#original g/t

[t3a-tan]

New Perspectives (1/?)

Word Count: 4,915

AO3 | First | Next | Previous

Size-swap au for Oliver and James because unintentional fearplay is beautiful. Let’s be honest the only one learning anything here is James. Comments and reblogs are what keep me writing, so any help with motivation is appreciated ^^

@entomolog-t you asked me to tag you so here--

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Oliver wasn't sure how it happened exactly. Everything had been normal up until this point: he had harvested some of his tea leaves in the morning, made another jar of jam at noon, made some cornbread over a fire at night. And when he fell asleep in his cozy cotton stuffed bed he woke up—

Well… Not in his burrow, to say the least.

In fact, he woke up sleeping on the dewy grass— which was remarkably odd considering grass was not something he really could lie on top without laying it flat. Not to mention the grass was tiny; small enough to grab fistfuls of it at a time.

The situation became clearer once he looked up more, and despite the fact that the trees were still larger than him, they weren't complete behemoths as usual. Oliver could even see the entrance to his burrow— which was unharmed thankfully.

He was human-sized. But how?

Oliver prided himself on being extremely knowledgeable about the human way of life in comparison to most borrowers who preferred to stay sheltered, but after becoming closer with James he found that there were plenty of unwritten rules of human life too.

James… I should go see him like this. Maybe he knows something? If not, he could always help me find a solution…

Oliver had no interest in remaining human sized— it was just unnatural and too different from what he was used to. He didn't mind it, but it was more like a day's enjoyment kind of thing rather than life long.

On pure instinct he whistled loudly, before spotting a bird swooping down and landing at his feet. She was unbothered, and Oliver tilted his head, crouching down and lightly scratching at the buzzard's head, as she chirped contentedly in response.

"Apologies for calling you, Gail. I don't think you'll be able to carry me like this.." He remarked softly, enamored by just how small the graceful bird had now become. She squawked out in response, something Oliver liked to think was agreement despite knowing logically that the bird could neither understand him nor respond back to him.

Standing back up, he watched as she flew off again before starting his trek to find James's house, trying his best to recall the route.

Along the way he was enamored seeing how humans were interacting from the same level– but he knew better than to approach strangers like this as that was socially unacceptable. Once he had met up with James then it would be more productive to have that kind of conversation and experience with him rather than making random humans uncomfortable.

It took about twenty minutes to arrive, but knocking received no response. Oliver recalled the time James had mentioned keeping a spare key hidden behind a false brick after forgetting his keys at work for the seventh or eighth time, and so once he figured out which brick in the outer wall was fake he found the keys and unlocked the door, taking a few moments to relish in the new experience.

He made sure to lock the door behind him too before realizing that James wouldn't have a clue who just entered and would probably presume an intruder had just broken in.

"James? It's Oliver. I don't know what happened, I need to talk to you though…. Are you in?" Oliver began to explore the house, trying not to be too intrusive or snoop around too much, but he couldn't help but make mental comparisons between everything at the moment. Humans saw the world in such an odd way…he felt huge. Too big for his liking, but he knew that to a human this would be completely normal instead.

Oliver saw that James must be home, considering all of his shoes were still sitting in the shoe rack, and his wallet and keys were sitting on the shelf near the front door. Humans didn't generally leave without those essentials… So then why wasn't James responding? Was he potentially injured??

At that thought Oliver hurried up the stairs, this time not taking any time to make observations on his surroundings and instead searching specifically for an unconscious human… and he found nothing.

Peculiar. The windows are locked and shut, so where has he gone…? Did someone take him? There's no signs of a struggle, so that can't be it. Oliver was growing admittedly worried about the circumstances here. That was when he saw a shadow in the corner of his eye.

It disappeared quickly, but Oliver's attention had already focused onto it— expecting to see a house spider or something of the sort which he was very interested in inspecting close up now that they were very much harmless… but what he found instead was utterly perplexing.

"James..?"

Oliver dropped down to a crouch, eyebrows raised in surprise and eyes locked onto the shadow on the floor…. Because right there was not a shadow at all: instead he saw his friend, who looked about as pale as a ghost, back pressed into the corner of the room and staring up at Oliver with heaving breaths.

