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Post by Starling on Feb 13, 2019 21:18:09 GMT -6
(Reserved for Tiamut)
The forest is a mesmerizing place to behold. Trees stood tall with branches so tightly interwoven the only light that reached the ground was as green as the leaves up high. The sound of running water from the mineral spring was so pleasant to hear alongside the leaves rustling in the wind and the mating calls of the birds. The sweet aroma of the native flora permeated the air, calming all who breathed it in.
This was the home of one Jen, a legendary giant python with green and brown scales and bright yellow stripes. Among all the mesmerizing imagery in this forest, his eyes were the most beautiful. Among all the sounds that echoed through the woods, his voice was the most soothing and most clear. Jen was truly the most hypnotic entity in the forest, capable of getting whatever he desired without any resistance. Tonight, he was craving the warmth of a mammal. However, he has grown bored of the warmth of rabbits and leopards and felt the need to eat them afterwards a tedious precaution. He wanted a long-term companion in a mammal he has never seen before.
So here Jen sat, coiled around a tree branch, waiting patiently for something to pass by, hopefully a new beast to ensnare.
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Post by Tiamat on Feb 13, 2019 21:49:36 GMT -6
Just a little closer… a little more to the left… almost… Kira froze, her breath caught in her throat as the rabbit’s ears twitched and its head rose in her direction, nose working in the air. Several small rocks and at least one root dug into her chest, hard lines and ridges of discomfort, but she didn’t dare stir. She was so close to the perfect shot, if only the rabbit would relax again and go back to nibbling on the grass.
Several long minutes passed in absolute stillness. The spring nearby burbled pleasantly as it splashed around rocks and fallen branches; above, birds called back and forth and leaves rustled as small creatures scurried through the canopy. Finally, just when Kira was convinced the rabbit would bolt, it resumed eating. Taking a shaky breath, she raised the object in her hands by millimeters to bring the rabbit into its sight.
Click-click-click-click!
She managed one more shot of the rabbit staring in her direction before it gave up its meal as lost and took off into the foliage. Kira sighed. At least one of those pictures was good, she was sure of it. The lighting out here was beautiful, ethereal, and she couldn’t wait to take a closer look at everything she’d taken.
The young woman began squirming forward, out from under the bush she’d crept into while approaching the rabbit. Twigs caught and snarled in her long, light brown hair, and she grunted as she worked her way free. At least the camera was safe. At last she stood and stretched, bracing light brown hands against her back to work the kinks out. “Still worth it,” she said to herself. Now, where to next? Olive green eyes landed on a patch of flowers growing next to the spring, and she smiled.
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Post by Starling on Feb 15, 2019 16:48:16 GMT -6
Below him, Jen heard an unfamiliar clicking sound. As he looked down, he saw what looked to be a female primate with hair only growing on her head and wearing something akin to extra skin. This was his chance! A new mammal has stumbled into his forest ripe for the taking! He just needed to gain her trust. With the female in his sights, Jen lowered his head to eye level.
"Welcome to my forest." He said, wanting to make a good first impression. "My name is Jen. May I know who you are? I have never seen your kind before, I admit."
For whatever reason, regardless of species or language, all living animals understood his words and he would understand their's. They would hear him speak in their native tongue with a soft and smooth voice and once he has spoken their language, he would understand them whenever they speak in it. Because of this, Jen was confident that the mysterious creature would understand his question and reply.
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Post by Tiamat on Feb 17, 2019 16:28:07 GMT -6
Crouched down, Kira leaned in until the bottom of the camera lens was practically flush with the nearest flower. Click! She shifted a few centimeters left and took another shot. A honeybee drifted among the petals, and she zoomed in on the insect as it meandered in and out of the flowers. Click-click!
An unexpected voice spoke behind her. Kira yelped and spun around as she stood, camera half-raised in self defense even though damaging it was the last thing she'd ever want to do. She hadn't heard anyone approaching... Eyes wide, she stared at the talking snake. The rather... large... talking snake, if his head was any indication. Her eyes flicked up at the tree he hung from, but she couldn't see any more of his body to gauge how long he really was. Maybe if he moved first. "Uh, I... I'm Kira. Ellison. How are you doing that?" Almost on reflex she angled the camera and took another picture, though who knew how it turned out when aimed blindly from chest-height.
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Post by Starling on Feb 17, 2019 21:14:01 GMT -6
"Nice to meet you, Kira. And to answer your question, I'm simply-" Jen was interrupted by a flash of blinding light directed at his eyes. "Wha-What in the world was that!?"As a result of getting stunned, he briefly lost his grip and his head hit the ground.
