Entwined Love
a
Trust Machines story
by
clancy688
Chase rang the doorbell. Ten seconds later, the door opened and he looked into the surprised face of his buddy Finn.
"Hi, Finn!" Chase exclaimed grinning. "I thought I'd ask if you want to go to the movies with me. You know, it's Thursday, our customary cinema day."
Finn scratched his head. "Oh, yeah, you're right. Say, why didn't you call and ask me? I thought that there's no promising movie starting today."
"Well, you didn't answer your mobile phone and your fixed-line was unavailable." Chase shrugged. "Therefore I thought I simply pay you a visit."
"Oh, right..." Finn answered contritely. "I've probably left my mobile phone in my jacket and my fixed-line has been down the entire afternoon. I swear to you, if I get one of those cable-company guys... okay, doesn't matter. No internet, therefore cinema sounds nice. What flick have you picked out?"
Chase beamed. "Today's the launch of the new Mason Latham movie."
Almost immediately, Finn's eyes became bright. Mason Latham was one of the two buddies' favorite action stars. He was usually doing an old-school, bare-hands approach in his movies. No shiny gadgets. No compromises. No mercy. Straightforward, ruthless and very, very brutal.
"That sounds nice." he motioned his friend to step in. "Wait a couple of minutes, I'll just get my jacket and wallet..."
While Finn was rummaging through his wardrobe, Chase wandered through the apartment. He knew the little flat like the back of his hand. The small kitchen without an oven, microwave or refrigerator. But a high end PC and a giant Flat-TV. Finn apparently had his priorities straight.
Next to the TV there was Finn's impressive Blu-Ray collection, and in front of it his comfortable couch where currently his pet had made itself comfortable... wait a moment.
Since when did Finn have a pet?
"Uhhh... Finn?" Chase called and his friend stuck his head through the living room's door frame.
"What's up? I'm finished."
"Ummm... there's a snake on your couch."
"Hm? Oh yeah, that's Ashlee. Silly me, I had totally forgotten that she's here."
"Oh yeah?" interested, Chase eyed the colorful snake which had coiled herself into a tight bun on a pillow. She had been bathing in the glowing evening sun when he'd entered the room, now she was looking at him sleepily, her forked tongue darting in and out. "I didn't know that you got yourself a pet, nice. But a snake? She does look a little bit like a Cobra, but she's not poisonous, isn't she?"
Finn looked at him irritated. "What are you talking about?"
"The snake. She's your pet, isn't she?"
Finn ogled him. "Of course not. That's my cousin Ashlee."
"Your cousin?" Chase didn't manage to quell his voice's incredulity. "That's a snake, how can she be your cou- oh!" suddenly, a light bulb was switched on in his mind. "She's venned?"
"Jip." Finn grabbed a small writing board and swiftly scribbled a few words on it. >ASHLEY, MEET MY FRIEND CHASE<
"Snakes don't have ears, only hear deep frequencies." he explained grinning and shoved the writing board in front of the snake's nose. She studied it and then looked at Chase, opening her mouth wide and displaying two impressive poison fangs.
Startled, Chase winked with his hand and the snake nodded, closing her eyes again and resuming her nap.
"Okay." Finn said cheerfully. "Now that you two have been introduced, we can go."
Perplexed, Chase followed his friend out of the apartment. "Why is your cousin a snake on your couch?" he asked.
"Because she's still living at her parent's place and her mother is deeply afraid of snakes."
Chase sighed. "Okay, that's the answer to why she is at your place. But I also asked why she is a snake."
"Oh." Finn looked at Chase in comprehension. "That's what you want to know. Well... she says she likes it. That it's totally relaxing to not to have to think about arms and legs. She told me that there was some kind of dare for which she had to become a snake for eight hours, that's what apparently hooked her up in the first case. And since she can't get her snake-time at her home, she's occasionally asking me to house her over the weekend. I usually say yes. You know, snakes are very good roommates. Silent. Unobtrusive."
They reached Chase's car and Finn let himself plummet on the left seat. "So know you know who my new 'pet' is. But now it's your turn. What's this Latham flick about?"
Chase told him, but with his mind he was somewhere else. He couldn't concentrate on the movie either. Instead, he was thinking about Ashlee in her brilliantly colored snake-body. And how it would feel, having the same body, napping in the sun like she'd done before. He didn't know where the thought had come from, he'd never before thought about using a Venn Machine to change into an animal, but however it had happened, now the thought was there. And growing larger. Steadily.
