[fritzcat]

First idea has more potential, I think.  The alchemist is an odd choice for a vocation, but if you introduce it early enough in the story under the right circumstances (maybe it is a family tradition passed down in secret, maybe Elly doesn't believe him when he tells her he's an alchemist, etc.), then the audience will accept it.

My only plausibility issue is at the end.  I don't buy for a second that the guy would teach her his alchemical secrets.  He's one of the few people in the world who knows them.  This gives him power–power over her in particular.  Its a method of control. He gets to decide how and when her body changes, he gets to set all the rules in their relationship.  I think he would guard his knowledge quite jealously, and keep the vast majority of it from her.

She could still learn the secrets somehow, but it could be more a subtle battle of wills and deception.  Maybe she asks him to test his alchemical skills and boost her intelligence, eyesight, etc. with his potions.  Maybe she hides how smart she actually is getting and uses her new powers in some way to learn alchemy without his knowing it.  There are a number of possibilities.

I'd also give the following three words of advice:

1.)  Start slow and subtle.  Have the alchemist give Elly only a little bit of enhancement at first, perhaps to the point she's not even sure if she is just imagining the changes.  This will engage the reader's senses and make the more overt changes seem much cooler and more fantastic.

2.)  You'll have to think of a good reason for Elly to want more power once her fundamental problem is solved.  No woman wants to be a giantess forever, so it has to be for more than just the sheer thrill of it.  maybe she wants to see how far se can take it.  Maybe the farm suddenly seems like a dead end life and new dreams are taking shape.

3.) Likewise, you can play with the motivations of the alchemist. He would probably get high off his own sense of power, and would be tempted to surreptitiously change other people they know.  And why wouldn't he use it on himself?  There's really no good reason why he wouldn't. All of these questions open up a lot of ground for you to play in. In his lust for power or profit, he could take things too far, which could motivate Elly to undermine his plans and take away his skills somehow. 

Anyway, just some things to get you thinking.  There are a lot of directions you can go in.

[fritzcat]

[A door of light opens in the darkness.  Echoing footsteps.  Fritzcat clicks on the rows of lights one-by-one, sweeps the dust of the stage, mops down the wood, and does a quick sound check]

Your stage awaits you at your leisure, milady.  😉

[fritzcat]

Sadly, that was all the man wrote.  There isn't any more.

Yeah, that was a heartbreaker when Double vanished just as his story went into high gear.  :'(

There's always the possibility that he'll reappear, but I haven't seen him pop up anywhere.

[fritzcat]

Thanks for sharing your tale with us, Silent One.  It was a fun read.

And are you sure we can't tempt you back for the briefest of epilogues?  😉  We're all curious what happened with Julie's parents, and how they'll greet their now-ginormous daughter. 

[fritzcat]

Merritstone wrote a story called "Magic Wand," which you can still read over at the Giantess City forum.  It involves a guy altering reality unbeknownst to his female friends. 

One of the big delights of the story is the ingenious ways that the guy tries to prove to his companions that they weren't always 7 feet tall and stacked.

[fritzcat]

It took me a couple chapters to get into "The Necklace," I must admit, but you've really fashioned an exciting serial out of this, Silent One!  Now I'm just sad it's ending.

I sure hope Kate gets out OK, since I was so excited to see her grow a few chapters ago, albeit only a little.  In my mind, I imagine them verbally reveling in their permanent changes after their whole ordeal is over.

Giant woman vs. Minotaur= awesome

And I got the Sam and Max reference.  If you needed reference material, all you had to do was ask.  🙂  I was just in Greece recently.

[fritzcat]

An obvious joke, under the circumstances, but…

HALL-le-lu-jah!  HALL-le-lu-jah!  ;D

Definitely worth the wait so far.  Glad to see the new chapters, Kate, and I'm dying to read the rest.

Man, between this, Silent One's gripping tale, and AlexG's latest (which I have yet to read with proper attention, owing to a busy schedule), I'm getting downright spoiled.  Hopefully, it's not the feast before an age of famine.

Out of curiosity, is this the first mention of Nicole's increased strength?  It might have been implied earlier in the story and I just missed it.

[fritzcat]

Oh, my, the end is in sight.  It's the Final Countdown! (buhduh-DEE-doo, Buhduh-DEE-DEE-doo)

Ah, Arrested Development.  I miss that show so much.  😀

Anyway, allergies are a bitch, as I can personally attest.  I hope you're feeling better, Kate.  The new chapters do a great job of setting up the big climax.  I'm on the edge of my seat.

[fritzcat]

God, I am loving it, Kate!  😀  I can't tell you how wonderful it is that you've come back to conclude this gem.  It's been months of famine where I couldn't find a single new story that matched my tastes, but having one that I love come back from the dead makes it all worth it.

I love your realistic exploration of the terrors and dangers of such growth.  Part of me almost wants Carolyn not to grow.  Almost.  It's that good.  Anyway, I'm hoping and praying that her genius kids can bring their mom back down to a more manageable size.

I can't wait for the next part, but I'll try my damndest.  Thanks again!

[fritzcat]

Your story is truly one of the great ones, GTSKate.  That rip-off was a steaming pile of shite, so I'm glad you didn't let that one slide.

Anyway, it's heartening to know that you're still out and about the female growth scene.  The genre certainly misses your pen. 

Hmmm, maybe if I wrote an execrable version of "You Just Might Get It," it might even inspire you to return to it (if I did a bad enough job)…  😉

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