It's an infestation, ya'll!

[a_peaceful_aura]

There's a tiny six (and a half) year old out and about today, displaying the vigor of youth! Armed with a net, he's zipping around in the still-warm evening, determinedly trying to collect as many chirping giant cicadas as he possibly can.

Comments

[m_benitez]

In her part of the world, Marce has never found a cicada. Not once in all her twenty-eight years of life.

At the first note of the cicadas' chirping, she looks up and listens intently. Then she notices the child catching bugs. "What will you do with them?" she asks curiously.

[a_peaceful_aura]

"Eat them." He replies in quiet monotone, black eyes returning her attention.

[m_benitez]

Marce's mouth makes an 'o' of surprise. Sure, she's heard of people eating crickets, but after they were well toasted. She's almost sure that this kid is going to eat them raw.

"Aren't you afraid of getting sick?" she asks him a little worriedly, putting her hands on her knees and bending to look at him better.

[a_peaceful_aura]

"They wouldn't be good raw." He supplies, ever expressionless. Sure that's not what she asked... ...Or even said.

reposting for tense inconsistency! (sorry! it bugged me)

[fear4muninn]

Eric is stretched out in the grass, face turned up toward the bright sky. His eyes blink open and shut lazily, unthinkingly. He's awake but hardly--he lets his mind go, sliding through strange memories, the way someone else might take in a landscape

[a_peaceful_aura]

Taiki slows a little at the sight of the teen, big black eyes staring the stranger down. He is tiny and pale and more than a little creepy when that blank look settles on a target.

Mister, you have a strange aura.

...And then, in answer, there is a net under the older boy's nose. Three giant cicada are quietly climbing around, one on the rim. Recent pleasantly normal memories of doing this with his mother are not far off the surface -- it's why he's out here now, at any rate. She's gone off to make dinner but he's still at it. Dedication!

[fear4muninn]

Eric holds the boy's gaze for a moment, taken aback by the weight of that blank and knowing stare. He thinks that maybe he can figure out what it means, what this strange little person is thinking, but the moment passes too quickly and he finds himself staring at three large bugs that are very close to his face.

"Oh, nice," he says, with genuine admiration -- catching those couldn't have been easy.

One cicada, more determined to escape than the others, apparently, tips over the edge of the net. Eric's hand flies out to catch it. It feels strange, ticklish, and Eric smiles crookedly, glancing up at the boy again. His smile grows as he feels the edges of a happy memory.

"I used to chase fireflies with my mom," he remarks, cupping the cicada with both hands and bringing it toward the net. "Sometimes we'd do pretty well. Catch a whole a bunch."

[a_peaceful_aura]

Ooooo, those colors are certainly attractive. Comfortable with this scene and Strange Aura-san's response, Taiki squats down, still holding the net. He watches the young man replace the cicada and is quiet through the one-sided conversation.

Firefly season has come and gone for Taiki! It was spent in much of the same fashion, terrorizing the local population with collection adventures and getting glowing goo on his clothes when they were tragically and accidentally mishandled. His mother would get him a jar with an appropriately ventilated lid and his father would escort him down to a nearby river that fed the ocean. It was a little too cold this year for much of a swarm but they managed to entertain themselves nonetheless. All of this tumbles around in his head with the usual slew of colors overlaid by other colors -- it is an aura dominated world and he tends to remember things in shades rather than emotions.

"What did you do with them?"

[akisilver]

The autumn sunlight was sinking, and soon it would be too dark to read from. Aidan tried to read as much as he could before giving up with a sigh and shutting the book. Leaning back against the tree he had found he tilted his head up to gaze at the pink-tinted sky. Soon enough he would be up there again. Not that he had anything against flying, he did choose to join Rue and the crew of the Metis, but it was quite nice to feel firm ground under ones feet for once. To read in peace without chaos going on around him or by the light of a candle.

But all of that would come back soon enough. It was fun at least...when it wasn't maddening. Placing the book on his lap, he stretched a little and ran a hand through reddish blond waves before settling again with his eyes closed. There was still time to enjoy the peace while it lasted.

