(1.9k words. Story includes: mild swearing, digestion mention [don't worry, it's just the prey needing to be told tummies are safe], mild fearplay [again, really just the prey being scared at first], mild foodplay, and accidental vore. Everything is safe and soft, but if any of that is a no-go for you, that's okay! Happy vore day nonetheless!)
Living in a giant's house, you only ever took what you needed to survive. Okay, you allowed yourself some luxuries. After all, you needed some way to entertain yourself. You would take paper and pencils to draw and write, read books whenever the giant wasn't looking, sew clothes or plush toys out of old socks or shirts that had holes, but you never took things that would be easily noticed or risked being seen for any luxury good...
Except for those damn chips.
You swear, those things are coated in some sort of drug because of how addicting they are. You're sure they're probably not healthy, and you have no idea why the giant keeps buying them, but as long as he does, you'll keep sneaking some whenever you got the chance.
And today, you got the perfect chance. The chips were left on the coffee table while the giant left to get something. What's better, he had left the television on, so you could easily go unheard if you rustled the bag too much. The circumstances were perfect, but you only had until the comercial break was over, because you knew once whatever the giant was watching came back, so would he. You had to act fast.
You quickly made your way across the floor and climbed up the legs of the coffee table. The table itself was wooden, but it had textered metal legs that thankfully made it fairly easy to grip onto while you climbed. You checked one last time to make sure the coast was clear before climbing into the bag to claim your prize.
Sure, you could've just taken the first chip in the bag you could reach, but you had put so much energy into getting these chips that you were not going to settle for one of those half seasoned chips. You had to find something worth the risk you were taking. You venture deeper into the bag, looking for a chip that was packed with flavor, breaking off little pieces of ones you think might be good until you find one that'll do.
You finally got a good grasp on the chip- which was about half as tall as you were- and were about to drag it to the front of the bag when you heard, and felt, the signature THUD. THUD. of the giant's footsteps.
You took too long. You had to get out of here, you had to hide, you had to-
Your thoughts were thrown aside as you felt yourself slipping backwards. Your heart dropped to your stomach as you felt yourself moving quickly upwards. You felt sick as graviy passed through your body, like all of your organs were being pulled to the bottom of your body while the rest of you kept going up. You stumbled and fell into the chips as the bag continued to move, your skin grazed by the jagged edges of broken pieces. You barely noticed the pain of the small scrapes, however, as all your mind could think of was one thing,
If the giant is picking up the bag.... that means he's planning to eat from it.
You quickly felt the bag around you settle and you took the opportunity to push the bigger chips around you in front so you hopefully had enough of a buffer that the giant wouldn't find you before the next commercial break.
The bag shook slightly as the giant shoved his hand in to continue eating, but you held your breath even as the fear ran through your veins, because so far, you hadn't been discovered. Your plan was working; you had buried yourself far enough down that the giant couldn't get to you as he was eating. All you had to do was keep still and keep quiet until the next break, and then you could make a run for it.
It wasn't easy keeping quiet, though. Every rustle of the bag sent shivers down your spine and every crunch made you nauseous as you imagined the giant snapping a chip half your size clean in half without even giving it a second thought.
It's okay. All you have to do is make it a few more minutes.
You were caught in your thoughts until you realized that the giant's hand had paused its activities for a bit. You peeked out from the chip you were holding in front of you, curious if the giant was done eating, only to feel your whole body freeze in fear as you saw a huge pair of eyes staring back from outside of the bag.
What was he doing? Did he know you were in there?
You could've screamed in that moment, but your body was completely paralyzed. You noticed the piercing eyes looking around the bag, but they never looked in your direction. He hadn't seen you. You were able to get your body to move just enough that you were once again hidden from sight, but soon after, you felt the giant's hand pushing around the chips in the bag.
Was he looking for you? He had to be...
You carefully peeked out again, but to your surprise, the giant was picking out chips and inspecting them before deciding whether to eat them or not. Despite your immense fear, you found it a little endearing that this huge man was just as picky as you were when it came to chips. The irony wasn't lost on you , though, that being so picky is what got you into this mess to begin with.
The relief only lasted so long, though, as soon you saw a huge hand reaching towards you. Apparently, the perfect snack you had so carefully chosen- and unintentionally hid behind- was also good enough for the giant man to pluck out of the bag.
You were quickly scooped out of the bag as the large hand grabbed your shield, with you still attatched. The sudden light nearly blinded you as the air rushed around your body, leaving your senses overwhelmed and unable to focus on anything before you were suddenly enveloped in darkness.
You gasped as you felt the flesh around you twitch. He had realized that there was something other than food in his mouth.
Just maybe, he would let you go...
As soon as the thought crossed your mind, it was shattered as a strong muscle pushed against you, pinning you to the roof of the mouth as the giant hummed contently, vibrating your very body to the core. The giant let the chip that was in there with you soften before swallowing it down, his tongue still keeping you firmly in place. You felt your heart drop as you watched the food dissapear down his gullet, hoping you wouldn't be next, but something about the constant din of satisfied humming made you think your chances of coming out of this alive were slim.
After a few seconds of being squished and prodded by the muscular tongue, it relaxed. You shuddered at the knowledge that you were being tasted, but your disgust was quickly replaced with terror as you felt yourself slipping down towards the back of the throat as the ground around you tilted. He was putting his head back, ready to swallow you.
You scrambled to get some sort of footing, but it was too late. With a loud GLK- you were pulled down into the tight esophagus. It squeezed and pushed you downward until you felt yourself landing in the slimy cavern that was this giant's stomach.
You heard the air whoosh through the giant's lungs somewhere above your position in his body as he let out a sigh. Emotions swarmed through you: fear, grief, and most presently, disgust at the satisfaction that you could hear resonating around you. You slumped against the stomach walls, tears starting to well up in your eyes.
This couldn't be how it ended, it couldn't, it-
"W... what just happened? Where did you- shit."
A voice came from above. It wasn't nearly as loud as you would have expected, but it still caused you to flinch. Apparently, the giant felt your tiny movement, because the whole stomach tensed at your fearful twitch.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I- I didn't mean to eat you, I don't know what came over me. Are... are you okay?"
You could feel pressure from the outside as the giant's hand rested where you stayed. He sounded... sorry. Genuinely worried about your wellbeing. But how could that be? He ate you! You were stuck here, how could he ask you if you were okay?
He seemed to know what you were thinking, because he followed up his question with,
"I promise you're safe! I- my stomach can't hurt any humans, I promise."
You couldn't believe what was happening, but for the first time, you decided to speak to the giant.
"It... It's... safe?" you managed to croak out in a tiny voice. Somehow, he was able to hear you.
"Yes, it is," he quickly added, "B-but I'm sure you don't want to stay in there regardless, so I'm going to let you out."
Let you out? How was he going to-
You felt the organ around you squeeze as it pushed you upward, back into the tightness of the giant's throat. At this point, your head was starting to hurt from the constant change in velocity you were experiencing, but you finally got a chance to rest as you were carefully let out of the giant's mouth and onto his hand, where you were gently lowered onto the plush couch beside him.
"Again, I'm so sorry,"
The man frowned, and you could now see his concerned face, complete with those piercing eyes from before. Now, though, they weren't looking with hunger, but with guilt.
"Is there anything I can get you? You were probably hungry, right? I could get you some food. Or a glass of water? You're free to clean up in the bathroom if you need to," He said, fidgeting with his hands as he tried to make up for what happened.
Wait, he was letting you use his things? This whole time you've spent hiding and the giant is asking if you want his food?
"You... don't mind if I eat your food?" You hesitantly ask.
The giant looked puzzled. "Of course not! You don't have to sneak around to get enough food to eat, I have plenty to go around," he started. "Besides, if you just ask, I won't end up accidentally eating you when you're trying to get food."
You could've sworn you noticed him blush as he said that. This was all so strange to you. The giant that you had hid from for so long was a genuinely nice person and more than happy to share his space with you. Also, he could apparently safely keep you in his stomach and let you back out, which was something you never would have thought was physically possible. You had a lot to learn.
Eventually, you took him up on his offer of letting you clean up, and later on his offer to get you some food and water. You started to ask questions and get to know him as you ate. He was a bit shy when it came to the questions about how he could eat people, but he assured you that being eaten by any giant is safe, and that he would only ever eat someone if they were okay with it... excluding today's accident.
