No matter where you are at night, one thing will be certain: there will always be something there with you, lurking in the dark.

Cursed spirits wait for their chance to strike, skulking in the shadows anywhere human anxiety and fear reside. Rural forests, deep seas, and within the city limits– hospitals, schools, cemeteries and the like. Any poorly lit back alley or side street can instantly become a one way ticket to the missing persons reports. Or the morgue for the more fortunate who leave behind a body to mourn properly.

As long as there are humans, there will be curses to feed off their negative emotions. You could put in hours until the sun came up for the rest of all eternity, and you'd still have more curses to fight. On occasion it's almost like a strange comfort to you, a sort of purpose or even penance for your power and how you obtained it.

Most of the time it's just pure hell.

"Behind you, Junpei!"

He turns in time to see the cursed spirits making their attempt to sneak up on him. Within seconds he focuses energy into his palm and fires a shot into the dark.

They scream while disintegrating into ash and then nothingness. Disgusting, rodent-like curses, writhing together in a pulsating mass of knotted tails and gnashing sharp teeth. Rat curses, driven up from sewer tunnels to drag away any unlucky pet or child that may venture too close to a storm drain. They're not the biggest you've faced by a long shot, but there were hundreds of them all coming in waves, more than enough to drag any fully grown human back underground with them to be consumed alive. Thankfully you aren't handling this alone.

"Again! Aim for where they're grouped together most," you suggest.

In another explosion, Junpei's energy surges from his fist directly into the solid mass of the curses. With little more than a sizzle they disperse in one pained shriek. You join his side, feeding more of your cursed energy directly into the mouth of the sewer drain to take care of any more that might be coming up. Truthfully you were hanging back a bit in the beginning to let your new partner gain more experience right up until a surprise torrent sent thousands more of the filthy squirming creatures spewing into the street.

"Did we get them all?" Junpei asks as he looks around. He's barely broken a sweat, but the disturbing little beasts did startle him terribly.

"I think so. Great job! You're really getting the hang of your power. You're a fast learner, Junpei."

It's only taken a few nights of shadowing you as you work, but he's finally getting his bearings enough to help you. He's slowly but surely becoming more accustomed to his new abilities, although seeing sparks of energy wavering between his fingers definitely took some time for him to get used to.

"You good, Junpei?"

He nods and flexes his fingers, transfixed on the red glowing flecks. "Yeah, all good. Still feels weird. That's all."

You clap his shoulder lightly. "Keep up the good work and you could be as strong as me one day."

That gets his attention. His head snaps up, finding you still smirking. He can't tell if you're patronizing him or being serious.

There's still several hours of night left. You could wander along more city streets until you sense another spike in curse activity requiring your attention. Or you could go through with your other plan….

"Get on with it," Sukuna urges you under his breath. He's testy. Probably because he's been reading your mind and knows why you've brought Junpei here to this specific district.

You swallow hard, trying to prepare yourself for what you're about to say.

Here goes nothing.

You plaster what you hope is a casual grin across your face and point to a large aching structure in the distance.

"Hey, Junpei! Look at that!"

"Hm? What? Are you talking about that ferris wheel?" he asks, puzzled.

"Yeah! It looks like a pretty big amusement park over there. I've been to a few when I was a kid. How about you? Have you ever been?" you inquire a bit too eagerly.

"Umm…Yeah. Sure, I have. With a few of my cousins when we were little."

He's still clearly confused why you're bringing this up.

You brush your hair back, trying to sound flippant. "We could check it out if you like. You know, just to see what's inside."

Now you've lost him entirely. He looks from you to the dark ferris wheel, then back to you.

"But…Aren't they closed?"

"Well, yes, but haven't you ever wanted to wander around a mall or an amusement park at night when there's no one else around?"

This time he laughs. "Well, sure. No one likes crowds, but you can't really be serious. I thought we were out here to work?"

"We have been working! Hell, I've been busting my ass for over a year now. I'd say we both deserve a break, and I think it might be fun."

"Then why don't we come back when it's open?" he suggests.

Your jaw sets firmly as you fall silent. Disappointment fills your chest heavily. There's no way you'd go while the sun was up. Not with so many people around. Besides, you don't exactly have any money either.

"Na, we don't have to. It was a dumb idea."

"Are you sure? It sounded like you wanted to go."

"Nope. Just a passing fancy. We can skip it," you state evenly.

Unable to take this paltry back-and-forth any longer, Sukuna blurts from his place on your cheek.

"For fuck's sake! Say yes, idiot boy! Or else they're sure to cry about this later on."

"Shut up! I will not!" you snap, clapping your hand over his mouth to silence him, but he switches to your opposite cheek instead to give Junpei a side eye.

"We came here weeks ago but they refused to go in alone, weeping about their birthday outside the gate instead."

