With the least intrusive knock possible, Toji taps his knuckles against the familiar door and queries, "Hey, Megs? It's me. Can I come in?"
Obvious heavy shuffling resounds through the fixed partition, consuming the giant with the concern of after having felt Elska's bite, Megumi's likely to have even stronger feelings for her than before. This of course, is not what Toji wants at all but he can't simply pretend like it's a zero chance outcome. A grumble murkily airs on the other side of the wood but it isn't anything that Toji can understand so he announces, "I'm coming in…"
Megumi lies on his left side facing the wall but is buried beneath his blue and white checkered sheets. Against his will, the junior shaman is still reeling over everything that happened when Elska switched and left unsure of what is up or down. Curling into a ball and listening to Toji sigh over his plight, Megumi thinks about the only thing he's certain about.
Elska is not who he thought she was.
Nor is he, himself.
Toji gradually sits on the edge of the bed near Megumi's back and unwinds an arm to pull the sheets down, "Why are you hiding from me, boy?"
Megumi clings to the sheets in order to keep himself draped but ultimately loses to his father and is now exposed along with his shame. The junior shaman frustratingly sighs but remains otherwise quiet.
Toji picks up on this and ducks his head back in confusion, not having expected his son to look so sorrowful, "Look, I'll just ask. Are you okay?" His son's green eyes finally fall upon him as Megumi twists and rolls to his right side.
"Dad...I thought I liked her…but I didn't know she could…", Megumi shudders at the memory of his chest nearly bursting when her fangs anchored into his skin. Sunken into muddle, he allows the sentence to remain unfinished as he can tell by the sympathetic look on his father's face that he already understands. With a shy voice, he looks to Toji and asks, "Does it...always feel like that?"
Toji groans and tightens his lips with hesitation but ultimately coughs up, "Yeah, every single time…", feeling awkward about discussing the bliss even while knowing it is imperative to. Megumi's cheeks redden instantly which causes Toji to feel even more out of place and consider, 'He doesn't seem to be acting the same way Naoya did…', noting how the Zenin also had a period of time-out from the rest of the world after being bitten, but the Naoya became someone who embraced Elska.
"I don't know how you can handle that…that feeling.", Megumi wide eyes the bed and recalls all of the warnings he's received from her turned, how they tried to tell him. Naoya's words specifically creep into his mind, "I understand you have a little crush on her but this is not something you want to be caught up in, okay? There's so much more than you know and it would be best if you dealt with your feelings soon." Only now does he comprehend that Naoya was telling the truth.
Toji rests his heavy hand on his son's shoulder and gently jostles him while stating, "It took a while to get used to but I've always cared about her so I've never minded. The sensation is extreme but I welcome it." He now chuckles out, "The first time though, I was completely stunned and felt that my heart might explode!", trying to ease the tension surrounding them.
Megumi laughs a bit to the irony while thinking, 'But you are able to tolerate it…', and visibly pouts to the fact that he doesn't think himself to be capable. "Naoya tried so hard to tell me that there were things I was unaware of...", he huffs, "I wish you guys would have just been honest with me…"
Toji pats Megumi's back, "Put yourself in my shoes, boy. How exactly would you bring this kind of conversation up with your son, hmm?", smiling at the expression Megumi gives him that shows newly developed sympathy, "I knew you kind of liked her a little too so I didn't need you thinking that I was coming up with outrageous lies either to curve your eyes either."
At the mention of these his previous controversial crush, Megumi's eyes dart to the wall, his face slightly grimacing into the pillow.
"Megs…do you still have those feelings for Elska?", the serious whisper coming out empathetically which is something Toji isn't used to sounding like. He's practically holding his breath, waiting to find out the inevitable flattening answer that his son's affections for her have only blossomed since.
"I do…", he draws out with caution, "…but my feelings are not the same as before." Megumi leans his right elbow into the pillow and sits up watching the questions appear all over his dad's face, "I mean that I do still care about her but I don't think it's like that anymore. That sensation...it was unhealthy or maybe unnatural...almost painful. Something's not right about it."
Overlooking Megumi's fear, Toji lets out a stunned but relief-filled sigh, thinking, 'That was close.', now frowning to the random prompt in his head that reminds him of Elska's sides blending. "I know she cares about you too Megs but for a little while try to stay away from her alright? She's going through some…changes right now and if I'm being real with you, we're not sure what will come of it or even how to fully manage it."
Megumi sits up all the way now, concerned by the tone and insinuation, "What's wrong with her, dad? Are you two fighting now?" His father looks at the bed and narrows his eyes a little, this telling Megumi that things are indeed rocky between them, "Is it because of me?", he asks wholeheartedly.
"Your father just cares about you, Megumi…there will never come a day where he's willing to risk your well-being...", Sachiko adds after stealthily sneaking back into the room. She notices Toji immediately tense up and figures she probably deserves the cold shoulder after their last encounter.
