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 Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2023 11:51 am
Quote: Insidious Insects (18 ) : In the first week of July, the area around the tree is just buzzing. The call of the cicadas is loud and droning, and it’s constant. You start to hear it all over town, too. All sorts of insects seem attracted to the strange pods, and it’s not uncommon to find nearly any species curiously investigating. If you listen closely, you notice something else strange–it’s not just the bugs that you see making the familiar call of the cicada. It seems like it’s coming from inside the pods, too. Any pod that wasn’t leaking sap suddenly begins to snap open, and giant cicadas, crawl out. Their full wingspan can reach up to a foot and they’re hungry–and angry. It seems like the pods that were leaking sap were slowly rotting, but the ones that didn’t leak were being eaten from the inside out–and now that the cicadas have run out of food, they’re out for anything they can find. Though there are several notable differences between these insects and the common cicadas, their low, chirping wail makes them easy to find–as well as the fact that they spit acid. These bugs are incredibly hostile and will attack indiscriminately, powered or unpowered, human or alien, day or night. They have a protective shell that makes them easy to crush but they’re hardly the most menacing foe you’ve faced–but if they reproduce, you could be in some real trouble. Better to crush them now before they become Destiny City’s next invasive species... Rana had seen the pods hanging heavy on the old tree that day, and wanted to bring her darling brother with her that night while on patrol to show him. They were such curious things, after all. A sudden occurrence not only of life but of fertility. This tree was alive and trying to proliferate itself. It was not the first magical thing to have happened in this city, nor was it even the most magical thing to have happened, but it certainly was magical none the less. Like life defying all odds and doing what it has always done. Living. It felt like the perfect mirror to what was happening around them. This war, the one they were trying so hard as a court to escape, happening beneath the current of life doing exactly what it has always done. Humans and non-humans alike simply doing what existence demands of them despite all odds. And so she clung to her brother's arm, sighing at the lights and the whimsical decorations around them as they walked, talking about how the humid heat and the song of the cicadas reminded her of summers spent with extended family in the country. "When the political turmoil in China settles." always when and never if, if only because to calmed her nerves to think in terms like those, "We should go and visit the country estate. It's so old, Kiuchi. It almost feels alive. It's so enchanting. So perfect in the evenings. We can walk through the gardens, sip tea, and just... relax. Acubens tells me that the war isn't nearly as bad elsewhere in the world. It would be a lovely vacation, don't you think?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2023 9:12 pm
Kiuchi couldn't say no to his sister, he never could, and she surely knew it. But why would he? She never asked for anything unreasonable and she wasn't overly demanding either. She was easy to please and it was typically simple things, even if he didn't like going out shopping for hours at a time, it was never anything bad. She always had a good reason behind the times they went out, from wanting to help him get better clothing to wanting to just spend time together. They were still, in a sense, making up for all the lost years where they'd never known of the other.
"It would be nice to see the estate when things have settled." Whenever that would be, because it would have to happen but how long could it be? He was certain it would be a long time though. There was a lot going on which needed to be strightened out in China before he felt it was safe, and perhaps their father as well. "Well, father is a General there so things, from what he's said, are better there. The war is over there." So it was safer there in a sense. "But they don't have dark mirror senshi there. Tha tmight cause an issue if we were to go there and power up." Even with their father there to protect them. "I do want to go though." Just not powering up, not when it might not be as safe as he wanted it to be.
"So, this tree you want to see - how did you hear about it?" He questioned as he walked at his sisters side with a plush panda in his arms loosely.
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Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2023 11:41 pm
"The point of a vacation, big brother, is that we won't have to power up," Rana chided, bumping into him with her shoulder. But of course the first thing Kiuchi thought about was his duty as a Senshi. He was so like Miss Acubens like that. Always thinking of the court first... sometimes Rana wondered if she'd ever reach that level of devotion. Often wondered if she wanted to. Certainly they were both inspiration on their own right but... Rana wanted a life. This whole senshi thing... it felt more like a hobby or a part time job at the most serious points. Thankfully, Kiuchi brought up the tree before Rana could ruminate further on the subject. "Oh! I heard about it at the nail salon today. One of the ladies who comes in at the same time I do every other week was talking about this like... dead tree suddenly coming back to life? I don't know, it sounded interesting. Kind of magical, you know?" She shrugged and released Kiuchi's arm to approach the tree. "Life in the face of death... feels poetic, you know? And look!" Rana pointed to the nearest pod. "It seems like we aren't the only ones who came to investigate!" And she was right. All manner of bugs seemed to be crawling all over the pods that hung heavy from the tree branches. "I've never seen anything like it..."
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2023 8:58 am
Rolling his eyes at his sister he knew what she was thinking, or at least had a good guess on it. He knew what a vacation was...he'd just never been on one. He'd never had the oppertunity and when he finally did he also never went. It was just that he didn't know what he'd do with himself, he figured he was a rather boring person afterall. So would he just wander around or stay in whatever hotel he'd booked a room in and not do anything.
Listening to his sister was better than thinking abotu himself, better than thinking about things he could do with his life and had not. Maybe a vacation would be nice one day but to China? He wasn't so certain but perhaps.
"It's all over the news as well about the tree. it is interesting, to see it alive after so long." But the pods seemed odd...as they weren't part of the tree, given what species of tree it was, so where had they all suddenly come from. He had a feeling magic really was at play here.
