Gotta' Start the Day with a Bang!

And that was precisely how the day in the Hyoudou Household started.

With a bang.

And that isn't a form of creative literature or bombastic metaphor. The day, quite literally, started off with what he could only describe as a grenade-level explosion.

"What the..!" Jolted awake by the sudden boomage, Six-eight-two clambered to his feet as his many eyes scanned the area, body mutating to prepare countless weaponizations. He hardened his scales, prepared to take fire. "Are we under attack?!"

"Sorry!" He heard someone shout from the kitchen. "Accidentally put a fork in the microwave!"

That was… Chiyo, the creature from space, and the one Issei had chosen to be his elder sister. And she… left a fork in the microwave?

Slowly, all the danger left his system, and he simply sagged onto the floor with a grumble. "Freaking… I thought the house was under attack," his eyes shifted over to Lucy, who was looking at him cheerfully. "Oh, looks like you're up. Got woken up by the explosion too?"

"Arf!"

Good on her to not be as annoyed as he was. The lizard sighed again. "Right. Maybe it'd be best if she doesn't try to cook on her own. She'll destroy this house if she does," standing back up, he approached the kitchen, Lucy right by his side as her tail wagged cheerily as she was feeling. "Oi, Chiyo. You only started cooking. Is Miki with you, at least?"

"D-Don't tell her what happened! And no, I'm trying to prepare breakfast on my own first!"

The beautiful black-haired girl still had her otherworldly features out on display, like the horns and the hooved legs and the slithering hairs. Despite that, she looked relatively normal, highlighted by the white apron she had on her person. She even tied her hair back in a ponytail.

But she was the only thing that looked pristine. The rest of the kitchen was an absolute mess.

Looking around, Six-eight-two grimaced at the sheer amount of whipped cream splattered at all the walls. Even the ceiling and the fridge. And what need was there for her to put a fork in the microwave? And the milk carton was literally just laid on its side, waterfalling onto the floor while bowls, cutleries and a random calendar were just scattered everywhere.

He took in the entire scene, and deadpanned at the eldritch entity. She at least had the decency to look embarrassed by the mess she created. "Whoops..?"

"Whoops indeed," he sighed. "Honestly… I get that you're new to all of this, but even this level of mess is unexpected. Plus, you're meant to do things under supervision."

"B-But, I really wanted to surprise Mother, and Issei…"

"I get that, I really do, but it's not like you'll magically improve over a single night—Actually, I take that back. I don't know how you beings work. You might have something close to photographic memory, so you can recall details perfectly from the get-go."

"Ahaha… N-No, I don't."

"Right. So then all of this—"

"Ah, that! Don't worry, just leave it to me! I can fix things!"

Before Six-eight-two could even ask what she meant, she had her hands outstretched, chanting words from a language he knew he was never meant to comprehend. Black light emitted from the floor, fires wrapping around the edges and corners.

Wrong. That was the only sense that Six-eight-two got when he watched the entire room go up in eldritch flames, almost as if they'd just been transported to the darkest depths of hell itself. The beast watched with morbid attention as death, madness and ruin claimed the room—

Only for it all to disappear in the blink of an eye, replaced now with a completely perfect-looking kitchen, everything in place and not a single damaged object.

Well, everything except for the milk carton which tipped over again and began spilling milk onto the floor.

"Ahh! It's spilling again!"

"…Well, everything else is more or less spotless, so I guess you've saved us from that," the beast snorted, wrapping a tendril around the carton and rightening its posture. Chiyo quickly chanted another spell to reverse the effect, thus filling the carton back with the milk—wait a minute. "Hang on. Is this just you filling the carton with the milk already on the floor, or…"

"Oh, no, I would never. It's just a time reversal spell, really. So it's like it never really fell out of the carton to begin with," oh, thank goodness. It would be disgusting if all she did was scoop it all up and pour it back in—a cough caught his attention, making him glance over at a pouting Chiyo. "You're thinking something rude and gross, aren't you?"

"Yes. Yes I am, and your response had me feeling much relieved than I initially was."

"Heeey!"

