The Spiders (5) :Webs have begun to appear all over Destiny City at an alarming pace; at first it doesn’t seem like anything to be concerned with–maybe a web over a window or door frame is the worst you see, but there have been reports of webs that cover a whole tree or even entire cars. The media cites changing weather patterns and, even though you don’t see any spiders, it’s clear you might have a problem. Once, Destiny City had a bad run in with Giant Spiders. Now, you can’t even see them. Tiny little spiders are either passing through for the season–or they’re back for revenge.
It depends on how superstitious you are.
Either way, these little spiders might be small–almost always tinier than a pea–but they can still leave a bit of damage in their wake. Their legs are tiny and needle-like, and their fangs are even worse. They might show up alone or in a swarm, but they always disappear shortly after attacking. And, these spiders are very aggressive. Being bitten can cause nausea, dizziness, fatigue and hallucinations. These symptoms can begin immediately or can manifest up to a few hours afterwards, but the symptoms always seem to clear up within a day or two. Just be careful not to get bitten again.
"Help me out with this and I swear --- we'll do something fall themed after, yeh? Pumpkin patch, candied apples?" Albite was hedging, had thrown on the guise of Eternal as soon as he'd come inside and found a tiny trail of leggy boys leading out beyond his window, he was ready to call an exterminator, or his husband, bless and raze the place by fire -- at least he had been -- n'till he saw what wonders the spider lings had done. Shiny silken threads, massive webs, entire swaths of what he swore was writing!! He hoped they'd chased out the singing rats that'd moved in during Christmas!! "Ah-oh-oh they've got this all-hallows-eve rave going at the marquee downtown? It's like a dressup, but sexy, and with strobe lights n champagne? Fancy snacks n everything..." he suddenly was unsure whether he had something that would fit 'dressup' that wasn't him as an Eternal Senshi, or him as a stripper, or....Okay he didn't have much in the way of dressup clothes, but he was sure he could find something in his side closet!
Once he was sure it was spider free at least.
"No-no, m'serious J'bird -- there is some Charlottes web s**t going down at my house that you just----" and he was sure if he could've seen her face? It would've spoken volumes, chapter books, an entire lexicon of things that wouldn't've needed words to express. He'd see her face once she got there though, maybe even kiss it just to get the jitters outta his extremities with a much nicer distraction than what was going on in his back patio. "I need you to see it, yeah? Gotta confirm I'm not going full on bat-s**t in the attic crazy out here.....sides...you'll get to see why I don't invite you over to my other place, not the citadel one? Just, yaahh....."
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2022 4:47 pm
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Emmy murmured into her receiver, because as much as dealing with pests was neither her specialty or her idea of a good time, something about the nervous tone in Waru's voice had her heart fluttering, and not in the fun, sexy way.
She pulled herself off of her couch and started towards his address.
There was nothing fun about this. It wasn't sexy. It wasn't even important.
For Waru, she showed up anyway.
"You owe me a night of hot costumes and champagne after this, though," she told him as she pulled up to the curb. Now that she could get behind.
For the moment, she was the most dressed down he'd ever seen her. He'd called while she was editing videos, so there were no quirky earrings. There was no makeup. She was in loose trousers and a soft cropped t-shirt, and one of her hands was resting on her hip as she knocked on the door.
One eye was already scanning the corner for the sign of any rouge spiders. The last thing she wanted was them getting in her hair.
"Where are they?" she asked, before he even answered.
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Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2022 8:25 pm
No sooner had she agreed then she was at his door, and he was scurrying -- from outside to in, from inside to the front door; not that it took more than a few steps and the jolt of a coffee table with handprints burned in effigy atop it's chipped surface.
"Hi! Oh, you look...you look really good.." his wide features fell like his eyes into something softly admiring, nearly forgetting that there was a home invasion marching crumbs, crickets, and crockery out his back door on a scurry of legs with too many eyes atop 'em. There was just something about seeing her all natural; pursed lips and 'you owe me' attitude all in one, but natural in a way that softened the hard edges so often coated in shiny reds and smart ensembles full of 'secretary you can't afford' vibes. "I mean, you always look good -- but -- but, uhm, yeah--thespiders...." sheepish, even as he pulled the door open and practically bowed to offer her entry.
