#giant tiny writing

[sizebrained]

Christmas Shopping Surprise, Part 1

Ben and Hazel come across an unexpected surprise while out shopping for the holidays.

CW: None? Probably the most vanilla wholesome installment.

***

It was very cold. It was cold enough to snow but it hadn't yet. Hazel was hoping for snow.

She used to dread snow these past few years in the shed, but, for the first time in a long time, she was looking forward to enjoying it safely and without freezing.

She leaned the whole side of her body against Ben's neck for a bit instead of just a steadying hand. He was so warm.

Ben was glad for the chill, it provided the perfect excuse for Hazel to curl up inside his scarf next to his neck. It kept her from being seen and more than that, he liked having her there against his skin. As he thought about it, he felt her whole body suddenly press against him and it made him stop walking. He wanted to ask if she was alright. He worried that maybe she had slipped but that was so unlike her.

There were a lot of people around. There weren't that many days left until Christmas Eve. And so many people who were milling about were also staring or outright gawking at him. So much attention always made Ben hesitate to say anything to Hazel. He stayed quiet and started walking again when he felt her body lift up off of his neck. After several minutes of silent walking, he realized that it was rather nice to share a moment in silence like this with her. He liked their talks, but this was a nice change. Every so often, he felt her one tiny hand pressed against the side of his neck so that her other hand could pull down the lip of his scarf to peer over it. Sam and Cob did not seem to suffer from the same worry as Ben did about being noticed. He had lost track of Sam well over an hour ago. But he knew her and Cob would be fine.

His older sister, as she insisted that he call her instead of little big sister, was dashing in and out of stores like Scrooge on Christmas morning. More and more bags were being added in tow as she went in and out. Ben was pretty sure she had managed to get his credit card again, but he didn't actually mind it for some reason at Christmas.

Sam had added a headband with reindeer antlers and bells on it that made her even louder still at the very first store they went in. He assumed Cob might be hanging on those antlers now for a better view if the bells weren't too loud. Several stores later, in an overcrowded toy shop, Ben had enough and needed air and space. He didn't bother to ask Hazel if she felt like staying as the noise and motion inside the overcrowded store was making his pulse quicken. He much preferred walking through the festive, but still overcrowded, streets of the downtown shopping area. It was older than the rest of the city, and some of the side streets even had cobblestones that would have been treacherous when he was on crutches.

He was glad to be off of them finally and thought how much it would suck for anyone who needed them all the time, or his neighbor and her wheelchair.

"Are you alright? Do you need anything?" Ben whispered down at his shoulder breaking into his train of thought not remembering Hazel being this quiet for this long. Hazel patted his neck like she was reassuring her very large circus animal before a show. "Yes that is very sweet of you to ask. But I am perfectly well." She paused for a moment before continuing, "And do not be afraid to actually...you know go into any of these lovely stores and get some presents. I thought you had a list?" He did have a list, but he did not like the stores in this part of town. He was far more accustomed to modern big box stores with warehouse high ceilings and very wide aisles.

All of these stores were postcard perfect and they felt about the same size as a postcard to him. Something about so many people taking selfies or photos made the whole thing worse as he noticed several bystanders take his photo as he passed. "Uh...I will but you know I'm not exactly sure what I want to get for anyone yet...and uh I'm sure I'll know it when I see it you know?" Ben sputtered thinking of a poor excuse on the spot. Hazel knew he felt anxious in such tiny shops. From her spot against his neck, she could literally feel his heart pounding faster underneath and all around her. In the toy store, the thumping had gotten strong enough to shake her whole body. Thankfully, it slowed down fairly quickly when he was out on the street again.

He was getting much better, or at least getting better at knowing what made him calm down. If Ben had jumped, he would have either put a hole in the toy store's ceiling or knocked himself out or both. She wanted to push him to stay but thought better of it.

It was Christmas after all. She thought he deserved a respite from working on his fits.

She found herself enjoying silent walk. Besides, it wasn't like she needed anything in the store or could buy something for herself in any event.

Hazel let herself imagine what it would be like if she was human and she could go shop like all the people she saw going in and out of stores.

She wondered what she'd be like as a human for several long moments. Ben would still be giant but much more manageable. She wondered if they would be a couple if she was human. It was a nice thought. She was getting lost in her own thoughts before something caught her eye and attention.

"Oh! What is that shop! On the other side of the street," Hazel shouted and tugged on the inside of the scarf in the direction of the store.

Ben turned his head and saw a single large window completely filled with a jumble of books. It didn't look like the owner was even trying to have them displayed, just stacked and piled everywhere.

Even from across the street, he could tell it was older and smaller than most of the other stores.

Ben caught himself before he groaned out loud at the thought of having to squeeze into it.

Still, despite his misgivings, he crossed the road and stopped in front of it. He stood there looking down at the window and even smaller than usual door.

"Blackwell at Finchingfield Company's Rare and Desirable Books," Ben read out loud with a chuckle.

"Oh my god this sounds more British than you do," He said down to his neck. "That's near London..." Hazel said flatly back to him as she stared at the words over the scarf as well.

Hazel didn't elaborate any further. Ben sighed as he noticed that there were a few steps leading down to the actual entrance. It was a basement shop but no sign of a store above. Maybe the owner lived above it.

Ben bent down low with a grunt to open the door. It made a bell attached to it jangle loudly.

He sidestepped into the bookstore and immediately regretted his decision. He stood upright and hit his head far sooner than he expected.

The ceiling was abnormally low. It was a basement, but this was ridiculous. He kept his knees bent and felt a tightness in his back.

There were very narrow, angular pathways made their way through floor to ceiling shelves overfilled with books. Ben knew this was going to be an ordeal.

Ben heard Hazel gasp.

"Oh...it's wonderful!" She said in hushed surprise.

From behind a stack of books, Ben heard a very faint voice call out. "Oh hello you two! What a lovely surprise! Come in, come in, please take your time! It's wonderful to have you both! It's been so long."

Ben and Hazel froze in panicked silence. There was no way someone could have spotted Hazel behind Ben's scarf or hear her from that far away. Maybe they were confused anyone actually would come into the store.

"Uh Hello? It's just me...by myself..." Ben yelled out after a very long awkward silence.

Hazel slapped Ben's neck as hard as she could for saying something so awkwardly suspicious.

"Oh! Just you! Right of course dear, just you. I understand. But please come in and take your time. Let me know if you need anything," The voice replied back.

Ben wasn't sure what to do. Half of him thought to just turn around and leave. He stood still for what seemed like an eternity. His back was starting to hurt.

Finally, the oldest, smallest woman he had ever seen slowly stepped out into one of the aisles about 10 feet ahead of him in an aisle. She slowly made her way towards him.

"Dear me aren't you a big one. I swear they get bigger every generation." The old woman said adjusting her glasses and craning her neck to look up at Ben who was still crouching down because of the ceilings.

Ben recognized her British accent through the sheer age of her voice. She was wrapped in a very thick gray button up sweater and looked like she was born in a bookstore hundreds of years ago.

Ben gulped.

"Uh...yeah...but just me...see...and you had said two?" Ben said hoping maybe her mind was going before the old woman interrupted him.

"Oh! Ohhhhhh....Of course, of course, just you dear! And my aren't you big enough for two people anyway. Certainly, certainly, I understand..." the old woman said in a knowing tone that didn't seem like she was missing a beat at all despite her age.

As if to confirm Ben's suspicions, the old woman made a big show of winking up at him and giggled under her breath.

Ben was sure that somehow the old woman knew that Hazel was hiding behind his scarf.

Without saying anything else, the old woman turned and made her way back to her spot again. Ben remained totally still, crouching in place right at the front door. Finally, he had enough and just got down on his knees. It helped.

Hazel popped out from behind his scarf to admonish him in a hushed whisper, "What the bloody hell are you doing?! Get up and go look around!"

Ben looked at her with a grimace afraid to say anything and really make the old woman think there were two people in the store.

"She knows!" he dared to whisper as quietly as he could. Despite his best efforts, his whisper still sounded loud amongst all of the books.

Hazel rolled her eyes huffing in exasperation.

"She knows you are a lunatic the way you are acting right now..." she said while pulling down Ben's scarf.

She walked out onto his shoulder. Then without saying anything, she leapt onto a nearby shelf.

Ben stopped himself from shouting after her. Instead, he decided to turn and awkwardly knee walk down the main aisle towards the old woman.

The sides of his coat were brushing the books and making a swishing sound from the material of it.

Hazel was moving far faster and easier as she disappeared into the stacks far ahead of him. She started looking at the various titles and sections as she raced past them.

She could spend days in here and surely she could avoid being seen by one very old lady.

Hazel was tempted to ask Ben to leave her there so she could explore on her own before she heard him catching up.

After a few labored moments, he finally made it over to where the old woman had shouted at him at the front door. She was standing behind what looked like a very old fashioned cash register with a small, handwritten note taped to the front that read "Cash Only".

Even on his knees, she still had to look up to make eye contact with him. She looked up at Ben with a pleasant expression as if she was waiting for him to speak. He felt the pressure of it and finally blurted something out.

"You've got a lot of books."

Hazel was watching him from a nearby shelf, looking out from behind a small dust covered book. She shook her head in disbelief and rubbed her face.

"Why yes dear. As it so happens, this is a book store," she said emphasizing the word with the same kind of dryness that he noticed in Hazel. She called it wit.

"So I find it does help to have many for sale. Any topics of interest to you or your friend...oh sorry right. I mean are you looking for yourself or someone else?" The woman said correcting herself like she was playing along with a small child over a game of pretend.

Ben stayed silent staring at her. He knew that she knows. He knew that she knows and he knew that she knew that he knows. But she kept up the facade at least.

"Someone else...well she...I mean she likes everything. She's really smart and well read so I don't know what I could get that she wouldn't have already read or could probably recite without reading," Ben replied before she cut him off again.

"A special book for a special someone? I have just the thing." The old woman declared.

Hazel felt her heart flutter a bit at hearing Ben talk about her to someone else like this. She dared to step a little further out from her hiding spot.

Ben started blushing at the long stare from the old woman. She wasn't wrong about Hazel being his "special someone." But it was so weird to talk about it with anyone other than Sam.

"Oh my so large and full of feelings dear..." She said noticing his cheeks. Then she cackled as she walked past him, disappearing into the shelves.

He tilted back and forth on his knees as he waited. She returned to her side of the register holding a small tan book that looked very old. "Does she...Well I suppose that the proper question is do you have this? They never do have their own you know. They're always borrowing in their way but it's fine they never need much and we can always share isn't that right?" the old woman asked with another cackle up as she held out the book to him.

"No I don't have this..." Ben said taking the book. He tried to ignore her comments and not let anything slip. He read the cover, it was The Mentor Book of Major British Poets. It looked like it had a bunch of different poems in it as Ben turned it in his hand and looked at the back.

"Of course they're not all British poets. We have the bad habit of lumping in the whole Kingdom rather than admit the Welsh and Irish are often better poets in our own language," The old woman said.

Ben just nodded in silence and handed her a twenty dollar bill.

"But poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason my boy. You can never go wrong with a book of poetry as a gift." She continued as she punched the loud keys of the register.

