"What is…?", Peaches mumbles while lifting an enclosed letter recently delivered to his office. Flipping it over to gather more information, he notices it's rigid, flat design and a phrase that all but gives it away as he reads 'Message of Implementation'.
"Goodness…", Peaches rubs his thumb and middle finger over his coarse, grey eyebrows, slowly tracing his temple with ischemic pressure, "What more could the Elders want at this time?"
He leans back in his desk releasing a tell-tale grunt that would give his age away to the blind before opening it and saying, "This better be good news."
He would never say it out loud because of his being a respectable incumbent in the hierarchy but Peaches honestly finds the Elders to be a bit finicky and well, dangerous.
He tears open the thick, cardboard-like rectangular paper and slides out the letter itself. His sagging brown eyes scan the words reading the litany of carefully yet vaguely assigned meaning. After a moment of staring, his eyes flare to the right with thought as if trying to decode the meaning where it only takes seconds for the realization appear.
"A body guard?!", he exclaims in shock, "FROM WHAT EXACTLY?! Such abhorrence!", the old administrator quickly thinks about Elska Oda's prowess as well as every single turned before frowning and jokingly whispering, "I'm beginning to understand Satoru's perspective..."
To be sure, Peaches sighs and meticulously charges back over the letter but is unable to find the additional information he's looking for. Laying the document in his lap, the old goat strokes his beard with apprehension while contemplating on what Master Naoya's reaction will be.
'So, the Elders deem that Lady Oda should have additional protection…', he reiterates internally. The reason stated was to ensure her livelihood as she carries the Zenin line, 'But…', he thinks, 'I've never heard of this overseas clan before, these Pronoia'.
What troubles Peaches further is that although the letter mentions that the particular clansman was chosen out of a meaningful recommendation, it fails to disclose by whom. 'So, they believe they will be an antecedent to young Master Naoya's success in furthering our kinship?'
Rolling his tongue in his mouth, Peaches debates over his own personal hesitancy of this matter but knows he'll have to present it to Naoya regardless. While stifled in his concerns over the news, his sentinel worries are stoked even further as the blonde Zenin's energy can be felt surging.
"MASTER NAOYA!", he jumps up from the wooden chair fearing something horrible and rushes out the door. Little does he know, the heir suffers from novel nightmares.
-------------------
Glaring at his cousin's eagerness to engage in devious behavior, Toji finally observes the disastrous state of the room. He can guess that Naoya's blue-shined black wings were likely the cause but doesn't understand why the Zenin would obliterate the bed like that. Next, he hears, "Mmmm…baby…", followed by the suction of their kiss and growls as he reaches out for Elska.
"Hey!", Naoya whines, "What the hell?!" His lips form a primitive pout as Elska is whisked away.
"I think you've had enough boy. My turn.", the giant utters as he softens his eyes for Elska who now stands in his arms. "You may be a doll but I think he plays with you too much…", he whispers invitingly into her ear. "…whereas I barely get the chance."
Elska chirps when her beloved lifts her in the air, causing her to wrap her legs around his waist. Giggling into his ear, she inhales his natural scent which is when her eyes open and glow sanguine to the blossoming sensation of their reacting chemistry, "My beloved…", she coos sweetly.
His sleek black hair tickles parts of her arms when she pulls away to gaze down to him, studying his features as they mirror her own intensity. He gives her a look that she doesn't find on him often; its playful, damning and considers only herself. "Oh?", she coltishly teases, adoring the mischievous hints he's administering as his bottom lip becomes trapped between his teeth. He releases his wings.
Toji ignores his fuming cousin and shares a moment of pure reality that leaves him feeling like he and Elska are alone. He recalls a time when he would've been furious over someone touching her so soon after the bonding, a part of him still is. However, every second that their eyes stay locked to each other, his turned nature is strengthened. His gaze breaks away to land on his naked cousin, gifting Naoya with a taunting smirk as Toji takes a step backwards, toward the bed. Stretching his neck, he leans up to place his lips to Elska's while thinking to her, 'Master.'
This catches Elska off guard, the word he sent her. Toji's never openly spoken down on the Master and Turned bond but it's always been painfully obvious that he didn't take to being a subsidiary of her existence. It's not as if she lives in a despotic way or anything like that, she knows Toji simply isn't the kind of man that needs a ruler. He's always made his own way in life and therefore had earned the right to govern himself. His wavering in the past would be a prime example of how this kind of situation fits him unnaturally.
Her mind grazes through the time she paralyzed him and Naoya before going after Megumi just prior to turning Suguru. Toji was so absent in his affection for a while afterwards towards her, the cumbersome ramifications leading her to acknowledge her new emotions, her spite for them not obeying.
But, things are different now.
