[ he's settling in, trying to make sense of, well everything. here and gone and here again. intellectually he understands where 'here' is, but there are times when the rest of his body refuses to follow the mind because it has very different memories. ]
You can just catch me up on things I've missed, things you want me to know.
[ Nanami really is in no position to make demands or criticise Itadori's choices. 'being safe' is too much to ask for here as it was back home. he just wants to know the yuji is alright. somehow. ]
Where I come from, we would consider dwarves, halflings and elves 'humans' as well. But this world appears to be densely populated by tall men, so yours might be similar.
This world seems to be a future version of mine. I am from Tokyo, a less technologically advanced version, but my world hasn't been devastated by kaiju. In fact, this kind of scenario is a popular theme for stories and other entertainment pieces.
[ but this isn't home as they know it anymore, and Nanami can barely stand staying on this base for longer than he needs to. if it weren't for the other sorcerers, he would be around even less. ]
There are a few places in the side alleys you might like. We can take my bike.
It would suit you better than the robes. Besides, your qualities as a father are unrelated to nipple piercings.
I don't know what he onsen rules are around here, seeing how they allow cats in apparently? My issue would be the hygiene and safety of those tattoo parlours.
[ it's only nth time he's said the name now, has said it so much in the last 18,623 seconds that it barely feels like a word anymore, but he keeps on because if he stops he's sure, he's dead fucking certain he'll go mad. ]
[ familiar, endearing almost. the boy's voice is the only thing that keeps Nanami from going off to la-la-land in his mind. that and the hand wrapped around his wrist are constant reminders that there are still people he mustn't abandon (again), that he can't be selfish and simply drift away.
his own voice is barely above a whisper, the blood loss and constant pain taking their toll. ]
[ blood loss, it's new to something like choso. a strange, alien thing. he hates it without end. hates the coldness, the weakness settling into his flesh the more blood that seeps, but more than that he hates that he can't stop it as he is now. he can't be the strong one here. listen: nanami even now offers reassurance. ]
Both. Both of us. Nanamin, you're coming too.
[ his thumb is twisted, his hand an agony but he tightens this painful little grip anyway, tries to impart some kind of reassurance of his own. ]
[ although Choso may have existed for over a century, Nanami can't help but think of him as a kid as well. Yuji's brother acts and talks like the kids, making it easy for Nanami to forget he's half a curse.
not that it matters in this brave new world where they're all just toy soldiers. no agency, no legacy. all they can do is fight and die. but. at least they have some people from home around. a small comfort. ]
Mmmh-okay.
[ Nanami doesn't know if he will make it. a little bit of life seems to drain with each beat of his heart but Choso doesn't need to know that. ]
[ here in the heavy dark, choso can almost feel it, nanami's heart. he can almost hear it, a gradual slowing beat as graceful as it is awful, so he talks and he talks like he can drown it out. (like he isn't listening anyway, straining his ears for all they're worth) ]
Hhh-kay. Where should we go? What if we just leave?
[ where to go? can they leave? no, Nanami doubts he'd be able to go anywhere in this state. if he had his cursed energy back, then maybe he could break the chains and take a bunch of cultists down, enough to give Choso time to escape.
[ he really needs to conserve water, truly, but at mention of the desert there really is no stopping the tears that go squeezing themselves out of his eyes. it makes the floor beneath his cheek tacky, and somehow colder than before. ugh. ]
[ he's always dreamt of beaches and water, glittering blues and whites, but. ]
I would have liked to see the Sahara.
[ he would have liked to travel in his early retirement. ]
It's where winds, deadly and merciless, live and thrive. It must be beautiful...
[ turning his hand, cool, calloused fingers wrap around Choso's wrist. not comfortable perhaps, but comforting hopefully. Nanami won't leave the boy alone in the dark until help arrives. ]
[ and it is a comfort, in the end. nanami’s grip is the anchor by which choso has moored himself, and just like any other human left adrift he, too, clings to warmth and hope. ]
The Sahara.
[ there is no digital notepad to scribe the word down onto now, so he says it instead, rolls it around on his tongue and hopes he’s got enough of a feel of it to remember it in another world, a brighter, warmer place than this. ]
The Mojave was awful. It was hot, and bright, and sand got into everything.
[ but that’s no way to reassure someone. try again. ]
But at night, there was nh-nothing but stars. More stars than I could ever count. All together we camped under those stars and watched the sky turn.
[ a soft sound like a laugh almost. laughing at himself. he's tried sending the others a message, but isn't sure if it's reached anyone or if they were able to decipher it. somewhere during the painful ordeal, he may have accidentally accessed his implant and sent who knows what nonsense. ]
[ he thinks he’s smiling, things it’s a laugh lingering on the tail-end of each syllable, but he can’t feel his face, can’t feel anything outside of the whole-body ache that’s taken root in his soul. ]
Let’s find a beach instead. All the sand you want with all the stars you need.
[ sand, small and strange and sometimes see-through depending on the grain. maybe next time, he’ll spend more time playing in the sand with the others. or eating, or drinking, or just sleeping. ]
[ he wants to cry, but it’s a waste of water, of fluid that’s already oozing out of the spear-wound in his ribs. so he sniffles, and tries to squeeze back, cheek flat against the floor. ]
What do humans dream of when they dream of beautiful things? What do you yearn for?
[ when Yuji arrives, Nanami is has draped one of those flimsy hospital gowns over his left shoulder and is staring dismally at the limited selection of shirts and jumpers he's accumulated. the two button ups are out of the question which adds to his dismay. ]
Yuji swallows, looking between Nanami and the gowns before he steps over, starting to look at the pile. He doesn't draw attention to the obvious, just starts to pick through them. ]
[ an actual ring? gaze resting on the boy sorting through the shirts, Nanami wonders if Yuji is aware of the meaning of rings and answers himself with an immediate 'no, of course not.'
[ oh no indeed. Nanami manages to keep a straight face, focusing on the jumper instead. ]
Well, there's nothing wrong with trying things out. You're still young after all. But I have to admit I didn't peg you as such a heart-breaker, Itadori-kun.
[ ducking his head to hide the smile, he examines the jumper closer and discards it again. it would look nice but he can tell it'll feel too heavy on his skin. ]
So I should think nothing of it when you put a ring on me, understood.
[ holding out his hand, he wiggles the ring finger. jewellery isn't something Nanami would get for himself - well, his teenage years excepted - but he doesn't mind wearing this for Itadori. ]
[ If anyone hears about this, he's definitely going to get bullied by Gojo-sensei. Trying not to look too embarrassed, he steps up and puts the ring on Nanami's finger with a small smile. ]
[ the rings slides on and adjusts, just like Itadori says. Nanami lifts his hand to get a proper look. it looks foreign on his hand. although it's just a tracker, the shape of it still gives his brain mild trouble with adjusting to the sight of it. ]
It's pretty.
[ reaching out he gives Yuji's hair a little ruffle. ]
[ his topless era was comfortable but short-lived so when he joins Yuji in the lobby, he's wearing a soft-looking blue jumper.
there's no use in attempting to make light - not that Nanami has been a source of light-heartedness and joy lately (or ever...). for Itadori's it's been a year. for Nanami only a couple of months.
so he opens his arm, offering the kind of comfort Yuji prefers. ]
[ It's immediate, because of course it is, Yuji stepping up and close to Nanami, sliding his arms around his body and pressing his face into his waist.
Wasn't he meant to be taking care of Nanami...?
He nuzzles in, breathing in the other man, and tries not to break. ]
[ there it is, the curse of the strongest. he holds the boy close, hugs him tightly, hums gentle soothing words. all things he could have used as a boy. just someone who cared and would have taken care of him and his peers.
the old guard would claim they survived anyway. but surviving isn't the same as living, even though Nanami would consider himself fine. he doesn't expect to be taken care of, but he does feel strongly about taking care of Itadori in whatever way he can. ]
[ It's easier than he thought, to sink into Nanami's arms and let himself relax there, to feel safe. No matter what he remembers, Nanami is here right now, alive and breathing, if wounded and damaged. It makes him feel sick, but...
But. They're surviving.
They're okay.
