[ Or do call him good boy in casually conversation again, anytime she needs to easy put a leash on him β
Metaphorically speaking β
Anyway. ]
No I couldn't! I was to busy being a miscreant. [ You know. Hot or not. ] What're you in the mood for? That strawberry shortcake in the fridge has been calling my name...
[ She has kept their places well-stocked, and at this point, their apartments are as much each other's as they're their own. It had...just kind of happened that way, and they haven't really talked about it yet, but β
Well, it's a conversation they're probably not ready for. Right? Hell if he knows. He's never really...been in a relationship like this for this long before. He's just winging it at this point. He'll allow her to wriggle free as he is quite hungry, but he does trail behind on her heels, one arm resting atop her head. ]
Mhmm, my thoughts exactly! We can bake a cake.
[ Though really, baking anything would take too long. Cooking it is! ]
[ But no, Sumina certainly isn't ready for that conversation, given the fact that said conversation couldn't be further from her mind. For Sumina's part, her keeping his place as well-stocked as her own is simply a foregone conclusion, an act of service for Satoru done out of her love for him. However, she would be remiss to deny that being around each other for the beginnings and endings of their days has been nice, and a precious boon.
She may not have an entire inn's worth of people to take care of at the moment, but she does have him.
Making her way into the kitchen with Satoru in tow, Sumina begins by looking into the pantry. ]
[ She has him, and even given what transpired before the left the hotel, it's still...kinda weird. Like part of him, in the shadows at the back of his mind, still expects to wake up in the morning alone, back in Tokyo, without another warm body beside him, without her, but even that's a fantasy, because he wouldn't wake up there at all.
Maybe it's still the novelty of being alive that his body continues to adjust to. Will it ever feel like it once did? Should it?
...He nudges the thought aside, to drop his chin against the crown of her head as she peeks into the pantry. ]
Sounds downright scrumptious. Might not be cake, but...I can get behind it.
[ Reaching an arm over her shoulder, he pulls the box of noods out of the pantry. ]
[ Unaware of how his thoughts have wandered, Sumina can only serve as his chin rest, but at least she's grown accustomed to it by now. Chin rest, arm rest, she can do it all... ]
Ah... Why don't we prepare it in the Japanese style, for a change?
[ Surely they'd had some during their casual foodie adventures at Hotel Caelum, and her beautiful innkeeper brain and her supertaster tongue remembers exactly what goes into it, so she starts gathering some of the other requisite ingredients! ]
I'm going to put you to work, you know. This way, you can't possibly continue to post such embarrassing messages...
Hehe, you underestimate my ability to multitask...
[ But he more or less said his piece on the hot or not, which was: Sumina is a 10/10 and anyone who disagrees is an idiot, and anyone who agrees a little too enthusiastically is asking for an ass-kicking. Everyone knows the truth anyway, even if they're unwilling to acknowledge it.
While Sumina starts to gather the ingredients, Satoru takes up the task of prepping the cookware and turning on the oven, filling a pot with water at the sink. ]
Oh, do we have any of those lil' sausages? I can dart out and get some.
[ It's important! And he can be gone and back in a flash. ]
[ He says that, and yet he seems like he's going to behave... for now. Which is a relief. To his question, Sumina offers an immediate response; she knows their inventory quite intimately. ]
Ah! No, actually. Could you please go and get some, sweetie?
[ She deposits the other ingredients on what little counter space they have, and then goes to collect a cutting board and knife. ]
Maybe something for us to drink with dinner, too? It doesn't have to be alcoholic, of course.
[ He offers her a spirited salute. You just know he's going to come back with Pirate Sprite. ]
I'm on it! I'll be back before you know it, Momo!
[ Hopefully she didn't have anything else to add to the impromptu shopping list, because he's gone in an instant β only to return a second later, grabbing a bag from near the front door. ]
...Da-da-dah! Money get!
[ Anyway, off he goes again, to return a few minutes later with a sack of said lil sausages and a bottle of Pirate Italian Soda instead. ]
[ ...Well, he's quick to remember this time, at least!
When he returns a few minutes later, however, he'll find Sumina in the midst of chopping vegetables, though her voice sounds particularly warbled and broken up with quite sniffling when she greets him. ]
[ As he saunters back in with the groceries and sets them on the countertop and spots Sumina's current state of distress, he knows what he must do β
As he gently splays one warm palm against the small of her back, he leans in and glances at her over the rim of his glasses. ]
Hah, you cryin', Sumina? Didn't miss me that much, did you?
[ And then before she can get too flustered, he kisses affectionately at her temple and draws away, so he can start unpackaging the sausages and soda. ]
Maybe you should've come with. You never have to leave my side, you know.
