Chip & Quis

*Chip wanders aimlessly throughout Deepnest, their sibling had left them so they really had nothing else to do until they came back. They eventually tripped over a rock, tumbling down the cave they were walking in and hitting the ground face first witn a "THUMP!". They laid there on the ground for a bit, not really wanting to move.*

Seeing the figure move, the Vessel immediately dove out of sight, hiding behind the wall. It can’t actually be this time, can it?

The Vessel waited behind the wall, hoping the figure would leave—or approach them, maybe, in which case they were prepared. At least, they think they’re prepared. They have a weapon now…surely that’d give them an advantage?

The Vessel flinched, not expecting to hear a voice. A disguised predator couldn’t speak, could it…? Or was it trying to lure them out with sound?

The sound of the whimper confused them even more. What’s up with this predator? They’re surprised it hasn’t come in for the kill yet. It knows they’re there, doesn’t it?

The Vessel stares at their general direction, surprised at the change of tone. They hesitated before attempting to speak again.

Chip? Is that the monster’s name, or a name it chose for its disguise? The situation was getting weirder and weirder. What kind of hungry monster would prolong its ruse like this?

The Vessel pauses and just stares at them for a long time, not responding to their joyful greeting. They seemed quite tense, their gaze scanning them from head to foot.

The Vessel observed the inside of their cloak, slightly calming down at the absence of any weapons or odd appendages, but they still seemed quite wary.

The Vessel slowly tilted their head.

The Vessel thought about it, but they still didn’t seem very sure. What could a real sibling do that a monster couldn’t?

“Bad…owie…” The Vessel winced.

The Vessel looked at what they were pointing at, realizing they were talking about their Garpede fang.

“Another…sibling…?” They questioned, casting a quick glance around, “Where…?”

“That’s…nice…”

“…True,” The Vessel agreed. They did doubt their combat abilities, though—they weren’t sure if they were competent enough to protect them both should something attack.

“Dunno…” The Vessel protectively held out their Garpede fang towards where they heard the noise, “Could be…anything…”

The Vessel flinched again, not expecting to be touched, but they don’t do anything about it. They stay still; watching, listening.

The Vessel was about to reply, when a little Weaver appeared out of practically nowhere. As it scuttled towards them with a hiss, the Vessel immediately plunged their Garpede fang into its mask, quickly stopping its approach.

The Vessel took a few moments to calm down, staring at the now dead little Weaver in front of them. Slowly, they pulled the fang out of the corpse and turned to Chip.

The Vessel looked at them confusedly, not quite understanding what they wanted. However, they moved just a little closer to them, uncertainly taking one of their hands.

The Vessel flinched again, this time out of surprise. They stood very still for a moment before eventually reciprocating, hugging them quite tightly in return.

The Vessel, completely unused to the affection, simply leaned into the nuzzles. It felt nice, the gesture soothing after that sudden rush of adrenaline.

The Vessel stays still, enjoying the affection for just a while longer before slowly pulling back.

They nodded before setting off into the darkness, at a slow enough pace so they wouldn’t leave Chip behind.

The Vessel casts them a surprised look for a split second, but doesn’t make any remark. They keep wandering, hand in hand, dodging pits of spikes and avoiding any creatures that came their way, only attacking when they tried to attack them first. Eventually, both Vessels ended up in a large room with a shallow pool of glowing white water in the center. A bench sat beside the pool, two plush toys perched on its iron frame. One was shaped like a grub, the other shaped like a Vessel with thin, curved horns.

The Vessel quickly appears next to them.

“Painful…?” The Vessel inquired with a tilt of their head, “If yes…water…helps…”

The Vessel nodded, following them over.

The Vessel nodded.

The Vessel softly smiled, then picked up the Vessel plushie, holding it close and pressing their chin into the top of its head.

This time, they didn’t hesitate. They hugged Chip back, pressing both themself and the plush against them.

“Hope so…too…” The Vessel answered in kind, leaning into the nuzzles, “Would…like to…”

The question made them pause, and they thought.

The Vessel stared at them, eyes wide. They didn’t hear anything beyond ‘I think I know way out’.

