Potentially Dangerous Noodles (Large Winged Serpent Bonding)

We Be Of One Blood, You And I Male Python

Mindspeech: Italic #eaaf24

Very similar in appearance to a reticulated python, this male easily reaches ten feet in length and sports a pair of impressive light brown wings with striations of dark brown and black. At six months old he is far from finished growing, and there is no telling just how large he'll get. Despite this he shows surprising maturity for one his age and has developed a most unusual ability - he can, in fact, hypnotize his prey with a dance unique to himself, and if particularly angered he can very easily make said prey walk straight into his open jaws. He does not take insults kindly, nor potential threats towards those he cares about. One animal species in particular he possesses notorious distaste for is monkeys, though he gets along relatively well with various other species. This python has a somewhat unusual manner of speaking, such as using the phrase "Good hunting" to wish someone luck in their endeavors. He is also perfectly fine with children so long as they have learned not to be rough, otherwise he won't hesitate to smack them away with one of his wings like an irritating fly.

The Finer Things In Life Are Mine To Hoard Female Python

Mindspeech: Bold #6af339

A fully mature green tree python, and one capable of flight at that, this refined lady is a full six feet long and her wings are a shade of darker green with white speckles. She guards her treasures jealously, for fear that they might be stolen from her - and what are these treasures, you may ask? Well, it depends on her mood, really. One day she'll be fixated on precious gemstones, another day she might focus on collecting equally precious memories with those she cherishes. She has an eidetic memory, this python, and this makes it hard for her to move on from the past and from those she has known. Having been mated before, albeit in a partnership that did not result in any eggs, she has sworn off of romance to honor the memory of her missing sweetheart so as not to tarnish the memories she possesses of her beloved. Though it's sometimes hard to let go of her treasure hoard, she is quite skilled at finding valuable stones or golden coins to give as gifts to her bonded. Her favorite types of gemstones tend to lean towards being green: peridot, emerald, jade, and so forth.

Seeking The Greatest Challenge Male Garter

Mindspeech: #040898

Topping out at only eighteen inches in length, this bluestripe ribbon snake has a habit of biting off way more than he can chew. He has the habit of calling himself "as venomous as a viper and as strong as a boa" and to prove his worth he will often attempt to instigate battle. This garter has a notorious disdain for those he sees as weak and being called such is a surefire way to get him all riled up. Unlike most of his kind, he won't hesitate to brag about his apparent ability to anyone who will listen, and it's common for him to start with "A real warrior does/does not-" But if he really didn't need anyone, surely he wouldn't have come here to bond in the first place. One could almost call him a tsundere as, in the same breath he'll deny feeling any affection, he can be occasionally heard muttering under his breath that maybe some people aren't so bad. He tends to get along best with those who are strong not only physically but emotionally, even though he might challenge them from time to time. He also doesn't take kindly to others going easy on him even if it's clear that they're not opponents he will be easily able to defeat just by himself. He is mated to Tamer of Beasts.

Tamer Of Beasts Female Garter

Mindspeech: Bold #d83e3e

The largest of the rest of the winged serpents sharing the same rank, this common garter snake prides herself on her affinity with non-sapient creatures. This includes those much bigger than her. Like a certain bluestripe ribbon snake, she's always spoiling for a good fight and certainly has the skill and talent to back it up, able to kill even those that might prove a difficult challenge for others of her rank to overcome. She usually doesn't bother with those that don't seem like they would be a challenge. However, unlike him she is well aware of her limits and will not risk the life of her animal companions for a match that is slowly becoming unwinnable. Should said animal companion be killed, she will become inconsolable and shut herself away for a period of days, even a week, without coming out even for food. Usually Seeking The Greatest Challenge will accompany her as he is the only one capable of calming her down and easing her sorrow, along with being the only one she will allow to see her in such a state. She isn't very fond of the idea of having children, joking that she'd prefer it if "her mate was the only child that she had to take care of."

