Children These Days…

"It, is a little grumpy, isn't it?"

The child called Ophis had said that so casually, so nonchalantly with that listless look on her face that SCP-682 stared—actually stared—at the girl with what could have been described as the human equivalent of a slack-jawed expression.

Humans had call it all sorts of things. Terrifying, monstrous and dangerous were amongst those. A rare few called it hideous, and they usually end up dead.

But to be called grumpy, of all things, as if she'd just described a moody child who was denied their favourite toy by their parents! The sheer audacity of this one!

"That's... Maybe?"

"Hmm. He, would not be very pleasant to hold a conversation with.",

"Rude. I am still here."

"Yes, you are. I apologize."

"In any case, how did you get out of the bathroom?" Issei asked, hands on his hips as he looked to his friend.

She made to answer, lips parting into a small 'o' before closing. And then, she answered: "I, climbed out. And found this one nearby."

"You climbed out of the house from the second floor?" His eyes went wide, head snapping back towards the house. "Daaang. And it's so tall, too… Wasn't it scary?"

"Heights, do not scare me much."

"Nice! I'd give it a shot, but I don't know how to climb anything besides trees. I don't think climbing the wall of a house is as easy as a tree."

"Perhaps."

The monstrous lizard watched their interaction, head swivelling from one person to the next as it tried to come to terms with the fact that they'd practically ignored it. Instead, they'd moved on to talking about late dinner supper and ice-cream, something that got Ophis to visibly perk up, only to then ask about chocolate and cake.

This was not happening.

Now, SCP-682 wasn't a stranger to a lot of weird things. If anything, it itself is a strange thing, and it's had to live knowing that all kinds of strange things exist in this crazy world of theirs. That was just a brand of normalcy that it's come to accept.

But if there was one thing it had never dealt with, it was being treated as background noise.

Even suspended in acid and kept away from the reach of any of the personnel, everyone had always been wary. Rightfully so, since it had always been capable of escaping (and kill them along the way, of course). The other creatures trapped alongside it hadn't always been friendly to it, though it wasn't like it would have cared. But to be ignored by these people!

Literally, despite standing right there between them, six feet tall and with a few chunks of meat in its teeth that probably stink, they were ignoring it. Instead, they just kept talking to each other!

"But like, I'm pretty sure it's not good to eat so much before you sleep…"

"It is, okay. I, have fast metabolism."

"Meta-what? That's a big word. Where'd you learn that?"

"Aunty, mentioned it once. I, got curious, and wanted to know more."

"Isn't that biology-related..? Hey, uhh… What's your name?"

It took a few moments to register the fact that it was actually being called out this time. Hundreds of eyes look to the boy, whose chocolate eyes were watching it with a curious gaze.

Not a single shred of fear or doubt. Absolutely nothing.

"What?"

"Your name. What was it?"

"…SCP-682."

"You have numbers for a name? That's weird."

It bristled back. "It's a designation."

"Huh. Okay. So, uh, the thing. Meta… Me… Whatever the word Ophis just used. You know that?"

Its brain was like a computer loading up after having not been used for almost a year. Eventually, however, it managed to scrounge together an answer. "Metabolism. It is the process of supplying the body with energy required to carry out activities," and then, it paused once more. "Wait, why am I explaining your simplistic biology to you? You should know yourself!"

"I'm only six!" He grinned back, a little too proudly for that matter.

…Imbecile.

"But even so, I don't think it's good to eat too much before you sleep. It's not good for you, fast metabolism or no."

"I see… Okay then. I, will be more careful."

"Good. So uh, will you be staying around? I don't know if there's any room for you in our house."

"Not at all. Six-eight-two, will be returning to his home soon," she said to him. "Is that correct?"

"…That is the plan, yes."

The boy visibly deflated at that, looking somewhat disappointed. "Aw, that's a shame. I've never met an animal that could talk. And you're pretty smart too," and then, he perked up with a grin. "Say, where do you live? We could visit you if we have time!"

For a moment, the creature was struck by an instinctual need to just strike the boy down. But a quick glance at the girl beside him was enough for it to stay that urge.

"I live far. You will not find me, brat."

"Well, that sucks," he sighed. "Well, nothing that can be done about that, right? So yeah, take care of yourself. It was nice to meet you. Ophis, we should be heading back in soon."

"I, will come soon. I'd like to talk to Six-eight-two for a little longer."

"Cool. Good night to you, Mister Lizard!"

It was the silliest name that one has ever called it by, and the beast practically bent over wheezing. Not like the brunet cared. He practically just smiled and walked back into his house, all too casual despite what he'd just seen and talked to.

"Thank you, for not trying anything on him."

It knew it was just imagining the murderous look on her face, but for some reason, it couldn't help but wonder what she would have done to it had it attempted to harm the boy. For the sake of its mind, it decided to put that thought out of its mind.

"That boy… What is he to you?"

"Issei, is my best friend," she said. "And I, will not allow anyone or anything to hurt him," then, she looked it in the eyes. "Not even you."

Despite the words coming out with nary an emotion, SCP-682 could not help but imagine the underlying threat in her words. Anxiety thrummed in its gut for but a moment, and the beast snapped its head away, hiding its momentary shudder.

"What… are you?"

"The Ouroboros Dragon."

Dragon. The name brings to mind SCP-1762, and its frustration is replaced with melancholy. Here were dragons. Perhaps they had been pieces of paper, as those scientists had called them, but Six-eight-two knew they were far more than that. But before it stood a true dragon?

SCP-682 looked to the creature wearing human's skin, and only now had it seemed to notice the strange aura wafting off of her. And her scent… not so unsimilar from a human, but likely because she'd attempted to mask it. Now, however, made much more aware of her true nature, the lizard holds no doubts as to what she smelt like.

"I never knew dragons existed."

"And yet, you exist. Anything can," touché. "Have you, ever met dragons?"