The Vessel gave them a look that was both parts desperate and hopeful.

The Vessel, holding on to both their weapon and the other plushie, gripped Chip’s hand tightly in return. They seemed anxious to move, to leave as soon as possible.

“Box…thingy?” The Vessel repeated confusedly, looking around the room, “Where…box thingy?”

“Have…thingy…to put?” The Vessel inquired hopefully.

The Vessel slumped in disappointment, letting out a whine of sorts. They were so close!

The Vessel didn’t respond for a moment, staring at the empty space next to the platform, as if trying to will the “box thingy” into existence. Of course, nothing happened.

“Must be…close…” The Vessel said with desperation in their tone, “Has…to be…”

The Vessel wandered around, climbing past the raging Garpedes, moving higher and higher. They eventually emerged in another room, except that this one seemed much harder to cross. Platforms hovered, its sides adorned with spikes, and below them, Garpedes stormed onward every few seconds.

“Scary…” The Vessel nodded in agreement, “But…what if…way out there…”

“Have to…try…!”

The Vessel lay in a heap, disoriented. When they heard Chip cry out, they immediately turned around to see the Garpede charging at them. At the last second, they rolled out of the way.

“I…” The Vessel slowly looked up at them, about to tell them they were when a sharp pain burst out from their leg.

The Vessel sobbed and pressed themself into Chip and the plushies, trying to bury themself into all three of them to drown out the pain. They’ve never been injured this badly before. At least not after they came back from death.

Slowly, the Vessel calmed down, their sobs and cries turning to just a few occasional sniffles.

The Vessel let out a final quiet sob, rubbing their eyes.

The Vessel offered them a hand, taking one of the plushies.

When they took their hand, the Vessel set off. Their leg still throbbed, and they walked with a slight limp, but they managed to keep going at a steady pace.

The Vessel, now having submerged their injury in the warm water, looked more relaxed and relieved of the pain from the wound. They turned to face Chip.

The Vessel squeaked as they were splashed, not expecting the watery assault in the slightest. They stared at their sibling for a good few seconds before retaliating with a splash of their own.

A small, amused smile grew on the Vessel’s face, and they splashed more water at them in return.

The Vessel kept at it as well, splashing water back and forth at Chip until eventually they stopped to rest, relaxing in the warmth of the water.

They giggled, snuggling up against them as well.

*Chip wanders aimlessly throughout Deepnest, their sibling had left them so they really had nothing else to do until they came back. They eventually tripped over a rock, tumbling down the cave they were walking in and hitting the ground face first witn a "THUMP!". They laid there on the ground for a bit, not really wanting to move.*

Seeing the figure move, the Vessel immediately dove out of sight, hiding behind the wall. It can’t actually be this time, can it?

The Vessel waited behind the wall, hoping the figure would leave—or approach them, maybe, in which case they were prepared. At least, they think they’re prepared. They have a weapon now…surely that’d give them an advantage?

The Vessel flinched, not expecting to hear a voice. A disguised predator couldn’t speak, could it…? Or was it trying to lure them out with sound?

The sound of the whimper confused them even more. What’s up with this predator? They’re surprised it hasn’t come in for the kill yet. It knows they’re there, doesn’t it?

The Vessel stares at their general direction, surprised at the change of tone. They hesitated before attempting to speak again.

Chip? Is that the monster’s name, or a name it chose for its disguise? The situation was getting weirder and weirder. What kind of hungry monster would prolong its ruse like this?

The Vessel pauses and just stares at them for a long time, not responding to their joyful greeting. They seemed quite tense, their gaze scanning them from head to foot.

The Vessel observed the inside of their cloak, slightly calming down at the absence of any weapons or odd appendages, but they still seemed quite wary.

The Vessel slowly tilted their head.

The Vessel thought about it, but they still didn’t seem very sure. What could a real sibling do that a monster couldn’t?

“Bad…owie…” The Vessel winced.

The Vessel looked at what they were pointing at, realizing they were talking about their Garpede fang.

“Another…sibling…?” They questioned, casting a quick glance around, “Where…?”

