I Could not Bring my Passions from the Common Spring


Beep beep beep… Beep beep beep, Shigeru's alarm blared balefully into his darkened room. Eventually, the cacophonous sound roused the dark-haired target of its tender affections. Reaching for the snooze button, Shigeru was still quite tired, and he decided that 'five more minutes,' sounded wonderful right about then.

As he took hold of his pillow, intent on once again dozing off, Shigeru noted that everything was how it was meant to be. He was covered in his warm blanket. His pillow was still in easy reach of his arms. No light was seeping in through his admittedly thin curtains… Ophis wasn't standing over his bed, watching him sleep.

'Ok… maybe not everything is how it's supposed to be,' Shigeru realized, discarding the thought of going back to sleep for the moment. Between the lack of sunlight and the lack of Ophis, Shigeru knew that something was off. He might have dismissed the former as a thick cloud cover or something – his sleep schedule had him waking a bit after dawn, but there were days that the sun was covered – but the second was impossible to ignore.

Ophis worked like clockwork, Shigeru had learned over the roughly week and a half they had been together. It was rather eerie if he really thought about it. She had a few things that she always did at the exact same time each day. 11:43 was time for her late morning hug. 3:37 was afternoon snack time. Dinner was expected at 6:09 sharp, and Shigeru was never one to disappoint Ophis. Finally, as he had learned through the three times he had awoken early enough to witness it – either through hunger or needing to relieve himself in the bathroom – 6:15 AM was when Ophis began her daily vigil over his bed.

If she truly wasn't in the room, peering over him, either something was wrong with Ophis… or it was earlier than 6:15. 'Nope… No Ophis here…' Shigeru confirmed, peering around the room in its dim light. '… I hope she's Ok…' Shigeru realized, as he hastily looked for his phone, hoping it would tell him the time. As he found it beside his bed, he realized the futility of that particular search… his very much separate alarm clock told the time as well after all, and it was right beside him.

Choosing to ignore that particular blunder for the moment, Shigeru opened his phone to its lock screen, where it read:

5:56 A.M.

Wednesday, July 27th

Across the screen in bold.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Shigeru had another line of questions he needed to answer for himself now. 'It's all well and good that Ophis is O.k.' he assured himself, 'but why on earth did I think I needed to get myself up before six o'clock today?' He questioned himself intently. Maybe he misclicked when setting another alarm and set one for the morning as well? Or maybe…

Looking back at the clock on his phone, realization suddenly dawned on Shigeru. 'Oh…' He thought to himself. 'Oh… it's that Wednesday… ok, now the alarm makes sense,' he concluded as he sat up in bed. He set his alarm when he did for a reason after all, so he needed to get a move on his day if he wanted to be on time.

Sliding out of his covers, Shigeru collected his shorts from the floor, and slipping them on made his way to the bathroom. Once there, he brushed his teeth and even went as far as flossing. He wanted to look and feel fresh for what was coming ahead, even if that meant taking some extra effort.

Returning to his room, Shigeru flipped on the light before sliding open his closet and taking in his various garments. Sliding his eyes over his wardrobe, he finally landed upon his black slacks, a white button-down shirt, and his black jacket. Taking the clothes out, he set them down on his bed. Stripping out of his shirt and shorts, Shigeru turned, hearing his door open behind him.

"…Ah… you're awake," Ophis stated as a matter of fact, looking at Shigeru as he stood before her wearing nothing but his boxers. Shigeru noted looking at the clock that it was 6:15, on the dot. Ophis simply stood there and continued watching. It seemed that even if he was up and moving, the morning was still Shigeru watching time.

"Yeah… I'm up already Ophis," Shigeru started as he pulled his white undershirt on. "As you can see, I'm getting a bit of a head start this morning." Turning to face his housemate, Shigeru looked her in the eye saying, "I have some stuff to do today, but I can get your breakfast ready for you for while I'm gone."

"… Gone?" Ophis asked, tilting her head to the side as if the concept of Shigeru leaving her was unthinkable. Sighing, Shigeru sat down on his bed, and patting the space next to him, beckoned Ophis to come and sit.

"Yeah… I'm going to have to be gone for a while today Ophis," He began as she sat herself down beside him, struggling to find the words to explain the situation to his simultaneously incredibly smart and incredibly naïve roommate. "I've uh… I've been on something of a vacation for the last month or so," he explained, scratching his cheek sheepishly. Seeing her questioning what he meant he continued, "That means that it's unusual that I have had so much time during the days… I'm usually a lot busier either at school or with work…"

Processing what Shigeru had said, Ophis finally responded, "I will come with you then," as if that was an option for Shigeru. Putting his arm around her and drawing her face into the crook of his neck, Shigeru sighed, not looking forward to shattering her adorable dreams.

