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Description
"First off, tell me what you two have been up to until now. Don't hide anything back." Pod sat down on a nearby stool and began to wrap up the remaining gauze. Sho began by recounting how he'd found Arrietty, a bit beaten up but safe. He reluctantly told Arrietty's dad the time he brought her to school, and he heard Spiller gasp. Ignoring the golden-skinned borrower, he told him of all the times they went outside to play, to enjoy the sunshine, and to talk. He repeated the story of how he and Arrietty discovered that he could hear her even if she was very far away. Pod did not say a word for the entire time. When Sho ended his recollection with "and then she twisted her foot", Pod leapt heavily from the mushroom. "I've never trusted humans, and now you know why. You simply do not know the dangers of living in your oversized world." He massaged his knees a bit, saying, "And I'm getting old. I can't continue to borrow like I did before. Arrietty is my only child; if she is gone we will have to rely on the rest of the community." Spiller interjected, "I'll be glad to help you. I trust Sho, let Arrietty stay." Pod scowled at him. Pod growled, "Why would you want her to stay? I thought we had the marriage planned out already!" Torn from her sleep by Pod's harsh voice, Arrietty woke with a start. "Huh?! What?!" Pod jumped at her outburst. "N..Nothing. Keep sleeping." Spiller turned three shades of pale, and his lipped stayed tight. Arrietty's face grew a bright red, although from anger or embarrassment Sho could not tell. "Marriage? Without telling me? Father, how could you do this to me? I didn't even consent! I want to stay with Sho, not with a deceitful person like you!" Pod tried again. "We don't have another choice; the only other boys and girls in our community are all younger than you and Spiller. The borrowers must live on, and this is the only way." "Does it look like I care right now? Sho brought me all the way out here to try and find an herb that is too small for normal people to see, yet he crawled all over the ground to help me. I want to be with Sho, and that is final! Sho!" Obediently, Sho looked down at her. "Pick me up and bring me back to the little house." Pod gruffly said, "You are not leaving until I say so." Arrietty stuck out her tongue. "Nyaah. He's a human, and there's nothing you can do if he does pick me up. Sho, c'mon!" Sho dipped his head sorrowfully. "Arrietty, you know you're a sister to me. But I cannot go against the words of your father. He is right; at the end of the day, I am still just a human, and you a borrower." A gigantic tear rolled down his hidden face and splashed the ground before Arrietty, and she softened a bit. "Oh Sho… look, it is okay. I'm not blaming you. You did what was right." As Arrietty continued to console Sho, deep in Pod's mind, who watched this drama unfold, was a small bloom of trust. He tried to suppress it, but he couldn't. Sho was such a well-behaved and respectful person, and Arrietty's words were also true. Maybe letting her stay would be a good idea. But he was still afraid to let Arrietty live alone with a creature many hundred times her size. Neiya's ears perked up as Haru shouted into the dark, "Sho! Sho, come on in now! You've been out for too long! Don't you still have homework to do?" The borrowers all covered their ears as Sho shouted back, "I'll come in when I want! Tomorrow is Saturday; I still have a lot of time." He watched as the lights in the living room clicked off, and he turned back to the borrowers. Spiller was pacing around uncomfortably, Arrietty was trying to come to an agreement with her dad, and Neiya yawned and stretched its paws out. "Dad, don't you see? He hasn't hurt me at all! If anything, I am the one that is an annoyance to him; he has to keep an eye out for me. Why must you resist? And don't forget, you owe me for trying to marry me off!" Sho slowly laid on his back, listening to the argument between borrower and borrower. If he closed his eyes, he could hear Arrietty's voice loud and clear, but Pod's voice was fainter. "Stop it!" shouted Spiller, startling Sho. The air filled with tense silence as they awaited Spiller's opinion. A moment passed before he finally whispered reluctantly, "Pod, let her stay here." "Why would you side with her, Spiller?" asked Pod, frighteningly calm. "I've seen Sho many times. He isn't as dangerous as other people. And Arrietty seems to be much happier with him than with us. To take her away forcefully would mean to hurt her more than help her." Arrietty smiled brightly. "Thank you, Spiller." Spiller grunted in response. Pod sighed. He took a fleeting glance at his daughters face, wondering if he would ever see her again. Then he heaved himself up, and announced, "Spiller, we're going back. Arrietty, you can stay if you want. Keep the cast on for a month. Goodbye." The tension in the air dissolved, and Spiller nodded. Sho sat upright, and quickly asked, "Would you like for me to take you…" "No. We'll be fine." "…Alright. Good night."

