Chapter Text
Life could be much better, and it could also be a whole lot worse.
That idea was what was running through Nagito’s head as he finished climbing down the roughly made ladder after finishing up his shift. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he flexed his fingers a few times. No matter how many times he had climbed this very ladder, physical activity took a massive toll on his body.
That’s probably why they assigned me to be a lookout. Every other job in the colony requires a lot more strength.
Nagito sighed and began walking back towards the central room. He wanted to try and grab something to eat before going back to his room. He hoped that there would be something he liked in the storeroom this time. But of course, borrowers didn’t often have the luxury of being picky.
Standing at only a few inches high, the borrower race were born in a world really not suited for them. Everything towered over them and so much was considered a threat to their safety. But, they persevered through everything. Nagito thought that the base instinct to survive in every living thing might have something to do with it.
They typically found homes in hidden places, out of reach by most. In this colony’s case, they were living in the hollowed out inside of a massive tree. And this tree was in a protected park, so there was no threat of it being cut down. So it was a pretty safe space for them to live.
The only problem was the scarcity of food.
Borrowers got their supplies and food from the human race, who were much larger versions of them and were often too curious for a borrower’s liking. Often, a borrower would live in a human’s house. Nagito’s family had actually used to live in a house before he came here. So he knew a lot about the methods used by his parents. However, the catch was that humans were always in close range and a borrower could easily be discovered. And after they were found, well, their fate was sealed. Humans provided them with life sustaining materials, but they also so easily could take life away.
But here at the park, the threat of humans was greatly decreased. The frequency of getting fresh food had also decreased but the colony had managed so far. They were able to find leftovers scattered around from careless people. They even sometimes managed to make off with forgotten clothing, which was repurposed for their own clothing.
Of course, Nagito never got to go on those kinds of foraging expeditions. His poor stamina wouldn’t allow it.
He reached the storage room and took a look around. Sighing, he grabbed a part of a potato chip and filled an acorn cap with water. Yeah, he didn’t know why he had been expecting better. Oh well, at least he got something.
Making his way back to his room, he passed by some other borrowers. Some waved to him and he attempted to wave back with his hands full. But thankfully, no one stopped him on his journey.
He opened the door with his shoulder and walked inside, seeing that no one was in there yet. So he had a bit of peace and quiet while he ate. He sat down on his bed and dug in.
As soon as he finished off the last bit of his water, the door swung open and in came his two roommates. Seeing as there was not a ton of room in the hollow tree for living spaces, borrowers had to share rooms. And he was grouped with two other guys that were around his age.
“Oh, you’re here,” Fuyuhiko stated, setting his bag down on the ground.
Nagito nodded. “I am. Is that alright?”
His other roommate walked over and ruffled his hair. “Dude, of course it is! This is your room too, y’know? You don’t need our permission to enter.”
Nagito laughed softly. “I know, I know. Anyways, how was foraging today?”
Fuyuhiko shrugged. “Not bad. We found a bunch of string that a group of children had left behind. They had been making these strange decorations that they put around each other’s wrists.”
Nagito snapped his fingers. “Oh! I believe those are called bracelets!”
Kazuichi looked at him in confusion. “How do you- oh wait, you used to live in a human residence. You know a lot more of their terms for stuff.”
Nagito hummed in affirmation. “Yes, I know a few things. But I left that house when I was really young so I don’t know a whole lot.”
Kazuichi crossed his arms and tilted his head. “Oh yeah, you never have told us the reason for why you left to come here. What happened to make you stay?”
Nagito quickly waved his hands in front of him. “Oh, nothing too special. My parents had heard about a colony close by and wanted to venture out to see if it was true. And I wound up here first.”
His roommate looked slightly exasperated. “Come on, there has to be more to it than that!”
“Really, it’s nothing to be concerned about.” That wasn’t really the case. It was more like Nagito didn’t want to talk about it. His family had indeed heard about the colony of borrowers living in the park near the house they lived in. And they had set out in search of it. However, while on the way, they had gotten attacked by some ravenous raccoons and Nagito had gotten separated from his parents. Thankfully, some of the colony borrowers had found him and took him in. But his parents… hadn’t been so lucky.
Kazuichi looked like he wanted to push the matter, but his other roommate seemed to sense Nagito’s reluctance and changed the subject.
“Oh, speaking of humans, anything interesting happen today at your station?” the shorter blond asked.
Delighted at the question, Nagito clapped his hands together in excitement. “Yes, actually! I got to see those twin humans again! They took a walk by the tree during my shift. I was so happy.”
The pink haired borrower spluttered in disbelief. “Why on earth is that a good thing?! They are humans!”
Nagito closed his eyes with a smile on his face. “I know that quite well. But that doesn’t mean I can’t admire them from a distance. They are just so interesting! Practically polar opposites in terms of personality. But I can tell that both are kind individuals. I wonder what they would do if we ever interacted?”
Fuyuhiko’s eyes narrowed. “You make it sound like you WANT to be seen by them.” He let out a sigh and walked over to Nagito, placing his hands on the other’s shoulders. The white haired borrower reopened his eyes to look up at him. “Listen, you need to be careful who you tell this to. If the colony leaders get word of this little ‘fantasy’ of yours, they might deem you to be a threat to the colony’s safety. Kaz and I won’t say anything because we are your friends, but seriously man. Watch what you say.”
Nagito stared at the blond for a bit, not having expected that short lecture. But a serene smile reappeared as he patted his friend’s arm. “I’ll take your warning into consideration. I’ll try to not do anything too rambunctious.”
Fuyuhiko nodded and backed away. He and Kazuichi then started up a conversation of their own about their foraging expedition. Nagito tuned out and lost himself in his thoughts.
Yes, he definitely knew that talking to humans was a dangerous idea. It had led to the doom of many of his kind. But even still, he couldn’t help but entertain the idea.
He was just so drawn to the human twins for some reason. One of them with hazel eyes and short brown hair, the other with long black hair and red eyes. They must live in the neighborhood right next to the park, as they were frequent visitors. They often sat near the colony’s tree, relaxing or talking. The tree’s bark was thick enough so that conversations were not audible to people on the opposite side. So only Nagito heard them talking. He got a good feel for what they were like and began enjoying the times when they came to the park, even if it was a brief glance.
He could make the excuse that he was simply listening for anything suspicious in the human’s conversations, as that was a part of his job. Lookouts were tasked with observing the area around the tree to make sure everything was safe. But he knew that there was a personal reason for listening in.
He sighed internally. Oh, how he wished that they were the same size. That would make things so much easier. But life placed them in different categories. And there wasn’t much he could do about it.