"I'm sorry Ophis… you can't come with me this time," he explained, trying to let her down gently. "You're great, and I love spending time with you more than anything else… but the people I'm going to see wouldn't exactly appreciate me bringing a plus one…" he trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

It was heart-wrenching, seeing Ophis on the verge of tears as she was then. Shigeru supposed he could understand. He would admit that there were many things he did not know about his diminutive companion. What he did know though, was that for whatever reason Ophis was incredibly attached to him. It didn't usually cause problems, but it did sometimes end up with Shigeru blushing furiously. Case and point, when she had decided that she should follow him into the bathroom every time he went in there. Trying to explain the concept of privacy was certainly a new experience. How prophetic he had been that first morning, to foresee that particular problem. And yet it amounted to nothing.

Returning his attention to his adorable roommate, Shigeru pulled her onto his lap, feeling comfortable enough to do so given her choice of shorts rather than a skirt for that day. Yes, she certainly had kept her word as far as not wanting to wear panties around the house, which brought even more embarrassment with it than her tendency to follow him religiously, but still, he worked through it. Holding her close and resting his chin on the top of her head, he whispered, "Hey… hey… don't cry… I'll only be gone for a couple of hours," in an attempt to mollify her.

"H…Hours?" Ophis croaked, Shigeru's attempt at lessening the blow of his absence had the opposite of its intended effect, driving the girl further into her despair. If he didn't do something quick, he would have a real mess on his hands. That it might make him late was bad enough… but the fact that he would be responsible for making Ophis cry was unforgivable.

"I'll make you a really big dinner when I get home," Shigeru began, prepared to bribe his way out of having to see Ophis any sadder than he had already made her. Feeling her perk up in his arms, he went straight for the trump card in his arsenal. Rubbing her back a bit, he continued, "And then after dinner, I'll even make you a batch of cookies, if you're a good girl today… ah who am I kidding, you're always a good girl." Holding her even tighter, Shigeru admitted that he never could see Ophis as having misbehaved… just behaved differently.

"I… Ok… I will wait… if I… if I must… for Shi…" Ophis stated, having pulled back a bit in their embrace to look Shigeru in the eyes. Diving back into Shigeru's grasp, she continued speaking against his chest, "cookies, good… Shi better." It seemed that his bribe had paid off, perhaps even easier than he had expected.

"Thank you… I know this will be hard for you Ophis, but I know you'll get through it, and then I'll be back again in no time," Shigeru comforted her. Feeling her nod against his chest, He let out a sigh of relief knowing that she agreed. Unable and unwilling to resist the absolute bundle of adorableness that was Ophis, especially after almost hurting her, Shigeru let the embrace drag on. Eventually though, looking at his clock, it finally came time that he had to get a move on.

"Mhm?" Ophis whined as Shigeru released his hold on her body, depriving her of his warmth. It was never something that he wanted to do, but unfortunately spending every waking – or sleeping, for that matter – moment with her in his arms was not an option. His sadness at that realization had been immense, but he had begrudgingly come to accept it. The thought that he had just been cuddling her in nothing but his boxers conveniently slipped his mind.

"Alright Ophis, I'm going to get myself dressed, then we can get you set up for the day" Shigeru pronounced, determined to rip the band-aid of leaving her behind for a few hours off quickly rather than dragging the process out. Being without her for so long was going to be painful for him, but… 'she's probably going to have it even worse than me,' Shigeru quietly realized, a bit worried about what his roommate was feeling.


I Could not Bring my Passions from the Common Spring


Ophis was not a happy camper. Sitting on Shigeru's bed as he got himself dressed, she fretted over the fact that Shigeru was going to be gone from her for so long. Looking at him though as he tightened the length of cloth he had called a 'tie' around his neck, she couldn't help but admit that he was looking good that day, in the visual spectrum at least. Of course, he always looked good to her in both sight and her more metaphysical senses, but right then there was something… more.

'…Handsome,' she finally decided was the word for what she was looking at. That… was a new experience for her, thinking of something else as being attractive. But hey, it was Shi. It only made sense that he would help her to feel and know more things, even if he probably didn't know it yet.

That realization only brought her back to her earlier predicament; Shi was going to be gone for most of the day, and he was convinced that he couldn't take her with him to do whatever it was that he thought he needed to do. That did hurt a bit, she admitted to herself. She would have hoped that Shi trusted her more, but she knew there was still some learning curve there.