"And your special someone? What is her name?" the old woman asked as she made change for him.

"Hazel," Ben said without skipping a beat forgetting himself.

"Oh we never knew a Hazel back home. I imagine she must have been in a different pod. Was she ever in London?" The old woman asked.

"What?" Ben asked stupefied.

"Hazel, was she ever in London? She must have been at some point. They bloody live forever so I'm sure must have at some point," the old woman said like she was remembering more than talking to Ben. Ben felt the sweat on his forehead in rising terror. Hearing this woman casually talking like she not only knew Hazel was there but had come across tiny people like her before filled him with terror.

"Yes I was in London." Hazel suddenly said from a shelf just above and to the side of the cash register. She had made her way over across while the humans were talking.

Hazel dropped down and then stood up on the top of the cash register. Her arms were crossed and her tail swished slowly from side to side.

Ben's eyes went wide and he stood up bringing his hands to either side of Hazel. But before he could grab her tiny body and flee, he hit his head on the ceiling as he rose. The whole place shook and rattled from the impact. Even the bell on the door rang softly.

He crumbled straight down with a loud yelp holding his head with both hands.

The old woman cackled with glee louder than she had since they had come into the store, ignoring him and keeping her eyes locked on Hazel.

"Oh that's just wonderful! I had hoped you would let me see you! It's been so long! I haven't seen one of you since the war. This is just the best Christmas wish come true," the old woman shouted clapping her hands together.

"Hazel it's lovely to meet you, I'm Penny." the old woman said.

"How did you know I was here?" Hazel asked warily.

Ben groaned and muttered rubbing his head in a massive heap on the floor filling most of the aisle.

"Oh but of course I knew you were here dear. A pact lingers even if one of you goes. Although sadly your side never seems to make it if the human gives up the ghost first." Penny said wiping her eyes that seemed to be tearing up.

"You were..." Hazel started saying before the old woman interrupted her.

"Yes I was in a revealing pact with one of your kind for many many years. Jacob was his name. Jacob and his whole family lived with mine for many, many generations." Penny said with a smile at Hazel.

"Ever since, I always could feel when one of you was near. But it's been decades since I felt it. But sure enough as soon as your large lad here came in I knew I could feel it like it was yesterday. I am so glad. We have so much to talk about." *** End Part 1

[tinycoded360]

Sterling household--The Talk

Chapter 8: The talk

Milton's heart pounded nervously as he stood on Sterling's kitchen table, flanked by Cassia and Emma. Sterling loomed like a benign colossus, his presence still intimidating.

"Alright then," Milton began, his voice steadier than he felt, "let's talk about how we can make this work for all of us."

“Of course, but first, I have some things for you.” The tiny borrowers watched in confusion as Sterling turned to grab something from his counter.

The smell of freshly baked bread was distracting. Apparently, Sterling thought it was a good idea for them to snack and talk.

"Smells amazing, doesn't it?" Cassia whispered, her stomach betraying her with a tiny growl.

"Focus," Milton murmured, though even he couldn't deny the saliva pooling in his mouth at the thought of fresh bread. Granted, Cassia was perfectly able to make bread within the walls of their home, but it wasn’t the same as the fluffy bread that giants make.

Sterling chuckled, a deep sound vibrating through the air. "I hope you're hungry. There's plenty to go around." He set down a plate of freshly cut bread. Some slices had butter on them, and others did not. The bread was cut into tiny pieces so it would be easy for his tiny guests to handle.

Before Milton could make a move to sample the offering, Sterling spoke up again, his giant hand coming down close, startling the tiny man. “Wait one more thing, here take this, this is for you.” Pinched between the giant’s forefinger and thumb was a tiny tea cup—perfectly sized for the tiny borrowers. Milton stared in shock but reached for the cup. Sterling offered a cup to Cassia and Emma as well.

“These are for you, you can keep them, I bought them at a craft store, I thought they would be perfect for you. Oh! And these too.” Next Sterling handed each of them a tiny spoon, the spoon was close to their scale.

“This is amazing, Sterling. Thank you.” Cassia said.

“Why do you giants have tiny stuff like this? What’s the purpose?” Emma spoke up. She liked the tiny gift, but she couldn’t understand why a giant would sell and buy these things, if not for toys for their young, but these items seemed way to small for children’s toys.

“I don’t know……. I guess humans have always liked tiny things.” Sterling said with a shrug.

“But wait there’s more.” Sterling said with a grin. He brought over a pitcher of iced tea. He then took a pipette and suctioned some of the tea into it. He then held it over each of their tiny cups. He carefully served them some fresh tea.

Sterling sat down in his chair, holding a mug of his own; he took a sip of his tea and smiled down at them. “Ok, now we can start.”

Milton inched closer to the table's edge, his eyes locked on Sterling's face. "Sterling," Milton started, each word measured and deliberate, "We've come to appreciate... your kindness."

Sterling leaned in, careful not to make any sudden moves that might startle his tiny guests. "I'm glad to hear that, Milton. I've always enjoyed helping where possible, and I want you guys to stay."

Cassia, her hands clasped in front of her, added, "We can't ignore the risks, but we also see the benefits of living here, close to you." Her voice held a note of cautious optimism.

"Of course," Sterling nodded, "It's a delicate balance, isn't it?"

Emma glanced between Milton and Cassia before addressing Sterling with a hint of boldness. "It is. And we'll find a way to maintain that balance if you are."

Sterling's expression softened further, touched by the admission. " All of you were very kind to look after me when I was ill. I think we can be good neighbors or roommates or sorts, I’d be willing to work out an agreement of conduct.”

"An exchange," Milton proposed. "We help with small tasks, like pest control and small repairs to the house, and in return, we receive some food scraps and materials that would otherwise be wasted."

"Seems fair, but I think we can do better than that," Sterling agreed with a gentle smile. "I don’t want you guys to feel like you have to hide. I don’t see how that’s different than before?” “What, the only difference is I know you’re around?” Sterling asked with a frown.

“This is a lot for us. We’re not supposed to interact or talk to you like this.” Emma pointed out.

“I won’t push you past what you’re comfortable with, but I would want you all to be more comfortable, maybe interact more. I’d be willing to share more than just scraps.” Sterling pressed.

"Hmmm, okay, then. Look, Sterling," Emma piped up, barely containing the tremor in her voice as she glanced warily at the corner of the kitchen where Whiskers usually lounged. Currently, the cat was shut in Sterling’s room. "We need to talk about your cat, then."

Milton's eyes darted toward the ground, his body tensing at the mention of the feline predator. Cassia placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, her gaze fixed on Sterling.

Sterling sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know Whiskers can be... problematic for you folks, but she's part of this household too. I can't just get rid of her."

"Perhaps we could arrange our borrowing times?" suggested Milton. "A schedule that lets us roam when she's confined to your room?"

"Or announce ourselves loudly," Cassia added with a hint of reluctance. "Though it feels like asking permission in our own home."

"Training her might be a safer bet," Sterling proposed, watching their reactions closely. "Properly introduce you to her, so she understands you’re family, not food. But of course, I’d be willing to set a schedule; we can write it out."

Cassia nodded slowly. " The schedule would be preferred, and I think we should do that first. But I’d be willing to try to be introduced to your—"

"No!" Milton interjected sharply. "I won't risk Cassia or the children. If we do that, I’ll do it first, just in case something goes wrong."

“Oh, I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise,” Sterling said as he leaned closer.

Sterling and Milton locked eyes, a silent battle of wills passing between them until Sterling finally chuckled. "I promise you won’t be hurt; I’ll be there every step of the way; it will be done under close supervision.”

"Good," Milton grumbled, not thrilled about this whole idea.

"Another thing," Cassia said before the mood could sour further. "Please, don't tell others about us. It's dangerous if more humans know."

"Of course," Sterling agreed solemnly. "Your secret's safe with me. And I'll give you a heads-up if I'm expecting company. You should have plenty of time to hide or return to your nest."

"Thank you," Cassia said, the relief evident in her tone. "It eases my mind knowing we won't stumble upon strangers."

"Before we continue further," Sterling said, shifting slightly, "I have another thing for you." He reached into a drawer and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in cloth. He unfolded it on the table with delicate care to reveal an assortment of miniature kitchenware.

Milton's eyes narrowed at the sight of the tiny pots and pans, more silverware, more teacups, plates, and plastic buckets—all perfectly borrower-sized. "We can't accept these; you’ve already given us a gift," he stated firmly, his pride as a provider prickling at the offer and the fact they didn’t get any gift for the giant.

Cassia's elbow nudged into his side subtly yet with intention. "Oh, they're wonderful," she exclaimed, her voice warm with genuine delight as she inspected the gifts. "We love them, don't we?"

"Of course," Milton conceded begrudgingly, though his gaze lingered on the items with a hint of appreciation. Sterling's lips curled into a pleased smile, his eyes brightening at Cassia's enthusiasm.

"Good, I'm glad," Sterling responded, watching them. "I hope they're... usable."

"Indeed," Cassia said, still admiring the craftsmanship.

After a moment of contemplative silence, Sterling's expression turned serious. "Listen, I've been meaning to ask—have you been cooking inside the walls? Using flame?" His tone was gentle, but concern etched his brow.

Cassia and Milton tensed simultaneously; the question felt like an intrusion, a spotlight on their hidden lives. "Yes, but we're always careful," Cassia assured quickly, her voice steady despite the sudden anxiety.

"Even so, I'd rather you didn't," Sterling insisted. "It's not just about being careful. Even tiny, controlled fires could lead to disaster."

"Disaster?" Milton scoffed. "We know what we're doing. It's not like we're reckless."

"Still," Sterling pressed, "what if there's another way? I could get you a miniature kitchen to set up here, on the counter. You could cook safely without worries."

"Out here?" Milton's voice rose incredulously. "You expect us to abandon the safety of the walls whenever hunger strikes?"

"Look, I—I thought it might be nice to share meals, but maybe that's too much," Sterling stuttered, his proposal hanging awkwardly in the air. "We can work out a schedule if that's better."

"Share meals?" Emma muttered under her breath, her skepticism evident even in hushed tones. "Like we wouldn't just take what we need anyway."

Sterling cleared his throat, undeterred. "I'll also leave a notepad out. If you need anything specific, just write it down, and I'll see what I can do."

"I’ll consider it. Could I pick the kitchen?” Cassia spoke up. She loved the idea of having something close to what humans got to enjoy.

“Of course!” Sterling said with a relieved smile.

“Okay, well, we can give it a try to see if that works,” Cassia declared, ignoring her husband's grumpy expression.

"Agreed," Sterling nodded. "You'll have free access to the kitchen. Anything you need."

"Generous offer," Cassia said with a small smile, glancing up at Sterling's towering figure. "Thank you, really."

"Of course," he replied, his voice softening. "Anything for my little housemates."

"Right," Sterling said, refocusing the group's attention. "One last rule I'd like to put in place. My bedroom and bathroom are off-limits. You'll just have to ask me if you need something from those rooms."

Milton nodded, his expression serious as he considered the giant human's request. "Understandable. Your privacy is important."

"Very well," Emma agreed, her eyes flickering to the other borrowers. "We'll respect your spaces. Let's sort out these schedules then."

