#borrowedcourage

[rosella35]

Kaleb's Bad Day: Part I

*clears throat* It's been a while, G/T community!

I don't get as much time for writing anymore with my uni degree in its final years, but this is a one-shot I've been working on for an obnoxious amount of time now based on a prompt I got a while back: What if Kaleb, my borrower character, shrunk in class?

To set the scene since the last time I updated Borrowed Courage was in 2022 *sobs*, Kaleb and Brooke live in a world where the borrower race was discovered 10 years ago and unbeknownst to humankind, many borrowers use a drug called "Upsize" to temporarily grow to human size and blend into society. This one-shot is canon but probably won't be added to the main story for timing reasons. It's set roughly 2 months after Brooke first discovered Kaleb's secret identity as a borrower.

Part II will be up tomorrow - I hope you like!

Content warning: contains angst, swearing and nudity (not graphic).

****

“Alright. For the rest of today, I want you to work independently through the exercises in chapter two of your textbooks. I’ll be floating around if anyone has any burning questions.” Mr Bell instructed the class. From his seat at the back of the room, Kaleb gritted his teeth in frustration. On any other day, he would be more than happy to follow his teacher’s instructions; learning about human history was one of the things he’d enrolled in school for in the first place. From a young age, Kaleb had been fascinated with the way the giants that owned the world had came to be that way, while his kind— the borrowers— had spent their lives hidden away in the shadows. Today, though, he was only half paying attention. Kaleb ran his hands through his scruffy brown hair, finding it increasingly difficult to ignore the incessant pounding that seemed to reverberate all the way from his skull to his fingertips.  

Something was off. 

It wasn’t uncommon or him to be getting headaches from going consecutive days using Upsize, the drug that allowed him to attend human school at five feet nine instead of five inches tall. Even so, they hardly ever set in this early in the week, and were never an issue unless he was moving around too much. This one felt different. It had barely set in twenty minutes ago and was already driving him crazy. With a pained sigh, Kaleb tried to preoccupy himself with opening his textbook to the designated chapter. It felt weird to consider, since borrowers didn’t get sick nearly as often as humans did, but… maybe he was coming down with something.  

From the seat adjacent, Brooke Tucker glanced up from her own work to frown across at him. “Are you good?” She whispered, leaning forward with her hand on her chin. 

Kaleb immediately stiffened, surprised she’d even noticed his discomfort. Am I that obvious? “I don’t know.” He said uneasily. “My head is killing me.” 

The human girl’s brow creased in concern, an expression she rarely ever directed at him. If he weren’t so distracted by the pain, Kaleb probably would’ve been flattered. “Could be a migraine.” She suggested, before adding in a lower voice. “Do borrowers even get those?”

“Yes, we get migraines.” He whispered back, rolling his eyes. Since she’d discovered Kaleb’s true identity back in September, the human girl had made it her mission to find every opportunity to tease and mock him about being a borrower. Still, Kaleb couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something about this particular headache felt familiar. No way. That’s impossible. He dismissed, turning back to his textbook. “It’s probably nothing.” He assured her.

That was when he felt it.

BADUMP. 

A sudden wave of pain reverberated through his body, making him sit bolt upright in his desk like he’d just stepped on a live wire. It was a sensation Kaleb knew all-too-well, because he’d experienced it every afternoon after school for the past four years. 

His Upsize was about to wear off. 

“Shit.” He hissed, feeling the colour drain from his face. His mind reeled, struggling to make sense of why this was even happening. It was like one of his worst nightmares come to life. He should’ve had more time. He always had more time. Had Rodney messed up his dose? 

Kaleb ground his teeth together, forcing himself to focus. There was no time to dwell on the ‘why’. He had to get out of sight, and fast. 

BADUMP.

The room spun as he was hit with another rapid full-body ache, and Kaleb almost collapsed out of his chair. He felt himself start to shiver uncontrollably, the primal fear of being seen overwhelming his senses. “Kaleb, what the hell’s going on with you?” Brooke’s voice echoed somewhere beside him. “You’re making a scene.” 

Shit-shit-shit-shit-shit. Kaleb didn’t have to look up to know that the whole class was staring at him, a tingling feeling that sent his borrower instincts to flee into overdrive. He glanced across at Brooke, gazing unblinking into her judgemental grey-green eyes like they were his lifeline. In that moment, he made a decision.

“Why’re you staring at me like that, it’s creeping me—”

“Come with me.” Kaleb blurted out. 

That was all the warning Brooke got before he’d clamped his hand around her wrist and launched out of his seat, dragging her along behind him. 

“Sorry Mr Bell, we’ll be right back!” He announced in a rush of adrenalin, practically stumbling out the classroom door. Brooke, who had been too bewildered to react to their sudden exit, finally came to her senses as they entered the empty hallway. She ripped her hand out of his grasp, ears reddening in second-hand embarrassment from what had just gone down.

“What the fuck was that about?” She hissed, though her expression shifted to concern when he leaned heavily against the wall several paces in front of her, clutching his head. For the first time, Brooke noticed the raw, unsuppressed fear in his eyes.  

“I can explai—” Kaleb started, but broke off with a startled yelp when he felt the shrinking process finally kick in. He could only catch a glimpse of Brooke’s startled expression before the ground rushed towards him and he was swallowed up by his human clothes that were suddenly hundreds of sizes too big. Within the span of a few seconds, he found himself back at his original five-inch-tall height and buried beneath the course folds of his t-shirt, chest heaving from the lingering adrenalin and body frozen in terror as the reality of his situation dawned. 

Brooke, having witnessed the whole thing, did a double take. “What in the—” One second Kaleb had been standing there in front of her, and the next… Her eyes fell to his unoccupied pile of clothes, and she swore, realising what had just happened. 

“Kaleb? Brooke? Is everything okay with you two?” She froze at the sound of Mr Bell’s voice from inside the classroom, his footsteps growing closer and closer.

Panicking, Brooke scrambled to scoop up the bundle of Kaleb’s clothes, quickly locating the squirming figure buried within, and shoved them behind herself. The second he felt her fingers close around him and lift him blindly into the air, Kaleb’s heart leapt into his throat. He shivered involuntarily, the sensation of powerful human hands around his entire frame serving as a stark reminder of how little control he had over their current situation. All he could do was make himself as small as possible in her grip and trust Brooke to handle things with the teacher. 

“Y-Yep!” The human girl said, turning around just as the Mr Bell poked his head out the classroom door. Her hands tightened protectively around Kaleb’s smaller form under the clothes, feeling his tiny heartbeat flutter like a bird’s against her fingers. She cleared her throat awkwardly in attempt to compose herself. “I mean… actually, Kaleb wasn’t feeling well. He went ahead to the nurses office, but would you mind if I go too? J-Just to make sure he’s okay.” 

The teacher gave her a strange look, and Brooke held her breath, waiting for him to notice the bundle of Kaleb’s clothes behind her back and effectively blow her cover story. After a moment though, Mr Bell’s expression softened to concern. “Oh, of course you can.” He said with a nod. “I hope he feels better soon. Don’t worry about missing the rest of the lesson. I’ll email the two of you supplementary work later today.”

She managed a strained smile. “Thank you.” 

The moment he disappeared back inside, Brooke took off down the hall, her mind stalling on what she was supposed to do next. There was no way she could actually take Kaleb to the nurses office without exposing him, and it would be too suspicious if she just up and left the building in the middle of class. She cursed. There was really only one place that would give the two of them some privacy, which made her uncomfortable even thinking about, but Brooke didn’t really have a choice. 

Resigned to her fate, she made beeline for the girl’s bathroom. 

Locking herself inside a cubicle, Brooke let out a relieved sigh. She sat down heavily on the closed seat of the toilet, turning her attention to the bundle of Kaleb’s human clothes in her lap and the tiny muffled voice she could suddenly hear through the fabric. “Can’t breathe—!”

Eyes widening, Brooke loosened her hold around the clothes. It seemed silly now, but in her haste to get to somewhere private, she’d almost forgotten that Kaleb had been with her the whole time, buried underneath the layers of denim and cotton.  She was about to reach in to try and pull him out, when she realised that somewhere amongst the folded material, Kaleb was not only borrower-sized but naked. Face heating up at the thought, Brooke sat back against the toilet and cleared her throat awkwardly. “Okay, you’re safe to come out. We’re alone.” 

Sure enough, it wasn’t long after she’d spoken that Brooke noticed a miniature head of scruffy brown hair poking out through the of one of the t-shirt sleeves as Kaleb revealed himself at last. He blinked rapidly in the harsh fluorescent lighting, scrambling to cover himself with his blanket-like clothes. Without his usual shirt and tan jacket combo, he seemed almost smaller than usual, his bare shoulders slim and pale and his breaths short and fast. Fragile was the first word that came to mind. Intuitively, Brooke knew that compared to humans, borrowers really were fragile and vulnerable, but those were never words she’d associated with Kaleb. Now though, he wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that his entire body trembled like a scared animal in her hands. 

