kxttsstuff

[kxttsstuff]

Borrowers in a Post-Apocalyptic setting.

🌱;;In a world where human intervention is diminished, due to a big outbreak, who really shone were the small inhabitants of the now cities overtaken by nature and time.

Borrowers who knew how to fend for themselves without relying on human food, hunting the growing population of bugs and mice, managed to thrive efficiently. Humans had other things to focus on, such as the infected, so they could expand their shelters where they wouldn't even bother to look.

The stores and the houses being empty allowed them to practically have any kind of cloth or building material at their disposal. Their survivalist nature, their unnatural luck and their small stature all allowed for a perfect mix of the ideal survivor.

Perhaps the infected don't care about the borrowers and outright ignore them, but even if they hunt them, they're just that fast, silent, and able to go to places off-limits, quickly able to get themselves safe.

Maybe these conditions divide borrowers further, those who want to 'help' the humans, get the world to what was before, and those who feel like this is a gift for them, to get their deserved independency and freedom of living. Or maybe, they join together in intricate colonies that resemble proto civilizations, now having the time to develop their until then precarious technology and knowledge.

A borrower companion to a human is the key to the perfect interaction between the two worlds.

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Borrowers' Mysterious Fae Heritage

Did you know all borrowers have fae heritage? It doesn't sound very surprising, but some borrowers are also unaware of it until they start thinking it over!

What are some things they have received that are inherent to ancient fae?

📍;; How can a creature so small and intelligent even be physically possible? Borrowers inherit the very core of their existence, to fae. This is why they are able to bend the square cube law.

❓;; Did you know borrowers lack fingerprints? This is sometimes thought of as a way to enhance their secretive nature, but it is also theorized to come from their magical counterparts.

🖼️;; Borrowers come out extremely blurry in photos and videos. This is unconscious and it can be a pretty frustrating trait to even try to control.

🍀;; An unnatural pattern of borrower luck. Although it's not proven to even exist, it is said that some sort of supernatural luck has helped borrowers to thrive in a very big world.

🌉;; Extremely long lives. Though it is not rare for borrowers to die young, or not from natural causes, borrowers are technically able to live up to two hundread years old. This is a rather shocking fact.

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Survival-oriented special mechanisms Borrowers have evolved. (2!)

🦠;; Their specialized gut bacteria make them able to consume things humans wouldn't be able to; making them able to survive through most forms of pesticide or cleaning chemicals in case they accidentally consumed them.

💉;; Their immune system is much more attentive than humans’, they're constantly surrounded by virus and bacteria, so it is only natural their bodies can adapt to most forms of human disease. This is how borrowers have thrived during big human pandemias. Ever wondered why borrowers get so close to sick humans without feeling scared?

🍖;; They have fast and efficient metabolisms that allow them to successfully break down food and absorb the nutrients, thus getting the maximum energy possible. This reduces the quantity of waste they produce, as well as allow them to survive on minimal sustenance if necessary. However, they also have to eat a lot of food, since they tend to have very active lifestyles.

🐿️;; They have a flexible skeleton, meaning they're less affected by fall damage since their bones absorb the impact. Also, they're able to squeeze through tight spaces by contracting or expanding their rib cages much like mice do.

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Borrowerspeak/Wallspeak

This is a pretty interesting cultural phenomena that most borrowers share, even if they live far away from each other, that I figured it was worth sharing.

With many names, borrowerspeak sounds confusing for a human but it is actually rather simple. This is a unique way of speaking borrowers have developed over centuries, to pass unperceived to large creature's hearing (but especially humans, since we received the short stick at perceiving noise unlike dogs or cats)

Humans can't physically understand or perceive wallspeak in any way. When borrowers do it, all humans see is them moving their lips, but no sound coming out of it. They are speaking in a very very low volume, but also has to do with borrower's fae ancestry.

Technically speaking, a human could make use of a tool or machine to catch and process borrowerspeak, but this is unknown and not convenient enough, sounding very distorted.

Borrowers perform wallspeak, ironically, mostly inside the walls, and have grown accustomed to hearing or speaking it since they were born, so it doesn't sound "strange". Hence why it may be awkward for them to change their volume at first, to fit one that is understandable for a human, until they grow used to it as well.

