Sooner or later, she had to leave the safety of Suguru's lap. It was not something she liked to think about, but it did have to happen eventually.

It still sucked when Suguru had to get up and actually do stuff though. She felt like a cat whose human had to move them. Heartbreaking. She might have looked up at him and earned another five minutes just with some strong begging eyes.

Still, he had stuff to do so she was left standing there, looking aggrieved. He patted her head one last time before heading over.

Todo had taken a few steps away the moment Suguru had let him up, affronted at the implication that he had needed (and enjoyed) Suguru's comfort. He'd get over it and learn to accept affection someday. He was too small and cute for adults to resist right now, no matter how grumpy he acted. Maybe she was being a hypocrite considering she was even smaller, but he really was adorable, trying to stay tough and aloof.

Junpei was still holding her hand like he was afraid she'd drop at any moment. He relaxed a little as she stood steadily, but still kept a wary eye on her, just in case.

Panda was just standing there, watching carefully.

Shit.

Had Officer Nin noticed him? She'd think he'd kick up a fuss if he had, a wild and endangered animal being present and so close to a bunch of children.

"Todo? Could you get Panda out of view? Before the nice officer notices him?" She asked coolly. Todo blinked at her for a moment before he clapped. In an instant, Panda was behind the building and a little decorative statue thumped into his place.

She took Todo's hand and dragged both boys over to Panda. Todo resisted a little, craning to watch the adults as they discussed, but he didn't dig his heels in, so she assumed he wasn't that resistant.

"Officer Nin doesn't know about Jujutsu, and I don't think we're supposed to tell him because he might not believe us or something. He thinks we're a cult, and this is some weird school where we get brainwashed or whatever. Probably."

"Isn't that bad? That he doesn't know?" Junpei asked, concerned.

"I'm just following what the adults have been doing, honestly. I assume they have a reason. It'd probably make things a lot easier, but ignorance is bliss as they say. They might not, just to avoid making the poor man even more stressed than he is by telling him there's invisible monsters all over and he'll never be able to see them unless he's about to die or he wears special glasses."

"That's stupid. We always see them." Todo huffed, annoyed. "Why's he so fragile?"

"It's one thing to be born with the sight and quite another to suddenly be made aware of it. He's lived his entire life without knowing. And he's old. He's set in his ways now. Can you imagine the paranoia if we told him but didn't actually give him a way to see them, to protect himself? After an entire life feeling safe in a seemingly empty room, then to always be left wondering if something really is in there with you?"

"That does sound pretty scary…" Junpei agreed slowly.

"And things could get a bit complex once that happens. He isn't going to like the fact that the students get sent out on missions before they're adults, and he especially isn't going to like Satoru-nii's… entire history, basically. It'd probably end up being more trouble than it solves. Maybe I can convince Satoru-nii to slap a talisman on him sometime, just to keep cursed spirits away?"

"Would that draw their attention though? Sometimes it's better to blend in." Junpei asked, considering.

"They wouldn't be able to touch him then though." Panda offered.

"But stronger ones would be able to get through, and those are the most dangerous for him. If he's getting gnawed on by a grade four, he isn't stupid enough to sit there and take it, able to see what's happening or not. You're probably right, Aniki. A talisman would probably only draw attention. He's made it this long, it'll probably be okay…" She let herself trail off. Would it?

She shook herself.

"They'll take care of it. Satoru-nii's smart, I don't doubt he's considered it. We don't have to worry about that." She finally said, more confidently than she felt.

"So, Todo-kun has to leave again soon? And you too, Midori-chan?" Panda asked, his ears drooping.

"I know me and Satoru-nii have to leave. We've been… truant, to say the least recently. I don't think he's going to want to go out much for a few days, not after Kenjaku."

"Who's that?" Junpei asked, zeroing in on the name.

"Uh… bad guy. Super evil. His cursed technique lets him jump from his body to a different dead body and take it over, cursed technique, memories, and appearance and all. He just transfers his brain to the body. If you ever see a person, even a familiar one with a row of stitches across their forehead, no matter how normal they seem, don't trust them. Stay calm and get help immediately. He's strong enough that I'm not sure anyone but Satoru-nii or maybe Su- Geto-san could. Right now he is in a woman's body and able to manipulate earth. He can make clones too, don't assume that the one you're talking to is the only one watching."

The boys were staring at her in varying degrees of horror. Todo was completely chill, just a slight look of displeasure at the reminder of the stronger (for now) sorcerer. Panda's eyes were wide, but his fur was bristling. Junpei looked the most frightened, like he expected Kenjaku to pop up out of the earth right now- honestly valid. She felt like she ought to be tip toeing or wearing stilts or something just to touch the ground as little as possible. Did he have, like, tremor-sense or something? Could he pick up the vibrations in the ground?

She didn't know.

"He probably won't bother with you, Junpei. You can only see them, you can't really use cursed energy. Panda, he probably wouldn't bother you much. He's probably the type to hold a grudge too, so Todo is at risk. That's the adults' and the students' first priority right now, because Satoru-nii is more than enough protection for me."

"And he's after you." Junpei concluded quickly.

"Yeah."

"Why?" Panda asked. She just made a helpless sort of shrug.

"Guess I'm just a loose end." She laughed. What else was she supposed to call herself? An experiment? A troublesome puppy who had slipped their leash and wandered away without even knowing it?

Had Kenjaku destroyed the orphanage because he was planning to, or because he'd returned to find her missing? Maybe she'd just wandered off in a fugue state. Maybe the experiment had failed, maybe it had killed Midori's soul and left the body open for anyone to be sucked in. Who knew anymore? Everything just felt worse and worse. She wished she had some real answers instead of a million questions, all with a colorful array of equally bad answers.

Monster, incubator, soldier, experiment, abomination. She could be anything.

She thinks maybe she just wants to be her for now. Midori, as much as calling herself that felt like letting her past self be forgotten completely. She was in this body until the end. Might as well start accepting it, someday.