“That’s…nice…”

“…True,” The Vessel agreed. They did doubt their combat abilities, though—they weren’t sure if they were competent enough to protect them both should something attack.

“Dunno…” The Vessel protectively held out their Garpede fang towards where they heard the noise, “Could be…anything…”

The Vessel flinched again, not expecting to be touched, but they don’t do anything about it. They stay still; watching, listening.

The Vessel was about to reply, when a little Weaver appeared out of practically nowhere. As it scuttled towards them with a hiss, the Vessel immediately plunged their Garpede fang into its mask, quickly stopping its approach.

The Vessel took a few moments to calm down, staring at the now dead little Weaver in front of them. Slowly, they pulled the fang out of the corpse and turned to Chip.

The Vessel looked at them confusedly, not quite understanding what they wanted. However, they moved just a little closer to them, uncertainly taking one of their hands.

The Vessel flinched again, this time out of surprise. They stood very still for a moment before eventually reciprocating, hugging them quite tightly in return.

The Vessel, completely unused to the affection, simply leaned into the nuzzles. It felt nice, the gesture soothing after that sudden rush of adrenaline.

The Vessel stays still, enjoying the affection for just a while longer before slowly pulling back.

They nodded before setting off into the darkness, at a slow enough pace so they wouldn’t leave Chip behind.

The Vessel casts them a surprised look for a split second, but doesn’t make any remark. They keep wandering, hand in hand, dodging pits of spikes and avoiding any creatures that came their way, only attacking when they tried to attack them first. Eventually, both Vessels ended up in a large room with a shallow pool of glowing white water in the center. A bench sat beside the pool, two plush toys perched on its iron frame. One was shaped like a grub, the other shaped like a Vessel with thin, curved horns.

The Vessel quickly appears next to them.

“Painful…?” The Vessel inquired with a tilt of their head, “If yes…water…helps…”

The Vessel nodded, following them over.

The Vessel nodded.

The Vessel softly smiled, then picked up the Vessel plushie, holding it close and pressing their chin into the top of its head.

This time, they didn’t hesitate. They hugged Chip back, pressing both themself and the plush against them.

“Hope so…too…” The Vessel answered in kind, leaning into the nuzzles, “Would…like to…”

The question made them pause, and they thought.

The Vessel stared at them, eyes wide. They didn’t hear anything beyond ‘I think I know way out’.

The Vessel gave them a look that was both parts desperate and hopeful.

The Vessel, holding on to both their weapon and the other plushie, gripped Chip’s hand tightly in return. They seemed anxious to move, to leave as soon as possible.

“Box…thingy?” The Vessel repeated confusedly, looking around the room, “Where…box thingy?”

“Have…thingy…to put?” The Vessel inquired hopefully.

The Vessel slumped in disappointment, letting out a whine of sorts. They were so close!

The Vessel didn’t respond for a moment, staring at the empty space next to the platform, as if trying to will the “box thingy” into existence. Of course, nothing happened.

“Must be…close…” The Vessel said with desperation in their tone, “Has…to be…”

The Vessel wandered around, climbing past the raging Garpedes, moving higher and higher. They eventually emerged in another room, except that this one seemed much harder to cross. Platforms hovered, its sides adorned with spikes, and below them, Garpedes stormed onward every few seconds.

“Scary…” The Vessel nodded in agreement, “But…what if…way out there…”

“Have to…try…!”

The Vessel lay in a heap, disoriented. When they heard Chip cry out, they immediately turned around to see the Garpede charging at them. At the last second, they rolled out of the way.

“I…” The Vessel slowly looked up at them, about to tell them they were when a sharp pain burst out from their leg.

The Vessel sobbed and pressed themself into Chip and the plushies, trying to bury themself into all three of them to drown out the pain. They’ve never been injured this badly before. At least not after they came back from death.

Slowly, the Vessel calmed down, their sobs and cries turning to just a few occasional sniffles.

The Vessel let out a final quiet sob, rubbing their eyes.

The Vessel offered them a hand, taking one of the plushies.