Elska feels the result of Toji's legs bumping into the bed and steals a glance at her prince. Naoya, though with obstinate body language, is thoroughly examining their every move with interest. She smiles to him alluringly before bracing herself against the giant in preparation for Toji to fall back against the mattress.
Naoya feels a tad bit of jealousy initially but ends up gasping when Toji's body crashes through the compromised bed to the floor. The giant's torso remains folded in the hole with Elska's breasts smooshing his face. She was forced forward, her stomach and breasts blanketing Toji's head under with Elska also pinned in this massive collapse. Naoya can't help but shout, "Karma!", with laughter cascading in his voice while quickening to near them in order to free Elska.
"Huh?", Naoya stops dead in his tracks upon sensing Peaches stampeding in their direction, 'Did something happen?!', the Zenin dreads with full attention preemptively on the door.
Peaches barges into the room, "YOUNG MASTE-"
Naoya wheezes and plucks a fistful of mixed feathers, some white, some his own and swiftly covers his exposed genitalia with respect in mind while considering, 'This probably looks fucking insane without any explanation!', so he nervously smiles and waves at his most trusted advisor, "Uh…Ummm…shit…Hey Peaches!"
Peaches jaw hangs open while he scrutinizes the scene until he averts his eyes and becomes beet red, now wishing he would've allowed some warning. He turns his entire body around and faces the hall while beckoning, "So much indecency!!!"
"I think I'm stuck, my beloved…", Elska whispers and listens to him grunt a chuckle. She tries to shimmy herself free but it seems of no use, they're tangled into each other, into the mattress. His voice is muffled but she hears him say, "This isn't exactly what I had in mind...", to which she belts out a full-on laugh. "You're okay though right?", she quietly calls to him while hoping her ass isn't hanging out.
Naoya scratches his head and feels a wave of embarrassment wash over him as he discerns being dressed would be more desirable. 'Even though it's my estate, he's not wrong.', he huffs to himself before moving his feet to the closet. He happens to look over at the bed, wanting to snicker more about Toji's dilemma but catches his princess's goods being put on display. The shirt of his that she currently was wearing had lifted up when she fell forward, showing off a bit of her most secretive areas. Naoya's neck snaps in the direction of Peaches, seeing his dorsal side and figuring out, 'FUCK! That's why he said that!'.
Elska can't help but titter away as Naoya successfully hooks under her arms and saves her from the feathered hole. "I'm sorry my prince!", she withers her eyes to the inconceivably destroyed bed.
Naoya tells her it's not their fault but ushers her into the closet and says, "Put something on baby, this shirt isn't cutting it.", and blows her a kiss before rapidly shutting the door.
"You gonna help me out or not, boy?!", Toji's pissed off tenor rumbles from the mattress mess.
Naoya cackles, "Let me put on some pants first, sheesh!", and grins mischievously when Toji is clearly annoyed by having to wait.
"Is Lady Oda out of view?", Peaches questions with his view remaining on the hall, 'This younger generation is something else...'
Naoya hollers from his closet, "Of course!", so Peaches crosses the room and grabs hold of Fushiguro's forearm. He places one foot against the bed frame and hoists the giant out a little at time with this appropriate leverage.
"Thanks Peaches…", Toji murmurs while picking the pieces of feather away from his tattered shirt, "Naoya's such a shit!" He can tell that Peaches is still uncomfortable with his red face and nervous eyes so Toji tries to explain, "Yo...hold up...It's not what you think!"
"Yes, it is!", Naoya chirps while swinging the closet door open. He folds his arms, now in his traditional wear and states, "Toji was up to no good, Peaches…he's a dirty old man!" He snickers to his own joke but gathers that there is something on his advisor's mind so Naoya wipes away his smile and gestures for the news to be shared.
Peaches clears his throat. "Erm...yes...well there're a few matters of which I need to brief you on Master Naoya…", he begins. "First off, that matter with the servants, it is handled."
Naoya bows his head gratefully but Peaches knows that the details with Rini can be discussed more privately.
"Also, everything is on course for your ceremony coming up. It will be a grand celebration of leadership!" This is the one thing that Peaches was happy to talk about since he too is excited to officially see the youngest Zenin at the top.
Naoya blushes as his mind races to the event set up to solely admire him, "Please make sure that there is a place for Maki to sit with me. Just because she'll be behind the scenes doesn't mean she cannot be honored as well. It'll be a good introduction to the equality I wish to influence within the clan."
"Of course.", Peaches bows with a genuine smile. He watches Naoya walk towards the closet as if he was under the impression that no more needed to be spoken of but he adds, "There's one more thing…"
Naoya hears Elska say that she's almost done so he turns back to Peaches, suspicious, "And that is?" He and Toji make brief eye contact which only heightens the what ifs.