"Great," Sterling replied, relieved. They discussed times and routines, ensuring their paths would cross safely and predictably.

Once they agreed on a schedule, Sterling reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object. "I've got one more thing for you. It's a smartphone—a basic one, but it should do the trick."

"A phone?" Milton's eyebrows shot up, incredulity etched across his face.

"Yes," Sterling beamed, placing it gently on the table before them. "It's pre-paid. You can call or text me if there's an emergency or even if you just need to ask about something."

Cassia leaned forward, her eyes wide as she examined the device. "This... this is too much, Sterling. We can't accept—"

"Please," Sterling interjected, pressing his palm against his chest. "It would give me peace of mind knowing you could reach out if needed."

"Thank you," Milton said gruffly, clearly moved despite his reservations. He was thinking about how they’d have to give something to Sterling in return; the giant human had already given them too many gifts. He could not stand to be outdone in this way.

Sterling picked up the phone and showed how to use it. "Here's how you turn it on, and here's how you make a call. I've saved my number under 'Giant'—it seemed fitting."

A chuckle escaped Cassia's lips, and even Emma allowed herself a small grin at the nickname.

"Let's test it," Sterling suggested. He dialed his own number from the phone and let it ring. His pocket buzzed, and he showed them the incoming call. "See? That's you calling."

"Technology," Milton muttered, still eyeing the phone with a mix of suspicion and fascination. Their most common technology was wiring and lights in their tunnels.

"Can we send messages, too?" Cassia asked, her curiosity overriding her initial hesitation.

"Absolutely," Sterling confirmed. "I'll leave it here by the notepad—you can grab it whenever you're ready to take it back to your nest."

"Stellar," Emma said, and though the word was flippant, her tone carried genuine appreciation.

"Thank you, Sterling," Cassia said again, her voice warm. " Although, Sterling, there's one more thing," Cassia interjected, "I want you to properly meet our children."

"Of course!" Sterling’s voice boomed enthusiastically, a giant grin spreading across his face. His eyes sparkled at the prospect of meeting the little ones he’d only glimpsed during hurried rescues from mischievous escapades.

"Come on up, loves!" Cassia called out. Four tiny figures emerged from the shadowy crevice in the wall, cautiously approaching the table. Agnes, her hair tied back in a practical braid, climbed the dangling rope with ease of experience, her little brother Finn clinging to her back, his eyes wide with wonder and trepidation. Pippin and Lila followed their big sister.

Sterling watched, spellbound by their miniature bravery, resisting every paternal instinct to scoop his hands underneath them for safety. Instead, he remained still, but his body was ready to lunge forward to catch them if they slipped.

"Hello, Mr. Silversmith," Agnes greeted, her voice steady despite the rapid thumping of her heart.

"Hi!" chirped Finn, his small fingers tightening around his sister's shoulders.

"Please, call me Sterling," he replied gently, careful not to startle them with the volume of his voice. "And who might this brave knight be?" he nodded towards Finn. He’d only seen the tiny boy once after rescuing him from his cat.

"I'm Finn!" the boy announced proudly, puffing out his chest as much as his piggyback position would allow.

"Nice to meet you, Finn. And Agnes, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Agnes nodded, her cheeks flushing with bashfulness.

"Can I have some bread?" Finn asked, his gaze darting to the plate of food.

"Of course," Sterling chuckled.

"Yeah!" Finn exclaimed, sliding down from Agnes's back to enjoy the warm food. Milton moved to help his youngest with his serving.

Sterling's eyes then landed on the other two children.

Cassia stepped forward. “This is Pippin, and this is Lila.”

“Hello there, it’s very nice to meet you?” Sterling smiled at the two tiny children.

Pippin shuffled his feet. “It’s nice to meet you too; thank you for letting me go last time.”

“Of course, little one. Here, go help yourself to the bread,” Sterling replied. He could tell the tiny children were still nervous around him, and he hoped his offering would put them at ease.

Sterling watched in fascination as the tiny girl, Lila, approached his hand. She placed her tiny hand on his finger. To his surprise and delight, the tiny girl started to climb into his hand. She stood on the back of his hand. Balancing and giggling as she went. Sterling held perfectly still, not wanting to knock the tiny girl down. He could feel her tiny feet padding softly against his skin.

"Are we like mice to you?" Lila asked, her voice teeming with curiosity.

"A bit," Sterling acknowledged with a teasing grin, "But much cleverer and certainly more talkative."

"Can I climb up your arm?" Lila inquired, peeking up through long lashes, her adventurous spirit shining through.

"Maybe," Sterling hedged, shooting a quick glance at their parents. "With your parents' permission, of course." He was surprised at how quickly this little one was warming up to him.

"Let's stick to the table for now," Milton interjected. It didn’t sit right with him to see his youngest daughter using the human as a jungle gym. She shouldn’t be this at ease with him.

Lila pouted but listened to her father. She hopped down from the giant hand and ran over to her father, asking for some yummy bread.

After the borrowers had their fill of bread and the adults had hashed out their agreements, they said their goodbyes, packed their gifts into their packs and headed back inside the walls. Sterling leaned down, handing them their new phone to take back with them. Sterling was amused that it took all three tiny adults to drag the electronics back with them. 

Author Note: Below is an example of some of the gifts Sterling gave them. The figure is just a reference model for size comparison. 

Chapter 9

[gt-abby]

Mar and Jake- chapter 7

Since you guys want it so bad, here it is, chapter seven!

Don't forget to reblog and comment what you think of the story so far (no pressure tho!)

Tag list: @soakedmilkgt

Chapter 1 chapter six chapter seven (you're here) chapter eight

----- 2400~ words

Mar froze. Then she remembered who it must be and she let herself relax. Jake got up rather quickly and looked through the peep hole just to make sure no one who shouldn’t would see his tiny friend, then opened the door with a relieved smile.

“Hey guys! I’m sorry I’m a bit late, got caught up.” Emily entered the apartment before Jake could offer her in. She then knelt down in front of Mar with a big smile and rubbed her head with a finger. Mar didn’t know how to react to that so she let her ruffle her hair, but she was in a bit of a shock. She still wasn’t used to anyone but Jake knowing about her situation. She still felt a few reservations about this, but she tried to reassure herself that Emily must be trustworthy. Jake quickly approached the two women and knelt down in front of Mar as well. That made her a bit uncomfortable- being surrounded by giant people that were looking down at her.

“So, you have to tell me, how come you can… shrink?” Jake just cut to the chase. He couldn’t wait any longer.

“Oh, I can grow, too.” Emily smirked and stood up, motioning for Jake to as well. Then, she slowly rose above him and touched the ceiling with her head. Jake and Mar were shell shocked, Mar more so than Jake. Now she was barely the size of Emily’s pinkie. This made her reservations about Emily grow, but as per usual she didn’t voice her concerns yet. She gulped, but Emily quickly shrunk back to regular human size.

Emily laughed, a rolling, contagious laugh. “Oh, this never gets old, your faces.” Jake returned a fake, nervous laughter. Mar didn’t.

“Anyway, to answer your question, I’ve always been able to do that. It took a few years to master it fully but now I’m a proper sizeshifter!” Emily exclaimed proudly. She then looked down at Mar and asked, “you can’t do that?” Mar shook her head. After meeting Emily for the first time, she tried commanding her body to grow back several times but nothing worked. Emily replied with a ponderous gaze.

“So your parents are… how did you call it .. ‘sizeshifers’ too?

“Oh no, they’re regular people. They know I can sizeshift, though. At first they thought it was a disease, but doctors have never found anything wrong with me, I was always perfectly healthy. But aside from me, no one that I know can do that, either.”

Mar wished Emily would shrink down to her size to keep her company and make her feel more comfortable, but she didn’t voice it. Emily didn’t seem to notice, and neither did Jake, that Mar was rather extremely uncomfortable at the moment.

Two giants were standing, towering above her, having a conversation between them as if she wasn’t there. If she were to speak up, would they even hear her? If she were to try to join in, would they even include her?

Those anxiety-driven thoughts plagued her mind as she spiraled into this deeply depressing mentality that she’s grown to feel weirdly comfortable with. She watched as the two titans sat down on the sofa and continued their conversation as if forgetting about her completely. She was invisible, non-existent perhaps.

“-Right, Mar?” she was pulled away from her thoughts by her name being called.

“Um, sorry what?” her voice broke, but it was so small she really hoped they didn’t hear it.

“Tell her what happened to you.”

“Oh, umm…” She hesitated, feeling embarrassed. But she sucked it up and retold the story again. No one interrupted her. She added her dream to it too, as to explain why it happened, but none of them actually understood exactly why. She ended up rambling for a few minutes, while Emily and Jake looked at each other as they listened. When Mar finally finished, she tried apologizing for talking so much, but the two reassured her that it was all okay.

“I’ve actually had a few dreams like what you’re describing, but I can barely remember them. I remember something, someone, who knew me, but I’ve never met before, appear in my dreams and to talk to me, but I can never remember what they were saying. I… think they were made out of a blue flame or something? I’m not 100% sure.” Emily became uncharacteristically quiet for a moment. Mar’s heart skipped a beat when Emily said she had those dreams too, but she was meekly disappointed to hear that she remembered none of it. How come she remembers but Emily doesn’t? Now she has more questions than answers. “Say, what’s it like being small all the time?” Emily asked Mar tactlessly, changing the subject. She then proceeded to jump onto the coffee table, shaking mar and almost making her fall in the process, while also shrinking back to her size and sitting, crosslegged, next to her. Emily saw the grim expression on Mar’s face and realized. “You don’t like it, huh, well I think it’s pretty cool, you get to be “babied” around, getting carried everywhere you want to go, and all the food I so huge you can eat all your favorites for forever!” She laughed, making Mar chuckle.

“Well, that’s one way of looking at it. But… it was so scary at first, I… I never wanted this to happen, all I’ve built up to in my life is now either useless or gone. My parents even didn’t take it well, so now I’m all on my own.” Mar felt bad about ruining the mood, but she felt like she had to let this feeling out.

“That’s not true, Mar, you have me,” Jake piped up. She looked up at him with a smile. He’s right. He’s been there for her at every turn. Even if she does’t fully feel comfortable leaning on him like that, but she certainly knows she can trust him.

“And me,” Emily exclaimed. “I know we don’t know each other all that well but I’m here for you, no matter what.” She rested her hand on Mar’s shoulder.

“Thanks, you guys,” Mar wiped away a tear. “I really needed that.” She let out a happy laugh of relief.

—

After a few more hours of the three of them hanging out, it was finally time for Emily to go home. Mar felt. Ted bit sad to see her go, her energy was contagious, but they all knew all fun times must come to an end. After Emily had left, Jake sighed heavily and held out his hand to Mar, indicating to her that he wanted her to come with him. He looked tired, and Mar guessed he wanted to go to sleep.

“So… what are we doing tomorrow?” She asked him while crawling onto his palm. “Am I coming with you or staying home?”

“I’ll… let you chose this time. I know I wasn’t the nicest towards you this morning, I wanna make up for that.”

“No, no, don’t worry about it. Umm I guess it’s best if I stay home, since we can risk someone else seeing me and anything bad can happen outside. I can’t move anywhere on my own right now so… I’d feel safest here.”

