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Chapter Text

The wind blew in heavily across the blue lake, coming from the cold atmosphere of forgotten crossroads. It was calming to some, eerie to others... Certainly more eerie now that the infection was haunting that place.

Quirrel just hoped that the sacrifice Monomon made, to be erased from history, would be enough. That the little ghost of Hallownest would cure the infection. They were certainly a strong little creature.

And yet, Quirrel had thought himself a strong creature until recently. A brave and spry bug that could cut through any infected foe that blocked his path or threatened the innocent. But now that Monomon's mask was no longer in his possession, he felt himself growing older.

It wasn't even that his body was particularly aged. He was an adult, yes, but he hadn't been gone from Hallownest for that long. And that was the most troubling thing. His body was perfectly fine, and yet he felt tired.

Weak.

And he had no good reason to feel that way.

He was a strong believer that the dead should not be bound to the world by their battles. That their weapons would be left behind. And yet, here he stood before the blue lake, questioning where he would go. Where he even deserved to go.

He had fulfilled his purpose well, yes? He had lived so much, and yet he remembered hardly any of it. Perhaps he should be grateful. So much explored, but whatever trauma he had encountered in the past erased.

He did know one thing. Pill bugs, not the kind that he himself was but rather the small and unintelligent kind that wandered outside of Hallownest, had gills. He did not. Neither did other pill bugs, as far as he was aware.

It was something that the wyrm, the pale king, had done... Quirrel did not know why, but he was certain of it. The wyrm had molded all of them, after all.

He took a step forwards and felt the cold blue water well up around his pointed feet, the wet sand below molding around them. He reached behind himself and placed his long nail in the sand behind him.

It was a good weapon. It had served him for many years, supposedly from back when he was a young student of Monomon. He didn't know this because he remembered receiving it, but rather because he had gotten very good at reading how old stone was. It was a fascinating study, something he could say about all of his other studies.

He hesitated for a moment, thinking about the things he'd learned. That thought crept back up on him, that he didn't know what was after death. It was jarring, perhaps even threatening. Would all the knowledge he knew of go to waste with him? Sunken beneath a great lake?

But something told him that backing down now would be... wrong. Cheating death, almost. He already felt like he was living off of borrowed time, his youth surviving longer than his own memories.

The water was up to Quirrel's head now. He'd gone swimming here a few times, and it felt just as peaceful now as it always did. He'd often wondered what it would feel like to drown. Would he slowly fade away, calm and peaceful?

...Or would his lungs burn and scream.

Some thoughts were better left unexplained. Even if he knew the true answer already, what with how much he believed in and studied sciences of all kinds. Even after losing his old memories, it had always been a fascination of his.

The water closed off over his head, and he let himself fall forwards. His feet left the sand, and he rolled himself over to face the surface as he let himself sink. The glow from moss on the walls above glistened on the surface of the water.

Quirrel closed his eyes, a few bubbles drifting from his half-opened mouth. Even if they weren't closed, any light from the surface above had begun to fade away regardless.

Suddenly, Quirrel felt a pair of hands grasp around his torso. He thought that it was the feeling of a peaceful death gripping at him before he was suddenly pulled upwards and broke the surface of the lake.

He let out a shuddering gasp, coughing loudly as he was inexplicably dragged up to the sandy shore. Now that he was no longer actively ebbing away, his lungs hurt.

A lot.

The pill bug managed to slowly open one eye, feeling water drip from beneath the plates of his shell. A pair of two dark gray feet were rested in the sand in front of him, but they quickly pranced out of his immediate view.

''For anyone watching or listening, I have just saved this poor little bug from drowning! No need to come down and thank me, or provide a towel'' A confident and loud male voice called out. There was a hint of arrogance to his tone.

''Such a shame, that so many bugs are deprived of the knowledge to swim... So foolish and vulnerable, unfit to be warriors. Such a horrible thought'' The male bug continued to spout off, pacing about the sand.

Quirrel tried to speak, but all that came out was a strangled cough. As if he couldn't swim... He couldn't help but feel a bit upset that this bug had stopped his attempt. Although, deep down, perhaps a part of him was a bit... thankful.

As the bug that had ''saved'' him finally stopped pacing and stopped in front of him, Quirrel got a better look at his whole figure. He was wearing blue-gray metal armor from top to bottom, and a tall dark teal hood completely obscured his face. Two white eyes glowed from underneath the coat of shadows.

''I will take your hand now...'' The tall figure said, doing just that and grabbing Quirrel's hand, pulling him to a shaky stand before continuing. ''...and I will bring you with me to a safer land, where you can't slip and fall on these shells and driftwood.''

Slip and fall... It seemed that the figure truly did believe that Quirrel had been sinking to the bottom of the blue lake purely by accident. Regardless, his legs were shaking under him, so he had no choice but to be dragged along.

His attempt at his own life disappeared behind a stone wall as he was dragged away from the lake.

Chapter Text

''Where did you- Hghk- say we're going again...?!'' Quirrel asked as the hooded figure dragged him through the gloomy environment of the resting ground. Broken and discarded masks littered the ground to the point that they almost looked like walls and floors themselves.

The hooded figure, who Quirrel still did not know the name of or the intentions of, skidded to a stop and turned to look back at Quirrel. He held a silver shield at his side, attached to one of his thin wrists.

''We're going somewhere where we can bandage your wounds, obviously. Not one of the simple places run by other bugs, but a cavern where I can tend to your injured state'' The hooded figure explained, crossing his arms with a clink of his armor.

''But I'm not wounded or in an injured state.''

''Lies! You slipped and nearly drowned in that lake of false calm. You must be injured.''

''...But I'm not. See?''

Quirrel did a slow spin in a circle, his body and therefore legs having mostly recovered from lack of oxygen now. His lungs still hurt quite a bit, but it was manageable.

''...So you're not'' The hooded figure said after a moment, his glowing eyes narrowing slightly. ''But how am I meant to be a hero to your... strange... bean-like body if you're not injured? I can't find fame in dragging a sodden stranger about if they're perfectly fine.''

'Then don't drag a sodden stranger around', Quirrel wanted to say. He decided to keep his mouth shut. He was a good fighter, but he had no weapon at the moment. His nail had been left at the blue lake, and the hooded figure had that shield. It looked sharp.

''So what am I, then?'' Quirrel settled on, deciding to bring a bit of lighthearted humor to the situation. It often helped him deal with stressful situations. ''A defenseless maiden? A damsel in distress?? What if I didn't want the saving of... whatever your name is?''

He'd tried to hint at the fact that he hadn't exactly meant to be saved. That he'd meant to be at the bottom of that lake now. But the hooded stranger didn't seem to pick up on that, instead answering his question. At least he did that much.

''I am the great and cunning Tiso the warrior. I'm on my way to the colosseum of fools, I'm sure you've heard of it, but I couldn't help but notice a bug in need of saving. Unlike some ruffians I've seen running about, I show something called basic empathy.''

Quirrel couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. Empathy? It seemed more as if this Tiso bug cared about saving someone for the reward of fame, or perhaps even riches. That wasn't what empathy was.

As for the colosseum of fools... Quirrel had heard of that. It was an arena at the very peak of kingdom's edge, where all kinds of bugs would go and fight each other for a reward. They posted their advertisements on signs all around, drawing bugs in with the hope of riches or fame. But it was no spar. It was a fight to the death.

Quirrel had not fought there, nor had he ever shown any interest in doing so. He'd watched a match once and left as soon as it had ended, never to return. Not because he couldn't handle violence or gore, but because of how cruel the practice seemed to him. It wasn't a culture like the mantis tribe, it was a game run by sick individuals.

It didn't surprise him that this self-proclaimed ''warrior'' was on his way there.

''Are you just going to stand there and wilt away into the ground?'' Tiso suddenly asked, tapping his foot on the ground. It clicked against the hard masks. ''We're going to my cavern nearby.''

Quirrel raised an eyebrow. Hadn't they both firmly established that he wasn't injured or in need of healing? And yet he was still being brought back to a random cavern somewhere nearby? Was it a ploy to rob him or something??

Not that it would matter. Quirrel had left all of his geo behind in a place that he knew the little ghost knight would find it when he'd gone to the blue lake. He physically could not be robbed.

Not of his money or weapons, at least.

''Why would I come with you?'' Quirrel asked, crossing his arms. ''I'm typically up for an adventure, but you haven't explained where we're going. An adventure without any plan is a death wish in these parts.''

Tiso scoffed, rearing back slightly and looking outright offended by what Quirrel had said. He placed a hand dramatically on his metal chest plate.

''An adventure without a plan is the only kind of adventure! What you're referring to his cartography. A completely different practice where one follows the rules and paths of others-''

''Cartography is making maps, actually. And an adventure can still be fun if it's safe.''

''Of course I know what cartography is, fool!''

''If I'm such a fool, why are you trying to bring me back to your den?''

Tiso paused, and Quirrel knew that he'd won that argument then and there. Then again, he himself wasn't even completely sure why he was entertaining this. Perhaps he found some sort of charm in someone that needed to be taught. He was a good teacher. Taught by the best.

''Because-... Because I'm seeking a battle companion'' Tiso explained after a moment of coming up with a decent response. ''Not because I'm lonely, I'll have you know! Fighting simple bugs has gotten far too easy. I need someone to defend while fighting them to make it a challenge.''

Ah... So this bug was lonely. Despite what he'd said to deny that claim, it was quite obvious to Quirrel. Even Quirrel had to admit that sometimes adventuring and exploring was more fun with a partner. He'd enjoyed his fight alongside the little ghost knight more than any fight he'd done in a long time.

The prospect of going out and adventuring with this mysterious new bug was almost enough to make him forget that he was meant to be dead.

''And so, I've taken it upon myself to rescue you and bring you with me. To broaden my horizons and expand my battle prowess. You'd be a very intimidating partner if you weren't... well... like that.''

''Like what? A bean? You called me bean-shaped before.''

''Well, you're a bit cute. A pudgy little bean. Not intimidating at all, especially without a nail.''

''So... I'm... cute?''

''Wh- I- N-no-!! Well, yes! In a bad, horrible way! A pathetic way!!''

Quirrel chuckled slightly to himself, shaking his head in amusement. He had to admit, there was definitely a certain charm about this strange bug that had saved his life. Even if he hadn't wanted his life saved, it'd happened, and he could at least carry this bizarre scenario through.

''...Lead the way, then'' Quirrel said, finally following after Tiso through the resting grounds.

Chapter Text

"Where exactly is this cavern of yours? It's not too much further, is it?" Quirrel asked calmly, following behind Tiso. The hooded man was humming to himself.

"It's a grand den hidden away in the forgotten crossroads, away from the infection" Tiso answered confidently, waving his hand for emphasis.

Quirrel paused, frowning. That wasn't particularly far away, but a stagway would get them there much faster... And there was a stag station sign just in the distance, pointing upwards.

