Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Wisps of steam rose from a coffee cup on the counter, almost forgotten. Ray bustled around the kitchen, her bare feet padding softly on the cool tiles. An overly large sweater hung from her slender frame keeping her warm in the late November chill. Jo wrapped around her several times, staying as close as he could to his living heater. The 7’ anaconda looked almost comical draped over the short 5’2” woman. She was deboning chicken for the massive snake. She had to feed her amazons today and Jo’s always took the longest to prep, because of the sheer volume of protein the snake could consume and because the little delicate bones worried her when her big boy swallowed them whole. Ray had run the Vipers Den for three years, and in that time was surprised by the amount of snakes that came through her doors.

 Her ( obsession ) fascination started with Jo. This intense workload was really his fault. When she moved out of her parents’ house she started looking for ball pythons; small, docile, constrictors, that were good for first time snake owners. She went to a pet shop that sold reptiles and bought a surprisingly cheap one. She named him knots in the shop, the name didn’t stick though and now she can’t think of him as anything but Jo. When she got him in her hands the first time, in their home he bit her, okay not a big deal she probably just startled him. She was bitten a lot those first few months. Ball pythons weren’t usually so aggressive, she had looked it all up, done so much research before she got one, it had to be something she was doing wrong. Until she saw on the news that the pet shop had been shut down for illegally acquiring exotic animals and selling them out the back. She ran Jo to a specialist, he wasn’t a ball python, he was their aggressive cousin the anaconda. It wasn’t Ray’s fault, she just didn’t know how to make Jo feel safe and comfortable. She would learn though, through her research she also stumbled on more horror stories about mistreated and black market snakes, drug lords keeping large or venomous snakes as power symbols and treating them so poorly the repossessed creatures could never be rereleased. Broken fangs, over milked, underfed, cracked ribs and damaged spines. Jo himself didn't escape unscathed, some of his muscles had atrophied in the small container he was kept in and the lining of his esophagus was weakened from malnutrition.

Jo booped his big nose against her shoulder, to get her attention. She was taking too long and he was hungry.

“Alright big guy, I get it.” She said stroking under his jaw, never the top of his head or he would bite her. She picked up his chickens and put them on a gray trolley, barely remembering her lukewarm coffee. Jo’s terrarium was in the front of the shop, he is the only snake upfront, His large enclosure taking up the entire back wall, behind the help desk.

 Ray entered the front of the shop from the right, where her small apartment is. Directly across from her living space are the snake rooms, but they can wait for the sun to melt the frost from the front windows, Jo was just melodramatic. She opened the enclosure and lines her right hand up with one of the trees in the enclosure, letting Jo climb on himself, with her left she begins tossing in the warm, bloody chickens. The weight slowly lifts from her shoulders as he began to “hunt”, Ray dreaded the day when Jo would be too heavy to carry around, but she knew it was coming and wanted to get the most out of being able to hold him close while she could, hence he gets to be carried around the shop for most prep days. She closes up the terrarium to keep the heat in, and begins shuffling around. She needed to get the mail, prep seven mice, ten rats, another smaller chicken, and catch a few of her feeder guppies. She didn’t like feeding live pray to her snakes after an accident that happened with a black rat snake. A live rat had turned around and bitten the snake, leaving a pretty bad mark on top of the poor noodle's head. She slipped on some flats and grabbed a jacket before bracing the cold.

Her coffee immediately flew out of her hands and down her sweater, as she tripped over a box that came up to her knees, sprawling down across the pavement. Groaning, she looked at the huge offending package. It didn’t look like UPS, for one she would remember ordering something like this. It had no postage stickers, and was banged up and derelict. Dread pooled in her stomach as she noticed the air holes poked into the top. Surly someone wouldn’t be stupid enough to drop off a rescue to her like this, in these temperatures!   She ripped the top open and her fears were confirmed. A massive ball of snakes curled up in a ball took up nearly the entirety of the large box, touching the sides in some places, three familiar vials sat crammed into the box. She could see many multi-colored tails of different sizes, it was a testament to how badly they were suffering that they were trying to ball together instead of fighting. To her knowledge snakes of different species rarely exhibited this behavior. After just a glance she immediately broke her first rule.

            1) Never handle a snake if you don’t know what you’re handling.

She scooped up the snakes and cradled them to her chest. Three vials of antivenom were jostled around when she picked up the ball, and with her other hand she grabbed them up, almost on reflex. If the snakes woke up she could use it to identify them. 

With the large ball cradled to her chest she ran into the shop. The front desk had a few heating lamps and other things cluttering the underside.  She fumbled around with one hand, keeping the ball cradled to her chest as she put the vials down and worked to get one of the lamps out from under the desk and on. Once the red light clicked on she gently placed the ball onto her desk and under it. She kept her hands cupped around them, and began breathing warm air across them, willing them to be alive and tightly balled, and definitely not in rigor. She didn’t know how long she held them, hunched over the desk under the little lamp, when the first sign of life caused a jolt of joy to fly through her. The tiniest of movement, scales sliding against her fingers.

         “Common, that’s right little ones, wake up for me. You’re doing so well.” She softly encouraged.

More movement, slowly the hypothermic noodles began to stir. When a sudden burning pain shot up her arm from her palm, she had been bitten, but that’s alright. The residual burn, lighting her arm on fire, had the feeling of venom though and she would need to find the one that bit her and compare it to the antivenoms that were in the box. She worked her hands free carefully, cradling her bleeding hand to her chest, and reaching for the antivenoms, however she froze as she looked at the uncurling ball of snakes. Pin pricks of light stare out at her. 

That was not a snake, a skeletal face stared out at her, then another. As they un-tangled themselves She began to count, nine half skeleton, half snakes stared out at Ray wryly. What were these things called…bites? Bits? Bitties!? These were bitty bones. Ray had never really seen any this close before, they were more common in cities and other populated areas. These didn’t look like any she had seen in passing, their shirts were dirty and torn, and their snake bodies looked too thin for her liking. She opened her mouth, but a large red and black snake slithered forward putting himself between her and the other snakes ( not snakes, bitties, they're sentient, stop calling them snakes ), flaring a hood with skull patterning.

“STAY BACK!” He ( the voice sounded masculine ) hissed, stretching out the S sound. Oh wow that's a big boy.

Ray held her hands up in submission, the bite dripping a small trail of blood down her burning palm. 

“Whoa there buddy, I…I’m really just trying to help…I want to help…I just…I do need to know who bit me though.” She explained quietly reaching for the antivenom. Three voices shouted a quire of 

“Me!”

The red and black cobra looking one, an equally large black and orange one in a tattered hoodie, and a small purple one slinking from the bottom of the pile, standing aggressively. Well that didn’t help, she was about to make another plea, when she read the bottle. Through the technical jargon she found it was generic Lamia Bitty Antivenom. All three bottles said the same thing. 

“Oh..Never mind. I uhh… I guess I don’t need to know who bit me…umm fun fact, antivenoms are divided by genus in snakes, so I guess being a lamia bitty works like being in the same genus.” She started rambling, falling into her comfort zone as she talked about snakes, as she filled a syringe and began to administer the antivenom. The iridescent scales of the little purple one reminded her of a perfect example. “For example, antivenoms for Dendroaspis polylepis, or the black mamba also work on other members of the Dendroaspis genus like eastern greens, western greens, and jameson’s.” 

Her  little  guests began to look more confused and less scared out of their minds, so that was at least a slight improvement. Great, Ray, really doing a good job at comfort there, A+. She internally scolded herself.  A tiny, jittery little blue ball crept forward with a blue bandana around his neck, his eyes blown wide. He wasn’t looking at Ray though, he was looking behind her.

  “B-Big Snake!” he gasped, high pitched and sounding  just as full of wonder as he was nervous. Ray looked behind her, it seemed Jo had finished eating and had climbed up the trees in his terrarium to bask. He just happened to be facing out towards the front of the shop. 

“Oh, that’s just Jo. I know he looks big and scary, but I wouldn’t worry about him. He’s a big sweet heart.”  Ray replied, to the group of bitties finally getting a good look at the group in front of her, now that she wasn’t focusing on not dying. First there was the cobra, He had a tattered red scarf around his neck, a wholly black shirt, and one red glove. His other skeletal hand was visible and he was still positioned defensively in-front of the others. The orange and black one was patterned almost like a king snake, just with more vibrant colors, he had on a thick fluffy hoodie and fingerless gloves. He looked haggard and tired, his front fangs capped with gold, his mouth was set in a firm line, like he was sizing Ray up. The little one who reminded her of mambas was  luminous purple, with a deep violet scarf that complimented his scales, his black shirt was ripped open exposing his spine, and lower ribs. The only other one standing close to Ray was the jittery little blue one, he was smaller than all the others, but his eyes were the biggest and most expressive, his blue bandana tied in a little bow above a gray tee-shirt, his eyes were full of so much worry for such a small guy. 

That left five behind the brave envoy, A deep blue one, in a dirty hoodie, leaning tiredly under the heat lamp, he was being held up by a larger orange and yellow lamia in a big orange hoodie, eyeing Ray like she was about to pounce on them. A Coral colored one hiding deep inside a tattered black hoodie, Red on black venom lack, red on yellow kill a fellow, danced through Ray’s mind, who had told her that rhyme?  Regardless he was probably venomous as well. He was half hidden around the wrapped tail of a larger red and gold lamia with a light red scarf, wearing what looked like a chipped and scuffed knight or space ranger costume. The last one was the hardest to see, as He was mostly hidden behind the cobra, but he appeared to be some kind of black and white lamia, wearing a frayed scarf. His little head popped out slowly.

“S…Smart thing?” he questioned, pointing towards Jo. 

“Yeah, He’s my big old smart boy.” Ray replied, smiling and trying to get a better look at the little lamia. He dipped back behind the cobra looking one and began chirping.

“He wants you to prattle on about more useless drivel about the behemoth, like you did before.” The little purple one supplied. 

“Oh…umm, Well…Jo back here is a common green anaconda, It’s a species native to South America, the scientific name is Eunectes Murinus, it’s a non-venomous constrictor. Jo is about 7 feet, and 58lbs but he’s still young, on average males usually get about 9 feet, but some have been found to be over 20 feet and 550 lbs, so Jo can be a really big boy.” She explained. The little black and white one poked out a little further, smiling brightly.  Ray  however, was horrified when she got a look at him, his smooth skin was flaky and cracked to the point of bleeding in some places, she recognized his coloring now, he had to be an aquatic species, and this was one of the most severe cases of neglect she had ever seen. The red and gold one in the body armor followed her line of site and spoke for the first time.

“Needs Water. Can’t Heal Right Without.” His voice stirred the coral colored lamia, who looked worriedly at the little one. Ray mutely nodded, turning to run through the right door. She found her voice halfway across the room. “I’ll be right back, don’t move to much alright little guy!” she called.

  As she left a mixed conversation of words, chirps, and hisses broke out on the table,

“Why are we still here? We should go before she gets back.” The honey-bo said harshly as he eyed the door.

“It’s warm here though.” The corny replied sleepily.

“The smaller ones won’t survive out in the cold! You know that.” The King hissed back angrily, if he could safely get them all out of here he would have by now.  

“It seems like she wants to help, maybe she’s not a bad human…like the others.” The Papython added tiredly, pumping green magic into the Coral nestled into his tail, too tired to continue insisting he “didn’t need the help.” In their failed escape attempt his ribs had been cracked the worst. The Papython had been running himself ragged trying to heal his companions and keep them stable.

“Won't matter if she’s bad or not…ain’t got no fight left.” The Coral chirped in defeat, that was echoed in the postures of the other bitties.

 The conversation died when Ray nearly ran into the room carrying a sloshing container. She set it down, but when the little black and white one didn’t move for the water she looked at the cobra, whom she assumed was the leader, the morning was just starting and her nerves were already shot. The hooded bitty took mercy on her and gestured for her to step back.

Right, big scary human, tiny little noodles. She thought, taking a step back and wringing her hands in front of her nervously, keeping them visible for the bitties, but also giving her something to do while she tried to find her voice. The cobra slipped forward pulling the tub closer to the group of bitties. A stone seemed to unlogged from her throat when the little one slipped into the water.

“S-so…here’s the thing. You have been dropped off at the Viper’s Den, It's a snake rescue” She began nervously, “I…umm I take care of snakes…I know a lot about snakes. People bring me snakes all the time to help…I just…I’ve never seen bittes before. I-I don’t know how to help.” Her voice broke, she had never said this in the Viper’s Den before, this was her field of expertise, She knew snakes, but now she felt exactly like she did when she was still handling Jo like a docile little python. She felt helpless and completely out of her depth.

 “I-if  you’re hurt or have any special needs, I don’t know how…Like I can keep you warm but, I don’t even know what types of bitties you are, so I can’t do research…If you’re hungry I don’t even know what to feed you.”  Her eyes started to tear up, she was about to start bawling in front of her new guests. She wished Jo was wrapped around her right now, but she was worried he might snap at the bitties. The one in dark orange patterned like a king snake spoke next,

“meat.” He said quietly, Ray glanced at him, rubbing her eyes, wringing her hands had began to agitate her bite wound.

 “W-what kind? I have mice, rats, poultry and fish…I have some pork too, I mainly keep it for Jo but I think he can share this once.” The dark orange one shrugged lazily before raising a hand to gesture at his chest,

“Chain.”

“Is-is that your name?” Ray asked, the warble in her voice fading but the lamia shook his head, scrunching up his face at the thought.

“chain.” He repeats before pointing to the stipped one swimming around in the bowl, “krait.”

“That’s the type of bitty you are?” she asked again, understanding dawning on her, at least now she could do some research. The Orange The Chain nodded, pointing to the cobra, but the cobra beat him to it standing proudly and flaring his hood,

“KING!” he declared The Chain just shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. The little blue blur seemed to want to turn it into a game, as he slipped closer, passing the protective wall the King had made with his body, with both hands he gestured to himself,

“P-PYGMY!” He nervously cheered, before sliding back behind the king, looking at the remaining lamias expectantly. 

The rest didn’t seem as inclined to play, but didn’t want to spoil the Pygmy’s lighter mood. The next to speak was the yellow one in the orange hoodie, closer to the heating lamp,

“honey bo.” He said softly, almost glaring at Ray as he wrapped a protective arm around the dark blue one, now not leaning as heavily on him, but still close “corny.” The black, red, and yellow one spoke next, grumbling out a soft, raspy

“coral.” Like he thought this was the dumbest thing ever and couldn’t care less if Ray knew what kind of Bitty he was, though the answer didn’t surprise her at all. The red and gold one spoke next, gesturing to himself and smiling a tired, but friendly smile.

“PAPYTHON.” He tells you enthusiastically. Lastly, the little purple one slips forward, posing as if to say the best was saved for last,

“I am a Mamba, but you assumed as much, I suppose you can recognize greatness at least.”  

“Well, You know Jo, My name is Ray, It’s nice to meet you all.” Ray responded, concluding the introductions, she still needed to feed her snakes, and now she needed to do extra research, find open enclosures for her new patients and do something about the little Krait’s cracked skin, but for now she let herself take a breath and enjoy the sense of calm, these may not be her usual patients, but they were sentient, she could ask if they were hungry or if they needed something. This is going to be okay. She thought optimistically.

  “So, you guys hungry?” Ray asked, she was met with a few nods and suspicious glares, the little Krait poked up out of the water and pointed into his mouth with a quiet “ah!’ pulling a soft smile to Ray’s lips.

“Okay, and you probably don’t want me picking you up again right?” she asked, to a few surprised looks, but the Mamba crossed his arms and glared, as if daring her to reach for him and the King wrapped his snake body around the little water bowl.

  “That’s alright, I have another idea, just wait right here.” Ray said, trying to ease their tension at the suggestion. She walked back to the cart that she had left by Jo’s terrarium and began moving it. “I’ll be right back!” she called, disappearing through the right door again. Once on the other side, the cheerful front caved. Today had just started and she already felt exhausted. With hurried steps she grabbed her phone and opened up google as she loaded her cart, prioritize, right now what she needed to know was what they ate, that’s all. Ray loaded the bottom of the cart as she scrolled, finding a bitty shop's home page that specialized in lamia bitties, Vex’s bitty shop huh? It was a few hours away, she would have to make a day trip down there, maybe call ahead. She began scrolling, one of the first things she read made her sigh. 

“Of course the mamba would prefer live pray, of fucking course he would, cause nothing can ever be easy.” She muttered to herself, continuing to read. “…and sour candy?” maybe he won’t mind pre-killed prey if I bribe him with candy. She thought, trying to remember where she had thrown a half-eaten bag of Halloween candy. It had been a gift of assorted candies, from a friend who bought way too much, Ray had eaten everything but the warheads, because she really hated them. “Kitchen duh.”

  She continued scrolling and collecting things from the pantry,(she didn’t have chicken nuggets, but she had chicken and junk food…that would work right?) popping her head into the reception area every few minutes to apologize for taking so long and make sure they didn’t run off, until she read over something that made her pause. The krait had to be hand fed, that probably wasn’t going to happen, unless one of the other bitties fed him, she doubted the king would let her get close enough.  Reminding her of another problem, his tail. She had an oil for dried out aquatics, that was an antiseptic and would lock moisture into his skin, but again she would need to get close or…oh wait, the next page Papythons are natural caregivers, maybe he would help her. With the bottom loaded up with the food for her snakes, and half of the top loaded with an assortment of meat and junk food for the bitties, she pushed the cart back into the reception area, up next to the front desk.  She had purposely loaded the food closer to where her hands would be pushing the cart, so that the bitties could comfortably slither on, as far from her as they wanted. The king began pulling the little tub of water towards the front of the trolley, the pygmy and mamba made it to the cart first since the king was moving slower with the bowl. The papython moved just as slowly, cradling the coral in the wraps of his tale. Ray began to worry again, about there injuries, but the coral seemed to notice once they were on the cart and struggled to untangle himself from the Papython with a huffy

“What!?”

   Ray jumped and stuttered to answer as the other lamias piled onto the cart. 

“S-sorry, I’m still not used to patients that can, like, talk and stuff. Sorry for staring.” She finished, slowly beginning to push the cart towards the door on the right, gesturing down to the food, she continued. 

“But…umm anyway, you said you were hungry, help yourselves.”  She looked back up to guide the cart through the doors, but she could hear shuffling and packaging rustling.  She risked a glance down, the mamba had hoarded several war heads behind him as he gorged on mice, all the other lamias were eating with equal fervor. She caught the chain and the king taking turns feeding the krait. Relieved she pressed on through the door. It was warmer here, The walls of a long clinical hallway, lined with cabinets and unused tanks stretched down, branching off into different rooms tailored to the region. It was easier to climate control one large room then have several different tanks individually controlled all stacked together. 

Before pushing on, into the amazon room, she stops by one of the cabinets and pulls out a small bottle.

“So, this is like medicine.” She begins, looking at the lamias, focusing mainly on the papython and the little krait. “It’s…well his skin is lacking a lot of moisture, this will help lock it in, and prevent any infection, N-Not like he’s at any overt risk of infection.” She adds quickly, half-lying at the horrified, torn look from the papython. “Just…it’ll help him.” She finishes tiredly, holding the bottle out to the group hesitantly. She didn’t have a chance to wonder if one of them would take it before the papython grabbed it, wrapping his arms around the bottle.  He muttered a tired thank you, which Ray answered with a smile before pushing into the amazon room.

 The little Krait lit up. Tanks of various sizes lined the large humid room, filled with greenery. Not all of them had a snake in them, but there were enough to have the King turning to her, 

“Why are they all here?” he asked suspiciously, eyeing her.

“Well, there are a lot of different reasons.” Ray explains, pulling some rats from the bottom, “This golden lancehead…Bothrops insularis,” She adds when the Krait looks to her almost pleadingly with large curious eyes. How does a skinless skull even do that? “She is from an exotic snake enthusiast, I made contact with through my work. See, it’s illegal to have one of these in the states, when he saw her being sold online it set off major red flags. He bought her and reported the seller. Golden here was underweight, so I’ve been fattening her up. Once she is healthy, I’m going to send her to the local zoological society, they will decide if she can be rereleased, though my professional opinion is that she is too docile from being hand raised.” She mused letting herself ramble about her snakes. It was one of the few things she could talk about at length. She popped the rats into the tank before repeating the process for the next few tanks, explaining why they were here, how long they have been here, until she got to a large boa constrictor in the corner. “This big boy actually has a name, he’s a lost pet someone found in their pool. It took me a few days to track down the owner, he was well fed and happy. Though a little worse for the were from being outside and taking a dip in chlorinated water. The  owner seemed like a nice guy, who was legitimately worried when he saw his nephew had left the terrarium open while they were moving, but he will be here either tomorrow or next weekend to take Bobby-Jack here home.”  

“You can help them find their families!?” the Mamba interrupted, moving closer than any of the other lamias.

 “Umm well sometimes…why?” Ray asked, worried about what the Mamba might be about to ask, with the way she found them at her door.  The Mamba takes off his dirty bandana, The bone much lighter under the filthy thing, They need a bath, and holds it out to Ray. 

         “Her name is Lilly. I was taken from an event with her family at the park.” He explained gesturing to the cloth. There was something embroidered on the tiny little bandana, “Orchid, Lilly’s BFF! Pls call if lost.” The number was frayed, but there was enough to get an area code. When Ray handed the bandana back the Mamba snatched it like it was his most precious treasure and placed it back on his neck.

 “I will absolutely do everything I can, I promise…Orchid?” The Mamba nodded, slinking back to the other bitties, “Alright Orchid, I promise I’ll do everything I can to help you… are all of you st…kidnapped bitties?” She asked, barely stopping herself from calling them stolen, like property.  Most of the bitties shake their heads, but the Honey-Bo spoke, 

“His name is Max…He’s a good human. We were grabbed in a home invasion, while he was at work.” He paused and pointed to himself, “Thor” and then the corny, “Loki.”

Ray smiled, “well if he’s into Norse mythology I can tell he’s a good human. Jo is actually short for Jörmungandr.” The bitties didn’t seem as amused, so Ray immediately corrected, bringing a hand up to her forehead, “Marvel?” she asked embarrassed. Loki snickered smiling up lazily for the first time since he got here and spoke 

"Marvel that, I'm Low-key surprised it took her so long."  making some of the others snicker, most groaned. The little Coral chirped back around a mouth full of food and fist bumped Loki to a chorus of more groans. Ray wondered why some could talk and others didn't, thankfully she didn't have to wonder long. Orchid felt the need to explain,

“Lamia bitties learn to speak from their companions, those of us who have interacted more with humans are the best speakers, for various reasons. The Coral said, " not bad Lamia tell ya another” He glared when Ray snickered.

“Sorry, that’s clever though.” She amended, holding her hands up. 

“Maybe the first six times you hear it.” The King grumbled, feeding the Krait the last bite of a Twinkie. Ray smiled as everyone’s mood seemed to lighten. It was a good step in the right direction. 

“I suppose.” Ray said, chuckling and finishing up her own feeding. She waited to see if the others had names they wanted to tell her. “So this is my amazon room. Its for snakes that require high humidity, and high temperatures. Would the humidity bother any of you if I found enclosures for you in here…umm actually do Bitties even stay in enclosures like these?” She added, thinking for the first time that the website didn’t say anything about tanks, but she did just give it a quick skim while trying to gather all the food for her snakes and her new guests, so she may have missed it. The looks of horror the bitties scent the enclosures were answer enough. “Thaaats a no, I’m guessing.”  At Rays observation, the King’s mantle finally relaxed back against his head, if he were just a cobra, Ray would have taken that as a good sign, that he didn’t see her as a threat that needed to be intimidated, however he was a bitty, Ray had no idea what the gesture meant and she couldn’t hope to guess as the lamia began chirping with Orchid.

“You are correct in assuming that we would not want to be locked in the glass tanks.” Orchid said, looking nervously at the tanks. “And except for the Krait, I think we can all agree that the dampness in this room isn’t ideal.”

Ray nodded trying to absorb the information, “I can think of something…I have a dessert room which is really dry and hot, A temperate room, and a very small aquatic room…I don’t get a lot of aquatics here there pretty rare, I only have one in that room, but I keep the supplies in case…oh my god, I could just give you a tour, and let you see the rooms.” Ray rambled, as the nervousness began to build back up, now that she was back in unknown territory. The Krait’s chirping brought her attention back to her guests.

“He wants to see the aquatic room first.” The King supplied for Ray. She smiled nervously down and nodded, pulling the little trolley back out of the room. The aquatic room was one she was still a little nervous going into, she added it as part of her nonprofit registry, but given the location she was in she didn’t think she would ever need it, a water moccasin or a cottonmouth were all she ever expected to be brought in, and those had specialized tanks in the temperate room. No, the aquatic room was for ocean and deep water dwelling snakes, and in there at this moment was one of the single most venomous snakes on the planet, a snake that now that she thinks about it bears a striking resemblance to the little Krait in the dish of water on her trolley. She definitely had a lot more reading to do.  

The tour was fairly uneventful, except for the aquatic room. The little Krait seemed to deflate at the strong smell of salt as they entered the aquatic room, but he perked right back up as the sole inhabitant of this room decided to make his way languidly from one end of his tank to the other, showing off broad pearlescent white bands next to inky black ones. The bitties' eyes seemed to turn to stars as he pointed enthusiastically.

“His name is Maui. Scientific name Laticauda colubrine . The yellow lipped sea krait, also called the banded sea krait for obvious reasons. Normally they have a flattened tail that works like a paddle steering it quickly through the water towards prey, where it uses a combination of hemotoxic and neurotoxic venom to quickly end the chase and swallow fish whole…this big guy even makes me a little nervous if I’m being honest.” 

After her explanation the little Krait wasn’t beaming as brightly anymore. He chirped quietly to the King almost like he was asking the one question she was really hoping he wouldn’t.

“What happened to his tail?” The Chain eventually asked quietly for the group, This was why she didn’t like this room. The flat ore-like paddle she had just described as being a part of this snake's anatomy was gone, broken so badly it had to be amputated before the snake even got here.  

“Someone…wasn’t treating him right.” She started, the understatement of the century really, given the pages and pages of abuse allegations against the privately owned collection he came from. (Ray refused to even think of those places as Zoos, She had worked with reputable Zoos. No matter what the ass-wholes who ran them wanted to call their collections, an animal in the condition Maui was in would never have come from a real zoo, with actual licensing.) “He was in pretty bad shape when he was brought to me to see if he could be rehabilitated and released. He had been in intensive veterinary care for a month before someone got in touch with me and asked me if I had a tank open.” She explained sadly though that didn’t seem to satisfy the Chain.

“and?” He pressed, Though Ray couldn’t guess what more he wanted without the King’s help.

“Re-hab-ilitated and Released?” The King added ,nodding toward the sea snake. 

“Oh…Rehabilitated yes. I honestly don’t know about released. He still has the right behaviors, his time in a tank hasn’t domesticated him or made him docile…kind of the opposite actually he's a bit more aggressive than most of his species, but he is essentially missing a limb that he uses to find and catch food. I don’t think he would be able to survive on his own, at first I was waiting for him to adapt and be able to swim quickly without it, but that never happened so the next step was to look into Zoos and other ecological programs that would keep him, but because he is so venomous and unusually aggressive,  I’m worried they would want to put him down…so I haven’t been able to bring myself to call any of them and find out if they even have room for him.”

 “You seem bothered by that.” Orchid observed, as he reclined casually on the trolley. It seemed to Ray that her promise to try and find the bitties family had won her some instant trust, or at least they had an understanding that she wouldn’t intentionally hurt any of them.

“I went to school for 7 years to get a masters in reptile zoology, with a special focus on Serpents, and a minor in business. So that I could open up the Vipers Den and make no money doing everything in my power to help snakes like my little Jo upfront, So I guess when I can’t help it is a little upsetting.” Ray admits only to hear a choked gasp from the Coral,

“Little!?” He huffed, gesturing towards the door as if to say that thing in there ! Ray couldn’t help it, that made her laugh.

“Okay I guess he’s not that little, but he fit in my hands when we met, so he’s my little buddy.”

The Coral chittered indignantly, crossing his arms and leaning back against the Papython. They all looked so tired.

“Let’s find you all a place to rest while I do some reading and research.” Ray offered, pushing the trolley back out and through the rest of the rooms.  Going into the dessert room startled a large diamond back rattle snake enough to have him rattling, which some of the bitties found fascinating. The little blue Pygmy ,who seemed to almost jump up and down as long as he was next to one of the bigger snakes, froze at the sound of the rattling and bolted behind the King. The temperate room was the one that they all agreed felt the nicest to them, though that came back to where they were going to be resting if they weren’t going in the glass tanks. Ray kind of had an idea. She took two large empty terrariums and laid them down on their side on the counter, added sand and soil on top of the glass, then second guessed herself wondering what flooring they would prefer. She was going to ask what once again Orchid came to her rescue, the voice of their little party.

“If you have any spare blankets or towels we could make the floor out of those…though you can leave the earth and sand there to add cushioning.” He suggested.  Ray nodded and left the trolley in the temperate room to go see what she could find.

“The tank doesn’t have magical warding…even if she flips it up on us we’d be able to get out by tomorrow.” Loki hummed to the group, considering his options, thanks to the food and the heat he no longer had to lean so heavily on his mate, now he was just doing it for comfort. None of these tanks had any kind of warding, further solidifying that this human really didn’t work with bitties at all.

“I can take first watch in case.” The Chain hissed back, eyeing the door, he used to be excited about humans, but seeing what they were really like left a weight in his chest that he couldn’t just shake off because of a little kindness.

“You always take first watch, why not let me for a change?” The King, Occam offered. The Chain wasn’t going to say anything, but he did wonder why he didn’t give this human the name he was given…though the Chain supposed that he wouldn’t want his name either given the kind of person the King’s owner had turned out to be. A whole collection of miserable tales right here in front of him.

“You can have second. I couldn’t rest right now if I wanted to.”  The Chain replied as The Human, Ray, bustled back into the room with her hands completely full, she had three towels, one for each tank, and one to connect the tanks so they wouldn’t have to touch the cooler table, as well as a small container with tubes that needed to be hooked up, pillows, bits of wood and a few more cushions and snakes.

Placing her stack of things down on the table she got to work making it as comfortable as possible for her new guests. Starting with the tubing and dish she had tucked up under the pillows. 

“Alright, I hooked up a water filter to this little tube. Whenever the krait wants to switch, make sure to put that oil on his tail to lock in that moisture, the filtered water should be better for him.” She explained putting a little tub down just outside one of the tanks. She then evenly arranged the pillows and snakes between the tanks and added a climbing tree to each as a habit. “What do you guy’s think?” She asked gently, rolling the Trolley over to the counter where she sat up the temporary enclosure.

“Not the worst.” The King replied and this time getting help from the Papython to move the Kraits little water bowl over to the slightly bigger modified water dish.

“Thanks!” The pygmy half chirped as he bounced off and into the tank happily, seeming to use the pillows and climbing tree to hide. None of the others seemed to acknowledge Ray as she watched them settle in.

“Whelp…I’m going to be up front. I’ll let you get settled, just yell if you need anything else alright?” She asked hesitantly before leaving the room, leaving the Trolley where it was in the temperate room.

Now that she had a moment to herself, she didn’t know where to start. She walked back to the front lobby in a daze, making a mental list of everything that needed to be done. More bitty research, the area code from Orchids bandana, some random human named Max, Vex’s bitty shop a few hours away, or maybe she should just go to the Bitty shop in person with her questions.  It was a lot. She had to start somewhere though, so she took a deep breath and walked outside to get the mail, picking up her empty coffee cup and the box that the bitties were in on her way back inside. She hoped she could find something to answer her questions in or on the box, but it was just a cardboard box with holes poked in the top. It was damp from the morning frost melting off it, Ray can’t help but wonder how long they had been there out in the cold. If they had been kidnapped or whatever then how did they end up out there to begin with, dropped off in a box outside a place called The Viper’s Den, What is going on? She wonders, sighing in frustration, because it’s just a cold, damp box.

A cold damp box that was full of possibly all kidnapped lamia bitties and dropped off outside a snake rescue. Ray ran her fingers through her hair, feeling the frustration building up rolling into a ball right next to the anxiety of suddenly having nine new intensive care abuse cases, that were also sentient and whom she knew next to nothing about.

Wonderful.

One of those things could be fixed easily however. She walked over to Jo’s tank to see if he wanted to come out with her, she would need company. He climbed out and draped himself around her. His weight is comforting, and together they sit down at the front desk for the first time that morning, and she began doing research. Opening up tabs for each of the bitty types in her care. As well as a tab for the area code on Orchid’s ascot. Pushing the old computer a little she added tabs for any missing bitty posts, as well as tabs for Mama Crys bitty shops, Vex’s bitty shops, and a rescue that kept popping up called high hopes bitty shelter. Narrowing down the endless sea of information to find the important parts was the most useful skill Ray learned from her common core. With a cheap dollar store spiral notebook she began to take notes.

Chapter Text

As soon as the door closed it seemed like Thor and Loki were already asleep. The Coral and Papython followed quickly after. 

Occam asked one more time if the Chain was sure about taking first watch, when he got a nod in response he curled up with the Krait and Pygmy, only getting them to sleep by promising they could explore when they were well rested. That left Orchid.

"She could be lying ya know?" He hedged looking at all the tanks filled with snakes around them. They didn't look like they were in too bad of shape, but neither did the Coral the first time he saw him. 

"A chain trying to convince a Mamba to be distrustful of humans, what's the world coming to?" Orchid responded quietly to let the others sleep. He knew what the Chain was getting at, but Orchid also knew good humans. He had been adopted by a 13 year old girl that pricked her fingers to hand sew him clothes to match his beautiful scales. They woke up every morning for several years together and she would shower him with compliments and affection so strong, he felt bathed in it. She gave him a matching name for stars sake, Lily and Orchid, "cause we're both pretty like flowers!" She had cheered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Orchid knew that there were amazing humans out there who loved their bitties and if there was even a small chance he could get back to his human then he would take it. 

"I'm sorry all this happened before you got to experience what having a real human is like, however I couldn't help but notice you have been acting strange since waking up" he began to broach the topic carefully "You won't even really look at the Human, normally you watch there every movement for an opening. you couldn't just let them start crying in the front office  either though...from what I know about Chains…" 

"Drop it and go to sleep, Orchid!" The chain snapped, interrupting the Mamba who puffed up in irritation. 

"Fine!" He snapped back before schooling his features and calming down, The Chain already looked guilty, curling in around his soul protectively, the only way they had all survived was working together and protecting each other, they were just tired. 

"but it isn't good for your soul to ignore it or  suppress it…your soul will find a way to reach out and you know that."  Orchid sighed patting the Chain good naturedly before curling up with the other lamia's to sleep. 

The Chain glared out at the assorted tanks, trying to ignore the pull in his chest, wanting him to go bond with the human who had warmed them up and fed them. He couldn't though, the last time he thought a human was cool enough to spend a few hours with he ended up locked in the fighting rink. It could have been worse though. The Coral was born and bred in the rinks.  He was being saved for heat relief, not even worth a name. Lamia's were perfect for that cause they couldn't have a clutch without wanting it. 

The Chain and him had talked cause their cages were right next to each other, they had all swapped stories trying to find some opening. That Coral had seen some unimaginable horrors. If you weren't adopted by a bad person, then a bad person could just come alone and take you, or smash and grab a shipment because they read the lamia's were venomous, didn't bother to find out that they were also the most docile bitties. 

Occam, the King, was adopted by a kind soul... a complacent soul actually. Corrupted kindness. Her new boyfriend told her to go in and adopt the scariest looking bitty she could. So she did. She came out with the full sized King. He was a strong fighter, favored enough to be named, Occam the razor. The Chain could understand why he hated it. All it took was one loss without dusting to be thrown into the cages with the rest of them. The big man who led the rinks wished he had dusted though they could all feel it.

Bitties can sense intent, so it was common for middlemen to be used who didn't know what the bitties were going to be used for, to be sent in instead of the actual buyer. Papythons are the most common ones bought that way, their nurturing nature makes them good for keeping bitties alive in the rinks. The Papython In there group was an amazing healer, however he had seen more blood and dust then anyone else in there group.   

Thor and Loki had refused to speak to him for a long time…but given what they had seen him do. He couldn't blame Thor for wanting to keep the chain as far from his mate as he physically could. It wasn't until right before they tried to bust out, that they had even introduced themselves.     

The Chain didn't know the Pygmy's story either, but he was there when the sobbing lamia was tossed down with the rest of them, completely inconsolable and covered in bite marks, at first begging for mercy, then begging to be put out of his misery.

All of this pain and torment at the hands of humans. They're definitely not as cool as the Chain used to think they were, no matter what his soul was telling him. He wasn't ready to trust this human. 

About 4 hours and half a notebook into notes on the care and temperament of lamia bitties Ray's eyes begin to hurt. A sign that she probably had a migraine coming on. She still hadn't started the actual work she had to do that morning, or cross reference the area code she got from Orchids bandana with missing bitty posts. She could use a break to go check on the bitties and grab lunch though. She left them with some snakes but maybe they would appreciate some actual lunch. She thought , putting Jo back into his enclosure and walking into her living space. She made three ham sandwiches, and cut two of them up into little bitty sized squares on a paper plate. She read that Corals liked to hoard things, but she couldn't find whether or not they liked to break things like the edgies that they kinda looked like. She may have dropped down a rabbit hole of research when she found all the different types of bitties. Videos of gorgeous fire rings dancing together at a bitty barbecue and the jingle for a pet shop advertising there "witty itty bitty buddy collection." probably took up more of her time then they should have, given that there wasn't a fire ring in her care and now that jingle would forever be burned into her brain.

Balancing the plate of sandwiches in one hand and her own lunch in the other she began to head towards the temperate room. She had her own sandwich finished by the time she made it down to the door where she was faced with her second dilemma. Should she knock and risk waking them. It seemed like they were laying down to rest before she left. At the same time she did want to give them some amount of privacy. She signed heavily and made the choice to gently push the door open and see if anyone was awake. At first glance it didn't seem like it but she did catch one lamia still awake and looking at the tanks lining the walls. She cleared her throat to get his attention, almost flinching when his eyes snapped to her.

"Sorry...can I come in? I brought some lunch." She offered staying by the door waiting for him to nod or something. He seemed to cross his arms tighter over his chest and shrug... a shrug?  

That wasn't very helpful,  she thought ruefully.

"Is...do you think it would bother them if I dropped the plate off?" She tried again quietly. This time he looked at the sleeping bitties and shook his head no.  That's progress. Ray crept in and set the plate down, looking awkwardly at the Chain.  

  "I guess if there's nothing else you need I'll be out in the lobby." She offered. The Chain just shook his head again. Ray thought the Chain could speak a little better than that, but given where she thought these bitties may have come from, she didn't take it too personally as she walked back out of the room, feeling eyes track her the whole way.  During her research she had found more horror stories similar to when she was looking up black markets for snakes. Bitty fighting rinks, illegal breeding facilities, and pages and pages of abuse court cases where the "adopters" were surprised their bitties could testify against them in court. 

 Because they were sentient , Ray wanted to scream, it was like Jo all over again. Just a new list of horrors' that people were capable of, with the added sting of the creatures being able to beg for mercy.  By the time she made it back to the lobby her migraine was in full swing and she still had work to do. She had to send out some emails, phone calls, and then all the extra work with the kidnapped bitties. She was feeling photosensitive, so emails were out of the question right now. She called for an update on her golden lace head being moved to a facility, Called Bobby-jack’s owner and left a message to confirm his pickup date and time, and finally she called High Hopes Bitty Shelter. They seemed like a popular rescue that kept popping up for abused bitties.

  "High Hopes Bitty Shelter, Blur  speaking how may I help you?" 

Ray took a deep breath and jumped in, 

"Hello Blur, My name is Ray, I run The Vipers Den, an exotic snake rescue. I need a little bit of help." She started and began explaining the condition her new rescues were in. As well as giving the names, Orchid, Loki, and Thor to the receptionist to see if she could get some help locating their adopted families. 

"You have Orchid! Yes we are very familiar with the case. His family calls about once a week to see if we have any updates.  Can we give them your contact information."  All in all it was a very long conversation with multiple people at the rescue. She was told they kept a register for missing bitties that they would cross reference for the names Thor and Loki. Just because their family didn't call every week didn't mean they weren't still looking. If they were declared missing, they would be on the database. She came away with a long list of things she would need to order or buy from Vexs bitty shop when she went there. Which gave her one more phone call, she had a non-profit registry card that had a monthly line of credit. She called the number on the back of the card to see how much money she had available, it was about $200. If that wasn't enough she could always put the rest on her personal credit card. Her head was pounding at the end of it. She was definitely done working on the computer.

She could probably make dinner and then go to bed, tomorrow was another day after all. She wondered what she could make that all the Bitties would want to eat...if they had even finished their sandwiches. She guessed it couldn't hurt to check on them one last time and actually bring them something warm to eat. If she made a big bowl of chicken noodle soup they could probably share it. She thought, going into the kitchen and popping her soup in the microwave while she heated there's on the stove. It would probably still be warm by the time she got back from the snake room. She grabbed a few teaspoons that hopefully weren't too big for the smaller Lamia's and headed down to the temperate room one more time. This time when she poked her head into the room the King was up staring at the door, it occurred to Ray that they were taking watch in shifts, some of the sandwiches had been plucked at, but mostly it looked like the bitties had been resting. 

"Hey, can I come in?" She asked quietly to the King's utter confusion. He at least nodded. 

"I brought some soup, thought you  guys might like something warm for dinner." She placed the bowl down quietly, laying out the spoons one at a time to reduce noise. 

"Is there anything else you need, after I eat I'm probably going to go to bed."

“No...Thank you.” The King said at length 

“Alright, goodnight, I’m not a super heavy sleeper, so if you need anything in the middle of the night just come knock...can you guys even get down from that shelf?” 

The King nodded, moving towards the warm soup and just leaning against the bowl.  "Can find a way...we don't need anything." He answered quietly, glancing at the rest of the sleeping bitties.

"Alright, goodnight then. I'll bring breakfast in the morning." Ray said one last time, turning down the lights in the room, but not turning them off.  The fluorescent lights in the hallway had her wincing as she made her way through each room, dimming the lights. Finally she was able to close down the lobby. Her soup was cold and she drank it right out of the bowl, before falling into bed in her day clothes. That night her dreams were strange.

 The Vipers Den had moved, she was sure, the rescue used to be on the outskirts of town, about an hours drive from the city center. but now it was in the middle of nowhere. No roads, the rescue was somehow in the middle of a clearing surrounded by miles of forest. 

Oh, and it was snowing in November, thick blankets of snow. There appeared to be an orange glow out in the distance, so of course the answer was to walk out barefoot in a summer dress.  The snow crunched under her feet but she didn't feel the cold, she was drawn towards the glow.  It seemed like a blink and she was in front of the mouth of a cave with a small orange fire burning inside. However as she went to step inside the cave's mouth large bones shot out of the ground, sealing the cave off like bars, and causing Ray to fall back into the snow. 

A low hiss permeated the cave. The clustering of rocks at the mouth began unraveling and standing up and up and up. Fiery eye lights stare down at Ray. She thought this thing must be 7' tall, with a tail as thick as a tree trunk. She had no way of knowing the total length of the massive naga.

     It kinda looks like a giant chain.

"What are you doing here!" He snapped angrily. 

"Aren't you cold?" 

"...what!?" 

"It's snowing, surely that little fire isn't enough to keep you warm. Why don't you come into my shelter, just until the snow melts?" She hedged looking at the way his tail coiled and coiled around the orange light.  

A noise of frustration burst from the creature as his hands flew up.

"I'm not falling for it, human!" He yelled, orange tears collecting in the corners of his eye sockets. "If you think I'm gonna trust you, not to...to  smash one of us with a hammer, or forcefully try to get us to kill each other or breed us. I. Don't. Believe. You. I won't." 

He seemed to be unable to stop, a few of the tears escaping down his face. Ray couldn't let this continue. Even if she didn’t know what he was talking about, it hurt her heart to see the pain this giant was in, almost like she could feel it.

          "Hey...hey wait look...you don't have to trust me." Ray started, "but you can't stay out here in the cold either." She stood up out of the snow, shaking it off her shoulders. "Besides, look how small I am. How could I hurt something like you?" She gestures up at his massive body. 

He tilted his head as he looked down at her chuckling and drying his eyes. 

"That's not comforting, human." 

"I...I guess not, how about this. Come warm up, wait for the snow to melt, then if you wanna leave you can. I'll even leave the door open or give you a key...or something. Just...come in out of the cold." She almost begged, seeing snowflakes land on the skeleton's snake body and not melt right away. 

"Why do you care if I'm cold or hungry or hurt?" He asked quietly. 

"Cause...I guess I just like snakes. I don't know, do I need a reason not to be a complete dick?" 

The wall of bones disappeared to a shrug that looked a bit familiar. 

Where had she seen something like that before?  

"I don't believe that you want to help out of the kindness of your heart, human...but I suppose you wouldn't be too hard to knock over either." He says slowly slithering his way out of the cave.  

"Works for me. Common!" Ray replied, feeling a small bloom of warmth in her chest as she began to lead the way through the clearing back towards the Vipers Den, with the giant trailing behind her. 

Small yellow flowers started trying to fight their way through the thick snow, they didn't quite seem to be able to make it through the ice just yet.

 Must be a little to early for them to bloom

"Justice hu?...had you pegged for kindness, cause you're such a Ray of sunshine."   

 "What was that?" She asked

"Don't worry bout it sunshine, just open the door." The massive chain replied, with his arms crossed and his mouth set in a firm line.

Chapter Text

 Ray woke up to the blaring of an alarm...that she forgot to set. She bolted up, her phone was ringing. Her hand shot out grabbing at the phone. 

     "Hello?" 

       "Is this the Viper's Den!" An almost frantic young voice belated in her ear.

       "Yes ma'am, This is Ray with the Viper's Den: Exotic Snake rescue, how can I…"

      "I got a call from High Hopes Bitty Rescue, I left a notice with them and the police and vex and… oh Stars, I'm getting off topic, My name is Lily Borroughs, do you have a Mamba bitty named Orchid at your rescue! I tried calling the main office, but no one answered, then I saw you had a mobile number on your website?" She rambled so full of hope Ray could practically hear it over the phone. 

        "Yeah, he arrived yester…"

        "Can I speak to him please! I haven't heard from him in almost a year, he's been gone so long, and I've been up all night driving, just so I could talk to him, please please please." 

        "Uhh oh! Oh yeah j-just give me one minute please." Ray replied, shuffling barefoot through her apartment, glancing out the frost covered windows she could see the sun just now rising. At least she hadn't slept in, looks like the girl called exactly at opening time. She blearily made her way to the temperate room, most of the Lamia's were awake. Thor, Loki, and the coral seemed like the only ones still asleep.  She happily noted that the soup and sandwiches were gone. 

        "Orchid...phone for you." She mumbled tiredly. The bitty looked confused, before nearly launching himself off the counter in his haste. Ray stepped forward and passed him the phone, keeping him from falling to the floor at the same time. The phone is a bit awkward for him to handle, but the King came forward to help support it. 

         "Lily?! Oh Stars it's actually you, I can't...I can’t believe…I've missed you so much." The Lamia began choking up as he obviously heard his human's voice for the first time in apparently almost a year. 

         "I'm gonna go make some breakfast, any requests?" Ray asked, looking at a collection of star struck bitties. She honestly had no idea why they were all looking at her like that. Maybe it had something to do with her unbrushed hair and her sleep crumpled clothes, she thought. 

         "Hey, sunshine." Came a voice that was already strangely familiar from her right.  The Chain had slid down the shelves holding her tanks, down next to the door. 

"Thanks, for not being the biggest asshole, you could possibly be." 

 That at least shocked a chuckle out of her.   

       "Anytime I guess." She replied, smiling a little as she left the temperate room to go make some breakfast. On her way back through the lobby she stopped by Jo's tank to see if he wanted to come with her this morning. Since he had finished eating all his food from yesterday and it had time to start digesting, she really wasn't worried that he would try to eat the bitties anymore. However it didn't matter, because he wasn't interested in getting out of his terrarium this morning, which made sense, it was a bit chilly. She rushed through a morning routine, just trying to be presentable. Then she thought about the quickest, most filling food she could make for breakfast and settled for pancakes. 

      When she walked back into the temperate room it was obvious they had figured out how to get the phone on speaker. 

       "Miss Ray! Lily wants to know when you're free so she can come take me home." Orchid called as soon as he saw the door open. 

        "About that...No, wait let me explain!" Ray rushed as she saw the Mamba's face crumple, like she had just smashed his tail with a hammer. 

        "The Viper's Den is a non-profit, right? So to run there are certain regulations I have to abide by. Bobby-jack in the Amazon room is going home today, but I've had him for 6 days. I'm not saying you'll stay that long but there are some things I need to make sure of before I just send you on your way, since you’ve been entrusted in my care...if she's close though she can come visit at any time, I'm open."

        "What do I need to do to take him home?" Lily's voice came from the phone. The bitties were definitely looking at her less happily as she laid out the pancakes.

         "You? Nothing...well, maybe bring him some clean clothes if you have them. All the work is on me. I just need to make sure he's a healthy weight, not sick or hurt, and not going somewhere dangerous, really it’s just a lot of paperwork to keep a database of recovered snakes and bitties, so they can be removed from the missing registry." 

            "...and I can visit at any time?"

             "Absolutely , miss Burroughs, I even have a small apartment you can sit in, you could stay here all day if you wanted. I just have some yellow tape to get through." 