“Alright. Then Ill make sure to get you everything you need within reach before I leave. I’ll do my best to come back as soon as possible, but I do have work after class so I’ll still be back late.” Jake placed her on his nightstand carefully with a soft smile. Mar tucked herself in the sock he gave her as he went over to the bathroom to get ready. She had a bad feeling for some reason, but she couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from or why. She drifted into sleep before she could hear the bathroom door open back up and Jake return to his room.

“You’re here again at last.” That familiar voice… it struck fear in Mar’s heart as it did before. She was dreaming again.

“What do you want now?” Mar asked the deity, already impatient.

“We have infinity to spend together now, must you be so hostile?” They replied mockingly. Mar scoffed. She had no intention of spending her lifetime connected to this condescending “god”. When she finds a “cure” for all of this, she’ll finally come back to her normal life. “Anyway, how have you been faring the past few days? Have your powers come to you?”

“No.”

“I see.”

Silence befell them in the void. The fire knew Mar wasn’t interested in a conversation, and any attempt at one would be shot down immediately. Mar herself didn’t know what the deity was capable of, but there wasn’t much they could do in the dreamscape. Her physical body wasn’t here so nothing bad could happen to her. So she turned away from the deity and sat on the ground, staring at the void until her eyes began creating shapes in her vision.

“Turn around.” Mar heard a voice from behind her, so cold it made her shiver. But she didn’t reply. Suddenly she felt heat coming from behind her and turning around she saw the fire being grow, bigger and bigger, until they were Jake’s size- hundreds of times her own. Mar was looking up at them, open mouthed, beginning to shake in fear. She felt as if she was first shrunk all over again- the size difference terrified her, especially when it was someone made entirely of flames. Regardless of whether she wasn’t going to be physically harmed, this was a petrifying sight.

Then, her worst fear happened. The deity reached down towards her with their hand, yet Mar was frozen in place. She couldn’t run, or hide, or do anything but stare in disbelief as the fiery palm got closer and bigger. She cowered, looking away, when she felt heat surround her and the giant hand close around her, so tight she felt her breath be taken away.

“No please”, she cried out, as she felt herself be raised from the ground so high up if she fell she could easily die.

“So you humans are just as easily scared as you were back when I last returned, I see.” Mar looked up to see the indifference in the deity’s voice also appear on their huge face. They looked disappointed, too. “I find that extremely pathetic. How did my host come to be this way..? You all have lived far too comfortably in the last millennia. Must I remind you of what I’m capable of? Your life is, quite literally, in my hands. So remember that when ever you plan on disrespecting me, young one.” Mar gulped. This was truly a nightmare. She felt her chest be crushed in the titan’s grip before being completely let go, and, as she fell screaming, she was woken up to Jake’s gigantic face peer upon her and his hand shaking her awake.

“Thank god, Mar, you scared the hell out of me.” He said, wiping away sweat from his brow. “You were screaming, did you know that?” yes, she could feel her throat was sore. “I-I’m sorry” she was breathing heavily, cold sweat pearls on her forehead.

“Look at me,” he pleaded with her, and when she did what he asked, his heart sank. Her eyes were in total shock, darting to everywhere on his face, wide and with tiny pupils. What could she have dreamt about that was so petrifying? “Are you okay? Breathe.”

She took a deep breath and let it all out, looking away from him. “Y-yeah… I’m not… dead so... I guess.”

“Now… please tell me, how the hell are you doing that?” he gestured to her body, and it took her a while to realize there was nothing underneath her. She let out a yelp thinking she was still falling, but she was actually hovering in place, the sock she was sleeping in already slipped off.

“What…?” she stood up in the air and looked around her. Nope, there was nothing underneath her that was holding her in place.

“Of course you wouldn’t know.” Jake sighed. “there’s something new about you every day, huh?”

“Why didn’t this happen like two days ago?!” Mar exclaimed in frustration. “I wouldn’t have broken my freaking leg!” She cried out, her emotions overwhelming her- first, the fire deity scaring her to oblivion, now this.

“Wow, wow, Mar, calm down, it’s okay, these things… happen.” Jake tried to calm her down, unsuccessfully. He resorted to his secret technique. He grabbed her as softly as he could and pressed her against his chest. Her heart was beating so fast he could even feel it. It was faint, but it was there. Slowly but surely, it began to deescalate and she took a deep breath and tapped the inside of the ball he created around her and he let her go. He uncapped his hands but she stayed laying there on one of them, looking up at her giant friend. She wiped away her tears and looked away. Jake took his other finger and used it to position her head so she would look at him, and he raised her to eye level. His eyes looked very concerned and not convinced that she was alright. The way he was looking at her made her eyes water again, so she sat up and looked down at the ground- well, Jake’s palm. He felt her tears falling down on it and his heart dropped some more.

“What… was the dream about this time?” He asked as softly as he could.

“T-they’re back…” Mar replied, still looking away from him. “I tried to ignore them so… they got mad-“ she wiped away the tears- “and became giant, like you, and held me tight. They threatened me and dropped me and then I woke up.”

“My god…” Jake gasped, “No wonder you were panicking.”

“Yeah…”

“W-well, you’re okay now, and I’m here for you- u-unless you need me to leave.” He added, scared he was contributing to her panic, since he was also a giant compared to her.

“No, no, please stay…” She grabbed his thumb and hugged it, finally looking up at him. Jake sighed in relief and his heart skipped a beat- he could not help how cute she looked to him as she hugged his thumb with her entire body. Her size could never stop looking so adorable to him, but he pushed those thoughts away- he didn’t want to dehumanize her like he did the day before.

“Okay.” He pressed her against his heart in an attempt at a hug and she reciprocated and spread her arms and hugged him back as much as she could.

“Thank you.” She whispered

[gtbutterfly]

Quincy and the forest giant part 10

hey, I got this one out a lot sooner than expected! I might try to work on a new story or maybe some one offs between this chapter and the next one. Anyways, this part is a bit more in depth than the last one. Hope you enjoy it! Critism is appreciated! (Sorry I forgot to say that last time)

previous part:

______________________________________________________________

I’ve never understood why in movies and cartoons, whenever one character was tiny and another character was big, they had the smaller character sitting on the bigger one's shoulder. I always thought that it would be too easy for the smaller person  to fall off from there. When people have parrots and other birds on their shoulders, it makes sense, because the bird is holding on with its talons. But with a person, they’re not really hanging onto anything, they're just balancing, and they somehow don’t fall off. If they had to hang onto something, it would probably be the ear, which would be painful for the bigger character. I never realized why those shows always did that until Ella took me for a walk that day. She had me cupped in her hand while she was walking through the forest. Her elbows were bent so I was upright in her hands. After a while, she started carrying me in one hand against her chest while she put her other hand down, and she switched hands a few times, which was a bit disorienting for me. I figured out her arms were getting tired in that position, so I decided to say something when she switched again,

“Um…hey, Ella?” I said,

“Hmm?” The giant looked down at me, “oh, sorry kid, I know changing my hands can be a bit much,” 

“Uh…it's fine…hey, do you want to, like, hold me in a different way?” I asked.

“What other way?” she asked, “this is the most comfortable way I can hold you without you dropping 40 feet,”

“Well…it doesn’t seem too comfortable…” I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Comfortable for you I mean,” Ella said. “Would you rather I have you in a fist around your neck again?”

“Um…no,” I said, “uh…how about…I dunno, your shoulder?” I suggested.

“You’d fall in seconds.” Ella said dryly.

“Um…your pocket?” I asked,

“You wouldn’t be able to seeQuincy. That would defeat the whole purpose of going on a hike.” Ella said. “My pockets are too deep for you to see over…do you want to know what's in my pockets?”

“Um, No?” I said, in a mixture of scared and genuinely confused.

“Good.” Ella said, continuing to walk. 

“Um…do you have any ideas?” I asked.

“Hmm…” she sighed, “your too small to walk beside me, obviously,” she said, “maybe…sigh no,”

“Um…what?” I asked,

“Nothing..” she said, starting to murmur something to herself about “me being too young.”, I couldn’t fully make it out. She sighed again. “Maybe we should rest for a second, how does that sound?” 

“Yeah…that sounds fine,” I said. Ella looked around, before slowly lowering herself to the ground, which was covered in leaves and plants, some flattened by giant footprints, supposedly from Ella stepping on them before. She sat with one leg outwards and the other bent towards it. She placed me on the ground on her right side, next to the bent leg, and leaned back with both her arms behind her. I looked around at the forest we were in. The trees were even larger than the 60 foot giant looming over me, their leaves were massive and completely blocked out the sun. The floor of the woods was covered in bushes and shrubs and flowers that took whatever light did seep through the leaves of the trees. Next to me was a foot print the size of a small car where the plant life was completely flattened. It was Ellas footprint, but it wasn’t somewhere she stepped before. I looked up at her.

“Um…do you come to this part of the forest often?” I asked.

“Yeah…part of my job,” the giant said.

“Oh yeah….your job…” I said, looking down. “Um….is it ok if I…ask now….um, what your job is?” 

“I told you, I’ll tell you when I’m ready to,” Ella said,

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I rubbed the back of my head, “um…but….I’m just wondering if you can, uh, just tell me what you do,”

“What do I do?” Ella asked.

“Yeah…uh, you don’t have to tell me how your a giant or anything about the company, or Derrick, or anything like that…I just want to know what you do, that's all..,”

“Hmm…alright then,” the giant sighed, “I’m only telling you because they apparently want me to adopt you, or whatever,” she closed her eyes and sighed again, before looking forward and away from me. “I walk around the forest…and make sure everything is…” she waved her hand in the air as if trying to think of what to say, “normal” she finally said, with air quotes.

“N-normal?” I asked.

“Not normal like, normal, normal like, the way things are supposed to be,” Ella said.

“Um….ok…um, like what?” I asked, tilting my head. She looked down at me.

“That's harder to explain without getting into…y’know,” Ella sighed again, changing her legs to be crisscrossed. She then held out her hand to me. I looked at it for a moment, confused as if we were going to continue walking or not, before climbing onto her palm. Ella stayed on the ground, lifting me upwards to a tree. My gut felt weird being lifted like that, I thought that I would be used to it by now.

“Do you see these trees?” Ella asked. I looked at the tree in front of me. It was thick and wide, much more dense than a normal tree, but not as much as say a red wood. The trunk was brown, and the leaves were much bigger, they seemed like normal leaves, but they were almost a foot long. 

“Y-yeah…what about it…?” I asked.

“These are oak trees, Quincy.” the giant holding me said. “They're the kind of tree your townspeople chop down.” 

“But…they're so big…” I said, “...trees from centuries ago don’t get this big…at least as far as I know,” 

“That's the work of the company.” Ella said. “Its experimental, these are the only trees in the world being grown like this. Since its experimental, there are some worries from the company about these modified trees affecting the animals, or their existence being found out to the public and other companies try doing the same thing,” 

“So…you make sure those things don’t happen?” I asked.

“If an animal mutates or whatever, which never happens, I’m supposed to give it to the company for testing, and if a human is found out here, I’m supposed to take them so that no one finds out about what the company’s doing.” Ella said. “So, yeah, I just walk around and make sure those things…don’t happen,” she shrugged.

