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awkwardgtace · 3 years ago

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Snake In The Shed

More Dabria focus thanks to an idea from @alarcomet her oc Nutmeg gets to join the family. Fun Fact tumblr hates Dabria's name always thinks it's spelled wrong.

Snake In The Shed

“Dad!” Rhys screamed. Dabria jumped, sharing a concerned look with Vitus as they went to meet their son. He had his hands cupped tightly to his chest and it made her heart freeze. She got on her knees holding her hands out. Rhys put his sister in her hands and Dabria was quick to look for any injuries. “There’s a snake in the shed dad! Del wanted to explore and as I put her down I saw the tail. Dad, you have to get rid of it. What if it breaks in?”

“Rhys, calm down,” Vitus said. Dabria pulled her daughter close to her heart and started rubbing her back. Delphia was shaking, tears streaming down her face. Vitus got the grabber they used to help the kids down when they climbed too high and put a hand on their son’s shoulder. “We’re going to go get the snake and make sure we take it where someone can properly relocate it ok?”

Rhys nodded and Vitus started to leave. They both knew they had to take Rhys and Delphia with them to see the snake captured and moved somewhere. Rhys grabbed her shirt as they walked, he probably thought Delphia almost got hurt. Vitus didn’t like having to uproot the animals of the area, but they weren’t going to let their kids get hurt. They moved out here so they didn’t have to worry about being seen, they wouldn’t let anything trap them inside.

As they approached the shed Vitus turned to Rhys. The boy pointed to a corner and Dabria tightened her hold on Delphia. Vitus nodded and moved carefully, seeing a small tail he knew was a snake. He used the grabber to move slowly, hoping it wouldn’t notice. Once he was close enough he snapped the grabber closed around the tail and lifted it up. The three humans froze as he lifted what they thought was a normal snake up to find a human torso on the hidden half.

Everything changed for the two parents at that moment. Rhys latched on tighter and Vitus brought the half snake person closer. He let them off in his hand and cupped it close to his chest. Dabria couldn’t help the smile at how gentle he always was with the smaller people they met. The snake person was bigger than their kids mostly from their tail, but that was fine. Vitus abandoned the grabber completely once they were safely in his hand.

“Hey it’s ok, let’s head inside. Sorry for picking you up like that little one,” Vitus whispered. She smiled again, they were already going to be adopting another kid and they haven’t lived here long. They were hopeless, at least these kids weren’t.

“Come on, let’s get them inside and warm,” Dabria said. She started walking away, the way Rhys tugged on her shirt made it clear he wasn’t happy. He was so protective of his little sister, even though she was older than him by at least a few years. “It’s fine, let's just get them inside. It must be cold out here for them, Del you’re bundled up which just proves it.”

She heard Vitus chuckle a bit before he came up beside her. The little snake didn’t look relaxed. Their pink hair was a mess, it looked like it hadn’t been cared for in months at least. They had mismatched eyes, just like Ash, although they had one orange and one green. She gave them a smile when they noticed her gaze, but they just curled in on themself. That was a bit concerning. When they got back inside, Vitus sat at the table holding the little snake and she set Delphia down near him.

“Mom!” Rhys called out. He’d already cupped his hands around Delphia and gave her a fearful look. She gave him a look that she knew told him to take his hands from his sister. They may be part snake, but were at least partly human. There was no reason to act like they’d attack any of them.

She walked straight past the others who were watching a movie, one Luna picked based on how musical it was. She went straight to their stash of warm blankets. It was best to keep some at all times just in case one of their smaller kids got into a mess. She sought out the one she knew they all liked best, a bright yellow one that they said had the nicest material. It was already warm to her, that small snake person would probably feel better with this. She heard Sola screaming and rushed back.

She made a note of the now empty living room. That had to mean all of the kids had gone in. She walked in more surprised than she expected. Sola had screamed, but there was clearly excitement on her human daughter's face. Ash looked to be stoic, but she could see the curious look in their eyes. Alessia was in front of Delphia looking ready to fight. She frowned when she spotted Luna’s face poking out behind Delphia. Rhys was behind the three small kids, she saw his hands hovering near them. Vitus kept giving him sharp looks though.

