twin-branded

[twin-branded]

havensen​:

Quirrel could shiver in times like these. Times were hard, and getting harder all the time, but that wasn’t what left his limbs shaking. ― it was merely the feeling of the kingdom. Hollownest, never in all its time, had been a comfortable place. there was always something sick and sweet in the air like the grounds of a hospital where no one under its care ever lived to leave it. there was always something wrong with it, even without that honeysuckle light seeping from its pores. ― but here, this was a different kind of sick. this was the silence of a grave where sparrow nor specter breathed, just cold and dark, and maybe that was something of a haven. maybe Quirrel really was the outsider looking in, even if his intuition and nerve-network of memories guided him like a second sense, but he couldn’t help but feel it chilled, clawing at his heart. ( he doesn’t realize it, but he curls in on himself, just a little. / the barely-there brace for a freeze that is not coming. )

a hand waved in gesture, brushing the notion of being lost off like how one brushes snow laying atop ice, but his upbeat demeanor hitches on familiarity like flesh on thorns.

“ I’m not seeking directions, i assure… “ his voice falters near the end, thoughtfulness tinging it a greyed color of blue. had he been? he felt like he had been- specific moments with no network to their name explaining them stands out amongst the mind, but nothing to connect them, nothing to point at the land and proclaim ‘ yes, here. here i have been, here i am again. ‘ only the feeling that he had been.

“ I’ll be first to admit, my memory is far from what it was. this place is familiar- very familiar, hazard i to say i could trace these grounds with my eyes closed and emerge only with a handful of gashes to my name if so begged to, but… the memory itself of a prior visit, if its there at all, is not one that comes to me. “

a pause, a breath. he can feel the cold stale air in his throat.

“ you’re… quite familiar to me as well, if it helps ― or hinders any. “

Hinders? No, no, the implication he had seen them before didn’t hinder- it actually helped quite a lot. Perhaps what had thrown the vessel off so much was their perspective? Or maybe it was actually understanding the words and sentences knitted together by Quirrel’s voice. Really.. They had more just seen him than ever met him, despite foggy memories of approaching the pillbug in the past. Does it count as a meeting if you can’t really process the encounter? A breathless, wheezy sort of chuckle escaped them as the pieces began to click- of course, they may seem familiar, but it was silly of them to expect him to remember who they were. Never was there an introduction, and.. Well.

It was an understatement to say they had changed over the years. Last Quirrel would’ve seen them, they’d have maybe stood up to his waist- and that was being... Optimistic, about their diminutive height as a child. (The further back they went, the hazier their memories- but all things considered, they probably were no bigger than when they had hatched. Their kind was a bit odd that way, with delayed growth and sudden molts; though being undead, one couldn’t ever expect them to be normal.)

“Thinking about it.. I would not blame your memory... It’s a bit hard to recognize one you likely last saw as a small child after they’ve had years to grow.”

Perhaps, it’d be a bit easier if they didn’t loom over their fellow traveler so much. They could hardly tell if it was the cold wind that swirled through the town, or if they were accidentally more intimidating than they meant to be- but they certainly caught the other slightly curling in on himself. Seeker lowered themself to one knee, not quite putting themself at even level- but much closer, at least. 

“I didn’t even have a name to know, at the time... But, that too has changed. You may call me Seeker.” Ah, for once they didn’t actually forget to introduce themself- with how little names had mattered in their native tongue, they tended to miss that quite a lot. 

[twin-branded]

havensen​:

@twin-branded​ | SC.

Maybe it was foolish to think times would never change. 

― no, it was certainly foolish, this he knew well. change came to all & everything; never always good, and never always bad, but rarely was something ever exempt from such a rule, and time was not the knot in the thin thread that demanded an exception; no, often it was what was carrying such a fate on its unruly loyal hide, glimmering like the bronze wings of a creation they never should’ve made & never should’ve had ( never should’ve had the hands / to hold, to fell, to fall, / never should’ve had the hands / in spite of themselves. in spite / and what a cruel thing spite is ) but had anyway. Quirrel knew well the fact they never should’ve known this; gods, they never should’ve been this, and continued to be, but they were and they are and they continue to be ― and Hollownest was the kind of place that never changed, you’d leave and return a thousand times and never would it waver ; but it wavered, and it’s changed. 

