This One Has Been On The List For A While. And I Havent Done It Until Now For A Very Special Reason.

This one has been on the list for a while. And I haven’t done it until now for a very special reason. I’m sure you will find out what that reason is very soon.

Edit: the reason.

But yeah, this one made my cold dead heart happy. Pets and snuggles galore! But who exactly is getting and giving these pets and snuggles? Read and find out!

Enough rambling, Naga time!

Nagito recalled all he had said the previous night with perfect clarity. He knew he had finally told Hajime verbally and explicitly that he ‘loved’ him. And because of previous reactions to his advances, he was sure that the brunette would need a little time to process this. Probably in his home on his own. So Nagito didn’t fret when morning came and Hajime was nowhere to be seen.

But that didn’t stop him from inquiring about him to his twin. “I trust he is doing alright in there. Flustered?”

Izuru had come out with a mug of tea, ready for the day with his hair tied back. “Correct. I suspect he didn’t expect your boldness. Though he really should have seen this coming.”

“Ah, so he told you? Do you approve?” the naga asked, tilting his head.

“I do. You are a good match for him. Though I might not feel those kinds of sensations myself, I understand that this makes my brother happy. And that’s all I want to see.”

Nagito smiled, his fangs in view. “I appreciate it. It means so much to hear that from you. I’ll do my best to ensure he continues to be happy.”

Izuru nodded. “See that you do.”

A few moments passed between them, Izuru taking a sip of his tea. Then Nagito backed up a bit to begin ascending. “I will need to go scent the border of my forest today. I shall be back by your lunchtime. Could you tell Hajime this? And tell him not to worry.”

The red eyed human hummed as he watched the giant creature rise above him. “Very well. I’ll inform him. I expect he will be anxiously awaiting your return. Travel safe.”

With a small wave, Nagito began slithering away to his forest. He kept his smile up even as he faced away and when he crossed the forest boundary. How could he not? He was so happy. And he didn’t think much could bring his mood down.

And he was correct. The hours he spent navigating through his woods were full of positive feelings as he accomplished his set task. He tried to be thorough in his scenting ever since the clash with the gray naga. And it seemed to have worked with keeping more potentially dangerous creatures at bay. Sonia was the exception, as she had proved to be a valuable friend. But he was fulfilling his promise to his beloved, making sure his territory was properly marked.

He had nearly finished by early afternoon, proud of himself for the speed and efficiency of his work. He couldn’t wait to boast to the humans of his good job and receive the well deserved praise. However, his premature celebration was interrupted by a strange scent. One he had never encountered before.

He lowered himself to the ground, silencing all movements as he observed. What could this creature be? And so close to the human road, too. Not many creatures dared to come this far, so he was perplexed by this creature’s choice in location. Although, the scent seemed to get stronger by the second, indicating that it was approaching. It smelled young, so most likely not a threat. So Nagito simply waited and watched.

Sure enough, the creature came bounding through the bushes, bumping into his face with a startled whimper.

Blinking in surprise, Nagito pulled back to observe what had run into him. It looked like… a dog? At least, that’s what he thought it was from Hajime’s previous descriptions of the species. It was light brown and quite small, so it was probably a puppy. It didn’t look to have any injuries and was walking just fine. In fact, it’s composure was fine as well. It barked excitedly, wagging its tail at a rapid pace as it looked at him.

“No fear, huh? You certainly are a brave little one,” Nagito whispered. His voice excited the puppy more, who ran up to him and placed its paws on his cheek. It reached forward and licked him over and over again. And just like that, Nagito found himself completely endeared to the young dog.

“You are… so adorable. I love you already. Hey, how about you come with me to Hajime’s house? There’s food and water there,” he asked the puppy, receiving a happy yap in response.

He was grateful that the forest edge wasn’t far away. Only a few minutes of traveling. The puppy wasn’t exhausted by the time they made it. The little one had eagerly followed him, keeping up while yipping. And soon, both the naga and the puppy were in the sunlight. Glancing over to the human’s home, he saw both of the twins out on the patio. And they had for sure noticed him.

Once he was close enough, he waved to them. “Please come over! I have someone for you to meet!”

This piqued their interests, so they put down their drinks and made their way over, though Izuru kept ahold of his yogurt container. Both widened their eyes in surprise when they saw the brown puppy running around the naga.

“Nagito, where did you find a puppy?” Hajime asked with bewilderment. It seemed like this event had overridden the possibility to be flustered.

“It was near the fence line that is close to the road! I’m not sure why. I couldn’t smell any more dogs. So I think it was on its own.”

Izuru and Hajime exchanged a very quick glance, as if they knew something. But Izuru returned his gaze to the puppy who was now at their feet. “May I do a quick examination? I would like to determine its health and overall condition.”

