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…
Note: These creatures are a violent alien species that are aggressive and eager to destroy. They will attack everyone and everything within sight. The insects can fly, spit acid, and will try to burrow into the ground to hide. They are very fast and difficult to see. This RP can be used as a battle requirement for a character, separate from your ‘one youma battle’ per stage if there are two powered characters involved; you cannot write a solo and count this as a battle, and your character must be powered and interacting with another player’s powered character for it to count. This can only be used as a battle requirement once per character, but there is no limitation for how many times a player can use this prompt.
Shedir could feel the warm air surrounding her the second she stepped outside. July had just begun, and the sun shone brightly. The temperature was high and the humidity was low, making it the appropriate day to patrol. Yet Shedir was not so sure as she walked around. The heat didn't bother her very much, but the bugs did. She wasn't quite adjusted to all that yet even though her family moved here over a year ago. It's just she felt like she could hear bugs in every ear, and the closer she got to the center of the park. It got even louder.
She knew this was the place she was supposed to protect. But how could she do it, when she felt surrounded by bugs? With that thought her ears started ringing even more - "What is all that noise?" she asked aloud trying to cover her ears as she continued forward. There was no way these were normal bug noises or was she just going crazy. No matter what the answer was, the strange noises coming from the bugs made her uneasy; like maybe these weren't normal bugs after all. Maybe there was more to them, she thought as she trudged in the direction of the center of the park.
Seiana_ZI
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2023 12:07 am
Meleph hated when the cicadas emerged. It was supposed to be this glorious thing of these creatures coming back to the surface and intermingling and mating and whatever these bugs did, but all Meleph really cared about was that they were just noisy bugs. Impossibly noisy this year, really, and she had found herself grimacing when she heard it somehow get louder and louder.
Probably because they were everywhere.
At that moment, Meleph regretted the fact she didn't possess something that could take them out faster, like one of the guns she used on the arachnids in Mass Effect or even just something out of plants versus zombies, but what she had now was relatively useless magic and, uh, herself.
And someone else? She glanced toward the orderly aura, and found herself frozen for a moment.
How old was that kid? At twenty-nine now, she wondered how young they came in--
As she reached the center of the park she noticed that the noise all seemed to be centering around this weird tree. It was carrying these pod things, and the bugs seemed to be going towards it without hesitation. She tried to listen closer, but the second she did she heard CRACK! It was like something had broken free from something.
Just as she was about to say something outload she felt someone nearby. It was definitely an order aura. "Thank goodness," she said as she let out a sigh of relief. Since she was glad that someone else was here looking into this crazy noise. She looked towards the orderly aura and realized they were definitely older than herself. Which she finding lately, that most people were, after all she was only 13. but right now age wasn't important, and she knew she had to make a good impression or try too.
"Hey there!" she waved with one hand, "I'm Shedir. Are you here investigating the bugs too? Also did you hear something break?" She hoped that last part didn't come off crazy, but normally when she heard a weird noise it meant something was about to go terribly wrong.
Seiana_ZI
Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2023 7:21 am
The crack made her jump, and Meleph's eyes got even wider than they had when she realized she was standing next to a literal child of all things. A child with the name of ... Shedir. Okay. She'd keep that in mind, she guessed, while trying to figure out how a literal baby was wearing one of those white senshi outfits...
Was it made out of bandages?
"Meleph," offered she, quietly, trying to figure out what she was facing both in front of her and to the side of her. Did they let babies fight? Why were there babies involved? She didn't really want to fight in the first place, and she definitely didn't want to fight a thirteen-year-old. It reminded her of all the times she'd usually just let people that age win even if she could hand them their asses easily--
Her gaze turned back out toward the glass-crack cicadas. "I did. I don't really like," her brows knit, "well, cicadas, but definitely not these ones..."
She knew Destiny City was an odd place, but this was a new one.
Shedir totally understood she was not a fan of bugs either. Especially when this weird cracking noise came with them. It felt like a recipe for disaster. She smiled and spoke with both hands back on her ears, "well it's nice to meet you Meleph!"
As she spoke she heard another crack but this crack was louder than all the rest and made her wince. It was like something had just arrived and she knew she wouldn't like it. Then she noticed some weird alien thing coming out of what looked like one of those pods on the tree. It had broken through the hard shell somehow or another.
