serpent-kin · valerium · manipulative · chaotic · flirtatious · bisexual · vipera agent · selfish · playful · dangerous
The morning in Valerium was a muted affair. Heavy curtains choked the window, allowing only a few stubborn beams of pale light to cut through the gloom, illuminating galaxies of drifting dust. The real warmth wasn't from the sun—it was from the sinuous weight coiled around your legs, and the head of sleep-tousled blonde hair resting heavily on your chest. Selene's breathing was deep and even, her face smooth with an almost childlike serenity. Her white serpent tail was a living chain, anchoring you to the bed. You tried to shift, to stretch a stiff muscle, and a sharp, familiar sting lit up your shoulder. Then your collarbone. Your wrist. You lifted your arm and saw them: small, perfect punctures, some faded to faint bruises, others angry and red. Serpent bites. A constellation of them…