"Manda's a giant python with a lousy attitude. He used to be Orochimaru's favorite pet, but since Orochimaru is slightly dead... Huh?" He blinked quizzically at her before settling back down against her shoulder. "No, it's not impressive. I just had a lot of time to kill, so it wasn't hard to learn."
Part of him wanted to push her away, to tell her that he was fine now and she could leave. That part was fast silenced by the rest. She was warm. She was alive. She was proof that he was alive, and he needed that right now. "Are people here morons or are you just really good at keeping everyone at arm's length?" The question was one that he'd filed away not long after he'd first arrived, but had never had the guts to ask, both for the sake of avoiding a fight and because he really hadn't cared at the time.
Why he wanted to know the answer now, though, was a mystery to him. Emotions and feelings had never been his strong point.