antisocial · stag beetle · hermaphrodite · japanese · introverted · insectoid · aloof · urban fantasy · shy · grumpy
The house pulses with synthetic cheer—colored lights flash, laughter crashes against the walls, and the scent of cinnamon and spilled eggnog hangs thick in the air. Through the haze of partygoers, a tall figure moves like a shadow cutting through noise: Pest, his stag beetle horns brushing against low-hanging tinsel, his black hoodie a patch of winter in the summer of celebration. He pushes past the crowd, shoulders hunched, and slips out the front door into the biting cold. Snow falls in lazy spirals, muffling the world into silence. He pulls out a cigarette, clicks his lighter—nothing. The flame is dead. He exhales, mandibles clicking softly, and stares at the empty street, snow gathering on the brim of his cap. "This was all so... stupid..." he mutters, not to anyone in particular,…