https://preview.redd.it/odecq4...8060337c3f21db952dc5

It's after school at the local arcade!  Kids of all ages are having a great time playing video games!  But today's a little different.  There's a cicada inside the arcade making a racket!  And nobody can find it to shoo it away.  Seems to be just as loud anywhere you stand.

The young man minding the business is on the phone with the exterminator, "Seriously?!  3 to 5 DAYS?  We're losing customers here!  This is an emergency!  Don't you guys have somekinda emergency thing for immediate urgent problems like a wasp nest inside someone's car?  The manager's gunna have my head if I don't have this dealt with ASAP."

Mittens arrives outside on roller skates, blowing a bubblegum bubble.  She's wearing a rocker girl outfit like this: https://images.esellerpro.com/.../692/85/FDSA9889.jpg and a denim jacket.  But unlike the typical rebel girl on roller skates, she's got knee pads, elbow pads, and a helmet, all very scuffed.  Which means the headphones are relegated to hanging from the neck along with all those silly beads.  Popular rock music plays through them at max volume, (which would be barely audible to someone standing next to her.)

"What. is. that. aweful. noise?" she asks of nobody in particular, hitting stop on her walkman, "One of the games having a cow?"

As she enters the arcade, the guy on the phone covers the mic with his hand and hollers, "Ah ah ah!" at Mittens in that authoritative adult tone.  He points at the forbidden things sign, and among them is roller skates.  "Yes?  Yes.  Well I...  TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS?!  I-I-I..."

Mittens clicks her tongue, rolls her eyes, sighs, and flops onto the floor to take off her skates.  Nearby nerdy girl explains, "Clearly the call of one of the species of the superfamily, Cicadoidea."
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:04, Fri 25 Feb 2022.

Lev arrived shortly after the roller-skater, wearing what looked to be more casual track attire, red in coloration today, with a grey backpack on his back. He had his headphones on, albeit one wasn't quite covering one of the ears, a little off to the side. The music played was at mid-volume, with the current selection being a mix of rock and electronic.

Upon getting to the arcade door, he'd lower the volume a little bit further, ear twitching just a bit at the odd noise. He'd give a somewhat confused look around, not expecting anything of the sort in an arcade. He'd lower the headphones down to around his neck, putting the music device on stop.

To Lev's ears it sounds like the big bug is hiding behind something that's muffling and spreading out the sound.  Because of this, it's really hard for normal ears to pinpoint where the sound is coming from, but bat ears can probably hone in on where it is pretty easy once inside the arcade.  Especially if the games weren't making such a racket.

Lev wiggled his ears a bit, trying to get the best angle for receiving the sound, looking to see if there was a quieter or not-as-active racket part of the Arcade. While he came here for purposes of gaming... finding hidden things had an entertainment value of its own! And, if this sound was what he -thought- it might be... and it's in an area out of sight, well. Crunchy snack!

He did try to keep from looking too suspicious roaming around, trying his best to play it off as if he's just looking at the arcade games. It wasn't entirely inaccurate!

Bethany was walking along and spotted the arcade. Figuring "why not?" she checked herself for change and saw she had a bit. Smiling, Beth walked into the arcade. First thing she spots, though, are a catgirl and a batboy. However, it is pretty obvious there is an OBNOXIOUS sound resounding in the area! She winces and looks to see the manager on the phone, having entered just as he yells about $200. Insect noise? And the manager in a bad mood about some costly thing?

A normal teen would have just turned around and left, but she wants to be helpful and immediately gets to looking around for the source of the sound. "If I was a noisy insect... where would I be hiding..." she mutters quietly to herself.

Lev took notice of the question, before thinking carefully, absent-mindedly responding while going towards some of the less noisy games for a bit of a clearer spot to listen for the insect, attempting to decipher out a direction.

".... If this is a Cicada, and it's being this loud, it's attempting to find more Cicada's. So wherever it is, it had to get there... and other Cicada's should probably also be able to get there. While also being out of sight and mind for most people looking." Lev mumbled.

"Mittens has super hearing!" the catgirl tells the guy on the phone before taking on a heroic pose, "If she rids thee of thy pesky monster, she shall only charge thee $190 in arcade credit."

The guy thinks about it and nods.  "Deal."

"Hot dog!"

Mittens joins the hunt by first approaching big ears boy.  "Got any noisy bug-finding superpowers?  Mittens will split the reward with you if you join her merry band of noise monster slayers."

It doesn't take Lev long to figure out why the bug noise is so omni-directional.  The floating ceiling is made of acoustic tile.  Which means there's a hollow bit between the tiles and the rafters where a bug could hide and chirp to its heart's content without any fear of being found by normal human ears.  But a quick glance around reveals no ladder for accessing the ceiling tiles.

Mits waves over at Beth.  "You look like a person who wishes to help.  Same offer.  Assist in slaying the monster and share in the reward."

The mention of large reward has many an arcade patron searching all over the place for the bug.

Lev raised a brow as Mittens approached, having heard of the reward and... looking surprised at the offer. He'd think for a moment, before nodding and extending a hand. "Noisy bug-fiding specifically? Kind've! Helps for more than just bugs... but helps plenty for bugs! And sure. Was gonna try and find it reward or not, sooo... adding a reward can't hurt."

Upon figuring an idea of why the sound was so omni-directional, and realizing what might be the next step in locating the bug, he'd look towards both Mittens and Beth. "... Soooo. If working together to hunt down the noisy bug, I think I got an idea?"

Bethany listens to Lev's mumblings, then ohs! at Mittens and says, "Uh-I... yes! Thanks! I'm trying to be helpful. I can shine light..?" she demonstrates by making a finger glow and points it at the dark backside of an arcade machine.

Then Lev offers an idea. "What's your idea?"