Toji tries his best to ignore Sachiko but it remains apparent by his awkward mannerisms that he's surprised by her showing herself. Against his pettier thoughts he amicably continues with a hint of disdain, "Your mother is right. What Elska did, I'm very upset over that. Some of the changes she's going through are very volatile. If she wanted to, she could've escalated that situation earlier without so much as breaking a sweat and honestly...", Toji clenches his jaw, "That terrifies me."
Megumi, who wears guilt over having been dumb enough to freeze in front of Elska when she honed in on him, shakes his head and defensively expresses, "That wasn't Elska though, there's no way it was!"
Toji slumps over and runs his hand through his hair while mumbling, "I wish you were right…but it is her. Things would be so much better if it wasn't."
Sachiko knew Elska's evolution were going to start sooner or later but regardless, she feels sorry for the hard position Toji has been put in. Without giving too much away, she tells them both, "Sometimes, as you're falling in love with someone, you discover aspects of them that you were previously blind to. In this case, Elska's other side was buried because of what happened to her memories. She has no more control over this than we do because of it." She glances at the side of Toji's face and her heart aches as it is obvious that he wasn't prepared for her to defend the woman who attacked their son. There was double meaning to her words though, something more personally relatable, that of which she believes the giant grasped as well.
"So, is it like something like Itadori and Sukuna?", Megumi swings his legs over to the floor but rests his side into the pillows and headboard. "If it is, then…"
Toji answers this time, "No, this is different. The two Elska's are the same person, just different halves. The one we all know is great! But the other Elska...I'm having a hard time with her becoming so unpredictable and ruthless." Toji gives a false smile while thinking back to what Sachiko just said, 'So that's how she explains her actions…', still torn with how to feel about her as well.
Megumi tries to now put himself in the same way of his dad's perspective. Nobody wants to say it out loud but even Megumi is aware of what Elska was planning to do to him…him, his dad and Naoya. Even with this knowledge, the junior shaman's bias survives and causes him to linger out a sigh, "If she's having a hard time, try and be there for her dad because she would do the same for you. I may not know everything that's going on but I do know that. Oh...and I will stay away until she's better again, I get that there's more than meets the eye here now and I trust you…"
Sachiko smiles dearly to this, hoping that the warmth in her heart is reaching her son. 'He's such a nice young man…', she thinks while bringing her eyes to her former husband, '…thank you for giving him these opportunities outside of the Zenin clan.' Right as Toji's turning around to finally make eye contact, or at least she thinks, the door opens with Nanami walking right through it.
"Fushiguro.", the strained tension in his voice tells all too much but his eyebrow amusingly lifts when Toji, Sachiko and Megumi all respond with an astute, "Yes?"
Toji can tell by Nanami's expression that he's in deep shit, "Shit. I'm guessing you saw the room huh?", he casually asks, not meaning to sound quite so nonchalant. He doesn't even know how they would begin to salvage that dorm and the guilt of this is forcing him to verbally squander before internally iterating, 'It's soaked with blood and tissue…'
"Toji, why don't we discuss this in the hall?", Nanami opens the door back up and sternly lowers his head while waving an arm to follow.
"Shit...alright...", Toji curses under his breath and stands up. "Megs, I'll be back soon but keep your head up, alright? Everything will be fine." His eyes meet Sachiko's but he darts them away as he passes her, not knowing how to respond to her mere presence there.
"Fushiguro, are you coming?"
"Yeahhh...I'm coming…", he sulks into the hall.
After the men leave the room, Sachiko sits near her son and cradles him while saying, "They will make up, don't you worry about that. Your father loves Elska deeply which is why this is taking such a toll on him."
Megumi closes his eyes and agrees, "I know he does…but doesn't that make it weird for you, mom?", curiously bringing his head up to hesitantly capture her expression.
Sachiko gives a broken but reassuring smile, "Your father and I don't have to be together to be your parents. I've done some really bad things Megumi and I accept that she is better suited for him than myself." Her son looks confused so she adds, "Sometimes when you care about someone you realize that means their happiness is the most important thing to you. I still love your father, just not the same way that he deserves but it's important to me that he finds the kind of love that truly reciprocates."
In this instant, Megumi finds his mother to be the epitome of generosity and genuine love. It truly moves him to watery eyes but he holds back and admits, "I'm not sure what I want from you guys but as long as your happy I can be happy too."
——————————
Nanami starts walking ahead of Toji back to the turned's room, "Needless to say, you guys will be moving to that building ASAP. I understand Elsa was under attack but she failed to let anyone know and her manner of handling things is traumatizing. I cannot risk any of the students being exposed to that."
Toji puts his hands in his pockets and mopes along, "Yea I know…", for once not being impressed by her mercilessness as it has complicated their situation immensely.
