#corywrites

[bookworm105616]

The absolutely batshit urge to make an analogue horror trailer out of the Sorry Boys videos—I’ve never edited a video in my life but like….ehehehehe

Anyway what scenes should I use

[corysmiles]

The Talk

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Cw: severe burns, mentions of gore

Notes: I’m back and ready to write more than ever so first things first t!techno in the little streamer au angst >:)

Also for context in the ls au tiny cities only really exist in America and since it wouldn’t be safe to have them out in the open they’re typically inside of other human buildings. The city Techno lives in is in the walls of the lobby of a human hotel :)

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Techno’s fingers thrummed nervously against his thigh. The soft light from his computer lit up the room behind him, and one last time he glanced behind him to make sure nothing was too obviously nonhuman. His furniture was all rather nice, for a tiny at least- one of the few perks of living in one of the only tiny cities.

His leg still shaking in his chair, he checked his picture in the empty zoom call again. He looked normal. It was almost weird how much he could pass for a human. It didn’t feel right. Of course it was all on purpose, but it didn’t make it any stranger seeing himself that way.

Techno sighed and brushed his hair back out of his face, revealing more of the burn covering his left side. On the pixelated screen it looked even worse than it did in real life; every bump and divet in his skin looked grossly exaggerated. And if he concentrated on it hard enough he could almost feel the ghosts of giant fingers and fire crushing his chest.

‘Phil’s going to think you’re disgusting’, his mind supplied.

He tried to shake the thought but his grotesquely burnt image made his mouth feel dry. He wasn’t easy on the eyes for sure, and even if he did trust Phil he couldn’t help how his heart tensed at the thought of seeing the human.

What was he supposed to do if Phil decided he didn’t want to be with him anymore, it would be so easy for him to-

Just as his thoughts started to spiral to the worst his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out quickly, his shaky hands almost dropping it.

Phil- ‘Link please :)’

Techno’s breath caught in his throat and for a second he considered backing down. They didn’t have to have this talk yet. But he knew it wouldn’t get easier, and if Phil was going to come visit he had to know…however much Techno was okay with him never finding out.

Techno quickly typed out a reply sending his friend the zoom link before shutting off his camera once again. He’d lied to Phil before, saying his camera was broken so he never had to be seen, and while he knew eventually he’d have to turn it on he wanted to have a bit of peace.

It was only a few seconds before the zoom call dinged as another box appeared on the screen. The sound of Phil grumbling about it not working calmed him down. It was just his friend, he could do this.

“Hey Phil,” Techno laughed trying to sound as normal as possible.

Phil grumbled again before his picture appeared large on his screen, “I fucking hate this camera it never works mate. I understand the pain of yours now- still not working Huh?”

“Uh yeah,” Techno’s mouth dried, “Actually I wanted to talk to you. About you coming to visit-”

“Oh yeah of course mate what about it?” Phil smiled before babbling on excitedly, “Ah I meant to tell you- Kristen and I found an AirBnB that has stuff for tinies which is pretty cool so she won’t need my help or anything. And I think on one of the days we’re going to have dinner with her family. It’s gonna be fun. And I was thinking we could all go somewhere cool and it could be a good video or not- of course whatever you want-”

“Phil,” Techno paused, “I need to talk to you about something important about it.”

Techno studied Phil’s face carefully as it contorted on his screen. His eyebrows furrowed and his mouth hung open just a bit.

“Oh yeah of course mate,” Phil said in resignation as he sat back in his chair, “What is it?”

Techno swallowed and let his finger hover above the camera button. He felt completely frozen like a deer in headlights even though he was just talking to his friend. His head whipped around one more time to make sure nothing would give him away before his finger pressed down on the mouse. The distinct sound of its click made his blood run cold.

For a moment he refused to look up at the screen. Out of the corner of his eye he could see blurred colors where he was sure his image was now fully visible to Phil. But he couldn’t bring himself to look. Even with how much effort he put into trying to hide his burns he knew how bad they looked and he wasn’t ready to see Phil’s reaction to them.

“Oh mate,” Phil paused as if he was carefully considering his next words, “Well…your camera works now huh.”

Techno took a deep breath, letting the air settle in his lungs before lifting his eyes to meet Phil’s. Even with the screens between them he could see the pure uncertainty on Phil’s features.

“You can ask about it you know,” Techno shrugged, “I know it’s bad.”

Phil didn’t move for a few seconds almost to the point where Techno though his screen had froze before the older man let out a deep sigh. His eyes danced across the screen studying Techno for the first time ever. Techno was instantly reminded that this was the first time Phil had ever seen him, and it certainly was never a good experience when people got a good look at him. It almost made his skin crawl watching how carefully the human’s eyes picked him apart.

“Fuck mate,” Phil’s shoulders sagged, “What happened?”

This was the part Techno was scared for, the part of this dreaded conversation he had nightmares about. But he had to do it, it had to happen.

Techno breathed in and met Phil’s eyes as best as he could before prepping himself to tell the story. It’s not like he wasn’t an expert on it of course, the news ate it up for weeks after it happened. Even sitting at the hospital, or at least the closest thing tinies had to one, the tvs all replayed the story over and over.

“Do you want the uh… the full story?” Techno hummed trying not to act too perturbed.

“Yeah mate,” Phil nodded, “If you want.”

“Okay well,” Techno sighed as his arms instinctively started to rub against his burnt arm, “Um, I was sixteen, and I just wanted food after school. We had stuff at home but I wanted the fancy kind… which was a dumb decision. But the kitchen in the hotel my city was built in always had nice stuff you just had to go ask for it and I was reckless at the time- I didn’t see any issue going out into a human space.”

For a second, Techno paused watching Phil’s face carefully, but nothing changed. He was completely still aside from his breathing, and with the way his face seemed tight Techno guessed he was deep in thought.

“I left the city like I always did but there were a bunch of kids probably my age outside waiting,” Techno shuddered and let his eyes dip from Phil’s own so he didn’t have to see the man’s face, “One of them grabbed me- I’m not sure which. And another one of them had a lighter… I don’t really remember too much before I was taken to the doctor but I’m pretty sure they were drunk and just wanted to take it out on someone easy.”

Techno laughed uncomfortably to try to shake his fear but to little avail. His skin prickled as he recalled the memories of fire dancing across his skin as he struggled in the grip of giant hands.

“So yeah,” Techno exhaled shakily, “That was it. They said the kids weren’t at fault in the end and that there was no way to prove anything had happened. And that…that it was my fault if I chose to go out into the hotel.”

Techno’s eyes studied his burnt hands carefully before slowly lifting them towards his screen. Sitting there in stunned silence was Phil. His lips were drawn tight in a line and his eyebrows dipped above his eyes.

“Techno I-” he paused for almost a whole minute leaving Techno in uncomfortable silence, “I’m sorry.”

Techno stared at the screen in confusion. Out of any response this was the last he’d expected, perhaps only behind Phil being disgusted by him. He’d lied to his friend, he hadn’t told him about his real identity even after years of talking. He expected Phil to at least seem a little shocked about it.

“Are you not surprised?” Techno asked.

Phil turned his head to the side for a moment seemingly deep in thought. Through the screen Techno could just barely make out the man gnawing at his lip.

“About what,” Phil started, “That you’re a tiny?”

Techno shuddered at the word coming from his friends mouth. He wasn’t upset about what he was per-say, but it was still oddly uncomfortable to hear it put into words. Especially since the last time a human had called him that his skin had been burning.

“Well… I never told you.”

“And thats okay,” Phil said softly, “I cant say I expected it but… I’m not upset or anything mate. And it doesn’t change anything really. I’m just more… I don’t know… I’m sorry.”