"Can't we ride the stagways there?" Quirrel finally pointed out, gesturing to the sign. "That old stag is quite nice. I've talked to him plenty, and he's always happy to get bugs from place to place."

Tiso scoffed dramatically, as if the notion personally offended him. He turned to face Quirrel, his eyes narrowed and his foot tapping on the ground. He'd stopped humming.

"A stag station? Those old jostling beasts that run through the dirt and knock you around? A true warrior walks wherever they go, be it their next battle or lunch!"

"...But you can't fight well if your legs are aching" Quirrel pointed out, crossing his arms.

"B-... But... Neh!! True warriors can't get aching legs. Doesn't happen. I haven't gotten aching legs since the day I picked up this shield" Tiso claimed, crossing his arms right back at Quirrel.

Quirrel sighed, shaking his head softly. This man really was a piece of work... Although, he supposed it was a bit endearing. Unfortunately, the type of bug that Tiso was didn't typically last long. They'd get too cocky. Quirrel had done it in the past, back in his student days.

Quirrel's eyes flicked down to Tiso's legs, the ones that he'd claimed "didn't get sore". His eyes widened slightly as he realized that one of them seemed to be a prosthetic, made of painted metal and hinges. What had happened to him?

He decided to ask.

"If I may ask, what happened to your leg? I know a thing or two about hinges. I could take a look at the prosthetic and make sure it's in good condition for your fighting-" He offered, hoping to at least lengthen this cocky bug's lifespan.

"Fine, we can ride your stupid jolty stagways-" Tiso cut in, uncrossing his arms and turning away from Quirrel. It seemed like he wasn't too keen to talk about it.

Quirrel rolled his eyes, following Tiso as the other bug started walking again. Seemed that he wouldn't be getting that story so easily...

"There's a stag station this way" Quirrel said, pointing to the sign again. "We might have to jump and climb a bit to get there, but I'm sure someone with your extensive battle prowess won't struggle with that" He jested.

"Why, of course not!! I can climb perfectly fine" Tiso said, bracing himself and leaping upwards, sticking the landing on the stone ledge above them.

Quirrel was already there, causing Tiso to nearly lose his balance and fall back down the ledge. Quirrel quickly grabbed one of his hands, pulling him back up and steadying him.

"Are you alright? Didn't mean to scare you-" Quirrel said, watching as Tiso brushed his metal chest plate off. It'd gotten a bit dusty from how old all the broken masks lying around were.

"I'm perfectly fine" Tiso said, looking back up at Quirrel. "How did you learn to jump like that? Some sort of... jumping school? It's impressive-"

Quirrel thought for a moment, unsure of where or when he'd learned to bounce off of his nail like that to gain height. Could it have been Monomon's teachings? Likely. But how could he properly explain that to a stranger??

"I've known for a while. It's not very difficult, really. Hard to do with only a shield, though" He said, looking up at the next ledge. "Come on, only two more platforms".

Quirrel was about to jump to the next ledge when Tiso put a hand on his chest, stopping him. The pill bug's eyes widened slightly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit flustered. Why? He wasn't even sure. He just hadn't been expecting it.

"No, no. I'll go first this time. You can watch me and take notes on posture" Tiso said, tapping Quirrel's chest a few times before crouching down and leaping up towards the upper ledge.

He grabbed onto the edge of the platform and tried to lift his feet to push himself up, but it took him at least five seconds to get fully to the top. Quirrel could tell that the prosthetic leg he had was either too ridged or put too much pressure on his hip.

As much as he wanted to bring it up again, he decided that he could at least wait until the ride to Dirtmouth. He didn't want to corner Tiso about it, but he was a bug that wanted to help other bugs by nature.

The two adventurers made their way up to the stag station, and Quirrel rang the bell to call the last known stag of the stagways. He was a fast creature, so it didn't take long before he came careening into the room

Tiso let out a slightly upset noise, but he quickly climbed up onto one of the seats regardless. Quirrel followed him, sitting down next to him and peering over the front to speak with the stag. Tiso scooted away from him slightly.

"We're headed up to Dirtmouth" Quirrel said to the stag, being met with a loud grumble of confirmation. The large creature reared back and began to move, eliciting a slight yelp from Tiso that he tried to play off as a yawn of boredom.

"Do you not like the speed?" Quirrel asked after a moment, looking over at the hooded bug next to him. "I could probably ask him to slow down."

"Slow down? That'll just keep us in these tunnels even longer" Tiso answered, crossing his arms over his chest plate and hunching himself down. Quirrel wondered if he was motion sick.

"...Are you sure you don't want me to ask?"

"I'm sure! I'm perfectly fine. I've faced much worse than this."

"Like what...? You never answered me earlier."

Tiso looked away from Quirrel at that question, letting out another grumble. The pill bug didn't want to pry, but he was starting to get concerned with Tiso's behavior.

At first, he'd just assumed that the other bug was reckless and overconfident. But now, he wasn't totally sure that that was all there was to him. He seemed very closed off, but he'd clearly wanted someone to adventure with him.

Tiso had scooted to the edge of the smooth leather chairs that the two were sitting on, so much so that Quirrel was a bit worried that he'd fall off. He was tempted to say something, or even to pull Tiso away from the edge to make sure he didn't fall, but he decided against it.

He wasn't even fully sure why he cared so much about this strange bug. He tried to be optimistic and caring towards everyone he met, but some bugs really got on his nerves. Overconfident and disrespectful were two traits that he didn't like.

Perhaps it was because Tiso had saved his life? Or maybe because Tiso seemed a bit too foolish to be out here getting into fights?

Maybe focusing on someone else's self-destructive behavior could distract Quirrel from his own mental battles and difficulties.

Chapter Text

The stag jolted to a stop, nearly sending Tiso flying off the side of the seats. Quirrel really should've warned him about that, but he didn't want to get into an argument with the touchy bug.

What he could do, however, was reach out and grab Tiso's hand to pull him back up before he could hit the ground. Quirrel couldn't help but note that this was the second time he'd stopped Tiso from falling off of something.

''Thanks for that...'' Tiso muttered, barely loud enough for Quirrel to hear. He looked over the seat to address the old stag. ''You can take us up to the colosseum of fools, right? We need to get there later. I was pretty close before I found this drowning bug-''

The stag grunted, shaking his large furry head. ''There's no stag stations opened there, at least not that I'm aware of. It's too steep for any of the tunnels to drill through. There is one of those old tram stations in the ancient basin, but I wouldn't recommend riding them...''

Quirrel tilted his head at that. He'd gone on a few of the trams littered around Hallownest, he had a tram pass, and he hadn't noticed anything wrong with them. Sure, they were a bit old, but he'd never had one derail itself.

''What's wrong with the trams? They seemed fine to me, if I might say'' Quirrel asked, climbing off over the edge of the seats and onto the smooth stone ground. ''They're pretty fast, too. And you said it yourself that you can't-''

He was cut off by Tiso jumping down past him, nearly knocking him over. The dust and old dirt coating the ground was disturbed, puffing up into the air and causing Quirrel to have a mild coughing fit.

He hadn't mentioned it, it didn't seem like that big of a deal, but his lungs still ached. He wondered if they were damaged in any way. How long had he been underwater?? A minute, at the very least...

''Myeh!! Let us spend as little time as possible in this dusty place!'' Tiso said, quickly stepping onto the elevator. Quirrel gave a few more raspy coughs before following him, tugging on one of the chains to go up.

''You could take some more time, you know'' Quirrel said, leaning against one of the chains. He'd always been one to appreciate little things that he came across. ''Besides, I left my nail back at the blue lake. It was a good nail, not replaceable, but I should at least have some other weapon if I plan to continue living.''

...Did he? Plan to continue living?? This adventure with Tiso was something, that was for sure. Maybe there was still stuff left to do here.

Tiso scoffed, rolling his eyes behind his hood. He leaned against one of the chains as well, either to mimic Quirrel or just to relax and rest for a moment. Then again, he didn't seem like the type for rest and relaxation on an elevator ride. ''That mosquito woman may have some old, dusty nails. True warriors forge their own weapons.''

''Her name is Iselda. And is that why you don't have your own weapon...? Actually, better question- Why don't you?''

''What? I have a weapon!! Right here!''

Tiso held out his silver shield, and it glistened slightly. It was decent craftsmanship, especially if he'd made it himself... But Quirrel wouldn't've taken Tiso as the type to go on the defensive. He seemed like he'd want to rush into combat, hacking and slashing with a nail of his own.

Quirrel's questions were quickly answered by his own observation as he realized just how sharp the edges of the shield were. They could certainly cut through flesh, especially of smaller enemies like vengeflies... And was it honed almost like a boomerang, too?

The elevator came to a jolting stop, but at least Tiso didn't topple over this time. He quickly stepped off the elevator and exited the stag station into Dirtmouth. Quirrel followed after him before he could get too far out of sight.

Dirtmouth was a small town. He'd been here a few times, mostly to rest when passing through the forgotten crossroads. The townsfolk were nice enough, but that was likely because of how few of them were there. Hopefully Sly, one of the merchants there, could sell a somewhat decent nail.

''You can lead the way here. I assume you know where we're going? It was your idea to come here'' Tiso said, crossing his arms and tapping his foot on the dirt ground.

''It was your idea to come to the forgotten crossroads, actually. Your grand cavern, remember?'' Quirrel pointed out, looking around for a moment before walking towards Sly's hut. ''Why exactly are you taking me there, anyways? We've established a few times now that I'm not-''

''Not injured! I know, I know... You're going to come with me on my journey to the colosseum, remember? To make it more of a challenge, since I'll have to save you again?''

''But why make something a challenge when it doesn't have to be, Tiso? That's how you get yourself killed.''

''It's a test of skill!''

''But true skill comes with knowing when something is just foolish. Maybe that's why it's called the colosseum of fools.''

Tiso stammered for a second, seemingly unable to find a rebuttal for that. He instead opted to scoff and continue on towards the tents, shooting Quirrel a look that seemed to say 'What do you know?'.

Quirrel sighed, shaking his head. At this point, Tiso's attitude was nothing short of mildly amusing to him. What an arrogant yet... oddly endearing... bug. The hood obscuring his face certainly added to his mystery.

The pill bug and hooded figure walked into Sly's hut together. It was somewhat small, but lots of trinkets and old items were strewn about. A crooked sign was stamped into one of the walls.

'Sly is out of town today to gather items from the Queen's station. Leave geo at the front table. I'll know if anything's been stolen, so don't even consider it'.

Quirrel couldn't help but wonder if Tiso would respect the sign's request. After all, he seemed like the type to be a bit of a thief. Quirrel could tell him off if he tried anything.

"All of these weapons and items are so dull... Practically clutter" Tiso said, kicking a rusty key across the stone ground. "Will you really find a nail worthy of your skill here?"

