The route through Ursa had been cold as hell, as always. Imp, who was carrying a hairless kitten wrapped in a scarf on a grand journey to hopefully get it a sweater, was well aware of this. Partway over the snowy terrain he'd offered a warning: "I'm gonna try to make it warmer for you! Don't panic!" and then proceeded to open his alligator-bat jaws and breathe not fire but very warm air down around the scarf. It was enough to warm it for the rest of the journey through the cave.

Now, they were here: Cepheus. The weird voidlight was strongest here. (Imp had to get white light for performing his job as palace artist, but otherwise, he was used to it by now.)

When he landed, it was very carefully. He had to land on his feet, after all, but those were carrying the bundled scarf with Worm inside, so it was with a lot of heavy flapping in an attempt to hover, soft swearing, and jostling around that he finally managed to set the kitten down and actually land himself safely.

"Right! We're here. -You all good? This is the Palace," he offered, while leaning down to help peel the scarf off of Worm. "Don't insult Aethril if you run into her, but she's cool. And be super nice to Eggbert, uhh, the little fuzzy duck guy. Sometimes he's got a hat. We can find Mimosa. Ask for them to make you clothes! And then maybe get you some food while we wait. Unless they need me to get dyes and stuff. I can do that while you eat, maybe..." He trailed off; he'd been mostly thinking aloud, really. Now he squinted up. "Cool place, huh?" he asked, gazing admiringly up at the marble columns and spires.

@Worm
(but Aethril is ofc also welcome to join)

Unfortunately for Imp, Worm had been already panicking. The only upside was that he couldn't be panicking any more even if he tried. The warmth breathed into the scarf dried out his eyes, but otherwise was very welcome. Terrifying, but welcome. Something Worm was learning many things could be.

Perhaps it'd been the time Worm spent frozen in the scarf in the same, petrified position like an extremely terrified statue during the journey. Maybe, it was the fact he was still panicking. It could even be that he'd emerged not that long ago and was still finding his footing. Likely all three. But, Worm tumbled ass-over-head out of Imp's scarf when he tried to exit.

The sprawling lump of skin wormed around on the palace ground's floor until it managed to right himself. Only then, did he look up at his surroundings with saucers for eyes. "Woah." Was the first coherent thing to leave his mouth.

It occurred to him a beat later than Imp was telling him something important. Don't insult Eggbert, he was super cool and.. be super nice to Aethril, wasn't it? She has a hat too? That sounded right. He squinted against the voidlight as he continued to look around, as if expecting the two to materialize in-front of him that moment.

"You really live here?" Worm swivelled his head to look at Imp for a beat before returning to metaphorically crushing his face against the glass of the candy shop that was the palace. "And the family is here too?"

While the questions may sound insulting, they were asked with such a breathy awe, it was as if Worm was having a hard time imagining anyone living somewhere so nice.

It took a beat for Worm to recall that Imp had said more than that. "Oh. Uh, what do we do now? What is Mimosa like?"

For the first time since his emergence, while his extremeities still tingled with the lingering panic, he was too awestruck to look wet and scared.

@Imp

Imp grinned. He appreciated the reaction. Sure, he might not've MADE the palace, but it was home, now. Mostly.

"Nah my family's in Cetus. This is Cepheus. Aethril's almost family, though," he added easily. "C'mon. Next step is, we go inside." He worked to extricate his scarf and fling it back around his neck. With encouraging gestures he then started for the main palace doors.

He spoke as he waddled forward, wing-walking along the alabaster stone. The smell of rich Nedies cooking was on the air, and distant music--a piano, maybe--added to the luxurious atmosphere. Imp, though, kept it real. His conversation was open, friendly and casual. "Mimosa's nice. They're happy to help people; all they ask sometimes is the dye and stuff for the clothes they make, if they don't have enough. They don't ever ask more payment, or anything. Birds help them sew," he added, a little jealous. He didn't have a Disney entourage of tiny animals to help him paint.

The palace halls were mostly pristine: polished, clean and voidlit white. But these days, a number of paintings hung here and there. Some of these were rather explicit, and most were extremely colorful, ranging from insulting paintings of various Masters to landscape paintings of other caves, or sometimes brightly colored, sharply angled abstracts or even a weird still life or two featuring stuff like bones and candles more than fruits.

"My work. I'm the arteeeest. I work here; that's what I do here." He was only too happy to proudly point it all out, though he very much pointed attention away from the ones that had, for example, a ruby-eyed deer with male genitalia sprouting from the antler tines. Then, remembering their previous conversation, he added: "'Cause it's what makes me happy. I decided to do it; you can do anything that makes you happy, remember."

He didn't want Worm thinking kittens had to get a nine-to-five to pay the palace bills, or something.