[a_peaceful_aura]

Unfortunately, that tranquility is interrupted by a flurry of movement and footsteps! A tiny, pale child streaks across the space, net waving and hot on the trail of a cicada in flight.

[akisilver]

Blinking at the shadows, Aidan opened his eyes to see the child running around waiving his net. Mildly amused, he watches him for a long moment. Was it normal for kids to want to catch insects? He did not have a normal childhood, but perhaps it was. He certainly seemed to be having fun. Pulling up one knee he called out to the child.

"You there! Hello! What are you trying to catch?"

[a_peaceful_aura]

One last swipe at the flying insect before veers off, heading up to an out-of-range tree branch. Taiki swivels a little when someone calls out, looking around until he finds the stranger. A moment of expressionless staring before he suddenly breaks the gaze and looks down at his net. It's held out to the older male, irregardless of whether they are withing reach or if Taiki is across the clearing.

Look, see! Cicadas!

[eachbeansoup]

Emile'd come back to the Loft, and decided to explore the outside. It was coming on fall here, with the trees abuzz with the sounds of cicadas. He settled hisself on the step, all long-legged and languid, listening to the sounds and enjoying the cool breeze.

He spots a little boy running after the bugs, and smiles a bit remembering his own youth-- which truth be told, isn't all that long ago, but seems to him ages. He and his best buddy Louis would sneak off from the orphanage and run about town. Sometimes they'd go down to the river and catch bugs and frogs, or dredge for things to sell to the rag man. Good times, good times.

[a_peaceful_aura]

...Stalking a metallic green one now with the utmost concentration! But when Taiki's net is in prime scooping position, the insect takes to the air with the papery sound of obscenely large wings.

Zzzzzoooooooooooooommmmmm look at those little legs go! Incoming, Emile, and watch your head/limbs/person around that unruly net wielding.

[eachbeansoup]

"Lookout, kid---"

Emile ducks a swing, though he's not mad or anything, he's laughing. "Watch where you're going with that - I'm no bug."

There is a bug that's come to rest on a tree near him, though. He inclines his head toward it, to tip the youngster off.

[a_peaceful_aura]

Off to collect that one then! He'll glance sideways at the older kid every once in a while, letting the insect crawl over his hands as he tries to wrangle it into his net.

Peeeeeek.... Bug. Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek... Bug. Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek... Bug.

...And then after a while it's just outright staring while idly playing with the net mesh.

[shadowling]

Mia pokes her head around the corner to find the noise in the open grassy space. Her gaze alights on the young boy and her eyes widen in glee and anticipation. She drops her satchel, and a few books and pencils spill out, though she pays them no mind. The young boy's game is far more fascinating than studying.

She's maybe ten, or eleven, it's hard to tell. Her reddish brown hair held back in a whispy braid, some strands of which are beginning to escape. She easily breaks into a long legged run, her skirt flaring to reveal knobby knees that have a bit of dirt staining on them already. She skids to a stop, remembering something, bolts back, and retrieves a glass jar like one used in canning from her bag. She then lopes back to find the boy and follow him.

Breathlessly, she runs up to him, "Are you catching fireflies?"

[a_peaceful_aura]

Her enthusiasm will only add to his own! Energetic net flapping the closer Mia gets and the poor bugs already caught are in for a ride.

The net is lifted to her level when she arrives and asks. Taiki shakes his head and sticks a finger out for one of the enormous escaping insects to crawl on. "Cicadas. They're big!" He's also eying that jar!

[shadowling]

She eyes the insect for a moment, then grins at him. "I've never seen an insect like that! How many are you going to catch? "

The jar looks as though it has had insect habitation before. A stick is propped diagonally inside and there are remnants of dried leaves and twigs. The top of the jar is covered with a square piece of colorful cloth and held on with a leather string.

[a_peaceful_aura]

"All of them." He turns and waves to the near-vibrating clearing. That's some ambition. "Why do you have that?" The jar looks like potential Trade Material... and he reaches out to touch the leather string.