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Post by June on Jun 15, 2023 13:53:57 GMT -6
It was a sunset to a brutally hot day in the jungle. Jalan, an unnaturally large and intelligent serpent, hung limply and lazily from the thick sturdy branches of a shady tree. He was desperately hungry, but the heat had made him too tired for hunting. He sighed as he dreamed of meals to pass the time - a panther, perhaps? Maybe a plump and delicious wolf? Or even a human... All peak predators normally, a danger to any creature lower on the foodchain than they, but for Jalan's special ability. It wasn't unique, but it was rare - he could hypnotise his prey. He picked at his fangs with his tail as he fantasised about having a full belly... Then he heard a noise. It was quiet, distant, but his hearing was excellent. It seemed to be some sort of clumsy animal that had stepped on a twig. Humans were the most filling meal of course, and the most fun to play with, but he dare not hope for one - the local humans all knew how to avoid making the slightest noise whilst out hunting, and visitors almost never came to this part of the jungle. Stretching and yawning, Jalan slowly started to slither in the direction of the odd sound.
"Even a fat squirrel will do..."
He muttered to himself irritably.
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Post by bepbopbren on Jun 15, 2023 14:27:50 GMT -6
"Many things can go wrong if you don't respect the jungle..." For some reason, those words lingered in Layla's head. Even though her relatives had already warned her, the voice in her head didn't belong to any of them but to the protagonist of the survival show she used to watch every friday night. To think that she would be now the person struggling while trying to find her way through the lush of the jungle was funny, regardless, no smile lit her expression as she tried to fend branches off her face. She was mildly bothered but it was hard to tell whether it was caused by her own inability to admit her own mistake or it was the jungle's humidity doing. At least she was properly dressed, wearing the pair of hiking shorts with plenty of pockets that she had bought at the mall for a company picnic. The thick fabric of her loose khaki shirt had been really helpful at keeping her arms from being scratched by the branches and her boots have proven to be a smart acquisition, being comfortable enough to help her keep walking while keeping her grip on whatever terrain she walked. A drop of sweat followed the edge of her face all way down from the frame of glasses until she could rub it off her neck... What an irony to think that she had painted her nails for an occasion like that.
Under her hat, Layla's eyes rested uneasy. Not because she was lost or anything like that, no no... The small pathway was barely visible in the jungle's lush but it was there undoubtedly. The picture of her aunt's worried expression flashed in her mind, a small gesture that seemed to haunt her for some reason whenever she felt like fading. Perhaps it was fortunate, after all, she found the strength she needed to keep going in that memory.
"Pffft... What do they know about me..." Layla mumbled to herself as a frown drew on her face.
"They have always been like this... Thinking that the jungle is the only source of hardship in this world..." Another sigh escaped her lips and soon after, with a newfound resolution she lifted her face. For a second, Layla's eyes seemed to spark, a deep hue of hazel that might have seen supernatural if not for the fact that she didn't believe in that kind of things. She forced a smug smile and soon after, stepped forward again. No matter what her aunt had said, no matter what they all though of her. She was stronger than the jungle and she was about to prove it. She was about to prove them all that she could manage being alone at the jungle. All she had to was reach the end of the pathway she kept diligently walking...
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Post by June on Jun 15, 2023 14:37:31 GMT -6
Jalan nearly gasped as he spied in the distance, just at the top of a winding, sloping path - a human! He cackled softly in disbelief at his luck.
"Oh my - well you're not from around here, are you?"
He whispered to himself as he slithered closer, from branch to branch and from tree to tree. By now he could see the human's outlandish gear. Well, outlandish for him - this woman was obviously some visitor from outside the jungle. Jalan barely contained his chuckle at this revelation, drawing near enough to her now that he needed to start moving more slowly, and with more concentration on stealth. Before long, he was right above where the strange visitor would soon pass by...
Having a mischievous thought at the last second, the woman's approach imminent, Jalan surreptitiously lowered his long tail, shadows of leaves cast against it by the setting sun. It lowered and lowered, slowly downwards... Then in a sudden motion, grabbed the woman's hat, and rose back into the tree with the speed of an elastic band.
"What a strange thing to wear..."
He chuckled to himself, hanging the hat on a small outstretched branch high in his tree.