But, to call herself Midori would mean her old name was lost. She'd never hear her name called again, never hear her parents or her sister shouting it from the other room, pulling her away from whatever schoolwork she had been working on. She wasn't her old self anymore. She wasn't Midori either. She was just her. Did she have to pick? Could she just exist, a mixture of both and something entirely her own?

"Midori-chan? Is it your cursed technique?" Junpei asked worriedly, "is that what he's after?

"Maybe. There's stronger that he's probably after though." And with Uraume, he'd have all the ice technique he needed. It wasn't like she could match them. They were a Heian era sorcerer, and she was twenty-two-turned-four. Even if she trained daily, she doubted she would be able to match them.

"My cursed energy is sentient." She whispered.

"Like- like the way I am?" Panda asked, visibly confused.

"Can you talk to it?" Todo asked with interest.

"Is it good or bad?" Junpei asked fretfully.

"No, somewhat, and I don't really know. It tried to kill a guy earlier, but he was also trying to kidnap me, so… oh, I have a bounty on my head, which may or may not be related to Kenjaku. So, if random strangers try to ask you guys about me, also be careful and polite and find help."

"Any more secret information about you that we should know, Midori-chan?" Panda asked, deadpan.

Like a secret seal or the fact that she's been isekai-ed or that she didn't feel like this body was actually hers, that she hadn't even truly accepted her own new name?

She hesitated too long.

"Midori-chan, what else is there that you haven't told us yet?" Junpei pressed gently. He probably saw the caged tiger look on her face and decided that she needed a bit of a lighter touch.

"I think it might be top secret for now." She finally said slowly. She adored these kids, but children definitely weren't the best type of people to tell secrets.

Panda's paw landed on her shoulder. His pleading eyes, combined with his flattened ears, were lethal. Junpei was joining in too, a sorrowful look on his face. Way to peer pressure her.

It was working too.

"I really do have to keep it secret as much as possible…" She whispered. She didn't sound as firm as she hoped.

She always knew she was the type to succumb to peer pressure. Of course, she'd never really had the chance to experiment for herself whether it was true or not, but she assumed it was so. For once she had a speck of proof.

Mainly, that she was caving fast.

"We'll keep it secret, we promise!" Junpei swore, nothing but determination in his voice.

Would it hurt to tell them about the seal? It wasn't like she had to show it off. Would they want to see it?

"What's going on over here? A group meeting? Any chance I can join?" Someone asked behind them, sounding amused. Satoru, judging by the sound of it.

"I'm getting peer pressured."

Satoru hummed before plucking her up like a kitten grabbing the hood of her thick winter jacket and settling her against his chest.

"What'd you kids want to know?" He asked. The kids seemed a lot more intimidated by the thought of asking him.

"Midori-chan is being tracked by bounty hunters? And that really scary sorcerer with stitches?" Junpei asked with concern. Satoru sighed a little but put a hand on Junpei's head.

Hair ruffle, incoming. She was calling it now.

"Yes, she does have a bounty on her right now. However, she's also got me, which means that isn't really a concern. I've probably got fifteen years of experience dealing with bounty hunters," Satoru laughed like it was a joke, "she's safe with me. The scary sorcerer is something you should keep an eye out for though."

"There's something else too, right," Panda asked, tilting his head, "she didn't answer when we asked. She said it was top secret!"

Satoru just looked amused. "Sorry kids! Top secret, like she said. If she decides to tell you, she can, but it's her secret to protect."

Way to put all the pressure back on her, Satoru. Really helped her out.

"Todo-kun, they're gonna be working things out for another few hours. Have you eaten lunch or anything yet? I'm going to find Midori-chan something, so you're all invited too."

Food. Right, she needed that. She didn't really want it, she felt sick to her stomach from all her anxiety today, but she still had to eat.

Onigiri sounded acceptable.

It seemed like most of the children had agreed upon lunch time, so she was off the hook for now. She was a lucky duck, it seemed.

Satoru led his line of ducklings right to the cafeteria. The familiarity was as pleasant as it was discomforting. She was sick of this, honestly. She wanted to go home again.

Satoru must have noticed her rapidly falling mood, because he hefted her up and absolutely fucking launched her a good ten feet in the air.

She screeched, just a little bit, but landed safely despite her flailing limbs. Satoru just continued on like it was nothing, like her heart wasn't trying to escape up her body by force.

"What the hell?" She asked incredulously, the moment she was reasonably sure he wasn't going to do it again.

"Woke you up, right?" He asked with a smug grin.

"I wasn't- fall- Satoru Gojo, you're a bastard!" She finally sputtered out, making his smug look only deepen. He could hold her in one hand easily, and his other hovered threateningly over her hair.

Too bad she had allies.

"Todo-kun, help!" She shouted, flailing to keep his hand from mussing up her already messy hair. It wasn't the most effective, but then she was on the ground and there was a whole ass bench in Satoru's arms instead. He let it drop, a look of feral delight on his face at the challenge and was in her face in the blink of an eye.

Panda hurled himself at Satoru in an instant, blocking Satoru's reaching hands with his own body. He was affectionately noogied by Satoru immediately, and Panda reared away, tumbling over. It was unfairly adorable, given he basically looked like a baby panda right now, all round and adorable.

Todo had her on the other side of the room in a single clap, but Satoru was in her face again. It was clear that Todo had never faced an opponent that was quite so fast, and he was fighting hard to figure this out.

Oh, she was getting sick now, as Todo clapped repeatedly, teleporting her all willy-nilly, and Satoru gave chase the whole time.

Finally, Todo ran out of steam. He'd been using his technique all day, it wasn't surprising, but still a bit concerning to see how exhausted he looked. Satoru even stopped, poking Todo in the face none too gently as if to check and see if the kid was alright or not.

