The village looked different at night. Blue hadn't really explored after the sun went down before, but something about the peaceful, quiet atmosphere called to him. Gone were the bustling sounds of work, the clattering of tools, and the chatter of humans. Instead, everything was bathed in soft moonlight, and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees and tall grass.
Blue skittered along the edges of the village, his small form blending into the shadows. He had decided to do some nighttime exploring, just to see how different things were when the sun went down. The villagers had all retreated to their homes, and most of the shops were closed for the night, their windows dark and silent. He crept up to one of the houses and peeked through a small gap in the wall.
Inside, a family sat together by the hearth, the warmth of the fire casting flickering shadows on the walls. They were eating a meal, laughing softly as they shared stories. The mother was feeding a young child, who was giggling at something one of the older kids had said. Blue watched them for a few moments, fascinated by how… normal it all seemed.
I guess life goes on, even in a strange world like this, he thought, his pincers clicking idly.
He moved on, his curiosity driving him to explore more. The bakery, which had been bustling with activity earlier, was now dark, with only a faint glow from the oven's dying embers visible through the window. The smell of fresh bread still lingered in the air, but Blue knew better than to get too close. He didn't want to get trapped inside a human building after dark.
As he crawled along the edge of the blacksmith's shop, he paused again. The burly man he'd seen earlier was snoring loudly in the corner, slumped over in his chair, with an unfinished piece of work lying on the table in front of him. Blue watched the steady rise and fall of the blacksmith's chest for a moment, wondering what kind of things this man made during the day. Maybe one day, he'd get a closer look.
Strange how people just… shut down at night, Blue mused as he scuttled away, moving deeper into the village.
He continued peeking into homes and shops, curious about how different everything seemed under the cover of darkness. People were more relaxed, quieter. The village, which had been full of life just a few hours ago, now felt like a sleeping giant, waiting for the next day to begin.
But as he neared the well in the center of the village, Blue suddenly froze. A small figure stood nearby, their back turned to him. It was a child—a boy, no more than eight or nine—standing under the pale light of the moon, staring up at the stars. He didn't seem scared, just… thoughtful.
Blue hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether to approach. The last time he'd tried to communicate with a human child, things had gone surprisingly well, so maybe this would go smoothly too? He crept a little closer, making sure to stay quiet, until he was just a few feet away from the boy.
The child must have sensed something, because he suddenly turned around, his eyes widening as he spotted Blue. For a brief moment, they stared at each other in silence. Blue tensed, expecting the boy to scream or run, but instead, the kid just blinked, tilting his head in curiosity.
Okay, here we go…
Blue raised one of his pincers and made a small wave-like motion, hoping to convey that he wasn't a threat. The boy watched him carefully, then crouched down, his gaze fixated on the tiny scorpion.
Blue tried to think of how to communicate. He didn't speak the language, but he had caught a few phrases here and there during the day. Maybe he could piece something together. He wiggled his pincers a bit more and used his tail to point toward the sky, mimicking the stars the boy had been looking at.
The boy's expression softened, and a small smile appeared on his face. "…Star," the boy said quietly, pointing upward. Blue's mandibles clicked in recognition. Star. Okay, I got that one.
The boy reached out a hand, but Blue quickly scuttled back a few steps, his tail raising defensively. The kid seemed to understand and stopped, pulling his hand back. Instead, he sat down cross-legged in front of Blue, watching him with wide, curious eyes.
Blue tried to think of another phrase he'd heard. He clicked his pincers again, mimicking the sound of the humans speaking earlier. The boy blinked, then giggled softly.
"You're funny," the boy whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet night.
Blue didn't know what "funny" meant exactly, but judging by the boy's expression, it was something positive. He scurried a little closer, feeling more comfortable now. He lifted one of his pincers again and pointed toward the boy's chest, trying to ask for his name, though he wasn't sure if the message was clear.
The boy seemed to understand. "Eren," he said softly, pointing to himself.
Blue clicked his pincers in acknowledgment. Eren, huh? Nice to meet you.
For a while, the two of them just sat there, staring at each other. Blue found it oddly calming—being with a human and not having to worry about getting squished or chased away. It was almost… peaceful. He felt like he was making some kind of connection, even if he couldn't understand the words.
Just then, the sound of soft footsteps approached, and Blue turned to see a familiar face. The little girl from before—Mira—was wandering into the square, clutching her doll as usual. Her eyes widened when she saw Blue sitting with Eren, and a bright smile spread across her face.
"Mister Scorpion!" she called out, running over to join them.
Eren turned to her, a little confused. "You know him?"
Mira giggled and nodded, crouching down next to Eren. "Yeah! He danced for me yesterday! He's funny!"
Blue clicked his pincers again, feeling a little embarrassed by the memory of his silly dance. But Mira didn't seem to care. She reached out, trying to touch him, but just like with Eren, Blue quickly stepped back, raising his tail in warning. Mira giggled again, pulling her hand back.
"I won't hurt you, mister scorpion," she said softly. "You're our friend, right?"
Blue clicked his pincers thoughtfully. Friend? It was a word he didn't fully seem to mind that, but something about it felt… nice.
Mira and Eren sat together, talking quietly as they watched Blue move around, clicking his pincers and occasionally raising his tail in what he hoped looked like some kind of response. The two kids seemed happy just to sit with him, even if they couldn't communicate perfectly.
The night passed quietly, the three of them sitting together under the stars. Eventually, Eren yawned, and Mira's eyes began to droop, both of them clearly tired. Blue watched as the two children stood up, waving goodbye to him before heading back to their homes.
As they disappeared into the night, Blue scuttled back into the grass, feeling oddly content. He didn't fully understand the humans or their language, but for the first time since arriving in this strange world, he felt like he'd made some kind of connection.
Friend, he thought again, clicking his pincers as he watched the stars overhead. Maybe I do have some friends now.
With that, he scurried off into the darkness, ready to explore more of the night in his own little way.