This morning's prompt is 'termite'.

Now I need a face, a place, plus some good, bad and ugly things.

"Why do they call you 'Termite'?" Bear asked the man, after they had a little ersatz coffee. Termite allowed as it wasn't half bad.

"I'll trade you a question for a question; what is this? I like it, but coffee it's not."

Bear looked over to a wiry little man and a young woman who came in to the room and took seats at the table. He nodded to them and said. "Alright. I'll go first. These two are part of my travelling circus, by the way. You get that for free..."

"Daria," said the woman. The man poured her 'coffee' and a cup for himself. He looked Termite over, especially eyes and hands, both rough.

"I'm Ski, or Stan, people seem to call me both."

"As we were discussing, I'm Termite," Termite looked pointedly back at Bear. "And this is good not-coffee."

"It's chicory. We found some, not growing by the road fortunately, but... someone's unattended garden and we had someone who knows plants and herbs, again, fortunately."

"Never had it before, but had heard of it, and also burnt rice. American GIs in the Pacific stole that from the Japs and it's good, too, but we can't waste food now, can we?"

That got a few nods.

"Termite isn't much of a story, just some witless fool who has since gotten himself bit. He thought it was hilarious that I used to be an exterminator and knew all about what to look for- what?!"

Ski had leaned forward and both Daria and Bear were smiling. Daria said, "Then get ready for Ski to ask questions and talk your ear off, then write it all down in his book."

"What book?"

Bear chuckled. "Well, actually, I hear it's going to be an encyclopedia of civilization."