in the skyscrapers, in a sea of black, bright twinkling stars dotting the sky high above the city. A number of people were heading on their way home from work - tired and eager to call it a day.
One such person was locking up shop at a radio store, after yet another slow down; they looked to be in their late twenties. Semi-short brown hair with a somewhat old baseball cap sitting on top of their head. They had stuck the back of their hair through the open spot of the hat, letting it hang in a loose ponytail behind her. She had on a basic black work store shirt, with the shopâs logo of a Boombox on her back, and a smaller one somewhat center near where her heart would be.
A classic baseball jersey hung over it sporting the local cities baseball team, The Seagulls, partly buttoned up as to let others know she was off the clock. A simple pair of brown work pants and black shoes finished off her look, as the young woman finished closing the gates.
Reaching down for a backpack nearby with a baseball bat partly sticking out of it, the young woman turned towards a nearby bike rack that had her simple baby blue bike chained up to it. It took a few seconds, with a forced jiggle of her key within the lock, and soon it was freed once more for her to hop on top of it. Ensuring the back pack she had slung over her back was secured, the young woman prepared to head off homeâ
âHey Alex, need a ride home?â
Pausing, the young woman turned her bright light brown eyes towards the person speaking. An older, somewhat burly man was seated within a pick up truck. With the car looking as if it was in need of a fresh paint job, not to mention a tune up judging by the sounds of the engine. A fellow coworker who had gotten off shortly before she did.
âNah, Iâm good Mike! Need to pick up some milk before the store closes.â She replied, making sure everything was in order, as she got ready to leave.
âYou sure? Itâs not a big deal, I can go by the store with you before heading home.â Mike said, leaning out the window somewhat, seeming unsure for a moment. Alex couldnât help herself, pedaling the very short distance from the bike rake to the side of Mikeâs car - a grin on her features. One hand pressed against the roof of the car, the other rubbing at her chin as if thinking to herself; causing the man within to frown at her.
âWe thinkiiiing. . .your place or mine? The olâ ball and chain gone off to have a night off with the pool boy again?â Alex questioned in a false deep voice, at once greeted with a snort from Mike.
âPlease, she -wishes- we could afford a pool boy. Hell, itâd be nice to -own- a pool. Heard weâre having a heatwave next week.â The two had known each other for a few years now, with Alex being not just a coworker, but a friend as well to Mike and his wife. Despite having roughly a several year gap between each other, the two often found themselves getting along when off the clock.
The two of them dabbled in some small talk for a short moment, a few laughs shared, before Mike looked at her in a somewhat serious manner.
âSeriously though, could give you a lift and just stick your bike in the back.â He offered again, with Alex merely giving the roof of the truck a few solid thunks; earning a glare from Mike with each one.
âNaaah, Iâll be fine. Relax! Iâm sure you can coax another young, beautiful woman, not as beautiful as me mind youââ One could swear Mike was able to see inside his head, given how far his eyes rolled upward at her comments. â--but Iâm good!â She knew he meant well, given how often they had to listen to the radio inside their workshop - as over the last week there had been a string of people vanishing. Eight in all. However, they were located on the other side of the city they lived in, which caused Alex not to even sweat it.
âAnyways, head on home, tell your wife I love her very much, and I hope you dream of us together! Your wife and I~â Alex said with a taunting grin, only earning a roar of the engine from Mikeâs truck - as Alex pushed away from it with a slight grin. . .only for it to turn upside down at Mikeâs last comment.
âYeaaah ok, but when I do, Iâll dream of something A LIâL THINNER~â
With that, the older man made a quick getaway. With a roar of his engine and tires screeching. . .leaving in its wake a young woman giving the man a rude gesture at his departure. A few honks of his horn were heard, before joining the rest of the cars in the late afternoon traffic.
â. . .I bet he ate glue when he was young.â Alex said to herself, before she turned to start biking towards the store; band-aid now applied to her slightly wounded ego. She knew she wasnât really overweight, the biking and morning jogs helped to ensure that.