“So, you're their security?” I asked,

“That's a way of putting it,” she said dryly. She looked down at herself for a moment, almost seeming sad about something. I looked up at her and patted hand a bit, I don’t know if she felt it or not, she didn’t have a reaction. I looked down for a moment, before backing up and looking up at her.

“So, uh, they were worried about the big trees making…big animals?” I asked,

“Yeah…they never did though, at least as far as I can tell,” Ella said.

“Did they make you big…in the same way?” I asked sheepishly, looking down slightly. Ella turned her head towards me and sighed. She was silent for a moment.

“It's a bit more complicated than that…” she said, before she got on her knees. I could tell she didn’t want to talk about this anymore. She looked forward. “Come on, let's start heading back, I should start making lunch for us,” the giant said, still holding me as she stood up.

“Yeah….um…how does…uh, venison…taste anyways?” I asked. 

“You’ll see,” Ella said, her footsteps vibrating the ground as she walked with me in her hands. She was looking straight forward as she walked. I looked up at her face. She seemed like she was thinking of something, something that was bothering her. She was passively sad, looking forward with her mouth frowned and her eyes a bit droopy and tired looking. I patted her thumb again.

“Hey…um, are you ok?” I asked, looking up at her. Her eyes widened a bit as she glanced down at me.

“...what do you mean?” she asked, seeming genuinely confused.

“Um…you seem..down about something,” I said, rubbing the back of my head. Ella’s eyes shifted to her side for a moment. They flickered slightly in thought. 

“Um…yeah, it's just sort of…been a lot happening lately,” the giant said, “usually things are a lot more..uneventful out here,”

“um…I know what you mean,” I said, “but I meant…well…you seem…sad….”

“It's nothing,” Ella sighed.

“Um..it's ok…” I said sheepishly, “if you're sad…I just…if you want to talk about it ... .or anything…” Ella sighed again, interrupting me. She let out a slight smile, that was clearly just meant to make me feel better.

“It's fine, Quincy. You don’t have to feel bad for me,” She said, rubbing my back a bit with her finger, “honestly…I probably deserve this, anyways,” 

“Ella…don’t say that…” Said, touching her thumb again.

“Its alright Quincy, you don’t know…” she said, sighing again. “I’ll tell you everything soon…tonight…I’ll tell you everything tonight…make sure to hold me by that, ok?” she said, tilting her head. I paused for a moment.

“...ok,” I said, looking down, “...you really don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to…”

“It's fine Quincy,” she said, rubbing my back again, “you should know…you deserve to know…”

And then she kept walking.  

[sarah-kings]

Curses and Thimbles (chapter 1)

Why, hello, g/t community :)

This is my first time posting one of my g/t stories, a big thanks to @ratcatcher0325 for helping me settle on a title for this story

This story takes place in a world where borrowers and other mystical and magical creatures wander the same world as the other humans, though the public is unaware of that. For now, at least.

This chapter mainly acts as a prologue to ease you into the part I really want to tell the story of, the first part acts as the backstory of my OC Jon and the second one is a time skip 20 years forward

Anyway, here is a link to my Masterlist

Jon has been doing better, to say the least.

Well, that wasn't completely the truth…

He had been doing better when he still was back home, able to live under a safe roof, safe from all the dangers he hasn't even known of before and able to have a proper warm meal prepared by his mum.

Then again…the situation with his father wasn't ideal…

That was the only thing that he didn't miss, hearing him scream at his mother and constantly fearing that one day it would hit him too.

Being hit by the strong, reeking smell he'd have whenever he'd come home in the evening.

Feeling so terribly small and worthless under his sharp and judging gaze.

He never thought he could feel more pathetic than back then, and yet…here he stood at roughly one inch in height, desperately stuck in the same ally he got cursed in.

If it wasn't for the food in the many knocked over trash cans Jon never could've been able to survive for so long.

True, the food was disgusting…but it was better than starving…

This was just one of the few compromises he had to make.

Instead of a proper roof over his head and his usual bed all Jon had for cover was a tilted over cardboard box, which was withered and close to falling apart with how often it had been outside in the pouring rain.

Rain…

Jon missed the rain he used to be able to play in for hours…now all the rain was to him was a death sentence.

He had to learn that the hard way when a few weeks ago he almost got swept into the sewers after he got dragged along by the stream of rain.

A sigh escaped him as he sat in the same old box he has been using as his shelter for the past few weeks.

He longingly looked at the exit of the ally, unable to gather up enough courage to leave.

It already was a problem to be outside on his own with people around, but with him being this tiny, the world looming over him for miles to no end?

The thought alone made him shudder.

No, he couldn't go out there, as much as he wanted to…

Subconsciously his hand reached for the piece of bread he had fished out of the trash the other day, a small wince escaping Jon when he hit nothing but air.

Right…he had eaten all of it already…and to his dismay the trashcan wasn't exactly getting any fuller, food was harder to find before the racoons already have plundered them before him.

"I miss home", he quietly admitted to himself, rubbing at his eyes to wipe away the tear that has formed.

He knew he shouldn't cry as a boy…but he was just a toddler, there wasn't much else he could do…and his nerves started breaking.

A startled gasp escaped Jon when he suddenly heard a loud crash, his hand flying up to his mouth out of habit to suppress a scream.

"Nononono, please no, please not dad", he begged in his head, curling in on himself as much as possible in hopes of comforting himself.

"Please, oh god, oh no, don't find me!"

His breathing started to pick up in a panick, Jon screwing his eyes shut in hopes of stopping himself from hyperventilating…but to no avail.

A shiver ran down his spine and he shuddered when he suddenly felt a shadow falling over him, signifying that something had found him, if the sound of surprise from above him was anything to go by.

Slowly Jon dared to open his eyes, his breath picking up once more when he saw a person looming over him, making direct eye contact with him.

He tried to scramble back in a panick to get as far away as possible, only to -thud- hit his back at the wall of the cardboard box.

"Easy, there", the MUCH taller man told him, remaining in his crouched position and raising his hands in mock surrender.

Jon couldn't help not tearing his eyes off of the man, he was HUGE to him.

He wasn't exactly the size of a human, but the fact that Jon could see how he himself wasn't taller than just the man's knee left him unsettled.

"Deep breaths, ok, boy?"

The man held up a hand, counting to five seconds as he took a deep breath in, holding it for another five seconds, and then released it once more after five seconds, repeating the action on loop until Jon finally caught on, repeating as the man did with shuddering breaths, but, eventually, able to calm his breathing.

"There we go…", the man spoke in a soft voice.

"What's a kid like you doing out here in the middle of an ally at brightest day?

Where are your parents?"

Jon just coiled up in himself in response, not daring to say a word.

He was met with the softening and concern warping gaze of the man.

"You're lost out here, aren't you?"

Jon had to admit, he was lost, in a sense.

He couldn't go anywhere without getting overwhelmed, he was stuck in one place.

A slow nod from him confirmed what the man dreaded as an answer.

"…What's your name, kiddo?"

"…Jon", he hesitated.

"I'm Gael Lynch", the man said while giving him a tiny reassuring smile.

"And how old are you?"

"Four…"

Gael's face dropped at that.

"Four?"

He looked at Jon in disbelief.

"I never have seen a four year old your size", he mumbled to himself.

A cold breeze swept by, causing Jon to shiver under it and the man's complete attention.

Gael noticed, shrugging the cloak he was wearing off of his shoulders and carefully draping it over Jon.

"There you go, now you won't have to freeze."

Jon's confused gaze was met with a small smile.

"Come with me, you'll just freeze out here."

"But I don't know you! I can't just go with a stranger!"

"You are just as much of a stranger to me as I am to you.

Come on, kiddo, you'll just catch a cold out here and we don't want that to happen, now, do we?

Don't worry, I'll look after you."

Jon paused at what Gael said.

…Should he really go with this stranger?

And did he really have much of an other choice?

Food was starting to run out…and the weather won't get better any time soon…in fact, winter was approaching and Jon knew for a fact that staying outside won't do any good for him.

…He had the funny feeling that he wouldn't make it much longer on his own…

Hesitantly Jon slowly rose from the spot, Gael giving him a small smile and spreading out his arms.

Without thinking twice Jon ran up to him, burrying his face in the man's chest and clinging onto the fabric of his shirt.

"Let's get you home, hm?"

And with that Gael rose, carrying Jon in his arms as he made his way home, concluding with confidence that he would look after Jon until he'd be ready to take care of himself.

_

Jon took a deep breath, collecting himself and calming his nerves.

"Alright", he mumbled, looking up from where he was standing underneath the desk of the busy office.

"Just grab some of the coffee and get out of here, easy as that."

If ONLY he knew how terribly wrong this entire borrowing mission would go…

[puddingforg]

FINALLY Finished this darn comic, I do kinda like how it turned out, the comic is inspired by @krackenwl post abt turning giant panic!

(CHECK THE REPOST BCS THERE ARE MORE SCENES THAT DIDN’T FIT HERE‼️‼️)

I apologize for the artstyle change, I started this on march and then picked up again in August, hence the change, anyways I hope y’all like it and let me know if y’all would like a part 2 ^^!

Btw the characters here are my ocs Hunter and Owen :)

[sageshell-draws]

The cuties finally made contact!!! Kayde can't stand seeing someone in pain or uncomfortable and will pretty much do anything he can to alleviate the situation. And it looks like Bryn can't say no to a warm hand comforting her from the cold.

It's hard for her to admit, but with every interaction she has with Kayde, the more she seems to fall for him. But that's ridiculous, how can a fairy and a human even work?

[violetlight]

If you post g/t or follow the g/t tag please interact with this post in someway so I can follow you. I need to know all of the peeps so I can collect them like a g/t infinity gauntlet

Pls Reblog so that I can follow as many people as possible the goal is constant g/t on my feed :)

[pipinpali]

Im surprised this gt trope isnt too prominent but like,,,

Giants afraid of tinies ,, like how someone is afraid of bugs or rats,,

I JUST THINK ITS REALLY FUNNY .

---

T (stuck under cup or something): "P-Please let me out!"

G: "...No."

T: "Why?!"

G: "You scare the shit of me."

T: "What...? You're saying that you, the person who trapped me against my own will and made me try to deal with the fact I might die at any moment... are scared of me? The guy the size of your finger."

G: "..." "...In my defense the way you run freaks me out."

[entomolog-t]

Thinkin' bout pets and G/t.

Tinys with springtails in tiny little enclosures like how human's keep spiders.

Tinys with spiders having the equivalent of cat people vs dog people discourse with web trapping spiders vs active hunting spiders like

A: "Web spiders are boring! All they do is sit in their web all day! You can't even teach them tricks!!"

B: "THATS THE POINT!! Why would I want a spider that jumps up on me when I get home?? Constantly begging for my food??? They're just so in your face!!"

Tinys taking care of a small mammal like a rat or mouse when its little and then it growing up to be bigger than them??? Seeing their giant friend interact with their rat it a way that just seems absolutely baffling? Like the equivalent of a hand held farm animal.

