[OPEN] Body Snatchers

[openedthebasket]

Curious, these pieces of paper. He was reluctant to touch them, but they appeared harmless enough, even as he surveyed them with his Byakugan. Perhaps a child had been overly excited for Tanabata?

In spite of his own foreboding, he bent to pick up an ivory-white one, turning it over between his fingers. Strange...

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[openedthebasket]

...That was odd. Wasn't he just over--

...

"Ino?"

[perfectcosmos]

Is that what she sounded like from the outside these days? She hadn't done a switch jutsu in long enough it was a little weird to hear.

"Looks like." And then she proceeded to look at the paper. Wow, Neji could see colors better than most people, good to know. He probably thought this outfit actually had a design or something. She looked at it. Nope.

[openedthebasket]

"Gah!"

Yes, that was certainly Ino responding to him after he'd inquired as to her whereabouts.

"Is this your idea of a joke?"

[perfectcosmos]

"Don't make that noise at me! I didn't do it."

She put the paper down... nope, still in Neji's body. At which point she noticed how fluidly he moved. "Ohhh, you have a great body, you know that?"

[openedthebasket]

"I'll ask you not to look so terribly pleased with yourself."

Seriously, he never made that expression, it looked weird on the face he was more accustomed to seeing in a mirror or being worn by a bunshin!

A moment as he started to step forward and almost immediately stopped, scowling at the way his balance was off. It would take him time to adjust to the different weight distribution... A thought that made him blush as he took a quick glance down at himself, then returned his attention to her.

[perfectcosmos]

She had to repress a laugh at that. As though his face had that setting!

She picked up the paper and quickly found a place to put it before moving forward, showing none of his issues. "Okay, tricks to compensating for a body not yours, shift your weight around until you can feel where it sits okay? First time I jumped into a guy I about fell over."

[openedthebasket]

"Indeed."

Natural genius as he was, it was only a few steps, a series of moving his arms and stretching his legs to grow accustomed to the feeling. "Lighter," he observed, still scowling. "Can you use one of your techniques to switch us back?"

[perfectcosmos]

"You're just going to scowl the whole time aren't you? And no. You would have to use the jutsu since all I could do was try to release it."

She gave a soft laugh, then blinked. Ohhh, Neji had a nice laugh. Realizing what she did she laughed again, amused at herself. "So, no, let's go back inside my place mm? You have the keys."

[openedthebasket]

"And I suppose teaching me the technique is all but impossible at this moment."

Was that the sound of what his own laughter sounded like? Foreign, like those expressions on his face. An annoyed pause, then a nod. "Very well. Which of your pockets are your keys in?"

[perfectcosmos]

There was no hiding her mirth. "Front pocket." She moved over and fished it out for him, moving to open it herself. "You're not taking this well at all are you?"

[openedthebasket]

"For you, being in another's body is a familiar feeling. For me, it is not."

Another scowl as he felt his own fingers against a much softer body than he was used to, teeth gritting in further annoyance. "And please stop making such expressions with my face."

[perfectcosmos]

"I will if you will~."

Then she slipped inside, waiting for him to follow.

[openedthebasket]

Unlikely. Neji just shook his head and followed, giving the shop a careful glance as he did so. "Do you have any theories on how to switch back?"

[perfectcosmos]

"The best I got is the theory that the papers had to do with it, but releasing the paper didn't drop the jutsu so... I have no idea right now."

She locked the door after him and headed for the stairs to set about making some tea. "So you might as well get comfortable gorgeous, you might be that way a while."

[openedthebasket]

He just grunted unhappily in response, the sound so odd in his higher, undeniably-feminine voice. A little awkwardly, he stayed there in the middle of the kitchen, moving to tuck his hands in his sleeves -- only to recall that he didn't have his familiar wide sleeves. A little awkwardly useless, he just stood there in the middle of the store.

"Shall I wait for you here, then?"

[perfectcosmos]

She turned around and came right back down the stairs. "The idea was for you to follow me upstairs actually."

She leaned in, catching his wrist and tugging. "Come on."

[openedthebasket]

He stumbled a bit, trying to adjust his weight with the difference in force behind the tug, and huffed through his nose. "I am capable of walking, as off-balance as your form is," he pointed out mildly, though he didn't try to yank his hand back -- he'd fall if he tried, he knew that.

[perfectcosmos]

"I'll have you know I'm perfectly balanced. You're just having adjustment issues." She laughed softly and smiled. "Come on."

[openedthebasket]

"I suppose I should thank you for not wishing to go outside at this moment. I'm certain everyone would be rather baffled by my sudden change in attitude." That dry tone? That's the closest he's gotten to actual humor or a smile for almost two weeks.

[perfectcosmos]

"There, you see? People would probably think you were drunk." She tugged him gently up the stairs, tossing the keys onto the table by the upstairs door. "I was on my way to lunch, so food first."

[openedthebasket]

He continued to follow up the stairs, only trying to worm his hand free once they were safely at the top. "I assure you, I have no intentions of ever being drunk, so that is an image you will have to imagine for yourself."

He paused and glanced around. "If you would permit, I would be pleased to prepare you something, if you'll be tell me what you have and what you would wish to have."

[perfectcosmos]

She leaned in with a small smile and tapped him in the chest over the sternum. "I don't know if you have eaten recently, but that body there is hungry."

[openedthebasket]

He stared, momentarily caught staring at the sudden closeness of his own face. Strange, beyond strange.

"I have not eaten since early morning, no," he agreed, looking around again and making his way toward the kitchen. "My offer still stands, however."

[perfectcosmos]

She brushed her fingers over his shoulder and then dropped her hand. "Make something you usually like, I want to see what they taste like for you."

[openedthebasket]

He grunted again and glanced to her appraisingly. "If you have soba noodles and fish, I would prepare something of that nature. Herring would be preferable, but any kind of saltwater fish would do."

A pause.

"Or freshwater fish, if nothing else."