You cringe at the memory, sinking between your shoulders in a pathetic attempt to disappear on the spot. "Will you stop it?! Christ! Stop spewing my business out loud!"

"I can assure you it's our business whenever I have to tolerate your moods. Besides, you picked this area again on purpose. We could have gone anywhere else, but you wanted to come here to ask your new human pet to accompany you inside," Sukuna spits.

So much for subtlety. He makes it impossible to have any secrets.

"It was your birthday?" Junpei asks, completely ignoring Sukuna's comment calling him a human pet. Suddenly he bears a sad, pitying expression. Something you were trying desperately to avoid.

"Er, yeah, but you don't have to agree to go in just because of that. You don't want to, so we can–"

"Sure I do!" Junpei interjects. He takes your hand in both of his, giving you a bright smile.

"Let's do it."

"Are you sure? Because we shouldn't if you–"

"Shut up and just take the whelp's answer already! This humility crap is so beneath us," Sukuna huffs.

"Well alright then!" you squeak, reaching into the inner pocket of your flight coat for a small satchel you'd tucked away earlier.

"What's that?" Junpei points.

You hold it up for him to see. "It's dirt from the church. I thought we might be needing it, and I was right."

"Umm…Okay. What are you doing with it?"

"This is a little trick I learned while being on my own. If we're going to do this, we're going to need Sukuna out with us."

"Wait…Out? As in out here? With us?" Junpei's panic is showing.

"Unfortunately yes, but he'll be on his best behavior since he's doing this as a favor to me. Isn't that right?" You address your Curse directly, giving his already pouting lips a light flick.

"Oh, sure. Bring the churchyard dirt and yet still pretend to come here by accident. Whatever. Hurry up and make the damned incarnation already. Let's get this over and done with," he gripes.

"No need to rush. And please do try to leave that nasty attitude of yours outside the park. Got it?"

Pulling out a handful of dirt, you focus your energy into it. Your fist pulsates and gleams with fiery red light, bathing your face with its glow. Doubling your energy flow, you force the shape in your hand to grow dramatically. It twists and contorts as it develops at an exponential rate, forcing you to kneel and place it on the ground to give it further space.

"Whoa!"

Junpei takes a step back as the red glow shoots over his head, sprouting up like a spontaneous tree. Remembering the terrifying figure he encountered in the darkness of Sukuna's stomach, Junpei steps back, hands nervously twisting in front of him with worry. He reminds himself to behave meekly around your Curse, not wanting to incur any more attention from him than absolutely necessary.

The red light fades away, revealing the stark form of Ryomen Sukuna, who looks down upon his body without hiding his disdain.

"Oh! He's naked!"Junpei comments before he can stop himself, earning a nasty glare from the pink-haired man towering over him.

"What of it? Shame is a human emotion," he sneers pointedly.

"So? What do you think, Junpei?" Unable to hold back your pride, you extend your hands in a dramatic presentation. Your excitement has you feeling just a touch manic.

Junpei gulps aside his initial embarrassment, trying not to look any lower than the markings across Sukuna's broad, bare chest. When that begins to feel too awkward for him, he tries looking higher. A big mistake. All four of Sukuna's eyes are glaring furiously in his direction, silently commanding him to stop.

"Um…He looks…" He pauses, searching for the right word. He feels the intensity of Sukuna's gaze growing by the second.

"Human?" you supplement.

"Erm. Sure."

"That's what I was going for! I mean, we can't do anything about the tattoos, but aside from being freakishly intimidating, he could pass as a human. Right?" You find yourself admiring your handiwork. There's probably very few sorcerers who could pull off something like this.

Junpei nods. It's not entirely true, but he doesn't know what else to say. There's no way a guy this scary can possibly be all human, but maybe a non-suspecting person wouldn't be able to tell.

"So…Um. What about clothes? We can't exactly walk around the park with him like this."

Junpei pretends to be engrossed in something across the street, desperate to find anything else to focus on. Someone may come by any moment.

"True. Sukuna? Better get dressed," you suggest.

Your Curse crosses his arms across his shining chest. Within seconds his white kimono shimmers into place around him. Adjusting his sleeves, Sukuna begrudgingly meets your gaze to make sure this has your approval.

"Really? You could manifest anything else and you hang onto that same plain yukata?" you arch an eyebrow with a distinct tone in your voice.

"I like it," he grates, narrowing all of his eyes, but saying nothing more.

"Whatever. If you're ready, let's go-o!" you drawl giddily, already taking the lead and skipping ahead.

Junpei speedily catches up, not wishing to be left alone with Sukuna for even a second longer than necessary. He skirts up behind you, nearly tripping you as he accidentally kicks the heel of your shoe in the dark.

He whispers your name softly to get your attention, "Aren't you at all worried that he'll go off on his own in that body?"