“Why? I lied to you you know,” Techno scoffed.

Phil hummed thoughtfully and tapped his fingers on his desk, shaking his camera slightly, “Well-given that story I can see why you wouldn’t tell me. I’m just sorry that happened to you…I can’t imagine how much that hurt.”

Techno nodded anxiously as his brain tried to pull at the memories of the event. He couldn’t let himself slip into them though or else he’d be in tears by the end of the call.

“I just…I wanted you to know. Yaknow before you came here and found out that way,” Techno laughed uncomfortably, “And I wanted you to see what I look like because I know I’m not that nice on the eyes.”

Immediately Phil shifted closer to the screen and shook his head, “No no mate. Don’t pull that shit on me. I don’t care what you look like or what happened to you or what you are. Really.”

Techno sat stunned in his chair at the normally calm man’s outburst. He felt…odd. He couldn’t really explain the strange feelings of comfort at hearing what he’d wanted to hear for so long.

“You’re my friend Techno, and while I’m fairly upset about what those sad fucks did to you,” he grimaced, “I dont care. About any of it- that you didn’t tell me or that you’re tiny. None of it. You’re still the same person.”

Techno was shocked at the man’s words. It felt so strange being comforted by a human when the last real interaction he’d had with one had been violent. A few years ago if you’d told him he’d be not just talking to a human but friends with one he would have told you you were crazy. Especially since he hadn’t left the confines of the tiny city ever since.

“Phil,” Techno said eyes-wide, “I… Thank you.”

Phil hummed, his face still tight in barely concealed anger, “Thank you. For telling me all that, you didn’t have to.”

Techno laughed at that as he started to relax back into his chair. His nightmares of how Phil could have reacted were nothing. He still had his friend and he didn’t care.

“You deserved to know Phil.”

Phil smiled tightly and let his chin fall to his chest, “Well I don’t agree with that, still…thank you for telling me mate.”

Techno smiled back and Phil’s own lightened up. For the first time actually seeing a human and being fully aware of it he felt safe. When he was on discord calls with them sometimes it was easy to forget they weren’t also tiny, besides Tommy of course. But this was a new feeling. He was talking to a human who knew he was a tiny, who knew how much power he could have over him, and Phil was still kind.

Logically he knew none of his human friends would be weird about it since he’d seen how they interacted with Tommy, but it didn’t stop the fear in his gut from curling up; the fear that had been permanently there since the incident.

“I just want you to know also…before we meet, that it’ll be my first time since all that that I’ll actually be near a human,” Techno said slowly, “And I trust you Phil and you are my friend but… I just don’t know how I’ll react.”

“That’s okay Techno,” Phil said softly, “I’ll be careful I promise. And the house we’ll have already has tiny accommodations so that won’t be an issue… and I just want you to know if I get there and it’s too uncomfortable you don’t have to see me…”

Phil swallowed, “That would be okay.”

Techno stared in awe at his friend. He never expected this level of understanding even with how kind of a person he was. His eyes fell to his own hands before falling on Phil’s, just barely visible at the bottom of the screen. Even though they looked the same on camera he knew those hands would be easily three times his size. His friend who seemed so close now would be a giant to him in person. And while that was a frightening thought it seemed easier now that they’d talked.

“Thank you Phil,” Techno sighed, “Really. And I do want to see you when you come, I’ll get over it if I have to.”

“I know,” Phil smiled, “And I’ll help in any way I can. I don’t want you to have to be afraid of me mate. I hope you know I would never dream of hurting you.”

And for the first time since the incident Techno knew that Phil, a human who could so easily do anything he wanted to the tiny, was telling the truth.

“I know. Thank you Phil.”

[corabbit]

Exterminator Wilbur au Pt2

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CW: vore, fatal vore mention

Part 1

When Wilbur woke up he almost was able to forget about the previous days events. Groggily he stumbled out of bed and fumbled with his phone to shut off the alarm. 7:00 am it read- far too early for him to be up. He groaned as he threw on his work uniform; he only had one house to visit for the day but he’d been warned the tinies living there were illusive.

Lazily he waltzed into his kitchen to make breakfast, but before he could even get to the fridge a small jar caught his attention.

Immediately memories from the previous night flooded his mind.

He swore it was a dream, but right in front of him was the tiny- his tiny now- the one he’d been hunting for months. The boy was curled up at the bottom of the jar with his arms pathetically wrapped around his legs. His breathing was slow and relaxed but his eyes were still scrunched up even in his sleep. Quietly, Wilbur leaned down so he could get a better look at the tiny, but as soon as he got close his eyes shot open.

Hurriedly, the tiny stumbled back to the other side of the jar. His mouth opened and closed like a fish, and Wilbur couldn’t help the instinctual glee that blossomed in his chest. Even with what happened, he couldn’t help but think about how easily he could swallow the boy whole like all the others he’d done it to before. The tiny would probably shake the whole way down and maybe even try to fight back. He looked much more lively than he had the night before, so it would probably be more enjoyable too.

Hesitantly, he reached down and pressed his palm into the lid. After a couple small twists it popped open and the sound of the tiny’s panic hit his ears.

“Please please no,” the boy whimpered, “I cant-”

He had almost been hoping that that particular…talent…of the tiny was just his imagination. Perhaps then he could still have some fun with the boy.

However, the kid’s voice just got louder and louder every time Wilbur moved. He couldn’t believe he’d spent so long hunting this tiny just to find out he could talk. He’d been so excited since he couldn’t afford a “snack tiny” on his own. It was only for the rich and his company forbid exterminators from keeping the tinies they caught. He could eat them (if they were deemed too dirty to sell) but he couldn’t store them and take them home, meaning they were only a one time meal.

But this one he could keep as long as he wanted. He could store him over and over again for as long as he could keep him alive. If only the boy’s terrified expression and piercing voice didn’t make guilt curl up in his gut.

“Hey shush-please,” Wilbur said as he stared down at the tiny, “Stop freaking out.”

A visible shudder ran down the boys back as he pressed his back flat against the glass; his chest stuttered with every breath. Wilbur hated how terrified he looked, especially since he looked so human. Most tinies were disgusting- covered in dirt and grime. They looked animalistic and acted feral- but this one looked like a human teen. He wore clothes that almost looked like they could have came from a doll and his hair was neatly brushed and braided. The resemblance made wilbur feel sick.

“Um… fuck,” Wilbur grimaced as the tiny flinched at his voice, “I’m not going to kill you.”

Finally the tiny’s pleas came to halt. Although wilbur almost wished he just kept crying.

The tiny clenched his fists against his side, “Yeah sure, I’m just in a jar for fun then.”

Wilbur’s eyes widened in surprise before he leaned back down to be at the tiny’s level. Not only could the tiny talk, but it could reason too.

“No-well,” Wilbur shrugged an tilted his head at the tiny, “I’m just keeping you in it. I have no plans to kill you.”

“You just want to eat me then? Keep me as some sick pet?” the tiny growled and this time Wilbur felt a fire ignite in his chest.

Something about the tiny’s aggressive tone while he was still in Wilbur’s control made him want to show the boy what he could do. He had half the mind to just scoop him out of the jar and swallow him right there, but the sounds of the tiny’s sobs from the previous night stopped him.

“Dont talk to me like that,” Wilbur scowled, “You’re lucky I’m letting you live at all. Most people would have killed you on the spot- if it wasn’t for me you’d be dead right now.”

As soon as the words left his tongue he regretted it. The tiny’s eyes widened in fear again and all of his rebelliousness vanished.

“I’m sorry…” his voice barely reached Wilbur’s ears.

