let's have a watch 👀

<Its materials are all very cheap. The paper nearly tears at the slightest tug. the ink appears to sink into the page blotting the back side. And the wording is slowly fading already.>

<But even with all of such... The letter is very precisely intricate and elegant... The aformentioned wording is perfectly spaced and equally designed.>

<A wax seal that has nearly already crumbled apart. Depicts an elegant. Radiant. Moth. Behind it are the Day. Dawn. Dusk. And night.>

<The letter speaks as such>

"Dear Lurien the Watcher."

"My name is Lady Lunnatis. I come from a far kingdom known as Shade-Den. And I come to you here in hallownest. To ask of your blessing"

"My home would have me and my beloved torn away from each other or worse. For our love is despicable and hated amongst them."

" I ask for your presence. Too bless me so I. Lady Lunnatis of the Moth tribe. May give myself to Ori Aven of the Hive."

@ori-and-luna

*Lurien's tired eyes need several attempts to read the letter and holding his quill steady as he writes is a bit of a task but he manages. the letter sent back is on the finest weaver-silk parchment money can buy and sealed with the royal seal of Hallownest, which isn't just Lurien showing off, he's fairly certain the seal has some kind of magic that just teleports the letters where ever they need be. he's too sleepy to really care about the ins and outs of that though.

the letter reads as follows;*

"Lady Lunnatis of the Moth Tribe,

I believe the tribe you hail from and the one I hail from function on different rules but, judging from what you say they both may not be so different. I know my own union would be frowned upon by the branch that once lived within these lands had it continued to prosper.

I see no reason two lovers may not marry despite differences between them. Moth. Bee. What reason would any have for keeping you apart? If I may divulge some scant information about myself; my union is also with a bug whom of which is not a moth, and as such if I were to judge I would do it unfairly. I don't. Judge that is.

Whatever blessing you seek from me you have it. I know not if these words alone will suffice so included with this letter is a signet ring bearing the mark of my station; the seal of the Lord Watcher. That should be proof enough I hope. If you need me in person to offer this blessing then you are in luck for my business is concluded for the next couple of cycles before I must return to my duties.

Should you need me in person, seek my Spire within the city, you cannot miss it; it is the most central and tallest building. I must also ask your forgiveness for my tardiness with this reply, I have been busy.

<Reading through the letter. Lunnatis... Contemplated her situation.> <Would this suffice...? Would his words alone be enough of a blessing for their marriage to be welcomed by The Radiance...? Were the elders of her tribe confused? Did they miss something The Radiance taught and have been following this tradition for naught?>

<All questions spiraling through her head...>

<As Lunnatis thought about everything. She remembered the times she'd witnessed other people being Blessed. As well as herself blessing someone.>

<The glow from their essence intertwining with one another.> <The warm feeling and presence of Her light> <The memories from the spouses past. Flooding into her mind as if they were her own.>

<Was it all necessary...?>

<Lunnatis came to a thought.>

"Even if... None of this is needed... It would not hurt anyone to go through the blessing... Right...?"

<Lunnatis paused... Then resolved to go through with the Blessing>

<She put her purple cloak on. Brushed and cleaned her white and blue coat. Before leaving her small humble room to where Lurien had spoken of>

<Passing through the Tearless city. By large towering buildings. Then by the fountain where she spoke with Holly. Passing by a... Familiar alley way... Where she was pursued by some... Bad people...> <Lunnatis brushed away the thought and continued to the spire>

<Once she approached. She knocked twice on the doors> <She presented the signet ring to who ever opened the door.>

the servant knocks thrice and then once more a couple seconds later, a clear signal to alert whomever awaits within. a mumbled muffled voice confirms permission to enter and the bug scuttles away, leaving Lunnatis to enter on her own

the room beyond—a bedchamber or even a nest from the looks of it—lacks many of the paintings and decor of the rest of the Spire and is characterised by the dim lighting of only two hanging lanterns, a heap of blankets that make up the nest, and a large velvet curtain blocking any light from what must be a window on the far side

the sound of the door opening disturbs the resting shape of a thin bug who turns, sweeping his muted blue robes around him for dignity's sake and spreading his wings behind him, hiding something—or rather someone—from view. from how he quickly snaps his mask to his face and rubs at his eyes one can guess he'd been asleep until now

Lurien blinks. once. twice. and tilts his head*

<Lunnatis would seem a bit uncomfortable. Having entered his personal chamber at such a sudden moment for him..>

UUuhhhmmm... S... So sorry to... C-come in... D-do you need some... S-space... Or... P-privacy...?

<Lunnatis began to sorta shrink away and back a bit...>

*Lurien stands and stretches out, wings spreading behind him before folding neatly to hide under his robes as if they were never there. behind him, if one cares to look, a sliver of pearly white shell can be spied before Lurien turns to adjust the blankets so that whomever is resting there isn't bothered by the cool air of the city*

<Lunnatis waited as Lurien passed by her. Another figure who towers over her a bit. She regained her composure and follow him through the halls.>

Tea sounds fine sir.

*Lurien sends the same serving bug that had let Lunnatis into the Spire off to fetch some tea and snacks once they reach the rather sparse seating room, it's only decorations several book shelves holding trinkets, a couple of paintings on the wall, and two seats at a little coffee table*

Ive seen these done through bugs who are less radiant than you are. As you've said.

<As Lunnatis spoke. She began to glance around the room. To you its sparse but to her... Its something rather magnificent.>

Heh... Sorry, Im not used to this much comfort or beauty. The various creations and books are unlike that ive seen.

<She would chuckle and smile a bit. Before pulling herself back on track>

Ahem-... Now to this blessing.

For us Moths. We are told by the light herself to seek out the guidance and blessings of three different people.

These people must be known of as either wise. Enlightend. Pale. Reborn. Or beloved.

I unfortunately cannot confirm any of these points myself to you. So I will just have to take your word on it.

*Lurien shakes his head but turns his attention towards the serving bug as he wheels in a little trolley, skittering away and leaving the two moths to it once Lurien dismisses him. Lurien pours a cup for them both and sets the tray of treats on the table as he listens to Lunnatis talk*

I see. I will not judge those who still follow the teachings of the Old Light but here in Hallownest you will find she has no fans nor friends among our number. But I won't linger long there and instead turn my attention to the characteristics you brought up.

Wise; sometimes I can be but I am more often a fool than not.

Englightend; I am no holy man and no epiphanies nor insight befalls me on the regular.

Pale; no not I although if... circumstances were different I could offer the aide of one who is, as things stand, I cannot.

Reborn; now this one I may qualify. For once, I had been very much dead, gone from this world, more than once actually now I think on it. But is resurrected the same as reborn, I don't know.

And finally, beloved; ...would being loved by a Higher Being, being soul-bound to them in entirety count? I would say so myself. Unless it means I must be beloved by you, like a family member or a dear friend.

Mmm-hmm I do hope my fellowship isnt... Deeply worrying or... Hated to where id be in danger to some...

<She took a deep breath and listened to Lurien as he spoke about his qualifications>

<She then stayed silent a bit... Thinking. . .>

. . .

If its my own thoughts you look for... Then you seem perfectly fit and favored in the eyes of her Light.

Everyone is foolish at times. Its just how you correct and walk forward from that foolishness that matters.

Being reborn is in meaning of changing for the better. Becoming someone who was wrong too someone true.

And beloved is by the kingdom and its people. And from what ive learned of you before coming here. The people surely see you as a well and good man.

I will give you my blessing then, since I fit the criteria. But I warn you. Siding with the Old Light here... it is a unwise thing to flaunt, an unwise thing to tell any but those you trust in full.

What she did, what we all witnessed, it has scarred Hallownest and has left in its wake wounds that will never, can never, heal. But I will not be so cruel to make you seek another who can do this, I'm soft at heart, so... what needs to be done?

Ahh-... Right then. Let me pull you through it.

<Lunnatis stood up and removed a large purple shawl she wore. Before walking over to a more open area in the room.>

I will... Try to explain it as best as I can.

<Lunnatis stood upright with her hands together. She stood in respect to a noble>

It is a... Sort of ritual...? What happens is I will part with you some of my own dreams and essence. Usually. The one who is chosen to bless the spouse will also part with some of theirs. But it is not in anyway required.

But after seeing my past and being gifted some of these memories. From what you witness and see in me. You will decide whether it is or isn't right for me to be blessed.

<Lunnatis... Oddly has an air of... Anxiousness around her...>

. . .

I... should mention though...

There have been instances where... Someone who looked to bless someone... Who had not wished to part with their mind. Had it pulled anyway during the ritual...

*Lurien stands from his sear and inclines his head, making a motion to signal that he's prepared to continue*

<Lunnatis took a beep breath and kneeled before Lurien.> <She kept her arms in front on her lap. Bowed her head and closed her eyes>

. . .

<The room came quiet... It was almost as if everything around them had gone to sleep... Slowly the draping's of Luriens cloak and Lunnatis' dress began to float up a bit.>

<A swirling light beamed around the two of them. Essence dances and shimmers throughout the room. And a white glowing cloud begins to surround them.> <As a large symbol appears below their feet. That of the dreamers.>

<Then a flood of essence poured into both their body's> <Flashes of moments and thoughts appear>

<Lady Lunnatis... A Women who was born for the sole and selfish purpose. Too serve as a show piece for the Elders of Shade-Den moth tribe. They required someone of a higher soul to be recognized as a real defining entity. So they worked tirelessly. Finding anyone who could bare a child who's soul was more grand than their own>

<11 kids were born... One of them was Lunnatis...>

<She was immediately taken from her mother and paraded as the Tribes Monarch... They finally had someone who could grant their desire for power...>

<While she was the "Monarch" of the tribe... She was treated no better than everyone else. Required to work every day. Cooking. Cleaning. Taking care of children. With the added stress of needing to act "Civilized and noble"...>

<One afternoon she stumbled upon a boy who was beaten mercilessly and was barely clinging onto life. This boy had rough and dirty fur. And his wings growth was stunted... A boy of the Hive...>

<"He... Looks cute... It wouldnt hurt to help him... Would it" Lunnatis thought. She took the boy and hid him in her private room. There she herself cleaned and healed his scars and wounds.>

<Till he woke up. Dazed and confused. Lunnatis told him everything she'd done and knew. And he was greatly thankful.>

<He introduced himself as Ori Aven... And told her of how he was banished from the hive for being weak...> <Lunnatis frowned and chose to continue to take care of him. Even after he'd woken up and was healed>

<"Its just for a couple more days... I'm not going to fall for him... That wouldnt be right..." Lunnatis thought...>

<They stayed together. They ate together. They played together. They talked throughout the evening. They kept each other company during the night and slept with each other...>

<They... Loved each other...>

<Lunnatis one day decided to appoint Ori as her personal. Guardian. He had good combat skills and strength so might as well allow him to become a real part of the tribe>

<Ori was given his own tent... But he tended to never use it himself... Choosing to stay with Lunnatis every night as usual...>

<One day. As Ori and Lunnatis were out in a wonderful grove of flowers... Ori came to Lunnatis... And gifted her a Delicate and beautiful light-blue Everbloom... And proposed to her.>

<Lunnatis was beyond overjoyed that Ori felt the same way for her. She tumbled on top of him and held him close>

<Returning to the Tribe>

<. . .>

<Lunnatis realized what shed done...> <The White King would know of her love... And of he got to her... Her and Ori would be torn apart from each other... Or worse...>

there is ten of them, him and his sisters, all piled together in a soft cosy nest filled with fluff and hand woven blankets. he's tiny, still a grub, fat and round and full of food, peeping loudly for the attention of a figure that even in these shared memories he remembers as nothing but a blazing bright blur against the dim backdrop of his home. he gazes up at her, dazzled, and she reaches down to gently pet at his round head, her laugh like the jingling of bells. so bright. so full of love and hope for the future*

I've always wondered. Who she was. Where she went. Why she left us.

*and then, suddenly gone. leaves in the wind. he's older now, wiser to the ways things work, to who he's supposed to be, what he's supposed to do. his father had made that clear. just as clear as the bottles he lines up. just as clear as the slap to his face whenever he asks when his mother is coming back. Lurien spends most of his days with his grandmother—a half-blind bent with age greying old woman who needs to be shouted at to hear. but he doesn't mind. she teaches him crafts. her thin fingers still deft at handling thread and stringing dreamcatchers, her one good eye still able to pick the right colours that do not offend. the days he spends with her, in her dusty old hut, those are the ones he treasures most*

I miss her. I wish I spent more time with her, before she went. She was the only one who was kind to me back in the tribe.

*lurien intends to stop here, intends to stem the tide of his memories, but they slip out of grip, become a tidal wave, become a storm, become more than he'd like to show

the fire. there were children in that home. he knows that for truth. the arguments. how he said it was wrong to purge those who didn't bend knee to The Light. the way his father, his own father, dragged him from the tribe and promised death should he ever return. and then—

the city is perhaps one of the most incredible things he's ever seen and it had been right below his feet the whole time, not that he can see it much now, drunk as he is. but still. he's lived there for at least four years at this point and every day there's something new to see, something new to do. he guesses he's luckier than other bugs. good with numbers. able to count. nobles snapped him up before finding bug that'd work for cheaper, bugs that were more desperate. whatever. he's made his geo and he can spend it on as many drinks in as many bars and on as many beds as he damn well pleases. not as if he has anywhere else to go after all*

I've done things I'm not proud of. Been someone who sickens me. I don't want anyone else to see that part of me but now... ...I guess we're along for the ride, right?

*the world bleeds into itself. distant and gloomy and... its raining. well. its always raining, he'd learnt that long ago. he's older now, in his fourties, got a good head on him and a better position than most bugs bar the Five Greats. he'd got real lucky, got a job counting geo down in the Palace, a damn miracle most'll say, and from there he'd earned trust, proved himself, worked hard and now he enjoys his lofty position as Watcher. the very eyes of the King himself. and it is said king he's sneaking through the gloom of the city streets to meet in private now

most bugs are asleep at this time, safe and cosy, listening to the endless weeping from the caverns above drum upon their windows. he bets that barely any of them realise where all that water comes from... still, he pushes those thoughts away as he sneaks into the arboretum, there's more important things to focus on

it doesn't take long to find him; in this darkness he is a blinding white, his glow reflecting off the raindrops running down the windows behind him making everything glitter like diamonds. behind his mask, Lurien grins as he approaches. those wide dark eyes, he could drown in them, that blazing light, he could burn in it, and he'd be alright with it. he'd be alright if it all ended, right here and now. still, he takes a seat besides his King, their hands lace together in a perfect mismatch of black and white, that crowned head drops to rest on his shoulder. they remain in place for some time, seconds stretching into minutes and—*

I love him. He loves me. Isn't that wonderful...?

*orange. Lurien drags himself away from those memories. death. screaming. the city weeps. Hallownest weeps. and Lurien? he lays his head down and—

flashes of memories. over and over. like lightening strikes.

no no, he doesn't want to linger there. he remembers waking. remembers a reunion amongst green. remembers a mistake, a window breaking, dreams shattered, and then... he remembers more orange, staining the bathroom sink, remembers Snow Moon, and black running through his fingers, remembers forgetting, sleepwalking into danger, into another world, remembers hurting those he cares about most, remembers a moment of heat, of dizzy stupid foolish mistakes, remembers a plague, a flame, a betrayal, remembers holding two small perfect little eggs in his hands, remembers sitting in that house listening to His Beloved tell him that soon, soon, he will die. he remembers denying that, taking a blade in hand to assault a city of cogwork and steel far above, remembers watching that darkness behind the world claim what is his

and he remembers ripping Him back from the jaws of the Void...

Lurien stumbles back, his rear hitting the ground, a gasp leaving him*

<The whole of the room now dilapidated... Books cover the floors. Paintings torn and scorched... The plate of treats now nothing more than ashes...>

<The ritual subsides with a drastic halt. As lurien falls back Lunnatis' eyes open in abject shock... Shes breathing unbelievably heavily. Sweating bullets and shaking uncontrollably...>

more importantly though is the fact his guest is face down on the floor. unmoving. he carefully pokes at her to check if she's, you know, not dead, and thankfully it seems to be the case. grumbling he very very carefully lifts her up, calling a few of his serving bugs to start on the mess while he takes her to the closest guest room to his own chambers*

<Her sweat covered coat and dress seep onto your cloak. But shes thankfully not breathing as hard or shaking.>

<Lunnatis now lies on the bed of the guest room. Quaint. Quiet. And more peaceful than she seemed to of been when coming here.>

I've got a lot to explain once you wake up.

. . .

<5 minutes gone by. Nothing new or changed...>

. . .

<10 minutes gone by. Lunnatis still sleeps calmly. The ice in the water has since melted. And its condensation is slowly rolling down the glass>

. . .

<15 minutes gone by. And Lunnatis' body pulls itself over to its side... Shes still yet to awaken>

. . .

. . . !

<20 minutes gone by. A loud breath is heard from Lunnatis. Her face making a slight pained expression as she curls up a bit...>

. . . Hhhmmm~

*Lurien sits on a chair in the corner of the room, a small pile of papers besides him as he appears to have decided to catch up on some work while waiting. better late than never he supposes, can't make the queen do it all on her own*

Uuhhmm... I... Aaacck...

<She sits up. Leaning onto one side of herself... She sways a bit before catching herself.>

Im... Alright I guess...

Heh... Havnt been many instances where the sheer amount of essence and thoughts causes someone to pass out...

I... Dont...

I dont know if thats... A good thing...

<She then fully sat up on the bed. Kneeling once more. Hands on her lap>

. . .

I must now ask... What did you see.

What did you see. Of me.

What you saw in me. . .

Is what you saw valuable and worth it to bless. Or do you see this as fruitless...?

*Lurien waits for a moment, weighs the choice in his hands. to deny her would be cruel, especially after all she's put herself through just to come here and do this, especially after all he's put her through since. in truth, he sees no reason to even slightly object to her union. why should he? is his not an even stranger pairing?*

I saw a girl, born for a role she never asked for, living a life as little more than an item up on a shelf, only brought down and dusted as needed. I saw her make a choice, I saw her fall in love.

I see value in that, all of it, the experiences had, the emotions felt, the choices made, the love fought for with claw and tooth. It is more than worth a blessing in my opinion and I see no reason why any should object.

<She'd freeze for a second after hearing his words> <Before bowing her head to the bed to Lurien and shouting>

Th-Thank you... Sir Lurien for the first Blessing. I will... I will continue to search for others who I may request their blessings of.

<You can barely hear her sobbing as her head is in the comfort of the bed... She takes a second to recollect herself before sitting up.>

<She'd begin to think of a reply... What even was it that she saw through Luriens eyes... The recollection brings her headaches but she presses on...>

Uuhhmm... Its... Difficult for me too... Recollect... My brain is spinning trying to... Remember... But... I will try to tell you...

. . .

I remember seeing a... Less than welcoming family... Some familiar actions and practices from them... A... Brutal blaze... Constant... Anger and misguidance...

I saw someone... Rend to pieces... Using every possibly glory... To pull himself back together... Before he is blinded and entranced by... A pale light...

Then... It all...

<She'd begin to shiver... Not wanting to think of what she'd seen>

I saw... A warm light... Filled with despicable hatred...

...Some times the warmer the light glows the more it burns when you reach out to touch it and some times, you need to learn to look away before your eyes are burned from your shell. Blinded by that pale glow some could claim I was but I feel that I have never seen more clearly. Entranced, perhaps, but is that not another word for love?

*his voice is soft. he lingers in that memory. the rain, the gloom, the dazzling glitter of light on the window, his hands small and sharp, his everything, laid bare and given in full. those happy stolen moments, nothing but a dream now, he vows he'll grasp them as hard as possible and never let go*

You memories... a feeling I felt while surrounded by your past. It implied something about... Him. You know. He wouldn't... he wouldn't keep you from your bee; why would he? I think there's some misguided ideas you've been taught, or thought up, or both.

if the this pale king here is anything like the Roots back at home... Then I will have no more business in this kingdom...

... I... I know what he has declared...

The elders assured I knew. That which the White King has taught... What he has declared... What He abhors...

"No bug. Male or Female. Is to look at another kin as they would their own. For those desires are foolish and must be burned and pruned before they take root."

<After quoting such. Lunnatis looked down...>

He... Saw marriage as nothing more than a means to bring more people to life... So the idea of two bugs who... By all absolute could never bear a child. Let alone a healthy one... He disdained such a want...

Hallownest cares not if your union can bring about a child or not; if it does, that benefits, if not someone else will do it. I myself have some young in my care despite the belief that I would not have a partner I could bring life into this world with, nor the desire to do so in my youth.

Regardless, you are not selfish for wanting a love where that pressure is not upon you, believe me, I know how unpleasent the expectation is.

*happy that she at least seems well enough, Lurien stands and brushes down his fresh cloak, sighing slightly*

Truth be told... I only learned of you through a kind stranger who spoke with me just a couple days ago.

Their name was... Holly... I believe...? A rather cute name for such an imposing figure <She chuckled a little>

But... I dont know too well on where I will go from here...

I was able to read a bit on some people within Hallownest. As well as a neighboring kingdom I may come across for help...

Ha. Holly may be tall indeed but they are more gentle than they appear; a capable knight of course, you need not be afraid before them.

...I should, however, return to my work if you don't mind, these papers will not sign themselves afterall.

Id heard of some others like Herrah and Vespa... But where they are... it would be difficult for me to approach and speak with them...

Then theres Isma and Ogrim. The great knights. But they are also occupied a lot of the time...

Its difficult... But i will continue and try to manage this all...

<Then hearing Lurien needed to leave. Lunnatis readjusted herself and sat more towards lurien>

Oh. Aright then. I'll probably stay here for a little bit till my body fully recovers. Ughm. If it isnt too much of a bother. Would you be able to retrieve my coat from the guest room.

Isma and Ogrim I have... recently been told that they have been met by another knight but, if you are lucky, you may be able to seek them out as I've been told they intend to visit the city. Herrah? I would not seek her under any circumstance; she may be agreeable to a blessing but Deepnest is a hostile place.

Vespa resides below in her Hive but, well, I have heard she is having some issues, I would not disturb her really. Or perhaps you could offer some help? In return for her blessing? Who knows. I don't know her that well in truth.

And the Pale King I... you did almost meet him. Currently, he is... unavailable but if you wished you could still. See him?

*Lurien sounds very unsure with that last part, shuffling in place. she's a stranger, for the most part, but after seeing what he's seen, after letting her peer so deep into him as well, he can no longer call her such. Strelitzia wouldn't like any random bug or visitor to see him in the state he's in though... urgh why did he even offer?!*

I will get your coat for you. I'll send a servant with it.

<Its materials are all very cheap. The paper nearly tears at the slightest tug. the ink appears to sink into the page blotting the back side. And the wording is slowly fading already.>

<But even with all of such... The letter is very precisely intricate and elegant... The aformentioned wording is perfectly spaced and equally designed.>

<A wax seal that has nearly already crumbled apart. Depicts an elegant. Radiant. Moth. Behind it are the Day. Dawn. Dusk. And night.>

<The letter speaks as such>

"Dear Lurien the Watcher."