"…I do not recall. My life within my walls of confinement had me see little beyond what I know. But I recognized one such entity that lived alongside me in the facility. But you, creature, are certainly something different, though you look nothing akin to a dragon."

No scales. No reptilian eyes. No tail. The ears, on the other hand, seemed a little sharper… Huh, those do stand out a little. How had it not noticed those?

"I, chose this appearance to better live alongside the humans. Much more convenient."

"I suppose," after a long pause, it let out a sigh. "Well, I've done as you asked. It's time you send me back."

"I suppose it is."

There was no fancy chanting. No extravagant gesture or whatever. Just a flick of her wrist—

And the world around it flashed away. Concrete roads, brick houses and streetlamps were whisked away like some kind of dream, leaving it to stand in the middle of a clearing, where greenery and naturalness thrived. All the lingering traces of carbon in the air was replaced by the fresh winds it had gotten acquainted with, easing all the stress in its being.

But that did not do away with the fact that the little dragon was standing right beside it in that moment, looking around with that listless look.

"You, are a strange one. I have never, seen one such as you."

"So I am the only one of my kind. What is it to you?" It hissed back.

"Nothing at all, but simple curiosity," she hummed. "Either way, you have my, gratitude, for meeting Issei."

"And what purpose did that serve?"

"No reason," the creature actually faltered at that. "I was, curious to see what his reaction would be. He seemed rather, calm, which is impressive."

And as begrudging as it was to admit, even SCP-682 was surprised by the lack of what should be the normal reactions of someone seeing a terrifying monster such as itself—fear was the most apparently lacking one. If anything, he was friendly with it, which was weird in itself.

Seriously, what is with the children of this day and age? Have they truly grown this fearless than it had thought possible? Perhaps a natural course of evolution after all that they're exposed to on a daily basis?

"Nevertheless, I shall, leave you to it. Have a good night, Six-eight-two."

"What? Hold on, you—" Another flash of light, causing it to reel backwards in shock, only to open its eyes once more and see nothing. Quick as she had brought it to her home, just as quick as she was to leave him behind. "…Never mind."

Weird. All of those interactions, of which were likely the first true ones outside of its days of containment, were just weird. None of them had gone in any way as it had expected, leaving it with way more questions than intended and a headache, which is impressive in itself, considering that it had never experienced one before.

Still, it was a little uneasy about things. That Ophis. She called herself the Ouroboros Dragon. And if there was one thing it had come to learn, anything with such a grand-sounding name such as that was either a joke… or a true monstrosity.

Having seen her in action mere moments ago, however?

Those men. They called themselves 'magicians', whatever they were. And sure, they weren't a true threat, unlike the armed forces of the containment facility. Just a bunch of arrogant humans who threw around spells and thought that would be enough to kill it.

SCP-682 could have done them in by itself, but Ophis had decided to join in the fight. And she had left nothing behind to bury.

The beast shook its head with a groan. Dragons, children, magic… This was all just too much for it. Might as well just sleep on it for the night.

…

"Oh, Ophis, you… did you just climb back into the bathroom?"

"Yes."

"Huh. I don't think that's necessary, but okay. Come on, Mom and Dad are calling us for cookies and ice-cream!"

"Cookie-flavoured ice-cream?"

"No, those two things are separate for now. But next time, we'll see if we could get some cookie dough ice-cream. Those are pretty good, from what I heard."

"Very well. Another time. Let's go."

"Ey, wait, you don't need to pull my hand! Haha, Ophis, chill out!"

Issei Is Not Afraid of a Lot of Animals

He'd met a talking lizard three nights ago.

Issei stops whatever he was doing earlier, which was—for anyone curious to know, though it wasn't as if his life was a story being read by a third party or anything—counting stamps. He was in the middle of pasting one into a book he'd been keeping since around a few months ago, and he's already had four pages filled out, which is pretty good in his opinion.

"Hey Ophis."

"Hm?"

"The other night. We did see a talking lizard outside of our house, right? It wasn't just a dream?"

"We did indeed, see a talking lizard. His name, was SCP-682."

"Ah, okay," he let out a 'Phew!', wiping his brow. "I thought I was crazy."

"If anything, the world we live in is the crazy one."

Poetic, but true. Not counting the big talking lizard (seriously, he'd never met an animal that could talk like a person does. And so fluently, too!), there were all sorts of crazy things out there that're probably being kept as government secrets. And even more being discovered, those that haven't been discovered already, and a lot more. He wouldn't be surprised if someday, another crazy monster shows up sometime or another.

Needless to say, he had jinxed himself when he thought that. But for the time being, let's not think further on that.

For a moment there, he wonders if Ophis is part of that supernaturality, only to then shrug. She's just quirky, but nothing to the extent of being utterly out-of-this-world. Maybe.

Thinking back on it now, SCP-682 is a weird one. Even more than the one with the tail that looks like its own head (the two-headed bobtail lizard. Those are so weird-looking!), since it practically goes beyond whatever any other lizard has ever had; more than three eyes, oddly hairy, could talk, and was easily five times his size. Like, what kind of lizard is it?

Now that he thought about it, he should probably be more concerned about where it had come from and why. But instead, his mind opted to shrug it off as a normal Tuesday night.

He hummed for a moment, went back to pasting some new stamps into his book, before talking to Ophis once more. "Say, Ophis," the girl hummed back. "I gotta' ask. Why were you outside the house that time? I wanted to ask you that time, but I sorta' forgot."

"Oh, right. I…" That she seemed to drawl gave him pause.

"Ophis?"

"I… noticed something strange outside, so I climbed outside, and happened to see SCP-682."

Really? Huh. Talk about a weird turn of events. "It must have been the flash of light, right?" She nodded. "So you just went to check it out, and you just happened to meet the big guy?"

"That's how it was, yes."

"Weird. But pretty cool," he grinned. "What're the odds that some crazy monster shows up out of nowhere and you get to talk to it?"

Ophis quirked a brow at him. "Were you not afraid of him?"

