"Reverse it--and take away the gift of thought?" Pride was actually horrified at the idea; nothing, to him, could be more reprehensible than removing someone's actual sentience, taking away what made them them.

But then Envy was trying to link to his mind, and at the first tenuous tickle and the first few words, he took a few hopeful steps forward without thinking. His eyes widened, his ears sweeping forward. Yet-... a moment later he registered the emotions, constantly shifting and full of--fear? He winced a little at the unfiltered link, but then pushed that thought aside, and spoke excitedly. "Yes, yes--there it is. Don't tell Reseda we can do this," he added at once, though quietly--just in case. He never wanted the lizard to know that they could throw her own tricks back at her. Back to the current issue, though--"Can you try to--speak to it? I admit I don't know what we might gain, but--perhaps you may have more insight. I will add... I think it has a benefit, too. It seemed to be able to strengthen me, at least a little, so I think it may hold a mending sort of magic." He'd felt the touch before, and he knew that it was indeed magic from Squick, but he wasn't really sure that the creature was using it in the same way that other Gembound did.

It would make sense though, for its survival, wouldn't it? A parasite that strengthened its host was a parasite less likely to find itself with a dead host, after all.

His thoughts ran that way absently, likely readable should Envy pry--though the background buzz of the weasel's thoughts was... distracting, to say the absolute least.

@Envy

By Pride's horrified response, Envy knew immediately that they'd said the wrong thing. A moment of bafflement crossed their face as they tried to think what the deer would want them to say. "...Y-yeah," they stumbled. "I mean... if it didn't hurt it, it would be fine. And then the little thing would be none the wiser. It probably wouldn't even remember you, and just leaving it out in the open wouldn't be so... so..." They knew they weren't helping, so they just stopped. Pride might have felt the weasel's thoughts stumbling over themselves, panic growing sharp and trembling. The urge to shake it off grew, and the weasel rapidly started to comb their chest with their paws.

And then as the link dwindled, the storm of emotion receded, with a thrum of frantic thinking and fragmented ideas.

They nodded vigourously as Pride warned them not to tell Reseda about their gifts. "Of course not." they agreed. They hesitated at Pride's question. Then, they nodded slowly as Pride asked for them to speak to it. Truth be told, a large part of them wanted to stay as far away from contacting this thing as they could- but part of them was also filled with a morbid curiosity.

Maybe they could just... pretend to fail. But they felt like their pride was on the line. Perhaps, though, it would also be another way to look like a good King. Pride was a subject in need, and he was asking for their help. What a good king they'd be, if they managed to help him out of this mess! So, after a moment longer of hesitation, the weasel closed their eyes and searched for a consciousness that wasn't Pride.

It took only a moment longer before they felt it, and after a moment stepped back in panic, second-guessing themselves. But they were already linked. It was done. Their quills stood up, sharply. Hello there... Is this the parasite?
Speech. Thought.

Squick had spent its time wisely. It ate voraciously, slept, awoke, and ate some more. It was a good life, and when it had begun to get used to the isolation, it had started even to forget about the wonders of communication. It knew that Pride was always there. The booming sound of his heartbeat was company enough, and Squick scarcely remembered a time without it.

To others, it might seem like a painfully boring existence. But it was all the little parasite needed.

However, all of that peace was about to be shattered. At the touch of another consciousness against its own, Squick jolted awake from a state of peaceful dormancy. Mr. Pride? Is that you? it thought hopefully, only to be confused by how different he felt. The ever-shifting emotions of the other creature caused the little one to unroll, blinking its big eyes with forehead wrinkling in concern. ...You're not Mr. Pride, are you? Are you another Host?

The ever-present anxiety was soon beginning to wear on the little creature, and it suddenly worried that something was very wrong. It grew afraid, and frantically tried to call on Pride. His heart was still beating, so he was okay... right? What's going on?

Magic flowed weakly from the little thing- but it would hopefully be enough for the stag to feel.

---

When I think.

@Pride

The stag felt the faint touch of magic, and--curious--tried to open his own mind to Squick. There was a tingle of magic, and then the wave of fear, and Pride was taken aback, for a moment.

Is everyone but me this afraid..? he thought, baffled. It wasn't a deliberate message to Squick, but might have passed through nonetheless, Pride's confusion momentarily overcoming his caution. Envy was in a near-panic, their thoughts jumbled; Squick's near-terror was plain. But then, worry hit him. What if something was very, very wrong?

Is something wrong, Squick? I was going to ask my friend here--our King--to try and speak with you. Did you feel anything? Are you hurt? Though it wasn't the deep panic of a friend, Pride's worry was genuine concern all the same. He did not often feel fear the way Squick now was--and he had never felt the constant, exhausting hum of fear that Envy seemed to possess.

For a moment, Pride reflected upon this--Envy's jumbled thoughts before their link had slipped shut, their desperation to come up with a certain thought pattern. What had that meant..? He didn't grasp that they'd been trying to come up with the answer most suitable to Pride-if he had, he might have worried that Envy, like Reseda, was merely manipulative. Instead he'd felt that confusion, fear, and wondered if perhaps Envy were rather frantic in their attempts to help. They must be really, genuinely worried about him--yes, that must be it. The stag felt a curl of gratitude in his chest, then turned his mind back to the current situation. Envy's mentions of how it'd be all right to erase Squick's mind were abhorrent to him, and he didn't consider it further.

No--they had to find another way. But first, he needed to know that the... parasite (yuck) was all right.

@Envy

Envy felt the little one's confusion, and heard its thoughts. Mr. Pride...? No, this is Envy. I'm... his King. The weasel suddenly panicked once again as they realized that such a statement may make them a more appealing host than Pride. Did parasites have Kings? By extension, did that make Envy Squick's king as well?