"How do you know I'm a skilled fighter?" Quirrel asked, picking a nail up off the floor. It was cracked and damaged, but perhaps he could take it to the nailsmith down at the bottom of the City of tears.

"Well, you just have that look about you. And that weapon you left behind at the blue lake looked pretty sharp" Tiso explained. "I just figured that you're a good fighter."

"So you think I'm fit?" Quirrel asked teasingly, attempting to lighten the slightly tense mood that had been following them around for the entire journey here.

Tiso sputtered, sounding a mix of offended and flustered by Quirrel's words. He turned to face the pill bug, waving an old key at him like a weapon.

"A true warrior never feeds into their opponent's ego!!" He said, tossing the key behind himself and crossing his arms.

"So you think we're... opponents?"

"That isn't what I said at all! You're not listening to me properly."

"Well, that makes two of us."

"Nyeh-!!"

Quirrel sighed, shaking his head and turning around to face the small rack of weapons. They truly were pitiful... Either broken, rusted, or bent.

One in particular caught his eye. It was a bit dusty, but at least it seemed like it'd function fine as a weapon. Not curved or chipped at all. A nailsmith probably wouldn't charge much geo to have it repaired.

Quirrel let out a stifled cough, covering his mouth with one hand. His throat was a bit sore from the coughing fit earlier, and his lungs still hadn't eased up.

He'd be fine again in a day or two, hopefully...

Chapter Text

"If we're going to the colosseum of fools, why are we going back to this cavern of yours?" Quirrel asked curiously, sliding down the walls of the well after Tiso and landing next to him.

"Well, I have to pick some things up there. You know, for the travel" Tiso explained, swatting frantically at a nearby vengefly.

Quirrel reached out with his newfound nail and slashed at the vengefly, taking it down in two swings. It was a decent weapon, although he wasn't sure if it was worth the 900 geo he'd spent on it.

"But weren't you already on your way up before you met me?" Quirrel questioned further. "Why did we turn back around when you were so close?"

"Well, maybe I want you to see my stash before we leave."

"Your stash?? Of what? Weapons? Trinkets?"

"You'll see when we get there, alright? And maybe you can get a better weapon than that weak nail you picked up."

"So weapons, then? I would definitely appreciate-"

"Silence, pill bug!! You'll see when we get there..."

Quirrel sighed, leaping down a stone ledge after Tiso. The forgotten crossroads were a bit difficult to navigate, and the large spores of infection littering every wall certainly didn't help.

He couldn't help but wonder why Tiso was so closed off. He was always bragging about being some "true warrior", but he didn't want to talk about himself in any of the ways that Quirrel wanted him to.

"In here. This is my grand den" Tiso said, gesturing to the large cavern before them. Soft grumbles and chatters came from inside, and Quirrel wondered if Tiso had a family hidden away in there.

Quirrel followed Tiso into the cave, and his eyes widened slightly at what he saw. At least three-dozen small houses littered about the walls, some of them with green grubs peering out of the doors. A large grub sat at the top, his eyes narrowed with age.

"...What is this place...? A grub den? Fascinating..." Quirrel muttered, doing a slow circle to take in all the houses and grubs. They'd started squealing happily at the sight of the two bugs.

"I find a lot of grubs trapped in jars all over Hallownest. I found out that, when I free them, this old guy gives me a whole bunch of geo and other little scraps" Tiso explained.

Quirrel paused, turning to look at Tiso. That was... surprisingly kind of him. He went out of his way to save little trapped grubs?? It was unexpected, but it warmed Quirrel's heart. Maybe Tiso really was-

"Not because I enjoy their little noises or want to keep them safe, of course!" Tiso quickly clarified, seeing Quirrel's expression. "Because the old guy gives me geo for it, as I said."

Ah... But... something told Quirrel that that wasn't entirely true. It was obvious that Tiso had some sort of deep insecurity surrounding appearing vulnerable. It worried him.

And, of course, focusing on the problems of this hooded bug gave Quirrel something to do. A new purpose. He wanted...

...needed, even...

...some kind of purpose.

Or, at the very least, some kind of new adventure. He'd been a student of Monomon, although he'd forgotten it... Then he'd helped the little knight in their goal... And he'd thought that his journey was over.

"Hey, Quirrel. You're lookin' weird. Are you zoning out or something?" Tiso asked, snapping Quirrel out of his morbid thoughts. "C'mon! I'm trying to show you something-"

Quirrel shook his head and looked back over at Tiso, walking over to him. The hooded bug was holding up a piece of pale, glistening, nearly solid white ore.

Quirrel recognized it as pale ore, a strong metal that nailsmiths and lone adventurers used to sharpen and enhance their nails or blades.

"You said you made that shield yourself, right?" Quirrel asked, examining the ore. "Could you use that ore to fix my weapon? There's an old smithy and table at the Queen's station, and I wouldn't want to go into the colosseum with just this old nail-"

Tiso raised an eyebrow at Quirrel, looking away from the pale ore and over at him. He looked confused and perhaps a bit offended. "Go into the colosseum? You aren't coming with me-"

"...Why not? If you want me to go on these adventures with you, shouldn't I fight alongside you?" Quirrel asked, confused. Was he only coming to watch?? It wouldn't surprise him...

"Well, there's no glory in winning a fight with help! I can fight perfectly fine on my own. I don't need your help."

"But... Tiso, it's dangerous to go in there alone! It's possible, yes, but it's simply foolish-"

"It's not foolish, it's brave! I can conquer any enemy that faces me all by myself!!"

"Comquering your enemies alone when you have help isn't brave, it's just a death wish!"

Tiso scoffed, dropping the pale ore to the ground with a soft clink. He'd looked offended before, quite a lot actually, but now he actually looked angry.

"I can't go back there with backup after failing once before on my own, there's no point. The glory is in showing everyone there how strong you are! I wont die like an idiot-" Tiso insisted.

Quirrel paused, looking a bit surprised. He'd failed once before? The colosseum of fools was a complete fight to the death. They tossed the corpses of the fallen down into the depths of the kingdom's edge. Was that how he'd lost his leg??

He decided to ask.

"...You lost a battle there? And survived? That's-"

"Pathetic, I know..." Tiso cut in, shaking his head angrily. "But I'm stronger now than I was back then!! And I'll go up there to fight anyone that beat me in the past."

"...I was gonna say impressive, actually" Quirrel said, crossing his arms. "Not many people survive that place, from what I've heard. It's brutal and unfair-"

"It's perfectly fair!! You just have to-... I... You just have to get good, ok? And I have now! That's why we're going back up there. And you're gonna watch me fight all those fools."

"I'm not going there and watching you die. Or watching you kill other people, for that matter!" Quirrel protested, shaking his head.

"Then why are you even coming with me?! You're supposed to watch me and be impressed!!" Tiso said angrily, marching towards the exit of the cave. "Maybe you should just go back to the blue lake."

That comment hit Quirrel much harder than Tiso had probably intended it to. After all, Tiso had no way of knowing what Quirrel had tried to do there...

Quirrel just watched as the hooded bug left, leaving the grubs all around chirping in confusion and concern. Quirrel felt a pang of concern and... fear?... hit his core. What if Tiso got himself into trouble out there...?

No, he had to follow him and make sure he didn't get himself killed. Hopefully convince him not to go to the colosseum, too. Monomon had always taught him to look out for the safety of bugs in need.

Tiso definitely seemed as if he was in need of some saving. Besides, he'd technically "saved" Quirrel before... Quirrel could return the favor by making sure that Tiso didn't get himself sliced in half in front of a bloodthirsty crowd.

Chapter Text

Quirrel picked up the chunk of pale ore before setting off to track down Tiso, wanting to find him as soon as possible. The other bug was a bit clumsy at times, but that didn't mean he wasn't fast. He was probably on his way to the colosseum of fools already.

The hooded bug's heavy plated armor made him leave deeper footprints on the ground, but that didn't mean that they'd last forever. Hopefully he'd gone with his original philosophy and not chosen to ride the stagways. The fastest way to kingdom's edge, assuming he didn't, was through the fungal wastes and through the City of tears.

The fungal wastes were a dangerous place for the unprepared. It had large pools of acid, massive infected creatures, and the mantis tribe if one took a wrong turn somewhere. While the mantis tribe wasn't infected, they were brutal and fought to the death for their honour.

Nearby, a furious vengefly let out a loud chitter of alarm as it noticed Quirrel. The pill bug raised his nail as the large creature charged towards him, dodging underneath it and slashing at its underbelly. The beast roared loudly, crashing into a wall opposite from Quirrel.

Quirrel had never been one to fight when he didn't have to. It was needlessly risky, and he didn't like to kill other creatures. Once the infection had spread further, though, he'd realized that killing these creatures was doing them a favor. Ending their needless suffering.

He braced himself as the overgrown vengefly charged again, holding his nail up and letting it connect with the large beast's mandibles with a loud clatter. He pulled his nail back and slashed again, striking the creature across the neck and severing its head from its body. It fell into the darkness below with a thud.

Quirrel shook his head and kept pressing on. He knew a way into the fungal wastes from here, and he hoped that Tiso knew that as well. It seemed like the direction his footprints were going... Hopefully he could track him down before he got all the way down there.

The journey downwards was perilous, and Quirrel let out an exhausted sigh as he finally made it to the entrance of the fungal wastes and realized that Tiso had been faster. He leaned against one of the rocky outcrops and let out a few raspy coughs, tired from all the running. He'd gotten down here as fast as he could.

He really should've taken some more time to rest... Too bad Tiso seemed fully content with dragging him around. Why?? It was obvious that the hooded bug was lonely, but it wasn't like he wanted Quirrel to help him in any way.

Why was he even going there to help him in the first place? He'd made it very clear that he didn't want anyone to help him...

Maybe this was the end of Quirrel and Tiso. Back to the blue lake. Finale over. Time to-

Quirrel pushed that thought away and jumped down into the fungal wastes, sliding down the wall to slow his fall. His feet hit the ground below, sinking into the soft mud between the pebbles and stones.

Footprints would be much easier to follow in this muddy area. Quirrel just hoped that they wouldn't lead right into a pool of acid or a mantis-laid trap. He'd gone through this area many times before, and it seemed as if Tiso had as well... The footprints led through a shortcut.

Quirrel followed them, careful not to step on them and mess their trajectory up with his own prints. If he remembered correctly, that shortcut had a dip off to the side that led into a passage to the mantis village... Hopefully Tiso would know better than to challenge them.

He picked up his pace slightly, looking back and forth between what was ahead of him and the ground where Tiso's footsteps had been. He had to find the other man before he did something stupid...

''If you must challenge me before I can pass, then I shall accept!'' Tiso's voice suddenly called from a distant tunnel, echoing off the walls. Quirrel knew he was close to the exit, and his heart was racing in his chest at the thought of fighting the mantis lords.

