Ophis Hates Haircuts

The human world was filled with a lot of fascinating things. She'd acknowledged that the first night since she'd come here, and the days ever since had been nothing but eventful and fun with the Hyoudou's. Issei, especially, never fails to make even the most mundane things in life seem more lively than anything she's ever experienced.

Of course, that wasn't to say that the human realm was perfect. There were plenty of downs to go with all its benefits, but they aren't usually all that bad. Sure, not everyone is completely friendly and the weather can get rather hot, but even she realizes that's nitpicking in the end.

Ultimately, she was happy to say that she's… happy, to be here. To have somehow stumbled upon a boy in the middle of the night and somehow pulled into a warm and loving family despite having no ties with them.

She'd thought she'd gotten used to solitude. Now, she couldn't want anything more than what she has now.

Buzz. Buzz. Snip. Snip.

She changed her mind. She didn't want to be here.

Sitting in a little shop that seemed more like a corridor, with mirror attached to two opposite walls to give some kind of infinite reflection, Ophis felt oddly uncomfortable. The little shop wasn't too claustrophobic, and she still had leg room. The floors were sanitized and the air smelt of freshener.

She did not, however, appreciate the clumps of hair that was beginning to grow in size in front of her.

This, Ophis, realizes… is true hell.

They were in his world now. The man who was doing away at her best friend, with his horrifying tools and that smile that could fool millions of men and women into thinking he was friendly—everyone but her. She knew the truth. She knew his plans. Knew that he was up to no good.

"Hey now, you're looking a little tense," a little nudge to her side failed to elicit much response from her. Rather than get offended, Uncle simply chuckled. "Don't worry about him, Ophis. The guy's a professional. He won't hurt Issei by accident."

Good, because if that were the case, then she was sure nothing in the world would stop her from destroying this shop and lightly sending this barber to another dimension.

Likely without killing him, though. She had a feeling that no one would appreciate that, and even she had somehow developed a dislike for the idea of killing humans.

She was not a religious person, but even now she'd ask for someone to spare her from having to remain in this hellscape for so long.

That was quite the statement when even the actual underworld itself wasn't such a bad place. If anything, it seemed almost similar to Earth, what with its inhabitants mimicking much of the humans' lifestyles. Well, whatever seemed fit.

It was also something to be considered that not many things actually bother Ophis whatsoever. Being one of the strongest beings in the known universe meant that very little posed a problem for her. And now that she's taken to living with the Hyoudou's, there simply wouldn't be a need to confront such bad enemies.

Not like a couple of stray devils hadn't tried and come on over to feast over her favourite family. She'd made sure to dispose each and every one of them without anyone the wiser.

But still, humans manage to find some ways to entertain her—or in this case, to traumatize her.

"Snip snip snip… Looking rather nice now. Feels nice, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it sure does! And are you saying 'snip'? You totally are!"

"Haha, you got me there, kiddo. Now sit still for a moment while I…"

How? How could Issei be so cheery despite the fact that this horrible person was cutting away his hair with those oversized scissors? When all his precious brown strands are falling off onto the ground in tufts and clumps, waiting to be brushed away, collected and disposed in the trash?

Ophis felt like she knew what fear was before. But if she hadn't, then she definitely does now. She literally couldn't help but wince every time his scissors got a little too close to his earlobe, or if he seemed to pull the comb a little too back, pulling Issei's hair with it.

'Everyone here is all too relaxed,' she thought with a hint of disbelief, looking around. The other patrons of the shop were either sat at a couch pushed to a corner or on the seats being tended to by other barbers, a few gazes focused on her best friend as they smiled at his childish joy. 'Why are they so happy to cut away their hair? Is this some kind of horrible ritual?'

"We've been wanting to get Issei a haircut for a while now, though we hadn't the opportunity for a bit," Uncle said beside her, as if he read her mind. She doubted he could, though that would be pretty cool.

"Is… Is a haircut, important?"

"Some. Usually, adults have to consider that for self-image. It's especially important to present a neat and tidy person when you're looking to score a job. Not like people with scraggly, unruly hair can't be hard workers, but first impressions are plenty important enough in life."

That's certainly a social aspect that she hadn't considered thus far. Interesting. "Would it count for children as well?"