Guilt ate at Wilbur’s heart as he stared at the trapped tiny with his human-like face and small voice. He couldn’t just keep him like that- but he couldn’t do what he originally planned either.

“No I- fuck- I’m sorry for yelling,” Wilbur grimaced, “I’ll get you some food, and when I get back from work I’ll talk to you more. Maybe I can find a better way to keep you instead of in this jar, but for now it’s where you’re going to stay.”

The tiny stared back at him owlishly and nodded. His tiny form was shaking, but he still tried to remain straight-faced in the presence of the human.

“Good,” Wilbur said, “Ill be back in a few hours, but I want you to know I’m not going to kill you.”

The tiny nodded again, but this time tears were visibly budding in his eyes. Wilbur grimaced at the sight, but a quick glance at his clock told him he didn’t have time to deal with it. Carefully, he placed the lid back over the jar and turned to grab a few crackers from the kitchen counter. The tiny studied him as he moved until he got back to the jar with food and a bottle cap of water in his hand.

“This is going to suck for a second, sorry,” Wilbur warned before he slowly turned the jar onto its side.

Once it was resting flat on the counter he slipped the food and water into the jar, trying to ignore how the tiny jumped away from his fingers. Part of him wanted to apologize, to promise he never wanted to hurt him and never would, but that wouldn’t be true. He felt conflicted with his guilt over the tiny and his love of his job. He hunted tinies for a living for gods sake- why was this one so different?

He watched as the tiny crept over to the cracker and broke a piece off. Tears were freely flowing down his cheeks as he stuffed his mouth like he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

Wilbur sighed and took one last look at the clock before getting up to leave. Conflicted feelings over the tiny swarmed his thoughts, but he had to go to work. He would speak to the tiny again later, and hopefully he would get some information on why he was so different from the other tinies.

[bookworm105616]

Why is this shot like a special episode of The Great British Baking show?

[bookworm105616]

[corysmiles]

Emerald duo ls meetup HC’s for the soul >:)

Notes: this was created in a fit of writing power so it is very unedited by apologies. Also this is a good mix of fluff and angst so I hope you enjoy

When Phil and Kristen finally get settled into their AirBnB in the US Techno has to take an Uber over. He hadn’t been out of his tiny city in years and he didn’t have his own car so it wasn’t like he could make the trek on his own. Tiny’s did have their own highway just below the street so they weren’t in danger of human cars, but tiny Ubers were hard to find. This lead to Techno having to sit anxiously in the car of a tall quiet human man. Thankfully the car had some accommodations like the seat being higher up so Techno didn’t feel as small, but still he felt his breath hitch every time the man so much as turned his head in his direction.

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When the car started to pull into the neighborhood Phil was staying in Techno felt his whole body shudder. He couldn’t do it. Every house was gigantic and walking across the sidewalk were so so many humans. The overwhelming fear he’d had since he was 16 started to overwhelm him and after a few minutes of shaking in his seat the Uber driver asked if he’d like to turn back.

“I can take you back kid, free no problem. Just let me know,” the man said in his deep grumbly voice.

Techno appreciated it he really did but it felt odd being comforted by the stranger. Especially a human one. But instead of agreeing to he just swallowed up his fear and sat back into the seat. He could feel the humans gaze on him the rest of the ride but he refused to look.

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Kristen was actually the one to first greet him at the house. He was oddly grateful for it because when he shot Phil and Kristen the text that he was at the door he has started to get strangely nervous about the idea of the giant door opening. But instead the tiny one, attached to the hinges of the larger one, swung open. Kristen immediately pulled him into a tight hug and babbled on asking about his ride over and how everything was. After a few second of formalities she nudged him inside and while he was immediately struck by just how large everything was in the house there was still no Phil to be seen.

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The first real interaction techno had with Phil was just his voice. It was almost odd that after an hour or two at the house talking with Kristen Phil still didn’t show up. He felt bad but every time he heard a floorboard creek or the sound of wind against a window his head would shoot towards it in fear that it was the human. He didn’t want to feel afraid of his friend but the waiting almost made it worse. It got to a point where Kristen was talking about dinner and he finally decided to ask where the human was.

Kristen stopped in her tracks and shifted inwards toward herself. “Oh dear, he didn’t want to scare you so he’s been waiting. We thought it might be bad if he was the first person you saw here.”

It made sense but guilt curled in Techno’s gut at the idea that his friend, the whole reason Kristen was there in the first place, was hiding in his room because he didn’t want to scare the tiny.

Slowly Kristen guided Techno to her and her husbands shared room and pressed the small doorbell attached to the side so she could get his attention. “Phil, it’s me. I have techno.”

Techno slouched in on himself as loud footsteps got closer to the door. Under the crack of it he could see the shadow of feet several times his size.

“Techno?” Phil’s voice echoed through the door.

“Yeah it’s me,” Techno breathed out, “Hey Phil.”

For a while they just talked through the door and Techno could almost forget that when it did open he’d be faced by a giant.

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Phil didn’t come out of the room until dinner. It made more sense for him to make it anyway since it would be much harder for the tinies to try to make a human sized portion for him than the other way around.

Kristen held onto Techno’s arm tight as Phil finally stepped out of his room. She’d had the idea to be on the kitchen table when he did come out so that Techno wouldn’t feel too small compared to the man but she could still feel the way the man cringed and shook at the sight of her husband.

“Techno,” Phil’s eyes widened, “It’s good to see you mate.”

Techno’s breath audibly caught in his throat as he stared up at the man. Kristen smiled sadly at her husband and she could tell by his small nod that he understood.

“Here,” Phil said with a quieter voice, “I’m just going to make dinner okay. You can stay here and we can talk if you’d like but I won’t make you do anything mate.”

Techno finally moved, just a small nod and a tight smile, but Kristen took it as progress. She had her work cut out for her to help the two friends but she had faith she could do it.

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Techno didn’t know why he’d agreed to let Phil sit at the table with them. He was trying to get along with Phil, he really was, but something about being so close to someone so much larger than him was doing strange things to his head. Even though he’d talked to the man for years now and would certainly consider him one of his closest friends, hearing the familiar voice come out of a giant figure didn’t feel right.

He sat in silence with his small plate in front of him while Kristen and Phil talked animatedly. He appreciated that they tried not to make it feel weird even though Techno knew how uncomfortable it had to be for them for him to be sitting in silence.

The whole dinner Techno only truly acknowledged Phil once when the human brought up one of Tommy’s blog ideas techno frankly thought was pretty dumb. And when he did speak up about it he could tell Phil was shocked. The human looked at him in surprise and a small gentle smile spread across his face.

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The first time Techno touched Phil was his own fault. It was the third day of them being in the US and while techno had gotten better about talking to Phil and felt a bit more comfortable in his presence he still was hyper aware of just how large Phil was.

Techno sat on the counter while Phil made coffee for them all. They talked absentmindedly about life and for one of the first times Techno felt safe. Even though every time Phil’s hands moved a bit too close to grab a mug or creamer he still flinched he could talk to the man now which was progress in his eyes.

“How do you like your coffee mate,” Phil hummed as he poured a little bit of the coffee from his own mug into a tiny one.

“A little creamer is good,” Techno nodded, “Thank you.”

“Of course mate,” Phil smiled as he went back to humming the dumb song that had been stuck in his head all day from a tik tok they all watched earlier.

Techno studied the man’s giant hands as he prepared the small coffee that looked comical between his fingers. After a minute Phil set it back down for Techno to take, a few inches away from him so he never got too close for Techno’s liking.

Techno appreciated it, he really did, but it still made him sad how obviously cautious Phil was around him. To try to curb his guilt Techno brought up a game he’d heard of recently and started to tell the human about. Phil laughed as he prepared his own coffee, and agreed to play it on stream with the tiny at some point.