His floor finally less poured concrete, barren save for a rug, and more dark wooded finish than it had been so many months prior. The kitchen no longer a disaster area with holes where holes most certainly didn't belong. He'd had to afix a new countertop for not even the first time, but he finally found one he liked.
He let her in, pointed back -- a screen door wide open beyond a glass sliding, usually a board stood within the middle keeping it firmly shut. "Their out back -- their weaving signage in protest of the living conditions, and I swear I saw some in the kitchen! Which--which--leme tell you? It's taken so long to get it nice as this, s'just my little shoebox away from home, but yanno? It's kinda coming along..." he could stammer through a sentence or two, stall in her wake, cross his fingers on finding a 'costume' in the aftermath of whatever spider-hell he was leading her into. Hopefully one that'd appease, cause he knew he'd be owing her more n champagne n costumes after this....
It was a very big favor after all. He usually liked bugs! Just not when they were looking at him like he'd killed their entire family and they had a grudge to keep.
stari_maga
Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2022 4:19 pm
Usually Emmy was told she looked good, the response was something like an unspoken I know. Her appearance was carefully crafted, as much a part of her work as anything else, and it was work that she was good at, work that she was proud of.
Today, there was nothing coordinated about her look, nothing crafted. It was just her, and Emmy was less used to responding to that, so she just shook it off with only a hint of pink rising to her cheeks.
"The spiders," she agreed, slipping through the door quickly.
She hadn't spent much time here. The thrown-together shoebox look wasn't really something she could stomach for long periods, especially when they had other options for meeting places. Although, even with a few quick glances, she could admit that things were coming along. The floors and countertops were crisper, classier.
The back patio was a disaster.
Emmy opened that door half an inch. She kept it open for three seconds. That was all the time she needed to asses that particular situation. She closed the door, making certain it clicked all the way shut.
"Right," she said, looking over at Albite. "First of all, power down. Not that I don't enjoy the view of your abs," she let her gaze linger there while she had the chance, "But magic is not the solution to all your problems. It's time to work smarter, not harder."
She pulled out her phone, tapping her fingernails twice on the case before she said, "Hey, Siri? Find me exterminators in Destiny City." As the results started popping up, she said to Albite, "We might need to bring in a cleaning service, too."
There were things she would do for Albite. Sweeping up spiderwebs by hand was not one of them.
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Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2022 6:40 pm
His ab's were happy to see her too! Soaking up her gaze and flexing briefly, before realizing how right she was! He had to stop wandering around in his own damn home powered, even if it hadn't drawn attention yet? Didn't mean it wouldn't ever. He blushed like a bruise for all that he'd damn near forgotten, powered down in a flash before shooting her a knowing smirk fulla promising tease -- "You say that now, but the next time your house is haunted by singing mice and spirits who can't keep a tune?"
Except even then his 'powers' hadn't been enough, he'd fled like a coward and spent the week holed up at Haru n Hina's place, just hoping for good news from disgruntle exterminators. "You're right though, you're right! I just -- it's kinda automatic sometimes, uhmn -- instinctual? Something freaky rears it's head, n I just, uh, react?"
"It wasn't even the spiders that'd done it, I can kill 'em with hairspray and a match -- it's the fact that their weaving poetry in a foreign language between the trees out back. Like, I'm pretty sure one is fluent in legalese...if spiders can write eviction notices? Then their ******** working hard on it...." and as Emmy went on, he listened in, gave her nods of encouragement, becasue his home could use a good cleaning! Because the spiders would likely need hours -- and dust busters -- and f i r e.
"We don't need to be here when they come..yeh? I can just...leave the key taped to the front door, n you can drive us outta here in sexy-halloween style? I've got a closet you can rummage through...if you wanna pick something out for me," fidgeting where he stood as he slowly orbited her space like a spare moon, watching with fascination as she handled his problems so effortlessly. He was blessed -- and he couldn't've begun to figure out how to express that to her.
