Sorry for not doing daily updates, I'm sick right now, and stressing about a quiz lol.
It was an alarmingly short trip to the ridiculously large tree, and as much as she tried, she couldn't drag her feet much longer without literally throwing herself on the ground and having an actual tantrum.
Simultaneously, she was terrified and absolutely enraged by the fact that she was getting forced into this meeting. She didn't want to meet Tengen, in fact, she was content with the fact that he had been quite far away!
Dungeon crawling really was a risky business. Junpei was clutching his spear harder than her hand, but it was clearly too heavy for him to use with any reasonable force. He wouldn't know what to do with the spear even if he could lift it easily.
They headed down the empty street as nearly one unit, bristling with defensive aggression. She had put three knives in her pockets, and kept the two longest unsheathed in both hands, leaving the extra, a small folding knife, in place as backup.
The tree really was massive on a scale that she hadn't seen in the anime. It was one thing to see it from a distance, but quite another to look up and realize that the whole school could probably fit inside the circumference of the tree, half another school's room to spare.
Tengen wasn't literally the tree, was he? Kenjaku had just called him similar to one, referring to his inaction. It certainly looked big enough to be a thousand years old.
There was a gate at the bottom of the stairway, eerie in its plainness. It looked, somehow, completely normal and out of place at the same time. There was something underneath it that screamed danger.
She didn't want to walk through it, balking at the entrance, making Junpei run into her from behind. Nishinoya took a step further, already turning to look back at her, and vanished on the spot.
"Nishinoya-san!" Junpei cried, taking several steps backward.
Something coiled around her leg and ripped her feet out from under her, dragging her right through before she could so much as gasp, the side of her head cracking into the floor painfully.
The room went white for an instant, and then green, and she was dragged roughly through dirt and dead leaves for several feet until it released her, letting her fall in a heap into the dirt.
For several moments, all she could do was groan, letting the dizziness settle down before even daring to try and get to her feet.
The room she was in was more of a clearing, a circle of trees, devoid of undergrowth or even grass, with the huge tree at the head of the circle. Behind her, an archway made of two interconnected trees marked the entrance, and vines recoiled into their proper place on the tree.
"It's taken quite a long time to finally get you down here." Someone said from somewhere in front of her, doubtless Tengen.
They stepped out into open view, the movement catching her eyes and drawing her attention from the vines.
Tengen's hair was long but stringy, like an old woman's would be, and their skin was more wrinkled than flesh. They looked absolutely ancient, with more wrinkles and age spots than normal skin. Their eyes weren't even able to open anymore, they were so sunken into their own head. They looked at her all the same, unerringly so. They looked a bit disturbed, though she wasn't sure why.
"Sorry," she stalled, just to give herself a little more time, "I didn't know you wanted to talk to me at all."
"Yet you did, little Anomaly. Aberration." Tengen's voice was smooth as silk, not quite deep. It reminded her of Galadriel, if she looked her true age. Then the meaning of what Tengen just said hit her like a freight train.
Oh dear.
She giggled nervously, tangling one hand in her hair out of some sudden impulse, the other still holding the knife she had somehow kept ahold of.
"I didn't realize it, then."
"So it seems."
Oh, she was so utterly fucked.
"What'd you want?" She asked finally, biting the bullet.
"Aberration. Tell me what you know." Tengen said, an order. No room for denial there
"I'm not gonna do that, actually." She denied instantly despite his tone, and moved to leave, only to smack into a hexagonal forcefield that spread rapidly to encase her entirely in a honeycomb-like barrier.
"You must tell me what you know of the future, Aberration."
"How about you call me by my name, for a start?"
"Midori. Tell me what you know of the future."
She stayed silent. Trapping her, dragging her in here unwillingly, and then trapping her again really wasn't a way to win her cooperation.
"If you're gonna try to hold me hostage in exchange for Riko, it won't work. I'll die before I let that happen." She warned honestly, and Tengen actually seemed taken aback.
"I am not-" They stopped suddenly, as if in realization, and slowly the barrier around her faded away.
"I am not keeping you hostage here." They finished, like they hadn't just set her free before denying it. Some of the frantic tension that had been rapidly crystalizing the moisture in the air around her drained away. Her breath was still frosted over, ice crystals settling on her lashes and hair, and the cold was bone deep, covering the pain from getting her head slammed into the ground.
"Can I leave?"
Tengen was silent.
"Imprisonment, at the absolute least, my dude."
He mouthed her final words, slightly confused by the slang.
"I simply offer an… exchange of knowledge."
"Like what?"
"You wish to know of that seal, correct?" They offered, and despite herself, her breath caught in her throat.
There was a lot that she might be able to exchange for this information. Help and information mostly. If she got them to agree that she couldn't be forced to answer something dangerous, it shouldn't hurt? And suddenly, she'd have so much more access than she could on her own.
"I can figure it out on my own. I don't need your help to do it. What exactly do you want to know?" She hedged, instead of agreeing.
"It is… difficult to say what of the future is necessary to know."
"Danger in the next few years, the biggest threat, fates of various people or who will be most important, what I've already changed. Pick something and I'll judge if I have enough information. If I do and agree to give it to you, then I want you to either answer one of my questions in the same way or help me with something."
"What does something entail?"
"Getting a specific item, convincing the adults to do something I need them to do that I can't explain. You could request Geto and Gojo directly for the Star Plasma Vessel mission, you should be able to easily get me help from sorcerers if I need it. You keep the right to deny anything too outlandish and we will negotiate what is within the scope of the agreement, but I want to be able to save my questions or requests for later if needed, with some way to contact you." She stopped for a moment to think.
"And," she continued, "I want your word that even if the other sorcerers force Riko down here, you won't assimilate her. Call it good faith. I swear to give you as much relevant information as I can and do my best to tell you if I remember anything I've forgotten."
"I will need your oath to tell the truth, without deceit, to be sure of your honesty."
"I might need to hold onto some information if necessary. If I do, my reward for that question will be void, and you get what information I feel I could give for free. I'll tell you if I can't tell you something either. Don't abuse it though, if I feel like the information I'm giving you, even if incomplete, is enough to satisfy you, I will call it good enough too. The information is free as a courtesy to you, not a rule."
"The terms are accepted. To complete the vow, you must give verbal agreement and then swear the second vow."
"I agree to the terms." She said firmly, and something tightened around her whole body, an uncomfortable squeezing sensation.
"I swear to tell the truth as I know it to be true, without deceit, when answering questions that Tengen has about the future." She said quickly, and the squeezing reached its peak for a second, like a blood pressure measuring cuff but all the way around her body, before fading away to barely noticeable. It would most likely fade from her awareness completely as time went on and become a natural part of her body.
"What is the soonest world-ending danger faced by the world?" Tengen asked quickly.
Hmm. Was Kenjaku a world-ending danger?
"Define world ending?"
"At risk of killing massive portions of the human race."
"Soonest? Geto Suguru."
From Tengen's silence, that was not the answer they had been expecting.
"He should have witnessed Riko's death down here, very close to Riko's arrival. I changed that, Riko lived, but he's still in extreme danger of snapping. He was supposed to kill over a hundred people and then set his eyes on exterminating every nonsorcerer in the world until only Jujutsu sorcerers remained. Given the extremely low numbers of Jujutsu sorcerers, if he succeeded the human race would likely die out, due to inbreeding if nothing else. I'm doing my absolute best to help him through it though, so the risk is hopefully lower than it was originally. I don't want to think about how he could go off the deep end, especially if he and Gojo grow closer. I'd be worried that Geto could convince Gojo to join him on his quest."
"May I ask clarifying questions?" Tengen asked warily.
"Yeah, I don't mind. I'm not being stingy with this on purpose, I'm just not sure how much you want to know about it. I'm… semi-skilled in psychology. I'm not the ideal candidate for getting Geto the help he needs to not go all 'special grade cursed user hell-bent on genocide' on us, but I'm not your average four year old either. It's still the most immediate danger, of course, don't think I'm cheating you, but I'm hopeful."
"What steps are you taking?"
"Mostly, Riko's still alive. I've talked to him several times about his problems. I've also encouraged him to speak to a mental health professional and done my best to help him relax. I've also encouraged him to deepen his relationship with Gojo, in hopes that having another person to rely on that he was close to would broaden his support system."