"My name is Lady Lunnatis. I come from a far kingdom known as Shade-Den. And I come to you here in hallownest. To ask of your blessing"

"My home would have me and my beloved torn away from each other or worse. For our love is despicable and hated amongst them."

" I ask for your presence. Too bless me so I. Lady Lunnatis of the Moth tribe. May give myself to Ori Aven of the Hive."

@ori-and-luna

*Lurien's tired eyes need several attempts to read the letter and holding his quill steady as he writes is a bit of a task but he manages. the letter sent back is on the finest weaver-silk parchment money can buy and sealed with the royal seal of Hallownest, which isn't just Lurien showing off, he's fairly certain the seal has some kind of magic that just teleports the letters where ever they need be. he's too sleepy to really care about the ins and outs of that though.

the letter reads as follows;*

"Lady Lunnatis of the Moth Tribe,

I believe the tribe you hail from and the one I hail from function on different rules but, judging from what you say they both may not be so different. I know my own union would be frowned upon by the branch that once lived within these lands had it continued to prosper.

I see no reason two lovers may not marry despite differences between them. Moth. Bee. What reason would any have for keeping you apart? If I may divulge some scant information about myself; my union is also with a bug whom of which is not a moth, and as such if I were to judge I would do it unfairly. I don't. Judge that is.

Whatever blessing you seek from me you have it. I know not if these words alone will suffice so included with this letter is a signet ring bearing the mark of my station; the seal of the Lord Watcher. That should be proof enough I hope. If you need me in person to offer this blessing then you are in luck for my business is concluded for the next couple of cycles before I must return to my duties.

Should you need me in person, seek my Spire within the city, you cannot miss it; it is the most central and tallest building. I must also ask your forgiveness for my tardiness with this reply, I have been busy.

<Reading through the letter. Lunnatis... Contemplated her situation.> <Would this suffice...? Would his words alone be enough of a blessing for their marriage to be welcomed by The Radiance...? Were the elders of her tribe confused? Did they miss something The Radiance taught and have been following this tradition for naught?>

<All questions spiraling through her head...>

<As Lunnatis thought about everything. She remembered the times she'd witnessed other people being Blessed. As well as herself blessing someone.>

<The glow from their essence intertwining with one another.> <The warm feeling and presence of Her light> <The memories from the spouses past. Flooding into her mind as if they were her own.>

<Was it all necessary...?>

<Lunnatis came to a thought.>

"Even if... None of this is needed... It would not hurt anyone to go through the blessing... Right...?"

<Lunnatis paused... Then resolved to go through with the Blessing>

<She put her purple cloak on. Brushed and cleaned her white and blue coat. Before leaving her small humble room to where Lurien had spoken of>

<Passing through the Tearless city. By large towering buildings. Then by the fountain where she spoke with Holly. Passing by a... Familiar alley way... Where she was pursued by some... Bad people...> <Lunnatis brushed away the thought and continued to the spire>

<Once she approached. She knocked twice on the doors> <She presented the signet ring to who ever opened the door.>

the servant knocks thrice and then once more a couple seconds later, a clear signal to alert whomever awaits within. a mumbled muffled voice confirms permission to enter and the bug scuttles away, leaving Lunnatis to enter on her own

the room beyond—a bedchamber or even a nest from the looks of it—lacks many of the paintings and decor of the rest of the Spire and is characterised by the dim lighting of only two hanging lanterns, a heap of blankets that make up the nest, and a large velvet curtain blocking any light from what must be a window on the far side

the sound of the door opening disturbs the resting shape of a thin bug who turns, sweeping his muted blue robes around him for dignity's sake and spreading his wings behind him, hiding something—or rather someone—from view. from how he quickly snaps his mask to his face and rubs at his eyes one can guess he'd been asleep until now

Lurien blinks. once. twice. and tilts his head*

<Lunnatis would seem a bit uncomfortable. Having entered his personal chamber at such a sudden moment for him..>

UUuhhhmmm... S... So sorry to... C-come in... D-do you need some... S-space... Or... P-privacy...?

<Lunnatis began to sorta shrink away and back a bit...>

*Lurien stands and stretches out, wings spreading behind him before folding neatly to hide under his robes as if they were never there. behind him, if one cares to look, a sliver of pearly white shell can be spied before Lurien turns to adjust the blankets so that whomever is resting there isn't bothered by the cool air of the city*

<Lunnatis waited as Lurien passed by her. Another figure who towers over her a bit. She regained her composure and follow him through the halls.>

Tea sounds fine sir.

*Lurien sends the same serving bug that had let Lunnatis into the Spire off to fetch some tea and snacks once they reach the rather sparse seating room, it's only decorations several book shelves holding trinkets, a couple of paintings on the wall, and two seats at a little coffee table*

Ive seen these done through bugs who are less radiant than you are. As you've said.

<As Lunnatis spoke. She began to glance around the room. To you its sparse but to her... Its something rather magnificent.>

Heh... Sorry, Im not used to this much comfort or beauty. The various creations and books are unlike that ive seen.

<She would chuckle and smile a bit. Before pulling herself back on track>

Ahem-... Now to this blessing.

For us Moths. We are told by the light herself to seek out the guidance and blessings of three different people.

These people must be known of as either wise. Enlightend. Pale. Reborn. Or beloved.

I unfortunately cannot confirm any of these points myself to you. So I will just have to take your word on it.

*Lurien shakes his head but turns his attention towards the serving bug as he wheels in a little trolley, skittering away and leaving the two moths to it once Lurien dismisses him. Lurien pours a cup for them both and sets the tray of treats on the table as he listens to Lunnatis talk*

I see. I will not judge those who still follow the teachings of the Old Light but here in Hallownest you will find she has no fans nor friends among our number. But I won't linger long there and instead turn my attention to the characteristics you brought up.

Wise; sometimes I can be but I am more often a fool than not.

Englightend; I am no holy man and no epiphanies nor insight befalls me on the regular.

Pale; no not I although if... circumstances were different I could offer the aide of one who is, as things stand, I cannot.

Reborn; now this one I may qualify. For once, I had been very much dead, gone from this world, more than once actually now I think on it. But is resurrected the same as reborn, I don't know.

And finally, beloved; ...would being loved by a Higher Being, being soul-bound to them in entirety count? I would say so myself. Unless it means I must be beloved by you, like a family member or a dear friend.

Mmm-hmm I do hope my fellowship isnt... Deeply worrying or... Hated to where id be in danger to some...

<She took a deep breath and listened to Lurien as he spoke about his qualifications>

<She then stayed silent a bit... Thinking. . .>

. . .

If its my own thoughts you look for... Then you seem perfectly fit and favored in the eyes of her Light.

Everyone is foolish at times. Its just how you correct and walk forward from that foolishness that matters.

Being reborn is in meaning of changing for the better. Becoming someone who was wrong too someone true.

And beloved is by the kingdom and its people. And from what ive learned of you before coming here. The people surely see you as a well and good man.

I will give you my blessing then, since I fit the criteria. But I warn you. Siding with the Old Light here... it is a unwise thing to flaunt, an unwise thing to tell any but those you trust in full.

What she did, what we all witnessed, it has scarred Hallownest and has left in its wake wounds that will never, can never, heal. But I will not be so cruel to make you seek another who can do this, I'm soft at heart, so... what needs to be done?

Ahh-... Right then. Let me pull you through it.

<Lunnatis stood up and removed a large purple shawl she wore. Before walking over to a more open area in the room.>

I will... Try to explain it as best as I can.

<Lunnatis stood upright with her hands together. She stood in respect to a noble>

It is a... Sort of ritual...? What happens is I will part with you some of my own dreams and essence. Usually. The one who is chosen to bless the spouse will also part with some of theirs. But it is not in anyway required.

But after seeing my past and being gifted some of these memories. From what you witness and see in me. You will decide whether it is or isn't right for me to be blessed.

<Lunnatis... Oddly has an air of... Anxiousness around her...>

. . .

I... should mention though...

There have been instances where... Someone who looked to bless someone... Who had not wished to part with their mind. Had it pulled anyway during the ritual...

*Lurien stands from his sear and inclines his head, making a motion to signal that he's prepared to continue*

<Lunnatis took a beep breath and kneeled before Lurien.> <She kept her arms in front on her lap. Bowed her head and closed her eyes>

. . .

<The room came quiet... It was almost as if everything around them had gone to sleep... Slowly the draping's of Luriens cloak and Lunnatis' dress began to float up a bit.>

<A swirling light beamed around the two of them. Essence dances and shimmers throughout the room. And a white glowing cloud begins to surround them.> <As a large symbol appears below their feet. That of the dreamers.>

<Then a flood of essence poured into both their body's> <Flashes of moments and thoughts appear>

<Lady Lunnatis... A Women who was born for the sole and selfish purpose. Too serve as a show piece for the Elders of Shade-Den moth tribe. They required someone of a higher soul to be recognized as a real defining entity. So they worked tirelessly. Finding anyone who could bare a child who's soul was more grand than their own>

<11 kids were born... One of them was Lunnatis...>

<She was immediately taken from her mother and paraded as the Tribes Monarch... They finally had someone who could grant their desire for power...>

<While she was the "Monarch" of the tribe... She was treated no better than everyone else. Required to work every day. Cooking. Cleaning. Taking care of children. With the added stress of needing to act "Civilized and noble"...>

<One afternoon she stumbled upon a boy who was beaten mercilessly and was barely clinging onto life. This boy had rough and dirty fur. And his wings growth was stunted... A boy of the Hive...>

<"He... Looks cute... It wouldnt hurt to help him... Would it" Lunnatis thought. She took the boy and hid him in her private room. There she herself cleaned and healed his scars and wounds.>

<Till he woke up. Dazed and confused. Lunnatis told him everything she'd done and knew. And he was greatly thankful.>

<He introduced himself as Ori Aven... And told her of how he was banished from the hive for being weak...> <Lunnatis frowned and chose to continue to take care of him. Even after he'd woken up and was healed>

<"Its just for a couple more days... I'm not going to fall for him... That wouldnt be right..." Lunnatis thought...>

<They stayed together. They ate together. They played together. They talked throughout the evening. They kept each other company during the night and slept with each other...>

<They... Loved each other...>

<Lunnatis one day decided to appoint Ori as her personal. Guardian. He had good combat skills and strength so might as well allow him to become a real part of the tribe>

<Ori was given his own tent... But he tended to never use it himself... Choosing to stay with Lunnatis every night as usual...>

<One day. As Ori and Lunnatis were out in a wonderful grove of flowers... Ori came to Lunnatis... And gifted her a Delicate and beautiful light-blue Everbloom... And proposed to her.>

<Lunnatis was beyond overjoyed that Ori felt the same way for her. She tumbled on top of him and held him close>

<Returning to the Tribe>

<. . .>

<Lunnatis realized what shed done...> <The White King would know of her love... And of he got to her... Her and Ori would be torn apart from each other... Or worse...>

there is ten of them, him and his sisters, all piled together in a soft cosy nest filled with fluff and hand woven blankets. he's tiny, still a grub, fat and round and full of food, peeping loudly for the attention of a figure that even in these shared memories he remembers as nothing but a blazing bright blur against the dim backdrop of his home. he gazes up at her, dazzled, and she reaches down to gently pet at his round head, her laugh like the jingling of bells. so bright. so full of love and hope for the future*

I've always wondered. Who she was. Where she went. Why she left us.

*and then, suddenly gone. leaves in the wind. he's older now, wiser to the ways things work, to who he's supposed to be, what he's supposed to do. his father had made that clear. just as clear as the bottles he lines up. just as clear as the slap to his face whenever he asks when his mother is coming back. Lurien spends most of his days with his grandmother—a half-blind bent with age greying old woman who needs to be shouted at to hear. but he doesn't mind. she teaches him crafts. her thin fingers still deft at handling thread and stringing dreamcatchers, her one good eye still able to pick the right colours that do not offend. the days he spends with her, in her dusty old hut, those are the ones he treasures most*

I miss her. I wish I spent more time with her, before she went. She was the only one who was kind to me back in the tribe.

*lurien intends to stop here, intends to stem the tide of his memories, but they slip out of grip, become a tidal wave, become a storm, become more than he'd like to show

the fire. there were children in that home. he knows that for truth. the arguments. how he said it was wrong to purge those who didn't bend knee to The Light. the way his father, his own father, dragged him from the tribe and promised death should he ever return. and then—

the city is perhaps one of the most incredible things he's ever seen and it had been right below his feet the whole time, not that he can see it much now, drunk as he is. but still. he's lived there for at least four years at this point and every day there's something new to see, something new to do. he guesses he's luckier than other bugs. good with numbers. able to count. nobles snapped him up before finding bug that'd work for cheaper, bugs that were more desperate. whatever. he's made his geo and he can spend it on as many drinks in as many bars and on as many beds as he damn well pleases. not as if he has anywhere else to go after all*

I've done things I'm not proud of. Been someone who sickens me. I don't want anyone else to see that part of me but now... ...I guess we're along for the ride, right?

*the world bleeds into itself. distant and gloomy and... its raining. well. its always raining, he'd learnt that long ago. he's older now, in his fourties, got a good head on him and a better position than most bugs bar the Five Greats. he'd got real lucky, got a job counting geo down in the Palace, a damn miracle most'll say, and from there he'd earned trust, proved himself, worked hard and now he enjoys his lofty position as Watcher. the very eyes of the King himself. and it is said king he's sneaking through the gloom of the city streets to meet in private now

most bugs are asleep at this time, safe and cosy, listening to the endless weeping from the caverns above drum upon their windows. he bets that barely any of them realise where all that water comes from... still, he pushes those thoughts away as he sneaks into the arboretum, there's more important things to focus on

it doesn't take long to find him; in this darkness he is a blinding white, his glow reflecting off the raindrops running down the windows behind him making everything glitter like diamonds. behind his mask, Lurien grins as he approaches. those wide dark eyes, he could drown in them, that blazing light, he could burn in it, and he'd be alright with it. he'd be alright if it all ended, right here and now. still, he takes a seat besides his King, their hands lace together in a perfect mismatch of black and white, that crowned head drops to rest on his shoulder. they remain in place for some time, seconds stretching into minutes and—*

I love him. He loves me. Isn't that wonderful...?

*orange. Lurien drags himself away from those memories. death. screaming. the city weeps. Hallownest weeps. and Lurien? he lays his head down and—

flashes of memories. over and over. like lightening strikes.

no no, he doesn't want to linger there. he remembers waking. remembers a reunion amongst green. remembers a mistake, a window breaking, dreams shattered, and then... he remembers more orange, staining the bathroom sink, remembers Snow Moon, and black running through his fingers, remembers forgetting, sleepwalking into danger, into another world, remembers hurting those he cares about most, remembers a moment of heat, of dizzy stupid foolish mistakes, remembers a plague, a flame, a betrayal, remembers holding two small perfect little eggs in his hands, remembers sitting in that house listening to His Beloved tell him that soon, soon, he will die. he remembers denying that, taking a blade in hand to assault a city of cogwork and steel far above, remembers watching that darkness behind the world claim what is his

and he remembers ripping Him back from the jaws of the Void...

Lurien stumbles back, his rear hitting the ground, a gasp leaving him*

<The whole of the room now dilapidated... Books cover the floors. Paintings torn and scorched... The plate of treats now nothing more than ashes...>

<The ritual subsides with a drastic halt. As lurien falls back Lunnatis' eyes open in abject shock... Shes breathing unbelievably heavily. Sweating bullets and shaking uncontrollably...>

more importantly though is the fact his guest is face down on the floor. unmoving. he carefully pokes at her to check if she's, you know, not dead, and thankfully it seems to be the case. grumbling he very very carefully lifts her up, calling a few of his serving bugs to start on the mess while he takes her to the closest guest room to his own chambers*

<Her sweat covered coat and dress seep onto your cloak. But shes thankfully not breathing as hard or shaking.>

<Lunnatis now lies on the bed of the guest room. Quaint. Quiet. And more peaceful than she seemed to of been when coming here.>

I've got a lot to explain once you wake up.

. . .

<5 minutes gone by. Nothing new or changed...>

. . .

<10 minutes gone by. Lunnatis still sleeps calmly. The ice in the water has since melted. And its condensation is slowly rolling down the glass>

. . .

<15 minutes gone by. And Lunnatis' body pulls itself over to its side... Shes still yet to awaken>

. . .

. . . !

<20 minutes gone by. A loud breath is heard from Lunnatis. Her face making a slight pained expression as she curls up a bit...>

. . . Hhhmmm~

*Lurien sits on a chair in the corner of the room, a small pile of papers besides him as he appears to have decided to catch up on some work while waiting. better late than never he supposes, can't make the queen do it all on her own*

Uuhhmm... I... Aaacck...

<She sits up. Leaning onto one side of herself... She sways a bit before catching herself.>

Im... Alright I guess...

Heh... Havnt been many instances where the sheer amount of essence and thoughts causes someone to pass out...

I... Dont...

I dont know if thats... A good thing...

<She then fully sat up on the bed. Kneeling once more. Hands on her lap>

. . .

I must now ask... What did you see.

What did you see. Of me.

What you saw in me. . .

Is what you saw valuable and worth it to bless. Or do you see this as fruitless...?

*Lurien waits for a moment, weighs the choice in his hands. to deny her would be cruel, especially after all she's put herself through just to come here and do this, especially after all he's put her through since. in truth, he sees no reason to even slightly object to her union. why should he? is his not an even stranger pairing?*

I saw a girl, born for a role she never asked for, living a life as little more than an item up on a shelf, only brought down and dusted as needed. I saw her make a choice, I saw her fall in love.

I see value in that, all of it, the experiences had, the emotions felt, the choices made, the love fought for with claw and tooth. It is more than worth a blessing in my opinion and I see no reason why any should object.

<She'd freeze for a second after hearing his words> <Before bowing her head to the bed to Lurien and shouting>

Th-Thank you... Sir Lurien for the first Blessing. I will... I will continue to search for others who I may request their blessings of.

<You can barely hear her sobbing as her head is in the comfort of the bed... She takes a second to recollect herself before sitting up.>

<She'd begin to think of a reply... What even was it that she saw through Luriens eyes... The recollection brings her headaches but she presses on...>

Uuhhmm... Its... Difficult for me too... Recollect... My brain is spinning trying to... Remember... But... I will try to tell you...

. . .

I remember seeing a... Less than welcoming family... Some familiar actions and practices from them... A... Brutal blaze... Constant... Anger and misguidance...

I saw someone... Rend to pieces... Using every possibly glory... To pull himself back together... Before he is blinded and entranced by... A pale light...

Then... It all...

<She'd begin to shiver... Not wanting to think of what she'd seen>

I saw... A warm light... Filled with despicable hatred...

...Some times the warmer the light glows the more it burns when you reach out to touch it and some times, you need to learn to look away before your eyes are burned from your shell. Blinded by that pale glow some could claim I was but I feel that I have never seen more clearly. Entranced, perhaps, but is that not another word for love?

*his voice is soft. he lingers in that memory. the rain, the gloom, the dazzling glitter of light on the window, his hands small and sharp, his everything, laid bare and given in full. those happy stolen moments, nothing but a dream now, he vows he'll grasp them as hard as possible and never let go*

You memories... a feeling I felt while surrounded by your past. It implied something about... Him. You know. He wouldn't... he wouldn't keep you from your bee; why would he? I think there's some misguided ideas you've been taught, or thought up, or both.

if the this pale king here is anything like the Roots back at home... Then I will have no more business in this kingdom...

... I... I know what he has declared...

The elders assured I knew. That which the White King has taught... What he has declared... What He abhors...

"No bug. Male or Female. Is to look at another kin as they would their own. For those desires are foolish and must be burned and pruned before they take root."

<After quoting such. Lunnatis looked down...>

He... Saw marriage as nothing more than a means to bring more people to life... So the idea of two bugs who... By all absolute could never bear a child. Let alone a healthy one... He disdained such a want...

Hallownest cares not if your union can bring about a child or not; if it does, that benefits, if not someone else will do it. I myself have some young in my care despite the belief that I would not have a partner I could bring life into this world with, nor the desire to do so in my youth.

Regardless, you are not selfish for wanting a love where that pressure is not upon you, believe me, I know how unpleasent the expectation is.

*happy that she at least seems well enough, Lurien stands and brushes down his fresh cloak, sighing slightly*

Truth be told... I only learned of you through a kind stranger who spoke with me just a couple days ago.

Their name was... Holly... I believe...? A rather cute name for such an imposing figure <She chuckled a little>

But... I dont know too well on where I will go from here...

I was able to read a bit on some people within Hallownest. As well as a neighboring kingdom I may come across for help...

Ha. Holly may be tall indeed but they are more gentle than they appear; a capable knight of course, you need not be afraid before them.

...I should, however, return to my work if you don't mind, these papers will not sign themselves afterall.

I had to completely gut that whole row of my keyboard just to get some activity out of it.

<Its materials are all very cheap. The paper nearly tears at the slightest tug. the ink appears to sink into the page blotting the back side. And the wording is slowly fading already.>

<But even with all of such... The letter is very precisely intricate and elegant... The aformentioned wording is perfectly spaced and equally designed.>

<A wax seal that has nearly already crumbled apart. Depicts an elegant. Radiant. Moth. Behind it are the Day. Dawn. Dusk. And night.>

<The letter speaks as such>

"Dear Lurien the Watcher."

"My name is Lady Lunnatis. I come from a far kingdom known as Shade-Den. And I come to you here in hallownest. To ask of your blessing"

"My home would have me and my beloved torn away from each other or worse. For our love is despicable and hated amongst them."

" I ask for your presence. Too bless me so I. Lady Lunnatis of the Moth tribe. May give myself to Ori Aven of the Hive."

@ori-and-luna

*Lurien's tired eyes need several attempts to read the letter and holding his quill steady as he writes is a bit of a task but he manages. the letter sent back is on the finest weaver-silk parchment money can buy and sealed with the royal seal of Hallownest, which isn't just Lurien showing off, he's fairly certain the seal has some kind of magic that just teleports the letters where ever they need be. he's too sleepy to really care about the ins and outs of that though.

the letter reads as follows;*

"Lady Lunnatis of the Moth Tribe,

I believe the tribe you hail from and the one I hail from function on different rules but, judging from what you say they both may not be so different. I know my own union would be frowned upon by the branch that once lived within these lands had it continued to prosper.

I see no reason two lovers may not marry despite differences between them. Moth. Bee. What reason would any have for keeping you apart? If I may divulge some scant information about myself; my union is also with a bug whom of which is not a moth, and as such if I were to judge I would do it unfairly. I don't. Judge that is.

Whatever blessing you seek from me you have it. I know not if these words alone will suffice so included with this letter is a signet ring bearing the mark of my station; the seal of the Lord Watcher. That should be proof enough I hope. If you need me in person to offer this blessing then you are in luck for my business is concluded for the next couple of cycles before I must return to my duties.