They were trained warrior sisters, lethal in combat and brutal with their sharp spears. Quirrel himself hadn't fought them, but he'd watched the little knight fight them for the passage into deepnest. He's slipped in after them during the fight.

He really didn't like needless fighting.

It seemed that Tiso didn't feel the same.

Quirrel hurried out of the tunnel, his eyes widening as he saw Tiso standing in front of the three towering wooden thrones. The mantis lords had their fierce eyes narrowed, their spears at their sides. They turned their heads to look at Quirrel as he showed himself.

"Quirrel-?! What are you doing here?!" Tiso asked in surprise, turning to look at Quirrel in surprise. He opened his mouth to speak again, but the center mantis lord spoke first.

"Silence, small bugs!" She said in a commanding and authoritative tone, her black eyes narrowing to slits. "This one has challenged us for a passage into the City of tears. He will fight for his honour among us mantises!"

''Let me fight with him, then!''

The three mantis lords paused, turning their white heads to look at each other, contemplating. The one in the center suddenly spoke in her native tongue, one that Quirrel couldn't understand. He'd likely known at some point, but it was long-forgotten and he didn't have a reason to come down here often.

A large gate covered in sharp metal spikes suddenly shot up behind Quirrel, blocking him from leaving and causing him to jump slightly. Another gate came up behind Tiso, effectively locking both of them in with the three lords.

The center one, who seemed to be the leader of the group, suddenly dove towards them with her spear readied. Quirrel dodged to the side and readied his nail, but Tiso simply let out a loud battle cry and ran at the incoming mantis lord, his shield held up defensively.

''Tiso-!!'' Quirrel cried in surprise, skidding against the dirt. He ran to try and get a hit in on the attacking mantis lord, but to his surprise Tiso's shield deflected the spear perfectly. The tall mantis rammed into the metal surface and was effectively parried.

Quirrel seized the opportunity to run forwards and slash his nail into the mantis lord's side. He couldn't help but feel bad for harming her, but he knew that their traditions entailed these types of brutal battles for honour.

The tall woman dived upwards, disappearing behind the wall of spikes blocking them. Tiso let out a loud laugh, putting his fist in the air with a cheer. Quirrel was a bit more hesitant to celebrate.

He was right to be.

The mantis lord suddenly dropped down from the ceiling, stabbing her spear into the ground between the two smaller bugs. Quirrel stumbled backwards as a long crack appeared in the ground, the earth seemingly splitting open between him and Tiso.

He lunged forwards to try and grab Tiso's hand as the stone beneath them crumbled, falling out from under Quirrel's feet with a loud rumble and sending him plunging into the darkness below. He could just barely make out Tiso falling alongside him.

Chapter Text

Quirrel woke up with a soft groan, feeling cold stones and pebbles under his head. He kept his eyes closed for a moment, recovering.

The fungal wastes... mantis lords... Tiso...

Tiso!!

He quickly sat up, coughing loudly. It was nearly pitch black all around, and the air had a moist scent. Quirrel quickly fumbled for the satchel around his waist, pulling out a lumafly lantern that he'd kept on him. Thank wyrm for that.

It almost looked like some kind of cave...? Or... Deepnest...? He'd been here before while exploring after his return to Hallownest. It was a dark and eerie place, filled with spiders and little infectious bugs that reanimated the dead. When he'd been here, he'd managed to find a hot spring to rest at...

He looked up to see Tiso sitting next to him, his shield missing. He was casually eating something. Well, at least he had been. He was licking his fingers now, suggesting that he'd finished. Where had he even found something to eat under current circumstances??

''Tiso-... Ugh, my head-'' Quirrel groaned, slowly standing up and leaning against one of the stone walls for support. He raised his head to look back up at Tiso. ''I think we're in Deepnest... And I lost my nail-''

Tiso nodded, standing up and leaning against a wall as well. ''Quirrel...'' He settled on after a moment of thinking and looking around.

Quirrel paused as Tiso addressed him like that. That was... odd. Maybe he had a concussion?? They really had to find their way out of here and to somewhere safer. This place had unstable ground and hidden foes at every corner.

''Tiso, we need to figure out where we are. I know that there's a hot spring somewhere down here, but-''

He cut himself off as Tiso pulled some moss off of the stone outcrop he was leaning on, shoving it in his mouth and letting out a slightly disgusted noise. ''Bad food...'' He grumbled, dropping the moss to the ground.

Quirrel just stared at Tiso in bewilderment. Why had he... done that?? He definitely had some sort of brain damage if he was trying to make a snack out of random plants on a wall... They really had to find a safe spot to recover. Fast.

''Come on, you're hurt...'' Quirrel said, grabbing Tiso's hand to make sure he didn't fall. Neither of them had weapons, which was a horrible thing to happen in Deepnest of all places.

Tiso followed almost limply, slumping against Quirrel as he was pulled towards him. Quirrel let out a slightly startled noise as the other bug slumped against his side. There was that odd feeling again... Almost like he was flustered, but not in a bad way where he didn't know what to say.

This was the second time he'd felt this, the other being when Tiso had touched his chest in the resting grounds. It didn't mean anything, obviously. It couldn't be... love... No way. Quirrel hadn't felt love at all, as far as he was aware. If he had then it was back in the memories he'd lost.

''Quirrel'' Tiso said again as he followed along behind him, his feet clattering noisily against the stones beneath them. He cracked his neck to the side before speaking again, although nothing new. ''Quirrel.''

'Quirrel Quirrel Quirrel' let out a slightly exasperated sigh. They'd been walking for about five minutes, and Tiso still hadn't graced him with a single snarky complaint or backhanded compliment.

''Tiso, are you alright...? I know you're hurt, but can you say... I don't know, something else...?'' Quirrel asked in concern, turning to face Tiso. The other bug had crouched down on the ground and was eating something.

When he didn't respond, Quirrel walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, wanting to see what he was eating this time. He stumbled back in shock as he realized that it was a corpse. The corpse of a dead goddamned bug, half-decayed.

''T-Tiso-!!'' Quirrel cried in shock, his beady black eyes wide as he gripped the wall behind him. This was insane. This was terrifying. ''What in the wyrm's name are you doing?!''

The stone outcrop that Quirrel had been grasping at suddenly gave way, sending the pill bug toppling backwards. He let out a shaky cough, propping himself up on his hands and brushing cobwebs out of his eyes.

There, laying right in front of him with webbing wrapped around his mouth and torso, was... Tiso. But not the Tiso that had been following Quirrel this whole time. This one had the shield and Quirrel's nail laying next to him.

Quirrel whipped around to face the Tiso that had been accompanying him through Deepnest, his eyes widening in horror as whatever this shapeshifting beast was snapped its head around to look at him. Its head was now at an odd angle.

Unsure of what was happening but now knowing exactly who the real Tiso was, Quirrel darted over to the encased bug and grabbed his nail from beside him, quickly cutting the webbing from around his torso and then his mouth.

Tiso, the real one, let out a strangled gasp as his mouth was freed. ''Quirrel-!! This horrible monster grabbed me and took me here- I saw it, it looked like-'' He stammered out, grabbing his shield from the ground.

Before the hooded bug could finish his sentence, a long black leg with a sharp end reached out and snagged Quirrel, sending him flying into one of the many stone outcroppings. He let out a sharp gasp as the wind was knocked out of his already weakened lungs.

The creature that had impersonated Tiso had completely dropped its disguise. It stood there, towering over the two of them. It had a massive black body with four legs and a glowing bright orange torso made up of the infection. It had two dark teal frills that had once looked like Tiso's hood.

Quirrel quickly dodged to the side as the beast practically flung itself forward at them with a loud hiss. He grabbed Tiso as he rolled, just in time to avoid anyone getting trampled by the massive monster.

''Tiso, we should run!!'' Quirrel shouted over the thundering sound of the beast racing back and forth, looking for them at an alarming pace. He looked back at Tiso, who was shaking his head.

''No, we have to fight!'' Tiso protested, his white eyes wide behind his hood. He strapped his shield onto his wrist and peered out from behind the rock that they were hiding behind. ''It's blocking the exit, there's no other way through-''

Tiso was cut off as the towering creature suddenly leapt over the rock and slammed itself down between him and Quirrel. Quirrel's view of Tiso was momentarily blocked by its black body, and when he could see him again, he saw that the monster had stabbed Tiso's leg straight off.

''Tiso!!'' Quirrel cried in shock and horror, scrambling across the ground towards his friend and grabbing him, lifting him up. ''Tiso, come on- We're going to run- Augh-!''

The ravenous monster slammed into Quirrel yet again, running about the shadowed den like a boomerang, screeching and hissing as it ran back and forth. Quirrel let out a strangled noise as he hit the ground, quickly looking up and looking for Tiso.

Before he could catch a glimpse of the other bug, his vision was blocked by a blindingly bright orange light. The sticky mound of infection hit the side of his face and almost immediately started burning, causing him to let out a cry of pain. He'd been stabbed before, he'd nearly drowned before, but this hurt way worse than any of that.

He struggled to his feet, wiping the infection off his face as best as he could. He'd closed his eye before it'd hit him, and he had to keep both of his eyes closed to insure he wouldn't go blind. He reached out for Tiso when he found him through frantic blinks.

A pair of hands suddenly grabbed Quirrel by the waist and pulled him up, not that Quirrel could protest if he wanted to. It didn't feel like the sharp legs of the horrible creature. Tiso...?

But how was he... How was he walking...? He'd had his leg chopped clean off, he shouldn't have been able to! And Quirrel was meant to save him, not the other way around! This had all gone so horribly wrong-

Wait... Right... Tiso's right leg, it was prosthetic... That had been the one that was cut off, right? So he could put it back on and-...

And...

Quirrel did not finish that thought.

Chapter Text

Quirrel let out a soft grunt as Tiso dropped him against one of the rough stone walls. He had been in a state of half-consciousness for the last few minutes that Tiso had been carrying him, and the side of his face still hurt like hell.

''Quirrel, you're hurt really bad-'' Tiso said with an alarmed tone. Quirrel could feel him wiping some of the burnt, smelly, orange goop off of his face. He wondered how much of that was his skin.

The pill bug managed to open his eyes, letting out a tired groan. Tiso was crouched in front of him with wide eyes, one of his hands rested on the side of Quirrel's face where he'd been wiping the infection off.

''Where are we...?'' Quirrel choked out with a cough, reaching up to feel the side of his face. At least he could still see out of that eye, but the shell there felt rough and injured. It hurt, but not as bad as when he'd first been blasted. ''What happened with Nosk-''

Tiso took his hand off of Quirrel's face, standing up and going over to grab something across the small cavern they were in. This seemed to be one of the many pockets scattered throughout Deepnest, and Quirrel hoped that it wasn't already taken by some other creature.

''I took your advice before and ran, since Nosk wasn't in front of the entrance after attacking us'' Tiso explained, crossing his arms and looking away. ''Don't make fun of me about running... It was a strategical retreat-''

''I wasn't planning on making fun of you, Tiso...'' Quirrel said with a sigh, shakily trying to stand up. Tiso quickly rushed back over to him and led him back to the ground, shaking his head.

