Emo Borrower

normal size grace with rocky who’s like, the size of a baseball. tiny palm sized dude. rolling around the hail mary looking like a hamster going nuts in his ball

rocky with a tiny tiny grace because humans are just so small compared to eridians. rocky is so so careful with tiny grace. tiny grace also gets a hamster ball situation for his own safety

context: grace is a borrower (roughly 4 inches/two apples tall). he was in the sm-13, checking the wiring, when he hits his head and loses consciousness. they send the rover down without fetching him, and grace has just revealed himself to simon.

---

"Are you real?" Simon asks. His voice cracks.

Grace frowns. It's magnified by the wide lenses perched on his nose. He opens his mouth for a knee-jerk retort, and then thinks better of it. His expression softens. "I'm real," he assures Simon.

"Are you-" Simon takes a wobbly breath. "You're sure? Because I don't- I can't handle you just being a figment of my imagination right now. I need you to be-" Simon doesn't finish his sentence. He turns his head away, blinking rapidly.

Grace watches Simon. Even sitting on the floor, Simon is a titanic force - humans always are. But the vulnerability on his far-away face, the desperation in his voice, makes him seem so much smaller.

Grace straightens his spine. He tightens his grip on his tool bag and says, "Let's prove it, then."

Simon's gaze returns, his brows deeply furrowed. "Prove..." Simon starts, but Grace forges ahead.

"Give me your hand," the borrower says, holding out his own.

Simon complies, slowly extending a bandaged arm until his fingers are inches from the little man. Grace catches himself trying to flee, stopping one foot as it slides back across the metal floor. The hand is large, each loosely curled finger longer than his arms. But Grace is determined. Grace pushes himself forward and takes one measly step, reaching out.

Grace hesitates, hand hovering mere centimetres from the human's. His heart is pounding.

Grace places his palm on Simon's index finger.

First contact. The skin is warm, a little damp with sweat, and thick; Grace can feel the thin lines of patterns embedded in it. His hand is so small, lying there on the first segment of Simon's finger. Simon's face has shifted, awe and wonder glimmering in his wide-eyed gawking. Simon's entire hand twitches, fingers convulsing like he's stopping himself from making a fist. Grace forces himself not to bolt.

Simon leans down a little more. "I can feel you," he whispers. "You're..."

"Toldja I'm real," says Grace, his wavering smile betraying his nerves as he stares up at the humongous figure taking up most of his vision. His skin crawls; he's never willingly touched a human before. His palm is tingly. Grace wants to pull away, but he doesn't.

Simon's whole body lurches, and Grace does leap back. Simon sags with relief, his head and shoulders drooping like a teetering bridge. He lets his knuckles rest on the toasty floor. Simon lifts his head again and he finds Grace, some indiscernible emotions shaping his massive features.

"Thank you," Simon says. "I was... really starting to think I was losing it. I mean, tiny people... no offense."

"None taken," Grace replies, casually adjusting his clothes like his soul didn't just jump out of his body.

---

---

Grace is a borrower that survived the Quiet Rapture. He can do a little bit of everything, but is mostly tasked with electrical work (jobs that need somebody small). He was supposed to be doing repairs to the SM-13 inside the control console, but he fell and hit his head. They don't check on him before sending Simon down, forgetting or assuming that Grace got out (RIP bozo. wear a helmet next time) (Ava is pissed when she finds out and starts yelling at her coworkers)

Grace is unconscious for a while; 20+ minutes. It's a mild concussion, and it leaves him woozy and flustered. Grace wakes up either before or after the people topside bring the SM-13 back to the surface to add The Claw (not sure which)

- Either Grace wakes up BEFORE, and once they're docked, both Grace and Simon confront Ava about getting him (them) out. Ava is distressed, but she can't do that; they're welded inside and there isn't time. Simon tells her, "Look at him! All he needs is a crack. Is that so hard to do?! You can't even be fucking bothered. You're sending both of us to die, and HE-" Simon's voice cracks; he's thinking of himself, too, when he says, "He hasn't even done anything!"

