The Serpent Playing House

The missmatched pair traveled downstream for a fair distance, the ground so saturated with rain that the snakes smooth body created a muddy trail behind him, though the fox was still light footed enough to barely leave tracks.

They reached a right slanting curve in the bank, when the black figure came to an abrupt stop, turned, and submerged himself into the water, head first, swimming out until just a few feet of his tail remained on the shore. He brought his great head back out and looked behind him. Shuule tilted her head, thinking she would much prefer to swim herself, as it wasn't that far, but she also had her bag with her, that was waterproof enough that her clothing was probably still dry, but not if she submerged it. The fox gritted her teeth, and climbed onto the snakes' tail, ready to leap off if attempting to drown her or something was part of his plan.

Nothing of the sort happened however, and when they reached the other side, there was just a very swift walk that brought them to their destination. Within eyesight of the water, was what looked like a pile of fallen rocks, with a triangular opening where they had settled. It was just large enough for Set to glide through, and when he did so, Shuule hung back. Every instinct she had said that willingly crawling into a hole with a massive snake was how one un-alived themselves, but sensing her hesitation, Set popped his head and shoulders back out of the opening, now in his half human form.

"Seriously? What do I have to do to prove to you I'm not going to hurt you? I've known where you were this entire time. Did you just feel like going for a walk or are you coming in?"

If she was human, Shuule's cheeks would have turned bright red in embarrassment. She never enjoyed being called out to begin with, but she now felt a pang of guilt that Set had known what her thoughts were this whole time. As she sneezed in apology - something he was absolutely oblivious to - she started to navigate up the slippery rocks. He was right, the fact that she had such a blissful month alone was clearly at the mercy of him as it was, and as soon as he saw the weather changed, he had come to find her. His parting words from earlier rang in her ears: I'm better than a scorpion, I'm better than the Rootless. It seemed a low bar, but all the same, she -

Her thoughts ceased from what she was contemplating, the hierarchy of beastmen, when she entered the rocks. It opened up into a cave, about 700 square feet, much roomier than one would suspect from the outside. It was dry, and what made her gasp, was that it was clean, The floors were swept bare, a makeshift broom leaning in the corner. There were deer, bear, and - Shuule made a mental note of this, jaw clenched - green horse hide furs neatly folded in the corner, one large lion hide laid in the center as a rug. Wedged into the walls, high up, were flat shale stone platforms, with beeswax candles burning to give off a soft light. In the farthest corner laid a grass nesting bed, clearly new and untouched, and that was when Shuule knew, for certain. She spun around to meet Set's eyes, who was leaning on the wall, arms folded, tail curled up around himself.

He had done this for her.

Snakes didn't need any of this. They were notorious for living entirely animalistic, only bringing around their own shed skin from place to place so they could use it to make clothes if they ever found a mate. In truth, that's why no female wanted to be courted by them, even though their status in the general region had been somewhat elevated since Bai Qingqing and her spouses. Nobody wanted to live in a dirty cave with bones strewn about, and snakes were usually too feral and fierce willed to do anything different. And, since they simply curled up on themselves to sleep, what they absolutely did not need, was a bed. The bed was for her.

The mans' green eyes were hooded, looking at her with a fierce intensity, but also with a hint of vulnerability. He was afraid she wouldn't like it. Before he allowed any more of his insecurity to show, he turned around and pulled two smaller cloths out from a rock crevasse in the walls, placing them on the floor in front of her. It was red fox hide.

"I know you all like to dress in your wild forms," - He thought this was incredibly weird - "they're just wrap around. I don't know your size."

Without another word, he turned back around. Shuule knew he was giving her privacy, quickly transforming into her human. Still wet from the rain, she used one of the deer hides to wick away as much water as she could on her body, and messily wrapped her long hair on top of her head, before reaching for the clothes he had given her. While she tied the tube top bra tightly, she considered the puzzle of the clothes; with all this courtship of a proper home, he didn't make her snakeskin clothing. Perhaps he really did just pity her abnormality and was holding out for a normal girl. No matter, the clothes were comfortable, the wrap around skirt being a little lower than knee length, modest in beast standards, and loose enough that she could move freely. She could even leave her tail if she wanted to without it being too cumbersome, though she still chose not to, only keeping her ears.

"T-Thank you." Set heard the small voice behind him, the first time the girl didn't sound like she would spit venom at him if she could. He couldn't help but beam a broad smile, but settled down to an indifferent gaze before he turned around to see her as a human since the first time he laid eyes on her, in drastically different circumstances.

"My stitching isn't that bad, hmm."

Ears shooting flat as she snorted, Shuule rolled her eyes, "They're two pieces of hide cut into strips but yes it's ~aaaamazing~"

There she was.