❪ event ❫ spirited away

[natha]

PRELUDE     I'll get straight to the point, Thesaens. Dranbu is in dire need of assistance. I have received confirmation that the disappearances we were investigating last month have... escalated. Be cautious as you make your way through Josa Forest. Ideally we could go straight through, but it seems the main entrance to Dranbu is overgrown with thorns and vines, and there's a bit of a glitch with the rail system - the train is having trouble recognizing the Dranbu station as a destination. I've uploaded a homing beacon to your devices with this message. Once enough of you have arrived in Dranbu proper, it should communicate with the train and register it as a stop. With any luck, that will make getting back and forth much easier for you all from now on. Best of luck. Entry to the forest is not only overgrown with vegetation, but seems to be growing at an increasingly alarming rate. Any attempts to clear the vines will be met with even larger ones growing in its place, and it only confirms Nurray's findings as true. The only way in is across the sound from Nadril, entering the forest from its snowy back yard. It doesn't stay cold for long; as one ventures further into the forest, the snow will disappear, as though it was completely out of place in the first place. The red sun's warmth will take its place soon after— and before long, you'll feel too warm for the clothes you came with. That's when you know you've entered the heart of Josa Forest. WITHIN THE FOREST     The forest seems to be thick with a profound presence that can’t be ascertained. While venturing through it, one will feel like there are being watched or followed. This feeling will only intensify as metallic-scented drops of rain begin to fall between the clearings in the trees. Unfortunately, what many don’t realize at this point is that this is how the forest itself eats. How it subsists and lives through the minds of those who eventually get lost in it. Wandering this far in is akin to walking into a lion’s jaw, or rather… straight to its stomach. But, the forest has a way of making one stay. While it swallows someone up, it shows them sinfully beautiful and picturesque sights. Even showing them people or things that are familiar to the lost. All of which will urge them to go in deeper and deeper. But, while the forest begins to prey on the mind of their victim— they will suddenly hear an elegant and alluring voice urging them back. This voice promises them comfort and safety. Promises to be kind and open. Promises she has a place for them where they will never feel displaced or unwanted, or lost. Before they can fully accept, they will find that they are whisked away in Barthala’s embrace. Some will be taken, wiped of all their previous memories and inserted new ones. Others will find they have no prior memories at all of themselves, only urged to go on with regular life. What is prevalent is the forest's desire to turn you. Metamorphosis is a phenomenon that occurs only to certain individuals, and there is no rhyme or reason to them. Some adventurers would find themselves changing by the minute, the hour, or the process may even take days and weeks. The forest toys with you, but it only wants to draw you closer to its core — as though there's a story there it wants you to see and understand. Will you go on anyway, knowing the forest has already has its claws on you? I. ALL ROADS LEAD TO — Exploring the forest is not a perilous experience - Barthala's blessing ensures that paths remain clear of any dangerous obstacles, and keeps anyone who enters the woods from losing their way. However, it will not always lead adventurers where they want to go. Stressed? Your path leads to a meadow, grass drifting gently in the breeze. Tired? You'll find your way to a tree with roots perfectly curved for a nap, the shade a peaceful retreat from the sunlight. The hungry will find streams full of fish or bushes laden with berries, and the curious will come upon elder trees, unique and beautiful. Only those who are truly satisfied with their circumstances, with themselves, can forge their own path, and venture to Barthala's Grotto. II. BARTHALA'S GROTTO — The deity's home is host to an abundance of life. Butterflies drift through the air, brilliantly colored and unbothered by any intruders. Foliage blooms in a rainbow of colors, many plants unique to this area alone. With trees arranged to provide a canopy over the path and small clearing, the scene is something out of a fantasy. Any plant life taken from this area will not survive long, though even in its dead, dried state, it retains a curious beauty. Explorers and creatures finding themselves in this area will suddenly find their clothing to be an unnecessary burden - what could be better than feeling the wonders of nature against bare skin? There is nothing unbecoming about such a natural state, any perverse inclinations are an aspect of personal preference. While the presence of Barthala can be felt here - a warm, comfortable sensation emanating from your core - she is nowhere to be found. Only one will