- OR, Grace wakes up AFTER Simon is sent down to get a sample from the skeleton. The rover dropping so aggressively wakes him up, but he doesn't emerge until after Simon sees the 'phantom' (himself) (phantom gives credence to Grace being a hallucination) (also, it adds to Simon's loneliness and he can be all angsty about another soul sent down to die with him) (Simon can't admit that he's glad Grace is here) (because that's fucked up) (he'll probably say it anyway)

- Alternatively, Grace fell asleep while working on the SM-13 like a DUMMY (because what the fic requires is a long time for someone to pass out without brain damage) (his brains are simply scrambled)

- Secret fourth option: Grace hit his head, passed out, regained consciousness, and THEN fell asleep when he couldn't find his way out

---

THE DISCOVERY (draft):

Simon hears little scratching sounds inside the control console, so he kneels down to investigate - and notices a seam on the side. He sees a screw turning. Sure that he's going crazy, Simon pinches the screw between his fingers and twists it loose, then the other screw when it starts wiggling, too. Simon swears he hears a voice - quiet or distant - and he looks to the speaker. But it's coming from the panel he loosened.

The panel creaks open, and a small man crawls out. He is dusty. He's wearing glasses with lenses that are way too big; the glasses are lopsided, one strap not even behind his ear. He's saying, "-really uncool of you guys to lock me in... there..."

He freezes when he notices Simon.

"Uh," says the tiny hallucination, "h-hello, there! You must be the new guy! Big guy... I'm- well, I'm- I guess, kiinda the electrician? I'm nobody, really. You can just... pretend I'm not even here! I'll get outta your way. Oh, do you have the time?"

"Um," Simon says, his eyes bulging out of their sockets.

"Oh, right." Grace straightens his glasses and dusts off his sweater. He waves. "So, hi! I'm, uh, a borrower. We're still sssort of a secret? But ever since-" Grace gestures, drawing vague shapes in the air. "Y'know... the humans have been hunting us down, making us work for the Consolidation. There's... not many of us. Gotta earn my food, now, heh." Grace looks around. He notices that one oxygen bar is down. He points at it. "That, um. That's not... supposed to be like that. What time is it? Is- is the rover ready for descent, soon?"

Oh, no, Simon thought. A spike of dread plunged into his belly.

"You're not s'posed to be here," Simon says quietly. He sat back. The little man watched him warily.

Grace says, "N- no. Well, yes! I'm a fixer-upper. I just... kinda hit my head? I don't know how long it's been... where I am..." Grace looks at the unlit oxygen bar again. Then, he noticed the closed porthole. Grace becomes a bit more frantic. He asks, "Where are we?"

Simon exhales. He glances away, then back at the borrower. The impossible little man is still there. Simon says, "Bottom of a blood ocean."

The little man laughs. It's the fakest sound, strained and desperate - and also the first laugh Simon has heard in a long, long time. "Ha! Haha! Good joke! Good one. That's- ah, heh, that's..." Grace trails off. Simon is dead serious. Grace gets a lot more frantic. "Please say you're joking. Tell me they didn't launch." Simon can't look at him anymore. Grace begs, "Please tell me they didn't forget about me!"

"I'm sorry," Simon croaks.

---

more notes:

Grace is fascinated by the blood ocean. He wants to study it, but doesn't have any tools; just his big ol' glasses, which he moves forward and back from his face (nothing happens)

Grace has uncooked noodle bits in his bag as a snack. He offers some to Simon, and Simon scoffs out a laugh. Simon says, "You keep it. It'll be a waste on me."

Simon isn't 100% convinced Grace is real until they touch.

At some point, one of Grace's lenses crack; it mirrors the fracture in the porthole and the pendant (with the seedling inside)

---

i have more, but that's all you're getting for now! just a taste :]

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SPOILER ALERT!! I finished watching the movie this morning and I don't even know what to say anymore, but I was surprised by the reference to the Bambi movie.

You’re up a smidge too soon, but you take the opportunity to appreciate what you have.

It hasn’t gotten old yet, and at this point, you don’t think it ever will.

You wake up, your eyes shrouded in darkness as your sleeping mask still covers them. You don’t need to lift it to know where you are, though, nor do you need to see to trust that you’re safe.

You smile as you feel the warm surface beneath you rise and fall slowly, curling inward under your blanket as you snuggle against it. You then register the gentle pressure resting over your entire body, holding you close and keeping you secure on the vast, moving expanse you rest on. It softly presses down over you a little tighter, and you feel yourself being lifted by a deep inhale, hearing and experiencing the vibrations of a satisfied hum beneath you during the exhale. You can feel the thumping of their heart beating directly beneath you, a constant reminder that you’re curled up on a massive living being, one who has every interest in making sure you feel safe, warm, and cuddled to your satisfaction.

