Chapter Text
You've had cats...many cats actually and petted some dogs here and there but you wanted something different but not a hamster-yea they are cute like that and be flatten like a pancake but they die in the weirdest way possible like you saw a video about a hamster exploding or farting then death came for them. You've spent a week at every pet store in your area and not a single one interested you except for the ones that are already adopted. But then you found out reptile expos existed so..YOU DECIDED TO GO yayayayayya [rip your savings]
(WHO SAOD THAT...oh it's morning)
[Me.. i said that]
"I must be hearing shit"
You groan not wanting to go to out of bed it warm and comfy..but you gotta go..you already bought a whole ass reptile enclosure that was 6,000 dollars. Fumbling out of bed you felt the cold wooden floor spike your feet so you ran tiptoe to the bathroom then did your business. Like usual you missed the bus so you decided to walk to the expo it was quite a long walk but it did unnerved you quite a bit so that was good.
It was quite a big expo you don't know what you were expecting but a frog wearing a hat was not it.. geckos, turtles, lizards and a banana spider for some reason... what caught your eye was a grumpy turtle though it had a bumpy shell and look like it was sulking in the corner it was quite beautiful.
[What you never saw a turtle before?]
Oh..? You heard a voice again...it was probably other people that's behind me...
"Oh hello, would you like to buy this turtle he is quite a beauty but grumpy isnt she?"
"Oh no thank you are you the seller?"
The man nods
"Great uhh so Im a new comer i was wondering what you would recommend since I already bought a huge ass enclosure...
"Well you already bought an enclosure that's already a big step but it really depends if the enclosure is more for a water type you should get this grumpy turtle or something similar to a turtle that doesn't put too much stress for you. But your not interested to turtles..the only thing I have other than the turtles in my booth is a couple of snakes- 5 to be exact."
You followed the man behind this booth to stand infront of a large enclosure with snakes "why aren't they displayed if they are beautiful?
you put your fingers up the the glass to outline a black snake with a dark red belly and a orange stripe wrapping around it neck.
"Yes that's one is a blue-eyed beauty a ring necked snake yes.. but they aren't normal snakes they lack some features that replaced by new features which is odd so I dont think I will display them out so easily..."
You saw purple scales only to actually focus on it and saw a head sticking out of all the leaves and branches "oh hey little buddy-"
It quickly slithers away ignoring you.( damn.. wait a minute)
" why is he purple? Never saw one before. And aren't they supposed to be in separate enclosure, they might eat each other"
"Well the other thing is- yes they not might the same species they get together quite nicely exept for two of them but the others stop them along with because they are not that friendly with humans well their supposed to but this ones are violent..sometimes. They were actually abuse which is why they are odd looking and why that one is purple.." im guessing some lunatic experimented with them which is why they are like this."
"Can i hold one of them?
Oh of course but not the purple one it can be most aggressive and sanitation cones first!"
He grabbed a bottle of sanitizer then squirted to your hands.
Feeling the slimy texture you lather it on your hands and little bit on your lower arms.
As soon as he opens a little window 2 snakes came out- a white rattlesnake and snake with grayish scales but have a blue dot pattern over it body. (That resembles a blue bonnet rattlesnake but the thing is blue bonnets snakes don't exist it was proven to be a hoax..)
"I know what your thinking but this is a common blue Gartnersnake not the fake blue bonnet this is also from experiments... im guessing whoever did this try to replicate one."
(Oh. You swear you saw the tail was a rattle now it a normal slim tail )
"Even though they act like family sometimes they can still be savage to each other and steal their food. Even if they are adults and typically eat once few weeks these guys need to eat every few days 3 times a week.
Maybe fast metabolism?
Could be but im not too sure
But these two immediately came here must mean their hungry and that the green one stole their lunch again.."
The man walked to a table where it had tools instead he grab a tweezer to grab a
Dead mice he turn around heading to the enclosure.
"Come on what you waiting for? Scoop one of them up don't grip the head or tail used both hands to support the weight for the middle. Im feeding one at a time because who knows who lurking waiting to steal."