Techno laughed as well as Phil continued to make little jokes about it and without looking the tiny stood up to grab his coffee. The problem was when he stood up his foot slipped on the small piece of plastic film left over from the keurig cups Phil was using. His breath caught in his throat as he slipped backwards. His arms shot back to try to catch himself but they were met with air.

Techno yelped as he fell backwards off the table. He was going to die, his frantic mind supplied.

But before he could hit the hard tile beneath them something soft and warm stopped his fall.

“Fuck mate are you alright?” Phil asked with a small laugh and weirdly the words vibrates through Techno’s body.

His eyes peeled open and he found that thankfully he wasn’t on the floor or worse dead. Instead giant fingers arched up around him as he was gently cradled in Phil’s palm.

Instinctually he tightened his body into a ball even with the progress he’d made with Phil the image of a hand wrapped around him made him wish he had just hit the ground. His breathing quickened as the hand below him moved and he swore for a second he could feel the warmth of a lighter reaching towards him.

“Hey hey you’re okay mate,” Phil soothed, “I’m putting you right down okay just breathe.”

He struggled even more trying to get free of the hands below him but when he tried to push his way through the massive fingers they tightened lightly around him.

“Hey no calm down Techno,” Phil said, “you’re gonna fall again let me put you down.”

Techno panicked even more at the giants now awfully loud sounding voice. Tears started to prick at his eyes even once he was deposited down onto the wooden table again. He buried his face in his legs wishing not only that he hadn’t reacted that poorly to his friends help but that he could just be normal.

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It’s a few days after that Techno apologies to Phil. He’d barely seen him even though they’d been staying in the same house aside from when the human would come out to make food for them all, and even the he never got closer than a few feet away from Techno.

He’s had a bit to think about it now, and while he couldn’t blame himself for panicking over being held it wasn’t fair to Phil for him to ignore the human for saving him. He knew logically that if Phil hadn’t caught him he would have been injured or worse.

“Phil, can we talk?” Techno spoke up from his place on the table across the room from the human.

Phil paused chopping up a carrot for the soup he was going to make and glanced over to Techno. It still felt strange being looked at by someone so giant but he’d gotten better about it over his time in the house. And really Phil had been nothing but careful with him.

“Yeah mate what is it?” Phil asked now turned towards the tiny but still far.

Techno sighed and stood up from where he was sitting to make bet tree r eye contact with Phil, “Can you come here?”

The human’s head tilted a bit in consideration before he slowly and carefully walked over to the table techno was on. And even once he was close he still stopped more than an arms length away.

“What is it mate? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Techno spoke slowly, unsure of his own words, “I just wanted to apologize- for the other day. I don’t know why I freaked out that bad man I’m sorry.”

Phil grimaced and bent his head down so he was a bit closer to the tiny, “No you don’t have to be sorry. It’s fine really. I didn’t mean to scare you that bad, I just didn’t have another choice-”

Techno met Phil’s eyes and smiled reassuringly up at the human, “I know. That’s why I’m sorry. I’ve been ignoring you and that’s just me being afraid and you don’t deserve that for helping me.”

Phil took a deep breath before pulling one of the chairs out from the table. Even then he was still awfully careful with how loud his steps were as he sat down to be closer to eye level with the tiny. His back hunched back into the chair like a heavy weight had settled on his shoulders.

“Techno,” he started slowly, “I understand how hard this is for you…and I really don’t blame you. I have no idea how scary this must be especially with what you’ve been through.”

“I know Phil,” Techno replied, “But it doesn’t excuse it. I have to get over it eventually, yeah.”

Phil hummed nonchalantly as his eyes bounced up and down trying not to stare at the tiny too much. Everything he did was so careful to not scare him and Techno couldn’t help but feel bad.

The two looked at each other in near silence, a heavy weight in the air before Techno decided he had to do something. Slowly, one step at a time he walked closer to the edge until he was almost face-to-face with Phil’s chest.

From so close he could hear every slow breath the human took as he stared down at his tiny friend.

“I want you to hold me,” Techno said carefully, his mouth dry.

Phil’s brows furrowed as he bent down more to see the tiny, “What? Mate not to be rude but just a few days ago you have a full panic attack from just that.”

“I know Phil,” Techno exhaled, “That’s why I need you to do this… You were just helping me. And I know that not all humans are bad but I just can’t seem to get that into my head.”

Phil nodded and Techno watched, stunned, as his adams apple bobbed in his throat, “You don’t have to do this Techno.”

“I know.”

Techno said it with more resolution than he thought he had in his whole self. His words seemed sure even though he could still feel every muscle in his body straining to get away from the human. But when he looked up to Phil’s eyes there was nothing but kindness if not a little worry.

“Okay then,” Phil gulped, “I’m going to put my hand on the table…you can get on or off whenever you want.”

And even with the warning as Phil’s hand slowly moved towards him Techno flinched. Phil almost pulled away but before he could Techno reached out lightning fast to grab one of his fingers. The human gasped just barely able to be heard, but techno could tell how stunned he was.

Once he fully grasped what he’d done he awkwardly let go of Phil’s forefinger allowing the man’s hand to rest upwards on the table. Looking at it now it seemed to much bigger than he remembered when he was held by him last. The man’s fingers were easily twice as large as him and every wrinkle on his palm looked ginormous. However the monstrous size of it was contrasted by how careful Phil was. The human barely breathed as he stared down at Techno, waiting for him to make the first move.

With one deep breath Techno pushed his fears aside and rested his own hands on the palm of Phil’s own. It was soft but still sturdy enough that with a little jump he could pull himself into the human’s hand. Once again he felt his body freeze in terror, but this time he took a deep breath and slowly let his eyes meet Phil’s. The eyes weren’t deranged and illuminated by the small fire of a lighter and the hands around him never tightened until he couldn’t breath.

Instead Phil’s eyes lit up with happiness, as Techno found the balance to stand up on his friend’s palm.

“God you’re huge man,” Techno laughed, for the first time feeing fully comfortable in the hand of a human.

“Nah you’re just small mate,” Phil smirked, “but thank you. For this, all of this. You don’t have to.”

“I know Phil,” Techno smiled, “thank you for helping me.”

[corysmiles]

A Borrower’s Hope

Pt.1

Notes: This is a borrower inspired danganronpa au where Naegi is a borrower (a tiny person who lives off of stealing things from humans) during the first game. I plan on writing more soon so stay tuned >:)

Makoto could confidently say he’d never waken up to anything weirder. Even as a borrower who’d woken up before to the horrified eyes of a human, this took the cake. Waking up in an air duct in a building he had no memory of coming to was definitely not good. Especially when every time he tried to remember where he was or how he’d managed to get there his mind strained like a rubber band about to snap.

‘At least there was no one there,’ his mind supplied, ‘it could be worse.’

Slowly, stretching his tense arms above him, Makoto pushed his way up from the cold metal beneath him. Both his brain and body felt heavy like he’d been asleep for ages, and his legs wobbled under the weight. He had no time to sit though, he had to figure out where he was. It would be dangerous to stay put where a human could find him if he wasn’t careful. As far as he knew he could have already been caught. It would explain the feeling of dread curling in his chest after all.

With a new resolve at the thought, Makoto pulled his jacket tight to his body to fight the cold air blowing past. His skin prickled in argument, but it wasn’t like he really had a choice.

Ignoring his body’s protests he quietly started his walk through the mysterious vent. It wasn’t his first time of course, being a borrower; however, usually he knew where he actually was. In a place where he knew which humans were present and every inch of the building they lived in, being tiny was much easier. This was different.

