Time For A Fun Summertime Game! Time To Teach The Naga And Puppy What A Sprinkler Is!

Time for a fun summertime game! Time to teach the naga and puppy what a sprinkler is!

You know, I can’t honestly recall the last time I have played in a sprinkler. I mostly went swimming in pools to cool off. I should get my friends together and just do it one day. I bet the dogs would love it too.

Also also, if you haven’t seen it already, look at this.

And this!

Hajime hoisted the final bag onto the table, grunting with effort and panting briefly once it was set down. “Could you have picked anything heavier, Izuru? Sometimes I feel like you are trying to rip my arms off with your selections.” he complained loudly.

His twin snorted with a smirk, easily setting down three other bags that had weighed more than the single one Hajime had been able to carry. “Perhaps you need to practice more and build up arm strength. That way you can accomplish much more in terms of house upkeep and outside cleanup.”

Hajime rolled his eyes. “Oh please. I have a partner who can lift up boulders taller than us in a second. There is little need for me to become a bodybuilder.”

Izuru smirked. “Fair enough. Changing the subject, you will be happy to know that was the last of the bags. We can begin sorting and organizing the purchases now.”

“Fine,” Hajime relented, plunging his hands into the closest bag to begin. And so began the boring task of replenishing his house. He was secretly grateful that he had his brother there to assist, as it definitely cut down on the time he would have had to do it if he was by himself.

Needless to say, the pile of bags rapidly began disappearing with each item that was put away. Soon there were only a few left, which was incredibly relieving. But his relief turned to confusion as he pulled out a box from a bag. One for a sprinkler system, something he did not recall grabbing. “Hey, Izuru? What’s the deal with this?” he asked, holding the box higher.

His brother looked over, recognizing the box. “It is summertime. Hot and muggy. So I thought you might want to have that to help keep your yard watered during the intense sun.” He pointed over his shoulder to the dog bed, where Clover was chewing on a toy. “And perhaps provide some entertainment to those who aren’t aware of it. Not only her, but a certain neighbor of yours.”

Hajime picked up what Izuru was implying. “Yeah, I’m sure they would love it.” He repositioned the box under his arm and headed to the patio door. “I’ll go see if I can hook this up. Can you finish putting away the groceries?”

“Of course,” his twin called out, confident as always.

Hajime rolled his eyes as he stepped out, getting hit with the heat pretty much instantly. But he did his best to ignore it, walking over to the hose on the side of his house. As he opened the box, he heard a jingling noise approach. And soon, a wet snout poked his cheek. He smiled and pet the puppy near him, getting a happy tail wag. “This is for you and Nagito to enjoy. Can you hold on for a little longer? I think you will like it a lot.”

Clover licked his face before backing up and sitting next to him. He couldn’t help reaching over and petting her head before focusing on his task. Somehow, he was able to figure it out and finish before Izuru had come outside.

“Successful, are we?” the raven haired man asked, leaning up against the house with his arms crossed.

Hajime shot him a fake glare before standing back up. “Yes, I got it working. So there’s no need for you to employ your handyman skills today.”

Izuru snorted. “We shall see. But in any case, Nagito is approaching. Best get things set in place quickly.”

Turning his head, the brunette saw that his brother was right. The emerald naga had emerged from the tree line and was heading their way. Luckily, Hajime had a good distraction tactic. “Clover, look! Go get him!” he instructed, pointing in Nagito’s direction.

The wolf dog followed his finger, barking excitedly when she caught sight of the naga. She took off like a bullet, speeding through the grass towards the giant creature while yipping. She reached Nagito in no time, attracting his attention. “Well hello, sweetheart! Did you come to greet me?”

Seeing that Nagito had been sufficiently distracted, Hajime relaxed as he set the sprinkler up in the yard. It was far enough away from the house that it wouldn’t damage anything. So he felt confident in turning the hose on and retreating to the patio chairs and table. He joined Izuru, who had already taken a seat with cups of lemonade prepared. “Overachiever,” Hajime teased as he took one of the glasses.

“Lovestruck sap,” Izuru fired back.

The twins rolled their eyes with smiles, too used to the sibling banter. They didn’t bother moving even as Nagito and Clover arrived, the dog looking proud as if she had been the one leading Nagito back to the house. Hajime still stroked her head as a form of thanks. “Good girl. You found him.”