Well, if this was all there was to it, then he supposed he could leave Chiyo to her own devices. Clearly, she was putting in the effort to learn cuisine and cooking, which he knew for a fact was always going to be a plus. If more people could cook as good as Miki, then the world would be so much more of a better place—

Wait a minute. This whole issue started precisely because she was left on her own. No supervision meant she had all the freedom to practise and do trial-and-errors, which was a good learning experience and a necessary means of improving.

But if it meant that she would destroy the kitchen, and potentially the entire house, without anyone to stop her?

Six-eight-two turned around and quickly marched back into the kitchen, to a surprised Chiyo and a yipping Lucy. "I change my mind. If no one's there to watch you, I dread to imagine just what state you'll leave this house in. So me and Lucy are going to stick here with you and help out."

"Wait, really? Y-You'd do that for me?"

He would, if only because he… appreciated the Hyoudou's (but he'll die before he tells them that), and he wouldn't want anything bad to happen to their house. If only just to repay their kindness so far. "Sure. Why not. At the very least, we'll just sit back and let you do the most work, but if there's a mistake, we can keep an eye out," he glanced over at Lucy. "Lucy has been ever-present in the kitchen, helping Miki with cooking."

"Arf!"

"I see… Very well, I accept your help!" She nodded, suddenly invigorated. "Come! Let's make breakfast!"

Unfortunately, as Chiyo would prove two minutes later, some things just aren't easy to fix right off the bat. It spoke of Miki's ability to somehow reel in the girl's destructive tendencies in the kitchen and somehow manage to make anything at all when Chiyo's efforts would accidentally bring them down the route of doom.

At least he and Lucy were present to make sure she doesn't make anything go even worse than usual, though it was clear to him that they had their work cut out for them…

Sisterly Musings

Centuries have passed since she first came into existence, and throughout the years, Ophis liked to think that she'd gained some level of maturity.

That would certainly come into question, considering how she's now operating with the mindset of a seven-year-old (by choice) and getting away with all the childish things like eating too much ice-cream or sitting in the bathtub for too long, but still! She had years' worth of knowledge and experience, so that should at least amount to some maturity!

And still! Still, here she was, seething like an absolute brat at seeing Issei looking so happy in front of their older sister.

"Wooow! You made this? It looks so good!"

"Hehe… Well, I had some help, but I'm sure it'll taste just as good as it looks!"

Chiyo wasn't trying to steal his attention from her on purpose. Rather, she was simply fulfilling her role as the older sibling, and Issei was more than happy to show her affection to make up for what could have been. She wouldn't begrudge him for wanting that.

But where was the justice? Where was the equality? Why could she have Issei's attention so much and she couldn't?

'It's not like he ignores me. If anything, we still play a lot together and even played in the park recently,' the pout came shortly after. 'But I still feel so… blergh.'

She supposed she wasn't as mature as she hoped, then. Maybe it was just the shift from having him all to himself to having to share him with someone new. It didn't feel the same with Lucy. What was it about Chiyo that made it stink?

As she took her seat at the dining table with the rest of the family, Auntie Nyan Nyan having to shrink herself just a little to take one end of the table, the group proceeded to dig into the pancakes that Chiyo worked on with the help of Lucy and Six-eight-two.

"Mmm… This tastes really great!" Father commented, grinning. "It's not too full, I'd say? Has the right amount of fluffiness to it."

"Just so you know, that's the fifth product," the lizard commented with a tired sigh, lifting a pancake of his plate with a tendril and dropping it into his mouth. "Chiyo could be disastrous, but at least she's perseverant at trying over and over again."

"H-Hey!"

"Well, it turned out good in the end, so there's no need to feel bad."

"A-And I'll work harder so that I'll make less mistakes in the future!" She exclaimed, determined. Six-eight-two sweat-dropped in response.

"Wouldn't the reasonable end goal be to make no mistakes whatsoever?"

"Well, if we work together, I know we can make it happen!" Issei piped in with cheer. "I know you can do it, Chiyo-nee! I believe in you!"

"Mm!"

