Senpai of a Giant Talking Praying Mantis (Main Thread)

"Alright here's the grilled chicken and baked potato with a side of salad for you, and the salmon dish with bread sticks for you." The waitress said as she delivered the two girls's order to their table. "Just let me know if you need anything else and I'll bring you your check in a bit. Enjoy your meal!"

Cynthia grinned and nodded. She took her fork and began eating glancing at the girl across from her. She smoothed a napkin out and her gray eyes flicked to the delicious food.

Evie watched the waitress with captivating eyes that oogled the food like it was long lost treasure or something, the light lick of her lips clearly said all hope was lost for this dish surviving long enough for a take home box. Table manners were barely claimed as a napkin was spread in a lap the movement so sharp it was cat to the floor. Silverware was hastily grip and the chicken sloopily cut before it was taken into a zone of no return,

"Oooo so goooood." Came the praise as Evie cupped her hands together under her chin wiggling her upper half in the bliss of flavors, she opened her eyes to view her elder yet reliable companion, "Thanks for suggesting this! Food is always better prepared, how is yours?" Eyes peered a bit sidelong eyeing the fish and the bread with an eye-eating face.

Cynthia was eating too, but more politely. She had been raised like that and no matter what the flavors suggested she would not lose them now. She laughed softly as Evie dug right in. "It's delicious all the flavors and the bread..." she trailed off taking another fork full of fish into her mouth.

Evie's butterscotch eyes followed fish into Cynthia's mouth, "I bet it taste fresh out of the water huh?" Evie fantasied her lips moistening and nearly drooling, she poke at her chicken before an idea jumped into her mind, with a few more cuts of the knife a fork was held out and waved just a bit between finger and thumb, "Wanna trade a bite?" Eyes almost had a beckoning of a plea as the twenty-one year old waited for a reply.

Cynthia smiled and took a bit of fish offering it to Evie. She tasted the chicken and she smiled widely. "It's so delicious!" She exclaimed wiping at her mouth with her napkin. "How do you think the fish tastes?" she asked leaning forward to see the other woman's reaction.

Evie took the fork with the fish on it and looked at it with sparking butterscotch eyes, as she engulfed the fish on the fork and chewed with a merry vigor the rounds of her cheeks blotching red with pleasure as she made little satisfied noises till she swallowed the bite. Jutting up her shoulders, Evie wiggled her upper body in pleasure with little giggles,

"That was the best fish everrrr! How come I never been here before?" Evie looked around with approval as she continued to demolished her dinner.

The two seemed to chatter and eat, Evie a girl that did enjoy her food very much. It was easy to talk to Cynthia despite their age difference they were good friends.

Cynthia smiled. "I don't know! It's a good restaurant!" she said laughing lightly as she saw Evei wiggle.

Evie laughed with her and soon the two woman finished their food asking for two separate checks, fishing into her purse for her wallet that was a cute penguin, I remember why I don't go here, its pretty expensive that is why. The woman thought with a sigh getting out her debt card, oh well! The food was divine!

Cynthia nodded then dug out her leather wallet pulling out her debt card as well. She sighed then grinned widel. "It was wasn't it?" as the waiter approached she smiled and paid then stood getting ready to leave.

Evie handed over her card and waited for it to be returned. It was very worth it, the woman thought with a stretch of her body as she got up, "Phew! I am glad we walk, I could do to burn off some of this meal!" As they exited.

Cynthia smiled and laughed again feeling the cool night air rush onto her hot skin. She strolled along smiling. She loved the evening air and walking. She smiled grinning.

Evie swung her arms lightly as they walked the cool evening air kissing her skin, "Everything looks more animated in the fading light, huh? Like a play if you look hard enough." The twenty one year old envisioned with a smile as she looked around seeing a world most could not understand which often got her called weird.

Cynthia nodded quietly breathing in the cool air. "Yeah it is. I love taking these strolls. It let's my mind unwind." she laughed.

And that was another thing to like about Cynthia is that she did not find things that Evie said all that strange, in fact she agreed with her, "And we are in such nice place to walk along, nothing spooky waiting for us around the corner like in a horror movie." She giggled lightly spinning bit on her heels and letting the wind circle around her.

No sooner then 30 seconds after Evie's remark did a nearby dumpster in a secluded ally suddenly rumble, making a load noise as it shook side to side. The quake was short lived, but began to resume a moment later. The waste container continued to repeat this pattern again and again.

It was as if something was stuck inside, unable to get out...

(Thanks for the nice set up Sencreeya ^^)

Cynthia looked up and stepped over towards the sound. She paused studying the dumpster and glanced at Evie before walking over and peering inside.

Evie actually jumped at the rumbling banging noise before giving a nervous laugh. It was probably a squirrel or a cat or a litter of cats from the sound of that. Evie raised her eyebrows curiously a mysterious light looming over the noises. What could it be? It was some sort of mystery it was enticing so enticing that fear was not evident even as the noises continued after a few times. Sneaker feet moved forward with Cynthia so when the older woman looked towards her, she did not have to look her,

"Wait!" Her voice came up in a hushed voice, easy Cynthia we don't want to scare it. Maybe the fact that this neighborhood was so sound and secure brought on this mood of fearless curiosity, but both woman peered in gingerly, Evie wrinkled her nose the smell of the dumpster twisting her dinner slightly in her stomach.