''No no no- You need to rest. You've needed to rest for a while. You've been coughing ever since the blue lake-'' Tiso protested, kneeling down in front of him with his eyes narrowed in concern. Quirrel hadn't seen him like this before.

''...Since when are you about resting?'' Quirrel asked curiously, a teasing lilt to his voice. ''I figured that you'd want to get back out there, and I would be the one trying to take care of you after you literally lost a-''

He paused, remembering the events that had transpired. Right... Tiso's prosthetic leg had been chopped clean off. He'd clearly gotten it put back in place, but Quirrel still wanted to make sure that it was in alright condition. He'd been wanting to make sure of that for the last two or three days.

...Wyrm, had it really only been that long since he'd met Tiso? It felt like he'd known the hooded bug for a month at least.

''Tiso...'' Quirrel started, looking up at the other bug before continuing. ''If you want me to stay here so you can take care of me, can I at least make sure your leg is alright? I saw you struggling with it before in the resting grounds. I'm sure I can help-''

''I don't need your help!'' Tiso quickly said, cutting him off. He turned again and crossed his arms. ''Nyeh... My leg is perfectly fine. Both of them. And even if I was hurt, I could help myself! I can help myself, I can help you, I can be a hero-''

''Well, stop being my hero, dammit! You've done plenty of that... Why help yourself when someone else wants to help you...? You don't need to do everything alone, Tiso... I don't know if-... If you used to, so you're just used to it... But you don't have to when I'm here.''

Tiso stayed silent for a moment before huffing, turning his hooded head to look back at Quirrel. His pale gaze was a mix of defiance and concern. Perhaps hope. ''I said I don't need you to help me with anything. I should be able to keep myself safe.''

''But that wasn't a fair fight, Tiso. You need to realize when something just can't be done by yourself with nothing but your own skill and weapons-'' Quirrel protested, getting more concerned the longer the conversation went on.

Tiso cut him off yet again, standing up and speaking in a cracked voice.

''You don't understand, Quirrel!! I have to do this! I have to prove myself, and I can't do that if I have someone else helping me!'' He cried, one of his hands on his chest. Quirrel had never heard him so emotional. Almost vulnerable.

''Who are you trying to prove yourself to?!'' Quirrel asked, standing up as well now that Tiso was letting him. ''To your family?! Some other friends? Yourself?!? It doesn't matter if you keep trying to fight everything without thinking about the consequence!''

Tiso went to cut Quirrel off again, but Quirrel was faster. He had to speak up for once. Tiso was going to get himself killed at the colosseum of fools, maybe even before he made it there if he kept up this pace. This constant thought that he had to be strong all the time.

''I know I haven't known you a very long time, but I know for sure that I don't want you to get killed! And-... And we need to talk about this without you running away like last time! Tiso, if you're really going to fight in the colosseum, I wont be there in the stands watching you. I don't want to watch you die-''

''Yes, for myself!!'' Tiso suddenly snapped, covering Quirrel's mouth to silence him and give himself a chance to speak. ''I am doing this for myself! To prove to myself that I have a purpose other than being some simple bug that finds some simple life to settle down in, to prove that I'm too important to be erased-''

Quirrel paused, listening to Tiso with wide eyes. He hadn't been expecting that. Not that he hadn't been expecting Tiso to be insecure and want to prove himself as strong, but that he hadn't been expecting to relate to his words so much.

He too wanted to find a purpose. Often felt like he needed one. He spent time that he didn't remember, as well as time that he did remember, helping someone else. Monomon, the ghost knight, certainly others in his time outside of Hallownest...

But he couldn't understand why a bug that seemed so much like him inside could be so different from him. Tiso wanted to make a purpose for himself, while Quirrel wanted someone else to make a purpose for him. And yet, neither of them seemed to know what to do with themselves outside of the action.

The two bugs just stared at each other for a moment. Quirrel's eyes flicked down to the bottom of Tiso's hood, which he realized was slightly darker. Damp. He was crying, and yet nobody would know if they were just listening to him.

''Tiso, I... I understand what that's like-'' Quirrel started, reaching out and grabbing one of Tiso's hands. ''I'm not going to pretend like I understand what goes on in your head sometimes, but I understand that desire to just have something to do-''

''Is that why you tried to kill yourself?''

Quirrel froze, sucking in a surprised breath. Tiso knew?? Since when did he know? He'd been acting as if he were clueless this entire time, but... Had he been pretending? Had he seen what Quirrel had intended for himself?

He slowly nodded, crossing his arms and looking down at himself, away from Tiso's face. A gnawing sense of shame spread through his body, and it wasn't even because he'd been caught doing something that would be considered so horrible. It was because I didn't succeed.

He felt bad about staying alive if he wasn't making a use of it.

Before Quirrel knew it, tears were welling in his own eyes. He closed them to try and blink them away, but in that moment he suddenly felt a pair of warm, slender arms wrap around his torso. When he opened his eyes, he realized that Tiso was hugging him.

He didn't say anything, although he considered it. The two of them had talked enough in the last few minutes. A lot had been revealed, and in a way this almost felt like a lot being resolved as well.

''Quirrel, I...'' Tiso suddenly said after a moment, pulling back slightly and sighing as he looked at Quirrel. ''I don't want to die... But you have to understand, I need to prove myself. If not to me, then to all those people watching the fights up there.''

The hooded bug let go of Quirrel, and Quirrel almost wanted to pull him back. But he didn't.

''You don't understand how bad it was. They have those advertisements all over the signs, they said that I had failed and that the others had won. Other people that I've never even met will always see me as a failure unless I prove that I'm not.''

''You don't have to prove yourself to those people, Tiso... I-''

Tiso cut him off again, shaking his head with a bitter laugh before turning back to him.

''Please, just come with me... You don't have to watch me fight, but just be there for me when I come out of there alive-''

Quirrel inhaled softly, the tears still pricking at his eyes. He knew how those fights went. They were completely rigged and unfair. There was no way that Tiso would come out of there alive, and even if he did then he wouldn't be the same.

But he knew that trying to talk him out of it now would only make things worse.

''...Fine''

Chapter Text

Quirrel and Tiso stayed in the safe cavern for the next few hours. I was impossible to tell what time of day it was... It'd been sunset when they'd fought the mantis lords, so it was probably morning by now.

''Tiso, hey-'' Quirrel said, gently nudging the hooded bug's shoulder. He'd fallen asleep leaning against Quirrel, his legs and arms tucked against his chest. Quirrel hadn't wanted to move in fear of waking him up.

''Get up... We have to find a way out of Deepnest'' He said, nudging Tiso as the hooded bug let out a soft groan. ''We might be able to get back into the fungal wastes, and then to the City of tears from there...''

''Nyeh...'' Tiso mumbled, burying his face into Quirrel's side. He'd been exhausted from the crying and stressful conversation. Quirrel had, too. ''You're really helping me get to the colosseum? Even after that argument?''

Quirrel sighed, standing up and forcing Tiso to support himself. He reached to pick up his nail, grabbing it before continuing.

''I wouldn't call that an argument, Tiso... It was an important conversation'' He said, turning back to face the other bug. ''And yes, I'm helping you. You'll go off without me anyways if I don't, right? I might as well make sure that you get there safely.''

''Oh, because this journey has been so safe so far. And we're going to the land of safeness, too'' Tiso said sarcastically, standing up and marching over to Quirrel. ''But... Thanks. For not trying to convince me not to go. Not that you could-''

Quirrel shook his head, holding up a hand to interrupt him. ''I won't, I promise... I still don't want you to go, it's a horrible and unfair place that lies instead of promises, but I'd rather be there to make sure you at least get a chance to try.''

Tiso was silent for a moment before nodding, crossing his arm and walking over to Quirrel. Quirrel almost hoped that he would hug him again, but he simply grabbed his shield instead. That made sense.

''Come on, we should be quick'' Quirrel said, patting Tiso on the shoulder before walking towards the exit of the small cavern. ''Hopefully we can make it out of here during the day, although it'll be a bit hard to tell...''

''I prefer the dark'' Tiso said, following Quirrel out of the cavern with a quick look around to make sure no monsters or dangerous creatures were hidden nearby. ''You're a pill bug, don't you also prefer night?''

Quirrel thought for a moment, tilting his head to the side as he did so. It was true, pill bugs remained largely nocturnal. It was common among a lot of bugs, actually... He wondered if Tiso was also a nocturnal bug? He had no idea what the other man was.

''True, I guess I prefer nighttime, but it's also objectively more dangerous. Not to mention that some other bugs find it weird'' He explained, gesturing vaguely as he spoke.

''Nyeh... I hate other bugs...'' Tiso scoffed, crossing his arms and looking a bit upset. ''I don't like how people might expect me to do certain things, or think of me a certain way without getting to know me properly.''

''You hate other bugs?'' Quirrel asked, a slight smirk crawling onto his face. ''Well, you were pretty quick to save me from drowning. And pretty quick to drag me along with you, too~''

''Well, you were a-... A damsel in distress-'' Tiso scoffed, walking ahead of Quirrel. The pill bug could tell that he'd gotten a bit flustered and embarrassed by that comment.

''So I'm a damsel in distress? I could fight quite well, back when I had a nail I was used to'' He pointed out, moving a bit faster to match Tiso's pace. The two were making steady progress through Deepnest. ''What exactly does being a damsel entail? The kind where you pick me up and sling me over your shoulder against my will, or the kind where we dance under the moonlight?''

Tiso froze at that, his body stiffening slightly. He sputtered for a moment before turning to face Quirrel, hunched down in annoyance that seemed mostly lighthearted. ''Dancing? Are you saying you want to dance?''

''Well, not in Deepnest! This place is much too- H-hey!!''

Quirrel let out a startled noise as Tiso suddenly grabbed both of his hands and spun him around, causing him to nearly fall over against the hooded bug. ''This can not be safe-'' He stated, although he didn't really protest.

''It's perfectly fine! We're almost out of here, anyways. We can dance for a bit!'' Tiso said with a cackle, spinning Quirrel again and dipping him so hard that he almost bonked his head on the stone floor. ''Sorry, sorry-''

Quirrel rolled his eyes, feeling a bit dizzy now. He quickly straightened himself and grasped Tiso's hands a bit tighter, looking up at the slightly taller bug in amusement. This was such an odd feeling... He didn't know what to do with it.

He didn't really need to know, considering Tiso seemed to be quite literally dancing him out of Deepnest. The two were still moving forwards despite the clumsy and somewhat charming spins and dips.

''You are absolutely ridiculous-'' Quirrel said as Tiso pulled him against his chest, swaying to a tune that didn't even exist. This was much more fun than talking about all that difficult stuff earlier.