Borrowerspeak can also become an exclusionary practice. They may not realize how rude or disheartening it is for a human to not understand or be able to engage into the conversation, or to feel like they are backtalking.

Speaking wallspeak in front of a human usually carries an innate sense of distrust, rejection or wariness; unintentionally or not.

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random gt prompt (?)

Hear me out on this, we all know the trope "borrower becomes a parental figure for a human" and its variations. However, we also know it's not very coherent for a borrower to take care of huge children (extremely time, mentally and physically consuming) in their own and still keep their lifestyles without indulging into human civilization (borrowers in most settings are very isolated from jobs, education, money and legal matters)

I have a recurrent scenario about a human who was raised by human parents (and also usually has a good relationship with them) but since a very young age, that human has cohabitated with tiny adults and children borrowers in the same home, and thus has learned their ways and traditions, making the human truly feel like one of them. This is possible because the human parents know the existence of borrowers and let them live in their homes as their 'guests', a literally no-secret double family.

This is possible because: the human parents are very modern, and open-minded, and/or respect borrowers like true benevolent fae. And as for the borrower side, to build trust and let their kids mingle with each other is a very difficult task but that forges deep bonds without compromising the way of living they're used to.

Just thinking how cool it would be if this human met a random borrower, and they were already super knowledgeable and gentle (but also awkward because the human would assume wrongly they're not seen as a threat, used to the trust of the few borrowers they had lived with) because they technically had a borrower family by their side the whole time.

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Survival-oriented special mechanisms Borrowers have evolved. (1)

(also called cool superpowers by humans…)

🐿️;; Borrowers have evolved different biological abilities that help them ensure their thrive through a world full of dangers. Among humans, these abilities could be considered superpowers on their own, but for them, they're their very own natural shields, weapons and tools against hardships.

👂🏻;; Enhanced hearing and smell, these two are incredibly important since they allow the borrower to detect nearby predators, track prey and smell poison in food. Their enhanced hearing allows them to speak in really quiet voices with each other and thus go unnoticed by humans or bigger animals. However this makes them sensitive to loud noise and strong smells like citrus scents, coffee, vinegar, mustard and tobacco. This also gives them a limited ability to predict the incoming weather. Some borrowers can even smell illnesses in people.

🐜;; Control of their own pheromones. Why do borrowers smell good? Because of this. They can control (to a very limited extent) their own scent, making them more difficult to track by smell, as well as smelling ‘friendlier’ to calm animals/bugs, or smell ‘horrible’ to at least try to ward off predators. At long exposure, a borrower is able to differentiate between human scents, recognizing who is about to come into the room and prepare for either a chitchat or to run away.

🌌;; Night vision. Borrowers see good (in green and blue shades) in low-light environments and at a moderate level in complete darkness. This is both evolved and inherited from their fae ancestors. This makes them sensitive to flashing lights though.

🧭;; Borrowers are expert navigators, not just because they're taught how to navigate, but they also have a very subtle ability to sense magnetic fields (like dogs and birds); they will always find North regardless where they are, and generally have a good spatial awareness and memory. This also gives them the uncanny ability to predict major disturbances like earthquakes or tsunamis, or just big storms a short time before they happen, to take shelter.

🐿️;; A pretty unique psyche gives them cool perks. Sure, borrowers are small and that is a big enough disadvantage. To compensate, borrowers are strong, they can lift up to five times their weight, which isn't much in numbers, but is extremely useful to carry things that are heavy.

(actually missed some stuff so I'll be continuing~)

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gt prompt (?)

I've been thinking about this concept and I really dig it sm. Imagine a world where, the moment any human is born, a tiny/borrower/fae/whatever term you use is born at the same place and time connected to them, but in the opposite gender and not blood related, and they don't normally look alike (kind of like His Dark Materials). They would be like soulmates but not in a romantic way. Whenever the human dies or gets injured, their tiny companion also dies/gets injured and viceversa, depending on the protection of each other. They grow up beside each other.

Of course you can take this one step further and make it so they can read each other thoughts, know where each other is, see through the other's eyes.