             "I'll be there in, like, 20 minutes. See you soon Orchid, love you, buh bye." 

 Ray reached out to place the pancakes down and grab her phone, when the Mamba slid into her palm. 

            "Hurry up then." He huffed impatiently.

            "What?" Ray asked, she really should have put some coffee on while she cooked. 

             "I'm not ill, Lily is the best bitty owner ever, so all you have to do is weigh me and I can go home right. Let's do it." He explained as if it were obvious. 

            "...would everyone else like to go ahead and get the weighing and intake out of the way?" 

With much shuffling, and grumbling, eight bitties ended up back on the cart with a plate of pancakes that was used to bribe the Coral and Loki away from nap time. Orchid stayed in her hand, with his tail coiled around her wrist. It was a short trip, she just had to go down to the end of the hall. Where there was a long metal table with a sink, and several cabinets.  She laid a towel down on the long metal table at the end so they wouldn't be cold. Then she had an idea. Turning on the tap, she stopped up one sink and poured some hand soap into the water, foaming it up. Then she pulled out another towel and wedged it into the upper cabinet, closing the door to create a privacy screen over the sink. 

         "So, who wants a bath?"  

She thought that the Lamia's might want privacy, but they all slithered into the covered sink together, giving her time to lay out her paperwork, scales, measuring tape, and dry towels for the bitties. Orchid was the first one out of the sink, drying quickly. 

         "Alright, hurry up and weigh me, for star's sake."  

          "Hang on, look, I have a whole paper to fill out, just be patient...it will at least be quicker cause I can just ask you some of the questions. Name Orchid, gender male,  species Bitty, subspecies Mamba, status recovered from theft. Is all this correct so far?" 

Orchid nodded watching as she went over the paperwork. Ray picked up a yellow measuring tape.

   "Would you mind stretching out for me?" She asked, lining the tape up with the tip of his tail, as he stretched across the table, then sat back up so she could get his height. He had left his dirty clothes off and even though the bones were clean, she could see chips and scratches that didn't look that old.

   "Ten inches total and three and a half inches standing, that would make you a mini, correct?" 

At the bitties nod she continued, " So from my research, you should weigh about 2lbs. Do you need help on to the scale, or would you like to do it on your own?" She asked, gesturing to the black cloth that served as a specialized serpent scale. Most of the bitties were done with their baths, and we're drying on the towel while watching Ray and Orchid, the only ones still in the water were  Thor, Loki, the Pygmy and to no one's surprise the Krait. From the splashing sounds it seemed like the pygmy and the krait were playing.

     "I'm capable of sitting on a mat, thank you." 

      "Well, the mat is just to hold you, it's going to fold up and go on that hook, which is the actual scale." She pointed, figuring she should explain the process, before she picked up the mat. Orchid crossed his arms impatiently.

        "Lily will be here in 12 minutes, she's very punctual, can we hurry this up." 

Ray couldn't help but smile, despite what seemed like a 180 from yesterday. This little guy was so devoted to his human, it was touching. When Ray finally hooked the mat up to the scale all the bitties seemed to look with baited breath. 

     ".68 kilograms...So that's about 1 and a half pounds."  She explained setting the mat and Orchid back down on the table, to a collection of gasps. 

      "You really gonna make him stay here over half a pound Sunshine?" The Chain asked, ripping a pancake down the middle and rolling up the other half. 

      "What? No! Honestly where would you...oh." she didn't need to finish the question to understand. Some humans, somewhere had been very cruel and deceitful to these bitties. She could try to be more Patient herself. 

           "There's a BMI scale I got from a bitty rescue I called yesterday. I use one for my snakes. Anything in the green or yellow can go, I only keep the ones here in the Red. Like the golden in the Amazon room, she was about ten pounds underweight. Totally in the red zone for weight. Orchid isn't even what I'd consider under weight. He's totally in the green, and nowhere near the red. He's good to leave...and just so we're clear, I'm not making any of you stay here. If you want me to take you to a bitty specific rescue, Vexs Shop, maybe Mama Cry's ( I don't think one of Mama Cry's shops would turn away bitties) or anywhere else. I just wanna make sure you're healthy and going somewhere safe." 

Ray had gone off on a tangent, she almost missed the tinkling of the bell at the front. Someone's a speeder. She thought, excusing herself from the bitties. 

      Orchid felt like he was winded. He wasn't ready for the emotional rollercoaster he was on. It was like every time this human opened her mouth was another punch in his abdomen, only for her to smooth it out and take the sting away, but leave him dizzy. Thor, Loki, and the other two had come out of the water, and they were slowly making their way through the pancakes. None of the bitties had put their dirty clothes back on, they were hovering close to Orchid ready to support their friend in case of the worst. Then the door opened, and there she was.

              Orchid felt frozen. It was like she hadn't changed at all;  short curly blond hair, smatterings of freckles, and eyes so deep blue that in the right light they almost matched Orchids own glittering scales. Or at least they used to, Orchid didn't feel like his scales were luminous, he had cracks and chips running across his ribs and spine, one particularly deep one down his right socket. He purposely tried not to think about the EXP.   For the first time in his life, he felt ugly, next to Lily, he didn't feel like a blooming Orchid. For one terrifying soul crushing moment, he was scared that she might look at him and think he was to ugly to be her Orchid. He was so terrified that he couldn't move an inch as she ran down the hall and scooped him into her arms. 

          "Stars my beautiful, beautiful baby. I missed you so much. Are you alright?"  Her voice warbled with tears, a few dropping down and splashing on Orchids head.

He didn't have words. All he could do was hold her and cry. 

It took awhile to get everyone calmed down. After introductions and teary declarations Lily and Orchid settled into the floor, to pick him out an outfit while the other bitties were measured and weighed. She even volunteered to see if she could clean and mend the other bitties clothes, with Orchid's endorsement that she was a miracle worker. The other bitties agreed. 

"Alright, who wants to go next?" Ray asked the remaining bitties, who were looking at Lily and Orchid with a mix of expressions.  When no one else volunteered the papython slid forward. 

         "Okay so, Name non applicable?...that just means you weren't named where you came from." Ray explained when the bitty cocked his head to the side in confusion. 

" gender male, species Bitty, subspecies Papython, Status?"

        "He was bought by an associate in the…organization." Orchid supplied glancing at Lily after the pause, like there was something he was trying not to say. He was now dressed in a black satin tank top, with a jacket embroidered with tiny purple sequins in the shape of an Orchid, and a matching purple sash where his snake tail met his skeletal body like a belt. Lily really was a talented designer. She was already working on the other bitties clothes, making small detailed patches, and applying a stain remover.  

        "Status reclaimed from abusive owner...dose that sound right?" Ray asked the Papython. He nodded sadly, but seemed to perk up again when she moved on to measuring. Ray didn't need specifics, she just wanted to help. " Five feet total, one and a half feet standing, making you a full sized and...2 kilograms. Which is, 4.4 lbs when you should weigh 4 kilograms, or 8.8 lbs. That's half your healthy weight, so you're in the yellow. So we'll be starting you on a diet with high fatty proteins until you gain weight. Looks like Jo is sharing his pork." She said smiling, gently setting the mat back down. 

Thor and Loki approached at the same time, they were always close together. Loki seemed to reassuringly nudge Thor back so he could be weighed and measured.

        "Name Loki, Gender male, Species bitty, Subspecies Corny, Status recovered from theft?" The bitty nodded, smiling lazily, he seemed pretty laid back. Though like all the others his bones were littered with scratches and chips. 

 "Two and a half feet total, one foot standing, making you a full size. 2 kilograms, 4.4 pounds. Perfect weight."

      "Thor took care of me." He replied, the first thing he had said since the one pun yesterday. sliding back over to the other bitty. The honey-bo reluctantly took the Corney's place. 

        "Name Thor, gender male, species Bitty, subspecies Honey-Bo, status recovered from theft, correct?"  

   He nodded noncommittally. Which was fine, from what Ray read she didn't expect the Honey-Bo to want to interact with her as the forum said Honey-Bos were slow to trust and would require patients and space, they had just met and the lamia already had plenty of reason to be distrustful of humans.  

        "Can you stretch out for me?" 

He looked at the other bitties before laying down and stretching out for Ray to measure him, "7 feet total, 3 feet standing making you a full sized as well?"

    Then Ray noticed a problem, one of his shoulders sat higher than the other, meaning; 

 "I-is...is one of your arms out of its socket?"  

  "No." The Honey-Bo snapped. Orchid chimed in though. 

   "One of the…other humans tried to grab Loki, Thor bit him and was thrown against the floor. It was dislocated for three days before a Papython was able to pop it back in, but it didn't set right." 

    "Would you like me to take you to a shelter or vet to get it reset properly?" 

     "No."

 Ray sighed, in defeat. One thing at a time. "On the scale please." 

Thor seemed a little surprised that she dropped it, and slid into the scale. 

"...10 kilograms, 22 pounds. You are 10 kilograms underweight. That's definitely in the red. You're also getting lots of pork."  

"K." Was his only response before he slid up next to Loki again. He never seemed to be far from the Corny.  And the two of them went back to the larger group together.

                    "Only five to go, wanna keep it going boys?" Ray asked 

The pygmy bounded forward excitedly. 

"Alrighty, Name non applicable, gender male, species Bitty, Subspecies Pygmy. Status…" the bitty excitedly pointed down the hall. Ray had no idea what that meant, thankfully the King did. 

"Some bitties are either born outside  or choose to live there. The pygmy wanted adventure, instead of being adopted and living with a family...he was grabbed there." He explained. 

"Alright, status wild caught, sound correct?" She asked to a thumbs up from the Pygmy. 

"Six inches total, three inches standing. You're a mini, mini hu?" She asked playfully when the bitty tried to stretch out more. She noted several needle-like holes in the bone on both his arms and down his spine, that she thought it would be better not to comment on. ".68 kilograms, or 1.5 pounds, which I kinda expected given your size little dude. So your good" 

Next the Krait and the King slid just a bit closer while Ray was working with the little Krait. Which didn't really surprise her as all the bigger Lamias seemed very protective of the smaller ones. 

         "Name non applicable, gender male, species Bitty, Subspecies Krait, status…"

         "Stolen from a pet shop." Orchid supplied for her.

  "Alrighty, 12 inches total and 5 inches standing. Making you a mini." Looking over his body Ray was happy to see his tail looking much better, she could see a sheen of the oil on it and she smiled at the Papython as the Krait got up on the scale. ".91 kilograms or 2 pounds. That's perfect little guy."  

       "Alright, next up the King, Name non…"

        "Occum." Came a soft nervous voice. 

         "...Name Occum, gender male, species Bitty, Subspecies King, status?

“ repossessed from an abusive owner” He supplied, quieter than she had heard him speak since he got here. She filled in the information on his form, before speaking.

“...would you prefer, if I didn't call you Occum?" She asked, just getting a feeling from his hunched form and the resigned way he said his name.

      "That would be...better." he replied slowly, stretching out to be measured. It was only when he got to his full length that Ray realized how folded this bitty had been staying, to her it seemed there wasn't anything bitty about him. 

       "10 feet total, 4 feet standing...wow when you're not coiled up you're longer then Jo. I always forget how big Cobras are, cause they're not bulky like constrictors"  She said trying to find a compliment for the King. 

Hell he's almost taller than me when standing. She thought, getting a good look at the King. He was the most scarred by far. It looked like there were more chips and scars than untouched bone. 

         "15 kilograms, 35 pounds...so you should be well over 70 pounds, you're definitely in the red for weight buddy, so lots of high fat proteins, and I'll see if there's anything else I can get you eating to see about gaining that weight. I think the bitty rescue I spoke with mentioned you guys might need magic supplements…so I'll make a trip out and see about those." 

        "Who wants to go next?" Ray asked, looking over to see  the Chain holding out a rolled up half of a pancake. 

"Uhh?"

         "Ya didn't eat breakfast this mornin." Was all he said by way of explanation, which was good enough for Ray, she was pretty hungry. 

   "Thanks!" She said, taking the rolled up pancake and eating it in a few bites, swallowing quickly so she could get this business concluded and move on to the rest of the work she had today. 

 "So, name non applicable," 

   "You could call me whatever ya want sunshine." 

Ray giggled, "well, I do sometimes give the snakes in my care nicknames, like golden in the Amazon room, but this is for if you had any names before you came here...if you'd rather I didn't call you "the Chain" though, I can absolutely think of something. Maui had a different name before he came here but it was something boring like Larry, a banded sea Krait just doesn't look like a Larry to me. Larry is something I'd name like a garden snake or a rat snake." Ray said, realizing she was rambling way too late. It was just too easy to talk to the Chain; he just seemed to listen so intently. 

 "Well...Species Bitty, Subspecies Chain, status?" 

"Wild caught." He answered. Ray nodded and filled it in.

         When she went to measure him, he seemed to flinch away from her hands, so she was careful not to accidentally touch him, like all the other bitties he was covered in chips and scratches, one particularly nasty indent went around the cervical vertebrae of his throat. 

"9 feet total, and 4 feet standing. Making you a full sized. 11 kilograms or 25 pounds. You're the perfect weight. So that's pretty good."  Ray said smiling. The chain didn’t seem particularly happy about that information though, and didn’t say a word as he went back to the rest of the bitties. 

“One more left.” Ray said smiling, though she had to look around for the coral, he had hidden himself away behind the King and the Papython.

Eventually though he sighed and slithered forward, seeing him with his jacket off was...a shock. His ribs were so cracked and splintered that it made Ray wonder what was even holding them together. 

"Do you want me to take you to a vet or." 

"No." 

"Okay...name non applicable, gender male, species Bitty, Subspecies Coral, status...Repossessed from abusive owner." She filled in when the Coral eventually pointed to the Papython. 

"Ten inches total, four inches standing, making you a mini. Aaaand. .91 kilograms or 2 pounds. So...that's good at least." 

The coral grumbled and gestured to get his jacket back.

       "Oh little buddy, I don't think there's any saving this...could I just make you a new one?" Lily asked, looking up at Ray, "that would be okay right?" 

          "If it's okay with them. Sure, I can pay you for them with,"

         "Oh no, no, no, I don't need any money. It's what I'm going to school for so it's like practice anyway." 

           "Well, I could at least,"

          "I can even hang out and stay in my car, or a hotel, or didn't you say you had a living room, I didn't see much of a waiting area in your lobby."

           "Lily dear, you're interrupting again." Orchid chided, as if couldn't have been happier to say that.  

           "Woopsie." She replied with a giggle, Ray waited a second to see if she had anything else to say before starting.  

            "I am able to pay you, however if you would like to donate your time and materials, the Viper's Den is a non-profit, so if you keep track of how much it would be you can report it on your taxes as a tax write off or charitable endeavors on your school manuscript...and the living room is through the other door, to the right of the lobby. if you wanna use it as a work space. It would probably be more comfortable than the floor." 

              "Oh silly goose, if anything I owe you. You brought my beautiful Orchid back to me." The cheerful little blond proclaimed, bouncing up off the floor and down the hall with a venomous Mamba perched on her shoulder. Before she made it through the doors though she stopped when Orchid said something in her ear. 

“Hey, would it be alright if the other bitties hung out with us while I made the clothes. I think I even have some tee’s that might fit the minis, if they don’t wanna be shirtless. I don’t really have anything for the full sized bitties though, sorry about that.”

"What do you guys think? I’ll be a little bit busy. Bobby-jack’s owner is coming to get him today, and I have some phone calls and emails to make so after a quick lunch I'll be pretty busy."

Ray explained as all the bitties filed back onto her little trolly. They agreed that they might as well go sit with Orchid, since he would be leaving soon. 

         That's how Ray ended up sitting on the edge of her couch holding a cup of coffee, surrounded by bolts of fabric. Her couch, floors, coffee table; hell her entire living room had been overtaken by patterns, cloth, little strips of leather, and metal pieces. Not only that, but Lily had a powerful personality. Ray had barely managed to excuse herself to return Bobby-jack to a lovely and greatful gentleman with a long black beard, that the snake immediately nestled into, only to immediately be pulled back into the living room, with the side door propped open so she could see if anyone walked in.  Because as it turned out it took about twelve hours to make one of her outfits for a full size and about six for a mini. Ray took a sip of her coffee as Lily explained her process, or at least Ray though that's what she was talking about. She zoned out for a minute while she tried to get woken up.

        "Like I totally don't mind getting a hotel or whatever, but it's easier for me to make clothes when I know what kind of person I'm making them for and can ask for preferences. I've had some major creative block since Orchid went missing, and I was just so gutted I honestly didn't want to go away for school until he was found, but like my mom and dad said he'd probably be really, really upset with me if I gave up my scholarship waiting for him, and they were right, so I had to go for him ya know. It's just been so hard though, cause like all the other people in the fashion program are making clothes for humans, there only like one other bitty fashion designer in the entire program, and he's a junior and we're kinda rivals...I mean I don't think he knows we're rivals, but with my muse back by my side he will. I even have all of Orchids'  friends to make clothes for, which again I'm grateful for the opportunity to make something nice for Orchids friends, and really the better I get to know them the better the quality clothes I can make, So how about it, miss Ray?" The excitable blond spoke quickly as she worked, drawing out her patterns and ideas with the measurements Ray had taken. 

    Ray instantly felt guilty for spacing out as the girl talked, though the feeling didn't last long as Orchid came to the rescue. 

    "She was wondering if we could stay on your couch while she made the outfits. She's on fall break at the moment and has two weeks off to spare."  He explained, as he brought over sample pieces of cloth for color and texture to the other lamia's.  

       "We just met." Ray said dumbly feeling just a bit overwhelmed by Lily. 

        "So does that mean we can't stay?" She asked, turning her full attention to Ray.

       "I mean...you can but...I'm not great company. I spend all day talking to snakes that can't talk back...I mean...you don't think it's weird that I spend all day with snakes. You're not worried about being left alone with the creepy snake Lady?"  Ray asked, finally realizing where her unease came from, normally her human interactions outside of other snake enthusiasts were brief; a quick chat, a text, or a phone call. This was the longest she had talked to another person, outside of her niche in a long time. Lily may have had a lamia, but they weren’t snakes.

         "Oh, there's nothing creepy about you." Lily replied giggling. "I get it though, my dad runs a flower shop and my mom does landscaping, it's how they met, but it means that I know alot about plants even the poison ones. So whenever someone got sick at school the kids would spread awful rumors that I was poisoning people. Just cause I knew not to let the neighbors cat around poinsettias cause they’re poisonous to animals."

          "Fuck kids. Though I guess there is a positive to them being little shits. I never get trick-or-treaters, because they're scared I'll poison the candy with snake venom...trust me I know how completely ridiculous that sounds, you don’t go to school as long as I did without learning the difference between poison and venom.."  She added at the incredulous looks from the venomous lamia's. 

“How long did you go to school?” Lily asked, looking at the assortment of fabric swatches that Orchid was grouping together in the corner of each sketch, based on the lamia’s preferences. 

“It took me about 7 years to get a Masters in reptile zoology, focusing on snakes, with a minor in business management.” 

“Dude, I couldn’t imagine spending the time to get a masters right now. I’m just trying to finish my bachelors.” 

            "You'll do wonderfully Lily." Orchid said, curling up next to his human.

             "Well...actually I have to confess, I haven't  been doing very well in my courses. It's been hard to find the motivation without you, Orchid...but now that I have my muse back I should really stand out. Most designers who do clothes for bitties make feminine clothes like dresses or gowns. So together we'll be unstoppable." Lily finished with much more confidence than she had started. It became apparent to Ray that under all the bubbly conversation, and beaming smiles Lily had probably been struggling for a very long time. 

             "I thought all bitties were male?" She asked to move away from the soar topic, to a grateful look from Orchid. 

             "Well  bitty bones are designed to be "male" with some exceptions like commanders, but their magic is actually able to both conceive and impregnate. I've seen a pair of twin baby blues that wore the cutest little lolita styled dresses, though they do tend to lean more towards male. But bitty bones aren't the only bitties and there are varieties that are mostly “female” by design." 

               "...wait there are more types of bitties?" Ray had to have this clarified, cause just the research into bitty bones had taken hours. 

              "Yeah...hang on, I can just show you, and you'll get a good idea of the competition." She replied, putting down the pencil and pulling out her phone. With a few quick taps she was in her gallery pulling up a picture of three goat, dragon looking bitties, perched on a massive tattooed bicep. Their clothes were amazing, the first was in a sapphire blue ball gown, with golden delta-rune filigree running up to crystal and gold bead work across her chest and shoulders. The next was in a lavender gown, with a lace over skirt. She had a matching shawl that gave her the look of a sweet little old lady, a pail silver delta-rune accented the chest of the dress. Lastly was a bitty standing regally, dressed in a royal purple to black ombre gown with polished silver accents, and a matching purple cape lined with black and white dappled fuzz like something you'd see on a televised coronation. The delta-rune stood out in an inky black pattern that seemed to disappear onto the bottom of the gown. 

            "Wow. What are those?" Ray couldn't help but to ask, pulling out her own phone ready to go on another googling spree. 

              "From left to right it's a Queenie, a Tory, and an Empress. I think their names are Victoria, Elizabeth, and Mary. They agreed to be models for the department, but like I said, I prefer to make more masculine designs. These were made by my rival,” she scrolled over three more pictures to a picture of a short, mousy looking brunette in coke-bottle glasses, with a blue bitty on his shoulder. He was dressed in a simple brown sweater, the bitty though was dressed immaculately.  She was in a long mermaid gown in deep blue with a ruffling train that looked like foaming water. There was some kind of embroidery going through the gown, that may have been Kimono inspired, combining that with a deep blood red sash to match the bitties curled hair, she cut quite an image. 

“That's Samuel and his Wasabi bitty Leviathan, I took the picture so I could study the design. Since we're the only two making bitty fashion we have to share critiques. You almost can't tell she’s a swap-fell type when she's all dressed up like that.”  

“Swap-fell?” Ray asked curiously. 

Lily smiled, opening up google and began showering Ray pictures of so, so many different bitties.

“Yeah, most bitties are part of a production line, or family line. Lamia bitties are all part of their own line, but most other bitties that are this different from each other are from their own separate lines based on characteristics that group them together. Like, the standard line has Sansys, Papys, Tories, Dynes, Als, and G’s. I think Soft bones, Poppys, Tea cups, and Punnies are also considered part of this line, but they could have their own line. The fell line has Bosses, Edgies, Jaws, Grimbes...I don’t really know much about the fell line. The swap line has Baby blues, Lil’ bros, Queenies, Asagies, and Captains. The Swapfell line has Razzberries, Pups, Empresses, Wasabies, and Generals. That's just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. I know I'm missing a whole bunch of spider and elemental bitties. Not to mention the Tory types all have male counterparts called Gories. My mom even has two plant bitties, A flowey and a Rosie named Buttercup and Bryer….oh and there's the horror line, but I've never actually seen a bitty from that line, they're pretty rare. Even rarer than those are the line of bitties that are grouped together cause they don’t fit in any of the other lines like killers, Inks, Errors, Dreamers, and Nightmares. I don't even think they sell them in shops, you just have to find them in the wild or from private breeders. I’ve heard of a line called mythology, that has a bunch of really magically powerful bitties in it, but I don’t even have proof that those exist, I don’t doubt it though. There probably just really, really rare.`` 

“Wow, That’s... that's just a lot.” Ray replied as her mind began to swim from all the new information, “And you said Lamia’s are part of their own line right?”  

“Yup, though I suppose you could divide them into standard, swap, fell, and Swap-fell if you wanted. Most people don’t though, Cause lamia bitties aren't really like other bitties. 

When I was 13 I did, like, a lot of research, but still had no idea what kind of companion would be right for me when I walked into the shop. Then I saw the brightest, prettiest flashes of purple. I couldn’t help it. I had to go right over there.”  Lily replied, smiling down at Orchid affectionately.  Ray’s head was spinning, that was a lot of new information. She had no idea there were so many different types. 

“I...I think it's well past time for a lunch break, who's hungry?” Ray asked the group of bitties. To a lot of much more relaxed nodes and some soft almost smiles. The bitties were obviously still  uncomfortable around people, keeping to themselves, but at the very least they didn't seem to see Ray or Lily as threats, and that was good enough for her for now, she thought as she shuffled past all the fabrics, into the joint kitchen to start making something for all her guests. Maybe just sandwiches for lunch, then for dinner  Spaghetti would probably be super quick to make, and be able to feed everyone. Ray wasn’t the best cook, since most of her meals were quick microwaved foods, but how hard could it be? 

Chapter Text

After lunch Ray was finally able to slip away to get some of her own work done, because Lily had turned her attention to the Lamias once her sketches were done. She was able to look through her emails, it looked like one zoo a state away was very interested in Golden, so she made a note on her calendar to research them later.  She called High Hopes Bitty Shelter again with their sizes and weights; as well as a detailed description for the injuries she noted. She was told the king would definitely need magic supplements, they were kind enough to suggest a brand and a dosage for him and the Coral. 

Need to think of a nickname for the Chain, but I really don’t know him that well. 

 She would also have to either be faxed over some paperwork to legally separate the abused bitties from their owners, if that was something that they wanted or go pick it up in person. Though she said she would need to go out tomorrow to get the supplements, so she could just swing by the bitty rescue then. Which brought her back into the living room. 

       "Hey Lily, do you have anything to do tomorrow?" 

        "Just making outfits. If I wanna be done before I have to go back to school, I shouldn't take a day off...I mean unless you wanted to, like do something or, take the boys out, ohhh but they don't have anything to wear." 

         "Actually!" Ray jumped to interrupt before the excitable blond could go on another tangent. "I was wondering if you could just keep the boys company, I'll message a friend of mine to run the front office so you won't really have to worry about that. I just have to go into town to get some things." 

           "Oh, sure. I have a lot of work to do."  It really looked like it. She was making the king's outfit first, with him being the biggest bitty, it made sense. 

 Orchid was helping get his measurements, but the King was having to hold the measuring tape around his own collar.  "Speaking of, can you still put your hood up if a shirt were to lay there or would the collar need to be wider?" Lily asked. The King stood up straight and stretched out his hood, showing off the skull pattern on the inside to Lily's delight. 

      "Oh wow! The pattern on your hood kinda looks like monk's hood! There's something clever there, I just can't put my finger on it. Just look miss!"  

Ray had no idea what she was talking about, but Lily was staring up at her expectantly  like an excited puppy waiting for input. 

“You know...I don’t really know what that is.” 

“They might need a visual example, Lily dear.”  Orchid suggested, even when he was helping Lily, he stayed close to her, never going more than a foot or two away from her. 

“What a great idea!” Lily cheered, pulling out her phone again, bringing up a picture of a plant with clusters of blue drooping bells. 

It...Kinda looked like the pattern on his hood. Ray thought, If the clusters of flowers were skulls instead. 

what she ended up saying was,

“Oh yeah wow, I’ve never seen one of those before.” 

“Well there one of the most poisonous plants in North America, You might actually know them better as wolves bane, so it’s probably good you haven’t seen one...until now that is.” Lily replied, turning back to the King, “Would you mind if I incorporated more blues into your clothes to go with the pattern on your hood, I just think it would look super super cool, but like if you wanted to keep the reds I would totally understand.” 

The king seemed to struggle to find words, a light red dusting coated his cheeks. “I don’t really care, do whatever you would like.” 

“My favorite thing to hear! This outfit is going to be so cool.” Lily replied excitedly, reaching for some deeper blue bolts of cloth to replace the reds she had been measuring out. Ray felt comfortable leaving the Bitties to go schedule her trip tomorrow. She sent a text to her friend who usually covers for her when she has to leave the Viper’s Den. If he’s busy then she would need to know to make another plan quickly. Maverick was an exotic snake enthusiast. They had met when she was first starting out her higher education and bonded quickly over their love for legless reptiles. He had been attending one or two thirty minute snake handling seminars, so he could get a license to own certain venomous snakes. They got into a heated argument over whether one of the example snakes was a timber rattler or a diamondback rattlesnake. They have been best friends ever since. He was the one who sent her Golden, having a collection of legal exotics himself he ended up on boards for snakes often enough to keep an eye out for anything that gave off red flags.  Maverick Messaged back as the noodles for the spaghetti began to boil, so Ray felt like she could step away to the counter by the sink, so she could read his message and message him back. 

Yeah bro, M free what up?

I need to go into town tomorrow, you won’t believe what I have at the Vipers Den RN, G2G into town to get special supplements.

OMG OMG OMG! You have an Antiguan racer!!!!! 

Oh yeah Maverick, if I had one of the most endangered snakes in the world, the first thing I would do is message you asking you to watch the shop for me, Ray thought, rolling her eyes in amusement. 

No, goober. I have some Snake bitties. Lamias, they need special magic supplements that i have to go into town and get ASAP, can you watch the front office or nah?

*le sigh*  you break my heart, Tiny. but fine, i guess i can do you the honor of gracing the vipers den with my precious presence. I miss Jo anyway.  Wanna see my nephew.

“The pots boiling over, Sunshine.”  had Ray’s eyes glancing up from her phone, to the counter beside her. 

“What?” She asked, wondering how the Chain had even gotten up there. 

“The pot, on the stove, it’s boiling over.” He explained again before it clicked. 

“Oh, Fuck!” She turned back to the stove, which had buttery, noodle water pouring over into the eye. 

“Language!” Lily yelled from the living room. 

Right, some of the  bitties weren’t a fan of too much cursing.

“Sorry!” Ray yelled back, putting on her oven mitts to take the pot over to the strainer in the sink. Only to then bite back another curse when a third of the noodles stayed stuck to the bottom of the pot.

“Not much of a cook hu?” The Chain asked, sliding closer down the counter. 

“I usually just cook for myself.” Ray admitted, outside of deboning chicken for Jo, or occasionally warming mice up that was basically the extent of her cooking. The Chain grabbed a noodle from the strainer and took a bite out of it. 

“There good, you can probably scrape the stuck noodles out and they wouldn’t taste too different.” He said, “We're not too picky.”

Ray took his advice, scraping the stuck pasta off the pot. With a jar of generic Prego and a bag of microwavable TGIF meatballs she was ready to serve everyone.  With four plates staggered up her arms. Thank you, waitressing to pay for textbooks! She was ready to head into the living room.

“Hey, can you carry me back to the living room?” The chain asked from the counter.

“You hate when I touch you.” Ray blurted. She really didn’t mean to say that, she didn’t even know why she was so sure. She had only known this guy for about a day, but she felt so sure, like in her heart she knew that he didn’t like being touched. 

“...well...I can’t get down by myself, it was hard enough to get back up” He replied. 

Ray had an idea, putting down two of the plates and lining her hand, palm down, up to the counter.

“Joe doesn't like being picked up either, so I just let him come to me...He’s from an illegal snake seller. He was my first rescue.”  Ray explained, feeling strangely compelled to share more information then she needed to with this bitty. He didn’t immediately climb onto her arm, and she wouldn’t have been upset with him if he decided not to allow her to carry him even though he asked, but he did eventually wind his way up her arm, resting his elbows on her shoulders. He pulled his tail up, so she could stack the two spaghetti plates back onto her arms. Carrying the four plates and the chain is how she came back into the living room. As soon as she knelt down to hand out the plates and silverware, he uncurled and slid as far away from her as he could get. As they all ate, Lily mentioned that she was going to finish the King's outfit before going to bed, and they could stay up to see it if they wanted. That's how Ray ended up staying up and watching every Disney movie she owned, except for jungle book cause she didn’t know what they would think of Kaa. Lily kept the conversation flowing naturally all night, talking to each of the bitties and encouraging Ray to join in. There were even a few times where more than one of the bitties ended up laughing and joking back, which compared to just yesterday Ray would consider a win.  

By one in the morning Ray was barely keeping her eyes open, five of the bitties were already asleep using bolts of cloth as blankets and pillows. Really the only bitties still going strong were Orchid, The king, and the Pygmy. Lily handed the King the last piece of his outfit and held up a hand mirror so he could look. A deep blue button up dress shirt, under a black blazer with a blue drooping bell shapped, skull pattern across his shoulders. The blazer even had silver cufflinks that the King snapped into place, before flaring his hood to get a good look. 

“Wow! Doesn't he look cool Orchid!” Lilly asked, stirring some of the bitties enough to glance up, except for the Coral and the Papython who seemed exhausted. Ray would probably ask about some kind of supplement for the Papython, because she was about eighty percent sure he had been taking care of the other bittes or at least helping. They seemed to all take care of each other.  

"You're really talented Lily." Ray told the blond, stifling a yawn. 

"Yeah, I know. Helps when I have such an awesome model. Now don't you have to drive like three hours straight tomorrow. Go get some sleep." Lily chirped, stretching out a blanket from her car over the couch, barley giving Ray enough time to move. 

" Alright, night guys!" She called, watching the remaining Lamia's curl up together, with Orchid curling up on Lily's chest. 

Ray woke up to a slow dragging sound coming from outside her bedroom door. When she peeked out, there was a massive naga that looked like a chain was sprawled out across her couch eating a pop tart and watching TV. She remembered the snowy cave, and came to the sudden realization that this was a continuing dream. Which...she had never heard of before.  

"What's got you so puzzled, sunshine?" The giant chain asked, not even looking her way. 

"I'm not usually much of a lucid dreamer, this is a little weird for me." She admitted stepping into her living room.  The Lion King was playing on the tv.

"Guess it's a bit strange." He replied, finally looking her way. "Ya really think it's just a dream?"

"What else could it be?" She asked chuckling, and walking around the couch to sit down, the chain seemed to sense her intent and moved as far away from her as the couch would allow. 

"Why's this one your favorite?" He asked after another minute. 

"If this isn't a dream how'd you know it was my favorite?" She replied smiling before looking back at the screen. "I never really thought about it, everyone knows it's based on Macbeth so maybe just a classic story retold with lions is cool enough to be my favorite. Scare a thousand percent has the best villain song out of any Disney movie." She continued to the sound of a scoff beside her.  

"Really, the best, ya seemed really into the octopus lady's song, and the one with all the fire and creepy sexual undertones." 

"...villain songs always bring it okay. They're the best." She defended, feeling herself blush. 

The snake man smiled down at her, before shaking his head. Almost like he was reminding himself he wasn't supposed to be. 

"I don't like humans." He said, like it was supposed to mean something. Ray couldn't guess what but she felt like it meant something. 

"That's okay. Some humans kinda suck." She replied. 

That at least seemed to shock a snicker out of him. 

"Understatement...ya said the anaconda out front was yer first rescue...what's his story an why ain't he back with the other snakes?" He asked to Ray's confusion.  The conversation seemed to jump around from topic to topic, with no real rhyme or reason.  Ray was having a little trouble keeping up. 

"I ended the story. I've always kinda been into snakes. My dad's allergic to everything though, so I was never allowed to have pets. I had to wait until I moved out, but the second I did I went straight to an exotic pet shop and got what I thought was a ball python." Ray told him the whole story, she lost track of time talking to him. She told him everything she learned about where Jo was probably going, his physical disabilities,  and her drive for opening the Vipers Den. It was just so easy to talk to him. 

"Yer gonna have to get up soon." He eventually said.

"...yeah, I don't really know how to wake up." 

"Just open yer eyes Sunshine." He replied with a light chuckle.

Chapter Text

Ray woke up to her alarm, that she actually remembered to set before she crawled into bed. She probably should have gone to bed earlier, and just seen the King's outfit in the morning if the groggy, bleary feeling, wanting her to roll over and go back to sleep was anything to go by.

She couldn't though, she had a long ride ahead of her. So she crawled out of bed and began her morning routine, before walking into her living room. Lilly was already up and had apparently already been working, as she had a small pile of simple multicolored tee shirts laying next to her for when the bitties woke up and she was fiddling with some blue and white cloth while the little pygmy was jumping around looking at her sketches. 

"Someone's an early riser." Ray said by way of greeting.

"Yeah, I'm much more of a morning person then a night person. I probably won't be staying up that late again." Lilly replied. 

Ray chuckled as she walked into the kitchen, being quiet to respect the bitties still sleeping, she grabbed a breakfast bar and a togo mug because some little blessing had already put coffee on. 

 "Whenever they wake up and get hungry, you're welcome to anything in the kitchen, my friend will be managing the front office so you don't need to worry about that, I should be back around dinner and I'll probably just bring a pizza back with me."  Ray explained quietly. 

“Thanks, Orchid and I will hold down the fort here.” Lilly replied, smiling brightly. Ray returned the smile and walked out into the lobby, She got everything set up as she waited for Maverick to arrive.  She was able to eat her little breakfast bar and take a few sips of her coffee before a little blue prius pulled up...blasting megadeth at an obscene volume. Ray rolled her eyes as the sound cut and Maverick walked in, brown hair styled pristinely, every hair in place, powder blue button up pressed and tucked into his slacks. The long sleeves of his button up completely cover the full serpent sleeves he has down both arms, from shoulder blade down to wrist. 

“One,  You’re lucky I Don't have neighbors or they would have called the police, and Two I have guests sleeping in my apartment right now dude what the fuck?” Ray asked as he made his way casually into the Lobby. 

"Sorry dude, I forgot, you're usually so far out in the middle of nowhere that I don't have to worry about people." He replied, smiling cockily. 

"Whatever, you're lucky my snakes like you." Ray replied standing up, "you know where all the stuff is, Lilly is handling the bitties in my apartment, if you want you can go say hi, but remember these are rescues." She explained on her way out the door. 

"Wait, no hug?" Maverick asked, spreading his arms out.

She turned around and gave him a quick one armed hug. 

“Good to see you bro. Now I really am in a hurry, I have a lot to do today.” She said turning back towards the door. 

“Oh and be gentle with them, they have been through a lot.” she tossed over her shoulder as she made her way to a little black bug that probably needed some TLC. It could go on the bottom of the list though as long as it ran. She had a white work van for snake related things anyway. It was a decommissioned animal control van, so it was already set up, all she had to do was replace the cages with tanks. 

The old bug sputtered to life and she was on her way. Crushing down the highway she expected to just zone out and drive for three hours, however a picture of a lamia drew her attention to a billboard on the side of the road. 

"Selkie's Bitty Bonanza! New location grand opening on exit 21 B!" 

That was a lot closer than driving to Vexs shop and then doubling back to high hopes. This way she could get the supplements and anything else she needed, then go to high hopes for the paperwork and go home. With that in mind she merged into the right lane and began looking for exit 21 B. She followed road signs to a quaint brick building with large windows that had a collection of bitties basking or looking out as she pulled up...and she had never seen any of these kinds either. 

Wonderful. 

With a flick of her keys she was walking into the shop, a jingle ringing above her head, drawing a few curious looks from around the shop. 

"Hey!" A tall pink and lavender cat monster greeted enthusiastically. "Welcome to Selkie's Bitty Bonanza! My name's Beverly, How can I help you, is there any specific bitty type you're interested in?" She asked ,walking around to stand in front of the counter. 

"Actually, yeah I could use some help. Does this shop sell the same kinds of supplements and things that a Vex shop or Mama cry shop might sell?" 

"...umm supplements like?" The large cat asked, cocking her head to the side. 

"Yes we do, there down aisle three." A deep masculine voice rumbled from behind the shop attendant. Ray glanced around her to see a red and black bitty in what looked like a pressed officer's uniform. Red lapels making almost a cape down the bitties back to his snake body. 

"Thanks Tuck! This is my Marlot bitty Tuck, he kinda adopted me." The cat giggled. "But isn't that just how it goes?" 

"I...umm I wouldn't know I don't really have any bitties...exactly." Ray floundered for a minute before pulling out her business card. "My name's Ray, I run the Vipers Den, it's an exotic snake rescue." 

"Bitties aren't snakes." Tuck said, clasping his hands behind his back. 

"Umm...yeah I'm aware...I have a list of stuff I need to get."  Ray floundered, feeling self conscious. 

Just then the bell above the shop tinkled again, a couple walked in clasping hands. 

"Beverly love, I believe they are here to adopt, why don't you help them and I'll assist Miss. Ray." Tuck directed  with that he slid down the counter, so that he could get onto an extended lip on the aisles. It looked like the shop was set up to give the bitties free reign of the shop. With a long connected series of shelves zig zagging through the shop, so the bitties could navigate the aisles without moving across the floor, other shelves sat into the dips of the zig zagging shelf, with ample space between.

"May I see the list of supplements you need?" Tuck asked 

Ray pulled the list out of her pocket and handed it to the Marlot. “I also wanted to ask about something else that I didn’t think to ask the shelter about while I was on the phone with them. Some of the bitties are running themselves pretty thin.” She explained. 

"Well that depends on the types of bitties and their conditions, are they full sized or minis, and if you already have anything that would help in their care." Tuck replied looking at her expectantly. 

Ray began explaining the kinds of bitties she had, the conditions they were in, how she found them, and what she had been doing so far. It was a bit nice being out and talking to someone, in person who could help her. Tuck seemed to listen intently without giving her another list of what she needed to be doing. As she spoke she glanced around the shop, in her research she had never seen any of these bitties. Gorgeous starry night colored lamia bitties lounged up near the rafters, close to the large windows so they could see outside. A cluster of coffee colored ones with braces seemed to be sharing a large human sized sketch pad to doodle. A rattling sound drew her attention back down to the shelf, she stopped walking instinctively, not quite freezing, but looking for what was making the sound before continuing. A purple lamia bitty that looked similar to Orchid and Tuck chirped to the smaller Marlot bitty. 

It occurred to Ray that Tuck might be a mini, either that or Marlots were just small, she really didn't know, but she could assume. 

"No, she's not here to adopt." Tuck told the other lamia. "Miss Ray, all the bitties you described are from Vex's bitty shop. So you may not know this young man here is a Rattler and his brother here is a Coin."

For the first time Ray noticed the other purple Lamia reclining back in the shadow of the shelves. His skeletal body was similar to a King or A Chain. His snake body was light purple, flat, and chubby looking. The shape of his body rang little familiar bells in her head. Ray could recognize the signs of a venomous snake anywhere, nonvenomous snakes tended to be rounder though these weren’t snakes, trusting her instincts hadn’t steered her wrong yet. 

"There's a lot of different bitty types, is there a shop that caters to all of them?" She asked, also holding out two fingers for the rattler to shake. Which he did politely, before grabbing his brother and pulling him towards the other individuals actually here to adopt. The coin seemed to just allow himself to be pulled along. 

“Not really, it’s better for the bitties if each adoption center only has a certain assortment of bitties, it gives us a better chance to be adopted. Even the pet stores that are licensed to adopt out bitties are only allowed a very small selection.” He replied, continuing down the isles passing pale blue bitties being read a story by another Marlot and winged serpent bitties lounging on the tops of the shelves. A wolf whistle drew her attention up to the rafters as she was walking, little harpy skeletons winked at her from their perches. She waved up at them in wonder.

“Here,” Tuck said, grabbing a pamphlet from the shelf. “We have these in multiple places throughout the shop. If you are curious about the bitties we have here. This will be quicker without you distracted.” 

Ray nodded and took the pamphlet. 

“Sorry, bitties in general are really new to me.” she replied, opening it up, also pulling out her phone so she could look up their subtypes out of curiosity.  She had learned early on that bitty bones were grouped in pairs of “brothers” ; sometimes those bitties were actually brothers, sometimes they weren't; there were only a couple bitty bones that didn’t seem to have a brother pair. It was just another way to classify them, and it seemed like this was how this pamphlet was set up. The Coffee colored ones who were drawing were called Espressos, and it seemed like their brother pair were Marlots. The starry night colored bitties up near the rafters, were called Nebulas and Constellations, Nebulas being the sansy types and Stellars (As the pamphlet abbreviated) were papy types. The green and yellow winged ones didn't really look like any of the other bitties she had seen before and they appeared to only have a mini variety. The green ones were Savvys and the yellow ones were Suaves. The little flirty bitties were lusty harpy types, which Ray didn’t know harpy  or lusty types were a thing so there were another two subclasses. The little Pink papy harpies were called Glossys, and the little purple sansy harpies were called Lilacs. The little blue ones, over at story time were called blackberry puffs, and their brother counterparts were yellow with brown spots and were called Twisters. There were two more types that she hadn’t seen yet and they didn’t seem to have brother pairs, ghostly white ones called…well Ghosts, and black grim reaper esk lamias called Phantoms.
Oh wow, look at that. Phantoms are mythology types! Ray thought excitedly, hoping that she would remember to tell Lily when she got back. With her eyes glued to the little pamphlet it really shouldn't have been a surprise when she walked right into someone. 

“Ohhh, I am so, so sorry.” she rushed out looking up. This “Bitty” had to have been at least 7’ tall. She couldn’t even guess how long. And he was indeed bright yellow with brown dappling patterns down his snake body, oh wow Twisters are  huge . His hands were in the pockets of his giant hoodie.

“My fault, sorry.” he hissed out, stretching out the S. 

“What, oh no, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“...I honestly have no idea how you missed him...are you sure you're capable of taking care of nine bitties?” Tuck asked from his place on the shelf. 

“...It’s going to be eight soon, because Orchid’s human is going to be taking him home soon...and the King and the Papython seem to be really helpful.” She replied bashfully. 

Tuck nodded, seeming to come to a conclusion. 

“Excuse me Twister, can you pass Miss. Ray down three tins of Sea tea?” He asked, addressing the bitty before turning back to Ray. 

“You’ll need to give it to your King, Coral, Papython, and Honey-Bo everyday, with their supplements. You need to try and convince the Honey-Bo and the Coral to get medical attention, but I understand if you don’t want to force them after everything they have been through. Start trying to build trust. Bring in a collection of toys and treats, if you can find something shiny for the Coral. From the way you describe their behavior it seems to me like the Corny and the Honey-Bo are a mated pair, so on your way home I would pick up some chicken nuggets, to try and ease your way into convincing them to go get medical attention. Are you intending to adopt any of them?” 

“I haven’t really considered it.” Ray explained, stacking the tins into her arms, and mouthing a quick thanks to the twister as she skittered around to keep up with the Marlot who had started moving down the shelves. “I run my own rescue, I only have one permanent resident at the Viper’s Den. Normally I want my snakes to end up wherever is best for them. Either in the wild, wildlife programs, zoos, or with known snake enthusiasts who can legally keep them happy and healthy. I...don’t think I would be the best place for them to stay. I would feel bad if they just sat in my apartment all day alone. I just...it’s my whole thing, serpents. It doesn't matter if they are tiny magical monsters with skeletal bodies or not. The fact that they were dropped off outside of the Vipers Den makes me feel responsible for them, even if they don't intend on staying.” 

Tuck paused, looking back towards the front of the shop almost whimsically, “Is that right now?” before smiling and moving on down the isles. 

"Very inspiring Miss… however. Good intentions won't help them heal." Tuck replied turning down another aisle, this one had bottles and bags, it looked like a snack aisle. He pointed out several large white bottles. "These would be good for the underweight bitties to take with their meals. Our bodies are made of magic and we also use magic to break down food into more magic to sustain us. These will give them a magical boost so they can gain more magic then they usually would while eating." 

Ray added them to her stack of things, wondering if she should run to get a basket as the Marlot grabbed two more bottles. A purple one and a green one. 

"Give the green one to your injured bitties. It won't erase the need for medical attention. But it will help them heal along with the sea tea and other supplements. Just remember green magic heals." He explained passing the bottles to her quickly filling up arms. " The purple one is specifically for the Papython, or anyone else you believe might be expending large amounts of magic. It will give them a small boost and regulate their magical flow, to lessen magical exhaustion, purple perseveres. Though they can still over do it. So if you can convince him you have the situation handled and that he's done enough that would be best." He continued to explain, using magic to lift several bags of cookies, chips, and gummies onto her pile of groceries.

"These are just monster foods, they don't need to eat them for every meal, I would just make sure they're available as snacks, to give them another boost."  He explained continuing down the aisles. Ray followed him, turning a corner to see an aisle of what looked like cat toys and shiny plastic coins in little baggies. using magic he began to stack things on top of her pile. Somehow balancing it neatly in her arms.

"I know you said the Mamba would be leaving soon, but some toys to keep him and the other more active bitties, like the pygmy, entertained while there in your care wouldn't hurt." He said, pausing to think. "I believe that's everything...if however you manage to get them to a vet or shelter and find that you need anything else, please do come back, Though I would recommend stopping by Vex’s at some point anyway since the bitties in your care are from that shop.” 

“I’ll definitely take your recommendation into consideration, You’ve been a great help.” Ray replied, carrying her precariously balanced stack of goods, up to the register. Beverly chatted politely as she rang Ray up. The supplements we're not cheap but a tax exemption card helped knock it down so that her card covered all but twenty-five dollars of the purchase. 

The non profit process allowed her a salary for her employees. Hence why she lived at the shelter and had one of the oldest beetles known to man, to make the amount of money she needed to live on as small as possible. Still she did end up having a little cushion of spending money that she was happy to fork over. 

"Thank you for stopping by!" Beverly said chireely as Ray left the store, pocketing her receipt as she went. When she pulled back out onto the interstate she made the choice to go to the local Vex shop another day. She was at Selkie's bitty Bonanza a bit longer than she had planned. She would still need to get the paperwork from High hopes and get chicken nuggets from mcdonald's with the pizzas.  It was going to be a very long day.  She would probably just drop the paperwork off in person after the Lamias fill it out and go on down to Vex's shop then. 

The Shelter was a gray brick building with murals of Bitties painted down the side. Likely to make it look more inviting.

They’re kinda cute. Ray thought as she walked into the building.  

