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The summer heat hung heavy, a shimmering haze rising from the sun-baked sand of the beach park. Ren, better known as Joker to his Phantom Thief crew, nervously adjusted his tinted sunglasses. He'd been looking for Ann for nearly half an hour, and the sweltering air wasn't helping his patience. He was about to pull out his phone when he looked in the distance and spotted…
“Oh boy… them.” Ren said to himself as Caroline and Justine, the enigmatic Wardens of the Velvet Room, stood side-by-side near the lifeguard station, their piercing golden eyes fixed on him while they tapped their batons against the palms of their hands. They were an unusual sight outside of the Velvet Room, especially bathed in the harsh sunlight instead of the perpetual twilight of their domain, but that didn’t make his skin any less tingly as he watched the two dash towards him with seemingly blazing speed.
"Inmate!" Caroline snapped, her voice carrying a sharp edge that cut through the sounds of children playing and waves crashing. Justine merely nodded, her expression as stoic as ever.
"We require your presence." she finally spoke. Ren sighed inwardly. He'd been enjoying the relative normalcy of dating Ann, trading daring heists and world-saving adventures for movie dates and ice cream cones. Apparently, the Velvet Room wasn't quite ready to let him off the hook.
"What in the name of the blazing summer sun is this about? I was about to meet Ann." Ren said.
"Takamaki. It’s always Takamaki. It's sickening. You're wasting your potential, Inmate. Becoming complacent." Caroline scoffed.
"We've observed your, shall we say, activities these past cycles. This frivolous pursuit of romance is distracting you from your training. We cannot allow such weakness to fester." Justine added, her tone laced with disdain. Ren crossed his arms and did his best to remain defiant.
"I don't see how spending time with Ann makes me weak. Besides, I'm still training. I'm always training. I’m practically grinding here." Ren said.
"Hmph! You think strolling along the beach and sharing sugary concoctions prepares you for facing the Shadows? We think not. Therefore, we've devised a test." Caroline sneered.
Ren's apprehension ratcheted up. Tests orchestrated by the Velvet Room were rarely pleasant.
"What kind of test?" Ren asked.
"A charming little exercise to ensure you haven't lost your edge," Justine said, a barely perceptible flicker of amusement in her eyes. Ren felt a cold dread creep into his stomach. He had a bad feeling about this. He tried to back out, but the twins were unyielding.
“I don’t need any tests. Ann will be here any minute, and I promised to spend the day with her. I have to go.” Ren said as he took a step back. Caroline’s glare intensified… almost to a level of Death himself.
“You dare defy us, Inmate? You are a prisoner of fate, and we are your guards. Disobedience will be met with consequences. Unless, of course, you'd prefer… execution?” Caroline said as she placed a hand on her hip near her handcuffs. Ren knew how deadly those things literally were based on a demonstration in the past of the powers of these two girls. Therefore, he knew better than to call their bluff. He reluctantly nodded.
"Fine. What do I have to do?" Ren asked. Caroline and Justine exchanged a knowing glance. The two stepped forward, their gloved hands glowing with a faint blue energy.
"Prepare yourself, Inmate. This will be… instructive." Justine said.
Before Ren could react, Caroline and Justine, in perfect unison like the twins they were, unleashed a wave of energy that washed over him. He felt a strange tingling sensation, followed by a disorienting lightness. The world around him began to blur, the familiar sounds of the beach morphing into a deafening roar. He looked down at his hands, which had become impossibly small. Panic seized him as he realized what was happening. The concrete beneath his feet felt like a mountain range as once ordinary looking rocks that made up the pattern of the walkway now loomed over him like skyscrapers. He had been shrunken incredibly small… to the size of a grain of sand, in fact. Caroline and Justine knelt down, their faces looming giant in his perspective.
"What did you do to me?!" Ren shouted, his voice a tiny squeak lost in the wind.
"We've shrunk you, Inmate. Down to a size befitting your current, well, ambitions." Caroline said as her voice echoed violently through his eardrums. Ren stared at the giantesses in disbelief, his head spinning.
"You can't be serious! This is insane! How am I supposed to…" Ren said, only to be interrupted by Caroline, especially as she leaned forward, her eyeball looking more like a small planet as small as he was.
"We're testing your resolve, Inmate. Your devotion. If you truly care for Takamaki, as you so brazenly proclaim, then this should be no obstacle. In fact, we will be returning with specific challenges in mind as the day progresses. Prove that you are still worthy of the title of Joker." Caroline said.
"We will be observing. Fail, and face the consequences." Justine nodded.
