On a particularly warm day, some of the bitties were taken out to swim and soak so as not to shrivel up. These little guys were Kraits. Most people would pay them no mind, but for one person, "They had to be some of the coolest things in the world!" May I introduce to you, Rain Fevre, a young native woman with long black hair put up in a braid and cool blue-green eyes. 

She was walking home one day from her workplace which was a local bar/diner that was quite popular amongst the locals of the New Orleans, Louisiana area. Her boss was the greatest person she had ever met. Her boss, June, saw her struggling to try and find a decent job in the city and decided to show her the ropes. And Rain took to the job like a duck to water. She loved the job and it paid well, but now she was a bit lonely.

'Maybe I can get a cat or something…' she thought to herself while walking home one day while coming from work during the morning hours. 

But while she was walking, she noticed that she took a wrong turn and ended up in a rural neighborhood.

'Ah great! Me and hairbrain self! Now I'm lost!' 

As she walked for what seemed like hours and in circles. She had walked past a closed in private backyard. Obviously she couldn't see past the wooden planks and she wouldn't have batted an eye at it. But for some reason, there was a strange energy coming from the extra chain link fencing that overlapped the boarding. 

'Maybe it's a type of monster magic? If so, then I never felt it this strong before… I wonder what's over there.' 

There was a sign that was written in a strange language. And she could barely make out the words. But the longer she stared at it, the clearer the words became. Soon it spelt out, "PRIVATE PROPERTY. IF NEEDED, COME TO THE FRONT OF THE SHOP TO VIEW AND SIGN FOR ADOPTIONS."

Since she felt that she wasn't going to make any progress in trying to find a way out, she decided to find this mysterious shop.

'Is it a pet shop? All the way out here? I'm practically in the bayous! Oh well, only one way to find out!'

After searching for the front entrance for fifteen minutes. She found it stuck in-between two old rundown buildings in a sort of closed alley style. The entrance was decked out in unique greens, purples, reds, blues, yellows, and black patterns. It kind of reminded her of how the Aztecs used to paint their murals. Or how her people, the Navajo tribe, use to decorate their warrior paintings and other art. The prominent thing she saw though on the small building, was a huge coiling multicolored jeweled pattern snake that seemed to stare right into your soul. Judging you. Like one false move and your history. She gulped nervously and quickly focused her attention at the door. It appeared that the shop was open. No harm in trying, right? She hoped that she wasn't wrong, that snake painting definitely intimidated her.

She finally walked to the door and gave it a slight push/pull and was pleasantly surprised that it was indeed open!

She walked in the store and was immediately greeted by a strong but pleasant smell of incense and herbs. It reminded of one of those gypsy's fortune places. Especially with how it was highly decorated to look like one.

'Someone takes their decor VERY seriously…' she came up to what appeared to be the front desk and saw a unique snake coiled service bell. Since no one was there, she decided to give it a ring.

'RING!!!'

She looked around seeing if someone was in the back.

'Maybe they didn't hear me the first time.' so she rang it again. Only a little louder.

'RING!!!!!!' 

She waited a few minutes but no one came.

'This is getting ridiculous… just one more time… then I'll leave if no one comes.'

'RIIIINNNNGGG!!!!!!!!' 

She practically slammed it. She waited but didn't hear any footsteps. She huffed. 

"Oh well, I guess I'll go hooooaaaaaAAAAAHHH!!!!"

As she turned around to leave, what appeared to be an old mysterious looking woman covered in heavy robes; just literally appeared right behind her without hearing anything!

"Oh~ don't leave little one~ the bell was just starting to like you~" she crooned mischievously.

Rain was visibly unnerved but she held her ground. "U-um… I was wondering if this was a pet shop…? I saw the sign in the back and I wanted to know if you'd let me look around?"

Though she couldn't see the old woman's face because of all those robes…

'Must be hella hot wearing those. Especially with this heat.'

But she could see the wide smile on her lower face.

"Follow me child, the lovelies are in the back." She said as she walked quietly behind the counter and through a curtained door. 

'No wonder I didn't hear her coming… the woman moves like a freaking ninja….' she thought to herself as she hesitantly followed the woman.

She was prepared to see puppies and kittens of all sorts. But what she saw took her WAY by surprise. The space opened up to a grand spacious area, of what looked like an old building auto parts factory. Only the machinery was missing. And on all three levels of the place, was seemingly ENDLESS rows of large tanks filled with…

"Snakes?"

The old lady chuckled quietly.

"Close dear~ they're Lamias. But in an lower class. Bitties I call them. Sweet little things if you know how to handle some of them. They're all looking for a companion to go home with~." The woman spoke with love about them.

"Lamias…?" Rain questioned. "How are they different from snakes? And what are they?"

The old woman smiled widely in mischief. Why don't you look for yourself~?" She points a hand to a random tank.

Rain went to the tank with caution. As she stared closely through the foliage trying to find the creature she couldn't help but be on guard. She then saw something move and in the branches she could make out little pinpricks of light. She then realized what they were when they came out of hiding. There, right in front of her, was a little skeleton that had the lower body of a snake! The skeleton gave her a lazy smile as he waved nonchalantly. But he knew better and was holding back his laughter as best as he could as he saw her shocked face. 

Though the old woman, yeah, she cackled like a hyena on helium. 

Rain stuttered for the right words. But all she could come up with was….

"What the Hell?!"

If it was possible, the old woman laughed harder.

After the woman calmed down from her laugh fest. She then pulled Rain out of her stupor. And led her to an office desk full of papers. She gently sat the gawking girl on the guest seat while she silently walked over to her side of the desk. "So. Are you still interested~?"

“Yeah.. yeah I’m extremely interested now. I’ve never seen one of those…” What had she called them again? Lamias? Bitties? “Lamia Bitties before.” Was this the only place that sold such creatures? Where’d she even find them? 

The old woman grinned a serpent-like smile. Deadly and full of mischief. "Yes dearie~ the sweet little things come from a special place deep within the jungles of the Amazon. Their habitats are being destroyed by developers. So I opened this shop to give some of them a new home and to hopefully raise enough money to kick those filthy killers out!" She said with venom in her tone.

Rain leaned back, immediately uncomfortable and afraid. She seemed VERY passionate about the Lamias. Then yet how was it any different from any other endangered species that people fought for? These guys were probably endangered too, if she’d never even heard of them before. 

"Now just to clarify you with something dear before we go any further. These are sentient beings just like you. They deserve respect and love. But not in a way that you do with a pet. Close. But think of it as though you're taking care of a new human/monster roommate. They each are unique and different with their own identity even though they look the same just like us. Do you understand~?" She said in a sweet but serious tone.

“I… understand.” She replied. They weren’t pets. The one she’d seen had waved at her. They could likely speak and read and write. Like any human or monster out there. 

The woman smiled genuinely. "Terrific! I can tell that you have a good soul… one of Integrity and Perseverance. A nice combination… So! Here are the files that I have on the bitties in my possession currently. Look them over and see what one strikes your fancy~" she purred out in interest.

She looked over the files. She wanted one that got along with others, one that was a sweetheart, one that she could trust and trusted her back. The shy and quiet Krait seemed to be the perfect fit. Plus his favorite treat was cookies. How could she say no?

“Can I see a Krait?”