1912/Symbiotes Amid The Ruins

Symbiotes Amid The Ruins
Date of Scene:	31 May 2020
Location:	Ruins -- Roosevelt Island
Synopsis:	In the ruins of an old hospital, two symbiotes and their hosts have an encounter.
Cast of Characters:	Andi Benton, Leon O'Malley

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Andi Benton has posed:
The night has grown long, and Andi Benton has yet to return to the place she's staying at in Happy Harbor. Instead, exploration of New York City was in the cards. While the Roosevelt Island Bridge, ferry, or tram provided normal access to the strip of land in between the Manhattan and Queens sections of the city, she took a less conventional path: climbing down the side of the Queensboro Bridge that passed overhead.

The wonders of being something that could cling to walls and similar things.

Keeping a low profile, whether by sticking to the shadows or making herself look normal when needed, Andi made her way toward the southern tip of the island. Southpoint Park was there, but that was not the destination. The Smallpox Memorial Hospital was. The place itself was deserted, the buildings ruined and unstable enough as to be fenced off to prevent people from potentially hurting themselves, and it also had lights trained on it.

That was no deterrent for a host and her symbiote. Near an ivy-covered portion of the fencing, Mania simply hopped over it and landed softly on the other side, rising back up to move around in search of a good spot to perch from.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Meanwhile, inside the desolate hospital, Leon strolls cautiously through the empty rooms, cameraphone recording, "....Yeah, no, this place is a bust. Those idiots'll bring the whole building down on em if we let em come here..." Leon says aloud as he comes to a stop at a nurse's station, flicking the phone shut and stowing it in a pocket, "....Ready to go? This place is creepin me out...Do...Do you remember the way out?....Uh oh..." He says as he turns in place, glancing nervously down the various halls and dessicated doorways.

Andi Benton has posed:
<Stop, Andi.>

It is the voice inside her head, the one that has spoken to her many times since the moment they bonded under danger and duress.

Is it insanity if the voice inside your head that you answer is /not/ your own?

"Why? I don't see anyone around," she says, keeping her own voice low. Speaking aloud is still something she's more used to than simply trying to think through the bond.

<We are not alone. We can hear another. Listen.>

"I did. It's probably just some homeless guy looking for a place to sleep."

They pass through one of the window frames, long since emptied of any glass, and the black figure wanders the room within, eyes, head, and body swiveling this way and that to take in what's around them.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
"Alright, stay calm, we just gotta find some stairs. Worst case scenerio, we jump off the room..." Leon stops to blink a few times before continuing stomping heavy booted in search of stairs back to the ground floor, "...Ya know, there was a time that sentence never would've occurred to me. This is your fault." As he reaches the stairs, he pauses, tilting his head for better hearing, "....Shh shh...I hear someone..." He mutters softly before crouching real low backing silently back down the hall and into an off room, his clothes turning into a black goo with white spidery accents and covering him fully.

Andi Benton has posed:
<Be careful, Andi.> the symbiote warns.

Andi answers, "Yeah, yeah. What do I have to worry about? You're here, right?" It's as if she isn't very concerned, even if she doesn't know who or what could be lurking. Good, bad, or neutral, it is a mystery at the moment.

Rather than taking the stairs, she begins to climb one of the inner walls. Let's just see what's around. She had been planning on getting up to the roof anyway, or what's left of it.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
"............What part of quiet don't you understand?......That's what 'shh' means.....Just stop talking, I need to focus....." Leon hisses at himself in the darkened corner as he tries to peek through the broken observation window towards the stairs. And then a hellish nightmare creature slithers up the wall, causing him to duck back in surprise, "....How should I know?......Whatever it is, it can't be anything good. Nothing good ever happens when we go places....Just stay quiet. We'll tail it and see what's up." He murmers to himself before sinking down to a near crawl and waiting for Andi to either pass or turn down a hall before beginning his stalk.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton clings to the wall very much like a...spider. It could be eerie, though from Leon's view, there is nothing about her that stands out visually aside from some spiky elements along the arms and legs. No other markings aside from strange-looking eyes, and the thing doesn't even appear to have a defined face.

Whatever she is, she pauses and glances over a shoulder, one of those eyes visible enough to be seen to narrow, then she springs away from the wall and lands softly on the adjacent floor a good ten feet from the spot. Rising slowly, she looks left, then right.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
As Andi begins to turn her head, Leon slides up against a corner, keeping him from direct line of sight....But symbiote eyes are their entire body. Leaving little possibility that Mania had not noticed the inky mass flitting between the shadows.

Andi Benton has posed:
And that is the way it is. Andi may still be getting used to some of the benefits of being bonded to the symbiote, and having a larger overall awareness of everything around her is a big one.