Ophis swallowed a groan at the exchange. Issei was just being nice to her as he does by default with everyone, but she was a little unhappy that Chiyo was seemingly getting a lot of praise. Was it because she could cook? Maybe that was it.

Still, she supposed that was simply part of her responsibilities. An older sibling should know how to cook, whereas it was fine for the little children to simply help around wherever they could.

Urgh. Talk about complicated.

'I would have never been so bothered by these little things. And now, I can't stand seeing Issei being so happy with another sibling. I'm the worst.'

Well, she supposed time would be the only thing that would help ease her feelings on the matter. There was simply no way a person could reasonably hold onto such chagrin towards someone else for so long. And she really did want to give Chiyo an opportunity.

It'll just take a lot of patience, and time. So much of those.

"Ophis, Ophis!" The girl perked up, looking to her left and seeing Issei lift up a forkful of pancake. "You need to try this! It's great!"

The girl blinked at first, though eventually she parted her lips to accept the offered treat. Chewing on the delectable fluffiness coated in a small serving of syrup, Ophis had to restrain herself from letting out a hum of joy.

"So? How was it?"

She was about to call it delicious, but noticing the look of anticipation from their older sister had her faltering. As annoyed as she was with her, there was no part in her body that could handle making her feel bad on purpose. Issei's kindness had rubbed off on her.

After a while, she decided on: "It, tastes like Mom's cooking."

"R-Really?" Gasped the older ravenette. "You mean it?"

Uuuurgh. If it was her even a year back, she would have been able to be as flippant or insulting as possible. After all, how many times had she been capable of insulting Great Red without a care, thinking only of herself and what she wanted?

Here and now, however, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. As annoying as Chiyo was, it was completely unintentional and simply a point of her being brattish without any good reason.

Unable to really muster any form of sarcasm or offense, she ended up settling for something lighter. "Mm. But needs a bit more time on the pan."

"True. It does taste a little raw, but with little more practice, everything'll taste better."

And knowing just how motivated Chiyo was to practise, she really might be able to get to Mom's level in time—or at least as close as she could be, which definitely would make every meal something incredibly exciting to look forward to.

Ophis sighed. Well, Chiyo was here to stay, and nothing will ever change that.

…Maybe she could ask her to change her hair. Maybe that would help.

Money Matters

"Miki, Gorou. Do the two of you have time? I'd like to discuss something with the both of you."

The husband and wife traded glances before returning to the dining table, taking a seat opposite of one another. "Yes, Nyan? Is something the matter?"

"Well, I was giving it some thought last night, but I've realized something rather crucial; essentially, that this house doesn't have room enough for all of us. And before you assume I aim to offend, that is not the case at all," she shook her head. "Rather, I sympathize with you, seeing that you have to take so many of us. I apologize for that."

"O-Oh, no, please don't feel bad about it!" Miki's smile came, gentle as it could be. "It can seem troubling to you, but we love having all of you over. Issei does, too."

"Mmhm. If anyone has to feel bad, it's us for having a little house."

"Little enough that you'd anticipated it being for three people—four when Ophis came along. We are the ones being the bother."

"Hahaha. Not at all, not at all. It's no problem."

"Hmm. Well, I suppose the reason I've brought all of this up is because I have a proposition," at their curious gazes, she continued. "First off, might I know what the two of you work as? If you do not mind me asking."

"Oh, I'm just the housewife. Gorou's the only one with the job."

"I just work in the office. Nothing too fancy, though I'm on leave temporarily. I'll be going back in a month."

"I see… Well, I ask because I am a little concerned as to whether or not your job will be enough to sustain this massive family," her question elicited a worried expression from the man. "Indeed. Eight people underneath one roof can be difficult to feed, though even that could be limited to just the five of you since myself, Chiyo and Six-eight-two do not need sustenance."

"Now, now. You don't need to think of doing that," Miki chided. "We're all people living here. We'll eat together, and nothing will change that."

Thoughtful. Such was the human sentimentality that she found rather endearing, and reminded her that Issei had truly grown up well.

Still, that didn't exactly solve the issue. If they keep going like this, there would be a time when they'll hit a wall. They'd have to deal with a bad financial situation, something that she wouldn't wish for this little family to have to suffer from. It simply wouldn't be fair.