"Pfft. I Wish he would give me that peace, but he won't. He hangs around because his real power source is still inside my body. He can manifest a fraction of his strength in that vessel, but if he uses too much power, it breaks and he returns back to me."

"Oh. And why do you buy clothes from the city if Master Sukuna can make them?"

"Hold on–What did you call him?" You whirl on your heel, glowering back at the skulking figure slinking up slowly behind the two of you like a lazy shadow.

"What's the matter with you?! He's been alive again for less than a week and you're already trying to enslave him under you? For what reason exactly? Some sort of sick power trip I'm sure."

Sukuna is outraged at being challenged but keeps his temper level. You don't make it easy.

"I… need…a servant," he grinds through clenched teeth.

"The hell you do! I don't want to hear about it anymore. You got that? You're to treat Junpei the same way you treat me, and I'm not your little slave am I?"

"That's for damn sure," Sukuna mutters, but chooses to keep his more acidic critiques to himself.

You take his pseudo-pacifism with a grain of salt for the time being, resuming your pace from before.

"To answer your question, Junpei, I try not to ask him for anything if I can help it. Believe me, you don't want anything he has to offer you."

"Oh," Junpei peaks over his shoulder only to find four glistening pinpoints of red light glaring at him in the dark. He quickly turns back around and a lingering chill runs up his spine.

The entrance of the park comes into view just beyond a vacant parking lot. In daytime hours this place would normally be packed, with cars overspilling along the streets to pay at meters. Fortunately for you, parking and crowds are a thing of the past.

"This is going to be so awesome! I've always wanted a whole park to myself. We're going on every thrill ride they've got!" You pump your fist in the air.

"Rides?" Junpei asks you.

"Did you think we're trespassing just to walk around? I want to go on the roller coaster!"

"You're joking," your companion gapes in disbelief.

"I never joke when it comes to roller coasters, Junpei. Now watch your head."

You duck under the mechanical arm at the tollbooth entrance, crunching over stale popcorn kernels from the day before beneath your boots. The lingering smells of fried dough and burned sugar fill the air, triggering the nostalgia you'd been seeking out. It's so quiet. Aside from the sound of your odd troop's footsteps and the occasional creaking hinge from a ride cart rocking into place, there's nothing but silence.

Junpei shudders. "This is so-"

"Excellent!" you finish his sentence before he can, although the word he was about to use was 'creepy.'

The towering structures of the park rides blacked out by the dead of night didn't look very inviting to him at all. He's beginning to have second thoughts. Junpei watches as you sprint ahead, peering left then right as you search for your first conquest. A strong grip on Junpei's shoulder stiffens him from head to toe. Sukuna's steps made no sound when creeping up behind him.

"Listen well," he instructs, speaking in a low voice directly into the boy's ear.

"You are to obey every whim you are ordered tonight. I don't want to hear any arguments or protests from you regarding what you're asked to do. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes," Junpei squeaks.

Clawed fingertips dig in through his shirt in a warning. "Yes what?"

The boy swallows hard, squirming beneath the vice-like grip.

"Yes, Master," he replies submissively.

The pressure releases and Sukuna lets go, leaving Junpei to meekly follow behind you knowing he's being watched every step of the way. It's so difficult for him to gauge what your Curse's intentions are. His temperament is consistently callous, even to you. Why does he care if you have fun or not? Whatever your relationship with one another is, it's definitely in Junpei's best interest to try obeying you both, but his stomach is already tying itself in knots with worry should any of your orders ever conflict. At least for tonight things should be simple enough. It seems like you're just looking to have some fun and take a break from your usual routine. A few thrill rides are an easy pick over battling more frightening curses in the dark.

"What should we do first?" you ask, bursting with excitement at the possibilities.

"Umm…If it's okay, can we start out easy? Maybe the Tilt-a-Whirl?" he suggests.

"Aw, really? That's kind of tame. How about the Starship 3000 instead?" You point to a kitschy looking flying saucer just visible beyond the first of many popcorn stands.

Coincidentally it was also one of the only rides he and his cousins could all agree on when he was a kid too. Junpei was always the most faint of heart in any peer group he was ever a part of. The first to cry too. That would definitely ruin your night together. He doesn't need to turn around to remind himself he's being watched either.

"Yeah Okay. That one is alright," Junpei agrees.

The two of you walk in through the low hatch designed to look like part of the craft. It's even darker inside without the traditional mirrored rainbow of lights tracking along the ceiling and floor. Luckily this isn't your first time inside one of these.

"The control panel for these is always dead center. There's a stationary podium, see?"

Junpei nods. "How exactly are we supposed to operate it if we're riding?"

Realizing you're one man short, you call outside the hatch. "Sukuna! Can you join us please?"