As the young woman biked throughout the city, more and more lights started to spring to life. Bright billboards on display, most of them seeming to note an upcoming festival. The bustling city was known as Everlight, a nickname many thought was due in part to how many lights seem to dot the city. The upcoming festival seemed to be the cause for the three day weekend, given how many ads were playing for it; with the faces of two women appearing on screen more often than not. . .
The first on display was a strong looking woman, somewhat built and with a wolfish grin seen on her lips. Piercing orange eyes, that brimmed with a fierce light akin to the sun staring out at Alex from every billboard and ad about her. She had rather tan skin, and jet black hair; with some side bangs hanging about the side of her face, with a ponytail seen on the back of her head, but more tightly kept with a few strands hanging loose from it; with a beauty mark seen slightly below her lower right mouth.
In some ads, she was sporting an attire akin to that of a black smith minus any gloves. In others she wore fancy suits, ties and all. The tanned skinned woman was often seen doing some sort of labor, working out, and other such things that seem to require what Alex called âgetting it doneâ energy.
However, the thing that truly set her apart in most ads. . .was her size.
There was a video of her helping some construction workers with a skyscraper. . .while being the same size as the building. Others had her digging a large hole with her bare fingers, the other clutching an entire tree within her grasp with ease. Sheâd plant the tree before pushing dirt up around it; a soft glow emitted from the ground soon after.
The second wore threads of dark green, short well kept jet black hair like the other, but pulsing bright green eyes unlike the one before her; with pale white skin making her eyes pop more than the norm. She was less built than the tanned woman, but more curvy in nature. Her nails were painted black, as were her lips. A hint of dark eyeshadow was seen too, with everything about her well kept.
Unlike the other one, she seemed to fancy dresses and jewelry, along with her ads more focused on things of luxury. Televisions nearby showed her presenting different types of perfumes, jewelry, dresses, fine dining, and more. In some she seemed to have longer hair, at times covering one eye, sporting a coy smile.
As with the first, her size was that of a massive human being. Such as her laying down on an entire stretch of road; sporting open toed heels, a single one piece green dress with a slit up the side that showcased a wealth of thigh. She was staring at the viewer with that same coy smile, and half-closed eyes. Seen about her were normal size people. Men and women in both butler outfits and maids. Propped up on her elbow, she had her hand up in front of her - a logo of sorts seen; a broomstick and a bottle of wine crossing over one another like a coat of arms.
Alex knew the logo to be that of a fancy company that specialized in training its members to be the finest butlers and maids the world knew of. So much so, that even the titan-sized woman had hired them to serve her.
Their names were Fortia and Sophia, at least in the human tongue. . .and they were the goddesses of her fair city.
Alex kept on pedaling to the store to get her milk, seeing on almost every ad and television a countdown. In a few short hours, at the stroke of midnight, the festival of the gods would begin. An event that took place roughly every decade. While it was celebrated all across the city, it was at the heart of the city everyone wanted to be. Twin chairs made up of a collection of steel and wood combined made up the positions in which the two gods would sit, and address the city during the midnight hour.
She felt a smile across her face, recalling the first two festivals in her life. The first had been when she was a child, having dressed up as Sophia for Halloween that year and had even gotten a picture of herself with one of the royal guards of their temple too by pure chance while her family had been driving her home and came across the man helping a nearby shop.
The next time had been two years after Alex had gotten out of high school. Sporting an armband that had Fortiaâs symbol of the sun on it; when she had been in her huge tomboy stage. She recalled being among a crowd on a large buildingâs rooftop. While it had been far away, she had gotten the chance to see the two goddesses themselves strolling through the city with ease. The roads had been made with them in mind, as she felt the slight tremors through the building with each foot step the massive beings took.
The brown-eyed woman snorted at the memory, recalling how she had âswornâ both of the larger-than-life-women, while they were walking towards the center of the city, waving at those gather on the sidewalks of the streets and the rooftops where others had the same idea to see them from afar. . .and had looked directly -at- her for a few seconds. It had been something magical to Alex, despite the fact knowing that couldnât be true. They had merely been waving at everyone in the area, and at their size, itâd no doubt seem like -everyone- thought they had looked at them. Many claimed they did, with Alex passing it off as nothing more than something she wished had been true.
