I'm Not A Snake Monster!: Chapter 7

 Summary: Willow, an enormous snake-like monster with a heart of gold, has never seen anyone like her. She runs away from home in pursuit of the truth.

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CHAPTER 7

"Haaaah! It's even cooler on the inside!"

Now it was Willow's turn to fangirl, now that Tara had so graciously allowed her into her study. She slithered all around the room in a wide circle, rearing her enormous body up and down to scan the bookshelves and the piles of books. She even got her scaley hands on the piles of books, even more numerous in size and stature.

"So many books!! Tara, you need more bookshelves! My mom's really good at carpentry, she'd help you out!"

Tara merely stood at the door, her eyes wide with astonishment, and perhaps sparkling a little at the sight of Willow's enormous girth. Willow really was an incredible specimen, unlike any other. 

"......."

Tara simply stared with that glazed look on her face. It was only when her eyes locked with Willow that she snapped back into focus.

"O-oh, I... yes, we... we would do well with a second study..." Tara admitted sheepishly. "P-please excuse the mess, I-I get carried away with my work."

"Oh no, I get it! If I had this many books, I'd probably do the exact same thing." Willow commented honestly, rearing up to a staggering 11 feet to reach the topmost shelves. "Gosh, you got stuff on everything! You must know a lot of things..." Willow whistled aloud, very impressed with the selection. 

Tara admired the view of Willow from afar, a shadow falling over Tara's lithe form as Willow obscured the light of a nearby, antique lamp. Such a raw display of power left Tara's legs trembling with excitement.

"...!"

The tip of Willow's tail brushed gently against Tara's ankle, causing her to snap back into focus and hobble to the side. Her eyes rose to Willow again; studying her majesty from afar left her unable to recall all the piercing questions that she had mapped out in her head, moments prior. 

"Wow... this whole shelf's on economics! And banking, and trading... I don't read this kind of stuff, ever!" Willow reached for one such book, and read the cover aloud. "The History of the Emerald Trading Routes, by Walter Masterton..."

"A-ah... honestly, I haven't read most of those books either." Tara chuckled awkwardly, rubbing her shoulder. This invited a confused look from Willow.

"Eh? But there's so much of it up here..." Willow looked to them once more.

"I-it's my parents," Tara explained. "They're merchants. I-it's a generational thing. A-and I'm the next in line to... get in the business of middle-manning."

"Middle-manning?" Willow asked, her body lowering to Tara's eye level. 

"I-it's complicated, um... my family, the Pandeys, they handle transactions between imperial businesses and the Kahns in the east. I-it's a long distance for goods to travel, you see..."

"Ohhhh. I get it." Willow nodded along in a tone that suggested she did, in fact, not fully get it. Tara stirred slightly, eager to move on to a different subject.

"Willow, can I..." Tara started, steeling her resolve. "...I need to ask you some questions!"

"Questions? O-okay then! I know a lot of stuff too, so hit me with anything!" Willow puffed her chest out proudly, placing her hands on her hips. She grinned, revealing her fanged canines. 

Tara hurried to her desk, stationed in the middle of the room. She pulled out a chair in front of the desk, before glancing back at WIllow.

...A conflicted look arose on Tara's face as her eyes lowered to the chair. She intended to let her guest use it, almost reflexively. She quietly shoved it to the side against one of the stacks of books. Willow simply slithered up and coiled herself into a neat pile, her hands resting neatly on her 'lap'.

Tara had a whole list of questions lined up in her mind. Some personally probing of nature. They were taxonomically motivated in nature, and perhaps a little stiff, but the way Willow was eagerly beaming, prepared for an interview, was so personable.

Tara lost her notes mentally, and ended up blurting the first thing that came to mind.

"Ah... Willow, how'd you find my estate, anyway? I, I never told you about it..."

"Oh, that's easy! I could smell you!"

"..um..." 

Tara responded with a full-on blush of bewilderment. That wasn't at all what she was expecting. She figured she might have researched her family, or something to that effect, but...

"Yeah! I forgot to give you back your book, but I had no idea where to look. But I remembered when you smelled like! It's really nice, like, like... flowers! Lavender? It was nice!"

"...I-it's a... jasmine-infused lavender perfume..." Tara admitted. 

"Yeah!! So I followed my nose to follow your home!~" Willow raised her finger in front of her, before her tongue shot out in a flicker. Willow blinked slightly. 

"...O-okay, I followed my tongue, but... yeah!"

Tara was unprepared for such earnesty on Willow's part. She read that snakes boasted a very powerful sense of smell to detect prey, but in the middle of a town that had no shortage of reeking odours, it was amazing that Willow would be capable of such a feat.