You're trying to be patient, but he's dragging his feet on purpose it seems. He swears under his breath as he ducks his head to enter through the narrow space. His nose wrinkles as he smells the leftover stench of human children.

"Disgusting human frivolities…" he mumbles

"Take the helm in the middle, if you please, Sukuna? There should be a lever to turn on the lights and a separate one to start the ride," you direct as you grab hold of the nearest safety rails of the sliding seat beside you, motioning for Junpei to do the same in the next seat.

"I'm sure I can figure out any mortal structure with ease, thanks," he snaps.

It ends up taking him a bit, but you don't dare offer him any hints. Knowing him there's a limit on how long this truce will last. Once finding the initial switch, he flips it on and the interior space illuminates in a dazzling array of flashing LED lights. Even he looks somewhat pleased to have figured the controls.

"There. Happy?"

"Sure am!" You crack a grin despite his annoying attitude, which catches him off guard.

He eyes the blinking lights suspiciously, watching as they spiral around in neverending loops of brilliant color.

"What exactly does this contraption do?"

"It spins around in circles," you explain.

"That's all?"

"That's all."

He curls his upper lip with disgust. "That's stupid. What's its purpose?"

"No purpose. Not everything has to be important. Sometimes it's nice just to go in circles."

"I can't imagine," he comments.

"Whatever. Canyou just hit start for us? Please?"

He grunts and presses the button to start the ride. The hatch you entered through swings shut as a loud buzzer sounds. Sukuna flinches, looking around angrily for whatever may have caused it which only sends you and Junpei into a fit of giggles together. Just as your Curse is sneering his resentment in your direction, the surrounding compartment begins to turn, quickly picking up pace.

Clank! Clank!

"Ah!" Junpei yelps.

The speed of the ride finally reaches high enough to push your seats up along the built-in track of the walls, clicking them loudly to the ceiling. The familiar feeling of your stomach floating up and your feet dangling off the ground force another enormous grin across your face. It's nothing like flying of course, but it's a cute substitute. You laugh madly as you spin, raising your head to enjoy the kaleidoscope of lights.

"This is awesooome! HAHAAA!" you scream at the top of your lungs.

Junpei's sounds are far more terrified than yours, however. His eyes are squeezed tightly shut as he cries out, counting the seconds for the ride to end. You reach to him, covering his hand with yours. He looks startled, but finds you smiling at him reassuringly. You feel the smallest tickle of his thumb tucking over yours, only then does he begin to relax and enjoy himself. He gives in, laughing along with you at the ridiculousness of what you're doing.

Lasting only a few minutes like any other thrill ride, the engines wind down after a while and your seats slide back down to the floor clunkily. You and Junpei stumble in place, trying to see straight while knocking into one another on your way out the exit hatch.

"That was killer!"

"What do you want to do next?" he asks right away.

"Definitely the roller coaster, but only if you think you're ready."

You're already eyeing the magnificent twisting metal structure rising up against the night sky. Its beautiful repeating loops and sudden drops have been beckoning you ever since you first flew over the park months ago. Junpei doesn't respond at first, wondering if there's any way to put it off any longer, but then he reconsiders. You might possibly hold his hand again if you know he's scared.

"Okay. Let's go."

"This is Eyes in the Sky, Momo to Mai. Over."

The static comes in over the walkie at a dark haired woman's hip, startling her upright in the driver's seat of her car. She grabs the receiver impatiently, resenting how she's been saddled with being the respondent for their team as her partner catches a nap beside her.

"Mai speaking. We're still in Asakusa district, Taito. Nothing outstanding to report on beat. A few low grade curses, but nothing new in the last hour. Over."

The voice fuzzes through again,

"I have fifteen minutes until our shift ends and no activity that I can see from up here. There's a fog moving in from the east, so I'll be landing shortly since I won't be able to see anyway. Stand by to give your crossroads to meet up. Momo over and out."

"Copy that, over and out," she sighs, rolling her eyes over to where her partner is currently reclined, leaning with his seat all the way back with both of his dirty shoes propped up on the dashboard. She knows for a fact he won't be the one to volunteer cleaning that up when they return the car to campus after their patrol.

"Hey…Hey, Todo! Wake up. We're heading back to the hotel soon so we can get some real sleep." She reaches over and pops out one of his earbud headphones.

"You hear me, you big ox? Get it together. We still have to pick up Momo before we leave."

"Yeah, I heard you. Lay off. Jeez…"

Aoi Todo yawns and stretches his legs in the cramped space as best as he can, disturbing a cluttering of empty energy drink cans on the floorboard.

"Told you those would make you crash."

"Get off my back. I hate being lectured." Todo plugs his headphone back in and resumes his podcast.