( changeless, changing, changed. / like a mantra, like a curse. / changeless, changing, changed. / fate trods upon their world, and Quirrel can’t find it in himself to say it shouldn’t / they never should’ve had a world to begin with. )

of bug and beast, isn’t that what she used to say?  ― he can’t even remember her name, now. how long has it been? ( stop asking like you want answers, stop asking like you don’t know better ; that you shouldn’t know at all. )

shut up, and say something.

“ ah… the air’s different here… how long have i been…? “ he swallows thickly, murmurs to himself like unease writhing in the pit of his stomach. change was always something frightening, and even someone as boldly upbeat as Quirrel couldn’t find himself untouched. “ well… it doesn’t really matter… ”

and reality returns to him, lost in his mind pulled from the deep-end, and the pillbug stands at the ruins of a kingdom that’s been reborn. he hasn’t seen a glimmer of that gold in all the nest, and it almost unnerves him, but merry tune slips into his chest just the same; a hum, one hand resting hovering to his chest and the other on the hilt of his nail tied at his hip, he remembers being here as much as he doesn’t- but, well, memory faltered frequently, didn’t it? it always did, he thinks. but still, questions lie unanswered ― and much to his own dismay, Quirrel had remained the inquisitive type.

and as the newcomer in his own home, better to ask a resident whos been around longer than he: wisdom would always be a burden, but never was it something that had to be shouldered alone.

a tentative hand raises in greeting to the nearest figure to pass him ( why was that pale shell familiar? should it be at all? ) as claws salute their greeting, a voice stumbling behind them like a fledgling fly, barely off the ground : he’s usually more chatty and suave than this, he swears.

“ Ah, hello there! How delightful to meet another traveller on these forgotten roads- well, forgotten no longer, I can see. I’m Quirrel, a pleasure to meet you. Its been quite the while since I’ve been to Hollownest, but from the looks of it, things have been changing, hopefully for the better, I presume. ” get to the point, pillbug. “ but I won’t eat up more time of yours than I must, just a simple question of if you’re familiar with the current land? “

Things both had, and hadn’t quite changed from those old, eerie days gone by. When the kingdom was empty and soulless, permeated by a sickly, scorching haze of pestilent light... The place was still somewhat abandoned, with how few survivors of the plague there had been, and a disaster-ridden landscape hadn’t drawn too much attention from outsiders. Far from the gleaming heights it crumbled from still... But the air no longer held a stench of death or disease in the lower caverns, no suffocating humid heat. It was clear and ice cold, much like the darkness that had embraced the kingdom in the absence of both the Radiance and the Pale King. 

Lumafly lanterns pierced the darkness just enough to illuminate the small, dusty town of Dirtmouth, accommodating for the light-dependent vision of most bugs that inhabited the place. Really, in somewhat dim light, despite an alarming height the nearest figure to pass the pillbug could almost be missed. The only thing truly giving away their looming presence was their pale shell, a sharp contrast to the rest of their inky black form when caught in the lights. A stark white, heavy set of horns that seemed near cleaved down the center- a broad crack streaking from the top of their head to between their eyes. Or maybe.. Lack of? Scarlet red rings seemed to indicate irises- but there was no reflection of light, no depth to them. Just an eerie glow in pitch black sockets.

The small pillbug Seeker found themself greeted with was... Oddly familiar, even just at a quick glance when the movement of his hand caught their “eye”. Stopped in their tracks, it took them a moment to try and process where they had seen him before; almost missing what he said while trying to pick through their mind for the source of the Deja Vu he presented them with. But they caught it, at least, enough so to answer the brief question posed to them.

