nerdsandnoods | boyfriend is a snake, news at eleven

boyfriend is a snake, news at eleven

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Shinjiro had learned to stop asking questions on 'how' or 'why' years ago. He'd learned even then that 1. you usually never got an answer, and 2. the answer rarely actually changed anything that needed doing. He'd also, years ago, gotten pretty maxed out on weirdness- being made aware of a time distortion where monsters fed on peoples minds, that he and a few other teens were able to shoot themselves and pull forth monsters to fight them-- pretty strange. And understanding it didn't change much of anything.

So, yeah. He's taken his boyfriend becoming a snake-man pretty well, all things considered.

It's bizarre, sure. Nothing not weird about that. But by now he's pretty burnt out on being mindfucked, and tends to roll with it as easily as anyone is expected to be. So as surprising and strange as it is, Shinjiro hasn't exactly gotten sidetracked with trying to figure out how or why it's happened- instead focusing on trying to figure out what Akihiko needs now, and what's changed in that respect.

(He did really well for the first few days- not straight up asking if his long-time best friend was gonna eat rats and rabbits live. Not asking him about bodily functions. Trying to just be the constantly dry and abrasive asshole he assumes akihiko has come to love(????) and rely on(even more ???????'s).

But it didn't take too long for his curiosity to get the better of him- especially as it seems more and more that this won't swiftly reverse itself. His first slip up was likely just brusquely asking 'so do you even need all these pants anymore?' while helping make adjustments to Akihiko's room.)

There's been a few minor adjustments, sure- like putting a damned heat lamp into Akihiko's room to help him not become a sluggish mess in ambient room temperature (Shinjiro hates it, hates how sweltering it always is in there now-) and clearing a bit more room for him to get about a bit more easily as someone smarter than him works on figuring out what this is about and how to fix it. But for the most part, he's returned to business as usual as much as possible, if only to help provide some sort of unwavering constant for Akihiko to hold to. Because... really, if it were him? he'd hate it being made a huge deal out of. It's hard enough to deal with shit on your own- having everyone walk on eggshells just adds another layer of awkwardness to it.

...Though that doesn't really explain why he rudely lets himself into the other man's room, carrying a drink, with a casual "Yo, scale-face. You up?" Of course Akihiko can't exactly go to school like this, so it tends to just be the two of them and the dog throughout the day- and Shinji really can't complain about that. But he does lift an eyebrow at a huge piece of... scale-dandruff or something on the floor, crouching just enough to pick up the shed skin between his fingers and wrinkling his nose. Gross.

"Man, this don't come off in one piece?" He stands again, setting the glass onto Akihiko's desk and looking at the huge flake of skin a bit more carefully. It's... kinda cool, he guesses, being able to see the texture of scales on it... but it's still a huge piece of snake dandruff. "That's gotta be a pain in the ass." A shrug, and he just... drops it on the floor again. They can vacuum or something when it's all done. Whatever.

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There's something to be said, really, about taking things as they are with the sort of come-what-may attitude that could only come from having had endless weird crap shoved into one's face long enough that the word 'normal' doesn't exist anymore; learning about the Dark Hour, Tartarus, Shadows and everything attached to all three had been something of a shocker, there's never going to be any lie about that, but working within SEES to bring an end to it all had just gotten to be another sort of routine for him. Like alternating between arm days and leg days, or sticking to straight up cardio, or —

Uh. You get the picture. Suffice it to say that neither he nor Shinjiro ask many questions anymore, and when it comes to the fact that he's more snake than human being now, well. There are surely still some questions to be asked and ultimately left unanswered, so they don't bother, and it's just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other ( or slithering in increments, as it were, now ) and making it through one day at a time, because it's not exactly like there's anything he can do about it.

He has to give the other credit where credit is due, truth be told; having known each other as long as they have, Shinji's utter lack of a brain-to-mouth filter in addition to a deficit in tact tend to partner up for disaster in social situations, even if they tend to consist of just the two of them. During those first few days he'd been expecting an onslaught of questions that he, personally wouldn't have known the answer to until they became relevant — like, say, when he could have figured out how certain body functions came into play — and he has to admit that his long-time friend has been able to keep his mouth shut. For the most part. Even if, of course, there are always going to be those little moments in which he just can't help himself.

It's a thing that happens. Akihiko knows it, expects it, pretty much thinks something is wrong when it's absent. This is a difficult transition for both of them, and questions like so are you gonna eat that whole or uh, are you gonna need help taking a piss might have done wonders to break up the tension. As it were.

He's. Picking at another piece of shed skin when the other so rudely lets himself into the room that is now entirely too warm for someone that can actually regulate their body temperature, mouth pulled to the side as he tugs, and tugs a little more, attempting to get as much of this layer off in one piece if only to keep — well, that sort of question from being asked. Because ideally, yes, it would all come off in one piece. Admittedly, Akihiko hadn't known much about snakes before this happened, and now there is a veritable stack of books layered next to the pile of linens that now serves as a place for him to sleep.

The endearment of scale-face goes ignored, for now. Excuse you. "It itches," he offers mildly, still concentrating on his piece of skin. "Like you wouldn't believe."

Yeah. Let him even try to go out like this, much less to school. Looks like he's staying in for the foreseeable future.

A brow lifts, even though it's hidden under his typical mess of bangs smushed down by his beanie (which will likely get removed because seriously it's fuckin' hot in here--). Itching... kind of makes sense? With old skin needing to break up and slough off? As is usual lately, his eyes track down to the massive coils of scales down below the other man's waist, as though trying to figure something out about it. (Because just like Akihiko, he'd had next to no knowledge on snakes before this. And unlike Akihiko, he hadn't bothered with books or research.)

"Sounds miserable." Helpful, Shinji. Still, he sits down on a clear patch next to one of the thick coils of muscle and scale, reaching over to scratch one of the dulled looking patches- and looking a bit uncertain. because really... does this even help? Can he even feel the scratching, now that he has smooth scales as opposed to skin? All sorts of questions that he's trying to pace himself with, as opposed to driving Akihiko up a wall or making him feel like even more of a freakshow.