Then, Todo straightened, threw something into the air, clapped again, and the tenacious, feral, bear cub of a child was on Satoru's back like a pouncing jaguar, an arm around Satoru's neck in an attempted chokehold. Of course, Satoru just activated his technique and Todo's hold wasn't actually choking him, but damn it was certainly a valiant attempt. And the feigned exhaustion was fucking smooth too, it was amazing!

Seeing how little it affected Satoru, Todo instead decided that imitation was the best weapon and proceeded to absolutely yank on Satoru's hair, making him yelp and flail around, off balance. Panda went for his knees and then the strongest sorcerer in the world was on his back, groaning, as a result of two very persistent children. Just a bit winded, it looked like, but still quite impressive.

Junpei threw his arms around her the moment she stopped moving long enough, hugging her fiercely. She accepted it awkwardly, trying hard not to throw up all over him.

Junpei hugged like Suguru did, almost, fiercely protective, a bit maternal. It wasn't the way he usually hugged. Was he intentionally trying to copy Suguru, just to try and comfort her as effectively? Had he stood there and watched Suguru comfort her and just… decided to try and copy it?

She was going to cry now. Junpei panicked a little, hugging her a bit too tightly as she fought off tears. Happy tears, because Junpei was a sweetheart, and it just tugged at her heart and squeezed it like a vise.

"It's okay, no one's chasing you now! You're alright, there's nothing to worry about!" Junpei comforted her rapidly, starting to panic.

"I'm not scared, I'm just really happy! Thank you for hugging me!" She said frantically, but her voice was all choked up from trying not to cry. She had to say it a bit too loudly for her comfort, to stop her voice from being strangled before it could even come out. It made Junpei's eyes widen, a little surprised, then he shifted to embarrassment in a very teenager-ish way. God, imagine your efforts being noticed and appreciated, the absolute horror.

"I think we should focus on lunch." Junpei announced, attempting to be firm.

Satoru huffed a little breathlessly, but then he was up again, walking to the kitchen area like nothing really happened. But his hands were up, fingers interlocked behind his head in a way that doubtlessly freed up his breathing a little more in a very casual way that the kids might not notice. She could remember having to do that sometimes, during soccer games after a lot of running as a kid, when she was so tired it felt like she couldn't breathe properly. It was a pretty scary feeling, feeling like you couldn't breathe. One she doubted that Satoru was accustomed to.

Junpei didn't seem to particularly want to let her go yet, so she hung onto him instead. She really missed hanging out with him, honestly.

Satoru wasn't much of a chef at all, and didn't have much knowledge of what counted towards a healthy kid's meal. That all added up to a cup of ramen noodles, some rice, made rapidly in a rice cooker, and a bottle of ramune. Filling, if nothing else. They only had normal flavored ones though, not really something she wanted to drink, so she left hers to Satoru. She was a water girlie, not so much a pop drinker. If it was melon-flavored, she might have been tempted.

He made sure everyone was sitting down and eating happily before he got himself some food. She picked her seat first, just to avoid the drama of seating arrangements. Junpei got a spot next to her, and Todo left a space between her and him. Leaving room for Satoru, probably, but she didn't miss that Panda had sat next to him. Apparently fighting had let them bond.

Satoru took his seat next to her, so she promptly pressed herself right against his side as she awkwardly tried to eat her noodles with the chopsticks Satoru had absentmindedly handed to her. Suguru had tied them together that first day, hadn't he?

Satoru seemed to notice her struggle, but didn't really know how to correct it besides repositioning them in her hands. It was a bit helpful, but she still finished her noodles in twice the time as it took the others. She gave up and used her hands to eat the nearly cold rice afterwards. Satoru got her a fork by then, but in for a penny in for a pound, and her hands were already dirty. She waved him off and kept at it.

Once everyone was finished with their drinks and her hands were washed, she was mildly exasperated. Chopsticks just weren't working for her.

"Movie?" She offered quietly when the loud silence turned awkward.

Satoru seized the opportunity like a lifeline, snatching her up, waving the kids over and herding them towards the movie room. Junpei knew where he was going, so he took the lead. The other two had started to follow once they realized that Junpei knew the way, so Satoru and her were just taking up the rear guard.

As soon as they arrived, Satoru tossed her onto the couch and started hunting for a good movie, probably trying to head off any disagreements. Or letting Junpei get the chance to pick the movie, and getting CPS called on them or something if they got caught. Horror movies just weren't her thing. She didn't need more reasons to be frightened and paranoid.

She missed Yaga.

God, she missed Yaga so much.

Satoru was staring her way, so she fixed her face as fast as she could. It wasn't enough of course, he'd already spotted it. Damn his special eyes, they didn't miss a thing, somehow. How he'd missed Suguru's decline, she didn't know, he was sharp.

Maybe he simply hadn't been around to watch it, just little glimpses as he threw himself into work. Suguru hadn't wanted to be babied either, fighting to keep his head above water without bothering others with the splashes.

Satoru picked out a movie, undoubtedly a Studio Ghibli one of some sort and teleported back to the couch, the lazy bum. Okay, sure, she'd do much the same if she could teleport, but still, it was a totally lazy move. He instantly tucked her against his side, so she was content.

Junpei piled in next to her, starting out sitting upright, but as the movie progressed, he slowly leaned down absentmindedly until he was almost laying on her. Todo and Panda seemed to be bonding quickly, staying a little bit separate from their group, sitting on the floor in front of the couch. Todo was sitting up, watching, and Panda was slowly inching closer, and eventually ended up pressed against Todo's side as he watched the movie. Todo would start to pet Panda absentmindedly, realize it, stop, then forget and start petting him again. It was adorable as fuck, to be honest. She loved that they were getting along like that.

She didn't do too much, just focused on the screen and let Satoru's warmth seep into her bones. She really was getting sick of being cold all the time.

Sick of being scared all the time.

She missed home. Heaven knows which one.

Okay, maybe she wasn't exactly focused on the movie so much as the homesickness that ached in her heart. Satoru tried, but…

There wasn't much you could do to make someone's homesickness go away. All you could do was wait, let the ache fade.

It hadn't even been a fucking month yet.

