Chapter 4: Two of Swords rx
"A Fox God is getting married!"
Humans called it Serein; a sudden rain that didn't disturb the view of the sun or the moon with clouds. As usual, the physical explanation lacked the magical aspect that made the rare phenomenon such a great treat. It's why the humans ran and shielded themselves from the blessings pouring from the sky.
Rainy opened her arms and accepted every droplet as they walked the now empty sidewalk.
"How is that? A god's wedding I mean?"
Nanami didn't like the feeling of wet clothes, but he did his best not to walk ahead of her. His work day would be over as soon as he dropped her off and not long after that he had a cozy night planned.
"Oh, it is wonderful!" Rainy savored the clear memory, one of the few she held. "The most opulent gowns, delicate colors to highlight one's best features, ornaments that glisten and vibrate with the purest frequencies, soul filling emotions on golden platters, and if they're really extravagant, they'll add human food too."
She slowed down as the droplets softened.
"Humans used to throw similar feasts, but they've gotten simpler over time."
He dwelled in disappointment with her. While Nanami enjoyed simplicity in his overall life, a ritzy ball here and there would be so nice to look forward to.
"I'll be honest, I'm surprised you're interested in such glamorous activities." The blonde didn't have a hardline belief in using physical appearances to box people into categories, but he did reserve general associations that were malleable with new information.
He thought Rainy cared deeply for comfort.
"I like delicate things," she informed him. "But have you tried running away from a curse in heels?"
That made sense. "No." He sighed and turned back at the sight of the international school. They missed their turn.
Rainy skipped to catch up with his long strides. "There's no point in exalting my body with beauty if I'm just making a pretty meal for those things."
She kicked a small puddle and watched the droplets glisten under the streetlamp. Another turn and the towering view of her residence came into view.
"You're free to indulge while I'm around. It's not like I'll let them get to you."
Rainy felt her steps become sluggish. "Huh…" His words weighed heavy on her body. Such a simple idea and yet she hadn't bothered to acknowledge it before. "You're right… Thank you."
Curses weren't known for announcing their arrival, nor did they care to spare designer clothes. In Tokyo where the concentration and strength of those disgusting creatures was more than anywhere else in the world, Rainy could only afford to unpack her running necessities.
"It's what you pay me for."
It wasn't just about practicality, anytime she felt even slightly at home in her body and a curse ruined that, it reminded her how weak she was… Such little stressors added up, and her mind was already quite fragile.
She stopped before his own cues registered the disturbed energy. It was weak and mostly an annoyance, but the woman it followed didn't seem to be able to get rid of it. She stumbled up the pedestrian walk of Rainy's building, unable to get a proper footing on the slick cobblestone.
"Mind if I help her?"
The creature had pulled at her red hat while the young woman did her best to sway it away.
"That's fine." Not that he had waited for her to vocalize the obvious response.
Rainy watched as he destroyed the curse with ease. He looked so natural in his role of protector, strong enough to defeat his foe while still holding a gentle hand out for the woman.
It's not like I'll let them get to you.
She took out her phone and began looking up stores still open at this hour. The fae had a sudden urge to shop, to offer her body and mind the proper ornaments that would satiate the goddess energy within her. Even if she couldn't attend this wedding, she could feel the excitement of exalting her beauty. A little thread to connect her to home.
And he would protect her.
Rainy's eyes drifted away from her phone. The woman tucked and slicked her hair into an acceptable form before wearing her red hat again. "I'm so sorry for interrupting your date."
Nanami turned back.
"It's not a date-"
Her eyes searched for her phone again. A jewelry store was opened nearby. "Nanami, I'm gonna go ahead." She could use some rare gems.
But not today.
Rainy stuffed her phone into her green jacket and waved at the duo as she passed them by on her way to the front entrance of her residence. "See you for work tomorrow."
She saw the red strings of fate as they danced and swayed between the two. Thin and delicate, but willing to grow with proper nourishment.
He offered to walk the woman to the bus stop. Rainy watched as she chatted and he listened. The young woman laughed and he looked around to make sure they were safe.
The god's blessings were already blooming.
[4]
Nanami never felt his heart beat so fast.
The thing that had attacked him and he just reacted. He didn't mean to kill it.
And the mess. The goo was seeping into the carpet.
The door to his bedroom opened. His parents' eyes were steady on the creature. If they said something he couldn't hear them.
Nanami never felt his heart beat so fast.
The hand that brought him back was that of his father's. It was a rare touch on his shoulder, a gentle squeeze.
"When did you start seeing these?"
He couldn't remember. "They were always there."
"And you can see them clearly?" His mother asked.
He nodded.
