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Cold.
Mira hates cold.
Scowling, she dares to poke her head up above the nest of blankets she's made on the couch, looking for the thermometer. There, by the fridge. She hates to lean forward, because any motion invites the coolness to creep into her last refuge of heat, but Mira needs a closer look. Squinting her eyes behind her glasses, she makes out the numbers of on the screen's dull blue glow.
Was that... fourteen degrees?
Fourteen degrees?!
Mira slumps back into her nest with a groan of disbelief. Fourteen degrees. That's insane. Back home, Mira never knew a day below twenty six degrees. She'd grown up under tropical sunlight in tropical waters, but for some unholy reason she'd had to pick a city in a region that actually felt the sting of winter when applying for that exchange program.
Says as much to what her home life was like then when Mira still decides this nest of blankets in a large house that's gotten far too cold for her liking is still better than one more stinking day with her mother.
Still, Mira feels she has good reason to gripe. Rumi's mother makes more money in a day than most humans see in their lifetime and still the house was allowed to get this cold? Did Rumi and Zoey just not feel the cold like she did? Okay, dumb question, of course they didn't, they were humans and Mira is a lamia. Endotherms and ectotherms, that whole brand. Rephrase, did Rumi and Zoey not care that Mira gets much colder than they do because she can't actually generate her own body heat?
Dumb question. Of course Rumi and Zoey cared. They just didn't realise how much Mira depends on external temperatures because Mira puts on a brave face and tells them half a human body is good enough on the body heat front. So what if most of her was a giant scaled tail with exotic pink and black patterns? And Rumi and Zoey believe her, because Mira's convincing and maybe she's hidden some of the documents detailing lamia biology the Interspecies Cultural Exchange agents provided just so they don't think they have to go to great lengths to accommodate her.
Mira doesn't want to seem like a burden. Rumi's already allocated enough resources rebuilding chunks of the house to accommodate a woman whose lower half stretched over six metres and tended to catch on carpets or in door frames. Rumi and Zoey assure her price is no object, that they'd build a house from scratch if need be, but Mira is prideful enough to only request what she'd consider the bare minimum. Don't let them think she needs more.
So, Mira stays put on the couch, surrounded by blankets, her tail coiled up benath and around her for maximum cosiness. If she stays put and keeps her head beneath the blankets, it's not so bad. It's decently warmer than the outside air. Problem is, it's not quite warm enough; she can already feel a sluggishness drowsing in her arms and tail.
And worse yet, it's boring. Mira made the rookie error of making her blanket pile without putting on the television or borrowing Zoey's Switch 2 or even making sure her own phone was on hand. If she went out to grab them, Mira fears the cold would just rush in and leave her hapless on the floor. But if she didn't go out and grab them, Mira thinks she might just die of boredom. Was the cold really worse than being bored?
Mira daringly sticks a hand out of her cocoon. Urgh. The chill is waiting, nipping, and she snatches her hand back into the safe warmth of her covers. Okay, it is worse.
Now what? Is she really going to just stay here and do nothing? Grumble to herself until Zoey and Mira get back? Mira thinks at least a console would be warm to hold, play some Smash Bros or Pokemon to keep her mind off the outside air, or a phone would be okay, doing some doomscrolling or checking out those fictional lesbian ships Zoey's always on about. The Skyla Elesa one was pretty neat. But that's all just whims, because right now Mira is coiled up with nothing on hand and she is so bored but she's too cold to dare going out and grabbing entertainment.
Geez, can't she at least try and go for the remote? It's on the counter nearby, close to the television, and well within reach of her tail. If she could get it, Mira can pop on a movie or something. Zoey's got more films and cartoons downloaded than any lamia would know what to do with, and Rumi's got that collection of short films and idol shows her mother shared. So much entertainment, all just a few button clicks away...
