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The Fireflies (6) : In the warm summer nights, little glowing lights begin to bob and dart through the city. Fireflies are mating, so this isn't uncommon in itself; in the past few days you've probably seen hundreds of fireflies. What makes these lights so unique is that they seem to change color; you might see a blue one, a green one, a red one. They flicker randomly, and something just seems off with them. If you come into contact with one, you will find yourself with a strange electric jolt. They cannot be caught, and will flicker away if you pursue too aggressively. This isn’t the first time they’ve appeared in Destiny City, but no one’s been able to tell where they came from or where they’re going. No matter how quickly you chase them, they always seem to disappear before you can find any answers.
…if there was anything that Lucis did not trust anymore, it was the existence of fireflies. Before, they were innocent, cute to watch flying around, in pretty colors and all, nice against the dark backdrop of the night, but after facing a youma that was an overgrown firefly… lady… thing… Well, he wasn’t going to blindly assume they wouldn’t hurt him again.
Thus this time, he was armed. Even just going to the park, he wore pants and long sleeves, despite the fact that it was incredibly hot still, he left no room for error. Anyone nearby him seemed to be repelled as well as the bugs seemed to be by the blend of scents coming off of him.
Mosquito repellant. Lemon eucalyptus. Even what seemed to be the floral scent of a somewhat expensive perfume was layered on him, making a horrible, horrible smell.
Sometimes, being prepared was a good thing. Sometimes, it was too easy to tip over into being over prepared. Lucis was definitely over prepared, but as the sun began to set and the fireflies were out and visible, he tensed, glaring at them to the bemusement of those who saw him, as if daring them to do anything with him there.
There was definitely at least one kid who watched and pointed at him, and parents who gently tried to coax the children in question away. There was a giggle or two, but Lucis didn’t seem to care.
I am not about to let these stupid, annoying, little pieces of s**t get the better of me or anyone else ever again.
Oh, he was determined to what seemed to be a terrifying degree, but as the colors faded from the sky, warm colors bleeding away into darkness, with the fireflies dotting the night sky with a little more color than the stars that rested there to begin with, he seemed to be relaxing as he sat on a bench, still quite upset over what had happened before.
Because clearly if there was one youma, there was bound to be more, and clearly the fireflies themselves were to blame for everything, because they were clearly agents of chaos.
But that night? All there was was a gentle show of lights, with more people coming and going to see them in person, alone or with friends or family, and really…
…Lucis felt a bit stupid for acting as he was. But the park was a common destination for people, and if nothing else, he was determined to do whatever it took to keep everyone safe. Happy.
Even if he looked more than a bit silly in the process, at least he wasn’t simply turning a blind eye to it all, right?
As people were coming fewer and far between to see the lights, to see the summer night sky that only lasted for a couple weeks, typically, he let out a heavy breath, closing his eyes before standing once more.
“...I’m watching you, still. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”
And the fireflies simply continued to do their thing as he headed home, definitely needing a long, long shower.
