melone71009: "Im too broke to buy it"
Don't worry! Most of the stuff I post on there will come out eventually on here for free, even if you have to wait a while.
Guest: "Maybe I misread but is Fushiguro planning to do the ritual with Adam? Doesn't doing it with someone else nullify it making it pointless?"
No, you did not misread it. It would be a practice run, where Fushigoro would attempt the ritual alone with some backup to help just in case he can't handle it alone. If he didn't require backup and was able to complete the ritual alone, he could reattempt it with nobody there and complete it successfully; if he did, then he can take some time off to strategize/train before reattempting again.
TLDR: Its a precaution so he doesn't get in over his head with nobody to help.
"Jeez! Watch it on the bandages Ijichi!" Fushigoro smirked at the sight of his friend fighting off their driver. The white haired boy's hands flailed around in an attempt to disperse the pain while Ijichi bandaged his ribs.
"I'm sorry, Adam, but this needs to be done." With a final sigh, Ijichi pulled the bandages tight, causing Adam to let out a girlish shriek. It was this sight, with Fushigoro watching on as his classmate was being attended to, that Gojo decided to take a picture of. Of course, the strongest sorcerer got everyone's attention by the loud capture sound his phone spat out.
"Hmm, I forgot to turn that off-"
"Delete it!" Adam screeched, leaping towards his mentor like a bat out of hell. Gojo simply snatched him by the back of his coat while holding his phone far out of reach, a teasing smirk plastered on his face all the while.
With a laugh and an exaggerated tap, he let out a little chuckle. "Oops! I accidently just sent it out to my entire contact list!" Adam slumped mid-air in defeat, only to revitalize as he heard Fushigoro's phone ring; a sure sign that Gojo had followed through on what he said.
"Oh, you are so dead, Blindfold!" Adam started to wriggle out of his coat before Gojo unceremoniously dropped him and began to run away. "Accept your fate, asshole!" Not a moment later, Adam was off of the ground and shooting after his mentor.
While they were playing their game of improvised tag, Fushigoro turned to Ijichi with a blank look. "Earlier, when you dropped the veil, it was because of the domain, right?" Ijichi, who was packing away his first aid kit, sent a glance over to his young colleague before shrugging.
"Most likely, I was just following what Gojo said though." With a quick sigh, Ijichi shoved the kit in the trunk before pulling out his keys. "Would you like me to turn on the air conditioner so you can rest? I have a feeling Gojo is going to have Adam run out his adrenaline."
"No thanks, I'll keep enjoying the fresh air for a bit longer." Fushigoro responded, nodding to the driver in a show of gratitude for the offer. Ijichi bowed slightly in return before opening his car door and slipping inside. 'We're definitely not doing that subjugation today, or tomorrow either. Maybe I can have the second years supervise us during the test run when they return from their mission; it'd also be a great way for them to meet Adam.' With a plan in mind, Fushigoro pulled out his phone; only for him to get completely distracted by the message notification he'd received from his teacher. 'How'd he even type this?' A slight smile formed on the boy's face as he input his passcode and opened up the messages app.
'My two newest students have just finished defeating a first grade cursed spirit! Keep an eye on these ones, they'll definitely become big fish in our pond.' With the attached photo being of Adam getting treated while Fushigoro stood by him. Fushigoro's smile only widened as he set the photo as his lock screen, replacing the blank black background he'd kept it as for years. 'I guess if anything is going to fill that space, it'd be something like this.' He thought fondly, glancing up from his phone to see Adam leaning over and panting while their teacher performed the Ali shuffle in front of him. "Come on! We need to make our report!" The spiky haired boy called out, earning the attention of both tag players.
"J-Just gimme a second to kill this guy." Adam panted, holding up a crooked finger to point at his mentor before promptly throwing up and face planting into the newly created puddle. Fushigoro cringed at the sight while Gojo began howling with laughter.
Despite his continuous laughing fit, Gojo grabbed Adam by the back of his shirt and lifted him up, using a form of limitless to pull the vomit off of the boy's skin and clothes. The man didn't even react before throwing it away with a small amount of telekinetic force.
While Gojo deposited the boy in the car, Fushigoro opened up his own door. "Guess that squirrel really did a number on him." His teacher must've heard it from the way his laughter began anew.
"Four fractured ribs on his right side, bruising across the rest of his torso, hairline fractures across both his arms and legs. That's the light overview, which doesn't include the injuries to both his head and back, nor does it cover the damage to his muscular system." Shoko read off dutifully, balancing her cigarette on the edge of her lips in order for it to not impede her speech. "Hot damn, was this kid fighting an elephant or something?" Her comment sent Gojo into another laughing fit while Fushigoro groaned in annoyance from his hospital bed.
