WHO: Yuji Itadori & various ( closed and open prompts ) WHAT: Yuji has Canon Updated. It isn't going well. WHERE: Across the base WHEN: March 21 onwards WARNINGS: Jujutsu Kaisen spoilers up to chapter 248.
[ the pad of a thumb slides down the plane of yuji's cheek and choso knows without having to see that it is so; the ugly warning markers of sukuna's residence were gone.
yuji was free, but at what price? it wasn't sukuna he lost. ]
We will take Megumi back.
[ megumi is here, probably showering at this hour, strange and alive and unaware. megumi is in tokyo with a monster in his skin. megumi is fine. megumi is going to be changed beyond comprehension.
You're with me... You're there, so I want to believe it.
[ If Yuji had asked him to, Choso would've fought Sukuna alone, but he would never do that to him. The fact that his brother wanted to be at his side, to fight with him, for him... It's something he'd never think to ask but makes him feels so grateful, so tender.
His arms wrap around his brother again, desperate for his weight, soothing him. ]
I'll do whatever it takes. Do you understand that?
[ if yuji asked, choso would move mountains, would spill himself out like a tidal wave, but he cannot fathom, does not even deign to consider asking the same of yuji; enough already has been taken from him.
choso can't tell him not to, either. no, it's up to him to work for yuji's future, with him. if yuji is to die in his course, then choso must be there to finish the job before he may accompany his little brother into the unknowing dark. ]
We will do what it takes. [ anything, everything. but for now, in this strange, quiet little room, choso can only hold tight. one broad hand cradles the back of yuji's head protectively, stroking through fluffy, sleep-crazed hair in slow soothing passes. ]
[ The absolute belief that Choso has is a little overwhelming - even with his friends, Yuji had always been aware that there was a limit, that there were some things he could never ask for. He'd never dare to suggest that Choso be there with him in the end, for whatever might happen between him and Sukuna now, but there's a sense of relief about it too.
He won't be alone. If everyone else is ripped from him, Choso will be at his side, helping to keep the pieces together.
Leaning close, he tilts his head against Choso's body, grips at him with shaky hands, stroking fingers down the sides of his body as he wheezes breaths, trying to restore himself to some semblance of control, of some measure of certainty. It's hard, but Choso helps, even through the still-falling tears. ]
[ the hand in yuji’s hair drops to rub steadily at his back in broad strokes: fingers folded in to drag knuckles down the line of his spine, kneading slow at the tight knots of muscle between shoulder blades; grief has made a ropework of the young man’s body, muscles taut and tense under choso’s careful palm. what kind of horrors has yuji seen in his time away? (in his ruinous dreams?) nothing choso can begin to comprehend. ]
I will always be. I am here for you, Yuji; I will always walk at my little brother’s side.
[ what else was there at journey’s end? only blood, only family, only them in the timeless, drifting dark. ]
[ Yuji knows Choso wouldn’t care as much about him now if there wasn’t that belief in their brotherhood, the blood that links them, but maybe that’s okay. It’s okay if it’s that which makes them love each other, because it’s as strong as any other bond he’s made. When he holds Choso close he knows that he can trust his words completely, and that means something.
He’s quiet for a long time, not quite able to muster any more words, his pain too fresh and real. He cries a little, on and off, but when he’s worn himself down to cracks and bruises he sniffles, trying not to wipe his face on his brother’s shirt. Gross. ]
Something… Something else happened too.
[ It’s not really something he can show off casually, but… ]
[ not a once has it crossed choso’s mind that yuji could be less, could be anything but choso’s brother; they were fated to fight together, all of them, from the moment the nine of them were conceived and yuji was born. choso, oh, he has been blessed, he has been blessed beyond his wildest hopes, terrifyingly, his only hope now lying in how well he can hold onto this perfect shining treasure:
itadori yuji, who bears the blood, who — who
eh? ]
Eh?
[bears now the ability to wield it.
so surprised is choso that he pulls back enough to Look at yuji, eyes darting between eyes searchingly, not quite daring to hope. (hands still patting absently away at pink fluff)
[ Yuji lets him have the time to process, because that's definitely a Choso thing - he's learned that. Now that he's spent more time with him, trained with him, watched him grow stronger and even more devoted, he can't help but want to give this version of his brother time and affection, just as he would at home.
It is like watching cogs turn in a machine, though.
Ironic.
Yuji tilts into the touch of his hand, closing his eyes and nodding. ]
You were teaching me now to use it, with Noritoshi-senpai. The descendent, not the - not Kenjaku, don't worry.
[ Pat, pat, pat on Choso's arm. He knows better. ]
[ noritoshi, the accursed name, but it lays on yuji’s tongue with the weight of a different association entirely; he speaks of someone whose back isn’t bowed with the weight of sin. it’s enough to settle choso’s hackles, enough to let him exhale heavy but soft as the cloud clears to let yuji’s revelation sink through.
blood manipulation. has yuji progressed so far already? or… ]
How did this come about? How did you discover you could command it?