[ But, ah, he's truly got her all figured out, as that sweet little kiss to her forehead does stymie what was surely to become some kind of overload from the way he peers at her, and the teasing yet unfairly attractive lilt of his voice... However: ]
I can't tell if you're joking. In any case, it's just that these onions are quite... potent...
[ She puts the knife down so she can pull a hand towel out of her apron's pocket and dab at her eyes... ]
[ Is he joking? Who can say. Not even Satoru, as he keeps the gag going for even longer, taking out a knife and cutting board for himself to begin dicing up the sausages. ]
Sure, sure! Whatever you say, Momo. If you want to spend even more time with me, just say the word.
[ As if they aren't...already together most of the time, and have been more or less since the moment they arrived. ]
[ Can't, or won't?? Since she's mentioned it anyway, he had been meaning to bring this up at some point, once they had settled in a bit... ]
You could come along on them, y'know. There's a lot you could pick up with that tattoo β your new one, I mean. [ And since her barrier tattoo is already there to keep her safe, why not? ] Wouldn't hurt to pick up some fighting skills anyway β I know what you're gonna say! But it's a lot more dangerous here than it was at the hotel. I could train youuuuu.
[ He says with a wave of the knife he uses to dice up the sausages. He'd certainly be gentler with her than he is with his students, even if he suspects she has more up her sleeve than she lets on, even now. ]
I wanna see you use that move you used against the gangsters against me.
[ It's clear, from the low grunt she gives even while he's talking, that she's going to be stubborn about this. She so rarely is stubborn about anything, but when it comes to breaking the lifelong perception she'd crafter for herself as an anti-adventurer, so to speak... It'll likely take a few more tries on Gojo's part. ]
That again...?
[ He needs to let it go... that was a fluke...! ]
For all we know, it's entirely likely I would struggle to manifest magic even with this tattoo. We don't exactly know how it works. [ but she also has not really bothered to find out ] And that time with the gangsters was all luck, I assure you. Just... basic self-defense lessons from my youth coming into play, that's all.
[ Yes, that again, it was really hot and he will not let it go!! It awakened a similar feeling in him as when she told off that scoundrel at the tavern on Maid Day...a comparison which he smartly chooses not to draw in this particular moment. ]
Aaaand what about when you have to defend yourself against a gang of pirate gators while swinging from the mast and swashing your buckles? [ He's still working on the pirate lingo. ] Are you gonna rely on "luck" and "basic self-defense lessons" then?
[ Not to stress her into taking his proposal more seriously, but even questing and adventuring aside, there's no telling when they might come under attack. He can't keep an eye on her all the time, and while her barrier tattoo might protect her from direct harm, it can't fight anything off for her. she will need to be possessed by gma for that ]
[ Unfortunately, he's very right about several things. First, that there could very well be a band of pirate gators on the high seas. Second, that she can't exactly continue to rely on her rudimentary survival skills if she's going to be of any use in this new life they've been made to make for themselves. Third, that if there's anything that Sumina Heartleaf hates more than being an adventurer, it's being useless. Becoming the former when she'd spent so long writing herself out of adventures is already a lot t o navigate for herself, but being a useless adventurer would simply destroy her...
What's more, if Satoru - or anyone, really - suffered the consequences of having to account for her... she'd never forgive herself.
...Unfortunately, also, she's definitely stressing about it already, and it doesn't take much for that stress to start compounding over other stressors. Enough that she is chopping! These onions!! Very decisively!!! ]
I— I'll think about it, all right? I know I can't keep going as I have been, here. I've got to change. It's just... There's so much to adjust to, and I've never been on my own like this...
[ She's never been so far away from home without a sure-fire way to go back, and... that worries, scares her, a lot more than she's let on thus far, a lot more than she possibly even realizes. Oh... she's tearing up, but it's not because of the onions this time. ]
...Sorry. Just - promise you won't be too harsh with me...
[ Satoru may be the sort to push things to their limits, and even past them, but he's grown familiar enough with Sumina's boundaries that he knows when enough is enough, and ordinarly, that's enough for him to pull back. On this, however...despite what an uncomfortable and difficult topic it is for her to navigate, it is important, and it is something they need to address. Maybe he couched it in playful banter about sexily knocking out gangsters and gator pirates, but it's a lot more serious than that.
He'll do everything in his power to protect her, and there's even more they might be able to do with the magical items available in this world, but even then...
It isn't that he wants to push her into being something or someone she never wanted to be. Instead, just the same as ever, he wants her to forge her own identity for herself, unchained from her own past, her family's legacy, whatever shape that takes.
Leaning forward across the counter, he lowers himself so he can try to catch her gaze, even as she chops furiously away at those onions. ]
But you're not on your own, Momo.
[ Yes, he gets what she means, but...it's still worth mentioning. They're in this together. ]
We can take all the time you need. Don't tell my students I'm playing favorites, though.
