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Roy & I -26-

Psst! Come on guys we need this page to get between the top three!!!

This is my damn best so far 😳

Previous page // first page

Transcript and some forbidden top secret information you shouldn’t be reading 😳:

DON’T SWIPE DOWN 🪰🫙

Mollie: “you look great” — “What?” — “…” — “How do i look?”

Hi people, hello!

I just wanted to say that i won’t be home for about a week (might be a day more or two) which means I won’t be able to work on the comic for that long 😭

I have no idea how am i gonna survive 🤭😀🌝🦪

BUT

I will have my sketchbook with me so i will be able to draw traditionally! I will try to post some little doodles! I just hope to get creative and find good ideas that i can draw 🥱

Feel free to dm and have a chat!

Miss me! 🤭

@torakan

Roy & I -22-

I hate it how the saturation goes like-

Okay i won't do that because i kniw that it will lag depending on your device 😀

Sooo it goes like ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️📉📉📉📉🔥🔥😡😡👹👹‼️‼️😰😔📉📉⬇️⬇️⬇️🔥🔥🔥👻

I know this hasn't helped 🥰🥰🥰

The transcript ⬇️⬇️

Mollie: "hello this is mollie- who are you?"

Roy: "Hello, miss mollie- I apologize for ky disturbance, it is uh- Roy."

Mollie: "hmmm... I don't think i know any r- Ohhhhh!- you're the giant!"

@torakan

Previous page // // first page

Happy birthday!

Huzzah! It's birthday time! I'm slowly accumulating more and more things I like (latest additions this vest I made and a travel typewriter! Still need to fix the latter one though)

Sure has been a year.

Roy & I -21-

I hate the last 4 panels but here you go...

I'm just excited for the next few 🤭

@torakan here you go 😌

Previous page // // first page

♡Masterpost♡

Here's a masterpost of my stories. All of my art will (probably) be tagged with #myscribbles so it's easier to find!

Tantrum

Maevis, they're kids. They're allergic to school.

Roy & I -20-

God DAYYUM it jas been 20 pages already 😀🤡📉📉📉📉

CALL HER! CALL HER! CALL HER!

okay i know this page doesn’t have gt but i will still tag it with bunch of gt 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

And we’re REALLY CLOSE to actual fluff omg whehwhehwhwhwhwhwhwhehwyhAAAAHHHHHH

Previous page // // first page

Nenani, why would you need money? You have no bills.

Silvaaran Poppy Seen Sweet Buns Recipe

A bun made of fluffy enriched dough, filled with a poppy seed and dried fruit mixture. For a savory version: switch out the poppyseed filling for roasted carrots and fennel. Add bacon if you’re feeling bougie.

Sweet Bun Filling

(Recipe by Karolina from Polishfoodies.com)

Ingredients

2 cups of poppy seeds

2 cups of milk

2.5oz (70g) of dried apricots

2.5oz (70g) of dried cranberries

2.5oz (70g) of raisins

2.5oz (70g) of candied orange peel dices

2.5oz (70g) of ground walnuts

4 tbsps of honey

4 tbsps of butter

  INSTRUCTIONS

Rinse and drain the poppy seeds.

Cover the poppy seeds with milk and cook for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, dice the dried apricots.

Drain the poppy seeds and grind them once or twice.

Add honey, butter, ground walnuts, and dried fruits. Mix.

Set aside to cool completely and set aside for future use.

Milk Bread Dough

(Recipe by the Woks of Life)

Ingredients

2/3 cup heavy cream (room temp)

1 large egg (room temp)

1/3 cup sugar

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon yeast (dry active or instant)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water)

Simple syrup (1 tablespoon sugar, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water)

  INSTRUCTIONS

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the ingredients in the following order: heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, all-purpose flour (or mixture of cake flour & bread flour, if using), yeast, and salt. Turn on the mixer to “stir,” and knead for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it pulls away from the sides (it should be sticking to the bottom of the mixing bowl, but not the sides). If kneading by hand, extend the kneading time by 5-10 minutes.

Next, cover the dough with a damp towel, and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size (1-2 hours). In the meantime, grease a baking vessel on all sides with butter.