The voice that greeted him was deep and raspy, a tinge of something.. Incomprehensible backing it with slight distortion. Rarely used, and still in need of some refinement, honestly-

“.. Yes, and no. I am well versed in what goes on around here. But I am.. Not... Quite the bug to ask for directions, if you find yourself lost.” (Actually, could they even call themself a bug? That was something up for debate.) “Pardon my curiosity, Quirrel, if I may ask a question of my own. By any chance.. Have you wandered this old kingdom, some time ago?”

“You seem.. Very familiar.”

[twin-branded]

// -Skitters in-

Hello!! I’m not dead!! Just been very busy working two full time jobs and finishing with college!

I do have some good news for those of you looking for content; I’m properly writing out this story as a fic on AO3 as well as continuing to write on here!! So far there’s a prologue and two chapters out, and chapter 3 is currently in the works, so keep an eye out for that.

Hope you enjoy, I’ll try to keep up around here too! 

https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubbling_Drabbles/series

[twin-branded]

Exploration - { A Memory }

A keen memory, of a time long past.

- 

2k word count, lighthearted bit of writing.

[twin-branded]

// Starter call! Like, rb or comment for a starter!

[twin-branded]

// Hello everyone, sorry for vanishing for awhile! Things got really hectic on my end, but I'm finally done for my semester, and should all go well, I'll be graduating from college. I'll still have work, so I won't be active 100% of the time, but with one less major responsibility I hope to be around more often!

[twin-branded]

BAGEL

There's a silent, judgmental stare from the vessel.

They don't know what a bagel is, but they do not appreciate being screamed at.

[twin-branded]

A Rock that every few moments produces a DOOT noise

At first they just curiously pick up the rock, before proceeding to jump and drop it at it making a noise. Rocks.. Aren't supposed to make noise?? That's not how that works! Is it not a rock?

Picking it up again for closer inspection, they don't see any limbs, nor mouthparts for the noise to come from.

They're thoroughly confused. Bamboozled, even!

[twin-branded]

penitentluminary​:

Lumen’s expression softened somewhat as he listened, musing to himself that perhaps he might have gotten along with Grimm, if neither’d had cause to consider the other a threat. “He sounds to be just the sort of person I could have hoped would watch over you, with a dash of, as you say, Extra.” He chuckled softly, relieved by the fresh assurance that someone had been supporting them in such a way. That was heartening.

As the newer gods’ situation, and indeed the situation in general, was explained - well, he couldn’t say it was necessarily idealised, but neither was it awful either. “Well… I imagine that’s probably the normal way, feeling around for what works. If you would like, though, I could try to collate some of my old notes from when I was learning? Not exactly a curriculum, but perhaps of use nonetheless? Life’s a class nobody studied for, you could say, and we gods have fewer seniors and teachers than most, so why not crib a little from time to time?”

A chirp escaped him as Seeker sighed and glanced at… their hand? It felt as though trying to see why might be rude, but he nonetheless wanted to do something. Reaching out, and admittedly lifting off a bit for better effect, he attempted to pat them on the back. “From what I’ve seen? I think you are.” Admittedly, he hadn’t seen all that much yet, but restoring a kingdom from ruins was no small feat.

Seeker paused, lifting their head some as Lumen spoke. Genuinely a bit shocked, and, dare they say relieved to hear that their situation was.. Normal. Unpleasant in its own ways, but- not so out of place as they had thought their whole life. They had always felt.. Lacking, underprepared- they were still definitely underprepared to be royalty- but, in some sense had expected it wasn’t the case for others. That being confused and having to test the waters wasn’t normal, just young inexperience and growing up mostly without any to teach them.

“Well, I’ve never really had a proper curriculum anyway.. Most of my learning aside from basic life skills was and- well- still is spending most of my free time reading. A few extra notes to look over would be just as helpful as any old, dusty books or tablets from the library. Probably more so, they come from one with personal experience.” If there was any positives, at least they felt confident in how much they could take in from what little they had to work with. They’d gotten this far off of reading, and being a bit too curious for their own good, right?