Of course, having a Hand as a sponsor sort of helped.

@Worm

and probably @Aethril

The distant music was coming from the room Aethril was in.

She'd been more... distant, as of late. Hanging off the hinges a little more than usual. It wasn't like you could much blame her: in a few cycles' time, most of the creations in the nest would likely be sent off to die on a distant planet in Dhracia's name. Still, she was trying to take the time to unwind and re-stabilized.

In one of the deeper rooms of the palace, Aethril sat next to a bowl full of inky-black oil, listening to the phonograph while she drank in the corruption it gave off. It was more meditative than anything else; perhaps, in some way, even calming despite it all.

Inevitably, because voices carry quite far in the palace, she heard Imp. Almost lazily, the Valkhand's eyes drifted open, and she slowly rose from the chaise lounge she'd been rotting in for the last few hours. She liked Imp. Imp was one of few she made a habit not to snap at; the others being Isra, Obieth and Eggbert. A very VIP list indeed. Though she just about gauged he was speaking to someone else, there was a dim hope that maybe he'd start painting soon, so she could watch the master at work.

No, really, she unironically enjoyed seeing him work.

So, there came the click-click-click-click down the hallway that usually announced when Aethril was about to arrive, still in heels, still in a glittering dress, still wearing dead-rebel-gemstone jewellry despite it all. Just because she was on the verge of a mental break didn't mean she could just be a slob, of course. The Hand rounded the corner and leaned on an ivory collum when she caught sight of Imp and the new visitor.

Her eyes visibly brightened for the first time in weeks.

"Good evening, Imp," she said, her tone lighter than it had been in weeks, too. "You've brought a visitor."

Delighted didn't even cut it.

@Worm

"Cepheus." Worm echoed as Imp corrected him, eyes still wide as he tried to peer at the tops of the marble columns. This was Cepheus, not Cetus.

It took a moment for Worm to realise that Imp had started walking, and the smaller gembound had to scurry to catch up, then only slow to a trot to remain in pace with Imp. Worm still had a lot of questions, about what birds were and if they'd also eat him whole. If Mimosa would eat him whole. And what dye was. The essential questions.

But, after earlier in their travels, Worm remembered the sad look Imp had; so he settled to ask about the parts Imp sounded most happy about.

"You make pictures?" Worm gaped, eyeing the works with the same saucer-wide eyes. He didn't have much to think about the subject matters, some things he knew, some he didn't. Some had people in them and depicted things that some people had. Anything crude seemed lost on him simply because he didn't know. Like most youngsters, he liked the colours and shapes and that someone could put something he could see onto canvas and, make it a permanent picture.

"I think I believe you now," Worm began, falling a little behind to admire a particularly brightly coloured painting. He continued as he scampered to catch up again. "You are cool."

However, when the large stranger's voice reached his ears, Worm jumped out of his skin. It was on wonky legs that he managed to stay upright after breeching some impressive airtime. He blinked his wet, uncomprehending eyes at the very blue stranger.

It took a moment for his brain to catch up to what Imp had said earlier, to be nice. To say nice things and be polite. "Uh." Worm managed, very intelligently before remembering the basic of speech. "Hello."

The ratty kitten looked about ready to make a break for it, the only thought keeping him in place was, he had no idea where to run to.

@Imp

I think I believe you now. Imp fired a playful grin toward Worm; he'd slowed his pace enough for the kitten to keep up, too. "What, you didn't before?!" he asked, but it was lighthearted. "...Yeah, I am cool. I can teach you to paint, some time, if you want!"

Oh, and here came his favorite person! Imp brightened, genuinely happy to see Aethril.

Imp had met Aethril unaware she bore even more power than the major players of the cave (who'd already beaten him up quite a lot, and who he'd paradoxically lost most fear of as a result). He'd already been undisposed to being a fawning subject, and he'd liked her. So instead of particularly frightened of her power, he saw her as a really cool (he had limited positive attributes to assign to people, okay?) friend and ally. He happily did her bidding, which was shit he loved to do anyway (art!), and whenever she came strolling down a hall he'd grin and greet her with a very real bright-eyed enthusiasm. All that to say, he wasn't a yes-man, or a pawn; he thought the Hand was just a good friend. Not the sort to stab you in the back, and all that. For Imp, that's exactly what Aethril had always been. So his greeting wasn't intentionally disrespectful. It was relaxed, happy, content.

"Hey, Aethril!" he offered up brightly, and stepped aside a little to indicate Worm. "I found this kitten freezing its ass--um, butt--tail?--off, in Pisces. Figured Mimosa could make them a sweater?" he said, but he made it a question, glancing to Aethril as if asking her wisdom on the topic. A critical gaze was then cast back over Worm as he considered. "And maybe a hot meal at Nedies' place." 'Nedies' place' being, well, the kitchen.