After the dough has doubled in size, put it back in the mixer, and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 16 even balls. Flatten each ball into a disk and spoon a heaping tablespoon of poppyseed filing into the center. Pinch closed and roll back into shape. Repeat with the remaining buns and once all are shaped, let them proof, covered, for another hour.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350° F/175°C. Brush the now risen buns with egg wash. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the warm bread with sugar water to give it shine and sweetness. Drizzle honey onto each bun whiles they’re still warm and sprinkle more poppy seeds on top.

Best eaten fresh and with tea.

So… I did this.

I don’t know if this situation is canon or not but it sure was fun. Seems plausible enough given what happens in book II.

Stupid doodles for gt july 2!

I missed the first day soooo 💀

Doodle Dump ft. THIS guy

"The Uphill River"

A small little blurb from chapter ten of the rewrite. Yes I am still writing it.

The next task she was put to was pulling stems of apples for Quinn and Kol as they worked on the list of the Queen’s pastries. Yale assisted in gathering whatever ingredients needed for their work, dashing to and from cold storage to fetch various dried and fresh fruits and herbs. And a crock of butter almost as tall as Nenani. She walked around it, eyes wide in wonder, battling the very real urge to stick her finger into it. Without even looking away from the list in his hands, Yale reached over to lay his fingers on her shoulders and gently turned her away from the butter. He pointed to a spot closer to him in a wordless command and another bowl of apples needing their stems plucked for the Ibronian pastries they were making.   

Nenani knew a little of Ibronian cooking, only due to having lived in fair proximity to the Ibronain sailors and dock workers littering the port. They liked their wine sweet and liberally applied anywhere there was room. The apples Nenani prepared were lightly crushed, only to break them open, and put aside to macerate in wine as the dough came together.   

“Are ye sure it doesn’t say anything about butter in this recipe? Even at the end?” Kol asked as he pressed the shaggy dough into a pile and drive the ball of his fist into the center.

“I’m sure,” Quin replied, reading over the recipe one more time. “No butter. The next recipe looks like it uses a good bit, but not for this one.”

“Don’t seem right not to have butter in the dough. It’ll be flavorless.”

Quinn flicked Kol’s ear as he passed him with the bowl of apples and wine. “If you add butter and we get torn into because ye broke some sacred Ibrinaian pastry law, I’m shaving yer head after we’re released from the stockades.”  

“Fine, I won’t add any butter,” Kol replied with a petulant frown. “Just don’t see how it’ll taste very good. Would make a nicer crumb.”

They stopped their work briefly to eat a small meal. Bowls from one the large cauldrons that Yale called “the perpetual brew” were doled out to everyone. It was a dark colored stew not unlike forever pottage, but instead of a thick soup of grains and barely, there were root vegetables, various bits of meat, and several types of beans.

As Nenani ate her portion, she fished something odd from the bottom of her bowl. It was as long as her finger and looked very much like a stick. She tried to bite into it and grimaced. It was a stick. When she showed Yale, he and the bakers all burst into laughter.

“Must be a bit of sweet pine,” Quinn said.   

“I forget sometimes Humans don’t really eat trees, eh? Supposed yer teeth are too soft for it,” said Yale.

“What? You eat trees?” Nenani asked.

“Sometimes,” Yale explained. “It’s more common to eat them in winter when stores run low. Ye cut down a few in spring when they’re sweetest and store them in the cellar for winter. Grind it up for bread. It’s not as nice as wheat, but it’s food. Mostly folks pop a few branches into soup for the flavor. Like ye were saying about the bay laurel.”

“And if ye can’t afford sugar or honey, lots of folks use a spoon carved from sweet pine and use it to stir tea and it’ll sweeten it a bit,” Kol added in. “Not as much as sugar or honey, but it works well enough.”    

Nenani observed the stick held between her fingers with equal measures of curiosity and revulsion. It had softened somewhat from its time spent boiling in the stew. But it was still unmistakenly a stick. She could not decide if they were trying to trick her or not. Looking between the three of them, they seemed sincere enough. She put it back into her mouth and chewed on it. The fibers broke apart and she could taste a faint sweetness. “It’s a little sweet.”

“Told ye,” said Yale.

She removed it from her mouth. “But it’s still a stick.”

“Ah, yer teeth are just too soft to fully appreciate sweet pine,” Yale replied. He fished a piece of sweet pine from his own bowl and ate it, chewing happily as Nenani made a face at him.   