Bowing his head, he breathes in, harsh, before he shakes it. ]
[ he meant to retrace his steps. figure out where his attention failed him. figure out where Fushiguro could have ended up after being thrown out by that beast-man. it is morbid. it is cruel. it is reserved for himself and not the boy. this date carries different weights for the two of them, after all. no need to burden Itadori even more.
so he'll pat Yuji's head, giving the hair a little ruffle. ]
[ a soft sigh is trapped behind Nanami's lips at the sight of Itadori marching onwards, brave as ever. he's going to have to fix himself soon, isn't he? Nanami doesn't mind the missing limb or the lack of depth perception but the people around him... ]
The park sounds nice.
[ once they step outside, Nanami falls into step beside Itadori at a measured pace. there is no rush, no appointment to make, no people to meet. ]
[ almost a year away from home. almost a year. there must be something about this place that's... worthwhile if Itadori has managed to last this long. a more normal life than back home. his friends and teacher. new friends.
Nanami wouldn't have lasted a week here without the other jujutsu folks, would have asked to be returned, but this isn't so bad. ]
Tell me about the flower festival. Tell me everything I've missed? Things that made you happy.
[ too many happy moments to remember them all? that sounds comforting, reassuring. he couldn't bear the thought of everything being the same hardships and troubles here only in a different environment. Nanami steps around to walk left of Itadori, presenting the side of him that looks normal to the boy. ]
They do try to make the downtime comfortable. Did the three of you arrive here together?
[ Yuji is trying to be the kind of person to dwell on happiness rather than sadness, to let himself bask in the joys rather than the miseries, but it is not always east. It's hard, sometimes, to remember there are good things in the world, no matter how much he clings to hope.
Right now, at least, he has Nanami. And that's enough. ]
Yeah, we all got here in December last year, at the same time. It was weird, though, since they didn't remember things that I did.
[ rude catty little bitches, the lot of them. it's like they never grew up at all despite their appearances. Nanami makes his way over to Geto's room, sighing softly at the aura of doom clogging the other man's room as he enters, a bag of dried squid and two glasses in his hand. ]
( He's on the bed, but propped up with his back to the wall, so upon Nanami's entering his head lolls to one side, dark eyes settling on him. )
What am I exaggerating?
( But, obedient, the bottle is held out. He doesn't know why there are glasses. He's been drinking straight from it. Nanami can be fussy if he wants. )
[ settling down next to Geto, Nanami hands him the snack before pouring himself a glass. maybe it's unnecessary and he'll ditch it later but Geto might decide he doesn't want to share and then what? ]
Did you throw cake in his face when he showed up with it?
But he said he made it himself and I'm not that much of a bitch. ( He is. An entire massacre, but oh, ruining a cake he draws the line. ) Are you not angry?
[ swirling his drink in his glass, Nanami doesn't answer immediately. is he angry? a little bit. mostly he's just... sad, and he can't really distinguish what else might me mixed in there. more importantly: ]
( That makes his stomach tense, a bitter disappointment swirling in it. He reaches out to snag the bottle back, taking a deep gulp of the liquor before he replies. )
It doesn't sound like you had much say in the matter either.
( Because he'd been dead. Fuck, Geto hates this. )
[ dropping his gaze, he takes a sip. considering what they do and how they've always approached their impossible work, none of them should be surprised by each other's demise, really. even Gojo who stands high above them, has proven himself to be mortal long before they left their golden days of youth behind. ]
[ stronger than a boy his age has any right to be. definitely stronger than any of them had been at that age. ]
I don't know about starting from the top but...
[ how to put that night into words when Nanami only knows fragments here and there? ]
We shouldn't have let him go in alone.
[ this was their greatest failure, wasn't it? to give in to the demands and abandon Gojo. he tells Geto about the night in Shibuya, the parts he was there for. how Gojo got sealed - no, he doesn't know how and by whom. the special grades, being saved by a ghost Zen'in, being careless, and then giving in to exhaustion- ]
I didn't notice the curse until it was too late. I did a terrible thing to Itadori.
( He is quiet for a long, long moment, gaze gone faraway and distant, teeth worrying at the too dry skin on his bottom lip. But then he shifts a little, lets gravity slide his shoulder further down the wall, knocking against Nanami's own and staying there, firmly pressed. They're not very touchy-feely, thought Geto might have been when he was younger, but he wants the contact now. )
You couldn't have known.
( It makes him so tired, so furiously exhausted. None of it ever changes, they fight, and they fight, and they fight, and when they can't fight anymore there is no one there to save them. He is sad for Itadori, that bright boy who tries so hard, and he is desperate with grief over the other two. It makes his throat feel thick, fingers twitching around the bottle neck. )
I'm glad you love him. I'm glad you didn't lose that. ( Not unkindly, though it might feel like it. Haibara's loss loosened something vital. Geto tops up his glass as a balm, still leaning against him. ) And I'm sorry I wasn't there.
[ Geto's weight against his shoulder is familiar and foreign at the same time. how did they all grow up into creatures of solitude when they should know better? the worst things always happened to them when they were alone after all. ]
You don't have to make excuses for me. It was my job to know.
[ in a station crowded with curses, Nanami should have known. especially after almost losing to not one but two special grades. the thought of dying has never bothered him much. dying in front of Itadori, however, well, that may be his greatest sin yet.
Geto's words make something in his chest go tight. love? yes, he still does love his moronic senpais in his own way. one of the terrible truths of the world, Nanami has learnt, is that even though their lifespans are finite, love is not. that wound will bleed and bleed internally, leaving bruises nobody will ever see. ]
( A note of sound, a little lifeless hum. He brings the bottle to his mouth to swallow more of the drink, habit more than desire. )
Ah, not far. Okkotsu is a strong fighter, and that curse -. ( Still wistful. ) Satoru would have found me either way, it was time. And I wanted it to be him. Maybe that's cruel of me. Forcing his hand the same way they do. ( It's clear who he means by that, the derision creeping in again. He swallows it down quickly enough. ) But I couldn't help it.
( His free shoulder - the one not pressed against Nanami - lifts and falls in a shrug. )
[ of all the things Geto could have said, this is completely unexpected. perhaps Nanami is too naive, still believing his senpais are The Strongest. in his mind they were immortal. he never expected to learn of either one's demise.
Geto's weight heavy against his side, Nanami exhales softly. ]
That moron. He never said...
[ but he understands why... everyone else had been in Kyoto, fighting the curses and Geto's cult members. by the time they returned... but Nanami never asked, did he? just assumed that Geto had got away somehow like he did the first time.
softly, almost like a confession, because none of it matters anymore: ]
( He lets the knowledge sit for a moment, the bitter acidity of it sour in his stomach. And then he lets it go, swallows against it. What does it matter now? Nothing. Of the three of their generation here, not a sole survivor. At least he thinks Shoko is still alive. Itadori has never spoken of her in any strange way. That will have to be enough. )
Mm. ( A half-amused, half-chiding sound. ) Sentimental.
[ 'just Choso'. it's not an unreasonable request considering the things they've gone through and their connection to Itadori. the next one, however... ]
[ 'kids' who have seen greater horrors probably, but still. Nanami finds a more quiet corner, a tray filled half with full, half with empty champagne glasses. ]
Wouldn’t want the kids to see something untoward, now would we?
[ Nanami isn’t hard to find, even amongst all the strange bodies. A blond giant settled in his seat like he was dropped there, wearing the pall of his own company like a cloak. Like a sad solo sawing away on an old viola, how can Bansai not want to knock it all askew?
On approach, he plucks up a full glass from the tray before settling himself with precisely zero shame on Nanami’s knee, side-saddle like he’s going to ask this beardless jolly man for a toy spaceship. ]
At this rate, I daresay you’ll drink that little goddess out of house and home.
[ they're bad enough role models as it is. no need to further push them towards the disappointing realisation that they all have clay feet. he's learned too much about his friends and charges during his time here. things that aren't his to know. it feels obscene.
Bansai's weight pushes Nanami into the seat, turning into the focal point of Nanami's attention. ]
Would you object? If she fell from grace, you might find yourself with a willing idol for your idle hands.
You say that like I haven’t already planned out her schedule.
[ Weird. But what else is he to do in this alien Tokyo? Pretty girls and boys are a dime a dozen around here these days, and at least some of them have voices worth noticing and a presence worth molding into just the right shape. (the goddess could be the best of them, a star to outshine Terakado Tsuu, and that’s a little thought he likes to prod at in the quiet moments between sets.)
What else is there to do? ]
But if she toppled from her pretty high horse, it would leave me less time to take up your time. I’d hate to choose.
