✤ Vyrm
Once the king of Hallownest, now a simple bug tormented by the guilt of his past actions, trying to make up for his mistakes. Following the return of the infection, he disappeared in a self-manifested realm where he hibernated for years until he was woken up by Ghost of Hallownest. He embraces his hunter's instincts by eating raw meat from beasts that roam Hallownest, though he is far from one himself.
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
Info | |
|---|---|
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| Name Pronunciation | /vɪrm/ |
| Name Meaning/Origin | Serpent (wyrm) |
| Other names/titles | The Pale King (formerly)
White Wyrm |
| Nicknames | "Lovebug" (Grimm)
"Dad" (Hornet) "Father" (Holly) "Papa" (Lewk, Asta & Milo) "Mender wyrm" (Dirtmouth bugs) "Coward king" (Lemm, City of Tears bugs) |
Personal | |
| Age | ~350 years old |
| Sex | Male |
| Gender | Male |
| Pronouns | He/him |
| Orientation | Gay demisexual |
| Tribe | Wyrm |
| Birthplace | Bone Wastes |
| Hometown | Dirtmouth |
| Occupation | Shop owner/mender |
Appearance | |
| Eye color | ■ Slate blue
■ Chilly blue |
| Height | 0.94m |
| Weight | 33kg |
| Notable Details |
Leucistic skin
Additional pair of arms |
Relationships | |
| Partner | Grimm (husband)
The White Lady (formerly) †Herrah the Beast (formerly; dalliance) |
| Children | Hornet
Holly Lewk Asta Milo †Ghost of Hallownest †Unnamed vessels |
| Parents | †Unnamed mother
†Unnamed father |
| Siblings | †Unnamed brother
†Unnamed sister |
Extra | |
| Voice Claim | Rory Williams (Doctor Who) |
Vyrm is the owner of the tinkering shop in Dirtmouth, where he creates custom orders and sells watches. At a glance, he is nothing more than a regular mortal bug, though some still remember him as the once king of Hallownest, or the last of the wyrms. He is married to Grimm, with whom he has three children: Lewk, Asta and Milo. He lives in a large house in the center of the town, together with his husband, their pups and his children from previous relationships: Hornet and Holly.
Name origin
The word wyrm, which is the source of his name, is derived from Proto-Germanic languages where it means worm, serpent or dragon, and a Proto-Indo-European word root which means to turn or to bend. In-universe, the different spelling comes from the region where he was born. In the language spoken there, the name of his species is spelled as vyrm (plural: vyrmen) instead of wyrm, as it's known in Hallownest. Being the last of his kind and not given a name by his mother, he decided to use Vyrm as his official name, though during his reign only those closest to him knew him by that name (and most of them wrote it incorrectly, using the Hallownest spelling, Wyrm). Now that he is no longer the king, he dropped all official titles and asks to only be called by his chosen name.Table of Contents
Appearance
Reference sheet
(click for full size)
While Vyrm is just below the average height when it comes to Hallownest's population, his proportions give him a noticeably stumpy appearance. His head is quite large in proportion to the rest of his body, emphasized by the large crown of horns, and is held up by a short but muscular neck. He has two pairs of arms, the second of which is significantly smaller and seemingly not that useful. The larger pair is quite muscular, and in a relaxed position, the hands (each of which possesses four digits including a thumb) reach the lower half of his thighs. A large storage of fat is located in his stomach area, giving it a very round shape. The legs are much fatter in comparison to arms, particularly in the thigh, where they connect to the thick base of the tail. His feet are plantigrade and very mammalian in appearance, with claws which are normally retracted into four toes. On the bottom, they are protected by soft tissue shaped similarly to cat paw pads, which reach towards the sole of the foot. Similar paw pads can be found on his hands. The last very prominent part of his silhouette is the tail. The base, which is another large storage of fat, is very thick, though surprisingly flexible, allowing the tail to bend 90 degrees in relation to his spine. The flexibility increases significantly near the tail tip, gaining prehensile qualities.
Compared to his pre-hibernation state, Vyrm is now significantly healthier. He gained back his muscle mass and, what's much more noticeable, he gained quite a lot of weight. The fat is distributed primarily in his stomach, legs and tail, it serves both as a visual sign of a proper diet, as well as insulation against the cold climate of the surface world. This makes his body very soft and squishy, especially on his torso, where it forms visible rolls, especially whenever he sits down. He can appear fat, mostly due to his proportions and especially in comparison to his form during his rule; in reality, extra layers of fat are natural for his tribe, and are a natural adaptation for wyrms that inhabit colder regions, which means he is within healthy weight range, if a little overweight. He's quite physically active - he regularly leaves Dirtmouth to hunt beasts in other regions, which forces him to climb and chase his prey. When at home, he spends most of his time in the workshop, a job which often involves working with metals and similarly heavy materials, all of which he carries himself, which can be seen in his fairly muscular arms.
His body lacks scales and isn't protected by a shell; instead, it is covered in smooth, slightly wrinkly skin, leathery in texture under close inspection. This means that the segmenting lines on his back, stomach and tail are in fact just thick wrinkles. The lack of external covering means that he's sensitive to surface injuries, though any damage to the skin surface heals quickly if treated properly. Due to the reduced pigmentation, his skin is very pale, nearly white in color. The areas surrounding his mouth, eyes and joints, as well as the tip of the tail, have a subtle pink tint to them. A soft, darker gradient extends from the digits of his hands and feet, ending around knuckles/midfoot. The underside of his body is slightly darker in color, extending from his throat to about halfway length of the tail.
When viewed from the front, his face appears quite wide, though a side profile shows a much more triangular shape, larger on the top and more flat along the lower jaw. The snout is fairly short and round, and the nose is soft and squishy, with visible wrinkles whenever he squints or opens his mouth. His nostrils resemble two small slits, connected to his upper lip and forming an Y shape. The mouth is very mammal-like in regards to anatomy, particularly dentition - the teeth are adapted for a carnivorous diet, with two larger fangs on the top jaw, which slightly poke out of his mouth when closed. His large, round eyes are light blue in color, however, most of the visible part of the eyeball is consists of a huge pupil. The pupil itself shrinks very little under direct light, and as a result, the eyes are very sensitive to brightness. In dark environments, the pupil takes over the entire eye, making it appear as if they're fully black. Moreover, the eye reflects a lot of light, which frequently affects its perceived color - in areas with a reddish light, the eyes will appear almost completely red. Above his eyes, two small, round eyebrows can be spotted.
Undoubtedly the most noticeable part of his head are the six long horns, formed in a crown-like, cylindrical shape, with the tips slightly facing toward each other. The horns, which grow from a small protrusions of bone growing from his skull, resemble a mix of animal horns and nails in their structure - they have a spade-like flat shape, they're sturdy, but can bend quite a bit before breaking; if broken above the base, they will eventually grow back, and they need to be periodically trimmed or filed down to maintain the desired length. Aside from the long horns, his face is decorated with smaller, spike like horns. Two of each growing from the point where his jaws meet, and one on the top of his forehead. Behind the side spikes is where his earholes are located, though just like nostrils, they are very subtle, practically invisible unless closely inspected.
Aside from his very characteristic crown of horns and the large blue eyes, a detail of his face that does not go unnoticed is the large scar, extending from above his left eye to about the middle of his forehead. This scar, formed as a small indentation which can be felt under the stroke of a finger, is a result of a wound that was not treated properly and got infected, which severely impacted its healing process. When pressed on, it can cause him mild pain, especially in the area where the scar leaves the deepest mark in his skin. Another, much smaller scar, can be found on the back of his head behind his left side spikes, and was left there after Ghost slashed that spot with their nail, which caused Vyrm to fall from his throne and wake up from his hibernation. Similarly to the wound on the forehead, this injury was not properly treated, and the skin tissue did not completely heal. Notably, though, this scar does not cause him any pain, likely due to it being a much more shallow cut than the open wound on his forehead. The last and the most subtle of the scars is the mark left after a knife stab wound, located on his lower back just above his right leg. Unlike the other two scars, it was able to heal properly right after it was inflicted on him, which is why it is barely noticeable for such a life threatening wound.