It all sounded so clinical. It was oddly sickening, talking about Geto that way, like she was giving some sort of report. She hadn't done it out of clinical motivation, she'd encouraged Geto to confess to Gojo because both boys deserved to know that their feelings were returned. Sure, it was a support system for him, but it was hardly the only or even the most pressing reason.
Tengen was nodding, considering and said, "So you don't think he should be executed?"
Something in her chest dropped to her feet, her heart or her soul, she didn't know. All the heat in her body vanished on the spot.
"No," she said numbly, "no, I believe he'll be okay. He's improving, and the trigger event never happened, and I'm here now, I won't let him fall. I can just set Gojo on him if needed."
Why'd she want to cry suddenly, like they'd just slapped her in the face and the shock and pain was just settling in?
Was that… really an option? Sometimes she forgot the practicality of Jujutsu sorcerers. Just kill those who might be a threat, without giving them a chance.
"What is the next greatest world-ending danger?"
"Um. Kenjaku, or Kenkaju, whatever his name was. Um- he's planning to-" She was struggling to regain her balance, everything akilter, "could you give me a minute?"
She barely waited for them to nod, clearly confused, before she bolted up the tree, icy handholds forming without even a thought until she had swarmed up to the top and settled herself in the crook of two branches.
Air was scarce this high up, or else her lungs were weak, because she was panting heavily, and she couldn't seem to get enough air. She squeezed her eyes shut and it still didn't stop the tears that just kept spilling out uncontrollably. Her arms were trembling violently, scraping against the bark of the tree despite her efforts to stop it.
Tengen could have ordered Geto to be executed just then, if she couldn't convince them that he was safe, that he just needed support and time. She hadn't even thought that someone might not be willing to give him that chance, that others would decide that giving Geto the chance to live wasn't worth the risk.
They would have ordered Gojo to do it. He was the only one who could. In trying to stop Geto's potential threat, they would have permanently lost Gojo as well. It was one thing to have an execution sentence for mass murder, it was quite another for it to happen for no true reason. Gojo would never have accepted it. Would he have killed the higher ups for ordering it at all?
It would have taken one misstep, and she could have accidentally changed all of jujutsu society.
She really wasn't built for this. She worried and panicked and cried buckets at the slightest upset, but she still somehow failed to think about the consequences.
She'd never been good at this type of stuff, knowing how to say things on the spot in the right way, knowing what to hold back. Clearly, she'd walked carelessly right over a landmine just then. The fact that it didn't go off was pure luck.
She had to do better.
Eventually, her emotions were wrangled back under control, her panic attack fading away for the most part. It lingered at the edges, making each breath a touch more difficult. Annoying, but not enough to stop her from talking.
Scrambling down from the tree was difficult, and she ended up having to make a flying leap about halfway down or risk slipping off the tree entirely. Better to land going forward and down than just down, at least she might be able to roll a little.
Roll she did, narrowly missing Tengen and sprawling in the dirt. It didn't hurt of course, she was still 90% of the way to being a genuine icicle, but it was a little humiliating.
"Kenny, as I call him, has some motives that I'm not too sure of, but I know he's going to curse a decent amount of people, use Geto's body to absorb a special grade cursed spirit and use that to transform them into sorcerers somehow. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details of that part. I know for a fact that he either has or is searching for the prison realm, so he can seal Gojo and get him out of the way for the rest of his plan. This whole thing hinges on, and yes, I think this would have been your third question if you want to count it as it, Sukuna."
"How does Sukuna return?" Tengen asked instantly.
"Kenny steals the body of a Itadori Kaori or some similar name, and then becomes pregnant and gives birth to Itadori Yuji, who has extreme physical strength, is an all-around great person, and a perfect vessel for Sukuna. He eats one of his fingers to save Megumi Fushiguro and Sukuna incarnates into Yuji, who can keep control of his body. Gojo encourages him to eat more fingers so that when Yuji and Sukuna are eventually executed, Sukuna will lose the maximum amount of power. It goes pretty wrong due to the actions of Kenny, after Gojo is sealed, and Yuji is nearly killed, then fed like twelve fingers at once, overwhelming his natural defenses. Shibuya basically gets nuked, the Jujutsu world is exposed, and Kenny releases thousands of curses on Japan after taking out Gojo and causing the deaths of many sorcerers in their attempt to rescue Gojo."
"Fushiguro?"
"Megumi Fushiguro, son of Toji Fushiguro, wielder of the ten shadows technique, and second vessel of Sukuna for reasons unknown. He was Sukuna's dream vessel, essentially, and from what I know he somehow breaks Megumi's spirit and gains control of his body. It was really sad. Megumi should be around my age right now, and will be a first-year with Nobara, who uses her straw doll technique, and Itadori."
Tengen nodded, and said, "That's four answers, correct?"
"Eh, I'd call it three and the Megumi question was a bonus."
Tengen was taken aback but nodded all the same. She wasn't going to wring everything she could from them and leave them dissatisfied, he was being generous enough by agreeing in the first place when he could have just trapped her down here until she caved.
"Why was involved in the attempt to seal Gojo Satoru?"
"Oh, a lot of people and cursed spirits. The main antagonists were Kenny, in Geto Suguru's body, Mahito, special grade human curse, Dagon, special grade ocean curse, Jogo, special grade volcano curse, Hanami, special grade nature curse, and Choso, special grade cursed Womb guy. Choso should be a nonissue as long as we make it known to him that Itadori is one of his brothers."
"A cursed womb painting?" Tengen asked, surprised.
"No, Kenny fathered the cursed womb paintings and was Itadori's mother, so…"
They nodded in understanding, letting her trail off.
Yeash, she didn't like to think about Kenny and the cursed womb paintings. When she dies, she prays that they burn her body so that he can't get ahold of it
"Um… On the good side, there's Nanami Kento, that manager lady, Nobara, Megumi, Itadori, Todo, that guy who can stabilize people with his cursed technique, hmm… Maki! Panda, that sword Zenin guy who can draw his path and follow it really fast, with frames or something, that guy in the beanie. Yaga's there protecting Ieiri. Not too sure who else besides a lot more managers. Oh, on the enemy side there's this lady and her grandson and she can bring people back to life! She calls on Toji, but he takes control of the body instead and he kills himself after realizing who Megumi is. And the blonde Miracle guy, and Sukuna is freed too, but as long as Itadori isn't fed a dozen fingers at once that's easily preventable. That's all I can remember now. Oh! Mei Mei and her little brother are there too!"
"Toji returns?"
"Yeah, it's a whole thing. He kills Dagon after breaking into the cursed spirit's domain and inadvertently saves Megumi before attacking him again. He kills himself after injuring Megumi and realizing who Megumi is and getting his last name. Gojo stops Megumi from being sold to the Zenin clan, so I guess Toji might have been relieved or something. I can't quite understand his motives in killing himself."
"And when will both of these events happen?"
"Oh! Well, Geto's working on it, but two major triggers are going to happen that might be able to be avoided. Yu Haibara is supposed to die on an improperly graded mission, and it seriously affects Geto. Then, there's these twin girls, Nanako and Mimiko, I think their names are, though I could well be wrong. They're locked up in cages and the villagers push Geto to his breaking point by insisting that he kills them, and he ends up massacring the whole village and turning into a curse user. If both of those points are avoided, it should go a long way."
She was rambling, her voice edged with desperation, trying to assure Tengen that Geto was going to be fine, that he just needed time to heal and help to deal with everything going on in his head. She shook herself a little, trying to calm herself down.
"Right! Timelines! Well, it's in 2018 that I believe that Itadori will become Sukuna's vessel. Gojo gets sealed on Halloween, October 31st."
"I see." Tengen hummed.
"Is that all you need to know right now?" She asked warily.
"Is it?" They asked in return.
"It's all that I can really think of, at least in my main goal of preventing all the shit that happens around that time."
"Then, ask your questions." They invited, and she froze on the spot.
"Right," she stalled, "my questions."
"First, how'd you know about me? My knowledge and all?"
"I know much of what happens at the edges of my barriers. It is a side effect of my cursed energy strengthening the barriers, including the small one produced by your cursed corpse."
Shit.
"So, you know most of what I've been doing recently?"
"Only parts. That cursed corpse of yours is a loyal one, and surprisingly intelligent. I haven't overheard any conversation you've had about the future since the scraps I caught several days ago, when you spoke to Geto Suguru of your dreams for the first time in the forest."
