#palevurm 04

[beyond-use]

@palevurm​ || SPIRALEFES STARTER CALL

Rung had asked the Pale King to accompany him on his visit to the star garden. Things had happened during the last bout of Spirale chaos, things that Rung felt might need to be addressed before they interfered with Pale King’s therapy. He wanted to address them here, outside of his office; the Wyrm was already having some difficulty opening up during sessions, and treating their odd, painful interaction as an “issue” to be overcome there probably wouldn’t help. Rung wanted this to be as casual and as free of discomfort as possible, and he could think of nowhere more comfortable for a pair of gods than the beauty of the heavens.

“Thank you for coming with me,” he said warmly, bending to examine a little tri-mooned planet with unabashed affection. Among other things, recent events had brought with them memories. All of them. Those millennia still locked behind the veil of information creep had rushed to the forefront of his processor-- he had lived as Primus again, here, and that strange return to the past filled him with an aching sort of nostalgia for simpler times. Being in this garden was like being out there; it was pleasant enough to make the conversation at hand barely feel awkward at all.

“I wanted to ask how you were doing after... all of that. Not as your therapist, just as an acquaintance. I’m still trying to come back to ‘myself’-- it’s been a terribly disorienting ordeal. I’d imagine it’s been especially so for you, I mean... undergoing a physical and mental change can’t be easy.”

[wovensentinel]

Hornet is still sore from the events that took place on the island a few months ago. It's almost embarrassing to say she's still actively letting events from months ago now affect her, but she figures she's allowed to be at least a little upset that the Stars' negligence in at least running a secure prison led to her death. It's been months since then, and the island is still recovering from a second mishap, though on a less world-ending scale. She'd rather not think about the time she spent here as a toddler again, of all things. But time and inconveniences have passed, and with each passing day, it felt like the only reparations the Stars were planning on giving everyone were more embarrassments. But by some miracle, they had held up their end of the deal... and 'gifted' the people of Spirale a vacation spot.

It's an insult, really. But what else are the Stars good at?

And what else is Hornet meant to do...? Sit inside Rung's house, listening to him babble about whatever braniac nonsense he has in store for her today until the sun goes down? Well, it's not a terrible idea, but– She does that every day. And if everyone else is going to this new island, she might as well do it too. At least it might serve for some new sights to see.

She stands in the crowded train station now, waiting for the next train to arrive so this place might clear out a little. The one mistake of going on the first day of a place being available is that everyone else wants to go, too. But luckily, a train comes and goes, giving Hornet some space to breathe. As the crowd clears somewhat though, she catches the eye of a familiar figure sitting on a bench on the opposite wall. She'd rather not be in contact with the Pale King... being on awkwardly good terms was strange enough. But he's seen her too, now. It'd be worse to just ignore him. So Hornet reluctantly makes her way over to the bench where he sits.

"...I suppose we had the same idea this weekend," she says. "Along with the rest of the city. Somehow, I wasn't expecting to see you here, though. Has vacationing always been your thing, or is this a new development for the both of us?"

@palevurm

[wovensentinel]

The store they've entered is tiny and crowded and hot, but... Hornet loves it. Everything here is so charming. She immediately drifts over to a shelf of tiny glass animals, then to a section full of paper flowers. Everything here takes her by awe, she can't look away... Until the Pale King calls her over.

She can't help but laugh a little at how ridiculous he looks in those sunglasses. "I think they're more befitting of someone with human ears," she says, making her way over to the rack of glasses herself. She browses until she finds a similar pair of sunglasses, these with red frames shaped like hearts. She holds them up to her head, attempting to hook them over her horns at first before giving up and just holding it against her mask.

"These are asinine," she says, laughing again. "I've never understood fashion, but even clothing serves a function. I can't imagine the use of tinted glass over your eyes... in the shape of a heart, no less." She lowers the glasses again, staring at them. "...I'm going to buy them."

wovensentinel​:

She sighs, and would have fired back with something else sarcastic had he not moved over. She hesitates for only a moment before joining him on the bench.