For that reason, she didn't insist on joining him in his adventures that day. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable after all. Besides, if she really needed to, she could always observe him from afar. It wasn't what she wanted to do, but it would suffice if it meant keeping Shi happy with her. So, there would be no intimidations or demands that day. 'At least I will get cookies out of this,' she commiserated with herself.

Yes… cookies. She knew that the sweet treat had far more effect on her than they perhaps should have. Shigeru's shocked expression upon her first encounter with the desert was enough to tell her that much …

Having eaten her dinner, Ophis stood against the wall in the kitchen as Shigeru cleaned the dishes he had used to prepare food for them that day. His rendition of 'burgers' had been so much better than what they had been given for lunch at that puny restaurant. On top of redeeming burgers from her 'never approach' list of food items all the way up to her, 'I would eat it again' list, the meal had served another, perhaps more important, purpose.

Shigeru's cooking was good, she knew that. But something about it was far better than it should have been able to be, and it seemed to be that way for her specifically. She didn't know what that was yet, but she had expected its presence before after breakfast, but she could now confidently say that it was there. She was glad that it was. She didn't need to eat, sure, but good food was still pleasant, and she had found meals up to her standards to be few and far between while she was with the betrayers.

Of course, Shi was better than the fools. That was simply a fact of reality as far as she was concerned. "Hey Ophis, would you like me to make you some cookies?" So, when he broke her from her reverie to ask her if she wanted him to make her a treat, of course, the only reasonable response was,

"Cookies, yes." Why would she not want to taste more of the fruit of Shi's skill in the kitchen? She would have been a fool to have given any other answer.

There was something a bit cathartic about watching Shi toil in the kitchen, as small as it was. For so long all she had cared about was gaining strong followers. She had quickly come to learn that the people with strength were very rarely pleasant to be around, and neither were their routines.

Combat training was noisy after all. Cooking though, when she knew what the result would do for her? Well, that she could more than get behind. Of course, the person doing the cooking played a part in that as well. That person was looking rather comfortable right about then… 'Shi…' Ophis thought to herself as she gradually stepped towards her gracious host and caregiver. As he worked, she slowly and steadily progressed, until, at the moment he closed the hatch on the hot box that would turn the dough he had made into a proper dessert, she stood beside him.

Hesitating for a moment, she finally slid her hand into Shi's, who was busy observing the baking process. Not sensing any reaction but contentment from him at the new contact, Ophis maintained it, before slowly she got bolder. In the end, she had Shi's arm, or what she could reach of it at least, held in her embrace, and she basked in his presence. He seemed to have had the same idea, seeing as he had wrapped his free arm around her back, completing the hug.

They only broke apart in response to the ringing of the timer, signaling the completion of the cookies. 'Baka timer,' Ophis had hastily thought, before realizing that had the contraption not gone off, the cookies might well have been ruined. 'Complicated.' She realized, in reference to her feelings about timers then. On one hand, they made Shi end his embrace of her… on the other, it meant she could have food that wasn't burnt…

Too bad she could only have one at a time. 'Baka entropy,' She decided to go with instead. She would have to pen a strongly worded note to whoever designed reality as to why Shi's hugs warranted the reversibility of energy application. Yes, she would need to do that.

As Shi extricated the tray from the oven, Ophis' eyes immediately locked on its contents. They just looked so… right. As she had been coming to expect and explain away with 'it's Shi, of course there is,' there was something about the cookies that called to her, begging her to devour them all immediately, but she waited. She knew Shi would want to check them first. Letting him do that would be polite.

She was a bit surprised when he hugged her once again, running his hand through her hair. "Now we just need to let them cool, then they'll be ready to eat," he explained softly. That made sense. He wouldn't want her to burn her mouth after all. The fact that she couldn't hadn't been made clear to him yet, so she didn't hold it against him.

As time drew on, Ophis found herself getting increasingly antsy. The fact that she wanted the cookies enough that she would be willing to momentarily leave Shi's arms was itself a revelation for her, but she could think about that later. For the moment, she just wanted to eat.

"Huh." It seemed that Shi had finally recognized her squirming. Ruffling her hair, he released her from his embrace and turned back towards the tray with her promised treats. Picking one up he turned back in her direction as her anticipation built. "Here you go, I hope you like them," he said as he placed the desert in her hands. Holding the cookie close, Ophis could already tell it would be great, but there was only one way to find out just how great it would be…

Shi and Ophis had spent the rest of the night cuddling while Shi watched the box he called the 'Tv' after she had her first experience with his baking. Beyond simply tasting amazing to her senses, they also – somewhat counterintuitively given the sugar content and its expected effect on a mortal of her size – seemed to calm her down even beyond her usually unflappable state while Shi was around. It had been a truly euphoric experience, being with Shi while under the cookie's spell.

