Wilder happily jumped through the trees, leaping through every front, pressing against every trunk, jumping on every log and stone and giant mushroom she could see. This cave was wonderful! And it was so much fun, too! So much green, so much aliveness! Polaris was nice and all but it was so empty and rocky! There was so much stuff here, it was so dense and beautiful and it smelled amazing!

She had never felt so happy in her life. She rolled through the moss and the leaves, giggling with happiness, so innocently childish, but she didn't care. She didn't even notice. She ended up lying on her back in a bed of soft ferns, one of the lamps directly overhead, warming her soft belly fur. She breathed in deeply, taking in all the scents and smells and just...enjoying herself. She enjoyed the company of others but this was the first time that she could just relax and stretch out and enjoy her alone time. Because she was completely certain she was alone. She didn't see anyone nearby, after all!

@Squick

Squick was not the sort of creature to regret its actions. But for the first time in its life the parasite knew that it had made a bad decision. The world outside of Pride's belly was remembered as 'the cold place' for a reason. And the little creature crawling forward quickly found the cold creeping in.

It missed Pride. It missed his kind mind-voice and the booming sound of his heart. It missed his voice and the grasses he ate. But it had gone so far from Pride. Big, teardrop shaped eyes glistened with tears. There was no going back now. Despite itself, it felt fear; it might well die out here. There was nothing to eat or drink out here, and the cold was creeping into its velvety, wrinkly skin.

It trundled forward on its ten stocky legs,wriggling and squirming, eyes flickering. The blurred world around it was frightening, and it took a moment to look around at the towering roots and ferns and grasses, blurred branches swaying in the distance.

The world for Squick was almost too huge to comprehend.

After a moment's pause, it crawled up onto a root curving up out of the ground- and from there it sensed a presence. Its blurred eyes fixed on a moving shape somewhere beyond, playing as it bounded into view. The sound of its laughter was like music to Squick's heart. And although it couldn't see the new Host yet, it felt certain that whoever it was was beautiful. It crawled forward, dropping off the root, and the tiny worm made a beeline for the cat- perhaps foolishly, eyes wide with wonder and mandibles twitching.

It let out the tiniest squelch of joy.

Mr. Host! Mr. Host! I'm here, Mr. Host! it called in its head, oblivious to whether the larger creature would hear it or not.

---

When I think.

Wilder heard the sound in her head, in her mind, and she realized that someone was using magic to communicate with her. But it seemed that it didn't really know who it was pointing to. Because she certainly wasn't Mr. Host! Or maybe she looked like Mr. Host. But how could they see her? She couldn't see it! She rolled back over so that she was on her stomach, but didn't get up just yet. She looked around, curious, trying to see where the thing was.

She tried to reach back with magic but she found that the inability to see exactly where this thing was made casting harder so she cut off the effort before something happened. Instead, she flicked her tail and softly called out. "I'm not Mr. Host! I'm Wilder! Where are you I can't see you?"

@Squick

Squick squirmed nearer and nearer.

Soon it could see the host’s sleek black fur and make out the shine of her pink eyes. She was different to Pride in a lot of ways... but the first thing Squick noticed immediately was thst she was a lot smaller. A small, deflating squelch of disappointment followed, like releasing air from a baloon.

But now was not the time to be picky. After all, like all Hosts, she was still big- and she was still gloriously pretty, a veritable god in the mind of little Squick.

The host spoke, its booming voice reverberating through the worm, and making its hide quiver with excitement. It did not understand speech very well, but it was able to draw some semblence of meaning from them.

It was approaching the towering feline now, squirming its way to her feet as it gazed up at her in pure wonder. It let out a squishy sound of pure delight as it raised up its frontmost three pairs of limbs off the ground and tried to latch onto her foreleg.

I’m down here, Mr. Host! I’m here! Can I climb on you?

---

When I think.

Wilder looked around, looking for the sound of the voice but when it directed her near her paw, she at first saw nothing. But then she noticed the tiny speck of pale flesh and realized with a jolt of surprise that that was the thing trying to talk to her. With it latched onto her foot, she carefully raised it so that it was level with her head and looked at it with one of her large pink eyes. This tiny thing, really? Why was it calling her Mr. Host?

She tried to reach out to communicate with it, since she doubted that it would be able to talk to her physically, but she just...couldn't. Maybe it was too small, maybe the spell just wasn't working, but she couldn't. She tried for a moment, straining herself until her head throbbed before giving up. "I'm Wilder," she repeated. "And you are tiny. What are you?"

@Squick

Squick squelched in delight as the host picked it up, the little worm clinging with all of its remaining limbs to her pawpad. As it got nearer and her face came into focus, it crawled up onto her paw pad and tilted its head, all six teardrop-shaped eyes blinking, its brows wrinkling curiously.

