#OCDahlia | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

selastheblue · 2 months

Text

Not So Paradise Afterall

Previous Masterpost Next

Peering into the keyhole of the front door of her new property Dahlia frowned, "It doesn't look broken, but the key isn't turning. You're sure it's the right key?"

Standing behind her, Nils was also frowning, "I'm sure it is. Positive. It goes to the backdoor and shop door too. Lets try it on those before we consider calling a locksmith." And with a nod from Dahlia the two of them walked to the shop entry on the right side of the front of the building.

Thankfully this door was much more yielding, and while it took some jostling and a little prayer to have the key turn, once it did the door creaked open ominously. Beyond was a large poorly lit room, with only the front bay window as its only source of light. A counter was visible at the far end, with a closed door behind it. To the left side of the room piled high was an assortment of very old furniture that reached out about halfway into the space, and along the wall a built in shelf covered in all kinds of oddities and baubles.

With a light cough as he and Dahlia entered, Nils commented, "Ah well, spose it would be dusty wouldn't it?"

Dahlia walked in slowly, and paused by the counter, eyeing the disturbed dust there, "And look here. Rat tracks disturbing the dust. I'll need to see if I can get some traps." She dragged her finger through the layer of grey before wiping it off on her pants, and suddenly sneezing.

Nils however was more interested in the furniture piled into the corner, beelining for it before inspecting an old rocker. "You know you could probably clean some of these up and sell them. They look like they are in good condition."

"Oh yeah?" She asked, walking nearer to the pile, "Think they're worth anything, or just old junk?"

"Well maybe with a new coat of varnish, and some sanding. But most of these are really detailed, and might have some history to them. Like this one here has got the old Silverbark Logging symbol on it." He touched a small desk near the front, then their attention was suddenly diverted by a knock on the front door!

"No one should know we're here..." Dahlia commented, confused eyes meeting a matching pair from Nils. After a pause the knock repeated, and she walked to the door with Nils behind her. With a creak that could wake the dead did she open the door to be greeted by a face she didn't expect to see today, but a familiar one all the same.

"Taylor?" She spoke, stunned and blinking up at the very tall man, "Wait what are you doing here?"

Height wasn't Taylor's most defining feature, that would have been his deep red skin, and the matching horns that sprung out of his black seemingly perpetually greasy hair. And the tail. The tail was a bit odd as well. Teiflings weren't unheard of in this part of Barscaroth, but were certainly uncommon. As far as Dahlia knew he was the only resident one in Slumberton.

He also unfortunately had a bit of a reputation. Among the folk that attended the markets there were claims he was a thief, a wallet snatcher. Dahlia had once overheard that he had been caught trying to sneak into the Downy Dream Inn's cellar after-hours. And then of course there were the numerous accusations of him 'seducing' people's sons or daughters with his 'devil magic'.

Dahlia of course knew most of that to be only rumors and conjecture based solely on his happenstance of birth. If she had been asked to describe him she would have gone with words like dramatic, impulsive, funny, mischievous, and friend.

"What am I doing here? Darling, what are you doing here in this old abandoned shack?" He replied immediately, "I caught you heading inside with this old man, and feared the worst!"

"Old!?" Nils piped up, offended as he eyed this unexpected visitor up and down. Dressed in a cream colored shirt and well fitted trousers with red lilies embroidered around the left hip, Dahlia's own work.

While her elder cousin was embarrassed and offended Dahlia smiled and laughed at her friend's crassness, "He's not that old, Taylor! This is my cousin, Nils Bryant. And this 'shack' is mine now, I guess?" A part of her was still processing the immense gift.

"Yours? Where the hells did you get the coin for somethin' like this?" Taylor asked, quite surprised at her explanation, his cinder-glowing eyes opening wide.

"A family friend passed recently. He left it to me. Would you like to come inside? We were just taking stock of things. Cousin Nils does carpentry work and will be helping my fix the place up." She stepped aside a bit more, giving room for her friend to enter even as she pretended not to see Nils' scowl in her direction.

Stepping inside the red fellow had to duck to avoid hitting the door frame and yet still there was a little skrit sound as his horns barely scraped the wood.

"I think I'll take you up on that. Thank you, dear." He thanked her sweetly, even as Nils gave him the stink eye. "Oh my, that is a bit of a mess, isn't it?" And he strode confidently over to the piled furniture and shelf. Something caught his eye and quick as a biting snake his hand whipped up and out, snatching something off an upper shelf that Dahlia and Nils could hardly see.

With a delighted grin Taylor cupped his hands, obscuring from them what he had snatched, "Well isn't this just precious?"

Walking over to stand next to him Dahlia asked, "What did you find?"

"Something quite delightful, I'm afraid." And he opened his hands for her to see, revealing a taxidermied mouse. It was dressed in a tiny plaid vest with a chimneysweep's hat, and it had been posed to hold a smoking pipe in one paw.

