Usually you meet the girl before taking her to the movies. HMOFA, Moth, Celebrity, Romance Movie link: https://archive.org/details/MOTHRAVS.GODZILLA1964JapaneseVersionHD Original Green Text Story: https://pastebin.com/NtgDFUZ0 ---------------------- Another dull work week rolls by for John Ormalson, meaning another trip down to the good old Flee Pit, a family run single screen cinema in the Insectoid corner of the sprawling city. For the lead up to Halloween, its been running all the best monster flicks that can be licensed by the dinky business. Most of the movie list is made up of the classic black and white films, where the monsters are just Anthros in suits to make their features more exaggerated. Making his way through the front double doors, John can't but smile at seeing the reproduced movie posters lining one wall across from the ticket booth and snackrifice counter. He pauses for a moment in front of the retro poster for the film he had come to see this week, Mothra vs Godzilla. Turning away from the posters, he narrowly avoids bumping into a fluffy insectoid. Not caring to argue over who is at fault he carries on to buy his ticket and over priced food, but to keep this small business going the price is worth it. Fifteen minutes of adverts, a third of an extra-large crushed ice drink, and the odd handful of popcorn later, the thrumming and drumming of the main event rumbles through the Flee Pits' speakers and into the rickety rows of seats. Despite the low light, a fidgeting viewer a couple rows in front caught Johns' eye, mainly the fluffy antenna perked right up in the normal insectoid body language of excitement. It was easy to tell it was a Moth Anthro, causing John to smile a little thinking that younger generations must love these old films with actual anthro actors in place of the modern day CGI. The Japanese actors start talking, and his attention is back to the silver screen. The movie has a great slow burn type of pace, and finally gets to the titular fight scene. The fantastically suited up Mothra flies into frame on the barely hidden rigging cables. The fight commences, Styrofoam buildings turned to obviously pre-cut up rubble and craft mud scenery become scattered by the actresses wings. They meet face to face, Godzilla swings at the monster moth... and the screen goes black. John had watched the film before at home so knew this wasn't the end, but he quickly realised what had happened when another patron shouted and through an empty drink bottle to the back of the theater. Watching the projectile fly across the space, John knew it was headed right at the moth who had gotten up to the projector hole. The rubbish scored a perfect hit on the insectoids' head, causing them to yelp in surprise and fall down onto the seats bellow. He takes a moment to feel bad for the moth, but puts the display out of mind to continue watching the movie. Nothing beats seeing a film on the big screen after all. A few scenes later, he feels his popcorn tub shifting, the dim lights causing a minor fear reaction, and snapping his attention towards it. Barely a foot away from him, two out of four hands in the bucket, one full of savoury snackages, the other covering their munching mouth, sat a female moth insectoid. Biology not needed to be explain on how he knew they were female. Her gaze was obviously focused on the film until he nudged the bucket himself, causing her to snap attention on him. Human Eyes met compound eyes, and despite the scenes playing out in the theater, it was surprisingly hard to pull either's attention away. In the shadows of movie light, they were pools of black that strangely shimmered. To her, the humans' eyes where filled with vibrant colour. A bright flash and the noise of monsters fighting broke the spell between the two, both quickly turning away feeling embarrassed. John decided to ignore the moth girl for the rest of the movie until the credits, and as they began to roll he suddenly realised he needed the bathroom, so rose to leave soon after the theater brightened up. Business dealt with, He moved to return to his seat, if only to make sure he hadn't accidentally forgotten anything. His former seat was completely clear, though not the floor where popcorn had fallen. Quick check of pockets and he was making his way to leave, opening the door into the atrium. The small crowd from his screening was mostly gone, and the elderly custodian was slowly moving about with a stiff bristled broom for the end of the night clean up. "Hikari, Why can't you just stay seated?!" A gruff voice growled out of the managers' office. "One of these days you're either going to wreck our equipment, or get yourself hurt!" John had casually made his way over to eavesdrop and spy on the conversation, already guessing who was being chewed out. Peeking through the doorway, he can see the moth girl, one pair of hands wrangling with each other, the other set between her legs submissively. "I don't want to go back on the agreement, but if I get any more complaints, I'm going to have to bar you coming in outright...." John barely had a chance to notice the manager is by the door before he opens it, uncovering him and his peeping tomfoolery. For a brief moment, his and Hikari's eyes meet again, before the aged ant manager stands between them. Despite the exoskeleton and compound eyes without any real eyebrows, the manager still looks pissed. "Mister Ormalson, I do hope you're not here to make a complaint? It's almost closing time after all." The Ant Anthro is rubbing his chitin face with distinct tiredness. "Oh, I was just worried about Hikari," John was thinking on the tip of his tongue to avoid getting on the ants' bad side. "I kinda bolted for the bathroom at the end of the film, and was just looking for her, getting worried when I saw her in here." Putting on a nervous grin, John hoped he'd made a convincing enough story. The Ant sighed "Sorry Mister Ormalson, I didn't realise she was with anyone tonight," Somehow those compound eyes gave the impression of suspicion. "She hasn't come with anyone before, and neither have you, if my memory is as good as its always been..." His dark brown chitin carapace turns towards