The day was breezy, as far as she could tell. Noomi had been settled beneath the canopy of a short, rather stubby tree that ran along the edge of the forest that faced the waters of the beach. She'd asked her father what the name of the 'huge water' was and with a chuckle he'd replied, "The ocean, Omi, it's called the ocean." He seemed more amused that he ought to have been, but whatever the case the cub committed the term to memory and spent most of her time nearby it. She rather liked the sound of the crashing waves and the smell. Ah, the smell was.. refreshing. Currently, she was lying on her side, eyes closed and not paying much attention to anything but the sounds of the beach. Her ear twitched every now and again, and if you looked carefully at times you could tell she was concentrating rather hard on her task. Silly as it was the cub had nothing better to do. The muses she was told about had yet to reveal themselves to her and so she just lay there, partially waiting but mostly relaxing. To be honest though, she really was enjoying herself.
A bit too much, maybe, since she hadn't noticed that someone had crept up on her. It slithered along the ground, a mid-sized snake, light gray in color with rather peculiar markings running along its back. It hissed quietly and, after finding a comfy spot to settle in the shade, smiled and watched. Just...watched. Her. It was watching her.
It was only then that Omi felt someone's gaze on her and so she opened her eyes with a start, immediately rolling onto her stomach and getting ready to stand when it suddenly spoke. "What's the hurry, child?" she asked; Omi could tell from the sound of its voice that it was a 'she'. The cub, not quite sure what to do about the sudden company, felt her muscles lax just a bit.. only a bit. She squinted at the other, trying to find her words.
When she had she spoke quietly, nervously. "W-who're you?" she said, her ears down as she was (though she'd never admit it) a little scared of the other. The snake smiled an innocent smile and sighed. "Do y-you need something?"
"Nothing you could possibly give me yet," the reptile answered the latter question first, her tail swaying calmly behind her. "My name is Velia; Vel to those who know me. Tell me child, which do you think you should call me at this point in time?"
Some sort of trick question, perhaps? That was the first thought that ran through Omi's mind. She blinked nervously and sat up as she watched the snake carefully. If it hadn't snuck up on her she probably would have been a bit more welcoming. In fact, even if she had snuck up on her if she had just made her presence known Omi would be a lot more comfortable than she currently was. Still, this snake just sat there and watched her. Just.. watched. With those beady, unblinking red eyes of hers, she just watched. Not for long, but even then it was a little unnerving. Omi thought on her question a bit, her body relaxing a bit the longer she thought. By the time she came to an answer she was significantly more comfortable, but she still wasn't her usual self.
"Velia?"
The snake nodded, her smile returning. It was was a little wider this time. "That's right, but that will change soon. You just wait." It was then that Velia moved a bit closer to Omi in one fluid motion. She now sat just in front of her, though still far enough so the cub didn't have to strain looking down at her. "And your name?"
"Noomi," she answered after a moment of hesitation. "Everyone just calls me Omi though."
"Oh? Vel replied, eyes widening a tiny bit. "So may I?" she asked, to which Omi nodded while blinking, just a little confused. She didn't have to ask for permission, she thought, though kept it to herself. Velia seemed to read her mind but kept her thoughts to herself as well, instead widening her smile and inching even closer. "Alright then, Omi, you asked me if I needed something, yes?" Omi nodded again. Vel narrowed her eyes slightly, seemingly unconvinced. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Y-yes?" Omi answered after thinking on it a second. "And why were you watching me earlier?"
The snake seemed happy with that answer, so she replied, "Well, then my answer is this. I was in search of something, but as I said it isn't something you could possibly give me...yet," and at that moment she focused on Omi's serpent marking. The cub didn't take notice. "As for why I was watching you," she continued, quirking a brow. "I haven't seen you around before, so I was a little curious."
Omi wasn't really sure she wanted to know, nor was she sure that the other was telling the complete truth, but her curiosity eventually got the better of her and she asked, "In search of what? Did you lose something?" The words had the air of innocence to them, which somehow delighted the gray snake.
"Oh, I was hoping you'd ask, child!" was the female's reply. "I was in search of something that will be mine in the future," she continued, very pleased with the direction of the conversation. "You'll understand with time, Noomi. Just give it some...oh, time."
And with that Velia backed off, still smiling a rather creepy, all-knowing sort of smile, and started moving back toward the forest. She went rather slowly, glancing back at Omi just once before picking up the pace and quickly disappearing into the thicket of the jungle. The cub only blinked at the reply, quite thoroughly confused at the strange conversation she just had with a peculiar snake. Time, Velia had said, but just how long she didn't specify.
