X + N + 1 Beach Episode AU
This AU was spawned by ANAI Discord fanart of Tōshirō and Nagisa being Shiro-chan siblings at the beach.
In this post-Asunaro disaster AU, Nagisa and her dad are awake in High Spirits and in on everything to make the setup easier.
§ x § x §
Tōshirō tried not to sigh tiredly. Dinner after the explanation was late and morose. The gravity of their situation was stifling. Time travel, soul sacrifice, shinigami, the possible breaking of reality- each a heavy weight on its own compounded by coexistence. It was dire, but no one knew exactly what to do next.
"Hey, I know what we need to do next," Karin suddenly said. When everyone looked at her, she confidently raised her chin and declared, "We need to go to the beach."
Everyone stared in confusion and disbelief.
"What," several people said flatly.
"What?" Karin mocked defiantly. "We're fighting for all existence. Tension's building. We need to break it."
Sayaka perked up. "Beach episode?"
Karin grinned and pointed finger guns at Sayaka. "Beach episode."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Tōshirō asked with dread. If those two happily agreed on something, it must be exhausting and possibly embarrassing. Plus he wasn't exactly fond of the heat at the beach the last time he had been dragged to one.
"Just trust me, Tōsh," Karin said with a dismissive wave.
"No."
"Jerk."
Sayaka laughed.
"You know there are adults here who make decisions about stuff like this, right?" Isshin said mildly.
"Nope, don't care," Karin said with another dismissive wave. "We're going to the beach."
"Ooo, I wanna go to the beach!" Nagisa said brightly. "I haven't been there since-" her face fell and tears welled in her eyes- "since M-mommy got sick. M-mommy al-ways took us." Her father gave her a side-hug and stroked her hair to comfort her.
First nail in Tōshirō's coffin.
"We've been stuck in this building for three years," Karin said, presenting another argument.
"Like three days," Tōshirō objected.
She ignored him.
"We can't even relax outside because of the whole fire and brimstone deal," she continued. "We're gonna lose our minds in here."
"I am losing my mind in here," Kyōko muttered.
"That's not good," Sayaka said with a significant glance at everyone.
"It- it is kinda gloomy," Madoka said hesitantly, shifting uncomfortably in her seat and fingering the suppressant glove on her hand.
"Oh, no!" Yuzu gasped softly. "You can sense all the- the negative feelings, can't you?"
"Kinda," Madoka admitted with a shrug.
"Maybe- maybe you need to get a... um...," Yuzu faltered and looked at Karin.
"A dose of sunshine and fun to shake off all the depressing spirit bullshit you've dealt with in the last three years."
"Three days," Tōshirō flatly said again.
Several adults looked like they were being swayed.
Second nail in his coffin.
"Um. I think- um," Madoka stammered. "I think... if Homura... has to go back again, with all this bad stuff happening... I... I want her to have a happy memory of us. To take with her. I mean."
Sympathetic faces around the table.
Third nail in Tōshirō's coffin. He was dead and buried.
"Yeah! That's right!" Sayaka crowed. She threw her arms in the air and shouted, "Beach episode!"
And that was how Tōshirō found himself railroaded into going to a beach far south of Asunaro.
It was a lot warmer. Not terrible, but ugh.
The shore itself was lovely- water was in his element- but the sudden shift to warmer weather... ugh.
"It's not even that hot yet, Tōsh, you drama queen," Karin teased loudly. "It's only April!"
"I am not a drama queen," he snapped.
Sayaka caught on and slyly said, "Says the guy dramatically staring at the horizon as if he's stranded on a desert island, ready for a slow death of sun exposure."
Karin and Kyōko laughed. God help him.
He allowed himself to be dragged into a volleyball game so he could be on the opposite team from the Triad of Terror and spike the ball at them. They returned with equal force. Homura participated on his side. It was war. Madoka, Mami, and Yuzu were getting alarmed. Then he spiked the ball at Karin, she missed and took it in the forehead, and it ricocheted off to the side of the court where little Nagisa had been cheering them on. The ball rocketed into her chest and knocked her down.
The wailing began.
It was his fault.
Well, both his and Karin's thick skull's, but still.