His stomach groaned as if in agreement and he quickly realized he’d have to figure this out fast. He still had to find a way to meet his needs regardless of the unknown situation. Even so, every creak of the metal under his feet sent a spike of fear through his heart. As if he was expecting a human hand to grab him from the shadows at any second.

At every grate he stopped and knelt down to inspect anything he could see in the rooms below. Oddly enough after the first three gates he realized it was a school. Every room having rows of desks- all empty. It was odd but he’d been in a school before. The life of a borrower wasn’t an easy existence and schools were sometimes the safest place. No one was there at night after all. Vaguely he wondered if maybe that was the situation, if so he’d have a chance to investigate more while the usual bustle of students was absent.

However, he didn’t have much time to sit on the thought before a loud blaring sound echoed through the rooms below. He jumped, the fear of the worst still heavy in his head, before a blueish light through the grate below caught his attention.

Cautiously he poked his head through to see more. In the empty classroom the desks were now illuminated by a screen hanging just barely out of sight on the wall. If he strained his head further he could make out just a bit of movement on the television.

“Welcome new students to hopes peak academy,” a loud grating voice suddenly started, “When you sleepy heads are ready move your asses over to the gym. It’s time for your entrance ceremony. And you wouldn’t want to be late. Puhuhuhu.”

With that the screen cut off again leaving Makoto to sit in silence staring down into the classroom, the dread in his chest threatening to choke him. His hands gripped his borrowing hook, thankfully still with him, with barely contained fear. In a way it was comforting to know it could at least hurt a human a little bit if push came to shove.

He didn’t have time to linger however as the sound of footsteps started to echo through the building. Quickly, he backed away from the grate to avoid being spotted, but thankfully no one came into the classroom.

‘They were probably trying to see what was going on as well,’ he thought.

Still careful but with a little more urgency he made his way through the maze of vents. Several sets of booming footsteps helped guide him on where to go, and regardless of the terror curling up in his chest his feet moved forward as if in a trance. Before long, he found himself over a larger grate in what seemed to be the gymnasium.

As he peaked through the grate the sight below him made him freeze. Fifteen people, humans, stood still below. Each looked nervously at the others as if they too had no idea what was going on. It was very likely that was true, he decided, as none of them appeared to talk to each other. His eyes flitted back and forth among the faces far below, but still he couldn’t recognize anyone or any way he could have gotten here.

He didn’t have long to ponder it though before the booming voice was back, this time echoing throughout the gym. The faces below shot up at the stage and Makoto held his breath in wait.

“Hello sleepyheads, nice to see you up and early,” the voice boomed, “Finally got your asses up so we can start.”

And that was when everything Makoto thought he knew went out the window. Gasps filled the room as a small black and white stuffed animal popped up onto the stage. It moved naturally as if it was actually alive and something about it made Makoto’s hair stand on end.

The odd stuffed animal explained that they had to kill each other to leave- that they were prisoners here- with his upbeat grating voice that sounded a bit too much like nails on a chalkboard. All the while the people below seemed to get more and more aggravated. One especially tall one yelled at the bear and grabbed it only to find out that that too was dangerous. The ringing from the explosion left a dull ache in Naegi’s ears even from so far above.

‘This must be hell,’ he thought.

His heart beat fast as the people below scrambled to figure out another way out from their absurd situation. Sweat dripped down his face and although no one knew he was there every sound made him jump. Before long the humans had split into groups to investigate, and Makoto found himself jumping from grate to grate to see what they would find- hopeful there would be an exit.

It was a few hours before they seemed to give up. With disgruntled goodbyes the group dispersed, edged on by Monokuma (which he had finally learned the name of when one of the smaller humans had went to investigate the kitchen) who ushered them to their permanent rooms.

As soon as he was sure everyone was gone Makoto decided he needed to get supplies. Even if the situation felt unreal, he still had to keep himself going. To his benefit, he was pretty sure no one knew about him being there, given that the psycho bear didn’t say anything and he didn’t appear to have his own room. While it meant he’d be stuck sleeping in the air vents he decided there were much much worse options. And if somehow he was included in this awful game he knew he’d be quick work. Any of them could kill him with just one hand.

Makoto took a deep breath, trying to calm his swirling thoughts, and unwrapped his hook from his back. Thankfully he hadn’t lost that even if his memories were still hazy at best. He didn’t think he’d have any chance without the small metal hook with several feet of line attached. It was his only way of getting around after all, in a world built for humans.

Egged on by his grumbling stomach, Makoto made his way to the grate above the kitchen and latched the hook onto one of the bars. Cautiously he let the string unravel to a table below. He waited a few seconds to make sure no one saw before squeezing through the grate and propelling himself down.

The moment his feet hit the table everything seemed so much more real. It was almost dizzying how strange everything was, and although the situation was horrifying he couldn’t help but be a little thankful for the mounds of food available.

With his head on a swivel, always ready for one of the humans to show up, Makoto shovelled as much food as he could into his pockets. It wasn’t much since the bag he’d usually take with him for food had been missing since he woke up, but it would make do for at least a day or two. When his pockets were sufficiently stuffed he grabbed back onto the string hanging from the grate and climbed his way back. The shock of the cold metal made his skin crawl after being down in the warm room.

It took him a while of crawling through the vents but eventually he found a spot that felt a little warmer. The room below seemed to house the heater for the building so it would have to do as his temporary home. His stomach growled as Makoto sat down, back against the metal walls of the vents. Immediately, he tore into the crumbs he’d managed to grab, and before long it was all gone. His stomach still growled in distress even after he was done but he was too tired to go back for more.

‘He’d just have to go again tomorrow,’ he sighed at the thought.

As awful as this was he still had to survive. He just had to pray the humans he was stuck with wouldn’t cause too much trouble…

It truly was unfortunate that as he fell asleep, still hungry and tired, one restless girl was staring at a table in the kitchen wondering just how footsteps that small got there.

[bookworm105616]

Green = Neurodivergence

Purple = Queerness

Red = Who the frick are you, why is this cast so big.

I’m making a video essay (maybe) analyzing Gotham through the lens of queerness and neurodivergence (from the pov of a neurodivergent bisexual).

Feel free to share your thoughts.

[bookworm105616]

Thinking about making Barbie Princess Charm School AU. Thoughts? Concerns? Prays?

Feel free to offer any suggestions as far as who should be who and such.

[bookworm105616]

I have a friend who is hoping to leave a neglectful/abusive situation when they turn eighteen. If anyone living in Idaho knows if resources that might help, particularly with medical care seeing as they have chronic health issues but their parent is anti-doctor, could you please link me that information so I can send it to them?

Thanks.

[bookworm105616]

Try explaining Genloss to a neurotypical person and watch their brain explode.

[bookworm105616]

The trans Siberian orchestra is NOT what I thought it would be guys

[corysmiles]

Petals of the Fae

——————————

Notes: I know I haven’t written anything in a while so I thought I’d make a new AU! I needed some fluff in my life and I think most of you do too. I hope you all like it and more should be out soon :)

CW: language

Tommy let the door of his cabin shut quietly behind him. He shifted his weight between his feet as he double checked he had everything he needed in his bag. Meanwhile soft winds carried colorful leaves through the sky like butterflies. Every few seconds one would brush against his skin or stick to his jacket. It was almost winter, and the sharp iciness of the wind was already starting to bite, but instead of going back in Tommy shrugged his coat closer.

It wasn’t often he got to actually explore. His dad was fairly strict about letting him go out into the woods, and rarely ever was he allowed to go out on his own. Unless he stayed within his parent’s sight Tommy was bound to be stuck in the cabin. It got rather boring at times, but he still was able to go out into the town whenever he wanted. And during the week he still got to go to the small school at the center of the village (even though he hated having to sit still for so long).