And that was why she had an idea.

"Gorou," the man hummed. "If you do not mind, would it be alright if I, too, worked to secure funding for our household?"

"Huh? You're working?"

"Calling what I do a job isn't wrong, though it certainly doesn't pay," chuckled the blue deity. "As watchers of countless worlds, we work to ensure that humans remain in their little safety bubble, kept far away from all the horrid entities that threaten their safety out there. And at times, we are summoned to fulfil wishes, just as Chiyo did with Issei. Ultimately, we aren't rewarded with monetary gains as your jobs do."

"Oof. Sounds tough."

"Fret not. It's a duty we take to with diligence, and we simply do not mind not getting anything in turn. But back to the topic, I would like to help earn for this family."

"Huh. That… Well, as the man of the house, I feel kind of bad…"

Understandable. Human children have always been taught from a young age to study hard and get a good job to earn for the family. It's a never-ending chain of growth and gains to repay their parents and support their children, and that chain becomes a cycle for the many years to come. Gorou held onto that pride as well, and she appreciated it.

"You needn't feel bad. It's simply contributing to the family. Everyone does in their own ways, and I'd like it if I could as well."

Gorou and Miki looked at one another again, and something of a mental communication must have occurred between them, because a moment of understanding seemed to have occurred. Perhaps it was something that married people would come to gain after years of being together. "Well… If you don't mind."

"Not at all. I'd be happy to help. Besides, I think it would be nice if we could renovate or even upgrade the house," her suggestion prompted surprise from them. "Again, I say this not because I think the house in its current state is terrible. Far from it. But I'm sure it would be much more convenient and comfortable if there was that much more space for all of us."

"I… can't deny that. But something like a renovation will cost a lot."

"That will be of no issue. I am certain I can solve that issue fairly easily."

"Uh-huh. So, what do you have in mind?"

"I'll cash in some favours from some other deities I know, and it wouldn't be hard to secure funding. After millennia of work, it wouldn't be hard to make some easy bank. Worry not, it will be completely legal and safe."

"…The fact that you had to mention that at all makes it very concerning," deadpanned the man. "But I suppose there's no stopping you. Just don't worry about pushing yourself into doing anything, alright?"

"Of course, of course."

Certainly, as a powerful space entity who's ever lived by her own rules and ever needed to consider her and her niece's wellbeing, there'd never been much need to be too worried. They could simply live as they pleased without ever being bothered by anyone or anything, seeing that they were just that powerful, and they could go on without needing nutrition as most living beings do.

But she was also not above adapting to the standards of this world. Now that she was part of the Hyoudou family, she certainly would like it if she could normalize herself with their ways so that everyone could stand on the same footing.

Also, Miki was just that phenomenal of a cook. It does her heart well to know that even Chiyo was interested in following her footsteps.

So really, whatever she does from here on out will be for her new family. And goodness, does she love the idea of it. It made it feel like everything she does from here on out has a reason.

That wasn't to say that her job of keeping humanity from the darker side of things was no less important. But she could understand why prospects aimed towards more personal matters could feel more rewarding. She felt more fulfilled helping her family than millions of strangers she didn't and wouldn't ever know in her lifetime.

Well, with that all done, she supposed it was time that she make a quick trip back up there. Maybe one of her colleagues is free at the moment…

It's a Bird, It's a Plane!

Chiyo perked up, noticing Aunty Nyan Nyan take her leave through a spatial warp. Guess she had to head out for some business.

Shrugging, she looked back to Issei and Ophis, both of whom were drawing on a piece of paper with a bunch of crayons. They were frantically drawing, eyes focused and Issei even sticking out his tongue as they raced against one another.

And the target of their drawing? SCP-682 himself.

"Are you okay maintaining that form, Six-eight-two?"

"It's fine. It's not like I expend too much energy when manipulating the shape of my body," the beast shrugged back. Right now, he looked more like a very big snake than an alligator. With his limbs retracted and countless eyes filling up the surface of his body, he certainly made for a very intimidating figure… to the ordinary people. Issei was just taking that as a challenge to fill up his drawing with as many eyes as possible.