With that, the twins vanished, leaving Ren stranded on the vast, unforgiving landscape of the beach. His anger was quickly replaced by a growing sense of despair. How was he supposed to spend the day with Ann, let alone even get her attention, when he was the size of a speck of dust? He began to navigate the treacherous terrain, each grain of sand an insurmountable obstacle. The sun beat down on him, turning the sand into a scorching desert. The sound of waves crashing was a constant, terrifying reminder of the potential for being swept away and lost forever.
He staggered towards eventually a familiar shape in the distance: Ann's beach bag, propped against a beach umbrella. Hope surged through him. If he could reach her bag, maybe he could somehow signal her. The journey was arduous. Ants became monstrous predators, their mandibles snapping inches from his face. A child's careless footfall sent him tumbling head over heels, burying him in the sand. He pressed on, fueled by a mixture of stubbornness and genuine affection for Ann. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he reached the base of her bag. It was a towering cliff face, impossible to climb. He desperately searched for a way up, his tiny hands scrabbling against the fabric.
He spotted a loose thread, dangling precariously from the bag's opening. It was his only chance. He summoned every ounce of his strength and began to climb, inching his way upwards, his muscles burning with exertion.
“Now I know how Banjo the bear feels… Ugh…” Ren lamented as he nearly exhausted himself totally from climbing the bag.
The thread swayed violently in the breeze, threatening to snap at any moment. He closed his eyes, focusing on the image of Ann's smiling face, and pushed himself onward. He reached the top, collapsing onto the soft interior of the bag, exhausted and dehydrated. The smell of sunscreen and strawberries filled his nostrils, a comforting reminder of the normal life he so desperately craved. He peered over the edge, searching for Ann. Finally, he found her. She was lying on a towel, her eyes closed, soaking up the sun. As he predicted during the journey, because of how small he was, Ann looked absolutely enormous.
“Geez… she’s as big as Mt. Fuji! And yet so beautiful…” Ren shouted as he looked over Ann in her swimsuit attire of a red-and-white striped two piece bikini. As much as he wanted to jump off the bag and run towards the giantess, he thought better of it.
“I can’t just run towards her. For one thing… that would be very, very, VERY inappropriate to be crawling all over her skin. And even then, it’s probably covered in sunscreen anyway, and so I’d slip right off.” Ren commented. He scanned the contents of the bag, desperate for anything he could use. His gaze fell on a small, brightly colored lipstick tube. An idea sparked in his mind. If he could somehow get that tube open, he could paint somewhere that he was nearby and she could find him.
But alas, he wouldn’t get that chance. A loud ringing suddenly drowned out all other noise in Ren’s ears. After plugging his ears, he eventually realized that it was Ann’s phone which made that sound. And then he watched as Ann moved in slow motion towards him and was heading right for the bag he stood on.
“ANN! IT’S ME, REN! WHOOOOOOA!!!” Ren screamed at his loudest as Ann loomed over him. Ann, meanwhile, reached down and unzipped the bag, the resulting vibration caused Ren to slip off and fall off the bag, crash landing back down onto the sand. Further adding to the frantic situation, by the time Ren looked up after digging himself out of the sand, he gasped as he watched Ann’s bare foot was about to come crashing down on him. He dives out of the way just in the nick of time as, even in the soft sand, a booming sound from Ann’s short step rang through his ears.
Meanwhile, Ann pulled out her phone and saw she had gotten a text message from Ren, even though Ren himself didn’t send any messages. Nevertheless, she read the message out loud.
“Ann, I’m sorry but I cannot make our beach date today. An emergency came up at the café that I am handling personally. Ren.” Ann said. She stared at the text message for a few more seconds before finally reacting to it. She looked bummed as she slapped the phone against her hip.
“That’s a shame. What kind of emergency was it? How come I wasn’t made aware of it. Oh well, guess I’ll just go back home and chill.” Ann said as she dropped the phone back into her bag… which she then picked up and held with one hand. The shrunken Ren gasped as he watched the towering Ann walk away with her bag in hand.
“No, wait! Ann, stop, PLEASE!!!” Ren screamed as he frantically waved his arms, but it was no use. He was much too small for Ann to hear or see and she was already 20 meters out in front of him. If it was any consolation, Ren thought, at least Ann was walking into the changing station, closing the door behind her as she undoubtedly was changing out of her swimsuit.
Ren pedaled his legs as fast as he could. By the time he had covered half the distance, he started to feel tired, but he kept pushing on despite the heat not just of the sun above, but the sand as well beating on him. He then gasped as he looked out and saw Ann stepping out of the changing station, now in her usual outfit of a vibrant, casual ensemble that reflects her energetic and fashionable personality. She sports a white short-sleeved crop top featuring a neon rainbow comic design layered over a pink and red camisole, seafoam green denim shorts, a red belt with a star buckle, and high-heeled white shoes with pink heels and pink socks. Speaking of those shoes, they were still untied, which Ann reminded herself of as she looked down and saw the laces sprawled about in front of her.
