3068/New Spider in Town

New Spider in Town
Date of Scene:	05 November 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Aqualad, Silk

---

Aqualad has posed:
Kaldur'ahm of Atlantis finds trees fascinating. Undersea flora tend to grow out, rather than up; even the largest of corals tend to be built on hills, instead of climbing up the lightless depths. The sheer mass of tress, their height, the way they defy gravity to climb upwards-- it's both alien and a little unsettling.

He looks a little out of place, granted, just... standing in one of the park rest areas, not doing much but staring at the trees with a fascinated expression. He 'blends' by New York standards, but he's still strangely exotic looking, with his contrast of pale hair and eyes to his deeply mocha skin.

And gills are visible near the collar of his leather jacket, if anyone looks really close.

A churro cart is nearby, doing mild business; there's a fountain not far behind him, children playing in the water, and a short distance away a pair of musicians are playing in one of the small conch-shaped ampitheaters meant to assist such shows.

Silk has posed:
    And Cindy Moon, recent expatriate from 'The Land of the One Room Bunker' is swinging around New York City, trying to get a sense of web-slinging. Of going from place to place. She's dressed in an impromptu outfit of white silk to hide herself- with a mask over the bottom half of her face.

    *Thwip!* And another *Thwip!* "Wooooooo!" she calls out in reckless joy, eyes closing as she reaches out to **Thwip!* again, releasing the previous silk strand to take ahold of another.

    But Wait! This one isn't attached to anything. Silk has swung herself right over Central Park. "Oh no... OOOHNO!" she squeals out in surprise as she hurdles towards the ground with wide eyes. "Look out below!" she calls out loudly, "No! Move! Move the kid! Move the kid!"

    Cindy seems to be falling right for Earth- and right towards that fountain, and some kids within.

Aqualad has posed:
Kaldur's head snaps around at the cries of distress. Cindy, flailing through the air. A mother, darting towards her child, her face written with the fearful agony of knowing she's too late.

However bemused Kaldur is, there's nothing wrong with his reflexes. He breaks into a sprint with incredible acceleration, face set hard with intense concentration.

He whips something that looks like a bone-white wand out from under his jacket, and skids to a halt. He whips the wand at the fountain and the water *explodes* upwards with unnatural force, leaving the children damp but standing in puddles, and reaching a tendril of water the size of a car up towards Cindy. Instead of slamming into twelve inches of shallow water, Cindy is caught by something like a wet baseball glove, and neatly deposited in the basin below. Moments later, the water resumes its natural shape and collapses with a tremendous splash, soaking everyone within three yards from head to toe.

Silk has posed:
    "Oh gosh, that's a lot of water..." Cindy says, before *SPLOOSH* she's suddenly in the water, and very much so unexpectedly caught in the stuff. Moments later she's on the ground, soaked. Her long black hair is over her face, and she sputters a little spray as she moves to stand up and brush the water off herself. "Oh, man. What was that? Who did that? Is that kid okay?" she asks, peeking over sheepishly towards the Mother and Child, "Sorry! I'm so sorry, I'm still getting the hang of this.. stuff.. and.. I'm sorry!"

    For her part, the masked young woman does sound exceedingly sorry for the trouble she's caused. "Oh, jeez.." she covers her face with both hands, trying to hide in that moment, "Good work. Great work. Spectacular slinging there.."

Aqualad has posed:
There's some commotion from the sudden violent activity, and Kaldur holds his hands out. He has a peculiar way of speaking-- he doesn't yell, but his voice carries effortlessly across the area, cutting through the hubbub of commotion with a calm, stentorian authority. A keen mind would realize there's almost certainly a bit of telepathy echoing his spoken words.

"Forgive the excitement," Kaldur says. "But all is well, and none are harmed. Let us enjoy this beautiful day, as friends and welcome residents of this beloved city."

