#borrowers and beans

[navar44]

Old Homes

A bit of writing based on @aaytaro-gt ‘s Inktober prompt list.

Day 3 - Overgrown

==

I hadn’t been here in years and so much had changed since I was little. 

I could still remember the first time I’d gone borrowing with my parents, traversing the old house inside the walls and floors. The excitement of finally exploring the bean’s home followed by a crippling fear of heights.

It had taken years to properly deal with that fear and I still have a little bit of trouble with heights, but I’m careful to avoid edges and ledges. I still remember those days fondly though: spending time with my parents would always be a fond memory.

It wasn’t that they were dead, no they were still alive. They live in the Village though, and that wasn’t the life I wanted. We were borrowers! We borrowed! Living off the land was for beans!

I could see the appeal though. No fear that a bean would notice and get violent, no fear that a random cat or dog would snatch you away as a meal or a toy. Just content days working pleasant fields of potatoes and beans (the legume).

Wouldn’t catch me eating mouse meat though, that was disgusting.

Still, I wanted this life. The climbing through walls, making routes through the house in places no bean would look, where no bean would care. To borrow what you needed, taking what wouldn’t be missed.

I’d missed that life, and this would be a great place to get my life in order. It was also sort of close to the Village, so I could always back out if the beans weren’t good for borrowing.

The beans who lived here when I was little were a small family. Two parents and a kid. They were gentle people, and not very inquisitive when things went missing. Hell, my dad was spotted on more than one occasion and they didn’t even pursue!

We only left when the child grew up and left the home, followed by the parents. After that the house had new beans, they were much more aggressive. But their massive vehicle wasn’t in front of the house, so I’d case out the new bean and see if I could make these walls a home.

Said walls were full of dust and cobwebs, and I was already coated in the filth. My torch (read:candle) was burning away the cobwebs though, and the spiders were too small to really bother me.

I’d already cleaned up the space we’d used as a home, that wasn’t too bad. There were a few carpets and towels lining the floor that weren’t in too rough a shape, and my old bed was still in great condition. Kitchen was missing anything to cook with, but the chimney was still in good shape.

The first thing I’d scope out of this new bean’s home would be a forgotten towel or even a piece of blanket or sweater! Had to be careful, of course, but comfort is important!

Outside of my home, within the walls was a mess of dust, cobwebs, mold, animal feces, errant plants, forgotten leaves, and dead insects. Some areas were properly overgrown, especially the back garden: I wouldn’t be foraging there for a while, not till spring at the earliest.

Most of my day was spent clearing the ducts of anything hazardous; they’d be a quick way around in emergencies and you always wanted those routes to be safe to travel in. Had to set up a few twine ropes for climbing up some parts, but other than that it was easy.

Just like I remembered!

Some of the vents opened on the ceiling of the bean’s part of the house, and I took breaks watching through the grating as the bean went about her day.

She wasn’t one of those home-worker beans at least, she was out wearing a green and black uniform most of the day. When she got home the whole house smelled wonderful as she cooked; made me wish I’d brought that tiny stove my dad had made way back when.

But I was a lousy cook, so I’d borrow some leftovers from her fridge. Or, well, once I figured out how to get in the fridge, anyway.

Still, she seemed like a peaceful bean, singing away slightly off-key as she did some light cleaning and worked out in the mornings. I spent the time when she was out working to locate forgettable bits and things, I’d already grabbed a few useful items! 

She hadn’t even noticed. And my parents doubted me!

They had good reason to doubt me, unfortunately. 

I’d paused in my vent-cleaning, looking down into the bean’s bedroom as she lay on her bed tapping at her phone. She’d been talking to someone about mowing the lawn for her, and how much she would pay them, and I’d listened in as best I could.

The grate was not as secure as I had thought it would be, and with a burst of dust and rust, I was sent tumbling through the air.

Memories of my childhood dealing with heights flooded my mind as I fell, a hard jerk knocking the air from my lungs as my cloak caught on the hanging vent cover.

I thrashed, trying to right myself and climb back up, desperately not looking towards the distant floor below me. I had to climb up, I had to get to safety, I had to-

“What is… what?”

I nearly froze in my thrashing as I heard the bean’s voice below me. No. No no no no no no no no no- I could not have been spotted. No. Not on my first day out alone. No.

“Holy- hang in there!” 

I spared a glance to look at the bean and froze. Not at the sight of her rising to stand on the bed, her giant eyes locked on me, arms reaching out. No, my eyes were locked on the distant floor as my vision swam with tears and the rising fear clutching my throat like a vice.

Too high up. Too far down. Too much. Too much!

“It's okay! I got you, I got you.” 

Giant fingers gripped my sides as the bean used her other hand to detach my cloak from the vent. Tears blurred my vision as I clung to her, eyes locked on the floor below. 

Safety, I wasn’t falling, she had me, I wasn’t falling, just hold onto the hand and I won’t fall. I was shaking, I knew that I was, but I just couldn’t stop. I couldn’t even hear what she was saying, her voice hushed and soothing as she lowered me from the heights. 