The naga settled down on the warm grass, resting his hands on his crossed arms. “She is a good girl. In fact, I’d argue that she is the best girl. No one will change my mind,” he stated confidently.

“I’d wager that I’d agree on that,” Hajime said, conjuring a large smile to grow on the naga’s face. After giving one last scratch behind the puppy’s ears, he pointed over to where he had set the sprinkler up. Right as he did, the water had finally finished traveling through the hose, setting off the sprinkler.

Both naga and puppy were initially startled by the sudden noise. But curiosity won out and they both moved closer to investigate. Clover reached her face out and attempted to bite at the water stream. She must have enjoyed the sensation as she barked happily and began chasing the water back and forth.

Nagito leaned in closer as well, trying to see where the water was coming from. Luckily, the black material stood out from the green grass so it wasn’t too difficult to find. He reached down and felt the water hit his skin. He smiled wide in wonder, especially when Clover began chasing it. “A device that sprays water without you needing to control it? Fascinating! What is this called?” he asked when he briefly glanced over to the humans.

Hajime leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable. It definitely would take some effort to get out of this position, but he didn’t care at the moment. “It’s a sprinkler. It will help the grass survive the heat and be entertainment for our energetic canine here.”

“Ah, I see! How innovative,” Nagito replied, watching the dog’s and sprinkler’s movements.

Then Clover found out that she could move the sprinkler’s base. The second she discovered this, she grabbed it in her jaws and ran over to Nagito, spraying him with the chilly water.

He giggled as the water splashed him. “Oh my! Look what you got! What a silly dog you are!”

Hajime snorted with laughter. “Having fun over there?” he called out, realizing a second later that he had made a terrible mistake.

Clover, upon hearing his voice, turned back towards him and rocketed forward, still holding the active sprinkler in her jaws.

Hajime only had a second to feel relieved that the patio door was shut before both he and his twin got sprayed by the water. “Na-Nagito!!! Call her- Call her back over to you!” he shouted as he tried to stand and avoid any more splashes. Izuru didn’t appear to move, having accepted the inevitable outcome with a scowl.

Nagito smirked for a few seconds before deciding to fulfill the request. “Come on back here, sweetheart. Show me again,” his angelic voice said over the sprinkler’s noises. Clover was more than happy to listen, trotting over to the naga.

Hajime shook his head, trying to get water off as he wrung out his shirt. “Note to self, only let the dog near the sprinkler if I am fully prepared for the splash zone.” His spirits were slightly improved when he looked at his sopping wet brother. Seeing him pouting like a wet cat more than made up for the uncomfortable dampness. “Looks like we have to dry off in the sun.”

Izuru huffed, having noticed his brother’s amusement. But no comments or alternatives were offered, so Hajime turned back to his other family member’s activities. He shrugged his shoulders with a grin. “Eh, a little water was worth it to see them have some summer fun.”

Masterpost

To the Octopath Traveler 2 fandom, I need help in answering a question I have.

What is Temenos’ relation to Roi?

I have seen a lot of recent fics and fanart that are tagging/indicating that they are siblings. But is that canon or fanon?

The only mention I have seen to this question’s answer was Temenos referring to Roi as a friend in a travel banter.

Which is it?

Edit: I have been informed that they are adopted siblings. Now we know!

I’m doing that thing again.

You know, the one where you think of another cool au idea when you currently have 5 others already in the works at the same time.

So many au ideas. So little time.

Okay, I have a question that I would love to know y’all’s opinion on.

So I am currently working on 4 separate aus at this current point in time. But I have another au in my mind with notes and a whole story planned out with a commissioned cover art I had done.

But here’s my conundrum. I don’t know what I should do. There are two options in front of me and I’m not sure which I want to do. I could either wait to begin the new au once I finish one of my current in progress works. Or I could add another au to my writing cycle. The con to adding a fifth is that updates on all aus would be slower. But there would be a new story in progress for y’all to enjoy.

So I would love to know your thoughts. What do you think I should do?

Three cheers for SCP Nagizuru! For he has made a glorious return! We can rejoice!!!

I love writing both Lighthouse au and SCP au Nagizurus. They are incredibly fun. And I hope they are fun for y’all as well.

As promised, this one is more cosmic being powers. What will it be this time?

