Saturday, January 13, 2007

Insects

I'm trying to decide which insect Nea would have as a pet. I haven't figured out all the reasons she has one but I saw it on her shoulder, looking somewhat like a brooch pin. It's her reminder of a life-changing incident that set her on the demonic path. But I don't want it to be an insect that comes with a public preconception. I don't want it to be ugly or icky. I've narrowed it down to the Japanese Beetle



which is partly responsible for the decimation of the American Chestnut, looks good as a brooch and doesn't send me screaming into the night. I like the way the carapace shimmers and I think I could do a lot with it.

Then there's this guy - the Chestnut Weevil. I like his proboscis(nose). It's almost cute. He'll blend in with her clothes, hair and other surroundings


There are pros and cons for both. Which one has a higher ick factor for you? I'm not sure that's what I'm going for but I'm going to give this some consideration. Everything has to serve more than one purpose in a scene, chapter, story. Does he have a name? Yikes, he'll have to arc too.

9 comments:

  1. For me the second one is butt-ugly and ew-making. The first one is at least shiny... which makes me "oooooo, prettyyyy" (as much as I ever would do that over an insect, I mean.)

    So, I'll vote for Japanese beetle. And I'm not even going to stuff the ballot box. (Unless Bryan comes by here and stuffs it in favor of the other guy.)

    Cath :-)

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  2. Anonymous12:44 PM

    My first inclination was the Japanese Beetle. However, I really like the nose on the Chestnut Weevil. As Nea's pet, I assume she has some sort of affection for it. I can see it nuzzling her cheek; giving her a cheeky poke. I like that it has the capacity to blend. It's your world, why can't you make it blend when it needs to blend or stand out when the story calls for it. Perhaps, it glows when it's aroused or enraged; or, maybe it changes color with Nea's moods. It's quirky and attracts me more; at the same time, it repells. Does Nea do this? Just my thoughts.

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  3. These adult stages don't last long at all, if you care at all. A tarantula lasts much longer, though not an insect. Years ago women used to have a chameleon on a leash that was pinned to them (think blouse ornament); it would change colors.

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  4. These adult stages don't last long at all, if you care at all. A tarantula lasts much longer, though not an insect. Years ago women used to have a chameleon on a leash that was pinned to them (think blouse ornament); it would change colors.

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  5. Sorry for the duplicate! Blooger is lying to me.

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  6. Hmmm. Quite honestly no one has ever asked me what bug would make a better pet.

    I'm thinking the beetle. And not just for its pretty flashiness. The second just looks too much like a bug ... I don't mean the ick factor. I'm thinking Nea's pet should be something like her. There's 2 sides to her, right? What she is and what the hero thinks she is. Or she thinks she is. Or something. It occurs to me that I shouldn't make assumption without having read the book. Oh that's right, you haven't written it yet. This is complicated. Anyway I think bug #1 better mirrors Nea as I understand her. The other is just a bug.

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  7. Strickly ick-facator speaking, I think the weevil has that 'ew, its a bug' thing going on.

    Which should put me on the side of the Japanese beetle, if it wasn't for that horrible infestation of 1994 where I ended up with 12 of those suckers blown into my hair between the car and the front door. Talk about major heebie-jeebies. So as long as I don't have to be the one walking around with a bug on my shoulder, I say the beetle.

    Will his name be John, Paul, George or Ringo?

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  8. I would have picked the Japanese beetle since it looks most like a brooch on her shoulder.

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  9. Anonymous3:48 PM

    So is the idea to connect it with the demise of the chestnut? Because neither is very large to be jewelry-like. Bess beetles might be easier to keep in place, as they have a middle around which they could be tethered. I asked a friend who has lots of bug jewelry...

    But the proboscis is cute, and the Japanese beetles are shiny and pretty. Although my friend says they poop a lot. But if she's all supernatural, maybe that's not an issue.

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