[ So he knocks the champagne back, face a perfect mask despite the taste and the fizz trying to wrinkle his nose, and when at last it is done and gone Bansai allows himself to brace his weight against Nanami with a hand sliding over a broad shoulder. ]
[ said with the confidence of a man who has never considered himself significant or special in any manner. the swordsman's attention, as welcome as it may be, is seen as nothing more but a fleeting fancy, an ephemeral pastime, some kind of throwaway pleasure until he finds a new rising star in whatever shape an form. ]
A man of your many talents should be able to multitask.
[ the hand sliding over his shoulder carries a strangely possessive touch and Nanami finds himself tilting his head, mildly curious about Bansai's motive, as he wraps his arm around the other man's waist. ]
Or would you consider that an insult to your object of interest?
[ Would that it were as simple as that. To drop everything for a new star, to put his all into the raising of a new diva to take center stage… what a pleasure it sounds like, that kind of freedom, what a silly dream. Here in this city beyond death, no one would damn him if he did so, not their allies or LILITH or even Nanami himself. No one would blame him but Bansai himself.
Nanami’s arm around his waist is a warm weight of an anchor. ]
No, I daresay you’re right.
[ With Nanami’s eye like it is, on the proper side, with his low voice and the resonance in his chest that rings with every word, he could almost be- he could almost pass as- he could almost take the place of- ]
I could do that as well as I could you.
[ Blonde hair instead of black, an empty hazel eye instead of beast’s green. It isn’t the same at all, but the thought sits on a backburner while Bansai leans in anyway, hand slipping around Nanami’s shoulder to curl around the nape of his neck.
When next he speaks, he makes sure their lips are only millimeters apart. ]
( In the middle of one of Nanami's outside adventures comes rainbow dragon. There is no hesitancy in its approach, no fear when it slinks down to the jujutsu sorcerer. It drops a carefully held giftbag to the ground before the man, then whips itself back up into the sky. Inside is a few wrapped gifts - an mp3 player that Geto has absolutely added the worst music to ( and some more calming tunes, he still does worry, thank you ), an eye mask, a plushie because they're all idiots, a box of pastries, and a very strong whiskey. There's a note, but all that says is 'It looks like you :)' and nothing more. )
[ Come Christmas day, there are some gifts left for Nanami to find on his doorstep, wrapped up in yellow paper with black dots on it. The amount of effort Yuji put in to finding the paper is probably embarrassing to think about, but he managed it all the same.
Inside the box is a series of gifts:
🐯 A tie, similar to the one that Nanami used to wear, but more pastel - but definitely high quality, a little bit fancy. 🐯 What could be described as a giant jumper, but it's probably around the right size for Nanami to wear, in a dark green colour (avoiding his usual blue, just in case). 🐯 Some notebooks and pens, actual paper versions, that he bought a while ago and never managed to give to him. 🐯 A polaroid, of Yuji and Gojo together, giving a peace sign at the camera. 🐯 Pair of plushes, one a cat and one a tiger, where the cat is wearing cool green sunglasses.
There's also a note attached:
Nanamin,
I know you didn't want to come back. I know that you might have been happier if you'd never come here at all, and that you'd been allowed to stop. But I'm glad every single day that you came back, that I got to see you again and spend more time with you. I never got to tell you how important you were to me, or how happy I was that I was able to meet you and learn from you, so I'm going to tell you now before I run out of time.
Thank you, for teaching me, and being there for me, and supporting me. I know you're not a teacher, but you don't need to be.
[ Delivery via courier, but not on Wednesday. Just sometime. Inside the bag is a bottle of sake with a card with the date for the meeting he requested Silco to arrange.
[ sent home when? Nanami hadn't even noticed (how if he's made himself sparse after receiving that letter?). his heart stutters, seizes, and he finds himself running even though he has no idea where the boy is right now? ]
[ dread and terror mixed together carry him towards the Everlight wing even faster. that Yuji is here and talking to him doesn't mean he's fine. just look at Nanami and his two idiot senpai who are fine here but, well.
manners, years and years of restraint, keep him from just barging into the boy's room. instead Nanami takes a few moments to catch his breath, to fix his clothes, and then he knocks - a slightly impatient sound. ]
[ Yuji, not understanding even a little while Nanami might be sprinting halfway across the base to get to him, looks strangely casual as he opens the door and slips out. His eyes are a little red, and he has his new scars and missing fingers, but he's altogether whole otherwise. ]
[ is this boy serious? the mild panic yields to the kind of annoyance usually reserved for Gojo and he's a hair away from turning on his heel and walking away when he notices the changes.
[ don't scare the kid, Nanami. it's not his fault you had a couple of shit months. in fact he's the reason you can still get annoyed and anxious and enjoy the sun on your face along with the cold Tokyo winter winds!
[ Yuji leans back and looks at him, realising how his words sound now, in hindsight. It's a bit of a sour question, but eventually his face breaks into a small smile. ]
[ that smile paired with those words, it's everything he would want from the world. heaving a sight of relief, he reaches for the boy, pulling him into an embrace that starts out gentle but grows tighter with each shaky breath.
Itadori Yuji, the boy they made into a sacrifice, survived the ordeals and unfair burdens they've placed on him. for once, just once, the cycle of violence and degradation was broken. at which cost Nanami doesn't know. all he knows is the boy Gojo entrusted him with, the boy who would have died for them all, has made it out alive. ]
[ The arms are around him and Yuji sinks into them immediately, shifting to press his face into Nanami's chest, breathing out softly and closing his eyes. There's always been safety, here, in the comfort of someone he trusts so completely, so intensely, and the relief he feels... The happiness he feels...
Yuji breathes out, and squeezes his mentor back, as gently as he can manage. ]
No. Nanami, we... [ His eyes prickle. ] I'm okay. I promise, for real.
[ voice barely above a whisper, brittle almost with relief but also guilt. guilt that has lurked at the back of his mind ever since his arrival here. a terrible thing for someone who'd rather remove the source of evil rather than look back and lament the past.
and now this brave boy stands before him and tells him they've emerged victorious on their own. Gojo's pride, his next generation.
perhaps removing the old pieces from the board was necessary. perhaps... ]
[ Yuji sniffles into him as he squeezes the man a little tighter, curling around him and breathing out sharply.
Isn't it such a good thing, to be able to come here and say that they did it, they succeeded, that the King of Curses is gone? It is a relief, but at the same time it comes hand in hand with so much agony and pain - Yuji knows the high cost, and he can't undo it.
Laughing softly, he tilts his head back, tears damp on his cheeks. ]
I did it, Nanamin. I had it from Shibuya, just like you said, and I did it. For all of us.
[ it’s funny, how time works. one minute he’s nestled between two bodies in safe warmth and in the next it’s been months and home is a smoking wreck while the belly of ancient fuji-san has been torn open for the kaiju to crawl out of. ]
You are doing very well. Are you with Kuzunoha-kun?
[ He's impressed and relieved, really, that Itadori hasn't just flown off the handle and sought out the curse. At the same time, Nanami knows how quickly self-restraint can go brittle, so he's on his way to find the young man, to hold him back (or sit on him) if necessary. ]
[ Part of him is glad he doesn't have to go near the med bay. Ever since his little mishap last October, his aversion to medical attention has grown even bigger.
With a little help from Synthia, Nanami is able to track Itadori down, steps slowing down the moment he catches sight of the (uninjured) boy. ]
[ Yuji isn’t expecting Nanami to go out of his way to find him, and it shows from the surprise on his face. It’s a little flushed from his tears and his eyes are red, but he manages a smile for Nanami all the same. ]
[ Nanami lets out a soft sigh at the young man's smile, despite the misery written across his face. Always pushing himself so hard, even when there's no reason for it. ]
[ Which isn’t a lie. Not really. Yuji is doing fine, he’s surviving, and he’s been through worse, he just thought… He was happy here, and now all of that is at risk. He thought it was all over, but… ]
I… I felt it. The Black Flash. Through the ring and because of the cursed energy. It was a lot.
[ Well. That was stupid but also a very human reaction. People outside their circle wouldn't know what they'd be up against. Stories don't do it justice, not really, and non-sorcerers wouldn't understand what Sukuna stands for, what it is. ]
You were terrified and worried. And not wrong. You can apologise and I'm sure he'll understand.
