#creationofcontrol

"that's an awfully ominous thing to say," utahime responds in her usual polite way; voice measured, almost melodic, and facial expression neutral. as far as sentiments go, it's not unheard of. she herself has thought of things along the same lines about multiple situations. the thing about being a jujutsu sorcerer is that there is plenty of room for regret, just as there are endless opportunities for mistakes. it's all par of the course. even for someone like her, who now frequents the classroom more than the field.

she studies makima with warm brown eyes. there is something strange about her... but utahime cannot reliably put a finger on it at this time. she's met a lot of eccentric individuals before – sorcerers, curse users, curses, or simply regular people – individuals who concealed something behind impeccable conduct... but makima doesn't seem to fit any of those molds. "you know, for people in my profession, 'your whole life' doesn't mean that long." she can smile about it, right? and she does, even if it isn't funny. but surely, makima herself understands, bearing her profession in mind. "if you'd like to discuss working together, perhaps my students can get to know your team first..." casually and with practiced grace, she reaches for the teapot, pouring the other woman a fresh cup. "then we can decide."

Yuuki hadn't meant to follow his classmate around for this long. It had started with a simple hunch: Yuta Okkotsu had something to do with the strange circumstances surrounding Kamoshida's arrest. It's not like he was the only one, either, he had his eye on a few students at Shujin, but still - something in his gut told him Okkotsu was the one to watch. It was innocent enough at first - he would just keep his distance until he could confirm his suspicions, and then he could properly thank him for doing something about that awful man. But of course, he wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary at school, and Yuuki's curiosity was eating him alive.

That's how he ended up trailing behind him after school, anxiously waiting for something to happen. For a while, it seemed like maybe he was wrong - Okkotsu wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, and Yuuki was starting to feel like a weird stalker at this point. Maybe he should just go home after all...

But as soon as he turns around to call it quits, something changes. It's like the world shifts around him, and suddenly he's no longer in the empty corner of the train station he'd followed his classmate to. No, this place is darker, everything shrouded in a red haze, strange dark roots sprawling across the walls and pillars like sickly veins. And was with those ominous shadows lurking around every corner? His heart drops in his chest, head spinning as reality seems to break apart around him - this couldn't be real, could it? This scene looked like it was straight out of a nightmare, and yet no matter how many times he tells himself that, he won't wake up.

she misses mei. they haven't spoken since the older woman departed from the society and mei is exactly the kind of sorcerer who would know how to handle this. or better yet . . . even gojo. as much as iori despises the underclassmen, the strongest is more equipped to handle the strong. the pressure of monitoring to mentoring is a new and unfamiliar task for the freshly appointed sensei. her hands rest behind her back in a display of harmlessness. her smile is wobbly and unsure but does not falter even in the face of the unknown, " welcome. we are so honored to have you on the kyoto campus. "