"Should I have been?" He asked back. "Actually," he said after thinking on it. "I guess I should be. Like, most people would probably be screaming right off the bat."

"And you didn't."

"I know, right? And I don't know why!" The boy crossed his arms, humming with a thoughtful look on his face. "I guess I'm just not that easily scared of things? Not like my Mom or Dad, I'd say; Mom's not good with insects, and Dad is—but don't tell anyone this. Not even Dad. He'd be embarrassed—afraid of dolls. Well, the old kind that you'd find in a creepy doll store or something. Like Chucky or something."

"I see… And you aren't bothered by anything?"

"Nothing comes to mind. Insects, spiders, small spaces or holes—I'm usually just good with all of them."

Ophis seemed oddly interested in that, eyes narrowed as she hummed slowly. Some kind of idea was rolling around in her head, and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

"Do you, mind if we experiment? I am curious, if there is anything that you're afraid of. Call it an, experiment, if you will."

Ooh, an experiment! The brunet perked up like a raised flag, grinning in excitement. "Hey, we could do that, yeah! A fun lil' experiment just to do all kinds of stories. And hey, I'm always down for knowing more about myself. How about we go to the park tomorrow? We can have a fun outing at the same time."

It was Ophis's turn to brighten, eyes gaining a glint to them. "Outing," she repeated, with what sounded emotionless, but which he was familiar enough with to be able to recognize her poorly-veiled excitement. "Tomorrow, then."

"Tomorrow it is!"

…

Ophis loved a lot of things in the human realm; Issei's family, the food, all the places they visit and the fun things she's gotten the chance to try. Strange how all the freedom in the world never allowed her to pursue the simplicity of life, if only because she'd never think to give them a try.

And now, she'd especially grown fond of going out of the house together, be it to the nearest beach park or driving around town to sightsee in the night.

It was such a strange thing. Prior to joining the Hyoudou's, she had all the freedom to explore all the worlds she'd wanted—and she'd done so following the beat of her own drum. She was easily one of the few to have seen all kinds of sights that no other creatures have.

And yet, why was it so much more meaningful now? So much more enjoyable?

Was it because of this sense of 'restraint'? Where before she had all the opportunity to just go anywhere she wished without anyone to tell her yes or no, not being able to just go off on her own anytime she wished meant that there was a limited amount of time, which is when she'd get to appreciate her surroundings more deeply.

Was it some kind of reversal effect? A concept of 'reverse psychology', as some people call it?

Ophis hummed, eyes gazing over to the front of the group. 'Or perhaps,' she mused. 'It's simply that I've never had anyone else to experience the moments with.'

"Mom, hurry up! Let's set up our picnic spot already! I wanna' go bug-catching with Ophis!"

"B-Bug-catching? How would you—Oh, for heaven's sake, is that why you brought that butterfly net, dear?"

"Of course! You try saying 'no' to Issei."

"It ain't easy to say 'no' to such a cute kid like me and Ophis, right?"

"Cheeky little scamp."

The park they visited was a little way's away, needing an actual ten minute's drive to get away from the busier parts of town. It wasn't isolated and whatnot, but with it being a weekday and most people likely still busy, it was amazingly sparse and not at all loud. A good thing, too, for she doubted she would have been able to enjoy it this much if it were so occupied.

They crossed the crest of a little hill and found themselves in a little clearing, a perimeter of trees at least three feet or so around them. Grass swayed around them like little dancing figures, providing a sense of serenity that eased her very well.

"Blanket, settled! Basket, in place! Yosh! Time to—"

"Now, now, Issei. Let's at least drink a little before you run off for your little fun."

A drink was exactly what she needed. Ophis sat, on her knees, beside Aunty, while Issei sat beside his father. Aunty took time to meticulously prepare everyone's cups and napkins before finally pulling out a flask, of which she poured out hot green tea for everyone.

Ophis accepted her cup with a quiet 'Thank you'. She sipped from her drink, and basked in the warmth of the fields, the morning breeze and the simple herby taste of her drink.

"Issei, shall we go now?" She asked when she'd finished her cup.

"Sure thing!" With a nod, he accepted the butterfly net offered by his father, and slung it over his shoulder with a determined grin. "Onwards!"

"Let's."

Surrounded by nature like this, it wouldn't be hard to find some bugs. The occasional butterfly flutter about in the air, ants skitter across a dirt mound that Issei warns her not to accidentally kick, and a big black stag beetle. The last one of which is stuck to a tree, with a large maw of sorts that warns her that it would be terrible if it bit her.

Not like Issei hesitates in the slightest. "Ooh, cool! A stag beetle!"

Either it's lion-like courage, reckless or mere ignorance, Issei easily reached out to grab its body with his bare hand. Ophis watches him all the while, eyes somewhat wide in surprise at the action. It begins struggling in his grip, but he doesn't seem uncomfortable or anything.

"Be careful."

"Yeah, I hear you. If you're not careful, you could accidentally hurt yourself holding this thing," he hummed, grinning at it. "People usually wear gloves when handling these things."

"And you, are using your bare hands."

"Heh, yeah! Guess I should've thought to get gloves."

Still doesn't make the fact that he's holding it in his hand without any form of protection any less impressive. Ophis knows for a fact that some humans would be repulsed by the idea of holding such a massive insect, and some would not readily hold one without protective gear. Yet another sign of Issei's surprising lack of hesitation and fear.

They spend the next few hours doing all kinds of things, which typically involves exploring the area. Walking around and generally enjoying the peace and quiet was very nice. Aunty and Uncle would join them sometimes before they'd opt to return to their picnic area to keep watch over their stuff and leave them to have their own fun.

Issei, of course, makes good on his promise to interact with as many animals as possible—insects, the stray dogs that they encounter, and a few cats. The dogs come as a surprise to her, for she'd assumed that strays are typically more aggressive to strangers, though his ability to placate them without even a treat in hand earns him even more respect.

