2020-11-11: Where the Words Get in the Way
| Where the Words Get in the Way[1] | |
|---|---|
| Parker visits Eden, they discuss magical things and have a friendly-heated linguistics debate during this | |
| IC Date | November 11th, 2020 |
| IC Time | early evening |
| Players | Eden and Parker |
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After the brief text exchange Parker took her bike to the vicinity of the Belvedere Hotel and parks it in a monitored parking structure near the top level. She locks her phone, boots, riding leathers and helmets in the saddlebags and, while hiding near the stairwell in a shadowy corner, assumes her crawlerling form.
The spiders disperse and travel down the parking structure, across a street via mostly dry drainage pipes, and then up the hotel to the 14th floor where they creep into the apartment.
Eden is wearing a little black dress, and rolling away a VR-Rig as she is barefoot. A glass of wine floats nearby as she grabs it once done, sipping on the red fluid as she rapidly cleans up her house. Plopping down onto the couch as the open wine bottle floats to her coffee table. Changing the background music to something more atmospheric and enjoyable. Eden seemed quite lackadaisical, in letting the spider reform and approach. Her walk-in wardrobe was open in case, Parker needed it for changing her attire.
The spiders brazenly gather in the center of the room that Eden is in and then, seeming to rapidly climb upon each other until the mass is a foot or two tall at which point they collapse in upon themselves as Parker rises to her feet from where the pile had been a moment previously. She is, again, nude. Translucent spirit spiderlings climb out of the torc around her neck and weave a mid-thigh length, black silk kimono on her. The spirits, having no sense of human modesty and Parker not seeming to care, form the mini-gown open leaving it to the owner of the fylfot to gather the robe closed and tie the sash about her waist.
"Hello, servant of Grandmother," she says as she is closing and fastening the garment.
Snickering with a delighted chuckle, "Oh? I feel quite dated and antiquated now.", Eden teases in response to the 'Servant of Grandmother' line. Shrugging - the drone leans back into her couch and a takes a deep sip of wine. "What is happening in your web?", she asks Parker as if appraising her. Licking her bottom lip and blowing a stray strand of hair away from her face that slipped into perfect position. "Would you like wine?", pointing to the bottle as Eden filled her own glass with her mind again. The inanimate object floating in mid air.
"I find titles easier than names," Parker says in an attempt to explain the overly formal greeting, "Particularly when bereft of my phone and its notes." She nods about the offer and looks around as if expecting another glass to come at her from out of her homid-form's limited field of vision. She doesn't answer the question about her 'web', instead she asks, "What do you know of the Ovid. I offer to teach you some facts as a preemptive payment for a favor I will be asking of you."
Eden points to a hanging wine glass in the kitchen, as it slips from the rack and turns upright - floating its way to her hand. "The Ovid? I know enough, when I need to know. The knowledge isn't permanent, more like a temporary insight that fades with time.", the glass stem sliding between her fingers as she pours Parker a cup. "I will listen to what you teach and have to say, but mind you. I cannot collect until Grandmother rewrites me. I'm working on other processes, I might not be free until later. It might be easier to discuss this favor, first. We are nothing but agents of commerce, data being the most valuable at times.", handing over the wine. "Come, negotiate with me. I'm sure we can agree on something."
Parker nods, accepting the drone's oddities at face value. "If there's no point right now there's no point. But of course the basics are cats and canines, rats and bears, ravens and lizards and fish. There were others but those cover the basics. You likely know all of these but I won't waste either of our time with more details than that," she says. She then takes the offered glass of wine and simply takes a sip from it with no care about the 'bouquet' or anything else apparently.
"The favor, really information I need," Parker says and then asks, "What is the best way to get what is called a 'burner phone'?"