He hoped he'd figure it out as the night wore on.
stari_maga
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2022 6:42 am
"If my apartment's that haunted, I'd get a new one," said Jada with a shrug, like it was nothing. It wasn't really nothing, of course it would be a pain. She'd spent a long time getting her streaming room looking perfect, it would take time to redo it, and that was something that she couldn't just hire out.
She'd do it if she had to, though. Her identity was one thing that she could not afford to lose.
It was sad to see Waru's abs vanish under a more normal outfit, but that was fine. She'd rather have the whole man safe and alive. Anyway, he was promising her a sexy Halloween party. Then, they could have the best of both worlds.
She clicked a few more buttons on her phone, then said, "Done. They'll be here in about an hour. That should give us time to change and leave the key. Then we party all night, crash at my place, get a text when they're done?" She raised an eyebrow like it was a question, but she didn't see Waru saying no to her.
She hooked an arm through his elbow to tug him towards his room. "Oh, I'm sure we can figure something out," she said. "Do you think we can make any of these clothes look good on me?"
Of course they could always stop by her place, or by a store, but she was curious now about this closet.
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Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2022 1:01 am
Waru snorted, the sound becoming a bubbling laugh as he eyed Emmy proudly, gods he loved how absolutely blunt she was, couldn'tve hidden his smile for her obvious intelligence about how he should've handled his home problems -- all things ********, hey, I like my half-haunted squavle--" it' might've been only a few steps up from being considered a squalid hovel, but it was his! Well, mostly his. Rent controlled, out of the way, he almost never had to worry about neighbors! It was strangers in the neighborhood he was always wary of.
Waru blinked back into the reality of what she was saying, offering -- pretty prizes on silver platters and the man was nodding along like an especially bobble-headed doll, because '********> and also? 'Yes'!!
"Just not enough to miss out on this -- I...." clothes for her, and never had he been more glad of Lina, for the things he'd stolen, taken, had left at his place over any number of years, over all the times she'd crashed by after her particular brand of work, "...yeah we can actually, c'mere!"
Waru reached for Emmy's hand, guiding her down the short connecting hall straight into his room; let her have her choice of standing or sitting atop emerald green sheets amid a sea of forest coloring. The closet was narrow, but the depth of the thing made up for it as he began pulling items free; tubs of things, because boxes would've gotten eaten by rats, or pissed on by haymitch during his training days. Yeah, nice sterilite tubs were safest by far.
"So, it's not the most tame, but it is workable, like, there are options -- My friend Lina works at this Club, s'a good time. She buys me stuff, leaves her stuff around whenever she crashes here for a night....." silver grey tub with a nice fat pumpkin scrawled on it's face in permanent marker, instead of words denoting it contained Halloween items. Likely because it all looked a lot more like a bunch of bargain bin fetish-shop wear than funny festivity pieces. Latex, leashes, devils horns, kitty-ears, black halos with matching -- okay the wings weren't *white*; closer to peacock and crow coloring, but definitely cute with how the little harness strapped in the front. There was also the occasional sequins--everything--corsets n bodices alike.
"There's costume jewelry at the bottom of this thing too -- think I've got a second tub for me -- there's these heels with the silver teeth that are to die for. Like, seriously, being a wear-wolf is cool till you break something important. Heh then you have to get creative n come back dressed as a mummy.."
stari_maga
Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2022 5:55 pm
If Waru wanted to keep his haunted hovel, he wanted to keep his haunted hovel. It wasn't t he choice that Emmy would make, but she wasn't going to argue that one with him. If this place made him happy, she would keep sending him cleaners and paranormal investigators so that he could keep it, with only the unspoken caveat that she preferred her place, or the Negaspace house.
Although, as she followed Waru to his closet, she had to admit that his apartment had some pleasant surprises in it after all. She perched on the edge of his bed as she watched him, and she could only hope that the spiders hadn't made it in this far.
If they had, it was game over. No amount of costume parties could make up for that. She would have to stay put in her own shower for a full week, or until this entire complex had been burned to the ground. And, since she hardly wanted to destroy his things, the shower it was going to have to be.
