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Hornet loves to tinker. This has been known to her, this has been known by those around her, and this was simply a fact. She loathes that the habit is sourced from her father’s side, but she has made it her own and it bothers her less and less as the days go on.
After finally freeing Pharloom from both the silk and void wrapped tightly around it, Hornet needed a Fucking Break. The silken child had practically invited herself to share Hornet’s bellhome. She didn’t mind, and understood if the child was afraid and didn’t want to be alone. Really, she was safer here than anywhere else with Hornet likely being the only one available to spare the silk to repair her.
With that sorted, the rebuilding and repairing of Pharloom itself could wait a day or two. Hornet just needed a moment to relax, that was all.
She decided she would indulge in some tinkering. Yes, she spent a lot of time adjusting and improving her tools during her initial journey through Pharloom, but can you really blame a girl for loving her craft? Hornet sits at the rather crowded desk in her bellhome, and lays out the shards for the first blueprint she could think of.
Oh, how she loved her sting shards. It was something one of her many aunts had taught her during her short time spent living in Deepnest. She loved the sound when the blades unsheathed from the tight bindings. After a bit of tightening and tying, she took the improved tool and tossed it at the floor in the middle of the room.
It gave that satisfying shink, and this time a click and Hornet gave her wrist one single flick in excitement. She loved it when her ideas worked out. It was probably pointless to add little cosmetic noises for her own enjoyment, but she was having fun so it was no harm done. Besides, controlled noises were one of the easiest ways to calm her when everything was too much.
Hornet watched it explode into shards and she realized she probably shouldn’t be testing these things inside. She could leave the shards for now, she can clean it up when she’s done tinkering.
She skimmed her mind for more blueprints she could toy with. A pimpillo flashed in her mind. That was definitely not an inside toy. The spider leaned back and stretched in her chair for a moment before she was startled by the door’s creak.
“Ah. Welcome home, child.”
“Good evening, spider. Have you really been couped up in here all day?” She set her pin against the wall and shut the door behind her.
“Is it evening already? I wasn’t aware.” Hornet had been working for a while, but it couldn’t have been that long. Ah, well. Time flies when you’re having fun.
“You are so strange sometimes.” Lace scoffs. “I’m going to bed. Please try not to keep me up all night.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll be quiet. Enjoy your rest, child.” Hornet waved her off and turned back to her desk. A bit of shuffling and the room was only lit by a dim lamp sitting on the desk.
What was something quiet she could work with. None of her tools were really silent. She liked the gentle clicks and whirs of the tools she made. Perhaps she could perfect the shape when it comes to carving her throwing pins.
So Hornet carved away at the shape of her threefold pins. Surely it could be more optimally shaped to the contour of her claws. Carefully, the spider carved away at the larger shards. She tested the feel of holding them. This could work.
“Spider,” lace started as she made her way down from her bed, “I discussed with my sister yesterday, and I’m going to be staying over for a few nights.”
“That’s fine by me. I could use a some time free from your snoring.” A playful taunt.
“Shut up I do not snore!” The child stomped her foot in annoyance.
“Whatever you say. Safe travels.”
“Farewell, sister.”
“What was that?” Surely Hornet misheard.
“I said farewell, spider.” Lace took her pin and swiftly exited, closing the door behind her.
Hornet focused back on her tools. She had been thinking of ways to improve her cogwork wheel all night. She hated the way it stalled for a moment when she threw it. Tightening silk and reshaping the shards that made it up, she tested the tool by throwing it in the middle of the room.
The tool instantly sped forward and began to run up the wall. A moment of panic shot through Hornet until it exploded into smaller shards before breaking something important. Right, no testing tools inside. She can remember that. The smaller shards could be picked up later, she didn’t need to pick them up now.
Cogwork flies were one of her favorites to tinker with. Silk spun as she carefully adjusted the cogs within the shell. She remembers using them in battle with Shakra, and she complained about the constant noise emanating from them. Hornet could probably fix that.
In her palm sat a single cogfly. She pulled the pin to start its cogs with a satisfying click, and watched it hover from her claw. Hornet listened carefully for any sound as it hovered. She threw her arms up after a moment of hearing nothing. Shakra would appreciate this the next time she spoke to her.
This thing would continue running as long as it didn’t injure itself, so Hornet let it relax on the shelf above her desk until she called it to action.
Hornet yelped when she heard three powerful knocks at the door.
“Poshanka, Hornet Wielding Needle! I noticed your absence from the public for the past three days, and wish to confirm if you are of good health.”
“I’ll be right there, Shakra!” she yelled towards the door.