"Oh, most certainly. Not to belittle you or anything," not that she would be insulted in any way. She wasn't exactly a child to begin with, even if she may look the part. "But children tend to judge others by appearance too, most of the time. They'd be careful who they'd want to be friends with based on how they look. Don't feel too bad about it, though. It's natural for everyone."

Interesting… She'd always known that psychology was an interesting subject to tackle when it came to how humans socialize, but to think that something so basic as how one appears could drastically affect one's feelings toward them.

Then again, she supposed he wasn't wrong. If she'd had to compare a man who looked like a beggar or another dressed in a suit, she'd have been of the opinion that the latter would be a businessman. Immediate inferences based on outward appearance.

"And it does help with one's health. It helps with hygiene and technically keeps the hair from getting damaged from things like sunlight and whatnot," and then, he chuckled. "Though, don't count my word on that last bit. I'm not exactly a medical professional."

"It's okay, Uncle. I, learnt quite a bit."

Doesn't change the fact that she absolutely hates haircuts now. Even with Issei laughing away as the barber makes a comfortable shave on his sideburn, she doubted she would enjoy it.

"Say, Ophis, do you want to get a haircut too?"

"I refuse."

Any other time, she would have politely apologized to Uncle for being a little rude to him. But with such a dastardly question directed at her, she couldn't help but be equally blunt right back at him. Uncle just laughed back, but she would remain adamant in her stance.

Never in her life will she ever—ever—cut her hair.

Never.

…

"Ooh. So that's her reaction eh..?"

"Yep. Guess she's not a big fan," he chuckled. "She looked so glum throughout the walk back. Kept asking Issei why he wanted to get his hair cut in the first place. And his answer of 'because it was getting way too long' did not please her in the slightest."

Neither of them wanted to tell her it was because Gorou and Miki both thought it would be nice to get him to get a haircut to trim down his wild mane. They didn't expect Ophis to be so upset over it, which was equally funny as it was hilarious.

"So yeah, you could say that she absolutely dislikes getting haircuts. Like, at all."

"It's probably got to do with Issei complimenting her hair that one time," his wife tittered. "She'd been so over the moon when he said that. Not like she outwardly showed it that much, obviously, but she had been asking so much questions about how to take better care of her hair afterwards."

"Oh?" He leaned forwards, grinning widely.

"Mmhm! She never really cared much for it before, but I noticed that she's been very meticulous with her hair ever since. Shampoo, conditioner, even hair oil! And she listens to all the instructions I give her. Not like she doesn't, but she's very attentive about it all."

"Oohoohoo… That's adorable. Think she's trying to impress Issei?"

"You kidding?" She snorted, then giggled. "At this rate, I don't doubt it. She adores Issei."

Even with this little teasing session, Gorou couldn't help but feel a little warm at hearing that. It is a testament to how close they are now, having already been a month since she'd first joined them, that he could no longer imagine what their life would be without her in it.

In fact, even now, she's in the living room chatting with Issei, who had returned from a bath moments earlier with a towel over his head, about that one sushi shop they saw on the way here. Not a big fan, she is, though she isn't all too opposed to giving them a try every once in a while.

Now that he thought about it, he's never found a moment where the two just aren't attached by the hips. He'd like to think that they're only ever separated whenever they're off to sleep in their separate bedrooms. Otherwise, they really might just end up sharing the room. Just like Ophis' first night, heh.

"Well, whatever the case is, even I wouldn't want Ophis to cut her hair."

"Me neither," nodded Gorou, wise enough to know that disagreeing would have had his skin flayed. "And I doubt she'd want to."

With all those death glares she'd been giving the shop when they left the place? Hah, yeah. Definitely not happening in a million years.

Green Thumb

"Why, is it called 'green thumb'?"

"I don't know!" Issei answered with all the honesty of a child, managing to sound proud about it. "I know that it's probably the Americans who came up with it."

"Hmm. Westerners and Asians… sure come up with a lot of proverbs and sayings."

"Yeah, that's true. Usually it's the old people who come up with these sorts of things."

He wasn't exactly sure how they could manage to do that, but he wasn't going to question it. As far as he knew, old people tended to make up all kinds of phrases for all sorts of things—and they usually don't make any sense in the latter manner. Like, why green thumb? Wouldn't people who realistically have those mean they have some sort of infection? Ugh.

