I don't work for free.

Sentence Quotes Starters from the various things I've said in numerous conversations. Platonic // Romantic // Suggestive. Adjust pronouns as needed.

❛ I like women who are feral and women who are awful. ❜

❛ I'm gonna shove your head under the water. Forget about sentencing you to the pond, I'm gonna drown you. ❜

❛ I'm a god in the eyes of the horny. ❜

❛ STOP TRYING TO SET ME UP WITH YOUR MOM!! ❜

❛ I can't believe our title is really "Sensory failing star-crossed lovers" ❜

❛ I told him he looked like a shaved bird and that's why he had no friends. ❜

❛ What's wrong with sugary milk pockets? ❜

❛ Get undepressed right now it's time to be straight. ❜

❛ I'll treat you right queen. ❜

❛ We're slipping into the sleepy zone together, if that ain't love then I don't know what is. ❜

❛ Now you know how it feels when the only person you've ever loved says they hate you. ❜

❛ THAT'S WHAT YOU TOOK FROM THAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS? ❜

❛ I hope [Name] gets absolutely wrecked. ❜

❛ Just grabbin' my booty like it's on sale, damn! ❜

❛ YOU LITERALLY ROBBED ME!! ❜

❛ I haven't had a bath in like … over ten years. ❜

❛ No don't start talking crazy now. ❜

❛ Sometimes the biggest blocks lead to the biggest busts. ❜

❛ THE WORLD DEPENDS ON THE DICK DOWN OF A LIFETIME! ❜

❛ Do you WANT to??? Let me ask your freak ass that first. ❜

❛ Did I bonk your ass or did I bonk you and you're ass up? ❜

❛ What fucking kinks could this virgin mary actin' ass POSSIBLY have? ❜

❛ Oh how the breedable have fallen. ❜

❛ You weren't assigned whore at birth. ❜

❛ I know, I know. You're like a vibrator. You're so eager to please but sometimes you have to wait for people to be in the mood. ❜

❛ I'd actually stuff you in a pizza box and deliver you to a trash can. ❜

❛ I SPAT MY FRUITY PUNCH!! ❜

❛ I DON'T CONTROL THE VIBES, I JUST CHECK THEM! ❜

❛ It is kin or be kinned in these parts. ❜

❛ Old men really do something to you. ❜

❛ They're having sex in the gen chat again. ❜

❛ EAT 12 SOCKS!! AND ALL OF THEM ARE WET!!! ❜

❛ I'm forcibly removing you from reality. ❜

❛ I'm getting myself anotha meat-a ball! ❜

❛ You fuckin' did that don't blame Usher. ❜

❛ Y'all really hear "milk" and think "Oh [name] is gonna flip" huh? ❜

❛ Uh huh sure and my name is Doug Pringles. ❜

"That was a gift, jackass. Give it back or you owe me something else. That's how it works."

There was a pause before he leaned his full weight over the other to grab the drawing.

She had to sneak out so as not to wake Kimihiro or get spotted by Shadow (but knowing him, he probably already knew.) There was just no sneaking by Shadow. Still, she'll have to thank him for keeping quiet if anything.

Maybe Kimihiro knows, too....

She looks out onto the still water. She doesn't like how still it is. The wind blows a gentle breeze, but the water is so still. For some people, the sight may be calming, but for Hanabi, it makes everything surrounding the place eerie. Makes it too quiet. Uncomfortably so. So quiet, in fact, she could have sworn she heard its voice. The haunting cackle, the mocking, the...

You thought you got rid of me?

Hanabi gasps, head turning sharply at the voice, but instead,

You didn't look like the type to be up past curfew.

How did she get THAT from what he said?

Maybe not.

"I'm more used to sleeping when I can. Just don't need it lately."

He mutters the last part mostly to himself before he waves her on.

"Wait, you've got your kid here???"

Edward gave a long pause, staring at the individual with a raised brow; the guy who was a menace to him actually has a child??

"Well, I guess you're not a full idiot. Maybe a half." Toji gets a point for being a dad, but that all depends if the idiot is a good dad.