She hoped they would spend time like that again that night. Shi was going to owe it to her, for leaving her alone all day, after all. 'No… Shi doesn't owe me,' she retracted. She was imposing on him after all already. His desires just happened to align with hers almost all of the time, which was quite convenient. For that reason, she was quite confident he would try to make his absence up to her with some affection once he returned. With the promised cookies added into the mix, she was looking forwards to a very pleasant evening.

Breaking out of her reverie, Ophis realized that she must have followed Shi to the dining table while she was in thought, seeing as she found herself sitting at the table while Shi was in the kitchen, presumably making something for her. She could tell that the clothes he was wearing would be expensive to replace if he damaged them, so she appreciated the effort he was going through to make food for her. It was nice, having someone doing things for her simply to do them, rather than being after something from her.

At some point, she was going to have to tell Shi about what she was… about what he was to her. 'Scary…' She realized, the prospect of revealing her nature and potentially changing the dynamic she already enjoyed, it wasn't something she wanted to think about too much. Yes, she would tell him when he was ready. If that just so happened to not be for a long while, well, she was certainly willing to wait.

"Here you go Ophis," Shi prompted as he placed a plate of food down before her. It consisted of rice with vegetables as well as some fish, and as always, it looked delicious. She wasn't exactly somber as she ate that morning – how could she have been somber in the presence of Shi's food? – but the prospect of being away from him for the day wore heavily on her as she ate, draining some of the elation that would have otherwise been present.

Having scooped the last morsels into her mouth, Ophis slowly, reluctantly handed her dish to Shi, knowing that in doing so, the time of his departure was drawing near. "Thank you Ophis," he said, accepting the dish from her as he stood, placing her dish in his own as he made his way to the sink. She rose to follow him, wanting to be sure to savor her last moments with him for the day rather than letting them go to waste.

Finished washing the dishes, Shi made his way to the door, Ophis in tail once again. Once in the front entry, he checked his things, before picking up his other carrying implement, the one he carried in his hand rather than on his back. 'Briefcase,' She remembered him calling it. She had seen them before, though no one had ever bothered saying their name while she was in their presence, so it was nice to learn something new.

She was distracting herself. Shi was about to leave. How was she going to deal with this? He wasn't going to leave her. She knew that… Did she? "…Phis? … Ophis, you there?" Shi asked, gently shaking her shoulder. She could always trust him to break her out of the funks she put herself in. Just one more reason he was the best.

"Y-yes," She stuttered slightly, getting unreasonably emotional about what she knew to be something the mortals dealt with every day – seeing their loved ones go forth, to work, or to learn, or to another of the countless activities they engaged in, without the certainty of return. It was a hard thing to deal with, but she had no intention of being bested by mortals, even in something so seemingly trivial.

"That's good" Shi soothed, as he kneeled so he was closer to her eye level. "I know today will be hard for you," he admitted. She could tell he was sorry for having to leave her alone. If only he knew he didn't have to. "I know you'll get through it though," he continued, his confidence clear. "Just to be safe though, we should find you a hobby at some point, to help you entertain yourself in the future when I have to be gone again."

'A hobby?' She wondered to herself, nodding in the affirmative to show her agreement with Shi, but internally doubting the necessity of such a thing. 'Is a hobby like panties?' She wondered, her distaste for the undergarment once again flaring up. 'She didn't need anything else like that, she had Shi!'

Lost in thought, Ophis missed Shi leaning in, not noticing his proximity until she felt his soft lips against her forehead. Her consciousness rebooting, she was vaguely aware of Shi telling her to behave and that he would see her soon, departing as she nodded her head.

Shi did not see the distinct smile that graced her face for the first time in eons. Yes, that would be a moment to remember. Her first kiss…


I Could not Bring my Passions from the Common Spring


Cha chunk, Cha chunk, Cha chunk, Cha chunk, the train rumbled down its tracks, Shigeru on board. He was only crossing the city, and that was as far as he ever went, so he did not need something like a car. With how far spread out he knew America to be, he understood somewhat the nigh upon necessity of owning a personal vehicle there. 'Still, though, it doesn't explain why some of them are so obnoxiously large…'

He had visited the United States once when he was younger, while his parents had still been alive. It was one of his fondest memories of them after all. Seeing the sights, visiting the great places, it all stuck out to him. Nothing did so more however than the ludicrous size of the vehicles some of the people drove. It was ridiculous, they could have been industrial trucks for hauling goods, and yet families used them to simply move about. Different peoples, different values, he supposed.

