2020-10-30: Walk into my Parlor - Parker and the Drone
| Walk into my Parlor[1] - Parker and the Drone | |
|---|---|
| Parker infiltrates Eden's apartment in crawlerling form; after taking her homid form Eden confronts her and they talk, form a loose allegiance | |
| IC Date | October 30, 2020 |
| IC Time | late evening |
| Players | Eden Huxley and Parker |
| Location | Eden's room at the Belvedere Hotel |
The Belvedere Hotel is one of the only brick and mortar buildings still standing from its time period; generally only the wealthier humans live here. It's purely a status symbol for most and the security is quite modern. Bellhops, valets and concierges manage the lobby and provide difficult access in intrude upon. But thankfully for spiders, walls are just another surface to climb.
While electronic locks are a thing, an apartment on the 14th floor left its window cracked just enough where a spider might just crawl on through. The interior was dark, the apartment meticulously clean.
It almost felt homey, whoever lived here had a logical mind. Things put exactly in their place. A near ingrained familiarity; as if she had broken into this apartment before or ... she did live hear in some way. Furniture, food, terrarium setup exactly where she would of setup things. It was quite odd, but pleasantly surprising.
A white albino snake slithers in its tank hiding inside its Mayan temple. The cold air rushing through the window, it was an intriguing place to be. Especially with foreign and advanced technology lying about, these weren't normal tools[2].
Parker, as she is want to do, has been exploring the city again in crawlerling form. The object of her attention this late afternoon... the Belverdere Hotel. Spread out, the mass of spiders nigh impossible to detect climbing the building towards the roof but the open window is too tempting.
Eyes-in-the-Dark, as she calls herself, applies the patience of a spider to the task and sends a spider to three in every few minutes, taking more than an hour to infiltrate the apartment inside. She multitasks the time by having the spiders inside discretely explore the space looking in particular for things of 'interest' (i.e. value) and a place where she can collect herself and change forms as tiny spiders aren't so good at taking things out of a target location.
The majority of the outfits in the wardrobe are Black women's suits. As if the owner was a FBI agent or wore nothing but suits. There was the occasional odd thing like a wet suit for swimming, but normal bathing suit. It felt that outfits were missing.
The spiders find an unused space, any wardrobe or utility closet would serve Eyes' purpose but she finds her way into the closet in the X. Once there, she literally gathers herself together and transforms from the undulating pile of spiders of various sizes and species, into a dark haired woman wearing nothing but a choker-like torc made of 3D-printed carbon fiber.
As the woman, initially nude, looks over the outfits hanging in the closet empyreal spiders seem to pull themselves out of the jewelry trailing gossamer threads of almost ethereal silk and begin to weave an outfit around her. Like the clothes hanging in the closet the outfit is black, unlike the suits the outfit is form fitting, almost as if made from Lycra or spandex. It covers her neck to toes, including gloves and is a single piece. A hood then is formed over her head and what seems to be a loose turtleneck lays in a pile around her neck before the other-worldly spider spirits return to their home in the fylfot. Finding nothing of interest in the closet - not even the possible accidentally forgotten ID clipped to a jacket - she concludes that this is the home of a well organized woman (the clothing does not belong to a man) and that there is nothing of interest in the closet.
Pulling the 'gator mask' style fabric up to cover her mouth and nose, for concealment of her identity rather than any health concerns. Once done Eyes' steps towards the closet door and slowly opens it, peaking outside and preparing herself for action just in case.
Suddenly, Eyes' can hear the shower in the bathroom turn on. Was someone else in the apartment with her? A sudden feeling of not being alone overwhelmed the spider as the white snake was outside in the hallway, draped around a urn. Slowly slinking away and up the wall.
So, not along, snake's loose. Of course this means that Eyes-in-the-Dark starts to head towards where the strange technological devices are located after slowly and carefully closing the door. Once at the devices, making sure to keep note of the location of the snake - not that she's concerned overly about the thing as much in her homid form - she stops at the tools and begins to look them over. Ever a stranger to human things she recognizes them as being unusual but not to the degree that they truly are. Apprasingly, she ponders which of these to take with her when she departs.
