Location: Stagway Tunnels
Chris was seated on the hard stone ground of the stagway tunnels, trying to stretch as much as he could in the cramped space. Pebbles and gravel gave scratching sounds as they gave way to his limbs. David and Matthew were doing much the same, David moving his elbows in a circular motion, and Matthew arching his back. Seer was situated in the middle of David's criss-crossed legs, her eyes fixated on David's flashlight in an almost trance-like state, her eyes twinkling like that of a child who has seen the most interesting thing they have ever seen.
Chris thought the scene was rather…. cute, it made some kind of sense he guessed, she was a moth after all, but why was she just now fixated on the lights? They have been on for a while now, and there were also those lamps set up all along the areas they traveled through. Maybe she is just taking a moment to appreciate it now that they are taking a moment to rest…. Speaking of a moment to rest, crouching had given him a serious crick in the neck.
Chris tilted his head to the left, which caused it to let out a small series of satisfying pops.
Seer tore her attention away from David's flashlight, and to the Scouts' surprise, jumped from David's crossed legs, making a slight plopping sound as her legs hit the stone. She rushed over to Chris as fast as her aged body would allow, her crystal gripped in her right hand, as she rushed to Chris' side.
"Friend, what broke? Where does it hurt?" Seer said fretfully, waving her crystal around as it pulsated a yellow glow.
Chris had an expression of confusion hidden by his opaque visor, he was unsure of how to respond. Chris looked over to where Matthew and David were sitting, both of which just shrugged at his non verbal request for assistance. Chris looked back to Seer, who was still waving their crystal around in a panicked fashion.
"Uhm... nothing is broken" Chris said awkwardly, unsure of what was happening.
"Nonsense friend, I just heard a most sickening crack come from you" Seer asserted.
"Oh….." Said Chris as he realized what Seer meant. "That was just me popping my neck… it happens when our joints build up enough tension, here watch" Chris brought his hands up, and cracked his left hand, making a similar popping sound to that of his neck. Seer shivered at the sound of it.
"Does… does it not hurt doing that" Seer asked concerned
"No, not really, it's just kind of something that a lot of us humans do from time to time…" Chris paused for a moment "Huh, jeez it sounds kind of weird now that I saw it out loud…"
"Ehhhh, to be fair, looooot of human bodily functions can be described as: 'weird now that I think about it'" Matthew interjected.
"You know like how-"
"No," Seer said, cutting Matthew off, her head shaking side to side rapidly, clearly uncomfortable with the topic at hand. "No, no, friends, no, please, I do not wish to hear anymore… the… 'joint cracking' was enough… more than enough..."
A chuckle caught the group's attention, and they looked to see David was the one chuckling. He didn't even seem to register that he had drawn the attention of the rest of the group for a few moments.
"I'm sorry it's just… It's just, heh, you remind me.. Of uhm, you remind me of my mother" David said.
"Oh?" Seer asked, interested. Matthew and Chirs leaned in at this as well. Seer's crystal also seemed to glow a bit differently, David couldn't really describe any particular change, it just looked… different.
"Well, she was always very squeamish, couldn't stand the sight of blood or description of graphic scenes, and she absolutely HATED it when I would crack my knuckles, '' David said, reminiscing about times long since gone, but held close all the same.
"She sounds like a good mother, perhaps I will get to meet her one day" Seer said hopefully.
David's head tilted downwards, "She was, she really was" David said, his voice getting shaky.
"Oh…" Seer said quietly, she noticed instantly the change in her friend's demeanor, it was so different compared to how she usually saw him act. It was at least nice to know that he had enough trust in her to allow himself to be vulnerable around her.
"I am sure she would be proud of the person you are now David"
David lifted his head a bit "Thanks Seer, I sure do hope she would, but honestly at this point I just don't know what she would think" David sighed "I… I just don't know" He said quieter.
"Hey, man, if… look, I… uhhh, I'm sure she… uhm" Matthew said, tripping over his words, he wanted to be supportive but he didn't know what to say. He was never really a people person.
Chris was trying to think of something to say for the situation himself, what could he say?
"Well, I uhh, I think that.. Uhh" Chris said, unsure of his words.
"Well I am proud of you" Seer said sincerely, silencing Chris and Matthew.
David was silent for a few moments, and then a few moments more, those moments dragged on, and still he did not speak.
Seer decided to continue "You have shown remarkable kindness and determination David, you helped my tribe when no one else would. You went out of your way to retrieve the artifacts that are ever so dear to me, you even went into what you knew was likely a trap on the fear that the Grimm troupe would harm innocents. You have had your falls yes, but I do not believe they define you"
David let out a heavy sigh "I… don't think im as kind, or as good as person you think I am Seer-"
"And I think you need to have a better perspective of yourself, if you look at only the bad things you have done, you will only see the bad, while ignoring the good. If there is one thing all my years have taught me, it is that the way we view ourselves is flawed, and we all need to have the advice from those who care about us. I have seen both parts of you my friend, good and bad, and my advice is to stop needlessly thinking so little of yourself.
David let loose another chuckle "Well, now you sound like my grandmother"
"Your grandmother was a wise person, and you should heed her words, friend"
Seer turned to Matthew and Chris, who had remained silent, not wishing to ruin the moment.
"I hope you two know that I am proud of you as well"
"Erm, well, thank you Seer, ….means a lot coming from you" Matthew said.
Chris on the other hand was laughing "To think such an insightful conversation came about because I had a crick in the neck"
Seer chuckled a bit herself "The greatest revelations come from the strangest of places my friend"
"I can attest to that" Chris said "You can think of some of the most random and interesting things in the shower-... erm, bath house" He corrected himself realizing that Seer would likely not know what a shower was.