"We have the power on already and the water should be accessible by the end of the day. Ieiri has ordered some quick, clean furniture as well but if you can, try to keep Elska under control." Nanami is quick to keep walking until he hears a loud thump against the wall, causing him to rashly turn around.
Toji retracts his fist, rumbling out, "If it were that easy, we wouldn't have gotten to this point…" His chest tightens up and burns as all sorts of thoughts swarm his brain; questions about Sachiko, concerns about Elska, fear for his son.
Nanami takes a deep breath and eases his voice, "I'm sorry Fushiguro, I know this is hard on you as well. I don't mean to be insensitive, I miss her as she was too. Things used to be so much simpler." He notices the desperate cackle that leaves the giant's lips and feels horrible for having been so sharp with his words prior. "Is it true then? She's becoming whole as Choso would say?" Nanami can easily depict the difference in Elska's energy; the unnerving maliciousness that radiates from her as if it's always belonged.
Almost like she used to be.
Toji places his back against the wall, "Yeah, I think so. Whatever the fuck whole really means." He can sense Nanami's urgency to get the ball rolling so he bucks his shoulders from where they were standing and continues walking. "I honestly don't know what to do, Nanami. It turns out she can physically control us if she deems fit. I've never felt so helpless in my entire life. I think we have a serious fucking problem there..."
Nanami furrows his brow while wondering, 'Will Satoru not be able to control her either?', now sweating at the fact that they could be harboring their greatest threat aside from the king.
"I don't know man...probably not. The Titers are saying he's going to be an entirely different shit show."
Nanami feels the doom and gloom but surprisingly takes a kinder route, "That's...shit...well, I don't have any advice on this matter but I think it's clear that for now, Elska needs you as much as you need her.", continuing down the final hall to the room. "Can you tell me one thing though? It's a matter of urgent diplomacy...", he prompts towards Toji who looks up and indicates that he will answer, "Why is Chonan Zenin tied up in your bed?"
—————————
Naoya peeks his head into the bathroom, listening in to make sure Elska is back in the shower while Choso waits on her with a towel. Returning his view back into the bedroom, he hastily speaks into his phone, "I get that Peaches but I'm not leaving her here! Hell no!"
However, on the other line, Peaches patiently pleads, "You can bring her with you Master Naoya, just please come home and sort this out before it gets worse. You need to show that part of the clan with doubts you that you have Ms. Oda on your side!"
Naoya scoffs, "I'll throw those fucking twats into poverty! They should know better than to question my position. I have two words for you my friend, ancient technique. I ought to use it on them and decorate with their bones!"
Peaches sighs, feeling as though his young master sounds all too much like Satoru Gojo, "Young Master Naoya…you know I support you with my very life. They will not listen to me though and now that Chonan is being held hostage, it's not going to look good. This could develop into an unnecessary war."
"That fucker tried to go after my princess! He's lucky…and I cannot stress this enough…he's lucky to even be alive, Peaches.", and in his mind, he finishes his meaning, 'Because my baby is vicious.' Navigating the red room, Naoya seethes while stepping around the entrails to close the distance with his brother, whispering, "ASSHOLE.", and spitting towards the unconscious eldest Zenin. Naoya's pride is being prodded at but he's ultimately grateful that Chonan did not meet his end, though he knows that if he doesn't quell this situation now, Peaches will indeed end up being correct.
This could potentially fuel start a civil war.
"I know, I know…", Peaches exhales loudly, "I don't know why this faction thought they would survive any of you but they're going to keep trying until your father shuts them down."
"Well, why the fuck hasn't he? Are you telling me my father is condoning this?!", Naoya's voice raises in volume, not having considered that angle. He always figured Chonan was doing this on his own accord, for gain.
Peaches takes a moment before answering but ultimately confesses, "They're not convinced that Elska is yours and Naobito will have her join the clan any way possible…", the thickened insinuation of Satoru Gojo and Toji Fushiguro being involved with Elska spawn rumors that travel all too fast.
Naoya's ears steam, "That old fucking dick!!! How could he doubt me?! My princess LOVES me. I'm her prince! She literally addresses me as such regularly!", his tone rancorous as he's comprehends how he's going to have to appear before his clan and put them in their place, "Why hasn't he croaked yet? Isn't he pushing like 1,000 already?"
Peaches is silent before meekly replying, "Master Naoya, please do not ask me to comment in response to the Hei's character or lifespan. That is treason."
"Ughhh…damn.", Naoya rubs his eyes, welted by his own immaturity, "I'm sorry Peaches. I know you're risking a lot by even informing me of this and I will see to it that you are protected no matter what. I value your guidance above anyone else's. You're the only one there I could ever trust." Naoya hears the respite through the phone and grins before continuing, "But you know my dad IS a dick though, right?" The tiniest giggle transpires which makes Naoya grin and focus on immediates, "Do you want to me to bring Chonan or will he have a rouge escort?"