  Quinn laughed and added, “Don’t tell her about pinecone jam.” 

I've been getting into making little animations like these and I'm having so much fun with it

Roy & I -16-

I BROKE FREE FROM MY ARTBLOCK AAAAAHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA 🥰🤭🗣️🦿🧔‍♀️🌂💍

I feel good about this page!

Can’t wait to draw the next few!

Previous page // // First page

My Borrowed Son | 30 | Make It Right

Chapter Thirty | Make It Right

Kers stood shoulder to shoulder with the other members of the family as they stared down into the kitchen from the safety of the loosened light fixtures and the slightly ajar smoke alarm.

They heard everything.

They knew everything.

Parker had run away, and Amanda was quickly spiraling in desperation trying to find out where he was. The little Borrower teen had obviously been overwhelmed and, for one reason or another, had left the safety of the house and had gone somewhere else.

Of course they hadn’t had a thorough search of the house, so he could still be hiding inside somewhere in the crawl space or in another part of the attic. It was doubtful though. If the teen was going somewhere, he would have probably made his way back to the family to hide out there. He knew the way there and back after all.

From where they were, the family witnessed everything. They watched Amanda prepare breakfast and wait around for Parker. They heard her crying out for him and turning the house upside down trying to find him. They heard her sobbing and watched her collapse into her chair and onto the floor.

What made it more unnerving was that Amanda spoke directly to them.

“Um… h-h-hello? Hello? My name is Amanda. I… I know you’re there. Please, my son… Parker….” She was choking on practically every word, but she obviously forced herself to continue. It made everyone flinch, preparing to dart into the walls for cover if she happened to spot them.

“I… just want to know if he’s safe. Is Parker there? Is he with you? Look… I… I know what it must’ve looked like, but I swear that I only have Parker’s best interest at heart. He’s my son. It… it doesn’t matter to me if he’s a… Borrower. I love him. If… if he wants to stay with you…

“Please… I just want to know he’s safe. I saw this letter on his bed about finding the truth. I… I don’t know if he’s with you or if he’s run away. I just want to know he’s safe. Please! Do you know where he is? Is he okay? I just want to know he’s safe. That’s all. Please… Please! I just want to find my son. I just want to apologize to him. I… I didn’t get to say goodbye. Please, if he’s with you… please… just give me that?”

It was the plea of a parent who loved their child.

It was hauntingly similar to the things Kers heard before during his times living outside in the wilderness. Too many times there was no “last goodbye.” Too many times Borrowers would vanish into thin air or dragged away by some monstrosity or another.

The whole thing made him shudder.

The desperation.

The anguish.

The undeniable emotion.

The family to his left and right continued to whisper amongst themselves as they tried to process everything that was going on.

“Do you think she saw us?” hissed Kit.

“There’s no way,” replied Finnick.

“Shhh… if she hasn’t heard us or spotted us, she might if she hears us now,” stated Toulouse.

“Are we going to have to move?” asked Reed as he looked up at his mom, who was holding his youngest sister.

“I… I don’t know. I hope not, but we’d best get our packs ready just in case.”

“Why would he leave? Why would Parker do something as stupid as run away? Are we sure he’s not just hiding somewhere in the house?” asked Kit.

“Gee… I don’t know, Kit. Why would someone do something as stupid as go and reveal themselves to someone without gathering more information first?” shot back Finnick.

“Shut up! I was trying to help!”

“Shush! Both of you! Stop bickering. We don’t know anything at this point,” Toulouse sighed. “Right now, we have to assume Amanda’s going to start tearing down the walls to find Parker.”

Enough was enough. He had made a promise to himself that he would help keep Parker safe. He had failed, and now the consequences were upon him. Parker was missing and it was all completely preventable.

It would have been easy to say if he had done this or if he had done that then Parker would be safe and sound in his bed being an average teenager. It would have been so very easy, but that wasn’t what happened.

They were here. This whole situation was of all of their making – Kers, Amanda, and the kids of the family – and now it was time for Kers to swallow his fear and do something.

He clenched his jaw, knowing what he was about to do, and pushed himself away from the opening. The path was a long one and he needed to get a move on if he was going to keep his cool. There was plenty of time for him to talk himself out of what he was about to do.

When he turned around, however, Kit and the others turned around to watch him leave.

