Chapter Text
“Ah, hello. I didn’t expect to see you down here.”
Ghost looked up to see Quirrel entering in through the tunnel that led back towards Central Deepnest. In the hot spring water, Grimmchild chirped in greeting, splashing the water with his wings which seemed to be getting bigger every day.
“Hello too you too,” Quirrel said as he continued in to settle into the water too, placing his nail safely beside the pool. He then looked back up at Ghost, cramped and crowded into the back of the cave. “What are you doing down here? If I may ask?”
“Hiding.” Other than the Abyss, Deepnest was the best place to hide since so few were comfortable coming down here. The Abyss would’ve been roomier but then they wouldn’t have been able to keep Grimmchild along for company. And the sight of their siblings broken shells was ever an unpleasant one.
“Hmm. No offense but what could you possibly be hiding from?”
“The Godseeker and her followers.” More bugs had found their way into Hallownest recently and she’d pulled them a lot of them in with her fanaticism and the whole thing was quickly becoming a bit much.
“Ah yes, I saw the shrine they built for you up in Dirtmouth. It was brilliant craftsmanship for sure. I wasn’t sure if you would like it though and I guess I was right.”
Ghost nodded. Being worshipped, especially so ardently, was the biggest downside to being a god. The ability to speak made it still worth it, even without counting everything they’d saved via taking this route to destroy the Radiance.
“I presume you’ve already talked to her about not liking the whole worshipping thing?”
Ghost nodded again. They’d talked to her and their other worshipers several times but none of them ever listened. The best Ghost had been able to convince them to do was to stop bothering Hollow and Buddy for being siblings to ‘the Shade Lord’ or ‘Lord of Shades’ as Ghost was now being referred to as primarily by their worshippers.
“You want me to try talking to her too?”
“She won’t listen.” Especially since Quirrel was mostly just a normal bug and not a god.
“Hmm… probably not, huh? She’s a bit uh… obsessed you being the Shade Lord. Which is a pretty cool title and one you’ve more than earned. Certainly not one I envy though, too much responsibility and pressure. You’ll never have to worry about me treating you much different though.” Quirrel winked and lifted his hands to make a heart with his fingers towards Ghost.
Ghost lifted a pair of their own hands to return the gesture. “Thanks.” Friends were better than worshippers any day.