Shigeru would admit, he was trying to distract himself. No, not from what lay ahead of him that day. That he was more than ready for. Knowing that you were prepared really did make the lead-up to big moments easier. No, Shigeru was trying to distract himself from what, or he supposed more accurately who, he had left behind.

In all honesty, he wouldn't have been surprised if, in a moment of weakness, he found himself getting off the train, boarding one in the opposite direction, and returning home to hold Ophis for the rest of the day. The simple thought of making her sad was eating at him, more than he knew it should. 'People leave and go to work all the time,' he thought to himself, 'surely they don't feel this way every time they leave someone behind.' He certainly hoped they didn't at least.

Was this what having been free of attachments for so many years had saved him from? On the one hand, he would suffer anything for the sake of having Ophis… on the other, it certainly wasn't pleasant. Shaking his head in an attempt to once again take his mind off of his roommate, Shigeru began thinking of what he might make for Ophis' dinner that night. 'It will have to be something special, something she will enjoy more than usual, so I can make the day up to her…'

He was already back thinking of her again. She was the most prevalent topic of his thoughts. If he wasn't thinking about work or classes, and sometimes even when he was, she was what was on his mind. It was nice to be sure, it was entirely pleasant to think about her… but it was also somewhat strange that she was on his mind so often.

Shigeru didn't have much time to go any further down that line of thought though, as he heard the announcement that the train was pulling into his station. Checking one final time that he had his briefcase – sitting beneath his seat, leaned against his leg – and wallet – secure in his front left pocket, right where he'd left it – he rose from his seat as the train began to slow, picking up the briefcase with his documents on the way. A passing touch was paid to ensure that his phone was on his person as well, but that was of secondary concern.

Departing the train, Shigeru made his way towards the exit. He didn't need to make use of any of the shops or services that day. He rarely did. He had already eaten breakfast with Ophis after all… he was thinking of her again. At least it was pleasant memories this time, rather than thinking about how he had left her alone, in violation of his promise to care for her…

Ok, now he was going down a path that would lead to problems if he continued. Shaking his head, Shigeru pushed open the door to the outside of the station, which rested in the heart of the business district. Kuoh's business center wasn't very large, which made sense, Kuoh wasn't a metropolis like Tokyo or a business dynamo like Osaka by any means.

Still, though, a few modern office buildings formed a modest skyline above the otherwise peaceful city. Among these was the destination Shigeru sought. As he walked down the street, he schooled his expression and demeanor. It was time for business. He could be soft and cuddly later. He would be in fact. He knew Ophis enjoyed it immensely, but that didn't mean he didn't extract immense contentment from his time with her as well. That was for later though. Now it was time to be firm, and to the degree necessary, unyielding.

Stepping into the lobby of a sleek steel and glass tower – one of, but not the tallest buildings in the town – Shigeru made sure to wipe his shoes on the entrance mat. Sure, there were janitors to keep the floor clean of any debris, but there was no point in making unnecessary work for them. Approaching the desk behind which stood a smartly dressed receptionist, he fished out his wallet from his pocket. From it, he produced a single card.

"Good morning, sir, may I have your Identification, please?" The receptionist requested politely. Handing her the card he had retrieved from his wallet; Shigeru didn't bother to make small talk. He was sure this woman was a wonderful conversation partner, but that wasn't what he was there for.

After a moment in silence, she was Finished processing his ID, having both scanned it and entered manually some information into what he assumed was a system to let those who were expecting him know that he had arrived. "Thank you, Nobu-San," she thanked him respectfully, as she presented his ID back to him. He promptly returned it to his wallet for safekeeping. He did not want to lose that card. That would be a pain. "You are expected in room 10001, on the tenth floor, today Nobu-San," she continued providing some much-needed directions. He was thankful for it.

'As much as the old man has helped me, he couldn't tell me ahead of time what room we would be in… though I suppose I should have expected it to be this one…,' Shigeru wistfully thought. Well, there were worse things to leave out he supposed, especially given how obvious the choice was in retrospect. "Thank you for the directions, Honda-San, I will be on my way," Shigeru replied, gleaning the receptionist's name from the placard in front of her. She gave him a respectful bow as he made his way towards the elevator that would take him to his destination on the tenth floor above ground level.

There the first step in what he had always thought would be the journey that would define him lied.


