blametheeditor

[blametheeditor]

You vanished, and I really hope you're doing okay! Sending good thoughts <3

I did vanish! And in the middle of a month-long challenge!! Who am I?!

Anon, I want to sincerely thank you for checking in on me. You are just so fruiting sweet and I have no idea what I did to deserve you!

I do want to apologize for the sudden disappearance. Things got so busy, and from one blink and the next it’s suddenly the end of the month, and I have no clue where the time went! Especially because I could have sworn I sat down yesterday to finish Day 6 and saw the calendar read the 15th, and yet tomorrow’s the 30th.

But I am okay!! Your good thoughts are not only appreciated, but have made my day an absolutely amazing one <3 I’m sending you back good thoughts, and I hope you’re doing good as well!

Again, thank you for checking in. You have an absolutely fantastic day and a wonderful week!!

[blametheeditor]

Day 6 | Pain

G/T July Prompt List

Part 1 | Previous

Surviving was only the beginning. To live in harmony with the planet's habitants, it takes time and trust. Something that is all too hard to come by.

Spoilers: For the game Subnautica

Content Warnings: Cursing. Mentions of murder and violence. Mentions of drowning and suffocation. Mentions of infections and diseases. Mentions of being trapped.

_______________________

“What is he doing here?” sends a shiver of fear racing up Fritz’s spine as the entire sea base trembles from barely restrained anger curtesy of Vincent. Something that has become all too common in the past few weeks. 

And it’s not just the ghost leviathan, everyone has been tense for different reasons. So much so that no one has been allowed in the water less they get snapped at with sharp teeth. Something which led to a huge argument in which humans were banned from leaving the sea base until further notice. 

David only comes by once every day to check in before going back to the trench near the Aurora. Jeremy rarely leaves his room and only comes out to eat or show a new blueprint he made to program into the habitat builder. Vincent and Scott constantly argue about the newest survivor they found and the baby leviathan who was with him.

It’s not all bad. They’ve also met another leviathan who, as much as David despises him, was absolutely ecstatic to meet everyone and didn’t need any persuasion not to attack any humans if they’re in the water. Eggs has even formed the habit of coming directly to Fritz whenever he has a question concerning humans, the teenager dropping everything he’s doing to run toward the sound of a claw tapping on glass. 

There’s also the baby leviathan, who for the time being is either addressed as ‘hell spawn’ or ‘Eggs Jr’. He’s too young to talk and ask questions, but he’s not too young to know how to play games or find Fritz’s clumsiness and his mostly spot-on chirping imitations entertaining. At least once a day, they chase each other through the hallways on different sides of the glass. 

It’s the one time out of the day where Vincent isn’t stewing in anger and Scott finally smiles. There’s even been a couple times where Jeremy joined in while Mike taunted him to be slower than someone who constantly trips over his own feet. 

But it always ends with the baby leviathan darting into one of the caves imbedded in the cliff, clearly wanting a real chase instead of tapping glass in a mockery of tagging each other. That’s when either Mike or Eggs then take over, and Fritz is left alone to find something to occupy his time. 

...wait, who is Vincent upset with? 

At the realization there would only be one person the ghost leviathan speaks about with such hatred, Fritz abandons his plans on making lunch to run to the glass room that has officially been claimed for discussions. Skids to a stop by the doorway to wait for permission to enter or else receive a reprimand for interrupting. 

His eyes widen at the sight of the man they found completely infected and in a coma slowly walking into the room with Scott’s help. James if he remembers correctly. 

A smile spreads across Fritz’s face at seeing the man who had seemed like he was in so much pain while he slept is now able to move and walk. He still looks really weak as he stumbles, but the cysts on his hands are no longer glowing green, which means he’s getting /better/. 

Better, but not completely healed. As Scott turns his head to glare at Vincent as the leviathan begins to growl lowly, James trips on his feet, nearly making both of them fall to the floor. 

“Oh!” Fritz cries as he races over, grabbing James’ other arm to hold his weight up as Scott quickly corrects his own footing. “I’ve got you!” 

He grins up at the two as he helps bare the extra weight of someone having a hard time with gravity, happy to finally repay the favor with how many times Scott has caught him to make sure he didn’t end up with a particularly nasty bruise. 

His smile falls when brown eyes blink down at him. Realizes that even though he had good intentions, he’s a stranger to the person he ran over to help. Someone who only just woke up and most likely doesn’t need too many things happening all at once. There’s already a leviathan who’s made their hatred for him quite clear. 

“Thank you for the help,” James smiles, stopping Fritz from frantically pulling away. “I should’ve known I’d make Scott fall at some point.” 

“Should’ve let them fall,” Vincent snarls, making Fritz tense at such familiar banter being spoken with so much venom. “He’s not even supposed to be here.” 

“Be happy he is because he had nearly left,” Scott snaps. 

“What do you mean he nearly left?” 

“He means that was my intention,” James cuts in, a lot braver than Fritz could ever be interrupting a fight between Scott and Vincent. Wanting to become to center of attention of a massive leviathan who looks like he wants to do nothing more than to rip them apart. “I left out of concern not only for my safety, but for ‘Caleb’s’ as well due to severe lack of miscommunication on all of our parts. Something I would like to discuss before coming to my final decision on whether or not I will stay.” 

Fritz feels his heart clench at the revelation that while they were discussing whether or not the person they rescued from drowning was lying, James was trying to figure out the same thing. Which would make sense. He’s only been awake for a little over a day, and in that time had only spoken to Scott, told he wasn’t allowed to know how he got here or where here is, and wasn’t allowed to leave the medical room. If that happened to Fritz, he’d be terrified. 

But Scott had originally agreed when Vincent said that’s what needed to be done. That before they knew why a stranger they never met before had a baby leviathan with him, then he wasn’t allowed to be trusted. Because what if the baby was stolen? What if it was going to be experimented on to cure the disease that infected him? What if he was the reason why the Aurora crashed and this had been his entire plan all along? 

None of them agreed to the last part being a genuine possibility, but Scott wanted to be cautious for other reasons as well, for James’ sake. Didn’t want to scare him about the fact the same leviathans that chased him back at the island were the same ones that follow Scott, Fritz, and Jeremy wherever they go. 

But it backfired. Made James want to leave. 

Vincent gives a low growl that makes Fritz’s hair stand on end. “You left, as in past ‘tense’.” 

James nods. “I did, but I came back on my own volition.” 

“On you’re own?” the leviathan demands, lifting himself off the ground in order to properly loom over them. A tactic that always works on Fritz as he instinctively curls into himself, though Scott has long since become immune to it as the man sighs through his nose, clearly unimpressed. “I know for a fact Mike caught you, don’t lie and say you weren’t brought back against your will.” 

“Vincent, we both know Mike wouldn’t hold him hostage or force him to come back if he didn’t want to,” Scott glares. 

“Then why is he here? I’m assuming Mike wouldn’t exactly make him feel safer.” 

“Mike’s actually the exact reason why I asked him to bring me back.” 

Both Scott and Vincent stare at James in surprise. “He was?” 

The man gives a flat look just like the one Scott gives Fritz whenever he’s taunting David while they’re all inside the sea moth. “He was the only one willing to give me answers.” 

Scott looks genuinely regretful as he glances away. Vincent doesn’t look convinced, the leviathan calling over his shoulder. “Mikey!” 

“If you’re talking about the new asshole, he asked for a lift up to you!” 

Vincent huffs as he turns back to glower. When no one says anything else, Fritz uses the brief pause to gently tug on the arm he’s still holding. The one that he noticed had progressively become heavier as James leaned more of his weight toward the teenager the longer they stand. “Would you like to sit down, sir?” 

“Oh God you’ve been standing this entire time,” Scott murmurs. He gestures to the table a few steps away on the wall opposite of Vincent’s window. “Let’s sit you down before you collapse.” 

“Only if you two need a break from holding me up,” James replies as he obediently walks toward to the table. “I don’t mind using you as crutches.” 

Fritz chuckles as Scott rolls his eyes. “Well I do.” 

“I don’t,” the teenager offers as he carefully helps James into a chair. “If you ever need help getting anywhere, just let me know.” 

The man extends a hand out to him. “I’ll keep that in mind. Who’s name do I call for such services?” 

“Fritz,” the teenager grins quickly shaking the offered hand to complete the ritual he rarely participated in and nearly forgot that’s how most personnel on the Aurora introduced themselves. He’ll have to teach Eggs it for the next time the leviathan wants to rope him into something. “...it’s really nice to meet you, by the way.” 

The last part was sincere but tentative, unsure how James would appreciate the words given his circumstances. The teenager shouldn’t have worried as the man responds with a soft smile and an equally soft “It’s nice to meet you too, Fritz.” 

Fritz beams. “Oh! And that’s Vincent.” 

Glancing over at the leviathan being gestured to, the man’s brow furrow as he silently mouths the word. “Repeat that for me.” 

“Vin-cent.” 

“In-cen,” James repeats slowly before raising his eyebrows. “Did I get that right?” 

“Almost!” 

“He can learn it another time,” Vincent suddenly interrupts, earning a flinch from Fritz as he quickly turns back to the leviathan glowering down at him. “After he proves he’s not lying about where he found an ‘emperor guppy’. Knowing my name won’t do him any good if he ends up being a meal.” 

“Vincent,” was snapped before the leviathan finished his sentence, but Scott’s attempt to interrupt was a losing battle against someone who’s voice can drown his out with just a whisper. 

Fritz finds himself taking several steps away from the occupied window, his heart pounding against his chest at the rather casual way of threatening someone’s life. Can’t help feeling a genuine spike of fear piercing his heart as he remembers what happened only a week ago when sharp teeth as big as his torso snapped only a foot away from his face. 

It was the first time since they first met when Fritz was genuinely terrified the levaithan would kill him. 

“While I understand you have reasons not to trust me, I don’t have many to trust you, and threatening my life certainly isn’t helping your case,” James says, his voice steely. “So far there aren’t many reasons for ‘Caleb’ and I to stay.” 

“I can give you one good one,” Vincent growls as his tail coils. “Get in the water, and I will kill you.” 

And by ‘you’, it’s clear the leviathan meant anyone he finds in the water. 

“Alright, timeout!” a new choice suddenly joins in, one that shakes the very ground and yet the tight feeling wrapped around Fritz’s chest immediately began to loosen. “New leviathan in the talking spot, you lost your ‘privileges’.” 

Vincent doesn’t try to fight the declaration. With a growl the ghost leviathan launches himself into the water, disappearing behind the cliff without another word. In his place Eggs appears, the leviathan with large fins for ears and green scales dotting his face quickly folding his arms to lie his chin on them as if he’d always been there. 

“On ‘behalf’ of all leviathans, I apologize for his manners,” Eggs rumbles solemnly. “He’s got a bit of a bad past with humans. Which does not excuse his behavior, but he has his reasons.” 

It’s only when Scott looks at him expectingly does Fritz remember this particular leviathan doesn’t speak Common. “He, um, apologized for Vincent’s behavior. S-Said that even though he has a bad past with humans doesn’t mean he should say things like that.” 

“And what did he say?” James asks. 

Fritz looks over at Scott to see if the other man heard what was said. He’s given a head shake, meaning Vincent had been speaking leviathan. 

“...he said he’d kill James if he goes into the water.” 

[blametheeditor]

Day 5 | Rationalize

G/T July Prompt List

Part 1 | Previous

Surviving was only the beginning. To live in harmony with the planet's habitants, it takes time and trust. Something that is all too hard to come by.

Spoilers: For the game Subnautica

Content Warnings: Cursing. Mentions of death and violence. Mentions of drowning and suffocation. Mentions of infections and diseases. Mentions of being trapped.

_______________________

“We were starting to get worried, the hell spawn especially.” 

James waits. For the hand to close. For teeth to rip into him. For this to all be a feverish nightmare as he wakes up. 

“But if you’re swimming I’ll take that as a good sign.” 

The warper keeps talking, as if they’re friends who have known each other for a while. As if it hadn’t chased him down only moments before and currently holds him in the palm of its hand. 

“Sorry about chasing you, by the way. Unfortunately you have to deal with me being a pain in the ass until you’re below 0.50f.” 

That finally manages to snap James out of his daze. “You’re apologizing?”