Nagito nodded, lowering himself onto his stomach again. “Please do! I want to make sure it’s okay.”

Thus, Izuru got to work. He looked over the puppy with a keen eye, petting it and allowing it to eat his yogurt while doing so. Hajime joined the naga while this was going on, leaning against the soft cheek. “What to do now? I didn’t think this would ever occur while living here.”

Nagito raised one of his hands to hug the human to his cheek. “Can we keep it? Please? It’s so cute and friendly! Can it stay with us? Please? Please?” he begged, doing his best to convince the human.

Hajime’s cheeks reddened at the closeness, which he would have teased about if he wasn’t pleading to keep the puppy. But his efforts paid off, as Hajime sighed. “I… guess we can. Izuru and I can go get supplies in a bit.” He looked over to his brother, who had allowed the puppy to run back over to them. “What’s the diagnosis?”

Izuru brushed the dirt off his knees before standing. “A wolf dog. Female. No sign of injuries or illnesses. A bit underweight, but not dangerously so. A good temperament, too. And she clearly feels comfortable around people, be it human or naga.”

“A little girl, huh? A precious sweetheart. Yes, you are,” Nagito cooed, carefully petting the soft fur with a finger. In response, the puppy flopped over onto her back, exposing her belly for more pets.

Hajime laughed a bit, joining him in petting the puppy. “So, now that she’s going to be living with us, what shall we call her?”

Nagito hummed as he pulled his hand back slightly to curl around the wolf dog. “I don’t know! Can you choose for me?”

“What? You’re making me choose. Ugh… I’m bad at this kinda stuff. But fine. Hmmm…” Hajime repositioned himself so that he was laying in the shawl, getting comfortable as he thought. The puppy rolled back onto her feet, jumping up to lick his face. The brunette laughed a bit as he pulled the dog off of him. “Huh, she has a clover sticking out of her fur. And it’s a four leaf clover. Man, she’s just as lucky as you. Oh wait. That’s an option. What about Clover as a name?”

“Clover. It’s very cute. Very fitting for our little girl,” Nagito said cheerfully. “You are now Clover, and this is your new home.”

The puppy barked and spun in a circle. She clearly was overjoyed.

Izuru cleared his throat from where he was standing. “The name is finalized, correct? Then I shall go procure the necessary items from the store. I have memorized her sizes and shall have a collar made for her. Hajime, you may stay here and bond with Clover. I shall head out now.” The raven haired human turned abruptly and headed to his car, getting in and driving off with no additional words.

The three watched his car disappear, a bit surprised, but not too shocked. This was typical Izuru behavior. So they settled back down, relaxing in the warm sun.

“Thank you, Hajime. I feel like we are building a little family now. It makes me so happy,” Nagito spoke quietly, watching as Clover wiggled her way under his hand and popped her little face up close to his nose.

“Y-yeah. I'm glad you are.” Hajime pet the neck near him tenderly, the motions so soft and full of care. “Hey, about what you said last night… I do feel the same. I just… can’t say it aloud as easily. Give me some time, I’ll try to work up to it, okay?”

Nagito’s smile grew so wide. “This moment could not be more perfect. I am truly the luckiest naga. And yes, I can wait forever. Please take your time. I’ll be here.”

Hajime pet his skin a final time before relaxing back into the shawl around him. He would likely fall asleep there, as he had in the past. Nagito was more than fine with this. He had his treasures here with him, both of which loved him back. He couldn’t possibly ask for more. So he too relaxed, closing his eyes as his family soaked up the sun’s warmth.

Masterpost

Lighthouse au!!! Let’s gooooo!!!

Man oh man do I love this au. It’s so much fun. Don’t you all agree?

Also, there’s fanart for the last SCP I did. Here it is!

Hajime sometimes had a really hard time believing that the people he worked for were intelligent. Why? Because they had such reckless ideas and orders that they expected to be carried out. In spite of previous experiences suggesting that it wasn’t a smart idea.

Such as the instructions he had just been given.

“Hinata. You are to bring Izuru Kamukura down to Lab 15. He is to undergo a physical exam in front of us. You will assist by staying in the room with him as damage control. Understand?”

Outside, he simply nodded and replied, “Yes, sir.” But internally, he chastised them for their poor decision making skills. Had they not learned to not test the limits of what the Ultimate Hope could accomplish? Fools, all of them.

Nevertheless, he left the office to do as asked. He entered the elevator and ascended to Izuru’s floor. And he swiftly swiped his card and went in.

Izuru was actually asleep when he walked in. And Hajime really did not want to wake him. But past times had made it clear that the doctors didn’t care what state he was in when they requested him. He was to appear in front of them, and refusal to do so was not an option.