“What do you think you’re doing? Where are you going?” hissed Kit as she lunged forward and seized Kers’ arm. The other Borrowers nodded in agreement as they looked at Kers in the same horrified, confused expression Kit had on her face.

“I can’t just let her talk to herself down there worrying to death that her son might’ve been abducted by us,” argued Kers. “I’m going down there to talk to her.”

Everyone’s eyes widened as big as human saucer plates, all saying at once, “You can’t! The rules! You’ll be caught!”

Kers, rarely brought to anger, turned on the family of six and felt himself bristle.

“I told you that boy was fine, and you took it upon yourselves to destroy his reality overnight when he wasn’t ready. He was starting to ask the right questions and I told you you shouldn’t interfere. Now his mom is panicked and he’s missing,” Kers growled. “If you had listened, we might not be in this mess.”

“He’s a Borrower! He needed to be with us and not out there playing pet!” Kit countered.

“He wasn’t a pet. He’s her son. And if you don’t want the walls and floors to go up, you’ll let me go and won’t stop me,” argued Kers. “Because, as far as she knows, we’re keeping Parker against his will. She loves him and…”

“And taking him for her own amusement is no way to treat him,” Kit interrupted. “She probably stole him from his parents after poisoning them or something.”

At this, Kers grinned as he remembered something. He actually found himself chuckling at the irony of what just popped in his mind. It was something they said to Parker when he was in the family kitchen getting his life turned upside down.

“She didn’t steal him. She borrowed him. There’s a difference,” stated Kers. He tugged his arm free and continued heading toward the secure line he made leading down into the living room. His heart was beating a hole straight through him, but the weight of everything that transpired was already beginning to ease.

This was the right thing to do.

This needed to be done.

The path down usually felt like a long one, but Kers suddenly found himself standing in front of the electrical cover that led to the kitchen counter. He was there far faster than he anticipated, and sadly the words he wanted to say hadn’t come to him. On the other hand, he had the last four or so years to come up with the right words and hadn’t managed it yet.

It was now or never. Kers could only hope that the words would come to him, and that Amanda would see reason. Kers had no additional supplies on him except for his daggers, a climbing hook, and a little water. It was hardly a stellar list if he were to be captured, but he knew he wouldn’t be; at least, he hoped he wouldn’t be.

Do it.

Help her.

You owe her that much.

He reached out with trembling fingers and unlatched the electrical cover. Every instinct screamed at him to run back to the safety of the walls as he loudly opened and closed the electrical cover he used to get into the kitchen.

His muscles shook and threatened to override his will and retreat back into the walls, but he stood firm. With borrowed confidence he got from somewhere he couldn’t begin to name, Kers strode across the counter and stood firm as he looked out across the vertigo inducing kitchen and the human who was already way too close for comfort.

The sight was pitiful. Usually the sight of a human was terrifying, but now almost felt like the exception. Amanda looked broken and moments away from completely crumpling in a heap. She was leaning against the kitchen island away from Kers and, at the moment, she hadn’t noticed him.