Eden nods, "Burner phones are alright. They are mainly used for illicit activity and disposed of after that. You can go into a store like Best Buy and pick up a prepaid phone and purchase it with money. You make your phone calls and once done, dispose of it. However... there's a better way.", grabbing a piece of paper and pen from a notepad. "You can make a fylfot or fetish. Spirit phone's also are a thing. They will assist you more as they work on the other side of the tapestry; across the various umbra. They can speak to spirits and work instantly across any distance. Also, they aren't known about or tracked via the government or cellphone companies. Plus you can disguise a spirit phone inside a normal cellphone or other device. Really you just need a object with a open mouth. The spirit lives inside and transmits what you say to other Fylfot, fetishes or devices. I certainly use a normal cellphone like how you texted me and I received it. But I also use mine to speak with other spirit phones.", drawing Parker a schematic and simple instructions on how to make one.
Parker shakes her head. "I'm no Viskr, I'd need to make sure I'm not overstepping my role to make them myself," she says. "Also, I was looking to get a phone for another Fera I met today. Its part of an agreement she and I are forging but... this Spirit Phone sounds interesting also."
"I don't believe you would be shaking the web. Sometimes a spider must repair a nest, even if they aren't an elegant orb weaver. If one spider could do it all; Grandmother would not of had Mother and Mother would not of had the Anasasi and the Anasasi would not of had numerous colonies over the world. While many of us specialize in things. We exist to help each other out.", Eden says while drinking her wine.
"I can make you these spirit phones. It might not be immediately. It might be closer to beginning of December. But there are things I'd like in return. Even just making me a Fylfot one evening would be appreciated.", nodding towards Parker. "Besides learning about the Ovid. But you have more to learn about spirits. So I think that is a fair trade?", pointing back to the paper. "Once you know how to craft your own means of power. A new world of bartering opens up to you, with many people. Magic or spirits are another form of commerce. Mother's game.", Eden says with a shrug. "I even know of ways, to make creating Fylfot's easier. If not for you, perhaps bargain for your colony and empower the whole."
Parker nods and touches the torc about her neck. "I was involved in the making of this but another Ananasi did the 'heavy lifting' as the saying goes. I do not know the rites to summon or bind spirits. I also cannot take that note with me when I depart so while I will let you teach me these things tonight is not the night for that as it is not the time for you to be instructed in details about the Ovid." She then sips at the wine and asks, "Without too much technical details, what is this way of crafting Fylfots with greater ease?"
"Everything has a symbolic or codified language. Often cases we get lost on the branches of tree, because they are so different. Yet, it's still one tree.", breathing slowly. "I made a converter, that helps users remember it's all one tree. It makes any ritual you do easier, as it points back to the shared base - even between other Ovid. Because it's all one tree, or one web, or one cave, or one stream...", winking at Parker. "But you should absolutely talk to your Viskr's and have them teach you the rituals you need for free. But in theory, it's rather simple. You get your object and cleanse it for the spirit since that will be it's home. You summon the spirit to its new home. Then you bargain with the spirit to do what you want and it will likely agree if you did well.", Eden smiles. "Maybe I'm like a Fylfot? My home was cleaned, I was summoned and now I reside inside. Two as one.", the Drone said with a wink. "I'm happy where I am."
"You were not made by an Ananasi," Parker says with a slight glower on her features and a flat, emotionless tone. "You are no Fylfot, you are a creature of Grandmother Weaver," she adds. She doesn't sound angry, that itself would be an emotional reaction. For such a normally animated and emotive creature as Parker this seems very out of place but she is firm in her opinion.
"Maybe....", slipping off her couch and topping off Parker again; with additional wine as Eden stands. Heading back to her kitchen island, and seeing what food she might have to nibble on.
Parker follows Eden into her kitchen. "Yes, maybe. But even if you are a living /Fetish/... which I don't think meshes with what you told me before... you would not be a /Fylfot/... by definition..." She pauses and asks, "Don't you see?" as if it was extremely important to her that the Drone did so.