“It doesn’t have to be spoken about,” she says. “There’s nothing to be said.” She knows deep down, it might be better if they talk… but she’s not ready. She’s still far too embarrassed. And she’s still, childishly, a little upset over what he did in his altered form. If they talk, and that’s a big if, he’s right. They’re not about to do it on the crowded train. So uneasy silence it is, until they reach their destination, and the passengers begin to file out.

Once they’re on normal land again, Hornet glances around the area. A new place to get lost in… It’s nice, in a way. She’s grown too used to Spirale. She notices a group filing into a building not too far off, decorated brightly on the outside. “Let’s start there,” she tells him.

Tilting his head back, Pale King basked in the few moments it took for Hornet to pick their destination. The surrounding sent of salt invaded his senses, clearing his head of the impulsive thoughts and shuffling them back onto the train. Time to start over, again. Would he ever be done with it?

Nodding, they followed the group of fellow tourists into the gaudily decorated building which revealed itself to be some sort of shop. Glancing around, Pale King saw nothing of particular note, just an assortment of knick-knacks and many, many keychains with individual names on them. There were more interesting items of note such as carved pieces of wood that, with a lift, revealed themselves to be of low quality. His claw came away with peeled wood when scraped against the surface, so he went to the opposite end to study a rotating cylinder of eyewear.

❝Hornet. How do we look?❞ He held up the bright pink sunglasses and squinted through the dark lenses. With no ears to hook the ends to he was forced to gesture with his secondary arms, twisting his wrists with an elaborate and altogether unnecessary flourish. ❝Befitting of a King, no?❞

[wovensentinel]

She sighs, and would have fired back with something else sarcastic had he not moved over. She hesitates for only a moment before joining him on the bench.

"It doesn't have to be spoken about," she says. "There's nothing to be said." She knows deep down, it might be better if they talk... but she's not ready. She's still far too embarrassed. And she's still, childishly, a little upset over what he did in his altered form. If they talk, and that's a big if, he's right. They're not about to do it on the crowded train. So uneasy silence it is, until they reach their destination, and the passengers begin to file out.

Once they're on normal land again, Hornet glances around the area. A new place to get lost in... It's nice, in a way. She's grown too used to Spirale. She notices a group filing into a building not too far off, decorated brightly on the outside. "Let's start there," she tells him.

wovensentinel​:

Whatever might have been the start of a smile quickly fades the more he speaks to her. It’s like he exists solely to push her buttons– it’s infuriating. He’s one to talk, too. As if half of the reason her time as a child was so bad wasn’t his fault. Not that it upsets her as an adult, of course. She would never be so childish now. Death is natural, and in Spirale, it’s meaningless. She shouldn’t have been fazed at all. But… she was. And she’d rather not speak of it. But in his true fashion, the Pale King must.

“I’ve been– fine,” she says, a sour tone affecting her voice. “As well as I can be. I’m alive, aren’t I? That’s better than nothing.”

As the tunnels give way to bright light and color, Hornet has to catch herself as to not be in visible awe at the sight of the ocean. She’d never been to the ocean until arriving in Spirale. She recalls the last festival the island held, with fireworks and kites and flowers… So many sights she had never even heard of, let alone seen. She’s gotten somewhat accustomed to them all since, but she’s never been on the ocean, not the way it appears like this, as the train speeds across the bridge they’re riding on. And not too far in the distance, the island they’re headed to. The City of Glass.

Hornet remembers herself. Remembers the Wyrm sitting in front of her, refusing to move and make space for her to join him. What a prick.

“I suppose part of the reason I wanted to go on this trip was to decompress from the events of the past weeks,” she admits. “I’d ask if you’re doing the same, but I see no need. It seems from the looks of your restored form that you’ve been quite compressed lately indeed.”

With a great deal of concentration, Pale King reminded himself that they are in the midst of a crowd and this is not the place to chide his daughter for her brazen display of rudeness. It is not even the comment that riled his sensibilities; it is the mere fact that she deemed to approach him and then insult him.

He is not entirely without blame of course (of course), yet embarrassment for his callousness as a Wyrm still prickled beneath a general surface layer of malaise and agitation. It would have been better had he approached her, prepared for this difficult discussion. 

Isola’s silhouette receded closer and closer to the horizon as their destination grew in its opposite direction. Evidently, it is a discussion he has to have now.

❝…❞ He sighed, heavily, and finally looked at her. ❝Yes. We shed our shell. And you are no longer a hatchling.❞ Scooting to the side, Pale King gestured for Hornet to take a seat. ❝If you want to talk, let us do so when freed from this crowded tram.❞ Settling into an uneasy silence, Pale King only moved to stand as their carriage slowed into its destination. Tail braced against the floor to keep from toppling over, he allowed the crowd to disembark before he exited, unfolding his well creased pamphlet once out on the platform.

❝What should we do first?❞

[wovensentinel]

Whatever might have been the start of a smile quickly fades the more he speaks to her. It's like he exists solely to push her buttons– it's infuriating. He's one to talk, too. As if half of the reason her time as a child was so bad wasn't his fault. Not that it upsets her as an adult, of course. She would never be so childish now. Death is natural, and in Spirale, it's meaningless. She shouldn't have been fazed at all. But... she was. And she'd rather not speak of it. But in his true fashion, the Pale King must.

"I've been– fine," she says, a sour tone affecting her voice. "As well as I can be. I'm alive, aren't I? That's better than nothing."

As the tunnels give way to bright light and color, Hornet has to catch herself as to not be in visible awe at the sight of the ocean. She'd never been to the ocean until arriving in Spirale. She recalls the last festival the island held, with fireworks and kites and flowers... So many sights she had never even heard of, let alone seen. She's gotten somewhat accustomed to them all since, but she's never been on the ocean, not the way it appears like this, as the train speeds across the bridge they're riding on. And not too far in the distance, the island they're headed to. The City of Glass.

Hornet remembers herself. Remembers the Wyrm sitting in front of her, refusing to move and make space for her to join him. What a prick.

"I suppose part of the reason I wanted to go on this trip was to decompress from the events of the past weeks," she admits. "I'd ask if you're doing the same, but I see no need. It seems from the looks of your restored form that you've been quite compressed lately indeed."

Hornet is still sore from the events that took place on the island a few months ago. It's almost embarrassing to say she's still actively letting events from months ago now affect her, but she figures she's allowed to be at least a little upset that the Stars' negligence in at least running a secure prison led to her death. It's been months since then, and the island is still recovering from a second mishap, though on a less world-ending scale. She'd rather not think about the time she spent here as a toddler again, of all things. But time and inconveniences have passed, and with each passing day, it felt like the only reparations the Stars were planning on giving everyone were more embarrassments. But by some miracle, they had held up their end of the deal... and 'gifted' the people of Spirale a vacation spot.

It's an insult, really. But what else are the Stars good at?

And what else is Hornet meant to do...? Sit inside Rung's house, listening to him babble about whatever braniac nonsense he has in store for her today until the sun goes down? Well, it's not a terrible idea, but– She does that every day. And if everyone else is going to this new island, she might as well do it too. At least it might serve for some new sights to see.

She stands in the crowded train station now, waiting for the next train to arrive so this place might clear out a little. The one mistake of going on the first day of a place being available is that everyone else wants to go, too. But luckily, a train comes and goes, giving Hornet some space to breathe. As the crowd clears somewhat though, she catches the eye of a familiar figure sitting on a bench on the opposite wall. She'd rather not be in contact with the Pale King... being on awkwardly good terms was strange enough. But he's seen her too, now. It'd be worse to just ignore him. So Hornet reluctantly makes her way over to the bench where he sits.

"...I suppose we had the same idea this weekend," she says. "Along with the rest of the city. Somehow, I wasn't expecting to see you here, though. Has vacationing always been your thing, or is this a new development for the both of us?"

@palevurm