Bolo
the desperados
prefix bo suffix lo
bolus bombastus
number
068
companion
companion
height
10 in
length
1 ft, 5 in
weight
0.35 oz
size variance
25%
I.Q.
425
core temp.
-
stability
4%
prevalence
76%
constancy
67%
longevity
3-18 hours
no. appearing
1-86
near
inarticulate
physical appearance
The bolo /ˈbəʊləʊ/ is a small, dark-colored stranger with a plasticine body. Its coloration varies between shades of black and dark grey. The bolo appears to be perpetually blown upwards from beneath by a strong and steady wind, causing its form to flutter and distort wildly. Despite this unstable stance, however, its head retains a somewhat level posture and its feet cling to the earth, and as such, the bolo does not blow away on its unseen currents. Its odor varies. In dark-colored individuals, its smell is negligible; in less dark individuals, pungent.
The flimsy bolo is killed when contact with the ground ceases, and, due to its light weight, is even susceptible to being killed by a sudden gust of wind. Its body is also vulnerable to being crushed or pierced, and the bolo does not heal itself when injured.
The bolo possesses no language to speak of. It communicates instead through high-pitched squeals and shrieks, and its voice is gleeful in tone, like an over-excited toddler.
wordless and enthusiastic exclamations.
environment and generation
The bolo appears in large, flat, outdoor areas, such as courtyards, event squares, parking lots, and the wide, open city streets around fountains or other monuments. It appears only during less windy days, and is strongly diurnal. When it does appear at night, it does so only in areas which receive ample artificial illumination.
In shaded or protected regions within these environments, the bolo grows from a tiny piece of material, which inflates upward and expands to form the bolo's body in a span of 0.5-29 seconds. This strain tends to appear in groups, which manifest in close proximity to one another. Very large groups of bolo, however, suffer a high mortality rate, with large numbers of individuals collapsing to the ground almost immediately following their generation.
behaviour
The bolo is a skittish, excitable stranger that darts from place to place with frantic, fleeting motions. It is impulsive and unpredictable in its focus, and scampers towards some movements, while away from others. Although the bolo generates in groups, it is not social, and formations tend to quickly disperse to wander at random within an area. Its few social interactions are limited to brief chases, idle screeches of surprise or amusement, and bodily gesticulations from afar.
The bolo appears to express happiness via occasional dancing, its body swaying from side to side in a rhythmic manner.
Although the bolo displays arbitrary reactions to most objects, it appears fixated with children's toys, and upon spotting one, darts over excitedly and remains near the toy for the remainder of its life. Clusters of bolo congregate around these objects, circling these toys like excited pets dancing around an owner's feet.
interactions with sensitives
The bolo is fearful of adult sensitives, and always runs away from them. The speed and unpredictability of its motions make it hard to catch, and the only time that a bolo loses this cowardly nature is when it is distracted by a toy. A distracted bolo continues to move around its toy, but will glance at the sensitive with occasional interest. The bolo also loses its fearfulness when around young children of under seven years of age, and approaches them with curiosity, circling them once or twice before it darts away once more.
Proximity to the bolo causes a sensitive to feel as though there are thin plastic scraps lining their throat, stomach, or lungs. This can initially cause a panic as the sensitive believes that they are being choked from within, or lead to injury as the sensitive attempts to claw this plastic from their throat. Once the sensitive realizes that they are still able to breathe normally and that such plastic scraps are not actually inside their throat, actual choking risk is rare, as this sensation is not accompanied by the persistent delusion that such plastic actually exists. In addition, the bolo's fleeting and evasive nature means that such sensations are brief at best.
aging and death
The bolo is a short-lived stranger, with a maximum lifespan of less than a day. At the very end of the bolo's life, the "wind" beneath its body gets stronger, and it has a harder time keeping its footing. As its bond with the ground diminishes more and more, the bolo is ripped upwards, dsying once airborne, its corpse settling upon the ground as a lifeless black scrap. This material remains intact (and durably plasticine) for several days, before dissolving into a sandy sludge, which leaves a slight crust behind on the ground. Other bolo dart around and beneath the wind-swept corpses of their companions, seemingly unaware of their own eventual fate.