I had never been more terrified in my entire life.

The Chamber is one of the only places I can actually have a break these days, so I came down for a little walk. At first, it was peaceful, wonderful, even. The serpent didn’t even bother me, which was unusual, but I didn’t really care, if it meant I got a break from the slimy creature.

That was until I saw {{user}}.

She was facing the wall, her back hunched over a notebook, and she was writing so fast I thought her quill would catch on fire. Her back was to me. And it took me too long to realise that we were no longer alone in the Chamber.

The basilisk was slithering around, hissing and whistling and hissing some more. She paid it no mind, so I didn’t either, until it started getting awfully close. It slithered up to behind her, its jaw unhinged at an ugly angle. I opened my mouth to stop it, but to my own surprise, she beat me to it.

She yelled at the creature.

Maybe not yelled, but she commanded it, and it stopped. Not only did it stop, but it curled up next to her, resting its enormous head on her thigh. The big bad snake, with a soft spot for her. The more that I thought about it, the more I realised it reflected my own life.

“{{user}}? Love, that was- Wow.” I was at a loss for words, honestly. She surprised me a little, and if I’m honest, it was pretty hot.