Dream of OP Adventures ( ͡> ︵ ͡<)

"Look, Sage" Max began.

"No." Sage cut off. "Absolutely not. That is a contradiction to my reasons for you being here. So no."

"Speaking of that why-"

"No. I will not tell you. How about you focus on surviving. Without my aid."

"But Sage, I am just a little defenseless snake." Max pleaded, her azure eyes widening comically.

Sage let out a snort of amusement and brought their wrist up. "Stupid, yes. Defenseless not so much."

"What about the vegetable crew then? I almost died!" Max gasped as she straightened up, leaving just a third of her fifteen centimeters wrapped around Sage's thumb. Hmph how she supposed to have gotten away from them? They were like ninjas! She wasn't even free for five minutes before they got a hold of her again. She even had the terrain in her favor!

"That was stupidity. You had the chance to escape and you didn't take it. If you had killed the one you called Cauliflower, the others would have focused on trying to save him, ergo giving you the opportunity to get away."

Sage started to fume, their voice rising with every sentence they spoke. "If you had killed him when you had the chance there would have been no taking you back to their village. No ritual to summon an 'other' and no trying to kill you. In fact! You would not have been in that situation at all! Wake up Max! This is not like your previous world. Yes, I want you to live as you please. However, you cannot let your previous world dictate how you live in this one. I cannot intervene like this again for you. This will be the only time Max. So figure out what is more important to you. Playing the harmless little danger noodle and die or embrace your adaptability and new form to live your life as you see fit."

Max was at a loss. The facade of coyness faded away and she looked down. Sure she had seriously entertained the option of killing her captor but ultimately, she had gone with another option. Even though Max was now a snake and enjoyed her newfound snakiness, did she still view herself as human?

The answer she found did not please her the slightest. She had eaten nothing in the week she had been here. Granted part of that could be because of her new constitution as snakes did not eat every day but she didn't proactively hunt when she had the opportunity either. Nor did she inflict the damage that she could have on her captors.

Where was her point of equilibrium between snake and human? She knew that would probably take some time to figure out. As for her role in all of this? Well, knowing Sage as well as Max did, there was a good reason why she had been incarnated as she was. Max frowned, both of her scaley brows crinkling faintly as she did so. This question was important. She just knew it. Max looked up at Sage and just as she was formulating her question to ask Sage booped her gently on her snoot.

Max blinked in surprise and stared up at the nature deity.

"I will not answer that question or rather, I would like for you to come up with the reason. Don't get me wrong there is a multitude of reasons why I do what I do. However, it is up to the individual to make what was it you humans say? Oh yes! It's up to you to make heads or tails of the hand you are given."

Sage's ashen skin lightened to a pale green, their form changing like life growing on a deadened landscape. Rich long black hair shortened to around their shoulders, the tiny gems that shined like a myriad of twinkling stars turned to dust, replaced by new minuscule bits of rock that clung chestnut tresses. Sage's soft rounded curves vanished, leaving behind narrow hips, chiseled abs, and a well-muscled chest. An array of emerald freckles softly made their way across Sage's chest, broad shoulders, and arms and face, but what held Max captive was their eyes.

Just as Sage's burning gaze in their destructive state drew Max in, the gentle gold in Sage's nurturing form also called to Max. Eesh, she could get lost in their gaze forever. There was just something about how Sage looked at her that drew her to this contradictory deity.

Then again that should be no surprise, Max told herself. Of course, the divine could beguile and lure in the mortal. Maybe Max should have made Sage a bard when she had been forming their character! Sage would have rolled confidently for all manners of seductions and lures. In fact, maybe Max should have made them a deity of-

Sage tapped Max's small black nose again. "Max dear, your thoughts are wondering again." Exasperation, evident in their voice Sage unwound Max from their thumb and cradled the little snake in their pale green palms. Max sadly coiled up, her bright azure eyes glistening tragically from the loss of all the loot they could have attained during their campaigning.

"Max," Saged called again, "you need to listen, this is important."

Max looked up at the nature deity and asked the question that had been bugging her, "Why?"

Sage quirked an eyebrow at the little thing. "Why do you need to listen? Because if you, this time I'll turn you in a crow."

Max shuddered. She did not like birds. Not one bit. She made the mistake of pissing off a murder and those bastards will not only remember it but they will get you back... Repeatedly. Scared as Max was though she could not let this threat deter her.

"No not that," Max took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Why not just come with me?" Max asked, staring hopefully at her OP. Max knew that this was a risk, but it would most like go one of three ways.

1. Sage agreed and they skipped merrily into the sunset. Goal!

2. Sage got mad and Max got another lecture. Eh, but Max could sweet talk her way out of it.

3. Sage turned Max into a crow which would be even more traumatic than being a snake.

Sage stared at Max and she could almost hear the gears screeching to a halt. "Max, why would I do that?"

"Because I bring joy into your life-erp!" Sage wrapped a hand around the snake and yanked them up towards their face and stared at them.

"I cannot do that you dolt."

"But you did this time."

"I already told you that this was a special circumstance and that it would not be repeated."

"But Sage, even big bosses take breaks sometimes to check out how their company is functioning. Doesn't that go the same for you?"

"That doesn't mean that I need to descend and adventure with you."

"But, but Sage! It would be soooooooooooooo much fun!" Max responded cheerily as she booped the deity on the nose.

Sage's golden gaze narrowed displeasure, but the adoration that shone in Max's eyes made it hard to maintain their irritation. Since when did it become so difficult with a mortal? Then again things hadn't gone quite as planned ever since Sage had met the infuriating human. Still, though this would not do. It was time to put an end to this and quick.

"Look that will not be happening. Don't think that I don't know that you want to use me as your buffer for all things difficult in order to have a smooth sailing life. You need to get over this yourself!"

"Come on think about all the fun we would have and you could make sure that your little, uh minions, yeah" Max fumbled, "minions are doing their job. It's a win-win right?"

Sage stared at the little black snake for a moment. Those azure eyes brilliant with hope were nigh on blinding and Sage closed their eyes in resignation. Max let out a whoop of happiness as she wriggled in delight. All those adventures they'd get to go on. The yummy food? Ah her days were gold now that her Sage had decided to travel with her. Yes indeedy, golden days were headed her way.

Sage descended into the forest below and stopped just above the ground. Another glance at those sparkling eyes, and Sage straightened their shoulders, pulled their arm back, and yeeted the little black snake off somewhere into the brush. Sage stuck around long enough to hear Max's screams transition into eloquent cursing after she landed with a thud before Sage disappeared into the breeze.