"We'll use a Titer to retrieve him, they're still contracted to us after all."
The door creaks open and Naoya perceives Nanami who's trying his best to not vomit next to Toji who still seems out of sorts, "Alright well, I'll be there soon I guess. My princess is taking a shower at the moment and will probably want to get ready but after that, I will relinquish myself to this shitty task."
Toji cocks his chin up, "Who's that on the phone? And where the fuck do you think you're going with her?", watching his cousin say goodbye before shoving it back into his pocket. When he hears the name Peaches, he actually finds himself grateful to the old goat for reaching out and internally smiles, "Was it about Chonan's misgivings?"
Naoya dramatically sighs, "Yep. Annnnd now I have to go to the estate. Apparently there's some questions over my relationship with our princess. I guess my father doesn't think I have it in me to land a woman like that."
Toji lifts an eyebrow but puts things together, "HA! So they thought Chonan would be able to win her over? The same shit head that has never held a serious relationship with a chick because he's such an arrogant womanizer?!", cackling at how ridiculous their thought processes are, "They must be desperate."
"Right? It doesn't make sense...but that's why I'm not leaving her side Toji. Even if you stay with her, I'm not allowing distance.", Naoya then cheerfully walks into the bathroom and asks Elska, "Baby, want to wear a pretty yukata and meet my shitty family?" He laughs when she agrees so he nods to Choso who is still standing there attentively, "Cho you can come too if you want. I need to show these assholes exactly what we're made of."
The being smiles and says, "Aw yay! I'd be happy to Naoya!"
Searching through the human covered drawers, the Zenin finds a yukata that he brought back from his and Gojo's little adventure. "Perfect!", he beams, now struggling to find a place to put it without dying it sanguine, "These are my clan's colors too; this will be quite the statement."
Nanami clears his throat and addresses everyone but makes eye contact with Toji, "When you return, you'll need to head to that building on the outskirts of the property…", he looks around the room, "I imagine we'll probably need to burn this area…"
Toji places his hand on Nanami's shoulder and thanks him sincerely, "I'll come back for our things by myself.", but Nanami informs him that the special cleaning crew will transfer their belongings as well as Getou and Satoru. It stings Toji, feeling the dense magnitude of rejection of a black sheep all over again but he knows that it's best for everyone if the turned were to be out of range.
Naoya picks up on Nanami's tone and kindly adds, "She just needs a little time to balance out. She's not a bad person…", and scoffs, "You guys know this." He's almost ashamed in his older cousin for being so weary of Elska but the simple reminder that she tried to involve Megumi smacks him in the face, causing him to minimize his callousness, 'That was pretty fucking awful actually…'
"I know, I'm sorry this is happening…", is all Nanami says before leaving towards the door, not having the heart to say much else, "It's nothing personal at all." But as Kento leaves, he secretly prays, 'Oda…please get it together before something irreversible occurs…', a daunting contemplation to tether him while heading back to Ieiri.
Toji listens to water shut off and becomes edgy as Elska and Choso's muttering can be heard. Part of him wants to leave too, not yet being ready to full-on face her as the rancorous memories still haunt him. He decides to turn his back to them all as if he's looking over the specs of the room to avoid direct confrontation.
"Now you're really clean!", Choso brightly points out while following behind her as they exit the bathroom. His eyes fall to Toji which makes him depress a little because he's sure the giant hasn't accepted the reality of what's going on with her. 'She didn't mean it…', he thinks to himself, now knowing that Elska was just a little stir crazy when she attacked them all.
Elska hums to her hybrid but walks towards Naoya, trying to pretend that her beloved isn't there since it seems like he doesn't want to be anyways. Her prince glances in Toji's direction too but with brief uncertainty and is soon focusing on her again with that big, perfect smile.
Naoya holds up the yukata and grins, "Would this princess like some assistance?", with Elska instantly blushing in response. 'She's a little different now but she's still herself…', echoing in in the Zenin's mind as they reenter the bathroom and he closes the door. Although he's been trying to keep things as lighthearted as possible, he senses her disappointment over Toji and shares, "He'll come around baby…he's just not getting over…you know. That was bad."
Elska scrunches her face in displeasure, "We'll see about that…he's never acted this way towards me before. I may be the first Master in history to produce such a reluctant turned..." Usually, she wouldn't be bothered either but ever since melding her two sides, she's trodden with hopeless human emotions that affect her usual carefree ways. 'What is this feeling? Why does it feel like I cannot breathe when there's nothing obstructing my lungs?'
"It'll smooth over baby, I promise.", Naoya slides the under robe over her limbs, her dropping the towel to the floor to get it out of the way. He leans down to her lips while securing the first knots, "Even I could not stay mad at you…", caressing her waist while the suction from their kiss hollows the damp air, "And I'm the jealous type!"