Their shifts over the last few months have gone from overtime to doubletime, without consideration for how many hours of experience they were all putting in to keep each district safe. An exorcism of a grade three curse is now treated as the same as if it were a grade one, and vice versa. It gave little desire to do any additional work. They can take things a little easier and wait for their aerial crewmember to alert an actual disturbance rather than waste the energy looking for assignments themselves. There's no motivation to outshine any of the other sorcerers at Kyoto unless someone spots Sukuna's rogue vessel.

Now that would put a spotlight on anyone at Jujutsu Tech. Maybe Mai could even get off doing shitty extermination routes like this.

Of course she has her own reasons for wanting to find this new vessel of Sukuna as well. Any chance to upstage her twin who'd been too stupid to see that the newest recruit at the Tokyo school would become a much bigger problem in the long run. Maki should have dealt with it when she had the chance, but her softness for cursed humans must be affecting her decisions. The Tokyo school almost had a similar problem on its hands a couple years prior with the enrollment of special grade sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu and his Curse Rika. Although they'd been separated eventually in the Curse's crossing over, the entire experience left very little margin for error with the addition of any new "at risk" sorcerers. Rika chose to leave her host in the end thankfully. No one could possibly hold any hope for Sukuna to do the same. No, it's going to take some real firepower to get rid of this new vessel, and Mai Zenin has gone out of her way to prepare herself if she ever encounters it.

Another buzz on the walkie pulls Mai's attention from her holstered revolver.

"Momo to Mai. Do you copy? Ove–"

"It hasn't been fifteen minutes yet, Momo. We're not picking you up until the end of our–"

"I'm reporting activity down below, so pay attention! Over!" comes the impatient reply.

"Ughhhh. For real? This close to a shift swap? Fine. Where is it?" Mai groans, already shaking her passenger's shoulder to get his attention again.

"It's probably just some kids fooling around, but I think there's someone in the amusement park. Too dark to see, but someone fired up one of the rides."

"So? That's not our problem. Just radio it into the police for a courtesy check. We're only looking for curses, not trespassers."

"Yeah, well, as per our orders, we're to check out anything suspicious in the area, and seeing as I'm the only one busting my ass during down time tonight, I'm going to get a closer look. Be prepared to move in if I radio back with anything out of the ordinary. Alright? Momo over and out."

"Geez, she's a ray of fucking sunshine."

Mai turns over the car engine and flips the headlights on.

"Where are we going? Another low level cursed spirit sighting?" Todo asks, clearly having not been listening to the exchange over his podcast.

"Actually, no. I thought we'd mix things up and go to the amusement park just for shits and giggles."

Todo makes a dismissive sound, resettling in his seat.

"Who in their right mind goes to an amusement park at night?"

"I found the roller coaster entrance!" you shout triumphantly and push the metal gate, holding it open once you step through.

There's a knot forming in the pit of Junpei's stomach as he reads the name of the monstrous machine painted in dripping red across the billboard bolted to its side: The Cannibal.

"Jesus fucking Christ," he whimpers with pure pants-wetting dread.

You frown when you see your friend lingering far behind. Roller coasters have never been his favorite. They always made him feel sick even if he was only watching the cart loop and hurdle along the tracks from the sidelines.

"Junpei? Are you coming?" you ask.

Sukuna glances back, giving the boy an impatient look that silently commands him to step forward. Junpei obeys, gingerly tiptoeing past. He hates feeling all of those eyes on him, scrutinizing each little movement and waiting for him to mess up. He's most certainly damned no matter what he decides.

You hop into the lead car and eagerly wave him on to sit beside you.

"Hurry up! I wanna see what this thing can do!"

Oh, the first seats. Good. I'll die on impact.

He joins your side and lowers the safety bar, clicking it down securely over your laps.

You shout back to Sukuna, "We're ready! The control panel should have a lever to start everything. Give it a pull and send us off!"

With an annoyed expression, your Curse begrudgingly follows your instructions, overlooking the panel and pulling the switch to begin the ride to send you slowly ascending the first initial hill. He re-crosses his arms into the long sleeves of his kimono, muttering under his breath contemptuously about the stupid, infernal fancies of humans as you fade out of his sight.

"Here we go!" You huddle closer to Junpei, bumping his shoulder amicably but notice the poor guy looks as pale as a sheet. You can tell by his death grip on the safety railing that he's not doing well.

"Are you alright?"

He shakes his head. "Not really. I hate roller coasters."

Your jaw falls open. "What? I wouldn't have asked you to ride if I knew that!"

"I..I-I didn't want you to ride alone!" he stammers.

There's a clicking sound as the full weight of your car is pulled closer to the top of the first hill, giving you and Junpei what would have been a marvelous bird's eye view of the park, but with the lights of every attraction shut off, the atmosphere is far more ominous than anticipated. Particularly when you realize the track also happens to be pitch dark too.

