#[dreaming...waking...]

Your small, yellow friend has woken up and is doing better. You may come pick them up now.

@teacher-of-the-archives

*Lurien quickly writes up a short letter of his own, his hand quickly skittering across the paper*

"Mon'

I'll be there to pick them up soon, just going to get a room ready in the Spire in case they'd like to crash here instead of in an abandoned building in a dirty alleyway.

(A singular figure makes her entrance through the window of that room, because why would she use a door? She inspects the entire room before glazing at Lurien, carefully examining his current state. She glides closer to him, with a bag wrapped along her bell.)

I believe we need to talk. But first, how are you feeling?

I have brought tea.

@monomon--the--teacher

*Lurien startles at her voice, whipping around, hand on his chest where his heartbeat should... be? no it's there, he's just freaking out, about the oncoming storm, about the fact it has been far too long since His Beloved got taken, about having been stabbed in the chest about... damnit, his babysitter still has the kids! he'll sort that issue out later... they're honestly safer with her but, damn, that's a whoopsie on his part*

Hey uh... yeah we do need to talk about all this, go over plans and what not, all that junk but uh. How I feel...? Um uh...

Well I...

I don't know?

*his gaze drops to where his fingers shake before his eyes, all a-tremble. he clenches and unclenches his hands, slowly. blinks once or twice*

I've just been going forwards really, been pushing it all off to one side so I don't crumble under the pressure, just been trying not to think of it, think of everything he's going through in there, thinking of what if this is all for naught? What if... we get there... and it's too late? How do I explain that to Peri, to Alcor and Mizar and the Wyrmlings we adopted and...

Watcher, I have brought some things that may make this endeaver more entertaining. And more successful but Im in this for the fun of it.

*She drops a sack down filled with several spools of weaver silk, a bunch of dirtcarver jerky, what looks to be a bunch of Deepnestian hunting traps, and two pins.*

@beast-queen-of-deepnest

*Lurien investigates the eclectic assortment of items Herrah has dumped on the ground. silk, traps, are those provisions? he'd forgotten about food to keep them all going, good job she's smarter than him more prepared and experienced than he is. curiously, he pulls free one of the pins, feeling how it fits into his hand*

You know, I completely forgot about food. I have some of the provisions from our trip to the Surface left over we can also take for those that don't eat meat... unless that jerky is meant as bait for the traps? A good idea, leaving a trail of those behind us to stop any forces from taking our rears... pause. Pause that came out wrong...

...

*... she doesnt have a mask on.*

Watcher, are you here? I heard you left for something, I have been far to busy managing the new link between Deepnest and the Hive to spy on you as of late. [Ooc: In universe reason to explain why I know absalutly nothing of current events when in reality I was just on hiatus-]

I got in a fight with a mantis lord again, my mask broke in the process. Hmm I'm not sure if I want a new one.

@beast-queen-of-deepnest

*lurien does a gay little scream when he sees her, flapping his hands as if that'll help him fly away before he bends, gasping. holy moly he has never seen this woman without her mask and that's startling enough but for her to just casually walk in instead of crashing through a window or whatever, well, that's just the same. he takes a breath, calms. well... this'll be a fun explaination!*

Considering that you're stood here it looks like you fared better in your fight than I did mine. If you don't want a mask you don't got to have one; maybe baring your nature to all will garner the respect and fear you need to keep those out of your territory without violence? Who could possibly say.

...But, yes, I'm unsure if the letter made its way to you or if the courier I picked just ran off with the money but, well, where do I even start with this?

We went on holiday! Did a short little tour around some places we've been meaning to go; visited the kids in the Resting Grounds, defiled my father's grave, introduced him to my many sisters and my extended family, had a dip in the lake, visited Dirthmouth, went right up the Surface, got stabbed by some crazies who walked their giant mechanical city all the way here and kidnapped my stupid wyrm and I got brought back to life by one of Mine Beloved's weird void kids.

The usual. Oh did I mention I died? I died. Wasn't too bad, you kind of get used to it after dying once already I suppose, no biggie.

*Herrah stands at the door with the most innocent look she can muster... and is still quote intimidating.*

@beast-queen-of-deepnest

*lurien, the black wyrmling under one arm, the opal one around his shoulders, Imperial clinging to one of his legs and Alcor hanging from the front of his robe, tiny baby teeth gnawing on his fluff. all four of them are meeping at him to be fed and he has no clue what to do*

Watcher.

Monomon has been going on about this tea party and I am finding myself... wanting to partake. I imagine you could use some adult time before the little ones hatch, if they havnt done so already, so I am taking matters into my own claws. I have sent a similar invitation to Monomon, come to the beasts den when you are ready. Lets have some tea! Maybe spill a little.

- the beast

@beast-queen-of-deepnest

[Ooc: whenever you and monomon accept ill make a post and ping you both in it so we have one thread :3

No rush!]

*the pale king actually hisses at him once Lurien returns their children safely to their nest, his white body immediately covering the meeping peeping infants. he backs up slowly. he was warned this may happen, even as the chosen mate and actual father of these grubs he is seen as a threat. when asked why the pale king had merely shrugged and explained that some wyrms would kill and devour their mates and clutches or, well, would attempt to. he'd said that his mate as a wyrm had bitten him and perhaps that bite had been the thing that truly killed him, not the blades of the mortals that had hunted him

regardless he does not seem all that happy but Lurien's not a coward, he'll give him space but stay in the room to write his letter. games of dominance and all that. he's never been very good at those...*

"Herrah,

I was actually about to inform both you and Monomon; despite being early and having a bit of a traumatic start in life both eggs hatched today and both of the grubs are healthy although getting a doctor in here seems impossible (we've run out? how did we run out of doctors??) and I feel if we did get one in Mine Beloved would kill them. And then eat them. And we've just cleaned this nest out (that fucker was hiding a half-eaten burrito in a fucking pillowcase can you BELIEVE that? no wonder this place smells! once he's stopped being broody I'm making him clean up properly!)

I'll happily accept your offer! Even though they're here now he's got everything well in hand and I have been hissed at at least ten times now AND he's tried to bite me when I wanted to see my own babies! I am however not stupid enough to keep stressing him out so I'll give him all the space he needs and keep tossing in food as and when it is needed. Adult time sounds fun and we can all bully each other like old times!

I'll even bring some very nice fancy tea I've been saving, it's supposed to kick so much ass (hope ya'll like spiced tea)

How is he? How are you?

@monomon--the--teacher

*lurien looks, for lack of a better word, disheveled. his fluffy ruff sticking up in several directions and mask absent, simply left to one side. his eyes are ringed with red from how much he's been crying when he thinks nobody is looking and he moves slowly, sluggishly. he's honestly been trying to just continue like normal, like he isn't a father of ten two. if he works hard enough, locks himself into his job, tries to just be himself, then maybe maybe maybe it won't hurt so bad, maybe he'll wake up and everything will be okay. maybe its all a nightmare tinted red around the edges.

ha. even he isn't that stupid*

He's not really talked about it or aknowledged it much, he just keeps warming them but we both know that's not healthy, we both know we have to... sort the mess out for everyone's sake. But I... I don't know how to say goodbye?

We barely spent enough time together during all of this to justify how wretched I feel but I... I know that isn't helping either. Honestly though I... I barely feel anything at all in truth. Just empty. Just nothing. I feel like a ghost living my life, funny huh?

There's no rules for this. No book describing how to grieve. I guess... I don't know how I am, Mon, I really don't.