“Here we go, I brought a warm blanket,” she announced. The smaller kids relaxed while the bigger ones kept their eyes going back and forth between their guest and herself.

She gently draped the blanket over the small snake person. She made sure to cover the tail first then spread it over their human shoulders. She smiled when a small hiss sounded and the mop of pink hair hid beneath the yellow blanket. She took the seat opposite Vitus, the three kids on the table came over to her. Luna switched from Delphia to hiding behind Dabria’s arm. She gave him a smile.

“Little one, could you tell us your name?” Vitus asked. Dabria leaned forward and heard some mumbles. She wanted to encourage the little snake, they were safe here.

“...nutmeg…she…uh, um,uh… I just…a mouse, and…the cold and… sorry” she answered. Dabria shared a look with Vitus then looked back at the little snake. So her name must be Nutmeg, unless she was asking for an herb.

“What did they say!?” Sola shouted. Dabria felt bad when Nutmeg curled up more in the blanket. She shared a look with Vitus again, he nodded at her.

“Ok, Mom is going to talk with our guest, let’s go back to the movie you were watching.” He offered a hand to the three near Dabria’s elbow. Luna climbed on with no hesitation, Delphia and Alessia only following once he’d sat down. Vitus pulled his hand close to his chest and she smiled at the way Luna leaned closer to him. He started to walk around with Ash and Sola following. Rhys intended to stay, but a single look told him he was going too.

Once they were alone Dabria rested her head on her arms and shifted a bit to be looking at the small girl they’d found. She still looked scared, but the lack of a crowd had probably helped. She kept a soft smile as she waited for her to seem ready to talk again. If she had to guess Nutmeg hid from the cold and had found a mouse to eat while out there. She sighed a bit, was that enough for her? She didn’t know much about snakes let alone half snakes. Seeing that Nutmeg didn’t seem to plan to speak she considered the best way to start.

“Nutmeg…” she murmured. The girl jumped and wide eyes met her own red. “That’s your name right? I couldn’t catch everything you said though.”

“That’s it…” Nutmeg said. Her voice was just barely audible. Dabria smiled despite that, she answered at least.

“It’s a nice name. Nutmeg, you said something about a mouse, were you trying to catch something to eat?” Nutmeg nodded and Dabria hummed. “Was that enough for you? Do you need something more to eat?” A quick shake of the little snake’s head. She nodded a bit.

“Sorry. I’m sorry. I’ll leave…” The voice was so full of pain she couldn’t handle it herself. She just wanted to pull Nutmeg close to comfort her.

“You said something about the cold, were you in the shed to get away from it?” Another tiny nod. “Hmm, I guess I’m glad we found you. It wouldn’t be too warm out there once the sun went down. I’m sorry Rhys scared you when he came to get us. All he saw was your tail and thought you were just a snake. He gets protective of the smaller members of our family.”

“...I won’t come back…” Dabria could just barely see the shaking on the small form in front of her. She hated this, they’d let Nutmeg stay as long as she needed. Get her home if she needed help getting there.

“Nutmeg, you don’t have to worry. You aren’t in any trouble. Just try to get warm.” A yawn escaped the small girl. Her fangs were barely visible and a reminder of the hidden tail. “Why don’t you rest little one? You’ll be safe here.”

She watched as another yawn escaped Nutmeg. She must be exhausted. Dabria decided to start humming a small tune. She hoped it would start to calm Nutmeg and it seemed to work. She watched the mismatched eyes slowly close as Nutmeg fought to keep them open. She kept a warm smile on her face as she watched her finally lose the battle. Nutmeg set her head on her arms before her eyes closed for what seemed to finally be sleep. Dabria kept humming for a bit longer.

It took a few minutes before Nutmeg seemed to shiver under the blanket. Dabria kept her movements slow as she reached for it. The warmth was gone already. She bit her lip only hesitating for a moment before slipping her hands around the little snake. She scooped Nutmeg into her hands and held her close. She could still feel how cold the little snake was. She couldn’t ignore that, and planned to head up to her own bedroom. She pulled Nutmeg closer, she snuggled against Dabria’s chest.