"High Hopes Shelter. How can I help ya?" A large dark gray rabbit monster asked from behind the counter. He looked a little like a punk rocker. His tank top hung loosely from one shoulder. Dark hair was swooshed back between long pierced ears, one of which had a silver hoop through a Large gage near the end of the ear.  Maybe the way this kid looked would have made other clients pause or try to find another volunteer, but after so many years of working with other non-profits Ray was used to the kinds of people who frequently volunteered. 

"Hi! I'm Ray from the Vipers Den. I called yesterday about some voluntary separation of adoptee forms." She replied cheerfully approaching the desk. As she got closer she noticed three bitties draped across the rabbits shoulders. She recognized a purple Coin, and a little pink punny, The third though, looked like a melting pile of goo with a melty face similar to a Kraits. 

"Oh yeah! They said you should be by today. I'm Gidgit. These guys are my bitties there not up for adoption." He added winking as he turned and started typing away on the computer in front of him. Probably to pull up the paperwork she needed.

Ray was startled into giggling. "I take it that happens pretty often." 

"What, ya don't think we're cute enough to adopt." The coin chimed in snidely. 

"What, n-no that's not what I meant. I just have one permanent resident at the Den, and I thought it was...ya know kinda...similar that reserves and zoos ask about him... all the time." She finished nervously.

Gidgit reached up to place a soft gray paw over the Coin. "Midas is just teasing ya. Ain't ya Midas, cause if ya weren't the bosses might not allow ya to be up at front desk with me when I'm at work." 

"This is cotton," he added, pointing to the punny who seemed preoccupied with a wooden block. "And plops." Gesturing to the goopy looking one. "They're all here to help you with anything you need...at no extra cost, no matter what Midas says." Gidgit explained, smiling charmingly.  

"Your fine really, High Hopes has been such a big help the past few days. I'm really really new to the whole...bitty thing...if you don't mind me being curious. What...umm what kinda bitty are you?" She asked changing her attention to Plops at the last second to try and not be rude. The bitty quickly seemed to turn into a puddle and slurm down into a pocket on Gidgit's tank top. 

Gidgit laughed, "don't worry bout that. He's a goopster. A gaster type, but pretty shy." He explained finally grabbing her papers and passing the three forms over.  

"Even if we don't charge, ya could still donate." Midas chimed in, with his arms crossed. He almost seemed grumpy. 

"Oh...ummm... I've got five bucks." She replied nervously reaching into her pockets to rummage with her free hand. 

"Oh you don't have to do that." Gidgit replied, waving a paw nonchalantly, as Ray slid the crumpled up bill into the donations box. 

"Nah, one non-profit to another. You've been a huge help." Ray reassured him, smiling as she turned to leave.  Next all she had to do was get pizza and McDonald's

Chapter Text

Ray had never been happier to pull into the Vipers Den. She was tired, and she had to find a way to carry in all her stuff. Looping as many bags onto her arms as she could, and piling the remaining on top of the pizza boxes, she managed to make her way into the den. Maverick was sitting up front. On the floor close to the door to her apartment, the door was propped open, and he had Metallica playing while he quietly talked to the Coral and the Papython, now in loose fitting Tee-shirts.  He didn't even really seem to notice her until she spoke. 

"Hey. Can I get a hand!" 

"Sure, sure!" Maverick called, springing up. "Dude, these little guys are so freaking cool!" 

He took the piled up pizza boxes off the top of the stack and walked on into your apartment, leaving her with the majority of the bags. The coral started to snicker before grabbing his ribs and wincing. Ray winced in sympathy. 

“Let’s grab some dinner, I think I might have something to help with that,” she offered gently, making her way into the living room. Lilly passed out paper plates, the bolts of fabric had been moved to one corner of the room making a kind of orderly mess. A little blue blur was zipping around the room, bouncing off the couch before springing to a stop in front of Ray.  The Pygmy posed, holding his arms wide. He was in a blue and cream tie-dyed tank top that met his snake body. A leather-looking cream jacket was on top of that with little gold stars down the arms; and finally, his blue bow had been patched with cream stars creating an ombre effect down to where it had been frayed the worst. 

“Wow…that’s really, really cool buddy, but umm, these are heavy.” Ray said, shifting the bags.

“Oh, gosh!” Lilly gasped looking at Ray and sprung up to help.

“Thank you so much, you're a treat. Unlike some people!” Ray calls into the kitchen where Maverick was laying out the pizzas. The bags that were on top of them had been plopped on the floor near the couch. A quick glance around the living room showed that all the bitties who didn’t have full outfits had divided up the Tee shirts that Lily made so that they weren’t just going around with their bare ribs showing. 

“Hey!” he replied in mock indignation, “ I’ve been working up front all day, by the way you got a new garden snake in. Little old lady had to replace the winterization in her garden cause it got ripped and found the little guy's hole. She didn’t wanna kill it, but didn’t want it digging holes in her garden either.”

“Sounds like an easy re-release once the weather warms up,” Ray replied, smiling and sitting down on the floor with her back leaning against the couch. From down there it would make it easier to pull things out and sort them. She started with the supplements, opening each bottle. 

“Hey guys can you bring your plates over here for a sec? I’ve got some stuff to go with dinner that should help you all feel just a bit better,” She took a minute to try and remember everything Tuck said, and resorted to reading the bottles hoping it would jog her memory. 

Stars, she was tired.

“Okay! So, give me one sec, ummm…okay, I remember,” she said cheerfully as she could, pouring out some of the white supplements. She placed them one on the King’s plate; and when she went to place one on Thor’s, she found he wasn’t next to his plate. All the bitties seemed to freeze when your eyes landed on him trying to sneak the McDonalds bag away from her side. 

“Do…umm, do you need a hand with that?” 

“You’d…just let me take it?” he asked skeptically.

“I want the pizza bud, a Bitty at Selkie’s suggested that I bring some chicken nuggets for Loki.”

“And then you just did…for no reason at all,” he replied, narrowing his eye sockets at her and slowly loosening his hold on the bag like he was going to give up on it.

“Well, not for no reason. I want you guys to let me help you. If bringing food and snacks you like will get you to eat well and take your supplements, then I can make an extra stop for that,” Ray replied, pushing the bag back towards him.   

“So, you're admitting to bribing us to take the medicine.. I can’t tell if you're just so bad at lying that you're telling the truth, or if you actually think that that's a good reason. But whatever…what are they for anyway?” Thor asked, shaking his head incredulously before finally just picking up the bag and taking it to where Loki was waiting with his own plate next to Thor’s. 

“I…oh, I forgot what they do exactly, but the white ones will help the underweight bitties gain weight faster. The green ones are for bitties that are hurt and need a little boost to heal. So you, the Coral, and the Krait, aaaand the purple ones are for the Papython.  I suppose anyone who feels like they’re just over doing it and need a boost,” she replied, divvying out the rest of the supplements.  She was about to get up to make the sea tea only for Lilly to bring back the cups and hand one to all the bitties. 

“Orchid, just loves this stuff, and you look, like,  super tired. So, I thought we could help,” she said, smiling widely and nodding towards Maverick.  He was carrying over slices of pizza on napkins so he could stack them.  

“Thanks, I’ve got a couple more things to hand out that the bitty at the shop suggested,” Rey replied, reaching for the bags of snacks and toys. 

“Was it a coin?” The Chain asked from the couch, over her shoulder, where he was looking down into the bags suspiciously. He was in his own loose gray tee shirt. 

“Uhhh it was a Marlot.” Ray replied. 

“And he suggested alla this?” The Chain replied, before shrugging, “Just seems a lil’ excessive, think maybe you got conned into getting more then ya needed.”

“If it makes you guys feel better, then this stuff is just an investment in that. All my other patients have toys and treats in their terrariums. They're not even sentient and it's important to make sure they're not board, or out of place in their tanks,” Ray replied, pulling out the toys and snacks, so that she could clean up the last of the bags and finally just sit back and eat.  It was worth the effort when the Pygmy’s eyes turned to literal stars, staring at what looked like a cat dazzler. 

“Let’s eat, then I can get this all set up. Do you guys want me to leave the snacks in here, or set them up in the temperate room? They're supposed to have a high magic content to help you gain some extra weight, just a little faster,”  She replied, smiling weakly and finally taking a bite out of the pizza. It was such a long day that she had forgotten lunch. 

It was nice to just sit and eat dinner with the bittes. Loki had been given a slice of pizza, but he seemed to be taking his time savoring the nuggets like he was starving. The Chain hadn’t moved from the couch to his food yet, but Ray assumed he would when he was hungry. At least they didn’t seem to have any trouble with their supplements and sea tea. It was so relaxing to be able to sit that Ray  nearly forgot something else. Swallowing quickly, she pulled the papers out of her purse. 

“Oh, that reminds me. For the Papython, the Coral, and the King,” She said, looking at each bitty in turn, “I have some paperwork for you to fill out. Just some quick formalities…we can go over them privately, if you would like.” 

The Coral chirps; and almost instantly, Orchid replied to translate. 

“He said, ‘anything you want to say to them, you can say in front of the rest of us’.” 

“Well…they just say that you don’t want to go back to…ummm the people who hurt you, and if you can give their names, they will be black listed from adopting bitties in the future.”  

“Wouldn't stop them,” the Chain grumbled, finally sliding down the couch and over to his own plate. 

“What do you mean?” Ray asked.

“Bitties can sense a person's soul,” the King explained, “their intentions and on the vaguest level what type of person they are. We can tell if they are malicious or not…The organizers of the rings are very malicious with lots of evil intent and high Levels Of ViolencE. A bitty wouldn’t willingly go with them, they use proxies; and of course, the Coral was born in the rings.  There was no adoption needed when you have bitties willing to be breeders if it means they don’t have to fight anymore…or maybe it's just some sick sense of loyalty to the ring leaders. I don’t know, but there is no way to really stop them.”

“That doesn't mean we stop trying,”  Ray said, looking at Maverick who looked like he was thinking the same thing. You were snake people after all. 

“You chip them down  piece at a time” Maverick said, causing a warm feeling to build in her chest, it was kind of a code they shared. The pet store she bought Jo from had been brought down by little pieces coming together. The illegal snake traders that Maverick encountered online were brought down by centimeters at a time.  It couldn’t be done all at once if you wanted to get the snakes out before they were moved to another dealer or euthanized to get rid of evidence.  

“Jo, from the front. He was from an illegal snake market out the back of a pet shop. That was found because of one guy who got caught with a Jameson Mamba. That one guy brought down the shop, the shop brought down the suppliers, and  the suppliers brought down some big smugglers in the illegal animal trade.” Ray explained, breathing in deeply and looking between the King and the Chain. “You might not be able to bring it down all at once, but if you keep chipping away at it, it’ll fall apart eventually.”  

“It’s cute that you think that sunshine; but I bet after that, other smugglers just took their place,” the Chain chimed in. He still hadn't really touched his dinner, only taking a few bites, and Ray was starting to think that maybe he wasn’t hungry.  “Then, they will be hunted down too, and any snakes they have will be sent my way…or ummm ya know,  to a similar organization.”  

Maverick chimed back. “Real hero complex this one. You guys are probably gonna have to reign her in a few times. Remind her that she doesn't gotta fawn over ya like you’re her usual clients.”

“Do not,” Ray retorted.

“I literally bit you within seconds of being here, and you apologized for startling us,” Orchid deadpanned.

“That’s nothing! You should have seen her the one time this big bulldozer unearthed a freaking copperhead nest. Little venomous snakes are freaking everywhere on this school construction site. One of the science teachers suggested using it to teach about conservation so they called up the Vipers den. Ray was already super freaking swamped cause Jo had some vet appointments, and there were just all her other snakes. So, she said she could head down tomorrow. 

“Whelp the principal said if the snakes weren’t gone tonight he would have to call an exterminator cause it was a school, and they were venomous. So, guess who leaves here at ten and spends all night in the dark on this cold wet construction site catching highly venomous snakes so they won’t be exterminated? Then she has to intake them, register them, and find out if there's a place she can release them ‘cause the Vipers Den only has so much room and these little guys were healthy. 

“By the time she gets all that done, the sun is rising. So, she just goes ahead and starts her day. Long story short, she doesn't get to bed until like midnight that night, and she's just freaking beat. Ends up getting sick like a dingus and having to call me to come lend a hand for a couple days.” Maverick finishes the story proudly much to Ray’s embarrassment. 

“I…That's just…That only happened once!” She said defensively, "and I knew it was you!"  She adds pointing at the Mamba. 

"Oh...I never admitted to that." Orchid blanched, realizing his mistake. 

"Oh my stars," Lily said, giggling at the look on his face.

The conversation continued animatedly. Eventually, the dishes were cleaned up and all the snacks were piled in the corner. It was decided until Lilly left that they would stay in the living room, so it just makes sense that that's where they should be. The toys were set up and the little package of plastic gold coins was opened and slid over to the Coral. He crossed his arms, but while Ray was hanging up the dazzler toys, the plastic coins disappeared into his little section of fabric. 

It was no surprise when the Pygmy immediately went for the dazzler toy, shooting back and forth with the little white stars on his scarf streaming behind him. The three bitties who wanted to legally separate from their adopters were handed their paperwork. As they couldn’t read or write, Orchid had volunteered to help them sign. There was a spot for their old name, which the Coral and the Papython didn’t have, and a spot for any new name they would like to be called. Which the two nameless bitties opted out on. The King however seemed to blush. 

  "Miss Lily has been calling me Wolf since the… flower thing, yesterday," He said, nervously looking at Orchid. The two of them seemed to have a moment of understanding. Orchid reach over and patted the much larger bitty on the side familiarly, as high up as he could reach. 

"I think that's a fine name,” he replied, helping the King spell out his new name on the sheet.

“Awww that's super sweet. I’m honored, like really.  I’m so glad you like it. I just thought it suited you cause of the pretty pattern on your hood.”  Lilly said, smiling like Christmas had come early. 

It was a genuinely sweet moment… until they got to the next part of the sheet. It was optional, but it asked for any abuse or neglect they would like to report. The Coral just placed a big x on that section, pushed the paper towards Ray, and slithered away. 

“That's fine, you don’t have to report anything that you don’t want to,” Ray said in response and put the paper back onto her lap.  She was probably just going to fax them over, that way she could keep a copy in her files.  

The Papython, fidgeted with his pencil for a little bit before asking softly. 

“Can we…,'” He seemed to struggle trying to find the words before giving up and chirping.

“He wants to know if he will be able to fill it out later if he doesn't fill it out now?” Orchid translated for him. 

“Of course, you can choose to report anything at any time, or not at all. Even those of you who aren't signing separation forms. You can all report anything at any time,” Ray explained. The Papython nodded and passed her the paper.  Wolf in turn wrote one thing on his paper, before handing it to Ray. 

A name: Alicia Maddison 

Ray nodded, smiling at the bitties. 

“Alright, I’m going to fax these over really quick,” she said, going to stand up before being pushed back down. 

“Nu-uh” Lily said, shaking her head down at Ray. “You look half dead, and with the advice of your friend I'm making you rest.”

“Says the one who stayed up all night driving, then stayed up late again to start making outfits.” Ray tossed back with more familiarity than she meant to. She almost forgot they had just met yesterday. 

“I’m a freshman in college, I live on caffeine and anxiety.” 

“...okay as a graduate, I feel the need to guide you. You have these things called kidneys that need water,” Ray replied, steeping her hands together, only for a pillow to be thrown in her face. 

“Did you really just?” She gasped at the giggling blond.

“I’m kinda shocked dude, it’s usually a lot harder for you to make friends…am I watching you get adopted by an extravert?  Is that what's happening now?” Maverick teased, rounding up his charger and shoes. 

Ray was about to answer in the negative, that they had just met yesterday, and that they were too old for that, when Lily chimed in.

“Oh definitely!”  

“...you…wanna be friends?”

“We are friends, silly! Unless you don’t wanna be and want, like, a professional relationship with the person staying on your couch,” Lily countered.

“Oh yeah…I guess we are friends.”

Orchid used this as the opportunity to take a shot. “Human...that’s up there in the most awkward things I have ever seen…good job.” 

“Oh you haven't seen anything,” Maverick teased, jiggling his keys, “But, living social disaster that she is aside, I gotta get going. There’s only one couch and it seems taken. But I'll definitely be back to visit while y’all are here.” He tossed up some devil horns that the Coral reluctantly reciprocated, or at least it seemed reluctant. Ray vaguely remembered a tidbit on one of the sites claiming that Corals were tsunderes. That they pretended not to like the attention that they craved. That was Corals that hadn’t been horribly abused though, so Ray couldn’t imagine how like or unlike these bittes were to their counterparts who haven't been through the things that they had.  

“Drive safe dude!” She said.  There was a peaceful quiet as he left that Ray was reluctant to break, but she couldn’t stop thinking  “So, I really should fax those before I go to bed, but after that I'm just gonna sit here, then we can watch TV or something until bed." 

“Alrighty dude. You're leaving the room, though, so you don’t get to be part of the rock, paper, scissors tournament for the remote,” she said, flashing spirit fingers. 

“A sacrifice I'm willing to make,” Ray replied, shuffling up one more time. 

“Miss Ray, would it be alright if I came without? I…I have some things I’d like to report.” Orchid hedged, standing up straight. 

“Oh, do you want me to come with you?” Lily offered concern clear in her voice. 

“Not yet. no…I will tell you eventually Lily, but…I can’t yet. I’m sorry,” The bitty said like it broke his heart, but his human just smiled and reached out to him, scooping him up and close to her chest.

“My beautiful blooming Orchid. You don’t need to apologize for needing time. It’s okay, you’ll be ready when you’re ready and not a second sooner, okay?” She asked soothingly.

The Mamba nodded, seeming unable to speak. Ray looked somewhere else as he whipped his eyes. 

“Let’s go then.” He eventually said, drawing Ray’s attention back to them, Lily had her hand extended, the Bitty waiting patiently in her palm. Ray lined her own palm up with Lily’s and let the lamia slide into her palm on his own. 

Chapter Text

Ray placed Orchid down on the lobby desk to fax the paperwork. She seriously debated doing a quick google search of the name Wolf had given her. Maybe she could find a social media page or something, but she decided against it with Orchid here. She didn’t want to make this harder for him than it had to be. Once done, she waited patiently. He seemed to be looking anywhere but her. His gaze seemed to focus out the windows at the darkening world beyond. 

“If you changed your mind, we don’t have to do this,” Ray offered.

“No…I want to… I want to get it over with as soon as possible and then never speak of it again. If I can. I was mainly waiting to see if we would have a guest…I intend to only tell you my story, but I’m sure there are some bitties who are very invested in you not knowing what happened to them in the rings…What they had to do to survive.” He trailed off sadly.

“I understand, I wouldn’t want to know something that they weren’t ready to share,” Ray replied. Silence had overtaken them again, and Ray began looking out the window with him. Together, they watched the sun sink lower in the sky. It was nearly dark before Orchid began to speak. 

“Lily said it was about a full year ago. I honestly lost track of time. We were at a large park. It was sunny and warm. A really nice day. Lily wanted to go play soccer with her little cousins. She was going to be going away to school soon, so she wanted to spend all the time she could with them. I stayed over on one of the picnic tables. We had done this before. She would go and do something and I would watch her or read until she came back over to sit with me…This time though, when no one was looking, a man ran up and grabbed me. I didn’t know it was a man at the time. I only saw black. 

“I…umm, I tried to bite the hands around me, but they were wearing special gloves. My fangs  wouldn’t pierce the material. I was thrown in a black box, I didn’t see the kind of vehicle, but I heard the engine. I tried yelling, but…well I probably should have tried that sooner. I didn’t see anything for a long time as the motor rumbled. Eventually, it did stop, and the box was shaken as it moved. I was able to see when they dropped me into a kind of container made to hold bitties and prevent their magic from allowing them to escape. The room was dim, and the walls were all metal…like we were inside a shipping container or some kind of big truck trailer. You know, the kind they use for transporting goods from suppliers to distributors across state lines. Hell, maybe it was a train car. I don’t know, we were in little glass boxes in a big dark metal box. That’s all I could see…

“There were so many bitties. Mostly Fell types, but there were so many others you wouldn’t expect. For example, there were Papythons and Pygmies. Softer and kinder types of bitties were clearly only for…well there's no easy way to say it. The nurturers and healers were used to keep prized fighters alive after the fights. The small ones not suiter to either were used to easily raise combatants XP. Soft bones, baby blues, sometimes Pygmines could be fodder…but more often non-combat Lamias were saved for something else.” Orchid paused for a moment. A look of disgust was clear on his face. 

“We can take a break if you need,” Ray offered. 

“No… I’m fine… I didn’t have to worry about… that,” Orchid replied. Ray couldn't imagine what ‘that’ was referring to.

 “Anyways,” Orchid continued. “I was small, fast, and had a decent magical output while also being venomous. I was a fighter. They had plenty of ways to get bitties to fight…They… They had pictures of Lily. They said if I didn't fight, they could find her; but if I fought and won enough, they would take me back to her. It was an obvious lie really, but one I held onto to make it bearable. I don’t know how many bitties I killed who they had fed the same lies to.  As I said earlier, bitties that weren’t adept at fighting were used as easy XP… Some of them…the ones I killed, couldn’t even fight back.”

His words were coming out higher pitched, and he was taking longer pauses between them. Purple tears were slowly making tracks down his face. 

“I…I started thinking maybe I didn’t deserve to get out with all the dust on my hands. I never got any names, or anything definitive. I would wake up. If I had a fight that day, I would be given a live mouse. If I won…If I killed, I would be given another one and some water when I was thrown back in my box. That was the only time they fed me. This went on the whole time I was in the Rings for nearly a year… and I still had it so much better than others. We talked, the glass wasn’t thick, it was just magically warded. We didn’t even have to raise our voices.  Wolf, the Chain and the Coral were already there when I was taken…probably the pygmy too, but he was probably just being kept somewhere else. The kraits came next… about ten of them all at once. Last were Thor and Loki… well not last certainly. But for our group. Between them there were several bosses, kings, puppies, grimbies…so, so many bitties nothing but dust. 

“They would be brought in, and if they were lucky, they would make it to three months. It was a good marker to tell if someone was going to make it or die quickly." There was another long pause while he collected himself. Only the purple glow of bitty tears illuminated the dark lobby; but it was the illusory cover of nightfall that gave fleeting comfort against harsh memories. 

"It was slow going, building trust between fighters. Because really, if you could eliminate stronger opponents before you had to fight them, then you would guarantee that you could live another day. Somehow though, slowly, we began to plan together… Wolf was owned by one of the higher ups in the ring… not the woman who officially adopted him. Fuck, I think I can tell you that he joined us down in the metal room eventually; and that's when we knew it was now or never. They would have me and him fight eventually…it was just a matter of time. So we waited. We all just needed to survive long enough. When they pulled us both out at the same time, we made our move. Biting, bursts of magic, walls of bone as big as we could make them. We shot the locks on the coral and the chains containers, and they helped us get the others out. It was going so well…we made it outside…this is really the only important part, but you had to know the rest to get to here…there were three black trucks and a big blue Cadillac with a red interior. They turned on flood lights, and we were able to see the outside of the metal container. The side was covered in a lot of graffiti, probably gang signs and tags. Under that, though, was a logo. Hex nuts industrial distributor." 

This time when he paused he looked at Ray expectantly. He was waiting for her to reply. 

"...would you recognize the gang tags if you saw them again?” Ray asked him.

He nodded before smiling ruefully. “Is that it? I just told you for a year I killed several innocent creatures, Hell I probably killed the humans I attacked on our escape attempt. You have to want to report that right?”

“Only thing I want to do is help the authorities hunt down the bad guys and stop them. We can do that by giving them all the information you remember,” Ray paused and thought, “and just to be clear, you’re not a bad guy for wanting to survive. You’re not a bad guy for wanting to keep Lily safe. The people who weaponized those feelings are the bad guys.”

Orchid muttered something under his breath. Ray couldn’t be sure but it almost sounded like he mumbled, “not guilty hu?” 

“So, do you want to stop there or do you want to keep going? You said ‘attempt,’ so I’m guessing you didn’t get away. Do you know how you came to be outside the Vipers Den?” Ray hedged, letting Orchid decide if he was done or not.

“I wish I could tell you how we ended up here, but I don’t know…we didn't make it out, no. Since we were so attached to each other, they were going to give us the pleasure of dying together. They said they were going to throw the box we were in into the icy river.but that didn’t happen.” Orchid turned his teary gaze from Ray in shame. “I-I do really want to apologize for biting you. We could feel the intent rolling off you when you held us to your chest. I should have known to trust that. Mouths can lie, but souls can’t.”

“I don’t blame you for biting me. Hell, from what you just described, if you wanted to hurt me, really hurt me, you could have…but you didn’t.  I don’t think you want to hurt anyone Orchid. I think you just want to live with your human while she dotes over you and makes you way more clothes than you probably need.”

That at least got the bitty laughing, ``Don't underestimate my ability to be a prima-donna Miss Ray…Though speaking of souls, just between you and I, I think you need to make that trip to Vex’s bitty shop sooner rather than later.  They might be able to help you with…well it’s not my place to say, but the other chains there will know.”

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Don’t worry about it.  Let me draw those marks so we can go see who has the tv remote.” Ray was more than willing to drop it. She would have plenty of information for the investigators to work through. When they got back to the living room, they were informed that the Krait had won, and they would be watching Animal Planet. “Fine by me,” Ray thought to herself. A commercial advertising the new Selkie’s Bitty Bonanza location had Ray bolting for her purse.

“Oh my Stars, Lily. That reminded me. Do you remember what you said about not knowing if the mythology type was real or not!?” she said, excitedly passing the folded up pamphlet to the blond. “Check out the last page and google their sub-typing.” 

As they chatted, the bitties opened up some of their snacks, and watched a few episodes in a marathon of Blue Planet. They didn’t stay up late at all, but that was probably for the best since both of the humans had some sleep to catch up on.  

It didn’t surprise Ray when she drifted off to sleep only to find herself ‘waking up’ in a dream. Howling wind surprised her. She could hear it wailing from her room into the lobby and confirmed that there was a raging blizzard outside. Thick, black rolling clouds pelted down sheets of snow so thick, it was like a white curtain outside the Viper’s Den.  The wind whipped around the Vipers Den, screeching at such a pitch that it took Ray a moment to realize that there was also screaming coming from her snake rooms!  It wasn’t just the wind outside! Ray hadn’t had a nightmare in a while, and she was lucid, so she didn’t have any second thoughts about walking into her snake rooms. 

To her shock though, the door didn’t open into the familiar hallway she was used to. It opened into a large metal room with glass boxes stacked on top of each other up to the ceiling. When she tried to walk further into the room, she walked right into a glass wall. It was dark and smelled of rust. Naked bulbs hung from extension cords on the ceiling, and the dust moats drifted visibly through the air.  Ray hoped it was just regular dust, but a part of her knew it was monster dust. She didn’t have time to think about it when a door banged open and rumbled like thunder. In walked a giant. He must have been over 100ft tall, his boots hammered on the floor.

“WHERE'S MY SNAKE EATER!?” His hoary voice roared.

An unseen voice answered from the dark, “We moved the containers around, boss. He’s over there.” 

Then the giant figure turned to look at Ray. She had never felt so frozen with fear. There was a jingling of keys, and suddenly a padlock Ray hadn't been able to see popped open. The giant’s fist stuffed something into the glass box. It was a small, unconscious Corny. Small being subjective, the lamia still looked like his head would make it mid chest on Ray, and his body was way too thick to just be carried around by anything other than a giant. The thing the man had yelled suddenly clicked.

Snake eater…okay time to wake up.

Something behind her moved, sliding across the bottom of the glass box.

Wake up, Wake up, Wake up!

Her eyes were locked on the Corny. She was scared she was about to see this bitty be ripped apart by some unknown thing from the shadows. But, instead of going for the Corny, the creature stopped right behind Ray. For a moment, Ray felt like an eternity passed as her heart hammered violently in her chest. 

Then quick as lightning, she was wrapped up in a crushing tail as thick as a tree trunk from her ankles up to her biceps. It locked her arms to her sides. Towering above her, the chain she had been dreaming about for the past three days stalked the gloom. She wanted to say something, but the pressure was crushing.

“I’ve found that it's easier to get the hardest ones out of the way first, but I’m sure Orchid mentioned that. Don’t fight, it’ll hurt less if you relax.” The giant chain rumbled, his voice was quiet but the deep rumble vibrated against Ray's back. She tried to plead, but the crushing tail wrapped around her squeezed the breath from her lungs making it impossible. 

“Shhh, I’ll make it quick.” He said, almost soothingly, reaching one skeletal hand up to wipe the tears collecting in her eyes, Orange tears collected in his own sockets, before he unhinged his jaw with a painful grinding and clicking of bone. 

The last thing Ray saw were twin gold capped fangs coming for her.  

Chapter Text

Ray bolted up panting. A thin sheen of sweat cooled her skin.  She didn’t have nightmares often, but given what her and Orchid talked about before bed, it didn’t really surprise her that she had one. The strange thing was that Orchid didn’t describe anything like that. Ray supposed he did leave plenty for imagination, but she thought it was fucked up that where her mind went that extreme.  

Forcing herself to shake off the nightmare, she rolled out of bed and grabbed her phone to check the time. It was only two and a half hours before she would wake up normally, so she decided to count her blessings and just get her day started a little early. She had to feed her desert snakes today and intake a new garden snake, anyway. The more she moved around, the easier it was to shake off any remaining shadows hovering at the corners of her mind. Falling into her work easily, she quietly crept through the living room, minding her sleeping guests. Lily was not awake yet which gave Ray the perfect opportunity to be the one to put on coffee. As she made her way into the kitchen, she pretended not to notice a quick flash of eye sockets from some of the “sleeping” bitties. With the little bit she learned from Orchid, she couldn’t fault them for staying vigilant. Once the coffee was brewing, Ray went about her routine like it was any other prep day. She went and got Jo, let him get comfortable around her shoulders, then she found her little trolley and pushed it into her kitchen where she began prepping six rats, five mice, and two containers of crickets–with an extra container for the new garden snake in the unlikely chance that it was hungry. She was still unthawing the rats when Lily woke up and made her way into the kitchen. 

“Oh, wow. You're up really early,” she commented, filling a cup of coffee for herself.

“Yeah, I had trouble sleeping, but this just means I can get my chores over with faster and focus on running the den today,” Ray replied.

“What do you have to do today?” 

Ray smiled and happily explained the day-to-day steps that go into running the vipers den and the list of things she had to do outside of just managing the front office. It was weird having another person to talk to while she did her prep work, but Ray couldn’t say that she minded too much, especially since the little blond didn’t seem to mind Jo curiously scenting the air in her direction at all. If anything Lily seemed amused by the gentle giant’s curiosity. Ray finished by asking Lily what she was going to be working on today.

“Oh well… I’m not really sure. I’m either going to be doing the Krait’s outfit or the Papythons, but I forgot to ask who wanted to go next before they went to bed. So now, I just have to wait until they wake up,” she explained. “Though, I’m probably going to make some eggs for breakfast while we wait for them to start stirring. Do you want some?”

“Yeah, thanks… I’ll put some water on the stove for their Sea Tea. The hurt bitties and underweight bitties are supposed to have it with every meal,” Ray explained, washing her hands off after loading up her cart. She turned the burner to a low fire, while Lily sat what she needed for her eggs on the counter. Ray moved back to give Lily more room around the stove when she heard the sound like a throat being cleared coming from her left. Looking down at the gap between the kitchen and the living room she saw the papython in a baggy orange tee shirt. 

“Hey buddy, how can I help you?” Ray asked, leaning down, crossing her arms casually between Jo and the Papython. She was nearly 100 percent sure Jo wouldn’t snap at him; but in Ray’s experience, when it came to animals not bred to be domesticated, it was always better to be safe than sorry.

The bitty shook his head and pointed to Ray’s trolley, 

“Can I help?” He asked shyly. 

Ray almost told him to get some rest, but then she thought about what Tuck the Marlot had told her the day before. Maybe she could convince him to take it a little easier by showing him how she took care of her snakes, without magic. 

“You know what? Sure, buddy. I could use some help,” she said, smiling. “Just let me go put Jo up and if you need it,  I'll help you up on the trolley when I’m done.“  

Lily looked over from where she stood in front of the stove. “Oh perfect, I have something to ask you!” She said happily. 

Ray had a good idea what she was going to ask the Papython, so she excused herself. Scratching Jo under the chin, she walked him back through the living room and into the lobby, taking a quick stock of the bitties that were walking up. Wolf and Orchid were up, so was the Pygmy, and the Chain was awake and talking quietly with Orchid. She didn’t know why, but seeing the Chain brought back the smell of rust and dust to her mind. It seemed like she would have to try harder to shake off her nightmare. 

Her usual method would be diving into her work until she completely forgot about it, so she put Jo up and unlocked the front door to the Viper’s Den. Then, she went back into her apartment ready to take the Papython into her snake rooms, only to pause when she saw the Chain waiting next to the Papython. Both had managed to make it up to the top of the trolley. 

“Hey buddy, what's up?” Ray asked him, only for him to cross his arms and shrug. The Papython had to eventually answer for him.

“Wants to come to,” he replied. 

“Oh, yeah? Sure! The more the merrier. Do you guys want to have breakfast first or once we get back?” She asked them. 

The Papython looked over at the Chain who put a skeletal hand over his mouth and looked away.

“Eat after,” the Papython said. 

“Alright then, let's go,” Ray said cheerfully, grabbing ahold of the trolley. Making her way down to the dessert room, she decided to make some light conversation. “ So, did you decide to get your outfit made today, or the Krait? I think Lily said she needed to ask you if you wanted to go first before she got started.” 

“Krait, going first,” he replied, looking around the cart. “I’ll go tomorrow.” 

“That's cool, any idea what kind of clothes you want?” 

“Sweater might be nice,” he replied, stretching out the ‘S’ sound. 

“That sounds really nice. What about you?” she asked, changing her attention to the Chain. He just shrugged, not really saying anything. Ray didn’t take offense. Sometimes it just seemed like the Chain didn’t feel like talking. 

“It's okay if you haven’t really thought about it.  There's plenty of time,” she said, smiling down at the Lamia. He looked away from her and down the long hallway.  Ray began to wonder why he wanted to come with them today. 

Maybe he just needed a quiet moment away from the living room, she thought, making her way into the desert room. 

“Okay, so first we need to feed this big diamond back,” Ray explained to the Papython. “Could you grab a rat and get ready to pass it to me while I open his enclosure?” The feeding went fast. Ray verbally told the Papython what each snake ate. For some of the smaller non-venomous snakes, she even let him toss a few mice in himself. The chain seemed content to just watch them from the cart. When they were down to one container of crickets with no more snakes left to feed, the Papython cocked his head at it curiously. 

“I’ve got a new friend in the temperate room that might be hungry. He probably isn’t since he was hibernating, but I thought we could bring him some food for after his intake just in case,” she explained, turning and pushing her little trolley out of the dessert room.

It had been a few days since she had been in her temperate room. The turned over tanks were still set up for the bitties, and Maverick had kindly marked the new intake with a piece of green electrical tape. 

“You guys are gonna be familiar with this next part,” she teased, reaching into the enclosure to grab the little garden snake with one hand while maneuvering her trolley with the other. The intake process was nearly identical except a more wriggly-wild client tried to get out of her hands. “You guys should be able to recite this next part.  Name: ‘Non-applicable’, gender:… ‘male’, Species is common Garter snake, or a garden snake depending on where you're from. Scientific name Thamnophis sirtalis …any questions?” She paused for her audience.

“Is it okay?” The papython asked, leaning closer over the edge of the trolley to get a better look at the little snake.

“Well, I’m no vet, but he seems fine to me. If I get injured or sick snakes in, I run them up to a vet in town who takes exotics. This little guy is probably just sluggish where he's not meant to be awake right now,” Ray explained, stretching him out to measure him. “25 inches. So, that's about average for these guys.” With quick sure hands, she moves the little snake over to the scale, stepping slightly to the side so the Papython could see the numbers. “150 grams, or 5.3 ounces. So they’re a healthy weight, too. Once it warms up, I'll be able to just set them back outside, and they’ll be good to go.” 

The papython smiled up at her, while she got the wriggling  garter snake back into her hand. 

“Very nice of you, take care of them.” 

Ray returned the Lamia’s smile.

“It’s just the right thing to do,” Ray responded, turning the trolley and heading back to the temperate room. “So, that's all the snake care out of the way. The rest of the day is just tending to the front and doing paperwork. Before that though, I think it’s time for some breakfast.” 

She was going to take the trolley all the way back to her apartment, but to her surprise, the bitties offered to let her carry them; or rather, the Papython offered and the Chain went along with it without a word. When they got back to her living room, all but three of the bitties were awake. Thor, Loki, and the Coral were the only ones still asleep; Orchid and Wolf weren’t in the living room, so Ray assumed they were with Lily. The bitties who had been sleeping when Ray left to feed her snakes that morning were probably awoken by the amazing smells coming from the kitchen. 

“Wow Lily, that smells amazing,” Ray called through the apartment.

“Everything is just about done! If you want, come help with the plates and cups,” she called back from the kitchen. Ray gently sat the bitties she was carrying down to do just that. The Chain immediately went to the bolts of cloth in the corned and disappeared under them. 

“Thanksss,” the Papython hissed out. 

“And thank you for the help, little buddy,”  Ray replied, going into the kitchen. There were plates piled high with eggs, bacon and hash browns. Thick, fluffy pancakes were stacked up on another plate, and the tea was already cooling in a glass Kool-Aid jug. Lily was currently frying up some sausage with, to no surprise, Orchid perched casually on her shoulder. Tt was a little surprising to see Wolf with his long body stretched out across both the blonds shoulders, his skeletal half next to Orchid watching Lily cook and chatting quietly.. 

“...dude…do you wanna move in?” Ray asked jokingly, looking at the feast that her new friend had seemed to magically assemble in twenty minutes.  

Lily giggled. “Sorry, but my home town, where I attend school, is like a ten-hour drive from here…buuuut I can be persuaded to handle breakfast while I’m in town.”

“Deal,” Ray replied, laughing. She finally felt her mood begin to lift. She staggered four plates up her arms and began taking them into the living room to serve, remembering to put the supplements with the plates for the bitties that needed them. 

“Hey, can someone wake up the other three? They can go back to sleep right after, but they really shouldn't miss a meal.” Ray asked the clustering of bitties gathered around her, meanwhile she set up the plates. The Pygmy happily volunteered, racing over to where the other three were sleeping and began excitedly chirping. He was careful not to jostle Thor or the Coral, though. Everyone's moods seemed to be much lighter today than it had been just three days ago; or at least she thought that until she heard Thor sleepily mutter,

“Five more minutes, Silver. Dad’s tired.” 

The Pygmy stopped chirping. It was like a bucket of ice water had been thrown on their happy little breakfast. The other bitties looked towards them with mixtures of surprise, sympathy, and a tangible sadness on their skeletal faces. Thor cracked his eye sockets open, then bolted up with clear distress. His mouth hung open, but no words came out. Loki, looking equally panicked, glanced around until his eyes locked with Ray’s pleadingly. 

“I– If you two need a minute, you can have your breakfast in the lobby, just the two of you.” She stood up and held the door open for them. With a strong pull from Loki, Thor bolted across the room and out the door faster than she had seen any of the Lamias move so far.  She went back for their plates, carrying them into the lobby. She heard a choked sobbing from under the front desk next to the front antivenom fridge. 

“I’ll just leave these here. Whenever you’re ready. Take as long as you need,” she said, not being surprised when she didn’t get a response. She walked back into her apartment ready to do some damage control. Bright-cyan tears had collected in the Pygmy’s eye sockets, and he was hurriedly chirping to the Papython. 

"Hey buddy, it's okay." Ray sat down on the floor. “It's alright, they just need a sec to talk,” Ray said softly, trying to comfort the bitty. She knelt down and reached out to him without  thinking. Her eyes were on the Pygmy, so she didn’t see the Coral creeping up to her until his fangs were buried in the meaty part of her palm.

Well… intuition was right, that stings like venom, she thought, trying not to move too much despite the burning pain shooting up her arm. 

“What you do,” he growled around his mouth full of her skin. Ray could only think about how it was not the first time a snake tried to take a bite out of her, though she was faced with the problem of getting him to let go. She knew how she would do it with a snake, however she couldn’t just grab the bitties head and pull him off. 

“Just a misunderstanding, little guy. You can ask him,” Ray replied, followed by more frantic chirping from the Pygmy.  

Lily walked back into the room with Orchid and Wolf draped across her shoulders to see the Coral unclamping his jaws from Ray’s hand. 

"Oh wow, what happened?" 

Ray sighed and gestured to the living room. "A misunderstanding. I'll explain everything in a sec, or they can, but I need to run out to my venom fridge real quick and deal with this. Can you handle the supplements?" She asked, shaking her bitten hand and leaving the room to the sound of frantic hissing and chirping from the little Lamias. 

As Ray ran up to her fridge, she paused before opening it and remembered the other two Lamias were currently hiding around that area. 

“Hey, guys,” she said. “Sorry for bothering you, but I need in the fridge real quick.” She waited a few moments for an answer, but when she didn’t get one she opened the fridge and pulled out the anti-venom she needed and administered her a dose with professional ease before sliding into her office chair up front and taking a minute to put her head in her hands and rest. 

10… 9… 8…  

She counted down in her head. She was almost to 3 when a calm voice from in front of her asked,  “Rough mornin?” 

She looked up to see Loki looking out the window. Thor was closely behind him. 

“I think it's been a bit of a rough one for everyone, bud,” she replied, smiling weakly. “You guys doing okay?”

Loki glanced back at his partner before shrugging. “Could be better, but we’ve seen worse.”

“Yeah… I’m sure you have… Hey, if you want today, I could call high hopes again and see if they found anything on the missing bitty registry. Maybe they just forgot to call.”

Thor scoffed, looking sadly towards Ray,

“Don’t bother human, we won't be on it…or at least if Max loved us at all, he wouldn’t have reported us missing.”

“What!?” Ray couldn’t help but ask incredulously. 

"He did love us," Loki told Thor soothingly, before turning his attention back to Ray. "He does…it would just… be better for us if he didn't report us missing. We've accepted that… it just still hurts sometimes." 

Ray took a minute to breathe before speaking. “I’m sorry, but I still don’t really understand.” 

“Are the laws for owning snakes the same in every state or are some different?” He asked. 

Realization dawned on Ray as the bitty continued. “We were adopted in a state where Max didn’t need a license, then he found a new job on the other side of the country, and even thought he had the money saved up for everything he needed. His mom even volunteered to drive us while he flew ahead…” 

Loki paused looking at Thor. The Honey-bo eventually sighed and nodded before reaching a hand out, holding Loki’s hand as the blue lamia continued. 

“We didn't know if it would be safe for me to fly with our clutch, but we made it safe…just it wasn’t long after the eggs were laid that we found out the fee he had saved up money for was per bitty. Counting the babies, he would never be able to afford it. So we decided to just keep it a secret. Then, there was the break in. If Max reported us missing, then they might investigate and find out he never registered us with the state. Even worse, they might find our boys… I think Max knows we would rather him take care of our sons than find us.” Loki finished leaning back heavily against Thor. 

Ray took a minute, but the only thing that came to mind was, 

“No,” she said as she turned to her computer.

“Scuse me?”  Thor asked, indignantly.

“Just…Just no, that's… it's just not right, and giving up isn’t the answer.” She replied, going into her emails. She opened a new composition to Maverick. “That's so stupid. It’s like requiring a fee to have a big family." She continued to rant as she typed asking Maverick to work his magic on online forums. If there was a hint of something out there, Maverick could sniff it out like a bloodhound; although after she sent the email, she thought of one more thing she could do. "Where were you adopted from? A vex shop?" She asked. 

"Whyyyy?" Thor asked, shaking his head already. 

"Cause I think the shops keep a database of adopters. It's how they know who to blacklist if abuse is reported. If we can call ahead, they might be able to find your paperwork and maybe even an active phone number or a forwarding address; or, you know, something!"  She said, already looking for the number. 

"I mean, why try so hard, human?" He clarified. 

"It's a broken record with you, isn't it?" She blurted out without thinking. 

"What!?" Thor asked in surprise. 

"I've already told you. I just want the snakes left in my care to be happy and healthy. I think being with your family will make you happiest and maybe your human can convince you to go see a vet if I can't. So to me, it's not trying hard at all. It's just doing the thing I opened the vipers den to do," she explained. If she were a bitty in that room at that moment, she would have felt her soul flare with intent like a candle burning on a window sill as a small gust pushes the flame higher for an instant. Sure of the right thing to do and determined to blindly do whatever it took. A pulse of crystal-clear desire sparked from her soul; even without a connection to this human they could feel the intent as it surged up. Right this wrong . 

She might not have felt it in any tangible way. As a human, she may not have recognized it as anything but a surge of determination. The bitties could feel the intent, though; and they could feel her soul's desire for justice. Thor looked down at Loki intently as he spoke, but she felt like he was talking to her. 

"We were adopted from a vex shop…so I guess they might have the paperwork." 

"Perfect!" she said, cheering and dialing the closest Vex shop. She put it on speaker for the bitties in front of her. 

A prime professional voice answered. 

"Hello, this is Natasha with Vexes Bitty Shop! How may I help you?" 

"Hello Natasha, my name is Ray. I'm with the Viper’s Den, an exotic snake rescue. I was wondering, the adoption forms people fill out when they get bitties, are those kept on file in a database?” She asked, putting on her equally professional voice. 

“Yes ma’am; However, we typically do not discuss nor give personal information away over the phone. The person or persons who signed the form must come in person if information needs to be updated or changed,” Natasha replied.

“What about the bitties? If a Lamia comes in and wants to see their own adoption form, could they do that?” She asked.

“Oh, absolutely. It's their paperwork after all.”

“There ya go,” Ray tells the bitties in front of her before turning her attention back to the phone. “Thank you, would it be alright if I went ahead and gave you some of their information so we could just swing by tomorrow and see it?” 

“Absolutely, ma’am.”

Ray gave her all the information she had. Thor and Loki were even able to chime in with some additions like the dates of their adoption. Loki started laughing a bit when he recounted the story behind their names. Max came in looking for two bitties , because he was worried if he only adopted one then they would get lonely while he was at work, so he was brought to the section of brothers and mates that wanted to be adopted together; and according to Loki, he was so nervous, he only absorbed half the information. So he assumed Thor and Loki were brothers for about three weeks after they were adopted. By then the names just stuck, and they were too lazy to change them. It was nice hearing the corney laugh, even if it was just a little. 

Ray hung the phone up and turned her full attention back to the bitties. “See? Was that so hard?”

Thor snorted through his nasal ridge. “Aight, human, ya got one,” he said, smiling the smallest bit, before a shrill scream came from the living room.

Ray burst back into her living room to see Wolf and Orchid standing in between the Coral and the Chain defensively. 

“What is going on?” She asked, looking at the situation.

“I… I don’t know. They just started fighting!” Lily explained, keeping her eyes on the bitty stand-off in front of her. 

“Alright guys, can we just take it down a notch? I know it has been a rough day for everyone, but you guys can’t be fighting… especially not the Coral–” Ray began, noting that Thor came up to her side and eyed the Chain. 

She never got a chance to finish because the Chain huffed and darted under the couch, leaving Ray feeling deflated. Orchid and Wolf both relaxed. Orchid turned to the girls. “I’ll talk with him, but I think we should probably give him some time and keep him and the Coral separated.” 

Lily reached out to pat him on his head. “Good idea, beauty.” 

“I’m sorry you had to see that, Lily,” he replied to his human.

Ray couldn’t stand the somber feeling in the room. It was smothering. She had to think of a distraction, 

“Hey Lily, you're doing the Krait’s outfit today. What are you going to make?” 

It's easy for the little blond to go off on a tangent about materials. She's apparently planning something asymmetrical, playing with whites and blacks while maybe incorporating some silvers, or maybe leather.  While Lily spoke it looked like Thor separated himself from Loki’s side for the first time since they woke up here to go talk to the Pygmy. 

The rest of the day was a long slog trying to improve everyone's mood, but it seemed like there was just a cloud that refused to lift. The girls didn’t stop trying though.  After they finally managed to get everyone fed their breakfasts, Lily chatted with Wolf and Orchid. Throughout the entire conversation, she sewed excitedly, jumping from topic to topic making the perfect distraction. The chain didn't come out to eat all day, even with Orchid eventually going to whisper to him quietly. By dinner, when Disney and a puppy marathon on Animal Planet had helped–but not completely–lift the mood, Ray turned to her last resort. She sat on the floor with her back against the couch, opened Google, and then waited for the opportunity. 

There! 

A puppy running up to a set of stairs three times before trying to climb the first step and falling back.

"You know, I don't really like stairs either… they're always up to something," Ray joked. 

Orchid groaned. "Oh, look. It can get worse."

"Oh wait, I found one for the Krait! Did you hear about all the aquatic mammals that escaped the zoo?" She paused for any input. Thor and Loki were smiling a little while waiting for the punchline, and the Coral was shaking his head. "It was an otter catastrophe." She delivered the punchline with a wave of spirit fingers. 

Thor snorted, smiling. "Yer using Google? Super weak, but what ya got fer me?" 

Ray smiled going through the list. "If you think those are bad, you're gonna hate this joke I have about German sausages. It's the Wurst." 

Ray smiled when the honey-bo burst out laughing, making Loki and the Pygmy smile. The Coral snickered into his hand, and Ray knew exactly what one to use next. 

"Hey Coral, why can't you trade puns with a kleptomaniac?" She waited for him to smile a wide tooth grin and asked,

"Why?" 

"They take everything literally."  

Wolf groaned loudly next. "Oh come on, that one was just awful!" 

