reverence

The spider brought Tiso’s friend with it when it went to the surface to look for plants to harvest, which meant Tiso drifted after it angrily. Floating felt weird. He tended to keep his feet on the ground even though he didn't need to. Perhaps it was another consequence of the fact he thought his death was completely unfair and stupid. He simply hadn't accepted it yet, so he acted like he was still alive. As long as he was on this plane of existence, he refused to accept it. Such a stupid way to die. He angrily kicked a pebble at the spider, and it grabbed it out of the air. It looked around in confusion for a bit, then gasped happily.

"Ghost? Are you here?" Crap. Tiso had meant to conceal his presence until he had a method to get his friend’s shell out of this creep’s hands, but his anger gave him away. He stayed still and silent, hoping the spider would assume it was a different bug. It didn't do that, instead turning and walking towards where Tiso was standing. He took a step back in discomfort as the spider stood in front of him. It was a small creature, vicious though it was. It had its mask back on, meaning Tiso could no longer see its face and feel pity. It was a faceless and cruel beast, as it should be. Tiso flicked the mask. Surprisingly it made a sound and caused the spider to step backwards in surprise. “Oh! Hello!” Tiso looked at his hands. It hadn't occurred to him to try hitting things directly. He couldn't exert a lot of force, so he couldn't fight the spider, but at least he could knock on things to express his displeasure with it. “So you wanted to come after all?” Tiso didn't grace that with a response. The spider finally started moving again. Tiso trailed behind it, grumbling to himself in annoyance. What was the spider looking for? All that existed along this path was angry shrubbery.

The bloodthirsty evil spider that was holding Tiso’s best friend hostage avoided the mosscreeps and moss knights like the plague. Then again, they did carry infection in their blood. Maybe that was exactly why the spider avoided them. A few of the moss knights that it skittered past launched thorn balls at it. One passed through Tiso’s chest, causing him to shudder involuntarily. The spider knocked thorn balls aside with its cleaver, but otherwise did not engage the knights. Tiso picked up one of the thorn balls curiously. He could lift it a little bit, but not to his chest. The spider stopped when it noticed Tiso trying to pick it up.

“Do you want to play?” Tiso chucked the ball as hard as he could in indignation. The spider knocked it aside with a giggle. “I can't tell if that's a yes or not…” Tap. “I see. You picked that up really well, though!”

Don't patronize me.

The spider crawled into a small passage that most bugs couldn't fit through. Tiso wasn't sure how the spider managed to squeeze its mask past the barricade. He phased through the wood panel that was blocking the passage. The wood was suspended by a vine, meaning all the spider had to do was cleave it like everything else and it could come and go much easier, but it walked off without doing so. Tiso followed it, but stopped in the mouth of the cavern. The sight he beheld was not one he expected to see in Hallownest. Just as in the previous cavern there was foliage everywhere, but these were no mere mosses. These were massive flowering plants, their petals unfurled to release their oversweet scents and bothersome pollen. Tiso grumbled to himself as he stalked the spider through the foliage. This was the kind of area his friend would’ve liked if he were still alive.

“Look at these blooms, Tiso!” His friend’s voice echoed back to him in the form of a memory. There he stood, a tall hulking beast of a bug, gently brushing his thick fingers against the petals of a delicate gray flower. The two were far from home by now, and Tiso had never seen such flora in his life.

“...Pah. What's the point? They don't look edible and they won't protect us. They're useless.” Tiso’s friend chuckled.

“Sometimes the use of something is just to be beautiful.”

“Beautiful!? What's the point in being beautiful!?” Tiso had balled his fists at the time. “I’m a killing machine! Any beauty exists only in the form of the blood of my enemies!!” His friend had full belly laughed at that. Tiso stomped his foot. “Don't laugh at me!”

“I’m not laughing at you, Tiso.” His friend delicately plucked the flower from its leafy abode, the sunlight shimmering and refracting off his silvery shell. He had a steel soul. That was the only explanation he had given Tiso had at the time. He gently tucked the flower into Tiso’s hood. “I’m laughing at the idea that you cannot be beautiful in gentle ways.” Tiso huffed indignantly, plucking the bloom from his hood.

“You take it! It’ll be ruined if I have it!!” When Tiso shoved the flower back into his friend’s hands, the petals burst from the stem like gray confetti. Tiso pulled on the sides of his hood with an annoyed growl. “See what I mean!? I destroy everything I touch! I cut it down at the roots!”

“It wouldn’t have broken if you had just accepted my gift.”

“It would've gotten broken later. Besides, it's pointless to me.” Tiso stomped away. He heard his friend behind him pick another flower. Tiso whirled around. “I SAID—”

Instead of his steely friend, there was only a spider with his shell on its back. It was in the branches of a large bush, plucking the berries off of it. A few disturbed patches of dirt implied that the spider had dug up some root vegetables. A cluster of vines around a nearby grave had the same flowers Tiso had seen in his daydream. Those flowers grew far, far away from Hallownest. Why were they here, and why on a grave? Tiso reached out and carefully brushed his fingers against one of the blooms. A single thin petal dislodged and drifted to the ground. He heard the spider hop out of the bush.

Come on… there's no way you’re crying over that tiny wound…

Tiso squirmed uncomfortably. He didn't expect it to get hurt. Then again, what did Tiso care? This thing wanted to eat him! This thing stole his shield! This thing…!

This thing was crying not over the scrape, but over its ruined mask. It tried to patch it with its webbing, but that didn't work. Maybe it shouldn't be wearing such a flimsy thing in the first place! If one fall was enough to break it, then it wasn't worth wearing.

“M-my shell…” Tiso flinched. Had it hatched from that thing!? How could such a leathery eggshell survive for so long if one fall into thorns was enough to tear it!? It wiped more tears from its eyes as it put the eggshell mask back on. It stood up and dusted off any remaining thorns, not bothering to clean or patch any further wounds it had. The spider sniffled and adjusted its mask before leaping back onto the platforms. Tiso didn't nudge it this time. It didn't even seem to know that Tiso was the cause of its fall. It just picked up its torn mask and carried on. Tiso balled his hands into fists. What kind of bloodthirsty killer cried over an eggshell that it had already broken!? Why continue wearing it!? Was it deliberately tuning out the world!? Was it really worth crying over!? He drifted after the spider, seething at its nonsensical emotions.

It had all the fragility of the insects Tiso was already familiar with. He hated that.