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Borrower Age & Education 

🐿️;; When a borrower is born, they're already considered a child, not a ‘baby’ in the human way of seeing it. Because of that, they already have very important responsibilities on their backs. And their very first task is to learn how to walk, which they learn to do in their first month of life. This is why it is said “Borrowers are born working”

🐿️;; Borrowers are surprisingly fast learners, and it enhances their ability to adapt to multiple situations and skills that require a creative or a physical input. They also have a natural sense of curiosity, to learn how things work. To be curious for a borrower is healthy and normal, but when it's too much, it can lead to the awful consequence of being caught.

Education

🪡;; Obviously, borrowers normally don't have access to formalized forms of learning like schools or colleges, most of them would be what humans call homeschooled so that means most of their knowledge comes from his family and community. That also means families can prioritize certain skills over others, skipping them entirely or even teaching extra things, so this will list the most general possible of things borrowers learn since their early childhood in order to be considered independent and fully capable once they reach adulthood.

🪡;; Most commonly, borrowers learn by example and observation, some parents might do something once and expect their child to figure it on their own. However, children get involved in almost any task or chore.

🪡;; All of these skills are almost never restricted to gender.

🪡;; Regarding mentality, borrowers are heavily encouraged to learn patience, perseverance, resilience, and develop quick problem-solving, decision-making, and critical-thinking trains of thought. These are all traits that portray a borrower as well educated.

🧵;; Sewing, embroidery and knitting. Borrowers learn to make and modify their own clothes according to the materials available and the season. Parents give children their first set of clothes, but they are encouraged to modify them themselves as they grow, or even start making their own.

🏹 ;; Hunting, skinning, tanning, tracking and crafting traps. Even though borrowers tend to prefer just borrowing food, in times of scarcity they'll resort to hunting so they must know different strategies for different prey, how to fight them, how to make full use of it, and are desensitized from a young age to what this entails.

🏥 ;; First aid. Borrowers are taught from a young age how to perform CPR, how to disinfect, stitch and cauterize wounds, make splints, treat poison, treat choking, bites, burns, and even panic attacks.

🔥 ;; How to ignite a fire without matches, to keep warmth, to cook food or to ward off predators. As well as learning how to obtain potable water in different circumstances.

⚔️ ;; How to craft and use weapons/shields of different kinds. They also learn how to make a variety of knots for this purpose, but also to make other tools or even shelters. Also, hand-to-hand combat.

💪🏻;; Techniques of self-defense, and evasion. Weapons aren't usually the response of a borrower at feeling threatened, so they must learn how to avoid a fight to escalate; by running, hiding, dodging, being stealthy or camouflaging.

🪚 ;; Making of shelters, miscellaneous tools, and basic carpentry (mainly to maintain their homes and furniture)

🌸 ;; Knowledge about the local fauna and flora. For most modern borrowers, “local fauna” might refer to cats, dogs, rodents and bugs.

🍓 ;; Foraging. Borrowers close to the wild might be more specialized in this. Those living in homes could identify edible plants and fungus, and in what stage of growth they are, as well as identifying herbs with medicinal value.

❗;; Specific communication-based skills; these might be unique based on gesture, sounds, symbols, or other non-verbal means of  borrower communication.

❓;; Basics of human psychology, biology and behavior; like why humans do some things and how to ‘read’ them. This knowledge might probably not be accurate to reality, but it has worked for them in the long-run. This can intertwine with their culture, generating fear-inspiring stories that ward off curious borrowers. They're also often expected to learn how to adapt to human routine.

📚 ;; Cultural values which often include the borrower rules, oral storytelling, resource management, risk assessment, environmental awareness and cooperation/teamwork.

🔢 ;; A very rudimentary math, mainly used to tell the time, counting things and do basic operations.

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Showing 💗Love💗 and that you ✨Care✨ in Borrower manners.

(These will be listed in very ambiguous contexts, platonic or romantic (unless stated otherwise) for my own convention)

🫀;; Borrowers tend to be a little clumsy when expressing affection, this is because they rarely would interact with strangers and even more so with humans. If a borrower didn't tell you verbally how much they enjoy your presence, it might not be because they like you less but rather because they aren't used to it, and resort to their cultural practices which send the message just as well if not better;

💌;; In a culture where taking things is not only good but encouraged, one could only imagine that sharing means caring. Sharing your resources which are so valued, is a form of saying “I understand what you're going through and I want to make your life easier” in a subtle way. In most human cultures, sharing things is more about common sense and courtesy taught since childhood, while borrowers consider it a display of empathetic affection since they don't feel socially pressured to share with someone nor expect people to share their things with them just because.

