Hi! Just call me “Tea!” I’m 24 years old. She/Her Asexual! This is my side blog where I’ll post my SFW G/t comics, ideas, art, stories and memes! (Warning: May include some swearing and violence!)
My original story (The Biggest Heart & A Borrower at the End of the World), General G/t things (thoughts and recommendations), & G/t memes of other blog’s stories!
Things from my original story: "The Biggest Heart"
“It’s hard enough for anyone to fit in at high school… it’s even worse when you LITERALLY can’t fit into the high school building.”
Kæmpe Stør’s Life:
Part 1 here / Part 2 here / Part 3 here / Part 4 / Part 4.5 / "Stor asks his father if he can go play with other kids" / Raising a giant child / 20 Years Later /
"Messing with your brother" / Lilliput pt1 / Lilliput pt2 / Lilliput pt3 / Lilliput pt4 / Stor and Mizu and the sea /
Mizu & Stør:
"OCs: Mizu and Stor," / "He loves her so much" / "Stop flirting," / "Mizu falling from the sky" / "go for it Stor!" /
Doodles:
Strega flying around Stor’s head Here / "Stor and his friends," / "Old OCs" / “Stør’s worst nightmare” / “Plush” / The Baddest Heart AU / Suki & Sunday /
Memes:
"I'm just a kid" part 1 / part 2 / Every friend group has /
Asks:
Stor’s age / Simular to my story / Are there other Giants in The Biggester Heart? /
Art trade:
evieismol / pizzafish77
My first commissioned art piece just dropped!
The perspective! It’s exactly what I wanted! 🥹
My babies Mizu and Stor in all their glory🥰😍
My other story: “A Borrower at the End of the World”
Updates every Monday and Friday
Summary: A Borrower (Briar, 40’s) taking care of two Bean children (Jace 14 and Layla 8) in a post apocalyp
General G/t things:
💬 0 🔁 0 ❤️ 11 · G/t thoughts and recommendations · ***
G/t thoughts of the day:
Big Boys // Olympics // Lighthouse // Borrower Bab
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I've decided to create a series of memes and fan art about G/t stories I absolutely adore and recommend! I want to show my love and apprecia
oh btw as a writer/artist in the gt community I want to make it known that I have never and will never ever use AI at any point in the artistic process
I refuse to use AI in any form, especially in my art/writing. The whole point of writing and drawing is the PROCESS not just the results. To learn and mess up and practice. It takes all the fun away. Smh.
I participated in a G/t anti- AI writing essay last year from @gtlurker and I still stand by what I said. (Also, don’t forget the environmental impacts!)
Jace sighed as he finally set down the pile of fire wood he had been collecting that afternoon. He was standing in the heat for so long that he wanted nothing more than to lay down in his (shared) bed. He lazily dropped his borrowing bag onto the floor, knowing he'd probably get an earful from Briar about keeping the ground clear, but he really didn't care. With his last shred of energy, he jumped up and onto the mattress.
"Ack—" Jace sat up quickly, there was something big and lumpy beneath the quilted blanket. He lifted the covers to reveal a stuffed Bear. Mr. Ursa. "Ugh! Layla!" He shouted down the hall.
Moments later, a tangled mess of red hair popped out from the kitchen, "what?"
"Why is your dumb toy here?"
"He's NOT dumb!" She frowned. "He was taking a nap."
"How many times do I have to tell you to keep your things off my side of the bed!” Jace held the toy upside down by its leg, shaking it.
Layla's face turned to panic, "don't hold him like that! He doesn't like it!" She ran up and grabbed her bear by the head, trying to pull her toy away from her brother.
Jace gripped with both hands now, "don't be ridiculous, 'he' can't feel anything, it's just a toy."
"Let go!" She pulled harder.
"I will once you promise not to put it on my side—"
The neck seams ripped. Completely separating Mr. Ursa's head clean from his body. The room rained bear fluff and guts all over.
Layla and Jace fell to the floor on their backs, still clutching their halves of Mr. Ursa's carcass.
Jace stared at the headless bear in his grip, then looked at his sister.
Her lip began to quiver, her face turned bright red and tears filled her eyes.
"No— no, don't you cry. This is not something to cry over—"
She took a deep breath and screamed… “BRIIIIIIAAAAAARRRRR!!!!”
Jace winced and covered his ears.
It took a little bit of time, but they eventually heard the sounds of little feet running in their direction. Briar appeared on the fireplace mantel parallel to the mattress, out of breath and pale in the face from running, “What’s wrong?!”
Layla ran to the shelf, he was just above her eye level. She was in full on hysterics now crying and making odd hiccupping sounds when she managed to catch her breath. It seemed like she was trying to say something, but it was drowned by her tears.
"Sweet Girl?" Briar worried, but she wasn’t in the state to communicate properly. With nothing more to go on, the borrower finally took in the state of the room. Stuffing scattered everywhere. The decapitated bear clutched in Jace's grip. The boy himself refused to even look a Briar. His face, guilty as hell.
Layla took a long shaky breath before blirting: "J-jace broke Mr. Ursa!" She ended her sentence with another loud sob.
Briar winced from the noise.
"I didn't break it!" Jace snapped back, "you were the one who was pulling!”
She whirled around and screamed, “You shouldn’t have grabbed him!”
“You shouldn’t have put it on MY side of the bed, I told you to keep your stuff away from mine.”
"That's enough!" Briar shouted, trying to match their volume, though failing. "Jace, apologize to your sister.”
“What?!" Jace glared at the small man, "Why me?!”
“Because you are upsetting her.”
“I’m upsetting her?! Screw that!” Jace threw the bear's body onto Layla's side of the bed before storming out of the room, “Ugh! Why do you always take her side!?” He slammed the door, harder than the borrower would have liked.
The borrower rubbed his temples, he mentally couldn’t handle this level of pre-pubescent teenage angst coming off of Jace right now and the crying sounds Layla was making were utterly ridiculous.
Layla fell to the floor, bawling over the emptied husk of her beloved teddy bear.
Briar let out a sigh. Solve one problem at a time, he thought to himself, before taking out his hook and embedding it into the wood beneath his feet. He carefully lowered himself to the floor where the sobbing child lay. Her hair was in more disarray than usual. Against his better judgement, the borrower reached out and touched her leg. He was still getting used to physical contact with the younger of the two siblings, but he had come a long way in trusting her. "Take a deep breath, sweet girl, it'll be alright."