Should you need me in person, seek my Spire within the city, you cannot miss it; it is the most central and tallest building. I must also ask your forgiveness for my tardiness with this reply, I have been busy.

<Reading through the letter. Lunnatis... Contemplated her situation.> <Would this suffice...? Would his words alone be enough of a blessing for their marriage to be welcomed by The Radiance...? Were the elders of her tribe confused? Did they miss something The Radiance taught and have been following this tradition for naught?>

<All questions spiraling through her head...>

<As Lunnatis thought about everything. She remembered the times she'd witnessed other people being Blessed. As well as herself blessing someone.>

<The glow from their essence intertwining with one another.> <The warm feeling and presence of Her light> <The memories from the spouses past. Flooding into her mind as if they were her own.>

<Was it all necessary...?>

<Lunnatis came to a thought.>

"Even if... None of this is needed... It would not hurt anyone to go through the blessing... Right...?"

<Lunnatis paused... Then resolved to go through with the Blessing>

<She put her purple cloak on. Brushed and cleaned her white and blue coat. Before leaving her small humble room to where Lurien had spoken of>

<Passing through the Tearless city. By large towering buildings. Then by the fountain where she spoke with Holly. Passing by a... Familiar alley way... Where she was pursued by some... Bad people...> <Lunnatis brushed away the thought and continued to the spire>

<Once she approached. She knocked twice on the doors> <She presented the signet ring to who ever opened the door.>

the servant knocks thrice and then once more a couple seconds later, a clear signal to alert whomever awaits within. a mumbled muffled voice confirms permission to enter and the bug scuttles away, leaving Lunnatis to enter on her own

the room beyond—a bedchamber or even a nest from the looks of it—lacks many of the paintings and decor of the rest of the Spire and is characterised by the dim lighting of only two hanging lanterns, a heap of blankets that make up the nest, and a large velvet curtain blocking any light from what must be a window on the far side

the sound of the door opening disturbs the resting shape of a thin bug who turns, sweeping his muted blue robes around him for dignity's sake and spreading his wings behind him, hiding something—or rather someone—from view. from how he quickly snaps his mask to his face and rubs at his eyes one can guess he'd been asleep until now

Lurien blinks. once. twice. and tilts his head*

<Lunnatis would seem a bit uncomfortable. Having entered his personal chamber at such a sudden moment for him..>

UUuhhhmmm... S... So sorry to... C-come in... D-do you need some... S-space... Or... P-privacy...?

<Lunnatis began to sorta shrink away and back a bit...>

*Lurien stands and stretches out, wings spreading behind him before folding neatly to hide under his robes as if they were never there. behind him, if one cares to look, a sliver of pearly white shell can be spied before Lurien turns to adjust the blankets so that whomever is resting there isn't bothered by the cool air of the city*

<Lunnatis waited as Lurien passed by her. Another figure who towers over her a bit. She regained her composure and follow him through the halls.>

Tea sounds fine sir.

*Lurien sends the same serving bug that had let Lunnatis into the Spire off to fetch some tea and snacks once they reach the rather sparse seating room, it's only decorations several book shelves holding trinkets, a couple of paintings on the wall, and two seats at a little coffee table*

Ive seen these done through bugs who are less radiant than you are. As you've said.

<As Lunnatis spoke. She began to glance around the room. To you its sparse but to her... Its something rather magnificent.>

Heh... Sorry, Im not used to this much comfort or beauty. The various creations and books are unlike that ive seen.

<She would chuckle and smile a bit. Before pulling herself back on track>

Ahem-... Now to this blessing.

For us Moths. We are told by the light herself to seek out the guidance and blessings of three different people.

These people must be known of as either wise. Enlightend. Pale. Reborn. Or beloved.

I unfortunately cannot confirm any of these points myself to you. So I will just have to take your word on it.

*Lurien shakes his head but turns his attention towards the serving bug as he wheels in a little trolley, skittering away and leaving the two moths to it once Lurien dismisses him. Lurien pours a cup for them both and sets the tray of treats on the table as he listens to Lunnatis talk*

I see. I will not judge those who still follow the teachings of the Old Light but here in Hallownest you will find she has no fans nor friends among our number. But I won't linger long there and instead turn my attention to the characteristics you brought up.

Wise; sometimes I can be but I am more often a fool than not.

Englightend; I am no holy man and no epiphanies nor insight befalls me on the regular.

Pale; no not I although if... circumstances were different I could offer the aide of one who is, as things stand, I cannot.

Reborn; now this one I may qualify. For once, I had been very much dead, gone from this world, more than once actually now I think on it. But is resurrected the same as reborn, I don't know.

And finally, beloved; ...would being loved by a Higher Being, being soul-bound to them in entirety count? I would say so myself. Unless it means I must be beloved by you, like a family member or a dear friend.

Mmm-hmm I do hope my fellowship isnt... Deeply worrying or... Hated to where id be in danger to some...

<She took a deep breath and listened to Lurien as he spoke about his qualifications>

<She then stayed silent a bit... Thinking. . .>

. . .

If its my own thoughts you look for... Then you seem perfectly fit and favored in the eyes of her Light.

Everyone is foolish at times. Its just how you correct and walk forward from that foolishness that matters.

Being reborn is in meaning of changing for the better. Becoming someone who was wrong too someone true.

And beloved is by the kingdom and its people. And from what ive learned of you before coming here. The people surely see you as a well and good man.

I will give you my blessing then, since I fit the criteria. But I warn you. Siding with the Old Light here... it is a unwise thing to flaunt, an unwise thing to tell any but those you trust in full.

What she did, what we all witnessed, it has scarred Hallownest and has left in its wake wounds that will never, can never, heal. But I will not be so cruel to make you seek another who can do this, I'm soft at heart, so... what needs to be done?

Ahh-... Right then. Let me pull you through it.

<Lunnatis stood up and removed a large purple shawl she wore. Before walking over to a more open area in the room.>

I will... Try to explain it as best as I can.

<Lunnatis stood upright with her hands together. She stood in respect to a noble>

It is a... Sort of ritual...? What happens is I will part with you some of my own dreams and essence. Usually. The one who is chosen to bless the spouse will also part with some of theirs. But it is not in anyway required.

But after seeing my past and being gifted some of these memories. From what you witness and see in me. You will decide whether it is or isn't right for me to be blessed.

<Lunnatis... Oddly has an air of... Anxiousness around her...>

. . .

I... should mention though...

There have been instances where... Someone who looked to bless someone... Who had not wished to part with their mind. Had it pulled anyway during the ritual...

*Lurien stands from his sear and inclines his head, making a motion to signal that he's prepared to continue*

<Lunnatis took a beep breath and kneeled before Lurien.> <She kept her arms in front on her lap. Bowed her head and closed her eyes>

. . .

<The room came quiet... It was almost as if everything around them had gone to sleep... Slowly the draping's of Luriens cloak and Lunnatis' dress began to float up a bit.>

<A swirling light beamed around the two of them. Essence dances and shimmers throughout the room. And a white glowing cloud begins to surround them.> <As a large symbol appears below their feet. That of the dreamers.>

<Then a flood of essence poured into both their body's> <Flashes of moments and thoughts appear>

<Lady Lunnatis... A Women who was born for the sole and selfish purpose. Too serve as a show piece for the Elders of Shade-Den moth tribe. They required someone of a higher soul to be recognized as a real defining entity. So they worked tirelessly. Finding anyone who could bare a child who's soul was more grand than their own>

<11 kids were born... One of them was Lunnatis...>

<She was immediately taken from her mother and paraded as the Tribes Monarch... They finally had someone who could grant their desire for power...>

<While she was the "Monarch" of the tribe... She was treated no better than everyone else. Required to work every day. Cooking. Cleaning. Taking care of children. With the added stress of needing to act "Civilized and noble"...>

<One afternoon she stumbled upon a boy who was beaten mercilessly and was barely clinging onto life. This boy had rough and dirty fur. And his wings growth was stunted... A boy of the Hive...>

<"He... Looks cute... It wouldnt hurt to help him... Would it" Lunnatis thought. She took the boy and hid him in her private room. There she herself cleaned and healed his scars and wounds.>

<Till he woke up. Dazed and confused. Lunnatis told him everything she'd done and knew. And he was greatly thankful.>

<He introduced himself as Ori Aven... And told her of how he was banished from the hive for being weak...> <Lunnatis frowned and chose to continue to take care of him. Even after he'd woken up and was healed>

<"Its just for a couple more days... I'm not going to fall for him... That wouldnt be right..." Lunnatis thought...>

<They stayed together. They ate together. They played together. They talked throughout the evening. They kept each other company during the night and slept with each other...>

<They... Loved each other...>

<Lunnatis one day decided to appoint Ori as her personal. Guardian. He had good combat skills and strength so might as well allow him to become a real part of the tribe>

<Ori was given his own tent... But he tended to never use it himself... Choosing to stay with Lunnatis every night as usual...>

<One day. As Ori and Lunnatis were out in a wonderful grove of flowers... Ori came to Lunnatis... And gifted her a Delicate and beautiful light-blue Everbloom... And proposed to her.>

<Lunnatis was beyond overjoyed that Ori felt the same way for her. She tumbled on top of him and held him close>

<Returning to the Tribe>

<. . .>

<Lunnatis realized what shed done...> <The White King would know of her love... And of he got to her... Her and Ori would be torn apart from each other... Or worse...>

there is ten of them, him and his sisters, all piled together in a soft cosy nest filled with fluff and hand woven blankets. he's tiny, still a grub, fat and round and full of food, peeping loudly for the attention of a figure that even in these shared memories he remembers as nothing but a blazing bright blur against the dim backdrop of his home. he gazes up at her, dazzled, and she reaches down to gently pet at his round head, her laugh like the jingling of bells. so bright. so full of love and hope for the future*

I've always wondered. Who she was. Where she went. Why she left us.

*and then, suddenly gone. leaves in the wind. he's older now, wiser to the ways things work, to who he's supposed to be, what he's supposed to do. his father had made that clear. just as clear as the bottles he lines up. just as clear as the slap to his face whenever he asks when his mother is coming back. Lurien spends most of his days with his grandmother—a half-blind bent with age greying old woman who needs to be shouted at to hear. but he doesn't mind. she teaches him crafts. her thin fingers still deft at handling thread and stringing dreamcatchers, her one good eye still able to pick the right colours that do not offend. the days he spends with her, in her dusty old hut, those are the ones he treasures most*

I miss her. I wish I spent more time with her, before she went. She was the only one who was kind to me back in the tribe.

*lurien intends to stop here, intends to stem the tide of his memories, but they slip out of grip, become a tidal wave, become a storm, become more than he'd like to show

the fire. there were children in that home. he knows that for truth. the arguments. how he said it was wrong to purge those who didn't bend knee to The Light. the way his father, his own father, dragged him from the tribe and promised death should he ever return. and then—

the city is perhaps one of the most incredible things he's ever seen and it had been right below his feet the whole time, not that he can see it much now, drunk as he is. but still. he's lived there for at least four years at this point and every day there's something new to see, something new to do. he guesses he's luckier than other bugs. good with numbers. able to count. nobles snapped him up before finding bug that'd work for cheaper, bugs that were more desperate. whatever. he's made his geo and he can spend it on as many drinks in as many bars and on as many beds as he damn well pleases. not as if he has anywhere else to go after all*

I've done things I'm not proud of. Been someone who sickens me. I don't want anyone else to see that part of me but now... ...I guess we're along for the ride, right?

*the world bleeds into itself. distant and gloomy and... its raining. well. its always raining, he'd learnt that long ago. he's older now, in his fourties, got a good head on him and a better position than most bugs bar the Five Greats. he'd got real lucky, got a job counting geo down in the Palace, a damn miracle most'll say, and from there he'd earned trust, proved himself, worked hard and now he enjoys his lofty position as Watcher. the very eyes of the King himself. and it is said king he's sneaking through the gloom of the city streets to meet in private now

most bugs are asleep at this time, safe and cosy, listening to the endless weeping from the caverns above drum upon their windows. he bets that barely any of them realise where all that water comes from... still, he pushes those thoughts away as he sneaks into the arboretum, there's more important things to focus on

it doesn't take long to find him; in this darkness he is a blinding white, his glow reflecting off the raindrops running down the windows behind him making everything glitter like diamonds. behind his mask, Lurien grins as he approaches. those wide dark eyes, he could drown in them, that blazing light, he could burn in it, and he'd be alright with it. he'd be alright if it all ended, right here and now. still, he takes a seat besides his King, their hands lace together in a perfect mismatch of black and white, that crowned head drops to rest on his shoulder. they remain in place for some time, seconds stretching into minutes and—*

I love him. He loves me. Isn't that wonderful...?

*orange. Lurien drags himself away from those memories. death. screaming. the city weeps. Hallownest weeps. and Lurien? he lays his head down and—

flashes of memories. over and over. like lightening strikes.

no no, he doesn't want to linger there. he remembers waking. remembers a reunion amongst green. remembers a mistake, a window breaking, dreams shattered, and then... he remembers more orange, staining the bathroom sink, remembers Snow Moon, and black running through his fingers, remembers forgetting, sleepwalking into danger, into another world, remembers hurting those he cares about most, remembers a moment of heat, of dizzy stupid foolish mistakes, remembers a plague, a flame, a betrayal, remembers holding two small perfect little eggs in his hands, remembers sitting in that house listening to His Beloved tell him that soon, soon, he will die. he remembers denying that, taking a blade in hand to assault a city of cogwork and steel far above, remembers watching that darkness behind the world claim what is his

and he remembers ripping Him back from the jaws of the Void...

Lurien stumbles back, his rear hitting the ground, a gasp leaving him*

<The whole of the room now dilapidated... Books cover the floors. Paintings torn and scorched... The plate of treats now nothing more than ashes...>

<The ritual subsides with a drastic halt. As lurien falls back Lunnatis' eyes open in abject shock... Shes breathing unbelievably heavily. Sweating bullets and shaking uncontrollably...>

more importantly though is the fact his guest is face down on the floor. unmoving. he carefully pokes at her to check if she's, you know, not dead, and thankfully it seems to be the case. grumbling he very very carefully lifts her up, calling a few of his serving bugs to start on the mess while he takes her to the closest guest room to his own chambers*

<Her sweat covered coat and dress seep onto your cloak. But shes thankfully not breathing as hard or shaking.>

<Lunnatis now lies on the bed of the guest room. Quaint. Quiet. And more peaceful than she seemed to of been when coming here.>

I've got a lot to explain once you wake up.

. . .

<5 minutes gone by. Nothing new or changed...>

. . .

<10 minutes gone by. Lunnatis still sleeps calmly. The ice in the water has since melted. And its condensation is slowly rolling down the glass>

. . .

<15 minutes gone by. And Lunnatis' body pulls itself over to its side... Shes still yet to awaken>

. . .

. . . !

<20 minutes gone by. A loud breath is heard from Lunnatis. Her face making a slight pained expression as she curls up a bit...>

. . . Hhhmmm~

*Lurien sits on a chair in the corner of the room, a small pile of papers besides him as he appears to have decided to catch up on some work while waiting. better late than never he supposes, can't make the queen do it all on her own*

Uuhhmm... I... Aaacck...

<She sits up. Leaning onto one side of herself... She sways a bit before catching herself.>

Im... Alright I guess...

Heh... Havnt been many instances where the sheer amount of essence and thoughts causes someone to pass out...

I... Dont...

I dont know if thats... A good thing...

<She then fully sat up on the bed. Kneeling once more. Hands on her lap>

. . .

I must now ask... What did you see.

What did you see. Of me.

What you saw in me. . .

Is what you saw valuable and worth it to bless. Or do you see this as fruitless...?

*Lurien waits for a moment, weighs the choice in his hands. to deny her would be cruel, especially after all she's put herself through just to come here and do this, especially after all he's put her through since. in truth, he sees no reason to even slightly object to her union. why should he? is his not an even stranger pairing?*

I saw a girl, born for a role she never asked for, living a life as little more than an item up on a shelf, only brought down and dusted as needed. I saw her make a choice, I saw her fall in love.

I see value in that, all of it, the experiences had, the emotions felt, the choices made, the love fought for with claw and tooth. It is more than worth a blessing in my opinion and I see no reason why any should object.

<She'd freeze for a second after hearing his words> <Before bowing her head to the bed to Lurien and shouting>

Th-Thank you... Sir Lurien for the first Blessing. I will... I will continue to search for others who I may request their blessings of.

<You can barely hear her sobbing as her head is in the comfort of the bed... She takes a second to recollect herself before sitting up.>

<She'd begin to think of a reply... What even was it that she saw through Luriens eyes... The recollection brings her headaches but she presses on...>

Uuhhmm... Its... Difficult for me too... Recollect... My brain is spinning trying to... Remember... But... I will try to tell you...

. . .

I remember seeing a... Less than welcoming family... Some familiar actions and practices from them... A... Brutal blaze... Constant... Anger and misguidance...

I saw someone... Rend to pieces... Using every possibly glory... To pull himself back together... Before he is blinded and entranced by... A pale light...

Then... It all...

<She'd begin to shiver... Not wanting to think of what she'd seen>

I saw... A warm light... Filled with despicable hatred...

...Some times the warmer the light glows the more it burns when you reach out to touch it and some times, you need to learn to look away before your eyes are burned from your shell. Blinded by that pale glow some could claim I was but I feel that I have never seen more clearly. Entranced, perhaps, but is that not another word for love?

*his voice is soft. he lingers in that memory. the rain, the gloom, the dazzling glitter of light on the window, his hands small and sharp, his everything, laid bare and given in full. those happy stolen moments, nothing but a dream now, he vows he'll grasp them as hard as possible and never let go*

You memories... a feeling I felt while surrounded by your past. It implied something about... Him. You know. He wouldn't... he wouldn't keep you from your bee; why would he? I think there's some misguided ideas you've been taught, or thought up, or both.

if the this pale king here is anything like the Roots back at home... Then I will have no more business in this kingdom...

... I... I know what he has declared...

The elders assured I knew. That which the White King has taught... What he has declared... What He abhors...

"No bug. Male or Female. Is to look at another kin as they would their own. For those desires are foolish and must be burned and pruned before they take root."

<After quoting such. Lunnatis looked down...>

He... Saw marriage as nothing more than a means to bring more people to life... So the idea of two bugs who... By all absolute could never bear a child. Let alone a healthy one... He disdained such a want...

Hallownest cares not if your union can bring about a child or not; if it does, that benefits, if not someone else will do it. I myself have some young in my care despite the belief that I would not have a partner I could bring life into this world with, nor the desire to do so in my youth.

Regardless, you are not selfish for wanting a love where that pressure is not upon you, believe me, I know how unpleasent the expectation is.

*happy that she at least seems well enough, Lurien stands and brushes down his fresh cloak, sighing slightly*

<Its materials are all very cheap. The paper nearly tears at the slightest tug. the ink appears to sink into the page blotting the back side. And the wording is slowly fading already.>

<But even with all of such... The letter is very precisely intricate and elegant... The aformentioned wording is perfectly spaced and equally designed.>

<A wax seal that has nearly already crumbled apart. Depicts an elegant. Radiant. Moth. Behind it are the Day. Dawn. Dusk. And night.>

<The letter speaks as such>

"Dear Lurien the Watcher."

"My name is Lady Lunnatis. I come from a far kingdom known as Shade-Den. And I come to you here in hallownest. To ask of your blessing"

"My home would have me and my beloved torn away from each other or worse. For our love is despicable and hated amongst them."

" I ask for your presence. Too bless me so I. Lady Lunnatis of the Moth tribe. May give myself to Ori Aven of the Hive."

@ori-and-luna

*Lurien's tired eyes need several attempts to read the letter and holding his quill steady as he writes is a bit of a task but he manages. the letter sent back is on the finest weaver-silk parchment money can buy and sealed with the royal seal of Hallownest, which isn't just Lurien showing off, he's fairly certain the seal has some kind of magic that just teleports the letters where ever they need be. he's too sleepy to really care about the ins and outs of that though.

the letter reads as follows;*

"Lady Lunnatis of the Moth Tribe,

I believe the tribe you hail from and the one I hail from function on different rules but, judging from what you say they both may not be so different. I know my own union would be frowned upon by the branch that once lived within these lands had it continued to prosper.

I see no reason two lovers may not marry despite differences between them. Moth. Bee. What reason would any have for keeping you apart? If I may divulge some scant information about myself; my union is also with a bug whom of which is not a moth, and as such if I were to judge I would do it unfairly. I don't. Judge that is.

Whatever blessing you seek from me you have it. I know not if these words alone will suffice so included with this letter is a signet ring bearing the mark of my station; the seal of the Lord Watcher. That should be proof enough I hope. If you need me in person to offer this blessing then you are in luck for my business is concluded for the next couple of cycles before I must return to my duties.

Should you need me in person, seek my Spire within the city, you cannot miss it; it is the most central and tallest building. I must also ask your forgiveness for my tardiness with this reply, I have been busy.

<Reading through the letter. Lunnatis... Contemplated her situation.> <Would this suffice...? Would his words alone be enough of a blessing for their marriage to be welcomed by The Radiance...? Were the elders of her tribe confused? Did they miss something The Radiance taught and have been following this tradition for naught?>

<All questions spiraling through her head...>

<As Lunnatis thought about everything. She remembered the times she'd witnessed other people being Blessed. As well as herself blessing someone.>

<The glow from their essence intertwining with one another.> <The warm feeling and presence of Her light> <The memories from the spouses past. Flooding into her mind as if they were her own.>

<Was it all necessary...?>

<Lunnatis came to a thought.>

"Even if... None of this is needed... It would not hurt anyone to go through the blessing... Right...?"

<Lunnatis paused... Then resolved to go through with the Blessing>

<She put her purple cloak on. Brushed and cleaned her white and blue coat. Before leaving her small humble room to where Lurien had spoken of>

<Passing through the Tearless city. By large towering buildings. Then by the fountain where she spoke with Holly. Passing by a... Familiar alley way... Where she was pursued by some... Bad people...> <Lunnatis brushed away the thought and continued to the spire>

<Once she approached. She knocked twice on the doors> <She presented the signet ring to who ever opened the door.>

the servant knocks thrice and then once more a couple seconds later, a clear signal to alert whomever awaits within. a mumbled muffled voice confirms permission to enter and the bug scuttles away, leaving Lunnatis to enter on her own

the room beyond—a bedchamber or even a nest from the looks of it—lacks many of the paintings and decor of the rest of the Spire and is characterised by the dim lighting of only two hanging lanterns, a heap of blankets that make up the nest, and a large velvet curtain blocking any light from what must be a window on the far side

the sound of the door opening disturbs the resting shape of a thin bug who turns, sweeping his muted blue robes around him for dignity's sake and spreading his wings behind him, hiding something—or rather someone—from view. from how he quickly snaps his mask to his face and rubs at his eyes one can guess he'd been asleep until now

Lurien blinks. once. twice. and tilts his head*

<Lunnatis would seem a bit uncomfortable. Having entered his personal chamber at such a sudden moment for him..>

UUuhhhmmm... S... So sorry to... C-come in... D-do you need some... S-space... Or... P-privacy...?