have the opportunity to pass under a veil of willow branches and emerge to the cool air of a clear-as-glass spring. Another nearby grotto is home to a plant with intoxicating effects. Just smelling the leaves is enough to entice most animals, and consuming them has effects on both mind and body. More easily amused, with thoughts that weave deep and distant, along with increased sensory perception can bring the user on a pleasant trip lasting up to five hours. III. INFLUENCES — (18+) Every five days, a weed scattered in patches among the forest underbrush blooms. The flowers are small and white, unremarkable except for how clustered they grow. When their petals fall, after only hours of blossoming, pollen drifts through the air. It clings to clothing, to hair, in the throats of the sensitive animals dwelling in the forest. Even those unaltered by Barthala's magic can be affected. The locals of Dranbu claim the pollen enhances fertility, but in practice, it simply serves as a poignant aphrodisiac. Those affected won't differentiate between the warmth of another or their own, a simple need to experience sexual ecstasy overwhelmingly pervaded. The pollen loses its potency after about three hours, leaving behind only a sweet smell. YOUR NEW (NEW) LIFE    Adapting to an entirely new setting isn’t always so simple. People often say that assimilating oneself to the environment happens fluidly, and before you know it, you’re a part of it. In Dranbu, these words hold an uncanny sense of truth. When you awake, your day begins like it always has. Your daily routine meets largely unchanged, except a few tinier details. Perhaps, you’ve realized your true calling is an occupation within the villages itself. Maybe in farming up strange medical herbs, maybe in acting as a witch doctor for the people, or maybe you find yourself drawn to the arts and you really enjoy sculpting fellow villagers in the nude. Once you commit these tasks, you realize, it feels like what you’ve always done. As if it were natural, as if you’ve done them for years, and maybe you have? At least that’s what your gut is telling you, and slowly your memories will too. At the end of the day, when you return home, you realize you’re not alone. You have a partner who shares the same values and whom you love deeply. Or maybe a spouse whom you’re always arguing with. But, even that will feel as commonplace as the rest of your day. All you know is that the day that might have started off not being yours is entirely yours and yours alone. IV. THE HUNT — Those taken by the forest, animal features adorning their bodies, will find that their palates have changed as well. Carnivores crave raw meat, while herbivores don't mind snacking on a patch of grass or pulling leaves from branches. For most, there's no reason to cook a meal; once prey is captured, instinct says dig right in! It can be a gruesome sight, mangled bodies gorged upon leaving bloodstained faces, but it's natural. As is the hunt itself - any size of game can be found in the forest, and no one will go hungry for long. The magic that dwells here ensures a catch even for the clumsiest predator. Just take care not to stalk one of your own. For a hungry predator, there's no difference between a deer and a deer-like human. THE BOUNDARIES BEYOND     For some, placated is synonymous with bored. While there is a sense of wonder in the beauties of nature that adorn the woods, serene forest life isn't for everyone. Those seeking more adventure can explore the challenging slopes of Waco Mountain. Barthala's influence is weaker on those bluffs than in Josa Forest itself, so thrill chasers won't be disappointed. Lose the path, slip on loose rocks, fall into a stream and spend a night wet and cold, there are many perils that come with traveling a mountain-side. Scattered ruins offer some shelter, their walls carved with images resembling Barthala, a dragon, and three other stranger creatures. While the deity's pacification does not flow as deeply through this region, all are still save from mortal wounds, and the veil cast over their memories will not lessen. If you have made it this far, however, there is no reason to try to return to the main city of Dranbu. Accommodations are always available in the neighboring villages: Phares in the north, and Stroln in the south. These villages are in friendly competition with one another, and will tempt travelers with women and men of their kind in order to draw in business to their hotels. FINAL OOC NOTES     No REP is available for this log. REP will now be primarily available through achieving NPC quests, which will be available on the 19th! Please keep an eye out for that! Dranbu is entirely available for exploration! You may find that most of Wyver and Olympia Flora/Fauna may be found in the forest as well. For more information on your characters' (opt-in) Metamorphosis, please refer to the November Outline! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs ● bestiary taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp ● quest bulletin calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

