I don't own RWBY or Call of cthulhu
February 10th 1926 on the Merchant District Arkham Massachusetts.
3rd POV
The scene opens up on the outer part of the Merchant District in Arkham. Tommy is seen walking with Scarlet as he walked her home, thirty minutes later from where Ruby last saw them. The date has been great so far. After catching up since their childhood departure. Talking about hobbies and life since they last saw each other since they were kids. Tommy was somewhat interested when he heard how she took up Botany and begin growing plants on top of her apartment's Greenhouse. She gifted him with an exotic looking flower that she attached to his shirt pocket. The two were laughing as Tommy was telling her stories from his life in San Francisco. One being of a time he had to chase a chain smoking purse snatchers across the bay.
"Heh heh, what happened next?" Scarlet asked Tommy.
"Well, after he pushed me to the floor he dived into a store house in China town. What he didn't know what that store house was used for was holding fireworks. Well imagine that old man Henderson story but with fire and somehow even more angry ducks!" Tommy explains as he emphasize the explosion a bit causing the two to laugh.
As the two laugh they eventually came to Scarlet's apartment building. It was once an old mill that had some refurbishing done to it. However, all the lights seemed to be off though there was a few silhouettes of people in the windows. As Tommy stood there looking up, he can't help but itch his arm. For some odd reason the closer he was to this building the worse his arms begin to itch. As he continues to scratch it, Scarlet approached him.
"You know… tonight doesn't have to end this soon." Scarlet said as puts her hand on his shoulder. "You could… come up with me. We'd talk some more… or perhaps very little."
She seductively ran her hand over his scar cheek. Running her fingers through the injury in a gentle and caring way before ending with her thumb on edge of her lip. Tommy was tempted but he can't help with his arm flaring up. So he grabs her hand and slowly pulled it from his face.
"Thanks Juliet, really but I do got other priorities that need my attention. Perhaps some other time." He said with a bit of reluctance in his tone.
"Surely your little… room mate, can handle herself for just a night." Scarlet said sounding a bit annoyed by her advances not working.
"I'd appreciate the thought but I do got work tomorrow. Maybe after, I do get the weekend off." Tommy promises her.
"Very well… but remember two things before you go." Scarlet said with a faint smile.
"Oh? And what would that be?" Tommy asked.
"One, my room is 22B and is unlocked. And two, my this just happened." She then grabs her dress and pulled it down, reveal a firm tit and nip. Tommy's eyes widen as she lets out a small giggle before kissing him on the lips as she presses her exposed boob against his chest. As she does this, she clips on an exotic flower lapel to his pocket shirt. After a few moments of passionate kissing, she quickly tucks her boob away before heading inside her apartment. "Goodnight Thomas."
Tommy stood there numb as his mind goes racing with thoughts. A part of him wanted to chase after her. But his arms begin to itch even worse till eventually they went numb. He gives a small smirk and decided to get off work early. Straightening his tie he heads back home muttering, "She got you good Tommy Boy. She got you good."
He walked the rest of the way home, taking a pause to smell the flower she placed on him. A little pep in his step as hums happily into the night. The cold winds might be blowing hard but those thoughts of ecstasy kept him warm all the way to downtown. He walked into his house before turning on the light.
"Hey, I'm home!" Tommy said with a wide smile as he removes his fedora and Scarf. As he does he noticed a strange light coming from Ruby's room. She seems to be mumbling something incoherently muffled through the doors. Curious overtaking his exuberant mind as he approaches the door.
"Ruby?" He asked silently as he slowly opened the door. Inside he was shocked to see the wall and floor littered with papers, folders and red twine. Ruby had pinned multiple papers to the wall and wrote pocket notes on small sticky notes.
"So if they originated from South America then why is Africa and Asia listed. No that can't be right? It's not like all spiders originated from the north pole right? Right!?" She mutters to herself as she wore strange goggles over her eye.
"Ruby?" Tommy said a little louder with more concern in his voice. This only caused Ruby to nearly jump pout of her skin as she points the gift pistol at Tommy with a shriek.
"Whoa! Holy Yahweh the hell you thinking!" Tommy shouts as he falls back from the shock of having a gun pointed at his face.
"Monty almighty, don't sneak up on me!" Ruby snaps as she lowered the gun.
"I didn't, you didn't hear me." Tommy corrected before Ruby begins patting him down. As she looked inside his mouth he sputters out, "The hell are you doing?"
"Tommy, did you… ugh… kiss!?" Ruby asked as she nearly vomits.
