Snakes on a Plane! Er in the Sewers? (Anubis)

[dem]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=f5f5f5] Something shifted by his neck, for a moment Dmitri thought Anu was teasing him or something and was about to choke him awake but when his neck was left untouched but for oddly smooth caresses, the Tenderfoot couldn’t stop himself from peeking. Golden eyes widened in surprised tinged with sleepy delight, there was a tiny thing curled up by the crook of his neck! Turning over carefully as not to disturb the scaly creature, or the puppy who he was sharing a bed with, Dmitri stared in wonder at what he could only guess to be a baby snake. The Russian was a bit confused as to why there was a snake in Anubis’ bed but he wasn’t one to question a blessing and so with a childish look of utter happiness, he slowly shifted his hand to where the creature lay. Dmitri had never owned a pet as a child, never even been allowed to touch any animal in his youth and now the urge to pet the strangle little baby was over powering. It might not have been the best idea he’d ever had but in his sleep mudded head it was a completely reasonable thing to do. So as he gently ran a finger over the slumbering cobra’s head, Dmitri didn’t really expect the snake to flare up at him, hissing ever so adorably. Dmitri’s reaction was instant and learned from years of having a brother with a snake shift, he merely jumped backwards himself. However he had forgotten he was on a mattress not a flat surface and so with a rather loud thump and a few choice curses, Dmitri Shikov fell ungracefully onto his arse. Ooc: ANOTHER SHOT POST THREAD? DUN DUN DUN DUH.XD

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[anubis]

Anubis had to wake in an hour. Which is why many of the Carna had learned their lesson early on to never try shaking him awake or making some noise too close to his bedside. Unless, of course, they wanted to find themselves flat on their backs with his hand closed around their throat, with a look that would’ve done Medusa herself proud. So while Dem's cautious movements hadn't done anything to cause him to stir--for once, he was sleeping soundly and heavily, the rather ominous thump caused him to bolt upright at once, his eyes narrowing instantly.

Only to hear the rather insistent hissing just to the right of him. For a half-panicked second, he thought that perhaps Aamir had climbed free from his tank yet again. But upon cautiously turning his head, he was greeted by the coiled body of a very small, very unhappy, cobra. It took a second for his still sluggish mind to register that, in fact, this was not his clever escapee. The markings were wrong, for one thing. For another, this particular snake in question had a much darker color.

The snake in question continued to menacing the remaining human in its space, small head weaving from side to side in what was clearly a sincere effort to intimidate him. Which would have succeeded, if he didn't find it rather...cute. Warily taking his eyes from the cobra in question, his eyes sought Dem's in the murk.

"Dmitri," he said very carefully, "why is there a snake in our bed?" Judging by the astonished look on his face, however, it was as much as a shock to Dmitri as it was to him. "More to the point, why is there a cobra in it?"he asked again. Though his face remained much the same, his voice rose by at least one solid octave.

Grimacing humorlessly--it was far too early for such nonsense--he reached over to seize the small snake, who immediately drew its head closer to its body, hissings increasing as it prepared to strike. Not that it ever got the chance. Anubis struck first, seizing it up in his palm and firmly gripping it just behind the head. Eying the Russian, who was still seated on the floor, he extended his hand out to him, ignoring the infuriated wriggles the baby snake made in his grasp as he presented it to him for inspection.

[dem]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=f5f5f5] “I don’t know, actually.” He murmured, only slightly embarrassed at the fact he had fallen so clumsily out of bed. His eyes were still transfixed on the tiny snake as it swayed back and forth like pendulum, but he tried his best to listen to Anu, the man was his closest friend after all and for the most part the puppy had good advice. Unless that is, you tried to talk to him about romance, Dmitri refused to say love. Sighing a bit and running a hand through his blonde curls, he tried to remember who exactly he’d pissed off enough to actually put a snake in his bed. Quite a few names popped up. “Perhaps it was someone I’d slept with who got a little too attached for my one night stand tactics?” With a shrug and a smirk he continued with a teasing tone. “See where believing in true love gets you? Someday, you’ll be leaving baby snake in lover’s beds.” With a few sleepy blinks, Dmitri stared wordlessly at Anu as the man’s before words finally sunk in. “Wait a second, Naga’s a cobra?” He was a little wary now, if people were putting poisonous snakes in his bed perhaps he should take Anu’s suggestion and actually sleep in the puppy’s bed every night, it would be safer, wait a second had he named that adorable little creature? He hadn’t even remembered thinking about it, yet he’d said a name. Oh god, why did pets have to melt his brain like that? But he hadn’t even decided to keep it, at least not consciously but now that he had named it, he couldn’t abandon it. That would be wrong. For a while he just sat there, staring dumbly at Anu’s outstretched hand and the squirming snake in his grip. He was too lost in thoughts of what he’d do with the little cobra to react at first but slowly he came back to reality with a worried frown. “Does that hurt it? It doesn’t look very happy, I mean not that I know what a happy snake looks like but…you know. I’ll just shut up now.” Ooc: Deeem, it's trying to kill chu. Stop loving it. XD