"No, it won't!" She wailed.
"Yes, it will."
"How do you know?"
"Do you see this?"
Layla finally opened her eyes and blinked away the blur and tears to see what he was referring to. In his hands, he held the needle he kept at his hip for as long as the girl had known the borrower. He used it like a sword to fight small creatures such as bugs and rats. (Oftentimes cooking and eating his kills afterwards.)
"I have almost everything we need to fix your Mr… uh…"
"Ursa," she sniffled.
"Yeah, I'll patch him up, good as new." He put on a brave face and a big smile, but didn't like how close she stood to her gargantuan face. "But I need your help."
She nodded and sniffled.
"You have to collect this white fluff." He kicked a puffy cloud closest to him. "Then I need you to find some thread. If you can't, I'll use my borrowing rope. Can you do that, Sapling?"
She shakily stood up and began doing as she was told. All the while, tears continued to fall, but at least she wasn't loudly wailing anymore.
***
Thirty minutes and various colored thread later, Mr. Ursa was reunited with his head.
Most of the fluff had thankfully made its way back inside his body. Some of the smaller pieces or those that had landed out of Layla’s reach were largely forgotten. He was whole once again, and mostly refilled, that was all that mattered in Layla’s eyes.
Sewing it back together was a hard work out for the five inch man. Pushing and pulling the needle and threat through the cumbersome fabric. Briar’s back and arms hurt as he admired his handy work.
“Thank you, Briar,” she held the bear close to her chest with a shaky, grateful smile.
He nodded, placing the needle back into the holster at his hip. “Now that that’s over with, I’m disappointed in you young lady.”
Layla’s face became crestfallen.
Briar almost dropped it all together and the hurt expression on her face, but he continued, “your brother has asked you several times to keep your things on your side of the room.”
“But I was just playing—“
“That’s no excuse.” Briar shook his head. “You saw how mad he got because you disrespected his boundaries.”
Layla’s bottom lip quivered slightly.
“You’re still scared to sleep alone right?”
She nodded emphatically.
“Then you have to respect his wishes if you want to keep your brother beside you. Got it?”
“Yes, Briar,” she pouted. Pushing her face into her bear. “…I’m sorry…”
“Don’t tell me you’re sorry. Tell your brother.”
She didn’t say anything. She just squeezed her bear tighter.
Briar sighed, he hated seeing either child so upset. “Do you have any ideas where your brother ran off too?”
“He’s probably at the creek,” she mumbled.
Briar licked his lips, thinking for a moment, “Can you take me?”
Layla perked up, as he knew she would. She loved holding and touching the borrower any chance she was given.
“I can get there myself of course,” Briar chuckled awkwardly. (Layla nodded in agreement.) “But you could get me there a lot faster.”
She beamed, revealing her missing baby teeth. She set Mr. Ursa on her side of the bed then sat before Briar, putting her palms flat on the floor. Eagerly awaiting the borrower.
Briar had been practicing with Layla for some time now as to how he wanted to be picked up and carried by the six year old. Open palm, never closing her fingers or riding on her shoulders. (Though the platform of her shoulders was less than ideal, smaller and moved much more than that of her brother.)
He stepped up onto her hands, and settled into the center. When he was ready, he gave her three pats on her fingers and they made their way outside.
Layla did her best to walk carefully on the uneven terrain, but she was still largely uncoordinated and occasionally stumbled enough to make Briar nervous, but she never dropped him or closed her hands.
Briar spotted red hair and a maroon scarf in the distance, clearly distinguishable from the greenery around them and the dark water Jace stood beside.
“Here is fine.” Briar tapped Layla’s thumb. She carefully set her cupped hands on the rocky ground. He looked to the towering child above him, “I’ll see you at the house in a bit, okay?”
She nodded and stood up. From here on the floor, it was hard to tell she wasn’t much shorter than her brother. All beans look the same height from this perspective, Briar thought as she skipped back to the house.
Briar studied Jace as he quietly made his way to the boy.
Jace had tension in his shoulders, brooding in his slouch position. Fishing pole in hand, he was reeling it in to see what he might have caught.
The hook came up empty. The bait wasn’t attached either. Frustrated, Jace shouted and hit the surface of the water with his pole. He even kicked rocks into the water for good measure.
“Catch anything?”
Jace practically jumped out of his skin. “Boss?” He turned around, first checking the ground before scanning the foliage. The borrower stood on a low tree branch just above the water, parallel to the pre-teen. Once the man was spotted, Jace turned to the creek and frowned.
Briar spoke again, “You know, something tells me that throwing rocks is not going to make the fish want to come to the surface and be caught. Just a hunch.”
“Yeah, thanks for the wise words, you can go now.” Jace made a waving motion, as if trying to shew away a fly or a pest.
Briar gritted his teeth and tried not to take offence to that, “Your sister was pretty upset.”
“So?”
“So… you should apologize to her.”
“Why do you always take her side?!” Jace shouted, tears welling, before he turned away. Sniffling. Rubbing his eyes.
Briar sighed, “I guess I can seem a little harsher to you. And yeah, I do go easy on her sometimes. But that's because I know how capable you are. I expect you to be the bigger person because I know you can be.”
Jace snickered at ‘bigger person’ like Briar knew he would.
The borrower continued, “I’m not going to be around for much longer, I’ll be leaving both of you any day now, and who will be there to end your petty disagreements? To fix broken toys and help your sister stop crying?”
Jace’s eyes clouded with worry.
“You are the oldest. You will have to be the responsible one between the two of you. You will have to keep a level head, even when you get frustrated or upset. It’s important to keep things from getting worse.”
Jace frowned at the very thought.
“I know it’s unfair. Trust me, I lived it myself, having to take care of my siblings for years.” There was reverence in his voice whenever he spoke of his siblings, something the borrower didn’t bring up often. “But if you want to survive out here, you need to work together, settle your disagreements in better ways. You need her just as much as she needs you.”
***
“I’m sorry.” Jace stood in the doorway, looking miserable as a drenched cat.
Briar held fast to the boy’s scarf, whisperingin his ear, “what are you sorry for?”
“For breaking your dumb toy–” Jace started before Briar roughly jabbed him in the neck, “for breaking Mr. Ursa.”