Eyes' can feel a swirl of coldness swirl behind her. "Hey, can I help you find something?", Eden as cooly - cold as a machine. The barrel end of a pistol pressed point blank to the back of Eyes' head. "Now, I'd rather not kill you. You work for Queen Ananasa? The spirits said to leave the window open tonight. Would you like to try diplomacy?", she asked politely.
Eyes-in-the-Dark remains motionless, not even looking in the direction of the voice. "I'd rather not be killed," she says in a voice that is only ever-so-slightly muffled by the mask pulled up over the lower half of her face. "Plus, it seems like you just told me I was invited in," she observes in a calm and quiet but audible tone of voice.
"Well... I was kind of expecting Eiji. I know him... you gave me quite a start.", Eden then flicks her hand at the light switch as it turns on its own - lighting up the room. Eden then holsters her weapons, "Can you put my stuff away. And would you like a beer?", turning around to look at Eyes'. "I'm Eden, I work for grandmother. If you work for mother.", she explains with a wink. "Your kind of cute.", offering a perfectly symmetrical grin. Eden was touched my the Weaver and was dressed totally goth tonight.
After pulling the hood back and lowering the half-mask, Parker stares at the woman and says, "I'll take a beer. Haven't met Eiji yet myself and... how much of what I was doing was witnessed?" She doesn't touch the tools as she wouldn't know where to put them away and isn't going to ask. Instead, she follows Eden into the kitchen.
"Lights on...", Eden calls out to the hallway as she leads to the kitchen, the entire apartment coming to life. Holstering her twin weapons and bee-lining straight towards the fridge. "Hope you like Heineken.", grabbing two green bottles from the fridge and flipping the caps off with her thumb strength alone. "Here you go...", handing the young girl a drink. "...you got a name?"
Stepping into the kitchen, Parker says, "I don't dislike it. I prefer spicy cocktails and harder drinks then beer to be honest though." She takes the offered bottle and sips at it and says, "I do," regarding the direct question.
Eden winks, "Well, it's not like I had much time to prep for your arrival. But next time, if I know your coming. I can make you something more towards your liking.", Eden offers before chugging half her drink. "I saw mostly everything. You got a cute butt, spider lady.", she teases and leans against the kitchen island.
Parker, possibly unsurprisingly, doesn't blush. "True, you were expecting Egee... or... Eligh... or... what ever, I haven't met him myself. So...: she pauses to sip at the beer and then asks, "You work for the Weaver directly?" fairly bluntly.
Eden nods, "I am one of mother's chosen. As a human I had heard the Onesong and was lured by it. It whispered and I obeyed. Eventually, I was pulled through the umbra and bound with a spirit of its own. I was perfected or... Clarified. I serve the will of the mother and I obey... and I've been doing so. For a very long time. I'll show you...", opening up a kitchen drawer. Eden pulls out a small cleaver and sets her hand on the cutting board.
Parker doesn't seem concerned, she has no emotional attachment to this woman after all, so just continues to drink out of the bottle and watches Eden to see what she's going to do and what the results of those actions will be.
The meat cleaver came down with a hard strike, cutting deep into the wood of the board. Three of her fingers sliced through as she rolled them away like carrots for a stew. Blood squirting out on the island as the human winced. It was still painful as the blood bloomed like rose petals on the white ceramic. It was a completely insane thing to do, but soon that blood started pumping in reverse. Like a distorted waterfall the red fluid left off the table and climbed the air. Floating back into her severed digits. The fingers rocking back and forth; using a mysterious magnetism and jumping off the table and getting in place - back on her hand. Sinew, tendon, flesh and bone re-stitching itself back together. It looks visually similar when Parker's crawlerling form might fuse into one. Eden shook out her hand and waved it at Parker, fully healed. Similar to shifter supernatural healing, yet different.
Parker's free hand snaps out to grab the now restored hand and pulls it to inches from her face. She frowns and says, "I have heard of Penn and Teller... others also who do this. But... they perform tricks, you are claiming this was not a trick I assume?"