At the end of the movie, he'd come to a decision.
As Chase shared his decision with Finn later on, his friend didn't so much as flinch.
"Visit me on Sunday evening,-" he'd said instead. "-by then Ashlee should be human again. Then you can ask her in person."
*******************************************
Slightly nervous, Chase was standing in front of Finn's door again on Sunday. The door opened, but instead of Finn, a smallish girl looked at him. She was little over five feet tall, with long, brown hair, eyes like a deer, a pointy nose and a small mouth. Which blossomed into a cute smile as she looked at him.
"Hello, Chase!" she greeted him. "I've been waiting for you! Finn is gone fetching cigarettes, so it's just us two. Oh, and by the way, I'm Ashlee. Nice to meet you in person, that is, human to human!"
Grinning she extended her hand and gingerly Chase took it.
"So Finn told me you want to try out being a snake, too?" she asked exuberantly as they'd seated themselves at Finn's kitchen table and Chase nodded cautiously.
"I've wondered about how it would feel-" he began, but Ashlee didn't let him finish.
"It's super awesome, I tell you!" she exclaimed. "Being a snake is the most relaxing thing on the world! Really, you have to believe me!"
Taken by surprise by Ashlee's cheerfulness, Chase could only listen as the girl was rattling down an apparently endless list of things which were 'super cool' while being a snake. She was bouncing through the kitchen like some super-charged rubber ball, making up for her missing inches by pure energy alone. Although he now fully understood while she wanted to 'relax' as a snake - if he'd be this lively, he'd surely be exhausted as well!
"And I've always thought that having a second snake as a companion would be even more awesome!" she argued now, throwing a smile at him which could have melted the iceberg which had sunk the Titanic. "So, please try it out! Have you anything planned for next weekend? If not, do you want to meet me and Finn on Friday? Then we can spend the weekend together at his apartment!"
Actually, Chase had only wanted to ask Ashlee about her experiences. He hadn't planned on being shanghaied to become her scaled companion next week. But the girl's smile would have taken down the Walls of Jericho, and in much less time than seven days to boot. Therefore he promised her, yes, he would let himself being transformed into a snake together with her next weekend.
Ashlee whooped exuberantly and the surprisingly solid hug which followed pressed out any doubts he still had.
"Hello, Chase!" she greeted him. "I've been waiting for you! Finn is gone fetching cigarettes, so it's just us two. Oh, and by the way, I'm Ashlee. Nice to meet you in person, that is, human to human!"
Grinning she extended her hand and gingerly Chase took it.
"So Finn told me you want to try out being a snake, too?" she asked exuberantly as they'd seated themselves at Finn's kitchen table and Chase nodded cautiously.
"I've wondered about how it would feel-" he began, but Ashlee didn't let him finish.
"It's super awesome, I tell you!" she exclaimed. "Being a snake is the most relaxing thing on the world! Really, you have to believe me!"
Taken by surprise by Ashlee's cheerfulness, Chase could only listen as the girl was rattling down an apparently endless list of things which were 'super cool' while being a snake. She was bouncing through the kitchen like some super-charged rubber ball, making up for her missing inches by pure energy alone. Although he now fully understood while she wanted to 'relax' as a snake - if he'd be this lively, he'd surely be exhausted as well!
"And I've always thought that having a second snake as a companion would be even more awesome!" she argued now, throwing a smile at him which could have melted the iceberg which had sunk the Titanic. "So, please try it out! Have you anything planned for next weekend? If not, do you want to meet me and Finn on Friday? Then we can spend the weekend together at his apartment!"
Actually, Chase had only wanted to ask Ashlee about her experiences. He hadn't planned on being shanghaied to become her scaled companion next week. But the girl's smile would have taken down the Walls of Jericho, and in much less time than seven days to boot. Therefore he promised her, yes, he would let himself being transformed into a snake together with her next weekend.
Ashlee whooped exuberantly and the surprisingly solid hug which followed pressed out any doubts he still had.
*******************************************
Of course an entire working week was a long time, long enough to culture new doubts, and so Chase was just a teeny-tiny bit apprehensive as he strode towards Finn and Ashlee who were waiting for him in front of the Venn Machine.
His blubbering doubts were instantly quashed again as Ashlee's wide grinning face registered.
"I'll go first!" she exclaimed after another of her bone-crushing hugs and disappeared into the Venn Machine. Less than a minute later, Finn fished her limbless body out of the booth and placed her in one of two baskets he'd taken with him.