She was going to hug Nishinoya so hard when she got out of there. How he'd felt Tengen spying she didn't know but thank god he worked to prevent it. Even if it led to a direct meeting, it still earned her some answers and a little help. Now both of them were going to leave here a little more informed.
"Noted." She muttered, mostly to herself.
"Can you have sorcerers locate and keep an eye out for a kid named Yuta Okkotsu? He's young right now, probably between five and six, but eventually, he'll make a friend named Rika. Sometime after she proposes to him with an engagement ring, she's hit by a car and killed nearly instantly. Yuta curses her accidentally and she turns into a special grade curse who haunts him for years, who's still in love with him. If we can prevent her death, that would save Yuta a lot of pain in the future."
"I will send word." Tengen agreed without argument. Things stalled from there, and she stood there awkwardly, trying to think of what to ask for next.
"Ummm… the seal. What does it do?"
"May I see it?" Tengen asked, and she cringed.
Right, she probably should have expected that. Because being mostly shirtless in front of a thousand-year-old stranger with absolutely no one around was a great idea.
"Could we wait on that actually?" She backtracked quickly, reeling backward like she expected them to grab her.
"If you wish?" Tengen agreed, confused.
"I just… I don't like it when people touch me, is all. Especially not wherever is normally covered by clothing." They looked vaguely pitying now, and it made her sick. She loved to cuddle! She just didn't like anyone to touch her in more… intimate places. In either of her bodies, the feeling was much the same.
"It's not because of trauma or anything, if that's what you think. I just don't like it. There doesn't need to be a special reason." She mumbled defensively. There was nothing wrong with modesty, it didn't mean that she was broken somehow.
They just nodded.
"We'll just save that for now." She whispered, and they didn't argue. Someday, maybe she could get someone down here as emotional support. Or Ieiri could sedate her, so she didn't have to deal with it at all, one of the two.
Hopefully, she'd die before she ever had to go to a Gynecologist. Ieiri could use her reverse cursed technique, right? Then she'd never have to go at all!
"I can't really think of anything else to request right now." She said finally.
"Then you are welcome to leave. I won't prevent you. If you need to speak to me, use your cursed corpse's barrier and call my name. I'll move the entrance close to you."
"Yeah. Alright." She agreed lamely, before making a beeline for the archway. That was that, apparently.
Passing through felt like breaking through to fresh air after a long time underwater, and her first breath concurred with the thought. A heavy weight had lifted from her shoulders, letting her breathe deep for the first time in a while.
Someone grabbed her roughly, lifting her clear off the ground and she opened her eyes with surprise.
Ah, Gakuganji. He looked angry and scared, and her heart was pounding in her ears, so loud it drowned out whatever he was trying to shout.
Junpei stood a short distance away, with Nishinoya, looking ashamed and scared.
Did Gakuganji cause him to look like that?
"Don't touch me!" She said harshly, kicking him away with her feet, hard enough to make him drop her.
He was pissed, but she was too suddenly, because Junpei had been scared for long enough. Most of his life, she'd guess. Gakuganji was the adult here, he should be able to control himself.
"Tengen wished to speak to me." She said, forcing her tone into evenness and ending up sounding blank instead.
It still brought Gakuganji up short, shock and worry fighting for dominance on his face.
She didn't want to deal with him right now.
She walked around him, going to Junpei instead.
"Sorry… I was too scared to follow you." Junpei whispered, ashamed, and all she could think to do was throw her arms around him.
"It's alright to be scared. Don't ever be ashamed of being afraid. Tengen was alright. They even promised not to hurt Riko at all." She replied, but her tone fell flat.
She was going to crash hard. Soon.
"I want to go back up now." She said and started walking. Nishinoya hurried to follow her, falling into step beside her on her right side, and Junpei followed suit on her left.
Gakuganji trailed behind them, a new wariness in his eyes. The higher ups would know about this whole trip, without a doubt. The fact that Tengen had taken an interest only spelled trouble for her when dealing with them.
She should turn around and pop back in to ask Tengen if he could get them off her back. Her and Yaga too.
Maybe Geto would be back by the time they reached the surface. Of everyone, he's the one she'd be able to tell the most to about what went down here.
Yu-nii would give quite the hug though. So would Yaga, and Gojo. If she asked, Nanami would give a great hug too, though he'd probably prefer to leave the comforting to his classmate.
She'd get to tell Riko that she was safe. Even if they tried to force her to assimilate, Tengen would refuse. Riko could live again,
They reached the elevator in short time, picking the nearest exit and heading straight up the elevator. Junpei seemed too worried about other things to be scared of the rattling of the elevator, and Gakuganji walked in without hesitation.
The silence between them was loud, as the elevator climbed its way to the top and dinged pleasantly, the doors sliding open.
Like before, the hallway was ridiculously long, taking several long minutes of silent walking to reach the exit.
It wasn't the same door that they came out of, instead one that close to the cafeteria that she had thought was a supply closet, on account of seeing Yaga fetch cleaning supplies from there after cooking a few times. Now, apparently, it was the exit to Tengen's underground hideaway.
Gakuganji hadn't said a word the whole way up, though his anger was clearly beating out his fear at the moment, given the dark look on his face. He made no aggressive moves yet, so she tugged Junpei away, heading back to her room.
The movie room was an option, and even a good one too, but she wanted somewhere more private. Gakuganji most likely wouldn't follow them into her room, even if he likely wanted to keep them within line of sight. He seemed too traditional for it.
She slammed the door shut behind Junpei, and just as she thought, Gakuganji never knocked or tested the handle, coming to a stop abruptly the moment the door closed.
"You alright?" She asked first, kicking her shoes off and crawling onto her bed. Junpei flailed a little but followed suit with her encouraging gesture.
"I'm ok. Are you alright?" He asked, concerned.
"Yeah. A little bit rattled, and probably gonna cry like a baby by the time someone gets back, but I'll be fine. It turned out far better than I expected it to, so small mercies."
"What happened?"
"They just wanted to ask me some questions, I guess. I agreed to answer them and requested Riko's safety in return. They agreed, and once they were done, I left."
"So, everything's fine now?"
"Yeah."
Things went silent after that, and she let her head smack into the bed, facedown.
"Why doesn't it feel fine then?" Junpei asked finally.
"Do you not really feel safe yet?"
"I dunno. Maybe? It doesn't feel over yet, I guess. Like we left before finishing the dungeon all the way, and I know the boss is still down there." Junpei struggled to explain.
"I get it. I was there and I was gone, and you were probably panicking a bit, and then I was back, and we went home. No resolution."
"Yeah…"
She grabbed him and dragged him closer, right into a hug that he returned desperately. He never could get enough of a friendly touch.
"It's over. It's probably a bit anticlimactic for you, but it is, even if it doesn't feel like it. How about this then, if you want something else to focus on? I have, by my calculations, between one or two, let's call them boons left, in return for answering Tengen's questions. I can get an answer and explanation for one question, or ask for help with one task. Any ideas for what to ask for?"
"Boons?" Junpei mumbled, already lost in thought as he mulled the question over.
Distraction successful.
She lay there comfortably for several minutes, just listening to Junpei's murmurs to himself. He was a smart kid, though it was hardly a surprise. He understood people too, even if he tended to assume the worst.
"Don't tell anyone about the boons either, please," she said suddenly, "I'll tell whoever I think should be told."
Junpei blinked but nodded slowly.
"Thanks." She said after a moment's delay.
"I didn't do much." He whispered.
"You did though! I couldn't have gone down there alone. And Tengen would have had to escalate things, either by sending a direct message for an actual meeting or just putting the entrance in some random doorway and trapping me there until I found them. So, thanks. For being there. I felt a lot better knowing you were out there waiting for me."
"You're welcome." He said, sounding touched. She let her head fall down on his shoulder, curled up comfortably by his side.
Things went quiet after that, both of them enjoying the close contact. Gakuganji didn't bother them.
She napped on and off, waking several times only to find Junpei also napping. Also, drooling slightly on her blanket, which was fine. She had no real idea how long they napped for, except that she was likely ruining her chance at a decent night's sleep. Every time she woke, they were in a slightly different position.
