2018.09.11: Cockroach Corner
| Cockroach Corner | |
|---|---|
| Eris Obtains a Gift | |
| IC Date | Saturday, September 11th, 2018 |
| IC Time | 10:00 pm PDT. |
| Players | Eris, Pax |
| Location | Industrial Docks Warehouse |
| Spheres | Wyrm BSD |
---
Eris had come to pick Pax up, it's time to do that little actiity she'd discussed with him the night Kurt had met Mirai. She picks him up at his place and then dries him out into the industrial docks area. She's dressed simply today, jeans and a soft worn Tshirt with a goonies logo on the chest. They arrive at an area which seems mostly abandoned, especially this late at night. The choice of the darkened area, abandoned and industrial is all on purpose. Once there she grabs a duffle bag out of the back and leads Pax into a mostly empty storage building. Long empty racks from floor to ceiling run the whole length of the massive corrigated steel and glass building. The locks are nothing compared to the Ragabash's ability to get into places she's not supposed to be, a little gift and they are inside the private building.
Eris moves to the center of the building and starts to put out grain sugar, potatos au gratin, and rotting rather foul smelling bits of meat and bone. This she sets close to and around a small braiser. She sets her ritual area up quietly.
Pax was, and is, highly excited to get to witness the ritual. He'd probably told her so three or four times already. He's dressed like he usually is, which is to say like some random grungy youth off the street. He follows her in, a broan grin on his face as he watches her setting it up. He's been quiet too, mostly, at least.
The area inside the building couldn't be described as clean, nor could it exactly be described as filthy. This place is clearly used somewhat often, however it's not used quite as much as some of the warehouses closer to the industrial plants. It's likely temporary storage for things leaving the industrial park. There's no refuse, however dirt, gravel, and various bits of grit dot the floors. The dumpster just outside hasn't been emptied just yet this week, and so is likely full of what Eris seeks.
Eris looks around and makes sure there aren't any Cameras. She's preiously scouted this place and made sure it would suit all her needs, and after ticking off all the boxes arranged to come here. Another quick sweep and confident she and Pax are 'alone' the Spiral exhales with a bit of reverb off her lips. She puts her hands on her hips and looks to Pax. "You need to be close to an exit. Somewhere you can escape if you need too. Believe it or not the Weavers minions can be fairly unpredictable, even the ...wyrmier ones."
Pax probably was too close, and simply nods as Eris tells him to go towards the door. "Right, right... Scary spirits." he murmurs, grinning as he walks in that direction. From the laptop bag around his waist he tugs out a creepy ass mask, which he slides into his face. (https://coh.spork.com/images/2/2c/PaxMask.jpg) "I have a theory that they'll be less hostile the less human I look." he explains as he watches her setting up her ritual. He's staying near the door, with an easy line of sight outside.
This place does have everything she was looking for, the only thing left is to go about the process correctly, as the Kilakac'n demand certain tributes and processes. No matter how off they are, they're still somewhat related to the Weaver, even if the Wyld and Wyrm influence is definitely there. Eris turns off her Monkey Puzzle and where the petite blonde had once stood now the oddly sleek white furred spiral stands. Her pale feline eyes turn towards the direction Pax went and she chuffs softly at him in agreement. The pale wolf moves to her bag and pulls out a lovely shimmering brown, similar to the shine on a cockroach's carapach, it is nail polish from Eris' own Beauty line, a tribute to Carver and one unsurpringly called 'Roach'. She steps away from the food left in the darkened warehouse, not far from the dumpster where she'd found the little colony. While she waits for the insects to gather she goes around to specific spots and paints the glyphs for the Spirit brood, the Weaver, and Cockroach with elegant ease, perfect and crisp and glittering in the very low light cast from the slatted windows on the top of the warehouse walls.