"I guess it'd feel dry or whatever...? Damn, makes me wonder how often this'll happen."

He continues idly scratching the patch of skin, reaching over with his other hand to grab where he'd left his drink on the desk. (And in hindsight, maybe he should have brought something for Aki, too, but. That would have required more forethought.)

"Maybe try an' soak it?" He's making shots in the dark, really. Because hey, he's not done a single bit of research on his own. "But I guess other than itchin' to death, how're you holding up?"

— Honestly, that he still even bothers wearing the beanie when they're in the same room together ( aka the only room that is even remotely comfortable for him to inhabit on his own, lest he find himself twined around the whole of Shinjiro's person like a particularly sentient rubber band or piece of pipe cleaner ) is a bit of a surprise, but it goes without saying that he can't quite recall the last time he'd seen him without it, so. Old habits die hard or not at all if your name is Shinjiro Aragaki, and he's long since learned that asking questions won't get him anywhere. Maybe it's a creature comfort thing. Who the hell knows.

Anyway.

Beneath the hem of the button-down shirt that ( he thinks, anyway ) proves to help him maintain some of his dignity ( dignity that had all but fled when he'd ceased to be able to wear actual pants ), the scales that have taken over proper human skin will be cool to the touch even with the temperature of the room hovering somewhere in the realm of eighty-five degrees; he stops his own picking for the tiniest moment when that scratching begins, even if he might not be able to feel it as he would have before, there's a bit of an appreciative hum as his eyes slip closed, a breath out and in and then out again. He's so far aware that snakes tend to shed completely and not in patches thanks to his reading, but he supposes that has everything to do with being a snake in entirety and not … whatever he is now, so he's trying to convince himself that shedding in flakes is perfectly normal.

The term normal is, of course, up for speculation now, anyway. To that end — "It depends on the species," he finally says, slitting one eye open and training it on the point at which fingertips effectively skate over mostly-pale scales. Too bad that pattern hasn't shown up yet. He looks a bit like a white-ass worm. "But a few times a year, regardless. I wouldn't be surprised if it happened more often in the beginning." A pause, and the line of his mouth curves into the ghost of a smile. "That … feels good." Ah, happy danger noodlehiko.

But he comes back to himself quickly enough, straightening a little with his head still tilted to the side in thought. "I read something about that, actually. Maybe I'll try it." Another beat, and he shrugs. "As well as can be expected when you don't have legs anymore." Yeah, he's going to snort to himself for that. He thinks it's pretty funny. And it's completely fine that Shinji didn't bring him anything — he doesn't need to be watered just yet.

Look maybe he forgets he's wearing it. Or maybe it's to keep him from having to comb his hair. Or maybe it's melded with his skull at this point. Regardless, it's hella uncomfortable in this hot, humid room, and he's really tempted to make some lame excuse about how Aki should get some air and relocate to the roof to sun or something. (Granted, that would mean tackling two flights of stairs, but he has faith in Akihiko's ability to navigate the dorm by now.)

Whatever the case, he shrugs and doubles-down on the scratching as Akihiko mentions it feeling good. It's... kind of cute, really, the way his eyes ho half-lidded, the faint relief that seems to bleed at the edges of his posture. And even if there's not a lot that Shinji can do to ease this whole 'losing your legs' thing, he won't shy away from the few things he can do. And if that means grabbing a thick round of snake-tail and hauling it onto his lap to more comfortably scratch at the dry, flaking skin? Then that's what he'll do.

"Yeah, I don't think Mansnake is a documented species just yet." Another shrug. Because really, he wouldn't imagine Akihiko to play by normal snake rules since he's... well. Not a snake. Looks like one, has a lot of parts of one, but is ultimately still a teenage jock. "But if it's just dry and flaky, water'd probably help. Maybe get some damp towels if you don't want try and fit your whole tail-thing into the tub."

Because sorry to say, bro, but you are a lot of snake.

He adjusts his hands- moving more to the wide, where the scales begin to transition into the longer 'underbelly' scales, and resumes rubbing the skin there, as though that would work off some of the skin trying to come off. And he does crack a faintly amused look at Akihiko's comment about not having legs. Hell, at least they can both acknowledge the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

(And really, akihiko is taking it a hell of a lot better than shinji feels he would.)

"Whatever, now you just don't gotta waste time with squats and shit. And you get to figure out how to work out all this mess." How does a snake work out. How does it build muscle mass. He doesn't know, but if anyone will figure it out, it will probably be Akihiko.

Finally he does bring a hand up to run through his own hair, knocking the beanie off as he does so- because it is so damn hot, ok. There's already a faint sheen of sweat at his hairline and at the back of his neck, where more unruly tangles press against his skin. "You might wanna try gettin' some real sun, too." aka please get out of this shitty room it's awful in here.

( It has probably become one with his scalp and if he tried to remove it … that's. Incredibly gross and no one needs to think about that. So. Moving on. ) It might have been a decent idea to get out of that room and let him stretch out a bit more than he has been the past few hours, despite not feeling anything like soreness that would have surely settled in by now were he still possessed of human limbs, and as much as he does inherently appreciate the time the other spends with him ( despite the room itself now more closely resembling a sauna than a dorm ) he's well aware that it can't be comfortable. In small fits and bursts, maybe it's tolerable, but. To human beings that still possess the ability to sweat, uncomfortable might not even begin to cover it.

