#* nesting period.

*confused/concerned Koko sounds*

​-> Koko is getting dragged into the nest.

MARKO IS FROTHING AT THE MOUTH

-> Their tail lashes irritably and they growl---but their arms are bent up under their chest which is pressed to the floor of their nest, and the rise of their hip leaves room for the movement of their tail. Tempting, but they'll still bite.

-> They're curled up in their nest and so so cute and yet no one is manhandling them or making them cry or anything.*

11.11 ( POCKY DAY )

-> They aren't sure how many times they had texted Jin with the incredibly specific instructions on approaching their nest: that he should shower not once but two times, to minimize smells; that he should wear new clothes on top of that, straight from the washer if he can; that he should come through the basement door but move slowly, slow enough for their senses to catch up to his every motion without putting them on edge. The faster he moved the more likely they were to perceive him as a threat, and though Lyric's ability to defeat Jin ( and DJ, by extension ) was minimal, it didn't mean they wanted to hurt their friend just because they were going through lizard things. DJ and Jin had both been polite and careful to not turn Lyric into mincemeat when spring rolled around, and they would like to extend the same courtesy since they were preventing Lyric from dying of boredom and isolation. It moved like drooling honey, the pace that must be kept to keep their hackles lowered: the moment they set eyes on him their body had tensed up, spine raised as their tail lashed against the side of their nest, chipping ice and shoving blankets and tshirts around. A growl cracked out of their ribcage and turned hard into a snarl when he stepped too casually, a lurch towards him and over the edge of the snow and ice pile like they were going to attempt to eviscerate him on the staircase from the get-go. ( he slowed. Jin was a kind person, Lyric felt. he didn't want to cause them undue duress if he could. ) They watch Jin crouch slow as they creep over icy basement floor and boxes towards him, the shape of their limbs a little more reptilian and a little less human than they normally were, the joints flexible for the terrain they anticipated being in but ended up stuck in here instead. He had a small bag in one grip, and Lyric's nose twitches when they sniff ( and find the air blessedly free of any traces of sweat or blood or scented body wash. it's just stale cold air, and them. it comforts the territorial part. )

"... is that for me."

-> They come to sit crouched in front of him at the bottom step, staring pointedly at the bag. Even if it wasn't, the part of them that was greedy would demand it to be, and the part that was still yet human wanted something other than raw fish and bone chips to eat. They listen to the noise Jin makes, possibly debating if he should share, but he seems to decide it's better not to test if their patience is shorter when nesting and takes out a box. They watch him open it ( keep their claws to themselves ) and wait for him to hand them a piece. Dark chocolate. They didn't dislike it---it was a nice change of pace compared to all the savory and salty foods they had been eating. They nibble a little at a time, content with his company, a purr rattling their throat.

11.11 ( POCKY DAY )

-> Koko is sorting through a cooler full of groceries to the best of his ability with how Lyric absolutely refuses to relinquish their grip on the other, tail wound tight around his thigh where it peeks out from beneath a pile of blankets and one strong arm fisted in their sweater, which barely gives them the leverage to pick through snacks and canned foods and ice packs in case Lyric begins to overheat unexpectedly. Some hazy part of their head says Koko, though not entirely human themselves, should be under the blankets with them where it is safe. Too much direct contact with ice can cause frostbite ( even they were not immune to that, where their scales did not exist ) and while they think Koko has endured far worse than that, it doesn't mean they want their friend to be injured for keeping them company. There is a scratching at the back of their head that spurs them to suddenly yank him back down into the nest ( ---no more scrounging. food would be there later. they were exhausted right now. ) and towards them in the pile of various textured blankets. Koko's hand has managed to hold onto a single box of chocolate biscuits, and Lyric eyes it with little concern until he stars picking at the top to open it, rolling over to lay on his side facing them. Their tail relaxes and tightens again as is necessary to allow him to move, a low clicking in their chest. They seem soothed that he has come back down willingly.

"... strawberry? Do you like strawberry?"

-> Their voice feels like a creak in their throat. He peels the corner off one of the smaller packets inside and pulls a piece out, held between his teeth. He pulls out another with a noise of thought and offers it to them, which they sluggishly part for, the uncoated end wiggling as they chew on it a little at a time.

11.11 ( POCKY DAY )

"---is this how you approach me, then?"

-> They want to question who let him in through the front door, but Lyric has an inkling of a suspicion that he lied about being their best friend to get it, mocking concern because he wanted to ask them more questions about Gimmoirer or risk getting his tongue torn out of his mouth or goad them with more jabs they weren't in the mood for. The door to the basement is a heavy oak wood and Lyric hears the hinges before they hear his footsteps, one at a time, down the steps. He smells like... the impression of a cologne, which they don't know the name of, that burns their nose. They had carefully brushed their shoulders and wrists and fingertips over every surface of the basement to preemptively mark their territory ( at the deterrence of no one. it was only to make them feel better ) and his smell is an unwelcome addition. Lyric did not like Kurama beyond the occasional amusement in meeting him one-for-one in his own game. When he reaches the bottom step, the intensity of their stare in the dim light must stop him. That, or the copious amounts of ice over every surface.

"Smelling awful?"

-> Lyric is coiled ( yes, coiled. their body doesn't fit right now, a little long in places it wasn't before, joints loose, tail a heavy guard against the outside as it is pulled tight around them like a snake's body. they look misshapen and their teeth fill their mouth too much. ) in a pile of blankets on one side of their nest, and in arm's reach of that are a number of haphazardly strewn things: a case of water bottles, a torn open box of plain crackers, an empty jar that once held pickled whole fish in it, a book that has many creases. As Lyric emerges from their blanket pile they watch him as closely as he watches them---next to his feet at the bottom of the stairs is an untouched bag of snacks and canned sardines and a flimsy book of word puzzles. Food and things to do, left by Xi earlier. Lyric stalks closer to him, a low growl peeling from their throat. Their claws dig into the ice with every four-limbed motion, and their tail sweeps large C-shaped motions across the floor behind him as they approach; rise up slowly like something that has almost forgotten how, come face-to-face with him with their eyes so sharp and bright they look like they want to eat him. They do. If he ran, they don't think he'd make it to the top of the stairs before they had their teeth in him. ( they smell something else now that they're closer. something sweet, in one of his jacket pockets. Their eyes move in a jerky motion towards it, and they yank it with their claws so some of the seams along the edges pop and dig their hand in. they pull out a box of biscuit chocolate---was it for him, or for them? they would make the decision. it didn't matter what he chose. )

"You've got no self-preservation coming over when I'm like this. If I didn't know you already aren't a threat to me you'd be dead already."

-> They leave out that their attention is redirected by the chocolate, one claw puncturing the top of the box and stripping it open, letting the cardboard flutter to the floor. They pull one out and bite it in half, their teeth a death trap to prey animals like him. They shake the box at him, mockingly.

"---Want some?"