It was comforting in here. Soothing and ordinary, hard walls pressed comfortably against its soft flesh. It was enclosed, tight, as homely as a place could be. But it was also lonely. The walls here were cold and Squick yearned for the beating of a vast, welcoming heart to keep it company. The rasp of breath in cavernous lungs and the rumbles from deep within. Another life. A home. A host.

There had been one once, a long time ago.

Squick would have stayed here forever if it could have, though.

Fear of the vast, blurry, cold world beyond made it curl deeper into itself, clamping eyes shut, yearning to return to the void inside its gemstone womb.

But the void never came.

In time, something else replaced it instead. Hunger.

Finally, six teardrop-shaped eyes opened, squinting. Faint light shone through a haze of translucent crystal. Vast shadows towered beyond, and Squick huddled deeper into cold, hard stone. Could it be... Home?

The hunger pangs intensified. Finally, Squick deemed it time. The parasite pressed ten tiny hands against the cold walls, and pushed until they cracked. The two-inch long, boneless thing oozed out onto soft moss and peered around with enormous, watery eyes. It's mandibles quivered in confusion. After a foot or so, Squick's vision faded to a blur. Shadows loomed somewhere beyond. Squick toddled towards one, ten legs carrying it in a lumbering fashion.

Big, green, but not something viable as a host. Out of the haze, the shadows were no more than immense ferns.

At that moment the hunger and the cold brewed instinct, closing on on the little creature's heart with a vice-like grip.

I must find a new host.

---

When I think.

Note: whoever replies to this thread does *not* need to become its host. It will need to eat, though.

Since the transaction of giving part of their stone in exchange for help gaining an intriguing lesser's stone, Mirrikh's first visit to their father since had been peppered with questions about what Samael was like, when he had hatched, since Mirrikh was the most visually similar to their father between them and Fafnir, their extraordinarily large serpentine sibling.

Samael had welcomed the knowledge-seeking questions of his usually matter-of-fact offspring, and had told them much about his own larval caterpillar-esque stage prior to chrysalis and reforming into a form that was more fairy-esque. He hypothesized that if Mirrikh had not hatched late, they might have had such a stage as well, though there was no way of knowing for certain, of course.

Mirrikh had taken the information in stride at the time, and decided not to seek out the larger greater they had traded with to share further knowledge since either it would be relevant and the other would feel cheated for the omission, perhaps, or it would not be relevant at all and the information would prove an unnecessary concern.

They had not brought up or thought on the topic much since, but they thought upon this as they spied an odd creature near a fern. Not a lesser, they thought, despite being perhaps small enough to stack six times of length to reach Mirrikh's height, and Mirrikh knew they themselves were small for a lesser. Its shape was too unfamiliar to be a lesser.

Instead, it reminded Mirrikh of Samael's description of the larval form he had possessed. They couldn't tell how many pairs of legs the other had, but it might've been roughly seven pairs, like Samael had possessed- Though, it lacked the paralytic hair-quills that Samael had in that form. Perhaps, though, it was simply a different variant?

"Hello," they greeted, red gaze curious as they intently studied the grub-like individual from where they hovered in the air. "Are you a fairy as well, by chance? A young one, I mean," they asked, words polite but rather unaware of their own mistake.

If this creature was a young fairy, after all, there was quite a significant chance it would not know, as Samael had not known. But Mirrikh forgot this in their eager curiosity.

@Squick

The little thing was jolted from its focus on the foliage by a sound, loud, near, and clearly aimed at Squick. A shudder of excitement rippled over it's gelatinous body and it let out an excited squelch, then began to peer around, neck and expression crinkling curiously.

Could it be... A voice?

Squick fought to peer through the haze of blurred vision, its largest set of eyes narrowing slightly, before it finally detected a heat signature through the fog. The stranger was near enough to detect, but not near enough to see...

For a moment Squick's tiny heart pounded. Home! Hope! Salvation!

Squick toddled closer, until a bleary black and red shape materialized, and Squick realized with palpable disappointment that this creature, whatever it was, was far too small to be a viable host.

Squick shrank down into a boneless little heap in front of the not-host,. It's dark, wet eyes peered up.

Oh... came the wan, telepathic voice. You're too little to be a host.

---

When I think.