… And now, thanks to certain turns of phrase ( mansnake being one of them, sheesh ) he's attempting to picture fitting the whole of his snakeperson into the tub — or even stretching out in the shower, even if that does sound infinitely more comfortable. It yields a thoughtful sound that gets lost somewhere along the curve of his mouth as he soaks in the scant bit of relief those scratching fingers bring. "I don't … actually think I'd fit," he ends up laughing, chuckling, really. He takes a moment to slit both eyes back open and see his gaze trailing over the length of the latter half of his new body, so much more than the length his legs had allowed. With his tail, he might be closer to nine, maybe ten feet and that is definitely a lot to take in, a lot to think about, and the idea of trying to fit all of that in the tub seems like a hell of a lot more trouble than it's worth.

Idly, he pulls himself back up into more of a sitting position, rolling his shoulders in a bit of a shrug and stretching out some of the muscles in his lower back, around the point at which his tail actually begins. "If you're expecting to see me suddenly lifting a barbell with the end of my tail." He doesn't finish that, because he feels like he shouldn't have to with the way his eyes narrow, his brow furrowing enough that a wrinkle forms between them. ( Because Shinji is just a little bit ridiculous, and he wouldn't have been at all surprised to hear something like that come out of his mouth. )

Ah, but there's that little smile again. "You can just say it's too hot in here for you, you know." One of those furrowed brows quirks as he reaches through the distance between them and playfully ( teasingly-roughly ) tousles sweat-damp hair. "But if that means you want to come with …"

"...I mean, would I be wrong to expect that?" He counter-points casually. Because really- this is Akihiko he's talking to. And even if he wouldn't exactly expect Akihiko to be dead-lifting with his serpentine tail, he's sure any changes in his body wouldn't do anything to dampen his love for working out and exercising. It might just... take a different form. (And that's a whole set of questions in and of itself, really. Would he still 'jog'? As much as slithering counted as such? What speeds could he reach if he tried? They'd have to get our during the Dark Hour and find out sometime.)

There's the hint of a smile even as he sits up a bit more at being called out. (Not that he minds. Really... as much as this all sucks, he's really enjoyed getting to spend more downtime with Akihiko- and getting to focus on shit other than the other guy getting onto him for wasting his life or whatever the hell the lecture of the day turned out to be.)

He lets out a sigh that's only half-exasperated, before shaking his head. "I shouldn't have to say it. You know damn well it's too hot in here." He leans with the hair tousling, idly batting at the offending hand, if only out of token dismissal- and he really doesn't bother to fix where it's become even more tangled from the ruffling, instead sliding his way out from the dry, shedding coils and standing up. "Like a damn furnace in here."

(But the alternative is Akihiko being far too cold, his activity suffering for it, and just-- that's not ok. So he'll deal with it being too warm.)

"But I wouldn't say shit if I didn't wanna come. The hell else am I gonna do?" Another shrug, and he finally stands, extending a hand in case Akihiko needs help balancing as he rises. After a moments thought, he shakes his head. "Guess I could just ditch the pants, like you."

No he will never be done with the awful jokes.

Maybe — good lord, is he honestly considering this? — getting out during the Dark Hour, slithering up a couple of floors in the tower would not only help him continue to hone his skills as a fighter but also help the acclimation period he'll end up needing for this. To reacquaint himself with the way his body works, smooth out all the kinks ( … ha ) that might end up being speedbumps later on down the line before they become real concerns. The thought of lifting weights with the end of his tail would mean something along the lines of it being prehensile, or some measure of such, and it's still so new that he. Hasn't quite managed to make up his mind on whether or not that's at all possible.

It doesn't keep him from cutting the other a Look, though. "I've never seen a snake with any kind of weights," he finally concedes, though it's with a small laugh that barely counts for as much. "Maybe I'll be the first." Wouldn't that be something? Of course he isn't going to stop training, and of course he isn't going to let this sort of setback slow him down more than he has to — because so far, his life has been nothing but a constant barrage of hurdles, and he's managed to come this far without falling too far behind, and. He isn't about to let something like this be what gets him down permanently.

Another small stretch, and Akihiko pulls himself up a little bit further with the extended hand, almost to what his full height would have been were he standing on feet instead of balancing on curled muscle and tendon and vertebra. "I think it feels fine," he gives offhand, feeling a bit more like himself ( and with the two of them feeling a bit more like them ) as he takes it upon himself to slither right on past Shinji out the door and into the hall. It feels good, really, to stretch out like this, even if the movement robs him of the warmth he'd gathered by remaining as more coil than person. He scoffs, though, at that last comment. "And show off your pasty legs? Hm … could be a good look for you."

Two can play that game, bro. Did you think he wouldn't?

Even if Akihiko isn't seriously considering heading out during the Dark Hour, Shinjiro sure as hell is. If this change ends up being permanent (probably not, hopefully not--) he's sure Akihiko doesn't want to live out his life in hiding or a lab or some shit. And if they have access to the Dark Hour, when they can get out and do things without anyone being the wiser-- well. Why not take advantage of it?

(As always, Shinjiro specifically avoids the realization that this line of thinking is exactly the kind of shit Strega wants. To take advantage of their unique gifts, to utilize it because it is laying before them, and the idea that to ignore it would just be a waste of what remains of their lives.)

But regardless- Akihiko still has his persona, still has his fists, still has Shinjiro to watch his back. Why not give him more space than the dorm to get used to it, stretch out and explore and figure out a plan.

As always, Shinjiro is far better at planning ahead for other people than he ever was for himself.

He ends up giving a flat look at that last comment-- because really. Pasty? He aims a short shove at Akihiko's shoulder as the other man passes him, waiting to step until he's sure he's clear of that trailing tail, and making sure to close the bedroom door behind them. No sense in letting that tropic-like heat into the rest of the dorm. "You gotta a hell've a lotta nerve to be callin' someone else pasty." The 'you half-albino asshole' goes unsaid. Instead he just rolls his eyes and shoves his hands gracelessly into his pockets as he follows.

"But hey, maybe I'll give it a try." he rolls a shoulder in a graceless approximation of a shrug. "Might make hanging out in there a bit more bearable."