<Lunnatis began to sorta shrink away and back a bit...>

*Lurien stands and stretches out, wings spreading behind him before folding neatly to hide under his robes as if they were never there. behind him, if one cares to look, a sliver of pearly white shell can be spied before Lurien turns to adjust the blankets so that whomever is resting there isn't bothered by the cool air of the city*

<Lunnatis waited as Lurien passed by her. Another figure who towers over her a bit. She regained her composure and follow him through the halls.>

Tea sounds fine sir.

*Lurien sends the same serving bug that had let Lunnatis into the Spire off to fetch some tea and snacks once they reach the rather sparse seating room, it's only decorations several book shelves holding trinkets, a couple of paintings on the wall, and two seats at a little coffee table*

Ive seen these done through bugs who are less radiant than you are. As you've said.

<As Lunnatis spoke. She began to glance around the room. To you its sparse but to her... Its something rather magnificent.>

Heh... Sorry, Im not used to this much comfort or beauty. The various creations and books are unlike that ive seen.

<She would chuckle and smile a bit. Before pulling herself back on track>

Ahem-... Now to this blessing.

For us Moths. We are told by the light herself to seek out the guidance and blessings of three different people.

These people must be known of as either wise. Enlightend. Pale. Reborn. Or beloved.

I unfortunately cannot confirm any of these points myself to you. So I will just have to take your word on it.

*Lurien shakes his head but turns his attention towards the serving bug as he wheels in a little trolley, skittering away and leaving the two moths to it once Lurien dismisses him. Lurien pours a cup for them both and sets the tray of treats on the table as he listens to Lunnatis talk*

I see. I will not judge those who still follow the teachings of the Old Light but here in Hallownest you will find she has no fans nor friends among our number. But I won't linger long there and instead turn my attention to the characteristics you brought up.

Wise; sometimes I can be but I am more often a fool than not.

Englightend; I am no holy man and no epiphanies nor insight befalls me on the regular.

Pale; no not I although if... circumstances were different I could offer the aide of one who is, as things stand, I cannot.

Reborn; now this one I may qualify. For once, I had been very much dead, gone from this world, more than once actually now I think on it. But is resurrected the same as reborn, I don't know.

And finally, beloved; ...would being loved by a Higher Being, being soul-bound to them in entirety count? I would say so myself. Unless it means I must be beloved by you, like a family member or a dear friend.

Mmm-hmm I do hope my fellowship isnt... Deeply worrying or... Hated to where id be in danger to some...

<She took a deep breath and listened to Lurien as he spoke about his qualifications>

<She then stayed silent a bit... Thinking. . .>

. . .

If its my own thoughts you look for... Then you seem perfectly fit and favored in the eyes of her Light.

Everyone is foolish at times. Its just how you correct and walk forward from that foolishness that matters.

Being reborn is in meaning of changing for the better. Becoming someone who was wrong too someone true.

And beloved is by the kingdom and its people. And from what ive learned of you before coming here. The people surely see you as a well and good man.

I will give you my blessing then, since I fit the criteria. But I warn you. Siding with the Old Light here... it is a unwise thing to flaunt, an unwise thing to tell any but those you trust in full.

What she did, what we all witnessed, it has scarred Hallownest and has left in its wake wounds that will never, can never, heal. But I will not be so cruel to make you seek another who can do this, I'm soft at heart, so... what needs to be done?

Ahh-... Right then. Let me pull you through it.

<Lunnatis stood up and removed a large purple shawl she wore. Before walking over to a more open area in the room.>

I will... Try to explain it as best as I can.

<Lunnatis stood upright with her hands together. She stood in respect to a noble>

It is a... Sort of ritual...? What happens is I will part with you some of my own dreams and essence. Usually. The one who is chosen to bless the spouse will also part with some of theirs. But it is not in anyway required.

But after seeing my past and being gifted some of these memories. From what you witness and see in me. You will decide whether it is or isn't right for me to be blessed.

<Lunnatis... Oddly has an air of... Anxiousness around her...>

. . .

I... should mention though...

There have been instances where... Someone who looked to bless someone... Who had not wished to part with their mind. Had it pulled anyway during the ritual...

*Lurien stands from his sear and inclines his head, making a motion to signal that he's prepared to continue*

<Lunnatis took a beep breath and kneeled before Lurien.> <She kept her arms in front on her lap. Bowed her head and closed her eyes>

. . .

<The room came quiet... It was almost as if everything around them had gone to sleep... Slowly the draping's of Luriens cloak and Lunnatis' dress began to float up a bit.>

<A swirling light beamed around the two of them. Essence dances and shimmers throughout the room. And a white glowing cloud begins to surround them.> <As a large symbol appears below their feet. That of the dreamers.>

<Then a flood of essence poured into both their body's> <Flashes of moments and thoughts appear>

<Lady Lunnatis... A Women who was born for the sole and selfish purpose. Too serve as a show piece for the Elders of Shade-Den moth tribe. They required someone of a higher soul to be recognized as a real defining entity. So they worked tirelessly. Finding anyone who could bare a child who's soul was more grand than their own>

<11 kids were born... One of them was Lunnatis...>

<She was immediately taken from her mother and paraded as the Tribes Monarch... They finally had someone who could grant their desire for power...>

<While she was the "Monarch" of the tribe... She was treated no better than everyone else. Required to work every day. Cooking. Cleaning. Taking care of children. With the added stress of needing to act "Civilized and noble"...>

<One afternoon she stumbled upon a boy who was beaten mercilessly and was barely clinging onto life. This boy had rough and dirty fur. And his wings growth was stunted... A boy of the Hive...>

<"He... Looks cute... It wouldnt hurt to help him... Would it" Lunnatis thought. She took the boy and hid him in her private room. There she herself cleaned and healed his scars and wounds.>

<Till he woke up. Dazed and confused. Lunnatis told him everything she'd done and knew. And he was greatly thankful.>

<He introduced himself as Ori Aven... And told her of how he was banished from the hive for being weak...> <Lunnatis frowned and chose to continue to take care of him. Even after he'd woken up and was healed>

<"Its just for a couple more days... I'm not going to fall for him... That wouldnt be right..." Lunnatis thought...>

<They stayed together. They ate together. They played together. They talked throughout the evening. They kept each other company during the night and slept with each other...>

<They... Loved each other...>

<Lunnatis one day decided to appoint Ori as her personal. Guardian. He had good combat skills and strength so might as well allow him to become a real part of the tribe>

<Ori was given his own tent... But he tended to never use it himself... Choosing to stay with Lunnatis every night as usual...>

<One day. As Ori and Lunnatis were out in a wonderful grove of flowers... Ori came to Lunnatis... And gifted her a Delicate and beautiful light-blue Everbloom... And proposed to her.>

<Lunnatis was beyond overjoyed that Ori felt the same way for her. She tumbled on top of him and held him close>

<Returning to the Tribe>

<. . .>

<Lunnatis realized what shed done...> <The White King would know of her love... And of he got to her... Her and Ori would be torn apart from each other... Or worse...>

there is ten of them, him and his sisters, all piled together in a soft cosy nest filled with fluff and hand woven blankets. he's tiny, still a grub, fat and round and full of food, peeping loudly for the attention of a figure that even in these shared memories he remembers as nothing but a blazing bright blur against the dim backdrop of his home. he gazes up at her, dazzled, and she reaches down to gently pet at his round head, her laugh like the jingling of bells. so bright. so full of love and hope for the future*

I've always wondered. Who she was. Where she went. Why she left us.

*and then, suddenly gone. leaves in the wind. he's older now, wiser to the ways things work, to who he's supposed to be, what he's supposed to do. his father had made that clear. just as clear as the bottles he lines up. just as clear as the slap to his face whenever he asks when his mother is coming back. Lurien spends most of his days with his grandmother—a half-blind bent with age greying old woman who needs to be shouted at to hear. but he doesn't mind. she teaches him crafts. her thin fingers still deft at handling thread and stringing dreamcatchers, her one good eye still able to pick the right colours that do not offend. the days he spends with her, in her dusty old hut, those are the ones he treasures most*

I miss her. I wish I spent more time with her, before she went. She was the only one who was kind to me back in the tribe.

*lurien intends to stop here, intends to stem the tide of his memories, but they slip out of grip, become a tidal wave, become a storm, become more than he'd like to show

the fire. there were children in that home. he knows that for truth. the arguments. how he said it was wrong to purge those who didn't bend knee to The Light. the way his father, his own father, dragged him from the tribe and promised death should he ever return. and then—

the city is perhaps one of the most incredible things he's ever seen and it had been right below his feet the whole time, not that he can see it much now, drunk as he is. but still. he's lived there for at least four years at this point and every day there's something new to see, something new to do. he guesses he's luckier than other bugs. good with numbers. able to count. nobles snapped him up before finding bug that'd work for cheaper, bugs that were more desperate. whatever. he's made his geo and he can spend it on as many drinks in as many bars and on as many beds as he damn well pleases. not as if he has anywhere else to go after all*

I've done things I'm not proud of. Been someone who sickens me. I don't want anyone else to see that part of me but now... ...I guess we're along for the ride, right?

*the world bleeds into itself. distant and gloomy and... its raining. well. its always raining, he'd learnt that long ago. he's older now, in his fourties, got a good head on him and a better position than most bugs bar the Five Greats. he'd got real lucky, got a job counting geo down in the Palace, a damn miracle most'll say, and from there he'd earned trust, proved himself, worked hard and now he enjoys his lofty position as Watcher. the very eyes of the King himself. and it is said king he's sneaking through the gloom of the city streets to meet in private now

most bugs are asleep at this time, safe and cosy, listening to the endless weeping from the caverns above drum upon their windows. he bets that barely any of them realise where all that water comes from... still, he pushes those thoughts away as he sneaks into the arboretum, there's more important things to focus on

it doesn't take long to find him; in this darkness he is a blinding white, his glow reflecting off the raindrops running down the windows behind him making everything glitter like diamonds. behind his mask, Lurien grins as he approaches. those wide dark eyes, he could drown in them, that blazing light, he could burn in it, and he'd be alright with it. he'd be alright if it all ended, right here and now. still, he takes a seat besides his King, their hands lace together in a perfect mismatch of black and white, that crowned head drops to rest on his shoulder. they remain in place for some time, seconds stretching into minutes and—*

I love him. He loves me. Isn't that wonderful...?

*orange. Lurien drags himself away from those memories. death. screaming. the city weeps. Hallownest weeps. and Lurien? he lays his head down and—

flashes of memories. over and over. like lightening strikes.

no no, he doesn't want to linger there. he remembers waking. remembers a reunion amongst green. remembers a mistake, a window breaking, dreams shattered, and then... he remembers more orange, staining the bathroom sink, remembers Snow Moon, and black running through his fingers, remembers forgetting, sleepwalking into danger, into another world, remembers hurting those he cares about most, remembers a moment of heat, of dizzy stupid foolish mistakes, remembers a plague, a flame, a betrayal, remembers holding two small perfect little eggs in his hands, remembers sitting in that house listening to His Beloved tell him that soon, soon, he will die. he remembers denying that, taking a blade in hand to assault a city of cogwork and steel far above, remembers watching that darkness behind the world claim what is his

and he remembers ripping Him back from the jaws of the Void...

Lurien stumbles back, his rear hitting the ground, a gasp leaving him*

<The whole of the room now dilapidated... Books cover the floors. Paintings torn and scorched... The plate of treats now nothing more than ashes...>

<The ritual subsides with a drastic halt. As lurien falls back Lunnatis' eyes open in abject shock... Shes breathing unbelievably heavily. Sweating bullets and shaking uncontrollably...>

more importantly though is the fact his guest is face down on the floor. unmoving. he carefully pokes at her to check if she's, you know, not dead, and thankfully it seems to be the case. grumbling he very very carefully lifts her up, calling a few of his serving bugs to start on the mess while he takes her to the closest guest room to his own chambers*

<Her sweat covered coat and dress seep onto your cloak. But shes thankfully not breathing as hard or shaking.>

<Lunnatis now lies on the bed of the guest room. Quaint. Quiet. And more peaceful than she seemed to of been when coming here.>

I've got a lot to explain once you wake up.

. . .

<5 minutes gone by. Nothing new or changed...>

. . .

<10 minutes gone by. Lunnatis still sleeps calmly. The ice in the water has since melted. And its condensation is slowly rolling down the glass>

. . .

<15 minutes gone by. And Lunnatis' body pulls itself over to its side... Shes still yet to awaken>

. . .

. . . !

<20 minutes gone by. A loud breath is heard from Lunnatis. Her face making a slight pained expression as she curls up a bit...>

. . . Hhhmmm~

*Lurien sits on a chair in the corner of the room, a small pile of papers besides him as he appears to have decided to catch up on some work while waiting. better late than never he supposes, can't make the queen do it all on her own*

Uuhhmm... I... Aaacck...

<She sits up. Leaning onto one side of herself... She sways a bit before catching herself.>

Im... Alright I guess...

Heh... Havnt been many instances where the sheer amount of essence and thoughts causes someone to pass out...

I... Dont...

I dont know if thats... A good thing...

<She then fully sat up on the bed. Kneeling once more. Hands on her lap>

. . .

I must now ask... What did you see.

What did you see. Of me.

What you saw in me. . .

Is what you saw valuable and worth it to bless. Or do you see this as fruitless...?

*Lurien waits for a moment, weighs the choice in his hands. to deny her would be cruel, especially after all she's put herself through just to come here and do this, especially after all he's put her through since. in truth, he sees no reason to even slightly object to her union. why should he? is his not an even stranger pairing?*

I saw a girl, born for a role she never asked for, living a life as little more than an item up on a shelf, only brought down and dusted as needed. I saw her make a choice, I saw her fall in love.

I see value in that, all of it, the experiences had, the emotions felt, the choices made, the love fought for with claw and tooth. It is more than worth a blessing in my opinion and I see no reason why any should object.

<She'd freeze for a second after hearing his words> <Before bowing her head to the bed to Lurien and shouting>

Th-Thank you... Sir Lurien for the first Blessing. I will... I will continue to search for others who I may request their blessings of.

<You can barely hear her sobbing as her head is in the comfort of the bed... She takes a second to recollect herself before sitting up.>

<She'd begin to think of a reply... What even was it that she saw through Luriens eyes... The recollection brings her headaches but she presses on...>

Uuhhmm... Its... Difficult for me too... Recollect... My brain is spinning trying to... Remember... But... I will try to tell you...

. . .

I remember seeing a... Less than welcoming family... Some familiar actions and practices from them... A... Brutal blaze... Constant... Anger and misguidance...

I saw someone... Rend to pieces... Using every possibly glory... To pull himself back together... Before he is blinded and entranced by... A pale light...

Then... It all...

<She'd begin to shiver... Not wanting to think of what she'd seen>

I saw... A warm light... Filled with despicable hatred...

...Some times the warmer the light glows the more it burns when you reach out to touch it and some times, you need to learn to look away before your eyes are burned from your shell. Blinded by that pale glow some could claim I was but I feel that I have never seen more clearly. Entranced, perhaps, but is that not another word for love?

*his voice is soft. he lingers in that memory. the rain, the gloom, the dazzling glitter of light on the window, his hands small and sharp, his everything, laid bare and given in full. those happy stolen moments, nothing but a dream now, he vows he'll grasp them as hard as possible and never let go*

You memories... a feeling I felt while surrounded by your past. It implied something about... Him. You know. He wouldn't... he wouldn't keep you from your bee; why would he? I think there's some misguided ideas you've been taught, or thought up, or both.

<Its materials are all very cheap. The paper nearly tears at the slightest tug. the ink appears to sink into the page blotting the back side. And the wording is slowly fading already.>

<But even with all of such... The letter is very precisely intricate and elegant... The aformentioned wording is perfectly spaced and equally designed.>

<A wax seal that has nearly already crumbled apart. Depicts an elegant. Radiant. Moth. Behind it are the Day. Dawn. Dusk. And night.>

<The letter speaks as such>

"Dear Lurien the Watcher."

"My name is Lady Lunnatis. I come from a far kingdom known as Shade-Den. And I come to you here in hallownest. To ask of your blessing"

"My home would have me and my beloved torn away from each other or worse. For our love is despicable and hated amongst them."

" I ask for your presence. Too bless me so I. Lady Lunnatis of the Moth tribe. May give myself to Ori Aven of the Hive."

@ori-and-luna

*Lurien's tired eyes need several attempts to read the letter and holding his quill steady as he writes is a bit of a task but he manages. the letter sent back is on the finest weaver-silk parchment money can buy and sealed with the royal seal of Hallownest, which isn't just Lurien showing off, he's fairly certain the seal has some kind of magic that just teleports the letters where ever they need be. he's too sleepy to really care about the ins and outs of that though.

the letter reads as follows;*

"Lady Lunnatis of the Moth Tribe,

I believe the tribe you hail from and the one I hail from function on different rules but, judging from what you say they both may not be so different. I know my own union would be frowned upon by the branch that once lived within these lands had it continued to prosper.

I see no reason two lovers may not marry despite differences between them. Moth. Bee. What reason would any have for keeping you apart? If I may divulge some scant information about myself; my union is also with a bug whom of which is not a moth, and as such if I were to judge I would do it unfairly. I don't. Judge that is.

Whatever blessing you seek from me you have it. I know not if these words alone will suffice so included with this letter is a signet ring bearing the mark of my station; the seal of the Lord Watcher. That should be proof enough I hope. If you need me in person to offer this blessing then you are in luck for my business is concluded for the next couple of cycles before I must return to my duties.

Should you need me in person, seek my Spire within the city, you cannot miss it; it is the most central and tallest building. I must also ask your forgiveness for my tardiness with this reply, I have been busy.

<Reading through the letter. Lunnatis... Contemplated her situation.> <Would this suffice...? Would his words alone be enough of a blessing for their marriage to be welcomed by The Radiance...? Were the elders of her tribe confused? Did they miss something The Radiance taught and have been following this tradition for naught?>

<All questions spiraling through her head...>

<As Lunnatis thought about everything. She remembered the times she'd witnessed other people being Blessed. As well as herself blessing someone.>

<The glow from their essence intertwining with one another.> <The warm feeling and presence of Her light> <The memories from the spouses past. Flooding into her mind as if they were her own.>

<Was it all necessary...?>

<Lunnatis came to a thought.>

"Even if... None of this is needed... It would not hurt anyone to go through the blessing... Right...?"

<Lunnatis paused... Then resolved to go through with the Blessing>

<She put her purple cloak on. Brushed and cleaned her white and blue coat. Before leaving her small humble room to where Lurien had spoken of>

<Passing through the Tearless city. By large towering buildings. Then by the fountain where she spoke with Holly. Passing by a... Familiar alley way... Where she was pursued by some... Bad people...> <Lunnatis brushed away the thought and continued to the spire>

<Once she approached. She knocked twice on the doors> <She presented the signet ring to who ever opened the door.>

the servant knocks thrice and then once more a couple seconds later, a clear signal to alert whomever awaits within. a mumbled muffled voice confirms permission to enter and the bug scuttles away, leaving Lunnatis to enter on her own

the room beyond—a bedchamber or even a nest from the looks of it—lacks many of the paintings and decor of the rest of the Spire and is characterised by the dim lighting of only two hanging lanterns, a heap of blankets that make up the nest, and a large velvet curtain blocking any light from what must be a window on the far side

the sound of the door opening disturbs the resting shape of a thin bug who turns, sweeping his muted blue robes around him for dignity's sake and spreading his wings behind him, hiding something—or rather someone—from view. from how he quickly snaps his mask to his face and rubs at his eyes one can guess he'd been asleep until now

Lurien blinks. once. twice. and tilts his head*

<Lunnatis would seem a bit uncomfortable. Having entered his personal chamber at such a sudden moment for him..>

UUuhhhmmm... S... So sorry to... C-come in... D-do you need some... S-space... Or... P-privacy...?

<Lunnatis began to sorta shrink away and back a bit...>

*Lurien stands and stretches out, wings spreading behind him before folding neatly to hide under his robes as if they were never there. behind him, if one cares to look, a sliver of pearly white shell can be spied before Lurien turns to adjust the blankets so that whomever is resting there isn't bothered by the cool air of the city*

<Lunnatis waited as Lurien passed by her. Another figure who towers over her a bit. She regained her composure and follow him through the halls.>

Tea sounds fine sir.

*Lurien sends the same serving bug that had let Lunnatis into the Spire off to fetch some tea and snacks once they reach the rather sparse seating room, it's only decorations several book shelves holding trinkets, a couple of paintings on the wall, and two seats at a little coffee table*

Ive seen these done through bugs who are less radiant than you are. As you've said.

<As Lunnatis spoke. She began to glance around the room. To you its sparse but to her... Its something rather magnificent.>

Heh... Sorry, Im not used to this much comfort or beauty. The various creations and books are unlike that ive seen.

<She would chuckle and smile a bit. Before pulling herself back on track>

Ahem-... Now to this blessing.

For us Moths. We are told by the light herself to seek out the guidance and blessings of three different people.

These people must be known of as either wise. Enlightend. Pale. Reborn. Or beloved.

I unfortunately cannot confirm any of these points myself to you. So I will just have to take your word on it.

*Lurien shakes his head but turns his attention towards the serving bug as he wheels in a little trolley, skittering away and leaving the two moths to it once Lurien dismisses him. Lurien pours a cup for them both and sets the tray of treats on the table as he listens to Lunnatis talk*

I see. I will not judge those who still follow the teachings of the Old Light but here in Hallownest you will find she has no fans nor friends among our number. But I won't linger long there and instead turn my attention to the characteristics you brought up.

Wise; sometimes I can be but I am more often a fool than not.

Englightend; I am no holy man and no epiphanies nor insight befalls me on the regular.

Pale; no not I although if... circumstances were different I could offer the aide of one who is, as things stand, I cannot.

Reborn; now this one I may qualify. For once, I had been very much dead, gone from this world, more than once actually now I think on it. But is resurrected the same as reborn, I don't know.

And finally, beloved; ...would being loved by a Higher Being, being soul-bound to them in entirety count? I would say so myself. Unless it means I must be beloved by you, like a family member or a dear friend.

Mmm-hmm I do hope my fellowship isnt... Deeply worrying or... Hated to where id be in danger to some...

<She took a deep breath and listened to Lurien as he spoke about his qualifications>

<She then stayed silent a bit... Thinking. . .>

. . .

If its my own thoughts you look for... Then you seem perfectly fit and favored in the eyes of her Light.

Everyone is foolish at times. Its just how you correct and walk forward from that foolishness that matters.

Being reborn is in meaning of changing for the better. Becoming someone who was wrong too someone true.

And beloved is by the kingdom and its people. And from what ive learned of you before coming here. The people surely see you as a well and good man.

I will give you my blessing then, since I fit the criteria. But I warn you. Siding with the Old Light here... it is a unwise thing to flaunt, an unwise thing to tell any but those you trust in full.