You had to admit, you were somewhat curious about everything now that you knew he would never hurt you, but it would be a while before you were ready to be eaten again. And it would definitely be a while before you ate chips again.
Super short (2.5K) self indulgent story of a borrower!you getting caught by Christopher and swallowed up <3 Maybe bring better equipment next time you try borrowing from a maneater...
G/t, ambiguous ending, rope play in the throat, and mentions of fatal <3 enjoy!
You can’t believe you got caught.
The man who lives in the apartment you’ve been borrowing from is home so rarely that you suppose you’ve gotten careless. After all, he’s never around to hear your heavy footsteps on the counters or the scrabbling of clumsy hands against drawers. His two cats are easy enough to maneuver around as well, seeing as one of them is trained well enough to not go on the counter, and to scream at the other one whenever it gets the bright idea of chasing you along the countertop.
You’d been testing your new rope, tying it to all manner of things in the kitchen and letting yourself be slowly lowered off the edges of drawers, tables, counters… and hadn’t been bothering to keep your laughter at your successes quiet, nor the thuds of your tiny boots as you’d climbed up the edges of his walls and cabinets.
Everything had been going so well that you’d somehow missed the sound of the bedroom door opening and the light in the hallway, and by the time you realized that something was amiss… was only due to clawed fingers wrapping around your waist and a soft coo of: “Oh, what do we have here?”
And now, here you are, dangling between his fingers from the rope you’d thought had been such a clever tool to get around the maze of his apartment. You can’t bring yourself to speak as you stare up at him meekly, the light reflecting off his glasses making his eyes seem cold and far away- near impossible to read.
He hasn’t spoken since his initial greeting, if you can even call it that. All he’s done is stare at you with that coldness in his eyes, almost as if he’s calculating something- blinking every now and again, though it does nothing to set your mind at ease. If anything, it makes you feel worse, and when he opens his lips and finally speaks to you properly-
“Well. You should fit. This should be interesting.”
-it does nothing to calm your nerves.
Before you can ask him what he means, the air is forced out of your lungs by him tugging on your little rope, effortlessly and haphazardly lifting you into the air above his face and leaving you to stare down at him in terrified disbelief. You’ve never met this human before, but from what you’ve gathered, there’s nothing too horrible about him.
With your lower lip trembling, you look down into his deep brown eyes, searching for any trace of a joke or flickers of sympathy.
What you receive in return is a toothy smirk. One that plays out almost in slow motion, leaving you helpless to watch as his lips curl away from his teeth, showing the gleaming, drool-slicked and sharp points lining his gums. Your heart starts racing at the sight of them, and again, you try to find your words- but you’re once again interrupted by something terrifying.
Those teeth were bad enough on their own, but as you stare down at Christopher’s freckled face… they begin to part.
A warm blast of air rises from the chasm opening beneath you and you find yourself unable to look away as the huge muscle of his tongue shifts- easily the size of a small mattress and just as cushioned- moving from one side of the pink and dripping cavern to the other. The surface of it flexes in waves, and you follow the muscle back toward the darkest pit in the back of his jaws- marked by a swinging uvula and a streamlined tunnel designed to cram anything it can fit inside down.
His throat flexes, and his whole mouth shifts at once- a mess of moving pieces and parts and flesh and teeth rearranging to allow him a soft swallow- and when it opens again, strings of drool connect the bottom of his jaws to the top like the bars of a prison cell.
Unable to speak, your own mouth opens and closes as you watch his throat shift with his every breath, the idle motions of his tongue twitching and swaying as more and more saliva floods the cavern.
You’re transfixed, though the spell breaks when his grip on your rope abruptly falters- sending you falling a few inches closer to the gaping maw with a scream.
A laugh rolls over you in response, and you gasp, clutching the rope in your fingers despite the knot keeping you secure. You’re spinning now, watching the gullet beneath you pulse as you rotate, unable to keep yourself from noticing that it seems to be pulsing in anticipation, the tongue stretching out from between those lips as if to echo the sentiment.
He’s going to eat you.
No. No, he won’t.
Surely he won’t.
Despite not being human, you think for a moment that you’ll be able to appeal to his sympathy, though when you manage to tear your gaze away from his maw to try looking into his eyes--
The rope slides easily through his fingers, and with a rush of air, you plummet- your scream being cut off and muffled by his tongue greeting you. It all but wraps around your sides, and you feel it constrict, pinning your arms to your torso as its owner tips his head back and allows you to fall backward into the cage of his mouth.
You scream as the tongue folds over you greedily, drinking in your flavour and slathering you in thick saliva. The surface won’t stop moving beneath your hands- cushy and soft and speckled with taste buds that leave a faint bumpy texture pressing against your palms and fingers- though when he abruptly licks you again, you’re flipped onto your side, helpless to do anything but let his tongue squish tightly against your back. The muscle is hot and explorative, wasting no time in dragging its tip along your flailing limbs.
Everything around you is hot and slick, but the more you fight against it, the more of his saliva seeps through your clothes, soaking your skin and causing you to slip around easily in the chasm of his mouth. A zigzag of light filtering between his teeth is the only way for you to see the warm pink of his tongue as it continues to effortlessly bat you and part of your flimsy rope around.
It’s… so easy for him.
So easy to treat you as nothing more than a sweet treat. You find yourself pushed against his fangs more than once, and each time, you suck in a sharp breath and wait for him to chew you to pieces- all the while trying to peer out past his lips for one more glance at the world you’re leaving behind.
You don’t get one.
All your squirms earn you is more buffeting from the tongue, more hums of delight from the throat that you know is yawning wide behind you, but you don’t allow yourself to look at it, trying instead to drag yourself forward in the dripping mouth of the beast. You’re close. Your fingers reach the very edge of his gums and you strain to pull yourself up from his gullet even as you feel your legs brush the very edge of his throat.
A throat that twitches eagerly, the muscles there relaxing with a soft slrrrk of noise- and you yelp as you find yourself falling deeper into the squishy tube.
“NO-”
The tongue that had been idly sloshing you around arches, filling his mouth and squeezing the air from your lungs in a strangled cry- though you don’t have time to be worried about that as you realize what the predator’s doing.
Swallowing. He’s swallowing. The gullet behind you lurches, a tiny hlrk and a bob of the muscles behind you causing you to throw your arms forward as gravity changes- but you’re too covered in saliva to get a grip on anything. Instead, you’re forced to feel his uvula drag across the back of your shoulders as he hums- the noise loud enough to make your chest feel like it’s buzzing.
You’re squashed under his uvula entirely with another firm swallow, leaving you scrambling against the plush back of his tongue as you try to reach the swinging tab of flesh. Your fingers are tangled tightly in your rope, clutching it in utter desperation. It’s still holding fast. Still tied to something.
You try to remember if you saw it caught between his molars or canines as you try to hoist yourself further up his gullet- barely able to even paw the backmost part of his tongue in your attempts to reach freedom. It’s still somewhat taut, taut enough that there’s hope…
…as light falls over you, you look up from the depths of his throat, for one fleeting moment allowing yourself to think that he’s about to cough you up. It must be a mistake. He seems like a kind enough man, and you shift your position slightly to see better, wiping a string of drool out of your face as a shadow falls over his jaws.
His hand.
And in his fingers…
No…
In his fingers, he’s lazily clutching the end of your rope. He holds it there with a soft chuckle, one that makes the throat around you ripple, before you watch his mouth start to relax as it closes for what you realize in terror is the final time.
“Wait- wait wait wait-!"
When he swallows, the walls of his throat clutch tight around you, rippling with a soft ulp that folds around you and tries to squeeze you down along with it. Your whole body jerks in place, being squashed tighter into the living tunnel before the rope pulls taut and forces you back up- which causes the muscles around you to quiver and the predator they belong to to hum.
It’s absolutely deafening this close to his voicebox.
You gasp as the slimy walls finally ease up, trembling at the sensation of something pressing at you from outside of your new prison. At first, you almost think you’re imagining it, but when the throat around you twitches in response to a firmer press, you realize those are fingers pressing against you from the outside.
You can’t help but imagine yourself as a lump in Christopher’s throat.