...Even then, Tara had a nervous pang hit her gut. Like Willow could undress her with her senses at any moment. Her legs quivered as Tara's self-critical anxiety turned back to the quirks of her own body itself. Would Willow notice?

"Thay's, um... that's an amazing skill, Willow." Tara crossed her legs silently. She would have to watch how she presented herself around Willow...

Tara shook her head, putting her gameface on. She had a lot of questions to get through. So many questions jumbling inside her head, ever since she met Willow.

Now was the time to open the floodgates. Her eyes narrowed, the grip on her pen tightening. Tara looked up to Willow with an intense look. 

"Okay! I know snakes have difficulties with their vision. How many colours can you see?" Tara tapped her pen against her notepad.

"...Huh?" Willow blinked. She folded her arms. "Hm... I guess my vision's okay. I didn't really think if... if my vision was any different from other folks."

This question was getting a bit existential for Willow. She looked around the room, and down to her hands. 

"Mm... well, I can see green. And red, brown... oh, your dress is a pretty blue!" Willow chimed in, leaning closer. Instinctively, Tara pressed her notepad against her chest, leaning away from Willow. The way Willow's body moved was so alien to Tara; it was hard to tell where her humanoid half ended and where her snake half began. 

The way her serpentine body moved back and forth, how Willow swayed as she looked around, taking in her surroundings. Tara seemed to space out ever so slightly, just watching Willow in motion. The only thing that helped Tara snap back into reality was the sight of Willow leaning ever closer to look into Tara's eyes. 

"...Hmmm..." Willow hummed to herself. 

"...Y, yes??" Tara stammered, hugging her notepad. Willow was absolutely enormous, and Tara felt very small, seeing Willow hover over her demure form, such as she was. 

"I can think of one thing that might make my vision a little better..." Willow's scaley hand hovered over Tara's scalp.

"...Excuse me? What're you- AH!"

But before Tara could react, Willow had snatched up Tara's round pair of studying glasses. Tara leapt to her feet, exclaiming as her cheeks flushed red in an instant. She squinted, trying to make out blurry shapes. There was so much green to behold, she could make out a few shapes. She tried to make it out.

"G-give those back, Willow! I need them!" Tara exclaimed, her hands clenching into fsts. Meanwhile, Willow was raising the glasses to her own eyes. 

"These improve your eyesight, right??" Willow squinted as she lowered them. Willow reared up more and more, trying them on for herself. Even as Tara tried to jump pitifully after her, the fact that Willow could rise to ten feet or more without breaking a sweat... it was too much of a mountain for Tara to climb, even if she wasn't near-sighted.

"Yes! Moreover, they correct my vision, I'm nearsighted!" Tara shouted, bouncing up and down as if to get Willow's attention.

"Huuuh. I dunno how you see through these things. I'm getting crosseyed just looking through them." Willow frowned, trying to affix the glasses properly. Of course, she had her own problems. Without a nose, and without ears to affix the glasses to, Willow could only hold the eyewear up, to little effect.

"WILLOW! This isn't a joke, those are prescription glasses! I'm helpless without them!" Tara stomped her foot, trying to get through to the snake monster. She had to have heard her all the way up there!

"What do you think, Larry?" Willow lowered her glasses, glancing to one of her hairsnakes. The snake hissed quietly, headbutting the glasses gently, before bobbing its head in Tara's direction. Willow sighed.

"Okaaay, I get it... Larry wants me to say sorry for all the fuss..." Willow lowered herself back to Tara's level. Tara detected the change of tone in Willow's voice, and it sounded like she was genuinely guilty. Tara relaxed visibly, though she wore a pout all the same.

"Th-that's alright, Willow, but I still need those ba-ack!"

Tara wasn't prepared for Willow to reach out to Tara, and put her glasses on for her. The gesture was... surprisingly intimate from Tara's perspective, and her indignant outrage subsided, giving way to hushed surprised. A quiet gasp escaped Tara's lips as Willow's scaley hands brushed her cheeks.

Willow leaned back, giving Tara one last look. Tara flinched as one of Willow's hairsnakes darted out, using its head to adjust the position of Tara's somewhat crooked glasses, until they were properly balanced once more.

"...Th-thank you, Obama." Tara muttered. Willow beamed in response. With a sigh, Tara raised a hand to her glasses, almost defensively. Her eyes rose to Willow's, a little guarded, before lowering her pen to her notepad to scribble some memos to herself. 

"Vision is... good... subject to further testing." Tara muttered to herself. "We still have to asset length, weight... eating habits...? Willow, are you a carnivore?"

"Carnivore? Mm... sometimes! But my favourite is my mom's cabbage soup! I wish I brought the recipe with me..." Willow hung her head. "Haaah... nothing beats homemade cooking..."

Tara wasn't sure what to make of this. Snakes were predators, and Willow looked nothing if not an apex predator. "S-surely, soup didn't cause you to grow like... like this."