Dahlia's giggle erupted suddenly and gently plucked the stuffed mouse from Taylor's hand, "Terribly delightful, I'm afraid!"

Taylor scoffed as she copied his more formal and flowery language, "Hey I found it first, finders keepers?"

"You want the creepy stuffed mouse corpse? Suuure...." and she placed it back in his hand.

"You just said it was delightful!" He laughed accusatorily, smiling as he inspected it once more.

But Dahlia just shrugged, "It can be morbid, creepy, and weirdly cute." Then she stepped over, opening the door to the kitchen and peering inside, "Oh hey this is a nice little cozy kitchen!"

Nils followed her quickly through the door, while Taylor first gave a glance around the main shop space, a feeling of being observed unshakeable. Shaking his head he turned and promptly whacked his head into the doorframe.

"Fuckin' hells....." he grumbled, then ducked to fit his head and horns, closing the door to the front of the first floor a little more forcefully than was really necessary.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Shaken to his bones as the door slammed shut, leaving only the most dread inducing silences, Flicker remained frozen there on the shelf where merely a minute ago he had nearly been snatched up by that terrifying red bean.

When the front door of the building had screamed announcing entry Flicker was dumbfounded, and froze right to where he stood on the uppermost shelves behind stacks of old furniture. Seeing the beans lumber around before that loud knock that must've echoed through the house. He had hoped desperately that they would leave, and never come back, but the things they spoke of... they shattered his once dream of having this place just for himself and his colony.

Flicker had briefly debated fleeing the room while the beans attended the door, but when that towering red one stepped into sight he didn't dare move an inch. The horned head of the fellow lined up perfectly with the shelf Flicker stood on, and any movement would attract attention.

So there he stood as the beans voices thundered around him, and the red one strolled ever nearer. Nearer, and nearer until those burning pupils landed on that upper shelf, scanning it. Suddenly, quicker then an bean should ever move the great grasping fingers reached up like pillars of saffron horror. Time seemed to stop, all his muscles had seized, his breath was stolen by the open hand that dwarfed him.

But it didn't come for him, but the small decorative mouse he stood near to. The fingers that could snap him in half without consideration snatched the figurine and the moment that seemed to last as an infinite horror was quite quickly past, as the beans discussed the object.

Not hardly a minute later they had moved on to the kitchen, leaving Flicker to collect his smashed illusions. Taking it all in was a lot, but as he heard the sound of shoes on stairs a new horror crept into his heart. His colony!! His friends were only in a desk afterall. A desk the beans might very well try and open or worse, take from the house!

That got his feet moving with all speed, as he bolted over to the small hole in the wood paneled wall. Within he had been hard at work with his fellows to try and build out a traversable network of passages. Floors, walls, ceilings all with nails as ladders, or walkways over great chasms that descended several levels, some perhaps even down to the cellar itself.

From below him as he climb he could still hear their voices, that red one was especially loud as there was some kind of yell, or cheer?

They're in the basement, I can get the colony to the attic crawlspace, or maybe in the wall-tunnels. he decided as he practically flew up the nail rungs, I'm such an idiot, we should have never come here...

The wayfinder stopped and turned, reaching to pull himself up to another set of nail ladders, before slipping in through the back of the desk to a huddle of panicked faces.

From the other side of the huddled group Wick scowled at him and growled, "You didn't say anything about beans."

"I didn't know." He responded a bit lamely, "You can complain at me later. We need to get everyone into the wall, and all our stuff. Anything that would make it obvious we were here."

"Are you kidding we don't have time to mov-" Wick started to argue before he was promptly shushed by Pint, Pestle and Caramel.

The latter of which took charge, "Food, tools and personal stuff first. Then we come back. Flick, keep an ear out and warn us when the beans come upstairs. Wick, cut down the ladders there." And Caramel pointed to the toothpicks that had been tied together to make ladders to the upper half of the rolltop desk.

And the colony leapt to their tasks! Bodies moving in a buzz as Flicker headed back out and into the wall, only to stop near a knot hole in the wooden paneling near the floor of the second level's hallway. A perfect view of the staircase landing.

With twelve steps up the staircase Flicker knew that by the time the beans got to the top of the stairs he would be able to dash up the nail ladder next to him and be at the hold in the back of the rolltop desk. All was quiet for several minutes but as the first step creaked loudly, Flicker didn't hesitate, climbing with all haste!

Creak

One set of steps up the stairs. But then... silence? Flicker paused. Listening for any more steps as he hung off the final rung, inches from the hole. Then far closer then he would have liked he heard the creaking of a door opening, the door to the room his friends were in!

They were smart enough to leave the rolltop desk down, so that would buy a bit of time, but as he arrived at the opening he saw only three of his fellow borrowers remaining in the desk. Cuppa, Pestle, and Stem. They all looked up at Flicker with nervous expressions. They heard the bean in the room, footsteps creaking the floors with each slow and methodical steps.