Briar smiled, though it was hard won, but peace between the siblings was worth it. “Now child, what do you say?”
Layla looked at her brother, “I don’t forgive you.” She turned her back on them.
“Wha–” Jace practically choked.
Briar smacked his forehead, they were doing so well, he internally lamented.
“Just kidding!" She giggled. “It’s okay now, Briar fixed him.” She held up her bear to show the mix-matched stitches in its neck. “And I super-duper-pinky-promise that I will never-ever-ever put him on your side of the room again.”
Jace walked over to the bed, taking a closer look at the stitches. “You’re a little stinker, you know that?”
She stuck her tongue out at her brother.
Briar huffed a sigh of relief as a semblance of calm returned to that abandoned house.
Until their eventual next fight, of course.
***
Previous / Next / All Chapters
AN: In celebration of my big 24th B-day, I decided to count up how many words I have written so far for this story... 91,500ish words (OMG) that's about a 330 paged book!? That's insane!!! Thank you all for taking this journey with me!!!
A Borrower at the End of the World part 30: Cat got your Tongue?
Previous / Next / All chapters
Word count: 3200ish
Warning: talk of previous body mutilation, swearing, physical/verbal abuse, dehumanization, and psychosis. (AN: Oof)
***
Now…
Dark. Cramped. Cold.
The walls Briar traversed day in and day out felt suffocating to a man who had spent his last couple of decades roaming the outside world freely. He felt stifled, forced to stay in a place that constantly set him on edge. It was a nightmare house crawling with beans. Soldiers. Maids. Townspeople. Who knew how many were here at any given moment. For what purpose or for how long?
It wasn’t safe to travel on the floors. Walking on mantel tops and climbing tables in the light of day wasn’t an option either. The borrower was forced to navigate the dark, complex maze withing the walls of the mansion.
If it was just himself that he worried for, he would have left as soon as he arrived. Go from house to house until he either found someplace safe to hide or a tiny crack in the exterior wall and made a break for it.
Unfortunately, with Jace and Layla, he didn’t have that option.
Living with two humans who were constantly aware of his presence had made Briar soft. He had to relearn a lot of his bean detecting instincts that were still waking up from hibernation. He had almost been caught a few times in the past few weeks by soldiers and those maids running rampant through out the mansion.
Yes, weeks.
Briar and the kids had been living under this oppressive roof for too long. Even when they were traveling, Briar didn’t like to stay in one place for this long. Layla was still being forced to go to school, coming home crying every other day. That was bad enough, but something was wrong with her. More than her usual crying or being upset. It had been a while since Briar had heard more than a sob from her throat, and he was becoming increasingly concerned as the weeks went by.
Jace would come back from boot camp looking utterly exhausted, but he said the days were getting easier as he grew more used to the training. He even managed to make a couple of friends. Than bean-girl Hannah didn't seem so bad. Once or twice a week he was assigned to guard duty of the main gate, with a supervising officer, and they even let him help patrol the outer perimeter too. Briar intended to leave with him the next time Jace would be sent out on patrol, get a better idea of the mess they had gotten into. Though, Jace didn’t know that yet and hadn’t agreed to it. Briar figured it be better to tell him once they are outside.
The little man did his best to visit the kids when he could, but now that he had made it to the first floor, it was even more difficult and exhausting to find a way back upstairs to their bedroom. At this point, Briar hadn’t seen them in about five days, as he searched the various rooms for any signs of other borrowers.
Two days ago, he did see screws lined up along an outer wall like a ladder. Perfect for a borrower to climb leading to the top of a book shelf. Though it was old and breaking, that was good enough for Briar to keep looking on this side of the house, though it was the side soldiers and the General more than often occupied. Leading to too many close encounters with soldiers stomping about with their heavy boots.
All the chaos and stress and need for escape only made him all the more desperate to find any wall symbols or other borrowers that might help him get answers about this place and possible ways out.
Today, Briar entered a vast room through a rat hole at floor level beside a tall book shelf. The room had several red velvet chairs surrounding a grand mahogany wooden desk. The chair beside the desk looked like a king’s throne. The shelf beside him was stacked with books and a large mirror on the opposite wall.
Despite his better judgment, Briar left the safety of the walls to explore this new space. Based on the description Jace had given him, this was part of the forbidden wing of the mansion. The General’s office.
He walked away from the rat hole, giving him a clear view of the slightly ajar metal door leading to the hallway, with complicated locks, evidently there was information in here that General Monroe didn’t want anyone to find out. Perfect.
He knew he had ro be quick, a bean could come back at any moment.
He noticed a piece of paper laying on the elegant rug, apparently having fallen off the mahogany table at some point after a bean meeting. Briar couldn’t make heads or tales of the words, but he did recognize the images. A map, showing a birds eye view of the town. It would have more up to date information than any wall symbols, given it seemed the town surrounding the mansion was significantly new compared to the building at its heart. This paper was only a small portion of the map, showing a corner of the town. Briar looked up and spotted more sheets of paper on the desk above.
Taking out his hook, then swinging it into the air and catching on the side of the desk. He pulled to make sure it was steady before making his assent. Having recovered from his injuries by now made it much easier to travel and borrow in the mansion. Though he was getting on in age, leading to his bones creaking and aching at the most inconvenient times.
Making it to the top, he didn’t let himself rest before taking in the pieces of paper before him. The town expanded in all directions from the mansion at its heart, having been built around it. At the bottom, blue markings clearly defined the lake and a thick black block separated a stream from the large body of water. A dam. The human-beans built a dam, leading to the river becoming a lake. Both fortifying the south side and providing water to the entire town. Briar had to admit, he was impressed with the ingenuity.
The walls bordering the town ended abruptly beside the lake as if anticipating the water would be enough to deter anyone from escape or entrance.
Near the water, but still within the walls indicated food and crops, farm land. Few bean made buildings occupied this map. Worst comes to worst, the kids and I could hide somewhere here and swim for freedom, Briar thought.
A soft gasp and shattering porcelain broke the silence of the room.
Briar turned pale and locked eyes with a woman standing not five feet from the desk on which he stood. A human-bean. There was nowhere to hide, nothing but the maps on which he stood.
Neither moved, taking the other in.