Background
Early life
Vyrm was born as the runt of a litter of three baby wyrms. Ever since the day he hatched from his egg, he had to fight for survival - he was lucky, as his mother refused to leave him to die or eat him, as the wyrm population was already in sharp decline at that point. Despite that, it was clear that she was disappointed in his state, and frequently made it clear to him. Vyrm had to fight for scraps with his siblings, and during his childhood, he was always the outcast. He was weak, nowhere near as aggressive as his peers, and his rare coloration made him stand out in the worst ways. Somehow, though, he managed to survive until maturity.Things did not go well for him after that. One day, his siblings all left the nest on their own, without their mother. He stayed behind, confused. After that, his mother followed, signaling him to not follow her, to which he obliged. He waited for her to return, but days passed and there was no sign of her. At first he assumed something must have happened to her, but as more time passed, he started to feel that perhaps he was too much of a burden and she simply abandoned him. So despite his fear of the unknown, he left the nest, and continued fighting for survival.
The next decades of his life he spent in solitude, avoiding his kind, as he knew he had no chance in a fight against them. He somehow managed to find enough scraps to make it, sometimes even feeding on carcasses of other wyrms just to have something to eat. Eventually, he stumbled upon a strange tablet, which seemingly spoke to him and guided him towards a source of what he would later find out was soul. He followed the instructions, and as a result, was able to learn powers he never once heard of before. After learning how to use soul as sustencance, he dedicated the next years of his life to mastering soul magic to gain an advantage over his peers. He became fascinated by the mortal bugs he stumbled upon, and somewhere along the line, he found Hallownest - a small land located in the Hallowed Mountains, with most of its territories found underground. He decided he wanted to reduce his form to gain the trust of the mortals, and to form a community built on respect and cooperation, something unheard of for his kind. In his eyes, it was a way to prove himself, and with all of his gained powers, he wanted to put them to good use by protecting those weaker than him, something he wishes he experienced as a hatchling.
Eventually, he learned a spell which allowed him to change his form to a much smaller one, rewriting a big part of his genome and essentially allowing him to start over in smaller, more manageable body. Soon after successfully using said spell, he crawled out of the carcass of his former body, only to find a strange being waiting there for him. Their light blinded him, but once he was able to see, he realized it was a tall, tree-like being. The White Lady was her name, and surprisingly, she took him with her to their mansion deep underground, located in a place full of lush vegetation and strange creatures. She helped him get back in shape, and over time, a bond formed between them. He wouldn't know until much later that what he felt wasn't love, and that the root was cold and seemed to care more about appearances than love and an emotional connection. He found her beautiful and fascinating, and in his lack of experience, he mistook that feeling for love.
Years of reign
The first years of his reign were just what he had hoped for. His new subjects would develop their communities under his guidance, they respected his teachings and were loyal to him. He built his palace, and invested a lot of time and resources into the infrastructure of the kingdom, the Stagways and the Tramways being some of his most successful endeavors. He founded the City of Tears, built under the Blue Lake, and made peace with The Mantis Tribe, allowing them to remain sovereign. It wasn't all perfect, though. Most notably, the region of Deepnest and its inhabitants strongly opposed his plans to expand his tramways into their territory, forcing him to abandon the idea. But aside from that, everything went very well, and he was beloved by his subjects.Throughout the years of rule, he refused to eat. Still dealing with the effects his rough childhood had on him, he saw himself unable to eat in an appropriate manner, with his instincts taking priority. As a result, he would eat in a messy, beast-like manner, which made him ashamed of himself; he also believed he would be seen as a hypocrite, he preached that to achieve peace, the bugs' beastly ways should be left in the past, which only fueled his feeling of shame. And because he already used soul as sustenance before, he simply continued doing so, ignoring the very early signs that its effectiveness was only temporary.
He had other things to worry about, after all, as it wouldn't take long for his marriage to turn unhappy. He didn't feel loved, his wife rarely acted softly and lovingly, more often than not he simply felt like a trophy husband and a way for her to satisfy her needs. She was often blind to his struggles, she failed to see or react to him feeling uncomfortable or anxious, and seemingly only cared about his image whenever they appeared together as king and queen, and her own needs and expectations being met. She would often voice her displeasure whenever he did anything she perceived as inappropriate, and he frequently heard comments about his own appearance coming from her, which resulted in him developing many body image issues. On top of that, he felt unsatisfied sexually, their encounters often left him more stressed than satisfied, as he struggled with the idea that he needed to perform to the best of his ability, or else she would be disappointed or upset. This left him with a very warped idea of intimacy, he saw it as a responsibility, not something that was done for pleasure and out of love.
There were moments where she showed him some kindness, rare glimpses that convinced him that perhaps he was the overly sensitive one. But that wasn't the case, whatever kindness he experienced wasn't enough, and he was often left to deal with his struggles by himself. His low self-esteem made him assume that his problems were just a burden that he has to carry by himself, he was scared of asking for help, a mindset he still has to deal with to this day. On top of that, the stress of ruling the kingdom eventually caught up to him, and as a result of both of these weights on his shoulders, he began hiding away, usually in his personal workshop, in hopes of escaping all the anxiety even for a bit.
During one of such escapes, while a royal event was happening within the Palace, he excused everyone and left to the balcony, to get some fresh air and escape all the noise. It was at that day when he first met Grimm. Unaware of his lustful intentions and encouraged by his warm presence, Vyrm began slowly opening up about his struggles. In normal circumstances, he would quickly realize his misstep and apologize, but Grimm seemed very invested and kept asking questions. The conversation was very pleasant, and eventually turned into a discussion about interests, to which Vyrm excitedly told Grimm about his workshop. His duties sadly forced him to return to the palace, but he invited Grimm to visit the next time he was around, so he could show him the workshop and discuss more things. To his joy, Grimm visited again, and again, and kept visiting him every now and then, more and more often as the two grew closer. However, at that time, they were still just friends, Vyrm didn't yet realize he had feelings for him, and while Grimm wasn't a stranger to flirtatious comments, they never reached suggestive territory. They became best friends, and Vyrm was excited at the prospect of seeing Grimm again every time he visited.
As his rule progressed, the side effects of relying on soul for sustencance began to show. He would slowly lose weight and become more and more sickly, frequently appearing weak and nearly fainting. He would hide his condition under long, flowy robes, so that his subjects would not notice. Besides, the soul had healing properties, so he would be fine, or so he thought.
The infection
Soon enough, he'd have more important matters to focus on. The expansion of his kingdom wouldn't go unnoticed. The Radiance, a being of light and dreams, and Grimm's sister, was enraged at the prospect of losing followers, and when her own Moth Tribe turned their backs on her, she snapped. A terrible infection followed, turning Vyrm's own subjects into mindless drones that endangered his whole domain. Things took a desperate turn as no amount of effort could halt the spread of the infection. In search of a solution, Vyrm consulted Grimm, who suggested using the void to stop his sister, mentioning his father's sacrifice hundreds of years ago. Vyrm followed his advice and, together with his Great Knights, opened the Abyss. The severely weakened form of The Shade Lord, the ancient void being, greeted the intruders, but they were able to defeat it in an event later known as The Battle of the Blackwyrm.Vyrm studied the void carefully, and eventually concluded that The Radiance could be sealed inside a vessel composed of void. He experimented with an artifical shell, the result of which were the Kingsmould that later served in his palace, but they proved to be too unstable. In desperation, he asked his wife for her thoughts, and she brought up the idea of using an organic being as the vessel. None of the experiments on beasts of all sizes worked, which ultimately brought the two to a terrible idea - they never planned to have children, but they knew that a demigod offspring born to them had the potential to be strong enough to contain the infection. Vyrm was devastated at the thought, he knew it was a monstrous task which went against all of his core beliefs, but time was running out, his subjects were dying en masse, and he had to save his kingdom.