"Perhaps we should grab a few pods..." Trailing off as he follwoed behind his sister at a slower pace, hands in his pockets, as he kept his eyes glued to the tree that was swarming with all sorts of other bugs. "It seems like something had attracted them all." Magic for certain but why? It just seemed random and harmless really, like a lot of the magic the city seemed to produce.
"I don't think we ever will see anything like this again." Unless it was in this city and with this tree again.
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 8:27 pm
Rana nudged a pod with her toe, turning it over to reveal sticky acidic sap on it's underside. She wrinkled her nose at it and let it fall back to its original position, rubbing the sap back off in the grass. "Grab them for what," she asked incredulously. "I mean, yeah, it's really neat that this tree is suddenly back to life but like... neat enough to want to collect the pods? And besides that, they're saying the sap causes burns and I'm not sure I want that in the house." Not with everyone running in and out, guests constantly over, not to mention miss Rhona whom, while beloved and always welcome, did have a frightening habit of putting her hands on whatever odd new thing she came across. She'd burn her hands on the sap for sure. "Besides, it clashes with the carefully cultivated aesthetic that I've curated at home, and I can't have that." A bug darted by Rana's face and latched itself onto the pod on the ground which only gave Rana another point to add. "And it draws... ew, gross... it draws bugs. No, Kiuchi, I love you, but take only pictures and leave only footprints."
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 8:48 pm
"Because they don't belong here and something always happens this time of year." He said slowly as he looked over the pods. Some of them were on the ground, making a mess, but others seemed to be ok and still clung to the tree and it's trunk. "If we keep them from going bad they shouldn't leak...and we have subspace." He said with a smile. Subspace was the place he kept a pillow and a plushie, or two, all the time. He was certain his sister knew about subspace, considering his use of it, but he did wonder if the pods would keep in subspace of if they'd go bad.
"I've heard of a merchant who arrives outside of the city and trades for things. Perhaps these things we can bring and trade for something." It would put these pods to good use as well. Though it seemed one not too far away from his hand was opening, slowly, and he jerked his hand away from it due to surprise. Something was inside of it and it was moving...and it was coming out! Hadn't he heard of bugs coming out and attacking people?
"s**t." This wasn't good, he was sure of it, and he'd only gotten a few into subspace at this point. "Sister, this is about to go bad I think." Stepping back, slowly, he reached for her arm.
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Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2023 4:19 pm
So something bad happens this time of year. Rana still didn't see how that was their problem. Kiuchi's dedication, once again, shifting his focus from what was important to something that was bigger than they could ever possibly handle. Still, she sighed and followed his lead, carefully picking up seed pods and depositing them in her own subspace pocket while her face twisted in disgust. She'd do what her brother asked, but she wouldn't be happy about it. And she'd cash in a favor about it too. Maybe a spa day, just the two of them. They could go out of town for it too... Manhattan wasn't terribly far away, and they could take a train. They could ride in the club car and luxuriate on the way there too... "Merchant," she repeated absently, not super interested in the idea of bartering seedpods for god only knew what. "I haven't heard of any merchant, but did you want to see what he has for these? You know I'll go with you, but I'm going to want something in return, Big Broth-OW!" The seedpod in her hand had cracked, oozing acid sap into her palm. She dropped the pod, flinging the acid off of her hand before it could scar, only for the pod to crack against the ground on impact. From the shell a cicada emerged, droning low and long before lunging at Rana, spitting more acid onto her fuku which sizzled and dissolved where the acid hit. "EW," was all she could say as she brought one foot down on the bug before she turned to her brother. Above her, more seed pods cracked open, dripping acid sap all around her, making her jerk and weave to avoid the drops. "I think it's about to go even worse than that," she gasped, picking up a fallen branch to bat away a second bug, sending it flying and cracking against the trunk of the tree.
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Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:47 pm
"Yeah, the merchant is an alien and gives things from his travels." He knew his sister would ask for something in return, he expectged it, but he wouldn't deny her anything either. She was his half sister after all and he loved her, he still sometimes was surprised at how he went from family that didn't want him to what he had now. He'd gotten lucky and he didn't know how, it seemed impossible really. He'd expected to find some old man as his father not some very well off buisnessman and a half sister, not to mention his grandparents and his fathers new wife.
Moving quickly toawrds his sister, making to check on her hand, he pushed her out of the way when the cicada came for her. Her fuku might be burned some but he would keep her safe.
"Yes, I think we need to move...and fast." The faster the better, as bugs were ocming out. This was going very bad very fast. "Grab the ones we have and lets move." Deciding to keep his sister safe, putting himself between the bugs and his sister, he'd cover her exit. "Head for a mirror nearby and lets move." Swatting a cicada away, yelping loudly as acid landed on his hand. "s**t."
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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 10:12 pm
Grab the... <******** that. Rana had two or three usable eggs (because they were eggs that hatched into nasty, gross, disgusting bugs) and that was going to have to be enough. Honestly, Kiuchi and this weird gross alien was lucky that Rana didn't chuck the eggs from her subspace pocket because right now they might have been cracking open and crawling all over her purse and her snacks and her jewels and UGH. God, this was so gross and awful and... And now one was flying in her face and hissing and wiggling it's gross nasty little legs at her until she tossed it away and against the tree where it perished from the impact. "Oh, EW," she nearly shrieked when another bug tangled itself in her hair. "Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew! Kiuchi... you owe me a full spa day for this! In the city!" She stuck her finger in her brother's face to drive her point home before she flipped her hair over, effectively supplexing the bug into the earth where she stomped on it. "Get me out of here!"
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