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Post by bepbopbren on Jun 15, 2023 15:01:00 GMT -6
"W-Whah! ! !" The sight of a bug on her shoulder made Layla close her eyes and rush to brush it off her shirt with her hat. One the bug was gone she opened her eyes to double check and hasted forward while trying to drown the shivers running down her spine with her determination to keep going. Busy like that she would have failed to notice an elephant approaching, there was no way she could notice anything or anyone lurking in the trees above her head. She rubbed another drop of sweat off her cheek, her expression growing a bit worried again after noticing the path ahead shifting into a steeper dip. She closed her eyes, shook her head and reached behind her to retrieve the water bottle hanging from her backpack. She drank long and deep, letting some water shower her forehead right after. Upon placing the bottle back to it's place she clenched her fists and forced the smug grin into her expression again
"Just... A little bit more before I can reach the neighbor village..." Layla would mumble for herself between pants. After a slightly exhausted chuckle she resumed her walk or at least that was her plan.
"Oh? Where did it... Go..." Layla's pupils widened as she tapped on her head, it seemed like that hat wasn't there even though she was sure she put it back after having dealt with the bug. Her eyes wandered about the place, perhaps the wind or her own clumsiness had made it fall onto the jungle's lush
"How did..." Dumbfounded, Layla glanced at a nearby branch. She stepped forward, reaching her hat while looking around. Even though it was a strange thing to think, for a second, she felt as if she wasn't alone. Layla patted her hat on her lap as if shake some of the dust it might have caught off, then, she placed it back on her head before preparing to resume her walk.
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Post by June on Jun 16, 2023 8:40:30 GMT -6
Jalan slid down the tree stealthily behind her, watching as she put her hat back on. How curious - she really did wear that thing on purpose, it hadn't just landed on her... Still curious, Jalan slithered in front of her on the pathway. He didn't say anything yet, she'd probably assume he was a normal snake, and he wondered how she'd react to one. Maybe where she came from, there were no snakes! It was an odd thought, but he had heard rumors and legends that in some places in the world, there really weren't any. Maybe he'd ask this strange human about that, once he got that far. Slowly and lazily, as if to convince the girl he wasn't a threat, merely playful, he slithered across her feet and around her ankles, forming a loose coil. Just a sharp tug would make the human fall flat on her face! he thought mischievously to himself, but for the time being he would be polite.
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Post by bepbopbren on Jun 16, 2023 9:20:49 GMT -6
It seemed like things kept getting weirder by the second, not only her hat but now it seemed like a snake had managed to sneak up to her. Dumbfounded, Layla stood in contemplation for a few seconds, in her mind, her ears were too sharp for that to happen. How could a snake got that close to her?... She sighed as if dismissing the thought, after all, there was no point in thinking too much about it, he was there now. Furthermore, the same way a stray cat would, it seemed like he was nuzzling on her boots?... It was only his tail but for a city girl, the sight was odd nonetheless. Without paying too much mind to the snake, she proceeded to step forward, or at least that was her plan...
"Oh?... W-What are you..."
When trying to lift her left boot, Layla felt as if something had entangled and trapped her foot. A shiver ran down her spine and then, a worrying thought. Layla's eyes darted back at the snake, for a few seconds the idea of him being venomous alarmed her, and idea that fortunately soon faded after she recognized some of the snake's features. She sighed, while having a constrictor snake around her ankle wasn't exactly good, it was reassuring that it wasn't a venomous snake. She looked around, as if looking for something she could use to scare the snake... Another shiver ran down her spine after the snake began to tug. Briefly, her eyes wandered back to the snake before moving to a nearby branch. While still looking at the branch, Layla stretched her left hand and without moving much, she tried to reach it, struggling not to worsen the situation...
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Post by June on Jun 16, 2023 9:26:22 GMT -6
"Oh? Let me get that for you."
Jalan said suddenly, reaching out with his tail, wrapping around the branch she was reaching for, and pulling it right off it's tree. He then handed the loose branch to her, rising up to meet her eye level and grinning broadly as he watched her reaction to the sudden reveal that he could talk.
"What do you want that stick for, hmm?"
He asked with a chuckle. He was still joking around and acting like a prankster, but there was a veiled threat in showing that he wasn't afraid of the girl, even if she did have a stick to bash him with. He had ways of persuading her not to do that, after all... While half listening to her answers, he turned his attention to the rest of her outfit, poking his tail in her pockets, nosing around and generally trying to figure out what all her odd clothing and equipment was FOR, exactly.