Chase looked at Ashlee's happily writhing shape.
"What kind of snake is she, exactly?" he asked and Finn shrugged.
"I don't know. Actually, we did try looking it up, but apparently there is no such snake. Her coloration is pretty unique. She has many features of a cobra, but aside from that..."
Chase nodded, his heart beating a little bit faster as he looked at the Venn Machine.
"I guess it's my turn now, isn't it?" he asked and Finn nodded grinning.
His blubbering doubts were instantly quashed again as Ashlee's wide grinning face registered.
"I'll go first!" she exclaimed after another of her bone-crushing hugs and disappeared into the Venn Machine. Less than a minute later, Finn fished her limbless body out of the booth and placed her in one of two baskets he'd taken with him.
Chase looked at Ashlee's happily writhing shape.
"What kind of snake is she, exactly?" he asked and Finn shrugged.
"I don't know. Actually, we did try looking it up, but apparently there is no such snake. Her coloration is pretty unique. She has many features of a cobra, but aside from that..."
Chase nodded, his heart beating a little bit faster as he looked at the Venn Machine.
"I guess it's my turn now, isn't it?" he asked and Finn nodded grinning.
*******************************************
Startled, Chase tried to wriggle himself away as two hands grabbed him and pulled him out of the basket where he'd spent the last fifteen minutes, but then he forced himself to relax. The hands belonged to his best friend and of course Finn didn't mean him any harm. He was still in the process of coming to grips with his changed body. Albeit this was more or less a psychological thing now. Because he was already feeling... well, normal.
To his amazement, he wasn't missing his limbs at all. It was so utterly strange not having the hands and feet he'd used for his whole life, but at the same time there was a rightness to being reduced to 'only' a body. And how flexible this body was! He'd amused himself during his time in the basket by flexing his muscles and forming all kinds of knots and slings.
Now Finn put him on the bottom and said something, his mouth moving, but there were no sounds arriving in Chase's mind. He wasn't exactly deaf - he was still hearing all kinds of low frequency rumbles, for example Finn's steps on the floor, but higher frequencies like human speech were totally blotted out.
Gingerly, Chase slipped out of his grasp, his scales rubbing over Finn's hands, and then he was gliding over the carpet in a smooth motion. In front of him, Ashlee waited, watching him while he slid closer. As he arrived, she scrutinized every spot of his scaly body and then, apparently pleased, rubbed her head against his. The motion had something sensual and he felt himself returning it. Then, Ashlee moved her head, pointing it towards the sun-covered couch.
Chase nodded and soon thereafter the two snakes were relaxing in the warm glow, coiled into two buns, eyes closed and tongues darting in and out happily.
To his amazement, he wasn't missing his limbs at all. It was so utterly strange not having the hands and feet he'd used for his whole life, but at the same time there was a rightness to being reduced to 'only' a body. And how flexible this body was! He'd amused himself during his time in the basket by flexing his muscles and forming all kinds of knots and slings.
Now Finn put him on the bottom and said something, his mouth moving, but there were no sounds arriving in Chase's mind. He wasn't exactly deaf - he was still hearing all kinds of low frequency rumbles, for example Finn's steps on the floor, but higher frequencies like human speech were totally blotted out.
Gingerly, Chase slipped out of his grasp, his scales rubbing over Finn's hands, and then he was gliding over the carpet in a smooth motion. In front of him, Ashlee waited, watching him while he slid closer. As he arrived, she scrutinized every spot of his scaly body and then, apparently pleased, rubbed her head against his. The motion had something sensual and he felt himself returning it. Then, Ashlee moved her head, pointing it towards the sun-covered couch.
Chase nodded and soon thereafter the two snakes were relaxing in the warm glow, coiled into two buns, eyes closed and tongues darting in and out happily.
*******************************************
"So let's see what my two weekend roommates are up to at the moment." Finn muttered to himself as he put his groceries on the floor and closed the door. It was Saturday evening and Chase and Ashlee had already been in their Cobra-forms for over 24 hours. Compared to Ashlee's usual behavior when she was in her snake form, mainly relaxing that is, she had shown streaks of her human hyperactivity this time, showing her new companion around the apartment and pointing out all her favorite spots to him. They'd even completely vanished for a couple of hours and after they'd returned again, both snakes' bodies had looked a little bit more bloated, so perhaps they had been hunting mice in the walls. The long siesta they'd put in afterwards had only reinforced his suspicion.
