Wolfy (
wolfintheattic) wrote in
theattic2015-03-10 02:10 pm
[MEME] TEENY TINY MEME

IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL
Time to try a new perspective! This is a meme inspired by things from our childhood like The Borrowers,
Thumbelina, fairy stories, The Littles, and more! Your character is very very small and the
world is very very big.
RNG: Here!
PROMPTS:
1. Maybe you drank whatever was in that suspiciously-labeled bottle or found yourself wrapped-up in some other magical shenanigan. Whatever happened, now you are tiny!
2. Rodents of...perfectly average size. A common creature who is barely noticed by normal humans is suddenly attacking!
3. You've been captured! Whether by a deadly spider or a curious Big Person, it's time to use your wits to get out of this situation or rescue your friend!
4. Foraging! You're low on supplies. Time to go out into the big, big world.
5. "You're...like me!" You thought you were the last, but suddenly you've found someone else your size!
6. Find shelter! There's a storm, your original home has been destroyed, or maybe it's just time for a change of scenery.
7. Stealth mission! Whatever you do, don't get caught!
8. The first meeting. You've had your suspicions. You thought you were crazy, but now you've found them! There's been a tiny person living in your home all this time!
9. Part of your world. You've invited someone to meet you eye-to eye. Creep through the mouse hole or walk among giants!
10. Just because you're small doesn't mean you can't help out in a big way. A normal-sized person is in trouble. Use your unique perspective to get them out of it!

TINY ROUTE ADVENTURE OK
[Everything is too big. Everything is too loud. The television roars a talkshow and the snoozing Pikachu nearby wiggles his nose in his sleep as thought he smells a small vertibrate that might be nice to eat. Henry stands and wobbles in place, his foot mashing down the Roteevo button. Whatever garbage is on the tv is now being recorded.]
Don't panic. You don't panic.
[Henry does not panic.]
[Externally.]
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[He could do without being a few inches tall in the vast expanse of the kitchen linoleum.]
[He has to find someone. But the last person he remembers seeing is Henry, allll the way back in the living room...at least he can move quickly. For a relative value of quickly.]
[There's also the option of....]
[A few minutes after poor Henry has found himself on the remote, something not a Pikachu raises its green head up from the edge of the couch cushion. Envy's given the dragon form some arms to climb with, and it's a lot easier scaling the thing when he's just a bit bigger. Glancing at the conked out Guglhopf, he does his best to whisper.]
Hey, pssst, Henry. Come over here, quick.
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[Who is whispering.]
[This can't mean anything good. Henry does his best to sneak over. A thing about being so tiny is that sometimes things are just too big to really register.]
BORROWERS BULLSHIT
If he had moved in with a family like a proper Little, he would have gotten used to his Biggs' routine right from the get-go and they could have cohabited secretly and peacefully the way it was Meant to Be.
It had been a mad race between Mr. Mason showing up with the realtor that one morning and utterly ruining Henry's routine of staring dramatically out the top story window between sketches and the moving man arriving to get all of his Little shit squirreled away out of sight. He'd miss the window sills and the kitchen counter especially.
Now they were here and Henry was not happy. He'd lived on his own for two whole years and he had only visited his family once in all that time (which was a lot of time when you were so small). He hardly knew how to talk to other Littles, much less deal with Biggs when they weren't the Biggs he grew up with. His original Biggs had been ideal--an older couple with no pets and poor hearing who were prone to losing things and not noticing if a little sugar or a little flour or an entire pair of glasses went missing. What Henry saw come through the door the day the van arrived chilled him to the bone.
A child!
He'd heard about Bigg children and how they liked to get into everything. The one that had come to live in his house, which he supposed was now their house, wasn't nearly small enough to be crawling around and poking at baseboards but she was small enough to be nosy.