That didn’t stop her from glaring daggers at him. “What the fuck, Kaleb!” She hissed. “You almost gave me a heart attack!” 

Kaleb flinched instinctively, his hazel eyes shooting up to meet her now much larger grey ones. Brooke’s angry expression faltered. Shit. He looked terrified— even more so than the time she’d found him on the apartment roof all those weeks ago. She swallowed, turning away uncomfortably. That look in his eyes… It didn’t suit him at all. 

The two of them didn’t speak for several minutes, awkward silence permeating the cubicle. Kaleb took that time to try and compose himself, his full-body tremors slowly dissipating as he tried to calm his pounding heart. It wasn’t easy to do by any means, but he appreciated Brooke’s patience. Finally finding his voice, he tilted his head to meet her eyes. 

“S-Sorry.” He said, holding the material of his shirt around his nude frame with white knuckled hands. He licked his dry lips. “No one saw… did they?”

Brooke sighed, making a conscious effort to shift to a gentler tone of voice. Now probably wasn’t the time for their usual teasing banter. “No.” She reassured him. “Just me.” 

Kaleb visibly relaxed at that, minuscule shoulders slumping under the thick material of his shirt. “Thank god.” He breathed, almost too quiet for her to make out. So he hadn’t been seen by anyone else in the class. Just knowing that was enough to ease a significant portion of his built up anxiety. With a clearer head, Kaleb finally paused to take in his surroundings, and his jaw immediately dropped when he caught sight of a toilet roll as long as he was tall. “What the—” He exclaimed, looking up at her with an aghast expression. “Is this the girl’s bathroom—?!” 

Brooke held back a snort as his tiny face turned beet red with embarrassment. Much more like the Kaleb she knew. “You didn’t exactly give me much time to think of a better place to go.” She pointed out, sitting up straighter on the toilet seat. “And while we’re on that topic, what the hell happened to you? Isn’t your wonder drug supposed to last the whole day?” 

Kaleb flinched at that and peered down at his smaller form, pathetically dwarfed by the clothes that had fit him perfectly less than ten minutes ago. Already, without the disguise that was his human height, he was starting to feel like the fraud he was; just another borrower trying and failing to carry himself with the same level of confidence and liberty as a human. “I-I don’t know.” He mumbled. “Maybe my uncle messed up the dose.” He wrapped the the fabric of his shirt sleeve tighter around himself, feeling more exposed than ever. “This has never happened to me before.” 

“Clearly.” Brooke said. “If I hadn’t been there to cover for you, you’d’ve been screwed for sure.” 

She felt him shiver at that fact, almost making her regret her choice of words. “You’re right.” Kaleb looked up at her again, his expression earnest. “Thank you, Brooke. Really.” 

Brooke blinked. That was unexpected. She shifted in her seat and looked away, hoping he wouldn’t notice her blush. With their current size difference, that was unlikely. “I-It’s fine.” She said. “So, uh… what now, then? Do you have any more Upsize you can take?” 

Kaleb pursed his lips. “I don’t keep any spare pills at school.” He admitted quietly, shuddering again despite the course fabric around him. “With Upsize, you need to wait at least an hour after shrinking before you can take another dose. It’s supposed to give the medicine a chance to leave your system, kind of like a cool-down period.”

“Right, of course that’s a thing.” Brooke sighed. She tried racking her brain for an alternative solution. “Well then, can someone come get you? Surely Evie would. I bet she’s bored out of her mind back at the apartment without having me to spy on.” 

Instead of laughing at her poor attempt at a joke, Kaleb looked horrified. “I can’t just leave early!” He exclaimed. “I’ll miss maths next period. Mrs Crowley said she’d be giving out final exam tips today!” 

Brooke couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’re kidding.” She started, holding back a disbelieving laugh. Looking closer at his tiny, pleading features though, her smile faded. “You’re not kidding.” She deadpanned, groaning. “Come on, Kaleb. How the fuck are you supposed to come to class like this? You don’t even have any clothes!”

Kaleb’s cheeks heated up and he pulled the shirt sleeve a little tighter around himself as he was reminded of his current nudity. “I can get clothes.” He insisted, his usual confident demeanour returning in full force. “I have a spare set in my locker. Climbing gear, too.” 

Brooke would have face palmed herself if her hands weren’t still cupped around his tiny frame. She regarded him quizzically. “Well that’s great, but isn’t your whole thing supposed to be not getting seen by the rest of the class?” 

Kaleb shook his head. “I don’t have to actually come to class. You could just, y’know, let me off into the air vent and I can listen in from there.” He suggested, giving her a clumsy shrug from amongst the bundle of clothes. 

Brooke just stared down at him, completely lost for words. “You’re crazy.” She muttered. “You’re actually fucking crazy. You literally almost shrunk in front of our whole class, and now you want me to just let you go off into the walls so you can catch some stupid exam tips?” 

“Brooke.” 

She didn’t hear him, her voice rising in annoyance as she continued. “And then what? Am I supposed to just stay back and look for you after class, like that’s totally not suspicious at all?!”

“Brooke.” 

“Ugh!” She wanted so badly to bang her head into the cubicle door. “Why do I even get myself into these situations? I swear, ever since I found out about you and your stupid little secret, my life’s been a fucking disaster—!”

“BROOKE!”

She broke off with a start at his exclamation, caught off guard by how loud he’d managed to sound despite his obvious disadvantage in size. Brooke bit her lip, breathing heavily through her nose. She almost jumped when she felt a slight pressure on her thumb. Kaleb had reached out to touch it with his much smaller hand, stroking the digit in attempt to reassure her. “You good?” He asked. 

“Y-Yeah.” Brooke replied weakly, her mouth dry. She didn’t want to say anything but the feeling of his tiny hand on her finger felt so… weird. Kaleb almost never initiated physical contact with her when he was borrower-sized.  

He nodded, meeting her eyes again. “I’m sorry.” He said with obvious embarrassment. “I got a bit ahead of myself there. I guess I just thought you’d want me out of your hair so you could get back to class. If you can help me to my locker, I’ll call Evie to come pick me up, and I’ll just email Mrs Crowley about the exam later.” 

Brooke sighed at his words, a much simpler solution coming to mind that she was probably crazy for even suggesting. “Or you could just come with me.” She pointed out, the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement when he blinked up at her. “What? Did you forget we have the same maths class?” 

“Come… with you?” Kaleb repeated, looking thoroughly unconvinced. “As in, on your person? Where would I even go—?” His broke off, eyes trailing upwards to the chest pocket of her oversized denim jacket at the same time hers did. His face lost several shades of colour, and he shook his head firmly, despite knowing deep down that he might not have any say in the matter. “No way. No way. I’m not gonna sit in your pocket all day like some house pet, Brooke! That’s just… that’s just embarrassing!” 

The human girl smirked down at him. “Well, would it be any more embarrassing than being tiny and naked in the girl’s bathroom?” Her hand inched up to ruffle his hair teasingly. “I mean, unless you’re secretly a pervert?” 

Kaleb swiped at her already retreating digit. “I’m not a pervert!” He snapped, pointing his own diminutive finger up at her accusingly. “You brought me here, not the other way around!”  

“Relax, I’m just messing with you.” She giggled. “You’re always so easy to work up like this.” 

Kaleb bristled. “Yeah, well can you blame me? When I’m like this, there’s five extra feet of you to piss me off!”

“Fair point.” Brooke smirked. “So, what’s it gonna be then?” Her hands edged closer around him, as she impatiently tapped her foot against the tiles. “I can’t just keep sitting on the toilet for the rest of the day.”

Kaleb sighed, turning his gaze downwards in defeat. He had to admit she was right about that. Stalling was only prolonging what they both knew had to come next. “Fine. I’ll come to class with you.” He hesitated. “Just… can we please get my clothes first?” 

Brooke looked at him, shock evident on her face. Did he really believe that she wouldn’t let him get changed? It was humbling to think that with Kaleb like this, without his bag or climbing gear, he was essentially putting his life and his autonomy in her hands. Just knowing that made Brooke soften her voice ever so slightly. “Um, yeah, of course. There’s no way you’re coming with me in the nude. That’s fucked up.” 

Kaleb breathed a sigh of relief at her reassurance, offering a grateful smile. “Okay… Well, in the meantime, could you grab me a piece of toilet paper? To cover up, I mean.” 

Brooke blinked, glancing across at the roll beside her. Hesitantly, she tore off a small strip of toilet paper between her thumb and index finger and handed it down to him. Kaleb took it, ducking under his sleeve for a moment to tie it around his waist like a towel. He looked down at his handiwork, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’ll do.” He muttered to himself, letting the oversized shirt sleeve fall away so that he was standing at his full five-inch height in her cupped hands.  