Dabria kept her steps steady as she walked out to the stairs. Vitus was leaning back against the couch. Their tiny kids in his hands that laid on his lap. The other three lay against him, sleeping. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, nodding when he saw the yellow bundle in her arms. Dabria continued on her way up the stairs and shut herself in her bedroom. She sat on her bed, leaning back and resting Nutmeg over her heart. Nutmeg nestled closer to her chest again and seemed to relax more. At least she’d have a warm place to sleep for now.

Dabria hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but squirming on her chest woke her up. She opened her eyes and looked down, expecting to see Luna climbing on her. The scared eyes of a girl with pink hair shook the remnants of sleep from her mind. She offered a small smile to the little snake not moving or even acting like she’d noticed the squirming. Dabria moved a hand up to try and calm the snake girl down. The way she froze spoke volumes.

“Did you sleep well, Nutmeg?” she asked. “Are you warm enough now?”

“Yes… I’m sorry. I-” Nutmeg started. Dabria was gentle as she started to sit up. She held Nutmeg close before she finally stopped moving.

“Nutmeg, you don’t need to be sorry.” Dabria used a finger to make Nutmeg keep looking at her face. It looked like she needed a lot more to eat than the mouse if she did catch it. “You’re safe here, you don’t have to be scared. You can stay here too. If you want to go out to the shed again we’ll let you and we can set up a warm place for you there too. If you have somewhere you need to get back to I can help you back.”

“...I don’t have anywhere to go…” Dabria hugged her a bit to her chest, trying to offer the best comfort she could. There would be an adjustment period, but that happened with each kid they took in.

“You do now, sweetheart. You don’t have to leave. You probably saw how strange our little family is, some that are bigger than you and some a bit smaller because of your tail. You can join our family here.” She watched as Nutmeg played with the frayed tips of her hair. This wasn’t a decision to make lightly and she knew that. None of their smaller kids joined their family easily, even now they still had some fears that wouldn’t go away. “I have an idea. How about we get you cleaned up and take care of your hair then talk about it over dinner?”

Nutmeg just nodded so Dabria tightened her grip again before heading to the bathroom. They’d gotten a set up here for the smaller kids she could use to help Nutmeg with her hair. First the girl deserved a warm bath, and she’d get to enjoy it. She decided to fill up the sink rather than what the others normally used. Nutmeg’s tail shouldn’t have to be kept coiled up while she got cleaned up. She started the water checking it until it got warm, then holding Nutmeg close to the stream.

“Is this a good temperature?” she asked. Nutmeg reached out with her tail and Dabria thought it was cute. She let it rest under the water and Dabria felt the little snake melt. “I’m going to take that as a yes, let’s fill up the sink and you can relax while I work on your hair ok?”

Nutmeg nodded and Dabria tried to give a reassuring smile to her. It only took a few minutes for the sink to fill enough. Once it happened Dabria tilted her hands and let Nutmeg slide off and settle into the warm water. She chuckled when Nutmeg slid down just her eyes were above the water. She gave her a little time while she got out the smaller brushes they’d worked out could be used with the smaller kids’ hair. It might not be comfortable while she works out the knots, but Nutmeg would certainly feel better after it.

“Alright Nutmeg,” she said. The little snake jumped a bit before turning to face her, she slid down a bit more just barely keeping her eyes from being totally submerged. “I need you to dunk your head under the water then come up high enough I can work out the knots in your hair, ok?”

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Nutmeg disappeared under the warm water. Dabria trusted she was just doing as she’d asked, but did worry as the time under seemed to drag on. Finally, Nutmeg was back up and looking up at her with fear. She offered a warm smile before the little snake finally came close enough and turned so her hair was facing Dabria. Dabria gasped seeing it clearly now, it was worse than she’d thought.

“Ok, this isn’t going to feel great at first. Once it’s done it’ll feel a lot better though. Can you trust me on this?” she asked.

