sunofsnek

Fandom: none, streamer sunofsnek Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71642411/chapters/187065131

Golden eyes bright as the sun, opened slowly as the creature heard an unusual rustling in the shrub close by. It was too late for some human to have made their way up the mountains to seek the snake’s counsel. They never make their way up after sunset, but it couldn’t be a small animal either. Too much noise and movement for the usual little vermin.

The snake lowered their head down from the branches of the tree they rested on, closer to the source of the noise, when suddenly something reached out between the leaves and touched their face. A small hand of all things, barely covering the snake’s nose just resting there as if it wasn’t touching something that could devour the small thing the hand belongs to. The creature huffed as a rather small child stumbled out into the open. It looked scared, freezing, tears still wet on its cheeks, and still as its eyes landed on the snake's face a smile broke the fear and it giggled.

“Snek!” The child called out in relief, walking closer. It had to be one of the village offspring then, the snake thought if it was this trusting being faced with a monster. “Where are your parents, little one?” They were lowering themselves further to keep themselves on eye level with the child. 

“I don’t know.” The child looked around, worry overtaking them again. “We were collecting berries and then I lost them. I’m scared, it is so dark.” Speaking the words made the feeling true and the child’s lip started to tremble. “Ssshhh…” The snake reached out to pull the poor child closer against their warm scales. “They will come and find you, little one. But for now, you can stay here, where I can protect you. We can watch the stars together. How does that sound?”

The little human nodded and the snake pulled them up with them onto the branches of the big old tree near the cliff. “Can – can you hold me?” The child asked, clinging to the snake’s body. 

Fandom: none, streamer sunofsnek Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71642411/chapters/186901571

Change has never been a welcome sight in the town, which seemed stuck in time. Slightly hidden between the mountains outsiders rarely found their way there and if it did, they were mostly travelers in need of a bed and a meal. But no one stayed, and so nothing ever really changed. 

At least not until the half-snake had made their sudden appearance and was taken in by the tavern keeper. It was never supposed to be a permanent arrangement, but after the snake had recovered from their condition, which no one ever managed to learn any details about no matter how hard they tried, they started to work for Admund like they had never done anything else. Cooking, filling cups, or cleaning. All the simple tasks a helper could manage, but Admund learnt quickly that Helia had a knack for people. Not only remembering them quickly by face and name, but details. Their trade, ailments, things they had only mentioned in passing. Helia knew and they were quickly able to connect people that might be of use to each other.

The fisherman complained about the leak in his roof? Helia knew that the baker’s son wanted to go down another path than his parent’s and build himself a future as a carpenter. The old woman by the meadow had a surplus of herbs she didn’t manage to sell? Well, the mayor’s child was sick and the parents might be glad about the additional medicine. 

It was eerie for the town to witness this unusual talent but they didn’t mind, at least not at first. But when someone is being useful to a community they start to gain influence naturally and over the years Helia had slowly but surely persuaded Admund to restructure the tavern. One step at a time it became warmer, more welcoming and more than just a place to warm your hands and drown your sorrows in whatever barrel was behind the bar.

Jonah, the young carpenter, was getting down from the roof and back inside, looking at the notes and plans Helia had laid out. Somehow there was still a lot to do and his confusion remained. Why invest good coin in a tavern barely anyone ever visited that didn’t live here? “Why are you doing this?” He wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve, looking at the chaos in the taproom. Tables that still needed to be pushed back into place after everything had been cleaned thoroughly. Helia didn’t even look up from the journal they used to write down things no one understood. “I don’t need a reason.” 

Fandom: none, streamer sunofsnek Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71642411/chapters/186725811

It was still early in the evening when the heavy wooden door was pushed open with a loud creaking sound, letting in a gush of the icy winter wind. Heavy boots shaking off the snow before the visitor walked into the warm tavern. It was illuminated by the fire in the hearth, most of the tables empty at this hour. It was still the same inviting tavern he remembered but something in the air felt different. 