"So, Choso...how is she?", Toji broodingly asks while sauntering over to examine Gojo, newly distracted by his aura. The sickening wicked energy that seeps from the silver shaman automatically makes Toji's brow furrow as he wonders, 'What is going on with you man? Are you really going to allow yourself to become what the Titers said?'
"She's doing well! We just finished…uhhh…", the being stammers and wishes he would have played that off better. Toji twists to face him, causing Choso anxiety, "We umm…"
Toji darts his eyes from the being to the bathroom door, then back to Choso. For some reason he's abnormally irritated by the indication that they had sex and huffs his way right back into the small tiled area. Without knocking, he barges in but holds his breath when he takes in her details.
Elska and Naoya both jerk their heads to the giant's direction. Elska's heart flutters after raking over his rugged features, wanting nothing more than to be held in his strong hold. She, however, indifferently dashes her eyes to the her feet and raises her arms to give Naoya better access for the obi.
Naoya gathers the tension, "Are you just going to stand there, Toji? Or is there something you want to say?", easily judging by his cousin's face that Choso let their activities slip. He laughs through his nose and rotates the obi to her back before standing up and boisterously claiming, "Like the Zenin princess you are!"
Elska catches the slight flare of what the fuck that crosses Toji's face to the Zenin part and begins to snicker. Naoya laughs with her but her eyes soon fill with tears despite having genuinely found her beloved's expression to be funny.
"Oh no baby, don't cry!", Naoya exclaims, sinking in place as he doesn't understand why. He goes to hug her but large hands gently brush him aside.
Toji embraces her as she sobs and holds her close.
"Doll…", his eyes meet Naoya's, shortly shifting his gaze to peer down at her and then to their reflection. Toji winces when he tries to ignore that being near her is what his heart is screaming for, despite her maniacal behavior, "…I still love you. I just…", her cries become louder and but hearing her normal voice with this malevolent presence muddles his foundation all over again. He squeezes a little tighter as her hidden mouth repeats, "I'm sorry!", his bewilderment knowing new heights as he can actually somehow sense his doll plain as day. That fraction of a moment makes him instinctively raze his walls, tucking his chin over her while his hands soothe her nerves along her back.
Choso, who stands in the threshold of rooms is now fully dressed in too big of black pants and a fitting white shirt, wears a large smile. Of course there's a natural part of him that wants to keep Elska to himself and he believes the others must feel the same desire at times too but the way her presence becomes tranquil to Toji's touch baffles the impulsivity right out of his head. The being then observes Naoya grabbing a brush and attempting to groom her hair but he's having trouble due to Toji's large arms.
"If you're going back to the Zenin Estate, I'll go with you guys.", surmises the giant, "They need to know all of who they're fucking with." He pulls away from Elska, washing his eyes over her features with hesitation before confessing, "I terrorized those fuckers back in my hay day. They'll want nothing to do with my ass. Plus, I would be too worried about y'all if I didn't."
Elska wipes her eyes and wallows in her embarrassing display of vulnerability, 'Have I become weak? Does this human nature cancel my turned heritage?', she asks herself, blown away by how much she finds herself needing their approval and by how often her mind shifts. 'This was never the case before…', but when her eyes meet Toji's again, she nods in acknowledgement, "Thank you…my beloved."
Naoya shoos everyone out of the bathroom aside from Elska, hissing that he needs to help her get ready. At first he's unsure if making her glam up is the wrong move, her mood seeming to only minutely having improved but when their gazes meet in the mirror, Elska whispers, "This meeting has to do with us doesn't it? Let's show them first hand that I will only have you, my very own Zenin prince."
Toji and Choso pull the soaked, splattered baby blue comforter from over top Gojo, the being soon rustling around in the small closet to grab a different blanket. Toji stares down at the silver shaman where an eerie voice claws at his mind.
'He will soon awaken…'
The giant isn't sure how he can tell but the visceral void gathering in his gut is sending out sirens, warning him to be on guard. Misunderstanding the message for what it is and without breaking his line of vision on Satoru, Toji asks the being, "What do you gather from this? Is he going to be alright? Gojo feels off as fuck, even for himself..."
Choso walks over to them again, his footsteps slowing the closer he nears, "Toji...I think the Titers are right. There's something different about his synthesis…" He feels the shifting aura blazing from Toji, causing him to retract a bit and step aside.
"What the fuck are we going to do if those two go off the rails?", Toji solemnly asks the iron-scented air. He orients his body towards the being, "We need a plan. I have a bad feeling that Gojo's going to wake up very soon…" Toji now looks over to the couch where Suguru lays but narrowly eyes the space next to him as he senses Titer energy funneling in.
"Choso.", he alerts the being who is already on the defensive.
Within seconds, Amnessia and Baidal appear and before anything, they both gasp to their leader being surrounded by blood.