Can You Hear The Crystals Sing? Female Garter

Mindspeech: #fe3fcc

Clocking in at only twenty-one inches in length, this checkered garter snake has quite the fascination with crystals. They don't have to be valuable, they just have to be pretty. But regardless of what she might want them for, she will always insist that they can sing. She doesn't usually like leaving her crystal collection either, unless she's going out hunting for more crystals, and when she does this her bonded will usually be able to find her because she seems to enjoy singing along with the supposed song that the crystals produce. She's quite good at making up songs on the fly, and though crystal hunting may take her to dangerous areas to find the prettiest ones she's quite capable of burrowing deep enough to avoid danger. Perhaps it is the crystals themselves that have induced a form of madness in her for this garter to be so obsessed with them, but one can hardly deny her talent in finding such lovely gems. She will be found underground more often than above, and has yet to be seen using her wings to take flight despite having the ability to do so. It's difficult to deter her when she gets into 'crystal-hunting' mode, but gifts of crystals can put it off for a while.

Remember My Light Female Boa

Mindspeech: Italic #f5ed90

At approximately 22 feet in length and with scales that seem to glow, this yellow anaconda prefers spending most of her time sunbathing. She is surprisingly light for a creature of her size, which enables her to fly despite most others of her rank not being able to. She is also capable of performing spells to some degree, though most of them are long-range as she doesn't have quite as much in the way of physical strength. There is one quirk of hers that she holds close to her metaphorical chest, as it is one that most would make fun of if they so much as knew - she is terrified of the dark. Though the reason for this is not known, she's more than happy to hunt during the day as her vibrant yellow scales don't stand out quite as much and unsurprisingly she prefers hunting among sun-warmed rocks for lizards and other creatures that might be able to slip between the cracks unnoticed. But she has a keen eye, this anaconda, and since she is unable to take down larger prey she must catch as many smaller creatures as she possibly can to satiate her hunger. Because of this, it is advised for her future bonded to keep some meat on hand every now and then in case she has a hard time hunting prey.

Mutation: Weighs much less than a winged serpent her rank should, enabling her to fly but also making her much weaker in terms of physical strength

The Nightmare's Call Male Krait

Mindspeech: Underlined #772018

A greater black krait about three feet long, this winged serpent is unflinchingly polite yet at the same time is very fond of theatrics. He has zero tolerance for those with terrible manners, especially should they attempt to interrupt him while he's speaking or be disruptive otherwise. His wings, unlike the feathered ones of his kindred, are more leathery in appearance - almost like a bat's. He's always keen to put on a show and is quite talented with aerial acrobatics, as is befitting his smaller size, and is surprisingly easy to get along with despite his rather menacing appearance. Despite this, he has enough magical ability to induce nightmares in those around him. Another unusual quirk he possesses is that he prefers to hang upside down by his tail from tree branches with his wings wrapped around him while sound asleep. One could in fact describe him as being 'batty' in the literal sense given said behavior. This krait also enjoys participating in elegant dances regardless of not having legs, and is adaptable to the point that it doesn't matter how tall or short his dance partner is as long as they can properly engage him.

Mutation: Leathery wings

The Living Archive Female Krait

Mindspeech: Italic #4deaaa

A beautiful banded sea krait, this winged serpent spends quite a bit of her time in the water - thankfully, her feathers are waterproof so she can just shake off the droplets of water when she comes back up from hunting prey. She is a seeker of knowledge and is always happy to discover things that she didn't know before. With her eidetic memory, she is more than capable of retaining every ounce of knowledge that she ever learned and will learn in the future. She also has the tendency to take young of various different species under her wing, educating them in the ways of the world and what to expect when venturing out into the big wide world. Because of this she has earned herself the title of "teacher," a title that she wears with pride and she will even occasionally introduce herself as such. Unlike most of her kind she cannot keep her knowledge nor her tongue to herself, always eager to gush about new discoveries. She'll happily talk anyone's ear off about her findings if they're willing to sit still for long enough to listen to her, and she's very encouraging of others asking questions or for her to slow down if she's talking too quickly due to her excitement.

Can't Spell Success Without Failure Female Viper

Mindspeech: #ac0edb

Unfortunately for most everyone around her, this young 35-inch puff adder is rather accident-prone. However, even in the face of her mistakes and missteps, she always makes the effort to keep up a positive attitude. She is a firm believer of the philosophy that you can't succeed without failing, and she's not going to let her failures stop her. She's very encouraging and always willing to pick someone up if they've fallen down verbally if not necessarily physically. She's also big on physical affection and doesn't need any reason to snuggle up with her bonded or other members of her bonded's den. Like several others of the same rank, she is primarily nocturnal and sluggish during the daytime, but one might not immediately recognize it because she possesses a great deal more energy than the average viper during the day. She also prefers ambushing prey though she can be unfortunately prone to missing and smacking her head into a tree.