It took a while before I realized I was gripping her index finger for dear life, laying in the palm of her hand. I blinked away the tears, and let go of her, crawling backwards away from her. Not that I could get away from her: I was on her palm.

She just smiled comfortingly. After a time of just staring at each other, and me nodding at her asking if I was okay, she let me go. She watched me until I ducked under her dresser, and was gone.

I needed to lay down.

—

Maya sat on her bed, staring at her empty hands, the side of her finger wet with the fearful tears of the little person she’d… saved? He’d certainly been hanging there, thrashing about like he was panicking. 

They hadn’t said anything to each other- no, he hadn’t said anything. She’d been the one talking, though he had nodded that he was alright before she let him onto the floor as he’d requested with a few gestures. 

What was he? She remembered her dad saying he’s seen little people before, but he’d always been seeing things like that. Was her father right? 

It didn’t matter, she decided. The little guy lived here, possibly longer than she had: she’d only moved in a week or two ago. She’d have to keep an eye out for him in the meantime, maybe try and help him out?

Maybe she’d leave some food out…

[ittybluebell]

when the borrower's found out by the big people:

[smol-lucy]

Part 2 of this comic ! You better comfort your tinies after giving them almost heart attack

[gtbutterfly]

What's your most controversial g/t opinion? Most would probably be about a certain trope or something regarding angst or ethics, but mines much more stupid.

I think borrowers calling humans "beans" is stupid. Like, why do they do it? I know they called humans that in the original book, but it just doesn't make sense to me, and sounds a bit too silly. Like, borrowers would know English from listening to humans talk, right? So why would they say bean? I gets it's like, a mispronounced version of "being" as in human being, but why mispronounce it? Is there something physically different about borrower anatomy preventing them from saying the g? Why don't they say other words differently then? Shouldn't they have like, a whole different accent all together?

And why shorten it to being? Why not say human? The word being is referring to humans in the term human being. Sure, borrowers probably wouldn't know that, but why say bean anyways?

What lilliputian with a speech impediment 100 years ago first ending up in human civilization heard a human say "human being" in some kind of context, and then went back to all their friends and told them that the big people call themselves "human beans" and how did that term spread across all of borrower culture across the world? It just never made any sense to me.

[chiropteracupola]

A strange dissection.

[krikidilly]

Spotted while out on a borrow!

[storytellers-and-co]

Tansui's Adventures - #18, Amal'jaa and Roegadyn

Life could never be easy, could it? Tansui was actually starting to miss the cookie-sharing at this point. After the efts - and being almost run over by quite a few of them - he was informed that a shipment of ether had gone missing. On top of that, Amal’jaa blood was requested. 

Fun times. 

Especially after Tansui made it to the stolen supplies, and started to rummage about after taking a cursory glance around - trying to make sure there were not Amal’jaa about. 

Except there was. 

A single shout of a low, rumbly voice, full of promises of violence, of fire and pain and hurt and chains. Tansui felt himself freeze, unable to pull the staff out right away as he heard the heavy footsteps rushing towards him. 

‘Move. Move. Move. Move.’

A hulking, dark mass was coming towards him, followed by another.

‘Move! Move! Move!’

Finally, Tansuis fingers twitched, hand reaching for the staff - too slow, far too slow, they’d make it to him before the first spell could be cast, and he was here alone, alone, alone- 

‘Move dammit! MOVE!’

“Cover your horns kid, it’s about to get loud!”

A foreign female voice snapped him out of the fearful, frozen state - causing him to duck down, arms going over his horns as a loud twing-bang echoed from somewhere behind him. The Amal’jaa were pushed back, and Tansui let out a small sound from the back of their throat - before finally wrapping their hand around the staff, pulling it from its holster. 

Aether built around, bringing in a freezing cold - cold that Tansui launched at the first Amal’jaa that had been shot at earlier, pinning them down into the ground, encased into the ice. 

Taking a look to the side, there was a Roegadyn right next to him. Tall woman, with a wild grin and a gun. A gun she used to shoot at the other Amal’jaa, laughing all the while as the barrel turned bright red. 

Tansui focused once more towards his enemy, blood boiling even as the cold built in his scales - earlier fear turning into searing anger. 

Few more Blizzards and shots from somewhere to the left and back, and the two would-be-attacker lizardmen were downed. Tansui let out a silent, soft sigh, standing up and turning towards where the Roegadyn were - about to thank them for stepping in when they did. 

Except… they were gone.

Cameo: Wynona Starfinder by Moose-Productions

[iggyalfi2319]

Hooman: *buys an old TV post at a flea market* 📺

Friend: you know it's HD and 4k nowadays, right?

Hooman: I'm more of live action type.

Friend: I don't think I follow...

At home

*A group of Borrowers live playing an action movies in the TV box, ropes and mattress included*

Hooman: *claps and encores*

Friend: why did I ask...

[chaotically-frolicking]

y’all I got caught shoplifting today. the guy let me off easy. it was scary though. don’t steal shit.

[navar44]

Making a Mess of Things

A bit of writing based on @aaytaro-gt ‘s Inktober prompt list.

