Instead of DND players using lil figurines, the DM conspires with the borrowers living in their walls and the borrowers have a grand time attempting to enact the shenanigans of the DND group, each tiny assigned to one of the characters!!
The DND members are tasked by the DM to craft their characters outfits for the tinies and the DM crafts little outfits for the tiny who plays the role of various villains!!
Imagine the tinies all receive an outfit and one of the humans has the best skill. All of the tinies fawning over the outfit and one of them holding up their potato sack of a costume and looking up at their human saying ‘wtf man, X’s outfit is way better!! did u even try?!?’
as a former entomologist i cant help but daydreaming…
tinies held by rubber bands to pins on pinning board, cloth gagging them, spread eagled, getting drawn by a scientist wearing a head magnifier with their head cocked to one side
a tiny being kept in a container next to a laboratory full of other live bugs individually containerized, marked, and kept on shelves. the chatter of insects is deafening and claustrophobia closes in on them as they pound against the containers top
forceps plucking a tiny from their enclosure and dropping them down the skinny entrance of a volumetric flask, leaving them sliding down with red marks on their bare sides from the forceps ridges
a fairy getting caught in a bug net by an entomologist in the field, hands wrapped around the fairy as their wings beat in desperation to escape
a tiny pressed between two glass slides of a microscope and gently being slid under the blaring light as theyre studied by their captor
yeah i could really go into the metaphor here but basically Cookie feels cursed by his past experiences (in particular, his romantic relationships) in a way that causes him to avoid new opportunities with the preemptive assumption that everything will just go wrong again and that he, and everyone around him, will just get hurt. In this way, the 3rd door represents his relationship with Ben and the hesitation and guilt Cookie feels. Even though Cookie really, really, wants to pursue a relationship with Ben, his fear keeps him from opening that door.
Also, its barely noticeable, but he's wearing the suit he wears in the final act, as that is when he finally confesses to Ben (it ends up going horribly and, if he survived it, it would have just been another confirmation of his insecurity; another regrettable door in the wall).
After Evelyn turns everyone in, Bea gets taken back to her family. Her hair was too matted, muddy, and damaged to be saved, so they cut it down to the roots. She wasn't a fan.
This would be just before she enters public school and meets Lainey and McKaylee.
its based on actual entomology work ive done as a scientist, very self indulgent! TW: Cursing, light nudity, light blood, bugs (non aggro bugs)
Chapter 1: Introduction
I took quick and long strides down the sterile white hallway. At the end of the hallway were double doors tinted a dark black with yellow and red warning plates on the side. Reaching the end of the hallway and approaching a set of lockers, I instinctively reach for one marked with pink duct tape. Sighing, I shed my coat and donned a fresh laboratory coat along with medical boot covers. I tied my hair back into a messy bun of curls and finished up by secured the boot covers and buttoning up the coat. Beep beep beep beep! I stepped through the first door after punching in a personalized unique code. It was completely dark except for the UV light and stepped onto a sticky white pad. I heard the familiar hissing and allowed the cold air shower to blow onto my face and body before the stream dissipated. Lights automatically turned on and she then entered the quarantine lab. The quarantine lab was divided into four sections with one of the chemist labs right at the entrance.
“Heya Kyle. Any lucky today?” I approached the other scientist, peering around his shoulders at the beetle he was dissecting.
“Eh yknow, still having a hard time replicating the pheromones of this particular species. Still no preference or response to any of my solutions. The boss is pressuring me to get one ready in preparation for a public meeting with the state. Theres some big money involved with this research and the public havent been responsive. These invasive lil guys sure are causing me to lose sleep.” His face is creased with stress as he talks about it and he drops his tools in frustration.
“Yeah…they sure are cute lil guys. Imagine when you finally formulate it though! Theyll want to be all over you. Then your army of beetle lovers can eat the public opinion!” I laugh and pick up an analytical jar filled with peat and watch as the horned beetle emerges to munch on some sugarcane.
“Also hey how many do we have in inventory?” I inquire.
“Uhhh probably around 400 individuals over 5 generations. Sixth generation is scheduled to emerge in a few days now.” He answers, still not looking up at me. I admire his brown sleek hair, shining under the fluorescent lighting. I usually made excuses to talk to him throughout the day.
“Wow I wonder how much room we have left in here, we’re packed full. Well I have to work for about 3 hours with the longhorns so Ill come check in later to see if I can assist you.” Striding off, I walk through a hallway and enter a large metal door with a large latch.
