towerofanimus | DISTURBING! Spiders Shouldn't Be That Big!

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DISTURBING! Spiders Shouldn't Be That Big!

Characters: Lina and Spidermom in one thread, otherwise totally open.
Setting: Random hall on the 18th.
Format: Prose to start, will follow if you prefer action.
Summary: Lina's just wandering around and grousing, and will encounter Vriska's lusus on the loose. However, I'm also open to other threads happening here before or after her run-in with Spidermom.
Warnings: BIG-ASS SPIDER.

Before Spidermom:

This tower was nothing but stress.

The labyrinth. The punishment for dying there. Recovering from that. Sayaka turning into a monster. Confronting Sayaka over that. And on top of all that, the only thing to eat was more of those lousy food bars. Eugh. Lina's out for a walk to try and work some of this stress off - she'd go cut loose with magic, but doesn't wanna risk accidentally setting off the people here to cut her off yet again. That, and while the nutrition bars do their job, for someone like Lina, it's just not enough. And eating enough of those things to quell her hunger appropriately just does not sound appealing in the least.

A sound catches her attention down the hall. Sounds like she's coming up on somebody. Or something...

After Spidermom:
Hey, you there, person. Hopefully you're watching where you're going, because there is a short redheaded girl running full-tilt toward you with a rather panicked look on her face.

"GET OUTTA THE WAY!"

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A few moments pass, and Lina turns, leaning on the wall and sliding down to sit on the floor. "Same here," she says. "And, uh. I guess we're even now."

Warning someone about a killer death spider is totally equivalent to being sponsored in a battle-royale-ified labyrinth, right?

Yosuke looks over at her, confused. It's not as though he's forgotten about what he's done for her, but he never considered it something that needed to be paid back. It's in the back of his mind at best, and he's baffled.

"Even? You owed me one?"

"...well, two," she starts, looking off to the side. Admitting stuff like this isn't the most pleasant thing, after all. "The library, an' you sent stuff while I was in the labyrinth."

"Oh, that?" Yosuke can't help sounding surprised, having never honestly considered anything owed from those acts. But then he remembers their talk about where she came from, and how no one does something for nothing, or without expecting anything in return. Once he realizes that, he looks away awkwardly, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks as he considers what he's done.

"Don't worry about that stuff. It... it was just the right thing to do."

"Right thing to do, huh?"

She frowns, hugging her legs as she mulls it over. "I can kinda get the library thing, but why send the stuff during the maze? I haven't done a thing for you." This is the kind of thing she'd expect out of Amelia, and maybe Sylphiel, from the short time she's known the girl. The overly-nice types - Yosuke just seems like a regular fellow, like a smarter Gourry.

He searches for a way to explain his actions in a moment of silence, trying to ignore the fact that he's explaining them as much to himself as to her.

"I don't know. Look, you seem like a good person, right? And you were in trouble, and there was something I could do, so I did it. I mean, how many times do we actually get the chance to feel like we have any control in this tower? Honestly, it felt kind of good - to feel like I'm doing something again. It wasn't about anything you've done for me, it was just... you needed help, and for once I could give it."

For several moments, Lina's quiet as she considers what Yosuke said, staring at the floor. "That makes a lot of sense," she finally says, though admitting that is unsettling - mostly for the implications about the tower and what they can and can't do. She hugs her legs tighter, then sighs. "Maybe I'll give it a try, or somethin'. Actually accomplishing something would be nice..."

Yosuke can't help but feel bad, standing there watching her hug her legs close. There has to be something he can do - this is such a far cry from the hot headed redhead he met on her first day, and even if she's a pain, he likes that hot headed redhead. He offers her a hand, a smile, and a bad joke.

"Tell you what. The next time I'm in a jam, you're more than welcome to lend a hand. But don't think you owe me one or anything, I just have a habit of helping cute girls."

Lina looks up at him, and starts to reach for his hand, but she pauses at that comment. Her face tints red a bit, and she splutters - and can't really form words right now. The hell is this even, nobody ever compliments her like that. Not without something backhanded.

Where's the backhanded followup...?!

There is a followup, but it's hardly backhanded. Seeing her reaction makes him grin, and he can't help letting out a laugh.

Teasing is go! He pretty much has to, it's in his job description.

"Man, if I knew you'd get all flustered and look even cuter, I would have said something sooner.

Yeah, that's not helping that red in her face.

She swats his hand away, then stands up on her own. "I'M NOT FLUSTERED, YOU JERK!" She doesn't deny the cute remark, though. At least it wasn't a short joke, or a lack-of-boobs joke, though.

If he's not helping her blush, her reaction sure as hell isn't helping his laughter. He just cracks up more, unable to stop it.

"You so are, and it's too freakin' cute! Look at you! Your face is getting redder than your hair!"

Clearly, they are caught in a terrible loop of making things worse for each other. "IT IS NOT, AND IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Cue one punch swung at Yosuke's arm.

It may be a terrible loop, but he's enjoying every second as he continues to crack up. Yosuke doesn't even bother trying to dodge that punch, he just works an 'ow' between laughs and holds the place where she hit with his other hand.

"Too cute! I can't handle it! My heart's going to burst from the cuteness! Overload!"

"Grrr...!"

Flustered, frustrated, and clearly punching Yosuke didn't work. So she steps back, and raises her hands to make motions laced with the sparkle of magical energy, as a circle forms around Yosuke, and then explodes.

"DIL BRAND!"

The damage is minimal - stun damage at best, but it gets her point across.

There's a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he should run, but come on - she wouldn't really do anything too bad, right?

And then he gets smacked in the face - well, smacked in the all around, really - with that magical blast, stumbling a bit but managing to stay on his feet. It smarts, but he can understand that she's at least holding back. He's not on fire or exploded, so it could have been worse. It doesn't, however, mean he can't be indignant.

"Hey! That was completely uncalled for! That's it, I am so not asking you out now!"

She's all prepared to indignant right back at Yosuke when that last line comes in. And given just how...not-skilled-at-all Lina is in regards to emotional stuff like that, it fails to register in her mind that he might be jokingly saying that, and she finds herself spluttering in red-faced disbelief.

"Wh-what?!"

In truth he had meant it as a joke, but the fact that she's not shrugging it off gives him pause for a moment. Well... she is cute. Dating has been the furthest thing from his mind, but there may have been a hint of truth in that statement. Maybe. He's not sure.

"Y-you heard me! Because of this I'm not asking you out, cute redhead or not!"

We're sorry, the Lina Inverse you are trying to reach is not available right now, because she is too gobsmacked to properly formulate a response.

Which is for the best, or she'd probably explode Yosuke again.

Now that she's not saying he's mentally panicking because he's not sure how much of that he meant and how much was a joke. He can feel his face burning and he turns his head about trying to find an exit because this is getting awkward and he's ready to bail and take some time to calm down.

"Anyway, I uh.. should be going I guess, thanks for saving me from the uh... thing... SPIDER! Right, spider... the spider and all..."

Lina nods kinda absently, and after a moment, actually finds words. "Uh...yeah, sure. No problem..." She's still kinda dumbfounded, though.

"I'll, uh... I'll see you later, Lina."

And with that bit of smoothness, Yosuke bails as best he can, trying to figure out just what the heck is going on inside that head of his.

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DISTURBING! Spiders Shouldn't Be That Big!

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