What she did, what we all witnessed, it has scarred Hallownest and has left in its wake wounds that will never, can never, heal. But I will not be so cruel to make you seek another who can do this, I'm soft at heart, so... what needs to be done?

Ahh-... Right then. Let me pull you through it.

<Lunnatis stood up and removed a large purple shawl she wore. Before walking over to a more open area in the room.>

I will... Try to explain it as best as I can.

<Lunnatis stood upright with her hands together. She stood in respect to a noble>

It is a... Sort of ritual...? What happens is I will part with you some of my own dreams and essence. Usually. The one who is chosen to bless the spouse will also part with some of theirs. But it is not in anyway required.

But after seeing my past and being gifted some of these memories. From what you witness and see in me. You will decide whether it is or isn't right for me to be blessed.

<Lunnatis... Oddly has an air of... Anxiousness around her...>

. . .

I... should mention though...

There have been instances where... Someone who looked to bless someone... Who had not wished to part with their mind. Had it pulled anyway during the ritual...

*Lurien stands from his sear and inclines his head, making a motion to signal that he's prepared to continue*

<Lunnatis took a beep breath and kneeled before Lurien.> <She kept her arms in front on her lap. Bowed her head and closed her eyes>

. . .

<The room came quiet... It was almost as if everything around them had gone to sleep... Slowly the draping's of Luriens cloak and Lunnatis' dress began to float up a bit.>

<A swirling light beamed around the two of them. Essence dances and shimmers throughout the room. And a white glowing cloud begins to surround them.> <As a large symbol appears below their feet. That of the dreamers.>

<Then a flood of essence poured into both their body's> <Flashes of moments and thoughts appear>

<Lady Lunnatis... A Women who was born for the sole and selfish purpose. Too serve as a show piece for the Elders of Shade-Den moth tribe. They required someone of a higher soul to be recognized as a real defining entity. So they worked tirelessly. Finding anyone who could bare a child who's soul was more grand than their own>

<11 kids were born... One of them was Lunnatis...>

<She was immediately taken from her mother and paraded as the Tribes Monarch... They finally had someone who could grant their desire for power...>

<While she was the "Monarch" of the tribe... She was treated no better than everyone else. Required to work every day. Cooking. Cleaning. Taking care of children. With the added stress of needing to act "Civilized and noble"...>

<One afternoon she stumbled upon a boy who was beaten mercilessly and was barely clinging onto life. This boy had rough and dirty fur. And his wings growth was stunted... A boy of the Hive...>

<"He... Looks cute... It wouldnt hurt to help him... Would it" Lunnatis thought. She took the boy and hid him in her private room. There she herself cleaned and healed his scars and wounds.>

<Till he woke up. Dazed and confused. Lunnatis told him everything she'd done and knew. And he was greatly thankful.>

<He introduced himself as Ori Aven... And told her of how he was banished from the hive for being weak...> <Lunnatis frowned and chose to continue to take care of him. Even after he'd woken up and was healed>

<"Its just for a couple more days... I'm not going to fall for him... That wouldnt be right..." Lunnatis thought...>

<They stayed together. They ate together. They played together. They talked throughout the evening. They kept each other company during the night and slept with each other...>

<They... Loved each other...>

<Lunnatis one day decided to appoint Ori as her personal. Guardian. He had good combat skills and strength so might as well allow him to become a real part of the tribe>

<Ori was given his own tent... But he tended to never use it himself... Choosing to stay with Lunnatis every night as usual...>

<One day. As Ori and Lunnatis were out in a wonderful grove of flowers... Ori came to Lunnatis... And gifted her a Delicate and beautiful light-blue Everbloom... And proposed to her.>

<Lunnatis was beyond overjoyed that Ori felt the same way for her. She tumbled on top of him and held him close>

<Returning to the Tribe>

<. . .>

<Lunnatis realized what shed done...> <The White King would know of her love... And of he got to her... Her and Ori would be torn apart from each other... Or worse...>

there is ten of them, him and his sisters, all piled together in a soft cosy nest filled with fluff and hand woven blankets. he's tiny, still a grub, fat and round and full of food, peeping loudly for the attention of a figure that even in these shared memories he remembers as nothing but a blazing bright blur against the dim backdrop of his home. he gazes up at her, dazzled, and she reaches down to gently pet at his round head, her laugh like the jingling of bells. so bright. so full of love and hope for the future*

I've always wondered. Who she was. Where she went. Why she left us.

*and then, suddenly gone. leaves in the wind. he's older now, wiser to the ways things work, to who he's supposed to be, what he's supposed to do. his father had made that clear. just as clear as the bottles he lines up. just as clear as the slap to his face whenever he asks when his mother is coming back. Lurien spends most of his days with his grandmother—a half-blind bent with age greying old woman who needs to be shouted at to hear. but he doesn't mind. she teaches him crafts. her thin fingers still deft at handling thread and stringing dreamcatchers, her one good eye still able to pick the right colours that do not offend. the days he spends with her, in her dusty old hut, those are the ones he treasures most*

I miss her. I wish I spent more time with her, before she went. She was the only one who was kind to me back in the tribe.

*lurien intends to stop here, intends to stem the tide of his memories, but they slip out of grip, become a tidal wave, become a storm, become more than he'd like to show

the fire. there were children in that home. he knows that for truth. the arguments. how he said it was wrong to purge those who didn't bend knee to The Light. the way his father, his own father, dragged him from the tribe and promised death should he ever return. and then—

the city is perhaps one of the most incredible things he's ever seen and it had been right below his feet the whole time, not that he can see it much now, drunk as he is. but still. he's lived there for at least four years at this point and every day there's something new to see, something new to do. he guesses he's luckier than other bugs. good with numbers. able to count. nobles snapped him up before finding bug that'd work for cheaper, bugs that were more desperate. whatever. he's made his geo and he can spend it on as many drinks in as many bars and on as many beds as he damn well pleases. not as if he has anywhere else to go after all*

I've done things I'm not proud of. Been someone who sickens me. I don't want anyone else to see that part of me but now... ...I guess we're along for the ride, right?

*the world bleeds into itself. distant and gloomy and... its raining. well. its always raining, he'd learnt that long ago. he's older now, in his fourties, got a good head on him and a better position than most bugs bar the Five Greats. he'd got real lucky, got a job counting geo down in the Palace, a damn miracle most'll say, and from there he'd earned trust, proved himself, worked hard and now he enjoys his lofty position as Watcher. the very eyes of the King himself. and it is said king he's sneaking through the gloom of the city streets to meet in private now

most bugs are asleep at this time, safe and cosy, listening to the endless weeping from the caverns above drum upon their windows. he bets that barely any of them realise where all that water comes from... still, he pushes those thoughts away as he sneaks into the arboretum, there's more important things to focus on

it doesn't take long to find him; in this darkness he is a blinding white, his glow reflecting off the raindrops running down the windows behind him making everything glitter like diamonds. behind his mask, Lurien grins as he approaches. those wide dark eyes, he could drown in them, that blazing light, he could burn in it, and he'd be alright with it. he'd be alright if it all ended, right here and now. still, he takes a seat besides his King, their hands lace together in a perfect mismatch of black and white, that crowned head drops to rest on his shoulder. they remain in place for some time, seconds stretching into minutes and—*

I love him. He loves me. Isn't that wonderful...?

*orange. Lurien drags himself away from those memories. death. screaming. the city weeps. Hallownest weeps. and Lurien? he lays his head down and—

flashes of memories. over and over. like lightening strikes.

no no, he doesn't want to linger there. he remembers waking. remembers a reunion amongst green. remembers a mistake, a window breaking, dreams shattered, and then... he remembers more orange, staining the bathroom sink, remembers Snow Moon, and black running through his fingers, remembers forgetting, sleepwalking into danger, into another world, remembers hurting those he cares about most, remembers a moment of heat, of dizzy stupid foolish mistakes, remembers a plague, a flame, a betrayal, remembers holding two small perfect little eggs in his hands, remembers sitting in that house listening to His Beloved tell him that soon, soon, he will die. he remembers denying that, taking a blade in hand to assault a city of cogwork and steel far above, remembers watching that darkness behind the world claim what is his

and he remembers ripping Him back from the jaws of the Void...

Lurien stumbles back, his rear hitting the ground, a gasp leaving him*

<The whole of the room now dilapidated... Books cover the floors. Paintings torn and scorched... The plate of treats now nothing more than ashes...>

<The ritual subsides with a drastic halt. As lurien falls back Lunnatis' eyes open in abject shock... Shes breathing unbelievably heavily. Sweating bullets and shaking uncontrollably...>

more importantly though is the fact his guest is face down on the floor. unmoving. he carefully pokes at her to check if she's, you know, not dead, and thankfully it seems to be the case. grumbling he very very carefully lifts her up, calling a few of his serving bugs to start on the mess while he takes her to the closest guest room to his own chambers*

<Her sweat covered coat and dress seep onto your cloak. But shes thankfully not breathing as hard or shaking.>

<Lunnatis now lies on the bed of the guest room. Quaint. Quiet. And more peaceful than she seemed to of been when coming here.>

I've got a lot to explain once you wake up.

. . .

<5 minutes gone by. Nothing new or changed...>

. . .

<10 minutes gone by. Lunnatis still sleeps calmly. The ice in the water has since melted. And its condensation is slowly rolling down the glass>

. . .

<15 minutes gone by. And Lunnatis' body pulls itself over to its side... Shes still yet to awaken>

. . .

. . . !

<20 minutes gone by. A loud breath is heard from Lunnatis. Her face making a slight pained expression as she curls up a bit...>

. . . Hhhmmm~

*Lurien sits on a chair in the corner of the room, a small pile of papers besides him as he appears to have decided to catch up on some work while waiting. better late than never he supposes, can't make the queen do it all on her own*

Uuhhmm... I... Aaacck...

<She sits up. Leaning onto one side of herself... She sways a bit before catching herself.>

Im... Alright I guess...

Heh... Havnt been many instances where the sheer amount of essence and thoughts causes someone to pass out...

I... Dont...

I dont know if thats... A good thing...

<She then fully sat up on the bed. Kneeling once more. Hands on her lap>

. . .

I must now ask... What did you see.

What did you see. Of me.

What you saw in me. . .

Is what you saw valuable and worth it to bless. Or do you see this as fruitless...?

*Lurien waits for a moment, weighs the choice in his hands. to deny her would be cruel, especially after all she's put herself through just to come here and do this, especially after all he's put her through since. in truth, he sees no reason to even slightly object to her union. why should he? is his not an even stranger pairing?*

I saw a girl, born for a role she never asked for, living a life as little more than an item up on a shelf, only brought down and dusted as needed. I saw her make a choice, I saw her fall in love.

I see value in that, all of it, the experiences had, the emotions felt, the choices made, the love fought for with claw and tooth. It is more than worth a blessing in my opinion and I see no reason why any should object.

<Its materials are all very cheap. The paper nearly tears at the slightest tug. the ink appears to sink into the page blotting the back side. And the wording is slowly fading already.>

<But even with all of such... The letter is very precisely intricate and elegant... The aformentioned wording is perfectly spaced and equally designed.>

<A wax seal that has nearly already crumbled apart. Depicts an elegant. Radiant. Moth. Behind it are the Day. Dawn. Dusk. And night.>

<The letter speaks as such>

"Dear Lurien the Watcher."

"My name is Lady Lunnatis. I come from a far kingdom known as Shade-Den. And I come to you here in hallownest. To ask of your blessing"

"My home would have me and my beloved torn away from each other or worse. For our love is despicable and hated amongst them."

" I ask for your presence. Too bless me so I. Lady Lunnatis of the Moth tribe. May give myself to Ori Aven of the Hive."

@ori-and-luna

*Lurien's tired eyes need several attempts to read the letter and holding his quill steady as he writes is a bit of a task but he manages. the letter sent back is on the finest weaver-silk parchment money can buy and sealed with the royal seal of Hallownest, which isn't just Lurien showing off, he's fairly certain the seal has some kind of magic that just teleports the letters where ever they need be. he's too sleepy to really care about the ins and outs of that though.

the letter reads as follows;*

"Lady Lunnatis of the Moth Tribe,

I believe the tribe you hail from and the one I hail from function on different rules but, judging from what you say they both may not be so different. I know my own union would be frowned upon by the branch that once lived within these lands had it continued to prosper.

I see no reason two lovers may not marry despite differences between them. Moth. Bee. What reason would any have for keeping you apart? If I may divulge some scant information about myself; my union is also with a bug whom of which is not a moth, and as such if I were to judge I would do it unfairly. I don't. Judge that is.

Whatever blessing you seek from me you have it. I know not if these words alone will suffice so included with this letter is a signet ring bearing the mark of my station; the seal of the Lord Watcher. That should be proof enough I hope. If you need me in person to offer this blessing then you are in luck for my business is concluded for the next couple of cycles before I must return to my duties.

Should you need me in person, seek my Spire within the city, you cannot miss it; it is the most central and tallest building. I must also ask your forgiveness for my tardiness with this reply, I have been busy.

<Reading through the letter. Lunnatis... Contemplated her situation.> <Would this suffice...? Would his words alone be enough of a blessing for their marriage to be welcomed by The Radiance...? Were the elders of her tribe confused? Did they miss something The Radiance taught and have been following this tradition for naught?>

<All questions spiraling through her head...>

<As Lunnatis thought about everything. She remembered the times she'd witnessed other people being Blessed. As well as herself blessing someone.>

<The glow from their essence intertwining with one another.> <The warm feeling and presence of Her light> <The memories from the spouses past. Flooding into her mind as if they were her own.>

<Was it all necessary...?>

<Lunnatis came to a thought.>

"Even if... None of this is needed... It would not hurt anyone to go through the blessing... Right...?"

<Lunnatis paused... Then resolved to go through with the Blessing>

<She put her purple cloak on. Brushed and cleaned her white and blue coat. Before leaving her small humble room to where Lurien had spoken of>

<Passing through the Tearless city. By large towering buildings. Then by the fountain where she spoke with Holly. Passing by a... Familiar alley way... Where she was pursued by some... Bad people...> <Lunnatis brushed away the thought and continued to the spire>

<Once she approached. She knocked twice on the doors> <She presented the signet ring to who ever opened the door.>

the servant knocks thrice and then once more a couple seconds later, a clear signal to alert whomever awaits within. a mumbled muffled voice confirms permission to enter and the bug scuttles away, leaving Lunnatis to enter on her own

the room beyond—a bedchamber or even a nest from the looks of it—lacks many of the paintings and decor of the rest of the Spire and is characterised by the dim lighting of only two hanging lanterns, a heap of blankets that make up the nest, and a large velvet curtain blocking any light from what must be a window on the far side

the sound of the door opening disturbs the resting shape of a thin bug who turns, sweeping his muted blue robes around him for dignity's sake and spreading his wings behind him, hiding something—or rather someone—from view. from how he quickly snaps his mask to his face and rubs at his eyes one can guess he'd been asleep until now

Lurien blinks. once. twice. and tilts his head*

<Lunnatis would seem a bit uncomfortable. Having entered his personal chamber at such a sudden moment for him..>

UUuhhhmmm... S... So sorry to... C-come in... D-do you need some... S-space... Or... P-privacy...?

<Lunnatis began to sorta shrink away and back a bit...>

*Lurien stands and stretches out, wings spreading behind him before folding neatly to hide under his robes as if they were never there. behind him, if one cares to look, a sliver of pearly white shell can be spied before Lurien turns to adjust the blankets so that whomever is resting there isn't bothered by the cool air of the city*

<Lunnatis waited as Lurien passed by her. Another figure who towers over her a bit. She regained her composure and follow him through the halls.>

Tea sounds fine sir.

*Lurien sends the same serving bug that had let Lunnatis into the Spire off to fetch some tea and snacks once they reach the rather sparse seating room, it's only decorations several book shelves holding trinkets, a couple of paintings on the wall, and two seats at a little coffee table*

Ive seen these done through bugs who are less radiant than you are. As you've said.

<As Lunnatis spoke. She began to glance around the room. To you its sparse but to her... Its something rather magnificent.>

Heh... Sorry, Im not used to this much comfort or beauty. The various creations and books are unlike that ive seen.

<She would chuckle and smile a bit. Before pulling herself back on track>

Ahem-... Now to this blessing.

For us Moths. We are told by the light herself to seek out the guidance and blessings of three different people.

These people must be known of as either wise. Enlightend. Pale. Reborn. Or beloved.

I unfortunately cannot confirm any of these points myself to you. So I will just have to take your word on it.

*Lurien shakes his head but turns his attention towards the serving bug as he wheels in a little trolley, skittering away and leaving the two moths to it once Lurien dismisses him. Lurien pours a cup for them both and sets the tray of treats on the table as he listens to Lunnatis talk*

I see. I will not judge those who still follow the teachings of the Old Light but here in Hallownest you will find she has no fans nor friends among our number. But I won't linger long there and instead turn my attention to the characteristics you brought up.

Wise; sometimes I can be but I am more often a fool than not.

Englightend; I am no holy man and no epiphanies nor insight befalls me on the regular.

Pale; no not I although if... circumstances were different I could offer the aide of one who is, as things stand, I cannot.

Reborn; now this one I may qualify. For once, I had been very much dead, gone from this world, more than once actually now I think on it. But is resurrected the same as reborn, I don't know.

And finally, beloved; ...would being loved by a Higher Being, being soul-bound to them in entirety count? I would say so myself. Unless it means I must be beloved by you, like a family member or a dear friend.

Mmm-hmm I do hope my fellowship isnt... Deeply worrying or... Hated to where id be in danger to some...

<She took a deep breath and listened to Lurien as he spoke about his qualifications>

<She then stayed silent a bit... Thinking. . .>

. . .

If its my own thoughts you look for... Then you seem perfectly fit and favored in the eyes of her Light.

Everyone is foolish at times. Its just how you correct and walk forward from that foolishness that matters.

Being reborn is in meaning of changing for the better. Becoming someone who was wrong too someone true.

And beloved is by the kingdom and its people. And from what ive learned of you before coming here. The people surely see you as a well and good man.

I will give you my blessing then, since I fit the criteria. But I warn you. Siding with the Old Light here... it is a unwise thing to flaunt, an unwise thing to tell any but those you trust in full.

What she did, what we all witnessed, it has scarred Hallownest and has left in its wake wounds that will never, can never, heal. But I will not be so cruel to make you seek another who can do this, I'm soft at heart, so... what needs to be done?

Ahh-... Right then. Let me pull you through it.

<Lunnatis stood up and removed a large purple shawl she wore. Before walking over to a more open area in the room.>

I will... Try to explain it as best as I can.

<Lunnatis stood upright with her hands together. She stood in respect to a noble>

It is a... Sort of ritual...? What happens is I will part with you some of my own dreams and essence. Usually. The one who is chosen to bless the spouse will also part with some of theirs. But it is not in anyway required.

But after seeing my past and being gifted some of these memories. From what you witness and see in me. You will decide whether it is or isn't right for me to be blessed.

<Lunnatis... Oddly has an air of... Anxiousness around her...>

. . .

I... should mention though...

There have been instances where... Someone who looked to bless someone... Who had not wished to part with their mind. Had it pulled anyway during the ritual...

*Lurien stands from his sear and inclines his head, making a motion to signal that he's prepared to continue*

<Lunnatis took a beep breath and kneeled before Lurien.> <She kept her arms in front on her lap. Bowed her head and closed her eyes>

. . .

<The room came quiet... It was almost as if everything around them had gone to sleep... Slowly the draping's of Luriens cloak and Lunnatis' dress began to float up a bit.>

<A swirling light beamed around the two of them. Essence dances and shimmers throughout the room. And a white glowing cloud begins to surround them.> <As a large symbol appears below their feet. That of the dreamers.>

<Then a flood of essence poured into both their body's> <Flashes of moments and thoughts appear>

<Lady Lunnatis... A Women who was born for the sole and selfish purpose. Too serve as a show piece for the Elders of Shade-Den moth tribe. They required someone of a higher soul to be recognized as a real defining entity. So they worked tirelessly. Finding anyone who could bare a child who's soul was more grand than their own>

<11 kids were born... One of them was Lunnatis...>

<She was immediately taken from her mother and paraded as the Tribes Monarch... They finally had someone who could grant their desire for power...>

<While she was the "Monarch" of the tribe... She was treated no better than everyone else. Required to work every day. Cooking. Cleaning. Taking care of children. With the added stress of needing to act "Civilized and noble"...>

<One afternoon she stumbled upon a boy who was beaten mercilessly and was barely clinging onto life. This boy had rough and dirty fur. And his wings growth was stunted... A boy of the Hive...>

<"He... Looks cute... It wouldnt hurt to help him... Would it" Lunnatis thought. She took the boy and hid him in her private room. There she herself cleaned and healed his scars and wounds.>

<Till he woke up. Dazed and confused. Lunnatis told him everything she'd done and knew. And he was greatly thankful.>

<He introduced himself as Ori Aven... And told her of how he was banished from the hive for being weak...> <Lunnatis frowned and chose to continue to take care of him. Even after he'd woken up and was healed>

<"Its just for a couple more days... I'm not going to fall for him... That wouldnt be right..." Lunnatis thought...>

<They stayed together. They ate together. They played together. They talked throughout the evening. They kept each other company during the night and slept with each other...>

<They... Loved each other...>

<Lunnatis one day decided to appoint Ori as her personal. Guardian. He had good combat skills and strength so might as well allow him to become a real part of the tribe>

<Ori was given his own tent... But he tended to never use it himself... Choosing to stay with Lunnatis every night as usual...>

<One day. As Ori and Lunnatis were out in a wonderful grove of flowers... Ori came to Lunnatis... And gifted her a Delicate and beautiful light-blue Everbloom... And proposed to her.>

<Lunnatis was beyond overjoyed that Ori felt the same way for her. She tumbled on top of him and held him close>

<Returning to the Tribe>

<. . .>

<Lunnatis realized what shed done...> <The White King would know of her love... And of he got to her... Her and Ori would be torn apart from each other... Or worse...>

there is ten of them, him and his sisters, all piled together in a soft cosy nest filled with fluff and hand woven blankets. he's tiny, still a grub, fat and round and full of food, peeping loudly for the attention of a figure that even in these shared memories he remembers as nothing but a blazing bright blur against the dim backdrop of his home. he gazes up at her, dazzled, and she reaches down to gently pet at his round head, her laugh like the jingling of bells. so bright. so full of love and hope for the future*

I've always wondered. Who she was. Where she went. Why she left us.

*and then, suddenly gone. leaves in the wind. he's older now, wiser to the ways things work, to who he's supposed to be, what he's supposed to do. his father had made that clear. just as clear as the bottles he lines up. just as clear as the slap to his face whenever he asks when his mother is coming back. Lurien spends most of his days with his grandmother—a half-blind bent with age greying old woman who needs to be shouted at to hear. but he doesn't mind. she teaches him crafts. her thin fingers still deft at handling thread and stringing dreamcatchers, her one good eye still able to pick the right colours that do not offend. the days he spends with her, in her dusty old hut, those are the ones he treasures most*

I miss her. I wish I spent more time with her, before she went. She was the only one who was kind to me back in the tribe.