"Oh no, you're right," Ray replied. "This one was much better for him… Guess I'll just use it on you. So Wolf, there are two wind turbines out in a field, one says to the other what 'what kinda music do you like?'  The second one says, 'I’m a giant metal fan.’

"I… I see what you're doing, human; and though I can't argue with results, I can certainly question your methods!"  He exclaimed, crossing his arms. 

Loki chimed in, chuckling as he tossed his own barrage of jokes. "Don't listen to him, you're doing punderfully, real rib ticklers. I really find them humer-OUS!" He gasped out the last part as Thor exploded with laughter so hard, he couldn't hold himself up anymore.  

With the mood finally lifted, Ray excused herself to make a dinner, consisting of microwaved ramen and sandwiches. When she was seated back on the floor with her back against the couch, she directed her attention to the Lamia who had been under it all day. 

"Hey Chain, dinners ready," she said, still expecting to get no answer. But, he surprised her by poking his head out just a bit.

"Not hungry."

"You haven't eaten all day, bud." 

He didn't say anything in response and looked like he was about to go back under the couch. So Ray rushed to rip off a corner of her own sandwich. "You don't gotta, but I'm willing to share my dinner if you're not that hungry."  

Eventually he sighed and took the offered piece of sandwich. "If it'll make ya feel better, sunshine." He said, beginning to eat. 

"It will," she replied, just a bit smugly. That was the last little rain cloud she had to push away, and the rest of the evening went much smoother. When the Krait’s outfit was finished, he bounded around posing for the larger bitties. It was a simple gray turtleneck with a long black coat. There was a silvery-white, crashing wave pattern on the coat that made one of the coat tails look white and the other look black as the silvery pattern twisted up to his shoulder. Lastly was his scarf, gray with bands of black down to the ends where there were white horizontal hash lines shading the tips white. 

Orchid praised Lily, smiling. "Beautiful as always."

"Yeah," she said. " But I'm really not good with asymmetrical patterns. I'm trying to think of something else I could do for it.". 

Ray looked at the bitty and patted her friend on the shoulder. "I think if the client likes it, then it's a success."  She told the blond, before she excused herself to make one more call. If she was going to take Thor and Loki to Vex's shop tomorrow, then she would need someone to watch the front office. 

Chapter Text

Both of the humans were long asleep when the chain slid his way over to the other sleeping bitties. He quietly crept up to the Coral. Orchid watched with one glowing purple eye cracked open as the Chain shook the Coral’s shoulder gently to wake him up. The Coral tried to quickly jolt away from the Chain when he opened his eyes, but the Chain covered his mouth being careful not to put too much weight on the other bitties ribs. 

“Hold on a sec, Coral. I’m not here to fight… I want to apologize,” he explained begrudgingly and waited for the Coral to calm down before removing his hand from over the venomous Lamia’s mouth. 

“Stars, Chain, don’t freaking do that. I thought you were gonna… Well… You know what I thought you were gonna do,” The Coral trilled back quietly

“I… yeah, sorry ‘bout that, too. I just umm… maybe got a bit mad when ya bit the human is all… Maybe don't do that again.”

“Really!? Ya don't say? I hadn't noticed," the Coral replied sarcastically. "…You know what's going on with you Chain? You're fighting against something chains aren't supposed to fight against, and it’s obviously messing with your head. Everyone here can see it.”

“I’m not fighting anything… I just… I don't really know what I'm doing. Sorry.”

"... Well.” The Coral huffed, running out of steam for his rant, when he failed to get a rise out of the Chain. “Any other chain woulda’ probably still been pretty pissed at me for bitin’ their human. So I guess we could call it even." 

The Chain scoffed, rolling his eye lights. 

"Other chains aren't your friend or something like that… I dunno." 

"We're not friends," the Coral replied, crossing his arms indignantly. 

"I've known you for like three years," the Chain deadpanned.

"So? That doesn’t make us friends." 

"We talked to each other almost everyday."

"Didn't have anyone else to talk to."

"... You got kicked across the floor cause your tiny dumb ass jumped between me and a boot." 

"I'm not dumb!" The Coral snapped. "And that doesn't prove we're friends!" 

Wolf suddenly hissed at the both of them. "It is three in the morning. Can the tsundere and the emotionally constipated lamia just hug and go back to sleep already? Please and thank you!" Wolf’s sudden outburst caused Orchid and Thor to snicker from their sleeping spots where they were trying to pretend they weren't eavesdropping. 

The Coral turned bright red, and the Chain scratched the back of his neck nervously.

 After a long pause, the Coral was the first to speak.

“I’m not doin it because he told me to,” he grumpily chirped before lunging at the larger Lamia and wrapping his arms around his waist.

The chain exhaled the breath he was holding and wrapped his arms around the smaller Lamia’s shoulders.  “Your… kinda my best friend, so sorry for fighting.”

“Sorry I bit your human,” the Coral replied, separating himself and going back to where he was sleeping. The Chain went back to his own spot but couldn’t sleep that night.

He didn't think she counted as his human if she didn’t know about him or their bond?

Or does it not matter with a bond?

* * * * *

When Ray left her bedroom that morning, she was surprised to see Thor and Loki already awake with the other early risers. She chose not to comment as she said her good mornings and went into the kitchen to grab her morning coffee. Lily was already working with some soft sunset oranges and cream tones.  Ray curiously wondered what kind of pattern she was going to make with the soft-looking fabrics. 

“I’ll go wait upfront for Maverick. Do you guys wanna come wait with me?”

“Sure,” Loki said, smiling at Thor and reaching for his hand. They were all a little surprised when a third bitty followed them into the lobby.

“Sup little guy?” Thor asked the tiny Pygmy. 

The Pygmy chirped at him gesturing to Ray, and she watched as Thor's smile fell. 

"What, no way. You don't have to do that. Like I said, ya didn't do anything wrong, kid." 

The Pygmy just smiled at him and shook his head, chirping happily. 

"Ya sure, bud?" Thor asked. 

Ray had tried to hold off her own curiosity for them to finish their conversation, but patience wasn't one of her virtues. 

 "Soooo," she hedged. "What's going on?" 

The bitties all looked back at her, but it was Loki who eventually spoke. "He wants to come with you to Vex's to be dropped off." Ray's eyebrows shot up, and she looked at the Pygmy curiously. 

"Any reason, buddy?" She asked him, wondering if she wasn't doing a good enough job with the bitties. The Pygmy just nodded enthusiastically and managed a few words. 

"Want. Family." 

“If that's what you want. Do you wanna go say goodbye to the other bitties while we wait for Maverick to get here?” She asked him. 

The Pygmy gaped at her like it had completely slipped his mind and zipped back over to the door to her apartment, waiting for Ray to open the door. 

Despite her plans to wait up front, all the commotion and hugs going around made it impossible for Ray to excuse herself and back out of the living room. With Orchid's habit of just translating for his human and his companions, Ray learned that the Pygmy had been watching Lily's interactions with Orchid. He had also paid attention to the way Ray treated them; and yesterday, after their talk he and Thor had talked late into the evening about Thor's home and his human, it made the Pygmy begin to wonder if perhaps he didn’t want to go back outside when it warmed up. He was willing to at least give it a try at Vex’s.  

“I hope you find, like, the nicest family,” Lily said, smiling. “Oh! I bet, like, some nice health enthusiasts. That way they would be high energy, or maybe like a backpacker who needs company on his hikes. Oh! What about a cyclist? Oh… but you might get bored just sitting on a bicycle.” 

Orchid smiled at the Pygmy warmly. “I wish you the best. There's really nothing quite like finding a person that you can connect with,” He told the smaller bitty. Wolf was the only one with a slightly nervous look on his face, as he looked over the bitty that was absolutely tiny in comparison to him.

“Just be careful. Maybe don’t let yourself be adopted on a first visit. If a family really wants you, they will be willing to wait for a second or third visit before finalizing an adoption,” he warned. 

The Pygmy gave him a thumbs up and nodded enthusiastically, giving him a happy trilling chirp. Lily laid a reassuring hand on Wolf’s shoulder, smiling at the large bitty.

“Hey I got an idea!” She said, excitedly. She rummaged around until she found a clean corner of sketch paper, where she quickly jotted down two phone numbers. “This way, we can all keep in touch! Oh…I forgot to ask. Ray, can I give him your number?” 

“Uhhh, yeah, sure. That's actually a really good idea, Lily.”

Orchid smiled at his human before addressing Ray. “Most of her ideas are, human.”

It wasn’t long after the goodbyes that Ray heard the bell ring in the lobby.  She propped open her apartment door to see Maverick coming in. 

“Hey dude,” she called, drawing his attention over to the living room.

The Coral waved at him nonchalauntly, however Maverick still smiled widely and pulled something out of his shirt pocket. 

“Sup, little dude!? So… I brought some snacks and stuff for you guys, but I saw this at the gas station;  it made me think of you,” he explained, pulling out a shiny black guitar pick with a silver skull embossed on the surface. He held the pick out to the Coral. The bitties' eyes did a little wobble, before he huffed like it was inconveniencing him. He then grabbed the pick and rushed it under the bolts of fabric where he had stashed the shiny plastic coins. 

“I think he liked it,” Orchid supplied.

Ray smiled at the warm feeling in her apartment. It was much better than yesterday.

“Well, I see you guys have it handled.  Guess we should head on our way,”  Ray said, smiling down at the three bitties going with her. 

The other bitties said their goodbyes, and Thor and Loki said they would most likely be back. 

The Chain tiredly waved from his spot on the couch, dark rings under his eyes. 

"Good luck to whichever shop you go to," He mumbled sleepily.  

"Were headed to Vex's," Ray called back over her shoulder wondering if he was having trouble sleeping. 

They were long gone before what she had said sunk into the sleep deprived Chain. His eyes snapped open, and he looked towards his friends. 

"Orchid?" He asked, waiting for the Mambas to signal that he was listening. "Did she say she was going to Vex's shop today?" 

Orchid hummed noncommittally, before replying. "I believe she did, yes."  

All the Chain could do was slink under the couch and dread. Unlike the day before, though, he didn't get to mope alone. The Coral followed him soon after and waited with him as the day passed.

The car ride to Vex’s itself was eventful. First, Ray tried to figure out what to do with her passengers to make sure they would be safe. But she would end up just letting them sit in the front seat because, in Loki’s words, they would “just go under the dash anyway, so we don’t need to worry about hitting the dash or going out a window.” Secondly, the Pygmy got bored quickly. After the fifth time telling him he shouldnt bounce off the dash, Thor took mercy on her and asked the Pygmy if he wanted to play I-spy. Maybe it had to do with his typing, but he was really good at redirecting the Pygmy’s energy. It was still a very long drive to Vex’s; and Ray guiltlessly felt instant relief when she pulled into the parking lot of the small compex that had the shop. 

There were a few buildings in a straight line that shared one lot. They could see Vex's in the second building from the left. The first was a small dollar store, and to the right of Vex’s there was a Whole Foods shop, a veterinarian, a vape shop, and an itty-bitty accessory boutique. Looking at the veterinarian, she weighed her options and tried to calculate her chances of getting Thor to go and get treatment, but then she decided to try after they got everything else sorted out.  

"Alright," she said, looking into the little shop window at familiar little curious faces minus the extra scars. "How do you boys wanna do this?" She asked, barely finishing her question before the Pygmy took a running leap and vaulted off the dash and onto her shoulder. Taken a bit by surprise, Ray tried not to flinch back or dislodge the tiny active bitty. 

Ray took a second to make sure she wouldn't josel him before turning to the other two. "If you don't want me to carry you, I can circle around and drop you off at the door. Then I will just park and meet you there," she offered.  

Thor perked up, "I think I would prefer that."

Loki smiled at him patiently. "It's up to you, babe, but the sidewalk is gonna be cold," he said. Thor thought about it for a second before sighing. 

"Guess, it wouldn't hurt for you to carry us into the shop," he relented. 

"I'll go straight up to the counter and put you down," she promised, holding her hands out and letting the bigger Lamias come to her. With them draped over her arms, she made her way up to the shop door, feeling relief that the door was able to be pushed open. The bell chimed happily as they walked into the shop. Up near the counter, a professionally dressed redhead watching a baby blue and a full sized pygmy playing on the counter. She glanced up as they walked in but seemed like she was willing to wait and see if they needed help. 

Walking into the shop, clusterings of bitties peeked over curiously. 

Chains collected near the front of the shop, some smiling warmly before excusing themselves back to whatever they were doing. A few stayed behind as she made her way to the front desk chirping amongst themselves curiously.   

They got the attention of the shop attendant as they approached, who smiled politely at the four of them. 

"Hello, my name is Natasha! Welcome to Vex's bitty shop. How can I help you all?" 

"Hi, Natasha." Ray greeted, setting the two bitties she was carrying down on the table and allowing the Pygmy to slide off her shoulder and down her arm. "I'm Ray. I believe we spoke yesterday over the phone. This is Thor and Loki, and this little guy is ummm… well he is from outside and he was wondering if… uh," Ray trailed off, not quite knowing how to say what she wanted to say. Loki seemed to know exactly what to say, though.  

"He wants to be dropped off at the shop to try and be adopted," he explained, looking around the shop in a relaxed way. 

Natasha brightened up. Ray had the feeling that if she were a bitty, her eyes would have turned into stars. 

"Oh absolutely! With his cute little outfit, he should get a lot of attention. Here, hey!  Cyan, Cerulean! Can you boys come here for a sec?" She called, and the two bitties playing around the counter stopped and bounded over. "These are my boys, Cyan," she said, gesturing to the baby blue. "and Cerulean," she said, gesturing to the full sized pygmy. "Boys, this little Pygmy was born is from the wild and wants to join us in the shop and be adopted. Could you show him around for me and make him feel welcome?" 

Cyan bounded forward happily. "Oh wowie, your scarf is so cool!" 

Cerulean was already bouncing excitedly in place. "We're gonna have so much fun! Wanna go play by the Krait pool, first? Or the corner with the other pygmies has lots of super cool toys!" He said to the Pygmy. The little Pygmy looked back at Thor and Loki one more time, waving excitedly and chirping before racing off with the other two high energy bitties. 

"He said he would see if he could call later," Loki supplied. 

Natasha watched the two remaining bitties. Maybe it was because she worked in a vex shop and was around these types of bitties every day, or maybe she was just empathetic, but she smiled down at them. 

"We're going to take really good care of him… in fact, you said something about making a phone call a moment ago. Don't take this the wrong way, one of my boys is a pygmy. I know how they can be sometimes, so would you like to leave a number with me in case he forgets or loses it?" She kindly offered. 

Ray happily pulled out her business card without needing any prompting. 

“I think that's a wonderful idea… It might be good for you to have it anyway; he was dropped off at my rescue, and if he ever wants to report anything, I have detailed documentation of the condition they were in upon drop off in case he needs any evidence for any kind of report,” she explained. In her own way,  trying to convey that he may need special attention. 

“Understood,” Natasha said, exchanging contact information. “So, I’m sure that you want to get a look at those adoption forms. I had them printed off, just let me go grab them.” 

When they were left alone, Ray took the opportunity to ask the bitties with her if the shop they came from was like this one. Loki gave a little chuckle at the question.

“Nah, this one is alot smaller. It wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t even have a hatchery. Ours was huge compared to this… It was in a big city though, not a small town like this," he explained, looking around the small shop.

"I think ours was a super store," Thor added. "There was even a section just for Felid bitties, but they still came around… Made a pretty warm nap pile," Ray looked down at him,

"Did you mention a type of bitty I had never heard of before just so I would have to look it up?" She asked him. Not being surprised when the mischievous lamia smirked instead of answering her. 

Though I suppose that is enough of an answer, Ray thought.

The clicking of heels signaled Natasha’s quick return with two little papers in her hands.

“Here we are: Thor and Loki. Adopted by Max Carbine together at a Vex’s distributor in Long Island, New York. Does that sound right?” She asked the bitties on the counter. 

Thor nodded, swallowing hard as he looked at the papers. Loki verbally answered for the two of them.

“Yeah, that sounds right.” 

“Alright, here you go, what are you looking for exactly?” Natasha asked, placing the papers down in front of the bitties.

Nervously, Thor looked over the sheet before pointing with a slightly shaking hand. “I… I don’t know if he changed it or not, but we can try that number,” he said nervously. 

Ray smiled reassuringly. “Do you wanna go ahead and call?” She asked, going ahead and offering her phone to the bitties. Thor froze, wringing his hands nervously. Loki rubbed down his humerus soothingly and nodded towards Ray. Natasha had another idea though and pulled out a tiny, bitty-sized phone that had an ethernet cable that looked like it just plugged into any phone jack. 

“You can get one of these from the bitty accessory shop at the end of the strip. I saw it and just had to have it. It might give you some privacy. If you want to go to the back, you can use my office,” She said, smiling professionally down at the bitties. 

“That sounds like a better idea,” Ray agreed, looking at the cute tiny landline phone. “What do you think, Thor? Would a little privacy make you feel better?” 

He managed to take a shaky breath and nod, seeming to at least be trying to calm down. “It… it was just easier to think that there was no hope. It’s just a lot now,” he explained. 

“Here, babe,” Loki said, smiling at his mate. “You did all the hard work to get us here, let me do this.” 

They easily let Ray carry them to the small office. It was the only door besides the front, and the space was clean and well organized. Natasha took some time to set up the little phone, hooking it into the computer on her desk. 

"So, I actually haven't had the chance to try this, but they promised it would work. So you'll have to let me know," Natasha said, excusing herself to give the bitties their privacy. Ray offered to leave, too, but Loki pointed out that they would need her around to work out how to get them home. Ray decided to wait beside the office door but still inside the room.

The corney picked up the little phone and double checked the number before he dialed it and they all waited with bated breath.  

It was definitely one of the more anxiety-inducing, one-sided calls Ray had ever heard. 

"Hello, is umm… is this Max?" 

"You might find this hard to believe, but I'm calling from a small Vex shop, down south. We were dropped off at some snake rescue. This is Loki, and ummm… I have Thor here with me." 

There was a longer pause where Loki gasped and started rushing through his explanation. 

"N-no, wait, I'm serious pops, we're alive! I can prove it! You adopted us up north, then we moved out to the midwest. Ummm… every Friday, we would stay up a little and watch shitty superhero movies, like the lowest rated ones we could find online, nothing above three stars. We umm… we had a clutch, right? Most Corney's only lay one egg, but our clutch was a rare case, and I laid two. Twins, right? Silver and scarlet, they were named after Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Back when we thought it would just be one baby, you thought you were gonna name him Star because you wanted to name him after Dex-Star from the Red Lantern core. It's the only DC comic you like, ya know the Red Lantern comics with the edgy cat cause you're secretly a total edge-lord. But, they're twins, so you had to name them after twins. Then you thought Thor hated you for like two weeks after the eggs were laid. A–and it was this whole big thing."  

He rushed his words out quickly, practically falling over the words in his haste to get them all out, seemingly out of anxiety that the person on the other end of the line might hang up.

There was another long pause, where blue tears collected in Loki's eyes. Thor rushed forward and placed his skull next to Loki's trying to overhear. 

Loki eventually laughed even as tears collected in his sockets. 

"C-common pops, don't do that. You're gonna get me started." 

Eventually Thor smiled widely and muttered into the receiver, "You're such a nerd old man… a-are silver and scarlet there? Can we talk to them?" 

If Ray thought Thor was smiling widely before, he was practically beaming. She didn't feel the need to rush them. As they spoke, she just looked around the shop, attempting to give them some privacy. Occasionally, she saw the Pygmy darting around with Cyan and Cerulean. They had collected a few more pygmies to run around with; but with his custom outfit, even though he was the smallest, he was easy to spot. From its location at the back of the shop, Ray could even see the fire rings; and she spent a good amount of the time watching them. They were even more beautiful in person. Loki eventually called her attention back to the two bitties on the desk. 

"Hey, Ray? Pops wants your number. We were just gonna hand you this phone, but it looks a bit small," He said, smiling lazily up at her and looking both happier and more relaxed than he ever before. 

"Sure! Actually, if he could just call me now, I have some things I need to talk to him about before we leave." 

Thor at least had the good graces to look bashful when Ray mentioned she was having a hard time getting them to seek veterinary care for their injuries.  A light-orange blush dusted his cheeks as his human told him exactly where he was going if Ray still wanted to take him to get care.

“Jeeze, ole’man. Ain’t like it hurts or nothin,” he muttered shyly, scratching the back of his skull. The man on the other end of the phone didn’t talk to her for long. They mostly exchanged addresses and discussed what would be the easiest way for him to be reunited with his bitties. He insisted that he fly up from the Midwest since she had taken the brunt of the care for bitties. Though, she insisted that it was hardly any trouble and was in fact just a part of her job. They had a tentative plan worked out before they got off the phone. Max would check his vacation time and update her tomorrow. They were just about to leave, passing the front desk and only pausing to let Natasha know that everything went well, when Cerulean hopped back up on the counter with a full-sized chain.

“Hey, before you go, he wants to know what you named your chain?” The pygmy asked excitedly.

“My what?” Ray asked. 

Thor leaned over and muttered to Loki,  “Bitties out of the bag.” Which only served to confuse her more. 

After some chirping and whispering, eventually Natasha asked,  “Was there a Chain with the bitties dropped off at your shelter?” 

“Well, yeah, but a lot of snakes get dropped off at my shelter. I don't keep them just because they don't have owners. I want them to end up wherever they will be the happiest and healthiest,” Ray replied, chuckling nervously. She was the only one though.

“... Before you go, can you come back here and talk with me for a minute? I think there are some things you and I might need to discuss,” Natasha said, offering for Ray to come back into the office.

Chapter Text

Ray sat nervously jittering her leg in the veterinary waiting room while reading over her pamphlet on soul bonding and SOULbonds. Apparently, all bitties formed these types of bonds slowly over time as they grew closer with their humans. Except for chains. Chains didn't want just any kind of bond, they specifically waited for a soul that sang at such a frequency that a fledgling bond formed almost immediately between willing souls. Then their purpose in life became supporting and growing that bond until it was the only thing tethering them to life. When a soul bonded chain's human died, the chain would dust soon after. Which was a lot. Ray was overwhelmed to learn she had one of these initial bonds. Her soul must have been one that was compatible with the chain that she had in her care, and according to Natasha, at some point while the lamias have been in her care she must have reached out with her soul. Though Ray had no idea when that could have happened. Looking over the steps again, the typical way lamias started bonding perfectly lined up with Chain’s behavior too. First, he gave her a pancake, then he let her carry him. Hell, she even shared her dinner with him. 

Did that count as leading him on!? She thought nervously, spiraling back into panic.

"Kid," Loki said like he had said it a few times now. "You're overthinkin’ it, bud. Relax." 

"Shouldn't I be overthinking it?" She asked back. "Natasha made it sound like a really big deal… It seems like one to me," she said, gesturing to the infographic she had been reading. 

"That depends," he said slowly, practically willing calmness into his voice. "You said you want us to end up wherever we're happiest. What if for him, that's with you?" 

“What if it isn’t?” She countered.

“Well, yur not gonna be able to make an informed decision while your jittering up and down like a pygmy hopped up on caffeine. So ya might as well at least try and calm down. Think about it one step at a time. What if he stays with you?” 

“He might get really lonely. I stay really busy and barely have time to give Jo the attention he deserves,” she said.

“He’d probably just want to sit with you while you worked anyway, but there ain’t nothing you can do about it here,” he replied, patting her leg soothingly. “So you might as well take a deep breath.”

The door to the veterinary clinic opened up, and Ray took the distraction. Glancing that way with feigned interest, Ray was happy to just have something else to focus on. An older lady walked in wearing a fur coat and strings of pearls that looked dull next to the velvet animal carrier she brought in. The carrier glittered with diamonds that were probably not fake. She looked nervously around the waiting room at the seats next to Rottweilers, house cats, and birds. Then her eyes landed on Ray and the bitties, and the older woman's face lit up. 

“Mind if I sit here dear?” She asked, approaching with her little box. Ray nodded, and she promptly sat beside her. “It’s so nice to see someone else with bitties here,” she said, popping open the velvet box. 

Inside the box, Ray could see a comfy looking living room setup with carpets, wood floors, and a lush looking plum couch complete with  little seatbelts for safety. Sitting on the couch were two of the most unique bitties she had ever seen. The box now open, the bitties unbuckled their seatbelts and began stepping out. The first bitty was skeleton-esque with horns and a long tail; its bones were black and speckled with a star pattern that lightened up with pink galaxy colors closer to its clawed feet. He was wearing a long, extravagant robe with more star patterns and galaxy motifs. The skeleton held his hand out in a gentlemanly way. A tiny bitty human in a light purple sweater dress with tan skin and long wavy black hair grasped his hand and walked out. 

Ray didn’t realize she was staring until the tall skeleton bitty smirked up at her and spoke to the shorter human-esque bitty at his side. “I told you, starlight, they can’t take their eyes off of us,” he stage-whispered to the human bitty.

“Oh my stars, I am so sorry for staring.” Ray bumbled over her words in a way that made the old woman chuckle.

“Don’t worry, dear, Solomon is a unique beauty. I would guess you’ve never seen a bitty quite like him. Hybridizing bitties is quite an expensive process.” 

“Hybridizing?” Ray asked curiously.

The old woman nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Most of the time when two bitties of different types breed, the offspring are from the same bitty line as one of the parents. It takes very special conditions for two lines to hybridize into something new. Solomon here is a Hyacinth, a hybrid of the outer demon and lust demon subtypes; it is a breed that has outer lust papy typing with demon features but none of the behaviors. Really they’re just so beautiful. Probably cost more than my car, though," she tittered jokingly. 

Ray didn't really like the way this old woman was talking about her bitties, but the way Solomon was preening made it seem like maybe this was a type of praise for him. 

"I've never really seen either, before," Ray admitted. "But really, bitties in general are fairly new to me." 

"Allow me," Solomon, the Hyacinth, purred. "This beautiful specimen here is called a reader. They are only available in select regions because they can’t be synthesized and the only places they naturally occur is around Mt. Ebbott – where large magical output combined with human determination created the humanoid bitties. Despite their appearance, however, they have traits of both humans and monsters, making them the perfect pairs for hybrids like myself. They are probably the rarest bitties outside of Ebbott and even rarer would be one to match the beauty of this radiant shining star.” He finished nuzzling the human looking bitty at his side, making her blush. 

There was that focus on rarity like they were a commodity. Ray didn’t have time to dwell on her thoughts before a veterinary assistant walked into the waiting room.

“Appointment for Mrs. Ellis,” the assistant chimed.

The older woman smiled and stood up, taking her bitties by hand up to the nurse.

“Oh. Your carrier!” Ray yelled for the elderly woman, but she just waved back at her and passed her bitties to the nurse before returning to sit next to Ray. Ray felt bewilderment. 

“Deary, the things they need to talk to the vet about are probably things they would rather keep private. Besides, you look like you could use a nosey, old woman to keep you company,” she said, gesturing to the papers Ray was wringing in her hands.  “If you’re having trouble supporting your boys here, then I've been known to privately support individuals who need a little extra help for their bitties." 

"Oh, I don't really… officially have a bitty… yet… maybe." Ray floundered while the old woman seemed to wait patiently. The pen-drop silence made Ray feel like she needed to fill the quiet. "I run an exotic snake rescue and some lamias were dropped off there. I'm just trying to help them… end up wherever they wanna go." 

"Oh, a rescue! You'll have to give me your contact information. I just love supporting rescues. All my precious babies are rescues." The old woman gushed, smiling at Ray. Ray couldn't help looking incredulously at the box that ferried her bitties. 

"Oh, I know that look. Before bitties, I used to do the same thing for Ashera cats. People forget that even though they're expensive, they're still animals and should be treated that way. It was even worse with bitties. I just had to jump into the exotic bitty world and give them the kind of home they deserve, and I couldn't be happier. Hyacinth's just like that kind of talk, dear. They know their worth, and it happens to be exorbitant," she explained, tittering happily. 

"What about the reader?" Ray asked, wondering if she liked that kind of talk. "Oh, I forgot to ask for her name!" She added.

The old woman waved her hand in a ‘so so’ fashion as she spoke. "Solomon is working on it. He really does just want to make her feel special, and we haven't settled on a name for the little dear yet. None of my suggestions are perfect enough," she said jokingly. 

Ray didn't laugh. It just reminded her of her problem. If the Chain was going to stay with her, she would need to name him. 

The old woman next to her leaned over and bumped her shoulder. "This nosey old busybody is still here if you need help dear." 

"I… might maybe have a bitty back at my shelter, but I'm not really sure if I'm the best place for him to stay," Ray sheepishly admitted. 

"Well… have you thought of just asking him? It's my favorite thing about bitties. You can just ask what they want or expect out of a companion. I've asked all my babies if they wanted to live with me," the old woman said happily, making Ray pause to think. She had been focusing so much on the soul bonding that she forgot she still had to talk to him.

"How many bitties do you have?" Ray asked politely as she mulled over how a conversation with the chain would go. 

"Dear, I hope you have time because you just asked an old woman about her babies," she said, opening up a leather wallet to a tri-fold of pictures. 

"This Demi-Tori was my first," she said, showing a picture of what Ray could only describe as a Greek goddess Tori. "Her name is Angel. She's very good with soul things if you have any trouble with your little dear. She's such a help with the others. This pure bite is named Teddy." The next picture was of a large scary looking bitty with a face like a bulldog. "He's the sweetest boy. Spends a lot of time with Angel because some of the more rambunctious ones pick on him; he’s just a big sensitive baby. This is an albino Undynx. Her name is Princess." She explained showing a picture of what looked like a white asagi with a bald cat body for legs. 

Thor chimed in from Ray's other side, "That's a Felid bitty. In case you were curious," he said. "I didn't know they could be albino."

The older woman grimaced. "Well, we don't know if it's natural or artificially induced to make her more expensive. But she has been this way since she was a kitten, and the doctors say that the only skin issues are related to her lack of pigment. There doesn't appear to be any other damage from bleaching or artificially killing off the pigment cells… though, I use the term cell loosely because bitties are all magic of course. Much too complicated for this old lady to understand." Her voice held an almost melancholy tone as she turned to the next picture. 

"I'll skip over Solomon, who you've seen, and go to the second to last. This is a horror papy type called a spider. No, he hasn't been physically abused. Spiders just look like that. His name is Cinnamon; he was named by my niece who said he looked like a sweet cinnamon roll, you see," she said, showing a picture. 

It was officially the scariest bitty type Ray had ever seen. Tall and spindly with sharp oddly angled teeth and, instead of skeletal legs, he had four sharp metal blade-like protrusions that met at his spine. Knowing what most people think of snakes, Ray looked at his face. A warm kind smile lit up his sockets as he looked past the camera at, most likely, the old woman beside her. 

"Yeah," Ray agreed. "He definitely looks like a cinnamon." 

The old woman smiled showing a few blank spaces. "I've still got room for more. Once we decide on a name for our little reader, she'll go right here. I keep them in chronological order, that way I can show how my little family has grown."  

Loki chuckled at the unintentional pun and looked like he was about to make one of his own when another assistant appeared on the doorway calling them back.

"Do you guys want me to come with you?" She offered, willing to let them deal with it privately, but Thor scoffed. 

"Yur better than a complete stranger, kid," he said, by way of explanation. He obviously didn't want the nurse carrying them which was fine. 

"Well, that's us then. It was nice talking to you, ma'am." 

"You, too, dear. I hope I helped with your little problem." 

They walked back into another room where Thor was weighed and much to Ray's delight appeared to already be gaining some weight. Then, the nurse left telling them that the vet would be in shortly.

"So… how are you gonna pay for this? Outta curiosity, " Thor asked her as he waited on the little metal table in the center of the room. Loki opted to wait over with him while Ray sat on the little plastic chairs. 

"Well.. I'm hoping that since you're a lamia bitty then the insurance I have for the Vipers Den will cover your care. If not, I can put it on my credit card," She explained. He looked like he didn't quite like that answer; but before he could say anything about it, the door opened and an older gentleman who looked like Santa Claus had shaved waltzed into the room. On his shoulder was a papy type bitty in purple scrubs with a yellow and purple striped scarf loosely coiled around his neck. The man gave a cheerful greeting, introducing himself as Dr. Guyles. He seemed to be very friendly as he turned his attention to the two bitties on the table.

"So, which one of you is Thor?" 

The honey-bo waved shyly, looking nervous despite Loki's arm wrapped reassuringly around Thor's waist.

“Alrighty,” the Dr. started, moving his hand up to the bitty on his shoulder to help it down to the examination table. “This is my veterinary assistant, Kip. He’s just going to do a quick surface level check on your soul.” 

Ray smiled, thinking of a conversation topic. “It must be nice working together.” Thinking that maybe if the chain stayed with her, then this was what it might look like. 

Dr.Guyles gave Ray a quizzical look until Kip spoke. “Oh! Dr. Guyles isn’t my human. I just work here.”  Ray’s face flushed with embarrassment at the wrong assumption. Reminding her that these were just small monsters.  

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply… ummm. I’m not really sure what I implied, but I'm embarrassed.” 

“It was an honest mistake. I don’t believe you meant it in any negative way, miss.  No hard feelings; but in case you were curious, combined with my natural talent for healing I also have a nursing degree which allows me to work here as a bit of a bitty specialist. Veterinary science didn’t exactly cover bitty care for all types,”  He explained, settling a hand on Thor’s bad shoulder with just enough pressure to make him flinch.

Ray looked at him in concern. “I thought you said it didn’t hurt?” 

Kip responded before Thor could. “Honey-bo’s can be exemplary liars if you aren't well trusted. It's part of their desire for privacy. I wouldn’t take it too personally.” 

“You make a lot of assumptions, too,” Thor muttered grumpily. The rest of the examination wasn’t exactly tense, but it was obvious Thor just wanted to leave; but Ray couldn't help herself from being entranced when Kip started doing magic. A bright-green glow encompassed Thor’s bad shoulder as Kip worked around with his hands.

“That should have numbed the area. You shouldn't feel any pain; but if you do, let me know,” Kipp said before there was a sickening pop sound followed by more green glowing. 

“Any pain?”  Kipp asked.

“Nope,” Thor replied, popping the p at the end.

With another snap, Thor’s shoulders sat evenly. Dr. Guyles handled the rest of the visit.

“You will need to wear a sling for a few days to make sure you don’t strain the shoulder, but we saw on your paperwork that you're already on magic supplements. You should expect a speedy recovery. If you have any trouble, or experience any pain, please don't hesitate to come back.” 

“Where do we get a sling that will fit him?” Ray asked.

“Up front. The receptionist who takes care of billing will be able to help you.” 

With Loki’s help, Thor settled himself across Ray’s shoulders, and they made their way out into the lobby. Ray sighed a breath of relief; her insurance did cover the vet visit, but she did notice someone had marked that the visit was for a boa constrictor. She wasn’t going to question it if someone was doing her a favor. 

Loki helped Thor sling up his arm and said, “It’s been nice of you to shoulder this babe, ya sling-le handedly carried the team.” Thor chuckled. 

“Couldn't have made it this far without you there,” Thor replied, nuzzling Loki as they walked out the door. 

Suddenly, a familiar elderly voice shouted towards them. “Oh, hello, dear!” The old woman from the waiting room called over. She was standing by the shop without her pet carrier or bitties in toe. “I’m afraid I forgot to get the information for your rescue, dear?” 

“Oh, I thought you were just being polite,” Ray replied, pulling out another business card. 

“No, dear. I really do love supporting rescues and shelters. I’m old, what else am I going to spend my money on?” 

“Well, thank you so much for contributing, ma’am. There's a spreadsheet I can give you access to where we thank donors and show how their contributions are spent at the Viper’s Den,” Ray explained, going into her business speech. She found people were more comfortable donating when they could see where exactly the donation was going. 

“That’s all above my head, dear; and please call me Bambi, Bambi Ellis. It's a pleasure to meet you and your little friends.” 

“It’s been really nice meeting you and your bitties to ma… Mrs. Ellis. Where are your bitties?” Ray asked curiously, causing Bambi to look sadly towards a black mercedes parked in the complex. 

“The poor dears didn’t get the news they were hoping for. I’m giving them some more time to talk before we head home with the rest,” The old woman said. 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Ray said, politely not probing further out of respect for their privacy. The two only chatted for a few minutes before Ray excused herself by saying it was a bit cool out for the Lamia’s. 

The closer she got to the Viper’s Den, the more nervous she got, but at least she wasn’t panicking. She just needed to sit down and have a talk with the Chain. Just a normal conversation about what he wanted to do about the fact that their SOULs were basically attached. She certainly couldn't sit in the car and worry over it forever. Thor and Loki certainly wouldn’t let her just sit in the car as it got cooler in the evening. 

Carrying the bitties indoors, she greeted Maverick and Lily without even a hint of surprise to see the living room door propped open so Maverick could hang out with the bitties. She chatted politely for a bit complementing Papython’s new outfit. It was a fashionable outfit featuring  a pastel-colored sweater with a drooping neckline, creams with a pail orange triangle up one side, and little leather strip that cinched in the waist line slightly. Lily was just finishing up a broad red scarf to go with the outfit. Looking around Ray couldn't find the chain and eventually had to ask the other bitties. “Hey, has anyone seen the chain?”

Orchid cleared his throat and pointed towards the couch. Hearing the exchange, the Chain poked his head out slowly. 

“Hey,” Ray said, feeling the nervousness come back in full force. She hoped the chain couldn’t feel how nervous she was. “Can we talk for a second?” 

He sighed before disappearing right before her eyes. Her first reaction was that she had spooked him, but a voice drew her attention to her front desk behind her.

“Ya coming or not?” The Chain asked from on top of the desk. 

“... You can teleport?” It was the only thing Ray could think to ask as she shut the door behind her. They would need some privacy. 

Chapter Text

“That really what you wanna talk about sunshine?” The chain asked nervously.

“Well, no… I guess not,” Ray replied, walking over to sit by the desk. “Okay, So… you know how I talk about my school and stuff a lot?” She waited for him to nod before continuing. “Well I couldn't just jump into the stuff I wanted. There were these classes that I had to take first called common core. One class I thought would be fun was philosophy, and there was this thing they kinda talked about there. It’s like, there are 4 versions of yourself: the… umm the one you know, the one… other people know?” She trailed off questioningly realizing that she couldn't remember the rest. “Shit, what I'm trying to say is… That umm.”

“The bond?” The Chain supplied.

“Yeah, that,” she answered, swallowing hard. “… I was really into mythology before I decided to go back to school, so Jo is named after the great world serpent in Norse mythology. I nicknamed Maui after a Polynesian god. So if you… maybe wanted to stay we could go down that route. There’s plenty to choose from.” 

“If I wanted to stay?” he asked, looking at her with confusion. “What if I didn’t?”

“I really just want you guys to end up wherever you're going to be happiest. You were dropped off here, so I feel like you're my responsibility.” 

Silence filled the room. Neither of them spoke, for a long moment. 

“I know… kinda how this started, Sunshine.”  He sighed and looked around, opening and closing his mouth multiple times before starting again. “Can… Can we talk about this later? It’s easier for me to talk… when it's not… like this.” 

“Oh, yeah. Sure. I’ll let you come to me whenever you're ready to talk about it,” Ray replied, feeling a bit relieved that the ball was in his court now. “Have you guys had dinner yet?” She asked to change the subject as she stood up and nodded back towards the door. 

He shook his head ‘no’ and ported down to the floor.

“Yur friend said he was orderin something,” he replied. 

By ‘ordering something’, it turns out Maverick meant he ordered way more Chinese takeout than they could eat to celebrate. The chain sat next to her as they ate, not quite touching but still close enough for Ray to feel like the conversation hadn’t gone too badly. Loki ate two and a half human-sized servings of sweet and sour chicken without the sweet and sour sauce. Saying that it was close enough to chicken nuggets, without the sauce.  Meanwhile, everyone else divided up the massive portions of lo-mein, rice, teriyaki chicken, and yakiniku. There was a brief argument over who got to DJ when Thor was tired of the metal that the Coral and Maverick both liked, but Loki suggested an acceptable compromise with soft rock. 

The conversations were light and easy, just what they had done that day.  Lily excitedly proclaimed that she would have to do Thor and Loki’s outfits next so they could have some cute clothes to wear home. Ray eventually mentioned that the veterinary assistant was a pappy which sparked more conversation topics. 

“Poppy,” Thor said, in reply. 

“What?” Ray asked for clarification. 

“He was a poppy type. They look similar, but their temperaments are slightly different.  Poppy’s are kinda just talented in healing and stuff,” he continued. 

Wolf seemed fairly interested in something else she had said. “I didn’t know bitties were allowed to attend school.” 

Lily smiled down at him. “Oh yeah, why wouldn’t they be? Is that something you’re interested in?”

He shook his head in the negative.

  “Just, something I had never heard of before,” he replied.

Maverick left before it got too late, his arms filled with packed up leftovers. Ray made sure to turn the volume on her phone all the way up and plug it in before she went to bed. She had to be prepared in case Max called to work anything out for Thor and Loki. 

It didn’t surprise her when she ended up dreaming about the Vipers' Den. She made her way into the lobby, thinking about the nightmare she had last time. She slowly crept over to the door that led to her snake rooms only for a skeletal hand to reach out and grab her wrist, spinning her around. 

“Stars!” She gasped, looking up at the giant chain she had been dreaming about.

“S-sorry!” he exclaimed, jerking his hands back and keeping them at his sides. “Umm, Ya just probably don’t really wanna go in there… it's kinda my half.”

“Half of what?” She asked curiously.

“This place between our souls, Sunshine,” he replied, causing several things to click into place in her head. 

“... These aren't just lucid dreams, are they?” She eventually asked. 

“Nah, never have been. I don’t know why, but it's easier for me to talk to you here.” 

Looking up at the Chain, she vividly remembered those gold capped fangs coming at her. Even though she thought  those fangs should horrify her, her mind just flashed back to Jo lashing out at her while he was hurting and scared. Ray had a strong inclination that the chain was very much like Jo in that way. They would have to talk about it, but there were more important conversations to have.  

“Alright. So, let's talk,” she replied. “I think the last thing we were talking about was if you wanted to stay, and how I started this whole thing.” Her tone tried to go for a cheeky, light conversation. The Chain nervously cleared his non-existent throat and looked toward the copy of her front desk. 

“It happened there,” he said.

“The front desk?” Ray asked. 

“When you brought us in.” 

Ray waited for him to elaborate further, but he seemed to be waiting for her to say something. 

“The lady at Vex’s explained it the best way she could, but I still don’t really understand. You said that it was because I wanted you guys to be happy and healthy?” Ray asked, breaking the silence. 

“I probably can’t explain it much better. Wanna take this outside?” he asked, angling his head to the door. Ray didn’t see why not and let him lead the way. As they walked, Ray took note that the clearing was fairly grassy with small patches of snow here and there. But it was nothing like the deep mounds or blizzards from before. 

That probably means something. 

At the edge of the clearing, where the cave used to be, there was a giant park picnic table. 

“Is that how big everything is to you?” She asked, awestruck by the giant structure. 

“Sorta. I got an advantage though, remember,” he replied, gently laying a hand on her shoulder. In an instant, they teleported to the top of the table. He removed his hand as soon as Ray was steady.

“Right, you can teleport.” She smiled up at the chain. They settled on the edge of the table, and Ray waited as patiently as she could. The Chain started to chuckle. 

“I can feel yur impatience, Sunshine. Don’t worry, I’m done teasin… it's kinda about intent… sorta. I’m sure you can imagine that I haven't been around the best humans. We had gone into…  kinda a hibernation state in the box, almost dusted in the cold, so I wasn’t really conscious when you picked us up. Not all the way. I felt the warmth from your soul way before you even started warming our bodies. Given the conversation were havin, I don’t think you did it on purpose. But while you were warming us on that little table, you were sorta bleeding intent with little flares of hope here and there… Then you started talkin, encouragin us as you reached out with your voice; wanton us to be okay.  yur soul reached out, too. I felt it wantin to fix everythin and just make it all better. Chains like me are naturally inclined to making these kinds of bonds, it’s actually what I had been out looking for when I got thrown into the rings.” He paused and took a deep shaky breath.

“I want to say this before I talk about the next part. I’m not upset we have a bond. The first emotion I felt was overwhelmin joy. I just…” He trailed off, having trouble finding the words even here where it was safest for him to find them. Ray looked up at him, but he had basically implied that she didn’t have to try and be patient.

“Did I tell you how many times Jo bit me when I first brought him home?” She asked, waiting for him to nod. Ray remembered that they had already talked about Jo in the strange recreation of her living room before. “Well… you don’t have to justify not wanting to talk to me about the bond… I-I was going to wait to bring it up; but I saw your room from before. I may never fully understand what you went through, and it's probably a shitty comparison, but I’ve seen how trauma can change a snake's behaviors. If you’re happy with the bond, and you think you could be happy here, then I wouldn’t mind having another resident at the Vipers Den… even if it might take us a while to work everything out.”  Her encouragement brought a look of straight horror to the Chain’s face. Gray clouds rolled in across the sky.

“I was really hopin you wouldn't remember that or  just thought it was a nightmare,” He said quietly.

“We don’t have to talk about that right now. I think we have other things to talk about. You were in the middle of explaining how we ended up with a bond.”

“R-right,” he stuttered, getting back on track. “Umm, I think it’s pretty obvious that you're the kinda human I was out there lookin for before the rings. When your warm, kind soul reached out to me, I just knew you were the one. It was instant. A bond formed right there. But when I woke up, I kinda… put up a wall between us. It was an accident. I don’t know how it happened. It’s like when I flinch away from your hands. I don’t mean to. It’s just a reaction. I’m a Chain though, we live for our soul bonds and our bonded; so since my soul is the magically stronger one, it kinda went around the wall I built between us and made this happen; And all along the way, I could feel support from the determination from your own soul, helping sustain the illusion. It’s kinda a way for our souls to communicate even when I block our bond.”  

Looking up at the sky, Ray nodded. She took a moment to let herself process the new information. 

"Yeah, I can see how it could be useful to know how you're feeling.” 

“It’s more than that… It told me what you need outta your chain,” he replied, Ray tore her eyes from the sky and stared at him curiously.

“Alright, I’ll bite. What do I need from my chain?” She asked. Sunlight slowly pierced the heavy gray sky, trickling beams of light through the clearing. The chain smiled down at her with gentle encouragement. 

“You’ve seen my half, and I've seen yurs. Compared to mine, yurs is a bit empty. Mine might have ghosts and demons lurkin in the shadows; but if you looked around, there's also my friends: the people I’m close to. Yurs ain't got no one… So I could be wrong, but I think maybe you get lonely out here… really lonely. Ch-Chains are good for company, though!” He rushed to finish, maybe realizing he had hit the nail a little too hard on the head.

Ray looked out at the clearing and made her choice.

 “Odin is the norse god of gods. He's the all-seeing all-father and leads Asgard, the home of the gods.  Balder is the Norse god of light and spring and stuff. Tyr is the keeper of law, justice, and courage. Heimdall is the–”

“I like Tyr,” he interrupted, looking at Ray almost shyly.

“Alright… Hi, Tyr. It's nice to formally meet you,” she replied, holding her hand out for a hand shake. He hesitated for a second before reaching out and taking her hand, holding it between his two skeletal ones. 

“Thank you,” he muttered softly, as yellow and orange tulips bloomed across the clearing.

Chapter Text

They sat together quietly enjoying the light, calming feeling in the blooming clearing. After a while, Ray spoke. “I hope you don’t mind if we wait a day before I do the drive back to Vex’s. I didn’t think about it while Maverick was here, so I don’t have anyone to watch the Den anyway.”

“Why would you need to go back to Vex’s?” He asked curiously, setting there hands down, still entwined.

“To fill out the adoption paperwork,” she replied like it was obvious. 

“Ya ain’t gotta do that. I’m yur chain, no paperwork needed.”

“Yeah, but Thor and Loki’s paperwork is the only reason they're going home. So I'm going to make sure mine has both my numbers and my email.” 

“Ya ain’t gettin rid of me, sunshine; but if it’ll make ya feel better, we can sign some papers whenever you want.” 

“It would,” Ray said, smiling happily up at Tyr. 

That morning, when she woke up, she went through her regular morning routine. She passed Lily working with some gold and green colored cloth to get her morning coffee; she had computer work today, and she would need it to stay awake. She said her good mornings, pausing when she noticed Tyr was also awake.

“You’re up early! Good morning, Tyr. Do you wanna sit with me while I work today?”

She asked, though before Tyr could answer Orchid yelled, “Finally! I was beginning to plot locking you two together if you took too much longer!”

Orchid’s outburst sparked congratulations from the awake bitties. 

Lily gasped. “Oh, I'll have to rework my sketch to match the new name,” she said cheerfully.  

In the commotion, for the first time, Ray felt a little bloom of emotion that didn’t come from her: a faint, warm embarrassment. She looked over at Tyr; his face was dusted a light orange, and he was talking quietly with the Coral and Orchid. She smiled knowing that he had been right—she had been alone—and when all these bitties went home or left, she would have been alone, again. Except now, she wouldn't be. She wasn’t delusional. They still hadn’t talked about what happened, he did technically try to eat her; maybe he did eat her in that weird nightmare place. Though most of her snakes had done the same at one point or another; and while they would have to talk about it eventually; it was something they could address later. 

“I can prop the door open, take your time. I'm not going anywhere,” she said, smiling at him before getting started on her work.