A knock at the door had her pick her head up from where it was pressed against Junpei's stomach, but Nishinoya was already moving to the door. She took the opportunity to stretch, just to make sure she wasn't going to cramp up whenever she got up.
"Midori?" Yaga's voice called, and he poked his head in. He looked relieved to see both of them there, safe and sound.
"Yaga-san, we had an adventure!" She said eagerly, almost throwing herself out of bed to get up quickly, bumping Junpei awake by accident.
"Did you?" He asked good naturedly. Oh, she was about to dispel that. Get thrown under the bus, Gakuganji.
"Yeah! I met Tengen!"
Yaga froze. He looked absolutely horrified for a moment, followed by a split second of fear, and then it was immediately followed by rage.
"Tengen?" He asked, eerily calm.
"Yeah!"
"One moment." He said, and shut the door, very gently. It wasn't enough to deafen his raised voice as he shouted something at someone. Gakuganji, likely.
"Is he mad?" Junpei asked in a small voice, and she immediately hurried over to hug the poor kid.
"Only at Gakuganji I think. Well, he's scared really, so he got angry instead. It's pretty common. I know him well enough to know he won't ever take it out on us. I'm probably the most likely to be punished, if anything."
"Why you? I'm the one who really wanted to go!" Junpei protested immediately, but she held up a hand, stopping him.
"I'd get punished because I'd take all the blame, Aniki." She said bluntly, making him flounder.
"I don't want you to get in trouble. Exploring was my idea, just because I wanted to annoy Gakuganji and make him think we were lost.
"But it was both of us!"
"It was my idea."
"I wanted to explore too!"
"It was mine!"
"It was ours!"
There was a knock at the door.
"Midori-chan, Junpei-kun, are you both alright? I heard yelling." Yu-nii asked worriedly. She sighed.
"We share the blame." Junpei said, surprisingly firm. She couldn't deny him, not when he was being so bold as to actually speak his mind and argue back against her.
She nodded, and headed to the door to let Yu-nii in.
"You're alright? Yaga-sensei looked really mad, did something happen?"
"We ran away from Babysitter-san and I ended up meeting Tengen!"
Whatever he expected her to say, meeting Tengen was not it. He took it admirably though, only pausing for a moment to reevaluate.
"Right. You're both ok though?"
"Yeah! I found some knives!"
… and left the rest down in Tengen's domain, oof. She forgot to grab them. Maybe they could pick them up next time.
"And I found a spear!" Junpei said, hefting it in the air from where he had dropped the thing on the floor.
"Amazing!" Yu-nii complimented, looking it over appreciatively.
"It was in some random building. We were playing dungeon crawl! Where we explore a bunch of rooms and look for interesting stuff! That's how we found the weapons, and how we found the hallway! I thought it was a secret room at first, and we propped the door open so it wouldn't close and trap us, but then it was a really long hallway, and we went to an elevator, went down it, and found an underground city! Then we heard the elevator go down, so we hid, because we have trust issues, and then Nishinoya-kun couldn't find the way out, and instead led us to the big tree in the middle, and Tengen was there! Then after we finished talking, Babysitter man was mad, so we went back up and hid in my room until you guys got back!" She summarized, and Yu-nii was impressively focused, taking in all the info she was dumping on him like a champ.
"Sounds cool but scary!" He said a bit dramatically, and they both nodded along. It was a good summary of the emotions of the whole thing.
"I had a panic attack!" she informed him, and he winced sympathetically.
"Sounds rough…" He empathized, and she nodded.
"Tengen was a little creepy, but nice!"
"Was he? Good!"
"Is Yaga done shouting yet? He scared Junpei a bit, and I don't want to freak out because of it."
"Aw, sorry, Junpei-kun… Sometimes adults need to shout a bit to make others pay attention. That's why I'm here, until Yaga-sensei is calm enough! Want to get some food or something? I'm sure all that exploring must have made you both hungry!"
She glanced at Junpei, who nodded eagerly, so she nodded too.
Yu-nii herded them to the cafeteria, reheating some stew with them. A pair of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, along with a chopped-up apple, completed the meal. They'd saved an orchard, apparently, and been gifted a few. If she had to guess, she'd say it was for Yu-nii more than anyone else, who wouldn't want to shower him with gifts just to make him turn that sunshiny smile on them?
The stew, freshly reheated, was actually bubbling slightly when Yu-nii set it in front of them, and Junpei and her exchanged dubious glances. Definitely reheated to the proper temperature, if nothing else. By silent agreement, they ate their apples first. She might be able to stick a finger in there and cool it down, but she did enjoy having her skin unboiled.
Yaga's voice in the distance reached a new, honestly impressive volume. Something something, four, and the word old. She could take an educated guess on what he was shouting at Gakuganji about.
"So, what happened? You already summarized, but I want to know the details! What'd he look like?"
"Old. Like- super old. Raisin-like skin, covered in age spots, I couldn't even see their eyes, they were so sunken into their head. But they still looked at me, it was a little creepy. But their voice was super smooth and confident, they didn't sound old at all! It sounded like I imagined a god would sound, completely sure of themself. It was intimidating. Also, I called them 'my dude'! I want to die. Do you think they keep up with slang words? I'm not sure how much slang I used."
"Were they nice to you?"
"Well, when I said that they were falsely imprisoning me, they let me out of the barrier they put me in. And they didn't smite me for calling them 'my dude'. And the whole," she waved a hand, referring to their binding vow, not that Yu-nii would recognize it, "it wasn't too bad. I think they need a bit more social interaction though, it was super boring down there. Can we go back and visit and bring a movie or something, do you think Satoru-nii would bring a TV down there for us?"
"Wouldn't that need power though?" Junpei pointed out reasonably.
"A generator then? They might not even have hot water! We have to make sure Tengen has some reasonable accommodation, no wonder they're trying to eat Riko! They're alone down there, and don't even have anything to do! They're gonna go crazy! No one wants that."
"You're very kind, aren't you?" Yu-nii said warmly, and she blinked a little at the sudden change of subject. She wouldn't call reasonable accommodations for senior citizens to be a kindness so much as basic decency. They protected everybody, they deserved more than a cave and a reputation.
At least for now, Tengen could evolve at any time, and she wanted them to have fond memories of Jujutsu High when they did.
That was practicality, not kindness.
"I guess?" is all she could think to say.
Yaga's entrance brought the uncomfortable change of subject to a stop. He was breathing hard, still emanating restrained rage, but his tone was level, perhaps even relaxed when he spoke.
"Are either of you hurt?"
"Nope. We're fine! Well, I bumped my head a bit, but it doesn't even hurt right now, so it clearly wasn't that hard." He still walked over to inspect her, carefully poking over the spot, and his eyes narrowed at whatever he saw or felt.
"I'll tell Ieiri-san whenever she gets back." Yaga said firmly. She shouldn't be scared by that, but she was. That hangout would either make or break their relationship, she'd have to make sure it was perfect.
"What did Tengen want?" Yaga asked after he assured himself that she wasn't currently dying at least.
"To ask some questions. Good news! Riko is safe, even if the higher up people force her into Tengen's home and want to make him eat her, he made a vow to refuse!"
"A vow?" Yaga said, and that was quite a deep breath that he took there.
Oh, he probably thought that Tengen had taken advantage of her.
"Yeah! They said they would agree to do it in addition to the vow we made to answer each other's questions. I have two questions left, too!" She assured him with a smile.
"Did he."
Hm. This wasn't the reassured response she had expected. It wasn't like she could explain fully, not about the whole future thing, but she'd hoped that he would be reassured by her clearly being at ease with the whole situation.
"Yeah?"
"What questions did he ask you?"
"Uhh… I think they were curious about the whole seal thingy? They were going to try and help me figure it out, but I got nervous, so we put it off."
"Why were you nervous?"
"They had to see the seal first."
"And that made you uncomfortable?"
"It always has, really. Ieiri-san's a doctor, Satoru-nii is Satoru-nii. I was pretty scared when he looked at my seal for the first time, but nothing bad happened, I was just uncomfortable. I think I'd be fine if someone was there with me. Or maybe Ieiri-san could sedate me."
"You'd prefer to be sedated rather than allow someone to see your stomach or back?"
She'd honestly started to forget about the seal on her back. Would that one be easier to show? Being on her stomach as people loomed over her honestly sounded worse than just letting them look at her stomach. At least she could still see them, instead of just waiting.