Well of course, naturally he isn't about to spend the rest of his time as a human-sized danger noodle cooped up in a room that is entirely too warm for anyone else to sit in comfortably for too long — which means that he will, inevitably, make toward Tartarus and see just how much damage he can do. Maybe he can make some use of his tail? Or maybe he'll find that being possessed of an altered state of … inhumanity gives him a bit more strength than previously?

( He can hope, at the very least. If he's just been turned from human to mostly-human-with-a-snake-tail and nothing else noteworthy he might end up being a little pissed off.

And, you know. If he does end up with some measure of above-average abilities with this new form, he might as well find ways to use them. Regardless of what hippie Jesus and his group of misfits is already trying to throw at them.

~~… sorry 'bout ur not-girlfriend, Junpei.~~ )

Now, the comment he gets for his assessment of one ( 1 ) Shinjiro Aragaki's pasty ass legs brings about the sort of laugh that no one but Shinji himself is ever likely to hear; it's the sort of thing that only the other can bring out of him, almost nerdy-sounding as it leaves him and he half-turns to look over his shoulder as he passes. Thanks for making sure his tail is out of the way, by the way. You're the best. "Pot calling the kettle black, or something, right?" Because that's an American saying, isn't it? It's definitely one he's heard before.

… And it might be one that he'll end up using in future, but that's neither here nor there. He hums, low and contemplative in the back of his throat. Maybe a tiny bit more pleased than he has any right to be at all. "I could spend more time in the commonroom if I had something to keep me warm." An offhand comment, maybe more of a tease than anything else.

Wanna be his heatrock, Shinji? "You don't have to hang out with me all the time, you know."

"We can find you an electric blanket, if you wanna be downstairs more." If Shinjiro were a braver individual, he'd outright suggest just letting Akihiko curl up against and on him-- but the idea of giving that sort of blanket permission in the downstairs common area, where any of the other members of SEES could just wander into such a spectacle-

No. They have enough to speculate on about them without that sort of outright confirmation. So as much as he doesn't mind Akihiko leeching the warmth from him at times, as much as he'd never shove him away, he refrains from actively suggesting it.

(But of course, now he's definitely thinking it.)

He does lift his head at the second comment, thought, and scowls. "The hell else would I be doing?" he says it like it's the most natural thing in the world, as though he earnestly can't imagine not hanging out with Akihiko all the time. Not while they're both chilling out in the dorm through the day. "Just be in another room ignoring you?" There's a faint snort of laughter, and he shakes his head, rounding the banister as he moves to the next flight of stairs. At least the roof isn't too far, and it will give them more space to stretch out.

And more of a breeze.

"I mean if you want some privacy, lemme know. But I thought you'd be sick've me dodging you all the time."

He hums a little note of contemplation at the suggestion; it isn't that he doesn't want to hang around the other members of their team — even when he's always been comfortable with solitude, never really actively seeks out the companionship of anyone else except … except for Shinjiro — but he really does feel even more awkward than he had before, the transformation having left him with even less to tether him to the others, and it's. It's an odd feeling, he has to admit, but he does appreciate the other for having made the suggestion in the first place.

( He thinks he might make them uncomfortable, or something. But he doesn't let himself think along those lines for very long, because he's never quite been an optimist but he's never been a defeatist, either. As long as he can exist somewhere between the two extremes, he's doing pretty well for himself. )

"Would it be weird, you think, to just hang out under a blanket?" he asks with a laugh as his exhale, shaking his head and all but waving it off like it's a joke he'd even suggested it in the first place. After all, the comment had been more of a tease than anything else. Even if it would be nice to roam about freely every once in a while, he —

He doesn't want to trap Shinji in the sweltering heat of his own room. He's found himself caught between a damned rock and a hard place and he's probably more frustrated with himself than he should be — because this isn't his fault, and both of them are dancing around it in the sense that he's well aware that it's going to take even more getting used to than he had initially tried to convince himself.

This mess of introspection is becoming just that in his own head. A fucking mess.

And there's a little bit of silence after that last comment on the other's end, something that has the wheels turning in Akihiko's head like they have been for … how long, now? "Just thought I'd give you an out if you wanted one," he finally says, like it's the most damned natural thing in the world. Just go ahead and picture a dismissive wave of his hand if he'd bothered to give one.

"Figures it would take something like me growing a tail for you to stop dodging me." Oh. Ouch, buddy.

But he doesn't really mean it.

"Can't be weirder than our lives are already." And he means that sincerely, really. No matter what they do, it can't possibly be any weirder than their lives already are just by dint of being Persona-Users.

And. Y'know. Akihiko being part snake now.

So yeah. Hang out under a blanket as much as you want.

He finally reaches the access door for the roof, pressing the heel of his hand into the bar across it, and shoving it open. There's a moment of blinking as his eyes adjust to the sunlight (Because he... hasn't been out yet today, ok. Someone else took out the dog in the morning, and he's had his own curtains pulled.) but he steps forward enough to hold the door open for Akihiko. "Trust me, if I needed an out, I'd find my own. Points for tryin', though."

The jab about dodging him, though, is well earned- and for a moment, Shinjiro almost looks something close to apologetic- but the expression is wiped away quickly enough as he chooses to just... act as though he didn't hear that dig, at first. (And maybe Aki is right. Maybe it did take something like this to have him stop avoiding Akihiko, avoiding all the memories and feelings that came with being around him. Even as they've tried to re-establish themselves, and Shinjiro has tried to repair everything strained between them, there's still those days he pulls back, either physically or emotionally.)

Finally he steps out onto the roof proper, shoulders rolling back as he stretches his upper back and arms with a short series of pops. And now that his avoidance tactics are used up, he glances out at the city in front of them, instead of looking to his friend beside.

"...Yeah, well. At least I'm here now." It's a shitty brush-off, but it's all he has. "And the tail ain't a half-bad look for you."