Problem is, while her tail could stretch out and reach the remote, it's not well-suited for coiling or tapping. Mira's a lamia adapted to marine life, like those sea kraits Zoey loves to babble about. Ergo, her tail tapered into a broad paddle, not the neat flexible tip seen in other lamia subspecies. Trying to get the remote with it would probably just end up crushing it, or knocking the counter down. The thing with lamias is, since their human half had all the organs, the tail could afford to be sheer muscle. Very good for swimming and constricting, not so good for any kind of decent handling.
Mira grumbles. This is what happens when a lamia rushes for warmth instead of planning ahead. Cosy in her blankets, relatively speaking, but nothing else to occupy her. She can just picture her mother's snide voice lecturing her yet again on putting her own feelings over the good of the tribe. Well, tough s**t. Mira wasn't into that lamia custom of luring men in for mating, and she wasn't even into men anyway. Being a lesbian in a species designed to reproduce with the males of another species was a pretty crappy position, but Mira held onto it with pride, glad she wasn't just another honeypot creep like her mother or the others who clung to those old values.
Mira would gladly endure all this cold if it meant she could live as she wanted to live. She would take just one day with Zoey and Rumi over a lifetime cowed by her mother. Those two had been better to her this past year than her tribe had been her whole life. Mira may be prideful enough not to show them all she was just yet, but gods did her heart thrum just for the thought of how good they were to her. Mira really does love those two quirky humans, all their quirks and shenanigans that made them so endearing, and she'll never be able to thank them enough for taking her in and loving her in turn.
Even if she's cold and bored right now. Mira can live with that. It means she gets to live with them, and that is far better than any tropical sea.
The sound of a door opening. Mira jolts from her thoughts, head rising ever so slightly above her cocoon. A quiver of excitement that goes down the length of her tail. She dares to hope, dares to believe-
"Miraaaaa!"
And there she is. That bright soprano, laced with something of a foreign accent, all sunshine and rainbows. Zoey's first inside, cheeks flushed red and eyes aglow. She's dressed eccentric, all leather and studs and chains, the mark of any wild rapper looking to leave her mark. Usually her black hair is tied into two space buns, but today Zoey's pulled it out into one of those ponytails tilted up over one side, which she can whip around like a helicoptor's rotors. Mira really likes that style, makes her think she should be doing more with her long pink mane. She's seen Zoey's rap videos and goodness can that woman whip her head and arms around like she was practicing for an anime fight scene.
The second she sees Mira's eyes peering at her from just beneath her blanket's wrapping, Zoey claps her hands over her heart and coos with the utter adoration of someone who loves babies seeing a baby.
"Oh my gosh! Look at you! You're all snuggled up like the biggest cutest baby snake woman in the world! Aw, Mira, you are just so cutesy cute!"
Alright the sugarsweet babying tone seems a bit much but candidly Mira likes how fluffy it makes her feel. A warm and fuzzy feeling, pretty impressive for an ectotherm. Her pride gripes that Mira ought to put on her nonchalant face, the one she's been practicing for those photoshoots- turns out a fair few investors are keen on a lamia model- but she knows Zoey can see through it in an instant. No use acting cool and suave in front of Zoey, the rapper is far too good at tickling out sincerity. She settles for playing into the cuteness, battering her eyelashes and pouting, acting like this is just a cute show and not her barrier against the cold. Zoey giggles delightedly, stepping forward and bringing her phone up to snap some pictures, immediately calling back.
"Rumiiii, c'mon! You gotta see what our cutest liminal lady is doing!"
Mira has the sense of snark to dryly huff.
"Though I was your only cutest liminal lady."
"Aww, Mira! You know you're our one and only!"
Worth it to see Zoey flush and stammer. Mira might snicker at her, but then Rumi's walking in, and Mira might just drop her jaw at how good she looks. A lot of people call Rumi a nepo-baby, and sure, most of her endeavours are made with Mi-yeong's investments in mind, but let no-one dare deny Rumi wasn't simply gorgeous in just about any style she took. She's clearly been producing for some fantasy styled musical stageshow today, dressed in dazzling glittering purple, her tattooed arms bare and her long purple braid sparkling with countless gems. Some might say guady, but Mira says gorgeous.