"...Hey, Tara?" Willow tilted her head. "Why don't you ask some other questions? Questions, like..."

Willow rubbed her chin pensively, before her eyes lit up. 

"Like, like who my first crush was! What do I wanna be when I grow up! Do I have a favourite season? ...Actually, scratch that last one, it's summer, easy~" Willow laughed at herself.

Tara's mouth flattened. "Th-those aren't, um, the sort of questions that the Ethnobiological Society is looking to ask..." Even so, Tara's hand worked feverishly to note those points.

"Ah..." Willow seemed a little disappointed. Her orange eyes rose to meet Tara's. "Then... are they questions you'd be interested in asking?"

"Me?? I... well... o-of course, we can get to know each other! But..."

"Is it okay if I ask you a question?"

"...Eh? But, um, this is an interview. An interviewee asking the questions is... highly irregular" Tara paused, pensively clutching the corner of her glasses. "Y-you're the discovery of the century, a-and I really should-"

"Well, we're friends now, right?" Willow beamed, flashing her sharp fangs. "And friends should get to know each other. I barely know anything about you..." 

"...Friends??" Tara stared blankly, glancing down to her notepad as if to avoid eye-contact. 

"Like... what kind of books do you read?" Willow smiled gently, invitingly, her body rising, slithering over to the rows upon rows of books lined up along the shelves. "You got all these biiiig, impressive looking books! I'd love to sink my teeth into a few'a them! But... you said you don't even read them all?" 

Willow turned to Tara, her head tilted curiously. The lithe human girl rose from her seat, and staggered over next to Willow. She didn't even need a ladder to reach the tallest shelves...

Tara felt a little intellectually undressed for this sort of conversation. Of course, some of the higher-level material on display were little more than status symbols, but... most people wouldn't just up and call her out on that. 

"I have a... a private selection..." Tara's cheeks went aflush just thinking of the few steamy titles she had on the backend. She wasn't even sure why she thought of being so frank with Willow; the demi-human's gentle demeanour, coupled with her powerful stature, had a way of relaxing her defences. 

"Oh?? You got even more books? Wow, that's..." Willow whistled. "We should do a book trade! Get in each other's heads a bit!~"

"I-I'm not... not sure you w-want to get i-in my head at all..." Tara's voice was getting increasingly shaky. She'd rather die than let Willow in on her extremely private reserve. Tara's mind worked feverishly, trying hard just to find an avenue away from this line of thought.

"...Ah! The book, the monster book!" Tara's mind shot into action, hurrying to the laminated coffee table for the heavy tome—the same one Willow delivered to her. 

"This book represents the... the finest excavation of intense archaeological scrutiny, sociological investigation, and anthropological research re-examining the underpinnings of modern society! I-I think you... you'd get a hoot out of it!" Tara's eyes lit up as she sung the praises of the tome, presenting it to Willow in both arms.

"Oh! I only got to skim it a bit, but it seemed like a fun read! I looove the diagrams~" Willow turned the book over in her hands. "I'll be sure to give it a thorough read, front to back! Maybe we can have a book club~" 

"A-a book club? That's..."

Tara paused, reflexively reaching for doubt. She hardly let anyone into her realm of expertise. She had her reasons, but... Willow's enthusiasm was different. Only time would tell if that degree of open-mindedness would persist, but...

...A weight seemed to lift from Tara's shoulders, the more she mulled it over in her mind. At the very least... she'd have someone to talk to. Someone to exchange her "crazy" ideas with. A warm smile rose to her lips.

"...Yes. That's a wonderful idea, Willow." Tara nodded, speaking gently. 

"Yeah! I knew you'd like it! Now, I got just the thing for you..."

Willow slithered over to her backpack, hunching over to rummage through her belongings. Tara leaned forward, surprised that Willow had thought so quickly in picking out something specially for her. She waited with bated breath.

...And waited. Willow groaned to herself, before raising her head, with a nervous chuckle.

"...I forgot, I returned all my books to the library. Ehehe..." Willow rubbed her hand behind her head. "Sorry 'bout that."

"...Heh. Ehehe." Tara couldn't help but chuckle along with Willow's mirthful reaction. "Don't think much of it. It happens to everyone." 

The two girls were smiling, and just starting to relax and get along. It was a sweet sight, to be sure...

Knock knock.

...Which made the curt knocking at the door to the study all the more startling for poor Tara, jumping nearly five feet from her seat and onto her feet. Was someone coming!? Was it her family? They never visit! Did they come unannounced!?

How would they react if they saw Tara, alone in a room with a terrifying snake monster!? Her face turned pale just thinking about it. Willow, meanwhile, was more curious than anything else.