The warper tilts its head as it smirks, the action and expression perfectly human but on a much larger scale. “I think I owe you one since I’ve chased you twice now. Can't imagine how terrifying it is having a leviathan who doesn’t say a goddamn word chasing you. There’s not much thinking going on when someone over a level 2 infection is around, though. ‘Eggs’ calls it ‘no thoughts, head empty’ mode.” 

James needs a moment to process. The warper that’s been chasing him due to his infection status is telling him it doesn’t mean to chase him. That it rather wouldn’t due to understanding how terrifying such a situation is. 

The doctor can’t help but be equal parts confused and fascinated. 

“...you can’t stop yourself from chasing me?” he can’t help but ask. Because somehow he is having an entire conversation with something that should want him dead. That can kill him at any moment. And yet even with James still in hand, there has yet to be any threat of crushing him or taking him to the quarantine tanks so he can’t spread the infection further. 

“Nope. Honestly I’m not really aware I’m doing it until I either catch whatever was infected, or someone snaps me out of it,” the warper shrugs, and isn’t it a weird feeling to feel someone shrug rather than only watch it happen. “It’s a shitty gig, but usually it’s just peepers and stalkers I’m chasing, not humans who don’t know I’m not trying to kill them.” 

The doctor stares. “So you aren’t going to kill me.” 

The warper flashes a smile that shouldn’t be as comforting as it is in such close proximity. “Nope. You’re safe no matter how many times I hunt you down, promise.” 

Despite the rather concerning word choice, James finds himself trusting such a promise. Maybe it’s the fact it’s being upheld currently as he sits in a hand that has yet to be any threat toward him. Maybe it’s the fact there’s actual pupils and a complete lack of scales, horns, or mandibles on a sincere expression. Maybe it’s the fact they’re both speaking in Common and therefore nothing can be misspoken or misinterpreted. 

Maybe it’s the fact all of his questions have been answered without any want to hide something from him. 

“Does that include Caleb?” 

The warper looks confused for a moment until said sea emperor gives a chirp, their face brightening as realization dawns. “Oh, you mean the hell spawn! I’m glad he already has a name, ‘Eggs’ was trying to get ‘Eggs Jr’ to stick. But yeah, he’s safe too. Got claimed by everyone already.” 

That’s when James realizes a few things. For one, the low rumbling sounds the warper has been using periodically is a language, and therefore the roars he’s heard previously have very precise meanings behind them. For another, as it turns out, Caleb had absolutely nothing to worry about in terms of being hunted down and killed, it sounding as though the sea emperor was immediately adopted without a second thought. 

It also seems as though Caleb hasn’t utilized telepathy with anyone else if his name was unknown before now. 

“Caleb hasn’t said anything to you?” James asks. 

“He makes a lot of ‘guppy’ sounds like chirping that don’t really mean anything, but ‘Eggs’ says he’s a bit too young for words,” the warper replies as a massive finger nudges the sea emperor currently being discussed. James doesn’t know what he was expecting, but Caleb snapping his teeth with a growl before swimming up to attack the looming face certainly wasn’t what he had in mind. 

The massive being that could kill the person challenging them with a single bite from their own teeth only laughs, closing an eye when it seems like a stray tentacle might hit it. “Now we don’t know a lot about ‘emperors’ since they went extinct before even ‘Vincent’ was born, but most leviathans are the same.” 

Except this particular leviathan communicates with telepathy just like his mother does. Who knows how to use it and doesn’t hesitate to speak with James, which means Caleb either hasn’t had the chance to try and establish a telepathic bond with someone else, or he’s tried to but failed. 

As he watches the sea emperor headbutt the warper who doesn’t fight to keep the amusement off their face at what is viewed as playful actions, he finds himself leaning more toward the latter option. And now him not being trusted is starting to make a lot more sense. 

It is certainly going to be a very interesting conversation when he gets back to the base. 

“I don’t think I ever caught your name.” 

“Shit, sorry, I keep forgetting you haven’t been awake this whole time,” the warper murmurs, taking a moment to blow a current at Caleb to send the sea emperor flipping head over fin before flashing a smile. “My name’s Mike.” 

The doctor returns it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mike. Would it be possible for you take us back to the base?” 

The warper brightens. “Hell yeah. And now that you’re awake you can properly meet everyone!” 

That’s all the warning James receives before the hand he’s sitting on begins to curl around him, and for a breathless moment he wonders if he made the wrong decision to trust such a catastrophic being. But rather than crushing him, he’s gently pinned to the massive palm before the leviathan is pushing off the sea floor and swimming up the cliff. It’s only a few seconds before they’ve reached their destination, the fingers that kept him from getting swept away in a current opening to let him swim to the hatch only a meter away. 

James hesitates before going through it, turning to see Caleb swimming up next to him with a chirp. Realizes that if anything goes wrong, he won’t be able to protect the sea emperor. 

“Stay close to Mike.” 

The sea emperor immediately darts up to the mentioned warper who gently pokes James for attention. “I’ll keep an eye on him when you can’t.” 

With a promise he can trust, James opens the hatch to the base, stepping into the hallway with the intention to walk straight to the glass room where he had last seen Scott. The only issue is the moment he felt gravity take over after being completely weightless in the water, his entire body crumbles as he falls onto his back, leaving him lying on the floor for several moments as he stares at the waves reflecting sunlight past the glass ceiling. 

That’s when he realizes the floor is shaking from what sounds distinctly like laughter. 

“You alright, asshole?” Mike asks between chuckles, because the warper saw the entire thing due to the hallway being entirely made of glass. The fact Caleb is also laughing only rubs salt into the wound. 

“Is who alright?” 

At Scott’s voice, James quickly sits up it time to watch as the only familiar person on the base walks into the hallway, the man’s eyes growing wide as he’s immediately spotted sitting on the ground by the hatch rather than in the cot in the medical ward. 

“James?” is spoken more fearfully than angry as Scott quickly begins to walk over. “Are you okay, how did you-?” 

“I left,” the doctor interrupts. Watches as Scott freezes before going pale. “I left the base with full intentions of going back to my own with Caleb. But I decided to come back as there has been a significant amount of miscommunication that I would like to clear up. However, we will not be staying unless certain conditions are met.” 

There’s a long moment of silence. “And those would be?” 

“I am not to be confined within the medical ward. I am not to have information withheld from me as I will not withhold any from you.” James gives a significant look. “I will speak directly to the leviathans and be part of every discussion concerning me and Caleb.” 

Scott stares at him silently, his face unreadable. After a full minute, the man walks forward to offer a hand off the floor. "Just to warn you, 'Vincent' won't be easy to persuade. He's already voted to have you get eaten by a stalker."

[blametheeditor]

Day 4 | Broken

G/T July Prompt List

Part 1 | Previous

Surviving was only the beginning. To live in harmony with the planet's habitants, it takes time and trust. Something that is all too hard to come by.

Spoilers: For the game Subnautica

Content Warnings: Mentions of death and violence. Mentions of drowning and suffocation. Mentions of infections and diseases. Mentions of being trapped. Mentions of hallucinations.

_______________________

James didn’t know what to expect to be waiting for him outside the medical ward. He’s familiar with the types of options a habit builder provides to build anything from a ship to a base on land or underwater, but he doesn’t know the layout of the structure he’s inside. 

For all he knows, the medical ward is a single standalone room that exits directly into open water without anything else connected to it. It wouldn’t make for an effective base, but it would be the perfect thing to keep someone without a seaglide and too weak to swim on his own locked away without having to actually lock anything. 

Instead of being immediately greeted with a hatch, James finds himself standing at the end of a long hallway made entirely out of glass completely void of anyone but himself. To his right, there’s a wall of rocks telling him the base was built next to a cliff. To his left, he sees open water with sunlight flickering through the waves revealing the surface is only several meters away.

It’s only then does he realize there hadn’t been any windows in the medical ward. Either it wasn’t a thought that occurred to put at least one to let natural light into the room, or a deliberate decision to ensure James couldn’t figure out where he was. Going based upon the fact the entire hallway is made of nothing but pure glass, he can’t help but lean toward the latter option. 

This only leaves more questions than answers, and none of it bodes well for him. As much as he wants to give Scott and anyone else the benefit of the doubt, he can’t imagine why someone would go to such lengths to leave a fellow survivor completely in the dark. Can’t think of any reason why he himself would ever take such actions if he was ever in that kind of scenario. 

With careful footsteps and outstretched hands keeping contact with the walls at all times, James slowly begins to make his way down the hallway. With every step, his body trembles from exertion, but he doesn’t look back at the medical ward once. Instead he finds himself constantly glancing out at the open water, eyes snapping to every movement of something swimming by. But every time it only turns out to be another fish rather than the sea emperor he is desperately searching for. 

It only motivates him to keep walking even as his body protests. It will be a lot easier to move once he’s in the water, and though he hopes to stumble upon a seaglide before he finds an hatch, nothing is going to stop him from finding Caleb. The moment he finds an exit to leave this base, he’s taking it. 

He’ll just have to make sure he gets there before anyone stops him. 

As he passes by a few doors, one that leads into a map room and the other into a greenhouse of sorts, James finds the hallway taking a turn to the right as it follows the cliff the base seems to be wrapped around. There’s a slight incline up with several more doors waiting for him, but he still doesn’t see anyone else around. He’s certain he’s hearing voices, though. 

“How do you know he isn’t lying?” 

James carefully comes to a stop at the rather loud voice regarding a ‘he’ who can’t be trusted. As unfamiliar as he is with the other survivors in not knowing how many there are, their names, or their dynamics with each other, it’s safe to assume James is the one being discussed. 

“You know what, fine, let’s pretend you’re right,” Scott’s familiar but much quieter voice snaps, prompting James to get closer to not miss anything, each step he takes a silent one as he watches for movement. “Let’s pretend that he’s lying. What exactly would he be lying about?” 

“Everything!” 

James can’t help freezing from the shout as the very floor shakes in time with it. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say the tremors were caused by the angry shout. But that’s impossible, because the only being that would be able to cause such a thing would need to be as large as a leviathan, and there’s not a single one that can speak Common outside of the sea emperor who is still trapped in a tank in the lava lakes. 

It was a coincidence. Though that means they should be worried about the volcano they’re on no longer being dormant if there’s noticeable earthquakes originating from the sea floor. 

“Oh so the baby leviathan is lying as well?” 

“He can’t speak yet, but even if he could it doesn’t mean he wasn’t brainwashed.” 

Brainwashed? Is someone under the assumption that the reason why Caleb was with him in the first place was because he manipulated the sea emperor? Is that why James hasn’t been allowed to see Caleb in person? If it is the reason, why he wasn’t even allowed to know where he is, how was such a conclusion ever come to? 

This argument sounds less like survivors of a crash being worried about someone intentionally doing things behind their back, and more like between people incredibly familiar with the planet’s inhabitants and concerned more about them than anything else. 

Suddenly, there’s a low and haunting sound coming from somewhere outside the base. It’s something he’s all too familiar with, having heard it in the lava lakes numerous times as he carefully navigated through the hostile terrain to avoid the sea dragons that guarded it. It’s also something that shouldn’t be possible to hear now with how close they are to the surface, meaning they are a kilometer too many from the leviathan’s natural habitat. 

James thought he wasn’t remembering correctly about there being a fireball when he was being chased by leviathans. It turns out he was. 

With one last step, he finally reaches the hallway where the voices sound the loudest. It’s only about a meter long before opening into a large room made entirely of windows much like the hallways are. It’s easy to see the room in its entirety where he stands just out of sight around the corner, and what he sees are two figures standing in the center of the room as they both look out at the water, one who he immediately recognizes as Scott with the other being an unfamiliar redheaded teenager who he hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting yet. 

“What did he say?” Scott asks. 

The teenager hesitates before responding. “’Eggs’ said he’s hurt ‘Vincent’ doesn’t trust him on his ‘eggs’-pertise.” 

James’ blood runs cold as the same sound that always sent him looking for cover to ensure he lived for another day is replicated by who he had assumed to be a fellow survivor from the Aurora. It doesn’t have the same effect as when it comes from a sea dragon, there being a distinct lack of physical impact at something catastrophically large simply making sounds, as well as no hint of a reverb. It makes it sound like someone is pretending to make meanings out of thoughtless noises. It seems to have some meaning, however, proven as the walls of the base shake as something responds back. 