There's No Cost In Being Honest Male Viper

Mindspeech: Underlined #794700

Reaching only 27 inches in length, this bristly bush viper does not tolerate being lied to. He can spot dishonesty a mile away and will immediately close himself off to an individual if he feels there is some form of deception in their words. Lies can cost someone everything, something he witnessed in his own family's den before it eventually destroyed the relationship between his parents and nestmates. It's like he's become some sort of living lie detector and that wouldn't be far from the truth. It's impossible to catch him in a lie either, simply because his moral integrity simply will not permit him to ever lie to anyone. He's also very careful in how he conducts himself around others, not wishing to slip up and somehow offend them. He's prone to taking his time to think over his words before he speaks, and though this might give the impression that he might be stupid, in reality he is anything but. Being rushed to say something can make him irritable, being about as fond of impatient people as he is of liars, and he won't hesitate to excuse himself in favor of finding far more pleasant company.

No, he wasn't native to this world, and yes, he was new, but the Harper drums weren't actually that hard to figure out. Maybe seeing into minds around him was cheating and the Sin Eater had his own sins to consider. Regardless, the drums pointed a way and gave a nonsensical message about not cooking those noodles, which became clear once Ohanokael arrived and was confronted with the sight of winged snakes.

Right. "Noodles".

He tried to ignore the predatory pull of his only partially-filled 'stomach', the gas tank of swallowed Sin that kept him going. Michael had been a hefty meal, but not enough to replete everything the Illogical Field had depleted in pulling him to Teragaia. And there was another Sinner of a similar caliber just nearby. All it would take is one little ambush...

NO.

Yes, the thought crossed his mind, no, he wasn't going to do it. Ohanokael had more self-control than that.

Instead, he poofed into the form of a small boy and approached the winged snakes with eyes full of wonder, because it was not every day something new was just dropped into his world.




Tomlin was an *idiot* and anyone who said otherwise was welcome onto Melonwei's operating table with neither anesthetics nor analgesics. However, no matter how dumb the cadence, no matter how badly he butchered it, there was always something to it that was correct. At least one thing, swimming in a mire of misinformation. Melonwei was determined to find out what that was.

Melonwei was not alone on her walk to the drum coordinates. Her faithful Hellhound, Teosi, had resolved never to leave his Mistress' side once he had discovered she was with pup (she didn't bother to correct him -- a pup, a baby, offspring was offspring in any context). She was beginning to show, just a bit, and her hands were developing the habit of coming to rest on the slight swell of her belly.

This is not what I expected, Teosi admitted when they happened across the winged serpents in the forest.

"You are a native of the Illogical Field. Since when do you expect anything?" Melonwei demanded in return.

Raeneth wasn't having the best day, but carried on, pulling on her fingerless glove with her mouth and lining each eye in the mirror. She licked her bottom lip and adjusted her aching jaw. Her tail tapped rhythmically against the floor. Checking her teeth, she rubbed what she thought was a red smudge away from a front one, and went out the bathroom door.

Drums sounded, and she started up the stairs. From below, she heard a call.

"Hey. Are you looking for me? I'm down here. Go and put on your boots. I want to know what those drummings mean," said Seraz, as she put an expensive-looking clip in her hair. Her outfit was already complete, heeled boots and frilly shirt striped in black and blue.

Her younger cousin threw on a smile and nodded saying,"We can go if you'd like to, unless you'd prefer to-"

"No, no. I have to find out what these things are and why you go to them."

The half demon said a quick, "Okay. I'll get ready," going to a small room and finding her chunky boots. They weren't as nice and tall as her cousin's, but they were comfortable and in great condition for all the abuse she put them through. She pulled them on as quickly as possible and hurried down the stairs.

The two walked for a while, quietly until Seraz broke the silence.