Rumi's arms hefting up several boxes of steaming hot pizza was just icing on the cake. Gods Mira can feel the heat wafting from them, creeping through her cocoon and tenderly kissing her skin. As Mira trembles in the sudden rush of excitement, Rumi smiles broadly at her and is as quick as Zoey to fawn over the barely visible lamia in her pile of blankets.
"That is so adorable! Oh, Mira, you really are never beating the cutesy allegations, are you?"
Mira shakes her head free from the marvels of Rumi's beauty, a perfect complement to Zoey's style and sweetness, and tries to regain something of her rep.
"Just felt like snuggling is all. I can still out-face you, babe."
"Sure you can. That's why you're blushing brighter than your hair just because Zoey calls you our cutest."
Urgh. Rumi has her there. Mira pouts, huffs, hides beneath the blankets, and she can hear them giggling. Makes her smile wide herself though. Gods bless those two.
Setting the pizzas down on the table, Rumi hums playfully as she pretends to knock on Mira's cocoon, seeing if she can't find those bright eyes in a crck.
"Well, our cutest liminal lady, don't you want to come out now? Think you can save some snuggling for after dinner. We know you love the extra meats and spices!"
Zoey laughs, creeping a hand underneath the blankets to find Mira's tail. The smooth scales, rather tepid, are always an intriguing touch, and she makes a play at trying to tug it out as she chirps.
"Yeah, c'mon, Mira! We got you the southern fried wedges with the chili dip! It's like being back in America, but somehow more refined."
Mira doesn't want to make a fuss, but Zoey's hand is still a bit cold and it makes her yelp feeling her touch her tail, making the coils shudder to pull away. It wasn't a loud yelp, and she quickly clamps her lips shut, but Zoey and Rumi hear it under the blankets. She can feel the pause shared between them, a slight bewilderment. Mira has always tried her best not to make it seem like cold gets to her, but, urgh, those fingers are still too brisk from being outside. Zoey withdraws them, and Mira feels somewhat ashamed when she hears her step back and whisper to Rumi.
She doesn't want to seem less than able, certainly not over being a bit chilly. Mira feels a sting of self-consciousness, the kind that her mother would sneer at her about. She doesn't want her human hosts to think she's problematic in any way, not someone they'd have to coddle just because it was winter-
Zoey's settling down on the couch beside her, and she whispers gently.
"Mira. Are you actually chilly?"
Urgh. Mira hates to say it. She doesn't want to say it. She'd hoped it had been enough to convince them the human half was good enough body heat wise. But no, a lamia is cold all the way through, no matter how much half of them seemed perfectly mammalian. With a sigh, Mira peeks out enough for Zoey to gaze into her eyes- gods Zoey had such beautiful shimmering eyes- and nods. The self-conscious sting returns and she spills.
"Yeah, yeah I am. I'm sorry, I should have said, but I didn't want you two to think I couldn't handle it or that you had to add more to heating or anything, I just wanted-"
Zoey slips a finger forward, holding it up just short of Mira's face. Mira pauses, bewildered, and then Zoey is smiling so sweetly.
"Aw, Mira. It's alright. To be honest, we were thinking maybe you weren't as endothermic as you wanted us to think. Mi-yeong was saying the other day she'd heard most lamias were moving homes because some were too close to cold zones. We're sorry we didn't check with you."
And Rumi's there, sat on the other side, patting the cocoon where she figured Mira's hands might be.
"You know we're always happy to help you feel more comfortable, Mira. Don't ever think you have to put up with anything you don't want to just because we'd pay some more for heating or anything like that. We love you, you know."
She talks so gently, smooth and soothing, and Mira unconciously leans towards her as if craving her voice. Between her and Zoey, there's a palpable care that just makes Mira's heart flutter, the warm and fuzzy feeling lingering inside that acted in defiance of the cold. Mira doesn't know if she could flush any brighter, but then Zoey adds to Rumi's sentiment with an adoring little coo.