Henry had moved (or rather created) his entire nest into what had been dubbed the Study. The new Bigg man was a lover of books and those were easy enough to hide behind. It was Henry's experience that a Bigg rarely read a book more than once so once it had joined the heap, it was part of his ever-growing mesa. He could easily sneak behind the hoodoos of paper balls and plateaus of encyclopedias from the hole he had to haphazardly chew in the wall his own goddamn self to the door unseen. The Bigg man worked in his study more than Henry thought he would but he did sleep at a reasonable hour. The little Bigg went to school so she was also tucked in bed after it had been dark for some time.
The night was Henry's time, he guessed.
About two weeks after his new Biggs moved in, Henry ventured out of the study on silent shoes and raced along the baseboard to the kitchen. There was one good thing about a Bigg family moving in and that thing was coffee. There was usually a little left in the bottom of the pot when Harry decided to turn in after a long writing session and this was what he was after tonight. He tightened his hands around the straps of his backpack as he gazed up at the monument that was the kitchen counter. The little hand-holds he'd carved for himself were still there. As he climbed, he thanked his lucky stars that they hadn't decided to sand and repaint. There was a weird hurriedness to the new Bigg family but Henry wasn't going to concern himself with that right now.
He crouched on the edge of the counter and froze as the house creaked. It had creaked for two years but now the creaks might mean something. For security, he zipped behind the bottle of dish soap with his heart pounding in a way it hadn't before.
"I should have listened to Mom..."
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Most of their possessions never even seemed to make it to the 'unpacked' status, and neither father nor child seemed to notice the signs that their house already had a single occupant, even though Harry had gone through the building thoroughly, looking for... something.
But something bigger than Henry.
And when no such thing had turned up, he and his daughter had both settled into a routine.
And until tonight, there hadn't been any particular disturbances after dark.
Until tonight.
Another creak sounds and this one is definitely a footstep.
Followed by a few more-- a little clumsy, because Heather hasn't yet memorized where all the light switches are. Then she emerges from the little hall, dressed in a 'nightgown' that's really just a T-shirt about five sizes too big. Her eyes are bloodshot and sticky-looking-- but it's hard to tell if it's a result of crying or just waking in the middle of the night.
Either way, she's making a beeline for the sink.
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He held his breath. Be still. Be still, his mothers words echoed in his head. Be still and you will be invisible.
Henry, being from a big family, was pretty good at going unnoticed but the sudden hiss of the water coursing through the pipes startled him. He broke momentarily from his frozen state and bumped his shoulder against the bottle, causing it to wobble on the edge of the sink.
"--!" It was a non-sound that came out.
Live Your Little Life
Mrs. Valentine suggested he leave the bustle of the town and find somewhere more quiet to help his head. It was hard not to feel like she just wanted him out of the house but in his heart he knew that she wanted the best for him--especially after Horas disappeared. She had to mother someone.
So that brought him to Bluebird Farm. An older couple that Mrs. Valentine knew needed a farmhand and she knew that JW liked to work with his hands. He was a skilled carpenter and had always mixed well with animals. The quiet was a nice fit and the woman and her husband took to JW well and did as Mrs. Valentine thought they would--made a personal project out of putting some meat on his bones.
-----------
It was a week that he'd been at the farm. One evening after working on the fences, he cut his hand badly on a splintered rail and needed to retire early. He had his own little suite on Bluebird farm--just off the far side of the house where the man's mother used to stay. It had a bedroom, a bathroom, and a little half kitchen that he could use.
JW was at the sink rinsing the blood off his forearm when he finally caught a look at himself in the mirror. He was dirty and tired and the lazy eye from his accident was hidden behind a sweaty clump of hair. While he had enjoyed the distraction, the new was starting to wear off and now he was feeling lonely for the people he didn't have in his life any more.
"What am I doing..."
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That's not to say she wouldn't say it, of course, just that she would be lying. But if she's going to be who she wants to - the best she can be, for herself and everyone else - she needs to keep adjusting the truth, little by little. She's not trying to be someone she isn't, she's just changing who she is.