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peter parker | tasm | (cw: body horror below)

[spideys]

❚❚❚❚❚ i. + iv. all roads lead to . . . the hunt (week three)

[ There's an important lesson to be learned here, Peter thinks. Nothing about great power and great responsibility; no, he's already had that lesson a million times over by now. It's one of those lessons you learn when you're a kid, when you're embarking on your first school trip and you're just one face in a line-up of faces: always use the buddy system.

Peter will admit, then and there, that the buddy system hasn't always worked for him, either because he'd find himself wandering off on his own without anyone noticing, or because he's just ... not very good at the whole buddy thing. He likes his space and his general assumption is that people like their spaces too. Besides which, all of his buddies seem to wind up in horrible situations that either end in death or something worse than that. It's not a reputation he wants to keep, and it's not a trend he wants to continue. So, yeah. When Nurray sends them all a message, Peter packs his things and heads towards Dranbu with the rest of the volunteers, but eventually breaks from the pack. It's for their own protection, honest.

🕸 If you're keen to follow, Peter will wander off into the thicket of trees to the right. He's fast and surprisingly agile for someone who seems to be all limbs and awkwardness. He'll be searching for clues that anyone else might have traveled down this path before. Possibly he might stop to take a breath and a sip of water from the nearby stream. He won't say no to a little company and conversation. ]

This place should feel weird, shouldn't it? But it doesn't. It's like ... really nice here.

[ 🕸 At some point during the later hours of the day, if you hadn't been trailing a young man in an army jacket and jeans, you might bump into someone in red-and-blue spandex swinging through the trees by way of webbing instead. It's not the jungle Spider-Man is used to, but it'll do, right? Except the trees don't really exist for the purpose of a superhero swinging amongst them at near breakneck speeds - if anything, he might actually break his neck if he manages not to dodge that large branch up ahead.

If you see him, you might want to send up a warning. A shout will do - Spidey's hearing is intact.

🕸 Some time towards the latter part of the week, Peter's trek into Dranbu via Josa Forest begins to feel strange ... creepy, even. He gets the weird feeling that there are other things in this forest besides him and any of the refugees he'd entered the forest with, and he's convinced at this point that his spider senses are totally broken. It's a perpetual Bad Feeling paired with goosebumps raised along his spine, sending his brain into a kind of frenzy, but he's come this far and there's only one way to go from here - forward.

He glimpses strange looking creatures when he looks towards any small break in the trees and snags your arm to stop you. ]

Did you see that? [ He gestures towards the trees. ] It's right there -

[ 🕸 ( CW: BODY HORROR ) One moment he's reminding himself to report his findings to Nurray as soon as he makes it out of here; and the next he's thinking about how the creature he'd seen some time ago would have made for a fine snack, and maybe if he takes a turn back in the direction he'd come from, he could still hunt it down. He's drooling spittle from pincers that protrude from the large maw in his face. He drops down on his many (now extremely hairy) arms, each one of them ending with a sharp claw where there'd once been two hands. His clothing is too small, torn up in the sleeves and the legs to allow his new shape to stretch out.

If you happen to come across a tall-ish, gangly spider-like creature with one too many arms, you might notice there's something incredibly familiar hanging around his neck: it's a small black camera with the words: PROPERTY OF PETER PARKER printed on the underside. Anyone who knows Peter might get a sense that this creature isn't all terror, even if he looks it. He looks troubled and confused, but that feeling won't last.

Yeah, maybe he should have been a little more adamant about sticking with the buddy system.

