“So, tell us! What was it like? Was it scary?” said Mera, tilting her head back against Chrysanthemum’s soft stomach, a breast pillowed comfortably on each of her shoulders.
“This one does not get the scared!” Chrysanthemum declared proudly, mandibles clicking in a happy chitter. Then she lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Unless the girlfriends like this one being scared, do yous?” Her antennae twitched playfully as if waiting for their verdict.
The other women giggled at her tone. Chrysanthemum’s thorax gave a pleased rumble before she went on. “Well, this one has killed the rot creatures many many many much in the before-girlfriend times. Think it was scary at first, don’t remember the much. But done many times. Less rot creatures every few years. So, will be no problem eventually!”
The trio leaned into her more closely, pressing into her warm body, and the queen practically preened under the affection, all four of her hearts beating faster.
“Really?” asked Vicky, propping her chin on the chitin of Chrysanthemum’s chest. “The corrupted have been something everyone has been wary of for longer than my great-great-grandmother was alive.”
“Yess yesss, this one tells only truths!” Chrysanthemum chirped, puffing herself up with pride. “Eventually not rot creatures! Need to find all spawn pools first. Found many. Dozens. Hundreds. More? New ones do the happen, but this one removes them fasters.”
Jakira brushed her fingers lightly along the edge of Chrysanthemum’s carapace. “What will you do when they’re all gone?”
Chrysanthemum tilted her head, antennae curling in thought. “This one does not know. Rule queendom? Spend all the time with the girlfriends?” Her mandibles clicked rapidly as another thought struck her. “Ah! This one wishes to find more of the romance books! This one has many, but has read them all many times over. Some fall apart from centuries though. Very saddies.”
Jakira’s brows rose. “Can you read Catacian? They love their romance literature over there.”
“This one does not think so.” Chrysanthemum shook her head, frills fluttering. “Will need to do the learns. Is okay. This one very learny. Learn for girlfriends, learn for the romance books, learn for everything!”
The girlfriends laughed again, squeezing her closer, and Chrysanthemum let out a deep, vibrating chitter of pure contentment.
“Do you ever think of expanding your territories?” asked Vicky, her voice soft, almost testing.
Both Jakira and Mera stiffened instantly, their bodies tensing against the queen’s abdomen. Mera even sat up a little, eyes wide.
“This one does not understand,” Chrysanthemum tilted her head, antennae flicking curiously.
“You have an army that could rival everything the rest of the world could put together,” Vicky explained, her claws tapping against her thigh as she spoke. “You could rule the world under one queen. No one could stop you, and everyone knows that.”
Chrysanthemum blinked, mandibles clicking in genuine confusion. “But why would this one do that?”
“Why not?” pressed the dragonkin, leaning in, her eyes sharp and searching.
“Because this one’s duty is to look after the worlds. Not conquer.” Her voice softened, like she was explaining something obvious to a child. “Do not need everything. Hyoomees know not to attack. This one sees no reason to attack? Swarm has all it needs. The foods and arts and friends and easy access to male seeders if needed. All are looked after. Don’t need more.”
Her antennae drooped slightly as she tapped a finger against her carapace for emphasis. “Hyoomees can look after selves. Except rot creatures too much for them. Rot creatures change hyoomees. Rot creatures not change swarm. So this one does the protect, this one does not conquer.”
Jakira let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, her large hand coming to rest protectively on Mera’s leg. The human glanced between them nervously before sinking back against Chrysanthemum’s chest, reassured by the queen’s steady warmth.
Vicky studied Chrysanthemum’s multifaceted eyes for a long moment, then finally let out a little chuckle. “You’re… terrifyingly powerful, you know that? And yet somehow the least threatening creature I’ve ever met.”
Chrysanthemum’s whole thorax gave a pleased shiver at the compliment, antennae curling around Vicky’s hair affectionately. “Good! This one wants to be terrifying to rot creatures, not to the girlfriends.”
“Why did you ask?” said Mera, tilting her head toward Vicky.
“I just was curious,” the dragonkin replied with a small shrug.
“The girlfriends can have the curiosity if they want!” Chrysanthemum declared proudly, antennae perking tall. “This one will answer anything the anytimes!”
Jakira shifted, scratching at her tusk with one claw. “Alright then. Do you actually like eating those… food balls? They don’t look all that appetizing.”
The swarm queen gave a firm nod. “Mm, food balls is efficient. Very nutrients. Taste does not do the matter. This one eats to be strong, to keep swarm strong.”
“That was the question you asked immediately after Vicky’s?” Mera broke into giggles, leaning harder against Chrys’s hard stomach.
Jakira rolled her eyes. “What? I’ve seen her down dozens of those things like they’re nothing, and we get plates of roasted meat and fresh bread. I was curious.”
Vicky smirked. “Well, maybe I should start feeding you some of my creations. If you're going to run on flavorless mush, it makes sense her girlfriend picks up the slack with the feasts. If you wanted.”
Chrysanthemum chittered happily at that, mandibles clicking in what could only be pride. “Girlfriends give the swarm queen the tasties. This one gives the girlfriends the safeties. Very good trade, yesss.”
Everyone broke into giggles at that.
“You’re so… kind. Do you know most of the topsiders are afraid of you?” asked Mera, still smiling but softening her tone.
Chrysanthemum tilted her head, antennae swaying. “Why? This one does not be mean to hyoomees. This one thought all loved her.”
“Oh, uhm, I don’t mean they hate you. I’m pretty certain everyone appreciates what you do for the world… it’s just the swarm keeps to itself, and many swarm members… uhm…” Mera trailed off, fidgeting with the hem of the blanket.
“Scare the shit out of the average person,” Vicky finished bluntly, earning a snort from Jakira.
Chrysanthemum’s eyes widened. “Really? Why? Swarm is very nice to each other. Has the thinks that hyoomees are good too!” She sounded genuinely baffled, mandibles twitching.
“Uh, yeah. If we’re being honest, I was pretty unnerved by most of the swarm before getting here,” admitted Jakira, rubbing the back of her neck. “Took some getting used to, but it was like… instinct to be scared.”
The queen’s antennae drooped, her carapace giving a faint creak as her shoulders sagged. “Oh. That gives this one the sad. Is this one scary? Do the girlfriends not want to be around this one?” Her voice softened to an almost childlike whisper, as if she feared the answer.
Mera sat up quickly, clutching Chrys’s clawed hand in both of her own. “No. No, we do. We’ve been doing a lot of talking while you were gone.”
Vicky slid closer to Chrys’s side. “Honestly? The longer we’re here, the less scary you seem and the more… well, adorable you are. Big and imposing, sure. But that’s just on the outside.”
Jakira gave a short laugh, though her ears had gone pink again. “Yeah. Terrifying on a battlefield, but in here? You’re more like a giant cuddlebug.”
Chrysanthemum’s antennae perked a little at that, her hearts thrumming faster. “The girlfriends mean this one is not scary to them? Only scary to rot creatures?”
“Exactly,” said Mera, stroking her chitinous thigh. “To us, you’re becoming home.”
Chrysanthemum let out a delighted chitter, mandibles clicking rapidly as she pulled them all in tighter against her sides. “Yessss. This one likes this. Not scary, but cuddly. Very best.”
They cuddled all through the night cycle and halfway through the next day cycle.
oh she deserves everything all the girlfriends
Huzzah!
Vicky slid closer to Chrys’s side, her wings brushing against the queen’s arm as she leaned in.
wings again