It was the biggest leap of faith Kers had taken in his life. He inhaled one last shuddering breath before daring to clear his throat.

~~~^*^*^~~~

Amanda’s eyes burned like a desert fire. Never had she had a headache like this in her life. Everything hurt, and there was nothing she could do. Three hours of crying came at a price, but Amanda knew she would gladly pay it if she could just find out where Parker was.

She knew she should’ve said something sooner.

She knew she could’ve done so much differently, but hindsight was twenty twenty.

There were a million ways this could have gone, and this was what it was. If it was Hell, then it was of her own making – and Amanda knew it.

Still, she would give anything and everything to make it right.

Head pounding with every aching heartbeat, Amanda stumbled to the kitchen sink and ran some cold water over her wrists before taking a few mouthfuls of the frigid water. It barely quenched her thirst, but it was a step in the right direction. Amanda knew wallowing in sadness wouldn’t bring Parker back. It wouldn’t even help her feel better. It was just what her body decided to do to react to everything around her.

There was a hopeless part of her that could only assume her pleas earlier had gone unanswered. Parker had said there were others in the walls, but it was more and more apparent none of them were ready to help her.

Amanda’s mind spiraled as she collapsed against the sink, another bout of sobs threatening to overtake her. Her knees were shaking like leaves in a hurricane, yet she somehow managed to stay standing while propped up against the granite surface.

My boy.

My precious boy.

Where’d you go?

Are you safe?

It was right then that Amanda heard something so soft she almost missed it as her inner voice attempted to drown out all of her senses.

It sounded like a “clack” followed by another softer clacking sound. What was more unnerving was it sounded like it was right behind her. Confusion added to the foggy clouds in Amanda’s mind as she instinctually turned toward the sound behind her.

That’s when she heard it.

A cough.

Her heart leapt into her throat, and she spun around, desperately hoping it was Parker. That’s when she saw him. It wasn’t Parker, but it was someone just as big as him.

A Borrower.

He was standing out on the counter halfway between the wall and the very edge. The Borrower looked to be athletically inclined, muscles noticeably tone and sharp even at this distance under his ill fitting clothes. There was a pack on his back as well as a thumbtack and stay pin on his hips, both of which his hands rested on in casual preparedness. His face was slightly sallow, but his blue eyes held undeniable zeal and desire for life – a survival instinct that would not be denied.

The Borrower’s hair, a dark and shaggy brown, had been tied into a kind of bun using thread to keep it in a form of top knot. There was an obvious scar on his cheek, though there was no telling how he got it.

Though he portrayed undeniable confidence, the same could be said for his raw apprehension.

He was uncomfortable. It was obvious and he was trying not to be.

Amanda, so taken aback, stumbled backward and nearly fell to the ground when she hit the island counter behind her. The sound alone made the lone figure jump and retreat two steps before visibly swallowing hard and approaching the edge again.

Then, in a clear and concise voice, he said, “Hello, Amanda. I… think it’s about time we talked.”

Kers was shaking from head to toe. Determination filled him, but his body’s physical response could not deny he was terrified of what he was currently doing. As he looked into Amanda’s immense eyes, the words of the other Borrower family felt all too true.

If Amanda wanted to trap him in a cage or maime him to keep him from leaving, there was little to nothing he could do. Kers knew it. It was his worst nightmare.

He also knew Amanda and her son. He knew how she interacted with him and knew very well that Amanda would never do anything to hurt the small Borrower boy. It was a testament to her maternal instincts.

That being said, Kers wasn’t sure how she would react to someone who she thought might’ve taken her child. For all he knew, she would end him on the spot. The Borrower’s instincts told him otherwise, but just the possibility made him shake in his borrowing boots.

He could only hope Amanda saw his olive branch of information as a boon and would take that into consideration should she turn to more violent tendencies.

Speaking was never one of Kers’ strong suits, and now was no exception; however, it was necessary. Even thought facing a hundred hungry cats was more appealing than standing out here on the counter in front of a human, Kers stood there anyway.

Her eyes were on him.

His eyes were on her.

As Amanda obviously processed the information in front of her, she still managed to muster a single question which would undoubtedly further their interaction.

“You… are you… Kers?”

Hearing his name uttered by human lips set Kers’ nerves on edge. Every instinct in him screamed to flee back into the walls and abandon this futile mission. It wasn’t like he had something to tell her. He didn’t know where Parker was.

But it wasn’t the decent thing to do.

He was better than that.

