[ prp ] It's the Little Things (Taymerica)

[lizbot]

Taym had the habit of waking up first, so much so that it was almost a challenge, a bone of contention that led to America trying to wake up early enough and quiet enough to beat him to it. And at first, it seems like she's succeeded. Taym wakes to a bed gone cold and lonely, no pleasant curves or obnoxious tug of what's left of his part of the blanket to greet him. All that's left is for him to shiver resentfully in silence.

But then there she is. Restlessly tossing and turning, muttering something in a tiny, highpitched voice, cradled on the pillow next to him.

Congratulations, Obadiah Thompson: you are now unarguably taller than your girlfriend, no matter what shoes she may wear.

rejam

 

[Rejam]

lizbot

This is certainly a dream.

He is so sure of this that he closes his eyes for several more seconds and aggressively pinches himself. This does not change anything and so he is forced to open his eyes again, and behold, again, his girlfriend in miniature.

This gives him several long seconds to try and process what is occurring, but nothing is really clicking and so after a moment his thoughts turn instead to how he might wake her up without traumatizing her, which seems difficult if not impossible. Certainly if he'd woken up next to a giant anyone his first reaction would be raw animal panic. Then again, that's also apparently his first reaction to waking up next to a tiny someone, too.

Moments trickle by in uncomprehending silence as he gazes into space, and then back at her, and then back into space.

He speaks, finally, very quietly, directing the words at the cruel unreceptiveness of the ceiling. "America. You may want to brace yourself. Something strange has happened."  

[lizbot]

"AHHHH!" The reaction is immediate, because that's the natural reaction to hearing God's Voice booming above you. America is up on her feet, ready for anything and then falling, falling, head first into her pillow and and then rolling down it.

What follows is a much more muffled, barely audible ahhhhhh!

rejam

 

[Rejam]

lizbot

Apparently not quietly enough. A whisper would be better.

He is quietly panicky, afraid to move too much lest her send her flying off across the room in an unintended trampouline effect, and instead ends up hissing through his teeth in an effort to avoid being A Big Enormous Noise.

"America," he says urgently. "You didn't tell me about this one. Thank god I don't snore."  

[lizbot]

"OH MY GOSH!" Everything was so huge...and fluffy. Except Taym, who was huge and hairy. Experimentally, she tries to get up again, testing her new environment of pillowy mountains and dunes made of blanket. "Oh my gosh!" She says again, sounding...it's hard to tell, so high pitched, but the delighted jumping up and down and eventual belly flop back onto the pillow was pretty telling.

"This is SO COOL!"

Apparently he was alone in his concern.

rejam

 

[Rejam]

lizbot

He squeezes his eyes closed again, attempting to maneuver upright very gently and very slowly.

"Is it?" he demands, in the same whisper. "Did you have any idea about this beforehand?" And then, extraordinarily drily: "Thank god I can't afford memory foam, right?"  

[lizbot]

"I haven't been trying to learn anything new! And this is hella new!" She clambers up onto his pillow, steadying herself by planting a foot on elbow like some conquering adventurer.

"I'm trying not to use magic like some toy, okay." Three inches tall, hands on hips, chipmunk voiced. She could be a happy meal toy herself.

"Plus I've been too busy studying, why couldn't I have studying stuff magic..." her voice travels off aa tiny hands grip his sleeve and she starts trying to climb up.

rejam

 

[Rejam]

lizbot

His alarm leads him to thrust out a hand for her to step onto--or fall onto, as the case may be--and only then does he experience a belated revelation about just how unfortunate this situation truly is as he's greeted by the sight of his own trembling fingers.

"This is temporary, right?" he demands with rising panic. "Stop trying to climb up my sleeve, it's unsettling."  

[lizbot]

"Beard! Beeeard!" The tiny demand was followed me an oof as her rear hit his trembling palm. She was up again, gesturing at his chin with itty grabby hands.

rejam

 

[Rejam]

lizbot

"No," he says firmly, panic temporarily derailed by incredulity. "That is weird and I refuse and I also don't trust you not to climb it and that will hurt. No." With his free hand he reaches for his phone, lifting it to document what is occurring because he can't really think of what else to do.

azuredreams

Text to: J. M.
help
attachment

It must be said that despite the succinctness of the request--to say nothing of the fact that it must be eating Taym up inside to text Jeremiah for help, of all hated people--the tiny America seated in the palm of his hand in the picture does not look in any way disturbed. She is, in fact, giving finger guns to the camera.

