... the argument is raging on. Shadow Man can only hear one side but...
She looks at the search snake draped around her neck and swallows thickly. Panic. Panic. Panic.
"I-I... maybe you should be *hidden*. Haha. Oh no."
He's starting to hyperventilate. Yelling is horrible.
"I am... not good at naming things."
Shadow Man mumbles.
"Eh. I'll come up with something eventually. Or I can have Dragon help me. Dragon is nice. And smart! Very smart..."
"Wonderful beast... I'm not sure if your owner will be coming back for you. I don't know if he's here..."
He wants to stamp out that wishful thinking pronto. He *isn't* here.
"You should stay with me. Delightful animal, you are... so, so nice..."
Less lonely, that's for sure.
Shadow Man feels a lump in his throat and he squints his eyes, looking around again.
"The universe is really trying to taunt me, isn't it?"
Shadow Man growls under his breath, but begins to pet the search snake again.
"...I don't know what you are, but I will protect you."
ㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ..the muzzle shape is different. The snout is a little upturned, a more "smile" like shape of the jawline. The patterning is a little different as well, bands of a lighter green separating little circles.
ㅤ
Shadow Man looks around again, his lips twitching and pursing as he tries to figure out if, in fact, he was being stalked.
He can't sense anything. He rolls his eyes with a huff and looks back down at the snake, but something causes his stroking to pause. That's... strange.
ㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤIt really was a cute little thing, all curled up and happy. Hell, was Snake Man even connected to this thing? It really didn't seem like it...
ㅤ
"You are a confusing sort of thing, aren't you?"
Shadow Man comments softly, before beginning to run his hand along the smooth body of the snake, taking note of the divots between each segment. Not for any reason, mind you, it just felt nice to observe.
"Oh!"
Shadow Man lets out a little gasp, blinking at the snake.
"I meant on the bed, but... This is okay."
It reminds him of a lot, is all. It's hard not to get a little teared up, is all. That's all.
ㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThe snake quickly does so, comfortably curling up in his hands.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThe house is silent.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤIs Rock's little brother really that quiet..?
ㅤ
—facsimile of a snake crawl upon his hands.
This was... strange. He kept his guard up, expecting some sort of sudden attack. That also brought that feeling of longing back. He missed those crushing bear hugs, after all.
ㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤHe's dispatching search snakes to scour the perimeter, the little surveillance drones acting as his eyes while he searched for any stragglers.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ..they seemed safe, but he couldn't let his guard down. Not when Brain Bot was so weak with joy...
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤHe walked alongside Brain Bot, moving his jaw a little to readjust to having the mask off.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤOh well. He's got all the time in the world to get used to it now.
ㅤ
SNAKE MAN is the first BBN, and the first robot to be reprogrammed by /another/ robot.
For the most part, he's given up his previous life for what Brain Bot wants, dedicating himself to the protection of his new doctor.