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[anubis]

Anubis raised an eyebrow at Dmitri's semi-coherent musings. The man's voice was still rather rough with sleep--and for a second, Anubis wondered if he was even sure of what he was saying, himself. The last, however, registered with the man, and with no little sense of alarm. The last thing Anubis wanted was to get himself wrapped up in the melodrama of Dmitri's conquests--and their earnest belief in 'hell hath no fury.' It was, unfortunately, an occupational hazard of being the man's friend, however. Something that Anubis had come to learn fairly quickly. But if it had gone simply beyond flaring tempers and gnashing teeth, and had, instead, escalated into a murder plot, perhaps it was time Dmitri found his own bed, after all.

"No," he countered blandly. "This has nothing to do with love. And everything to do with you pissing someone off. Again." [/color]Normally, Anubis would have been a bit more tactful, but disrupted sleep and the early hour had worked in unison to quickly kill off his more charitable side. The small cobra continued to coil in impotent frustration in his grip, and, with a sigh, he opened his palms, gingerly sliding a hand three-fourths of the way down the small body, and allowing the open palm of his other hand to support her head. Instantly, the snake calmed, its small head raising curiously.

The words that left Dmitri's lips caused him to chuckle. "Naga? 'Snake?'" he repeated. "How creative. But yes. She. Is a cobra." He spoke with certainty on her gender--the color of her scales gave it away. "And she," he added, "does not belong in my bed." Not that Dmitri seemed to be paying attention to the Egyptian's complaint. When he glanced towards him once again, Anubis hastily closed his hand around Naga's head once more, the small snake having been excited by the sudden movement. The small reptile wasted no time in informing Anubis of exactly what she thought of him, in a series of renewed hisses.

"It isn't very comfortable," he shrugged. "But it's not hurting her. More importantly, it'll keep her from biting you." He eyed him for a moment, a tiny smirk playing around his lips. It was rare to see Dmitri as enamored with anything as he seemed to be with the small creature he held in his grip. "Did you want to try holding her?" he asked, in the same polite tone of voice that an orderly might use to address a new father.

[dem]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=f5f5f5] “Naja is snake, Puppy. Naga is different, it’s generally used to refer to Hindu and Buddist deities that look like humans but with the lower body of a snake, usually of the cobra variety.” Now he was just rambling, Dmitri wasn’t sure if it was the lingering vestiges of sleep or just the endearing way the little snake was glaring at him with it’s tiny snake eyes from Anu’s hand, that made his brain melt like this. Either one could have easily been the cause, though it didn’t matter much to him at the moment rather the only important thought to Dmitri at the moment was how in the world he could convince Anubis to let him keep the tiny creature. Oh god, how badly he wanted to keep Naga. The blonde had never owned a pet before, not truly, the puppy his father had once bought him didn’t count. His mother had forced him to drown it before Dmitri had even had a chance to name the little spotted pup. Just the memory made him shudder but he tried to focus on the happy gift that had appeared in his friend’s bed. It apparently was a she and Anu didn’t seem very keen on keeping her. “But I do? I’m a much more dangerous thing to have in your bed, Puppy!” Giving the hunter his best pout, Dmitri tried his best to gain some sympathy. He didn’t know exactly why, but he just couldn’t bear to imagine letting the snake go. What if it was eaten? Or squished? Or had something otherwise awful happen to its fragile baby snake body? He wouldn’t allow it but he didn’t want to approach that subject, not yet. Anu was still sleepy and it made him wary, Dmitri himself was always grumpy right after waking and at the moment, he needed the Hunter in a good mood. “I see, as long as she’s fine, I guess. After all, I get enough bites from you.” Teasingly he poked a bite mark, it could have been Anu or it could have been from one of many other lovers, and then he winked. Dmitri's focus soon drifted away from his friend and back to the snake as Anubis gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse. It was hard enough even keeping his smile from bursting into an ear to ear grin. Dmitri brought up a hand to run through his hair, trying to buy a few seconds to compose himself and to keep from just blurting out a yes! “Sure, I’d lo--….Like to. I’d like to hold her.” Looking a little to the side of Anubis, he tried not to appear too excited. It wasn’t normal for him to be so elated and though the Hunter was about the closest friend he had nowadays, he’d still rather not let on. It wouldn’t be above the Egyptian to tease. “So how exactly does this work?” Ooc: Heissostupid.