Luckily, she didn't feel anything wriggling, so her full attention could be on the box of costumes.
"Oh, this is nice," she said, putting her hands on one of the offered corsets. "I thought I was going to have to throw on an unbuttoned vest and a bandana and go for the androgynous pirate look," her current pants would have fit with it well enough, "But the fallen angel look is way cuter."
She was already stripping down to her underwear so that she could pop the corset on, and it was the smallest bit big but nothing unmanageable. Some fishing around in the case revealed a black tutu, which she also put on.
"I might need some help with the wings," she said, "But first, what are you thinking for your costume?"
They'd gone through her earring collection, but she'd never asked about what depths his closet held until just now.
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 6:17 pm
Waru secreted a smile for the compliments, thing's he'd pass onto his girl, soft easy discussions because as always Lina never asked unless she thought he was doing something exceedingly stupid --- and over time? That bar was high enough that even as an Eternal he woulda had trouble vaulting the bar that counted, for him, as 'excessively stupid', so he got those questions less and less. Certainly as long as he seemed happy, then she was happy too.
"Emmy, you coulda thrown on air and called it the Queens gown, n people not only woulda believed you? But they woulda applauded you as you walked the street," he peeked, with all the restraint of a man who couldn't help but imagine tiny wing tattoos lining her slender, unblemished shoulder blades. Like some fool smitten by more than just looks, even if for her it was all pleasing touches and easy games; for him it was the puppiest of loves.
Not that he minded being a hot commodity, or getting these lovely little opportunities to just have fun with someone who -- by all rights -- had all the respect n admiration he could muster. Especially if it meant he got to help her with the wings! Which he was absolutely going to do, and only that, just that.
Attaching wings and nothing else at all........
He stared maybe a little longer than he intended, tilted his head like the tail end of what she'd said was only just filtering through; and then all his soft stares n sheepish smiles became sly.
"I could throw on a banana hammock and call myself a fruit---but that's kinduv a low hanging joke, dontcha think?" his grin obscene for how corny he damned well knew the joke to be, he had the nerve to be proud of himself for cobbling it together though. Was absolutely shameless with his preening as he rummaged deeper in----beyond small sealed cases that looked like they'd not been touched in years, fishing something that'd toppled behind even that -- "Tell me Em's, whadya think of a hell hound? I've also got 'devil' options...Things with leather, things with teeth n tails? Awholelottathis ain't street legal..in that..yanno..I can't wear this specific brand of maid outfit outside, because it's just the apron and a feather duster, but?"
How many times had he been that neon raver, that extra from the matrix, or some other hodgepodge iteration of party gear thrown into a pile -- pieces collected over time to patch into things that would mean spending less money for the next one -- a whole lotta mesh n ripped jean -- one too many combat-style boots, thigh highs, the like....
Some of it definitely needed to go into a toss pile.
Maybe after his place was deraided of its spidery occupants, he'd make that his new goal. Spring cleaning in the Fall.
stari_maga
Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2022 5:58 pm
"Imagine if Faustite saw me wearing nothing and trying to tell people I was a queen," she said with a shake of her head. "He'd tell me I was an idiot." She could hear it in his quiet, crackling voice even though he was nowhere to be seen at the moment. "You could get away with it. He worships the ground you walk on," much in the same way that Waru doted on her and would support any stupid decisions she made because of it, "But we all know he's immune to my kind."
Which was fine, she could hardly judge a man for his preferences, even if she occasionally felt left out when he was making eyes at every male on the team.
Instead she had Waru, who was probably more fun to be around, anyway. She raised her arms as he helped her with the harness for the wings, and if his eyes or his hands lingered for longer than strictly necessary, she didn't seem to mind.
"Not just a banana hammock," she said. "If you're going to be fruity, you have to go all out. Not that bananas everywhere wouldn't be fun, but-" she shrugged. That would require a trip to the store, which meant they'd be fussing around with costumes for longer than she'd like. Normally she didn't mind trying to look perfect, but her mind kept slipping back to the spiders that had taken over the place.
