Prompt 6
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.
“Are the two of you planning on going out for any of the festivities once you get off work?”
Basyl’s tired magenta eyes flickered up briefly to his coworker- a petite and pretty nurse with more confidence and efficiency than he thought he’d ever be able to muster- and then sharply back down, to where his fingers fiddled incessantly with the pen he had latched onto his metal clipboard holder. “W-well, mm, nnnno,” he admitted. “Probably not.” Neither Basyl nor his fiance had the day off, considering where they were right at this second, and they wouldn’t have tomorrow off, either. So with a sheepish little smile, he gave a shrug, and elaborated, “It’d just be a l-little late for us to be out so long, and y-you know we’ll hear it all from the house all night, anyway…”
She tsked, and it was a sound Basyl recognized as judgment. “You’re too young to be acting like crotchety sixty-year-olds! I can’t believe a newly-engaged couple wouldn’t go out for some celebration! You only live once!”
Basyl laughed her off in his awkward sort of way as he smeared his thumb up the edge of his clipboard and continued about the rest of his day, but he’d be lying if he tried to say that he wasn’t disappointed at least a little. It was true that he was an adult with responsibilities to attend to, and it felt like his duty to be rested and well-prepared for work so that he might make as few mistakes as humanly possible… But he was used to these sorts of holiday celebrations with his quite-large family. Even if they didn’t ‘go out,’ they would barbecue. Or they’d set off their own fireworks. They’d spend it together and do something to acknowledge the holiday…
It didn’t really feel like it was in the cards this year. Basyl would be at work too late, and then up again too early, and Nataniel wasn’t much of a celebratory fellow to begin with. …And sometimes they did act like crotchety old men, and Basyl typically had no problem with that since he liked when they relaxed at home. He liked just the two of them snuggling on the couch. They felt like normal people and not… not whatever Destiny City turned people into.
He was sure if he expressed discontent with tonight’s situation in particular- which he wouldn’t ever do, of course! Gods no!- But if he did, his lover would probably do something to accommodate him. But Basyl wouldn’t complain, because of course he definitely wouldn’t- they’d been at work all day, and it was hot, and he was sure they’d both be tired, but…
Well, it didn’t matter, did it? Because he wouldn’t say anything, and Nataniel wasn’t a mind reader.
He went home at the end of his shift, two hours after Nat had already gotten off. And so he took the bus, ever desperate to not needlessly inconvenience anyone (and he’d always taken the bus. It was no big hassle), making him arrive another hour later to the house, nearing 8PM. He bet there’d be fireworks starting in the next half hour.
But he was tired, and he’d probably just go to bed. Like an old man.
Basyl puffed out a dejected sort of sigh as he walked up from the sidewalk toward their back driveway. He tugged the scrunchy from his messy lavender locks and raked a hand back through his hair to try and preemptively disentangle some of the knots that had formed through the day. He’d go in, greet his fiance, maybe have a quick bite and a shower, and… that would be it. Very holiday spirited.
As he neared the back door, he slung his backpack off his shoulder, which he didn’t think he’d done especially aggressively, but it ignited an array of colorful flashing lights in the garden beds that stood to either side of the entryway- and a sound like something being zapped. It was enough to make Basyl jump and reel back unexpectedly. …Fireflies flitted in and around his plants. The garden he’d planted just a month or so ago. And he must’ve startled them with his movement, because the display was certainly… It was very bright.
“Oh, oh, I’m s-sorry!” He squeaked out softly as he bent down to inspect them. “It’s j-just that I wasn’t expecting anything to be here…” They bobbed away from him, but didn’t wander far. Just far enough to be out of reach. “Uhm- Do you like them? The p-plants? I picked some herbs that m-my fiance might like. I hope they smell good. You must like them okay, at least? There’s s-so many of you…” Or maybe it was just a few that happened to have a handful of different colors. But there were plenty of colors! Tiny, twinkling little lights over his plant bed. It was kind of pretty. A nice surprise.
Not fireworks and festivities, but it was a very nice display.
[WC:834]