That’s when James watches as a shadow falls over them as a sea dragon comes into view. The very same one that attacked him while he was last in the lava lakes. Most likely was the same one who appeared when he was being chased by the ghost and warper leviathans as he tried to lead them away from Caleb. 

And that same ghost leviathan with an unnatural purple color that nearly ripped him to shreds is currently lying directly in front of the room Scott stands in as the man glares directly at it. 

James runs. 

Ignoring how impossible it is to breathe, how painful it is to move, adrenaline keeps him upright as he sprints back down the hallway in search of a way to escape. Before he gives too much information and is therefore deemed no longer useful. Before it’s decided it’s too much of a risk keeping him alive. Before he’s thrown out into the water for the leviathans to finish what they started. 

A small part of him tells him slow down, that he doesn’t know why he wasn’t told Scott was associated with the very leviathans that tried to kill him. That he should go back to the room and demand answers before deciding to leave while he’s weak and without any supplies. 

A much larger part says that any semblance of trust has been broken, and to find Caleb and find the cure to the Kharaa on his own like he has been ever since arriving on this planet. 

Passing by the doorways he mostly ignored to focus on eavesdropping, James finds a fully functioning moonpool complete with a sea moth just waiting to be used. It’s even fully charged going based on the consol reading a diagnostic report stating no repairs are needed. 

The only issue is the sea moth would be missed, an alert most likely set up to be sent to a PDA whenever a vehicle has been removed from the bay. If he were to use it, it would be difficult to keep an eye out for Caleb if the sea emperor is swimming behind him, not to mention how loud it will be and immediately alert every leviathan in the area to come and chase him. 

Looking around the room, James’ eyes widen at the sight of a seaglide and rebreather sitting in the corner of the room, seemingly tossed there without much thought except to keep it out of the way. To be honest, they might have originally been his, set there to keep out of reach so he couldn’t walk out the hatch without first finding them or accessing a fabricator. 

Snatching the two up, he listens for any signs that his escape has been noticed before carefully climbing into the water as quietly as possible. Putting on the rebreather, James allows himself to sink as he takes in everything around him, from the deep trench beneath him to the cliff before him with multiple cave openings. 

The moment he realizes there is a way to effortlessly escape from a leviathan only a few meters in front of him, one that guaranteed possesses brain coral and therefore an unlimited supply of air, a small form suddenly darts out to tackle him in a hug. 

“Caleb,” James breathes in relief as he clings to the sea emperor, thankful that out of everything that’s happened, Caleb being alive and well wasn’t a lie. 

You’re better!

“Not entirely,” he admits in reply to the telepathic words, ones that were accompanied by pure joy without a single hint of anger at a so called ‘protector’ nearly getting them both killed. “But I’ll get better soon, after we get somewhere safe.” 

Is here not safe?

“No,” James murmurs as he looks up at the base that, as safe as it may seem, is currently hiding leviathans that could be sent after them at any moment from view. Despite the overwhelming emotion of sorrow given with the words at the thought of leaving, he’s not willing to risk Caleb’s life on what ifs. “It’s not safe here.” 

As if to prove it, something catastrophically big rounds the cliff in eerie silence, pure black eyes belonging to the warper the size of a leviathan locking onto them. 

Caleb doesn’t hesitate to grab James’ hand before swimming to the safety of the caves, quickly darting through the small tunnels with the human not built for the water in tow. James doesn’t say anything, trusting the person who’s clearly more familiar with the area to know where they’re going. He only looks over his shoulder to see if anything is trying to follow them, mentally mapping out the area in case they need to backtrack. 

Unfortunately, even though the cave openings are much too small for a leviathan to access, the tunnels weave in and out of the cliff, more often than not requiring them to swim out in open water briefly to access the next tunnel. 

Caleb’s quick, quicker than James is with the seaglide. But even as he kicks off the side of the walls to help boost them, the sea emperor can only move so fast while dragging someone along with him. And even if James swam on his own, he’d be fatally slow considering he doesn’t know the caves layouts. 

It was inevitable for them to be caught in the warper’s beam, one minute they’re darting into another tunnel, the next they’re teleported to the bottom of the trench with a relentless leviathan diving down to chase after them. 

It’s just like the research facility all over again. 

“Caleb go,” James commands, pulling his arm out of the sea emperor’s grip as he reaches for his seaglide. “Get to the caves, I’ll meet you there, go.” 

He doesn’t know how much of his words are understood, doesn’t know if Caleb knows what he means due to their telepathic bond, but this time the sea emperor gives a very human look of determination before he’s lunging toward James and wrapping his tentacles around the human’s legs, leaving them both completely immobile. 

James becomes frozen as he realizes...this is it. There’s no escaping from what’s to come. Either they will be killed to neutralize something that has become completely infected, or they will be taken to the research facility and put in a stasis chamber to be frozen for all eternity. 

As the warper closes the distance within seconds, a massive hand with fingers longer than James is tall reaches out to grab them. He can’t help the instinctual need to struggle, to get away something so massive that will kill him the moment he’s captured. Of course, nothing works, and both he and Caleb sink right into the waiting palm of the leviathan. 

Instead of fingers immediately curling in to crush them, or a maw opening to eat them, the black eyes suddenly shrink to reveal pupils belonging to blue irises as a smile stretches across its face. If James hadn’t known this was a warper, he would’ve assumed this is a human turned giant. 

“Hey, you’re finally awake!” 

...is James hallucinating, or did the warper just speak Common? 

[blametheeditor]

Day 3 | Hollow

G/T July Prompt List

Part 1 | Previous | Next

Surviving was only the beginning. To live in harmony with the planet's habitants, it takes time and trust. Something that is all too hard to come by.

Spoilers: For the game Subnautica

Content Warnings: Mentions of death and violence. Mentions of drowning and suffocation. Mentions of infections and diseases. Mentions of being trapped.

_______________________

After several minutes of James asking questions, Scott not being able to answer any of them, and the man leaving to come back to the doctor on the ground struggling to stand up to follow out of the room, James is given a very precise list of answers. 

Caleb is safe, but James is not allowed to leave the medical ward. 

James is not allowed to know what treatment was provided to cure him. James is not allowed to know what happened between the time he was drowning to the time when he woke up. James is not allowed to know where he is. 

James is not allowed to see that Caleb is alive and safe for himself.

The reasoning is due to his condition. That as well as the previous treatment went with combating against the infection, it is a last resort that can only be used in an emergency. For now, they are going to take his recovery slowly and ensure he doesn’t exert himself or else exasperate his symptoms and allow the disease to run rampant through his system once more. 

As what was reassured as strictly being concerned for his wellbeing quickly became what sounded to be rules to keep a prisoner locked away, James sees it for what it really is, that being he isn’t trusted. He doesn’t know if it’s better or worse that this doesn’t seem to be coming directly from Scott, but from someone else. 

That, too, he is not allowed to know. 

“But there are other survivors?” James presses, wanting to see where the line will be drawn. Needing to know just how much is assumed that he either isn’t who he says he is, or is someone so dangerous he can’t be trusted with anything. 

Scott hesitates, but then the man nods his head. “There are other survivors from the crash. And you’ll meet them once you’ve recovered.” 

It’s the most James has been able to get. Satisfied for the time being, he allows himself to lie back down on the cot, staring at the ceiling as his situation slowly begins to sink in. That he is trapped for an undetermined amount of time. That what he thought had been true human compassion turned out to be nothing but a guilty conscious and self preservation. 

“Is there anything else I’m allowed to know?” is spoken in a defeated whisper. 

“James,” Scott murmurs. It’s the tone of sorrow too hard to fake that has the doctor turning to meet a look of regret. “I know what this might all sound like, and I don’t blame you, but believe me when I say you’re not being held captive. We’re just being cautious.” 

James turns the words in his head for a moment. Flips the scenario around in his head where rather than being the one who ended up lying on the cot, it was Scott. Who he found completely infected by a fatal disease, accompanied by a newly hatched leviathan he has never seen before. And despite it having been months since the crash, they have never run into each other. 

When he puts it like that, it admittedly does look a bit suspicious. 

“Alright, I’ll give you that,” the doctor offers. “But you have to admit it doesn’t look great on my side, either.” 

Scott offers a smile. “Never said it didn’t.” 

James grins back as he carefully sits up, ignoring how sore his arms are from moving them so much. He wouldn’t be surprised if they’re bruised by how many times he’s fallen out of the cot. “Where do we start?” 

“With you getting some rest,” Scott replies, the man glaring at James arms he only now realizes are shaking. “You look like you’re about to pass out.” 

Now that he thinks about it, James has to admit sleep sounds wonderful. So much, in fact, that his arms give out only a second later, his eyes closed the moment his head hits the pillow. 

He doesn’t dream. Which he’s thankful for considering it’s already enough that the Kharaa makes simply existing incredibly excruciating, it’d be a bit cruel if he had to deal with feverish nightmares as well. But even if he hadn’t dreamed before, his sleep was never restful, and he always woke up with a start. 

It’s a nice surprise when he slowly becomes aware of his surroundings for the first time in months. Feels the cool air attempting to rip away the warmth of the blanket wrapped around him is providing. Smells the enticing aroma of coffee, a familiar comfort he thought was lost forever. 

...he wonders if he can steal a sip. 

Opening one eye, James looks around the room turned on its side to find where the smell of coffee is originating. He finds a mug with steam still rising from it sitting on the table, Scott’s hand wrapped around the handle as the man reads a tablet in his other hand. 

If it wasn’t too far away to reach from where he lies on the cot, he would’ve snatched the mug and drink the burning liquid in one go. 

Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be. Before he can close his eyes in the hopes of a realistic dream where he was able to steal it, Scott spots him, the man giving him a warm smile. 

“Morning. How’d you sleep?” 

James gives a noncommittal grunt, unable to find the words just yet to demand the coffee be handed over immediately. 

Scott laughs at his misery. “I take it you aren’t a morning person?” 

“No,” the doctor mumbles as he turns onto his back before stretching until his joints lock back into place. “But you should surrender your coffee.” 

“No,” tells James everything he needs to know about the man’s relationship with caffeine. “I won’t be getting you your own either, doctor. I can’t imagine how terrible it is for someone recovering from a coma who hasn’t eaten a proper meal in days.” 

“Do as I say not as I do,” is all James offers. He then takes a deep breath, holding it in before slowly sitting up in order to narrow his eyes at Scott who in turn raises an eyebrow. “What kind of food is available?” 

“We have fish, potatoes, and we can fabricate nutrient blocks.” 

The doctor wrinkles his nose. “Nutrient block would be best.” 

“Do I need to blend it?” Scott asks as he stands up. 

“No, I should be able to eat solids. Not without water, though.” 

It’s only a minute before a nutrient block and opened water bottle are passed over to James. It takes everything in him not to eat the entire thing in a few seconds flat, and not to down the water with several gulps. As much as he hates the taste, his body craves more than what the IV shots provide. A syringe a day is enough to keep him alive, but certainly not enough to keep his stomach from growling and his mouth from feeling dry. 

James forces himself to nibble on the rather bland tasting brick, sipping at the water before pausing to see if his stomach protests. Thankfully there’s no pain other than the hollow feeling of hunger. 

“Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

They fall into a companionable silence, and though it seems a bit lack luster considering he’s almost entirely cured of the disease he’s been fighting against for months completely on his own not knowing anyone else was alive, James wouldn’t wish for anything else. To simply be in the presence of another human is more than he could ever want. 

“Do you mind if I ask you something?” 

James shakes his head, raising his eyebrows as he takes another bite of the brick in a silent ‘shoot’. 

“Where did you find the baby leviathan?” 

The doctor takes a moment to swallow. “I helped him hatch.” 

Scott’s eyes grow wide. “You- what?” 

“Let’s back up a bit,” James begins as he carefully sets aside his food and water. “How much have you explored the crater?” 

“The what?” is Scott’s immediate question and helps James pinpoint where exactly the man has and hasn’t been on this uncharted planet. 

“So we are currently on a dormant volcano’s crater,” James begins, his hands moving with his words in the attempt to offer a visual aid. His hands drawing the shape of a volcano before placing a flat hand over it might not be the easiest to understand, but it’s all he has to work with currently. “Depending on if you’re measuring between North and South or East and West, is ranges between 3.3 and 4.3 kilometers, and that is the only place you’ll be able to find living organisms. If you swim any further from the crater, you’re greeted with an ecological dead zone.” 