"… Fair." It's kind of the god's honest truth, whether he wants to admit it or not; their lives are a labyrinth of both bullshit and mystical bullshit, and this whole oh you're a snake now thing is something that he's accepted a hell of a lot easier than … a lot of other things in his life before this, and it's kind of hilarious, really. That he's willingly accepted the fact that he is no longer a warm-blooded mammal alongside everything else.

( Their lives. They're little more than actual bullshit, sometimes, and he realizes that. Realizes and accepts it just as easily as he has this new tail of his, as easily as he's taken to curling around the nearest warm thing when he feels that inevitable chill in the air, and while that nearest warm thing happens to near-always be Shinji, he. Doesn't want to find himself taking that for granted, because he never wants to take something that important for granted.

Not Shinji. Never Shinji. )

He rolls his eyes just for the added effect as he slithers ( mhm, yep, slithers ) through the door being held open for him, all but immediately basking in the warmth the sun gives over the moment he's over the threshold. "Hey, points are points, and I'll take them." He tries for a smile, and manages it — though it does end up feeling just a little bit strained, because he can all but feel the other pulling away from him again, perhaps more emotionally now, rather than physically, and it's just one of those days that he sticks a figurative foot in his mouth every time he finds it open. Because he can never outright say what he means.

I miss you.

Akihiko looks behind him as he stretches his arms over his head, working out all the kinks in muscles he hadn't been aware of, gaze just a little bit hooded. He smirks, a knowing thing, an accepting thing. "You're here now," he echoes, and tips his face up toward the sun like he's drinking it in. "Don't lie. You've always been bad at it."

About the tail thing. He's a damned freak and you know it. You both know it.

His hands shove into his pockets- and as much as he likes to mask his expressions, its horribly easy to read his body language sometimes. The uncertainty there, not knowing what to do or how to handle a situation. The faint discomfort bleeding into his posture. Not knowing whether to retreat from the casual closeness and the potential for things to get too personal, talking about his own distance-- or to just lean into it more, to try and just be okay with where they are now.

If he were a smarter person, he'd probably try and consider his words before speaking- especially in lieu of the awkward lapse between them, the silence stretching thin between his attempts at normalcy and his friend calling him out. If he were any better at this, he's try and find something that won't just... make things weirder.

Instead, he opens his mouth and responds near-immediately: "Alright, fine. It's a good look for you."

(Goddamnit, Aragaki, no, the idea was not</> to make things weirder--)

But he doesn't backpedal from the words- if things go south, he can always just... claim it was some shitty joke, right? But truth be told, he doesn't think it's that bad. Different, sure. Probably a pain in the ass to navigate and re-learn. But there's nothing inherently disgusting or off-putting about the fact that his friend just happens to have a snake-tail right now.

(Maybe he's just gotten used to these things.)

"...And piss off, I'm a better liar than you." Not that it.. makes him any good. Shinjiro had always been way better at simple omission and avoidance- and with Akihiko, he has entirely too many tells.

He likes to think that he can read Shinjiro like the book he has a tendency to present himself as — some cryptic, dramatic thing that is shrouded in mystery and yet so much easier to read than anything else ever has been, because there are lines that he's memorized before this and he makes up those lines.

He doesn't believe that appearance for a second.

But he does start — just a little at the other's subsequent admittance, and you know what? He's always been a pale son of a bitch, the slightest hint of color streaking like lightning across his features and lighting him up like Christmas in July at the rise of his cheekbones, the bridge of his nose, and he plays it off like everything else, water rolling off his back even as the core of him sparks at the notion. The idea.

It's a good look for you.

"You're a shit liar, Aragaki," he all but teases as he finds his voice again, pulling himself up to what had previously been his full height and, now, is little more than using the length of his newfound tail to his advantage. "Being better than me doesn't get you anything." He folds his arms over his chest like he might under ordinary circumstances, turning his full gaze on his friend like he might if they were having an ordinary conversation.

"Hey, fuck off," It's an well-intentioned, if exasperated snipe as he shoves roughly at Akihiko's shoulder- time to see how your lack of legs deals with that, now, isn't it. But he doesn't pause to watch whether the other man sways and tips or holds fast, doesn't see that flash of colour heating up the other boy's cheeks, even if only faintly. Instead he's walking out to the low edge of the rooftop to better watch the city mill about and unfold.

(and to better just... not look at Aki and acknowledge the fact that it's probably just himself being weird about this. Even now, unconsciously pulling back.)

"And sure it does. It gets me the satisfaction that I'm at least better than you at something." A weak retort, maybe a bit too self-depreciating, but it's all he's got after feeling a bit self-conscious about that weird compliment he just gave his friend-turned-snake-man.

"So the sun feeling any better, or's it still too cold out?" When in doubt, just change the damn subject.

To his credit, he doesn't waver; at least not as much as Shinjiro might be wanting to see because he might not have legs anymore, but you wouldn't believe the sort of balance his new tail allows, so. Just excuse the hell out of him as he holds fast and simply gives over an exaggerated grunt of effort to stay upright.

Because some things are never, ever going to change, and he appreciates that so much more than he'll ever be able to put words to. Really. "Would if I could," he ends up giving over mildly, giving the other a second to take in the scenery below ( aka gather himself, for lack of better phrasing ), waving a dismissive hand that he probably doesn't see as he slides up next to him again. He has to admit, even if only to himself that the view is pretty nice up here — though he can't very well say he's ever been great at taking in that sort of thing.

What is this, an acknowledgment to stop and smell the flowers? Jeez, what turning into half a snake will do to you.

Absently, he slips in close. Close enough to allow him to drop his chin to his friend's shoulder and linger there for a moment, not only soaking up that extra warmth but just. Appreciating that they can still act normal even when things have been tossed up in the air, and it's a comforting thing that he falls back on so much more than he'll ever admit to, because that's just one more thing that Shinjiro does better than him, without even knowing it.

You're here, and that's all that matters.

"Don't know if it's the sun, or you," he teases absently, still lingering, chuckling against the curve of his shoulder. "But … yeah."