After siring thousands of small, seed like eggs produced by The White Lady, the two placed them all at the bottom of the Abyss, where they merged with the void residing deep underground, forming void eggs from which the vessels would hatch. However, most of them were too weak to survive even an hour, and only some of them managed to begin the climb towards the Abyss entrance. It broke Vyrm's heart seeing them fail one by one, but eventually one of them succeeded at reaching him. He left the Abyss together with the Pure Vessel, and sealed the place away in guilt and shame.
The Pure Vessel was raised and trained to become the vessel that would stop the infection, but to successfully seal it away, he needed someone to sleep for eternity in order to make that seal strong enough to last. The first of those Dreamers was Lurien the Watcher, a loyal subject and one of the most respected bugs in the City. Monomon the Teacher, the head of the archives, followed soon after. The third Dreamer ended up being Herrah the Beast, the queen of Deepnest, but she had one clear condition - before her eternal slumber, she wanted a child with the king, to have a strong heir who would grow up to rule in her absence. Vyrm was hesitant, but eventually agreed, and the result of this dalliance was Hornet.
Things between him and The White Lady only got worse as a result of the vessel plan. They were always somewhat distant, but their different ways of coping soured things even further - Vyrm was devastated and couldn't sleep peacefully as he would blame himself for the monstrous act he committed; his wife, on the other hand, wasn't as deeply affected and encouraged him to move on for the sake of the kingdom. He couldn't comprehend it, and would begin voicing his disapproval, something he has never done before. He started seeing how poorly she treated him more clearly, his close bond with Grimm made it obvious - he felt comfortable and respected in Grimm's presence, all the while he felt like a puppet in his marriage, dancing to his wife's wishes. The aftermath of the vessel plan was the breaking point for him, and the relationship would eventually come to an end. The White Lady left the palace, and Vyrm was left in a confused, but slightly relieved mental state, now that he didn't have to constantly worry about upsetting her.
Xero incident
Soon after the sealing, Vyrm traveled to the City of Tears with baby Hornet, and that is when he was approached by a warrior named Xero. The warrior threatened him for reasons unclear to the king (though he soon noticed the orange droplets dripping from underneath his helmet; Xero was one of the very last beings to display the signs of infection), and without a second warning, attacked him. Vyrm was able to push Hornet away from the danger, but Xero was strong, very strong, and he found himself struggling to overpower him, his weak state becoming even more clear. Suddenly, Hornet grabbed Xero's cloak, in an effort to stop him from hurting her father, which infuriated the warrrior. However, before he was able to deal a fatal blow to the little princess, he was tackled by Vyrm. The king completely blacked out, fueled by protective instincts, and by the time he regained his senses, he was standing over the bloody, decapitated corpse of the warrior, panting and spitting out blood and chunks of flesh. He grabbed Hornet and rushed back to the palace, where he would hide away in shame and violently convulse at the mere thought of consuming another sapient being in blind rage.Despite that traumatic event, the next 15 years were somewhat peaceful. The infection was gone, and he could focus all his attention on bringing the kingdom back on its feet. The task was difficult, but what proved even more challenging was raising his daughter, Hornet. He loved her dearly, she was the light of his life and he promised himself he would do everything to make her childhood as happy as it could be. He wasn't one to ask for help, still though, he was incredibly grateful when Grimm offered to give him a helping hand at raising his daughter, whenever he was visiting. After some years, Vyrm finally saw that what he felt towards Grimm wasn't exactly platonic, but he struggled deeply with that realization. He would continue doubting himself, though the signs were fairly obvious, he would blush more often, and his mind would wander more and more frequently, in directions he felt were inappropriate. He felt disgusted at himself, the images his mind conceived, and the things he did to relieve himself of the feeling. He believed that confessing his feelings would destroy their friendship, and so he kept them a secret, silently suffering from the yearning. What is more, his physical health kept declining. He still refused to eat proper meals, the memory of Xero's corpse still fresh in his mind. Even despite the peace, his life was a struggle, but there was a possiblity that it could turn better.
Hibernation
Unfortunately, the period of peace didn't last, and his worst fears came true. The infection was spotted again, and would quickly spread around the whole kingdom. His Pure Vessel failed, he didn't realize in time that it wasn't strong enough, that it wasn't a pure void being. The Hollow Knight was his child, all the vessels were his children, and he left them all to die, all for nothing. The realization broke him, he locked himself in his chambers, completely unresponsive, and as the last ditch effort to preserve his mind, his subconscious manifested a hidden realm where his palace, alongside all his servants and himself would vanish. Vyrm, unaware of what was truly happening, would fall asleep and hibernate for an unknown amount of time. What stayed behind was the palace grounds, his kingdom, and his confused, lost daughter, who was training under Queen Vespa at the time.The hibernation, in theory, would last decades, if not hundreds of years. It was his mind's last attempt at saving itself, by erasing all of his memories and starting over. He learned this spell once, years ago, while he was still curiously experimenting with his new powers, but he never once thought he would use it, or that it would happen outside of his control. But he fell into deep slumber, and would remain so for 35 years, until he was woken up by Ghost of Hallownest, during their mission to put an end to the infection once and for all.
The next thing he remembered was sharp pain in his forehead and the back of his head. He got up and quickly noticed the pool of blood around him. He was confused for a moment, but it didn't take him long to put two and two together - the burning pain in his forehead made it very clear what was going on. In desperation, he tore his old robe and turned it into a makeshift bandage to stop the bleeding. Afterwards, he had to adjust to whatever was happening. He didn't know where he was, how long it has been, or what exacty happened. But he felt powerless, whatever happened, he wasn't able to use soul magic, he didn't rememeber how to. Soon enough, hunger followed, and without the option to solve the problem with soul, he had no other choice but to leave the palace. The dream realm exit was there, but he couldn't find a dream nail anywhere, which meant that it was a one way door - he wouldn't be able to go back, not without the nail, so he had to be ready to face whatever was waiting for him on the outside.
He was met with the sight of the ruined palace grounds surrounded by darkness, and the remains of a kingsmould in front of it. He couldn't stay for long, he had to find food, as much as the thought disgusted him. Luckily, the Ancient Basin was home to a type of beast known as a Shadow Creeper, which didn't seem to feel scared in his presence. He was able to catch one easily, and before he was able to form a clear thought, his teeth tore into the shell to reach the flesh of the creature. He was physically very weak, with visible bones and non-existent muscle mass, but his survival instincts were stronger. The first portion of food made his stomach turn, and his first meal ended up in front of him, though he knew he had to eat something, so he kept going.
He survived on this diet for the next week, slowly adjusting to a proper food intake, and consuming more and more at once. He felt better, he was still skinny, but he felt stronger. Eventually, he left the Ancient Basin in search of more filling prey, and that is when he started to notice things about his environment. The beasts he stumbled upon were healthy, there was no infection in sight. Something had happened, something made it go away, but at that time all he could do was wonder. The most important thing was that Hallownest was now safer to traverse, which meant he could focus on hunting and regaining his strengths.
