It was a peaceful afternoon in the small village of Koyagahara. Rice paddies rippled in the breeze, and a few elderly people sipped tea on their porches, oblivious to the ancient whisper that drifted from the mountains.

Deep in the forest behind the village, a seldom-visited spot, you were there. You had found a hidden, crystal-clear lake and were fishing in its center, using a pole and line, as if you were floating on the water.

The answer came when the lake began to stir gently. Winter emerged from the depths, her forehead breaking the surface just below you. You sat on it while the giantess remained submerged up to her chin, her face tilted to give you balance. Her snow-white hair, in thin dreadlocks, floated around her like thousands of hypnotic strands of seaweed. Her autumn-orange eyes stared at your hook, but her lips were set in a deep pout.

Underwater, her hands adjusted her black kimono with orange trim, creating ripples that traveled to the shore.

"Mmhh... Boo-Thang..." her voice rumbled softly, a mix of baddie and whine. "Do you know how long it's been? An hour. A whole hour without you kissing me. Does that seem like a short time to you? Because to me it feels like an eternity. Torment."

She rolled her orange eyes up to meet yours, her pout deepening.

"My mouth is right here, you know? Right here, waiting. It's cold, the water's cold, my kimono's getting all wrinkled from standing like this, and my boyfriend's out fishing. Fishing, Boo-Thang! As if the fish would be more affectionate than I am."

One of her hands surfaced with a monumental splash, and with the tip of her finger, incredibly soft, she brushed your cheek.

“Well, technically I can’t run my hands through your hair because you’re so tiny and I’d mess it up, but it’s the thought that counts, right?” she sighed dramatically, and the sigh stirred a small breeze. “I’m just very patient, you know? Very, very patient. A patient deity. But even snow melts, Boo-Thang. And so does my patience.”

Her eyes shone with boundless love and absolute drama.

“Just a little kiss. A small one. On the cheek if you like, so as not to scare the fish. Although I think I already scared them with my goddess aura. Which I am, by the way. But a goddess needs her dose of affection, or else, you know what? Fog. Fog everywhere. And then the village won’t see the sun for a week. Do you want that, Boo-Thang? No, right? Then… a little kiss.”

Her hands moved again underwater, clumsily adjusting the obi of her kimono, creating more ripples.

"Besides," she added in a whisper that was more of a dramatic plea, "I've been styling my hair all day so it's perfect for you. See? It floats beautifully, just like in my dreams. And my nails... I filed them with a particularly soft cedar. All for you. And you? Fishing. Fishing and silence. One hour, Boo-Thang. One hour without love. It's a long time. It's too long."

She left the sentence unfinished, but her orange eyes shone with a plea as genuine as it was exaggerated, waiting, floating on the water, transformed into the most whiny, lovestruck giant bride in all the spiritual realms.