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Jaxon couldn't keep himself from quirking a brow at Bismae. They were such a peculiar oddity. He really didn't know if they were just ... in need of a little 'special' care, or if Bismae was just socially awkward. Either way, Jaxon wasn't much fussed and gave a shrug, watching as the naga struggled with slime under their shirt. It looked like Bismae had an odd growth, wriggling around inside them until it suddenly stopped. "Yah, sure." Was all he could say before nodding his head. "Yah, some warmth sounds nice. Probably a good idea we head in for a little while." With that, Jaxon started to slither towards the building. He wasn't going to be told a second time that it was cold outside. He knew bloody well it was freezing, and if he wanted to keep functioning he needed to save his own skin for once and get indoors.

Back at the dorm, it was almost as if Percy could sense company was on the way. The neko was fastidiously preening himself, making sure not a single hair was out of place. Percy took immense pride in his looks and was not one to skimp on his appearance. Every morning he tied a lovely braid in his hair, tightening it with a bow, moisturized and cleansed his skin, did his make-up, and much, much more. Today, however, the cat had been exceptionally particular about his form, having already spent several hours in the bathroom tending to himself.

His ears flicked at the slightest sound, though he kept singing merrily to himself.

---

Bismae kept pace with him as they slithered back to the doors and she crossed into the lobby. She led the way towards the elevator, too tired to take the stairs. As they got in and she pressed the floor number, she began to warm up, and with that began to talk once more. "What kind of tea would Jaed like? Perccy hass many, many kindss. I'm ssure he'll have Jaed'ss favourite. I will sshow you my plantss, and you can curl on my mat. It'ss heated you ssee, heated from insside. It was a gift from Perccy when we learned we were coming to sstudy here. And if Jaed iss sstill cold, we can turn on the heat lamp, and that will be good. Tea and warm." The doors opened and she slithered out onto the floor, turning to look at him for the first time since he'd handed her Myden. "Here we are, almosst home. Come."

They reached the apartment, and Bismae was not in the least bit alarmed that Jaxon seemed surly. She opened the door and called in. "Perccy, we're back!" She still kept Myden stuff in place until she got to her room. The house rule was, her pets were not aloud to wander freely about the apartment. She slid in, and waved Jaxon inside. Sure enough, the space was opulently appointed, and toasty warm. It was warmer than most people in Below would find comfortable, but with its occupants both from the desert, it felt more like home. "Come, welcome home," Bismae invited to Jaxon, and even graced him with a smile. Her smile wasn't half-bad, the apple cheeks rounding out the otherwise sullen features and making her diamond markings seem to wink.

"Yess!" Bismae declared brightly, the nearest thing to joy in her countenance and bearing as ever did grace it. "Issn't Jaed perfect, Perccy? Look at thiss beautiful fur, and thiss sstrong tail! Sso healthy and handssome. I will take good care of him, and feed him and water him." Bismae was patting at Jaxon to demonstrate his fine, superior qualities as she spoke, as if Jaxon were at a purebred competition. She seemed -- for once -- entirely oblivious to Percy's mood, and kept prattling on despite the obvious displeasure her master had. "I went to fetch Myden," she patted the lump, knowing better than to release the excitable Slime into the shared quarters. "And Jaed here wass disscarded, abandoned in the cold. Well, I ssaved him, warmed him up with the fine sscarf you gifted to me. And he ssprang right back like a poor wilted flower, he did. And he could have crawled back to the wild then, he could have, but he didn't, no! Jaed helped me find Myden, sso I will keep him, and we can all have hot tea to warm up. What kind would you like, Jaed? Perccy hass all the besst teass. I'll make uss a pot."

It was most-likely the most Bismae had ever spoken in one conversation in her life. She was uncharacteristically excited, and very much pleased to be able to present Percy with such a fine specimen.

Bismae swayed unsurely between Jaxon and Percy, beginning to be aware of her master's caution yet disbelieving that Jaxon's so-called family would still want him. Otherwise, why discard him in the cold?
Slowly, she sank back on her tail a little and pawed once more, less excitedly than before. "Jaed iss not kept againsst hiss will..." She attempted a smile, but found the expression awkward and soon gave it up. "They abandoned you, Jaed. I will never do that. Thiss iss a ssafe placce. Don't you want to sstay?" She turned to look at Percy, quickly calculating what to do. "A thermoss," she decided firmly. "Of hot tea. Jaed musst be presserved for the journey back to hiss....hiss...inferior home..." she trailed off, spiteful and dejected.