"The Elders have designated Lady Oda to have a personal body guard while pregnant."
Toji growls, "What the fuck are they up to now?", not at trusting the Elders in any way. He scoffs and darts his eyes to his younger cousin, expecting the same reaction but he narrows his eyes further when he comprehends that Naoya is considering it so he iterates, "They're part of the problem boy, don't forget that."
Naoya puts up his hand to think but ultimately retorts, "But they've always wanted me to be with Elska. I wouldn't be here with her if they hadn't.", and not much more needed to be said for it was clear that Naoya was far more trusting of their meddling. "And at least its not a Zeninmale…"
"Why would I need a body guard when I have you guys though?", Elska now emerges from her closet in a flowing Zenin blue maxi dress that adorns pearl stones down the cleavage. She'd caught more of the tale-end of the conversation but still heard enough to understand and shares, "No one can make me safer than you guys."
Toji smirks, "That's my point, doll.", but thinks to her, 'That dress suits you.', and bashfully tries to hide his lingering eyes.
"We can't guarantee that we will be able to be with her all of the time.", Naoya now clenches his fists, "And I'm constantly concerned for her safety…it's like, I somehow know somethings going to happen…"
Elska thinks back to how her prince had a nightmare and automatically nears him to lace their hands together, "If it will make you feel better, my prince, then I will accept the body guard."
His whole demeanor lightens to this instantly as he brings her hand up to his lips as if to express his gratitude. She can't imagine that he's really putting her fate in another's hand but more like he's welcoming additional help.
"The fucker better not try anything funny...", Toji folds his arms and turns his head, more men in her inner circle makes him rightfully uncomfortable. In reality, Toji plans on watching this mystery man like a hawk and he knows he won't be the only one. 'Gojo and Choso are way too protective to simply trust this guy.', he thinks with reassurance. 'He won't get a chance to do anything.'
Peaches goes to leave, originally having expected that to not go so smoothly but stops as he remembers, "Some of the volunteers will be joining the ceremony as well. It would seem Genghis of the Titer clan has finished gathering the first round of them."
Toji, apprehensive about this finally speaks up. "Before we do all that, do we have a sure-fire way of knowing none of these people will need to bond with her?" When its clear that there isn't a sure answer, Toji snarls and then states, "She's not doing that again, especially not with some fucking random. What the fuck is wrong with y'all?"
Elska feels both Toji and Naoya's presence spike and admits to herself that she hasn't thought about that yet but understands and is quite interested in this answer herself. She bundles up bits of the dress in her hands nervously to the thought of having to give herself to someone else. There are no others she wants.
"I will find out for you. I too, do not want you having to do…erm…more than you need to my dear.", Peaches places a gentle hand on her shoulder, "You are family now. We will look out for you as such." He receives a warm smile from Elska that completely counters her ominous aura, 'What an interesting girl…', he thinks to himself, knowing that whatever she is, Naoya's happy.
"Alright, I told the kids we'd come back and have a drink.", Toji announces while feeling around for the key in his pocket. "Aha!", he pulls it out, dangling it in front of everyone, "My car was taken here after we got the rings, right?", looking to his cousin.
--------------------
Amnessia and Choso feel the icy gust of wind rush past them as they manifest in the last stage. She can't believe her eyes, 'How the hell did he do that?!', she wonders, giving a quick twirl while soaking up the absolute darkness surrounding them.
The stages can be accessed by those capable but even with the Titer's long familiarity with this dimension, no one has ever been able to simply bypass the trials that lie before this. "Incredible…", she admits under her breath as she adapts to his wicked turned form that appears so beastly yet humanoid.
Choso's nudity would've been unwarranted but arguing that he didn't look like a God of sorts in this stage would be futile. Her eyes carefully drink in every inch of him, not in a wanting way but in sheer awe. Those dark auburn wings, his blackened eyes and that waving tattoo along the bridge of his nose. It was breathtaking and portentous all the same. 'But...wait a minute…', her eyes jump down to herself and shrieks when recalling that she too, is bare.
Choso finally makes his view of her body with eyes squinting as he tries to make sense of her flawless form.
"No scars, burns or any kind of disfigurement…", he says astonishingly to her insecure expression. "You're very pretty, like an angel!", he smiles and nods as if she were looking for his opinion but then aims his focus on the task at hand.
"Wh-what are we doing in here, Choso?", Amnessia stumbles over her question due to this whole disorienting situation.
"I guess nothing.", the being smiles with a shrug, "It won't show itself yet.", but then he takes a deep breath and warns her, "Cover your ears."
She heeds his advice and layers her palms to the sides of her head and applies apprehensive pressure not knowing what to expect.