Oliver wasn't sure how it happened exactly, or what he did to inspire such terror in James's eyes, but he quickly set about fixing it.

"James? It's alright, James, just breathe... I'll do it with you, okay? In for four….hold for four….out for four…." He kept his tone low and soft, trying to coax the older man out of his fear-stricken state. Oliver stayed completely still, breathing in time with his instructions until James began following along, gasping slightly as he tried to regain control of his breathing, but soon enough he was taking deep breaths and leaving his fight or flight state.

Oliver waited, staring down at him with a concerned but curious gaze, waiting for James to say something or to explain what had him so frightened in the first place… but instead all he got was silence. Oliver's expression faltered, eyebrows furrowing slightly, leaning down a little closer now only radiating concern over his friend's plight.

"Keep breathing, it's okay… Are you struggling to find words at the moment? Do you need water?" He asked, keeping his voice gentle to avoid causing any other outbursts. He relaxed a bit when James managed to nod, and so Oliver pushed himself up to a stand, still looking down at the now borrower-sized human. "I'll go fetch some— woah… hm."

Oliver went completely still again as he saw the way James had flinched and shielded himself just as Oliver stood up. It took the human-sized borrower a few moments to put it together, but once he did he quickly lowered himself to the ground again.

"James... Do you think I'm going to hurt you..?" He asked, not offended in the slightest but saddened by the idea. Oliver couldn't imagine hurting an innocent person ever… and by the way James was reacting, it was probably more than just 'hurt' he was afraid of.

Instead of receiving a response though James just stayed curled up and trembling, so small and vulnerable. From Oliver's perspective, he was smaller than an ant would usually be from borrower size, which was surreal in and of itself. But he wasn't an oddity to be marveled at…he was a person in need of reassurance.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you. I should have considered my actions with a bit more grace… But there's no need for you to be afraid. I'm your friend, I wouldn't dream of laying a finger on you without your permission, especially not with the intent to harm." He assured softly, keeping his hands to himself as promised.

James held his head in his hands for a few more moments, anxiously dragging his fingers through his hair as he often did when he was stressed about something. Oliver had picked up on it when he would stay at James's house for a prolonged time and end up walking in on phone calls with his ex wife. But it was never this bad…James had always maintained some control of his emotional state. Oliver wasn't used to seeing him this way.

He tilted his head, leaning down a bit more whilst keeping his hands on his knees, non-threateningly.

"I'm not upset at you for your reaction at all. You have experienced quite a dramatic shift, so it's only natural that stress comes along with that. I understand that you are reacting on instinct, not logic, so there is no need to feel anxious that I may feel hurt by your fear." Oliver clarified, rambling as he often did when he wasn't fully certain of the most succinct way to put it; he would rather over-explain than miscommunicate.

James took a few moments before he nodded slowly, though he kept his gaze averted for now. Still, it was progress, so Oliver couldn't help but perk up slightly.

"I imagine it would be quite shocking to go from human height to borrower height, isn't it..?" He lowered his voice to a whisper, trying to coax a verbal answer from the man in order to test the waters. He waited patiently, observing his body language.

"Y-yeah….you can— you can say that again, mate..." James finally managed to stammer out a response, his gaze hesitantly shifting in order to focus on Oliver. Oliver offered a reassuring smile in turn.

James's eyes narrowed slightly, and although he was still quite shaken up he pointed an accusatory finger up at Oliver, causing the enlarged borrower's eyebrows to raise in withdrawn surprise.

"H-how in the hell do you keep it together..? Especially when we first met… I.. I…" He trailed off, expression wracked with guilt of his past callous treatment of Oliver. "...how..?"

Oliver hummed, unsure of how exactly to respond at first. It was a question even he himself didn't really know the answer to. He had always been quite emotionless, even more so when he was younger…and he simply didn't feel fear. Not in the same way— Oliver was extremely logical and curious, so he found that when he saw new things he would always be more fascinated than terrified.