It's gonna be a long month. ]


❚❚❚❚❚ iii. wildcard

[ ooc: feel free to write a prompt of your own if it suits you. if you have any specific ideas, hit me up over at thwip or discord: spidey#2716 and we can work something out! i'm absolutely happy to plot something!

note: for the above long-af prompt (ohmygod how did it get so long), please pick and choose whatever you're feeling for your character. if you're confused about anything, please don't hesitate to contact me for clarifications. ]

[deadthenred]

[ Bucky is making his way through the forest with the other refugees, just a little removed from most of the group. During the war he was a scout, the guy who took point, and now it's such a habit he assumes the role without thinking about it too much. He hears Peter coming before he sees him, although, at first he doesn't know what he hears coming. The sound of webbing snapping through branches is distinct, but not exactly recognizable.

And then he sees a blur of red and blue flying above, headed straight for a— ]

Hey, watch out! [ Bucky shouts a warning before the rest of it catches up to him. ] Spider-Man?

[spideys]

... Ow.

[ Oh, Spider-Man might have heard the warning, sure, but by then it was a little too late. At least you'll get a show out of it, right Bucky?

Spidey manages to swing right into the branch which smacks him in the middle with an impressive thunk! It's almost comical, the way the spandex-clad hero seems to wrap around it before he flops down to the ground. ]

Oh, boy. [ He wheezes, glad for the soft landing made possible by decades of collected foliage fallen to the ground. ] That's gonna hurt in the morning.

[deadthenred]

[ Bucky, for his part, rushes over to where Spider-Man has fallen. ] Are you okay?

[ It's sort of a stupid question, because it's not as though there's a lot he could do if the other guy was really hurt. Bucky doesn't have healing powers, or anything more than rudimentary first aid training. It's not like he can punch a tree and make it all better.

Still, call it a reflex— he's closed the gap between himself and the fallen hero quickly. ]

You, uh, are Spider-Man, right?

[spideys]

Yeah. Yep, never been better.

[ Spidey breathes out, rubbing at the point of impact. Costume still feels intact, so that's good. He'd hate to be out of commission because of a tree.

He tilts his head upwards to get a better look at the other man. ]

That's me - and whatever you've heard from the papers, don't believe 'em. [ He pauses. ] Unless you've heard of me from someone here, in which case, forget the first thing.

spiders x2

[redweb]

[As it turns out, Peter isn't the only one that decides that swinging through the jungle is a much better way to travel than walking. There's a red-haired woman in a skin-tight black body suit swinging through the trees as well. She hasn't actually met Peter before- not here anyway- so when she catches a glimpse of that very familiar red and blue outfit through the trees, she changes course slightly and heads in his direction.

Although, it's easy to pick out that Natasha uses a grappling line and not webbing, she's adept enough with it, agile and fluid in how she moves, that she seems to have little trouble making her way through the jungle. Even if when she usually travels this way, it's more buildings and city streets, which are typically better space for this sort of thing- less crowded.]

Spider-man! Fancy seeing you here.

[She calls out with a smile, a touch of amusement to her tone. She tugs on the line she'd been traveling on so that it retracts as she lands neatly on a branch, the cord vanishing into her right bracer. Natasha doesn't have a sixth sense that tells her when she's about to fly into a tree, so she figures it's better to stop a moment if she's going to say hello. There's an easy smile that curls her lips, and a glint in her blue eyes.

It's just nice to see a friendly face-- or mask, as the case may be.]

perfect. c:

[spideys]

[ It's a shame that Spider-Man won't likely recognize her without a little bit of prompting. Back home, the Avengers had existed, but they mostly worked on a much larger scale that hardly affected his personal life.

... of which he was pretty occupied, truth be told.

But he'd never turn down an opportunity for some friendly conversation, especially when the journeying can be so ... well, unfriendly. (You know, losing your way, and magic and a myriad of creatures trying to eat you - that sort of thing.)

He pauses to perch on a nearby tree and lifts a hand to wave. ]

Well, you know, it seemed like a good day for a stroll. Great weather, tons of fresh air - the works.

[redweb]

[Given the tendency the forest has to get people all turned around, this isn't her first attempt at getting to the bottom of the problem, although it is her first time doing so by herself. So the company certainly isn't something she'd object to, especially when it's someone she can pretty easily slot into Good People.