"Is there a limit as to what you can make or do with your body?"

"There isn't. So long as I know how to perceive it, I can immediately trigger a mutation in my cells to active a transformation. I can literally turn into anything."

Impressive. And certainly relieving to know that he wasn't going to use that opportunity to go around massacring humans. For as much as he's said that he hates humans, she wasn't blind to the fact that he rather liked the Hyoudou's.

After a while, a buzzer sounded off. Issei's 'Oh no!' and Ophis's click of the tongue did not go unheard. Chiyo grinned regardless, patting her hands together. "Alright then, kids! Let's see who's drawing is closer to Six-eight-two!"

"R-Right! Ophis, we show ours together?"

"Mm."

"Okay… Now!"

Showcasing their drawings, Chiyo had to hold back from breaking into a laughter. Six-eight-two took one look at them and groaned.

With crayons and a limited time, there wasn't much room for great detailing and beautiful works. It was just a fun game to see who could make their drawing as close as possible to what Six-eight-two looked like, and she found their works adorable.

Issei had drawn a rather slim body, more akin to an eel than an actual snake. It had all the red eyes scattered about, but what really made her giggle was the little smile he drew at the end where the head was supposed to be. It was sooo not Six-eight-two in the slightest, and she loved it.

Ophis's was a little more true to life, with her somehow blending colours to closely resemble his skin… er, scale tone. The eyes were especially impressive, despite not being as numerous as Issei's, because they looked closer to what his eyes actually look like.

After a while, she nodded, having come to a conclusion. "And the winner is… Ophis!"

"Really? Aww, I thought I was close!" Issei didn't take his laugh with any moodiness. If anything, he just smiled as he always does.

"Her drawing definitely looks more accurate. But your effort is appreciated regardless."

"Well, that's just the second round, and I won the first one! Let's do the third one!"

"And we, will settle it on that one," nodded Ophis. "Can we, have Lucy do it instead?"

The dog in question heard them from where she'd been looking out the window, padding over to them with cheer. "Arf!"

"Yeah, girl! We want you to do that awesome thing that you can do! And then we're gonna' draw you. Is that okay?"

Clearly, she didn't mind it in the slightest if the happy yipping was any indication. Immediately, her body mutated and her face exploded, tentacles reeling outwards and a great number of eyes and razor sharp teeth forming.

Ooh. Now this would be a little hard, wouldn't it? With all the additional body parts, they'd have to try and capture as much as they could.

Beside her, Six-eight-two hummed. "Trying to capture Lucy's appearance with mere crayon would be rather difficult. This isn't anything like my original form or my earlier snake vessel."

"True. But that's where the fun is!" Grinning, she pumped her fists in the air. "Alright, children! Get your crayons ready 'cuz we're about to draw Lucy next! This time, I'll give you five minutes instead of three, so make every single second count. Got it?"

"Yeah!"

"Mm."

"Great! Now, on the count of three. One, two… three!"

Immediately, the two's hands moved with great speed, drawing a simple outline of Lucy's canine body before proceeding onto the head, which is where the real challenge lied. From the side, it sort of looked like a slug's body, though it was obviously parted where the mouth should be and had rows of teeth lining it. The barbed tendrils were fairly thin, and it would be hard to draw them since crayon tips were somewhat fat.

But hey. With five minutes to work with, she had no doubt that they'll be able to get it done with no problem!

"You know," she began, getting the lizard to hum. "I noticed that she sort of exudes the same energy that me and Aunty Nyan Nyan do. Just not as strong, though. And I'm surprised that you don't."

"Then that likely means that I'm just not a primordial being like the three of you," he mused. "The theories I had regarding my origins was whether I was built in a laboratory, came from outer space, or was birthed from the soil of Earth."

"I see… And you can't remember your first day or something?"

"Unfortunately, no. And at this point, I don't care. It's not like it would serve to help me for anything."

"But what about if you have family out there? Wouldn't you like to know?"

There was a pause there, and Chiyo could tell he was contemplating that thought. Eventually, however, he just shrugged, not at all bothered. "That's in the past at this point. I'm not too bothered by that. Besides, I already have I could ask for."