"No, trick...", Eden replies and offers Parker the cleaver handle. "Here, you may try. If you'd like. However, it does not mean - that it doesn't hurt at all. I still feel the pain and loss; while it happens.", putting her right hand on the cutting board. "You can try the other hand. But this is merely showing you, what mother gifted me with. Just as you are gifted. Together we can help each other when needed.", putting something to bite in her mouth as a reflex for getting more fingers severed.
Nodding, Parker sets down her bottle takes Eden's other hand and holds it down with her left hand and then picks up the cleaver with her right hand. She looks to be lining up on the fingers of the hand she is holding down and then twists her hand and, holding the knife at an angle, slices it into Eden's chest so that with a *chunk* it is momentarily buried in one of Eden's ribs. She pulls it out and steps back to watch the result.
Eden gasps for air, her lung punctured momentarily. However the woman is remarkably fast; she's able to unholster her firearm slings, open her blouse, remove her suit and tie - all so, Parker could see the deep wound she caused beneath Eden's bra. Turning to the side, so the nasty gash; bleeding profusely can be closely monitored - as it re-weaved itself back together. "You can hack me apart all day, love. But I'd likely grow exhausted of the pain.", as the wound sealed and blood disappeared back into her body. "Let's just say it's effective and not a trick."
"Alright, I accept you are supernatural," Parker says, "And that doesn't look wyrmish or very wyld. Definitely not a shifter. So you are ited to the Weaver you said, correct?" She watches the woman warily as she speaks and, after grabbing her half emptied beer bottle, takes a step backwards from Eden while drinking from the green bottle.
Eden nods and drinks the other half of her beer. "Yeah, I'm one of the Weaver's chosen. Just as shifters are bound with a spirit. I'm bound with a Weaver spirit. I follow her law and help preserve everything as the other two triats are recklessly out of control.", brushing a hand through her hair as it slowly fell back into place perfectly. "Let me get a shirt on. But what's your name?", she asks walking to her bedroom to get on a new top.
"Eyes-in-the-Dark," Parker says in the hall, having followed from the kitchen to the bedroom door. "And yours Agent of the Weaver?" she asks before drinking more of the beer, nearly finishing it.
Eden nods, "That's your... rite name? Deed name?", perhaps getting them confused. "What can I call you in public babe. If I need to be subtle and not let everyone know who or what you are? What's your human name?", nodding to Parker while buttoning up her shirt. "Yes, I'm an agent for the Weaver. I work for her, while you work for Queen Ananasa. We have different goals or missions.", pointing to the hypertech on her table. "You deal with Garou, the werewolves or other shifters. I deal with technology and mages and other problems. If you side step into the Umbra and go to the Weaver realms. You will find spirit spiders and more drones like me. Sometimes the Wyrm gets creative and makes Fomori, they are the opposite. A human with a bane spirit inside them who wants to destroy. The Wyld creates Gorgon's using its brood. Animals, plants or minerals to help its cause; but never human. If you have questions. I'll teach things about spirits and garou. But I don't have a complete understanding of fera or the Anasasi, either. So one coin, two faces. We are.", winking to Eyes'.
There are no acknowledging nods or other indications of the veracity or incorrectness of the statements about the Ananasi as Eden speaks but at the end there is a nod acknowledging the offer of a trade. She then says, "I do see that you have an incomplete understanding of the Ananasi for sure and as for the Ovid, yes, they are a mixed lot and part of what I am concerned with." She doesn't seem to be concerned with the use of terms not understood at this time. She instead asks two questions. The first is, "If Formori, Gorgons and Drones are the same type of thing, each tied to a different member of the Triat, what are they called collectively?" and she clarifies by saying, "Like how the Ovid include the Garou and all the other changing breeds most call Fera... the lesser and newer breeds." The second question touches on the name question, "You expect us to encounter each other in public then?" and then suggests, "I've given one name, perhaps you could give me yours for public use first, Weaver's Agent," not bothering to mention that, without her phone or other way to note it, being given a name is next to useless.