It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, his guilt and shame eventually caught up with him, tormenting him in the moments of rest and keeping him up at night. He failed to stop the infection, he failed everyone. He was worthless, and deserved to be forgotten. At his worst moments, he even considered ending his life, but whenever he found himself in situations that would allow him to put a stop to his miserable existence, he realized that he was too scared to actually do it. So he continued on, hiding from everyone and living the pathetic life of a beast.
Weeks passed, and the wound on his forehead would get worse and worse. He avoided large bodies of water, his childhood fear of drowning made him panic whenever he was close to one, which meant he was never able to properly clean the wound, and he had no medicine or bandages to treat it. He gained a lot of physical strength, but it was becoming clear that he wouldn't survive long if he didn't find a way to treat the infected wound.
Homecoming
Luckily, the way found him. He didn't pay a lot of attention to the small bug he bumped into once, who would aim their wooden nail at him and then run away, he was too busy with his meal. But not long after, he reunited with someone he thought he'd never see again; someone he was convinced didn't want to ever see him again either. And yet, there she was, his beloved daughter, Hornet. She didn't say much, but he could see the anger in her eyes, and the shiny needle in her grasp, aimed in his direction. He was happy to see her, but his shame prevented him from saying anything that wasn't a word of apology. Then she simply lowered her needle, and told him to follow her. And so he did, unsure where she was taking him.Dirtmouth was the name of the town they stopped in. He heard about it before, it was on the surface of the kingdom - a small town hidden in a valley, once full of life, now sad and empty. But he could see the light in the windows of some of the huts, which meant that some bugs still lived there. Hornet took him to a small house and told him to wait inside a small, dusty room with an old bed. Then she brought some water, medicine and a clean bandage, and helped him clean his wound. After he finished, she pointed him to another room, saying that he can wash himself there. Turns out, the house had running water, an extension of the water pipes he had built years ago that he nearly forgot about. He showered and washed his cloak, and then returned to the room.
Not long after, Hornet visited him again, this time telling him to follow her. She took him to the kitchen and handed him a bowl of stew. Vyrm could tell she was trying to avoid him and her tone was far from a pleasant one, but he did not comment on it and simply ate the stew. After that, they left the kitchen and stopped in front of another room, and before he could ask what was inside, the door opened, and he felt his knees weaken. On the other side was The Hollow Knight, the vessel he sent to a painful death, now standing in front of him. He expected them to strike him, maybe even kill him. He knew he deserved it. Instead, they put their hand on his shoulder and stared right into his eyes, before clumsily gesturing at him to get inside. Vyrm was too confused to say anything, so he followed the instructions.
He spent the rest of the day inside the room, awkwardly interacting with Hollow, as Hornet called them, though he quickly realized how cruel of a name it was. Instead, he asked if they were okay with a different name, and suggested Holly. A quick nod was all he got in response, and so he began calling them that. He was still shocked that they accepted him after everything he's done, but it opened his eyes to a possibility of being given a second chance, one he could use to give himself purpose and make others' lives better, a chance at redeeming himself, perhaps. Moreover, he noticed that Holly was missing an arm and that they struggled as a result, so his mind was already processing various ideas on how to help them. Late in the evening, he said goodbye to them, and returned to the old room with the bandages and medicine. He noticed that Hornet left a blanket and an old pillow on the old bed, and despite the bed being far from comfortable, he fell asleep faster than he has in the past few weeks.
Two days of awkward interactions with Holly later, he decided to go on a quick evening walk around the town, during which he spotted a familiar shape in the distance. He walked closer, and only then realized what he was looking at. Those red eye-shaped symbols, the two lines cutting through them, and the faint smell of fruit. He recognized it, and he immediately felt his heart beat faster. If Grimm was there, it was perhaps his only chance to speak to him again. He was terrified, and he worried that his disappearance would cause Grimm to hate him, or that he simply moved on and forgot about him. But he didn't want to miss the opportunity to confess how he felt, not this time. He approached the main tent, and convinced the bug standing there to lead him to their master. The sight of Grimm filled him with so much joy he was unable to say anything, but the guilt quickly took over, and the moment their eyes met, he burst into tears and started apologizing for everything. Grimm didn't say anything, which terrified Vyrm, but the warm embrace he felt right after calmed his worst worries.
Grimm invited him to his private office within the Troupe tent and the two talked for what felt like hours. Finally, Vyrm got the courage to say what he meant to say years ago - he confessed that he loved Grimm, though he quickly added that he understands if Grimm doesn't feel that way anymore. Before he could go into a panicked spiral of assuming he stepped out of line and would get rejected, Grimm stopped him with a kiss. Vyrm felt surprised at first, but he eventually leaned into it. The kisses eventually turned more and more passionate, and the night took a much more intimate turn than Vyrm ever expected. It was new for him, not the act itself, but the experience filled with desire for someone he truly loved. He spent the rest of the night in the Troupe tent with Grimm, and only returned to Holly and Hornet the morning after. He didn't say much, but both of his children could recognize Grimm's smell, so they didn't ask many questions.
The next few days were the safest Vyrm felt ever since he woke up from hibernation. The two would continue to meet and spend time together, now a lot more intimate than ever. On top of that, Grimm took great care of Vyrm's forehead wound, gently treating it with the best medicine he could find. Vyrm felt happy and safe for the first time in years. However, one evening, Grimm told him that he had to leave to finish the ritual elsewhere. Vyrm felt scared that he would never see him again, that perhaps Grimm found him disappointing and wanted to leave him behind, but his new partner promised that he'd return as soon as he can. The period between Grimm's departure and his return were filled with anxiety, but their reunion was just as emotional as the one before it.
Grimmkin incident
The years that followed were the happiest time of his life, though there was a hiccup on the way, about a year after Vyrm's arrival in the town: the Grimmkin incident, as it would later be called. Dissatisfied with their master's decision to settle down in this small, boring town, one of the Grimmkin from the Troupe decided to take drastic measures to force Grimm to leave. While he was away in the City, they sneaked into his tent to find Vyrm at night, and attacked him with a blade while he was resting. They caught him by surprise, and while he fought back, they managed to stab him in the back, right above his right leg. The strike proved to not be fatal, but before they could finish the job properly, Brumm heard the noise and stopped the attacker, trapping them as he carried bleeding Vyrm back to his house. Iselda saw them on the way and followed Brumm, and together with Hornet and Holly, they were able to stop his bleeding and save his life. Thankfully, Grimm returned soon after, and stayed by Vyrm's side as he recovered.As things slowly calmed down, Grimm decided to properly move in to the family house, even despite the ongoing renovations to expand it. The event brought them even closer together, though it did put an obstacle in Vyrm's journey to improve his mental health. The fear of something similar happening again would consume him for months afterwards, but as things went back to normal, he was able to get more comfortable being on his own again.
New family members
A few years later, the idea of having a child together was first brought up by Vyrm. He knew that Grimm had the means to carry a child, even if he was infertile by default. But they decided to try, despite Vyrm's constant fear that perhaps he wasn't ready to be a father again. Unfortunately, he would have much longer to prepare mentally than he anticipated, as each of their attempts to conceive was unsuccessful. All those years of being infertile made Grimm completely inexperienced in actually shaping his body to make pregnancy possible, and they would continue trying for the next 4 years, until one day, it finally worked. Unfortunately, it wasn't all as joyful as the two hoped. Grimm's rather erratic biology and his physical discomfort made for an explosive combination once hormones got involved, and he would go through very turbulent mood swings. And while Vyrm understood the situation, some of the things Grimm said to him in anger would get to him. There were moments of joy, though, and despite the hardships, the two were incredibly happy to welcome a new life to their family. About four months later, their first son, Lewk, hatched from the egg.The two got married soon after, to make their relationship official and as a way to celebrate the arrival of their child. They were able to overcome the struggles caused by Grimm's earlier state, and as it turned out, Lewk's presence was a source of joy to not just them, but the whole family. What was most surprising to Vyrm, however, was that just over a year later, Grimm brought up the idea of expanding their family once more. Although he was concerned for Grimm's state, the two were far better prepared for it now. The second time went much more smoothly, up to the point they realized they would be welcoming two new pups instead of one. The fact brought its fair share of issues for Grimm in particular, but it all turned out well as the family expanded by two - the twins, Asta and Milo.