You slowly Enter your hands through the enclosure and scoop the blue Gartnersnake that doesn't look like a gartnersnake but you cant judge. It wasn't aggressive really, just looked and you and open it mouth wide showing it's fangs that did creep you out since it open a little crooked but it did calmed down a bit when you didn't move for a while
"Well this one does surprise me he likes to be clean and is usually organized wherever he is. Quite patient if you ask me but he can be angry when the others are fighting or bothering him quite talented too my wife calls him bill since he only responds with that name"
" a distinguish gentleman if you ask me"
You start to walk slowly heading to the table where the man was at then placed him down to a cage were soon he will be fed.
Going back to the enclosure you continue your small talk looking at the man's back
"If you dont mind me asking which ones are always fighting..uh they multiplied..."
When you turn your head around to the enclosure the snakes multiplied now they were four all looking up at you.
(Please dont jump me)
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY MULTIPLIED- oh well that's the whole family for ya. They must be worried about the other one because we took him. Take one at a time I'll regroup them over here"
You did the process again but end up getting the black snake you saw earlier
(It bigger than uhh I forgot..bill snake!)
It didn't do much just stared at you it look like it didn't mind what you were doing so you just walk normally to the table
"Ahh..this one is a ring-necked snake it is quite a beauty with its black scales but a vibrant red belly we dont have a name for this dude but one thing for sure he likes to explore and plants/herbs one time my wife was feeding them and somehow he got tangled in her hair. Turns out he was attracted to the rosemary smell that my wife was washing her hair with.
(A herbalist?...doctor?..he fits the name with his black scales)
Alright let me get the others..."
There were three left a grape a white and a green
"Who wants to go? "
The green one stick it's tongue out to you then continue tried climbing up the glass. without thinking you boop it's nose, stunned it stayed there slowly slithering back but you took this opportunity to scoop it up and ran to the table where it stayed. "This one is a smooth green snake with a beautiful belly You head back to scoop the white snake since it was one of the first to arrive and was very patient but the purple rattlesnake jump in so you decided to pick that one up and he didn't quite like that since his rattle started moving fast
So you quickly put it back to the enclosure
"Hey man uhh the purple rattlesnake is going off.
Hmm? Oh let me get it then just watch these other ones"
The man got thick gloves and put on a jacket that also looks armored "could never be too safe" he chuckled.
(While he's doing that I need to watch the other ones)
You look at the snakes to see the green snake circling the black one that was curled and the blue Gartnersnake minding its business but then it looks up at you
[Why are you still here? No one stays this long]
Huh?
(Now this time you heard clearly.)
You heard footsteps behind you he had the snake just.. with a snake hook
"This one is quite fiesty but he calmed down at least. You can get the last one or I'll do it..
No! No! I'll do it, it's the least I can do
You rapidly head to the enclosure once more and see the white snake no where to be found so you start looking through the glass to see his head poke out of a decor hideaway
"Oh hey little guy can you come out here please. I promise I will be gentle with you- you are a pretty- wait....ARE THESE ALL MALES"
A Muffled yea returned to you.
"Oh..a handsome boy-no a man you are a adult."
It's golden eyes followed your every movement slowly slithering out of its spot. Instead of scooping it up you put your hand on the bottom of the enclosure as a result he was climbing up your arm coiling around tightly.
You slowly move your arm then move to the table
"The last one,
Oh? How did you get him to be up your arm like that he may be the most behaved one but he isn't quite expressive easily. Here let me help you get it off" he murmured but the snake wouldn't budge easily. Each time he gets pulled he climbs up more further and tighter...
It wasn't untill the purple rattlesnake for some reason rattle started going off that it let's itself get picked off.
The man chuckled-"this purple grape one is like the mother of the group even though he is the second youngest out of them and this white beauty is a albino western diamond-back just look at those golden eyes...
(Aren't diamond backs have some type of yellow with them? this one scales are only pure white as snow. Just might be a rare mutation)
Even if this one is a western snake I actually find these little guys in Brazil for some reason from a shady ass seller."