“...ok…” Nutmeg answered. She could tell she wanted her hair fixed too.

“Thank you Nutmeg.”

Dabria started slowly, working out what she could with her fingers. It wasn’t easy to do this with the others and Nutmeg’s was a much worse level. She couldn’t just have the girl cut it off or ask the others to help right now. Nutmeg needed to know she was safe before trying to get her to talk to everyone else again. Dabria grabbed the smallest brush they’d found that could work on their hair. She took a deep breath before starting her work in earnest.

It took some time to get the smaller knots out from the ends, but Nutmeg didn’t say anything. She bit her lip as she neared the worst of it, a large knot that had the beautiful pink hair bunched up near her neck. As she started to work it out Nutmeg yelped and she started to whisper sorry. She had to be forceful here, but keep her strength in check for her small charge. A few times she dipped her hand in the water and poured some over the parts of Nutmeg’s hair she freed. A bit more time and a lot more mumbles of sorry and she was finally seeing the full length of Nutmeg’s hair.

She brushed through it a few times, keeping the movements steady and slow just in case. Her hair was finally smooth and needed to be washed, but it was a big improvement. As she kept her gentle checks going she noticed Nutmeg start to play with the ends. Her hair reached all the way to where her human torso met her snake tail. Dabria dipped her hand in the water one more time to pour it carefully over Nutmeg’s head.

“There we go, do you mind if I take care of getting some shampoo in and helping wash it out?” she asked. Nutmeg turned to her with a look she couldn’t describe and shook her head. She smiled and reached over to the small bottles they’d set up for the others to get some shampoo out of. She squeezed some out and then a little body wash onto her other hand. She brought that one closer to Nutmeg. “I’ll get your hair, you get the rest, sound good?”

Nutmeg nodded and Dabria let a big smile spread across her face. She started up the water again, letting the sink drain a bit as they started to clear off the grime Nutmeg accumulated. She let her get her skin cleaned before starting to work out the grime that had settled in her hair. The little snake seemed to love it, leaning into Dabria’s touch. She smiled as she kept gently massaging the shampoo through the pink locs.

It didn’t take long, but while Nutmeg seemed so happy she kept going. Once the sink emptied enough that she worried her little snake might get cold she finally moved Nutmeg under the water. She started from the ends before gently helping Nutmeg lay back. She didn’t even have to ask for her eyes to be closed. Before long all the grime was gone and she could see just how nice Nutmeg’s hair would be once dry. She pulled her hands away to grab the smallest blow dryer they’d been able to find and start warming up a towel.

“That’s a lot better, why don’t I blow dry your hair?” she asked. Nutmeg just nodded, it seemed like she just wanted whatever was happening to keep going.

There was a beep behind her and Dabria grabbed the freshly warmed towel. She turned the water off quickly to avoid getting Nutmeg hit with the cold as it ended. She picked her up with two hands placing her on the warm towel that was far too large. She folded it over her tail and helped to wrap it around her shoulders. Then had her sit on the edge of the sink so she could start to dry her hair. This part never took long with the smaller kids, but she would let it go for a while so Nutmeg could enjoy the warmth. She only stopped when Nutmeg started to doze off again.

“There we go, all cleaned up now. How are you feeling after that?” she asked. Nutmeg blinked away the sleep before thinking about it. She reached an arm out of the towel to feel her hair and her eyes went wide.

“...it’s so soft,” she murmured. Dabria nodded, opening her mouth to speak again. The moment ruined when a knock on the door sounded making Nutmeg burrow into the towel.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me,” Vitus answered. “I wanted to see how things were going.”

“One second.” She turned to Nutmeg and lowered her voice enough only she could hear. “Can he come in?” There was silence before her small head poked out and nodded. “Come in honey.”

Vitus came in and shut the door behind him. They’d both done this enough to know to keep the others out while talking to a new and small person. He knelt next to the sink, but kept a bit of distance. She smiled, he was nervous about talking to the little snake. He always thought he looked scary and this time it didn’t help that he'd caught her in the shed. They both waited as Nutmeg seemed to build up courage to look at him, hopefully she knew he wasn’t cruel or scary.

