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"now isagi repeat after me," "mn." Isagi nods along.
"I will tell Ego or any other staff members if the creatures are sick or feeling unwell."
"I will tell Ego or any staff members if the creatures are... Oh come on ego! It was one time!" isagi realised what he was doing and interrupted "all because I tried giving painkillers to the hydra's."
"which was incredibly DANGEROUS, your other father would've banned you from working here if it weren't for me stepping in." ego lets out a long sigh "your lucky noa isn't here right now otherwise he would've banned you and I altogether if he knew." he looks around the office, "is your handler not in today?" "sick, he said he caught the fae flu." "Urgh…" ego clicked his tongue, "that good for nothing dirtbag didn't even come close to the fae enclosure, he's gonna get fired once I'm done with this month's promotion making poster..." ego muttered, "seems like you'll be on your own for the rest of the day. You know where the food for every beasts are right?" "In the feeding storage at the end of the hallway to the left, use the measuring cup if necessary." isagi rolls his eyes as he repeats the exact words ego had drilled into his brain every single day since he started this job.
"good, seems like you weren't dozing off as I had imagined. I'll be in my office as always." "try not to text dad during work~" "be quiet diamond in the rough." isagi could already see the corner of his mouth twitching.
Once ego was far enough, isagi heads to the feeding storage and checks his feeding list.
Sparkbats Enclosure
Isagi walks through the hidden entrance and slowly opens the door before quietly but quickly shutting the door, his eyes slowly scanning around the enclosure. Ever so often, he would catch a glimpse of lightning zooming across the trees and chirping sounds followed by the feeling of static grazing his uniform.
"you all sure do enjoy playing like your caretaker, its no wonder your able to thrive in such a short time." isagi can't help but smile at their enthusiasm as they watched him pour glowflowers and voltage vines into their feeding bowls.
The sparkbats immediately zoomed in and gobbled up their meal, the visitors watching excitedly trying to snap a picture of the sparkbats, their glossy black fur with yellow stripes shaped in a lightning pattern, their quite docile and love to play around their enclosure whether it'd be day or night.
"you guys sure do love playing huh? Can't believe I used to be scared of you guys when I was little." isagi bends down and gently use his finger to rub their heads, the sparkbat leaned in and chirped. Isagi hears another pair of footsteps slowly approach him from behind.
"boo! Did I scare you Isagi~?" Bachira appears behind him and giggled, "bachira! There you are, how are you?"
"So good to see you too Isagi!~ how are you?" Bachira messes up his hair and giggled "I’m doing fine, you?" Isagi pulls away from the sparkbats and stood up "it’s been a disaster.. my day was all blue until you came!" He abruptly pulls Isagi into a hug and nuzzles his cheek against the blue haired boy’s.
"did you try to enter the fire wolves enclosure again..?" "What makes you say that my best friend~?" Bachira does his best to use his puppy eyes.
"I can smell barou’s cologne on your uniform." Isagi points out the obvious.
"… please don’t tell ego, I can’t afford to be suspended for this week." The caretaker of sparkbats quietly begged Isagi. Even going as far as to squeeze hugging him tightly.
"That’s not for me to decide, that’s for ego~" he hummed with a smug look "please! I can’t let him know!! Otherwise I’ll be deducted off my points!!" Bachira whined.
"I don’t know~" Isagi chuckled, feeing his cheek pressed against bachira’s.
"I have to head to the next enclosure, want to follow?" Isagi taps his thigh with his finger "your on feeding duty?"
"yep," he nods "can I come?" "And slack off? You really think I’ll let you?" Isagi chuckles but bachira pouts "hey! I’m not that lazy, I just think doing the same thing is… boring.. in a way.." bachira avoided looking at Isagi. His reasonings were…
Isagi giggled and pats his head "okay, but only this once got it?" Bachira instantly lit up with happiness "yep! Thank you so much Isagi~ your the best!!"
Siren Enclosure
Sirens are cursed beings, they’re known to lure fishermen to their demise. Even being held in their enclosure, the zoo has taken measures to make sure visitors who visit the sirens as to not be eaten or drown!