Hornet stood from her desk and groaned a bit. Her legs were stiff and she finally felt the toll of sitting still for three days straight. Stumbling, she made her way towards the door. Another yelp as she fell to the floor. There was a little shard lodged into her shell and she cursed herself for forgetting to pick up the shrapnel.
“Is everything alright? I heard you shout.”
“Agh, just come in, Shakra. You know where the spare key is.”
“As you wish.”
Hornet contorted her body as she plucked the little piece of bone from her shell. She sat on the floor and gathered the other pieces into a little pile she could easily toss out. Into the bin they went when she finally stood. Just as she got up, Shakra had unlocked the door and lowered her head to let herself in.
“Are you well, Hornet Wielding Needle?”
“I’m okay, I just stepped on something sharp.”
“And otherwise?”
“Really, I’m alright.”
The bug in red tried to hide her wobbling legs from the taller warrior. She really should’ve stretched more while working. Shakra made a noise of skepticism, but did not pry any further.
“What has kept you so busy, secluded in your home?” The wasp asks, sitting on the edge of a bed way too small for her.
“I was working on some of my tools. I may have lost track of time.” Hornet stretched her legs a bit and winced.
She made her way back down to sit on the floor and properly stretch. Out her legs went and she bent her body to one side, and bent it to the other. She twisted her head to the sides, loosening the muscles under her shell.
Shakra shuffled for a moment, looking away from the smaller bug. “Tell me about what you worked on. I have missed your company.”
“Ah, there was actually something I wanted to show you.” Hornet stood up quickly, feeling better after her little stretch.
Hornet called the cogfly to hover towards Shakra. The wasp tensed and Hornet assumed she was just being her classic self, always prepared for a battle.
“Notice anything different about them?” Her mandibles twitched under her mask, eager for Shakra’s reaction.
“That horrible noise has ceased.”
“Yes! I adjusted their internal mechanisms myself to be completely silent. I remembered you hated the noise, and I love messing around with these things so I thought it would be fun to try.”
“It is much better like this. It would be much less distracting in battle.”
“I’ll be sure to return to the old design the next time we spar.”
“Ka, va! I would never expect such cruelty from you!”
“Relax, Shakra, I was only kidding,” Hornet says, “I want to show you my other tools, but I fear I shouldn’t release anymore shrapnel around my home. The silken child would have my head if I got any into her bed.”
“Shall we go outside?”
“No, my joints are still a bit stiff from spending so long in that chair.”
Hornet sits next to Shakra, feeling her tense a bit by her side.
“Here, I can show you what I did to this one. Let me fix up one of the old versions to compare.”
She noticed Shakra squint. “Don’t worry, I won’t activate that one.”
She quickly pulled some shards into her lap. Silk whipped around her as she carved and weaved until a cogfly was there deactivated in her lap, its inner mechanisms exposed.
“You are very skilled at this. I always did enjoy watching you work.”
“Spying on me, were you?”
“Simply noticing an intruder in my camp.”
A chortle from Hornet. “Here, look. The gears here are simply not tight enough, so they wobble in place and create the constant noise against each other.”
“And within the improved tool?”
“I can show you that too.” Hornet called the still hovering cogfly into her lap, and she lifted up the elytra. “You can see that they’re more firmly in place. They’re also shaped more precisely so that they aren’t grinding against the other cogs and- are you okay.”
When Hornet looked over to Shakra, she looked completely dazed. She had her chin resting on her hand, long antennae were curled behind her, and her abdomen gently wagged and would occasionally hit the bed with a thump. The noise is what made her glance over.
Shakra instantly straightened her back and placed her hands on her lap when Hornet asked.
“Yes, I am fine” she cleared her throat, “I was simply listening intently.”
“If you say so…”
Hornet yawned and stood to set the cogflies back on her desk. The lack of sleep was really hitting her. She had intended to rest in the first place, but it seems she wasn’t resting enough.
“I can show you the rest another time, however I fear that working hunched over a desk for three days straight is not proper rest. I really should catch up on my sleep.”
“Ah, I understand.” Shakra stood from her spot on the bed.
“Feel free to continue spying if you’d like,” Hornet teased.
“You tempt me, but I will take my leave to let you rest.”
“Alright. Do you have plans for tomorrow? I can really show off my improved tools during combat.”
“I’m sure I can squeeze in a quick victory with my ever so busy schedule.”
The spider snorts at her, “Goodbye, Shakra.”
“Goodnight, Hornet Wielding Needle.”
As Hornet wiggles into bed, she watches Shakra duck to exit the doorway and close the door behind herself. Hornet stares intently at the door until she hears a click of the lock and she can finally relax, for real this time.