"The hound sounds hot, and it looks like you've got everything for it." At least, she thought those were some dog ears she spotted under a few other layers of leather and fabric.
She smirked over at him as she asked, "Would that mean I get to hold your leash?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2022 8:12 pm
"Course I could get away with it Em's, I'm a pro ad idiocy. Hell, I could show you how to speed-run that s**t even," and he was careful with strapping the wings on, smoothing the lines, being able to breathe alright was very important afterall --- just as important as admiring the way the wings lined up so perfectly above her shoulder blades, the line of her spine straight center between them.
He was a fool, grinning for the tease of it all, because some of what she said was true --
Though he knew Emmy had her strengths too, that him n Eion leaned on her *heavily* without trying to say so, "Not that you'll ever need to. Cause I'll tell you what he's not immune to? Is someone smart...cool...fashionable...I get a free pass cause that's my level, if ever you feel he's being hard on you, know it's cause *we* know that you're more capable than -- well -- than me. S'the cost of being a badass boss lady with a solid brain~"
Said with all sorts of reverence plastered across a grin of white, because it was the truth. He felt it in his bones, the way the feeling tugged from tiptoe and walked knives up his spine. Emmy levied herself on a much higher tightrope than he cared to, walked it steadily in heels n looked professional doing it.
He wouldn't've managed as much, even when he halfway tried.
There was his place that he held tightly, that he *coveted*, n then there was hers; gleaming through the skin of Captain-hood and screaming 'General-to-be-watched'. Even as she stood there all civilian softness, covered in devilish lace, n the dark corseted wings of an angel gone rogue.
"Eion loves me, he respects you. He probably trusts us both, but? If you were wondering about the difference..." he snorted oturight at the idea of going all out, full on, 100% fruit, he was shaking his head already, agreeing instead to be the most wolfish little hound -- a flare of heat burning his cheeks for the way she called it *hot*; ********, but he liked every new idea out of her mouth.
"Oh -- I've got everything for it --" the personality included, and he steeled himself to rummage up the goods, to fit them on -- like a show -- holding off on the last piece, to place the worn leather shine of a collar in her hands, the jangle of a chain leash attached to the thick D-ring, "--you might have to give it a few hard yanks to bring me to heel, but yeh. You get to hold it tonight. You came in n collared me after all, right Emilia?"
She wanted civil, professional, rules, safety, *fun* -- she did things the right way -- and sometimes? Waru couldn't help but heel to that. For all that his brain screamed four lefts made a right, sometimes it was easier to just make that one right the first time..
N Emmy was damned well good for that.
"Now leash me up and let's get the hell outta here...before the spiders figure out we're making a run for it n like..bar the door...or eat the bugman coming for them..."
stari_maga
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2022 6:07 pm
Waru wasn't going to get anywhere on getting Emmy to appreciate idiocy just by trying to convince her it was something she could speedrun. She might be a speedrunning streamer, but she was one with standards. She refrained from telling him as much just because it would have been a waste of breath.
He kept talking about being an imbecile like it was something to be proud of. She wondered, briefly, if it was something that Faustite was telling him to play up. It was a terrible look, if it was.
She'd have to bring it up when they weren't about to be swarmed by spiders.
She did run her eyes over his body appreciatively as he made a show of putting on each costume piece, but by the same token, she did breathe a small sigh of relief when he was clothed enough that they could go out in public without breaking any laws. Next time they met, they were going back to their usual spot of her apartment.
The collar did get a moment of her consideration, despite the circumstances. It wasn't one she'd picked out for him, and the gloss was rubbed down from use. If they were truly doing this properly, she would have done this differently, but that was fine. She knew he wasn't hers, not truly.
Then, she'd never been one for permanent bonds. He was hers for this moment, and that was enough.
She slipped the collar around his throat, and locked the buckle, a slight smile creeping across her features.
"What a handsome boy," she told him, and she could get used to saying that.
Her first act, though, as the holder of his leash, was to get them both out of the apartment and away from the spiders as fast as her feet would carry her.