Choso releases a demonic cry that somehow sends vibrational waves through her bones. It feels corrosive, invasive, nauseatingbut through it all it hits her, 'He resonates with this stage??!'
With wide eyes she studies his blood red wings that arch behind him, making it seem as if he was about to attack something but instead he screams again. Amnessia slowly cradles down to her knees, holding her breath as the aggressive waves seem to tear apart the fabric of her structure through vibration alone. "STOPPPPP!", she finally calls out, "STOPPPPP!"
Capturing her breath, Amnessia lifts her head after bracing herself for a few seconds, noticing that the weird sensations at least weren't coming back, "What in the spiritual fu-…"
"Bring me to Suguru Getou!", Choso commands the streetlight overhead, "I know you have him. You're protecting him."
Amnessia has seen many things in these stages but never has never noticed this peculiar random fucking lamp.
'And why does it feel like that?!', she steps back, slowly reaching an arm out to Choso with fear prickling its way along her skin. 'How is he having a conversation with it? What the hell is this?'
"You know me. You know my intentions.", Choso relaxes his wings and they flutter before folding behind him, "you also know my master wants him back and you like her, don't you?"
When the light suddenly appears an undisclosed distance away, becoming more of an aperture, she instinctively latches onto Choso who quickly draws her closer. "What the fuck is that thing?!!", she asks with her head tucked into his arm. It's presence invokes pure terror.
"I'm surprised you didn't know!", the being chuckles, "That was this dimension's consciousness!" A bunch of energy gathers behind them so Choso whirls them around. "It's about to show us something, I guess.", he shares with slight agitation due to not being sure of what's to come.
"What the fuck does he mean by its consciousness?!! ITS ALIVE?!" Amnessia has only ever seen things displayed like this with Temujin and Suguru so she's left with far more questions about the hybrid than when they came. They're given a window to look through, it drawing them closer by manipulating where they stand to show what it beholds.
Choso's expression hardens while Amnessia slowly covers her mouth to hide a gasp when what's being shown is Suguru dominating a woman with long black hair.
"Vivian?", Amnessia silently mouths.
"The woman!", Choso stands erect and on the tips of his toes when understanding the memory being shared. What confuses him is how the stage must know that this would be the last thing the being would want to see. Trusting it's process, Choso regains his calm pose and merely waits with his breath hitched. 'What good could this do?'
Suguru has the girl bent over into the floor, chains weighing down her arms and legs. His large hands yolk up a fistful of hair to pull her backwards so he could whisper into her ear. Whatever was said makes her face twist in disgust and she tries to tug herself away from him.
"SUBMIT!", yells the furious, human Getou. He smacks her ass harshly, to the point where she wails, but then he releases her hair and continues to rut into her from behind. His obvious pleasure is repulsive as the girl exudes her story of torment.
Getou changes his angle, now wrenching his hands around her throat and using it to hold her down. It's almost like the Titer was desperately trying to convince himself that this was consensual but it's hard to tell because he flops between sweet words of praise to degrading insults. Near his end, Suguru releases her again and postures upright behind her with menacing fingers digging into her voluptuous hips, one hand wrapping a chain around her neck. The girl's forlorn expression drifts from frantic to defeat when she stops fighting to breathe and simply allows the metal to block her airway but its clear that Suguru does not register this at first being that his head hangs back with bliss on his features. It isn't until her body falls limp into the floor, does he realize what she's doing.
Her eyes roll back but Getou smacks her face and screams for her to wake up.
"Vivian…", a tear rolls down Amnessia's cheek, which catches Choso's attention.
"You know her name?", asks the being with heartfelt curiosity. He's always wanted to know the woman he failed. She deserved better than to not be remembered after suffering what she did.
"Vivian…", he speaks with broken pride.
The scene shows Suguru panicking and bringing her back through CPR but once Vivian comes to enough, she holds her breath and bashes the back of her head repeatedly into the hard floor. Her face puffs up, her skin turning shades of purple all while Getou appears like he's lost the love of his life.
"She's…she was…a lesbian…", the realization of the girl's disappearance shocking Amnessia to the core. Her eyes now fall to her once loved friend, the one who endured endless persecution from her clan because of her preferences. Homosexuality is highly frowned upon with the clans and family's that still practice the old ways and unfortunately, hers did. She was seen as worthless for not adding to the next generation and her clan was weak in terms of cursed energy and therefore only remained relevant in the shaman world because of their endless servitude to the Elders and other great clans. They were dogs for the higher ups.
Vivian was sold early on to the Elders for work purposes but the Elders themselves learned to consider her unruly and a deviant. Amnessia first met her on an ambassador job where she represented the Titer's in Genghis stead, years ago and saw how poorly she was treated. Amnessia has dealt with plenty of prejudice in her time, being a minority all of her own so a bond was formed between them.