So with a heavy heart, he carefully approached the sleeping experiment. “Sir? We need to go down for something. So you will have to get up.”

Izuru’s eyes slowly opened, clearly not happy with having been disturbed. “The timing of this is… inconvenient, to say the least.”

Hajime gave him a sad smile. “I know. I don’t like it either. And I apologize for disturbing you. I strongly wish that I didn’t have to.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. But if you are so insistent on repenting, then you may carry me down while I’m still waking up.”

The brunette’s cheeks flushed. “Uh… y-yeah. I can carry you. How… do you want me to…”

But Izuru didn’t answer, only smirked. It seemed to send a message. One that made him blush even harder. “If… you want it, sir, then okay.”

He approached the bed, trying to calm his heart again. Once he was close enough, he slid his arms under the other man’s thin legs and around his waist. He lifted him up and off the bed with practically no effort. And Izuru wound his own arms around the caretaker’s neck, sighing contently. “Now take me to the lab. But take your time. I’m still waking up.”

Hajime could only nod. He had carried Izuru bridal style before, but not usually for very long. This would be the longest he would carry the experiment in this way.

But he would do his job and he would do it well. So he began walking out of the room. He made sure to keep Izuru’s long hair off the ground, not wanting to dirty it.

Something the experiment definitely noticed as they entered the elevator. “So considerate. So aware. So… faithful,” he whispered into Hajime’s ear, sending all sorts of shivers down his spine.

“I’m… glad you think so, sir,” he replied, managing to keep the stutter out of his voice. But that’s all he said, keeping quiet to let Izuru have some time to focus on the elevator ride down. He did love them a lot.

Sadly, it could not last forever. The elevator arrived at the fourth floor. Their destination.

Izuru turned his head to stare straight ahead, observing their journey. Hajime tightened his grip on the man’s body and stepped out. He knew where he was going. He knew where all the labs on this floor were located. He found the door to the lab already open, so he didn’t have to put Izuru down. Something he was thankful for.

But he did have to do so moments later as they reached the center of the room. There were all sorts of objects on a table in the room. What they were for, Hajime was sure they would find out soon.

Their focus was mainly on the large pane of glass that separated the lab they were in from an observation room next to it. Hajime knew that the glass was supposed to be bulletproof and extra thick. But he was not sure that would be enough if they ticked off the Ultimate Hope. But he guessed they would see what happened.

The speaker up on the ceiling crackled to life, the voice of a doctor coming through. “Hinata, you are to stay in the room with Izuru Kamukura. Shut the door and stand by it. Kamukura, you are going to perform all the instructions given to you.”

Hajime didn’t want to put him down. His greatest desire in this moment was to walk out with him in his arms and never return. But sadly, it was not feasible. The white haired man was still slightly sedated and Hajime was no superhuman. So he set him down on his feet in the center of the lab before backing away.

The speaker spoke again. “Kamukura. Demonstrate how much you can carry. Start by picking up the smallest weight on the floor under the table.”

Izuru stood there, smiling vacantly. He made no move to follow the instructions.

“Kamukura. Pick up the five pound weight. Now.”

Nothing. Izuru remained still where he was, staring right into the eyes of the one speaking.

“Obey your creators!” the doctor shouted, sounding both annoyed and on edge.

But still, Izuru didn’t move.

That’s about when Hajime decided to intervene. “Sir? Do you wish for me to retrieve the weights for you?”

Izuru turned to look at him, expression now a hint softer. He nodded, so Hajime walked up to him and handed him the smallest weight. He held it with no difficulty.

Hajime stepped back again, leaving Izuru with the small weight in his hand.

“Now that you have seen what needs to be done, pick up the ten pound weight,” the doctor commanded.

But Izuru again refused to move. He just kept staring in Hajime’s direction.

The caretaker chanced a look over to the window, seeing the veins practically popping out of the doctors’ heads. This was clearly getting on their nerves. And he wouldn’t deny it was amusing to see.

But alas, it wasn’t possible to continue for very long. Hajime was sure that if he kept it up, he would have more restrictions placed on him. Something Hajime wouldn’t allow. So he approached again. “Here, sir. Let me get you the next weight.”

He exchanged the tiny weight with another slightly bigger one. Izuru took the ten pound weight and held it like the previous ones.

The doctors, while not usually making good decisions, actually recognized that Izuru would listen to instructions given by Hajime. So they made use of that.

“Hinata. You are to relay any and all instructions to Kamukura.”

Yeah, he saw this coming. But that was fine, he supposed. So long as he didn’t have to request something dangerous.

And so it began. The doctors would bark out orders, which Izuru ignored. And in turn, Hajime would repeat the instructions with respect and carefulness. Which Izuru would perform the tasks, each successfully and with little effort.