[ he tries to soften the demands with the press of his hand, thumbing at yuji’s unmarred cheek while the cogs turn and turn, each new fact and scrap fitted into the clockworkee like disparate pieces of a grand, unknown puzzle. tries to soften himself and the grate of his voice by dropping it to a sonorous murmur. ]
[ It's a lot more complex than that, but Yuji's not sure if he's ready to talk about it. The Choso of the future understands it and respects it, but the Choso of right now... He sniffles, rubbing at his face, breathing out and shaking his head. ]
I'll tell you more later, okay? I... I don't know if I can talk about it all right now.
[ He just wants to be held, to be taken care of, just a little. To feel safe, and comfortable, and to come down from the cliff edge of pain. ]
[ there is something Different here, but choso cannot pick out what, why, where, how deep, how strong. a pervasive feeling of Something Else he cannot place; maybe it's the late hour, the situation, the last while spent listening to yuji's racing heart crashing beneath the heave of labouring lungs, but the knowing remains just out of reach, revelation ironically lurking just out of sight. later. later he can worry about it. later he can reason with it.
for now, he only nods, only tips in to press his forehead to yuji's with a low exhale. ]
It's okay. We have time. It's okay.
[ choso gets up then, pulls away only to reposition, to settle himself cross legged more in the middle of the bed in stability. thus rooted, he holds his hands palm-up to yuji in invite: little tiger, climb out of your grave of tangled blankets and raw memory to a warmer place. ]
[ He's relieved when Choso lets it go, a conversation he doesn't want to cling to right now - it's too heavy a topic, too painful to think about amongst all the other things. Yuji still feels too fragile, the weight on his heart tugging him down and making him want to curl up again. He hasn't really stopped crying, but the comfort of his brother beside him is easing some of his struggle.
The touch to his forehead, though, has him shaking with the tenderness of it. Would he have coped this well without Choso by his side, without his brother to soothe the sting of the future?
Choso moves, and he mourns it briefly before he realises why, and he crawls out of his cocoon of blankets to settle where Choso wants him to go. His body sinks against his brother, his own roots twining in the same way their blood does, and he closes his eyes. ]
[ choso is no expert in the act of physical touch; what memories that aren’t his (bloody impacts and violence curling fingers into fists) are distant, textbook clean and sanitized; mere entries to scan over, moments like photographs of someone else’s life he has no interest in delving into.
but this is different. it’s easy with yuji. choso’s body moves without fuss or hesitation, as easy as breathing; an arm winding around his little brother’s shoulders to tuck this shaking body in tight against his chest, the other curling to cradle this sleep-mussed head in close. choso, he makes a barrier of himself, curls over yuji in a protective shell. ]
I will never leave you. [ and his voice is so soft, so quiet, reverberant in his chest, lips brushing over yuji’s brow as cheek presses to yuji’s head, as choso noses and nuzzles in like he could possibly settle in closer. ]
I promise you. I swear unto you: I will always be here with you, Yuji.
[ It feels strangely safe, protected, Yuji taken care of - because that's what Choso wants to do. He's never known how to have brothers, siblings, anything like that, just him and his grandpa and the echo of parents that are far out of his reach. He doesn't know what it means to love someone with that unconditional, platonic perfection, but he's starting to feel it; he's starting to understand it now, with Choso at his side.
He can curl against Choso and feel safe, a barrier between him and the rest of the world. Closing his eyes, he sinks into the embrace, sinks closer, lets himself be taken care of. Lets himself be cherished, warmed, trapped in a tenderness he doesn't want to escape.
Lifting one hand, he rests it gently on Choso's chest, nodding his head. ]
Okay. Then I'll promise the same, too, okay? I'll be here for you too.
[ they are two in this alien world. they are many, teams and wards and souls from across the universe, yes, but in this quiet little room, here in the thrumming dark, they are two creatures huddling for warmth in the alien night.
what else can choso give to yuji but everything? ]
I know you will. Together. We will be together, always.
[ he must be steady for yuji, he must be the stone behind which yuji may weather the storm, but his pulse still stutters, the knot still forms in choso's throat despite his best efforts. can yuji feel it, how his breath quivers? can he feel the tremble in choso's jaw when he presses lips to yuji's temple?
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no subject
yuji was free, but at what price? it wasn't sukuna he lost. ]
We will take Megumi back.
[ megumi is here, probably showering at this hour, strange and alive and unaware. megumi is in tokyo with a monster in his skin. megumi is fine. megumi is going to be changed beyond comprehension.
choso's hold on yuji tightens. ]
You have not lost him yet.
no subject
[ If Yuji had asked him to, Choso would've fought Sukuna alone, but he would never do that to him. The fact that his brother wanted to be at his side, to fight with him, for him... It's something he'd never think to ask but makes him feels so grateful, so tender.
His arms wrap around his brother again, desperate for his weight, soothing him. ]
I'll do whatever it takes. Do you understand that?