I Could not Bring my Passions from the Common Spring


Ophis had been stood stock still for about half an hour. She was exactly where Shi had left her, having so quickly kissed her on the forehead. '…Shi kissed me,' ran through her mind, over and over, again and again. Not only the thought though, but the experience as a whole. Shi, bringing himself level with her, taking her in an embrace, and finally, the ultimate culmination, his lips against her forehead.

Now, she had felt more at peace and more content with the world than she ever had, the past days she had spent with her Shi, but at that moment, she could confidently say that she had found a new favorite memory of him. It was fitting that he gave her something to toy over in her mind while he was… gone…

Finally, Ophis broke out of the affection coma Shi had inadvertently put her in, awoken by the harsh reality of her present situation. Shi was gone. He wasn't going to be back until sometime in the mid-afternoon, or so a part of her that had managed to pay attention while she had been reminiscing about her first experience with cookies told her. The promise of a feast and cookies – as well as what came after – was certainly an enticing bribe –incentive, Shi was too good to bribe– to keep her happy without him, but they still didn't make up for her loss.

Quite rapidly Ophis had recentered her life around spending her time with Shi, so with that not being an option at the moment, she was a little more than lost as to what to do with herself. Thinking on the matter, Ophis first considered the possibility of simply going to sleep for the intervening hours. While she would have liked to take that option, it too seemed to be off-limits to her for the time being.

Beyond simply living with Shi, Ophis had also increasingly found herself living like Shi, even after only ten days with him she had already seen the effects, and that had been at least a week ago from when she was now. Where before she would have been capable of casting off her consciousness for weeks or even months at a time as she slumbered, needing to do so only a few times a year, now she found herself on a daily sleep routine, and unable to break from it.

It had been a few days into her stay with Shi, after a day of simple lounging and companionship between the two that she came to understand what had happened to her. Realizing that she had slept for only about eight hours, multiple days in a row… it wasn't normal for her. What was even less normal and even more shocking was that she found herself unable to forgo sleep that night. Somehow, she had gained a mortal sleep pattern she couldn't change out of. She didn't mind per se, it would help her behave more as Shi might expect after all… but it was still troublesome that she had lost a portion of her control of herself.

'Not possible,' She agreed with the thoughts of her past self. She should have been in complete control over every aspect of her existence, every atom, every molecule, every fiber that made up 'Ophis' should have been hers to command… but her sleep system seemed to be rebelling. That should not have been able to happen.

The thought that the sudden change was somehow related to Shi had not been dismissed. He was an impossibility too after all. Impossibilities tended to breed more of themselves wherever they went Ophis found, so she would have to wait and see where he ended up taking her. She trusted he wouldn't ever do her harm, but she would prefer to know what would be altered about her.

All of that was to say though, Ophis couldn't simply sleep through the day and wake up for his return, not if she didn't want to ruin that night's sleep and be too tired to engage in Shi watching the next morning. An unacceptable outcome. The day she had found out the consequences of staying up past her body's demand for sleep had not been a pleasant one… though it had resulted in more doting from her companion, so all was not lost.

She was getting off track. She needed to find some way to pass the time, about seven hours if he came home at three, without losing her mind. Despite being a dragon god she still got bored, especially when she was operating on a human time scale. While she was working, with an actual concrete goal in mind she could keep herself motivated. Her time with the betrayers had provided her the motivation she had thought she needed – to build an army to defeat Great Red. How foolish that had been. Still, it had given her direction. Shi gave her direction now –spend time with him – but with him not there to spend time with…

She would figure something out, starting with some of the gifts he had given her. Yes, that seemed like a good plan. Shaking her head, Ophis strolled towards the room Shi had specified as hers. Thinking for a moment, she realized that if Shi wasn't there… some of the things he had told her didn't necessarily apply. For instance… her shorts dropped to the floor. After his strange insistence that she wore something down there outside the apartment – the pair of panties hanging on the coat rack, ready to be quickly slipped on if she ever needed to leave evinced that particular discussion – she hadn't been particularly surprised that he had gently but firmly requested that she wore something that covered her crotch around the house as well, even if he did permit her to forego the undergarment while they were in private.

His wording though had been "please, could you wear something down there while I'm around?" That predicated the requirement on his presence though, not her presence in the apartment. Yes, she could indeed go as bare as she wanted while he was gone. A surprising boon from his absence, though it in no way outweighed the loss.