The vessel eased some with the light pat on the back, trilling at Lumen in response. Much needed reassurance, really.. Hopefully that opinion wouldn’t change when he saw more of their domain in the future. “Thank you, Lumen.. It’s appreciated. It’s comforting to feel less like the odd bunch out for being at a bit of a loss on all these new, complicated matters.” They tried to some avail to give a smile, as off as it ever was, it still felt genuine.

[twin-branded]

These two share a single braincell. Seeker has enough wrath for both of them and Wanderer has all the anger management-

[twin-branded]

// FINALLY BEAT RADIANT PV LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[twin-branded]

// Extra world-building & hc time!! Putting under read more to spare y’all from massive wall of text

Hallownest’s rebuilding society is heavily centered on athletics and physical and/or mental fitness. To have survived the infection or the wastelands to end up in Hallownest, you had to be fit, capable of defending yourself, and often quick-witted. Thus, it is a basic expectation of anyone dwelling in the kingdom. Those raised in Hallownest are taught to defend themselves from a young age to keep them safe from the various natural hazards of the kingdom, and participation in sports for bugs of all ages is extremely encouraged. 

Sports serve a wide variety of purposes, and they are equally varied in types of activity. Often, these are based in specific regions by what resources are available and what venues best suit the activity.  In the Colosseum of Fools, brawling/sparring is the primary event as usual (with regulations to be non-lethal to participants). In some cases it’s runs akin to what’s seen in-game of a challenger trying to become champion, in other cases it’s one-on-one or small team matchups in the arena. Team match-ups can be at max 3 participants per side, for a total of 6 bugs in the arena. There are also special matchups specifically for magic users, limited to 1v1 events that result in often very explosive duels. These various events have the following purposes: - Events at the Colosseum are popular, and help draw in revenue to boost Hallownest’s economy. - Fighters in the Colosseum gain valuable experience without the potentially lethal consequences of fighting on a battlefield or hunting large beasts such as garpedes. This applies both to physical fighters and magic users! There are at times accidents that can be fatal or severe injury, but one’s chances are better under regulations than picking fights with void beasts in the wastelands. - Team battles are most often used by individuals who are training in the guard, especially knights in training. This helps them learn coordination with other guards, and how to read a battle with large numbers of individuals involved.  - Battle is strenuous, but a good way to stay fit and blow off steam. This helps prevents a lot of violence elsewhere, as competitors get to vent frustration and anger through exercise and conflict. On that same line, it has at times been used as a method of solving disputes; if things are about to break into a fight, it is standard to take it to the Colosseum to resolve the matter officially.

In the City of Tears, popular sports are parkour & racing. The slick wet stone structures and streets make it a difficult challenge to stay on your feet, all the more proving dexterity and agility if you manage to stick your landings and stay ahead of other bugs. While bugs capable of flight are not allowed to race those who are grounded, flight-only races are their own activity to make up for that. - Racing is an incredibly good form of cardio, and helps any bug stay in good shape. It is significantly safer than the Colosseum activities as well, making it preferred for those who aren’t into the high risk high reward aspects.  - While being the fastest of your friends is a good bragging right for young bugs, most of it’s popularity comes from wastelanders or guards. Being able to out-maneuver threats in the wastes can be a matter of life or death, so it’s great practice in safety. As for guards, it’s good endurance and dexterity training, as well as learning the fastest ways to get around the city. Those who partake in the activities tend to be the best at catching criminals on the run. - With being a popular sport among the guards, it tends to intimidate some would-be criminals. No one wants to take their chances with a bug who can clear a city block in slippery or poor flying conditions in under 60 seconds, either on foot or in the air.

In various places around Hallownest, there are a few sports mostly for sake of exercise, and entertainment. One example is swinging bridge challenges, with two teams attempting to knock the other off-balance. Most have water or padding underneath, but pros and dare-devils will often do this above large drops or not include water/padding. (Lots of bugs also consider it extra challenge playing against vessels in that one, as their towering mature sizes make it a cakewalk for them to swing the bridge around even alone.) 