“Ugh… that darn Ren. Canceling our date has thrown me off.” Ann said as she kneeled down and worked on her shoelaces. Ren breathed a sigh of relief, as this allowed him to gain some ground on the giantess, who loomed well above him even at the distance he was from her. As he ran, he tried to change into his Persona form, the Joker… but nothing was happening.
“Huh!? Why can’t I change into Joker?” Ren asked.
Suddenly, at that moment, Caroline and Justine appeared before him, although they were as small as he was.
“Hello, Inmate. We see you’re already adjusting to your environment well.” Caroline said.
“Arrrrrrrgh! I’ll have your heads for this!” Ren snarled as he lunged towards both girls… only for him to dive right through their bodies.
“Silly Inmate. You know by now we can physically manifest ourselves in this world any way we see fit, and it allows us the added luxury of this enormous world not being able to harm us.” Justine said.
“As you just witnessed, we have temporarily suppressed your ability to change into your Persona. We can’t have these challenges become too easy, can we?” Caroline said. Ren once again growled in disapproval. This challenge was already hard enough in his normal, shrunken form. Now it was going to be nearly impossible without the use of Joker. The trio of shrunken people then watched Ann finish up tying her shoelaces.
“You better get a move on. Takamaki is about to desert you.” Caroline said. She and Justine slyly smiled as they disappeared from view and Ann stood back to her full height, ready to get a move on.
“Darn it!” Ren said as he thought frantically how he was going to catch up with Ann now.
But then he realized something. While he couldn’t transform into Joker, he still had a few valuable items that he depended upon for both offense and defense in his human form. A gun, a knife, and most importantly of all… his grappling hook. With little time to spare, Ren removed the grappling hook from his hip and swung it like Wonder Woman with her lasso. He squinted up at her sneaker… specifically aiming for the plastic lens on the front edge. He took a deep breath for focus and fired. The hook spiraled outward, catching perfectly onto the edge of her shoe’s lace hole. He breathed a sigh of relief… but his relief was brief. As Ann took her next step, her shoe jerked forward like a rocket. Ren barely had time to tighten his grip before being flung through the air. She wasn’t walking fast by normal standards, but to him, each movement was a wild, stomach-churning vertigo-inducing ride.
“Ah, crap!” Ren gritted his teeth, clutching the grappling hook’s line with everything he had as Ann’s foot hit the pavement. The impact jarred his entire body like an earthquake. Gravity yanked him down, and he found himself slamming into the soft knit mesh of her sneaker.
“This is insane!” Ren yelled, scrambling to keep hold as Ann’s next step lifted him into the air again, the wind whistling past him. Each stride of hers became a harrowing roller coaster. She walked completely unaware of his presence, her attention focused on what sounded like a cheerful text message ringtone (she was messaging another of her friends from school, namely how Ren had to ditch out on the date). Ren tried to steady himself but quickly discovered that clinging to a moving shoe wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Her pace was rhythmic yet unpredictable, with occasional pauses when she stopped at crosswalks or tilted her foot mid-air without warning.
From his precarious perch, Ren glanced upward and noticed Ann’s bag swinging at her side. That was his new goal. If he could just grapple up there, he might find a safer spot to rest and figure out his next move. Carefully timing his chance, Ren braced himself to launch the grappling hook again. He did so and was able to latch onto the bag.
However… it swung precariously as Ann made a quick turn at the next bus stop. This caused Ren’s hook to lose its grip on Ann’s bag, sending him spiraling down towards her ankle.
“Oh nooooooooo…!” Ren shouted as he went freefalling towards Ann’s sock. He crashed against the soft meshy material and went sliding down it. His incredibly small size allowed him to land right inside Ann’s shoe. The world within was oppressive, the air thick with the faint scent of worn leather and a hint of perfume. The fabric walls of the shoe stretched high above him, while the sole curved like an uneven, shadowed landscape. Before he could even comprehend the magnitude of his predicament, an ominous shadow loomed at the shoe’s entrance. Ann’s sock covered foot.
“Oy.” Ren said, lamenting his dumb luck, bad luck, or perhaps this was deliberately done by Caroline and Justine? The answer to that question would have to wait. Ren barely had time to dive to the side as Ann’s sock-covered foot slid around its domain. The force of her movement created powerful gusts of wind, throwing him off balance as her toe came dangerously close to flattening him. He scrambled backward, his heart pounding like a war drum. Each of her toes, coated in a delicate pink sock, were like immense, swaying boulders, descending closer each time she adjusted her step or wiggled her foot.