Realizing he was getting distracted, Jen lifted his head back up and composed himself. The flash of light gave him an idea. "I found that light awfully blinding. If you want, I can show you lights that are actually more pleasant to look at. They are truly a beautiful sight to behold. May I show you them?"
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Post by Tiamat on Feb 24, 2019 0:48:38 GMT -6
Kira jumped, almost as startled as the snake when the flash went off. Quickly she checked over her camera and thumbed off the unneeded setting, already apologizing as she did. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? I must have bumped that by accident, I really didn't mean to flash you like that." Biting her lower lip, she gave Jen a worried once-over without moving closer. Friendly and talkative though he may be, he was still a wild animal that she'd only just met.
Curiosity piqued, she raised her eyebrows at the snake. "Uh, sure. Maybe? How far are they from here?" What sort of lights would a snake consider pretty? Sunlight dazzling off a calm stream, or maybe faint rainbows reflected in the spray of a waterfall? Either one could make a nice shot, and she could show her camera to Jen as an apology, if he were interested in the thing. She kind of felt like she owed him that much, after accidentally surprising him as she had.
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Post by Starling on Feb 24, 2019 21:39:30 GMT -6
"They are in my eyes." Jen answered. "Their hypnotic beauty can hold your gaze and make your mind feel wonderful. I have been told by a stray feline that they look like something called a 'kaleidoscope', whatever that is."
Jen's brand of hypnosis was different from most other forms his kind used. Unlike the brands that made the mind go blank so the body could be controlled like a puppet, his focused on not nullifying the mind, but playing with it. Memories could be altered, senses could be fooled, and the subject's will would stay intact and be layed bare for him to see. This brand worked on the premise that a hypnotized subject will only do what they consent to and won't do anything they don't want to.
"Let me ask you again, Kira. Do you wish to see them?"
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Post by Tiamat on Feb 24, 2019 23:12:58 GMT -6
"In your -- eyes?" Kira's jaw dropped and she gave the snake a deeply confused look. "You have lights, in your eyes, that look like a kaleidoscope? They look normal to me." She peered into his face, scrutinizing him, but nothing remotely unusual jumped out at her. Still. Jen seemed to be suggesting that he could turn them on and off, whatever they were. He couldn't be serious... could he?
Maybe it was like a cobra "hypnotizing" a rabbit through its swaying. Maybe the last animal he tried it on -- a talking cat? -- hallucinated the kaleidoscopic effects. Whichever it was, Kira wasn't sure she liked the idea that in this situation, she was the rabbit. Jen appeared perfectly courteous, apparently willing to wait for her agreement. Kira drummed her fingers against the casing of her camera, thinking. She had no idea what was going on, but curiosity was poking at her like an insistent finger in her back, urging her to find out. "And if I say no?" She asked slowly, studying the snake, her legs braced to fling her to the side if he decided to lunge at her or something. "If I say thanks but no thanks, I'd rather keep walking?"
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Post by Starling on Feb 25, 2019 20:55:17 GMT -6
Jen noticed unease in the female in front of him. Apparently, the concept was so foreign to her, she could not believe it. She also may have been put off by his generosity. "I understand if you feel uncomfortable right now, but it's really your choice to make whether or not to refuse. Of course, that would mean missing out on seeing something uniquely wonderful."
Jen looked down at the box that she was holding. Before it blinded him, he noticed how the female pointed it's "eye" at things. This curiosity gave him an idea. "How about this: you show me what that box in your possession does and I show you what my lights do. Will you accept fair trade?"
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Post by Tiamat on Mar 16, 2019 0:39:01 GMT -6
Well, it wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement, but Jen hadn't tried to -- what, grab her? Knock her down? Bite her? -- demand she look at his eye-lights. He even offered to -- oh. Kira lit up and followed the snake's gaze down to her camera. "This? It's a camera. I guess you haven't seen one before, huh?" She still wasn't sure if that was really a 'fair trade' but Jen seemed to think so. Maybe it was; she didn't know. But she was happy to show the snake her camera, so she nodded. Besides, she was curious to know what he meant when he talked about his own lights. "Sure. That sounds reasonable."
Giving the snake an uncertain look, she stepped a little bit closer and began to explain the camera. The lens, the viewfinder, how it stored images of what it "saw" so she could look at them again anytime she wanted, or show other people the same thing. As she spoke she relaxed, the familiarity and enjoyment of her hobby easing her tension until she was smiling more freely at Jen. Tilting the camera so they both could see the screen on its back, she scrolled through the most recent pictures. "And here's the one where I accidentally blinded you," she said with a wince. "I'm sorry about that. The flash wasn't supposed to be on. I must've bumped it when you startled me."