There was no way both of them had looked at her, of all people, with Fortia giving a grin and Sophia smirking, while waving at her. A wink followed after by Fortia, and a âkissâ blown in her direction by Sophia.
Stopping at a red light, she watched as the cars drove home. While some had gotten tickets, many more could not. Despite how many âseatsâ were available at the festivalâs center, the prices were just too rich for Alexâs blood.
She was close to turning thirty next week, a fact she was somewhat dreading, but also eager for. With the dreadful age of the wicked three-zero, also came the wonderful prospects of having extra cash soon! She had been running a bit low these last few months, having gotten sick at the start of the year, and unable to pick up extra shifts at the radio store she worked at. Mike had been kind enough to loan her some cash, but she wasnât quite eager for the handouts, feeling a sense of guilt from depending on a man who also had a family to feed.
The light turned green, and Alex found herself heading down a few more blocks, before arriving at a local store that was near her apartment. In the blink of an eye, she was in and out of the store. Bag containing a single tall jug of milk, with a few candies tossed in, because why not!
She had also bought a magazine that had a listing of what was to come for this yearâs upcoming festival. Unlike other magazines, all the pages were blank - a magical seal placed upon all of them by the goddesses themselves. It was always a surprise what each festival held, with no one knowing for sure what was to come! As a kid, it always held a bit of magic to Alex in another sense, where she never knew what the festivalâs main events would be!
There were old films she had seen, where the goddesses had done a number of different things. Ranging from expanding the city, inviting people inside their massive temple within the mountains nearby that they lived in, special dances. . .the list went on and on.
Some were not as well received by the people in the olden days, where documents noted they had asked for sacrifices during a time period in which the crime rate had skyrocketed. While they had been kind to humanity, they had also been cruel during dark times as well. Though it had been ages since such things had happened, with the more recent years being âlight heartedâ. At most, promoting a certain group of people, companies, and more.
The seal on the magazine would be undone, once the goddesses at the festival had declared their intent for the next decade.
The ride home was uneventful afterwards, as she kept on pedaling - noting people flocking towards the more inner parts of the city and near the road the lead outside the city. Where the goddesses would appear and begin their trek through the city, until they reached the center. People could be seen on the taller rooftops, small camp sets seen, music being played, and chatter all around the city.
There was even a song she heard and knew well, humming the lyrics to herself under her breath. Thinking herself unable to be heard, sheâd sing out loud with no shame - bobbing her head about; one hand on the handlebar of the bike, while the other gestured to herself and random areas around her - as if she was in a music video!
This wasnât meant to happen for long, as she stopped at a corner only to find someone standing there. . .giving her an odd look. As did a couple in a car driving up next to her, as she turtled in on herself, pretending as if she hadnât. However, once the light turned green and she had pedaled away from them. . .she started to sing to herself; although a liiiittle lower in volume afterwards!
A five story building was soon in front of her, as she pedaled up to the front of it, hopping off her bike and looking for her keycard. Finding it, she headed up towards the gate and gained access through the gate with it soon after. Before long, she was hefting her bike through the building and found herself entering the lift nearby; too tired to trek up the stairs with her bike in tow.
After a few dings, she arrived at the top floor that led into a hallway of doors; where at the very end was her room. Using her keycard, Alex was at long last able to enter her âhumbleâ home - with a clicking sound behind her after the door closed; now locked up.
Placing the bike against the wall, she at once tossed the backpack with the bat in it near the side of the couch in the living room and made her way to the fridge to put away the milk she bought.
Her place consisted of a living room, a kitchen, and a bedroom. Somewhat cramped, but it was home, and she was proud of it.