Hajime found himself getting impatient for quite an odd reason. A reason that most others were thanking whatever deities they believed existed for. There had not been a containment breach yet.

Now, Hajime wasn’t wishing for the death or destruction that typically came along with the breaches. Just the breach itself, as it would allow Nagizuru to sneak them away from the facility to visit his friends and family back home.

However, the facility remained as secure as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

His annoyance was noticed, as he soon felt his companion begin running his hands through the spiky brown hair. “Relax, darling. It will come one day. No need to fret or worry.”

Hajime sighed as he closed his eyes. “I know. I know. But it still doesn’t lessen my eagerness.”

He heard a soft laugh behind him, tickling the back of his neck. “And you call me impatient.”

Hajime scoffed. “Don’t try that. We both know you are far more impatient than me. Remind me of who can’t go even half an hour without seeing me?”

The entity hummed. “You can’t blame me for being so desperate to stay by your side. You are simply perfect for me.”

The human rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t deny that his cheeks reddened a bit from the words. Never before had someone declare their devotion to him. It was… flattering, and he enjoyed it a lot.

He felt Nagizuru grin behind him, lowering one of his hands to grasp the human’s own. “Now tell me, my dear. What would you like to do today?”

“Hmmm…” Hajime stared up at the ceiling as he thought. “Honestly, I don’t really want to leave our place today. I don’t feel like walking around.”

“A lazy day in, is it? I am more than happy to oblige. I shall take care of chores, so relax and do what you like,” the SCP told him.

“Geez, having powers sounds pretty convenient. Is there any limit to what you can’t do?” Hajime asked without really thinking.

“Oh? Are you curious about my abilities?” Nagito asked, pulling his arms and hands away from the human to his slight dismay. “I am capable of much. Almost anything your mind can conjure up. For example…”

The large mass of warmth behind him vanished suddenly, leaving his back cold and his mind confused. “Nagizuru? Are you still here? What happened?”

“You will see.”

The voice wasn’t spoken out loud. He felt it echo in his mind, like it was transmitted directly into his brain. But before he could ask why this method was chosen to communicate, the reason was soon revealed.

A large, white rabbit with glowing red eyes hopped next to him on the bed, staring up at him with a nose twitch.

Hajime stared back with wide eyes. “Wh-what? Is… that you?” was all he managed to say.

A wide smile grew on the rabbit’s face. A sight that looked unsettling from how abnormal it appeared. “What have I told you about underestimating me? I can do more if you wish to see.”

The rabbit turned and hopped off the bed, body growing much larger as it moved through the air. Soon, a giant white tiger with red stripes was standing in front of him.

Hajime barely swallowed back the yelp at the sight of such a large creature. “I… I didn’t know… they were that big,” he said, body instinctively stiff from fear.

Again, the entity's current form grinned, the predator’s sharp white teeth on display. “No Earthly animal or cosmic creature is beyond my capabilities.” The tiger crouched down and began to leap, body shifting in midair again. Hajime couldn’t help closing his eyes and bracing for impact. But instead of something large, he felt a tiny body make contact with his hair. He cracked open his eyes, widening them when he saw a small white bat hanging down in front of his face. “It is nice to see you from varying perspectives. You are wonderful to look at even when upside down.”

Hajime ignored the tugging on his hair antenna where the bat was hanging from to focus more on the mischievous entity. “You really can turn into anything?”

The bat nodded. “Anything. Is there anything in particular you would like to see?”

The brunette had to force himself to keep his head still and not shake it with Nagizuru on him like this. “I can’t think of anything at the second. But I am curious about something. What’s your favorite form to take?”

“Other than the human form? I suppose there is one I have found that gets me the most attention and treats.”

The bat released his grip, shifting while falling. And soon, Hajime had a fluffy snowy cat on his lap. The feline purred as he settled down on the human’s lap.

“Ah, I understand now,” Hajime muttered, bringing his hand down to stroke the soft fur.

“Humanity seems to practically worship this species. Almost none were able to resist the charm when I approached like this. I found it quite fascinating,” Nagizuru told him, tail flicking in happiness as he relaxed into the pets.

“Yeah. Cats almost seem to have magic.” Hajime paused, thinking for a second. “They… don’t, right?”