Which is why she isn't leaving. She stays stubbornly put, crouched behind the pile of soft cloth towels by the sink with one hand buried in the fabric for balance. She was only out here to begin with to see if she could pick up anything of interest, maybe food or whatever tokens she could bring back to her dear fans - and, suddenly, it's looking like this is going to be a lot harder than she'd anticipated.
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Kaoru barely managed to let go of the towel in time, almost being lifted off her feet with an involuntary yelp that she could only hope wasn't loud enough for the giant's ears. She dropped onto her knees and ducked back behind the towels, smushing herself up against the fabric as her eyes darted around for another hiding place - or an escape route.
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James tossed the blanket back down on the counter and stepped aside to open the medicine drawer and search for bandages. He hoped there were still some left from the days of The Inlaw--or that Mrs. Bluebird had thought to outfit him with some first aid because he sure didn't want to go into the main house for it. She would see his arm and have a fit.
The way was not clear for Kaoru though. The little suite was connected to the house and since it had been such a hot day, Mr. Bluebird let the door that joined the two living spaces stand open just a little to keep the whole house cooled. The AC unit was on the other side of the house after all. This small opening allowed both little people and big problems to enter JW's living quarters.
One of those big problems was focused squarely on Kaoru. Molly, the barn cat, looked up from grooming herself atop the blanket-covered chair that stood behind the door. Her moony yellow eyes grew wide and she instantly hunkered down and prepared a butt-wiggle.
In a flash of stripes, she sprang at Kaoru, claws unsheathed.
this is the MOST upset icon i have, rip
She saw the cat a split-second before it pounced.
So much for triumphantly avoiding discovery.
Kaoru dove out of the way, directly into the sink, and scrambled out the other side, no longer too concerned with whether the giant was still busy with the cabinets or not, because the giant was not currently trying to eat her. She sprinted for the area where the giants made food, her eyes set on a box of toothpicks sitting on the counter; if she could get hold of one of those, she could at least have a chance of deterring the cat.
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"Agggh! CAT!"
What was even happening? He heard the clattering of Kaoru's little claws on the porcelain. It all happened so fast and JW's poor sight marked the girl as a rat. A weirdly colored rat?
"What the--? Molly! Get out of here! At least take it outside! Gah!" When lifting his arm in surprise, blood trickled down his elbow.
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And then she spun around with a flourish, brandishing the toothpick like a spear. "--Ha! Back, foul beast!"
Guess who completely forgot she was trying to be stealthy.
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Now that things had slowed down and JW's eyes had caught up with the action, he blinked.
And he blinked again.
W h a t.
His hallucinations were not usually this detailed or involved. What the fuck.
"HON, YOU ALRIGHT IN THERE?" Came the voice of Mrs. Bluebird from the next room. She had been cleaning and had heard JW's shout.
For a moment, JW was too gobsmacked to respond. Luckily he got ahold of himself. "Uh--y-yeah! I just saw a...spider?"
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And then another, unseen giant called out, and Kaoru startled so badly that she stumbled and almost went right over the edge.
Or, more accurately, she did go over the edge, and it was by sheer luck and reflex that she managed to grab hold of the handle of some cupboard or drawer. She didn't hit the ground, but she was still hanging precariously above it-- far too high above. Oh god. Okay. She had to get back up there now.
Back up to... the cat. She could hear the first giant shouting. The ground was so far away.
This... was fine. She could figure this out.
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"I'M FINE!" JW roared back without really meaning to. It was enough to startle Molly into looking up. She could tell that James was sketchy and this was just further proof. She hissed at him too.
Without thinking, James grabbed an old work shirt off his bed and swung it at Molly. She ducked and flattened her ears, refusing to get off the counter.
"Get! Get!" He swatted her with the shirt. Plap! Plap! Plap! While he was swatting and plapping, JW leaned down and scooped up Kaoru with his other hand, enveloping her in blood-scented darkness. Pleasant!
