Chapter Text
Noah nearly jumped out of bed to the sound of banging suddenly snatching her from such a good sleep. She turned over hoping if she stayed quiet long enough whoever was banging would leave her alone.
For a few seconds it seemed to be working but the banging resumed, longer this time. Noah just kept tossing and turning but the banging was persistent, so she gave up throwing her arms in the air. Groaning Noah pushed herself off the bed and with a groggy yawn made her way to the cupboard only to find, to her dismay, one piece of gruzzer jerky left. Munching down Noah took a moment to ready herself before opening the door only to see the duo looks of irritation and disappointment.
"Uh...hey Amile and Kune! How've you been?" Noah, with a mouth full of jerky, trying to sound as friendly and open hoping this approach would at least cushion whatever lecture she was about to get. It seemed the only reason Noah was still allowed to stay despite her reputation as a slacker was because she was easily approachable and always had a jovial demeanor. In times like this she often fell back on on that demeanor to get out of consequences.
Though this time it didn't seem this approach was going to work as the smaller bug Amile just looked even more irritated about to burst with a fury of beratements all directed at Noah, thankfully it seemed the taller bug (Not as tall as herself) Kune stepped forward to lead...whatever this was. With a deep sigh Kune raised her three fingered hands speaking in a passive but firm tone. "Noah you were sent to get water from the well, it has been awhile and no one saw you come back. We went to see what was taking you, thinking maybe the bucket got stuck and you were hard at work trying to get it up...but no. Instead we found one full bucket which had clearly been contaminated with mushrooms and one spilled. Not only did you not fill the second bucket back up, you also did not dump the contaminated one ON TOP of not even carrying either back,"
"Well I-" Noah was looking away silently taking another bite of jerky, she hated disappointment more than irritation. "-I was going to but then I just...found myself here!"
"Here?"
"Yup!"
"In your home. Sleeping. Without even doing one single water run. And you think that deserved a nap?"
"Uhhhh," Noah stalled attempting to think of a excuse nervously nibbling. Amile had been watching her take every single bite, his wall of silence being broken down chunk by chunk. Noah may be quite lethargic but her self preservation instincts have taught her when someone was about to lunge. The target terrifyingly being HER. Her mind was racing with ideas to get out of this increasingly dangerous situation. Maybe shut the door and hide out in her home? No, what would she eat? Besides the window was RIGHT THERE. Come up with some elaborate lie? No what would she even say? Tell them about the charm- NOPE NOPE they might try to take it! This is really bad, here it is the final straw. Just as Noah was about to cave in with very little pressure she noticed something about Amile, even though he was a bug he still had some bags under his eyes. A lack of sleep was commonplace these days, with the infection spreading through dreams and all. Noah took this as a perfect opportunity!
"Amile have you been getting enough sleep? You look very tired," she said with the tone of a very concerned friend tilting her head ever so slightly
"DON'T YOU EV-. . . what?"
"You look tired, VERY tired. I can tell you haven't been sleeping,"
The shorter bug went silent, clearly taken aback by Noah's sudden concern for his sleeping habits. Normally she would simply make a excuse and use it as a flimsy defense, but now it seems that whatever anger he was about to unleash was replaced with utter confusion "I- of course I'm not sleeping! The plague haunts your dreams, I'm giving it as little chance as possible!"
"Oh! Yes yes yes I often do forget not everyone has my protections," Noah said making sure to sound ecstatic, something she knew these two bugs would be sure to notice. A plan was beginning to form marvelously in her mind. "Oho! Allow me to help, it'll be but a moment!"
Before either of the bugs could get a word in Noah shut the door quickly making her way to her table. To say it was cluttered was a understatement bits of metal and neat looking rocks Noah found interesting were piled with various reeds, sticks she liked, and even a pile of left over Geo she forgot she had. If there was one thing Noah learned in her old and new life was that the best way to get others to quit pestering her for the blatant slacker she obviously was; it was to make yourself SEEM indispensable. Coffee shop? Hide various bags of beans around and stock the machines when the artificial scarcity became noticed. Deli Work? Be the one in the back ready to get something, good excuse to not be at front and gives you some time to relax. Security? Volunteer for the worst post no one wants and you KNOW won't get much attention if you watch whatever videos your into. And this? A kingdom ravaged with a plague infecting through dreams was absolutely perfect for Dreamcatchers! Noah rubbed her hands together chuckling to herself at being oh so clever
One problem she quickly realized though . . .
