Limitless Evolution As a Snake

The windows blur past in flashes of warm light and empty offices, one after another, until the shapes start changing, getting bigger, fancier.

Less cubicle, more penthouse. Died at my desk staring at a spreadsheet, and now I’m about to land on a rooftop. The universe has a sick sense of humour, and right now, I’m the punchline.

A very, very happy punchline.

I slow my glide as the roofline comes into view, careful not to slam into the ledge like an idiot pigeon. A few minutes ago, I was just aiming my body at a building and hoping for the best. Now? Now I’ve got control. My tail dips, ether-fins flaring to catch the air like sails, and I drift the last few meters. I float up over the edge of the rooftop without a sound, like I was born doing this. Easy.

My ventral scales scrape softly against manicured grass as I touch down, coiling low into the shadow of a big potted plant, and for a second I just lie there, my sides rising and falling, staring up at the penthouse doors glowing warm gold just a few meters away.

[System: Well. Look at you. Didn’t even hit a fence.]

Shut up. Let me have this one.

The roof access door creaks open under my nose, and I slither through into the stairwell, down a flight, and push into the penthouse proper. Warm light, quiet hum of the place settling in for the night. I let my body shrink down a bit as I move, just enough to fit through the bathroom door without knocking anything off the shelves. Funny. Now I have to suck it in just to get clean. Definitely an upgrade.

Quick shower. Water beads off my scales weird now; it doesn’t soak in like it used to, just rolls right off like I’m made of good raincoat material. I flick my tail under the spray a few times just to watch the smoke-tail do its thing, curling and dissolving and pulling itself back together. Neat trick. Gonna get real mileage out of that one.

By the time I push open the bedroom door, I’m dry, calm, and running on fumes. Cherry’s curled up in the middle of the bed, tangled in the sheets like she wrestled them and lost. I coil up next to her, tuck my head against her side, and she stirs just enough to wrap an arm around me before going still again. Warm. Comfortable. My eyes close before I even finish the thought.

Morning comes slow and soft, sunlight cutting gold lines across the sheets. I stretch out my whole length, vertebrae clicking and coils loosening with a satisfying ripple, and when I crack my eyes open, Cherry’s already awake.

Just staring at me. Eyes all soft and glowing, like she’s looking at the last slice of pizza.

”Morning, Cherry,” I whisper, voice still thick with sleep.

”You evolved!!!” She practically vibrates the words out.

”Oh, yeah, I did.” I let out a low rumble, the snake version of a purr, and push my head into her chest like a cat looking for pets.

She giggles, then immediately winces, flopping sideways onto the mattress. ”Owe, owe, owe, I’m still sore from last night.”

Sore. Right, people get sore. I, on the other hand, feel fantastic. Not a single ache. It’s like the evolution reset my body and brain, but better.

”Well, you liked it though, didn’t you?”

”Mhmm, yes I did, shhh, I’m shy!”

”You weren’t shy last night.”

”Shhhhh!” She swats at me weakly, her face going red. ”Well, get up! Show me your evolution properly!”

Fair enough. I peel myself off the bed, and it’s a weird feeling now, not so much getting up as just... rising. I hover a few inches off the sheets without even trying, drifting toward the doors like a balloon somebody let go of the string on.

Cherry scrambles after me, completely naked, not a shred of self-consciousness left in her body. I should probably feel something about that, but honestly I need every ounce of concentration I’ve got just to keep my cool, so I let it slide.

The living room’s got better light for this. I do a slow twirl in the open space, dorsal fins flaring out, tail dissolving into smoke and pulling itself back together behind me.

Cherry goes stock still. Jaw open. Eyes locked on.

”Wow! Wow! You’re so amazing, you look like one of those ancient koi fish! And woah, your tail is smoke!! Are you- wait, are you flying??”

”Damn, koi don’t exist anymore? Rough.” I let myself hover a little higher just to show off. ”And yeah, I’m technically flying now. Full flight, not just gliding like an idiot brick. You like it?”

”I love it!” She doesn’t even hesitate, just launches herself at my midsection and grabs on like a baby koala clinging to a tree trunk.

I rear up to catch her weight, and it’s nothing. Now I’m holding an entire succubus mid-air and my coils don’t even strain. This new body is a hell of a drug.

She starts running her hands over my fins, poking at the scales, muttering to herself. ”Wow, look at this, it’s so smooth, and this part glows, does it always glow?”

”When I want it to.”

”Can you take me flying?” She looks up at me with those big stupid, hopeful eyes, and my first instinct is to say hell yes, obviously, that sounds amazing.

”Uh, I’m not exactly the best at it yet.” I turn my head toward the window, toward the general direction of downstairs. ”Might’ve, uh, clipped the cafe on the way up.”

”You WHAT?”

Not Cherry’s voice. I freeze mid-hover, coils tensing up as Lyra strides in from the hallway, jacket half on, eyes wide and locked right on me like she’s about to arrest somebody.

God, I hope she arrests me.

”Hi Lyra,” I say, and even I can hear how weak that sounds coming out of me.