[ why is his kid like this. After that message, Toji leaves him on read, and if Megumi is going to the training arena, it’s going to be awhile if Toji decides to show up. ]
[ megumi learned tenacity early on - and perhaps ironically, learned it because of toji's absence. he had a sister to protect and be strong for; if he caved so easily to what other people wanted him to do, they would be separated very quickly.
he couldn't let that happen to tsumiki. he couldn't let gojo satoru think he's weak-willed, either.
all that said, megumi did mean to train today, so that's what he's doing: going over his routines until his knuckles and palms are bleeding through the wraps, relishing in the fresh and mortal pain of hitting things with his hands and knowing they're his own.
after all, he needs to build his stamina and endurance up if he wants to keep up with yuji. ]
[ It takes Toji awhile, but eventually the doors to the training arena open, and he emerges like a slumbering bear who has been rudely disturbed. He’s in the baggiest kinds of clothes, because why would he wear anything else right now.
In the opposite side of his mouth from the scar, there’s a pretty big bruise that is still healing, skin still torn and swollen, but he doesn’t have any one to try and dress his wounds so he doesn’t bother.
Like before, he follows his nose and goes in whatever direction the food is gonna be at, whether it’s in the bleachers or somewhere else. ]
[ truthfully, megumi's expecting some clown behavior from the man he's biologically related to; something like toji showing up exactly as megumi's leaving, like two repelling magnets or oil drops in a glass of water. so when toji does show up, dressed in ill-fitting clothes and looking cranky, megumi's focus slips into a painful split.
so, he yelps a bit. ow. a shadow pool manifests on instinct under him so he doesn't accidentally torque a thigh muscle - or worse, a testicle - leg dipping in and rebalancing him. embarrassment is a big driving motivator for a teenager, though, so megumi lets himself fall straight in and just pop back up through his father's shadow.
[ that's fine, megumi's tired out anyway. just gonna sit on the floor and blatantly watch toji eat while he unwraps his hands and treats his knuckles for cuts and bruises. ]
Did you win?
[ whatever fight led to the bruise on toji's face, that is. ]
[ What a question to ask. Megumi is already proving that he’s too much for Toji to handle— the whole reason why he wanted to re-home him to begin with. He’s not the best influence or person in his life, yet he seems to insistent to talk to him. ]
I won the first fight. Ask Gojo about the second fight.
You could've ran away. Fighting someone is always a choice. There's no shame is running from a fight if you know you'll lose by dying.
[ he's done it enough times. probably he should've done it a little more, or a little less. ]
Babysitters. Some guy who smokes? [ a small frown. ] You didn't smoke, especially not in the apartment. [ SHRUG ] I thought maybe that was because of you.
Maybe it's Ieiri-san, then. Ah, when did she quit...
...Huh. Do you want me to ask him not to fight you again? Sometimes he listens to me.
[ please let him live. megumi had asked and gojo had done everything in his power to keep yuji alive. maybe... well, maybe not. things are fraught between them now. ]
I don’t care. He’s going to do whatever he wants because that’s who he is.
[ Toji polishes off the last of the meal and runs his mouth along the back of his sleeve. He doesn’t care about Gojo. He never actually did. He was passive about the rivalry that his clan had against Gojo’s. The only reason he wanted to defeat him during his enlightenment was to prove to somebody— anybody— that he could actually do something despite not having any cursed energy. He definitely sounds bothered talking about Gojo anyway. ]
He’s not anymore.
[ which, whatever. Shiu didn’t want to keep working with him and Toji is trying to ignore the fact that it bothers him that Shiu is gone now, also. ]
[ megumi notices it too, how talking about his erstwhile guardian just seems to tick his biological father off to heaven's heights. some kind of insecurity? certainly not over gojo raising his son; he was ready to give megumi away twice. it's something else, but megumi can't grasp at the shape of its edges. ]
You could make new friends here if you want.
[ for want of something to do, and it's quickly becoming a crutch now, megumi summons a rabbit from the shadows. he doesn't use the summoning gestures anymore, just touching his fingertips where the shadow falls and pulling them up and out, easy as breathing. one rabbit, two rabbits, three. ]
[ Toji doesn’t have a response for making friends here. He’s not really interested in that, but if asked when he was his happiest, it was when he had some form of companionship— friendship or romance. It was isolating to not have cursed energy, but here, it doesn’t matter since most people don’t have it anyway.
He watches the rabbits appear with a tired expression. This kid just keeps asking the hard questions, but as shady as he is, he’s not much of a liar. ]
You do.