You feel the softest touch over your head and shoulder, curling inward tighter as your breath hitches in response. You cling tightly to their shirt as you feel the effects of a soft chuckle beneath you, grateful for the pressure atop you preventing you from being jostled too badly by it. Their touch repeatedly brushes down the side of your face so delicately, and you know they have practiced control over how much pressure they’re using. There’s no fear of them hurting you, even though you are so incredibly small compared to them.

You take in a deep breath, yawning as you nestle in and make yourself more comfortable. They continue their gentle stroking, and you can tell based on their actions that it’s not quite time for you to be awake for the day, otherwise they wouldn’t be trying to lull you right back to sleep. You’re not sure why you’ve woken up so early, or why they’re awake too. Given that you don’t need to be awake yet, however, you’re not about to complain about being able to just spend some time laying with the giant as they take such excellent care of you. You never bother to lift the sleeping mask off of your eyes, you’re content to experience and enjoy these sleepy moments through your other senses right now. There’s a level of comfort in keeping yourself in the dark, to give this giant your absolute trust as you offer them so much vulnerability, and even more in feeling justified to do so.

They always make sure you’re tucked in close, held so carefully and securely to them, yet not so much that you feel suffocated by them. They ensure that you’re bundled up properly beneath your blanket, that you’re getting enough warmth from above and below, and that you’re happy right where you are. Their love and dedication to you, even though you’re so tiny, puts a smile on your face.

You’ve always felt heartened by the amount of time and energy they put towards your comfort. Despite feeling so little and insignificant at times, they’re quick to remind you that you’re not insignificant to them, that they have no problem putting in the effort required to keep you feeling safe and cozy under their watch. Your size is part of what appeals to them the most about you, not because you’re insignificant, but because of how significant they feel when they’re doing right by you. Having the trust and approval of a tiny being that has every right to be terrified of them is deeply impactful, and they make it clear to you that you are such an important part of their life. It’s times like this, when they can simply hold you and keep you feeling safe and loved, that they’re at their most content.

They are, however, still the slightest bit playful.

You yelp softly as their fingers gently work their way under you, lifting you off of their chest for a brief moment. You instinctively wrap your arms around their thumb as they bring you toward their face. You can feel their breath on you for a moment before they pull you closer, and you gasp when you feel the soft, warm sensation of a gentle kiss to the top of your head. You immediately melt under their affection, your cheeks flushing red as you hide your face against the pad of their thumb. You hear them chuckle quietly, and as if you’re not flustered enough, they give you another kiss. You know what they’re doing, you can hear the smile in their soft laugh as they fawn over how shy you’ve quickly become, and it’s working. They give you one more kiss before lowering you back down onto their chest.

You’re a limp puddle as they carefully situate you back to where you were before, right over their heart. You bury your face into your pillow and pull the blanket to hide most of your face as you feel them rest their hand atop you once more. The weight settles comfortably over you, heavy enough to keep you feeling protected and cozy, yet not so restrictive that it prevents movement if you need to adjust your position. The care they take in how they hold you to them is immense, and even though you’re a bit of a blushing mess, you still show your appreciation as you snuggle up under their hand.

It’s so easy for them to overwhelm you like this, to give you so much affection and attention that you feel your tiny little body can’t contain it all. You sometimes feel like you can’t begin to think about how to properly return that much affection, but as they’ve told you before, they adore you just the way you are, size and all. They love to see you shy and flustered, to watch you hide under your blanket as you try in vain to process just how wonderfully intense these interactions are. They love being able to affect you so easily with gestures that, to anyone of their size, would seem small in comparison.

Slowly, you feel your heart rate begin to slow again, your breathing evens out, and you feel a lot calmer than you were minutes ago. As the shyness finally dissipates, it’s replaced with renewed exhaustion, and you yawn again as you nestle yourself against them, wriggling around until you find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. They adjust their hand over you to allow you the space you need as you settle in, hovering above you as you tuck your blanket under your chin and make yourself at home. Once you’ve stopped moving around so much, their hand lowers to rest over your tiny body once more, their thumb returning to softly brush over the side of your face lovingly. You’re left in a state of happiness and bliss, soaking in their warmth as you let your drowsy state of mind take over.