Ren had to move fast, and he knew it. The only way to survive was to stay out of her toe’s path while still avoiding slipping deeper into the shoe… a seemingly impossible task given the confines. He darted around, dodging her toes as they shifted and stretched lazily, completely unaware of the tiny intruder desperately evading their crushing weight. He could hear her voice, muffled and distant, as if she were speaking to herself.
“Hmm… maybe I should grab something to eat or drink when I get back home. I could really use a snack right now…” Ann said as she continued to scroll away on her phone, moving her thumb from bottom to top in rapid succession.
Ren barely heard her words over the pounding footsteps and the chaotic movement of his surroundings. He dug deep into his skills as a Phantom Thief even though he couldn’t transform to one, expertly reading her foot's micro-movements to predict where the next shift would occur. Somehow, by a miracle of agility and determination, he managed to cling to the edge of her insole, narrowly avoiding being buried by her sock as she casually adjusted her position. The journey seemed endless. Ann’s steps continued to rock the interior of the shoe like an unrelenting earthquake. Ren was exhausted, struggling to stay upright as sweat dripped from his forehead. He hoped desperately that this nightmare would end soon… preferably before he ran out of oxygen.
Finally, after another few minutes of walking around town, Ann made it back home as she opened the front door, walked inside, closed the door behind her, and casually tossed her bag to the side while tucking her phone back into her shorts pocket.
“Alright, I’m home… time to relax!” Ann said as she lifted her feet out of her shoes and then reached down and pulled her socks off her feet, leaving them bare as she stepped onto the cool wooden floor, sighing as she felt the floor tickle her soles while she walked towards the kitchen.
For Ren, as if answering his prayers, Ann’s voice boomed again.
“Alright, I’m home… time to relax!” she said. Her foot came to a halt, and Ren braced himself as the shoe tilted upward. Light suddenly flooded the cavern, and he watched as Ann’s hand reached inside. Her fingers, like enormous pillars, grabbed the edge of the shoe and tipped it over, sending Ren flying out and tumbling onto the plush rug preceding the wooden floor of her living room. He looked up, breathless, as the titanic Ann walked away.
“Ann, wait! Oh come on…” Ren said as he reached out in vain even though he knew his words couldn’t possibly reach the giantess. To make matters worse, Caroline and Justine appeared once more at the same size as him.
“Congratulations on passing the first challenge.” Caroline said.
“Huh? That was the first challenge?” Ren asked.
“Of course, Inmate. Surviving such a hazardous environment.” Justine said.
“We must admit… watching you survive any way you can has tempted us to be the big ones and try and step on you like the insignificant insect you now are.” Caroline said.
“But a deal is a deal.” Justine said.
“Just how many more of these challenges do I have to face?” Ren asked.
“We are obligated to withhold that information from you for the time being.” Caroline said.
“But we can tell you the next challenge is about to begin.” Justine said as the two girls snapped their fingers together.
“Huh? What the… wait!” Ren shouted as he found his body being covered in a white light next. Eventually his vision caught up with that light and he could no longer see a thing.
Seconds later, the light finally died down. Ren initially found himself disoriented, blinking through a haze of confusion. As his vision cleared, he discovered he was standing on what looked like a polished glass surface inside a massive container… almost like a fishbowl, albeit one far too tall for him to scale or escape from. The walls towered above him, reverberating with a sense of permanence that sent a chill down his spine.
“Where have those brats sent me?” Ren murmured, his voice barely breaking the silence. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed a familiar colossal figure in the distance… Ann Takamaki. As he looked around despite the glass wall warping his vision beyond the wall, he realized he was in the cheerful kitchen that always seemed to emanate warmth. Ren's heart pounded as Ann turned her back to him, her long blonde ponytailed hair cascading over her shoulders.
“Ann! In here!!!” Ren shouted, his voice echoing against the glass walls. Once again, Ann’s ears did not pick up the incredibly faint sound of Ren’s shrunken voice. She shuffled around the kitchen, her movements fluid and graceful. She opened the refrigerator door, the cool air wafting out towards Ren, momentarily freezing him where he stood. He squinted, focusing again as his heart sank; she appeared oblivious to his cries. His vision darted to the various items she rummaged through.
Ann finally seized a pitcher of limonade, her favorite drink. The vibrant yellow-green liquid glimmered in the overhead lights. Heat pulsed through him; the delicious sweetness of that drink almost made him forget about his predicament for a moment. But then he came to the horrible realization.
“Oh crap… I must be inside a drinking glass, and if Ann tilts that pitcher… NO, ANN! Please, look down! I need your help!” Ren screamed. But her attention was squarely fixed on pouring the liquid into a tall glass, completely unaware of the tiny Ren trapped below. As she tipped the pitcher, the refreshing drink gushed forth, cascading down within moments as the liquid filled the cup, complete with microscopic Ren.