When they took their hand, the Vessel set off. Their leg still throbbed, and they walked with a slight limp, but they managed to keep going at a steady pace.

The Vessel, now having submerged their injury in the warm water, looked more relaxed and relieved of the pain from the wound. They turned to face Chip.

The Vessel squeaked as they were splashed, not expecting the watery assault in the slightest. They stared at their sibling for a good few seconds before retaliating with a splash of their own.

A small, amused smile grew on the Vessel’s face, and they splashed more water at them in return.

The Vessel kept at it as well, splashing water back and forth at Chip until eventually they stopped to rest, relaxing in the warmth of the water.

*Chip wanders aimlessly throughout Deepnest, their sibling had left them so they really had nothing else to do until they came back. They eventually tripped over a rock, tumbling down the cave they were walking in and hitting the ground face first witn a "THUMP!". They laid there on the ground for a bit, not really wanting to move.*

Seeing the figure move, the Vessel immediately dove out of sight, hiding behind the wall. It can’t actually be this time, can it?

The Vessel waited behind the wall, hoping the figure would leave—or approach them, maybe, in which case they were prepared. At least, they think they’re prepared. They have a weapon now…surely that’d give them an advantage?

The Vessel flinched, not expecting to hear a voice. A disguised predator couldn’t speak, could it…? Or was it trying to lure them out with sound?

The sound of the whimper confused them even more. What’s up with this predator? They’re surprised it hasn’t come in for the kill yet. It knows they’re there, doesn’t it?

The Vessel stares at their general direction, surprised at the change of tone. They hesitated before attempting to speak again.

Chip? Is that the monster’s name, or a name it chose for its disguise? The situation was getting weirder and weirder. What kind of hungry monster would prolong its ruse like this?

The Vessel pauses and just stares at them for a long time, not responding to their joyful greeting. They seemed quite tense, their gaze scanning them from head to foot.

The Vessel observed the inside of their cloak, slightly calming down at the absence of any weapons or odd appendages, but they still seemed quite wary.

The Vessel slowly tilted their head.

The Vessel thought about it, but they still didn’t seem very sure. What could a real sibling do that a monster couldn’t?

“Bad…owie…” The Vessel winced.

The Vessel looked at what they were pointing at, realizing they were talking about their Garpede fang.

“Another…sibling…?” They questioned, casting a quick glance around, “Where…?”

“That’s…nice…”

“…True,” The Vessel agreed. They did doubt their combat abilities, though—they weren’t sure if they were competent enough to protect them both should something attack.

“Dunno…” The Vessel protectively held out their Garpede fang towards where they heard the noise, “Could be…anything…”

The Vessel flinched again, not expecting to be touched, but they don’t do anything about it. They stay still; watching, listening.

The Vessel was about to reply, when a little Weaver appeared out of practically nowhere. As it scuttled towards them with a hiss, the Vessel immediately plunged their Garpede fang into its mask, quickly stopping its approach.

The Vessel took a few moments to calm down, staring at the now dead little Weaver in front of them. Slowly, they pulled the fang out of the corpse and turned to Chip.

The Vessel looked at them confusedly, not quite understanding what they wanted. However, they moved just a little closer to them, uncertainly taking one of their hands.

The Vessel flinched again, this time out of surprise. They stood very still for a moment before eventually reciprocating, hugging them quite tightly in return.

The Vessel, completely unused to the affection, simply leaned into the nuzzles. It felt nice, the gesture soothing after that sudden rush of adrenaline.

The Vessel stays still, enjoying the affection for just a while longer before slowly pulling back.

They nodded before setting off into the darkness, at a slow enough pace so they wouldn’t leave Chip behind.

The Vessel casts them a surprised look for a split second, but doesn’t make any remark. They keep wandering, hand in hand, dodging pits of spikes and avoiding any creatures that came their way, only attacking when they tried to attack them first. Eventually, both Vessels ended up in a large room with a shallow pool of glowing white water in the center. A bench sat beside the pool, two plush toys perched on its iron frame. One was shaped like a grub, the other shaped like a Vessel with thin, curved horns.