Gesturing to be quiet with a pointer finger across his lips Flicker slunk into the desk, picking up what he could even as he pointed to the hole in the back. The others nodded, and did their best to move quietly, though they were no wayfinders being so small and contained in a closed desk what sounds they did made Flicker was sure were muffled and inaudible outside.

Just as Cuppa neared the hole, the last to depart besides Flicker himself, was there a muttered bean voice from outside. "What a fine desk. Wonder if its got anything-"

Flicker recognized it as the red bean's voice, and as the front of the desk was jostled Cuppa gasped. The sound was so loud she dropped what she was holding to cover her ears and cower, until Flicker shot over to her side. Hoping that the noise covered his footsteps and the bag of seeds Cuppa dropped Flicker helped her to stand, and pushed her through the hole into Pestle's arms, tossing the seed bag in after her.

Then he turned back and glanced at what was left in the desk that might give them away. Anything he could grab quickly. He spotted a backpack, forgotten in the hurry, and a cloak hung on the side. He bolted for the backpack first, right dead center of the desk.

"Hah, well see about that\~" the bean's voice whispered just outside, a chuckle echoing into the desk as the chair outside creaked. He had become seated. Then Flicker heard a sound he didn't immediately recognize, a scratching, scraping metal on metal. And then the Wayfinder's eyes grew wide, and he bolted this time not to the cloak, but to one of the drawers. While the hole was open, he didn't think he would make it in time.

And his instincts were correct.

"You see mister lock, you didn't stand a ghost of a chance." The smug voice of the red bean purred, filling the space, "Now anything interesting?" He mused to himself, and Flicker flinched as he heard a nearby drawer open.

"Cotton? Well odd, but I suppose? Ah, for holding jewelry, certainly." He reasoned as Flicker quietly wiggled to be below all the cotton blankets. His last line of defense against this bean's probing eyes...! Then another drawer opened, and another..!

They drew nearer and nearer until Flicker made out nearing footsteps, and the red fellow greeted someone, "In here, darling, come take a peek at this!"

And the woman replied, "Something interesting?" As she entered the room, "Oh that is a nice desk! And... wait what's that...?" Flicker's heart pounded away. Had he forgotten something? Did they hear him? Did one of the others get seen? The ensuing silence was nearly as deafening as the bean voices from a moment before, and he briefly wondered if they could hear his shaking from inside his hiding place.

But then he hear in the softest tone he'd ever heard a bean use, ".....isn't that just cute?" It was the woman, with a tone of awe and wonderment.

"Is it a.... a tiny cloak? Did a dollmaker live here or somethin'? Might explain the swatches of fabric in the drawers too." the louder voice of the red fellow suggested.

"I have no idea." she responded, "We have more house to see, I wonder what else is here...?" and her voice became more distant, and she, and the other bean he could tell began to move from the room.

As they departed Flicker caught only a bit of their next conversation, "Oh take this, it's the desk's key. It was locked inside somehow. You're really quite lucky I happened to come ac...."

Flicker took a minute to collect himself. To let his heart slow back down to a normal level, and for his mind to formulate what he should do next. He practically heard Buckle's voice in his head. 'Up now lad. Ya ain't got much fer time an' they're sure to be back. Scramble home, Wayfinder.'

And up Flicker got and pushed the drawer back open then sprinted to the hole at the back of the desk, where a wooden piece had been gently wedged in to disguise the borrower access hole. He glanced for the cloak, but didn't see it, and wouldn't have stopped for it anyway at that point. The beans had seen it, and it was now for all intents and purposes lost. But he wouldn't let himself be lost to the beans.

With a nearly inaudible 'click' the passage was sealed once more, and Flicker lead the other three towards the attic where the rest of the colony had planned to gather, farther from the reach of any potential beans.

Previous Masterpost Next

#g/t #giant/tiny #borrowers #g/t writing #giant tiny #gt #micro #ocflicker #wayfindertales #borrower #ocdahlia #octaylor

5 notes · View notes

selastheblue · 3 months

Text

Rest in Risenloaf

Previous Masterpost Next

Rest in Risenloaf

Within the walls of Risenloaf Flicker rested in amongst the hanging hammocks, cozily curled in one of the larger ones with Hangar behind him holding him tightly, and another borrower girl named Page in Flicker's arms. Both were still asleep even as he lay dozing, slowly waking. He took a deep breath and smiled as he let it out slowly. The colony's main space was wonderfully warm and always seemed to smell of freshly baked bread and sweets.

It really would have been perfect. he acknowledged to himself as he yawned, It's good that a colony is here, even if it ruins my plans. Trying not to wake his new friends he shimmies up and peers below to the other borrowers moving about.

It seemed that he was one of the first to wake as there were only a couple up and about this time of afternoon. There were the chefs, preparing the afternoon meal of course. A couple rearers eating and chatting. And one very very old looking borrower woman that he recognized as Mittens.