“No! No! No! Warrrf!!!” Ren shouted, a mixture of excitement and panic swelled in his chest. The cup filled quickly; Ren found himself submerged in the cool and tangy limonade, trying to keep his head above the rapidly rising tide even as gushes of it crashed through his lips and down his throat.
As he flailed in the sea of drink, coughing out the excess liquid, the familiar sight of Ann turned into a breathtaking yet terrifying, and most importantly, life threatening experience. The towering cup, its brim poised dangerously over her mouth, was heading straight for him.
“Waaaaah!” Ren tried to protest, but the words drowned as the cup tilted further. Ren found himself floating helplessly, the luscious, sweet-sour liquid enveloping him, slick and cool yet imposing. Panic surged through him, and he swam with all his might, trying to avoid the incoming whirlpool that circled around him like a storm as well as not look back at Ann’s wall-like lips that threatened to swallow him whole.
Ann, obliviously parched, tilted the cup closer to her lips, the world outside the glass becoming a blurred vision of her golden hair cascading down as she leaned forward. Ren's eyes widened with fear as the rim grew closer, and he could feel the bubble of air trapped within the cup displacing the surrounding drink. As Ann drank, Ren remembered how much he admired her resilience, her passion, and her wild spirit. But as her mouth came closer, admiration gave way to sheer terror. The gravitational pull from her motions screamed danger; he would be swallowed whole if he didn’t act right away. Flailing, he managed to grasp hold of a sugar cube that had drifted to him… its buoyant surface his only lifeline in this chaotic torrent. He clung to it desperately, using it as his raft against the tide, riding the superficial current of sweetness.
“Help me, Ann!” Ren shouted again, the din of his voice lost amidst the sound of the drink sliding against the glass. Hoping against hope, he raised his arms, signaling for her attention. If only she could glance down, she would see him battling against the tidal wave of liquid… and she would know it was him.
Alas, it was not meant to be. Ren lost his footing as the sugar cube broke apart under his feet, and he splashed back into the limonade as he swirled its way towards Ann’s open mouth. He couldn't breathe. The sugary liquid filled his lungs, swirling around him like a chaotic whirlpool. Ren thrashed, desperately trying to find the surface, but he was small and helpless against the tide. Above him, he could see Ann lifting the cup toward her lips.
“Noooooooo!!!” Ren screamed as he went inside the darkness. He swam with every ounce of strength he had, trying to make himself visible in the food-styled ocean.
As Ann sipped from the cup, the angle shifted further, and Ren was rapidly approaching the precipice of her esophagus. He had one last chance to make a move. In an explosive effort fueled by sheer panic, he lunged upward for the uvula, his final hope. Time slowed. Ren could feel the stickiness of the dangling saving grace that he clung to. He focused, gathering every bit of willpower he had left. If this was how it ended, he would fight every last second.
It turned out Ren tightly clutching Ann’s uvula was just what the doctor ordered. Ann suddenly felt the need to cough as she felt something tickle against her uvula.
“*cough cough cough!*” Ann coughed. Then came the gagging, a violent contraction that shook Ren’s world. An overwhelming rush of air surrounded him as light loomed once again. With a horrible lurch, Ren felt himself propelled upwards, out of the abyss. Coughing, sputtering, he spilled onto the surface, gasping for breath as he collided with the countertop next to the cup. He lay on the cool surface, breaths shallow and frantic. Above him, Ann seemed frozen, eyes wide with shock as she realized what had happened.
“Could this be the moment, perhaps, that Ann would spot me?” Ren thought. Instead, Ann thought otherwise.
“Whew… okay, I think I’ve had enough.” Ann said as she picked up the glass of limonade that Ren was once trapped in. She opened the fridge and placed both the glass and pitcher back inside. Ren watched as Ann walked by the table she sat at, oblivious to his presence once again.
“No, wait! Don’t go, Ann! I need your help before…!” Ren tried to plead with his Tokyo Skytree-sized girlfriend.
Before he could finish, Caroline and Justine suddenly appeared again.
“Before what? Before Takamaki mistakes you for a flea and smushes you under her finger.” Caroline said.
“You should think carefully about how you’re going to get her attention given the size you are at.” Justine said.
“Bleh… no thanks to you ingrates.” Ren said.
“We appreciate the compliment, Inmate.” Caroline said.
“But your next challenge now awaits.” Justine said.
“You once joked how your love for Takamaki is like a wall that you can climb forever.” Caroline said.
“Errrr… I did say that, yes.” Ren said.