Bigger than that.

Stiffly, he swallowed his apprehension again and nodded, managing a dry, “Yes,” as his throat constricted, choking out any other words that might’ve come out at that moment.

Instantly, he saw Amanda’s features flood with anxious hope as she continued to prop herself up onto the counter opposite him.

“You… live in the walls? You talked to Parker?” Amanda asked. Kers winced and nodded. He knew how bad that sounded.

“You… you’re the one who’s been living in the walls. You’ve been watching Parker and me?” asked Amanda stiffly. Kers winced slightly at the implication and took a few deep breaths before speaking as loudly and as clearly as possible.

“When you put it like that, it sounds creepy; but, yes. I’m the one who’s been living in the walls for some time now,” stated Kers, throat dry like sandpaper and body shaking already from the interaction. “I’ve watched you with Parker for almost four years actually.”

Amanda’s eyes widened while what little color was in her splotchy, tear stained face drained.

“F-f-four… years?” Amanda echoed.

“Yes, but can…” The words stuck in Kers’ throat and kept him shaking. Kers focused on the facts and the task at hand which helped summon the courage to continue. “Right now, can we focus on what’s important – on Parker?”

At the mention of his name, Amanda’s eyes glossed over and her jaw went slack.

“Do… do you know w-where h-he is? Do you have him?” asked Amanda, throat plagued with heart wrenching emotion. “Please, give him back. I swear I would never hurt him. I… if he wants to stay, that’s… f-fine. I… j-just want t-t-to say goodbye. Please. Please!”

It broke his heart, but Kers shook his head.

“No, I don’t know where he is – and I would tell you if I did,” stated Kers. The venomous, hopeless glare Amanda shot him made the Borrower take a few steps back. This wasn’t a look he was familiar with, and he knew it came purely from her protective maternal instincts. He needed to tread carefully. “P-p-please… you have to believe me. I told Parker not to do anything emotional or reckless now that he knows what he is.”

“Believe you? Believe you? It’s because of you that he’s gone!” sobbed Amanda. “I was going to tell him! I was going to talk to him about everything and we are none of your business!”

Kers had no time to react before Amanda pushed herself off of the counter behind her and slammed into the countertop Kers was standing on. The Borrower was suddenly inches from her hands. Kers blinked and, to his horror, one of those hands suddenly wrapped around his torso and slammed him onto his back, pinning him to the granite surface.

He didn’t even have time to scream.

Eyes blown wide with fear, Kers thrashed in the human grip instinctually as every instinct screamed to fight. He wrestled his arm around and had his fingers wrapped around his thumb tack dagger. All the while, his mind was racing.

You were wrong!

You were wrong!

You were wrong!

She’s going to kill you!

She’s going to crush you and toss you in a jar.

The Borrower began to hyperventilate as he heart pumped nothing but air into his veins. He felt like he could vomit out his stomach from sheer panic. Still, he found the strength to look up into Amanda’s eyes and keep control over himself.

“I swear! I d-don’t have him! A-a-and I didn’t tell him about us! I w-was g-going to talk to you first! Someone else thought he was in danger and went to help. It was a misunderstanding!” pleaded Kers.

In that moment, he was able to still his body because of what he saw.

What he saw was a distraught, heartbroken, determined mom who was at her wits end and desperately grasping at straws to find her son. She lashed out at the first person she encountered, which was all.

“I swear, if you don’t give back my son, you will regret it,” growled Amanda harshly.

I already am. Kers thought.

In his clearest voice and locking his eyes onto Amanda’s, he stiffened his features and said, “I don’t have your son. He’s not in the walls. I checked. I wish I found him before coming down her. I only came down here because I heard your pleas and couldn’t let you stand down here suffering and thinking we took him.”

Amanda’s eyes narrowed as she latched onto the words.

“You don’t have him, but what about the others? Did they take him? Parker said ‘we’ last night, and you said it just now. What about them? Hm? Did they take him?” Amanda demanded.

“No! We don’t have him. I don’t have him. They don’t have him. He’s gone, and we need to find him,” said Kers sternly. “He’s confused and hurt and probably doing something reckless, and the only thing that’s going to help him is us. All of us.”

Amanda’s stunned silence gave Kers a bit of reassurance. It meant he wasn’t going in a cage, and she was considering what he was saying. He was going to use this to his advantage. Amanda’s eyes flicked from side to side as realizations hit her. It was like watching one domino hitting the next like a Rube Goldberg machine.

Her hostility returned as she loomed over him. The light illuminated her from behind, giving her a menacing silhouette like shadow as she leaned over Kers.

“I swear, if you’re lying to me, you will regret it. You’re staying down here with me until I get my son back. You will suffer ten times what you’ve put me through. Do you hear me?” growled Amanda.