Hair greying now and perhaps a bit heavier around the waist then he remembered, she sat away from the other groups of borrowers. Preferring it seemed to watch that goings on. But she did manage to spot Flicker looking down at her from above and waved to him.

He smiled back and waved a bit before working to extricate himself from his two sleeping buddies. Trained in being as quiet and careful as possible, he slipped out fairly easily, with but a groaned snore from Hanger before the bigger borrower squeezed Page firmly in his sleep.

Flicker grinned as he watched them get comfy once more, as he slipped away and grabbed his things. But he didn't bother to dress yet. It was far too hot in this colony to put much on. He could dress after his waking meal, before he headed out into the cold of the bean streets. So instead he descended down to the eatery, and picked a plate of buns cut in half and stuffed with a meat he didn't recognize until he took a bite.

Pork!! His eyes widened as he sat down across from Mittens, "Ham? How do you get your hands on it?"

The older lady chuckled, "Oh they keep a bit in tha kitchens. We take the little scraps they canna make nothin' from. Good, ain't it lad?"

"Mmm.... second favorite." he agreed, swallowing, "Next to fish. Fresh fish!"

"Now where a young lad like you getting fish, let alone fresh fish, eh?" she grinned, leaning back in her chair as he scarfed down his second sandwich.

"Markets. With Buckle years ago. Caught a guppie that fell out of a fisherman's basket. From the lake upstream Buckle said." Flicker answered, "Best thing I've ever had."

"No doubt. I've only had it twice in all me life." she smiled warmly, "May you delight it more than I did. Carefully, though."

Flicker nodded, then changed topics, "I.... have a bit of news from Damperflue."

"Well tella ole Mittens." she encouraged him.

Hesitating for a moment he decided to get the big one out of the way first, "We.... we uh lost Buckle. Just a couple months ago. I'd have brought the new sooner but-"

And Mittens raised a single hand as he went to excuse his absence as a Wayfinder amongst the colonies, "Ye took the time ya needed. And on my word ya could use a bit longer yet. But grief is a funny thing, and maybe wayfindin' in his place'll help ya realize he ain't gone. On his Big Climb, aye. But not gone, he's leavin' you a way ta follow." she said as he sat there silent.

Flicker still couldn't help but look down at his hands, "But-"

"No buts. Or ifs, for that matter." she shook her head firmly, closing her eyes, "Ye need to care yerself a'fore ye can wayfind for the colonies."

The younger borrower sat with that for a minute before he spoke up more quietly this time, "You're.... taking it well. You two were littermates, right?"

"Aye, we were. Long ago in Dartmouse." she nodded once, "Don't take my composure for apathy lad. I'm just a bit more accustomed to loss by now. Buckle ain't the first I seen go.... but perhaps the hardest on tha heart. How'd he pass?"

"In Damperflue, surrounded by the colony. He collapsed one day as we were gearing up to go wayfinding, the healers said it was his heart going." Flicker answered, eyes a bit wet, "Pale and shaking...."

Mittens opened her eyes, and frowned, "Ay, don't remember 'im like that. Tell me, lad, when he was showin' you to be a Wayfinder, what was your first borrowin'?"

Flicker took a breath as he remembered, "Uh it was, my climbers hook."

"Bring 'er here." she encouraged him, gesturing to his pack he'd placed at the end of the table, "Lemmy take a look." Flicker obliged, grabbing his clothes as well as he did. He handed over the hook, before donning his pants. "Hmm, a good one. Steel. With a double hook on 'er."

"Yeah, Buckle suggested that one, out of the other fishing hooks in the box." he smiled slightly before chuckling, "I almost gave us away though, tripping over the edge of the tacklebox, and I fell into the pile of sharp hooks! Buckle covered my mouth to stifle the scream I let out. We got out and away from beans enough that he could patch me up."

She smiled at that, "Oh an' I can betcha he gave ya a right scoldin', eh?"

"Oh like you wouldn't believe!" he smiled, tears threatening to spill over, "He got me to name it. My hook. Seemed a bit silly to me to name it at the time. But he said a good hook is a lifelong friend."

"Ha, ole fool. He always named his things, if they lasted. What'd ya name it, lad?" Mittens prompted him.

"Cat's Claw." he responded as he took it back from her, looking it over for a moment before re-hooking it to his bag.

Mittens smiled a bit wider, and let that feeling sit for a moment as Flicker's eyes got lost in memories. Eventually she says softly, "That's what ya need to hold onto, lad. What time ye did have. All yer days wayfindin'. All his lessons. That's the way he's leavin' ya to follow."

Flicker's face was red again, but he smiled with Mitten's words as he wiped at his eyes, "Thanks Mitt."

"I aint done more then remind you what matters." she shook her head once again, then with a brief moment as pause she added, "Caught a whisper you an Buckle were to make this place a colony. While I'm sorry ta say I beat the ole fella to it, there was another prospect he had his eye on. Back in tha day of course. Might do ye just as well."