Pride thought I should... try talking to you.
The little one's question struck them with another wave of disgust that it would surely feel. They cut off the link quite hastily, drawing back with a visible shudder, spines standing on end, and looked up at Pride before reluctantly trying to restore it.

Once again, they were met with confusion and fear.

Speech. Thought.

As Squick felt the more familiar touch of Pride's consciousness, and heard his thoughts, the parasite relaxed- its panic quickly subsiding into a joyous relief. Mr. Pride! You're okay! There was someone else there, but it wasn't you. I thought something bad might have happened. It squelched quietly, its own version of a relieved sigh that would never be heard.

In the absence of fear, the little creature's emotions instead faded to a mild curiosity and confusion. It was certainly nothing like Envy's- whose consciousness it could still feel ticking away, thoughts a whirlwind. Its little mind reeled. This was the first time it had ever met anyone else!

Your King!? Is it another Host? Is it as big as you? Bigger even!? Is it fierce? Do you think there would be room in its belly? There was a tangible disappointment as Envy's disgust filled its mind, though. It considered, trying to work it out. I... don't think it likes me.

---

When I think.

@Pride

Pride gave what could only be described as a soft mental snort of amusement. Before he could elaborate, though, he felt the link faltering, and hurried to finish what he'd been saying.

My mind and magic are still very tired, Squick, so this link is fading. But everything is fine. No, Envy is quite small. Very fierce, of course, but I do not think they are after hosting anyone. You can rest, if you like; I'll be sure to eat again soon. He tried to be warmly reassuring, and he didn't even attempt to explain why anyone would find Squick disgusting. That was a conversation that would take time and kindness, and his magic wasn't up to the task of sustaining the link long enough to ensure he said what needed to be said.

He was tired. He was relieved that the parasite was all right (which was, in its own way, very disturbing to him). He'd reported in, and Envy seemed to have little to offer.

Looking over to the weasel, Pride shook his head, a little.

"I've had to use magic all day to communicate with it. If-... you think of any ideas, please, let me know, and if you see Gluttony perhaps you can ask them, but-... I must rest. My mind feels as though it might break apart if I do not sleep," he explained apologetically.

@Envy

Envy happily allowed Pride to take the reins when it came to communication with the parasite. They weren't sure what else passed between parasite and host, but whatever it was, they were glad to remain out of it. When Pride spoke verbally, Envy perked to attention, and they nodded eagerly. "Ah, yes. I'll keep thinking about it. If you need me to talk to it in the meantime, just... Well, you know. And... if anything goes wrong, come and find me. Alright?"

If anything happened to Pride, they knew, their Kingdom might well fall to pieces, and even if it wasn't, well... it would never be the same. Something rubbed them the wrong way about this, knowing that there was something living in his belly. They'd liked to think of Pride as their ride, but it looked like he wasn't going to be wholly theirs anymore.

Not that they were jealous of a... Well. A worm.

Their spines shivered slightly, and they shook their head. They tried to think of something else to say, something that would, well... break the awkward tension and close things off. Eventually they sat upright and offered a parting nod. "Sleep well, Pride," they offered finally. Yes, that sounded right.


Speech. Thought.

Alright. Thank you, Mr. Pride! It was good talking to you again! Squick listened, eagerly, to Pride as he described Envy. Ferocious, but small. The little one was disappointed, but only a little bit. It quickly perked up when it realized that Pride was probaly the best place for it to be. Pride was huge, and he was beautiful, although Squick didn't know if he was ferocious. With horns like those, Squick was quite sure he could be!

The little one thought with wonder about the stag for a while, imagining him swinging those big horns with grandeur, although it wasn't quite certain why. A moment later, Squick found itself thinking again; although it wasn't sure if Pride was still there to hear it. Even if they were, I still think that I'd like you better, Mr. Pride.

But it was sure Pride was already gone. Squick wasn't too upset- and it was eager to get back to its nap. It was hungry, too- so Pride's promise struck an eager chord. It was sure, anyway, that it'd wake up when he did. So it curled up once again, and prepared to sleep and grow and live out its innocuous little life undisturbed.

-exit Squick-

---

When I think.

@Pride

Pride bowed his head, a little, to Envy. There was little else to say; he could feel the exhaustion dragging him down, the hours of casting magicka draining him into utter weariness. The focus, too, and the spates of fear--adrenaline--it had left him rather spent. The weasel's offers were kind--but he could tell they had no idea what to do, any more than he did. Still, the thought--the sentiment--was reassuring. It was good to know that he wasn't being told to deal with it alone, at least; that others had their minds on how they might help him. It gave him hope that maybe something might come up, some idea, to host Squick without a real host... or something. Anything.

"Thank you, Envy. I appreciate your time--I do; it is a reassurance to know you will think on it, too." Caves, don't put more pressure on Envy. You know they'll just panic nonstop about how they have to fix it, or 'else' some vague terrible thing will happen. Pride wasn't really sure that Envy was quite that panicky, but their personality lately--well, forever--had seemed twitchy, and this new fear was terrible, really. He eyed the weasel.

"Everything is fine, regardless, of course--you needn't worry too much on it. I'm fairly certain that Squick is harmless, it's just nice to know that others have their minds on it in case someone does happen to think of something, mm? Good night."

He gave his head a tilt, then turned and made his way off, his gait somewhat slow and more dragging than usual, his head held lower in utter exhaustion.

He would find someplace quiet, and feed--as promised--and then sleep. Hopefully, for a good long time.

exit Pride, unless stopped!
@Envy