With the top layer of scales coming loose now, it wouldn’t be too long before Clemens could start peeling it off, and be rid of the irritation that came with it for another couple of months. For now though, just as it was coming off the itching reached its peak, forcing him to take off his trousers and have them join the rest of his work clothes in the hamper. With nothing left on to add to it, Clemens could at least tolerate it for now, though the loosening scales made his vision worse and he had to feel his way to the couch, picking out channels to try and distract him for the last few hours at most he’d need before he was ready.
For the next hour and a bit, not really able to keep track of time, Clemens was rotating between trying to suppress the itching as best he could, and finding something on the channels that could distract him from it.
“Hmm?” Clemens grunted when the itching between his leg and tail faded.
Though his sight was impaired at this time, with one hand he reached to where his leg and tail met, managing to slip his fingers under the top layer of scales that had not only separated, but split as well.
“At lassst.” Clemens sighed, ready to get to work.
“At last, what?” An enquiring voice called out, one which Clemens recognised right away.
“Jenny?”
“Who else?” She rhetorically, though playfully, answered, her silhouette coming closer to him. “It’s happening?” She added.
“Finally. It can come off now.” Clemens noted that her voice didn’t sound as tired as it had been the night before. “Any other sssplitsss in it that you can sssee?”
“Get up then, so I can look.” Clemens complied while Jenny looked him over. “One on your right foot, at the heel. And the one you‘re pointing at, but that‘s it.”
“Sssoundsss about right. The heel isss where there’sss been a lot of pressssure, after all. Jussst have to open them sssome more, and then pull myssself out.” Clemens explained while he worked on opening the existing tear next to his tail, the relief he felt as the old layer came away from his back more than he could describe.
“Need any help Dear?” Jenny chuckled quietly, watching Clemens begin to ‘free’ himself.
“If you could…hold it, between where I am.” Clemens relented, wanting to keep the old layer from touching him after he’d prised it off. “Yesss, right there.” He confirmed once Jenny was holding it in the right place.
With his arms free for now, he could use them to pull at the scales again, peeling them off his neck, and then his head, the fresh layer beneath them glistening slightly even in their lounge with its bulb lighting.
“Really clean, and such a shine to them.” Jenny complimented while Clemens turned his attention to his arms.
“Thanksss, now jussst the waissst down.” Clemens thanked Jenny once his hands were out.
“Lie down then.” Jenny half-commanded him.
“Exxcussse me?” It sounded odd to him.
“How else do you expect me to pull it off? On the ground.”
“Yesss ma’am.” Seeing no reason to refuse, he did as he was told settling himself onto the floor as Jenny pulled at his old layer of scales.
While there were the scales over his eyes still obscuring his vision for the time being, he could feel the itching evaporating away as Jenny prised his old scales away, past his feet in a matter of moments, his tail freed an instant later.
“That. Isss. Much. Better.” Clemens sighed in utter relief, even as he carefully took a hold of one of the remaining scales and slid it away from his eye.
With his normal sight back in one of them, he could finally see Jenny properly as he worked on the other one. While she did look a little tired still, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the day before, but her having a proper warm smile on her face might have had an effect on how she looked.
“You’re looking better too.”
“Not as long a day, and besides I finally managed to get those two idiots work back up to speed, so it should be a little easier to handle it all now.” Jenny explained to him as they sat down, Clemens wring on getting the last few missed scales off.
“Then at leassst there’sss that fact to celebrate. You’ve effectively jussst told everyone you can do their work better than they can.” Clemens remarked as he pulled Jenny in for a soft hug. “And, I know I sshhould have had dinner ready by now, but…”
“…You had other concerns to deal with, and in any case, there’s the party, I think they’d provide the food there.” Jenny finished for him. “And the way things have gone now, I think I’m up to it.”
“You cccertainly dessserve it, after everything that’sss happened.”
“I suppose I do.” Jenny agreed before slowly pulling away from Clemens. “Which means, I should be getting ready for it now.”