Dinning and eating naked was an eccentricity, but they were in the privacy of their own home and it wasn't like anyone could really complain. They were engaged. Being caught might be embarrassing, but there was nothing illegal, and they did have clothing they could put on quickly if unexpected visitors did show up. But, things were quiet and they settled in to see the latest news update on those who had become animal people and then became parents. To some degree it was important for both him and Jenny as it would factor into how or when they might have a family, if they decided to go in that direction. Clemens had plenty in place in case Jenny decided not to become an animal person, and a part of him was probably certain that some things wouldn't stay as they presently were. He was certain the "sex industry" would come up with a condom design for male animal people of all shapes and sizes eventually and that eventually a way to remove the potentially infectious after effects the Animatrix Serum presently had would be found.
"So, they said the thing with reptiles would be a two parter," Jenny commented, "who do you think they'll have tonight? Back to the Florida Gator fans or...?"
"No, they ssaid their eggss hadn't hatched," Clemens told her, "and their epissssode wassss more to do with whether or not animal people can crossssssbreed..."
"Which will be dependent on what... genus... they are?" Jenny stated hesitantly and smiled when Clemens nodded.
"Thissss epissssode will probably deal with thosse that are raissssssssing children," Clemens finished.
They ate quietly as the news went through their opening stories before they got into their main stories. They then came to their segment on animal people and their families. The segments weren't quite as detailed as the "Animal Tales" program, but they still provided a great deal of information that could be quite helpful.
"We continue now with our recent coverage on the development of animal people and their families," the studio reporter announced, "and how our world is changing all the time. In our last report, we covered how while becoming an Animal Person has limited... breeding between couples... but does not mean that everyone has to be the exact same species."
"Though one would still need to be certain that the species are genetically compatible," the other studio reporter corrected, "We will now continue with our coverage with those who had decided to become Animal People and specifically reptiles. This time we are visiting with Brock and Halley Johanson from one of the suburbs of Los Angeles, California."
The screen then moved to a brief flyover of the "Hollywood Sign" before coming up to a suburban home. It seemed to be late afternoon there, as the sun was setting in the background, and showed that the report was pre-recorded. Neither Jenny nor Clemens paid much attention to that. After all, their episode of Animal Tales wasn't broadcast live. The two simply watched as the reporter knocked on the door. After a few moments, two people came to the door and it was clear that they had become a species of snake. Both wore a relatively calm pair of slacks and a shirt, but like Clemens they had not lost their arms or legs. Underneath their jaw and what Clemens and Jenny could see of their neck and such were the wide belly scales common to snakes. The rest of their scales were heavily keeled and their body shape and design gave Clemens a good guess on the exact species.
"So they became like you," Jenny said holding Clemens' hand.
"Not exactly," Clemens answered, "I am a python. They are viperss... and I believe they are Temple Vipers. See the triangular head? That isss the bessst way to identify any viper sspecciesss."
"It almost looks like their heads are too big for their bodies..." Jenny commented, "Their necks, bodies, and tails look rather thin... and the female doesn't seem to have any breasts..."
"Ssnakes have no need for them," Clemens reminded her.
The heads were large, and almost looking too big for their bodies as Brock and Halley's heads were wide and sat on a rather narrow, but still muscular neck, which would make sense to Clemens. The Temple Viper they had at the zoo had various sticks and props to simulate the arboreal environment the snake was found in the wild. They were covered in black scales, though they were a flat black and didn't reflect much light off of them with bands of pale yellow stripes on their necks and arms and on their tails, with some speckling of pale yellow scales between each band. Their belly scales were also that pale yellow color. Halley also looked a bit bigger than Brock did, though not by too much.
"We'd like to thank you for meeting with us, Mr. and Mrs. Johanson," the field reporter spoke to them.
"Well..." Brock began, "no pressss like good presss."
"You'd like to talk to our babiessss?" Halley asked them.
"Maybe a little later, could we ask on your choice of species and why?" the field reporter asked.
"Well, I'd ALWAYSSSS loved sssssnakes, and I used to own sseveral of them, including a Temple Viper, which became my favorite," Brock answered, "But I'd bought my collection after 1992 and when California passssed its exotic petss ban, I had to give them up... but then the Animatrixx Serum became legal and I decccided that if I couldn't own a Temple Viper...I'd BE one... I think I look good, too."
"My transssformation wass a bit of an acccident," Halley admitted, "You see... we were cccelebrating the arrival of the shot for Brock and we got a little drunk... and well... thankfully we didn't break the needle when Brock took hisss dosse... but I woke up groggy one morning and found mysssself covered in sscalesss to match my husband..."
"So... you had sex while inebriated?" the reporter asked, trying to sound tactful.
"Yesss," Halley answered, "but we were alssso trying to have kidsss, sso I would have willingly mated with him anyway."
"Well... you do look good together," the reporter told them, "and I take it you were successful in having children?"
"Yesss," Brock answered, "Two girlsss and a boy... we had to get a zoo doctor to come in and identify their genders as our normal doctor couldn't when Halley gave birth."
"Gave birth, wouldn't you mean lay eggs?" the reporter asked, sounding surprised.
"No, I mean giving birth," Brock answered, "Our ssspeciess, the Temple Viper givesss birth to live young rather than laying eggsss. Mossst, if not all, vipers give birth to live young. Including North America's Rattlesssnakes."
"He seems to know a lot," Jenny commented.
"He ssshould," Clemens commented, "They wouldn't have ssold him the sserum if he didn't."
Brock and Holly began to lead the reporter and the cameraman through their home, which seemed to have many of the baby-proofing devices one expected from any new family.
"So how has parenthood treated the two of you?" the reporter asked.
"Very interesssting," Halley commented, "We've had to be careful as the hunting insssstinct is there and so are the insssstinctss for sssself pressservation... though they are also very tolerant... and at timesss independent."
"Tolerant and independent?" the reporter asked.
"How do I put it..." Halley said slowly, "ssssnakes by nature do not raisssse their young. Not it in the way mammals do. Ssssome may protect offspring for a time but young sssnakes are usually left to fend for themsselves. Well... our children have sssseemed to respond in a way would be akin to looking for food or shelter... or trying to. But they do respond to our voiccess, like they know uss..."
"Have they bitten anyone?" the reporter asked, now sounding nervous as Halley seemed a bit unsure on how to explain herself.
"Well..." Brock began...