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Post by Starling on Mar 18, 2019 14:01:56 GMT -6
"I must admit, I look pretty unflattering when I'm stunned. Other than that, this item is amazing!" The concept of a "camera", a box that can capture moments of time with it's eye, astounded Jen. One could look at the forest anywhere with this. The pictures inside looked so foreign to him, apart from the ones of his home. "I wouldn't mind being in a more appealing photo later. Right now, I would like to hold up my end of the deal. Look closely, Kira."
And as he looked into her green eyes, his own blinked to reveal that kaleidoscope pattern of multi-colored lights. Blue circles, yellow diamonds, green rings, pink squares, and lines of white between them as they swirled in his eyes. They soothe the mind and make it more suggestible, lowering all inhibitions. Jen believed Kira would follow suit. Maybe he could get her to take a picture of his lights for her to look at whenever she wants. But he's getting ahead of himself. Right now all that mattered was her reaction to the lights.
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Post by Tiamat on Mar 18, 2019 23:46:57 GMT -6
Kira grinned, imagining some of her friends' reactions to the pictures she might be able to take with Jen. They would have no reason to believe the snake was anything more than a wild animal, so if Jen let her take some clearly close-up shots, or maybe with him curled around her arm or a foot... His voice drew her from her budding plans. Kira obligingly met his gaze, and her jaw dropped when Jen blinked and his eyes suddenly, drastically changed. For several moments all she could do was stare at him. Shapes and colors whirled through his eyes just like the promised kaleidoscope, and how was that even real?
"How are you doing that?" She asked, leaning closer for a better look without giving any thought at all to being well within striking range. Jen was a living animal, not some sort of machine -- she reached out and brushed the side of his head just to check, and yes, that felt real enough, firm and scaley and a little bit warm from the sun. Kira blinked and straightened, pulling away from Jen's face. "Sorry, I'm... not really sure why I, um... did that." For crying out loud, he was a wild animal! She couldn't just -- pet him.
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Post by Starling on Mar 19, 2019 15:05:20 GMT -6
Jen turned Kira's face back towards him with his tail. "Don't worry about that. You can feel my scales as much as you want. Don't they feel wonderful?" He said while brushing her warm cheek. He knew this was the heat of a mammal he has been waiting for.
"Just let yourself relax in my lights and take a break from reality. Look at the beautiful spinning colors. Listen to my soft and pleasant voice. Feel my smooth and marvelous scales. And take in the sweet aroma of the forest. Let your senses know bliss and relax." Jen wanted to make sure this female felt the happiest she has ever been in her trance. "Let yourself forget about all of your worries and mistakes. They don't matter now. Just relax and let them be forgotten."
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Post by Tiamat on Mar 19, 2019 16:14:34 GMT -6
"Oh, um. Thank you?" She was relieved Jen wasn't offended, or hadn't tried to bite her or anything. He really was such a friendly snake. Kira nodded slowly, which rubbed her cheek up and down against Jen's tail. "Yeah, they do feel wonderful." As soon as Jen mentioned it, Kira became hyperaware of the minuscule scales of his slender tail tip stroking against her skin. Though her eyes remained locked on his, her near hand reached blindly up to run her fingers back and forth along his tail. She smiled. Yes, Jen's smooth scales felt wonderful indeed.
Her other arm dropped to her side, limp, and her camera would have fallen if not for the strap around her neck. As it was, the weight of the camera jolted her forward, dragged her head down several inches, and Kira blinked. "Ow," she mumbled on reflex. But Jen was still speaking, in that low and soothing voice, and his eyes kept spinning, so many shapes and colors. She inhaled, taking in the crisp, clean air, slightly floral from the flowers nearby, and raised her head back to a more comfortable angle. She breathed. She relaxed. She pet Jen's scales, and gradually began to go blank.
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Post by Starling on Mar 19, 2019 19:57:40 GMT -6
Jen then began to lower his tail to coil around Kira's shoulders, letting her arm fall to her side. Then another coil pinned her elbows to her torso and another wrapped around her waist and bound her hands, none of the coils wrapping over the camera in order to not break it. Still, he made sure not to squeeze her too tight in case it would cause discomfort. "I'm sure my scales feel wonderful all around your body too. Find your body become limp and let me carry you." He then proceeded to lift her to his domain atop the trees and sit her on a thick, sturdy branch.
"Now, on the count of three, you are going to fall asleep." He began to condition the female under trance. "And when you wake up, you will realize a newfound love for my eyes and coils and may ask me to play with you. 1... 2... 3. Sleep little one, and dream of my wonderful lights." Jen then rested his head beside her's and began to sleep peacefully with the warmth he desired.
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