[ Yuji breathes out a shuddering noise, leaning into Nanami. Not many people really know what it means to deal with Sukuna, to fight him, but… Yuji does. He knows it painfully well. ]
Nanamin, you… You’ll stay away from him too, right?
[ But. If the kids are going to be this jittery and reckless and with the curse acting like the mindless, careless beast from the tales of old... Up to this point, Nanami has trusted LILITH to prevent stupid shit like this.
While Itadori is acting sensible, Nanami can't really claim to trust the others from their circle to do the same. ]
And with your detailed sketches about the differences between you two, I shan't be at risk of mistaking one for the other.
[ He’s well aware that it’s selfish of him. He’s asking Nanami to stay out of something that was his role, once upon a time. Protecting children was what Nanami did, but… Yuji isn’t the kid that Nanami was taking care of anymore.
He’s older, and he beat Sukuna, and he thinks… If something happened to Nanami again…
True. You're the only one who'd yell my name across town, standing on a water tower, and then turn it into a weird chant.
[ Or leave a tear imprint of his face on Nanami's shirt, or employ jump-sneak-hugs as a method of greeting. Or, and this is a big OR, save Nanami's life in more than one way. ]
So, your brother won't do anything reckless, you've stayed on the sensible path all on your own.
[ The pink-haired crybaby really is growin up, isn't he? In some ways he's still a child (will probably forever stay a child in Nanami's eyes), but in all the ways that matter, Itadori truly has grown up. ]
All that's left to do is make your young man not feel too bad about what happened, but I suppose you'll know best how to accomplish that.
[ Mild surprise flutters across his face at Itadori's unexpected admission. Apparently Gojo and Geto's presence and easy availability to offer support in all shapes and sizes has prompted the ex-salaryman to settle back into his aimless and purposeless mindset.
A gentle pat on the head as if to assure the boy that Nanami will be there for him - at least in this place - for as long as he's needed. ]
[ It's not as if Yuji lacks for friends, or if he doesn't have people to talk to, but in terms of that level of trust, and who could really understand where he's coming from... It's the people of his own world that are at the top of that list.
Nanamin being the top because he won't beat around the bush, and because he'll think about what's best, too. Yuji needs that. ]
[ A sudden bout of vertigo hits him at the confession, causing his grip to tighten for a fraction of a heartbeat. He's spent more time with Itadori here than he has at home. This level of trust feels undeserved, especially in the presence of his betters.
The truth is he doesn't know what to make of this other than ensuring that he will always be just a text, a call, a shout away no matter what. Perhaps he'll have to wear the skin of a responsible adult a little longer and let go of his little amusements he's been collecting.
[ Completely unaware of how Nanami is feeling, the discordance in his mind, Yuji leans into him and lets his eyes close and some of the strange grief and tension fade away. He wants to make sure Nanami is safe and protected, he wants to make sure he's okay, but he also wants to make sure he realises how important he is.
Yuji thinks to himself, quietly, let me rely on him for just a little bit longer, please.
[ There is not enough time in the past life or this one to get the ex-salaryman to set aside his perception of self for even a moment and to consider other people's views of him. Geto has on several occasions dropped it here and there that Nanami matters beyond his usefulness as a weapon. Itadori's letter that came with the presents couldn't have been more heartfelt and yet here he is, thinking the boy would be better off putting his trust in Gojo or Geto. People who could help him and protect him if push came to shove.
Carefully, gently, he wraps an arm around the boy and holds him close. ]
No need to thank me. You did the heavy lifting yourself.
[ This is comfortable, and easy, and how can Yuji explain the complicated emotions he feels for Nanami to anyone else?
They might have only known each other briefly back in their own world, but in Yuji's eyes Nanami had been everything that he wanted to be, despite the strange food they'd got off on. Someone so confident in himself, but able to respect his limits, keeping to his own mindset, knowing who he is... And he had inspired Yuji so much.
He wouldn't have ever questioned risking his life for Nanami, but he can't forget how it felt to be told that he was finally regarded as a real sorcerer.
[ The day Itadori turned sorcerer in Nanami's eyes had been reassuring and terrible at the same time. Once again Gojo-san had managed to find someone special, someone exceptional to add to his little army of monsters who'd turn the world upside down for a better future. Once again it remained uncertain what the price would be and who'd have to pay it. ]
You should give yourself more credit.
[ Itadori Yuji still remains the best of them in Nanami's opinion. Even Geto wrapped up in his resentment and bitterness borne from unfathomable grief couldn't resist the little sunshine, could he? ]
You have a way of inspiring people to get closer to their better selves. That's a rare feat, you know?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
1/3
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nanamin?
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Itadori-kun?
[ who else would call him that, really? ]
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it really is you
[ He’s definitely going to have a minor crisis about this. ]
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or answers to nanamin
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Not that.
How did you know that I was here?
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i was gonna text gojo-sensei and i saw the new name, so…
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[ is it an issue? it certainly has the potential to become one for a soliatary creature like him. ]
Apologies, I'm still a little out of sorts.
I haven't even asked how you are.
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i’m glad to hear from you
i’m ok, just in korea
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Kidnapper sponsored holiday?
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it’s pretty normal, i’ve been here eight months now
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You do sound like an old hand, Itadori.
We should catch up when you return.
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do you wanna go to a cafe??
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[ worried? him? of course he's worried... ]
A cafe sounds nice.
I'm planning on venturing out later and see what the city has to offer.
Do you have other recommendations?
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I’ve never counted
there’s a store that sells paper notebooks
and a bookshop
and the cat onsen!!!!!!
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I'm coming to Korea as well.
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busan or seoul?
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I'm being shipped to Busan along with emergency supplies.
Are you there too?
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i'll have to see you after
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[ can't keep an eye on the boy, then. ]
But a cafe would be nicer than than this anyway.
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don't worry about it!!
[ And attached is a picture of Yuji doing the peace sign emoji! Don't ask about the weird arms. ]
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Did something happen to your arm?
1/2
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[ the sigh is almost audible! ]
A good one, I hope.
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[ that's a family technique, no? is Yuji telling him the Kamo are cursed? (not that Nanami would be surprised...) ]
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You'll tell me later in person?
[ he feels like he'll need alcohol for that conversation. ]
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i'll answer any questions to have. promise.
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[ Nanami really is in no position to make demands or criticise Itadori's choices. 'being safe' is too much to ask for here as it was back home. he just wants to know the yuji is alright. somehow. ]
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the last thing i remember is it was december. shibuya was in october.
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[ Nanami isn't going back or anywhere else for that matter. he has all the time in the world now. ]
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we can go somewhere and get tea and i'll tell you about it
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I'm not the Spanish Inquisition.
But I think they're about to kick me out of the plane.
Do these suits come with built-in parachutes?
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don't just jump out nanamin!!
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It's not that high actually.
You could survive it with one of those tight body suits with armpit wings.
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[ not accounting the fact that yuji might actually be able to survive it as is ]
tearing down the responsible adult facade
There's a training room, isn't there?
he's gonna weep
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I'm notDon't tell me that training room is uselessYou disapprove?
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there's a godzilla here? he's nice
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[ across time a nine-year-old Kento has stars in his eyes, watching the king of monsters on the screen. ]
That's incredible.
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I look forward to hearing about your new friends.
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After seeing you.
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Be careful.
@rasgulla
Did you just arrive?
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In a manner of speaking, yes.
How did you know?
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There is a list of usernames you can scroll through, and I didn't recognise yours.
It's odd that they would bring you here while the rest of us are on a mission.
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I see.
Does everybody know everybody around here?
I can't comment on that but I suppose I'll be joining the rest of you shortly.
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[ he just stalks people okay .... let a girl have hobbies ]
Have they organised a flight for you, sir?
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Was no one else from your home brought here?
Something like that.
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I'm not sure which expedition they will send you on, but remember to wear the suit they give you. The conditions in Seoul are not favourable.
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What is your land like?
Yes, I have been firmly instructed to stuff myself into that thing before take-off.
Though I doubt conditions are favourable anywhere around here.
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Considering you have elves and giants.
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I see.
What is a 'tall-man'?
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We don't have too many other defining traits, and our lifespans are short compared to elves and dwarves.
You might call it something different where you come from.
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It still sounds magical, though, with the elves and the dwarves.
We only hear about them in stories.
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Will you tell me more about it, sir?