"We love you, Mira."
Gods, they really just got through to her. Mira sniffles a bit, almost overwhelmed by that sense of care. She curls up on herself further, acting like the cocoon of blankets was a barrier from her own emotions. It never fails to endear her how much Rumi and Zoey care. Nepo-baby and rapper or not, they really were just the sweetest kindest women Mira's ever known, lamia and human or otherwise. Whatever has she done to deserve them, often being brash as she is?
Then, to her surprise, there's shifting from the side. A brief flicker of cold, the air sneaking in, but before Mira can protest it, Rum is right beside her. And oh, she's warm. Undertandable, having just been handling the hot pizzas, but that warmth immediately brushes through Mira, soothing her, energising her. Mira blinks in surprise with a slight gasp as Rumi snuggles beside her, arms sliding around Mira's waist. Her tongue flicks out, tasting the scent of Rumi in the brief whispering of air- rich and flowery, mingled with the spices and cheeses of the pizza's smell. It's charming, warming, putting a contentment through her body.
Rumi rests her head on Mira's shoulder, humming sweetly, and her voice is like a lullaby, drawing Mira into her contentment.
"Maybe pizza can wait. Snuggling is much more fun."
And then Zoey's sneaking in, having just turned up the temperature and with her hands warmed up. She giggles as she cuddles into Mira's other side, nuzzling her face under the dip of Mira's collar as she cuddles just over her hips, where smooth skin meets bright scales. Zoey's scent is as charming as Rumi's, always like sea salt. Mira loves to smell them, her tongue flicking out again as the air of her cocoon becomes saturated with their scent. Her arms snake out to brush along their backs, thankful and caring, and the two press closer to her, the warmth of their bodies radiating. The blankets are enclosed and all three of them are curled up into the cocoon, Zoey giggling as she says much the same as Rumi.
"There we go! We can always warm up with pizza, but our cutest liminal lady deserves warming up with her girls, right?"
That is so sweet. Mira hopes she doesn't look like she might cry from how much they care. Both of them know better than to think she's ever as nonchalant as she tries to seem sometimes, masking the uncertainty of a lamia in a human's world, counting on beauty to speak louder than confidence. Rumi and Zoey cuddle Mira tightly, heads by hers in a gesture of solidarity, murmuring adoringly to her and each other. The warmth only rises with their closeness, driving away any notion of cold, and Mira breathes deeply in appreciation for how wonderful they make her feel. It's cosy, comforting, beautifully sincere in their affection. Even the smell of them is a love all on its own, pleasant on her forked tongue.
And the warmth. Their warmth is perfect, enriching, the kind of heat shared that makes Mira feel the comfort right from the heart all the way along her tail. Rumi and Zoey are so perfectly warm and she just wants more of it.
Mira's tail unwinds and starts slithering around, reaching over Rumi and Zoey and drawing them closer to Mira's. As they cuddle her human half, the long scaly coils tighten to a comfortable degree around, ensuring they're pressed firm to Mira. The two of them are giggling, finding the smooth scales a comforting touch, briefly cool and then warming nicely. Like a cocoon in their cocoon, Mira's tail rests comfortably around their embrace, every scale seeming to tingle with the heat radiating from Rumi and Zoey. Not at all discomforted by the coils, they just cuddle Mira more fondly, gentle rubs of their bodies a perpetual provision of that warmth.
There's a tenderness here Mira's never known back home. These two humans, compassionate and caring, are warmer to her than a life spent back in the tropics. It doesn't matter how cold winter may get here, Mira knows, when Rumi and Zoey are so keen to let her know how loved she was. Maybe she might just cry, just a little, go for the single elegent teardrop befitting a model's shoot. Or maybe she can just bawl like a baby and be thankful that someone out there cared for who she was, giant snake tail or not. Mira settles on sniffling and murmuring with an almost awed happiness.
"I love you two."
Simultaneous response, bright and happy.
"We love you too."