Eden nods, "Perhaps they call us the possessed. Since each one of us is merged with a spirit. There is a fourth one as well called Kami, which means spirit and they claim to be perfectly balanced and represent Gaia as a whole. I've never met one, nor do I buy it. Nothing, is balanced anymore. I'm not a fan of the term possessed. For me, it's like two became one. I was missing something and made whole. Drone is fine, but I prefer my human name. Eden Huxley. I have a Onesong name give to me by Mother. Buts it's very long, hard to pronounce and grows when I grow with her in service.", she shrugs. "While you certainly can meet me here in my apartment. I'd prefer if you gave me warning first. But I also explore the city a lot. I meet Eiji at the Fashion Valley Mall. We hang their sometimes. We discuss spirits and and perhaps setting up a network of them for communication. But we are busy and tied to our own tasks and chores. I respect the Anasasi enough to not tell them how to do their jobs. Just as I don't expect you to tell me how to do mine, when the spirits talk. I follow.", pulling out a perfect business card with info for Parker. "I'd like to assist you. My web is your web."
"Parker, my human name is Parker," she says, as if that is the entirety of it. "Drone, eh? We have that in common. In our crawlerling forms we Ananasi are typically a collection of drones with a limited number of leaders which hold our consciousness within them. The leaders are more 'us' than the collective hole." She pauses and says, "But never assume anything about one Ananasi is true for us all, we are a collection of individuals. United but independent. Unique and alike. Assume we are everywhere. Any spider you see could be a common spider or part of an Ananasi. You could never know for sure." She takes the business card and, after a moment's concentration which leads to a ethereal spider coming out of her Fylfot to adjust the outfit. As the spirit-spiderling fades away Parker slips the card into the pocket that wasn't there a moment ago and says, "I will accept your assistance and I will teach you things about the Ovid you cannot learn from talking to the rabid wolves."
Eden licks her teeth, "Well, Parker. Most humans in the region have two names. A first and last, the last is considered a surname or household name. So my mother was Elizabeth Huxley, I am Eden Huxley. We share the last name but not the first.", eyeing her. "Your cute. Mother made you attractive. You can use this to your advantage. Sometimes, I dress up for a club. Just to over hear vampires or mages or whatever. People talk, always observe. Always gather information. Knowledge is power. It's why the Weaver and Queen Ananasa will be the only one to fix things. Wyld makes more problems and the Wyrm only wants to destroy everything in madness. We have a tough job, my sister.", putting a hand on Parker's shoulder. "You ever want to talk. I'll leave my window open for you. It's good to allies."
Parker nods. "I have three," she says, "You can have the one I gave you right now." She smiles at being called cute, there's some emotional responses in this spider-girl after all but she doesn't comment about being made attractive. "These things I know. I also make clothing. Some of my product is for sale now at Velvet Dreams... its owner suggested the name 'Dreamweaver' for my product line." She smirks at this last and then says, "I accept you as an ally Edna," and then asks, "Should I depart as I came or..." she glances at the door, "Do you wish me to do so in a more conventional fashion?"
Edna smiles, "Leave, however you feel most comfortable. But it is stealthiest through the window or side stepping through the umbra. I don't just exchange information, but items.", pointing to the hypertech. "Things that are magical and can protect you. I make... custom stuff. Just as I'm sure you make your own fetish's. We can barter and trade. I'm here for you Parker. Hope to see you soon.", giving a flirty air born kiss and Edna was off to feed her pet snake.
Parker nods once and shifts into her crawlerling form. Human flesh becoming a mass of spiders of various sizes and her clothing becoming gossamer threads which then unravel and fade into the umbra as they fall to the ground. Eden's business card starts to flutter towards the ground and one of the mid-sized arachnids jumps at it and catches it in its pedipalps as it and most of the spiders fall to the floor.
En mass but already dispersing, the spiders crawl along the floor, up the wall to the window and then out into the cool night air as Eyes-in-the-Dark departs Eden Huxley's apartment.
- ↑ Quote from The Spider and the Fly
- ↑ These are stated by Eden Huxley to be Hypertech.