As Akihiko rests his chin on his shoulder, Shinjiro merely tilts his head slightly towards him- just a slight incline to rest their temples together, both looking out and away from the dorm. (It's weird, when he thinks about it. If they don't find a way to fix this, then... this might be the closest Aki manages to get to interacting with the rest of the world. It's kind of hard to hide massive, brilliantly-white snake coils, after all.

But-- that thoguht is too real, too uncomfortable. So as always, he shoves it from his mind. Better to avoid and face it later.)

So instead he just folds his arms across his chest, letting out a neutral hum at Akihiko's teasing- but the fact that he hasn't completely shrugged the other man off him is probably encouragement enough to serve as either agreement of complacence.

But that first comment....

"Yeah, I'd been wondering 'bout that. Didn't really know how to ask." Other than just outright saying: so, did you lose your dick, too? Because not that he's been inspecting or anything, but he sure hasn't seen anything on the underside of Akihiko's scaly belly that would indicate one way or the other. (Because that's just- a natural curiosity to have, right? Your friend becomes a snake-man, and you start wondering what happened with his junk. it's totally normal. Nothing weird about it. If their situation was reversed, he's sure Akihiko would...

...okay, bad example. But regardless. Totally normal.)

"I mean, good thing you weren't using it anyway, I guess."

(your friend is an asshole, aki.)

( It's … going to be strange, all things considered, if they can't find a way to reverse this curse and the only sort of interaction with other people is. Restricted to whoever happens to be in the dorm at any given time — even if he doesn't think he would mind it that much, especially if Shinjiro found it in his heart of hearts to stick around more than he's been known to.

It isn't something he's going to let himself think about, either, because he is going to find a way to fix this and get himself back to normal.

If anyone in this group has ever been normal in the first place. )

In all honesty, he really should have thought about what he'd said before he'd said it, no matter how flippantly he'd meant it in the first place; Shinjiro Aragaki has only ever been the least possessed of tact, doesn't really bother beating around the bush if he wants to get something off his chest and of course he would latch onto something like that with every single tooth he has. It isn't that it makes Akihiko uncomfortable — of all the things they haven't talked about yet, this is certainly one of them, and even if he wouldn't have minded the lack of conversation period on this subject … ehh.

If there's going to be anyone he discusses this sort of thing with, it's going to be him. He trusts him that much.

He ends up giving over a miffed sort of sound to mask the encroaching embarrassment, putting a bit of distance between them so the other doesn't feel the heat creeping into his cheeks. He'll be able to see it well enough when he turns his head and notices his pale-ass friend now more closely resembles a pomegranate.

"Oh, like you knew I wasn't?" He manages to sound just a little bit insulted!

But. Nope. Totally true. "Should've let me know you were a psychic. Could have come in handy a time or two before now."

He laughs at that response: For once, he actually lets show a short moment of unguarded amusement, even as Akihiko backs away defensively. The smirk is still there for an extra moment as he turns after him, catching that bright red flush that practically goes down to the scales. "Nah, but I know you. C'mon, am I wrong?"

(Pot, Kettle. Et Cetera.)

Even as Akihiko backs away, though, he follows, keeps there from being too much space between them. Because even when they're the ones actively pushing at each other, they're also the first to give chase and close that gap. "Hey, you know I'm just giving you shit." Which is the closest he'll come to saying 'hey, sorry, don't be pissed.' He reaches out to catch Akihiko's shoulder, head tilting to try and catch the other man's eye.

As much as they love giving each other hell, there's always the faint worry he's stepped too far, too quickly-- tread on something that was actually sensitive, done real damage. After all, this-- all of this, whatever this is-- is new and huge and probably terrifying. While they can't fucking mope about it, he can at least try to keep an eye on the other man, make sure he's not shoving them too hard back into an attempt at normalcy.

But calling attention to his worries would just make things weird and serious-- so as always, he'll avoid it, holding up a hand in mock-surrender.

"But alright, alright. Only using the powers of basic observation for the forces of good, got it."

Edited 2018-05-30 02:11 (UTC)

It's fine. Really. They're most well-known for giving each other the highest level of shit just because they're the ones that can handle it the best, and Akihiko has always known that if he needs to, say, blow off any measure of steam it's Shinji that can take it best, give it back full-throttle and leave him wondering why he'd thought it was a good idea in the first place. Because Shinjiro only ever gives as good as he gets, and he's only ever going to be thankful for that.

He doesn't cut him any slack. Doesn't give him any time to feel sorry for himself or anything that would otherwise find him moping about like he's. Been cursed in some fashion that finds him boasting a few scales and a lack of legs.

He's grateful for the normalcy. Always has been, always will be.

He isn't pissed — isn't anything close to it because he could never really be upset ( well, for too long ) at the other for calling him out so gracelessly, if only because it means he knows him to the point of being able to call out his tells, call bullshit when he needs to in order to keep the ridiculously off-center sort of balance they have going on here. "I know," he mumbles, and he tries for a laugh but he's still so damned embarrassed that the sound loses itself in the back of his throat, lingers on the back of his tongue as he continues his impression of a red-skinned fruit.

Whether or not Shinji wants to go back to the normal end of conversation, it's gotten Aki thinking, and he's well aware of the need to come to terms with this sort of thing — especially if they can't find some way to make it go the hell away — and he rolls his shoulders in a shrug, something that still seems forced, but for all intents and purposes presents itself as him admitting defeat. He's going to talk about it.

"It's. Just. Weird, I guess." Yeah, that's putting it mildly. "I still don't know what the hell I'm doing. A beat of pause, and then he's actually grinning again. "So, psychic. Tell me how to deal with that." Oh.

Weren't expecting that, were you?