The first time he saw a human he had been only 8 years old, collecting water from the creek, when he saw a gigantic hulking beast approach the water on the other side. He had at first moved to take shelter as he was taught to when facing predators, but stopped when he noticed that the so-called beast was a woman. A woman 30 or so times his size dressed in odd clothing, but a woman nonetheless.

Oliver watched after the woman. Despite being so close and in the open he was unafraid and oh so intrigued— he had never seen someone outside of his family before…not until now. He hadn't realized others were so big, thinking perhaps that she was simply very old and had never stopped growing like his parents had. He wondered if she had just moved nearby…he wondered how big her family's burrow would have to be.

"I'm not sure how. I don't understand the level of fear everyone else experiences because I don't… but I imagine I lack a majority of instincts. Most borrowers I know would likely pass out in the presence of a human… Especially when being handled by one." Oliver responded after some thought before swiftly adding, "and I'm not going to be handling you in such a rough manner, if that's something you're worried about."

"Oliver, I don't— I don't think you'd do that at all…" James was quick to interject, finally looking up and meeting Oliver's green eyes with his own brown ones, but Oliver could see that there was some doubt there. Nothing personal, clearly, but it was still there. He couldn't help his frown.

"I've not been scary a single day in my life, I don't think. It's odd. It's…uncomfortable." Oliver sighed. "Whatever has happened to us, I hope it reverses back soon. As intrigued as I am about viewing things from a human perspective, I would rather not scare you in the process."

He glanced around, and for the first time James saw Oliver genuinely unsure of what to do. Vulnerable, ironically enough, considering he was currently almost 500 times the size of what James was used to seeing him as. James tried his best to take a deep breath and calm his heart again, though he was still weak in the knees from the instinctive fear that came with it.

"We're friends, Oliver. I know you won't do anything to me… I just…my head keeps telling me to run— t-to get away as fast as possible…but my heart knows you are safe… okay? So don't feel bad, mate…" He addressed Oliver directly this time rather than just thinking his paranoid thoughts aloud. Oliver blinked, then stared for a few moments, eyes narrowing in confusion and distaste…his judging face. What had James managed to do wrong now?

"...your heart doesn't know anything, it's an organ responsible for pumping blood around the body…" The borrower murmured, genuinely confused by that description. James couldn't help but facepalm. That was what Oliver was taking away from what he had said? Oh well, it was embarrassing the first time, he's not going to repeat himself again…

"You are a bloody pain in my ass, you know that?" James grumbled in return, as Oliver blinked and now only looked apologetic, leaning in closer.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I didn't think I had touched you before, but I'm sorry if I hurt you." He apologized, concern in his gaze. James was tempted to square him in the nose— but he also knew that Oliver wasn't ridiculing him whatsoever, and simply didn't understand a lot of the idioms that humans used all the time.

"That's it. You've officially killed me." James sighed in exasperation, dragging a hand down his face. Despite his fed-up expression though, he saw it as endearing because Oliver was so genuine and so…him, 100% all the time. The smile appeared on his face and he couldn't help it. The absurdity of this situation was starting to make him crack.

Oliver's brows pinched together, with one subtly raised.

"Well now I know that's just spurious." He kept still, only slightly cocking his head as his observative gaze bored down upon James. The officer wouldn't even bother asking what the hell 'spurious' meant. "Does your joking mean you're more comfortable now? Because I suggest a lift off of the floor may help things look a bit less daunting from your perspective."

James hesitated, glancing towards Oliver's hands and shrinking back against the wall. The idea of fingers larger than his entire body reaching for him like the mouth of some beast was terrifying…but then he looked at Oliver's face, reminding himself of who those hands were attached to.

Since they had met, Oliver had been patient and gentle. He had taught James just as much as James had taught him back— and they were friends. Officially.

Just as he would never hurt Oliver even when it would have been so easy to do so, he knew Oliver was the same. If anything, the safest place for him to be at all at this size was probably in Oliver's hands. So despite his instincts screaming no, James nodded yes.

Oliver's expression softened again, moving slowly as he reached his hand forward, lowering it onto the floor in front of James so he could climb on by himself. He was quiet, allowing James to think, and giving him time to back out again if he wanted to— a yes could be withdrawn at any time, after all.