She made a list of phone calls to make and went through her email, finding two of particularly interesting: one from someone named Bambi Ellis and one from a veterinary institute. After skimming the first email, Ray realized it was from the old woman she had met the day before. It was very personable and friendly, informing Ray that Mrs. Ellis had been to the Viper’s Den website and saw that Ray offered tours. She then went on to express how lovely it would be to see the rescue before she donated and was wanting to formally schedule one. 

Ray quickly typed up an email back, giving some optional dates and times for a tour; but she also let Bambi know that she could just swing by whenever the Den was open for a tour—no need to schedule in advance.  The second email absorbed Ray into her computer so intently, she didn’t notice that Tyr had come out to join her. 

“What’s got you lookin so intense, sunshine?” 

Ray glanced down at him, smiling a bit before going back to focusing. “Just some research. I found that when something seems too good to be true, then it usually is.” 

“You must be one of those rare cases, then,” he replied without missing a beat and winking. 

Ray giggled. “Do you remember what I said about Maui and his tail?” Tyr nodded that he did. “Well, when he first got here, I looked into prosthetics. Most of them were still in clinical testing, so my insurance wouldn’t cover them; plus, openings for the clinical trials were already full.  There’s this new surgically implanted prosthetic that they're testing, though, and they want subjects for the test. I guess since I applied for so many in the past, they still had the information I submitted. I just want to look up the company and see how their other trials went. If Maui would have to undergo surgery,  I want to make sure that he's going to be safe. 

“This is the first prosthetic created by DVM Stanton—,” she paused, glancing at Tyr. His eyes were blank in a way that reminded Ray of her fellow students when a lecturer lost them. “Thats a ‘Doctor of Veterinary Medicine,’ in case you didn't know. So… this is the first prosthetic that Dr. Stanton has worked on, and the other DVM on the proposal has also never done any surgical prosthetic work before. She heavily referenced this dissertation on magically powered machines from Dr. Alphys, whose work is seriously impressive, but Dr. Alphys also has no prosthetics experience. 

Which brings me to my next concern: it’s meant to be the first prosthetic that bio- integrates with magic. They want the clinical trials to be over a wide range of animals: mammals, fish, reptiles, yada… Another worry I have is the concern they just want Maui in the trial to tick off a box for marine reptiles, which I understand because of scientific method and shit. All of the stuff I learned while I was in school started with experimentation. I’m just trying to find everything I can about the company, and the two doctors running the clinical trials, before I say yes or no… there's just not a lot of public information.”

"Sounds like a lot," Tyr said in agreement, glancing at her computer screen with multiple tabs open.

“You should have seen the tabs I had open when you guys first got here,” Ray replied. Her fingers clacked across the keyboard as she typed up an email expressing interest but desiring time to consider the options. She was looking at her calendar to schedule a call back, when she realized something else.

"Did I tell Maverick to feed the temperate snakes yesterday?" She mused to herself, feeling a thrill when someone other than Maverick could answer. 

"He didn't if ya did. Didn't see him go to the kitchen once," Tyr said. 

She hit send on her email and stood up from the desk.

"Okay so we have to do that, too. Wanna come with me like last time?"

"Sure. The Papython will probably wanna come too. He likes helpin with the snakes," he explained, teleporting down to the floor before Ray could even ask if he wanted to be carried or not. 

"I don't mind that," Ray replied, leading the way back into her kitchen. Sure enough, the Papython's eyes lit up when Ray asked if he wanted to help. Half-way through prepping the mice and rats, she heard a jingling sound. She told her helpers to wait for her to get back because the deep freezer was cold, and she didn't want them falling in. Ray excused herself to answer the jingling door. 

A fuller-figured young woman with long blond hair had walked into the shop, looking around nervously. 

"Hello, welcome to the Viper’s Den. My name is Ray! How can I help you?" Ray began her professional spiel and stepped up behind her desk. 

The woman nodded and pulled out her phone. 

"Yes, I was wondering if anyone has brought in a piebald python?  I've looked all around my apartment and asked all my neighbors, but no one has seen anything." The woman pulled up a picture of a ball python with a gorgeous marble pattern. 

Ray’s face dropped. "No, I'm sorry. I don't have any piebald snakes here. They could turn up though; so if you leave your name and contact information, I can keep an eye out." Ray pulled out her own phone to take a picture.

"Her name is Sugar, and umm, I'm Cassidy, I guess," she said, filling out a contact sheet and taking one of Ray's business cards. 

"Alright Cassidy, we'll keep an eye out. I'll even email everyone I know in the field and have them keep an eye out, too. Let us know if she turns up, okay?" Ray said with a warm smile as Cassidy walked out. In moments like these, the least Ray could do was reassure the woman. Once she was gone, her reassuring smile fell. Piebalds were unique and beautiful. If someone decided to grab her, it wouldn't surprise Ray at all if the snake never turned up.

She began typing up a message to Maverick, attaching the picture of Sugar and asking him to keep an eye out. 

Maverick replied to the message almost instantly. "Wow, she's pretty. Shame. It makes it harder to get them back."

"Yeah. Just hit the boards hard and see if anything pops up," Ray responded, pocketing her phone as she walked back into the kitchen. As she entered the kitchen, she discovered her instructions had been completely ignored; Tyr and the Papython had used magic to lift the remaining rats she needed onto the cart. 

"That doesn't look like waiting for me to get back." 

Tyr just smiled at her with no hints of feeling chastised. 

"Yeah, but he hasn't been healin us in a few days. He's been lettin the supplements do their work, so he had some energy to spare… aaaand we didn't go near the fridge, so I think everybody wins," he said, forcing an unwilling smile of amusement across Ray’s face. 

"Fine! Just this once! Thanks for the help. But next time, listen to me. Some of the snakes I have here at the den are really aggressive and venomous, and I wanna make sure you're safe around them." 

The Papython nodded vigorously, and Tyr gave his signature shrug with a lazy smile. She made her way towards her snake rooms, pausing by Jo's tank. Habit made her hold her arm out to him to see if he wanted to come with her today, but she wasn't surprised when he didn't. Some days, he'd just rather lounge in his enclosure. She chatted with the two Lamias on her trolley as she fed the temperate snakes. She didn't have as many big venomous snakes in their enclosure, so the Papython was able to help more here. After the feeding, she decided that today was as good as any to clean out the enclosures, too. Ray walked the Lamias through a meticulously detailed process that required removing the snakes from their tanks.  She finished the temperate room and after taking a break for a quick lunch, she moved on to the desert room, where she came across her smallest snake. Unlike before, where she only let the Lamias help her clean the tank after she got the snakes out, this snake was tiny and social enough that she wasn’t concerned for their safety.

"Hey, do either of you wanna hold one?" She held out the tiny Western Blind snake. 

Tyr's answer was instant. "Hard pass," he said, looking up at her apologetically. She smiled at him and nodded, causing Tyr to relax.

"That's fine. Absolutely not a requirement, bud." She looked at the Papython who had slid closer with curiosity. She waited patiently while he thought about it.

"Will it be alright?" He asked, looking at the tiny snake curiously. 

"Yeah, you just gotta be gentle. But I don't think that will be a problem with you." She gestured for him to come closer. It didn't take much guidance before he was holding the tiny little worm-like snake in his skeletal hands. 

"You didn't ask, but he's a Western Blind snake. Rena humilis is the scientific name, but it is also just called a Threadsnake. They get mistaken for worms a lot because of how small they are." She cleaned the tank as she spoke, keeping an eye on the Papython. He seemed comfortable enough just looking at the snake curiously. 

"Is it really blind?" Papython asked.

"Mostly. They burrow under the sand, so they have translucent scales over their eyes to protect them from the coarse sand. However, that makes them mostly blind. They can see changes in light and motion, but no fine detail." She finished cleaning the enclosure and leaned it low enough for the Papython to gently set the snake inside.

 “Good job, buddy,” she said, congratulating him as she continued to clean other containers. She had just finished the desert room and was heading toward the amazon room when the bell jingled from the front shop door again. 

She chuckled lightly with annoyed amusement. “Busy day, today.” She glanced at Tyr. "Don't feel like being picked up today?"

"Not today, Sunshine," he said casually, teleporting up to her shoulder. The sudden weight on her shoulder almost made her jostle him off, but she kept her balance. "This is fine for now though."

She chuckled lightly and offered her hand to the Papython. He wound his way up her arm and to her other shoulder.

"Thanks," he said cheerfully, smiling broadly at Ray and Tyr. She walked with the two Lamias into the lobby. Shock pulsed through her brain as she was met with a familiar older woman; two bitties perched on each of her shoulders. Bambi stood calmly at the front desk with the reader and horror papy. It took Ray a second to recognize the reader. Instead of her purple sweater dress, she was in a knee length cocktail dress colored like a purple swirling cosmos. The way her hands were politely folded over one another, Ray could see a ring on her left hand. It was large enough to catch the light even on her small hand in the shape of a six pointed star. 

"Good evening, Mrs. Ellis. How can I help you?" Ray asked professionally, approaching the front desk. 

"Yes dear. I believe you said tours were available any time the rescue was open. Is that correct? I hope you don’t mind the short notice. I thought Cinnamon and Venus would enjoy the trip." 

"Yes ma'am, I did," Ray replied politely, suddenly regretting her wording. “Thank you for coming to visit the Viper’s den today, This is my chain, Tyr and his friend.” Ray introduced them, giving the Papython and Tyr time to say their own greetings before she continued. "Is the name Venus in reference to the planet or the Roman goddess?" Ray asked, wanting to recognize the new name for the bitty. Tyr's friends had made it sound like a big step for bitties.

"Oh, a-a bit of both," the reader replied, blushing and working the ring on her  finger. "Solomon helped to pick it out." 

"Did he not want to come today?" Ray asked politely, causing the reader to giggle.

"He doesn't like snakes, or grass, or dirt," She replied fondly. 

Cinnamon nodded. "Though, princess and Angel would probably really like them… maybe not Teddy." 

"The more the merrier, if they would also like tours.  Do either of you like snakes?” She asked, focusing on the bitties. The scary horror-type flashed a winning smile and nodded, 

“Grandmother says a lot of people are afraid of snakes, but they are not scary at all when you learn about them,” he said happily, causing Ray to smile back at him. 

“That is exactly right. The fear of snakes is a really common phobia. It’s up there with spiders, the dark, and heights. It’s one of the fears I hope the Vipers Den helps remedy. Right this way! I’ll show you what snakes are really like.” She walked them to Jo’s enclosure. 

“This big boy, here, is Jo.” Her voice fell into a professional cadence. It wasn’t her first time giving a tour to a potential donor. Every once in a while, one of the bitties on her shoulders would chime in, repeating something she had said in passing. The tour went smoothly, Cinnamon smiling charmingly and asked many questions. Venus was more quiet and reserved, but every once in a while, Cinamon would do the cutest thing.

“Small Sister! Look at that bright-yellow one! It looks like a big dragon.” 

“Wow,” Venus whispered quietly, giving Ray an opportunity to explain more.

Ray gestured to the snake. “She is a rough-scaled bush viper. They are native to central Asia. Sometimes they are called ‘fuzzy bush vipers’ because of their scales. This little lady was part of an illegal venom collecting organization. These bush vipers are highly venomous, but over-milking them can still lead to severe health complications; and if you aren't educated on how to properly extract the venom, then the snake can be injured. She just has a few more months with me, though. She should absolutely be able to be re-released soon. She isn’t domesticated and seems fairly healthy to me, so I'll call some wildlife preservation contacts to see who would be able to take her."

"What kind of connection do you have?" Mrs. Ellis asked.

It was a question Ray expected from a donor, and she listed off her contacts as she continued the tour. There were, of course, the big names, such as: the National Zoological Association, National Wildlife Association, and the Global Preservation Association. But there were also smaller organizations that she had connections to, such as: the Amazon Preservation Initiative, the Sisterhood of Crows, and the Guardians of the Crossroads; the later two being both biker clubs she made contact with at a yearly animal rights convention she attended to help get donors. The first biker club, the Sisterhood of Crows, broke up animal fighting rings and helped the animals find good homes, Ray has actually been meaning to call her contact with them up and see if they also broke up bitty fighting rings. Meanwhile, the second biker club, the Guardians of the Crossroads, stood up against exotic animal trafficking. The Legless Reptile Lovers Association was another one she knew through Maverick. She mentioned she also had a network of people who monitored online forums (which was just Maverick, but he was very good at what he did). 

They were back in the lobby by the time Ray was done detailing her connections to other organizations and how they helped her rescue and release snakes in need of her services. 

Ray felt immense pride with the tour, and Mrs. Ellis seemed satisfied when it was done.

"Very impressive, young lady. Is that Dr. Calibre's method?" The older woman asked, pulling out her checkbook. 

"We… might have referenced his book in my business courses while I was going to school. I pursued a Master's in Zoology, with a minor in business, to help me run the Den." 

"It shows, now do I make this out to you or the Vipers Den?" She asked.

"Oh, the Vipers Den, if you don't mind," Ray said, glancing out the front of the shop. It was getting late; the amazon room would probably have to wait to be cleaned tomorrow. From the old woman's shoulder the reader bitty cleared her throat. 

"Miss Ray? Your bitties are Lamias, right?" She asked.

"Umm yeah, I have 8 Lamias staying with me right now. Tyr is going to be staying permanently. Why do you ask?" 

"Do you know where my Abuela can find a Peachy Piebald lamia or a Plum-tart lamia?" She asked. 

"I'm sorry, I've never even heard of those before," Ray replied. 

Cinnamon skittered across the old woman's back to get to the same shoulder as Venus. He wrapped an arm around her smaller shoulders as she slumped forward sadly.

"Don't worry, small sister! Grandmother will take care of everything. There's no rush. You just have to have faith." 

Ray looked at Tyr, hoping he would have an idea, but he just shrugged. She would have to ask Lilly about them. 

"I can ask around, if you want," Ray offered as the old woman straightened back up.

"No pressure, dear. But if you find anything, you have my email. I'm looking for a lusty bitty, and the peachy piebald lamia just sounded like the perfect match for our little family." She handed Ray a check.

They exchanged parting pleasantries, and it wasn't until after Bambi had left the Vipers Den that Ray looked at the check in her hands. The wind was knocked out of her lungs as her eyes glanced across the number. 

"S-Sunshine! Ya alright?" Tyr asked, tapping her face a few times, getting her to take a deep breath before she passed out.

"It looks like we're going to Vex's tomorrow. I absolutely do not feel comfortable carrying around a check this large for too long." She immediately locked up the Den for the night and went to clean out her amazon rooms. She wouldn't have time tomorrow. Partly through the room, Lily came down the hall with her phone, saying the the Pygmy, that they had dropped off at Vex’s had finally gotten around to calling, so the Papython excused himself to go talk to him, she offered for Tyr to go but he seemed content to stay with her instead. Saying that he would probably want to hear from the others more anyway. Once she was done cleaning the enclosures, she shot Maverick a quick message and finally sat down in her living room at the end of the day, he spammed her phone within seconds asking her what she meant when she said she was filling out adoption paperwork, but Ray figured she could just tell him in the morning. She was too tired and hungry to deal with it tonight. Lily had made tacos for dinner. Ray glanced around at all the plates.

It looked like Loki's outfit was even done. It was an emerald-green and gold tee-shirt in an alternating triangle pattern with a pale seafoam hoodie over it. The zipper was gold-colored, and two tiny gold spikes, like the kind you would see on a dog collar, were stitched behind the hood’s black cotton-fluff lining. The two spikes were obviously meant to be little tiny, horns on his hood.

"Outfits looking good, bud." Ray complemented. 

Thor wasted no time to chime in. "Course it does. He's wearin it." 

Loki blushed lightly, swallowing a mouth full of taco meat so he could speak. "Pops is gonna freak. When he sees it, he’ll probably nerd out about it fer days," he said, smiling. The rest of the night was quiet and calm, Ray hadn't realized how tired she was until she sat down. Lily had to gently jostal Ray to stir her awake so she could go to bed. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep.

Ray laughed shyly. "Guess I'm really tired," she said, stretching out the sentence with a yawn. She stood up to say her good nights, and Tyr stopped her.

"Mind if I sleep in your room tonight, sunshine?" He asked, causing Ray to pause for a second as her tired mind processed the question.

"Oh, umm sure. I don't really have a soft spot for you to sleep like in here."

"It'll be fine," he assured her, following as she led the way to her bedroom. "I can sleep up there." Tyr pointed to the nightstand beside her bed. 

"You can have one of my pillows, if you want." She offered, turning off the lamp next to her bed. 

Chapter Text

That morning, Ray woke up feeling refreshed. She sprang up to get changed, freezing when a voice spoke from near her bed. 

"Didn't think we were that comfortable yet, Sunshine," Tyr said lazily, a small hint of amusement radiating off him before being shut down. 

Ray gasped, spinning around, and yanking her shirt back down over her head. 

"I am so sorry! I forgot you were in here!" 

He just chuckled before getting up and stretching. 

"Don't worry about it," he replied, chuckling and blipping out of the room. At least Ray checked around the room to make sure she was alone before she finished changing. For once, Lily wasn’t already nosedeep working with the bitty clothing when Ray exited her room. She was on her phone looking at the sketch for Thor’s outfit with Orchid. 

“Everything alright?” Ray asked as she walked past to grab some coffee. Leaning against the coffee pot, Tyr would have almost passed for being non-chalant if not for the mischievous smirk across his skull.

“Yeah, just having some creative block issues. I don’t really like Thor’s design colors. Like, it's just black, silvers, and reds. What am I supposed to do with that on a Honey-Bo?”  Lily scrolled through her phone. Ray nodded to show she was listening. Yet she didn’t really know what to say. She didn’t know much about clothes let alone making them. Orchid seemed to have some ideas though.

“What if you made these shades of gray and black,” he said, pointing to a part of the sketch. “And this could be red, and we could improvise and make the hoodie part white, or a yellowish color.”

“Buuut, Loki’s clothes came out so much like the character.” Lily whined, tossing her phone behind her in defeat. Wolf twisted around to look at the phone, staring at it a moment before speaking.

“The cartoon has more golds and blues. Maybe you could make the hoodie a burnt orange color, and use the red and blue colors over the black and gray.” Wolf said. Lily looked at Orchid, meeting his eyes before the Mamba bolted off grabbing fabricswhile Lily made notes on her sketch. 

“That’s an amazing idea, Wolf! Ya know, sometimes ya just need fresh eyes! Thanks!” She said, happily. Within moments, she was working away. Ray had time to relax in the lobby with Tyr as she waited for Maverick. She pulled out her phone to give them something to do while they waited, forgetting about her search history. Between gasped laughter, Tyr managed to squeeze out words. 

“What the hell-kinda research is that! It’s just a bunch of Fire Rings cookin! And this one, it's all cutesy baby blues playing tag!” He howled with laughter.

“It’s not all cutesy stuff, there was other research in there… somewhere,” she said, sheepishly defending her search history.  

“Do they literally just build a house in that one?” he asked, pointing to a video titled bitty construction crew makes a mini wooden home at the bottom of the page. 

“Okay! Not only do they build a house, it's a bitty house with insulation and hot/cold water lines. The human lays the foundation and he has these cute little cement bags and tools so his bitties can help him, He has a boss and I… think a papy, but he does the foundation and the external frames and beams and stuff, and the bitties go in with the flooring and drywall and just make it look nice from a bitty perspective. They all come semi furnished. They auction off the houses they make for the videos and take commission.”

“Videos?” Tyr asked curiously, prompting Ray to scroll down and show about six of their videos. One video with the boss bitty laying tiny bricks in the thumbnail, and another with the Papy smiling enthusiastically as he lines a pool, but most of the thumbnails had completed houses with the bitties standing up front with only the human’s hands visible behind them. 

“Wow, Sunshine. Is this the kinda research that got you through all that school?”  Slight sarcasm rolled off his tongue. 

“Would you be surprised if I said yes?” She replied, smiling cheekily. Ray had always been a youtube procrastinator and a crunch studier. It might not work for everyone, but it worked for her. 

The wait for Maverick to arrive felt short as they joked and chatted about the weird rabbit hole she went down when she was trying to figure out what to do with the bitties. Maverick ran straight in and looked at her.  “Okay, not messaging me back is super rude! Now who are you adopting? When did this happen? Also, why didn't you tell me you were thinking of adopting one of them? I thought we were bros!” His tone sounded too rude for Ray this early in the morning.  Taking a deep breath, she gestured down to Tyr, 

“Maverick meet Tyr, and Tyr, Maverick. I’m adopting this chain. We have a soul thing. It kinda just happened,” she explained, dryly. 

He relaxed and smiled at her in his usual Maverick way now that he was assured he wasn't being kept out of some big secret. 

“Oh, dope, dude. Congratulations.” He turnded his attention to Tyr and held two of his fingers out for a handshake. “Welcome to the Den little dude, guess you can call me uncle Maverick or uncle Mav.” 

Ray had gotten used to hearing Tyr speak, so it was a little surprising at first when he clammed up instead of saying the snarky comeback that Ray knew was on the tip of his tongue. He shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Yeahhhh, that's probably not gonna happen,” Ray said to Maverick. “Anyway, I’d like to make it home in decent time, Ready to go?” She asked Tyr, holding out her arm to him and pretending not to notice when he flinched before spiraling up her arm to her shoulder. She rushed her goodbyes, going out to the car. 

She let Tyr slide off her shoulder and down her arm onto the passenger seat. Cranking on the heat for him, she pulled away from the driveway quietly. After some time silently driving, she began wondering if she should start talking. The silence didn’t feel uncomfortable or heavy, it was just quiet; and Ray spent longer than she wanted trying to figure out if she should say something or not. 

Eventually a stuttering voice drew her attention to Tyr. “S-sorry.”

“For what bud?” 

“Tha quiet, and tha flinchin, again…we were havin a good day and it feels kinda tainted now.” A sullen melancholy replaced his usual bravado.

“You don’t have to apologize for those things… and if it makes you feel better I think we can still have a good day out. My day definitely isn’t ruined, even if it’s a bit more subdued than before.” 

"Kay." It was all Tyr seemed to be able to manage.. 

After another little pause Ray asked, "Want the radio on bud?" 

"Depends. Do you listen to the same music as yur friend?" 

"Not a fan of Metal?" Ray asked, letting amusement color her tone.

"I don't mind it, but it's all he listens to." 

Ray chuckled lightly, passing Tyr her phone.

"Car radio is busted, so we use the phone. You can DJ, if you want."   Ray had hoped to learn about Tyr’s music preferences, but she realized it wasn’t going to happen the way he flipped through different playlists, it seemed like he was just trying to see what music she listened to. Eventually, he did start talking again after settling on a mellow jazzy playlist. 

"Maverick is your best friend right?" He asked curiously. 

"Yeah, he's not usually rude… well, that's a lie, but he means well," she replied. 

"He's kinda a dick… but I guess my best friend is kinda a dick, too." 

"Who's your best friend?" She asked.

"... the Coral. And… well, they seem to get along really well. They both like the same music, and spend alotta time together when you're gone." 

Ray snickered at the implication. 

"You wanna try and set it up so that my best friend adopts your best friend?" she asked. 

"Well I was thinkin of askin you to adopt him, but I don't think you'd be a good fit for a Coral who wasn't born in the rings. Let alone him. He'd probably be better in a single bitty home, where he can stay in contact with us," Tyr explained. 

"That's pretty well thought out. What makes you think Maverick would be a good place for him if I'm not?" She asked, wanting to clarify the motives. She wasn't there when Maverick watched the den, so she really couldn't say whether or not they got along especially well. 

"I dunno how to explain it. They just get along. They don't even really talk… its–" Tyr trailed off in thought, but Ray thought maybe she knew what he meant. 

"They jive? Just kinda sit and listen to music together without really talking, but somehow that's a bonding experience?" She asked, causing Tyr to snap his fingers. 

"That! That's it exactly." He said. 

"Yeahhh, I don't know about it either. It's just a metal head thing. Like they're on the same wavelength when they disappear into a song together." She smiled, thinking back to when they were first getting to know each other through their taste in music. He would just get so quiet when she showed him a new song. Even when she knew it wasn't his taste, he would still listen to the music and vocals so intently like he was trying to decipher a hidden message or see what piece of Ray she was trying to show through the song even when it was just a song she liked. Thinking about what Tyr said about her being lonely, maybe her GreenDay and Fall Out Boy faze was her trying to tell Maverick that she was lonely. Maybe because of the way he listens to music, he got her message loud and clear; when he decided to stick to her like a loud, rude, like-minded, helpful barnacle. 

"They might just be music people. It's kinda what they do,"  she said, eventually realizing she had been in her head for a while. "Either way, they can talk about it. They’re grown men." 

Tyr snorted, looking amused. "That's why you wouldn't be good for a Coral. The obvious answer isn't the obvious answer. They can't talk about it because Corals have to be all cool and aloof about it and pretend they don't want ya around even when they do." 

Ray nodded, pulling into the parking lot for the small shopping strip that Vex's bitty shop was on. 

"Yeah. I think you're right. I value communication so trying to figure out what parts are an act and what he actually means would not be ideal for me… I think maybe if he and Maverick get along like you say then that might not be a problem. I can talk to Maverick about it if you want."

"I'd appreciate it, Sunshine. I know the Coral won't. Even though I think he's kinda hopin that yur friend will wanna keep him around so that we don't get to separated."  

 “I can’t make any promises, but I'll see what I can do.” Ray assured him, looking towards the shop. “Now, do you feel like being carried or do you want me to drop you off up front and walk in with you, but it might be cold.”

“I’m pretty used to the cold Sunshine, but if you wanna drop me off by the door, then I
can just find my way inside and wait fur you there,” he replied. Ray was fine with that compromise as long as he wouldn't be in the cold for long. 

“You mean you’re going to teleport inside?” She asked curiously as she circled the car around, pulling up to the curb, hopping out, and going around to the other door to open it for him. 

“Hmmm-maybe.” He drawled out teasingly, before winking and blipping out from in front of her. She did a quick check that he was in fact inside, and she saw him on the other side of the glass front doors before she hopped back into her own car and found a parking spot. 

When she made her way inside, the bell attracted some attention from the front desk. Natasha gave a friendly greeting, and Ray waved back. Some other chains came to investigate, but mainly a tiny blue blur came zipping quickly through the shop, towards Tyr, barreling into the larger lamia. It took Ray a second to realize that she knew that little blur, he was the only one in the shop with an outfit that was different from all the rest..

“Hey, little pygmy, how are you doing little dude?” She asked, leaning down to check on her chain. He had gone stiff, his hands hovering over the tiny pygmy like he wasn’t sure what to do with the sudden hug he was now trapped in. More than that, something felt wrong, Tyr didn’t look right, his eyes were empty as he looked down at the pygmy. Ray didn’t understand, though she had the impression that, that wasn't normal.

“Hey Tyr honey. You okay?” She asked, causing the Pygmy to chirp up at him. Then, Tyr’s eye lights flickered back to life. 

“Umm… y-yeah, just other Lamia’s, especially the ones that were…ya know there with me… steer a pretty wide circle around me…Wolf and Orchid are probably the only ones that could take me if it came to it. Wasn’t expectin… any kinda hug fur sure.” he looked down at the Pygmy, patting his back and returning the hug with a casual, one-sided pat.  “Specially surprised you ain’t scared of me, but… well, can’t say I’m not happy you’re not… Hi, little guy, ya likin the shop?” The Pygmy chirped at him for a bit and Ray let them get reacquainted. Eventually Tyr blushed lightly and scratched the back of his neck. 

“Well… Okay, fine. I’ll at least say hi next time ya call, but I really don’t know why you’d wanna talk to me, ain't like we talked that much before.” He sounded almost like a petulant teen called out for not wanting to call his little brother while he’s away at summer camp. The Pygmy for his part looked every bit like a mother hen. His little hand cocked against his hip as he looked up at the Chain sternly.

“If we get out, it’s together,” the pygmy said in a way Ray had never heard him speak before. It was like he was purposefully trying to mimic a slang he had heard before, and if the touched teary-eyed look on Tyr’s face was anything to go by, maybe it was something they had said to each other more than once. 

“Aight. I’ll say ‘hi’ the next time you call, buddy. Promise,” Tyr said. The conversation seemed to pitter off from there, and eventually the Pygmy ran off back to whatever he was doing before the two of them had arrived. 

“Want me to lift you up to the counter, or do you wanna do that yourself?” She asked, not being surprised when he blipped up onto the counter. 

“Thanks fur asking sunshine, but if someone else goes to touch me t-today, I might just lose m-my mind.” He seemed to force the words out, rubbing a hand down his face in an attempt to shake the unease and nervousness off. The rest of the visit was easy, there was some paperwork to fill out, such as: Tyr’s new name; Ray’s contact information; and a small processing fee to keep the shop running, which Ray happily paid if it meant Tyr would be registered and safe. They were about to leave when one of Natasha’s bitties–the baby blue named Cyan–skipped down the counter, skidding to a halt with a chain that Ray had the strangest feeling she had met before.

“Hey!” Cyan greeted cheerfully. “Before you go, he wants to know what you named your chain.” The excitable bitty explained, jogging Ray’s memory, she’s pretty sure she has this chain to thank for her and Tyr sitting down and talking about things to begin with. 

“Sure, this is my chain, Tyr.” She introduced, feeling comfortable using ‘my’ to describe Tyr because she remembered seeing how it made his soul space brighten up in their shared dream. It seemed like the chain understood what Ray was doing. He nodded at Ray as she spoke almost like he was telling her, ‘yes, this is how you do it.’ The chain then blipped away, himself.

“Wha– Mr. Chain, that was rude. You didn’t even give a proper parting!” Cyan scolded, vaulting off the counter himself.

…without giving a proper parting , Ray thought, finding it to be the most amusing thing in the world. After saying their goodbyes, Ray walked out of the shop, offering to take Tyr to the bitty accessory shop at the end of the strip, but he insisted that he didn’t need any of that fancy stuff. All that was left was the bank, which made her sit and wait long enough that she convinced Tyr to watch a couple tiny house building videos with her while the bank did whatever they had to do to confirm that the check was real. 

“Would you be interested in a little bitty house? I know you don’t need any of that fancy stuff, that's not what I'm asking. Would you like it?” She asked. Tyr deflated a little as Ray cut off his rebuttal before he had a chance. He chuckled lightly. 

“Nah, Sunshine. You see those stairs? How am I supposed to get up them?”

“It doesn't have to have stairs, they do commissions. It could be a custom place with ramps instead of stairs, or it could be just one floor with a pool. I think they have this video with a really nice single story with a garden,” Ray replied. 

“Nyeh-eheh.” He laughed warmly and openly. “Nah, I ain’t interested. I’m fine with whatever. Really, I liked sleeping on yur nightstand. Bein that close to your soul while we slept was good for me.” 

“I’ll set you up a pillow and ask Lily if she can make you a blanket out of some scrap… actually I might stop by a craft store and get some quilting stuff so you can have a nice thick blanket. Sometimes the Den can get cold,” Ray said, pulling up her messaging app and shooting one to Lily. The message asked if she could make a blanket and what kind of materials she would need to make one. The reply took long enough, that Ray was finishing up with the bank and getting ready to leave when she finally got the message back to not worry about materials. Lily believed she had plenty, and she could “literally make a blanket that small in like, 10 minutes.”

So with that assurance, Ray was on her way home.  

Halfway to the den, their music was interrupted with a phone call.  The caller ID flashed "Max (Thor and Loki)." With some fiddling, Tyr was able to answer it and put it on speaker so they could continue driving. He apologized profusely for taking so long to call, saying that with all the excitement his other two Lamias were a bit off their schedule. He was straight to the point, asking if there were days when the den was closed, setting up for two weeks out on the weekend. Then, perhaps overstepping, Ray thought about the large donation she had just received and asked if Max had the money to get his bitties registered where they lived. 

“I… no, but I'm about to get a promotion, so I will very soon,” he said after a pause. 

Ray listened to him and spoke when polite silence allowed it. “I have recently come into a large donation for the den. I could help finance the registration, so that there is a safety net in the future.“ Silence fell on them like a pile of bricks. Ray checked the speaker to see if they disconnected but a new higher voice chirped from the background.

“You okay, papaw?” 

When Max spoke again, his voice was watery and strained. “Yes! Yes, bud. I’m so, so okay. Just, someone just offered to do something really, really nice for us. And ummm I don’t really know what to say, I-I can’t accept that miss.“

“I understand, but really I insist. The more of a paper trail we can leave, the easier it will be to stop things like this from happening in the future. For example if they had been registered before then there would be a pin at your address, showing that these Lamia’s came from that location and ended up across the country, The authorities might be able to find where the bitties are being trafficked to by taking into consideration where the other bitties came from, or at least determine if its one location or a mobile set up.” She said, thinking of something to add last minute that might convince him to let her help. “--And if you want, you can just make a small donation, every once in a while to support the shelter.  Though please know I will never expect you to donate a penny; it is completely optional. I’m just happy to help.”

“I… I suppose you’re right. Alright, thank you so, so much ma’am. I honestly can’t express how much your kindness is appreciated.” 

Tyr suddenly decided to chime in, “S’not kindness, S’ just the right thing to do,” he said, speaking exactly what Ray was feeling.

“Sorry,” Ray jumped in. “I forgot to mention, my chain is here. His name is Tyr. Say hi, Tyr.” 

“Oh! You have a lamia too!” He replied as if that explained everything. “That name is fairly unique… there's a Tyr in the Marvel comics. He appears in Journey into Mystery #85…  did you maybe know that already?” 

“Wow… I did not know that. I actually have a funny story about your boys introducing themselves. See I’m a huge mythology nerd…”

They talk a little more. The casual conversation seemed to help Max relax. He even laughed hearing that one of the first things Loki said to Ray was a two-for-one pun. He seemed happy when they finally hung up, allowing Ray and Tyr to get back into their music. Ray arrived back at the Den with about an hour to spare before closing, giving her plenty of time to maybe sneak Maverick to the side and talk to him about the Coral. She wasn’t surprised to find Maverick sitting in the doorway between her apartment and the front office listening to music with the Coral. It sounded like Five Finger Death Punch, this time. They both seemed to be relaxed, melting into the music; meanwhile, just beyond the door, Lily was finishing up some detail of a tiny, inside out tee-shirt. 

“Hey dude,” Ray eventually interrupted, waiting until the end of that particular song. “Can I borrow you for a sec?” Tyr slipped around them into the apartment. 

“Sure thing, dude. Catch you later, little bro.” He waved towards the Coral. Ray sat down in her front desk chair since Maverick wasn’t using it. She was at least relaxed about this conversation because it was just Maverick.

“So, Tyr says that he and the little Coral are best friends.” Mavericks face fall. 

“O-oh… wow, that's… that's great.” He grits out, forcing a smile. “That’s great, I’m sure he will be super happy here man, what are you gonna name him?” 

“I’m not adopting him… are you okay?” She asked, wondering about the sudden change. 

“Y-your not? Then, I don’t get what we're talkin about, bro.” 

“Corals are Tsunderes. They don’t really openly communicate about their feelings or their wants, so I don’t think I would be a good fit for him–” 

Maverick interrupted her. “What forums have you been reading, dude? The little bro is an open book. He’s done a lot a hurtin, and he’s seen a lot of hurt. Almost got to a place where he couldn’t come back from but he had people to help pull him back, ya know. He’s just happy to not be where he was. He ain’t hidin nothin, if you still wanted to try and not separate them.``

“... when did you guys talk about all that?” she asked curiously.

“What do you think we do all day? We just kinda jive, bro. Like when me and you used to hang out all the time.” 

“So, Tyr was right. He thinks that since you’re my best friend and the Coral is his best friend, that you might be a good place for him. So that they don’t have to be separated, and so the Coral can have a human who understands him.” Ray flinched as Maverick lunged forward and swooped her up in a hug. 

“Stars, dude! I’m sorry! I thought you were gonna adopt him, just cause I was kinda interested in gettin to know him. I’ve even started looking up some stuff on bitties.” 

“What! Maverick, why would I do that?” She demanded.

“You wouldn't dude, cause you’re a real bro, bro. But…ya know, I didn’t used to hang out with real bros, so… That's why I’m sorry… for the assumption.” He finally let go of her. 

“Soooo, you wanna get to know the Coral?” She tried to change the topic to something less tense.

"Yeah, bro. He's a really cool little bro. Kinda reminds me of you. All loaner and brooding until you open up the right playlist, and you watch and you can see when the music hits right here," he said, gesturing to his sternum. Ray recently learned the sternum was where your soul resided.  Ray had always thought it was funny that the sternum was dead center of the chest, but the heart was offset to the left. Now though, it makes sense. The sternum protects the soul at the center of a person's being. 

"So, what did my taste in music tell you about me?" She asked. 

"Lotta grunge and soft rock that talks about being lonely, lotta retro that's about overcoming and conquering tha odds, the only metal you like is orchestral epic stuff that feels like a triumph… I'm still trying to figure out 'bubblegum bitch,' cause that just ain't like the you that I know."

"Maybe it's just a song I like, and it's not that deep." 

"There's plenty of those, but nah. I saw it. That one is one you relate to. It hits here." He gestured over his soul, making Ray think about it. 

"Maybe you don't get why I relate to that one cause I'm just one of the bros to you, and you don't see me as some chick." Maverick paused and begin mouthing the lines to bubblegum bitch

Got a figure like a pin up, got a figure like a doll. Don't care if you think I'm dumb I don't care at all.

"Bro, do you think people don't take you seriously cause you're a chick?" He asked.

"Not just because I am a chick, but because I'm a tiny 5'1" chick who works with snakes but doesn't have any tattoos or scars. I'm not hardcore. Sometimes I know the people who come in look around for the badass snake guy who actually works with the snakes while I run the front," she replied

"...What planet are you on bro!?” Maverick shot her an incredulous look. “You’re so hardcore. You don't need tats for that, and you don't need to be all scared up. It's more hardcore that you don't get bitten that often. It's more hardcore that you can avoid conflict an shit. Anyone who has a country music folder as big as yours and isn't ashamed of that is the most hardcore mother-fucker I've ever met, bro!" 

"You said you'd never speak of that again you traitor!" She laughed, Maverick opened his mouth to say something back, but Ray would never hear what he had to say. A black car pulled up in front of the den. She was still open, and she just hoped they weren't here for a tour since there was no way she would have time. A sharply dressed man stepped out of the front, carrying a leather briefcase; and from the passenger seat, a sickly-thin woman with disheveled strawberry blond hair stepped out following him quickly. 

“What the hell is this?” Maverick asked quietly as the well dressed man escorted the woman inside. Ray was wondering that, herself. She prepared to go into her professional speal. 

“Hello, welcome to the Viper’s Den. Is… there anything I can help you with?” She asked, not knowing what else to say.

“Hello. I’m Garret Mathews, you may have heard of me.” The man flashed a winning smile, passing  Ray a business card for an expensive law firm. She hadn’t heard of him, but she smiled politely waiting for the explanation on what this was about. “Now this is a new experience to me, but we're here to talk to some bitties? If that’s alright.”
He said like he was questioning it himself. 

“It had better be alright! I’m not going to testify without the extra testimony for the really bad shit!” The woman snapped at the lawyer and turned her attention to Ray. “I dropped them off here about a week and a half ago, cause I thought this was the safest place I could hide them.” Ray’s eyes grew wide.

“Y-you dropped them off here… in freezing cold temperatures?” Ray questioned, feeling her own irritation rising.

“It was either that or have them fed to dogs, or the box burned with them inside of it, or thrown in a freezing river! What would you prefer!?” She replied, shutting Ray up. This woman was probably right, Ray had no idea what conditions she was running from when she dropped the bitties off at the shelter. 

“Alright, I’ll see if they're up to having a visitor,” Ray replied, standing up from her desk.

The woman scoffed. “Just tell Occum that Alicia is here to see him. I know he'll wanna see me.” Ray froze and glanced down at a sticky note that she had left in front of her computer. Only she could see it from her side; and her eyes bounced across the name scrawled on the sticky note:

 Alicia Maddison.

Chapter Text

Ray stood frozen, staring at the note, wondering what to do. 

“Well? You like the idea of standing around and wasting time while bitties are being abused! Honestly, are there any competent workers here?” Alicia demanded, looking at Maverick.
Ray needed to act.

“Sorry about that ma’am,” Ray replied on autopilot, “I’ll just go see if they're feeling up for visitors.” She added, grabbing Maverick and walking towards the Snake rooms. 

“Ummm, bro, is there a reason we came this way?” Maverick asked as Ray walked them further down the hallway. Ray rushed through a nervous explanation of the situation as she tried to think of what to do with the woman standing right there in the lobby. She pulled out her cell phone and called Lily.

“Hey, you’re on speaker! What's up?” Lily asked, sounding chipper.

“Hey Lily, I need you to do me a huge favor. Get up really quietly and lock the door that leads from the lobby into my apartment.” She was met with silence, the chatter around the room died, until Lily’s voice was back. 

“A-alright, it’s locked. We never lock that door is everything okay… why are you calling, should I ge-”

“Lily, dearest.” Orchid’s voice interrupted what, Ray was sure, would have been nervous rambling. “Give her one moment, please.” 

“Thanks,” Ray replied, taking a deep breath, she didn't have long to find the right way to say it, so it was better to just say it. “So…there’s a woman out front right now. She says that she saved you guys from the rings, and that she wants you to talk to a lawyer about testifying about something, umm she also said her name was Alicia and that Wolf would wanna talk to her… except she didn’t call him Wolf.” 

There was a pause before she heard Tyr’s voice. “Where are ya, Sunshine?” 

“The snake rooms, I’ll be fine, stay where you’re at, please,” she said, having a feeling that she knew why he was asking, and not wanting to risk him being seen if he was thinking of trying to come to her, at least not until she had some idea what kind of person the woman upfront was. “I just… I don’t know what the right thing to do is, so I'm a little lost and trying to figure it out.” From talking to Tyr while they dreamt, she had realized a lot about herself in the short time she had known him. One thing was that she apparently had a Justice soul. As long as she knew what the right thing was, she had a goal and a direction. She realized now though that when she didn’t know what was right, she felt lost.

“Well… you don’t have to go out there if you don’t want to, we definitely aren't going to let anyone hurt you here, not ever.” Lily chimed in, causing Maverick to speak up.

“I think that’s why they should come out and speak with her.” 

“What?” Ray asked, knowing that sometimes her friend opened his mouth without thinking.

“Cause we’re not gonna let anything happen to them. Now is the safest time to get some questions answered. Sides, bro, you know I'm packing, and she’s here with a lawyer. What's the worst that can happen?”

“Uh! How about bringing up an unnecessary lot of trauma before they are ready!? And what do you mean ‘packing’, do you have a gun?” Lily countered.

Maverick opened his mouth, but Ray interrupted before it could devolve into an argument.

 “It isn’t our choice anyway. It's theirs. So, why don’t the humans all be quiet a minute and let them talk about it.”

They didn’t need to talk long at all to decide that Wolf and Tyr would be the only ones coming out into the lobby. The other strongest fighter would stay with Lily and the other bitties to keep them safe just in case. It was all planned out fairly quickly. Orchid took charge of most of the strategy. Wolf and Tyr would talk to Alicia. At the first sign of anything bad, Tyr would teleport Wolf back to where the other bitties were. Orchid and Wolf were a frightening pair when they fought together, but that would be a last resort and it hopefully wouldn't come to that. Thor and Loki would help teleport the Lamia’s towards the snake rooms, so that the actual locations that the Lamia’s were staying in were a secret. Lily would stay in the apartment and help keep everyone calm. 

And , Ray thought, it would also keep Lily as far away from someone involved in the rings as possible.

Tyr instantly went straight to Ray, taking up vigil on her right shoulder.

"It's gonna be alright boys. We got you," Ray said comfortingly. 

"No one's gonna hurt ya while we're here." Maverick added. 

"No one's gonna hurt you, neither," Tyr replied, leaning into Ray. Maverick nodded, pulled his pistol up from his ankle holster, and clipped it to his belt instead to make it visible. Wolf chose to follow them back out into the lobby on his own without being carried. The woman's eyes lit up as soon as she saw Wolf.

"There's mommy's big boy!" She cooed happily, but Wolf didn't share her enthusiasm. 

Ray helped settle the bitties into her desk chair, pulling it back so Alicia could see the bitties without craning over the desk or wanting to come around it. Maverick strategically put himself to the right of the desk chair with Ray to the left, just in case.  Ray felt tense, but the Lawyer smiled charmingly and began speaking.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Occum. I'm--"

"--Wolf," the King interrupted. He looked at Alicia, like he was expecting a reaction, but when he didn't get one, he looked back to the lawyer. "It's Wolf now, like the wolfsbane flowers. One of the most dangerous plants in North America but still beautiful." He said it like a mantra, calming his nerves in front of these people.

Alicia raised an eyebrow. "A plant? That seems a little silly for a big–" 

"Mr. Wolf, then.” The lawyer interrupted. “Thank you so much for speaking with me. As you may have heard, I am a lawyer. We're looking to hopefully put some very bad people behind bars. I was hoping I could ask you a few questions and possibly rely on your testimony." His voice dripped with forced charm. 

"As part of a plea deal right?" Maverick asked, causing the lawyer’s smile to drop slightly.

"Pardon?" The lawyer asked.

"Your card says you're a criminal defense attorney. I'm guessing your client got into some trouble and as part of a plea deal, she's gonna flip on the gang; but her testimony alone isn't enough, so you need the bitties." 

Garret smiled and looked like he had a calm retort ready, but Alicia snapped first.

"So what if it's part of a plea deal!? I risked my fucking life to save them, they can return the fucking favor." Her eyes snapped down to Wolf. "You wanna help mommy, don't you baby? All you have to do is tell him what Luca and his people did, then just say that in court. Mommy doesn't go to prison, and Luca and all his people do. Doesn't that sound nice?" 

Wolf swallowed hard, before squaring his shoulders and looking Alicia in the eyes.

"What about all the things you did, Alicia?" He asked calmly. She looked taken aback. One of her hands snaked up to scratch at the inside of her arm.

"What did you just call me?" She asked quietly, as her nails continued to dig red trails into her pail skin.

"Alicia… you… you are not my mother, anymore. I filled out forms to legally nullify your adoption of me."

"I… I don't understand why you would do that." A genuine look of confusion mixed with irritation built on her face. Garret quickly jumped in again when she opened her mouth.

"So! That's all well and good, Mr. Wolf. You don't need to be the care dependent of my client to testify to the cruelty of the gang she was unfortunately roped into. Really, if you can just say anything about Luca or his associates, that would be all… if not of course we can just leave quietly," he said, smiling directly at the woman. Their eyes locked as he sent nonverbal signals to her.

"I could. I could also just make a report to Miss Ray or directly to the police. Why should I help her after everything she did?" Wolf asked again, calmly. Garret opened his mouth again, but Alicia slammed her hands down on the desk, making Ray jump and giving her a good look at Alicia's eyes. Her steely gray eyes were bloodshot. Her pupils were small, despite the lighting in the room. Ray took a step closer to the bitties as the woman started speaking, not quite yelling, but not what Ray would call an ‘inside voice’ either.

"What I did was give you a home, you ungrateful fucker! I fed you and clothes you, and I even fucking saved your worthless life! When you and these other bitties really pissed off Luca. I'm the one that got you out and took you here. Do you know what they would have done to me if I was caught, or are you so fucking selfish that you don't care?"  Her hands balled into fists and slammed against the desk a second time.

Ray was ready to give Tyr the go ahead, but Wolf calmly glanced at Ray causing her to pause. His gaze was calm and collected, he held up a hand, motioning for Ray to wait.  She knew he wanted answers; and at this point, he deserved them.

"What did you save me from Alicia? Why was I there?" 

"Because you're so gullible that you let these deviants convince you to try and fight instead of using your brain. Fucking look at you right now! You should be disgusted. Luca wasn't going to kick you out of the house forever! Instead of waiting for me to talk to him, you let these other bitties get into your head, baby. Now look at you, standing there next to a fucking cannibal instead of your own--" 

"Hey, bitch!" Ray interrupted as loud and full of authority as she could, pulling the woman's attention to her. It was a struggle not to flinch when those manic eyes met hers, but she stayed strong. She wasn't alone up here after all. " Say one more word about my bitty and I'll throw you out the front door, got it? I would also prefer it if you would watch your language… Wolf, are you sure you want to keep going?" She asked him.

"I am… I do. Alicia… why was I there. I'll tell the lawyer what he wants to know if you tell me why I needed you to save me."

"Because Luca and his gang--" She tried to answer.

"--Didn't walk into a shop to adopt me… you did that. Then you walked out and draped me across Luca's shoulders like a prize… You’re just as guilty for the years of abuse--"

She interrupted, screaming this time. "You can't fucking accuse me of the things they did! Did I ever hurt you!?" She demanded.

"Did you ever stop them?" 

"How Occum!? How was I going to stop them!?" 

"Maybe staying sober for more than a few hours, so you'd know what was going on in your own house!" Wolf retorted, beginning to lose his carefully cultivated cool.

"Ooookay! Sorry to bother you, we're leaving!" Garret chimed in, reaching to grab Alicia's arm and angle her to the door. She jerked free though continuing her preaching.

"I did my fucking best to keep you safe. All you did was make it harder for me. If you hadn't kept pissing off Luca-"

"What did I do to piss him off, Alicia?" Wolf demanded right back. 

She slammed her mouth shut, turning her glare to Ray. 

"You fucking did this, he never fucking talked back before! What the hell did you do to my Occum!" She demanded, turning to round the desk, all while her lawyer tried to get her to leave. 