Cynthia nodded and followed Evie's course of action and wrinkled her nose. She peered in again and saw something then pulled out again.

A silence seemed to befell the neighborhood as the dumpster was opened. After a few seconds passed, something extraordinary emerged.

A praying mantis.

A giant praying mantis.

One could see that the massive insect must of measured at least seven feet in height as he surfaced from within the dumpster, its back facing the two girls. It looked to the left. Then to the right. It then turned it's head a whole 180 degrees, Finally laying eyes on the people who freed it from it's unhygienic prison. It gasped. "Oh wow! Humans! My first interaction with an actual humans!" it exclaimed.

It talked.

It turned around and climbed out of the dumpster, approaching the girls. Dwarfing them in size, it loomed over them and spoke again in a rather cheerful tone. "Thank you for helping me out of there humans. What are your names? My name is Squishy"

Evie had to take a step back away from the smell covering her noise slightly and not helping a small gag escaping her throat. Than out came, a....a ....er Evie did not know what it was, maybe that staged off the fear for the first couple of seconds not knowing what it was.

BUT when the giant praying mantis turned its head all the way around, the option of someone being in a very speculator costume what washed right from the possibilities. Only than did a flash of uncertainty flash on her face, but before fear could take rain shock did as the giant bug spoke, it talked, speaking words, from its mouth!

"T.t.t.t.t. ne. ne." Little noises like that edged her throat as her right foot gave little switches. It, or now known as Squishy was extremely tall, the type of tall you here in books or movies. Evie just stared for a stretch of a moment before forming a bit of a sentence,

"Are you.....are you....... Squishy?" She asked timidly yet with a note of attentive curiosity. Was his body squishy? Or just his name? Feet inched a bit forward, and a hand began to reach out, but paused lingering in the air, "Evie, is my name." She finally registered and managed a name for herself.

Cynthia stepped back in surprise and shock as the insect came out. When Squishy began to talk her eyes narrowed searching his body searching for a zipper or something. "Are you in custome?" she asked still scrutinizing him.

Squishy was giddy beyond measure to be talking to a human for the first time in his life. He had been looking forward to this moment for quite some time now. He shook his lower body, removing pieces of garbage that clung to his abdomen. He then unfurled his wings, rapidly flapping them in order to rid them of any trash that might have gotten lodged within them. They made a loud buzzing noise as he did, blowing a moderate gust of wind in various directions. Finally, he quickly ran his elaborate mandibles through each of his forearms, eating both edible and non edible liter that was wedged within his many sharp spines.

Once he had finished grooming himself, he replied in the same happy tone as before. "Hello Evie, it is a pleasure to meet you!" He noticed how she had extended her hand. He had seen this before, people extending their arms to one another. Going from memory, he extended his own forearm, lightly nudging Evie's hand from below.

When Cynthia had asked him if he was wearing a costume, he became momentarily confused. "What's a costume?" he asked curiously. He looked back at the dumpster he was stuck in moments before. "Oh, do you mean the big food box?"

Evie had no idea what to think, her mind was very still eyes focusing on the giant bug in front of her. It was undeniably incredible! Her deep brown and magenta colored bangs blew upward and around her forehead as he flapped his wings. Evie’s eyes basically followed his every move before she gasped as he spoke her name. Maybe it was the fact that her name was now attached to his speech, but the reality of all this began to start to weigh. As his…..arm came to nudge her hand, Evie just started downwards at it, she did this for a moment before lightly wrapping her fingers around it and giving it a shake before,

“It’s nice to meet you Squishy….” She found herself saying, and it was nice, weird odd and confusing, but nice, he had not tried to kill them yet. Looking over at Cynthia as she spoke wondering about a costume, Evie looked over the large insect again as crazy as it sounded, this was no hobo in a large fancy and detailed costume, it just did not seem to fit, the more crazy explanation seemed to fit, that Squishy was a giant….praying mantis,

“Heh, heh, heheh, that is not a food box, it’s actually where we throw old food away,” She informed her laughter kind and good natured. Moving over to Cynthia, she edged up on her tip toes to whisper in Cynthia ear,

“Hey, I know this is bizarre, but I think Squishy is a real giant bug-dude,” She paused to run her tongue over her teeth thinking, “Maybe…Maybe he is one of those genetic experiments gotten loose?” She theorized with a blink before looking back at Squishy and stepping towards him a bit, “Um, ah, Squishy? Where did you come from?” She asked eyebrows ruffled together in curiosity.

Cynthia laughed a bit too while shaking her head. "No a costume is like what you dress up in for halloween and--" she broke off stepping forward a bit. "K guess you really aren't wearing a costume. So my name is Cynthia nice to meet you Squishy." she said before frowning at Evie. Lowering her voice she whispered "Maybe." She had to admit that it didn't seem like he was an actor and no bugs she had ever sene could talk. "Yeah where did you come from?" she asked waiting for his explanation.