[Flashback] Just a little cut (Vhanet)

[Maurice]

24th Day of Summer 506

He was walking home from the market with his sister on that hot summers day. He had bought some more medication for his mother and though he doubted it would help anything was worth a try. He sighed lightly as he watched his at the time 9 year-old sister dancing around in her thin rag of a dress. He smiled ever so lightly. At least she was smiling again.

Looking ahead of them again Maurice spotted a snake about 3 feet away. They were close enough to home at that point that he just gave the things to his sister and sent her on her way as he grabbed a long stick and attempted to move the now hissing snake out of the middle of the road. He carefully got it onto the stick before he cautiously laid it in a nice little divot in the road hoping that now no one could come across it.

[Yanessavhanet]

Vhanet was bored, but not hungry after the large meal she had had a day ago, and so she was stalking through Ahnatep to try and find something fun. She wished she could go play in her human form, but despite how close she was in age she had not been able to transform yet.

Slithering along in her Dhani form she paused as she saw a human boy moving a snake with a stick. It almost seemed like the boy was trying to move the snake to a safe place, and that thought made Vhanet grin.

"Awwww, how sssweet of you," Vhanet hissed, her voice dripping with sarcasm, as she slithered up to the boy, "Being ssso kind to a little sssnake. I'm touched a human would do sssuch a thing."

The boy was a bit taller than her, at least than what Vhanet had raised off the ground as she moved up next to him, but she had no reason to fear him. She could easily handle a grown man with her speed and venom, and this was a boy with a stick.

[Maurice]

Maurice heard the girl hissing long before he looked down and saw her. He jumped and lost his breath and just when he thought he could relax again her body extended up toward him. His eyes were wide and his hands shook as he looked into the eyes of what he figured could be nothing but a Dhani.

After he finally calmed enough to speak his words came out in stutters due to his fear of being eaten. "W-well i just didn't want it t-to get stepped on a-a-and i didn't want it t-to hurt a-a-anyone." He swallowed hard as more sweat began dripping down his brow. He was still holding onto the stick though he highly doubted it would do him much good against the Dhani if it REALLY wanted to eat him.

[Yanessavhanet]

"Sssuch a sssweet human boy," Vhanet hissed with a grin, reaching out a hand to lightly touch the boy's cheek as she spoke, "Tell me, are you alwaysss ssso friendly to sssnakesss, or jussst to the sssmall onesss that couldn't possssibly eat you."

Even though she had no intention of eating the boy it was so much fun to watch him squirm with that thought. It wasn't quite enough to make the game truly fun, but it would certainly do as she tried to come up with something more fun to do.

A sudden thought struck her, and Vhanet slithered a little ways around the boy, letting her tail trail around in front of him, "Tell me boy... do you have a family? Mother, Father, sssiblingsss?"

[Maurice]

Maurice's eyes went to were her hand was and then his eyes flickered up at her face again he licked his lips before he lightly said, "I-I help all s-snakes, ma'am.. e-e-even the b-b-ig ones."

His body was shaking lightly as he became more and more afraid. At this point he didn't know if she was playing games or planning to kill him or wanting to eat him.

He whimpered lightly as he felt her body wrap around his. It made him feel strangely comfortable but made him want to run at the same time. "I-I have a mom.. a-and a little s-s-sister"

[Yanessavhanet]

Vhanet gave a surprised, and very fake, gasp at the boy's words, "Even the big onesss? Ssso you would be willing to help me?"

The boy's shaking and whimpering was very thoroughly pleasing Vhanet, and a delighted shudder passed along the length of her body as she began to coil her tail around the boy's feet and calves, "No Father? Did sssomething happen to him?" she stopped her movement as her coils reached the boy's knees, her torso behind his back as her fingers lightly danced up the boy's back, "He wassssn't... eaten by a sssnake wasss he?" her voice had dropped down to a softer range.

So many fun games that could be played with a family, but Vhanet didn't want to draw too much attention to herself. The boy did not seem to rank very high, but there was always the chance that his mother was a concubine, or possibly even friends with one. Doing too much harm could result in trouble for herself, but she couldn't resist the thrill that would come from doing a little harm at least.

[Maurice]

Maurice was now at his breaking point as she continued to speak and coil around him. He whimpered as her body coiled to right below his knees, he knew he couldn't move now and that he'd just better do what she said.. as long as it didn't endanger his family.

He felt her fingers trail up his back and he shivered, goosebumps forming every inch of skin that her fingers touched before he said in a slightly calmer voice. "I don't know.. All i know is that he's not here any more."

He was becoming slightly defensive now that she was asking about his family. Maurice could have cared little less about what happened to him but he refused to let anyone get their hands on his mother or sister.

[Yanessavhanet]

Vhanet's fingers continued their light trail upwards, passing over the boy's shoulders, briefly pausing on his neck, and finally alighting on his cheeks, "Ssso... That makesss you man of the houssse then, no?" her voice was soft, barely a whisper, as her face was right behind the boy's head.

It was so very tempting to bite the boy right now, to just sink her fangs in and watch him squirm as he died, but Vhanet had a much more wicked idea in mind for this little toy. So many others had been broken and torn at her hands, but she wondered what fun could be had without breaking the toy right away.

Sliding her hands down off the boy's cheeks she draped them around his shoulders as she pulled her torso close against his back, almost as if she was hugging him. Her lips now next to his ear she whispered as softly as she could, "What do you sssay boy? Will you be the good man of the houssse, and come help me with my little problem? I might even be able to help you sssome too..."

[Maurice]

Maurice shivered lightly as her hands touched his cheeks and he clenched his eyes shut. This is it. I'm dead for sure. But his eyes opened up again and he spoke lightly, in a whisper much like hers, "Yes.. i am the man of the house."

He licked his lips as they became drier with time. He knew that his mother wouldn't be worried about him seeing as she might as well have been dead, and his sister would be too busy nursing the old woman to notice he had been gone longer than usual. So it wouldn't really matter if she killed him now because no one would notice until the next day.

Having his body 'hugged' from behind snapped him back to reality. He listened to her tentatively. He didn't like that she was being so cozy with him, but maybe that meant she wouldn't kill him.. or at least she wouldn't kill him yet. Biting his lip he nodded and murmurred, "Yes.. I'll help you."

[Yanessavhanet]

"Wonderful!" Vhanet's soft voice was filled with excitement as her breath tickled the boy's ear, and she removed her arms from around his neck so she could grasp his left wrist with both, "Come, thisss way."

Uncoiling her body from around the boy Vhanet quickly started to slither off, holding tight to the boy's wrist so he would have to move quickly to keep up, or risk being dragged along. She made her way down the street a little ways, and then turned down a small alley, looking for somewhere she could be away from prying eyes.

Finally finding a dark little corner she stopped, and turned a sweet little smile on the boy, "Tell me, what isss your name?"