Their caretakers have been changed from tens to hundreds, being a caretaker for them requires you to wear noise cancelling headphones and ignore their alluring song voices.
"Isagi but I wanna go!" Bachira tugs on his shirt, Isagi groans, yes bachira was his best friend yes he would love to bring him in but he does not want to risk his job over this.
"But-" "not buts bachira, if I get caught bringing you here we both will get in trouble." Bachira pouts, "now stay here and let me do my task."
Bachira ends up sitting in the break room with a huge pout on his face.
isagi does the usual routine of wearing noise cancelling headphones and steps into the enclosure, even with the headphones he could hear their enchanting voices.
Once they saw Isagi, they stopped singing and immediately swam up to the edge, their eyes staring at the red bucket while drooling.
"Cows meat, no fighting this time, got it?" He said sternly, tossing a few pieces of meat towards the sirens. Their sharp claws and teeth grabbed and tore the meat out like it was a piece of paper before devouring it.
'No matter how many times I’m here, it still creeps me out that somehow ego managed to capture 3 sirens..' Isagi felt shivers run down his spine.
"hey manager’s son," a siren with long black hair calls out to him, "what?"
"where’s our caretaker?" She asked, ripping another piece of meat.
"he’s on his break, you’ll see him later." He tosses another meat with a sigh.
"oh yeah, have you heard? The caretaker of Murkbeaks solved another crime again!" Another siren, dull orange eyes spoke.
"really?! Which one?" "I heard from spikey hair he solved the one in angels forest, all because they left a clue which lead to the murders arrest."
"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting he’s a detective." Black haired siren said rolling her eyes.
Isagi continues to throw meat, although sirens are carnivores who love to lure their victims into the sea and drown them before eating them.. they also act as gossipers or like aunts gossiping about the latest news/scandals.
"nothing ever passes you three huh?"
"of course! It’s not like there’s any prey for us to lure with that soundproof glass." Orange eyes said, "and we know bachira is in the break room."
"Are you going to tell ego?"
"no" "why should we?" "Maybe."
Everyone turned towards the last siren, let’s call her Makeup. Because she’s fascinated by makeup.
"really Makeup?" Orange eyes said placing her hand on her hip with disappointment, "oh not again…" black hair said with a sigh.
"What? That means we’ll get better mean than this!" Makeup argues her reason, waving the soggy raw meat above the water.
"Then tell me when was the 'tattletale' incident?" "It was 8 months ago- but it-"
"tell me what did you do?.." orange eyes said, "I told ego about Isagi’s secret stash of kintsuba in the break room…"
"what happened afterwards?" She cross her arms around her chest and stared at Makeup.
"Ego told me to leave it be.." "and?"
"and our food got downgraded to… cows meat…" Makeup finally shuts up.
"Haa… sorry Isagi, Makeups been jealous of the favouritism you’ve been getting from ego." Orange eyes said and glared at her.
"pay no mind to her, your next stop is those pinky and lovely mermaids yeah?" Isagi process the information which had been given to him, before giving her a nod "yes, I’ll be on my way now. Bye you three."
"Bye Isagi~" "tell kunigami I said hi!" "Bye.."
(I know ego is being unreasonable in here but I just wanted to write something ;-;)
"took you long enough! I was starting to think you were eaten alive! By the sirens!" Bachira puts away his phone and runs up to hug Isagi once he was through the door, "calm down bachira, you over exaggerating."
"seems like someone’s alive and well." Isagi spots the familiar rose pink hair, the sirens caretaker Chigiri.
"how’s lunch? Did you get swarmed with fangirls again?" Isagi takes off the noise cancelling headphones and hangs them back where they belong.
"fortunately no, they were too busy looking for Nagi," Chigiri laughed, "him? Is it because he’s friends with Reo?"
"you already know how it is when it comes to rich people." Isagi checks his phone "I’m guessing your headed to where kunigami is right?"
"yep," he slides his phone back into his pocket with bachira standing next to him, "tell him I said hi okay?"