Once they were satisfied with his physical capabilities, they tested his luck. One example being his ability to toss a puzzle cube up in the air and have it land completely solved. Hajime was astounded. And he praised Izuru for everything.

After some time, everything on the table had been used. So Hajime assumed that it was nearing the end of the test. He was relieved by this. He didn’t like how strenuous some of the tasks were. He was still slightly sedated. It can’t have been easy. So he was most eager to return the Ultimate Hope to his room.

“We need one more bit of pictorial data before we conclude. Hinata, remove Kamukura’s robe so that his body is visible.”

Hajime’s heart plummeted at the idea. And he felt a sort of rage. How dare they ask such a thing. Izuru was wearing undergarments, so it wasn’t like he would be fully exposed. But the idea of others seeing him without his robe infuriated him.

Izuru, the world’s best analyst, clearly saw this in his expression. He raised his hands and cupped his cheeks, tilting his head to make eye contact.

“Fret not, my dear caretaker. For I do not care if they see me.” He leaned in and whispered in his ear. “Though I will say your anger is flattering. And rest assured that only you may touch me.”

The words comforted Hajime. So he felt better about doing this task, even as the doctors behind him were exclaiming their disbelief over hearing Izuru speak.

Gently, Hajime pulled the robe off, revealing more and more pale skin. And… the large scar on his chest.

Hajime had seen it before. Many times. But still, the sight made him feel strange. Upset that he had gone through pain to acquire that scar. But also fascinated.

The sight also made his own ache. The scars he kept hidden. The residual effect of him surviving thus far. He rubbed one on his wrist, frowning at the phantom pain.

The red eyes noticed this, glancing down at his wrist before returning to his working eye. What that meant, he wasn’t sure.

But he didn’t have time to think much about it. The speaker came on again. “Hinata. Exit the lab and come to the observation room. Leave Kamukura in the lab.”

Again, it was a task he didn’t want to do. But he had to. So after a final look at Izuru, trying to express his apologies via eye contact, he exited the room and reported to the one the doctors were in.

“What did you need from me, sir?” he asked. “Were the test results unsatisfactory?”

He joined the older man in watching Izuru put his robe back on. “While this isn’t… ideal, this is still a good result.”

Hajime was confused. “How so, sir?”

The doctor grinned. “He’s controllable. He listens to you. Anything you told him to do, he did. So that bodes well for us.” The grin changed to a stern expression. “Don’t disappoint us. Make sure this monster is tame.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hajime walked out the door, returning to the lab. Those doctors didn’t know how incorrect they were. He was not loyal to them. He didn’t care about them. Especially not their approval. He was loyal to one and one only. And that was the Ultimate Hope.

“They are done with the tests. We can return you to bed,” he told Izuru, adjusting the shoulder of the robe to better cover the skin.

“Yes. Carry me back to my room, my dear caretaker,” Izuru replied, winding his arms loosely around the brunette’s neck.

Hajime nodded, picking him back up the same way he brought him down. This time with less embarrassment. For he had an important task.

But as they exited the lab and began walking, Izuru spoke up. “One thing before we return.”

Izuru reached over to the door where the scientists were currently. He tapped on the doorknob, smiling wide when it fell to the ground. “How unfortunate. Seems like their day will be inconvenienced by this. Similar to how they were inconveniencing us.”

Hajime grinned as he started heading to the elevator, ignoring the pounding on the door behind him. “Karma. It’s what they deserve. Now let’s get you back to your room.”

Masterpost

Found some new additions to my shiny Pokémon plushie collections. This time featuring two of my favorites!

Going to conventions is so fun. Cosplaying too!

Snake puddle!!!

Photo I took in the mountains.

Medium was the most voted for selection! So here we go!

Including some other characters! And some I’m sure you all will like!

And part of it was inspired by something I saw in the mountains. Have y’all ever seen a snake puddle? It’s wonderful. Does anyone want to see the pic? Let me know!

Nagito woke up on his large bed groggily. He never was a morning person, and it always took him so long to fully regain consciousness. A vast contrast to his housemate, who he could hear moving around in the kitchen somewhere below him.

He sat up, stretched, and got out from under the covers. He lazily shuffled over to the wardrobe, picking out an outfit for the day at random. He didn’t care, his brain wasn’t caught up yet.

Once properly dressed, he headed down the stairs, yawning the whole way. The scent of bacon wafted through the hallway once he reached the stair’s base, making his stomach rumble.

“I heard that. Come in and sit down. It’s almost done,” Hajime called out from the nearby kitchen.

Not wanting to disappoint, he did so. He entered the kitchen to see the naga preparing food. His tail took up a ton of room, but he was able to maneuver around with no issues. He had lots of practice.