The SCP on his lap laughed, clearly amused by the question. “No, they don’t. They are simply smart creatures. Though I will admit that it’s funny you asked.”

Hajime poked the entity’s head. “Well, you can’t blame me for being skeptical on occasion nowadays. I mean, there’s several facilities with objects and creatures that most would think too fantastical to be real. There’s a coffee machine that can produce magma, for example. Or that creepy teddy bear. Or, I don’t know, a clingy cosmic horror who’s first display of power to me was inverting a human. Shall I go on?”

The cat smirked at him. “You could if you so desired. But I understand the point you are trying to make.”

Hajime sighed, resuming his strokes. “Well, I suppose it is a good thing you were in human form when we first met. Otherwise, it would have been strange if an animal began asking me about my life.”

“Hmmm? I suppose that is true of our first direct encounter. But we saw each other before that rainy night.”

That made the human’s eyes widen. “What? I saw you before that night? How? What were you?”

“Multiple times. But I appeared like this.”

The cat shrank, the entity transforming into a smaller creature. One that fluttered up to rest delicately on one of his fingers. The butterfly’s wings were pure white, with the antenna and legs being red. It looked… familiar. But where had he…?

Suddenly, Hajime’s brain was flooded with memory snapshots. Of him in his college classes, staring out the window as his mind wandered away from the boring lectures. Of seeing a strange, white butterfly perched on the dying flowers outside of the math center. Of him wondering if it was the same one every day.

It made a fond smile grow. “So you were there. And I had no idea.”

The butterfly vanished and a heavier body landed on the bed behind him. The pale arms circling around him pulled him back into an embrace. “You had no reason to know. If I don’t want people to be alerted of my presence, they will never find out.” Nagizuru nuzzled into the brown hair, sighing happily. “But this body is my absolute favorite. I can do so much with you in human form. Especially this particular activity.”

A blush colored his cheeks at the actions and words. “S-so clingy,” he stuttered, trying and failing to sound stoic.

The SCP was not fooled. “Come now, Hajime. No need to try and hide it. You enjoy this, too. Don’t you?”

The last two words were whispered directly into his ear, sending several shivers down his spine. His reaction made Nagizuru giggle and hold him tighter.

Hajime grumbled, but didn’t protest or deny the words. They were true, after all. Not that he had any desire to admit it to the smug man behind him at the moment. But he didn’t mind spending time like this, especially with one so devoted. The days would certainly fly by, as he knew the entity had far more abilities he could show him. And he was eager to see them.

Masterpost

Here comes the boy!!! Hello boy! Welcome! There he is! He is here!

Nagizuru!!!

Let us all take a moment to bask in his glory. And maybe give him something nice for once, cause man, he goes through some crap. Imma pretend like I have nothing to do with that for now though. Just focus on the nice stuff, Nagizuru!

Also! Gaze at this lovely artwork by @duckybathperson!

It had taken him far longer than he had wanted for him to accomplish this task. Far too long, but he hasn’t wanted to risk getting caught. However, he had finally managed to snag the last thing he needed for his plan.

Carefully concealing the small half dozen carton of eggs, Hajime quickly ducked into the elevator. He sighed as the doors closed, taking him up to the fifth floor and to safety. The cameras on the fifth and sixth never worked anymore. After a few attempts to repair them only for them to break, the staff had given up trying. They saw it as a waste of time and money, so Hajime was able to get away with sneaky objectives from time to time.

And he was ecstatic that after such a long time, he could finally accomplish something he had been wanting to do since the very beginning.

Make something nice for Izuru to eat.

The staff here were very strict on the types of food their experiment was allowed to have. Light food that provided just enough nutrition to keep him alive and stable, but the options were very limited. Hajime had done his best over the months to try and ease the monotony of the meals, throwing in whatever spices were provided and changing it up as much as he could, but it never felt like it was quite enough. And although Izuru had never complained about the food, it didn’t take a genius to know that he was bored with the menu.

So, Hajime had been determined to give him a decent meal at least once. He was careful and managed to sneak into the food storage for the other staff’s cafeteria. Slowly, he gathered ingredients and stored them away on the fifth floor, away from prying eyes and blabbermouths. The eggs had been last, and he had them in hand now. Therefore, Hajime rolled up his sleeves and got to work in the kitchen.