💌;; Talking about sharing, we must speak about gifting culture as a universal borrower “I love you”. Gifting is an act of love, and even though they appreciate all kinds of gifts, they seem to prefer gifting and receiving things that can give the other a practical advantage. We can sum the most common gifts in two categories; food or warmth. Some borrowers might also find joy in receiving things that they sometimes have to leave behind, like shiny objects.

💌;; Hand-crafted, practical gifts are extremely good for bonding since they hold a sentimental value as well as a survivalist one. For example, it is very common to give blankets, scarves or warm meals. Borrowers appreciate someone taking their valuable time to make something for someone else, so they could find little to no value in the expensive, superficial gifts humans give to each other.

💌;; Although this is highly personal, since borrowers seek warmth, a lot of them deeply enjoy hugs, as well as snuggling or sleeping in groups to share the warmth. Physical contact is a show of affection on its own, but there's also subtle ways to display it, like touching foreheads.

💌;; One thing humans might just not get at the first time, is how borrowers are incredibly mindful of space, their perceptive nature makes them able to sense when to get out of the place, and that includes sentimental situations. Although of course there are exceptions, a common answer to a human yelling at them is to simply walk away. This might look rude but it is actually a way for them to not overwhelm you. So of course when a human unconsciously mimics this behavior, it is often well received.

💌;; Validation. Borrowers long for people to understand them, and that not only includes when they're crying or having a bad day, but also when people cheer their passions and dreams outside of survivalism topics. For example, a borrower artificer that likes making cool things wants to hear people be delighted with their small tricks, rather than to be told they're a waste of time.

💌;; Knowledge! Of course, learning and teaching being a huge part of their culture, a lot of them might be delighted to hear their human friend ramble about how the unknown world works for them, and for them to teach about the borrower's ways in exchange. This could be a show of them genuinely caring, since a lot of the knowledge humans could give to borrowers wouldn't prove to be useful in their day-to-day context.

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Family Structures & Dynamics

📎;; Though a few borrowers have chosen or ended in solitude for a number of reasons, a lot of them actually would prefer to be in groups. Small groups (especially families) are more common, sometimes searched after in order to feed social needs and it's proven to be beneficial for them to spend quality time with people of their own species. When a group gets too big to bond or manage correctly, it is also somewhat a thing to agree to split it and go separate ways. Some borrowers may use this argument to explain why humans are not fit to raise borrowers.

📎;; There is no concept of “nuclear family” or “typical family” for them. A borrower family can be a mother and their children, two dads and no descendants, two mothers and five younglings, a group of friends, three siblings, it doesn't matter. However, borrowers are encouraged to have children in order to preserve the knowledge and the species. There is no such thing as a “traditional” or a “non-traditional” family structure, however, there are ways and ways to not raise the young.

📎;; Borrowers can form deep, tight-knit bonds within their kin in faster rates than humans do. Extended family units, mixed generational families, single-parent families, guardian circles, adoptive families, chosen family/kinship, and community cohousing are all acceptable forms of family/communal structures that show how they have embraced diversity and adaptability in order to enhance resilience and strength. Thus, a human may have trouble understanding their concept of 'family' as it has been grayed out over time, making it a lot more complex than it is often thought about.

📎;; Borrower parents, in-charge guardians and older siblings are a force to be reckoned with when their young are in danger, having stronger self-sacrifice instincts that deflect from their vulnerability.

📎;; The number of children is very personal. Some argue that having more is better for survival purposes, but others argue that less is better, to focus on one kid or two and ensure they'll thrive. The most common number of children to have is three.

📎;; Borrowers value their elders, not just the old, but literally anyone who is older, siblings, parents… Aside from being culturally ingrained by now, there is also a practical reason: You can borrow clips, buttons, sugar cubes, but you can't borrow experience and time. This is why they are seen as wiser, they have experienced more hardships and have valuable skills they can pass on to the young, so you have to be “aware” if you want to be worthy of being taught. This is often done in a healthy environment, but some borrowers might get toxic with this topic, the parents refusing to educate their young until they feel like they deserve it.

📎;; Older siblings are usually expected to perfect the borrower ways in order to teach the younger siblings, and it subconsciously prepares them for a parental role in case something goes wrong. This can generate A LOT of pressure, but also allows them to have extremely intricate sibling dynamics.