Arrietty painfully climbed onto Sho's palm. It was still weird, having to walk on a warm, fleshy and soft surface. As for Sho, every time Arrietty climbed on his hand, it felt a little ticklish. It felt like having a big bug crawl on him, the way her tiny fingers gripped his skin and her feet tiptoed across his palm. Sho waited for Arrietty to get her balance, and she nodded that she was ready to leave; Sho slowly rose onto his feet in one smooth motion. He had practiced the motion a lot, as to ensure Arrietty wouldn't fall over. His mind flashed back upon the dream that he had before, and he shivered. Being the giant he was to Arrietty, she felt his every single shake and quiver. As the ground slowly fell beneath her, she looked back upon her father and Spiller, who were walking with their backs toward her. Tiny tears formed on Arrietty's eyes, and even though Sho could not see them, he almost felt their presence. He waited for them to be out of sight before moving back towards the house. "You'll see them again, I promise." Arrietty turned toward Sho. "What?" "I said to not worry, that you will see them again someday." She nodded, an sat down solemnly on his palm. "Sho, tell me… was I wrong? …I mean, should I have accepted the marriage?" Her face melted into a deep red, and in the darkness, so did Sho's. "Well, I think your father should have told you beforehand." "Yes, but was I wrong?" After a moment of contemplation, Sho shook his head slightly. "If I were you, I wouldn't want to have a pre-arranged marriage eithe-" Arrietty jumped as he gasped. "What?! What?!" Sho did not move. His mind was racing, trying to think of a million things at once. Slowly, his gazed fixed upon the little girl. "My parents… they're coming to visit in a week… and they'll be staying for another week…" "…so?" Arrietty was very confused. Sho stuttered, "If they find you, there is nothing I can do!" Only then did Arrietty realize what he was implying. Sho continued, "And you just told off your father… I don't think you have anywhere else to run…" By now, Arrietty's mind was running in synchronicity with Sho. They both stood, unmoving, thinking furiously. Beads of sweat ran down their foreheads as they came up with a different plan every second and a worst case scenario. The two did not realize it, but they were beginning to share a mind. A borrower's ability was to share his or her mind with any human they befriended – that was why Sho was able to hear Arrietty from far away. They though upon the same things, and they worked together without noticing the closeness of their minds. A stream of ideas ran through both heads, and suddenly jerked to a stop. Both human and borrower said at the same time, "Jane!" Silence fell as both wondered how the little girl knew Jane. Sho began, "You know Jane from my school because-" "-we share a common mind." Arrietty finished. As if on cue, a soft, warm wind blew past them, leaving them shivering in the crisp night air. Sho sat down onto the grass, and he set Arrietty down as well. Stunned, the curious couple remained in quietness. The gentle crooning of crickets and cicadas filled the air around them, and the fog clouding their minds began to clear. Sho's heart no longer raced frantically, and Arrietty was feeling a relaxation she had not felt before. For a moment, she forgot her foot was injured, and she tried to stand up and stretch. Yelping in pain, she fell back on the ground, snapping Sho to attention. "I'm okay, I'm okay," she repeated, brushing Sho's hand away. "We need to think of a plan." Uneasily, Sho pulled his hand back, and returned it onto his lap. "The only thing I can think of would be to tell Jane about you… Arrietty, I really don't want other people to know about you." Hearing this, she smiled a small, mischievous grin. "Why? Are you jealous that someone else knows about me?" Sho's face burned a little, but he insisted, "No, no! It's for your safety!" "Sure, sure. Whatever," she sang. Arrietty turned to Sho and asked suddenly, "So what's your plan?" "Well, I'm going to have to bring you to school on Monday, and I'll have to somehow meet secretly with Jane in order for me to introduce you to her… then I'd probably leave you to her until my parents leave." Arrietty nodded along, and added at the end, "But she has to bring me to school every day. I want to see you at least once a day." "We'll see about that," replied Sho. "For now, let us sleep. You need to rest." "Okay," yawned Arrietty, drowsiness washing over her suddenly. She fell asleep in Sho's palm, and as he carried her into the house and up the staircase, she smiled in her sleep. He set her down on her little bed, whispering, "Sleep well, little Arrietty."