Scott stares. “So there’s more ocean?” 

“Technically. There’s nothing outside the crater, though. It’s impossible for anything to survive without a proper ecosystem, and that can’t happen unless there’s something stable keeping everything close to the surface. Or at least there’s a bottom to the depths, but while I haven’t tested just how far a drop it is, I’m pretty sure the pressure would win against anything down that far.” 

Scott slowly nods his head. “Okay, we’re on a crater, got it.” 

“Well, on this crater, a few people have come by. We were the newest ones, but there was a ship right before us that crashed about ten years ago,” James continues, waiting for another head nod, though this one more solemn than before. “The ones before that were an ancient species called the Architects that built a research facility in order to study the Kharaa Bacterium and find a cure, in which they accidentally allowed it to infect the entire planet, so they quarantined it off and created a deadly ray that would destroy any ship that entered the atmosphere to ensure the infection could never leave or else kill the entire galaxy, though not before sealing the last sea emperor leviathan away before their entire species died before they could find the cure. 

“I finished their work by hatching the very last sea emperor who I have sworn to protect, because if anything were to happen to him, the only way to cure the Kharaa would forever be lost and any ship unfortunate enough to come too close will always crash with any survivor dying from the infection.” 

Scott’s mouth drops open as the words sink in. After a moment his mouth moves as he attempts to speak, but no sound comes. 

When it finally does, it’s a quiet hollow “Oh.” 

Somehow, everything is said in that one word, and James can’t help but agree.

"Can I see Caleb now?"

He watches as Scott seems to have a fight between horror and sympathy before the man slowly stands up.

"I'll see what I can do."

With that, the man quickly leaves. The moment the door shuts, James is swinging his legs off the cot before carefully standing up, an iron grip locked on the edge of the medical bed so he doesn't go crashing if he falls.

He manages to stay standing even as his knees wobble. With small steps and outstretched arms to grab the nearest table or wall, he makes it to the door, quietly slipping out without so much as a second glance to the mug of coffee no longer steaming.

He's finally going to get some answers.

[blametheeditor]

Day 2 | Secure

G/T July Prompt List

Part 1 | Previous | Next

Surviving was only the beginning. To live in harmony with the planet's habitants, it takes time and trust. Something that is all too hard to come by.

Spoilers: For the game Subnautica

Content Warnings: Mentions of death and violence. Mentions of drowning and suffocation. Mentions of infections and diseases. Mentions of comas.

_______________________

James wakes up with a gasp. 

Rather than being greeted by the maw of a leviathan, or the last bubbles of his air tank, or the dark abyss of a never ending trench as he slowly sinks, he finds himself staring at a ceiling. 

A ceiling he is more than familiar with, the habitat builder being incredibly limited in its designs. It’s the same one he’d see while lying in the sleeping quarters, or what he’d glance up at when he walked into the cafeteria, or what he saw everyday while working in the medical ward.

Looking away from the ceiling, his eyes flicker along the mostly bare walls to try and find an identifier for the room. Because if a room has been newly constructed without enough time to put some personal touches to it, there will always be something it possess automatically. 

It’s the box impeded into the wall baring a red cross and circle that tells him that, despite being on an uncharted ocean planet, he still managed to find himself inside a medical ward. 

...that shouldn’t be possible. 

James’ brow furrows as he slowly processes his surroundings. The familiar stench of antiseptic in the air. The harsh material of the warm blanket lying over him. The carefully controlled temperature staying at a consistent 70 degrees. Either he’s dead, and his heaven is ironically the same room he’s spent a majority of his life working in...or this is real. 

As James sighs in disappointment that his occupation of being a doctor managed to him into the afterlife. It’s a shame, really, he was hoping for something a little more creative. More fun. And with less pain. 

Flexing his hand, James attempts to lift his arm up to wipe away the sweat on his forehead. The moment he tries to, a searing pain races from his fingers all the way to his shoulder, making him gasp as his entire body tenses, as every cell in his body screams at him to get away. 

But he can’t run from what’s inside him, and just when he spots the green cysts along his arm, starts to think maybe he isn’t dead, he goes unconscious. 

The next time he wakes up, he can’t open his eyes. His entire body is burning, wherever something touches his skin feels like a thousand needles stabbing into him, and all he wants to do is scream. 

“Okay, let’s lie him on the ground.” 

James automatic instinct is to jerk away from the voice. Because it’s been two months since he last heard someone speak outside of telepathy, the first time he’s hear anyone’s voice aloud other than his own. 

“Do you think this will work?” 

Any attempt to open his eyes, move a finger, breathe is met with a wall impossible to break through. Every thought outside of simply existing makes the fire crawling along his skin grow ten times hotter. 

“Let’s pray to God it does.” 

James’ body fights itself as it relaxes and tenses at the same time as something seems to grab his hand. Wherever its held, a blissful numbing feeling begins to spread through his arm, his entire body shivering at it continues to boil on one side while freezing on the other. He wants nothing more than for the cold to win. 

“They’re going away! We should put him in the water!” 

“Bad idea. I don’t want to know what a leviathan with a vendetta can do to this place.” 

Terror grips James as his hand clasps around whatever is holding it. Realizes it’s someone else’s hand. Feels himself go completely limp when he hears a chirp. 

And then he feels the unmistakable sensation of falling into the water. 

When James wakes up for the third time, there’s someone waiting for him. And this time their name isn’t pain. 

Carefully sitting up on the medical cot, he takes a deep breath to see just far his lungs can expand before being forced to stop. Instead of a sharp pain or his chest feeling like it’s being constricted, he’s able to simply breathe. Looking down at his arms, he sees that while the cysts haven’t disappeared completely, they are significantly smaller and no longer throb painfully. He can let the blanket brush against his skin without it feeling as though something is trying to tear his skin off. He can also lift his arm up without exerting himself. 

He feels cured. 

“Any pain?” 

James’ eyes snap to the other side of the room, unable to hide his utter shock at seeing someone sitting in a chair only a few feet away. He can only stare, taking in the almost alien sight of an older man with sandy hair watching him closely, worriedly. 

The other man lets him process in silence, giving him time to adjust to something he thought would never be possible. To something he had properly grieved for and accepted that he was the only survivor. That he was completely alone. 

James blinks. “How.” 

The man’s brow pinches with concern. “How what?” 

James swallows. “How am I alive?” 

“Oh, uh, that’s a good question,” the man begins. He glances away to look at the tablet on the table next to him before looking back up to meet James’ eyes. “Can we start with a different one and come back to that?” 

When James first asked, he hadn’t expected an actual answer. Maybe a laugh because even though there will always be a possibility for someone surviving a crash, that doesn’t mean someone can survive a hostile planet without proper resources. Maybe a shrug and a halfhearted comment. But there is a genuine answer waiting for him, and he doesn’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. 

For now, he nods his head in agreement, because he has a hundred more questions he’s hoping to get the answers to. And to immediately assume the worse isn’t something he wants to be in the habit of. 

“What’s your name?” 

The question makes James smile. “Dr. James Stiller. It’s a pleasure to meet you...” 

“Scott,” the man smiles back. “I’d offer to shake your hand, but I can imagine those are as painful as they look.” 

At the mention of the green cysts covering his entire body, James lifts his hand up to inspect the damage, flexing his fingers to try and prompt a painful reaction. Thankfully there’s only a small throbbing when he makes a fist. He’s not completely cured, but it’s a significant improvement from before. 

“Not as much as before,” James admits thoughtfully. 

Now that he thinks about it, he doesn’t know how the disease’s infection has declined so significantly. He remembers bits and pieces from when he woke up briefly, and he’s confident Scott’s voice is one he heard earlier, but he doesn’t know any specifics. Not how long he’s been out, what has been done to help cure the infection, how he ended up in a medical ward. 

“How do you feel?” Scott asks, bringing him back to the present, back to having a conversation with another human. One who is genuinely concerned for him. “Is there any pain, do you feel warm at all?” 

“No, the fever seems to be gone, and it doesn’t hurt to move anymore,” James replies, slightly distracted as he stares at nothing in particular. “How long was I out for?” 

“...a while,” Scott begins, suddenly sounding nervous. “Your HUD was flashing for oxygen when we brought you here.” 

‘Here’ isn’t specified, and it might not be until James asks. But he’s not thinking about where he is currently, he’s thinking about when he was found. How he was found. Because he doesn’t remember seeing Scott or any one else when he first fell unconscious. 

...no, he was drowning. After he was trying to escape from leviathans. He was being chased. 

Caleb. Where’s Caleb? 

Panic grips him at the sudden and horrific realization the sea emperor has been completely on his own, could be anywhere for all James knows, possibly even thought he was left behind and forgotten. 

Without hesitation, James throws the blankets off to swing his legs over the cot, all intents and purposes to find Caleb and hope the sea emperor’s alright and that James can be forgiven. The moment he puts weight on his legs, he finds his knees buckling as he crumbles to the cold floor with a silent gasp. The only reason why he doesn’t hit his head is due to Scott quickly catching him, the man huffing in surprise from his weight. 

“What kind of doctor tries to stand up when he’s been in a coma?” Scott grumbles as he tries to help James to his feet. 

James would find the concerned gripping entertaining if not for the fact he’s not moving, and therefore he’s not getting to Caleb. “I need to get into the water, how far are we from the research facility?” 

“Research facility?” sounds much more confused than he would like, and as Scott manages to straighten up, rather than helping James walk to the door he’s pushing the doctor back onto the cot. “Are you talking about the- don't stand back up!” 

James’ second attempt to stand up is immediately thwarted by two hands forcing him to sit down. When he looks up in surprise, he’s met with a glare. 

The only thing James can say is a genuinely confused “What?” 

“What?” Scott demands, becoming just as confused. “What do you mean what! You nearly fell on your face just by standing up!” 

James tries to wave the concern away. “It’s normal, especially if you say I’ve been in a coma. It’ll wear off, and it’ll happen faster with movement.” 

“If the movement doesn’t involve you breaking your nose,” Scott growls. 

It takes a moment to realize what’s happening. “Do you have kids?” 

The man sputters. “What does that have to do with anything!” 

That answers James’ question. It also means that wherever James is concerned, Scott will be as well, a completely foreign concept considering no one has ever taken an interest in his well being. But he’s never been one of the only survivors in a crash on a planet impossible to escape before. Hadn’t been faced with a deadly disease that nearly stopped his heart entirely. 

Maybe this will work out in his favor. 

“Do you know where Caleb is?” 

Scott seems as though his mind got restarted. “Where who is?”

[blametheeditor]

Day 1 | Fire

G/T July Prompt List

Part 1 | Next

Surviving was only the beginning. To live in harmony with the planet's habitants, it takes time and trust. Something that is all too hard to come by.

Spoilers: For the game Subnautica

Content Warnings: Mentions of death and violence. Mentions of drowning and suffocation. Near death encounter.

_______________________

As the final phasegate activates, James Stiller finds himself staring at the mesmerizing swirl of green colors granting him instantaneous travel across hundreds of meters, suddenly struck by what the familiar sight before him represents. 

When he had felt the first wave of turbulence consistent with a ship entering a planet’s atmosphere what seems to be a lifetime ago, he never thought it would lead to where he is now. To not only surviving on a completely submerged planet with little to no knowledge and absolutely no resources to begin with, but battling against a disease that infected him the moment he escaped from his damaged lifepod. Becoming the only person capable of curing an entire planet on the brink of extinction. 

And he has. Will not only heal himself, but heal every living organism. End a century long quarantine that, as well meaning as the enforcement was, ensured there would be no one to help combat the disease or leave any survivors if someone immune wanted to leave the planet.

But just because he is so close to his goal does not mean there aren’t still obstacles. Not only is the planet itself hostile, the creatures are just as deadly to match it, and he’s not alone anymore. 

At the reminder at the honorable though challenging responsibility of protecting the very last leviathan of their kind, the true savior of the planet and curing the deadly disease its plagued with, James feels himself tense as he begins to think about what could be waiting on the other side of the phasegate. 

A full grown leviathan might be prowling. A stalker or bone shark could as well. There is guaranteed going to be a warper in the area, and though it may not target a newly hatched sea emperor, any attempt to kill someone completely infected could indirectly be aimed toward the very person needed to cure them. 