“I’m sorry for grabbing you like that,” he whispered. “If I’d known you weren’t a normal snake I would have just spoken to you like a person. Are you feeling better?”

“I’m sorry…” she said. Vitus and Dabria shared a look, but weren’t going to stop her this time. “Thank you for letting me sleep, but I am just a normal snake. I’ll leave and won’t bother any of you again.”

“I’m pretty sure all the normal snakes I’ve met can’t talk to me.” Dabria smiled, he was good at this part. “As far as I’m concerned you’re a person who happens to also be part snake. You don’t have to be sorry, we’re sorry for scaring you.”

“B-but, I was hunting in that place…” Dabria used a finger to turn Nutmeg’s face. She held her eyes for a few seconds just making sure Nutmeg could read her expression.

“If they hadn’t noticed you would you have hurt any of our kids who are small like you?” she asked. Nutmeg’s eyes went wide and she started shaking her head and waving her arms.

“No! I would never eat a person!” Vitus and Dabria shared a smile.

“Then there’s nothing to be sorry about, why don’t you tell us what you eat and I’ll run to the store to make sure we have what you need? We can help you home or you can be on your way once it’s warmed up a bit, is that alright?” Vitus was always quick to run out and get everything their new family members needed. She had to try not to laugh at him.

“I don’t have a home…” Dabria acted fast, pulling Nutmeg up off the sink and holding her close.

“You do with us if you want to stay. We have plenty of room and moved out here so the kids closer to your size could have more freedom moving around.”

“I scare them though…” Vitus sighed, she gave him a look. Of course they were scared, but they wouldn’t let anyone who’d hurt them stay.

“It’s ok Nutmeg, they’ll get used to you, it'll just take a bit of time. You’re as safe here as they are, no one gets to hurt you.”

“I can really stay?” Dabria and Vitus shared another look with matching smiles.

“Of course.”

The next few minutes was Nutmeg admitting slowly the things she needs and can eat. They’d both need to look into more about snakes in general. Neither had much interest in them before, but they’d make sure they knew everything she’d need. It was decided Vitus would head out in the morning, for now Nutmeg would also sleep with Dabria again for the night. Vitus gave them that space and went to sleep down stairs where all the kids could reach him if something happened. It wasn’t an awful night, but Dabria stayed up half expecting Nutmeg to slip away during the night if she didn’t.

The next morning they tried introductions again. Ash and Sola were fine, both more interested in what Nutmeg’s life was like than anything else. She couldn’t blame them. Luna still hid behind Delphia who tried to sound confident about meeting Nutmeg, Alessia was standoffish. Rhys kept a glare on her that she knew Vitus would wind up addressing later. It was easier for him to talk with Rhys usually. Nutmeg stayed close to her as all the kids just stared at her. She put a hand down near her, smiling a bit when small hands grabbed one of her fingers.

“Alright, this is Nutmeg, she’s going to be part of our family now,” she announced. The look of betrayal from Alessia and Delphia broke her heart. “She’s part coral snake, your dad went to get some of what we’ll be needing for her. I’d like you all to help her get used to our home.”

“Nice to meet you…” Nutmeg whispered. Dabria offered her a soft smile.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Ash,” they said. She was so proud of them, they were always happy to accept their new family members. Nutmeg perked up when Ash introduced themself.

“I’m Sola, what’s it like being part snake?” Sola asked. Dabria sighed, her human sized daughter was a bit too curious at times.

“It’s cold a lot.” Sola nodded solemnly hearing that. Offering her hands out to Nutmeg.

“I’ll help you stay warm when you need it!” Nutmeg’s eyes went wide and she looked up at Dabria as if there was some special thing she should do. Dabria just offered her an encouraging smile, Sola would help her feel like part of their family quickly.

“Thank you.” Nutmeg smiled up at Sola and it made Dabria feel a lot better.