Outsiders are very much encouraged to join in on any of these events! It is considered a means of sharing culture, as well as how to earn local respect if the outsider performs well. Those who refuse to attend any events are seen as rude, weak, or killjoys unless they are injured. Anyone with noticeable injuries who attempts to attend, outsider or resident, will be rejected. There’s no point in straining yourself and making anything worse! 

[twin-branded]

penitentluminary​:

It wasn’t Lumen’s place to begrudge Grimm the role he had taken, if he had done right by Seeker, then that was all anyone could ask. Certainly more than his counterpart had done. He hadn’t expected it, but then, how much did he really know about the king of nightmares? Better for a ruler of such things to be a decent bug, all things considered, so he would hope that such was indeed the case. From Seeker’s reaction, it certainly seemed so. “What is he like?” He asked, hoping to learn more about someone who had clearly played such an important role in their life.

Most of them were still small? Perhaps that made sense, if their needs had been inconsistently met. What mattered more was that there were a lot of them. He couldn’t help perking up a little at that news - that was hope, after all. Hallownest was a big place - even if he hadn’t seen surviving vessels to his knowledge yet, perhaps there were more he just hadn’t spotted. “Finnley is loud? I must admit, I’d not expected that, but I suppose where there’s a will there’s a way, and it would suit anyone venturing to the Colosseum.”

He could relate to feeling as though part of oneself was missing when apart from someone special, though for himself that was not a twin. A hand drifted to where he kept half of a special charm, lightly running fingers over the broken edges. “It sounds to me as though you have wonderful people around you.” He murmured, more at ease. “Is anyone mentoring Farul and Amali? I don’t believe I know of any of we older gods who had someone offering guidance early on, and look at the mess our egos made… It would be nice to think that those coming after would be able to learn from our mistakes.” It was also interesting to think that someone might have music as an aspect - he didn’t think there had been before, but he had been investigating the possibility that music held power, before the infection tore away his focus.

“It is.. A little hard to describe the Troupe Master in any simple form. He’s flamboyant, dramatic, sarcastic.. Anything you can really think of that just adds up to being Extra. Aside from the hardcore presentation though, he’s a great dad. Kept us safe, encouraged us to explore all of our abilities no matter how odd or eldritch, and taught us a certain degree of his own flare!” Really, if it weren’t for their upbringing with the Troupe, they might’ve been shy about some of their void-based abilities and general nature.. They were undead, after all, that was frightening for most. Encouragement of the bizarre and alarming was much needed confidence.

Seeker canted their head some though, at the inquiry over Farul and Amali. “Well, no- not that I know of. Farul was raised by mortals, and I don’t really know much about Amali’s background... Actually, no one really taught Wanderer and I on the godly or monarch aspects of things either. I think everyone is sort of just blindly feeling around in the dark until something works...” Not something they were particularly proud to admit, but it was an unfortunate truth. All of the older gods of Hallownest were either dead, isolated, or in Grimm’s case- more focused on raising them to be functional individuals after growing up all alone in the infection.

Idly rubbing the back of their neck, Seeker sighed. As capable as they were in combat, as resilient as they had been to a tough life, and eager to learn as they always were- they weren’t exactly sure why they had been picked as a monarch, rather than someone like Hallow. They didn’t even know what a monarch was until a year or two before being crowned. Glancing down to the kings brand on their right palm, they seemed a little.. Uncertain. “I hope we’re doing a good job anyways...”

[twin-branded]

penitentluminary​:

An appreciative little warble freed itself as he was granted that little pat, and Lumen drew in a slow breath in an attempt to calm himself some more. It was true that he had a lot of work ahead of him, but he could at least try to hold onto some dignity for the time being and see the task at hand through. Especially, it had to be said, with the relief of Seeker’s agreement. “I’ll see what I can find as well in the time between.” He assured them with a nod, not about to leave all of the matter to the chance that Seeker would know what to do.

