Chapter Text
Finally getting to his apartment door, Togame winced while crossing the few steps he had left. The ugly motherfucker really didn't miss him, his knee was hurting and so did his shoulder, his own arm weighing on it like a mass. He stopped an instant, catching his breath.
It really wasn't his fault, all he wanted was walk around during his patrol but for his demise some assholes decided that it was a good idea to rail him and Choji up, scoffing at them while their "boss" was tagging one of the store inside their turf.
He didn't mind on the moment, the altercation proposing itself so that he could unleash the pent up anger his nightmares caused him. He savored painting the Shishitoren token over theirs. Shishitoren was his. His home, where he was surrounded by his people. No matter how bad they were doing. He will kill and die before letting anyone take it away from him.
He was close to finding a solution anyway, yeah he'll find a solution and everything will be alright again. Like nothing ever happened to Choji, and he'll have his happiness and calm back. The sun will shine once again, chasing the rain like it did all this years ago.
He closed his eyes as he passed an hand over his face, aaah he really wished he kicked the son of a bitch one more time.
The sound of a door opening and closing successively made him open his eyelids, his feisty neighbor was in the corridor standing right in front of him. Her eyes were still as expressive as the last time they talked, two days ago. Togame saw the astonishement in them as her gaze roamed his silhouette, he probably wasn't looking real good right now.
He expected the worry that he saw in her eyes and waited for her to clutch her purse and runaway with a disgusted look. Yet she did none of that, the worry was still there but instead of bolting to the elevator, she made her way toward him, lolita heels clacking and making his headach grow heavier, her hands slightly raised not knowing what to do with them.
-"Are you okayy ?"
Her high pitch laced with anxiety made him wince. Was she stupid ? Didn't she know who he was ? Probably not, or else she wouldn't be fussing over him like that.
-"'M okay. Stop being so loud." He huffed out, the fatigue coming back to hunt him.
-"Sorry..." she paused her eyes scanning him from head to toe until they stopped somewhere on his torso. "Is that blood ?! What happened ?"
Alright, she was stupid. Very stupid. What kind of woman would stay around and try to help a blood drenched man two heads taller than her ? She should be running away like every sane person would.
He wanted to shake her, make her realize the situation, but he had no strength left inside. And she was being nice, or at least trying to, so he opted to just shoo her off as nicely as possible. A sarcastic remark of his should suffice to tick her off, like it did most people.
-"Obviously, I'm a serial killer that just buried his last victim, dummy."
She blinked at him, then puffed out in small giggles. "Alright, that was a stupid question. Or you're a very bad serial killer."
Togame was stunned. She should have mouthed him off. Or at least looked at him with disgust painting her features as he mocked her. Instead, she was just there, standing in front of him, talking with ease.*This girl's really 's unusual...* and it was refreshing, just like Choji back then.
-"Naaah, I'm a good one , you just happen to be my next victim. I'll come for you when ya expect 't less."
He joked, her laugh warmed the cold corridor, and he felt a bit of his tension drop.
She pushed back her glasses with the back of her thumb. They were new bronze marks inside her palm.
-"Alright, then at least do it when I'm asleep..., I promise I won't fight back."
He smirked when he perceived the small tilt of her upper body toward him, the yellow light reflecting in her glasses as she was looking up at him through her eyelashes, a conspirating shimmer in her pupils.
-"Aaaah, reallyyy ?" He smirked, imitating her movement. The brightness in them tugging him in.
Incoming call from : 🩷🌹Rosa 🌹🩷
The buzzing of her phone interrupted them, and he had to hold back a snort of discontent.
-"I have to go, will you really be okay, tho ?"
She inspected him like she was searching for a knife stabbing through him that would have somewhat escaped her previous inspection.
-"Yeah, I'll be good." He parted from the wall, focusing on not stumbling down.
-"Alright, don't hesitate to knock on my door if you need."
So stupid. And hypocrite, he could already see how terrified she would be if knocked at her door bloody at 3 in the morning.
As she put the device to her ear, he noticed how big it seemed in her hand even though it was average sized.
-"Hey Rosalia...No, I'm on my way... yeah, yeah, I'm close !" He grinned at her blatant lie. At the end of the day, she wasn't so nice.
-"I'm sure 'Kuna was wrong, there absooolutely no way you're idea could be lame." She gave him a small wave and departed in direction of the elavator.
Togame exhaled heavely, focusing the remaining of his strength in his legs so that he could get moving.
-"Oh yeah ? What kind of custom ?"
Turning around once she arrived inside the elevator, Seira couldn't help her gaze from going straight to her neighbor neck, teeth sinking in her lip as she saw the bruise that started appearing there. *He didn't want to talk about it, so mind your business...*
-"Oh yeah, I also sent you the Instagram post about it, in case you wanted to..."
The voice of her best friend fading away as her mind was contemplating the scenarios that would lead to Togame being so messed up. Her blue orbs trailing on his bloody jacket, the lion's eyes seemed to pierce right through her soul as the door closed behind him.
Togame spread himself on his couch and snorted, thinking back to what just happened. *This girl really 's unusual... Nagisa Seira right ?* Maybe he'll finally go along with a neighbor this time. She seemed nice. Unwise but nice.
He violently shook his head at the though, she acted nice in front of him because of the shock. Because she's living right across from him and she was scared he'll come back at her for leaving him here without helping. She was just playing nice to have peace. No one can be so nice for long, his progenitor and Choji proved that to him.
He painfully got up, taking the path to his bathroom. His jaw was hurting from being so tight, the pain going straight to the back of his skull, resonating with the previous kick he took there.
