synflux | ( CLOSED ) a greying tower alone on the sea

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( CLOSED ) a greying tower alone on the sea

WHO: Yuji Itadori and Nobara Kugisaki
WHAT: Sometimes, you need to cry. A lot.
WHERE: Nobara's room
WHEN: Shortly after arrival
WARNINGS: Spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen (anime and manga) inside

[ As soon as Yuji had put two and two together he had been on the move; it would've been hard for anyone to stop him anyway, but with the motivation of seeing Kugisaki again, there was absolutely nothing that could stop him. His strange, inhuman speed carries him quickly through this strange place to find where she'd said she would be, and it doesn't take long for him to get there.

A part of him still doesn't believe it. It's been a few weeks since the Shibuya mission, and he's still haunted by the sound of her voice as she found him, his own desperation as he urged her to run, her last words; he hadn't been able to forget it, or forget her, for even a second. The notion that she might be back, that this might not be some kind of trick to get him to conform or work here (even though he would anyway!) propels him just as much as it frightens him.

Yuji is practically breathless by the time he gets back to the rooms, trying not to think too hard about him and Kugisaki being on the same team, whatever those assignments mean, and he hovers outside the door that's supposedly hers. What if he knocks and she isn't there? What if he knocks and it was all a lie? The fear is there, the prickle under his skin, but at the same time he can't help from hoping, desperately wanting to see her face again.

He knocks, a little louder than he means to, wincing. She might start shouting at him. ]

Hey, Kugisaki!

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[What are you meant to say, when you waltz back in from the dead? Whatever grand response she had planned, something far too nonchalant and aloof no doubt, seemingly dissipates before it reaches Nobara's throat and all she can do is stand there, waiting for something, anything.

Because not only had Itadori been there to see it, but he'd died before. He would know better than anyone that no matter how tough of an act she put on, dying is scary and it fills you with panic and it really hurt for that split-second and.. and...

...and Itadori's lip is quivering and Nobara can feel her own do the same, causing her to clench her jaw shut because dammit, she's not some weakling who is going to cry, just because she's able to be alive again and see the people she cares about. She really is happy, ecstatic even, but she's never been good at showing the emotions that truly matter, preferring to keep them secret and silent within her heart, so the only way she really knows how to display that is to go along with whatever she wants.]

Mmhmm!

[As she nods in agreement to say yes, it's really her, she lets him take her hand, even giving a little squeeze just to prove it's real. She doesn't stop him when he reaches out to pick her up either, at least until it becomes a little too tight, which earns him a finger prodding into his back that gets progressively stronger with each poke.]

Itadori... Can't... breathe...

[ There are so many things that Yuji regrets, and this is one of them: when Kugisaki had found him in Shibuya he had been so relieved, so happy because he had remembered that he wasn't entirely alone, but... Then she had been ripped from him as violently as Nanamin had been not moments before, by the same hand that had caused him so much pain and so much hurt.

Seeing her alive and breathing her is one thing, but touching her is another one, leaning in to touch his forehead to hers as he slowly lowers her down to her feet again. He knows he has to be careful with how strong he is, and the weight of it presses on his shoulders before he rubs her sides gently. The last thing he wants to do is hurt her or leave her with bruises, but he's not entirely in control of himself right now. ]

Sorry, sorry, I'm just so glad to see you.

[ Leaning in, he lets his hands drop to take hers, his forehead slipping to rest on her shoulder. He's crying in earnest now, no hesitation in showing her just how he feels, how happy and overwhelmed he is. She deserves to feel appreciated and loved, and he offers it without pause. ]

I'm sorry. I should've been better, I should've fought him and made sure he couldn't touch you. I should've taken care of you.

[ Should've been stronger, faster, helped her - if he could have died in her place, would things have been better? ]

[If they were back at home, if she hadn't died, being smothered by affection like this would have earned Yuji a headbutt and half a dozen bruises for his efforts, yet in the here and now she can't bring herself to be abrasive about it.

Not when he's sobbing, and she knows it's genuine because that's simply the type of person he is. Someone who reaches out to help without a second thought, someone who feels guilty for the tears shed by enemies on the roadway, not like her. Yuji's overwhelming kindness often ends up making her feel like, well, a bit of a bitch.

She doesn't realise how nice it is to hear that someone is so pleased to see her again until the words ring through her ears like melody, to know that even though they never talked about the nature of their friendship, the affection and comraderies was still there. But back then at the school tournament, when a very-much alive Yuji waltzed back into their lives, she hadn't offered the same, had she? She'll continue to blame Gojo for it because Yuji may be an idiot at times but he isn't mean, and only that unhinged sensei of theirs could have suggested something so insensitive while thinking it was funny, but the point stands. Never once did she utter the words "welcome back" or "I'm glad to see you", all she did was bully him about it until bigger disasters distracted them all from the event entirely.