"It was a first grade vengeful curse." Fushigoro responded, looking over his classmate's exhausted body with a keen eye. "I'm sure my teacher wants me to mention the fact that his head injuries were caused by a high velocity rodent."
"A squirrel!" Gojo helpfully chimed in, causing Fushigoro to groan again. "He got a concussion from a squirrel!" The white haired man once again burst into laughter, followed by a few quiet giggles from the school nurse.
Megumi leveled a tired glare at her while shaking his head, "don't enable him." Shoko merely shrugged in response before placing down her clipboard and stretching.
"Anyway, I need to wait for him to wake up so he can reinforce his bones while I heal." Stamping out her old cigarette, she put a new one into her mouth and took a seat in the corner of the room.
"What? Why?" Megumi asked, turning to face the woman fully. Shoko glanced over her freshly picked up magazine before gesturing over to the boy's teacher. With a quiet sigh, the boy turned to look at his teacher, "why would Adam need to be awake for treatment?"
Gojo let out a final snort before composing himself. "Simply speaking, he needs to align his bones and reinforce them with cursed energy. Lawfully, Shoko here can only act as a school nurse and jujutsu sorcerer, which means she can't offer things like splints and metal rods that'd usually help with recovery. Unless it's an emergency." Seeing Fushigoro's annoyed look, the man shrugged. "I hate it too, but there isn't much we can do."
Fushugoro hopped off his bed with a quiet grunt. "I'm going to head back to my room to rest, unless there's anything else you need of me." Both the doctor and his teacher responded with a negative, allowing the boy to leave the underground clinic unimpeded. 'Definitely not going to be able to deal with Orochi today.'
"I had no idea how weird this would feel." Within Adam's body, there was a soft tap as his broken bones snapped back into place. That same feeling was immediately followed by the sensation of putty spreading from one end of his broken skeletal system to the other, molding into fresh bones that could be used immediately. "I've definitely got to learn this someday."
Gojo laughed quietly from his right, looking up from his phone for a moment to give his student his full attention. "You have the talent for it, that's for sure. Landing a black flash on your third ever extermination job is almost unheard of."
"For real? When you explained it, it seemed like it was something everyone would go through at some point. After feeling it though…man it was like I was on drugs or something." Adam laughed for a few moments before wincing. "I guess my concussion isn't any better."
"That'll just take a bit of time, head injuries are hard to deal with." Shoko assured, grabbing another cigarette from the pack in her coat pocket. At the sight of the object, Gojo's face scrunched into a tight ball.
"I thought you said you gave up on those things." Gojo said, staring at the object intently from behind his blindfold.
Shoko hummed in thought, rolling it over her lips for a moment before responding. "They're herbal?" She offered, glaring at Adam for a moment before looking back at her friend.
Clearly, the boy didn't get the message from the way he laughed. "Bullshit, you gave me a few from your pack this morning. Those things are as full of tobacco as they can be. That wouldn't matter anyway, since herbal ones are more dangerous." A stray thought of giving the boy a ring shaped burn for his tattling entered the nurse's mind before it left just as quick.
"Oh, my." Gojo mockingly gasped, holding a hand up to his mouth for extra effect. "What would Utahime do if she saw this?" A quick snapping sound alerted the group to the fact he'd taken a picture.
Having been used to the man's antics for over a decade at that point, Shoko merely shrugged before inhaling again. "Guess we'll just have to see."
Since he didn't receive the result he wanted, Gojo deleted the picture and turned towards his student. "So did you gain any new skills?" Adam nodded, narrowing his eyes slightly at the panel on the corner of his vision.
"During my fight, something odd happened after I landed that black flash." Adam looked towards his teacher, who gestured for him to continue on. "It was able to be seen by the curse."
Gojo put a hand to his chin in thought, "that would make sense, based on what I've seen your technique do so far." Seeing Adam's features strain slightly at the lack of explanation, Gojo continued. "Usually, cursed energy flows minimally through the body without the sorcerer's conscious action; yours is different however. For most people, like Shoko and Megumi, it's a small amount, ready to be called into action at any moment. You however, have most of the cursed energy you have access to constantly flowing through your body, which is why your technique is constantly active. It truly is an anomaly amongst all other techniques." After that final comment, Gojo leaned into the chair he was sitting on. With his hands hanging lazily over the back, he barely supplied his words with an associative shrug. "It's whatever though, not like it's harming you in any way; plus, I don't think you can stop it.
