what arms have lain under my head til morning? [mixed]

[tisnotthehouse]

Who: Tarantulas

What: This spider is about to have some real Bad Times. This is an top-level for everyone who would like to experience those Bad Times along with him.

When: Late February and March

Where: Open

Warning(s): Emotional manipulation and toxicity, people poorly coping with mental illness. Pregnancy, gore, and body horror. Further warnings TBD (4/7)

Comments

Closed to Ryja

[tisnotthehouse]

The return of his ability to transform is such a great relief to Tarantulas that it nearly drives him out of his mind. He nearly forgets to dress himself before leaving his house -- and even then he takes full advantage of the warmer weather to dress lighter than he has since arrival, his alt mode's legs fully exposed and dragging slightly through the air as he rushes down the street. He has to show Ryja. He has to show her right now!

He takes the stairs two at a time, tracking Ryja to her room by scent and tapping loudly on her door. "Ryja!" he calls in his cracked, hoarse voice. "Ryja, dearest! Are you awake? I want to show you something!"

[maskedstarbunny]

It's the first morning Ryja's woken up warm. The curse of her death has worn away, at last, and she doesn't even bother getting out of bed she's so comfy compared to before. A small book acquired earlier, the candlelight, and her own glow are her company until Tara knocks.

The mask goes on, still a work in progress, she'll be starting a new one soon, with more potential. A couple of breaths to steady herself. It's Taran-tulas, and he sounds so excited. Book goes back on the table, and she makes sure her night dress is not too horribly rumpled...

The door opens and there's a smile under the mask even before she sees. "Tarantulas! You have recovered?" It makes sense of course, if she has, but the thought hadn't yet occurred.

[tisnotthehouse]

"I have! I am!" Tarantulas immediately pulls her into a tight hug, his arms and all eight of his alt-mode's legs wrapping around her at once. The wider social implications of the fact that he's resting his head on her breasts like a shelf are lost on him, at least for the moment, but there's one thing that is not: "You're so warm," he gasps, delighted. "Are you feeling better as well, dearest?" He grins up at her, yellow eyes sparkling.

[maskedstarbunny]

The grin is audible in her voice as she pulls him in close. It is now squishy hug time! "Warmth has at last returned to me, and now I am so cuddly. Bunny law says you have to stay in my arms forever." She's keeping that from the dream, it was simply too much fun!

And she is warm. Living in Ishgard, running hot was an advantage!

[tisnotthehouse]

Bunny law makes its triumphant return! Tarantulas's laugh is cracked and wheezy, but delighted, and he nuzzles into her breasts without embarrassment. "That will be no hardship; your arms are very comfortable, beloved." If Ryja will allow it, he'll maneuver them both back into her room and kick the door shut behind them.

There, now they can cuddle to their heart's content, without interruption or an unwanted audience. "So soft," he purrs happily, squishing her mid-section. "A great improvement, compared to Cybertronians."

knock knock, A few days after Merrymeet

[lordoftheozarks]

He wanted to give this some time for cooler heads to prevail. But not too much time. He'd tried to express that Tarantulas's relationship with him was not irreparable but that departing word from the spider put it in doubt. So, it's time to clear the air. He hopes.

Erik knocks on the man's door, "Tarantulas, it's Erik. I'd like to talk to you." No need to say why, he's sure.

[tisnotthehouse]

With Erik's supernatural hearing, he may well be able to overhear the heavy, annoyed sigh Tarantulas lets out when he recognizes Erik's voice. And the way he drops his tools onto the table. And his heavy, clipped footsteps, nearly stomping as he reaches the door...

The point being, if Erik is paying attention he should very much know Tarantulas has not cooled off, even before he opens the door to better glare at Erik.

"Well?" he says curtly, leaning against the doorframe with arms and extra legs both crossed over his chest. "What could we possibly have to talk about?"