"You aren't angry, are you, baby cousin? Everything is fine, mostly. Look around with your bright little eyes and enjoy yourself," she said, smiling with pride.

"I'm sorry. I usually walk alone to these...things," she said, waving an insect from her face. She then pulled her cloak a little, to better conceal her missing arm on that side.

"So what if it's not there? A strong and handsome demon would still take you home immediately if I did not look out for you. I know you'd like to raise your own child. It's good, and Hell knows I won't do it. I'd hate to be miserable, sweaty, and tired like her," she said, pointing at Melonwei from a distance.

Raeneth, cringing in response, looked to the expecting woman apologetically. She wanted to make up for her cousin's rude words sometime later. It would have lifted her spirits, seeing the other bonding attendants, made up of what looked like mostly children, except for that Seraz didn't like children. She also didn't care that she was whispering loudly.

"Look at all these ugly little bas-"

"Snakes! I think those are wings on them," Raeneth said, trying to avoid some hurt feelings.

Watching the banded krait approach, Moth was filled with curiosity, examining the serpent with at least similar levels of inquisitiveness while they were circled. This certainly didn't seem to be aggression, so they didn't think they had any reason to fear. Fluttering their wings in response to that greeting hiss, they attempted to mimic the sound with air blown from the vents along their sides. It was far quieter, but it was an attempt nonetheless. Cocking their head, they signed a greeting. <Hello! I like your scales. Do you understand sign?>

Raeneth would have kept trying to steer Seraz away from her unkind nature, but she was distracted by two serpents. She watched them, purring just a little. One stared right back at her silvery eyes, and after that, she could have sworn they communicated something to one another.

"Come with you? Okay. Let's go," she said, softly smiling. The half demon followed, curious mew going with her. She took careful steps and made sure she wasn't walking too quickly.

"Where are we going?"

Seraz was about to have her fun snuffed out. She was about to ridicule her younger cousin for cutting her off, but she was startled by Ohanokael's appearance next to her. She opened her mouth to speak, but she felt so threatened by this presence, she couldn't. Something about his words, the ones that read her like a grocery list, settled with a sting.

This creature was genuinely terrifying. He knew her name, and she felt that he had to know a lot more to end his sentence that way.

Her right hand sparked, but before attacking, she looked Ohanokael up and down. He wasn't faking, and she felt fear. Saying nothing, she turned away from the Sin Eater and ran after her younger cousin.

Nat’s lekku twitched at the yawn, sensing the approaching python before she slithered into view. She jumped ever so slightly, a shiver of excitement tinged with just a hint of fear as the creature approached her. In closer proximity, the sheer size of the winged reptilian was even more apparent; indeed , if she stretched vertically upright, she would be easily the height of a Tallest. Perhaps that explained why Nat couldn’t help but feel a little honoured at having caught the creature’s attention, even with all the other adventurers who had arrived in the meantime.

“Oh, hello,” she greeted, careful not to make any sudden movements though the smile that crept onto her face as the snake tilted her head was far more excited than apprehensive. It made her amethyst-toned eyes sparkle ever more, practically reflecting the shine of the snake’s emerald coils. “You’re very pretty, are you looking for something? Or just curious about what all these people are doing in your home?”

She followed the serpents, stopping as they did. Her smile faded slowly, wondering what the female garter's hiss meant. Her eyes grew, seeing the large shape and hearing foliage shift and crumple under its steps. This creature was a tough one.

Raeneth growled too, but in a feline tone. The male garter's hiss solidified her belief that this was a fight. Her quickening heart couldn't turn away a challenge, no matter how tired or beaten down she already was. The bear came at her, and she leapt back, taking a slash to her one-armed side.

"I see. Let's go, then," she said, throwing on a smirk and leaping for the beast, moving right, then left, trying to throw her elbow into an unguarded muzzle.

Seraz did catch up to her younger cousin, but the situation was about to be violent and possibly messy. She could easily have electrocuted these things trying to harm Raeneth. She could have tried to draw their attention to herself, or tried to frighten them off. Instead, she narrowed her eyes on the half demon, and walked away. In her mind, it was a small bit of payback for leaving her alone with whatever that child had turned into. She was gone, and hoped that when her cousin came home, she would be bloodied and begging for help.