"In any sense, I don't think it's just people living in the west and east who say weird things all the time. Pretty sure anyone from anywhere make up all kinds of things to say."

"True…"

Actually, now that he thought about it… "Hey Mom," the woman in question, sitting at the couch with a look of focus as she tried to solve her crossword puzzle on her newspaper, hummed back in response. "Do you and Dad make up stuff to say to me and Ophis from time to time?"

"Don't be silly. We'd never do such a thing."

"Wasn't that what you said about the last time we had vegetables for dinner?"

"Those are all facts, Issei," she rolled her eyes back. She wasn't wrong there, admittedly. "You know that your father and I aren't fans of lying, even if it means telling little white lies. We try to be as honest as possible, either it's with you or everyone else."

"Well… I guess that's true."

Plus, they literally named him Issei, which meant honesty. Would be pretty hypocritic to do that but then go off to tell lies themselves. Something about adults being good role models for kids and the like.

"Hmm. And what does, 'having a green thumb' mean?"

"It means that you're really good at gardening," his mom answered without looking up from her puzzle. Her hand, holding a pen, moved down to scribble an answer.

"But why the thumb?"

"Something about how a good farmer can tell if the soil needs watering or not just by putting their thumb in the dirt," she shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not exactly sure what's the reason, dearie, but that's the best I could give you."

"Would it be good if we do have green thumbs?" Her question drew them into a momentary silence before the three of them collectively shuddered. "Better not."

"No kiddin'. I'd like mine just as they are now."

"Same here. Oh, so this one is 'Aphrodite'…"

"Aphrodite?" Ophis seemed to perk up at that.

"Pro'lly a goddess of sorts. Not sure from where, though."

"She's a Greek goddess who represents love, passion, and recreation. I mean, reproduction."

"Think there's a saying about her?"

"There's possibly a saying for every deity," she shrugged back. He could see that being the case if the Greeks were particularly devoted to them in any case, wanting to make up some kind of proverb including them to show their respect or something. "Maybe… Oh, I don't know. As blue as Poseidon?"

Both Ophis and his mom, who put down her papers for a moment to stop and stare at him.

"What?"

"Why… blue like Poseidon?"

"I dunno'. He's the king of the ocean," he shrugged back. "And the ocean is blue…"

"That is true."

"Now, now, Issei. While you're not wrong about the ocean being blue, I doubt that Poseidon himself is actually blue. Perhaps he's skin-toned, just like us?"

He supposed that was the case. If he wasn't, humans would likely be a little more afraid of him. Something to do with how similar they are in terms of appearances that there was no reason to be afraid of them in the first place.

"How about 'never look a gift horse in the mouth'?" He asked next, crossing his arms. "I think that's a really weird one to think about. Like, who even looks in a horse's mouth?"

"Horse dentists?"

He snapped his fingers at Ophis. "You're right there."

"It means to not question a gift when it's given to you, though I like to think that it's a rather silly saying myself," his mom hummed. "And also, don't be too excited whenever you get something for free. Be sure to thank them for the gift and at least consider, if only for yourself, just why exactly you got the gift in the first place."

"And never accept candy from strangers, especially if they just came out of a white van."

"What? Why?"

"Because Mom and Dad says that's how kidnappers work," he nodded, certain of himself. "They take a white van everywhere, find a kid, go and offer candy to them, then drag them into the van and drive off before anyone can rescue them," he shuddered after. "It's awful…"

"Indeed. So you two have to always be careful when you're out and about. I don't want to find out that something dangerous happened to the both of you, okay?"

"Okay," they answered together.

"Good. Oh, wait, this one isn't 'Melon'? Well, darn…"

Leaving Mom to her puzzle for a bit, he tried to wrap his head around the idea of proverbs, recognizing that they're never meant to be taken literally. Instead, there's some kind of message or hidden meaning behind each one, designed to engage a person's brain and make them think about it.

He didn't really pay much attention to them, though. They just make his brain hurt more than anything else.

Seriously, why do people have to make up such complicated phrases if they just want to advise someone? Might as well just be direct and let them know straight to their face without confusing them. Someone might take it too literal at some point. He might!

And to go back to the subject of green thumbs, why? Why would someone make such a weird saying like that? Maybe it's some kind of language amongst farmers that seemed to put a high priority on fingers and thumbs. But man, does that sound weird to think.