[lordoftheozarks]

Damn. He hoped by now it would be different. An annoyed huff escapes him as he looks at Tarantulas barring the doorway with his body, sulking with his arms crossed.

"If you have already resigned yourself to loneliness and isolation once more then perhaps we do have nothing left to discuss. Is that the case?"

[tisnotthehouse]

Tarantulas bares his teeth at Erik like a beast. "I don't see how that's any business of yours, Lord Osborne," he snaps, that would have been a very good place to end it. Quick and snappy, and then a slam of the door; Erik would have no choice but to go away if he was still determined to follow the rules of propriety.

But Tarantulas has always, always struggled with keeping his mouth shut, and right now it feels as though he doesn't have any choice in the matter at all. "What was the point of it all?" he demands, voice rising. "Making me feel understood, promising to help me? Making me think we had a rapport? Was it all some kind of sick joke to you? I --" His voice cracks. "I thought you liked me."

And there it is. He glares at Erik, furious in his humiliation.

the rain is full of ghosts tonight -- in my heart there stirs a quiet pain

[tisnotthehouse]

"The only thing you must do in order to assure the safe birth of the child is feed this stone with the energy of my domain."

"You must commit a minor act of betrayal on those whom you consider members of your inner circle. You must either take something precious from them, or convince them of a painful lie. Do this, and the stone will grow warm until it splits, and the terms of our accord are fulfilled."

From the following people Tarantulas stole a precious item or feeling to power this boon. Eight broken hearts, to achieve his truest heart's desire.

From Neil West -- Skill, in the form of the arcane focus which he used to dreamwalk.

From Bart Torgal -- Trust, in the form of a lie that made him doubt his bond with First Aid.

From Elias Coldwood -- Knowledge, in the form of a book of notes taken on their expedition.

From Mairi Miann -- Friendship, in the form of a keepsake ring forged to remind her of loved ones lost.

From Jeff Calhoun -- Talent, in the form of his voice; stolen from him by poison and deceit.

From Erik Osborne -- Peace, in the form of a lie that broke Max's faith in his ability to change.

From River la Croix -- Memory, in the form of the mortuary portrait of their daughter.

And from Ryja Featherfist, who had never done him any harm...who had never so much as criticized him...

The morning of March 18...

Tarantulas slammed his front door closed behind him, quickly stashing his prize with the others before scurrying into the bedroom and shaking Ryja's shoulder. He'd -- he'd made a terrible mistake, a very foolish miscalculation, and -- if he's to have any hope of surviving the consequences, he needs Ryja awake and alert.

"Ryja!" he hisses in her ear. "Ryja, sweetheart, I need you to wake up. I need your help."

[maskedstarbunny]

Ryja tends to wake lucidly, a side effect of learning to remember her dreams as clear as day. Her eyes pop open, her mask goes on, it's so quick it's almost the exact same moment. "Tara? What is wrong?" Tension in her muscles, immediately, ready to fight to protect him even as she sits up from bed.

[tisnotthehouse]

"Ryja -- sweetheart --" Now that she's awake Tarantulas feels if anything, even more panicked; how is he supposed to handle this? Ryja can see the future, what if it doesn't work?

He puts his hands on her shoulders, taking a deep breath. "I did something very foolish. I know it was wrong, but I had my reasons, and I promise I'll explain everything later, all right?" He searches her eyes for any hint of recognition. "For now please just believe me that it was necessary, and that I need your help." He swallows nervously. "I need you to talk to River for me."

[maskedstarbunny]

Ryja can see the future, and this presents a problem. Because what she sees? What she sees is blood.

So. Much. Blood.

Tarantulas is going to be hurt, and soon, and what can she do? Her vision doesn't tell her more. In another life, it's visions like this that eventually lead to a change in her approach to her talent... In this one, it worries and scares her and when a Viera is scared, she wants to fight.