Picking up her shorts, the now completely bottomless Ophis continued her way to her room. Once there, she didn't bother to close the door. There was no one there to see what came next after all. What did come next was her finishing the job she had started in the hallway. That was, she finished stripping until she was as naked as the day she was… nothing. She wasn't born in the traditional sense, but she rather appeared in existence. Even then, she certainly hadn't been in a human form at that point.

The point though was that Ophis no longer had any clothes on, her slim figure bared to her mirror and the open door. While it was somewhat refreshing to be free as she was, that was not what she was after at the moment. Instead, she went to the dresser Shi had designated for her use and opening the top drawer extracted the first gifts Shi had given her.

Slipping on the grey and purple sports bra, she could imagine being in his embrace, if in a diminished form. The slight pressure against her firm chest… it was lovely. Perhaps she would try to get Shi to touch some more of her that night when she knew he would be wanting to make things up to her. He had been strangely resistant to touching her chest or any part of her legs above her knees in any of their cuddling sessions.

'Strange… I thought men liked those areas,' Ophis noted idly as she adjusted the bra for optimal comfort. She might need to reevaluate that perception at some point. That realization aside, she made up her mind to make the attempt regardless. She wanted Shi to explore her body. She was his as much as he was hers after all. That thought brought a slight uptick to the corner of her mouth.

Still grinning, Ophis slipped on the green and purple shirt Shigeru had clothed her in the first time he met her. Her truly most prized possession. If her bra was a reflection of his embrace, the shirt was the reflection of the joy his presence brought her, covering her in warmth and contentment. The two combined, Ophis would have been happy to resign herself to basking in their glory If she didn't know the original was infinitely better.

Fully clothed – or at least as fully clothed as she had any intention to be, her crotch still open to the breeze beneath the shirt – Ophis next reached back into her drawer, retrieving both her fluffy, which Shi had explained to be a tool for cleaning, but which also served quite well to entertain her, as well as his other gift to her, meager perhaps in worldly value, but worth more than anything in her eyes…

Having returned from their shopping trip, Shi immediately made sure that everything he had bought for her was in its place. Her new clothes, the annoying panties included were organized in the chest of drawers in what he had explained was her room, where she would rest and keep her things. She would have preferred to have done that in his bedroom… but she would live if they had to separate to sleep, darn self-control. He seemed to have something of a system for organizing clothes. The underthings, her bras, and panties, as well as her socks, went into the first drawer, while her shorts and shirts went into the second and her skirts the third.

'Well, not everything went in the drawers…' She realized as Shi retrieved the weird bendy plastic pieces from the room's internal closet. Upon them, he hung the shirts he had given her that had the circular fasteners running up the front. They were an ingenious design she decided, keeping the evidently wrinkle-prone fabric upright, not giving it a chance to distort itself.

Shi had been avoiding eye contact with her for a bit by that point… 'Perhaps I should wait until I'm out of Shi's sight to get out of my panties,' Ophis considered. If Shi wasn't comfortable, she could make the sacrifice of her own comfort… for him. Until he learned that seeing her was a blessing, not a curse at least.

Realizing that Shi was making his way out of her room, Ophis quickly fell into line behind him, as he made his way towards where he had cleaned his mouth that morning. It was a bit of a strange space. She never did understand why mortals insisted on having two completely separate sources of running water in their bathrooms… but she didn't exactly release waste, so she supposed she could give them that.

Shi placed the tube of what appeared to be a viscous liquid and the brush used to apply it into yet another drawer, they were similar to what he had used to clean his teeth earlier, she noted. 'Mortals seem fond of organizing', she realized as along with her oral tools the other items she realized were at least vaguely hygienic in nature were placed in the same drawer. Turning around, he opened the bifold door that appeared to house his various linens and inside placed two boxes. They were labeled 'pads' and 'tampons,' whatever those were. They probably weren't important.

The results of their shopping finally put in their proper places, Shi made his way to the living room, and after considering for a moment, he slumped down on his couch, seeming a bit worn out. Ophis, a bit to her surprise, somewhat agreed with that sentiment and slumped down next to him. She had no reason to resist when his arm draped itself across her back. In response, she laid her head against his shoulder.

For the next long while, the two simply stayed there, content in each other's presence. Ophis was fairly sure that Shi had fallen into a light sleep at one point, what with the evenness of his breath and decrease in his heart rate, but she hadn't bothered with a more thorough investigation. Eventually, though, Shi seemed to remember something, his head giving a nod to no one in particular, maybe himself.

"Stay here, I'll be back in a bit," he whispered as he extricated his arm from her back and stood, disappearing into his own room. Ophis was a bit torn between following and keeping him in sight or staying where she was on the admittedly comfortable couch and obeying. She didn't have much time to wonder which was the better choice though, as Shi kept his promise, and only a few moments later he returned with two socks and a strange pen with "Sharpie" written on the side.