"She would never submit to any man…", she whispers to the memory of her spunky friend. 'The Elders must have given up on her and gave her to Master Suguru…', but that thought crushes her soul. What she's just witnessed was the purest display of the Elder's nature. "Cowards. There's no way Getou knew that. He wouldn't ha…", but then she has to tame herself because what she just saw was terrible despite the hidden facts.
It isn't until having the context of everything that Choso's is able to discern what lesbian even means. He's known of same-sex relationships but never knew the terminology. His heart breaks even further to the doomed situation she'd been placed in, at the hands of Getou. 'Was he aware?', he wonders as the window now shows Suguru crying profusely, asking the room why he couldn't be loved. He holds Vivian's limp, pale body for a moment but then stands up and turns his back to her.
He raises one arm and BOOOM, uses his gravity to destroy one wall. BOOOOM, he does it again. And again. And again. Choso now comes to terms with this exculpatory evidence. As wrong as Getou was for doing what he did, he didn't kill the black-haired woman. This somehow ignites hope within him that he and Gojo are doing the right thing by bringing him back.
Choso waits for Naoya's entrance but the Zenin is never shown. Instead, the Getou before them morphs into the turned Suguru but the Titer is now screaming over and over, "NOT AGAIN, NOT AGAAAAIN!", almost as if in real time.
"Somethings wrong…", Choso discerns and reaches for Amnessia but as soon as the window barrier evaporates, she bolts towards Suguru, "WAIT!"
Amnessia drops down next to him, muddled by her own emotions but still desperately trying to calm her leader. She doesn't see it coming because of how she's clinging to him but Getou's gathering energy in an offensive way.
Choso flies over and picks up Amnessia, soaring upwards with her in an attempt to avoid a cruel disconnection.
'Can I make it?!'
She cries to go back but Choso only concentrates on getting away, explaining, "We have to go! You don't underst-", but something catches him out of the vast dark nothingness that is their sky and suddenly feels like he dove into a concrete wall and is now struggling to stay conscious.
He tastes his own blood, sees flashes of Amnessia's horrified face, hears his mangled wings violently snapping and feels the airless icy wind expressing past them. They seem to fall at an accelerated speed forever, the fear of never knowing when, straining his sensibilities as Amnessia's screams deafen his ears.
'I failed…', Choso thinks to himself before finally, the collision happens.
They've been crushed by gravity.
---------------
Toji guides his hand over the shifter to Elska's thigh, squeezing it slightly until she smiles at him. That of which, he gives an amorous one back.
"Hands off the princess!", Naoya commands from the backseat though he's perched up between them, "You're such an asshole!"
Toji grunts but while changing lanes, slides his hand higher up her thigh and even uses his pinky to tease her panty line through the dress. Hearing Naoya wheeze made his day and the giant expresses this by heartily laughing as he moves his hand to shift gears, "Honestly boy, you act like your brand new to this."
Naoya stretches his arm as far as it can go, extending his fingers completely only to be able to land the tip of his middle finger to her hip. He frowns but when Elska twists in her seat to hold his tiring hand, he grins to himself and tilts his nose up, "No, you just keep getting in the way!", he accuses his cousin, "We were having a good time until you showed up."
"This is nice…", Elska breaks up the bickering, "I wish we could take more drives."
Toji glances over to her with his beautiful emerald eyes that shade red and react to hers. She takes her other hand and rubs up his muscular arm, glancing to the road to silently remind him that he's driving.
"I'll have to do more of this too then…", his voice is far more alluring than he meant it but he's hoping she'd get why he chose to say that. Elska's cheeks redden immediately which makes him chuckle and think, 'Oh she understood alright…', and bites his lip. He's almost given up on trying to figure out why they're as sexually involved as they are. That horrible bonding recently occurred and yet here he is, already hinting to her through their cryptic banter that he's not forgotten about how much she enjoyed certain sex acts with him.
'What is wrong with me?', is something he used to ask. Nope, now he can only give in to the natural desires involving her and he'd be dishonest if he'd say that her willingness didn't stoke this fire.
"I want more of it all.", Elska raises an eyebrow to her beloved and then to her prince. Naoya's eyes narrow as he's trying to decipher exactly what she means but discovers its prurient meaning. 'You're so bad my beloved!', she thinks to Toji with a hint of embarrassment, though she doesn't understand why she's being so coy.
"Doll. What are you trying to do to me right now?", Toji shifts in his seat and runs his hand through his hair as the blood travels to his groin. He's somehow surprised that she would say that so bluntly but at the same time, that's kind of what turned him on. "I'll give it doll, you know that!", he adds seductively while jostling her thigh.