I come into an enclosed refrigerated room and curse my luck on being stuck here. Its all plated metal with a chrome shelving unit on wheels and a long black table that stood about waist height. Plopping down on the black top swivel stool, i reach up for my clipboard, a binder, and mechanical pencil. Flipping open the binder, I scan the list of insects to be tested and pull out a form from another tabbed section. I flip open my airpod case and connect to my phones spotify playlist and walk out of the refrigerated hell to go grab my lil buddies that I get to hang out with for awhile. The insect species are separated by room so I dance over to the longhorn beetle room down the hall. The walls are lined with cups full of insect food and individual insects in each container. Buckets of different types of plants for feeding and a few carts along with another black table in the center of the room, fairly messy with forceps and papers were scattered about. The containers were marked with a gender sticker and had assigned genealogy tracking numbers. Sometimes Id mark a little heart on their containers if I was particularly fond of one of the individuals.
Dancing over and grabbing the cart, I stack male beetles and referencing my clipboard every so often. I scooted them all carefully back into my refrigerated testing room while grooving a bit to the music. I grabbed my favorite stick from the shelving unit and popped the top of the container to LB-08924 and was greeted by shaking and hissing.
“Oh nope. How bout you calm down there young man. Ill give you a few more minutes.” And grab another container for a second try.
On the table is a glass Y tube. Theres one small air hose connected to one side with the vaporized pheromone that the lab created and one small air hose connected to the other side with regular air. I get the next individual onto the stick and gently transfer them to the entrance to the tube and start a timer. The little antennas move a bit and stays in place. Waiting for the male to make a decision, I scribble in quick notes and information out on my form. Finally after 3 long minutes the male decides to walk down the tube towards our lab solution. I detach the air hose and gently pinch the lil guy to pull him out with a gloved hand. With a rather ungraceful plop, the male is dropped back into the container and the lid snapped shut.
Three hours go by and Ive listened to a whole Phish album and a podcast. I push a fallen curl behind my ear and straighten my posture, flipping through my reports to make sure I didnt miss any information.
Id been looking forward to taking a break and talking to Kyle again and the thought made me smile a bit to myself. I replace all my test subjects back to their respectful places, pop out my earbuds, and walk down the long hallway back to the main chemist lab.
“Kyle! Still hard at work I see. Im finished up with my beetles, need me to try and take a crack at yours?” I call out, seeing him in the same exact position as before. But this time, he actually turns to meet my green eyes with his darker gaze.
“Actually…yeah. The boss just fuckin yelled at me again to hurry this up. He doesnt understand that I cant rush this and once it is formulated, we have a long QC process ahead of us… Test this for me will you?”
“Yeah, anything for you. Give me a couple minutes to warm up first. Sample size?”
“Lets do 50 individuals. Using a spoon is your best bet to dig em out of the peat. Thanks, Clementine.” He holds out a vial to me and i take it, flashing him a smile and receiving one back.
I take the vial and slip it into my lab pocket readying a new cart of the new much larger rhinoceros male beetles. I struggle to balance their glass containers on the cart and right as I attempt to move the cart into the doorway of the testing room, the cart wobbles and causes the glass jars with the beetles to fall. Lunging to save the falling beetles, I trip in the process, breaking the vial and causing the glass to puncture through my jacket and shirt into my side. I land on other glass and thankfully none of the beetles.
“FUCK. ME.” I hiss and to my dismay I hear footsteps running over to me.
“Dude this didnt happen, lets not file an OSHA report and shit you know how much paperwork that is. Its my fault I shouldnt have tried to bring in that many bugs. I’ll take care of it all seriously Im fine. Im so sorry for breaking your vial I know that took you a long time..” I couldnt stop talking. Nevermind as fast as I was. I felt so embarrassed by the whole thing and wished I was alone. Kyle was staring at me with saucer eyes as if I ended the world by smashing his creation and I felt so badly about not being more careful.
“Uh Clementine… are you…. are you ok..? What the fuck…?”
I look down and see blood… but the blood stains look huge…but so does the lab coat itself…fuck I dont feel good. Woah all the beetles are surrounding me. The ones on the walls all surfaced from their peat. What the fuck….
Everything was in slow motion. I couldnt think straight and I felt like I was floating on hard drugs.
I realize Im craning my head up at Kyle with panic in my eyes.
“What was in the vial?” I slowly struggle to ask?
“Nothing that would cause this?? Its impossible. Maybe a dream??” He looks down at her with matching panic, hands shaking and staring down in fear as he appeared larger and larger to my now slumped body.
Ten or so beetles had finally began to crawl on me as I reached the height of the waist high table. Fear gripped me in the uncertainty but I realized I could barely stand from the overwhelming dizziness and weakness that overtook me. I was no taller than the waist high table and I collapsed to the ground causing two beetles to jump off.
“Help, please” desperation soaked my voice as their barbed legs gripped into my skin and my height still diminishing.