"It's bad enough you have to see my cuticles at this range, let alone my ******** chin." Success! America's relentless need to assess Taym's facial hair has delivered him from raw panic to mild irritation. "This is ridiculous. Next you're gonna want a tiny saddle for--"

He stops himself, realizing too late that this is probably not a suggestion he should make and looking distraught once more.  

[azuredreams]

There would be some time before a response. Mostly because Jeremiah had to show Algie the picture and then there was a moment of Taym texted you? because even his husband knew that they did not strictly like each other.

Only got along when it came to work and projects because it was for the better good.

Still, a response came. Thankfully he would be straight to the point.

rejam

text to: obadiah t.

as trite as it sounds, you may want to tell her to focus on being big. magic reacts to strong will.

The phone buzzed a second later.

Quote:

text to: obadiah t.

spontaneous magic after something like what happened recently isn't unusual. also, knowing her, you may want to not mention anything that might encourage her because it could take longer to get her back to normal size. a tiny saddle or something for mr. bitterberry or the like.

Because he knew America.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

The first Saddle Suggestion she called up at him was entirely, horribly inappropriate. Then all sorts of Ideas followed that were even worse, because they sounded serious. Mr. Bitterberry could probably be convinced and what about Ivy. There's always some stray dog or cat, coming up to her like an old friend when they go for walks. Bats now had a habit of visiting the camper, even the Broiler at times, had a way of getting her to be a playful perch.

And she...she....

"I'M GONNA GET A ******** BARBIE HOUSE!"

rejam

azuredreams

 

[Rejam]

lizbot

Texting back thankfully relieved him of the indignity of having to address her first suggestion or the horror of the rest of them.

azuredreams

Text to: J. M.

Where was that voice of reason ninety seconds before you sent that text, Jiminy Cricket?

He pauses, realizing that this is perhaps unfair since it was Taym that asked, after all.

azuredreams

Text to: J. M.

Anyway thanks

He tosses the phone aside.

"America," he says gravely, trying to bring her a little closer to the bedside table without making any sudden movements. "Jeremiah says you ought to try focusing on being big. That's gonna be hard to do if you're thinking about dollhouses." He decides that bribery might actually be a valid tactic. "You also can't go shopping for dollhouses if you are tiny. This is a real concern. We can go to Toys R Us. Or that little hipster toy store place down on the square, even. My treat. I'll even take you to Starbucks first. Do not get any ideas about swimming in iced coffee." And then, with a note of pleading: "I need a cigarette."  

[lizbot]

"You better not, I'll die of instant cancer probably!" Still, she allows him to put her on the dresser, where she promptly starts exploring. "Big, big, biiiig. Humongous! Hard to think 'bout anything but being big, gotta say."

She wanders toward the edge to look over the side and see how far up it seemed. "Dang! I bet I could climb down no problem though." Thankfully she is soon distracted by the prospect of jumping into a box of tissues.

"Big, big, big!" She was singing it now. "America Jones, big as a ********! Bigger n'a breadbox, bigger n'a duck!"

Holding up a tissue, she keeps up her nonsense song and considers making a robe or dress of it. Maybe a sheet ghost. Glancing up a Taym over a pile of tissue, she catches his expression and her own immediately turns guilty. His face is kinda huge right now, pretty hard to miss how unhappy he was and how unfair she was being. There was lots and lots of unfair s**t he had to deal with lately, wasn't there?

"Sorry." The tiny figure finally stills and she shuts her eyes, trying to focus. She's so keyed-up, though. Has been for awhile, really. Less sleep, and what she gets is restless. Waking, she's anxious. And maybe it's a little bit nice, to wake up to a distracting surprise. To find a piece of magic again that wasn't ominous, wasn't some weighty responsibility.

Trying to calm down and focus herself on growing back to normal wasn't working. Opening her eyes she asks, "Could you pick me up again?"

rejam

 

[Rejam]

lizbot

He pauses, and it's probably for the best that when he laughs it's those silent-non-laughs. An America-esque cackle at that scale would probably be hellish. Instead it's more or less a glorified snort.

"I like your song," he says. "It's good." Maybe her visible effort is draining some of his initial freak out. He puts out his hand for her to walk onto. "My sister used to keep pet rats," he tells her. "I went out and bought a bunch of shirts with front pockets after she started letting me play with them. And lest you think that's an unflattering comparison, know that rats are ******** awesome." A pause. "Man, imagine how much money you could save on food."