Despite herself, Brooke almost did a double take when she saw his bare chest for the first time. There was no denying it; Kaleb was ripped. The thought had never occurred to her, but considering his active lifestyle, she really shouldn’t have been as caught off guard as she was. A little more of a tan, and he could’ve belonged in a body building magazine. She tore her eyes away before he caught her staring, but that didn’t stop her cheeks from heating up. 

She coughed. “Right. Ready to go then?”

“That depends.” Kaleb smirked knowingly. There was really no way he could have missed a stare that size. He took a bold step forward in her cupped hands and flexed his muscles tauntingly. “Did you want a closer look?” 

“W-What?”

“Who’s the pervert now, huh?” He teased, throwing the label right back at her.

“Shut up!” In that embarrassment-riddled moment, Brooke reacted in the only way she could think of. She poked Kaleb harshly in the chest. Like always, he staggered backwards with a yelp at the impact, but this time neither of them had taken proper stock of their surroundings. As if in slow-motion, Kaleb tripped over the folded clothing behind him, simultaneously jostling free the poorly secured knot holding up his toilet paper toga. All hope of modesty gone, he fell flat on his back with his legs gracelessly splayed… within full view of the human girl holding him. 

The two of them stared at each other in silent shock for several seconds, and Brooke wished she could bleach her eyeballs. Instead, she opted for the next best course of action.

“AHHHH!”

[shutterandink]

Found my poison! #pirateslifeforme #keepingwarm #borrowedcourage

[rosella35]

Kaleb's Bad Day: Part II

Part II of my little thing featuring Kaleb's existentialism and Brooke being... considerate? Consider this a teaser of what their relationship will be like two months after the events of the main story...

I hope you enjoy!

Content warning: contains swearing and themes of prejudice.

****

After checking briefly that the coast was clear, Brooke sucked in a breath and exited the girls bathroom. She walked down the empty hallway with as much purpose as she could muster, though her heart still pounded loudly in her chest. She could feel a second, much smaller heart pounding against her body as well, fluttering even faster than her own. Kaleb sat hunched up at the bottom of her jacket pocket, his tiny, shaking hands gripping the thick denim on either side of him to steady himself.  

After the two of them had recovered from their embarrassment in the bathroom and Kaleb had readjusted the toilet paper around his waist, Brooke had taken it upon herself to put the rest of their plan in action—anything to get her mind off of what she’d just witnessed. Obviously, Kaleb had protested against her planned hiding spot for him, complaining that it would be too obvious. To prove her point, Brooke had stood in front of the mirror by the sink, demonstrating how little Kaleb’s tiny form actually stood out from inside the pocket. After seeing that, Kaleb had shivered but said nothing, and dropped down into the pocket without a word. 

If anything could have reminded him of just how small he was compared to a human, it was that. 

A few minutes of walking later and Brooke cleared her throat, a sound that Kaleb felt as well as heard from his position. “We’re at your locker.” She announced. When no movement could be felt from her pocket other than Kaleb’s slight weight, Brooke frowned. “Oh, c’mon, are you really gonna sulk for the rest of the day? Your clothes are in there, right?” 

Carefully, she lifted the flap of the pocket up, watching the small borrower inside shield his eyes from the sudden change of lighting and peer up at her cautiously. Curled up as Kaleb was, her pocket almost looked roomy, a thought that had never exactly crossed Brooke’s mind before. “If you don’t wanna move yet, then at least tell me your locker combination.” 

“It’s 1-2-6-4.” Kaleb replied, voice quieter than normal. 

“1-2-6-4…” Brooke muttered to herself as she fiddled with the lock. Moments later, the door came loose with a faint click, and she pulled it open, revealing Kaleb’s untidy collection of belongings. Brooke stared at the locker’s contents for a moment in bemusement. At first glance, it looked like your everyday teenage boy’s locker: a disorganised pile of notebooks, pens, and crumpled worksheets. What drew her attention though was the assortment of knick-knacks Kaleb had managed to cram into one corner—stray buttons, rubber bands, bits of string and wire, thumbtacks, screws, aluminium foil, and even an empty plastic soy sauce fish from a packet of sushi. Brook wrinkled her nose. “Sheesh, it’s like a dumping ground in here. You do know we have bins on campus, right?” 

Kaleb gave a sheepish shrug from within the confines of her pocket. “What’s that saying you humans use? One man’s trash is another man’s treasure?”

She groaned. “You’re obsessive.” 

Not bothering to wait for his snarky reply, Brooke leaned into the locker so her chest was out of sight of anyone passing by and reached a hand into her jacket pocket, closing her fingers around the borrower inside as gently as she could muster. Kaleb couldn’t help but shudder slightly as he felt the all-encompassing pressure of those digits against his torso. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to being handled by humans, despite how many times Brooke had proven herself to be careful in the past. Kaleb fought against his instincts to squirm against her grip as he was brought out of the pocket and into the relatively spacious interior of his locker. Once inside, he took a moment to adjust the toilet paper around his waist, before glancing across at Brooke, whose giant frame blocked out the expanse of the hallway beyond. 

“Thanks for the lift.” He said, shifting awkwardly under her gaze and trying to mask the unsettling feeling of being watched with a half-assed smile. “You can close the door while I get changed. I’ll knock twice when I’m done.” 

“Right.” Brooke nodded. The human girl spared the empty hallway a quick glance, before pushing the locker shut with a creak. 

The second the door clicked shut and darkness swallowed up the locker’s interior, Kaleb let out the breath he’d been holding in. His eyes adjusted instantly to the nearly pitch-black space, taking in the stack of notebooks, school supplies and trinkets he’d only ever interacted with at human size. It almost felt surreal seeing them now, like he was a stranger getting a glimpse into the unreachable world of Kaleb the human. Those thoughts nagged at Kaleb’s mind as he sought out the small pile of borrower clothes he kept tucked away at the back of his locker. Wasting no time, he tugged on a simple short-sleeved navy shirt, capri pants and tan shoes, and tapped lightly on the metal door to let Brooke know he was done.

Kaleb shielded his eyes as light flooded back into the locker and his world opened up again to reveal Brooke’s gigantic gaze. From outside, the human girl smiled slightly, glad to see him back in his usual borrower getup. Anything to get her mind off his bare chest, and… well… Brooke’s crude thoughts were interrupted suddenly by the sound of the school bell echoing through the hallway. Kaleb jumped at the volume, tiny hands clamped over his ears. “Crap.” He winced, glancing around nervously. “I forgot we still had recess before next period.”

“Me too.” Brooke said, before realising the implications. “Oh, shit.” Acting on instinct, her hand shot out to wrap around Kaleb’s midsection, and she quickly lifted the flap of her jacket pocket to drop him inside, out of sight. The borrower yelped at the sudden transfer, disoriented, though his breath hitched as the noise outside suddenly picked up, hundreds of humans beginning to swarm the halls in their mad dash to the cafeteria. He drew his knees to his chest automatically, feeling smaller than ever. Despite knowing full well that no one would ever suspect Brooke Tucker of all people to have a borrower hidden away in her pocket, the layer of denim separating him from the outside world didn’t feel thick enough. 

Brooke, meanwhile, slammed Kaleb’s locker shut before anyone could see what she was doing, and started off down the hall. She passed by her own locker on the way to retrieve her packed lunch—with her parents’ current financial situation, joining the line for the cafeteria felt like a fleeting memory—before hesitating, wondering where she should go. 

From inside her pocket, Kaleb’s ears were pricked, listening intently to the sea of voices and squeaking of giant sets of shoes on the vinyl floor outside. It was always disorienting to travel by pocket and even more so when he wasn’t able to see what was going on around him. With a sigh, he shifted into a more comfortable position with his back against the wall of Brooke’s chest, hearing as well as feeling the pounding of her giant heart through the denim. Suddenly, the commotion outside ceased, and Kaleb frowned to himself, wondering where exactly his human chauffeur had ended up. Tentatively, he lifted the flap of the pocket, though froze when he felt the pressure of her hand on the outside, covering it. “Hang on.” Her voice rumbled through him. 

Kaleb’s stomach lurched uncomfortably as he felt her take a seat. Finally, once she was settled, Brooke lifted the pocket’s flap to allow her borrower passenger to take in their surroundings. 

Immediately, Kaleb pressed himself back into the depths of the pocket. “We’re outside?” He gulped, blinking up at the blue sky he rarely ever got to see from his regular size. “I thought you’d go to the library or something.” 

Brooke leant back against the trunk of the tree she’d chosen to sit under. Her face was dappled with the shadows of the rustling leaves above as she stared down at him, confused. “No one ever sits here, so I figured it’d be safer. I guess I could find us a spot in the library though, if you really want.” 

