A Stranger in Hallownest

Hornet lowered her nail, staring down the strange creature before her. Only a few steps away from her stood a being she had never seen the likes of in the entirety of Hallownest and its winding tunnels. The sickly sweet smell still hung in the air, the infection's remains rotting on the surrounding ground, oozing out of corrupted corpses. It was another defilement of this place, even if this was merely a darkened tunnel.

The warrior wasn't a far cry from the other bugs she had seen, but the structure of its body was wrong somehow. She turned her head, trying to get a better look at it -- or maybe them. There was an exoskeleton where she expected one to be, but parts of it were exposed to reveal cloth or other shiny adornments. A slit from their helmet stared back at her. Had parts of their shell been made brittle?

The stranger said something in an inquisitive tone, their nail still dripping with orange ichor.

The alien language hit her bluntly. It was somewhat familiar, and yet all the sounds were wrong. Most importantly, the creature's intonation was masculine, and he carried himself with the pride and ego that she had come to associate with men. It was a strange countenance considering how vulnerable he appeared.

Hornet urged him to follow with a beckon of the hand. While the infestation hadn't made its full force assault in this tunnel, it was still creeping in. Even an odd creature such as this didn't deserve the gruesome fate the infestation brought. He sheathed his nail, the strange, foreign weapon shaped in a way that didn't quite match her own. It bore a longer, thin blade that only tapered off at the end, with a vertical piece right above the handle. A guard, curious. Not many nails bore that feature. Hornet decided to stow her own weapon beneath her cloak, showing that she meant no harm.

Her gesture was enough, and the curious being soon joined her side, following the path of the tunnels. The close proximity allowed her to better observe him. Hornet noted where cloth hung from his body and patchworks of chain protected the gaps in his exoskeleton, shimmering in the dim lights of Hallownest. Perhaps he was some manner of beetle, with their waxy, proud shells that glinted beautifully in the light.

The knight spoke a few words, almost seeming amused. He had noticed her curiosity. The slit in his helmet peered into her. Hornet slowly returned her attention back to the road ahead, not wanting to make any sudden movements that might alarm him. Even still, she could feel his gaze upon her. Another few words came from him. He was perhaps charmed or impressed about something.

The way the stranger spoke was quite casual -- as though addressing a friend. It was somewhat entertaining, but understandable, given the absence of anyone else to speak to in these forsaken depths. All the same, she had no real way to return his words. The only thing she could do was lead him somewhere to tend to his weary body and mind. That was an assumption on her part, admittedly, but it was the only way she could repay him for his assistance.

The stranger spoke in a serious tone. His voice became somewhat somber as he spoke, head looking and nodding every which way as they walked. Soon, they approached the edge of a pit, where the tunnel bent right down into the earth. He muttered as he stared down into the hole, regaining some of his casual natural.

He approached the edge, clearly hesitant to tread any further, judging by his unease. Hornet took the first step off, landing handily on a platform below. She looked back up at her odd companion, finding him shaking his head. It looked worrisome. For a moment, it seemed as though he was going to remain up there, but he eventually mustered the courage to make the leap and tumbled down beside her. Hornet offered him a hand, and he was no less hesitant, but he soon took it. Beneath his armored gauntlets, she could feel something tangibly softer. The two paused for a moment, then Hornet withdrew her hand.

"Pardon my intrusion," she said.

He tilted his head at those words. Unlikely he understood her.

They continued on, slowly making their way down into the pit. As resilient of a fighter as he was, Hornet was certainly the more agile of the two. In a way, it was cute watching him scale his way down platform after platform. No, that wasn't the right mindset. He was a warrior all the same, and simply lacked her spiderlike swiftness. At one point, he nearly lost his footing, but a quick fling of her thread brought him back to stability. That elicited an amused scoff from him.

They eventually made their way to the bottom. Now only a short climb up to the hot spring itself remained. She noted that the strange creature was somewhat better at climbing than descending. Hornet's speed and agility seemed to surprise him, with the way his head jerked back with every leap. As she stared down at him, Hornet noted that some of his equipment had likely been the thing holding him so closely to the ground. She glanced back at the entrance to the hot spring. She would find out soon enough.