And he explains, without explaining, and she becomes more concerned. Because she can believe that River would do something that would cause all of that blood... But only if Tarantulas did something to deserve it. But she doesn't believe her surprise would make a mistake that badly, without something driving it.

"Right now?" The mask gets settled in place properly, and her tome pulled from the table beside her. Just in case.

Convalescing

[tisnotthehouse]

After all of the screaming's over and it becomes clear that Tarantulas is at least not in immediate danger of bleeding to death, Sally has him moved to her own home for observation -- not the little townhouse he'd visited before, but one of the farmhouses outside of town completely. But to be honest, Tarantulas was in too much of a state to notice.

He drifts in and out of consciousness, rousing himself just enough to look around for his child -- his child! -- and confirm her existence before falling back into a deep, troubled sleep. It's not until the second day that he wakes up long enough to ask where he is -- and then to request a few things from his home. Nothing too serious, just a few changes of clothes...one of his journals...and a box from his shop, filled with a few lightweight items of no particular importance. He needs to decide what he's going to do with them all, now.

It isn't regret that makes him hesitate. How can he regret anything, when his child lives? She's as strong and healthy as he could have wished, and more beautiful than nearly anything he could have designed himself. But...he does fear the consequences of his actions, and what they might mean for his daughter. He has a responsibility now, a duty to provide her with the best life possible. If his former friends choose to hate him, and pass that hate onto her...

He decides to send Mairi a message first, asking her simply to come and speak with him. Of all the people he betrayed, she knew him for the shortest time. Perhaps that will incline her to be reasonable.

[listenforbirdsong]

Upon receiving the letter, Mairi is more than happy to go and see Tarantulas. She'd been wondering where he'd gotten off to, his shop closed for a good long while. She'd stopped by on her way through town several times now--- she has a delivery for him.

Unfortunately, her own ring has been missing for a bit now. She fiddles with the place on her right ring finger where it ought to be. She'd only just gotten it back, and this is after already having to fight to get back the original before she died...

Sometimes it seems like everything is slipping through her fingers.

Still, she thanks Sally as she's let in and peeks into Tarantulas' room. "Hey you! What, uh, what's going on...?"

[tisnotthehouse]

"Wonderful things," Tarantulas says quietly and beckons her closer. "Please, come in..."

He's well enough to sit up now, with the help of a few pillows, and he holds a blanket-wrapped bundle close to his chest. As Mairi draws near he carefully folds back a corner of the blanket, so she can see a round, pinched little face, with light grey skin and a short crop of blue fuzz on the top of her head. Two human and six orb-like eyes, glowing with a soft, buttery yellow, adorn her face.

"I had a baby," he says, and grins helplessly. "I'm still working on a name, but...meet my daughter."

[listenforbirdsong]

"Oh wow," Mairi coos softly. "Ohhh, what a cutie. No wonder you're out here with Sally. ...If you don't mind my asking, though, uh. How...?" She doesn't need to finish her thought to get the point across.

Farm Visit

[pineapplesalmon]

César's working on his farm, like he's done (nearly!) every day, most of the day, since planting season has started. He has two part-timers with him, a set of siblings. Crops are in the ground, he has three happy and fat cows, and even a horse. The greenhouse is full of seedlings and even a handful of older plants, helped along by his druidic magic. His chickens aren't present here, back at home with Dabi.

The help from the newcomers had completely destroyed the large amount of work César was going to be crushed under. Between them and reworking his schedule, César's... doing okay. He's actually got some time to relax, even during his time on the farm.

Good thing, huh?

César's walking cheerfully towards his greenhouse attached to the farmhouse.

[tisnotthehouse]

Tarantulas is...not in the best of shape, when he finally makes it to César's front gate. He'd felt that his welcome at Arthur Morgan's farm was about to run out, but when he returned to his own home he was shocked to discover that he -- well. Put simply, he no longer felt safe there. And more importantly he wasn't sure if Dawn would be safe there. What if River came looking for him? Or if Ryja was still angry? No, he'd have to face them both eventually, but it would be on his terms. Not taken unawares.