Flicker looked to her, interested and happy to get some relief from the weight of grief. A distraction welcome, "Oh? Where, and why didn't you two make a colony there before?"

"Cross the river from Damperflue, on the corner O'Maple drive an' Main street. Little old abandoned shop it was. Little cold in the winter, and sparse in food. But it could work, if ye get hands hearty an' skilled."

"I think I have seen the place once, from the outside. A big front window on both levels, with big bean doors on the right and left side of the ground floor? Old red chipped paint?" he clarified.

"That'll be her." Mittens affirmed.

"I'll take a look, I think." he nodded a few times, "We already had colonists ready to help us, and I'd rather not dash their hopes. Many were excited for the chance."

"Then I say why not, eh? Give 'er. Do the ole fella proud."

Previous Masterpost Next

#g/t #borrowers #gianttiny #giant/tiny #gtfluff #g/twriting #gt #micro #wayfindertales #OCFlicker #OCDahlia #borrower #gtcommunity #g/t writing #giant tiny

4 notes · View notes

selastheblue · 3 months

Text

Keys to the Future

Previous Masterpost Next

When Dahlia had promised her mother she would pick up new aqua colored rolls of cotton fabrics for a new batch of dresses and trousers, the lady had certainly not expected to arrive back at the house and find her cousin Nils in the kitchen! It was a small space, and a small house in general so as soon as she strode in through the side door she stopped.

"Nils?" And she placed down beside her on the pine counter the cloth bolts, "I thought you were in Westborough!!" And he hardly had time to place down his teacup before her arms were around him where he sat at the breakfast table. Usually where she and her mother would enjoy a biscuit and tea in the morning, before they took their labors to market to sell.

"A guy can travel, you know!" He laughed cheerily as he returned her hug, standing to be about a foot taller than her. Not a hard feat, as Dahlia stood only five feet, and two inches tall. Still, he remained one of the taller men in the family.

"I suppose but you didn't even send a letter in advance! Does mom know you're here?" Dahlia asked him as she pulled away from the hug, but still held his hands tightly.

"She just went down the cellar. She was nearly as excited as you and decided that my visit warranted a special dinner tonight." He then chuckled and sat once again, gesturing for Dahlia to sit across from him, "Really, its too much. Maud hasn't changed a bit. But you sure have! You were like, what, 16 or 17 when I left for the coast?"

"Twenty, Nils!" She rolled her eyes as she sat, "I'm not that much younger than you!"

This was the moment the back door opened once again and in came Dahlia's mother, arms laden with a bottle of wine, a paper wrapped package with a mark from the butcher's shop, and a fresh wedge of what looked like the fancy smoked cheddar from the markets.

Maud practically flew into the kitchen, her red hair a frazzled and tangled mess from the wind she placed her armful down next to the bolt of cotton and began rolling up her sleeves as she greeted both Dahlia and Nils, "Ah, you made it back before me! Well then Dahlia, put that away-" She pointed to the cotton on the counter, "-and come help me with dinner. Nils dear you sit right there. You haven't told her yet have you?"

Dahlia perked up as she stood, and reclaimed the bolt the had discarded, "Told me.....?"

Nils frowned at Maud slightly, "I was going to bring it up with dinner."

"Oh. I beg your pardon dear." She apologized as she pulled a whole split and prepared chicken from the paper bag. Her arms, face and shoulders were quite red from the sun today. The markets had little shade, and they had forgotten their own in the morning rush.

He simply replied, "Its alright aunt Maud." Before sighing and looking to Dahlia's expectant face, "I was coming to visit and bring some news. Did..... you know old Callen?"

Dahlia suddenly knew what this was about, or so she believed, ".....not well." She admitted, "Distant memories from when I was young and he visited quite a bit. He was grand-pappy's friend right?"

"Yeah. Really close with your dad's side of the family." He affirmed, "Well.... old fella passed about two months ago. And with no kids of his own his will kind of caught the family by surprise. Most of the grandkids got somethin'. And thats... at least part of why I'm here." And from his side bag pulled out a letter, sealed with her name on it

"What do you mean.... he just left it all to our family?" She asked, eyes widening. He had always seemed a generous, kind and a bit cooky of a fellow, but this was still a shock. She eyed the letter, and then looked back to Nils, "What is it? Do you know?"

"I do. It was all detailed in the full will. But there were letter too, he wanted us to pass on." Nils nodded, and offered the letter to her.

Dahlia took it from him, but before she could open it Maud interjected, "Better to be lookin' at something like that after dinner. Come help your mother, I need the big rash cut into thin coins while I ready the rub for the chicken."

"Right, Ma." She agreed, and for now tucked away the letter. She bent down to grab a cutting board from the cupboards below, as well as a smooth bladed large knife from the block.

"Where can I help, Aunt Maud?" Nils asked, willing to lend a hand.

Maud just shook her head, "You can sit back down an tell me of the nieces and nephews! I've hardly heard a thing from them since they all moved away."