📎;; Borrowers use the word “Provider” to refer to the one parent (if both don't) that takes the job to go scavenging. This is a very respected and seeked after role because it is the core of their cultural identity.

📎;; Every member of the unit has their own responsibilities; often associated with either learning or teaching. Even though the elders are very valued, the younger borrowers, for example the children, have opinions and they make decisions that are still considered and are prone to be taken more seriously (for bad or for good) than humans do with their kids.

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Sense of humor

🧵;; You may find your borrower friend, despite being an avid survivor, also a great comedian in their own strange ways. This is not uncommon, as humor is a sign of inherent trust. Humor is essential for borrowers to cope with stress and the difficulties of their lives, but it is more reserved to close relationships since it can have ambivalent attitudes.

🧵;; Borrowers don't grasp sarcasm, or at least not the way humans do. For them it's very important (sometimes even related to their survival) to be direct and honest with each other, so sarcasm may be taken seriously and cause awkward moments or unnecessary misunderstandings, as it may come off as rude or inappropriate, and with the right tone and words, you may even start a fight. That is not to say borrowers don't have their own sarcasm, but it is less used when talking about someone with that someone, and more about describing particular situations or people to others. This is why borrower humor is HIGHLY context-based:

🐿️;; The borrower way of being funny and unserious often uses exaggeration as a resource (also a way of subtle sarcasm, eh?) For example; “This door is heavier than a bag full of thumbtacks!”

🐿️;; To show you are incapable of doing something that is considered “easy” on purpose (by being clumsy, slow, or manual tasks like sewing) can be seen as funny in a right context, with the right tone and expression. For example, faking being an idiot at climbing. Of course, you may be actually an idiot and it would be seen as equally if not funnier. Be careful to do this around those who are not your friends, or they'll make a poor opinion about you. Also, some borrowers may display a sense of ironic pity at someone else being poor at a task, whether on purpose or not.

🐿️;; Borrowers are a bit more desensitized to death, blood, and other “survival stuff” humans may find weird. So to make the most of it, they sometimes make jokes related to the unique struggles they face as a species. “You wouldn't believe it, but I've had mouse liver and it tasted better than this piece of old bread”.

🐿️;; Though some Borrowers do mock humans for various reasons (whether with shadowed honest opinions or just the dose of unique borrower sarcasm), it is not safe to assume they all share these kind of jokes or consider them okay.

🧵;; Borrowers love to laugh at themselves, especially the young. However, you might not ever hear them joke about their own traditions or ancestors, there is a well-defined limit they unconsciously know.

🧵;; Because it is required as a core value to “be a good borrower”, most of them are perceptive regarding this topic, and will notice when the joke they made went too far or went misunderstood, quickly going back to a safe spot. Same way they will notice when the other is trying too hard to be funny, which is not well received.

🧵;; If the joke wasn't funny or it didn't make sense, most borrowers won't laugh or even smile out of courtesy, rather asking questions (not pointing out how awful it was) as to not let the warm convo turn into a deep silence.

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Naming Conventions

🌷;; Borrower names are often borrowed from nouns or adjectives, or borrowed from animals/human names.

🍀;; The following shows the most common borrower names. Some names have strong female or male associations, but most of them are unisex. Most borrowers' names are strictly dictionary, literal nouns and rarely have deeper forms.

❄️;; After seasons: Spring, Winter, Summer or Autumn/Fall. Often because they were born in that season or because it holds a special meaning for the parents. Example: The parents met in Summer, the kid was born in Winter, or they found a home in Spring.

🌺;; After flowers: Rose, Lily, Ivy, Violet, Magnolia, Lilac, Rosemary, Bluebell, Wisteria, Tulip, Margaret, Buttercup, Peony, Orchid, Camellia, Lavender, Petal.

🌳;; After herbs, trees and other plants: Basil, Dandelion, Laurel, Cedar, Leaf, Willow, Aspen, Clover, Cypress, Ginger, Olive, Mint, Herb, Sage, Moss, Pine, Oak, Branch.