Okay, she kinda wanted to scream now. How long has it been?

HOW FUCKING LONG HAS IT BEEN?

Breathe.

Satoru was staring at her. She couldn't lose her head right now, like some unstable little toddler.

You know what?

She was an unstable little toddler.

She could hold onto her outrage for a moment, and ask, "how long has it been since I came here for the first time?"

Satoru blinked, taken aback by the unexpected question. He checked his phone for the date and looked mildly surprised by the one he found. Yeah, sudden unexpected change in routine could really fuck with your perception of time.

"Like twenty-two days."

What.

How many years did she have until Yuji at the finger? Like twelve or something?

It has been twenty-two days. Days.

She'd be dead within the year if things kept happening at this pace. Maybe before the month was out, actually.

Her face must have said something that her mind couldn't force out of her mouth, so Satoru almost leapt to his feet, starting the boys around them.

"We'll be back in a moment!" Satoru yelped, tugging her closer and then- whoof, they vanished, reappearing in a forest. Mount Fuji again, maybe? There was a moment where she hung there in his arms, nonplussed.

"You… looked like you were about to scream." He said, a bit sheepishly.

She took a deep, soothing breath. She wasn't a baby, she wasn't a toddler, she wasn't about to throw a temper tantrum. Just because she wanted to do something, didn't mean she had to.

Satoru bent down to look her in the eyes, not even bothering to squat. He said, clearly trying for gentle, but it sounded far too awkward, "it's okay if you want to scream, you know. That's why I brought you here."

"I don't- want to, I just…"

Wanted something she couldn't even name. Something different, something familiar, there was just the damn longing, fucking yearning for something.

"I don't know."

She wasn't going to cry again. She wasn't a fucking baby, she couldn't just keep crying at every stupid inconvenience or stray emotion. Her determination didn't stop the painful lump in her throat, the way she had to clench her teeth as her mouth tried to shake.

Satoru sighed heavily. Her face needed to shut up and let her feel things without screaming it to the world.

"I talked to Suguru before taking you guys to lunch. He said Yaga-sensei is making significant progress. Faster than he should be, but I guess they're cooperating now, and that man's stubborn as a mule. You'll be back home soon, I promise."

Home.

Where was that, exactly?

His shoulders drooped a little, she noticed. A bit of defeat. She really was so stupidly high maintenance, it was ridiculous. How the hell did he put up with her at all? Why'd he even seem to like her? It felt like all she did was bring things down.

"What's going on, Midori-chan? I might have the Six Eyes, but I can't read your mind. How can I help?"

She didn't know. She didn't even know.

"I just want this to be over with already." She finally whispered, like some shameful secret.

"I know. I'm sorry, I really am." His voice cracked when he said it. Why did he sound so sad? He didn't have to be sorry, he hadn't caused this. She

"It's not your fault. It's just… it just is. I miss Yaga-san a lot, and my room, but that doesn't mean where I am is bad. You're here, and Oba-san and Oba-chan are so kind to help us, and- it's better than it could be."

"That's the bare minimum, Midori." Satoru sighed.

"It really isn't. Things could be a lot worse." She restated firmly. It could've been so, so much worse. Being alone, getting snatched by Mr. Loser brainiac, wandering around the streets or just dead in an alleyway somewhere. Worse, being cut open and-

That thought wasn't leading anywhere good, she should smother it right now.

"But everything isn't really very good either." Satoru continued, oblivious to her narrowly parried panic attack. All it took was getting her brain stuck on something that stressed her a bit too much and she was right back there again, stuck in a panic attack, crying like a baby. So stupid.

"Midori." Satoru called seriously, dragging her attention back to him with a jolt, "If you want to stay here, then say it. I won't ever force you to do something you don't want to. We'll figure it out."

She couldn't just do that. It'd ruin the whole fragile balance between the law enforcement and the Jujutsu Sorcerers. Like hell she was going to be that selfish and just ruin everything. It wouldn't be right.

God, but her heart ached for it though. To just go home, to walk into her bedroom, sleep in her own bed, to pet-

She didn't have a cat anymore. Home wasn't here anymore. Home was in 2024, in America, with her family and their pets, and her things, her rocks, her cards, every neat little knick-knack that she'd collected over her twenty-two years of life.

"It's okay. I'll be okay." She whispered. She didn't sound nearly as certain as she wanted to be.

Satoru didn't argue. There wasn't anything he could do to convince her right now. Things had to happen the proper way, and that meant they had to wait it out. Just wait for everyone, Yaga, Officer Nin, bureaucracy.

That's all there was to it.

They were back in the movie room in a flash, startling all the kids. Satoru sat right down, like nothing had interrupted them at all. Junpei clung to her arm the moment Satoru had her settled against his side again, and she let him. She shifted a little to let him lean against her more comfortably. She could see the questions written all over his face, but he let it lie there, filling the air.

The movie was fine. She couldn't explain the plot to save her life, but she'd successfully sat through it despite the anxiety crawling down her spine like fire ants. She felt like her skin wanted to crawl away, leaving her bare to the world.

Satoru, being hyper-focused on her right now, more or less, was looking her way more often than not. Once he noticed that she'd noticed, he returned to watching the screen, but something told her he hadn't actually looked away, at least not with anything more than her physical eyes. Just a little bit of spooky vibes to stir into her usual crushing anxiety, just to give a bit of a kick to it. Why have regular anxiety, when you can spice it up with a little 'I'm being watched' anxious feelings too?

She let Satoru heft her up, trying to force herself into some form of alertness. It wasn't working exactly, but she wasn't so far gone that she didn't hear Panda's worried voice. Poor kid.

She really was such an inconvenience to everyone around her.

Satoru shook her a little, making her blink slowly. He'd asked her something?

"Is it time to go now?" She asked after a long moment. He nodded. She'd guessed correctly! That did spark a little bit of joy in her heart, a touch of pride. She tried to cling to it, relishing something more than the blankness that seemed to be taking hold.

