THE MOMENT
Madame Arachne shuddered. All at once, she heard and felt countless tiny, pinpoint legs crawling on her while she looked down at the pale palm she held. The teenage girl it belonged to felt the trembles go through her hand. She tilted her head curiously at the palm reader; but, she did not say anything. And, Madame Arachne could not see the girl's eyes behind the solid black visor she wore.
The Madame often felt like she was the only true mystic in a field of con artists. Whenever she studied someone's palm, she could imagine the lines as a sort of web that extended and connected beyond the hand. She could clearly picture what each connection meant and she saw a connection that did not end well for her. But, the Madame was a professional, and she did not let her sudden discovery consume her. She pulled her red and black, spider-themed gown closer around herself to try and play the shudder off as a shiver of sudden cold.
"Oh yes," the older woman nodded as she released the teen's hand. It was time to stall. The teen wore all black and had a decidedly 'goth' look about her; Madame Arachne hoped she could drag things on enough for the teen to lose interest as goths did. "I see very big things in your future."
"What?" the teen asked. She shoved her hand forward to the palm reader.
"Try again, please," she said.
"Well, sure...," Madame put on a fake, customer service smile as she took the teen's hand. "...but the lines aren't going to be any different," she said. It was odd that she insisted on doing it again. Madame Arachne felt like the teen was expecting a different future somehow. She studied the teen's hand again instead of faking it. Both, to double-check her own prediction and just to do things the right way. Unfortunately, she saw her death again. It was more vivid this time. She realized the teen wasn't going to kill her by herself; but, she would be directly responsible somehow.
"I see a very bright future surrounded by countless friends," the Madame said with the same fake smile. The teen shook her head.
"No, that's wrong," she said.
"What's your fav-," teen started to ask a question but she was interrupted when someone else walked into the palm reader's tent.
"Hey, Abby...," another teenage girl walked in; she looked a lot like the first teen with pale skin and short, dark hair. Her hair was cut into a bob just above her shoulders; but, she wore all white. White slacks with a white button-up blouse. "...we got Riot's quest already; you almost done?" she asked. Abby, the girl with the black visor, shook her head and pointed at Madame Arachne.
"NPC problems," she said. The new girl in white focused on the Madame and golden light flashed in her eyes for a moment. Then, she nodded.
"Yep," she sighed. "That's going to be an inconvenience; she's Awake," she added. "I guess we should get her to Mundo..,"
"Oooorrr...," Abby stepped closer to Madame Arachne. The older woman stepped back. She didn't know what they were deciding exactly. Though it was obvious they were talking about her. "...we could not," she said.
The teen in white narrowed her eyes for a moment. Then, she turned and looked back through the tent flap. The fairgrounds and a sunny day waited on the other side; but, it didn't look like anyone else was coming in any time soon.
"I could get someone else to come help...," she agreed with a nod. Abby shook her head, then nodded at the spidery decor around the tent.
"I kind of had a different plan; depending on her number...," she said.
"Ladies, I'm going to have to ask you to have this conversation somewhere else," Madame Arachne interrupted. "I have work to do." The teen in white turned to look at her, then she spun around and headed for the exit.
"Thank you," Madame Arachne spoke up before she realized Abby hadn't made any moves to leave.
"She's an Araña," the teen paused at the flap to inform Abby. "Riot and I will get started on her quest; catch up when you're done. And, Riot can never know I let this happen," she said.
"You got it, boss," Abby grinned. The girl walked out leaving the palm reader alone with Abby.
"Did she call me a spider?" Madame Arachne asked. She went through a lot of spidery names before finally landing on 'Madame Arachne'. Abby nodded.
"Unique Soul #33, La Araña; or, the Spider. You have the ability to summon spiders out of your pores...," Abby held her hand out with the palm up. Madame Arachne watched as dozens of tiny black dots grew out of the pale palm and sprouted legs. "..and control them," she said. The palm reader had a sudden insight into how their connection happened. She now had an idea about what the crawling sensation was.
Above all else, Madame Arachne was a professional. She knew it was time for the end and she knew there was no way out. But, she did give Abby a faint grin.
"I knew you were going to kill me...," she said. It was her last true prediction; but, she was satisfied with that. Even at the end, she was comfortable knowing there was something special about her after all. She really did have the power to see the future. Abby shook her head and chuckled as she reached up and pulled her visor down.
"It's kind of interesting," she said. "That's not what I came here for at all." Madame Arachne was stunned once the visor came off. She had a fondness for spiders and never found them disgusting or scary; but, she could have never imagined what she saw. Abby's eyes were absent; the sockets were occupied; each by a large golfball-sized black spider. They crawled out onto her face and down her body as Abby continued her explanation.
"You were supposed to be a quest-giving NPC and nothing more than that. In a way...," she giggled and stepped forward. "...the fact that you saw me killing you is why I'm going to."