She never said anything, so did Yuji come back and think that she never mourned his loss? That she didn't care? As she thought, she really is the worst...]

What do you think you're doing, saying sorry for?

[Her voice is calm and quiet, perhaps too quite for Nobara as she continues to let him cry it out on her shoulder, and after some hesitation eventually slipping a hand free in order to give a couple comforting pats to his back.]

The blame's all mine. I got too cocky, and I didn't see the two of them until it was too late to run. It's not your fault.

[ The fact that Kugisaki isn't smacking his head or scolding him tells him enough about the state they're both in, and he can accept that. Right now, what he needs most from her is a chance to hold her close and show her how much he missed her, how much he wants to keep her close and safe - all the things he would've done for her and should've done to protect her from Mahito.

No matter what she says, Yuji is going to carry his regrets. She had reminded him that he could fight, and then he had failed her. Gojo-sensei, Nanamin, Kugisaki, Todo... So many people were hurt or died at Shibuya, and he was too weak to keep them safe. He wasn't strong enough to stop Sukuna from taking total control and wrecking everything; all he could do was promise to be better next time.

Nothing else matters to him but this, and he breathes out against her as his hands drop down to grab at her hands. ]

I tried to warn you! I should've stopped him from running in the first place, then maybe... We knew only one of them could use his technique.

[ Leaning forward, he touches his head to hers, squeezing her fingers in his gently. ]

He's dead. Mahito. I beat him, and then he was eaten. But he's gone.

I know. I heard you.

[The fault was hers. She was never fast enough to keep up with Itadori, wasn't fast enough to keep up with Mahito either, so by the time she rounded that corner all she could focus on was the singular body racing towards her, not even seeing the second hidden from her sights until she heard Yuji's desperate cries.]

Good. I never want to see his ugly ass ever, ever again! I hope he suffered.

[What the hell does he mean by eaten though? Fushiguro had said Mahito was gone, but left it at that. She wants to ask- but maybe in a minute. She gives Yuji's hands a little squeeze. Seeing his face like this... it's not fair. Being so gloomy doesn't suit him and she doesn't wish to be the reason for it.]

Itadori. Just—

[A silence lingers as she seems to hesitate, unsure whether she wants to say something or do something. She isn't good at this type of thing, she never has been, and a hesitant frown builds as she struggles to say the words she wants to say but doesn't know how. After a moment of debate she lets go, instead looping arms around his neck to tug Yuji's head back down, being the one to initiate the hug this time. It's a little embarrassing, Nobara really isn't big on physical affection with anybody let alone a guy, but she's willing to allow it in this case.]

I already said it wasn't your fault. Since I'm here now, stop feeling bad about it, alright? If you're going to cry each time you see me, I won't hang out with you!

[This is the type of encouragement she's more comfortable with. Threatening him into being happier!]

Stop shouting at me!

[ Yuji sniffles miserably, but he doesn't really mean it. A part of him is glad that Kugisaki is scolding him, because it means she's here, and alive, and okay, and he can cling to that. He doesn't mind her being her usual self because at least it means that she's alive to do whatever she feels like doing, no matter what.

Wrapping his arms around her, he leans close, tucking himself against her body despite being taller and broader. He's just so happy to have her here - if he hugged her as hard as he really wanted to then he would definitely cause her some kind of problems, so it's best that he leaves her a little bit of wiggle room.

Literally.

Rubbing her back gently, he breathes out. ]

This guy... Kenjaku. He ate him.

Alright! Alright...

[For once, it actually seems to work— she wasn't raising her voice out of anger but more of just a side effect of getting all worked up, but she can see that it's not doing much to calm Yuji or give him a sense of support, and she definitely doesn't want him to start bawling again.]

[And now that they're stood here like this, and she's gotten over the initial embarrassment of being hugged by him, it's....

it's just nice. Nobara turns her head away so that her cheek can rest nicely on Yuji's shoulder, and the soft rubs to her back are quite soothing so it's fine to stay here a little while.]

Ehhh? Eaten? Who's Kenjaku?

[Nevermind— she's lifting her head up again in order to look at him. That fucker wasn't dead? ]

He's some guy that can swap bodies with people. People were calling him 'Geto' before Shibuya, but Choso said he was Kenjaku, or Noritoshi Kamo. Remember that guy that made those womb things?

[ Is he going to explain who Choso is? No, he's kind of forgotten that Kugisaki might not know about him, and explaining that situation is pretty weird...