*lurien intends to stop here, intends to stem the tide of his memories, but they slip out of grip, become a tidal wave, become a storm, become more than he'd like to show

the fire. there were children in that home. he knows that for truth. the arguments. how he said it was wrong to purge those who didn't bend knee to The Light. the way his father, his own father, dragged him from the tribe and promised death should he ever return. and then—

the city is perhaps one of the most incredible things he's ever seen and it had been right below his feet the whole time, not that he can see it much now, drunk as he is. but still. he's lived there for at least four years at this point and every day there's something new to see, something new to do. he guesses he's luckier than other bugs. good with numbers. able to count. nobles snapped him up before finding bug that'd work for cheaper, bugs that were more desperate. whatever. he's made his geo and he can spend it on as many drinks in as many bars and on as many beds as he damn well pleases. not as if he has anywhere else to go after all*

I've done things I'm not proud of. Been someone who sickens me. I don't want anyone else to see that part of me but now... ...I guess we're along for the ride, right?

*the world bleeds into itself. distant and gloomy and... its raining. well. its always raining, he'd learnt that long ago. he's older now, in his fourties, got a good head on him and a better position than most bugs bar the Five Greats. he'd got real lucky, got a job counting geo down in the Palace, a damn miracle most'll say, and from there he'd earned trust, proved himself, worked hard and now he enjoys his lofty position as Watcher. the very eyes of the King himself. and it is said king he's sneaking through the gloom of the city streets to meet in private now

most bugs are asleep at this time, safe and cosy, listening to the endless weeping from the caverns above drum upon their windows. he bets that barely any of them realise where all that water comes from... still, he pushes those thoughts away as he sneaks into the arboretum, there's more important things to focus on

it doesn't take long to find him; in this darkness he is a blinding white, his glow reflecting off the raindrops running down the windows behind him making everything glitter like diamonds. behind his mask, Lurien grins as he approaches. those wide dark eyes, he could drown in them, that blazing light, he could burn in it, and he'd be alright with it. he'd be alright if it all ended, right here and now. still, he takes a seat besides his King, their hands lace together in a perfect mismatch of black and white, that crowned head drops to rest on his shoulder. they remain in place for some time, seconds stretching into minutes and—*

I love him. He loves me. Isn't that wonderful...?

*orange. Lurien drags himself away from those memories. death. screaming. the city weeps. Hallownest weeps. and Lurien? he lays his head down and—

flashes of memories. over and over. like lightening strikes.

no no, he doesn't want to linger there. he remembers waking. remembers a reunion amongst green. remembers a mistake, a window breaking, dreams shattered, and then... he remembers more orange, staining the bathroom sink, remembers Snow Moon, and black running through his fingers, remembers forgetting, sleepwalking into danger, into another world, remembers hurting those he cares about most, remembers a moment of heat, of dizzy stupid foolish mistakes, remembers a plague, a flame, a betrayal, remembers holding two small perfect little eggs in his hands, remembers sitting in that house listening to His Beloved tell him that soon, soon, he will die. he remembers denying that, taking a blade in hand to assault a city of cogwork and steel far above, remembers watching that darkness behind the world claim what is his

and he remembers ripping Him back from the jaws of the Void...

Lurien stumbles back, his rear hitting the ground, a gasp leaving him*

<The whole of the room now dilapidated... Books cover the floors. Paintings torn and scorched... The plate of treats now nothing more than ashes...>

<The ritual subsides with a drastic halt. As lurien falls back Lunnatis' eyes open in abject shock... Shes breathing unbelievably heavily. Sweating bullets and shaking uncontrollably...>

more importantly though is the fact his guest is face down on the floor. unmoving. he carefully pokes at her to check if she's, you know, not dead, and thankfully it seems to be the case. grumbling he very very carefully lifts her up, calling a few of his serving bugs to start on the mess while he takes her to the closest guest room to his own chambers*

<Her sweat covered coat and dress seep onto your cloak. But shes thankfully not breathing as hard or shaking.>

<Lunnatis now lies on the bed of the guest room. Quaint. Quiet. And more peaceful than she seemed to of been when coming here.>

I've got a lot to explain once you wake up.

. . .

<5 minutes gone by. Nothing new or changed...>

. . .

<10 minutes gone by. Lunnatis still sleeps calmly. The ice in the water has since melted. And its condensation is slowly rolling down the glass>

. . .

<15 minutes gone by. And Lunnatis' body pulls itself over to its side... Shes still yet to awaken>

. . .

. . . !

<20 minutes gone by. A loud breath is heard from Lunnatis. Her face making a slight pained expression as she curls up a bit...>

. . . Hhhmmm~

*Lurien sits on a chair in the corner of the room, a small pile of papers besides him as he appears to have decided to catch up on some work while waiting. better late than never he supposes, can't make the queen do it all on her own*

<Its materials are all very cheap. The paper nearly tears at the slightest tug. the ink appears to sink into the page blotting the back side. And the wording is slowly fading already.>

<But even with all of such... The letter is very precisely intricate and elegant... The aformentioned wording is perfectly spaced and equally designed.>

<A wax seal that has nearly already crumbled apart. Depicts an elegant. Radiant. Moth. Behind it are the Day. Dawn. Dusk. And night.>

<The letter speaks as such>

"Dear Lurien the Watcher."

"My name is Lady Lunnatis. I come from a far kingdom known as Shade-Den. And I come to you here in hallownest. To ask of your blessing"

"My home would have me and my beloved torn away from each other or worse. For our love is despicable and hated amongst them."

" I ask for your presence. Too bless me so I. Lady Lunnatis of the Moth tribe. May give myself to Ori Aven of the Hive."

@ori-and-luna

*Lurien's tired eyes need several attempts to read the letter and holding his quill steady as he writes is a bit of a task but he manages. the letter sent back is on the finest weaver-silk parchment money can buy and sealed with the royal seal of Hallownest, which isn't just Lurien showing off, he's fairly certain the seal has some kind of magic that just teleports the letters where ever they need be. he's too sleepy to really care about the ins and outs of that though.

the letter reads as follows;*

"Lady Lunnatis of the Moth Tribe,

I believe the tribe you hail from and the one I hail from function on different rules but, judging from what you say they both may not be so different. I know my own union would be frowned upon by the branch that once lived within these lands had it continued to prosper.

I see no reason two lovers may not marry despite differences between them. Moth. Bee. What reason would any have for keeping you apart? If I may divulge some scant information about myself; my union is also with a bug whom of which is not a moth, and as such if I were to judge I would do it unfairly. I don't. Judge that is.

Whatever blessing you seek from me you have it. I know not if these words alone will suffice so included with this letter is a signet ring bearing the mark of my station; the seal of the Lord Watcher. That should be proof enough I hope. If you need me in person to offer this blessing then you are in luck for my business is concluded for the next couple of cycles before I must return to my duties.

Should you need me in person, seek my Spire within the city, you cannot miss it; it is the most central and tallest building. I must also ask your forgiveness for my tardiness with this reply, I have been busy.

<Reading through the letter. Lunnatis... Contemplated her situation.> <Would this suffice...? Would his words alone be enough of a blessing for their marriage to be welcomed by The Radiance...? Were the elders of her tribe confused? Did they miss something The Radiance taught and have been following this tradition for naught?>

<All questions spiraling through her head...>

<As Lunnatis thought about everything. She remembered the times she'd witnessed other people being Blessed. As well as herself blessing someone.>

<The glow from their essence intertwining with one another.> <The warm feeling and presence of Her light> <The memories from the spouses past. Flooding into her mind as if they were her own.>

<Was it all necessary...?>

<Lunnatis came to a thought.>

"Even if... None of this is needed... It would not hurt anyone to go through the blessing... Right...?"

<Lunnatis paused... Then resolved to go through with the Blessing>

<She put her purple cloak on. Brushed and cleaned her white and blue coat. Before leaving her small humble room to where Lurien had spoken of>

<Passing through the Tearless city. By large towering buildings. Then by the fountain where she spoke with Holly. Passing by a... Familiar alley way... Where she was pursued by some... Bad people...> <Lunnatis brushed away the thought and continued to the spire>

<Once she approached. She knocked twice on the doors> <She presented the signet ring to who ever opened the door.>

the servant knocks thrice and then once more a couple seconds later, a clear signal to alert whomever awaits within. a mumbled muffled voice confirms permission to enter and the bug scuttles away, leaving Lunnatis to enter on her own

the room beyond—a bedchamber or even a nest from the looks of it—lacks many of the paintings and decor of the rest of the Spire and is characterised by the dim lighting of only two hanging lanterns, a heap of blankets that make up the nest, and a large velvet curtain blocking any light from what must be a window on the far side

the sound of the door opening disturbs the resting shape of a thin bug who turns, sweeping his muted blue robes around him for dignity's sake and spreading his wings behind him, hiding something—or rather someone—from view. from how he quickly snaps his mask to his face and rubs at his eyes one can guess he'd been asleep until now

Lurien blinks. once. twice. and tilts his head*

<Lunnatis would seem a bit uncomfortable. Having entered his personal chamber at such a sudden moment for him..>

UUuhhhmmm... S... So sorry to... C-come in... D-do you need some... S-space... Or... P-privacy...?

<Lunnatis began to sorta shrink away and back a bit...>

*Lurien stands and stretches out, wings spreading behind him before folding neatly to hide under his robes as if they were never there. behind him, if one cares to look, a sliver of pearly white shell can be spied before Lurien turns to adjust the blankets so that whomever is resting there isn't bothered by the cool air of the city*

<Lunnatis waited as Lurien passed by her. Another figure who towers over her a bit. She regained her composure and follow him through the halls.>

Tea sounds fine sir.

*Lurien sends the same serving bug that had let Lunnatis into the Spire off to fetch some tea and snacks once they reach the rather sparse seating room, it's only decorations several book shelves holding trinkets, a couple of paintings on the wall, and two seats at a little coffee table*

Ive seen these done through bugs who are less radiant than you are. As you've said.

<As Lunnatis spoke. She began to glance around the room. To you its sparse but to her... Its something rather magnificent.>

Heh... Sorry, Im not used to this much comfort or beauty. The various creations and books are unlike that ive seen.

<She would chuckle and smile a bit. Before pulling herself back on track>

Ahem-... Now to this blessing.

For us Moths. We are told by the light herself to seek out the guidance and blessings of three different people.

These people must be known of as either wise. Enlightend. Pale. Reborn. Or beloved.

I unfortunately cannot confirm any of these points myself to you. So I will just have to take your word on it.

*Lurien shakes his head but turns his attention towards the serving bug as he wheels in a little trolley, skittering away and leaving the two moths to it once Lurien dismisses him. Lurien pours a cup for them both and sets the tray of treats on the table as he listens to Lunnatis talk*

I see. I will not judge those who still follow the teachings of the Old Light but here in Hallownest you will find she has no fans nor friends among our number. But I won't linger long there and instead turn my attention to the characteristics you brought up.

Wise; sometimes I can be but I am more often a fool than not.

Englightend; I am no holy man and no epiphanies nor insight befalls me on the regular.

Pale; no not I although if... circumstances were different I could offer the aide of one who is, as things stand, I cannot.

Reborn; now this one I may qualify. For once, I had been very much dead, gone from this world, more than once actually now I think on it. But is resurrected the same as reborn, I don't know.

And finally, beloved; ...would being loved by a Higher Being, being soul-bound to them in entirety count? I would say so myself. Unless it means I must be beloved by you, like a family member or a dear friend.

Mmm-hmm I do hope my fellowship isnt... Deeply worrying or... Hated to where id be in danger to some...

<She took a deep breath and listened to Lurien as he spoke about his qualifications>

<She then stayed silent a bit... Thinking. . .>

. . .

If its my own thoughts you look for... Then you seem perfectly fit and favored in the eyes of her Light.

Everyone is foolish at times. Its just how you correct and walk forward from that foolishness that matters.

Being reborn is in meaning of changing for the better. Becoming someone who was wrong too someone true.

And beloved is by the kingdom and its people. And from what ive learned of you before coming here. The people surely see you as a well and good man.

I will give you my blessing then, since I fit the criteria. But I warn you. Siding with the Old Light here... it is a unwise thing to flaunt, an unwise thing to tell any but those you trust in full.

What she did, what we all witnessed, it has scarred Hallownest and has left in its wake wounds that will never, can never, heal. But I will not be so cruel to make you seek another who can do this, I'm soft at heart, so... what needs to be done?

Ahh-... Right then. Let me pull you through it.

<Lunnatis stood up and removed a large purple shawl she wore. Before walking over to a more open area in the room.>

I will... Try to explain it as best as I can.

<Lunnatis stood upright with her hands together. She stood in respect to a noble>

It is a... Sort of ritual...? What happens is I will part with you some of my own dreams and essence. Usually. The one who is chosen to bless the spouse will also part with some of theirs. But it is not in anyway required.

But after seeing my past and being gifted some of these memories. From what you witness and see in me. You will decide whether it is or isn't right for me to be blessed.

<Lunnatis... Oddly has an air of... Anxiousness around her...>

. . .

I... should mention though...

There have been instances where... Someone who looked to bless someone... Who had not wished to part with their mind. Had it pulled anyway during the ritual...

*Lurien stands from his sear and inclines his head, making a motion to signal that he's prepared to continue*

<Lunnatis took a beep breath and kneeled before Lurien.> <She kept her arms in front on her lap. Bowed her head and closed her eyes>

. . .

<The room came quiet... It was almost as if everything around them had gone to sleep... Slowly the draping's of Luriens cloak and Lunnatis' dress began to float up a bit.>

<A swirling light beamed around the two of them. Essence dances and shimmers throughout the room. And a white glowing cloud begins to surround them.> <As a large symbol appears below their feet. That of the dreamers.>

<Then a flood of essence poured into both their body's> <Flashes of moments and thoughts appear>

<Lady Lunnatis... A Women who was born for the sole and selfish purpose. Too serve as a show piece for the Elders of Shade-Den moth tribe. They required someone of a higher soul to be recognized as a real defining entity. So they worked tirelessly. Finding anyone who could bare a child who's soul was more grand than their own>

<11 kids were born... One of them was Lunnatis...>

<She was immediately taken from her mother and paraded as the Tribes Monarch... They finally had someone who could grant their desire for power...>

<While she was the "Monarch" of the tribe... She was treated no better than everyone else. Required to work every day. Cooking. Cleaning. Taking care of children. With the added stress of needing to act "Civilized and noble"...>

<One afternoon she stumbled upon a boy who was beaten mercilessly and was barely clinging onto life. This boy had rough and dirty fur. And his wings growth was stunted... A boy of the Hive...>

<"He... Looks cute... It wouldnt hurt to help him... Would it" Lunnatis thought. She took the boy and hid him in her private room. There she herself cleaned and healed his scars and wounds.>

<Till he woke up. Dazed and confused. Lunnatis told him everything she'd done and knew. And he was greatly thankful.>

<He introduced himself as Ori Aven... And told her of how he was banished from the hive for being weak...> <Lunnatis frowned and chose to continue to take care of him. Even after he'd woken up and was healed>

<"Its just for a couple more days... I'm not going to fall for him... That wouldnt be right..." Lunnatis thought...>

<They stayed together. They ate together. They played together. They talked throughout the evening. They kept each other company during the night and slept with each other...>

<They... Loved each other...>

<Lunnatis one day decided to appoint Ori as her personal. Guardian. He had good combat skills and strength so might as well allow him to become a real part of the tribe>

<Ori was given his own tent... But he tended to never use it himself... Choosing to stay with Lunnatis every night as usual...>

<One day. As Ori and Lunnatis were out in a wonderful grove of flowers... Ori came to Lunnatis... And gifted her a Delicate and beautiful light-blue Everbloom... And proposed to her.>

<Lunnatis was beyond overjoyed that Ori felt the same way for her. She tumbled on top of him and held him close>

<Returning to the Tribe>

<. . .>

<Lunnatis realized what shed done...> <The White King would know of her love... And of he got to her... Her and Ori would be torn apart from each other... Or worse...>

there is ten of them, him and his sisters, all piled together in a soft cosy nest filled with fluff and hand woven blankets. he's tiny, still a grub, fat and round and full of food, peeping loudly for the attention of a figure that even in these shared memories he remembers as nothing but a blazing bright blur against the dim backdrop of his home. he gazes up at her, dazzled, and she reaches down to gently pet at his round head, her laugh like the jingling of bells. so bright. so full of love and hope for the future*

I've always wondered. Who she was. Where she went. Why she left us.

*and then, suddenly gone. leaves in the wind. he's older now, wiser to the ways things work, to who he's supposed to be, what he's supposed to do. his father had made that clear. just as clear as the bottles he lines up. just as clear as the slap to his face whenever he asks when his mother is coming back. Lurien spends most of his days with his grandmother—a half-blind bent with age greying old woman who needs to be shouted at to hear. but he doesn't mind. she teaches him crafts. her thin fingers still deft at handling thread and stringing dreamcatchers, her one good eye still able to pick the right colours that do not offend. the days he spends with her, in her dusty old hut, those are the ones he treasures most*

I miss her. I wish I spent more time with her, before she went. She was the only one who was kind to me back in the tribe.

*lurien intends to stop here, intends to stem the tide of his memories, but they slip out of grip, become a tidal wave, become a storm, become more than he'd like to show

the fire. there were children in that home. he knows that for truth. the arguments. how he said it was wrong to purge those who didn't bend knee to The Light. the way his father, his own father, dragged him from the tribe and promised death should he ever return. and then—

the city is perhaps one of the most incredible things he's ever seen and it had been right below his feet the whole time, not that he can see it much now, drunk as he is. but still. he's lived there for at least four years at this point and every day there's something new to see, something new to do. he guesses he's luckier than other bugs. good with numbers. able to count. nobles snapped him up before finding bug that'd work for cheaper, bugs that were more desperate. whatever. he's made his geo and he can spend it on as many drinks in as many bars and on as many beds as he damn well pleases. not as if he has anywhere else to go after all*

I've done things I'm not proud of. Been someone who sickens me. I don't want anyone else to see that part of me but now... ...I guess we're along for the ride, right?

*the world bleeds into itself. distant and gloomy and... its raining. well. its always raining, he'd learnt that long ago. he's older now, in his fourties, got a good head on him and a better position than most bugs bar the Five Greats. he'd got real lucky, got a job counting geo down in the Palace, a damn miracle most'll say, and from there he'd earned trust, proved himself, worked hard and now he enjoys his lofty position as Watcher. the very eyes of the King himself. and it is said king he's sneaking through the gloom of the city streets to meet in private now

most bugs are asleep at this time, safe and cosy, listening to the endless weeping from the caverns above drum upon their windows. he bets that barely any of them realise where all that water comes from... still, he pushes those thoughts away as he sneaks into the arboretum, there's more important things to focus on

it doesn't take long to find him; in this darkness he is a blinding white, his glow reflecting off the raindrops running down the windows behind him making everything glitter like diamonds. behind his mask, Lurien grins as he approaches. those wide dark eyes, he could drown in them, that blazing light, he could burn in it, and he'd be alright with it. he'd be alright if it all ended, right here and now. still, he takes a seat besides his King, their hands lace together in a perfect mismatch of black and white, that crowned head drops to rest on his shoulder. they remain in place for some time, seconds stretching into minutes and—*

I love him. He loves me. Isn't that wonderful...?

*orange. Lurien drags himself away from those memories. death. screaming. the city weeps. Hallownest weeps. and Lurien? he lays his head down and—

flashes of memories. over and over. like lightening strikes.

no no, he doesn't want to linger there. he remembers waking. remembers a reunion amongst green. remembers a mistake, a window breaking, dreams shattered, and then... he remembers more orange, staining the bathroom sink, remembers Snow Moon, and black running through his fingers, remembers forgetting, sleepwalking into danger, into another world, remembers hurting those he cares about most, remembers a moment of heat, of dizzy stupid foolish mistakes, remembers a plague, a flame, a betrayal, remembers holding two small perfect little eggs in his hands, remembers sitting in that house listening to His Beloved tell him that soon, soon, he will die. he remembers denying that, taking a blade in hand to assault a city of cogwork and steel far above, remembers watching that darkness behind the world claim what is his

and he remembers ripping Him back from the jaws of the Void...

Lurien stumbles back, his rear hitting the ground, a gasp leaving him*

<The whole of the room now dilapidated... Books cover the floors. Paintings torn and scorched... The plate of treats now nothing more than ashes...>

<The ritual subsides with a drastic halt. As lurien falls back Lunnatis' eyes open in abject shock... Shes breathing unbelievably heavily. Sweating bullets and shaking uncontrollably...>

more importantly though is the fact his guest is face down on the floor. unmoving. he carefully pokes at her to check if she's, you know, not dead, and thankfully it seems to be the case. grumbling he very very carefully lifts her up, calling a few of his serving bugs to start on the mess while he takes her to the closest guest room to his own chambers*

<Her sweat covered coat and dress seep onto your cloak. But shes thankfully not breathing as hard or shaking.>

<Lunnatis now lies on the bed of the guest room. Quaint. Quiet. And more peaceful than she seemed to of been when coming here.>

I've got a lot to explain once you wake up.

<Its materials are all very cheap. The paper nearly tears at the slightest tug. the ink appears to sink into the page blotting the back side. And the wording is slowly fading already.>

<But even with all of such... The letter is very precisely intricate and elegant... The aformentioned wording is perfectly spaced and equally designed.>

<A wax seal that has nearly already crumbled apart. Depicts an elegant. Radiant. Moth. Behind it are the Day. Dawn. Dusk. And night.>

<The letter speaks as such>

"Dear Lurien the Watcher."

"My name is Lady Lunnatis. I come from a far kingdom known as Shade-Den. And I come to you here in hallownest. To ask of your blessing"

"My home would have me and my beloved torn away from each other or worse. For our love is despicable and hated amongst them."

" I ask for your presence. Too bless me so I. Lady Lunnatis of the Moth tribe. May give myself to Ori Aven of the Hive."

@ori-and-luna

*Lurien's tired eyes need several attempts to read the letter and holding his quill steady as he writes is a bit of a task but he manages. the letter sent back is on the finest weaver-silk parchment money can buy and sealed with the royal seal of Hallownest, which isn't just Lurien showing off, he's fairly certain the seal has some kind of magic that just teleports the letters where ever they need be. he's too sleepy to really care about the ins and outs of that though.

the letter reads as follows;*

"Lady Lunnatis of the Moth Tribe,

I believe the tribe you hail from and the one I hail from function on different rules but, judging from what you say they both may not be so different. I know my own union would be frowned upon by the branch that once lived within these lands had it continued to prosper.

I see no reason two lovers may not marry despite differences between them. Moth. Bee. What reason would any have for keeping you apart? If I may divulge some scant information about myself; my union is also with a bug whom of which is not a moth, and as such if I were to judge I would do it unfairly. I don't. Judge that is.