The words are archaic, but they have the desired effect, and people drift away somewhat becalmed. Kaldur stands on the edge of the fountain near Cindy, and holds a hand towards her to help her out of the water. He waits patiently for her to peek out between her fingers. "It is of no import, my friend. You are unhurt?" he inquires, concern in his voice.

Silk has posed:
    "Everyone saw that, didn't they?" Cindy asks sheepishly as she peeks out from behind her hands by splaying her fingers and looking up at Kaldur. She slides her hands back, whipping her hair back, a spray of water to follow. "Oh.." she looks at the hand, taking it and pulling herself to her feet. "No, just my ego." Cindy remarks, "Terribly bruised, though. Horribly, terribly bruised. Oh, those are phones with cameras in them. This was filmed. Great... Its probably going to be all over Youtube." she mumbles to herself.

    "Can we go somewhere? I mean, somewhere less public? There are so many people..." Cindy says, as she looks over to Kaldur suddenly, "Please?"

Aqualad has posed:
"Everyone? Not likely," Kaldur says, gravely. "But many, yes." There's a little light in his eyes-- he's possibly giving Cindy a bit of a playful hard time, but he's such a stoic, it's a hard read.

"This is the Central Park-- it is a popular place," he tells Cindy, helping her out of the fountain. "There are few places that are not 'public'. But-- there is a set of benches a few dozen yards to our east that are somewhat removed from public view," he suggests, gesturing. "You might find it more comfortable to rest there and... dry out."

Silk has posed:
    Silk swallows hard, looking at everyone. There's a certain something to her pose- she's frightened. "Too many people." she says, a tremor of panic entering into her voice. "I think I made a mistake. So many people. So much space. Its so big."

    She looks again to Kaldur, swallowing. "Anywhere more private? Covered?" she asks. "Less people?" She's managing to keep it together, but how her eyes flit from place to place. The stance of her body. She looks like she's about to bolt screaming into the day.

Aqualad has posed:
Kaldur looks around, with some uncertainty on his features. "Covered. ...yes, there may be a place," he says, finally. "Come, let us find it." He beckons Cindy along, and brings her to one of the more permanent structures nearby-- a small park maintenance station. He fiddles with the lock and that white wand he was holding, and it *clicks* open. He shoulders open the portal and ushers Cindy inside.

It's musty, damp, and the air is a little stale inside. A row of old sixty-watt bulbs provides some illumination from the low ceiling. But it's at least somewhat quieter in there, and he closes the door to admit only a thin sliver of light inside.

"Are you all right?" he inquires of Cindy, concern in his voice.

Silk has posed:
    Cindy is quick to enter the shed. She doesn't seem to mind the smell. The dankness. Right now it was better than being outside. She doesn't speak on the way there, just taking deep, slow breaths as she calms herself- trying to smile up to Kaldur. Its hidden behind her mask, of course. "Oh, wonderful, yes. Everything is fine. Everything is totally fine. I just. I get a little dizzy sometimes.." she tries to explain that little episode away, sliding a strand of ebon hair behind an ear. "And its just so *big* out there, and there are *so* many people and they all saw me make a complete fool of myself..."

    She looks to Kaldur quietly now, "I'm sorry, I probably sound kind of crazy. I'm sorry."

Aqualad has posed:
"Only a little," Kaldur reassures Cindy. He's such a droll speaker that it's hard still to tell if he's sarcastic, dry-witted, or over-earnest. "But you are far from the first person to take a spill in the park, I think. In this city, even the remarkable is commonplace, and the commonplace barely bears repeating."

"I am Kaldur'ahm, though I am known as Kaldur," he says, introducing himself with a nod more reminiscent of a bow.

Silk has posed:
    "Sure, right. You're right, of course." Cindy says, repeating it, talking to herself as she goes- perhaps a bit of an odd habit. "It makes perfect sense, happens all the time- people fall out of the sky and get saved by a big water catcher's mitt. New York never sleeps, and never sleeping tends to bring terrible hallucinations, so every New Yorker must be completely used to that. Right. You're right." Cindy says, trying to convince herself as she goes- just talking it out.

