[action]

[diseasing]

[So, you're in the orchards for some reason. Maybe you're exploring or just taking a walk. Maybe you're gathering food. Maybe you're lost and you wound up there by mistake. No matter what the reason, you're there, though, and you've come across a certain pair of trees.]

[Now, there's nothing unusual about this trees themselves. It's what's between

Comments

[notvitiligo]

[It's not a centipede, so it's fine in Jessica's book! She's just going to stand back and watch this thing. Though, of course, she's definitely ready to run like hell, because, y'know, giant predator.]

[diseasing]

[The spider moves toward one of the larger birds it has trapped, but then pauses. Has it noticed Jessica? Yes it has! In response, it...suddenly warps, it's body changing shape and seeming to collapse in on itself.]

[...And then, suddenly, Yamame is there, hanging upside down from one of the threads like a kid on a set of monkey bars. She's smiling brightly.]

Hi! What are you doing here?

[notvitiligo]

[Blink. That was new.]

Hi. I was just looking around for a good place to build.

I, uh, didn't mean to interrupt your... lunch, I guess. I was just kind of interested, with the whole "giant spider" thing.

[diseasing]

[And Yamame swings off from where she's hanging, letting herself land on the ground. Turning and brushing herself off, she steps closer to Jessica. Lunch? That's forgotten, at least for the moment.]

Oh? What are you building?

[notvitiligo]

Fortress.

So, are you normally a spider?

[diseasing]

That sounds neat. What are you building it for?

Yeah, that's right. I'm an earth spider!

[notvitiligo]

Defense the next time monsters show up.

I haven't heard of earth spiders before. I would've assumed they'd be more like trapdoor spiders. It's kind of amazing to see a bug that's bigger than I am. [Of course, this is completely dispassionate and calm. GJ acting normal, Jessica. GJ.]

[diseasing]

Monsters? [She pauses, thinking about that. She wasn't here for any monsters...] Well, that sounds like a good idea!

You think so? Most people are scared of me when I look like that. That's why I usually look like this! [When dealing with humans, anyway.]

[notvitiligo]

I thought so, yes.

I don't really blame them. It's not that unusual a sight to me, though, and since you didn't look like the kind that runs down prey... I'm not exactly a normal human, I guess.

[diseasing]

Oh? You've seen other things like me before?

[notvitiligo]

...sort of. It's not the sort of thing...

Well, yes, I have. Not quite as... normal-looking, though. Comparatively.

[diseasing]

[Yamame doesn't immediately reply, tilting her head slightly as she thinks. After a little bit, she says,]

I don't know if I really get it, but... I'm glad you're not afraid of me.

[notvitiligo]

It's sort of complicated.

So far, you haven't given me a reason to be afraid of you. I mean, other than being a giant spider, which... well, it's kind of creepy, but not inherently dangerous, I assume. Definitely more interesting than creepy, though. [There is the faint suggestion of a smile there.]

[diseasing]

It sounds like it.

[She just kind of...puffs her cheeks out.] A lot of people are afraid of me just because of what I am. Even other youkai. That's why I got banished underground in the first place. So... I'm glad.

[notvitiligo]

[OK, that's kind of cute. Jessica is dangerously close to "actual smile" territory now.]

Well, I don't think you'll have to go back underground here. Unless you break the rules, of course.

It's kind of weird that other youkai would be afraid of you, though. I mean, aren't they just as weird? From a certain viewpoint, at least.

[diseasing]

It's... [She hesitates, not sure if she wants to tell Jessica. Because that's what scared everyone away from her, right? But she decides to do it anyway. If she wasn't frightened off already...] It's because of what I can do. My power. I can make people sick, if I want to.