And he, of course, shows great skill in netting butterflies. She'd taken at least eight tries before she finally managed to catch her first one.

They'd also gotten the chance to hold snails, catch frogs and even get a bird, though the last one required some breadcrumbs, which Aunty was smart to pack first in case they ever wanted to try get some near. Charming little things.

Eventually, they run into the issue of having nothing else to find. They had their fill, and it'd been hours since.

"Done already, kiddos?" Uncle asked kindly as they sat down on the blanket.

"Yeah. And we got to see quite a lot of them!" Issei grinned, passing the net over to his father. "It was pretty fun. Ophis?"

"I, feel the same. And I, am a little amazed," she admitted, getting him to tilt his head in curiosity. "After all, you were not afraid when you touched everything. I doubt there is anyone, just like you."

"Not wrong there. Issei's probably got it from my old man," chuckled Uncle.

"Grandpa wasn't afraid of anything either?"

"Nope. As far as I can remember, he was always the brave man who took care of anything whenever we were too scared to do so. Like cockroaches in the bathroom, big lizards…"

Huh. That's rather impressive. Do most traits that children possess are simply passed down from a parent or from higher up the chain? It makes her wonder if a child is capable of something completely unique to themselves or merely a remix of prior traits from their family.

A sigh from beside her draws her gaze towards Aunty. "I just wish you'd be a little more careful. You never know if you'd end up touching something dangerous."

"But I'm careful."

"Issei, honey."

"Sorry. I'll be more careful next time," Issei suddenly paused, looking over to her with a surprised look. "Hmm? Ophis?"

"Yes, Issei?" She asked.

"Did you just… laugh?"

The dragoness blinked back, noticing now how Uncle and Aunty were also staring at her with the same expression as their son did. "I don't think so," she replied.

Even so, he didn't seem to buy it, grinning from ear to ear. "I guess you didn't," if he wasn't smiling so much, she might have believed him. "It's just that you've never laughed before. Anything funny?"

"I don't think anything you said or did was humorous in any way…"

"Then it was probably just a reflex," he snickered. "But that aside, let's start eating already! I'm famished."

Aunty, as always, chides him for his lack of patience, while Uncle just chuckles in his good-natured way and pats him on the head. Issei's smile never falls, and just the sight alone made the entire day worth it.

…

They returned home sometime late into the evening, full and a little tired—the latter applies more to the children, since they'd done a lot more walking than the parents did. By the time they'd arrived home, the skies had already seemed darker, and the faintest hints of drizzle had started pattering away on their homes.

Uncle had opted to leave alone to get some ingredients from the grocery store, promising to be back in time for dinner. It's around that time that the drizzles gradually turn into a heavy storm, much less so for their neighbourhood to suddenly be so dark and sending everyone outside into a scramble to get back indoors.

Kah-taaaak!

Such a powerful clap of thunder from outside sounds close enough to a gunshot, which is enough to make her freeze in her place. Fortunately, upon realizing what it was, she managed to calm herself quickly enough.

"Man, that was loud," Issei commented as he looked up to the ceiling, with all the casualness of a man discussing the current fruit season. "Hope Dad's okay out there," so long as Uncle isn't actively running around with a steel rod or standing under a tree, he should be fine.

"You're not afraid of thunder?"

"I'm okay with them. I get startled by loud noises from time to time, but they don't bother me too much."

So no astraphobia on his part, then. "What about the ocean? Or space?"

"Nada. I think divers and astronauts are cool as heck! And I think the ocean and space are both awesome too."

She accepts it with a hum, watching her best friend stacking coins on top of one another to make a whole tower. It seems to shake a little in the middle, but Issei keeps on adding more to the height, intending to challenge its ultimate limit—

"Eeeeyaaaaah!"

Thunder. It comes in a timely snap that it would have drowned out the scream in its entirety, but for the fact that it was just a mere second too late, the sound was made immediately clear to them. Ophis's head snapped towards the stairs, black eyes wide.

"Aunty," she whispered.

"Mom? Mom?!" Beside her, Issei had immediately shot to his feet, causing the tower of metal to fall in a steady rhythm of clinkering. Ophis was right behind him as he raced up the stairs. "Hang on, Mom, we're coming!"

Uncle wasn't in the house, and with the current thunderstorm playing out, so many things could be possible. Ophis couldn't bring herself to think of the worst possibility, intent solely on finding Aunty and making sure she was safe.

What had happened? Everything had been just fine mere moments ago. It was too sudden, so out-of-nowhere with nary a sign of an attack from the outside that Ophis felt like she'd been dowsed with ice-cold water. Her urgency was a shock to her, but she allowed it all the same, fuelling her hasty chase after Issei as they darted to his parents' bedroom.

His hand reached for the doorknob, and it was unlocked—thank goodness. Had it not been so, she might have just blitzed it apart with a magic spell. Not like she intended to reveal herself to anyone, but if it meant saving Issei and his family, then she couldn't have cared.

"Hang on, Mom! We're here!" He pushed against the door, slamming it against the wall. "Mom, are you—"

"I-Issei!" The woman in question was pressing her back to the wall closest to the wardrobe, her face pale and dress wrinkled everywhere. "B-Be careful!"

What was it? Had something invaded their home and bypassed her detection magic? Her head swivelled above, using high-tier magic to achieve perfect vision and acuity, yet nothing was beholden to her gaze.

She clicked her tongue, feeling an uncanny sense of dread. Where was this creature? What was—

Something moved fast. She felt it long before she even saw it, spotting it dart from the bed to the window, hiding itself behind the curtain.

The dragoness gulped. Be it the strange situation, the monster in question or the thought that someone she liked (in that blood-pumping situation, the idea that she'd developed feelings of affection towards another being hadn't fully registered) was in danger, she was on full alert now. Her hands clenched and unclenched as she closed the gap between her back and the doorway, not willing to let herself be open to an attack from any angle.