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[anubis]

"Whatever," Anubis huffed. Admittedly, he had never invested in the study of other religions that extended beyond his own--or rather, the polytheistic beliefs of his country in bygone days. He wisely decided not to voice his opinion that outside religions were the creation of uneducated barbarians. If only because he was as wary of the Russian's look of exasperation that he was particularly adept at giving, as Dem was of waking him. "It isn't staying. I'll release it into the sewers. At least there's a plentiful food source." He paused. Dem didn't seem to be listening to a word of it, his gaze transfixed on the small serpent coiled in his hand. Naga, as Dem had dubbed her, seemed to have finally realized that Anubis's body gave off heat, and was taking full advantage of the fact, coming to a sluggish rest inside of the shallow cup of his palm.

Anubis eyed him for a moment at his next comment, as if debating heavily whether or not the remark was worthy of a smack. "That's also debatable, at this point," he dryly replied. An eyebrow arched delicately, and he gave his head a short shake of amusement. "You can't inject me with neurotoxins that will kill me inside an hour." A pause then, as he eyed the other shifter. "Unless I'm wrong?" His eyes narrowed at the pout Dmitri leveled at him, an apathetic expression settling onto his own face. Pouting seldom worked on the Hunter, and even now, in spite of the man's appeals, he was clearly unmoved.

"She's fine. A bit excitable, maybe, but otherwise..." he offered a careless shrug. That is, until Dem's next remark caused him to choke slightly. Leveling a glare at the man, he started to suggest that perhaps he'd bite him less if Dmitri would stop being such a cover-hogging, spooning bastard. However, his mouth shut with a quiet click, and he settled for something a touch more tactful. "That one isn't mine. The bottom teethmarks are uneven." The remark was meant to be humorously offhanded, but he was caught short by Dem's reaction to his earlier offer.

The man was trying--and failing--not to look positively thrilled by the notion. But given how the smile that tugged at his lips threatened to spread, it was a battle Dmitri was swiftly losing. Chuckling quietly, he nodded. "Alright. But first, you're going to have to be calm. If you're agitated, she will be, too. And..." he leaned forward on the edge of the mattress, stretching her out to him. "Put one hand behind her head, and squeeze it gently. And then slide your other hand halfway down her body to support her." He kept his own hands firmly on the snake as a guide, unwilling to let go until the other man had a decent grip on it.

[dem]

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[atrb=background,http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab236/AxeMar_Equals_Me/Demtablemid.jpg] “I’m completely calm. “ He huffed, averting his eyes to the side of the Hunter. Dmitri found it difficult to lie to Anubis, his puppy was just too close of a friend to deceive without feeling even the slightest traces of guilt. Still, he wasn’t fond of letting his love for animals show, it made him seem weak. He abused humans like some people abused drugs, he had a reputation, respect even for it and the Russian didn’t intend to give that up, not now. Besides, he’d never hear the end of it if his secret got out to people like his friend Py. The Carna were like a small town after all, everybody knew everyone’s business and it drove him mad. Though Dmitri couldn’t deny that the closeness of the Ring had helped him some, lately he hadn’t felt the need to kill nearly as much, however his other desires had increased. Especially the urge to tease, which was perhaps why he was friends with Anu in the first place. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that now Anubis was reaching out to him, Naga curled cutely up in his hands. It made Dmitri heart go racing off again, to his utter horror of course. Taking a deep breath he tried to calm himself, it was only a snake after all! Only a snake, an adorable little snake that he wanted to keep for the rest of his short life but still only a snake! So trying to keep that in mind, Dmitri did as Anu instructed and gripped Naga gently behind her head, slipping his other hand down her body for support. “Like this?” Now that the small reptile was in his hand, it’s pull was nearly irresistible. He had to keep it, it was his snake and no other would now do, not after he had held her in his hands. “Puppy? Please can I keep her? I’ll care for her! And make sure she doesn’t bite anyone that important!” Dmitri was half ashamed to hear a whiny edge to his voice but he didn’t care too much, he just wanted to keep Naga, more than anything. “Please! I’ll do anything!” Ooc: He is such a whiner sometimes. XD

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[anubis]

At Dmitri's rather dismissive claim, the look that Anubis shot him was far beyond skeptical. Dmitri was one who often prided himself on his supposed difficulty to read. But Anubis was, for all intents and purposes, governed by canine emotion and instincts. And as such, he was able to detect every whispered word of the man's body language as if he were shouting, when in fact, he was saying nothing at all. Such was the disadvantage of having a best friend with a shift to whom body language was everything. But he didn't make an effort to call him out on it. Instead, he raised an eyebrow pointedly, and let the subject drop.