He shook his head some more, no need to worry about that. She will probably be moving out by the end of the week because of his reputation, like everyone else.
.......
The familiar ting of the doorbell of the Playfull Cloud welcomed Seira as she entered her mentor tattoo shop, the change between the outside temperature and the cold breeze of the air-conditioning on her naked tights made her shiver.
-"Talk about being close !" Rosé jumped at her, chastising her for a cute lie from earlier.
-"Yeah, yeah I'm sorry."
-"Yeah, I'll come back at you for that !" She turned around with an angry pout, huffing and as she go to sat back at one of the desk.
-"You're really a freak, you know that ?"
-"Excuse me 'Kuna what was that for ?" She hissed at the man who was leisurely yawning on the couch.
She clunched the strap of her bag, oh how she wanted to swung it at his head. Sukuna had that special power of making everyone want to kill him every time he opened his evil mouth. Thankfully for him, his body was sculpted by the gods so it helped keeping the balance.
-"Only an insane person would come to work early. And you're here days in advance so you must be utterly deranged."
The man smiled when he saw her eyebrow jump on her forehead. She was so quickly railed up when you knew were to sting.
*I'mma show you deranged you big pinkie pie asshole !*
He chuckled, catching her fist without even flinching. She sticked our her tongue for only response, giving him a face before degaging herself out of his hand.
-"Rosaa, your brother's an ass." She pouted at the said ass sister.
-"Nah, respect the ass. it's prettier that this ugly prick."
-"What did you call me, you brat ?"
-"An ugly prick, Sube el audífono, viejo." (turn up the earring aid, old man.)
-"Te mato pequeña mocosa" (I'll kill you, you little brat)
-"Prueba conmigo, viejo basura." (Try me, you old trash)
Seira chuckled as she watched the two Ryomens trying to wrestle each other while they bantered, trying to make each other fall while they were throwing names at one another. But her trained eyes saw the littles smiles on each of their faces and a mischievous snake came to bite her heart.
-"Would you two mind and not do this here ?" The voice of her mentor interrupted her ugly thoughts.
He was standing in the door leading to the back shop, just like his studio, geto was Good looking with a dark but reassuring aura. His long hair were half up half down as always and he wore a baggy Jean with a long, sleeveless, black tee, showing off his fully tattooed arms.
She smiled and mouthed him a "hi" as he approached them. He just winked in response, focusing on the two still fighting
Siblings.
-"Oï, I said stop." He growled Separating them by the collars of their tops. "You two. I swear..."
"But he/she started first !" The two pinky pointed their fingers.
-"I don't care, just stop already." To that he let go of his grip on their collars. "the food is ready, go wash your hands."
The two exchanged a look and bolted to the bathroom for sole answer.
-"Sorry for that, star girl." He ruffled her hair gently. "I didn't know you were passing by today."
-"it's okay, it's just... the performance is tomorrow and staying at home is getting me nervous and I was thinking"
She averted her eyes away from him, even after all the time passed together qnd her regulars sleepover at his and Gojo's place, she was still shy asking him favors.
-" I was thinking, maybe I could work here for a little bit, ...if you don't mind of course."
He used the hand on her head to force her gaze back on him.
-"I never mind having you around, that's why I gave you a spare key." He looked at her pointedly and dropped his hand.
Seira couldn't help but pick at her rings at the honest statement.
-"Yeah,....So, Rosé said we received a custom order ?"
-"Ah yeah come, I'll show you the client notes while we eat." She nodded and they made their way to join the pink haired siblings.
......
Sitting at the small table in Geto's office, Rosé smiled while Seira and Geto were chit chatting reviewing the order charts and adding small ideas on their respective notebook, her brother eating the poor chicken like an animal starved.
He was really going to choke at this rate. She bowed over the table grabbing the fruit juice while pushing her share toward him.
Eyeing the wall she noticed the small silver lines on the painted clouds.
Yeah, silver threads would definitely look good with the fabrics she was planning to use for the Kimono. It'll make the seams appear more delicately and the contrast between it and her bestfriend brown skin will definitely look amazing under the traditional lamps.
-"So, did you decide if you wanna participate to the festival ?", Seira raised her head at her. The usual pinched pout adorning her face.
-"Well I haven't really thought about it since this morning. I mean, we start school 2 days later. And putting up a stand is gonna take a lot of time."
-"Oh common, Babybrain it's gonna be fun." she whined, Turning to her brother's friend for support. "And it's a good way to make clients. Right, Geto-san?"
-"I have to agree. it's a good way to make your own web."
-"See !"
She smiled satisfied with Geto answer. Showing ever more teeth when he kept going.
-"it'll give people a taste of your skills without being shadowed by my expertise."
-"But you know... I'm not good with the whole approacing people and selling myself thing." She shooed her friend worries, taking her hand to stop her from playing with her rings.
-"Yeah, well that's why I'll be here with you ! I'll bring the clients and you just let your art do the talking."
-"Yeah and don't worry, a lots of my regulars are going to this festival. I'm sure they'll see the talent I've digged out."
Rosé giggled seeing the pinkie tone appear on her bestfriend cheeks. She was so cute.
-"Common Reiiiii, please please please." She squeezed the smaller girl's arm, making her lips tremble and forcing crocodile tears on the corners of her eyelids.
-"Ahhh, fine. I'll do it"
Her bestfriend capitulation made Rosé jump off her seat."Yeaaayyy !. Were going to have sooo much fun. I already imagined a design for You're Kimono, you're going to be so cute. And of course we'll need otherthigs like tables and..."
Seira smiled at Rosé cute rambling, the things she wouldn't do to make the pink haired girl happy.