004✖; (audio @ hot.damn | August 2nd; during Sanguis Moon)

[circumitus]

[...Well, it looks like there's supposed to be video, but the screen is black.

[Audio-wise, you're privy to just a bunch of thrashing for a few seconds, catching a frantic and frustrated "god-DAMMIT" and "fuck fuck fuck" and "just move, you useless piece of shit!" It's a voice and string of expletives that should be familiar to some who know Rey. In general it sounds disconcerting, with an identifiable amount of metal clanging and other hefty objects hurling about (cue stock cat scream) -- before a heavy thud shakes the screen. The feed drags across what looks to be pavement and some scattered rubbish.]

Got you! Fucking finally...

[The video moves, but the feed remains a blur as Rey hadn't intended to select facetime before things got out of control -- by "things" meaning... her own body. Only a few details can be made out in the bleary visual quality, and that's a patch of red-orange scales and some sharp, gritting teeth.]

Need... help. [Despite her exhaustion made clear in the fraught audio and her labored breaths, it's speaking those words in particular that strains her the most.]

Have to come here. Level Three.

Legs're gone. Can't walk.

[Both the audio and visual then cuts abruptly. As you can tell, Rey is having a bad time this Sanguis cycle.]

Comments

[circumitus]

[It occurs to her that introductions hadn't been the highest priority when engaging on the network. Actually, it never really is.

[She fumbles a bit before catching herself against a tree, her claws digging into a low hanging branch above her.]

Rey.

[Awesome. Cool. Now that that's out of the way...]

Right, they... slither, or some shit. [She grunts, more annoyed with her predicament than anyone in particular.] Hard to do when hauling over seven extra meters of your ass around.

[Ew, gross. She doesn't want to think about her scaly ass. Why.]

[deliveryhawk]

[In her current state forgetting to introduce herself is definitely no surprise. Takao is not sure he would remember his name if he woke up to a snake tail and having to learn how to get mobile. Maybe he is a little relieved he did not get Sanguis, not that Iris sounds fun but.

He actually gives her a long look, eyes observant then he turns, offering his back. He's got some good strength basketball helps with that, that he works out and stays healthy also helps.]

Alright, it's about as crazy as it gets seriously but grab my shoulders, I'll be your balance let's see if we can get you the hang of this.

[It's about her learning to do it right, well he remembers when his little sister was learning she needed help, so here is his help Rey may think he's crazy but what have they got to lose?]

[circumitus]

[Current circumstances aside, Sanguis was probably the best case scenario for Rey. She'd be a hot mess if she were Iris -- not that she isn't a hot mess now, just... more so, hypothetically.

[Still hanging to the tree with her arms overhead, Rey arches a brow as Takao turns around. She almost expects him to leave right then and there, decide that this is too much work.

[But then he offers to help guide her.]

Oh. [It pipes up out loud, much as she tries to stifle her own surprised.] Okay, just a-- minute...

[Hesitant, she lets go of the tree branch, her tail coiling to support her shifting weight without her really considering it.

[Hoping that she doesn't knock him over, she leans forward to take his shoulders, mindful not to dig her sharp, crimson claws straight through his shirt.]

[deliveryhawk]

[Iris is a hot mess, this poor guy is sure to learn all about it while living with his Cordis best friend on top of it.

Yeah, he's not the kind of guy to split and run. He told her he would help and while he doesn't know if this will do it. It's the best he's got. He notices her tail coil, it makes him wonder.

Her body may have some natural instincts. When she shifts her weight to him he straightens up, bracing his legs his extra workouts and practices definitely paying off. He's tougher than he looks!]

Okay, now don't think about walking, just think about moving forward, see if your body has any natural inclination from Sanguis on how to get around. I'm going to move now.

[He warns her and he does no more than a slow shuffle forward that will allow her to keep her hold and try moving toward him.]

[circumitus]

[That's rough, buddy.

[It's okay, she can do this. She can do this. Rey nods in response, because she can do this! She can--]

Hhhh, wait wait wait!

[As soon as Takao starts to move forward even the slightest, Rey feels something tugging at her from behind...