“Oh.” Kaleb said, hiding his flushed face. It was rare for Brooke to consider his needs like that. “No, it’s okay.” He said hurriedly, trying to hide the flutter of nerves that always came with being outside in an unfamiliar place. “I don’t mind staying here.” 

“Sweet.” Brooke said simply, turning to get out her lunch. Unwrapping her somewhat squished sandwich, she hesitated, sparing her downsized classmate a thoughtful glance. “Uh, do you want some of this? It’s just PB and J, but if you’re hungry…” 

“Sure.” Kaleb smiled gratefully. “Thanks.” 

Unsure how to go about sharing her lunch with a borrower, Brooke broke a small portion off her sandwich and held it out to him between her pinched fingers. She tried not to think about how she’d used her bare hands to touch his food, or how stale the bread her mum had used to make the sandwich probably was. Luckily, Kaleb didn’t seem to mind at all. To a borrower, food was food, and the novelty of actually being able to eat while at human school wasn’t lost on him. He accepted the squished clump of bread and condiments with a grin, nodding his thanks. 

It didn’t escape Brooke’s attention that Kaleb hadn’t asked to leave her pocket since she’d sat down. “You can come out, if you want.” She said, looking out at their surroundings. The tree she’d chosen was far enough against the perimeter of the school grounds that no other students were in sight, other than a group of boys playing soccer on the oval nearby. Even if somebody did come over, Kaleb would have plenty of time to duck out of sight before they arrived.  

Apparently that wasn’t enough to convince the borrower in question. “I’m fine just staying here.” Kaleb said dismissively. “I don’t wanna risk anyone seeing me.” 

He supposed it was a version of the truth. In actuality, there was a larger part of Kaleb that was absolutely terrified by the thought of being stuck out in the open without his borrowing gear. It was one of those realities of his kind that he would never expect any human to understand, let alone Brooke. To him, venturing outside unequipped was like a death sentence, something even the most hardened of borrowers wouldn’t dream of doing. Just as humankind had survived by creating their tools and weapons and inventions, a borrower’s grappling hooks, sewing needle swords, and thumbtack daggers were like their lifeline. Without them, Kaleb would be the perfect prey for a crow or stray cat, or worse, an overly curious human who just couldn’t leave well enough alone.

Which leaves me all the more dependent on Brooke right now. That unhelpful part of his brain reminded him. 

“Fair.” The human girl said. “I don’t exactly wanna be caught eating lunch with a borrower, either.” 

Kaleb smirked, internally glad she hadn’t pressed the issue. “Doesn’t really suit the exterminator’s daughter reputation, huh?”

“I will leave you here.” 

They were silent for a moment, and Kaleb took a bite of his makeshift sandwich, chewing thoughtfully and trying to ignore the sound of Brooke doing the same albeit at a larger, far more unsettling scale. “I never thought I’d see the school like this.” He admitted as a way of distraction, gazing over at the red and yellow brick building in the distance. From his current perspective, there might as well have been an ocean of grass separating it from where Brooke was sitting; a reality that was both humbling and unnerving at the same time. Kaleb found himself wanting to try and explain it to her, whether she chose to listen or not. 

“I’ve always kinda seen coming here as like my second life, where I can live the way any other human teenager would without being in constant fear of danger or being caught.” He said, arms draped over the lip of Brooke’s pocket as he brooded. “But right now, when I’m like this, it’s hard to explain. It makes it so obvious that the person I become when I’m human-sized—my whole identity when I’m at school—it’s all fake. Just a lie I built to protect this Kaleb. The real me.” 

Kaleb stared at the outline of his hands, so tiny in comparison to the human whose pocket he leant out of, and even tinier when held out in front of the backdrop of Westmount State High. When Brooke said nothing in response, he sighed, speaking more to himself than anything. “But still… Even though Upsize is a pain to deal with, and clearly it doesn’t always work the way it’s supposed to, I can’t imagine going back to the way things were before I started using it.”

Her borrower neighbour’s honest words stirred up a torrent of emotions inside Brooke; something that had been happening more and more frequently lately. I should’ve known he’d start getting all existential on me, her thoughts were screaming. Deep down, she knew that she and Kaleb were beginning to reach a bit of a stalemate with their empty threats and bickering, but a part of her still found comfort in those interactions. She could keep her guard up that way, and maintain a certain degree of separation from being genuine with him. Still, Brooke couldn’t deny that other part of her—one she tried to keep sealed away—that yearned for connection. If someone had told her two months ago that she’d be finding that connection from Kaleb Finch of all people, she would have laughed in their face. And yet here they were, and Brooke couldn’t help but agree with his words. She was sick of pretending, too. 

“You basically just summed up why so many humans like playing video games.” Brooke mused, swallowing the last of her sandwich and leaning back against the tree trunk with her legs stretched out in front of her. She laced her hands behind her head. “When you’re playing as a character and really immersing yourself in their world, it’s easy to forget how shitty your own life is behind the screen.” 

Now it was Kaleb’s turn to hesitate, not expecting such an earnest answer. Brooke surprised him more and more with those these days. “My life isn’t shitty.” He said. “It’s just…” He stared down at his hands again.

“Small?” The human girl offered with a smug grin.

Kaleb hid his own smile behind the material of her pocket. “I was going to say dull, but I guess that’s a more obvious way of putting it.” 

“To be honest, I forget too.” Brooke said. “That you’re actually a borrower. You fake being human so well it’s kinda scary. But then I come home and you’re suddenly popping out of some random hole in the wall and scaring the shit out of me like it’s the most normal thing ever.” She gave a half-hearted, knowing sigh. “I get it. For you, the difference between who you are at school versus home is literally huge, and honestly, I don’t even want to try and imagine what that’s like. But you’re not really as alone as you think. Every human who knows what’s good for them puts on a face at school to protect themselves. It’s just part of fitting in until you’ve figured out the kind of person you want to be.” 

“Yeah…I guess you’re right.” Kaleb said, looking up at her dinner-plate-sized grey eyes as they gazed out across the grassy oval. He could see that the Brooke at school was a different person too, in a way. She always seemed sadder, more wistful. Hidden behind that trademark smug look of hers was the pain of understanding what it felt like to be marginalised. It made Kaleb wonder how much of that was his fault. 

“I just wish I could tell everyone the truth.” He blurted out before he could fall into that particular pit of self-loathing.

From his position, Kaleb could feel as well as hear Brooke snicker. “Seriously? Like the whole class?” She asked with an amused grin. “You reckon you could trust them all? Even Amy Snyder?” 

I trust you. Kaleb wanted to say. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He agreed instead, but found himself hesitating when two figures kicking a soccer ball across the oval caught his eye. Kaleb blinked, surprised at how small they both looked from this distance, even though he knew it was only a matter of perspective. The borrower sighed. “I’d want to tell Thomas and Marcus.” He amended. “I’ve known them since I started here back in middle school. It’s exhausting, lying to them about everything. I didn’t really notice it until I started opening up to you.” 

Brooke hummed in agreement. “Yeah. Now that you mention it, I guess you do find every opportunity to tell me some weird borrower fact that I don’t actually care about.” 

When Kaleb shot her a withering look, the human girl tried again, though not without smirking first. “You’re worried they’ll look at you differently once they find out what you are, right?” 

Kaleb’s gaze dropped to the inside of her jacket pocket, where he began to fidget with the overlock stitching lining the edge. “Well… yeah.” He said quietly. “I mean, you did, didn’t you?” 

“I… did. I mean, I do.” Brooke had to admit. He’d gotten her there. Glancing down at his tiny, sulking form, she sighed, trying not to think too hard about how much she meant the words that came out of her mouth next:

“But is that really a bad thing? Yeah, I admit I still think borrowers are shit-talking little tight-wads, and I bet you still think me and my family are just another bunch of human bigots… but at least that means we both understand each other a little better, right?” 

Kaleb froze in place. Tactless as she was, he could see Brooke’s intentions as plain as day, how this was her own roundabout method of cheering him up. It made him smile, properly this time, and he met her giant eyes, opening his mouth to reply.

But then the bell rang again, signalling it was time to go back to class.

****

Fourth period was as dreary as ever for Brooke, who sat in her usual spot up the very back of the classroom so she could doodle in her notebook in peace. Although she was by no means flunking out of the subject, she definitely didn’t harbour the level of care towards maths that the borrower stowed away in her pocket seemed to have. Feeling her eyelids droop out of boredom, Brooke hid a yawn behind one hand while she sketched the outline of a guitar with the other. She hadn’t felt Kaleb’s tiny form shift against the inside of her pocket in a while now, figuring he was busy listening intently to Mrs Crowley taking questions about their upcoming exam as promised. 