As you struggle harder, forcing your elbows out against the taunting squishes, in you mind’s eye, you see the small flutter of your movements settled just above his collarbone- the way you stretch the freckled skin and wriggle just beneath it- and as you tug on the rope in a desperate attempt to shimmy back up the way you came-
GLURK.
-the throat constricts tighter, and this time you can’t keep yourself from giving a yelp as you’re sucked further into Christopher’s esophagus- settled just beside his thudding heart. The walls of his gullet have grown tighter, as has the knot of the rope around your waist thanks to said walls hungrily rippling around you in an attempt to squeeze you deeper inside. Again, you struggle to haul yourself further up the rope that’s keeping you suspended in his chest. Your saliva slicked hands fumble to get a grip, and you curse yourself for not having tied too many knots in it before trying to use it out borrowing. In the pitch darkness of his throat, you can’t see much aside a very faint red- the light from outside only penetrating deep enough for you to see the faint outlines of the esophagus squeezing around you.
Your rope is still being held snugly by the gullet’s walls, the red lifeline almost vanishing into the pulsing darkness, but you squint through the saliva running down your face just long enough to realize how far down you’ve been squeezed. Seeming miles of throat stretch above you, and a flicker of light from the top of the tunnel causes your heart to sink. On either side of you, you hear a rush of air filling your devourer’s lungs, and everything tightens as they fill with oxygen, preparing for another-
Gulp.
-for him, it must be nothing. Just soft and lazy bobs of his adam’s apple that allow your rope to fall deeper into the folds of his throat. You can almost imagine how faint the sound of him swallowing must be outside of the sweltering confines you’re in now- but you can’t quite cling to the illusion long enough to mute the disgusting squelch and ULLLLK that draw you deep enough to feel a distinct change in heat.
Heat from below you.
Heat coupled by the sound of an organic growl, and your heart grows cold despite the warmth of the predator surrounding you as you realize how close to the belly of the beast you’ve gotten.
You scramble against the soft walls, tugging on your slack rope more and more as the sound of gurgling grows louder beneath you. You can’t end up in his stomach. You won’t. You’re a borrower, you’re not-
Glmpk.
He swallows once more.
Firmly.
Firmly enough that you manage to look above you in terror, watching the tunnel of his throat constrict in a wave that rushes toward you in the dark, too fast for you to do anything but take a breath in before you’re squished firmly into the upper stomach sphincter.
Then through it.
Your tiny form lands in his stomach with a wet plop.
The walls around you shudder with a gurgle of greeting, and above you, you hear a long and contented sigh breeze up from the throat you fought for your life not to get squeezed down- unable to keep yourself from envying the air for being able to get past his lips.
You’re not as lucky as the air. The stomach containing you groans in emphasis, the organ steadily starting to rock this way and that, the walls rippling inwards eagerly in what you realize are the beginnings of digestion. Your hands find the rope and you pull on it sharply, earning the sound of a muffled glp from above and the sensation of more and more of it pulling into his belly, coiling around you on the fleshy floor, gulp after gulp ushering it down, down…
The piece of yarn bobs momentarily at the back of Christopher’s throat, and it brushes the folds of flesh there as its pulled down his gullet. It isn’t fully soaked through with his saliva, not yet, and as he sits with his jaws open, he gulps, feeling it stick dryly in his throat- though he persists in his task anyway.
With a few more short swallows, there’s no trace left of you at all. No rope dangles from between his lips. No shape wriggles in his throat, and as he trails a hand down to his comfortably full stomach… he grins at the realization that you fit so perfectly inside that you’ve completely vanished from the outside world. Not even a lump against his middle surfaces to show anyone where you’ve vanished to, and he purrs in delight, trailing his fingers over his middle and hiccuping suddenly when you squirm.
“Oh, don’t worry.”
His voice rumbles around you, echoing over the sounds of digestion. One of the fleshy walls folds inward with a prod against you and you feel the tip of one of his claws massaging you into the lining.
“I think I’m going to let my guts take their time with you… best get comfy in there.”
I can’t get this out of my head, so ya’ll are getting s/pooky m/onth v0re with K/evin and Borrower S/treber. (Non-fatal, protective, mentions of digestion but nothing happens)
C/andied B/ats (censored so it doesn’t show up on the main tags)
It had been about a year since Kevin had found the little borrower running around the candy shop. At first he was furious, trying for months to trap the little guy without success. It wasn’t until he found the little borrower stuck in some old chewed up gum, pleading for help, that he realized this wasn’t just some creature to get rid of. It, no, he, was a person. A small one, but still a person. After helping him out of the gum, Kevin watched him run off and decided that he would befriend the little borrower.
It had taken months of purposefully leaving out small candies and promising he wouldn’t hurt the little guy for Kevin to finally gain the borrower’s trust enough to know his name. Streber, the borrower, was still weary of Kevin, but now trusted him enough to let Kevin hold him in the palm of his hand. Streber and Kevin bonded over candy and their shared love of the sugary stuff, slowly trusting each other more and more.
Nowadays the two were inseparable. It was common to walk into the Candy Corner and see Streber on Kevin’s shoulder, or sitting on the counter eating a candy. Everyone in the town had pretty much accepted it as normal, after all it wasn’t the weirdest they’d seen. Whenever Halloween rolled around, Kevin was extra nervous and protective over Streber. Streber didn’t blame him, after all he’d been told stories by Kevin of what dangers seem to come looking for him every Halloween. This Halloween was no exception, and when two dreadfully familiar little kids walked into the store, one dressed as a skeleton and the other as a pumpkin, Kevin fearfully grabbed Streber in his hand. Streber let out a small squeak of fear, but he trusted Kevin and knew he wouldn’t be hurt. As Kevin scolded the kids, a man in a devil costume slowly approached the window.
“See! That’s trouble!” Kevin’s eyes widened, his voices laced with fear as he pointed out the window. “K-kids? Why is he following you?” Kevin’s grip tightened on Streber as he backed away, pushing the kids behind him. “Kids, outside, now!” Kevin yelled, and Streber whined from the sheer volume of it. The two kids ran out the back door as Kevin blocked them from view of the masked devil.
“Well well, look what we have here. A meal all for me, and a little snack, too.” The masked devil hummed and smiled, showing off two very sharp fangs, while stalking closer to Kevin.
“Damn it why’d he have to be a pred, too?!” Kevin ran over to the wall of candy dispensers and turned one on, causing candy to spill all over the floor. The masked devil only laughed, kicking the candy out of the way as if it was nothing. Kevin’s panic rose, not just for himself but for Streber, who was now shaking from fear in his grip. As the devil stalked closer he licked his lips, causing Kevin to panic. He had a plan to get himself out of there, but he couldn’t risk dropping Streber and he wasn’t about to leave the borrower here to fend for himself.
In a moment of desperation, Kevin opened his maw and shoved Streber inside. The borrower yelped, falling face first onto Kevin’s tongue. Kevin hummed at the flavor of the small man, almost like a Swedish fish, then shuddered as he realized he was tasting a person, and not a piece of candy. Under different circumstances, he realized, Kevin may have actually enjoyed this. The masked devil stopped and tilted his head, as if watching to see what happened with a morbid curiosity only a killer could have. Kevin looked at the masked devil and then to the door. He considered just running for it with Streber in his mouth, but the thought of accidentally hurting him if he tripped stopped Kevin in his tracks. In a moment of desperation, Kevin made a decision. He pushed the borrower to the back of his throat with his tongue and gulped. His gag reflex kicked in and he used every ounce of courage he had to swallow again and not spit Streber out. The small form of Streber started slowly sliding down Kevin’s throat, creating a small bulge that could be visibly traced down until it passed by his collar bone. Kevin gasped as he felt the small form slip into his stomach. His face went red, and he put a hand over the small bulge Streber made in his middle.
The borrower was shaking on Kevin’s tongue, the pitch black maw dripping saliva all over him. He wasn’t sure why Kevin had shoved him into his mouth, but he was sure there was a good reason. After all, Kevin wouldn’t’ have spent all this time befriending him just to eat him, right? He shivered on the tongue, the soft surface sinking under his weight. If he wasn’t terrified, it might even feel relaxing, almost like a beanbag. Suddenly the tongue started moving under him, pushing him back. He tried to grab onto the muscle, but the slickness prevented him from getting any grip. The tongue pushed him to the back of the throat, and he squeaked in surprise.