Hornet knelt down and helped the knight up as he made his final climb, enjoying the strange sensation of his hands on hers. How long had it been since she had felt the touch of another? It was almost unbecoming of a guardian to not know the touch of those she protected. As she pondered the thought, she pulled him along to the spring, presenting the body of water to him before letting her hand slip from his grasp.

Immediately, his posture straightened all the more. As alien as he was, his body language conveyed an obvious jubilation. The knight spoke with surprise. He paused, then added one more statement to enhance his shock. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees and cupped some of the water in his hands, playing with it for a moment.

"This is to wash, not for play," she chided.

Those words seemed to pass by him unnoticed as he began to take off his helmet. He loosened the straps, the visor sliding up, exposing him as he lay it on the ground. A fuzzy head revealed itself. Was he a moth? Where had his wings gone -- his antennae? His hands returned to the water, splashing his face and rubbing it as he let out a content sigh. Something didn't appear quite right.

Hornet took a step closer, just as his hands slid away. He turned his head toward her, bearing a strange, wide mouth. Instead of the compound eyes she had been expecting, she saw a pair of white eyes dotted with green. A strange protrusion jutted from between them.

The protective shell whittled away, allowing Hornet to see more of what lay beneath. More cloth pulled away to reveal a soft shell that stretched over some structure beneath. It was certainly no exoskeleton she had ever seen. How did he keep himself upright? Hornet found herself staring all the more as he undressed, and he was soon entirely bare, sinking into the water.

Her eyes wandered back to his discarded armor. It didn't appear to be ritualistic clothing or something designed to intimidate -- his body simply lacked the natural defenses of an insect. He was nearly as defenseless as a grub, bearing a similarly soft hide. Despite that, he carried himself with an impressive surety that put many other denizens in the Hallownest to shame.

The knight said something and gestured to the other side of the pool. The message was clear -- he was offering Hornet a place at the spring. She gazed down at the pool, considering the invitation. The water was indeed tempting, and she was far more curious about him than she cared to admit. Surely the guardian could afford to relax, even if only for a moment?

Hornet stepped over to the wall and set her nail aside, then looked back at the curious being. She wondered if he had somehow mistaken her for one of his own. Her head could have easily passed for one of his own helmets, couldn't it? Or was that too presumptuous? All the same, if she hadn't seen anything like him in all her years, it was unlikely he had seen a more upright, thinking insect like her.

Slowly, Hornet pulled her cloak free, setting it beside her nail. She stepped closer to the pool and eased her way into it. Her partner's eyes widened as her slender, black legs slid into the pool, her abdomen soon joining them.

The two of them traded curious looks. The more Hornet studied him, the more she noticed how his body shifted and twitched. His face seemed geared to express emotion with the way it moved. The wide eyed stare lessened, hardening into something more subdued. He must have been mulling her form over in his head, just as she was with him. Hornet lightly bowed her head -- a show of respect. He eventually returned the gesture, though his eyes remained fixated on her.

"I mean no offense, I am only curious," she said softly.

Those words likely meant nothing to him, but she hoped some of her intent could be gleaned. That said, what was her true intent -- to gawk at the strange creature before her? No, her intentions were more noble. She sought to establish a rapport with this new being who was an admirable fighter despite his obvious shortcomings. These were the few comforts she could afford herself, so why not enjoy them?

For a while, there was a silence between them. A gentle breeze picked up in the tunnel, bringing with it a soft whistle. They had shifted their uneasy gaze to an occasional look. Slowly, but surely, they were acclimating to each other's distant forms. It was... comforting, in a way. Indeed, this was the closest she had come to a vulnerable moment with another insect-- another creature in quite some time.

Calm, pleasing words came from the knight. His eyes softened and his muscles relaxed. The knight placed his hand over his chest, then gestured toward Hornet.