Eventually though, James stepped away from the wall and slowly climbed into Oliver's open palm. He marveled at the feeling. Oliver had very rough and worn skin— he worked with his hands quite often obviously, but they weren't uncomfortable by any means either. Not to mention that they were warm…

James looked down at his own minuscule hand as he brushed it over the creases of Oliver's palm, mouth agape. It was like he was standing on top of an alien— the floor beneath him pulsating with the calm beating of the now-giant borrower's heart. He couldn't imagine this being normal for anyone… He wondered how Oliver was able to be so casual around him.

Oliver was slow and careful with his movements as he stood up, keeping his hand stable and moving at such a pace that it wouldn't disturb James too much. Once he had stood up he turned and began to very gently make his way down the stairs, before entering the kitchen. He hummed, recalling how exactly James made his coffee and getting out the doll mug that the officer had bought a while back to make drinking easier for Oliver.

He lowered his hand again, but kept it still as he got to work on making the coffee, allowing James to stay on his hand since it was clear that the human was intrigued by it. Oliver had to admit that he was quite interested in how it felt to hold someone so tiny too, though he never moved his fingers to close in on James. He wouldn't do anything more without explicit permission, regardless of his curiosity.

Eventually the coffee was done, and Oliver very carefully managed to tip just a few drops into the tiny mug.

"Drink your coffee. I'll make some crumpets for us to eat…" He spoke, prompting James to finally give Oliver his hand back as he stepped off. Oliver smiled again, seeing that his friend was a bit embarrassed by his fascination— he didn't mind in the slightest. The enjoyment of discovery should be encouraged, not mocked.

Oliver got out two crumpets and placed them in the toaster before getting the butter from the fridge and setting it out to allow it to soften. He then got out a plate, now just waiting for the crumpets to toast.

With that sorted he looked down at James again, inspecting him lightly as the man dipped at his coffee, in a much more relaxed state than he had been before. Oliver was relieved. He hadn't meant to cause any emotional distress in the first place, and he was thankful that James was no longer suffering from such paralyzing fear in his presence. Friends should not have to fear friends.

"Did I make it how you usually do? I've not made coffee before, I'm afraid." Oliver asked, his tone still soft and non-threatening even though James had already calmed down. The shrunken human hummed in acknowledgement of his question, taking another sip before answering.

"It's actually alright, believe it or not. I'm surprised you managed it, if it's your first time. Good on you." The man responded, managing a smile up in Oliver's direction. He had a very different way of smiling than Oliver: whereas the borrower's smile was gentle and calm, his was much more light and playful. Their distinct personalities on display.

Oliver slowly leaned down, resting his elbow on the countertop and then his cheek in his hand as he gazed down at the human. He inspected the man for a few moments, before looking elsewhere.

"I'd like to go to a library. Perhaps I can find some new books to record." Voice contemplative, he hummed to himself as if considering the idea.

Oliver wanted to go to a library, but he couldn't exactly leave James here to fend for himself as the human didn't have the necessary skills or tools to get around by himself. He could bring James along, but it may be overwhelming for the man to be in an area with other comparatively giant people…not to mention he'd have to remain hidden the entire time, and Oliver had learned that James got bored quite easily.

James's nose wrinkled in distaste at the idea.

"Didn't you say you grew up in a library? Why do you need to record so many books, anyway? Is that your idea of fun..?" He wasn't necessarily judging, but he never understood why Oliver was so determined and able to focus on such tedious things like copying down books, or making maps. It was admirable, definitely, but also extremely boring-sounding.

"I may have grown up in a library, but I didn't have the necessary supplies to write down what I read, nor did I have many opportunities to read as it was usually quite dark when the opportunity did arise." Oliver began, not taking any offense and instead over-explaining his answers, not recognizing that James meant it all as more rhetorical.

"Borrowers do not have books, and many borrowers are not able to read either. If there were more books accessible to our kind, that could change…and there would be much more information available as a whole about our world, since very few borrowers can go out and explore it for themselves. Currently my library is in development, but I hope that when my colony is established it will be in full use by borrowers living in it." Oliver continued.