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The answer was yes to both, and also no to both, because she had not thought that far ahead.
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Molly was flattened to the counter while being buffeted with the shirt but her eyes were trained on the floor, one ear up, listening for the thump.
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Fortunately, you know how gerbils and spiders and stuff can handle falling from proportionally higher up than humans can because they're smaller? Yeah, she was fine.
However. Now she was very much in the open, the giant definitely knew she was here, and that cat would only be distracted for so long. Time to make a break for the nearest escape route - the door, an opening in the wall, anything she can fit through will do.
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The battle between JW and Molly raged on. He swung one foot up onto the edge of the counter to bar her way but actually ended up pinching her little paw between the sole of his shoe and the porcelain edge. She hollered. He hollered.
Mrs. Bluebird finally stuck her head through the door. "What kinda spider is worth all this racket?"
In a flash, Molly tore off of the counter and zipped through the door, startling Mrs. Bluebird into falling back against the bed.
"It was..." JW searched the carpet with his eyes. "Incredibly large. Went down the sink."
The old woman righted herself and walked into his room proper. She squinted around, turned in a little circle, then patted his arm sympathetically in that way that made JW grind his teeth. He knew what she was thinking. Poor dear, seeing things again!
"Supper will be ready soon, you wash up." She said before leaving him alone with...whatever he had just experienced.
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Too bad she had... nowhere to put that energy now. There might not have been much going through Kaoru's head, but it was pretty clear now that the giant knew she was here, and might well keep looking for her. Which meant she... probably shouldn't move.
...At least that doesn't make it any less exciting. Nobody could say she didn't get an adventure out of this.
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Had that been a rat? It had to have been a rat! But it had tiny clothes...no, it couldn't have. Could it? There was no such thing! With his head swimming, JW meandered over to his bed and sat down. The springs creaked and for a moment fought back the silence.
"What is happening to me..." he murmured, dropping his head into his hands.
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But... looking at him, he looks pretty upset. Kind of miserable, actually. She probably shouldn't feel sorry for a being that could harm her or worse so easily.
That doesn't mean, however, that she doesn't feel sorry for him. Should she say something? Giants don't know about her kind, glimpsing one might have upset him, so... maybe she should explain?
She is, technically, still hunkered down and waiting. But, uh. Somehow her little brain has come around to the conclusion that maybe, instead of waiting to run, she should be looking for a chance to reveal herself.
It's fine. It's fine! This is probably not a horrible idea.
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He'd been through a lot recently. He hadn't had access to good weed. Maybe this was just...the result. He was getting worse. Crazier. Well. Momma V wasn't about to find out about that. And neither would his host.
JW hummed out a humorless little laugh. "Of course."
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Very carefully, she started making her way through the pile of clothes she was using as cover, circling around to seek out a route to get just... a little closer to the giant. Now, she was concerned and curious. So, if she could just... get to a better vantage point...
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"Of course..." he repeated to himself, digging his nails into the knees of his work jeans. "It just starts with dogs. Before I know it, it'll be entire people telling me to do God knows what! Great! I love it!"
The jacket that Kaoru was creeping was made of that horrible windsuit material that went ztt ztt ztt when it rubbed against itself. So naturally her little gerbil claws betrayed her location the moment she climbed onto it. The zipper and pocket snaps scraped against the floor.
JW grew still. He listened and sent a pointed look toward the door, just waiting for that stupid cat to come back in and start ruining his day--but the sound wasn't coming from there. He whipped his head around and saw a shape down between the bed and the dresser.
In an instant he was on his feet and had snatched up an old calendar off the edge of his bed. He made short work of rolling it up into some kind of weapon.
"I swear to God!"
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She had no idea dogs could talk, let alone tell the giants what to do. Is that why this giant is so distressed? Maybe he's concerned that, as the creatures his species keep as companions see fit to give him orders, his own kind could turn on him next...