"Your home?"

"Yes."

"And nothing else?"

He must have caught onto the inflection in her voice, for his eyes glared at her. "What are you trying to imply?"

Try as she might, Chiyo couldn't hold back from giggling. "Weeell… I assumed that you'd say something along the lines of already having a family. You know. Us."

"Please don't joke like that. I never asked to be a part of this family, and it's a whole lot of headaches," groaned the beast, albeit without any real heat. "The only reason I'm stuck here is because Ophis hasn't warped me back home."

"You haven't asked her?"

"I haven't because I'm choosing to remain here—but only for the moment. I don't find myself obligated to do anything for the Hyoudou's, but I can at least tolerate them for a little longer."

Heh. He was so dishonest with himself. She wondered if she was the only one who noticed that he actually liked this family. She wouldn't be surprised if Aunty Nyan Nyan does.

Oh well, she'll let him believe what he wanted. She wouldn't want to say the wrong thing, else she got him mad and actually pushed him into demanding a warp back home. Issei clearly likes him after all, and as much as he calls him a brat, Six-eight-two… well, he says that he doesn't like him, but he clearly appreciates him regardless.

Five minutes pass as the children compete to draw Lucy's figure. Lucy, being the absolute bundle of love that she is, enjoyed the attention and occasionally made a sound of appreciation—and it wasn't a bark. More like a horrendous howl, but no one was bothered by it.

Oh, oh! And what really touched her heart was how, despite obviously competing against one another, there were moments where the children helped each other every now and then. Like when Ophis needed green and Issei immediately gave her his, and when Issei accidentally tore his paper and Ophis quickly used magic to undo the damage. Aww! Truly siblings, those two.

'And I'll just have to work harder to become a big sister that they both deserve! I'll make sure of it!'

Once the buzzer kicked in, the two immediately dropped their crayons, though with clear frustration. Issei looked like he'd just realized something and wanted to make a correction, and Ophis struggled to hold herself back from adding a new detail.

"Alright then! So, let's see what the two of you have got here."

"Right! Ophis!

"Mm."

Showing off their works, Chiyo and Six-eight-two leaned in to get a better look at their works. Lucy undid her transformation and walked over as well.

Issei had gone for a more well-rounded approach to his drawing, not exactly too focused on the details but capturing the overall look well. Lucy's body was appropriately sized up, and the number of eyes and tendrils seemed to match her transformation.

Ophis, however, had a more accurate interpretation thanks to the level of colouring that she did. A lot of reds were used, though there was the occasional browns and greys to accurately capture the colour of her coat.

After a while, Chiyo came to her conclusion. "Alright then. I've finally decided. And it looks like the winner…" The children immediately perked up, anticipation and nervous energy in the air. Six-eight-two and Lucy were mere observers, though the latter was just as exciting, wagging her tail without end. "Is… Ophis!"

"I won?"

"Ophis won? Aww!"

"Yep! Ophis' drawing was just a liiiiittle more accurate. Plus, all the colours looked really great!" Chiyo beamed at the little girl. "Good job, Ophis! Looks like you're the winner of today's competition!"

Altogether, everyone started clapping for her. And by that, she meant that she did the clapping, while Six-eight-two gently tapped his tail against the floor multiple times while Lucy yipped happily. Ophis shrugged back. "Ah… It's nothing."

Oho? She says it's nothing, but there's no hiding the blush on her face. And it only got bigger when Issei pulled her into a hug and started cheering for her, showcasing a sporting attitude that she absolutely adored. There was just no mean bone in him.

"As a reward, I think you deserve some ice-cream," the mention of ice-cream had her straightening. If she had cat ears, they would have erected atop her head. "How does that sound?"

"That's… I, would like it. But…"

"But?"

"I… want a big-sized one," her eyes glanced over to Issei, who tilted his head in turn. "I want to share with Issei."

Someone needed to get her insulin. Now. She was going to die from how cute her little siblings were!

"Of course! Anything you want!" She giggled, patting her on the head. "And what a good sister you are. Wanting to share your reward with Issei."