@Mirrikh

It was odd, this gembound. The more Mirrikh studied it, the more that they noticed its seeming defenselessness. If it had no furr-quills, how was it to defend itself until the transformation?

Perhaps it was vaguely cute, Mirrikh considered as the gembound peered up with its numbered eyes. Mirrikh usually did not consider much cute, but this seemed to fit that description well enough, despite or perhaps because of its odd fleshiness. That wouldn't defend against lesser gembound predators, however.

Those eyes were practically dark liquid as Mirrikh watched the gembound watch them in return.

Hmm, the only other fairy they knew, their father, only had one set of eyes, but perhaps this one was a hybrid?

Yes, maybe it was a hybrid, and that explained the strange-

...Mirrikh was not the most self-aware, perhaps, but they were distinctly aware that they had just heard another voice, and not from any mouth. No, that voice had entered their own mind!

"Is that your magic? Your voice in my head?" Mirrikh blurted out. "Wait- can you hear me if I don't talk?"

It was a good thing Mirrikh wasn't much of a thinker, more of an individual that chooses to act.

Then a sense of distinct offense occurred to Mirrikh. "Too little?!" they half-exclaimed. "I'll have you know I am a most excellent hunter! My wings contain powder that causes paralysis, and I have venom that causes stonerot!"

Mirrikh paused again. "...What's a host?"

@Squick

Squick listened to the odd, fluttery creature's reply, their surprise on hearing Squick's voice. The worm blinked a few times, considering its reply. No-one had ever been surprised to hear it speak before! Magic? Yes. Voice? Not Quite. This is my voice! and the worm let out the biggest squelch it could for effect. This is how I talk, though!

At their question, Squick shook its head. Can't hear thoughts you don't want me to. Not yet, anyway.

At their affronted reaction, Squick's disappointment lingered, and in fact, their reply only made the parasite feel worse. This one could have made the perfect host, if only it was bigger! The little creature's eyes wrinkled with longing as it stared unhappily up at the fairy. If it could have sniffled, it would have. You would have been perfect! Squick lamented unhappily. A hunter with venom and paralysis! Wonderful! Powerful! But it does not matter. Your tummy does not have room for me.

The worm let out a squeaky little sigh.

A host is everything! A host is home, food, warmth. But they have to be big enough to have caverns inside of them for me to live in!

---

When I think.

@mirrikh

Once more, the voice spoke into Mirrikh’s mind. Or… not-voice, as it was. Talking yet not speaking. Mirrikh had never thought there was a difference. Never thought about greater gembounds that could not speak but could still talk. And yet…

Well, at least Mirrikh had no need to worry about stray thoughts being shared, if it was being honest.

It remained strangely cute to their eyes as it talked to them. Perhaps it was because young of fairies could look somewhat similar, they thought their father Samael might have hypothesized about that for their line of thinking.

Mirrikh preened to be called near perfect, even as the understanding of what a host was still eluded them. They were indeed wonderful and powerful, yes. It was rare to be so acknowledged, but Mirrikh knew it for truth.

Home, food, and warmth. Was that everything? Perhaps it was everything for this being. Warmth was pleasant, the snake-descended fairy could admit, and food was important. But the hunt mattered more to Mirrikh than a home could. For all intents and purposes they did not have a home, and they saw no need for one when it would limit their hunt to stay to one locale.

Then a thought occurred, sudden and worrisome. “Can you eat without having a host…?” Mirrikh inquired with some concern. They did not like the idea of starvation occurring to a greater gembound, especially one as small and defenseless as this one.

@Squick

The stranger's question brought it back. The fear. The worry. The need. And Squick's fleshy form quivered in response. I... Don't know, the worm thought back. Perhaps if it was soft enough. Mushy and warm. Or perhaps...

Suddenly Squick's expression brightened. It narrowed its eyes for a moment and knew what it had to do as it felt for the magic rising from the pit of it's stomach.

This creature couldn't host it, it was true; but perhaps they could feed it.

It's big, teardrop shaped eyes implored them.

Whatever food it would have eaten, whatever was inside it. Squick wanted it. Squick nursed all of the unseen, nasty things inside the Fairy and brought them into vigorous mitosis.

Yes. Squick thought. Yes, I think I can...

---

When I think.

@Mirrikh