Description
"First off, tell me what you two have been up to until now. Don't hide anything back." Pod sat down on a nearby stool and began to wrap up the remaining gauze. Sho began by recounting how he'd found Arrietty, a bit beaten up but safe. He reluctantly told Arrietty's dad the time he brought her to school, and he heard Spiller gasp. Ignoring the golden-skinned borrower, he told him of all the times they went outside to play, to enjoy the sunshine, and to talk. He repeated the story of how he and Arrietty discovered that he could hear her even if she was very far away. Pod did not say a word for the entire time. When Sho ended his recollection with "and then she twisted her foot", Pod leapt heavily from the mushroom. "I've never trusted humans, and now you know why. You simply do not know the dangers of living in your oversized world." He massaged his knees a bit, saying, "And I'm getting old. I can't continue to borrow like I did before. Arrietty is my only child; if she is gone we will have to rely on the rest of the community." Spiller interjected, "I'll be glad to help you. I trust Sho, let Arrietty stay." Pod scowled at him. Pod growled, "Why would you want her to stay? I thought we had the marriage planned out already!" Torn from her sleep by Pod's harsh voice, Arrietty woke with a start. "Huh?! What?!" Pod jumped at her outburst. "N..Nothing. Keep sleeping." Spiller turned three shades of pale, and his lipped stayed tight. Arrietty's face grew a bright red, although from anger or embarrassment Sho could not tell. "Marriage? Without telling me? Father, how could you do this to me? I didn't even consent! I want to stay with Sho, not with a deceitful person like you!" Pod tried again. "We don't have another choice; the only other boys and girls in our community are all younger than you and Spiller. The borrowers must live on, and this is the only way." "Does it look like I care right now? Sho brought me all the way out here to try and find an herb that is too small for normal people to see, yet he crawled all over the ground to help me. I want to be with Sho, and that is final! Sho!" Obediently, Sho looked down at her. "Pick me up and bring me back to the little house." Pod gruffly said, "You are not leaving until I say so." Arrietty stuck out her tongue. "Nyaah. He's a human, and there's nothing you can do if he does pick me up. Sho, c'mon!" Sho dipped his head sorrowfully. "Arrietty, you know you're a sister to me. But I cannot go against the words of your father. He is right; at the end of the day, I am still just a human, and you a borrower." A gigantic tear rolled down his hidden face and splashed the ground before Arrietty, and she softened a bit. "Oh Sho… look, it is okay. I'm not blaming you. You did what was right." As Arrietty continued to console Sho, deep in Pod's mind, who watched this drama unfold, was a small bloom of trust. He tried to suppress it, but he couldn't. Sho was such a well-behaved and respectful person, and Arrietty's words were also true. Maybe letting her stay would be a good idea. But he was still afraid to let Arrietty live alone with a creature many hundred times her size. Neiya's ears perked up as Haru shouted into the dark, "Sho! Sho, come on in now! You've been out for too long! Don't you still have homework to do?" The borrowers all covered their ears as Sho shouted back, "I'll come in when I want! Tomorrow is Saturday; I still have a lot of time." He watched as the lights in the living room clicked off, and he turned back to the borrowers. Spiller was pacing around uncomfortably, Arrietty was trying to come to an agreement with her dad, and Neiya yawned and stretched its paws out. "Dad, don't you see? He hasn't hurt me at all! If anything, I am the one that is an annoyance to him; he has to keep an eye out for me. Why must you resist? And don't forget, you owe me for trying to marry me off!" Sho slowly laid on his back, listening to the argument between borrower and borrower. If he closed his eyes, he could hear Arrietty's voice loud and clear, but Pod's voice was fainter. "Stop it!" shouted Spiller, startling Sho. The air filled with tense silence as they awaited Spiller's opinion. A moment passed before he finally whispered reluctantly, "Pod, let her stay here." "Why would you side with her, Spiller?" asked Pod, frighteningly calm. "I've seen Sho many times. He isn't as dangerous as other people. And Arrietty seems to be much happier with him than with us. To take her away forcefully would mean to hurt her more than help her." Arrietty smiled brightly. "Thank you, Spiller." Spiller grunted in response. Pod sighed. He took a fleeting glance at his daughters face, wondering if he would ever see her again. Then he heaved himself up, and announced, "Spiller, we're going back. Arrietty, you can stay if you want. Keep the cast on for a month. Goodbye." The tension in the air dissolved, and Spiller nodded. Sho sat upright, and quickly asked, "Would you like for me to take you…" "No. We'll be fine." "…Alright. Good night."