Tommy remains quiet for a few moments before giving her a dirty glare. "Excuse me?"
"Did you kiss that… thing!" Ruby asked again with a shudder.
"What are you five or something? Even if I did what's your business in the matter?!" Tommy asked her as he pushes her off him. As he stands he adds, "I know Juliet a long time ago. She ain't the type to remove a band for a guy like me."
"No, she's the kind who takes the band as a sick trophy." Ruby blurts out.
"What?" Tommy asked as Ruby drags him over to her Evidence board, though to Tommy it looks more like a Crazy board. She had put together strange details with names Tommy didn't recognize.
"She's been a very busy Black Widow. I mean maybe the first I've come across but she is very good, very good indeed." Ruby said as she points to a list of 14 names each one connected across a map from Japan to Portugal. Tommy recognizing one name that was connected to Boston.
"I'm sorry à what?" Tommy asked with a raised brow as he looks down at a photo of an old man, marked with the name Olof.
"A Black Widow, not the spider but a female archetype serial killer. She would lure men in with her beauty before killing them in their sleep." Ruby explains as she points to a police sketched picture of the woman described in the missing person case.
"Ruby, we don't have that. Even if we deal with this mythical arachnid style killers Jules is anything but a killer much less a sadistic killer." Tommy said as he punches the bridge of his nose.
"No, she's much worse! So, so, so, much worse." Ruby said as she pulls up the goggles. Revealed her fear filled eye to Tommy. "I saw… what she is. What she really is. From these crystals I saw what hides under her skin."
Tommy took note of how visible terrified Ruby is. Whatever she seen visible terrified her. Looking down at the goggles Tommy considered her words for just a moment before pushing them back towards her. "Ruby, kid. I trust you but for god sake she's a friend of mine. I know loosing your only current lead on your sister was harsh but you can't make lines and dots like this."
"Lines and dots! Tommy I know what I saw! She's a monster!" Ruby argues with her hands out.
"She's a dear friend… no a bit more then that. I'd advise you stop these baseless accusations right now." Tommy said bluntly. He couldn't believe that of all the people to make such a malicious lie it would be her.
"She's a monster Tommy! A monster!" Ruby repeats with fear in her eye. "She lures men in with flirty remarks lovey eyes, exotic flower, kissy fac… wait, what is that!?"
She points to the exotic flower lapel on his shirt. "Did she have you that!?"
"So? She likes Botany, uses her apartments rooftop greenhouse to grow em." Tommy explains before Ruby rips the flower from his shirt. "Hey, what are you…"
Before Tommy could finish that sentence Ruby throws the flower to the ground before stomping on it under her foot. Tommy eyes widen as he watches Ruby grind the flower under her boot. Angrily he asked her, "Hey woah what the hell Ruby!"
"She planted that on you to kill you! We need to stop her before she kills you." Ruby says as she finishes crushing the flower under her boot. She then walks over to the phone before started dialing. "I'll get Director Blackwood on the line. He can get us a warrant and cars and anti spider sprays! Everything to take her down!"
Before she could finish dialing Tommy put his hand on the dial, interrupting Ruby's attempt at calling. He had enough of Ruby's crazed ramblings. "Ruby… you are not thinking straight. For three nights you've been talking with your friend until the crack of dawn. Along with that the stress of losing that lead has made you paranoid, hysteric. I want you to take the night off. Just know I will report this behavior in the morning. The agency has a strict policy on this kind of obscene and erratic behavior."
"But…" before Ruby could plead again, Tommy snaps at her.
"But NOTHING!" Tommy snapped. "Go to bed!"
He then stormed out leaving Ruby alone in the room. She remained silent for a few moments. She knew what she saw, and as horrific and indescribable that thing was. There was no way any sane individual would ever believe her. Even on Remnant story's like the Chill are laughed off as scary stories for children. So how would she convince the Director that the missing person is a walking talking abomination with eight legs! That's when she saw it. The exotic flower… it moved just an inch. Leaning down she got a closer look at the exotic flower.
She sees it moving before watching a strange looking spider crawl from the flower. It crawled only a few inches before dying. When Ruby stopped on it she unknowingly fatally injured the spider. A small smirk appeared before growing wider. She found evidence. Quickly going into the kitchen, she returned with an empty milk glass and pushed the spiders corpse inside. She was about to show Tommy it but realized that he will not be convince. So she decided to find out about this spider a bit more.