"And yes. It is enjoyable to me. I get to learn, and I know that what I record will become valuable to others of my kind later on." He finished, before raising an eyebrow at James. "You humans may see that as odd, but there was a time in your history where things were very much the same for your kind. Now you're more focused on getting an education and getting a good job— borrowers haven't even reached the education stage yet."

James could tell thanks to many experiences of Oliver lecturing him about the differences between their kinds that the borrower wasn't putting him down for not understanding. He'd be a good teacher, James couldn't help but think… The way Oliver had mastered explaining things without making the other person feel stupid or put on the spot was impressive, to say the least.

"What's stopping you then?" James asked, taking another sip of his coffee. Oliver watched him silently for a few moments before releasing a sigh that rustled through the shrunken human's hair.

"I don't want to risk overwhelming you in such an environment. And I don't want to leave you on your own in this state either. You do not have any of the skills necessary for survival as a borrower, and I'd rather not risk your safety to satiate my own curiosity." He explained, trying his best to let James down gently. He didn't mean to call the human effectively useless at this height…but he kind of was. It didn't change how Oliver saw James, but it changed the way Oliver considered the human's new needs.

Before, James didn't need Oliver's help at all other than emotionally, but now he was practically dependent on physical aid. Oliver didn't mind in the slightest, but he had come to learn that James was quite a prideful person— not to a fault, but enough that he was understandably frustrated by his lack of autonomy. Oliver would try his best to keep his actions in consideration of that: he felt fine regardless, but James would probably appreciate having control as much as possible right now.

The crumpets were finally done so Oliver began to spread them.

"What? It can't be that hard, mate. I see you do it all the time." James remarked with a frown. He probably didn't think much of Oliver's feats because to borrowers they weren't feats at all, but at a human scale borrowers were definitely performing incredible feats of strength, agility, and coordination on a regular basis. It was understandable that James couldn't see it like that because the scale was so different. In this case, experiencing the difficulty himself would be the only way he'd understand what Oliver meant.

Oliver hummed, finishing spreading the crumpets before setting the butter knife down and pointing over the edge of the counter 

"Try climbing down the counter. Borrowers are capable of climbing up and down this height without tools by the age of about 11." He instructed, not directly communicating that James could choose to or not because he believed it was for the best that James should make the attempt. Still though, if James chose not to, Oliver wouldn't force or pressure him into it at all.

James walked over to the edge, not thinking much of the idea until he realized just how massive of a drop it was. He couldn't believe that Oliver did this so often… he made it look so easy. But James wanted to try anyway, if only to prove himself as capable— he didn't want to be a burden to Oliver by proxy of being this height.

"Just watch me." He snarked, before turning and dangling himself off of the edge, trying his best to keep his trembling contained as the effort it took even to do just that was causing his muscles to ache. Oliver raised an eyebrow, keeping an eye on James for any signs of him losing his grip or slipping so he would be able to catch him in time. It was inevitable. If the man was already shaking at the top, he wouldn't make it down before his muscles were completely worn out.

"Don't injure yourself by pushing too much." Oliver reminded gently, not realizing that those words only had the opposite effect. James was more determined than ever to make it all the way down no matter what, and so he began the climb.

Embarrassingly, he only made it a few inches before losing his grip and falling— promptly getting caught into Oliver's hand and lifted back up to the top of the counter. Oliver wasn't smug about this fact at all. He didn't like seeing his friend's hurt pride, but he didn't want him to overestimate his abilities and injure himself as a result.

James groaned, holding his arm and gritting his teeth in pain from the ache in his sore muscles. He definitely pushed too hard… which was even more upsetting knowing that he hadn't even made it a quarter of the way down. Oliver's expression became concerned, bringing his hand up closer to his face and inspecting the human closely to make sure he hadn't seriously injured himself.

"Are you alright..? Do you want some ice? Perhaps I could run you a bath..?" Oliver spoke, not fretting so much as simply offering assistance. James shook his head, slightly flustered at how poorly his attempt had gone.

"Jesus, Oliver… I can't believe you do that all the time. You said 11 year olds can do that??" James brushed past Oliver's concern for the moment. Oliver always fell for trying to answer every question and further explain certain topics.