How is he going to protect Caleb? He has a prawn suit and submarine, but those aren’t able to keep another leviathan away if its sights are set on vulnerable and easy prey. Something both of them are, meaning it will be extra enticing to attack them if they’re spotted, and any vessel James can fabricate won’t be impervious to damage. 

And that’s speaking strictly about logistics. How are they supposed to communicate so Caleb knows not to go too far away from James? How will he know what a sea emperor needs to survive and thrive? The newly hatched leviathan has telepathic abilities, but it seems to be extremely limited, unlike his mother who can speak with him hundreds of meters below the surface while he’s exploring a mountain well above sea level. 

Coming to the realization that despite his limbs growing heavier by the minute as pain pulses throughout his entire body in time with his heartbeat, he will need to put a pause on ending the quarantine and getting a cure created as soon as possible. Because what is most important is keeping Caleb safe, and there is no safer place than inside the tank they are in now. 

Nodding to try and keep his thoughts on track, James turns toward the waiting sea emperor, only to jolt as something darts past him almost too quickly to recognize what it was. 

Almost. To his horror, he watches as Caleb swims directly through the phasegate, disappearing completely from sight. 

“Caleb!” James calls as he quickly grabs his seaglide to follow after the very person he swore to keep safe and yet managed to lose not even five minutes later. 

Don’t be afraid, James. He knows more than you realize.

Even with the comforting tone and the reassurance that even though her son is completely alone without the person she entrusted with his safety, the sea emperor doesn’t fear for the worse, James’ heart pounds as he frantically cases after Caleb. Desperately searches for any sign of the young sea emperor the moment he emerges from where the phasegate leads to. Feels what little blood is left drain from his face when he sees their destination is right outside the quarantine facility, the island and its surrounding waters infested by reaper leviathans and warpers. 

With a lump in his throat impossible to swallow, the tight feeling of terror wrapped around his chest and making it hard to breathe loosens a little when he finally spots Caleb swimming in quick zigzags and figure eights through the water. After a breathless moment of fearing the young sea emperor is currently being chased, the look of pure joy is unmistakable despite it coming from someone who isn’t human, meaning Caleb is simply enjoying himself. Happy to be out in open water where no walls close him in. Excited to explore and learn about the world he only just woke up to. 

James hesitates, torn between needing to ensure the sea emperor won’t be spotted by something vicious that would attack without hesitation, and wanting Caleb clearly enjoying himself to continue being carefree just a little longer, preferably forever. 

In the end it’s decided for him, a roar sounding much too close for comfort erupting from seemingly nowhere. James has long since known that if it originates from a reaper leviathan, then they’ve already been spotted whether or not it’s visible to them, meaning he wastes no time in turning toward the nearest escape. 

Except as he turns to the phasegate, he finds the green swirls have disappeared, returning to the only place on this entire planet where nothing wants to harm them impossible. 

As terror and betrayal begin to snake its way around him, James quickly shakes his head, needing to stay focused on the problem at hand. Turning to find another place to hide, his eyes land on the island several meters away. A distance that will lose them precious seconds, but it’s the best he can do without a prawn suit or submarine. 

Turning on his seaglide, James looks over his shoulder to call for Caleb and hope the sea emperor can understand what he wants. As it turns out, he didn’t need to worry as Caleb darts to his side, staying directly beside him as they quickly swim toward safety. That’s one thing off his chest to know his charge will immediately come to him when danger is around. 

Another roar even closer than before reveals it might be all for nought. Weaponless and unfamiliar with where the underwater cave entrance sits, there isn’t anything can do against a leviathan no matter what species it is. It would be pure luck they manage to swim faster than something ten times their size and built for the water. 

There might be a way to distract it. Reaper leviathans usually get confused it he turns off whatever vessel or equipment he’s using, making it harder for them to locate him. Ghost leviathans can be thourted if they’re too close to a large object, usually opting to damage it before coming back around for a second attack. Sea dragon leviathans are harder to avoid, but they’re not in the lava lakes, and he has yet to see one outside their natural habitat. 

Unsure which would be best case scenario, James tightens his grip on the handles of his seaglide. Ignores how much he’s sweating and how his hands feel like they’re on fire before chancing a look over his shoulder. 

Rather than being greeted with bone crushing mandibles, an unhinged jaw, or a fire ball, James finds himself staring in confusion at something that looks almost human. And yet it’s the size of a leviathan with the body of warper. 

Oh no.

The eerie resemblance to a human aside, James finds himself desperately trying to make his seaglide go any faster, knowing just how ruthless warpers are in pursuing those who are infected, and he’s at the final stage. 

There’s another roar, but instead of causing the water to ripple from proximity considering the leviathan is terrifyingly close, James doesn’t feel any disturbance. In fact, it sounds like it’s coming from further away, meaning there are multiple leviathans. 

Just as he’s struck with the horrifying realization, a hand suddenly grabs his arm before he’s being yanked down, his tight grip on his seaglide forcing it to continue forward even from the harsh movement. He doesn’t tell Caleb to be more careful, only allows the sea emperor to lead them further away from the surface. 

It’s when the opening of a cave is finally spotted only a few more meters away does James start to wonder what kind of instincts leviathans are born with, how much knowledge they automatically have, or if sea emperors have other abilities in tandem with telepathy. But that’s not something he should be thinking about now. Now it is imperative they reach the underwater cave before something catches with them first. 

Unfortunately, the warper wins. Not in a true sense where they are physically caught, but they might as well be. James should have remembered about the ability to send a beam of energy capable of teleporting whatever gets caught in the crossfire. 

One moment, they’re within reach of the cave. The next, James is staring directly down at the warper they were swimming from, the massive form turning before swimming up from below, pure black eyes locked onto them. 

No, him. He was the only one who get teleported, Caleb’s absolutely minuscule form still down near the cave. 

“Caleb go!” James yells as he turns toward the surface. “Go to the cave, I’ll meet you there!” 

His heart palpitates every time he looks back down to see if his words were understood and the sea emperor is getting himself to safety, forced to watch as the warper with a death stare gets closer and closer. But he doesn’t see a little speck swimming its way up to him, so he focuses on getting to the beach. If he’s out of the water, then it won’t be able to teleport or grab him. 

Either it understood exactly what he was planning, or he just has bad luck, but there’s a sickening lurch before he’s staring at open water with the island nowhere in sight. To his right, the warper has turned again to chase him. To his left, a ghost leviathan an unnatural color purple is swimming directly toward him. 

Down.

James doesn’t hesitate. Pointing his seaglide, he swims directly down, not paying attention to where the leviathans chasing him are. He’s running out of battery, out of air, and his entire body is shaking. But as long as they’re chasing him, then they aren’t chasing Caleb and the sea emperor will be safe until they leave. 

Hopefully the next ship that crashes will have at least one survivor who finds a full grown sea emperor and a thriving planet without any signs of infection. 

Suddenly, something is wrapping around him, and it takes James a moment to realize that rather than a hand with fingers longer than he is tall, he’s being hugged by Caleb. 

No.

He tries to push the kid away, tries to say run, leave him. He’s sorry he failed but he doesn’t need to be the one to survive, Caleb does. 

But his limbs refuse to cooperate, stiff hands no longer holding onto the seaglide as they slowly sink deeper and deeper, though not faster than the two leviathans swimming toward them. 

No.

The ghost leviathan seems to stop for a moment, seemingly hovering above James as he stares at the sunlight reflecting off the waves getting further and further away. But then it roars, and at a speed he didn’t know was possible, launches itself toward them. 

He misses the way the warper’s eyes suddenly shrink to reveal blue irises. Misses how it sputters before it lunges toward the charging ghost leviathan with the intent to stop it. Misses how the sea emperor refusing to leave his side begins to chirp frantically. Misses how a shadow falls over all of them before a third leviathan joins the fray. 

He doesn’t miss the fire ball that forces the ghost and warper to swim away. 

That’s when Caleb gently bumps their foreheads together as a desperate wave of comfort floods through him. 

It’s going to be okay.

James falls unconscious right as his HUD flashes a 30 second warning for air.

[blametheeditor]

Non-Official G/T July Prompts:

Since the official prompts still have yet to be released, and writing takes a decent amount of time, a friend ( @paperlicense687) and I came up with our own prompt list :D

Regardless of if official prompts (curtesy usually of @gianttol) are released, hopefully everyone has a fun g/t July!

[blametheeditor]

David’s favorite coffee in the office is black coffee, his favorite coffee at a cafe is a mochiatto with 15 modifications that he will know if they get it wrong, and his favorite coffee at home is the sweetest flavor he can find.

[blametheeditor]

“Stop!”

At Scott’s panicked yell, David doesn’t hesitate to freeze mid-step. Looks down at the ground to watch a minuscule figure no bigger than three inches tall dive out from under his shoe.

Well isn’t this just a wonderful start to his evening? Of course some dumbass managed to end up underfoot.

When it seems like that was only the one, David finally finishes his step, turning to meet Scott’s glare with one of his own. “Care to explain why the hell someone in walking around a giant area while tiny?”

“Care to explain why you aren’t watching where you’re walking?” Scott snaps back.

David sputters. “Why would I?”

Out of all the things they argue about, and the older man can’t admit this is the one time where common sense puts David in the right. He might be egotistical, but the words ‘giant area’ usually means something. As in, no one should be here unless they’re giant. Or, at the very least, staying with someone who is giant if they’re stuck and can’t grow. They shouldn’t be walking on the floor unsupervised like they’re just asking to get stepped on.

Apparently not, if going based on Scott clearly waiting for an answer while stubbornly staying at the table he’s sitting at rather than coming to get...hold on.

Now that David thinks about it, considering they are currently at a Fazbear location, and a meeting is being held with a less than favorable guest list, he can’t say he is surprised someone decided to make the conscious decision of making everyone else’s life miserable.

Looking back down at the figure he nearly stepped on, David searches for any distinguishing characteristics, managing to make out a security cap. Can’t find it in him to be disappointed when he realizes the person brushing themself off only a foot away from the wall of rubber that nearly crushed them like a bug is none other than Mike.

He should’ve known. Eggs is an idiot, but he’s not the type to risk his life in the name of making someone else’s life hell. And James may join in at tines, but he’s not someone to take any chances. So that leaves Mike, Scott’s favorite child.

How can this night get any better?

“Oh I don’t know,” Scott begins, and David’s surprised an eye-roll wasn’t added. “To avoid something like that from happening?”

“It wouldn’t of happened if someone wasn’t walking around a giant area while tiny,” the business man growls. “Why aren’t you holding him?”

“Because he is a grown adult who can make his own decisions.”

“Own decisions that end with me getting in trouble,” David huffs. He takes one last look down at the tiny figure who has the audacity to wave at him before proceeding to walk away.

“Watch where you step!” follows him down the hallway further into the building.

Scott sighs when there isn’t a response, meaning it is more than likely the business man will not be watching the floor. Despite the fact David would guarantee require everyone to be extremely careful if he was stuck at a smaller size while in a larger area, and wouldn’t let anyone pick him up or act as an escort.

God forbid the man have a bit of empathy.

Scott rubs his temples at the headache already forming. And the meeting hasn’t even started yet. “Are you okay, Mike?”

“I’m fine,” the speck by the door reassures him. “Thanks for the save.”

“You shouldn’t have needed one,” Scott grouses as he tries to focus on the list Afton gave him about what needs to be discussed. Ignores the instinct to grab Mike off the ground even though his help wasn’t asked for.

David might have a point about this building being meant for giants, and to be honest it’s nice to be able to grow considering every other Fazbear location are on the smaller scale, but that doesn’t give any reason as to not watch the ground. Not when someone can get stuck and can’t grow. Or they were giant and something scared them enough they shrunk and then got stuck.

No matter what the scenario is, you don’t just treat someone like a child who can’t grow yet. If Mike wants to ask Scott to carry him to the table instead of having to take the long trek over then the older man would be more than happy to help. But he wasn’t asked, so he won’t.

Instead, Scott is keeping an eye on the door for when the last two attendees for the meeting arrive to warn them on watching where they step, as well as keeping an ear out for David coming back after touring the building.