"Probably."
If she had to lie so often, at least she could be honest where she could.
Why'd they both look so sad? Even Junpei patted her softly on the shoulder.
"It's not a bad thing. It's just me. Don't look like y'all just watched a puppy get run over, please."
"Sorry, Midori-chan," Yu-nii apologized immediately, "We're just worried about why you're so protective of yourself. Yaga-sensei's worried that something bad happened to you that you might not remember."
"I'm just me."
"Of course you are! But if someone has hurt you before, someone who you don't remember, we're worried they might be looking for you. Because you can't identify them, then there's a risk they could get close to you again."
That made more sense than she had expected. She could acknowledge that, at the very least.
"Well, somebody put the seal on me. Probably hurt a lot. Maybe that's why?" She offered. She was just like that, but if it made them stop looking at her like she was an abused puppy, she'd use the excuse.
"Ah, sounds scary! Do you worry about that? That whoever sealed you will come back?" Yu-nii asked. He was in complete control over this whole conversation, it was crazy! He knew exactly how to press for details and soothe over any sore spots like a pro. He'd be a fantastic therapist, if he wanted.
"Sometimes," all the time, every day, "but I doubt they can get to me here. School is the scariest place, but I have Nishinoya-kun with me, so it's much better than it could be. Besides, Tengen can see at the edges of their barriers, so if anyone grabs me and takes me away from Nishinoya-kun, they'd see and hopefully raise the alarm."
"Tengen-sama can see the edges of their barriers?"
"Yeah! It's how they knew about me! From the barrier centered on Nishinoya-kun!"
There was an irritated look on Yaga's face at the words, but he didn't say anything, just let Yu-nii lead the way.
"That's really cool!" He said enthusiastically. She'd have believed him if she was really four. She almost did anyway.
Almost.
"Does that scare you, nii-san?" She asked instead. He was taken aback for an instant, and she could see him waver before he hardened his resolve.
"It does, a bit. No one likes feeling spied on." He admitted.
"They're all alone down there. It's a little creepy, but I'm happy they have something to do besides rot their life away down there." She said, trying to be reassuring.
"Interesting way to put it!" Yu-nii conceded, "you're right, it must be awfully lonely down there. I never thought of it that way."
"So, I want to go and visit them! Does Tengen even know what a TV is? They've never watched a Studio Ghibli movie either! This has to be fixed!" She insisted passionately, and Yu-nii nodded with surprising fervor. He was clearly already plotting their next visit, deep in thought.
Permission to visit- Acquired. Mission complete!
Yaga still looked displeased, but he didn't press, thank god.
"I don't think a really long extension cord would work, so a generator should work…" He mused.
"Why not just bring Tengen-san here?" Junpei piped up curiously.
"I mean, we could ask?" She said consideringly.
"Definitely not." Yu-nii said at nearly the same time. She looked at him and tilted her head as a silent question.
"Tengen-sama hasn't left the Tomb of the Stars in living memory." He explained, like it wasn't absolutely horrifying.
"And this dude is actually sane? Like, really sane? Being underground for like 80% of their super long lifespan? When's the last time they've seen the sunlight?"
Yu-nii was silent, looking equally horrified.
"If Gojo-senpai and Geto-senpai are present, surely Tengen-sama would be safe. The higher ups couldn't argue with that." Yu-nii said consideringly, aiming his words at Yaga.
"If anything happens, all of us would be dead." Yaga said warningly.
"If Geto-san died unexpectedly, Satoru-nii would probably commit mass murder, but you don't keep them locked up. Is the risk really worth letting this injustice continue?" She asked persuasively.
"If I were to talk to them, would they tell me exactly what happened today?" Yaga pressed.
"Probably not."
"Why?"
Because she would use a question to get him to not spill the beans.
"They respect privacy."
"You're four years old and made a binding vow with the oldest human in existence. Forgive me for being concerned." The sarcasm was strong with this guy.
"It was great! Totally worth the initial terror. Tengen's very fair and good at working out the terms." She enthused, hyping it up. Sure, she'd had a panic attack halfway through, but it worked out in the end, so a little bit of terror was fine!
"So, we can send an invite whenever I'm feeling brave enough to ask them to identify my seal?" She offered, looking between both of them.
Yaga didn't agree, looking dissatisfied, but also didn't disagree either, so she called it a win in her books.
"Yay!" She cheered, even clapping her hands excitedly like a little kid would. Hopefully she could guilt Yaga into it, if nothing else.
Things stalled from there, so she went back to her stew, which was now cool enough to eat, though still steaming slightly. Junpei followed suit, and Yaga got to work pulling three more bowls down to reheat stew for him and his students.
Lunch was uncomfortable, she hated the tension in the air. Junpei sensed it too, and he got quieter and quieter, until he only responded to Yu-nii's questions in single word answers wherever gestures wouldn't suffice.
She ate her food slowly, just to stall, and Nanami entered just as the stew was finished reheating, taking a bowl thankfully from Yaga. When her bowl was finished, and she stared at it sadly, Yaga took it and began refilling without a word, popping it in the microwave, sans the spoon. He found the bread from the previous day too and began slicing it into pieces for everyone.
Yaga had really been turned into the school dad nowadays, it felt like. How'd that even happen? He'd kept his distance for the most part, from what she remembered from the anime, only really being close to Panda. He was a fantastic guardian for her, however suddenly it had happened to him. Maybe he couldn't really turn it off around the students anymore, he was so accustomed to her constantly being around that his parent mode was always on.
Nanami sensed the tension, opting to be mostly silent as well. He sat next to his classmate though, sticking close, and Yu-nii tried unsuccessfully to pull both Nanami and Junpei into a conversation, just to break up the atmosphere.
She finished her stew, finally, and Yaga broke the remaining amount into three plastic containers, giving Nanami the leftovers that couldn't fit after Yu-nii refused. A slice of bread completed the leftover meals, and he stacked them carefully in the fridge.
"Where's Riko-chan?" She asked out loud as Yaga sat back down.
"Trying to arrange a meeting." Yaga answered vaguely.
"Will she be back soon? I wanna tell her about Tengen's agreement."
"All of it?" He asked sharply.
"Um… no."
Yaga just sighed.
"Sorry…" She mumbled.
"I know you aren't too fond of adults. Is there anyone you would be willing to tell the whole truth to?" He tried asking, and she blinked. He really was worried about this, wasn't he? She'd thought she had proven herself smart enough that he didn't have to worry about adults taking advantage of her. She'd called Neko-guy out on his kidnapping attempt, surely, he knew she wasn't quite as naive as the average four year old.
"Geto-san." She answered slowly, trying not to be too eager.
"Why him, specifically?"
"He's really cool…" She said reluctantly, stalling to come up with a good excuse, "and he's super strong, but a bit more responsible than Satoru-nii is."
Yaga had to concede that point at the very least. It wasn't like many others would stand a reasonable chance of getting her back if Tengen had refused to let her go than one of the two Special Grades.
"So, you'll tell him all of what happened with Tengen?" Yaga checked, and she nodded.
Finally, Yaga seemed accepting. Geto was about to get absolutely bombarded with questions after their next talk. Hopefully he'd keep his cool and her secrets despite getting grilled by Yaga.
"Well, now that our lowkey and peaceful morning is done with, who wants to watch a movie?" Yu-nii asked, sensing that their argument was being put to rest for now.
"I do! Gakuganji-san turned our movie off, we could finish it together!" Junpei said excitedly.
Oh god no. She turned her pleading eyes onto Yaga, trying to silently communicate that she did not want to watch that movie all the way through.
"What movie is it?" Yaga asked, instead of saving her.
"It's called Suicide Club! It's about a bunch of mysterious mass suicides going on, and detectives try to solve it, and in the beginning fifty-four teenage girls commit suicide by jumping in front of a train, and it was really go-"
"Alright!" Yu-nii interrupted, spotting her rapidly paling face, "Maybe we could watch that later?" He leaned in, whispering to Junpei conspiratorially, "Nanami-san's easily frightened by scary movies. It might be too much for him."
Junpei nodded, and she relaxed. Safe for now. It really was overly gory, it wasn't necessary for actually telling the story. It was gratuitous. Sure, it was a horror movie, but still.
"What time is it?"
Yaga checked his watch.
"A bit past three."