The woman had dropped the tea set she had been carrying upon seeing the borrower. One of the cups had shattered and tea was quickly seeping into the intricate rug, staining it. But she never took her eyes off the borrower.
He recognized her as one of the maids who had been taking care of the children, but he knew that grace would not extend to someone like himself.
The woman was the first one to move, she pinched the skin on the back of her hand and closed her eyes. Blinking and squeezing her eye lids as if trying to wake herself from a dream. She did this several times, even holding her breath at one point.
She finally opened her eyes and focused on the borrower. A gasp escaped her slightly parted mouth as her bottom lip quivered. Her eyes began to water, she was almost to the point of tears.
Briar went from terrified to utterly confused. What did he do to possibly make her cry?
Before they could stare at each other any longer, heavy boots were heard marching down the hall. Jolting both the borrower and bean out of their stupor.
More human-beans.
In a flash, the maid reached down and grabbed the tea pot, still leaking liquid onto the rug, and ran towards the desk Briar stood upon. She was too fast.
She’s about to kill me. Mash my bones with ceramic porcelain. Or trap me. Deliver me to the other beans to be interrogated. I’m not sure which would be a worse fate.
The tea pot was coming down like a fist from the heavens. He closed his eyes, preparing for the worst, but instead of hitting Briar, she slammed the tea pot down in front of him.
He looked up at the bean in utter astonishment, but was met with the sight of her back. Not only was the tea pot there hiding him from sight, but she put herself between him and whoever was on the other side of the door.
“And that is why you have to be tougher on your recruits, Sergeant.”
A chill ran up Briar’s spine. He recognized that voice and venom filled his veins. He instinctively grasped the needle at his hip.
“I’d say I have to disagree with you, Colonel.” Another voice Briar recognized, Drill Sergeant Brown. Jace’s officer. “I find being strict is important, but showing compassion and respect for their abilities can be just as crucial.”
The third soldier, who Briar didn’t recognize, scoffed. “You’re definitely too soft, Brown.”
To Briar’s dismay, these three beans entered the room. Colonel Johansen, Drill Sergeant Brown, and the third man towered over the human-bean woman. The human shield before him was ridged, yet she didn’t move as the men came closer.
The other soldier raised an eyebrow and took in the state of the room and woman standing ridged in front of the desk, “what are you doing, girl? Get a move on, clean up this mess.”
The maid shook her head.
“Mel. That was a direct order. Move.” The Colonel said. The maid stared daggers at him. He gritted his teeth, irked at her defiance, but watched her for a moment. Then his demeanor changed, a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips, that made Briar shiver. “Don’t tell me you started hearing voices, seeing things again?”
Mel scowled indignantly.
“I understand the doctor recently cut back on your medication, but you couldn’t have relapsed that quickly.”
“She hears voices sir?” Sergeant Brown quirked an eyebrow. “Her?” He emphasized that word as if to say ‘are you kidding me?’
“Yes, voices. And she sees things that aren’t there.” The Colonel reveled in how uncomfortable the room got. “She may look all sweet and innocent, aren’t the most dangerous of them usually are? She’s the schizophrenic savage who gave me this.” He followed the path of the scar that went from his chin to his eye.
The other men balked. Looking from the short young woman to the terrifying officer. To think that she was the one to lay a hand on him was almost absurd.
Mel didn’t deny it. Her mouth stayed shut as she stared at the men before her. Briar noticed the white knuckled grip she had on the table.
“How?” The third soldier asked. “How did she…”
“Well, it was about three years ago,” Johansen tapped his chin. “This mansion was the home of the Perkins family. Very wealthy, old money and all that.” As the Colonel spoke, he made casual strides about the small room. Moving it like a vulture about to feast. Never taking his eyes off Mel. She didn’t break eye contact either. “Ernest and I had been chasing a pack of Razors for a few days, but unfortunately, they had broken into the Perkins mansion, killing almost everyone. Luckily for the one surviver, I was there to rescue her.”
Mel sneered at his words. A growl started in her throat, so quiet that only Briar could make it out.
“I found her in the kitchen, screaming about some… oh, what was it?” He snapped his fingers trying to jog the memory. “A hammer? Hazelnuts? Or was it Honey?”
Mel bristled at the sound of that last word on his lips.
“Anyway, she was trying to claw her way into a tiny hole in the wall, probably hoping to crawl inside and hide like a rat. I grabbed her, trying to save her life, may I remind you, and she slashed my face with a fucking butcher knife.” The Colonel only paused his stride to take in his fellow soldiers' shocked faces. He turned his cold eyes to the woman, “what? Not going to defend yourself, Mel?” He smirked, “Cat got your tongue?”
Mel all but turned red with blind rage, she let out an audible, guttural growl from her throat. Making the Colonel smile wider. The other two men took a weary step back.
“That’s awful,” Sergeant Brown said.
“Oh, it wasn’t all bad.” Johansen had finally finished his vulture swoop around the room and was almost beside her. “Why don’t you step forward and show these fine men what I gave you in return?”
She stumbled back against the table, shaking it and tried to turn around, but it was too late. Briar backed up against the tea kettle, closing his eyes to wait out the shaking world around him. An oppressive shadow overtook the desk.
The Colonel grabbed her face, forcing her jaw open with his fingers. “Look,” Johansen said as he turned her open mouth to the other men.
A gasp escaped the third soldier, “… H-her tongue."
“You cut out her tongue?” Sergeant Brown’s eyes darkened as he watched Mel try to wrench herself out of the man’s oppressive grip. “You mutilated another human being?!”
“Oh please, she ‘mutilated’ me first! Plus, she is less than human. We are now looking at the shell of a woman, who could have inherited a dynasty of wealth driven to insanity when her family was killed. We even took her house and used it as our base. And yet after all that, she chose to stay. Why is that my dear?” He turned her to face him, squeezing her jaw harder
Mel began to cry out in pain. She was shaking, the humiliation was too much. She would have tried to cover her mouth, hide the gaping hole the muscle once occupied, but she refused to let go of the desk.
“Sir, you’re hurting her–” Sergeant Brown stepped forward.
“Stand down soldier.” Colonel Johansen said, “I’m just showing you how to properly teach a lesson–– Ow!”
Mel bit his hand while he was distracted, forcing the large man to let go of her face. He pushed her back against the desk, she let out a brief cry, but kept her grip on the desk.