TINYS WHO BEFRIEND THE HUMAN HOUSEHOLD PET WHEN THEY'RE JUST A PUPPY/KITTEN??? Like doing it to be safe when the animal gets older but accidentally end up being the pets favorite person?? The human just confused why their pet keeps crying at the wall. Maybe they think their house is haunted.

Cats who treat tiny's like kittens??? GROOMING THEM??? Constantly trying to take them back to their bed because they're too little to be wandering around just yet.

Hunting dogs with 'soft mouths' carefully picking up a tiny instead of their ball, much to the horror of the tiny as well as the giant who just got handed something alive and squirming.

Dogs who hear the tinys getting food at night at sit there and beg until the tiny throws them something.

A borrower who realizes the dog listens to hand signals and is floored by this massive creature just being obedient to them

A parrot who keeps repeating stuff it can hear from borrowers in the walls, freaking out both the human and the tinys.

OR OR OR The human's pet guarding the tiny from another person (or them???) afraid someone's going to hurt the little person that gives them snacks??

Even more angsty?? A pet refusing to leave in a house fire, frantically scratching at the wall trying to get to the tiny ??? An absolutely insane first meeting idea...

Anyways. Sizey interactions with pets are super fun and I want more.

[sizebrained]

Hey there tols, smols, and in between!

After lurking for years in the g/t community -- doing role plays here and there, consuming art and stories, and generally having that oomph feeling in the pit of my stomach with anything size related -- I figured it was time to contribute.

I’ve really enjoyed, and been inspired, by so many amazing artists and writers on here over the years (and elsewhere in the small corners of web g/t culture).

@tinyundercover (whose art and writing I’m a big fan of, har har chuckle chuckle) was nice enough to encourage me to try (along with a few others).

Table of Contents

I want to explore what an emotionally realistic, modern, "adult" love story would look like with humans and liliputians/borrowers without it going straight to kink/fetish. It's logistically easier to do this than giants in a human world for story purposes. If it has a link I've written it. If it hasn't been linked it's a WIP.

The story is chronologically from the top down. Parts may be added at random. Be warned all together I'm in hundreds of pages territory now.

***

Character Stats & Backstories (can skip, some spoilers)

Humans Borrowers Borrower Lore (WIP) Character Playlist

***

It's So Hot, Can We Go To The Pool? (Intro)

In media res intro of the unsimilarly sized siblings Ben/Sam and Hazel/Cob.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Bonus: Sam & Cob Go Shopping

Unstuck Together, Ben Meets Hazel: Ben's Perspective

Meet the main characters as they meet each other.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Unstuck Together, Hazel Meets Ben: Hazel's Perspective

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 (Picks Up from Ben's Pt 3 to conclusion of their 1st meet) Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 The Morning After for Hazel The Morning After for Ben Part 1 Part 2

Cob's First Pool Trip, A Bird, and Meeting Sam

We meet the main character's siblings who have their own story.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Extra: New horizons

Sam Takes Cob to Their First College Party

The older human and younger tiny get some one on one time.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 (Serendipitously G/T July 2024 themed) Part 5

Hazel’s Second Night with Ben

Hazel gets a better first-hand experience of Ben's mental health struggles.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Extra: Settling In

Ben Realizes He's Actually in College to Learn

Attractions begin to grow between the sibling pairs.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Halloween Party

The siblings have some Halloween shenanigans for #GTober2024

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Extra: First November Morning

Christmas Shopping Surprise

Part 1 Part 2

Movie Night of Big Feelings

Ben and Hazel's feelings are hard to ignore anymore.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

The Reason for the Glue Traps...The Rat

Hazel meets a mortal foe and may not live to tell the tale.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

A Revealing Pact

Part 1 Part 2

***

One Shots + Scenes

Fun scenes or ideas I play with that don't necessarily play into the main plot.

Bad Hangover (G/T July 2024 - Distortion)

***

[tinycoded360]

Lilliputian adventures Chapter 6

@gt-daboss @voraciousvore

Tori's fingers trembled as she flipped the bag flap closed on her side bag. She had gently placed Telwin, Mavri, Fildor, and the rest of the tiny Lilliputians inside. She could feel their miniature bodies shifting and adjusting, finding secure positions amidst the folds of fabric.

"Is everyone okay in there?" Tori whispered.

Telwin's voice piped up, his voice sounding muffled through the fabric. "Snug as a bug! Don't you worry about us, Tori. We're made of sturdy stuff!"

Pulling out her phone, Tori's fingers flew over the screen as she composed a message to Uncle Jim:

"Hey, Uncle J, I really need to see you. Can I come by the dock? It's urgent... Please."

She hit send and held her breath, praying he would respond quickly. Uncle Jim had always been there for her, a steady presence in the chaos of her life. If anyone could provide a safe haven from Trina and provide aid to her tiny guest,it was him.

As Tori waited for a response, she paced back and forth, her mind spinning with worst-case scenarios. What if Trina caught up to her before she could get to the dock? What if Uncle Jim responded poorly to the Lilliputians?

"Deep breaths, Tori," she muttered to herself, trying to calm her frayed nerves. *You've got this. You have to protect them. *

Her phone vibrated with an incoming message, and Tori's heart leaped into her throat as she read Uncle Jim's reply:

"Of course, kiddo. Come on down. I'll be here."

Relief flooded through Tori.

Tori slung the bag over her shoulder and headed towards the dock with renewed purpose.

The salty sea breeze whipped through Tori's chestnut hair as she hurried down the dock, her side bag bouncing gently against her hip.

"Uncle Jim!" Tori called out, spotting his familiar figure hunched over a tackle box on his weathered fishing boat.

He looked up, his sun-worn face breaking into a smile. "Hey kido! What brings you down here in such a rush?"

"Can we... Can you take me out on a trip?" she asked, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. Tori reached into her pocket, pulling out a slip of paper with scribbled coordinates, her hand trembling slightly as she offered it to him.

Jim unfolded the paper, his brow furrowing as he studied the numbers. "This is way out, Tor.”

"What's eating at you, kiddo?" Jim's concern was palpable as he scanned her face, looking for clues.

Before she could muster the words, a shrill voice cleaved through the air. "Tori!"

Trina stormed down the dock, her face contorted with rage. She jabbed a finger at Tori, her eyes wild with accusation. "You thought you could hide from me?”

Tori's heart hammered against her ribs, fear and panic rising in her throat. She instinctively clutched her side bag closer, shielding the tiny lives within.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Trina. Please, leave me alone."

Trina's lips curled into a sneer. "Oh, don't play dumb with me. You have those little freaks, and I want them. They're mine, and you stole them!"

Uncle Jim stepped forward, his voice low and warning. "Now, hold on just a minute. What's all this about?"

Trina whirled on him, her eyes blazing. "Stay out of this, old man. This is between me and Tori."

Tori's mind raced, desperate for a way out. She couldn't let Trina expose the Lilliputians, couldn't bear the thought of them falling into her cruel hands.

"Uncle Jim, please," Tori pleaded, her voice trembling. "I can't explain everything right now, but I need your help. I need to get somewhere safe."

Trina's laughter rang out, harsh and mocking. "Safe? You think you can hide from me? I'll expose you and those little freaks to the whole world. Everyone will know what a lying, thieving little brat you are!"

Tori flinched at the venom in Trina's words, tears stinging her eyes.

"I won't let you hurt them," Tori whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her own heart. "I won't let you take them."

Tori’s heart pounding as she darted towards Uncle Jim's boat. She leaped aboard, her feet stumbling on the deck.

"Tori, get back here!" Trina screeched, her face contorted with rage. "You can't hide from me forever!"

But Uncle Jim blocked her path. "I don’t know what this is all about!" he said sternly, "But you’re not welcome here, I suggest you scurry on home.”

Trina sputtered, her anger momentarily deflated by Uncle Jim's imposing presence.

As the heated argument escalated, Tori huddled in the boat's cabin, her trembling hands reaching for her bag. She could feel the Lilliputians' tiny forms, their presence a comforting weight against her side.

After a while, Tori’s Uncle crouched in front of her. “What’s going on, Tor?”

Suddenly, a new sound sliced through the discord, its shrill cry growing louder by the second. Tori's hands fell to her sides, and her breath hitched as the unmistakable sirens wail reached her ears.

"Police? Did she really just call the police?" Jim's question hung in the air, confusion mingling with frustration.

"Thought I'd teach you both a lesson," Trina shouted triumphantly.

Panic seized Tori, her mind racing with images of handcuffs and questions she couldn't answer. The tiny people—their safety in jeopardy if discovered.

"Officers will want to hear all about your thieving niece," Trina crowed, her voice reaching a fever pitch as the sirens crescendo, closing in on the dock.

“I’ll handle this; you stay here, Tor,” Jim said, but before he got off the boat, he pressed the boat key into Tori’s hand.

Tori glanced over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Uncle Jim gesturing animatedly as he engaged the police officers in conversation, his voice rising and falling with persuasive intensity.

*He's buying me time, * she realized, a surge of gratitude mixing with the adrenaline coursing through her veins. *I can't let this chance go to waste. *

Tori's hands trembled as she inserted the key into the ignition, the engine's roar drowning out the sound of her own pounding heart.

With a deep breath, Tori shifted the boat into gear, lurching forward as she navigated away from the dock. The wind whipped through her hair, and the salty spray of the ocean misted her face as she focused on the horizon.

Mavri emerged from the side bag, her red hair whipping in the wind as she climbed onto Tori's shoulder, her tiny hands gripping the fabric of Tori's shirt for balance. "Tori, let us help you," she called out, her voice carrying a note of authority despite its small size. "My crew and I, we're experienced navigators. We can guide you through these waters."

Tori glanced at the tiny captain, a flicker of hope sparking in her chest. "Oh, thank God! Cause I don’t know what I’m doing!”

Mavri snorted “I can see that.”

Tori blushed. “That obvious, huh?”

Telwin clambered up the fabric, scaling up her body to stand on her other shoulder. “No worries, lass, you sail, and we’ll tell you where to go.”

Fildor, his keen eyes scanning the horizon, called out from his perch on top of Tori’s head. "Captain, I believe I know which direction we should head. Our home should lie to the northeast based on the stars and the sun's position."

Mavri nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Aye, that aligns with my instincts as well. Tori, can you adjust our course accordingly?"

Tori, her hands trembling slightly on the wheel, nodded. "I think so. Just give me a moment to get my bearings."

As she began to turn the boat, a sudden gust of wind whipped across the deck, causing the tiny crew to grasp onto the nearest surface for stability, which happened to be the giantess they were all perching on.

"That's odd," Telwin muttered, his brow furrowed. "The wind seems to be picking up rather quickly."

Fildor, his expression grim, pointed towards the distant sky. "I fear it's more than just a passing breeze, my friend. Look there, on the horizon."

Tori followed his gaze, her heart sinking as she saw the dark clouds gathering, the distant rumble of thunder echoing across the waves. "Is that...a storm?"

Mavri, her face set in determined lines, nodded. "Aye, and a fierce one at that. We'll need to brace ourselves. This won't be an easy ride."

As the first raindrops began to fall, Tori squared her shoulders, her jaw set in a determined line. Come what may, she would not let this storm defeat them.

