Jake Barry

Mutually Assured - Chapter 3

I wipe the sweat from my brow with a shaky hand. My body is trembling. Her burst of anger was unexpected. My verbal prodding had more of an effect than I had anticipated, and I was not expecting such a reaction. I could not stand to be looked down on, and so I sought to get a rise out of her. The force of her hands sent me flying backward. Her voice thundered from above, causing my entire body to vibrate. She had such a powerful presence. It was terrifying. She is terrifying.

Chapter 23

"I can't believe we're doing this. It sounded so good on paper, but I'm starting to have second thoughts."

"You have no reason to be nervous. If anything happens, just call for me." Jeannine reminds me. I watch her move finger move closer to her earring, stroking it gently.

The two of us are back in the park, walking along the trail that loops through the nearby woods. We chose to do this at night, when the park is nearly empty. That way she can talk to me wi...

Mutually Assured - Chapter 2

With my arms crossed and a scowl on my face, I watched the puny creature step out of his jet. I could barely make him out on my desk, he was so tiny. When Maria left with his aircraft, it almost felt as if I were alone in the room. Even with our naturally sharp sight, it was a little difficult to distinguish this certain speck from the dust I carelessly wipe off of my desk. Once my eyes adjusted themselves a little more, I could clearly see the disgustingly confident look on its, or rather, h...

Mutually Assured - Chapter 1

The wine in my glass would ripple with each distant boom. Over and over, to the rhythm of each footfall. As I hold the glass in my hand, I find myself transfixed. I do my best to hold it still, using it to compare each step from the last. It is not particularly interesting, but it serves as a welcome distraction. These are dark times, I am afraid. There is much to worry about and little that can be done. Though, I suppose that is precisely why I am here now.

I place my glass ...

Update 12/26/22

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. To those that don’t celebrate it, I hope you had a wonderful day, regardless.

As I said before, there will be no chapter this Wednesday. Chapter 23 will be up on Jan 4th. This will be the only break week for a while. I have been hard at work writing MG and the Peace meeting story. Here are some updates:

1. The timeline for MG has reached 43 chapters. I currently have 30 finished which means it is ~2/3 complete. Ex...

Chapter 22

"Jeannine, what source did you use for those crime statistics?" Myra asks me.

"Chapter six from the textbook, under 'Methods and Measurement'. I'll send it to you now." I switch tabs on my browser and post it in our group chat.

Working from my laptop makes it easy to collaborate. I rarely do group projects, seeing as I do my best work alone, but this was mandatory. Dr. Lam assigned us into groups of three or four to research and produce a paper on one of a li...

Chapter 21

"Ori? Are you feeling alright?" Nick asks me. He waves his hand in front of my face to get my attention.

"What? Oh." It takes me a moment to snap back from my daydream. "I'm sorry, Nick. Would you kindly repeat what you said?"

"Sure..." He gives me a concerned look. "I was asking you if you're doing alright, but I think I just got my answer. Are you getting enough sleep? You look exhausted."

"I'm afraid not. I have a lot on my mind these days...

Short Story Poll #1 Results

Thank you to those who casted their vote! It looks like we couldn't break the tie so I've decided to work on the Peace Meeting story first. Expect to see early chapters here on Mondays or Fridays (haven't decided yet) along with the usual MG chapter every Wednesday. I am aiming to have the first chapter for you guys up before new year's. Early access for my generous supporters, as usual.

I am always taking suggestions for story ideas, so feel free to throw them my way. Be war...

Chapter 20

A warm breeze blows through my hair as I leave my apartment complex. It's a pleasant change after so many days of rain and gloom. Spring must be right around the corner. It's about time! I've grown tired of having to wearing heavy jackets and scarfs. Maybe I'll even get to wear that new sundress I bought, soon? 

"Ah... I'd like that."

Just then, I feel my phone vibrating in my purse. Standing just outside the entrance, I pull it out and check the notific...

Poll #1 Voting ends soon

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well!

I can see that the Peace Meeting and Reducing story prompts are the most popular. As of posting this, they are currently tied. I encourage all of you to vote before Wednesday this week, when the poll closes. If the result remains a tie I will choose between the two. The next short story poll won’t be until the first short story is completed.

Short Story Poll #1

Please let me know which of the following ideas you’d like to see most:

1. A war has been raging between the people of Lilliput and Brobdingnag. While the latter are far superior in strength and size, their enemies should not be underestimated. When the Brobs are about to celebrate an assured victory, they suddenly begin dying from a synthetic virus with no apparent cure. With the number of dead rising rapidly on both sides, their leaders organize a peace meeting to try to ...

Upcoming changes

First of all, thank you for all of the support. I appreciate those who interact in the comments of my posts, as well as those who are less talkative. Second, listen up because I’ve got some important news regarding MG and the early chapters.

The short story poll tells me that the majority would prefer I stick to MG fulltime. I’ve decided to write my short stories anyway, but they will NOT affect the regular Wednesday uploads. Instead, I’ll find a different day for them...

Chapter 19

"God damn it! Piece of shit! Why won't you work? Why?!"

I clench my fists and look for the nearest thing to punch. My eyes scan the workshop for anything I can use to blow off some steam that can handle a good beating. After precisely two-point-five seconds of thinking, I lose my patience and punch the nearest wall as hard as I can. The following crack that comes from my hand only increases my overwhelming frustration.

"Ow! Fuck!"

I clutch it...

Chapter 18

Louis and I leave the hospital, squinting our eyes as they adjust to the bright, midday sunlight. I shield my eyes with a hand and look up to the enormous bedroom window. The weather outside appears to be overcast, though the sun still peeks through here and there. Jeannine is still going out in her oversized hoodies and heavy jackets, which tells me it isn't all that warm yet. I wouldn't know, seeing as I've been 'indoors' for the past month or so. Thankfully Jeannine is considerate enough t...