Then three things happened all at once. Alicia quickly wheeled around and slapped her own lawyer, which Ray thought was a very poor move. At the sudden aggressive movement Tyr summoned three sharp bones, floating in orange light between Ray and the woman, and Maverick pulled out his badge and slammed it on the front desk, letting the polished silver reflect the light.

"I think it's time for you to go," Maverick said calmly, moving around to get between Ray and the woman. She looked around frantically before screaming as actual tears collected in her bloodshot eyes. 

"Fine! You wanna fucking leave me after everything I did for you! Fucking fine! I hate you!" 

Then she turned and stormed out of the den, leaving Garrett in the lobby. 

"I suppose you're going to have to call the police about this," he asked, looking slightly nervous now, with a red handprint rising up on his face. 

"Yeah, definitely, there was an assault on my property," Ray explained. 

"Yes. That's understandable. If you would like to give them my card, I would corroborate the story… I… Well, you all have a good evening. Excuse me." He politely nodded, before turning sharply and leaving. He hopped into the same car as Alicia and drove off. 

"That was… a lot," Ray said, staring at the bones floating in front of her. "You alright… Tyr, honey?"  Wolf started to lean away from the chain, until he seemed to shudder, the bones disappearing. 

"Y-yeah… m' good," He mumbled quietly. He wasn't, Ray was sure of it. This was too soon. 

"Alright bud, wanna come up here with me?" She gestured toward her shoulder. He nodded, forcing a tight smile before popping out of existence and then reappearing up on her shoulder, snuggling close to her. Ray messaged the code word to Lily and wasn't surprised when the door burst open, revealing Lily and several worried bitties. 

"How did it go?" She asked nervously, looking between the humans and the bitties. Before Ray could answer though, she was bustling past Ray hurriedly. Lily gently put her hand on Wolf's shoulder.

"Just like every conversation I've ever tried to have with her about… them," He said, his straight face scrunching up as he brought a hand up to cover his eyes.

"Oh, sweet heart!" Lily said, her words laced with kindness as she wrapped Wolf in her arms. He let himself be held as his shoulders started quivering.

"I-I don't know w-why I thought this would be d-different. She a-always did this." 

"It's alright, you can tell me all about it if you want, but you don't have to,"  She said soothingly, as he started speaking in garbled choked sobs, red tears tracking down to the linoleum floor. The other bitties collected around the lobby to comfort their distraught friend. 

Lily seemed to know exactly what to say, but Ray had never been good at comforting people. She was much better at fixing the problem. It's one of the things her and Maverick had in common: they preferred action over being a shoulder to cry on; but now, looking from the outside in, she could see the marrets of this kind of help. It seemed like he was just pouring his hurt out, and she was soaking it in with whispers of kind words and affirmation. Eventually, his garbled voice came back to a more recognisable sound of words.

“All I ever wanted was to be worthy of her love.” He sobbed.

“Sweet flower, that was never something that should have to be earned from a family. A real family’s love is unconditional; infallible, even. It builds you up not breaks you down.” Lily stroking soothing lines down his back. 

“I feel like I'll never get to have that,” he replied. Then Lily pulled back from him for the first time, looking around until she caught Orchid’s eyes. For the first time, it occurred to Ray that maybe a strong soul bond formed that just allowed them to communicate.  All it took was a single nod from Orchid for Lily, and she turned back to the much larger bitty. 

“If you want that Wolf, you could come with me and Orchid when we leave.”  Wolf paused for a long stretch of silence, looking hopeful before crumbling and looking towards Ray.

` “My health…” His voice trailed off in defeat, and Ray just couldn't have that.

“Would you want to go with her if you were healthy enough?” She asked, moving around the clustering of bitties and people to get to her desk. She noticed the Coral staring at Mavericks polished silver badge as she began to rummage through her desk to look for a particular form.

“I…” He trailed off again in confusion. His voice strained as if he were being tested.

 Hell after talking with that woman, that could be exactly what he thought. Ray thought ruefully, only being a little surprised when a tingle that felt like a confirmation was gently pushed into her mind, like a sudden idea, but from the outside. She angled her head towards Tyr, hoping that she was communicating that she got the message. 

“It’s okay if you need time to think.” Lily chimed in, rolling up her pant leg to reveal a watercolor tattoo on her calf of a chinese porcelain vase with a white easter lily and a deep purple orchid blooming out of the top. “I have room over on this left side here to add a little sprig of wolfsbane flowers. If you just don’t want to, that’s okay, too. We just though–”

“I DO!” Wolf blurted, staring down at her calf, where she had just offered to ink his namesake onto her body. “I… I do, I just… though.” He stammered looking up at Ray again, where she pulled out a few sheets. 

“Since you are sentient, I have some ways around this which still comply with my regulations. I just didn’t really think of them at the time when Lily first got here.” Ray began to fill out the form. “Sometimes, I have more snakes than I have tanks. So I have foster forms, so I can verify that Lily has had more than three days supervised distribution of your supplements, Myself and Orchid can both verify that she has more than five years experience caring for a lamia type bitty… aaaand do you have a scale you can weigh him with?” She asked Lily. 

“I can buy one!” The little blond replied excitedly. 

“I have one you can borrow; I'll even send it with a box and stamps so you can mail it back at no charge. All you have to do is sign here saying you’ll message me his weight once a month so I can track it and put your mailing address here. Also, if you wanted to fill out official adoption stuff at a Vex Shop, I don’t think that this foster form will impede that. It’s just for my records…oh, the form was originally intended for snake fosters, though; so, I'm sorry there's nowhere for you to sign," she said apologetically to Wolf.  

He didn't seem to mind as he watched Lily rush a quick signature, she smiled back at him when she finished. “Alright, so when me and Orchid leave, you're coming with us.” More red tears to collect in his sockets. This time, Lily lifted Orchid up so he could participate in a group hug. 

“I’ve thought of all of you as more than just allies; you’re my friends and my family.” Orchid addressed each bitty in the room, and then he turned his attention to Wolf. “But, I am honored to call you a brother.”

"Alright. I probably would have just snuck him out to my car when Ray wasn't looking, but paperwork is good, too," Maverick said, clapping his hands together. Ray hoped it was a joke but knew it probably wasn't. "Now that that's been addressed, let's call the cops. We have a report to make, and I would honestly recommend you making a report on the past abuse stuff, too," he said to Wolf.

"Can't I just report it to you?" Wolf asked, confusing Maverick for a second before he looked over at his badge. 

"Oh! That. Nah, that was a bluff. I work for the Environmental Protection Agency; and  I'm just a computer guy ." He grabbed his badge and gave them a closer look at the embossed surface. 

The shiny badge read: ENRD Cyber Task Force Officer Maverick Callahan. Maverick rubbed his finger below the acronym. "It stands for the ‘Environmental and Natural Resource Division." 

"But… then, why the gun?" Lily asked curiously. 

"Cause I track illegal animal and plant trafficking on black market and deep web forums, so I brush sleeves with dangerous people; and sometimes, when I find something so big that they might need an extra hand to… for example, find somewhere for over thirty monocled cobras to go, I help with that to." 

"You still owe me for that one," Ray replied, filing her paperwork away. "They're also called Indian Spitting Cobras. Their venom is one of the fastest acting in the world. Like the name suggests, they can shoot it at you. All thirty of them were really, really mad by the way."

"Illegal plant trafficking?" Wolf asked curiously. 

"Yeah, like endangered species, invasive species, species that can be made into narcotics." Lily began to list.

"Not to mention species that carry parasites and viruses that can wipe out entire other species. Like a lot of sources think the American chestnut blight happened by recklessly importing other exotic nut bearing trees. It's why we have regulations for that stuff now." Maverick added, prompting Lily to look up at him in surprise. "What? I'ma metal head, not a meathead."

"Fair enough, I suppose,” Lily replied, turning back to Wolf.  “You don't have to do anything if you're not ready for it, flower. We're all here to support you, no matter what you decide." Lily encouraged him gently.

"Buuuut in my opinion, it might be easier to get it over with instead of having it over your head longer," Maverick said. "Like, one of my favorite quotes is ‘if you dread something and keep putting off and dreading it, you basically make yourself live that twice.’ So it's better to get it over with."

"... if you're ready," Lily added gently with a firmness just beneath the gentle encouragement. 

Ray decided to chime in before any arguments could start. "-- And if you do decide to make a report, you only have to say what you're comfortable with. You can stop at any time. Also, if it makes you comfortable, one of us can write down a report for you and turn it into the police. I did the same thing for Orchid; all you would have to do is sign it saying it was your testimony."

Wolf paused and eventually answered. "I… I think I might prefer that."   

"Do you want us to leave, so you can do it?" Lily asked.

"... No, it’s better to hurry and get it over with; and maybe if I'm going to be coming with you, then there's probably some things that you need to know." Wolf took a deep breath and got ready. 

"Wait!" Lily interrupted. "If this is going to be a group thing, then we're doing it right!" She jumped up. Ray began to wonder what the right way to relive years of abuse and trauma would be when Lily came back with the blanket. She draped it over the chair for Wolf and the other bitties, and then she left once more only to return with hot cups of sea tea. 

"Now, then. We’re here if you need us, and you can take as many breaks as you need. If you need us to leave, we can do that, too," Lily said, giving Wolf the floor. Wolf chuckled deeply.

"You are very kind, Lily," he said, smiling before swallowing and looking up to Ray as he spoke. "So was… she. When I first saw her. She was different then… not as thin, not as corrupted. She walked into the shop like any other person looking to adopt. Alicia didn't come straight back to the kings, she strolled around and talked to various bitties before making her way around to us. She was only interested in full-sized bitties which wasn't suspicious; plenty of people came into the shops looking for minis or full-sized… But what was suspicious was when she said she just had to leave that day with a bitty. A lot of adopters do leave the same day they show up with an adoption, but she was so insistent about it.

“At first, she was talking to a King larger than me, but he wasn’t sure about leaving the same day. Then suddenly, she said she would rather just talk to a different bitty who could leave the same day… I was so prideful and naive. I boldly declared that I would be willing to leave that day. It was a ploy, of course. I realize that now. She was hoping that the larger lamia would change his mind; but when he didn’t, she settled for me. She didn’t say that in the shop of course; but later, she said the bigger King would have been better at keeping Luca happy. He wouldn’t have needed such a strict training regiment along with so many more excuses.  After a while, it all bled together.” Wolf paused, taking a sip of his tea. He curled around the steaming cup, and took another deep breath.

“In hindsight, I expected this discussion to come with more pain,” he said ruefully. “She didn’t give me a name in the shop. She said she wanted to see more of my personality first… more of my ‘merits.’ At first, I was so honored when we walked out the shop doors, and she draped me over Luca’s shoulders. Alicia said that he was her boyfriend and that I could call him ‘daddy.’ She said that we were going to be a big happy family. I… I was so happy that I didn't notice the evil intent oozing off of him, until we got to their home. It was a large, beautiful house. I thought I had struck gold. But I wasn’t taken into the house, they made my home a small wooden shed in the backyard. I think I was with them for 10 years, and I was only allowed into the house a handful of times, and it was only when Luca left me and Alicia alone… she defied him more in the beginning. At first, I honestly believe that she didn’t know what was happening; but by the time she found out, she was so tainted that it didn’t matter. She wouldn't fight against Luca.”

“If you don't mind me interrupting?” Maverick butted in to Ray’s irritation, but Wolf nodded curiously. “That’s the second time you have mentioned taint and corruption with her, what does that mean?”

“Human souls have dominant traits. I'm not entirely sure how it works, but negative energy, burdens, guilt, and outside influence can taint a soul. It’s like sludge dripping into a pool of water. The water underneath is obscured by a sheen of oil. Being around Luca did that to her soul… Alicia's soul was a ‘Kindness soul,’ and the corrupted form of Kindness is ‘Compliance.’ Corrupted Courage is Audacity and Justice is Vengeance, in case you were curious. Just because you have this darkness clinging to your soul doesn't mean you will go on to do bad. You can still be a good person with a complacent or audacious soul. Her actions, or rather inaction, were her own. She might not have ever hurt us, herself; but by the time she found out what Luca was doing, she was compliant… no. She was complicit in his acts… it's… it's so complicated because at first she did seem… it's just… he was just as cruel to her. She didn't escape unscathed, I just…"

"Have complicated feelings?" Lily supplied for him. 

"I wanted to protect her so, so much… and in the end, she said she protected us. But not once did it feel like she saw me as a person. I have a feeling that if she had a Chihuahua, she would treat it the same way she treated me.” He shuddered an exhausted breath.  "And then there was the manipulation. Luca's threats didn't faze me after the first few years. I was far too strong to be–” He paused, his mouth slamming shit with a click. His eyes scanned towards Tyr who slumped against Ray's shoulder sighing in defeat. Tyr opened his mouth a few times, mouthing words that wouldn't come out before burying his head in Ray's hair.

"Go ahead," Tyr muttered."I… I can't."

"Wait, seriously?" Thor interrupted, still just wearing his temporary tee shirt. "Yur gonna let him say what you know he's about to say in front of her?" He asked, gesturing to Ray.  

Ray spoke for Tyr, already knowing what he wanted to say. ."I know what he's about to say. It's okay. Tyr's my chain after all. I don't really know how to explain it."

"M' your chain. Nuff said," Tyr muttered quietly from his hiding place in her hair. She slowly moved her hand up, giving him time to move away if he wanted. However, this time he didn't recoil from her touch. She settled a protective hand over him and waited for Wolf to continue. 

"I was too strong to be fed to the chains… There was a tank of around six of them when I first arrived. They were used to scare the smaller lamias and keep them in line… Of course, the best scare tactic works when you actually see it happen. The chain tank was never opened except to throw a lamia in. So I would imagine that the chains were not fed… except for when other lamias were dropped in. One by one they succumb to starvation… except for one, and he wouldn't be able to take me himself. He… Tyr, you never fought in the rings, right?"  

Tyr nodded against Ray's shoulder. 

"... well, shit," Thor mused. "I guess if this is how we're doing it, I can say my piece when Wolf is done." 

"We're all doin it, huh?" Loki asked, receiving a gruff sound of affirmation from the Coral, followed by trilling chirps from the Krait and the Papython. 

"Just takes one showing a little courage to lead the others," Maverick said nodding respectfully between Tyr and Wolf 

"Alright, I'm gonna need a few more of these sheets, but I'm willing to stay up and write as long as you all are willing to stay up and talk," Ray said, looking at the other two humans in the lobby, who both seemed to be settling in for the long haul. It was going to be a long rough night; but if the bitties could live it and come out the other side wanting to speak up about the injustice that they suffered, then the least Ray thought they could do was listen and be there for them.

Chapter Text

Maverick decided to go ahead and call the police and report the assault, so it wouldn't seem like they waited too long, while Ray and Lily continued to listen. After the report, he came back to listen, himself; and eventually, decided to ask to stay the night. It was definitely going to be a sleepover kind of night.

For the first few years, Wolf spent every day in the shed. There were rare times when Alicia would sneak him into the house. If he brought up the things that happened out there, Alicia would deflect, change the subject, and push the blame to someone else. The things that happened out there were what Luca called ‘training’, but Wolf knew it was really just torture. Wolf would be locked in small cages with angry cats, dogs, and eventually other bitties. He got very good at using one particular attack, ending fights quickly before his opponent could get their bearings. A swift formation of bones assembled until they looked like a solid blade; it always caught them off guard and gave him his namesake.

Occam the Razor. He hated it; it made him feel dirty. The day Luca decided to name him that disgusting moniker was still burned vividly into his mind. He had been pulled out of the shed and taken through the house to the basement. He said 'hi mom' as they passed Alicia, but she didn't answer. She didn't even look at him, her glazed eyes stared at the wall as he was taken down into the dark. 

Down in the basement was Luca's personal collection, mostly tory and muffet types with a few bitty bones speckled around in cages. Almost all of them were lusty types except for one. A massive gory type bitty nearly the size of a human baby. Wolf  couldn't tell if he was a fell type or a horror type, or some unholy combination of the two, but he was intimidating, nonetheless. His thick black mane matted down with blood, his fur graying with the dust of countless bitties, and crowding around him were two lusty tory's and a lusty muffet. 

"This is the winner's room, lamia." Luca spoke with unabashed pride coloring his tone. "I take good care of my boys as long as they can win. This is King Richard." He pointed to the gory who didn't really seem like he was all there. He was in a daze, maybe that's why Luca chose that day to bring Wolf into the "winners room." King Richard wasn't going to be in fighting shape for much longer.

"All these lusty types in here just love strong killers, so here's what's gonna happen. You two are gonna go at it, and the winner is gonna sit right here while these lovely ladies do some dusting to keep the place nice and clean." He reached down to shoo away the lusty types and open the gate. As soon as it clicked open, ten tridents shot out, slicing Wolf open from his pelvis down to the tip of his tail. He hadn't been ready for the giant to move so quickly. Normally, his larger opponents hit harder but were slower. He summoned his line of bone, only as a wall this time, trying to get his bearings; but King Richard charged, bashing through the wall with his summoned weapon. Instead of a normal gory trident, he had a great hammer and he was going to crush Wolf's skull with it.

The hammer inches from Occam’s skull, a swift tail flick wrapped around King Richard's leg and pulled hard. The giant tipped over from his own momentum and the grapple, throwing him off balance enough for Wolf to spring forward and bite him. The venom would most likely do its job but only if Wolf survived long enough. The giant wasted no time righting his balance, and he grabbed Occam’s skull with one hand while beating him mercilessly with the other. Occam could tell he was a seasoned fighter. The giant then grabbed further down Wolf's body, pulling the lamia’s tail off of him with one powerful jerk. Occam flew across the cage and slammed against the ground; he was broken, battered, and defeated on the ground. Barely conscious from the barrage of tridents and fists, Occam saw King Richard re-conjured his great hammer and charge at him; a wild, crazed intent to kill painted his wicked face. Wolf flinched back, lifting the wall of bone out of reflex to defend himself; but as luck would have it, the line of bones cut the giant in half from toe to head as it rose. Wolf heard the back half hit the ground, first; and as he stared into the white eyes of King Richard, maybe for his own sanity, he imagined a peaceful smile settle on the gory's stern, battle-worn face. The hammer dropped his hand, and his body turned to dust.

He stared at the dust on the floor even as he was put in his new enclosure on a throne of pillows. It was the first time he was called Occam. Funny how being given a name loses all its magic when the name literally means you're good at cutting things in half. Someone used green magic on him, but he didn’t look to see who. He stared at the dust on the floor, knowing that that was his future. He wondered if King Richard had the same thought the first time he sat in this enclosure. 

When he was able to focus on his surroundings again, he noticed a Tory kneeling to his left. Her robe cut low with a high slit going up to her hip. He leaned away from her causing her to chuckle deeply.

“I’m not going to touch you dear, don't worry,” she soothed kindly. “We're just here to help, even if daddy doesn't know the way that we help.”

“And what way is that?” He asked, attempting to hide his nerves. He didn’t know a lot about Lusty types, but what he did know wasn’t flattering. 

“You’re a papy-type, right? We’re given some extra freedoms in here, enough that the Muffets have a little alcove hidden from daddy. They could get you something sweet whipped up, maybe a chocolate donut?” 

“I don’t like sweets,” Wolf snapped aggressively to hide the fact that he wouldn't know if that was a shared trait between papy types. He had never been given anything sweet to try. 

“I’m sure you don't, dear. Well, just let us know if there is anything you need,” she replied, standing to make her way to the other end of the pen.  Wolf could see something in the distance resembling hamster tubes, connecting the other bitties' smaller cages to the larger pen.  

“Wait,” he said quickly, getting the Tory’s attention. “Was… was he a good person?” He wasn’t sure why he asked. Maybe there never was anyone around to ask before.

“Would it make you feel better about what just happened if he wasn’t?” She asked in return. When Wolf couldn’t come up with an answer for that question, she continued. “There are no good people down here, Occam. There are just people trying to survive and keep their loved ones safe.”

In the years he was down in the basement, he did his best not to get too close to the Lusty bitties. It would just be something else Alicia and Luca could use against him, yet he couldn’t stop himself from talking to that Tory, though. He found out she was a LustSwap hybrid called a ‘Madam.’ She kept all the other bitties safe and worked as a leader for the lusty types, keeping them in line for their own good. She was stern, but truthful, in a way that soothed his nerves around all the other bitties putting on saccharin smiles and sashaying hips in front of him. On more than one occasion, she shooed them away from him when he came back from a fight. Their idea of comfort was certainly not something he was interested in. She really was the closest thing to a friend he would have for a long time. She eventually convinced him to try one of the spider's donuts, and it became a daily treat (sometimes twice daily) when he got back from the rings with Luca. 

He did not fight every day. He was scheduled for fights twice a week; but as Luca’s prize fighter, he was expected to be seen with the man everyday. So, he would be draped across Luca’s shoulders as he did his business. Occam was present for a lot of fresh meat coming in. A man named Rico brought in Thor and Loki, though Wolf didn’t know their names at the time since they refused to tell him. Rico thought he struck gold by bringing in a mated pair, but Luca was quick to point out that sometimes, it took years to get pairs to mate in the rings, and even then what kinda lamia’s could they expect from a corny and a honey-bo?

“Sides,” Luca said to Rico. “We already got a cherry coral in the breeding rooms willing to let us have the eggs; and even then, it still produces a useless mini Coral every couple nests.” He rattled the cages next to him. “So why would I want these useless fucks breeding?” He moved towards the container with the chains in it.

“The Chains are starving,” Wolf said, looking at the terrified, horror stricken faces on the two new lamia’s as they held onto each other. Loki’s face buried in Thor’s chest, not wanting to see, but having nowhere to hide from the horror all around him.

“Yeah, that’s the point,” Luca said, chuckling darkly.

“I mean, if we keep them, and convince them to work with us, then the chains will stop dying, so we don’t have to go find as many in the long run,” Wolf replied, earning a look of disgust from Thor. He deserved that look, he really did, but it was all he could think of to keep them alive in the moment.

“... you’re a sick fuck you, know that?” Luca patted him affectionately, making the skin on Wolf's tail crawl. “It’s why you’re my right-hand man, Occam. Hey Rico, find a tank for these things.” 

The Papython, Loki, and Thor all corroborated the story that Wolf’s faked cruelty was probably the only thing keeping them alive, though at the time they didn’t know it was fake. They all thought Occam was just as bad, if not worse than Luca. Nearly all the bitties could agree only on one thing: Occam was some kind of boogeyman. The only dissenters were Tyr and the Coral. The Coral had been born in the rings; he saw Occam's first few fights, and he knew Occam wasn't some cruel-born killer just from those first bouts. He didn't have time to worry about other bitties though, he had to worry about himself. The only thing he was useful for was venom milking, he was too small and weak to be a real fighter. They were just saving him for a bitty that they didn’t want to breed to go into heat, Lamia’s couldn’t get pregnant without wanting to.

 It made him sick that there was a lamia here that would be willing to doom their children to these tortures. He heard second-hand that it was a cherry. Cherries still produced fell-type children, but they could easily be convinced that they were the problem, That the gang would let them keep one egg if only they weren't such a bad parent. The Coral didn't have time to think of that either, he was only alive to be milked and used for heat relief. Those were the only things keeping him alive, so he didn't have time to think of the breeding rooms, ever. 

Wolf agreed, explaining to Ray, Lily, and Maverick that there were about three venomous Lamia’s being used for venom milking that were being saved for heat relief. When asked if the Krait was one of those, though, they had a different story to tell. 

Wolf couldn't tell whether the fighting rings were the main business or something on the side. On top of his other depravities, Luca was a prolific drug dealer. He never touched the stuff, himself; but he was good at pushing it. He was so good at selling that his clients often ran out of money and found alternate ways to pay for their fix. One such client was called Jerky Jake, named after tremors in his hands and a pronounced twitch. Wolf presumed Jake succumbed to damage from a bad batch of whatever Luca was selling.

“N-n-n-now l-listen! I ain’t g-g-got money, but I g-g-got something better,” Jake stuttered out, his hand tremors getting worse as he got more excited. He opened up his coat to show about ten kraits shoved into a large sandwich bag full of gray water making Wolf wonder how many had dusted in the bag. They were gasping and scared.

“What the hell are those?” Luca asked, irritation painting across his face.

“They’re k-k-kraits. They’re really ven-n-n-omous,” he said, looking like he wanted to say more but Luca held up a hand.

“Occam?” He asked the bitty on his shoulder.

“They are. Their venom is pure void matter. Bites from them are always fatal and there is no known anti-venom… the only problem would be that they are incredibly docile, though there may be workarounds for that.” 

“Alright deal, I’ll give you half an ounce per bitty,” Luca said, holding his hand out for the bag.

“J-j-just half an-n-n half ounce? B-b-but I broke into a pet shop fur these, they m-m-might have caught me and sent m-m-me straight to p-p-prison if they g-g-got me. This is over a thousand d-d-dollars in merch, t-t-thats fe-d-deral,” Jake said, pleading desperately. 

“Occam.” Luca said his name like an order, and Occam knew what he wanted. He happily gave the kraits some air by slicing through the bag just below where Jake was holding it, sending the Kraits to the ground with a little unnoticed blue magic to cushion the fall. “You have your offer, Jake. My boy just said these are docile bitties, so you can take it or leave it. I'll be fine leaving them out here in the dirt.” Jake took the deal. Luca called for Alicia to come and pick up the Kraits. He didn't want to get his hands dirty, and the Kraits were covered in mud and gray water. 

"Eww, they need a bath," Alicia said, scrunching her face up as she put them into a box. 

"I'll take care of it, babe. Thanks for the help." Luca leaned in to kiss her before taking the box and leaving. If Occam knew that they would be taken to her, he might have aimed a bit lower when he sliced open the bag and just put them out of their misery. Luca drove down to the docks, where the fights really took place, past the container where the other bitties were kept, and on down to the boating ramps. Packed in with every other pastel sailboat and nude toned houseboat, a little blue boat with a small sleeper cabin bobbed in the water. It was likely the cruelest things to happen in the rings happened on this boat.  Luca walked in without knocking, using the key he had, he was always welcome here. They walked past walls plastered in egg cartons and foam, and down into the sleeper cab which had more layers of sound proofing.

Down in the sleeper cabin was a brunette taking notes from books spread out around her with headphones on. Occam guessed she listened to music so loudly to drown out the screams from the bitty hooked up to a car battery in front of her. Luca walked up to her, causing her to jump and spin around, relaxing when she saw who it was.

"Christ, Luca, don't fuckin do that." She chastised him, and Occam thanked the stars when she cut the car battery so they could talk.

"Sorry, babe. I got a surprise for you, so I got excited," Luca said, leaning in for a kiss. Only for the woman to smirk playfully and push him back.

"I smell your crack whores’ perfume," she said teasingly, making Occam tense. He had tried to tell Alicia about Luca's other woman, but she refused to believe him. She said that he must have misunderstood. Luca was just charismatic with his gang members and his clients. But this woman didn't touch the stuff Luca sold, and all the gang members knew to keep their bitties away from her if they wanted to keep them in fighting shape. 

"Crystal, baby, don't be like that. You know I gotta work,"  Luca said, leaning in again.

"That work involve getting your dick wet?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at Luca.

"Sometimes, now," Luca said, losing patience with her game. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. "Do you want your present or not?" 

She just rolled her eyes, standing up on her tiptoes to kiss Luca. She had no fear, Occam didn't think she was capable of it. He had seen Luca hit her before, just like Alicia, but she was never fazed by it. Her soul was darker than Luca's. It was so inky-black, it was hard to tell what it used to be without focusing. Perseverance corrupted into the darkest form of Conceitedness  Occam had ever seen. The only intent that ever seemed to roll off her was the sadistic desire to hurt. Even when she was smiling up at Luca with lidded eyes, she still dug her nails into his shoulders hoping Alicia would see. 

"Course I want my present daddy, I was just teasing. I'd have to be such a bitch to talk about Occam's precious, little mommy like that in front of him ya know?" She asked him playfully, but the sickeningly sweet way she said ‘mommy’ had Occam feeling a little bitchy himself.

"Yeah, the biggest of bitches," he said, knowing that as Luca's prize fighter he was safe from her wrath. Despite knowing he was safe, the surge of violent intent from her was still terrifying in its intensity. Before she could say anything though, Luca passed her the box of Kraits that were likely drying out. 

"Heard these were pretty venomous Lamias, but they don't bite…think you could fix that babe?" He asked with a disgusting amount of glee as Crystal's sadistic smile settled on the Kraits.

"Well… there are a couple of them, so we have more than one try to figure it out," She replied with equal glee. 

"That's why you're my number one bitch, babe," Luca said, chuckling when she pouted up at him. "Joking, babe, joking." He then turned his attention to the bitty that was hooked up to the car battery. It looked like a puppy. "Ready to tell me where all your friends are?" Luca asked. 

"I… I swear, I don't… I don't know," The swapfell bitty panted out desperately.  He probably didn't , Occam though. It was a shame that that wouldn't save him. This bitty was a stray that had been seen with a small group of strays living in the allies of the city. They had a bunch of horror-types and allegedly a killer bitty. If Luca could get his hands on that killer, he'd be unstoppable. Occam wasn't worried about being replaced, killers were too unstable to be given the kind of authority Occam had. However, they were proficient fighters; and they reveled in the thrill of the kill. Perfect bitties for the fighting rings. 

"Guess I'll have to leave you here with my lovely lady till you can think of something we can use," Luca replied, leaving the horror stricken bitty and walking back out of the sleeper cabin. Even though Occam knew it was impossible with all the layers of sound proofing, he thought he heard a cacophony of screams echo across the dock as they left her boat. 

It was a few weeks later that Luca checked on Crystal, the kraits, and the puppy. All but one of the Krait’s had dusted, and she had the last one under a heating lamp. No one could get the Krait to say what happened in the weeks that he was with her, he just buried his head in Wolf’s shirt and chirped out a quiet, 

“Hurts.”

Even Occam didn’t know what had happened. But when he saw the bitty cooking under a heat lamp, he decided at that moment he had to stop it.  He leaned close to Luca so that Crystal couldn’t hear him. 

“Her methods obviously aren't working. Why not let me try? The worst case is you’ll end up with a pile of dust and no venom, either way.” Luca nodded at him, agreeing with the King. At his assurance Occam felt, not for the first time, a small swell of sickening joy at Luca’s willingness to listen to him. On one hand, he could use his power to try and make the torture they all lived in more bareable; yet on the other hand, in moments like those, he could never be sure if he wasn’t just as bad as Luca.  Either way, Luca asked to take the Krait home, then he asked about whether or not the puppy had given up any useful information. 

Crystal looked bashful and giggled. “There was a tiny accident. While I was appreciating your present, he didn’t make it, daddy.” She gestured to the piles of dust on the floor. Luca ground his teeth and backhanded Crystal, knocking her into the table behind her.

“You dumb, fucking bitch! I should have known better than to trust your psycho ass with anything!” He roared, letting his anger flare up, the Krait burrowed his head into Occam’s chest, shivering in fear as Occam kept them steady on the enraged human’s shoulder. “How the fuck am I supposed to find my fucking killer now, bitch!?” She just smiled up at him. It was like he hadn’t just busted her lip. She smiled like blood wasn’t running down her chin, mingling with the dust on the floor.

“Relax, baby, I'll fix it. I know where we picked him up at. There are a lot of stray bitties in that area, I’ll just go pick another one up,” she said, rolling her eyes as she whipped the blood from her face. 

“You fuckin’, better. I swear I’m almost done covering for your worthless ass.” Luca spat over his shoulder, turning on his heels sharply and walking out the door, leaving her leaning against her table, staring down at the blood and dust. Occam was taken back down to his room in the basement, where he threw the krait roughly into his throne of pillows, scattering all the Lusty bitties collected there except for the madam. 

“Try to get me results, Occam. I’m in a really fucking bad mood,” Luca said firmly, turning and leaving the basement with a rough slam of a door. Once he was sure Luca was gone he ripped his scarf off, tossing it to the Madam.

“Soak that in water quickly and get me a spider doughnut,” He said, creeping towards the krait who was now folding in on himself, crying against the pillows. “Hey… I-I’m sorry about that really, but… we can’t let them see weakness or he will use it.” He placed a gentle hand on the krait, flinching when the small bitty jerked violently. “I… I’m sorry.” He whispered sadly, happy for the distraction when the madam came back with the dripping wet scarf in one hand and a chocolate doughnut with sprinkles in the other. With her help he wrapped the scarf around the dried out krait. 

Once the wet scarf was wrapped around the krait, Occam asked the madam to leave them alone so he could start slowly working on coaxing the krait to eat.  It didn't take too long for the wet scarf to start soothing his dry cracked skin. The little Krait opened his mouth for a bite of food and a sip of water. As he ate, Occam had an idea to keep the little Krait alive, whether he liked it or not. He fed the Krait the last of the sweet treat and the last sip of water, but after the water glass was drained he didn't take the cup back. Instead, he jammed the cup’s rim into the Krait’s mouth, reached into its mouth with his other hand, and pressed hard at the magic collected at the base of the fangs. The krait tried to pull away, angling his fangs away from Occam's hand; but with a little more pressure, a small amount of deep black venom collected in the cup. 

"Sorry, again," Wolf said as he straightened up, holding the cup carefully. "Now… you want to be alive, right? Not dead?" He asked, waiting for the confused Krait to nod nervously. "Then listen, cause there are some things we're gonna have to do when that man comes back and you probably won't like it." Occam pressed his own mouth to the top of the glass, milking some venom into it to make it look like there was more. He hoped giving more would incentivize Luca to keep the krait around.

When Luca came back later in the night, he was greeted by a hog-tied Krait and half a glass of dark gray venom like nothing he had ever seen. 

"Good job, Occam. You're kinda a sick fuck, ya know. It almost makes me wonder what you get up to with the muffets down here, if that's the shit you're into." He chuckled, grabbing up the glass of venom before leaving again. Occam had a  chance to untie the Krait, but he would have to tie him back up when Luca returned. 

A few weeks passed similarly, Luca didn't need the Krait milked everyday, after the first time it seemed Luca forgot about it for the most part. Once he asked to see how Wolf did it, and Wolf made a show of wrapping his much larger body around the mini Krait, holding the Hog-tied bitty up close to his skeletal body and prying his mouth open. 

Although prying the kraits mouth open wasn't much of an act, Occam was the closest thing to a friend and protector he had. The krait was always more terrified of accidentally biting him when they did this. He would squeeze his eyes shut when Occam stuck his hand into his mouth and not look until it was over. Occam held the venom up, ready for what was coming next.

Luca grunted. "It's been getting darker recently, does that mean anything?"

"He's semi-aquatic. He's dehydrating. So that means less water content in the venom," Occam said, finding it easier to lie when you weave in truths. 

"... that means it's more potent right?" Luca asked. Occam confirmed, and now at least he didn’t have to cut it with his own venom. He just had to keep the scarf wet. That was their life for a few months: Occam would tie the Krait up in a well-practiced slip-knot using both of their scarves; then after Luca came to take Occam out during the mornings, the krait would slip out of the knot in a way that kept the loops intact. Occam would either be taken to a fight or on other business, then when they got back the krait would slip the bindings back on. When Luca left them for the night, the bindings would be slipped off again so they could have dinner together until the morning when they would repeat. The loops were always kept intact so they could be quickly slipped back on if they heard the door leading down into the basement open.

Three weeks later, while Luca was moving around the docks, a man approached him. Normally Occam could give a name to the men that interacted with Luca, but they only ever called this man "the redneck." He was a dockworker and Occam couldn't be too sure how much he knew or didn't know. He certainly didn't have any evil intentions when he walked up to Luca.

"Hey feller, you're always here with one-a-them bitt’ things, right?" He asked Luca with a box in his hands.

"What business is it of yours, redneck?" 

"Hold on now, I don't mean nothin by it. Just that maybe you might know what I'd do with this." He opened the box to reveal an absolutely tiny pygmy who had all the brains of a marble. The pygmy brightened when the box opened and waved enthusiastically, obviously missing the evil intent that rolled off Luca at all times. 

"Seems like a real friendly fella." The redneck continued "The Ol' lady just don't want him huntin her chipmunks and chickadees and whatever else she's got eating outta her feeders. I know you're here with your snake thing a lot, so I reckon’d you might know what to do with it." 

Luca smiled down at the pygmy in a way that made Occam sick and said he could absolutely take it off of the redneck's hands. Then to Occam's horror he turned and walked down the docks towards Crystal's blue boat. Occam couldn't think of a single thing that would help this pygmy; and he tried, stars, he tried so hard. A weak rattle drew his attention to her newest victim.

 A rattler had his mouth attached to the side of a mason jar with metal wires around his mandible and vertebrae along with leather straps securing the back of his skull and his arms. An IV was hooked up to his left, likely keeping him hydrated so she could continue to milk the life out of him. The jar had a disgusting amount of pail purple saliva and venom pooling in the bottom.

"Got you something, babe," Luca said sweetly, coming up behind her and wrapping her in a hug. He set Occam down on the filthy dust-covered counter. She squealed with delight when she opened the box containing the pygmy, who now looked like he understood that he was in danger.  It was hard to miss the oozing glob of hate that sat in the middle of Crystal's chest.

"Oh, baby, he's perfect." She cooed, strapping the bitty down onto the table. "I've always wondered if you can make a bitty resistant to lamia venom," she said, smirking at Occam, "maybe if it works, we could beef your boy up." 

A sick shiver ran down Occam's spine when Luca chuckled and said, "Maybe if it works." 

Luca sat down on the bed in the small sleeper cabin and watched Crystal get everything ready. She pulled a large ice box out from under the bed, setting it down forcefully next to Occam. His non-existent stomach lurched when he saw an ID badge for a veterinary school with Crystal’s picture on it sitting right on top of the box. She opened it to reveal an eclectic collection of syringes and tubing on top of dozens of vials of lamia antivenom. He had always wondered where the gang got as much of the stuff as they seemed to have laying around; it looked like Crystal did more for the gang than Wolf had originally thought. 

“You’re being careful when you grab that stuff, right?”  Luca asked, while Crystal walked over to the rattler, making him rattle out a warning, and completely filled a syringe with his venom. 

“Of course, daddy. I’m the best in my class. I always get picked for the hands-on stuff by the professors, so no one thinks it's weird if I have to go into the medicine fridge for something they need,” she said smugly, overtop of the Pygmy’s screams as she injected the entire thing into his T7 vertebrae. “Now, we just let that sit for a minute, then give him some anti-venom… or a few minutes.” She added seductively, sauntering over to sit in Luca’s lap.  

“Tempting as that is, babe, I don’t think I could with that thing screaming like it is. It’s too distracting.” Luca nodded his head towards the screaming Pygmy.

“Fine! But don’t be in a rush to leave.” She huffed and went to stand by the writhing pygmy. She waited for what felt like forever to Occam to take out a vial of antivenom and give it to the pygmy into the same sore, inflamed vertebrae she had injected the venom. Then she stuffed a dust covered rag from the floor into the crying lamia’s mouth. “Now that he’s done screaming, can we have some fun? You never wanna touch me anymore.” She pouted.

“Well, I can’t neglect my main girl, now can I? Com’mer baby,” he said, opening his arms. Occam just looked at the pygmy gagging around the dust covered rag in his mouth, and he had an idea. He thought he had gotten used to the feeling when a bitty was just going to dust and there was nothing he could do; however, the burning desire to act was something that hadn't been beaten out of him by the years in the rings. He might not have been able to help the pygmy now, but maybe he could find a way to help all of them. While Luca and Crystal were having their fun, he snuck one of the vials of antivenom and wedged it, uncomfortably in his rib cage where it would be hidden from sight. Then, he just had to wait for his opportunity. The second he was brought back to the pen, he hid the antivenom under a bunch of pillows and started planning. With the madam’s help, he devised a plan to get himself and the krait out so that they could go to the authorities and save everyone. She even suggested a way to keep the antivenom cool. If only things had gone according to plan. 

Occam was unlucky. His next six fights were against non-venomous opponents. There were a lot of edgy bitties in the ring to get through; it almost wasn’t fair for them. Occam thought it was common knowledge that edgy bitties had a soft spot for fell-papy types and wouldn't go all out on them. Maybe Luca was pulling strings and that was the exact reason he fought so many edgies. It didn't matter. When he finally got the heads up that his next opponent was a coin, a venomous Lamia, he could set his plan into action. He just had to make the fight look natural enough that he could be bitten but not so sloppy that Luca would think he was losing his touch. 

It was the most important fight of his life, so he opened with his razor, not being surprised when the coin blinked to the side, retaliating with a special ability. Before Occam could comprehend what kind of ability ‘Snake Eyes’ could be, he was already dodging. His body reacted to the electric crackle of magic in the air before his eyes could focus, moving out of the way of what looked like blaster shaped dice with laser shooting maws. 

He returns with his own barrage of bones, trying to trap the coin with blue magic so he can naturally work his way closer. It was a happy accident when the coin teleported behind him and sank his venomous fangs into Occam’s scapula. Occam turned, conjuring a sword like bone into his hand. If everything went well, this would be the last bitty he would ever kill . His rueful thoughts flashed as quick as his sword. Feigning a low slash, when the coin went to dodge, Occam swept up with his sword and sent the coin flying backwards. In another flash, Occam summoned a razor wall behind the tumbling coin, decapitating it in one smooth motion. When his opponent was dust, he allowed himself to succumb to the venom and fell to the ground. The burning made it feel like his bones were liquefying. 

"Don't be a pussy." Luca chastised him, as he got his winnings. Only after the money was counted did he get Occam up off the ground. Occam had it all planned. Luca was going to take him back to the house to administer antivenom to his best fighter only to realize that Alicia had taken it to try and get high when she was out of the allowance Luca gave her for the month. Then the madam would tell him she could use green magic to keep Occam alive while Luca went to get more. Then the madam would give him the antivenom, and they would take a bunch of the dust swept into the corners and cover the throne with it. One of the other tories or muffets would tell Luke that while he was thrashing Occam had bitten the madam and the krait, leading to all three dusting. Then they would use the fact that he thought that they were dead to escape in the night using whatever means the muffets had of getting flour from the kitchen to get out. 

Wolf took another sip of his sea tea. It was a good plan, he told them, except that wasn't what happened. Luca took Wolf down into the basement, where he saw the madam sitting on the throne with two muffets. The krait was tied up like usual, though this time it was with spider webbing. The scarves dangling teasingly from his shoulders.  

Occam was confused until Luca spoke. "My little lady here, tells me you've been bad, Occam." 

"W-what?" He asked nervously at first not understanding until he was painfully injected with antivenom. 

 The krait said that as soon as Occam left that morning the madam and her muffets were on him. She said she was sorry, and the krait believed her. He could still remember her gently petting his skull as she spoke.

"A madam's job is to protect the girls in her brothel, little one… I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I will do what I must to keep my girls safe. You and the king are a threat to the safety we have here."  When Luca reached into the enclosure for the krait, he gave the madam a gentle pat on the head.

"That's a good girl, Dolly." He praised her before turning his attention back to Occam. "I gotta say, I didn't see this coming, but it'll be a good chance to show that there ain't nobody above punishment." He hissed in Occam's face. He and the krait were taken down to the docks and thrown in cages. Occam was grateful the krait was put in a cage above the papythons. Maybe they would help him, if they were gonna leave him to dry out. Maybe. Occam knew he couldn't blame them if they couldn't. Papython's didn't live long in the rings because of the heavy demand on them. Either they healed until they succumb to magic exhaustion and dusted, or they would admit that they couldn't do it anymore and they would be fed to the chains. 

Occam let the hopelessness settle over him. That was it; all his planning and scheming, all the ways he had tried to keep people safe, and it had accumulated in nothing-

"Wait, wait, wait! What the hell do you mean nothing?" Thor demanded angrily, interrupting the story, but not giving Wolf a chance to answer before continuing. "I am alive, my mate is alive and we're going home to see our boys. The krait is alive because of you! The pygmy and the papython were with us because of you! You did all of that, it's sure as hell not 'nothing.'' 

"... I think the second bit was more Orchid's planning… but we're getting ahead… where was I?" Wolf asked before getting back into his testimony.

He was wallowing in his failure, watching his only friend slowly desiccate, until he saw a green light come from below the cage. A papython had reached up to try and help the krait, and that was it. Despite never wanting to show weakness here, Occam began crying, muttering a tired, “Thank you for helping him.”

 That small display of emotion drew the attention of the mamba next to him, Orchid. It had taken a few weeks to even get Occam to talk back to him, long enough for a familiar tiny pygmy to be thrown down into the pens with the rest of them. The man who brought him down said Crystal didn't give him any antivenom so he was probably going to dust. 

Except he didn't, he had developed a resistance to the venom she was  injecting him with. They called Vex's bitty shop, to see if the pygmy could confirm anything. All he was willing to say was that he was injected with venom five to seven times a day, and that the rattling never seemed to stop. It was the most somber Ray had ever heard the pygmy, she wasn’t surprised when he said his goodbyes to everyone quickly and hung up. 

The pygmy surviving had Occam thinking.

"Hey, mamba," Occam said to Orchid. "I'll help with your escape on one condition. The krait, the pygmy, the mated pair and the papythons come with."

"We'll need some extra power, then," Orchid said thoughtfully, when another voice spoke up, surprising them. 

"I have the highest LV here," Tyr said from below them. "I can add some fire power… and this coral has been here longer than anyone. He knows all the dirtiest tricks." Tyr admitted later that he had mostly been bluffing. The coral didn't have any LV at all, he just watched. Then the escape happened the way Orchid describes it. None of the papythons wanted to risk leaving, but the krait convinced the one who helped him that Occam could keep them safe. Which he once again failed at. If it wasn't for Alicia not wanting her pet tossed in a river then they would all be dead, but they weren't. 

It was quiet for a long time after all the bitties finished speaking, Ray faxed the reports to the same officer she had sent Orchid's with a copy of the report they had submitted earlier in the evening for the assault. Lily volunteered to run out to Mavericks car to help him bring in a sleeping bag and maybe get some fresh air so she could dry her red eyes. Finally Orchid spoke. 

"Miss Ray… it might make Wolf feel better if you tell him what you think of his actions." He said drawing her attention from holding a shaking Tyr to Wolf who was looking at her expectantly. 

"Why?" She asked curiously. 

"You're a Justice soul." It was the only answer he gave, but before she could collect her thoughts from the hell that she had just been told about Lily was back with a folded green blanket, kneeling in front of Wolf. 

"You're a hero Wolf, absolutely nothing less than my hero,” she said teary eyed, brushing her hand over Orchid's skull. “ Thank you for being here and trusting us enough to share your story." Red tears collected in Wolf's eyes, and Ray couldn't really think of anything to add to that. Lily had summed it up perfectly. 

"Well… I'm just glad you all made it out together," Maverick said, coming back into the building with a sleeping sling over his shoulder. 

“Me, too,.” Ray said, patting Tyr one more time before standing up. “It might be hard to get to sleep after… that. Who wants to say fuck sleep and stay up all night watching cartoons instead?” An overwhelming number of nods confirmed, and Ray threw on some cartoons; however, they didn’t make it all night. Thor and Loki passed out first; followed by the krait, who had cuddled up close to them for the tv binge. Maverick fell asleep and just happened to be in the coral's favorite spot, so the coral ended up sleeping on his stomach. Lily was next, while Orchid and Wolf followed soon after from her lap. 

“See you in my dream’s bud.” Ray promised Tyr, who hadn’t spoken for the entire retelling of his portion of the story. He shook his head, pushing what felt like a warning through their bond. “It’s okay, Tyr, you’re my chain, remember? ‘Nuff said.’” She mimicked his slang affectionately bumping her head against his. “It’ll all be okay.”

Chapter Text

It didn’t surprise Ray when she ended up alone in their shared dream, she also wasn’t surprised when she heard the wind howling fiercely outside. This time though, she was more prepared than last time. She made her way to the lobby and through the door where her snakes rooms would be if she were awake. In her dream, however, this door led to the nightmares Tyr kept locked up. Now that she understood where she was, she was able to look around and notice that the door to the lobby didn’t disappear behind her. She could leave whenever she wanted, but she wasn’t leaving until she grabbed him to bring him with her.  

Tyr was in the middle of the cage, his head in his hands. His shoulders shook violently.  Instead of just approaching, Ray decided to try something different. She wouldn’t want to end up startling awake; that would leave him to deal with his nightmares on his own. 

“Tyr, honey, can you hear me, sweetheart?” She asked gently. He whipped his head around violently, staring at her with wide orange rimmed eyes. 

“S-Sunshine… stars, y-you shouldn’t be here, y-ya gotta hide before they see.” His voice was a stuttering frenzy speaking in a rushed stilted cadence as he approached her. He looked around the entire cage frantically looking for a shaded corner he could hide her in. Ray realized he couldn’t see the door.

“Do you trust me, Tyr?” She asked, trying to smile at him reassuringly. Panic rolled off of him in waves. 

“O-of course, what kinda question is that?” He said, still scanning the cage frantically while holding onto her.  She took one of his large hands in hers and pulled.

“Then follow me for just a second, Tyr. I think I have a safe place, okay?” She asked him, trying to lead him to the side. It was like pulling against a solid wall. "Tyr, honey?" She said, trying to unlodge the lamia. "Can you move for me please?" 

"S-Sunshine, I don't think you realize–" he stuttered to a stop as a door thundered open.

"Come on! Move for me Tyr, just follow me," she said, standing up on her tiptoes and using his own arm to semi scale the giant chain. She pulled his skull to face her. "Honey, follow me, please," she pleaded, stepping back down and pulling him towards the door.  He groaned, seeming exasperated. 