The Vessel quickly appears next to them.

“Painful…?” The Vessel inquired with a tilt of their head, “If yes…water…helps…”

The Vessel nodded, following them over.

The Vessel nodded.

The Vessel softly smiled, then picked up the Vessel plushie, holding it close and pressing their chin into the top of its head.

This time, they didn’t hesitate. They hugged Chip back, pressing both themself and the plush against them.

“Hope so…too…” The Vessel answered in kind, leaning into the nuzzles, “Would…like to…”

The question made them pause, and they thought.

The Vessel stared at them, eyes wide. They didn’t hear anything beyond ‘I think I know way out’.

The Vessel gave them a look that was both parts desperate and hopeful.

The Vessel, holding on to both their weapon and the other plushie, gripped Chip’s hand tightly in return. They seemed anxious to move, to leave as soon as possible.

“Box…thingy?” The Vessel repeated confusedly, looking around the room, “Where…box thingy?”

“Have…thingy…to put?” The Vessel inquired hopefully.

The Vessel slumped in disappointment, letting out a whine of sorts. They were so close!

The Vessel didn’t respond for a moment, staring at the empty space next to the platform, as if trying to will the “box thingy” into existence. Of course, nothing happened.

“Must be…close…” The Vessel said with desperation in their tone, “Has…to be…”

The Vessel wandered around, climbing past the raging Garpedes, moving higher and higher. They eventually emerged in another room, except that this one seemed much harder to cross. Platforms hovered, its sides adorned with spikes, and below them, Garpedes stormed onward every few seconds.

“Scary…” The Vessel nodded in agreement, “But…what if…way out there…”

“Have to…try…!”

The Vessel lay in a heap, disoriented. When they heard Chip cry out, they immediately turned around to see the Garpede charging at them. At the last second, they rolled out of the way.

“I…” The Vessel slowly looked up at them, about to tell them they were when a sharp pain burst out from their leg.

The Vessel sobbed and pressed themself into Chip and the plushies, trying to bury themself into all three of them to drown out the pain. They’ve never been injured this badly before. At least not after they came back from death.

Slowly, the Vessel calmed down, their sobs and cries turning to just a few occasional sniffles.

The Vessel let out a final quiet sob, rubbing their eyes.

The Vessel offered them a hand, taking one of the plushies.

When they took their hand, the Vessel set off. Their leg still throbbed, and they walked with a slight limp, but they managed to keep going at a steady pace.

The Vessel, now having submerged their injury in the warm water, looked more relaxed and relieved of the pain from the wound. They turned to face Chip.

The Vessel squeaked as they were splashed, not expecting the watery assault in the slightest. They stared at their sibling for a good few seconds before retaliating with a splash of their own.

A small, amused smile grew on the Vessel’s face, and they splashed more water at them in return.

*Chip wanders aimlessly throughout Deepnest, their sibling had left them so they really had nothing else to do until they came back. They eventually tripped over a rock, tumbling down the cave they were walking in and hitting the ground face first witn a "THUMP!". They laid there on the ground for a bit, not really wanting to move.*

Seeing the figure move, the Vessel immediately dove out of sight, hiding behind the wall. It can’t actually be this time, can it?

The Vessel waited behind the wall, hoping the figure would leave—or approach them, maybe, in which case they were prepared. At least, they think they’re prepared. They have a weapon now…surely that’d give them an advantage?

The Vessel flinched, not expecting to hear a voice. A disguised predator couldn’t speak, could it…? Or was it trying to lure them out with sound?

The sound of the whimper confused them even more. What’s up with this predator? They’re surprised it hasn’t come in for the kill yet. It knows they’re there, doesn’t it?

The Vessel stares at their general direction, surprised at the change of tone. They hesitated before attempting to speak again.

Chip? Is that the monster’s name, or a name it chose for its disguise? The situation was getting weirder and weirder. What kind of hungry monster would prolong its ruse like this?

The Vessel pauses and just stares at them for a long time, not responding to their joyful greeting. They seemed quite tense, their gaze scanning them from head to foot.