So Nils kept them company while they prepared dinner. And while her mother pestered the young man with questions, Dahlia was a bit in her own head. Wondering what this old fellow she only half remembered had left for her. There was a twinge of guilt that she didn't really remember him at all, and yet he'd been so kind to her family. Even written a letter for her. And the envelope seemed to have something in it as well. Heavy, and metal, but long. She guessed perhaps a flute? But it would have to be awfully small and oddly shaped for that.

The food turned out wonderfully, with the chicken being roasted in their small brick oven alongside the thinly sliced white radish, carrots, and some buttered bread toasted for just a few minutes with the residual heat of cooking.

As they sat at the round dinner table, in the comfortable silence that comes with being well and truly satisfied, Dahlia pulled that letter out once more, "So what have the other cousins gotten?" she asked as her fingers pulled open the wax sealed paper, sliding under the unsealed bit, and lifting gently.

"All kinds. He left his old collection of ships in bottles to Jacob. And my dad now has a brand new ship. A little pleasure thing, not like anything crazy." Nils replied as she opened her letter, and removed the small metal object first, turning it in her hand curiously.

A slightly rusted old iron key. It had a complex set of teeth on one end, and a stag design pressed into the oval butt of the key. Dahlia's eyebrows furrowed, before she placed that on the table with a glance to Nils, and moved onto the letter. Unfolding it carefully she noted the fineness of the parchment. Strong, and thick, with a beautiful vine like design on its back side, with her name in some very fine cursive as well.

Flipping it over, she began to read:

Dear Dahlia, I know you likely don't remember much of me. You were quite young last we spoke, but I remember well the stars in your eyes, and dreams in your warm and generous heart. I remember when you were seven or so speaking about how one day you wished to run your own bakery, and make wonderful little treats. Cupcakes, and strudels galore, you said. It's not a bakery yet, but enclosed is a key to 4 Bellview drive in Slumberton. I've already had the papers changed to your name. Needs a little love and care perhaps, but I hope that I can just give you an opportunity to make it yours. Crazy ole Callen

Dahlia read the short letter 3 times before she looked up at Nils, "He.... he gave me a property!?" Maud's eyebrows shot up too, and she snatched the letter, reading it now herself with a face of disbelief.

"He did. And he hoped I might give you a bit of a hand with renovating it into usability." He smiled wide, "He left a sizable sum to me, with the expressed stipulation that I use some of it to help you get this place nice. Just how you like it."

Dahlia glanced at her mother, who had just finished reading it herself, "By the sun......" The older woman muttered. The young lady herself was a bit more speechless. This was so much for one to just give away, even if the building was in need of some repairs and remodeling. And that he had the details taken care of and everything ahead of his passing. Suddenly that guilt for how little she knew the man returned, and she was thankful they had eaten before she read the details.

Seeing how much this was for Dahlia, Nils added after a long silence, "I was thinking we could go down and take stock of things whenever you're ready. No rush. I've got time. I took a whole month off to come down here and go through all this with you."

His words seem to pull her from her stupor, "You did? I-uh-wow. Thank you Nils. I... I mean this week Ma and I had a lot of plans but.... I could make time next week?"

"Whenever you're ready. It'll give me some time to talk around and see what the market is like here for construction materials." Nils smiled widely, his mind already moving to the work that lay in his future, "While I'm gonna do the job right, if lumber is cheaper here than in Westborough it'd save a pretty penny to not haul it from the coast."

But Dahlia wasn't really with him in those considerations, nodding along as he spoke her mind was flying from thought to thought like a bee in a flower field. My own bakery? I never really learned a whole lot of baking... I could learn, I suppose. Though, maybe its better to do something else I'm better at? Turn it into a proper shop for Ma's tailoring? She ruminated as Nils and her mother talked a bit about some of the local carpenters, and brick-layers. But a soft feeling crept into her chest as she glanced at the letter again, He wanted me to fulfill my dreams. My desires, not my mom's. Besides, she likes the social buzz of the open markets.

Imagining what might be to come, the change of it was frightening but also exciting. Dahlia's gratitude was immense as she considered what she might want to do with her own slice of Slumberton...

Previous Masterpost Next

#borrowers #g/t #giant tiny #giant/tiny #gt #micro #g/t writing #OCDahlia

3 notes · View notes

selastheblue · 3 months

Text

The Cat's Meow

Previous Masterpost [Next] Soon...

The Cat's Meow

Two hours later and Flicker was back out by the converted rat-hole. He slid the door to the side a bit to peek out and make sure the coast was clear before he slunk out and shut it behind him.

It was just the beginning of dusk, so normally too early to head out into bean filled streets, but if he was going to make it to the abandoned spot Mittens told him about before morning he needed to start early. Beans tired after a long day were much less attentive anyway. Surely he wouldnt be seen, and even if he was, they'd assume he was a mouse.