"No car sex you fucker!", Naoya screeches after picking up on the issue, "Baby, we haven't even had car sex yet." He snickers to Toji's annoyed sigh but lifts his princess's hand to kiss it, "Maybe we can continue where we left off though…", he forms his fangs. "If this princess insists on being naughty then perhaps, she needs to be taught another lesson.", his tone is so matter of fact but his luminescent eyes wreak devious inquisitiveness. "Right baby?", he asks, right before sensually piercing her wrist.
Toji swerves when that scent rips through the car and nearly drives them into a concrete barrier before gathering himself.
"What the fuck, boy!?", he shouts as he ultimately pulls over to the side on the freeway. He studies the way Elska's chest rises and falls in that pretty blue dress as she heaves her way back to control.
'Shit…', he thinks to himself as his eyes find Naoya turning her face to slip his tongue into her mouth, unbothered by the near accident. Toji's own lips part to their sensuality exploding inches away, his mouth salivating to the situation leading her to their mercy. Cars zoom past them, some with horns of morphed sound blaring as they're passed, re-centering Toji as he peels his eyes away from Elska to survey their surroundings and is jolted with purpose. He has to fight it.
Elska moans into Naoya's mouth and invites his hands to roam her. She pulls away briefly to gaze at her beloved who's staring at them, once again debating on what to do. She thinks to straddle her beloved right there, pretending that she'd fit between his massive body and the steering wheel. She wants to. She wants him, them both. He leans in towards her, aggressively locking their lips but he pulls away abruptly and guesses it was all just to get hold of Naoya.
"Boy! Don't do that when we're in public!", he shakes Naoya by collar, "What if her pheromones reach the humans out here? Huh?! Did you even think about that?!" Toji has to release his cousin and take a few breaths facing forward before he's calming down again. "DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO TO ANYONE WHO IS AFFECTED BY IT?!! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
Elska turns to Naoya with hurt eyes, knowing that he wouldn't want to risk them being exposed or hurting innocents.
'It's okay my prince…', she thinks to him but can't ignore the culpability that washes over his features.
Toji surprised them both with his change of mood but she can sense the flattening in Naoya's presence and it irks her to see him taking all the blame.
"I-I didn't mean to…", the blonde remorsefully confesses, "You know I want to keep her safe..."
"He sets those off randomly, Toji, you know that!", Elska can't stand to see Naoya so upset but doesn't know why she's saying this. Naoya knew it would likely bring out the scent but she also knows that Toji's right about doing that here. She's not sure of what to do now.
Toji doesn't respond to her right away because as he's tapping into her thoughts, he can hear her confliction. He shifts into first and keeps his silence for a moment while he thinks.
'Why did I lose my cool like that again?', he asks himself, becoming aware of that happening more often these days. He too, burns by the sight of Naoya's sadness so after a heavy sigh, Toji tells him, "Sorry boy. I'm not taking back what I said but how I went about it was ugly. You just need to be more careful than any of us because you affect her like that."
Staring out the window, Naoya mutters, "I get where you're coming from… you oldfart.". He was half expecting Toji to reach around and pop him but when his older cousin laughs, it makes the prince feel more at ease, 'I hate it when he's mad at me!' The least he could do was not be difficult though and knowing Toji probably comprehends that, thaws him a bit.
Elska sags into her seat, being glad that didn't escalate.
'I have to be smarter about this too for the time being…', she internalizes, 'At least until I can be out in the open.'.
That wicked grin finds her lips again as she watches all the people they drive by, how unsuspecting they are.
The ignorance.
The colorful dashes in her eyes emerge and are shown through the reflection of her window. Being labeled something of a monster is fine for her, she actually knows its what she is but the discrimination against her turned is a completely different story.
Unlike her turned, she's fully prepared over how the humans won't be accepting. How could they be? Not even shaman who understand what they are truly consider them allies. They're tying her hands with their assumptions; they're making her dance with what they fear her to be. Causing it even. They're so impudent. For awhile now, she had this fantasy of her and her Sati fighting back-to-back, destroying everything. It nearly makes her wet, the vision of him seducing her while misted in the blood of their enemies, on top of their corpses. 'The day will be beautiful', she shivers with pure delectation knowing that her strongest will definitely help her protect the others. She recognizes that they're getting close to the campus and switches her back to her usual self.
She doesn't want to make anything worse but to obliterate this silence she sweetly says, "Let's see where tonight takes us. I may not be able to drink right now but I want you two to have a good time. Loosen up a bit!". She cheerfully whips around to see Naoya, "Maybe I'll take advantage of my drunken turned later!"