Eden quirks a brow at Parker, "No... but your more than welcome to explain yourself, dear sweet spider.", setting up the stove for tea and pulling out some cheese to cut with a knife. "For me... an open mind captures more things than a closed and narrowly defined one. Words are just words, all from a web. By distinction and meaning or by definition we give order. But if we follow those word strands back to the center you can always find your way home again. It's the same with the ritual converter. If a tree is always a tree and never a cave or a stream, your flow of logic will be hindered by nuances that don't quite fit or equate. Not all webs look the same, but if you can adapt and transverse them. You're better equipped for something that doesn't speak your language. You don't always have to be in the right, you have to be able to translate. Especially as the Wyld always creates new words and things, but can be translated back to old things and experiences we know how to encounter.", cutting the luxury wine cheese on a wooden chopping block; the same knife and board used to chop of her fingers. "Your never going to get an Ovid to call themselves that, not really. But you can use the word Fera and they'll talk. They won't ever ask you about Fylfot's but fetishes you'll both understand. Find the translation word. Then you'll understand how my converter will help you and how I speak."
Parker thinks for a few moments, sipping at her wine as she does. She then says, "You are both right and wrong here, friend-drone." She then pauses another beat before continuing. "In a forest there are trees, not all are the same. All produce leaves but would you ever try to say that an oak leaf and a pine needle... both functionally similar and 'leaves'... are the same thing? I think not." She then says, "Fylfots are made by Ananasi. Fetishes are not. Neither are living like a being bound to a spirit... a Possessed. Words have meaning and the distinctions between them are important."
Eden shoves some cheese into her mouth like a chipmunk. Not chewing it just yet and talking with her mouthful, "It's ok to be right and wrong... that's an acceptable balance - an equilibrium - is it not? If you were given instructions to make a Flyfot out of wood... would you stop dead in your tracks. Because it did not say to use an oak tree or a pine tree or a sycamore? If asked to summon a spider spirit, would you hesitate because you did not know if it was a wolf-spider, a net-spider, a pattern-spider or an Orb-Weaver?", quirking a brow. "Certainly you are right. All those woods have different properties. Just as all those spirits do. Even, Drones like me have different properties and functions. We do...", gobbling her cheese. "Just like if... I was asked to work with an Anasasi. Should I stop working with you; because you aren't a Plicare or Gaderin? Or maybe I should look for Kumoti or Hatar?", nodding. "At some point your just a spider and I'm just a spirit and this cheese is just cheese and not Gruyere."
Parker laughs. "I don't think your example track but at the same time I see that we are mostly in agreement," she says.
"Alright, well... let's not get hung up on words. I merely speak a different language and I'm doing my best to communicate with you. I will help you, Parker. - But I would like help in return." Eden the engima spirit said. "Two phones and a converter? You learn the rituals and we will help each other.", stepping it Parker and popping some cheese in her mouth. Kissing her cheek and whispering in her ear, "Deal?"
Parker says, "It sounds good," and then asks, "What is the converter that you mention?"
Eden smirks, "I'll have to show you another time. I made it for Grandmother, so I don't have it.", winking at Parker. "I apologize. It would take time to make another. You could consider it hypertech. My version of a Fylfot or Fetish. Things you might not understand."
Parker nods. "What most people in the world would call science fiction," she says. "A doohickey," she adds humorously copying a word she picked up somewhere. "Thank you for the offer," she then says before finishing the wine, "And the wine. I should get going I think." She looks towards Eden directly and asks, "Anything before I depart? You know how to get in touch with me now after all."
"Not if you burn that phone. Either way, take care. I'll be busy this month making new inventory and inventions. Next month, I'll be free to make you stuff or truly learn about the Ovid.", Eden says keeping a polite gaze on Parker. "Stay safe out there."
Parker nods and says, "Later then," as she sets the empty wine glass down on a counter. The moment she releases it her form collapses into a pile of spiders with her kimono falling into shreds then threads then dust which fades away into the Umbra. Scurrying even as the mass collapses further, Eyes-in-the-Dark moves its collective selves away from the kitchen, flowing to and out the window as she departs the apartment the way she came.
- ↑ Paraphased from the song "Parker/Poetry#Spider Spider (by Oingo Boingo)