Not so much a lunch as an early dinner then. Maybe they'd have some popcorn later.
People started to get up, so she started collecting bowls to take to the dishwasher. It looked suspiciously newer than the rest of the kitchen, she suspected it might have been provided by Gojo at some point. Why wash dishes by hand when he could just shove them in the dishwasher? Laziness she could get behind, because it was hard for her to wash dishes in the sink without a chair, and honestly, she had done enough dishes already today.
The dishwasher had been run, so she piled the dirty dishes on the counter, going to the sink to wash her hands before unloading the dishes.
Nanami got up to help, bringing the rest of the dishes that she'd missed on her first sweep and washing his hands to help her unload. He snatched the bread knife she reached for quickly, holding it out of her reach.
"I'll handle the knives." He informed her firmly, and she relented with only a little irritation. She was a child, she couldn't complain about being treated as one. She ended up grabbing the items and piling them on the counter for Nanami to put away.
Once they finished, they loaded the dishes quickly. She almost dropped one, the side wet from where it had been rinsed by Yu-nii, who was washing off all the dishes before they were loaded, but Nanami's reflexes were quick enough to catch it.
There weren't quite enough dishes to be worth starting the dishwasher when they finished, so she grabbed a magnet from the side, the one that said 'partially loaded' shaped like a pistol, mid-reload. She'd bet money on Gojo being the one to buy those too.
Once finished, Yaga led the parade of kids to the movie room, staying outside it for a phone call, but he motioned for them to get started.
Studio Ghibli movies were their main choices, and Nanami made the executive decision to watch the movie called Pom Poko. She'd never heard of it, but it had Tanuki in it, so she was content with the choice, and Junpei was drawn right in too. Yaga eventually walked back in, sitting in the open space on the couch, but he had to walk away several times to answer the phone.
She was lying on Yu-nii's chest as he lay on the couch, a blanket over them both. It was super cozy, she loved it. Nanami sat on the couch normally, but Yu-nii shuffled a little and rested his socked feet on Nanami's lap with a mischievous grin. He took it good-naturedly, pinching one of Yu-nii's toes just to make him squirm, but otherwise didn't protest. Junpei sat on the floor between Nanami's legs, his knees pulled up to his chest and his chin resting there too, ready to focus completely on the movie. There was room for him on the couch, he just chose to sit on the floor.
It was a bit of a sad movie, with lots of criticism for deforestation and destruction of natural environments. Good, but not exactly a hopeful ending. A bit out there too.
They put on a scarier movie for Junpei's sake, Spirited Away, her second watch of the movie. She didn't mind it of course, it was hardly a boring rewatch.
Eventually, about halfway through, Ieiri joined the watch party, taking a nervous seat on the beanbag with a careful glance her way. Close, but not too close.
If she wasn't cuddled up against Yu-nii, probably the safest place she'd ever been besides completely wrapped up in Gojo's infinity, she might have been a bit nervous. As it was, Ieiri's presence was easy to ignore.
For the most part.
The movie ended and people started getting up to stretch out a little.
"Want to play for a bit?" She invited everyone present and got a round of nods of varying enthusiasm. She led the group to the training grounds anyway and left her shoes and socks on the side, walking out onto the grass with bare feet.
There wasn't a ball, that died an honorable death to Panda's claws, but there was a nice fist-sized rock that she picked up and handed it to Yu-nii.
Then, she pointed at him and shouted, "Winner is the one who still has the rock by the end of ten minutes!"
All hell broke loose in seconds as Nanami shoved Yu-nii aside just in time for one of Yaga's cursed corpses to lunge, taking the hit instead.
"Teams allowed… I guess." She conceded, and immediately she made a beeline for Ieiri, taking her hand with determination. They had to learn to get along.
Ieiri seemed overwhelmed at first, but she quickly changed to a look of determination as both girls watched the action as it went down. Junpei ran to Yaga's side the moment he saw her move to Ieiri, and Yaga hoisted him onto one of his dolls, giving him a mount to ride into battle. She knew they had to work together, but Junpei got a mount, she wanted a mount! Nishinoya joined them over Yaga, which she hadn't really expected, but was grateful either way.
Yu-nii and Nanami were a joy to watch, even as they fought against Yaga's cursed corpses that were popping out of the woodwork. How many did he even have? When did he get to sleep, making all of these? Some were taller than he was!
"If I can make everyone slip, will you have enough traction and strength to take it from him?" She asked lowly, staying out of the chaos for now.
"Maybe. Nishinoya might be a better choice, Yaga-sensei made sure that he could walk well on ice once he knew about your cursed technique." Ieiri replied.
"Really?" Midori said, surprised.
"Yeah."
"Nishi-kun, can you do it?" She asked and got a firm nod in return.
Her cursed energy was ready and waiting, eager to be used, and she tugged more free, stopping when she had about forty percent.
"Ieiri-san, can you make sure both your and Junpei's feet are off the ground? I don't want to hurt him accidentally."
"And the others?" Ieiri asked sarcastically.
"They can deal or come crying to you about it." She answered with a slightly sly grin. She doubted icing over the ground was going to cause real damage, but wanted Junpei off the ground just in case.
"Now!"
Ieiri took off running and snatched Junpei off of the cursed corpse, moving both of them clear. She called her cursed energy, maybe seven percent or so, definitely a sizable chunk, and condensed it in the palm of her hand until it roiled with energy. Maybe a little spin would help- there it went, the centrifugal force stabilized the orb into something throwable.
Ice grenade? Ugh, that was a boring name. Where's the flair? Like hell her special move names were going to be boring like Gojo's. Sure, Hollow Purple was cool enough, but the only saving grace of Red and Blue was the chants and he couldn't chant every time could he?
She threw cursed energy like she was pitching a baseball, and when the condensed little ball hit the ground, it exploded outwards, not just along the ground but up and out too.
Yaga narrowly avoided a face full of ice, his arm coming up to protect himself just in time. A cursed corpse of his blocked most of the ice from Yu-nii and Nanami, but the ice on the ground spread quickly, encasing people's shoes. She was a little worried that the ice had hurt Yaga, but his delighted laughter soothed that particular worry.
Nanami managed to avoid getting one shoe locked in place, but it wasn't enough for him to stop Nishinoya from wrestling the stone free from Yu-nii's hand, the teen had fallen out of his shoes while they stayed embedded in the ice.
Yu-nii was giggling too, for some reason, but Nishinoya was shoving the stone in her hand, and cursed corpses were breaking free, so she started running, finding easy traction on the ice.
"What the hell was that?" Someone shouted with delight, and she only giggled as she bolted past everyone, Ieiri falling into step behind her like a football player guarding the player with the ball. She didn't watch football, she didn't know the names, but it was very reminiscent. Ieiri even tackled Nanami, a full-bodied leap that sent them both sprawling on the ground, sliding away.
A cursed corpse, mountainous in size, was in front of her and she dodged right only to throw herself left, ice forming under her knees and letting her glide away. She still spun though, momentum throwing off her slide and when she pulled her knees up to her chest she only spun faster, dizzying.
Yu-nii finally stopped her with a hand on her head and she thanked him by kicking his feet out from under him mercilessly, but making sure to cushion his head.
She put two palms on the ground and used them to scoot herself forward, the rock in her lap, like she was gliding on one of those little scooter boards from her distant childhood.
"What're you all doing?" A voice asked, and she looked up to see both Geto and Gojo standing there watching. Gojo had a paper bag in one arm and two more plastic bags hanging from the other.
"Game! Have the rock by the end of ten minutes, teams allowed!" She shouted, squeaking when Yaga lunged for her only to get knocked aside by Nishinoya. The betrayal on Yaga's face was hilarious.
Gojo was in front of her suddenly, and her momentum stopped dead as she hit his infinity. He snatched the rock with a smug look, teleporting back over to the tree and leaning back against it carelessly.
Geto stood in front of him, a menagerie of cursed spirits popping up out of the ground. They both looked smug, completely confident in their victory.
"Team up?" She called and got a round of nods.
Jujutsu High VS Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo. wasn't going to go well for any of them.
"Right, Midori-chan! I got you presents!" Gojo shouted, holding out the paper bag casually.
Jujutsu High VS Suguru Geto, Satoru Gojo, and Midori.
"I'm on their team now!" She shouted, and ducked under a very large curse shaped like a human arm, which had to inch its way forward like a caterpillar. So many eyes!