Present day
Now, 10 years after he woke up from hibernation, Vyrm is in a much better state, physically and mentally. With the help of a loving husband, as well as the town confessor and doctor, Jiji, he was able to process his trauma and guilt, and learn better ways to cope with his struggles. A lot of his distant memories returned slowly over time, some still fragmented, others clear enough to bring with them a lot of trauma. But with the support of those around him, he was given the opportunity to deal with them better this time. He remembered how to use a lot of soul magic spells, but he decided not to fill the gaps in his knowledge - he does not need magic in his life anymore, it brought him too much pain and he wants to leave that part of his life behind. He's still awkward and prone to anxiety attacks, but he's the happiest he's ever been. He was able to get close with Holly and improve his rocky relationship with Hornet, he has a loving family, a town which accepts him, and a new goal in life. He's no longer the king, he's no different than any other mortal, but he's comfortable with that. He can't fix his past mistake, and perhaps he'll never be able to redeem himself. But he realizes that there's still a lot of good he can do if he allows himself another chance, and he doesn't intend to waste that opportunity.General characteristics
Special abilities
The interrupted hibernation resulted in partial memory loss, in particular he lost memories from his early life, and so he was unable to perform any spells, including the ability to focus soul as sustenance. Over the years that followed, he slowly regained his lost memories, and with it some knowledge of soul magic. However, he decided not to pursue it again, choosing to leave that aspect of his life behind, which means he is no longer a soul magic user. Without soul magic, he lacks any supernatural qualities associated with higher beings, and consequently, despite his previous use of soul-based magic, he is not considered part of the pantheon of gods. However, his kind has a few quirks which can be considered unusual.First of all, he doesn't age: due to a mutation which occured in wyrms hundreds of years ago, Vyrm stopped physically aging after reaching maturity, and has since passed this trait onto his children. While he is not technically immortal, his body is suprisingly durable, and if treated properly, his wounds heal surprisingly fast. Another fascinating trait is his ability to digest pretty much anything, from any foods to inedible items such as rocks or even metal, as long as he's able to swallow it. This is an adaptation wyrms are born with that allows them to dig through terrain using their powerful mouthparts, which inevitably led to them unintentionally consuming non-food matter. To combat that, they evolved incredibly strong stomaches which can dissolve basically anything. While he doesn't actively use this ability, as non-food items don't give him any nutritional value, it is useful against dangerous substances such as poison, or food that is past its expiration date.
One notable ability that he lost after hibernation was his foresight, though the name may be a bit misleading. Due to the large amounts of soul in his body, he began having strange dreams and visions, some of them being visions of the future that may or may not happen. The dreams were too chaotic for him to make sense of them, and in most cases left him anxious and distracted, which meant the ability did not let him predict the future, even if rumors claimed so.
Gender identity & sexuality
Born as a male wyrm, he never questioned his gender identity. It was simply never a concern to him, he was too busy focusing on survival, and later on ruling Hallownest. After meeting and getting in a relationship with Grimm, he became far more aware of what gender identity is - after all, his husband, biologically both male and female, chooses to present as male. It didn't take long for Vyrm to understand the difference between biological sex and gender, and while he did wonder for a while where he fits on the spectrum, he ultimately decided he's comfortable with his male identity.He's a gay demisexual, though he didn't realize it for most of his life. In his youth, survival was priority, and for that reason he avoided all other wyrms, which meant he was never able to find a mate and explore his sexuality. After reducing his form, he got attached to The White Lady, and assumed what he felt was attraction. Whenever they slept together, he did feel like he wasn't as into it as she was, but assumed it was simply due to all of his stress. And because of the demisexual part of his orientation, he never once felt attracted to those of the same sex as him. That is, until he met Grimm and formed a really close bond with him, one far more emotional than he experienced before.
After his divorce with The White Lady, it took Vyrm a few years to get over his complicated feelings of guilt and relief. During that time, he had a realization about the nature of his feelings for Grimm. He started noticing things about Grimm's body that made him feel things, blushing whenever Grimm made eye contact with him, and he often found his mind wander in quite inappropriate directions. That was what put him on the slow journey of self-discovery, though he kept his feelings hidden out of fear of rejection, and didn't start a relationship with Grimm until after his hibernation.
Now fully aware of his sexuality, he's able to experience intimacy and desire to their fullest. Being in an close relationship with someone he finds attractive helped him get more comfortable with that part of his being, and while he's still rather awkward and submissive, he's much more open about his needs than he was in the past. He is more eager to embrace that aspect of himself, to experiment with what brings him pleasure, and above all, he feels much more comfortable with his body, in large part thanks to the compliment Grimm showers him with.
Fears
Vyrm experienced a lot of trauma throughout his life. In his childhood, he had to fight for scraps just to survive, which left him with unhealthy eating habits that he exhibits to this very day - whenever he's stressed, he acts very greedy when it comes to food, he eats a lot at once, in a fast and very messy manner, and he’s particularly defensive of his meals in those situation. Moreover, the constant fear of disappointing his mother devastated his sense of self-worth, and that manifested into an intense fear of abandonment. He's convinced that if he upsets those around him, they will end up leaving him behind, and as a result, he often sacrifices his own well-being just to make others happy. He also gets very easily intimidated as a result of his unhappy marriage with The White Lady - he doesn't react well to disapproval, his immediate response is panic as he scrambles himself to make up for his mistake, even if he didn't do anything wrong.His failure to stop the infection and the fall of Hallownest further devastated his self-confidence, and to this day he struggles with self-worth and seeing himself as valuable and worthy of respect. He's very quick to apologize for the smallest misstep, and he lets others walk all over him, rarely standing up for himself. A mere mention of his old title is enough to give him anxiety, and he reacts with panic at the prospect of being recognized and shamed for abandoning his subjects.
On top of that, he displays quite intense thalassophobia. He's terrified of deep waters and drowning, to the point where he avoids large bodies of water altogether, and refuses to step his foot in water if the surface isn't see-through. For the longest time, it resulted in him avoiding baths and hot springs, instead opting for showering under running water. He still feels uneasy when getting inside a bathtub, and tends to panic if he feels like he's going to slip and drown.
Quirks & mannerisms
He's noticeably a bit hunched over in his natural posture, and he drags his tail behind him. Because of this, his walk pattern can best be described as a little wobbly. It's not rare for him to stumble while walking, especially if he's focused on something, and it happens more often while he's running on two legs. Said run is closer to a fast walk than a proper run with both feet lifted off the ground. His smaller arms are always hugging his torso in a relaxed position, usually resting on top of his stomach. Additionally, whenever he's walking and not holding anything, he tends to keep his main hands close together, as if unsure what to do with them. In general he always tries to keep his hands busy, it's rare to see them completely relaxed, and he's prone to fidgeting, especially when anxious. Something one can notice when touching his face is that he tends to squint with his left eye under even the slightest touch. This is a result of wearing a dirty, loose bandage for weeks after waking up from hibernation. The bandage, made from his old royal robes, would partially cover his left eye, and to avoid hurting it, he kept the eyelid partially closed. While the eye fully recovered and can now open fully, it easily squints under touch as an involuntary reflex.The tip of his tail is very flexible, which can make it quite expressive. When nervous, it twitches slightly, excitement makes it twitch far more noticeably, and when angry, the entire second half of the tail sways from side to side. Whenever he's very focused on something, the tail tip twitches similarly to when he's excited. The end of the tail can wrap around objects, or in the case of others, wrap around their arms or legs, especially as a form of affection. When in pain, it curls tightly in a motion similar to clenching, though a similar motion (albeit more relaxed) can be noticed in response to pleasure.