“Now you can prove just that once we place you at the next starting point.” Justine said as the two ladies slapped their batons against their hands. Ren once again found himself surrounded in a bright light and felt his feet lift off the ground like he was being whisked away. He could only wonder where he was going to end up next and hope that it wasn’t going to be life threateningly dangerous in any way…
When Ren saw his vision restore and the light fade away from his diminutive body, he rapidly looked around and saw he was in a different location. He once again was standing on the floor, but this time he was looking up at the great big couch. He swung around and saw other gigantic objects, most notably the coffee table as well as the TV and entertainment center.
“So now I’m in the living room. But why would Caroline and Justine send me here?” Ren asked out loud. He soon felt the ground thump again, which made it difficult for him to keep his balance at the shrunken size he was at. He then looked up and saw why the ground was shaking and why there were epic boom sounds as well. Here came the gigantic Ann again as her bare feet stepped across the wooden floor and towards the couch. Ren once again had to make an evasive dive to keep from getting crushed under her soles, landing underneath the coffee table. Ann, meanwhile, plopped herself onto the couch, completely unaware of the fact she nearly swallowed Ren in the kitchen with her limonade.
“Whew! That was a lot of walking, drinking, and almost choking on my limonade.” Ann sighed as she stretched her legs over the coffee table. Ren could only groan as he stared up at her giant form, wondering how he'd explain all this once he figured out precisely how to get her attention. For now, though, he was safe. And after everything he’d just been through, that was more than enough. That is… until Ann put her feet under the table, forcing Ren to back up to avoid being crushed under her toes. He already had gone through that sort of ordeal once and wasn’t about to go through that again.
With a soft sigh, Ann sank into the couch and grabbed the remote to turn on her favorite television show. The screen flickered to life, illuminating the room with a soft glow that bounced off the walls. The faint sound of music and chatter filled the air, but Ren’s heart was thumping in his ears, drowning out everything else as he strategized his next move.
“Okay, Ren, think…” Ren muttered to himself, the minuscule words barely more than a whisper. His phantasmal existence had one clear goal: to reach Ann and explain his ridiculous circumstance. With determined resolve, he leapt forward, using all his might to leap onto her big toe.
“Whoa!” Ren shouted, although to Ann, it must have sounded like nothing more than a whisper, especially with the TV at the volume it was at. He scampered up, using Ann’s toes as if they were a ladder leading him to safety. His heart raced — the warmth emanating from her skin was overwhelming. Every muscle in Ren's body tightened as Ann shifted ever so slightly, her toes idly wiggling in thought. He clung for dear life as her foot tilted slightly upward, almost sending him tumbling back to the carpet. Thankfully, his agility as a Phantom Thief served him well… instead of falling, he scrambled forward, climbing past the soft ridges of her foot and heading for her ankle.
Step by painstaking step, he navigated the silky smooth skin of Ann’s lower leg. At times, Ren stopped his climb to admire how smooth the giantess’s skin was.
“Hmmm… I will say this. Ann takes good care of her skin. I wonder what kind of lotion she uses. Ooooooh… I sound like such a pervert. I better make sure these thoughts stay firmly in my brain.” Ren said as he resumed his climb.
Eventually he made it past Ann’s kneecap and stood on top of the upper portion of her leg. Just as he thought he’d reached some semblance of stability, Ann lowered her hand absentmindedly, idly scratching her thigh. Ren froze as enormous fingers raked the expanse of skin where he clung. His heart threatened to leap out of his chest… if Ann’s nails found him, she might scratch him clean off her leg and crush him without a second thought. He dodged left, then right, barely evading Ann’s nails as she continued to scratch. The movement jostled her skin, sending a ripple through his footing. He slid slightly but recovered quickly, cursing his tiny size under his breath.
“Almost there. I just need to make it up to her ear, and then get inside it and yell at her eardrum. That will get her attention.” Ren thought to himself. However, just as Ren reached her shorts, Ann, completely unaware of his presence, reached down to scratch just below her thigh again.
“Ugh… what is this stubborn itch?” Ann commented out loud while keeping her eyes firmly locked on the TV. Her hand moved with the suddenness of a thunderstorm, and Ren found himself scrambling to dodge her motion. Ren panicked as he watched the giant finger descend towards him. He barely managed to leap between her legs and land safely, but as he glanced up, his hope dissipated like mist in the sunlight.
“Hoo boy…” Ren said as he looked up. He was now standing right between Ann’s legs, judging by the three giant walls surrounding him. Two of them were the flesh of her legs while the third was the blue of her shorts. He knew if he could just get towards her shorts and climb those, he could be in good shape now that he had some clothing to latch onto.
However, he forgot about the other walls that surrounded him. Ann’s towering legs snapped together, trapping Ren between the walls of warm flesh, leaving him in an extremely compromising position. He felt the weight of her thighs against his sides, a gentle, yet unwavering pressure that drove the air from his lungs. Panic struck him as he struggled for freedom.