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Post by bepbopbren on Jun 16, 2023 9:40:47 GMT -6
Layla's eyes widened in surprise. Had she just heard the snake talk?... No no, there was no way that could be right?...
For a few seconds, she didn't react. Surprisingly even for her, she wasn't feeling panic, not even discomfort or creeps as the snake reached the branch with it's tail, all she could feel was a puzzling unease growing in her mind. Many thoughts crossed her mind, could it be that the heat of the jungle had been affecting her much more than she first expected?... Maybe it was just exhaustion... Perhaps it was one of those illusions that sometimes tricked people when in the desert... Whatever the case might have been, Layla stood unreactive, blinking slowly until...
"Uhm thanks?... I just need it to scare you off my ankle..."
Before she noticed, she had replied to the snake's inquiries guided by the sense of cordiality deep rooted in herself. Once the branch was handled to her, she held it close to her chest.
"I suppose that if you can talk it would be easier to just ask... I really need to keep going so you know, can you..."
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Post by June on Jun 16, 2023 9:48:41 GMT -6
"To scare me off your ankle?"
He asked incredulously, and laughed - a little harder than he needed to, really.
"Ohhh dear, that would never work. Asking might, as you say - but what's the rush?"
So saying, he formed a sort of swing-seat of coils behind Layla.
"Why not sit down for a moment, relax, take in the sights?"
He continued, pushing his tail into her forehead so she'd fall back into the 'seat' he'd just made behind her. With this done, he formed some loose loops of coils and dropped them unceremoniously around Layla's shoulders in a heavy heap to weigh her down and make it harder for her to stand back up, chuckling all the time, completely confident that this inexperienced tourist could never escape his grasp.
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Post by bepbopbren on Jun 16, 2023 10:00:47 GMT -6
After hearing the snake's unsettling laugher, the first thing that Layla's mind could come up with was to follow and laugh too. She let out a lower laugher tinged with some discomfort. Of course she could sense that the situation might be much more worrying than she first expected. Perhaps it would have been better if it was a venomous snake after all. She sighed and focused on getting out of that situation no matter how odd the "talking snake" could be.
"Well... you see, I need to go to the village at the end of this path. I have to uhm win a bet I made with a relative so I c-can..."
The feel of a "seat" being formed near her butt made her laugh again, similar to last time... more and more anxious by the second. Helpless, she fell onto the "seat" after being pushed by the coils and once the snake's tail was dropped on her shoulders a faint "eep" left her lips at the touch of the scaly tail on the bare skin of her neck. Behind her glasses, she closed her eyes before shuffling a tad. It was obvious that the branch wouldn't help her but perhaps something else in her backpack.
Layla squirmed, trying to reach her backpack while still hoping that she could talk herself out of that situation
"T-The sights, yes... about that. I would like to ask a lot of things to a uhm talking snake but this is no place for that. Really, I mean, how can one relax and chat when it's so hot and humid here?... Maybe if we take this small interaction somewhere nicer like the village ahead?"
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Post by June on Jun 16, 2023 10:11:25 GMT -6
"The village? It's not far now, you won't be late if you just take a quick breather for a few minutes..."
He said dismissively, slithering onto her lap and from there slowly moving round to her back, to examine this bag she was carrying. The zipper confused him at first, but with a bit of experimentation, he found he could unzip the backpack using his mouth, gripping the zipper with his fangs.
"Hot and humid, you say? It seems quite mild to me now that the sun is going down - sounds to me like you need more wrapping up in my nice, cool coils!"
He suggested with a snicker, not waiting for her to agree before wrapping up her legs completely, and wrapping a coil around her forehead, knocking her hat off again.
"There, isn't that a bit nicer? No need to go all the way to that silly little village, it's pretty boring anyways."
He continued absently, concentrating more on rummaging around in her bag. He grabbed several items that seemed boring to him with his mouth, like her torch and map, and tossed them to the floor. He ignored Layla's attempts to reach into the backpack for herself.