Tiso suddenly lost his footing and toppled to the ground, and Quirrel followed after him with a slight gasp. The pill bug quickly opened his eyes, looking around and seeing the teal fabric of Tiso's hood dangling off of a mushroom-coated branch. The rest of Tiso wasn't with it.

Quirrel reached out for the hood without much thought, looking back down at where Tiso was. It was only then that he fully processed that the other bug's hood had actually come off. He instinctually turned around even, not sure what to do but wanting to respect the other bug's privacy.

''Nyeh... Y-you can look, y'know... We just danced through one of the most dangerous places in Hallownest. You can see my face, I guess...'' Tiso said, reaching and grabbing the hood out of Quirrel's hand.

Quirrel slowly turned around, tilting his head slightly. He didn't really know what to expect. Why would one wear a hood 24/7? Was his face scarred from battle??

But no, it wasn't. Standing there was Tiso, unmasked. He had the same beady white eyes, although they contrasted less with his yellowish tan skin than they did with the shadows of his hood. He had two long antennae. He was... a cricket.

...A cute one, for someone who claimed to be a mighty warrior.

''...What do you think?'' Tiso asked, looking down at Quirrel with an almost sheepish expression. He held his hood in one hand at his side. ''I don't know what you might've been expecting, but I'm sure it wasn't this-''

''...Tiso, why did you feel the need to hide your face...? I think you're quite handsome...'' Quirrel said, adding the last part after some careful thought. A slight blush spread across his pale face as he asked.

Tiso blushed as well, and Quirrel could actually see it this time. ''Well, crickets aren't really known for being fierce warriors. We're known for... well... singing, I guess. I don't like to sing. I like to fight-''

''You don't like singing?'' Quirrel asked, tilting his head in amusement. That was an odd trait for someone that had just burst into a spontaneous and somewhat romantic dance on a whim. ''Why not?''

''Well, I've never had a reason to. Or anyone to sing to, for that matter...'' Tiso explained, letting out a slightly embarrassed huff. ''But that's fine! I'm sure I'd have a beautiful voice if I ever chose to. Which I wont''

''You don't have anyone to sing to? Why don't you sing to yourself, then? Why does it have to be for someone else?'' Quirrel asked curiously, intrigued.

''W-well, it's kinda... It's... Shut up-'' Tiso said, quickly putting his hood back on and covering his eyes with it more than normal, tugging on the edges. ''It's a thing that partners do, ok? Or, like, to impress their crushes- It's for teenagers!''

Quirrel paused, realizing what Tiso meant. Singing seemed to have some... romantic connotations. He should've known that, it could've spared him from having a burning face now! Maybe he did know it at some point.

''...Well, I wouldn't mind if you-...''

Tiso shot him a look. Not an angry one, but an embarrassed one that said ''Shut uppppppp...''. Quirrel felt that way himself, honestly. He waited to see if Tiso would say something else before speaking up again.

''...Lets just go-''

Chapter Text

Quirrel followed Tiso silently after that conversation. It had been very awkward... Stupid Quirrel, stupid!! Why had he done that?! In fact, he'd been foolish this entire time... Tiso was going away, likely to die. Quirrel had never felt these feelings before, so why did he have to now? With this doomed bug?

''...I think we're coming up on the edge of the fungal wastes soon'' Quirrel said, mostly just trying to strike up a conversation. ''The bridge across should be open, and I know an easy way over the gate.''

Tiso paused, taking a sharp inhale of the air around them. It was beginning to smell of rainfall and cold stone, much more welcoming than the warm atmosphere of the fungal wastes.

''We're so close! I can practically feel it'' Tiso said with a laugh, shaking his hooded head. Quirrel wondered if his antennae flopped around when he did that... He wanted to see that smug smirk of his for real, rather than just hearing it.

''Hey, Tiso'' Quirrel started curiously, picking up his pace as Tiso started walking again. ''Why keep your hood on...? It must be pretty hot, especially in the fungal wastes. I already know what you look like...''

''Well you didn't see all of my face. You would've mentioned it if you had'' Tiso said, crossing his arms and turning his head to look to away from Quirrel as the pill bug came up next to him. Quirrel was concerned.

Something he would've mentioned if he'd noticed it? Like what, a scar? A defect of some kind? Quirrel knew that he'd never do anything to purposefully hurt Tiso's feelings, but he knew that Tiso was a deeply insecure person by nature.

He continued on in silence, trying to find something to say. Something to... hint... at what he wanted. But it was hard when even he himself didn't know what he wanted, damn it! Did he want to kiss Tiso? Or... something more? Or did he just want to be acknowledged as his friend?

''You look like you're getting philosophical'' Tiso said in mock annoyance, perhaps with a hint of boredom. ''Keep it in your head, at the very least! I swear, I heard you talk about it in your sleep back there.''

''I talk in my sleep?'' Quirrel asked curiously, suddenly turning slightly red. What did he talk about? Monomon? Important secrets??

''Well, I hear you mumbling, but I don't know what you say. It's not like we share a bed or anything, I wasn't all up in your face-'' Tiso said, rolling his eyes behind his hood. That didn't help Quirrel's flusteredness.

Tiso paused again, slowly turning his head to look back at Quirrel with an amused noise. He slowly reached out with one hand, rested it on Quirrel's shoulder, and then spoke in a completely deadpan and serious voice:

''Do you want to have sex with me?''

That was the final nail in the coffin for the blood vessels in Quirrel's face. He was past the point of no return. His face would be red for the rest of his life now.

''W-what-?!'' He spat out, stumbling backwards in surprise and almost crashing into a stone wall behind him. He was shocked. Flabbergasted, even. But... Did he? ''No! No, that's not-... Where did you even get that from?!''

''Well, you've been acting all weird. You said you wouldn't mind me singing to you, even after I told you about what it meant'' Tiso pointed out, tapping one of his pointed feet on the ground. ''And you've been avoiding eye contact.

''You've been avoiding eye contact, too! It doesn't mean I want to have-... It doesn't mean I want to sleep with you-'' Quirrel huffed, avoiding eye contact yet again to further prove the point. Then again, was he sure about that...?

''Well, what if I wanted to sleep with you? Not that I'd, like- Not that I'd do it if you really don't want to, but... uh... Does that change anything for you??'' Tiso asked curiously, swaying back and forth and looking around.

They'd done this dance a lot ever since they'd met, but it had always been silent until now. Shared internal thoughts from both of them. Quirrel could tell that it had been a thought in both of their minds ever since Deepnest, maybe even earlier in Tiso's case. Hell, maybe even earlier in Quirrel's case as well.

Quirrel didn't know if he'd been in a relationship before leaving Hallownest under Monomon's orders. He didn't remember anything like that from back then. He knew for sure that he definitely hadn't been in a romance after the ordeal. He'd been too focused on finding his purpose and recovering his memories.

''...Well, it might change some things. If you did actually want to, that is'' Quirrel said after a moment, looking back over at Tiso. ''But I can't really see you... I mean... You seem a bit closed off. Would you really want... that?''

Tiso scoffed, looking back at Quirrel as well with narrowed eyes. ''Closed off? I'll have you know that I'm an extremely open specimen! I've had many... er... mates... in my time! You would be lucky-''

''I certainly would'' Quirrel spat out before he could stop himself. He was in too deep now anyways. There was no reason to be shameless. Tiso very clearly wanted to sleep with him, and the City of Tears that they were rapidly approaching had the pleasure house to stay at.

...Besides. Quirrel might not get a chance to after they rode up that elevator and into the colosseum. It could truly be now or never. Quirrel had been to the pleasure house. It'd be a nice place to... that.

''Ughhhh, you're thinking againnn...'' Tiso said with an exaggerated groan, slumping forwards in exaggerated mock-boredom. ''Come on!! No? Yes?? Nah or yeah? Groan or-''

Quirrel cut him off before he could finish that sentence, already guessing a few things that could've come next. ''Stop it, you'll make me faint or something. And then nothing will happen, and you'll probably complain about it.''

''Faint? You really are a damsel in distress!! You'd faint into my arms, let me carry you the rest of the way through the city and to a bench... Set you down there and wrap you in a blanket...'' Tiso said, rolling his eyes.

''Well, does that seem to bad? Some days, I just want a hug'' Quirrel said, going over to Tiso and wrapping an arm around him. ''And... I mean, if you want more than a hug, I wouldn't object. It's never really been on my mind, I've never considered it or really wanted it... But it wouldn't bother me, if that's what you're worried about.''

''So, like... You're asexual, then?'' Tiso asked curiously. ''I mean, we're obviously not straight, duh... But, I mean... I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything, and we're talking about it now- It's fine, I mean-''

Quirrel smiled, tilting his head thoughtfully. Asexual? He'd considered the idea of sex, it was what bugs did when they liked each other... And he desired to spend time with Tiso, as well as make the cricket happy... Had he ever really thought about himself for that context, though?

Maybe he was. He wasn't well-versed in the topic. He desired intimacy for the first time in what one could consider his entire life, and he didn't really care what it was. He just... really liked Tiso. He wanted to spend more time with him, in bed or not.

''...Well, I know a nice place that we're coming up on. It's in the City of Tears, I have keys for almost everywhere'' Quirrel said after a moment, assuming that Tiso was waiting for him to give some form of confirmation or rejection.

Tiso's eyes practically lit up, and he let out an excited noise that he'd probably tried to muffle. Quirrel had still heard it, and a smile spread across his face. He was actually looking forward to this, damn it...

The two had definitely sped up their journey into the City of Tears, and Quirrel couldn't help but notice that Tiso seemed to be fighting much more vigorously against the infected husks of the fallen guards. He'd really made him happy, huh?

However, just as they got to the door, Tiso paused. Quirrel thought for a moment that he was going to go for the elevator instead, it was right next to them after all, but instead he spoke in a slightly concerned voice.

''...You aren't just doing this because you pity me, right?'' Tiso asked, looking behind himself at Quirrel and slowly pulling his hood away to uncover his face. ''I mean, we had that big talk, and-... And... I don't want you to pity me, like I'm weak-''

''I don't'' Quirrel quickly assured, putting a hand on Tiso's shoulder. He couldn't help but glance over his face, trying to see what Tiso had been talking about earlier. What was so bad? He had a few small scars on the side of his face next to his mandibles, but it wasn't like he was horribly disfigured.

Maybe there was a backstory behind them? Quirrel didn't want to ask right now. It would ruin the good mood, and he didn't want Tiso to be sad again. He wanted to make him happy, to build his fragile and delicate ego up from the rock bottom that it had seemed to be at.

It was odd. Tiso had seemed like such a confident bug when they'd first met, but it had only taken a few days for Quirrel to get to know that that simply wasn't who he was. He was so fragile. Quirrel wanted to protect him, keep him safe. Make him aware that he didn't have to act strong, because he already was.