Arrietty painfully climbed onto Sho's palm. It was still weird, having to walk on a warm, fleshy and soft surface. As for Sho, every time Arrietty climbed on his hand, it felt a little ticklish. It felt like having a big bug crawl on him, the way her tiny fingers gripped his skin and her feet tiptoed across his palm. Sho waited for Arrietty to get her balance, and she nodded that she was ready to leave; Sho slowly rose onto his feet in one smooth motion. He had practiced the motion a lot, as to ensure Arrietty wouldn't fall over. His mind flashed back upon the dream that he had before, and he shivered. Being the giant he was to Arrietty, she felt his every single shake and quiver. As the ground slowly fell beneath her, she looked back upon her father and Spiller, who were walking with their backs toward her. Tiny tears formed on Arrietty's eyes, and even though Sho could not see them, he almost felt their presence. He waited for them to be out of sight before moving back towards the house. "You'll see them again, I promise." Arrietty turned toward Sho. "What?" "I said to not worry, that you will see them again someday." She nodded, an sat down solemnly on his palm. "Sho, tell me… was I wrong? …I mean, should I have accepted the marriage?" Her face melted into a deep red, and in the darkness, so did Sho's. "Well, I think your father should have told you beforehand." "Yes, but was I wrong?" After a moment of contemplation, Sho shook his head slightly. "If I were you, I wouldn't want to have a pre-arranged marriage eithe-" Arrietty jumped as he gasped. "What?! What?!" Sho did not move. His mind was racing, trying to think of a million things at once. Slowly, his gazed fixed upon the little girl. "My parents… they're coming to visit in a week… and they'll be staying for another week…" "…so?" Arrietty was very confused. Sho stuttered, "If they find you, there is nothing I can do!" Only then did Arrietty realize what he was implying. Sho continued, "And you just told off your father… I don't think you have anywhere else to run…" By now, Arrietty's mind was running in synchronicity with Sho. They both stood, unmoving, thinking furiously. Beads of sweat ran down their foreheads as they came up with a different plan every second and a worst case scenario. The two did not realize it, but they were beginning to share a mind. A borrower's ability was to share his or her mind with any human they befriended – that was why Sho was able to hear Arrietty from far away. They though upon the same things, and they worked together without noticing the closeness of their minds. A stream of ideas ran through both heads, and suddenly jerked to a stop. Both human and borrower said at the same time, "Jane!" Silence fell as both wondered how the little girl knew Jane. Sho began, "You know Jane from my school because-" "-we share a common mind." Arrietty finished. As if on cue, a soft, warm wind blew past them, leaving them shivering in the crisp night air. Sho sat down onto the grass, and he set Arrietty down as well. Stunned, the curious couple remained in quietness. The gentle crooning of crickets and cicadas filled the air around them, and the fog clouding their minds began to clear. Sho's heart no longer raced frantically, and Arrietty was feeling a relaxation she had not felt before. For a moment, she forgot her foot was injured, and she tried to stand up and stretch. Yelping in pain, she fell back on the ground, snapping Sho to attention. "I'm okay, I'm okay," she repeated, brushing Sho's hand away. "We need to think of a plan." Uneasily, Sho pulled his hand back, and returned it onto his lap. "The only thing I can think of would be to tell Jane about you… Arrietty, I really don't want other people to know about you." Hearing this, she smiled a small, mischievous grin. "Why? Are you jealous that someone else knows about me?" Sho's face burned a little, but he insisted, "No, no! It's for your safety!" "Sure, sure. Whatever," she sang. Arrietty turned to Sho and asked suddenly, "So what's your plan?" "Well, I'm going to have to bring you to school on Monday, and I'll have to somehow meet secretly with Jane in order for me to introduce you to her… then I'd probably leave you to her until my parents leave." Arrietty nodded along, and added at the end, "But she has to bring me to school every day. I want to see you at least once a day." "We'll see about that," replied Sho. "For now, let us sleep. You need to rest." "Okay," yawned Arrietty, drowsiness washing over her suddenly. She fell asleep in Sho's palm, and as he carried her into the house and up the staircase, she smiled in her sleep. He set her down on her little bed, whispering, "Sleep well, little Arrietty."