"Hmm, that'd also explain why you didn't feel much pain while I was working on your body." Shoko saw the two questioning gazes she received, one blindfolded, and explained her statement. "I guess I can kinda explain it like this; most people decide to just accept the pain and not put any extra cursed energy to the affected area, so it's kinda like moving things through air, uninhibited and snappy. For you though, your cursed energy almost acts as putty or water, allowing the operation to be smooth."
"Oh! That's good, I think?" Adam questioned, earning a chuckle from his mentor.
"It is, for you. Unless there's somebody who can flip the cursed energy in your body, you're basically fighting with your body's maximum all the time. This means you don't have to worry about dislocating something if you put too much power into your movements." Gojo helpfully replied, remembering the first time Megumi had overloaded his muscles. "When Megumi first tried, he dislocated his shoulder throwing a ball." After that final addition, he clapped his hands to gain everyone's attention. "Let's get back on track though, are you able to recreate that phenomenon?"
"You mean, allowing everyone to see it?" Adam shrugged before trying to focus on the screen in front of him. His focus lasted for several more moments before it broke. "I don't think so. Maybe I need to be in the zone for it to become visible." As he said that, the screen shifted into a textbox, not unlike the ones he received when a skill formed.
-Would you like to activate visible mode?-
[A verbal or mental response of yes or no is required.]
"Uhh, yes?" The screen shifted once again, returning to its usual stat page. This time though, an even darker blue made up the background, signifying the change in status.
"Wow, that's pretty nifty." Confirming the fact it had actually worked, Shoko attempted to wave her hand through it, only for the screen to block it like it was solid. Gojo did the same, putting a bit more force into his attempt, only for it to be completely stopped.
"Huh, that thing's actually pretty strong." Gojo laughed, hovering behind his student's back in order to see the changes. "A black flash skill? Does that mean you can activate it on command?" Adam shrugged in response, tapping on the skill name so the description would be displayed.
-Black Flash [2/100]-
By applying cursed energy within 1 microsecond of a physical strike landing, the user's cursed energy sparks black, creating a force 2.5x that of a normal attack!
It is said that only those who have experienced this phenomenon can truly understand cursed energy, and you are one of those lucky few!
Chance of activating: 0.505%
"Huh? It was way better before." Adam's comment earned the attention of the other occupants of the room. "By the end of the fight, it was about 4%"
"4? But here it says 0.505."
Shoko mulled over her own words for a few moments before nodding. "Maybe it increases the longer you're in the zone?"
Adam massaged his head in thought for a moment before sighing, "that can't be it…no, that's impossible."
"Got something you want to share with the class?" Gojo asked mockingly, spending the time Shoko and Adam were using to theorize looking at the rest of the boy's stat page.
"It's pretty out there, but I think the probability of landing a black flash doubles each time I land one." Adam shook his head, "but that can't be it though."
"Why not? And on that train of thought, do they have to be consecutive?" Adam once again shook his head.
"No, they don't have to be consecutive, that's for sure. Over the course of five or so minutes, I landed 4. For your other question, it just seems too strong. That'd be first grade level stuff at least, and I only just gained this skill; what would happen if I maxed out the level?" Adam shook his head for a final time. "It's just too outlandish, even for a curse like this."
"A cursed technique you mean." Gojo chided, "and it's specifically because your technique is so out there that I can see your theory being true." He held out his hand and tapped on his other skills to see their descriptions. "This stuff is special grade material if you get strong enough."
That had both Adam's and Shoko's jaws dropping. "Special grade is far beyond me, Blindfold, don't mess with me."
Gojo's response was a quick shrug and a "you won't be able to if you don't believe you can." Which had Adam sighing.
"I don't need the unnecessary hype, it'll make me arrogant." The boy replied, turning off his visibility mode with a mental command. "I think I'm going to keep hiding this for now, at least until I can bear looking at it myself."
"Which I'm hoping will be soon." Gojo added.
"Aren't you supposed to keep the fact you're manipulating someone hidden from the person you're manipulating?" Adam snapped back halfheartedly.
"You and I both know it'll be a step in the right direction for you, so there's no reason for me to hide it." Gojo held his hands up, "we'll have a class tomorrow morning, after that, feel free to go out and spend your stipend."
"Stipend?" Gojo didn't respond before clapping his hands together and disappearing. By process of elimination, his question was now redirected towards the other adult in the room.
"Students receive a stipend weekly for things like fun and shopping." Shoko explained, taking another drag of her cigarette. "If you haven't moved yours, it should be in the top drawer of your dresser."
"So it's a check?"