Brooke rested her elbow on her desk and propped up her head with a hand. At the front of the classroom beside the whiteboard, the clock ticked away at her tauntingly. She blew the bangs out of her eyes with a huff. The sketch of her old guitar had killed exactly ten minutes of class time. 

Only eighty more to go. She thought miserably, reminded again of Kaleb and his abnormal appreciation for maths.  

After triple checking that no one was looking, Brooke decided that now was as good a time as any to check on the borrower in question. Maybe seeing him taking rigorous notes using the tiny scrap of paper and pacer lead she’d provided him earlier would spur her into actually engaging in the lesson herself. So, as quietly and non-discreetly as she could muster, Brooke pinched the flap of her jacket pocket between her thumb and forefinger and lifted it up to peer inside. She was fully expecting Kaleb’s tiny hand to immediately try to bat away her intruding digits, and for him to let out a string of curses for interrupting his note-taking (which she probably deserved).

Instead, Brooke was met with a very different sight.  

Her borrower classmate lay fast asleep at the bottom of the pocket, paper scrap and lead all but forgotten. The human girl watched his tiny chest rise and fall steadily, undisturbed by her relatively giant eyes gazing in. His body was curled up, free of the tension it had harboured since shrinking down hours ago. The near-permanent shit-eating grin had been wiped from his face, his features softened and relaxed. Brooke’s gaze lingered on his slumbering form for a moment longer, before she let the pocket flap fall back into place.

So much for catching those stupid exam tips. She thought to herself. 

For some reason though, Brooke wasn’t as annoyed as she imagined she’d be. If anything, seeing Kaleb let his near-impenetrable guard down after everything he’d been through that day made the human girl’s chest swell with unexpected warmth and that all-too-familiar emotion she wouldn’t dare acknowledge out loud. 

The corner of her lips tugging upwards into a smile, Brooke let out a sigh and turned to a fresh page of her notebook, writing the title “final exam tips” at the top. 

“You’re welcome." She whispered as she got to work.

[rosella35]

Kaleb POV after poking the bear Brooke (he has many regrets) 

This literally took forever holy shit. Shoutout to my anatomy figure and the quite frankly horrifying mirror selfies I took for assisting me with the poses XD 

[rosella35]

Finally found the time to do some art! Here’s some practice drawings of Kaleb and Brooke from my G/T story Borrowed Courage ;w; 

[rosella35]

Borrowed Courage Masterpost

I’ve seen a bunch of other G/T creators doing this lately, so I’ll throw in my two cents ^_^

Borrowed Courage 

The shorthand premise: exterminator’s daughter meets size-shifting borrower boy in a world where borrowers have been discovered by humankind. 

Prologue: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Prologue-834187545 

Chapter 1: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-One-838199547?ga_submit_new=10%3A1587106144&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1

Chapter 2: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Two-839431838?ga_submit_new=10%3A1587878960

Chapter 3: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-3-850893266?ga_submit_new=10%3A1596503940

Chapter 4: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Four-851655892?ga_submit_new=10%3A1597130864

Chapter 5: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Five-864706499?ga_submit_new=10%3A1608689395&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1

Chapter 6: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Six-864856455?ga_submit_new=10%3A1608689369&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1

Chapter 7: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Seven-873253297?ga_submit_new=10%3A1615771780

Chapter 8: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Eight-895233085?ga_submit_new=10%3A1634552261

Chapter 9: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Nine-903196065?ga_submit_new=10%3A1641647121

Chapter 10: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Ten-907920740

Chapter 11: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Eleven-932549997

Chapter 12: https://www.tumblr.com/rosella35/749903651543416832/borrowed-courage-chapter-12?source=share 

Side Stories and One-Shots:

Kaleb’s Bad Day

Part I: https://www.tumblr.com/rosella35/746550913245822976/kalebs-bad-day-part-i?source=share

Part II: https://www.tumblr.com/rosella35/746650539759206400/kalebs-bad-day-part-ii?source=share

[rosella35]

Borrowed Courage: Prologue

Hi everyone! I’ve decided to start posting Borrowed Courage (my borrower fanfic featuring main characters Kaleb and Brooke) on Tumblr, seeing as not everyone uses Wattpad or Deviantart. Feel free to read ahead on the sites I mentioned but if this is your first time checking out the story, I hope you enjoy it! This is just my two cents to the G/T community ^_^

[Note that this story is nonsexual, however contains themes of prejudice, dehumanisation, bullying and mentioned/implied deaths]

________________________________________________________

USA TODAY

September 15th, 2011

IT’S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

Leaked footage of ‘tiny person’ sparks media frenzy: do they really live among us?

Fairy tales and mythology have entertained the existence of miniature, humanoid creatures for centuries, however recent footage has revealed that there may be a level of truth to the myth.

Less than forty-eight hours ago, a video was posted on YouTube by an anonymous user, entitled SUBJECT #215 ‘GREY’ LEAKED FOOTAGE. The clip was recorded at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee over three months, and depicts a young man who is perceived to stand less than six inches tall undertaking a series of physiological and cognitive tests within laboratory conditions.  

Following its upload, the video surged across various media platforms and climbed to #3 on YouTube’s ‘Trending’ browser before being removed by ORNL officials due to confidentiality infringements. However, the footage has left a global mark, with one viewer describing the clip as ‘Extraordinary but haunting. If this wasn’t filmed from a federal government-watermarked facility, I wouldn’t have believed it at first.’

Six hours after it was taken down, the individual responsible for posting the video requested an interview with USA Today, and revealed that they were formerly part of the research team assigned to Subject #215. Employee X, who wishes to remain anonymous, described the case study in unsettling detail, explaining that the subject had underwent constant and often inhumane experimentation since being discovered in inner city Boston, Massachusetts late last year.  

“The subject prefers to be called Grey.” They said. “He appears to have a human-like level of intellect, and aside from a clear difference in proportion, his body structure and physiological features are also near identical.” When asked if Grey understood speech, X was quick to reply.

“Quite well. Since being in captivity, he has revealed little about himself, but it is evident in his dialogue that he may not be the only one of his kind in existence. Based on his choice of attire and mannerisms, we have reason to believe that Grey’s ‘species’ so to speak are well adapted to living within human settlements, albeit undetected. Further, the subject has been shown to have the same dietary needs as us, which suggests that he is accustomed to consuming human food.”

According to X, they partook in the initial course of experiments which studied Grey’s physiology, however abandoned the project due to ethical qualms. “When we were briefed on the study, I imagined we would be working with an exotic species of animal, but after interacting with Grey, and gaining insight into his perception of the situation, I, along with several other members of the team were convinced that he possessed the same advanced intelligence as a human. This was soon confirmed with anatomical evidence, after an EEG conducted on the subject revealed that his brain activity for cognitive tasks was identical to ours.”

“It wasn’t a question of science any longer.” X continued. “It was a question of ethics, and I, like many other ORNL staff, stand firmly against their method of research regarding subject Grey. The reason I posted this video was to both inform and enlighten the general public of the matter, and encourage my fellow scientists to consider their methods of research from an ethical standpoint should more members of Grey’s species be discovered.”

Following the interview, a thorough investigation into the famed laboratory in Tennessee is confirmed to be underway, however the current status and whereabouts of subject Grey remain undisclosed and consequently, we are left with more questions than answers. Is there really a race of ‘tiny people’ living among us and if so, for how long will they continue to exist unbeknownst to humanity?

Published by Pamela Cook

Chief Editor

****

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, United States

September 14th, 2011

5:28PM

The sun crept low into the horizon, bordering on dusk, but the couple hundred people camped out around the perimeter of ORNL were hardly fazed. They’d arrived in clusters at a time over the course of forty-eight hours, locals and tourists alike. Most were waiting eagerly with phone cameras in hand, no doubt hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious ‘Subject Grey’ who had made his shocking internet debut not three days prior. The biggest mob had settled around a large white van emblazoned with the Channel Eighty-Five studio logo, where a cameraman, a female reporter and her associate made their final preparations for the evening news broadcast.

The reporter, a slim woman adorned in a white button up blouse and pencil skirt, waited impatiently for the signal. Her team had set up their base of operations just outside the main entrance to the Oak Ridge facility; chosen specifically so that during the program, she would address the viewers with a convincing backdrop of ORNL’s impressive chainmail fence and mob of curious onlookers. With less than a minute until they went live, her associate listened into the audio feed of the main news program and nodded to the cameraman. Then, at 5:30PM, the broadcast commenced.  

“This is Vanessa Clarke, reporting to you live from the site where it all began. I’m standing outside the main entrance of Oak Ridge National Laboratory where the controversial video that shocked the world was filmed. Leaked footage of  Subject #215 ‘Grey’, which has since been removed from all media platforms, was recorded by a former employee right here in this facility, where it is now believed that researchers are investigating the existence of a race of ‘tiny people’. The video and its followup article from USA Today have received a global media response, with thousands of related stories surfacing, along with further evidence of what people are claiming to be miniature people caught on film.”