Kers felt hopelessness creeping over him. He wanted to plead for his life, but then something crept into Kers’ mind. Amanda’s hands were shaking. Kers thought it was his own fear making him shake, but glancing at the hand wrapped around him told him another story. Amanda was terrified, but she was also a caring mom.

It was a risky play, but he had nothing else to hide and nothing else to give. He could stab Amanda’s hand and make a break for the door, but that would only create animosity and force him and the other Borrowers to run for their lives.

That’s not what he wanted.

Kers was indeed completely at Amanda’s mercy, and she knew it; but Kers also knew Amanda wasn’t the type to hurt someone else.

Her grabbing him was a play – it was a bluff.

It was a pure guess, but Kers wanted to believe that Amanda wouldn’t actually hurt him. He had to believe it. His life depended on it. It was a game of chicken where he had everything to lose and nothing to gain unless she listened to him. The Borrower pinned all his hopes on this one chance and hoped it would pay off.

He took a second and attempted to calm himself down. Breathing techniques felt useless and the arm that could reach the thumbtack dagger was still pinned. Nothing else could be done except talk his way out of it. He had to appeal to Amanda’s decency and that maternal instinct that kept Parker safe for so many years.

It was his last chance to get free and help Amanda see reason.

“I’m not lying to you, Amanda,” stated Kers. “And you’re not going to hurt me. You won’t hurt me.”

“Oh? And why is that?” snapped Amanda. Kers took a breath and spoke calmly and clearly.

“Because you’re a good person. Amanda, you’re a good person. I’ve watched you for years. You wouldn’t ever hurt Parker because you see him as a person and as your son. And you won’t hurt me. I know you’re hurting. I am too. I should’ve talked to you about what Parker was before now, but we can’t change that.

“Someone broke the news to Parker before we did, and now all we can do is try and help him now; and that starts with us finding Parker,” stated Kers. Amanda’s eyes were locked onto Kers. He felt like he was under a microscope, every expression and word being scrutinized.

Now, however, was different. As the dominos connected once again in Amanda’s mind, Kers felt her grip faulter ever so slightly. Whatever she saw, it was finally connecting that Kers was telling the truth.

“Y…you… didn’t take him…” she breathed. Kers held his breath as her coffee breath washed over him. During this entire interaction, Kers had ignored all of his other senses as his body panicked after being grabbed.

“No. I didn’t,” stated Kers. “And I didn’t tell him that he was a Borrower. I told the others not to say anything until I talked to you. I begged them to not say anything to Parker. He wasn’t ready, but that’s not what happened and that’s not where we are. Now… please take your hand off of me and let’s figure out where your son is.”

Amanda’s hardened gaze softened in a matter of seconds. Her harsh and protective exterior melted away like snow on a summer day. Once again, she looked like a wounded mother desperate to find her child. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked mortified at what she had done. She retracted her hand in two stunned motions and stepped away to lean on the island counter again.

The moment Kers felt the weight of her hand leave him, his entire body relaxed. He heaved in breath after breath as his head swirled uncomfortably fast. The chill left from the absence of a sweltering hand made him shiver, but it was a relief all the same.

Amanda’s soft sobs filled the kitchen once again and, once Kers composed himself, the Borrower pushed himself upright again and looked down at Amanda’s crumpled body. Her head was hidden in her hands in shame.

“I… I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry. I… I didn’t mean…”

It was mind numbing. One moment ago, Kers was locked in complete fear of this human woman. Now, she was a pitiful puddle again. It was enough to give him whiplash, but that wasn’t the reason he was down here now.

“I… I know you didn’t mean to, Amanda. It’s okay,” stated Kers. He kept having to heave in air as if he were out of breath from a long sprint. It was the only thing that kept his heart from exploding out of his chest. “I know this is a lot for you right now, but I want to help. You can ask me questions and I’ll try to answer them if I can. If you want me to leave and try to find Parker, I can do that. He still might be in the house hiding somewhere I haven’t checked yet.”

“I…” Amanda looked up into Kers’ eyes and barely managed a half smile. She looked like a woman who finally had a lifeline. It was like her mind had somehow confirmed that she wasn’t crazy by seeing Kers sitting there in front of her.

“Yes?” Kers prompted. He didn’t do well in silences when others were nearby.

“Thank you. Really. Thank you.”

“Sure thing,” breathed Kers. “Now, what questions do you have?”

It took some time, but the next forty-three minutes filled itself with cobbled together question between Amanda and Kers. The Borrower gave a brief rundown of what a Borrower was and a brief history of when Kers moved into her home. He explained the need for secrecy, which made Amanda break into another round of sobs because of her emotional outburst and impulse to grab Kers, and emphasized that Amanda wasn’t at fault.