Of course 'hyperactivity' was some kind of euphemism. It had been 'hyperactivity' compared to Ashlee's normal activity when she was a snake. So instead of spending 90% of her time relaxing, this time she'd only spent 80%. Chase had been fully following suit, of course, relaxing as well most the time, although he had put in more 'exploration' than Ashlee. It was his first time as a Cobra after all. Luckily, both of them were easy to distinguish. While Ashlee wore a set of mixed brilliant green and blue scales, Chase sported silvery and golden rings on an otherwise black body.
So he wasn't surprised when he found Chase and Finn lying on one of his couch pillows. Although the activity they were engaged in did surprise him.
Startled, two snake-heads went up, looking at the intruder in the door, their tails wrapped around each other in what could be nothing else than an intimate hug.
Grinning, he looked at the amorous couple.
"Sorry, didn't want to disturb you two," he laughed, fully knowing that they couldn't hear him. "Um, carry on..." and he closed the door upon the interrupted pair.
He hadn't entered the living room again, and he hadn't seen a sign of Chase and Ashlee outside the room either. Until Sunday evening when finally the door opened, and Chase and Ashlee stepped out in their human bodies, holding hands and smiling sheepishly.
"Congratulations!" Finn exclaimed from the kitchen and chuckled as both of their heads flushed in a shade of embarrassed pink. "You've grown quite close to each other, haven't you?"
Ashlee nodded and Chase mumbled something indistinguishable. Afterwards, both of them kept talking to each other in Finn's kitchen until midnight when Finn gently urged them to get some sleep for the coming working week.
Of course 'hyperactivity' was some kind of euphemism. It had been 'hyperactivity' compared to Ashlee's normal activity when she was a snake. So instead of spending 90% of her time relaxing, this time she'd only spent 80%. Chase had been fully following suit, of course, relaxing as well most the time, although he had put in more 'exploration' than Ashlee. It was his first time as a Cobra after all. Luckily, both of them were easy to distinguish. While Ashlee wore a set of mixed brilliant green and blue scales, Chase sported silvery and golden rings on an otherwise black body.
So he wasn't surprised when he found Chase and Finn lying on one of his couch pillows. Although the activity they were engaged in did surprise him.
Startled, two snake-heads went up, looking at the intruder in the door, their tails wrapped around each other in what could be nothing else than an intimate hug.
Grinning, he looked at the amorous couple.
"Sorry, didn't want to disturb you two," he laughed, fully knowing that they couldn't hear him. "Um, carry on..." and he closed the door upon the interrupted pair.
*******************************************
He hadn't entered the living room again, and he hadn't seen a sign of Chase and Ashlee outside the room either. Until Sunday evening when finally the door opened, and Chase and Ashlee stepped out in their human bodies, holding hands and smiling sheepishly.
"Congratulations!" Finn exclaimed from the kitchen and chuckled as both of their heads flushed in a shade of embarrassed pink. "You've grown quite close to each other, haven't you?"
Ashlee nodded and Chase mumbled something indistinguishable. Afterwards, both of them kept talking to each other in Finn's kitchen until midnight when Finn gently urged them to get some sleep for the coming working week.
*******************************************
Needless to say that both of them appeared on his doorstep the next Friday, asking him if he'd take them in for the weekend. This time, they wouldn't take over his living room for the entire time, promised. Smiling, Finn complied and soon enough he had his two, scaly, limbless roommates again, basking and cuddling in the sun on his couch - when they were not somewhere else doing... other things.
From thereon, they stayed nearly every weekend at his place. Ashlee and Chase were also dating in their human forms, but only sparsely compared to the time they spent as snakes.
While this was a peculiar relationship to say the least, it wasn't that strange for a Venn Society and so Finn had nothing to say against it. Aside from the fact that Chase was having less and less time on his hands to go to the movies with him, that is.
Of course this happy state of affairs was practically screaming for something to go wrong.
From thereon, they stayed nearly every weekend at his place. Ashlee and Chase were also dating in their human forms, but only sparsely compared to the time they spent as snakes.
While this was a peculiar relationship to say the least, it wasn't that strange for a Venn Society and so Finn had nothing to say against it. Aside from the fact that Chase was having less and less time on his hands to go to the movies with him, that is.
Of course this happy state of affairs was practically screaming for something to go wrong.
*******************************************
"What's wrong?" Finn asked his friend who was looking at him in a strange combination of trepidation and... proudness? He had just 'returned' from the first longer vacation he'd spent together with Ashlee - the last three weeks both had been his scaly roommates again and Finn had become quite accustomed to his two 'pets'. Suddenly not having them around anymore would require getting a little bit used to it.