For the first time in a while, he was excited to make his charge’s meal. He dove into the task with excitement and motivation, expertly handling the kitchen equipment as he created his dish. And soon enough, he had the dish plated, warm, and ready.

He really had to hold himself back from rushing up to Izuru’s room as soon as it was done, knowing that he had to be careful to not jostle it. He placed a metal cover over top of the plate, which would help to keep the food warm. And perhaps add an element of surprise for the Ultimate Hope, to make things interesting for him. He took a deep breath, placed his hands on the cart, and began pushing it to the elevator.

Finally, he scanned his card and walked into the room, unable to keep the excited grin off his face. “It appears you have something new to share or provide,” Izuru observed as he sat up in his bed. “And what did you manage to sneak by the fools below?”

“You’ll see,” Hajime replied, grabbing the clipboard. “Let’s get these tests over with so you can have your surprise.”

“Very well. Proceed.”

So they did, Hajime writing down the results and administering the sedatives, though a little quicker in pace than usual. But Izuru made no comment on it, eyes occasionally flicking over to the cart to analyze the contents. It hadn’t taken long for him to notice the covered dish on the bottom, his gaze honed on it upon discovery. It made Hajime even more anxious to get to it. But he knew he had to do the boring parts first, then they could spend more time on the more interesting portions of this session.

Hajime couldn’t help the relieved sigh when he was finally able to put the clipboard back down on the cart. “Done. Now I can give you this.” He knelt and pulled the covered dish from the bottom shelf, pleased when it was still warm. He handed it to the white haired man, who gazed at the shiny metal cover with interest. Hajime grabbed the top of the cover, lifting it and revealing what he had made. “I was able to gather enough ingredients to make you a fresh omelet. It has bits of ham, grilled peppers, melted cheddar, and is topped with parsley. I… I hope you like it.”

Izuru hummed as he took a fork from his caretaker. “I can imagine how difficult it was to gather everything to make this. Let it be known that your efforts are noted and appreciated.”

The words made a genuine smile creep onto the brunette’s face. “Well, wait till you try it before praise. I want to see if it matches your palette.”

“Then I shall not waste a second more. Thank you for the food,” Izuru said as he cut a corner off and delicately ate it. His ruby reds locked with Hajime’s hazel. “My dear caretaker, you have done very well. This is the tastiest food item I have consumed upon my awakening. Take pride in this.”

Hajime found himself fighting the urge to pump his fist in excitement. Izuru liked it! He even praised it! It was the best possible reaction he could have asked for. “I am truly honored, sir.”

Izuru then seemed to get an idea, his smile morphing into a smirk. But before Hajime could ask what it was about, the experiment had cut off another piece of the food and speared it with the fork, raising it up and towards Hajime. “I know I am not the only one deprived of variety in the food category. Come now, give your creation a try.”

The brunette shook his head while feeling his cheeks redden. “I couldn’t possibly! It’s entirely yours to enjoy. I don’t deserve it.”

But instead of backing off, Izuru reached forward and grabbed the chain on the metal collar. It was tugged so that Hajime was forced to lean down, face now inches away from Izuru’s. “I insist, my dear caretaker.”

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Hajime gave a small nod of understanding. It was now a request he dared not reject again. So he allowed the Ultimate Hope to feed him the forkful of egg. He had been correct, it was pretty good. It made him want to try and recreate this again. Provided, of course, he was able to obtain more ingredients.

Izuru didn’t immediately release him after he finished chewing. The grip on the chain remained solid as the other hand released the fork and rose to caress his cheek. “I can see the thoughts running through your head. If you desire to attempt more creations in the kitchen to provide for us both, I shall send you off with my blessing. But it would be wise for you to retain your sense of caution. I wouldn’t want anything unfortunate to happen to you. After all, you are the only one I will allow this close without consequences.” Then the grip on the chain was released, the experiment returning to eating with pleased hums.

Hajime took a step back and covered his mouth as he failed to control the heat in his cheeks. Whenever Izuru spoke to him like this or forced them to be close, it made him react strongly. And he was sure that his reaction was getting stronger and more obvious with each new action. But he knew Izuru enjoyed eliciting such reactions from him. And who was he to deny the Ultimate Hope of sights he clearly wanted to see?

He had received luck’s blessing. That was the least he could do for such a gift.

Masterpost