The forest has certainly been less than friendly, so that Parker charm is actually rather appreciated. And that she knows he can throw a punch. But for the moment, all she's looking for is some conversation, as she sits on a branch, smiling as she waves back at him.]

It is nice out, isn't it? No one's even trying to punch us.

[There's a bit of humor to it. The joke is that Peter Parker has the worst luck of anyone she'd ever met.]

[spideys]

Haha - you say that now, but 'round the corner, there's bound to be something trying to punch us.

[ Yeah, okay, okay. Har dee har har; he gets the joke. It stings, man. It stings.

(Mostly because it's 100% true.)

He gestures towards the forest beyond, all dark and mysterious and twisty. Who knows what secrets might be lying within that menacing foliage? The forest is a different kind of jungle than the one he's accustomed to. ]

[officio]

[ Peter may not be a fan of the so-called buddy system, but Padmé, after being warned about the forest, is intent on not letting anyone else be lost to it — and so, when she sees a young man on his own, wandering further away from the trail, she follows him instantly.

it's not easy, not with her gown and his quick steps that look more akin to someone walking on solid, even ground instead of a thick forest floor, but when he stops near the stream, she gets the chance to catch up to him.

(and no, the greeting without him looking at her is hardly a surprise for someone who is more than used to the jedi... and besides, her dress probably made more than enough noise, anyway.) ]

I'm not sure I'd call a forest where plenty of others have disappeared into "nice".

[ it's not unkindly said, though she disagrees... but then, she has it on good authority that something is very, very wrong here. ]

[spideys]

[ Sheepishly: ] Yeah. I mean, aside from that.

[ Wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket, he straightens to give the woman an apologetic shrug. He knows something strange and creepy is happening in this forest, but everything about it just ... doesn't feel all that bad. The water, for example, tastes amazing. Fresher than anything he's ever had, and that includes spring water in the middle of the August heat in Manhattan.

He's about to say something else, something cool or maybe not cool at all, but he recognizes her straight away. The clothing, her voice, the way she holds herself when she speaks to him ... holy shit, that's - ]

Uh, hi.

[ Yeah, perfect, Parker, you got this. Clearly. ]

[officio]

[ obviously, she has no idea of the real reason for his surprise — instead, she takes it as a reaction to her very much not outdoor excursion clothing. she's well aware just how out of place she looks here, with her senate dress and all, but it's all she had. ]

I know, I probably should've stopped to get something better to wear. But we were in a hurry.

[ both her and Luke wanted to get to the place where the disappearances had happened, and she's well used to some small inconveniences. but after this... she's definitely getting a more movement-friendly set of clothes. ]

I hope I'm not intruding. I saw you go off on your own... and this forest isn't safe. Even if it wants us to feel like it is.

[spideys]

[ Well ... to her credit, that is a very plausible reason for anyone to be shocked and appalled by the sight of her. But Peter definitely isn't in that camp.

He swallows. Should he bow? Should he offer a hand to shake? Should he just stand there like an idiot, nodding dumbly? ]

Yeah.

[ There's a nod. And sure, he's standing there like an idiot, too - at least until she continues to speak, which has him focusing on the situation at hand. He can write fanletters and freak out over meeting Queen Amidala herself later.

(And he so will.) ]

Oh - yeah, no, no. I guess it was kinda dumb of me to wander off on my own. Back home, it wouldn't be a big deal. But here ...

[ Well ... ]

So - uh, thanks.

[bellare]

[ frank separated from his pack as well, though it hadn't been nearly as intentional. he'd merely gotten swept up in how weird this place is and must have wandered off... maybe, like spidey's buddies, they're better off without him. he had come with the intention to protect emori and the others, but that hadn't worked with his family, had it?

he feels like he's been wandering for days on his own, but that can't be right, can it? he reaches into his pocket to touch the AA token he'd left there, but it's missing. did he lose it? and why can't he remember? the sharp tug to his arm earns an alarmed gasp, the boys surprising strength dragging him forward a few paces unexpectedly. how did he not see peter before? he really must be off his game. ]

See what? Are you dehydrated? [ frank offers pete the military issue canteen from the strap over his shoulder. clearly, that's the issue and not all the creepy creepy weird stuff that keeps happening. ]

[spideys]

[ Well, sure, Peter will accept the canteen, but he pauses before he does anything normal like take a sip of water - you know, just in case something decides to take that moment to jump out from the trees to attack them.