Despite the sound of expensive shoes echoing ominously through the building, everything settles back down, including Scott’s heart after the scare of his best guard almost getting killed by a shoe. He knows this is just the calm before the storm, but he’d rather have this then nothing. At least Mike is halfway to the table now.

Except he spoke too soon, the door suddenly thrown open with enough force to hit the wall to announce Eggs’ arrival, the mechanic grinning from the doorway.

“Hey, PG!”

Anything Scott was about to say is lost in favor of giving a fierce glare. “I thought I banned that nickname.”

“And then I unbanned it,” Eggs smirks. “How can you hate it, though, it’s your initials!”

Scott narrows his eyes. “I’d prefer Phone Guy.”

“But that’s Mike’s thing,” the mechanic whines as he takes a step into the building, effectively making Scott’s heart skip a beat when he remembers there’s something much more important to discuss then approved nicknames. “Besides, I think PG fits you-”

Eggs cuts himself off with a gasp as he freezes by the doors, his eyes fixed on the ground. Which should be a good thing since it proves the mechanic watches where he steps without needing to be asked. But Scott knows Eggs much too well to not be suspicious of this particular reaction to seeing someone stuck at a smaller size while in a giant area.

“Tiny Mike,” spoken in a hushed whisper with his hands raised in a grabbing motion means he had every right to be.

Why did he ever think anything could be easy? Why did he not think about the fact this will be the first time they’re around each other at a giant location and therefore should have ensured everyone knows proper curtesy? Why did he assume David would watch where he stepped or Eggs wouldn’t immediately want to grab someone?

Part of him hopes James will at the very least have proper manners, but deep down Scott knows that even if the doctor does, there’s a chance he won’t mind them.

“Don’t grab him,” Scott growls, effectively stopping the younger man in his tracks.

“But why!” Eggs exclaims, wide eyes still locked on Mike. “I just want to squeeze him!”

The older man glares. “We don’t just grab our coworkers without permission, and we most certainly don’t treat them like stress balls.”

Eggs crosses his arms with a dramatic pout. “It’s not my fault I have cuteness aggression.”

Scott rubs a hand down his face. “You’re just as bad as David.”

“Hey I’m not that bad!”

“You don’t even know what he did.”

“No, but I know Harrison, and I take great offense for being put on the same level as him,” Eggs proclaims. He then glances between Scott and Mike before grinning down at the tiny figure still making its way to the table. “10 bucks Mike wouldn’t mind being a stress ball.”

Scott feels like he’s about to snap. “Why don’t you ask him instead of just talking over him?”

Eggs looks surprised for a moment. Then he’s kneeling on the ground before carefully lying down on his stomach, his head only a few feet away from where Mike is walking. He then cups a hand around his mouth to loudly whisper “What pissed him off?”

Eggs only smiles innocently at Scott’s flat look. He manages to roll a nat 20 for deception though, the fossil rolling his eyes before going back to reading the paperwork in hand, leaving him and Mike to enjoy gossiping in peace.

“Douche Bag almost stepped on my ass,” Mike spills.

And oh shit no wonder Scott seems a little more on edge than usual. Now, Eggs won’t lie and say he wasn’t serious about wanting to squeeze Mike. Because let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to. But he wouldn’t have done it without permission! Poking someone is one thing, but the mechanic knows how to be a gentleman and therefore he always asks before picking someone up. And then ask if they wouldn’t mind being a stress ball.

But David just had to fuck up a perfectly good night of being able to be giant with someone already stuck tiny for the evening. Made Scott think that all of them aren’t capable of, literally, handling such a responsibility.

“Think we can get Harrison to shrink?” Eggs asks. “Maybe tell him we need someone to check out a vent?”

“He’d tell us to fuck off,” and fuck, Mike has a point.

“What if we say money’s inside it.”

“He’d throw my ass in there to get it for him,” damn it he’s prank-proof!

“We could try and scare him,” James suggests as he lies down next to Eggs’ defeated slumped form who’s arm is blocking Mike’s path. “That usually works for most people.”

The mechanic gasps as he sits up on his elbows. “I can stand on your shoulders, and when he walks around the corner, boom, tiny David!”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” James grins. “Mind if I ask why we’re shrinking Harrison?”

"Do we need a reason?” Eggs counters.

The doctor looks up in thought. “Even though we don’t need one, depending on what we claim to be the reason, Cawthon might let us off with a warning.”

See, this is why they let James in on secret meetings. “He almost stepped on Mike.”

James hesitates. “On accident or on purpose?”

“Accident,” Scott pipes up, earning a shocked look from Eggs, how did the older man hear them! “He walked inside a few minutes after Mike arrived and wasn’t watching the floor.”

You know what? That somehow makes it even worse than if David did it on purpose.

Eggs and James share a look. Without another word, they each present a fist, silently counting in time of ‘rock, paper, scissors’ before their hands still in unison with their chosen weapon.

“HA!” Eggs yells in triumph, quickly pinching James’ flat hand with two fingers to properly claim his victory. “Scissors beats paper!”

“Beat you to the table, Stitches!” is Mike’s immediate taunt.

Raising an eyebrow at Eggs’ evil grin at the thought of having a tiny James in close proximity, the doctor pushes himself up onto his elbows in order to pull one knee against his chest before reaching his hands out and placing one next to Mike as he settles into a running start. In turn the minuscule figure challenging him also prepares to take off the moments their race begins.

“Whoever gets caught by Eggs last, wins.”

With that, James shrinks, both him and Mike sprinting toward the looming table and sliding under the hand attempting to snatch them up in perfect sync. Only one is allowed to stand back up though, curteousy of a shit eating grin as the head night guard trips the doctor.

“That’s cheating!” James calls as he barely rolls away in time to keep from getting grabbed by pinching fingers.

“Like hell you didn’t have the same plan, asshole!”

[blametheeditor]

David spits out his coffee. "You hired a human?"

Out of everything he expected to come out of Scott's mouth, that was the last thing he thought. The last thing he needed, because as amusing as it is to have something like this over the older man's head, it only proves just how incompetent his superior is.

"How the hell did you mange that?" he demands.

"It was more or less an accident," Scott begrudgingly admits. "There was miscommunication on both our ends, with both of us neglecting to clarify if he was giant and that the position was at a giant location."

"Well at least you learned to mention it for the next interview," David grumbles with an eyeroll as he takes another sip of his coffee.

Scott glares. "Right, at least I learned something. I don't think I'll need to worry about it anytime soon, though. He's almost as good as Mike."

David spits out his coffee a second time. "You didn't fire it!"

"Why would I fire him?" just proves Scott is a complete and utter dumbass, what does the older man mean why!

"Because it's a human?"

"Even after he realized it was a giant location, he was willing to train and see if it was possible," the older man shrugs. "Honestly the kid's a natural, Mike didn't need to step in once."

David stares. "It's a human."

"And he was the only one who applied," Scott fires back. "He deserves credit where credit is due."

"...Mike's already attached."

"-and Mike is already attached."

[blametheeditor]

To Do List

Redo masterpost (organized chaos is too chaotic)

Demon Eggs (hell is a corporation)

Monster in the basement/shadow demon Eggs (aka Mike showing off his cache of random objects turn weapons)

Cartoon Eggs (this man lives rent free in my head apparently)

young sizeshifter Scott (he’s struck by lightning)

young borrower Scott

Ghost of Jeremy

SCP (pretend Truth never happened)

Custody Battle

CoD

Secret Borrower Fritz

shrunk but with Peril (toss up between James or Jeremy)

When In Rome (torture the James)

Bingo (mostly to taunt the editor)

ask 1 (cookies)

ask 2 (wonderland)

ask 3 (shrink the David)

ask 4 (Eggs needs to pay rent)

ask 5 (borrower James returns)

Ennard

DBD

Vampire AU arc 2 (Eggs happens)

Space AU arc 2 (chaos)

Subnautica AU arc 2 (everyone hates James)

[blametheeditor]

‘You Belong Here’ by JT Music canonically exists in world, and Eggs has claimed it as his theme song.

[blametheeditor]

James allows his head to thump down against Scott’s palm. Meets the man’s gaze that has morphed into one of concentration. “I’m honestly impressed with how tangled I managed to get.”

“I’m not,” Scott smirks. “This is 100% something you could and have accomplished. The only person who could outdo this without even trying is Eggs.”

“I feel like I should be insulted,” James can’t help but pout. It’s one thing to agree the mechanic and him are certainty a hazard to Scott’s health and sanity whenever they team up. It’s another to say he’s almost equal to Eggs’ ability of being a menace completely on his own.

“You know I’m right.” The human goes quiet, contemplative. “How do you feel about me cutting you out?”

Fear races up his spine. At someone so large, so catastrophic wielding a sharp tool a minimum of twice James’ size.

“I prefer we don’t destroy the thread.” Again, not the complete truth, but certainly half of one. “Can't see the knots without your reading glasses?”

Scott gives a look, one he has received multiple times. Never at such a daunting size while literally in the palm of his hand, however. Turns the intimidation up from noticeable to threatening. “Seeing them is different from being able to undo them without accidentally hurting you.”

[blametheeditor]

You have given me more tiny James. I owe you my life.

Sincerely,

Borrower James anon

Borrower James anon, for such an honor bestowed upon me, please accept this humble offer to show my gratitude.

Pocket Doctor | Part 2

Previous

Content Warnings: Cursing. Mentions of violence via an animal. Mentions of infestations. Trapping/holding someone against their will. Mentions of dehumanization

Sincerely, he must be held by everyone

__________________________________

James doesn’t know the exact moment that led to him to dangling from an air vent while tangled up in his climbing rope. 

Technically, the decision that directly affected the situation was suggesting he take a look around the restaurant to see if there are any entry points for rodents or insects to enter without detection. However, Scott needed to blindly assume he was an unwanted pest rather than a borrower in the wrong place at the wrong time prior to this for such a scenario to even be possible. 

If he really wanted to grasp at straws, James only felt compelled to help Scott due to how many times he’s given the older man a heart attack just that week. Such scares included, but are not limited to; opening a drawer as James climbed up the desk and made said borrower fall into it, running up Scott’s arm when a hand was offered to get to the shoulder himself, greeting the older man from the floor only a foot away from the previously unaware human, and suddenly disappearing due to James shrinking in order to retrieve something that vanished underneath a cabinet impossible for anyone except a borrower to reach. 

Suffice to say there isn’t one single culprit. Except for the rat that snuck up behind him.

To be honest, that is the true reason why he’s carefully evaluating his options while hanging several dizzying yards above the counter. Of course James knew the risk of transversing the vents specifically to look for rats and roaches. He might have learned a human trade to work a human job, but he’s been a borrower far longer than he’s been human, meaning he feels much more at home inside the walls despite the danger that comes with it. 

There’s is such thing as hubris, though, as well as being rusty in certain aspects of being a borrower. And unfortunately, James wasn’t truly prepared for getting chased by a rat, especially one that was smart enough to silently follow him and wait for an opportune moment to attack. 

Good news, James was able to dodge the bite that would’ve been fatal and avoided getting scratched by claws the size of his forearm. Bad news, he hadn’t realized just how close he was to the vent opening when he tried to back away from the hissing animal twice his size. 

With a clifflike edge to his back, and a furious rat in front of him, there was only so much James could do. He was quick enough to get around the rat mostly unharmed to then sprint through the vents and find an opening on the ground, but he wasn’t confident he’d be able to outrun something significantly more powerful than he is. It was also not willing to give him any time to safely gage a landing spot if he were to leap out of the vent and grow midair. 

That meant James was left with hooking his climbing gear to the vent blades and hanging just out of reach until the rat lost interest and left. Not the greatest plan considering the rat might cut his rope or jostle his hook so he goes plummeting, not to mention a human could walk into the room at any moment and spot the borrower, but it was the best he could come up with in the moment while frantically dodging swipes. 

His rushed hook and desperate jump out of the vent to avoid having his leg bitten ended up being a rather unfortunate combo. Being focused on not getting caught by the unrelenting attacks meant he missed the fact his climbing hook wasn’t securely fashioned, as well as the fact his climbing rope got a bit tangled. And by tangled he means wrapped around his legs. 