"got it~ let’s go bachira." "Hai~"
Mermaid Enclosure
~♪ ♪♫
The loving and sweet sound of the mermaids echo through the room, kids and adults stood in silence with phones recording in their hands, once the performance was over. Everyone gave a round of applause for the wonderful performance they had witnessed.
"mama! Can we come here again?" a little boy asked, "of course, their performance was amazing right?" his mother said.
"wow~ theres a lot more visitors than last week." bachira follows isagi to the backroom as he scanned the area. "that's because we're having a two for one promotion, not to mention a 25% off on the family bundle." isagi grabs the red bucket and starts checking the food quality.
(Mermaids can be picky sea creatures so ego has made a note that requires the worker in charge of feeding to check beforehand.)
"Kunigami~ where are you~?" bachira checks the break room but can't seem to find him "did kunigami leave for lunch?" "it's not break time for him though,"
"I didn't. A regular wanted to ask me several questions and I answered them." in comes the person in question, kunigami.
"hey kunigami~ How are you?" bachira runs up to him and hugs him tightly,
"hey big guy, you sure it wasn't just a fangirl asking for your number?" isagi playfully nudges his shoulder with a smirk "cut it out you, don't tease me like that." kunigami softly nudges his shoulder back with pink dust on his cheeks "come on~ don't tell me you haven't gotten the number from the girl of your dreams."
"it's not that- I just... I have his-her number!.." kunigami stumbles over his words and quickly glanced at isagi then back to the front, "oh? Who is it?? Tell me!" isagi and bachira were now intrigued, urged him to show his phone. "no way! You two are the least on my lists I'll ever show!" he retorts back.
"come on~ Just a peek won't hurt right??" "yeah yeah! Just a peek!" "you two!! Go away!" kunigami is then chased around the break room with two gremlins after him trying to snatch his phone.
Dire wolves Enclosure
"ooh~ hello the cupcake!" bachira waves his hands at the glass, the wolves in the enclosure ignored bachira and continued to do whatever they were doing.
"their so cute as always!" bachira coos and gushes over them, "I don't get why you like them, the wolves always ignore you even when you pet them they growl at you!" isagi tugs bachira away from the cell door, in the break room there sat barou checking a newly born dire pup.
"is that the newest addition?! He's so cute!!" bachira runs over to barou and knelt down, "it's a she, yes she is the newest die wolf." barou writes something into his notebook and stuffs it back into his pocket.
"hey barou, I'm here to feed the dire wolves." isagi waves with a smile on his face, "the bucket is there." barou points to the red bucket which had been filled to the brim with what looks like cow meat.
"oh thanks barou!" isagi grabs a pair of gloves and grabs the handle.
...
...
It's too heavy
Isagi felt like an old man after just trying to carry the damn bucket. 'let's try again, its probably because I'm not eating enough rice.' and try he does..
Nope, too heavy.
Instead of lifting it he accidentally broke his back even though he was in his early 20s :'D
"shit..." isagi curses himself, he was able to carry the 20kg just fine but why now with this 30kg bucket???
"come on... Just move-Woah?!" isagi felt the bucket being lifted up, it was... Barou? Isagi stares at the extra arm next to him before looking up.
"what? Don't you need help?" barou said looking down at isagi, "oh uh- yeah! Thanks, you sure it isn't heavy?" isagi lets go of the bucket and stared at his arm, it was full of muscle. He looks down at his and pokes his arm, nothing.. Just fats.
'I should start working out more...'
Snow Leopard Beastmen Enclosure
"... Reo." Nagi looks up from his phone and stares at his childhood friend across the wooden table, "yeah Nagi?" he sets down his elegant teacup down, his smile never wavering even in the slightest.
"can I use your credit card?" he holds his hand out, plop a credit card appears on his palm.
"what are you going to buy this time Nagi?" Reo asks, "phone charm." "phone charms? You know you can always ask me to pay for someone to make you one-" "I was thinking of buying one him," "him? You mean isagi?"
"what about me?" the person in question appears, enters the room and spots reo, a contributor for Mythic Zoo and childhood friend of Nagi.