He'd grown used to Dmitri's hasty denials. And, while frustrating at times, it never really bothered the man. As far as Anubis was concerned, if it was important for him to know, then he would tell him. There was no need to pry--in fact, that was more likely to no nowhere, with Dmitri. It was just how their friendship worked. Conversations with Anubis, however, were similar to yanking teeth by their roots. That is, when there was something that weighed heavily on his mind.

Once Dmitri had a firm grip on the tiny snake, Anubis slowly drew his own hands back, a soft smile settling into place. The way the other man held him was with the same uncertain wonder of a young boy, at once smitten by their new pet and terrified that they'd do something wrong. "Yes, Qutaita? What is it?" The question was predictable--and Anubis was hardly shocked when it came. Sighing quietly, he glanced at Dem for a long moment.

"You'll need a tank to keep her in," he said at last. "That way she isn't underfoot. You can put her in with 'Mir for now, until we can get her one of her own. And, Dmitri..." he trailed off meaningfully, resting his chin in his hand. "I imagine she's bad-tempted because she's hungry. You'll need to feed her. Every five days, at first, until she's a little older. Can you do that?" His words were stern--not unlike a parent informing a child of their grave new responsibility.



Ooc: He called him 'kitten.' Don't ask.

[dem]

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[atrb=background,http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab236/AxeMar_Equals_Me/Demtablemid.jpg] “Qutaita? I am not what the American’s call a taco, Anu.” With a tiny huff, Dmitri suddenly wanted nothing more than to be able to speak Arabic and perhaps also own his little snake. Both would be best though at the moment only one seemed possible. Cupping the little angry snake with great care, Dmitri trained his most worked on and best puppy eyes on Anubis. The golden eyes soon widened however as Dmitri got his yes, his permission to keep the hateful but oh so adorable creature in his hands. He nearly dropped the snake in his joy, moving to hug his best friend and momentarily forgetting there was a wriggling and poisonous living being in his hands. Sheepishly stopping himself and giving Naga an apologetic look, Dmitri turned his attention back to Anubis. “Do you think Mir and Naga might end up having babies?” The grin on his face was overpowering now and the Russian was practically bouncing. He didn’t think the Carna would be pleased if the two deadly snakes reproduced but he certainly would. The creatures were just beauty and danger all wrapped up the cutest package he had ever seen. Much better than bunnies and their beady red eyes. “I mean when they are older. That’s even if I don’t find a tank by then.” He sobered up some when Anu mentioned feeding. Tilting his head curiously at his best friend, Dmitri wondered what exactly the little snake had to be fed. Little chunks of the night’s catch? Or did they need special snake food. He had no idea. “Only every five days? And yeah, sure I can manage that.” With that said and done he just remembered to add one last thing. “But what exactly do I feed her?” Ooc: I don't know why he thought that meant taco.

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[anubis]

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[atrb=background,http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab236/AxeMar_Equals_Me/Anumid.png] Dmitri's protest provoked a startled, mildly perplexed blink from Anubis. A lack of understand among the pair was rare indeed--but the longer he dwellded on the Russian's indignant remark, the less sense it made. After a moment, however, comprehension dawned on Anubis' face, and he chuckled. "I called you 'kitten,' Dmitri," he corrected, unable to keep the still faintly bemused smirk of amusement from his face. "We don't have a specific word for 'taco' in our language." He paused, a thoughtful crease settling between his brows. "I think you may be getting it confused with 'taquitos.'" The hug came unexpectedly, and Anubis was torn between returning it, and carefully avoiding attracting the attention of the temperamental infant reptile clutched in the bowl of Dmitri's palm. He returned the embrace to the best of his ability, and found himself mildly relieved when Dmitri retreated once more, snake in hand. He softened at Dmitri's next question, the other man's obvious excitement at the prospect all but infectious. "Maybe," he chuckled. "Mir is too young to have much of an interest in females for now, though. But it could happen." The conversation took a sobering turn moments later, however, when the Tenderfoot's mind turned to the mechanics of feeding. Anubis winced inwardly. He'd known Dmitri long enough to know that the man wouldn't approve of his answer--in some ways, his adoration of all things small and cute was almost childlike. Taking a deep breath in preparation for the inevitable dismay that was sure to greet him, he spoke. "Mice, Dmitri. She probably only needs one a day for now."

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