“Ann! Ann! I’m right here!” Ren shouted, voice barely audible. There was no way she could hear him, and slipping through any cracks was proving futile because there weren’t any. He tried to squirm, but the secularity of her legs rendered him immobile… a prisoner in a kingdom of soft skin. Moments that felt like hours passed as Ren squirmed, his mind racing with thoughts of how to escape. Would he remain trapped here forever? He couldn’t think of any way to make her realize his existence. He needed a plan… or at least some luck.
Meanwhile, Ann relaxed on the couch, her mind drifting far from the chaos every inch of her body was unwittingly harboring. The light from the television flickered across her face as she frowned towards what she was watching.
“Pfffft… this show is boring.” Ann said. She extended her legs leisurely, reclining in comfort that was at once blissful for her and agonizing for Ren, now wedged between her thighs like an unintentional captive. Meanwhile, she used the remote to turn off the TV and then turn the audio system on, sending the sounds of her favorite radio station echoing throughout the room, albeit only briefly as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her wireless earbuds. Once she turned those on, the living room became quiet again as the sound pounded into Ann’s eardrums and she gently nodded her head to the beat.
“Come on, Ren! You can do this!” Ren growled to himself in the meantime, channeling all his courage. He pounded against her skin, trying to create whatever vibrations he could muster. Unbeknownst to Ren, the distraction of the music clutched Ann’s attention like a vice, and the world around her began to fade. With each passing minute, it became increasingly difficult for him to manage his efforts against her imperceptible obliviousness.
But finally, lady luck would shine down on Ren much like the Phantom Thief he was codenamed. As Ann strived to get more comfortable where she sat, namely in keeping her legs from sticking like glue to the couch, she spread her legs apart, freeing Ren from his fleshy prison. He gasped for air that had once robbed him where he was and quickly rushed towards Ann’s shorts, racing upward by rapidly moving his arms and legs.
“Huff… puff… huff… puff… made it. Somehow.” Ren said. Good thing he moved too, as he looked behind him and saw Ann cross her leg, moving one on top of the other as she continued to bob her head to the music. Ren then looked up, especially hearing the giantess moan as loud as was listening to the music, and realized how much harder getting her attention was going to be now.
“Darn it! She covered her ears! I’ll have to get her attention some other way. Whew… alright, Ren, one step at a time.” Ren said. While his brain went to work thinking of an alternate solution to the end of the theoretical tunnel, he pivoted and continued his climb, hands grazing the soft fabric of her shirt. Blushing deeply, Ren eventually realized with every inch he conquered, he scuttled up portions of her body that he never expected to scale. Soon, he was level with her chest, and the sight of her was breathtaking. Her heart was a palpable rhythm under her skin, a reminder of the warmth and life that radiated from her. It was strange, climbing her form while trying not to feel overwhelmed by the intensity of the situation.
Pushing forward, he climbed up to her neck, careful to avoid her hair that fell like silken drapes. He could see the outlines of her face more clearly now, and he marveled at how serene she looked while concentrating on her music. It was almost comically bizarre; Ren, once a powerful figure in the realm of the Metaverse, now a tiny adventurer scaling the human form of his dear friend. Perhaps through sheer luck, he thought, he reached her chin, moving closer toward her eye, its rich hue almost mesmerizing. With a burst of resolve, Ren moved toward her eyelashes, where the delicate cells swayed gently with each blink. It was an unorthodox rescue maneuver, but he felt it was worth a try. He gripped the edge of one thick lash, dangling precariously.
“Ann! Ugh… thank goodness she cares so much for pretty eyelashes…” Ren shouted and thought, though all that came out was a toothy squeak that was more akin to the sound of a mouse. And besides, he had to remember that she was wearing earbuds and couldn’t hear him anyway. Down below, Ann blinked. She continued to be mesmerized by the music she was listening to, momentarily unfazed by the strange tickling sensation around her eye. Ren swung slightly, swaying with the gentle movements of her lashes.
“Ann! I’m here!” he squeaked again. He tugged harder on the eyelash and gripped, hoping it would lower just enough that he would hang right in front of her eyes.
Finally, a sudden shift in her focus. Ann felt the brushing sensation again and lifted her hand to swipe it away (making Ren scream in sheer terror)… only to stop mid-swipe when she caught a glimpse of movement. Eyes wide, she blinked and focused closer, peering carefully. Finally, she lightly gasped and pulled out both her earbuds.
“Ren? Is that you?” Ann whispered, her voice warm and curious, yet still laced with disbelief.