His plan to sneak out had started with the seeds of his schoolmates words. Tubbo, a short and rather odd kid, had mentioned that there were flowers made of diamonds out in the woods. No one believed him and Tommy himself had argued, but the boy had stood his ground. He argued vehemently that the flowers weren’t only real, but that they were being grown by the fae. They’d all known eachother since birth so most of the other students laughed him off. Tommy didn’t think too much of it until the end of the day. Before he could leave with the rest of the students Tubbo had pulled him aside and slipped one gleaming petal into his hand.

The surface of it felt like silk, even softer than the fabrics his dad had brought home from one of his longest trips, and it shone from all angles like an opal. He thought if he could manage to bring one home for his mom he’d be in her good grace for at least a few months.

So, that very night he snuck out under the cover of the stars to find the flowers.

Tommy inhaled nervously as he inched closer and closer to the tree line. Every cricket chirp and owl hoot he heard he swore was his dad coming out to reprimand him. When he finally reached the forest’s border he paused.

The fae were simply children’s stories- tall tails to keep small kids in line or make them eat their food. However, if the flowers were real that meant there was a chance more of Tubbo’s story could have been true. Even as brave as he was, Tommy felt himself shudder at the horror stories of the fae his parents had told him.

A few times Tommy got close before pulling back before he actually entered the woods. His bravery from that morning dwindled until his nervousness gnawed at his mind like a rabid dog. But the reminder of what was to be gained kept him still. His mom would love it and he’d prove everyone at school wrong.

“Fuck it”, Tommy finally whispered under his breath before stepping into the woods.

The moment he entered he swore the air temperature dropped as if it was warning him to stay away. He shook a bit at the wind eating at his skin, but still pushed forward. Step by step he marched on until he could barely see the smoke from his house. He wasn’t entirely sure where to look since he’d rarely ever been in the forest but he hoped that if the flowers were as shiny as Tubbo said they’d be easy to find.

It felt like he had been walking for ages when he caught the first sight of something glimmering through the leaves. His breath caught in his throat, and slowly he inched his way forward until he saw them.

In the center of a bright clearing with perfectly round stones surrounding them we’re the most beautiful flowers Tommy had ever seen. His mother was a gardener, so flowers were common in their household, but still these far outshined anything she grew. The petals of each daisy-like flower were unblemished as if no bug dared to take a bite of them. Their stems were almost see through like they were made of glass and inside tommy could just barely make out the water pumping through their stringy veins.

Before he could stop himself he reached forward to touch one, and the delicate petals were even softer than he could have hoped.

“Woah,” Tommy exhaled as he kneeled down next to them, just outside the ring of stones encircling the flowers.

“Mom would love these,” he thought. He reached in to try to grab one, but his hand stopped halfway. His fingers shook and curled in on themselves like as if an invisible force was forcing him away. He winced and flinched back as the pressure on his fingers started to hurt.

“Fuck,” he mumbled under his breath, “Fine I won’t take it.”

So instead he sat and reached in again. This time, without the intention to pluck one, his fingertips were able to graze a petals. The flower was even softer than the one Tubbo had shown him, like the one he had received was merely a corpse, a ghost of what it once had been.

“You like them?”

Immediately, Tommy fell backwards away from the flowers and scrambled away. He hasn’t heard anyone approach, but surely enough when he looked up a strange man was standing in the middle of the flowers. Curly brown hair fell over his eyes masking them from Tommy’s sight and every part of his body was just slightly longer than it should have been. Meanwhile the flowers below him danced around his legs even though the wind had fallen dead.

“Who are you?” Tommy shuddered.

“Well I’m the one who should be asking you that,” the man tilted his head as he studied his own fingers, “this is my garden after all.”

Tommy eyed him nervously from his spot in the dirt, not daring to move. The air grew colder every second the man was there and even though it was dark Tommy found himself wincing at the sight of him .

“I can’t tell you that,” Tommy shuddered.

“And why’s that?” the man scoffed, “You’re the one intruding. The least you can do is let me know who I’m talking to.”

“You’re a fae,” Tommy said slowly, “I can’t.”

A small smile graced the man’s lips as he kneeled down to be face to face with Tommy. At the new level tommy could see the amber of his eyes filled with amusement.

“Smart one,” he smiled, “Here take a flower, it’s what you came here for right?”

Tommy flinched as one of the flowers miraculously popped into his hands without the fae even moving an inch. He had half the mind to run, if what his dad had said about the fae was true he was in danger just by being close to the creature. However, the only rules he could remember were to not step into his circle and to not give his name… and neither would be that hard to follow. As terrified as he was Tommy’s curiosity won out. Even though he was eerie, the fae didn’t seem outwardly vicious- Tommy supposed he could stay a bit longer. Slowly, he breathed in and let his thoughts calm down before meeting the fae’s eyes.

“I wanted to see them,” Tommy nodded, “Thank you.”

“Hmm,” the fae tilted his head like he was studying him, “You’re braver than the last one. He bolted before he could even getone.”

‘Tubbo,’ his mind supplied with a shudder.

“Not his fault you’re creepy as fuck,” Tommy scoffed before he could stop himself. As soon as the words left his mouth he froze. He was with a creature that could definitely kill him, so his normal humor wouldn’t suffice.

“Shit I’m sorry I didn’t-” Tommy frantically tried to apologize.

“No it’s fine,” the fae laughed, “It’s refreshing. Here I can tone it down if you want.”

Quickly Tommy waved his hands to tell him it was okay, but the fae’s body was already twisting and morphing. The sound of his bones scraping against eachother made Tommy’s skin crawl and his eyes squeeze shut, but thankfully it only lasted a few seconds. When Tommy finally looked up again he was met by the same fae but only a few inches tall, hovering in front of him with dark blue wings buzzing like a hummingbird.

“I find this form is usually more appealing to humans,” the fae said, and even though he was much smaller his voice sounded exactly the same in Tommy’s ears.

“Uh yeah,” Tommy nodded, “Much better.”

“Good,” the fae smiled, “I expect to see you again soon. You can have another flower if you want.”

Tommy’s eyes widened as his mouth moved far faster than his brain, “Wait no- I didn’t- I wasn’t going to-”

The fae stopped him with a raised hand, and although he didn’t touch him Tommy swore he fet something tug down on his lips.

“I’ll be waiting,” the fae smiled kindly, “Don’t be a stranger.”

Before Tommy could argue the creature vanished into a poof of tiny blue petals. The only evidence that the encounter had happened was the flower clutched tightly in Tommy’s hands. He tried to get up, but it was like his body wasn’t connected to his mind. His breath came in shallow and shivering gasps as his brain tried to process the danger he’d put himself in. Now that the creature was gone his anxiety hit him full force.

“Fuck,” Tommy gasped as he squeezed the fragile flower, “fuck fuck fuck!”

One by one he tore off the petals leaving them crumpled in the grass below him. He’d have to come back, the last thing he wanted was to disobey someone (or something) so powerful. He just hoped that this mistake wouldn’t be his last.

[bookworm105616]

The absolute whiplash of going from a kid with disabilities who everyone treated like a lazy moron to a Gifted Kid (used for lack of a better phrase) in the space of like a year really fucked me up to be honest.

[corysmiles]

A Tiny Reunion

Our Flag Means Death

Notes: I know this is not my usual mcyt g/t content but I just finished our flag means death and now I crave g/t content of it so here you go. Also if you don’t know this is a g/t fic so there are tiny people involved

CW: language

(Spoilers for our flag means death finale)

It was almost a year later when Ed heard Bonnet’s name again. He’d forbidden it on the ship, threatening anyone who dared to utter the bastard’s name. After his first few weeks of suffering, he was able to pull himself together enough to become himself again- to become fierce again. The few of Bonnet’s old crew who remained had taken his new style of leadership poorly, but Izzy helped enforce his rule. Any sign of Bonnet was thrown overboard and with it any utterance of the past captain’s name. It hurt too much to talk about him anyway.

