#undescension

It's not a thing, they want to defend, but the words stay in their heart. Squirming and grasping, hooked onto a feeling of inevitability they hadn't felt in a long, long time. Yet, if they were to say it, this person might understand. A fumbled mess of you are me and I am you that Akira couldn't really grasp their head around, didn't know if they should grasp their head around. The possibilities and choices of life and curiosity as to what this person had been through to adopt a demeanor so different from their own (a part of them wished they could be as confident), would they think it as well? Hello, who are you.

Neither of them had had a cat and that made them kind of sad, because cats were cute, and as much as they wanted one, the realistic aspects of it never worked out. In another world, in another life, I'd like to have a cat, and with this, with meeting them, maybe that did exist somewhere. But they didn't recognize the sacri-something. So, then, it hadn't been created yet? Or was never going to be created? For a brief moment, their breathing turns shaky. Regardless of which was true, the experiences was different, and another thing could be piled on the list of their differences. Maybe they should both talk about what they know, maybe then what was foretold could be averted. …They should bring that suggestion to Oz later and see what he thought of it. It was worth a try.

In the end, they didn't even share names.

"It does", and while they're positive of it, they still speak slowly, averting their eyes from said being. How lucky, Sakitty, that another person can give you love.

...

It's just that, this feels like lying.

"That...cat", they can't call it a thing, "is a sacri...something, I forgot the name... Snow and White made it for me", they start explaining, not looking for understanding, but because being withheld information hurts. They can't do that someone who, like them, are working so hard to help their wizards. "It's meant to take the hit, if I get hurt", surprisingly, the words are said without hesitation.

@undescension MULTIMUSE MEME: Send a " ⭐ " and I will list muses I would be interested in throwing at yours, or potential muse combinations if you are also a multi! -- Not accepting

I thank you for the banana bread, and we eat it! Also don't worry about lateness!

You were just a tad startled by the man trying to cook at... three am? Why was he trying to cook at three am? You weren't, of course, going to complain - it was almost like Sosei was a housewife. Almost.

Quietly, you moved behind him and buried your face in between his shoulderblades sleepily, letting out an almost pathetic yawn.

" Mm... " Another yawn, one of your hands moved to scratch at your hip, while another went around to hug him close, and you pressed a kiss at the bottom of his neck, right where his back began, and you sleepily let out a grumble.

" Too early for you to clink-clang around my kitchen, asshole, " You yawned again, nuzzling his skin softly. " Are you gonna be taking Aguri with you, habibi, or is she gonna be staying back here with us? " You'd understand either way - on one hand, that's his daughter, and you and Sosei's other partner weren't much more than 'the clowns her father was dating,' but on the other hand, you also acknowledged he probably didn't want to pull her out of school to transfer her elsewhere only for a few months.

yukito blinks over at tokita with wide eyes and cheeks stuffed with food . the pace at which he eats is perfectly normal to him -- and to the level of hunger he always seems to feel . before responding , the teen swallows .

" do i ? everyone says eating well is a sign of good health . " they say it to him , specifically , when they realize just how much food he eats all the time . yukito has yet to realize this . " i wouldn't mind getting a little taller ... it would sure make basketball easier . "

You watched him with a pause, brow quirked as you tilted your head. A blink for a moment. Did you need something to drink? You didn't know - but then again, if you didn't know, you probably should. But you also didn't want to drink anything at this moment. To stop yourself from overthinking, you ended up giving Hibiki a soft nod - you also made a note to stop by the store and grab him some actual clothes that'd fit. ( giving him your older brother's clothes from when he was a teen was only a temporary fix, it seems. )

" That'd be appreciated, " You offered a grin. " You might as well leave out two other cups, too, Habibi and Hayati are probably gonna be home from work here in an hour or two, and I don't want them rummaging around for cups when they're both exhausted. " A pause for a moment, as you tilted your head.

" Also, don't feel like you need to do anything to earn the chance to sleep on the couch, Habibi really wanted you to have somewhere to stay, and Hayati and I both agreed, " You explained with a snort.

" I really appreciate you helping me fix it, Souma, " Your voice was quiet as you watched her finish stitching the bear back together - the thread seemed to stick out like a sore thumb, but it's what she had at the moment, and for now, you didn't care, as long as the very-much-so loved bear got home safe and sound and in one piece altogether. ( you'd make a mental note to pick up some thread later that closely matched the stuffed bear's fur and ask her to help restitch it, even if you knew it'd be annoying of you. ) A pause for a moment.

It's curious, the way they phrase it. Picking favorites wasn't something Akira was willing to do (with the exception of Riquet's hopeful eyes that one time), the time ticking by already leaving an uncomfortable feeling in their chest. How do you choose between your children, how do you choose between all the cats in the world, how do you choose between the people you love—but that's not what they're asked. Closeness is something they forced. In the guise of wishing the Sage after them to have an easier time adapting, to ensure the wizards didn't have to explain their dislike for certain situations year after year. It must've been uncomfortable, sharing your life with someone you just met. They hoped it to become useful one day—and that's not what they were asked either.

The curiosity (or maybe it's fear for what happened to only one of them) about their eye takes the backseat, their love for love stronger than their current habit of asking questions too personal. How romantic (how painful) to fall for someone in the world you were whisked to, like words straight out of a drama. Was it difficult to meet the him in this place? Or were they different so it didn't matter? (They didn't dare to consider that their wizards weren't the same.)

"I'm happy for you", they start, their interest in wishing to know more about it obvious. "Um, I mean, I'm sure it's very difficult. I don't have anyone like that, but thinking that I have to leave here one day..." for a moment the awe dies. "So if I was in love with any of them...I think I'd feel 'this is unfair'", a tragic romance, voiced with care. It hadn't been here, but their own heart had spoken those words before. Love wasn't easy, and even so they stayed so utterly enamored. "I hope you can tell him someday. It's a miracle you and I met, so maybe it'll work out! If you need any advice I'd love it if you asked me", and so the excitement returns, hoping that they'd eventually find out more about the wizard they didn't mention by name.