aesculapian | assorted non-canon and AU threads

[He startles, badly, reeling for a few seconds before shouting back, flustered and a little stung, even noticing that it must be her host.]

Wh-

I need a bath too!

[ "Oh, oh dear ... Don't yell at him, please, I can—" "I will yell as much as I like, thank you very much. I thought you were watching!" ]

I don't see a shortage of river!

[he's visibly miyazaki fluffing]

This is a good spot! And I was just asking! You didn't need to get mad, I'll take "no" for an answer, fuck!

[ starts to snap something back—

[ —only to be interrupted by the skull snapping audibly shut in front of her face.

"I do not shout at your friends. Please do me the courtesy of not shouting at mine ... ?"

...they sink down slightly in the water. ]

Please excuse her ... ? She did not mean it personally, she was just startled ...

[t-tries to unfluff. a little. snaaaaake....

tugs some of his mane over his shoulder and starts fussily yanking his fingers through the tangles, keep his hands busy so he can chill the fuck out.]

...S'fine. I was startled too.

[ pulling their hands from the water and slipping them under her skull to put on their face. uncomfortably warm cheeks...

checking briefly with her partner (who is now sulking, badly embarrassed) before confiding: ]

She has reasons to dislike being seen unclothed ... Please don't look ... ?

-Oh.

[looks away, even turning his head resolutely.]

Sorry. I can go, too...?

[ —wait why is she in control again SERPENT PLEASE TAKE IT BACK

"... I will not."

other things about snake: just because she is soft-spoken does not mean she's a pushover. whyyy. ]

...it's fine if you don't look.

...I won't look. I promise.

...thank you.

[ awkward splashing... ]

[starts. undressing.]

It's no problem, I just... didn't realize.

[ ...oh. that's. well—

"You're welcome ... ?"

...well played. ]

You had no reason to. It isn't as though my partner is shy about it...

[he is hot and very scars, if they're looking. finishes undressing pretty fast and slides into the water, but doesn't hide, letting himself adjust to the temperature slowly.]

It's just not something I think about, I guess.

[ if they're looking? ...rather, if Lilith's looking. the serpent is mostly just seeing, which is a different thing entirely.

...going entirely underwater for as long as she can stand to make herself, both to make herself stop gawking and also because getting her hair clean under the skull is an Adventure that requires thorough soaking. when she comes up: ]

Some people don't. It's somewhat cultural, in my experience.

[by the time she comes back up he's starting to wet his hair, in waist deep.]

Maybe? I don't... remember much, so I couldn't say.

[ with kind of wry amusement ]

That tends to be one of the things that doesn't require actual memory to stick. ...Thankfully, for those of us who are body shy. I'm not sure I could handle that many people running around naked.

[after starting to deal with his hair, pretty much immediately stops trying to deal with it, instead focusing on scrubbing blood off his skin.]

It's too much exposure to the environment, even if you aren't shy, just running around naked...

[ traumatic flashbacks to Jyacinth ]

...that depends on the person.

...Yeah. I guess. If they've got fur or something, clothes wouldn't really be necessary...

Some are just more durable than others, as well.

[ eyeing him... ]

... do you want help with your hair when I'm done?

...If you want, I definitely wouldn't argue.

It's painful to look at, at the moment, so I rather would.

[ and has nothing to do with the fact that she enjoys playing with hair, or that her snake has been trying to think of ways to get their hands on it for a while. ]

That bad, huh...

I'd appreciate the help.

[it is kind of snarled and out of control, he doesn't remember how to care for so much hair, but he doesn't want to lose it either, so.]

...I have seen worse... You're welcome, though.

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