Chapter 1 Page 4 - Tour Mati and two lamias chapter 4 by The Reaper

"Um... pardon me Emilia if I will ask this, but... What are you? You don't look like a human..." Mati said, his voice tilting upward in genuine curiosity. He stepped further into the entryway, his brown eyes scanning the way her upper body blended seamlessly into those shimmering red scales. He wasn't terrified; if anything, the sight of her was fascinating to him, like a piece of hardware he couldn't quite identify but desperately wanted to understand the specs of. "I've read a lot of things, but I've never seen anyone like you before."

Emilia's smile widened, her blue eyes shimmering as she watched his reaction. She didn't seem offended by the question; if anything, she seemed amused by his openness. She shifted her weight, her massive red tail sliding over the floorboards with a soft, heavy *shhh* sound, coiling slightly around her own form as she leaned in a little closer to him.

"I am a Lamia, Mati," she explained, her voice warm and resonant. "A creature of the deep woods and old legends. I know we aren't exactly common in the city, but here in the grove, we've made quite a comfortable life for ourselves." She chuckled, the sound vibrating through the air. "Most people would be screaming or running for the door by now. You're quite a brave soul, aren't you?"

"A lamia..." Mati said, his hand still resting on the back of his head as he processed the information. He looked from her friendly face down to the thick, red coils of her lower body and then back up again. He didn't feel a sense of danger; instead, he felt a surge of that same excitement he got when he discovered a piece of legacy software that still worked on a modern OS. "That's actually kind of incredible. I mean, the anatomy alone... how does the nervous system even handle that much length? Do you have a different bone structure in your spine?"

He was practically beaming now, his initial shock completely replaced by a tech-minded fascination. He forgot for a moment that he was standing in the entryway of a house he wanted to rent and was instead treating the encounter like a living encyclopedia. He stepped a bit closer, his eyes wide with genuine interest, though he was careful not to crowd her space.

Emilia let out a melodic laugh, the sound rich and airy. She seemed genuinely charmed by his reaction, her expression softening as she watched the young man's curiosity take over. "My, you really are different, aren't you? Most people ask if they're going to be eaten, but you want to know about my spinal column." She shifted, her massive red tail sliding across the floor with a heavy, rhythmic *shhh* sound, coiling loosely around her as she leaned toward him. "I suppose I could give you a few lessons in lamia biology, provided you're still interested in the house."

"Um... yeah, I'm still interested in that house. Can you give me a tour where is the kitchen, bathroom, living room and all kind of stuff?" Mati said, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. He looked around the entryway once more, his mind already mapping out where his desk would go and how he would run the cables from the router to the attic. The fact that his landlord was a mythological creature was a fantastic detail, but the potential for a quiet, secluded space for his tech hobbies was the real draw.

Emilia’s eyes shimmered with a soft, pleased light. She turned her body, her massive red tail gliding across the hardwood with a heavy, rhythmic *shhh* sound, creating a wide arc as she led the way further into the home. "Of course, Mati. Please, follow me. I think you'll find the layout quite charming, though it does have a few... eccentricities." 

As she moved, she led him into the main living area. The room was spacious, with high ceilings and large windows that let in the golden afternoon light. The furniture was a mix of ornate, heavy wood and soft, plush fabrics that looked like they would be incredibly comfortable to sink into. Emilia paused, glancing back at him with a warm smile. "The kitchen is just through here, and the bathroom is down the hall. But I believe you'll be most interested in the attic. It's the quietest part of the house, and it has the most privacy."