How fortunate that he still had a few remaining allies...and if he remembered correctly, César also had a younger brother, of a much younger age than him...perhaps he would have some advice applicable to Tarantulas's present situation...

Or maybe he'll just yell at Tarantulas for being a stupid ding-dong and moving around too much when he's still recovering from a major surgery, the dumbass. The trolley has a stop near César's farm, but that's a double-edged sword: the bouncing around hurt's Tarantulas's healing incision, and then too he's carrying his baby with him as he walks. By the time he actually reaches the gate, he stop and lean on it for a moment, wheezing loudly. Not, perhaps, his most shining moment -- unless you count his perspiration, maybe.

[pineapplesalmon]

"César?" The sister calls to her boss, and César stops, looking over towards her.

Except he never looks all the way around, his eyes stopping on Tarantulas. The man is carrying a bundle (baby?) and looking in terrible shape.

César throws his gloves down next to the greenhouse door and with a "take care of things, please" to the siblings, he hurries right over to their visitor. "Tarantulas! Good god, come inside the house before you pass out...."

He's hovering close, and then he looks down and sees in shock that there's indeed a baby. Only for a moment, though. Letting Tarantulas pass out with a baby is not an option, and César moves in close enough for Tarantulas use him for balance.

[tisnotthehouse]

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Tarantulas grumbles, as he allows César to take some of his weight and lead him inside. He is very much not; some of his spider legs are dragging on the ground, and when they finally reach a chair he doesn't so much sit down as collapse, like a building slated for demolition.

"I just overdid it a little," he insists, still wheezing. "Erm. Could I perhaps have a glass of water?"

The baby is, at least, still safe in her sling. She has a toy spider, it's legs already looking quite battered and worn; the reason why is immediately apparent, as she's sucking on one of its legs energetically.

Backdated to a few days post-birth.

[lordoftheozarks]

At least, this time, when he shows up at Sally's door he doesn't have to yell to be let in he tells himself grimly as he steps through and into Tarantula's bedchamber. He's been made aware of the full scope of Tarantula's trespasses, including with Max. He's furious about all of it, and yet he's determined not to walk out of this room as an enemy. Taratulas has made quite enough of those, now. It won't help.

Calm. Erik's face is a stony mask revealing nothing. "I've come to see how you and your child are faring now."

[tisnotthehouse]

Tarantulas eyes Erik with open trepidation -- open fear, in fact. Gone is his arrogance and assurance that he can face whatever comes; when Erik mentions his child, he instinctively glances down at Dawn in the little crib Arthur Morgan borrowed from one of his neighbors, and then silently curses himself for a fool.

"We're both well, as you can see," he says quietly, hands slowly clutching at his blankets until his knuckles turn white. "But I can't imagine that's the only thing you came for." Not with that fierce look on his face.

[lordoftheozarks]

"You had to know there would be a reckoning. I've had time to talk to the others. The people you hurt. Now it's time for us to talk. But, before we get into that, know that you have my word as a vampire that I intend no harm to your child. She is innocent and I will make sure to do everything in my power to see she comes to no harm."

He feels an almost inexplicable sense of responsibility to that child having helped bring her into the world alive.

"What happens now, Tarantulas? What will you do next?"

[tisnotthehouse]

"God." Tarantulas rubs his forehead, his lidless auxiliary eyes flexing under the pressure and then popping back into place like jelly molds. "What does it mean, that despite everything I still believe you?"

He glares at Erik, but it's clear his spark isn't in it. He says, "I don't know what happens next, all right? I didn't have a plan for this phase, I put everything I had just into making sure she'd be born."

He looks away, lips pressed together. "I suppose I thought I'd be run out of town for making a deal with a demon, considering all the trouble they cause. I haven't yet ruled it out as a possibility."