“No, no no, please!” Streber whimpered. He felt so betrayed as Kevin let out a large ‘gluck’, sucking him in down to his waist. In a desperate attempt Streber reached for the uvula, grabbing hold. He heard Kevin gag as he gripped it, tears forming in Streber’s eyes as he realized that the trust he had built with this bean had all been just a ruse. Another swallow caused Streber to loose his grip and slip completely into the throat. The muscles suctioned him down, pushing him closer to his final destination as he now openly sobbed. It’s not like Kevin would see him cry, anyways. When he reached the bottom of he throat, the sphincter opened up to drop him into the stomach. Streber splashed down into the liquids, quickly back-peddling into the walls of the stomach and away from the juices. He curled up against the walls, the folds almost cradling him, and cried silently into his now soaked cape. He felt a pressure on top of him, and realized Kevin must have put a hand on his stomach. The borrower curled up further, terrified and resigned to his fate.
Outside, Kevin glared at the masked devil. “Well, wasn’t that a show. Now I get a two fer’ one~” The devil cooed, and Kevin took his chance to run. He felt Streber move around inside of him as he ran, almost gagging at the uneven feeling it gave him in his core. Kevin bolted out the back door, not stopping to look back as he heard he devil laugh. He ran until he couldn’t anymore, then ran some more. He would keep Streber safe no matter what.
When he finally realized he was no longer being followed, he slowed to a jog and headed back to his house. He could feel Streber shaking within him, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort the borrower and hold him in his hand again. He feared that he had lost all of Streber’s trust, and as soon as thee borrower was released he would never see them again. Kevin saddened at the thought, sitting down on the edge of his bed and once again placing his hand over his stomach. He sat there for a long time, not sure what to say. How do you even apologize for swallowing someone whole?
“…Kevin?” A small voice echoed from his middle. If he wasn’t so focused on his middle he might not have even heard it. Kevin inhaled a sharp breath, before realizing it was probably squishing the poor borrower and releasing it. His heart rate was through the roof, terrified of scaring Streber more than he already had.
“Kevin, please…” Thee small voice came again. “I don’t want to die…” Streber pleaded, hearing Kevin’s heart rate increase as the stomach squished in on him.
“I- you won’t.” The voice of Kevin reverberated all around Streber, causing another wrack of sobs to come over the borrower as he was once again reminded that he was inside of someone. “You’ll be okay—“ Kevin tried to explain, but he wasn’t sure what words to use. “Shit— how do I even apologize for eating someone?” Kevin mumbled. That caused a small laugh and a sniffle to come from the borrrower inside of him. Kevin sighed.
“Still your same old self, even after swallowing me.” Streber mumbled, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes but only succeeding in spreading mucus all over his face.
“I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t let him get to you and I wasn’t about to leave you there to fend for yourself.” Kevin sighed, rubbing his hand over the form of Streber. “I promise you’re safe. I… Know from experience.” Kevin evened out his breathing, letting his pounding heartrate slow down as Streber started to shift inside of him.
“So… I’m fine…? I’m safe?” Streber asked tentatively. He wasn’t sure about trusting Kevin after literally being swallowed whole, but it’s not like he had much of a choice in his current position.
Kevin sighed again and kept rubbing Streber’s small form. “Yeah. From him, and… me.” He said with a sad and defeated tone. Kevin knew he had lost his friends trust, after all he had swallowed the poor borrower.
“Oh.” Streber blinked. He slowly uncurled, letting the stomach cradle him. He could now feel Kevin’s rubs more clearly, and it almost felt nice despite his location. Streber ran his hand along the stomach walls, feeling the folds and how they moved every time he shifted. Kevin’s rubs stopped, the stomach becoming quite a bit warmer, and redder although Streber couldn’t see the latter. The stomach rumbled and growled with the movements. Streber froze, wondering if he’d done something wrong and really was going to die.
Instead of digestion starting, a small burp and a large sigh escaped Kevin. The air that was released from the stomach caused it to shrink, now straddling Streber like a hammock. The moment of panic left him, and Streber relaxed into the folds, absentmindedly rubbing the stomach walls while Kevin prodded at him from the outside.
Kevin laid down in his bed, a hand over his stomach feeling the rubs from Streber. It relaxed him, making him tired as his full stomach shifted around. He let out a small burp and sighed, feeling his stomach close tighter around Streber. He knew it wasn’t safe to release Streber yet, the borrower couldn’t defend himself if the devil guy came back, after all. He could feel Streber relax into his stomach walls and continued rubbing the small form. The borrower may no longer trust him, but Streber was safe. Kevin hoped that after he released him, Streber would stick around, and maybe now that he knew it was safe, Streber would let Kevin swallow him again under better circumstances. Kevin smiled at the thought and drifted off to sleep.
Streber heard Kevin’s breath and heartbeat slow, and figured he must have fallen asleep. The borrower thought over his situation. He was safe, warm, and surrrounded by someone he knew would never hurt him. Although he wasn’t too sure how much he trusted Kevin anymore, he knew the bean would protect him, and that was enough trust for now. Streber slowly drifted off to sleep.
Tagged as mature for safety purposes, but all vore in this fanfic is meant to be nonsexual. Please refer to the AO3 link for all the tags and more detailed warnings for the fic
A stranded borrower named Roxie finds a strange smiling gentleman in a cabin along the Louisiana bayou - and gets more than she bargained for. In a thrilling tale of horror, deception, and unwavering hunger, Roxie finds herself at a crossroads with Louisiana's most famous radio host, Alastor; who threatens the very foundation of everything borrowers stand for. With Roxie's newfound friends in the mix, the borrowers and bartender of a New Orleans speakeasy must work together to save themselves and others from being served on a silver platter, once and for all.
Summary: Alastor drives a hard bargain.
Chapter 2: Static is under the cut!
Roxie groaned softly as she came to, rubbing her head a little. Opening her eyes slowly, the little borrower winced as she sat up; her body ached, and she felt woozy. A wave of nausea rushed over her, and she did her best to compose herself; but the memory of what had happened only made things worse. That human had tried to eat her alive - and a part of her was horrified at the prospect of what he was trying to hide, on top of it all. Shuddering, Roxie hugged herself tightly as the images of being stuck in Alastor’s jaws plagued her; haunting glimpses of a terrifying set of teeth, slimy tongue, and eager gullet - the sound of his belly down below, desperate for another meal…
Trembling, Roxie shook her head as if to rid herself of the horrid visuals; but even then, tears streamed down her cheeks. She shouldn’t have come to this awful cabin; no, she should’ve just stayed out in the rain. Freezing to death or drowning would be better than any of this. That man, that awful man, had spared her at the last second; but for how long? As far as she was concerned, she was nothing but a piece of meat to him; another morsel to gobble down like the fancy meals he cooked.
Sniffling, Roxie raised her head and glanced around - only for a sense of dread to creep through her. She was trapped.
The little borrower sat in what looked like an old birdcage, with a few scraps of warm cloth inside. A cotton ball sufficed as a pillow behind her, while a thimble of water sat beside her. Feeling her heart begin to race wildly in her chest, she slowly straightened up and looked around, eyes wide with panic. She was in a different room; propped up onto a desk, next to a microphone and massive radio set; to be quite honest, it looked like a mini radio station. Her gaze drifted to the window in the room; sunlight filtered in through the blinds.
I passed out the whole night, didn’t I?
A part of her was confused, and equally fearful at the fact that she hadn’t been swallowed up while unconscious. It would’ve been easy; too easy.
Roxie reached over for the thimble, only to stop herself; she was parched, but somehow, she didn’t trust that water. Who knew what was in it? Flinching away, the little borrower moved toward the door of the birdcage; a lock was slapped onto it, keeping her from just unlatching the door. The faint sound of low music caught her attention as well, coming from the living room - and after a quick sniff, she could smell breakfast being cooked in the kitchen. Uneasily, Roxie realized that meant Alastor was up and about. A flicker of movement caught her eye in the distance; and just as she feared, Alastor was mulling about the kitchen, humming along with the soft tune coming from the radio.
Great. Let’s hope I’m not on the menu again.
Trembling, Roxie grasped onto the cage bars for a moment, peering out. Alastor had a habit of leaving doors open, though she had a gut feeling it was to make sure she was still somewhat in his line of sight at this point. She wondered if it’d be worth it to call him, or leave the man to his own devices; either way, she was at his mercy.