"Sunshine! Trust me. I've checked every inch of this cage. There ain't no weaknesses over there, and there ain't no where for ya to hide either. It's out in the open!" He hissed at her but still allowed himself to be pulled. She was able to open the door leading back into the vipers den and pulled him through it. "I... I-I don't… it wasn't real?" He asked, looking back and forth between the lobby and the nightmare room’s door. 

"I don't know if you noticed, bud, but you aren't usually the taller one here," she said teasingly, trying to get him to smile.  It didn't seem like that would be happening. "Wanna sit and talk about it?" 

"No," he said, forcing a small tight smile before scooping Ray up. "--but, I'll happily sit with my little human."

"Oh yeah, soak it up while you can. I'll remember this in the morning." She said grouchily but allowed herself to be carried into her living room, nonetheless. He sat down on the couch, pulled her close, and held her tight. The sound of a dream clock seemed to ticked endlessly in the background. Last night's report was gruesome. If it wasn't for this place between them, Ray would likely be having nightmares. herself. 

"So… Do you wanna talk about it?" He eventually asked. 

"I… I don't really know what to say," Ray admitted reluctantly. "It was- I knew it would be bad, but that was… so, so much worse than anything I imagined, and I had a lot from your room here to imagine with." Her mind was full of the images and sounds that the bitties had described. Originally, she had thought her years of working in the shelter business had already pitted her against the worst of the worst; however, she realized that she hadn’t come close. These bitties had seen pure evil in physical form. She might not have known what to say, but she did have one question she had to ask. 

“Did… were you ever taken to see… that woman?” She asked, not wanting to say her name. A childish fear settled in her chest, that like a cryptid from fairy tales, the mere mention of her name would summon the creature of pure evil. The gang leader's torturer and anti-venom supplier, Crystal. Hopefully, with her first name, the location, and the school she was attending she and the whole gang–from their leader to their bitty suppliers and their drug pushers–would be put behind bars until the jail rot. “--And she wanted to be a mother fucking vet!?” Ray thought, feeling a strange desperate fear well up and up in her, building to a rolling boil of fear.

“Hey, hey, I’m okay. Shhh, i-it's okay, Sunshine. I’m okay. I… I was used to keep other bitties in line, like an enforcer. I… I ate other bitties to survive, but they never took me to see her.”  He soothed Ray, petting down her hair. Ray had no idea why he was frantically petting her and shushing her all of  a sudden until she saw the clear tears land on his carpels. “It's okay.”

“It… it's not though. Nothing about that is okay.” She sobbed, wrapping her own arms around Tyr and giving in to the desperation she was feeling. “I’m s-so s-so sorry.”

“There is one thing that’s okay about it,” he said against her hair. “We're not there anymore.”

“Thank the fucking stars!” 

“Don’t let it hang over you Sunshine, justice is goin’ to be served, right? So ,you don’t have to let it crush you like this,” he said soothingly. “I’m just happy to not be there anymore, and I’m even happier to be here with my human.” 

“Do you think everyone would wanna go out and get a special treat or something?” She asked, wiping her eyes. She wasn't sure how long she sat crying, but she got the distinct feeling that she would be waking up soon and wanted to hash something out in case Tyr couldn't speak to her when they woke up. After the way she found him, it wouldn’t surprise her. She was beginning to assume that maybe when he was quiet like that, it  was a form of selective mutism. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk or didn’t feel comfortable, Ray suspected that on his bad days he literally couldn't. “I just think maybe we could use something a little happy after last night.”

“Like what?” He asked, happy to talk about something other than the rings.

"I'm not really sure… it's too cold for a trip to the park. Going out to eat would probably be too crowded. I don't know. I just want to do something out of the den. I have other people I can call to run the place. Maverick is just my go to because he can do his actual job anywhere he has an outlet for his laptop." She explained. She wanted the coral and Maverick to come. too. 

"Well, we can ask everyone in the mornin’, right?" He shrugged like he didn't have a care in the world. 

"Guess you’re right," She agreed, leaning into him and just enjoying each other's company for the rest of the night. 

The next morning, when she woke up, she realized she fell asleep on the couch. At some point, her head had fallen over onto the arm rest, twisting her back in an unnatural way. 

"Oh, no. I'm too old for that." She groaned, checking the other half of the couch to confirm that it was empty before stretching on out to straighten her spine, before attempting to do so vertically. With a deep breath, she attempted to sit up. She felt a pain spark through her back, fell back flat, and groaned again. The sound of Tyr chuckling over her shoulder caught her attention. Somehow, despite all the moving and shuffling, he had managed to just reposition himself next to her on the couch.  "Yeah, live it up 'little' lamia. Once I get up and going, it's on." 

“Feeling sore?” Lily asked, coming back into the living room with a cup of coffee. Ray didn’t see Orchid or Wolf with her, but a quick glance around showed that they were sitting next to her patterns, waiting for her to get back.

“Only a lot… I probably should have slept on the floor instead of the couch.” Ray gingerly sat up, offering a hand to Tyr in case he wanted to come with her. He smiled softly though and shook his head, curling back up on the couch. Lily frowned, and scrunched her eyebrows together in thought.

“I think I have some Tylenol in one of my bags. I can go grab it.” She offered, setting her mug down between her boys. 

“No, that's okay. I just need to get up and move around. Besides, I have some stuff to do to distract me this morning. Tyr and I were wondering if everyone would like to get out of the Den today and go do something.” 

“Oh… well, that sounds really nice but I didn’t finish Thor’s outfit yesterday with all the commotion. So, that already puts me a little behind.”

“Take one day off! The guys all have tee shirts, and I’m not thinking anywhere fancy. I was thinking of just going somewhere that isn’t here.” 

“Well… I just don’t want to overstay but honestly… I was kinda… well I didn’t know how to ask, but since you’re okay with the outfits not all getting done right away and all.” Lily floundered; and at this point, Ray was expecting it when Orchid chimed in.

“Lily, my dearest, was wondering if you would allow us to stay a little longer after all the clothes are finished. We… We want to meet this Max fellow and talk to him about being able to stay in touch with Thor and Loki. I think it’s apparent that we are all very close to one another and would like to stay in touch when we go our separate ways,” Orchid explained for Lily.

Lily beamed a smile. “Yeah! What he said!” 

“Yeah! As long as you won’t be late getting back to school,” Ray replied, turning her attention to Lily.

“Oh, I won’t, totally pinky promise! If he’s going to be here next weekend, I’ll just have to leave, like, right after.” 

“That's the plan so far," Ray replied, finally mustering the courage to stand up and stretch out her stiff back. “Alright, so I'm going to grab some coffee and make a call to get someone to come and watch the den.”

“Is Maverick busy today?” Lily asked, looking at the sleeping man, still curled up with the coral sleeping on his chest peacefully. 

“Not that I know, so I'm hoping he can come with us,” she replied. The morning was slow and lazy. Maverick was less of a morning person than Ray; the majority of his work was done later in the evening or late into the night, so his circadian rhythm leaned more towards sleeping in. It gave her time to make sure the bitties had their breakfast, the supplements that went with them, and her own breakfast. She also had to pack a few sandwich bags of supplements in case they wanted to stay out for lunch and call around other local rescues to find a volunteer to run the den for the day. All of these were done before Maverick woke up wanting his morning coffee. Even the Coral, her usual late sleeper, had woken up before him and slinked off like he didn’t just spend the night on Maverick’s chest. 

“Morning, sleepy head,” Ray greeted teasingly, passing him a cup of coffee. He took it without a word and chugged it while Lily giggled.

“Wow, I’ve never seen him so quiet.” Her face was painted with amusement.

“Not-a 'morning person.’” He mumbled sleepily. His cup was already empty. He continued to sit quietly with his sleeping bag pooled around his waist.

“It’s almost noon,” Ray said, straightening his hair down so that it wasn’t quite so wild. “And I’m giving you about twenty minutes to get woken up before we have to leave.” 

“Hmm?” He hummed drearily, leaning into the couch.

“Leaving. Me and Lily hashed it out. We're taking the bitties to do something fun, then we're going out shopping… all of us. We’re just waiting on you.” 

Ray really shouldn’t have told him that she was giving him twenty minutes, because he took advantage of every second of it, springing up at the last second and rolling up his sleeping bag.

“Alright! How's the seating arrangement working?”  He asked, quickly striding out to his car. Ray followed him with the bags she packed for the trip.

“You’re riding with me, the coral, Tyr, the krait, and the papython. Thor, Loki, Orchid, and Wolf are riding with Lily. She’s going to follow me.”

“Cool, where we goin?”  He asked, smiling roguishly. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy?” Ray tossed the bag into the back and gave her own mischievous smirk, turning to help get the bitties out into the car. If she thought driving into town with an excitable Pygmy was bad, Maverick trying to pry where they were going out of her was worse. 

“Careful. Don’t miss your turn, bro.”

“That’s not gonna work, dude,” she replied, trying to curb her irritation while Tyr and the coral snickered in the back. “And it’s your fault that you don’t know where we’re going, anyway.” She added, pulling out her ace in the hole while stopped at a red light for emergency Maverick pacification: a brand new Power Wolf playlist that had some Sabaton and a little Blackveil Brides, but no trance or pop rock to break it up, flashed from her phone’s screen to Maverick. 

“Holy shit, hey little bro!” Maverick said to the Coral behind him. “You’re about to hear some real shit, today. I don’t have any Powerwolf on my playlists, but it’s some hard shit… and uhh, little Tyr dude, you might really jive with Sabbaton. Hey Ray, you got Devil Dogs on here? I got a feeling about that one with him.”  Maverick happily switched his focus, taking the phone from her when she passed it. The rest of the car ride, he flipped through the playlist trying to find something for everyone. He tried to find something else for the papython, and ended up settling on a R&B/Pop-type playlist for him. The krait was the hardest one for him, and he eventually ended up opening the master playlist to try and find something.

“He might just not have a preference.” Ray said when the krait shrugged once again, still looking perfectly content to enjoy the ride and the music.

“Everyone has a preference, bro,” Maverick retorted, grimacing like he was in physical pain before pulling up a classical piece. Like magic, the little krait brightened when the first few peals of Moonlight Sonata filled the car. 

“You looked like an instrumental type of guy, little dude,” Maverick said, settling into a rhythm on the ride, two harder metal songs, a pop for the papython, and then a soft instrumental for the krait until they pulled into the parking lot for the shopping complex in front of Vex’s. “Really bro? This is the big surprise?” Maverick asked.

“It was literally only a surprise to you,” Ray replied, smiling. They had talked about it that morning. A lot of the bitties weren’t comfortable out in crowded spaces, and it was too cold to go out to a park or nature preserve. The next best thing was to go hang out at Vex’s, let Lily fill out her paperwork for Wolf, and eventually end the day in that little specialty shop on the corner just to see if there was anything special the boys might like.  They had even called ahead to confirm that the bitties could just come down and hang out.  

The second they walked into the shop, the pygmy they had dropped off raced up excitedly. His scarf was missing. In its place, a large deep cerulean blue bow tied neatly around its neck. She didn’t wonder about it for long before Cerulean (Natasha’s pygmy) bounded up with the pygmy’s smaller scarf tied in a bow around his wrist, the star spangled edges fluttering around as he moved. With everyone talking all at once, though she didn’t get a chance to ask about it before Thor was pulled away to see… something Ray missed, with Loki being tugged lazily behind. The krait dipped to go play in the pool with the other kraits, Lily made her way to the front with Wolf and Orchid , and Maverick seemed to gravitate towards the informational pamphlets with a little shadow behind him. That left Ray with the papython and Tyr. 

“Me and Tyr are probably going to go sit somewhere quiet, if you wanna sit with us.” She offered. Tyr hadn’t really spoken during the day, but Ray had the feeling he was content and even happy. The papython smiled up at her and nodded, reaching up for Ray to pick him up. With two Lamia’s on her shoulders, she made her way to the quietest corner in the room: The fire ring’s area on the opposite side of the building from the krait pools and pygmy play area.  Ray considered it a win-win. 

The papython was happy to chitter and chirp, throwing some words in as the fire rings seemed to be happy to just let them sit and talk quietly. Tyr seemed to relax more around the mute lamias enough to eventually slide down from her shoulder and just bask in the heat that the fire rings gave off.  Eventually Lily made her way over to sit with Ray and enjoy the quiet corner. Though she didn’t come without news.

“Sooooo, I just heard the cutest thing up front.” Lily said.

“Yeah?” Ray asked, encouraging the conversation.

“Apparently Natasha’s Pygmy, and the one that was with our boys, have decided that they are blood brothers; so her and the little baby blue are talking about asking him if he wants to be adopted.”

“... That is so cute, I did notice that they traded scarfs. The little pygmy’s was so small Cerulean is wearing it like a bracelet,” Ray replied, smiling softly, only to suddenly be curious how  magical skeleton lamias with no blood could be ‘blood brothers’?

 A small hint of amusement trickled over their bond, and she looked down at Tyr who just winked and shrugged at her, making her giggle. They ate lunch at the bitty shop before leaving late in the evening to make their way to the Itty Bitty Boutique. It was an eclectic collection of different bitty sized items, and doll-sized bitty houses lined the walls with advertisements bitty walk-throughs like tiny little real estate signs. There were sections for furniture, accessories, toys and electronics. Up front, there was a bored-looking teen flipping through a magazine, A small purple spider bitty waved as they entered.

“Hello! Welcome to the Itty Bitty Boutique. I’m the resident itsy-bitsy spider, Avarice.” She laughed heartily at her own joke. “Fufufu!” The laugh was contagious, making some of the bitties smile. Thor chuckled heartily in response. “ Please let us know if there’s anything we can help you with.” After a short greeting, everyone began to peruse the merchandise. It didn’t take long for Maverick to find something to be excited about.

“Hey, lil dudette!” He called excitedly to get Lily’s attention. “If I buy one of these bitty sized, iron on decals would you like, say… be able to make a bitty sized band tee?”  

“They have what!?” She excitedly raced over to the iron ons he had found. “Oh my gosh, guys look! If I layer this one and that, then I can really bring Thor's shirt together and make it a comic book tee.” She held up the two decals at an angle that Ray couldn’t see. The bitty Avarice seemed to appear out of nowhere near Lily, 

“If you want to make a comic book themed shirt I would suggest these three decals then,” she said sweetly. 

After a quick glance over the merchandise Orchid chimed in.“ I couldn’t help but notice that those are from a more expensive box.”

“Well, they're higher quality and the colors are more vibrant.” Avarice replied.  

“I can incorporate one of them for a splash of color in the background, but I really already have a design in mind with these two,” Lily said cheerfully, seemingly missing the tiny altercation between her mamba and the muffet and grabbing one of the more expensive decals.. After getting to know her though, Ray was sure she didn’t miss a thing and that she had just flawlessly deescalated a disagreement like a professional.  It was honestly impressive.

“I ain’t picky, it looks like just a couple dollars extra anyway.” Maverick rummaged through the more expensive iron ons, picking out some that would make a band shirt. 

“A man with taste, I see. Is there anything else I can help you with?” Avarice asked, turning her attention to Maverick like he was a fly caught in a web. He was probably a dream customer for shops like this. His job paid very well, and he had a habit of just getting anything he thought was cool. 

“Honestly, I don’t really know, just kinda looking.”

Like an expert zeroing in on the decals he had, combined with his general demeanor and probably some bitty thing Ray didn’t understand the muffet’s next words seemed catered to get Maverick to spend money in the shop.

“We have a few bitty sized instruments, mostly acoustic, but we have a very small selection of electric options.” 

“...Uhhh, hey, little bro, little dude, do you maybe wanna go check those out!”  He called out to the coral excitedly, holding his hand out to the bitty. To Ray’s surprise the grouchy bitty, smirked and teleported onto his hand. Maverick didn’t seem to miss a beat, letting himself be led by Avarice through the shop. 

“Okay… how many of you can teleport?” Ray asked Tyr, who just laughed at her question.  Everyone seemed to find one tiny thing that they wanted, except Tyr. Ray was starting to think that she wouldn’t be able to find something for him when she caught him staring intently down an aisle of decorations. Without getting caught, she followed his line of sight to a bag of silk flower petals with different pastel shades of pink, sunset orange and red.  So, of course, she grabbed it up. The car ride back to the Viper’s den was eventful. She let the papython DJ because Maverick was too busy talking about the complete history of the tiny guitar he had bought for the coral. After hearing the cost of the guitar, Ray didn't even want to imagine the price for the amp and all the other equipment. 

“It’s modeled after Jimi Hendrix's 1968 Fender Stratocaster "Black Beauty." Around that time, they stopped using rosewood for the fretboard and started using maple. He mainly used Strats. Like, little bro, if I could have found you a Woodstock Stratocaster, that would definitely be the one. I've got one in candy apple red. I'll bring it down, and we can definitely jam." He continued to talk excitedly, but he never got quite so loud that he drowned out the excitable jazz melody that the papython had picked with the krait.  Eventually, they got back to the vipers Den and relieved the borrowed volunteer. 

From there, they fell into a kind of rhythm. For the following days leading up to Max coming to get Thor and Loki, Lily took her time with the remaining outfits, and Maverick came down every other day to play guitar with the coral. Thor’s outfit ended up being a black and gray graphic tee, with a bold red and blue splash of color in the middle looking like paint splatter. A Norse hammer was centered on the graphic tee over the colors. The three decals were layered expertly to make one image. Over the graphic tee, Thor wore was a burnt-orange, sherpa-lined bomber jacket with enough pockets to make Ray jealous. Seriously, there were two breast pockets, the normal pockets, AND two pockets on the inside of the jacket! 

For the coral, using the decals Maverick had bought and some ingenuity from Lily, they were able to make a pretty convincing ‘Master of Puppets’ tank top that hung loosely from the coral’s bones. Over that was a black-denim vest that looked like the arms had been ripped off with a studded leather bracelet. The whole outfit had a very convincing punk rocker vibe going on. Finally was Tyr’s. Ray couldn't help herself; she had to take a picture when she saw him all dressed up. He had an orange and gold-ombre tee shirt with the fluffiest black parka she had ever seen. The floof from the inside of the hood added half an inch to the bitties height. Delicate gold chains twisted from the pockets and dangled at his side.  A leather belt adorned where his skeletal pelvic met his snake body with more dangling gold chains that matched the color of his gold capped fangs.  With a few pastel yellow and pink silk petals peeking out of his pockets, it was a very lovely picture. With all the outfits finished, Lily was able to relax and just enjoy the rest of her visit. Although she seemed a bit sad about all the outfits being finished. Lily would have to go soon. Fall break was almost over; and with her, four of the friends Ray had made would be leaving, too. 

They decided to go out together as often as they could before Lily’s school began, to make the best of the time they all had left together. They went to Vex’s a few more times to take a group picture and print off a few human and bitty-sized photos for the group. It was no surprise when on one of these trips, the little pygmy ran up to them and introduced himself as Sky. 

“... sooo it’s Azure, Cerulean, and Sky?” Loki asked, smiling lazily. There was a look of mischief sparkling in his eye lights. “I guess that makes the two pygmies blue-peas in a pod. Don't worry though Azure, I'm sure-ulean they won't forget about blue. I could-” 

“We have heard them all before, thank you!” Azure interrupted as more cornies began smiling mischievously around the three swap-type bitties. Thor, who had already been chuckling, broke out in peals of laughter

“You’re right, you’re right. I suppose this is Cyanara, then.” He said, waving as the swap bitties-groaned and excused themselves from the collection of punning bitties. 

Azure grunted. “Stars, that was a new one. Don’t encourage the other cornies with new material!”

When the day finally rolled around for Max to come and pick up Thor and Loki, Ray was a bundle of nerves. Maverick and Lily seemed just as excited. They were cooking a small goodbye dinner and brought it out to set up on fold out tables in the lobby. Ray had the group picture of all the boys framed so that she would be able to give it to Max along with the check for his registration fee back in his hometown.  The bitties were collecting in the lobby, chatting lightly. It looked like a real party. Finally, a silver Miata pulled up with a rental sticker in the window. The first time she saw Max, there was only one thing she could think: wow, he was definitely the buffest comic book nerd Ray had ever seen. His blue sweater was tight around the biceps but nowhere else. The cool-toned sweater complimented his rich umber skin and deep-amber eyes. He looked out from behind stylish glasses, scanning the room. A charming smile split his face when he saw Thor and Loki.

Ray glanced over to her best friend, aaaand yeah. He was star-struck. She had never been able to pinpoint a type for him, but well-dressed and muscular always seemed to add to whatever he was looking for. 

“Hi, welcome to the Viper’s Den!” She called out, drawing Thor and Loki’s attention to their human. They both wasted no time in teleporting to him, embracing him tearfully.

“Stars, pops! I missed you so freaking much!” Loki said, burying his face in Max’s sweater.  

“Thought I’d never see you again, old man.” Thor said, his voice muffled as he pressed his face against Max’s chest and held him tightly.

“I miss you two so much, I couldn't stand it.” Max squeezed them back in a tearful reunion. Max walked forward with the bitties perched on his shoulders to shake Ray’s hand. 

“It’s nice to meet you… you know, in person,” he said. 

“Same! Welcome to the Viper’s Den! This is my bitty Tyr. I hope you don't mind, but we organized a little going away party.” 

“No, this is great.” He replied happily. They ate food and got to know each other. Thor and Loki introduced him to the other bitties around the lobby. They found out he worked as a copywriter for a small publishing firm part-time, but his main job was as a firefighter. Max explained that was why he wanted to adopt two bitties. Sometimes, he was out of the house for a few days at a time. He moved from New York down to Texas when a fire marshal position opened in El Paso. More recently, a fire chief position opened, and he was sure he was a strong contender for the job. He also praised Lily up and down when he got around to asking about the outfits. Thanking her profusely, and nerding about the little horns on Loki’s jacket for a while, Ray had her chance to nerd out about the connection between the comic book character and the mythological figure. While they were talking, Lily suddenly had a realization.

“Oh no… I hope the jackets won’t be too hot in Texas… I didn’t even think of that.” She looked over her outfits. 

“There are still cold days in the fall and winter. There are even places to go skiing or snowboarding, so I think that these are perfect," he said, smiling down at his boys again. 

Later, they got around to exchanging numbers so that the bitties could all keep in touch. Ray had already given him her number, so she stood back with Maverick while Lily and Max exchanged numbers. Maverick was practically green with envy, though the most surprising part was when the coral came up to him and nudged him. 

Ray wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but she caught the gist of the coral trying to be his wingman. 

"Hmm… nah, that's alright. You're a super cool dude, little bro, but you know, I would rather keep taking it slow and steady," Maverick replied. A remnant from the friend group he had when Ray had first met him in college, It didn’t matter how much he got along with someone. Maverick still had to keep them at arm's length and slowly let them in. The coral rolled his eye lights and teleported up to Mavericks shoulder right on time.

"I don't think I got your bitties name?" Max asked, turning his attention to Maverick. 

"Oh, uh." Maverick froze trying to think of something on the spot, thankfully the coral had already thought of that.

"Hendrix." 

"... yup, Hendrix. You know, like the famous guitar player. Little bro is pretty good, himself," Maverick said.

"That's pretty cool. The way he's dressed, he looks more like Van Halen or Kurt Cobain," Max said, typing out his number for Maverick. 

"You into some classics, dude? That's pretty dope." 

"Have you heard the soundtracks for the new Avengers movies?" 

The goodbyes came quicker than Ray had hoped. Lily promised she would text when she made it home with Wolf and Orchid. Her two bitties promised to make sure she would drive safe. Eventually only Ray and Maverick remained to clean up the lobby with four bitties.

"I'm gonna miss little dudette, but I'm so happy to have my couch back," Maverick said, plopping down on Ray's couch.  A pensive look came over his face before Ray could say something snarky back. "Hey little… umm, Hendrix. Do you like that name?" He asked the coral. 

The coral nodded.

"You're always talking about my audacity, but ya know that's pretty audacious yourself… but I guess you can't get nothing done without confidence little bro. So, we're just gonna have to practice everyday to get you up to snuff… so, that probably means I'm either gonna have to come down here every day, or you could just… come with me when I leave in the morning?" He asked, pausing in silence to wait for an answer from Hendrix, it seemed that the coral had finally chipped away at his walls enough to be let in.

Just like that, the next morning, the Viper’s Den was down to three bitties. Hendrix packed up his hoard consisting of his old jacket, the plastic gold coins, the guitar pick Maverick had first brought him, and several small, silver, bitty-sized buttons that Lily might not have noticed went missing. On top of the luggage, the bitties' guitar stuff laid sloppily in a pile. After a quick hug, the Coral grabbed one of his plastic coins and – like he suddenly had the same idea – Tyr grabbed one of his orange silk petals, and they traded pieces of their hoard before Maverick and his new coral left.

I hope he remembers to fill out his paperwork, Ray thought. Unlikely. She looked back at the remaining three, smiling warmly.

"So, what do you guys want to do for the rest of the day?" Ray asked.

She was answered by a lazy shrug from Tyr, a quizzical look from the papython, and an excitable bouncing Krait.

"We've got some time to figure it out, so there's no rush," she said, leading the way back into her living room.

Chapter Text

Time passed, and they fell into a comfortable rhythm. Ray would run the Viper’s Den with Tyr around her shoulders most days. Whenever she had to take care of the snakes, he came with her the first few times, but it became apparent that he wasn’t that big of a fan of the snakes. He didn’t dislike them, yet he just wasn’t particularly interested in them either. It had been his idea to let the papython and krait come with her instead since the snakes actually excited them. The krait was quiet–unless he had a question to ask. It had occurred to Ray that with all the other lamias, the quieter krait had kind of slipped through the cracks in terms of attention. So whenever he asked a question, she made it her goal to interact with him. 

The bitties' first Christmas outside of the rings led a bigger dip into her savings then she had planned, but it had been a long time since they could remember a merry Christmas. Tyr’s favorite present came in the form of a Christmas card from Ray’s parents. 

“Ray-bell Loretta Carter?” He had read questioningly, smirking when her face turned red.

“Yup. That's the whole thing,”  Ray replied, while trying to wake Maverick up so they could open presents. Him and Hendrix had come down to spend the night on Christmas Eve and they had a video call scheduled for the boys later. It had been Natasha and Sky’s idea to have group zoom calls, that way they could all stay in touch. 

“Why don’t ya got the whole thing on your business card?” 

“I like Ray better. It just sounds… more professional than Ray-bell Carter.”

“... But it’s your name. How can it sound unprofessional?”

Maverick rolled over, yawning out a tired “You are wasting your time little dude, we have been over and over that one… Mornin’ little bro.” He held out a fist bump to Hendrix, who had insisted on drinking a small thing of coffee from a tiny Megadeth  thermos Maverick ordered online a while back. 

“Morning bro,” Hendrix replied, smiling lazily and bumping his thermos against Mavericks closed fist. 

Ray let him get woken up before passing out presents. She commissioned Lily for some small pajama sets for the three boys still with her and one for Hendrix. She also ordered some National Geographic's books (Geodes and Gemstones for Tyr, Marine Wildlife for the krait, and Radiant Reptiles for the papython) and  tiny recreations of products called Real Littles (which ended up being the thing that chipped into her savings). She found a small bath set for the Krait that had several bath toys and a robe; a functioning backpack full of stationary supplies that were “Nightmare Before Christmas” themed for the Papython; and finally, a functioning school locker with shiny stickers, key chains, and other trinkets for Tyr. Perhaps if the locker convinced Tyr to hide his flower petals somewhere other than under Ray's pillow or in her coffee cup then that was just a bonus. 

Maverick ended up getting small bitty thermoses for the three bitties, more band merch for Hendrix, and also found Hendrix his own collection of mini dollhouse sized Christmas ornaments. His coral really liked the ones he had hung up, but they were too big and breakable to go with his horde that gradually accumulated under Maverick’s couch. 

Like they did when Hendrix had first moved out, he and Tyr traded something from their hordes as a gift exchange: one of the tiny ornaments for one of Tyr's stickers. 

The video call finally got started after the wrapping paper was cleaned up. Orchid and Wolf were in matching Christmas's sweaters – one purple and one blue. Thor and Loki were smiling lazily behind two much smaller lamias, a pygmy named Silver, and a papython named Scarlett. Despite their small size, the bitties assured Ray that they were both full-sized like their parents and that one day they would be much bigger.

"Uncle Sky, Uncle Sky! Wanna see what we got for Gyftmas?" Silver called excitedly, while his brother bounced up and down next to him waiting for his chance to show whatever it was he had bundled in his hands to his extended family. Thor and Loki’s sons had quickly gotten attached to the idea of having several new family members scattered all across the country; and most of the time, they were the ones reminding their dads about the upcoming zoom calls with the rest of their family. After the call ended, they scheduled next week's call with everyone. Maverick made some hot chocolate, while Ray picked out a Christmas movie for them all to watch together while the boys settled in with their presents. She decided that she couldn't go wrong with the old stop-motion classics and settled onto the couch with Maverick while the boys stretched out across the floor. There was a small disagreement where the krait and the papython directed the other two to keep their thermoses of sticky hot chocolate away from the new books, but it was settled quickly when Ray moved the books out of any potential spill zone until the hot chocolates were gone.

It was the way she wanted to spend every holiday from now on.

A few weeks after New Years, Ray was typing up an email with Tyr. She had agreed to allow Maui to be in the prosthetic trials, and she was making a list of available times and dates for the doctors to come down and give him a physical, and begin prep for the surgery when a petite young woman walked in with a cat carrier. 

“Hello, there. Is there anything I can help you with?” Ray asked, hoping that this person just found a rat snake somewhere and only had a cat carrier to bring it in. 

“Umm yeah.” The woman clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth loudly. “One of my neighbors had this snake and was abusing it, so I grabbed it up and was trying to nurse it back to health but the poor thing can barely eat anything and it’s just been losing weight since I got it. I don't know what else to do anymore.”

“ Oh, dear. Let me look at it,” Ray said, reaching for the cat carrier. The snake that came out was a familiar looking piebald python. She pulled up her phone to double check and this was the missing pet Sugar. “What kind of abuse did you notice?” 

“Hello? Are you blind just look at her, like over half her body is covered in scars,” the woman said, gesturing at the snake snidely. A sinking feeling settled over Ray, but she brushed it off to gather all the information she could before beginning her own rant. 

“What have you been trying to feed her that she’s having so much trouble eating?” Ray asked

“There’s a pet shop that sells mice down the road from my house. I put them in the cage, but half the time she just lets them bite her. Like how bad does a snake have to be abused, that it can’t catch food anymore.” 

“Well… see, Miss. There has been a little mistake. This snake here is a piebald. Her white patches are not scars, they're just patches with no pigmentation, and typically snake enthusiasts don’t feed domestic snakes live prey. In fact, I don’t even feed snakes I’m going to re-release live pray in the enclosed container since it does not synthesize natural hunting conditions anyway, so there is really just no reason-”

“Oh my god! You’re so stupid. Is there anyone who actually knows something about snakes here? This thing has obviously been abused,” She said indignantly.  Normally Ray would just ask someone like this to leave, though this time she had a little backup.

“Yeah, by you.” Tyr added, drawing the woman's attention down to the desk.

“Oh eww, what the hell is that?”  She gasped out, taking a step away from the desk. 

“Rude,” Ray and Tyr said together, causing Tyr to smirk.

"Ya know, we don't like animal abusers here. You might be in for a bad time if you don't just turn around and leave now." He added. 

Almost like she could feel her sins weighing down on her, she shivered and opened her mouth to speak. But before anything came out, she seemed to think about it. She just huffed and turned to leave. After tending to the snake, Ray took time to finish intake for the malnourished python and call a very relieved Cassidy. She was told she could take Sugar home once she gained some weight. Ray also encouraged her to make a police report about the stolen pet with a quick description of the neighbor. Cassidy assured Ray that she knew exactly who the woman was and that she would be happily making a report.

Things got busy as they always did, but Ray made time for the zoom calls with her Lamia’s brothers. The krait and papython used their evenings when Ray was free to read through their books aloud, trading section for section with Ray's help for vocabulary they quickly began to make progress. Eventually an unusually warm March day rolled around. Ray opened up the front door and allowed the boys to wander around outside for a little bit. The krait’s tail was fully healed, and she was almost ready to take them off their supplements all together. It was almost time to ask the krait and papython whether they had considered where they wanted to go after the Den or not; especially if it would be warming up soon. A little tragic pang of realization went through her heart. They would be leaving soon; and like he could feel it, Tyr was there smiling to comfort her. He held out an early blooming daisy barely open enough to be called a flower at all. Ray cracked a smile. Even if they were leaving soon, she wouldn't be lonely at all with her attentive little chain around. 

It was around the first of April. The clock chimed as a dark gray sedan pulled into the Viper's Den. Ray checked the time; they were fifteen minutes early. Two people and a dog walked through the front door. Ray knew who they were of course, she had scheduled this appointment, but it didn't stop her from staring. Dr. Rebecca Stanton had a doctorate in magi-tech studies, and the main bulk of the prosthetic literature was her work with input from the famous royal scientist to the king of monsters Dr. Alphys. DMV Grayson Stanton, her older brother, did most of the biological side of the prosthetic. She wasn’t staring at the pair of siblings, though. Ray was looking at the shepherd mix walking beside them on two legs. The dog was missing both the legs on the right side of his body, yet he was walking with the help of a specialized harness that had wheels where his missing limbs would be. His harness was a beige military looking vest with a large US marines decal on the side. She was so distracted by the spectacle that she didn't get the chance to do her usual welcome before Dr. Grayson did it for her.

“Miss Ray, I presume?” He asked, drawing Ray’s attention to him. He had a gaster type bitty she had never seen standing on his shoulder with a vest that read “Service Bitty” in bright emboss. Her eyes tracked from the bitty up to Grayson’s face, and she took note of his own set of dog tags. 

“Yes! Welcome to the Viper’s Den. I’m sorry I… umm” She trailed off, not really wanting to say that she had gotten distracted looking at a two legged dog. He smiled warmly though and nodded.

“No, I understand. I heard you were still a little worried about the safety of the procedure, so I thought bringing Valiant here would help. We aren't just doing this to check off boxes; we genuinely want to help make animals' lives better.” 

“I don’t doubt that. It’s just normally things like dogs or cats, cute fluffy things are people's main concerns when it comes to advancements in veterinary science. I was worried because he was a snake. I thought maybe you just wanted him to test the water proofing for something cute like a sea lion, though I know that's just silly. I've just seen some things in the time I've run the Vipers Den," Ray explained, giggling a little at her own silliness.  

"We've actually already tested the water proofing. It would be really poor form if we waited to get to the surgery stage to test that." Rebecca added, laughing with Ray at the little joke. "This is to determine whether the prosthetic can be integrated biologically with the help of magic based technology over a wide range of mammals, amphibians, avians, and reptiles." 

"Of course, I guess we should get started, then. Would you mind if–" 

A small voice chimed from the living room door. "Were you going to ask if I could come, Miss Ray?" The krait asked from his place by the door. She had left the door slightly propped open in case one of the boys needed anything, Tyr had a bad night and decided to stay in the living room when the guests arrived.

"I was just about to," Ray replied, walking over and holding out a hand for the Lamia to climb up on. "Would it be alright if he came and watched, he's really interested in Maui's surgery," she explained. Rebecca's eyes didn't leave the Krait as Ray walked back over, and she began to worry before Rebecca leaned close and whispered.

"Are we allowed to have non-service bitties here?"

"Isn't that like asking if monsters are allowed to come in?" Ray asked, jokingly at first, but she corrected herself at the stricken looks on the doctors’ faces. "Yes, all monsters, bitty or not, are welcome in my rescue." 

Rebecca nodded and reached into her large medical bag to pull out another gaster type bitty in a long white lab coat. He straightened a pair of wire glasses as he settled on Rebecca's shoulder. 

"I guess we can do some introductions. This is my Sciguy, Jerry. He helps me with a lot of smaller components and wiring."

"Jericho, for anyone other than Dr. Stanton," The Sciguy corrected. The bitty on Grayson's shoulder decided to introduce himself next. 

"I'm Major, a Dadster type service bitty… though it is appreciated to not have to wear the vest inside the rescue miss," he said bowing low and removing the vest. It made a ruffling sound like it was made from plastic or some other piece of uncomfortable Barbie doll clothes material. 

"Alright, Jericho and Major. Do you want me to pretend you're not here while you're working?" Ray asked, having never seen a service bitty before, and wanting to understand the protocol. 

"I'm more capable of focusing on my ward then a dog, so that will not be necessary, I am more akin to a counselor and friend than a service animal… thank you for the consideration, though." 

"What's your bitties name and type? I'm unfamiliar with lamia bitties," Jericho asked,  causing the krait to giggle good-naturedly.  

"I'm a patient at the Den, not a resident. I'm a krait-type though. That's partly why I'm very interested in Maui's rehabilitation." 

"I didn't know this was also a bitty rescue!" Rebecca said excitedly. 

"It's not, officially…the Viper's Den is just a snake rescue, but… well, I couldn't just turn them away," Ray explained.   

"Miss Ray is being humble," The krait said, smiling up at Ray. "She went above and beyond just not being able to turn us away. There are three of us residing here at the moment, one a permanent lamia… though he isn't feeling up to meeting new people today.  But when we first arrived there were nine. All but us remaining three have been helped in a capacity that I would consider above and beyond just 'not being turned away.' " 

"Well, wanna go and get started with Maui?" Ray asked, shyly gesturing down the hall to the snake rooms in an attempt to deflect the attention away from her flushing face and to the actual business at hand. There were a series of three appointments scheduled for Maui to determine whether or not  he could have the surgery. Each time, the doctors came with their bitties, although the first appointment was the only time they brought Valiant. Apparently the car rides were a little hard on him due to arthritis in his joints around the amputation site. Because of this, he was not selected for the first round of surgeries. They were going to have to wait until the trials were finished for him to be considered. 

Each time the krait came and spoke with the other gaster type bitties throughout the appointment, asking questions and happily sharing information he had about the salinization levels in Maui's tank. Ray was surprised, she didn't even know he knew so much. It almost seemed like he was trying to impress the other bitties. He took particular interest in Rachel's bitty. 

 The day they were loading Maui up to go to the veterinary hospital where the surgery would take place, the three bitties were far from the venomous snake on the counter while Ray and Grayson worked to corral the animal without stressing him out too much before he would have to go under anesthetic. Rachel was out with the van doing a last minute check on the PH for the tank Maui would be transferred in. 

"So unlike the aquatic snake you're typing is named after, you are a freshwater species, correct?" Jericho asked, adjusting his glasses for the third time. Ray wondered if they were actually functional or if that was a form of fidgeting for the stoic bitty. 

"Yes, salt water makes my scales itch," The krait answered while Jericho seemed to take notes. 

"Are you also venomous?" Jericho asked curiously. Though it was  met with the krait moving a hand up to cover his mouth.

"Oh… umm that." He muttered nervously, causing Ray to look towards the bitties. The krait smiled like he was about to brush it off when Maui thrashed out of his net, splashing against the tray Ray had wheeled over out of precaution. The commotion drew the krait's attention to the writhing nub of a tail that the animal had and his eye lights flickered out. Ray had only seen that happen with Tyr but she immediately knew it wasn't good. 

Ray reached out to carefully pin Maui to stop it from biting. "Dr. Stanton, do you have Maui?" She asked quickly, waiting for the confirmation before taking her hands off the venomous snake. She didn't get the chance to move towards the lamia before several hands materialized with holes in the palms. One blocked her from moving forward while the others hovered behind the dadster.

"You continue assisting Grayson with the dangerous animal. We don't want an unfortunate accident happening… Was there ever a name anyone called him?" Major asked, approaching the krait casually. The krait’s phalanges were beginning to dig into his jaw, holding it shut while his breathing grew more frantic. 

"No, just ‘the krait.’" Ray responded, looking back at the snake in her hands. Major was right, of course. Despite how much she wanted to go to the lamia. Moving a snake like this was dangerous and required her to focus. Dr. Grayson was a leader in his field but he was a vet. When he worked with animals like these he needed a handler on hand. 

"Any specific triggers you can think of?" Major asked calmly before turning his attention to the krait and speaking quietly in a voice that sounded like static over the rumble of distant thunder. The hands around his head began to move and form shapes, some resembling American Sign Language others completely foreign. 

"I can think of a few," Ray replied, focusing on the snake at hand. If she could get Maui pacified and into the traveling container then that would at least be one off the table. "It might be good to get him out… of–" Ray trailed off, as the krait's breathing slowed. The rhythmic sound of static and thunder only paused for a moment when the bitty addressed Ray again.

"Not necessary, ma'am. " Major said, gently placing a hand on the krait's shoulder. "How are you feeling, Sargent?" He asked.

"I'm alright. Other people's anxieties have never triggered my own," Grayson responded as Maui was finally wrangled into the container that would be used to get him to the veterinary hospital, allowing Ray to turn her attention to the krait. She waited for his eye lights to flicker back to life before approaching.

"Hey… you alright  buddy?" She asked softly.

"I, yes. I am… I'm so sorry! That's never happened before," he stuttered out nervously, flicking an apologetic smile at Jericho who was once again fiddling with his glasses. 

"Not at all. I forgot you were a –" 

"No need to apologize," Major soothed, interrupting whatever Jericho was going to say. He hadn't moved his hand from the krait's shoulder, and with a reassuring pressure he guided him forward. “You said that this was your first attack. Is there any way we could have prevented it?” 

“I… I don’t really know. I don't even really know what happened,” The krait replied, allowing himself to be led to Ray’s palm.  She brought him back to her living room and settled him in with Tyr and the papython, while she continued working with Rebecca and Grayson to move Maui into the van. There was a quick rundown of what happened to Rebecca when her bitty rejoined her. 

"Oh poor thing. He's normally so chipper; it's easy to forget that he's a rescue," she said,

"That is precisely what I was saying," Jericho said, nodding along as they settled into the driver's seat for the van.

"Though accurate, stating as such isn't very helpful." Major’s tone had a gentle scolding to it.

"... noted," Jericho said, settling in for the ride. Instead of loading up in their car when Maui was loaded up like they planned, Grayson and Major stuck around and asked for some tea.  After introductions, there was usually small talk. It quickly became something else when Grayson pulled up his pant leg to reveal a metallic prosthetic. 

“Rebecca is hoping when we finish the animal trials that the tech will be considered for advancing human prosthetics, but I can make it around fine on this. It’s Valiant that I really want to give his legs back… without him I would be a lot worse off.  Loud noises and sudden flashes of light do it for me. That's why my therapist suggested some kind of service animal, but that sounded wrong to me cause I had a service animal. Rebecca already had Jericho, so she suggested finding a licensed bitty.” Grayson smiled ruefully at the bitties in front of him. “Just a question of figuring out what does it for ya and then either avoiding those things or finding ways to deal with them.”
“... I don’t like being touched, or even people gesturing towards me… food is also a sour spot,” Tyr said.  Maybe it shouldn’t have surprised Ray so much to hear Tyr open up. Her boy was brave; and without Orchid or Wolf around to take the spot, he had fallen naturally into a roll of leadership..

“Blood and dust,” the papython added simply.

 “... I-I’m not really sure, I’ve never had that reaction since… since we left. I’ve definitely never had that reaction to one of Miss Ray’s snakes. I don’t know.” The krait said, looking up at Major.

“That's alright,” Major said. “ You don't have to know. It could have very well been a combination of several things.” The bitty materialized another set of floating hands and used them to lift up a business card and settle it near her bitties. “We can’t stay for long; but please, if any of you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call.” They exchanged a few last minute pleasantries before leaving, planning on a few follow-up appointments once Maui was making his recovery. 

Ray would have liked it if it took longer for her bitties to need the number that Major gave them. Maui hadn’t even returned from his surgery before a mysterious, large box showed up outside the Viper’s Den on one cool spring morning. Her hands settled on the damp cardboard. Ray presumed it was the morning dew as she examined the lid. A sick sense of de-ja-vu twisted her stomach as her fingers bumped across holes poked into the top. She didn’t think before ripping the box open; and as it opened, all Ray could do was scream. 

Chapter Text

Ray sat wrapped in a blanket in the middle of the Vipers Den. Her eyes were red and irritated from crying, but she couldn't seem to stop. Every time she tried to pull herself together and offer to help, the team of officers swarming the den would shush her and sit her back down with the stupid blanket.

What good is it if she sits here wrapped up, Ray thought. I should be up helping. I should have looked around when I opened up the box instead of curling up and crying.  I probably shouldn't have even opened it. If the officers taking my fingerprints to separate me out from potential other prints was anything to go by, I could have hurt the chances of catching them. Ray tried very hard not to think of what she saw in the box, but the thoughts poured in uncontrollably. Half the box was filled with blood, and the other half was filled with headless snakes.

It wasn’t the first time she had seen something like this.  One of her professors made her do a paper on the rattlesnake run for her conservation class after she said something about there never being a reason to kill snakes. Sometimes when populations got so big, you had to cull them, or the snakes would all starve. It didn’t mean she wanted to see it, but she could at least understand. She didn’t want the rattlesnakes to starve and relocating them to a different dessert wasn’t an option. So culling was necessary… this wasn’t that though. 

Without… without their heads she couldn’t have been sure, but she was as sure as she could be that there were protected and endangered species in that box. This wasn’t some punk high schooler who had found some snakes in their yard and decided to be a dick about it. Years ago, when she had first opened the vipers den, there had been a group of soccer moms who had protested the rescue. Ray remembered their puffy faces yelling that they “didn’t want such dangerous animals in their town.” “What if they escape it will be just like that one movie?” one mom said. Another mom dramatically yelled out “won’t someone think of the children!?” But the protest had died out in a few months when Ray started actually going around with animal control and collecting “dangerous snakes.”

Ray thought that she was past all the hate, but that was foolish. With as much as she advertised her Den, all of the animal activism events she attended to explain her services, and all the contacts she had made, she very well could have attracted the attention of one of those groups that just didn’t like snakes. Ray could imagine that something like that could happen. She had been harassed one year at the convention she went to by a balding angry man. He was just shady enough that she could very much imagine him being a member of a secret society that just hated snakes. He had come up to her booth and angrily told her that rattle snakes kept killing his chihuahuas; and when Ray said it sounded like he was just throwing small dogs out for snakes to bite, he got more angry… Although then again, an old dude with a buch of small dogs probably wouldnt have the time to start a huge anti-snake organization just to fuck with one enthusiast who pissed him off at an animal conservation event. 

Tyr tapped on her arm. He was curled tightly around her bicep, holding on to her. He hadn’t let go for hours. As Ray called the police, she tried and failed to get the krait to breathe and resorted to calling Major. Then she left the papython and krait together to sooth each other as she went to talk to the officers. Having them out there for the investigation would have just upset the krait all over again; furthermore, the papython was also at risk since he said he didn’t like blood and dust. Tyr  had stayed right with her, he was speechless but the connection of their souls told her he just wanted to support her in these moments. She looked down at him, and he pointed to her phone. It was lit up in her hand; Maverick texted her back.

Maverick: we’re outside. Cops woin’t let us in until they're done, but we're here dude.

Maverick: won’t*

She wanted to laugh at him correcting his typo in a situation like this, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Her fingers danced across the screen and shot a quick message back thanking him for coming and forced a smile down at Tyr,

“I’m alright, it's going to be okay. Anyway, these officers are going to make sure that everyone is safe.” He returned a small forced smile before dropping it quickly and glaring daggers at an approaching stranger. 

“Miss Carter?” A new officer had arrived and walked right up to her. 

“Yes,” Ray replied. 

“I’m officer Mathis, I believe we have spoken before,” he said. Ray recognized the name. This was the officer Ray had sent all of the bitties testimony to document everything they could remember. All the things that they had shared with Ray, and even her intake paperwork with detailed documentation of their injuries, were sent to him to corroborate their stories. Ray’s mind buzzed with more questions.

“Yes, I remember you. You're with the organized crime division… did they not have any other investigators available?” She asked with childish hope.

“I’m afraid not ma’am. They called me here when they found this," He said, pulling out an evidence bag with a piece of paper splattered in red stains, that Ray really didn’t want to think about. At the same time she couldn’t stop thinking about them. "They believe that this box might be directly related to the testimony that you have been compiling from these bitties.” 

The words printed on the stained page were ones that she had heard before, in one form or another.

“ WHEN YOU CUT OFF THE HEAD OF A SNAKE, THE REST OF THE BODY IS JUST A ROPE.”

“I believe this box is a clear threat… we are currently looking into the department to see where the information could have been leaked and several arrests have been made with your reports. That being said, we have been unable to find any of the high named players. We are getting closer, but this might be why they have gone through the trouble of finding you. They want to–”

“--Threaten me into silence,” Ray said, finishing for the officer in a blank stare. She was shell-shocked. Tyr squeezed tightly to ground Ray back into the present moment.

“O-okay… s-so they’re scrambling right, that's good. It means you guys are getting close. What… what do I do?” She asked, finding her resolve. These fuckers were scrambling, they were scared and the police were closing in. Justice was going to be served. 

“Yes well, we just want to be cautious ma’am. It’s likely that this will be the first threat of many… and likely this will be the only one that is non-violent.” 

“Wasn’t nonviolent for tha’ snakes,” Tyr said, saying exactly what Ray was thinking. To her surprise, officer Mathis nodded.

“No… I suppose it wasn’t. These people are dangerous, Miss Carter. We may be closing in on them, but that only makes them more violent. These big shots always feel invincible; but when you corner them, and when you make them sweat, they always lash out like an animal. There are some things that we can, and will, do to protect you.”