Whatever blessing you seek from me you have it. I know not if these words alone will suffice so included with this letter is a signet ring bearing the mark of my station; the seal of the Lord Watcher. That should be proof enough I hope. If you need me in person to offer this blessing then you are in luck for my business is concluded for the next couple of cycles before I must return to my duties.

Should you need me in person, seek my Spire within the city, you cannot miss it; it is the most central and tallest building. I must also ask your forgiveness for my tardiness with this reply, I have been busy.

<Reading through the letter. Lunnatis... Contemplated her situation.> <Would this suffice...? Would his words alone be enough of a blessing for their marriage to be welcomed by The Radiance...? Were the elders of her tribe confused? Did they miss something The Radiance taught and have been following this tradition for naught?>

<All questions spiraling through her head...>

<As Lunnatis thought about everything. She remembered the times she'd witnessed other people being Blessed. As well as herself blessing someone.>

<The glow from their essence intertwining with one another.> <The warm feeling and presence of Her light> <The memories from the spouses past. Flooding into her mind as if they were her own.>

<Was it all necessary...?>

<Lunnatis came to a thought.>

"Even if... None of this is needed... It would not hurt anyone to go through the blessing... Right...?"

<Lunnatis paused... Then resolved to go through with the Blessing>

<She put her purple cloak on. Brushed and cleaned her white and blue coat. Before leaving her small humble room to where Lurien had spoken of>

<Passing through the Tearless city. By large towering buildings. Then by the fountain where she spoke with Holly. Passing by a... Familiar alley way... Where she was pursued by some... Bad people...> <Lunnatis brushed away the thought and continued to the spire>

<Once she approached. She knocked twice on the doors> <She presented the signet ring to who ever opened the door.>

the servant knocks thrice and then once more a couple seconds later, a clear signal to alert whomever awaits within. a mumbled muffled voice confirms permission to enter and the bug scuttles away, leaving Lunnatis to enter on her own

the room beyond—a bedchamber or even a nest from the looks of it—lacks many of the paintings and decor of the rest of the Spire and is characterised by the dim lighting of only two hanging lanterns, a heap of blankets that make up the nest, and a large velvet curtain blocking any light from what must be a window on the far side

the sound of the door opening disturbs the resting shape of a thin bug who turns, sweeping his muted blue robes around him for dignity's sake and spreading his wings behind him, hiding something—or rather someone—from view. from how he quickly snaps his mask to his face and rubs at his eyes one can guess he'd been asleep until now

Lurien blinks. once. twice. and tilts his head*

<Lunnatis would seem a bit uncomfortable. Having entered his personal chamber at such a sudden moment for him..>

UUuhhhmmm... S... So sorry to... C-come in... D-do you need some... S-space... Or... P-privacy...?

<Lunnatis began to sorta shrink away and back a bit...>

*Lurien stands and stretches out, wings spreading behind him before folding neatly to hide under his robes as if they were never there. behind him, if one cares to look, a sliver of pearly white shell can be spied before Lurien turns to adjust the blankets so that whomever is resting there isn't bothered by the cool air of the city*

<Lunnatis waited as Lurien passed by her. Another figure who towers over her a bit. She regained her composure and follow him through the halls.>

Tea sounds fine sir.

*Lurien sends the same serving bug that had let Lunnatis into the Spire off to fetch some tea and snacks once they reach the rather sparse seating room, it's only decorations several book shelves holding trinkets, a couple of paintings on the wall, and two seats at a little coffee table*

Ive seen these done through bugs who are less radiant than you are. As you've said.

<As Lunnatis spoke. She began to glance around the room. To you its sparse but to her... Its something rather magnificent.>

Heh... Sorry, Im not used to this much comfort or beauty. The various creations and books are unlike that ive seen.

<She would chuckle and smile a bit. Before pulling herself back on track>

Ahem-... Now to this blessing.

For us Moths. We are told by the light herself to seek out the guidance and blessings of three different people.

These people must be known of as either wise. Enlightend. Pale. Reborn. Or beloved.

I unfortunately cannot confirm any of these points myself to you. So I will just have to take your word on it.

*Lurien shakes his head but turns his attention towards the serving bug as he wheels in a little trolley, skittering away and leaving the two moths to it once Lurien dismisses him. Lurien pours a cup for them both and sets the tray of treats on the table as he listens to Lunnatis talk*

I see. I will not judge those who still follow the teachings of the Old Light but here in Hallownest you will find she has no fans nor friends among our number. But I won't linger long there and instead turn my attention to the characteristics you brought up.

Wise; sometimes I can be but I am more often a fool than not.

Englightend; I am no holy man and no epiphanies nor insight befalls me on the regular.

Pale; no not I although if... circumstances were different I could offer the aide of one who is, as things stand, I cannot.

Reborn; now this one I may qualify. For once, I had been very much dead, gone from this world, more than once actually now I think on it. But is resurrected the same as reborn, I don't know.

And finally, beloved; ...would being loved by a Higher Being, being soul-bound to them in entirety count? I would say so myself. Unless it means I must be beloved by you, like a family member or a dear friend.

Mmm-hmm I do hope my fellowship isnt... Deeply worrying or... Hated to where id be in danger to some...

<She took a deep breath and listened to Lurien as he spoke about his qualifications>

<She then stayed silent a bit... Thinking. . .>

. . .

If its my own thoughts you look for... Then you seem perfectly fit and favored in the eyes of her Light.

Everyone is foolish at times. Its just how you correct and walk forward from that foolishness that matters.

Being reborn is in meaning of changing for the better. Becoming someone who was wrong too someone true.

And beloved is by the kingdom and its people. And from what ive learned of you before coming here. The people surely see you as a well and good man.

I will give you my blessing then, since I fit the criteria. But I warn you. Siding with the Old Light here... it is a unwise thing to flaunt, an unwise thing to tell any but those you trust in full.

What she did, what we all witnessed, it has scarred Hallownest and has left in its wake wounds that will never, can never, heal. But I will not be so cruel to make you seek another who can do this, I'm soft at heart, so... what needs to be done?

Ahh-... Right then. Let me pull you through it.

<Lunnatis stood up and removed a large purple shawl she wore. Before walking over to a more open area in the room.>

I will... Try to explain it as best as I can.

<Lunnatis stood upright with her hands together. She stood in respect to a noble>

It is a... Sort of ritual...? What happens is I will part with you some of my own dreams and essence. Usually. The one who is chosen to bless the spouse will also part with some of theirs. But it is not in anyway required.

But after seeing my past and being gifted some of these memories. From what you witness and see in me. You will decide whether it is or isn't right for me to be blessed.

<Lunnatis... Oddly has an air of... Anxiousness around her...>

. . .

I... should mention though...

There have been instances where... Someone who looked to bless someone... Who had not wished to part with their mind. Had it pulled anyway during the ritual...

*Lurien stands from his sear and inclines his head, making a motion to signal that he's prepared to continue*

<Lunnatis took a beep breath and kneeled before Lurien.> <She kept her arms in front on her lap. Bowed her head and closed her eyes>

. . .

<The room came quiet... It was almost as if everything around them had gone to sleep... Slowly the draping's of Luriens cloak and Lunnatis' dress began to float up a bit.>

<A swirling light beamed around the two of them. Essence dances and shimmers throughout the room. And a white glowing cloud begins to surround them.> <As a large symbol appears below their feet. That of the dreamers.>

<Then a flood of essence poured into both their body's> <Flashes of moments and thoughts appear>

<Lady Lunnatis... A Women who was born for the sole and selfish purpose. Too serve as a show piece for the Elders of Shade-Den moth tribe. They required someone of a higher soul to be recognized as a real defining entity. So they worked tirelessly. Finding anyone who could bare a child who's soul was more grand than their own>

<11 kids were born... One of them was Lunnatis...>

<She was immediately taken from her mother and paraded as the Tribes Monarch... They finally had someone who could grant their desire for power...>

<While she was the "Monarch" of the tribe... She was treated no better than everyone else. Required to work every day. Cooking. Cleaning. Taking care of children. With the added stress of needing to act "Civilized and noble"...>

<One afternoon she stumbled upon a boy who was beaten mercilessly and was barely clinging onto life. This boy had rough and dirty fur. And his wings growth was stunted... A boy of the Hive...>

<"He... Looks cute... It wouldnt hurt to help him... Would it" Lunnatis thought. She took the boy and hid him in her private room. There she herself cleaned and healed his scars and wounds.>

<Till he woke up. Dazed and confused. Lunnatis told him everything she'd done and knew. And he was greatly thankful.>

<He introduced himself as Ori Aven... And told her of how he was banished from the hive for being weak...> <Lunnatis frowned and chose to continue to take care of him. Even after he'd woken up and was healed>

<"Its just for a couple more days... I'm not going to fall for him... That wouldnt be right..." Lunnatis thought...>

<They stayed together. They ate together. They played together. They talked throughout the evening. They kept each other company during the night and slept with each other...>

<They... Loved each other...>

<Lunnatis one day decided to appoint Ori as her personal. Guardian. He had good combat skills and strength so might as well allow him to become a real part of the tribe>

<Ori was given his own tent... But he tended to never use it himself... Choosing to stay with Lunnatis every night as usual...>

<One day. As Ori and Lunnatis were out in a wonderful grove of flowers... Ori came to Lunnatis... And gifted her a Delicate and beautiful light-blue Everbloom... And proposed to her.>

<Lunnatis was beyond overjoyed that Ori felt the same way for her. She tumbled on top of him and held him close>

<Returning to the Tribe>

<. . .>

<Lunnatis realized what shed done...> <The White King would know of her love... And of he got to her... Her and Ori would be torn apart from each other... Or worse...>

there is ten of them, him and his sisters, all piled together in a soft cosy nest filled with fluff and hand woven blankets. he's tiny, still a grub, fat and round and full of food, peeping loudly for the attention of a figure that even in these shared memories he remembers as nothing but a blazing bright blur against the dim backdrop of his home. he gazes up at her, dazzled, and she reaches down to gently pet at his round head, her laugh like the jingling of bells. so bright. so full of love and hope for the future*

I've always wondered. Who she was. Where she went. Why she left us.

*and then, suddenly gone. leaves in the wind. he's older now, wiser to the ways things work, to who he's supposed to be, what he's supposed to do. his father had made that clear. just as clear as the bottles he lines up. just as clear as the slap to his face whenever he asks when his mother is coming back. Lurien spends most of his days with his grandmother—a half-blind bent with age greying old woman who needs to be shouted at to hear. but he doesn't mind. she teaches him crafts. her thin fingers still deft at handling thread and stringing dreamcatchers, her one good eye still able to pick the right colours that do not offend. the days he spends with her, in her dusty old hut, those are the ones he treasures most*

I miss her. I wish I spent more time with her, before she went. She was the only one who was kind to me back in the tribe.

*lurien intends to stop here, intends to stem the tide of his memories, but they slip out of grip, become a tidal wave, become a storm, become more than he'd like to show

the fire. there were children in that home. he knows that for truth. the arguments. how he said it was wrong to purge those who didn't bend knee to The Light. the way his father, his own father, dragged him from the tribe and promised death should he ever return. and then—

the city is perhaps one of the most incredible things he's ever seen and it had been right below his feet the whole time, not that he can see it much now, drunk as he is. but still. he's lived there for at least four years at this point and every day there's something new to see, something new to do. he guesses he's luckier than other bugs. good with numbers. able to count. nobles snapped him up before finding bug that'd work for cheaper, bugs that were more desperate. whatever. he's made his geo and he can spend it on as many drinks in as many bars and on as many beds as he damn well pleases. not as if he has anywhere else to go after all*

I've done things I'm not proud of. Been someone who sickens me. I don't want anyone else to see that part of me but now... ...I guess we're along for the ride, right?

*the world bleeds into itself. distant and gloomy and... its raining. well. its always raining, he'd learnt that long ago. he's older now, in his fourties, got a good head on him and a better position than most bugs bar the Five Greats. he'd got real lucky, got a job counting geo down in the Palace, a damn miracle most'll say, and from there he'd earned trust, proved himself, worked hard and now he enjoys his lofty position as Watcher. the very eyes of the King himself. and it is said king he's sneaking through the gloom of the city streets to meet in private now

most bugs are asleep at this time, safe and cosy, listening to the endless weeping from the caverns above drum upon their windows. he bets that barely any of them realise where all that water comes from... still, he pushes those thoughts away as he sneaks into the arboretum, there's more important things to focus on

it doesn't take long to find him; in this darkness he is a blinding white, his glow reflecting off the raindrops running down the windows behind him making everything glitter like diamonds. behind his mask, Lurien grins as he approaches. those wide dark eyes, he could drown in them, that blazing light, he could burn in it, and he'd be alright with it. he'd be alright if it all ended, right here and now. still, he takes a seat besides his King, their hands lace together in a perfect mismatch of black and white, that crowned head drops to rest on his shoulder. they remain in place for some time, seconds stretching into minutes and—*

I love him. He loves me. Isn't that wonderful...?

*orange. Lurien drags himself away from those memories. death. screaming. the city weeps. Hallownest weeps. and Lurien? he lays his head down and—

flashes of memories. over and over. like lightening strikes.

no no, he doesn't want to linger there. he remembers waking. remembers a reunion amongst green. remembers a mistake, a window breaking, dreams shattered, and then... he remembers more orange, staining the bathroom sink, remembers Snow Moon, and black running through his fingers, remembers forgetting, sleepwalking into danger, into another world, remembers hurting those he cares about most, remembers a moment of heat, of dizzy stupid foolish mistakes, remembers a plague, a flame, a betrayal, remembers holding two small perfect little eggs in his hands, remembers sitting in that house listening to His Beloved tell him that soon, soon, he will die. he remembers denying that, taking a blade in hand to assault a city of cogwork and steel far above, remembers watching that darkness behind the world claim what is his

and he remembers ripping Him back from the jaws of the Void...

Lurien stumbles back, his rear hitting the ground, a gasp leaving him*

<The whole of the room now dilapidated... Books cover the floors. Paintings torn and scorched... The plate of treats now nothing more than ashes...>

<The ritual subsides with a drastic halt. As lurien falls back Lunnatis' eyes open in abject shock... Shes breathing unbelievably heavily. Sweating bullets and shaking uncontrollably...>

more importantly though is the fact his guest is face down on the floor. unmoving. he carefully pokes at her to check if she's, you know, not dead, and thankfully it seems to be the case. grumbling he very very carefully lifts her up, calling a few of his serving bugs to start on the mess while he takes her to the closest guest room to his own chambers*

<Its materials are all very cheap. The paper nearly tears at the slightest tug. the ink appears to sink into the page blotting the back side. And the wording is slowly fading already.>

<But even with all of such... The letter is very precisely intricate and elegant... The aformentioned wording is perfectly spaced and equally designed.>

<A wax seal that has nearly already crumbled apart. Depicts an elegant. Radiant. Moth. Behind it are the Day. Dawn. Dusk. And night.>

<The letter speaks as such>

"Dear Lurien the Watcher."

"My name is Lady Lunnatis. I come from a far kingdom known as Shade-Den. And I come to you here in hallownest. To ask of your blessing"

"My home would have me and my beloved torn away from each other or worse. For our love is despicable and hated amongst them."

" I ask for your presence. Too bless me so I. Lady Lunnatis of the Moth tribe. May give myself to Ori Aven of the Hive."

@ori-and-luna

*Lurien's tired eyes need several attempts to read the letter and holding his quill steady as he writes is a bit of a task but he manages. the letter sent back is on the finest weaver-silk parchment money can buy and sealed with the royal seal of Hallownest, which isn't just Lurien showing off, he's fairly certain the seal has some kind of magic that just teleports the letters where ever they need be. he's too sleepy to really care about the ins and outs of that though.

the letter reads as follows;*

"Lady Lunnatis of the Moth Tribe,

I believe the tribe you hail from and the one I hail from function on different rules but, judging from what you say they both may not be so different. I know my own union would be frowned upon by the branch that once lived within these lands had it continued to prosper.

I see no reason two lovers may not marry despite differences between them. Moth. Bee. What reason would any have for keeping you apart? If I may divulge some scant information about myself; my union is also with a bug whom of which is not a moth, and as such if I were to judge I would do it unfairly. I don't. Judge that is.

Whatever blessing you seek from me you have it. I know not if these words alone will suffice so included with this letter is a signet ring bearing the mark of my station; the seal of the Lord Watcher. That should be proof enough I hope. If you need me in person to offer this blessing then you are in luck for my business is concluded for the next couple of cycles before I must return to my duties.

Should you need me in person, seek my Spire within the city, you cannot miss it; it is the most central and tallest building. I must also ask your forgiveness for my tardiness with this reply, I have been busy.

<Reading through the letter. Lunnatis... Contemplated her situation.> <Would this suffice...? Would his words alone be enough of a blessing for their marriage to be welcomed by The Radiance...? Were the elders of her tribe confused? Did they miss something The Radiance taught and have been following this tradition for naught?>

<All questions spiraling through her head...>

<As Lunnatis thought about everything. She remembered the times she'd witnessed other people being Blessed. As well as herself blessing someone.>

<The glow from their essence intertwining with one another.> <The warm feeling and presence of Her light> <The memories from the spouses past. Flooding into her mind as if they were her own.>

<Was it all necessary...?>

<Lunnatis came to a thought.>

"Even if... None of this is needed... It would not hurt anyone to go through the blessing... Right...?"

<Lunnatis paused... Then resolved to go through with the Blessing>

<She put her purple cloak on. Brushed and cleaned her white and blue coat. Before leaving her small humble room to where Lurien had spoken of>

<Passing through the Tearless city. By large towering buildings. Then by the fountain where she spoke with Holly. Passing by a... Familiar alley way... Where she was pursued by some... Bad people...> <Lunnatis brushed away the thought and continued to the spire>

<Once she approached. She knocked twice on the doors> <She presented the signet ring to who ever opened the door.>

the servant knocks thrice and then once more a couple seconds later, a clear signal to alert whomever awaits within. a mumbled muffled voice confirms permission to enter and the bug scuttles away, leaving Lunnatis to enter on her own

the room beyond—a bedchamber or even a nest from the looks of it—lacks many of the paintings and decor of the rest of the Spire and is characterised by the dim lighting of only two hanging lanterns, a heap of blankets that make up the nest, and a large velvet curtain blocking any light from what must be a window on the far side

the sound of the door opening disturbs the resting shape of a thin bug who turns, sweeping his muted blue robes around him for dignity's sake and spreading his wings behind him, hiding something—or rather someone—from view. from how he quickly snaps his mask to his face and rubs at his eyes one can guess he'd been asleep until now

Lurien blinks. once. twice. and tilts his head*

<Lunnatis would seem a bit uncomfortable. Having entered his personal chamber at such a sudden moment for him..>

UUuhhhmmm... S... So sorry to... C-come in... D-do you need some... S-space... Or... P-privacy...?

<Lunnatis began to sorta shrink away and back a bit...>

*Lurien stands and stretches out, wings spreading behind him before folding neatly to hide under his robes as if they were never there. behind him, if one cares to look, a sliver of pearly white shell can be spied before Lurien turns to adjust the blankets so that whomever is resting there isn't bothered by the cool air of the city*

<Lunnatis waited as Lurien passed by her. Another figure who towers over her a bit. She regained her composure and follow him through the halls.>

Tea sounds fine sir.

*Lurien sends the same serving bug that had let Lunnatis into the Spire off to fetch some tea and snacks once they reach the rather sparse seating room, it's only decorations several book shelves holding trinkets, a couple of paintings on the wall, and two seats at a little coffee table*

Ive seen these done through bugs who are less radiant than you are. As you've said.

<As Lunnatis spoke. She began to glance around the room. To you its sparse but to her... Its something rather magnificent.>

Heh... Sorry, Im not used to this much comfort or beauty. The various creations and books are unlike that ive seen.

<She would chuckle and smile a bit. Before pulling herself back on track>

Ahem-... Now to this blessing.

For us Moths. We are told by the light herself to seek out the guidance and blessings of three different people.

These people must be known of as either wise. Enlightend. Pale. Reborn. Or beloved.

I unfortunately cannot confirm any of these points myself to you. So I will just have to take your word on it.

*Lurien shakes his head but turns his attention towards the serving bug as he wheels in a little trolley, skittering away and leaving the two moths to it once Lurien dismisses him. Lurien pours a cup for them both and sets the tray of treats on the table as he listens to Lunnatis talk*

I see. I will not judge those who still follow the teachings of the Old Light but here in Hallownest you will find she has no fans nor friends among our number. But I won't linger long there and instead turn my attention to the characteristics you brought up.

Wise; sometimes I can be but I am more often a fool than not.

Englightend; I am no holy man and no epiphanies nor insight befalls me on the regular.

Pale; no not I although if... circumstances were different I could offer the aide of one who is, as things stand, I cannot.

Reborn; now this one I may qualify. For once, I had been very much dead, gone from this world, more than once actually now I think on it. But is resurrected the same as reborn, I don't know.

And finally, beloved; ...would being loved by a Higher Being, being soul-bound to them in entirety count? I would say so myself. Unless it means I must be beloved by you, like a family member or a dear friend.

Mmm-hmm I do hope my fellowship isnt... Deeply worrying or... Hated to where id be in danger to some...

<She took a deep breath and listened to Lurien as he spoke about his qualifications>

<She then stayed silent a bit... Thinking. . .>

. . .

If its my own thoughts you look for... Then you seem perfectly fit and favored in the eyes of her Light.

Everyone is foolish at times. Its just how you correct and walk forward from that foolishness that matters.

Being reborn is in meaning of changing for the better. Becoming someone who was wrong too someone true.

And beloved is by the kingdom and its people. And from what ive learned of you before coming here. The people surely see you as a well and good man.

I will give you my blessing then, since I fit the criteria. But I warn you. Siding with the Old Light here... it is a unwise thing to flaunt, an unwise thing to tell any but those you trust in full.

What she did, what we all witnessed, it has scarred Hallownest and has left in its wake wounds that will never, can never, heal. But I will not be so cruel to make you seek another who can do this, I'm soft at heart, so... what needs to be done?

Ahh-... Right then. Let me pull you through it.

<Lunnatis stood up and removed a large purple shawl she wore. Before walking over to a more open area in the room.>

I will... Try to explain it as best as I can.

<Lunnatis stood upright with her hands together. She stood in respect to a noble>

It is a... Sort of ritual...? What happens is I will part with you some of my own dreams and essence. Usually. The one who is chosen to bless the spouse will also part with some of theirs. But it is not in anyway required.

But after seeing my past and being gifted some of these memories. From what you witness and see in me. You will decide whether it is or isn't right for me to be blessed.

<Lunnatis... Oddly has an air of... Anxiousness around her...>

. . .

I... should mention though...

There have been instances where... Someone who looked to bless someone... Who had not wished to part with their mind. Had it pulled anyway during the ritual...

*Lurien stands from his sear and inclines his head, making a motion to signal that he's prepared to continue*

<Lunnatis took a beep breath and kneeled before Lurien.> <She kept her arms in front on her lap. Bowed her head and closed her eyes>

. . .