"Sure do and I sure won't tell you that. What kinda caring father would I be if I just throughout that information? Huh?"

His son, who shares his last name, who's name was in the contacts of every single resident of this hell hole, who, by the way, lives a few doors down.

She polishes off her plate and neatly sets the chopsticks down next to it.

"I do understand that. The existence of my kind is often debated among mortal humans. Especially in realms where the magical and mystical rarely - if at all - exist."

"Forget it, I'll just take your word for it."

He sat his own chopsticks down after finishing his meal.

The woman he barely was allowed to know before fate snatched her away, his mother.

From the photos he glanced, she had a very kind expression with a smile that reminded him of Tsumiki. Soft and genuine. She looked as if her very soul was as bright as the sun, and basking in her presence brought nothing but warmth.

In comparison to the two men who lingered in those captured memories, they were more comparable to the chilling comfort of the moon, the sensation of being watched without judgement. Megumi gives a soft huff at the hand combing through those dark spikes, not fighting back much on it and allowing Toji to have this.

"Yeah, around the time he picked Tsumiki and I up, he started taking photos to add to everything."

There was an older look to Megumi, even at such a young age, suppose being made a ward to a stranger would do that.

He paused on each photo, taking in the little details and locations and time of days. Knowledge that did nothing but feed into the slowly filling pit he's had for years. There's a twinge of guilt that he never took a picture of Tsumiki, but by then he was done with taking pictures altogether.

He would treasure these too.

Staring at the pictures of Megumi in the Six Eyes garb had him snorting a laugh.

"I bet it did. Older generations are pretentious no matter which clan they're in."

Stuck in their old ways ensures they become relics of the past at the very least. Easily forgettable.

Megumi pauses on a picture of Tsumiki. Candid but it didn't stop her from giving a huge smile the moment she realized there was a camera. It's a nice photo.

"Why not use this one for her alter? We can find a picture frame for her tomorrow."

His mention made, he does continue flipping to look at the later photos. When the last one touches his fingers, he slowly closes it.

He sits there for a moment or two, staring at the back of the photo album. It was the single picture of all three of them, two proud parents smiling and one little baby who finally opened his eyes.

"This belongs to you. I mentioned it because I left it for you and it's your responsibility to fill it with your family too. Whomever that may be to you."

He looked at his son properly, a lopsided grin on his face. The cheeriest he's looked since they reunited.

"I said sorryyyyy."

He reaches out to pull the edge of the menu down, one bright blue eye peeking over it at Toji for a moment.

"But you showed up! I'm surprised. And a little impressed. Order whatever you want, my treat."

He flips the menu on his side open, fingers curled against his cheek. A mocktail would be nice - he would like one drink, but he needs his attention in full to deal with Toji.

"I thought I'd show up on time in case Megumi was here. He's not. I should've left the moment you walked in."

He still doesn't turn to face him, his eyes scanning over the menu that he was still... deciding on. Half of it was a little unrecognizable and he wasn't sure he wanted to be adventurous with Gojo across from him.

"What could there possibly be to catch up on? I killed you, you killed me, nothing happened for like a decade besides Geto's death and then yours a year later, and then I killed you again."

It was pretty cut and dry. He was still forming together the pieces of everything with the bits of conversation from multiple sources. Yuuta had been the one to really give him a helpful timeline.

He finally put the menu down and looked at Gojo properly. He knows what he wants to order now.

"Think of it as a preview of what you never got when you were alive."

Assuming that made it better with that mentality..if at all. She could only hope it did considering he never encountered anyone like himself when he was alive. Maki can't say she found someone similar either.

"It'll be good to get the rust out of your joints anyways."

Refreshing.

He'd feel like an asshole if he ruined that for her.

"Oh yeah? Tryin' to make a rival out of me?"

Honestly, it wasn't too much of a bad idea... he's been doing nothing but laying on his ass for days at a time...

Hm.

Sebastian's smile shifts into a light grin, fangs just barely visible. "I have no use for lying. Not to you of all people, at least." He's glad to have this private game session with a possible friend.