"What'd you get?" She asked curiously, ignoring the chaotic battle behind them. Junpei ducked inside the circle of cursed spirits too, joining her in safety.
"Konpeito, hard candy, milk and fruit flavored and even some cool carved candy too!" Gojo bragged.
Why didn't Konpeito translate? Was it because the term was familiar to her as a name for an item?
"Here," he set down the rock entirely and sat down, and they followed suit, "I picked out some flavors I thought you guys might like!" The chaos behind them didn't abate, and Nanami actually managed to make it through a few feet before a cursed spirit dragged him by his feet back outside the circle. It was a delightful scene, his emo hairstyle ruffled and a look of resignation on his face.
"Sakura! For Midori-chan! I know you like pink!" Gojo said, and then he just handed her the most beautiful work of sugar art she'd ever seen, on TV or in person. It was a cherry blossom tree, in sugar form. It was gorgeous! There was no way she'd ever eat it, it was going to be a decoration on her desk for as long as it lasted. The little white box protected it well, and it even had a little stand.
To Junpei, he handed a little jellyfish sculpture, because life was funny like that, and while Junpei was still regarding it with amazement, he started pulling out more candy, piling it into their arms.
Orange, peach, strawberry, apricot- was that blackberry he'd just handed to Junpei, oh, she was trading there were so many flavors it was overwhelming.
"Good thing I brush my teeth twice a day. I might have to do it three times." She muttered.
Gojo patted her on the back. "I've never had a problem!"
"Yeah, because you're," she waved at him," you. You can heal yourself too!"
The rock was gone.
"Well, I'm sure you'll be fine!" Gojo assured.
"Time's up!" Yaga shouted finally, and Geto's curses vanished, noticeably lesser in number.
The rock was in Junpei's hands.
"Did you ever quit their team?" She asked.
Gojo froze, the beginnings of betrayal appearing on his face, and Junpei slowly shook his head.
"We won!" Yu-nii suddenly cheered and scooped Junpei into a tight hug. Geto groaned behind them, giving Gojo a disappointed look.
"You let your guard down." Geto complained, and Gojo huffed.
"I didn't think I'd be betrayed by the kid!" He defended, and Geto leaned close.
"Idiot!" Geto snapped, and he whacked Gojo on the back of the head, leaving the boy whining.
"Good game!" She told Junpei, who was still being congratulated by the others on his team. Ieiri was ruffling his hair mercilessly, the static electricity leaving his hair stuck up like he'd been struck by lightning. Of course, the moment Ieiri realized the power in her hands, she reached over and did the same to Gojo.
He looked so like Kakashi it was crazy.
"Right," Yaga said, moving on to business, "Geto, Midori needs to talk to you."
Geto tilted his head, a mask of curiosity. "About what?" He was probably panicking internally, just a little bit. She didn't spill any of his secrets, she knew better than that.
"I had an adventure today." She hedged, and everyone was looking at her now. Yeesh, you'd think she did it intentionally.
"Where?" Gojo asked warily.
"I was just opening doors, and then we found a really long hallway, and we went down it and there was an elevator-"
"The Tomb of the Stars?" Geto asked with horror, and Gojo was in her face suddenly, frantically examining her from every angle like he'd forgotten about his magic all-seeing eyes.
"Tengen's scary, but pretty nice. I made a- um… a binding vow, I think they called it." She really didn't have any reason to know what binding vows were, so playing a bit dumb had to work.
"A binding vow." Geto repeated evenly, and his hands clenched into fists like he had the sudden urge to strike something.
"Yeah! Tengen was super nice about it too, they were good at explaining, and they agreed that even if Riko is forced down there, they won't assimilate her!" She explained quickly. Yet again, no one was as enthusiastic as expected. You'd think she'd proven herself an idiot, for all the trust they had in her.
"That's a good thing." She clarified, in case they didn't get it.
"She refused to tell us about what the entire binding vow entailed, but agreed to talk to you about it, Geto-san." Yaga explained, making Geto blink and focus on her again instead of glaring a hole through the ground.
"Me?"
"Yeah."
Get the message dude.
"Alright…" he agreed uncertainly. He didn't have a clue why she had chosen him, the idiot. Hopefully Gojo kissed him silly before this or something and he wasn't naturally this dumb.
She grabbed his hand and led him away. Yaga was watching uncertainly.
"Is there any way to stop Gojo from spying?" She asked, and said boy winced a little, but looked up at the sky innocently like he hadn't been about to spy on the whole conversation out of concern. She gets it, she really does, but privacy is appreciated, and she didn't want to know what Gojo would do with incomplete future knowledge. Someone as powerful as Gojo only knowing the wrong bits could make things far worse for everyone.
"He won't spy because he respects your privacy and my ability to communicate. If there's something worth telling him, I will be sure to do so." Geto said clearly, enunciating his words to make them easier for Gojo to read. Gojo looked disappointed but nodded. Hopefully they could trust that if nothing else.
She led him to her room, for lack of anywhere better to go, and sat on the bed with her grassy feet over the edge and off the blankets. Geto sat down too, uncertainly. It was interesting being on the other side of this talk.
"So, Tengen can see at the edges of their barriers. Including the one on Nishinoya. They heard bits and pieces of our first forest conversation and knew that I knew of the future. They wanted to trade answers for answers, so I agreed, and swore a binding vow to be sure, including guaranteeing Riko's safety. They also agreed that I could save up my answers or requests for help and visit them later. Thanks to Tengen's knowledge though, my future dreams may end up more and more inaccurate, because they don't seem to include the changes made by my own actions." She explained in a rush, trying to get too much information out at once like she was trying to get it over with.
"And, Tengen could maybe identify what the seal does, but I chickened out like a coward, so now I still have to do that! And I asked them to try and get eyes on a boy named Yuta Okkotsu, who's going to be a special grade sorcerer in like ten years or so, and stop the death of his friend Rika, who gets cursed by Yuta when she gets run over by a car and fatally injured and ends up haunting him and basically ruining his life accidentally. It might mean he never becomes a Jujutsu sorcerer, but honestly, I think it's worth it. The amount of pain that he goes through, he doesn't deserve that at all."
"So-"
"Tengen asked if you needed to be executed and I had a panic attack and climbed up a tree, because I know you're not going to follow the same path as the future!" She was talking too fast, she needed to slow down but-
"Midori it's-"
"But they agreed I think, and I would have left there if they were still considering it, and they know about Kenjaku- whatever their name is, and Sukuna, and- and I know that Itadori has to be the one to eat Sukuna's fingers, he has to be destroyed, but whatever I can do to help I will, which means I need to find them, if Ieiri-san can keep Yuji's grandpa from getting sick or at least reduce his symptoms and preserve his lifespan." Geto was doing something, but she got to her feet and started pacing just to get all the energy out, and she needed to move else- something. Something something something.
She might be freaking out just a bit.
"Tengen's not- not bad, but they've been down there for so long, I don't think they truly care about humanity as much as most people do, they're so distant from it. No wonder everyone was so scared of what would happen if they evolved, they have no reason to love humanity anymore, they don't get the value of a human life and giving people a chance. I told them that you deserve a chance and so does Riko, and Yuta, and Yuji, Maki and Mai, and there's so many people who need help, I can't just sit here and do nothing or let things go on as they are supposed to!"
She stopped for a breath and Geto snatched her off her feet and dragged her into a bone-crushing hug, stopping her in her verbal and physical tracks.
"It's alright!" Geto said urgently.
"I understand," he said a bit more slowly, "Tengen's a very strong ally to have, I probably would have done it the same way if I was me standing there. I'll gather my notes for the next time we go down there, we could work together on it."
That… sounded much nicer than going back down there alone.
"They called me Aberration." She whispered softly
"What?"
"Aberration. Anomaly. I don't know why, if it's because of the seal or because of the future vision," because of her, "but I didn't get to ask because I was scared of not being able to ask for help later if I needed it."
"Do you feel like you don't fit in here?" Geto asked, and ouch, clearly, he was picking up some things from their chats.
Did she though? She didn't belong here, she shouldn't exist at all, but she did and that was-
Was what?
Wrong?
