Welcome to Gaia! ::

~

It didn't take long to follow the bugs into the factory district. The section of the market they had been in was practically a slum for a reason, that reason being it's vicinity to the smog pumping factories. Unfortunately, once they got into the smog lined streets, the girl's bugs started acting funny, and it didn't take long after that for Shikaku to realize why. The toxic fumes in the air made it difficult to breath even for humans. It was the middle of the business day, when all the machines were on full tilt, and nobody walked the streets here if they didn't have to thanks to the toxic fog. And the bugs, well, they apparently couldn't handle it as they retreated back into Yelena's skin, eliciting a shudder from Shikaku at the thought. That also explained, he supposed, why the wallet bugs hadn't come looking for them. They probably stayed in the wallet for safety from the smog as well.

"Wonderful..." the boy muttered to himself. They would have to find the man manually then. Or... He still had what he took from the man. He'd picked the largest most bulging pocket he could see, so there was a fair chance the pickpocket would come looking to get his haul back. Finding himself a good spot atop a pipe jutting out from a factory, where the smog seemed just a little less thick and he could see for a fair distance both ways down the road, Shikaku settled himself in with a grin, and pulled what he'd taken from the man out of his pocket to examine it. "Let's see what sort of haul he had." the boy chirped, just a tad louder than necessary. if the man was nearby, hopefully he'd hear it over the ambient machinery. And hopefully Yelena would understand the new tactic and play along too.

~