the girl. "Should I call your mother, Hikari?" The Moth girl stares towards John's face but somehow avoids making eye contact for a few moments, before turning to the manager and shaking her head. She pulls her arms close to herself over the worn out jumper she is wearing. "I'll be fine, please don't calm Mom..." With that she gets up and gives the ant a polite bow. Moving to the door, both men step out the way to let her pass. John is about to follow, when he feels a firm grip on his upper arm. "If I find out something happens to her, remember I know you were with her last..." Neither man needed to look at each other for intent to be clear. With the warning given, Johns' arm is released, and he walks quickly to catch up with Hikari who had just got to the doors. The two leave together, and the manager collapses into his creaky office chair. ---------------------- She fidgets on the spot waiting for John, her hands rubbing together with nerves. The door clunks closed, prompting her to turn and face him. "I..I'm sorry for disrupting the movie... Ah and eating your popcorn... I tho thought I had gone back to my own seat...." You've not met or talked to many insectoids, but you're surprised how soft her voice is and mental kick yourself for not noticing earlier. If sound could be described as silk, her voice would be the finest quality. "Don't worry about it Hikari, honestly" John shrugs with hands in his pockets. "I always buy too much anyway." Thinking back to earlier, he has some belated concern. "Hey, Ant man didn't sound like he asked, but were you hurt after falling from the projector hole?" She jumps a little at the question, turning to walk down the steps with John following at her side. "D..Don't worry about it.... I've always been a bit of a bumbler," She tucks herself inwards and her head drops down a little. He reaches forward, and gentle nudges her upper upper arm, causing her to flinch a little and look toward him. "You sure you're alright? Or am I making you feel uncomfortable?" He gives her as good a comforting smile as possible. "Its..." She straightens up, hands keeping to their mirrored pair, and wings fluttering slightly. "I'm just not used to talking to people... especially humans..." She turns her head away slightly but carries on her pace. He realises he's just been following her, and is now further into the insectoid district than ever been before. A few adult insectoids are giving him strange looks when he and Akari pass by. For the first time, he considers that he's never seen insectoid children. "If you'd like me to leave you alone, then just say." He means it, considering he basically invited himself to follow her home without asking for consent. He was starting to have a crawling sensation he was no better than those interspecies stalkers the media are always condemning. "I did agree with the theater manager that I'd take you home safely, but if you're more comfortable by yourself, that is your call." He shrugs, and she slows to a stop on the sidewalk, tilting her head towards him. "Why did you.. make it sound like.. we knew eachother?" He couldn't quite gauge the question. Was it an accusation? Had he offended some aspect of insectoid society? Was he that much of a creep? He couldn't help but stammer while looking towards her face. "Wha?.. Well I...." Smooth John, real smooth. "I acted impulsively. Sounded like he'd had a hard night and was taking it out on you.... And I'd be lying if I said you're not cute..." His lips smacked shut before he could continue talking, eyes moving to some distant point in the star-y sky where he wish he was rather than here all of a sudden. He dared not look back at her. "So you... Don't know anything?" She sounded confused, and maybe curious. "About me?" Her head was tilted, an expression of a subtle touch of surprise. "Well, not yet, I guess?" He turns to face towards her again, rubbing the back of his head in this strange, awkward moment. "I admit I only know your name because I was eavesdropping.... I'm John Ormalson" Now its his turn to feel sheepish, while putting a hand out to shake. She surprisingly reaches forward tentatively with both hands on one side, leading to a three handed handshake. "Aki Hikari, uhm." Her wings flutter, and the fluff that pokes out the neck hole of her jumper seemed to bristle a little. "It roughly translates to Light Fall..." It was interesting to see first hand an insectoid blush or smile. "Listen, I can get home safely from here..." He nodded, and took a step back, almost bowing as he moved. "That's fair. I wouldn't want a stranger following me home either hehe." He rubs the back of his head again in embarrassment, then mentally berated himself for acting like a stereotypical dating sim character with limited expressions and poses. "But, if you're not doing anything tomorrow, perhaps we could meetup and I could treat you to lunch?" He dared try to look her in the eyes with the question. She was noticeably fidgeting afterwards and seemed to be looking all around for something while she wrestled her hands with each other. "If you can make your way back here, by maybe one in the afternoon?" Her focus returned to him. "It'd be nice to get out and meet people... See ya, maybe?" She didn't wait for a response, turning on her heel and walking off down the street, leaving John a little bewildered. He did take a moment to admire the swirling patterns that danced across her wings in the modified artificial light of the streetlamps. He gathered his wits, and finally looked around him for landmarks to help for the next day. He was standing at the intersection of a single lane road with a double. On his corner was a stand for Insectoid that had more fibrous diets, its sign showing some cotton balls drizzled with honey. Most of the other food eateries seemed to be cover other diets, such as fungi, meat, and fluids. The last made him shiver by implication, as the windows and door customer entrance were blacked out like the sex shops in the human part of town. He thankfully spied an old street sign that pointed in the direction of the Flea Pit, so with mental map ready, he was homeward bound. https://www.patreon.com/evocationmedia