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I am from Tokyo, a less technologically advanced version, but my world hasn't been devastated by kaiju.
In fact, this kind of scenario is a popular theme for stories and other entertainment pieces.
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There were no monsters then?
@ soba
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Are you?
( Wow, can't he check up on someone. )
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Always.
I have the weekend nights off, I think.
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Maybe dinner, I can probably stretch to that.
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To both.
[ because after everything, it's unlikely the ex-salaryman will say 'no' to Geto or Gojo. ]
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Admittedly all I know is one singular teashop and that dive bar we went to.
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Haven't you been here for months?
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( His reticence isn't new, is what he means. )
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There are a few places in the side alleys you might like.
We can take my bike.
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What kind?
rolls up on a tricycle 🤡
It's pretty sleek but I suppose technology has come a long way.
it's what all of these men deserve.
I really will get a reputation one of these days.
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I can do all the things I couldn't before for 'reasons'.
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But perhaps basejumping could be entertaining.
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I'm thinking about a new piercing, much more sedate.
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Where?
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( Is he being serious? Who knows! )
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I thought they already were.
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Do you think it would suit?
I could get a tattoo. Do I care enough about being allowed in the onsens now?
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Besides, your qualities as a father are unrelated to nipple piercings.
I don't know what he onsen rules are around here, seeing how they allow cats in apparently?
My issue would be the hygiene and safety of those tattoo parlours.
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Also I've had enough robe slander this month, thank you. I'm reassessing my stylistic choices.
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Robe slander?
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People taking exception.
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You didn't wear them around Gojo and Maki, did you?
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...
The Zenin girl and I have an understanding these days.
( He gives her money and doesn't call her a monkey and she ... is herself. It's fine. )
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Another argument to get piercings instead.
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The robes, I mean.
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Do something nice for yourself.
[ says the man who keeps traipsing around in the standard issue grey sweatpants. ]
Did you want to go to the tea place before eating?
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It truly depends on if you wish to behave or not.
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Are those this Rover-san's words or are you refrering to me?
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Is she your girlfriend?
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Absolutely not.
She's a friend. She's been kind. She's also very nosy and I am an enigma.
( Though not quite as mysterious as he'd like to be. )
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[ though is it his fault when Geto words it like he's somebody's 'I can fix him' project? ]
I'm not really interested in teahouses in the evening so let's skip that.
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Alcohol first? Or food?
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Those have to be still around.
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No preferences?
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I'm not as picky.
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The bot manned places it is.
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Very well.
Oh, tie up your hair.
Don't want you complaining when you end up with a bird's nest.
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text: @CURSE - 09-28-78
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Can I help you?
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choso. yuji’s elder brother.
hello. are you hungry?
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Hello Choso-san.
I'm still digesting the brick they served for breakfast.
Are you looking for a dining companion?
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i suppose so. i have tofu on hand today and intend to cook it. would you be interested in a brick of tofu to wash down your packed dirt biscuit?
nanamin-status 🥹
It would be such a waste.
What are you planning on doing with it?
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[ implying that maybe he thought otherwise… ]
text; during the kidnapping
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na
min
na
na
min
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nanamin
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please
i'll find you
text @ soba | kidnapping
You've made Itadori cry, so if you are actually missing I'll save kicking your ass until we find you again.
10-14-78
[ it's only nth time he's said the name now, has said it so much in the last 18,623 seconds that it barely feels like a word anymore, but he keeps on because if he stops he's sure, he's dead fucking certain he'll go mad. ]
I'ss oh-kay. I'm still here. Na-na-min.
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his own voice is barely above a whisper, the blood loss and constant pain taking their toll. ]
You'll be fine. He'll come for you, don't worry.
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Both. Both of us. Nanamin, you're coming too.
[ his thumb is twisted, his hand an agony but he tightens this painful little grip anyway, tries to impart some kind of reassurance of his own. ]
Him n' you n' me. Oh-kay?
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not that it matters in this brave new world where they're all just toy soldiers. no agency, no legacy. all they can do is fight and die. but. at least they have some people from home around. a small comfort. ]
Mmmh-okay.
[ Nanami doesn't know if he will make it. a little bit of life seems to drain with each beat of his heart but Choso doesn't need to know that. ]
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Hhh-kay. Where should we go? What if we just leave?
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as they are now... ]
Have you been to the desert before...
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The Mojave. [ he says it mou-jayve. ] Have you?
oh no, don't cry, bb
[ he's always dreamt of beaches and water, glittering blues and whites, but. ]
I would have liked to see the Sahara.
[ he would have liked to travel in his early retirement. ]
It's where winds, deadly and merciless, live and thrive. It must be beautiful...
[ turning his hand, cool, calloused fingers wrap around Choso's wrist. not comfortable perhaps, but comforting hopefully. Nanami won't leave the boy alone in the dark until help arrives. ]
How is the Mojave?
🥺
The Sahara.
[ there is no digital notepad to scribe the word down onto now, so he says it instead, rolls it around on his tongue and hopes he’s got enough of a feel of it to remember it in another world, a brighter, warmer place than this. ]
The Mojave was awful. It was hot, and bright, and sand got into everything.
[ but that’s no way to reassure someone. try again. ]
But at night, there was nh-nothing but stars. More stars than I could ever count. All together we camped under those stars and watched the sky turn.
We can teh-take you there, maybe.
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Ah... stars.
[ he is a city boy through and through but if there are stars... ]
Mmh, you should. I would like that.
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[ he says it like a warning, like that isn’t the whole draw of the desert to humans who have seen nothing but the city-stained sky. ]
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[ a soft sound like a laugh almost. laughing at himself. he's tried sending the others a message, but isn't sure if it's reached anyone or if they were able to decipher it. somewhere during the painful ordeal, he may have accidentally accessed his implant and sent who knows what nonsense. ]
Wha... what would you like to see?
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Someplace like Okinawa. Colourful, and warm, with water you can see through right to the sand below.
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[ his dream ending. living in a small house by the beach, going for a swim first thing in the mornings. ]
I wanted to retire in a place like that. Sandy beaches, the ocean, and waterfalls.
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[ he thinks he’s smiling, things it’s a laugh lingering on the tail-end of each syllable, but he can’t feel his face, can’t feel anything outside of the whole-body ache that’s taken root in his soul. ]
Let’s find a beach instead. All the sand you want with all the stars you need.
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[ there's something fascinating about those myriads of tiny grains, all single despite being lumped into this mass. a bit like people, he supposes. ]
Okinawa, then. We can help Itadori's boyfriend.
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I can clean the fish. We can eat so much.
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[ even if the objective is to help Raidou with his project, they should have time to enjoy themselves a little whilst on the island. ]
If there's enough fruit, we can make our own wine.
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[ with everyone, with nanami, with the world. his hand twitches, fingers squeezing a touch tighter. ]
In a coconut we found ourselves.
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[ yes, and why not? to eat when he’s hungry and drink coconuts with little umbrellas when he’s parched, what a luscious dream. ]
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[ a raspy, amused chuckle. ]
No better place for wish fulfilment than Okinawa, I guess.
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[ a raspy breath, wet with spittle or blood, or both. ]
Will you tell me how your world works?
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the sound of Choso's laboured breathing has Nanami tighten his grip on the other man, thumb brushing over cool skin, trying to soothe somehow. ]
My world? What do you mean? What would you like to know?
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What do humans dream of when they dream of beautiful things? What do you yearn for?
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The same things as you, I reckon. Things and people that bring them joy. Something to ease the burden of living.
text.
i have something for you.
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You want to track me?I see.
How does it work?
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That's very thoughtful of you, Itadori-kun.
Thank you.
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it also has emotion tracking, but i think we shouldn't use that part.
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It would seem unnecessarily intrusive.
[ they all work so hard to keep their messed up inner workings contained. to have it all undone by a ring would be not ideal. ]
How many do you have?
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[ or Itadori and Maki will go home. either way, Nanami is sure the kids will be reunited one way or another. ]
I promise I won't make you use it too much.
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[ He's trying not to dwell on it. ]
me too. i'll try to be good.
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It's a promise.
Where should I pick it up?
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i can bring it over tonight?
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Thank you.
Are you back to work already?
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What are you doing right now?
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1/2
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→ action
It's no use.