Problem is there was no Internet. And the Library is close. That's when it hit her. Miskatonic Oriental Library was open at all hours of the day. Though it's mostly for students she's sure her badge and unique inquirer of spiders would get her in. Knowing full well that time is against her she quickly grabs her coat and raced out into the cold night of Arkham. She had very little time and with most people asleep she used her Semblance to speed towards the college. She was glad it was February or else people might find it odd that there was a huge number of rose petals lying on the ground. She made it to the college in ten minutes. Rushing to the library she was about to reach for the door when it suddenly opened, causing her to rush headlong into a man.
"Eeek, I'm so sorry!" Ruby said as she picks herself up.
"Dear lord watch where you are running, I swear our football players are less brutal in tackling their professors." The middle age man said as he fixes his glasses. He seems to be in his late forties "Just why are you running so head long you nearly takes me out of my coil as you took me off the soil?"
"Sorry, but it's an emergency. I'm trying to find out about this." Ruby said as she held up the milk jar with the dead spider in it. The man adjusted his glasses to get a better look through the murky glass. All while Ruby adds: "it's an emergency my friend could possibly die."
"Well, I'm no Arachnotolgist but I've never seen such a spider before. Where did you find it?" The man asked as he pulled down his glasses.
"In a flower lapel but that's not important. I got to find a book on spiders. It might be poisonous." Ruby pleaded.
"Oh, I'm sure that would want to hurry on that, um sorry but I do must ask you for your student ID." The man requested to Which Ruby pulls out her I.D as a Blackwood Agent.
"Would this work?" She asked a bit antsy to get to finding the book.
"Oh, you're not a student… hmm, didn't know Blackwood agents are… we well young. You must have been a special case." The man said as he looked carefully at the I.D to make sure it isn't a fake. "Well, Detective Rose. Let me assist you on the matter. And here I thought my night of correcting my students papers would be boring."
Ruby gives a half smile as she wouldn't know where to begin. "Thank you Professor."
"Wilmarth, Professor Albert N. Wilmarth. Professor of English and New England Folklore." The man introduced himself. "I say I've been trying to get into your sensitive document section of your case files for some time. If you have the chance after mind putting a good word in with your Director?"
"Um, I'll try. But why if I may ask?" Ruby asked. She wasn't allowed into the sensitive cases department of the agency, hell not even Tommy. She only met one person permitted to look through them and that was the Director himself.
"One case file, the first one and the oldest in all your branches. Historically your Agency was formed to find the infamous local witch Kaiser Mason back in 1694. There are many local legends surrounding her escape and her strange mathematical equations she left in her cell and home. I'd love a chance to read such a paper to get a more grounded and accurate summary on the subject." Professor Wilmarth explained his keen interest in seeing the files within the Sensitive documents department.
"I'll see about it, but I can't promise anything." Ruby said with a shrug.
"Best answer I have received this far so I'll take it. Now. Spiders and other crawling things are on floor 2 section 4 On the South Bookstacks, Zoology department." Professor Wilmarth directed. Giving a nod she follows him to it and the two dived into finding the strange spider.
Hours go by. Ruby and Professor Wilmarth searched every book on all thing's spiders in the Zoology category. Yet not one even came close to the thing in the milk jar. The spider seemed to be a cross breed between a Recluse, crab, and trapdoor arachnid. As they searched into the early hours of the morning, they were at a loss on how what the unknown spider is.
"I'm at a loss of words. Granted this school doesn't have an Entomology program we do have a sizable information on all phylum Arthropoda creatures. Yet never has there been a creature such as this before." Professor Wilmarth grumbles in frustration at something so minuscule being difficult to find.
"We can't give up. Maybe… it's not a spider. Maybe it's another type of um… another type of… er, bug." Ruby chimed with a drowsy tone.
"Possible but I don't know if there is such a thing. (Sigh) still best we look. I hate questions without answers. Quite a pet peeve of every academic." Professor Wilmarth said with a groan as he rubbed his tired eyes. "Do you want a cup of coffee? I don't think I can read another book without some caffeine."
"Sure, extra milk please." Ruby said.
Giving a nod Professor Wilmarth gets up from his seat and heads to the staff common room when he accidentally bumps into someone. "My apologies I did not see you there."
"It's quite alright." The stranger said. Ruby stirs to the strangers voice as it was familiar. Turning around she pleasantly surprise to see Director Blackwood.
"Director Blackwood. What are you doing here?" Ruby asked drawing the attention of the old man.