The Vessel observed the inside of their cloak, slightly calming down at the absence of any weapons or odd appendages, but they still seemed quite wary.

The Vessel slowly tilted their head.

The Vessel thought about it, but they still didn’t seem very sure. What could a real sibling do that a monster couldn’t?

“Bad…owie…” The Vessel winced.

The Vessel looked at what they were pointing at, realizing they were talking about their Garpede fang.

“Another…sibling…?” They questioned, casting a quick glance around, “Where…?”

“That’s…nice…”

“…True,” The Vessel agreed. They did doubt their combat abilities, though—they weren’t sure if they were competent enough to protect them both should something attack.

“Dunno…” The Vessel protectively held out their Garpede fang towards where they heard the noise, “Could be…anything…”

The Vessel flinched again, not expecting to be touched, but they don’t do anything about it. They stay still; watching, listening.

The Vessel was about to reply, when a little Weaver appeared out of practically nowhere. As it scuttled towards them with a hiss, the Vessel immediately plunged their Garpede fang into its mask, quickly stopping its approach.

The Vessel took a few moments to calm down, staring at the now dead little Weaver in front of them. Slowly, they pulled the fang out of the corpse and turned to Chip.

The Vessel looked at them confusedly, not quite understanding what they wanted. However, they moved just a little closer to them, uncertainly taking one of their hands.

The Vessel flinched again, this time out of surprise. They stood very still for a moment before eventually reciprocating, hugging them quite tightly in return.

The Vessel, completely unused to the affection, simply leaned into the nuzzles. It felt nice, the gesture soothing after that sudden rush of adrenaline.

The Vessel stays still, enjoying the affection for just a while longer before slowly pulling back.

They nodded before setting off into the darkness, at a slow enough pace so they wouldn’t leave Chip behind.

The Vessel casts them a surprised look for a split second, but doesn’t make any remark. They keep wandering, hand in hand, dodging pits of spikes and avoiding any creatures that came their way, only attacking when they tried to attack them first. Eventually, both Vessels ended up in a large room with a shallow pool of glowing white water in the center. A bench sat beside the pool, two plush toys perched on its iron frame. One was shaped like a grub, the other shaped like a Vessel with thin, curved horns.

The Vessel quickly appears next to them.

“Painful…?” The Vessel inquired with a tilt of their head, “If yes…water…helps…”

The Vessel nodded, following them over.

The Vessel nodded.

The Vessel softly smiled, then picked up the Vessel plushie, holding it close and pressing their chin into the top of its head.

This time, they didn’t hesitate. They hugged Chip back, pressing both themself and the plush against them.

“Hope so…too…” The Vessel answered in kind, leaning into the nuzzles, “Would…like to…”

The question made them pause, and they thought.

The Vessel stared at them, eyes wide. They didn’t hear anything beyond ‘I think I know way out’.

The Vessel gave them a look that was both parts desperate and hopeful.

The Vessel, holding on to both their weapon and the other plushie, gripped Chip’s hand tightly in return. They seemed anxious to move, to leave as soon as possible.

“Box…thingy?” The Vessel repeated confusedly, looking around the room, “Where…box thingy?”

“Have…thingy…to put?” The Vessel inquired hopefully.

The Vessel slumped in disappointment, letting out a whine of sorts. They were so close!

The Vessel didn’t respond for a moment, staring at the empty space next to the platform, as if trying to will the “box thingy” into existence. Of course, nothing happened.

“Must be…close…” The Vessel said with desperation in their tone, “Has…to be…”

The Vessel wandered around, climbing past the raging Garpedes, moving higher and higher. They eventually emerged in another room, except that this one seemed much harder to cross. Platforms hovered, its sides adorned with spikes, and below them, Garpedes stormed onward every few seconds.

“Scary…” The Vessel nodded in agreement, “But…what if…way out there…”

“Have to…try…!”

The Vessel lay in a heap, disoriented. When they heard Chip cry out, they immediately turned around to see the Garpede charging at them. At the last second, they rolled out of the way.

“I…” The Vessel slowly looked up at them, about to tell them they were when a sharp pain burst out from their leg.