[ He's able to catch her gaze, even misty-eyed though it may be; she's sure that he's going to prod her further, but instead he offers a reassurance, a reminder... And he's right about that, too. Sumina leave her knife on the cutting board to lift her hand and rub at her eyes, but it's all too easy afterwards to offer a soft smile and to lean just enough to press a kiss to the corner of his lips in turn. ]
I mean it, you know. You'll need to be very, very, very patient with me.
[ Given how ensnared this matter is in all of Sumina's uncertainties about herself... it's going to take great effort not only physically, but emotionally, too. ]
But you're right, of course. We're in this together.
[ Rubbing at her eyes while cutting onions...she's really gonna be crying now.
Beneath the light pressure of her kiss, the corner of his mouth upturns in an easy smile. ]
You know, I'm know across all of jujutsu society for my boundless patience. A saint! Godlike, really. [ A tease, though he's quick to follow with: ] You keep being so patient with me, sooo...
[ A shrug. ]
Just following your example, really.
[ When he thinks about it like that, it's...simple. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Metaphorically speaking β
Anyway. ]
No I couldn't! I was to busy being a miscreant. [ You know. Hot or not. ] What're you in the mood for? That strawberry shortcake in the fridge has been calling my name...
[ Cake isn't dinner, but he can Try. ]
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Strawberry shortcake is not a proper dinner, Satoru.
[ Firmly, as she writhes under his arm to urge him to let go so she can stand up... (or keep cuddling her I'm not his boss) ]
We've been going out to eat quite a bit lately, haven't we? Maybe we ought to cook something...
[ Sumina has of course made sure that the place is stocked. Whomstever's place they're at. Both places, really. ]
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Well, it's a conversation they're probably not ready for. Right? Hell if he knows. He's never really...been in a relationship like this for this long before. He's just winging it at this point. He'll allow her to wriggle free as he is quite hungry, but he does trail behind on her heels, one arm resting atop her head. ]
Mhmm, my thoughts exactly! We can bake a cake.
[ Though really, baking anything would take too long. Cooking it is! ]
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That's not what I meant, and you know it.
[ But no, Sumina certainly isn't ready for that conversation, given the fact that said conversation couldn't be further from her mind. For Sumina's part, her keeping his place as well-stocked as her own is simply a foregone conclusion, an act of service for Satoru done out of her love for him. However, she would be remiss to deny that being around each other for the beginnings and endings of their days has been nice, and a precious boon.
She may not have an entire inn's worth of people to take care of at the moment, but she does have him.
Making her way into the kitchen with Satoru in tow, Sumina begins by looking into the pantry. ]
Hmm... How does spaghetti sound to you, honey?
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Maybe it's still the novelty of being alive that his body continues to adjust to. Will it ever feel like it once did? Should it?
...He nudges the thought aside, to drop his chin against the crown of her head as she peeks into the pantry. ]
Sounds downright scrumptious. Might not be cake, but...I can get behind it.
[ Reaching an arm over her shoulder, he pulls the box of noods out of the pantry. ]
We doin' this traditional, or Japanese style?
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Ah... Why don't we prepare it in the Japanese style, for a change?
[ Surely they'd had some during their casual foodie adventures at Hotel Caelum, and her beautiful innkeeper brain and her supertaster tongue remembers exactly what goes into it, so she starts gathering some of the other requisite ingredients! ]
I'm going to put you to work, you know. This way, you can't possibly continue to post such embarrassing messages...
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[ But he more or less said his piece on the hot or not, which was: Sumina is a 10/10 and anyone who disagrees is an idiot, and anyone who agrees a little too enthusiastically is asking for an ass-kicking. Everyone knows the truth anyway, even if they're unwilling to acknowledge it.
While Sumina starts to gather the ingredients, Satoru takes up the task of prepping the cookware and turning on the oven, filling a pot with water at the sink. ]
Oh, do we have any of those lil' sausages? I can dart out and get some.
[ It's important! And he can be gone and back in a flash. ]
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Ah! No, actually. Could you please go and get some, sweetie?
[ She deposits the other ingredients on what little counter space they have, and then goes to collect a cutting board and knife. ]
Maybe something for us to drink with dinner, too? It doesn't have to be alcoholic, of course.
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I'm on it! I'll be back before you know it, Momo!
[ Hopefully she didn't have anything else to add to the impromptu shopping list, because he's gone in an instant β only to return a second later, grabbing a bag from near the front door. ]
...Da-da-dah! Money get!
[ Anyway, off he goes again, to return a few minutes later with a sack of said lil sausages and a bottle of Pirate Italian Soda instead. ]
1/2
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When he returns a few minutes later, however, he'll find Sumina in the midst of chopping vegetables, though her voice sounds particularly warbled and broken up with quite sniffling when she greets him. ]
W-Welcome back, honey...