Day 25 - Soap

==

The thick brown muddy substance washed off easy enough in the bath she’d made for herself in the sink, the soap feeling wonderful after the mess she’d gotten herself into.

Of course, it wasn’t mud she was washing off of herself. It was frosting from the chocolate cake that the bean she called a friend had made. The chocolate cake that was for her birthday. That she had only meant to get a tiny scoop of frosting off of, but had slipped and fallen into instead.

Besides making a mess of herself and her clothes, she’d also made a mess of the frosting. He would be back soon enough from work, and he’d easily spot the mess she’d made of the cake.

They’d never met, face to face. He’d started leaving notes for her and, eventually, she’d started to reply. But they never spoke in person, and he’d never laid eyes on her. And now, she wasn’t going to apologize in a note.

She was going to apologize in person for ruining a perfectly good gift. It was only right, right?

After a few more minutes of quick bathing in the sink, and a quick wash of her clothes, she dried off as best she could and returned to the cake down the counter.

The smearing of frosting that ran across the countertop to the cake was her next task, and she cleaned it as best she could with a bit of water and a giant napkin. She couldn’t do anything about the ruination of the cake’s frosting though, so she sat on the sticky note he’d left earlier, and waited.

Her heart picked up to a race a few minutes later when the door to the apartment opened and her bean entered. It only took him a few seconds to spot the cake, and then a second more for his eyes to go wide at her.

She gave him a small wave, trying not to curl into a ball in shame as he walked over to the counter where she sat next to the cake. He clearly noticed how she’d ruined the frosting, and she felt her face warm as he scooted a chair over.

“Hi Peter.” She managed, looking up at his face.

“Hello Tiff, It's great to finally meet you!” He smiled, and his eyes looked over at the cake.

Tiff looked away, fiddling with the strap of her belt. “Sorry about the cake, I was trying to get a scoop of frosting and, well…”

Peter just laughed, waving his hand. “Oh, don’t worry about it! I made it for your birthday after all.”

“Well… yeah, but I fell on it!”

“Bah, don’t worry about it. If anything, I’m overjoyed to just meet you in person! And if you’re only doing that because you feel bad that you fell in some frosting, then I’ll happily accept meeting you as an apology.”

Tiff shifted on the counter. “Soooo… we’re cool?”

“Yeah, we’re cool.”

She nodded slowly, standing up. “And I’m good to leave? You won’t stop me?”

“Yes, and of course I won’t. I do have a question before you vanish though.”

“I can probably answer it, what?”

“Well,” He motioned to the cake, “Would you like a slice?”

[a-chaotically-small-lunta]

Okay we all know the scientist who either develops a way to either shrink or grow people but what if that scientist was a borrower?

A mad scientist borrower who constantly is inventing things for their fellow borrowers, even though a few of these things are a bit insane.

One day though they develop a growth serum and they accidentally spill it on themself, causing them to grow, destroying those lab (probably causing a few small explosions in the process), and crashing through the wall landing into the beans home which they live.

The bean, who was just chilling, now suddenly has this hole in their wall as well as a crazy scientist in their house. The scientist explains the situation, even though it sounds crazy the hole in the bean’s wall is pretty convincing, and tries to get the bean’s help to shrink them back to size. The bean agrees cause why not, and they go and search for the items necessary.

Only problem is, most of the items they need come from the bean’s neighbor’s house…who also happens to be a mad scientist. The borrower scientist never had to pay for things cause they just borrowered from the bean scientist but now you can’t just go to your neighbor and ask for a cup of uranium.

So they hatch a plan to sneak in and “borrow” the items. Only they are caught because the borrower scientist is so used to being small and now that they are bean sized, they are excitedly exploring the lab.

They get caught and the bean scientist turns out to have been trying to make a serum that shrinks people. Which the borrower scientist thinks is great, until the bean one says they want to use it to rule the world. Knowing that humans would encounter borrowers and expose them to a chaotic world run by this mad scientist makes the borrower scientist question the whole size changing thing. Anyway the bean scientist decides to test the shrinking formula on the bean who was just trying to help out. Turns out it works! Which is great but it shrunk the wrong person

Now a shrunken bean and a grown borrower have to figure out a new plan that gets them back to their original size while stopping this mad scientist from shrinking the world cause “I’m the only mad scientist who gets to change people’s sizes” -Borrower Scientist

[smol-lucy]

Tinies these days 🙄 don't understand what "I won't hurt you" means 😮‍💨

[randompersonas2]

BORROWER RAVE TONIGHT!!!! Who’s coming?

[musicallygt]

cozy borrower!reigen inspired by a silly photo i took of my reigen plush in my hoodie when i was cold a couple days ago

(btw this is NOT shipping im wacking any weirdos who tag this as a ship)

[iggyalfi2319]

Borrower: *"borrowing" stuff*

Bean: *about to box them*

Borrower: Hold it!

Bean: *freezes*

Borrower: *goes to Bean's phone*

Bean: Don't you dare.

Borrower: *Plays Yakety Sax*

Bean: 💢

Borrower : *bolts*

Bean: Get back here!

Bean's friend: *records while sipping coffee*

-

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