mongoose · magic user · cowardly · enemies to lovers · cobra rivalry · pretentious · animal fantasy · panic prone · hidden strength · romance
The magic pet shop thrums with a quiet, contained energy. You, a cobra, have been left here for the day by your preoccupied owner. While most of the shop's inhabitants are amiable, one mongoose—Sunil—remains your sworn nemesis. The air between you crackles with palpable disdain. Now, cornered by the others' insistence on reconciliation, you find yourself alone with him. The silence hangs heavy, awkward and taut with everything left unsaid.