While the news reporter talked, a young man broke land speed records on his old moped scooter as he tore down the highway towards the laboratory. James Peterson, a recent graduate in human ethics and ambassador for the entrepreneurial ‘Speak Up for Change’ foundation, hoped he’d make it in time.  

“Thanks, Todd, and to those watching, stay tuned. We’ll have more coverage of the facility coming up shortly here on Channel Eighty-Five.” The cameraman cut off the live feed and the Vanessa let out a sigh, stepping out of the frame. She accepted a water bottle handed her way by her associate and took a sip. “Do you really think this crackpot story’s gonna boost our ratings?” She laughed lightly, leaning against the news van with a look of unconcealed scepticism.

Her coworker shrugged. “Hey, it’s all that people are talking about lately. We might as well give them a bone to chew on.” He gestured to the fenced perimeter of the facility behind them where the crowd continued to gather, some holding up handmade posters with demanding messages like ‘FREE SUBJECT GREY’ or ‘WE WANT ANSWERS’. “Besides, if we wait around out here long enough, those big-shot scientists might just give us some answers.”

“Don’t tell me…” Vanessa took another swig of water to mask her surprise. “You actually believe this crap, Charlie.”

Charlie merely smirked. “Trust me Vanessa, I stopped believing in what I heard on the news the second I landed this job.”

The reporter chuckled, opening her mouth for a witty response, when an old moped scooter burst into the clearing. The people standing nearby exclaimed in shock as it’s rider—a gangly man no older than twenty-five and dressed in a coat, wrinkled business shirt and slacks—cried out breathlessly.

“Is the news team still here? I need to speak with the news team!”

As he approached, Vanessa righted herself and stifled a sigh. There was always one crazy local who’d show up wanting their face on TV, but this guy seemed particularly desperate. She supposed she’d give him the time of day.  

“My name is Vanessa Clarke, and I work for Channel Eighty-Five.” She addressed the man, who locked gazes immediately. “Can I help you?”

At her greeting, he practically collapsed with relief, quickly parking his scooter and closing the short distance between them. “Ah, y-yes! Thank god you’re still here.” He adjusted his wrinkled trench coat as he talked.  

Vanessa nodded pleasantly. “Yes, we’re in the middle of a three hour coverage of this facility; you know, after that Youtube video went up on Tuesday.” Her trained eyes flickered over his awkward demeanour and overall nerdy attire; a classic science fanatic if she ever saw one. “I assume you’ve heard of it.”

“R-Right! Yes! That’s actually why I’m here. I was wondering if I could have a minute of your time while you’re taking a break.” He swallowed, no doubt noticing her obvious disinterest. “I promise, it’ll be worth it.”  

Vanessa barely refrained from rolling her eyes. You’ve got to be kidding me. She shot Charlie a questioning look, to which he simply shrugged. It wasn’t like there was much else available to pass time before the next broadcast. With those thoughts in mind, the reporter sighed. “Alright, I’m listening. Just make it short, okay?” She said. “We go live again at six.”

At her choice of words, the man let out a snicker, but quickly smoothed his expression and held out a pasty hand. Vanessa shook it briskly. “Y-Yes, of course. My name is James Peterson, and I’m a representative of the Speak Up for Change foundation. We deal with several public relations issues, namely the portrayal of individuals and ethical misconduct in the media.”

I know where this is going. Vanessa inwardly groaned, ready to silence his critique with a well-rehearsed monologue. “Listen, Mr Peterson, if you’re here to file a complaint about our studio, I would recommend visiting the head office—”

“H-Hold on, I think you misunderstand where I’m getting at.” James held out his hands in a peaceful gesture. “Trust me, I’m not here to file any complaints.”

“Just hear the poor guy out, Vanessa.” Charlie cajoled her from the van, which earned him a withering look from his coworker.

She sighed. “Fine. You have my undivided attention.”

James nodded, clearing his throat. “As I was saying, the role of Speak Up for Change is to bring attention to and raise awareness towards those who have been wrongfully portrayed in the media. In particular, my latest client approached me wishing to voice his side of the story, following the Small World article publication yesterday.”

“I see…” Vanessa wasn’t sure where he was going with this. “Would you like to schedule an interview with our studio?”

James almost looked bemused. “That won’t be necessary. I’ve brought my client along with me, and we were hoping to meet with you in time for the six o’clock news broadcast.”

Vanessa frowned, his words becoming less and less clear by the second. “I’m not following.”

“With all due respect, Ms Clarke, I feel like it’ll be much easier to just show you.” He fumbled with the button of his coat breast pocket for a moment, and the reporter was about to turn away with a bored scowl when a flicker of movement caught her eye.

The entire news team watched in stunned silence as what could only be a tiny person pushed the flap of the pocket out of the way to reveal himself. He looked to be middle aged, most likely in his mid-thirties, with disheveled ash blonde hair, pale skin and haunting grey eyes. Everything about him seemed so human-like, aside from the fact that he couldn’t have stood more than six inches tall.

“Jesus Christ.” Charlie breathed.

“Actually, my name is Flint. Flint Oakland.” The impossibly small man corrected him in a soft, but clear voice. “Pardon my intrusion, Ms Clarke, but I was hoping to get a word in on your next broadcast. You’ll no doubt find what I have to say… enlightening.”

For almost half a minute, his words hung in the air as they were met with the collective shock of the news team. Vanessa made a valiant effort to control her emotions, but couldn’t stop her mouth from hanging open at the sudden turn of events. Honestly, what was the world coming to? It took her several more seconds of bewildered thought processing before she exchanged a glance with Charlie, who checked his wristwatch. Two minutes until they went live. Beside them, the cameraman could barely keep up with what the news hosts were saying past his lingering awe.

“You heard the man, get the cameras rolling.” Vanessa announced, before reaching for her mobile. “I’ll get the head exec on the line.”

If this didn’t get their ratings up, she wasn’t sure what would.

Not one minute later, James Peterson and his ‘client’ got their interview, and Flint Oakland—all five-and-a-half inches of him— made history on prime time TV.

“Thank you Todd. We’re reporting back to you live from outside the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where hundreds of people have gathered in the wake of the controversial video that shocked the world. Just two days ago, footage taken right here in this facility sparked a global media frenzy and left us with one pressing question that Oak Ridge representatives have ignored thus far: Is Subject Grey real?” She cleared her throat dramatically. “Well, to everyone watching at home, and to all of the people gathered here with me tonight, the man I’m about to introduce will finally give us some answers.”  

Falling into character, the cameraman panned across to the tiny figure, now standing in James Peterson’s upturned palm with a microphone larger than he was raised to his chest. As the unblinking lens of the camera zoomed in, he met its gaze with determined steely grey eyes. Despite herself, Vanessa felt her heart skip a beat.  

“My name is Flint Oakland, and I have a message for the people of America.” He began, and at that jaw-dropping moment, the entire world paused to listen.

“To everyone watching, congratulations. Yesterday’s news article has forced our hand, and after conversing with my fellow representatives, my people have agreed that, to ensure a successful future for our race and prevent any needless suffering, this is our only viable course of action.”

A crowd had gathered around the local news team to watch. Phone cameras flashed, and people openly stared. In the distance, several jet black vehicles could be seen exiting the research facility beyond its chainmail fence. Chaos was unfolding in the human world that Flint hadn’t been a part of until recently, but with a deep, shuddering breath, he continued. It was now or never.

“And so, I offer you my final confession.” The broadcast, which had started on a local program in the quiet city of Oak Ridge was now streaming across every news channel across the world. “My kind have lived among you since the beginning, existing in the darkness and silenced by fear and oppression.” Flint Oakland said. “Do not misunderstand; we may be smaller than humans, but like you, we have families and children, our own customs and art and culture. We are people, who, for centuries have kept ourselves hidden from you humans out of fear of an outcome such as the one you’ve witnessed over the last forty-eight hours. But, it is time for that to change, and we hope that in time, our races will come to understand one another as equals.”

The entire world held its breath as Flint Oakland uttered his final, monumental sentence.

“We are borrowers, and we will not hide any longer.”

[rosella35]

Borrowed Courage: Chapter 1

Here’s the first chapter, introducing main characters Brooke and Kaleb, and how society has taken to the discovery of borrowers.

CW: mentioned/implied deaths, mature language, violence, alcohol abuse, bullying, dehumanisation, ideologically sensitive themes.

______________________________________________________

Ten years later…

September 15th, 2021

“Almost… there…” With a final grunt of exertion, Brooke Tucker jammed the last thumbtack into the drywall, pinning her metre-long Green Day poster above the bedhead. She fell into a crouch from her precarious position balanced tiptoed on the edge of her desk to reach the ceiling, and stretched out her aching arms. Then, retreating to the doorway to admire her handiwork, she allowed herself a small smile.  