Whatever he intended, they were clearly heartfelt. Hornet nodded back, hoping to assuage some of his unease. She could only hope that the disparity between the two hadn't put him on edge. Though, if he were in any way distressed, he likely would have used his nail to express that directly. Violence was easy to show. This strange pause certainly implied that they were tentatively comfortable around one another.

Hornet did her best to relax into the spring, letting the water work its way into her chitin. It seemed to be doing much of the same for her partner, droplets glistening across his body. With the way he indulged so happily in the water earlier, he must have been down here for quite a while. It was fortunate that Hornet met him first, rather than any other unruly denizen, or that he didn't stumble into something far, far worse.

The stress upon him must have been great to latch onto the first friendly figure he had seen in the Hallownest. Hornet was one of the few creatures he could expose his vulnerable form to like this, even if it may have been unexpected. Hornet tilted her head, thinking back to the softness of his hand.

Hornet's hand grasped at the water, feeling how it gently ran around her fingers. Not a far off sensation from how he felt, perhaps even moreso when laid bare. Not all insects took to clothing. If anything, garments were a mere formality, but this knight's body was entirely clothed in layer upon layer. It was almost as if nudity, for him, was something far more serious. Perhaps his people were wracked with a fear of injury with a delicate form like that.

It took a while for Hornet to realize that she was staring more intently than she had intended. She averted her gaze to the rest of the spring, much like he had done, casually glancing about. A glimmer caught her eyes, sat upon a nearby rock. There was a stone platter with a small flask sat atop and a few morsels of food on a little reflective tray. Only one cup was present. Someone must have left in a hurry. She glanced back at the knight, who was currently gently bathing his body in the water.

Considering all that he had been through, it was unlikely that the knight had anything to consume other than whatever he had brought with him, and whatever creatures were unfortunate enough to get in his path. Hornet raised herself from the water and made her way over to the tray. Those wide eyes were felt on her chitin. Hornet made her movements as relaxed as possible, keeping him calm. Taking hold of the platter, she walked back over to the knight, setting it down next to the spring and easing back into the water herself. It was important that she was no closer than an arm's length away to maintain a comfortable, welcoming distance. Now was not the time to intrude any closer and worry him.

The knight looked at the platter, turning toward it. Hornet held up one of the morsels -- a cooked grub. Her mandibles unfolded, two main mouth pieces at her chin breaking apart her smooth surface. Two more chelicerae came from underneath, rising up. The male remained steady, though his eyes did slightly widen. Was that curiosity? Or perhaps worry?

Hornet plucked out a chunk of the food, then presented the meal to the knight. He looked at her for a moment before his mouth crooked upward and he chuckled. Reaching back toward his discarded gear, he pulled free a small dagger, holding it by the point. He raised his other hand, prompting Hornet to hand over the food.

He shared a few casual words and placed the food on the tray. With a clean slice, he separated the two and handed the bitten portion back to Hornet. They both nodded at one another before returning to their meal.

Well, Hornet returned to her meal. The knight took a moment to examine it and pry at it with his fingers before his attention was drawn back to the way she ate. It was so easy to see where his gaze was drawn with his green irises. There was something comforting about that. Hornet didn't have to worry about what he was doing -- what machinations a blank expression was hiding. Right now, he was simply curious about the way she ate.

Slowing her movements, Hornet showed how her mandibles held the food in place as her chelicerae reached up to pluck out choice pieces. She could have swallowed the whole thing instantly, surely, but something pulled her to more precise motions. The way his awe was directed to such a simple aspect of her anatomy was something she wasn't familiar with.

The knight slowly moved to eat as well, Hornet watching as his jaws bit into it. There were some white protrusions in his mouth, carving into the food. Curious, internal mandibles. His expression crinkled before softening, then he nodded.

A few inquisitive words came from him as he held up the food. He added a tilt of his head, shaking his meal, probably curious about what he was eating.

"Vengefly grubs cooked in a wrapping of mushroom," Hornet said.

He paused, still staring.

"Grub," Hornet said.

He nodded. "Grub," he said in her language. The knight added a few more agreeable words of his own and took another bite.