'This is bad,' she thought to herself, eyes homed in on the curtains. 'Whatever it is, it must be some kind of advanced lifeform. Or it has some kind of powerful magic that's negating my detection magic.'

A small magic circle spun on her palm, no words necessary to be chanted as she tweaked the spell to let loose a speed-enhanced thunderbolt that will not leave behind any remains. It would do its job of effectively killing the cretin, which would keep Issei and his mother safe.

Even if it meant exposing herself.

She bit down on her lip. That would be bad… But..!

"Oh, crap! It's coming!"

Issei's shout comes in time for something bright yellow to jump right in their way.

In that moment, Ophis' breath halts. Her hand flings upwards, ready to take the shot—

Only for Issei to throw himself forwards like a fired arrow, landing on the floor with a loud 'Oof!'. It was so fast, so sudden, that she was momentarily frozen in place. The loud collision broke her stupor, quick to rush to his side as Aunty watches from afar.

"Issei!" She cried out in an uncharacteristically worried tone. "Are you okay? Is it—" Her worry was cut right through when Issei started laughing. "Issei?"

"Haha..! Ophis, you don't have to worry about anything!" He grinned. His hands were clasped together in a way that meant that he'd successfully caught the thing. She looked at him in shock. "It's just a bug! Look!"

Without any form of concern, he slowly parts his hands to reveal the invader—and it was indeed an insect. A sizeable one, in fact, for the ting fit his entire hand. Its yellow frame and long antennae stood out the most, and it shuddered once, likely having tried to free itself out of the boy's hold, but he managed to keep it in.

"It's a grasshopper!" He sounded relieved when he said it, his voice coming out in a chuckle. "I thought it was something much worse when you started screaming, Mom. Didn't think it was a little guy like this."

"That, is hardly little…"

To the side, Aunty let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, Issei, I'm so sorry… I was about to take a shower, but then that thing jumped out and I… Oh, this is a little embarrassing…"

"Nah, don't worry about it, Mom! Not everyone is good with insects like me. It's fine!"

"I know, I know… But I do so wish that I was a little better with them, like you are."

"Well, this just means I get to save you anytime a critter like this shows up!" He sounded so proud of that, like he'd been given the mission of saving the world. Aunty visibly beamed at his words, looking much better and laughing in response. "Welp, time to send this guy well on his way. Ophis, watch Mom for a lil' bit, yeah?"

"…Of course."

And off he goes, leaving the room to release the grasshopper. It's with such enthusiasm and lack of hesitation that truly sets her aback, for how different he is from typical human children that she knows of something truly head-scratch-worthy.

Well, she supposed he was right on one thing; if they'd ever need anything caught, he'll be there to 'save the day', as he put it.

And judging by the look of relief on Aunty's face, that might just be real helpful.

There's Such a Thing as Favourites and Dislikes

Being a mother to a six-year-old involved a lot of things. When it came to Issei, Miki definitely had her work cut out for her.

So imagine her surprise when she ends up also taking in little Ophis. Perhaps not in an official way, considering that they're under the idea of 'just staying with them for the time being', though she does have her opinions as to what to do regarding that.

When comparing both children, it was like night and day, figuratively and literally; where Ophis was a lot less expressive, quiet and reserved, Issei wore his emotions on his sleeve and brought boundless energy to the table. Ophis was very quiet while Issei was very vocal; Ophis's expression changed so minutely whenever she enjoyed something whereas Issei was a lot more vocal; Ophis wore dark colours whereas Issei wore bright.

Sure, she had tried to get Ophis in pastel pink once, but she had been veeery adamant against it. Something about how it hurt the eyes, and it didn't fit her colour scheme—hadn't Issei once said that she looked good in black, purple and white? Heh.

Nevertheless, Miki quite enjoyed having two adorable little munchkins to adore. Neither gave her any trouble, as far as she was concerned.

In any case, she knew all… well, most things about Issei. Ophis was still relatively new to the family, so there was still much to learn about the little darling.

"No thank you."

"What she said."

And she, just like any children, has very strong food preferences, it seemed.

For some reason, seeing Ophis push her plate of greens away from her came as a weird shock. Perhaps she'd assumed that she would have been fine with eating anything? The girl had never complained about anything before.

Until now, it seemed, and she is reminded all over again that the little girl in front of her is indeed a child. More so in some situations, and certainly now.

"Ophis, dear, you need to eat your vegetables if you want to grow up strong and healthy," she said in a kind voice, using that special technique every parent learns called 'persuasion'. Works wonders most of the time.

"But you, don't insist this hard with Issei."

Ack… A fair point to be made, and for once, she cursed her inability of playing fair with everyone. At times, she's subjected to bouts of favouritism, be it one or another with either child. And it looks like it's coming to bite her back now.

"Yeah, Mom. That's a little unfair," Issei said in a mock upset tone, all but giving it away with the way the corners of his lips keep twitching upwards. "But keep doing it."

"Issei."

"I'm joking, I'm joking… But yeah, we don't wanna' eat these."

"But you need to," Miki sighed. "Vegetables, just like fish and rice and egg—practically everything else, really—are very important for good growth. And they make your trip to the toilet much easier."

"They give you smoother poopies?"

"Don't ever say that in front of another person. But yes, Issei, they do indeed give you smoother poopies," that was easily the most innocent and also uncomfortable way to phrase it ever. "And other veges, like carrots, can give you good eyesight. And broccoli is especially good."

"We eat our tomatoes!" Issei beamed. Beside him, Ophis nodded just as proudly.

"That you do, but that's just one vegetable in, like, millions… What others do you eat?"

"Carrots, corn, potatoes…"

"And how many do you not eat?"

"Mom, I'd need a dictionary for that."

She almost snorted at that, hiding her quirked lips by ruffling her son's head, getting him to laugh. "Don't go smart on me. The fact of the matter is, there's so many vegetables that you don't eat. And that's not very good."