Quickly, Mania turns toward the shape and a few of those spikes along the forearms and shins appear to thicken, to multiple a little. Think weird alien porcupine.

"<We can see you there,>" she says, crouching a few inches with her hands out to the sides, ready to spring or strike. "<Come out so we can have a better look at you.>" The voice is eerie, like a blend of two different ones.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
A moment passes...And then a hellish amalgamated voice trickles from around the corner, ".....We don't like being stared at." And then Leon leaps sidelong out from the corner, a shot of black goo firing from his wrist aimed right for Andi's eye...placement...things...

Andi Benton has posed:
There is a moment where a chill runs over Mania, but just what it's from is not yet clear. There is something familiar, yet strange about this.

The female of the two doesn't even get a chance too respond verbally, but the reactions to deal with the blast of stuff from that wrist are quick, definitely quick enough for her to duck and roll out of the way, coming up to a crouched position with one knee up, the other bent. The eyes, which have grown wider and lifted in their spaces, then narrow.

"What../are/ you?" comes a question that is more Andi than symbiote. Only then does it speak to her, and it's filled with urgency.

<ANDI NO! DO NOT FIGHT!>

She hesitates, only heard to ask, "What..?"

Leon O'Malley has posed:
"...What are blaming me for? You're the one aiming." Leon grumbles at himself as he pushes up to standing position "....What do you mean you wanna meet it? We just shot at it, I don't think it's gonna be in the mood to ta-" And then the attempted question slips down the hall, "....Who, when, where, why." The amalgamated voice chortles back with obvious amusement.

Andi Benton has posed:
The added spikes along the arms and legs remain, and a few have risen from the shoulders as well. If Mania happened to charge into someone with those, it could hurt.

But, the body language, while clearly confused and agitated, also begins to seek a sort of peace as a hand comes up, not to fire a blast of gooey black stuff, but...just to remain held up. The fingers appear to be tipped with claws.

"<You are like us,>" Mania says, and there is a sense of open wonder in the words, the eyes wider than before, less angular from the direction the slits take on. But, no questions from the other one are answered yet, only an observation, "<Spider?>"

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Against the wall where the errant blob impacted, it suddenly dissolves into dust. Leon holds for a moment as Mania talks, "....Be ready with a yank out of the way. Let's see where this goes..."

    Leon mutters to himself before straightening up and slipping around the corner, standing steady in the middle of the intersection, moonlight glinting through the broken windows off the large white wrap around spider insignia on his chest, "....We think we should talk..."

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania crosses her arms, taking on a mildly defiant stance, weight shifted slightly toward one side. It's a youthful one, typical of someone not interested in listening to someone in a position of authority. Whether the one opposite her qualifies for that or not remains to be seen.

"<We agree. You first,>" comes the answer, but she doesn't move back as he more fully enters the room. She is maintaining her space, though there is another widening of the eyes, after they've narrowed, when that insignia comes into more complete view.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon holds his position like a statue, "....We met in a sewer...How bout you?" The pair ask after nearly a full minute of awkward silence. Even through the demonic voice overlay, it's obvious they are not even remotely versed in small talk.

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania gives nearly equal time before she says anything. In fact, it's just a couple seconds longer. Was she keeping count?

"<Warehouse.>" is all that's said in return. She just named that origin in one word!

However, both have a piece of knowledge about each other, and as she maintains her stance, she peers at him. "<You have a spider.>"

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon's head tilts slightly at the one word answer, then flips to the other side at the next statement. He raises his hand up and taps where his ear should be, "....A few..." The spider insignia on his chest wriggles a bit, "....You don't..."

Andi Benton has posed:
The shorter of the two, by a good half-foot as she does have a little added height thanks to the stompy, punk-inspired footwear she's got, advances closer until Mania is only a step or two away. She peers closely at the spider that's visible, then her chin tilts up to put her line of sight more in tune with his. "<Should we? We know Spider-Man. Do you?>"

Leon O'Malley has posed:
The suit wriggles more as Mania examines it, and when she looks up and asks her question, the eyes ripple as a pair of mask inserts slip through into view before retracting, "...What? Don't watch the news?" Wolf asks with an amused chuckle.

Andi Benton has posed:
"<We don't watch much. Usually bad news,>" Mania answers, and those eyes squint again before she eases back a few steps. "<We met him before. He helped us.>" she explains, and she makes a very human gesture as she rubs the side of her mostly featureless face.

Then, "<You are like us. You have a host, too.>" This is a revelation of sorts, surprising even as Andi and the symbiote hear themselves saying it.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
The suit wriggles and writhes more at the statement of similiarity, "....We're one of a kind." He says with a mock box, straightening up before continuing, "....Though, similiarities are certainly....apparent..."