"Master Suguru!", the young Titer screams, frantically trying to wake the slumbering man without luck.
Amnessia swats Baidal's hands, "Stop doing that! Leave him b-! Can't you sense it?", she looks up to Toji with a smile as his eyes reluctantly hand out confirmation, "Master Suguru has been turned."
The giant merely looks back at her with a vacancy that he didn't harbor before, her empathic nature reading his body language and eyes that tell the story of a torn man. She stands up but notices suddenly Choso which causes her to falter and show wide eyes that misplace her voice. The awkwardness is broken by a hair dryer and the giggles of Naoya and Elska coming through the door.
Choso bows before Amnessia with absolute sentiment, "I want to thank you for breaking me out of my ignorance. If you wouldn't have taken my body that day, I don't know if I'd be here as I am now."
Toji looks over Baidal but stops to raise an eyebrow to Choso's words, "That's a weird way to thank someone for sex bud."
Amnessia shrieks, "PLEASE. Let's leave that alone. I don't need your thanks…I'd rather pretend that didn't happen at all.", completely unnerved by the difference in the hybrid now, "It wasn't like I wanted to!"
Baidal chokes on air, "What is he speaking of Amnessia????", shy to know the truth but dying to hear the tea. She merely glares at him which makes his attention veer back towards Getou as he solidifies and 'So scary!'
Choso responds, "Oh, sure! We can pretend! My Master would probably appreciate that. She can be a little territoria-"
Elska now walks out of the bathroom with her hair styled up into a large extravagantly twisted bun that decorates long, loose pieces of twirled curls along her face. She immediately notices the Titers, half wanting to rip them apart with the other portion wishing to welcome their additional care for Suguru. She decides to not say anything at first, to read the room as she doesn't want to upset her beloved further. Her eyes glance over to him but she wasn't expecting his expression to be so adorning.
Toji clears his throat, soon realizing that he was fixated on Elska and her alone.
Naoya turns off the light behind her and scoops her up to save the hem of her yukata from the essence painted the room.
While the blonde is carrying her through the doorway and their eyes meet, Toji blurts out, "You look really nice, doll." She bashfully accepts his compliment which gives him ease, knowing that he really just wants to keep the good in her if at all possible. 'I mean it.', he thinks to her with a sweetened tone.
"Hey, Titers. You wouldn't be here for Chonan would you?", the Zenin questions from the hall almost as if he'd forgotten about his brother entirely. He remembers Amnessia and still holds a small grudge against her for triggering Choso's involvement but is preoccupied by the meeting they're about to attend.
"Who?", Amnessia questions genuinely, not meaning to be rude. When Choso points to the bloodied mess of a man on the bed and says, "That one.", she retorts honestly with, "I'm only here to make sure Master Suguru was alright. I needed to confirm that after his disappearance."
Elska lifts the ends of her yukata the best she can to protect the fabric her prince put so much effort into and tiptoes over to the Titer woman. "I saw him in that final stage place. He's racing against the synthesis to gain consciousness sooner than later.". She bends down and brushes the hair from his face while offering the Titer woman a wise but grateful smile, "He plans to save me."
Amnessia keeps a professional face but on the inside she's joyously rooting for Getou, knowing that what she said is most definitely the truth. "That sounds like him alright…", she jests, enjoying the winged woman's obvious tender endearment towards her leader. Something strikes her as odd though and this foreboding shadow encases her mind, 'What does Elska mean by save her?'
She's been avoiding Genghis, who would probably know, as he's recently returned but with a feminine scent on his robes but the creepy feeling brings her alarm as she fears Suguru senses something they don't. "Lady Oda…", Amnessia directly begins by brushing braids behind her shoulder, waiting for the girl to face her, "I will have Baidal stay with Master Suguru but I think he will need Master Genghis's guidance for what he seeks to do. The process he is attempting cannot be accomplished alone. I'm synced with him as well but only Temujin can teach him the forbidden techniques." She sees the curiosity in Elska's eyes and thinks to herself, 'This isn't good.'
Baidal perks up, "I will stay here and guard him!", happy to have such a role, "Please bring back Sain too! There's some friends here I want him to meet!"
Amnessia nods to her fellow Titer, "Okay, I won't be long…", but first turns back towards Elska and explains, "We will protect you too since you're the one Master Suguru so desires. Please, have faith in that."
Elska's expression softens to the pretty girl's words, not having sensed a single irregularity in her voice, not finding any lies. "Perhaps I've misunderstood you, Amnessia...", she holds out her hand, wanting the Titer's to mirror and when they shake, they forge a new beginning. Elska's disdain for the woman quickly dissipates as she can only feel the platonic devotion to Getou; the sincere hope of his good health and future.