[ But it’s not because of who Megumi is. It even isn’t exactly the fact that he is Toji’s. It’s because being around Toji means he has some sort of responsibility, and he knows he is no good for that. ]
—But even so, I never wanted to do things that weren’t right for you.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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i’ll get my own food
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[ he's been dealing with gojo satoru's antics for 90% of his life, he can keep up. ]
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[ surely this can buy a cup noodle or something… ]
this icon is getting so much mileage
KON IS SENDING...
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KON IS SENDING...
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i am not training you for food
either you come here and bring me something or you shut up
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do you want extra beef cuts?
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training room. i'll pack the dishes now.
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not today
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he couldn't let that happen to tsumiki. he couldn't let gojo satoru think he's weak-willed, either.
all that said, megumi did mean to train today, so that's what he's doing: going over his routines until his knuckles and palms are bleeding through the wraps, relishing in the fresh and mortal pain of hitting things with his hands and knowing they're his own.
after all, he needs to build his stamina and endurance up if he wants to keep up with yuji. ]
ACTION.
In the opposite side of his mouth from the scar, there’s a pretty big bruise that is still healing, skin still torn and swollen, but he doesn’t have any one to try and dress his wounds so he doesn’t bother.
Like before, he follows his nose and goes in whatever direction the food is gonna be at, whether it’s in the bleachers or somewhere else. ]
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so, he yelps a bit. ow. a shadow pool manifests on instinct under him so he doesn't accidentally torque a thigh muscle - or worse, a testicle - leg dipping in and rebalancing him. embarrassment is a big driving motivator for a teenager, though, so megumi lets himself fall straight in and just pop back up through his father's shadow.
pretend it's like, planned, or something. ]
You're actually here.
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I don’t waste food.
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Did you win?
[ whatever fight led to the bruise on toji's face, that is. ]
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I won the first fight.
Ask Gojo about the second fight.
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Only an idiot picks a fight with Gojo Satoru and expects to win more than once.
[ megumi hums as he finishes taping back his hands, flexing the fingers in different directions to see which parts pinch or pull. so far, so good. ]
Gojo-sensei's not so bad. He's loud and annoying, but he's just weird.
Did you hire babysitters?
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[ #facts
Toji knows better not to deal with Gojo a second time, especially when he’s not in the way of a job to be done. ]
What are you talking about?
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[ he's done it enough times. probably he should've done it a little more, or a little less. ]
Babysitters. Some guy who smokes? [ a small frown. ] You didn't smoke, especially not in the apartment. [ SHRUG ] I thought maybe that was because of you.
Maybe it's Ieiri-san, then. Ah, when did she quit...
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I did.
[ But Gojo managed to get a few hits in anyway because, well. It’s Gojo, and he’s even stronger than Toji remembers. ]
You think I had any money to hire any kind of babysitter? That person you’re referring to, his name is Shiu Kong. He’s Korean.
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[ please let him live. megumi had asked and gojo had done everything in his power to keep yuji alive. maybe... well, maybe not. things are fraught between them now. ]
Or maybe I shouldn't. I'm avoiding him, too.
Shiu Kong is your friend?
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[ Toji polishes off the last of the meal and runs his mouth along the back of his sleeve. He doesn’t care about Gojo. He never actually did. He was passive about the rivalry that his clan had against Gojo’s. The only reason he wanted to defeat him during his enlightenment was to prove to somebody— anybody— that he could actually do something despite not having any cursed energy. He definitely sounds bothered talking about Gojo anyway. ]
He’s not anymore.
[ which, whatever. Shiu didn’t want to keep working with him and Toji is trying to ignore the fact that it bothers him that Shiu is gone now, also. ]
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You could make new friends here if you want.
[ for want of something to do, and it's quickly becoming a crutch now, megumi summons a rabbit from the shadows. he doesn't use the summoning gestures anymore, just touching his fingertips where the shadow falls and pulling them up and out, easy as breathing. one rabbit, two rabbits, three. ]
Do I make you uncomfortable?
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He watches the rabbits appear with a tired expression. This kid just keeps asking the hard questions, but as shady as he is, he’s not much of a liar. ]
You do.
[ But it’s not because of who Megumi is. It even isn’t exactly the fact that he is Toji’s. It’s because being around Toji means he has some sort of responsibility, and he knows he is no good for that. ]
—But even so, I never wanted to do things that weren’t right for you.
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🎀