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Post by bepbopbren on Jun 16, 2023 10:21:44 GMT -6
"Well, if it's not far... that's only a better reason to go there, don't you think. We have cool drinks there, not something you can find here in the uhm wild"
More shivers ran up and down Layla's spine. Her back stiffened at the feel of scales grinding on her legs and when the snake's snout slithered all way onto her lap, she couldn't help but avoid it's gaze, moving to glance at the path ahead of them. She felt bustling in her bag, which under other circumstances would be something to worry about but in her situation... It didn't matter, not even the sight of her stuff being tossed onto the jungle's lush was enough for her to stop digging deeper into the bag. Fortunately for her, it seemed, at least, that the snake didn't pay much mind to that.
"T-That's not how physics work you know?... If you wrap someone with your coils that uhm won't help them to cool... That can only cause us both to overheat. Besides, I don't think you want a sweaty human this close to your tail. No no, I can assure you I'm much nicer right after taking a shower..."
Layla's eyes lit after she felt what she was looking for in her grasp. Her hand closed tightly and hastily she pulled it out of the backpack.
"Have you been there before?... Perhaps you can give me a small tour?..."
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Post by June on Jun 16, 2023 10:30:29 GMT -6
Jalan laughed again at her questions, and her strange words.
"Physics? What strange words you have, stranger! 'Shower' is unknown to me too, but don't worry, I'm quite used to having sweaty humans close to my tail. As for the village - I've been there only once, and at night. I don't know my way around that place - out here in the jungle, I would say it'ssss..."
Jalan paused, as if he was looking for the right word. Whilst still hissing in pretend thought, he wormed his head back out of the backpack and circled it round again to meet Layla eye-to-eye, bringing his snout close enough to almost be touching Layla's nose.
"...Much more ssstimulating."
He finished, and as he hissed the word 'stimulating', he tightly closed his eyes, and concentrated hard. His eyes began to feel hot, and as he opened them, they emitted a glow that illuminated Layla's shirt. In his eyes were now racing a cascade of bright, unnaturally-pastel coloured rings, each one eating the last as they converged where his pupils would normally been.
"I guarantee there's nobody in the village who can pull this trick off!"
He joked, still maintaining a jovial air even as he drew his snare tighter around the hapless tourist girl.
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Post by bepbopbren on Jun 16, 2023 10:42:26 GMT -6
"Well, if you haven't been there this early maybe it's a good chance to go and see what we can find... I mean, how can you say it's boring if you haven't been there yet!?"
Layla forced a coy laugh while trying to sound as cheerful as possible. While she didn't foster much hope for those small and perhaps even silly words to convince him, at least they gave her time to think of her next move. Her left hand's grip tightened as if trying to palpate and double check she got the right object.
"Uhm well... stimulating isn't good for relaxing sometimes you know? You can think of your visit to the village as some sort of small vacations..."
She squirmed for the first time, a small way to test how strong his grasp was. Unfortunately for her, it seemed like that wouldn't do much no matter how much she squirmed
"...The place is full of sweaty humans if you like that..."
More squirms as Layla's eyes closed shut tightly. Her legs grinded against the scales and one of her pockets made a soft metallic clank as she attempter to free her legs. It was futile and panic was slowly making it more noticeable. The feel of the snake's snout close to her face made her frown at first before slowly letting her eyes open just to...
"You just have to... Y-You just..."
Layla's pupils widened in surprise. The snake not only talked but it seemed like he was able to do some strange trick with his eyes. The strange glow made her shiver, it was so unsettling and odd and strange and... pretty? Layla tried to shake her head, how could it be possible that she thought that glow was pretty. No no, there was no way those colours were pretty, no matter how alluring... no matter how relaxing... no matter how much she wanted to stare a bit closer.
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Post by June on Jun 16, 2023 10:54:01 GMT -6
"I do like sweaty humans - but I needn't run around catching another, since I have a perfectly good extra-sweaty, extra silly and inexperienced human right here~"
His words were derisive but Jalan spoke with a fond tone, even stroking Layla's cheek with his tail in a mocking gesture of affection as he said this. He giggled as he saw her stare and gawk at his spinning hypnotic gaze, pushing her glasses further up her nose with his snout so she could see the spirals even more clearly, and using his snout brought his eyes even closer to hers as well.
"We've had our fun, but now it's really time we settle down for dinner - and you can be my dinner date."
He sighed, getting more serious now even as he joked about the 'date'. As far as Jalan was concerned, Layla's date was with his stomach.
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