So not concerning himself with how Hajime was doing, Nagito sat at the table. A glass of water with his pills on a napkin awaited him. It made him smile, as Hajime knew exactly which he needed. It made him feel cared for.

He must have spaced out, as suddenly a plate with steaming hot food was placed in front of him. Muffins, eggs, toast, and bacon with a glass of orange juice alongside the water. “Before you say anything, yes I am aware you probably can’t eat this all. But try to eat as much as you can, okay?”

Smiling wide, Nagito took a second to thank everything in the world for his companion. “So kind. So generous. I hope you know that I appreciate all you do for me, right?”

Hajime rolled his eyes. “Oh, I know. You thank me endlessly every time. Now eat. I’m determined to get you to gain a few pounds before your next doctor’s appointment.” He tapped the glass of water with a claw. “And take these. Eat a bite first then take them.”

Nagito nodded, picking up his fork and cutting a section of the eggs. He ate the delicious food, savoring the taste for a few moments. He then took the pills, washing them down with the water.

Seeing this relieved the naga. “Good. That should help.” He crossed his arms on the table near him and laid his head on them. “I’ll finish what you don’t eat. So it won’t go to waste.”

“Taking a breather before they arrive?” Nagito asked in between bites, unable to resist ruffling the brown hair.

Hajime grumbled, but didn’t attempt to escape. “Yeah. They will probably want to eat some cooked food since they haven’t had it in a while.”

Nagito pulled his hand back, reaching for his glass of juice. “Do you think… she has made up her mind yet?”

A reptilian hazel eye opened. “About what you asked her last time? Yeah, I’m sure she’s decided by now. And I have a feeling I know what she will choose.”

Nagito set down his glass after taking a sip. “Whichever decision she comes to, I shall respect it. She’s important to you, and thus is important to me. The same goes for your brother.”

It was quiet for the rest of breakfast, Nagito managing to eat more than half the plate by the time he pushed it over to the larger creature. “This is yours now. Thank you for the food.”

“That’s more than last week. A good sign. We are getting you to a healthy weight,” Hajime commented as he took the plate. Nagito could see the beginnings of his jaw unhinging. “I’ll clean up this and then start on lunch preparations. Want to go watch for them at the door?”

The human stood up and pushed his chair in. “Yes, I can do that.” He turned and walked to the living room, not turning around. While he found it fascinating, he knew Hajime was a bit self conscious about showing him his fully open jaw. So he left the room to ease the other’s discomfort.

He reached the glass patio door, unlocking it and opening it up. He breathed in the clean air, relaxing and gazing out to the vast forest in front of him.

There was about half a mile in between his home and the forest’s edge, but he could still tell it was an amazing forest. He owned the forest, and he fully intended to keep it protected. He hoped it would one day become a refuge for Hajime’s kind. A safe haven, away from prying eyes and hunters' traps.

And speaking of Hajime’s kind, he saw some familiar shapes moving near the forest’s edge. Their movements rustled the plantlife as they moved. And soon they were out in the open.

Two nagas. Each one very different from the other.

The smaller one was female. She was wearing a loose hoodie that was a bit big for her. It resulted in her sleeves completely covering her hands. Her silver hair was frazzled, as if she had just woken up. Her scales were light pink with darker pink splotches. Chiaki, a coral snow corn snake naga.

The other was much, much bigger. He was wearing a pristine white button up shirt that had somehow escaped getting dirty in the forest. His hair was long and luxurious, looking like a model’s. And his tail was also extremely lengthy, decorated with black scales. Izuru, Hajime’s sibling and a black mamba naga.

Mostly.

Nagito smiled sadly as he recalled what Hajime had told him about his brother. They were born in captivity, and scientists had tampered with Izuru’s egg. Hajime had served as the control in the experiment. The experiment being to inject DNA of a completely different naga species into an egg and see what hatched.

In a sense, the experiment had worked, as Izuru had hatched with the body and venom of a black mamba. But his brain was also changed by it’s embryonic confusion of what he was supposed to be. His emotions were stunted and they would never develop.

But he ended up being incredibly intelligent. So intelligent, that he managed to trick the scientists into believing he was docile and stupid. And once their guards were down, he broke himself and Hajime out. They had fled to these woods, getting accidentally separated. Which is how Hajime had found his way to Nagito’s home.

Thankfully, after some time, the brothers had been able to reunite. Izuru had found another naga, Chiaki, and had been tended to by her. They had become friends, and Hajime joined that once they met and talked.

Nagito had kept out of the initial contact, not wanting to interfere. And he would have been fine if no contact ever happened. He understood it was hard for them to trust his kind after all they did to the naga species.

At least, that had been the intention. But Hajime had grabbed him and carried him to his brother and friend. He had been flustered and nervous that entire encounter, being held like that the whole time. But luckily, they had accepted him.

