luckless | [RYSLIG] IC Inbox

That's what I was hoping for, honestly. I wouldn't want to make you swim with wings, they take a long time to preen out after getting wet.

[Trust him, he knows. He's preened enough wings at this point to know better.]

If you're sure it's not too much trouble...then I'll be here waiting!

[And so he is, curled up on a pool chair with his laptop closed on the ground next to him. Ryou doesn't look terribly comfortable in his skin right now, though that might be because...he's mostly in his skin and nothing else. There wasn't much clothes that fit him in this form, since apparently, being a mer meant you put on some extra weight.

He's not fully naked though. There's his fog cloak...and also another hooded something-or-other that he's draped over his exposed body, hiding his pale white underbelly and draping over drawn-up knees.

...It kind of looks like the patterning on his skin, actually. Except that it's an external representation. A pelt?

Ryou truly hopes that no one but Komaeda will show up, this is extremely embarrassing. Hell, if Komaeda didn't show up, that might be good too, for his nerves.]

[It takes Komaeda, in contrast, a bit more time than usual to come down to the pool. Usually, he would've just left his apartment without a thought or care. But now that he's lost his cold resistance, he has to choose his outfit carefully—opting for something that will keep him comfortably warm, for a long period of time, just in case this takes awhile.

When he finally does arrive, it's with a few layers on in the form of a sweater, scarf and an altered wool shawl for his wings, and long pants and boots under a longer skirt. It's not the most fashionable look, but it gets the job done.

He spots Ryou from across the way, and waves a bit before he actually calls out.]

Ryou-kun, I'm here!

[He brightens, offering up a serene smile as he half-jogs his way to the other's side. Despite not actively being a merperson, Komaeda feels a sort of kinship just being in the presence of someone familiar wearing the same skin.]

You look good like that! How do you feel?

[Ryou's not entirely surprised when Komaeda arrives, because he has a pretty keen nose like this. Seal perks!

When he does see him though, his ear fins flare upward, and he smiles back, though his looks a little more awkward. This time though, it isn't anything Komaeda's done, he's just a little shy. There's even an almost-imperceptible rise of color in his cheeks because...well.

Naked.]

Thank you for coming. I...h-haha, I feel a little out of place in my own skin. I think it's just that I'd prefer to be wearing a little more clothes, if I'm honest.

[He doesn't like being exposed, not when his body is covered in various scars that he'd rather keep hidden. Right at the moment, his pelt is hiding most of them, but he can't quite get out of showing the one on his arm. At least the ones he cares about are mostly covered, whereas the ones he's used to people seeing are not something he has to think about.]

Other than that...I think I feel a little bit restless. The bathtub in the apartment is too small to do much in, so...swimming here seemed like a good idea.

[He pauses, deciding to comment on something before he gets too far into his own problems, something very important.]

A-anyway, your outfit...it looks very comfortable and warm. It suits you.

Really? I find clothes to be pretty annoying when I'm a merperson... Maybe it's because of my tail, or maybe it's because I worry about ripping them if I suddenly transform, but I just find it easier to not wear any.

[Komaeda sounds somewhat thoughtful, rather than chastising—as if he hadn't really considered the feelings others who aren't usually merpeople, might have. If he were being completely honest, the only reason he wears clothing as a merperson is for the sake of others' comfort. And the only reason he's wearing them now is because he's suddenly regained an outtie, and it's cold out.]

I'm glad you like my outfit, although I didn't really give it any thought. I just put on all of the warmest clothes I could find... The trouble with changing from a merperson to something that doesn't have cold resistance, is that you don't really have any winter clothes anymore!

[A short bark of laughter, the levity upheld... Komaeda is trying his best not to think about the still-awkward eggshell feeling between them. Even if it's one-sided, well, it's just a bit weird to spend time with Ryou-kun like this, even if they had shared a few moments caring for Atem over the last few weeks.]

Um... [Right, they're on a mission here.] Maybe if you get in the water, you'll change, so that you don't have to keep covering yourself?

Hm, I suppose I'd feel the same way you do about it, if I had a tail that stuck out.

[Ryou, personally, is pretty happy that as a mer, he doesn't have to worry so much about being indecent as being naked in general. Actually, a few monsters he's tried out were like that.

He just feels a little too weird about not having well-fitting clothes at this point in time.

That's kind of not the point right now though, is it?]

Oh...right. Right, yes, I should get in. Because...yes. You're right.

[Ryou's ear-fins flick a little through the holes in his pelt hood, before he gets to his feet awkwardly and glances at the pool.]

I would have gotten in already, but...then I wouldn't be able to message you, and I thought it would be nice to spend time with a friend, you know?

[You know, even though they're still not quite at the perfect level of comfort that Ryou would have liked to be at. Baby steps, right? Yeah, baby steps. He's not going to let his shy habits push Komaeda away this time!

He moves to the pool edge, glancing down into the near-perfect layer of water. It's almost ripple-free, but he has a distinct urge to just JUMP RIGHT IN

...that he's not going to give into. Nope. Going to take this slow. He starts at the shallow end, dipping one foot down into the water, balancing perfectly on the first step. Then, the other foot.]

I haven't really tested how long it takes for my tail to come--

[Says the fool as his legs begin to knit together almost instantaneously and his feet become unable to hold his weight as they shift into smaller, floppier fins. As he awkwardly tumbles forward into the water, hardly avoiding smacking his head against the bottom of the pool, he considers that maybe...he should have just jumped right in.]