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Yuji swallows, looking between Nanami and the gowns before he steps over, starting to look at the pile. He doesn't draw attention to the obvious, just starts to pick through them. ]
I think it should be blue.
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Something soft and light if possible.
[ he sounds grumpy which makes him sound more like his old self. that surely is a good sign? ]
What kind of tracker is it by the way? Do I need to get someone to inject it or-?
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[ As if he'd put Nanami through something like that... He lifts the chain around his neck, that holds his rings with some of the others, and smiles. ]
You can put them on and activate them to find each other.
[ Tucking it back under his hoodie, he starts to try and find a nice shirt, putting more than half of them aside as the wrong shade. ]
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[ an actual ring? gaze resting on the boy sorting through the shirts, Nanami wonders if Yuji is aware of the meaning of rings and answers himself with an immediate 'no, of course not.'
but just in case- ]
Is that really alright?
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[ He has no idea. Not really. ]
I have a few of them now, and they're really helpful.
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[ pinky is completely oblivious, then. ]
It's just that rings traditionally carry a certain meaning. But if your boyfriend doesn't mind-
Oh, wait, that jumper is nice.
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Why would Raidou mind?
[ He does pause, grabbing the jumper, a frown on his face. ]
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1/3
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... Katsuki gave him and ring, and Katsuki...
.... Yuji gave Raidou a ring, and they're......
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[ Has he accidentally caused problems???? ]
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Well, there's nothing wrong with trying things out. You're still young after all. But I have to admit I didn't peg you as such a heart-breaker, Itadori-kun.
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[ His eyes widen, and he shakes his head, hands flailing. ]
No! It's just to keep each other safe! That's it!
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[ ducking his head to hide the smile, he examines the jumper closer and discards it again. it would look nice but he can tell it'll feel too heavy on his skin. ]
So I should think nothing of it when you put a ring on me, understood.
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[ Yuji's eyes widen, and his cheeks go a violent red. ]
Nanamin!
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What? I'm just saying you have to put it on me since I can't myself at the moment.
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getting the ring out. ]
Which finger?
[ It's a nice golden band, with a cute little pinkish-red gem in the middle. ]
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[ holding out his hand, he wiggles the ring finger. jewellery isn't something Nanami would get for himself - well, his teenage years excepted - but he doesn't mind wearing this for Itadori. ]
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It should mould to fit properly.
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It's pretty.
[ reaching out he gives Yuji's hair a little ruffle. ]
Thank you. I'll try not to make you use it.
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[ His own ring has a little golden-yellow gem, matching Nanami's hair like his own did. He holds it for a moment before he tilts his head. ]
Do you want me to wear it, or put it on my necklace?
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[ a small laugh escapes him at the question and he manages to resist pinching the boy's cheek. what had he just told him about rings? ]
Put it on your necklace. If you want to wear a ring on your finger, it should be Kuzunoha-kun's.
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But I think I have to wear them to use them... And you're wearing yours...
[ Grumble... ]
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[ oh the grumpy little face almost makes him laugh. ]
Is he wearing his?
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[ He glances up, the expression dropping. ]
Yeah, I think so.
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[ stop he feels bad suddenly??? ]
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I see. My mistake.
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[ He's blushing too hard now!! ]
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Yes, Itadori?
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[ He doesn't want to deal with this any more!! ]
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I'm just teasing. Don't take it to heart.
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[ Even if it's a little weird (but nice) to have Nanami tease him. ]
@vessel
nanamin
are you still here
💔
Always.
Aren't you spending the night with your friends?
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i just needed to know first
that's all
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Do you want to use the rings?
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it's just. it's been a year.
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Come with me?
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sure. of course.
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if you want?
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i can meet you in the lounge
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there's no use in attempting to make light - not that Nanami has been a source of light-heartedness and joy lately (or ever...). for Itadori's it's been a year. for Nanami only a couple of months.
so he opens his arm, offering the kind of comfort Yuji prefers. ]
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Wasn't he meant to be taking care of Nanami...?
He nuzzles in, breathing in the other man, and tries not to break. ]
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the old guard would claim they survived anyway. but surviving isn't the same as living, even though Nanami would consider himself fine. he doesn't expect to be taken care of, but he does feel strongly about taking care of Itadori in whatever way he can. ]
Would you rather stay in?
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But. They're surviving.
They're okay.
Bowing his head, he breathes in, harsh, before he shakes it. ]
Mm, no. I want to do what you want to do.
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so he'll pat Yuji's head, giving the hair a little ruffle. ]
Then let's go for a walk, away from this place.
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[ Yuji leans back, reaches for Nanami's arm, his hand, then stops.
Because... Because...
Gritting his teeth, he steels himself, heading towards the doorway. ]
The park?
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The park sounds nice.
[ once they step outside, Nanami falls into step beside Itadori at a measured pace. there is no rush, no appointment to make, no people to meet. ]
Have you been here all this time?
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[ Peaceful. Quiet.
Happy.
Shaking his head, he crosses his arms behind his head. ]
What, in Neo Tokyo? Since... December, in our world. Something like that. So it's almost been a year for me.
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Nanami wouldn't have lasted a week here without the other jujutsu folks, would have asked to be returned, but this isn't so bad. ]
Tell me about the flower festival. Tell me everything I've missed? Things that made you happy.
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[ Yuji hums. ]
There was a party at the onsen, once, that was fun. Ice skating and laser tag last Christmas. Hanging out with Megumi and Kugisaki...
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They do try to make the downtime comfortable. Did the three of you arrive here together?
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Right now, at least, he has Nanami. And that's enough. ]
Yeah, we all got here in December last year, at the same time. It was weird, though, since they didn't remember things that I did.
10-31-78
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You can't kidnap me tonight.
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is the princess coming down for you?
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So I've moved on.
Why aren't you sleeping?
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i can’t stop thinking. it’s too loud in my head.
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Thinking about what?
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thinking about the dark, then thinking about you. my hand is empty and it feels strange to be.
is that strange?
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It's not strange.
We went through a lot together.
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can i be with you?
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I'm heading into town but you're free to join me.
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will you be imbibing the drink?
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Are you old enough to drink?
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Do you drink?
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Then let's have a couple of drinks after my shopping.
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[ that isn’t how business or customer discounts work but who’s counting? not choso. ]
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text @ soba
I wish you would have told me what happened to you.
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Why are you?
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I have trouble sleeping without the kids around.
It's too quiet.
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Quite.
I had the perfect bed at home.
Are you still angry?
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And how come I'm not allowed to ask questions but you are?
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It was the best. Fancy, king sized, a dream to sleep in.
FUCK I THOUGHT I'D FRAMED IT AS A QUESTION oops.
Did you sleep alone?
lol it's ok <3
Did you?
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Was there never anyone for you?
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[ it seemed too cruel, doing what he does for a living. ]
Are you drinking?
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( He'll maintain his brooding right where he is. )
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Aren't you exaggerating it a little?
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What am I exaggerating?
( But, obedient, the bottle is held out. He doesn't know why there are glasses. He's been drinking straight from it. Nanami can be fussy if he wants. )
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[ settling down next to Geto, Nanami hands him the snack before pouring himself a glass. maybe it's unnecessary and he'll ditch it later but Geto might decide he doesn't want to share and then what? ]
Did you throw cake in his face when he showed up with it?
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( A sniff, but he's opening the bag either way. )
But he said he made it himself and I'm not that much of a bitch. ( He is. An entire massacre, but oh, ruining a cake he draws the line. ) Are you not angry?
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[ swirling his drink in his glass, Nanami doesn't answer immediately. is he angry? a little bit. mostly he's just... sad, and he can't really distinguish what else might me mixed in there. more importantly: ]
I have no right. I failed them first.
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It doesn't sound like you had much say in the matter either.
( Because he'd been dead. Fuck, Geto hates this. )
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[ dropping his gaze, he takes a sip. considering what they do and how they've always approached their impossible work, none of them should be surprised by each other's demise, really. even Gojo who stands high above them, has proven himself to be mortal long before they left their golden days of youth behind. ]
How much do you know?
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( It's meant to be a kindness, it might not be though. )
So start from the top, just to be sure.
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[ stronger than a boy his age has any right to be. definitely stronger than any of them had been at that age. ]
I don't know about starting from the top but...
[ how to put that night into words when Nanami only knows fragments here and there? ]
We shouldn't have let him go in alone.