So now they dropped by every once in a while to visit him and Hajime. To which Nagito welcomed them with open arms.

That was why they were making their way to the mansion. Though they were taking their time. Nagito was fine with this, as he had nothing to do today. So he just watched from his location, hearing the sounds of activity in the kitchen from the brown naga.

Chiaki and Izuru reached him after a bit, slithering up to him with no hesitation. “Hey Nagito. Good to see you,” the pink naga said, rubbing her cheek against his in greeting.

“Good to see you as well. How have you been?” he asked in return, stepping aside to let them in.

“Sleepy,” she replied, yawning wide. Too wide for a human.

But Nagito wasn’t disturbed. “Somehow, I expected that.” He turned to the black naga. “And are you doing well, Izuru?”

A nod. “Yes.” His tongue flicked, red reptilian eyes scanning the inside. “Is Hajime in the kitchen?”

“He is. He’s preparing food for lunch. Though I am not sure what.” Nagito waited until every scale was indoors before closing the glass door. “Please make yourselves at home. Let me know if there’s anything you need.” He pointed to a large crate near the fireplace. “And the vials are over there if you want them, Izuru. Clean and organized and ready for use.”

“Excellent,” the black mamba stated. “I shall do it before I leave.”

The reason for the vials was so that Izuru could inject venom into them. He produced a lot, being a black mamba. And he had decided to donate his venom to antivenom research. He didn’t need all of it, so he figured he might as well give it to someone who could use it. Proof of his change of heart on humans. Well, some of them. He definitely wasn’t planning on going out into the open.

But putting that thought aside, he went over to a room on the side and opened it up. “There’s more pillows in here. We can cover the entire floor with them. So there’s plenty. Grab what you need.”

Chiaki slithered in, grabbing an armload and carefully maneuvered out. “Soft. And comfy. You always have the best stuff.”

Nagito scratched the back of his neck. “I’m glad you approve. I want my guests to have the best.”

Chiaki dumped her armload on the ground, then turned to look at him. “Hey, about your offer… have you changed your mind? Are you sure it wouldn’t be a problem?”

Nagito shook his head. “There’s plenty of space and I have no shortage of money for food and other items you may need. If you want to, you may stay here like Hajime. You can have more opportunities to play games. I know you like them.”

Chiaki smiled. “I do. They are fun.” She glanced back at Izuru, who nodded to her. She returned to looking at Nagito. “Then yes. I accept.”

The human clapped his hands. “Wonderful! I can place orders for whatever you would like in your room. And I’m sure Hajime can give you a hand in setting things up.”

“I heard that! Are you volunteering me for work?” the brown naga shouted from the kitchen before entering the living room with his hands on his hips.

Nagito grinned at him. “Oh, don’t take it that way. It’s just that you are so strong and smart and wonderful. I thought you would be well suited for the task.”

Hajime blushed. “Nagito! Cool it with the compliments!” He sighed and looked over to his friend and sibling. “So Chiaki’s moving in? Good to have you. I’ll be sure to show you around if you get lost. It’s a pretty big house. And Izuru? You’re sure you are okay with her leaving the forest?”

The taller naga shrugged. “It is fine. I can handle myself well on my own. My visits here will be more frequent now, but I do enjoy living out in the trees.”

Hajime and Nagito each gave him a nod in understanding. The offer of housing had been extended to him as well. But he had politely turned it down. He enjoyed his pure freedom out there. And no one in this room wanted to take away his source of happiness.

Hajime cleared his throat. “Well, change of subject. The food is in the ovens. They will take about two hours to bake. So we can relax while we wait.”

Chiaki got a mischievous look in her eyes. “Does that mean…?”

Hajime nodded, also looking mischievous. “Operation Puddle shall now commence.”

Nagito was very confused. “Wait. What is-”

He didn’t have time to finish his question. He felt Izuru wind his arms around his midsection, raising him up and off the ground. He was lifted high up, the mamba tail allowing for Izuru to ascend to great heights. Nagito froze, holding tight to the arms around him.

Down below, he saw blurry shapes as Hajime and Chiaki moved quickly. There seemed to be an unspoken signal when they were ready, as Izuru lowered him back down. He was soon surrounded by warm snake tails of brown, pink, and black. It was incredibly warm and comfortable. Hajime’s head was on his left shoulder, Chiaki’s was on his right. And Izuru had laid his human torso on top of his legs.

“Ah, so this is what you meant by Operation Puddle,” he said, causing the nagas to smile.

“We are all going to rest. And that means you are too. You aren’t going to run yourself ragged while everyone is here. This ensures that,” Hajime explained with a smirk. He closed his eyes soon after, settling in for a nap. Chiaki and Izuru followed suit. Soon the human was the only one awake.

