[She isn't at all tired so she might as well get something productive done while he rests - or tries to, at least. It wasn't as if the night was a waste by any means but she really hadn't wanted to upset him so badly, or have any hand in causing it. But there was nothing she could do but let him take care of himself.
Hopefully that'd be enough. If she apologized too much or fretted that'd only stress him out more.]
[He looks up at her from his chair. He's not actively trying to...but he's ended up giving her those begging doe-eyes, intricately curved pupils wide with hope.
Please don't leave him here alone, Nariko. Not after all of that.]
[He doesn't need her to follow him the whole way, but she kind of wants to, sort of does and goes as far as lingering near the bedroom door until he's slipping into his tank. Then she can manage to give him a wave and go back and fall on the couch, keeping her heels off of it.
[He won't need to, though. He first settles into his tank like normal, but when Nariko checks on him again--whether that is when she goes to bed herself or just poking her head in to check on him for the sake of checking on him, he's gone.
Kind of.
There's what looks to be a big pile of the rocks that he uses as bedding crowded into the corner of his tank--but on closer inspection, it's actually him, contorted into a shape with his tentacles and his skin colored and textured to match. Only knowing that pile wasn't there before is what gives him away--it's perfect camouflage.
And the fish don't seem to notice one way or the other.]
[Nariko is an intelligent woman. She went to school for a good amount of her life and made good grades, aside from a stint in high school that was complicated at best. She was perceptive and particularly good at strategizing, should the skill be needed. But when she walked in to make sure Boxer was sleeping alright it terrified the shit out of her that she couldn't see him in his tank.
And the worst part of it is that she's seen this tank multiple times. You'd think she would know every ridge and detail to it. But All she can really make out are rocks and his fish and just ... No Boxer. Where the fuck was he? But it's like he could have gone past her, or left at some point, she'd been awake the whole time!
So, to be honest, it made complete sense in that moment to get up there and in check herself. Maybe he was just laid out in some way she couldn't see from the outside. That made sense, right?
And that's how Nariko ended up in her bra, panties, and her stockings, feeling around Boxer's tank and unintentionally poking at some part of his body.]
[The water is displaced a little when she gets in, which is stimulating enough to his sleeping form to cause a single tentacle to unravel, reach out, and gingerly wrap itself around her ankle to investigate what it is, be it threat or food. And despite the gentle suckering at her skin, his skin still remains colored and textured to match the bedding rocks. Even then, it doesn't give him away; at this point, the most tell-tale sign that it's him is the sensation of his suckers against Nariko's skin.
She still doesn't get it for an extra second until she follows the trail of that one tentacle and then her perspective shifts a bit and that's, okay. That's Boxer. Somehow. Why does he look like a rock. She reaches down to pet the tentacle soothingly and then swims a little closer, trying to edge to one side because, well, she already knows what happens if she accidentally surprises him.
That's exactly why Nariko's very careful about poking his ... Well, she hopes that's his shoulder, or maybe some part of his arm? But she tries squeezing a little. Is he okay or is the color changing thing a bad sign???]
[The fish thank her for her considerate approach. They don't want to be swimming in that.
With her gentle touch, he slowly comes to wakefulness. Boxer uncurls from his contorted position wrapped in tentacles reminiscent of blooming, as his skin returns to its black, sinfully smooth texture. He sits up, his head and shoulders coming above the water, and he lets out the water from his respiratory system through his nose and mouth--a weird and kind of gross thing to witness, perhaps, but it'd be something Nariko would have seen numerous times already.]
[..... That's still so weird, and he really should have warned her about it but alright, worse things have happened. Except does that mean that he was so upset by the whole meeting that his subconscious felt like he had to hide in order to feel safe?
Wow.]
No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have woken you up.
[Especially since he had trouble with it in the first place. She leans over to kiss his cheek.] Go back to bed.
[Don't be sorry, Nariko! It's reasonable to be freaked out a little bit when he hasn't told you before! Unfortunately, he's too sleepy to express this accurately, in so he leans in to give her a hug around her butt and thighs, resting his head against her stomach and breasts.]
[He's incredibly heavy, to the extent that he might almost drag her back into the water with him! She tries to keep the balance, though, because she loves it when he's all cuddly, it's worth the possible surprise drowning.]
And I'll be here later, too.
[Probably sooner than he realizes since it's getting a bit late.]
The next time you get up I'll be right beside you.
[As much as she can be, anyway. There's still going to be a think layer of glass that separates them but - such is life.]
[One, two, three more little goodnight kisses and then she can let go of him for the rest of the night. Once he's settled she crawls out of his tank to go and take a shower. Given enough time she gathers her computer afterward and really does crawl into bed.
[He settles back onto the floor of his tank, looking much better than when she originally left him. Boxer's tentacles gently wrap around himself as per usual, and he falls back asleep in record time, one hand outstretched to the tank wall closest to her bed.]