“Why you insolent, little snake! Apparently I didn’t teach you well enough the first time—“ he raised his hand as if preparing to strike her across the cheek.
Briar almost cried out for the giant to—
“Stop!” Sergeant Brown attempted to grab his superior's arm, but he wasn’t fast enough.
Mel flinched, bracing herself against the desk.
“That’s enough Johansen.” A deep voice spoke, commanding attention. Everyone froze.
Colonel Johansen straightened up, saluting the General. The other two men followed suit.
“I would appreciate it if you do not harm my staff any more than you already have.” General Monroe strided into the room with the confidence of owning the place, which he did. “Are you alright, Mel?”
She quickly nodded, not looking up at him. Her arms and legs shook with adrenaline and anxiety.
“I think we should leave her here alone, sir,” Sergeant Brown suggested.
“Very well, shall I send for Annie to help you clean this mess?” The General turned back to Mel, who shook her head. General Monroe grunted before looking at his subordinates, “We’ll discuss your reassignment in the mirror room, Johansen.”
Mel and Briar perked up at the same time. Reassignment, what is that supposed to mean? Briar thought.
Three of the men left.
Sergeant Brown stayed behind, “Are you alright?” He offered Mel a hand. She ignored it, refusing to meet his gaze. “Right, dumb question.” He sighed. “I do apologize, Miss Perkins, he shouldn’t treat you that way.”
She lifted her head slightly at the name she had long since stopped using. Tears welling in her eyes.
Sergeant Brown reached down and began to pick up the broken pieces of ceramic and set them on the tea tray. “If I can offer any comfort, Miss Perkins, The colonel will be leaving in two days for another razor hunt down south.” He looked up at her and for the first time, her eyes met his. Almost hopeful. “He could be gone for a couple weeks or a few months. We aren’t sure, but at least you won’t have to be scared in your family home for the time being.” He held the trey out to her.
She hesitated before slowly prying her hands from the desk, still covered in sweat and shaking slightly. She took the trey, before setting it on the table slightly away from Briar.
Sergeant Brown tipped his hat to her in return and took his leave. Closing the door behind him.
Silence returned to the room, but fear permeated the space. Briar was alone with the bean who had just protected him, to her own detriment and pain. He was at a loss for words as he watched the titanic woman before him sink slowly to the floor as her legs finally gave in to their shaking, weakened state.
She seemed so strong a moment ago, a woman protecting him from three men bigger than even herself. Now, it felt as if Briar hit her hard enough, she might shatter.
“I…” Briar began but cut himself off when Mel flinched. She hesitantly turned, he was just above her head now as she crouched on the floor. Her eyes were wide as if not entirely believing he was there. Briar gulped, “Thank you.”
Tears began to well once again in her eyes, blurring her vision. She covered her mouth, stroking her lips in a calming gesture.
“I’m… sorry for causing you so much trouble.” Briar bowed in shame.
She shook her head before forcing a smile to her tear stained cheeks.
“Is there anything I can do to repay you?”
She paused. Pointing to the rat hole he had come from. (He was a little unsettled that she knew exactly where it was.) Before opening her mouth, “H-uuh-ey.” Her voice was weak and hoarse from unuse. “Ooo you o H-uuh-ey?”
Briar stared in confusion.
She let out a frustrated sigh, “H-uuh-ey?” She knew what she wanted to say, but her lack of tongue made it almost impossible. Being forced to approximate sounds to the best of her ability was still almost unintelligible. She shook her head, it wasn’t worth the hassle.
After a long pause, she whipped her tears and sat up, meeting Briar eye to eye. She pointed to the hole in the wall once again, gesturing with her head and eyes.
Briar squinted, “You– do you want me to leave?” Briar almost couldn’t believe it. When the kids found him, they never wanted him to go, now this bean was telling him to hit the road.
She nodded, ending with an affirmative grunt.
“I– okay.” he hesitated for a moment before taking out his hook and dropping the line to the floor below. He looked up at the bean and found her back was to him. She proceeded to clean the tea stains on the carpet, scrubbing with the cloth she kept in her apron. Leaving Briar to his own devices. As he scaled down the cliff, he noticed that he didn’t feel the familiar sensation of bean eyes staring at him. Layla loved to watch him climb even though he frequently asked her not to. He would sense her watching him. But now he felt nothing.
Briar touched the ground safely and retried his hook from the cliff. He cautiously backed away from the giantess before him, not taking his eyes off her. She never turned around, he could hear the soft sounds of sniffles as she whipped her eyes again.
Briar made it back to the bookshelf where the rat hole lay. Against his better judgment he called out to her, “Thank you again, ma’am.”
Her soft gaze turned to him, instantly finding him on the far away floor. Her smile did not meet her eyes as she nodded and began to stand up. She took hold of the tea tray, picking up the tea kettle that had shielded Briar from view just minutes ago. Setting the dirty rag on the tray before turning towards the door.
As she walked away, her shirt swung in her stride, revealing a little more of her leg. Her white sock had also fallen lower than the other and Briar noticed something black on the outside of her right ankle. He might have brushed it off as a mole or a birthmark, but its distinct silhouette made him do a double take.
Wait was that–
He was about to call out to her, but she had already made it across the floor to the exit on the other side, shutting the metal door behind her.
He shook his head. The stress and lack of sleep must have finally gotten to him. If he didn’t know any better, ge would have said it looked like a symbol.
***
Mel lore drop! (My poor baby girl has been through so much! 😭) Once upon a time, she was a wealthy heiress who had everything. Now reduced to a maid in her own family home. Mute and heavily medicated. Is she truly as insane as the Colonel claims she is? Why does she choose to stay here? What is holding her back?
💬 2 🔁 0 ❤️ 21 · New character sheets unlocked! · For my story “A Borrower at the end of the world!” (They are all human characters.)
Jace
“Please! Please! Please! I will not ask for anything else for the rest of my life!” Jace begged as he followed behind Briar, who walked along the table top of an old clerk desk.
“I highly doubt that,” Briar rolled his eyes, turning to look up at the 12 year old human boy hovering nearby— practically breathing down his neck. The human had grown taller recently, which made Briar miss calculate where exactly those brown eyes would be when he turned back. He sighed and quickly readjusted his gaze.
