Your first instinct is to recoil, pulling your legs close to your chest, looking up with horror at the monster "standing" beside you. He would look like a teenager; if it weren't for the long snake-tail he had instead of legs, he might've just been another kid a few years younger than you. But that tail made him huge! Brown and black scales like a garter-snake shone brightly in the light of the sun from several skylights. Far from doing anything threatening, the naga had an apron as his only clothing, which made him look almost comical. He looked more than a little afraid at your expression, pulling away from you almost as fast as you withdrew from him. "Sorry!" He frowned, looking almost embarrassed. "I... just wanted to ask if you wanted any cinnamon rolls, that was all. I can't eat the whole tube myself." He gestured back into the kitchen, at a tray of prepackaged cinnamon rolls drizzled in delicious-looking icing.
Your breathing and heartbeat are still rapid, and you can't take your eyes off his tail. "Y-you're..." Is the first thing you squeak out, pointing rather rudely.
The naga frowns a little at your reaction, though he doesn't seem particularly surprised. "Marisa said you were a non, but you smelled so magical I thought she must have made a mistake." He shrugged. "I'm a naga. That means part snake, part person." He gestured to each half as he spoke, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Pygmy naga, technically." He said that last with notable disdain, as though he thought it almost unworthy of mention. "But pygmies are the best species of naga there is. We have a proud history." He puffed his chest out, which made him look almost cute with the apron and all. Wait... cute? You recoil inwardly at that thought. He's... you're a man, dammit! "A proud history that doesn't involve enslaving anyone else. We have lived in peace with all the fae species and even with humans, despite what /they/ did to us..."
"What does pygmy mean?" You ask the question that's on the forefront of your mind before you say anything else, unable to resist the desire to learn about this detail. Something about this whole housing arrangement seems /off/ to you. Something wasn't quite right.
He blushes a little, turning away and slithering back into the kitchen. He answers when he's facing away from you, so you can‘t see his expression. "It means we're… small. But respectably-sized! We're many times larger than even the Greater Specters, with. all their 'ancient wisdom' and crap."
"But..." you stand up, holding up your shorts with one hand and following him into the kitchen. "You're not small. You look at least... fifteen feet long?" You shrug. "Big. No pygmy for sure."
The naga turns around, raising his eyebrows. "You aren't serious, are you? You can't really think I've gotten any bigger. You know that's the first rule of magic, right? Matter can‘t be created. Big things can get smaller, but smaller things stay small. Then he smiled. "Just look at your familiar over there." He gestured through the kitchen, which appeared to occupy the center of the apartment. You move past him, stepping gingerly over his tail to get around him and take a look. Once you're over into the other half of the room, you see... a bird the size of a horse, with bright red feathers, resting gently on the ground with his legs curled below his body. You recognize him at once, despite how huge he is, so big you could climb right on his back if you wanted. He seems to almost sense your eyes, because he immediately jumps to his feet, causing him to stand several feet taller than you. This would have frightened you had it been just any animal, but you can feel the motion as though it was your own. Even if that glistening beak is inches from your face, it doesn't scare you. The idea of Justin hurting you is as absurd as the idea of your arm randomly grabbing your neck and choking yourself.
"Hi David! You're looking small today!" He bounced up and down a few times on those thin legs of his. "Did you sleep good? I did! I'm ready to do all kinda cool stuff! We get to start learning magic today!" You reach out and up with your free hand, stroking his head not unlike a rider showing affection for their horse, though you know he is nothing of the sort. Of course, thinking of how small Justin really is... must mean that you're… You stagger backward, letting go of your shorts. They don't fall, mercifully, though this is hardly the first thing on your mind as you drop to your knees. This is too much, it's all too much! Being changed into a woman, a familiar as big as you are, snake-boy... was the reality you knew merely a dream? Couldn't you just go back to the way things were? Be a bum... Justin dropped to the ground beside you as best as he could, rubbing his head against your body in a way that was probably meant to be affectionate. "We're stuck David, both of us... all you can do is learn to love it. It was really hard learning to be a bird. I... I'm still not the best at it. But it's better than being a boy." He sounded as much like he was trying to convince himself as though he was trying to convince you, which would make sense since the both of you were really one person. "So we can learn together. We're partners in crime! The magic musketeers!"
"I've got to ask." Comes the naga's voice, and you look up to see him "standing" not far away, watching you two. "Can you actually understand the bird?"
"Justin." You correct almost reflexively, looking up at him. "His name is Justin. You can't?"
He shook his head. "No magic, no translation. But I forgot to introduce myself!" He moved a little closer, reaching down to you and smiling. "I'm Gauge" You meet his eyes and feel your cheeks go red - you're so confused and embarrassed and shy that you follow your instincts and reach out, taking his hand. He tugs you confidently to your feet, though not nearly hard enough to hurt you. You sway for a moment, before holding yourself steady on his shoulder. He's so strong, so firm compared to you, and bigger too. You're slight and petite, while he is well-built, like some sort of model. It's not fair! Marisa was still looking attractive back in the store! "Marisa told me your name was Day, right?" He waits just long enough for you to nod before going on. "Well Day, why don't you get dressed, and take a shower and stuff..." He gestured towards a hallway. "/Justin/ and I will enjoy these cinnamon rolls while we wait. But hurry; I have to open the shop at 9, and that is only two hours from now. Don't take /too/ long."
You think about this for just a moment before deciding you will...
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