"Nah, it's a bank card under your name. You'll need to get it reinstated with the principal every time your grade increases or you want to update your picture. You can only do that once a month though, so make sure it looks good." Shoko finished, ushering the boy from the clinic with a lazy wave. "Now go get some rest, I want to close up."
Adam quickly vacated the room, walking up the same stone stairs he had a month prior. He was glad it was a rare occurrence, considering their unkempt nature that led to extensive weathering covering each step on the staircase; another reason for Ijichi's extensive chiropractic bill.
"Just make sure to keep your phones on!" Gojo cheerfully waved at his two students while they left the school grounds.
After Adam had discovered his small untouched fortune in the form of a fresh bank account, he'd devised a plan with Fushigoro to watch a movie the next day after class. The black haired boy had found it slightly funny that Adam had suggested such a thing, considering how his knowledge on the language it would be displayed in was amateur at best; sure, he could get his point across, but he still had an extremely thick accent and couldn't read kanji too well yet. His lack of reading ability was the main reason Gojo had taken up drawing diagrams instead of paragraphs during his lessons, though Fushigoro believed the man was simply looking for an excuse to be able to do so prior.
"Adam, do you have your phone on vibrate?" Fushigoro turned to his classmate, who had just pulled out said device in order to check. Cinema etiquette dictated they should have it on silent, but both boys were in a position where that wasn't a possibility. Having such a healthy stipend to spend also came at a cost, specifically in the form of an expectation that any student would stop what they were doing the instant they were called upon for a mission. Both boys knew however, that their teacher was probably going to cover anything they were called for so they could enjoy a day to themselves.
"Yeah, what about you?" Fushigoro had already taken his phone from his pocket in order to check, so he responded with an affirmative nod. "Nice. Now you better pick a good movie, because I have no idea what to look for."
Fushigoro paused momentarily to frown. "You mean you haven't decided?" Adam had the decency to at least look bashful while stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Damn, I don't think I've ever been invited out and not had the host make plans."
"Shut up." Adam whispered venomously, earning an eye roll from his black haired classmate. "I don't know any of this stuff, so you gotta teach me."
Fushigoro sighed quietly, tapping his phone a few times while bringing up the map. "Let's stop for coffee first, and we'll look through the selection. You know how you like yours made, right?"
"Ha! Of course I do, I like it Boss style!" Adam grasped onto the one rope of knowledge he had heavily, only to have it be tugged away by his classmate.
"Uhuh, and which blend is that?" Fushigoro's smile slid into a more smug form as Adam began to sputter. "You know, do you like an espresso, a latte, a long black, that sort of stuff."
Having had enough of his classmate's teasing, Adam quickly answered. "The brown colored one…whatever that is."
"So a latte." Fushigoro led them both down the street where his favorite cafe lay. It was a quiet street, especially at a time like they'd chosen, meaning they didn't have to dodge around a crowd or other people as they walked. Such a place fit Fushigoro's demeanor greatly, quiet and peaceful. Adam carried many of the same features, and as such was enjoying the silence filled only with their footsteps as they walked. It didn't hurt that he also didn't have to deal with the attention that accompanied his fashion style and odd features.
"How do you like your coffee then?" Adam asked, breaking the comfortable silence shared between them. Before the boy could answer, he added another statement, "you seem like the type of guy to like pure coffee."
"Like an espresso?" Fushigoro hummed in thought for a moment before replying to the boy's question. "It depends on how I'm feeling; if I need energy, then I'll get a double espresso, which is just two shots of espresso. Otherwise, I usually stick to a latte. If you want to prank our teacher by the way, get him a long black disguised as a mocha, he nearly never checks it before drinking."
"And a mocha is…?"
"A latte, but with some added chocolate to stave off the bitterness and add some sweetness to it." Fushigoro paused momentarily, causing his classmate to do the same. "We're here." He turned to his left, facing a large wooden door with glass accents. Along the left side of the front of the store was a large pane window, behind which was a pair of booths that took up most of the space along the wall; the seats and tables further in were barely visible due to their current position, but it was clear the place didn't have many customers, two or 3 tables full at most.
"The Chimera Shadow Garden? What a weird name." Adam's eyes were narrowed at the sign located in front of the store, the kanji and its translation sitting right beside each other within its boundaries. While the white haired boy continued to investigate the sign, Fushigoro politely opened the door.
"Welcome! Oh! Dad, Megumi's back!" Adam's head snapped up at the mention of his classmate's name and he quickly rushed in behind him. "He even brought a friend!" The female barista's chipper tone had Adam's eyes almost popping out of his head.
Fushigoro, despite his usual broodiness, had a light blush of embarrassment blemishing his face as he walked towards the counter. "Sorry for walking out mid conversation last time." He apologized, taking up one of the more worn bar seats in front of the woman. The barista almost seemed to pout before waving her hand around.