Unfortunately Rhys just put a hand down near Delphia and Luna. Delphia didn’t move, keeping a steady gaze trained on Nutmeg. Luna had started to show some interest in her, that had to be good. He stepped ahead of Delphia, taking a few steps closer to her. She smiled as he started to take in her tail. He didn’t have quite as many fears as Delphia and Alessia did. Delphia had been sheltering him from most of the lessons she’s shared with them.

“I’m sorry Nutmeg, I have to go study for an exam. We can talk more later,” Ash said. They started walking away, but Sola followed after them quickly.

“Wait! Ash, you promised to help me before you studied!” Sola shouted and the two were gone before Dabria could stop them.

“I need to go after them and make sure Sola lets Ash study. Start getting to know each other. I'll be back in a bit,” she said and left. She didn’t love leaving them alone while Rhys was glaring at her like that, but Ash’s test was too important to leave Sola after them.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rhys wouldn’t let this snake near any of his small siblings. She could live here if his parents wanted, but he didn’t have to trust her. He would keep an eye on all their interactions. Even now, just the snake on the table and his siblings within striking distance. He kept a glare on her even as Luna started to approach her tail. He moved his hand holding him back a bit before he could touch her tail. Luna looked up at him confused, but he kept a glare on her.

“It’s ok for him to touch my tail, I don’t mind,” the snake girl said. He made a face, but didn’t move his hand from in front of Luna. He wouldn’t let his little brother get hurt.

“So what do you eat?” Alessia asked. Rhys swallowed, he didn’t like seeing this snake focusing on his family.

“Mice if I can catch them, or other small animals like that.” He noticed the way Alessia and Delphia tensed. He didn’t want to just pick them up, he knew they hated that. He didn’t want to leave them so close to the snake either.

“Things our size?” Delphia chimed in. The snake seemed to jump at the suggestion. He didn’t trust it. He thought he heard the door open and wanted to go see, but he couldn’t leave them like this.

“Well…. Yes, but never a person. I can’t imagine hurting someone like that.”

“You’re a liar,” Rhys said. He thought he heard the sound of bags rustling. “You’re just hoping to get some easy meals here before disappearing after hurting our family. I won’t let you and-”

“Rhys!” Vitus yelled. He winced, slowly turning to face his dad as he stood in the doorway. He hated when his dad gave him that look, but he was just keeping his family safe. He pouted as he came up and turned to face the snake that sat on the table. “Go to your room. Now!”

He shuffled away, upset when his dad gave him the look that said he couldn’t take any of his siblings. They were all so calm about this snake it didn’t make sense. She could kill them in a second and they’d be gone. Rhys tried not to let the tears start before he was out of the room. He didn’t go upstairs though, he hid outside to listen in on how they all talked. He wouldn’t just ignore it.

“I’m sorry for yelling, did I scare any of you too badly?” his dad asked. He wanted to be like him someday, but he couldn’t understand just accepting a snake like that. “Nutmeg, I’m sorry. You don’t have to cry, I can go get Dabria if that would help.”

“I-I should leave. I’m sorry. I knew I was scary and I’m not safe. I-I don’t want to hurt anyone,” he heard the snake crying. She can’t be crying, she wasn’t supposed to be nice.

“You really won’t hurt us?” Delphia’s voice always seemed louder than the others. There wasn’t any noise, but he had a feeling he knew what happened. “Then I’ll trust you, we all will. It’ll just take some time. It wasn’t easy when we first met mom and dad either, right Luna?”

Luna was always too quiet to hear from other rooms, but it didn’t matter. He was an idiot, he’d never be like his dad at this rate. He couldn’t see past her being a snake, a danger to his family. His mom and dad never acted like the others needed to be kept safe. It was something he did, he had to keep care of all of his family. They were so small and everything else was huge. He can’t just abandon them like this. He jumped when a shadow came over him and looked up to see his dad glaring at him.

He started to walk away, but a hand grabbed his shoulder and he stopped. He turned to face his dad, but wouldn’t look in his eyes. He just wanted to help keep everyone safe. A snake wasn’t safe, even when they were maybe part person. He sniffled and started crying as his dad pulled him into a hug. He just sniffled waiting for the lecture and punishment. He hated this.