Oh.

She'd guessed correctly.

It was time to go.

Was she depressed? Was that what this feeling was? Trying to analyze herself was so annoying, she honestly needed an outside perspective here. A counselor probably wouldn't work at all, they'd treat her as a kid. She needed a balance between being respected as an adult as her mind craved, and the careful handling that her childish body and brain needed.

Junpei stubbornly continued to hold onto her arm, like to stop her from getting taken away. It wouldn't work. Adults didn't care about what children wanted like that.

Hmph.

That was unfair.

Plenty of adults cared. There was Yaga, Kuroi, and…

That's all she's got.

Two adults cared, definitely. Many teenagers, but not many actual adults.

They were outside once again, and when she glanced back, Panda was watching from the hallway. Maybe Satoru had told him to stay back, maybe not. Either way, the results were the same. Panda stopped, watching the humans leave him behind.

"Aniki? Can you keep Panda-onii-san safe while I'm gone? I think he needs to spend more time with his friends." She asked Junpei without looking. She didn't think she could take it if she turned and saw that Junpei was trying not to cry as much as she was. It'd be one final blow to her composure.

After a long moment, Junpei made a sound of agreement that was as hesitant as it was sad, and it about broke her heart. Satoru's arms tightened around her for a moment, and something cold and angry flickered over his face for a moment before he schooled it to stillness.

Satoru undoubtedly hated it too. He didn't like to see kids like that.

Junpei and Todo looked noticeably put out by Panda's absence, especially Todo, as much as he tried to act aloof. He hadn't been smiling, but now his expression was… tight, for lack of a better word, resigned maybe. No, not resigned in the sense that he was disappointed, more like- accepting that the fun was over.

Satoru led the group of kids, minus Panda, back outside. A few more officers had shown up, and if anything, Officer Nin looked more uncomfortable now, surrounded by his fellows.

The sorcerers were only really relaxed due to the clear efforts of Yu-nii, angel as he was. He was hopping from person to person, his easy smile and the clear kindness in his words showed in the way he slipped over to the officers just as easily. It was enough, barely, to keep the peace between the two groups.

That peace ended the moment the officers spotted Todo.

One broke free from the pack, walking up to them in what could only be called a walk of pure rage. He was pissed, without a single doubt, his eyes locked on Todo.

Todo's shoulders dropped at the sight, his head ducked down a little, lowering his center of gravity. Defensive. Threatened. Ready to fight the moment that man was within range. Unfamiliar to Todo, then?

She was out of Satoru's arms before she even realized she'd started moving, between Todo and the oncoming man. Her heart was pounding in her throat, something terrified in the back of her head howling for her to get the fuck out of the way, but she held her ground.

Todo hadn't let her fight alone (eventually), there was no way in hell she was letting him face down an angry adult by himself. This man was undeniably angry, but was he violent? Officer Nin had taken several steps forward, calling the strange officer off, but he didn't falter.

He didn't even notice her standing in his way, not really, his eyes still locked on Todo, but he sure as hell noticed when she punched him in the nuts.

In her defense, it was all her mildly panicked brain could think of that wouldn't be… overkill. Her whole technique was, really, so she had her weak noodle arms, a little bit of cursed energy, and a large amount of distrust in adults in that strike.

Satoru's giggles were the first noise after a long silence, and he took a step between them, bent double and pointing as he laughed obnoxiously at the officer's pained face. The choice to put himself between them had to be deliberate, for all his laughter seemed to imply otherwise. It was genuine laughter, it seemed, but he wasn't so lost in it as to not be aware of the situation.

Junpei was dragging her back before she could fully register the number of eyes on her, and then she was standing behind both boys. Junpei was visibly freaked out, but the hostile protectiveness on his face was clear. He wasn't freezing up again. Todo didn't necessarily seem protective, but he moved himself a little into a position that would let him glance back towards them both, allowing him to keep an eye on their positions. Todo was ready to control the field like a seasoned commander, moving everyone where they should be. Out of danger or into the fight, she didn't know. Probably ready for both, honestly.

Damn, not a single one of them trusted adults in the absolute slightest, did they?

Todo looked surprised for a moment though, looking down at her, and then he grinned at her, fierce, delighted, maybe even a bit proud too. That she didn't hide like before, perhaps? For a moment he looked like he was a teenager, vicious, confident, nothing like the child he should be. It looked right on him, that confidence.

He had back up, though, while he was here at least. There was a confidence, when you were young and so, so small, to not feel alone in a world that was much too big for you. It was a position that parents should fill, truthfully, for all that it seemed that he had none. Suddenly, it truly felt like Todo standing there, not just someone who would turn into him.

The others seemed to be recovering, and Officer Nin was first by the injured officer's side, checking over him. He looked… amused?

Now that she checked, it seemed like the other officers were also trying to smother their laughter, to varying degrees of success. One woman wasn't even trying to hide it, laughing almost as obnoxiously as Satoru was.

Oh, those two were either going to hate each other or get along like a house on fire, without a doubt.

The officer was up now, looked even more pissed off than before, still bent over slightly, but Officer Nin's grip on his arm was firm, even as he tried to take a stumbling step forward. Junpei got even more tense and leaned down and away, like he was ready to take her and run, a contrast to the way Todo's back straightened, standing tall and confident under the mean officer's ire.

Satoru was still giggling, wiping away tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes, when he spoke, "Wow, you just got brought down by a four-year-old! Maybe you need a little more training?" His tone was taunting, but strangely heavy, full of condemnation. The officer reacted strongly, turning his glare towards Satoru and away from them. Thank God for Satoru, if that mean officer stared at her for much longer, she wasn't sure if her cursed energy wouldn't lash out, or that she would be able to reel it in. It'd be a whole incident, really. She could already feel it boiling up, sharp and angry. It demanded action, a battle-song that agitated her blood in her very veins, insistent.