"And?" Fushigoro's blush deepened while Adam took up a seat next to him.
"I'm sorry for not coming for a month." Satisfied with the boy's answer, the girl crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "Adam, this is Arisawa Saki, the barista here and the owner's daughter."
Adam's eyes flicked up and down the woman's form appraisingly. Her chocolate brown hair mirrored the color of her almond shaped eyes perfectly. Most of her pale skin was hidden under a combination of the black and white striped apron she was wearing along with the chef's outfit sitting below it. Her hair was pulled into a long ponytail that trailed down her back like a mountain's stream, appearing long enough that it touched her lower back.
"So you're friends with Fushigoro?" Adam asked, eyes flicking between the two studiously.
Fushigoro put his hand up in a so-so gesture. "I come here a lot, and she won't leave me alone." This had Arisawa clutching her heart mockingly.
"Such scathing words Megumi!" She cried, loud enough to have other patrons turning their heads. They seemed to recognize her antics though, as most either ignored the conversation or snorted and went back to their meal.
Having apparently finished with whatever they were occupied with, Saki's father came out from the back room with an apron of his own. His gray hair was also styled into a ponytail, with his attire matching his daughter's completely. "It's nice to see you again Megumi, how have you been?"
Adam sent an inquisitive gaze over to his friend before leaning towards his ear. "Do they know about sorcery?" Fushigoro leaned out of his classmate's range before nodding.
"I've been fine, sir. I'm sorry for not visiting for so long. This is Adam, my classmate; Adam this is Arisawa Takahiro, the owner here." Fushigoro gestured over to the man politely, who bowed towards his white haired customer. Adam bowed slightly in return, just barely avoiding hitting his head on the corner of the bar.
"So what'll you have?" Saki asked, fetching two large mugs from under the counter before heading over to the coffee machine. "You look pretty well rested Megumi, so I'm assuming you'll have your usual?" The black haired boy nodded in agreement, allowing Saki's attention to turn squarely towards the foreigner at her bar. "And for you?"
"A latte please." While Adam responded, Fushigoro grabbed a pair of sugar sachets from a tin on Saki's side of the bar, handing them over to his classmate.
"Just in case it's not sweet enough." The boy said, turning his gaze back to the barista. "While she's busy with that, let's decide on something to do after this." Fushigoro's hand reached into his pocket, quickly reappearing with an unlocked phone.
"Damn, you can do that without looking?" Adam glanced down at his own device, which he had just finished putting the passcode into.
"Yeah, it took me a bit to learn though." Fushigoro replied, opening up the inbuilt search engine and navigating over to the local cinema's website. "Do you have a genre you like?" Adam shrugged, so the black haired boy didn't bother putting any more filters onto his search. "I guess we'll watch an action movie, since they're pretty generally well liked. Do you like superheroes?" Another shrug. "Damn, have you never gone outside?"
Adam laughed at the last question before snatching the other boy's phone and clicking on a random movie. "Here, Black Panther." With a quick slide across the bar, the device was back in his classmate's hand.
"Sounds good. We'll order when we get there." After finishing his report, a fresh mug was placed in front of him, courtesy of Saki.
"Are you two going out to see a movie?" She asked, placing Adam's own mug in front of him. With a not so subtle peek, she recognized the result on her black haired customer's phone. "Ooh, I've seen that one." Before she could utter another word, Fushigoro placed a hand over her mouth.
"Don't listen to her, Adam, she's a serial movie spoiler." The boy warned gravely, earning an inquisitive glance from his white haired classmate. "She likes to tell you all about the movie's plot before you actually watch it. I've been hit 3 times so far, and that's just in the past year." With a glare promising pain if she was to follow through with her actions, Fushigoro removed his hand.
Arisawa pouted quietly before occupying herself with other things around the store, leaving the two boys to talk to each other without interruption. "So what's your relationship with this place?" Adam asked experimentally, taking a sip of his freshly brewed drink while waiting for an answer.
Fushigoro cringed at the sight of Adam's scrunched up face. "Put the sugar in." He ordered, watching the boy do so and begin to enjoy his drink far more. "I stumbled across this place a few years back when I was in middle school." Seeing Adam's questioning stare, he continued. "When I first came here, Takahiro wasn't in a good place, and Saki was still gone." He took a sip of his own drink before elaborating. "She'd been attacked by a curse on her way home from university, and hadn't been seen for days. Of course, since she's a window, she was targeted by the cursed spirit specifically. After hearing his story, I decided to investigate."
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