All about the room was an assortment of items on shelves, dressers, and near her bed as well. Some things were toys from when she was a child. Others being things one needed to get by. . .and then some. Books ranging from how to do plumbing, cook books, and others that were made just for reading itself.
It wasnât long before the young woman found herself sinking into the couch after plopping down on top of it, a sigh emitted from her after a long day at work. Kicking off her shoes, but too lazy to change into anything else, she fumbled around for the remote control, before switching on the television. . .almost forgetting for a moment what was going on.
She had planned on watching one of her favorite detective shows, but that was not to be. On every single channel, there was a countdown to the festival. Still images were seen shifting about behind the timer, from old black and white photos from the city's past, to more recently colorful photos from not too long ago.
âThank yoooou Fort and Sophia. . .argghhh. . .'' Eyes closed for a moment, sheâd frown as she realized itâd be another week or two before the television channels would go back to their normal broadcast.
Leaning forward, she reached for the laptop on top of the coffee table in front of the couch; flicking it open and powering it on. Soon, she was surfing the web; updating herself on any and all news, checking her online accounts, forums, and so forth. As a kid, she had enjoyed it, but as an adult she found herself somewhat tired of it. The festival was all over the internet as well. Pictures of people with their parents before, to others taking selfies from where they had scored a seat at the main festival grounds.
Art, jokes, videos, and more clogged her timelines. With of course her âfavoriteâ one being people who claimed they knew what the goddesses had planned. Ranging from people that had a somewhat sensible mind set of what they think might happen, to straight up tin-foil hat madmen declaring it was the end of the world as they knew it. She felt fine.
She mindlessly went through it all, not bothering to check to see who was online or anything. Exhausted after the long day and wanting just to have some time to herself, Alex didnât bother to check any of her messages, as she planned on reading them tomorrow morning.
Two more hours to go, until it was midnight. . .which meant in roughly an hour or so; the two would appear and start their walk. It had become known that the goddesses took their time getting to the center of the city. Due in part to being careful not to harm anyone, but also to soak in all the praise being given to them in passing. It was a known fact that receiving praise and prayers from the people in turn gave them more power.
On a night such as this, it had been noted in past interviews as; âa most joyful delight to bathe inâ. In the more âunsightlyâ interviews in the years before, the goddesses had let slip that it was like eating at a fine diner. With each personâs âenergyâ tasting a certain way. This had. . .not gone well with some people, which the goddesses later changed their explanation of it to something more acceptable, but the truth was already out.
Almost on cue after an hour, the glass of water Alex had on her table shook slightly. Sheâd pause in what she was doing, looking at the water with baited breath. . .and then, she felt it as the water moved. A slight tremor felt throughout the building. While she was far away from the center of the city, she was still thankful that all the buildings had been made earthquake proof - with those in the center being made of special materials that they could even withstand the goddesses -sitting- on them if they chose to do so. . .which at times they did, when wanting to strike a pose for those gazing upon them!
It was almost like a red carpet event, but just for the two goddesses themselves. The television switched from the still images to a live helicopter feed, and ones from the ground below. News reporters were all reporting on what had just happened. . .even though everyone in the city could feel it.
Fortia and Sophia emerged from their mountain hideaway, and had entered the city limits.
Despite the fact this happened twice in her life before, Alex felt. . .something stir within her. Excitement, mostly, but also a hint of fear and awe. Even sitting on her couch, in the comfort of her home she could sense them from even this far away. The energy the two emitted could be sensed by all; ancient and powerful.
Both were dressed the same, in white goddess like togas. Although with slight differences. Fortia wore a pair of brown gladiator-like sandals on her massive feet, while Sophia had chosen a pair of dark green open-toed strappy heels. Their hair styles remained the same as when Alex saw them during the ads; with Sophia sporting her normally short hair, of course.
As they made their way down the main street, Alex got up and quickly fixed herself some late night dinner; having forgotten to eat the moment she got home. Heading back to the couch, she took a seat and watched the two walk through the city as if they owned it. . .no, they DID own it. All of it. All of them.
Even Alex.