    "Oh, I'm Cindy..." She pauses, eyes wide. "I'm not good at this." She says softly, "Silk, call me Silk. You're really sweet, and thank you for saving that kid from my.. mistake. I'm sorry if it was any trouble." Silk offers then, "Its really nice to meet you, though."

Aqualad has posed:
"Silk," Kaldur says, gravely. He bows again, slightly. "It is good to meet you, Silk." He seems to respect her desire to be addressed by her assumed name, rather than a given one, and certainly doesn't question it.

"You were not any trouble," he assures her. "It was of no cost to anyone, in the end. You are unhurt, and the child no doubt has an exciting story to tell tomorrow." He smiles, very faintly. "I have seen that the people of this town tend to experience a great many oddities. Some are prosaic, some are quite surreal. I suspect that in New York, adapting to changing times is a great survival mechanism. Otherwise, with the creatures that fly and burrow and smash down towers, they would go quite mad."

Silk has posed:
    Silk nods quietly, taking a few more deep breaths. "Okay. I'm good now. I think I'm better." she says, "I'm really sorry, its just been a *really* long time since I've been outside, and I just. I didn't expect it to.. I don't know. Hit me so hard." Silk explains, "And then all the people. I mean. I can barely remember seeing so many people before. There had to have been like.. twenty!"

    Kaldur's words are clearly a balm for Silk, a balm for the young woman who's very obviously working through something.

Aqualad has posed:
Kaldur nods along, listening quietly to the young woman as she vents her frustrated confusion with the state of the world. He seems quite sympathetic-- New York is a very, very dense city, after all. And they hardly use any vertical space! All on the ground level. It's very confusing.

"You need not make apologies, Silk," he reassures her, finally. "New York can be a shocking city. You seem to be calming yourself swiftly, at least," he encourages her. "It is best to stay calm, rather than hurrying in all directions in panic."

Silk has posed:
    "Yeah, but I was born here. I should be used to it. I mean, I spent most of my childhood in Manhattan, and then I went away, and now everything is different and *nothing* is the same, except the things that are *almost* the same and I went by my favorite pizza place, but its been closed for *five years* and no one recognized me in my old neighborhood..." Silk goes quiet a moment. "And my family is gone." she's just talking now, Kaldur seems trustworthy. He seems kind. For some reason, Cindy feels at ease in this moment with him. It helps that he doesn't set off even the slightest tremor in her Silk-Sense.

    "I just wanted to see them. They moved away..."

Aqualad has posed:
Kaldur listens quietly, listening to Cindy without objection or interruption. He doesn't seem one inclined to speak casually, until Cindy trails off and the silence suggests someone should speak up.

"I am afraid I am of little use in that regard," Kaldur apologizes. "I am a visitor to this city," he explains. "I have been here only a few months myself. Many of the places here are still somewhat unknown to me," he tells the raven-haired woman, arms folding loosely across his chest.

Silk has posed:
    "Its nice of you to offer." Silk says quietly, "I know its something that's very much my problem. I just. I guess I just needed to say it. To hear it." she admits, then. "You're very kind to listen, too. To get me here." She waves around at the musty shed. "So, enough about me- why not tell me about you?!" Cindy tries to oh-so-deftly change the subject. "Where are you from?"

Aqualad has posed:
"I am from the undersea city of Poseidonis," Kaldur tells Cindy. He's not joking, either-- he speaks perfectly seriously. "You might know it better as Atlantis," he clarifies.

"King Orin has dwelt among the surfacer for many years under the title of 'Aquaman'. I served among the lieutenants in his guard, before he assigned me as a member of our ambassadorial mission to the surface."

Silk has posed:
    "Well, I'm glad he did. If only for today." Silk replies. "What's it like? Poseidonis?" she wonder next, genuinely curious- and apparently accepting of the explanation. After all, she got bit by a spider and now silk comes out of her fingertips. "We.. can go outside again, if you'd like. I think I can handle it." she says after a moment of quiet.

