Negotiations (Patreon)

“If Miss Madeline was here…” the man’s voice escaped through the phone’s speaker, the heavy compression not enough to hide its fearful tremolo.

“Yeah well, Maddie ain’t here. And she’s been very clear as to who was in charge while she’s away, hasn't she John?” Adriana replied as she looked down into the shrunken haven. She couldn’t tell if her interlocutor listened to her through his phone or if her voice was simply too loud to be ignored within the city.

“C’mon Adi, don’t be that way. We both know she didn’t mean you guys could lord over us like some vengeful gods. As always!” John replied, trying to draw some empathy from the titaness watching over him and his city. As the elected representative of the haven, it was his responsibility to keep his people safe. A mission made all the more difficult when their owner flew away on business trips, leaving her bigger shrinkies in charge.

All of them had been on the unlucky side of the pandemic, some more than others. At around 3 inches tall, Adriana was regarded as a miracle by her shrunken companions - an extraordinary case of resistance to the virus that left most below the centimeter mark. For the haven’s inhabitants, one to three millimeters was the norm. As much as it pained John to admit it, they had all been lucky in their misfortune. Most shrinkies ended up crushed by accident trying to get anyone’s attention for help within minutes after it activated. They, however, had been seen and helped. With enough time, the haven didn’t feel different from a regular city block, except for the titans surrounding it. Madeline, the young lawyer that bought his, had even made sure to leave it by a window, so they could enjoy a semblance of day/night cycles. It’d be a blissful existence, if not for his tormentors’ god complex.

John could feel his grip weakening around his phone as fear made his hands clammy. He breathed out slowly, waiting for this tormentor’s response. He dared to peek at his apartment’s window, where he could see Adriana thinking about his request.

“I don’t know John… She did say “Adi you’re in charge” before she left the room. Vengeful god kinda fits within her directions.” Adriana replied, scanning the city’s street below for anyone looking up to her with a cellphone in hand. John closed his eyes. He couldn’t believe he was the one who had to keep his nerves in check when his petulant carekeeper was clearly the one pushing her luck. “I mean, if you really don’t want to, I guess those folks Charlotte got herself will do…” Adriana continued, her tone willingly open to leave room for the interjection she knew would follow.

“No! Fine. Fuck…” John hated how he sounded as his voice echoed back to him from the loud speaker outside the city. Far above, he could see a spark in Adi’s eye as he went exactly where she wanted him to. He couldn’t see further than Charlotte’s back, but he knew what the one inch tall titan was doing up on that rooftop. “Don’t hurt them. You probably got women and children up here. You’re fucked up but not that fucked up.” John continued, trying his best to remain calm as he watched Adriana silently frown at his remark. “We’ll get you your… volunteers.” the word was painful to pronounce considering how unfit it was for the situation.

“Twenty!” Adriana’s voice immediately boomed across the city, slightly shaking John’s walls.

“Ten. Like last time. And they all come back.” John’s heart raced as he dared to negotiate with someone so massive she could destroy his world with a couple of well placed steps.

“Fine, but you get us half gals then. I’m tired of having the same old pervs over and over again.” Adriana replied, winking at Charlotte. John’s blood boiled as he watched them silently rejoice.

“I’ll see what I can do. Now, the food?” John didn’t want them to forget their part of the deal.

“I don’t know, you forgot the magic word…” Adi replied, trying to sound serious but betrayed by Charlotte’s giggles.

“The nerve of you Adi, I swear. Please give us our damn food!” John replied, more tired than angry so close to the goal.

“Sure bug, you’ll get your strawberry. And John?” Adriana paused, freezing the tiny representative right in his track as he began to relax. “One word to Maddie and you know what you’ll be the mayor of next, right?” John didn’t have the strength for a quirky comeback anymore. He just wanted to sleep.

“Yes Adi, I know…” he simply responded, hoping this defeated answer would be enough for the titaness outside. The waiting expression on her face told him it wouldn’t. “I’ll be the ‘mayor of Browntown, population me’.” John finally said. No matter how many times he repeated it, it never failed to draw a smile on Adriana’s face.

“And what a good lil’ mayor you’d make!” she mocked as if talking to a child who just shared his dream job with an adult.

It was over. They wouldn’t need food till Madeline got home and John wouldn’t have to beg with the self appointed lord of his haven for a while. The man walked to his sofa and crashed in it, breathing in relief. He hung up the phone.

“Alright, listen up! Ten lucky little ones are spending the night with us. So if that’s you, make sure to get to that rooftop Charlotte’s at…” John listened to Adi’s booming commands outside.

Ten leaving… He prayed to see ten return. This time.

Phew, this one was a challenge to make! Between the glass everywhere, the different scales and the low light... let's say the 4090 was not too much when rendering this one :D

I'm really happy about how it turned out. Fun fact, Adriana's model was designed to be a normal size character but I couldn't make her render work, so here she is! Other fun fact for those you may not have guessed, but this is set in the same universe than Lex's - for those who wondered after reading the story and felt familiar about the setting.

I hope you'll enjoy both the visual and the story :)