Ed was in his cabin drinking bottle after bottle of sour wine when shouting from the deck drew his attention. He rubbed his face and glanced at the black ink now covering the back of his hand. While it did make him look scarier (in his opinion) the makeup might have been a bit overkill. If he wanted he could redo the ink and wait to see if the crew could solve the problem themselves. Izzy could probably handle it and give him a little bit of a break.

However, he never was that lucky.

“Captain!” His door flew open, “Uh-Kraken sir, we need you on deck.”

Ed tilted his head towards the open door and let his eyes sweep over the shaking man in front of him, “Can’t you deal with it yourselves?”

“Uh well-” Frenchie paused as more shouting echoed throughout the room.

“God damn it,” Ed shot up, “You’re all useless.”

He grunted and slammed his half-empty bottle down on the desk. They’d already gone through one skirmish, and it wasn’t even noon so he wasn’t too keen on another fight. As fearsome as the Kraken was he was getting up in age and the frankly uncalled for shattering of his heart wasn’t any help. As he threw on his coat he shoved Frenchie out of the way, only beaming a bit at the sound of the breath leaving his chest.

When he stomped up to the deck he expected to see massive British ships or perhaps a hole causing the ship to sink. What he didn’t expect to see was a dingy little trade vessel, barely staying upright in the waves. Red peeling paint covered some of the hull giving it the impression that the ship itself was bleeding out, and its masts looked like they were about to come apart at the seam.

“You called me up for this?” Ed growled back at Frenchie, “Couldn’t you have dealt with this yourselves?”

“No its-”

Frenchie couldn’t finish before a loud shout came from the front of the ship. Ed turned his head towards where all the crew was gathered and standing there with the most expression he’d ever seen on their face was Jim. Half of their body was hanging over the side as the rest of the crew tried to wrestle them back overboard.

“Olu!”

Ed glanced at the shop only to see a similar situation on the other deck. Immediately his heart froze at the sight of Bonnet’s old crew. Oluwande grinned at Jim and the happiness in his eyes made Ed want to rip them out of his skull. He couldn’t believe they weren’t dead. The living memories of Bonnet stood right in front of him even after he’d abandoned them. 

“Ready the cannons!” The words left his mouth before he could even stop to think.

The stunned faces of his crew made the rage building in his stomach grow even hotter. He was the Kraken, how dare they disobey.

“You heard me!” he bellowed, “Ready the bloody cannons!”

“But they’ve raised a white flag,” Fang retorted.

Ed marched over and slammed his foot down, his hand going to Fang’s neck, “Does it look like I fucking care?”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Jim hissed as they drew their blade. A more stable Ed would have had the brain to not mess with Jim, but with the red that covered his sight he simply matched their stance- drawing his sword. He would not allow his crew to disobey him now.

“Captain, get a hold of yourself,” Izzy's gravelly voice grabbed his attention, “They're sending a dinghy over. Would you like me to shoot them?”

Ed froze and turned his attention back down to the waves below where surely enough a small row boat was drifting next to the ship. Sitting in the two flimsy seats were Buttons and Oluwande.

“You will not shoot them,” Jim argued, but Ed was hardly paying attention. 

Behind him he heard Izzy and Jim go back and forth and the dull sound of a cocking gun, but his eyes were glued to Oluwande. Every time the man’s arms pushed the oars forward a small glimpse of something shiny and red laying in his pocket caught the light of the sun. Ed had thrown it away months before…but it was almost unmistakably his kerchief. 

“-you. Captain!” 

The sound of Izzy’s raised voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he turned back to look at his first mate. His gun was ready and his finger laid on the trigger. In any other situation Edward would have been fine with watching him shoot the two fools that were trying to board his ship, but the sight of the red linen was burnt into his mind like a brand.

“No,” he paused, unsure of his own voice, “Let them come up. You can kill them after.”

Izzy’s face hardened like he wanted to argue, but thankfully his gun returned to his hip. After their first few arguments he’d gotten better about listening to what Ed had to say.

Ed leaned over the rail and watched as the measly little dinghy floated to their ship. The Kraken part of him wanted to change his mind and just let Izzy shoot them, but the Edward part of him was intrigued. 

He didn’t move a muscle as the crew frantically threw down runged ladders so the two pirates could board. Jim especially was at the head of the efforts, holding the ladder down for the men. 

“Thank you captain,” Frenchie said tilting his head away.

“For what?” Ed humphed, “Taking a breather before I kill them?”

Frenchie cringed at his words, pulling even farther into himself. For a split second his face contorted like he wanted to stand up for his old crew before any fight died on his lips. It wouldn’t matter anyway, whatever the Kraken said went onboard the Revenge.

“Olu!” 

Ed turned towards the commotion to see that one of the men had made it up. His arms wrapped around Jim like he was afraid they’d disappear if he let go. An uncommon smile grew on Jim’s lips moments before Olu planted a kiss on their forehead. And as Ed stared, he felt the phantom memory of soft lips on his own. 

A few moments later the rest of his crew dragged Buttons onto the deck, and awaited Ed’s word. However, as their eyes fell upon him he felt his throat go dry. He’d worked so hard to remove all memories of Stede from the ship only for his old crew to return. It was hard enough even having two of Stede’s old crew mates on board no matter how helpful they were.

“Why are you here?” Ed started, trying to put on his scariest face possible.

“We need to talk to you,” Olu said as he pulled away from Jim, “Something happened and we thought-”

Before he could step forward Izzy had a knife at his neck, “Not one step on this ship without permission from the captain.”

“Let him continue,” Ed shrugged, “I want to hear why you came before I kill you.”

A visible shudder ran through Olu’s body before he reached into his pocket to grab the handkerchief. The sight of the glistening red made Ed feel sick, and the Kraken inside of him wanted to tear the man in front of him to pieces for laying his hands on it.

“Where the fuck- give me that,” he reached forward but Olu quickly jumped back.

Ed tried once more, but again wasn’t able to grab it, “Hey you-”

“No no, you can have it just-” Olu swallowed nervously, “Can we please talk first…privately.”

Izzy jolted forward, but Ed stopped him with a raised hand. He wouldn’t lie, he was curious about whatever plan Olu had, and he also wasn’t too fond of actually hurting them either. After killing Lucius he didn’t know if he had it in him to hurt anyone else connected to Stede.

“Follow me,” Ed huffed, “But don’t plan on pulling any shit.”

“I dont think I could,” Olu said as he continued to hold the fucking handkerchief to his chest.

Ed considered him for a moment before nodding for the man to follow him. Jim gave him a hard look as he passed, but he kept his head straight. If he couldn’t be the Kraken he could at least be a stable captain. And as much as Jim’s abilities frightened him he wouldn’t let them know that.

When they both were in his cabin with the doors shut and locked, Ed felt nervousness start to coil up in his stomach. Olu was ringing his hands awkwardly in the center of the room like he’d rather be anywhere else, and Ed couldn’t help but agree. 

“So,” Ed started, “What do you need to tell me?”

Lazily he fell back into one of Stede’s plush chairs and crossed one leg over the other. Even though he hated that most of the furniture was still Stede’s he couldn’t bring himself to throw it out. And a part of him still loved the velvety texture and lavender smell. Perhaps that was why he chose to sit when his anxiety became too much.