    "Just do me a favor, and.. don't be offended if I get a little overwhelmed, I'll be okay. I need to deal with it."

Aqualad has posed:
Kaldur moves to the door and opens it slowly so the dazzling light doesn't blind Cindy's eyes. Politely, he holds it for her until she's ready to leave under her own steam.

"It is in some ways not so different from New York," he says. "Our buildings are tall, but we need no streets or sidewalks. It is simple enough to swim from place to place. But the city has only so much visibility, so it feels smaller," he says. "Even brightly lit, water has a way of swallowing the light. One can see only a few dozen yards in any direction, and the oceans overhead are an inky blackness deeper than any cloudy night you've seen on the surface."

Silk has posed:
    "Makes sense. Light only travels a few hundred meters underwater." Silk says as she steps out into the light after a moment's psyching up- a quick breath and a woosh and there she is again. Outside. In the world.

    The Enormous, Endless, Goes-On-Forever bright, beautiful world.

    "Wow." Cindy says again quietly, "I used to come to the park all the time. We'd play hockey games in winter, and field hockey when it wasn't cold." she says, more to herself than to Kaldur.

    "It sounds lovely, though. There can be a beauty to limited vision. To limited scope. Knowing that there's more out there, but not being able to see it. Sometimes you can almost feel into it. Almost hear outside of it." she remarks, "I sorta wish I could breath underwater. I bet it would be something else to go and visit an underwater city."

Aqualad has posed:
"It is cold," Kaldur tells Cindy. He glances down at her. "Many surfacers think of the lack of air," he clarifies. "But the cold can kill very swiftly. Even Atlanteans have succumbed to the depths, if they are careless. The wealthiest of our people pipe water heated by volcanic vents into their homes for comfort, but anyone who travels beyond the city knows well the dangers of a chilled current striking unexpectedly."

Silk has posed:
    "Yeah, I guess that makes a lot of sense." Silk says next, "Very little sunlight, very little heat. Except on those vents you talked about." She pauses a moment, "What about the people who can't afford to pipe in hot water? How do they warm their homes?" she wonders next, curious. "Does clothing help? Is there anything like an undersea parka?"

Aqualad has posed:
Kaldur shakes his head, smiling a little at the question. "There are certain forms of algae that generate low heat when held close to the skin," he explains. "And types of kelp or seaweed that block the transfer of water. It is not frigidly cold-- not nearly as chilly as it can get on the surface," he clarifies. "A strong swimmer can easily stay warm enough in the coldest climates, and most of our cities are built near geothermal vents. Parts of the city might not be comfortable, but they are far from dangerously cool," he tells Cindy.

"You said you lived in a 'bunker'," he ventures, after a moment. "This is not a word that is familiar to me."

Silk has posed:
    "Oh. Okay." Silk says next, blinking as she looks over to Kaldur. "I did? Oh. Yeah. Er.. well.." she takes a breath, a slow breath. "Its like a safe. But for people." she offers, "Locked door. Protected. Hidden... but instead of money, you put food and.. people inside. They were popular way back in the fifties and sixties because people thought they would protect them from nuclear weapons. And, for a little while there by survival nuts who thought the world was coming to an end- I mean, they're probably still popular with those people, if those types of people are still a thing." Cindy says.

    "Anyways, yeah. I lived in one for a really long time, and its very much smaller than this park and there were a *lot* less people."

Aqualad has posed:
"I see," Kaldur says. He's the type of person who's too polite to admit that he's not following every detail in Silk's story-- but it seems to matter more to her that she's heard, not that he is completely understanding.

"I can imagine that the sudden exposure to so many people is unsettling," he tells Cindy. "When one is accustomed to quiet, noise is not always welcome. New York is full of sharp sounds," he remarks. "In the ocean, sounds carry far, but they are soft. Muted. Here, they are so... strident. Immediate."