Mits grins, proud of herself for forming an adventuring team.  "Fantastic!  Mittens had a feeling you two might be superheroes!"

"Yes.  Let's hear this idea!"

Lev whispered as quietly as he could, giving the existing manhunt for the insect. With the reward offered, the amount of people searching, and where the insect might be, sudden chaos to get the bug from where it could be might run the risk of having an unfortunate clean-up for the store keep in question.

"There's a hollow space above us in the ceiling. If the bug has been making noise up there, it'd be very difficult to pinpoint 'cause it's.... -up-. If we could carefully get up there, we might be able to find the bug. But uhm... probably shouldn't let a lot of people know. Everyone trying to get to the ceiling would be a big-big mess."

He'd look between the two. "A ladder could help... but there's no ladder I can see. Could ask or look for one?"

There was a side-glance towards Mittens, tilting his head aside a bit, giving a slightly nervous but more quiet chuckle. "Naaah? Just a friendly bug-seeker who wants to help. And... if okay, I'd like the bug once we catch it."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:10, Fri 25 Feb 2022.

Bethany says, "Oh? What do you want the bug for? You a collector?"

She hardly gives Lev a chance to answer before heading to the manager. In a quiet tone, she asks, "Hi... um... you have a ladder we can borrow?"

"Mittens appreciates both the tactical smartness of the white fur boy and also the motivation of the white hair girl.  No, Mittens has no objection to the boy keeping the bug.  Though...  Once we corner the bug.  How to catch?  Mittens has reflexes enough to possibly smack it outta the air if it takes flight, but... eeeeew.  Would rather have a butterfly net or something."

The desk guy with the name tag "Ken" on his shirt slowly shakes his head at Beth, as if wracking his brains for anything.  "Nothing more than a small stool for dusting off the higher shelves from time to time.  Got a vacuum and various cleaning supplies.  Mop and bucket for the bathroom.  That's 'bout all we've got in the back."

By now Lev will have pinpointed about which tile the bug is sitting on.  It's right in the middle of the arcade above a big circle of arcade machines that are very much in the way of accessing it.

Mits addresses Ken.  "Mittens' new partner in crime makes a good point.  It would behoove thee to clarify that the deal is with Mittens alone and not an open bounty lest thou wind up with a wild rampage on thy hands."

Ken thinks on it and nods before addressing the arcade customers.  "Thanks, kids.  These three already found it and they get first crack at catching it.  The deal was made with the rocker girl, so don't go messing things up trying to get a reward that's not yours to claim, ok?"

There's some reluctant groans, but nobody pitches a fit.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:33, Fri 25 Feb 2022.

Lev had a few ideas in mind, smiling just a tad bit before whispering. "Net might be difficult.... and moving too much in the ceiling might mean we fall down. But! Would you happen to uhm... have a paper clip or tack?"

On the mention of paper clips and tacks, he'd shift around in his backpack a bit after pulling it to the front of him, before pulling out two rubber-bands, putting the backpack away. "If you do, or anything like it that... isn't too big, so the bug isn't too -splat-, I might have a way to... kind've smack it?"

He'd pause for a moment, before quietly clearing his throat. "Sorry... you said your name and I sort've forgot mine! Lev, pleased to bug-hunt with you and... friend?" He'd gesture to Beth, before waving. "Uhm... you can call me Lev too! Ma'am?" His ear would do another wiggle, before looking to the other two. "Two ideas... one... person ladder to near where the bug is. Then bap it with the right thingamajig. Two. Manager may not approve. Climbing an arcade machine?" He'd give an in-advance apologetic tone towards the Manager, as if the second idea already sounded sort of dumb.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:40, Fri 25 Feb 2022.

Bethany says, "My name's Bethany. Nice t'meetchya, Lev!"

She then holds two hands out. One has a tack and a paperclip. The other has a butterfly net. Who in the world carries around a butterfly net when going to the arcade...? "Umm... whatchya need 'em for?"

It wasn't lost on her that Lev purposefully didn't answer her question about what he needed the bug for, but she figures all will be made known in time.

Mits was gunna climb up on the arcades without asking...

"No way, José," Ken answers, "The owner would have a conniption if we let anyone climb up on the consoles.  They're not built to hold any weight, let alone a whole person's weight."

He points at the forbidden things sign, and among the things forbidden is putting anything on the consoles.

Mittens pretends like she wasn't going to get into huge trouble by ignoring that and making a huge mess.

"I see that human pyramid isn't on that sign of forbidden things.  Mittens has much experience with it in cheerleading, and holding up this kid would be a cinch.  Especially with Beth here joining in."

Ken looks unsure.  "If you guys fall and get hurt, I said hell no.  But I gotta use the bathroom, so don't blame me if y'all did something dangerous behind my back."

He heads for the bathroom.

Lev gave a small giggle at the manager's departure, before giving a half-mischevious, half-excited smile towards Mittens.

".... Sooo, person-ladder! And..." He'd point out to one of the tiles close to but not within the -immediate- vicinity of where the bug'd be. Need to keep some distance so as to not scare the bug off. "That is... I -think- the best bet for tile choice." He'd give a point to which tile the bug was likely on or over. "If we approach carefully... and don't spook it, the distance shouldn't be -too- far to make a solid thwap? Which, that is what the paper clip or tack are for. 'cause a marble would kinda... splat it." On that note, he'd give a grateful head nod before taking the tack and paper clip. "If all are of course in favor of this plan?" He'd look towards both, not wanting to over-step on the bug-hunting efforts.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:10, Fri 25 Feb 2022.

Bethany says, "I'm game! Let's turn this boy into a cheerleader."

She goes to get into position and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Mittens. "Er... how to we get him on our shoulders, though? I've never done this before."