“Rhys,” Vitus murmured while patting Rhys’s head. “I know you want to keep them safe, but they were on their own a long time before we took them in. Don’t you remember how scared Delphia and Luna were when they met you? Just like then, we wouldn’t risk their safety on a hunch.”

“But they’re so small and everything else is-” Rhys tried. Vitus stopped him with a look.

“They’re small, but Delphia and Alessia were trained by their birth parents. They’ll keep Luna safe when he’s ready to learn more too. Rhys you need to trust me and your mom to keep them safe. You need to trust they can defend themselves if something bad does get by us, and we’ll help them from everything else we can.”

“...she hates me now…” His dad laughed, pulling away. He stood back up bags in each hand.

“The others are going to help me set up Nutmeg in their room, why don’t you apologize and try to show her you care. Your mom and I both know you’ll protect her as fiercely as Delphia, Luna, and Alessia.”

Rhys nodded and just watched as his dad walked away. He poked his head around the door to see how the four smaller members of his family were interacting. Luna was on Nutmeg’s tail and seemed enthralled by how it felt. Delphia and Alessia both looked a bit nervous, but weren’t as on edge as when they first met him. It almost hurt, but maybe it was just because they felt safer now. It could also be because they know how to defend against someone close to their size. He had to make sure he made it up to her, he was wrong. His dad walked past him back into the kitchen offering a hand to his three small full human siblings.

“Alright, these three will help me get you set up. Rhys is going to help you with anything you need while we do that ok?” Vitus asked.

Nutmeg looked over at the door turning away quickly, but still nodded. His dad left with his siblings held close to his chest and walked away without pausing. Rhys shuffled back up to the table. Of course now he scares her, he messed up so badly. He’d been just as bad with Delphia and Luna. He tried to think of what to say, but his mind was blank. He didn’t want her to hate him, even if she still made him nervous so close to his family. He opened his mouth, but terrified eyes looked up at him, freezing his words.

“I can still leave!” Nutmeg shouted. “I know they said I can stay, but-”

“No!” Rhys said. He didn’t mean to be so loud and grimaced when Nutmeg flinched. “I’m sorry, I was wrong… Everyone just acted like you weren’t part snake and I guess I missed the part of you that’s part person. I won’t be mean like that again I promise.”

“No, it’s ok. I know I’m not what people usually like…” He noticed she was shivering a little. He got an idea and ran off without a word, just hoping she’d wait. He rushed into his room pulling on a hoodie with a big front pocket then ran back to the kitchen. Nutmeg just looked confused and a bit scared.

“I’m your brother now so I need to make sure you’re safe just like the others. I thought snakes were really cool until I found out they could hurt my family. It’s kind of cool having a half snake sister.” He started, he held his hands out in front of her. She’d probably say no, but he’s trying. “If you’re cold, I thought you could hang out in my hoodie pocket. I can keep my hands in there too to try and keep you warm too. We can just go watch a movie while they set everything up.”

“Really?”

Rhys nodded and Nutmeg came forward with no hesitation. She slithered into his hands and he held open the pocket. She moved faster than he expected curling up in the center. He smiled, he could get used to a sister like this. He put one hand in the pocket and froze up as her tail wrapped around his wrist. He took careful steps until he sat down in front of the T.V. and turned on one of Luna’s favorite movies. He always liked happy endings and musicals, something made Rhys think Nutmeg would too. He put his other hand into the pocket, laying it in a way that she could pop her head out if she wanted.

He could hear his dad talking a bit from the other room. A lot of ‘are you sure’s and he’s proud of them. Seems like the ones most nervous are all trying to be brave. He’d keep her safe though, he hurt her once and he won’t do it again. He won’t let anyone else be mean to her either, she was so quick to give him another chance. She’ll feel like part of their family in no time.

#OC:Vitus #OC:Dabria #gt #giant/tiny #g/t #g/t writing #giant tiny #gt writing #gianttiny #OC:Seer/Delphia #OC:Rhys #OC:Sola #OC:Luna #OC:Ash #OC:Alessia #friends ocs #eris OC:Nutmeg

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