The Kin goes silent, watching and keeping out of the way as she goes about her ritual setup. The food sits for a little while, the occasional ant or cockroach scurrying by and being attracted by it. As with most insects, the 'discovery' has to be made, and given time they begin to congregate around and atop the food she'd left on the concrete floor there. Mostly cockroaches, however a few ants have made their way to the bait, although they typically don't last very long. The cockroaches seems somewhat possessive of their meal, it seems, and the ants get driven away with time.
DevilDolly makes sure each glyph is perfect, immaculate with determined precision. Unlike some Garou she has always been taught by her military Aunts and Mother to know your enemy. To know their tactics and where and when necessary to use them against them. It shows here, especially in her ritual, leaving nothing to chance. She is careful not to disturb the Roaches but pays no heed to the ants that might get in her way. They aren't her concern after all. After she finishes the glyphs leaving them to dry Eris, obsessed with nail care today it seems, draws a file from her pack and starts sharpening her nails while she waits patiently. Really? What kind of ritual /is/ this?
It's a strange one, clearly. Cockroaches aren't exactly known for being the most /normal/ of spirits to deal with, and their interests are decidedly strange. Pax just leans there, watching quietly, if somewhat boredly. The cockroaches eventually get all the ant saway from their food, and the feast is on. At first it's just the larger ones, but eventually the stream adds the smaller ones to it from the dumpster. A half an hour passes with nothing but the sounds of Eris sharpening her nails and the scurrying of roaches, but eventually Pax jerks his head towards the dumpster, then looks back to Eris and nods. Look, he's useful! She must've roused something with her 'ritual'
Eris is doing her best, she really is. And so with the glance from the Kin the garou steps foreward and starts speaking in the Spirit tongue evoking the ritual of calling the spirit forth. She is very careful about the ritual taking her time with it. A lot of time with it, in fact it's nearly a two hour orration in which she might say maybe a thing or two wrong but at least she's trying.
It takes a while, and she certainly took her time. She was even doing well until a few mispronunciations near the end of her oration. As she beseeches the spirit to appear, various other, smaller cockroach spirits begins to dig their way out from the garbage. Unless she's looking across, she won't notice the Gafflings poising themselves nearby in the Umbra, the spirit she seeks taking at least mild offense to her misstep, and arranging its children appropriately, just in case. Slightly irate, the Kilakac'n is in no hurry to reveal itself until its children are in place. Only then does a large, chromatic cockroach materialize before her, poison on the opposite side of the food she'd brought. Its antennae flick, but it does not speak, just stares with its thousands of beady eyes.
Eris takes a moment to orient herself. The pale garou creathes in before speaking with careful respect, not an outword hint of emotion in the pale beasts bearing. <<Thank you for hearing and responding to my summons, proliferant Kilakac'n.>> Eris speaks clearly and confidently. She makes no move towards the chrome creature nor any gestures towards it's brood on either side of the veil. <<I have come to request of you knowledge that woul help me find.. Balance."
The Kilakac'n stares back in response, its mannerisms somewhat alien in nature, even compared to a normal one of its kind on the material side. It doesn't respond immediately, instead it scurries forward tentatively, and crouches down towards the offered food. There's a disgusting sort of clicking and gnashing, the giant cockroach taking a chunk from the prepared meal as its antennae shift atop its head. <<Join me, seeker, in my meal.>> it demands, apparently expecting her to eat from the same plate as it devours its own part. Hopefulyl she has a strong stomach.
It's seemingly without hesitation that Eris moves foreward, flowing from standing upright down to all fours and moving with stealthy grace. In that she is lucky, that she is a subtle stealthy creature. She understands the sense of community and brood and in this she is very, very careful in picking her way closer to the offered food. It is -mostly- fresh although roach eaten and ugh..garbagey. But ensuring each pad of her paw doesn't come down on any unsuspecting roach she pushes her nose in and starts to eat. She knows, at least, that she put this down and where it came from. She pushes her instincts and her stomach down to honor the cockroach. <<Thank you for sharing this offering. May I offer spiritual essence in return as a gift.>> No, she's not above a bribe..