He laid there in the middle of the circle of snake tails, staring up at the ceiling. If he had told his past self that this would happen, he was sure he would not believe it. Gaining the trust of not one, but three nagas? And all cared about him?

He sighed happily as he got comfortable. If this was a dream, he certainly didn’t want to wake up.

Masterpost

I find myself both sad and satisfied about this. My cat au fic has ended. After 75 chapters.

It’s kinda surreal. I didn’t think I would get to such a high number of chapters. So much fun times with the precious and fluffy kitties. We had several great adventures with our favorite boys.

And speaking of the boys, thank you to @karugoround for drawing them! They made them so freaking cute! A perfect way to send this au off.

And yeah! I hope you all enjoyed it!

Here we go! This is one that I think many have been curious about. The reason for why Nagito became Izuru!

I’ve been discussing this with @karugoround a lot to make sure it fits their vision. We worked together for a while to come up with the details and this is the result! I think it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself.

So please enjoy the wonderful angst!

Talent.

A vital aspect of the world he lived in. Something that was adored and practically worshiped by all. Something he himself was blessed with.

Though, Nagito Komaeda often thought talent was a curse. Especially his own. The death of his parents and the winning lottery ticket being staple examples of his cycle.

But regardless of how his life had been up until now, he still held onto his hope. Not for him, but for the rest of the world. His worthless self didn’t deserve such kindness. He kept trying to express that to his classmates, who treated him well despite his protests. He saw them all as bright beacons who could contribute to the world with their abilities. For as much as he hated talent, he couldn’t deny the fascination he had with it. It was contradictory and perhaps a bit hypocritical, but he didn’t care all too much about that. He just wanted to help raise his classmates to achieve their fullest potential.

Which is why it had confused him greatly when one of his classmates, Chiaki, had introduced him to someone she called her friend. An average looking Reserve Course student. A leech and waste of effort. How dare he latch onto an Ultimate like that.

Time and time again, he had tried to convince his classmate of the need to distance herself from this Hajime Hinata. Nothing good would come from a friendship with one of his ilk. But she always puffed her cheeks out and insisted that he was a good friend of hers. So he begrudgingly would attend her meetups with this Reserve Course to make sure she wasn’t being tainted.

Which had led to him finding out about the Kamukura Project.

He was sure that he wasn’t supposed to see it. However, his curiosity had spiked when he saw some kind of confidential form sticking out of Hajime’s bag one day with the Hope’s Peak logo stamped on the top. Chiaki had instructed him to watch their things while they went to grab drinks, so he was alone with this file. So of course he gave into the temptation and looked through the file.

A project to try and create the Ultimate Hope by using a person’s body as its host.

Nagito memorized every word and shoved the form back in Hajime’s bag. Then he sat there, lost in thoughts about what he had just read. How would one be transformed into the Ultimate Hope? He read that it would involve surgery, but how far would it go? And if it was successful, would this hope be artificial? And why did Hajime have such a form? It had the headmaster’s name attached to it, so why was someone like Hajime in contact with the headmaster of the prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy?

Needless to say, his curiosity only grew and he had resolved to do some more research about it in the following days.

But he sadly hadn’t gotten much of a chance, as his luck struck once again. This time in the form of a medical report from his last visit to the hospital.

Lymphoma and frontotemporal dementia. And a life expectancy of six months.

When he had read that letter, his first reaction was to begin laughing hysterically, to the point of tears. Of course this was his to be his fate. To die alone in a hospital bed while still a teenager. How pathetic and wasteful. Mother Nature had decided that he wasn’t worth anything and was trying to take him out. But that was not unexpected. He had figured something like this would happen. No use fighting it.

The days after his diagnosis had been bland. Nothing excited him or held his attention. And the fascinating part? No one noticed or asked about it aside from Miss Yukizome briefly in the hallway. He had brushed off her concerns and she let it go fairly quick, proving how worthless he really was.

One day, he found himself listlessly wandering around campus after classes were over. There was no real reason, just a meaningless task to occupy his dwindling time on. Which is how he had happened upon Chiaki and Hajime once again playing video games on the bench near the fountain. Hajime seemed more stressed than usual and Chiaki questioned him about it. Nagito leaned against a tree nearby, listening as Hajime began talking.

“But what if someone else were the Super High School Level Gamer? Every time they left your score in the dust.”

Chiaki was quiet for a second, but then spoke confidently. “There’s more to life than just talent.”

Hajime’s eyes widened, and he returned to looking at Chiaki.

“Miss Yukizome likes to tell us stuff like that all the time. She says that talent is never a guarantee of an interesting life. Making memories with other people leads to hope. And hope is way more important than ability in the long run.”

“Hope…” Nagito muttered to himself. “Hope… is the most important thing. Yes, that’s right.”