"You guys can do what you want but we should get going baby!", Naoya taps his foot in the hallway, wanting to get this over with. Elska bends down to plant a soft kiss to the Getou's cheek, pissing him off royally but when she straightens her posture and gracefully ends up by his side again, he shrugs it off and harnesses their own bond. "Cho, Toji…are you coming or what?", he calls to the others, swimming in respite when they begin to walk towards him. "Cho, could you use your portal thing?", he grabs Elska's hand, "It would be sooo much quicker if you did!"
Choso grins to him being a necessity, "Yea! Let me map this out!"
Toji rubs the bridge of his nose, so worn down by the ever-changing personalities around him, 'Gojo, Elska and even Choso.', he ponders while feeling finger tips graze his hand. They were Elska's and it was as if she was humbly testing the waters to gauge his willingness to exert affection. Looking down at her, he can't help but find the image of his timid doll staring up at him, thawing. 'Now she doesn't seem that different at all…what the hell?', the thought scrunching his face since he can't quite tell what's going on in her mind. 'Is this really my doll?', he wonders while instinctively lacing their fingers together.
"Okay Baidal, watch over them.", is the last thing Amnessia verbalizes before disappearing into thin air. He nods with pride while also sharing a gleam of confidence to the turned, following Toji gather up the beaten eldest Zenin man from the bed.
"Peaches said someone would come for him but I guess we'll just drag his ass along.", Naoya chuckles to the condition of his brother, "Should've known better, Chonan…now I have to go home and embarrass you."
Baidal becomes excited over the pressurizing atmosphere when Choso's portal forms and thinks, 'Wow he's really powerful isn't he?', being glad that they're no longer enemies. He sits down next to Suguru as they all enter the darkened oval-shaped tear in time, but that's when Amnessia's words reach him. 'What did she mean by them? I'm only here to guard Master Sugu-', standing up to overlook the gore in the room and finally discovering the full intent.
"WHAT?!", he yells when his eyes fall to Satoru Gojo.
The Satoru Gojo.
An undefined type of fear crawls up his spine as he stares into the unconscious shaman, the hairs on the back of his necking standing tall in response. Baidal gulps down air while reflexively throwing his limbs over Getou in a means to shield him, 'Why would she not order me to kill him? This may be the only time I can! Why the hell are we protecting the monster that has slaughtered hundreds of us?!"
————————
Amnessia stomps her way to their quarters, "Temujin!!!!!", screaming his name with a raspy hint of anger. She senses her lover through the door and although she'd rather continue being an ice queen, she asserts humility for the sake of their true leader. When she enters the room, she finds Genghis wallowing over something, his demeanor seeming exhausted until their eyes meet.
"My beautiful Amnessia…", he somewhat emptily soothes, "What can I help you with?" He knows in his heart that if he doesn't make her scarce, Deila will certainly kill her and without hesitation or grace. This daunting fact rests in his mind as the beautiful Titer he adopted years ago begins to explain the situation but his eyes light up when he finds out about Suguru's being bitten. "So, he did it?!", the excitement in his voice carrying off of the pale yellow walls, "He has become like them?!!!"
"He did.", she nods approvingly but then adds, "I think there's something going on though, Temujin. From what I understood from Elska, Master Suguru is in a rush to finish the synthesis and not simply because he wants to be near her…" She perceives the seriousness return to Genghis's face and sighs when it seems like her speaking to him was worth it after all. "If it's what I think it is, he's going to need your help. Even with time frozen, no man can merely teach himself what he's attempting."
Temujin stands up immediately, "Then take me to him, I will investigate this myself."
He's aware that his pupil's need to do this in record time likely involves Gojo waking up and mutters, "His instincts are preparing him for what's to come. He can already sense it." Genghis goes to reach out for Amnessia's hand but she pulls away and keeps it strictly business which hurts.
"For what it's worth, Amnessia, I've found that you're more important to me than you should be…", but suffers her dissatisfied expression as if he insulted her. 'This is for the best though I suppose…', understanding that he'd rather keep her safe.
His Master is truly a cruel one.
Once they arrive back at the dorm rooms Genghis smirks at their reddened surroundings and muses, "This has Lady Oda written all over it…", admiring her strength as it will be needed when the time comes. Bending down and kneeling beside his pupil, Temujin whispers, "I'm proud of you little one, so very proud…", but senses Gojo's ominous energy and shivers, hoping that his little ploy with the King will be enough to finally exact Satoru's demise. 'I wish I would've done something about you a long time ago…', sinking to the very plausible outcome that he is too late.
That Gojo has become too powerful.
"I will return back to the compound then and leave this to you.", Amnessia states emotionlessly, truly wanting to be away from the man tormenting her heart. He grabs her wrist though which startles her but the look on her former lover's face is that of an apologetic one.