Plus, wouldn't it technically be brown thumbs if that were the case? Because, you know, putting your thumbs in brown dirt?

"Think we should try gardening ourselves someday?"

"You should. It's a rather fun hobby if you can get into it. Your father certainly did."

Dad did? "Really? How come I don't know 'bout it?"

"Hmm. Guess it was never brought up or anything," she shrugged. "Either way, it was long before we had you. Your father used to go with his father, your grandfather, to a farm they had back in their village."

"How was it?"

"It was wonderful," the sincerity in her voice was accompanied by a gentle smile. "I remembered the first time I went there, and how dirty he was from head to toe. He minded it a little too much anytime I came over, that silly man… But yes, he was an incredibly talented one. Had the green thumbs, you could say. Pumpkins, strawberries, tomato cherries, mulberries… He just loved gardening. And he was so smart, too. Knew all the tools, how to check the soil, how to tell if the plant is healthy or not."

Yeah, that was just like his Dad. Issei couldn't hold back from grinning, able to picture a scene where his Dad was crouched next to a berry bush, gently testing the fruits and rubbing the leaves between his fingers as he inspected its condition. A hard worker, he would be, and incredibly meticulous.

And then, maybe he'd panic when he'd see Mom approaching, which made him laugh inside. He'd be so embarrassed, dirt all over his shirt and pants, and Mom would just roll her eyes and talk to him like there was nothing wrong. And yeah, Dad would be uneasy at first, but then he'd open up slowly. And then, everything is the same as ever.

Man… That sounds nice.

Ophis raised a hand. "Was it, an actual farm, to sell to the people?"

"Not at all, sweetie. It was just a personal land for farming that your uncle's father had since he was little."

"Could we go visit it someday?"

She opened her mouth to answer, before letting out a hum. "That wouldn't be a bad idea. Someday, though. We'd need to ask Gorou first, and notify his brother."

"So hey, if he doesn't farm now, what does Dad like to do?"

"Fishing," the answer came with a shudder. "I'm not a big fan of that one, gotta' admit. Slimy, slippery and gross… Urgh."

Now the previous, dreamy sequence in his head was replaced with a scene of his dad reeling back, drawing a fish out of the waters. Mom would probably yelp in surprise and instantly put five metres' worth of distance between them, just so that the flailing fish wouldn't accidentally slap her in the face or something equally silly.

"Fishing, eh..?" He masked his snort by emulating a cough. "Are there any fishing proverbs?"

Ophis seemed to have the answer, reciting it from memory. "If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you give teach him how to fish, you feed him for life."

"Okay, now that sounds a little more logical, and definitely more wise-sounding."

"And green thumbs don't?"

"No! They sound like a description for some kind of alien from a highly-CGI movie," he sighed out loud. "Maybe it's because they touched leaves so much that the green colour came off and attached to their fingers. But that's not how it works… I think."

"Oh, Issei. Just leave the proverbs as they are. You'll come to appreciate them someday."

He shared a look with Ophis, both deadpanning when his mom said that. Yeah, they definitely appreciate it. Appreciate how dumb they can be sometimes.

Soap and Bubbles

Humans loved to take care of their hygiene. Both because it feels really nice and it's really important for their own health.

Ophis could attest to the former point, recognizing just how different it is now that she's adapted to the human life, such as sleeping on a warm fluffy bed (how she managed to live all her life just sleeping on rocks or suspended in space is a miracle) or taking baths every day.

And right now, standing in front of her very own bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body, she was prepared.

"Remember Auntie's words; everything must be rinsed and cleaned."

That seemed like such a chore to most people, considering that it really does include from head to toe. But Ophis was of the opinion that it was truly a blissful experience, one that left her in anticipation for her next bath.

She doesn't waste time to push the door in, walking into a little room that was practically a small corridor of sorts. To her left was a little sink and a mirror, with a stool below it to let her step up on it and see her face, as well as to brush her teeth. Deeper in, a little box-looking bathtub-like area that could be filled with water, with a shower head nearby for her to rinse herself off afterwards.

Ophis knew that her face didn't look any different, but she knew for a fact that the excitement bubbling in her was anything but genuine. Somehow, baths had become just as enjoyable to her as eating and playing with Issei is.