"Well, although there are currently no scientific studies I'm aware of on the matter, it is not a stretch to conclude that we have slightly different biology. Borrowers have greater stamina than humans, a lower metabolic rate, and I presume that our muscles are more focused on climbing and carrying. Of course though, this could be a byproduct of our environment rather than a significant biological difference… either way, to borrowers, this is very normal, but to humans at our scale it's practically impossible." He rambled.

James listened with interest, but was more so relieved that Oliver was no longer fretting over him. Oliver moved the plate of crumpets to be in between him and James before starting to eat the breakfast. He made sure to chew and swallow, incredibly intrigued by how different the textures of the food felt at this size, before talking again.

"Anyway, as I stated before, you don't have the necessary skills for survival as a borrower, so I would rather not leave you vulnerable. I don't think you're incapable of taking care of yourself…but the world is very large. Even trained borrowers get caught up in it. As you know…"

James knew that Oliver was referring to his own family, and he winced as he remembered the amount of loss that his friend had endured. He forgot, sometimes, because Oliver rarely ever mentioned his family or dwelled on his emotions… but it was a stark reminder. As much as James didn't like having to depend on others, he recognized that Oliver only wanted to prevent him from having a similar fate.

"Okay, I get it. It's fine, we'll…figure something out." He relented, deciding to forgo some of his autonomy for the sake of alleviating Oliver's concerns. He knew that the man wouldn't take advantage of that.

In all of the time that James had known him, which to be fair it wasn't that long, Oliver was always respectful, polite, compassionate, and receptive. He may take things too literally at times, and he may ramble on and on about things that James couldn't even begin to understand— but he was a good friend. James trusted him a lot…even more so now: when it became clear that Oliver didn't just tolerate him and wasn't only polite because of the height difference.

This situation was freaky as all hell, but it confirmed that Oliver was a genuinely good and trustworthy man. James was thankful to be friends with someone like that…

Suddenly, James's phone could be heard ringing upstairs.

[nikoanesti]

A Dust Bunny blocks your path!

[mariposa324]

*sigh* thinking about them…

[strawberryangel6667]

Yeah Aklla and Bay her big killer whale/ orca boyfriend

bay belong to @azuldoodles

[showrunnerihardlyknowher]

A pose I think should be utilized more -- the two-finger pin >:3

[thedeityofstars]

me when i fucking GET YOU ♥♥♥

[jukeboxjooles]

Even your giant dragon lover deserves to be treated like nobility sometimes!

[rainydaygt]

[click for better quality]

“Come along, my friend, we’ve much to do”

[todoabi]

Guys I did the thing

Dangling 2

[altairasart]

A GIANT TINY COLLAB 🧡💙

A collaboration made with my best friend @misamy-art , each of whom made a version with inverted roles of giantess and tiny, go follow her, she draws like the gods themselves, but since I am addicted to creating I made a version of the drawing but dynamic

[t3a-tan]

Friends in High Places

AO3

One shot about James and Oliver’s first meeting. Comments and reblogs are what keep me writing, so any help with motivation is appreciated ^^

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"Excuse me."

James jolted where he sat at his desk, glancing around quickly to find the source of the unfamiliar voice. He was alone in his house— had been for a few years now. Either he was going crazy or someone had managed to break in… Just as he was about to get up and investigate, he spotted him.

"Yes, hello—"

He jumped up and out of his desk chair, very nearly tripping to the floor because of it. The last thing he expected to see this afternoon was a man clad in green, and, most surprisingly; tiny. He was practically only a few inches tall, standing before James with an intensely determined gaze.

"W-what? Huh??" James stammered, finally finding his voice as he couldn't help leaning in closer to the tiny man. His hand strayed forwards to poke the man, only for a minuscule, barely perceptible hand to stop him. He could definitely ignore the gesture and continue, but he was stunned at how small those fingers were. Bones the size of toothpicks...no. Hairs.

"I can assure you, I am real. If you must poke me to verify, please do so gently." There was that voice again— firm and unwavering; an impossibility, and yet James could hear it clearly. His mouth remained agape, focusing more on the fact that this tiny man was speaking rather than the words coming out.