"Y-yes!? What is it!?" Tara called out, her voice cracking anxiously. 

"Apologies for the intrusions, but there is an important matter to discuss," a familiar voice droned. "and it concerns the front-facing view of the estate."

Tara exhaled sharply, lowering a hand to her aching tummy. It was just Winston.

"Yes... come in..." Tara was feeling rather weak, almost on the verge of fainting. She could feel her legs give under her...

"Whoa there!" 

Tara's eyes shot open, feeling her back pressing against a hard, smooth surface, her arms raised as she was clutched at her shoulders. She looked back and up at Willow. She had arrived just in the nick of time to catch Tara, offering a reassuring smile.

"Looked a little dizzy there~" Willow chimed in. Tara gasped silently, but said nothing, her head jerking forward as the door creaked open. 

Winston had cleaned up his shirt since Tara had last encountered him. Still, he wore the same stoic expression he often did. 

"...Pardon the interruption." Winston droned, closing the door behind him. 

"Think nothing of it!~" Willow raised her hands to her chest, momentarily unaware of her grip on Tara. Tara whooped as she felt herself rise suddenly from the floor, her shoes kicking back and forth searching for ground. 

"Ah, bu-bu-bu, wh-wh-wh..." Tara babbled to herself, struggling in Willow's grip. Willow blinked, realizing how Tara was struggling... and how red her face was. 

"Oop! Sorry about that..." Willow lowered Tara to the ground. "Don't know my own strength sometimes, eheheh..."

Tara huffed, resting her hands on her legs. Any more excitement like this and she really would keel over and faint. She took a deep breath, her eyes rising to Winston.

"Y-you had something to tell me...?" Tara wheezed.

"Quite. Have you taken a look outside your front window recently?" Winston gestured to the large window, overlooking Tara's desk. This gave Tara brief pause, her eyes drifting over cautiously. 

"...Oh my. The hedge..." Tara whispered, raising a hand over her mouth.

"You noticed the enormous hole. Good." Winston turned to face Willow. "Our guest made something of a mess of the estate."

"Eh? But I had to get her book back somehow..." Willow stirred. "I thought I could get over it easy..."

Tara stared at the hedge silently. Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought carefully. 

"B-but I can fix it! Probably! I-I don't really like breaking things, it's just my tail, it's kinda huge, and..." Willow rubbed her arm, looking quite guilty. 

"Just so you know, I took the liberty of scheduling for a topiarist to patch that up." He nodded. "The cost should hardly be a concern, but-"

"Willow."

Tara interrupted Winston, raising a hand. Despite her demure appearance, Tara had a way of commanding a room's attention when she wanted to. Even Willow's hair-snakes were at attention.

"...I believe you owe the Pandey estate a debt." Tara tented her fingers, looking across to Willow.

"...Eh? But... but I got no money..." Willow cooed. "I-I dunno what I could do..."

"I have one idea..." Tara grinned. "Why don't you work for me?"

"...What??" Willow froze in place. "...Me?"

"...Her, Ms. Pandey?" Winston's eyebrow cocked up. "Whatever are you up to...?"

"I'm not up to anything! Winston, you've been kvetching up and down the halls about needing real help. Willow's surprisingly resourceful... aren't you?" 

"...I am?" Willow stared blankly. 

"We even have a spare bedroom!" Tara leaned forward, an intense look in her eyes. "I simply insist- no, demand you stay with us! A-at least until you pay off your debt..."

In that moment, Tara's stumbled on her strong words, her true intent flashing in her eyes. Willow simply stared, trying to process her words.

"...Ohhhh. I get it." Willow nodded. "You want me to stay a while...?"

"Yes, yes, exactly! As long as you like- ...I-I mean, until the work is done!" Tara wasn't much of a convincing roleplayer, but everyone in the room appeared to be in on the charade. Winston didn't look impressed.

"Ms. Pandey, you understand that all house-cleaning staff are vetted thoroughly by me, yes? What exactly are her credentials, that she-"

"Oh lighten up, you big oaf," Tara scoffed. "She's a perfect fit here, can't you see that?"

"..." Winston folded his arms, holding his tongue for now. He hardly seemed impressed with the current situation.

Tara glanced over to Willow. "Weeeell...?"

Willow tilted her head, giving the proposal some thought. She needed a place to stay, and staying with a friend was as good a place as any. She didn't have any money to stay the night, and a cushy mansion was a much better bet than the woods.

"...Yeah! I'll work hard to make you proud, Tara!~" Willow flexed her arm with a wide grin. This gesture invited a smile from Tara in turn, and the two girls shared a quiet laugh.

Winston was the only one of the group who looked wholly unamused. He turned his back on the girls and made for the door.

"I will... prepare your room, Ms. Willow..." Winston sighed, all the measure of a practiced servant. 

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