[ His death, too. ]
no subject
choso can't tell him not to, either. no, it's up to him to work for yuji's future, with him. if yuji is to die in his course, then choso must be there to finish the job before he may accompany his little brother into the unknowing dark. ]
We will do what it takes. [ anything, everything. but for now, in this strange, quiet little room, choso can only hold tight. one broad hand cradles the back of yuji's head protectively, stroking through fluffy, sleep-crazed hair in slow soothing passes. ]
No matter what, I will be with you.
no subject
He won't be alone. If everyone else is ripped from him, Choso will be at his side, helping to keep the pieces together.
Leaning close, he tilts his head against Choso's body, grips at him with shaky hands, stroking fingers down the sides of his body as he wheezes breaths, trying to restore himself to some semblance of control, of some measure of certainty. It's hard, but Choso helps, even through the still-falling tears. ]
I'm glad... I'm so glad you're at my side.
no subject
I will always be. I am here for you, Yuji; I will always walk at my little brother’s side.
[ what else was there at journey’s end? only blood, only family, only them in the timeless, drifting dark. ]
no subject
He’s quiet for a long time, not quite able to muster any more words, his pain too fresh and real. He cries a little, on and off, but when he’s worn himself down to cracks and bruises he sniffles, trying not to wipe his face on his brother’s shirt. Gross. ]
Something… Something else happened too.
[ It’s not really something he can show off casually, but… ]
I can use Blood Manipulation now too.
no subject
itadori yuji, who bears the blood, who —
who
eh? ]
Eh?
[bears now the ability to wield it.
so surprised is choso that he pulls back enough to Look at yuji, eyes darting between eyes searchingly, not quite daring to hope. (hands still patting absently away at pink fluff)
did choso hear that right? ]
You… what?
no subject
It is like watching cogs turn in a machine, though.
Ironic.
Yuji tilts into the touch of his hand, closing his eyes and nodding. ]
You were teaching me now to use it, with Noritoshi-senpai. The descendent, not the - not Kenjaku, don't worry.
[ Pat, pat, pat on Choso's arm. He knows better. ]
I can use it now.
no subject
blood manipulation. has yuji progressed so far already? or… ]
How did this come about? How did you discover you could command it?
[ he tries to soften the demands with the press of his hand, thumbing at yuji’s unmarred cheek while the cogs turn and turn, each new fact and scrap fitted into the clockworkee like disparate pieces of a grand, unknown puzzle. tries to soften himself and the grate of his voice by dropping it to a sonorous murmur. ]
no subject
[ It's a lot more complex than that, but Yuji's not sure if he's ready to talk about it. The Choso of the future understands it and respects it, but the Choso of right now... He sniffles, rubbing at his face, breathing out and shaking his head. ]
I'll tell you more later, okay? I... I don't know if I can talk about it all right now.
[ He just wants to be held, to be taken care of, just a little. To feel safe, and comfortable, and to come down from the cliff edge of pain. ]
no subject
for now, he only nods, only tips in to press his forehead to yuji's with a low exhale. ]
It's okay. We have time. It's okay.
[ choso gets up then, pulls away only to reposition, to settle himself cross legged more in the middle of the bed in stability. thus rooted, he holds his hands palm-up to yuji in invite: little tiger, climb out of your grave of tangled blankets and raw memory to a warmer place. ]
Come here.
no subject
The touch to his forehead, though, has him shaking with the tenderness of it. Would he have coped this well without Choso by his side, without his brother to soothe the sting of the future?
Choso moves, and he mourns it briefly before he realises why, and he crawls out of his cocoon of blankets to settle where Choso wants him to go. His body sinks against his brother, his own roots twining in the same way their blood does, and he closes his eyes. ]
Please... Don't leave me too. Not ever. Please.
no subject
but this is different. it’s easy with yuji. choso’s body moves without fuss or hesitation, as easy as breathing; an arm winding around his little brother’s shoulders to tuck this shaking body in tight against his chest, the other curling to cradle this sleep-mussed head in close. choso, he makes a barrier of himself, curls over yuji in a protective shell. ]
I will never leave you. [ and his voice is so soft, so quiet, reverberant in his chest, lips brushing over yuji’s brow as cheek presses to yuji’s head, as choso noses and nuzzles in like he could possibly settle in closer. ]
I promise you. I swear unto you: I will always be here with you, Yuji.
no subject
He can curl against Choso and feel safe, a barrier between him and the rest of the world. Closing his eyes, he sinks into the embrace, sinks closer, lets himself be taken care of. Lets himself be cherished, warmed, trapped in a tenderness he doesn't want to escape.
Lifting one hand, he rests it gently on Choso's chest, nodding his head. ]
Okay. Then I'll promise the same, too, okay? I'll be here for you too.
no subject
what else can choso give to yuji but everything? ]
I know you will. Together. We will be together, always.
[ he must be steady for yuji, he must be the stone behind which yuji may weather the storm, but his pulse still stutters, the knot still forms in choso's throat despite his best efforts. can yuji feel it, how his breath quivers? can he feel the tremble in choso's jaw when he presses lips to yuji's temple?