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closed starter for @exmcrtis (maverick) location: afterglow compound

Levi was exhausted. It felt like his eyes were constantly heavy, and no amount of energy drinks could seem to remedy that. Days felt longer than usual, and he was aching for a break, but he also felt like he didn't need - or deserve - one. Old habits die hard.

"You think they'll leave once we figure out an antidote?" Levi mumbled to Maverick as he joined his friend, letting out a weary sigh. "The protesters, I mean. Or do you think we're just going to have to live like this now?" His voice was tired, too. Everything about Levi was sagging and exhausted. "I don't think I've ever felt so trapped in my life."

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closed starter for @apocafics (sera) location: afterglow clinic

Levi was on the verge of being burnt out. Everyone was working around the clock to try to figure out how to solve the problem the cicada toxins were causing, which meant he wasn't really sleeping. He was napping at best. He usually thrived in this environment; not having any time for himself, no time to worry about what he was supposed to do with his life. But he felt like he had hit a wall, and the complex felt so... suffocating. So he decided to slip out, even though it seemed like a terrible idea between the protests and the bugs.

The clinic was stuffed to the gills, and Levi did his best to navigate around all of it. He knew Sera would be working; she cared deeply about people. He asked around a little before he was finally able to find her - thankfully alone - and knocked gently on the doorframe. "Hey.... you finding it as impossible to find sleep these days as I am?"

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"You haven't - I just thought I intimidated you," Jerico admitted. "I'm this gaunt Jackal that you have to work with. Figured you just felt safer not acknowledging me." He offered her a small smile. "I'm harmless though. As was your question. Maybe not normal, but not bad."

He allowed her to drag him to the bathroom, also casting a glance around. He hoped no one thought they were going to tear each others clothes off, and his attention shifted back to Dani once they were in the room. He could have sworn he heard her say something else, but he wasn't going to ask her to repeat herself. Slowly, he began to unwind the bandage, grimacing as he did so. His skin was angry; red and sore. The rash was bad enough; but before he realized he shouldn't be fussing with it, he had scratched it a little too much; weeping skin and blisters littered the area. "It hurts like a motherfucker. I try to use some ointments but I really don't want to touch it too much."

dani bit down hard on the inside of her lip, the taste of copper washing over her tongue as she turned to look at jerico. she had to take a long pause, sucking the blood from her lip until it was seemingly gone before speaking. "you're not the only one that's bad with people. i've never spoken to you in my life and the first thing i ask is to see your wounds? that sound normal and good with people to you?" she was all but scowling, eyes glancing towards the bathroom in question, contemplating what to do.

without thinking, she reached to grab jerico's hand, dragging him towards that bathroom and glancing around before letting them both inside. "you could never not look good," they muttered to themselves, dropping his hand once the door was closed. "but these lights will help me get a better look."

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closed starter for @exmcrtis (daphne) location: narcissa's place

There were few people that made Narcissa as relaxed and comfortable as Daphne Wallis. From the moment they met, Narc had felt something click into place, and she wasn't going to let Daphne out of her clutches anytime soon - if ever. Which meant frequent invites to after work hangouts. Usually, Narcissa preferred exploring, or walking and talking, but the current state of the town made that a little impossible.

"Man, the last couple of days have felt like a month," she had just finished doing what she could to plug up a hole in the window that usually wasn't a problem - but the hornets were making things worse. "Anyway - how's work? Have they got you writing about anything interesting or is it so boring you have a lot of free time to do your own personal research?"

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goodnight im not gonna say anything.

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NATASHA LIU BORDIZZO as SABINE WREN AHSOKA (2023)

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chandler riggs packs

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"Maybe you think it's funny to watch me squirm," Pyp pointed, a bemused look on his face. "It's true through. I'm a bug killing machine only when they're in my bed. If they're minding their business in the corner? Well, then I'll leave 'em be. I just get too freaked out when I wake up and feel one crawlin' all over me." He shuddered just at the thought. "Terrible. Awful. But I like lookin at 'em from the safe distance of you holding them."

They had a point. There were a lot of bugs that were all hit with radiation. "So.... maybe it's an omen of some kind?" Pyp muttered into his own food. "Like.... do you think there's going to be even more bugs crawling up from the depths now that the moths have started?"