Although he hadn't seen the two of them much for the last three days. They'd been mostly gone from his sight and if he'd caught a glimpse of a scaly tail sliding through his apartment, it had only been one of the two, never both of them. He wondered what that had been about?
Chase bit his lower lip, then motioned him to follow. Furrowing a brow, Finn obeyed. Chase led him to the supply closet where he was storing his cleaning supplies. A sparsely frequented room therefore. This was getting more curious every second. Insides, he spotted Ashlee, cowering in a crouch, her gaze fixated on a point behind one of the shelves.
Finn looked at the object of her interest and gasped.
"Those are... yours?" he asked startled and pointed at the couple of dozen eggs lying in a neat nest.
Ashlee looked at him and nodded.
"Yeah..." she said. "I... laid them three days ago. "
"Um..." Finn encountered one of the very rare moments in his life where he was speechless, searching for the right words. "So you're going to be a Daddy, then?" he finally asked Chase. "Congratulations... I guess."
Chase's shoulders sagged a little bit. "Thanks, and I'm proud and happy, but..." he gestured at the eggs. "They are going to be snakes. How are we going to care for them as humans? Will they even recognize us as their parents?"
"Hmm..." Finn stroked his chin in silent thought. "I don't know... perhaps you could give them to a zoo where real snakes would-" he didn't get any further because Ashlee's head snapped around, eyes flashing.
"NO!" she yelled. "Those are my children, my babies! I don't want to give them away...!" lovingly she caressed the eggs and Chase hugged her swiftly.
"Don't worry, Sweety. Nobody's going to take our kids away. Still, we have to think about what we're doing now..."
Finn was already furiously thinking. He'd read about something a little while ago, and one of his high-school friends was working at the local zoo, so just maybe...
"Okay." he said. "I think I may have a solution there but I need to inquire first with a friend. And there's one big question involved." he looked at both of them. "Would you two be prepared to give up your human lives, including your job, to be with your offspring?"
Ashlee nodded immediately and Chase, still hugging her, confirmed his girlfriend in her decision.
"Absolutely." he said. "It's a shitty job anyway."
Although he hadn't seen the two of them much for the last three days. They'd been mostly gone from his sight and if he'd caught a glimpse of a scaly tail sliding through his apartment, it had only been one of the two, never both of them. He wondered what that had been about?
Chase bit his lower lip, then motioned him to follow. Furrowing a brow, Finn obeyed. Chase led him to the supply closet where he was storing his cleaning supplies. A sparsely frequented room therefore. This was getting more curious every second. Insides, he spotted Ashlee, cowering in a crouch, her gaze fixated on a point behind one of the shelves.
Finn looked at the object of her interest and gasped.
"Those are... yours?" he asked startled and pointed at the couple of dozen eggs lying in a neat nest.
Ashlee looked at him and nodded.
"Yeah..." she said. "I... laid them three days ago. "
"Um..." Finn encountered one of the very rare moments in his life where he was speechless, searching for the right words. "So you're going to be a Daddy, then?" he finally asked Chase. "Congratulations... I guess."
Chase's shoulders sagged a little bit. "Thanks, and I'm proud and happy, but..." he gestured at the eggs. "They are going to be snakes. How are we going to care for them as humans? Will they even recognize us as their parents?"
"Hmm..." Finn stroked his chin in silent thought. "I don't know... perhaps you could give them to a zoo where real snakes would-" he didn't get any further because Ashlee's head snapped around, eyes flashing.
"NO!" she yelled. "Those are my children, my babies! I don't want to give them away...!" lovingly she caressed the eggs and Chase hugged her swiftly.
"Don't worry, Sweety. Nobody's going to take our kids away. Still, we have to think about what we're doing now..."
Finn was already furiously thinking. He'd read about something a little while ago, and one of his high-school friends was working at the local zoo, so just maybe...
"Okay." he said. "I think I may have a solution there but I need to inquire first with a friend. And there's one big question involved." he looked at both of them. "Would you two be prepared to give up your human lives, including your job, to be with your offspring?"
Ashlee nodded immediately and Chase, still hugging her, confirmed his girlfriend in her decision.
"Absolutely." he said. "It's a shitty job anyway."
*******************************************
"I think this will work." Finn said one hour later, putting his phone aside and looking his friend in the eyes. Ashlee had been transformed back into her snake shape and was currently in the process of lovingly hugging her eggs in the closet, so it was only the expectant father and him in the living room.