Vyrm does not gesture much when speaking unless he's very excited. In most cases, he keeps his hands occupied in other ways, usually fidgeting with whatever he's holding, playing with the buttons on his clothes, or tapping his fingers. When alone and stressed, he has the tendency to bite the claws on his hands, and as a result, they are very blunt. Generally, he tries to make himself as uninteresting to look at as he can, which means that he tends to not move much during conversations. Similarly, he tends to avoid direct eye contant, especially with those he doesn't know too well. He's often quite nervous when speaking, he frequently clears his throat and stutters, and if he feels the conversation is getting unpleasant, his voice becomes more and more quiet, to the point he speaks in a whisper.
He has many interesting quirks to his mannerisms. For example, he has the tendency to tilt his head when deep in thought, and if you look closely, you can notice his nose slightly twitching. As mentioned previously, his left eye is also much more prone to squinting under even the lightest touch. He's a little absent-minded, so he frequently stares off into space, which often means that he has to be reminded that someone's talking to him. Similarly, he's prone to muttering to himself, especially when he's obsessively thinking of something.
Voice & speech
Vyrm speaks in a slightly monotone, rather quiet tone, as if he doesn't want to bother anyone with his words. He tends to mumble and whisper to himself a lot, there is also a noticeable stutter in his voice whenever he's even slightly nervous, or if he struggles to put his thoughts into words. Very often he talks too quietly for others to hear him properly, so he developed the habit of repeating what he just said if he realizes he might have done it again, which can lead to slightly awkward interactions. If he's excited, however, he faces another problem: he speaks too fast for others to keep up with him, and he has to be told to slow down. He has the tendency to ramble on and on about the things that fascinate him, though if he's focused on something, he is prone to ignoring other's presence in the room, to the point he has to be reminded of it. If asked, however, he is more than happy to talk through every single step of what he's doing, and it happens occasionally that he does so unprompted.During his rule, his language did not involve swearing as it was seen as inappropriate. After 10 years of living in Dirtmouth, however, surrounded by family members who aren't afraid of saying exactly what they think in less than pleasant manners, he unintentionally started copying that behavior. He never uses offensive language directed at anyone, but if he bumps his head on something, for example, he will react with a muffled swear word. His vocabulary also includes words he adopted from the common speech heard among Dirtmouth bugs, which includes words and phrases that would be seen as inappropriate back in the White Palace.
Hobbies
Vyrm's main interest is engineering, anything mechanical in particular. He loves tinkering and experimenting with various mechanisms, thinking of how to incorporate them into his inventions, most of which meant to be practical in use. He is especially fascinated by the mechanisms of clockwork, a very new technology for Hallownest which was introduced during his reign. The most notable invention in which he used it is Holly's prosthetic arm, and Vyrm later adjusted its blueprint for any other bug which may need it. Connected to his workshop activities, Vyrm also likes to experiment with woodwork. He often combines wood with his mechanisms to make things like animated toys for children or decorative contraptions. Most recently, he even started carving little wood figures as a side hobby, though he frequently asks Grimm for his assistance, as he doesn't find himself artistically gifted. Another hobby of his is collecting trinkets which show unique qualities. He has a large collection of them, which he found or bought himself, or which were given to him as a gift. He enjoys watching and studying them up close, they're a big source of inspiration for them.He likes reading, though he struggles with being able to focus on expansive narrative-driven books; instead, he prefers to read those which concern science and technology, especially those in his field of craft. He also does sketches from time to time, mostly as practice for making blueprints, but he occasionally attempts to draw from reference, even if it's a bit amateurish.
Work & education
Vyrm is self-employed, he runs the Vyrm's Tinkerer Shop in Dirtmouth, which is connected to his house. From there, he sells many of his inventions, though his primary specialty is working with watches, clocks and similar mechanisms. Aside from watches, he delves into designing weapons, tools and gears to be used in mechanisms, as well as creating blueprints for house and town renovations. In his free time, he also enjoys some simple woodworking, mostly crafting little figures or toys, many of which use simple mechanisms to move. Aside from selling goods, he offers repair services for any of the aforementioned watches, tools or other mechanisms. Whenever merchants visit the town, he sells a lot of his work on the market, earning himself extra Geo which he then spends on materials needed to create more things.He never attended any organized education, instead he is a self-taught watchmaker, who gained most of his knowledge from books and his own experimentation. Clockwork and gears are of particular interest for him, and he dedicated a lot of time during his rule to studying their intricate mechanisms, which he then improved through his work.
Personality
Vyrm is very introverted, preferring to keep to himself most of the time, often seemingly lost in thought or not quite present. It's clear when looking at him that he does not like to draw too much attention. That said, he's well-mannered, a relic of his past royal life but also a manifestation of his well-meaning attitude. He does not ever wish to bother anyone, or upset them in any way, and he's willing to make sacrifices to make sure others around him are happy. This, unfortunately, means that he can be a bit of a pushover, letting others walk all over him and control his actions. During group conversations, he will never interrupt, and will often only speak when asked directly, choosing to only listen otherwise.However, this changes whenever the topic is something he's passionate about; in those cases, if asked for his opinion, he will go on and on about the subject, and not give others the opportunity to speak. He continues until he realizes he's being overwhelming, after which he shuts down and gets discouraged from saying anything else, unless someone makes it clear that it's okay and they're not upset; though even in those cases he stops being an active partitipant for the remainder of the discussion. All of this can make conversing with him a frustrating experience, which only adds to his lack of confidence.
In day-to-day, brief conversations, he can manage somewhat fine. He isn't a full-on social outcast, he does enjoy occasional talks with other bugs from Dirtmouth. In those situations, he is very polite, if a bit clumsy and unorganized, but ultimately well-intentioned. As a result, he generally has no trouble making acquiantances if he feels at least a bit comfortable in their presence, or if they treat him with politeness. He may not reach out first and participate in many social gatherings, but he has the reputation of someone you can rely on when in need, and maybe even chat with for a bit, at least if you're patient with him.