"Uncle, doesn't eat his peas, and you're not upset with him."

That got her to perk up. "What?"

"Oh yeah. Dad doesn't eat peas," Issei shrugged. "I remember because, that one time you made us fried rice—it was really good—he put aside all his peas. I'm pretty sure he mashed them together and hid them with the onions."

Outside, where he was currently walking in the neighbourhood park, Gorou Hyoudou felt a weird chill go down his spine. Maybe he'll walk for a little longer…

"I see," so there's three picky eaters in this family. She'll definitely have a word with her husband later. "Well, alright. But still! Veges."

"Don't like 'em."

"Not, delicious."

Judging by their tones, they wouldn't be budging on that. Miki recognized that much.

Not for the first time, she has to contend with the age-old question of how a parent is meant to get her child(ren) to eat things that are good for them but that they don't like. More specifically, the question of how to get children to eat vegetables, which she's sure even emperors and kings had headaches dealing with.

She'll admit, it's not the easiest thing. Children can be incredibly stubborn at times, so it's almost impossible to get them to do anything that they might not like. And forcing the issue is only going to make them resist even harder.

Which is where creative thinking comes into play once more. Skills and knowledge she'd honed during her time as a mother must now be used once more, and whether she could succeed or not…

Well, she was never one to run away from a challenge.

…

"I would say 'yes', dear, but there's such a thing as 'crossing the line'. And I don't know if I'm ready to do just that."

Miki rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't need to be so dramatic, you silly goose. It's to help the kids."

"Well, yes, but…"

She gave him 'the look'. The one that promised absolute disappointment in him if he refused to participate. That was enough to get him to shut up and nod obediently. Great.

It was a while before dinner came around, so they had all the time to just chill around the house—well, the kids and her husband, that is. In the meantime, she was busy gathering all kinds of ingredients for her 'experiment'. She ignored her husband's anxious look throughout the entire process.

See, if there's one thing that Miki's realized as she grew up, it's that some things can't be solved in a one plus one sort of fashion. Thinking outside the box is incredibly important, and it's something the kids will come to learn as they grow older.

Humming to herself, the Hyoudou matriarch looked through several cookbooks and busied herself in the kitchen. Well, more than usual, that is, for she was preparing all kinds of things with the use of all the vegetables they had in the fridge. Anything that she could make, be it a dish or a drink, she was making as diverse of a selection as possible.

Sure, the kids might be turned off right away, but if they think they were stubborn as mules, she'll show them that she could be much worse.

'Hmm… I'm not the best at decorating these platters, but I'll try my best.'

Night falls upon Japan once more, like any other day, and it must have already been that time of the day because Gorou heads into the kitchen to tell her. She hums back, making a few final touches before she has him help her carry all her creations to the table.

And, just as she'd expected, the excited looks on the kids' faces turned upside down faster than Gorou making that one sharp turn at the corner of the road when he was trying to race her to the hospital back in the day.

…That was one hell of a drive, that was for certain. How they managed to reach the hospital alive and well was up for debate, but she wasn't one to ignore her lucky stars.

"Now, now. Don't need to act like it's the end of the world."

"It definitely feels like it, since you're making dinner out of the things we hate," he muttered blankly, Ophis nodding absentmindedly beside him.

"Oh, hush. I promise you'll enjoy them," she hummed back, grinning.

If anything, the entire selections on the table were all very colourful and lovely-smelling. There was a lot, she would say, but all of them were in smaller portions. And that was for a reason.

"So basically, we're going to be playing a little game tonight," the children looked at her questioningly. "Here's how it'll go. All four of us are going to eat each one of these together. The one who eats the least amount of things will…" Her eyes gazed over to the kitchen. "Wash all of the dishes."

"You can't be serious."

"Oh no…"

"Even me?"

"Yes, dear, you will be involved too," she ignored Gorou's whine. The epitome of a grownup, he is. "So yes, that's how the game will go! Hopefully that's an incentive for all of you to work hard to eat all of these things, okay?"

And that was why she'd prepared so many things. Sure, they were all in small portions, but the number of plates totalled around fifteen at least, with four glasses of drinks. She had no doubt in her mind that no one here looked forward to doing the dishes.

Right now, pitted with the choice of facing their hated veges or trapped in a tiresome chore, it was a moment of do or not die. Just do the food-eating or do the dishes. Just one of those. Strictly no dying.

"Urk… And what if we don't finish them?" Issei asked. A very good question.

"Don't worry. So long as everyone gets a taste of each one, then that's fine. If there are any extras, we'll store them for later," she didn't miss the way the children's expressions turned mournful when told that. Dramatic, all of them.

There's Such a Thing as Favourites and Dislikes (Part 2)

Vegetable #1: Spinach

"Aww, we have to start with the gross stuff first?!"

"You would call it gross right off the bat, but I assure you, this one will be the tastiest one yet."

A child should not be capable of such a doubtful look, yet here he is, giving her a look that would make a cynic green with envy. Even Ophis was being influenced by him, breaking out of her typically expressionless look to stare at her unhappily.

Well, she supposed she can't blame them. As hard as she tried, most of the things she made tonight are green. She hadn't been able to completely hide the colours or anything. Fortunately…

"The first thing you'll be having is the prettiest-looking drinks right in front of you."

Seeing their expressions turn into abject shock upon hearing her words was the funniest part for the time being, though it became even better when they (and even Gorou) reached for the drinks right away.

When Issei sucked away at the straw, his hum of joy could not have been louder. Even Ophis seemed to beam with happiness, for as unnoticeable as it could have been for most people.

"So sweet..!"

"To be fair, there's only like a fourth of a cup's worth of spinach in here, but it's still there," she shrugged. "Mostly has strawberries, yogurt and some orange juice, so you're not exactly tasting the spinach. But still, it's important that you still get it inside of your system, you know? So this still works out!"

Honestly, this one was her favourite to make. It still gets the spinach in it, but it certainly won't taste like it, so that'll make it much more palatable to the children. Even her husband seemed to be enjoying it.