Noah had no idea how to make a dreamcatcher. Obviously she's SEEN them and gets the gist; a hoop with some strings in a pattern and some metal stuff dangling from it. But it was one thing to see one and a whole other thing to actually make one. And as she piled the materials she would've used this fact became more and more obvious
Ssssshhhhiiiiiiiitttt I did not think this through did I?
Not even sure how to get started she tapped her mandible simply staring at the gathered materials. Just as she was about to give up and go out to hand the two the neat looking rocks, her mask began to blindly glow again. Cursing as she once again shut her eyes putting her single pronged hands over them in a vain attempt to block out the glow
Surprisingly quickly the glowing faded away, and Noah opened her eyes she expected to feel tired especially after what happened last time but was surprised to find not only was she still in her home but she didn't feel like immediately collapsing. Patting herself down she felt her carapace to still be in tact and even fluttered her wings a bit to make sure. Looking around her home everything was the same, her unmade cot, the empty cupboard, the pile of neat items on the table, the charm that looks like a dreamcatcher, the ladder to the base- WAIT A MINUTE
Noah immediately picked up the charm inspecting it with a mixture of awe and bafflement, it was not like a typical charm she would see in game it was the same size but lacked a lock to put into a charm slot, crude pieces of metal hanged down, and overall just seemed like a shrunken dreamcatcher with a odd slashing pattern. New questions flooded Noah's mind as she attempted to figure out what just happened. While she didn't feel exhausted, part of her felt...drained? So her mask must've used Soul to make this charm? Was it a charm? It couldn't be slotted, and Noah hadn't the slightest idea of how it worked. And if the mask did use Soul to make it why wasn't she tired? Teleporting would take more she guessed, but still a whole new charm? The cost felt too low for it. Maybe it was the jerky? Gave her extra energy and- ohhhh it was the Soul in the Gruzzer! Yes that had to be it.
Knowing Amile was most likely getting impatient again, Noah took the charm to the door and flung it open practically shoving Amile as she handed him the newly made charm "Oho! There you go! Sleep well my good sir!"
Amile sputtered as Noah attempted to shut the door only for Kune to stop it with her leg "No, no your going to explain what this is."
"Hm? Oh yes yes yes that little thing, it's a Dreamcatcher Charm," Noah said still doing her ecstatic tone thankful she took improv "Protects sleep from the more harmful dreams, my people often use them to ward off dream spirits! Oho! I figured it would do quite well for Amile here as well.
Kune tilted her head about to ask something else before Amile spoke up still clutching the dreamcatcher to his chest "How...how does it work?"
"Oho! It's quite simple, just hang the charm above you as you sleep,"
"And my hatchlings they'll...they'll sleep safe too?"
"Hm." Noah was genuinely worried now, she wasn't used to Amile being like this. She did want his kids to be safe but also didn't want to waste Soul. Maybe there was a more simple solution. "With the charm on it's own? No. BUT! You can make additional dreamcatchers as assisting wards for the charm itself. Hang about two or three per room along with the Charm, and your home should be protected,"
Amile slowly nodded looking at the dreamcatcher closely, Kune still facing Noah occasionally glanced at it.
"Thank you..."
Noah smiled feeling her mandibles pull her chelicerae (still felt weird to have so many moving parts for a mouth), as she waved at Amile walking back to the village. Kune watched Amile leave and after a quick worried glance at Noah quickly joined him. With both of them facing away the tall beetle shut the door slowly, and let out a heavy sigh of relief. Rubbing her face she walked back to bed and sat down. This could be bad, the mask made a charm Noah had no idea how to actually use. She then gave it to a clearly stressed and desperate father, giving him false hope with her bullshit of a answer. And now it seemed like Kune would come back for one too!
"Fuck...."
This was just too overwhelming for her as she bounced her leg, and scratched her mandible reflecting the stimming she preferred before...all this. Slowly Noah took a breath and let herself zone out. She needed a break.
Knocking on the door jolted Noah to her feet looking around in a startled panic. Had she fallen asleep? How long as it been? Was the kitchen still open? Once calming herself down it was then she noticed her wings were fully spread, relaxing Noah draped them over her back and shoulders.