He’d realised by now that Grimm had involvement - honestly he’d have probably had to be a fool not to - or perhaps a Fool. Still, he hadn’t quite put together that it had been the harbinger of kingdoms falling who had stepped into the role of father. “It sounds as though Grimm was good to you… For that, ah, I am glad. I must admit that it is… bittersweet to hear of the state of the pantheon, but I realise that this is the way of things.” He would have to be very careful to avoid Queen’s Gardens entirely - he didn’t doubt this world’s White Lady would sense him setting foot there, even as concealed as he could manage, and that was not an explanation he wanted to give.

At least it sounded as though the moths had managed to persist after all, perhaps bolstered by any who had wandered back in from the wastelands one way or another. He wasn’t sure what to interpret from the idea of a cotton ball personality, but perhaps those new deities Seeker mentioned were young and still developing. “A twin and a wife? Would you be willing to tell me about them - and your sibling Finnley? How many siblings are around in your timeline?” That the Fools would be obnoxious was honestly no surprise, so it was more matters of family his mind latched upon. “Ah, and it may be a good idea for me to know the names used for those new deities, to avoid confusion.”

Seeker gave Lumen a delighted chirp as he noted Grimm, a wordless confirmation to his comment. While they undoubtedly wondered at times what a more royal upbringing like their heritage implied would’ve been like, they truly adored their adoptive father. As well as the rest of their family, save for their birth mother- and they were happy to elaborate more on them. It was nice to be focusing in on the positives, after the rollercoaster of events and emotions since they arrived in Lumen’s world. 

“Oh! Absolutely! There’s a lot of us so far, and most of us are still rather small. Only Hallow, Finnley, Wanderer and I are adults that I know of. Finnley is about as loud and rowdy as any bug from Kingdom’s Edge, really friendly and outgoing guy. Wanderer has to be my favorite bug in the world! They’re sweet, friendly, protective, and so optimistic... Whenever I’m away from them too long I just feel like a part of myself is missing.” With a brief pause, and a touch of grey dusting their shell, their focus shifted from their siblings. 

“Ah, and Leben.. She’s an interesting bug. Mischievous trouble maker, a bit cocky, but there’s no denying she’s a skilled warrior. A beautiful one at that, too... Oh, right- she was the one who introduced me to the new light deities, they popped up while she was helping investigate some oddities with the void in Hallownest. Farul is the new sun god, his designations are sunlight, music, and memory. Then Amali is the moon goddess, patron of hope, dreams, and moonlight. I think they’re both fairly young- younger than me and Wanderer, anyways.” It was.. Admittedly a little odd, just talking about the other higher beings of Hallownest so casually. Or.. Rather even referring to them as gods. They had been raised around mortals and higher beings so indiscriminately, they sort of forgot there was a difference to consider most of the time. 

[twin-branded]

penitentluminary​:

“I had been under the impression that they had been wiped out, more or less, before Hallownest was founded.” Lumen explained, a little awkwardly. “Are they at all affiliated with the snail shamans in your world? They were in this one, which is where most of my information on them comes from.” There had been some remnants of artefacts, but for the most part, word of mouth was the basis of his knowledge of those who had come before.

The Abyss… He couldn’t help another wince, lower hands fidgeting as he thought back on the place. “…I do intend to do what I can for the Abyss here. If there is any guidance you could offer in that regard, I would, ah… be a receptive audience.” He was well aware of the debt he had to pay in that particular area, and he doubted he would ever forget, even in a best case scenario fixing as much as was possible to fix.

It definitely sounded as though some kind of presence-masking charm might be a good idea, whether imperfect or not. It was understandable for void acolytes to be iffy about higher beings, given all that had taken place, and he had no intentions of making himself a burden on them. Was it wrong of him to be relieved to hear there weren’t likely to be many wandering Hallownest as a whole? “I see… I shall still endeavour to be careful. Ah, and whatever you can tell me would be welcome, anything’s more than nothing, after all.” He just needed to avoid being an obvious anachronism, not to devour a library’s worth of lore.