[Aaand it's her tail wrapped around the tree, clinging for dear life while the other end of her is hanging on a guy's back, trying not to pull him in the very direction he's walking away from.

[Wonderful. This isn't awkward and bound for disaster at all.]

Fuuuck.

[deliveryhawk]

[Takao is not going fast and thanks to his position as a point guard he is flexible and quick. As soon as she says wait he halts, scoots back a step or two, and tilts his head.

Okay that did not work. He can't help a snicker, it's who he is and when he is thinking sometimes he gets amused at himself with the things he comes up with.

He has a feeling this is going to take something creative. So Rey can excuse while the point guard, shifts, wiggling back till his hips are where her control for slithering would need to be, or what he hopes are her hips.]

Things are about to get weird but follow my lead.

[Yup, he means to show her as he tries his best to think how a snake would wiggle to move and shifts his hips a bit, to see if she can follow. Well nice to meet you, Rey, at least he is not thinking anything other than getting her mobile.]

[circumitus]

[Okay, this is definitely weird.

[Even weirder is that it seems to be working? Kind of.

[Once she gets passed the initial fluster (it's going to take a minute, sorry. Her face is red and hot and wow this is the worst way to meet someone, isn't it?!), the rest of her snake body shifts. Eventually her snales and muscles are shifting in a serpentine locomotion so that her lower half isn't just dead weight.

[And there is a lot to have to deal with. Not even the army crawl would make it easier, so this will have to do.]

This is so fucking stupid. [She mutters. But hey, it's effective.]

[deliveryhawk]

[He can definitely say it goes on the list of the weirdest things he's ever done in his life.

But, it does seem to be working. It reminds him of his little sister, walking around on his or his parents feet till she learned how to do it herself. Strange moment to feel a little homesick but he does, hoping the three of them are okay and that they really aren't missing him or thinking he disappeared.

Definitely a brand new way of meeting someone for the first time but hey, if it works it works and friends are made in many ways?]

Yup, but I think we're getting the hang of it. [He snickers and he will keep right on going till she feels confident enough to do it on her own. They may not be making the fast progress in this slithering train but they are getting there inch by inch.]

[circumitus]

[If Rey had even fabricated memories of riding a bike for the first time, she might have something to compare this experience to. As it is, none of her past selves were gifted with such a nice family life -- the less reasons she had to seek them out, the less complicated it would be to keep the wool pulled over her eyes so most of her previous incarnations had no idea what they truly were.

[It's little moments like those that Rey lacked what her brother had, but that's okay. It's fine. Everything's fine. She's okay with that.

[For now, it's all about learning to take control of her own body again, and not obsess so much over every little muscle and tendon that she's now got extra of.]

Heh, think so.

[She gives it a try, pushing back to "stand" on her one tail, doing her best to channel some strength into keeping -- at least her human half -- vertical. It's disorienting, looming even taller than her actual height (about six feet off the ground), but it beats eating dirt.]

[deliveryhawk]

[Takao is lucky, he has had a charmed life in comparison, a solid family, good schools, basketball, and other clubs. Friends, until he arrived in Prisma he had never experienced anything all that weird or traumatizing.

Sure, this place has done a thing or two to him since then but in general, he is holding in okay. Then again, he got lucky here too because he has his best friend who while a big grump on the outside has taken good care of him.

Maybe Rey doesn't know her family but seems like she is in a good place to build one and this guy could use some friends, so he'll stick around and hang out some times if she'd like.

That is exactly it because he thinks if she stops thinking and moves, her body has more instinct than it knows. It makes sense, his ears and tail know to respond to his moods. He does not control them but he can stop them when he tries. But they definitely read his body cues.]

It's like my grandma used to say, "One who chases after two hares won't even catch one."

[It makes more sense in his native language but it is a way of saying trying to do two things at once will make you fail about both. If she is trying to walk like a human and a snake, it's clearly going to fail. But if she focuses, well he can feel her taking some of her weight so it's definitely doing something.

The point guard doesn't go far but he does turn to look over his shoulder and give her a big grin.]

Check you out! Amazing.