She looked at the alien species in the eye and could already tell they were not friendlies. They clearly were ready to fight whoever got in there way, and right now that was her. She knew she needed to do something about it before it reached some person who was unprotected. So while it had it's eye on her she knew now was the time to attack.
She quickly took her hands down from her ears and tried to brave the noise. "Mummified Phoenix sore," she yelled as her bandages began to unravel and head towards the weird alien. She really hoped it would hit them and stop them from moving elsewhere.
Quote:
She throws her arms out in front of her, her mummy bandages begin to start glowing, and her magical mummy bandages begin to unravel. Then it shoots out straight towards her enemies. Though as it unravels it begins to take the form of a phoenix. As it heads directly towards the enemy. If the attack hits it binds the enemy in a stronger mummified bond.
She can do this two times per battle. Distance travel possible is 12 ft.
Seiana_ZI
Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2023 12:45 am
Oh, that was not right ...
That was very not right, to be honest, and she knew when the crack was so loud that even the child cringed that there was something bigger coming up. She might have winced in anticipation, but she didn't necessarily expect the face what she did. Was that... a giant bug? A giant bug that looked very angry to be there, and that anger seem to be faced towards them of all people.
Perhaps this was not time to continue to puzzle over the child. Perhaps this was time to see if she could do something useful with her magic.
That was always a little dicey.
And what her attack even do something useful? She wasn't sure if these bugs would even feel disgust--
She yelped, scrambling to pick a scrap of whatever off the ground, it looked like someone's litter that they had forgot to collect, and yeeted it at the not monster. Alien monster? Problem monster, either way--
Of course, in the interim, there was magic that actually worked. "That's pretty cool Shedir!" Also, why did the baby's magic work better than hers?
Shedir was so happy they took care of that bug. Her Phoenix wrapped that bug up tight and Meleph took care of the rest. She had never seen someone use litter before to throw at a creature, but it was an excellent idea since it is everywhere. In addition, the force with which she threw it was incredible. It knocked that bug out for the count. She knew this battle had been won, at least with that bug.
"Well thank you! I've been working on it, and I think your throw was amazing. The force you threw that at was remarkable," she said with a smile before looking around the area. She was genuinely impressed by the strength of the throw and the precision with which it was executed. She couldn't not say anything - after all you must give credit where credit is due. Or she did anyway.
"I don't hear any cracking anymore, but do you see any of those giant bugs?" she questioned as she looked around the area for any sign of the bugs just to be safe. She wanted to make sure they were removed. It could be dangerous for civilians if one got out of the area.
Seiana_ZI
Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2023 7:43 am
Meleph let out a sigh of relief at that bug ... monster ... thing being very quickly taken care of. Okay, good. No more cicadas. No more cicadas threatening the child, either...
She flushed at the compliment to her force. Honestly, she wasn't sure it was that good, but she had quickly learned her own body was her only real defense. Her magic just didn't work, and to be honest, she wasn't sure what making a bug monster feel nauseous would have done even if it did work for once. Meanwhile, the kid could summon a whole Phoenix. A phoenix!! Incredible!!
Meleph would have been jealous if she wasn't ready to shame herself for being jealous of a child.
At being asked, Meleph looked around for another one of those giant bugs and another one of the pods it seemed like it had hatched from-- "No, I think that was it over here..." But where there was one bug, there were usually more of them.
Shedir let out a sigh of relief. She was so glad all the bugs were wiped out. While the battle seemed fast, she did not mind at all.
She took another look around them. Still no noise, and definitely none of those horrible cracking sounds. She smiled, feeling the tension leaving her body as she let out a deep breath. She was so relieved that the battle was finally over. It was a victory she would never forget. "Well it looks like it was just one bug then," she said with a bit of surprise. She figured with all that noise there would be more than one, but it looked like she was wrong this time.
She truly didn't mind though since she was able to take down that bug with someone so strong. She got to see her allies' true strength and that was enough for her. She knew that no matter the odds, they could defeat anything that came their way. She was proud to have someone like her as an ally, and grateful for the chance to see him in action. Together, they were unstoppable.
"Thank you for your help today! You were amazing!" she said happily as she looked at her phone and realized the time. She was supposed to be home ten minutes ago. Her parents might worry if she didn't rush home now.
She smiled again before speaking, "Oh no, I have to get going, but thank you again for your help. We really took down the bug." With a quick wave she rushed off towards her families hotel, and she truly hoped that she would able to see Meleph again in the future! Since she was sure they had much more strength that she would love to see in action.