"Ah, hello Agent Rose. I am here to meet with Dr. Henry Armitage, the head librarian here about a suspicious figure. Some yokel out of Dunwhich by the name of Whateley. Gave the man a fright when asking for access to the university's restricted section." Director Blackwood explained before noticing the number of books scattered about the table Ruby was working at. "What May I ask are you working on?"
"… you wouldn't believe me if I told you sir." Ruby said shyly.
"Try me." Director Blackwood said. Ruby remains quiet for a few moments before telling him everything. Her suspicion of Juliet Scarlet. How she believed her to be a Black Widow serial killer. And how she is trying to make Tommy her latest victim. As she explained her theory it admittedly sounds a bit far fetch. Professor Wilmarth was a bit hesitant about Ruby's explanation but Director Blackwood seemed unphased by the rambling. After she finished, he took a moment before speaking. "Can I see this spider?"
Ruby gives a nod before handing him the milk jar. He looks at the dead creature for a few minutes. Inspecting it closely before remarking. "I've seen this before."
"You have?!" Both Ruby and Professor Wilmarth said in unison.
"Yes. A decade and a half ago we received from our Far eastern branch in Tokyo a book called Shiruku u~ebu no shinjitsu. I remember seeing a few passages on strange spiders yet to be catalogued." Director Blackwood explains.
"That's… fantastic!" Ruby said with a glimmer of hope. "Can I get a ride Director? I sort of ran here."
"From Downtown?" Director Blackwood asked with a raised brow.
"I er um… run marathons." Ruby said with a quick lie.
"I see, well unfortunately I took the bus here." Director Blackwood said shredding Ruby's hope.
"I can give her a ride." Professor Wilmarth spoke up reigniting that spark of hope in Ruby.
"Oh thank you Professor Wilmarth!" Ruby said as she hugs the professor.
"Oh, come now it isn't much. And please call me Albert. Only my students call me Professor." Professor Wilmarth said as he was a bit taken back by the young girls friendliness.
"Thank you regardless. I'll phone the agency ahead of you two. Please meet with Ms. Phan in the case file department. She'll have the book up for your viewing only." Direct Blackwood instructs.
Ruby gives a nod and pulls Professor Wilmarth with surprising speed out the door. It took her a few moments to realize she doesn't know where he's parked. After straightening himself, he walked her to the back of the library where they came upon a beautiful yellow 1921 Oldsmobile 43A Series Touring. Ruby couldn't help but whistle at the sight of such a beautiful car. Certainly her sister Yang would be drooling at the sight of such a beautiful car. The two entered the car and drove as fast as they legally can to the Agency. Parking in the garage the two quickly made their way downstairs where they were greeted by Blackwoods personal secretary, Phan. A Vietnamese born woman named Hinh Thi Phan.
"Here you are Detective Rose. The Shiruku u~ebu no shinjitsu." She said as she puts down an ancient looking book. The whole thing was made from Bamboo and written in texts that Ruby could barely understand.
"Um, Albert by chance you know Japanese." Ruby said as she turned to Professor Wilmarth.
"Sadly no. Fascinating texts though." He remarks as he turns the bamboo text. As he flips though the pages he eventually comes to a page that the texts were set in the shape of a very unique spider. "Here, I think this is the page we were looking for. Shame I can't read this."
"I can. I once worked at the Burakkuuzzu tantei jimusho in Tokyo for a summer." Ms. Phan said as she moved beside the two. She then reads the following texts. As she does the scene pulls out as a spider can be seen crawling into the cracks of the basement.
"Yami no naka no tsumugi-te wa shōsū o konomi, subete o musabori kuu. The Lurker at the suresshorudo to no nagai kakushitsu no naka de, kanojo wa musume-tachi ni hito-gata no karada kara seichō suru mezurashī kumo o okutta to iwa rete imasu. Taishō-sha no kokoro o mushibami, feromon o bunpitsu shite taishō-sha o kuruwaseru. Toki ga tatsu ni tsurete, musume-tachi wa utsukushī sugata o nugisute, hahaoya no fujōna bijon ni kawaru kamo shiremasen. U~ebu no su de gisei-sha no nō o gochisō shimasu. Sorera wa shitaideari, subete no kumo no haha ga mada sekai no yami ni hisonde iru koto o asaku omoidasa sete kuremasu." (The spinner in the darkness favors few and devours all. It is said in her long feud with The Lurker at the Threshold, she would gift her daughters with rare spiders the grows from their humanoid bodies. The being prey on the mind of those effected, secreting a pheromone that causes those who are targeted to fall madly in love. With time the daughters may shed their beautiful forms and transform into their unholy visions of their mother. Feasting upon the brains of their victims in the nest of webs. They're corpses a shallow reminder to all that the mother of all spiders still lurks in the darkness of the world.)