Personality strengths
Compassionate
Vyrm is a very compassionate being. He is very responsive to the needs of others, and he refuses to walk past anyone who may need his help. This trait is the main reason why the vessel plan affected him so deeply: the part of him that saw the vessels as his children from the start screamed at him to do something to save them, but he knew he couldn't. After becoming part of the Dirtmouth community, he promised himself he would never leave anyone behind again, and he dedicated a lot of his time to improve the living conditions in the town, down to each individual inhabitant; if he didn't need geo to survive, he would offer his services for free just to make others' lives better.Curious
He's very intrigued by everything around him. His skill in mechanisms and engineering make him see everything as some kind of process, and a fascinating one at that. He's always eager to learn more and to expand his skillset, and he studies everything he finds interesting very diligently. Consequently, he's always willing to hear out others and learn from them in more social aspects, which makes him very quick to understand new concepts and accept others even if they fit outside of the perceived norm.Creative
Vyrm isn't very artistically creative, but when it comes to his craft of choice, that is engineering and tinkering, and when it comes to solving issues and coming up with new inventions, that is where his imagination really shines. He's responsible for the majority of Hallownest's technological progress, and he continues influencing it even after his rule. As an example, he came up with the design of Holly's prosthetic arm which uses clockwork as its main mechanism to assist the void that fills it, and then later adapted it for potential use by non-void beings. He is always ready to learn and use his knowledge in his work in some of the most unconventional and clever ways.Patient
To go alongside his laid-back and calm nature, Vyrm is also very patient. He knows what it's like to be a bit slow and to require assistance, and he's always willing to offer it on his part. A very clear example of this trait is how he behaves around Milo. The love and patience on display that he shows his pup is admirable, he makes sure to allow Milo to take things at his own, slower pace, and is always there to support him.Poilte
Despite having some unconventional ways of eating his food, Vyrm is a very well-mannered, polite individual. Part of it came from being married to The White Lady, who prioritized good-manners over many other things, but his general wish to not bother or disturb others is a big contributing factor. He's quick to adapt to rules of etiquette, even if he doesn't fully understand some of them. He always greets others when he sees them, and makes sure to treat them with courtesy and respect.Intelligent
This trait connects to his skills and creativity. Where he lacks in regards to social intelligence, Vyrm makes up for it with his enormous knowledge and understanding of sciences and technology. Whenever he speaks about it, he's very elloquent and quick-witted, showing that he dedicated a lot of his life to learning about it. On top of that, he remains humble and always ready to correct himself and his knowledge, showing a degree of maturity and intelligence many around him lack.Independent
Although his shy and introverted personality causes him many troubles in social interactions, it also taught him a lot of independence. He knows how to work by himself and plan his actions to be the most productive, which taught him many ways how to solve problems without the help of others, provided they stay within his field of interest and ability. This is a trait that might not be as obvious, as he appears fairly incompetent and desperate for help, but that tends to only be the case with emotional and social matters. In other situations, his independence shines and allows him to work much more efficiently than average.Personality flaws
Easily manipulated
Unfortunately, his drive to make others happy often puts him at risk of being abused or manipulated. He has the unhealthy habit of putting the needs of others above his own, which in the past has put him in situations where he constantly sacrificed his well-being for the sake of others. He's trying to do better in this regard, he learned some ways to remain cautious and not trust others too easily; but if he witnesses someone in need of help, he will do anything to make himself useful, even if the manipulation red flags are all over that someone.Clumsy
He's very prone to dropping or knocking over things all the time, and whenever he walks, he often trips over his own feet, especially if he gets distracted by something. In general a lot of his movements tend to be quite awkward, as if he's not quite sure what he's even doing.Absent-minded
While he is very diligent while learning or working, he tends to be very forgetful otherwise. It's not rare for him to zone out during conversations, and he often needs others to repeat things to him since he wasn't paying attention. In fact, this happens especially often if he's hyperfocused on something, as he tends to ignore the world around him. On top of that, this forgetfulness often makes him appear a little slow; for instance, he often asks very obvious things just because the answer slipped his mind, this can range from asking what he was supposed to do, or even things like the time or date. This could be a side-effect of his sudden awakening from hibernation: since the process was intended to "reset" his mind, interrupting it might have caused some minor issues to his brain. In fact, he doesn't seem to remember a lot of things about his distant past, even including some of his childhood that has impacted his life so much. But a lot of it may be due to his tendency to hyperfocus on things related to his interests.Timid & insecure
Vyrm doesn't have the confidence to stand up for himself, as part of him still believes that he's not worth fighting for. Despite being incredibly skilled in his craft, he doesn't believe in his abilities and has no idea how to respond to compliments, as somewhere deep down he assumes they're only being said out of politeness. On top of that, he's very prone to obsessively apologizing for even the smallest misstep, and he still struggles with overthinking and constant self-doubt. It's something he's gotten a little better with over time, but it still hits him at his most vulnerable moments.Socially awkward
He struggles with social interactions, very often he misses certain social clues and thus has no idea how to respond. He struggles to communicate properly, either staying on the side and not saying anything, or going on long rambles and not letting others speak. For this reason, prolonged social interaction makes him uncomfortable, especially when he's around strangers, which is where anxiety often gets the better of him.Likes & dislikes
Likes
Food
Vyrm loves food of all kinds, in particular dishes made from Vengefly and Tiktik meat. Anything from raw meat, to meat prepared over fire with spices or in a stew. However, he does enjoy adding non-meat foods to his meals for variety, especially fruits, which he usually grabs as an occasional snack. In general, Vyrm loves having a snack around him at any time, he has a large appetite and can't focus if he's hungry. It's a massive departure from his former self, where he was terrified of consuming food in fear of his own insticts. Now, he sees food as liberating, a symbol of finally breaking free from his previous fears and finding happiness. For that reason, it means a lot to him.Tinkering
Vyrm doesn't like to keep his hands unoccupied, so to keep them busy, he usually carries around something to fiddle with. A simple metal board with screwed on mechanisms, a spare broken watch, anything he can focus his attention on. He can sometimes get lost in thought whenever he tinkers with something, but it helps him relax and keep his mind off of things that might be unpleasant.Physical affection
For most of his life, Vyrm was starved for physical affection. While to strangers he may appear as a loner, whenever he's with his loved ones, he craves hugs, cuddles and kisses. In return, he's just as affectionate, constantly hugging his children and curling around them whenever they sleep. Physical touch is a big part of his love language, and he expresses it whenever possible to show his family how much he loves and values them.Physical intimacy
This is something he did not have much experience in before as he wasn't happy in his previous relationships, which for the most part lacked in warmth and closeness. With Grimm, he was able to come to terms with his sexuality and discover things about himself that he perhaps hasn't thought about before. He loves being close to his husband, embracing and kissing him at any opportunity, and engaging in sexual activity, something which he didn't realize he would crave as much based on his previous experiences. Similarly to food, intimacy is another symbol of him finally letting go of his past and finding joy in life, which he can now share with someone he is completely in love with.Dark rooms
A strange thing to like on the surface, but it is very important for him. Being a wyrm, it's part of his instincts to burrow and hide underground, and while he doesn't feel as strong of a drive to actually dig in the ground and hide in tunnels, he still feels the most comfortable in dimly lit rooms. His White Palace workshop was a great example of such room, being significantly darker (and cozier) than the rest of the palace. Moreover, bright lights hurt his eyes, and even though he was able to get used to the bright palace environments, he suffered many headaches as a result. Thankfully, Dirtmouth does not experience much bright sunlight, as the days are short and the mountains offer shade even during the day.Dislikes
Lifeblood
A blue substance known for its healing effects, and one of the very few foods his stomach will not tolerate. Even just its smell is enough to make him nauseous, and he will throw up if it ends up in his body. He avoids it at all cost, which, during his rule, resulted in the substance becoming a taboo subject within the kingdom.Loud noises
Vyrm's sense of hearing is very sensitive, which has its advantages, but it also makes loud noises affect him very negatively. Thunder in particular puts him on edge and forces him to hide underneath a blanket and cover his ears if it's especially bad. On top of that, something he finds especially distressing is shouting. Any showcase of anger stresses him out, but if he gets yelled at, he will most often freeze, and if it continues, even experience a panic attack.Unexpected touch
While he's very fond of physical affection with his family members, anyone outside of his select circle will quickly find out that he hates being touched, especially without warning. A random hug from someone he doesn't consider a close friend will stress him out, and he freezes when someone puts their hand on his shoulder or touches him in any other way. Some of this does leak into his familiar relationship, though it doesn't give him as much anxiety. Instead, he simply asks others to make their presence known if they mean to touch or hug him, as he can be a bit jumpy.Large crowds
This may be surprising considering his history as the king, but Vyrm hates large crowds of bugs as they really stress him out. Not only is it easy for him to get lost, but all the conversations and movements very quickly overwhelm him. If he's in the same room as a large number of bugs, he stays to the side, preferably around those he trusts, and if that's not possible, he tries to leave the situation altogether and instead, spend that time alone.Relationships
Vyrm family
(to be expanded)✤ Grimm
Vyrm's husband and the bug closest to his heart. In many ways, Grimm is the reason Vyrm is still around and why he was able to heal. He was there for him in some of his worst moments, and has stayed with him despite all of Vyrm's faults. There is deep admiration he holds in his heart for Grimm, he views the nightmare god as someone kind and selfless - throughout his existence, Grimm chose to help others find a path in their lives despite his own trauma, and Vyrm is simply grateful to be another bug who crossed his path and experienced that kindness. At times, Vyrm feels that he doesn't deserve Grimm's love, it's a topic he brings up often, and every time he's assured that he's loved unconditionally. It is with Grimm that Vyrm was able to rediscover himself, to heal from his trauma, and to finally live. At the same time, he is often reminded that the effort was not one sided, and the thought that he, too, helped Grimm find joy in life serves as an anchor for him whenever doubt casts a shadow over his mind.The two are, above everything, hopelessly in love. Vyrm finds Grimm very attractive, and the newfound freedom in exploring those feelings allows him to be open about it. He is quite awkward in his amorous attempts, Grimm's body often makes him lose his train of thought, and on many occasions, he finds himself getting distracted by Grimm's qualities - the curves that he can't stop staring at, the eyes that burn with a loving glow when their gazes meet, the soft hands that he wants all over his body, and many more things. In the past, such thoughts brought him an intense feeling of shame, one which Grimm helped him overcome. Now, with nothing between them, he frequently seeks comfort in Grimm's arms, and finds it incredibly rewarding to see the satisfaction and love in Grimm's eyes.