She grumbled making her way to the door. Noah had hopped it would've been a day or two before Kune came back, hopefully her and Amile didn't tell anyone else about the charm yet Noah did not want to test just how much it took out of her to have a village's worth of dreamcatchers. She doubted she'd even have enough materials on hand for it, well she could always ask for more but what if some of them start questioning if the charms even work. Sure Amile was quick to catch on but he isn't the brightest and desperation can cloud mind...maybe they're all just desperate enough to believe her? That thought made Noah hesitate.
I mean, it's at least some comfort right?
Before Noah could process everything the knocking resumed snatching her out of her thoughts. Hurriedly opening the door, not wanting to keep whoever it was waiting for much longer, Noah put on her best happy to help face. Hoping it would be enough to stave off Kune's soft disappointment, Amile's anger, or the village's skepticism. "Yes yes? How can I-..."
Instead there was a translucent, faintly glowing, yellow vine gripping the doorway's foot climb up the edges. Noah stared down at this strange sight, wondering if the vine itself knocked or if this was a prank bugs in Hollownest did, oblivious that the rest of the vine crept towards the rest of the village. Rather than investigate further, which to her sounded like waste of effort for what probably was a prank, Noah was just going to close the door and call it a day.
But she didn't get to even touch the door.
"Ah-!"
Noah felt the old urge to wince, to shut her eyes in a vain attempt to block the sudden brightness along the edges of her gaze. But lacking eyelids and no longer having palms all she could do was look down and finally noticed the trail of glowing rings along the vine. "Oh...uh..."
Taking one last glance of her surroundings, trying to spot any would-be pranksters hiding away, she stepped out following the vine's trail. A small worry formed in her minds that this could be the infection, but that was quickly squashed by the fact that the vine was a soft yellow rather than a pulsating orange. Unless Noah had some unique bug color blindness she ruled out that possibility as she followed the vine passed the the round stone homes, the storehouse, old merchant Marible resting on her pack, and finally ending and spreading outwards in front of Amile's home adorned with crudely made Dreamcatchers.
The rings leading Noah along flowed along one branch pointed towards a sleeping Gruzzer right outside the door which did not have a "ward" hanging from it. Wait is it the door or the Gruz? (Grooze? Groz?) Not like I can ask it's a vine so- oooh what if it can read thoughts? But it would've answered by now if it could. Just ask already!
"Um...okay so do you mean the door or like-"
Noah didn't have the chance to ask as the Gruzzer's eyes shot open revealing the bright orange glow within, barely having a chance to process all Noah could do was flinch was the infected Gruzzer flew straight at her. She felt a impact against her shoulder accompanied by a muffled voice.
"SSSSSSSS!"
Noah with a instinct she didn't know she had her leap back spreading her wings to their fullest and hissed her mandibles and chelicerae opening in a threatening motion. Instead of the hostile Gruzzer all Noah saw was the merchant Marible leaned back with her three fingered hands up clearly startled at the display.
"I-...sss- Uh..."
Noah slowly lowered her wings sinking into herself as her mind flooded with embarrassed screams and ramblings. Marible lowered her hands "Whoa there, didn't mean to spook ya! Them's some mighty fine wings you got there, by the way."
"Bu....but the gruz-?"
Noah looked back to the gruzzer who moments before seemed ready to slam into her with infected rage was back to sleeping in the exact same spot. Alternating her gaze between the Gruzzer and Marible Noah couldn't even sputter in her confused overwhelmed state. Eventually as Marible reached up to put a hand on her shoulder Noah was able to form a semi-complete sentence
"The Gruz I-. . .ho...how?"
"Hm? Doncha worry them's Gruzzers are heavy sleepers. Ya did wake me up though,"
Noah sunk a bit further lowering her head, bringing her claws in closer to her chest "Sorry..."
"Ah it's no bother, just got me worried is all. Just standing there with ya muttering,"
"Oh-. . . Oho! Yes yes I see now!" Noah slipped back into her earlier tone of subdued excitement, trying to cover her own confusion and worry. "My mind does love wander when sleep comes for me, sometimes this old shell of mine likes to follow. Oho!"