Everyone from the volleyball war stood awkwardly and looked guilty. The three girls who hadn't been party to the aggression got Nagisa calmed down, but couldn't get her out of sullen sniffles.
"Do you wanna make a sand castle?"
"No."
"Do you want to sit under the umbrella and have lunch?"
"No."
"What about... frisbee?"
"No."
"Wanna go swimming?"
"No."
"I could pull you around in the floaty ring if you want?"
"No."
"Uh... we could collect seashells?"
"No."
Tōshirō shifted uncomfortably and looked back at the little shops along the boardwalk. "What about... want to go up to the boardwalk and get... something?"
Nagisa looked up at him with unsure interest.
Everyone was staring at him. He tried to ignore them.
"Like... I dunno, ice cream, or... I don't know what else those places have. Whatever you want."
"But what about money?" Nagisa asked.
"I have money," Tōshirō said.
Nagisa stood, trotted to his side, and took his hand in hers. "Okay."
He hadn't really intended to go himself, but watery hazel eyes were looking up at him hopefully. And she was giving him the slightest of smiles as she wiped her nose on her arm. He couldn't deny her and maybe make her cry again, so he would take her.
Coincidentally, it would take him away from the three hellions.
Tōshirō led Nagisa to their camp, grabbed his wallet, and strode off to the boardwalk without a word to the other girls. They would only find a way to twist them into a tease. He knew this would haunt him for the rest of this timeline. At least his next self wouldn't have to-
"HAVE FUN, BIG BRO!" Karin shouted at his back.
Dammit. Karin was definitely going to write about it.
He sent a silent apology to his next self.
They did get ice cream first. Nagisa made no move to go back to the others; she tugged on his hand to keep wandering through the shops. Tōshirō decided to indulge her; the boardwalk was calmer than handling Karin and her new allies, it was shady, and some of the shops had glorious air conditioning. Nagisa was also a well-behaved kid.
And the money was technically Urahara's, so he decided it was fine to spend every last penny.
Tōshirō let Nagisa lead him wherever she wanted. She begged him into playing games. She was very fond of the occasional street performers and would tug on his shirt until he gave them money. Huh. Her parents must have taught her well. She politely but excitedly asked for a monstrous cloud of cotton candy; he didn't understand how anyone could consume that much pure sugar but she managed it somehow, as though it was nothing. She wanted a lot of sweets, actually- crepes, chocolate taiyaki, shaved ice. He made her eat some yakitori and some fruit to have something in her besides sugar, but she already had way too much energy.
Maybe indulging her every sugary whim hadn't been smart, he thought as Nagisa started climbing on the rails of one of the boardwalk's viewing platforms, giggling and slipping.
He caught her just before she could slam her jaw into the top rail. Instead of slipping out of his arms to get back on the ground, she twisted and started to climb him, still giggling.
"What are you-?!"
"Higher, higher!"
She grabbed his shoulder and tried to haul herself up him.
"What-" he sputtered.
"The sea, the seaaaaa!" she shrilled happily. "I wanna seeee the seaaa!"
Tōshirō settled for keeping her from falling as she climbed. He had no idea how she managed to get into some weird perch on his arm and elbow, but she seemed stable. Passersby were giving him affectionate and amused looks. Probably thought they were siblings. His face heated.
"Turn around! Around!"
He obliged.
"The seaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Nagisa squealed as she planted a hand on his shoulder and leaned over his head, shading her eyes from the sun. "It's so prettyyyyyy!" She shifted and grabbed his hair. "Do you like the sea, Shiro?"
Tōshirō paused, then said, "Yeah."
Nagisa peered down at him and said, "I'm having lots of fun. Are you?"
Tōshirō suddenly realized that he had actually enjoyed himself. "...Yeah."
Nagisa threw her arms up and cheered, "YAAAAAAAY!"
Tōshirō flailed to catch her as she suddenly slipped off his arm sideways. She giggled, of course. When he set her down, she turned and tugged on his shirt as she bounced in place and turned pleading eyes on him.
"Will you help me win that big pink mouse plushie at the shooting game?!"
He felt himself smile. "Sure."