Andi Benton has posed:
The bright lights outside the building that are trained on it cast long shadows through the room. Above, a few drops of rain begin to fall through with no roof in place to prevent them getting wet. Whatever hits Mania just slides away.

Inside, the symbiote continues to take a wary approach with how it tries to influence and direct Andi's actions, but the question she asks is more of a blunt one than before, and it's more her voice than a combined one. "So what were you doing down in a sewer anyway?"

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon's head tilts again, ".....I'd rather not say....And he doesn't know." The voice still amalgamating into a barely comprehensible mess." He glances off towards the light for a moment before snapping his gaze back to Mania, "And before you ask, we don't want to talk about why we're here, either."

Andi Benton has posed:
"Hey, whatever weird shit you were probably about to do here, I don't need to know," Andi retorts, still a little more in control at the moment than the symbiote, which is apparently continuing to make efforts to figure out how to act further. It seems to have retreated slightly, growing quieter in her mind, the voice more girlish than girlish /and/ otherworldly.

Andi, though she still looks the same way, adds, "I thought it'd be cool to sneak in and climb up to the top." Now a hand settles against her hip, next to a spiked belt that fits loosely and looks quite pointless with nothing for it to loop through. The other arm rests at her side.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon's head drops a little and his gaze dances off to the side, "....Our reason was a lot stupider than that...." He says with a bit of a shuffle of his feet. After a moment's pause, he glances back up, "....Your voice changed....It's nice....Sounds like you're not....cohesive."

Andi Benton has posed:
"My, uh..friend, I guess, is being quiet right now," Andi explains, and the shapes of her eyes shift to something a little wider, as if she's not sure exactly how to explain. Maybe he understands. Or, maybe she's just wondering why he said that about her voice. Was the other way that bad?

Clearing the throat, she asks, "And what do you mean by 'not cohesive?'" Could it be she's very new to this?

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon shrugs, "We've never had a voice slip. We just thought it might mean you two don't get along....Also, he NEVER stops talking. I've just learned to tune him out." He pauses, seemingly done. Then the next time Andi goes to speak, he blurts out, "See? He just ranted throughout the whole pause and I didn't even flinch." He chuckles, clearly pleased at his winning the pointless silent bickering.

Andi Benton has posed:
This time, more of Mania can be heard. "<We are still learning about us, and we do not talk /all/ the time.>" This leaves room for quite a bit, however.

The arms have crossed again, the body language coming up 'petulant.' Must be a young host, and maybe even the symbiote's first? "<We found us when we needed us. Saved us.>"

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon tilts his head a few times as he leans in, intensly scrutinizing the young pair for just long enough to be upsetting before pulling back, "....We're guessing....One? Two months? Tops, of course."

Andi Benton has posed:
The answer is not long in coming, even if it seems reluctant. "<Less,>" is all he gets in response. Not even a full month yet! Symbiote and host must only be scratching the surface of what they can do, what kinds of knowledge they've been able to share with each other. She moves toward a window with a nimble yet determined step, stopping before she'd be illuminated by that bright light shining in, and she looks out across the water to what can be seen of Manhattan from there. "<We needed us. Needed to keep safe.>"

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon watches them as they move away onto the windowsill, pausing a moment before walking over to stand behind them, "......We need to go...But, if you want, we'd be glad for the company on a patrol through the city. Just keep it in mind..." He turns and starts to walk away, stopping just before reaching the stairs and glancing back, "...Try to get along. It'll make things easier.....And eat lots of chocolate. It'll deal with the cravings."

Andi Benton has posed:
"<How long for you?>" Mania wonders, since a timeframe was not specified. There is a curiosity that lingers as she glances over a shoulder toward him. More of that defensive nature with some of the spikes has faded, but the belt remains along with a couple bands around the wrists, plus those shorter spikes along the arms and legs. "<If you know Spider-Man, we might find each other easier again.>"

A period of silence follows, everything quiet until a certain word is brought up. When it is, a sharp-toothed mouth forms into a haunting smile, parting for a moment where that long tongue darts out for a moment, as if tasting the air. "<Oh, yes. We /love/ chocolate.>"

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon nods, "We know. Don't stop eating it. We'll see you around, kids." He says befure turning and heading down the stairs, disappearing like he thinks he's Batman or something.

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania remains unmoving for a time after the other one has left, the mouth having faded away again. Someone just told her to eat as much chocolate as she could. That's kind of cool.

Eventually, she takes up that spot atop the decrepit building, ignoring the warnings posted below. If she is spotted, she doesn't seem to care. At some point, she too disappears again into the night.