She wondered how that felt, being that powerful, with adoring fans. . .some even trying to rush past the guards on the sidewalk and get in the way of their footsteps. Either security caught them and reeled them quickly back in, or the goddesses merely. . .made sure to take an extra step further to avoid crushing anyone outright. It wasnât unheard of for the more âdevotedâ followers to try and throw themselves at the goddesses feet. That wouldnât have been very good to air these days, but it didnât seem many were trying to go for gold this time around.
As always, they waved to those down on the sidewalk below - sometimes stopping mid-walk to take a seat on a nearby empty building top once they were further into the city. Posing for pictures and grinning down at a number of random people. Alex knew if she were to check her timeline, thereâd no doubt be some with an amazing view down below, taking a picture of them while they were focused on where they were; as if looking directly at the camera.
There was a small part of her that wished she could be there, down below with the crowd near them both; smiling up at them with a wave, with the faintest of hopes she could garner their attention to herself. . .
It was getting closer to midnight, as the twin goddesses made their way further into the depths of the city - towards where the two giant chairs were positioned. Each foot step caused some people to lose their balance at times, but others nearby made sure to help them stay upright. Packed tightly together to help ensure it.
Despite what was going on, Alex felt. . .tired. She had worked all day, having trouble sleeping the night before, and now she was struggling to stay awake until the midnight hour. Less than half an hour until it was time, yet she felt her eyelids grow heavy.
âMmm. . .wonder if that color is in stock. . .â Alex mused to herself, as the television for one of the cameras had gotten an up close look at their lower legs and feet; namely Sophiaâs black toenails on full display for a moment.
It seemed the goddess knew it as well, pausing as sheâd shift her feet about, lifting one heel off the ground a tad, while her toes shifted about under the confines of the single large strap that kept her toes mostly in place. Sophia had somewhat slim feet contained within those heels, but at her current size each one could easily crush a car fully under foot without too much of a problem. The pale cream colored foot stood out against the dark green colored heels she wore, as the truck sized feet lifted off the ground with ease, and moved on.
After she moved past the camera, Alex noticed there seemed to be a very light hint of. . .frost covering the edges of the view. Sheâd notice people in the background on the ground level behind the feet seemed to be gripping their bodies, as if trying to warm them up during a cold winter night. It was somewhat cold, but not -that- cold.
Fortia wasnât too far behind her, her broad thick soled feet were contained with her footwear of choice. A number of strong leather straps were seen across both her feet and lower legs, as she made her way after her fellow goddess.
Upon reaching the same camera that had a close up of her lower legs and feet, she purposely slowed down - as if wanting the camera to watch every movement of her feet as she stepped forward. Alex saw how Fortiaâs foot would bend as it lifted slowly off the ground, her tanned feet larger than Sophias, as they could -easily- crush an entire bus under it, and then some. Her largest toe alone could dwarf a fully grown person, though her nails were well kept, but lacked any of the color that Sophia had on hers. There wasnât a single scratch on those smooth bronze colored feet, just as clean as the other goddess was.
Unlike the green haired super being, there was a slight bit of haze in the camera view. The kind one saw when looking across a desert on a rather hot day. Those in the background were now fanning themselves, as if it had gone from being rather cold, to now a slight sorcher.
Alex had read something about how each goddess during a time of heightened power emitted an âauraâ of sorts from themselves. Sophia being a chill like that of a winterâs gale, while Fortia was like a hot summer breeze. With what she saw on the camera as it slightly seemed to be steamed up, she figured that was what they were feeling at the moment.
There wasnât any audio really from the broadcast, given how much screaming and whatnot went on - along with making it easier on the censors. The audio from the event wouldnât cue in until it was the goddesses who decided to speak; so that all could hear them - no matter where they were.
With each tick of the clock, Alex felt herself becoming more and more tired; wanting to stay up at least for what the goddesses would declare. Yet, the bed was looking rather welcoming. . .heck, the couch was starting to feel like a solid place to just call it a night at.