There's a soft noise by the door from the masked Kin, like he's about to gag, but he manages to hold it in and keep it quiet enough that he doesn't disturb the spirit. Meanwhile, the chomatic cockroach eats, devouring exactly half of the leftover food, expecting her to eat the other half it seems. It doesn't help that there are still cockroaches on the food, as they didn't scatter when the two approached. The Kilakac'n makes sure to eat around them... <<We share our sustenance.>> it responds, as if this is a lesson those of the material world don't quite understand. <<You may.>> it responds then, scurrying back slightly from the empty plate as it watches her with those beady eyes, ensuring she finishes her half of the meal.
DevilDolly does, in fact, carefull finish. Every. Last. *Urk*. Bite. Except for where the other Cockroaches are feeding and a small apple that she uses as a focus for the gnosis. No extra protien needed today thank you. She rolls back, carefully, into a crouch so that she can focus and draw forth the gnosis into the apple which is offered respectfully to the Kilakac'n.
Those beady eyes watch her finish, carefully judging her as she does so. The spirit watches as she infuses that Gnosis into the apple, and upon her offering it, it scurries forward to take it between its mandibles, leaving a trail of goo from her claw as it devours the thing. Ever seen a closeup of cockroach mandibles eating something? The gafflings scurry away, the spirit 'seeming' more friendly in general as it finally forgives her misstep in the summoning process. <<Why do you seek this Balance, Seeker?>> it asks her, an odd sort of loaded question, surely.
<<To aid me in fufilling my purpose.>> Lying to Spirits is, in general, pointless. Eris has come to understand this as they are often less directed by their emotions as they are their deligations in life. It is far more effcient to take it on directly and be thankful she has a limited audience. <<And to help me protect those who are under my care.>> Afer the roach has taken it's offering that's when she drops her clawed hand to rest on the floor again lightly, grinding her nails sharper against the concrete.
The grinding of her nails against the floor causes the chittering to increase from the creature, its antennae flicking about as it turns and scurries away into the nearby darkness, its form shifting to completely dissappear into the shadows of the warehouse, escaping even Pax's speech. It speaks, however, just as she might think it's simply turned and walked away with its tribute. <<My children in habited this place>> it begins, the voice coming from her general surroundings, but no one place in particular. <<But the humans removed them, and we were bound to the bin outside. Spread our filth here, destroy their machinations so that we may re-inhabit it, and I will give you what you seek.>>
<<It will be done.>> She agrees, already going through plans in her head on how to work such a thing out while maintaining bat's ban. But.. a plan is quick to form. Thankfully the area they're in is a particularly quiet and slightly rundown area anyway. She just has to tash it, track down who owns it, 'buy' it and make it absolutely disgusting in the process. <> She stands, carefully, shrinking to her human form as she picks her way along avoiding any damage to lingering roaches. "Let's go, we've got work to do." She tells Pax and mutters half udner her breath, "After a quick stop at your palce so I can purge."
"Thank God." Pax mutters softly beneath his mask, turning with Eris as she goes about exiting the warehouse. The warehouse itself isn't going to be expensive, however the land is a bit pricey. Being that it's not exactly in use /too/ much, it won't cost nearly as much as a functional warehouse, but it's not exactly cheap either. That ebing said, there's nothing stopping her from making it profitable and clearing them out when the deal is done... It'll likely take a day or so, but the owner will be happy to sell their unprofitable investment.