"Oh, Shit! There's no lights!" you shout.

"What?!" Junpei demands, in no state of mind to take this challenge on in the pitch black.

"I didn't notice! It's a wooden tra-AAAAACK!"

You're cut off as the momentum of the cars pushes over, sending both you and Junpei plummeting straight down.

"AAAAHHH!"

"AAAAHHH!"

Just as you're considering what sort of sound a roller coaster car hitting the ground would make, the track swoops up again, keeping the inertia gained by the first drop to shoot you through a long tunnel that echoes your screams off its paneling. You roll over countless loops, taking each turn with incredible speed and still gaining momentum at an alarming rate. The track corkscrews and plummets again, jostling you together before sending the cart toward the second plummet drop. The end of the track grows closer and closer, hanging in midair.

"OH, SHIT!"

"No, no, no, no, NOO-O!"

Junpei, scared and at the end of his wits, grabs onto you first. He skips the subtlety of holding your hand and wraps his arm around your shoulder the same way he does in the air when you fly together. You try to remember what comes next after the freefalls. The track should have one last final twisting loop to send you back around the end curve. Your stomach buckles and the direction shoots upward. Here it is!

"Last one, Junpei! It's gonna hesitate at the top so hold on tight!" you scream.

On cue the cart loses its momentum, slowing and keeping you inverted at the apex of the loop. It feels like an eternity before the weight finally eases the cart over the tipping point, sending you and Junpei screaming down. You brace yourself against him, gritting your teeth as the last few spirals bring the cart to a level plane. You coast into the last tunnel at a slower speed until easing into a yielding halt right where you started.

When he's sure the ride has stopped completely, Junpei raises his head, still clinging to you for dear life.

"We made it! Ha ha-ha! HA!" he cries, laughing hysterically.

"That was insane! I can't believe we did it!" You raise the safety bar and throw your arms around him for an actual embrace.

Someone clears their throat on the main platform behind you.

"Having fun?" Sukuna asks, looking unamused by this affectionate display.

"Tons! And we're not done yet either. Come on, Junpei! You can pick the next ride." Grabbing his hand, you help him up and the two of you run past the scowling Sukuna.

"What should we do next? I think they have bumper cars," you suggest.

"There's a haunted house over there!" Junpei points.

"We should find some cotton candy. I eat it everytime I go to places like this!"

"You know you can't eat human food. You're just going to throw it up," Sukuna reminds you needlessly.

"Shows what you know. Cotton candy isn't food," you argue, sticking your tongue out at him as an afterthought.

Junpei stops walking, captivated by a single dark spire rising straight up.

"What about…that?"

"Terror Tower? Do you like that one?" you ask, remembering how much he distinctly hates heights.

"Honestly, I was always too scared to try it as a kid. But after that roller coaster, I don't know, I guess maybe I'm feeling a little crazy," he laughs breezily.

A soft rustling of feathers makes him turn in your direction. Your black wings are unfurling through the splits in your coat. You gesture for him to step closer.

"Come on then. Let's face some fears."

He steps closer, letting you pick him up as your wings pump to gain altitude.

"We'll be right back!" You shout to Sukuna, who looks displeased at being ditched in this manner.

"Wait! Don't we need him?" Junpei asks.

"Not for this. We can manage without him for a bit."

You push off the ground and take to the air, carrying your friend straight up toward the tower. You don't see the way Sukuna's eyes follow you as you disappear into the night sky or hear how heavily he sighs once he's alone.

The moon is a bare sliver and cool air rushes past your ears, ruffling your feathers pleasantly. The yellow blinking spire of the tower is so much higher than it looks from the ground, taking you several minutes to reach the top. It's the only structure powered at night for safety measures because of its elevation. The light guides you to land at the precipice above where seats pause before the long drop. You carefully set Junpei down on the ledge beside you but he stays close, refusing to fully let go of your arm. All the way up here, the two of you are higher than any paying customers will ever get to be.

"Whoa," Junpei breathes shakily, his fingers digging in through the sleeve of your coat a little harder.

"It's amazing up here. Listen? Do you hear that?" You hold a hand to your ear.

He frowns, pausing to listen too. "I…I don't hear anything."

"Exactly! No fucking Sukuna! Hahaha! Even a minute away from him feels like a vacation," you declare as you ease yourself to sit, minding your wingspan around Junpei.

He joins you, although choosing to sit cross legged rather than swinging his feet over the edge like you're doing, and studies you closely in the blinking orange glow of Terror Tower.

"Can I ask…How did you and Sukuna end up together?"

"Aw, come on. I don't wanna talk about that asshole. I want to enjoy being away from him for a little while," you groan.

"Sorry. I've just noticed that your relationship is a bit…odd?" he attempts, scratching his chin innocently. It feels awful prying into your business, but he can't help wondering.

