This is a story about an explorer. He was such a nervous thing, scared of the world around him. He spent most of his youth locked up in his hive, too scared to face the world. His lusus didn't mind- why would it? It had it's ward safe and happy. It taught him to dig and expand the tunnels they lived in. To make an underground labyrinth of safety. One night, the explorer dug into a cave. It was huge! It was beautiful. An underground lake with treasures from the world above. Things we considered trash. The explorer loved them! He spent hours going through the pile, cataloging everything. Piece by piece, the rest of the world started to seem less scary. Maybe all the things he'd heard from his lusus weren't true! He even started to use his husktop, talking to others. He had friends. His friends told him his lusus was right, the world was scary. But they agreed he should at least try! The explorer started small. Two steps out of the hive tunnels. A hand on the grass. He went back and told his lusus what he had seen. His lusus was scared, and so happy for him. The next night, a few more steps. A flower this time. And so on, the explorer took his steps into the universe. Each time telling his lusus what he had found. And looking up to the stars. Hoping to one night find himself among them. ✎﹏﹏﹏﹏ 𓆩Memory recorded𓆪