Jujutsu sorcerers were made to fight, it seemed sometimes. Her cursed energy was ready for it in a way that she wasn't yet used to yet. Scary. When would it twist her soul so deep that violence was not just a panic response, but a first reaction to anything?

She stayed still instead of taking action, leaning a little into Junpei.

"It's okay…" She whispered lowly, quietly enough that the only ones who were likely to hear were Todo and Junpei, "Satoru-nii's got this. We don't have to fight."

It seemed to do something, at least. Still, it bubbled under her skin, but no longer did it feel like it was moments from foaming out of every pore. Enough, at least.

"I'll be sure he does," Officer Nin agreed pointedly, an absolutely derisive look towards the mean officer making his slight protests go silent, "is Todo-kun okay? He was missing for quite a while."

Satoru nodded, but his arms crossed, and he shifted his weight to his back leg for a moment before rebalancing. Interesting. Defensive posture for a moment before returning to be at ease. Defensive about the possible accusation, or of Officer Nin's attention on Todo, another child who Satoru might view to be 'in his care' so to speak? It could be either, or even something she didn't think about.

Was she… being distant? She felt like she was being oddly analytical of the situation. An attempt to gather knowledge to help herself feel in control of the situation? It wasn't a very fun feeling, like her emotions were a bit separate from her brain, leaving her uncomfortably calm. Just a little bit of dissociation, as a treat/defense mechanism.

Things were tense, unfortunately. She'd definitely made things worse with her thoughtless actions, for all that he deserved it, walking up on a kid so aggressively. Sure, maybe Todo needed a firm hand on occasion, he was a bold, fearless kid, but aggression was unwarranted.

"I'm sorry that you were injured, Officer Sato." Suguru said warmly, "I'm afraid that Midori-chan is quite fearful of adults and doesn't like kindly to any aggression towards those who she cares for." Again, with the sharp, pointed words. Suguru wasn't directly calling him an idiot, but he sure was making it clear that he'd been an idiot. The show of support thawed her frozen heart, a bit.

"You ought to know better, Sato-san." Officer Nin said sternly, like he was scolding a kid, and that probably hurt the dude more than the teenager's insults did, because ouch, getting lectured by a coworker sucked. "We work with traumatized children on a daily basis. You're lucky the four-year-old got to you first, I'd bet Todo-kun would've hit you much harder."

Fair. Todo had cursed energy too and clearly knew how to use it. If Todo had whacked him, he'd still be down and waiting for an ambulance. Junpei likely would've been the weakest strike, but she knew he had a ruthless streak within him. If he'd mustered up the will to do it, he'd have made sure the man would stay down, for as long as possible. Yeah, she was probably the best one to do that.

The man was still silent, for the most part, but slowly straightened. He didn't say a word as he turned around and walked painfully back to the rest of the officers. Someone slapped him on the back when he finally made it, another patted him on his shoulder, a couple asked him if he was alright, but it seemed like the general consensus was that he was indeed an idiot.

Officer Nin was the one looking towards them now, mean guy was staring steadily down at the ground, an undeniable blush on his face. Not aggressive perhaps? Maybe she'd overreacted, just a little bit.

Yu-nii hurried over to stand with their little group, and Junpei visibly relaxed in his presence. It was nice to see that they got along well while she was gone, enough for Junpei to take comfort in his presence.

She probably should too, but she couldn't look away from the mean man, not until Yu-nii stepped between them, blocking her view. Even then, she still stared sightlessly through him for several long moments before she looked upwards to meet his eyes.

Ew.

Eye contact.

She looked back down quickly, because there was just too much compassion in his eyes for her mental stability to handle at the moment. No more crying, she was sick of it. She was going to be a paragon of mental stability.

He didn't even pick her up, instead he sat down on the ground with her, the empathetic fucker. He was going to make her cry if he kept up with this. She liked getting carried around, loved being in someone's arms, it was just so nice and pleasant, but she also liked being able to fucking run when she needed to. Somehow, he fucking knew it, reading her fucking mind like a psychic.

Anger was really a sucky defense mechanism against fear, really. She forced herself to take a deep breath against the automatic rage that bubbled up, to cool her head a little. She's gotta work on her cursing in her head before it slipped into her actual spoken words.

"Midori-chan? Are you alright?" Yu-nii asked softly, "don't worry, none of us will let him hurt any of you, alright? He wouldn't even make it four steps, I promise. Gojo-senpai is awesome, isn't he?"

She nodded. That would always be true. Satoru-nii was here, which meant that she was safe. The only reason she would have to be fearful for her life right now would be if Satoru left, for whatever reason. It didn't do a whole lot to set her mind at ease, but it did a little, if nothing else.

"Todo-kun? We've worked things out a little. Gojo-san said someone was chasing you two, right?" Officer Nin asked calmly, focusing on Todo specifically. Junpei looked like he had half a mind to jump in between the two of them.

"Yes…" Todo agreed warily, his eyes still locked on the man who was slowly, casually inching forwards a little.

"Could you tell me about them? Description, what they said or anything?" Officer Nin settled down a few feet away to sit on his knees in a way that probably made them creak painfully, intentionally lowering himself so that he didn't tower over Todo quite so much.

"Midori would know better than me. He grabbed her, not me." Todo said, throwing her under the bus without the slightest hesitation. Officer Nin's eyes flicked to her for a moment before turning his attention back on Todo, pointedly ignoring her for now.

"I'll be sure to ask her then, later. But it's good to get multiple perspectives when a crime occurs, in case two people might have seen something different." Officer Nin continued to encourage.

Yu-nii put his hand on Todo's shoulder, a clear encouragement and a subtle warning. Comply, but be careful about his word choice.

But Todo was like six years old right now, tact was not his strong suit. It wasn't any kid's strong suit, not even hers really.

"He- um… he had short brown hair…and a line of stitches across his forehead. He dressed like a girl, and I thought he was at first, but Midori-chan called him a boy and she got a better look than I did. I didn't pay attention to what he was wearing though."