Eris sweetens the deal to help the sale along and sends the poor owner on his greedy way. To make sure that the warehosue is left alone and settled as 'legit', Eris buys bulk, several small delivery vans of starcy thick breads, sugary sweets and treats, sticky sodas and salty chips. Then happily goes through and makes sure every sinkle package is open and just waiting to be invaded by the Chromatic Cockroaches earthly brood. Shipments of cooler packed meats find their way packed into the lower cooler areas, holes poked into the bottom and the ice left to melt making it dank and dark. Bags upon bags of sugar stacked high in the corners, and convienently left open to allow for the grainular treat to simply be swept away by an army of feet. She ensures the area is quickly cornered off as 'private'. Books, mouldering and even buckets of water left out to help ensure that the roaches do not become parched.
This likely takes at least a few days, however Eris' attention to detail ensures the food spoils as soon as possible and provides a haven for the creatures. Pax elects to stand just outside the door when they come back, peering in through his mask where the smell only wafts, but doesn't seep into his clothing. Eris likely won't be so lucky. After a few days of baking in the sun, they'd find the warehouse a hotbox of horrid smells and hordes of cockroaches and rats. The decay can be felt wafting in the air in waves, similar to heat from a blacktop, and the area seems to have been overtaken rather quickly with the assistance.
And just as quickly, Eris had made sure that the warehouse was condemned and unlikely to be bothered for at least a year if not more. Shuffled into the wrong hands and red tape. Eris arrives after giving the warehouse time to become a food orgy for the roaches. She smiles at Pax a bit and her brows bob and she closes her eyes before heading through the securely locked door. Alone this time in the humid stank of her newly aquired warehouse - and far too much money for her liking - the Ragabash enters with her ritual bag in tow. She adds fresh offerings this time and ensures that some of it does contain Gnosis to draw the spirit out and hopefully in a good mood again.
The Kin just blanches at her, but he knows he'd likely only vomit if he went in. It's a disgusting hotbox designed to promote the filth, and he's not into that. The hot, humid air will hit Eris as soon as she enters. It's a bit harder to breathe, the air filled with fumes from the food orgy and decay going on all around her. There's at least /some/ open space, near the center, but it's hell to get there. The ritual doesn't take quite as long this time, the Gauntlet here a bit lower due to the presence of a large number of spirits, as well as the disruption of the Weaver's machinations. Soon enough, the chomatic cockroach materializes again, coming from beneath a slid over pile of sugar. If a cockroach could look happy, this is it.
<<Fertile Kilakac'n, thank you for responding to me once again. I have come in hopes that these offerings in your name have brought your kin what they need to grow stronger.>> The Garou speaks again in that quiet emotionless tone. She dips her head in respect, <>
The Kilakac'n clicks as it approaches, a slow ticking soudning its approval as it approaches the offerings and chomps them up. <<You have done well, Seeker. And you are generous to us.>> it responds, the spirit taking its time with the gifts of Gnosis. <<You have given my brood its home. I will teach you what you wish to know.>> It skitters back for a moment, lowering itself to the ground as it starts to make some of the most disgusting heaving noises imaginable.
Eris attempts not to dread what -that- noise is all about. She puts a hand to her chest and inclines her head. <<Thank you for the knowledge of how to marry my many selves to become more efficient in my duties and utalize all of my being as a whole balanced being.>> She says respectfully to the weaver spirit.
The spirit continues its heaving, until eventually some of that Gnosis she'd given it is regurgitated into a sphere of slimy, slightly glowing essence. Its 'gift' given, the spirit stands back before it. <<Absorb this knowledge into your being, and this Gift will become a part of you>> it chitters out. She doesn't /have/ to eat it, but she can take that however she'd like to take it. <<We thank you for your generosity.>> it states, then turns and scurries back into the piles of decaying food to rejoin its bretheren.
Eris steps forward and reaches to take the essence returned to her by the Chromatic spirit. She holds it in her hand and decides to just give it a good old shove. Not into her mouth but to her chest. Ew. But she accepts it anyway, a little gross is tolerated enough to get the job done. To do right by the spirits. And she will, to, because despite the many things Eris is known for she has never backed out of a deal with a spirit nor risked it's wrath. She'll ensure new supplies show up every few weeks.