"Yeah. 'Odd' is definitely one way to put it."

You kick your boots in the empty air, wishing for so many aspects of your life to be different from what they are. It can't be said that it was all Sukuna's fault. You've had enough time to reflect and see how blinded you were by the scraps of affection he fed to you. You clung to the pitiful dream of being loved so tightly that it burned the world around you. The same world that left you starved enough that you'd take what you could get from toxic sources. And it all got you here.

Your shoulders feel as heavy as they did when you first got your wings. Even the frivolous glee of the amusement park is too fleeting to lift your spirits entirely.

Junpei says your name softly, bringing you out of your dark thoughts. It's then you realize that he's slipped his hand down to yours. A painful lump rises in your throat. You pretend to adjust your hair, pulling away from the comforting gesture with abject reluctance.

"We should head back soon before Sukuna comes looking for me. If I'm out of his sight for too long, He'll break his vessel to return to my body."

"It sounds like he really cares about you," Junpei comments. Maybe a few of his assumptions were right afterall.

"Believe me, I wish he didn't. My life was so much easier before he decided to take over it. I wish–" You cut yourself off.

"You wish what?" Junpei asks, tucking his hair back from the wind.

You'd almost said you wished you'd never met your Curse, but…then Junpei wouldn't be here, would he? He'd still be dead and deformed and nearly forgotten. That was something positive at least, right?

"Nothing," you smile and rise to your feet.

"Hey, didn't you say you were afraid of this thing? You've been doing pretty good sitting this close to the edge."

"Heh. I guess lots of things are less scary to me now."

"Oh, yeah? So do you want to try the freefall?" you ask with a specific tone that tells Junpei you're thinking mischievously again.

He quirks an eyebrow, puzzled. "Don't we need Sukuna to start the ride?"

"Not for this one. Do you trust me, Junpei?"

"I…." He pauses, appraising your confident expression in the slowly flashing light.

"Yeah. I do."

"Come here."

Your wings open wide and you toe the line where the platform ends. You turn and motion for Junpei to step in closer. When he does, you wrap your arms around his back, holding him tightly. He inhales deeply at the touch, unsure of what you're doing.

"Don't scream." you whisper.

Your only advice as you leap forward, taking him over the edge with you.

"Wha–!"

For one wondrous moment, all Junpei can think is oh, we're falling… as if he's been in one long fantastic dream. This would be exactly the type of cruel trick his brain would play on him. Gravity sucks the two of you down, your combined weight rocketing together as you cling tightly to your passenger.

"WWHHYYYY?!" Junpei hollers with dismay.

"To face those fears of yours!"

You roll your shoulders to the right, twisting your trajectory into a spinning motion.

"NO-O-O-O-O!"

This is so much worse for him! It's too dark, he can't even make out where the ground is. How far up was the tower? It feels like you've been falling for almost a minute now. The pavement below can't be too far away. Poor Junpei screams even louder, hiding his face in your chest and squeezing you with all of his strength.

"You're okay. I've got you," you remind him.

His cries cut off and he can tell you're smiling amidst the flying strands of your hair. Your wings are still speared forward for maximum speed, but he realizes with great relief that you are in total control of the fall. You feel his rigid body relax slightly in your arms.

Only then do you open your wings, letting the snapback catch you both. Flapping steadily, you ease Junpei into your usual flight position with your arms at his shoulders and waist. He's still shaking from his residual terror, but small hysterical laughs erupt from him as the ecstasy of survival hits him. He yells your name with no real anger in his voice.

"Oh, my GOD! What the hell did you do that for?!" he demands.

"Haha! Sorry. I just thought a dive would be more fun than the Terror Tower drop. Was I right?"

"You're fucking insane! Do you know that? You have to know that, because no one in their right mind would do half the shit you call fun!"

He smiles like an idiot so you know he isn't really upset.

You bank a sharp left as you pass the ferris wheel, your eyes scanning the ground for Sukuna. He never goes far in his earth vessel. There! The white outline of his kimono catches your attention below at the carousel.

He'd grown bored while waiting for your return and sought out a place to sit. He's reclined against the twisted gold drop rod of a red fiberglass horse with one foot up on the back of its lifeless head, somehow managing to look both relaxed and impatient at the same time.

"Took you long enough." he complains the moment you land.

"Jeez, I was only gone for like ten minutes."

"It was twenty-three minutes actually," he corrects as he crosses his arms in a huff. Clearly he's miffed at being left behind.

"Will you lighten up?" You retract your wings then cock an eyebrow at the control station.

"Don't you dare," Sukuna warns you in a threatening tone. He knows you too well, and can sense the gears in your head already turning.

Your hand is already hovering over the start button. You smile sweetly at him.

