>Before you can even think about relaxing, you snarl and grab her wrist, hauling her a foot above the ground with your face flushed ZZ ~ 1M AP0L0G1Z1NG S0 1 CAN GET Y0UR FACE 0UT 0F MY HEAD

>You drop her in stunned bewilderment , face taking on a bright shade of yellow as you stare at her >You should be mad >Why aren't you mad? ZZ ~ ... ZZ ~ ah...

>Her fist connects with a clang, leaving a sizable dent in your stomach >Youre still frozen up, eyes wide ZZ ~ 1 d0nt... ZZ ~ why are y0u st1ll...

>And you just let it happen, you aren't even trying to defend yourself >Your eye pops out with a clatter and rolls off >and now something is leaking from your other eye >Wait oh no-

>You palm at your face and stare at the black oil on your hand >What is /wrong/ with you? ZZ ~ ...1m...s0rry >Gog you even sound small

ZZ ~ 1m s0rry... >Honestly it's all you think you can say ZZ ~ 1 Made y0u cry...

>You just drop to your knees in front of her with a high pitched series of chirps ZZ ~ st0p crying ZZ ~ g0 back to be1ng angry

ZZ ~ 1m s0rry... >Still on auto pilot, you gather her up in a tight hug, chirruping and rumbling

ZZ ~ 1m n0t g00d at th1s... ZZ ~ 1 needed the1r help...

ZZ ~ that's all 1 kn0w h0w t0 d0... >Squeeze her a little tighter

ZZ ~ 1 d0nt kn0w... ZZ ~ 1 d0nt kn0w what 1ts called ZZ ~ l1ke...1 want t0 keep th1ngs fr0m eat1ng y0u 1nstead 0f eat1ng y0u

>Oh yeah the freezer >Sit up ZZ ~ 1 br0ught 1t f0r y0u ZZ ~ because y0u wanted 1t

>oh hey your eye >Even better, a distraction >stand up ZZ ~ Y0uve g0t unt1l 1m b0red

>Being emotionally cornered is a million times worse than being physically cornered >joster makes this look easy >Just swivel your head a bit to look at Lakshi, your face yellow

>There's that weird feeling again >What did joster say to do again?? >A small smile twitches at your lip, slightly less pained looking than last time ZZ ~ why 1s a m1dbl00d l1ke y0u l00k1ng f0r w1th a l0wbl00d l1ke me?

ZZ ~ 1 d0nt kn0w what that means but n0 b0dys punched me and l1ved ZZ ~ s0 1 l1ke y0u >Click and lift up your shirt to show off the cool new dent in your torso ZZ ~ s1ck

ZZ ~ 1t l00ks c00l. But 1 d0nt th1nk J0ster w1ll let me keep 1t ZZ ~ 1t d0esnt hurt >Take your eye back from where Ativan is dumbly holding it and shove it back in your socket

ZZ ~ ...yeah ZZ ~ 1 can start 0ver >Drop your shirt ZZ ~ Y0u sh0uld c0me back t0 my h1ve. S0 j0ster d0esnt th1nk 1 ate y0u

>You drop back to one knee again, to get eye level with her this time ZZ ~ ....1 th1nk 1m 1nterested 1n y0u ZZ ~ y0ure 1nterest1ng

>You give her a toothy grin, genuine this time ZZ ~ yeah, 1 th1nk 1d l1ke t0 g1ve that a try