Paranoid?

Nah.

He's just used to things sucking.

In any case, Peter juts his chin towards the small break between the trees, the last time he'd seen an eery glint of movement and glowing specs that could only be eyes. ]

There's something - there's definitely something in those trees.

[ And he's willing to bet they're not just there to watch at a safe distance forever. ]

[bellare]

[ frank squints up to where peter indicates, not sure exactly what that means, but somehow sure the boy is right anyway. still, he hazards to ask: ]

What kind of something?

love me zelly

[summertimeblues]

[You should have stuck to the buddy system? How about the guy who has to lift a tree branch and spot that many-legged and mandibled boy scuttling around like some heathen offshoot from The Thing?

Richie yelps and falls back. Straight to the keister he goes, hardly believing his eyes, but fucking Christ it's a giant man-spider. Wasn't the overgrown tarantula he'd helped kill in the maze enough?

Yet the sun glints oddly enough off the thing's chest that Richie doesn't just zoom away like some spooked Looney Tune. He half rises, squinting through the underbrush.

It looks like a...camera?

He hesitates, unmoving.]

love you always kabberoo

[spideys]

[ Man-Spider's instincts are a-tingling, and the sound of rustling leaves and the yelp draw his attention over to where Richie is hidden from plain sight.

But Man-Spider can smell him. He can also hear him too.

He stumbles forward on his legs, a clumsy mess of a beast attempting to preserve the last signs of what he used to be. He combs back the branches but does so in a way that seems careful, almost gentle, and finally pauses as though he might be deliberating on whether he should try and communicate (which will, at this point, only sound like vaguely English-sounding growls) to this guy he can hear -




- or eat him. ]

[summertimeblues]

[Oh

Sweet Christ

in Heaven.

Richie's shoulders get hitched to his ears. He has yet to stand up in full, too spooked to move quickly. That sets off all them animal instincts, right? Insect instincts. Oh, but spiders aren't insects, some snooty dweeb classmate he can only dimly remember whispers in his mind's ear. They're eight legged so they're arachnids, insects have six legs. You want I should shut up? Are you kidding Richie? Isn't it better to leave some rambling commentary going than let your mind and mouth do all the screaming you're biting back?

His lips are parched but he can't bring himself to wet them. Too nervous. There's a man's shape left behind under all the spoke-like hairs, the drooling pincer-mouth. There's something less bestial in there.]

Hello there...

[It is a camera. Richie's eyes zip back down. He squints. The name in neat type at the base catches his eye, and he reads it off in a near delirium.]

...Peter. [And after a beat.] Parker.

[


Wait—]

By the stream

[lednikovyy]

[ It's always been in Bucky's nature to keep an eye on others and when he sees Peter wander off, he follows to be safe. They really don't know what could be out here and Bucky's hardly the only capable fighter here, but everyone is safer with someone else having their back, right?

His steps are quiet, but otherwise he isn't trying to be particularly stealthy as he comes up on the other man. ]

Prettiest place I've been in a while.

[ He absolutely agrees that it should be weird and it worries him when things aren't, but the worry feels just a little too numb to act on, especially when Bucky is just about always a little worried and paranoid. ]

[spideys]

Yeah - yeah, definitely.

[ Peter agrees almost immediately, straightening on his feet the moment he hears Bucky come up behind him.

He nods, wiping his hand dry on the back of his jeans. ]

It's like nothing I've ever seen before, that's for sure. [ He plucks a leaf from a nearby bush.

Then again, he's from the big city and New York isn't exactly known for its deep, green forests on account of the fact that there are none. He shrugs, unbothered. ] Or felt before either.

You should try the water.

[lednikovyy]

Yeah?