"hello there Isagi," reo gives him a warm greeting "oh uh... Hello there Mr Mikage," Isagi bows "please, call me Reo. I'm off duty now,"
"oh uh.. Sure Mr Mik- I mean Reo." Isagi bows once more and quickly makes his way to the red bucket. "I still don't get why you like Isagi, he seems... Ordinary." Reo's eyes follow the blue haired boy out to feed the beastmen.
"he's cute," "cute??! I don't know about that Nagi... His looks are very ordinary and doesn't have any features that make him stand out." he argues, "he is, you just don't see him at the fullest." "I'm starting to think that maybe a siren or mermaid might have enchanted you..."
"nope." Nagi finally purchases a lobster phone charm and goes back to playing his game, reo, still not satisfied with the answer he had gotten with.
"Yeah, if you don’t believe me, why not follow him? He’s heading to the Phoenix enclosure next."
Phoenix Enclosure
This type of Phoenix is anything BUT your typical fire Phoenix, these type of Phoenix are Mystic Phoenix! They are known to weep golden tears after feeding, a byproduct of emotional overflow.
Fun fact: They "hover" near dying warriors, sucking their last will to live!
Rin is their caretaker, he takes care of the "cradle" young phoenixes who are raised together until their rebirth and the "emberwing" a flock of noble phoenix bound by scared flame.
"There he is! Hey rin~" bachira waves hello to the stoic and cold resting bitch face of the younger itoshi brother.
"Hey there," "your here early." Rin turns his attention to the uninvited guest standing next to Isagi. "Why is the bee here?"
"I’m here because I’m his best friend!" Bachira boast "he wanted to see the dire wolves but changed his mind after seeing them and now… here we are." Isagi chuckles as if it was some silly dare he lost. (Well technically he lost the moment bachira used his puppy eyes)
Rin just sighed and went back to preening the Phoenix. His hand gently fixing each feather with delicacy, the phoenix lets out a melodic chime, its voice was heard by the other phoenix, soon the enclosure was filled with soft, ethereal hums.
There's a saying that when you hear a Mystic Phoenix, your able to hear your loved ones voice.
"even after hearing it dozens of times, I still get the chills just from listening to their voices." bachira hums along to their voices, "their phoenix, it's not everyday you'll get to see a legendary bird, heck not even a baby dragon!" Isagi walks up to rin, "their much more trusting of you haven't they?"
"hmph, of course they have, I'm their caretaker." he retorts, but is secretly proud of the achievement.
"man it felt like years ago, the phoenix were untrusting of you screeching and trying to kill you~" bachira laughed, "oh yeah, you told me he almost got burned to ashes after misnaming Sophie and Sammy." Isagi joins in on the fun, reminiscing on the past.
"shut it you two." rin glares at them both ready to bury them into the ground if needed to.
"come on! We were just having fun, look! You got every phoenix to love you-"
SCREECH
"Ah- well, almost.." isagi said, the trio looked up to look up at the highest ledge, perched up on top was a noble phoenix looking down at them.
"seems like Daisy is still not willing to let you go," bachira turns to isagi and nudges his elbow, "well yeah, I practically raised her since I was a toddler..." just as he said that, Daisy came swooping down and using her neck to wrap around the blue haired boy, "hey daisy, missed me?"
Daisy wrapped around isagi even tighter, not wanting to let him go just yet.
"I'm jealous of you isagi... When will I get my own legendary pet??" bachira puts on his pouty face and whined.
"when you don't leave the Sparkbats enclosure and actually do your job.." "what was that~? Are you calling me irresponsible??!"
"got a problem?" rin smirked, "at least I didn't recklessly mix up my creatures food on ACCIDENT."
"you little-"
(Cue the game of 'bachira and rin bickering!' featuring Daisy and Isagi in the background~)
Murkbeaks Enclosure
"karasu~" bachira checks around the gloomy and dark forest, the leaves were dark purple and blue.
"I wonder if karasu is playing with the murkbeaks.." "I'm right here,"
"AAAAAAAA" "ITS A GHOST!!" they screamed, karasu sighed and rolls his eyes, clearly not amused by their antics.