"Erk…"

"Well, I'll happily eat ice-cream with you, Ophis! And thanks!"

"It's fine…"

Just as she was about to say some words, there was a knock on the front door. Everyone turned to look that way, and Chiyo was the first to stand up, jogging over. "Coming!" She announced, reaching it and pulling it open. "Yes? How can I help you?"

"Ah, sorry to bother ya'. Is this the Hyoudou household?"

"That would be it, yes. Can I help you, mister?"

The man in question was an interesting figure, to say the least. He wasn't old, that much was certain, with black hair and strikingly golden bangs, and a black goatee. He was dressed like some kind of business executive, making her wonder if he was here to advertise his business or something.

But it was certainly curious that he had specifically asked her if this was the house of the Hyoudou's. Just who was he?

Clearing his throat, the man spoke up again. "Right. So basically, I wanted to meet with the boy and his parents. Are you his guardian, perhaps?"

"Oh, no! I'm his sister," she smiled. "Chiyo Hyoudou."

"Ah, okay. Nice to meet you, Chiyo. I'm Azazel, a… well, you could consider me to be a partner of a science department, and we came to realize something very curious about your little brother. And I thought it'd be a good precautionary move to discuss it with him, just in case."

"Ahh, alright. Then please, come on in! Would you like tea? I can prepare juice if you'd prefer it."

"Hah, don't worry about it. Anything is fine with—"

The moment he stepped foot inside the house, he accidentally dropped his suitcase, eyes and mouth going wide. She blinked at his reaction, then traced his eyes all the way toward Six-eight-two. Ah, right. Seeing a big lizard would likely freak any typical person out.

What she didn't expect, however, was when he suddenly pointed a finger at the beast. "SCP-682?!" The lizard froze, eyes suddenly honed in on him. "Y-You're here?! I thought you went missing!"

Suddenly, the tension in the air became thick. Six-eight-two rose to his feet, teeth bared and snarl slipping forth as he glared hotly at the man. "You know of me… Are you from the facility?!"

Like cracking stone, his body quickly shifted into a horrendous amalgamation. Too much teeth that couldn't be fit into one single vessel, and massive claws that would cut cleanly through anything. Whatever concept of restraint was thrown out of the window, Six-eight-two's mind focused solely on killing.

To her surprise, Azazel was not just a normal human, for his hands were suddenly alight with power. Golden light manifested around him, magic circles formed on his palms as he summoned javelins around him. They were trained on the beast, his expression that of grim determination.

"Damned bastards..! I won't let you take me back! I'll end you where you stand!"

"Heh! Sorry, pal, but for the sake of world safety, I'll put you down here and now!"

And with a fierce battle cry emanating from both beast and man, they charged at one another, powerful magic and bestial strength coming to blows.

…

Nyanlathotep paused, looking off in some direction. In front of her, Hastur tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm. Nothing. I just feel like I just missed something important back home."

"And that's rather surprising. That you would decide to move into a human household. What's up with that?"

"My niece wasn't able to grant a boy's wish, and it turned out he wanted more family. So myself and the Black Sheep of the Woods, rearing a Thousand Young decided to be his aunty and sister respectively."

The two beings with her whistled, Cthugha especially burning a little brighter. "Well, if you're okay with it, then I guess it's fine. But that's no reason you get to shirk your duties. That's not something any of us can think of slacking off on, or some human will get some dumb idea to do something we'll all regret."

"Why is it only the humans we need to supervise this carefully?"

"Because they're the only race in all the worlds that I know are oddly capable of ending themselves if they really put their backs into it. Not even the three races and their great war could compare."

Hastur was about to respond, only to pause, then nod. "Point made."

"Well, you needn't worry about my diligence. I'll keep it up no matter what."

"You're easily the most conscientious person I ever know when it comes to their job. I can never see a world where you would choose to shirk off on your job."

"Hah. I appreciate the praise. And yes, I'll work hard not to disappoint."

"Heh. Like you ever will, Nyanlathotep."

And so, three friends catch up on old matters and the like, unaware of the sheer chaos going down back home.