~~Neither was he, tbh. These things just happen.~~

The way that attempt at a laugh dies off its telling enough in its own right: It lets that discomfort and dysphoria bleed through, the lack of idea on how to even deal with this-- and while they've managed to get the basics down, it's sure to be a long road ahead of them both. Akihiko primarily. He doesn't call out the bad attempt at covering for it, for once- simply gives an understanding hum at Aki's bad explanation.

But really, what is there to describe this other than 'weird'? How else could they explain this mess of a situation they're wading through? Because it is weird, in the most significant-to-daily-life way since waking to the Dark Hour has been.

He shrugs, moving close to close that gap. "...Yeah, I dunno if you could know what you're doing just yet. Still pretty early for that." He rolls a shoulder. "I mean... you had eighteen years to get used to how things were before. I'm impressed you can even get around on your own so quick without falling over and flopping about."

While he doesn't quite manage anything as encouraging as a smile, he does examine Akihiko seriously- giving this moment the attention it deserves. "You doing really damn well."

Annnd then the moment passes, and he playfully claps a hand on Akihiko's shoulder again. "Dunno what to do 'bout your missing dick, though. Take a night and go hunting, I guess." Because that's what he assumes Akihiko is asking him how to deal with. "Gotta have something going on somewhere. It ain't like baby snakes pop outta nowhere."

He doesn't want to be awkward. He doesn't want to be anything more than himself and, all right, he's had his fair share of awkward moments before but those were always as a full human, and not as some. Half-snake thing that still doesn't feel like himself, not only because he still hasn't mastered the art of not sprawling with that tail of his but in so damned many other ways, because this isn't the sort of thing you plan for, the sort of thing you can prepare for, because.

How does this actually happen?

He gives a bit of a derisive snort, not as an interruption but as something that drives that point home, and it's his own dry sense of humor that sees him following up with — "You weren't around for the first day." Not as an accusation, or anything that might otherwise color his friend in an unwanted light. "You'd have laughed at me if you'd seen it, and I wouldn't have blamed you. It was … something." Oh, that self-deprecating humor.

Maybe he learned that from you? But it's anyone's guess. Really.

The closing of that gap is something that he finds. Reassuring in the sense that he needs that sort of contact regardless of whether or not he admits to it, and he drops his forehead to the other's shoulder in the smallest admittance of I need some help that doesn't last very long at all before he pulls back, because he doesn't want to be too much before they've had a chance to figure all of this out.

The assumption isn't lost on him, though it had been more of a joke than anything else and he rolls his shoulders with the suggestion, ducking his head down low so that Shinjiro doesn't see the splay of his smile, something that effectively spreads him wide open and keeps him amused, because it had all been for show.

At least he thinks. "Never been much of a hunter," he muses, slow and easy, like he's brushing the whole damned thing off. Like he hadn't meant anything with the question in the first place. "I'll figure it out, if I even bother." A beat, a breath, and an exhale. "Seems like a lot of trouble."

It's easier to talk openly like this, really. Just the two of them, up on a roof and pulled away from the rest of the world. Without the rest of their teammates around to complicate things or distract them from just bullshitting back and forth about what a bad, stupid situation they're in. Maybe that's part of the reason both of them seem to be having an easier time with those hidden half-smiles. Still shied away from each other, like it's something to be tucked away, but still there nonetheless.

They can at least inject whatever sort of normalcy they can.

"Yeah, kinda sad I missed it," And thankfully he doesn't pull too deeply into those thoughts- into the idea of him not being around when Akihiko needed him again. "I figure your getting pissed at me laughing woulda been some good motivation. The quicker you could get over here, the quicker you could pop me one." And, really. As baffling as this whole thing is, that would have been pretty funny to see.

But even though it hasn't been too long, he's glad Akihiko seems to have gotten a handle on a lot of it. Sure, he's shedding in weird patches all over, probably itching around the scales, and they don't know how he even works, but he's making it through as decently as anyone could be expected to.

"I'm surprised you ain't ended up in any knots yet. I woulda lost track of the rest've it and gotten tied around something somehow." He shrugs the shoulder that Akihiko isn't resting a hand on, content to just stand here and be a support for the other man.

"The rest'll come in time, I figure. And if you never feel like fucking with it, then just don't. No huge loss."

Their essential bullshitting back and forth has gotten him through a lot in his life, even if he's never going to admit it unless he has to; there have always been times in which he's relied on that in the past, unconsciously looking to Shinjiro to distract him from the things that could otherwise incapacitate him, and his friend has only ever accepted the challenge willingly, like it's always some sort of personal victory to take him out of his own head, even for a second or two.

He's immeasurably grateful for it, even if the thread of the current conversation had taken a turn that he wasn't expecting — that is to be expected, quite honestly, because the other has only ever been the most adept at throwing him for a loop.

It's good that neither of them linger too long on the thoughts of Shinjiro not being there — because he doesn't hold it against him, can't and won't, because there was no way to know this would happen and it's just a matter of blah blah circumstance and blah blah their lives are full of weird shit and he's acclimating well enough, he thinks. Barring the whole shedding thing, he likes to think he's getting the hang of it well enough.

Even still, he snorts a laugh. "Oh, yeah, great motivator. Wanting to punch you in the nose." He says it fondly, for all he tries to keep a certain level of something in his voice and ultimately falls short, huffing out his next exhale with a roll of his eyes. "I guess it's worked before, makes sense if it works now."

What is he hinting at? Hm.

… Though he does go just a little bit more pale at the mention of getting knotted up, and looks off into the distance at some nondescript point, because like hell he's about to admit that — "The first day was. Something." Look. He isn't saying he got knotted up but he's not not saying he did —

And. Shut up. Just shut up right now.

He chooses instead to pick up on that last little bit of dialogue, now-slitted pupils dilating just the slightest bit as silver brows steadily climb his forehead. "No huge loss?"

One more time, his lips curl up into something resembling the facade of a smug grin (because anyone who knows Shinjiro would know what a thin pretense smug really is with him--) and he tilts his head just enough to lightly knock into where Akihiko's resting at his shoulder. "Course it'd work. I've got a pretty damn punchable nose, and you do your best talking through your fists."