"Was he armed in any way? Did he say anything to you?" Officer Nin asked with interest, though his eyes had flicked to her at the moment that the word stitches was mentioned.

Todo shook his head. "No, he just… knocked me away and grabbed her. I didn't hear what he said very well. Something about… not being afraid. But he-" Todo paused, visibly uncomfortable for the first time. His head tilted towards her for a moment, like he was checking that she was still there, before he continued, "He knocked her down and… started to try and take her shirt off, I think? I- I knocked him away and then Gojo-san was close enough and loud enough that the guy was scared off." The lies clearly weighed on him, he looked and sounded immensely uncomfortable.

Officer Nin's encouraging smile froze on his face the moment Todo mentioned her shirt. She couldn't blame him, because her temperature probably dropped a good twenty degrees at the reminder. She was trembling almost instantly, just from the cold of course, and then Yu-nii had her in his arms, wrapped almost painfully tight around her.

He looked enraged, his expression darker than she'd ever seen, even when she'd been first taken away. It was nerve-wracking, sending off alarm-bells in her head, despite knowing that Yu-nii was angry for her, not at her.

Of course, the little empath noticed her little response, and the expression vanished like it had never happened at all. Instead, he softened, his hug lightening into something far more relaxing.

Officer Nin's attention was well and truly focused on her now, of course.

Okay, she knew what that probably looked like from an outsider perspective. It was just him trying to look at the seal! But to someone who didn't know of the seal, or why it would matter, it sure sounded… damning.

Todo's interpretation of what was happening in the clinic was so much more reasonable now, actually. Especially given the way she reacted, how visibly anxious she was about even little bits of exposure. He probably thought she'd been… attacked in such a way before or something.

Damn, she was totally manipulating the absolute fuck out of him, wasn't she? Accidentally, but still. She didn't want him to pity her, or think she'd been traumatized or something. It wasn't that bad at all, she was just weird about people touching her! No wonder he agreed so easily to run, he must've thought that Mr. Stitches wanted to-

Not even gonna think that, nope! That could rot in the back of her mind for a while until she had time to unpack it.

Maybe she could run and Tengen would hide her for a while until they stopped looking at her like they would a puppy with a heavy limp, all bloodied and still eager to play. It was making her feel sick.

"That must have been scary. I'm sorry that happened to you." Officer Nin said to Todo, but despite his efforts he still seemed shaken. His eyes kept flicking back over to her.

Oh God, she was going to have to handle this somehow, wasn't she? A problem for later her, right now she wanted to pretend like she didn't exist and avoid all eye contact.

Todo didn't even acknowledge Officer Nin's efforts, just waited there for him to continue, to ask more questions.

"Thank you for telling us. We've worked out what to do in case the man tries to hurt either of you again. I'm afraid that you will have to move though. I'm sorry."

Todo didn't even blink. "Okay."

Officer Nin took Todo's blasé response in stride, nodding to one of the other officers. "Your foster parents already- they dropped your stuff off for you, but if there's anything missing, we can go back to look for it if you'd like. We're planning to move you around day to day for a little while, until we know more about the man who attacked you two. It'll be rough, but I'm confident that you'll be able to handle it."

Yet again, indifference. A little curiosity perhaps, but no visible distress either.

"So… Todo-kun's going to have to leave?" Junpei asked, disappointed. He didn't seem to have quite understood what Todo implied when he relayed what happened, he was just upset that she was attacked at all. He definitely noted the response of the older people around him though, and he clung to her shirt even harder.

"It won't be for long, Junpei-kun!" Satoru assured him, popping up out of fucking nowhere like he'd actually dared to teleport in front of all these people, making her almost jump out of her own skin. She knew he didn't, he wasn't that careless, but still. He needed some bells on him.

"We're gonna take him in as soon as we can! Don't you worry about that, alright?" Satoru continued, thumping his hand on Junpei's head hard enough to make him squeak in surprise. Of course, he proceeded to scrub Junpei's hair until it stood on end, frizzing and sticking up in various directions.

Officer Nin's glare told her exactly what it was that they were arguing about earlier. He didn't want Todo being indoctrinated into their 'cult' and Satoru wanted Todo to be within the safety of the school grounds. The fact that Todo had an interesting cursed technique and had a clear interest in training also helped. Combined with her own clear fondness towards him, and the fact that Todo had already saved her once? It was a given. Todo was going to Jujutsu Highschool, one way or the other. Satoru was officially invested in Todo's future.

So, this must be the compromise. Officer Nin won, for now, with concessions for Satoru's entirely valid fear that Todo was going to be hunted down and murdered in his sleep by a moderately irritated Heian-era Curse User.

Then, Satoru would put his considerable influence to work, making sure Todo ended up back here. Maybe once Yaga got his license? That'd be nice. They could bring in Megumi and Tsumiki too, and they'd have a fantastic little school within a school going on. Might as well find all the other kids of Jujutsu Kaisen then too, just to get it over with. Why not make them all into overpowered monsters by handing them to Satoru and Suguru at a young age?

Like the higher ups wouldn't burn down the whole school instead of allowing that to happen. Like letting an infestation of dragons rear their next generation. It only led to more dragons in a world where they needed control.

They'd make do either way.

Officer Nin waved Todo forward, clearly ready to end this whole situation and go back to the office. He probably needed time to plan how the hell he'd wring as much information out of her as he could, and without Satoru interfering either. That'd take a lot of planning, since she planned on being a second shadow to him for the next agonizing few weeks until she could get back to the school.

Todo walked towards the officer, slower than she expected. He looked wary, honestly. He didn't know Officer Nin at all, did he? As far as he knew, Satoru had no real way to back-up his words.

There really was no feeling like getting taken away from home, was there? Your whole life, packed up into a little backpack, following behind an officer you didn't know, who barely knew you, and leaving everything you knew behind. How many times had he done this? Did it get a little better each time, or did it feel like a hole had been ripped in your heart each time, knowing everything you'd grown familiar with, you'd never see again?

