username: WetPaint23
storage: Here!nymph name: Milo
gender: Trans male (if that's allowed)
prompt: Milo had been afraid of snakes for as long as he could remember. He had no real reason why, just watching their legless bodies slither across the ground freaked him out. He did his best to avoid them, and was relatively successful, as they didn't appear to be too common near his home. That was until he found Captain.
Milo had been on his way home from foraging when he found a small egg, nestled in a small bound of dirt. Believing it was a bird egg of some sort, Milo searched around for a nest it may have fallen from. After his search resulted in failure, he decided to take the egg home and let it hatch, before releasing it back into the wild after the bird grew big enough. At least, that was his plan. He built a small nest within his home for the egg and watched over it, keeping it warm and safe through each night. He began referring to the egg as "Captain" and passed the days imagining the sweet bird that would one day hatch.
One evening, after returning home from a long scavenge, the egg began to move. Milo was ecstatic, over the moon about finally meeting his bird baby. But instead of a beak, a tiny snout poked out of the egg. And instead of feathery wings, a long scaly body made it's way out onto the ground. Milo had screamed and leapt away, absolutely terrified. He had been expecting a feathery baby bird, not a slithery snake with beady little eyes. Maybe he should have paid more attention in biology class, and he would have been able to see the egg for what it really was. It was too late for that though.
The snake had begun to move, making it's way towards Milo. Milo had squeezed his eyes shut, imagining the slimey beast touching his leg, before biting him with it's giant fangs. But that's not what happened. The snake had curled itself around Milo's leg, making it's way down towards his tail. But instead of being cold and slimey like he expected, the snake was warm and dry. Its movement tickled a bit, but didn't hurt. It seemed harmless enough. Milo had relaxed, suddenly feeling okay about the whole situation.
He cared for the snake for awhile, making sure it was fed and watered. He did try to release it a few times, but the snake always came back. He had to admit the snake was helpful, keeping away vermin and giving him some company on early morning scavenges. He decided to stick with the name Captain, but has many pasta themed nicknames for his noodley friend.
Captain is a docile little guy, and definitely a friend. She keeps vermin out of Milo's food storage, and keeps him company throughout the days. She can usually be found around his tail, but sometimes moves to his neck or head. Milo talks to her and tells her everything, and swears she can understand him, even if she can't reply. The two are buddies, and Milo can't believe he was ever afraid of such a cute thing.