He went home after that, his mind consumed with the battle between talent and hope. Which would triumph if such ideals clashed? Which was stronger? He was sure that others, like the headmaster, desired to know this answer as well.

He was then reminded of the form he had seen, about the potential to become the Ultimate Hope. Perhaps he could be of use with that. But if he did enter into the pool of candidates, he knew he would be selected. There was no chance he wouldn’t. He knew how his luck was, especially after his diagnosis.

He was on the fence about it the following day, debating whether it would be beneficial or detrimental to Hope’s Peak if he entered. Would he destroy the project, or become the beacon that the world desperately needed? Who knew? Certainly not him.

But his mind was made up after a conversation with Hajime. Seeing the Reserve Course being so set on trying to be talented lit a small fire in him. One that made him want to prove the opposite to the other. So he walked off, saying his last farewell. And within minutes, he found himself in front of the headmaster’s office. He took a deep breath, clenching his fist before relaxing again.

“I’ll show you, Hajime. I’ll prove to you that talent dooms a person from the start. That your ordinary life is so much better being talentless. That being talented always changes people for the worse. That the only use my talent gave me was the opportunity to be a useful stepping stone. And if I die in the process? At least it was for the greater good.”

He pushed open the doors, stepping inside to speak with the headmaster. To enter into the pool of candidates. To be chosen to become someone new.

~~~~~~~~~~

Izuru came out of his memories after finishing his food. He had not thought of those events in a vast amount of time. The thoughts and feelings that his previous self experienced felt so foreign, yet so familiar to him. It was a fascinating mental dilemma, one that would keep him entertained for hours. But it did bring to mind an inquiry, one that he wished to solve now.

Luckily for him, he did have a source of information right in his room. “Answer me this, my dear caretaker. Have you gotten the chance to observe the scans the doctors have taken of my brain?”

Hajime widened his eyes for a moment, stopping his sweeping. He surely had seen the scans when they were still labeled as Nagito Komaeda, even though he was no longer the owner of his brain. Remembering that name seemed to give him a growing sense of anxiety, but that didn't stop him from answering Izuru's question.

“I had the opportunity to look at those scans, yes. I don't know exactly how to read them, but I know by firsthand that Nagito Komaeda was someone impressive and difficult to understand. I don't think there was another person like him...”

Izuru watched him with a curious look, sensing that there was more to say. “But?”

Hajime gave a shaky breath, as memories of an angry face and bitter insults clearly flooded his mind, and the doubt that had been burning his skin for months finally surfaced. “I just… I just don't understand why he did such a thing. He had friends, he had a future full of opportunities waiting for him. He… he had talent. Why did he sign up? What was he planning to do?”

The white haired man listened carefully, but when he met the caretaker’s shaky hazel eye, Hajime looked as if he was feeling incredibly guilty. “Sorry, I feel like I shouldn't have said something like that to you.”

Izuru began laughing quietly to himself, confusing his caretaker. “You have nothing to apologize for. It is natural to wonder what it would take a person to come to his decision.”

The brunette tightened his grip on the broomstick, no doubt thinking about how he, in the past, was also prepared to do exactly that.

The Ultimate Hope turned his eyes back to the brunette. “The previous identity that hosted this body never told you about what was going on in his life before I was created, did he? I was just thinking about how things might have been if he had known.”

Hajime’s eye widened, clearly interested. “Knew what?”

“That he had been misdiagnosed. That he had never been in danger of dying whatsoever. The poor fool. He threw his life away for nothing.”

Hajime froze, shocked by what he was hearing. “D… dying? That’s why?” He looked off to the side, clutching the broom handle tight. “That’s why… he looked like that when we last spoke. I… had no idea.”

“Both he and I share one thing in common. If we have secrets, none will ever know them unless we willingly give up the information. But the past is not something that we can change, therefore we must not regret it. Maybe there was something more to his intentions, but I see no reason to dwell on my body’s previous owner. Still, I shall not stop you should you desire to,” Izuru stated.

“Thank you, sir,” Hajime replied, returning to sweeping with his practiced proficiency, a bit lost in thought as he cleaned.

The experiment laid back on his fluffed up pillows, sighing as he sank into them. The sedatives were doing their work unfortunately. He again cursed the doctors who forced this routine. He desired to be rid of them, both the doctors and the sedatives. He wanted to feel his body at its full capacity with no restrictions. It was the one thing he was envious of Nagito for. At least he had been free to travel where he wanted, to eat what he wanted, to do what he wanted. No such freedom existed in this hell.

But, this would not last forever. He would not permit for his existence to solely be a lab rat. No, he would get his freedom one day, by any means necessary. And maybe, he thought as he turned to stare at his busy caretaker’s back, he would not accomplish this alone.

Masterpost