|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2025 1:14 pm
Quote: Silken Snare (12) : Destiny City has an extensive history with problematic arachnids, and 2025 is not the year to shake that up. Large, sticky webs have appeared all over the city. Maybe it is a silly prank like the papers say, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it’s all fun and games when you’re stuck to the near-invisible net strung low to the ground or tucked away along alleys or pathways. They can trap anyone who even just brushes against them. It’s possible to be stuck in one for hours. The more you struggle, the more the threads tighten, clinging like a cocoon and it feels like being swallowed whole. If you listen carefully while caught, you might hear something moving above you. You might even feel something heavy dip onto the web next to you, chattering ominously. You never see it, but that in itself is a mercy. Something will always chase it away. Eventually, the strings will lose elasticity and you may be able to free yourself if someone isn’t able to rescue you–they just need to make sure they don’t get trapped, too. The threads can leave behind deep lines and bruises, so be happy that’s the worst you walked away with. Truly, the worst thing about patrolling alone was that sometimes, you got yourself into a pickle you couldn't get yourself out of. Normally, Amateru did just fine. Walk around for a little while, send some poor, stupid Lieutenant home with their tail between their legs, dodge a Captain or two, heal up any drained civilian he found, and then walk home to enjoy the rest of the night in bed with his future husband. Every once in a while, though, he encountered something too big to handle. On most of these occasions, he was able to exit the situation on his own and get home for some much needed sleep. Tonight, however, was not one of those nights. He'd tripped and fell into some kind of horrible, sticky net. Spiderweb. He shuddered at the thought. Whatever had made this one had to be huge. He didn't think it was very likely that a thousand or so of them had worked together to create a big web like this... The more he tried to escape, the tighter it wound itself around him, until he was struggling even to breathe. By the pastures, this was not good. If only he could get a message out somehow!
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2025 2:23 pm
Actually doing Senshi Things finally felt good, Lionel had found. He'd made a choice, followed throguh, and now he was no longer just...floating. Aimless.
Maybe he'd even make some time to visit his planet. That was a thing they were supposed to be able to do, wasn't it? And everyone else spoke so fondly of space, it seemed like...maybe he ought to give it a try. Even if he wasn't sure what he would find there. Adventure, et cetera.
But that wasn't tonight. Tonight, he was on a walk, and he planned to keep his feet firmly in Destiny City. Which was, apparently, for the best, because he rounded a corner and found a very messy looking display.
It was a good thing, he thought, that he wasn't scared of spiders, because a familiar large cow-man Senshi was stuck in what looked to be an absolutely massive spider web.
"Hey, Amateru," Lionel said, doing his best to keep his voice calm, "it's me--I think I cna help get you out of there." It was just webbing, right? Nothing like hard, encroaching clay--though Lionel really wished he could pull out his pocketknife. Alas, it was abandoned at home on his desk.
So, instead, he started in with his hands, carefully breaking webbing between them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2025 6:52 pm
Amateru detected the aura moving towards him before the voice spoke, and he relaxed a little at the idea that soon, someone would find him in his predicament and help him out of it, one way or another. The specific voice had him perking up a little. "Ah, Sailor Lionel," he said pleasantly, grateful that the webbing hadn't managed to cover his mouth. He might have legitimately gotten sick, if that had happened. "Very nice to see you again. Sort of." He chuckled good-naturedly at himself, gasping when some of the strands around his chest and diaphragm were finally snapped off him. Gods, it felt good to breathe deeply again. Slowly but surely, his new friend was able to break him completely free of the rotten spider web. Falling slowly to the ground didn't exactly feel nice, but he'd take that over being trapped forever. "Thank you," he said in a wheezy sort of exhale, carefully getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "That was extremely unpleasant."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2025 7:16 pm
At least the webs came apart. And, to Lionel's great gratitude, he did not lay eyes on what had made them. Perhaps it was scared off by the presence of a second person, perhaps there was no actual creature and this was just manifested magic--perhaps a lot of things, but the most important thing was that Amateru was relatively calm, not panicking, and not struggling overmuch, so it was easier to get him free from the web.
Once he started to tip forward, Lionel reached out to catch him--letting him hit the ground seemed like ti would just be rude, after what had happened--and once he was sure Amateru was entirely free and upright, he stepped back to give him a little space, and shook off his gloves to get rid of any lingering spider-webbing.
"I'm just glad you're alright," he said, gladly. "I suppose that makes us even--one rescue for another?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2025 7:22 pm
Ah. Lionel partially caught him as he started to fall free, and that felt quite nice. Amateru hadn't expected that. Perhaps he should've, given that they were quite near the same size, if not the same size outright. Standing before someone who was his own height was quite rare; rare enough that he'd plumb forgotten how big Lionel was. He smiled warmly, picking some webbing out of his horns. "I prefer not to count things in term of 'even'ness, friend. Tit for tat, favor for favor, none of it. We're allies; it's what we do." Stretching, he continued, "I do appreciate it, though. And seein' as how the universe wants to keep pushin' us together, how about you come over for dinner sometime with me and my fiancé? Might as well make friends outside of, uh, work?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2025 7:47 pm
There was something especially aw-shucks about Amateru that took Lionel's walls down. That, and having been saved from what definitely would have been a very scary experience if not a near-death one. He suspected people probably found Amateru easy to like.
"Alright, alright," he said. "No favors for favors. Just two allies helping each other where it's necessary." That was easier anyway. The idea of owing anything made him uncomfortable, and to be explicitly absolved of it? Nice, easy, would make things going forward far easier.
The invitation was a little startling--but perhaps it shouldn't have been. That was that aw-shucks hospitality, wasn't it?
"Dinner sounds great," Lionel agreed, "and I'll have to introduce you to my boyfriend sometime." He'd bet Laer would get on great with Amateru, though Laer got on with pretty much everybody. Social butterfly and all.
It was nice, Lionel supposed, to use these weird experiences to make a friend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