She'd had Satoru when she left. She couldn't imagine what it would've been like, if she was alone. No one to advocate for her, no one to help her, just… her, and the strangers who said that they'd taken her from home for her own safety.

Todo looked horridly alone, looking up at Officer Nin, keeping a wary eye on the mean officer too. He was six years old.

She wished she could do something. Anything, so Todo wouldn't be so fucking alone it ached, a temporary resident of a home that probably wouldn't even bother to let him unpack before being thrust into a new one. How many new kids and adults would he meet that he would just never see again?

Something.

Something.

What did she have in her pockets? A rock of some sort, maybe? She patted the pockets of her shorts, and sure enough, at some point she'd stuffed a rock in there. Her jacket's pockets were empty though. She should fix that sometime. What was the point of pockets if they weren't being used?

The rock was a river stone of some sort, probably absentmindedly pocketed at some point while they were on their way to see Panda, when it became clear that it wasn't needed.

It was easy to fill it with cursed energy. It was harder to command it to stay.

Stay with Todo, she told it. Stay with Todo. It hummed and tried to seep out, so she growled a little, just from the effort. It felt like something was being pinched in her soul somehow, not quite a pain but a resistance.

It didn't want to do this.

That's too damn bad, though.

This was important.

"Stay with Todo. Watch over Todo." She hissed under her breath, making Yu-nii's attention snap her. But then it popped somehow, a sensation she couldn't even begin to describe, and for a few moments, it seemed to melt before it sank into the stone.

It looked foreign now. Was that really hers? It almost vibrated with energy, but it didn't drip anymore like hers usually did, losing form without direction. Probably because it already had it. It was to stay in the rock and stay with Todo.

Was this how enchanting worked? She tossed it from hand to hand for a moment, testing it out. It was pleasantly cool to the touch but not ice cold either. It shouldn't lose energy too fast. It had been a decent chunk of it too, maybe a solid fifteen percent of her cursed energy. It might last a day or a weak, she didn't know.

"Keep an eye on him, alright?" She whispered to it. It was a silly sentiment after all, but… She wanted him to not feel so alone, like Satoru had managed to make her not feel alone when he had to leave. She couldn't exactly drench Todo the way that Satoru did, but putting a little into a rock? She'd already learned to do that, at least for a short time until it all leaked out, to give Todo a good target for his technique. She'd basically made a blunt force trauma cursed weapon. Useless, but perhaps a good target for Todo's technique for a good while, if nothing else.

It was strange how it didn't feel like her anymore though. It could've easily been from another person.

She'd made a cursed weapon.

She'd made it!

Oh, she was going to practice this like crazy. Her cursed energy had settled right down, apparently unbothered by the loss. If anything, it seemed more at ease now that a chunk was gone. She felt better. Like she'd been bursting at the seams and finally had some relief from all that pressure under her skin. She'd had an all-around worst time of her life for the past… whole time she'd been in this body. It was amazing, she was doing good, but she'd never had to fight for her life before, never had been so horribly afraid all the fucking time. No wonder her body was producing cursed energy in spades, it probably thought she needed it desperately, just to stay alive.

Noted, use some of her cursed energy up, and she'd feel less terrible! Like when she got all pent up and wanted desperately to run around until she dropped, but magic.

They were walking away, she realized.

She chased after them, darting through the group of officers to Todo, and promptly threw her arms around him in a tight hug. He froze there for a few moments before hugging her back carefully.

She handed him the rock quickly, placing it in his hand. He noticed the cold immediately, his eyes flickering down to glance at it in surprise for an instant before looking back up at her. An officer cooed at the sight of their hug.

"Till we see each other again, alright? Stay safe. If Stitches tries to grab you again, hit him with this, okay! Or break the window, so you can escape!"

Or teleport the fuck away, she couldn't say.

He got the meaning, at least. He slipped the rock into his pocket with a firm nod.

"Aww, don't worry kid. I'm sure you'll see your little boyfriend again." One officer said with a grin, and they both froze.

Ew.

She backed away quickly with a jolt of absolute horror.

Holy fuck ew!

"No!" She just about shrieked.

"No!" Todo shouted just as quickly.

The officer just coo-ed again, her palms on her cheek as she squealed at the cuteness.

Fuck no! She was four! Damn people's obsession with relationships, even at a young age!

Her face was burning up, she was undoubtedly blushing like a tomato, so she deliberately grabbed at her cursed energy, riling it up a little before letting it calm again. It probably didn't work as much as she wanted, but good enough. She kept her head held high. She could hug people without it meaning she had a crush on them. Why couldn't a hug be just a hug?

The officer patted her on the head, still smiling widely. "I'm just messing with you, kid." She, like all fucking adults seemed to like to do, ruffled her hair. It wasn't nearly as charming as when Satoru did it. She was almost offended.

"See you later?" She asked a bit more tentatively. He nodded, confident, and it made her straighten as well. His confidence was contagious, apparently. Todo didn't seem nearly as embarrassed, and that helped settle her a little more too.

She was completely surrounded by mostly strange adults. Probably oughta escape before she panicked.

A male officer noticed her conundrum and stepped to the side, leaving her an opening to escape through. She felt like she was running away with her tail tucked between her legs, scrambling like a frightened dog. She beelined for Satoru, right into his arms, and he bent down to scoop her up.

"You can stay for the next hour, I will be back when Todo has settled in. Be ready to leave please!" Officer Nin shouted from the top of the stairs, before the pack of officers and Todo descended the stairway. The same one where she was nearly killed.

Okay, repress that.

She'll deal with it later. Think good things! She feels less like she's stuck under a depressive cloud! It's possible she might literally have a physical/magical cause for at least a portion of her crushing anxiety and overwhelming stress, that's potentially able to be controlled through… exercise. Essentially. Kinda? Would that just make cursed energy stronger though usage? Is that how cursed energy works?

Ugh.

"So. Got a plan for the interrogation you're about to walk into?" Satoru asked casually.

Fuck.