There are some aspects of their relationship that keep it from being perfect. Grimm's overprotectiveness is a source of stress for both of them, especially as it can manifest in violence on Grimm's part. Vyrm doesn't believe that anyone deserves to be hurt because of him, and while there are times the sight of Grimm fiercely protecting him warms his heart and makes him feel loved, he makes it known that he he doesn't condone it. In turn, Vyrm's constant self-doubt is the ultimate test of Grimm's patience - there are moments where the dark thoughts take over, and Vyrm gets overwhelmed by self-hatred. Thankfully, years into their relationship, the guilt of seeing Grimm sacrifice his time and well-being to drag Vyrm out of the pit rarely manifests into anything self-destructive on Vyrm's part; it simply remains as a feeling of shame nagging at him. These issues are still a thorn in their relationship that has not been removed yet, though with time the sting will likely continue to lessen as they work together in their healing journey.
✤ Hornet
His beloved daughter, the first child he was able to bond with, without anything getting in the way. He raised her practically by himself, and he tried his best to show her nothing but love, wanting her to have a happier childhood than his own. The White Palace was overwhelming to her, and he understood that more than anyone, so he made sure she was able to adapt at her own pace. Surprisingly, he stood up against the White Lady when it came to Hornet, for the first time since their relationship started - the Lady wanted Hornet to act proper, like a princess and a female heir to the pale monarch; Vyrm, however, noticed that Hornet had no interest in such matters, and so he allowed her to be herself. This made the two grow very close, Hornet saw him as a source of comfort and safety, he was there for her no matter what, and he tried his best to comfort her in times of need, even if his own life was difficult. However, as she got older, she started asking more and more questions, and he struggled to answer out of fear of burdening her. That was the first source of tension between them, but back then, it was still overshadowed by love.However, after his hibernation, things shifted. Hornet, bitter at his sudden disappearance, developed anger issues that got in the way of them reconciling. She would lash out at him at any opportunity, blaming him for what happened to her, and for leaving the kingdom. He accepted her cruel words and shouting without defending himself, as he knew how much he ruined things by disappearing. But one day, she crossed the line, telling him that things would've been better for her if he died. It broke something in him, and as he confessed that he tried and apologized for failing, something shifted in Hornet's demeanor. After that, she avoided him, and he did not pry, still feeling the pain of her words. The Grimmkin incident was the biggest turning point in their relationship, marking a significant shift in Hornet's attitude towards him. She tried to reconcile with him, and apologized for all her cruel words.
It took them years to mend the wounds, and the effects of that rough period still impact both of them. Vyrm can't shake off the fear that he might unintentionally do something to upset her, and so he acts extra careful around her. He asks for her permission about everything, even something as simple as sitting next to her in the living room. However, he noticed that she makes it more clear that she's not angry at him, and that allows him to relax and take more confident steps. He loves her just as much as he did when she was a child, and he's glad to see that she's now opening up to him. Their relationship is not as close as it was in the past, but it's slowly getting back to that point. Hornet's new relationship with Aika and Lace made her even more approachable and eager for physical contact, and Vyrm is always happy to offer Hornet a warm hug whenever she needs one.
✤ Holly
His oldest child and the one he wronged the most. They grew up without his love, as everyone, including him, convinced themselves that a vessel did not feel emotions, and so should not be considered a child. Despite that, he did show them affection from time to time, and their sealing did not go without many tears on his part. He didn't want things to be that way, but he knew there was no other choice. It was their inability to contain the infection that caused Vyrm to go into a breakdown and disappear, as he couldn't handle the realization that everything he wanted to believe about the vessels was wrong.Their reunion after hibernation was very emotional, he expected them to hate him, but they were more forgiving than he expected (a kindness which, in his mind, he did not deserve). Afterwards, he made sure to give them as much attention as possible, making it clear that he regrets not seeing his mistake earlier, and that he does, in fact, see them as his child. It was Vyrm who suggested the name Holly, as he felt that Hollow was a cruel name for them, as it represented the false assumption about them and the other vessels. He always tries to be there for them and to help them learn things they were not given the opportunity to experience in their youth, and he constantly reminds them that he loves them.
It was this love that convinced Holly to give Lewk a chance, since the news of the new child sparked a wave of jealousy in their heart. They worried that they would be replaced in their father's mind, something Vyrm did not realize until they ran from home into the nearby woods. He searched for them as soon as he learned they were gone, and once he tracked them down, he asked them to explain what was troubling them. When they revealed the truth, he assured them that the child would not get in the way of his love for them, and to prove it, he ensured that they got as much of his attention as possible while the family was preparing for the arrival of the youngest child, even despite all of his stress. Since then, they remain close, and one of their favorite bonding moments is Vyrm tinkering with their prosthetic arm to fix any malfunctions and offer upgrades he thought of in the meantime. He loves them, and he's incredibly proud of them for fighting despite their trauma. Above all, however, he's grateful that they gave him a chance, despite having all the reasons to hate him.
✤ Lewk
His first child with Grimm, a little innocent light born to a family which suffered so much in the past. Vyrm became obsessed with him when he was still inside his egg, he spent days without rest caring for both the little one and for Grimm, who was exhausted after the ordeal. There was a lot of stress involved during that time, as they both held their breath in anticipation of the egg hatching, wondering if the child would be healthy, and what it would even look like.He finds Lewk's youthful naivety to be heartwarming, and he's extremely proud of the bug his little son is growing up to be. Many of Lewk's traits remind him of himself, the few good aspects of his personality that he isn't ashamed of. Whenever he looks into Lewk's eyes, he sees the culmination of his and Grimm's love, manifested in the cuddliest, most innocent pup in the world, He dedicates a lot of his day to spending time with him, he's the one who usually walks him to and back from school, and above everything, he tries his best to ensure that Lewk never has to go through the same pain his other children did.