The enthusiasm with which he ate was infectious. To find joy in a simple meal was amusing, perhaps even cute. There wasn't a moment she could recall where she took a moment to appreciate a meal. Spurred on by his enjoyment, Hornet poured him a glass of juice. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it had a fruity smell to it. Certainly, it'd fit nicely with the meal.

There was a brief, bare touch of their hands as Hornet handed the cup over. The smallest pause was shared between them before the knight took it. He looked into the cup, then heartily swigged it in one go. A pleased sigh came from him a moment later, his whole chest heaving.

Similarly, his voice was just as relieved, nodding toward Hornet.

"I am still not certain of what you say. I appreciate your voice all the same," she replied. Hornet tried to twist her inflection to something thoughtful, so that he might pick up on her tone.

The knight shifted his mouth in that pleasing way, chuckling in return. He added another cheerful string of words, though oddly reserved and polite.

Despite the lack of understanding, Hornet found herself relaxing into this moment. A mindless conversation of nothing in particular, just courteous tones and laughs. With this closer arrangement, Hornet could pick up the finer details on his body. Flexing muscles, the wounded markings on his hide, the finer hairs. Most notably, the slow, rhythmic sound of air going in and out. The waves of the spring were like plucks of a web. Her spiderlike senses picked up his movements in the water, and in it, she could feel his heartbeat.

There was a craving in Hornet's thoughts, a simple touch that she had denied herself for quite some time. An embrace of hands, of bodies, only goaded on by her curiosity of the soft yet formidable form before her. She wanted to know what he felt like beneath all the armor he had shed. The knight's expression softened as they traded glances. Had he felt the same longing? He was not of this realm -- he was alone in that moment.

For all the differences between them, Hornet felt for him. The rigors of combat were not kind to her, and likely even less so on him. There was little either of them could do to find contentment here, and Hornet was already fully ingrained in this hostile place. Her eyes settled on the scars along his body, wondering just how hard he had struggled in his life, and now, striving for survival in Hallownest.

Hornet tentatively reached out, finger sliding across his arm, tracing along a scar that ran down that limb. The knight simply watched as her gentle digits glided across. She enjoyed just how soft he felt, a comforting touch that was scarce in the Hallownest. As expected, what lay beneath that was strong muscle, and as she carefully explored him, she found his shell underneath that. What held him upright was secreted away beneath his unprotected hide.

While his form was soft, it was still marked by scars and imperfections along his body. He was likely fighting for most of his life. Hornet looked into his eyes. The knight shared her tender glance. For a split second, there was an understanding between them, two warriors who had known the trials they both had to face. The man lightly returned her touch, his hand splaying out and settling on her chitinous arm.

Daring to venture further, Hornet slid her fingers up to the knight's shoulder and onto his clavicle. The slightest shiver came from him. The small hairs on his body stirred. His own fingers grew courageous, feeling how Hornet's chitinous plates fit together, and running along their gaps. Curiosity grew on his expression, a desire to know more about the being sat before him.

He soon found her own scars. They weren't as blatant as his own, hidden away by the black of her exoskeleton, but he managed to grace them all the same. And in the same way, they were small streaks across her body, ridges where her body refused to heal neatly. They were both marked with their own signs of battle and struggles with existence.

Hornet began to wonder what his world was like. Where had he come from? Did it contain all the violent, dangerous life that crawled around in the darkest corners of her own home? Perhaps worse. His body was ill-prepared for it, and yet he was here, surviving. Her hand trailed to his chest, where she could so easily feel the rise and fall of it. She could feel air rush in and out of him, which slightly wavered with every shift of her fingers across his body. Farther, still, and she could feel his heart properly.

It was a new experience, not only to touch, but to be touched. All the microscopic bumps across Hornet's body felt the knight's hand as it made slow, deliberate movements across her form. He was just as careful with her as she was with him. She was far hardier than him, and still, he took the time to be gentle. He made his way up her arm, mimicking her movements and shifting his hand onto the middle of her chest.

They remained there for a few moments.