To get there he would have to backtrack a few streets back to the bridge, but not cross it. Instead he would head west, up Main street several blocks to Maple drive. It was mostly a residential part of town, so there wasn't quite the foot traffic of the markets, but still he was exceedingly cautious. He stuck close to the sides of buildings. Looked ahead and planned hiding places should a bean, or worse a cat, come upon him.

Once he got closer to the bridge he had a fantastic realization. Residential buildings often had private spaces in the rear! Usually fairly unused and empty, with fences far too large to be an obstacle to one like Flicker.

So around the back he slunk, wiggling between the planks that made up the towering fence. Behind was a quiet and quaint garden of flowers, next to the flowing river and bordered on the opposite side Flicker had squeezed through by an identical fence. But the interior of the half of the planks were painted with simplistic people like shapes. Names were even painted around the top of each.

Aaron, Katie, Carolyn, Danny... etc.

And the other half had various animals depicted onto them, dogs, cats, serpents, lizards, rats, birds, and even fish. And all these had names too.

Broggle, Cassy, Wiggles, Terror... etc.

Flicker stared at them for a moment before his ears perked up to a distinct and anxiety inducing sound. Rhythmic breathing. In. Out. Heavy. Huffing. Big. The Wayfinder spotted it across the yard from himself, near the river under a tall and old elm tree. A big dozing dog with a melty face, and copious amounts of drool dripping from its massive jaws and onto the ground.

Moving with careful and deliberate purpose Flicker walked across the backyard, eyes glued to the canine for any signs of waking. While he was ready to run, he didn't want to risk being either spotted by something else nearby he wasn't aware of yet.

He didn't know he was holding his breath until he reached the other fence, and peeked through it briefly. Much like the one he was in now, but with no flowers and a larger tree that darkened nearly all of the backyard and blocked out what remained of the sunlight. And the windows of the home were covered from the inside by heavy and thick looking brown curtains. After a glance back the sleeping dog, he wiggled through.

It was peaceful and quiet there. Light wind through the branches of the tree, leaves just starting to turn in color. Flicker found himself less skulking and simply walking, enjoying the evening air as he walked among the chest high grasses, and through the occasional bush.

But it was not to last. As his eyes turned away from the river side of the yard to the house side he noticed something that made him catch his breath and curse, ".....ah beans....."

A cat door.

A cat lived here. So close to his destination. And worst of all it was permitted outside, at any time, of its own volition. That brought this potential spot down several notches in his assessment. Flicker now with a more cautious step and attentive eye now noticed more signs. Claw marks on the tree. Paw prints in the dirt. And under the bush he walked through, an impression. That is where it loafed. Hidden and waiting.

But for now, unaccounted for. It was dinnertime for the beans, and they often fed their pets alongside themselves.

He hurried out of this property.

Two more similar fences he passed through before he came upon the one he was looking for. Unkept. Grass longer then he was tall by several times over and an old building painted red that desperately needed a new paint job. This was it, certainly. Even the windows were minorly warped, and showed signs of leakage.

A bit of a fixer, but hey that's why I would bring a woodworker. We can patch up most of this... He considered as he walked slowly nearer to it, eyes drinking it in.

And that is why he never saw it coming.

However his keen ears only hardly saved his life as from above on the fence behind him there was a slight skrit. And Flicker was leaping to his right before his head fully registered why.

In one swift motion was Ratspiller in his hand, as he turned and faced what had landed where he had been standing with the silence of a master hunter.

The cat. A calico that stood nearly twice his height at it's ear tip and was several categories heavier than him with claws that kneaded the ground where it landed. Behind it, its tail flicked back and forth but its ears were up. It was in a playing mood.

That was good for Flicker. Good, in that if he gave it a little stab he might get it to scamper off. Its not like it was starving and fighting for its life. But that meant getting close to it. And poor Flicker was frozen to his spot. Even as his mind was trying to get him to move, its sharp yellow eyes held him where he was. His sword arm trembled, his knees felt weak.

And then came the paw, quick as lightning it whipped forward at him and he closed his eyes whimpering as he stumbled backwards. Out shot his sword hand as he fell back and it encountered resistance!

MMMMRRROOOWL! the cat mewled in surprise as it's toy poked it.

But as Flickered opened his eyes he saw it did not have its intended effect. Deep mrowling, an arched back, ears now back in aggression. Eyes narrow like knives digging into him. It was angry.

He ran. Flicker's instincts drove him towards the old building despite the fact he could hardly make it out through the darkness and grasses, as behind him pattered the claws of the mighty beast right on his heels!

Vision narrowed for Flicker as survival instinct took over he made it to the back of the building, where there was a trapdoor entry to the cellar. Locked. Flicker's heart was filled with panic for a moment until he saw his way inside. A warping in the wood of the trapdoor was just big enough to fit the Wayfinder, and claws at his back he went for it.

He slid into it with only minor difficulty, before finding nothing below, freefalling as he frantically reach for the hook on his back. There had to be rungs to this descent, so he threw out his hook in the direction of the backwall, making sure to hold his rope tightly as he hoped the sharp halt in his fall wouldn't injure himself!