❝ now why would i go doin' somethin' like that? ❞ rowan asks, the question interspersed by bright peals of laughter as they pluck another fry from the plate and point it at pyp accusatorily. ❝ second i go puttin' any of 'em in your bed, you'd end up rollin' over and crushin' 'em, and then what good are they doin'? ❞ they grin as they take a bite, kicking their feet up into the free space next to pyp beneath the table. ❝ second i find somethin' cool, y'already know you're first in line to see. ❞

his question is enough to have the gears in wana's head turning and they hum thoughtfully. ❝ i could be wrong, but i don't figure afterglow's got much to do with it. i mean, all sorts of bugs 'round here been hit with radiation ― ain't a one of 'em not twice the size they were a hundred years ago. what business would they have with moths? ❞ as far as they knew ― and it wasn't a whole lot, but they heard talk ― the folks at afterglow had bigger fish to fry than appalachian moths.

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He noticed her jump, and winced. Good going, dipshit.

"Hi," he gave her a nervous grin. "Sorry; I kind of have a bad habit of blending into the wallpaper here. I guess I really am dressing like an old man with just me and my dad." He blinked a couple of times as she touched his arm, but didn't shy away from her. She was just doing her job; being friendly. "I don't - but I'll definitely keep an ear out." He flushed out of embarrassment - thought it was hard to tell with the lighting. "I - no! I mean, you're a great dancer. Really. I just um. Well, I'm sure you don't need me saying it, but you just have a really.... pretty and unique face. I think it would do everyone a lotta good to see that plastered over tv screens or all on a billboard or something... Not that this isn't.... I should stop talking."

she'd always been aware of the eyes on her, so much so that she didn't notice who they all belonged to anymore. unless she was performing, then she is acutely aware of those eyes because they may as well be dollar signs. all that to say, she hadn't noticed how long pyp had been there until he started talking and truth be told, she jumped when she heard his voice because he'd caught her completely off guard.

"why hello to you to there, baby face. where the hell did you come from?" she giggled and touched his arm gingerly in greeting. force of habit, trying to lure people in for private dances or more tips by being flirtatious. didn't mean anything by it. "mmm, well sugar, that would be because i'm not gettin' many jobs like that. they're few and far between but if you know anyone lookin' to pay me to be the star in their next—" she paused to think just what would be her main aspiration and realized they all would make her happy at that point. "well, anything, i suppose. you give them my info. why do you ask sweetheart? don't think my dancin' is any good, or what?"

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closed starter for @exmcrtis (iris) location: the fishery

There were three places you could always count on finding Pyp outside of his own home, and The Fishery was at the top of that list. Sometimes it was just rapping on the windows to get Iris' attention, and sometimes it was because he actually needed work done on the little sedan that his dad refused to replace and was too busy to sit around all day waiting for repairs; but there was no doubt that Pyp wasn't a stranger in the place, and honestly he just hoped most people would acknowledge him and then pretend he wasn't there - with one exception.

"Came to check on you," Pyp waved idly as he slipped into the building, face betraying the calm tone he was using. He hated wasps, and it didn't seem like those fuckers were going anywhere anytime soon. "Cuz it feels like a fucking nightmare world out there." He quicky ran his palms over his arms, convinced he could feel the little feet on him as the insects buzzed outside. "You haven't gotten smacked into or stung or anything - have you?"

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9 Amber Midthunder icons, as requested by myself.

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closed starter for @exmcrtis (ollie) location: bubble trouble

It felt like everything was constantly buzzing; an annoying, low drone that was hard to drown out. Between the cicadas and the hornets, Cambria had half an inkling they'd pissed off an even older God than the one she so earnestly praised and turned to. The laundromat felt like a space where at the very least, she could focus on a different buzzing - and the detergent smelled nice.

"Do you think this will ever end?" Cambria turned to Ollie, an almost sad look on her face. "I mean.... The cicadas are bad enough.... do you think there's going to be something else crawling up from the earth and terrorizing us? Because if I have to listen to one more creature constantly, I think I might snap."