“It’s well,” Olu paused uncomfortably, “It’s about how we found you.”

Ed nodded absentmindedly, and let his eyes focus on the man in the middle of his cabin.

“A few days after we were uh…stranded, Stede showed up in a dinghy. We argued pretty hard against it, obviously, but he was set on finding you. Having so many people in that boat for days was terrible but eventually we made it to land,” Olu said slowly, like he was worried every word would be his last.

Edward cringed at the sound of Stede’s name, but for some reason, hearing he was okay made something inside him soften. As much as the Kraken hated Stede’s guts Ed could never bring himself to. Whenever he thought of the numerous ways he’d kill or maim Stede if he showed up again he’d always end up in tears. 

“When we got there Stede found this fucking fortune teller lady. We told him it was probably a scam, but he went anyway. We really didn’t think much of it, but well, she was better than we thought, I guess. In exchange for your location Stede gave up something…pretty big.”

Ed raised his brows in question, ignoring the fact that his heart felt like lead, “And what would that be exactly?”

Olu’s eyes fell to the ground as he slowly drew out the handkerchief again, “Okay…dont freak out.”

“Hmm, you’re doing a great job of making me feel calm,” Ed scoffed.

Slowly Olu extended his hands outward and let the cloth open. And there, sitting in Olu’s palm with wide nervous eyes was Stede fucking Bonnet.

“What the fuck!” Ed hissed as he jerked away from his definitely not-real tiny ex-lover.

“Dumbass got cursed to find you,” Olu scoffed, “So before you do anything to fucking drastic maybe try talking shit out.”

Olu shifted his hands forward and with a shock Ed realized he was trying to hand him the kerchief with Stede inside. Part of him was terrified to accept it, he was certain the Kraken would find some way to hurt him. He had enough trouble not causing harm to people of a normal height. How was he expected to keep someone barely the size of his finger safe?

After a few seconds of dreadful silence Ed carefully scooped the handkerchief into his hands. As soon as Stede was settled in his palm, the small weight overwhelmed him. He barely even noticed as Olu exited the room, leaving him and Stede alone. His eyes stayed glued to the tiny man that fit between his fingers like a doll. 

“Ed?” Stede said in a much softer voice than Ed remembered, “God I’m… I’m so sorry.”

Ed cringed at the pain laced in Stede’s voice even though he’d done nothing but dream about this apology for months, about how he’d hurt Stede and make him feel the same pain he’d felt when he left. 

“Why the fuck did you leave?”

“I didn’t want to,” Stede’s shoulders fell, “That night I was woken up by a gun to my head…It’s not an excuse, but he said I’d ruined you.”

“You ruined me by leaving,” Ed swallowed uncomfortably.

“I know that now…But I didn’t want to feel like I was the one to ruin the mighty Blackbeard.”

Ed stared down at the tiny man sitting in his hands and sighed. He wanted to forgive him, god he did, but his heart still ached at the memory of waiting on a dock for hours. He could crush if he really wanted to, it wouldn’t even be hard, but still the idea of actually hurting Stede made him feel ill.

“Was any of it true then?” Ed asked, “Or was everything just so ‘the Blackbeard’ wouldn’t kill you?”

The few moments of silence after his question felt poisonous. Somehow silence was even worse than any answer he could have imagined. Again the rage that had been present in his souls for the past few months built up inside him until something warm and wet landed on his hands. He glanced down and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of tears running down Stede’s cheeks.

“It was all real,” Stede said, “I promise on my life Ed. I really didn’t…I was stupid. I shouldn’t have left, and I don’t expect you to forgive me.”

“I don’t,” Ed shrugged as he tried to ignore the uncomfortable weight on his heart.

“I know…You don’t have to. Do whatever you want. Throw me out to sea, crush me- I know I deserve it. I’m just glad I got to apologize first,” Stede nodded.

Ed had to repress his tears as Stede leaned over and pressed a kiss to his thumb, “I love you Edward Teach.”

And as much as Ed didn’t want to give in, the words felt like heaven. The anger and pain from the past few months were outweighed by the promise of love from Stede Bonnet. It didn’t matter that he had left- he was back, and Ed would be damned if he ever let Stede leave his sight again. If he really did deserve nice things, maybe he deserved to keep Stede in his life. 

“God Stede,” Ed shook his head, “I love you too you idiot. And if you ever fucking leave me again I’ll kill you a million times over.”

Stede laughed and god was the sound of it delightful. Ed would do anything to hear it every day.

“I have no plans on it, captain.”

Ed wanted to kiss him, but the elephant in the room drew his attention. His partner being smaller than his finger was much less than ideal, no matter how cute he was. And as much as Ed loved the idea of being able to take Stede wherever he wanted he worried about keeping him safe at his new stature.

“So you made a deal with a witch?” Ed frowned.

“Uh not exactly,” Stede shrugged, “More of a fortune teller really.”

“And your fortune was…” Ed paused, “Becoming small?”

Stede opened his mouth to argue, but seemed to think better of it. Instead he leaned his weight against Ed’s fingers.

“I guess,” he hummed, “She said she’d give me a map that could locate you wherever you went but I’d have to give up something of equal value. I’d say it was a pretty beneficial exchange.”

“I can’t fucking believe you,” Ed sighed, “You really wanted to find me that bad huh?”

“Of course. Being a bit shorter isn’t too big of a deal if I can be with you, is it?”

Ed couldn’t help but laugh at Stede’s usual charm, even though he didn’t agree. His laughter shook Stede a bit, and the power he had over the tiny man scared him once again. He knew he wasn’t a gentle man, and as careful as he tried to be around Stede he worried that the Kraken would strike once again. He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to Stede after losing him the first time.

“You know usually I’d agree with you but you’re the size of fish food right now mate,” Ed sighed, “We’ll find a way to fix this okay?”

“Of course.”

“And for now you're staying with me,” Ed said, letting his protectiveness wash over him, “As much as I love our crew, if anyone lays a hand on you like this I think I’ll have to do some maiming.”

“You do love a good maiming,” Stede laughed.

“That's right.”

Carefully, Ed pulled his hands up to his face so he was eye to eye with Stede. Even after months the gentleman pirate looked at him like he was made of something gold and beautiful rather than the monster he was. The feeling of love was unfamiliar but oh so nice. Slowly, Ed bent his head down until his lips touched the top of Stede’s head. It was barely a kiss, but he hoped it would get the point across. He pulled away, but Stede reached back for him holding his hands out above him. 

“What?” Ed laughed as Stede made grabby hands at his face.

“Come back,” Stede whined, “I can’t exactly do it myself.”

Ed rolled his eyes and carefully leaned back down to Stede. This time though before he could plant another kiss on Stede’s head the tiny man leaned up and pressed his face to Ed’s bottom lip. It wasn’t really a kiss, but still Ed felt like his heart was going to explode. They’d kissed before, but it still made his stomach churn with warmth.

“God I love you,” Ed whispered like a prayer against Stede’s head. His whole heart was put into his words, and still it didn’t feel like enough.

“I love you too,” Stede promised, “You’re my favorite nice thing.”

And while Ed didn’t know if he could believe it he let himself indulge in Stede’s far too kind words. They sunk into his skin like honey and he felt trapped in Stede’s love. They’d find a way to fix this and until then Ed would do his damn best to keep him safe.

[bookworm105616]

So I put my boots on today, which I haven’t worn in a while. And I noticed that they felt a little weird, but I’m kind of used to putting up unpleasant sensations so I ignored. Eventually took them off and tipped then out and—

Seeds. Sunflower seeds. My boots were full of fucking sunflower seeds. Guys, I don’t even eat sunflower seeds. There aren’t any in the house. I’m losing my g’damn mind.