The wind howled like a wounded beast, lashing at the tiny boat with a fury that seemed almost alive. Sheets of rain pounded against the deck, turning the world into a blurry, gray haze.

"Hold on tight!" she called out to her tiny passengers, her voice nearly lost in the roar of the wind.

Tori gritted her teeth, squinting through the driving rain. *I can't see a thing, * she thought, panic rising in her throat.

Just as they began to hope that the worst was over, a massive wave rose up before them, towering over the tiny boat like a watery mountain. Tori's eyes widened, her heart seizing in her chest. There was no time to turn, no way to avoid the wall of water bearing down on them.

The wave crashed over them, and the world went black. Tori felt the icy water close over her head and felt the burn of salt in her nose and throat. *This is it, * she thought, a strange calm settling over her. *This is how it ends. *

Chapter 7

[makothegayyburrito]

Like, “hey bud, you look a bit cold there”

(An old meme I made that’s been floating around in my archives)

[gtbutterfly]

Quincy and the forest giant part 8

this is the big one folks! this is the one where we finally see some of Ellas' employers! Will parts of Ella's background be revealed? will Quincy finally go home? maybe. uh, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and as always, criticism is appreciated

previous part:

CW: mentions death(no actual death), guns(dart guns?), Ella says f*ck but is censored, implyed animal murder at the end.

______________________________________________________________

I woke up that morning to the sound of breathing over me. I slowly open my eyes only to be startled by the giant face staring down at me. I let out a shocked gasp and my eyes widened. Ella noticed.

“Oh, sorry kid,” the giant said, “didn’t mean to give you a heart attack,” she helped me sit up with her fingers.

“Um, it's fine. Good morning, Ella,” I said. The giant sighed.

“Today’s the day, huh?” she said, “you’re finally…going home,” 

“Um…yeah…” I said, trying to play dumb about what I overheard the night before.

“....you excited?” Ella asked,

“um…I guess so,” I said, looking down, “uh, what time are they getting here?”

“Pretty soon. I don’t know if I should give you breakfast since they might arrive while you're still eating.” Ella said. “You want to…um….wait outside for them?”

“Uhhh…yeah, sure…” I said, hesitantly. Ella held out her hand for me and I let her pick me up and start walking outside. I looked up at her, she had a look of almost nervousness on her face. There were bags under her eyes like she didn’t sleep at all the night before. She seemed like she was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, but she could’ve been wearing a different pair that just looked similar to the clothes she wore yesterday. She didn’t really smell too peculiar, in fact, she didn’t really smell like anything at all. She had a mild morning breath, but that was about it. Her skin had bug bites and scratches that she didn’t even seem to notice, and there was some dirt under her fingertips and in the crevices of the grooves of her fingerprints, but other than that her hand was soft and dry, there was no oil or sweat from her skin. 

We got outside and Ella sat down in front of the massive door to her house. She kept holding me in her palm, not letting me onto the ground like she did last time. I looked at her.

“So….um…how’d you sleep?” I asked.

“Oh, um,” Ella said, “not much, but well.” 

“Ok…” I said, “so when those people get here….are they just gonna….bring me home, or….”

“Hmm…” Ella thought to herself for a moment, “I’m actually gonna have to talk for them for a moment. Don’t worry, you won’t be waiting long,” 

“O-ok…” I looked down, “so…um….can I ask…one more thing before I go?”

“Hmm…sure, shoot.” Ella said.

“Um…do you…like this?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” Ella asked.

“Do you like….um, being out here alone…as a giant…” I said,

“Well, it's fairly quiet…and peaceful, being out here alone,” Ella said, “but..I dunno, I guess I miss being around people, having someone to talk to.” she sighed, “you're the first person I’ve spoken to in months, kid.”

“Oh….um, I guess…that explains things….” I said. “Um….you were probably mean to me because…you never really interact with people….” Ella scoffed. 

“That might be part of it, sure,” she said, “but really, I think…I’m just like that in a way,”

“...what were you like before you were a giant?” I asked, looking down with my eyes closed.

“What are you talking about?” Ella asked, “how do…how would you know I wasn’t always like this?”

“Um…” I thought for a moment, “you said you miss being around people…you can’t miss something you’ve never had….”

Ella was silent for a moment.

“Heh…right,” she let out a weak laugh, and sighed, looking down. Then she looked up at the sky. “Nice day, isn’t it?” she said, trying to change the subject. I played along.

“...yeah, you’ll probably be able to stargaze a lot better tonight.” I said, looking at the cloudless sky. “Too bad I won’t be here to show you all the consolations and stuff…”

“Yeah…” Ella looked to her side, avoiding eye contact with me. Suddenly, her eyes widened. She looked off in the distance, into the woods. I looked in the same direction as her. 

“Wh-what is it?” I asked.

“They’re here.” Ella said, readjusting her grip around me and standing up. She held me tightly while standing to her full height. There was some rustling in the trees and grass before a dark green truck came into the open. It had tinted windows and gray lines across the sides. There was a logo on the door, I just barely recognized it from so far away. It was the logo of the logging company that started the town. The truck stopped some distance away from Ella and the doors opened. The people that came out were humans wearing some kind of armor, similar to riot gear in a way. They had boots and gray pants and jackets with vests of some sort over them, and helmets with some opaque glass covering their faces. They had these sorts of weapons that seemed similar to rifles but looked more tubeish. I think there were tranquilizer guns of some kind. There were two people that came out of the truck dressed like this, a third person, with a gray coat and a brown ponytail with silver at the tips. They had a clipboard and purple glasses. They stepped towards Ella. 

“Ella,” they said. Ella sighed and got on her knee, still holding me.

“Amber….” Ella said, looking down at her.

“Would you be…so kind as to put the child down,” Amber said,

“...aren’t we going to talk?” Ella asked. She sounded stern again.

“You will put the child down, they will wait in the vehicle, and we will talk then.” Amber said.

“Shouldn’t the kid be part of this conversation?” Ella asked, “we’re going to be talking about them, are we not?” 

“Put. them. Down.” Amber said sternly. I felt Ellas hand tense up around me. She noticed that her grip was getting tighter, and she sighed.

“Why don’t I put them down, and you can introduce yourself to them, and then they can join us in our…talk,” Ellas suggested, still stern and emotionless, like she was when I first met her. Amber was silent for a moment.

“Fine.” She said, finally. Ella sighed slightly and lowered me to the grass gently. She placed my feet onto the ground and let me go. Amber approached me.

“Hello child. You’re Quincy Mora, correct?” she asked.

“Um…y-yes….” I said, “your name was…Amber, right?”

“My name is Doctor Amber Laurier, you may refer to me as Dr. Laurier.” she said, sternly.

“...oh….um….ok…” I said. “Um…your…you're with the…um…lumber company?”

“You’ll have your questions answered soon.” Dr. Laurier said. “Guards, watch the child for the time being.” 

The two people with the helmets grabbed my arms and pulled me back behind them. Dr. Laurier approached Ella.

“You said Quincey would be part of our talk,” the giant said,

“You said you were stable enough to be around people after being turned,” Dr. Laurier said.

“I was.” Ella said. 

“All those people would beg to differ,” Dr Laurier said with a blank expression.

“We’re not doing this right now, Amber.” Ella said. “We’re here to talk about the kid.”

“right , right, Quincy.” Amber looked down at the clipboard. “Age thirteen, no parents, few peers back in the town, no permanent living situation as they are in foster care.” 

“That town is the place they've lived their whole life, Amber.” Ella said.

“And were they very happy there?” Amber asked, “they didn’t simply wander into the woods and get caught by you, they saw you and started following you. They wanted to be taken away.”

“They were just curious.” Ella said. “Ask them,”

“Even if they were just following you out of curiosity, we can’t just let them go back, Ella.” the Doctor said, “if we send them back to the town, they’ll tell them about you, and it would be cruel to send them to the foster system of some other place,”

“So you're leaving them here? With me?” Ella asked.

“It's the most beneficial option for all of us.” Amber said.

“You know what I almost did yesterday,” Ella said,

“If he was in any danger of you, you wouldn’t be standing here right now, Ella.” Amber said, almost smug sounding. 

“You just want some else too….” Ella stopped mid sentence, “...to do this to,”

“We haven’t scheduled plans for that yet. The child is assumed to be not of the right age for trials to begin on them” Amber said. 

“Trials?” I asked from behind the guards. They pulled me back. Amber looked back at me.

“I wouldn’t worry about it, Quincy. Not for the time being, anyways.”

“Don’t worry about my ……” Ella murmured under her breath. Amber looked up at her.

“Excuse me?”

“Tell them what your plans are, Amber.” Ella said.

“There are no plans, Ella. we’re still planning it now.” Amber said. 

“Tell them.” Ella said, her voice vibrating in the air. The guards tensed up around the tranquilizers. Amber stepped back.

“They’ll know soon enough.” she said. “Now, why don’t we tell both of you about what we have planned.” She turned towards me. “Quincy,”

“...” I gulped as I stepped toward Amber, “...Doctor Laurier?” 

“What are your thoughts on being adopted?” Amber asked.

“A…adopted?” I asked.

“Amber, no.” Ella said, angrily. Amber looked up at her.

“Ella, remember Derrick,” Amber said

“Don’t you ***king dare bring up his name,” Ella said, her voice salivating in anger. The guards pulled me back again. Amber flinched, I did too.

“Ella, calm down!” Amber exclaimed. Ella took a deep breath.

“Don’t bring up Derrick again.” Ella said.

“Just let me make my point,” Amber said, “the two of you…you wanted to have a child together, right?”

“We wanted to both be alive together,” Ella said, her voice rumbling.

“Quincy here could be like the child you never had,”

“You know that's a bad idea, Amber. You know I can’t be around people.” Ella said.

“Well maybe it's about time you prove that you can, “Amber said. Ella paused for a moment.

“...what are you saying?” she asked.

“I’m not promising anything, Ella. I’m just saying, depending on how you take care of this child..” Amber said,

“Stop messing with me, I know you’d never do that.” Ella said.

“Think about what Derrick wouldv’e wanted, Ella,” Amber said.

“Stop saying…”  Ella took another deep breath, “...stop saying his name. You have no idea what he would've wanted.”

“Wouldn’t he want this child to have a home?” Amber asked.

“He would've wanted this child to be safe,” Ella said.

“So keep them safe, Ella.” Amber said. “We already told the town that Quincy went away to possibly be adopted. Just take care of them for a few more days, and we’ll be back to do some health checks on them, and then a permanent decision will be made.”

“You can’t…” Ella started,

“You're not being given the opportunity to refuse,” Amber said, walking away from her. She turned to me. “You understand this situation, correct?”

“Y-you want me to stay with her?” I asked, “but..”

“It won’t be for any more than three days. You aren’t afraid of Ella here, are you?”

“Um…not….not that much…” I said, looking to my side.

“Hmm,” Amber checked something on the clipboard she was holding. “Do you have any attachment with your town?”

“well…I’ve never left it before….” I said,

“Right…right…” She put the clipboard down to her side and looked at me. “Well, we’ll leave you here now. I’d suggest getting used to your situation here…”

“Wait…your…you're actually…” I started to say,

“Nothing has been decided yet. You will stay here with Ella for the next few days. We will come back, and you will report your experience back to us, understood, Quincy?”