Silk has posed:
    "Yeah." Silk offers, "It is *really* loud out here." she agrees completely. "I remembered the noise, but.. a memory is kind of muted, too, in a way. Its different to hear it again after so long." She looks over to Kaldur, "I was alone in that room for almost nine years." she states, then. "Completely alone. Completely cut off..." Another pause, "And now.. he's coming for me."

    There's that quiver of fear in her voice again. "Oh, Jeez. Here I am just.. I need ot start preparing. He's coming. He's going to come here and eat my soul." How something like this slipped her mind, well, it didn't. She just decided to ignore it. "They didn't know what they were doing, opening the door. I needed to be in that room. I needed to be alone, to keep people safe." Cindy looks again over to Kaldur. "I'm babbling like a crazywoman again, aren't I?"

Aqualad has posed:
"Yes," Kaldur answers, gravely. He's not one to pull punches, it seems. "But whether or not someone is coming to consume your soul, you /believe/ someone is preparing to do you harm. Your voice cracks like the deep sea icebergs," he tells her. "Fear speaks its own truth."

"If someone seeks your spirit, then hiding from them only prolongs the inevitable. Only the most foolish of predators are tricked by concealment. Better to confront them directly and as violently as possible, that they learn a lesson about predation and other hunters avoid you." He digs in his pockets, and comes up with a small, laminated business card. It's an unfamiliar object to him-- he scans it quickly to verify it's what he intends to hand over, then offers it to Cindy.

"Rather than hide, you might take refuge with allies," he suggests. "People prepared to face such hunters. My friends are known to offer such aid."

Silk has posed:
    "I don't think you understand, Kaldur." Silk looks to him, all very much serious. Her tone serious. Her face serious. "If Morlun gets me very bad things will happen. Everywhere. I was hiding to protect my family. To protect myself and to protect the entire world. It was made very clear that if I go.. something terrible will happen. I need to get ready. I can't hide anymore." She swallows. "I can feel him. On the web... bad things are coming, Kaldur."

    She takes the card, nodding, "Might be smart. Get allies. People who can fight Morlun. It'll be dangerous though, can you ask people to do that? To risk their lives?" Cindy shakes her head quietly, "No.. You can't. Its asking too much." She looks then over to Kaldur, wincing as she realizes she's doing it again. "I will. I'll come and visit. Thank you so much for your kindness, Kaldur."

Aqualad has posed:
Kaldur is silent for a moment. "It may seem noble in the moment to flee and hide," he says, with that deliberate, steady tone of voice. "It is a mark of a hero to seek out danger to protect the innocent from it."

"But," he says. "Consider this: Morlun is a threat to many, if not all, yes?" he says, rhetorically. "Would it not be /more/ the selfish to seek him out alone and risk failure? Or can you serve people more ably by seeking out all the allies you can, to guarantee his fall rather than venture forth alone and risk his success?"

He turns to face Cindy, and bows his head slightly. "I leave it to you to decide what you will in that regard. But if you seek allies, the Titans stand ever-ready to face adversity. You need but ask our aid, and I am sure they will lend it. Until we meet again, friend Silk," he tells the younger woman. "I hope your travels are safe and fruitful."

Silk has posed:
    "The least selfish option was hiding away in my room so no one had to fight him, and no one had to die. It was just my life, and no one was in danger." Silk points out, "I can't hide anymore. He's got my scent. I can feel it. I can feel him as he scuttles on the web. He's coming. He's hunting me." Silk says softly, "Now, I need to fight. I don't have any other choice." Cindy's gone a bit pale. Just a little.

    "Yeah, it was really nice to meet you, Kaldur. Thanks for everything." she calls out, before looking off to the side. "I'll see you around, okay?" And then she's off like a shot. She's fast- really fast- and she moves with an almost impossible grace. Its lovely to see.

    Thwip! She's off into the sky.