[ this was their greatest failure, wasn't it? to give in to the demands and abandon Gojo. he tells Geto about the night in Shibuya, the parts he was there for. how Gojo got sealed - no, he doesn't know how and by whom. the special grades, being saved by a ghost Zen'in, being careless, and then giving in to exhaustion- ]
I didn't notice the curse until it was too late. I did a terrible thing to Itadori.
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You couldn't have known.
( It makes him so tired, so furiously exhausted. None of it ever changes, they fight, and they fight, and they fight, and when they can't fight anymore there is no one there to save them. He is sad for Itadori, that bright boy who tries so hard, and he is desperate with grief over the other two. It makes his throat feel thick, fingers twitching around the bottle neck. )
I'm glad you love him. I'm glad you didn't lose that. ( Not unkindly, though it might feel like it. Haibara's loss loosened something vital. Geto tops up his glass as a balm, still leaning against him. ) And I'm sorry I wasn't there.
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You don't have to make excuses for me. It was my job to know.
[ in a station crowded with curses, Nanami should have known. especially after almost losing to not one but two special grades. the thought of dying has never bothered him much. dying in front of Itadori, however, well, that may be his greatest sin yet.
Geto's words make something in his chest go tight. love? yes, he still does love his moronic senpais in his own way. one of the terrible truths of the world, Nanami has learnt, is that even though their lifespans are finite, love is not. that wound will bleed and bleed internally, leaving bruises nobody will ever see. ]
Where did you go? After the demon parade?
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Ah, not far. Okkotsu is a strong fighter, and that curse -. ( Still wistful. ) Satoru would have found me either way, it was time. And I wanted it to be him. Maybe that's cruel of me. Forcing his hand the same way they do. ( It's clear who he means by that, the derision creeping in again. He swallows it down quickly enough. ) But I couldn't help it.
( His free shoulder - the one not pressed against Nanami - lifts and falls in a shrug. )
LILITH likes her dead sorcerers.
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Geto's weight heavy against his side, Nanami exhales softly. ]
That moron. He never said...
[ but he understands why... everyone else had been in Kyoto, fighting the curses and Geto's cult members. by the time they returned... but Nanami never asked, did he? just assumed that Geto had got away somehow like he did the first time.
softly, almost like a confession, because none of it matters anymore: ]
I wish you'd come back.
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Mm. ( A half-amused, half-chiding sound. ) Sentimental.
( But he is too. That's half the problem. )
I think I would have liked to be a teacher.
12-17-78
na
na
min.
nana
min.
nyanyamin.
ha.
nyanyamyan.
anyway where are you?
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Simulation room. I need to get used to this arm again.
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i must as well.
i will await you, and i will try not to make a mess.
you can make as many messes as you want.
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It might take a while before I return.
Are you sure you can be good?
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a big brother must be the best he can be, so i know i can be good enough.
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You could use the opportunity to relax.
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but i AM the big brother
do you want me to be yours too?
[ it seems he did not Get It. ]
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Is that all you want to be?
I prefer to be a single child but thank you for offering.
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is that all you want to be? ]
i want a lot of things lately.
so it depends.
what would you allow me to be?
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What are the things you want lately?
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i want to be just “choso” to you. no -san or anything like that.
[ that’s a good start. what are the things you want lately, choso? ]
i want you.
in most, if not every way.
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Me?
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Free?
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Granting wishes to the wishful.
You should sit in my lap.
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omw.
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Let me and I can show you how much I’m not.
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There are kids around.
[ 'kids' who have seen greater horrors probably, but still. Nanami finds a more quiet corner, a tray filled half with full, half with empty champagne glasses. ]
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[ Nanami isn’t hard to find, even amongst all the strange bodies. A blond giant settled in his seat like he was dropped there, wearing the pall of his own company like a cloak. Like a sad solo sawing away on an old viola, how can Bansai not want to knock it all askew?
On approach, he plucks up a full glass from the tray before settling himself with precisely zero shame on Nanami’s knee, side-saddle like he’s going to ask this beardless jolly man for a toy spaceship. ]
At this rate, I daresay you’ll drink that little goddess out of house and home.
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Bansai's weight pushes Nanami into the seat, turning into the focal point of Nanami's attention. ]
Would you object? If she fell from grace, you might find yourself with a willing idol for your idle hands.
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[ Weird. But what else is he to do in this alien Tokyo? Pretty girls and boys are a dime a dozen around here these days, and at least some of them have voices worth noticing and a presence worth molding into just the right shape. (the goddess could be the best of them, a star to outshine Terakado Tsuu, and that’s a little thought he likes to prod at in the quiet moments between sets.)
What else is there to do? ]
But if she toppled from her pretty high horse, it would leave me less time to take up your time. I’d hate to choose.
[ So he knocks the champagne back, face a perfect mask despite the taste and the fizz trying to wrinkle his nose, and when at last it is done and gone Bansai allows himself to brace his weight against Nanami with a hand sliding over a broad shoulder. ]
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[ said with the confidence of a man who has never considered himself significant or special in any manner. the swordsman's attention, as welcome as it may be, is seen as nothing more but a fleeting fancy, an ephemeral pastime, some kind of throwaway pleasure until he finds a new rising star in whatever shape an form. ]
A man of your many talents should be able to multitask.
[ the hand sliding over his shoulder carries a strangely possessive touch and Nanami finds himself tilting his head, mildly curious about Bansai's motive, as he wraps his arm around the other man's waist. ]
Or would you consider that an insult to your object of interest?
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Nanami’s arm around his waist is a warm weight of an anchor. ]
No, I daresay you’re right.
[ With Nanami’s eye like it is, on the proper side, with his low voice and the resonance in his chest that rings with every word, he could almost be- he could almost pass as- he could almost take the place of- ]
I could do that as well as I could you.
[ Blonde hair instead of black, an empty hazel eye instead of beast’s green. It isn’t the same at all, but the thought sits on a backburner while Bansai leans in anyway, hand slipping around Nanami’s shoulder to curl around the nape of his neck.
When next he speaks, he makes sure their lips are only millimeters apart. ]
Why choose when I can have it all?
delivery! the 24th
🐯 delivery!
Inside the box is a series of gifts: There's also a note attached:
Nanamin,
I know you didn't want to come back. I know that you might have been happier if you'd never come here at all, and that you'd been allowed to stop. But I'm glad every single day that you came back, that I got to see you again and spend more time with you. I never got to tell you how important you were to me, or how happy I was that I was able to meet you and learn from you, so I'm going to tell you now before I run out of time.
Thank you, for teaching me, and being there for me, and supporting me. I know you're not a teacher, but you don't need to be.
You're Nanamin.
- Yuji. ]
delivered sometime this week :)
It's unsigned but you know. Obvious. ]
text @vessel
i remember
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i just
they sent me home. i remember what happens. i know.
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[ sent home when? Nanami hadn't even noticed (how if he's made himself sparse after receiving that letter?). his heart stutters, seizes, and he finds himself running even though he has no idea where the boy is right now? ]
Where are you, Itadori?
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why?
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[ dread and terror mixed together carry him towards the Everlight wing even faster. that Yuji is here and talking to him doesn't mean he's fine. just look at Nanami and his two idiot senpai who are fine here but, well.
manners, years and years of restraint, keep him from just barging into the boy's room. instead Nanami takes a few moments to catch his breath, to fix his clothes, and then he knocks - a slightly impatient sound. ]
Itadori-kun, it's me.
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Hey, Nanamin. It's good to see you!
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[ is this boy serious? the mild panic yields to the kind of annoyance usually reserved for Gojo and he's a hair away from turning on his heel and walking away when he notices the changes.
inhale, exhale. ]
What happened to you?
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[ Blinking up at Nanami, recognising those sure signs of a man getting more and more annoyed with him - and he stops himself, swallowing. ]
I went home, and... We beat Sukuna. We did it.
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[ don't scare the kid, Nanami. it's not his fault you had a couple of shit months. in fact he's the reason you can still get annoyed and anxious and enjoy the sun on your face along with the cold Tokyo winter winds!
but those scars, the mutilated hand... ]
But did you... live?
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[ Yuji leans back and looks at him, realising how his words sound now, in hindsight. It's a bit of a sour question, but eventually his face breaks into a small smile. ]
I lived. I'm alive.
