p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" Mara sprayed the counter with cleaner and grabbed a paper towel to wipe it down. The lunch rush at the bakery she worked at had died down enough she could dedicate some time to tidying up before she had to think about making preparations for tomorrow's opener. They had gone through quite a lot of brioche this afternoon, she'd have to make sure to start more dough tonight to be baked tomorrow. Mara scrubbed at a particularly stubborn mark on the counter, this was the problem with having white counters: every little mark showed up unless you stayed on top of them. The jingle of the bell tied to the entrance alerted her to a customer's presence, and she hurriedly gave the spot on the counter one last scrub before trashing the paper towel./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Welcome!" She called brightly, "I'll be right with you." She turned from the counter to wash her hands quickly, returning to take the customer's order. She smiled, vaguely recognizing the man standing on the other side of the display case. He came in fairly often but she hadn't bothered to ask his name, his demeanor suggested he wasn't one for small talk with strangers. Mara didn't mind that though, the constant charade of customer service was grating enough as it was, she could appreciate someone who just wanted to get in and get out. She plastered another smile on her face for him as she asked, "What may I get for you today?" His suit was tailored neatly, every line on him crisp and manicured and not even a hair out of place. Mara wondered about the tie though, he always wore this polka-dotted thing, it seemed wildly out of place with the rest of his outfit. She just assumed it was part of some fashion line that was wildly out of her tax bracket, rich people always wore weird shit. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ham sandwich, please." He said simply, glancing down at his phone. Mara nodded, relaxing her smile as his attention left her face, and began preparing his food. He'd ordered it enough times she was confident in his preferences, and he didn't seem concerned she would get it wrong. Mara opened the case to pull out the ham for the slicer and paused. The curse she saw out of the corner of her eye made a soft chirping sound and she ground her teeth. These little fuckers had been popping up everywhere lately, she was beginning to wonder if something was attracting them. It was harmless enough that she might not have even stopped to deal with it were she on the street, but she certainly couldn't do anything about it while there was a customer in the store. She turned with the ham and began slicing, keeping the curse in her periphery and praying it wouldn't try to attach itself to the customer. If she could just get this thrown together she could get him out of here and take care of it. The curse looked like a bloated, stubby snake with a mouth far too large for its face and eyes that bugged out as if they would pop. Disgusting little things. Mara spun back to the counter and began assembling the sandwich, working to keep her expression neutral. "How are you this afternoon?" She blinked, completely taken aback by the question. The man had never once said anything to her besides telling her his order and thanking her for it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Very well, thank you," she breathed, daring a glance at the curse before sparing one for the man, "and yourself?" If she could get a little closer to it, actually, she could exorcise this one no problem. The man might think her a little strange, but at least she could be sure the curse wouldn't attach itself to him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Just taking a break from work." He cleared his throat, edging closer to the counter. Oh, great, was he sensitive to it? Non-sorcerers sometimes felt the presence of curses. Mara picked up her chef's knife and sliced his sandwich into a perfect diagonal, wrapping it tightly in paper. The curse was definitely edging closer, God damnit. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Would you mind showing me the difference between these breads?" He asked suddenly, gesturing to the standalone display case that held packaged specialty baked goods for sale. Mara's eyes snapped to his face, confused momentarily by the request. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. The curse was getting close enough that it could either try to latch onto her or him and she had to make a decision quickly if she wanted to take care of this. She gave him a small, nervous laugh./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Of course!" Mara leaned toward the counter and purposefully let her knife clatter to the floor next to her. "Oh, let me just get this really quick." She ducked down behind the counter and reached out toward the curse, now within arm's length of her ankle. She gripped its pudgy little neck and squeezed, focusing on absorbing its curse energy into herself. Mara sucked in a breath as lightning lanced up her arm, the curse energy merging with her own, draining the life force of the creature in her grasp. With a pitiful wail the curse faded away on a breath of smoke, and Mara rolled her neck as the new energy settled into her. She picked up the dropped knife and popped back up from behind the counter, nearly colliding with the man. Mara let out a cry of surprise just as the man retreated across the counter to his side. "Sorry, butter fingers, I guess." She said sheepishly, setting the knife in the sink along the back wall and coming around to the customer side of the counter. "What question did you have about the bread, again?" The man stood stock still for a moment, hand frozen as if reaching for something in his back pocket, before relaxing and placing his hands in his pockets. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yes, um, do you have any specials today?" Mara raised a brow at his halting tone, but turned her attention to the case that clearly had their specials listed on the bright, neon sign she had made just this morning. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We do," she said slowly, "pastries are buy one get one free, and the sandwich bread is on sale for 50% off." Her cheeks hiked up in her customer service smile, wondering what in the hell this guy was about. He nodded, his chiseled jaw working as he considered the large sign on the display. Mara clasped her hands in front of her. "I'll just start ringing you up while you decide." His mouth crinkled in a smile of acknowledgement that didn't reach all the way to his eyes while Mara escaped back behind the counter. She shook her hand out to the side, the residual static of the cursed energy still buzzing along her skin slightly. The man noted her movement but continued considering the display case. Mara waited patiently for him to make his final decision, wishing he would hurry up already so she could get started on some other work. He selected two danishes and brought them to the counter. Mara maintained her bland smile as she rang his total up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Are you…O.k.?" He asked suddenly. Mara looked up at him and blinked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Um, yes?" She laughed, maybe a little nervously. Ugh, could he sense the residual energy? She wondered if he was one of those people who got "bad feelings" about places when they were actually riddled with cursed energy. He fixed her with a penetrating gaze, and just before she started to ask what the problem was he produced a card for payment, taking his items she'd bagged. Mara's brow furrowed slightly before she fixed her features into neutrality. Just run his card and get him out of here. "Here you are, sir." She smiled broadly as she handed his card back, "Have a wonderful afternoon." Nanami Kento. The name didn't ring any bells, but she'd look it up later all the same. He'd shown enough of a reaction to pique her interest, compared to their usual perfunctory interactions. He gave her another tight-lipped smile, eyes darting from her face to her hand once more before he turned and left. Mara blew out a breath with the ringing of the bell tied to the door, hands on her hips as she surveyed the spot where the curse had been. They really were starting to become problematic, it had been a long while since she'd noticed so many in such a short period of time, and if people with no curse ability were noticing their energy, well…She rolled her eyes to herself. It would appear that either the sorcerers in the area weren't doing a good enough job or something was attracting a great number here. Either way, maybe it would soon be time to move on and find a new place to live. Mara had had enough of dealing with other Jujutsu sorcerers, and they would surely be responding to the area in time. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWashing her hands once more, Mara set about the tasks of mixing the doughs that would need the longest proofing times for the morning baker to use. She would actually be a little sad to leave this job at the bakery, she'd come to appreciate the work. Mara often found herself getting lost in the mesmerizing motions of kneading dough or rolling pastry, she could go on autopilot and just let her mind rest. She'd gone through full training to be a Jujutsu sorcerer and had lived the lifestyle for a few years, but she soon realized the higher ups were using her for purposes other than what she had signed up for, so she disappeared from her institution and had never looked back. Mara would always help people when she could if she saw curses lurking, but she was done working for an institution that saw her only as a tool to be used. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAs the clock inched its way toward 5pm, Mara finished up her cleaning and made sure everything was in its place for the morning crew. Sometimes she had a partner to work with, but for the most part she was alone for her shifts. A bakery's busiest hours would always be in the morning, and honestly she preferred working alone most days. She gathered her jacket and the bookbag she hauled around most places, and stepped out into the cool evening air. The pavement still barely radiated the warmth of the afternoon sun, the last days of summer petering out before autumn took its place. Mara breathed deeply, the air hadn't gained the crispness of fall yet, but it was coming soon. She smiled to herself as she locked the bakery door, going through her ritual of trying to open it twice before leaving. She slung her bookbag over one shoulder, holding the strap with one hand and scrolling through her phone with the other. The street wasn't usually busy this time of day, so she took the time to scroll through her social media apps as she headed to her apartment. It was several blocks away, but she didn't mind the walk. She liked to avoid enclosed spaces if possible, so skipping the train wasn't a big deal to her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMara waited at a crosswalk, chuckling to herself as she scrolled through memes friends had posts. Her smile slowly faded. Something was watching her, she could feel a prickle right in the middle of her back. She sighed as she stuffed her phone in the back pocket of her pants and gripped her bookbag strap with both hands, waiting on the signal allowing her to cross the street. She really didn't feel like dealing with something else today, she'd already done her good deed. The crosswalk alert sounded for pedestrians to cross, and she worked herself into the middle of the gaggle of people crossing. The feeling of being watched lessened slightly, but as she kept walking straight a large portion of people turned to walk in either direction, and she felt the wariness of being watched once more. Mara nibbled her lower lip, maybe this wasn't actually something supernatural and just a good old-fashioned creeper. She couldn't pinpoint any strong cursed energy, she wasn't seeing any residuals, annoying though it may be she could handle herself against a stalker. Mara kept her pace even, she didn't want this piece of shit thinking she was on to him, and casually looked around for the most opportune place to lure him so she could have a little chat about following women on the street with him. She took a sharp turn down a side street and laughed to herself, feeling the presence follow her. The distance between them grew a little and she feigned rummaging through her back pack to slow her steps, waiting to see if he'd catch up. A small smile played at the corner of her lips as she turned around expectantly, and was promptly wiped off her face as she laid eyes upon Ham Sandwich Guy. What the fuck?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You should have just asked for my number," she drawled, "be a lot less creepy." He casually stepped around a puddle as a street lamp flickered to life at either end of the street and intermittently in between. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Probably." He admitted. Mara angled herself to face him fully as he stopped a few feet from her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What do you want, Ham Sandwich?" She wasn't ready to let him know she'd skimmed his name from his credit card, let him think he held on to some anonymity. He huffed a laugh./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We're on a first name basis now?" He adjusted his glasses with one hand, considering her. "You should at least tell me yours." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You first," Mara eyed him up and down, "show me yours and I'll show you mine." She grinned at him. He drew a long breath, blowing it out slowly through his nose. For someone who had been following her he seemed a little uncomfortable. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"How did you get rid of that curse in your shop?" She straightened immediately. Fuck, he was a sorcerer. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Does it matter?" She opened her senses to him, he must have been shielding before because she could clearly feel his energy now. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You're an unregistered sorcerer within the prefecture, so yes, it does matter." He said, very matter of factly. Mara snorted. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Don't worry, I'll be gone soon." She dared to turn her back on him and started walking away. His hand was on her upper arm before she'd taken two steps, and she slammed her fist into his elbow to break the hold. "Don't fucking touch me!" They both backed up a few steps from the other, evaluating. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why are you not registered?" He was infuriatingly calm. Mara glared at him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why do you Jujutsu sorcerers have to micromanage your people? I quit my institution and that is 100% not your business." She hissed. Surprise misted across his face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why did you quit?" He was genuinely curious, but Mara wasn't in the mood to have a heart to heart with an institutionalized sorcerer. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Still not your business." She turned and began walking away from him again, and had to stop herself before she ran into his chest. Mara snapped her head up to look at him, shoving angrily at him. Her hand met the rock hard muscles of his chest, and succeeded in moving him all of half an inch. "Get out of my way." She growled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You're usually so pleasant," he said absently, "this doesn't have to be so difficult." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, emyou're/em usually just asking for a sandwich instead of trying to make me sign myself over to an institution." Mara let her bookbag slide off her shoulder and set it on the ground next to her. "Tell me, Nanami, what threat do you think I pose to you guys? I've been here for three years, and you only caught me by accident." His eyes sharpened at his name./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"There's been an increase in curse activity…" he began./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, I've noticed," she interrupted, "it looks like you guys suck at maintaining your area." Nanami fixed her with a stern stare. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The fact of the matter remains that you need to register yourself." He said it with the kind of finality that was unused to being challenged, expecting her to fold. Mara grit her teeth./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm not your enemy," she slowly slid into a defensive stance, "but if you think I'm going with you without a fight, you're insane." Nanami was obviously taken aback by her reaction, but loosened the neck of his tie nonetheless. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I do not wish to fight you," he said tiredly, rolling up his sleeves. "This is going to put me in overtime." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Then leave." Nanami only looked at her, waiting for her to come to her senses. Mara sighed, rolling her neck. "I'm gonna break my foot off in your ass for this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Such foul language," he tsked, and faster than the untrained eye could see he moved on her, trying for a take down over striking her. Maybe he was serious about not wanting to fight, but it didn't matter now. He'd made the first move and Mara had every intention of making him pay for trying to drag her back to an institution. Mara sidestepped him and kicked out at his knee, forcing him to kneel as she connected and swung a fist at the back of his head. He jerked out of the way at the last second, grabbing her forearm and pulling her backward into a bear hug. He crushed her to his chest, the corded muscle of his arms wrapping around her as he stood. Mara jerked her hands upward and with the fraction of purchase it earned her, she swung her hips to one side and swept one of his legs out, pushing him down to the ground with her body. The impact loosened his arms just long enough for her to pull free, and she rocked back with an elbow to his face. He grunted in pain as Mara leapt up to scramble away, but he grabbed her ankle just before she was clear of his reach. She spun around and slammed her other leg down on his arm, grinning to herself as it earned her another grunt of pain from him, and took off running away from him. She scooped her backpack up in one fluid motion and ran full speed toward the end of the side street. Mara looked up just in time to see a shadow pass over her, as Nanami landed in front of her. Her shoes skidded on random loose gravels as she stopped, backing up a few feet. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What is your emproblem?/em" She really didn't want to use her cursed techniques against another sorcerer, but she would drain this guy until he passed out if he persisted. Summoned at the thought, her hands glowed with a purple aura of energy and she balled them into fists. No, not yet, she wouldn't become what they had wanted, she wouldn't admit to him what her technique did. Nanami's gaze drifted to her hands, and back to her face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, it's emyou/em now," he sniffed once, hopefully from her elbow connecting with his face, and swept his blond hair back from his forehead. "Are you really going to fight me this hard? Over registering?" Mara narrowed her eyes in irritation. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yes." She bit out, charging him. Nanami easily dodged and deflected her blows, but she kept advancing on him anyway. She continued to swing with her fists, and at the last minute swung her leg up to kick him in the side. A breath was forced from him with the impact, but he absorbed it to hold her leg against him. He kicked her other leg out from under her, and she slammed down into the pavement on her back. She cried out and swung as hard as she could at Nanami's jaw as he leaned down to get a better grip on her. She heard a satisfying "oof" as her fist connected, but he quickly settled his hips over hers and had her arms pinned next to her head. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That is ENOUGH," he roared, breathing just as heavily as she was. Mara rocked her hips against him, furiously trying to gain the purchase to kick him off, but he was just too large to get out from under unless she tapped into her cursed energy. She sighed in frustration, head falling back onto the pavement as she refused to look him in the face. "Do it." He said, watching her. He knew she was purposefully sitting on her curse technique, and he wanted to see what it was. Mara glared at him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"emNo/em." She said through clenched teeth. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNanami smiled softly, breathing evening out as he inspected her. She was pleased to see a dot of blood clotting at one of his nostrils, and a patch of pink turning to red along his jaw in what she hoped would be a bruise. Mara let her body go limp under him, turning her face to the side in defeat. Nanami cautiously let go of one of her arms and then the other, slowly sitting up on his knees over her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Will you please just come with me?" He asked gently. Mara almost looked at him at the softness of his voice, but only ground her teeth. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Get off of me." She ordered. Nanami dipped his head once and rose, offering her his hand. She smacked it away from her and stood. "You're all the same." She said venomously. His expression fell into a blank mask and he crossed his arms over his chest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We've seen an increase in curse activity, and an unusual amount of suspected special grade curses." Mara's head snapped in his direction at that. Special grades? Shit. "We need to know the abilities of surrounding sorcerers, and that they haven't defected in any way." His jaw was a hard line, and Mara turned to face him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"How many?" Nanami sighed, running a hand through his hair. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Enough." He rested his hands on his hips, "Enough that Jujutsu Tech and other institutes throughout the country are on high alert." Mara brought a hand up to her shoulder, gently massaging the ache beginning to throb there. Nanami watched her warily, never letting his guard down completely. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm not your enemy," she insisted again, toeing the ground in front of her, "my curse technique isn't even for the offensive, not really." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Will you at least tell me how you exorcised the curse in the shop?" Mara dropped the arm massaging her shoulder and blew out a breath. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I absorbed it." Nanami blinked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Absorbed it?" Mara nodded./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I can absorb cursed energy, temporarily boosting my own until I can metabolize it or mirror it back against them." She raised her hands and let them fall, slapping her thighs in mock defeat. "Now you know my big secret."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"And that's all?" He asked incredulously. Mara crossed her arms over her chest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yes." She lied. Nanami rubbed at his chin as he considered her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why are you so fiercely against registering then?" Her eyes darkened with memory./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That's not your concern." She said flatly. Nanami sighed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"May I walk you home?" Mara cut him a surprised glance. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You'd probably just follow me anyway." She grumbled, moving to pick up her bookbag. Nanami smoothly plucked it from the ground and slung it over his shoulder. Mara's eyebrow twitched as she debated ripping into him over it, but her shoulders were actually killing her from landing on her back, so she only rolled her eyes as she turned toward her apartment. Nanami fell silently into step next to her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You know, whatever it is, I'd understand." Mara snorted a laugh, but he continued, "I left sorcery for a time myself to pursue other things." She glanced up at him, but he was only focused on the sidewalk ahead. She wanted to ask why, but the question died on her tongue. Asking him to open up to her about that would only let him expect her to do the same, and she never wanted to revisit that part of her life again. It was likely just a ploy to get the answers he wanted anyway. They walked in a truce of silence, until they finally reached her apartment building. She should have left him at the entry way, but she found herself typing in the code to get in and waiting on the elevator with him still by her side. They rode to the eighth floor and he walked to the end of the hallway to her door. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"This is me," she said unnecessarily. She slid her key into the lock and looked up at him to take her bookbag, only now seeing the bruise blooming along his jaw and his split lower lip that had hidden in the shadow of the night in the harsh florescent lights of the hallway. She grimaced as she sucked in a breath through her teeth. "I really am sorry about that," she said, nodding to his injuries. The corners of his eye crinkled in amusement./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No, you're not," he handed her the bag. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You're right," she chuckled, "I did warn you I was going to break my foot off in your ass, you only have yourself to blame." Nanami laughed, the rich sound flowing over her ears. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"If that's what you call 'breaking your foot off in my ass', I think I'll be alright," Mara teasingly shoved him in the chest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That wasn't even full speed and you emstill/em have a split lip." Nanami went still at the same moment she did, staring at each other as they both listened to the other side of her door, the faint cursed energy reaching them. Mara rocked her head back in silent annoyance as she eased her key back out of the door. "Just go," she whispered, "I've got this." Nanami gave her an incredulous look as he reached behind himself and eased a blade wrapped in that same weird polka dotted pattern. Mara raised her eyebrows and he shrugged, nodding toward her door. She shook her head and eased her book bag open, removing what looked like a nightstick with no handle. It was Nanami's turn to raise a brow but Mara just waved him off, resting her other hand on her doorknob. She looked back and nodded once at Nanami, then slammed her door open. They rushed into the open space of her kitchen/dining area, Mara flinging her staff out to the side so it could extend to its full length. She frowned at the cursed creature before them, standing stupidly in her living room. It stood on stubby legs, like a caricature of an alligator but with bulbous skin that seemed to threaten to burst. It turned to face them and clumsily bounced down from her coffee table, charging them. Mara's staff glowed purple as she imbued it with her energy and she swung it like an axe at the creature. Her staff connected with a wet sound to the side of its head, knocking it completely off balance as it slammed into her dining table. This curse was so much larger than the annoying, small ones she'd most commonly encountered, it was just as tall as she was and the task of exorcising its fat ass was going to make a mess of her apartment. Unless she just stopped it here and now. Nanami came from behind her, slicing into the creature with his blade. It howled in pain and floundered away, crawling across her floor and straight for the short hallway that lead to her bedroom. Mara groaned and threw her staff down, running after it. Nanami looked back and forth between her and her staff once in alarm before scrambling after her, just as she leapt onto the curse's back. She dug her fingers into its fleshy neck as her hands glowed purple, and she felt the familiar tang of electricity rolling up her arms and into her body as she sucked the energy from the curse. It wailed and tried to knock her off, but she held fast. Nanami stopped just a few steps behind them, blade poised for attack as he watched in fascination. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThis curse had so much more energy than she'd taken in a long time, but she wasn't about to stop. Its stubby arms flailed weakly as she drained its life force, until it collapsed under her. She kept her hands where they were until there was nothing beneath her. Mara gasped, breathing hard as the new energy ricocheted around her own, fighting the merging of the two. She squeezed her eyes shut as she shook, resting her head on her forearms on the floor. Nanami rushed to her side, pulling her up by her shoulders and immediately let go at the crackle of energy against his palms./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Don't!" She rasped, scooting herself away from him. She was so stupid. She'd spent close to a year dicking around with low-level, nothing curses and the moment she was faced with something stronger she dove headfirst. She'd let her capacity grow weak, subsisting on the smallest possible curse energy, and now the excess energy she'd just consumed was screaming to be released. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What can I do?" Nanami's commanding voice cut through the chaos raging through her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nothing." Mara clamped her hands against her head. "I just have to metabolize it, I can't release it here." She groaned. Nanami reached a hand toward her again and she scrambled backward. "Don't touch me! I don't have control of it, I'll absorb your energy, too." She fell back on the floor as her back bowed, lightning racing through her veins. Nanami took out his cell phone as he watched helplessly. "Don't you DARE bring them here!" She bit out. She knew he was calling another sorcerer, who else would he be calling? His mouth thinned to a hard line as his thumb hovered over the call button. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You clearly need help." He said flatly. Mara growled, forcing herself into a sitting position. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"If you bring them here, into emmy/em emhome/em, you'll find out exactly how much of a fight I can put up." Pure hatred radiated from her as she seethed, forcing her ragged breaths to come more evenly. She felt herself cresting the worst of it, and she used the wall behind her to stand up. Nanami watched her, slowly putting his phone back in his pocket as he held her gaze. Mara felt the wave of exhaustion coming for her, her legs began to shake with it. As she beat the demon's cursed energy into submission with her own, she felt like she was at the end of a marathon. Slowly the glowing purple hue began to sink back into her skin, and she collapsed. Nanami caught her just before she fully hit the floor and scooped her up in his arms. "You need emhelp/em." He insisted fervently. Mara hung completely limp in his arms./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Don't you dare," she whispered hoarsely, "this will pass." Nanami began opening the few doors of the hallway, searching for her bedroom. He found it on the second try and gently laid Mara on her bed. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she fought the wave of unconsciousness threatening to overtake her. What fucking grade was that curse? "I just need to sleep," she said thickly, "please just lock my door." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm not leaving you." There was no room for argument in the statement, and she hardly had the energy to try. Mara rolled away from Nanami with a sigh, and surrendered to sleep./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Welcome!" She called brightly, "I'll be right with you." She turned from the counter to wash her hands quickly, returning to take the customer's order. She smiled, vaguely recognizing the man standing on the other side of the display case. He came in fairly often but she hadn't bothered to ask his name, his demeanor suggested he wasn't one for small talk with strangers. Mara didn't mind that though, the constant charade of customer service was grating enough as it was, she could appreciate someone who just wanted to get in and get out. She plastered another smile on her face for him as she asked, "What may I get for you today?" His suit was tailored neatly, every line on him crisp and manicured and not even a hair out of place. Mara wondered about the tie though, he always wore this polka-dotted thing, it seemed wildly out of place with the rest of his outfit. She just assumed it was part of some fashion line that was wildly out of her tax bracket, rich people always wore weird shit. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ham sandwich, please." He said simply, glancing down at his phone. Mara nodded, relaxing her smile as his attention left her face, and began preparing his food. He'd ordered it enough times she was confident in his preferences, and he didn't seem concerned she would get it wrong. Mara opened the case to pull out the ham for the slicer and paused. The curse she saw out of the corner of her eye made a soft chirping sound and she ground her teeth. These little fuckers had been popping up everywhere lately, she was beginning to wonder if something was attracting them. It was harmless enough that she might not have even stopped to deal with it were she on the street, but she certainly couldn't do anything about it while there was a customer in the store. She turned with the ham and began slicing, keeping the curse in her periphery and praying it wouldn't try to attach itself to the customer. If she could just get this thrown together she could get him out of here and take care of it. The curse looked like a bloated, stubby snake with a mouth far too large for its face and eyes that bugged out as if they would pop. Disgusting little things. Mara spun back to the counter and began assembling the sandwich, working to keep her expression neutral. "How are you this afternoon?" She blinked, completely taken aback by the question. The man had never once said anything to her besides telling her his order and thanking her for it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Very well, thank you," she breathed, daring a glance at the curse before sparing one for the man, "and yourself?" If she could get a little closer to it, actually, she could exorcise this one no problem. The man might think her a little strange, but at least she could be sure the curse wouldn't attach itself to him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Just taking a break from work." He cleared his throat, edging closer to the counter. Oh, great, was he sensitive to it? Non-sorcerers sometimes felt the presence of curses. Mara picked up her chef's knife and sliced his sandwich into a perfect diagonal, wrapping it tightly in paper. The curse was definitely edging closer, God damnit. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Would you mind showing me the difference between these breads?" He asked suddenly, gesturing to the standalone display case that held packaged specialty baked goods for sale. Mara's eyes snapped to his face, confused momentarily by the request. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. The curse was getting close enough that it could either try to latch onto her or him and she had to make a decision quickly if she wanted to take care of this. She gave him a small, nervous laugh./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Of course!" Mara leaned toward the counter and purposefully let her knife clatter to the floor next to her. "Oh, let me just get this really quick." She ducked down behind the counter and reached out toward the curse, now within arm's length of her ankle. She gripped its pudgy little neck and squeezed, focusing on absorbing its curse energy into herself. Mara sucked in a breath as lightning lanced up her arm, the curse energy merging with her own, draining the life force of the creature in her grasp. With a pitiful wail the curse faded away on a breath of smoke, and Mara rolled her neck as the new energy settled into her. She picked up the dropped knife and popped back up from behind the counter, nearly colliding with the man. Mara let out a cry of surprise just as the man retreated across the counter to his side. "Sorry, butter fingers, I guess." She said sheepishly, setting the knife in the sink along the back wall and coming around to the customer side of the counter. "What question did you have about the bread, again?" The man stood stock still for a moment, hand frozen as if reaching for something in his back pocket, before relaxing and placing his hands in his pockets. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yes, um, do you have any specials today?" Mara raised a brow at his halting tone, but turned her attention to the case that clearly had their specials listed on the bright, neon sign she had made just this morning. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We do," she said slowly, "pastries are buy one get one free, and the sandwich bread is on sale for 50% off." Her cheeks hiked up in her customer service smile, wondering what in the hell this guy was about. He nodded, his chiseled jaw working as he considered the large sign on the display. Mara clasped her hands in front of her. "I'll just start ringing you up while you decide." His mouth crinkled in a smile of acknowledgement that didn't reach all the way to his eyes while Mara escaped back behind the counter. She shook her hand out to the side, the residual static of the cursed energy still buzzing along her skin slightly. The man noted her movement but continued considering the display case. Mara waited patiently for him to make his final decision, wishing he would hurry up already so she could get started on some other work. He selected two danishes and brought them to the counter. Mara maintained her bland smile as she rang his total up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Are you…O.k.?" He asked suddenly. Mara looked up at him and blinked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Um, yes?" She laughed, maybe a little nervously. Ugh, could he sense the residual energy? She wondered if he was one of those people who got "bad feelings" about places when they were actually riddled with cursed energy. He fixed her with a penetrating gaze, and just before she started to ask what the problem was he produced a card for payment, taking his items she'd bagged. Mara's brow furrowed slightly before she fixed her features into neutrality. Just run his card and get him out of here. "Here you are, sir." She smiled broadly as she handed his card back, "Have a wonderful afternoon." Nanami Kento. The name didn't ring any bells, but she'd look it up later all the same. He'd shown enough of a reaction to pique her interest, compared to their usual perfunctory interactions. He gave her another tight-lipped smile, eyes darting from her face to her hand once more before he turned and left. Mara blew out a breath with the ringing of the bell tied to the door, hands on her hips as she surveyed the spot where the curse had been. They really were starting to become problematic, it had been a long while since she'd noticed so many in such a short period of time, and if people with no curse ability were noticing their energy, well…She rolled her eyes to herself. It would appear that either the sorcerers in the area weren't doing a good enough job or something was attracting a great number here. Either way, maybe it would soon be time to move on and find a new place to live. Mara had had enough of dealing with other Jujutsu sorcerers, and they would surely be responding to the area in time. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWashing her hands once more, Mara set about the tasks of mixing the doughs that would need the longest proofing times for the morning baker to use. She would actually be a little sad to leave this job at the bakery, she'd come to appreciate the work. Mara often found herself getting lost in the mesmerizing motions of kneading dough or rolling pastry, she could go on autopilot and just let her mind rest. She'd gone through full training to be a Jujutsu sorcerer and had lived the lifestyle for a few years, but she soon realized the higher ups were using her for purposes other than what she had signed up for, so she disappeared from her institution and had never looked back. Mara would always help people when she could if she saw curses lurking, but she was done working for an institution that saw her only as a tool to be used. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAs the clock inched its way toward 5pm, Mara finished up her cleaning and made sure everything was in its place for the morning crew. Sometimes she had a partner to work with, but for the most part she was alone for her shifts. A bakery's busiest hours would always be in the morning, and honestly she preferred working alone most days. She gathered her jacket and the bookbag she hauled around most places, and stepped out into the cool evening air. The pavement still barely radiated the warmth of the afternoon sun, the last days of summer petering out before autumn took its place. Mara breathed deeply, the air hadn't gained the crispness of fall yet, but it was coming soon. She smiled to herself as she locked the bakery door, going through her ritual of trying to open it twice before leaving. She slung her bookbag over one shoulder, holding the strap with one hand and scrolling through her phone with the other. The street wasn't usually busy this time of day, so she took the time to scroll through her social media apps as she headed to her apartment. It was several blocks away, but she didn't mind the walk. She liked to avoid enclosed spaces if possible, so skipping the train wasn't a big deal to her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMara waited at a crosswalk, chuckling to herself as she scrolled through memes friends had posts. Her smile slowly faded. Something was watching her, she could feel a prickle right in the middle of her back. She sighed as she stuffed her phone in the back pocket of her pants and gripped her bookbag strap with both hands, waiting on the signal allowing her to cross the street. She really didn't feel like dealing with something else today, she'd already done her good deed. The crosswalk alert sounded for pedestrians to cross, and she worked herself into the middle of the gaggle of people crossing. The feeling of being watched lessened slightly, but as she kept walking straight a large portion of people turned to walk in either direction, and she felt the wariness of being watched once more. Mara nibbled her lower lip, maybe this wasn't actually something supernatural and just a good old-fashioned creeper. She couldn't pinpoint any strong cursed energy, she wasn't seeing any residuals, annoying though it may be she could handle herself against a stalker. Mara kept her pace even, she didn't want this piece of shit thinking she was on to him, and casually looked around for the most opportune place to lure him so she could have a little chat about following women on the street with him. She took a sharp turn down a side street and laughed to herself, feeling the presence follow her. The distance between them grew a little and she feigned rummaging through her back pack to slow her steps, waiting to see if he'd catch up. A small smile played at the corner of her lips as she turned around expectantly, and was promptly wiped off her face as she laid eyes upon Ham Sandwich Guy. What the fuck?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You should have just asked for my number," she drawled, "be a lot less creepy." He casually stepped around a puddle as a street lamp flickered to life at either end of the street and intermittently in between. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Probably." He admitted. Mara angled herself to face him fully as he stopped a few feet from her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What do you want, Ham Sandwich?" She wasn't ready to let him know she'd skimmed his name from his credit card, let him think he held on to some anonymity. He huffed a laugh./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We're on a first name basis now?" He adjusted his glasses with one hand, considering her. "You should at least tell me yours." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You first," Mara eyed him up and down, "show me yours and I'll show you mine." She grinned at him. He drew a long breath, blowing it out slowly through his nose. For someone who had been following her he seemed a little uncomfortable. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"How did you get rid of that curse in your shop?" She straightened immediately. Fuck, he was a sorcerer. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Does it matter?" She opened her senses to him, he must have been shielding before because she could clearly feel his energy now. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You're an unregistered sorcerer within the prefecture, so yes, it does matter." He said, very matter of factly. Mara snorted. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Don't worry, I'll be gone soon." She dared to turn her back on him and started walking away. His hand was on her upper arm before she'd taken two steps, and she slammed her fist into his elbow to break the hold. "Don't fucking touch me!" They both backed up a few steps from the other, evaluating. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why are you not registered?" He was infuriatingly calm. Mara glared at him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why do you Jujutsu sorcerers have to micromanage your people? I quit my institution and that is 100% not your business." She hissed. Surprise misted across his face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why did you quit?" He was genuinely curious, but Mara wasn't in the mood to have a heart to heart with an institutionalized sorcerer. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Still not your business." She turned and began walking away from him again, and had to stop herself before she ran into his chest. Mara snapped her head up to look at him, shoving angrily at him. Her hand met the rock hard muscles of his chest, and succeeded in moving him all of half an inch. "Get out of my way." She growled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You're usually so pleasant," he said absently, "this doesn't have to be so difficult." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, emyou're/em usually just asking for a sandwich instead of trying to make me sign myself over to an institution." Mara let her bookbag slide off her shoulder and set it on the ground next to her. "Tell me, Nanami, what threat do you think I pose to you guys? I've been here for three years, and you only caught me by accident." His eyes sharpened at his name./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"There's been an increase in curse activity…" he began./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, I've noticed," she interrupted, "it looks like you guys suck at maintaining your area." Nanami fixed her with a stern stare. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The fact of the matter remains that you need to register yourself." He said it with the kind of finality that was unused to being challenged, expecting her to fold. Mara grit her teeth./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm not your enemy," she slowly slid into a defensive stance, "but if you think I'm going with you without a fight, you're insane." Nanami was obviously taken aback by her reaction, but loosened the neck of his tie nonetheless. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I do not wish to fight you," he said tiredly, rolling up his sleeves. "This is going to put me in overtime." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Then leave." Nanami only looked at her, waiting for her to come to her senses. Mara sighed, rolling her neck. "I'm gonna break my foot off in your ass for this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Such foul language," he tsked, and faster than the untrained eye could see he moved on her, trying for a take down over striking her. Maybe he was serious about not wanting to fight, but it didn't matter now. He'd made the first move and Mara had every intention of making him pay for trying to drag her back to an institution. Mara sidestepped him and kicked out at his knee, forcing him to kneel as she connected and swung a fist at the back of his head. He jerked out of the way at the last second, grabbing her forearm and pulling her backward into a bear hug. He crushed her to his chest, the corded muscle of his arms wrapping around her as he stood. Mara jerked her hands upward and with the fraction of purchase it earned her, she swung her hips to one side and swept one of his legs out, pushing him down to the ground with her body. The impact loosened his arms just long enough for her to pull free, and she rocked back with an elbow to his face. He grunted in pain as Mara leapt up to scramble away, but he grabbed her ankle just before she was clear of his reach. She spun around and slammed her other leg down on his arm, grinning to herself as it earned her another grunt of pain from him, and took off running away from him. She scooped her backpack up in one fluid motion and ran full speed toward the end of the side street. Mara looked up just in time to see a shadow pass over her, as Nanami landed in front of her. Her shoes skidded on random loose gravels as she stopped, backing up a few feet. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What is your emproblem?/em" She really didn't want to use her cursed techniques against another sorcerer, but she would drain this guy until he passed out if he persisted. Summoned at the thought, her hands glowed with a purple aura of energy and she balled them into fists. No, not yet, she wouldn't become what they had wanted, she wouldn't admit to him what her technique did. Nanami's gaze drifted to her hands, and back to her face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, it's emyou/em now," he sniffed once, hopefully from her elbow connecting with his face, and swept his blond hair back from his forehead. "Are you really going to fight me this hard? Over registering?" Mara narrowed her eyes in irritation. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yes." She bit out, charging him. Nanami easily dodged and deflected her blows, but she kept advancing on him anyway. She continued to swing with her fists, and at the last minute swung her leg up to kick him in the side. A breath was forced from him with the impact, but he absorbed it to hold her leg against him. He kicked her other leg out from under her, and she slammed down into the pavement on her back. She cried out and swung as hard as she could at Nanami's jaw as he leaned down to get a better grip on her. She heard a satisfying "oof" as her fist connected, but he quickly settled his hips over hers and had her arms pinned next to her head. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That is ENOUGH," he roared, breathing just as heavily as she was. Mara rocked her hips against him, furiously trying to gain the purchase to kick him off, but he was just too large to get out from under unless she tapped into her cursed energy. She sighed in frustration, head falling back onto the pavement as she refused to look him in the face. "Do it." He said, watching her. He knew she was purposefully sitting on her curse technique, and he wanted to see what it was. Mara glared at him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"emNo/em." She said through clenched teeth. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNanami smiled softly, breathing evening out as he inspected her. She was pleased to see a dot of blood clotting at one of his nostrils, and a patch of pink turning to red along his jaw in what she hoped would be a bruise. Mara let her body go limp under him, turning her face to the side in defeat. Nanami cautiously let go of one of her arms and then the other, slowly sitting up on his knees over her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Will you please just come with me?" He asked gently. Mara almost looked at him at the softness of his voice, but only ground her teeth. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Get off of me." She ordered. Nanami dipped his head once and rose, offering her his hand. She smacked it away from her and stood. "You're all the same." She said venomously. His expression fell into a blank mask and he crossed his arms over his chest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We've seen an increase in curse activity, and an unusual amount of suspected special grade curses." Mara's head snapped in his direction at that. Special grades? Shit. "We need to know the abilities of surrounding sorcerers, and that they haven't defected in any way." His jaw was a hard line, and Mara turned to face him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"How many?" Nanami sighed, running a hand through his hair. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Enough." He rested his hands on his hips, "Enough that Jujutsu Tech and other institutes throughout the country are on high alert." Mara brought a hand up to her shoulder, gently massaging the ache beginning to throb there. Nanami watched her warily, never letting his guard down completely. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm not your enemy," she insisted again, toeing the ground in front of her, "my curse technique isn't even for the offensive, not really." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Will you at least tell me how you exorcised the curse in the shop?" Mara dropped the arm massaging her shoulder and blew out a breath. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I absorbed it." Nanami blinked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Absorbed it?" Mara nodded./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I can absorb cursed energy, temporarily boosting my own until I can metabolize it or mirror it back against them." She raised her hands and let them fall, slapping her thighs in mock defeat. "Now you know my big secret."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"And that's all?" He asked incredulously. Mara crossed her arms over her chest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yes." She lied. Nanami rubbed at his chin as he considered her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why are you so fiercely against registering then?" Her eyes darkened with memory./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That's not your concern." She said flatly. Nanami sighed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"May I walk you home?" Mara cut him a surprised glance. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You'd probably just follow me anyway." She grumbled, moving to pick up her bookbag. Nanami smoothly plucked it from the ground and slung it over his shoulder. Mara's eyebrow twitched as she debated ripping into him over it, but her shoulders were actually killing her from landing on her back, so she only rolled her eyes as she turned toward her apartment. Nanami fell silently into step next to her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You know, whatever it is, I'd understand." Mara snorted a laugh, but he continued, "I left sorcery for a time myself to pursue other things." She glanced up at him, but he was only focused on the sidewalk ahead. She wanted to ask why, but the question died on her tongue. Asking him to open up to her about that would only let him expect her to do the same, and she never wanted to revisit that part of her life again. It was likely just a ploy to get the answers he wanted anyway. They walked in a truce of silence, until they finally reached her apartment building. She should have left him at the entry way, but she found herself typing in the code to get in and waiting on the elevator with him still by her side. They rode to the eighth floor and he walked to the end of the hallway to her door. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"This is me," she said unnecessarily. She slid her key into the lock and looked up at him to take her bookbag, only now seeing the bruise blooming along his jaw and his split lower lip that had hidden in the shadow of the night in the harsh florescent lights of the hallway. She grimaced as she sucked in a breath through her teeth. "I really am sorry about that," she said, nodding to his injuries. The corners of his eye crinkled in amusement./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No, you're not," he handed her the bag. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You're right," she chuckled, "I did warn you I was going to break my foot off in your ass, you only have yourself to blame." Nanami laughed, the rich sound flowing over her ears. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"If that's what you call 'breaking your foot off in my ass', I think I'll be alright," Mara teasingly shoved him in the chest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That wasn't even full speed and you emstill/em have a split lip." Nanami went still at the same moment she did, staring at each other as they both listened to the other side of her door, the faint cursed energy reaching them. Mara rocked her head back in silent annoyance as she eased her key back out of the door. "Just go," she whispered, "I've got this." Nanami gave her an incredulous look as he reached behind himself and eased a blade wrapped in that same weird polka dotted pattern. Mara raised her eyebrows and he shrugged, nodding toward her door. She shook her head and eased her book bag open, removing what looked like a nightstick with no handle. It was Nanami's turn to raise a brow but Mara just waved him off, resting her other hand on her doorknob. She looked back and nodded once at Nanami, then slammed her door open. They rushed into the open space of her kitchen/dining area, Mara flinging her staff out to the side so it could extend to its full length. She frowned at the cursed creature before them, standing stupidly in her living room. It stood on stubby legs, like a caricature of an alligator but with bulbous skin that seemed to threaten to burst. It turned to face them and clumsily bounced down from her coffee table, charging them. Mara's staff glowed purple as she imbued it with her energy and she swung it like an axe at the creature. Her staff connected with a wet sound to the side of its head, knocking it completely off balance as it slammed into her dining table. This curse was so much larger than the annoying, small ones she'd most commonly encountered, it was just as tall as she was and the task of exorcising its fat ass was going to make a mess of her apartment. Unless she just stopped it here and now. Nanami came from behind her, slicing into the creature with his blade. It howled in pain and floundered away, crawling across her floor and straight for the short hallway that lead to her bedroom. Mara groaned and threw her staff down, running after it. Nanami looked back and forth between her and her staff once in alarm before scrambling after her, just as she leapt onto the curse's back. She dug her fingers into its fleshy neck as her hands glowed purple, and she felt the familiar tang of electricity rolling up her arms and into her body as she sucked the energy from the curse. It wailed and tried to knock her off, but she held fast. Nanami stopped just a few steps behind them, blade poised for attack as he watched in fascination. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThis curse had so much more energy than she'd taken in a long time, but she wasn't about to stop. Its stubby arms flailed weakly as she drained its life force, until it collapsed under her. She kept her hands where they were until there was nothing beneath her. Mara gasped, breathing hard as the new energy ricocheted around her own, fighting the merging of the two. She squeezed her eyes shut as she shook, resting her head on her forearms on the floor. Nanami rushed to her side, pulling her up by her shoulders and immediately let go at the crackle of energy against his palms./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Don't!" She rasped, scooting herself away from him. She was so stupid. She'd spent close to a year dicking around with low-level, nothing curses and the moment she was faced with something stronger she dove headfirst. She'd let her capacity grow weak, subsisting on the smallest possible curse energy, and now the excess energy she'd just consumed was screaming to be released. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What can I do?" Nanami's commanding voice cut through the chaos raging through her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nothing." Mara clamped her hands against her head. "I just have to metabolize it, I can't release it here." She groaned. Nanami reached a hand toward her again and she scrambled backward. "Don't touch me! I don't have control of it, I'll absorb your energy, too." She fell back on the floor as her back bowed, lightning racing through her veins. Nanami took out his cell phone as he watched helplessly. "Don't you DARE bring them here!" She bit out. She knew he was calling another sorcerer, who else would he be calling? His mouth thinned to a hard line as his thumb hovered over the call button. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You clearly need help." He said flatly. Mara growled, forcing herself into a sitting position. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"If you bring them here, into emmy/em emhome/em, you'll find out exactly how much of a fight I can put up." Pure hatred radiated from her as she seethed, forcing her ragged breaths to come more evenly. She felt herself cresting the worst of it, and she used the wall behind her to stand up. Nanami watched her, slowly putting his phone back in his pocket as he held her gaze. Mara felt the wave of exhaustion coming for her, her legs began to shake with it. As she beat the demon's cursed energy into submission with her own, she felt like she was at the end of a marathon. Slowly the glowing purple hue began to sink back into her skin, and she collapsed. Nanami caught her just before she fully hit the floor and scooped her up in his arms. "You need emhelp/em." He insisted fervently. Mara hung completely limp in his arms./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Don't you dare," she whispered hoarsely, "this will pass." Nanami began opening the few doors of the hallway, searching for her bedroom. He found it on the second try and gently laid Mara on her bed. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she fought the wave of unconsciousness threatening to overtake her. What fucking grade was that curse? "I just need to sleep," she said thickly, "please just lock my door." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm not leaving you." There was no room for argument in the statement, and she hardly had the energy to try. Mara rolled away from Nanami with a sigh, and surrendered to sleep./span/p