Then again, all the things she'd come to like were all things that she'd never experienced before. Things she'd only begun to understand and accept as part of normality now that she'd joined the Hyoudou family.

Without wasting much time, she let the water begin running—hot. Never cold. She tried that once and though it was 'refreshing', as Auntie called it, she had been like a grouchy cat for the rest of the morning as her body decided that, just because she was a dragon which was close to being reptilian, and hence meant that she was apparently meant to be cold-blooded, did not make her like the cold at all.

"Let's see…" Picking up a few jars and bottles on the sink to inspect them, she hummed as she tried to recall what each one was for. "Bath salts for the bathtub, shampoo and conditioner, soap for rinsing off afterwards…"

Humans certainly love making a lot of things for all sorts of uses, and it seemed that there was no shortage of bath-related things. She'd known that they really care for their hygiene a lot, but even this was a little too much.

"No, this should be enough. I, will not have any issues."

Determined, she picked up one of the newly-opened jars and brought it over to the tub, seeing that it was filled up to a quarter now. She dipped a finger in and sighed when it felt sufficiently warm. Hopefully, it'll get even hotter.

The wait is nice, she would admit. While some would be too impatient, she preferred to listen to the sound of the running water. It's soothing, in some way, that never fails to evoke the image of a river in her mind. She'd visited some plenty of times, of course, but she wondered if she could go there with Issei and his family someday. It would be nice.

Ah yes, and beaches too. She'd always noticed just how happy families are when they go there together, laughing up a storm as they ate ice-cream and played in the water together. Good for them.

'I wonder if Issei can swim,' she thought, only to then shake her head, almost amused. 'As if he wouldn't. Issei is very active. He must certainly know how to.'

After the tub was filled halfway, she added the bath salts and watched them dissolve in the clear water, only for it to then slowly turn into a lovely mix of purples and pinks. Colouring, hmm? That certainly makes it look all that more appealing.

Humming in satisfaction, she hung up her towel on the rack before dipping into the water, sighing in relief. Auntie would be horrified by how red her entire body was becoming, thanks to how hot the water is now, but she didn't mind. This feels amazing…

'Human luxuries. Please, keep making more.'

Almost slipping off and submerging her face in the water, Ophis instead chooses to lean her head against the edge of the tub, feeling her hair splay out around her on the water's surface. It's one thing to do this once. But getting to do this every day?

Maybe someday, she'll get bored of this and forego it completely. But she doubted that day would ever come. And if it does, then she's going to enjoy it to the fullest until then.

"Scrub your hair and your scalp with the shampoo. Rinse it off. Then, repeat the same with conditioner," she recited, remembering the instructions Auntie had given her on how to wash her hair. That she has longer hair makes the process a little longer, but it wasn't like she was going to complain. She liked having it long either way.

And certainly not because Issei complimented it that one time. Certainly.

Well… okay, then it definitely is because of that.

"Issei is too honest for his own good," she sighed, though she wasn't upset by that. If anything, it made his compliments all the more meaningful, and she rather enjoyed hearing them. "And he did say before that I looked good in black…"

Honestly, her choice of black was simply because she wasn't sure what other colours she would have preferred, so she'd just automatically made a simple black dress for herself when she'd begun travelling around the realms. It was a non-conspicuous colour that would help her blend in well enough.

But, well, if Issei thinks she looks good with it, then she's not going to complain.

Right. He was her best friend. His opinion mattered very much.

It was quite a long time before she had been done with her bath, for she enjoyed it quite a bit—a little too much, as Auntie would jokingly say, but she was not ashamed to say that she really does. Once she was done, she stepped out of the bath, lamenting how cold the air was. And the fact she had to walk back to the sink to grab the other bottles.

Note to self: Next time, just bring everything to the tub. Might as well save her the time.

As the water in the tub drained, she turned on the shower next, feeling the familiar heat wash over. It was made even better as she applied soap to herself before using a scrub, the feeling akin to scratching an itch. Satisfying could not begin to describe it.

The shampoo came next, and she made very sure to leave the water running while she angled her head away to keep it from completely washing away all the shampoo. She worked at her hair, from root to tip, with a kind of attention that she would have never done before. She massaged her scalp, scrubbed with her fingertips and ran her fingers through her hair to cover every inch.