Seer's eyes seem to brighten at that "Do you think we could… use some of your bathhouse friends?"
"We?" David inquired.
"The Moth Tribe, friends, we have not been able to bathe in proper bath houses since our expulsion from the lower areas crystal peak… and… well… relying on buckets of rain water has not helped our sanitation…"
"Ah" David blurted out, his right hand now rubbing the back of his helmet.
"Look, Seer" David said "I'll bring it up when we make it back to the bunker, but I can promise nothing" David said uncomfortably.
It was strange jumping from an emotional conversation, to a conversation about Moth's asking for permission to use a shower. Though, considering everything, sanitation was likely a major issue for them. It also just felt… wrong knowing that he couldn't guarantee her at least that much considering everything, even if it wasn't within his power.
"Oh… I see" Seer said, deflating somewhat, David grimaced under his helmet, after everything Seer had helped with, and they couldn't even let her use a shower… everything she helped with… David got an idea.
"Wait… actually, considering everything, there is a good chance you can request sanitation supplies for your role as a translator"
At this, Seer's eyes brightened again "Really? Oh thank you friends, you really have no idea how much this means to us all"
"Don't mention it"
Matthew looked over to Chris "Neck popping, emotional conversation, bathhouses, and another emotional exchange"
Chris chuckled "Just another day in the magical bug kingdom- wait… did you feel that?"
"Feel what?" Matthew asked.
"Could have sworn I felt a slight a faint rumbling- There it is again!"
Matthew flinched "Crap I felt it too"
Chris turned his head towards David "I thought you said that big armored one cleared the stagways?"
"He said he did" David said matter of factly "Maybe someone didn't get the message"
David sighed, and lifted himself back onto his feet, and "Ill just have to tell them to turn around"
"Friend, that does not sound like a stag…" Seer told the group.
"Then what is it?" Matthew asked.
"I… I do not know"
The rumbling continued, and sounded to be moving closer, and closer, and closer.
David upholstered his pistol, and turned the safety off, just to be safe.
The rumbling stopped all of a sudden, and for a few moments the groups waited in a tense silence.
"Guess it was nothing?" Matthew said out loud to no one in particular.
Suddenly one of the tunnel walls burst open
"I JUST HAD TO FUCKING SAY IT!" Matthew yelled out grabbing for his pistol.
A long, many legged mass pulled itself out of the hole it made for itself, its smiling four eyes mask covered the thing's face, and it seemed to be laughing, jovially in fact.
"Hello tall ones~ It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance~" The thing said in a femanine voice, and in a tone that was both ominous and friendly simultaneously.
"Who the hell are you?" David demanded, his voice reverting to a stoic flat tone.
The thing tilted itself side to side, looking as though it was looking him over, its many legs contracting and retracting as it did so.
"Names are such… fickle things tall one, but you may call me-"
"Midwife" Seer interrupted.
The thing now known as shifted its body to look towards where Seer was standing, its demeanor changed to that of annoyance. Or at least, David believed it to be an annoyance, judging by the shift in how the things body and legs were moving.
"Has your mother not taught you that interrupting others is rude, Seer?" Said the thing, annoyance in its voice.
"Has yours not taught you that eating others is uncouth?" Seer retorted.
"Whomst do you think I learned it from dear Seer?" The thing responded back, with its jovial tone returning. "It is good to see you again"
"You two know each other?" David asked
"Ah yes" Seer responded "This is one of my acquaintances-"
"Friends" The thing interrupted.
"Acquaintances" Seer asserted "from the past, who has chosen the label of Midwife, for reasons only she herself knows"
"Wait" Chris said snickering "Her… her name is Midwife?"
"As said before, tall one, names are fickle, and for now, Midwife tells all that matters, so it is that my name, is Midwife"
"Who are you the midwife to?" David asked.
"Ah, yes, I almost forgot, silly old me, the most esteemed ruler of Deepnest, Herra, has most graciacially requested an audience with your liege. We would be most grateful if you could pass our message to them."
"Will…. do…" David said cautiously.
"And oh~ before I silly old me forgets, I would like to give you a parting gift" Midwife pulled a rolled up piece of parchment from the hole she burst out of, and passed it up along her many limbs until it reached her front limbs, and handed it over to David.
David holstered his pistol, and unrolled the parchment, it appeared to be a rather finely drawn map, he recognized some of the areas on it, such as Crystal Peak, Dirtmouth, the Crossroads, and that mushroom place. However he could not understand the labels.
"I apologize sincerely tall ones, but we do not know your language, so all the words are in Deepnester, we could make you a new one once we learned your language if you would like"
"That's… kind of you" David said
"Do not feel the need to repay us dear acquaintance, this is a gift, not an exchange, now I must go-"
"Hold on," David said.
"Yes, tall one?"
"What was this about you eating people?"
"Oh that, figure of speech I assure you-"
"That is not how I recall it" Seer interrupted.
"Ah heh, fair well!" . With that, the Midwife rushed back into her hole.
There was a moment of silence as the group just looked at each other processing what the hell just happened.
"I don't think she's trustworthy," Matthew blurted out.
"Join the fucking club" sad Chris.
David looked down to Seer who didn't seem all that phased about the vent that just unfolded.
"So… Seer, you know her, what's your verdict"
"She has put on many faces and acts throughout the time I have known her, to the point where I do not know if there is anything under all the masks she puts on. She is equally honest as she is dishonest, I do not know what she decided to be this time.
"So we have no idea"
"Unfortunately friend, no"
David sighed, "Well, we've had our break, we should get going, first I gotta message the Bunker on all… this, but then we head off."
Chris, Matthew, and Seer nodded, and soon enough, they were back on their journey through the tunnels, the future looking more uncertain as time went on.