“Is there anything— anything you see that is wrong with this place," Jace gestured around them. They currently stood in an abandoned library. Dust and the smell of old paper permeated that space. Often places like craft or book stores had well stocked stationary supplies for borrowing. Briar had claimed what he needed and saw no further use for them to stay any longer.
"You mean other than the fact there is no food here?" The borrower raised an eyebrow.
"I mean like a reeeaaally big red flag?” Jace whined, “Plus I’ve seen you hunt down and kill a cockroach, you can definitely find food here.”
Briar frowned.
"It's secure, you said so earlier," Layla popped out from behind a shelf, her red hair had grown longer and more tangled. She was six now and apparently too old to let Jace brush it for her, but not too old to learn how to properly get the knots out herself.
Briar's glared at her too. He did say that, when they first entered. He and Jace performed a perimeter scan, finding all entrances, exits and easy escape routes. Of which there was enough to feel comfortable for staying there to borrow for a few hours, not a whole day and night. They hadn't come across a monster in a few months. They had long since stopped following their trail.
“Fine.” Briar conceded, it seemed like a losing battle, plus he was exhausted. Before Jace could get too excited he quickly added, "just for tonight."
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Jace jumped around with excitement.
Layla parroted and followed her brother's path towards the children’s section.
Briar rolled his eyes, before climbing down the tall desk in search of a place big enough and comfortable enough to house two growing beans for the night.
***
A few hours and a ton of old, smelly bean bags later, the kids found themselves in a nice corner surrounded by books from all over the library. From children's literature to fiction to comics to origami and craft books to everything in between, Jace was in paradise.
Layla stared at the beautifully illustrated books, trying to understand the story without reading the words. Jace would occasionally ask her to read out, but after a while of struggle she would get frustrated and give up. Jace would help her sound out more complex words and he even finished reading a few of the stories with her.
While the sun set, their corner was lit by a small candle Jace carried around with them in his borrowing bag. The children huddled closer to the light as Jace read tales of heroes and monsters.
They didn’t realize a small figure had been listening from the shadows for a while.
Layla’s eyes lids grew heavy as her head teetered to the side, leaning against her brother. Jace gently took her head and laid her across the beanbag chair, hopefully more comfortable than sleeping upright. Before turning back to the book.
Briar walked out into the dark room beside the candle, he cleared his throat to make the bean aware of his presence.
Jace looked up and smiled, “Hi-ya boss. Where have you been?”
Briar glanced away, “oh you know, just around.”
“Well, since you're here, do you want to read a book?” Jace offered.
“I can’t.”
“Can’t what?”
“Can’t read Bean writing.”
Jace paused, mouth a gape, staring at the little man.
Briar stepped side to side, uncomfortable under the scrutiny.
“Is that… is that why we ate canned corn for a week because you couldn’t read the packaging label?”
Briar shook his head, “food is food, I don’t see what the big deal is.” Briar’s face began to turn hot, embarrassed at the memory.
“I can try to teach you if you like,” Jace gave a gentle smile, seeing how uncomfortable Briar suddenly became. “I’m still trying to teach Layla.”
“No, thank you,” Briar shook his head. "I don't understand what's so exciting about these things. It's just a bunch of ink blobs on a piece of shredded tree.” He kicked the nearest book beside him. Though thin, it was definitely longer than his entire body. He couldn’t even think about trying to lift one of these things, let alone open the cover.
“Well,” Jace said, “Books can be helpful, you can learn a lot from them.”
“What can you learn from that book?” Briar gestured to the one in Jace’s hand, “there are no dragons in the real world. You can’t learn to kill something that doesn’t exist."
Jace nodded, “okay, maybe not this book.” He set a bookmark within the pages and pointed to the other books around him. “This one is a cookbook, it can teach you great recipes.”
“I learned how to cook from my Ma.”
“Here’s a craft book or a travel guide.” Jace excitedly showed the pages, to which the borrower scoffed. “Maybe a history book might be more interesting?”
Briar rolled his eyes, “This all seems completely pointless to me, all the information I ever needed to learn was by experience. Anything else important my Ma and Pa told them to me. Our histories, our beliefs. Writing is completely pointless.”
“What about wall symbols?” Jace countered.
“What about them?”
“Borrowers do have a writing system.”
“Yes, we do, and it’s much more efficient than all this mess,” Briar gestured to the stacks of books scattered across the floor and shelves.
Jace nodded, “Sure the wall symbols are helpful at giving basic information. It tells you about the possible dangers in a home, but does it tell you anything about the borrowers who used to live there?”
“Yes.” Briar frowned, “Sometimes we write how many borrowers live there.”
“But what were their names?”
Briar paused.
“What were their dreams, fears, hopes, their favorite colors? How old were they? You don’t know anything about the people who lived there, just that they did, but is that really enough? Briar, you say you know your family’s history, but how can you know another borrower’s history if no one is around to speak it?”
Briar was at a loss for words.
"Who's going to pass that story on your people’s history if they aren't around anymore to speak of it? Who will know it then?"
Many emotions flashed across Briar’s face in a matter of seconds before settling on indifference, "Whatever, knock yourself out with this nonsense, I'll be… anywhere else.”
“Suit yourself boss, goodnight.” Jace hesitantly smiled before returning to his book.
***
The moon shone brightly in the darkness and the stars sprinkled the sky.
Briar held on to Jace’s scarf as they walked outside the library. Layla sleepily held onto her brother’s hand.
“Why are we out here in the middle of the night, boy?”
“I wanted to show you this!” Jace excitedly pointed at an object on the ground.
“A trash bag?” Layla yawned, not too pleased about being woken up so late. “Can’t we do it tomorrow?”
“No,” Jace shook his head, he pulled out the craft book that he had been clutching with his free hand and opened to a page. Briar squinted at the paper in the dark, even with sunlight he wouldn’t be able to decipher what words were before him. “My book says to do this on a cloudless, low-wind night. It’s perfect to do this now!”
Briar frowned at how excited and loud the boy was being at such an hour. If the children were borrowers like himself, he might have worried about being taken by owls or foxes. But given the kids sizes, he brushed the thought out of in his mind.
Jace sat down before the bag and pulled out a box of matches. Layla sat beside him curiously watching her brother as he lit the match and set their candle ablaze. Which was now attached to the plastic bag with string. Then Jace held the plastic bag opening over the candle. Hot air rose up, slowly inflating the plastic bag. They watched in astonishment as the bag and candle began to lift off from the ground.