A minute frown crossed the little person's expression, brows furrowed in concern. He waved his hand slightly and tilted his head.

"Are you with me? Have you entered into a state of shock..?" Now James was listening to the words more clearly he shut his mouth with a clack, moving his hand away slightly.

"No— no… I'm fine. Just surprised. How did you get in here?" He asked, frowning with suspicion. The tiny man simply sighed, folding his arms.

"I'm afraid I will have to speed through an explanation. I am a borrower. I entered through a hole in your wall. And before you ask any questions or react too strongly, I came to you because there is a robbery occurring across the street." The tiny man spoke, and James listened despite all the burning questions he wanted to ask. "The place is being ransacked currently by just one person— unarmed, as far as I can tell. The young lady living there is hiding, but I'm not certain of her safety. You are an officer of human law, correct?"

James nodded at the question. He was off duty in his own home though...how did this...borrower guy find out?

"You have a degree on your wall." The tiny man deadpanned, seeming to notice James's confusion. James looked sheepish for a moment, embarrassed, before turning serious. He stood up straight, picking up some handcuffs from the drawer and pocketing them.

"Okay. I will go check." He agreed, and reached towards the borrower moments after, grabbing him up into a hand. He was trying to be gentle, but he also didn't want to drop the little person. "And you're coming with me to make sure you don't leave before I get to ask more questions…"

The tiny man seemed at first startled, but quickly his expression became unbothered upon realizing he was unharmed. He nodded. "That's fine. Do hurry though… The Young lady is not in immediate danger but that could change at any moment." He insisted.

James hurried down the stairs with the man in his closed hand, trying not to jostle him about despite how the borrower didn't complain. He grabbed a jacket and put it on, finally dropping the little man in one of his pockets before rushing out the door.

"House 94." The tiny man offered helpfully when he noticed James's sudden stop. With that direction, James beelined it for the house and found that the door was indeed open… He knocked regardless, slowly pushing the door open; cautious.

"Ma'am? Your door is open, are you alright?" He asked, not stepping in quite yet just in case this was a false alarm. Suddenly, there was the sound of hurried footsteps, and James just spotted a man attempting to run out the back. "Hey!"

He gave chase, and cornered the man pretty quickly after watching him attempt and fail to hop the back fence. James tackled him to the ground, holding him down and restraining his arms first before handcuffing him and lifting him back up to a stand, just in time to see the young lady; someone he had seen out caring for her garden every so often; run downstairs. Her expression looked a mix of panicked and relieved.

"I-I forgot to lock the door..! I..." She took a deep breath, although looking nervously at the man James was holding who was trying and failing to escape his grip. "Thank you…"

"No problem, ma'am. I just noticed your door was ajar and figured I should check on you." James responded, offering a reassuring smile.

"I rang 999 already. But they said they couldn't send anyone over unless I was in danger…" She stammered, clutching her phone close with shaky hands. James glanced at it for a moment, adjusting his grip on the perpetrator so he had one hand free. He then held it out, gesturing for her to give him the phone. She obliged.

"This is officer James Jamison, off duty. I've got the situation under control, but send a car over to collect the robber as soon as possible please." He spoke into the phone. "...yes. I'll wait outside the front of this address."

He hung up before handing the phone back to the young lady, walking through to the front of the house. "Make sure to lock up your door. There will be an officer in to get a report once they arrive, but you're free to do as you want in the meantime." Offering another smile and receiving another thank you, James then stood and waited on the path for a car to arrive. Once it did he made a report on what he saw, before walking back home and shutting the door behind him with a sigh of relief.

Just as he went to remove his jacket, James was once again startled by a voice.

"I'm glad that went smoothly."

He yelped, barely containing his surprise enough to not throw the jacket across the room the moment those words were spoken. Then, he remembered. Reaching into the pocket he had been keeping the tiny man contained in, he pulled him back out into the light, dangling him by one leg in front of his eyes. He got an unimpressed look in return.

"I would prefer that you question me with my feet firmly planted on the ground. This is quite uncomfortable." He remarked. James couldn't help but smirk lopsidedly in amusement, only to realize that it wasn't sarcasm and so he walked over to the kitchen counter and quickly placed the man down there.