[Okay, that's way more normal and she can accept that. Nariko attempts to work a little longer but in the end she shoves her laptop under the bed, and turns to face his tank, she keeps her hand near his until she's completely out. Let's hope tomorrow is a little less eventful.]
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[She isn't at all tired so she might as well get something productive done while he rests - or tries to, at least. It wasn't as if the night was a waste by any means but she really hadn't wanted to upset him so badly, or have any hand in causing it. But there was nothing she could do but let him take care of himself.
Hopefully that'd be enough. If she apologized too much or fretted that'd only stress him out more.]
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[He looks up at her from his chair. He's not actively trying to...but he's ended up giving her those begging doe-eyes, intricately curved pupils wide with hope.
Please don't leave him here alone, Nariko. Not after all of that.]
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[Half of her stuff is here anyway so it's not a big deal to stay, and the idea of leaving him hadn't even crossed her mind.]
I was going to set up in the living room, but the bed would work just fine.
[It's up to him, she'll sit there and work and be as close as possible if he wants, or she'll hang out in the living room.]
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[He gives her a relieved smile as he makes his way into the bedroom.]
You can work wherever it's most comfortable.
[She doesn't explicitly have to be in the same room as him, it's comforting enough to know that she'll be "around".]
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[He doesn't need her to follow him the whole way, but she kind of wants to, sort of does and goes as far as lingering near the bedroom door until he's slipping into his tank. Then she can manage to give him a wave and go back and fall on the couch, keeping her heels off of it.
What a night.]
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[He won't need to, though. He first settles into his tank like normal, but when Nariko checks on him again--whether that is when she goes to bed herself or just poking her head in to check on him for the sake of checking on him, he's gone.
Kind of.
There's what looks to be a big pile of the rocks that he uses as bedding crowded into the corner of his tank--but on closer inspection, it's actually him, contorted into a shape with his tentacles and his skin colored and textured to match. Only knowing that pile wasn't there before is what gives him away--it's perfect camouflage.
And the fish don't seem to notice one way or the other.]
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And the worst part of it is that she's seen this tank multiple times. You'd think she would know every ridge and detail to it. But All she can really make out are rocks and his fish and just ... No Boxer. Where the fuck was he? But it's like he could have gone past her, or left at some point, she'd been awake the whole time!
So, to be honest, it made complete sense in that moment to get up there and in check herself. Maybe he was just laid out in some way she couldn't see from the outside. That made sense, right?
And that's how Nariko ended up in her bra, panties, and her stockings, feeling around Boxer's tank and unintentionally poking at some part of his body.]
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And he's still out cold.]
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She still doesn't get it for an extra second until she follows the trail of that one tentacle and then her perspective shifts a bit and that's, okay. That's Boxer. Somehow. Why does he look like a rock. She reaches down to pet the tentacle soothingly and then swims a little closer, trying to edge to one side because, well, she already knows what happens if she accidentally surprises him.
That's exactly why Nariko's very careful about poking his ... Well, she hopes that's his shoulder, or maybe some part of his arm? But she tries squeezing a little. Is he okay or is the color changing thing a bad sign???]
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With her gentle touch, he slowly comes to wakefulness. Boxer uncurls from his contorted position wrapped in tentacles reminiscent of blooming, as his skin returns to its black, sinfully smooth texture. He sits up, his head and shoulders coming above the water, and he lets out the water from his respiratory system through his nose and mouth--a weird and kind of gross thing to witness, perhaps, but it'd be something Nariko would have seen numerous times already.]
Hey...what's up?
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You changed colors.
[Which is just a little concerning for her.] Like, all over.
[It was alarming as fuck.]
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That's the first time you've seen me change color?
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Yeah, I'm gonna say this is definitely the first time I've seen you blend in with something.
[Was his mother a chameleon.]
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Oh...sorry about that.
[He yawns.]
It's a hunting tactic. Or, in my case...a self-soothing tactic. Couldn't get to sleep without trying to hide...
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Wow.]
No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have woken you up.
[Especially since he had trouble with it in the first place. She leans over to kiss his cheek.] Go back to bed.
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[Don't be sorry, Nariko! It's reasonable to be freaked out a little bit when he hasn't told you before! Unfortunately, he's too sleepy to express this accurately, in so he leans in to give her a hug around her butt and thighs, resting his head against her stomach and breasts.]
You're here now~
[Sleepy kraken is a heavy kraken...]
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And I'll be here later, too.
[Probably sooner than he realizes since it's getting a bit late.]
The next time you get up I'll be right beside you.
[As much as she can be, anyway. There's still going to be a think layer of glass that separates them but - such is life.]
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[He tilts his head up to receive some goodnight kisses. Maybe they should get some sort of floating bed so she can hang out even closer to him...]
I love you, Nariko.
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[One, two, three more little goodnight kisses and then she can let go of him for the rest of the night. Once he's settled she crawls out of his tank to go and take a shower. Given enough time she gathers her computer afterward and really does crawl into bed.
What a weird night, but at least it's over with.]
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