“Ann! Ann, yes! I’m here! I’m… whoooooa!” Ren shouted, only to suddenly feel the lash break loose from Ann’s eyelid, causing him and the eyelash to plummet straight down. Fortunately for Ren, this was not lost on Ann, and the giantess held out a hand to allow him to land safely in the middle of her palm. After Ren rolled back onto his feet, he gazed up in awe as Ann continued to squint, the mixture of surprise and confusion melting into joy.
“How are you so tiny?” Ann gasped, her heart skipping at the sight of her friend smaller than an ant.
“It’s… well, it’s a long story, and it involves Caroline and Justine. Can you hear me?” Ren asked.
“I can now! This is unreal! I thought this sort of thing only happened in anime and manga…” Ann said.
“Hey, we ARE Phantom Thieves.” Ren said. Ann chuckled as she slumped back on her couch, almost causing Ren to fall off her hand from the sudden shift in momentum.
“Point taken. But you said Caroline and Justine caused this?” Ann asked.
“Like I said, long story.” Ren said.
“You really should’ve been more careful, Ren. I could’ve stepped on you!” Ann said.
“I’m pretty sure I was being as careful as I can be!” Ren shouted right back.
“Yeah, I suppose if the roles were reversed…” Ann said as she briefly thought about a scenario where she was tiny and was the one crawling up Ren’s clothes.
She shook her head and focused her attention back to Ren.
“So how are you going to grow back to normal?” Ann asked.
“Surely those two will return any second now, but until then, I do have one request.” Ren said.
“Huh? A request?” Ann asked.
“Could you… ummmm… could you give me a kiss? I deserve a reward having survived through all that.” Ren said.
“Oh, so you want a biiiiiiiiig kiss?” Ann said with a smirk on her titanic face. Ren blushed.
“Guilty as charged.” Ren said.
“Then I shall grant your wish.” Ann said as she puckered her lips, which rang all the way through Ren’s eardrums. He stood firmly as Ann closed her eyes and moved her hand closer towards her lips.
But just when Ren was about to feel the lips collide against his tiny body… time suddenly stood to a complete standstill. He looked around and saw Ann completely motionless.
“Huh? Ann? What are you…” Ren said… only to see Caroline and Justine suddenly appear again at his shrunken size.
“Congratulations, Inmate. You have successfully completed and survived all our challenges.” Caroline said.
“Thanks. I guess…” Ren said.
“And now that our game has reached its conclusion and you have proven worthy of keeping the title of Joker, we shall turn back the clock and take you back to before we intervened in your date.” Justine said. The two snapped their fingers together and Ren watched the entire room fade away to white, including the giant Ann herself.
“Oh come on! Can’t I get my kiss first!?” Ren shouted as he reached out towards Caroline and Justine, trying to grab them before everything vanished and Ren was staring at nothing but solid white.
When the whiteness finally faded away, Ren looked around and saw he was back on the beach. Most importantly, he was back to his normal size judging by the sand being so far away from his toes.
“Ren!” Ann’s familiar voice shouted, even though it was nowhere near as loud as before. Sure enough, Ren looked over and saw Ann approaching in the same outfit she wore when he was climbing her inside her home. And to see her from a normal perspective made him breathe a sigh of relief as he rushed towards her.
“Ann!” Ren shouted as he rushed towards Ann. Ann gasped… she didn’t anticipate Ren running towards her with such excitement. As soon as he got close enough, Ann sidestepped out of the way, causing Ren to lose his balance and tumble down to the sand. As Ren lifted his head and shook the face full of sand off, Ann folded her arms.
“What do you think you’re doing, Mr. Joker!?” Ann shouted.
“S-s-s-s-sorry… I just well… Getting here was a bit of adventure.” Ren said.
“Huh? What kind of adventure? Stuck in traffic or something?” Ann asked. Ren realized that Caroline and Justine did indeed turn back time as it was obvious she had no knowledge of him being in the palm of her hand only seconds ago. He thought better of telling her the whole story at this point in time for fear perhaps of them reappearing before him.
“Errrrrr… yeah, that’s it! Stuck in traffic. What’s with the beach stuff?” Ren said as he pointed towards the bag in her hand and the umbrella tucked under her arm.
“Oh… well… to be honest with you… I brought these to spend some time on the beach just in case you chickened out.” Ann said.
Ren couldn’t help but burst into laughter upon hearing that.
“Heh heh heh… well, here I am! Like the Phantom Thief I am.” Ren said. Ann smiled right back at him.
“You’re something else, Ren, you know that? So, shall we begin our beach park date?” Ann asked.
“Absolutely.” Ren said as he reached out and the two gently held each other’s hands. They even stared into each other’s eyes for a few seconds and leaned their heads in like they were going to kiss… but both snapped out of it and began their walk along the shoreline.
END