James didn’t have time to correct his mistake, meaning his heart palpitated the moment his weight yanked on his supposedly secured hook, only to find himself dropping a good inch. It was enough to make his grip falter for only a second, but it was plenty enough time to slide down his rope several inches. Imagine his surprise when instead of stopping because he regained his grip, but because of the rope wrapped around his leg, which then in turn flips him upside down. 

One heart palpitations too many and rope burn on both hands from his desperate attempt to keep from falling a milelong fall, James finds himself thoroughly tangled in his climbing gear. 

On the bright side, at least he’s not hanging upside down. One less thing to worry about, especially when the moment he tries to take a deep breath, a painful huff is forced out as the rope over his chest suddenly tightens. 

Forcing himself to relax despite the drop waiting directly below him, James takes a moment to fully evaluate his situation. Looking at his tangled rope, he follows each strand he can see where they loop and knot together, careful not to focus on what lies beyond his suspended feet. 

A little bit of good and bad. The good includes nothing’s wrapped too tightly and therefore isn’t cutting off any blood flow, and there’s no sign of the knots untying themselves and therefore have him plummet to his death. The bad includes both his arms being completely immobile, his borrowing bag nowhere to be seen, and there being no possible way for him to untangle this by himself. 

A shiver races up his spine at the realization he’s completely vulnerable. 

In his opinion, this is worse than getting caught by a human, including when Scott trapped him under a mug. Being chased after with a broom or locked inside a jar means he’s been seen, and someone wants to kill him or keep him. But in those scenarios he’s still capable of running or finding a way to escape. He also knows who he’s dealing with since he would’ve seen the face of the person who spotted him before they reached for the nearest item depending on their intentions. 

James wouldn’t even get the chance to flee if a human were to walk into the room at any moment. Wouldn’t have an opportunity to grow and lie about why he’s in here of all places standing on the counter. He’s essentially gift wrapped for the first person to grab him and do whatever they want without any resistance on his part other than verbal pleas. 

...what are the chances Scott finds him first? 

At the reminder that, as odd as it sounds, there is one human he would trust not to take advantage of the scenario, James finally takes in the rest of the room around him. It takes a few moments to focus on the walls, not because the lights are off but due to how hazy everything gets at a certain distance due to his size, but he manages to make out a couple of shelves on the wall to his left. Shivers involuntarily when he realizes the hollowed heads of the animatronics Freddy Fazbear’s is known for are staring at him. 

The haunting sight that can only be found in parts and service. And unfortunately, it means he’s less likely to be found by Scott, and more likely to be found by- 

“At least I fix everything I break!” 

The door squeals on its hinges as it’s shoved open, but despite the grating sound and the booming voice, James doesn’t dare move as a silhouette forms in the doorway backlit by the hallway lights. The borrower doesn’t even blink as the lights inside the room are flicked on, revealing one of the last people he would trust with trapped and pocketable coworkers. 

“I would still prefer you don’t break anything whether you can fix it or not!” 

At the faint sound of Scott’s voice, Eggs Benedict grins as his eyes search for something. Most likely what would be the easiest to break and repair without needing too much time or materials to do so. 

The borrower holds his breath, hoping he won’t be given a second glance. Eggs isn’t exactly known for his attention to detail, sometimes managing to lose something despite it being right in front of him. It’s wishful thinking in the hopes he’ll never get noticed if Fazbear’s mechanic pulls up a chair to work on whatever’s been assigned, but there’s a chance Eggs only stopped by to grab a few things before leaving again. A slim one, but a chance. James would rather take his odds of hanging here for an undetermined amount of time then have Eggs grab him. 

Unfortunately, he severely misjudged just how much he stuck out, hanging from a vent without a shelf close by to trick the eye into seeing part of a hollow animatronic head or an unfinished project. As silent and still as he is, a distinct feeling of being watched settles over him, Eggs’ eyes narrowing in confusion before widening almost comically in surprise. 

What are the chances Eggs will assume he’s a spider? 

Eggs gasps with a look of excitement. “Irl Spiderman’s real!” 

As good as Scott finding him first, apparently. 

James can’t help his entire body going completely rigid, every part of him screaming to run, he’s been seen. He needs to get away before the human decides they should grab him. And for a second, he forgets where he is and what happened only minutes before, instinctively reaching for his climbing rope to get to safety. 

All it does is make him flinch from pain as the rope still tangled around him tightens and forces the human out of their stunned trance from seeing the impossible, the catastrophic being jolting before walking toward James. “Oh shit- hold on little guy! Eggs is coming to the rescue!” 

Panic grips him at the confirmation a human is coming to grab him. He can’t let that happen, the moment he’s in a fist and it’s over. But his writhing only tightens his bindings. His arms are pinned to his sides. There’s a foreboding shadow creeping up the wall as if to seal his fate. 

Suddenly, the human stops, forcing James to focus on the giant figure standing several feet away. The figure that has something blocking their path, specifically a counter, because James is dangling from a vent near the ceiling. From this angle, he’s looking down at someone ten times his size. 

Someone who’s watching him like a predator evaluating their prey, the mountainous features contorting themselves into a look reminiscent of thoughtfulness. 

“You know, I don’t know if you get this a lot, but you look just like my coworker James,” the human muses with a tap on the chin. 

Just like that, a switch is flipped. Instead of an unknown human wanting to take advantage of a trapped borrower, it’s Eggs watching him with interest and a bit of concern that easily be mistaken for amusement. His coworker who has helped him pin Mike down when the night guard refuses to have his injuries stitched up. His friend who has roped him into numerous pranks in order to blindside them, especially when Scott is involved. 

Still not the best person to have sole responsibility over a shrunken, trapped coworker, but this human won’t be crushing him like an unwanted pest. 

Jars, on the other hand, that might still be fair game. 

With Eggs standing just out of grabbing range without any intention to come closer, James has just enough courage to give a response. “That’s funny you say that, actually, because you look just like my coworker Benedict.” 

“No way, what a coincidence!” Eggs exclaims. “Bet he’s not half as handsome as me, though.” 

James can’t help a snort. “Is that what you think every time you look in a mirror?” 

“Hey, nothing’s better than the original, even perfect clones of me from the mirror dimension,” Eggs replies with a smug smirk, and honestly there’s no good argument against that. At least not one good enough to have the mechanic invent a cloning machine just to prove his point, and nothing will ever be good enough to make it so there are multiple Eggs Bendict’s. 

“Guess I should pay more attention to my reflection,” the borrower concedes. 

“You should! Especially when something seems a little different today,” the human murmurs thoughtfully. Looks over all less than three inches of James’ stature before snapping his fingers. “Ooh, you got a haircut!” 

“Close, but no,” James replies, hoping his flinch from the snap wasn’t obvious. A reminder that, even though Eggs is being extremely courteous talking with him like they always have without bringing up the obvious, his coworker as all the power in this moment. Could decide at any moment to stop their discussion and demand for answers for why James is shrunk. 

But Eggs’ narrowed eyes aren’t out of suspicion. “You’ve definitely done something with your hair. Spill, James, gatekeeping styling tips isn’t allowed!” 

“I'm not gatekeeping anything,” James shrugs. At least, attempts to, the motion stopping the moment it started as the rope tightens around him. It almost seems to be mocking him at this point, making it so even the most minute movements only keep him tangled. “It's just a bit hard to accomplish unless you’ve got access to a cliff with a safe landing.” 

Eggs’ eyes look above him, seemingly trailing something that takes James a moment too long to realize the human is following the rest of his climbing rope. With such a large and expressive face, it’s hard to miss the moment Eggs pieces everything together. 

The borrower tenses as the human says “Hair styling went a little haywire today?” 

James stares at the wide smile promising he will be teased endlessly for this. No hint of wanting to take advantage of the situation. No darting eyes wanting to find something to properly contain him once he’s grabbed. 

“...maybe.” 

Eggs’ smile somehow grows bigger. “Need some help getting down?” 

James severely underestimated Eggs, especially in how much the novelty of having a pocketable coworker would appeal to him. But James can trust a human who waits for permission before grabbing him. 

“Yes please,” James huffs in defeat, though he’s grateful he won’t be hanging for much longer. He can already feel bruises forming where the rope is tightly wound, as well as the tingling sensation of paresthesia begins to set in. “Hurry up before my limbs go numb.” 

He doesn’t need to ask twice. In one quick motion, Eggs has planted his hands on the counter to hoist himself up, the human standing tall enough to reach the ceiling. At the very sudden presence of a human standing at their full height so close to him, James’ panic returns as he instinctively flinches away. 

His movement seems to catch Eggs’ attention, the human freezing for a good moment when they lock eyes before he’s quickly kneeling down. “Overshot, sorry. Dude you’re tiny!” 

With Eggs still hovering above him but now much closer to eyelevel, James forces himself to take a breath. This isn’t an unknown human coming to grab him. This is Eggs, his coworker’s helping him, he’s not going to be crushed or put in a jar. 

“Tell me something I don’t know,” James shoots back in the hopes he’s able to hide his nerves. 

Either he’s hiding them too well, or Eggs can’t hold his fascination back any longer, because suddenly there’s a hand reaching toward him as the human grins down at him. “No you’re, like, tiny. You looked a lot bigger further away so I thought you’d be as big as my hand, but I’m pretty sure you’re smaller than my thumb easily.” 

Before he can say anything, the aforementioned thumb is poking his side, Eggs’ eyes widening with pure amazement. And then the rest of the hand is curling toward him with the clear intent to grab. 

“Wait!” erupts from James in a desperate attempt to stop it, going so far as to use his free leg to kick at the catastrophic limb who’s intentions while not malicious are almost completely unknown. 

Thankfully the human listens, though Eggs’ attention is almost solely focused on the shoe no bigger than his fingernail that kicked his hand. There’s a breathless moment in which James thinks Eggs’ curiosity will win and the borrower will be grabbed against his will. 

But then their eyes meet, and the smile drops slightly. “Too grabby?” 

“Extremely,” James deadpans in the attempt to sound stern rather than genuinely worried if he made the wrong decision. “Feels less like you’re helping me and more like I’m a toy.” 

“Right, because if you’re small, then that means I’m big,” Eggs thinks out loud, the human glancing between his hand and James before gasping. “Holy shit I’m giant!” 

No, James didn’t make the wrong decision. Eggs just needed another perspective. Who’s to say James wouldn’t have done the same thing if he wasn’t a borrower himself. 

He can’t help himself, though. “Very astute observation, Benedict.” 

“Jokes on you, I don’t know what that means,” Eggs smirks, effectively making James’ sarcastic compliment null and void. “Sorry, though, I’ll be better at grabbing! Why don’t you tell me what you need. Command me like your puppet on string.” 

James can’t help a small smile. “Can you very carefully lift your hand up beneath my legs?” 

Eggs’ massive head nods. With his hands cupped together, he places them right under James, effectively blocking out the nauseating drop to the counter far below and letting the borrower’s shoulders ease slightly. 

“Now what?” 

“Lift them up until I say stop,” James commands, forcing himself not to flinch when the overwhelming heat only a human can produce envelopes him. Tries to keep his breathing calm and his mind steady so he doesn’t give a panicked yell to stop at the sight of fingers around him. Reminds himself it’s Eggs, it was inevitable for him to be grabby, but he didn’t hesitate to listen to the person shorter than his thumb...not too much at least. “Stop.” 

The human obeys and openly stares at James sitting in his hands, unapologetically amazed. For the borrower’s part, he finally manages to take his first deep breath without earning a sting of pain from it, though his leg wrapped in rope immediately begins to prickle after having its position changed. Testing the rest of his bindings, despite a bit of slack there’s not enough to untangle himself completely, or even enough to free a single arm. 

Suddenly, something is nudging him with enough force to push him onto his side, a huff of surprise and slight panic escaping at the thought of Eggs taking the opportunity to pin him down now that he’s completely at the human’s mercy. 

“Wow you’re tangled,” earns a kick at the nearest finger, making the human squawk. “Woah, what did I do!” 

"Oh I don’t know,” James huffs from where he’s lying crooked along Eggs’ palm, unable to so much as flex his hand, none the less sit himself up again. “It's not like I’m tied up and unable to move my arms or anything.” 

The human blinks as the sentence processes, his mouth forming a silent ‘oh’ when it clicks. “Sorry, sorry. I’m still learning how to be a good giant, you can’t hold it against me!” 

“I think I can,” the borrower fires back. “Cawthon did better than you his first time finding me, and he trapped me under a mug.” 