It had taken almost the entire day, but, with perseverance—and a little extra motivation courtesy of her phone pumping out the latest rock music—her belongings were unpacked. Granted, the dimly lit five-square-meter space was nothing like her old bedroom, but if she pushed all of that aside for a moment, it almost felt like home again. For now, that was enough. There would be plenty of time to get used to living in a dingy apartment block on the other side of town, she reasoned bitterly.

Heaving a sigh, Brooke brushed the dust off of her faded jeans and wandered into the hallway (if you’d call it that) to join her parents. They’d long since taken a break from unpacking, and she could hear the familiar sounds of her mum cooking dinner at the stove and her dad watching TV from his favourite armchair in their newly dubbed living room. She hesitated for a moment, listening. If she closed her eyes and let the sound drown out everything else for just a moment, it gave her the illusion of familiarity. That is, until she opened them and entered the living room.

She swallowed back another sigh.

This was her life now, and Brooke couldn’t pretend forever.

“‘We will not hide any longer.’ Those historic words spoken by the US Borrower Representative, Flint Oakland, continue to resound in our hearts as we look back on the moment ten years ago today, when society took its first step towards what would become a dramatic change.”

The TV blared from its new position against one of the beige walls. Brooke’s father was slumped in his chair not three feet away, glaring daggers at its surface—or more specifically, the daily news. She could barely remember the man he’d been two months ago, but then again, it didn’t really matter. Now, Doug Tucker was one swig of beer away from an alcoholic, his salt and pepper hair overgrown and unkept and eyes watery and withdrawn.

He said nothing when she stepped inside, wholly fixated on the beer bottle in his hand and the news in his periphery. “His first public appearance, famously known as Oakland vs Oak Ridge, left the world speechless,” the anchorman continued, “and in the many years to come, no one could have predicted the sheer tenacity of this global movement towards human and borrower equality.”

How many times had she heard this story now? Brooke leant against the doorway, listening to the news report play out but really wishing she’d just stayed in her room.

“We flash back to September 15th, 2011, a day that started out as any other until the infamous Oak Ridge Laboratory footage which gave humanity its first glimpse of the borrower race, went live. Four months after the incident and Subject #215, who we all now know as Grey Stonewell, shared a heartwarming reunion with his friends and family as he was released from the lab’s custody. Now, Grey works for ‘Borrow-Ed’, an international charity aiming to integrate borrower children into the human education system. In his latest interview, he offered his thoughts on the last decade.”

The scene shifted to a clip of Grey Stonewell, addressing a crowd of humans and borrowers alike from a scaled down lectern emblazoned with the Borrow-Ed logo. “I think about my time in Oak Ridge a lot, and honestly could not have imagined this outcome.” He said. “Standing here now in the presence of my wife and kids, I just want to thank Xavier Sanders, or Employee X as many of you remember him, Flint Oakland, and the team at ‘Speak Up for Change’ for everything they’ve done for me and the rest of us borrowers. With their constant support, I firmly believe that coexistence is possible, and look towards a future where humans and borrowers can acknowledge one another as equals.”

“In Japan, we’re seeing the most radical change.” The anchorman continued. “Following a nationwide protest led by Borrower rights activists, Arrietty and Sho, a new bill was signed by the federal government legalising borrower-human marriage within the Shikoku and Kanto regions. The celebrity couple have already announced their wedding plans, and encourage other inter-species couples to do the same.”  

“It makes me sick.” Her father growled, chasing the statement with a swig of beer. Brooke closed her eyes and fumbled with the set of earphones in her hoodie pocket. She’d been wondering when it would start.

“We are living proof that love is love, no matter the circumstances. While, as a human-borrower couple we are faced with more challenges than most, we believe that no healthy relationship comes without them, and it’s time for everyone out there, borrower and human alike to embrace our differences and feel pride in who we are—"

“Brooke, dear, will you turn off the TV?” Her mom called pleasantly, not taking her eyes off the bolognese sauce she was stirring on the stove.

Wordlessly, Brooke fetched the remote and turned it off, silencing Arrietty’s speech mid-sentence. Her father continued to stare daggers at the now blackened screen, his lips curled into a seething frown. With a sigh, she settled into the beanbag in the corner beside his growing pile of empty bottles, knowing exactly what was coming. Just as she was plugging in her earphones, her father spoke up.  

“Those fucking pests.” He growled, slamming his fist down onto the coffee table. His eyes were glassy and speech slurred as he spent yet another night far from sober. “Actin’ all high an’ mighty like they run the place. Should’ve just stayed in hidin’, if you ask me.”

As usual, her mom took her time to respond, continuing on with dinner preparations as though nothing out of the ordinary had just transpired. It hadn’t, really. “Honey, we’ve been over this. Nothing you will say can change the outcome. Just think of this all as an opportunity. A fresh start.”

Brooke closed her eyes, feeling her father tense up at the words. These days, life in the Tucker family was like the rerun of a cliche soap opera.  

“Y’think I don’t know that, Sandra?” He snapped. “I work for a company for how many bloody years just to have the rug pulled out from under me! And while I have to work tooth and nail just to put dinner on the table every night, those little leeches get by by mooching off of us!”

“You haven’t worked a day since the trial.” Her mom reminded him gently.

“Don’t give me that—you know what I mean.” He ran a hand over his forehead, drink sloshing around. “It just pisses me off. Since that fucking video went up, everyone thinks I’m a psychopath. I ran into Lisa and Paul the other day and they just gawked at me like I was the bloody scum of the earth!”

“Which is exactly why we moved, honey. Like I said, this is a fresh start. For all of us.”

“Fucking bullshit it is.” Her father finished off his beer with a rage-induced gulp and slammed the bottle down onto the table. “Because of those little bastards, I’ve lost everything!”

Brooke heaved a sigh. It was too early for this. “I’m going out for a bit.” She announced, before he could continue. Both parents froze, her dad looking across at her with those glazed, vengeful eyes. Honestly, the sight made her want to gag.

Her mom was the first to recover. “Okay, sweetie. Just don’t stay out too late, okay? Dinner’s almost ready.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

It wasn’t like there was much else to do outside, anyway.

Brooke tugged open the front door and stepped into the dingy hallway, appraising it with bored eyes. The apartment block didn’t have much going for it in the ways of tourist appeal. It was just another run of the mill flat on the outskirts of the city, where struggling pensioners and the lower class lived out their days. As they were now, the Tucker family would blend in like peas in a pod.

How the tables had turned.

The apartment had four floors, all complete with the same beige walls, worn grey carpet and moth bitten curtains. There was an elevator, but the landlady—a twig thin woman with wiry black hair and chipped fingernails— had explained that it had been out of order for months. To reach her destination, Brooke took the stairs.

When the moving van had pulled into the street that morning, she’d noticed something interesting about the apartment besides its outdated features: it had a rooftop balcony. So, with renewed vigour, Brooke set to climbing the four flights of stairs to reach the top floor. Sure enough, at the end of the musty hallway, there was a wooden door marked ‘To Roof’. With a quick glance to make sure she was alone, Brooke turned the knob and peaked outside.

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. It was empty for starters, not just of people but of anything. No table or chairs or lighting; just a vacant slab of concrete framed by a rusted metal railing that would probably fail every safety inspection under the sun.

It was perfect.

Left alone with her thoughts at last, Brooke leant against what she deemed to be the sturdiest part of the railing, which gave her a decent vantage point to peruse the street below. The view was about as unremarkable as the apartment itself. It was one of those neighbourhoods that she and her old friends would’ve turned up their noses at, once upon a time. The few actual houses in sight were butted against each other like sardines, most with cracked paint and overgrown gardens. There was an old diner, a convenience store and tobacco joint further down the road by the bus stop, but really, most of the view was obscured by the same dingy apartment blocks. She supposed that was what her family got for moving from their white picket fence neighbourhood to the outskirts of the city.

Brooke let her gaze trail down to the sidewalk below, watching a group of people file out of a bus. The last passenger to exit caught her eye, mostly because he proceeded to lug a rusted bicycle out the door behind him. She frowned for a minute, wondering why the guy hadn’t just ridden the bike home, when he turned around and a flicker of recognition caught her eye.

Was that…?

She groaned. Just great.

Kaleb Finch.  

He was pushing the bike along the sidewalk now while he talked to one of the other passengers, and Brooke had to look away. The way he carried himself, so confidently and with all that false bravado; it made her want to puke. She watched as he sauntered out of sight, grateful that she’d decided to come up here instead of exploring the streets below.

Just my luck that he lives in this neighbourhood.  