Suggestions 11/17/22

Same as always. Leave your thoughts and suggestions for me. I’m always looking to improve.

Chapter 17

A few days have passed since Jeannine took Nick to the outside world. I made it a point to personally welcome them back. I had the chance to speak with Nick, albeit very briefly. He seemed to be in high spirits, though something felt... off. As for Jeannine, speaking with her can be difficult. Unfortunately, any Lilli 'conversations' with her are fairly one-way ever since we decommissioned the speaker system. Nowadays, Nick is the only one who speaks to her directly. If there's an issue, he i...

Suggestions 11/09/22

I’ve decided to make this a regular thing. Like before, feel free to share any feedback and story suggestions here. I’m also taking questions (within reason). I will do my best to respond.

Chapter 16

What was I thinking? The moment I saw Sara's text, I knew she was up to something. She mentioned wanting to 'try tinies' before, but I never imagined she would go through with it! Worst of all, I gave Nick a front row seat to that horror. How can I call myself his protector, let alone his friend? 

I broke my promise.

Hunched over the sink, I twist open the tap to wash my face. The cold water helps me to recompose myself. He must think I'm heartless, or e...

Short Stories

I've been thinking about spending time on some short stories. I've had the ideas for a while, but I've focused exclusively on Magna Gratia. Would you guys mind if I worked on a different project for a while? There will still be early access chapters, just for different stories, ranging from 3 to 7 chapters long.

Current story ideas:

1. A peace meeting between leaders of warring Lilli and Brob nations.

2. Spinoff story focused on Jeannine long before she began her ...

Chapter 15

"You're all set, boy." Daedalus pats the cabin-sized accessory proudly. "One giant earring, as promised."

"It looks great! I'm just worried about all the bouncing around. It is safe, right?"

The old man raises one of his bushy brows at me.

I try to laugh it off as if it was a joke.

"It's stable, for the most part. A gyroscope will keep things upright even if it swings. The only problem you might face is if she runs."

...

Chapter 14

I wipe the sweat from my brow as I haul the tenth, and final, stack of timber across town. We ran out while building the fence, so I happily offered to go fetch more. By the third run back and forth I began feeling tired. Now I feel utterly exhausted, panting and drenched in sweat.

Waking up to Jeannine's message this morning was a less than ideal start to my day. It made me quite nervous. Her constant presence all around me has been rather comforting. She reassures me that I...

Suggestions 10/19/22

Hello all, I’m making this as a thread for idea discussion. Do you have an idea you’d like to see in the story? Or maybe a suggestion to improve my writing? Leave your reply here.

Chapter 13

"There we go." I whisper to myself. "In plain view for all to see."

I carefully place the folded note card and a vial of food near Magna Gratia's border. It reads:

'Gone for the day, back later tonight.'

'Food for the day is here --->'

'Already missing you guys!'

Tiptoeing towards my closet I quietly grab some nice clothes and change into them.

I check the time.

It's five thirty in the morning; much earlier than I...

Chapter 12

I must have been five years old when I first learned about Lilliputians.

Back then my mom just called them 'the really little people'.

Seeing one in person was rare so I settled for reading about them in books.

As I turned the pages, I developed an unusual admiration toward them.

Their island nation is… Or rather, *was* nothing less than a prosperous, technological marvel.

When our peoples first came into contact a century ago, they had class IV ...

Reviews

Thank you all for supporting me on Patreon. Your positive comments really make my day.

Don’t forget to leave reviews on giantessworld for me. They really help boost a story on the site. I’m aiming for over 100 by the time the story reaches its end! Any thoughts or comments are welcome.

Chapter 11

Bright light stings my eyes as we're picked out of her purse.

We emerge, coming face to face with the Brob girl who bought us.

I didn't get a good look at her before but if I were to describe her with one word, it be would 'overwhelming'.

The ten of us in the vial are frozen in fear.

The sheer scale of her this close to us evokes a primal fear unlike anything I've felt before.

So, this is it then? I'm only twenty-seven.

My wedding was just a ...

Chapter 10

The sound of footsteps outside the room tells me that Jeannine is finally home.

I say 'finally' as if it's been a long time but it hasn't.

My nerves are just getting the best of me.

Self-doubt sets in and suddenly I'm having second thoughts.

The man operating the speaker system with me seems to notice my trepidation.

Is it that obvious or is he just good at reading me?

I'd guess the former.

I wipe some sweat from my forehead and grip ...

New Upload Schedule

Weekly chapters will be uploaded on Wednesday each week. This goes for the three early access chapters as well. If this changes at any point I’ll make a post about it.

Chapter 9

"Over to the left. No, not that much. Slightly lower. Yeah...yeah...okay stop! That's perfect, Jeannine! Ready for the next?"

"Of course. Just gimme a sec, my hand is cramping..."

The massive girl shakes her hand out above us.

For over an hour she and the two engineer guys have been trying to construct our first building in the middle of the land.

Fingers bigger than battleships are somehow dexterous enough to manipulate tons of wood and stone l...

Chapter 8

A noise from my phone jolts me awake.

"Wha- what's...huh?”

My eyes are quickly adjusting to the light of my living room.

My mind on the other hand is still swimming.

I give my head a few shakes to regains my focus.

"Oh. I fell asleep at my desk...nice. What time is it?", i say to no one.

My phone reads '7:14pm'.

How long was I asleep?

I remember studying for a few hours and then...

It's a ...