"What…" She wondered aloud quietly, but it was still loud enough for Shi to hear apparently, as he began to explain as he placed the socks and the pen on the table in front of her.

"Back at the shoe store, I asked you if you wanted to make a sock puppet," he started scratching his head as if embarrassed. "You seemed like you wanted to at the time… but this is all I have in the ways of materials right now… I'm not exactly a crafty person," He continued looking at the marker and garments as if he had failed her somehow.

Not wanting to see him making that expression, Ophis picked up one of the socks in front of her, and turning to face Shi spoke, "Sock puppets, yes." She did remember that exchange, and she was interested but more than that she wanted to see Shi happy. Finding his eyes, she didn't break eye contact… she didn't exactly know how a sock puppet was meant to be made… other than that it would end up going on her hands as she had accidentally discovered earlier that day.

Shi seemed to pick up on her trepidation and shaking off any residual negativity went right into what she was sure was his best attempt at guiding her through the process of making one of these 'sock puppets.' "You want to use the black one, Ophis?" He questioned lightly, checking to make sure that she knew what she wanted before they proceeded. Looking down at the article in her hand, sure enough, she had picked the black one. In truth, she hadn't had any motivation beyond easing Shi's worry when she initially grabbed it… but yes, she did prefer the black over the white.

What had its merits, that was for sure… but black was always closest to her heart when it came to colors Ophis had found. 'Yes… black will do," She responded, and with Shi's help, she got to work.

Looking at the finished product in her hands, Ophis couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment at what she had accomplished with Shi's help. In truth, she couldn't remember that last time she had truly made something, rather than seeking to tear something down or letting the world pass her by. The simple sock puppet meant so much more than any other –besides Shi– would ever be able to understand. Certainly, none of the wealthy individuals that she knew from her time managing her former associates would have wanted to display the simple sock and permanent marker puppet in any of their extensive art collections.

It was a good thing the whims of fools and imbeciles didn't much matter to her. The sock puppet, Shiki as Ophis had named it, was to be one of her prized possessions. That day, it would help her get through the doldrum of waiting on her home to return to her. Something told her that perhaps fourteen billion was a bit old for someone to develop a habit of playing with puppets… but where Ophis was concerned, social norms tended to break down a bit. Being so closely intertwined with the concept of infinity would have warped any of the mortals much more than it had her.

Those thoughts aside, Ophis for the first time as far as she could remember, began to play.


I Could not Bring my Passions from the Common Spring


o-AN-o

Here we are with another round of hopefully fluffy fun times. A bit further delayed than I would have liked, but it got done eventually. To be honest, this chapter fought me, hard. I'm sure you noticed that the scene break text and chapter title have changed… but I had told you that the next release was going to be the conclusion of chapter two, so what gives?

Well, chapter two part three decided to be a pain in the ass, so I decided to show it the door, i.e., I cut it and moved straight onto chapter three. Some of the content will still appear in the form of flashbacks, (the large chunks of italicized text) while the rest of it will stay locked in my mind as payback for daring to make me suffer, mwahaha. In all seriousness though, the original plan wasn't going to work out too well, so the rework was well worth the trouble. This turned out way better than what you were originally going to get, trust me.

Onto the content here, you hopefully figured out that time has progressed, a couple of weeks total. They have gotten some time to get to know each other's mannerisms a bit and get attached to each other… and now Shigeru is separating himself from Ophis for the day. He had been spoiling her with his pretty much constant attention. Will she survive without it? Tune in next time to find out.

Where did Shigeru go that he needed to get all dressed up, that he thinks is so important to his life's trajectory? You'll have to wait and see, but it shouldn't be too long. That being said, yes, I am going to try to have some plot here, boo hiss. As much as I would love to be able to write tens of thousands of words of pure fluff and nothing else, I worry that it would get very repetitive very fast. I need something to string the fluff along. If it doesn't work, I'll figure out an escape from the things I have planned, but hey, at least it's not canon… yet.

Anyway, as always, I really appreciate any engagement with my works. Feel free to review with any criticism, positive or otherwise. It really keeps me motivated to keep going. If I'm being honest, there were moments where I thought that I might have already lost motivation for this story, while it was stalled in a place I couldn't see a path out of in terms of direction. Your reviews, favorites, and follows were what kept me going when the thought of quitting seemed like the easier choice. Thank you.

I hope you all enjoyed, and until next time,

-PDes