Kyles eyes darted and he finally began snatching the beetles off me and placing them in the labs emergency bug net. His huge hands approaching me caused my heart to race faster with fear. Holding the net of angry buzzing beetles, he turned and ran to secure them, leaving me. I had no idea how tall I was at this point, just that I was probably under 1’ by the look of things. I began to drag myself towards the bottom of the cart to try and hide underneath. There was no where else to hide and I couldnt trust a scientist, no matter how cute. The loud sound of footsteps coming back pumped fear through me and I realized I wouldnt be able to hide in time.
“Oh fuck youre so much smaller now…are you still shrinking?! Wait hey stop its ok theres no more beetles. All the insects are all locked up.” Kyle pushed the cart to expose the top half of me that had dragged myself under and squatted down in front of me.
“Uh sorry it took me a minute to process everything before helping you. I have no fucking idea whats happening but I feel responsible for giving you that vial. Im going to….pick you up now. Theres a lot of glass on the floor. Youre like 4 inches right now and I think you stopped shrinking.”
I watch, laid out on my side, bleeding in various places as he reaches both hands out in front of him, tilting his head as he considered how to exactly pick me up. I swallow as the hands approach. He uses his pointer finger to roll me onto the palm of his other hand. I puke in my mouth as he slowly raises me up to his gaze. His eyes are massive now, huge glossy orbs of color right in front of me. Exposing me. I had never felt so naked before and I shyly move my hands to cover myself despite my naked body already touching his warm palm. Averting my eyes, I hold back tears and feel absolutely out of control of reality.
“Ive got you, dont worry. I’ve got you.” He whispered quietly.
“We’ve gotta go though. We need to address your wounds first and foremost. Youre coming back with me.” Taking control of the situation, Kyles voice filled with more confidence.
“We gotta put you down first though so I can clean this up to prevent any suspicion. Im gonna lay you on the table now. Ill grab your shirt so you dont get cold. Youre shaking…i think.”
I couldnt speak. I didnt know what to say. I nodded weakly at the massive being and the nausea hit again as he lowered his hands and moved to the table. Using two fingers, he gently pushed me off his palm and I rolled onto the cold metal. In that moment I felt like a rag-doll specimen. He quickly plucked my bra from my shirt and brought the shirt up and wrapped me in it. My shivered chattering began to quiet and I soon found myself asleep to the sounds of him cleaning up broken glass.
More Powered Spirit loree,,, deaths and stuffss (Phrozyr/Neo, Three/Douglas, Romeo/Theo, Jackie, Zero, Boss demon mentioned and the Inventor implied)
The exact means of creation for the powered spirits has been something I've gone back and forth on,, but i think i have something pretty solid now,,,
I'm thinking each of the powered spirits were created by extremely violent and/or sudden deaths and then existed independently as cryptid-like creatures before being discovered and taken in by Boss demon.
Phrozyr (Neo) fell off an icy mountain. In life, she was a hiking guide for groups of people on the same mountain. As Phrozyr, she served the same function she did in life, keeping people on the right path and away from danger by scaring them away from the wrong path. Occasionally, she would make examples of brash hikers who broke the rules and went off-path (killing them), something she saw as necessary to protect others (as the deaths of these rule-breaking hikers would spread as cautionary tales that deterred people from hiking into dangerous terrain).
Three (Douglas) was a school janitor that either slipped and fell or got pushed down a flight of stairs. As a spirit, they mostly stayed undetectable and could only be seen wandering the halls after hours. Because of their fluid nature, i can imagine them slinking through pipes, faucets, and drains, possibly startling the people who caught a glimpse of them.
Romeo (Theo) died of heart failure in a hospital after an incident on stage put him in stress-induced cardiac arrest ((subject to change)). Romeo, using his reality-bending powers, entertained sick patients with performances as they approached death to give them a gentle ease into the afterlife (but because of the gentle and fun aspect of his shows, many of the patients' egos didn't actually persist into the spirit veil, as a spirit is only created in sudden or high-stress deaths).
I can imagine him being a good bed-side companion to patients that had otherwise been given up on by everyone else, like the very elderly or comatose.
Like,, imagine all the stories of dementia patients seeing monsters at the end of their hospital bed except this time its a funny little robot that does a dance.
And Jackie, of course, became "The Siren of the Bluff" after drowning in a lake. She was the most active and vengeful of the four, dragging victims into the depths of the water, and was responsible for many disappearances when she was most active. As is typical of sirens, she would lure men out into the lake with her song.
Also also, each of the powered spirits were lured away from their individual locations by the cabin (controlled by the crown and utilized by Boss demon). Jackie was the first one to reach the cabin, therefore the first one to reach the crown and become Zero.