🌎;; After noble occupations that their family used to have or that they find brave and charming: Archer, Hunter, Ranger, Author, Gather, Dancer, Rider, Fisher, Rogue, Striker, Chaser, Poet, Explorer

🍎;; From fruits, spices or food: Apple, Honey, Apricot, Cherry, Cinnamon, Plum, Peach, Tangerine, Lemon, Almond, Sesame, Rue, Strawberry, Saffron, Pepper, Maple, Berry, Clove, Tea, Thyme, Fennel, Coriander

🛠️;; From household items or tools: Penny, Denim, Clay, Quill, Blade, Treasure, Dagger, Cotton, Jewel, Velvet, Calico, Anchor, Feather, Dice, Coal, Shell, Guitar, Bell

🐿️;; From animals or bugs: Robin, Raven, Hummingbird, Byrd, Fox, Bee, Fawn, Lark, Cricket, Newt, Crow, Teal, Buck, Sparrow, Doe, Dove, Crane, Swan, Canary, Wren.

🌙;; From natural phenomena: Rain, Storm, Sky, Snow, Cloud, Sun, Moon, Star

⭐;; From human names/pet names: for example, being named after a cool name your parent saw in a magazine, or once when they saw what the human called the housecat.

Changing your name in borrower culture:

• Contrary to popular belief, often borrower names given by parents don't actually have a deep value, like with humans. They're often more than welcomed to change it however they wish, this is known as "to borrow a name".

• Some borrowers will change their name just because they found a nicer one, or they want to transition to one that fits more their current identity or their age. Some nicknames may transform into a borrowers' name, this is surprisingly common. This tradition is popular, especially reaching adulthood or even late teens, and some communities heavily encourage the borrowing of a name to signal a borrower is ready to get involved within the community. A borrower may have borrowed lots of names through their lives.

• Some people give their kids ‘baby names’. This is the case of names like ‘Peanut’, 'Raindrop', "Button" or ‘Seed’ and they are expected to be changed later on when the borrower finds their own identity. The new name shall be called the "Chosen name/true name", and it is considered demeaning/patronizing/sometimes mocking to insist on using the baby name of someone to address them (if you happen to know it); this happens a lot with parents and their young. Baby names lose their value the second they change it, so it's not really necessary to let others know what it was unless you want to explain the term to a human and get teased for one month.

🪲;; Some spelling has changed over time, transforming “Bird” into “Byrd”, for example. There is also a tendency of choosing shorter names, making "Leaf" or "Petal" one of the most common ones.

🪲;; Giving nicknames based on their skills, personality or appearance is very common. This tradition has developed from survival purposes but now it is considered cultural, a form of showing love and is especially seen from older borrowers to the young.

🪲;; Borrowers don't have middle names.

About last names: This depends on the family, some of them consider them superficial and have no last names. Some borrowers do HAVE last names, especially the ones living in communities. As with names, last names don't usually hold a deeper value and have very literal meanings. Most of them reflect the particular part of the landhouse their hideout is close by, whether it's the Clock, the Cabinet, the Shower, etc. Their last names may or may not be subject to change in case they move out, some could be slightly attached to them so they choose to keep it.

Generally speaking, when a borrower "marries" another and they move out, they'll get a new last name based on the location they're building their hideout on, which their children will inherit until they move out. This would make most Borrower's last names transitory.

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The lovely shapes and colors of our companion's eyes.

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been playing more than drawing but made a quick exception for the game's most important character (his majesty)

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Happy.

Yes, I'm really sad about him and his story so I just want to draw him happy in my little doodles. Also, references:

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001 ;; daily g/t scenario or prompt

a human finds themselves waking up in a world where everyone and everything else is tiny, but the people instead of being terrified of them, think the human is a 'fallen god' or eldritch cryptid, which will help them deal with a prophetic danger, or even an ongoing war with beasts/monsters.

The tinies consider the human a god, thus worship. However, the human isn't really a deity and just wants to go back to their world. Maybe they feel empathy for this people and help them, maybe they turn evil or egoistic?

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;; random g/t prompt or scenario

a tiny and a human who don't know each other and don't remember anything wake up in a escape room and they have to solve different riddles to get out, sometimes the size of the tiny will be useful to get into cramped spaces or to manipulate tiny objects. This could take them days which can help them bond with each other.

bonus points if you add a hint of horror or danger/if they regain their memories as the story continues/if the tiny isn't a borrower or naturally born smol and was shrunk.