Despite the weirdness of it all though, Omi was still a cub. An average cub, as far as anyone else was concerned, who's attention span was rather.. short. It took only a few minutes before her attention went back to listening to the ocean, and she was once again rolled onto her side, eyes closed and a contented smile spread across her maw. Of course, had she known she was currently being watched, Noomi would probably have never been able to relax.
Beady, unblinking eyes gazed quietly at the little cub, a small smile on the face of one gray, female snake. "I fou~nd you.."
A bit too much, maybe, since she hadn't noticed that someone had crept up on her. It slithered along the ground, a mid-sized snake, light gray in color with rather peculiar markings running along its back. It hissed quietly and, after finding a comfy spot to settle in the shade, smiled and watched. Just...watched. Her. It was watching her.
It was only then that Omi felt someone's gaze on her and so she opened her eyes with a start, immediately rolling onto her stomach and getting ready to stand when it suddenly spoke. "What's the hurry, child?" she asked; Omi could tell from the sound of its voice that it was a 'she'. The cub, not quite sure what to do about the sudden company, felt her muscles lax just a bit.. only a bit. She squinted at the other, trying to find her words.
When she had she spoke quietly, nervously. "W-who're you?" she said, her ears down as she was (though she'd never admit it) a little scared of the other. The snake smiled an innocent smile and sighed. "Do y-you need something?"
"Nothing you could possibly give me yet," the reptile answered the latter question first, her tail swaying calmly behind her. "My name is Velia; Vel to those who know me. Tell me child, which do you think you should call me at this point in time?"
Some sort of trick question, perhaps? That was the first thought that ran through Omi's mind. She blinked nervously and sat up as she watched the snake carefully. If it hadn't snuck up on her she probably would have been a bit more welcoming. In fact, even if she had snuck up on her if she had just made her presence known Omi would be a lot more comfortable than she currently was. Still, this snake just sat there and watched her. Just.. watched. With those beady, unblinking red eyes of hers, she just watched. Not for long, but even then it was a little unnerving. Omi thought on her question a bit, her body relaxing a bit the longer she thought. By the time she came to an answer she was significantly more comfortable, but she still wasn't her usual self.
"Velia?"
The snake nodded, her smile returning. It was was a little wider this time. "That's right, but that will change soon. You just wait." It was then that Velia moved a bit closer to Omi in one fluid motion. She now sat just in front of her, though still far enough so the cub didn't have to strain looking down at her. "And your name?"
"Noomi," she answered after a moment of hesitation. "Everyone just calls me Omi though."
"Oh? Vel replied, eyes widening a tiny bit. "So may I?" she asked, to which Omi nodded while blinking, just a little confused. She didn't have to ask for permission, she thought, though kept it to herself. Velia seemed to read her mind but kept her thoughts to herself as well, instead widening her smile and inching even closer. "Alright then, Omi, you asked me if I needed something, yes?" Omi nodded again. Vel narrowed her eyes slightly, seemingly unconvinced. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Y-yes?" Omi answered after thinking on it a second. "And why were you watching me earlier?"
The snake seemed happy with that answer, so she replied, "Well, then my answer is this. I was in search of something, but as I said it isn't something you could possibly give me...yet," and at that moment she focused on Omi's serpent marking. The cub didn't take notice. "As for why I was watching you," she continued, quirking a brow. "I haven't seen you around before, so I was a little curious."
Omi wasn't really sure she wanted to know, nor was she sure that the other was telling the complete truth, but her curiosity eventually got the better of her and she asked, "In search of what? Did you lose something?" The words had the air of innocence to them, which somehow delighted the gray snake.
"Oh, I was hoping you'd ask, child!" was the female's reply. "I was in search of something that will be mine in the future," she continued, very pleased with the direction of the conversation. "You'll understand with time, Noomi. Just give it some...oh, time."
And with that Velia backed off, still smiling a rather creepy, all-knowing sort of smile, and started moving back toward the forest. She went rather slowly, glancing back at Omi just once before picking up the pace and quickly disappearing into the thicket of the jungle. The cub only blinked at the reply, quite thoroughly confused at the strange conversation she just had with a peculiar snake. Time, Velia had said, but just how long she didn't specify.
Despite the weirdness of it all though, Omi was still a cub. An average cub, as far as anyone else was concerned, who's attention span was rather.. short. It took only a few minutes before her attention went back to listening to the ocean, and she was once again rolled onto her side, eyes closed and a contented smile spread across her maw. Of course, had she known she was currently being watched, Noomi would probably have never been able to relax.
Beady, unblinking eyes gazed quietly at the little cub, a small smile on the face of one gray, female snake. "I fou~nd you.."
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