If the snail shamans were related to them- Seeker had no idea at all. Maybe they had branched off at some point? Or maybe they were entirely different groups- hard to really tell. But Seeker could tell Lumen was stressed over many of the crossing topics, so they gently gave him a pat on the back. It was understandable, in fact they’d be a little offended had he no concerns of the Abyss- but, he wanted to fix things. So that was good. 

“There’s probably means of help.. I suppose worlds differ, what may work in mine might not in yours- but how about next time I’m here, we give that a shot? For now, let me fill you in on my world.” The vessel paused, needing to take a moment to think of where to start. There’s so much he may not know, or so much that could be similar... Well- perhaps from the obvious would be best. From what they experienced in the infection onward, that was clearly different. 

“Well.. After the infection, we were raised mostly by Troupe Master Grimm, and trained as knights by Hallow until we were old enough to take the throne. Mostly it’s bugs from the wastelands who’ve come in, and a handful of survivors. There’s three monarchs right now, myself and my twin Wanderer, as well as my wife, Leben. There’s a new sun god, and a moon goddess, along with the remnants of the moth tribe in the resting grounds and crystal peak regions. Thankfully, the new light deities are pretty much both walking cotton balls in both appearance and personality. The White Lady still remains in Queen’s Gardens, though the place is overgrown with thorns... The Colosseum of Fools is currently run by one of my older siblings- his name is Finnley. Although unless you intend to compete, I’d avoid the place if I were you. The fools are all obnoxious hillbillies, as per usual with Kingdom’s Edge...”

If they had eyes to roll at that last bit, they absolutely would’ve. They didn’t want to discuss the amount of times they had punched or punted one of the fools for being called a slur.

[twin-branded]

penitentluminary​:

Emitting a soft chirp as he received the light bunt of Seeker’s head to his, Lumen tried to offer a smile in return, wan though it was. “I understand, I should have expected something like this, really.” He responded softly, rubbing the back of his neck. As he was offered another hug, he wasted no time in accepting the embrace, indeed drawing comfort from the gesture. “I’m willing to go in disguise if that is indeed the best way. It might have been wise even had public opinion of my counterpart not been so unfavourable, or news of his demise less certain. I am… not exactly a person who wouldn’t draw a lot of attention either way.”

Hearing just who Seeker meant him to mimic drew a startled little sound, and he peered up at them in clear astonishment. “I thought they had all been killed by the Old Light - some survived?” Perhaps it wasn’t too surprising that they hadn’t revealed themselves to another light, all things considered, but he wished he could have consulted them about the void - perhaps he might not have erred quite so much?

“I imagine that true void acolytes would notice I wasn’t of their number - are they likely to mind..? Perhaps I should try to concoct a charm to mask more of my presence…“ He didn’t want to step on any more toes, if it could be avoided. Offering his hand for the old Lifeblood Heart, he wondered whether it was one that they themself had used on their path to becoming who they were today. “I see… Whatever information you can provide, I would be grateful for. I had intended to find out more about the void if possible in any case, and learning in general is something I value. Oh - might there perhaps be recent history books I could consult, to be more familiar with the setting?”

Ah, so he knew at least something of their existence? Well he was better off than they were at first- Seeker didn’t have any clue who they were until encountering their faction in person. “Not sure when or why they left, but they were scattered in the Wastelands until fairly recently- I figure that’s why they weren’t wiped out like the rest of Hallownest’s population. For now they are in the Forgotten Crossroads, in a restored section I believe was once a small settlement... Eventually they plan to return to the Abyss, but that needs to be restored first.” 

Seeker sighed, the Abyss was.. Well.. Still as terrible as ever. If anything it made them sadder the more they had learned from the acolytes, to know it had been a home. A home, a shelter, a culture, eventually a birthplace for them and their kind- all buried under the countless bodies of the very same kin. But efforts to restore that were ongoing- and certainly not the focus here. “Admittedly, they tend to be rather prickly with higher beings, and their elders would sense your magic, even if you may pass if someone merely saw you at a glance. They don’t usually wander too far into the rest of Hallownest though, and I doubt any random individual would call out another passerby on the street.”