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[ that smile paired with those words, it's everything he would want from the world. heaving a sight of relief, he reaches for the boy, pulling him into an embrace that starts out gentle but grows tighter with each shaky breath.
Itadori Yuji, the boy they made into a sacrifice, survived the ordeals and unfair burdens they've placed on him. for once, just once, the cycle of violence and degradation was broken. at which cost Nanami doesn't know. all he knows is the boy Gojo entrusted him with, the boy who would have died for them all, has made it out alive. ]
I'm so glad... I thought...
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Yuji breathes out, and squeezes his mentor back, as gently as he can manage. ]
No. Nanami, we... [ His eyes prickle. ] I'm okay. I promise, for real.
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[ voice barely above a whisper, brittle almost with relief but also guilt. guilt that has lurked at the back of his mind ever since his arrival here. a terrible thing for someone who'd rather remove the source of evil rather than look back and lament the past.
and now this brave boy stands before him and tells him they've emerged victorious on their own. Gojo's pride, his next generation.
perhaps removing the old pieces from the board was necessary. perhaps... ]
I'm very proud of you. I hope you know that.
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[ Yuji sniffles into him as he squeezes the man a little tighter, curling around him and breathing out sharply.
Isn't it such a good thing, to be able to come here and say that they did it, they succeeded, that the King of Curses is gone? It is a relief, but at the same time it comes hand in hand with so much agony and pain - Yuji knows the high cost, and he can't undo it.
Laughing softly, he tilts his head back, tears damp on his cheeks. ]
I did it, Nanamin. I had it from Shibuya, just like you said, and I did it. For all of us.
03-14-2279
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[ It's been a while since the boys occupied his space or kidnapped him in the middle of the night. He assumed- ]
When is the last time you've slept, Choso?
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since the new arrivals
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Do you boys have a room together?
I can come find you.
Mine's a little crowded.
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i see you were beset by roommates.
for now they are not invited.
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I was lucky to have it for myself for a few nights.
Are you both not sleeping?
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but that one, His presence is affecting him.
the least i can do is watch over his sleep.
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LILITH wouldn't have brought it here without taking precautions.
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i’ll rest, but so will you.
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You younglings are the reckless ones.
[ He's not even lying. Ever since acquiring the new eye, he's been keeping a mostly healthy sleep schedule. ]
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”you younglings” like you aren’t one
i’m older than you
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@vessel / before bday
and you’re the most sensible person i know
help
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Of course.
Anything you need, Itadori-kun.
Fill me in.
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i’m trying not to go and kick sukuna’s ass
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Are you with Kuzunoha-kun?
[ He's impressed and relieved, really, that Itadori hasn't just flown off the handle and sought out the curse. At the same time, Nanami knows how quickly self-restraint can go brittle, so he's on his way to find the young man, to hold him back (or sit on him) if necessary. ]
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i needed a break and he needed a rest
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[ Part of him is glad he doesn't have to go near the med bay. Ever since his little mishap last October, his aversion to medical attention has grown even bigger.
With a little help from Synthia, Nanami is able to track Itadori down, steps slowing down the moment he catches sight of the (uninjured) boy. ]
Hey.
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Oh. Hey, Nanamin…
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You look exhausted.
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[ Which isn’t a lie. Not really. Yuji is doing fine, he’s surviving, and he’s been through worse, he just thought… He was happy here, and now all of that is at risk. He thought it was all over, but… ]
I… I felt it. The Black Flash. Through the ring and because of the cursed energy. It was a lot.
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[ Using Black Flash on a boy... What is the matter with that curse? ]
But he's strong, your boyfriend. He'll pull through.
[ He reaches out for Itadori, hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. ]
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[ Yuji swallows. He feels bad, for saying it, but… ]
He went after Sukuna and picked a fight with him. That was so… He could have died. I… It was too harsh of me, wasn’t it?
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You were terrified and worried. And not wrong. You can apologise and I'm sure he'll understand.
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[ Yuji breathes out a shuddering noise, leaning into Nanami. Not many people really know what it means to deal with Sukuna, to fight him, but… Yuji does. He knows it painfully well. ]
Nanamin, you… You’ll stay away from him too, right?
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[ But. If the kids are going to be this jittery and reckless and with the curse acting like the mindless, careless beast from the tales of old... Up to this point, Nanami has trusted LILITH to prevent stupid shit like this.
While Itadori is acting sensible, Nanami can't really claim to trust the others from their circle to do the same. ]
And with your detailed sketches about the differences between you two, I shan't be at risk of mistaking one for the other.
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[ He’s well aware that it’s selfish of him. He’s asking Nanami to stay out of something that was his role, once upon a time. Protecting children was what Nanami did, but… Yuji isn’t the kid that Nanami was taking care of anymore.
He’s older, and he beat Sukuna, and he thinks… If something happened to Nanami again…
He wouldn’t be able to cope. ]
You know me, after all.
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[ Or leave a tear imprint of his face on Nanami's shirt, or employ jump-sneak-hugs as a method of greeting. Or, and this is a big OR, save Nanami's life in more than one way. ]
Your brother won't do anything stupid, will he?
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[ He sighs. ]
I think Choso will leave it be. Sukuna isn’t going to mess with me, not right now, so…
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[ The pink-haired crybaby really is growin up, isn't he? In some ways he's still a child (will probably forever stay a child in Nanami's eyes), but in all the ways that matter, Itadori truly has grown up. ]
All that's left to do is make your young man not feel too bad about what happened, but I suppose you'll know best how to accomplish that.
[ A pause. ]
I'm glad you contacted me.
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[ The rest of Nanami's statement makes him look up, his cheeks going a little red before he leans close, nudging him gently. ]
Nanamin... I really trust you, you know? I think you're the easiest person to talk to about this kind of thing, because you'll tell me it as it is.
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[ Mild surprise flutters across his face at Itadori's unexpected admission. Apparently Gojo and Geto's presence and easy availability to offer support in all shapes and sizes has prompted the ex-salaryman to settle back into his aimless and purposeless mindset.
A gentle pat on the head as if to assure the boy that Nanami will be there for him - at least in this place - for as long as he's needed. ]
I'm very honoured.
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[ It's not as if Yuji lacks for friends, or if he doesn't have people to talk to, but in terms of that level of trust, and who could really understand where he's coming from... It's the people of his own world that are at the top of that list.
Nanamin being the top because he won't beat around the bush, and because he'll think about what's best, too. Yuji needs that. ]
It's always been that way.
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[ A sudden bout of vertigo hits him at the confession, causing his grip to tighten for a fraction of a heartbeat. He's spent more time with Itadori here than he has at home. This level of trust feels undeserved, especially in the presence of his betters.
The truth is he doesn't know what to make of this other than ensuring that he will always be just a text, a call, a shout away no matter what. Perhaps he'll have to wear the skin of a responsible adult a little longer and let go of his little amusements he's been collecting.
Some things are more important after all. ]
Are you feeling more settled now?
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[ Completely unaware of how Nanami is feeling, the discordance in his mind, Yuji leans into him and lets his eyes close and some of the strange grief and tension fade away. He wants to make sure Nanami is safe and protected, he wants to make sure he's okay, but he also wants to make sure he realises how important he is.
Yuji thinks to himself, quietly, let me rely on him for just a little bit longer, please.
He's not ready to let go yet. ]
Thanks for listening to me.
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Carefully, gently, he wraps an arm around the boy and holds him close. ]
No need to thank me. You did the heavy lifting yourself.
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They might have only known each other briefly back in their own world, but in Yuji's eyes Nanami had been everything that he wanted to be, despite the strange food they'd got off on. Someone so confident in himself, but able to respect his limits, keeping to his own mindset, knowing who he is... And he had inspired Yuji so much.
He wouldn't have ever questioned risking his life for Nanami, but he can't forget how it felt to be told that he was finally regarded as a real sorcerer.
Closing his eyes, he smiles. ]
I couldn't have done it without you.
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You should give yourself more credit.
[ Itadori Yuji still remains the best of them in Nanami's opinion. Even Geto wrapped up in his resentment and bitterness borne from unfathomable grief couldn't resist the little sunshine, could he? ]
You have a way of inspiring people to get closer to their better selves. That's a rare feat, you know?
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[ People keep saying things like that, and Yuji doesn't really know how to handle it. Rather than worry, he just leans close, relaxing softly. ]
I'm just doing my best.
@curse - 05-26-79
this is not a request