Officer Mathis talked her through several options. His strongest recommendation was too difficult to swallow for Ray. He suggested leaving the den, but he was obviously disappointed that she refused. She couldn’t just close with Maui in recovery and her bush viper nearly ready to be released; and if she hired another helper to be here, then she would just put a stranger who had nothing to do with the den in unnecessary danger. She had to be the one here, so that meant different plans. The officers decided to monitor the den until the bigger players could be taken down. They hoped this would send the rest of the gang scattering. She just had to stay safe, so that meant no more just letting the boys walk around outside when it was warm. They were stuck inside; and if they absolutely had to leave, they had to let one of the officers outside know. There would also be an ununiformed officer inside the den while it was open and seeing clients. His alibi would be that he were just waiting for his python.

It still stung when forensics took the snakes away instead of letting her give them a proper burial. After all the officers were finished with collecting their evidence and asking numerous questions, she messaged Maverick to let him know that he could come inside. Her relief at having her friend come for her only lasted long enough for him to put a pistol on her front desk.  

“... What the absolute fuck, Maverick?” 

“Look, just hear me out. You're my best friend, and you’re super fucking smart and hard core. You fuck with snakes so dangerous that they make me nervous. Most of all, you do it and make it look like it’s nothing. But I have worked around people like these for years. I know what they're like, and I know what they are capable of doing. Just…” Maverick paused. “Just keep it at the den, kay?”

“I can’t keep your gun Maverick, what if… you know, you need it? I’ve never even held a gun before.” 

“Ohh, that's the best part!” He said smiling, and pulling up his shirt revealing his handgun. Hendrix smiled from Maverick’s shoulder.

“Big bro got ya yer own.” 

“... Maverick I swear to the stars if you carried an illegal gun in here past all these fucking cops, I’m going to throttle you.” 

“Chill, sis,” Hendrix said smugly. “I talked him into registering one, cause I knew you’d get your justice soul self all in a twist.”

“I– you talked Maverick out of doing something brash and reckless… and sis?”

“Well, would ya prefer ‘sugar tits?’” The bitty replied, causing Maverick to turn bright red and jump in to put a hand between Ray and the coral. 

“Wooooowkay, bro. Ummm… no… and no more pulp fiction.” Maverick laughed nervously, glancing between Ray and Hendrix. To his surprise, Ray laughed back.

“How about ‘no’ little dude. You get one… and I guess maybe I wouldn’t mind having this here,” she said, gesturing vaguely towards the handgun. “Maybe, we’ll talk about it in the morning. But right now, I’ve had a really bad day dude.” 

“Well, that's why we’re here.” Maverick assured her, securing the other gun and leading the way into her living room. The krait was breathing steadily with the papython settled in behind him rubbing his back. Before Ray could ask how they were doing, they beat her to it.

“Is everything going to be alright?” The krait asked softly at the same time that the papython spoke.

“Were the police able to help?”

Ray looked down at them in a way that she hoped was reassuring. 

“Yeah, the police were an amazing help. They said we shouldn’t have anything to worry about. They're gonna put officers at the front of the shop to make sure it doesn't happen again. And they think the only reason that this happened in the first place was because the bad guys are running scared, and they don’t know what to do now that the police are onto them.”

“S-s-so the box was from t-t-them.” The krait stuttered out, curling back in on himself. “S-s-should have known, the box had h-h-her handy work all over it.” 

“Shhh, it's okay,” Ray said soothingly, settling in next to the krait and papython. She let Tyr slide down her arm into her lap. “I promise you guys are safe here, okay? Everyone here is safe, and we have officers and friends who will keep us safe… In fact–” She paused suddenly, being hit with an idea. “I think it’s time I make a phone call I've been putting off, would you boys mind staying here with Maverick? I think hes gonna make that bomb hot chocolate again.  I can leave you my cell phone if you want to try calling Major again.” As she stood up, she tried to push through their bond that she was okay. If Tyr wanted to stay with the others, he could but she doubted he would. 

“He did say to call when the police left and let him know how it went or if we needed anything!” The papython encouraged, still gently rubbing the krait’s back.

“I think that's a great idea. I’ll be right back. I just need to make a quick phone call.” Ray promised, going to the front desk. The phone clicked as she lifted it. She wasn't surprised when she blinked and found Tyr there with her. Sitting on the desk beside the phone as she picked up the receiver to make her call.

 She technically had two people that she needed to call, but they usually hung out at the same bar. So even if she missed one or both of them, she could leave a message with the bartender. In terms of biker clubs that used the fact that they were scary as hell animal rights activists, The Sisterhood of Crows and the Crossroads Guardians went way back together.. 

“Screaming Eagles Bar and Grill, no we don’t deliver, what can i do for ya?” A woman answered, speaking up over the music and bar chatter. Ray could almost imagine the smokey inside of a dingy bar even if she knew better. The Screaming Eagle didn’t allow smoking inside; they had an outdoor dining area for that reason. She had been there once, after all.  

“Hey, is Rita or Colin there, by chance?” She asked. After a quiet pause, the sound came back followed by a voice rough from years of yelling over the roar of the engine and smoking in the freezing cold weather. 

“What the hell do you want? I'm in the middle of something!” 

“I’m really sorry to bother you Rita, it’s Ray. I was just hoping to ask you something real quick, but if you're busy then I can call back.” 

“Oh, hey chickadee! Don’t worry about it. I was just stomping on some new guys at the pool table. What up?” Rita asked, falling into their friendly banter. Rita had been the Chapter President of the Sisterhood of Crows for several years. She was a tall, intimidating woman who radiated power. If the Sisterhood of Crows didn’t frequent the same conventions that she did, then she might have actually been intimidated by them. Ray knew these people though, and she knew how hard they worked to break up animal fighting rings and rehome the animals that they rescue. 

“I was actually wondering, what’s your policy on bitties?”

“Bitties? I don’t really know. Guys at the annual function in Tallahassee can’t even decide whether animal rights organizations cover them. Some of them think that Adult and Child protective services are more fitting. No one knows,” Rita replied. 

“Well… Let’s say, I hypothetically somehow got involved with some snake bitties that had been rescued from a gang running a bitty fighting ring… and ummm now they might be really mad at me because I filed several police reports. I woke up this morning to a box of d… dead snakes outside of the Viper’s Den.” 

“Holy shit, chickadee… Stars, how the fuck did that happen?” 

“Yeahhhh… I was hoping I could talk to Colin, too. The bitties are being smuggled from all over,” Ray added, thinking about the founder of the Crossroads Guardians. Rita was big and intimidating like a Harley Fatboy, but Colin was sleek and slick like a Kawasaki Ninja. In terms of clubs, the Crossroads Guardians were fairly new. They had only existed for a few years and were much smaller than the Sisterhood of Crows, but they were younger and rearing to prove themselves. They tracked down animal smugglers with an impressive vengeance given their small numbers, although the help from the older bikers trying to keep the younger riders on their bikes and off the pavement probably didn’t hurt.

“Well, he would probably be down for it. This freaking kid is always down for… raging against the institution or whatever else.”

“Isn’t that what you guys do?” Ray asked, laughing lightly into the receiver. 

“Yeahhhh, but we're careful about it; and speaking of being careful, you’re a dumbass.  The fuck you doing fucking with gangs, Ray!? You’re just as bad as these other fucking kids.”

“I wasn’t fucking with them on purpose!  Well… okay, that's not accurate. But, like, what was I supposed to do, Rita? Not report it?” Ray asked, feeling probably as talked down to as Rita wanted. Tyr was there, scowling at the phone like it had personally offended him. He didn't speak, but he did reach out to put a hand on Ray's arm. 

“I didn’t say that. Calm the fuck down,”  Rita said, "I'm just fucking surprised is all. Of course, I'm not fucking saying to sit and do nothing while there's a fighting ring out there that needs busted up.  I'll take a vote tonight to see what the sisters think of bitties; but no matter what they say about the bitties, we’re still gonna be keeping an eye on you chickadee. You're one of our friends, and we fucking look out for our friends." 

"Thank you… thank you so much Rita." Ray teared up again.

"Don't mention it, kid. Just be careful. I'll talk to Colin and call ya tomorrow to hash out what all we're gonna be able to do for you," Rita said, wasting no more time before hanging up the phone.  

"Well… shall we head back to the others?" Ray asked, forcing one more smile. Tyr shook his head though and pulled against her hand when she went to stand up. There was a beat of silence that Ray recognized as Tyr trying to force himself to speak or find words.

"Wait… just… just wait. Rest for a minute, sunshine."  

She nodded, gently cupping her hands around her chain. 

"I'm okay." She assured him, brushing her thumb against his skull soothingly. "I think I want to get some rest with some TV and some hot chocolate… I–ummm, I don't really want to cry anymore, today." 

With a determined nod, Tyr gently pushed her hands back and ported up to her shoulder. He sat up straight, nearly rigid like a gargoyle taking up vigil on her shoulder.  She walked with him back into the living room hoping that she could help all of them calm down. She wasn't surprised that Maverick was in the kitchen; what surprised her were the savory smells perfuming across her small living space. The krait and the papython were sitting up on the couch next to her cell. She was sure they had called Major. Despite the somber feeling, both bitties looked calmer; and the krait was no longer crying.

"What's cooking?" She asked, settling on the couch next to them with Tyr. She reached up to ease the bitty into her lap and rub his back in a hopeful attempt to allow him to unwind. 

"I'm… not actually sure," Maverick replied, calling out from the kitchen. "I was messaging Max, and he told me about this thing some of the guys at the station make. It's kinda like tex-mex… just more tex than mex."

"Sooooo, like Taco Bell?" Ray asked. 

"Kinda… but without shells or anything… like a taco bowl without the bowl. Ya just make a little volcano in your meat and rice for any sauces you want." 

“Well, it’ll be a nice break from pizza or microwave dinners,”  Ray replied, turning to address the bitties and include them in the conversation. 

“You really should eat healthier ma-... Miss Ray,” The papython said, his face flushing a light orange. He had never really stuttered over his words before, and it made Ray wonder if he was masking his own anxiety to make sure that everyone else was okay, first. 

“I like your tuna sandwiches! And they're kinda healthy, right?” The krait chimed in, and everyone happily latched on to deciding whether tuna salad made with canned tuna, a bunch of mayonnaise, and some bread and butter pickles was healthy or not. By the time Maverick and Hendrix came back into the room with a bowl of meat stuff and some paper plates, they were well down the rabbit hole. 

“But Tuna is a lean source of protein and iron, and I’ve never read the nutritional facts on pickles; but they’re a vegetable of some sort,”  the krait said, repeating a point from earlier and adding to it with the pickles.

“Yes, but when you add the mayonnaise that counters the lean part; and she gets plenty of iron and protein from the “all meat treat” extra large pizzas and the Salisbury steak dinners. What about vitamins?” 

“There's spinach and potatoes with the Salisbury dinners.” Ray defended, causing the krait to sigh out a defeated,

“It’s nearly impossible to be your lawyer.”

“You add salt and butter to the potatoes and don’t eat the spinach; and you can’t even deny that because you give it to us.” The papython smiled triumphantly, causing Tyr to snicker from Ray’s lap. 

“Little dudes, if we're talking about her unhealthy eating habits, then you guys should hear about her in college!” Maverick chimed in, placing the bowl down, and distributing plates. 

“No, we are not going to talk about my eating habits in college! I was a waitress then, so I had no money… and we don’t all have trust funds,” Ray replied, loading Tyr’s plate up on her own so that it would be easier for them to share on the couch.

Maverick flipped her off, taking a bite of his own dinner before continuing. “Well, she thought poptarts and whisky were a good breakfast–mainly to help with her hangover–and a whole can of pringles was a good lunch; and don’t get me started on her daily microwave gas station burrito dinners!” 

“Don’t make me sound like an alcoholic! That was your hangover trick… and I wouldn’t have been hung over if you hadn’t wanted to hang out every night with… what were their names? The asses on the lacrosse team?” Ray asked, starting to reminisce. 

“Richy Fisher and Bobby Kennedy. In my defense.” He looked at Hendrix. “They were my best friends from high school, and I didn’t realize what dicks they were until I started hanging out with Ray.  Like everything I wanted to do or liked was met with a comment like ‘oh thats gay’ or ‘don’t be a pussy, just do this stupid thing.’ I thought that was just how the bros and the dudes were, but they were just dicks. ”

“Ahh yes, Richard and Bobbert,” Ray said without missing a beat, causing Maverick to laugh so loudly it nearly sent Hendrix tumbling from his lap. 

“Ohhh my stars, that used to piss him off so freaking much! I honestly think that if you hadn’t been in tight with all the punk and alternative guys, he would have taken a swing at you for that one.”  

“Seriously? Just over calling him Bobbert?” Ray asked.

“Yeahhhh, that guy was a bit… unhinged,” Maverick replied.

“Sis was in with the alternative crowd?” Hendrix asked, keeping the conversation going. 

“Hell yeah, little bro! She had the coolest friend group.”

“Of course I did, you were in it.” Ray added, not being surprised when Maverick shoved a big spoon in his mouth so he ‘couldn’t’ reply to that.’ “Me and all the alternative guys were in a lot of the same classes together. We volunteered at the same rescues for extra curriculars, and eventually they met Jo and just thought he was the coolest dude.” 

The rest of the evening was spent reminiscing about the past. They told the bitties about their epic college adventures; and then, they told the not so epic ones. When they turned in for the night, Ray was a little bit surprised to wake up in the shared dream space with Tyr waiting for her at the door to her living room. 

“Wow… I honestly kinda thought I would have to go get you,” she said, hopping up out of bed. 

“Thought that you might need me… kinda. It helped me stay out of my own head, thinking that I would be leaving you alone in your own nightmare,” Tyr replied, making Ray feel all soft, without even trying. 

It had become their ritual to just sit and talk in the living room. As they got better at communicating, their shared dreams had been happening less frequently. But with how little he had spoken after the box, it didn’t surprise her that they had ended up having one.  

"I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you, Sunshine. I'll kill anyone who tries," he said.

"I'm not worried, honey. We have a good plan to keep safe. We just have to listen to the officers. You're not going to have to fight anyone." She assured him, motioning for Tyr to come and sit next to her. 

"Well… I'm just sayin is all." He huffed, almost petulantly.  

"I know, Tyr. You're my guardian of justice after all, right?" 

"Stop trying to make me feel better," he replied rebelliously, despite himself he smiled down at her for a split-second. "I'm not the one who spent all mornin’ cryin’.  I… I never wanted you to see somethin’ that would hurt you like that. I'm sorry. All of this is because of us."  

"Ohh… so, you killed a bunch of snakes and left them outside of the Viper's Den."

"What!?" He gasped.

"No, you're right. That's silly. You called up the gang and told them I was the reason all their friends were being arrested and gave them my address so they could threaten me." She retorted. 

"Okay I get it. I see what you're doing. I'm… I didn't do those things, so we can't be responsible, right?" 

"You said it, not me," she said, smiling up at the chain. 

"Yeah… well… sayin’ it doesn't change how guilty I feel." 

Ray couldn't help the ache in her heart at hearing that. But she assumed that she could understand. Despite how strongly she wanted to assure him that none of this was his fault, she knew there was a difference between knowing it is true and feeling it. 

"Well, I'll just have to shower you with love and affection until you feel it!" 

A mischievous smile slowly spread across Tyr's skull.  

"Hmmmm… that might be a 'little' bit hard," He said cheekily, stretching up so that he was towering over her. "Since you're so much shorter than me here, it's easier for me to… shower you in affection!"

Ray squealed as Tyr lunged forward wrapping her in a hug with both his snake body and his arms. 

"Hey, that's not fair! I'm supposed to be cuddling you!" She said, protesting with faux struggle.

"Too bad." He replied, nuzzling the top of her head affectionately.  

"After my coffee, when I remember this in the morning, you are getting so cuddled."

"Looking forward to it, Sunshine." 

Ray woke up earlier than everyone else. Tyr had tried to groggily sit up and follow her; but with one gentle push from Ray and a quick retucking of his blanket, he was back down. She quietly made her way through the living room, walking past Maverick and the sleeping bitties. She started rounds of morning coffee for everyone. Between the only three coffee drinkers in the morning, they might need two whole pots. While it was brewing, she did a quick check for messages. There were two from Lily. 

Lily:  Hey! Did you like them!? 

Lily:  I mailed you guys something, and I got a notification that it was delivered yesterday! <3

 Ray huffed under her breath and clicked on her phone to send a reply.

Ray: LOL, Forgot to check the mail yesterday. I can go do it now. I love surprises! <3.

Ray intentionally made her message sound extra chipper. She hadn't told Lily about the threat she had gotten. She didn't want to worry any of the others. She grabbed her shoes and made her way to the front. Looking around, it looked like the police hadn't arrived yet. The sun wasn't even peaking over the hills yet, so they would probably be here soon, Ray thought. She turned on the outside light, so that she could see to get to her mailbox. It was just at the end of the parking lot. She would run out, grab the mail, and run back in. 

As her fingers brushed the cold mailbox, a whisper to her left curdled her blood. "You shouldn't have called the cops. Thought you business types were smarter than that."

"W-what!" She gasped, turning to a figure dressed in black. "Who the hell are you?" She demanded. The light of the front porch barely made him visible.

"I was keeping an eye on you to see if you got our message. Didn't take you long to fuck up, now did it? Don't worry. You can still make it right." The man pulled a walkie talkie up from his belt, and Ray had the foresight to scream as loud as she could and try to make a break for the den. It didn't matter though, she wasn't faster then the black van that squealed around the corner and cut off her escape. 

Chapter Text

Tyr’s soul frantically hammered in his rib cage. 

The krait hadn’t stopped hyperventilating, and eventually the papython suggested calling the other gaster bitties. They were supposed to be on their way, but Tyr couldn't care less. His beautiful, blinding Ray of sunshine was gone, and he had to get her back. He had numbly followed her human friend around as he made phone calls and pulled out computer after computer. When the detectives arrived, Maverick had pulled out his badge and bagan talking. Words, Tyr thought, they spoke stupid and useless words. They were supposed to be finding her. 

There was something about tracking her phone, but it stopped moving somewhere on the highway. They wouldn't have stopped, so she wasn’t there. They took her and tossed her phone. Instead of going and hunting her down, these stupid humans were sitting and talking. Tyr was seething on the inside. He was getting ready to launch into a screaming tirade as he paced back and forth across Ray’;s desk. He felt the magic in him coil and lurch ready to conjure as many bones as he could and destroy everything in the room. Almost as if he could sense Tyr’s intent, Hendrix was there, putting a hand out to stop the chain's frantic trek back and forth across the desk. 

“Hey…,” Hendrix said. “They think that they know where the gang is taking big sis. We might be able to get there before–” 

Tyr swatted his tail out to push the smaller bitty away with enough force to send him flying. Hendrix teleported away before being struck. The krait started crying harder, burying his head into the papython’s chest. 

“Hey, dick! We're trying to help!” Hendrix yelled, gritting his fangs out in irritation. 

“Help! Help!? You call this help? She's getting further and further away, and you think that this is helping!? She’s out there scared and alone with THEM, and we're just standing here talking! At least we had each other, but she has no one. And she was so, so scared Hendrix! You didn’t feel it, but I did!” Tyr yelled as loud as he could, the sound ripping out of a throat that felt like it's trying to close. It was like shredding tissue paper. Tyr didn’t relent. He kept raging at his friend, orange tears streaming down his face until it degraded into sobs loud enough to drown the crying krait’s wails out. 

Maverick put a hand between them, shocking Tyr into throwing an attack.

“The fuck, dude?” Hendrix demanded, moving towards Tyr. Maverick put a little pressure on his hand and nudged Hendrix to calm down.

“It’s okay, little bro,” Maverick said. He looked at Tyr. All the fight seemed to be knocked out of him as he looked at Maverick’s bleeding hand. “It’s okay… We're gonna go and get her. Detective Mathis thinks he knows where they're going; and we're gonna go meet them there. We're not going to be alone, either. Ray’s so smart, she called up some really tough friends yesterday. They aren't going to have her long enough to hurt her. I promise bro.”

“You don’t know how fast they work,” Tyr said, bitterly gritting his teeth before teleporting up to Maverick’s shoulder. “Let’s just go, and bring her home.”  

“Aight,” Maverick said, holding out his hand for Hendrix to sit on the other shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“But the snakes?” the papython asked, rubbing the krait’s back gently. Tyr seemed to be on edge again.

“Who fucking cares about the snakes!?” He demanded.

“I care!” The papython yelled, loudly and boisterously. Tyr was taken aback; it was the way a papython should sound. “Ray cares!” 

Pain surged through his soul. He was right. Ray cared so much about this place and every animal or person in it. She would probably be really upset if she knew about how he was acting right now.

“Fine, you stay and take care of ‘em since you care so much, then. We're going to go get Ray back.” Tyr took a deep breath and got ready to apologize, but Maverick was already walking towards the door. He would just have to apologize when they came home with Ray. 

As they approached the car, Maverick took out his phone and began typing in an address. 

“Where are we going?” Tyr asked.

“Docks, apparently. A lot of little things just all clicked together all at once.”

Hendrix grunted. “You would know that, if you were listenin and not throwing a fucking temper tantrum.”

Tyr mockingly imitated his grunt. “Watch it, buddy! I’ll–”

“Both of you, that's enough!” Maverick yelled before lowering his voice to a calming tone, as he pulled away from the Viper’s Den. “I understand, guys. I do… We're gonna bring her home. If you weren't listening though, we know exactly where she is because of all the little things you guys did. Everything you told us mattered.  The testimony, the perps all being arrested at certain locations, even the box they dropped off at the den all points to one location. The box was a type only used for transporting goods up and down the Mississippi river. Certain particulars and clays that forensics found can only originate from one dock on that river with the big metal shipping containers. It’s in the same city as a large prestigious veterinary school. 

“It all just clicked together when they saw where her phone was headed. The direction that they were going matched the suspected location. We know where the gang operates from, where they're taking her, and we're bringing an army to get her back,” Maverick said, pulling onto the highway. It was at this moment Tyr noticed all the motorcycles surrounding them. As Maverick peeled into the highway, over twenty motorcycles trailed behind them, rumbling past like thunder, and outpaced Maverick’s car. A long convoy stretching down the highway, faster and faster. 

“You ain’t the only ‘big bad friend’ big sis has,” Hendrix said reassuringly, one eye glowing with repressed angry magic. Red streaks crackled through with yellow lightning; and for a moment, Tyr wondered if his own eyes match. Maverick pressed down on the gas to catch up with the bikes; their engines growled like the blue sky opened up and unleashed hounds of hell. The three raced the howling storm towards Ray. 

* * * * * * * * * * *

Ray’s eyes opened slowly. The uncomfortable crick in her neck told her that she fell asleep sitting up, again. She tried to stretch her stiff, aching limbs; but she realized that she couldn't, they were tied behind her. Her eyes snapped open to a room that she has never been in. Her mind buzzed with confused panic; she knew that she had seen this room before. Loud ringing in her ears slowly faded and revealed the wailing cries of cages all around her. Her eyes finally focused, and she saw a spot of red on the thigh of her pants. Horror rattled through her as she realized how long it took for everything to click together. Another burgundy bead dripped along the length of her hair and landed on her pants. She’s been hit in the head, she's bleeding, and her ears wouldn’t stop ringing. A concussion, she thought. She must have fallen asleep. Panic gripped her as she began looking around the room. Several faces stare out at her curiously but even more are ignoring her completely. There are bitty bones, fire elementals, and even spider bitties she’s never seen before. She can recognize most of them as being fell types, but there was a cage near the floor of just papythons. 

“Just like the boys said,” Ray muttered under her breath in shock. It was just like Ray saw in Tyr’s own personal hell. Nothing had changed since the boys escaped.   

“They’re gonna fuckin’ kill you.” A voice sneered over her left shoulder. Ray turned and felt nauseous. As she looked, an Edgy bitty looking down at her. Tears collected in her eyes. As much as she believed in justice, Ray wondered if she would be saved in time. When the police finally found this place and all the bitties in it, would they be freeing her and walking her out safely? Or would they be recovering a body? And Tyr. Poor Tyr. Would he just dust when her heart stopped; did it work like that? Or was he already falling down, getting ready for it. A choked sob escaped her mouth. 

“Oh, look at the big tough thug, now. Balling her eyes out like a bitch now that she’s in here with us?” He growled, smiling maliciously. 

“I don’t think they’re with the gang, dumbass,” a pup said from an adjacent cage. 

“Why the fuck else would they be here?” The edgy demanded, causing Ray to sniffle and try to collect herself. She remembered the stories that Wolf and Tyr had told.

If you sit around crying they will eat you alive.  

“I… I wanted to stop them,” she said, causing more eyes to snap to her. Nearly every bitty in the room was staring at her now. Ray could feel their pity.  The edgy stared at her dumbstruck before laughing. The laugh was cold and cruel.

“You… look at you. What the fuck was a stupid kid like you thinking?” 

“... that, I wanted to help. I… I saw a bunch of people hurting who needed–”

“What! What did we need? A little thing like you to be dead? Is that what we needed, cause that's sure as hell all we got. Stupid fucking humans.” The edgy bitty spat out before turning and walking to the other end of his cage. 

“Don’t mind him. It hits him right in his cold dead soul to know that people outside of here are trying to help,” a grimby said from a cage at Ray’s right side. It was slightly closer to the floor, so Ray could only just barely see him out of her peripheral vision. “There was a reporter a while back that tried the same thing. They snuffed out his elemental, and then they took him outside. He didn’t come back, and you won’t either. But we appreciate the effort. It helps us imagine that one day someone might be good enough at it that we get out of here.” 

“Ain’t no point in imaginin’ that stupid fucking bull shit, it ain’t happinin!” The edgy yelled back over at him.  An argument riled up all around her until the door slammed open. Silence overtook the room, and a blinding ray of outside light revealed dark silhouettes at the door frame. 

The man slowly approached her. He was clean shaven with a pushed back hair style. The sides of his head were shaven while the top was long and wavy. He looked just like the giant who stalked around in Tyr’s head. 

“Good, you’re awake,” he said calmly. Ray grit her teeth, knowing that she was looking into the face of someone who was really and truly evil. “So, what’re you in for?” He asked with sick humor. Ray didn’t answer, and he snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Hey! Did they bash your fuckin’ brains in or what?” 

“I- I’m here cause you’re going to kill me, right?” She asked, trying hard not to cry and sound brave; but she wasn’t able to control herself. Her hands weren’t free for her to wipe streaming tears from her cheeks. 

The man, whom Ray is one-hundred percent convinced is Luca, chuckled at her. 

“It doesn't have to come to that, now does it?” Luca asked, smirking at her. “I’m sure we can fix all of this.” 

“H-how?” Ray couldn’t help but ask.

“Well, it won’t be easy. You really fucked up by calling the cops, you know. I was sure our little present would have got that message across,”  Luca said like it was a joke.

Ray was bewildered. “That makes absolutely no sense! Who wouldn’t call the cops when a box of dead animals gets dropped off at your house?” Ray asked, flinching when Luca jumped up. The chair skittered across the metal floor loudly. In a split second, he raised his hand up and sent the side of Ray’s head flying to the side. The taste of copper and a sting on her cheek flooded her dazed senses. 

“Just like it makes sense for a dumb bitch that knows people are after her to just walk outside all alone at night? Honestly, it’s like you’re just asking to have a bullet put in you. You have any idea how fucking easy it would have been to just shoot you then and there!?” He demanded.

“Now look at what you made me do.” He ran his fingers down Ray’s newly busted lips, smearing the blood across his fingertips. “You’re the type of girl whose mouth gets her in trouble, aren’t you? We didn’t kill you like the fucking dog you are. We brought you here to have a civil conversation. But it looks like you aren’t fucking capable of being civil.”  He said with sudden calmness and stormed out of the room. 

The door slammed behind him and the lights turned out. The room plunged into total darkness. Ray sobbed in the darkness until she couldn’t cry anymore. Her throat burned from thirst, and her shirt collar was soaked with sweat from being in the hot metal container.  Suddenly, the door opened again. 

Luca and two other men walked in. Ray’s stomach flipped when the two men each grabbed different bitties and took them out of the room. She wanted to yell after them and have them bring the bitties back. She knew where they were going, but her throat was so sore and Luca was holding a bottle of water in his hands. 

“You want this?” He asked, holding it out towards her. She nodded without thinking. “Good… all you have to do is apologize for your rudeness earlier.” Ray didn’t talk back; she just wanted that water. She remembered something she said to Tyr once.

Don’t be ashamed of doing what you have to to survive.

“I-I’m sorry.” Ray croaked out. 

“Fooor?” He asked her as if she were a scolded child.

“For being so rude,” Ray said, begrudgingly. 

“Good.” He opened the bottle and tipped it up to her mouth. She greedily guzzled as much as she could before he took it away. “Now, let's try to have a real conversation this time.” 

Tyr snapped awake on the passenger seat as the car slowed. 

“Are… are we there?” He asked.

“Almost, we're checking in with Detective Mathis to find out how we're doing this.” Maverick replied. 

“Where… did the bikers go?” 

“Well, they work alongside agencies, but they don’t really work with agencies. So their relationship with the police is...different.” 

Maverick rolled down the window as a man in a plain black shirt walked up to the window. Hendrix took advantage of the sudden silence to ask his own question.

“Were you able to reach out?” He asked.

Tyr shook his head sadly. “We were never that good at communicating through the bond anyway. So without us both being asleep…,” Tyr trailed off and thought for a moment. “I could feel it though. She's scared, and alone, and worried.” Tyr felt the stress mount. 

“It might be a shity thing to say; but if she's scared, then she’s alive,” Hendrix said, grimacing like he truly regretted saying it. Suddenly, the car door opened.

“Are you guys ready to do this?” He asked, gesturing for them to follow him as they began to circle the docks.

Chapter Text

Ray swallowed dryly, trying not to wince at the painful drag against her throat. Her mind traced over what he wanted her to do. First, she was to redact the report she submitted. Then, she would refuse to press charges and convince the other bittie owners that it would be better ‘for their health’ if they also redacted their statements. Finally, she was told to let the bitties know that if they redact these statements, then they will be allowed to stay with their new owners.

The more Ray thought about it, the more insidious it became. She knew Orchid would pull his testimony in a heartbeat if he thought it was putting Lily in danger. Thor and Loki also wouldn’t want to put their sons in any danger. Tyr would definitely be willing to redact anything he said to the police if he thought it would keep Ray safe. Luca knew that. 

Luca had known most of the bitties for years. It was certainly long enough to know their weaknesses; and looking at his cold stare, she could see that he didn’t mean a word that he said. He was still planning on finding all of them and hurting them. He just needed the paperwork to disappear first. Probably the only reason he didn’t already have them was because no one who worked for him knew where Lily or Max was located. Ray was at the very least planning on keeping it that way. 

“Y-yeah… I’m sure that I can convince them that it would be better for everyone if this all disappeared,” Ray replied. Luca looked at her, not smiling, If anything, he looked irritated.

“I spend a lot of time around manipulative people. You bitches always think you're the best at it cause you have certain assets. But I've been doing this long enough to know the difference.” He sneered. “I’m just warning you now. We didn’t put a fucking bullet in your head this time, but that don’t mean that it ain’t off the table.” 

“N-no, of course not. I… I know it isn’t,” Ray stuttered nervously, jumping when a loud bang shook the metal container that they were in. 

“Fucking idiots!” Luca shouted, reaching over to bang on the side of the container. “Can you ignorant mother fuckers keep it down out there for five fucking seconds!?” He took a deep breath, ran his fingers through his hair, and turned his attention back to Ray. “It’s so hard to get good help these days, ya know?” A jester’s smile was plastered across his face like it was some big joke. Another loud bang, shook the container, wiping the smile off his face and causing him to turn and storm out of the shipping container. Ray was alone with the bitties again. 

She swallowed sticky, dry saliva. She wished that she had just a little more water. Another bang made her jump, causing the edgy to curse.

“For fuck sake! They could at least fucking warn us when there gonna move the container,” he yelled, sending a bolt of panic through Ray–shipping containers. Because they were in a shipping container, and shipping containers were made to be moved, they could just pick up their operation and take it somewhere else. For one terrifying moment, Ray realized no one would be able to find her unless Luca decided to let her go. The pup from earlier shook his head grabbing onto the bars of his cage.

“Luca would have known if we were moving, dumbass,” the pup said, glaring at the edgy. A macabre relief eased Ray’s fear for the moment but didn’t erase  it.

“T-then what is it?” Ray asked, as the sound of banging and shaking grew in frequency. The sudden sounds of something like fireworks echoed from outside. Suddenly, the door to the shipping container slammed open, causing sound to echo and bounce around her head. She saw what looked like bones–red and orange bones–floating in the air. There were more bones than she could count.  Bones whistled past Ray’s head and clinked violently against the locks on the cages.

“Time to go mother fuckers!” Someone yelled as sudden chaos erupted around her. Ray tried to keep up but was confounded by bright lights and sudden explosions. A gentle pressure appeared on her lap, attracting her gaze down. Her eyes met her bitties. 

“T-Tyr?” She asked, wincing at the shredded sound of her own voice. Tyr’s eye lights jumped all over her face, taking in every detail from the bruising on her cheek to the blood coming from her cracked lips and caked in her hair.

“It’s gonna be okay, sunshine. We got you,” he said soothingly, porting up to her shoulder to nuzzle against her and check for more bleeding. Bitties flooded out of their cages. Ray’s hands suddenly felt loose and warm. She pulled the burnt edges of the rope around in front of her. She turned to thank the grimby who let her free; but when she stood up, she saw spots and immediately sank to her knees.  

“Sunshine!” Tyr gasped, tapping the side of her face gently. “C-common! Yur okay, sunshine. Yur okay.” He sounded like he was desperately trying to reassure himself more than anything. Soon, hands slipped under her arms, pulled her up, and she fixed her gaze on her best friend, his badge proudly displaying on the outside of his belt. His side arm was at the ready. He angled her so that her arm was slung over his shoulder. 

“Sup, dude?” She asked, feeling like she wanted to cry all over again. With the door open, she could see the flashing blue lights. The crackling rumble of thunder mixed with the pop of gunfire. Bitties poured out of the shipping container as Ray’s hair raised on its own. Static electricity, Ray wondered to herself.. A sudden realization shook her. No, it wasn’t just electricity–it was magic. A cacophony of screams wailed through the air, freezing Maverick in place.

“Yeah, maybe don’t sup me right now,” he said, leading the way again towards the door. 

The light and noise outside were blinding at first, making her head pound in a whole new way. She squinted against it and followed Maverick as he led her around the back of the container away from the noise. That didn’t stop her from seeing a sisterhood member take a baseball bat to a gang member or the red bones spring up from the ground to keep him pinned where he fell. Ray’s heart pounded in her chest as black spots danced in her eyes. She forced herself to stagger after Maverick. All around her, she could see the chaos erupting around the docks. Police, bikers, and bitties were in an all out war against gang members, subduing them violently. Though the Sisterhood of Crows didn’t believe in killing people, their brand of mercy was far from gentle. Blood and teeth littered the docks, making Ray nauseous.

Or maybe that's the concussion, Ray wondered nervously. She gasped when a gang member came running around the corner, and Maverick raised his gun. Before he could pull the trigger, a spray of orange and red bones darted past them and impaled the member.

“Is…is he?” Ray asked nervously.

“Not yet,” Tyr said, raising one hand up, conjuring another wave of bone.

“W-wait. Can’t we just tie him up or something? Do you have to kill him?” Ray asked.

“He deserves it.” Hendrix said from Maverick’s shoulder.

“Then he will get a trial and a court will decide to execute him. But he can’t fight anymore. If you kill him like this, it’s not self defense anymore. It’s just murder.” Ray pleaded Tyr to not do what she knows that he wants to. Ray could feel his deep seated desire to end the man’s life then and there.

But the bones faded, and he grumbled to himself. “Do we actually have a way to tie this fucker up then?”

“I have zip ties in my pockets, but I don't know if Ray can stand up without me.” Maverick offered.

“Don’t worry about it, I got it. Just pass me the zip ties,” Hendrix replied, rolling his eye lights, like not killing this man was just a big inconvenience. The trek through the rest of the docks was the same everywhere they went. People were fighting in different pockets, but it was obvious that the gang members were slowly being pincered into a central area by the cops and bikers. A black wall of riot police with large plastic shields slowly marched towards the skirmish. As they approached, the wall opened up to allow them passage. Ray glanced to the side to see an officer fully equipped with riot gear fire a gas canister over the shield wall and into the crowd. Maverick pointed out an ambulance and gently pulled her towards it.

Ray was seated in the ambulance, where they frantically went about checking her. Tyr growled at the EMTs when they hooked her up to an IV drip, but with a gentle hand settled over her, he calmed right down. They kept her there until they could be sure that it was safe. Eventually the gunfire stopped. Ray could see a slow line of cuffed criminals shuffle towards black police vans while forensics walked the other direction towards the docks. 

“Maverick… can I borrow your phone?” Ray asked. tiredly. They tried to convince her to rest, but she couldn’t. 

“Sure dude,” he said, seemingly too exhausted to put up a more thorough effort to convince her otherwise. Large, dark circles under his eyes suggested agonizing worry and restless efforts to find her. Now that the fighting had stopped, there's one call she has to make. She dialed the number sluggishly and waited for someone to answer.

“Thank you for calling High Hopes Bitty shelter! My name is Gidget; how can I help you today?” The chipper voice made Ray feel more exhausted. 

“Hey, Gidget. This is Ray from the Viper’s Den, I was wondering how many openings you have at your shelter-”

Maverick smacked his forehead. “Are you seriously fucking trying to work right now!?” He snatched his phone back. 

“What, Maverick? We can't just neglect to offer any help to them.” Ray yelled back, half-sitting up before falling back down.

“So delegate us, Ray! I could have fucking talk to them… in fact!” Maverick shouted. Ray pondered confusedly on what he meant by ‘in fact’ as he stalking away with the phone up to his ear. 

“I… I guess I worried you. I’m sorry,” Ray mumbled to the bitty curled up on her chest.

“What? You get kidnapped on purpose?” Tyr asked. “Guess you need a new hobby. This is too much exercise.”

Ray snorted. “What?”

“Oh, yeah, that's just silly… you mindlessly sought justice, just on the off chance that you would piss off a dangerous gang, ‘cause that's how you get your kicks,” he said, and Ray couldn’t help but smile at him.

“I… I didn’t think Tyr. None of this would have happened the way that it did, if I hadn’t been stupid.”

“So be less stupid in the future and call it a day.” 

Tyr closed his eyes against her chest, and she put a hand over him. She closed her eyes, too; and in moments, they were dreaming together again. But this time, there was one big difference. There was a large metal door in her bedroom that definitely wasn’t there in the real world. As she approached a skeletal hand gently settled on her shoulder. 

“Lets, just ignore that for now, okay?” He asked softly, pulling her into a tight hug.

“What’s in there?” She asked, and he just shrugged.

“You would know better than me… that’s yours,” he said, sounding sad to have the words coming out of his mouth. She swallowed and no other words needed to be said, they just held onto each other. Tyr gently petted the side of her head that had been caked with blood when she fell asleep.

 Ray woke up in a hospital and was instantly upset that they wouldn’t just let her go home. Told her she had a severe concussion, was pretty dehydrated, and lost quite a bit of blood. By their best estimates she was in that hot storage container with no water or food for about two days.

“But the Viper’s Den?” She had tried to protest, only to be shushed back down.

“Is being taken care of.” Maverick assured her. Her next hiccup was when Lily called her sobbing so hysterically, it took Ray a full 20 minutes to calm her down enough to actually be able to hear what she was saying, and even then Orchid still had to hop on the line,

“Will you please inform her that it isn’t her fault you were put in danger, and it was in fact ours?” The mamba practically demanded over the phone.

“No,” Ray said to the sound of multiple gasps and a sniffle. “It was no one's fault, but the people who actually hurt me; and I absolutely will not blame anyone but them.” Orchid to huff out an exasperated chuckle.

“You really should work on your tact, miss Ray,” Orchid said, followed up by a sniffling Lily.

“That’s his nice way of saying that you stress him out.” 

“I’ve been getting that a lot lately,”  Ray replied.

 She was kept in the hospital for two days, being rehydrated, getting x-rays and MRIs to make sure she didn’t have a skull fracture and wasn’t bleeding into her brain. Now that she wasn’t in danger, she could appreciate the fact that the big scary criminals had to concuss her, tie her up, and dehydrate her within an inch of her life to feel powerful. 

She got multiple visitors while she was there; Gidgit stopped by to give her an update. He thought she would like to hear over 100 bitties agree to go to High Hopes, including all the lusty types they found in Luca's house. Maverick and Hendrix came by almost everyday and were there whenever no one else was taking up the visitors spot. Sky had his human Natasha bring him up for a visit just to make sure Ray really was okay, and it was the cutest thing to watch Tyr roll his eyes and spread his arms to embrace a bounding hug he knew was coming. Collin and Rita swung by to tell her that she was an idiot and to introduce her to their new bitties–a bashful looking edgy for Rita, named Hog, and a sly-looking pup for Collin named Ninja. When they left, Ray thought she caught the edgy mouthing “Sorry” but she couldn’t be too sure because he didn’t really have lips to read. 

When she was finally allowed to go home, she was excited to see who Maverick had gotten to run the Den while she was away. But Ray suddenly felt woozy again when she saw the papython manning the front desk. 

“I… You’ve been running the den?” She asked, causing the papythons head to shoot up from the computer and lock on her, orange tears collected in his eyes as he lunged forward, springing towards Ray.

“Oh stars, we were so worried about you!” The Papython cried. Orange tears sprang from his sockets, and Ray just held him until he was able to calm down. She carried the two lamias into the living room with her, where she looked around for the krait. Eventually she asked where he was, and the papython took it upon himself to give her a full rundown of everything that had happened at the Den while she was gone. 

Once everyone was gone, and the dadster showed up to help the krait through his attack, it became very apparent that the krait was very close to falling down, possibly having been in the process for a long time. Kraits just weren’t meant to handle the kinds of trauma it experienced in the rings. At Major’s suggestion, the krait agreed to get some more specialized care with people who were trained to help keep monsters from falling down. Major even volunteered to be his sponsor, and Jericho and his human friend offered to let him stay with them so he would be close to the ward. The papython had even made sure that the krait had all their numbers, and gave Major and Jericho a copy of their calendar for zoom calls. Following that, the papython ran the den the way Ray had showed them every day that she was gone. 

“Because we know how much helping these snakes means to you, momma!” He said, happily hugging her.

“Momma?” Tyr asked, smiling lazily. The papython blushed a bright orange.

“I… I mean.. Well, what I meant to say was–” The papython floundered nervously, turning an even brighter orange. Ray smiled down at him affectionately.

“Papython, do you… maybe want to stay here with me and Tyr?” She asked him, starting his crying all over again. “Hey, I even have the perfect name! Asclepius! He's the Greek god of medicine and his symbol is a rod with a snake curling around it!” 

“Greek?” the papython asked nervously, “I was…kind of hoping to match the other permanent residents… but I don’t mind Asclep… esclepi… umm”  He trailed off, making Ray reconsider the name despite how cute the papython sounded trying to pronounce what is admittedly a mouthful. Not to mention, Ray was a little flattered that he wanted a Norse name to match his new brothers.

“Ummm… well, Eir is the Norse goddess of mercy and medicine. But they also had a male god get pregnant and give birth three times, so I don’t think there gods conform to gender norms, as long as you don’t think it’s to feminine,” Ray offered.

“I.. I LOVE IT!!!” Eir shouted, launching himself up at Ray. She knew they still had a long road to recovery–trials and testimony still needed to happen; however, sitting there with her boys, she knew everything was going to be alright. 

Tyr, Eir, Jorgunmander, and Ray-bell. What else could she possibly need?  At their next zoom call with everyone, Ray introduced Eir with his new name, and everyone congratulated him. She asked how the krait was feeling, she could see Jericho tinkering with something in the background so she assumed he was at Dr. Stanton's home. 

"I'm doing much better, it's… something I know I shouldn't apologize for, but I still want to you know? I know you would have gotten me the proper care if I had asked…'' A gray blush of shame tinting his face. 

"You're right, you shouldn't apologize. I didn't know enough about bitties to recognize the signs that you needed more help; and for that, I am the one who is sorry." 

"You had no way to know. I didn't even recognize the signs… I thought I was getting better, but… well… my therapist says I was so focused on just surviving that I didn't have time to stop and unpack my trauma until you gave us that space and safety." That sounded exactly like what a therapist would say, but it didn’t make Ray feel any better. The krait was suffering right in front of her, and she wasn't even able to see it. He was dying on the inside, and she missed it completely. Tyr and Eir talked her through her feelings, trying to help her by expressing that even they couldn't tell he was falling down. 

Really, they were the best at supporting her. Eir was a fountain of unending optimism, and Tyr could speak straight to her core in a way that made her feel strong enough to face what was coming. Her boys more than proved that they could help her through anything in the weeks following the first trial.

Ray had tried to keep up with the news; however, when she found out that the woman who was most responsible for hurting the bitties wasn't found (the police raided her house boat, and found piles of incriminating dust and blood, but no metal box full of veterinary equipment and no woman) she started dreading updates.  Then there were the acquittals, and mistrials, and plea deals for lighter sentences. The night before Luca's trial, she woke up chained to a chair in a metal corrugated room. Blood dripped down her hair into a disturbingly large puddle. She was going to bleed out alone in a shipping container. The metal door slammed open, and she flinched back against the light. 

A looming shadow stalked forward. Hands reached out towards her, making her flinch back; only for a soothing voice to call her attention back to the shadow. 

"Sunshine, it's okay. It's not real," Tyr said softly, reaching out for her again. As the shadow lifted, his skeletal face came into focus. His clawed hands reached out to cup her face. "How about we get outta here, sunshine?" 

"I… I can't move, we need to break the chains," she said, straining against her bindings. To her surprise instead of going around to try and free her, he just stood there looking torn. 

"Ray… Sunshine, honey, listen… you know the door in my room that I can't see but you can?" He asked, reaching down to gently grab Ray's arms. "You aren't tied down, Sunshine. You can get up." He gently guided her arms forward. She followed his movements until her hands were in front of her. Then she reached up to brush her stray locks of hair back, finding her head dry. Not even flakes of dried blood fell from her head–her hair was clean, but the dripping sound still echoed around the room. 

"I… this is my room?" She asked hauntingly, looking around while she stood there in Tyr's arms. 

"Common, we'll talk about it outside," he replied, leading her back through the metal doors and into her bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her up next to him. He just held her hand as he coiled his body up onto the mattress. She waited quietly, getting the feeling that Tyr wanted to talk to her about something, although what he said surprised her when he did finally speak.

"I think that doctor lady wants to adopt the Krait. Him and her sciguy seem really close."

"Yeah. I think he would be really happy living with them permanently." 

"Sure, 'happy.' Is that what the kids are calling it these days? I'd call it the biggest, most obvious crush I've ever seen," he replied jokingly. It was inane, the junk food of conversation. All fluff and sugar, but no subsistence; and yet, that was exactly what she needed to distract her from the door that didn't swing close behind them. It stayed open–almost inviting her back–but she was able to ignore it until they woke up. 

Even then her eyes had dark enough circles under them puffy enough for Eir to ask about her.

"Are you alright, momma?" 

"Yeah, I just had a bad dream, buddy," she replied, reaching out for him to wing his way up to her right shoulder. Tyr had already taken up his spot on her left. 

"I had a bad dream last night, too," he said, sounding chipper and nodding like he understood completely. 

"I'm sorry sweet heart, do you wanna talk about it?" She asked gently. 

"It was about Crystal and Luca," he said calmly. "I had a dream that Luca got away and took us all back to the rings, then one by one all my family was taken to her boat and then I was left alone."

"Oh, Eir, I'm sorry baby… I… I wish I could… I know she's still out there, and that's scary but…" Ray tried to say something reassuring, but she trailed off. She was scared, too. 

But what? She thought. Crystal got away and was at large and was probably out there hurting other bitties right now. Justice fail-

"But they're gonna find her," Tyr supplied for her. "They're gonna find her, because they have so much evidence there's no way they can't. She's a bad person, and as far and as fast as she runs, she can't outrun karma." 

"Thought you said people like them just pick up and start over?" Ray asked, smiling weakly at the chain. 

"Yeah, and you said we find them," he replied, giving something for Eir to latch onto.

"Yeah! I know it's going to be okay, momma. Sometimes bad dreams happen, but they're just dreams! I know nothing bad is really going to happen to us!" He said, like the world's most enthusiastic cheerleader. Life continued on, Ray asked for less frequent updates on the trials and convictions. Really, she only wanted positive news. 

Luca was found guilty for all gang and drug related charges, and they began prepping her to testify for the kidnapping and the fighting rings. There were three separate trials to prevent an acquittal or a mistrial on all charges. The attorney said it was a precaution, although Ray didn’t understand how it worked. She made sure to message the schedule for the trial to her friends so that they wouldn't get worried if she missed one of their zoom calls. At the last hearing before she had to go to court and face Luca in person, again, she received some expected, but still good news. 

The krait came onto the zoom call and enthusiastically introduced himself to Ray as Larry, though with a correction from Jericho, who didn't even look up from the computer parts he was fiddling with to say.

"Lazarus to anyone but Dr. Stanton." 

Ray couldn't help but laugh, smiling so wide her face hurt at her extended family. 

"I guess to some people, krait's do look like Larry's," she said, causing Tyr and Thor to break down into hysterical laughter. Despite everything, she felt okay. Happy and content with her little family, and despite the trials and tribulations that she knew she’d have to face in the future, Ray felt like her family was strong enough to meet any and all challenges that came their way.