“Welcome dear patron to The Serpent’s Eye. How can I assist you?” The voice rang from behind the bar counter from a person with brown hair, eyes shining like a sunset with slitted pupils, long ears adorned with golden trinkets, horns, and scales running down their neck. “Something to warm my bones.”, came the rough answer from the man pulling down his hood, sitting down on one of the stools. 

“Of course.” The person behind the bar nodded and moved towards the back to prepare a cup with herbs, ladling hot water from a bubbling cauldron as they hummed some unfamiliar melody.

“You!” Shock tinted the patron's voice. “You are one of those snake people!” “And you have excellent eyes, Sir. I know I know my kind is a bit of a rare sight in these parts but before you go into some tantrum, please be assured I neither steal children, poison your food, curse you and your bloodline or haunt you in your dreams. I am just doing my duty as the proprietor of the tavern.” The snake kept their voice calm and polite, with no sign of offense. On the contrary, there was a hint of a smirk on their face that unsettled the man slightly even if he couldn’t grasp why.

They put the steaming cup in front of their guest. “It’s a tea of my own blend, with a bit of a kick, nothing but herbs and spices. It will warm you right up, Sir.” He smelled the drink and nodded slowly. “This is new. The last time I visited this town this tavern only served wine, beer and a daily stew, nothing this fancy. What happened to the old owner?”

Fandom: none, streamer sunofsnek Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71642411/chapters/186706861 Having to deal with a new existence in a weaker form...

How could such a small body hold this much pain? 

As they slithered down the cobble stone streets, one pain blended into another making it impossible to know what was the biggest source of agony. Their spine still screaming from having been forcefully compressed? The cold rain like needles on their skin pricking the scales that still felt raw? Or the golden ring pressed into their horn making their head pound like it had been hit with a blacksmith’s hammer? No matter now, even when the smell of burned horn was lingering, and the snake knew they would carry it around for a long long time.

When the snake had to drag themselves away from their home in the mountains and closer to civilization, an eerie shiver ran down their spine. It was something akin to the sensation of prey being watched, something they never had to endure in their long existence. 

They even had to succumb to thievery, taking some simple shirt from a clothing line that had been forgotten in the rain, so the people would stop staring. It was fascinating in an odd way. Seeing a person who was half snake seemed to be less a source of outrage than seeing this snake’s bare chest, even if it was nothing but scales. Humans remained complicated in their modesty, as they have always been.

The icy wind ran over the rain soaked scales of the snake and they knew they needed shelter. No matter the size, this body was still in need of warmth but the longer they moved, the heavier the body became, until they collapsed at a corner, shivering.

If this was their end, they thought, it was pathetic. Having survived the eons to be bested by the cold rain.

“Are you alright?” A rough voice rang from above and the snake opened their eyes to see an older man standing above them.

“What a question.” They scoffed. “I am not ‘alright’ as you put it, but it doesn’t have to be your concern.” The snake scolded themselves the moment the words were said. The man might be a source of aid, but arrogance was a bitter habit.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Just take my hand. I own the tavern in this village and you look like you need to sit by the fire with some stew.” The snake hesitated before grabbing his hand and letting themselves get pulled up. “May I ask my benefactor’s name?”

“Admund.” He introduced himself, walking slowly, always an eye on the weakened half-snake next to him. “What about you?”

The snake tensed, realizing they never had a name. The villagers had called them things, but there had never been a name, not when they were created, and so they searched their mind for something useful.

This will be my second fictober already and instead of focussing on my OC (Aryaxes, my love) I will focus on my own lore as a VTuber, especially since I am working at the moment on actually releasing a lore video hopefully later this year.

First things first, some visuals:

My og design and the left part of the ref sheet are made by the incredible Marsh - The Angry Frog. The smaller model on the right is my first 2D model, made by the lovely Vyn!

I am Helia, a half-snake/lamia/naga, owner of the tavern The Serpent's Eye with a love for people's stories and secrets. You can find all of my socials, etc on my carrd.

IMPORTANT!!!