The hook made a 'clink' as it hit the backwall, and Flicker worried he had messed up his throw, until his rope went taut and the section in his hands suddenly pulled through them, and would have cut his hand were it not for his climbers gloves. His harness did it's job well and distributed the impact of the great fall across his body, as above the sounds of claws on wood told him his assailant would not be following him down here.

Flicker for a minute just hung there, catching his breath before the scratching finally stopped, and he began to take him his surroundings and his own state. He was halfway to the floor of the cellar, his hook dug into the third rung from the top. The whole place was roughly one big chamber with cold stone walls and floors, wooden beams old but thick and strong still held aloft the ceiling, but also sported shelving between them. The furniture down here was much worse for wear, with stains that implied some flooding which only made sense with that borrower sized hole in the trap door above. And rat signs was well

A pain came to him as he hung there inspecting his surroundings, and his right hand released the rope he dangled from to attempt to touch his own back as much as his flexibility would allow. Warmth greeted his reaching hand and pain his lower back and hip where two claws seem to have found him when he dove into the trapdoor hole.

"...uuhhgg..." he hissed through his teeth before adjusting his grip on the ropes, and making the climb up to retrieve his hook. It was far too dug in by his weight suddenly coming onto it to be pulled out from the floor below. He reached the hook, properly set it after fighting to remove it from the rung and then added more twine to its length so he could make it all the way down.

Despite his searing injury, Flicker made it to the floor and pulled his hook free, collecting it after it clattered to the floor near him. He considered where he wanted to start his investigation of the house, but the stinging of his back reminded him of his priorities. Safety, cleaning and wrapping the wound, and then maybe he could go on.

So instead of further investigating the cellar his eyes caught a steep staircase nearby, and decided perhaps an upper warmer level might be better for now. So stair by stair Flicker climbed, head and body tired. Stomach grumbling lightly. The door at the top hardly gave him any trouble as he rolled beneath its bottom and rose to his feet in what looked to be a long unused bean kitchen.

Built into the corner opposite the door he entered through was a small oven, with a counter intersecting it and then continuing to a small basin on Flickers right. There was another door that was ajar, and opened to a very small, for beans, foyer and stairwell to the upper level.

To his right was a closed door with a gap certainly big enough for Flicker himself to slip through, though he didn't quite yet. Instead he moved over to the foot of the oven, and sat down, removing his now stained shirt. He didn't have much alcohol with him, and what he had was a mixed use drink and medical tool. A sharp vodka taken from the store of the inn Damperflue was within. It wasn't much and might not help prevent infection, but it was all he had for now.

He soaked it into a rag from his pack, took a deep breath, and reached around to dab at his own back. Teeth clenched, and he sucked in his breath but didn't make more noise than that. Better than the hot steel method Buckle had explained to him when he was still a young junior Wayfinder.

Quickly wrapping the wounds with the bandages he always had in his pack for moments just like these, he then picked up his ruined shirt once more. He sighed, and shook his head, tossing it aside in frustration.

Damn cat. This place is looking less and less promising. I can see why they picked the bakery first. He ruminated before pulling out something to munch on. Enjoying his little break before he moved on. He would have to find a good spot to sleep before he investigated the rest of the building.

Up he got once he was finished his meal, and decided the main floor was where he was, so that would be where he would start. The kitchen was towering to Flicker, but not large by bean standards. Hardly enough room for two to work at the counter at once and crowded only more by the presence of a standing pantry and wobbly table and chairs near the window on the south side.

He was able to peek into the old pantry due to its door having long ago fallen off at the hinges to see it was naturally empty, but for a toolbox at the bottom. That would do him just fine he decided, crawling inside for some much needed rest.

The screwdrivers, chisels, and hammers didn't do him much for bedding but with his own blankets laid over them, he would make do.

Or at least he had thought so when he laid down. On his front so as to not pain his injury more, and well and full as well. He found despite the weight in his eyes, the exhaustion in his limbs, and the fog in his mind he was having difficulty actually getting himself to sleep. And he knew why even if he didn't want to say so aloud.

Flicker missed the colony. His friends, at both Damperflue and the newly founded Risenloaf. He missed being held. Knowing other were near. The security of it. On his own in a creaky house far away with a cat outside and rats likely scurrying around he felt... Alone.

What Wayfinder can't sleep alone? Remember when you wanted to be a between cities Wayfinder? his thoughts came unbidden, Some Wayfinder you are....

Like a creeping dread in his own heart, the lonesome longing kept him awake well into the morning.

But eventually, the darkness of his eyelids came for him.

Previous Masterpost [Next] Soon...

#g/t #borrowers #gianttiny #giant/tiny #gtfluff #g/twriting #gt #micro #wayfindertales #OCFlicker #OCDahlia #borrower #gtcommunity #giant tiny #g/t writing

1 note · View note