''I'm not pitying you. Believe me, I know you're not weak... I mean, you faced down those mantis lords with nothing but a shield, and we lived!'' Quirrel said, shaking his head. ''You are one of the most intriguing and amazing bugs I've met, and I've met a lot!''

Tiso's concerned expression morphed into that of a soft smirk at Quirrel's affirmation, and he spun around to stride into the room. ''Well?'' He started, looking over the teal hood that was now draped over his shoulders. ''Get on the bed, then.''

Chapter Text

The cool air blew in from outside, the perpetual rain of the City of Tears falling onto the metal surfaces of much of the structures. The window had been left open to keep the two bugs from overheating during their... activities. It wasn't like anyone was conscious enough out there to hear them through the open window, anyways.

Tiso slowly opened his eyes with a soft groan, sitting up on the bed. It was comfy, much comfier than any metal bench he'd slept on in the past. Or that cave in Deepnest. He was sore, but not much... Quirrel had been nice to him, as expected.

He sighed, looking to his side and seeing that Quirrel was still asleep next to him, curled up comfortably under the silk blankets. He looked so peaceful like that... He was even smiling, just a bit. It made Tiso smile back.

But, despite the amazing night he'd just had with Quirrel, there was still a looming sense of dread in his gut. That he had just made a commitment that he couldn't really commit to. After all, he was going up to the colosseum as soon as morning hit, right?

...Not that he'd die or anything. He'd be perfectly fine! He would fight gloriously and come out of there alive, wrap his arms around Quirrel, and claim his bravery to the crowds. They would cheer his name, and the money would rain around him!

Tiso let out an annoyed noise, burying his face into one of the comfortable purple pillows. The rational and emotional side of him wanted to stay here. But he was committed to his goal, wasn't he? If he could've quit before, he definitely couldn't quit now. Even if Quirrel wouldn't see him as a coward, he would be one.

Quirrel had said that he didn't want to watch Tiso fight, but Tiso knew that he would. There was no way that the pill bug would let him go into that arena and simply wait outside for him to come out. He would either watch from the stands or try to jump in to save him.

And would Quirrel even like him, if he had to save him? Tiso had saved Quirrel multiple times now. Tiso was the knight in shining armor, defending Quirrel the distressed damsel. That was their shtick. And if Tiso let himself be different, it'd change. And that scared him.

That scared him so damn much.

And that very fact that he was scared of the goal he'd been working towards for so long only made him feel worse.

He slowly rose from the bed, reaching over to the nearby nightstand and pulling his hood off of it. He felt much too exposed right now. He'd made a mistake, hadn't he? Thinking he was going to find love? Even if he did live, Quirrel would see the true him... Quirrel was soft. Kind. He didn't seem like the type to draw his blade to kill.

This had been a fun adventure, but it simply wasn't meant to last. Tiso had had friends before during his teachings... It all meant nothing. And, deep down, perhaps a part of him knew that he wasn't coming out of that colosseum. That he wanted desperately for Quirrel to save him... That he wanted someone at all to finally protect him.

But he couldn't let his guard down like that, could he? Put the same pressure to save someone that he had experienced on someone else's shoulders? On Quirrel's shoulders? That would be cruel...

He couldn't let Quirrel see him die. And even if he lived like he'd been telling himself he would, he couldn't let Quirrel get more attached to him than he already was. It was dangerous. He was dangerous.

Tiso rummaged through the nightstand drawer for a moment, being quiet enough that he wouldn't wake Quirrel up. He found what he was looking for and pulled it out. A piece of paper, a half-empty vial of ink, and a quill.

He wrote down his goodbyes, wiping tears out of his glistening eyes and pulling his hood down over his head. He used the teal fabric to wipe them away faster. His feelings probably wouldn't matter soon, anyways.

Tiso barely even knew why he felt that he had to do this anymore. Was he desperate to prove himself after last time? That's what he'd told Quirrel... Or was there something deeper, more self-destructive that he didn't want to admit?

He froze, stiffening as he heard Quirrel let out a quiet mumble behind him. Was he waking up...? He turned to look at the sleeping bug, letting out a quiet sigh of relief as he saw that the other bug had just been mumbling in his sleep again.

He sighed, slowly walking back over to the bed and leaning over Quirrel, resisting the urge to pull the blanket back up over him. He couldn't risk waking him up. Quirrel always had a way of changing how he thought things. He couldn't risk that.

''...I love you'' He found himself quietly muttering before his brain could catch up, much similar to how he leaned down and rested one hand on Quirrel's head, brushing his perked antennae flat. ''I'll miss you...''

Tiso practically staggered away from the bed, still groggy and not thinking clearly enough, the paper note clutched in one of his hands. He couldn't start crying. He was a loud crier. He could do that plenty on the elevator, considering it was a long way up.

He looked around for a moment to find a good place to put the note, one where Quirrel would definitely find it before going to look for him. He settled on the most obvious place he could, gently sticking it directly onto Quirrel's forehead with some cheap glue. The kind that would barely even stick and wouldn't hurt to pull off.

He was glad that Quirrel was sleeping so heavily after last night.

''I'll miss you...'' Tiso muttered again, shaking his head and choking back a sob. He didn't know what he wanted with that. For Quirrel to hear him and wake up, convincing him not to go, because Tiso couldn't do that for himself?

But Quirrel stayed asleep, either for better or for worse.

Tiso let out a soft sigh, shaking his head more gently this time and moving towards the door, slowly wrapping his hand around it and opening it as silently as possible. Hopefully he would go there, find his glory, and then return to Quirrel.

But he knew that that wouldn't be the case. He'd run away. Because, truly, leaving now was what would actually make him the coward he didn't want to be. It was so ironic that he almost let out a bitter laugh, but he couldn't. Not until he was at the elevator.

He stepped outside, a freezing breeze rushing past him and making him shiver. At least the colosseum of fools had lanterns and torches to warm his muscles up so he wouldn't be fighting stiff.

Tiso stepped onto the crystalline metal elevator and wrenched the lever to the other side, causing a great rumble to fill the air as it jerked upwards slightly, nearly knocking Tiso over. Quirrel didn't catch him that time. Quirrel wasn't here. But he caught himself fine regardless.

If Quirrel had already been close to waking up before, he was definitely awake now. At least he'd take some time to read the note, so he wouldn't have to see Tiso abandoning him.

Abandoning him... He was abandoning him...?

Tiso let out an anguished, furious cry. He grabbed the sides of the bars on the elevator and shook them, his fury only increasing as they didn't give. He wrenched his head forwards and sank his teeth into the metal, letting out a choked sob and stumbling backwards as they hurt.

He couldn't even handle that pain anymore. He was scared! He was scared of it!! He couldn't be, no, he couldn't...

He reached under his hood and ran a stiff hand across his face and neck, feeling the scars at the base of his mandibles. He'd done that to himself when he was younger, and they'd never gone away. He was ashamed. A feeling that was far worse than fear. More pathetic

He had to prove himself more than ever now. Prove that he was stronger than these feelings. Prove that he was just as strong as he'd always set out to be.

Chapter Text

Quirrel awoke to the sound of loud screeching. It had already stopped by the time his eyes had fully opened, but it'd woken him up nonetheless.

He let out a groggy noise, slowly coming back to the land of the living, rolling over as he tried to recall what exactly had happened last night and why his... Well, everything, really... hurt so damn bad.

Tiso...

Oh, god-!!

Quirrel jolted upright, slamming the top of his head against the headboard. He flailed around in the sheets for a second before realizing that he couldn't see properly, his face obscured by... Was that a piece of paper?? What the...

He reached up and pulled the piece of paper from his flushed face, squinting his eyes. He could see in the dark somewhat, nocturnal and all that, but it didn't stop him from being too groggy to properly process what he was seeing.

It looked like... A note? It was signed from Tiso... Tiso? Where had the bug-... The note would explain- Yes- The note-

He managed to clear his eyes enough to read it, flipping on the light on the nightstand by the bed. Not because he needed it to see, but because it would flash him awake. It definitely did its job as well as possible.

''This is a note from Tiso. I don't know what to say... I'm bad at this stuff. I had to rite this ckwickly(?) before you woke up. I know your probably wondering why I'm not in the bed to cuddle you, but I'll do my best to explain here.

I've gone off to the colosseum to fight for my gloury, and I didn't want to make you come with me. You said it's ok, but I know it's not. You either wont see me the same or you wont see me at all, and I don't want that.

I'm sorry, and I'll miss you. I might come try to find you if I'm still alive and your there waiting, but don't hold up to long. I love you, but I have to do this. Forgive me if you can. Love, Tiso.''

Quirrel immediately threw the note to the ground, sitting bolt upright out of bed and grabbing his bandana off the desk. At any other other time, he would've found the misspellings funny or been annoyed by the incorrect punctuation of ''you're'', but he couldn't find this funny.

This note was all the confirmation he needed for what he'd been suspecting. That Tiso knew deep down that he would not come out of that colosseum after going in. That there were no riches to be found there. No long-lasting fame. Nothing truly good could come of it without strings.

He staggered out of the pleasure house, his eyes widening as he saw the elevator coming back down in front of him. For a moment, he hoped that Tiso had changed his mind and turned around. That wasn't the case. The elevator was empty.

Quirrel immediately climbed into it, yanking the lever back to the starting position and then back towards himself to get it going. It started quickly, clearly having already been used by Tiso. At least that was a positive.

As the elevator went up, Quirrel had nothing else to do but wonder if this was it. He'd thought that he was going to talk to Tiso at the gates, say goodbye, have a moment. Maybe even change his mind...

...But that was why Tiso had gone without him, wasn't it? He didn't want his mind changed. He was continuing this self-destructive behavior because it was, quite simply, what he did. It was painfully obvious that Tiso needed someone to snap him out of this before it was too late.

Quirrel just hoped that it wasn't already.

The elevator lurched to a stop, and Quirrel immediately leapt the gap between the metal floor under him and the dusty ground of upper Kingdom's edge. He skipped steps as he ran over hidden stairs and old outcrops. He had to get there in time.

The pill bug skidded to a stop in front of the gates, his eyes widening. He hadn't been here in a good long while. He'd hoped that it would stay that way... But, of course, it hadn't. And, from the sounds echoing off the walls inside, he was too late to get there before the fighting.

Quirrel rushed inside, ignoring the chained upside-down face of the gatekeep. He had to get there before Tiso got himself hurt or killed. He would jump in there if he had to. He didn't care what Tiso said, this was wrong.

The air was thick with the smell of blood, both dried and fresh. Mold and fungal growths sprouted from some darker corners of the rooms. Quirrel looked around frantically, finding the ladder that led up to the stands where people watched. Just watched. Watched the gore and bloodshed, and they cheered.

It sickened him. It was horrible. And, in that moment, he realized the true meaning of something that Tiso had told him before, when they'd spoken in Deepnest.

'You don't understand how bad it was. They have those advertisements all over the signs, they said that I had failed and that the others had won.'