Maybe if I try to play nice, so will he.
The borrower hesitated before she mustered up her courage, and spoke; calling as loud as she could. Thankfully, the radio’s volume was fairly low from the sound of it.
“Alastor?”
In the distance, the man paused; Roxie held her breath as he glanced over his shoulder. She felt her stomach drop as he looked towards her; somehow, despite the stretch of space between them, she could practically feel those eyes burning into her soul.
He was still fucking smiling, too.
“Oh! Roxie - you’re awake. I’ll be there in a jiffy, darling.”
The man spoke as if he hadn’t just tried to eat her last night. Roxie felt a twinge of frustration twist in her gut. What was his deal? One minute he was a terrifying force to be reckoned with, and the next a charming gentleman.
She watched as he returned to his cooking for another minute or two, then stepped away from the cage bars as he finished up. Alastor made his way towards the radio room with a plate of scrambled eggs and freshly cooked bacon, along with a cup of coffee. Casually, he plopped himself down at the desk; he didn’t seem to have a care in the world. Only then did he finally raise his head and look at Roxie expectantly for a moment, before chuckling softly.
“Good morning to you too, dear.”
Reaching into his vest pocket, Alastor pulled out a small key to unlock the massive hunk of metal on the door - when his hand came close, Roxie scrambled to the back of the cage, a hand to her chest as she felt her heartbeat spike. His sharp-nailed fingers brushed the door for a moment, before he unlatched it and pulled the door open. He watched the borrower closely, still smiling with an eerie sense of calmness to his demeanor.
“Why don’t you join me for breakfast, hm? Aren’t you hungry? I see you didn’t touch your water; do you prefer coffee?”
Roxie felt a twinge of nausea rush through her system, and she held back a grimace. The deep rooted fear in her heart never faltered. She glanced nervously at the plate of food on the desk, then back up at Alastor, raising an eyebrow at him. The grinning man blinked, staring at her for a minute; before a little laugh escaped him, and he waved a hand absently.
“Oh! Goodness - my apologies. I should’ve known. About last night…”
As Alastor leaned in close to the open door, Roxie pressed herself against the back of the cage.
“That was simply a misunderstanding, darling.”
Stunned, Roxie stared at him; then let her hand drop from her chest, instead clenching it into a fist.
Fuck playing nice; what’s this guy’s problem?!
“M-Misunderstanding?! You tried to eat me! You were going to swallow me whole! Beans don’t just do that- or at least, they’re not supposed to!”
Roxie tensed as she watched Alastor’s lip twitch, seemingly in displeasure at being talked back to; but the smile remained on his face. She wondered if his face ever got sore from it.
“Beans? Ah; human beings, I see. Now, now; settle down. It was an impulsive idea, but no harm done! I made a simple mistake is all. I thought you had witnessed rather private business out in the yard; but I suppose no one would believe you if you tried to tell anyone. I’m sure they’d be more curious about a tiny scientific discovery rather than what you had to say, to be frank.” Alastor shrugged nonchalantly, though his eyes widened as the borrower went on in a frantic scramble of words.
“You tried to eat me alive, and you’re telling me to settle down?! You didn’t spill wine on my dress, ya know - and even if I did see something, what would be bad enough to justify hurting someone like that? I-I thought you were tryna be nice to me, then ya just…turned around and gobbled me up!” Roxie blurted it all out in a panicked rush, feeling the tears threatening to well back up; but she held them back in an attempt to hold her ground. “How am I supposed to believe you won’t do it again?”
Bold words for someone so close to a ravenous human.
She could feel Alastor’s gaze burning into her, worse than ever now. Still, his smile never faltered.
“I suppose you’re right; I should’ve realized all of it would be overwhelming for you. I may have made a minor lapse in judgment last night; but rest assured, it won’t happen again. Now, you have every right to doubt me…” Alastor trailed off briefly, tilting his head as he gestured to the opening of the cage. “But if I wanted to hurt you, truly …I would’ve done so already. I offered you my mercy, didn’t I?” A purr escaped his lips as he raised an eyebrow, watching as the borrower nervously nodded.
“I gave you another chance, Roxie. Don’t question it - embrace it.”
The question jolted her; startled, she looked up at him in alarm.
“W-What?”
“I don’t know anything about borrowers, but I can reasonably deduce one thing; you’re far too small to be out on your own. Now, I’m happy to let you go; given you keep quiet about what happened in this cabin, regardless of your limited knowledge. But you mentioned being stuck out here, didn’t you?” Alastor paused to begin eating, realizing his breakfast was getting cold; but not before making sure to cut a small piece of both the eggs and bacon and nudging it to the edge of his plate. His smile twitched upon noticing that Roxie was eyeing the food, but he held his tongue for now; swallowing before he continued.
“Simply put, I can take you to New Orleans. I’m sure you saw my motorcar outside. All we have to do is pretend none of this ever happened; and so long as you keep your nose out of my business, I don’t think we’ll have any more mishaps, Roxie. What do you say, darling?”
A beat of silence passed. The borrower hesitated, weighing her options; Alastor was still difficult to read, but from his hastiness in his explanation, it was clear there was something sinister lingering in the background - he had tried to eat her impulsively, from a desire that even she had no understanding of. But still, he had a point; if he wanted to end her, he wouldn’t have spared her in those last few moments. And as far as she was concerned, he was driving a rather hard bargain; she wouldn’t last much longer in the bayou alone, and he was her only shot at getting to the the city.
But even then, the psychopath had still tried to eat her.
“Well…” Roxie bit her lip, then sighed softly. “Alright. Fine. Keep your secrets; it ain’t none of my business, and I didn’t see anything to begin with. I just have to get to the city, then I’ll be out of your hair and you won’t have to worry about anyone intrudin’ on ya again.” Against her better judgment, she slowly moved toward the open doorway of the cage, then stepped out. So far so good; he hadn’t snatched her up or shoved her in his mouth. It was unnerving to stand there while the man ate, especially after last night, but Roxie bit back her unease.
“Just keep your paws to yourself…deal?”
“Deal!” Alastor’s eyes shone with a strange flicker of excitement, and he nodded with a grin, before pointing a finger at his chest and crossing over the left side. “Cross my heart and hope to die, darling.” Afterwards, he moved his hand slightly toward the little borrower; but upon realizing she had flinched away, he paused and withdrew it.
“My apologies. Shake on it?”
Much like their first meeting, he extended a finger for her; and after a moment of hesitation, Roxie shook it. He had corrected himself, so there was that; as horrific as the prior night had been, if she was going to get out of this cabin and away from this man, she had to work with him to some degree.
“And, ah - there won’t be any need for the cage anymore, of course. That was just precautionary. Now, please; feel free to eat. Would you like some coffee?” Alastor asked, almost hopefully. “It’s not poisoned if that’s what you’re worried about.” Desperate to prove it from the twitch in his grin, Alastor took a swig from his mug with a smile.
“Thank you…Coffee’s fine.” Roxie managed a timid smile back, watching as Alastor briefly sifted through all the electronics on the desk in search of something, before eventually switching to the drawers by his knees; and fishing out another thimble. He dipped it with careful precision into his coffee mug, then set it down next to his plate within Roxie’s reach. By now, the thirst and hunger was getting to her; without a second glance, she took a sip from the thimble and scarfed down her portion of breakfast, uncomfortably aware of Alastor’s piercing gaze as she ate the bacon.
Since when were humans so focused on what people ate?
Nonetheless, Roxie finished her meal and so did Alastor. Once he had finished off his coffee, the man smiled; as per usual; and stood up, grabbing his plate and the cage. Much to Roxie’s surprise, he fully stepped away from the desk, tucking the cage in the corner of the room before exiting - leaving the little borrower exposed and with free range. Any sensible borrower would’ve run off; the thought crossed her mind, but she feared what would happen if she broke their agreement so soon. No; she had to stick with it for now, and if things went south, she’d figure something out.
She watched Alastor drop the plate off in the kitchen, then make his way back toward her. He sat back down at the desk with a content sigh, laying back for a moment and…strangely enough, closing his eyes.
“Alastor?”
After a moment, the man cracked an eye open, gaze flickering to the little borrower on his desk.