This clearly very logical train of thought was cut off abruptly when the giant leapt to his feet, weapon in hand. Kaoru's heart jumped in her chest as she realized she had definitely been spotted - but, then, hadn't she intended to reveal herself anyway? She just needed to be deliberate in approaching this!
Swallowing back her sheer terror, Kaoru stepped fully out of her cover, raising her paws in placation and hoping her voice didn't come out too hurried. "--No need for distress! I am merely a visitor to your... abode."
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But she approached him and spoke. JW bristled. He was expecting a rat or maybe an actual giant spider. Not...this! His stomach felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water into it. It was starting! Fuck! Shit! Crap!
He'd never had a talking hallucination before. If...that's what she was. Because the cat sure did see her. He'd felt her tiny limbs flutter against the inside of his hand. Almost instinctively he wiped his hands off on his shirt to get rid of the phantom feeling, never taking his eyes off Kaoru.
He had to make a choice. Ignore it and try to live his crappy life as well as he could. Give in to it and see if his psyche was trying to tell him something via tiny mouse girls. Or...take it at face value. That a little tiny bitty person was in his ROOM and talking to him.
"What...do you want?" His voice was thin and high.
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For one thing, she wanted to not get smacked with that rolled-up paper, because she was not sure she would survive that. She wanted to bring joy to the other girls in her colony, which was why she was here: She wanted to bring back stories of the giants' world as part of that endless pursuit.
Fortunately, if there was one thing Kaoru was good at it was going through a lot of pointless, winding thoughts very quickly, so it didn't take her too long to answer: "I... want to know more about you!"
It was perfect, now that she thought about it! By talking to this giant, she could learn more about them as a whole and have plenty to bring back home! There were no flaws in this plan.
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"What..."
If he was hallucinating her, why did she want to know more about him? Wouldn't she know everything already? The cat. He had to remember the cat. JW couldn't decide if he wanted to accept the reality of tiny people or the reality of his worsening illness.
Very...very slowly, JW began to crouch down on the balls of his feet, elbows on his knees, ready to spring back up at a moment's notice. He turned his head so that he could look at her with his good eye.
"Does Mrs. Bird know you're here? How long have you been spying on me?" He put an edge on his voice. Yes, he was trying to intimidate somebody he could crush with one hand.
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"You're the first I've revealed myself to." She hoped he was excited about that. He should be! "And worry not - I haven't observed you actively before today."
Certainly not from so close, anyway.
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His heart thudded in his chest. This was almost too much. But he thought it was better than the alternative so he pushed that feeling back down into his chest and asked another question.
"What...are you?"
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She puffed up with pride (literally, a little bit, her ears perking up and tail giving a little flick) and answered, as if it were the simplest thing in the world: "I... am an explorer."
A pause.
"As of recently."
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He dragged his hand down the length of his face.
"Do your folks know you're out here?"
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She flipped a lock of purple hair over her shoulder, chuckling dismissively. "They will know all they need to when I return, bringing stories of this place."
So, no.
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He could only imagine how tall someone like him was to somebody as tiny as Kaoru. She had guts!
"Yeah...? What are you gonna tell 'em?" This was normal! Just your every day conversation with a fairy person! When he was younger, he imagined himself going on some amazing quest like his favorite TV characters once brushing shoulders with the supernatural. None of it had gone quite like this. He suddenly found himself blurting out, "I'm James."
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She did not, however, move - except for the briefest flicker of worry over her face.
"I... am still finding out what I'll tell them!" After all, the adventure wasn't over yet, and that was what this was. An adventure. Of course there would be some fear involved, but she had already prepared herself to overcome it with valor.
She gives a self-satisfied little bow when she answers, hiding a flare of excitement over getting a name directly from the giant himself. "I am Kaoru. A pleasure to meet you."
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JW never saw himself as ambassador material but that sure did look like what was happening! He shifted a little, dropping an elbow to the ground and his chin into his hand so he could look at Kaoru with his good eye.
"Well, if you've got any questions, fire away."