“You did everything you could for Parker, and I’m sure he knows that. He’s just… confused. I mean, I would be,” reassured Kers. “Now, as to where he went. Is there any place where Parker might have gone outside of here? Would he have gone back to your place? Was there somewhere he would have gone to hide? Is there something like a furniture piece here he would’ve hidden in?”

Amanda wracked her brain, but only one thing came to mind.

“I talked to him last night about where I found him. If… if I had to guess… he might be trying to get back there,” said Amanda after thinking for several long minutes. “But why would he? At his size? He’s so little. He… he couldn’t make it all the way. Not with being so small. He could get crushed or grabbed or run over or…”

“Amanda! Focus. Remember, Borrowers are durable and it’s the best lead we have right now. He would probably take the most direct path there, and he’s got a massive head start on us. If we don’t want it to get dark on us, we need to get moving. I’ll keep looking here an-”

“Please… come with me.”

The request stunned Kers into silence. He was already pushing his comfort levels sitting here across the way from Amanda. The thought of her carrying him or holding him was beyond the line he had set for boundaries.

“G-go? With you?”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I… after what I did… It’s okay. You look here. I’ll go out and see what I can see,” stated Amanda. “You’re already helping me more than I could’ve hoped for. Really. Thank you.”

Kers closed his eyes and took a breath. The chances of Amanda knowing what to look for was slim to none. As a Borrower, Kers had additional instincts and a different perspective as to what path he would take versus what a human would take.

While Parker was raised by a human, he obviously had advanced instincts for someone his age. Many experienced Borrowers didn’t have the skills Parker possessed, and that would factor into how he made his way back to the park.

The decision was obvious and uncomfortable, but it was something Kers couldn’t refuse.

“N-no… I… I’ll come with you. I’ll explain on the way, but… let’s go. Hurry! Before I change my mind,” urged Kers. Amanda looked confused momentarily, but nodded and offered an open hand toward the place Kers still sat on the counter.

How on earth did Parker deal with this? Kers wondered as he forced himself to his feet and onto Amanda’s hand. The surface was like a squishy carpet, uneven and flexible. Already, Kers felt nauseous, but he swallowed the bile in the back of his throat and knelt on the hand that had him trapped once before.

“Let’s go find your son.”

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue | Coming Soon

Previous

Beginning

Those first few weeks after Jax’s condition was triggered, they were rough.

Ceres had to deal with him griping nonstop and eventually she finally snapped at him. Too late, she realised Jax’s terrible coping mechanism at the time was to channel all his fear and frustration into anger and bitching.

This interaction added a lot to Jax’s hesitance to be around anyone when his big-shifts started. He knows how scary people can be, even if they don’t quite realise it themselves.

(Split for better viewing?)

And a bonus from later when they don’t dislike each other so much:

Roy & I -14-

Hi hello 😀

ZOOM IN TO THE HAND

DID YOU?

Good.

bye 🤭

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♡ Chapter 2: Page 29

Previous Page - Updates Sunday June 30

giant tiny sentence starters

1. “please don’t be sick in my pocket.” 

2. “So are you just going to keep me in a jar forever, or…?” 

3. “This is insane! People don’t just shrink!” 

4. “I’m not scared of you, not really. You’re just… big.” 

5. “You’re so small, I’m always worried I’m going to accidentally hurt you.” 

6. “I like being held in your hands. They’re warm and gentle and safe.” 

7. “Please put me down! I don’t like heights!” 

8. “Ha! You can’t get me now! You’re too big to fit in here!” 

9. “I have to admit, finding a tiny person hiding in my _____ was not what I was expecting out of my day.” 

10. “Are you going to be okay? I mean… you’re so small.” 

11. “What are you doing?! You can’t just walk around at your size! What if someone sees you?” 

12. “I know I must seem big and scary to you, but I don’t mean any harm, promise.” 

13. “Wow, you’re big. I mean, I knew you were big, but now that I’m right next to you… you’re really, really big.” 

14. “Do you plan to come out of my pocket any time soon, or do you just live there now?” 

15. “Oh please, you won’t hurt me. You may be big, but you’re also a big softie.” 

16. “”You okay with riding on my shoulder?” 

17. “I don’t care how big you are, I will fight you!” 

18. “Please don’t try to fight someone literally ____ times you’re size.”

Roy & I -13-

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAHAYAYAAAAAYYYYYY

BON APETIT YALL MMMMWAAAH

previous page // // first page

Make sure to keep your tinies warm at night or else they'll crawl on you like a bug

Too loud

Watering your friendly local backyard Octopus.

I have spicier stuff on my Patreon.

⭐⭐⭐⭐