Was it wrong of her to exist here? If anyone else was there, asking if they were wrong just for existing, if Gojo asked if they shouldn't exist because his power tipped the scales, she'd smack them in the face with a dead fish until she beat some self-worth into them. It felt prideful, selfish even, to think the same about herself, that she deserved to live here even though she didn't belong.
"Midori?"
"I dunno. I like it here."
'I'm glad."
Geto took a deep breath, a sigh.
"It's nice, the changes that have been happening recently. Yaga-sensei, he's fighting with the higher ups more than ever, and we're going on mission after mission, yet we had a vacation. Do you know how many vacations we've had since I became a student? Satoru's just a little bit obsessed with you, it's a kind of scary honestly, I think Haibara-kun's gonna have to fight him for the title of older brother. We've never really eaten dinner together purposefully, Yaga-sensei's never requested that we be back before dinner, it's weird and it's like- family, I guess. I've been vetting the first year's missions, and I find myself thinking about how one mission would send them past that restaurant that Haibara's talked about, and how it would be raining by the time they got to another mission, and Nanami hates the rain, and it's different. Different than it was supposed to be."
That was probably one of the sweetest things that she'd ever heard.
"It isn't bad for things to be different than they were supposed to be."
Oh.
"You're probably different than you were supposed to be."
Ouch.
"That's not a bad thing, Midori. If you never had those dreams, if it wasn't for the seal, none of this would have happened. What would have happened to Junpei, if you hadn't been there for him? I know his mother was having a hard time, I know that look when we find him in the kitchen with the refrigerator open, or the cupboards, just staring in like he can't believe he's allowed in there. You changed that. Whether you're an aberration or not, you saved a young boy and a young girl too. You're trying to save more. You could stop what you're trying to do right now, and it would be enough."
"I can do more."
"You can. You will. But you don't have to, to deserve to live here. Yaga-sensei chose to take you in, he volunteered. I don't think he expected the sheer number of changes that have been happening, or to have taken in a prophet at that, but he wouldn't have refused if he had known. Maybe your seal is something bad, or maybe it isn't. Aberration, anomaly or not, you're still Midori. We'll do everything we can to help you. "
"I know you will."
"You know up here," he poked her on the forehead, "But not here," he poked her on the chest.
"Gojo-san said that too."
"Well, unfortunately, Satoru has a nasty habit of being right when it's the most annoying. Now both of us are telling you the same thing, so you have to believe us."
"It doesn't work that way."
"Well, we'll both have to work on accepting the hard truths then."
"Both of us?"
He sighed.
"Yes, both of us." He said, defeated.
At least one good thing came out of this talk.
"We need to help Tengen too. They've been trapped down there for so long, it's horrible. When's the last time they've seen the sunlight?"
"I've never thought much about it."
"Just because it's always been that way doesn't mean it should be that way."
"You use so many proverbs," Geto laughed, "you could rival the higher ups."
"Thanks." She said, a bit offended by the comparison. She didn't want anything in common with those guys. Her face made him laugh again and she huffed at him, looking up and away just to broadcast her offense.
He ruffled her hair, and she shrieked, trying to squirm her way free, but she didn't stand a chance. She slumped in his arms, letting him completely tangle her hair without mercy.
"You're gonna have to put my hair up now." She informed him irritably, and he nodded.
"I will." He assured her, smoothing out her hair now, and she pointed to the brush and the hairpin on the table next to her bed.
He carried her over, setting her down on the bed and crawling up behind her to start brushing her hair with careful strokes.
Relaxing like this was nice, after her narrowly avoiding a panic attack. It might have been a panic attack actually, just a different type of one than what was normal for her.
Eventually, all the tangles he'd put in her hair were brushed out and Geto put her hair up expertly, in a perfect copy of his hairstyle. Delightful.
He took note of her improved mood, giving the dangling hair a tug just to mess with her. Her little bang was on the opposite side as his, on her right side. The bells chiming in her ear were a comforting noise.
"Ready to go back?"
"Not really."
It was comfortable here. She didn't want to leave quite yet.
He lay back on her bed, undoubtedly getting dirt and sweat on her blankets, and she gave up on trying to keep her bed clean, crawling over to cuddle with him. He definitely smelled like sweat and dirt.
"You've gotta help me wash my blanket and pillowcase now."
"I will."
Why'd he say that so gently? She side-eyed him, hard, and he laughed, pushing her face away.
He was fucking warm though, so she forgave him for getting her bed all dirty. As long as he helped.
That damn top-loading washer just wasn't kid friendly, she hated having to grab a chair or stand on Nishinoya's back like he was a stepstool.
"How'd the missions go?"
"Fast. We spent longer shopping than we did fighting. Satoru agonized over what to get you guys."
"It's how he shows he cares, I think. He's rich, as far as I know, so gifts that would be hard for others are easy for him. He probably likes that, being able to make people so happy so easily."
"Do you never turn off your psychology mode?" Geto asked fondly.
"Nope."
Geto's phone chimed, and he fished it out of his pocket to check his texts.
"Dinner's about ready. Yaga-sensei's pacing a hole in the floor."
"What're you gonna tell them?"
"What do you want me to tell them?"
"I don't know. They're gonna worry either way, but I can't tell everyone and their mother about the future, it'll just get more and more unreliable and more dangerous because people think they know what's gonna happen. It just sucks either way. I guess you can say that the vow was in good faith and that there weren't any hidden loopholes that you could find. Don't tell them what I agreed to tell him. If you absolutely must, make something up about the seal and Tengen's curiosity about it. The most likely person you'll have to tell that to would be Yaga or Gojo, they'll be the pushiest about it. Oh, when I go back to see Tengen again, I'll probably have to go with you so we can talk openly. Is that alright?"
"Of course," Geto said, and he rolled off the bed, hooking an arm around her waist and dragging her down with him. She might have yelped a little when the ground dropped out from underneath her, but that was between her and whatever god it was that saw fit to bring her here. And Geto, but he wouldn't spill. Geto got to his feet easily, his eyes fucking sparkling with humor, but he didn't say anything, just smiled evenly when she glared his way, brushing dirt off her clothes.
"Ready?" He asked, and she nodded, taking his hand as he led her out of her room and towards the cafeteria.
There was a man standing by the entrance of the cafeteria, along with an unfamiliar sorcerer that she might have seen around every once in a while. An older graduate, she thought, loyal to the higher ups and so kept mostly away from her, low grade.
The stranger was in a police uniform, taser at his hip where she would usually expect a gun to be. Japan had strict gun control laws, as far as she knew. He had short dark hair, and his whole face looked tired as he stared down Yaga. He looked up as they walked in, immediately zeroing in on her.
"Midori?" The man asked immediately, and Gojo immediately stepped between them, blocking his line of sight.
"Who're you?" She asked curiously, leaning around Gojo to look at him, because the man definitely didn't seem aggressive. If anything, he looked like he needed a long nap and a warm blanket.
The man looked taken aback for some reason.
"Officer Nin Mamoru. I'm your caseworker." He said, like it was something she should know. If she was an orphan, she guessed she would have been familiar with him.
Oh. Why exactly was her caseworkerhere?
"We've been looking for you for quite a while, Midori-chan. I'm relieved to see you alive." He said kindly. He seemed to be bracing himself for something. Something upsetting.
Oh shit.
"Who has taken on the role of guardian here?" Officer Nin asked, and Yaga spoke immediately.
"That would be me. Yaga Masamichi, principal of this school."
"Principal Yaga. Midori-chan is a ward of the state and was not properly assigned or approved to be placed in your care. Due to this, I have been ordered to remove her from your custody and place her with a temporary foster family. You are welcome to submit a request to restore her to your care as soon as you are able, and a background check and inspection of her intended living space will begin. It should take approximately five weeks." He sounded regretful, to his credit.
Nope, this was not happening. Geto had let go of her hand to stand in front of her, and everyone was focused aggressively on the man.
She turned around and slipped out the door. Nishinoya was waiting outside, likely unable to walk in the presence of a nonsorcerer. He moved to follow her as she walked away.
"Wait there." She told him, and he stopped obediently.
"Tengen," she whispered, taking several long paces towards where she assumed the edge of Nishinoya's barrier was, "Tengen, I need a place to hide for a bit. It'll be one of my requests, just help me out here."
There was a door on the left, the first one she saw, and she opened and closed it multiple times. On the third swing, it led to a long dimly lit halfway instead of the gym.
She stepped through and let the door swing shut.