Marible nodded patting Noah's shoulder "Heh! I know what ya mean, though this plague here has every-un on edge so ya might want to be careful folk won't think you woke up wrong."
"Ah ah, yes...yes..."
After a little more time conversing Marible excused herself and went back to sleeping on her pack, Noah went back to her home to fall onto her bed. Maybe she did actually sleepwalk? Noah rarely did it in the past but it did happen occasionally, could be that the stimulation from the previous day hadn't worn off. Whatever caused it Noah wrote it off as a one time thing and to not waste her effort trying to figure it out. Just letting sleep consume her in a less than comfortable bed.
Miraculously there was no third surprise to keep Noah from rest. Her sleep was deep and well, waking up on her own accord and staying in bed a little longer on her own accord, though stone could only remain comfortable for so long. Chirping a yawn out she rolled out of bed stretching out her arms and wings. The fur and hairs on her right side were flattened and her right arm felt odd. Noah wasn't able to sleep on her back due to her wings, the placement of her arms made sleeping on her belly uncomfortable and she could feel the lower parts of her mask dig into the base of her neck, so her sides were the only options.
Making her way to the cupboard Noah, planning on some breakfast, opened it only to reveal a horrific sight; it was completely empty. Noah recoiled, how could this have happened? She could've sworn she had some gruzzer jerky left! Why must her memory forsake her to starvation!? She had already had to snatch that last gruzzer jerky when the cook wasn't watching because she had done no work to earn herself a meal. Perhaps there was only one option?
Beg
Beg the cook for another piece of Jerky, claiming her species starves fast, claiming her previous desperation. Noah had done this before, usually as a last resort to avoid doing more work that she didn't want to do, though often with money or begging someone to cover for her. It shouldn't be any different this time right?
Noah plucked at her fur making it seem rougher, moistened her chelicerae, and prepared a shake to her step as the door shut behind her. A slow occasionally shaking walk later found herself in the village center. . .empty. Much to her disappointment there were no smells from a lit kitchen, no line waiting, and no cook in sight, a surprise usually the cook (Noah had forgotten their name) was one of the first up and already have some stew brewing by the time the first bugs arrived at the kitchen's window. It was then Noah turned her head towards the sound of hushed talking, seeing a crowd of bugs gathered in front of one of the shacks. Noah let out a irritated sigh grumbling to herself: "This better be important. . ."
Slowly she got to the outer edge of the crowd, taller than the other bugs of the village it only took Noah nudging passed a few of the villagers to see what they had gathered around. Noah clenched her claws against her chest, her whole body tensing at the sight
The gruzzer, the same one sleeping in front of Amile's unwarded door, laying in a pool of infected blood and a sharpened stick impaled through it's eye. Amile himself was still in his doorway keeping one of his hatchling's behind him. Noah felt herself slowly backing away barely hearing what the bugs around her were saying as the world became muffled and her sight blurred. Dozens of overlapping thoughts flooded her brain.
"-deep sleep-"
This can't be real right?
"The wards! It wasn't by the-"
OHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCK
"Amile are you alri-"
It's just a coincidence calm down!
"The plagues here-!"
WHAT DO YOU MEAN CALM DOWN!?
"We need to leave. . ."
Yeah! It attacked us last night now look at it!"
"And go where?"
Was it even night? Like we're under ground so maybe it was the day?
"It's in our dreams-"
Fair fair, but not the issue!
"The charm!"
Look just remain, just a bad dream that happened to be similar to this...happens all the time
"The charm?"
When!? WHEN HAS THIS HAPPENED BEFORE-
"Noah's charm. . ."
Noah snapped out of her spiraling thoughts quickly lowering her claw from her mandible. Looking up she tensed again when she saw everyone was starring at her, shifting slightly all Noah could do was awkwardly stare back. Were they expecting her to say something? Make some grand declaration? Offer a apology?
Thankfully her worries faded as Kune stepped up glancing down as she spoke "Noah...can you make more dreamcatcher charms?"
Noah slowly found herself relaxed as she soon realized they all were not looking at her as if she was to blame, instead each of them had a look of worry, hope, desperation, or a mix of the three all begging to be answered. Noah found mandibles spread into a smile rubbing claws together
"Ohoho! Well I'll need plenty of materials, and it does take a toll on this starved form of mine...so let's start with a meal and go from there. Oho!"