“Hm?”
“Um…” Roxie hesitated, rubbing the back of her neck as she spoke. “Aren’t you going to take me to the city?”
“Oh, no. Not right now.”
The borrower jolted, a look of alarm crossing her face as she glanced at the human with a touch of annoyance in her gaze.
“W-What? But I thought you said-”
“I’d take you, and I will. I was going to rest before work, but since you seem insistent on disrupting me…” The man rolled his eyes, though his voice held a teasing note to it as he sat back up in his chair and reached across the desk to grab a black headset, and crimson microphone. He tucked the headset over his ears, fiddling with one of the wires for a moment.
“I suppose I can start early today, so long as you stay quiet for me, alright?”
A look of confusion crossed the borrower’s face as she tilted her head, watching as the human flicked on a few buttons along the radio boxes, then flashed a debonair smile in Roxie’s direction as one of them flashed a bright red.
The radio static buzzed to life, and Alastor called out with excitement and a touch of charm to his voice into the microphone clutched in his hands.
The Deer's Den - Chapter 1 (The Deer and the Mouse)
MINORS DNI!
Read it here on AO3 (And here for Tumblr!)
Tagged as mature for safety purposes, but all vore in this fanfic is meant to be nonsexual. Please refer to the AO3 link for all the tags and more detailed warnings for the fic
A stranded borrower named Roxie finds a strange smiling gentleman in a cabin along the Louisiana bayou - and gets more than she bargained for. In a thrilling tale of horror, deception, and unwavering hunger, Roxie finds herself at a crossroads with Louisiana's most famous radio host, Alastor; who threatens the very foundation of everything borrowers stand for. With Roxie's newfound friends in the mix, the borrowers and bartender of a New Orleans speakeasy must work together to save themselves and others from being served on a silver platter, once and for all.
Content Warnings for this chapter: Attempted fatal vore, cannibalism (eating human meat unknowingly)
Chapter 1: The Deer and the Mouse is under the cut!
As the rain pelted down into the Louisiana bayou, creatures of all shapes and sizes scuttled about to rid themselves of the late night downpour - while others welcomed it. Wild pigs snorted and shuffled onto land, shaking rain from their pelts as they disappeared into the foliage beyond the murky waters. The distinct shape of a gator hovered just below the water’s surface, side-eyeing a deer that had scuttled away and down the sodden path. Out of everything in this bayou, however, one thing was different than the rest - a tiny figure flinched away as the massive deer ran past, ducking behind a few blades of grass. Their form was soaked from head to toe, and upon closer inspection, any onlooking creature would’ve seen that this wasn’t an animal. No, it was a little person; roughly the size of a mouse - and they had certainly seen better days.
It seemed that this borrower was down on their luck.
Donned in tattered, handsewn flapper attire, Roxie was a young woman with a short black bob and fair skin; and after hitching a ride discreetly on the back of a motorcar, her attempt at traveling across Louisiana had been cut short. A simple bump in the road and a tumble of boxes later had rendered the borrower stranded in the bayou. After evading herons, snakes, and other starving animals in the swamp, it had been a miracle she’d been alive for so long - but the young woman was determined to get to the New Orleans and find a new home for herself. The tumble had sent her off the main road, and with a world so big, it had been disorienting to get back to it; but from the looks of it, she had found it.
Scrambling amidst the rain, Roxie darted away from the water’s edge and sprinted down the path the deer had gone. This had to be the main road; and even if it wasn’t, surely it led back to civilization.
“Damn it…”
Shivering, Roxie hugged herself tight as she scurried along. She flinched at the clap of thunder high above her, only to squeak and pick up the pace upon glimpsing a flash of lightning nearby. She needed to find shelter, and quickly; if the animals didn’t kill her, the storm surely would one way or another; be it the cold, swept into the bayou, or an unlucky lightning strike if fate had it against her.
Roxie didn’t know how long she had been running for; her legs ached, her body was sore, and she was chilled to the bone. Just when thought she couldn’t bear it any longer, the faint glimmer of a light up ahead caught her attention. Eyes widening, the little borrower forced herself to keep moving - before a relieved smile spread across her face at the sight of a cabin up ahead; the light was coming from the windowsill, and from the distant crackle, a radio’s steady tune could be heard. The cabin looked like a rather cozy place, a bit ways from the bayou and off to the side of the road. Darting off it and towards the wooden cabin, Roxie noticed a black and red motorcar that had seen better days was parked outside.
Perfect; she could stay there for the night, and even with a bean inside, she was sure she could find a spot to hunker down. All she had to do now was get in.
After a bit of snooping, Roxie eased her way behind the cabin; where she finally found a moment of salvation under the back stairs. The boards shielded her from the rain for now, thankfully. However, the little borrower tensed at the distinct sound of footsteps from above; crouching down, she held her breath as the back door abruptly opened. Covering her mouth with a hand, Roxie watched uneasily as a bean made their way down the stairs; as he reached the bottom, she noticed he was carrying a black bag in his right hand. Through the rain, as well as the light pouring out from the doorway, she noticed the bean was a lanky fellow - wearing a white shirt and red vest. His other hand threw up an umbrella to shield himself from the rain; and while she didn’t get a good look at his face, she didn’t care to see. No, Roxie was focused on a new task; if she moved quick enough, she could slip inside through the back door. The little borrower moved quickly and with purpose, doing her best to clamber up the back steps; thankfully they were pretty short, with enough dents in the wood to allow her to grab on and heave herself up. Breathing heavily, Roxie managed to make it to the top; and she took off sprinting across the porch, running in through the door and veering to the right just as the bean turned around to return from his idle task.
Wasting no time, Roxie ducked underneath an end table by the door. Seconds later, the bean stepped back inside and shut the door carefully behind him, setting the umbrella in its holder next to the end table. All she could see of him now were his black dress shoes and the hems of his trousers as he moved across the house, humming a little tune to match the one playing from the radio. Roxie distinctly recognized it as a familiar one; “Ain't Misbehavin'” - this bean certainly had class.
For a borrower, Roxie was well versed in the activity of beans; or rather, humans. She adored their style, their music - hence her own attire, and affinity for finding like minded borrowers who explored the same fashion choices in their own unique, handmade ways in a world that had no clue they existed.
Tilting her head slightly, Roxie scanned the room the best she could in her current position; her views were limited, but a quick glance was enough for her to get a rough layout. The cabin was small; with a cozy living room containing a burning fireplace, along with a deerskin rug beneath a table and crimson armchair. Above the fireplace was a mounted deer head, and on the table sat a small radio; the source of the lovely tune.
To the left of her was another room; she glimpsed a microphone and second radio from where she crouched, but couldn’t make out much else in the shrouded darkness. To the right was a kitchen; the bean was making his way there, with a sway in his step as he hummed the radio tune. Realizing this was her chance to move, Roxie scampered out from under the end table; she could hear the sound of running water coming from the kitchen. He was still busy; perfect.
Moving swiftly, the little borrower scuttled further into the living room; this time managing to make her way toward a small crevice in the wall next to the fireplace. She slipped inside with ease, a soft sigh of relief escaping her. It was much warmer there, with how close it was to the fireplace; and from here she could get a better look at the bean, too. As she hunkered down, Roxie hugged herself tightly and shuffled closer to the warmest side of the crevice. It wasn’t as small as she had expected; the crevice led into the inner workings of the house, which provided ample passage throughout it from the looks of it; she figured she could do some exploring later, and see if she could “borrow” some scraps of food in a bit. Once she was settled, she glanced outside - watching as the bean finally walked back out into the living room.
Now, she could get a decent look - and goodness, he was a handsome fellow.
With light brown skin and brown eyes, a tuft of brown hair sat atop his head; styled perfectly. A small set of glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, framing a calm gaze and a pleasant smile on his face. He looked like he was in his late 20s, much like her. In addition to his well-kept looks, the white shirt and red vest said it all; this bean knew how to dress himself in a way that was eye-catching above all else, dapper in nature even in the confines of his own home. In her time, Roxie had lived in a handful of homes; and while she could only ever observe beans from afar, you could often tell a lot about a bean from the way they dressed and carried themselves in this day and age.