The cards are done being shuffled, and their game of Blackjack continues.

"I hope you do not have a curfew," he says in light jest. "I am hoping you and I can socialize even more after our game."

He hums a little, watching the cards get redistributed and set before them. He takes his casual first peek of his cards before setting them down.

"Ya know what they say, the night's young and all that."

It would be the longest he's really stayed out and not just because insomnia decided to rear it's ugly head. Company was nice every once and awhile. Even if the occasion had him feeling he was having a game night with a large sharp eyed tiger.

His gut feeling wasn't going off and that made him comfortable.

He didn't mind explaining the timeline of events. It wouldn't be something Toji knew normally, considering his fate at Gojo's hands before Yuuta ever entered sorcery.

"You must have heard about the Night Parade from Maki or Geto."

"Shibuya was sort of an escalation of that incident. I think it used it as a blueprint. And then the Shinjuku battle was two months after that, so - Christmas, again."

He was fidgeting when he spoke about it, his gaze flicking down to his own hands.

"So... in the span of barely a year... you guys were under attack three times?"

With how it was sounded, it was war if nothing else. Something-- if he was alive... would've just watched from a far, he's sure. Megumi wouldn't have been there either.

He frowns.

"Believe me or not, but that is my story, Toji." Ismene points out. She could hear the disbelief in his tone.

"The wings aren't for show."

"Yeah well... can you move them? Flex them? Shaking them without moving your upper body?"

It was better than him reaching over and yanking on a woman's appendage that he didn't know.

It looks like Sebastian's card is less than.

Still, the demon doesn't seem bothered by the fact he's lost. "I cannot help but watch you," He says shamelessly, "You are attractive."

The cards are taken by the house and shuffled once more.

"Now that's a compliment. This place is filled with all sorts of people. Hell, even monsters that are far more interesting looking."

He grins, his scar on his lip stretching a bit.

He was real bad at hiding things, recalling the time he shoved that messy shirt into his uniform to try and save his classmate's skin.

"Sorry for coming by so late, but-uh-" For some reason he was stammering, a little nervous if only from his eagerness to show the gift, "Here. Stroke of luck, and you'll never guess who was able to find it." Megumi places that album in Toji's lap, settling down next to him and taking the mug in his hands, thumbing the warm side of the ceramic.

Then he froze.

The mug in his hand nearly tipping over as he put it on the table.

There was a barely there tremble in how his hands hovered over the book of memories. After a breath, he opened it.

The first few pages didn't have Megumi. Not yet. Pictures of mundane life shown through the lens of a woman who thought the mundane was beautiful.

He remembers as clear as day. Of him complaining about the amount of pictures of himself there was and the lack of her's. She laughed, the sound of bells as she handed the camera to him.

"Then you have to take those."

The next few pages featured her. From early mornings, to daily outings, dates, and holidays shared. There's even a few of them both with her parents, older smiling brightly, all three of them are and with himself giving an embarrassed grin.

Passed those pictures, there had been a shift. A subtle one. Softer around the edges and it's clear why with a few of the pictures. She was pregnant. There was plenty of from a baby shower held, with people Toji couldn't even remember the names of. Friends of the family. People he only saw again at her funeral.

His breath stutters, his chest tightening as he flipped past smiling faces. It was colder now. They were so busy getting the nursery ready.

The pages dampened, he's grateful for the plastic that covered the time capsule. He didn't bother wiping them from the source, simply readjusted and cleaned the page off with his sleeve.

There was hesitation. It was only a few more pages before that chapter of his life was closed.

Turning the page, Megumi was born. A small pink little monster with jet black hair. She had wanted him to name their son.

"Megumi? That's a beautiful name."

He thumbed the picture of her holding their blessing. An image he remembered, one of the few things from what was Shibuya. The same image he saw right before his first death.

He let out a breath as he flipped the page.

She was in a hospital bed. Taken through her eyes. A picture of the hospital room's window, catching a flock of geese. Catching fresh flowers sitting on her windowsill.

Catching him, in tears, holding her hand and smiling. Something pathetic and grief stricken.