Half tormented, Genghis whispers so only she can hear, "I ran into my master. What happened was natural but I'm sorry I've hurt you in the process. You deserve much better than me Amnessia.", but her eyes well up and it becomes obvious that she's doing her best to remain stoic until he adds, "I need you to trust me, dear. Please remain here with Lady Oda's people, you will be safer that way…"
A fire arises within her bones over the tragic words of her lover speaking of their end. She doesn't say anything else but instead rushes out of the room and down the hall, her whimpers of sorrow reaching his ears though he knows she tried her best to mute them. He looks over to Baidal who is distrustfully side-eyeing Gojo and instructs, "Leave him be. There's nothing you can do to the man as you both are.", wishing it were a lie because he comprehends the young Titer's train of thought. "You'd be no match for him anyhow. Wait."
Closing his eyes, Genghis sits on the sofa next to Suguru's legs and discerns, 'I must be meant to teach him the Threads of Time technique sooner than seen…'
With this knowledge passed down to his pupil, Genghis knows that Getou will be able to obtain his goal but it can only be done through the manipulation of time. Very few are aware of this ability and its because not only is it forbidden but Genghis was only able to perform it after being turned himself. This is also being the reason he hid it until Elska was bleeding to death after detaching from her wings in the wall at the compound, he couldn't raise too much suspicion with Gojo's knowledgeable self roaming near.
Genghis recalls how one of her wings shattered and then crawled up her and Suguru's body to form new tissues in the gaping wounds. It worked then, though not without strenuous effort but he believes Getou is suited for far greater things than himself and can handle this kind of training regardless of how rigorous. 'If Suguru can continuously engage this technique, he'll be able to reverse minutes at a time while retaining all of his knowledge which ultimately will only expend a minimal amount of hours in the long run. He can use it to master the technique and then for...' Temujin is far too aware of what fate Gojo's awakening will bring but luckily, he fills with pride over his pupil naturally understanding the danger.
After closing his eyes, an icy wind envelops Temujin's body as he returns to the Final Stage in search for Suguru. He calls for his pupil and scans the endless darkness that holds neither a beginning or an end. His wings twitch behind him though causing his breath to hitch as he completely forgot that this realm shows what you truly are through the mind's eye.
"I can't have him finding out!", Genghis irrationally decides, knowing that it will raise too many questions and ever since Suguru has evolved into a better man, he'll likely despise the plans Genghis has laid out for everyone else.
"Can I deteriorate?", he wonders while putting his mind into full focus, imagining himself to break apart into millions of golden pieces. Energy electrifies the air but Temujin finds his limbs to be trembling, this time out of fear until he feels the thousands of tiny cracks that transform his human body into evident success. No sooner than he accomplishes this, a winged man lands near him and curiously queries, "...Master Genghis?"
Suguru, incredibly worn out after attempting to figure out the route he needs to take, lifts his hand and extends a finger for one of the mysterious yet familiar golden butterflies to land on. He feels Genghis's energy blaring through the nothingness and feels reinforced, "Please! Show me how I'm supposed to do this! Elska is in trouble!"
Temujin's multiple fluttering shards swarm his pupil while they vibrate and form a frequency that mimics humans language, "What I'm about to do is going to feel strange but please trust that I have a purpose…"
Now feeling claustrophobic as the tiny golden wings all wave in accordance to another, Suguru feels his heart drop, "What…what are you talking about?"
Genghis's butterflies unify in position near Suguru's face, "This will be much easier than trying to train you. Your head might hurt a little but I promise it's only temporary. You will heal and you will know."
With this, Suguru's illuminating eyes widen, his brown and golden wings flap incessantly and all of the butterflies that comprised of his mentor begin rapidly funneling inside him through his ears. It's such an insanely uncomfortable sensation; the tiny legs and breezes performing straight to his brain. His roars of agony cause the appearance of that same lone street light, though it remains in the distance as if it is afraid to be sullied by the grotesque display.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME!?", Suguru cries while suddenly not trusting this approach, rabidly swinging at the few remaining butterflies before more can enter him. Failed, he drops to his knees, salivating and twitching over the mixed synapses firing in his head but unable to control the way his body contorts.
"STOP!!!!", he pleads, "PLEASE STOPPPPP!!!!!"
Relief freezes the echo-less space as Suguru collapses entirely to the ground that doesn't exist.
As his eyes roll back into his head, Getou's body then experiences hypertonicity; his muscles contracting in every which way feeling as though his body will split into multiple directions. He convulses for a moment, but suddenly the pain dies away and he's left with an iron-soaked tongue and vast amounts of knowledge that he didn't bear prior. All he can initially do is limply lay there as the butterflies pour out but as their desperation to exit him spikes, the insect bodies themselves stagger into a dense crawl out of his orifices. He's retching and coughing up pieces of some that instantaneously turn into human flesh as they splat and die beside him.
"Master…Genghis…", Suguru whispers, now understanding the reasoning behind this disgusting forced choice. "I can...see them now…the Threads of Time…"