IC Inbox; UN: yourgirlfriendsboyfriend

[honored_one]

"You know what to do!"

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[honored_one]

[He's strangely quiet at that question, deciding to fill his silence with another bite of cookie.]

I dunno yet. It's so different from home that I think I'm still adjusting. I liked travelling around and seeing everything, that's been pretty cool.

[But it also gets lonely after awhile. His surface reason for getting an apartment here was a place to keep his stuff. Really, though, it was to have a home base near a lot of the people he's met.]

I'll figure it out, you know? There's a whole universe of things for me to try out there.

[He has no idea what to do.]

[tooawesome]

[ Alluka nods in big agreement. ]

You actually found a place to live faster than I did. It took a couple months before I lived anywhere at all, and even then it took longer for Zechs and Nanika and I to decide where we wanted to live. Like, another month and a half. So I'd say you're doing pretty well adjusting.

[ She presses one finger around the plate to pick up crumbs, sucking them into her mouth. ] I'm exploring too.

Not just here. I left home for the first time recently back in my world. Big Brother and I were just exploring because there's so much I've never done. There still is! I've probably done more in some ways here than I ever have back home, and I'm still just starting out.

And I'm glad I'm not the only one figuring it out.

[honored_one]

[He listens, arm leaned on the kitchen bar. He gets it. Gojo holds up his soda bottle toward Alluka in a toast.]

To us, and figuring out what the hell a normal life is supposed to entail.

[tooawesome]

[ Alluka holds her soda bottle up to Gojo's and taps them together. ] To us!

[ She takes another sip and looks at Gojo. ] I don't know what it all is like, but I think the most important thing is to love people and be loved. That's what I want most. I can handle anything if someone loves me.

[honored_one]

[His smile falters for a moment at that, but he does his best to keep it there after taking a sip for his toast.]

Yeah. Makes all the difference, huh.

[tooawesome]

[ Alluka nods, entirely sure of herself. She's doing great. ]

You know all your students love you, right?

[honored_one]

[He wasn't expecting that at all. Gojo looks surprised, stopping short of his next sip of soda. He tries to recover, slapping on a grin and shaking his head a little.]

Even me? C'mon, no one likes their teachers. They're teachers.

[tooawesome]

You're a cool teacher.

[ Alluka takes another happy bite of cake, humming to herself. She's softer when she adds... ]

Plus you're the reason many of them are still alive.

[honored_one]

Of course I'm a cool teacher. I'm a cool guy.

[This girl's too nice, isn't she. He smiles softly, leaning towards her a little on the counter.]

Well, I'm not about to let anyone die on my watch. Curses or jujutsu elders, I'm not letting either get in the way.

[tooawesome]

Yes you are. You even look like Big Brother.

[ Alluka likes that protectiveness. It feels very safe. She's confident of the answer because it happened before, but just in case, Alluka looks right at Gojo. ]

What about Natural Spirits? Will you protect them too? If they look to you for it.

[honored_one]

[Well he's never considered that.]

Oh. Uh, well, so long as they're benevolent, of course.

[tooawesome]

[ Alluka nods seriously. ]

Of course, it's important that people mean well. Though that doesn't mean people never get hurt.

[ She's deadly serious. ]

[honored_one]

[He gives her a serious nod in return.] An unfortunate fact. But that's what us sorcerers are here for, right? To make sure that happens as little as possible.

[tooawesome]

As little as possible. [ Alluka repeats it. She turns back to her cake, biting her lip. They promised to keep Nanika's abilities a secret. Even though Toge saw something like them in the alternate life, that doesn't count. She can't say anything now. ] My family only hurt people they've been paid to hurt. I think those are mostly bad guys.

[honored_one]

Hey, listen to me.

[He leans in close again, his voice stern but soft.]

Just because they did, doesn't mean you have to. You're not them. And I'd bet Nanika isn't either. Trust me on this one.

[tooawesome]

[ Alluka blinks. ]

I'm not an assassin. I mean, there was an alternate world where I was an assassin, but I am not an assassin. Nanika isn't one either. I just... don't want you to kill my family.

[honored_one]

And you don't have to be.

[He looks satisfied with that.]

And I only deal with curses. I'm not out here killing anyone's family members.

[tooawesome]

I don't know what I want to be, but I am not going to be an assassin!

[ Alluka agrees with that. She'd rather be a Jedi or something she hasn't discovered yet. She's not going to be a Jedi either, though. She's as Force-sensitive as a rock now. ]

I'm glad. I appreciate that, Gojo. Even more than the cake! And I really like the cake.

[honored_one]

You got time to figure it out. [As if he is so much older than her. Even so, his life has pretty much been decided for him since day one.]

And then cake you shall have! [He'll cut her another slice. She can have as much as she wants, and hang out as long as she wants. He's glad for the company.]