Somewhere in the fields of Elysium, a dark insect wanders into a small gathering...
okyno tilts her head in an attitude of contemplation. “greetings, swimming king. we find ourselves beguiled by shifting ways.” she bows in a slow overlap of limb-arcs and a puff of respectful scent. “we hope we are not intruding.”
Mod stops for a moment, a webbed finger at his mouth. "Oh! You look different than the other people here!"
Okyno
Neke Okyno is all mannered poise and chitinous gloss. Sleek curves of carapace shape the feminine form, an insect poured into a confining dark gown - or an insect whose body mimes a dress. It is unclear, and would be rude to inquire.
Long antennae sweep through the air, twisting into careful attitudes above wide compound eyes. Four sleek arms carve expression from the air, gesturing with elegant succinctness and grace. All black-brown, all polished. Vein-shot wings on the lady's slim back flutter on occasion, and in the shadow of her skirts, six or more insect legs touch the ground in the measured dance of Okyno's steps.
okyno folds her hands in sleek symmetric poise. “many beings do. our design is not uncommon.”
Mod swims around okyno. "You dress differently too!"
okyno says, “it is the way this one has always dressed, sir; the only way that is right and proper for one of her stature.”
okyno's head barely moves, though her antennae track mod with precision; he can see myriad reflections of himself in her dark compound eyes as he circles her.
Mod thinks about this. "My friends are over this way!" and he floats off.
okyno sketches an attitude of amusement. “indeed. perhaps they will be more enlightening.”
* * * * *
West Elysium - Waterfall
Stat Name____________________ Gender_____ Species___________________________
Mod male costume conglomeration
okyno effete insectoid
Caroline female red fox
Mel neuter Manifestation of the Museum
Chip cyborg seahorse
---( PuzzleBox )----------------------------( 6/6 West Elysium - Waterfall )---
okyno bows, wide dress tilting up behind as her head inclines the few degrees a rapid ettiquite calculation suggests are appropriate. “humble greetings, assembled beings. we pray we do not intrude.”
Mod goes to find some more water lilies.
Chip smiles pleasantly at the tip of his long tube-snout. "Not at all." He taps metal fingers on a flowery teacup.
Mel is soaking his feet in the river. He looks up and nods to the Chitin Queen. "How does the evening find you?"
okyno says, “claw-lost and misplaced, one fears.” thin wings flex behind her as she clacks her mandibles in punctuation. “may we inquire: what place is this? what part of the mess? we have been sleeping long, we fear.”
Mod brings one of the flowers to okyno. "And one for you too!"
okyno takes the flower with an elegant and graceful flourish. “we thank you, sir air-swimmer.” she holds it in her lower hands, bright spot of color centered against her tight-corsetted waist.
Mel muses, "It appears to be a VRC haven. I think it only just opened ports."
okyno's antennae belie her inner emotions, though a puff of dismayed scent escapes her glands. the dark-chitined lady's head turns to mel. “vrc? victorian revival? their territory expands at the cost of our own, then. this was food-web as far as the eye could see, when to sleep i was lain.”
* * * * *
Mel muses, "I'll take that to the port when you're finished... Best alert everyone of the preconditions here."
okyno says, “what banns have i agreed to by where i find myself awakened, sir?”
Mel muses, "The island begs dignity."
okyno flutters mouthparts and spirals antennae in a reserved insect laugh. “ah, dignity. the victorians ever were concerned with dignity above all else. but so have we neke always been dignified.”
Mel muses, "Oh yes, the Neke Ovon..."
Mel muses, "Now I understand when you said sleep what magnitude you meant."
okyno's hands lift from the poised grace before her body. “my house still survives? delightful,” she sussurates. “the rest was refreshing but i look forward to resuming my rituals. though this pastoral scene was surely not where my coccoon was spun about myself by my body-slaves... curious.”
* * * * *
okyno says, “i think i must see to my own affairs. i had expected change about me but not this much. i hope my home has been kept as well as this place has.” she looks about, antennae sifting the slow breezes. “too many cycles may have passed.”
Mel muses, "Would you like company?"
Chip bows. "Be well, Miss. I hope you find things as you hope to."
Mel muses, "It might be helpful to have escort."
Chip smiles. "And I can't think of a better escort than a muse!"
Mel muses, "Well... I can to be honest, but that's most kind. Thank you, Chip."
okyno gives mel a dark-faceted assessing gaze. a puff of amused scent slips from her; okyno hides a smile behind an upper hand. “yes, an escort would be proper. you are most polite, sir.”
Mel stands, medals jingling. "I will see you later on, company..."
Coalesce says, "Fare well, Mel. "
Mel salutes.
okyno bows to chip, dress flaring gracefully about the slight dip and incline of her body without the touch of any of her four slim hands. “thank you for the kind wishes, sir. perhaps we shall meet again.”
Caroline grins. "Try not to get lost, you two."
“good eve and just disciplines,” okyno says.
* * * * *
Mel is mostly silent through the journey, almost shy to talk.
Mel muses, "This road... leads to the Ovon."
“thank you, sir,” okyno says, bowing precisely again. “you are most kind to a lost hivequeen.”
Mel muses, "Politeness and kindness are priceless commodities in this age as they were at any time."
okyno flutters her antennae in an undiluted moment of anticipation. “ah, home.”
Mel heads down the road towards the dome that is hazily seen in the distance.
The Palace (Neke-ovon)
Mel is protective, vanguardist Okyno to her right.
okyno says, “ettiquitte is something we of the chitin have always felt of utmost importance. the quiet discipline and polite respect for the social order.”
Mel muses, "I wonder if your awakening is linked to the island's emergence. Or mere coincidence."
Mel muses, "The webs of the old orders are spun anew."
“there is no coincidence in this world, only what single eyes find,” okyno says.
Mel muses, "You should know the palace has not remained sealed. I've been inside. Damage is hard to assess."
okyno curls fingers into a fist, a gesture grasping the air. “the traditions keep themselves; we are only their unknowing hands.” she looks at mel. “it was in error that it was ever left.”
Mel muses, "No one seems to know much about you or your kind, Milady."
okyno says, “as we prefer it. our mysteries are our own. to learn them fully you must join us.”
* * * * *
okyno bows shallowly to mel, inclined a few precise degrees more than before (a subtelty likely lost on any not attuned to the complexities of insectile ettiquitte, but an important one - she has suggested almost-human status this time). “i thank you again for your escort, sir. may i have your name?”
Mel muses, "Mel is what I am titled... I am the Curator."
okyno says, “mel-crrtrrrk.” she adds a modifier to mel's name that the translators do not care to touch, revealing naked to all senses the insect chirps and trills and chitters of her language. “we are okyno; we are the daughter-queen (dormant/in-waiting) of the neke.”