There's an empty page of pictures he doesn't linger on. Pictures of Megumi flooded the next several pages. Pictures his grand parents took. Of ceremonies, of birthdays, events, his first steps. He was there for that one. He had toddled over to him, blabbing at him with demands that still had the corner of his mouth up tilting even now.

Months were skipped, there was one at least for each birthday. Most of the holidays were caught.

Her parents died when Megumi turned five.

Those two years were blur and it showed how the lack of pictures were louder than if it was filled with meaningless landscapes.

The last picture he took was of Megumi's sixth birthday.

He had scraped together a party. If you can call a gathering of two people a party. There was a cake. There were gifts. Megumi had smiled at the camera. At him with rosy cheeks and cake frosting smeared on his cheeks. He looked so much like his mother.

A lot happened in a year.

Toji comes back to the moment. He had stilled at the picture. Ridge before he breathed again. He finally wiped at his face, grimacing at how much of a wreck he must look. His shirt was damp, face wet and he pushed his hair out of his face with another breath as he reigned in the overflow emotions.

With the other arm, he reached over burying his hand in Megumi's hair and pulling him close in a one sided hug.

"Thank you," He finally says after a long moment, "It's... just-- thanks."

He was terrible at words and having something so important back didn't change it.

He didn't mean to wait this long, picking through the album and making copies was what ended up taking the most time. Just in case, he still hadn't handed them over to Gojo quite yet. The last thing he wanted to do was sour the already tense relationship between both parental figures.

He blew on his mug when Megumi's voice chimed through the door.

For Megumi's sake, of course.

It was a nice place near the casino, catering to people with money to lose at the card tables. Satoru'd picked it because it would be just busy enough that people wouldn't pay them any mind.

He took his time with it, though, flipping through his phone a little and judging exactly how late he'd like to be - maybe ten minutes would be fine. Fashionably late, as it were.

When he arrived, he was expecting to see Toji standing outside still. When he's not, there was half a thought to text him to accuse him of being late - but when he's told there's a table already waiting for them, he sauntered right in like he wasn't the one who was late.

"Wow, you actually did dress up a little." He grinned, glasses hiding his face instead of the strip of cloth Toji'd gotten used to seeing.

Megumi wasn't here either.

So honestly, he truly showed up for absolutely nothing at all.

He'd still order his own meal. Maybe he can start a tab under Gojo's name? Rack it up nice and high though it'll probably paid for without a second thought.

Rich bastard--

A familiar irritating voice slices through his plan of annoying the annoying owner of said voice. He doesn't look up from his menu.

Toji's phone lights up with several back-to-back texts.

[ txt: toji ] (attached is a link to a restaurant in Golden Ward)

[ txt: toji ] show up here @ 6

[ txt: toji ] not formal but dress better than a t-shirt lol

[ txt: toji ] my treat

It had to be one.

He squinted at his phone for another solid minute and a half before he put it down.

"Does he think I'm dumb enough to show up to my own ass whooping? A second time?"

He picked his phone up again and stared at the cat swatting the remains of scraps. Probably a metaphor for being torn to shreds.

Surely.

The phone was thrown on his bed.

"Well, he's not going to get his way."

What if Megumi was there? He said he wouldn't blow off his own son and it's just like Gojo to not mention the fact.

He sat with the thought for a about two minutes before he shook his head. He'd have thrown it in as an afterthought.

He ruffled his hair as he looked at the phone again.

my treat

Toji sighed.

"Ugh. Fine."

If a fight breaks out, he'll just leave. He promised Megumi.

Ugh.

His closet had a few... things in it. Casual wear. Things he wouldn't wear to a not so fancy lunch spot. Fine. He'll go and shop for something simple. By the time he's done with that, he can shower and meet at this restaurant.

A plan that was perfectly executed if not begrudgingly. He stood outside of the designated meet spot. He sighed one last time before he walked in. He was right on time, 6 o'clock.

And the asshole wasn't even here yet.

He let the annoyed look on his face continue on even as he checked in at the hostess's stand.