The bugs that watched these fights. They would've seen Tiso being attacked, probably assumed he'd been killed judging by the fact that he'd been thrown from the building like the rest of the corpses, and they'd laughed. They shamed, mocked, degraded those that failed...

...And that's how they kept people coming, wasn't it? The urge to not only prove yourself, but to redeem yourself to those that you'd failed to prove yourself to in the past. Because Tiso was right. Quirrel had not seen how bad it was for him. But now, in this atmosphere, he could imagine.

He climbed up into the stands, stumbling around shielded and armored viewers of these championships. The smell of fresh blood had overpowered that of the dry and old. The howls, battle cries, and screams from below told Quirrel all he needed to know. This wasn't one-on-one. It never was.

Quirrel managed to get to the front of the stands, peering out over the colosseum. Massive bugs and smaller winged bugs, all slashing swords at each other. His eyes flickered about in horror as he tried to catch a glimpse of a teal hood. A glistening shield. Anything that could be Tiso.

There he saw it. Riding atop one of the massive green fools was the bug that Quirrel loved, slashing at the back of their neck with his shield as they tried to grab him. Tiso was putting up a good fight, he'd lasted this long into the waves, but-...

Quirrel paused. As he stood here, watching the chaos, he realized something. Tiso was surviving. Quirrel didn't have to jump in just yet, even if it pained him greatly to see the hooded cricket struggling and fighting so violently. He had to wait until he was actually in danger...

Tiso was strong. He was. He didn't need Quirrel to save him until he was truly in unfair danger. Quirrel had to let Tiso be ready to finally accept that there was a battle he could not win on his own.

So, Quirrel waited with bated breath, the chants and screaming from both the crowd and the fighting fools below hurting his ears. He would just wait... He would step in when Tiso got in over his head...

''NYAH-!!'' Tiso cried out as he was ripped off of the massive fool's head and slammed against the dusty dirt ground of the colosseum, a hand wrapped around his throat. He looked so small down there. He looked afraid. But still, he did not look weak. Because he wasn't. If he were weak, he never would've made it here.

Quirrel drew his nail the moment that he caught Tiso's gaze from the distance between them. The other bug stared at him with wide eyes, his hood flipped back, and... started crying. He started sobbing.

He was ready.

Quirrel dove into the crowd, his nail brandished and glistening against the light of the many torches surrounding them. He drove it directly into the dull green neck of the fool with a loud cry, colliding with them and slamming them into the ground with a thunderous crash.

Quirrel stumbled off of the body, coughing from the dust that had gathered. That's when he realized, the fighting had stopped. Everyone stared at them in complete confusion and barely concealed lust for violence.

''You! Intruder!!'' A female winged bug called, pointing her long spear at Quirrel and Tiso. She was wearing the armor of a champion here, a fool. She looked trained in combat. ''You must sign up outside to join this! You're not playing by our rules!''

Quirrel felt anger bubbling up inside of his gut. Rules?! This was no game! This wasn't some simple game of cards that he had cheated at!! It was life or death for the person that he loved, the person that he had shared a night with, the person that had saved him!

''You're no champion, not even a fool!'' She continued, landing on the ground with a thud and glaring up at them, her weapon still brandished dangerously. ''You will find no glory by cheating in battle this way! No riches will be yours!''

''LIKE I GIVE A SHIT!!!'' Quirrel suddenly cried, his voice cracking in exasperation. He was done with this stupid dance. ''THAT'S MY FUCKING BOYFRIEND YOU'RE TREATING AS TARGET PRACTICE!! HIS LIFE IS NOT A GAME, DAMN IT!!''

Everyone in the colosseum blinked, and Quirrel held his nail firmly at his side. He was ready to fight.

Chapter Text

Rage. That was all that Quirrel really felt in that moment. Rage.

That, and absolute exhaustion with this stupid song and dance that he'd been dancing to with Tiso.

But that fight that Quirrel was expecting to occur never had a chance to happen.

Quirrel let out a strangled noise of surprise as Tiso suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder, but he paused as he realized that his entire body was shaking furiously. And that everyone had gone from confused and cautious to completely shocked. Some had even dropped their weapons.

''Q-Quirrel-'' Tiso choked out, coughing as well. Quirrel's eyes widened in horror as he realized that the cricket had been stabbed through the shoulder. ''Can-... Can we leave yet...? Please- Let me leave-''

Quirrel could hear the haze and slight delusion in Tiso's voice, and he knew that they had to leave. He quickly lifted Tiso up by the hand and hoisted him into his arms, running as fast as he could to the gates. They were in the way, but he climbed over them and into the stands. People even parted to let them through.

He skidded to a halt once he was in the darkened hallways of the colosseum, turning to set Tiso down against a wall. Tears filled his eyes as he quickly looked around, taking his bandana off from around his neck and pressing it into the wound. His blood was a pale yellowish green. Quirrel had never wanted to find that out.

''T-Tiso, come on, stay- Stay here, damn it- Don't you die on me after all this-'' Quirrel choked out, shaking his head as Tiso put a hand on his shoulder again. He couldn't deal with this. This wasn't how Quirrel and Tiso was supposed to end... Not like this, Quirrel was meant to die in the finale, not-...

''I-it's fine- I'll be fine-!'' Tiso coughed, smiling. His hood wasn't only flipped back, but it had been completely torn up. Probably couldn't even hide his face anymore... ''I'm... I'm always fine, right...? I'm not... I don't die, I'm strong-''

''Y-yes, Tiso, you're-... You're so goddamn strong, I can't believe you don't believe it sometimes- You're strong, and you always have been! You're strong enough to get through this... C'mon...''

''...Quirrel...?''

''T-Tiso, no- Don't say it... Don't- Stop it- Don't even-''

''Quirrel... I had a lot of fun that night, but-''

''Don't start saying your goodbyes, idiot- No, I won't let you- You're going to be fine-''

''For Wyrm's sake, Quirrel, shut up! I'm not saying goodbye!!'' Tiso gasped, shaking Quirrel's shoulder with a raspy scoff. ''I'm fine, alright...? I would be dead by now if I wasn't... It just hurts a lot, but I'm fine. I was just gonna ask if you can... like... top next time, or something-''

Quirrel couldn't help but burst out into teary laughter at that, slumping forwards and pressing his face into Tiso's uninjured shoulder. ''Tiso, don't-... I thought you were dying!! Why did you-... You can't do that, you can't- You're a moron!!''

Tiso let out an amused grunt as Quirrel leaned on him, placing a hand on his head and speaking in a slightly mocking tone.

''But you love that about me, don't you? I'm- Agh- v-very lovable... Right? To you, at least?''

''Yes I love you, damn it!! I love you so much- Don't ever leave, and don't go back in there...'' Quirrel choked out, looking up at Tiso with pleading eyes. He didn't know if the power of his own feelings could will Tiso into giving up on this stupid song they'd been dancing to for so long.

Tiso sighed, thinking. Quirrel knew that he was thinking hard, harder than he probably did on a most days. It was a big commitment, to accept that a goal was out of reach. That it was dangerous to everyone involved.

At last, he spoke.

''...I don't want to go back. I want to stay here, please, don't let me go back there- Let me cry on you forever, and don't let me go back-'' Tiso suddenly said, starting to sob again like he had in the colosseum. The moment he had realized that what he was doing was pointless. That he didn't want to die.

And perhaps, in a way, this was when Quirrel had realized that he didn't want to die either. Or perhaps it was the night they'd shared. Or maybe even when he'd first waded himself into the waters of the blue lake.

In a way, they were both the same despite how different they were from each other. Acting like such a strong emotional support figure as nothing but a ruse to avoid dealing with their own issues. It was toxic. And it took looking into the mirror and finding someone who felt the same staring back at him for Quirrel, and Tiso, to realize that.

''...You called me your boyfriend'' Tiso suddenly said, looking down at Quirrel with a ragged smirk. The pill bug was still rested against him. ''Back there, right? You called me your boyfriend-''

Quirrel suddenly felt both ashamed and angry with himself for that. They'd slept together once and known each other for only a week. And yet, they'd done so much nonsense in that one week, it felt like they'd known each other for much longer.

''Sorry about that, I-... It was too fast, I wasn't thinking clearly and I shouldn't have said it-'' Quirrel started to apologize, but Tiso cut him off with a wave of his hand. Quirrel noticed that it was stained with blood.

''No, no, I didn't mind... Really, I didn't! We've saved each other a lot, sometimes I'd been forgetting myself that we aren't really... well... official gay bug things'' Tiso explained, patting Quirrel's antennae teasingly.

''The word is partners, I think... Or we could be boyfriends, but I think I prefer partners'' Quirrel said with a sigh, leaning into Tiso's touch. ''Probably not official gay bug things, since that's a mouthful. Besides, I'm bisexual.''

''Ohh...'' Tiso muttered, squinting his pale eyes in thought for a moment, as if the knowledge was completely astounding to him. ''Well, I could add that on, but then it'd be 'Official gay and bisexual bug things'. And that's even more of a mouthful than before, so I think partners is the best option.''

''So... we... are partners, then?'' Quirrel asked after a second of just leaning against Tiso in silence. He didn't even care that he'd gotten blood all over his face or the top of his head. He could wash it off later.

''Yeah... Yeah, I think we are'' Tiso confirmed, nodding confidently. He reached behind himself and unclipped the clasp on his hood, pulling it off and letting out a quiet sound of disapproval as he saw how torn it was.

''Should we make a new one for you? Or buy one somewhere'' Quirrel asked in concern, knowing how much Tiso seemed to hate people knowing he was a cricket. Or seeing his face at all, really.

It suddenly made more sense, now that Quirrel had opened his eyes to just how messed up Tiso was. What Tiso had said in the City of Tears before that night. He'd hurt himself at some point, and it'd scarred. Tiso clearly didn't want people seeing that.

Tiso sighed, slowly shaking his head and setting the hood down on the stone floor beneath them. ''No... No, it's fine... If we're gonna be adventuring all around together and stuff, we probably wont meet anyone who'll know us long enough to comment on it.''

''Adventure around together? You mean... exploring Hallownest? Together?! There are a lot of places I haven't really been to, I will admit! I was so focused on helping Monomon with the seals, and- Oh, oh- You-... You don't know about the seals-''

Quirrel continued to go on and on about how many places he wanted to visit with Tiso. Some were... a bit outlandish, frankly. The hidden caverns deep within Deepnest, as far out through Kingdom's edge as they could safely go...

...And Tiso listened. Happily, really. Because he'd finally accepted that, when he'd started dragging Quirrel on this journey with him, he truly did just want someone to be with. Someone who didn't expect impossible things from him. Perhaps he hadn't even known at the time that that was what he wanted.

And, yet... That's what he got. And he couldn't be happier. Quirrel couldn't be happier, either. And, as soon as Tiso got healed up, it was certain that the two would be back at it with yet another adventure as soon as possible.