Layla squealed with delight and Jace smiled as he watched his creation drift as the balloon raised higher and higher, gently lifting off into the sky.
Briar would be lying to say he wasn’t impressed, That was a waste of a perfectly good candle. Briar internally cringed, but chose not to say anything. He’d let the kids have this, just for tonight.
POV: You just called Jace a “monster” in front of Briar…
Rule number one: NEVER insult Briar’s children in front of him. Or the next thing you’ll be spitting out is your teeth.
Jace has been hearing insults and fear from other mers since he hatched. But ever since Briar came along, the seahorse hasn’t allowed a single negative syllable to be uttered about either of his (adopted) pups without consequences. 
Briar is very protective of his shark pups. Jace is twice the size of Layla, and they are just gonna keep growing! But no matter how big they get, Briar will always be there to look after them.
Jace is grateful everyday for Briar entering his and Layla’s lives.
***
AU Part 1 here:
💬 0 🔁 2 ❤️ 28 · My first MerMay AU based on my story! · Little MerMay AU for my story “A Borrower at the End of the World” you can read it
***
If you want to read the main story “A Borrower at the End of the World” go here:
💬 0 🔁 7 ❤️ 37 · A Borrower at the End of the World chapter guide: · Update— On break right now. Part 1 complete.
Summary: A Borrower (Bri
Hi, just a quick question, nothing serious, but when will the next part of the story be released? I feel like I'm waiting forever.
Heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy 😅😅😅😅
Short answer: Soon-ish!
Long answer: I have to wait till summer break to be able to have time to write. I’m a teacher and testing season and end of year has been kicking my ass. 💀💀💀 I have had no time to write my story or the prizes for the ABATEOTW fan contest. It’s coming I promise, but it’s just taken a backseat to my irl job and responsibilities. 🥲🥲 I’m about to have two months with no work and no kids, All the time i need to write!!!! I’m so ready for summer break istg 🫠🫠🫠🫠 so exspect more chapters in Late June early July!
It’s time for “Adelaide and Ian Chronicles” memes part 7! We made it! @pocket-lad
This has nothing to do with A&IC, but I saw it ok Tik tok and thought it was funny:
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT6hctaEr/
***
Another one of my favorite scenes from Adelaide and Ian Chronicles! From the chapter "Nick Van Owen"
————
Adelaide: "One day I get stupid or lazy or whatever and drop my guard, so Ian finds me and holds me hostage till I tell him information about myself.”
“And you still trust that guy?” Nick blurted.
Adelaide gazed up ahead at Ian,
who was laughing with Kelly,
while she thought about her answer.
“Yeah, I mean, he let me go. And also he’s done a lot of things to build up that trust over time. Wouldn’t you do the same, if Ian weren’t here with me? If you found me on your own? Beans don’t react logically to people like me.”
***
Me when I have finally been released from the hold A&IC has had on my soul…
Sorry i just wanna add one thing to this ask real quick
https://www.tumblr.com/tea-potato-gt/807725691627044864/god-i-didnt-even-thought-to-go-check-their?source=share
Because I ALSO thought for a long time Lee and Ben are like, meant to be together (when u see too much g/t romance weather u want to or nah and the idea of the same size couple just evaporates as a posibility lmao)
all i knew about their interactions and relationships was from every small bit of writting i could find on Anna's blog. Its also where i finally found that Ben and Lee are meant to be platonic besties or smth, and Delilah is Lee's lover
But i just connected the funniest (at least for me its funny) dots.
Like, My poor man Ben is not only the parent friend (he always gives me the vibe of the type of a friend who is babysitting their unhinged friends) but also is a third Wheel in their trio
Just imagine him and Cliff sitting in the Third Wheel corner, while Jone&Sylv and Lee&Delilah are at it again DSBDCNJKDC
Anyway, hope you have a good time, stay hydrated! and Late Happy 1yr Anniversary of your ABATEOTW Fic!
-🐝
What is this same sized relationship you speak of?? I’ve never heard of it.
There has to be at LEAST 1:4 height ratio between romantic characters 🙄
I think G/t has destroyed most romance stories for me. (Unless it’s a comic book) I don’t have the attention span for most romance if there is no G/t involved.
Where’s the thrill, the physical manifestation of power imbalances and pure trust in a partner so many times bigger than yourself? Human x human relationships are so boring 🥱
***
Anyway…
Cliff and Ben complaining about being the third wheel is so funny to me. They are the responsible ones here.
“I can't believe, That it's finally me and you, and you and me. Just us, and your friend Steve”
We love our emotional support Steves ♥️💙 Ben and Cliff
*Sits at the desk, head in hands, processing whatever mental, physical and emotional trauma she just witnessed in chapter 28*
WELL
i feel it will turn into a big ass rant about this Chapter, im so sorry in advance
"“Damn,” Briar muttered, “nobody likes this guy.”" This made me giggle, Just sounded so funny in my head when i read it njkdsjbhds
So you telling me, first their "father" throws Layla into classroom head first, like birds throw out their babies for them to learn to fly (or babies jump by themselfs, idk), with no warning, like its not gonna traumatize this sweet poor girl any more than whatever she have been through past 3 years, and Then, he does the same to Jace, BUT EVEN WORSE, JUST STRAIGHT UP TO THE ARMY. OFC THE FUCKING GENERAL WILL THROW HIS OWN SUN TO TRAIN TO FUCKING FIGHT, A FUCKIN 14YEAR OLD. This man pisses me off so much I wish for Bruno (human Briar) to apear and beat his ass-
I need to know why do everybody in this town seems to hate Jaces scarf??? Whats wrong with it??? HE LOOKS FINE, LEAVE HIM (and Briars scarf nest) ALONEEEE They have no sense of style these days
"Braxton’s frown deepened as he took a step back, “he wasn’t my boyfriend– and – and if anything I broke up with him.”"
And this Diva said it like, you know, a fat liar
"“I watched your sorry butt get dragged in here by the Colonel. Most folks spend days or weeks in the brig, being questioned or tortured." She said it so casually, as if commenting on the weather."