<The room came quiet... It was almost as if everything around them had gone to sleep... Slowly the draping's of Luriens cloak and Lunnatis' dress began to float up a bit.>

<A swirling light beamed around the two of them. Essence dances and shimmers throughout the room. And a white glowing cloud begins to surround them.> <As a large symbol appears below their feet. That of the dreamers.>

<Then a flood of essence poured into both their body's> <Flashes of moments and thoughts appear>

<Lady Lunnatis... A Women who was born for the sole and selfish purpose. Too serve as a show piece for the Elders of Shade-Den moth tribe. They required someone of a higher soul to be recognized as a real defining entity. So they worked tirelessly. Finding anyone who could bare a child who's soul was more grand than their own>

<11 kids were born... One of them was Lunnatis...>

<She was immediately taken from her mother and paraded as the Tribes Monarch... They finally had someone who could grant their desire for power...>

<While she was the "Monarch" of the tribe... She was treated no better than everyone else. Required to work every day. Cooking. Cleaning. Taking care of children. With the added stress of needing to act "Civilized and noble"...>

<One afternoon she stumbled upon a boy who was beaten mercilessly and was barely clinging onto life. This boy had rough and dirty fur. And his wings growth was stunted... A boy of the Hive...>

<"He... Looks cute... It wouldnt hurt to help him... Would it" Lunnatis thought. She took the boy and hid him in her private room. There she herself cleaned and healed his scars and wounds.>

<Till he woke up. Dazed and confused. Lunnatis told him everything she'd done and knew. And he was greatly thankful.>

<He introduced himself as Ori Aven... And told her of how he was banished from the hive for being weak...> <Lunnatis frowned and chose to continue to take care of him. Even after he'd woken up and was healed>

<"Its just for a couple more days... I'm not going to fall for him... That wouldnt be right..." Lunnatis thought...>

<They stayed together. They ate together. They played together. They talked throughout the evening. They kept each other company during the night and slept with each other...>

<They... Loved each other...>

<Lunnatis one day decided to appoint Ori as her personal. Guardian. He had good combat skills and strength so might as well allow him to become a real part of the tribe>

<Ori was given his own tent... But he tended to never use it himself... Choosing to stay with Lunnatis every night as usual...>

<One day. As Ori and Lunnatis were out in a wonderful grove of flowers... Ori came to Lunnatis... And gifted her a Delicate and beautiful light-blue Everbloom... And proposed to her.>

<Lunnatis was beyond overjoyed that Ori felt the same way for her. She tumbled on top of him and held him close>

<Returning to the Tribe>

<. . .>

<Lunnatis realized what shed done...> <The White King would know of her love... And of he got to her... Her and Ori would be torn apart from each other... Or worse...>

there is ten of them, him and his sisters, all piled together in a soft cosy nest filled with fluff and hand woven blankets. he's tiny, still a grub, fat and round and full of food, peeping loudly for the attention of a figure that even in these shared memories he remembers as nothing but a blazing bright blur against the dim backdrop of his home. he gazes up at her, dazzled, and she reaches down to gently pet at his round head, her laugh like the jingling of bells. so bright. so full of love and hope for the future*

I've always wondered. Who she was. Where she went. Why she left us.

*and then, suddenly gone. leaves in the wind. he's older now, wiser to the ways things work, to who he's supposed to be, what he's supposed to do. his father had made that clear. just as clear as the bottles he lines up. just as clear as the slap to his face whenever he asks when his mother is coming back. Lurien spends most of his days with his grandmother—a half-blind bent with age greying old woman who needs to be shouted at to hear. but he doesn't mind. she teaches him crafts. her thin fingers still deft at handling thread and stringing dreamcatchers, her one good eye still able to pick the right colours that do not offend. the days he spends with her, in her dusty old hut, those are the ones he treasures most*

I miss her. I wish I spent more time with her, before she went. She was the only one who was kind to me back in the tribe.

*lurien intends to stop here, intends to stem the tide of his memories, but they slip out of grip, become a tidal wave, become a storm, become more than he'd like to show

the fire. there were children in that home. he knows that for truth. the arguments. how he said it was wrong to purge those who didn't bend knee to The Light. the way his father, his own father, dragged him from the tribe and promised death should he ever return. and then—

the city is perhaps one of the most incredible things he's ever seen and it had been right below his feet the whole time, not that he can see it much now, drunk as he is. but still. he's lived there for at least four years at this point and every day there's something new to see, something new to do. he guesses he's luckier than other bugs. good with numbers. able to count. nobles snapped him up before finding bug that'd work for cheaper, bugs that were more desperate. whatever. he's made his geo and he can spend it on as many drinks in as many bars and on as many beds as he damn well pleases. not as if he has anywhere else to go after all*

I've done things I'm not proud of. Been someone who sickens me. I don't want anyone else to see that part of me but now... ...I guess we're along for the ride, right?

*the world bleeds into itself. distant and gloomy and... its raining. well. its always raining, he'd learnt that long ago. he's older now, in his fourties, got a good head on him and a better position than most bugs bar the Five Greats. he'd got real lucky, got a job counting geo down in the Palace, a damn miracle most'll say, and from there he'd earned trust, proved himself, worked hard and now he enjoys his lofty position as Watcher. the very eyes of the King himself. and it is said king he's sneaking through the gloom of the city streets to meet in private now

most bugs are asleep at this time, safe and cosy, listening to the endless weeping from the caverns above drum upon their windows. he bets that barely any of them realise where all that water comes from... still, he pushes those thoughts away as he sneaks into the arboretum, there's more important things to focus on

it doesn't take long to find him; in this darkness he is a blinding white, his glow reflecting off the raindrops running down the windows behind him making everything glitter like diamonds. behind his mask, Lurien grins as he approaches. those wide dark eyes, he could drown in them, that blazing light, he could burn in it, and he'd be alright with it. he'd be alright if it all ended, right here and now. still, he takes a seat besides his King, their hands lace together in a perfect mismatch of black and white, that crowned head drops to rest on his shoulder. they remain in place for some time, seconds stretching into minutes and—*

I love him. He loves me. Isn't that wonderful...?

*orange. Lurien drags himself away from those memories. death. screaming. the city weeps. Hallownest weeps. and Lurien? he lays his head down and—

flashes of memories. over and over. like lightening strikes.

no no, he doesn't want to linger there. he remembers waking. remembers a reunion amongst green. remembers a mistake, a window breaking, dreams shattered, and then... he remembers more orange, staining the bathroom sink, remembers Snow Moon, and black running through his fingers, remembers forgetting, sleepwalking into danger, into another world, remembers hurting those he cares about most, remembers a moment of heat, of dizzy stupid foolish mistakes, remembers a plague, a flame, a betrayal, remembers holding two small perfect little eggs in his hands, remembers sitting in that house listening to His Beloved tell him that soon, soon, he will die. he remembers denying that, taking a blade in hand to assault a city of cogwork and steel far above, remembers watching that darkness behind the world claim what is his

and he remembers ripping Him back from the jaws of the Void...

Lurien stumbles back, his rear hitting the ground, a gasp leaving him*

<Its materials are all very cheap. The paper nearly tears at the slightest tug. the ink appears to sink into the page blotting the back side. And the wording is slowly fading already.>

<But even with all of such... The letter is very precisely intricate and elegant... The aformentioned wording is perfectly spaced and equally designed.>

<A wax seal that has nearly already crumbled apart. Depicts an elegant. Radiant. Moth. Behind it are the Day. Dawn. Dusk. And night.>

<The letter speaks as such>

"Dear Lurien the Watcher."

"My name is Lady Lunnatis. I come from a far kingdom known as Shade-Den. And I come to you here in hallownest. To ask of your blessing"

"My home would have me and my beloved torn away from each other or worse. For our love is despicable and hated amongst them."

" I ask for your presence. Too bless me so I. Lady Lunnatis of the Moth tribe. May give myself to Ori Aven of the Hive."

@ori-and-luna

*Lurien's tired eyes need several attempts to read the letter and holding his quill steady as he writes is a bit of a task but he manages. the letter sent back is on the finest weaver-silk parchment money can buy and sealed with the royal seal of Hallownest, which isn't just Lurien showing off, he's fairly certain the seal has some kind of magic that just teleports the letters where ever they need be. he's too sleepy to really care about the ins and outs of that though.

the letter reads as follows;*

"Lady Lunnatis of the Moth Tribe,

I believe the tribe you hail from and the one I hail from function on different rules but, judging from what you say they both may not be so different. I know my own union would be frowned upon by the branch that once lived within these lands had it continued to prosper.

I see no reason two lovers may not marry despite differences between them. Moth. Bee. What reason would any have for keeping you apart? If I may divulge some scant information about myself; my union is also with a bug whom of which is not a moth, and as such if I were to judge I would do it unfairly. I don't. Judge that is.

Whatever blessing you seek from me you have it. I know not if these words alone will suffice so included with this letter is a signet ring bearing the mark of my station; the seal of the Lord Watcher. That should be proof enough I hope. If you need me in person to offer this blessing then you are in luck for my business is concluded for the next couple of cycles before I must return to my duties.

Should you need me in person, seek my Spire within the city, you cannot miss it; it is the most central and tallest building. I must also ask your forgiveness for my tardiness with this reply, I have been busy.

<Reading through the letter. Lunnatis... Contemplated her situation.> <Would this suffice...? Would his words alone be enough of a blessing for their marriage to be welcomed by The Radiance...? Were the elders of her tribe confused? Did they miss something The Radiance taught and have been following this tradition for naught?>

<All questions spiraling through her head...>

<As Lunnatis thought about everything. She remembered the times she'd witnessed other people being Blessed. As well as herself blessing someone.>

<The glow from their essence intertwining with one another.> <The warm feeling and presence of Her light> <The memories from the spouses past. Flooding into her mind as if they were her own.>

<Was it all necessary...?>

<Lunnatis came to a thought.>

"Even if... None of this is needed... It would not hurt anyone to go through the blessing... Right...?"

<Lunnatis paused... Then resolved to go through with the Blessing>

<She put her purple cloak on. Brushed and cleaned her white and blue coat. Before leaving her small humble room to where Lurien had spoken of>

<Passing through the Tearless city. By large towering buildings. Then by the fountain where she spoke with Holly. Passing by a... Familiar alley way... Where she was pursued by some... Bad people...> <Lunnatis brushed away the thought and continued to the spire>

<Once she approached. She knocked twice on the doors> <She presented the signet ring to who ever opened the door.>

the servant knocks thrice and then once more a couple seconds later, a clear signal to alert whomever awaits within. a mumbled muffled voice confirms permission to enter and the bug scuttles away, leaving Lunnatis to enter on her own

the room beyond—a bedchamber or even a nest from the looks of it—lacks many of the paintings and decor of the rest of the Spire and is characterised by the dim lighting of only two hanging lanterns, a heap of blankets that make up the nest, and a large velvet curtain blocking any light from what must be a window on the far side

the sound of the door opening disturbs the resting shape of a thin bug who turns, sweeping his muted blue robes around him for dignity's sake and spreading his wings behind him, hiding something—or rather someone—from view. from how he quickly snaps his mask to his face and rubs at his eyes one can guess he'd been asleep until now

Lurien blinks. once. twice. and tilts his head*

<Lunnatis would seem a bit uncomfortable. Having entered his personal chamber at such a sudden moment for him..>

UUuhhhmmm... S... So sorry to... C-come in... D-do you need some... S-space... Or... P-privacy...?

<Lunnatis began to sorta shrink away and back a bit...>

*Lurien stands and stretches out, wings spreading behind him before folding neatly to hide under his robes as if they were never there. behind him, if one cares to look, a sliver of pearly white shell can be spied before Lurien turns to adjust the blankets so that whomever is resting there isn't bothered by the cool air of the city*

<Lunnatis waited as Lurien passed by her. Another figure who towers over her a bit. She regained her composure and follow him through the halls.>

Tea sounds fine sir.

*Lurien sends the same serving bug that had let Lunnatis into the Spire off to fetch some tea and snacks once they reach the rather sparse seating room, it's only decorations several book shelves holding trinkets, a couple of paintings on the wall, and two seats at a little coffee table*

Ive seen these done through bugs who are less radiant than you are. As you've said.

<As Lunnatis spoke. She began to glance around the room. To you its sparse but to her... Its something rather magnificent.>

Heh... Sorry, Im not used to this much comfort or beauty. The various creations and books are unlike that ive seen.

<She would chuckle and smile a bit. Before pulling herself back on track>

Ahem-... Now to this blessing.

For us Moths. We are told by the light herself to seek out the guidance and blessings of three different people.

These people must be known of as either wise. Enlightend. Pale. Reborn. Or beloved.

I unfortunately cannot confirm any of these points myself to you. So I will just have to take your word on it.

*Lurien shakes his head but turns his attention towards the serving bug as he wheels in a little trolley, skittering away and leaving the two moths to it once Lurien dismisses him. Lurien pours a cup for them both and sets the tray of treats on the table as he listens to Lunnatis talk*

I see. I will not judge those who still follow the teachings of the Old Light but here in Hallownest you will find she has no fans nor friends among our number. But I won't linger long there and instead turn my attention to the characteristics you brought up.

Wise; sometimes I can be but I am more often a fool than not.

Englightend; I am no holy man and no epiphanies nor insight befalls me on the regular.

Pale; no not I although if... circumstances were different I could offer the aide of one who is, as things stand, I cannot.

Reborn; now this one I may qualify. For once, I had been very much dead, gone from this world, more than once actually now I think on it. But is resurrected the same as reborn, I don't know.

And finally, beloved; ...would being loved by a Higher Being, being soul-bound to them in entirety count? I would say so myself. Unless it means I must be beloved by you, like a family member or a dear friend.

Mmm-hmm I do hope my fellowship isnt... Deeply worrying or... Hated to where id be in danger to some...

<She took a deep breath and listened to Lurien as he spoke about his qualifications>

<She then stayed silent a bit... Thinking. . .>

. . .

If its my own thoughts you look for... Then you seem perfectly fit and favored in the eyes of her Light.

Everyone is foolish at times. Its just how you correct and walk forward from that foolishness that matters.

Being reborn is in meaning of changing for the better. Becoming someone who was wrong too someone true.

And beloved is by the kingdom and its people. And from what ive learned of you before coming here. The people surely see you as a well and good man.

I will give you my blessing then, since I fit the criteria. But I warn you. Siding with the Old Light here... it is a unwise thing to flaunt, an unwise thing to tell any but those you trust in full.

What she did, what we all witnessed, it has scarred Hallownest and has left in its wake wounds that will never, can never, heal. But I will not be so cruel to make you seek another who can do this, I'm soft at heart, so... what needs to be done?

Ahh-... Right then. Let me pull you through it.

<Lunnatis stood up and removed a large purple shawl she wore. Before walking over to a more open area in the room.>

I will... Try to explain it as best as I can.

<Lunnatis stood upright with her hands together. She stood in respect to a noble>

It is a... Sort of ritual...? What happens is I will part with you some of my own dreams and essence. Usually. The one who is chosen to bless the spouse will also part with some of theirs. But it is not in anyway required.

But after seeing my past and being gifted some of these memories. From what you witness and see in me. You will decide whether it is or isn't right for me to be blessed.

<Lunnatis... Oddly has an air of... Anxiousness around her...>

. . .

I... should mention though...

There have been instances where... Someone who looked to bless someone... Who had not wished to part with their mind. Had it pulled anyway during the ritual...

*Lurien stands from his sear and inclines his head, making a motion to signal that he's prepared to continue*

<Its materials are all very cheap. The paper nearly tears at the slightest tug. the ink appears to sink into the page blotting the back side. And the wording is slowly fading already.>

<But even with all of such... The letter is very precisely intricate and elegant... The aformentioned wording is perfectly spaced and equally designed.>

<A wax seal that has nearly already crumbled apart. Depicts an elegant. Radiant. Moth. Behind it are the Day. Dawn. Dusk. And night.>

<The letter speaks as such>

"Dear Lurien the Watcher."

"My name is Lady Lunnatis. I come from a far kingdom known as Shade-Den. And I come to you here in hallownest. To ask of your blessing"

"My home would have me and my beloved torn away from each other or worse. For our love is despicable and hated amongst them."

" I ask for your presence. Too bless me so I. Lady Lunnatis of the Moth tribe. May give myself to Ori Aven of the Hive."

@ori-and-luna

*Lurien's tired eyes need several attempts to read the letter and holding his quill steady as he writes is a bit of a task but he manages. the letter sent back is on the finest weaver-silk parchment money can buy and sealed with the royal seal of Hallownest, which isn't just Lurien showing off, he's fairly certain the seal has some kind of magic that just teleports the letters where ever they need be. he's too sleepy to really care about the ins and outs of that though.

the letter reads as follows;*

"Lady Lunnatis of the Moth Tribe,

I believe the tribe you hail from and the one I hail from function on different rules but, judging from what you say they both may not be so different. I know my own union would be frowned upon by the branch that once lived within these lands had it continued to prosper.

I see no reason two lovers may not marry despite differences between them. Moth. Bee. What reason would any have for keeping you apart? If I may divulge some scant information about myself; my union is also with a bug whom of which is not a moth, and as such if I were to judge I would do it unfairly. I don't. Judge that is.

Whatever blessing you seek from me you have it. I know not if these words alone will suffice so included with this letter is a signet ring bearing the mark of my station; the seal of the Lord Watcher. That should be proof enough I hope. If you need me in person to offer this blessing then you are in luck for my business is concluded for the next couple of cycles before I must return to my duties.

Should you need me in person, seek my Spire within the city, you cannot miss it; it is the most central and tallest building. I must also ask your forgiveness for my tardiness with this reply, I have been busy.

<Reading through the letter. Lunnatis... Contemplated her situation.> <Would this suffice...? Would his words alone be enough of a blessing for their marriage to be welcomed by The Radiance...? Were the elders of her tribe confused? Did they miss something The Radiance taught and have been following this tradition for naught?>

<All questions spiraling through her head...>

<As Lunnatis thought about everything. She remembered the times she'd witnessed other people being Blessed. As well as herself blessing someone.>

<The glow from their essence intertwining with one another.> <The warm feeling and presence of Her light> <The memories from the spouses past. Flooding into her mind as if they were her own.>

<Was it all necessary...?>

<Lunnatis came to a thought.>

"Even if... None of this is needed... It would not hurt anyone to go through the blessing... Right...?"

<Lunnatis paused... Then resolved to go through with the Blessing>

<She put her purple cloak on. Brushed and cleaned her white and blue coat. Before leaving her small humble room to where Lurien had spoken of>

<Passing through the Tearless city. By large towering buildings. Then by the fountain where she spoke with Holly. Passing by a... Familiar alley way... Where she was pursued by some... Bad people...> <Lunnatis brushed away the thought and continued to the spire>

<Once she approached. She knocked twice on the doors> <She presented the signet ring to who ever opened the door.>

the servant knocks thrice and then once more a couple seconds later, a clear signal to alert whomever awaits within. a mumbled muffled voice confirms permission to enter and the bug scuttles away, leaving Lunnatis to enter on her own

the room beyond—a bedchamber or even a nest from the looks of it—lacks many of the paintings and decor of the rest of the Spire and is characterised by the dim lighting of only two hanging lanterns, a heap of blankets that make up the nest, and a large velvet curtain blocking any light from what must be a window on the far side

the sound of the door opening disturbs the resting shape of a thin bug who turns, sweeping his muted blue robes around him for dignity's sake and spreading his wings behind him, hiding something—or rather someone—from view. from how he quickly snaps his mask to his face and rubs at his eyes one can guess he'd been asleep until now

Lurien blinks. once. twice. and tilts his head*

<Lunnatis would seem a bit uncomfortable. Having entered his personal chamber at such a sudden moment for him..>

UUuhhhmmm... S... So sorry to... C-come in... D-do you need some... S-space... Or... P-privacy...?

<Lunnatis began to sorta shrink away and back a bit...>

*Lurien stands and stretches out, wings spreading behind him before folding neatly to hide under his robes as if they were never there. behind him, if one cares to look, a sliver of pearly white shell can be spied before Lurien turns to adjust the blankets so that whomever is resting there isn't bothered by the cool air of the city*

<Lunnatis waited as Lurien passed by her. Another figure who towers over her a bit. She regained her composure and follow him through the halls.>

Tea sounds fine sir.

*Lurien sends the same serving bug that had let Lunnatis into the Spire off to fetch some tea and snacks once they reach the rather sparse seating room, it's only decorations several book shelves holding trinkets, a couple of paintings on the wall, and two seats at a little coffee table*

Ive seen these done through bugs who are less radiant than you are. As you've said.

<As Lunnatis spoke. She began to glance around the room. To you its sparse but to her... Its something rather magnificent.>

Heh... Sorry, Im not used to this much comfort or beauty. The various creations and books are unlike that ive seen.

<She would chuckle and smile a bit. Before pulling herself back on track>

Ahem-... Now to this blessing.

For us Moths. We are told by the light herself to seek out the guidance and blessings of three different people.

These people must be known of as either wise. Enlightend. Pale. Reborn. Or beloved.

I unfortunately cannot confirm any of these points myself to you. So I will just have to take your word on it.

*Lurien shakes his head but turns his attention towards the serving bug as he wheels in a little trolley, skittering away and leaving the two moths to it once Lurien dismisses him. Lurien pours a cup for them both and sets the tray of treats on the table as he listens to Lunnatis talk*

I see. I will not judge those who still follow the teachings of the Old Light but here in Hallownest you will find she has no fans nor friends among our number. But I won't linger long there and instead turn my attention to the characteristics you brought up.

Wise; sometimes I can be but I am more often a fool than not.

Englightend; I am no holy man and no epiphanies nor insight befalls me on the regular.

Pale; no not I although if... circumstances were different I could offer the aide of one who is, as things stand, I cannot.

Reborn; now this one I may qualify. For once, I had been very much dead, gone from this world, more than once actually now I think on it. But is resurrected the same as reborn, I don't know.

And finally, beloved; ...would being loved by a Higher Being, being soul-bound to them in entirety count? I would say so myself. Unless it means I must be beloved by you, like a family member or a dear friend.

Mmm-hmm I do hope my fellowship isnt... Deeply worrying or... Hated to where id be in danger to some...

<She took a deep breath and listened to Lurien as he spoke about his qualifications>

<She then stayed silent a bit... Thinking. . .>

. . .

If its my own thoughts you look for... Then you seem perfectly fit and favored in the eyes of her Light.

Everyone is foolish at times. Its just how you correct and walk forward from that foolishness that matters.

Being reborn is in meaning of changing for the better. Becoming someone who was wrong too someone true.

And beloved is by the kingdom and its people. And from what ive learned of you before coming here. The people surely see you as a well and good man.

I will give you my blessing then, since I fit the criteria. But I warn you. Siding with the Old Light here... it is a unwise thing to flaunt, an unwise thing to tell any but those you trust in full.

What she did, what we all witnessed, it has scarred Hallownest and has left in its wake wounds that will never, can never, heal. But I will not be so cruel to make you seek another who can do this, I'm soft at heart, so... what needs to be done?