"oh no~ I'm the harpy that's gonna steal you away~" karasu does another scary look and they all laughed, "here to feed the murkbeaks isagi?"
"yeah, where's the feeding bucket?" "in the break room, follow me." karasu gestures for them both to follow him, "hows it been? Anything new the Murkbeaks had stolen from visitors~?" isagi ask, "oh plenty of things, first ones a penny, next is paper clips and another a hairclip!"
"seems like they love stealing things huh?" "their crows, of course they love stealing shit." karasu said.
Caw Caw
"sounds like they heard you," "its like their spying on me at all times." karasu lets out a tired sigh "the only place they don't follow me to is the break room.." "but their just being friendly, or at least that I interpret right?..." isagi says as a murkbeak land on his shoulder, caw it said and tilts its head towards isagi.
"You kidding? They laughed when I tripped over a rock! Their anything but nice!"
"Maybe they’re just playing, it’s not like they dislike any of the previous caretakers before."
"then that means I’m the first," Karasu glares at the murkbeak perched on isagi's shoulder, Caw Caw it cawed back at karasu and tilts its head.
"come on karasu, they'll warm up to you in no time! They may be mischievous but their not all bad." isagi justifies them, rubbing the murkbeak's under chin.
"rgghh... Only to you guys... They're nothing but bullies but in bird form..." karasu grits his teeth, watching isagi and bachira slowly get surrounded by murkbeaks...
'I wanna be like them! So unfair!' karasu pouts and folds his arms as he watched with envy in the background.
Meanwhile with the murkbeaks:
'heh, watch in envy caretaker..'
'you may be our caretaker but our loyalties lie in them, not you'
Their eyes said it all, those damn, big, round and beady black eyes.
Karasu fumes in anger, curse you Murkbeaks!
Hydra Enclosure
"Hiori~ Hey there!" "hey hiori! I'm here as usual." bachira and isagi sees hiori standing behind the mini gift shop with hydra merch, "bachira, isagi, hey you two." hiori smiles and waves at both of them.
"you got stuck behind the counter?" "yep, lost to yukimiya and kurona... Raichi's hospitalized due to having been hit by a truck..."
"ouch... hope raichi's okay..." isagi sucks in his breath, raichi may not be the best at showing his gratitude but damn... being hit by a truck-kun is awful.
"I'm guessing yukimiya and kurona are picking up the extra packages from the pick up bay."
"yep, they said its a new product kaiser introduced ego to... Oh hello there, how may I help you?" hiori sees a family walk up to him and scans the hydra baby bag and plush toy.
"let's go to the back, I'm sure yukimiya prepared the bucket before he went to the pick up bay." isagi quietly walks away and pulls bachira along to follow him.
Into the break room they went, bachira pulls out his phone and checks his messages "ego said to tell you that kaiser is coming to visit the zoo." "uninvited?" isagi asked, "possibly, he says." bachira instantly receives another text after relaying isagi's question, "what time are they coming?"
"2.30pm, to discuss on upcoming renovations to the aquarium." "again?? How many times is this? Didn't ego finalized the blueprint?"
"its kaiser, do you really expect him to show up announced?"
"HAH, that'd be a stretch for someone who loves to show off no matter what they do is a prick, especially if their name starts with 'K' and ends with 'R'."
"you mean me~?" kaiser leans over isagi and presses all his weight on his back "Agh- You?!! Why are you here??"
"whatever do you mean clown~? Didn't your dad tell you that I was coming? Why that long face~? Don't you miss me?"
"as if I would!" isagi shoves kaiser back and stood behind bachira using him as a meat shield.
"how rude of you yoichi! You should be bowing in the presence of the great micheal kaiser!" ness, kaiser's lackey and manager stood next to him with an irritated face.
"I'd rather have lorenzo than have your ugly twin blue hair ass." isagi growled, like a stray cat hissing at a stranger. Bachira takes this opportunity and pat his head, "what a cute kitty~"
"hmph, just you wait I'll make you respect me! Even if its the last thing I do!" "just try!!"