Logs:Amateur Entomology

Amateur Entomology
Dramatis Personae Bug, DJ	2021-12-06 "One fact, and a thirst for knowledge! That's all it takes!"
Location <NYC> The Ramble - Central Park
It's been unseasonably warm today, and even with the twilight coming on the evening is still mild. The pleasant weather has brought people out in numbers to enjoy the park -- though here in this densely wooded stretch it's quiet all the same, away from the terraces and playgrounds, fields and horse-carriages. The few people who've stopped along the shaded pathways generally keep well to themselves. DJ, in breech of this etiquette, is saying a polite hello to everyone he passes as he makes his way down a path through the trees, although his attention is not really so much on the other people walking through the park as it is on the trees themselves -- a cluster of swifts coming to roost in a hollow tree. A screech owl waking up in another. Though it is unseasonably warm, Bug still wears a pair of warm gloves (though a couple of fingers have holes worn) and a heavy black hoodie with the worn out dates from some kind of band tour written on it and the colour washed out to an inconsistent grey. His segmented eyes trace up towards the trees as well, though he is searching for something else. He bows his head a little each time he passes someone by, more out of an attempt to obscure his face a little than strictly politeness, though he pauses a moment and takes a step off the path as he finds what he is looking for. The darker coloured honeycomb characteristic of his insects. "Hello," DJ is just saying again, head dipping in a small nod, when his eyes stutter and hitch on Bug. That's probably not all that unusual for the Morlock, though there's no horror or disgust in DJ's expression -- just a bright curiosity. He, too, steps off the path, a sudden hopeful smile crossing his face quickly and then melting away. "Wasp?" Bug's eyebrows go up slightly when he is addressed, though not in a way he is used to. He looks to his sleeves and then up, as if searching for something. "More like bees?" he says, seeming unsure. "Wasps are usually predators or parasites. I guess not always, but usually, at least around here. There's some that are--" He furrows his eyebrows slightly to interrupt himself from talking more on the subject. "Er. Hi!" DJ stops, blinks, his brows beginning to furrow at Bug's answer. He doesn't manage to keep the disappointment off his face, but it is short-lived, at least. "Sorry, you just -- remind me of someone else." DJ's head cocks to one side, his curiosity returning, evidently sincere. "There are some that are what?" Bug points to himself, his expression a combination of delight and disbelief, "I remind you of someone? Your friend must be a real weirdo!" He waves his hands quickly in front of himself, "No offence to him or anything. Just. I am not used to-- Oh! Have you heard of fig wasps? They have a whole mutual arrangement with the figs, where their young will feed on the figs, but their queens will pollinate the fruits. They depend on each other." He interlocks his fingers together to emphasize this. "Oh, all of my friends are real weirdos," DJ assures Bug with a laugh. "The best kind of people, I think." His eyes go wider at the description of the figs. "Fig-wasp solidarity? Sounds like they have it figured out better than a lot of people! I hadn't known that but nature is pretty awesome. I guess birds have a lot of mutually beneficial relationships with fruit trees. I just," he sounds a little guilty as he admits this, "haven't thought about it as much with bugs." "Come to think of it, I guess mine are too!" replies Bug brightly. "Weirdos seem to be better at understanding weirdos." He shrugs and looks back up at the hive in the trees, his finger pointed towards it, "You probably have thought about it more with some bugs than others, though. People usually think of bees, not wasps. Figs, the fruit, are actually sorta inside out flowers, so the wasps have to really work to pollinate them. But bees get to do the easy work, and get all the recognition cause they hang out in pretty flowers!" He lowers his hand and puts it into the front pocket of his hoodie. "Sometimes the hard stuff isn't so flashy, though." "It's true, I do have some bug supremacy wired into my brain already. In my defense, the bee lobby has some very good PR." DJ looks to the hive Bug points to, weight rocking back on his heels as he tips his head back. "The world would grind to a halt without the hard, unpretty work getting done." He's just a little wistful when he adds: "-- I think you'd have gotten along with my friend." He nods up at the hive above them. "That yours?" "I am not gonna get into my whole rant about european honeybees cause then we'd be here forever, but they got the best PR you can buy," says Bug, as he shakes his head a bit and looks back up. "What's your friend like? Maybe you could introduce us! I like making new friends." His eyes widen at the question about the hive. "Mine?" he squeaks nervously, and then adds hurriedly, "Ah, sorta, I look after it. They're getting ready to winter. You ever see them, they're friendly, they only sting if you get 'em real riled." "He was --" DJ hesitates, glancing to Bug and then back up towards the hive. "He does the hard stuff, even when it's not flashy. Kinda waspy that way, I guess." There's a wry note that's slipped into his tone, at that. "Oh, I don't plan to rile anyone," he protests -- then almost immediately amends, "-- don't plan to rile any bugs, anyway. Some people deserve a good riling. I wouldn't come all the way out here just to give a bug a hard time, though." Bug laughs and gives a thumbs up. "Well, I'm glad to hear that! My friends call me Bug, and I definitely don't like being given a hard time! Though I can think of a few people who deserve to have their metaphorical nests get a poke!" He continues to laugh for a few moments and then notes, "Sometimes the hard stuff brings its own satisfaction, feels good just to do something that's gotta get done! Oh, right, my name's Alejandro, but feel free to call me Bug. You mighta guessed, I'm a bit of an amateur entomologist!" "If you know someone who needs a hard time I'm apparently excellent at being trouble lately." DJ sounds just a little less cheerful at this, but his tone brightens again readily enough. "Bug? Very apropos for this conversation. Uh -- I'm DJ. My friends call me DJ. I don't think I'm very much of anything, actually. Still figuring out what I am. If I've just learned, like, one bug fact from a new friend in the park does that make me even more of an amateur entomologist? How many facts do you need to have before you qualify?" "One fact, and a thirst for knowledge! That's all it takes! As soon as you stop learning new stuff, then you slip into former amateur entomologist territory," says Bug, showing his crooked teeth in a bright grin. "It's a pleasure to meet you, DJ! You can join my fake scholar team for now, while you figure out what you are. You can always just let you credentials slip and switch it up." "Oh! Then I'm overqualified, I probably know at least two facts about bugs and I love to learn." DJ's grin answers Bug's, bright ad easy. "Look out, Nobels. Bug and DJ getting ready to take the science world by storm. There's -- every chance that by next week I'll be this excited about astronomy, or rocks, but I hope that won't get in the way of our budding collaboration." "Oho! An amateur renaissance man, sounds like!" says Bug, as he adjusts an imaginary monocle over his black, segmented eye. "As much as I enjoy my singular focus, I'd be totally interested in learning about astronomy or rocks. But bonus if you can tell me about rock bugs. Or... Space bugs! Though I think that most space bugs live in sci-fi books, unfortunately." He extends his hand, "Still! Looking forward to a fruitful partnership!" "From what I've seen of space bugs --" DJ begins. Stops, catches himself with a slight flush, continues, "-- we should mostly be glad they're staying in books. I hope if we do find space bugs here, though, they're the nice -- fig-wasp kind." He takes a step forward, clasps Bug's hand firm. "I'll do my best to hold up my end of the helpfulness pact."