Wash that away, then repeat with the conditioner. The slippery sensation feels a little weird, like having oiled her hands, but she doesn't mind it too much. If it keeps her hair healthy and good-smelling, she wasn't going to complain.

"Mmm… I wonder how I was able to live without any of this in the past."

She supposed that was just her mistake of secluding herself in the Dimensionless Gap. And yes, secluding would typically mean a lack of presence of any other people, though she decided to just ignore Great Red.

Huh. Now that she thought about, how is that big brute holding up? She hadn't thought to contact it since she'd left, and she'd been away for a very long time. At this point, Great Red might have just turned it into his turf. That thought… oddly doesn't bother her.

She supposed she understood why. The Dimensionless Gap was her home, yes, but she'd only ever sought the silence. It was why her goal had always been to eradicate Great Red, just so that she could have it all to herself. No disruption, no noise, nothing.

But then I would have never met Issei.

Just thinking of her brunet friend made her smile a little. Well, living with him is anything but quiet, but she's found herself enjoying this change much more than she realized. It's a warm, loving atmosphere that she practically relishes being a part of, and knows that she would protect it at all cost.

And protect it she has. None of the Hyoudou's need to know that she's already culled at least twelve stray devils in the neighbourhood. If anyone asked, it was just a freak accident. Not like a cute, little girl like her could possibly be involved in that.

Stretching her arms above herself, as the water trickled against her skin and hair, she let out a sigh once more, and thought to herself just how fortunate she is. The steam did little to hide her happy smile.

Great Red can have the Dimensionless Gap. She was happy here.

Ophis Has an Existential Crisis (Sort of)

Issei liked to think that he was easily surprised by a lot of things. And yeah, he really was.

Sure, one could say that he wasn't all too weirded out by the fact that Ophis was stronger than him by magnitudes. And that he was relatively chill with such a large, hairy alligator showing up outside of their house that one time. Oh yeah, and it could talk too.

But still, that didn't mean he hadn't been surprised by those things at first. It was just the fact that he had a strange ability to quickly accept something and just smile back. Someone might call him an idiot for that, but oh well. Not like it was that bad.

So yeah. He gets surprised just like the average joe, but he was fairly confident that nothing could truly make him trip and fall, or something like that. Surprises are surprises, and he'll definitely reel back a little, but he'll recover quickly enough. That was just how he is.

At least, until now.

"W-What?"

Issei cringed, and boy did he cringe hard. Mom and Dad were the same too, if the way they suddenly turned their heads away was any indication. And the source of all that? Why, it was Ophis, who looked as if the world around was breaking apart around her. Fresh out of the bath and with new clothes on, her hair wild but silky, her eyes wide like platters and breath trembling.

God, she looks devastated. And she'd never stammered before. Never. She'd paused, yes, but this was something different. She genuinely looked and sounded heartbroken. All of a sudden, he wished he wasn't here.

"I-I don't get it," there it is again. Ophis stuttering made him want to comfort her, but the shock rooted him in his spot. "Why can't I?"

Neither Mom nor Dad wanted to be the one to answer her, looking at each other and trying to make the other do it. When it was certain none of them were going to do it, he decided to step up in their place. "Because it's not good for your body."

"But… you said that bathing cleans your body."

"Well, sure, but there's such a thing as doing something in moderation compared to doing something too much, you know?"

Ophis looked positively dejected by that, and he wished he could have just eaten his words. "But… why?"

"Umm… Mom?"

The look on her face told him just how much she wanted to answer her question. And by that, she didn't want to. At all. "It's… well, there's a lot of health-related problems with that. Typically, a single showering session should be limited to fifteen minutes only, and you, Ophis… have been showering for thirty minutes. A whole double of that, or half an hour."

Yikes. He knew before that Ophis really likes her baths, but he didn't know they were that long.

"The explanation is a little lengthy, so I'll just summarize it to the important bits. Basically, long hot showers will over-dry your body, including your skin, hair and nails over time. They also strip your skin's natural oils, and then your skin will start to feel dry and cracked. Another study discussed how showering too much can wash away the normal flora—bacteria, but the good kind—that live on your skin."

"Wait, there's bacteria on our skin?"

"Issei, there's germs practically everywhere. Even in the yogurt you eat, though typically these are the good kinds. But yes, there is bacteria on your skin."