“But…but…” I gulped, “What about school? What about…the town…and everyone there…don’t they….”

“They’re not worried about you, Quincy.” She said, “They’re not.”

I was silent for a moment.

“Do you understand?” Amber said, in the same tone as before. I nodded. 

“...yes….”

“Good.:” Amber turned around, walking back to the vehicle, before stepping onto the first step to the door and looking up at Ella. “We'll contact you each day to get an idea of how things are going. Expect to hear from us tonight.” Ella glared down at her, her eyebrows furrowing. I could hear air coming from out her nose as she exhaled sharply in anger. She sighed.

“...ok, amber.”

With that, Amber and the guards got back into the truck and drove away, off into the forest out of sight. We stared in their direction for a minute. Everything was just silent, and I was still there. Soon, Ella laid her hand out in front of me without saying a word. I hesitantly climbed on to it, and we went inside. She took me to the main living area of her cabin, where she placed me onto the same table I was on before. They looked right over me, out the window outside. Something was bothering her. Her eye was twitching, and she kept breathing heavily out of her nose. Soon she sighed, and went back towards the door. 

“Where….wh-where are you going?” I asked.

“I’m going to kill a deer.” she said, before walking outside, and closing the door behind her, leaving me alone in the house.

[sarah-kings]

Curses and Thimbles (chapter two) - Cowardice and coffee

Here is the next chapter of "curses and thimbles", picking off right where we last left off, I hope you enjoy :)

Masterlist

It was only meant to be a quick in and out, how did it end up like this?

First Jon almost lost his grip while climbing with his gear, then the office suddenly just SWARMED with people who came out of nowhere and when he tried getting some coffee his hook broke and NOW he was stuck in a mug, drenched in coffee!

If the mug was only the slightest bit fuller, then he at least would have been able to make an attempt at climbing out, but with the mug half full and too deep he was sitting ducks, struggling to keep himself above the surface.

Oh, Asha is going to love hearing how he messed up this time.

"Little Jon did it again, he fell in the beans mug yet still didn't get the slightest drop of coffee as his borrowing", he could already hear her in his head.

"God, I hope it's Gael who'll find me and not her" Jon prayed, trying to suppress the thoughts of her teasing and other childish plays that he would have to endure until she'd finally rescue him.

A startled gasp escaped Jon when he heard the distant taking of two men approaching, needing to suppress a scream when he suddenly felt the mug being lifted up.

"Oh, NONONONONO-", it was screaming in his head .

"Stop!", he yelled out in a panic when one of the men was about to take a sip of the coffee, now staring down at his mug, icey blue eyes meeting wide brown ones.

"Oh God, NOT the crazy one!", it was screaming in his head as he recognized the bean that was holding the mug.

"Ey, Liam, you still with me?", the other man asked, snapping his fingers infront of Liam's face.

"Huh- oh, yeah, yeah", he mumbled, still staring directly at Jon.

He took everything back what he thought earlier, he would've liked it a lot more for Asha to find him instead of the bean who was known amongst the other borrowers as the one who'd speak nonesense about some case he made up and tried to prove to his colleagues.

"Is there a fly in your coffee or why are you staring at it so intensely?"

"Uh- yeah, there's something in my coffee.

I'll be right back."

Oh, for HEAVENS sake, couldn't Jon's day get ANY worse?

Before he knew it a pair of fingers grabbed him by the back of the shirt, causing Jon to grab at its collar and attempting to keep it low enough not to cause him to choke.

Dripping coffee and dangling high above the ground all Jon was able to do was not to look down, lest his fear of heights get the better of him.

Don'tlookdowndon'tlookdowndon'tlookdowndon'tlookdowndon'tlooOH GOD I LOOKED DOWN!

Panick started to claw up his feet, slowly filling him as his legs now started to uselessly kick and breath starting to pick up, fear tearing at his chest and setting his lungs on fire with each breath.

Deep breaths were taken as an attempt to calm his nerves, but if it wasn't for his shirt collar digging into his throat he might have had a better chance to stay calm.

The moment Jon felt ground under his feet he practically collapsed, heaving in deep breaths, still on the verge of hyperventilating and tears pricking at the corner of his eyes.

Thisiswaytoomuchthisiswaytoomuchthisiswaytoomuchthisiswa-

His breath hitched in the back of his throat when two hands practically slammed down next to him, Jon shrinking back and scooting away as much as he could when the huge face of the bean now was starting down at him intensely.

"What the hell are you?", came his voice.

Not a single syllable of the words spoken stuck to Jon, all he could focus on was the way the bean said them.

Cold, monotone, well calculate and sounding dead like some machine.

That and…in a somewhat funny sounding way?

He swore he had heard it before, like an accent of sorts?

Yes, his aunt had an accent like that.

Aunt aunt aunt...MARIE! That was her name!

Wait, no, Jon, focus, you've got to focus, don't spiral don't spiral don't spiral don't -

The tapping of fingers next to him was what brought him back to reality, the only reply Jon being able to muster up being to let out a small, pathetic, nervous laugh.

God, even the pinky of that bean was bigger than him!

Why did he have to come across the one bean that was concidered as tall amongst the others?

"So? Are you gonna answer me or do I have to take MORE drastic measures to make you tell me what you are?"

At that Jon gulped, shaking as he aimlessly tried scooting farther away from the looming face above him.

"In trouble?", he let out with a nervous laugh, flinching when the face leaned in closer again.

"M-may I go now?"

Jon was such a wreck of a mess that he didn't even concider cussing himself out for how pitiful he sounded.

"Only if you answer me some questions", came the cold, calculated voice of Liam.

"O- alright", stuttered Jon.

"Who and what are you?"

That…wasn't the first thing he thought what would come as a question.

"Uh…I'm Jon…Jon Sanchez?"

"Jon Sanchez…" the much taller man rolled the name out on his tongue, looking thoughtful as he fixed his slipping glasses and looked like he was taken a mental note.

"Can I- just- go no-?" "Not so fast", he got cut off, the gaze of the man sharpening.

"I still don't know what you are.

What are you doing here?

Are you a spy?

Were you sent out to find out more about our operations?"

…Oh. So that's what the other borrowers meant when they called him crazy.

Not only did he seem nuts, he ALSO sounded paranoid beyond reason.

Once again not a single word made it across to Jon.

"…What?" "Answer me", the bean demanded, a startled yelp escaping Jon when the two hands next to him slammed down once more.

"Alright, alright! I'm only here for food!"

"Food?", the other man echoed.

"M- maybe the coffee earlier, but I swear, NOTHING else!", came the desperate attempt of satisfying Liam's curiousity.

If there was one thing Jon learnt it was that curiousity was best off sated, if he would just starve the man from answers he'd be kept here even longer.

"Hmm…", the man hummed above him.

"You can't leave." "WHAT", it burst out of Jon's mouth, no matter how much his mind was screaming at him to stay quiet.

He couldn't get caught.

Oh no no nonononono, NOT again!

One time already was one time too much.

"Who knows what kind of conversations you could've eaves dropped into, there is nobody who could stop you from spreading them to the public."

"I don't even KNOW what you do out there all day long! P- please, just let me go!"

"You're trying to tell me that you wouldn't know what we, the FBI, do out there all day, even despite you JUST saying that you would come here to gather food and coffee?" "YES!"

"Well, I still just can't let you go." "You said you would if I answered your questions!"

"Hey, calm down, stop crying."

At that Jon paused.

A shaky hand went up to his cheek, Jon feeling fresh streaks of tears running down his face.

Oh no no nonono he PROMISED himself he wouldn't cry anymore, he PROMISED, he promised he promised he promis-

"Liam, what's taking you so long?"

The second the man took his everlasting gaze from Jon the smaller man emideatly scrambled to his feet, making a run for his dear life and hiding behind the coffee maker and crashing down on his knees, chest heaving as he tried to calm his nerves, hands clasped over his mouth as a force of habit to muffle the amount of sound.

"I swear, it was right here", he caught Liam saying to his colleague.

"Yes, sure, Liam, and your old English teacher who died years ago secretly was Santa Clause", came his sarcastic answer.

"Hey, I never said that! It was my Latin teacher, not my English teacher."

"Mhm, sure, Liam."

God, Jon had to get as far away from that crazy bean as possible.

Without second thought Jon disappeared through the entrance hidden behind the power plug, his legs carrying him all the way as he ran down the tunnels.

All wind was knocked out of him when he didn't watch where he was running, colliding with Gael and both of them now splattered out on the floor.

Slowly collecting themselves each of them sat up.

"Jon?", Gael said in surprise.

"What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?

And why are you just drenched in cof-"

He cut himself off when he saw Jon's frightened expression, his face was as white as chalk and eyes blown wide in a panic, tears still were running down his face.

It had been only once before when he saw Jon in such a panic before.

"Oh… Jon, don't tell me…" "I'M SORRY!"

Gael was taken aback by that.

"I messed up again, I always mess up, I'm sorry I'm sorryI'msorryI'msorryI-" "Hey", Geal interrupted by grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Breathe", he breathed out the word, slowly, Jon quick to catch on as always and taking multiple deep breaths.

"Let's get you home, first of all, make sure you're alright and get you changed out of these damp clothes, ok?

Then we'll talk."

It was soon that Jon realized that this was about to be the worst talk he has ever had in his entire life.

_

Liam was slouching in front of his computer, fingers drumming on his desk as he was looking at the bright screen.

A small humm escaped him, fingers now hovering above the keyboard.

No, that's rediculous, he thought.

There was no way that this so called "Jon Sanchez" could have his own file.

After all, last time Liam checked three inch tall people weren't the typical civilian you would see on a daily basis.

And yet…

Curiousity got the better of him, fingers typing out the name of the small man he had just encountered.

Liam blinked.

His pose straightened and leaned forward to take in the screen better.

"Jon Sanchez, missing person case", he read out to himself, eyes falling on the picture attached to the file.

Brown eyes, black hair, a wild, spiky hairstyle...

It all fit if he was to compare it to the so called Jon he just met.

Now, only the age has to-

Liam let himself fall back into his seat, looking at the screen in disbelief.

The case was 21 years old, unsolved.

"What the heck happened to you, John?", Liam asked himself, figuring that this missing kid and the man from earlier HAD to be the same person, this could be no coincidence.

[kix-mm]

Wishes gone wrong...

T was never one to easily make friends, what few he had never stayed, and eventually, it escalated to him creating an imaginary friend. Someone truly out of his world. A person who understood him, who cared for him, who never left his side...

T wanted nothing more than for his friend to become real, for someone real to love him for who he was and not out of pity, like his parents, or teachers, or the countless doctors and therapists. T's imaginary friend was all he wanted in his life... and yet, when the day came, he wanted nothing more than for the wish to be undone.

G was massive, overwhelming, and appeared at the worst time. Suddenly being wished into existence in a tiny room was not ideal and caused for a very close first meeting... T was immediately panicked when their imaginary friend suddenly materialized right beneath them... but G remained calm, kind, and patient. The wish was granted because they both wanted it after all... all they had to do was to figure out how to deal with this newfound reality