Imp leaned toward Aethril just a smidge, trying not to wince as he added more quietly, "He's calling himself 'Worm.' That might accidentally be my fault."

Obieth was slinking alongside Aethril, though a few yards back. Her gaze was everywhere, at first: sliding along the walls, flicking delicately to the ceiling, with a surreptitious look sideways through the doors they passed.

It was clear she was on alert, if in a relaxed, habitual sort of way. But her "casual bodyguard" instincts vanished the moment Worm came into view. Her head came up, eyes widening in mild surprise. Another cat-? She glanced up at Aethril, suppressing any vague, faint jealousy that came on instinct. Instead she focused, with amusement, on what her Hand's reaction would be. Aethril, she knew, liked cats.

Obieth hadn't mentioned the invitation extended to her kind, the 'would you like to go to war' request. She had debated it, agonized just a little. Missing a visit to another world, the experience of the aesthetics of war... it stung. But the paranoid part of her wondered if it were a way to take the more powerful beings from the cave. If there might be some form of attack on the Hand still remaining. It was a silly thought, but she'd noted Aethril's... maybe 'reserve' was the best word.

But already, the sight of a new cat was brightening her up, and Obieth approved.

She turned her attention to Worm, studying him with mild interest. He sort of looked like her opposite. Tiny, pale, and smooth to her large, black and jagged form.

Obieth curled into a sitting position, her forked tail wrapped neatly around her hind legs, sliding to cover her forepaws. She didn't speak, for now, bar a brief nod of greeting to Imp. This wasn't her conversation, but she was pleased at this development nevertheless.

@Aethril

It should be noted that Aethril wasn't offended by Imp's greeting. She liked Imp-- why else would she invite him in, after all? It helped that she thought it was quite funny to offer him some refuge from the Masters, at least, who seemed to have given him a hard time.

It wasn't quite 'friendship' on her side, though Aethril wasn't sure what she'd call it.

Her hand settled on Obieth's neck as it often did when the Valkhound came over towards her. "We had cats like him in my homeworld," she said. "We'd often dress them in clothing during winter months, too." She missed them. The caves needed more cats. Good thing they were doing something about that.

"Worm," the Valkhand echoed quizzically. "Are you certain? Worm is often a very... derogatory term." He was lucky that the Valkhand liked cats so much-- if a Valkhound had named themselves that, she'd have laughed in their face. As it was, she seemed genuinely a little worried about it.

"A meal and some clothes would probably do him good," she agreed, her gaze flicking down to Obieth. Her face turned a little amused. "Go on, you can introduce yourself."

@Worm

Worm managed to squeak out, in a very small voice, "I think I'd like to paint with you." in Imp's direction. Before once again breaching some impressive air time as the larger feline emerged. His eyes flickered around the room for an escape, but by some miracle, his paws remained cemented in place - if only slightly bow-legged and curled into himself.

A 'home world'? Was that a whole world that was someone's home? An entire world? And there were cats like him there too? More of him. All with those clothes-things. The thought was dizzying, but awesome. As with most children, it didn't pass the non-existent filter before he let everyone in the room know as much. "That's so cool!"

Then, in a much smaller voice, "I like Worm." His voice wobbled. Was it nasty to say he liked something when another person had said it wasn't good? He hoped not. These strangers were very big and could easily gobble him up whole. But Imp had said they were good.

The kitten made a gasp for air, something he didn't realise he'd been lacking, in an attempt not to pass out. This was a lot of names, and his heartbeat was thumping in his ears; he could only pray to... something, that he was hearing them all correctly. Then, waited for the larger feline to introduce herself.

@Imp

Cool! Everything was cool and good. Cat introduced, Aethril mostly happy, Obieth... weird, as always. Imp glanced at her and then ignored her, not to be rude but because he never knew what the fuck to do with her, especially when she prowled around to stare at his paintings for like four hours with her tail doing that twitching thing.

He turned his attention back to Worm instead. When the kid insisted he liked his name--and with a little wobble in his voice Imp took to be emotion, too--he reached a wing-arm out to awkwardly and gently pat the kitten's head. "Hey, that's fine! Anyone insults the name, we'll f--we'll mess 'em up, okay? You come to us." He spoke with utter confidence, then remembered he proooobably shouldn't be speaking for the Hand. He glanced to Aethril, long bat-ears briefly dropping a bit as if in deference, though he didn't seem afraid. "If Aethril's okay with that."

A rare show of respect, really, and of course it was reserved for his BEST BUDDY.

(If she ever told Imp they weren't friends, it would probably destroy him.)