He inhaled deeply and then explained. "I've just talked with an old friend of mine from High School." he said. "He's working for the local zoo and just a few weeks ago, they started a new, Venn based exhibition program. People who don't have jobs or don't know what to do with their lives for the next year or so can voluntarily join the zoo as parts of the exhibition. They are fed and cared for and the zoo's got a new attraction. Currently, there are three venned humans posing as part of the exhibition, a Panda bear, a Jaguar and a Caiman."
Chase nodded. That was the part he already knew about.
"So I asked him if he'd have room for you two and your offspring." Finn continued. "Normally they are only looking for exotic venn animals since there's no red tape involved in acquiring a deer or a hawk for the exhibition, or, for that matter, snakes, but in your case he's willing to make an exception. I send him an image of your snake bodies and he was intrigued by your unusual coloring. He thinks that this and your offspring may be attractive to visitors. That means..."
"...that there's only one question involved, isn't there?" Chase concluded the sentence his friend had begun and Finn nodded.
Do I really want to spend the next year of my life as a snake, in a zoo? he reflected, but then his thoughts strayed to Ashlee and her brilliant, smooth body and the question became moot.
He inhaled deeply and then explained. "I've just talked with an old friend of mine from High School." he said. "He's working for the local zoo and just a few weeks ago, they started a new, Venn based exhibition program. People who don't have jobs or don't know what to do with their lives for the next year or so can voluntarily join the zoo as parts of the exhibition. They are fed and cared for and the zoo's got a new attraction. Currently, there are three venned humans posing as part of the exhibition, a Panda bear, a Jaguar and a Caiman."
Chase nodded. That was the part he already knew about.
"So I asked him if he'd have room for you two and your offspring." Finn continued. "Normally they are only looking for exotic venn animals since there's no red tape involved in acquiring a deer or a hawk for the exhibition, or, for that matter, snakes, but in your case he's willing to make an exception. I send him an image of your snake bodies and he was intrigued by your unusual coloring. He thinks that this and your offspring may be attractive to visitors. That means..."
"...that there's only one question involved, isn't there?" Chase concluded the sentence his friend had begun and Finn nodded.
Do I really want to spend the next year of my life as a snake, in a zoo? he reflected, but then his thoughts strayed to Ashlee and her brilliant, smooth body and the question became moot.
*******************************************
"So, how are they doing?" Finn asked Dominic while watching his friend's and cousin's shapes behind the viewing pane, lazily savoring the sun, and the zookeeper smiled.
"Fine, I guess. We've given them a quite large enclosure with skylights and so far they haven't complained when I've asked them if it's big enough for them. Although I guess that they are too occupied with other things to worry about their new homes size, don't you think?"
Finn grinned as he took in the writhing mass of curious looking tiny snakes between Chase and Ashlee. From time to time, one was getting adventurous and trying to wriggle herself out of her parents embrace, but each time Chase and Ashlee intervened, gently pushing their kid back into their safe embrace again.
"They are an instant hit with the visitors as well." Dominic continued now. "Their coloring is really beautiful and the kids are of course loving their babies."
"I'm glad how well it turned out for them." Finn said softly and the zookeeper smiled. Then he looked at his friend.
"By the way, are you perhaps interested in joining our exhibition? We're still looking for a male saber-toothed tiger."
Finn laughed. "Stop joking. I love my job and my human life. Although..." he smirked towards the snake-family, "trying something like this out for a weekend sounds like fun."
"Fine, I guess. We've given them a quite large enclosure with skylights and so far they haven't complained when I've asked them if it's big enough for them. Although I guess that they are too occupied with other things to worry about their new homes size, don't you think?"
Finn grinned as he took in the writhing mass of curious looking tiny snakes between Chase and Ashlee. From time to time, one was getting adventurous and trying to wriggle herself out of her parents embrace, but each time Chase and Ashlee intervened, gently pushing their kid back into their safe embrace again.
"They are an instant hit with the visitors as well." Dominic continued now. "Their coloring is really beautiful and the kids are of course loving their babies."
"I'm glad how well it turned out for them." Finn said softly and the zookeeper smiled. Then he looked at his friend.
"By the way, are you perhaps interested in joining our exhibition? We're still looking for a male saber-toothed tiger."
Finn laughed. "Stop joking. I love my job and my human life. Although..." he smirked towards the snake-family, "trying something like this out for a weekend sounds like fun."