"I… I see. I understand," Ophis said. And then, she ducked her head low. "I apologize for worrying you, Auntie, and Uncle. I promise I won't shower for any longer than fifteen minutes a day next time."

Ahh… That may be what Mom and Dad want her to do, but that didn't mean they liked how sad she sounded. And the worst part was that this wasn't something that they couldn't exactly 'compromise on'.

"I think there's an internet article that said that, if you want to shower a little longer, you can turn down the water's temperature—"

"Never."

Welp, he was out of ideas. "Then I guess you'll just have to get used to it somehow?"

Ophis didn't meet his eyes, but eventually nodded. "Yes, I… I do think, that is for the best."

Mom and Dad gave some words to console her, but even Issei knew it wasn't that helpful. Someone would say that it was dramatic, but it would be something like how he wouldn't be allowed to go to the playground ever again for the rest of his life. Some people have different things that they care a lot about, even if others would think it was childish.

Then again, they are children. So…

Still, this wasn't helping with Ophis's mood in the slightest. Mom looked panicking, and Dad was trying his best to stay calm for the both of them. His best friend was trying very hard to look nonchalant as always, but there was only so much she could do when she'd just been told something that was practically akin to the end of the world for her.

Issei bit down on his lip and thought on how they were supposed to lift her mood. Clearly, it wouldn't be an easy thing to do, but something had to be better than nothing. He didn't want Ophis to stay sad forever. But what could they do..?

Oh!

"Mom, I want a smoothie," he said all of a sudden, drawing everyone's eyes to him. "And maybe some fruits, too. Like apples, and strawberries if we have any in the fridge."

"Huh? Why would you—" Mom wasn't dumb. She caught onto the message really quickly and understood what he meant. "Oh!" She nodded quickly. "Of course! I'll go get started on them."

"And maybe blankets while we're at it…"

Dad nodded as well, a glint in his eye. "Sure thing, sport. I'll go grab them. Why don't you two warm up the couch for us while you're at it?"

"Sure thing!"

He dragged a confused-looking Ophis by the hand to the living room, sitting on the couch. She looked him in the eyes, and he simply grinned back.

It didn't take too long for Mom and Dad to return, and the four of them were on the couch together, watching the television with blankets wrapped around each person, though he shared his with Ophis while Uncle and Auntie sat on opposite ends. On the coffee table at the front, four glasses filled with the spinach smoothie surrounded a bowl of an assortment of fruits. There was even a smaller bowl with candy in it.

Somehow, the suddenness of the entire situation had shocked Ophis into absolute silence, unsure of what to say as she simply glanced left and right, trying to understand what was happening.

Not like he was gonna' let the momentum end there and then, though. He swiped the remote from the table and put on—

"…are very fussy, and she'll expect his carefully choreographed routine to be focused. He opens—with a bow."

And the confusion only grows, though she doesn't try to leave. Instead, she grabs a glass and sips at her drink, while he plucks a strawberry and eats it.

"…What is that bird doing?"

"Dancing… at least, it looks like that. Dad?"

"That one's a male, and he's trying to get that other bird's attention. To, er, make her like him."

"I see. Do all birds do this?"

"Not at all, Ophis. Every animal has their special way to get their partner's attention. Some birds dance, some sing…"

"I see… Oh my. That, looks very interesting."

"Doesn't it? Look at him go! Such a graceful little thing!"

"Mom, that looks like something a ballerina would do. I don't know if a male bird should be doing something like that."

"Oh, hush you. Anyone can dance if they want."

A snicker. Issei doesn't need to look at whom it came from, but it didn't stop him from grinning as he continued to watch the funny-looking dance from the black bird. His dad and mom laughing together got him to join in, and even Ophis isn't immune to it.

Good thing that she's feeling better, because if she'd stayed as she did, he was pretty sure he, Mom and Dad would just collectively implode.

Note to self: Ask Dad to get some more ice-cream, just in case.

Author's Notes:

Poor Ophis. I feel your pain. As someone who loves taking his hot showers really long, that last chapter was a self-reminder, lmao. I've always loved hot showers over cold, but I suppose I'll learn to accept the latter from time to time.

In case anyone's curious, the part about the birds in the last short story is taken from Dancing with the Birds that you can watch on Netflix. It's cute.