But as she listed off the ingredients and preparatory steps behind the drink, she realized that no one was actually paying her any attention, likely still focused on the tasty drink and chatting about it with each other and not her. Mmhm, that's fine. Not like she was hoping for them to compliment her or anything.

'Well,' she deadpanned in her mind, sipping on her own drink, melting in delight from its blend of sweetness and sourness. 'I suppose they should get the opportunity to enjoy this for now. No idea how the next few would go…'

…

Vegetable #2: Cauliflower

The next dish to try sat in a green bowl filled with macaroni and what looked like very mushy mashed potatoes which was, in fact, not potatoes. When asked on what it was, she simply suggested that they give it a try first.

"It, looks gross," was Ophis' opinion on appearances alone.

"It looks gross, but I can promise you that it tastes good," Miki hummed back with a smile. "Go ahead. Give it a try."

"I'll go first," Issei said, scooping some of the supposed Mac-and-Cheese onto his own plate. "Yosh, let's do this," with a firm nod, he plants his spoon into his meal and scoops out a relatively sizable mound. Hesitation danced in his eyes but he braced himself for it nevertheless, pushing it into his mouth… "Hmm?"

"Well? How is it?"

"It's…" He took a moment to chew before swallowing. "What is this? You said it was cauliflower?"

"Yes, it is. I made it into a Macaroni-and-Cheese sort of thing. What do you think?"

"…I like the flavour," he said. "Don't like the texture."

Ophis and Gorou tried the dish as well, both of them saying the same thing; that because it was so mushy, it was a little uncomfortable on the tongue.

When she tried it, she found herself agreeing wholeheartedly. The cheese flavour was great, but it was certainly set back by the idea that she was eating glue. When it went down her throat, her whole body convulsed—practically begged her to throw it all up. She let out a quiet sigh of relief once she got it down.

Oh well. You can't win them all. There's at least a fail for every win every once in a while. Maybe the next few ones will work.

…

Vegetable #3: Kale

If the previous one looked unpalatable, this one looked downright terrifying—at least, she imagines it must be for the children. Her husband fared a little better, though she would certainly keep in mind that he certainly had a thing against kale as he did peas, apparently.

"Mom. Why?"

"Because it's for your own good," who knows how many times she's repeated that already. Still, fact was fact, and the only thing people can do is deal.

"Why," Ophis mumbled, dejected. "Do all 'good' things look so bad..?" Ouch. Not like it was her who prepared it or anything."

"What's in it, Mom?"

"Baked kale, which you will eat with salsa," she gestured to the little sauce bowl filled with red. "That'll help with the flavours a bit."

It helped with the flavours a lot, it turns out, because baked kale has that distinct taste of vegetables very much. The salsa's tangy sourness worked very well for what would have otherwise been relatively tasted and dry. Gorou takes one for the team and decides to bite into the kale without anything else.

His thinned lips and taut muscles spoke enough.

…

Vegetable #4: Beet

"Oh God, Mom! Why is it so pink?!"

"It's beet hummus!"

"I don't even know what hummus is!"

"…I actually feel like I might throw up just from looking at it."

"Oh, hush you. Just give it a try. Ophis?"

"…Very well. Everyone, wish me luck."

"So? How is it?"

"…It's, actually pretty good. The colour was concerning at first, however."

"Duly noted."

"Do I have to eat this..?"

"Issei, you've eaten everything thus far. You skip this, you're cleaning the dishes. Gorou, the same goes to you."

"Yes, dear…"

"Yes Mom…"

…

Vegetable #5: Potato

"Are you kidding me? I love mashed potatoes!"

"This is, amazing. Thank you, Aunty."

Miki did not bother hiding her grin at watching the kids dig into their bowls of mashed potatoes, topped with some gravy and a sprinkling of powder parmesan. Of all vegetables, it seemed that children enjoyed potatoes the most, especially when mashed. Seems to be a staple for them.

"Mmm… This is a nice change of pace," Gorou hummed, smiling at her. He looked much more relaxed than he had been mere moments ago. "Hot mashed potato is always nice."

"It is, right?"

"Potatoes are the best when mashed. And you even sprinkled some cheese to this!" He laughed. "And here I thought we'd only get vegetables we won't like."

"Well, having one good thing every now and then is okay too, am I right?" She shrugged. That was the wrong thing to say, for the children immediately gave her the suspicious looks.

"Is the next one bad..?"

"You don't know that. Haven't the ones so far been relatively okay?"

"Well, yeah, but a good thing usually comes before something bad does, right?"

"Well, that's a little cynical."

…

Vegetable #6: Pea

"I knew it! It was too good to be true!" Issei shouted in dismay. Beside him, the black-haired girl looked as if she'd just been told that the world was about to end, and she'd skipped multiple stages to just head into depression.

"It's not that bad."

"Mom. It literally looks like baby vomit. No offense."

"A little taken, but I suppose it's fair. This should be pea purée, and it's only bright green because it has avocado in it."

That was enough to make the kids perk up a little. "Avocado?" Gorou hummed. "So it has some fruit in it too. That's nice."

"I mean, I doubt even I'd be able to handle it if it was just peas."

"Mom, you promise this won't send me to the hospital?"

Dramatic. Just to prove a point (or likely to get him to stop complaining so much), she ate a spoonful of purée. She paused at first, brows furrowing as she tried to understand what the flavours, then shrug as she finally swallowed it.

"Is it… bad?"

"It's got flavour."

No one complained when they tried it next, although she had a feeling that the next time she tried to serve this at the table, they actually might just throw up. She'll see if she could tweak the recipe a little more in the future.

…

Vegetable #7: Zucchini

"What even is this vegetable?"

"I dunno'. I just saw it in the fridge and thought I may as well just use it."

"We never even ate this before!"

"How much longer, Issei..?"