His father removed his hand and turned.
"Maybe we can contact that school for children like him."
His mother breathed out. "That never worked out before."
"No one in our families could see them clearly. This is different."
"It is a rarity, the work associated must have a good salary…" She mused silently for a moment. "I guess we could give it a go."
"But I'm scared!" He didn't mean to interrupt the adult conversation happening before him. He knew better. But the fear hurt more than any scolding he would receive.
"Talents are worthless if you cannot monetize them," his mother replied, "we will ensure you have the best training to fulfill this role."
"You'll be independent before you know it," his father added, "and that is the most important thing you can have. Right?"
Right…
[4]
After giving up as a sorcerer, Nanami got rid of most of his study materials. The few that meant anything to him, the books on folklore and astrology that were passed along between Yu and him, he kept in a box sealed away. The box came with him as he moved to the dormitory of his university, then to the one bedroom studio he could afford while finding his footing in the job market, and finally to this apartment. Nanami had no intention of ever opening the box. He simply liked the calming energy surrounding the sweet moments those books created for his friend and him.
But today felt like an appropriate day to dive into the nostalgia.
Yu came from a long line of astrologers. They believed the stars and the planets were the blueprint of the soul, a map of their destiny. All their experiences led to the path of their highest good. And even if life ever became too burdensome, or their soul felt overwhelmed, they could always rest in the Ether and try again. Because their soul's purpose would always be important to the health of the collective.
Every person mattered.
Even him.
Nanami wanted to embrace those words. He wanted to smile like Yu and believe that bad times were a harbinger of good things to come. Mistakes were not permanent, reincarnation allowed people to fix them no matter how long it took… And everyone had a purpose. No matter how little, everyone was here for a reason.
He reached around the carpeted floor for the vibrating phone under his stacks of books.
I'm finally back and bought you the cutest souvenir! When are you free to meet up? Miss you!
His finger hovered over the reply box but his mind remained blank. If Gojo had accepted his request for a meeting that day he called him, maybe he would have returned to sorcery again. But now…
Nanami liked the ideas embraced by Yu's clan. However, through the years his faith in those little comforts had been shaken into nothingness.
His bad days never seemed to end. The only talent he had worth anything was the manipulation of cursed energy, but he had no exceptional technique to bring him above mediocre. His everyday life felt mundane, thankless. There was nothing about this experience that would make him want to come back and try again.
If he had a choice in his reincarnation process, he would choose to stop it…
Maybe we can… He deleted the words and leaned back until his head rested on the seat of the couch.
Every so often his life got so painfully boring that he would revisit these ideas and dream about ways to make them work for him. A few weeks ago he even reached out to Gojo after exorcizing the flyhead from the same young woman that crossed his path today. It just felt so nice to be appreciated…
He thought he could try again…
He could work on his one and only talent…
His bad days would end, he would find his purpose, contribute to the collective, and live a life worth returning for.
I won't be returning. I apologize for the sudden change of plans.
The words flowed from his mind to his fingers in one perfect motion to create a precise expression of his feelings. A rarity.
For years his heart vacillated between living a normal life in the background of society and stepping up as a leader for his community. Each time he found his desires being met with indifference from the Universe. Things never worked out, he never found an opportunity that made his heart sure of the choice he was making.
But today the blessings that fell from the sky seemed to nourish the seeds of a normal life.
Nanami stood up and grabbed the maroon top of his lounging set from the arm of the sofa. The cold air in his apartment suddenly felt heavy on his skin. It seeped through his pores and he shivered just as the fleece settled against him.
As he walked over the mess of books and into the dark hallway, for the first time, Nanami felt the hand of the universe hover over his life.
Maybe his contribution to the collective was to help a fae who's own shitty circumstances actually made him useful to her. His life seemed to be blossoming through this venture, things were going smoothly for once. He even met that girl from the bakery again… Her name was Airi and they got to talk a little about the sudden change in weather now that Autumn had started to settle in…
In the kitchen, he reached for the button on the electric kettle and pressed it until the blue light began to glow. He waited by the window while the water stirred and bubbled. His arms reached across his stomach where he felt the strange spark of something new.
Hope?
It felt ticklish.
His phone vibrated again. Aww, are you sure?
He wasn't. But this was the closest he felt to making the right decision about the direction his life needed to take.
I'll keep it safe in case you change your mind!
Nanami didn't want to change his mind. He wanted this path to be the one.
Tomorrow he would stop by the bakery to test his newfound luck. Maybe, just maybe, the universe hadn't forgotten him after all.
Author's Note: By far the most difficult chapter to write for some odd reason. Anyways, thank you for reading!