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I. - first meetings
“I met a girl today.” Kohane told her snake that first night. “Her hair was like the night sky and her eyes were golden like stars.” It’s case hadn't been cleaned in a while, so she decided she should do so.
She adjusted her glasses and sighed to herself. “But I ran away… isn’t that pathetic?” She frowns. “And she was so welcoming, warm, and bright. Her voice was like something I've never heard before.”
“Surely you’ve felt like you’ve been trapped before.” Kohane said, albeit sadly.
It flashed its beady black eyes at her before slithering away.
It liked to eat mice, Kohane discovered. She had always thought that it preferred rats, but she guesses change is inevitable no matter what you are. She herself has changed. She chopped her hair off and finally overcame her fear of putting contacts in no matter how many tears she has to shed doing so. She was changing. She was evolving.
“Shinonome-kun doesn't seem to be as mean as I had originally presumed. Tenacious, yes, but he’s also kind.” Kohane told her snake. She smiled at the sentiment. “Maybe I’m taking things too fast, but I think I like Vivid Street and the people there. I’m not running away anymore.”
“I think Aoyagi-kun is awfully charming despite his stoic demeanor.” She said to her snake on a rainy afternoon after practice. “And I get to see him a lot more now. The four of us are a team now! Isn’t that crazy? I know we’ll surpass RAD WEEKEND together.”
It stuck their tongue out for a quick moment. If you were to blink you’d miss the quick gesture.
“H-hey! Are you making fun of me?”
II. - friendship
“I guess this is goodbye for the weekend, huh?” Kohane told her snake. It’s not a sad thing, as much as it sounds like it is. “We’re all going camping together!” She couldn't get the smile off her face. She was so incredibly grateful for more quality time with her teammates. “I’m sure it’ll help us make the best song possible for our next event. We’ll be able to understand each other on a deeper level, too, don’t you think?
“I think I’ll have to share a tent with An-chan. Is it weird that I’m excited for that?” She giggled. “Have you ever wanted a snake girlfriend? How about a snake boyfriend? Maybe snake girlfriends and boyfriends all at once…”
Her snake started to shed its skin.
III. - crushes
“I don’t know what to do.” Kohane told her snake. “I think I’m in love with them. All three of them.”
“Love’s a big word, I think. I guess I didn't realize its weight until now. I think they deserve it, though.”
Her snake slithered around in its enclosure. Oh, to be a snake with no worries. Or limbs.
“Do I just walk up to them and confess my love? I don’t want to mess anything up. They’re too precious for me to lose. What do you think?”
Ssssssssss
“You’re right. I told you I wasn’t running away anymore.” She said, a determined smile making its way onto her face. “The only place I'll run is straight into their hearts!”
Her snake does not look impressed.
“Yeah, I probably shouldn’t say that to them.”
IV. - dating
“I had a great idea today.” Kohane told her snake. “An-chan showed me one of her photo albums she has with the people of Vivid Street a long while back. It was old, some of the pages looked like they were turning yellow, but it carries so many memories that are so dear to her. It was lovely.”
She looked behind her as if her partners were there somehow, listening in on this conversation. They weren't there, of course, but she had to take ample precautions. “I’m gonna take photos of us and put it into a photo album and I—” She could already feel the heat rushing up to her cheeks. “—and I wanna give it to them when we—uh—when we get married.”
“I would show you what I have so far,” She let out a soft laugh, “But you’re dichromatic, you won't be able to appreciate the colors. And we’re a vivid bunch, one could say.
“I’ll bring them over here one day, I promise. No guarantee that they’ll fall for your charms the same way I did when dad and I found you at the pet store, but it’s worth a try, I think.”
V. - living together
“I guess this is goodbye for a while, huh?” Kohane told her snake the day she was going to move out of her parent’s house and into an apartment with her partners. “Of course, I'll visit you, don’t worry.” She tapped on the glass and her snake looked at her. “Hehe, thanks for being my confidant, Count Pearl.”
She knew that it couldn’t respond back with words. She knew that the entire time. Perhaps that was why she decided to confide in her pet snake.
“Hey, Kohane.” A voice said from behind her. She almost jumped out of her skin from the sudden noise. It was Akito, leaning on the doorframe that lead to the outside.
She twisted around and walked over to him. “Hi.” She smiled at him, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.
“It’s time to go, ‘Hane. Have you finished saying goodbye to every piece of furniture in here yet?”
“Yeah.” She replied. “Count Pearl got a special goodbye. I know this isn't the last time I'll be able to talk to it, but you know, I can’t help myself from feeling a bit sentimental.”
“Come to think about it, you do talk to that snake a lot. Do you tell it about rats and other snake stuff?”
“No.” She told her boyfriend. “I tell my snake about my three partners.”