tushanshu_logs | The Brazen Turtle Rides Again

[Most of that is kind of interesting to her. Spiders are not something she's heard anyone back home being like, so it's different. Not a bad kind of different--she's a clone of an alien who can die if she gets too close to a green rock--but she wonders what kind of other things are going on in his world with spider-people running around.]

Talk to spiders? [She leans her head a bit to the side, brushing some hair behind her ear.] That mean you can call in your own eight-legged army when you want to?

[He puts his hands on his temples as if he has a migraine... and a few seconds later, several spider-like creatures start crawling up to the rooftop. Then a few more. And a few more... and... well you get the idea. When all is said and done, there must be a hundred spider-things on the roof, surrounding her in a wide circle.

Kaine figures she isn't the type to be squeamish around spiders.]

I think that answers your question.

[Okay, that is kind of freaky, but she's not scared of bugs in the slightest. They're gross, but she can deal.]

Now all we need is for the big baddie to turn out to be a huge overgrown man-eating tarantula and I know who to call for a stand-in lion tamer. But if I had to pick between talking to bugs or flying, I think I got the better end of the deal.

[She gets a little closer though, eyeing that spot on his arm that the web came out.]

I'll stick to web-swinging. [Makes the spider creatures disperse.]

And if he is an overgrown man-eating tarantula, I'd actually know how to handle that. I've already killed one of those. If it's anything else I'll be the first to admit I'm completely screwed.

[He figures out why she's inching closer and holds out his arm. It's one of his newer powers, so he still finds it a little freaky himself, but he's got barely visible dots that form a small circle just below his wrist, and in the center of that circle is a barely visible slit... which together form his spinneret.]

[Well if he's going to be so kind as to bare his arm for her, she'll just take a closer look. The dots and the slit are...weird. Okay it's probably one of the weirdest things she's ever seen on a person.]

So you put some pressure on it and a string comes out and you can do whatever you want with it? [She can't help reaching out and sliding her nail along the outside of it.]

Pretty much. [Flicks his wrist, and a small strand of webbing shoots from the major web spigot. He flicks his wrist again and shoots a tiny net from his minor web spigots.]

[So it's freaky, but in a cool way. She could definite think of a couple of ways that something like that could be useful. Not that she would ever want someone to gene splice her with a spider. Definitely not her idea of fun.]

So, Mister Spider-Tamer...have you ever used those webs for anything other than slinging around buildings?

Depends on what you had in mind. I've mainly used them to beat the crap out of idiots, but I'm open to more... creative suggestions.

And... my name is Kaine. [He had been planning on letting her decide if and when to exchange names, but it just felt like now's an appropriate time.]

Kaine, brother you want to kill...yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense. [It's okay, Kaine, her dad wasn't that creative either.]

The name's Galatea. But all the people I like get to call me Tea. [If that wasn't a hint enough for him.]

I never lived up to my namesake... never killed my brother. Either of them. [Kaine turns around and burns a handprint into the chimney.] Though I can leave his Mark.

Seems we were both drawn to the classics. [Though truth be told, he honestly can't remember if he named himself or someone gave it to him.]

Acid burn hand prints. That's a new one. Although I'm starting to think clones are like apples falling off a tree in your world. [That's two too many brothers, Kaine.]

Now about those webs...

Not acid, just heat. And I was a failure, so my "father" just made a new one. [...He's also crazy and is into making clones...

Okay shutting up now.] Yes...?

[Okay that... She stares at him and maybe her surprise is visible. If she hadn't been a "success"...would Hamilton have done the same to her? It's one of those questions she doesn't like to think about. This is getting too serious for her.

And so she shakes it off because like hell is she letting it get to her.]

So...how strong is it? If you were to use them to say...hold someone still, how long would they last?

[He can tell immediately that he said the wrong thing. Being "the failure" was one of those things that had been in his life for so long, it was something he said without thought of the weight behind it. He had beaten the odds a million times over. He was alive. That was enough.

Galatea--no, Tea--is clearly one of a kind. She never had such thoughts apparently. He makes a note to never to mention it again unless she does first.]

Several hours. And they won't be going anywhere until it dissolves. [Though... if she's as strong as she claims, she could probably tear through it like tissue paper if she tries.]

[Whether or not she was replaceable had never been an issue for Tea. She knew how invaluable she was because she wasn't just some metahuman clone. She was Kryptonian. She was more concerned with whether or not she was a real person and not a weapon that only existed to follow orders. She doesn't like the idea of not only being a tool, but one they could get rid of and get a new one.

It is way more fulfilling to think about all the ways she and Kaine can use his webs and have a little fun. She slides her fingers up his arm to the elbow and then his shoulder.]

And so if you were to tie yourself up...you wouldn't be able to get out for a while, is that what you're saying?

[Fights the urge to laugh at the question. What spider would be dumb enough to actually get caught in their own web? Of course he could break his own webbing. Buuuut he knows better than to say it like that.]

Not if you don't want me to.

[Well of course she didn't think he couldn't get out of his own webbing. That would be too stupid for anyone and she at least puts Kaine higher up on the ladder than most of the people she's met. But he's already given her the exact thing she wanted to hear.]

Good answer. Now, why don't we go get a little creative.

[Of course he knew what to say. He wasn't a total idiot.]

Your place or mine? [Or are they just going to do it here on the roof? ]

[Don't tempt her, because sex on someone's roof isn't the worst sex she's ever had by far.]

Hm. let's go with mine. We have more space to try things. [The benefits of having a big house all to yourself. She lifts into the air and looks down.] You coming your way or mine?

[Nor his.]

I didn't realize three floors wasn't enough to try things, but by all means after you. [Shoots a web from his wrist.] I can get there myself.

It isn't if you can't be sure you won't be interrupted. [Sorry Kaine, but people actually come and visit your house. She will not mention that he is the only one to ever come by hers. And since he already knows the way, she won't wait before heading off towards her place, making sure to go slow enough that he can catch up easily.]

...Point. May knocks, but Parker just barges in like he owns the damn place.

[Hey, she doesn't have to be that slow. He may not be an alien, but having the proportionate speed of a spider does make him faster than the average clone.]

[She just likes to tease him, is all.]

For such a scary man spider, people aren't that intimidated by you. So much false advertising.

I haven't murdered anyone lately. It's the only thing I can come up with.

The Brazen Turtle Rides Again

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