You inspect the white snake closer it had it nostrils and heat pits together
"So..? Will you adopt them?
Uhh..yes I will.. all 5 of them..they are a family after all.
Great! He continued to give you the names of the snakes
Harlequin, Jester, Bil, pierrot but stopped on the black snake.
"like I told you we don't have a name for him yet so I'll give you the honor.
What about doctor?
Thats a great name for him. I put them in a bucket.
..a bucket?
Yep those big ol' white ones and they just got fed so you dont have to feed them tomorow-like every other day if that makes sense. And here's my card if you need anything
Thanks man you're the boss!"
You ended walking home since it's too late now to get on a bus stop but you dont wanna get a Uber or taxi because you just might scare the poor driver. And worse of all one of the snakes keep trying to budge the lid open so you just heard thuds and stuff luckily the bucket had air holes on top of the lid so you can identify which snake is doing turns out there were two trying to get out doctor and pierrot.
"Hey behave! What do you want?"
(Great im talking to a snake im gonna get weird looks)
Pierrot was moving alot before it eye looked at you through the air pocket before he finally calmed down.
[HERBS]
You looked at another air pocket and it was doctor trying to be free..
"What do you want...
[HERBS]
What the fuck- now the voices are telling me herbs."
You kept walking ignoring the voice it sounded russian this time for some reason you saw a pink slim tongue tasting freedom-it was doctor on the side with the air pocket.
"What are you trying to reach?"
You look beside you and it was just a fence of rosemary
(Didn't that man said this snake got tangled in his wife's hair because she showered with rosemary)
You look around even tho it Hella dark with the sun setting then pluck 2 small pieces and try to put it through the airhole but it was too big with the leaves, only to put them in your pocket. Then sprint that probably startled the snakes because your pretty sure one bodyslam another, you arrived at your apartment. And put them in the enclosure to spend 5 minutes making sure there is no escape along that it is firmly locked.
Walking to your bathroom to feel cold tiles then the blue fluffy mats to see a blurry image of yourself and a large black shadow that scared you
(Was that my shadow? Damn..im gaining weight..nevermind that we gotta shower)
Grabbing the handle then twisting you heard a hissing sound but not from the shower you heard it beneath you.
(Did a snake go out?-no that can't be possible I made sure it was locked)
You quickly move around the bathroom hoping to see a scaley being but there wasn't none in sight. But then you notice your clothes moving so reasonably you grab the now heavy shirt and threw it to the shower which was made of glass but didn't hear anything break so you looked at the door instead.
..."was that my imagination? I should check the cage" right when you turn the door knob you heard a agonizing screech like the exaggerated chalk on a chalkboard sound behind you. You closed your eyes then turn to the shower
(Dont kill me..)
You slowly open your eyes but it was just you, your bathroom and doctor's body slowly sliding down the shower glass
"OH SHIT"
You quickly carefully plucked him from the glass and placed him next to the warm vent
(He looks unconscious hopefully he is and not dead. Let's go back to showering)
Time pass and it's like 2 am in your bathroom still waiting for this dude to wake up you checked up on the others multiple times and you guess the purple and blue one noticed it's long absence the creepy thing is.. you notice that they watch whenever you enter the bathroom.
Eventually doctor woke up but in the weirdest way possible you were sewing a patch from one of your clothes but accidentally scraped the needle too hard against your skin leading you to bleed a little so you wipe it with the same towel where doctor was placed but when you came back with a bandage he was awake licking up the blood left on the towel. At that point you should've left him there and now but he had his own objective since he quickly went to your clothes again to grab the rosemary you got earlier after that everything went by fast you plop him back to his family then explained the situation like a lunatic to the purple momma snake even tho it's a boy if they even understand
[YAOI]
"what the- anyways.."
then spend another 5 minutes making sure that it is firmly lock now your in your bed overthinking shit WHY DID YOU BUY ALL OF THEM...
[Ahem anyways..end this chapter]
" arh! Why do i keep hearing voices!"