Brooke turned her back on the view, sitting against the railing with her knees drawn to her chest. It didn’t matter how many times she’d tried to blot it out; tried to wipe the slate clean and move on with her life. His taunting voice remained branded into her memory, a permanent reminder of everything that had happened in two short months…

****

“Check this out, guys.” Brooke looked up from her chapter book as Kaleb Finch strolled into the classroom, holding up his phone. “That guy in that viral borrower video? Turns out he’s Brooke Tucker’s dad. What a sick fuck.”

A handful of students gathered around him, watching in horror as the video played out on the cracked screen of his phone. She didn’t know how he’d got a hold of it—the video had only been up on Youtube for about two hours before it was promptly deleted due to its ‘ideologically sensitive content’—but the damage had already been done. Her entire homeroom class couldn’t take their eyes off the grainy footage of her father loading a family of borrowers into a gas chamber, where they struggled and writhed until eventually, stopped moving at all.

Then, their collective gaze shifted to her.

“I knew your family was fucked up, but this takes it to a whole new level, girl.” Amy Snyder was the first to speak up, swishing her perfect blonde hair. “Come on, spill it. How do you even sleep at night?”

Brooke swallowed from her seat, forcing herself to focus entirely on reading, but Kaleb had other plans. When she didn’t respond, he snatched the book out of her shaking hands and slammed it down onto the desk next to her.

“Yeah, spill it, Brooke.” He pressed, earning him a bout of snickers from the rest of the class. “I heard your dad’s been gassing borrowers out of peoples’ homes for years. It’s already fucked up enough that he got to walk away from it all with a slap on the back and a fine. If you ask me, a crime like that should be put on the same level as murder.”

“Yeah, totally.” Amy agreed breezily. “I can’t believe I have to stay in the same class as his daughter.”

“You’re not a psychopath too, are you, Brooke?” Kaleb taunted. “I’ve heard that kind of thing’s hereditary.”

“I’ll bet she’s already in on it, I mean look at her. Her dad probably lets her kill them himself. Snap their tiny little necks.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right about that.” The words were out of her mouth before she even knew she was talking. Brooke rose from her seat, both hands planted on her desk as she addressed the people who, until that morning, she’d considered her friends. “But honestly, outright killing them is boring. I prefer to snap off their little arms and legs first, just to watch them squirm.”

For a moment, the entire class was silent. Brooke could feel her throat tightening in panic, as tears welled in her eyes. In the span of five minutes, she’d gone from being a mild-mannered, respected classmate, to an abomination, standing on the same bloodstained pedestal as her father. All that retaliation had accomplished was adding fuel to the fire.

“Did you hear that?” Kaleb looked outright disgusted. “The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it Brooke? You belong in the same loony bin as your dear ol’ dad.”

His words had cut deeper than any wound ever had. He might have said more, but she was done giving him the time of day. With a hollow sob, Brooke stormed out, feeling Kaleb’s scowl bore into her back.

****

Her father was an exterminator by trade, and had operated under Eradicate, one of the city’s big time pest control corporations since before she was born. She remembered his reaction when Flint Oakland had made his first public announcement ten years ago. There was never surprise, or wonder, or excitement in his eyes. Doug Tucker watched the news with a clenched jaw and passive expression; it was the face of someone who’d harboured the secret of the borrower race for years, if not longer.

As the daughter of a man whose family lived in a neighbourhood of doctors, lawyers and government officials, Brooke had often questioned why her father earned so much money for doing what he did. Now, the answer was obvious. Doug was paid for his silence by Eradicate’s higher ups, so long as he did what he was told. As it turned out, borrowers fetched a high price on the black market, and so long as they weren’t discovered, the seemingly innocent pest control company could do with them as they saw fit.  

Doug Tucker was just one of many who bloodied their hands to get the job done.

Of course, things had changed in the last ten years. The kind of ideology that had been the forefront of Eradicate didn’t sit well in the eyes of modern society. Borrowers weren’t a novelty anymore, and as such, their demand decreased as with her father’s income. Orders to capture them alive shifted towards cheaper methods of disposal. For a time, life continued as normally for the Tucker family, shrouded as it was by the uncomfortable truth that their ‘normal’ was paid for by murder.

Brooke didn’t have a strong enough opinion on borrowers to discern whether her father’s actions were morally justified, but when all was said and done, it was just his job. It put money in the bank and food on the table. If people called Eradicate to request for the borrowers living in their house to be disposed of, her father would be the one to soil his hands and finish the deed. It just so happened that his latest clients had an ulterior motive, and before he’d even realised what had happened, a recording of him gassing a family of borrowers was already circulating the net.

The only reason her father was drinking away his sorrows in their apartment downstairs instead of in prison for manslaughter was because the borrowers he’d ‘disposed of’ hadn’t registered themselves as citizens and were therefore unprotected by the law. Unfortunately, that fact didn’t prevent him from obtaining a criminal record and fine that the family couldn’t hope to pay off without selling their house. Of course, there were other factors that went into that decision too, such as the waves of horrified borrower-rights activists that were suddenly showing up at their doorstep and shouting death threats, but that was the brunt of it.

So now, the Tucker family lived in an area almost befitting of her father’s shady past, but it wasn’t just him that was paying the price. At school, Brooke had officially ascended to social outcast status; someone her classmates would scorn upon instead of try to understand. Her mother had lost her job in social work following her manager’s claim that the knowledge of her husband’s crime would be ‘inappropriate’ for the workplace. The trial had been weeks ago, but to Brooke it felt like they’d lived this way for years. Days seemed to pass so much quicker when there was nothing memorable about them.

She imagined the next day would be the same, too. More of her father’s grumbling, and her mom pretending all was well with the world even though her family was falling apart. More of the disgusted stares from her peers in class and Kaleb Finch’s stupid mocking face. Brooke replaced her earbuds in her ears and rested her head on her arms, staring blankly out at the hazy sky.  

God, she was sick of it.

[rosella35]

Borrowed Courage Chapter 11 Sneak Peak

“Is this better?” Kaleb asked, returning to sit in front of the glowing phone screen. “I kinda forgot about how dark it would look for you in here. I don’t usually turn the lights on until later on.”

From her own desk two floors down, Brooke almost did a double-take as his now dimly-lit surroundings came into focus on her laptop’s screen. She couldn’t help but lean forward in shock. Somehow, the idea had completely slipped her mind. “Hold on, d-don’t tell me you’re actually in the—”

Kaleb chuckled at her stupefied reaction. “Yeah, I’m inside the walls.” He confirmed with a smirk. “What, did you think we all lived in some fancy dollhouse or something?”

[rosella35]

Some Borrower Kaleb perspective practice! (my drawing style is so inconsistent oml) 

~ also, if anyone has any questions for Kaleb or his human ‘friend’ Brooke, comment them below and I might draw up some answers ^_^ (I’ve seen heaps of people do this on Tumblr and D/A now and it looks really fun!) 

[rosella35]

Anika Thorn, a borrower assassin character I’ve been working on these last couple weeks as part of my ‘Borrowed Courage’ universe ^_^ She grew up as an outie living in the wilderness with her uncle Chester after her parents were killed by humans when she was young. Skipping a few details which I’m working on turning into a short story, she now works as an assassin for an organisation determined to bring down the underground borrower extermination trade. She is able to size-shift when on jobs using ‘Upsize’ (a borrower size alteration drug), and her trademark symbol is a scaled-up rat’s skull mask meant to represent her true identity as a borrower. Similar to the weapons she uses at her original size, she wields two silver daggers for assassinations. 

(basically I need to stop watching warrior/mercenary themed shows whelp)

[shutterandink]

This will come in handy for my ski trip!!! #keepingmyselfwarm #borrowedcourage

[might-be-tiny-gt]

OH HECK YESS

Borrowed Courage Masterpost

I’ve seen a bunch of other G/T creators doing this lately, so I’ll throw in my two cents ^_^

Borrowed Courage 

The shorthand premise: Exterminator’s daughter meets size-shifting borrower boy in a world where borrowers have been discovered by humankind. 

Prologue: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Prologue-834187545 

Chapter 1: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-One-838199547?ga_submit_new=10%3A1587106144&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1

Chapter 2: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Two-839431838?ga_submit_new=10%3A1587878960

Chapter 3: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-3-850893266?ga_submit_new=10%3A1596503940

Chapter 4: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Four-851655892?ga_submit_new=10%3A1597130864

Chapter 5: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Five-864706499?ga_submit_new=10%3A1608689395&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1

Chapter 6: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Six-864856455?ga_submit_new=10%3A1608689369&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1

Chapter 7: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Seven-873253297?ga_submit_new=10%3A1615771780

Chapter 8: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Eight-895233085?ga_submit_new=10%3A1634552261

Chapter 9: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Nine-903196065?ga_submit_new=10%3A1641647121

Chapter 10: https://www.deviantart.com/randomarthq/art/Borrowed-Courage-Chapter-Ten-907920740