It peered at her face, and its mouth opened slightly. So close, and so beautiful! It could see her mouth moving as she spoke, and only half-registered the sounds she made as it focused on the movements. How to get there? It paused for a moment in careful consideration, then shrank down. It bent its legs, the end of its tail lifting, and then with a sudden and startling jerk of its entire body, flung itself onto her, latching all ten of its little legs onto her nose with a dazed expression on its face.

Yes! It had done it!

It squelched in excitement and crawled upwards so that it was perched on her forehead and in a more stable position. There it stayed to catch its breath, and whilst it was there, it thought. Squick! it thought, closing its eyes in deep focus.

But instead of the expected thrill of magic, a sudden wave of exhaustion overtook it. Perhaps it had come too far, or had too little food; or perhaps it was just the magic sucking at its strength. But a moment later, its grip loosened, and it slithered down from Wilder's face, over her nose and into the air. A moment later it hit the ground and curled up into a wrinkled little ball, covering its face with small paws.

Its wrinkled side stung, and suddenly it felt cold, tired and hungry. And it was such a long climb to get back up there!

It let out a small whimper of defeat.

---

When I think.

@Wilder

Wilder wasn't really prepared for the little thing to suddenly jump on her face so she jerked away with surprise. It felt kind of strange. Even though it was so small she could feel it wriggling up her face onto her forehead. It didn't seem to be doing any damage, though, so she didn't resist. She at first tried to follow it's movements with her eyes but it was a strain and it soon left her field of vision so she simply looked off into space.

She tried again to reach for it, wanting to be able to communicate since it was quite obvious that it was intelligent and she wasn't sure if it could understand her speech. She shut her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to concentrate on bringing up that more difficult magic. To try and communicate with the small little worm thing. Perhaps it was because it was closer to her gem now or because the tiny little pressure on her head was easier to reach. But it worked and she felt her magic clasp onto what seemed to be a perfectly normal gembound. She opened a channel between the two of them so they could talk freely. "Hello? Can you hear? Are you a bug?" She sensed the exhaustion coming from the little thing and she felt worry welling in her. The worry increased when it suddenly went sliding off her face.

It was an effort to keep the magic going but she managed. She slid down onto her belly and got up close, turning her head and closing her other eye so that she could see it properly. "Are you okay? Are you sick?"

@Squick

Curled up, with tail hiding its face, the little maggotlike Squick was a sorry, and perhaps disgusting sight. Its eyes clamped shut and whimpering, only to perk up a little as the thoughts of another welled up in its mind. almost immediately it unrolled, and wobbled forward, craning back its head and peering up with six wide eyes.

It squelched up at her, puglike brows wrinkling. Yes, yes, I hear you! it thought gratefully. No, not sick. Just Squick! I'm looking for a new host!

Its spirits rose as yet again as the kind voice of a new host soothed it. Although it was still awfully tired and had a long way to climb, it felt that perhaps the host might help it. I've walked a long, long way and I'm awfully tired. It's also very cold out here and there is no food! Could I please go into you instead, Mr. Host? I promise I won't take up much room!

---

When I think.

@Wilder

Wilder tilted her head the slightest, a little confused and a little...well, put off by the worm's request. Go inside her? She tried to understand what that meant. Did it have anything to do with it calling her 'Mr. Host'? Or its tiny body? She tried to think about what it would be like to have something inside her. Wouldn't it just go away like food did? "Go inside me? Like you want me to eat you?" What a strange little thing. She did not know anything that wanted to be eaten.

She moved a bit so she was more comfortable and so her warm breath was gently flowing over Squick. It had mentioned being cold so she thought that a bit of her warmth might help it feel a little better. "Why do you call me Mr. Host? What does that mean. I'm Wilder, by the way! If you need food, I can help you find some, although I don't know what something as small as you eats. If you eat at all. But if I eat you it won't be good, right? You'll just go away and die like the other things I eat, right?"

@Squick

Squick shrank down slightly as Wilder answered their question with more questions. It nodded eagerly. Yes! That's right. It paused, lifting itself up onto its hindmost four legs to try and be as near to wilder's breaths as it could. The warmth was wonderful and welcome, but it wasn't enough for the poor little parasite. It needed her body's warmth, not what remained of it.

It paused for a moment, tiny brain ticking over the questions, one by one. Because you are a host! You are far bigger and stronger than I am, and you can do all the things that I cannot! It lowered itself back onto all ten limbs as Wilder continued, letting out a small piping sound. The big place doesn't have any food for me. I must be in a small place, which is warm and safe inside of a Host like you. Then you will make the food for me!

At Wilder's worry, the parasite thought back wistfully to its former host, and its brows creased as it felt a growing sadness, the glorious sight of the white deer stepping out of the haze etched in its mind for this new Host to see. It missed Pride, with his pristine whiteness and kind mind-voice, the booming heartbeat that Squick had known and come to love. Don't worry, Mr. Wilder! Mr. Pride was worried about that too, I think.

There was a pause.

...But I lived inside Mr. Pride for quite some time, and all was fine.

---

When I think.

@Wilder