[ these onions sure are powerful ]
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As he gently splays one warm palm against the small of her back, he leans in and glances at her over the rim of his glasses. ]
Hah, you cryin', Sumina? Didn't miss me that much, did you?
[ And then before she can get too flustered, he kisses affectionately at her temple and draws away, so he can start unpackaging the sausages and soda. ]
Maybe you should've come with. You never have to leave my side, you know.
[ a fate worse than death ]
i cant believe you hit me with the you cryin'?
[ But, ah, he's truly got her all figured out, as that sweet little kiss to her forehead does stymie what was surely to become some kind of overload from the way he peers at her, and the teasing yet unfairly attractive lilt of his voice... However: ]
I can't tell if you're joking. In any case, it's just that these onions are quite... potent...
[ She puts the knife down so she can pull a hand towel out of her apron's pocket and dab at her eyes... ]
it was too perfect...
Sure, sure! Whatever you say, Momo. If you want to spend even more time with me, just say the word.
[ As if they aren't...already together most of the time, and have been more or less since the moment they arrived. ]
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[ In fact some days she could use a little less time with him!! (so she can spend more of her nights actually asleep :y_ipretend: )
Regardless, with her eyes more or less free of tears but still stinging with the onion debuff, she goes back to chopping it up. ]
I thought you might spend more time out pursuing bounties, you know... And the other sorts of quests that I can't come along on.
[ can't... or won't? ]
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You could come along on them, y'know. There's a lot you could pick up with that tattoo β your new one, I mean. [ And since her barrier tattoo is already there to keep her safe, why not? ] Wouldn't hurt to pick up some fighting skills anyway β I know what you're gonna say! But it's a lot more dangerous here than it was at the hotel. I could train youuuuu.
[ He says with a wave of the knife he uses to dice up the sausages. He'd certainly be gentler with her than he is with his students, even if he suspects she has more up her sleeve than she lets on, even now. ]
I wanna see you use that move you used against the gangsters against me.
[ He hasn't forgotten!! Nor will he let it go. ]
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That again...?
[ He needs to let it go... that was a fluke...! ]
For all we know, it's entirely likely I would struggle to manifest magic even with this tattoo. We don't exactly know how it works. [ but she also has not really bothered to find out ] And that time with the gangsters was all luck, I assure you. Just... basic self-defense lessons from my youth coming into play, that's all.
[ she is literally only level 3!!! ]
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Aaaand what about when you have to defend yourself against a gang of pirate gators while swinging from the mast and swashing your buckles? [ He's still working on the pirate lingo. ] Are you gonna rely on "luck" and "basic self-defense lessons" then?
[ Not to stress her into taking his proposal more seriously, but even questing and adventuring aside, there's no telling when they might come under attack. He can't keep an eye on her all the time, and while her barrier tattoo might protect her from direct harm, it can't fight anything off for her.
she will need to be possessed by gma for that]Momooooo...I promise I'd be gentle...
[ don't read that in childe's voice ok ]
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What's more, if Satoru - or anyone, really - suffered the consequences of having to account for her... she'd never forgive herself.
...Unfortunately, also, she's definitely stressing about it already, and it doesn't take much for that stress to start compounding over other stressors. Enough that she is chopping! These onions!! Very decisively!!! ]
I— I'll think about it, all right? I know I can't keep going as I have been, here. I've got to change. It's just... There's so much to adjust to, and I've never been on my own like this...
[ She's never been so far away from home without a sure-fire way to go back, and... that worries, scares her, a lot more than she's let on thus far, a lot more than she possibly even realizes. Oh... she's tearing up, but it's not because of the onions this time. ]
...Sorry. Just - promise you won't be too harsh with me...
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He'll do everything in his power to protect her, and there's even more they might be able to do with the magical items available in this world, but even then...
It isn't that he wants to push her into being something or someone she never wanted to be. Instead, just the same as ever, he wants her to forge her own identity for herself, unchained from her own past, her family's legacy, whatever shape that takes.
Leaning forward across the counter, he lowers himself so he can try to catch her gaze, even as she chops furiously away at those onions. ]
But you're not on your own, Momo.
[ Yes, he gets what she means, but...it's still worth mentioning. They're in this together. ]
We can take all the time you need. Don't tell my students I'm playing favorites, though.
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I mean it, you know. You'll need to be very, very, very patient with me.
[ Given how ensnared this matter is in all of Sumina's uncertainties about herself... it's going to take great effort not only physically, but emotionally, too. ]
But you're right, of course. We're in this together.
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Beneath the light pressure of her kiss, the corner of his mouth upturns in an easy smile. ]
You know, I'm know across all of jujutsu society for my boundless patience. A saint! Godlike, really. [ A tease, though he's quick to follow with: ] You keep being so patient with me, sooo...
[ A shrug. ]
Just following your example, really.
[ When he thinks about it like that, it's...simple. ]