The bean made his way toward the back door to lock it, though paused as his gaze drifted to the floor. For a moment, he stared - tilting his head ever so slightly; before he slowly knelt down by the doorway. The smile on his face never faltered, but something in the man’s posture seemed to shift; he appeared tense above all else as let his hand ease down to the floorboards, swiping his sharp-nailed fingers along the wood before flicking his wrist.
Roxie’s sense of security vanished at the realization that he was looking at water - a trail of it, tracking further than his own lingering steps before it along with his own had dried out along the deerskin rug. The wood had already begun to soak up the worst of it, but something still didn’t sit right with the man. He wouldn’t have tracked water that far, not in such a tiny trail, anyways; he was always so very careful about messing up his flooring.
He couldn’t quite put his finger on it at first, but a twisting sensation in his gut was enough for him to deduce that someone, or something, was here.
After a moment, the bean finally straightened up with a small, disgruntled sound despite the ever-present, calm smile on his face. Turning away from the door, he scanned the living room with those piercing brown eyes - something about them was different this time. A twinge of unease rushed through the little borrower as she shrank back a little more in her hiding spot; it was mostly shrouded in darkness anyway, but she didn’t want to risk it. A beat passed, and finally, the man gave a small shrug and headed back into the kitchen - where Roxie could hear the distant sound of utensils along with the thunk of cupboards being rifled through. The song on the radio fizzled out with a static-filled finish, before switching to the next tune in its roster.
Admittedly, Roxie was surprised that this bean was so active in these late night hours; she supposed he was a bit of a night owl, but that wasn’t exactly helpful for her. She was better off staying put until he settled, so the borrower did just that; curling up in a sodden heap and feeling the gentle warmth of the fire nearby, Roxie closed her eyes to rest; and soon enough, the scent of a hearty meal filled the house; whatever it was, it smelled delicious . She’d have to snoop around for scraps later, if the bean left anything behind.
The borrower drifted in and out of sleep for the next hour or so, jolting back to attention only when she heard the footsteps of the bean making his way into the living room. She tiredly rubbed at her eyes, noticing he was using a toothpick; and from the satisfied smile on his face, she figured he had enjoyed his dinner. The man plopped down in the armchair, placing a hand over his abdomen as he laid his head back and closed his eyes.
About time. I’m starving; if I’m lucky, he’ll doze off by the fire like I did.
Straightening up, the now dry borrower carefully squirmed further into the crevice; she spotted the opening that led further into the inner workings of the house, and decided now would be a good time to search and see what went where. Taking the narrow tunnel on the right, she figured that’d be her best bet to check out the kitchen; and maybe, just maybe, she could sneak a scrap of food back into her hiding spot. After a bit of squirming and wriggling about, the borrower managed to make her way down the narrow crawl space in the walls, finding another small opening; and a quick peek confirmed it led into the kitchen, just as she had hoped. Grinning, Roxie glanced around for a moment; the bean was still in the living room, with the back of the chair facing her; she wouldn’t even be in his line of sight. Looking out over the kitchen counter, her eyes widened as she spotted the remains of his dinner; his plate was mostly picked clean, but there were a few scraps of bloody, rare meat left; she didn’t care what kind. Food was food, after all, especially for someone of her size. And besides, meat cooked in such a manner was an absolute treat; rarer than Roxie would’ve liked, but she wasn’t about to complain.
Carefully, the little borrower crept forward out of the wall crevice. Past the wide variety of cooking utensils, the jars of spices, and more; toward the plate that had been abandoned on the counter. She quirked a brow as she passed a cutting board with a massive knife sticking out of it; it was still bloody, and while she was surprised the bean hadn’t cleaned up after himself, she supposed he just wanted to rest after his meal.
Reaching the plate, Roxie casted a quick glance at the bean; she could still see the top of his head above the chair. Quickly grabbing a piece of meat, she scurried back to her crevice and ducked inside; in several ravenous bites, it was gone. It tasted just as delicious as it had smelled, and it was still somewhat warm too. It tasted like pork; and judging from the taxidermy and pelts in the house, she was sure this bean was a hunter. Maybe he snagged one of those wild pigs outside earlier.
Roxie was quick to emerge for a second helping; she hadn’t eaten for hours, so warm food, especially in her unfortunate situation, was a pleasant surprise. She had to take advantage of it while she could. Snatching another piece from the plate, this time the borrower couldn’t help herself; then and there she began to scarf it down, overwhelmed with the prospect of being full for the first time in a while.
The music stopped; and in that instant, Roxie hadn’t realized her rookie mistake.
Always check the bean.
Scarfing down the last of the meat in her hands, the little borrower moved to return to the crevice in the wall; but froze mid-step as a shadow came over her minuscule form. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe; her throat felt tight, and her body began to tense up at the sound of a cheery voice rang out above her.
“My, my, my…what have we here?”
A shift of movement, the click of nails on the countertop; Roxie trembled as she slowly looked over her shoulder, heart jolting damn near out of her chest at the grinning face of the bean gazing down at her. His gaze was fixated upon the little thing before him, wide with a mix of awe…and if Roxie wasn’t mistaken, hunger.
No. I’m overreacting. Surely not.
As the bean leaned in close, his lips twitched into a wider grin; a glimmer of excitement shone in his eyes, but something about it was unsettling to say the least. Every sense of admiration for this dapper-looking man she had in her brief time in the house had crashed and burned. Instinct told her to run, to get as far away as she feasibly could then and there; but as the borrower shakily stepped back, she felt herself bump against something. Much to her horror, the bean had carefully moved one hand behind her.
“No, no; let’s not be so hasty. Running away already? How rude…”
A disappointed sigh escaped the man’s smiling lips as he tilted his head, watching the tiny woman like a cat with a mouse; poised to pounce at any moment, should his quarry budge even an inch. Heart racing wildly in her chest, Roxie recoiled as she found herself cornered; her back pressed against the bean’s palm, and this smiling man staring down at her. A giant above all else in comparison, with eyes that reflected a little too much curiosity for her liking. However as the tears welled up in Roxie’s own eyes, the man raised an eyebrow quizzically - before he chuckled and shook his head.
“Oh, no need for tears, darling. Forgive me…I didn’t mean to frighten you. Cat got your tongue?” The man laughed, and appeared to recompose himself a tad; he leaned back slightly, but kept his hand behind the little borrower. He couldn’t have her running off, after all. Not yet.
“I…” Roxie struggled to find her words; she had never spoken to a bean before, and the prospect was just as horrifying as she had imagined. No matter how much she admired humankind, she knew they were dangerous, regardless of how kind they appeared. This man was no exception, surely - unless he winded down, she wasn't sure if she could trust him.
“P-Please don’t hurt me.” She finally rushed the words out shakily, slumping against the man’s palm; she found herself flinching as he simply chuckled in response, almost as if amused by her panic.
“Hurt you? Why would I do that? Though, I can’t help but wonder, if you’ll humor me - what are you?” After a moment, he cleared his throat and went on.
“Ah - where are my manners? I’m getting ahead of myself. My name is Alastor; what lovely name matches that pretty face of yours? Come now; don’t cry.”
Roxie flinched as the man’s fingers curled a little more around her; fear gripped her tightly, but she knew better than to deny this man’s desire for information.
“Roxie. M-My name’s Roxie, sir.”
Alastor’s wide grin never faltered, revealing pointed canines amidst his standard teeth; unusual for a human, but Roxie felt a twinge of unease at the mere idea of mentioning it.
“Pleasure to meet you, Roxie; quite a pleasure!”
The man held his other hand out, but this time, extended a finger for her. She hesitated, before reaching out to shake it - only then did Alastor pull his free hand back. Roxie didn’t like how he felt the need to stare , on top of it all; now it was getting unnerving.
“P-Pleasure’s all mine, sir. You just gave me a fright is all. I’m a borrower. Y-You’ve probably never heard of us; but we’re just like you! Just…smaller.”
Another laugh, but this time, it was curt.
“I doubt that, young lady. But go on.”
Roxie didn’t know if she wanted to find out what he meant by that.
“We…We just take what people won’t miss. Things like buttons and pins, ya see; nothing alarming. Scraps of food, crumbs, really. Sometimes we give things back, sometimes we don’t but we never take anything important! I’m not a thief, I swear it-“
Alastor’s eyes narrowed, but the smile on his face remained.
“Then what are you doing here in my home, hm?”
