2020-07-25: Spider's Web
- Cutscene: Spider's Web
- Cast: Caina, Antenora
- Where: ???
- Date: July 25th, 2020
- Summary: What plans are yet to come to fruition...?
BGM: (Wild Arms 2 ~ Michiko Naruke - Odessa's Theme) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24YWGEE_JXI
The door closes behind him with a quiet click. He has always been put in mind of a spider's web when she is in the midst of her readings. Glittering wires cross one another from point to point. Even with his talents the vibrations that travel the metal are meaningless to him.
"Antenora," says Caina, after a moment's silence.
She doesn't move at first. At first, he has no sign she's even heard him.
But slowly she stirs, unentangling herself from her lines, from the wires, from the Ley.
If this is a spider's web, does this make her the spider?
"Caina," she responds in kind, rising to her feet. A coil of wire loops her left wrist, but she is otherwise unentangled. She tilts her head to the right, as if listening to something. "...Not an emergency," she remarks, then refocuses on him. "Did you need me?"
He pauses.
"I was wondering if..." He trails off.
"...You wanted me to put in a good word with him? Is that it?"
He pauses again, then swallows, then glances away.
"You know this wasn't a punishment, Caina. He isn't angry at you. Rather, he was worried."
Randolph bobs agitatedly behind him, as if somehow a throughline to whatever rests in his heart. "I know that. Without me, there is no way for us to use demons against them! But I can't stand watching them play at being 'heroes'! They're making a mockery of us and Lord Vinsfeld. And..."
She folds her arms across her chest, as if regarding him afresh.
"...You must have more patience. Have faith in his plans. If they wish to laugh now, let them laugh," Antenora assures him. "Soon, we will receive some assistance from an old ally."
The young man looks dubious. "Her? Do you think that's really going to work out?"
"Have faith in our leader, Caina," Antenora reiterates, smiling in a way that prompts the demon-summoner to go carefully poker-faced. He glances away from her. "By the way," she says, continuing on as if neither of them had so much as skipped a beat, "have you had the chance to look at that sample that 'Polynya' collected for us?"
Caina still doesn't look back at her. "Astrid, you mean. I took a look at it." Randolph fidgets in the air behind him; he folds his arms over his chest. "I think there's enough of it. Of course, I would rather we test it, but I know we only have one shot at this. It should be satisfactory. Next time, she should give us a bigger sample. The whole arm would have been better."
"What is done is done," Antenora says simply. "In that case, if you think it will be enough, perhaps you should report that to him. I am certain he would welcome the good news."
Caina glances back at her, tilting his head to one side for a long lingering moment -- almost as if he were suspicious about her intentions. But whatever he seeks in her expression -- understanding yet remote, as if she were another world -- he doesn't find it there. "Alright," he says, ultimately. "I'll prepare a report."