Grabbing a nearby blanket, she found herself a bit too lazy to turn off the light in the kitchen, the only source of light inside her place, television and laptop aside, that was giving off any type of light. Laying down on her side, she continued to try her best to stay awake; the magazine on the coffee table was still blank, but she knew itâd fill itself before long - the moment the two women on screen announced their plans for the city to hear.
Ten more minutes.
Her eyes were heavy, a brief moment of zoning out, before becoming aware of the fact they had taken their positions in each chair. Fortia sitting down, with each hand resting on the armrests and one leg crossed in front of the other. Sophia had taken to lounging sideways in the chair; her long and massive legs dangling over the edge, with her elbow resting on the armrest. Hand cradling the side of her face with an amused look on her features.
Five. . .
Maybe looking at it first thing in the morning would be for the best. It was going to be a three day weekend, she was going to have plenty of time on her hands. She didnât quite have any plans yet, but she was going to enjoy the days off. Maybe go to the festival tomorrow and see what was on sale.
The two that the television was focused on looked over the crowd, before looking directly at the camera. Staring right at the viewer, each with a different expression seen for a moment.
Fortia seemed to be chuckling at something, head tilted to the side with that trademark wolfish grin, pearly whites on display, as she stared at the camera. Sophia stared at it with half-closed eyes, an amused expression seen on hers. Both of them looked at the television for longer than they had before. . .
Alex stared back at the television, alone in her apartment, as the two stared back from behind the magic box that brought many reasons to waste her time staring at it. Without being able to help it, she felt herself give a tired smile towards the TV.
âMmm, read about it in the morning. . .sorry, just so tired.â Alex said to herself, but felt as if she was talking to the two as they stared at the camera.
Fortia and Sophia kept staring directly at her, both looking rather amused by something all of a sudden. Alex chalked it up to them reacting to whatever the crowd was no doubt screaming up at them, no doubt dealing with some crazy fans. . .
As she drifted off to the land of slumber, she saw there was only thirty seconds left. . .but itâd have to wait.
Right before she closed her eyes, she noticed Fortia giving a wink at the camera; while Sophia blew a kiss in its direction. For a moment, it felt like it was directed -at- Alex herself. Fun as that would be, Alex found sleep more welcoming, and at last passed out on the couch. . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
She opened her eyes a crack, knowing it was still late at night. The television had audio playing now, but she had the volume low and was unable to make out what it was saying. A reporter was on TV, interviewing random people in the crowd to get their reaction to whatever had been announced. As always, everyone looked excited and eager to share their experiences.
Alex felt her eyes close once more, wishing she had turned it off, along with the light in the kitchen. . .
. . . .
. . . .
Her eyes opened somewhat once more, glancing around the room. Not a single light was on, and sheâd readjust the pillow she was laying her head against; pulling the covers over her a bit further. It felt nice. . .
. . . .
Something bothered her in her dreams. In that state between dreams and reality, fading in and out of the world around her. She wasnât sure what it was, but she felt alone. Sad. A sense of longing for something that she was without. . .
A slight weight on top of her stomach. Slowly, she felt a small cool tingle ripple across her. Soothing. . .healing. . .her dream felt more positive. Happy. The sense of belonging.
There was another comforting weight around her bust. The sensation one felt when safe and sound. Warmth. The feeling of longing ebbed away, as she was at peace with where and what she was.
It felt both heavy, but good. Like she was ten years younger, instead of turning thirty soon. Laying on her back as she could somewhat tell she was staring up at her ceiling through half-open eyes. She was tired, but Alex was feeling as if she was going to get a good night's sleep; despite waking up now and then.
Her arms were at her side, a weight felt on both of them, but not crushing. Her spare pillows no doubt, that had some weight to them as it made it easier to fall asleep after a long day. Sheâd pull each of them towards her, and felt them yield to her touch without trouble. One seemed slightly colder, no doubt due to being closer to her cooler that was right under her window. The other was oddly warm, but not bothersome.
Her eyes had drifted closed once more, as she felt the welcoming embrace of slumber once more.