Pause
Hold the fuck up
*slowely comes closer to the mic* THEY WOULD HAVE KEEP JACE AND LAYLA IN THE FUCKIN BRIG FOR DAYS OR WEEKS, QUESTION OR TORTURED, FUCKING KIDS, IF THEY WOULDNT TURN OUT TO BE THE GENERALS KIDS???
Like its not that i didnt know already they are stinky with their methods or what they do with ppl they find out there
Whats scary is how normalized it seems to be, from how Hannah says it at least, or that Hannah either saw it so many times, or she also was one of those questioned ppl. And propably a lot of ppl in this town if i guess right
Anyway, I like Hannah (and i hope i wont regret saying this in the future, she really seems like a good person)
Oh..... oh no Briar..... Briar really doesnt want to leave Jace alone again so bad, he doesnt think of how dangerous and reckless it would be for him to stick with Jace for the training. He just wants to be with his boy... Its just heartbreaking to see how Briar is met with the harsh reality that in current situation there isnt really much he can do to help his kids, other then try give them some support, tho even that sometimes is impossible when he cant be with either of them 24/7. He cant go confront their father (even as human it would be hard as fuck), he cant just take them and run away. hell he even cant really go far on his own. And if he does, he will be left with no way to know what is happening to his kids.
And from here is just keep getting worse... What the hell did they do to my stressed bitter boy...
Its the different kind of nightmare to see Jace like this. Or i should say its the different kind of crushing reality that Layla went through. Also thrown into a place full of strangers, even worse, strangers his age or similar, that first thing they did is ganging up on him. and then going into a training which, we dont know what the fuck happened, but it went so bad, he just. Shut down. Not a word, not a sound. While Lays was crying for her brother to come back, Jace just went silent. Probably overwhelmed with everything or straight up dissociated to somehow survive. (if im saying straight up shit takes, im so sorry, i feel too many things at once)
Even Briar is speachless to see Jace like that.
Oh GOD, LAYLA WAS WAITING FOR JACE AND BRIAAAAAR TO PICK HER UUUUUP. MY SWEET GIIIIIIIRL UEUEUEUEUEUEEEEE
God, even that insane woman Annie shut up when she saw Jace, its not fucking funny, its fuckin terrible.
Me: What a months...
You: Dude, it was just first day of school for them
-🐝
Hehehehe!!! Me reading this:
Not only was I thoroughly enjoying reading your reactions, but it’s helpful for me to see how my readers are reacting to my writing. What lands and what doesn’t, if the sublties in trying to use are too blantant or not transparent enough. So thank you!!!
***
Bruno if he got his hands on General Ernest Monroe: (I’ll have to draw it later)
I’m glad you like Hannah! (I’ll post this separately soon, but here’s what she looks like!)
Here’s a nice sketch of Jace getting the break he deserves after all the crap from ch 26 & 28 to make you feel better 😘
💬 0 🔁 0 ❤️ 14 · *** · Jace “Can Never Catch a Break” Monroe. Someone please get this kid a warm blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and a goo
***
For the next chapters, I just keep asking myself: How can I possibly make this worse?
Jkjkjkjk 🤪🤪 I feel like the story is taking me in these directions. Lol (I’m thinking 10 more chapters then I’m done!)
Thank you all to those who participated in the one year anniversary of ABATEOTW!!! I appreciate everyone of y'all who took the time to write and create art! Thank you to those who didn't participate, but have been supporting me! (I'll announce the winners at the bottom of the post!)
***
Prizes for the winners:
- The top three winners get the choice between an art trade or me making memes or I’ll write a 500 minimum word fic about your characters! Plus a sneak preview of the future of ABATEOTW (ie. what happens when I finish this version of the story, where we’ll go next…)
Art trade: I will provide a digital illustration of up to two characters of your choice! More details can be discussed later on tumblr direct message.
Writing: I will write a 500 minimum word fic about what ever characters/scenarios you want me to (must be SFW). More details can be discussed over tumblr direct message.
Memes: I will read any story the winners ask of me, G/t or not, and I will create a series of memes based on it. All memes are based on my reactions, interpretations of characters, or situations that can only be depicted in a meme format. (More Examples here!) I will give you at about 10 memes (videos or pictures) based on said story!
I will reach out to the winners via tumblr DM to talk prizes listed above and send you information about the future of the story!
***
The Winners: (no particular order)
(I know I said top 3 people, but only 4 participated, so I figured what's one more gift for a beautiful individual?)
@somescrap-paper
💬 2 🔁 1 ❤️ 44 · Happy 1 year anniversary to ABATEOTW! 🎉🍾🥳
Thank you @tea-potato-gt for writing a fun story and I can’t wait to see what y
💬 3 🔁 3 ❤️ 43 · Here’s some more “A Borrower at the End of the World” by @tea-potato-gt appreciation!
It’s not supposed to be included wi
@pinkyfrench
💬 2 🔁 2 ❤️ 38 · Ma participation.✌🏻 · @tea-potato-gt #abateotw
I'm not really sure what I'm doing. This is the first time I've ever poste
@nata2343
💬 0 🔁 1 ❤️ 11 · Happy 1st anniversary for #ABATEOW (g/t), part №1 · 'A Borrower at the End of the World', It's a great story that I recomm
💬 1 🔁 1 ❤️ 14 · Happy 1st anniversary for #ABATEOW (g/t), part №2 · If you're familiar with this story, you might remember how @tea-potato
@bunni-08 with This animatic (IDK why it won't let me link it)
***
Thank you so so so so so so so so much for participating!!! I love and appreciate all your art and kind words!!!
Howdy hi, i just wanted to give you some doodles on me tryin to figure out how i would draw Razors from your fic, bc it have been scratching at my brain walls for some time now since u answered the ask about how do they look like.
bonus drawings, the main trio, bc why not
(u can tell how i have hard time drawing kids, meanwhile i have the time of my life drawing 40yr with all his wrinkles and everythink lol)
Anyway, love your fic, hope you have a good time, see ya!
*goes back to lurking like*:
Wow!!!! 🤯😆😆😆😆😆
The Razor is so scary!!! I love how interesting and original this design is! I’ve gotten a few and they are all so unique and terrifying!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯😆😆😆😆
“Sniffing for tastey kids and borrowers” 💀💀💀💀😂
My babies 😭😭😭 They look so good in your style!!🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭
