#expel the void..

[therunawayvessel]

-Where to start.. Cinder was about 99% sure Carol was in the Archives with Monomon, so she'd check there last.. well.. especially since she didn't really want to see Monomon anyways.. And Orchid was a much higher priority for her anyways.-

-Where would the Orchid she knew hide.. A smaller cave, probably..-

-She growls in the back of her throat. Orchid could be ANYWHERE, not just in the Fungal Wastes.. but would she travel that far away from her home..-

-Probably?? Maybe not?? Whatever the case may be, Cinder would thoroughly check all of the Fungal Wastes before moving anywhere else.-

@mantis-sisters-of-battle

[therunawayvessel]

*Cinder’s legs gave out from under her, resulting in her falling down and coughing up more void.*

*Her tail felt heavier, it was responding slower.*

-Cinder's pupils turn to thin slits the moment she realizes her imminent collapse.-

-She hits the ground hard, no longer able to support her weight with her weakening state.-

-Why was she getting worse..-

-Only one thought was blazing through her mind at this point-

-Get. Help.-

-She continues to crawl forward. She would until she could no longer.-

[therunawayvessel]

*Orchid knocks on Cinders door.*

Cinder, are you in there? Ive got something for you! Thistle's hunting party brought back a garpede, its quite good. Ive brought you some of you wanted to try it.

...

Cinder?

...

Im coming in.

*She opens the door.*

@mantis-sisters-of-battle

-The door was locked. Not well though. It was as if it was done in a rush.-

-Cinder was in fact there. Sitting in the corner of the room, not even on the bed. She looked rough. Like.. real rough. like as if a normal bug hadn't slept in days rough.-

-She lifts her head as Orchid enters.-

"Hhhhhheyy.. Orchid.."

-Her voice was hoarse, and slightly strained.-

"What's.. what's up..?"

-Cinder was clearly trying to pretend that she was fine, but she certainly did not look the part.-

[therunawayvessel]

*Tsu was traveling through the wastes between Hallownest and the Weavers’ old land: Pharloom. Silk blade in hand, they quickly darted from one type of the wastes to another, their agility only ever giving way once every half-hour, when they would stop to rest for a bit.*

*One of these hour-long rest brakes, a familiar shape catches their eye.*

*A tall, lanky shape slowly trudges its way towards Tsu’s resting spot, breathing heavily and trembling slightly.*

“..Sage..?”

“Sage is that you..?!”

*Tsu stands slowly, making very slow steps towards the tall, lurking shape.*

“Oh my gods,, it is you!..”

“Fuck, Sage, you look awful”

*Tsu immediately throws themself forward to begin taking care of Sage Cinder.*

*Silken bandages cover flowing infected wounds, keeping infection and void alike within her shell.*

*Once they were completely finished with this task, Tsu threw their arms around Cinder as she shook, comforting their long lost friend.*

@wandering-weaver-tsu

-As Cinder trekked her way through the dark and empty, never ending caverns between the two lands of Hallownest and Pharloom, she saw.. something. Or heard it. Whatever it was, it was drawing her forwards.*

*And, just when she was about to stop looking, a shape darts its way past the rocks straight up to her.*

*Tsu was much.. shorter than Cinder remembered. Maybe that was because she had molted and grown a lot since she had last seen them.*

“..T-T-Tsu..?”

-Cinder shook. Her old friend? Here? Now..? When she had decided to find someone to help her?-

-As Tsu bandaged up the cracks on her mask, blocking an eye-hole, and the injuries across her shell, Cinder could not take her eyes off of them.-

-When Tsu was nearly done, Cinder whispered something. Her name. Sage..-

“..S-Sage…. Heh.. I-I-I remember wh-when I still used that name..”

“..My n-name now is Cinder, my friend..”

-It’s not like Tsu was deadnaming her, not at all. She felt a wave of comfort at hearing her old name.. back from when before the chaos.. back from when she didn’t fear fire..-

-Cinder did not wince when Tsu pulled her into a hug. Only began shaking and sobbing.-

“T-T-T-Thank you….-“

-She said as her sobbing began to subside.-

“..T-Thank you, Tsu..”

“Y-you do not realize how much my life has- has went to shit..”

[therunawayvessel]

*A while later, after both of you have rested, Doc splashes several buckets of water onto you and Orchid.*

Finnaly an orde from Lord Carol I can get behind.

@mantis-tribe-doctor

-Cinder becomes absolutely DRENCHED in water. Disgruntled and dripping, she glowers at Doc.-

"..This is going to take FOREVER to dry off from..,, uuuuuuuuuugggghhhhhhhhhhh.."

-Infection runs off of her shell and from her fur within the streams. most of the near-pure-white was untainted now. Nice!-

[therunawayvessel]

*Doc barges into the room, completely covered in glitter, the most angry look on their face Cinder had ever seen.*

Where. Is. Carol.

@mantis-tribe-doctor

-Cinder raises her head as high as she could without disturbing Orchid’s sleeping form. She had always been quite the light sleeper, so Doc’s entrance alone was enough to wake her. Let alone the almost harshly loud words they spoke.-

-Silently, she’s put a claw in front of her mask in a ‘shush’ gesture, eyes darting from Doc to Orchid.-

-Surely they would understand what she was trying to say, right? It would be difficult to tell if they actually got the message before their next action, but hopefully, just hopefully, they would. Cinder would do what she could to keep Orchid asleep. She needed the rest.-

-Silently, she’d mouth only three words to Doc. ‘Important, or no?’-

-Yes, she was in fact curious about Doc being covered head-to-foot in glitter, but they seemed to already be absolutely fuming, so bringing it up was probably not a good idea.-

[therunawayvessel]

[ignore the fact that Spotlight is both in Pharloom and in a fight]

[Spotlight walks up to Cinder. They don’t speak, they don’t do anything. They just simply hug their Sister]

-@spotlight-the-performer

-Cinder's heavily bandaged body freezes, tense.. as if she was afraid of something.-

-Slowly, she eased into the hug, accepting the comfort from her sibling.-

[therunawayvessel]

ooooh you love eating dirt ooooooh

"I do NOT."