"You know…It wouldn't kill you to have a little fun, Ryomen"

There's a buzz as your finger hits the switch and the carousel lights illuminate. A light bouncing tune plays from its internal workings and the platform begins to rotate, sending the colorful animal jumpers leaping into life.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" He flips around to clutch onto the support rod. His red horse bounces in its programmed arch as he rides it in reverse sidesaddle.

"Stop this infernal thing at once!" he demands as he passes by in the first rotation around.

You're doubled over holding your sides, nearly on the verge of tears. Even Junpei has to cover his mouth with both hands to keep from howling his laughter aloud. Sukuna glares daggers in your direction, vowing to get his revenge on at least one of you when he gets the chance.

"Are you having a good time yet? Because I can send it around for as long as it takes!" you shout with full intention to keep the ride on.

Unable to bear this humiliation any longer, your Curse takes his chances and hops off, balancing with one hand the bobbing head of his horse. He times his jump with the next rotation, landing easily and immediately straightening his robes once again.

"Ridiculous!" he spits.

"I was just trying to include you."

Now he looks actually upset. "You were not! And I don't need to be included in your paltry entertainment."

"Don't be like that. Actually there is something we can all do together. Come on!"

You run up and grab onto his arm, pulling him with you. He allows this, but keeps his sour expression as you drag him to a kiosk style photo booth standing nearby.

"Junpei! Care for a souvenir?" you call out to him and wave him over.

"Sure!" He smiles and joins the crowded spacing inside the booth on the opposite side of you.

It's a tight squeeze with all of you crammed together, especially with Sukuna's broad shoulders, but you manage to fit in the display screen in front of you.

"We don't have any money. How are we going to do this?" Junpei asks.

"No worries."

You press your hand over the slot designed to accept payment, sending a small jolt of your cursed energy into it. A glowing green dot appears at the top of the screen and a ten second countdown timer begins.

"We get three photos with these, so be sure to pose in between shots, okay?"

You reach over and brush Junpei's hair out of his face. He flinches slightly at the touch but gives you a shy smile.

After three photo flashes, you exit the kiosk and wait for the pictures to develop. There's a beep at the printer slot and it spits out two copies of your images.

"These came out really good!" you beam as you hand Junpei one of the strips for him to keep.

He holds the picture closer. It's so refreshing to see his full face in a photo instead of his usual half profile he used to do to hide his scars. You and him mirror each other's smiles in the images, leaning slightly toward one another. You look happy.

Sukuna looms over your shoulder. His expression is unreadable.

"What do you think?" you ask as you hold it up for him to see.

"I look strange," he mutters.

"No one likes how they look in photos." You shrug and tuck it away into the inner pocket of your flight coat.

You've killed almost an hour here. If there are any security cameras anywhere, someone may be responding soon. Oh, well… It was nice while it lasted. You sigh and give one last look around the park, noticing that a fog is beginning to settle overhead from the east. Rotten flying conditions. You'll have to head home now if you want to make it back before sunrise.

"I guess we should be leaving. I had a really great time though."

"So did I. I'm glad we came," Junpei agrees.

There's a shattering sound and you turn to find Sukuna punching a hole through the center of his chest with a determined fist.

"Not a moment too soon. I loathe this pathetic weak vessel," he declares with contempt.

"Hey! I worked hard to make it for you!" you interject.

The structure of his body breaks away, crumbling back into dust at your feet. There's a tingling jolt as he returns to your body, immediately manifesting from his usual spot on your face.

"It's just so much more natural to be where my body is." he sighs with relief.

"What's left of it, you mean," you correct him.

You turn back to Junpei.

"Ready to go? We gotta beat that fog."

"Sure," he nods. The thought of flying back doesn't make him as anxious as it normally does. That stunt you pulled on Terror Tower did a lot to alleviate his fears afterall it seems. He finds it hard to stop smiling at you.

"Did you have a better birthday?" he asks.

You flush that he remembered. "You know? I really did."

He beams. "Good! You do so much to keep people safe and never get anything in return. You deserve to be happy."

You take a step forward and give his shoulders a gentle embrace. He returns the gesture haltingly. It's wonderful being held by you. No one has ever given him butterflies like this before.

You pull back, fairly blushing at your own actions. "So? Shall we–"

WHUUMPPP!

Before you can finish your sentence, there's a loud explosion from behind followed by a strange icy sensation on the back of your neck. The front of your coat and shirt feels suddenly warm and sticky to the touch.

"AAAHH! AAAAAAHH!

Junpei screams in horror and you look up. His face is splattered with blood. Your blood, you realize. You try to speak, but find yourself unable to. The coldness on your neck grows and you feel a gaping hole where your jaw once was.

You collapse to the ground in a heap, barely conscious enough to hear the sound of your friend screaming your name again and again.

To Be Continued….