"Sorry…" He muttered apologetically, watching as the borrower dusted himself off.

"That's quite alright. Humans are naturally curious when face to face with a borrower for the first time. I'm unharmed." The little man assured, even offering a slight smile in his direction as if trying to be comforting. James leaned in a little closer, and the smile faded.

"So...a borrower? Do you just go around like some kind of vigilante? Isn't that dangerous...? And...scary...?" James asked, allowing the questions that had been plaguing him to now fall from his lips like a tidal wave. He even poked the little borrower, although gently; as requested.

The tiny man shoved his finger away despite that, making James chuckle.

"Dangerous, yes. But I'm not scared of humans. I believe most of you aren't malicious to my kind… just very curious and too big for your own good." At that, James realized this was the third or fourth time his finger had been shoved away and that he had ignored it each time. Looking sheepish, he moved his hand away completely.

"Usually I wouldn't need a human to assist me, but I feared that if I didn't fetch someone that human woman would be in danger. Or at the very least, distressed over any stolen objects. Thank you for listening to me." The tiny man bowed his head in thanks, which made James feel a little more guilty for having treated the man so callously the whole time.

"It's... fine, yeah. I should be thanking you for letting me know." James assured, before humming in thought. "So...borrowers… that's your kind? Are you all tiny?"

The borrower nodded. "Yes. We are all approximately a twentieth of human size." His expression became serious, intimidating to even James. That confidence was crazy considering he could be dealt with with just one finger… not that James had any intention of doing that.

"My kind is also a secret to humans. Most borrowers are extremely fearful of your kind and hide away. I may be optimistic about human relations, but others are…. Understandably the opposite. Humans do tend to kill off borrowers or reduce us to pets or objects. So I ask that you don't go seeking out others of my kind to avoid causing them unnecessary distress." He explained. James felt a little sick at the idea of humans doing such horrible things...but also not surprised. Humans didn't have the best track record with new discoveries. 

"I won't. And I wouldn't do that…" James nodded, recognizing the seriousness of the request. The little man scanned his expression briefly before seeming satisfied with the sincerity he had offered.

"Thank you. I must return to my work now. May I request you bring me to the floor?" He asked. James nodded again, picking the borrower up between his finger and thumb. There was probably a better way, but for now this was easiest. He lowered the tiny man to the floor, remaining crouched because standing up and looking down at the man made him feel a little too big for his own liking. The tiny man seemed unbothered by his looming, pointing to the front door.

James understood what that gesture probably meant so he stood, watching his feet carefully to avoid accidentally crushing the little guy. He opened the door, standing aside. The borrower loudly whistled much to James's confusion. Not a minute later, a large bird flew inside. A buzzard or hawk or something that was definitely dangerous to such a minuscule person. James yelped in surprise and jumped to stop the bird only to notice that it landed beside the tiny man rather than attacking him.

He watched, slack jawed as the borrower climbed onto its back, seeing that there was an even smaller saddle-like contraption set up for him to sit upon. The borrower met his gaze once more.

"Take care, human."

"Wait—"

And with that, he was gone. James stared for a bit longer at the now empty spot on the floor, processing what had just happened. He then shut the door, going to make himself a cup of coffee, and groaned.

"After all that, I forgot to get a name…"

[oto999]

REVENGE

A comic about facing the kraken.

[mariposa324]

it’s just a little chili pepper… just a little bit 🌶️

[smoll-stace]

Finally got around to posting this, it was like a week ago I made this xD

ANYWAYS my boys' first meet! Atm I can't explain much about this situation cause ☆spoilerssssss☆

But hopefully, I'll be able to show you guys some of the actual story for these two soon. ^^

Hope you guys have an amazing day! ✌️ peace

[sirimiri-ovo]

I have finished my marcello doodles ✨ m o s t l y But I rlly tested how well I know color theory with these. I realized I kinda drew Marcello as a stern looking pretty boy in these but I like it >:)

[azul1810]

Bay

𓆩✧𓆪 ig | art station | tiktok | inkblot | artfol | bluesky 𓆩✧𓆪