Aster was sitting at the front porch of a friend’s cabin, gazing out at the surrounding forests as he sipped some tea. He glanced at the insectoid sitting next to him, who was shyly sipping some of the tea he had prepared.
“...to be honest, I never thought I’d meet an actual Schieran here.”
She jumped a little. She cleared her throat, setting down her cup.
“I... I’m a friend of the owners. D-don’t worry, I’m no longer part of the hive collective. You have no reason to fear.”
Aster chuckled.
“That is not why I asked you to join me for tea. I could simply see that you are very concerned about something. You could use the company.”
She relaxed a little, but her eyes fell downward. She didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know what she could say about her predicament.
Aster gave a kind smile.
“I am Aster. Do you have a name?”
“...Scout. I am called Scout.”