Kaa lifted his body off Mowgli's shoulder and twisted himself around so that he was looking directly into Mowgli's frightened looking eyes. "I tricked him man-cub. I made sure that he wouldn't disturb your ssslumber" Kaa began to gently sway from side to side. Mowgli found his own head sway ever so slightly in response. "I helped you to sssssleeeeeeppppp little man-cub. And I kept you ssssaaaaaffffeeee. Why don't you trust me?"
"You-" Mowgli found it hard to keep his thoughts focused when Kaa stared at him and swayed. He half wanted him to keep still but the other half found it strangely soothing. "You-you-hypnotized me....Kaa" Mowgli found it difficult to keep focused when Kaa was swaying. It was much easier to just be silent and relax.
Kaa found himself impressed with the man-cub. As a meal the boy was scrawny and unappealing. More skin and bone than anything. But Kaa had never eaten a man-cub before and Kaa found this particular one to be a fascinating specimen. Though the boy was obviously very young compared to what he would become, Kaa enjoyed matching wits with the boy...and finally overcoming him completely Oh yes, it was a very special kind of satisfaction to see the boy's eyes spin with color. To see the smile plastered on his face. To twist and turn him in his coils with the slightest twitch of his tail and whispered word. The boy liked to imagine himself a strong, defiant bear but in reality he was a simple child. Completely willing to submit himself mentally and physically to one who could seemingly care for him and protect him. That was what he'd done earlier. The boy had angrily pushed Kaa away when his eyes began to get even a hint of color in them. He'd refused to listen to anything the snake could say or do. But Kaa found a chink in the boy's armor by promising to let him stay in the jungle. That had quickly let on that the boy felt a huge void of trustworthy animals that would take care of him. Once Kaa knew what the void was, all he'd had to do was swoop in and fill it. He'd compared himself favorably to those that had betrayed the boy. Kaa didn't know the circumstances of the boy since their last encounter and neither did he care. The mere fact that where previously the boy had had an obliviously difficult relationship with the panther and was now wandering alone and angry was all Kaa needed to know. And once Kaa knew that he could get inside the boy's head so that by the time Kaa's eyes were spinning and he was staring into Mowgli's eyes, the man cub was doing half the work of hypnosis for him. Yes, it was always easier and funner if you could make the prey want to submit to you. If you could turn the tight prison of coils in to a warm and comfortable bed.