Either way, he wipes at his face and breathes out, letting himself just stay close to her. ]

After what happened to you, I chased Mahito down and that guy stopped him. Then Yuki-san and the others from Kyoto came to help try and get Gojo-sensei back.

[There are so many names that she doesn't even recognise there but there is one that she does, which only serves to make the entire explanation even weirder and the rest of Yuji's chatter kind of gets tuned out as she tries to make sense of it.]

Kamo? That guy from Kyoto? When you say "eat".....? What's he doing exactly....?

[Why is Kyoto Student Noritoshi Kamo eating spirits????]

No, the guy Noritoshi was named after. Remember those guys we fought when we visited Fushiguro's middle school, on the road? The one who made them, before they were fed to humans.

[ Maybe he's not explaining it properly... ]

That guy took Geto's body and then used his cursed technique to eat Mahito, so he could use his abilities.

Who'd name their son after a guy like that? It's like naming your kid Bin Laden...

[seriously not the point, nobara!!]

[She does her best to make sense of it, a confused scowl on her face while she listens and nods, as if she is understanding perfectly (she doesn't get it at all)]

So there's a guy called Geto.. who used his ability to eat Mahito and... use him? Like shikigami? Is that what you're saying?

But 'Geto' is also that Kamo guy, who made those guys we killed...

[Nobara lets out a huge puff of air, resting her chin back on Yuji's shoulder.]

Ehh... I don't get it... when you say eat do you mean like, a finger or something? [Like Yuji does] Or does it have to be more? [Just the image of some dead guy feasting on a Mahito corpse is so gross. Bleurgh!]

I dunno, their family is pretty weird, aren't they?

[ Yuji nods along as she speaks, listening to see if she's got it all, and it seems like she's on the right track. It's all pretty messed up, really, isn't it? ]

Yeah, Geto is Gojo-sensei's old friend, but it's really Noritoshi Kamo, who took his body. He turned Mahito into this weird ball and ate that, and that's how he ate them. Not just a finger, all of him.

[ Was it as gross as him eating Sukuna's fingers?

Maybe. ]

[The whole thing sounds like such a mess. Firstly— Gojo-sensei has friends? If that's true and this person ended up being some spirit-eating bad guy, their sensei can't be too happy about it.

The entire thing sounds like too much of a mess, she really has missed a lot, hasn't she?]

Sorry I couldn't help out, Itadori.

[It's genuine— she isn't sure what she could have done, but at the very least she could have been there to offer support in whatever he and Fushiguro and sensei were going through.

Oh—]

...What happened to Gojo-sensei?

It's not your fault.

[ Immediate and to the point. It's not as if she asked for what happened to her, and with everything that's been going on since... Maybe it's for the best that she's out of commission, since it would be just as bad for her as it is for him. Thinking about the Culling Game still makes him feel kind of sick.

He's still holding on to her, though, and he sighs softly. ]

Gojo-sensei is still sealed, but we found someone with the cursed technique to unseal him. She's like me.

[ Y'know, a weird as fuck vessel... ]

I've got Sukuna, and she's got someone called Angel.

Angel... is she nice?

[Is she talking about the vessel, or the being they house? Likely a bit of both, but with a name like 'angel' they have to be good... right? Then again, we are talking about cursed vessels here so maybe not...]

I'm sure you guys will manage. It's Gojo-sensei after all... he'll find a way out eventually, I know it.

She's fine.

[ Yuji doesn't really want to talk about her; the way that she had slotted - or tried to slot - into their group as if she was somehow a replacement for Kugisaki herself. It had soured him, a little, but he had appreciated how welcoming she had been to the idea of helping them free Gojo, even with the demand to kill Sukuna.

Either way, she's a vessel like he was. ]

I'm sure with her help we can do it. I just hope it works out that way.

[Honestly, Nobara is fine with not talking about her too. If they did, she might honestly feel a little jealous that some other woman was there, doing things with them... almost as if they had taken her place...

...maybe the thought has her gripping his hands a little tighter.]

I'm sure you guys'll do it. Though I guess none of that matters here, right? So don't worry about it. This place has enough problems to deal with as it is.

Yeah, with everything that's going on...

[ He sights, lifting his hand to stroke through his hair absently before he sighs softly. ]

Do you wanna go get something to eat? I can explain anything else then, and it might be nice to go for a walk.

[Perhaps taking a walk would be a good idea, allowing both of them to process all of this while getting some fresh air.]

Sure. We can see if the cafeteria's got anything edible in it today. Then you can tell me again, so everything makes sense! Alright?

[And with that decided, she'll take a moment to slip on some shoes and a jacket, so they can make their way.]

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( CLOSED ) a greying tower alone on the sea

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