[ Bucky moves closer with a small smile. The water is clear and beautiful. Growing up, Bucky never would have considered drinking some ground water he found in a forest, but he knows better now. It's clear and it's moving and the greenery around it is lush. It's very likely safe and Bucky's pretty sure it'll be fine for him either way, so he crouches down and lets his bag drop next to him before cupping his hands in the water and bringing it to his mouth to drink.

The water is pleasantly cool and tastes like something he could bottle and sell for $5. ]

You weren't kidding. Seems like all you've got to do for good water is completely remove yourself from society.

body horror aka i can't believe you actually wrote this prompt with your own hands

[quivers]

[ Futzing mother futzer. She lost Peter. One minute she'd been confidently telling him how she had his back, followed by that signature prized grin of hers and a wink to boost — flirtatious? maybe, but hey, Kate Bishop had to jump into this with all of her buoyant attitude — and the next, she'd let him wander out on his own in the heart of Creepyville forest, very much not having his back.

To be fair, this forest was freaky enough in its own right, making her forget anything she'd said or seen seconds earlier, losing another one of her group every twenty or so steps without any conscious awareness, until she had to fight her mind to remember who'd been with her in the first place.

But Peter was one of them. She's sure of that, for some reason, possibly because she'd been so familiar with his presence around her for the past few months, and now he was definitely not with her. ]

Peter! If you don't come back around this second, I'm not buying you lunch! That's right, me, Kate Bishop was going to treat you to best lunch of your life and now you're not gonna — whaaaaat the — ?

[ Okay, that's a spider. A huge futzing spider. And maybe she's had the experience of having to fight some huge irregular-sized creatures in her time, but spiders are creepy, and just the zoomed in sight of those dark crisp hairs make her own short ones stand along her arm, body shivering a bit.

But Kate's got this in the bag, subtle fright and all, because she reaches to her back, snagging her bow and an arrow with ease, pointing it steady towards the large insect — no, arachnid, come on, Kate, keep your science straight — except the moment she does, that dangling camera comes into sight, one she's seen enough times with the way he's pointed it at her more than a couple of times, with his goofy grin peering out behind it. ]

Oh no, no, no, no — did you eat Peter?

i live to torture my son what can i say

[spideys]

[ Peter isn't sure how long it's been, how much time has passed between now and the moment he and Kate had somehow become separated. Time doesn't mean a whole lot right now, maybe it never meant anything at all; maybe time is ... what is time?

When Kate manages to find him, well, when she finds the Man-Spider anyway, he's raised up on all eight of his legs - confused and frustrated, and now suddenly fearful the moment he catches sight of the arrow pointed straight at him. It's the thought of it piercing him that clears some of the fog threatening to take him over and make him forget, and then he remembers Kate.

Kate. His friend, the girl who could make him smile and laugh and do really stupid things in an attempt to impress her, like suddenly show up with a bag of stake-out snacks.

He raises two of his array of arms and waves them in protest while he tries to yell, No! No, it's me - I'm Peter! but it all winds up sounding like a deep grumbling growl. ]

and yourself clearly

[quivers]

[ Oh, great, she thinks. This is how I die. Not with a bang, but jabbed in the heart by gross, hairy, spider legs.

Well, sorry, Mr. Spider, but she ain't having it. With practiced muscle memory, she nocks the arrow at the end of her fingers, letting it stretch out the bow string until she loosens her hold on it. It flies fast, and if she had the intent, she could have shot it straight into the heart of that creature.

Instead, the arrow whizzes past its rounded head, close enough for the sound of a loud swoosh to echo, before it pierces firmly into the bark of a nearby tree.

She doesn't waste time in setting up a second shot, reading another arrow back on the bow, her stare as sharp as the arrow itself. ] That was a warning, buddy! Give me a hint you've got Peter alive in some gross web cocoon somewhere and the next one doesn't go right into your heart.

[ Do spiders have heart? They have to, right? She blows in animal biology, but she does have the experience to know some creatures have enough intelligence to understand human communication to some extent, especially if they're deformed like this. ]