Toji hums to himself, quite enjoying that idea but asks, "What if I'm willing doll?", and sends her a devious smirk. He definitely has already made plans for them later and the ideas roll around his mind in the most tactless of ways. Their so vulgar, his thoughts. He has to shake his head to snap himself back to reality, an attempt to dilute the visual of her bare and beneath him, eyes shut and voice singing. 'Christ, I'm too willing.'
"Even better!", she giggles to the sly looks he sending her, it rousing her deeply.
------------------------------
Hiromi hasn't been able to say much this entire time. He loiters against the wall in his plain grey suit, arms folded with one shoe against the base boards.
'He's awake and he's okay.', he reminds himself while watching the junior shaman sit with Nanami at the table.
'But he's a bloodshaman now…', he ignores his consciousness's intrusive truth but it makes him prick up and away from the wall. Their friendship almost seems like an onus now, the humanity that once existed in Kento has now experienced obfuscation.
'Can I hate Kento?', he wonders in complete dismay. Nanami feels so different, his energy has become something else entirely and this alone freaks Hiromi out. He's not sure what to think.
Nanami, lost in his thoughts while being talked at, feels a hand on his shoulder and hears, "I'm glad you're alright.", but then watches Higuruma leave through the front door and down the foyer. Kento understands. He knows Hiromi's struggles and can only imagine his friend's perception of him now. This doesn't help his mood.
"That guy is such a dick!", Nobara stamps her foot next to the table's leg, "Like, a total racist weirdo."
Nanami continues to blot out all the hateful words around him but knows that the junior shaman won't understand unless he allows them to.
"Listen you three", he begins, "Hiromi's one of the good guys. I've known him longer than even Satoru so I can attest to this."
"Yea but…", Itadori wants to explain how odd the stand-in was acting around Shoko but can't bring himself to spill the beans. He knows it wouldn't go over well. 'At least Nanami would know though…'
"Yeah well I heard he can't even use his technique!", Nobara asks without missing a beat.
"I'll explain everything.", Nanami forces himself to focus though he'd rather wallow in his self-pity, still reeling from his new existence.
"Hiromi used to get bullied by this one older kid who was I believe 7 or 8.", he ignores Nobara's snarky "So?", and continues, "He was ashamed of this and felt weak because of it, so he didn't tell anyone. Unfortunately, the bully grew confident after never being reprimanded and adopted new tactics and victims. Hiromi went from receiving bruises to suffering a broken jaw and a fractured eye socket but still lied his way out of having to point fingers because of his shame while also never desiring to harm back." Nanami looks up to find Megumi heavily invested, even more so than Yuuji and Nobara. "Hiromi went through psychological trauma under this older boy's thumb and on some days, it would cause him to stay home from school. One of these days though, the bully attacked another boy instead. This boy was beaten with a lead pipe all along his back and head. The boy never woke up and the bully was never officially caught."
Yuuji hears Sukuna laughing maniacally within, as if the curse already knows what happens. It sends a chill through the young man's body and as it ricochets through his nerves, everybody looks at him briefly.
Nanami sits up taller in his seat, mauling over if this was really the best thing to do. It's not his business to put out there but he knows Hiromi and how unlikely it was for him to open up.
"So, after hearing about this, he confronts the bully because he feels guilty for the other boy's circumstance. He wasn't able to live otherwise. The bully threw a brick at his face, breaking his nose but Hiromi did nothing in retaliation. Standing there only to collect blood on his shirt, Hiromi received a second brick to the temple but instead of fighting back, he said he felt compelled to speak about the bully's behavior so he pointed to the bully, full of rage and said "You are not human!"
Nanami sighs and rolls his shoulders back, "Hiromi didn't know that would be a trigger for his technique, that it'd be a command type. By declaring someone who he sees as evil as inherently different, he's able to manifest all he perceived as the accused's wrong doings into a physical substance. That substance then eats away at the person's body like acid."
"Holy shit.", Yuuji gulps down trying imagine how disturbing that would've been. He reaches under the table and grabs hold of Nobara's hand, rubbing his thumb along her knuckles.
"His technique acts as an infestation that eats away at the person's body. Their guilt and bad deeds don't play into how much it destroys though. The Elders discovered that the most dangerous part about this is, the person could be innocent and even suffer permanent disfigurement or mortality from lesser, not necessarily punishable wrongdoings.
"Nanami starkly looks at them all, "It mostly depends on his view of the person. The bully was eaten alive in front of that entire class on the playground and it traumatized a lot of the other kids. They were so young."
Nanami understands that because of Hiromi's strong sense of justice and binary beliefs on good and evil, he's especially hazardous where the general public was concerned. "It's such an indiscriminate and lethal ability that he's been made to sign a covenant stating that he will never use his ability unless requested to."
