Academy Island

Squall

Panicked, scuffled scrambling ensued as Luke shot forward to grab Gabriel from his missed footing, nabbing him from a nasty fall as I scurried to help him pull him up. By the time we had dragged him up with us, there was an inquiring crowd below. Gabriel, a spitting mess of both fear and anger, had both of our hands muffled over his mouth as he questioned our sanity with his eyes.

"Is everything all right up there?" Dr. Green called from below, and Luke glared at Gabriel as he called down in a sing-song tone.

"We're good...just pulling a prank on Gabe, you know, the usual."

I could feel Gabriel's scoff under my hand as the sounds of everyone dispersing reached the four of us above. Luke, making sure our prisoner understood with wide, threatening eyes, that yelling would be swiftly and mercilessly punished, finally withdrew his hand from his mouth. Gabriel rubbed at his jaw, darting angry looks at us both.

"Fucking Christ on a stick." He whispered as he rubbed at his jaw. "An actual fucking snake doesn't qualify as a prank anymore, does it? What the hell are you doing with that thing up in Mr. BlackBourne's tower? Are you fucking insane?" Luke smiled wickedly and Gabriel rolled his eyes at him. I cleared my throat.

"Mr. Blackbourne said she could stay."

He rubbed at his eyes in disbelief and groaned. "Then why are you trying to keep her a secret? Luke, I swear, your taste in pets has gone a little too far this time..."

"She's mine." I corrected, and his eyes bugged out at me. "When the fuck did you find time to befriend a snake?" 

I cringed, remembering how many times I'd had to deal with her already since morning. His eyes searched my face, and he shook his head.  "Never mind that, I guess. What're we keeping it a secret for?"

"North might.." I began, but Gabriel put his hands up, closing his eyes in reluctant acceptance. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. God damn it, if you had to have a pet, why'd it have to be a fucking snake?" He glared over at her corner of the ceiling, where she was adjusting herself along the eaves. "What does she even eat?"

"Rats" quipped Luke a little too happily, and Gabriel shuddered and gagged. He ran a hand over his head, curse words running together under his breath, when my eyes darted up to a drop, then swaying movement above his head.

She was hanging, headfirst, tongue flicking inquisitive towards the new visitor, stretching, reaching. My back went straight, and an alarmed "Um..." was all I got out before Gabriel, his senses suddenly prickling awake, gasped and shot back. She gave his retreat little more thought than to make her more curious, sidling up to him, expecting, probably, another treat. He leaned back...way back. As far as the wall would let him, and then some. Her head followed his movement, swaying so she could wriggle closer. He batted at the air in front of her.

"Oh fuck no, I don't want...no fucking offense but I want nothing to do with...please slither back. Christ."

I nabbed at her curious neck, pulling her back and gathering her up in my arms as best I could, difficult because she was strong, and all that strength was dead set determined on getting to him. She kept falling out in loops, her head straining forward. Gabriel's face was a collage of fascination and disgust, his fingers curled back as I finally cooed her attention away. He watched the cool bundle struggle against being gathered in my arms and made a face at me. 

"Ugh. How can you stand to have her on you like that? Isn't she heavy?"

I shrugged and lifted her up back towards the beams so she could resettle herself. As her form retreated I let the end of her tail slide through my hand, her scales cool, smooth. I glanced up at her lithe green form, the patterns of her skin like thick tattoos, twisting and dancing with her as she settled.