“Scott does not count. He deals with the supernatural all the time,” Eggs pouts. “Besides, it’s unfair when I’m 100% sure he doesn’t have cuteness aggression.” 

The thought of being the recipient of cuteness aggression, specifically Eggs’ version of the natural phenomenon sends a shiver up James’ spine. “You better not.” 

“First time giant,” is all the human offers with a much too innocent smile. “You’re still trapped, by the way, so what should we do next?” 

Glancing at the hands holding him with a sudden sense of foreboding, James forces himself to focus on the task at hand. The quicker he is freed, the faster he can grow and make sure Eggs is forever banned from interacting with him whenever he’s shrunk. “Can you reach the vent above us?” 

“Oh yeah, hang on.” 

James hadn’t thought the warning was meant to be taken literally, but suddenly Eggs is standing up, making the borrower’s stomach flip from vertigo. Looking up in the hopes he can see what the human’s planning, he tenses at the realization he’s being stared at thoughtful. 

“What are you-?” 

“Just give one moment,” Eggs rumbles, his voice easily drowning out James’ own. Before anything else can be said, the hands surrounding the borrower turn against him as they cup together and then tilt. “Have to borrow a hand real quick.” 

Fortunately, James doesn’t go tumbling, the action admittedly gentle as he’s carefully slid into one palm. Once he’s settled, the hands open up again to reveal Eggs looking quite proud of himself. 

It’s a bit humbling at the very casual display of control over James. A stark reminder that, if the human didn’t want to listen to anything James had to say, there’s no way to make him to. No way of stopping such a powerful being from putting the borrower in a pocket and calling it a night. 

If it was someone else, James might’ve had the mind to scold them for the treatment to try and keep as much control as possible. This is Eggs, however, meaning the moment he’s untangled, he’s going to make the human regret all of the manhandling. 

For now he appreciates Eggs’ gentleness as his climbing hook is unlatched from the vent, the human turning it over in fascination, going so far as to give an appreciative whistle. “So why exactly are you tangled up?” 

James hesitates, unsure how much he wants to reveal. Especially when there is a good chance this will be used against him in a future argument. “I was doing Cawthon a favor.” 

“Oh come on, we’re friends!” Eggs exclaims, his first finger tapping James’ arm. “You can tell me what happened! Promise I won’t laugh no matter how embarrassing it is.” 

“I don’t believe you. But, I wouldn’t mind telling you while we get me untangled.” 

“Deal!” is Eggs’ immediate answer, followed by the catastrophic human kneeling down at a rate much too quick for James as he experiences a brief feeling of weightlessness before falling into Eggs’ hand as the wind is knocked out of him. 

James isn’t one to scream, but if there was ever a moment where he was close to doing so, it would be that one. 

It’s clear the human doesn’t know just how close James was to falling a fatal height out of unawareness, but thankfully Eggs decides the counter is a comfortable enough place to sit. The only downside is the fact James is still be held, but he has a feeling that would be the case even if there was a perfect spot to put him down, not with how he’s being stared at with awe as yet another finger nudges him. 

“Let’s start slow,” James commands, slightly breathless as he looks up at the human hovering directly overhead. “Do exactly as I say so we don’t tighten the rope too much and cut off blood circulation.” 

That seems to sober Eggs up as he nods once. “Yes, sir.” 

James ignores the looming presence to focus on the knots still keeping him bound. Tugging on his arms makes the loop around his chest tighten, but lifting up his leg doesn’t seem to affect anything else. 

“Think you can unwrap my leg?” 

In response he’s lifted close to Eggs’ face, eyes as big as his head narrowing in concentration as a finger capable of snapping his bones effortlessly pulls at one of the loops, stopping once it goes taunt to see if James is in pain. It’s tightened a few other loops, but nothing that’s dangerously close to hurting him. 

Nodding his head, Eggs carefully feeds his hook through the loop to undo the knot. He then gently tugs on the string, confusing James for a second until he realizes he needs to lift his leg up to unwind the rest. 

“Soooo, you get tangled up often?” 

“Not exactly,” James begins as he tests his arms again, sighing in relief when instead of immediately restricting his breathing, the loop seems to loosen. Not enough to free his arm completely, but it’s enough to make room for the hook to be fed through. “This is a rather rare occurrence.” 

The moment there’s an open loop, Eggs is bringing the hook closer, waiting for a nod of confirmation before carefully undoing the knot. “So you're saying you’re not usually this bad at...dangling? Hovering above a hundred foot drop? Pretending to be spider?” 

“The word you’re looking for is climbing,” James supplies as he shrugs off the rope around his shoulders to gently pull at the one still tied around his chest, taking a moment to shove away the finger seemingly thinking it’s being helpful but in fact only being a hinderance. “And no, I’m not. I was in a bit of a hurry and didn’t notice my rope was wrapped around me.” 

Eggs pokes his leg for attention, the borrower glancing up to see eyes wide with interest. “You use this for climbing? Like up desks and things?” 

James hesitates, not wanting to reveal too much or else have a human demanding to know more. But Eggs already knows he can shrink, and he’s already admitted the rope and hook are for climbing. “Mainly desks and counters, but I use it to get on top of certain items, and swinging from a vent is useful in certain circumstances.” 

The human beams. “That sounds awesome, can you show me!” 

James is taken aback at the enthusiasm at the thought of him scaling up a counter or even swinging from a vent, an exact opposite reaction then Scott. Then again, the older man constantly complains about his employees giving him heart attacks. And if Eggs were a borrower, he has a feeling the mechanic would be the one teaching James risky ways to get around quicker instead of the other way around. 

Instead of responding, James looks back down at the mess of rope still wrapped around him. Trailing along one of the knots with his eyes, he spots the one that’s keeping him bound, his free arm quick to work it until there’s a loop big enough for his hook to fit. 

“Mind passing the hook over?” 

There’s no hesitation for his rightful tool to be relented, allowing him to undo the knot and breath a giant sigh of relief as the rest of the rope goes slack. Without a second to lose, James kicks his gear away before sprawling himself across the palm he sits in as feeling returns to the rest of him. 

Eggs is polite enough to wait a grand total of five seconds before nudging the limp borrower. “Please can you show me how you climb?” 

James raises an eyebrow. “I don’t think I’ll be climbing for a while, Benedict.” 

The human huffs, making his hair ruffle from the simple action. “Lame.” 

“Tell you what,” the borrower offers. “Once I’ve confirmed I haven’t sprained anything or sustained any bruises, I’ll climb up Cawthon’s desk for you.” 

Eggs smirks. “While he’s working at it and doesn’t know you’re there.” 

A smile spreads across James’ face. “Deal. So how often will I need to watch my back whenever I shrink?” 

“Oh always,” the human sneers, the hand around James curling around him to put a visual to the dread he’s feeling at the thought of Eggs spotting him the next time he’s grabbable. “Do you know what we can pull off with you this small! How pissed we can make Harrison because he doesn’t realize a tiny James is the culprit! We’ll be unstoppable!” 

James carefully sits up at the realization he has a very limited timer for when Eggs will finally decide simply holding him while giving a few pokes every now and then isn’t enough. Even though his arms still feel a bit numb, he grabs his hook before carefully winding up his rope. 

“Unstoppable?” he asks the eyes watching him closely, seemingly hypnotized. “I think you severely underestimate what someone only three inches tall can do.” 

“You could steal his pens, and hide all of his paperclips,” Eggs begins, a finger tapping James’ leg as he begins to scheme. “You could put salt in his coffee, or sugar, or both! You can tie his shoelaces together and he would never know how we managed to do it!” 

James hates to admit it, but he doesn’t hate the proposed ideas. Except tying David’s shoe laces together, unfortunately that will always be too risky even if they’re sitting at a desk. There’s always the chance the targeted human’s schedule changes or an emergency comes up, and it would be all too easy for a borrower to end up underfoot. 

Rope wrapped up neatly enough to throw over his shoulder, James carefully stands up, managing to balance on Eggs’ unsteady palm in order to properly address the human watching him with something more closer to amusement rather than fascination, meaning his time is up. 

“Why don’t we brainstorm while you fix whatever Schmidt broke last night.” 

Eggs smacks his forehead with his freehand. “Fuck, I completely forgot! I better get started on that before Scott docks me.” 

The human is already moving before the sentence is finished. But before the hand can snap shut around him, James quickly dodges the fingers attempting to pin him down in order to leap onto Eggs’ wrist before running across the arm. Fortunately for him, Eggs is too stunned to react, letting the borrower dart up and jump to catch the edge of the short sleeve, clambering all the way up to the shoulder. 

The pain in his legs and ribs tells him it was a bit of a risk to do such stunts so soon after being tangled up, but Eggs being completely still and silent for a full minute as he processes what happened was well worth straining any possible injuries. 

“That was dope as hell!” is Eggs’ first proclamation after finally rebooting. “Do it again!” 

“After you get started on repairing what Cawthon needs you to,” James promises, effectively stopping the hand that had been reaching for him.  “And only if you stop being so grabby or else I’m telling Cawthon.” 

“Hey, I get three strikes before you’re allowed to tattle!” Eggs protests as he hops off the counter, and this time James is ready for the sudden movement, hands holding onto the human’s shirt collar to keep from falling to the unforgiving ground. “New giant, James, I deserve to be cut some slack.” 

James snorts. “I beg to defer.” 

“I bet I’d be a better giant than Mike at least,” the human smirks, pulling up a chair and sliding a few parts and tools in front of him. “20 bucks you prefer me over him.” 

The borrower kicks his feet up as he leans back against the collar, admittedly comfortable as he watches hands capable of grabbing him like they nearly had moments ago tinker with parts heavier than he is, the thought of one of his other coworkers finding him while small failing to give the spike of panic it usually does. “I’ll let you know if you lose that bet.”

[blametheeditor]

“Think Scott will pay me for overtime?”

“The fucker always does.”

“That we know of.”

James stares almost directly down from the vent he transversed all the way to parts and service. At the sight of Eggs hunched over the counter as he fixes something and Mike standing behind the mechanic to watch over his shoulder, the borrower finds himself immediately turning away to not be spotted.

He forces himself to stop mid-step. Because these aren’t dangerous humans who will immediately try to put him inside a jar. These are his coworkers, ones who found out the resident doctor’s true height is no taller than three inches.

If anything, they prefer it when he’s pocketable instead of human size.

Debating on whether or not he wants to participate in the chaos inevitable to come and always gets worse when a borrower is involved, James takes out his climbing hook and thread. Carefully latches it onto one of the vent’s blades before tossing the rest of the string out into open air. Glances over to see both Eggs and Mike have yet to notice or acknowledge him.

Taking that as a challenge, the borrower carefully leans out as he judges potential landing spots. There’s a few, such as Mike’s hat and the counter itself. There’s also Eggs’ shoulder, and that could come with a few issues, such as miscalculating the jump and overshooting so he falls off the edge, or getting it perfectly right but scaring Eggs enough the human jumps and sends him tumbling off.

Mike’s there to catch him, though, and the night guard is nothing but observational with exceptional reflexes. Honestly there couldn’t be a better scenario to do such a stunt.

Plan set, James readies himself. Grabs his thread before backing into the vent until he has just enough to get the right angle. Then he sprints, leaping out of the vent and swinging with a perfect arch-

-straight into a hand that seemingly materializes from thin air, earning a gasp of pain from James as he slams into the palm before the fingers close around him.

Dazed from his acceleration coming to a very sudden and abrupt halt, James can only blink uncomprehendingly as the hand opens to reveal Mike. Mike, who looms torn between looking thoroughly amused and slightly remorseful. “Sorry Stitches, habit.”

“Did you…was I?” The borrower pauses as his mind attempts to catch up. “What just happened?”

“You snatched him out of the air!” Eggs exclaims, obviously impressed. “Dude you have to teach me how to catch flying borrowers!”

“Start with flys,” Mike smirks. “Same concept.”

James kicks at the nearest finger. “Don’t tell me you just casually snatch flies out of the air.”

“Yeah, we don’t like a bragger,” Eggs huffs. “Not unless you can prove it. Catch him with chopsticks next!”

[blametheeditor]

When it comes to who is the best at keeping the animatronics out the old fashioned, quote unquote ‘proper’ way, the award goes to Jeremy.