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RICHARD HARMON'S CHARACTERS - Tryst (Fakes 2022)

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"What can I say? I am an incredibly curious guy. And don't tell me curiosity killed the cat - especially since I'm not a cat. On my best day, I'm a bearded dragon. On my worst? Definitely a cockroach, and you can't kill those." Link pre-countered cheerfully. "I guess it kind of makes sense though. You were raised in that environment and clearly your brain is far more functional than mine."

"Mm - that's different," Link shook his head. "Okay, yeah, I need structure for a job- the same way you need structure for school. But in my day to day life? I sleep in, I get up whenever, I eat whenever. Sure, there's some tangential structure around my work schedule, but not so much that I have to make my whole day revolve around my work shift. You gotta have work structure otherwise, it's the bad kind of chaos."

Ashton looked up to his friend with a hum as they picked up ingredients for the bar, just a little side quest that day considering they were due for a resupply on things. "You're always wondering," he chuckled, privy to plenty of Link's shower thoughts especially while they shared the space behind the bar. Once again humming in confirmation to each of his questions about his life, military, structure, it was really all Ash ever really knew. Life was different as a kid with his parents but.. he could barely remember those times anymore. "I mean.." Ash secured the crates, hands fidgeting for something to do while he thought of an answer. "I guess so, I don't.. do too well without it to be honest."

Being so lost after leaving the EAA was hard, and terrifying, and free. But not having any structure for the first time in a long time short-circuited his brain, and it took a long few years to recalibrate a new life for himself. "I just kinda built my own structure in life I guess, having a day of nothing feels.. stressful." He was honest mostly because Link was a colleague and friend. Guess Ash was just a didn't ask didn't tell kinda. And Link asked. "Says someone who works at a bar with a set structure and schedule already worked out for him."

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closed starter for @murdcrofcrows (harley) location: red line diner

Cambria kind of made it her business to know where most people who associated with the children of mothman were at any given time. She saw them as the extended family she never had before, and while she would never ask, she liked to think that most of them saw her as some sort of sister figure in their life. She knew that Harley worked at the diner, but didn't know if she'd actually wind up seeing them, but it was at least a start (and okay, maybe she was hungry).

Legs tucked up under her at her favorite booth, she was doodling on napkins when she looked up to see exactly who she had been hoping to. "Harley!" She straightened, popping up on her knees. "Come sit with me a minute! Are you doing okay? Your siblings? With all these awful cicadas and everything?"

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"It indeed, does. I've fried too many brain cells over the years to be anything else," he quirked an eyebrow at her - which objectively looked very funny upside down. "Don't let anyone outside these walls hear you say that. I heard there's a girl that grows green. You'll probably hurt her feelings and she'll sic mothman on us," he snickered, blowing absently on the side of Wren's face just to irritate her.

"I'm pretty sure I'm like a cockroach at this point. Nothing can kill me." He paused for a moment. "Though - I don't know. With all those fuckin' cicadas, is it safe? I'm just feeling the real cabin fever effects. I'm so bored. I was not made to be holed up like this all the time. The people that were in the midst of the swarm look nasty as fuck though. What do you think?"

wren had been leaning against that very same armrest, her back pressed against it and her knees drawn up to cradle the sketchpad in her lap. link's voice was the only thing that broke her trance, and as she looked over to see his head draped upside down over the back of it, she couldn't contain the tiniest giggle. "does that make you pinky?" she teased, shifting her legs so they were stretched out in front of her, a contemplative look on her face.

"i think you'd start glowing, actually. not a pretty color, either; you'd glow that obnoxious green color." she paused, leaning her head back so their faces were a few inches apart. "besides, you're not allowed to leave this earth and leave me alone. we can explore, but we can't go to crater lake just so you can potentially melt your skin from your bones."

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closed starter for @folliesofmiceandmen (duri) location: a mothman shrine

As a fellow silencer, Cambria found herself enjoying Duri's company outside of what she would consider standard duties. The entire town, it felt, was completely aflutter with the rising of the cicadas, and Cambria found herself in a state between disinterested and full panic as the days wore on. Malaric was suffering from the contact, and Cambria found her heart often bled for anyone in the cult.

"How have you been holding up?" The shrine felt like a safe haven; a place to go and just catch your breath. Cambria hoped Duri felt the same way. "It doesn't seem like you were effected, physically, by those nasty things?"