[If asked his opinion, Komaeda also would've suggested just jumping right in. When you don't know how much water it takes to get your tail, the first thought would be testing it... But you'd usually do something like that in the shower or bathtub, not a pool where you're going to be submerged anyways.

He pulls his sweater tighter around himself as Ryou flops face-first into the pool, and walks himself to the edge to sit down cross legged. He's not going to put his legs in (because he knows it's cold) despite a lingering affinity for wanting to feel the sensation. He'll wait until Ryou's got his bearings enough to pull his head up out of the water again.]

You know, Ryou-kun... You're kind of a strange guy.

[He says this with a bit of an unreadable expression. Komaeda doesn't get why Ryou is trying so hard right now to get into his good graces, but... This pathetic display isn't really harming his opinion of the guy either. It's just. Weirdly awkward.]

Firs things first, you're not in pain or anything right? Did you hit your head at all...? It doesn't look like getting your tail for the first time caused any bleeding, so that's good.

[It takes a few seconds before Ryou finally gets over his surprise and is able to work his tail enough out of instinct to propel him to the edge of the pool. He motors to about the halfway point, so his tail isn't dragging on the bottom.

Thankfully, he doesn't look worse for wear, though his hair plasters all over his face when he surfaces. One webbed hand pushes it back, and he sighs in exasperation.]

I'm alright, there's nothing to worry about, no harm done...

[He awkwardly decides to circumnavigate the assertion that he's a strange guy. Not that he wants to ignore Komaeda, but...any response he'd have to that would probably make this whole interaction worse than it already was.]

And I'm glad it was fast, honestly. I was afraid it might hurt when I shifted over. It's a nice change of pace.

[Settling in at the edge of the pool, and pulling his coat around him tighter, Komaeda eyes Ryou for a long and scrutinizing moment. As expected, he takes to it pretty fast... What's even the point of him being here, then? Emotional support?

Is it because Atem is asleep?]

It'd be counterproductive if a merperson felt pain when they transformed, don't you think? We have the ability to exist both on land and in the water... So, inconvenient, sure, but painful... I could've told you that.

[Komaeda lifts and arm, settling his elbow on his knee and leaning his face against the side of his forearm.]

Although, when I first got my tail it was pretty bloody... So I'm glad you didn't make a mess of the pool with your change. That would've been a huge pain to clean up.

Maybe so, but...one time I yelled at Mana and she made it so that I would shed every single time I fed as a naga. It was...eugh, it was inconvenient.

[Shedding sucks, he would not recommend it.

Ryou glances at the water, frowning. Maybe he should have thought about this better. What if he had gotten the pool dirty? Sheesh...]

Sorry, I guess I should have thought this through better, instead of just calling you out here, in the cold, when you're not even a mer. I didn't want to screw up on my own, and I thought...w-well...

[He trails off. What did he think? He is being honest in that he didn't want to mess it up alone, and possibly cause more trouble when someone found him floundering or bleeding, or what have you.

The second thought was that perhaps he should go out of his comfort zone. Atem's asleep, and Nanami was always overextending herself on his behalf, so...he thought he'd try another friend, that's all.

But judging by Komaeda's attitude, perhaps he didn't want to be here after all? That's not good...]

[He didn't want to screw up on his own...? What's with that. Komaeda can't help the way his brow furrows just hearing those words, as if the implication of them were that they could take the fall together. Was Ryou expecting to have someone docile to just help him clean up the mess? Isn't that sort of thinking sloppy?

Komaeda stares at the now-mer for a long moment before finally exhaling a sigh, and dunks his hand into the water. He swiftly makes a cupping motion and scoops a handful right at Ryou's face, splashing him point blank. Serves him right.]

Jeez, stop making that face, will you? I agreed to be here, so if you look like you're inconveniencing me, it causes me trouble, you know?

[—Said still with that irritated tone. He isn't going anywhere, though. Komaeda promised to help Ryou, and he's going to. Even if he's currently the least helpful person with this.]

...Everyone experiences a monster type uniquely, so... The best way to get used to it is just by embracing it. You'll learn more quickly how to live as it, and if you like it more or less than what you usually are.

[Do not point out that Komaeda is fresh into his very first temp, though.]

[The splash to the face takes Ryou by surprise, and he shakes his head out of reflex. His ear-fins make an interesting noise as they slap against the sides of his head from the motion, and then he lets a huff out through his seal-ish nostrils.]

Right, right. Sorry about that.

[It's very like Ryou, to say something so placating. But Komaeda's right, he shouldn't be looking a gift ~~horse~~ angel in the mouth.]

So what you're saying is, I should just swim it out, right? I could do that. I've never been much of a swimmer, but since I'm here...

[So saying, he pushes off the edge of the pool, and moves his tail. It's...well, it's awkward, honestly. He can't kick like he's inclined to, in a way that he might if he had two legs. Right now all he has is a seal's rear end. It's harder, he finds, when he has to do this kind of thing while thinking. The instinct of making his way to the edge of the pool had been different.]

S-so, uh. How's your monster change going?

[...at least he didn't call out that it's Komaeda's first temp.]

[RYSLIG] IC Inbox

<WhiteWizard> to action, here lies a boy who does not wish to be perceived...

no subject

no subject

no subject

i have been writing this tag for a week

he's such a pathetic little blorbo I care him

late but STILL HERE...

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, NAGITO KOMAEDA. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 004.28.777.00 * MrBrightside has joined 004.28.777.00 <MrBrightside> Hello there! This is Komaeda. <MrBrightside>** I'm grateful that you want to talk to me.