Prey (Male!Naga x Male!Reader)

Chapter 23

"Now onto its behavior...

"You've had an extraordinarily unique opportunity here to examine the Ophidian narus up close and in its — excuse me, his — own natural environment." Dr. Nilsson's pen hovered over a blank page in her notebook; the tip wetted with ink and anticipation. "Of course, I have to acknowledge that your being here is in all likelihood intrusive and disruptive to the naga's daily routine. Still, it is important to record what observations you have made thus far. You have been in captivity for approximately — ah, yes," she wrote down a sentence or two. Then her eyes lifted to meet Y/n's, "Now, tell me what you have seen."

The (h/c) man sighed, uninjured hand resting on his propped up knee. So they were really doing this right now. Even when Dr. Nilsson said the naga would "undoubtedly" be lingering nearby. Close enough, maybe, to even listen in on their words...

Y/n supposed he really should've expected this.

"Mostly the inside of this cavern," he quipped.

Dr. Nilsson wasn't discouraged in the slightest. "So the naga has not been present in his own den while you've been here? At least, not often?"

"Er, well, I mean," Y/n quickly backtracked, "it's — uh, he's — here when he sleeps and that can really be day or night."

Y/n nearly stuttered over the new pronoun given to Enlil. So long now the naga had been an untouchable, unknowable, alien "it." The (h/c) man felt oddly flustered at the change. It felt humanizing — intimate. As if the borders between human and naga were becoming blurrier by the second —

Y/n stopped his spiraling thoughts there. He was thankful, suddenly, for Dr. Nilsson. She immediately distracted him with more questions.

"Now, tell me, how much does the Ophidian narus eat? You must have a better idea than I. Does he eat daily? Has he only been eating humans since you've been here? I admit to losing quite a considerable number of men during the duration of your absence. I'd like to get a good gage of its metabolism."

"I... I don't really know," Y/n said after a considerable pause. Now that the (h/c) man thought about it: "The naga didn't really eat in front of me. Only a few times — recently — did I notice he was covered in blood. I assume it was human but I can't honestly confirm that."

At that, Dr. Nilsson's eyebrow arched, "He didn't eat in front of you? Not at all? Not even once?"

Y/n's face felt strangely warm, "...No."

"Interesting," Dr. Nilsson murmured before penning down more notes.

"What's interesting about that?" Y/n's voice was strangled. "I mean most snakes, they don't necessarily eat in their den anyway."

"Well, Y/n, the naga is no mere 'snake.' I have to note down all the suspected motivations of its behavior. One being, of course, it might've simply refused to eat human in front of you out of consideration for you."

Y/n curled in on himself a tad, "I don't think that's the reason."

Dr. Nilsson huffed, "Well, no not 'the' reason but 'a' reason certainly. Clearly, it has already been observed to show the basic, bare bones amount of consideration towards you — I don't see that being much of a stretch."

She then pointed her pen toward the pile of fruit husks.

"I mean of all the things to feed you; why choose fruit? We can argue that the Ophidian narus is an omnivore himself, even though there is strong evidence to the contrary — namely, a significant lack of edible plants on this island. The variety in fauna far outweighs the variety in flora. It stands to reason then that the apex predators here like the naga are carnivorous and not omnivorous.