Nobara says nothing but instead carries in her thoughts, the possible repercussions she would've been given had Hiromi so decided. 'How the fuck is he a good guy?', she glares at the table with uncertainty, something about him just isn't right. She feels even more apprehensive about this explanation when she looks up to Nanami, understanding his underlying message.
"Thank you for telling us that, I'm a little more cognizant now.", Megumi offers his thanks and is seemingly the only one that is trying to piece what they just learned to Hiromi's aggressive behavior before. "So, he thinks my dad and all the other turned are a problem?", he asks honestly.
"They're called B-…", Nanami rubs his jaw and groans, "We're called Blood Shaman officially, but yes, Hiromi has a hard time with being here because of his convictions and how the turned behave."
He's proud to see Megumi taking that so well and commends the young man for growing up to be such a well-rounded person.
"Not all the higher ups are happy about Elska's existence outside of the Zenin clan because they know they can't control her. She's a threat because of her and Satoru's relationship and this is widely recognized. Their only hopes to keeping her in line are Naoya, I'd imagine." Nanami chuckles at the end of this now that he has a much better comprehension of who and what Elska is thanks to their new bond.
'They don't stand a chance and they know it…'
"She'll kill and eat every last one of them! HAHA YES WENCH!"
Yuuji covers his cheek only to have Sukuna carry on through his hand, "I'M FAMILIAR WITH HER NOW. I KNOW WHAT SHE WILL HAVE TO D-"
Nobara gasps but yells, "Your crush is getting a little old buddy!", and glares at the eye and mouth until it disappears. "Seriously…if he makes my man's body do anything sketchy, I'll fucking blast his ass with resonance…King of Curses or not!"
Nanami stares at the embarrassed boy but is replaying the curse's ominous prediction. Rather than being afraid or alarmed like he should, he finds himself excited by the idea of Elska slaying the Elders, the vastness of his changing eluding him at this time. His thoughts become interrupted when the commotion from Toji and the others walking in resounds through the room.
"Told y'all that I'd bring them back!", Toji announces with superiority as he rips away his tattered shirt. "Another for the trash…", he sighs while stepping on the lever to open the lid.
"El!", Yuuji waves boisterously and smiles to their arrival, even getting up from his seat to be a gentleman.
"It's alright but thank you.", she offers the junior shaman, finding herself far more comfortable standing between Naoya and Toji. She wraps an arm around theirs and rests her head against the giant's shoulder. She's purposefully not looking at Nanami though.
She can't.
Kento seems to experiencing the same difficulties. He can bring his eyes to Toji and Naoya but he refuses to view her.
He can't.
Toji's watching Nanami and Elska intensely, investigating this first hand to better quell his fears about them becoming involved. He's not liking what he's seeing but at least they aren't opening longing for each other. He's so paranoid because he personally understands how intoxicating the bond is, what it makes you feel.
Trying to lessen the tension in the room, Toji asks his son, "Did you girl come back?"
Megumi felt Nobara's eyes instantly but ignores her while calming responding, "No, not yet." He's still a little pissed at himself for how he treated Amnessia but hearing her being referred as his girl sent the butterflies a fluttering. He's dying for her to return and has even made some romantic-ish plans. He's not 100 percent if they're actually what a girl desires but he's going to try.
"That's a really pretty dress!", Nobara looks Elska from head to toe, "No offense but you didn't pick this out, did you?" Girls know other girl's fashion capabilities and it was clear that this was out of Elska's norm.
"I did actually!", Naoya touts with pride. He twirls Elska around in it and shows her off, "I thought it would be very becoming of her…", his voice revealing the raw affection he holds, "…and I was right."
Nanami, reeled in by dress, makes the mistake of observing her in the Zenin's arms. His heart races to the sight of her being held but its not in jealousy but something far more depraved. He stares at the pearls decorating her cleavage, the thin fabric hugging her like a nearly sheer curtain. When her eyes fall to his own, both of theirs glow.
Naoya catches this moment and glares instinctively, pulling Elska into his chest between himself and Toji. His left eye twitches as the wanton expression infiltrates the astute manager before them.
"Back off…", the prince warns with a threateningly low tone as the junior shaman launch to their feet and positions his feet when Kento seems unable to break his trance.
Elska peels her eyes away and silently gasps into Naoya.
'No…', she tells herself as she comes to terms with the primal urges sensed from Nanami.
'Shoko!', her hatred swarms the surface as she worries about single-handedly ruining her friend's relationship. The tears form but then she hears, 'Calm down, doll…', and it's followed by Toji's hand rubbing her back. She takes a deep breath, attempting to make sense of the senseless. A door slams, causing her to jump before turning her head to see that Kento retreated down the hall, back to the small room.
'I don't like this one bit…', Toji regrettably thinks to his cousin, 'We absolutely need to watch him.'