The man’s eyes drifted to the plate, taking note of a few missing scraps; he always knew what parts of his meals went to waste. It was important to keep track of what he was tossing out. For a split second, Alastor looked…confused, almost; despite the ever-present grin, he looked at the tiny woman with a quizzical flicker in his gaze.
“…How much did you eat?”
Roxie blinked; now it was her turn to be confused. Why did this man care? “J-Just two pieces, sir. I’m sorry, I…didn’t think you’d notice. I-It looked like you finished.”
“How was it?”
The uncomfortable aura of this man seemed to fade in that instance; his voice was riddled with a new sense of excitement and curiosity. Slowly, he pulled his hand away from her, much to Roxie’s shock and relief. Clasping his hands together, Alastor gazed down at her expectantly.
Roxie hesitated, before she spoke; managing a timid smile up at the human.
“I-It was delicious, sir. You’re a mighty fine cook. Never had anything that tasty in my life; meat like that is real tough to find for us.”
“You really think so? Well, that’s a relief! I could never get my mother’s famous jambalaya right, but I’m rather proud of my butcher skills. The meat I cook is to die for, darling; it’s about time someone agrees.”
Alastor paused for a moment before he held his hand out once more, this time laying it flat along the countertop in front of her.
“Do forgive my impulsiveness earlier; I’ve just never seen someone as small as you before. All of this must be terribly overwhelming for you - you must have been the one who came through the back door. I could’ve sworn I noticed an unusual trail; I’ll be honest, I thought it was a rat. No offense intended, of course.” Alastor explained with a shrug, watching with ever-growing interest as the tiny woman carefully; and a little reluctantly; stepped onto his palm. Roxie didn’t exactly want to find herself back in his grasp again, but a part of her was worried he’d take offense if she didn’t. The panic from earlier had noticeably subsided; perhaps this human wasn’t as much of a threat as she initially thought.
He was just confused; I suppose I’d feel the same way if I saw someone the size of a mouse in my home. And I did just catch him after dinner; he must’ve still been hungry if he went back to the kitchen, unless he was planning on cleaning up.
“None taken. That was me all right..”
Roxie carefully sat herself down in Alastor’s palm, twitching a little nervously when his fingers curled to cup around her. The human moved swiftly but quietly as he headed back to the living room, where it was much warmer and cozier.
“I came in to get out of the rain; I got caught in that dreadful downpour. I hitched a ride on the back of a motorcar on the way to New Orleans, but the jerk driving didn’t pay attention; some things got knocked out the back and so did I. Got myself stuck in the bayou; I’m lucky I found your place when I did. I found ya just as you were headed outside with that trash bag.”
Alastor stopped mid-step, standing in front of the fireplace for a moment. Confused, Roxie looked up at him; the smile on his face remained, but there was a new look in his eyes. Agitation? Suspicion? The borrower couldn’t tell. With a smile on his face; Roxie wondered if he ever got tired of it; the man was a little hard to read.
“You saw me go outside?”
The words were pointed and slow, careful almost as his gaze flickered down to her.
“…Y-Yes? I was under the stairs. I’m not sure what that has to do with anything-“
“Oh.”
Alastor sounded…disappointed. Yet, that smile remained; almost strained, desperate even.
“In that case…I’m terribly sorry, Roxie.”
A prickle of unease shot up the borrower’s spine as Alastor’s grip around her suddenly tightened; his fingers curled tightly around her small frame, squeezing a tad too hard; enough to make her squeak in alarm.
“A-Alastor? What are ya doin-?!”
“I was hoping this could last a little longer, but I’m not entirely sure how much you saw out there….And I can’t exactly risk it.”
“What are you talkin’ about?! P-Put me down this instant-“ Roxie’s protests faltered as Alastor lifted the little borrower up to her face, and a rush of horror washed over her as the human opened his grinning mouth. “Alastor!” The shriek that escaped her was bloodcurdling and high pitched, frantic and full of terror as she found herself face to face with the human’s wide-open jaws, tongue slipping over his teeth as he tilted his head back, lifting her a little higher. She fumbled for words beyond that terrible scream, squirming in the human’s tight grasp; he adjusted it, instead pinching the back of her dress and dangling her over the slimy cavern below.
The borrower’s horrified gaze scanned the organic pit below her; a slimy, pink tongue, sharp canine teeth and molars, a dangling uvula, and a deep, dark gullet that seemed to beckon her with each pulse of the eager muscles just beyond the tonsils.
“No, no, no!” Roxie squealed as the human lowered her toward his gaping jaws, feeling the rush of his warm breath along her tiny body; and the scent alone left her numb with the panic of it all. It smelled of meat and blood; like his hearty meal, but plagued with the metallic tang of the crimson droplets that stained the kitchen knife.
Before the little borrower could struggle further, she felt the grip on her dress loosen; and in a split second, she plummeted toward the human’s jaws, which snapped shut behind her with the click of his teeth. Squealing, Roxie began to kick and thrash in the slimy dark cavern surrounding her. Tears welling up in her eyes all over again, Roxie wailed as the human’s tongue slathered against her; as if savoring her taste with each rough push and prod.
Humans aren’t supposed to eat borrowers! Oh my stars!
Roxie felt a sick sensation plague her as she heard the reverberating hums of content echoing around her; this human was enjoying her like a mere morsel, and the idea alone was sickening. He had finished his dinner, sure; but that meant she was dessert.
“L-Let me go! Please, I’ll do anything for ya! I-I didn’t see anything while you were out there, I swear! And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell a soul! Alastor, stop!”
The pleas were desperate and frantic as she fought in the slimy confines of the human’s mouth, grimacing in disgust as she was slathered in spit from head to toe.
Being stuck in the rain was better than this; had she known that being eaten by a human would’ve been her fate, Roxie wouldn’t have stepped into this dreadful cabin; but it was too late for “what-ifs” now.
Crying, the little borrower struggled weakly as she felt the human’s tongue shift beneath her. She expected the worst, waiting for the slam of those awful teeth to rip her apart…But instead, she felt a shift in gravity. Confused, the teary borrower raised her head; only for a new sense of horror to crash into her as Roxie felt herself slipping toward that deep, dark gullet ahead of her. From here, she could hear it; the gurgling groans of Alastor’s insides, rising up from his throat as a reminder of her future destination.
The realization struck her then and there, paralyzing the borrower as she was eased forward with the aid of the human’s tilted head.
He wasn’t going to chew her. No, Alastor was going to swallow her - he was going to eat her alive.
“No!”
The cry escaped Roxie’s lips at the sound and motion of a gulp; roughly pushing her toward the tunnel ahead. Her head brushed beneath Alastor’s uvula, squishing against her head as she teetered over the back of the human’s throat. Blindly clawing and trying to scramble away, Roxie wailed as she inched forward with another gulp; the human’s gullet opened wide, eager for its brand new morsel.
Down below, those hungry gurgles only grew louder; if she didn’t think fast, she'd meet her demise in the sweltering belly below. She was running out of time.
“I didn’t see anything, I swear! Don’t eat me!”
A contemplative hum sounded, loud and overwhelming in the man’s jaws. Saliva began to build up at the back of his throat; not convincing enough.
“I only saw you walk out, then I ran inside! When you came back in, I couldn’t see much either! I promise, I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’ll do whatever ya want, anything ! Whatever’s wrong, your secret’s safe with me! I-I thought you were a swell fella, honest! Don’t do this, please! ”
A beat passed, and a sense of dread filled the borrower. Tears rushing down her cheeks, Roxie squeezed her eyes shut as she braced herself for a final gulp.
Another shift in gravity; but this time, backwards. Abruptly, Roxie felt herself slide back in a rush of movement and a squeak of alarm and panic. In a matter of seconds, the borrower tumbled head over heels; past those terribly sharp teeth, over the slick tongue - and into the blinding light of the outside world. Disoriented as she coughed and spluttered, her head spinning from the dizzying sensation, the little borrower landed in a sodden heap in Alastor’s hands. His fingers curled around her slick form quickly to keep her still, despite the woman’s weak squirms. Roxie’s heart pounded, the blood rushed in her ears, and her breaths came out ragged and fearful.
In a matter of seconds all Roxie could see were swirling stars and that wicked grin before she collapsed in a dizzy spell, limp in Alastor’s grasp.