They had to stop and think about any possible history books, or other resources.. Would that be available? Most of what bugs had begun to see as large historical events were simply things they lived through, questions of past times they had delved into the kingdom’s depths to uncover themself as much as they could. They never really.. Checked for history books being updated. “I don’t actually know if there’s much written down on recent history, save for a few recallings of my own journey I wrote down. But I can fill you in decently from memory, if that works well enough.”

[twin-branded]

penitentluminary​:

Though the glow was an eerie one, there was a sort of beauty to it as well. “Duly noted, better not to invite more than I’m already likely to be in for.” He chuckled ruefully, aware that once he had enough rest in him to dip once more into dreaming, he wasn’t likely to enjoy what came to mind. There were so many unpleasant things for his sleeping mind to churn through, after all. Still, better that than the Radiance.

Setting the lantern carefully onto the nearest table, making sure it wasn’t anywhere near the edge or anything that could fall on it, Lumen produced a warbling sound as he shook his head. “I don’t mind at all if you wander, I’m sure you’re more than capable of watching out for yourself. If anyone gives you too much trouble for some reason once people are back, though, and you’d rather not deal with them yourself, you can feel free to let me know.” He responded, humming a little to himself for a moment.

“Especially with void-related harm, you say..? That’s interesting, I’d like to read any papers on that which may be available, at some point…” He murmured, as he listened, though a sense of apprehension stole across him as he noticed that Seeker seemed less animated. Oh. Oh, he supposed that made some sense, didn’t it..? Still, he couldn’t help a bit of a wince, his wings fluttering uneasily, though they couldn’t carry him away from this, nor would the curling of his tail closer around his legs really help.

“Ah… That… does present issue…” He murmured, his voice a little flatter than he’d intended. “I, ah, would need to know more about that faction - would glowing be a problem? It is rather a constant for me…” Thinking of himself dead wasn’t unfamiliar, it was one of the frequent possibilities he’d glimpsed attempting foresight. Honestly, it probably hadn’t been great for his mental state, foreseeing his own corpse so often, but at least he hadn’t seen it as a void husk. “I appreciate the warning…”

Well they weren’t sure about any papers related to lifeblood’s interactions with the void.. That was information passed onto them from the very individuals they hoped they could get Lumen to blend in with, it was simply common knowledge to them. But they could pass it on, they needed to elaborate more on them and the general knowledge of Hallownest to make a disguise functional. Looks could hide one in a crowd, but not in a conversation. For that, Lumen would need key information about where he was going and who he was pretending to be. 

Information, and perhaps some comfort given the news they had just delivered. Seeker lightly headbutted Lumen, trying to offer a smile as best they could. “I know it is not ideal, I apologize for that.. But, at the very least I can prepare you to keep you safe, and you are more than welcome to stay in the palace during your visits if you feel more secure that way.” They reached an arm out to offer a hug if Lumen desired, it had seemed closeness was a comfort for the both of them during their time in his world. 

“As for the faction, they are known as the void acolytes. They’re the remnants of what had been in Hallownest long before you ever arrived. Thankfully, your glow shouldn’t be an issue- they’re a very secretive group, wearing weighted black cloaks to keep outsiders from recognizing them and using lifeblood charms for protection. With the cloak and charm it should be easy to hide most identifying features, and it won’t seem odd to the general public if you keep more to yourself. As long as you keep your distance from their area and elders so no one picks up that you’re a higher being, you should be just fine.”

They paused and rummaged through their cloak briefly, pulling out an intricate charm; a Lifeblood Heart. It seemed old and a little scuffed, but still pulsed with a blue shine. “The acolytes are actually the ones who brought the information about lifeblood, and how it interacts with void. Said it's a sort of sedative, though I’m not quite sure how it works yet. I’ll see if I can ask more about it later.”