At the Miskatonic Exhibition Museum Around the same time.
The scene opens up within a dark Office at the Miskatonic Exhibition Museum. Tommy had walked into the museum. For some reason he decided to take the day off. The smell of that flower still hanging in his mind driving him to Scarlets place of work. He got past the guard with his badge as he walks into her office.
"Hey Jules. It's me. I… got the day off and well. Figure I'd surprise you." Tommy said as he knocked on her office door. After getting no responses he enters holding a bouquet of flowers. "Jules? Are you in here?"
Tommy walks in finding the room dark. As he looked around he was about to leave when he noticed something gleaming in the dark. Walking over to the desk he turned on the desk lamp. On the desk were rings. Fraternity and wedding bands. Looking over them he picked one up, marked as Curt & Amanda Armstrong recognizing the name he begins looking over the other bands and rings. He recalled a few of the names from missing reports. He begins to worry as this was all suspicious. As he looked through he noticed a strange red book that had some kind of amulet sticking out of it. Reaching for it he opened it up to find a golden amulet of a spider. Besides the amulet were a list of names all crossed off with the words scribbled repeatedly. "I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed! I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed! I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed! I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed! I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed! I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed! I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed! I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed, I must feed!"
As he overlooks the list his eyes widened when he saw the last name on that list. Was his name. The shock distracted him as a spider that camouflage to the paper crawled out and bit him on the thumb. He lets out a small yelp in agony as he accidentally knocked the lamp over causing him to be engulfed in darkness. As he shuffled about. Feeling a bit weak headed, he heard a distorted voice.
"Hello… Thomas." The distorted voice called out before the shuffling noise of something can be heard.
"Jules… is… is that you?!" Tommy struggled to say as he shuffles about in the dark. His motor skills were effected by the venom of that spider. He found it hard to stand. Leaning up against the desk he goes for his pocket flashlight.
"Yes Thomas… sorry about my baby. I'd hope to get you in with me last night." The distorted voice said in the darkness.
"Good god Jules… Ruby. She was right about you. You're… a black widow killer." Tommy slurred as he finally pulls the flashlight from his pocket.
"Oh, Thomas." The voice echoed as Tommy turns on the flashlight to find the room empty. Struggling to remain conscious as he looks around he felt something slimy land on his shoulder. Grabbing it he found it to be… skin. Slowly looking up the voice said. "You have no idea… how true that is."
Tommy's eyes goes wide in fright and shock. Never before has he seen something so familiar demented into an abomination of man itself. Juliet hanged from the ceiling, her skin punctured with multiple hairy legs at the torso. Her forehead covered in grotesque eyes, and a sinister clicking noise is heard from its mouth as two appendages is seen pushing out of her jaw. The thing then leaps down at Tommy causing him to drop his flashlight smashing it as the scene cuts to black.
Well… shit. Hello everybody
Sorry if this chapter feels a bit rush… as it was. My brother graduated this weekend and I was forced to write most of this on my phone. Now then this chapter name drops a lot of named figures, along with that some lore on Blackwood's reach. Now let's jump into comment and questions.
From Crimson Weresloth: To late, call the fire department instead. *Lights up match before burning the room*
Thanks for writing Crimson Weresloth
From Carre: 1. No problem
2. Well I'd advise brushing up on it as the next arc is set in Berlin and dives into the mind of an infamous Serial Killer who took, the Epistine way out.
3A. Yep. It reminds me of a movie, can't remember the name of it but has the line, "MATT LOWL CAN SUCK IT!"
3B. He knows… a lot more then he let on. So why he is permitting Ruby to follow… maybe he is testing her.
3C. This is a reference to a scenario involving a Blimp. Can't remember it but I suppose the idea was last minute but well touched.
4. Will do.
Thanks for writing Carre
From Black Cross0: Indeed. Nothing is worse then meeting your ex to find out she's let herself go badly.
Thanks for writing Black Cross0
Well, with that done the next chapter will hopefully be my last for this Arc. We get an in depth look at Arkham, the fictional agency, Miskatonic, and a simply love story gone horribly wrong. Please leave a comment or question bellow and I'll answer it in the next chapter Fav and Fol the chapter as well. Till then this is Wombag1786 signing off.