…

Somehow, the life of a parent was a kind of rollercoaster. And tonight proved to be one heck of a topsy-turvy.

There were many things to be said about what had transpired in the Hyoudou household that night. And if one had gone and asked the people inside what their opinions had been, there would have been quite a number of things to be said.

Issei would have called dinner 'exhausting'.

Ophis would have stayed silent, albeit with a sick expression on her face.

Gorou would have said that 'all's well that went well'.

And Miki? Well. Despite being the instigator behind tonight's event, after she was done with it all, she was officially done with vegetables. She doubted she'd be fine eating another vege dish anytime soon. And, judging by the looks on everyone else's faces, they were too.

It took a while to finally get through everything that she made, and by the time they were done, it was half past ten. It shouldn't have taken that long, but for how much work they (and by they, she meant the children) had to put in to clear out everything, it really had been time-consuming.

Issei downed another glass of the smoothie she had made—the only true success that she'd managed to make thus far. "Aagh… Man, that was tough. Not the kind of dinner I would have thought I'd be doing in, like, ever!"

"Well, there's a first for everything, is there?" Miki sighed, the taste of zucchini still on her tongue. So it wasn't the best. But hey, what's done is done. "So, what's the lesson that we can all take from this?"

"Vegetables are the worst?"

"We, should only be carnivores from now on?"

"You're a great cook?"

Miki sighed another time. "Thank you for your opinion, Issei. And no, Ophis, eating only meat is not good for your growth. And Gorou…"

"H-Hey now, I complimented you!"

"Yes, and I appreciate that. I was just trying to figure out how to say it after the children practically dumped me with some… let's call it 'niceties'."

To his credit, Issei managed to look a little sheepish. "Sorry, Mom. Vegetables just don't… taste great, you know?"

"I do know that. I was a kid once too, and I absolutely hated my greens back in the day," she smiled back, which helped ease her kid. "I can't exactly blame you two for not liking them right away. I'd only be a hypocrite, wouldn't I?"

"But, they're important for us," Ophis said. "Right?"

"Indeed. And it's usually the things that don't taste the best that are good for you; vegetables, medicine, oats…"

"And it makes some amount of sense, right? Things that have so much sugar in them might be delicious, but eating too much of them would give you diabetes."

She nodded with her husband. "Precisely. Moderation in everything, especially your diet, is important if you don't want to get sick and get all your nutrients."

"But is it fine if we ate too much vegetables tonight?"

"Err. I mean, if you don't eat enough, your stool—well, your poop. Not the chair—comes out really hard. And if it's too much, it comes out too soft. Basically diarrhoea," she chuckled back at the children's collective groans. "Oh, don't worry. This is just a one-time thing. Even I wouldn't be able to survive if I just ate all of this every night."

"But, I like the smoothie," when she met Ophis' eyes, she nodded. "And… I heard that, mashed pumpkin is delicious."

"And the kale with the salsa was a little better," Issei grinned back. "Honestly wouldn't say I liked the cauliflower mac-and-cheese either, but if it doesn't taste like slime, I'd eat it again."

"Mmhm. The cheese, tasted great."

"I know, right? Pretty sure we're not supposed to eat too much cheese, though. But man, does it taste great…"

As the two children fell into a little discussion regarding the meals they had tonight, Miki couldn't help but feel a little touched. Even if tonight had been a vegetable disaster, that they'd gone so far as to humour her and ended up enjoying some of the meals she made was a kind of satisfaction she could get behind.

A hand on hers draws her gaze over to her husband's, who watches him with that calm joy of his that always works to make her feel over the moon.

Thinking back on it now, she'd gone ahead and done all of this because she just wanted to prove a point, though what that is, it's lost on her now. If anything, all she'd managed to get out of all of this is enjoyment for the ability to spend time with her kids.

Quietly, she looked over to Issei. Her little munchkin is sipping on his drink with gusto, Ophis matching his pace to see who could finish theirs the first. They're both smiling. Or at least Issei is, but Ophis has that gleam in her eyes that reflects joy.

Issei… He looks so happy.

Miki sits with her back against the door, listening to her son's raspy breathing on the other side. He's crying, she realizes, but he doesn't want the world to hear him, so he tries his best to keep it in.

How long had it been since she last saw him cry? Miki couldn't remember. At the time, the one person he could truly call his friend had left with her family for England. And he hadn't been the same ever since for days on end.

She wished she could have done something to help him. To alleviate his pain. To do away with that loneliness.

And yet, here he is, so much happier than he had ever been, smiling brighter than the sun itself.

Miki hopes to have even more of these moments with her family. And who knows? Perhaps in the future, their days will grow even crazier…

"Let's never do this again, okay?"

"Agreed."

"I'm fine if everyone agrees. Miki, dear?"

Ridiculous, all of them. Miki doesn't try to hide her eye roll. "Fine, fine… Only because I love you all."

"Love you too, Mom!"

Heh. Being a mother rocks.

Author's Notes:

Man, what a day. Turned twenty last week (farewell, teenage years), got to write a horror story for some friends, got a new phone and got to publish a new chapter. All good in the hood, baby.

Also, I know I said that lizards have three eyes, and it's technically true. Check it out! It's a very small organ on the top of their head called a parietal eye. That's pretty cool, not gonna' lie.

And as for animals, I'm okay with most, but I can't handle cockroaches. And some other insects, like the big ones. Used to be afraid of butterflies too—makes me remember that one time my family and I entered this huge building with all kinds of butterflies. And there were the monstrously big ones too. Must have been eight or nine at the time, and was scared to no ends, lmao.

I suck at cooking, by the way, so I just referred to some online websites that discuss recipes to make vegetable dishes for kids. Is all.

On a final note, may I admit that it's a little jarring to be writing stories in this disconnected fashion? It's a different style of writing, but it's pretty chill. No need to think of consistency too hard, you know? Plus, it is meant to be a light-hearted thing without any focus on a great, overarching plot, so that's nice.