A bit of a strange summary of their friendship, but not entirely wrong.

And he knows better than to press when Akihiko's face drains to an even paler shade, something almost ghostly at whatever memory is flooding up behind those steely eyes. Instead he's just quiet for a moment, letting the silence speak for itself. (And trying not to scoff out an amused noise at the idea of Akihiko ended up tied around a chair leg or something. Or closing his tail in a door. Or-- actually, all of these things are really sad now that he actually thinks about it.

Shit. Now he feels kind of bad. At least he's not the type to overtly express it.)

"Hm?" His head tilts, drawing back out of his thoughts as Akihiko speaks again. "I mean... yeah? Ain't like it's all that important." it being his friends missing dick, of course, but he's going to be nice and not say it outright outloud. As tactless as he is, he knows better than to push too far. "Or is it something you're hung up on?"

It isn't entirely wrong, no, because of course it couldn't be, but there really is no mistaking that Akihiko does his best communication with his fists.

He's never been good with words — neither of them have — and he supposes that might have been why they settled into friendship as well as they had, not needing words so much as an outlet for the ones they couldn't find.

He nods, but doesn't say anything, casting his smile down just the slightest bit, letting it slide into something a bit softer.

Because Shinjiro is always going to be able to read him like a well-loved book, creases in the spine and dog-ears on the pages, marking favored or memorable passages that he never would have claimed for himself, because he'd thought them inadmissible.

( And fucking listen, you heathen, it wasn't a chair.

It was a whole-ass sofa down in the commonroom, a sofa that Mitsuru had helped extricate him from without a word because she is both a queen and a lady and even still, he doesn't want to think about it because it's just one of those things that he wouldn't mind forgetting. )

Shinji might not press too far, at least not within his own boundaries but the implication alone is enough to bring another flush of color to Akihiko's cheeks, the highest points of them, and he tries to dart his gaze off, again, to some nondescript point in the middle-ground but that question brings him back around again, holds him rapt, because it is something he's been thinking about as of late.

Just. Because. His missing dick, it seems, is of no real consequence when it comes down to it.

He shrugs, folding both arms over his chest in a way that makes it look like he's being defensive, but it's not. Not really. "Not. Really." He pauses. Stalls in a way that might make it seem like it's more of a loss than he's conveying.

But it really isn't. Don't read too much into it.

Edited 2019-07-10 03:24 (UTC)

Oh, he's gonna read so much into it.

Just like that aforementioned well-loved book, pouring over the pages and reading deeper than the text on the page, there's so much more in everything Akihiko isn't saying. Or what he's barely saying. The stiffness of his posture, the 'not really', rather than an outright denial, the way he doesn't turn it into some sort of stupid banter between them.

"That ain't a no."

And this is not the conversation he expected to have today, but this is where they are. An off-hand comment earned a quiet confession, and like a dog who managed to get a hold of that well-loved book, he's going to sink his teeth in and worry it until all the hidden pages fall out and can be put back together.

But he lets that pause sit for a moment, allows it to stretch out and let the tension bleed the slightest bit, before he brings up a hand to rest at Akihiko's shoulder, just giving a line of unspoken contact and comfort there. It's another unspoken bit between them-- that line of support, always present, never truly pointed out.

"C'mon Aki, cut the strongman act. This whole thing sucks. You can vent if you want."

Stop reading, Shinji! Stop it right now! Leave it alone.

"It's not a yes, either." Well. Of course he's gone and shown that it might be a bigger deal than he's making it out to be by not outright settling into their normal back-and-forth, the snark that has a tendency to make up more of their conversations than it doesn't; it's not that his heart isn't in it, because the other always has the whole of their attention when they're together, but maybe he's still trying to wrap his head around this whole situation, trying to get used to how things are going to be for the foreseeable future.

Because neither of them know if he's going to be like this forever, for a couple of months, if he's going to wake up and find his bottom half back the way it should be. He's just a bit distracted from their version of normal, which is to say that this whole thing is getting to him more than he's letting on, because usually? Their normal is the kind of distraction he defaults to when he needs one.

The point of contact sees him relaxing again by degrees, angling himself toward that touch, expression cracking around the edges and he gives over a sigh. His brows are pinched, mouth pulled to the side and it looks for a handful of seconds like he's at war with himself on whether or not he wants to be more truthful than he has up to this point. Another handful of seconds and he's exhaling a breath he hadn't been aware of holding in, and his lungs ache with it, and when he looks up at the other again that expression has a few more cracks in it.

"It's frustrating," is what he ends up saying, ducking his head just a bit, the point of his chin briefly resting against the back of Shinjiro's hand. "I guess, if i had to say anything about it. That's the easiest way to put it."

"Frustrating seems like a light way've putting it." It's stated cautiously-- because he doesn't want to give the other man more of a complex, if he truly feels it's nothing but frustrating.

"I mean-- I'd be fucking out of my mind, not knowing my own damn body anymore. No one could blame you if you were fed up with it." Sure, at least the rest of him is still human. He can still talk and gesture and punch and eat food normally (probably). But the rest? Getting around? Staying warm enough to do anything? Knowing what your own anatomy looks like or what to expect from it?

He can't blame Akihiko for putting up a strong front, and wearing himself down on the inside.

He's not an emotionally-hugging kind of guy, so he doesn't move to initiate more contact. But he allows that contact with the back of his hand, gives Akihiko's shoulder a bit of a squeeze, and most tellingly, doesn't retreat, even when things are getting a bit more real.

"Weird as it sounds, you ain't in this alone, alright? Just.... lemme know if you need anything."

A pause, and slowly he lets a bit of a wry smirk spread, hopefully helping nudge Akihiko from the slump.

"If you really need, I'll be your hunter for you."

yep. sure did just offer to help find his snake dick.

#bros4life.

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boyfriend is a snake, news at eleven

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