Cohost writing prompt: @Making-up-Mech-Pilots — Mech Pilot with a giant pet snake
"Why did you even have the damn snake in your cockpit, Em?"
"He likes it! You know the alcove at the back, where the core exchanger heatpipes split to wrap around the cockpit attachment shock anchors? The one that's the wrong shape to store anything useful in? It's lovely and warm, so he likes to curl up in there and go to sleep."
"So where is he now?"
"I guess he didn't like the noise when you were shotblasting the old fireproofing glaze off her feet," Emlyn says glumly, running a finger round the back of her head, under the strap of her goggles. "All the vent grilles perished to nothing years ago — you know how the plastic goes — so I think he went..."
"Down between the fucking heatpipes? Fucksake, Em, that's a total core stripdown! Can't you just — rattle a bag of snake treats, or something?"
"Snake treats? Have you ever heard of snake treats? He's not a cat. No, I fucking can't — he eats maybe once a week."
As they're hanging over the cockpit lip, staring at the dark mechanical pores of the pilot ventilation system, a cheery voice drifts up from the foot of the access ladder. "You know, whatever problem you've got, I bet you could solve it in seconds with a monomolecular knife—"
Emlyn narrows her eyes. "Be right back," she says darkly, hefting a wrench.