Repurposed | Quirrel x Sheo x Nailsmith

Chapter Seven: In Which Quirrel and The Nailsmith Have A Heart-To-Heart

Ever since Sheo moved to the bottom of Greenpath he'd been alone.

He built his house large and sturdy to be able to store and protect his art, but as the days went on he'd become increasingly aware of the way his metal walls echoed the few sounds he made. He became aware of the silence.

As time passed, the house became more decorated, more cluttered. He painted to his heart's content, which never failed to bring him joy, but it was when he set down his brush, when he was left to wash the paints from his palette, that was when he was reminded of his loneliness.

While he was a Nailmaster he could never remember a moment in which he was by himself. If he wasn't with his brothers, he was with his master, if not his master, then his brothers. Their family was never separated, and he didn't realize how much he missed company until he left it.

Ah, there he goes again, getting lost in the past. It doesn't do him any good to be alone with his thoughts, he always ends up making himself sad in one way or another. But when you spend all your time painting, there's not much else to be alone with.

In that case, it's a good thing he was no longer alone.

His house had never been so full before, so lively. Sure, the bugs he had found himself with weren't the most talkative bunch, (one couldn't speak at all,) but who was he to complain! He finally had someone, (two someones!) to hold a conversation with, to ask questions, to learn more about. Words couldn't describe how happy he felt when The Nailsmith asked to stay longer. The Nailsmith could stay forever if he wanted to. To share his life with a friend, that's everything Sheo's ever longed for.

"Oh my, Little One! That's shaping up to be quite a masterpiece indeed!" Sheo had convinced his guests to spend the day painting and sculpting yet again. He'd been hesitant to start another painting himself, as he wasn't quite sure of what to paint, and digging up his unfinished projects made him frown.

The Little One nodded towards Sheo and quickly got back to work. Their painting depicted a high stakes battle between them and a rather large vengefly. Colors and action lines were everywhere, giving the crude brushstrokes even more life. Sheo couldn't help but smile, he wasn't trying to hype up The Little One at all, he truly thought it looked like a masterpiece.

Sheo had found himself in the company of three very mysterious bugs, The Little One being the one he'd known the longest. The Little One might not be able to speak, but Sheo had found them to be a great conversational partner. The small bug loved to listen to Sheo's ramblings, and Sheo had many ramblings which he had kept to himself for years. Despite not knowing anything about where The Little One came from, their mysterious past didn't bother Sheo one bit, (though that doesn't mean he doesn't think about it often.)

The same could not be said about the other two.

Sheo glanced over to where The Nailsmith sat. His posture was almost as bad as Sheo's own as he concentrated on molding the clay in front of him. What he was making, Sheo did not know. When he asked him earlier he seemed very reluctant to answer, eventually saying that it was a surprise.

What kind of a life did The Nailsmith have before Sheo had met him? All Sheo knew about him was that the bug had lived in The City of Tears before leaving to search for The Little One. Why did he not go home? This wasn't to say Sheo would have preferred he did, but he wondered why The Nailsmith stayed. His mission was over was it not? The mysterious quest, (which Sheo couldn't stop thinking about no matter how many times The Nailsmith dismissed it,) what was it? It wasn't as if The Nailsmith was incredibly talkative either, and Sheo wondered if one day he could understand the workings of his mind.

Sheo's gaze then landed on Quirrel who was painting with a blank expression. If there were a mind even more hidden than The Nailsmith's, it'd be Quirrel's. The only thing Sheo knew about him was that he was a traveler, which could honestly mean anything. What had brought him to Hallownest? How had he met The Little One? And the most obvious question, why had The Little One brought Quirrel to him? He had so many questions for the strange bug, but he had a feeling he'd go a while before he was answered.